FunkyPlutos
Footballguy
With the way that Jamarcus played last night, he may well go top 5 if he decides to come out. This could lead to Calvin Johnson falling to #7!! 
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Bloom's Mock, Version 1.0 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Sigmund Bloom
- Start date
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
That would be too much for the Vikings faithful to hope for.Stop teasing me. But if it happened...With the way that Jamarcus played last night, he may well go top 5 if he decides to come out. This could lead to Calvin Johnson falling to #7!!
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
Give us a break. We can't all be as smart as you.And we're all still busy licking our wounds at Vince Young not panning out.
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LHUCKS,some of mock drafting is projecting based on the perception of the NFL community at large. Much like VY/Leinart going into the Rose Bowl last year, the "conventional wisdom" (read: speculation/media coverage)was that Leinart > VY as a pro prospect. That highly visible game changed that. History repeats itself. Some of us may have already thought Russell>Quinn, but mock drafting is not simply projecting who you would take if you were the GM for all 32 teams. I think it's reasonable to say that it's possible that Russell and Quinn flipped on some draft boards last night, even if you always had Russell ahead of Quinn on yours.
LHUCKS
Footballguy
Good point. There will always be a Matt Millen somewhere.
Jason Wood
Zoo York
Excellent job, as always, Bloom.
I can't see Al Davis passing up JaMarcus Russell. I'm not saying he should pick Russell over Quinn or Johnson or Thomas, but I think Russell is going to end up a Raider. Logic would dictate Millen takes Quinn next, but since when has Millen been logical [well, to be fair Ernie Sims was a smart pick]. I would have a hard time imagining Cleveland will pass on either Quinn or Joe Thomas; and if both are there, I think they'll take Thomas if only because the Brownies are in a win now mode entering 2007.
I can't see Al Davis passing up JaMarcus Russell. I'm not saying he should pick Russell over Quinn or Johnson or Thomas, but I think Russell is going to end up a Raider. Logic would dictate Millen takes Quinn next, but since when has Millen been logical [well, to be fair Ernie Sims was a smart pick]. I would have a hard time imagining Cleveland will pass on either Quinn or Joe Thomas; and if both are there, I think they'll take Thomas if only because the Brownies are in a win now mode entering 2007.
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
The Browns are as much in "win now" mode as the French military was at the beginning of WWII.I'm sure they wanted to "win now", but the ability simply wasn't there.
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bicycle_seat_sniffer
Smells like chicken
I'd say it's because most people dont get a chance to watch a ton of college ball until bowl season. And unless you have some kind of directv package most of college ball is regional in coverage. Add to that the hype that was Quinn coming into the season, you have to admit that Russell hasn't had much hype until now.
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Bloom. As usual.J
rabidfireweasel
Footballguy
Oh please. There have been several threads on Russell since September that you never commented in. Now you are acting as if you had him very highly rated all along. I think not, because you are never silent when you have a contrarian view point. Having Russell as the #1 QB prospect would have been very contrarian.
msommer
Footballguy
I think JW meant (as spelled out in the NFL QB thread) that Crennel and possibly Savage are in a 'win now' mode (or should be if they value their paychecks)The Browns are as much in "win now" mode as the French military was at the beginning of WWII.
I'm sure they wanted to "win now", but the ability simply wasn't there.
LHUCKS
Footballguy
Makes sense.
LHUCKS
Footballguy
It wasn't so much about Russell being great as it was about Quinn being overrated. Also, I don't come into the pool during the season...too many hacks.
One
Not Allowed In Mexico
This is me. Saturdays usually include a random morning NCAA football game on while I work around the house then of course the Notre Dame game on NBC in the afternoon. So we're kinda spoon fed this idea that Quinn is the man in college football. Which is kinda funny because every time I've sat down to watch Quinn play he's been awful.
Peterson & Johnson on the other hand seem like freakishly special players and that's why I can't help wonder why they aren't automatic 1st and 2nd picks this season.
About Peterson.. Say he doesn't break his collarbone this season, he continues his 100 yrd game streak and is a huge Heisman canidate. Is he the unavoidable golden #1 pick of this season? (kinda like Bush)
Using this rational I can't see why Oakland wouldn't have an easy time making this pick.
...sorry for nubing up this thread CC, Bloom and LHUCKS
One
LHUCKS
Footballguy
Bloom. As usual.J
Don't know if I said that anywhere.From the Bears perspective, I think they need to look at the following areas come draft/free agency - they don't have any drastic holes unless Briggs leave so I'm hoping the draft/free agency can be used to continue to add depth throughout the team.
- I left DT off the list despite some concern here about depth. I believe both Boone and Scott are free agents, and I think Scott will find more opportunity/more money elsewhere. I expect Tank Johnson to be back along with DT Dusty Dvoracek to step in next season, and although Tommie Harris has to be a question mark, the Bears also like Antonio Garay.
1) OLB - assuming that Lance Briggs leaves via free agency this has to be the #1 area for improvement. They did draft Jamar Williams in the 4th round from Arizona St, but he's currently on IR, and I don't think they have a suitable replacement on the roster.
2) OT - Fred Miller at RT is advancing in age, and the Bears need to start looking at developing some younger players on the line, particularly on the edges.
3) CB - The Bears may only be able to keep one of the two starting CB's between Vasher and Tillman. Ricky Manning will be around, and although they drafted D.Hester in Round 2 of the past draft, adding another CB should be a priority.
4) WR - This should be a very good draft for WR's. Berrian has emerged as Grossman's top downfield target, but Muhammed is advancing in age, and Mark Bradley is still developing. I wouldn't mind adding another WR to the mix.
5) TE - Desmond Clark had a career year, but he's been injury prone in the past, and, like I said, it was a career year.
6) S - Mike Brown is questionable, at best, to return next season. Either way, I think he would have to come back on the Bears $$$ terms. Generally speaking, quality safties can be found a bit later in the draft so wouldn't consider taking one until at least the 4th-5th round. In addition, safeties can be free agent bargains as well.
- I left DT off the list despite some concern here about depth. I believe both Boone and Scott are free agents, and I think Scott will find more opportunity/more money elsewhere. I expect Tank Johnson to be back along with DT Dusty Dvoracek to step in next season, and although Tommie Harris has to be a question mark, the Bears also like Antonio Garay.
1) OLB - assuming that Lance Briggs leaves via free agency this has to be the #1 area for improvement. They did draft Jamar Williams in the 4th round from Arizona St, but he's currently on IR, and I don't think they have a suitable replacement on the roster.
2) OT - Fred Miller at RT is advancing in age, and the Bears need to start looking at developing some younger players on the line, particularly on the edges.
3) CB - The Bears may only be able to keep one of the two starting CB's between Vasher and Tillman. Ricky Manning will be around, and although they drafted D.Hester in Round 2 of the past draft, adding another CB should be a priority.
4) WR - This should be a very good draft for WR's. Berrian has emerged as Grossman's top downfield target, but Muhammed is advancing in age, and Mark Bradley is still developing. I wouldn't mind adding another WR to the mix.
5) TE - Desmond Clark had a career year, but he's been injury prone in the past, and, like I said, it was a career year.
6) S - Mike Brown is questionable, at best, to return next season. Either way, I think he would have to come back on the Bears $$$ terms. Generally speaking, quality safties can be found a bit later in the draft so wouldn't consider taking one until at least the 4th-5th round. In addition, safeties can be free agent bargains as well.
I have my doubts that Hester will ever be able to contribute as a CB.
nightshift
Footballguy
They're in a "win sometime" mode. Been that way for 30, 40 years or so.(Like the French military comparo...The Browns are as much in "win now" mode as the French military was at the beginning of WWII.
I'm sure they wanted to "win now", but the ability simply wasn't there.
)
-OZ-
Footballguy
While I've liked watching Russell this year and thought him the better athlete, I bought into the argument that Weiss makes Quinn a better pro prospect, or at least in the eyes of GMs, a safer one.
LHUCKS
Footballguy
I could see that.
Exactly why I believe they should consider drafting another CB in Round 3 or 4 of the draft. I think Hester will eventually (next season) get some limited time on offense, but I don't see him being a CB, despite his desires to play there.
Chaos Commish
Footballguy
He's going to go through the same thing in Chicago he went through in college. The guy is as dynamic with the ball in his hands as anyone in the league. He needs to play offense. He ran some great routes with his freaky cuts and has solid hands. Use him as a #3 WR and kick returner. Use him as a change of pace RB like they tried way too late in college. He looked great running the ball. I don't get the need to try to develop him at CB, IF I wanted to use him on D it would at FS where I think he has a chance.
I caught C. Landry on Fox this morning. Paraphrasing information Landry had on Russell.... Allegedly...With the way that Jamarcus played last night, he may well go top 5 if he decides to come out. This could lead to Calvin Johnson falling to #7!!
Russell is lazy and extremely inmature. He does not put time in at practice; film room or weight room. He has gotten by and relied upon his freakish physical attributes and dimensions in college. He does not; has not and cannot prepare for a game. He has a personality that suggest he could get paid; fat and disinterested in football right away. Landry closed by saying that he can see a team becoming fixated with Russell's measurables and potential but that he, Russell, was an extremely large gamble and a complete pass/fail player. There would be no middle ground with Russell.
Landry has his opinions on players, like other scouts; coaches and FF board members, and some are right and some are wrong. Landry, though, is nails with insider information. If there is any ounce of truth, then I can see Russell's draft status taking a slight knock.
Agree or disagree...I am just passing along what I heard.
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
Wow. Interesting stuff. Maybe the buzz dies down by April.I caught C. Landry on Fox this morning. Paraphrasing information Landry had on Russell.... Allegedly...With the way that Jamarcus played last night, he may well go top 5 if he decides to come out. This could lead to Calvin Johnson falling to #7!!
Russell is lazy and extremely inmature. He does not put time in at practice; film room or weight room. He has gotten by and relied upon his freakish physical attributes and dimensions in college. He does not; has not and cannot prepare for a game. He has a personality that suggest he could get paid; fat and disinterested in football right away. Landry closed by saying that he can see a team becoming fixated with Russell's measurables and potential but that he, Russell, was an extremely large gamble and a complete pass/fail player. There would be no middle ground with Russell.
Landry has his opinions on players, like other scouts; coaches and FF board members, and some are right and some are wrong. Landry, though, is nails with insider information. If there is any ounce of truth, then I can see Russell's draft status taking a slight knock.
Agree or disagree...I am just passing along what I heard.
Chaos Commish
Footballguy
Not a chance. Landry, in his desperation for attention, has been making up lies like this for a couple years. Remember the nonsense he spewed about Vince Young? Landry is a fun read, but I think his personal life is too crowded for actually scouting anymore. That's why he is actually not a scout. I chuckle at Mel Kiper, busted Rob Rang not doing his homework, and think the ESPN crew is terribly misinformed, but Landry ranks below all of them. He's gone from being a wonderful source to an attention mongering putz. Today the draftnik world is abuzz with Russell. He cannot go along with it. He doesn't want to believe his own eyes. He just wants trash him because it is the easiest way to get attention. Now everything he is saying will have wings in the media. It always does. It sure did with Vince. But NFL teams are in business and they do a much better job of player analysis than the media. Russell is going to go through it like Vince did. You did a great job ignoring it last year and enjoyed the I told ya sos this week. Stick with what your eyes saw.Wow. Interesting stuff. Maybe the buzz dies down by April.I caught C. Landry on Fox this morning. Paraphrasing information Landry had on Russell.... Allegedly...With the way that Jamarcus played last night, he may well go top 5 if he decides to come out. This could lead to Calvin Johnson falling to #7!!
Russell is lazy and extremely inmature. He does not put time in at practice; film room or weight room. He has gotten by and relied upon his freakish physical attributes and dimensions in college. He does not; has not and cannot prepare for a game. He has a personality that suggest he could get paid; fat and disinterested in football right away. Landry closed by saying that he can see a team becoming fixated with Russell's measurables and potential but that he, Russell, was an extremely large gamble and a complete pass/fail player. There would be no middle ground with Russell.
Landry has his opinions on players, like other scouts; coaches and FF board members, and some are right and some are wrong. Landry, though, is nails with insider information. If there is any ounce of truth, then I can see Russell's draft status taking a slight knock.
Agree or disagree...I am just passing along what I heard.
I don't know what to think but I agree with some of what you have said about Landry. Conversely, there are certain schools or franchises that he does seem to have decent knowledge of, as compared to his peers. Specifically, he usually has solid data on LSU. He put out a harsh allegation this morning, though, in a firm manner. I will not disagree he has become bitter in his approach. This is the first time I have heard anything of the sort about Russell. All I know is that he helped set the Notre Dame recruiting effort back a couple year's last night, which was fun to watch.Chaos Commish said:Not a chance. Landry, in his desperation for attention, has been making up lies like this for a couple years. Remember the nonsense he spewed about Vince Young? Landry is a fun read, but I think his personal life is too crowded for actually scouting anymore. That's why he is actually not a scout. I chuckle at Mel Kiper, busted Rob Rang not doing his homework, and think the ESPN crew is terribly misinformed, but Landry ranks below all of them. He's gone from being a wonderful source to an attention mongering putz. Today the draftnik world is abuzz with Russell. He cannot go along with it. He doesn't want to believe his own eyes. He just wants trash him because it is the easiest way to get attention. Now everything he is saying will have wings in the media. It always does. It sure did with Vince. But NFL teams are in business and they do a much better job of player analysis than the media. Russell is going to go through it like Vince did. You did a great job ignoring it last year and enjoyed the I told ya sos this week. Stick with what your eyes saw.Andy Dufresne said:Wow. Interesting stuff. Maybe the buzz dies down by April.WhoDat said:I caught C. Landry on Fox this morning. Paraphrasing information Landry had on Russell.... Allegedly...With the way that Jamarcus played last night, he may well go top 5 if he decides to come out. This could lead to Calvin Johnson falling to #7!!
Russell is lazy and extremely inmature. He does not put time in at practice; film room or weight room. He has gotten by and relied upon his freakish physical attributes and dimensions in college. He does not; has not and cannot prepare for a game. He has a personality that suggest he could get paid; fat and disinterested in football right away. Landry closed by saying that he can see a team becoming fixated with Russell's measurables and potential but that he, Russell, was an extremely large gamble and a complete pass/fail player. There would be no middle ground with Russell.
Landry has his opinions on players, like other scouts; coaches and FF board members, and some are right and some are wrong. Landry, though, is nails with insider information. If there is any ounce of truth, then I can see Russell's draft status taking a slight knock.
Agree or disagree...I am just passing along what I heard.
Has anyone else heard anything remotely close to what Landry proclaimed about Russell? I am curious if this is in fact one man's opinion or if it is common knowledge.
FunkyPlutos
Footballguy
I'm not too up on the depth of college football, so was just wondering where Steve Smith from USC projects. If the Vikings don't get a WR in round 1, I wouldn't mind seeing him in purple - or is he Keary Colbert II?
(With the state of the Vikings' WR corps, it may not be a bad idea to take a WR in both rounds!!)
(With the state of the Vikings' WR corps, it may not be a bad idea to take a WR in both rounds!!)
Chaos Commish
Footballguy
I've said for a couple years that he is better than Colbert. Depending on underclassmen, he's right at the end of the top ten in this class. Between 20 and 25 WRs will get drafted with a small run on the second day. So, again depending on the juniors, Smith is probably round 3 or 4 with a better chance of being loved by some team earlier than I project than falling later.I'm not too up on the depth of college football, so was just wondering where Steve Smith from USC projects. If the Vikings don't get a WR in round 1, I wouldn't mind seeing him in purple - or is he Keary Colbert II? (With the state of the Vikings' WR corps, it may not be a bad idea to take a WR in both rounds!!)
Chaos Commish
Footballguy
Hey WD,My post above and my PM may have both been a little too strong, though what I reported in private was word for word as reported to me. I may have overreacted because his take on Vince Young just didn't gel with all the excellent analysis I've heard from him. Frankly, it angered me (it was after the Senior Bowl so I already had reason) and he should have been better than that. Young's skillset was obvious. Landry was attention seeking or hating, imo. I guess he could have just got caught up in the negative press and it pushed his own buttons so he took it to another level. What I expect from media hackers like Mort and Hoge, I do not expect from a true insider like Landry. You are right about him in that region. It is his area. Before dismissing him as I did, I guess we should let his harsh takes take flight and see if they are validated or rejected. The problem is there is always someone willing to give wing to nonsense and use LANDRY as the key source. I researched his Young BS thoroughly. Even though he claimed it all came from sources, best I could tell, he is his own source sometimes, and a root source for others.
lord_helmet
Footballguy
But the French did have tremendous faith in their line (Maginot), they just never heard about the BlitzThe Browns are as much in "win now" mode as the French military was at the beginning of WWII.
I'm sure they wanted to "win now", but the ability simply wasn't there.
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
I like it!But the French did have tremendous faith in their line (Maginot), they just never heard about the BlitzThe Browns are as much in "win now" mode as the French military was at the beginning of WWII.
I'm sure they wanted to "win now", but the ability simply wasn't there.
No, the PM was enlightening and I fully understand why you or anyone else would come to certain conclusions about Landry. It is obvious he missed on Young...BIG time...and is taking heat for it. For example, San Antonio is Clear Channel's home base. The local sports station has a pair of horrific drive time shows. Anyway, because this is Clear Channel's home market those two shows get air time from folks that would otherwise not do local shows in such a small market. Landry is one of the personalities they get on a weekly basis. Austin is 1 hour north and San Antonio is a homer market for the Horns, Aggies and Cowboys. Landry got his nose rubbed in the Young mess...all year...twice a week...and by season's end you could tell he was just about tired of hearing about it. As a matter of fact, he was on last night and the matter of Russell came up....right away...and the hosts immediately reminded Landry of his swing/miss on Young, as Landry started to get into Russell's shortcomings. Landry cut his answer on Russell short, as he was p*ssed, and the interview got pretty dry and short after that. I just want to know if anyone can confirm or deny what Landry had to say about Russell.
Reaper
Footballguy
Bloom, Awesome thread as always and Great Jets stuff Rovers!!!!!I agree about the DE spot and won't change Mario from my avatar till we get one ; )Question... Robertson has improved and has done a good job. I'm not totally sold though. What's your opinion on Robertson being the DE if we can find a Run stuffer DT.....This Okoye guy's story is just too juicy, If he has a real good combine, I see him flying up the boards. At his age you'd think he has room to grow and learn and he seems like the smart type of player Mangini likes....What are the opinions on Okoye - I saw he had one pretty good play the other night breaking through into the backfield but, I get the impression that he's more of a stay at home, nothing fancy, Run stuffer which could be what the doctor ordered for the Jets D.Ellis - Okoye - Robertson?????There's also some FA DT's out there like Vonnie Holliday.Of course, we're keeping in mind that the end goal of this defense is Flexibility and the option of switching different fronts as need be and you can't have enough DL beef and LB's.And of course, this is the guy that I saw in mocks months ago as a late 1st rounder / 2nd rounder creeping up already - Not sure if the Jets would use the Skins pick to move up for 1 guy like the old FO has done.
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Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Don't mean to hijack another great off-season thread by the usual suspects, but I wanted to throw a quick disclaimer up with Holliday.Holliday's name keeps popping up in threads this week as a prime target for a number of teams, Cleveland and now the Jets in particular. While Holliday has had a nice resurgence in Miami, his role there is really the perfect scenario for him. As their 3-technique tackle, Holliday has been sandwiched between Keith Traylor at nose and Jason Taylor on the open end. He hasn't had to deal with many double teams or strong athletic OTs, instead usually getting a solid matchup against an opposing center or guard while being expected only to blow up one gap.He can still be a solid player in the right system but he doesn't have what it takes to be a premier 4-3 end and would almost certainly be overmatched as a 3-4 NT or DE. He'll probably look to sign with a team that runs a 4-3 with a lot of a under fronts, of which there are now plenty in the league.
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Kilgore Trout
Footballguy
I really want the Panthers to draft him.I've said for a couple years that he is better than Colbert. Depending on underclassmen, he's right at the end of the top ten in this class. Between 20 and 25 WRs will get drafted with a small run on the second day. So, again depending on the juniors, Smith is probably round 3 or 4 with a better chance of being loved by some team earlier than I project than falling later.I'm not too up on the depth of college football, so was just wondering where Steve Smith from USC projects. If the Vikings don't get a WR in round 1, I wouldn't mind seeing him in purple - or is he Keary Colbert II? (With the state of the Vikings' WR corps, it may not be a bad idea to take a WR in both rounds!!)
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
Hilarity WOULD ensue, wouldn't it?How about loading rosters for fantasy drafts?I really want the Panthers to draft him.I've said for a couple years that he is better than Colbert. Depending on underclassmen, he's right at the end of the top ten in this class. Between 20 and 25 WRs will get drafted with a small run on the second day. So, again depending on the juniors, Smith is probably round 3 or 4 with a better chance of being loved by some team earlier than I project than falling later.I'm not too up on the depth of college football, so was just wondering where Steve Smith from USC projects. If the Vikings don't get a WR in round 1, I wouldn't mind seeing him in purple - or is he Keary Colbert II? (With the state of the Vikings' WR corps, it may not be a bad idea to take a WR in both rounds!!)
Wilbur Wood
Footballguy
Sounds like Russell already possesses many of the attributes that it normally takes others at least one full season of wearing the silver and black before developing these fine qualities. He should fit right in.I caught C. Landry on Fox this morning. Paraphrasing information Landry had on Russell.... Allegedly...With the way that Jamarcus played last night, he may well go top 5 if he decides to come out. This could lead to Calvin Johnson falling to #7!!
Russell is lazy and extremely inmature. He does not put time in at practice; film room or weight room. He has gotten by and relied upon his freakish physical attributes and dimensions in college. He does not; has not and cannot prepare for a game. He has a personality that suggest he could get paid; fat and disinterested in football right away. Landry closed by saying that he can see a team becoming fixated with Russell's measurables and potential but that he, Russell, was an extremely large gamble and a complete pass/fail player. There would be no middle ground with Russell.
Landry has his opinions on players, like other scouts; coaches and FF board members, and some are right and some are wrong. Landry, though, is nails with insider information. If there is any ounce of truth, then I can see Russell's draft status taking a slight knock.
Agree or disagree...I am just passing along what I heard.
Mr. Peterson
Footballguy
I actually think it would be brilliant if Millen selected Quinn knowing that he wants to go to Cleveland and Cleveland wants him. Look how much the Giants gave up to get Eli. I don't think the Browns would give up as much to move up one spot but I do believe they could get a good ammount from the Browns if the did a pick/trade kinda thing.
-OZ-
Footballguy
I posted this in the Peterson/Lynch thread, but want your assessment on how realistic it is.
A "perfect" (and mostly realistic) FF world would go:
1.02 Detroit: Russell
1.04 Tampa Bay: Johnson
1.07 Minnesota: Quinn
1.08 Houston: Peterson
1.19 Tennessee: Jarrett
1.26 NYJ: Lynch
1.28 NE: Meachem
1.31 Chicago: Troy Smith
Some of these IMO are where I would mock them. I probably would move Johnson up a little, and I wouldn't place Russell ahead of Thomas, but as far as FF value for these players go, this list seems to me to be a good combination of wishful thinking and possibility.
What do you think, how realistic is this?
I know people will say Lynch won't fall that far. We thought the same about Jackson, D-Will and at this time last year, White. (not comparing Lynch to White, just sayin')
A "perfect" (and mostly realistic) FF world would go:
1.02 Detroit: Russell
1.04 Tampa Bay: Johnson
1.07 Minnesota: Quinn
1.08 Houston: Peterson
1.19 Tennessee: Jarrett
1.26 NYJ: Lynch
1.28 NE: Meachem
1.31 Chicago: Troy Smith
Some of these IMO are where I would mock them. I probably would move Johnson up a little, and I wouldn't place Russell ahead of Thomas, but as far as FF value for these players go, this list seems to me to be a good combination of wishful thinking and possibility.
What do you think, how realistic is this?
I know people will say Lynch won't fall that far. We thought the same about Jackson, D-Will and at this time last year, White. (not comparing Lynch to White, just sayin')
Rovers
Footballguy
Reaper, Robertson at NT..... Mangini has lit a fire under him, he knows how to motivate him and it's shown up on the field. He is one of those players that need to be praised, talked up. I think he's heard all of the critism, and I think it affected him. The guy never smiled. He avoided fans like the plague. Mangini has gotten him to learn to love the idea of being that immovable object in the middle. He is visably happier and keeps improving. I wouldn't mess with moving him to DE. Also, Pouha returns after the knee injury. He was looking great in camp, and I was sure he was going to beat Robertson out as the starter. Between those two, I think we're OK at NT for next year. Pouha has the size (6-3, 315) and the strength (based on combine numbers) to play the position. He was a project because his stamina and technique were awful. His technique was markedly improved, and he came into camp in good shape, having shed 20 pounds in the process. I agree with Jene, Holiday isn't the answer. Additionally, Ellis hasn't missed a snap this year. We really only have one 3-4 DE on the roster. If Ellis were to miss any games, that would really hurt. I also think that Robertson lacks a good outside move.... he's much better at staying in his lane and bull rushing, just what a NT has to do well. I can't see this CS and FO ever trading up and losing picks. They could care less about making a big splash in the draft, the way Bradway used to. Taking two O linemen in the first round proved that to me. I think they are confident they can get useful players anywhere in the draft. Trading down with Washington last year sure looks like a brilliant move now. That extra early second rounder should be very helpful this year. I could see them using that pick for Carriker very easilly. Having that extra pick also could allow for a "luxury" pick, lie a WR such as Meacham in the first round. Whatever they do, I trust Mangini and Tannenbaum to make the right choices. That sure hasn't been the case for a long time with this franchise. No more Jon Abraham head cases. No more locker room lawyers like Mawae. They understand the need for depth.... if one of our O lineman go down, they don't have to shuffle the entire unit around like last year. Things are looking up in Jetland!
