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Everyone is starting their mock drafts here at Fansided this week, so I figured it would be a good time to get mine going as well. I haven’t had a chance to really get into draft research heavily just yet, but it’s nice to get going to see where things are. This mock assumes no trades, and don’t be afraid to leave a comment to give your opinion. Picks 10-21 will come tomorrow.

1. Indianapolis Colts
. Andrew Luck QB Stanford
. Unless RG3 does something crazy to vault himself up, Luck will be the pick.
 
2. St. Louis Rams
. Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma St.
. Would love if we could trade down and still get Blackmon, but since no trades I will take Blackmon here at 2.
 
3. Minnesota Vikings
. Matt Kalil OT USC
. After drafting Christian Ponder last year in the 1st they take Kalil to give him some protection.
 
4. Cleveland Browns
. Robert Griffin III QB Baylor
. If things play out like this, the Browns would be ecstatic. They get their guy and don’t give up anything to get him.
 
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. Morris Claiborne CB LSU
. The Bucs are going to have a huge need at CB this season, and Claiborne is probably the best player available (BPA) anyway.
 
6. Washington Redskins
. Kendall Wright WR Baylor
. Admittedly, this one is a reach but Wright is flying up draft boards and the Skins could certainly use a playmaker at the position.
 
7. Jacksonville Jaguars
. Riley Reiff OT Stanford
. This pick fills a need to protect QB Blaine Gabbert and Reiff is one of the top-rated players on the board.
 
8. Carolina Panthers
. Michael Brockers DT LSU
. The Panthers need help on the interior, and Brockers is starting to fly up boards as well.
 
9. Miami Dolphins
. Jonathan Martin OT Stanford
. The Dolphins could have Peyton Manning or Matt Flynn under center next season, so getting someone to block for whoever they get is priority.
 
10. Buffalo Bills
. Whitney Mercilus DE Illinois
. This might be another reach, but Mercilus is the real-deal when it comes to rushing the passer and I expect him to be a riser as the draft gets closer.

Since the season is over and the coaching carousel has come to a stop, and since I decided I’m done with the Rams to LA rumors, I thought it’s time to start to look ahead at the draft. I know there’s still plenty of time before it starts, but it’s my favorite time of year. Since it is probably too early too look at individual players, I want to discuss the possibility of the Rams trading down in the first round.

I know it can be difficult to move out of the first couple of picks, but there’s already chatter about several teams looking to move into the spot. Andrew Luck is likely going first overall to Indianapolis, but Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III is a hot commodity. The Cleveland Browns appear to be very interested in Griffin, and they are the ideal trading partner because they have two first-round picks.

The Rams obviously have plenty of holes to fill, so picking up extra picks would be outstanding. Also, if they love WR Justin Blackmon as much as I do, moving down a few spots makes a ton of sense because second might be a little high to take a receiver. If the Rams could get Blackmon and some extra picks out of this draft, it would be a perfect start to the Jeff Fisher regime. I think there will be numerous potential trade partners as long as RG3 doesn’t do anything to hurt his value between now and then, but the Rams need to work on Cleveland to get the best possible deal.

The Rams officially have a head coach and both coordinators, but the rest of the staff is starting to come together as well. It looks like Paul Boudreau is going to coach the line, and Rob Boras will be the tight ends coach. Mike Waufel should join the staff, as will Tim Walton and Gregg Williams son Blake.

The team still plans to hire a quarterbacks coach, so expect that hiring soon. On the GM front, the team is still interviewing candidates. It looks like the latest group includes Joey Clinkscales and Steve Keim. Clinkscales is with the Jets organization, and Keim is with the Cardinals. Both of these guys have some hype around them within the league, so both are solid candidates. I really think we need to get this hire done soon, but the organization really wants to make the right choice.

I figured I’d throw in some Stan Kroenke/Los Angeles news at the end, as much as I don’t want to. A report from the LA Times came out Tuesday that Kroenke has at least some interest in putting in a bid on the LA Dodgers. I’m not going to read into this at all, mainly because it seems unlikely that he will be involved. And because I’ve decided to ignore any and all LA rumors.

The St. Louis Rams made official Monday what we have all known now for several days: Brian Schottenheimer and Gregg Williams have been hired to be offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively. Schott and Williams are now officially members of the Rams organization, which is a nice first few steps in turning over the coaching staff with head coach Jeff Fisher.

Those two weren’t the only new coaches added to the organization, as the team has also brought in Dave McGinnis to be the assistant head coach. This is another “no-brainer” move by Fisher, as McGinnis was on Fisher’s staff in Tennessee for several years. Fisher is bringing in his guys, and I think that’s definitely a good thing. Not only are these guys experienced NFL coaches, but they are all going to be on the same page as Fisher when this thing gets going.

There’s something to be said for continuity within an organization, and the Rams are going to have it going forward. You can say what you want about the disaster that was the 2011 season, but I think a big part of the problem was a disconnect between head coach Steve Spagnuolo and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. That’s not to say that the two butted heads or argued all the time, but it was obvious that they possessed opposite philosophies. McDaniels is the high-flying risk-taker who likes to push the envelope, and Spags is an old-school, play-it-safe kind of coach. We aren’t going to have that issue anymore, because Fisher is hand-picking the coaches who believe in the same things he does.

I think bringing in some continuity is going to do wonders for this team, and specifically for Sam Bradford. With all the turnover in his first two seasons, Sam needs to get a system in place with the knowledge that the system is going to be here for a long time. The chances of it being here for a long time should be much improved thanks to the recent hires.

To the surprise of pretty much no one, the Rams have hired former New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to the same position. Schottenheimer joins the staff with head coach Jeff Fisher and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

Schottenheimer was the obvious hire here, although it sounds like former Raiders coach Hue Jackson received some heavy consideration. I talked about this earlier in the week, but I feel pretty good about the hire now that it’s a done deal. I have liked him quite a bit since seeing him on Hard Knocks with the Jets, and I think he is going to do good work with Sam Bradford.

As far as the rest of the staff goes, Fisher is still in the process of holding interviews. Now that both coordinators are in place, I would expect the rest of the staff to come together fairly quickly. These lower profile hires are going to be trickling in over the next few weeks, and I will keep everyone updated as they do.

I knew the Rams announcement that they are going to play games in London over the next three years was a big deal, but I couldn’t predict just how crazy things would get here in St. Louis. If you listened to any talk radio on Friday, you couldn’t go five minutes without hearing analysis about what this announcement means for the future of this franchise here in the Gateway City.

First of all, let’s get something out of the way before we get into the meat of the issue. The Rams aren’t going to be moving to London. I heard that a few times today, and I know Roger Goodell is all about expanding the NFL overseas. Still, it makes absolutely no sense to move a franchise in England on a permanent basis. It just wouldn’t work logistically, so until we develop the technology to instantly transport ourselves from one place to another, it’s not going to happen.

Now, on to the major issue. I have been adamant in my belief that this team is staying in St. Louis, but even I am concerned about a move to Los Angeles after this announcement. I know Stan Kroenke has a connection to London because of his soccer team, but I can’t shake the feeling that the NFL is trying to globalize the Rams in preparation for their move to LA. The Rams have been one of the worst teams in the NFL over the last several seasons, so why would the league want to have them as their representative in Europe over the next three seasons?

Maybe the Rams, because of Kroenke, are the only franchise to step up to make that trip on a consistent basis. I don’t know. All I know is, if you were going to move a franchise which has been one of the worst in the league recently to one of the biggest media markets in the world, a strategic play like this to “grow the brand” would just make all the sense in the world. I’m not saying the Rams are moving, but I am saying I’m much more concerned now than I was 24 hours ago.

According to league sources, the St. Louis Rams will make the trip across the pond next season to play one of their regular season games in London. The sources have said that the Rams will be the home team in the contest, and the most likely opponent is the New England Patriots.

This is all speculation at this point, but I expect that this announcement could come today. Because of owner Stan Kroenke’s connection through his soccer team, the Rams could be an annual participant in the game. As far as my feelings on this, I’m a little torn. On one hand, the Rams could become a worldwide household name if they pay overseas several years in a row. If they become consistent contenders, we could really see an expansion of the brand to a whole new fan base.

However, there are several drawbacks that aren’t exactly working in the team’s favor. First, this would mean one less home game in St. Louis every year. I know that doesn’t mean much to most people, but if the team gets good again it might be more of an issue for fans. My biggest concern is that the long trip could really affect the team’s performance. The jet lag and the toll it takes on the body is a real issue, and even though the teams usually have their bye week immediately after, it can still be tough to recover. If the Rams are going to compete for the playoffs, having a game in London every season could work against them. Every game is critical during the NFL season, and I don’t know if I like it.

Again, this hasn’t been confirmed yet, but keep an eye out.

Filling out the coaching staff is the next thing on the plate of new Rams coach Jeff Fisher, and he wasted no time getting things going. Fisher reportedly interviewed Hue Jackson on Wednesday night at an undisclosed location. Jackson and Brian Schottenheimer have both been discussed for the open offensive coordinator job, and a decision is expected soon.

Jackson’s offensive philosophy seems to be in line with what Fisher is looking to do, and I think he’s a real candidate. He likes to power-run the ball and go over the top with play action, and he did a good enough job in Oakland a few years ago to get promoted to their head coaching position. I’m not pushing for Jackson or anything, but I have to admit I’m starting to have second thoughts about Schottenheimer.

Schottenheimer will probably get the job, and it’s probably the right move. I just keep hearing from Jets fans about how happy they are to get rid of him, and it makes me nervous. I know that opposing fans are always happy to get rid of a coach when he leaves, but Jets fans really didn’t like him. It’s not that I don’t think he’s good, but every time I hear something negative it gets to me. It will be better if/when he joins the team, but while there are still options out there it’s keping me from going all in on him.

New Rams head coach Jeff Fisher was formally introduced on Tuesday, and I think it’s safe to say he made an excellent first impression. Most new coaches look good at their introductory press conference, but I was overly impressed with this one. Fisher came across as a no-nonsense type of guy who wants to win and, more importantly, know how to. The Rams have been a team without an identity for the last few years, but that isn’t the case anymore. This team will be hard-nosed and tough, and anyone who isn’t won’t be around for long.

Here are a few quotes from Fisher: “My decision was very, very simple,” Fisher said. “It was based on the vision, the collective vision shared by Stan and Kevin (Demoff) as far as the future of the franchise. And more specifically, it’s restoring this franchise to a place of significance. Significance, by that I mean, it’s an opportunity to take another trip as champions to the White House. This is a tremendous opportunity for this franchise, for our fan base, to get the football team back on the map and once again get back on the winning track.”

And on the week of indecision: “Despite reports, never was there a situation where one club was leveraged against another,” Fisher said. “That was not true. It was the non-economic issues … what we’re going to do with the coaching staffs and front office staffs and those type of things.”

I know we’ve all been here before, but it really felt different today. There is hope, like always, but there is also a sense of certainty with what we are getting. It’s one thing to hope you found the next great head coach, but it’s quite another to know you are getting a great coach. That’s not saying Fisher will certainly bring the Rams back to the Super Bowl, but it is saying that, if the organization gives him the pieces, he is capable. I don’t think we have been able to say that since Dick Vermeil left town.

So much for a slow-news offseason, huh? The Rams released a statement to the media Monday that they will be holding a press conference Tuesday to formally introduce new head coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher will reportedly sign a five-year deal worth somewhere around $7 million a year. That number would make Fisher the highest-paid coach in franchise history, and it also proves that owner Stan Kroenke is serious about making the Rams a winner again.

The presser isn’t the only Rams news of the day, as the assistant coach search is heating up as well. Gregg Williams is going to be the next defensive coordinator, but the offensive coordinator job is still yet to be filled. News broke early Monday that Brian Schottenheimer had been offered and would accept the job, but it was reported later that no offer had been made and that the team plans to interview former Raiders head coach Hue Jackson.

Jackson is an interesting candidate, and it sounds like he could have a chance. I think he got a raw deal in Oakland, and I like him as a coach. If I had to handicap it, I’d say Schottenheimer will still probably get the job, but it gives us something to talk about.