With The Second Overall Pick, The Rams Select …

by NFL
Posted by: Shaun Dolence

Well, we won’t officially know the answer that question until April 25th, but it did just get a little easier to predict. The St. Louis Rams have released seven-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Orlando Pace.

Pace, who is 33 years old and was the first overall pick in the 1997 draft, started 14 games last season for the Rams. Although he remained healthy through most of last year, he did miss half of 2007 and nearly the entire 2006 season due to injuries.

This move makes life in the NFC West a little easier for the Seahawks; like Walter Jones, Orlando Pace has been one of the premier offensive linemen in the NFL over the past decade. His release will save the Rams around $6 million in cap space.

The St. Louis Rams, according to most mock drafts, were already leaning towards selecting an offensive lineman with the second overall pick in April’s draft. Now that they’ve released Pace, it seems inevitable that is the route they will take. So who will it be? Jason Thomas Smith, Eugene Monroe, Michael Oher, or maybe someone else?

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Yeah, we definitely won't miss seeing him in the NFC West. He'll find a starting spot somewhere; we'll see if he can stay healthy. I'm not sure where he will end up, but Detroit seems like a good spot.

How odd it will be to not see Pace on that line. He was a hell of a player, I wonder who he is going to play for now. Any thoughts?

Yes, thank you. The post has been updated. I think I get a little delirious when I post about the St. Louis Rams.

I think you mean Jason Smith, Left Offensive Tackle of Baylor.  I personally like Eugene Monroe.  Charlie Casslerly still insists that Andre Smith, Left Offensive Tackle of Alabama, is the guy with the greatest natural ability in the draft.