jimmy: Hi Jim couple questions

1. Do you think it is overkill to get Jake Long and trade Barron for Birk.

2. If we draft Jake Long would it be better to get Hardy or DeSean Jackson over a DE and wait to get better value in the third like Chris Ellis, Darrell Robertson, Jason Jones, and possibly Calais Campbell

thanks for answering

Jim Thomas: 1.) Ask Marc Bulger (and his ribs and head).

2.) I'd still say the Rams have to go WR in the 2nd. (Or CB)

Remember, Little is back in the mix, and because of all the injuries the Rams also discovered that Will Witherspoon (7 sacks last year) is an edge rusher. But I think the Rams would have to find some kind of DE (developmental or otherwise) at some point in the draft.

Kevin C.: Jim -
I understand nothing is set in stone and the draft isn't here yet, but even if we draft Jake Long, I still see the need to get Setterstrom in the lineup. When I look at people's opinions of the Rams potential lineup (with or without J. Long) Setterstrom is always seen as a backup. He did a great job run blocking when he was in there.

Jim Thomas: Setterstrom could end up at center. And Incognito has hardly been an iron man because of his injuries.

Robert: I see a lot of concern in these posts that we cannot fill all our needs in one draft. I think people forget that there will be many good players released before the season begins. Is it reasonable to assume that we can help ourselves then?

Jim Thomas: Yes, there will be players released between now and September. But the June cap cuts aren't what they used to be, and there may be fewer of them than usual since most teams are in good to great cap shape. So maybe the Rams can find a player or two that way, but you've got to feel like they will be mostly depth guys. But don't discount trades either. The Rams picked up Dante Hall last year in a trade just a few days before the draft.

Warren: Hey Jim,

Do the Rams have any interest in the two Missouri Tigers entering the draft, Martin Rucker and Will Franklin? It seems Will Franklin is the speedster wide receiver that the Rams need and can probably get him in the 4th round. And we could use a Tight end that can get open and has good hands since Byrd might be gone and has been ineffective. Thanks for taking my question.

Jim Thomas: Franklin is on the guest list for a pre-draft visit next week, so the Rams do have interest in him. I'm not sure about Rucker, but I'll check into it.

el hombre de hombre: C'mon, Jimbo, 'fess up. Isn't the NFL draft the most overblown build-up in sports? Sure, it will help a handful of teams reverse course, but for most it merely perpetuates an organization's direction. It's become a cottage industry for some guys whose opinions are forgotten the day after the fact. I love your prep for the big day, but let's be real. This stuff is less meaningful than the typical Grapefruit League exhibition, no? (P.S.: Draft Jake Long)

Jim Thomas: St. Louis may be a baseball town, but it's a football nation. The NFL (No. 1) and college football (No. 2) almost always rank 1-2 in terms of popularity in surveys and polling. So the draft is the one time of the year when both sports collide or combine _ thus the huge interest. Sure it's overblown. I can remember covering the Combine in '91, and '92 when there were about 20 reporters plenty. It has grown to nearly more than 250 credentialed reporters the past couple of years. It's one of the ultimate "fantasy league" exercises, and we all know how big fantasy leagues are these days. But I think the draft is becoming more important with each passing year as teams seem to be doing a better job of keeping their core players away from free agency. And if you hit on a Peyton Manning it CAN turn a franchise around. And if you think Manning was a no-brainer, well the big discussion that year was Manning vs. Leaf for No. 1. And we all know how that turned out.