Blockbuster Trade and Who it Affects
The last week has been very interesting for the NFL. One trade has already gone down before draft day is here. Yes, the Rams, and Titans all brokered trades in the dealing with the first round's draft order. Rams now have the first pick and the Titans now hold the 15th pick Let us take a look at how this affects the Rams and Titans, along with how it affects other teams in the draft. Los Angeles Rams Moved from 15th to 1st Lost 2016 1st, 2nd round picks (2 2nds), and 2017 1st and 3rd round pick The Rams just moved to LA. They were just selected to be on Hard Knocks. Now this. The Rams are trying to make a splash in a big way right now. With a solid defense for the last few years and a new Pro-Bowl running back in Todd Gurley II, they have only one piece missing. The Rams did not come out on top this season in quarterback play. Nick Foles was disappointing. What are the chances that Case Keenum is a franchise quarterback? My guess is slim to none. Answer: move up in the draft. Now the next question: Wentz or Goff? If I am Jeff Fisher, I am taking Goff. Both quarterbacks are impressive when it comes to arm strength and leadership. But I would take Goff for two reasons. For one, Goff has played a higher caliber of players than Wentz. Goff has had to contest went Leonard Williams, DeForest Buckner, and Myles Jack over his career. Who has Wentz played against? The second reason is that Goff is a California boy. Who better to fill the seats of the Memorial Coliseum than someone from the state who played their for high school and college? Goff is not only the right player for talent reasons, but for financial reasons as well. Tennessee Titans Moved from 1st to 15th Received 1st round pick next year, two 2nd round picks this year, and 3rd round pick next year This was a smart move for the Titans. They have many holes to fill on their team in the secondary, offensive line and at linebacker. One pick was not going to do it for them this year. They maximized their shot to build a team around their quarterback, Marcus Mariota. With the multitude of picks this year and next year, the Titans are on their way to contending in the AFC South against the Colts, Texans, and Jaguars. The question now is where would they go with this pick? With so many needs, they can still grab a top five prospect at any position of need. It looks most likely that they would address either the secondary or offensive line with this pick. The two players I can see would be Jack Conklin of Michigan State for the offensive line and William Jackson III from Houston. Both have been seen as top players among their positions and could make a big difference for Tennessee. The Titans ranked 25th in rushing offense last year and had their future quarterback get injured in the process. They need protection up front. Conklin would fit in with the new acquisition of Ben Jones (C) and two year vet, Taylor Lewan. He fits in due to his hip movement. He is better suited to play guard than be a tackle. Jackson would be a great pick too. Tennessee's 30th ranked passing defense among touchdowns allowed (34). Only Philadelphia (36) and New Orleans (45) were worse. Jackson is worthy of a first round pick after Ramsey and Hargraves are off the board. At 6-0, he is the right size. Even better is his 4.37 40-yard dash. It was the fastest of the corners at the Combine back in February. No matter who the Rams ultimately choose, they will be adding to a team on the rise and needs a few key pieces to be a true title contender. Moving on from the teams involved with the trade itself, we ask: "who does this affect?" It affects six teams in particular and all but one of them hold a pick in the top ten. Cleveland Browns The Browns will not have the luxury of choosing between quarterbacks, they will be left with one to choose. If Goff is gone, do the Browns take Wentz? Or vice versa? What about a trade? If a trade happens, there three other teams that would be willing to trade into the top two for a chance at a franchise quarterback. Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, & Buffalo Bills The Bills were rumored to have been working on a three-team trade with the Broncos and Browns which would gift the Bills the 2nd overall pick, the Broncos Tyrod Taylor, and the Browns with two 1st-rounders for the fourth time in five years. Besides this, all of these teams have expressed interest in drafting one of the top two quarterbacks in this class. There are a few problems with this though. Philadelphia would have to trade a great deal of picks considering the lack of talent they posses currently. The 49ers are in limbo with Colin Kaepernick right now and no one knows if they are going to deal him or not. Since one of the passers will be gone, it may very well depend on which one is left. If Wentz is the quarterback left on the board, I project there to be a great deal of interest in trading. It is not that Goff is a bad quarterback, but Wentz, to the eye, looks more NFL ready. These three teams could get into a feeding frenzy depending on who the Rams take on April 28th. Here is the other question about the Browns though: what if they don't want a quarterback? This brings them into the conversation with these last three teams. San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, & Jacksonville Jaguars None of these teams need quarterbacks, but do have glaring needs at other positions. In many mock drafts before the trade, we would see some combination of Tunsil, Goff, Wentz, Ramsey, Bosa, Jack, and Buckner go in the top five. So lets take a look at the two possibilities if a quarterback is and is not taken at #2. Both Quarterbacks Off the Board: The Chargers now have a shot at getting Laremy Tunsil, the draft's top offensive lineman. This is a desperate need for the Chargers considering they had a total of four rushing touchdowns last year. None of them were from their 2015 first-round pick, Melvin Gordon. The line also allowed 40 sacks this past year (12th in league). Tunsil is, supposedly, the obvious choice. Their other need would be replacing Eric Weddle with Jalen Ramsey. While this would be a decent pick, Tunsil is the smart choice for San Diego's future. If the Chargers do take Tunsil, the Cowboys will certainly take Ramsey to fill in the holes in the secondary. The Cowboys had a total of eight interceptions last year. This was tied for second to last in the League. Ramsey can play anywhere in the secondary. Putting him with a healthy Orlando Scandrick, a second-year Byron Jones, and a underutilized Morris Claiborne would make the Dallas secondary very scary. As for Jacksonville, they have their pick of the lot of defensive players. Their best bet would be to get Myles Jack on the opposite side of Telvin Smith. With Posluszny playing in the middle, this core could become one of the best allowing Marks, Jackson, and a healthy Fowler to work upfront. Only One Quarterback Taken The Browns shock the world and grab someone that is not a quarterback. They would most likely take Jack or Ramsey. This opens up more trading opportunities for the Chargers. Maybe those same teams that wanted a quarterback at two will now pitch their offers at three? If the Chargers decide not to trade and take a defensive player or Tunsil, the Cowboys have a chance at getting their back up for Tony Romo. Now will the Cowboys pull the trigger and get their next guy? As an avid Cowboy fan, I doubt it, but still see it as a possibility. Let's say the Cowboys pass on the quarterback and grab Bosa, Jack, or Ramsey. There is no possible way the second quarterback will make it past the top five. The Jags would be very luck to have a quarterback fall this far. Not because they need one, but for the offers that teams will have in place for them. The Jags could be able to swing a pair of early picks in next year's draft. All in all, the Rams really threw a monkey wrench into this year's draft with their trade. Nothing is certain anymore. Except for the fact that the Rams will have a new quarterback on their roster come opening day in September.
