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In a Tuesday afternoon chat on the STLtoday.com web site, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch addressed the Rams’ decision to select Virginia defensive end Chris Long instead of LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey.
Thomas explains that Dorsey was clearly ranked ahead of Long on the team’s draft board last week, and that “something happened” on Thursday. Thomas points out that Thursday was also the day that team president John Shaw came to town.
Though Thomas says that Shaw and team officials deny the existence of any connection between Shaw’s arrival and Long’s ascension, the fact remains that the large gap between the two players suddenly was closed.
Thomas also points out that “some top-ranking veteran personnel people” wanted Dorsey, as did “most of the scouts” and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett.
Dorsey ultimately was picked by the Chiefs with the fifth overall selection.
April 29th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Whoever put their neck out on the chopping block deserves to stand and be recognized before being executed. Dorsey is gonna be a beast for years, and I predict Long will just end up being “another guy” out there in the Long run (get it? i kill me).
I said the same sorta thing about Charley Casserly for taking Super Mario over Vince Young, and he now works for the NFLN (despite the fact that pick turned out great). Mark my words: whoever ultimately decided to take Chris Long over Glenn Dorsey will be unemployed in two years…
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April 29th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Hm, maybe Shaw wanted Howie Long’s son to sell the team to LA fans when he moves them?
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April 30th, 2008 at 5:13 am
“Mark my words: whoever ultimately decided to take Chris Long over Glenn Dorsey will be unemployed in two years… ”
Let’s not get melodramatic. If George W. Bush can survive almost 8 years as president for far greater missteps, I’m sure John Shaw will remain president of the Rams long after he realizes he shoulda taken Dorsey.
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April 30th, 2008 at 8:58 am
The Rams needed a pass rusher to replace Winstrom froma few years ago (why did they let him go?), Dorsey was the best tackle available (he’s not a pass rusher), I don’t see where the confusion is? Some teams draft by need others draft by best available, obviously the Rams go by the former.
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April 30th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Seattle offered Wistrom a bloated contract that the Rams correctly didn’t match. The Rams problem is that Mike Martz couldn’t draft a defensive lineman to save his life and it set the team back several years. Dorsey is a beast and will probably be a better player than Long but DE was a position of major need, DT wasn’t needed so much with Carrikar, Glover and Clifton Ryan.
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