RECEIVED:

#14 overall pick, 2012 Draft — Michael Brockers

#39 overall pick, 2012 Draft — Janoris Jenkins

#50 overall pick, 2012 Draft — Isaiah Pead

#150 overall pick, 2012 Draft — Rokevious Watkins

#30 overall pick, 2013 Draft — Alec Ogletree

#92 overall pick, 2013 Draft — Stedman Bailey

#160 overall pick, 2013 Draft — Zac Stacy

#2 overall pick, 2014 Draft — Greg Robinson

RELINQUISHED:

#2 overall pick, 2012 Draft

After obtaining four Washington picks over the last three NFL Drafts, the Rams did what smart teams do: trade down, multiplying those four picks into eight. As St. Louis head coach Jeff Fisher pointed out during a press conference on Wednesday, not only are seven of those eight players still on the team (Watkins being the exception), but they are consistent players in St. Louis’ rotation. And if you’re still on high on the (apparent) late-round steal that was Stacy, the Rams seem to have made good on their pile of picks. Heck, even if Robinson fulfills his potential as a franchise left tackle while none of the other picks play another down, St. Louis will have received more value from the trade than Washington. But, considering the shambles that Washington is in right now, that’s an awfully low bar to clear.

While St. Louis has made solid picks, one of the reasons they are not yet a great team is because they’ve stumbled upon some big opportunity costs along the way. For instance, you’ll notice that none of the eight players listed above play the position that’s the biggest hole in St. Louis’ roster: quarterback.

Yes, the Rams have had 2010’s #1 overall pick, Sam Bradford, on their roster this entire time — Bradford’s presence is the very reason the Rams were willing to make the initial transaction with Washington. Bradford, of course, was drafted under the league’s old rules for rookie contracts — his is the eighth-largest cap hit of any NFL player this season — and in hindsight, the Rams probably wish they had not selected a quarterback in those early, more expensive rounds. Massive financial commitment aside, as Grantland’s Bill Barnwell pointed out the day after Bradford tore his ACL this preseason, it’s baffling that the Rams did not use the draft to establish a serviceable back-up behind Bradford, especially given his extensive injury history in both college and the pros.

Looking around the league, there are many of perennial playoff teams with elite, veteran quarterbacks who have still invested a mid-round pick in a backup (and potential future) quarterback — allowing the prospect to learn the ropes on a relaxed timeline. This spring we saw the Patriots select Jimmy Garoppolo (#62), even though Tom Brady has not slipped from the top of his game. The Arizona Cardinals took Logan Thomas (#120), even though they already had an established starter in Carson Palmer and a veteran backup in Drew Stanton. Going back to this same 2012 Draft, the Denver Broncos selected Brock Osweiler (#57) a month and change after signing Peyton Manning. And let’s not forget another masterstroke from that year: the Seahawks took Russell Wilson (#71) almost immediately after investing three years and $19M in Matt Flynn.

It’s completely understandable that the Rams wanted to bolster Bradford’s confidence by entrenching him the unquestioned starter, but a mid-round pick in a quarterback would have been a prudent insurance move, not a referendum on Bradford’s talents. While the Rams did pick Garrett Gilbert (#214) deep in the draft this year, he has yet to see the field this season behind an undrafted Austin Davis and career backup Shaun Hill. Nobody can expect to stumble upon a deep-round miracle like Brady, but it’s possible to find a long-term starter — like Nick Foles, Colin Kaepernick, Andy Dalton, or the aforementioned Wilson — outside of the first round.

Here’s another lost opportunity the Rams have paid for dearly. While they were moving down in the 2012 Draft — using their new #6 pick to go to #14 and #45, and then using their #45 pick to go to #50 and #150 — the player taken at #45 turned out to be Alshon Jeffery. Jeffrey has the fourth-most yards of any receiver since the start of the 2013 season. (The highest-ranking Ram on that list is Jared Cook, down at #60.)