Rams Mailbag: Draft insights, Puka Nacua outlook and more
· Yahoo Sports
Los Angeles Rams fans have questions, so it's time for some answers. I put out a tweet, asking fans for their questions, comments, and concerns as the team enters final preparations for the NFL draft. Here's what they wanted to know and some answers regarding how the franchise will navigate the remainder of what has been a wild offseason.
What do the Rams do with pick 13? I hope they don't trade it. We haven't picked this high in a long time. I want them to draft a dawg. My choice is Sadiq. I think he is a true game changer if he is used the right way. He doesn't feel like a true TE to me.
Couldn't be any more correct about Sadiq, but the problem is that the Rams feel like they have that weapon with Terrance Ferguson. It wasn't by mistake that Ferguson was on the field in the NFC Championship Game and was the target for Stafford's final red zone attempt, before the Rams turned the ball over on downs to essentially end the game.
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However, Sadiq solves three major problems. He could be the team's WR3, elevate their multiple tight end packages, and the guy that keeps Tyler Higbee healthy for big-time games. The problem is that the Rams never target those guys and they also love Konata Mumpfield. I think this pick is going on the defense.
How do you feel this whole Puka Nacua situation will play out?
Quietly. Nacua knows that he's at the threshold and has taken actions to better himself. Rehab, surrounding himself with veterans like Higbee and Cooper Kupp, getting back to the simple joys of life. I've covered this guy for a year. He loves his family, especially his son. There's a reason everyone speaks so highly of him within the organization. He deserves the chance to fix his issues, and he's clearly taking it seriously.
As far as the other side of the question, the legal side has to play out before the NFL can begin to address the issue.
My main question is if not Lemon/Sadiq, then who? (trade down for a first next year?) thx
Sonny Styles, Ohio State. Wild right? I think the Rams are all-in but in a new way. This isn't all in for 2026, this is all in for the next three years. Why? Because the cap is rising at astronomical rates and the franchise has structured all their contracts to fall off in cycles where that big bill never comes due.
So what's the biggest need? Coverage linebacker. The Rams have no reason to hold onto picks from this season. I see the Rams moving up in a way they snag Styles, while walking away with two or three more players. Their roster is set. Quality over quantity.
Has the Puka situation altered the Rams’ perspective on WRs in the draft? Have they placed a higher or lower value on the position?
Not at all. The Rams, knowing Nacua's situation, were willing to trade away Davante Adams for A.J. Brown. Nacua is getting extended regardless because there's no way the Rams believed Brown could be a sustainable option after he had a Cold War with the Eagles over the last few seasons.
No change. If they draft a receiver, they would see him as a current WR3 who could become Adams' successor. Nacua has always been a part of that plan.
What has led to the perceived increase in value of early-round LB’s (draft prospect meetings)? Is it Jimmy Lake’s input or scheme change?
It's Sam Darnold whipping the Rams for 6.5 straight quarters. It's one-legged Mac Jones acting like Joe Montana, while Kendrick Bourne cosplayed Jerry Rice on Thursday Night. It's the fact that the Shanahan system has dominated Chris Shula's scheme time and time again, with none of it being Shula's fault.
All three teams in the NFC West, outside of the Rams, run a Shanahan-based offensive scheme. Trust, that Mike LaFleur scheme in Arizona is Shanahan with the McVay offense being added in like garlic salt. It flavors, but it doesn't overpower.
The reason Shula has struggled is that he's using round pegs to fill square holes. Omar Speights is meant to go one direction and that's towards the action. He's the one you want on the wall and quite frankly, should be allowed to blitz more often. What he's not built to do is be forced to cover miles of space.
Nate Landman, when allowed to hunt, is a game wrecker. He was forced to backpedal in Atlanta. Why? Because he's built to be Nate Landman, and Shula didn't have the help in the secondary that allows Landman to hunt.
A coverage linebacker allows Shula to use Landman and Speights strategically, in ways that play to their strong suits, while giving him the linebacker who can cover tight ends, as the Shanahan scheme loves to exploit.
For me, I want my hunters close to the ball. Both men saved the Rams last season, doing just that. It's a disservice to their skill to judge them in the same way one does others. It dampens their impact.
What do the Rams do with pick 13? I hope they don't trade it. We haven't picked this high in a long time. I want them to draft a dawg. My choice is Sadiq. I think he is a true game changer if he is used the right way. He doesn't feel like a true TE to me.
As I mentioned above, I think they trade up for Sonny Styles. If they stick at 13 and Mansoor Delane is there, the LSU Tiger could become a Ram. Star written all over him, instant help while giving him time to develop, would succeed Emmanuel Forbes as the CB3 next season, likely succeeds Jaylen Watson for CB2 the following year due to cap casualties, and thus the Rams wouldn't have to financially address the position for the next five years, with a rookie deal and fifth year option that runs concurrently to Trent McDuffie.
That's my theory. Keeps a championship defense intact. A championship defense can lose parts of its secondary, but they die once they lose the line. Delane saves them money to pay the line, while also being an All-Pro caliber player.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams Mailbag: Draft insights, Puka Nacua outlook and more