Sorry, I was extremely unclear. I meant it’s impossible the Eagles get both Kuechly and Brown.
I have received the trade offer from the 49ers which I need to evaluate, but should be able to get a trade or pick in within the next hour.
TRADE
The Patriots have traded pick #48 to the San Francisco 49ers for:
[ul]
[li]49ers 2nd Rounder (#61)[/li][li]49ers 4th Rounder (#125)[/li][li]49ers 5th Rounder (#165)[/li][li]49ers 2013 3rd Rounder.[/li][/ul]
Rationale: Having already addressed the front seven with their two first round picks, the Patriots don’t have any “must have” players at this point in the second round. So they’ll stockpile some picks for possible future trades, grab a valuable 2013 3rd rounder, and pick BPA when it comes to them.
48. San Francisco 49ers
Kevin Zeitler, OG, Wisconsin
My rationale: we need another stud guard much more than late-round picks. With a good roster already, it’s unlikely that all seven original picks would make the roster anyway. As for Zeitler, he really is a stud, a hard worker, and very strong. I show him having a first-round grade. He’ll compete with second-year Daniel Kilgore and others, but should start day one.
I think we should tally up Doper GM’s acquired late-round picks they don’t get to use and give them kudos at the end here. Plus, when we do the 2013 version, the Patriots should get that 3rd Rounder if possible.
Well, that pick just took one of my options off the board. Give me a second here and the Chargers will chime in.
I had to get Zeitler before the Chargers picked. They need help at guard, too, right?
Hmmmmm… this is an interesting spot for the Chargers to be in. No safety worth taking, no cornerback. The O-Lineman I was interested in just went. The highest remaining player on my Big Board would be a quarterback, and that ain’t happening. But I do see a position of need and a player that represents good value right here. I don’t think I’ve seen any mock having us go this direction as early as the second round, but…
49. San Diego Chargers
Lamar Miller
RB - Miami
Ryan Mathews has no back up at the moment, and he does have a history of nagging injuries. Miller has the big play ability to fit in to the back up role he would be expected to play, but also the skill set of a full time starter if/when Mathews goes down that you wouldn’t be likely to get from LaMichael James. And more than any other position in football, I’d much rather grab a talented young RB in the draft every few years than pin my hopes on an aging veteran free agent.
What they could really use is a right tackle who can play guard if need be. Even with the retirement of Dielman, the Chargers think their starters are set all along the O-line. But they just moved Dombrowski from tackle back to his more natural guard spot, and their back up tackles are a mixture of low-drafted kids and wash-out veteran reclamation projects. Cordy Glenn would be a very real possibility in the first round for exactly that reason, and I absolutely expect them to draft someone of that type somewhere in this draft.
50. Kansas City Chiefs
Brandon Weeden
QB, Oklahoma State
Little bit of a weird choice. I know the Chiefs were in the market for Manning briefly and are rumored to be looking at Tannehill, but I’m not sure Weeden represents much upside over Cassel especially considering Weeden’s age. I suppose he’s a solid backup but he’s a little too old to develop behind Cassel for more than 1 year. Looking forward to Beef’s explanation.
To me, Wheedon is a guy you groom for half a year or a year and then throw him out there and see if he can get it done. A team with short term guys/instability at QB (Oakland with Palmer, Bills with Fitzgerald, Browns with McCoy, Jags with Gabbert, Eagles with Vick, Bucs with Freeman, Cards with Kolb) should be the most likely landing spot for Wheedon. Maybe Beef sees the Chiefs and Cassell as one of those teams.
That sounds about right. I think with a guy like Osweiler, Foles or Cousins you can develop them behind an incumbent with an eye to the future. The veteran can rationalize that it’s not a slap in the face but just an acknowledgement of ones age. With Weeden you’re sort of committed to playing him inside of 18 months. If the Chiefs take him that means that Cassel will rightly assume he’s a lame duck. It’s not like Weeden can represent a Kolb like trade chip or a Rodgers like long term investment so Cassel’s turkey time would essentially pop the minute Weeden answers that smartphone.
51. Philadelphia Eagles
Brandon Boykin
CB, Georgia
Another popular blogger pick! Boykin is a good mix of need and value at this spot. I think there are a couple other corners who have higher ceilings and could develop into #1s, but the Eagles still have a guy they hope will do the same in Curtis Marsh. And one of the problems the Eagles had last year was trying to fit three outside corners on the field in nickle. With Samuel gone, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie moves outside permanently.
The Eagles definitely recognize that the NFL is changing and that you need three good corners. After last season they (should!) also recognize that there’s a big difference in skillset between someone who plays outside and someone who can handle the slot. While they have a very good slot corner in Joselio Hanson (outstanding in 2010, regressed in 2011), he’s 30 and his production slipped last season.
Boykin is used to playing inside, which is a very big bonus. He was really productive in college, despite the occasional miss in coverage. He’s also an A+ return man, which is something the Eagles desperately need. Their return game last season was beyond abysmal.
52. Philadelphia Eagles
Derek Wolfe
DT, Cincinnati
The Eagles are really interested in Fletcher Cox. If they make a move in round one, it’s probably to go up to grab him. In this case they couldn’t find a partner and missed out, but I think Derek Wolfe is the same type of player as Cox and could end up being just as good. Plus, he played at Cincinnati, which the Eagles love.
Wolfe gives the Eagles an attacking DT who can fill in for Cullen Jenkins and disrupt the passing game. Philly is really deep along the defensive line, but they’re also starting to age there. Jenkins played every game last season but that’s probably optimistic to expect again.
This is a bit of a reach on Wolfe, but the DT class started emptying pretty quick and the Eagles didn’t want to wait until the third round and miss out. They considered a wide receiver here, but I think there’s a lot of value in later rounds at that position. Another option would be to find someone who really covets somebody here, and use one of these picks to drop back a few spots in the second and pick up the third they traded away with Samuel.
- Cincinnati Bengals
Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati
With no wide receivers of interest anywhere near this draft position, the Bengals elect to add a running back as a counterpart to BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Hometown hero Pead has the speed, pass-catching ability, and blocking skills to give the Bengals their own version of Thunder and Lightning.
- Detroit Lions
Josh Robinson, CB, UCF
In the NFL these days you need a deep and talented secondary. The Lions certainly need help in the secondary, lest they make another backup a multi-millionaire. Robinson certainly helped himself at the combine, but I don’t think he is just a workout warrior, I think some of his shortcomings can be coached out of him.
I will probably be on the golf course for when the Packers pick, so if everyone is all right with it I would like Hamlet to make that pick in my place.
I wouldn’t include the Eagles in that list. Reid is going to want a young guy to develop, not a 29 year old.
And it’s Weeden, not Wheedon.
Absolutely not a workout guy: he was a productive player from the start, the top CB on the team for three years. He also has experience as a returner.
The Falcons have traded their Second Round pick to the Packers, with Hamlet acting as their GM for the moment. Details forthcoming.
The Weeden pick for the Chiefs is something I feel funny about. I don’t think Cassel is going to develop into anything more than he already is, and he’s a weak link on what’s otherwise a pretty talented team. He’s limited in a way that allows teams to game plan against him well - which translates to more focus on what the chiefs can do. The Chiefs are probably second only to the Broncos as a team that can be massively helped by a QB talent injection, since they’ve got solid overall talent there. Weeden will at least open up the field to some degree with his arm and keep the opponents from keying in on the Chiefs run game.
The main problem is that Crennel isn’t going to want to start a rookie QB, and Weeden better start early in his career if he wants to get a few games in before he retires.
So yeah, I dunno. I’m not the only one thinking that way though - I went through a few drafts that went through round 2 and 2 of them had the Chiefs taking Weeden.
The Packers give up their second round pick (59) and their fourth round pick (123), for the Falcon’s second round pick (55) and their seventh round pick (229). Basically, they give up a fourth rounder to trade up 4 spots. The Packers have 2 compensatory 4th round picks, so they’re still OK in that round.
The Packers moved up because they wanted to get ahead of other 3-4 teams in need of a DE in the Texans and Steelers. Although in all probability, given their earlier picks, their guy would have still been there, it’s better safe than sorry.
Adding Courtney Upshaw in the first round was nice, but I’m not sure if he’s a DE or OLB (maybe even both). They have very little talent, and very little depth, at the DE spot, so grabbing a 3-4 DE is crucial.
I also really like the guy I have in mind. He’s coming off an injury, which is never good, but he has had nice production (10.5 sacks in 2009, 9.5 in 2010, injury in 2011), some good athleticism (sub 5 40 yard dash), a great work ethic, and is a very good tactician. He fits nicely as a 3-4 DE, although he could use some extra bulk. Although he’s an injury risk (No, I haven’t forgotten Justin Harrell), he’s got the potential to be a game changer at the DE position.
- Green Bay Packers
Jared Crick, DT/DE, Nebraska