Long is awesome, he is a young respectable guy doing his job and getting better each game. That is a rarity with high picks in the past years.

I’m middle of the road on him, and agree that he will probable end up about as good as Grant Wistrom was. His “ceiling” is likely just below all pro, but I hope I am wrong.

Not a lot of push in the middle. That is Long’s biggest hindrance. I’ll be happy if he IS a Grant Wistrom clone.

Why can’t we just start drafting angry black men for the defensive line/linebacker positions and smart white guys for the offensive line. Our drafting is bass ackwards and the poor play of our most recent first rounders bears that out.

Give the guy a break! He’s played 18 games with 3 different head coaches and schemes. He has zero help on the D-Line to run stunts or twists. He will play LDE next year after Little is gone -going against a RT instead of LT’s. Last year we were blown out usually before halftime so teams rarely threw the ball- so no need for a pass rush.

Why is everybody so quick to jump down players throats- So you can be the first to say bust? Most of you have never put a hand in the dirt and played the game- just whine, whine, whine.

The Rams have a lot of issues but Chris Long is not one of them.

So far Devaney’s first-round choices — Long and Smith — both look like low-risk, long-term, good solid starters for the Rams. Will they be All-Pro great? Maybe not, but I don’t reckon that means they will be busts either. At his drafting many scouts predicted Long as a Wistrom-type player, and that seems about right.

But, here’s a follow-up question: Almost everyone had Glenn Dorsey (now with the Chiefs) and Vernon Gholston (now with the Jets) as the alternatives to Chris Long. Would you trade Long for either of these players now? I wouldn’t.

o far Devaney’s first-round choices — Long and Smith — both look like low-risk, long-term, good solid starters for the Rams. Will they be All-Pro great? Maybe not, but I don’t reckon that means they will be busts either. At his drafting many scouts predicted Long as a Wistrom-type player, and that seems about right.

But, here’s a follow-up question: Almost everyone had Glenn Dorsey (now with the Chiefs) and Vernon Gholston (now with the Jets) as the alternatives to Chris Long. Would you trade Long for either of these players now? I wouldn’t.

He’s got to better than he is for the #2 overall pick. I’d love to see him turn into a Grant Wistrom type player, but I think that may be pushing it a bit. Maybe he needs to bulk up a bit? My bigger concern is with us drafting D-Linemen that seem high on character but much lower on actual production. Remember, we could have had Dorsey.

To many people are to quick to make the assumption that just because someone is a bust. I think he is better suited top play linebacker anyway. And the Rams have no one besides him as a quality rusher so teams can scheme against him. He is on pace for 88 tackles. Aaron Kampman is a good example. He is by and large considered one of the better linebackers in football and his stats were worse than Long’s at this point in his career. All I am saying is give him a chance and don’t rush to judgement.

Come on people. Demand more from Long. He was a #2 overall pick. He should be differennce maker immediately and he isn’t even a solid starter. He is good, but #2 picks aren’t supposed to be good, they’re supposed to be great, and he is paid like he is great. If he is not at that level, then we wasted the pick and should have selected someone else. I like him, think he is a great athlete, but he needs to start playing like an elite player. If the Rams didnt expect that, why draft him? WHy not take Matt Ryan? or McFadden? or Mayo? or Flaco? All of these guys are living up to their potential. Thats the problem with the Rams team and it makes me sick because I so want to win again. We settle. Instead of selecting on and demanding playmakers, we get the same old he’s a “solid” player crap. We have had so many high draft choices wasted these last few years that its extremeley discouraging. The number 2 pick the last two years and not a single playmaker on this team. Wha am I missing?

Wow Snootch, you want Glen Dorsey? Is he even starting? It’s way too early to judge C-Long and Smith. It will take another two years of good drafting and good free agents to make this team good again. Patience Rams fans. This may be the worst talented team if the NFL.

Would Flaco and Ryan be good QBs on this team? Probably not. Would I love to have Mayo and the Curry instead of Smith and Long, yep. That would be a hellava linebacking group and this would probably be a better team. But it is what it is. Patience.

Just as an (admittedly gross) overview, here are the number two picks in the NFL draft over the last ten years with the number of times they were selected to the Pro Bowl given in parentheses. So far Long (and Smith) seem to slot somewhere between the extremes (say, from Leaf to McNabb):

2009 Jason Smith (Rams)
2008 Chris Long (Rams)
2007 Calvin Johnson (Lions)
2006 Reggie Bush (Saints)
2005 Ronnie Brown (Dolphins) (1)
2004 Robert Gallery (Raiders)
2003 Charles Rogers (Lions)
2002 Julius Peppers (Panthers) (4)
2001 Leonard Davis (Cardinals) (2)
2000 LaVar Arrington (Redskins) (3)
1999 Donovan McNabb (Eagles) (5)
1998 Ryan Leaf (Chargers)

My firm would like to represent Chris Long in these proceedings.

HAHA Dorsey sucks, he did nothing last year for the Chiefs and so far has done nothing this year. I live in KC but am an StL sports fan moved here recently. Dorsey is a lazy half hearted player who couldn’t sack anyone. They DON”T use him as a starter I don’t even know if he’s second string, he’s reduced to situational player and doesn’t get much playing time over all. Long is a far better choice and will be a much better player in the long run.

He’s going to be all-pro. He just needs more time and talent around him.

Long will likely never be Probowl calibre and that is a dissapointment
considering his draft position. Why can’t we find any truly great talent
with all the high picks used on the D-line ? Truly frustrating !

Obviously no one has a cystal ball when it comes to draft time, you draft a guy based on his college attributes and combine abilities. Long had a great college carreer, and posted strong at the combine, to say he is a bust is prematue, sure there are some guys who step in one day one and make an immediate impact(Ware for the Cowboys), but they are few and far between. I think Longs major downfall is his inability to shed a block, he needs to bulk up, study some tape of other great pass rushers and try to add it to his game. He is a sure tackler, and plays with alot of fire and intensity, it is to premature to call him a bust, give him some time to figure out the new system and he will be fine.

Even though they haven’t been to a pro bowl, Brown, Bush, and Johnson are difference makers on their team. Bush has had injury problems, but when he is healthy, he is a threat. Smith is a topic of discussion for another day, so to stick with Long, is he a difference maker? Do opponents worry about him? 99 percent of the plays you don’t even know he is in the game. I get tired of this “almost sacks” catagories that is ridiculous. Its like saying the reciever almost caught the ball, or a linebacker almost had a tackle. We are not talking quarterback hurries, because Long isn’t causing them either. What he is doing is getting close to the quarterback after the quarterback has thrown the ball. In other words, he was blocked out of the play. The left tackle did his job. I hope he becomes an elite player. I like him. But if we even tried to trade him today, I wouldn’t think we would get anything higher than a 5th round pick for someone who was selected #2 overall last year.

Leave him alone… He’ll be okay.. Go Rams

gee, i dont know…seems to me this team just needs a win or two so we can stop with all these back and forth articles about who contributes…who doesnt….who is a bust….who isnt…..is bulger any good….is spags the right choice…..ive followed this team since 72…ups and downs…just get a win…thats it….play 4 good, solid quarters and salt one away…it will go a long way…..a couple of victories…this team will believe it can beat anyone…..we have the players we have…..let em play.

Mario Williams did not become an impact player until the end of his second year on a Texans team with a decent offense. And he was #1 overall in ‘07!
I think Long deserves a little patience especially considering nobody else is getting to the QB, we have an offense that keeps putting the D back on the field with no rest, and don’t forget- he has the shadow of Howie over him so I think he has enough on his plate already without some of you guys bashing this kid.

Chris who????Watch both Rams game on TV and didn’t heard his name called once!

Who is Kathleen Nelson? She said and I quote “Ask her at midseason and we probably can make a fairer assessment” LOL!!! hahahahahaha!!!!

What a joke!

The Heckler…

The fact that nobody else is getting to the quarterback isnt an excuse for Long. Its not like he is being double teamed. All that means is the whole line sucks. Which includes Long right now. All we are asking is they play better. Gives us something to cheer for and spend out money on. If he can’t play better, than I ask Devaney to draft better. Because outside of Laurenitas, none of this draft picks look like any kind of difference maker. Hall started last week in place of Long. When an old journey man defensive in starts in place of the #2 overall pick in the draft on the worst team in football, we are in trouble.

Wow, first Czar Miklasz, now Queen Kathleen.

Freedom of speech is not welcome in the Post-Dispatch. Bernie spends all his time whining about the new cowboys stadium and what it means for America, and in his only house he is preventing people from experiencing some of the most basic rights.

I do say I will enjoy the very near future when this paper becomes extinct.

NOTE: Your posts are being deleted because you are offering little more than personal attacks on people. Please, feel free to share your thoughts or opinions on the topic at hand. — ROGER

So, Mailman, here you are dissing the paper. You look forward to when it becomes extinct? Well, here you are reading it online. If you want to disagree with the article, that’s one thing. You don’t have to be hateful about it. I enjoy reading the paper, especially the sports section, even though I don’t always agree with it. To wish it would go away is kind of sad, I think. I don’t even know about your “freedon of speech” complaint, but if you were censored, it was because you must have been extremely offensive. I say extremely because I see a lot of comments after stories that I think are offensive, but nobody censors them.

I keep hearing the Rams are lacking talent. What is talent? The differnce in measurables from one player to the next in most cases are minimal. Most players in the NFL have good speed, size and strenth. The Rams have as much talent on their roster as everyone else. The difference in an average player and a great player is the intangibles. A great player has a high football IQ, a high work ethic, heart, discipline, hustle, and good coaching. The Rams are slowly assembling this type of player, and Long is at the top of the list despite being miscast as a hand in the dirt DE. When standing up it seems as if he can see alot better and diagnose plays quickly. If he stops trying to bulk up and allowed to fall to his natual weight, is moved to LB in the 4-3 or OLB in the 3-4 he will dominate games . The Rams have a host of young players in this mold and can make the playoffs now if they dedicate themselves to playing mistake free football all out.

Cardsfan,

Thanks for your input. First, let me say I find it interesting you form your opinion of what happened and then at the end tell me you didn’t see what had happened, then made assumptions based off of that.

This is a long-stemming issue from the beginning of the year, where people who voiced their opinion about Chris Duncan were told by Bernie they were “morons” and “idiots” b/c they happened to have a different viewpoint than him. Turns out, they were right, and he was dreadfully wrong, though he has yet to this day admitted it or apologized for calling someone a name b/c of their different view. To avoid further embarrassment, anyone who disagrees with the P-D now gets the boot.

When Chris was at Virginia, he started out pretty slowly (but he had mono his first year) and was viewed as disappointing. He had a very good sophomore year and better junior year, but he must have led the world in “just missed sacks” and I concluded that he probably would not be quick enough for The League. Then, his senior year, he just blew up. Those near misses became sacks. And I became a believer. If he stays healthy, he will be a star. And he has to be the exact personality type the Rams want. Amazing kid. Yes, the production needs to increase, but Chris is a winner and we will get there. I would spend more time worrying about the QB.

The fact that he’s out on the field earning his pay and not dusting the bench off with his butt(see Adam Carriker)is saying a lot. The Rams knew what they were getting with him when they drafted him. He’s never going to be Strahan type lineman. He’s more in the mold of a Winstrom type with the right support.

Long has great character and heart. He also works really hard. In my opinion he isn’t big enough, and when you don’t have the elite speed, you need the size and strength.

I think Long will be a good player, but he was chosen 2nd overall in the draft. That draft slot should be for impact players. He was not a impact player his first year, and I do not see it this year. Considering his draft posotion he is a bust, for now. He may turn into a impact player later, if that is the case he well overpaid him.

Hey, but his dad sure is super!

The lead on this story said we’d here expert opinions. Well, I’m still waiting. Oh, wait! I’m an expert! Here’s my opinion.

Long is a solid, reliable, high motor defensive player. He’ll get his share of sacks, but he will never be an elite guy in that regard. Still, he’s a good player, and you’ll notice him more when the Rams add a couple of more good players.

At the end of the day the Rams are where they are because of a lack of impact players and quality depth. It’s not the fault of Chris Long or Marc Bulger or Steven Jackson. It is not Billy Devaney’s or Spagnuolo’s fault either. We are where we are as a result of incredibly poor talent evaluation and team management over the last 8-10 years or so. You don’t fix these issues with one good draft, a new head coach, or a free agent signing. This rebuilding project will take at least four years if we’re lucky. Guys, the cupboard is bare. This team may have a bunch of guys who give 110% every play, every time but the fact of the matter is we may have only three or four guys who would be considered in the “Top 10″ players at their position and two of them are kickers. Until we improve upon our lack of difference makers and quality depth, this team will continue to struggle. As we add more quality guys through the draft and free agency over the next 2-3 years, then Chris long, Jason Smith, James Laurinaitis, Ron Bartell, etc… will hopefully continue to improve and may one day be considered “Top 10″ caliber. This is eerily similar to what the Blues have been going throught the last four years and as they have stayed true to their plan, they are on the verge of reaping the reward…just one man’s opinion…

Some posters have cited the Rams previous drafting debacles at D-line and used that as proof that Long is a “bust”. The previous disasters are THE REASON why they drafted Long! Yes, they knew that his ceiling was limited. But yes - they also knew the kid had heart, was coachable, and athletic enough to be a solid contributor. Hey, Larry Phillips had “unlimited potential”!! So did the many other knuckleheads and true busts the team drafted the last 10 years. Year after year of selected NO ONE that ends up as a starter or impact player did serious damage….the Rams truly have the absolute worst talent in the league. And one player (Long) wasn’t going to change that — so they went with the closest thing they could find to a “sure” bet.

I seem to remember that Loserhan and company were the ones who picked Long in the 1st round. Long is in his second year and Loserhan was the coach who started last year! Devaney wasn’t even on board until the end of last season! Spags wasn’t even on their lips when Long was drafted! Why blame them! I didn’t think Long was that great in college. Good maybe but not great or a difference maker!

I am pretty sure everyone thought Mario Williams was a bust after just one season too. Defensive ends sometimes need time to develop. Oh by the way, someone please show me a great pass rushing D End that played with a D line that was this short on talent. He may never be great but give him a chance

@RamJam Mario Williams was drafted in 2006 and he was a Pro Bowler in 2007 and 2008. The Texans were not loaded with alot of talent on the defensive side. I believe it is too early to call Long a bust but I don’t think he will ever dominate like Williams is. It is my opinion that the Rams play it safe too often in the draft. Curry should have been the selection this year in the draft and for their troubles the Rams will have to see him twice a year. Smith may develop nicely but they could have found a RT later in the draft.

You draft All Pro players with the second pick in the draft NOT “good” players! Long is a bust as the second overall pick. He is not a difference maker. Smith may end up the same. Orlando was impact Smith is still wait and see.

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