A look at the factors involved."WhiteSections 2019 offsea

son2019 free agency2019 NFL DraftFull ArchiveLibrary 2019 NFL calendar2019 Rams regular season sched2019 Rams preseason schedMasthead Community Guidelines NFL Odds StubHub ✕2019 NFL DraftHow roster gaps for the teams before and after the Los Angeles Rams at #31 will determine the Rams’ fate in the 2019 NFL DraftNew Womens Rob Havenstein Jersey ,35commentsA look at the factors involved.CDTShareTweetShareShareHow roster gaps for the teams before and after the Los Angeles Rams at #31 will determine the Rams’ fate in the 2019 NFL DraftLos Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead during the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine, Mar. 2, 2017.Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY SportsThe Los Angeles Rams are currently scheduled to make their first pick of the 2019 NFL Draft with the 31st overall pick, but rumors are already heating up that the Rams could trade down.On one hand, a trade down would require a team to really fall for someone available there and jump the other interested teams for that prospect. On the other, the teams in front of the Rams will get to determine who comes off the board before the Rams are even on the clock.Let’s look at both sides and the roster gaps those teams are looking at using this week’s Monday mock from Mocking the Draft’s Dan Kadar and ESPN’s Todd McShay’s recent roster gap piece (ESPN+ subscription required).The teams in front of #31#25.) Philadelphia EaglesKadar: Safety, offensive line, running back, defensive lineMcShay: Linebacker, cornerback, running back, guard, offensive tackleWell, we’re off to a confusing start, but that’s how things go sometimes in the NFL. Clearly, the Eagles have a wide array of options here. In terms of the effect on the Rams here, the gaps on the offensive line are of import.#26.) Indianapolis ColtsKadar: Defensive end, cornerback, wide receiver, defensive tackleMcShay: Defensive end, wide receiver, defensive tackle, safety, cornerbackMuch stronger alignment here on roster gaps with Kadar and McShay agreeing on four of them with a D-end as the top need. For the Colts, much will depend on this exercise from their standpoint; the availability of top edge prospects here is key. Should the Colts take a defensive back though, that’d pull one off the table for the Rams.#27.) Oakland RaidersKadar: Edge, cornerback, running back, linebackerMcShay: Edge, cornerback, linebacker Cory Littleton Jersey , tight end, safetyMan, the Raiders sure could use a player like EDGE Khalil Mack...The real story here is that this is currently set to be the Raiders’ third pick of the first round. So by the time they’re on the clock at 27, assuming their draft order holds, they might have already knocked off their top roster gaps.#28.) Los Angeles ChargersKadar: Offensive tackle, defensive tackle, linebacker, quarterbackMcShay: Offensive tackle, defensive tackle, guard, safety, quarterbackWith such a strong DT class, gotta think they’re just taking what comes to them here and then having to put more effort into the rest of the draft.#29.) Kansas City ChiefsKadar: Edge, cornerback, defensive tackle, centerMcShay: Cornerback, wide receiver, edge, safety, inside linebackerBoth Kadar and McShay offered their roster gaps before the Chiefs’ trade with the Seattle Seahawks for EDGE Frank Clark, so that likely bumps that off the list. So while cornerback leads the way a year after trading CB Marcus Peters to the Rams, the Chiefs are (a) good enough overall and (b) have such a good quarterback that they can afford any luxury pick here.#30.) Green Bay PackersKadar: Tight end, safety, defensive line, offensive lineMcShay: Wide receiver, safety, tight end, linebacker, cornerbackI wonder if the Packers are a candidate to trade up if one of the two Iowa tight ends falls past #24 or so. If not, they’ve got a ton of work to do on that roster. The Packers went 6-9-1 with a healthy Aaron Rodgers throwing 25 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions...So for the Rams (assuming they have at least one quality deal to trade back), to stay at 31 would require a prospect they really like at a clear roster gap.If it’s offensive line http://www.theramslockerroom.com/authentic-john-kelly-jersey , you’ve got tackle and guard needs for the Eagles and Chargers. The center class lines up well at the end of the first, but it might only be the Chiefs among these teams interested.The Rams are sure to be interested in a safety, but every team in this group is listed as having a gap there. Whomever the Rams would covet enough to stay at 31 stands a good chance to be gone by then.Not sure the linebacker class lines up well at this point in the draft for what the Rams could be in for.And at defensive tackle, the Rams’ need to fill that roster gap isn’t anywhere near as severe as other teams’ (which is a good example of why I’m really against calling them “roster needs”, FWIW). So I’m not sure they’re as motivated to take anyone there as much as other teams will be, though you’d have to put a huge, Nashville-sized asterisk there with Mississippi St. Bulldogs DT Jeffery Simmons a possibility.On to the teams after the Rams.#32.) New England PatriotsKadar: Edge, tight end, defensive tackle, wide receiverMcShay: Tight end, wide receiver, defensive tackle, edge, quarterbackIf we’re looking into favorable scenarios here for the Rams, consider the idea that the Patriots might be looking for an heir for Tom Brady. If other teams feel that out and they’re interested in a QB prospect, they’d have to jump the Pats to get in on him.I mentioned the Iowa tight end hinge with the Pack. Might hold here too, but I don’t know that the Pats are the kind of team to trade up. Especially given the roster gaps they’re facing over this offseason and next with Brady nearing his NFL end.#33.) Arizona CardinalsKadar: Interior defensive line, wide receiver, tight end, slot cornerbackMcShay: Quarterback, guard, cornerback, wide receiver, tight endIf we assume the Cards take Oklahoma Sooners QB Kyler Murray with the top overall pick, they’ve got plenty to choose from here. The cornerback class comes into play here with some sincerity. The Cards have so much work to do on their roster though that you could put almost anything down here. Not sure they’re going to motivate any teams to trade up to leapfrog them at least not to the degree the Pats could.#34.) Indianapolis ColtsKadar: Defensive end, cornerback, wide receiver, defensive tackleMcShay: Defensive end, wide receiver, defensive tackle, safety Womens Troy Hill Jersey , cornerbackPretty clear agreement between Kadar and McShay on the roster gaps for Indy. The Colts got this pick from the New York Jets in their trade last year to move up to take QB Sam Darnold. As a 10-win team to get a second pick in the top 35 of the draft...yeah, the Colts are doing pretty well for themselves.They could help the Rams in a major way if they haven’t gotten their edge rusher yet. With the Pats and Colts both keen to get someone at the edge this weekend, a team might have to move up to 31 should a well-liked edge prospect drop that far.#35.) Oakland RaidersKadar: Edge, cornerback, running back, linebackerMcShay: Edge, cornerback, linebacker, tight end, safetyWhat I just said about the edge again here.#36.) San Francisco 49ersKadar: Safety, edge, wide receiver, cornerbackMcShay: Center, offensive tackle, edge, defensive tackle, running backThis is the last one I’ll note here simply because of how unpredictable things get at this point.The Niners have the 2nd overall pick which they’ll likely use on Ohio State Buckeyes EDGE Nick Bosa, so they won’t be offering any edge threat at #36. The state of their roster opens up things way too wide to provoke a trade up on any specific candidate barring some inside intel.So once you get to the Niners, teams are likely to stay put through the 40th pick for the Buffalo Bills based on how wide their roster gaps are and the desperation those teams are in to improve. At 41 though, the Denver Broncos come into play. Not surprisingly, we’re already hearing rumors that they might be the ones to jump up to 31.If you put it in context of the four or five teams picking after 31, you can get an idea of what they might be interested in. And the six or so teams before the Rams give us an idea of how the labor pool might look when the Rams are on the clock. Reggie McKenzie never planned to unload Khalil Mack.Mack had been the foundation of the Oakland Raiders defense ever since McKenzie drafted him fifth overall in 2014, and the plan had always been to build the franchise around Mack and quarterback Derek Carr.One year after signing Carr to a long-term extension, the Raiders traded Mack to the Chicago Bears on Saturday for a package that included two first-round picks. The deal came after the two sides were unable to bridge a vast gap in initial offers made before the start of the new league year in March, with Mack willing to extend his holdout until the new deal came."My whole thought process was how to get Khalil in here," McKenzie said. "Absolutely, it was here at the end, it was in the final hour that it kind of just hit and it hit hard and heavy. It was not the plan to trade him at all."Oakland will get first-round selections in 2019 and 2020, a sixth-rounder next year and a third-rounder in 2020. Oakland also included its second-round selection in 2020 and a conditional fifth-rounder that year.It's a steep price but Mack is one of the game's top defensive players. The move came as a bit of a shock to some of Mack's former teammates.Carr tweeted "No way" and added: "#RaiderNation we feel your pain trust me but we need you next Monday night!" Oakland linebacker Bruce Irvin made his feelings clear with a profane post. He later wrote, "What a shock. Now move on and win.. time to beat the Rams!!""It's going to sting with them, as players protecting themselves Robert Woods Jersey ," McKenzie said. "That's the way it should be. They're going to miss Khalil. I'm going to miss Khalil. We're all going to miss Khalil. Let's make that point known now. But we all will move on also.'Mack is a two-time All-Pro and the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Mack has played in every game for Oakland since being drafted fifth overall in 2014, with 231 primary tackles, 40陆 sacks and nine forced fumbles.Since entering the league, Mack leads all players with 185陆 quarterback pressures and ranks second with 68 tackles for loss, according to SportRadar.But Mack never formed a relationship with new coach Jon Gruden, who left the broadcast booth to return to the sideline for a second stint in Oakland back in January. Mack held out for the entire offseason and preseason instead of playing under the final year of his rookie deal that would have earned him $13.8 million.Gruden had called Mack Oakland's best player but decided to go in a different direction rather than give another player a contract worth more than $20 million a year after Carr got a lucrative extension last summer. He then agreed to a six-year, $141 million extension with the Bears that guarantees him $90 million."We will pay top dollar," McKenzie said. "We just couldn't get around to giving Khalil what he wanted. We will pay top dollar to our top players. We just could not get it worked out for Khalil. That's just the way it is, the way it went. When it seemed like it was going that way, we seized the opportunity to go ahead and make the trade."The move was the biggest on a busy cutdown day that saw the Raiders waive receiver Martavis Bryant just over four months after trading a third-round pick to Pittsburgh for him; acquire backup quarterback AJ McCarron from Buffalo for a 2019 fifth-round pick; deal 2017 seventh-round safety Shalom Luani to Seattle for a 2019 seventh-round pick; and place cornerback Daryl Worley on the suspended list after he got a four-game ban Saturday for violating the NFL's policies on substance abuse and personal conduct.Among the other notable players cut were 2015 second-round defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. and 2016 fourth-round quarterback Connor Cook. Edwards' release means the Raiders now have none of their second-round picks from 2015-17 on the current roster, having previously cut ties with 2016 defensive tackle Jihad Ward and 2017 safety Obi Melifonwu.The Raiders also got nothing out of the third-round pick dealt to the Steelers for Bryant, who dealt with injuries in training camp and has had several off-field issues in his career.The other players cut Saturday were receivers Marcell Ateman, Saeed Blacknall and Isaac Whitney; tight ends Marcus Baugh, Pharoah Brown and Paul Butler; running backs James Butler and Ryan Yurachek; linebackers Jason Cabinda, James Cowser and Azeem Victor; defensive backs Jarell Carter, Antwuan Davis, Antonio Hamilton, Dallin Leavitt, Quincy Mauger, Raysean Pringle and Shareece Wright; defensive linemen Connor Flagel, Shakir Soto and Gabe Wright; and offensive linemen Cameron Hunt, Denver Kirkland, Jordan Simmons, Jylan Ware, Oday Aboushi and James Stone.The Raiders also placed defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from a torn ACL in last season's finale.Kicker Eddy Pineiro and running back Chris Warren III were both placed on injured reserve, and cornerback Dexter McDonald was waived with an injury designation.The Raiders also cut E.J. Manuel after the 53-man roster was finalized to make room for McCarron to be their backup quarterback. Manuel played well in the finale against Seattle on Thursday night, but too many turnovers earlier in the preseason led to the decision to get McCarron instead.