TheRams‘ interest in Alabama quarterbackTy Simpsonwas always much deeper than they let on.
But the signs of their infatuation were always there. Like when they sent their southeast area scout as their lone representative to Simpson’s pro day in Tuscaloosa last month.
Nothing against Billy Johnson at all. He’s very good at what he does. That’s evidenced by the talent the Rams keep pumping into their building every year.
But in contrast to the Raiders, who sent an army of executives and coaches to Fernando Mendoza’s pro day in Indiana, the Rams went as minimally as possible for Simpson.
It was aclassic head fake to downplay their intentionswith the Crimson Tide quarterback. Not so much to their fans, but to the handful of teams across the NFL that needed a quarterback.
The esteem the NFL holds forRams general manager Les Sneadandhead coach Sean McVayis so high that when they see potential in a prospect, especially a quarterback, other teams will want that prospect too.
The Jets and Cardinals come to mind. Both passed on Simpson with the picks they held at No. 2 and No. 3, with the idea of potentially selecting him later in the first round or early in the second.
Concerned that those teams might learn of their interest in Simpson, and perhaps trade up in the draft to snag him before their first pick at No. 13, theRams kept their courtship of Simpson decidedly low-key.
That included theclandestine meetingSimpson recently revealed he had with Rams head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead in the days leading up to the draft. In that meeting, McVay and Simpson conversed for multiple hours.
“They talked football at a high level,” Snead said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
