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Ever since Alex Smith was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, questions have been swirling as to whom the San Francisco 49ers backup to Colin Kaepernick would be. Many believed San Francisco would either use a Day 2 or Day 3 selection on a quarterback because of the thin free-agent market. 

However, that doesn't seem to be the case. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Cleveland Browns have shipped Colt McCoy to the Bay Area for a fifth- and seventh-round pick. The move comes as a surprise considering McCoy doesn't appear to be an immediate fit.

Prior to the trade, the only other quarterback the Niners had on their roster was third-year pro Scott Tolzien. Before the start of the 2012 season, Tolzien beat out Josh Johnson for the third and final quarterback spot.

Yet Monday's trade means Tolzien will most likely end up as the team's No. 3 quarterback again, or he won't even be on the roster when the season begins because of the overall direction of Greg Roman's offense.

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STLouisRams.com

Ever since drafting Sam Bradford No. 1 overall in 2010, the St. Louis Rams have been looking for an All-Pro blind-side protector. The organization was hoping former first-round pick Jason Smith would come around after having suffering multiple concussions during his rookie season. 

However, there are no guarantees in professional football, so general manager Billy Devaney decided it was best to invest in another left tackle prospect. The initial idea was to possibly play Rodger Saffold at right tackle and Smith at left tackle. 

But the tables quickly turned, and by the time training camp opened up it was an open competition. Saffold impressed coaches enough to solidify himself as the starting left tackle from Day 1. Smith slid over to right tackle and all seemed well based on the fact St. Louis now had one of the most talented offensive lines they had in years. 

Yet the once-promising build to St. Louis' young offensive line quickly faded after injuries ravaged the group in 2011. Saffold and Smith combined for 15 total starts that season and the Rams allowed 49 quarterback sacks, 35 quarterback hits and 142 quarterback hurries. 

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After Steven Jackson and Danny Amendola departed in free agency, it's no secret the Rams will be looking for playmakers to replace their production. St. Louis has eight picks in total, with two coming inside the top 25.

Mock drafts, from top talent evaluators, have Jeff Fisher and Les Snead snagging at least one wide receiver in the first round. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has also mentioned that the organization really likes a particular running back on day two of the NFL draft. 

It's obvious that a few new playmakers will be added to the Rams roster before the start of the 2013 season. So let's take a look at eight of the most intriguing wide receiving and running back prospects the draft has to offer.

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On average, it seems as if 49ers general manager Trent Baalke and the rest of the front office make at least four trades a year on draft day. This year figures to be no different as they have 14 selections, by far the most of any NFL team. 

Everyone knows that many rookies won't make the final roster, so it's wise to expect even more wheeling and dealing on April 25. With multiple needs on offense and defense, the 49ers should have the ability to fill every hole with the best available player.

So, let's take a look at 10 creative moves I believe San Francisco will make on draft day. 

 

All trade information was calculated using DraftTek's value chart.

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Behind newly-acquired offensive tackle Jake Long and third-year man Rodger Saffold, the Rams' offensive-tackle position has more question marks than answers. Currently, Long's backup is the inexperienced Ty Nsekhe, and Saffold's backup is Joe Barksdale. 

Other than the two names I mentioned, St. Louis doesn't have another offensive tackle on the roster. Barry Richardson has departed in free agency and Wayne Hunter was released on March 6, 2013. It's obvious both players weren't going to be long-term solutions given their poor level of play. 

This leads me to believe Les Snead and Jeff Fisher will target a young offensive tackle in the draft. Just don't expect the tackle to be chosen in rounds 1-3. It would be wise to expect a selection in rounds 4-7 based on this year's tackle class.

Let's take a look at four offensive tackles the Rams should be targeting during the middle of the draft. 

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I'm not a fan of grading draft classes after one year in the league, so I decided to piggyback on the idea of my colleague Erik Frenz. He waits three seasons, and then goes back to the draft class and assesses its value. 

With some draft selections, patience is the key. Not every player is going to play at a Pro Bowl level during their first season, nor are they going to be starters right away. Different circumstances dictate different results. That is exactly why some of the NFL's best players don't rise to the top until later in their careers.

Let's take a look at who earned a passing grade from St. Louis' 2010 draft class.

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I'm not a fan of grading draft classes after one year in the league, so I decided to piggyback on the idea of my colleague Erik Frenz. He waits three seasons, and then goes back to the draft class and assesses its value. 

With some draft selections, patience is the key. Not every player is going to play at Pro Bowl level during their first season, nor are they going to be starters right away. Different circumstances dictate different results. That is exactly why some of the NFL's best players don't rise to the top until later in their careers.

Let's take a look at who earned a passing grade from Seattle's 2010 draft class.

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I'm not a fan of grading draft classes after one year in the league, so I decided to piggyback on the idea of my colleague Erik Frenz. He waits three seasons, and then goes back to the draft class and assess its value. 

With some draft selections, patience is the key. Not every player is going to play at Pro Bowl level during their first season, nor are they going to be starters right away. Different circumstances dictate different results. That is exactly why some of the NFL's best players don't rise to the top until later in their careers.

Let's take a look at who earned a passing grade from Arizona's 2010 draft class.

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After nine seasons in St. Louis, the Rams and All-Pro running back Steven Jackson decided it was time to part ways. Jeff Fisher and Co. wanted Jackson to take a reduced role to stay in the Lou, while SJ39 knew he still had what it took to shoulder the load as an every-down back. 

Apparently the Atlanta Falcons also felt like Jackson still had what it took to shoulder the load. They signed him to a three-year, $12 million deal with $4 million guaranteed. Which ultimately means Les Snead will be looking to replace the 29-year-old running back in free agency or through the draft. 

With nine picks total in April's draft, it's more likely they use one of those selections on adding talent to a backfield that surely needs it. Daryl Richardson and Isaiah Pead both flashed at times in 2012, but the jury is still out on whether they are every-down backs.

Let's take a look at five sure-fire players St. Louis should look to sign if they decide to go the veteran route. 

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St. Louis decided it was time for a big change at the safety position, so they parted ways with both Craig Dahl and Quintin Mikell. Dahl has since joined the 49ers, and Mikell is still shopping his services around to other teams. 

However, there is still an outside chance Mikell returns to the Rams next season at the right price. Yet until that price is set and the deal is done, let's take a look at three other safeties who could potentially help St. Louis in 2013.