--Coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney have insisted frequently that character will be a major consideration when acquiring players. So, there were raised eyebrows when the Rams chose cornerback Bradley Fletcher in the third round.
In 2007, Fletcher pled guilty to drunken driving and was suspended for the season opener that year.
Asked about the incident, Devaney said, "It was there. I think it was the pre-draft meeting that we had like this. I said that each case will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. We did our due diligence thoroughly with this guy and it kept coming back. He messed up. He made a mistake. I think I also said that we weren't going to take anyone off the draft board just because they made a mistake and did something silly that a lot of college kids do. That was the case with Fletcher. He made a mistake, but we had everybody vouch for him at Iowa that he is a strong character guy. And there isn't any question in our mind that he's a good guy."
Spagnuolo reiterated the team did its due diligence.
"That's what you have to rely on," Spagnuolo said. "You have to do your research and the scouts and coaches did a lot of it. When it was all said and done, we believed and felt with the people that we know there and trust that it was very out of character for him."
Said Fletcher, "That situation is something that I learned from. I made a mistake and I learned from it and I'm ready to move forward."
--The Rams like the versatility of fourth-round pick Darell Scott, a defensive tackle who can play the three-technique and on the nose.
Asked what he liked about Scott, Devaney said, "The size first of all. For a guy that big, his initial quickness. His ability to anchor down. For somebody that is 320 pounds (actually 312), he does have some pass rush ability. He's got a knack for rushing the passer. Again, he's going to put himself in the mix. I think we kind of like the idea of having wave players on the defensive line where you can roll those guys in and out. The big guys go and it's nice to have three or four that you can rotate in there and we see this guy as being a part of that rotation."
Added Spagnuolo, when asked what position Scott would play, "We have defensive tackles. We don't classify them that way because they have to be able to do both, play on the center and play on the guard. So he'll get in and compete with the rest of the guys that we have at defensive tackle."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm 6-5 and 310 pounds of steel. I'm a football player. I take that very seriously. And I understand every day that I have work to do. And I'm going to do everything in my power to get better every day." -- First-round pick Jason Smith.
