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Report: Rams have done 'a lot of homework' on RB prospects
https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/0 ... dd-gurley/

excerpts:

It would seem crazy to think the Rams might draft a running back early in the draft, right? Well, they’re looking at the position more closely than many people probably think.

They’ve hosted three running backs for official pre-draft visits: North Dakota State’s Bruce Anderson and FAU’s tandem of Kerrith Whyte Jr. and Devin Singletary. They wouldn’t have brought in those players if they had no intentions of drafting them, which is a sign in and of itself.

According to Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network, the Rams are doing extensive work on the incoming class of running backs... it’s impossible to ignore the work Les Snead’s staff has done on the incoming class of running backs.

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so i suppose the rams looked at running backs "more closely than many people probably think" last year too given they met with at least the same number of backs before last year's draft, right?

"They’ve hosted three running backs for official pre-draft visits... They wouldn’t have brought in those players if they had no intentions of drafting them, which is a sign in and of itself."

really? last year they hosted three guys for official pre-draft visits named rashaad penny, ito smith, and akrum wadley... oddly, i couldn't find any of their names on the rams 2018 roster, hell i can't find wadley on any nfl roster.

but of course chatting with them last year was "... a sign in and of itself" right? the rams wouldn't have brought those three guys in if "...they had no intentions of drafting them" right?

...it’s impossible to ignore the work Les Snead’s staff has done on the incoming class of running backs."

what i find impossible to ignore is the ongoing hackery when it comes to gurley's health and the rams running back sitch going forward.

Darrell Henderson makes 4 RB visits.

Here's another excerpt from DaSilva's piece that makes it more even handed, i think:

The Rams taking a running back in the first round would be absolutely shocking. It would also drum up an abundance of speculation about Gurley’s health moving forward, and his longevity in the NFL.

Heck, the Rams selecting a tailback any time before the sixth round would be surprising. They simply don’t have a pressing need at the position, even if Gurley’s workload is limited some in 2019.

Elvis wrote:Darrell Henderson makes 4 RB visits.

Here's another excerpt from DaSilva's piece that makes it more even handed, i think:

not sure why it's more even handed, dasilva seems to also be trying to spin a story out of what's apparently common practice... the rams brought in at least 4 rb last year for a pre-draft chat, signed one, what makes this year's visits any different than last year's other than the gurley health narrative scribes have continued to push?

i did notice that dasilva qualified his take with the "Rams selecting a tailback any time before the sixth round would be surprising..." - of course the rams took kelly in the 6th round last year, which dasilva has apparently established as the non-surprising bar.

i think it would be pretty surprising if the rams spent their first round pick on a rb (and entertaining as hell), but if a stud was sitting there in the 3rd round and the rams chose to spend one of their two 3rd round picks on the guy, i'm not going to see the move as the holy shit moment scribes are sure to make of it, in fact i doubt they'd even refer to the pick as a late 3rd rounder, instead they would frame it as the "rams spent their second pick on...", ha ha... and if the rams take a back in the 4th or 5th round? will it be surprising? stunning? shocking? a message "in and of itself"? far from it imo.

Each team gets 30 visits while having around 7 draft picks so obviously you're not gonna be drafting all of your visits, if any.

We've had a lot of safeties in, many think we will be taking a safety in this year's draft.

If the Rams take RB this draft, like Dieter says, probably says more about John Kelly than anyone else...

To me, i don't see a problem with a RB that high. Although there is a need for OL and LB, Gurley is going into his 5th season and has averaged over 300 touches per. Just my opinion.

Would be pretty entertaining to draft a long snapper with an early pick. Might start a run on them.

I'm pretty sure I'm not going out on a limb when I say they are not drafting a running back with the first pick. I seriously doubt they pick one in the 3rd. If they pick a RB with the 4th or 5th round picks, like Deiter and Elvis says, it probably says more about Kelly than anything else. I'm also pretty sure Gurley and Brown are numbers 1 and 2.

Daniel Jeremiah, the “journalist” who started this nonsense, has the Rams taking a center in round 1 of his final mock.

Daniel jeremiah and Rachel Wold wrote:Rams could spend their top pick in NFL Draft on RB (Sanders or Henderson)

Suppose the Rams really want DT Dexter Lawrence?

A scout from a different team had mentioned that his team will be targeting RB Darrell Henderson with the 35th pick (this info has been leaked).

No big deal to the Rams because they want Dexter Lawrence anyway.

But wait....

The team targeting a RB at #35 also has serious needs on the D-Line and that team will likely use the 27th pick on Dexter Lawrence.

But wait ... there are serious questions about Gurley's health and the Rams had Darrell Henderson in for a visit.

Could this be the smoke and mirrors ploy by the Rams?

The team wanting Henderson at #35, might instead use their #27th pick on Henderson and then hopes that Dexter Lawrence falls to #35. Bingo ... Lawrence is still on the board when the Rams pick him at #31 and it turns out that Gurley has been 100% healthy all this time.

Darrell Henderson is a gifted player and will have some big runs in the NFL ... but I don't think either the Rams or the other team will be taking Henderson. The HC of the other team wants his RB's to run low and be able to get his pads under the defenders. Henderson runs too high and because of this he will be plagued with knee injuries for most of his career.

I think both teams are throwing out smoke and mirrors and both will pass on Darrell Henderson.

Smoke and mirrors ... tis the season.