Knox Not Budging Off No. 3 : Rams: Despite tempting offers, they are keeping the third selection in the draft, and it suddenly appears they might wind up with Emtman.
In the final hours leading up to this morning’s start of the NFL draft, Chuck Knox was sitting in the catbird seat, brushing off generous trade offers and holding the third pick in what the Rams’ coach says is a three-superstar draft.
“It’s a tremendous place to be,” Knox said with a smile Saturday, hours before the first draft of his second tenure with the Rams.
At No. 3, no matter what the Indianapolis Colts do with the top two selections, the Rams are assured of getting one of the three players they most want--Washington defensive tackle Steve Emtman, Pittsburgh defensive lineman Sean Gilbert or Texas A&M; linebacker Quentin Coryatt.
The Colts were engaging in frantic negotiations with all three players as late as Saturday night and had reached a tentative agreement with Gilbert to make him the No. 1 pick. But they are sure to keep everybody guessing until they make their picks today.
When the Colts are done--and it is possible they might take only one the above-mentioned trio and opt for another, more easily signed player with their second choice--the Rams will snap up whatever is left and plug him directly into the middle of their desperate defense.
To their great satisfaction, the Rams are guessing the player who falls to them will be Emtman, who was thought to be unattainable until snags in negotiations with the Colts jeopardized his status as the consensus No. 1 pick in this year’s draft.
Emtman’s agent, Marvin Demoff, was in Indianapolis this weekend, trying to make sure Emtman does not slip to No. 3 and suffer the expected loss of more than $2 million in his rookie contract.
“We have no control over that, so we’ll just sit and wait,” Knox said. “But it’s safe to say we’re going to get one of those three guys. And I’d be very satisfied, very satisfied, because I’d be getting an impact player with any one of the three.
“We’ve had a lot of people calling, wanting us to move back. It’s no secret that those are the three top players on our board, and I think the top three players on most people’s boards.”
The Rams turned down an offer from the Dallas Cowboys that would have packaged their top three picks in this year’s draft (Nos. 13, 24 and 40 overall) for the Rams’ No. 1, and rejected the Miami Dolphins’ offer of two No. 1’s (Nos. 7 and 12).
Knox says he rates Gilbert, Coryatt and Emtman about even but has no desire to trade out of the top three.
The Rams, bereft of bulk on the defensive line for so long, only a few days ago appeared to be most eager to land the 6-5, 315-pound Gilbert, but that was before they realized Emtman (6-4, 290), considered a more polished player than the junior-eligible Gilbert, could slide down to their spot.
“Emtman has played a (few) more plays than Gilbert,” Knox said. “Gilbert’s been (injured). . . . Emtman has played every down, and I mean, he is a proven football player, the guy that brings everything that he has to every practice and to every game.
“Sean Gilbert is a guy (who has) great athletic talent and has tremendous potential. . . . What the two of them have in common is that they’re both big guys who can run, and you don’t find that in the draft every year.”
One player the Rams have never had any questions about is Coryatt (6-3, 240), whom Knox projects as a middle linebacker on early downs and possibly an outside pass rusher on pass situations.
“What I like about him is he’s got great athletic ability,” Knox said. “He can run, and he will hit you. . . . No. 2, he’s a young player. He’s got his football ahead of him, having played two years at Texas A&M; (because of academic problems).
“One thing I like about him is that he can be an ‘every-down’ player. He can . . . be a rusher for you. Now, he hasn’t done a lot of that. But he can do it. We sent (defensive coordinator) George Dyer down there specifically to work him out, to see what kind pass-rushing ability he has, because, obviously, you would not want to take a middle linebacker at that spot who is going to have to come out on passing situations.”
Ram Notes
The Rams had heavy interest in trading for Minnesota defensive tackle Keith Millard, but apparently decided they could not meet the Vikings’ demand of a second-round pick this year and a second next season. The Rams’ No. 2 this year comes right after the first round (No. 30 overall) and is being earmarked for a blue-chip cornerback, perhaps either Mississippi Valley State’s Ashley Ambrose or Pittsburgh’s Steve Israel. The Rams offered Minnesota one of their two third-rounders this year plus a two next season. . . . The Seattle Seahawks apparently met the Vikings’ demand, acquiring Millard Saturday. Millard, who has played only five games the past two seasons because of a serious injury to his right knee after earning a series of Pro Bowl spots, worked out at Rams Park Friday and tested “100%” according to Coach Chuck Knox. . . . The Rams have an extra third-round pick and an extra 11th, both from Indianapolis in the Irv Pankey trade.