Jules, a thought. Does anyone know if the CBA agreement allows *only * draft picks to be traded? Could the Eagles for instance trade a 3rd + a player to be named later for a 1st rounder? With a gentleman’s agreement in place that the player would be Kolb once the labor issue is settled?
I know it’d be unlikely to happen, but is there any rule prohibiting the trading of non-draft picks?
And then the jinx goes on and his leg explodes into 400 pieces.
I’m willing to take on the Madden curse, since it’s so fucking stupid in the first place. Have you seen the shit people have said in support of the Madden curse now? “Well he had 50 yards less than last year now, MADDEN CURSE CONFIRMED!!”
Incidentally, the whole Madden curse thing may help Hillis win. Superstitious people won’t want to vote for Rodgers for fear of the curse, but since the Cleveland Browns franchise is already at rock bottom anyway - who gives a shit, bring on a little curse.
It really wouldn’t be awesome. I mean - Peterson, yeah, he’s been on the cover before, right? It’d be a solid pick, but totally conventional.
Vick - I think this one is controversial enough that they’d want to stay away from it.
Rodgers… I have nothing I can really say against this one. Rodgers is awesome and deserves it. The only case I can really make is that Rodgers will probably have another 5+ years in his career in which he’ll be deserving of a Madden cover, and probably get one, but a player like Hillis almost never has a chance to make it. So it’d be more awesome, and Rodgers will get his due later.
It’s interesting how Fairley is headed down the draft boards. It makes you wonder if he’s got that stereotypical “bust” label on him, because from what everyone’s saying, it certainly sounds like it. There’s also so much defensive talent in this year’s draft, too. Someone’s not going to live up to potential in this draft. That’s the only known thing.
The more I read the more JJ Watt is growing on me as a DL prospect. I think if I were forced to pick a DL, it would go Dareus then Watt, even though he’s listed at 6th or 7th by most people. Quinn, Bowers, Fairley and all them have such high bust potential.
Watt is sort of odd with his size though - he seems like he’d be a great fit for a weakside 5 technique 3-4 DE. I’m not sure that LDE in a 4-3 is his ideal position. I wonder if they’ve ever tried him at the 3. I guess he could be one of those guys who moves inside during passing downs.
The upside to Watt being underrated is that if someone falls out of the top 6 like Peterson the Browns may be able to trade down 5-10 spots and still nab him or maybe Julio Jones. If Peterson is there, I’d probably rather just grab him, but the talent levels at slots 7-15 seem pretty level, so it’d be nice to drop back to #12ish and pick up some picks.
I’m not sure why is Watt isn’t in consideration as one of the top DL… his size, drill numbers, and production match up pretty closely with Mario Williams
Sacks mostly. Watt had 7 all year, Mario had 14.5 his last year, that’s over twice as much. Watt only had 4 the year before and was a walk on transfer student with only 2 years as a DE. He also lacks the explosiveness that Williams has, that “Holy Shit he’s already past the OT!” burst.
Me, I like him alot as a 3-4 DE, but he may be too big and not quick enough for a 4-3 DE. I’d love it if the Packers got him, but some team running the 3-4 will scoop him up quickly (maybe even too high) like Tyson Jackson.
My team is the Green Bay Packers. Your NFL Champion Green Bay Packers. The Green Bay Packers that have now won a record 13 NFL Championships.
It was a great season last year. They won the Super Bowl despite losing over a quarter of their starters, which shows the great amount of depth that our GM Ted Thompson has put together. But his job is nowhere near done. While it will be nice to get some guys back from IR, there are some needs that should be addressed.
However, the Packers usually draft their Best Player Available and aren’t hung up on their needs. But here’s my take on what they should be trying to address in this year’s NFL draft:
Packer Needs:
DE
With Cullen Jenkins likely pricing himself out of Green Bay (if we ever get back to the season) and Johnny Jolly’s newest arrest, I think finding a great 3-4 DE is very important to the team, even if he’s just a rotational player. I really like Ryan Pickett but he’s getting up there in age, and I have high hopes for Mike Neal, our 2nd round pick from last year. And the project guys like CJ Wilson and Jarius Wynn are getting better; so it’s not a do or die. But I think they need a big, fast DE who can both stop the run, which was a problem last year, and pressure the QB. I would love JJ Watt, but he won’t make it that far in the first round. I also like Jarvis Jenkins, DE, from Clemson if he’s available in the third round.
OT
I was stunned with LT Chad Clifton’s year last year. He started out atrociously, but in the last 6 games or so, he came up huge. I thought for sure he was done, but he found some magic. But he is old, on poor knees, and I’m not sure he’s got enough left in the tank. I really like what I’ve seen from Brian Bulaga, who may be his replacement eventually, but you really can’t have too many OT’s. I like Derrick Sherrod if he’s there at 32 (I may be overrating him a touch, but he’s got the quick feet and experience I like), otherwise I like Willie Smith from East Carolina as a late round project guy who has a chance to develop.
OLB
While Zombo, Walton, Brad Jones all had pretty good years (when they were healthy), last year, I want somebody special to pair with Clay Matthews on the outside. It’s not a critical need, but getting to the QB is huge in this league. I kinda hate myself for liking Dontay Moch, a speedy pass rusher from Nevada who would have to transition from DE to OLB. He’s the kind of toy I think Capers could really use.
SPEEDY SPARKPLUG CHANGE OF PACE BACK MAYBE LINE UP AS A SLOT RECEIVER WITH KICK RETURN ABILILITES FUN TO WATCH GUY
Think Darren Sproles, Dexter McCluster, or Stefan Logan. I think the Packers could really use a KR who can offer a change of pace in the backfield too. There is no way I want them to grab one in the first 3 rounds, but I have a man crush on Derrick Locke from Kentucky. Yes, I know he’s a tiny, fairly weak, horrid in pass protection, and a huge injury risk, but he’s damn fun to watch and he’s got amazing speed and pretty good balance. He’d make immediate improvement in the return game, and he has great hands, good vision to be a toy for McCarthy to play with on the offensive side of the ball.
CB/WR
Charles Woodson and Donald Driver are getting older and more injury prone and will eventually need to be replaced. Grabbing a few project guys at those positions could always help out in the future. At WR, I think the Packers may lose the frustrating James Jones, but they’ll make an effort to keep Jordy Nelson. In this draft, I really like Vincent Brown from San Diego State as a mid/late round guy. And Ras I Dowling from Virginia might be worth a second rounder if he passes the medical tests and could be a solid addition to the CB corp that is quite good.
After those, I think the Packers are solid enough to just grab high upside players, and maybe a 3rd QB to challenge Harrell. I like TJ Yates from North Carolina as a developmental QB, and Ahmad Black as a safety, where the Pack are a bit thin.
As always, I’ll be fascinated to see who the Packers end up with. I’m pulling together my list of “My Guys” and “Your Guys” now, so I’ll be back. Only a couple more weeks…
I just hope that the Chargers are able to fill their DE need with Cameron Jordan out of Cal, then a few rounds later solidify their TE corps with USC’s Jordan Cameron.
I disagree. The Giants also need a LB and a center (O’Hara is toast). And, given their fumble problems last year and Brandon Jacobs’ injury history, RB is not out of the question - although that could a 2nd round possibility.
For the Rams, I am still hoping they can get Julio Jones at 14, although that is less likely than it was before the combine. If he is off the board they could go DE to pair with Chris Long, I am looking at Ryan Kerrigan or Aldon Smith. Otherwise the have needs at CB is Prince Amukamara drops that far or at OLB if they want to reach for or trade down for Akeem Ayers. There is enough depth at WR to fill that need in Round 2 with someone like Baldwin or Hankerson.
I’ve started following the Rams a bit, and I agree that WR is a huge need (and that it’s likely that both Jones and Green will be gone by then), but I think I like George Selvie and James Hall enough to think that DT is a bigger need than DE. Maybe Liuget for DT, and then grab a WR in the second round. They also need some help in the secondary, but I think grabbing a S would be a reach as would any CB except Peterson and maybe Prince (I’m a bit surprised to see a CB with 0 interceptions this year going in the top 10).
They’re in a tricky spot for their needs. It would cost to much to go up and grab Jones (although they may try), but there is usually some talent falling around 14, so they might be willing to trade down and garner a few more picks without losing too much talent. They’re going to be in an interesting spot.
Said it in the other thread and I’ll say it again: If the Seahawks take Jake Locker…I’m going to puke.
I would really, really like to have Jake Locker on the Eagles. And in fact, they worked him out recently. I think he’s a perfect fit in what Andy Reid seems to want to do with his quarterbacks, and I think Reid has proven himself so damn good at molding that type of player into a good QB that he could make Locker really work. If he slips into the second round, I wouldn’t mind seeing the Eagles take a shot on him as a project to take over for Vick after a few years.
I couldn’t disagree more. I don’t think Locker will ever have the accuracy to be a West Coast QB.
More concretely, why on earth take a QB in round 1 or 2 (which is where Locker will go) when you’ve just committed to Vick for the next few years – we just finished a QB controversy and you want a new one? And you want to do that at the expense of filling needs at OL and CB?
I think you greatly underestimate speed at which over-35 players age, and hence the need here. Woodson and Driver are old NOW. They will almost certainly not be as good this year as they were last year; next year, they could be out of the league. Especially with Jones likely gone, and their penchant for multi-WR sets, they need to grab a WR who can start in 2012.
Andy Reid wants his quarterback to shattershot throws all over the field with all the accuracy of a wounded gopher?
I don’t get the hype on Locker, but it’s hard to deny his physical gifts. But his woeful accuracy and regression in his Senior year is quite troubling. Maybe the second round is where his upside will carry him, and I think that would be fine. But I think someone will pull the trigger on him in the late first early second.
Todd McShay had an interesting column where he consulted two anonymous scouts, one from the AFC and one from the NFC to make an aggregate draft. The Lions get Tyron Smith, which is nice.
Both Woodson and Driver will be starters this year. Woodson is just one year removed from DPOY and had the most tackles in his career last year. His interceptions, passes defended, and TD’s are all down, but that was due to where Capers had him playing, rather than a great dropoff in skills. Worst case scenario, he moves to safety if his play drops off dramatically. In addition, they really like (rightfully so) Tramon Williams and Sam Shields, so anyone they drafted would be a nickel back at best.
Driver is all but done, so I think you are right. But I think Nelson is ready to step into his shoes nicely, and Jermichael Finley is coming back from injury. That gives them 3 other pass receiving options before anybody else. So it is certainly a need, but nowhere near as drastic as DE/OLB/OT. Maybe Derrick Locke can play in the slot. 
Talk about timing, Tyron “To Be The First OT Taken” Smith (Blame Chris Berman, not me) had a visit with the Lions just yesterday.
Yeah, it appears that he’s the class of the offensive tackles in this draft. I think I like the pick. He’s the best one available, but is the drop off that big? Also, who else would be taken if we didn’t take him?
I’d err towards taking him, though. It’s not like we don’t need an upgrade all over the offensive line.