Thread: Let Me Pose This Question About The Draft.......

Clearly Cooper is the highest rated of the three and probably represents the least risk but are OT and OC more important positions to fill with either a guy who can start now or a guy who can be developed to start next year. Jones is an obvious starter if he's healthy and some feel that in time Fluker can play LT in the pros but the worse case scenario is that he could be one hell of a RT if Carimi doesn't return to form this year and a good young Swing OT if he can't beat out one of the starters.

Just something to think about as far as developing an overall approach to the draft and FA. Who's at the top of your board.

Originally Posted by soulman

Clearly Cooper is the highest rated of the three and probably represents the least risk but are OT and OC more important positions to fill with either a guy who can start now or a guy who can be developed to start next year. Jones is an obvious starter if he's healthy and some feel that in time Fluker can play LT in the pros but the worse case scenario is that he could be one hell of a RT if Carimi doesn't return to form this year and a good young Swing OT if he can't beat out one of the starters.

Just something to think about as far as developing an overall approach to the draft and FA. Who's at the top of your board.

There are so many question marks in my mind right now. It's like trying to solve an equation with too many unknown variables (at this point). But I'm assuming Carimi can come back from his injury and he's not done. I'm assuming Lance Louis will come back with a sound knee, and not be Carimi-II this season due to HIS injury. Neither of these are a "given" fact. But hopefully they'll be ok.

I'm also assuming Webb can at least be a backup tackle (swing tackle). That he's not so dumb that he'll never pan out as anything more than a goof. And I want to believe this. Surely he's at least backup material.

So where does that leave us? We probably need a starting LT, LG, C. I say this with the caveat that Louis and Carimi come back strong.....and RG and RT are going to be OK this year. The other OL guys on our roster (yes, even Spencer) are not really decent starters. Maybe Kromer can poke through the pile and find a diamond in the rough there. I don't see it though.

LT should be a FA. LG and C should be our target, and I want to point out that often centers are drafted as guards. That's VERY common. We don't have to limit ourselves to a college center. Heck, the current All-Pro at center is a guard converted to center (Max Unger), and some had Pouncy as the center (Pouncy was initially a guard at Florida and they converted him to center). So grabbing two guards, with the idea that one would be a solid center - would be fine by me. Garza doesn't have much left. He's hurting us IMHO. He may be smart, but you DO have to block too.

I'd go with the best two OL players in the first and second rounds who are not "projects" but guys who can play well now. That won't be tackles probably but 2 interior linemen. I wouldn't reach for a center, but if a stroke of luck happened, maybe we could go Cooper-Pugh.

IDK. That's my 2-cents worth.

I’ll give you the answer to your question, and then I’ll change the dynamic a bit.

To answer your question, I select Barrett Jones, and here is why:
DJ Fluker is freaking huge. He weighed in a 355 at the Sr. Bowl, and in my opinion, you actually CAN be too big to effectively play Tackle in the NFL. A man that big just isn’t going to be agile enough to play Left Tackle, which is why many are projecting him to the Right side. We already spent a 1^st round pick for a RT two years ago, and while the jury is still out on Carimi, I don’t think most people are ready to declare him a bust just yet. I also see a weight problem with Fluker. If he’s at 355 now, what will he be in three years?
My Problem with Cooper is just the opposite, at less than 300 Lbs. and going against some of the huge DT’s we have in the NFC North, I don’t think he has the “butt” to play OG here. Yes, he will be great at pulling, but we’ve already seen a problem with the guys we have being pushed back. He can be as quick as a cat, but I don’t think he can handle the big boys without adding weight himself, and then his plus side for pulling is diminished.
So, I pick Jones, and I don’t like it under your parameters as I think he could be had later, even as late as the early second, but I pick him because our center position is the next most critical position on the offensive line after LT.

Now that I’ve answered your question, here is what I would like to see happen, keeping in mind that this is all pre-combine speculation and movement up and down draft boards WILL happen:
Trade our 1^st to Cincy for both their seconds (#37 and #53)
First selection is Barrett Jones (most have him shown in the late 1^st round, but many boards are inching him down into the upper half of the second)

Second selection is Tavon Austin (again, after the combine, he may move up even more as this kid is a burner). It’s been great Devin, but there is a new returner in town and he can actually play WR. Marry this kid up with the Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery and listen to the beautiful music being played.

Third Selection is Travis Frederick This kid is a tank in the middle and should be able to blow some holes open for Matt Forte. O-Line acquisition #2.

4^th Round Selection is “The other TE” from Stanford, Levine Toilolo. This is a big kid at 6’-8” that can actually catch the ball and he is reportedly an excellent blocker. Overshadowed by guys like Fleener and Ertz, but primarily because he stayed in as the better blocker of the three. The other two are a bit faster also, but this kid is an un-missable red zone target.

5^th Round, we’re getting into the gamble rounds now and I’m tempted to go with Mike Mauti LB from Penn State. This guy is a great leader and a fierce competitor that would have reportedly been a 2^nd rounder without the injuries, but he has torn up both knees in college. He’s an MLB that knows the game and would be a potential replacement for Url in a year or two if he is able to stay healthy. However, there are some nice MLB’s coming out in 2014 that I would like better, so I could be talked out of this pick pretty easily. Maybe Kevin Riddick (LB) out of NC or even take a chance on Kyle Long as a given his family football legacy.

I chose Manti Te'o. He told me he was the best OL in the draft.

Originally Posted by groenator

in the same way as he said about his GF?

Yes, that was the joke. Congratulations.

I agree with 4DaBERS on Barret Jones. I would also just add the utility he would provide:

Depending on what happens at LG we could utilize either Garza or Jones in that position. I think taking some of the burden off of Garza and place him back to his natural position of OG would maximize his productivity. I would hope we also draft an OG next round as Louis returning 100% is yet to be seen. I see viable candidates for RT sorting themselves out as well as a ST (providing a FA LT is garnered).

So basically Garza is a LG if the one drafted can't yet come on and available if Louis' rehab just isn't there yet. He would back up and mentor Jones at OC. Ewill would be expendable and could then also bring in a later round pick or another UDFA/FA to enhance the depth further.

This is all incumbent on that Jones injuries aren't Cwill caliber when he was drafted.

Originally Posted by 4DaBERS

I’ll give you the answer to your question, and then I’ll change the dynamic a bit.

To answer your question, I select Barrett Jones, and here is why:
DJ Fluker is freaking huge. He weighed in a 355 at the Sr. Bowl, and in my opinion, you actually CAN be too big to effectively play Tackle in the NFL. A man that big just isn’t going to be agile enough to play Left Tackle, which is why many are projecting him to the Right side. We already spent a 1^st round pick for a RT two years ago, and while the jury is still out on Carimi, I don’t think most people are ready to declare him a bust just yet. I also see a weight problem with Fluker. If he’s at 355 now, what will he be in three years?
My Problem with Cooper is just the opposite, at less than 300 Lbs. and going against some of the huge DT’s we have in the NFC North, I don’t think he has the “butt” to play OG here. Yes, he will be great at pulling, but we’ve already seen a problem with the guys we have being pushed back. He can be as quick as a cat, but I don’t think he can handle the big boys without adding weight himself, and then his plus side for pulling is diminished.
So, I pick Jones, and I don’t like it under your parameters as I think he could be had later, even as late as the early second, but I pick him because our center position is the next most critical position on the offensive line after LT.

Now that I’ve answered your question, here is what I would like to see happen, keeping in mind that this is all pre-combine speculation and movement up and down draft boards WILL happen:
Trade our 1^st to Cincy for both their seconds (#37 and #53)
First selection is Barrett Jones (most have him shown in the late 1^st round, but many boards are inching him down into the upper half of the second)

Second selection is Tavon Austin (again, after the combine, he may move up even more as this kid is a burner). It’s been great Devin, but there is a new returner in town and he can actually play WR. Marry this kid up with the Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery and listen to the beautiful music being played.

Third Selection is Travis Frederick This kid is a tank in the middle and should be able to blow some holes open for Matt Forte. O-Line acquisition #2.

4^th Round Selection is “The other TE” from Stanford, Levine Toilolo. This is a big kid at 6’-8” that can actually catch the ball and he is reportedly an excellent blocker. Overshadowed by guys like Fleener and Ertz, but primarily because he stayed in as the better blocker of the three. The other two are a bit faster also, but this kid is an un-missable red zone target.

5^th Round, we’re getting into the gamble rounds now and I’m tempted to go with Mike Mauti LB from Penn State. This guy is a great leader and a fierce competitor that would have reportedly been a 2^nd rounder without the injuries, but he has torn up both knees in college. He’s an MLB that knows the game and would be a potential replacement for Url in a year or two if he is able to stay healthy. However, there are some nice MLB’s coming out in 2014 that I would like better, so I could be talked out of this pick pretty easily. Maybe Kevin Riddick (LB) out of NC or even take a chance on Kyle Long as a given his family football legacy.

Actually. That would be a great draft.