Congrats to James! He will continue to work hard, and Rams fans will not be disappointed!

The Rams are in New York to take on the Jets. You can watch locally on KTVI, CBS 2 in the greater NY market, and NFL Network elsewhere. If you know where to look, you can watch online.

The Rams were trying to trade up to get James. They were convinced that Detroit was going to take him with the 33rd overall pick. They didn’t, and the rest is history!

Also, the Rams were the first team to work James out. I did not know that as he kept a lot of his meetings and workouts to himself during the process.

And here are some quotes from the Man himself:

“I just want to contribute anyway possible, whether it’s special teams or starting. I’m just going through a whirlwind right now. I haven’t even thought about that. I’ll play wherever they want me to.”

Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo says he will stay a middle linebacker.

“I got to experience so many great things this year as a senior — being a part of the first Ohio State team to beat Michigan five times in row, Senior day and being a two-time captain. Just things that I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish if I left early. To me, it’s always been more about relationships and experiences.”

Buckeye Nation will miss those memories and experiences he helped build.

“A lot of guys get picked in the first round and are gone in a few years. It’s all about what you do when you get there. To be the first player taken at my position, mike linebacker, is an honor. This is a celebration.”

James will report to St. Louis for his first minicamp this Friday.

To any Rams fans who may be reading this, you will love James Laurinaitis. You’re getting a stand up individual who is of the highest character both on and off the field. No one will work harder for your team than James. He will continue to push himself to improve until the day he retires. Let’s hope that’s after a long and productive career in the ‘Lou!

He was the 3rd Buckeye drafted (following Malcolm Jenkins, 14 and Beanie Wells, 31) in today’s draft. And immediately after James, the Cleveland Browns made a pick and chose Brian Robiskie. Great day for the Buckeyes!

I spent my college years in St. Louis and it’s a great sports city that I know James will enjoy. For a little fun, I hope he checks out University City (that was right up my alley). The Central West End was a favorite of mine as well. I’m not sure how close James want to be to downtown, but I’d personally recommend the following suburbs: Clayton, U-City (mentioned above), or the Webster-Kirkwood-Brentwood area. Frontenac and Ladue are really upscale. Frontenac has a great mall; not that James really cares about that. I did!

Congrats on achieving your dream, James! Can’t wait to see your career unfold!

According to The Morning Journal, he’s keeping quiet on the majority of his suitors, but has already mentioned that the Cleveland Browns have called and would like to work him out.

Laurinaitis said he has been invited to individual workouts by a few teams, though he did not identify them. He said the Browns have contacted him but no workout date has been set.

If you go by any other the mock drafts floating around, one would think that the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints could also be amongst the teams showing increased interest.

ETA: Watch a video of James talking about his performance today (Official Site)

His 3-cone Drill time was 6.93, which was the 3rd best of the linebackers. And in the 20 yd Shuttle, he finished in 4.24.

Fellow Buckeye Marcus Freeman is also posting very impressive numbers. Check out the NFL Network’s Combine coverage!

Linebackers take center stage tomorrow.

On where he projects at the next level:

“I feel like I can play in both systems. I think I can handle all three positions in the 4-3 and both inside positions in the 3-4.”

On his preference for the ILB position:

“For me, I like being in charge, making calls and having a chance to be in on every play. You are held more accountable, and I love being the guy making the checks, being the second coach on the field.”

On where his work ethic came from:

“My dad taught me two big lessons: One is to never feel fully satisfied with yourself because you can always improve. And the second thing is that, no matter how hard you think you’re working, somebody else is probably working harder. I will never be fully satisfied. The guys who are self-motivated and self-driven last the longest.”

And, of course, he addressed the Senior Bowl absence criticism. The Minneapolis Star Tribune has his official explanation and note that many are still skeptical. Did James need to show up with a note from his doctor or something? Geez.

[soapbox] James doesn’t shy away from challenges without good reason. The competitor in him would have participated if it was at all possible. And if people don’t want to believe that, then it’s on them. It’s also a shame so many in the media just want to believe the worst about others without those suspicions being truly warranted. If James was “scared” of the USC guys, he would have declared for the draft last year and been a Top 5-10 selection. [/soapbox]

He mentioned that he’s already spoken with the New Orleans Saints. And he also expects to be in contact with other teams, including the Miami Dolphins, who he is supposed to meet with tonight.

NFL.com’s Combine Blog has up a short story about James’ comfort in front of cameras. Nice little read, even if it’s pure fluff.

Laurinaitis met with the media on Saturday and looked comfortable and polished in front of all the cameras, giving articulate answers to every question.

That just backs up my claim that he’s very good with the media. No stuttering, overuse of the words “uh” or “um”, or anything like that. The scouts have to be impressed with that.

O/T: I quite like that the NFL.com blogs also use WordPress blogging platform; the same one I use here.

In brief:

Pro Football Weekly – No. 14 to New Orleans

NFL.com – No. 17 to New York Jets

Scout.com – No. 20 to Detroit

National Football Post – No. 20 to Detroit

Rob Rang, NFLDraftScout.com – No. 22 to Minnesota

Draftcountdown.com – No. 23 to New England

Don Banks, SI.com – No. 25 to Miami

Todd McShay, ESPN.com – No. 25 to Miami

Mel Kiper, ESPN.com – No. 29 to New York Giants

So, it appears most feel he will be drafted in the mid-to-late 1st round.

In it, he predicts that the Detroit Lions will select James with the 20th pick of the ’09 draft (acquired from Dallas).