So what if LA Rams deal siphons off more first-round picks?

Un-draft NFL analytics

NBA general manager Sam Hinkie, who was quite controversial for the manner in which he oversaw the Philadelphia 76ers, was not far from the truth when he detailed out the way to succeed in any draft is not to get the most valued pick, but rather to get the most picks.  He pierced the veil of draft picks, describing them as uncertain assets. And like lottery scratch cards, the key is not to invest in more expensive tickets, but rather to acquire more tickets.

While the LA Rams do not ‘Trust the Process’, they have their own anti-establishment motto that is catching fire. The entire ‘F*** them picks!’ says it all but in a rather defiant anti-establishment way. Do first-round picks guarantee success? If yes, then why haven’t the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, or other teams skyrocketed to the NFL Playoffs just one or two years after choosing early and often in the first round of the NFL Draft?

Of course, there are those who never color outside of the lines, need a list of instructions, and would not dare to offer an opinion among strangers.  Those rigid thinkers are unhappy with the Rams, almost as though some rule dictates that if the LA Rams are awarded one first-round pick each year, they, and no other team, should make that selection. How else can you replenish the roster of talent?

Well, the Rams have compensated for that by ensuring that their personnel department is one of the best in the NFL at finding overlooked players. The Rams insist on developing young talent and will incubate those players on the practice squad until they are ready to compete for playing time. By doing so, they ensure merit-based promotions. Players earn playing time, rather than default to it because of their first-round selection.

The LA Rams want difference makers on the roster, and they have found a unique way of acquiring those players. Until other teams abandon the draft and try a similar strategy, they are the only game in town.  Let 31 other NFL teams go through the arduous process of trying to build a Pro-Bowler from the first round of the next NFL Draft. The LA Rams will wait until players demonstrate the ability to become one. Then, they’ll trade however many first-round picks it takes to acquire them.