Moving on to Plax, I thought his list was intruiging, especially considering that the Rams are one of the teams reportedly interested in his services. Instead of copying and pasting his huge block quote, I’m going to run down each point individually and discuss how it affects the Rams.

1. “Well, the head coach is going to be first and foremost,” Burress said.  “It’s going to be somebody to where, well, you know, he has an open door policy, I can walk in his office and sit down and talk to him whether it’s about football or life or whatever that may be.”

Plax and Spags are obviously familiar with each other from their days with the Giants, and by all accounts they had a mostly positive relationship. I have to think that the fact he knows our head coach has be one in our favor.

2.  ”Then, of course, second, it’s going to be a quarterback.  I’m a wide receiver.  I mean, that’s a no brainer.  I’m not going to sit here and say it’s not.”

Another big checkmark for the Rams. Sam Bradford needs a big receiver like Plax, and I can’t imagine he wouldn’t want to have a player like Sammy throwing him the ball. Plax has spent much of his career playing with young, talented quarterbacks, so our situation would be something he would be used to.

3. “And surround myself with guys that are hungry and guys that know how to play and want to win.  I mean, some guys are just happy to go out, get a check, compete, and don’t care whether they win or lose.  Well, I’m not that guy.  I mean, I’m a winner.”

Hmm … I think we are three for three. The Rams showed last season that they are hungry, and the team figures to be even more ready to win this season after getting a taste of success last year. I saw plenty of fight on both sides of the ball last year, and I think this is a team that wants to take the next step.

4.  ”I hate to lose and I’m going to put myself into a situation and put myself into a piece of a puzzle where I’m going to make it complete.”

Is Plax the piece that could make our puzzle complete? I’m not saying he is or he isn’t, but for as long as we have been saying we need a big number one receiver, it sure seems like he could be that guy. Obviously it depends on what he still has left in the tank, but if he’s the player we have seen in Pittsburgh and New York, or even close to that player, we sure seem to be what he’s looking for.

Round 1 – Robert Quinn – (A) Other than Julio Jones somehow being there at 14, I don’t think the first round could have gone better for the Rams. Quinn has all the tools to be a monster pass-rusher at the NFL level, and he and Chris Long should form one of the better DE tandems in the NFL for years to come. Quinn was at the top of my wish list two years ago, and I love the fact that he is on this team.

Round 2 – Lance Kendricks – (C+) I understand why they made this pick, and I think Kendricks could be a very nice weapon for Bradford and Co. immediately, but I just think this was a reach. If the pick were Kyle Rudolph, who was taken a few picks earlier, I would be completely fine with it, but I just don’t know if Kendricks is worth a second round pick, especially considering the players who were available at positions of bigger need.

Round 3 – Austin Pettis – (B-) I was tempted to give this a lower grade because I think it was a pretty big reach as well, but I actually think Pettis is a nice fit on this team. He is a big receiver who will be a red zone threat, and more importantly, the kid knows how to play the position and he is a winner. This was a safe pick, and I have no problem with that considering where this team is in the rebuilding process.

Round 4 – Greg Salas – (B) Salas is kind of an interesting pick to grade as well. He was a production machine in college, and he is another guy who obviously knows how to run a route and play the position. I love his hands, but I just wonder if he is just another guy in this receiving corps. What will he do that allows him to stand out over guys like Brandon Gibson or Laurent Robinson? I think he was good value in the 4th, but we will see if he is able to make an impact.

Part 2 will look at the final four picks of the draft, so stay tuned.