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Joe T., always working hard…

By Joe Torosian

Kick it!

Winner Dan Orlovsky!

For last night’s draft to be a success, the Rams have to win the Super Bowl this year.

At the post-draft presser, Sean McVay looked about as happy as a Katie Porter staffer. And that might be a bigger issue than Ty Simpson’s drafting.

I understand the In McSnead We Trust crowd, I’m a contributing member, but this one’s tough to take because the Super Bowl window is open now.

Ty Simpson, obviously, is someone the Rams like. Fits their character template, and we can assume what they are looking for in a decision maker.

What’s obvious to us outside the War Room is that Simpson has neither an exceptional arm, nor exceptional size…nor any apparent unanimity between Les Snead and Sean McVay on his selection.

I hope McVay wasn’t feeling well or upset about California politics, because his disposition last night showed a lot of distance between him and Les Snead.

And that’s worrisome.

Simpson, most likely, won’t be any help in 2026. If Stafford gets hurt, based on the premise of the 13th overall pick sitting and learning, we don’t even know if he’ll see the field. 

“He’ll compete with Stetson,” McVay said. And if Stetson gets the call before Simpson in a quarterback crisis, it will be awkward.

The Rams’ wide receiver room is extremely thin, and they have no depth at tackle. Those things can be addressed today, but they missed the opportunity to get something better.

If I’m Stafford or Davante Adams, I’m a little hacked. Drafting Simpson is more about 2028 than 2026. And no one knows what the landscape will look like in 2026.

Did anyone expect Aaron Donald to retire after 2023? That’s how fast things change with an NFL roster. So when your window is open, you have to go through now.

Picks #61 and #93 are still out there; they need to get a receiver who can play now, and a tackle who can play meaningful snaps if called upon. 

Something to consider: The Rams, as a Super Bowl contender, will be picking at #31 or #32 in 2027… they can move next year’s number one if they see something they like.

Last Add Playmaker: It could be possible that the Rams think Terrance Ferguson is ready to break out this fall.

If the Rams win the Super Bowl this coming season, then the drafting of Simpson will be incredible, and we’re back to In McSnead We Trust.

But as it is now, everyone else got better, and the Rams didn’t.

DraftViews:
Mansoor Delane, the Chiefs’ first-round pick out of LSU, misgendered Lara Rutledge. He called her, ‘Sir.’…so insensitive.

The only Ohio State player not drafted last night was Brian Baschnagel.

The NFL Network had the best draft desk I’ve ever seen. Rich Eisen, who’s okay but better at the desk than in the booth, was with Joel Klatt, Charles Davis, and Daniel Jeremiah.

No one was designated the clown or funny guy. It was just great football commentary.

Quick thoughts, if I’m a Raider fan, I love that Fernando Mendoza wanted to be with his family rather than at the draft. It also says a place like Vegas won’t seduce him.

Carnell Tate going to the Tennessee Titans surprised me. I thought Jordy Tyson was crying because he was going to New Orleans… I’d cry too. And Makai Lemon was weird again.

The kid had no off-the-field problems at USC, so he shouldn’t be painted as trouble. He was just weird, weird with an excellent pair of hands.

So with Lemon going to Philly, does A.J. Brown last the weekend with the Eagles? 

#32—May the San Francisco Giants rot and lie stinking in the earth…

The Dude abides…

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