Now, Rams need to make picks count

ST. LOUIS — After making a significant trade in his first move as the St. Louis Rams’ general manager, we’re not sure what Les Snead has planned for an encore.

Here’s an obvious suggestion: Take all of the premium picks obtained from the Washington Redskins and use them to find pure gold in the NFL draft.

Snead and the Rams pulled off a stunning trade, collecting three No. 1 draft choices and a second-round pick from Washington for the simple consent to move down only four spots in next month’s draft. Instead of drafting second overall, the Rams are now slotted at No. 6. That’s all.

In NFL history, no team has ever received as much in return in a trade for a draft pick. And while Snead did a fantastic job of setting a sales price for that exclusive No. 2 property and sticking to it, the Rams were fortunate in several ways.

The Redskins obviously have gone mad for Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III. The Redskins believe Griffin is worth the price, and he absolutely will be if he develops into a great NFL quarterback. If Griffin joins the ranks of the elite, no one will remember what the Redskins gave to the Rams.

There could also be a twist on the other end of the transaction.

What happens if Rams quarterback Sam Bradford fails to reach his potential? The Rams doubled down on Bradford, and made this deal to put more talent around him. But if Griffin takes off and Bradford tails off, no one will backslap the Rams for making a brilliant trade. No, the pundits will shred the Rams silly for sticking with Bradford and skipping the chance to take Griffin. No question, this deal puts more pressure on Bradford.

The dramatic change in the rookie pay scale was a substantial factor in this trade. In the old system, the Redskins wouldn’t have given up as much for Griffin’s rights. Making a huge financial commitment to one rookie would stress the salary cap and leave little room for signing free agents. Rookies are paid significantly less in the new system, meaning that the Redskins can draft and sign Griffin and still have plenty of money available to free-agent binge. Under owner Dan Snyder, the Redskins are among the league’s most aggressive franchises in signing veteran free agents. The Redskins don’t care about having draft picks the way most teams do. Accordingly, free agents will fill the roster spaces instead of the draft picks shipped to St. Louis.

The Rams didn’t necessarily need the Redskins to come through with an ambitious pitch; multiple teams tried to acquire the No. 2 overall pick. That includes Cleveland, which holds the No. 4 overall selection. But the Redskins clearly made the best offer.

The conditions were favorable for the Rams to come away with an impressive return, but give Snead credit for maximizing the opportunity. That’s terrific work for a firsttime GM who’s so new to St. Louis he’s still living in a hotel.

How could Snead possibly get off to a better start than this?

The beauty of the deal for the Rams is the way it addresses the present and the future while giving the team a chance to slide between the two initiatives. The Rams own three of the first 39 picks in the 2012 draft, so they should find immediate help. Over the next three drafts, 2012 through 2014, the Rams will have at least nine picks overall in the first three rounds.

This is their chance to construct a robust, firm foundation.

The Rams have the luxury of flexibility. They can move down in the draft and accumulate even more picks. Or they could use one of their extra picks to trade up to land a targeted prospect. There are a lot of ways for the Rams to go with this, and the options are valuable for a team with so many roster weaknesses.

More than anything, it’s imperative for the Rams to draft wisely. A history of hideous drafts took this franchise down, leading to a threeyear record of 15-65.

If Snead, and new head Coach Jeff Fisher, draft the right players, the Rams can dig out of this mess. In the late 1980s, Jimmy Johnson transformed the Dallas Cowboys by trading top running back Herschel Walker to Minnesota for a cache of players and picks. That’s how the Cowboys were able to draft Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith.

The hiring of Fisher and Snead, combined with this deal, truly gives the Rams a fresh start. They’ll have a chance to add playmakers and create a stronger nucleus. Snead did a magnificent job in getting a return on this trade. But that was only the first part. What happens later will define him and this deal.

The hardest part comes next. If Snead drafts winners, he’ll raise the entire franchise. Heck, he may even help save the team for St. Louis. If Snead strikes out in the draft, the sad and shameful story of the same old Rams will continue.