Rams general manager Les Snead says the Rams are looking into everything when it comes to the second pick in the draft.
INDIANAPOLIS – Considering the myriad options the Rams figure to have with the second pick in this year’s NFL Draft, coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead have yet to zero in on one.
But there are a couple of options that both Fisher and Snead were able to categorically toss out the window when they addressed the assembled media on Friday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium.
“It’s probably unlikely that we go up (in the draft),” Fisher said, a sly grin creeping across his face. “So we’ve got opportunities below us. It really depends on people’s values and people’s needs.”
So, there you have it, the Rams will NOT be trading up to the No. 1 pick.
Kidding aside, there was at least one emphatic rejection of a possible scenario that some conspiracy theorists have bandied about since the end of the season.
Although it’s been said before, Fisher and Snead re-iterated that trading quarterback 
“That wouldn’t be an option, no,” Fisher said. “Let’s be realistic. Our organization has made a significant investment in Sam. I think Sam has an opportunity to be an outstanding quarterback. He just hasn’t gotten the opportunity to prove that. Being realistic, for our football team, it’s probably not one of our top needs right now. That doesn’t mean you say the value is not there. Clearly his value is at one or two.”
Once more, with feeling, courtesy of Snead.
“He’s our starting quarterback and we are glad to have him,” Snead said. “There is no scenario in that.”
With that out of the way, the Rams are spending plenty of time this week and moving forward on narrowing down the options that are in play.
Reports surfaced Thursday night that the Rams have already had some preliminary discussions with a few teams that might be interested in trading up for the second pick.
The commonly held thought is that Cleveland, Washington and Miami are the most logical dance partners but teams like Buffalo and Seattle could also be in the mix.
Fisher, Snead and their respective staffs are not taking this process lightly. They are well aware that what they ultimately do with the second pick will shape the future of the franchise.
“From the standpoint of when you are given a new opportunity and a fresh start, yeah, it’s a great opportunity,” Fisher said. “Certainly, it will define the immediate and hopefully the long term future of this franchise so we have a lot of options and we are going to be prepared to do whatever.”
Preparing to do whatever means the Rams are well aware of the possibilities that could come in trade offers in the time leading up to the draft.
With the premium placed on drafting a top quarterback, two quarterbacks deemed worthy of franchise status and Indianapolis expected to take Stanford’s Andrew Luck, that means any team hoping to get their signal caller of the future will likely have to deal with the Rams.
“I have definitely heard, it seems like there’s a rumor there is two good quarterbacks in this draft,” Snead said. “I’ve heard that. We are going to be prepared for all options, we are well aware that could be, especially if multiple teams think there are two quarterbacks and one goes first. We have got to be prepared for all those options and we have to be prepared if there are no options at all and we’ve got to pick there and we’ll do that.”
Attempting to pinpoint what’s going to happen right now or expecting any kind of substantive moves to take place just yet would be premature considering that free agency has yet to take place and a number of moves could make the pool of teams interested in trading more shallow.
For example, many believe that a team like Miami could hotly pursue Green Bay free agent quarterback Matt Flynn. New coach Joe Philbin knows Flynn well from his time as offensive coordinator of the Packers.
The match would be logical and if it happens, it would almost certainly eliminate the Dolphins from consideration as a team to trade up.
So while the Rams are sitting in a prime spot, the amount of leverage they have right now could change quickly.
“I’m not going to beat around the bush,” Snead said. “What everyone is writing is true. Here’s what I will say though, at this point it’s all speculation. I don’t know what those organizations are thinking. Do they think that these two quarterbacks are franchise or not? They have got to decide that. There’s also free agency. All of those pieces of the puzzle have to fall into place before somebody actually says ‘let’s go get this guy.’”
A couple of pieces that could benefit the Rams have already fallen into place, though.
Even something as seemingly innocuous as a tape measure worked in the Rams’ favor on Friday morning when Griffin silenced those who believed he was too small to play quarterback in the NFL.
Griffin measured in at taller than 6’2 and knocked out one of the few negative checkmarks pundits attempted to place on him.
Combining the confirmed height with the real indicator of Griffin’s ability, his game tape has helped alleviate any little concern that might exist about the Heisman Trophy winner.
“I think once you are over 6’1, or in that area, you better be able to have pocket presence and be able to move and see,” Fisher said. “It’s like Drew Brees. Drew does an outstanding job. Once you get to 6’2, that’s important but he’s got the mobility. There’s no evidence on the college tape whatsoever of his inability to make decisions based on his inability to see.”
One other factor that could benefit the Rams actually came as part of the new collective bargaining agreement.
The rookie wage scale, which considerably scaled back the mass amounts of money being doled out to drafted rookies, has made moving into the top part of the draft a far more viable option.
“I think just like when you invest in your portfolio, it’s a less risky option from a financial standpoint,” Snead said. “These are financial investments. The owner is making a financial investment so obviously the way the wage scale was in the past it had gotten so risky, even if the guy wasn’t a “bust” and he was only good or above average, it was not a good financial investment. I think this really helps and allows teams to really think about it more.”
Still, between now and late April, there are going to be plenty of obstacles to hurdle and compromises to be reached should the Rams opt to trade their pick.
Moving back in the draft could potentially cost them a shot at a top player so the Rams would have to decide how far back they can move comfortably without losing out on top tier talents.
It’s also entirely possible the Rams could fall head over heels for a player with the No. 2 pick and make the leap to draft him.
“I think that’s definitely a viable option,” Snead said. “We have got to make the best decision for this organization. We have got to realize also that we have got a lot of good picks coming up, early in each round. We have pick 33, you could say we have two first round picks right now. I think that’s an option. We will weigh them all. They are all going to be good options but we have got to make a move for the very good option.”
Certainly, there doesn’t figure to be any sort of resolution before the draft begins. There is a lot of information to dissect and there’s always the off chance that a player could suffer a serious injury in his pro day.
So while it’s possible some very early discussions about the pick have already taken place, it’s not likely that anything will happen until closer to D-day.
“Again, there’s a lot of options,” Fisher said. “If we’re in a situation where we’ve got another member club that has expressed an interest and the deal is good, it could be done before draft day, you just don’t know.”
