This is what we need to happen in April.....

[Cskin]

"Jon Jansen, OT, Michigan -- 1999<br />He had a great week of practice. I had him rated as the 15th-best player in the draft that year and projected him to be a first-round pick. But he ended up going in the second round to the Washington Redskins. Jansen was one of the steals of the last 10 years of the draft. He is an example of a player who had a great week of practice but slid through the cracks." - Mel Kiper Jr. speaking about the importance of Senior Bowl week<br /><br />I'd just love to see the same thing happen with either of the stud QB's, or one of the top DE's. Stranger things have happened, and should there be an unusual run on...say WR's....or DL....maybe one of the two QB's falls to us. <br /><br />I certainly agree with ART, stay where we are and make the best possible decision... but absolutely do not trade up to take one of them.

[bulldog]

hopefully, whatever happens in the draft will come as a result of a strategy that begins in February to rebuild certain areas of the team.<br /><br />In the first two months of free agency before the draft we need to make a decision as to what players we should go out and lock up based on what we are reading about the depth of the draft in those areas.<br /><br />Last year we got off to a very slow start and avoided signing any defensive linemen in free agency until the eve of training camp. We also passed on DL for the most part in the draft to take a project at QB at #4? We can't do that again.<br /><br />Some on the board ridiculed the idea of signing either Chidi Ahanotu or Tyoka Jackson from the Bucs, but both went on to be contributors in the rotation on the Rams' defensive line this season. <img border="0" title="" alt="[smile]" src="smile.gif" /> <br /><br />As it turned out I think they could have helped us when Bruce and Marco were injured and we were down to Cowsette and DeLoach taking snaps.<br /><br />Meanwhile we tried to make due with Dorian Boose and Michael Bankston, neither of whom proved to be of much immediate value.<br /><br />Hopefully, this time around we will concentrate on the most important areas of the team first.<br /><br />On offense you HAVE to acquire a productive quarterback. And on defense we need more than 8 sacks from our starting ends over 16 games.<br /><br />Even if we add other players elsewhere, without filling out the qb and dl we will be whistling in the wind toward another 7-9 or 8-8 type finish regardless of the coaching.