Tomayto, tomahto.
Regarding Mel’s grade for the Giants, the poor grade he gave out (tied for worst in the league!) was based on the assumption that David Diehl couldn’t play left tackle.
…Which is a completely legitimate knock on him.
Agreed. It was nice that he turned out to be pretty darn good at it, and even though he was rock solid for at least a full season each at RG, RT, and LG, there was no guarantee he’d be able to play the only remaining non-Center position along the line.
I guess my objection is that conventional wisdom clearly states that drafting priority should be based on BPA at least as much if not more than need. Mel himself preaches this. But then he seems to base his draft grades on need instead of BPA. Seems contradictory to me.
Was the best LT available really the best player available, or was it just that he thought the Giants needed a LT? The next OT taken after Aaron Ross was Joe Staley, taken 8 picks later. So if Staley was the BPA, then the teams in between should have been dinged as well, but most of them got a B or B+.
Basically the Giants drafted poorly because they (correctly) didn’t feel that LT was a need. Mel shouldn’t let his analysis of NFL teams color his impressions, because that’s really not his strong suit.
That’s a fair point but you’re neglecting the depth of the available positions. Prevailing wisdom could be that DB was a much deeper position and even if Ross is as good a prospect as Staley, even a little better, the OT could have had more value due to the fact that there are players in the same class as Ross available in rounds 2 and 3.
Drafting solely based on need is dumb, but drafting solely on BPA is equally dumb. The best drafts are a complex balance of need, best player available, opportunity cost and positional depth.
For example, if the 5th through 10 BPAs are the top 5 DBs and the first OT is the 15th BPA and the second OT is the 50th BPA, I’d argue you take the OT every time if that’s a area you can use. In other words, the “best player” available isn’t always the “most valuable player” available.
Agreed.
Kansas City taking Dorsey is a case in point. They really need linemen; they did not need a defensive tackle. Still, they’d have been every bit as dumb as the Raiders and Falcons had they passed on Dorsey.
So did everyone see Mel Kiper’s “bold prediction” on Sportscenter last night that Kevin FUCKING Smith would have more yards than any of the Rookie Running Backs drafted ahead of him?
Yeah, I chuckled at that.
Can somebody help me out with a couple question that may be related? I’m too lazy to look back through this entire thread. What’s the deal with the “FUCKING” in his name, and what is the username bet between LOUNE and RNATB?
I totally missed the Kiper thing. Maybe I should be doing his job. I’ll need some hair gel…
- I added “Fucking” when we were doing the mock draft, because of all the crap I’ve been getting for my… tailback-crush(?) on him?
Then someone else… Hamlet, I think… mockingly picked it up. I’m hoping that by the end of the season it will be web-wide.
So, if Kevin Smith starts 1+ games this season, the bet becomes “active” - he has to lead all rookie running backs in yards from scrimmage.
I didn’t see any of the moderators weigh in on whether or not this would be allowed - and I’ve already had my “one-time change of name”, but I imagine they’d allow it.
Name change with no restriction is a pretty big bet.
Is this going to become our general NFL talk thread, or should we start another one in a week or two to cover now until the season starts?
I like this one. Nice cosy feel to it.
Once Training Camp starts I figure it’ll be time for a new thread. We’ll be able to bitch about rookie holdouts, contract disputes and how starting rosters are shaking out for fantasy purposes.
I say start it now. The draft is over, and this thread is long. Plus, there is no longer any need to consolidate sports threads. ([post=9748015]Link[/post])
Let me rephrase. A new thread can be started any time something interesting happens! I just figured Camp would be it. I expect things to quiet down a tad for the next month or so.
I forgot one thing about the draft. The guys I like who are undrafted. Two years ago it was Jackie Battle and Melvin Bullitt. Unfortunately, neither really took off as expected. This year, it’s:
WR Maurice Purify (if he can overcome his thuggishness)
WR Adarius Bowman
OG Drew Radovich
OLB Ali Highsmith