St. Louis Rams general manager Billy Devaney said during a Tuesday morning appearance on SIRIUS NFL Radio that he's open to trading the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft.
Devaney, who took the Rams' GM job before the 2009 season, realizes the team has a long way to go after finishing 1-15. And if trading draft picks helps, then he's willing to do it.
"We're still in the process of putting this thing together," Devaney said. "We're looking for picks. We really need to continue to restore this roster. We started that process two years ago, and we still have a ways to go yet. We're not kidding anybody. So sure, we would be open to acquiring more picks."
On Monday, Devaney denied Internet reports that the team was discussing a trade to send the No. 1 pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for first- and third-round selections and quarterback Josh Johnson.
Devaney said Tuesday that the team's scouts are pretty much done with evaluations after visiting schools, and coaches are in the process of watching tapes of prospects. This week, they will find out about the medical and mental attributes of players at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
The top two prospects in the NFL draft are Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. Devaney said he's encouraged that the potential No. 1 and No. 2 picks will attend the combine, although he did admit it will be hard to separate the two.
The Rams also must address their quarterback situation. Devaney, while appearing on NFL Network's NFL Total Access with Paul Burmeister later Tuesday, said every possibility is on the table.
"There are a number of different scenarios that we've talked through," Devaney said. "We will shed some light on it as we come back from Indianapolis this week. We'll have a better idea on a couple of guys that we are interested in there. Free agency is right around the corner, and that is an option. There are a couple of different scenarios. Anything is possible."
