Steinbach is a free agent? Wow. At 31, you’d think a guy who was a top 5 tackle for 10 years would have trade value.
Steinbach was always a guard - only limited duties at tackle after injuries. He had a pretty serious back injury and the word was that he was recovering well, but if he was anywhere near 100% the Browns would’ve kept him at his current contract. I don’t know what he has in the tank, but I’d like him back at a cheaper rate.
Oh, so he was. Don’t know why I thought he was a tackle.
Yeah, that back injury is a big question mark and the Bears have had some really bad luck with OLs with health red flags in recent years. If Steinbach is anywhere close to healthy he’d be a steal and might save the Bears from spending a high pick on an interior lineman but that’s a big if. Steinbach is a Chicago product and might be eager to come home at a pretty fair price. In any case it would continue the trend of player swapping the Bears and Browns have engaged in in recent years.
He was more in the “solid-starter” category; once guys like that start aging, there’s not much cushion between them and “replacement level” You’re not gonna give up anything in trade for a guy who is 10% better than what you can get off the street, and who no longer has any upside potential.
Gil Brandt on the NFL Station on Sirius is draft gold! I could listen to him all day.
Examples?
PFT put out a new Mock Draft. Looks like a pretty good one to me, some very solid reasoning here IMHO. Here it is: 2012 mock draft, take two - NBC Sports
Some of the highlights: Luck #1, RG3 #2. Logical in spite of the hype. Richardson to the Browns at 4, which sounds like the conclusion we drew here. Then the Browns take Weeden at 22, we thought he’d last til 36 but I think this is the right spot. Tannehill to the Chiefs at 11, the Dolphins pass and settle for a DE in Coples. The Cowboys and Eagles take back-to-back DTs in Poe and Cox. Floyd slides all the way to the Jets at 16, and if that happens I want the Bears to trade up with the Eagles to get him. The Bears settle for Mercilus which is awesome because he’s an Illini and I could own a Bears jersey that says Mercilus on the back but I have questions about his ability to be effective in the NFL with somewhat limited physical gifts. The production was there, but he seems like a 2nd rounder not a mid-first. Fleener goes to the Steelers and I have mixed feelings about this because the hype is starting to take it’s toll and I’m starting to hope the Bears draft him against my earlier misgivings and in spite of my confidence in Kellen Davis. The Texans get a great fit and value in Kendall Wright and the Packers get a question mark in Shea McClellin. Kuechly falls all the way to the Giants with the last pick.
Thoughts?
Woudn’t hate it, but really wonder who’s going to take Weeden between #22 and #37. Seems like a greater chance he could slip to the third round than go in the first, but then the QB crunch was crazy last year. I’m getting acclimated to the idea of Richardson. It’s not that I really doubt him personally, I just don’t think you take any RB in the top 10 that isn’t a transcendent talent. Maybe he is - I don’t know. Maybe if he played in the pac 12 and was putting up 250 yards rushing a game he’d seem like one of those once every 5/10 years sorts of backs.
You’d have to believe the hype that the SEC is somehow light years ahead of the rest of the NCAA. I tend to believe that it’s only somewhat better at the top and equivalent through the middle and bottom.
As for Weeden at 22 vs 37, it’s not that one of the teams drafting in between will take him but more that someone will trade up to get him. If the draft shakes out this way, don’t you think the Dolphins will send some picks the Vikings or Bucs way to land Weeden if they like him? You know the Packers and Pats would be willing to trade back in the 1st round.
The Browns may be wise to gamble that he’ll last until then on the assumption that the Dolphins don’t want him and the other teams (Texans, Cowboys, Jaguars, Broncos) see his as too old to bring in as a developmental guy but they better be comfortable with the thought of drafting Osweiler at 37 in case they are wrong.
They must have a poor opinion of the Bucs front office, because they have the Bucs taking yet another Defensive lineman after taking two in the first two rounds last year, two in the first two rounds the year before that, and two out of their first three picks the year before that, and signing Amobi Okoye this offseason. Brockers has some nice upside, but is incredibly raw, he’s not a freakish athlete, and the Bucs have a bunch of D lineman to develop already. I’d be shocked if he went before Claiborne and Blackmon.
No way any front office takes Brockers over Claiborne unless they think Claiborne is a walking doorknob.
While I agree that the SEC is generally overrated, its defenses really are light years ahead of everyone else. That means offensive guys who produce in the SEC are really, really good.
Yeah, that doesn’t make any sense at all. Apart from all those draft picks and Okoye, I fully expect the team to re-sign Al Haynesworth.
If the pick’s not Claiborne, it’s hard to say who we’d take, though. We have minor need at every position and huge need at none. Probably Reilly Reiff, although personally I would like to see us take a safety. Is Barron any good?
The Panthers re-signed Steve Smith to a three-year contract. Not a surprise, but I’m glad to see it.
I think that Arizona’s Nick Foles has a pretty good chance to outproduce his draft position. I saw him a little bit in Tucson, and he was dominant at times. He has prototype size, seemed like he could make the needed throws, and was generally thought of as a really strong leader.
It seems like his stock has fallen over the last year because everyone said he had a down 2011. The team was down, but Foles seemed to get better (of course the Pac-10/12/1X was down overall too). He also apparently had a pretty bad Pro Day in some bad weather here at the end of March.
Still, I’ll be looking closely at his career. I think some team is going to get a steal with him.
Absolutely. He’s getting up there, but he really connected with Newton and he hasn’t really shown any serious decline. He is probably the greatest Panther in their short existence, even with his penchant for attacking teammates.
Who is the best running back in the NFL from the SCE?
Wouldn’t it be Arian Foster (Tennessee)?
Edit: Honorable mention to Ben Tate (Auburn) and the Law Firm (Ole’ Miss.) Maybe Mark Ingram?
Would probably have to be Arian Foster from Tennessee, wouldn’t it? Darren McFadden and Felix Jones went to Arkansas. Ben Tate’s an Auburn guy. Mark Ingram went to Alabama.
Or maybe it’s Tebow? 
ETA: Or just read what Gray Ghost wrote.
Ah yes, Arian Foster would be it, although it is interesting how he was undrafted. Given the quality of the SEC in general it is surprising they don’t produce more quality running backs these days.