For the sake of argument let us assume that fate shines on the Rams this Sunday in their game against the San Francisco 49ers. Granted a loss here should not be difficult to come by with the 49ers still battling for the overall number two seed in the NFC. But to be on the safe side I am going to go ahead and ask fate for some help here and in Jacksonville.
This weekend might bring about the largest number of Rams fans cheering on another team in a given week outside of the Super Bowl. A Colts win paired with a Rams loss would do wonders for this franchise. While there are factions out there, most likely close to the team, that will say they are playing for the win. And that is the right thing to say. However one cannot dispute how much the top pick will do for this team versus the second overall pick.
The difference is not even close. So that begs the question, just what should the Rams do with next April’s top pick.
There are three potential scenarios in my opinion. Here I lay them out in order of what will be most beneficial to the Rams long term.
The best option is the Rams could simply trade the pick to the highest bidder. (My Choice)
For a team to move up even a couple spots to the No. 1 pick, it takes a king’s ransom. That means the Rams could get a fantastic complement of draft picks to fill the many holes they have on their team, particularly on the offensive line and on defense.
Adam Schefter of ESPN speculates that trading the top pick could bring in three # 1’s and two # 2’s. A haul worthy of Herschel Walker, when in 1989 the Dallas Cowboys traded him away to the Minnesota Vikings for five players and six draft picks. In a trade that was seen as a turning point in the Cowboys franchise the Rams would welcome a similar outcome.
And for a team looking to lure a big name coach to St. Louis this could be the bait. Jeff Fischer… the picks are yours.
The second choice would be drafting Luck and immediately trading him.
The San Diego Chargers did something similar in the 2004 draft when they selected quarterback Eli Manning, but traded his rights to the New York Giants for the rights to quarterback Philip Rivers and picks that became linebacker Shawne Merriman and kicker Nate Kaeding.
With as many needs as the Rams have to fill this could net some quality ready to go players.
A third option is St. Louis could do is to draft Luck and keep him.
This would be a bit of a shocking move as the drafted quarterback Sam Bradford first overall a couple years ago, but it comes down to which player the front office prefers. This would result in the Rams trading Bradford and likely getting a nice return since he has only been in the league for two years. Bradford took a step back in his second season as a professional, but much of that had to do with terrible offensive line play and subsequent injuries he suffered.
This could also work towards adding more credibility to the Jon Gruden to St. Louis Rumors. Anyone who saw the Rams in Seattle for MNF a few weeks backs recalls Gruden’s fondness for a non-Sam Bradford quarterbacked team in St. Louis. In my opinion this would be disastrous, given the chance to improve the team is so many areas. Replacing Sam Bradford will not solve everything.
I now leave it to you to discuss among yourselves.Bottom of Form
