NFC West: Tim McGarigle
Since 2005, linebackers drafted by Arizona have combined to start only 16 games for the team, with 2010 second-round choice Daryl Washington starting 11 of them.
Cody Brown (2009), Buster Davis (2007) and Darryl Blackstock (2005) combined to start two games for the team, both by Blackstock, despite entering the NFL as second- or third-round selections. Only Brown remains in the NFL.
The Seattle Seahawks have gotten 145 starts from second- and third-round linebackers during the same span. Overall, linebackers drafted by NFC West teams since 2005 have combined to start 423 games for their original teams: 180 for Seattle, 173 for San Francisco, 54 for St. Louis and 16 for Arizona.
Washington showed last season he's likely to help Arizona close the gap. The 49ers could lose 57-game starter Manny Lawson in free agency. Seattle could move on without 61-game starter Leroy Hill while teammate Lofa Tatupu, a three-time Pro Bowl choice with 84 starts, is coming off surgeries on both knees.
With that in mind, I'll continue our position-by-position series on relatively recent NFC West draft choices with a look at linebackers.
Italics identify what teams might have been thinking as they entered various stages of the draft.
In the charts, I've used the term "not active" to describe, in most cases, players who weren't on regular-season rosters recently, including Jon Alston, recently cut by Tampa Bay.
Some players described as "starters" or "backups" could see their roles change pending free agency, roster changes and other dynamics.
We'd better find perennial Pro Bowlers in this range ...
Feeling safe drafting linebackers in this range ...
Not really sure what we're getting here ...
More questions than answers, but worth a shot ...
Not too late to find special-teams contributors, and possibly more ...
Putting Rams' horrific 2006 draft in perspective
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
If the Rams no longer acknowledged their 2006 draft class, would that mean it never existed? As the team seeks ways to conserve resources, will it omit from future media guides all references to the ill-fated class?
In looking for ways to assess the carnage, I compared draft-choice retention percentages for NFC West teams to NFL averages. All draft choices are not valued equally, however, so I chose to look beyond simply how many players remained on their original teams from various draft classes.
Instead, I used the draft-value trading chart to assign values for each choice exercised from the 2004 through 2007 drafts. I then totaled values associated with players who remained on their original teams. By dividing this total by values for all choices each team exercised, I arrived at a retention percentage for those four drafts.
|
The results show up in the second chart. The Rams, after parting with early 2006 choices Tye Hill and Joe Klopfenstein to comply with the 75-man roster limit, retained only 3.2 percent of their original draft investment for 2006.
That was easily the lowest figure in the league for the 2006 draft (Denver was next at 21.2 percent). Hill was the 15th overall choice, worth 1,055 points on the value chart. Klopfenstein was the 46th choice, valued at 440 points.
Overall, the Rams used 2006 picks worth 2,181.3 points on the draft-value chart. They have 69.2 points remaining on their original investment -- the combined draft-day value of No. 113 overall choice Victor Adeyanju (68 points) and No. 242 overall choice Mark Setterstrom (1.2 points).
The league-wide totals will shift as teams trim rosters, but there's no getting around the futility of that draft for the Rams. It's also worth noting that the players were only partly at fault. Failures at the organizational level complicated some of those players' efforts to succeed.
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
Rob Petitti, Tim McGarigle, Marc Magro and Gary Stills -- all members of the Rams last season -- found potential employers through the UFL draft Wednesday.
The Orlando franchise, led by former Rams coach Jim Haslett, selected Petitti and McGarigle. New York drafted Magro. Las Vegas drafted Stills and former Cardinals and 49ers linebacker Brandon Moore, plus former Rams safety Adam Archuleta.
New York also drafted former Seahawks and Cardinals safety Oliver Celestin. The UFL features as-yet-unnamed franchises in New York, Las Vegas, Orlando and San Francisco. Dennis Green is coaching the San Francisco franchise, which selected Marcus Fitzgerald, brother of Larry.
UFL statement: Each franchise selected 24 players and now owns the rights to those players if they choose to play in the United Football League. The UFL has already begun contacting the players listed below and expects to announce signings over the next few weeks. This list may be subject to change based on further player evaluations or additional player availability.
Same old story: Rams' line depth tested
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
Season-ending injuries to backup guards Mark Setterstrom (knee) and Brandon Gorin (shoulder) leave the Rams even thinner on their offensive line. The team has no immediate plans to sign a free-agent lineman or two, coach Scott Linehan told reporters Sunday.
The Rams weren't necessarily counting on Setterstrom and Gorin this season, but losing them severely impacts depth. Center Brett Romberg has a broken bone in his snapping hand. He did not play in the exhibition game Saturday night, but he could be ready for the regular season. Nick Leckey is starting in his place.
I've updated the Rams' positional glance for the line. Fifth-round rookie Roy Schuening and veteran Adam Goldberg are probably locks at this point, just given sheer numbers.
Offensive linemen (13)
Average number kept on opening-day roster since 2003: 9.2
Locks: Orlando Pace, Jacob Bell, Brett Romberg, Richie Incognito, Alex Barron, Nick Leckey, John Greco
Looking safe: Roy Schuening, Adam Goldberg
On the bubble: Donovan Raiola, Dustin Fry
Also: Julius Wilson, Mark LeVoir
Comment: The Rams started 18 line combinations last season.
Several other Rams suffered injuries. Running back Brian Leonard sprained a shoulder and might miss the next game. Linebacker David Vobora could miss the rest of the preseason with a severely sprained ankle. Quarterback Marc Bulger has a strained shoulder, but the Rams aren't concerned about it, Linehan said. Linebacker Tim McGarigle suffered a toe injury, but he should be available.
Linehan on Bulger possibly seeing doctors: "No, we are not going to. We are just going to see how he feels throwing tomorrow, if he can. It is really not serious, but it hurt enough that he would not have been able to play that next play, so we just used that situation to put Trent (Green) in and leave him in there because it was a preseason game."
The Rams might add a running back, linebacker or safety to their roster, Linehan said.
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
Yes, the Rams were awful in their exhibition opener. Allowing 340 yards rushing is never a good thing. The offense also struggled. A few observations after watching the first few series:
- The Rams have no chance on defense without Will Witherspoon at middle linebacker. A sore shoulder caused Witherspoon to miss this game. Without him, the Titans repeatedly exploited replacement Tim McGarigle, who came to the Rams as a seventh-round choice in 2006.
- Titans tight ends Bo Scaife and Alge Crumpler flattened McGarigle on a third-and-2 run up the gut. Third-and-2 is often a passing situation in the NFL, but not when the Rams have this personnel on the field defensively.
- Right after the third-and-2 play, LenDale White broke into the clear even though McGarigle was unblocked. The young middle linebacker simply missed. Crumpler engaged strong-side linebacker Quinton Culberson for a few yards and the Rams had no chance.
- White was at it again on the next play. Again, McGarigle wasn't there to stop him. Finally, on the next play, the Rams found a way to stop White. But defensive end Leonard Little was the one to bring him down.
- Rookie defensive end Chris Long made no discernable impact early in the game. I thought otherwise when the Rams stopped the Titans on a fourth-down running play, but replays showed Long's backup, James Hall, driving Scaife into guard Jake Scott on the play. Long was not on the field. Hall created a chain-reaction by pushing Scaife into Scott, who moved backward into White's path, blowing up the play. The Rams have been high on Hall in camp. This was an impressive play.
- On offense, Rams quarterback Marc Bulger had little chance to succeed early in the game. The Titans weren't going to respect the Rams' ground game without Steven Jackson. The Rams opened in one-back, two-tight end personnel. They pulled right tackle Alex Barron on a sweep to the right. Titans cornerback Nick Harper chopped down Barron as if Harper were the one delivering the block. The defense swarmed running back Brian Leonard.
- The Rams came back with four-receiver personnel on their second offensive play. They tried a draw play, but the Titans were not fooled. After two plays, the Titans had stuffed the Rams' real running game and sniffed out their manufactured one. This was going to be a long night for the Rams, particularly with left tackle Orlando Pace still getting his bearings after two injury-shortened seasons. Pace should be fine, but he wasn't close to peak level here.
- The Rams took over deep in their own territory after that fourth-down stop by Hall. They played it safe with heavy personnel (two backs, two tight ends). The Titans manhandled this grouping. On second down, Kyle Vanden Bosch crumpled Rams tight end Joe Klopfenstein. Titans rookie defensive end Jason Jones then knifed past Rams guard Richie Incognito before smashing into Leonard in the backfield.
This matchup was a very difficult one for the Rams. Tennessee is physical on both lines. Jeff Fisher's defense is well established. The Rams are still learning Al Saunders' playbook. They were without Jackson, the focal point of their offense. Pace was not 100 percent. The Titans were going to expose the Rams' poor depth at linebacker. I didn't know they would expose it for 340 yards, but the Titans might be better than expected.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Mike Sando
Sando joined ESPN.com in 2007 after nine seasons covering the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune. He lives in the Seattle-Tacoma area with his wife and two sons.
