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My Predictions for the 2014 draft and free agency (1 Viewer)

travdogg

Footballguy
1. Houston- Teddy Bridgewater, Clowney will be tempting, but a franchise QB is too tough too pass on.

2. Atlanta-Jadeveon Clowney, Dimetroff has always been aggressive in the draft, and the Rams want to trade down.

3. Jacksonville-Johnny Manziel, gets butts in the seats, and isn’t just a sideshow like Tebow would be.

4. Cleveland-Blake Bortles, has prototype size and arm, I think he’s overrated, but his upside will be worth the risk for somebody.

5. Oakland-Derek Carr, I like him a lot, he’s underrated by most, as I think he suffers from reverse Eli Manning syndrome. If his brother wasn’t David Carr, there would be fewer questions about him.

6. St. Louis-Greg Robinson, they need o-line help with Long hurt and Saffold a free agent. Robinson has all the upside in the world.

7. Tampa Bay-Khalil Mack, Lovie loves to only rush 4, and that requires an elite pass rusher, Mack has all the tools to be that. I think people are really overreacting to the Frazier/Allen connection, as well as Lovie/Peppers.

8. Minnesota-Anthony Barr, getting younger in the front seven is likely the Vikes biggest goal after franchise QB. Since no QB fell, they get the next best thing. Could see a QB in round 2.

9. Buffalo-Jake Matthews, the Bills need to keep EJ Manuel healthy, and Matthews seems like a sure thing for what is a bit of a blue collar offense. A lot of fans would want Watkins here, but I think the Bills are high on Woods as the #1 of the future.

10. Detroit-Sammy Watkins, finally gives Stafford another weapon in the passing game, and actually will cost less than what they paid Burleson last season.

11. Tennessee-Kony Ealy, may be considered a bit of a reach at the moment, but in my opinion is the best interior defender in the draft. I think Whiz goes BPA available in his first draft.

12. New York Giants-Zack Martin, the o-line issues basically killed the entire offense last year. They need to rebuild, and while Martin may not be a LT, he should be a very good RT or elite guard.

13. St. Louis-Darqueze Dennard, good physical prospect who will likely replace Finnegan as Janoris Jenkins tag team partner.

14. Chicago-Ra’Shede Hageman, the Bears run defense was as bad as it has been in team history. The Bears should focus heavily on upgrading at throughout the draft.

15. Pittsburgh-Louis Nix, the Steelers never really replaced Casey Hampton, and while Nix has some issues, his upside is as an elite 3-4 NT.

16. Baltimore-Taylor Lewan, the o-line let the Ravens down last year, and I believe Michael Oher was arguably the biggest problem, and has never improved upon a decent rookie year.

17. Dallas-Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Barry Church is the Cowboys best safety, hence they need help there. Some may project Ha Ha to go higher, but safety is pretty deep this year in my opinion.

18. New York Jets-Eric Ebron, has Vernon Davis like tools, and could be a gigantic help to a Jets passing game that needs playmakers. I thought about Mike Evans, but I think the Jets are more likely to address WR through free agency.

19. Miami-Cyrus Kouandjio, Ryan Tannehill took way to many hits last year. With Miami looking to move to more of an Eagles-like offense, upgrading the o-line is the highest priority.

20. Cleveland-Mike Evans, the Browns move up to get another weapon in the passing game for Kyle Shanahan to play with. Also doubles as insurance if Josh Gordon can’t stay out of trouble.

21. Green Bay-Dee Ford, the pass rush seems to disappear when Clay Matthews isn’t getting there. The Packers need more pressure off the edge. Nick Perry has been up and down when not injured, and you can never have enough good pass rushers.

22. Philadelphia-Calvin Pryor, the Eagles haven’t had an impact safety since Brian Dawkins, and while Pryor is unlikely to ever be that good, he could easily be better than what they’ve had since.

23. Kansas City-LaMarcus Joyner, could be the missing piece that brings the secondary from great to elite. Plus, you can’t have enough good defensive backs against Peyton Manning.

24. Cincinnati-Justin Gilbert, Leon Hall can’t stay healthy, and while they’ve played well at times, counting on Pacman and Newman is a dangerous strategy.

25. San Diego-Bradley Roby, again can’t have enough good DB’s against Manning, unlike KC though, the Chargers secondary isn’t already good.

26. Arizona-Jack Mewhort, reminds me of Jeff Backus a bit, in that I think he’ll be dependably good, but never great for a long time. That’s elite compared to what the Cards have had in the past few seasons. Could team with Cooper for a good youthful left side.

27. New Orleans-CJ Mosley, non pass-rushing LB’s tend to fall in drafts, and while Mosely may be a top-10 prospect, he is unlikely to be drafted that highly. Payton and co. will reap the benefits as he replaces Vilma as a defensive leader.

28. Carolina-Odell Beckham, similar skill set to young Steve Smith in many ways, he’d add some much needed playmaking potential to the Panthers WR core.

29. New England-Jace Amaro, very talented pass catching TE, who probably has the best hands of any player in the draft. Profiles like a more consistent Jordan Cameron, and could be an amazing complement/insurance to Gronk.

30. San Francisco-Jarvis Landry, talented WR, who can make plays, while being a #3 WR for a year, before likely pushing Boldin aside.

31. Denver-Kelvin Benjamin, seems pretty raw, but very talented. Broncos can afford to take a bit of a project here with Thomas and Welker in place. Benjamin seems very Colston-like to me, but with more quickness, albeit far more raw.

32. Seattle-Jeremiah Attaochu, Seahawks can never have enough pass rushers, and can obviously afford to go BPA.

As for Free Agents, I figured I’d also break it down via team, and decided to use the draft order again for ease in finding a specific team.

Houston-LaMarr Woodley, I think he’ll be a cap casualty as the Steelers roll with Worilds and Jones.

Houston-Randy Starks, another big body up front to create havoc.

Houston-Levi Brown, reclamation project who is probably on his last chance, but could beat out Newton at RT.

Washington-Antonio Cromartie, Dan Synder loves his big name moves. Cromartie should team with a returning DeAngelo Hall for a high risk/high reward secondary. Amerson should be a factor as well.

Washington-Brian Orakpo, I’m going to list some re-signings as well. Orakpo seems like a potential franchise tag guy.

Washington-Willie Colon, with Shanahan and son gone the o-line will likely need to get bigger. Colon would be an inexpensive option.

Washington-Miles Austin, almost certain to be cut by Dallas, he could still have something left if he can stay healthy, worst case for

Washington, he’s a younger version of what they get from Santana Moss.

Jacksonville-Julius Peppers, armed with tons of cap room, and a dwindling fan base, I expect some aggressive moves. Peppers had a down year, but still seems like a great player in my opinion. At the very least he can be a good DE, and great leader for Gus Bradley.

Jacksonville-Jon Asomoah, interior o-line could use some help. Asomoah is a good guard, who kind of got lost in the shuffle in KC.

Jacksonville-Chris Johnson, another aggressive move, CJ?K is still exciting, and could be energized with a change of scenary.

Cleveland-Ben Tate, was more sure of this when Lombardi was calling the shots, but still the fit is excellent.

Cleveland-Walter Thurmond III, great nickel in Seattle who deserves to start somewhere, makes anice pairing with Joe Haden.

Oakland-Jared Veldheer, one of Oakland’s few true assets. Could be a franchise tag guy.

Oakland-LaMaar Houston, possibly the best player on the Raiders defense. I expect a long term deal for Houston.

Oakland-Rashad Jennings, played very well last season, and will likely enter 2014 as the starting RB.

Atlanta-David Stewart, seems like a cap casualty for the Titans, the Falcons OT’s were horrendous last season, and need an immediate upgrade.

Atlanta-Jermichael Finley, seems like a natural fit to that offense as a successor to Gonzo. His health issues will likely make him a bargain considering his upside.

Atlanta-Knowshon Moreno, I don’t think anyone thinks Moreno is a great player all of a sudden. He’s Joe Addai volume 2, and his market will likely show it. That said, the Falcons could use a RB to split with S-Jax, and move Jaquizz to a special teams only role.

Tampa Bay-Alex Mack, for whatever reason the Browns don’t see to be all that interested in keeping the best center in the NFL. Lovie remembers how valuable Olin Kreutz was in his heyday, and will certainly be happy to add another elite center.

Tampa Bay-Charles Tillman, this one seems obvious to me. He can be solid #2 opposite Reviks, and another great player for Banks to learn from.

Tampa Bay-Owen Daniels, I think the Texans decide Daniels isn’t worth the money, and while Tim Wright showed some promise, he was a Schiano guy.

Minnesota-Michael Vick, still has a lot of talent when he is coached up, which Norv Turner can usually do. Likely just a bridge QB to whomever the Vikes select in round 2.

Minnesota-Chris Cook, I think under Mike Zimmer, Cook could really blossom if he stays healthy, he and Rhodes could be as good a combo as Zimmer once had with Joseph/Hall in Cinci.

Minnesota-Richie Incognito, he was a pro bowl level guard in 2011/12, he’ll find a home despite his baggage. The Vikes desperately want to not be starting Charlie Johnson. The run game could benefit greatly from another mauler on board.

Buffalo-Zach Miller, he’s not worth his salary in Seattle, he’s also greatly underused in Seattle. Would be a big upgrade from Scott Chandler.

Buffalo-Matt Cassel, gives the Bills an option in case Manuel continues to have injury woes. Basically can be what they hoped Kolb would be last year.

Buffalo-Jairus Byrd, while Byrd would prefer otherwise, this feels like a franchise tag situation, unless he works out a long term deal. I can’t see Buffalo letting him get away.

Detroit-Courtland Finnegan, would bring some toughness and leadership to the Lions secondary. I don’t think he’s as bad as he looked with the Rams last season.

Detroit-Brandon Pettigrew, I don’t think Fauria is ready to be a full time TE. It’ll may be just a one year deal, but I expect Pettigrew to stay a Lion.

Detroit-Jay Feely, David Akers was a free agent bust last year, and seems highly unlikely to return, Feely is more reliable, and the Cards don’t seem all that interested in retaining him.

Tennessee-Matt Schaub, while Whiz was a big part of turning Phil Rivers around, Locker may be more difficult. Schaub offers more upside than current overpaid backup Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Tennessee-Darren McFadden, I don’t envision the Titans completely turning over the running game to Shonn Greene, McFadden can do a lot of things Chris Johnson did, at a fraction of the price.

Tennessee-Rodger Saffold, his relationship with the Rams seems rocky, and the Titans will have a hole at RT after cutting Davis Stewart.

New York Giants-Alteraun Verner, the Giants secondary is a mess full of injury prone disappointments. Only Amukamara seems to be a building block. Verner can be a great CB and is capable of playing man or zone.

New York Giants-Jon Beason, had a nice bounce back season last year for the G-men. A return makes sense for both sides.

New York Giants-Andre Brown, Wilson is a huge question mark, and Brown has Coughlin’s trust. Could see a round 2 RB for the Giants.

New York Giants-Josh Brown, was a very solid replacement for Tynes. Coughlin tends to stick with kickers when they play well.

St. Louis-Sidney Rice, gives the Rams a big bodied WR on the cheap, which is a big need for them.

St. Louis-Kyle Orton, likely to be cut by Dallas. He’d be a big upgrade on Clemens. I very much believe the Rams would have won 2-3 more games with better QB play once Bradford went down.

Chicago-Brandon Spikes, what you give up in coverage abilty, you gain in run defense, and that is a much bigger issue for the bears at the moment.

Chicago-Antoine Bethea, safety play was awful for the Bears last season. I don’t think the Colts will be able to keep both Bethea and Vontae Davis.

Chicago-Ryan Wendell, Roberto Garza has had a solid run, but the Bears should look to get younger at center. Trestman and co. have done a very good job fixing the Bears o-line, and this would be just another improvement.

Pittsburgh-Brandon Albert, I expect the Steelers to clear up a ton of cap room, by dumping some guys, and renegotiating Big Ben. That frees them up for a big splash in free agency. Albert will give the Steelers stability at LT for the first time since the Cowher era.

Pittsburgh-Hakeem Nicks, this strikes me as a 1 year rehab the value project. I think that is what Nicks is likely to get this off season based on his rough last 2 seasons. I think he’ll try to align himself with the best QB he can, in order to cash in 2015.

Pittsburgh-Ike Taylor, I think Taylor restructures his contract to stay, likely a giant paycut here.

Pittsburgh-Jason Worilds, I think he played well enough to make LaMarr Woodley expendable. Steelers save money in the switch and Worilds may be better at this point, that’d be a classic Steelers move.

Baltimore-Santonio Holmes, I think Holmes is still a very good WR, who just needs to be motivated. If the Ravens can’t do it, maybe nobody can. Should come cheaply and could be a big upgrade over the Jones/Brown combo.

Baltimore-Chris Clemons, the Ravens need help at safety, and Clemons keeping doesn’t seem like a priority to Miami.

Baltimore-Dennis Pitta, coming off a major injury, and with only 1 year of production, this feels like a franchise tag deal here.

Baltimore-Eugene Monroe, they didn’t trade picks for him just to let him walk. He was also the best lineman they had once he got comfortable.

Dallas-Henry Melton, the Cowboys are likely to do a lot of house cleaning this off season . I think the D-line is the team’s biggest weakness with nothing much after Ware. Melton will be cheaper than he should after a season ending injury, but has high end talent. Reuniting with Marinelli seems mutually beneficial.

Dallas-Will Smith, is a decent pass rusher in a rotation, and going on 33 and coming off a major injury, should be right in the Cowboys price range.

Dallas-Mike Neal, another cheap, solid rotational d-lineman. Seemed miscast in Green Bay’s 3-4. Could breakout with Marinelli.

New York Jets-Eric Decker, good match for both parties. Jets need a reliable WR, and Decker wants a chance to be a #1, and seemingly to be a tv star, so playing in New York can only help.

New York Jets-Zane Beadles, seems expendable in Denver, the Jets have needed a left guard since Faneca left.

New York Jets-Jason Campbell, they need a better backup behind Geno than Matt Simms.

Miami-Brent Grimes, might be a franchise tag guy. Though he’s been tagged before and the CB tag is pretty high. Hopefully they can get a long term deal done, but there is no way they let Grimes leave.

Miami-Paul Soliai, I figure the Dolphins will keep either him or Starks. Soliai is probably cheaper, so I’ll go with him.

Miami-Maurice Jones-Drew, I’m not sure he’s got much left, but I doubt the Jags bring him back, and at the very least he’s better than Daniel Thomas, and possibly Lamar Miller too, though I still have hopes for Miller.

Arizona-Karlos Dansby, makes sense for both parties for him to re-sign.

Arizona-Corey Graham, solid nickel CB, can allow Honey Badger to focus on being a full time safety upon his return. Graham could also possibly contend for a starting CB job if Powers is cut.

Arizona-Josh Freeman, fits what Bruce Arians wants at QB, and should come pretty cheaply. Still only 26, so if he fits, he could be Palmer’s heir apparent.

Green Bay-Donte Whitner, the Packers have usually stayed pretty quiet in free agency, other than the odd move here or there. I think they’ll look to spend on a safety this year, as they’ve never really replaced Nick Collins.

Green Bay-Evan Dietrich-Smith, kinda surprised he wasn’t extended last year, as Green Bay never lets young players get to their final year before extending them. That said, I think he’s too valuable for them to let go of.

Green Bay-Shaun Hill, the Packers were very lucky to make the playoffs last year, with a trio of Seneca Wallace, Scott Tolzien and Matt Flynn all starting at QB at various points. I think its time they take backup QB seriously, and while maybe Flynn did enough to be kept, I think they aim higher with Hill.

Philadelphia-Linval Joseph, the Eagles know first hand how good Joseph can be, and they would be thrilled to steal him away for the G-men.

Philadelphia-Jeremy Maclin, I think there were pretty high expectations for him, before he got hurt last season. If Riley cooper can look like a decent #2 in Chip Kelly’s offense, imagine what Maclin could do.

Philadelphia-Sam Shields, much like Dietrich-Smith, Shields has made it this far unextended, unlike EDS, Shields seems expendable. Philly could use a CB who has the recovery speed to keep up with #1 WR’s, and while Shields isn’t elite, he’d be a good fit.

Philadelphia-Donnie Jones, was solid in his first year with Philly. Seems likely to stick.

Kansas City-Geoff Schwartz, was a great fit in KC, and really has been vastly underrated his entire career. Reid won’t let him get away.

Kansas City-Mark Sanchez, Reid has never shied away from reclamation projects. Sanchez could be a cheap gamble with solid upside, or he could be managed and manipulated in a similar manner to Alex Smith.

Kansas City-James Jones, Donnie Avery isn’t getting it done as a #2 WR, Jones brings a more physical presence and tackle breaking ability to the underneath game that plays to Smith’s strengths.

Cincinnati-Josh McCown, Andy Dalton gets a fire lit under him with this move. Either he’ll shine bright or burn.

Cincinnati-Michael Johnson, I think he’ll have a lot softer market than expected, as he’s a little one dimensional. I think he signs a long term deal with the Bengals, for similar money to Dunlap.

Cincinnati-Anthony Collins, big priority for the Bengals to re-sign. O-line was much better with him starting at tackle and Whitworth at guard.

San Diego-BJ Raji, seems like Green Bay is done with him. Chargers could use a big body up front.

San Diego-Chad Rinehart, makes sense for both parties. He was really solid last year.

San Diego-Nate Burleson, slot WR should come cheaply. Excels at getting open in the short intermediate area, which has become the Chargers bread and butter since McCoy took over. Less explosive, but far more consistent than Eddie Royal.

San Diego-Donald Butler, has really blossomed into a very good LB. Likely to sign a long term deal.

Indianapolis-Travelle Wharton, for whatever reason, indy seems to want to be a smashmouth running team. Well, after investing in Richardson, I think the least they can do is upgrade the run blocking he’ll get.

Indianapolis-Vontae Davis, another instance of it feeling like a franchise tag.

Indianapolis-Adam Vinatieri, he had another good year, and isn’t needed to kickoff in Indy. No reason he shouldn’t re-sign.

Indianapolis-Michael Bush, continuing the theme of power running in Indy, I think Bush would be a very interesting addition. I think he makes more sense than bring back either Brown or Bradshaw, as Ballard is a similar and cheaper RB than either of them.

Indianapolis-Pat MacAfee, he’s been a great punter and quality kickoff man for Indy. He and Vinatieri are arguably the best K/P combo in the league.

New Orleans-Brian De La Puente, after losing Bushrod last year, I don’t think the Saints can afford to lose another quality starting o-lineman.

New Orleans-Carlos Rogers, solid veteran slot defender can also play outside in a pinch. Probably an upgrade on Greer, and certainly cheaper.

New Orleans-Malcolm Jenkins, I think he ends up coming back on a long term deal. He makes for a good partner for Vaccaro. I think some of the recent cuts have been to free up money for him.

Carolina-Captain Munnerlyn, had a breakout season last year. May have been a fluke, but the panthers don’t have the luxury of gambling on it, as there isn’t much behind him.

Carolina-Jordan Gross, retirement talk seems like a red herring. I expect he’ll re-sign and play for several more years.

Carolina-Greg Hardy, franchise player more than likely. He’s developed into a great DE. Kind of a quiet offseason for Carolina.

New England-Jason Hatcher, solid D-lineman, who can play in a 4-3 or a 3-4. Exactly the type of lineman the Pats covet.

New England-Aqib Talib, despite what reports have said, I think he is absolutely a candidate for the franchise tag. Patriots can’t afford not to re-sign him.

New England-Julian Edelman, speaking of guys they can’t afford not to re-sign. Edelman comes off a huge season where he did everything Wes Welker did and more, and was the player they were hoping Amendola would be. I expect a long term deal to be reached here.

San Francisco-Tarrelle Brown, has made some major strides in coverage, and has become a borderline pro bowl CB. Expecting a long term deal here.

San Francisco-Stevie Brown, much like DaShon Goldson, I expect the 49ers to let Whitner walk and replace him with a cheaper option. Brown is underused in New York and would make a fine addition to the 49ers defense.

San Francisco-Daryl Smith, played pretty well in Baltimore, but I think the Ravens will look to get younger in the draft, likely in round 2. Smith would make an excellent patch/role player, in the wake of the Bowman injury.

San Francisco-Phil Dawson, was everything they hoped he’d be. The difference between him and Akers was probably 2-3 wins.

Denver-Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie, had a great year in Denver, and I see no reason why he wouldn’t be back. Retirement talk seemed overblown.

Denver-Brian Waters, only a hunch here, but Waters seems to want to continue playing, and Dallas seems ready to move on. Not many guys would turn down the chance to play with Manning, and Waters is looking for a ring.

Denver-O’Brien Schofield, Denver could use another cheap pass rusher. I’d argue Schofield is just as good as Ayers and likely half the price.

Denver-Shaun Phillips, I expect him to return and be spelled by Schofield. He was a nice pickup last year.

Seattle-Chris Snee, seems likely to leave the Giants. Seahawks have needed guard help for a while, and Snee should be cheap for a guy who was a pro bowl caliber player before this season.

Seattle-Golden Tate, fits best in Seattle as a #2 WR/PR. I think he’ll team with Harvin for years to come.

Seattle-Steven Hauschka, only mentioning because he’s the #1 ranked free agent kicker this year. He’s been money for Seattle, and there is no reason to think they’ll let him go.

So those are my predictions, I know I’ve left off quite a few well known free agents. But I don’t really have a strong feeling on your Jared Allens or your Michael Bennetts. I didn’t include Jimmy Graham or TJ Ward because I think its pretty much a consensus they will both be franchised.

 
:goodposting: :headbang: :pickle: :thumbup: :hifive:

Not sure how free agency will unfold (agree, don't expect any big names like Verner or Byrd, but don't think they would want a vet WR like Rice to take reps away from youngsters Bailey, Givens and Quick), but IMO A+ on the draft from the STL perspective. Outstanding work (on the rest, too), Travdogg.

The only thing that would be more ideal would be to take some of the draft capital from the 1.2 trade down and package it with the 1.13 to move up above 1.10 (but not sure TB, MIN or BUF would even be interested?) for Sammy Watkins. Another possibility would be a trade down from 1.13 but ahead of PHI (linked to Pryor) to snipe the consensus top two safety in the class of '14. But I like Dennard a lot, not sure Clinton-Dix or Pryor are elite, blue chip prospects at the position, in which case a higher impact prospect at a more coveted position is a winner. It could upgrade the secondary at two positions, starting CB and nickel CB (bumping Trumaine Johnson to there, where he is probably a better fit for now). Secondary tackling has been an Achilles heel of the Rams for years, Dennard is physical in run support, a necessity in the rugged NFC West. Like Honey Badger, All American Joyner is an undersized playmaker that could be a versatile nickel CB/FS option available later (though not if he goes as high as you have him), if they opt for WR Mike Evans at 1.13. Still, it would be hard to improve on your draft.

* How good would a Calvin Johnson/Sammy Watkins duo be? Stafford's dynasty value would be BUMPIN! :) That said, once Watkins clocks a smokin sub-4.4 40 time at the Combine, the cat will be out of the bag and he will have as much chance of falling into DET's lap at 1.10 as Justin Bieber does of replacing Ozzy Osbourne as singer for Black Sabbath (he could very realistically go off the board as high as 1.2 if STL doesn't trade down). WR to CAR seemingly one of the more scratch, no brainer picks in the entire draft.

This guy gets it.

 
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Vikings signing Incognito makes sense. He and Mike Priefer should get along famously.

Edit to add: Vikings signing a rogues gallery of Vick, Cook and Incognito. This doesn't fit with a team that couldn't or wouldn't resign Harvin. I doubt that anything close to that happens.

 
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Awesome post. Just looking at your Bengals portion, I think you underrate Michael Johnson. He is a really good every down DE. In fact, when you say he is one dimensional, I'm not even sure if you are trying to say he is a good pass rusher only or if he is a good run stopper only.

In my opinion, he is a really good all around DE with youth and high character on his side. I think he ends up getting close to $10M a year. In which case, it won't be in Cincy.

 
Good stuff.

Watkins in Detroit would be scary and awesome. I'm doubtful, but they do need a good #2.

Will Atlanta really sign another veteran RB? They've been through this before.

Finnegan isn't worth much as a corner. Could make a decent safety at this point.

Don't see Tennessee signing Schaub, McFadden or Saffold. Really not all 3.

Carolina should sign one of the top WRs. Nicks, Tate or Maclin would be huge improvements for them and would be well worth the money. Has Pittsburgh ever signed a FA to a big contract? The other two probably return to their own teams as you state.

 
My predictions:

Manziel won't go that high

Cleveland won't take a QB in the 1st round

Carr won't go that high

Watkins will go higher to Cleveland or Oakland

 
I have traded for the 1.1 in many leagues & would love to see Watkins go to Detroit at 10. However, I don't see him falling past 7 or 8. No Marqise Lee in the 1st round? He will be taken in the mid-late 1st round by a team in need of a playmaker.

 
:goodposting:

I may not agree with all of your predictions travdogg, but I truly appreciate the amount of effort you put into them. Great read, kudos and thanks!!!

:thanks:

 
While I love the talent at WR in the draft, I think this will cause some teams to wait a round or more on the logic that they can get a good talent later while filling other needs before then.

Was wondering where the OP saw Toby Gerhart headed?

 
Great job! Lot of thought put in this...

Couple things I saw that I might disagree with -- the Falcons jumping to #2. They were very aggressive a couple of years ago in getting Julio, but I don't see them making a big move again when they have a number of holes on defense and need to replace their HoF TE. They will have to give up some good stuff just to move up 4 spots to get Clowney, in that case.

The other was Detroit getting Watkins. As a Lions fan I would LOVE to see us get Watkins, but I just don't see him lasting to #10.

The final one was Denver going for a WR in the first round. Sure they might (and likely will) lose Decker, but they have too many holes on defense. Sure they'll get some players back from injury, but you don't know how they will respond, and they have a number of holes to fill, including an aging secondary.

 
While I love the talent at WR in the draft, I think this will cause some teams to wait a round or more on the logic that they can get a good talent later while filling other needs before then.
makes sense, teams may want to go elsewhere 1st round & know a decent WR might fall to them 2nd round.

 
Awesome post. Just looking at your Bengals portion, I think you underrate Michael Johnson. He is a really good every down DE. In fact, when you say he is one dimensional, I'm not even sure if you are trying to say he is a good pass rusher only or if he is a good run stopper only.

In my opinion, he is a really good all around DE with youth and high character on his side. I think he ends up getting close to $10M a year. In which case, it won't be in Cincy.
There has been a lot of talk about the Vikings signing Johnson to follow Zimmer as the Vikings just cleared a ton of cap space with Jared Allen's contract expiring.

The Vikings can likely sign Griffen and Johnson for what Allen was making last season with change.

 
Good work travdogg thanks for taking the time to do this

I hope you are wrong about the Giants losing Linval Joseph ...he is the key to that defensive line especially with JPP's back issues

 
salmonstud said:
I have traded for the 1.1 in many leagues & would love to see Watkins go to Detroit at 10. However, I don't see him falling past 7 or 8. No Marqise Lee in the 1st round? He will be taken in the mid-late 1st round by a team in need of a playmaker.
If 4 QBs go in the top 5 picks, he just might fall

 
salmonstud said:
I have traded for the 1.1 in many leagues & would love to see Watkins go to Detroit at 10. However, I don't see him falling past 7 or 8. No Marqise Lee in the 1st round? He will be taken in the mid-late 1st round by a team in need of a playmaker.
If 4 QBs go in the top 5 picks, he just might fall
As I said earlier, I would love to see the Lions get Watkins. I just don't see it happening at #10 unless we trade up (which I don't want us to do). The team I'm most worried about grabbing Watkins is Tampa. That, or maybe a team after #10 jumping ahead via trade to nab Watkins.

 
salmonstud said:
I have traded for the 1.1 in many leagues & would love to see Watkins go to Detroit at 10. However, I don't see him falling past 7 or 8. No Marqise Lee in the 1st round? He will be taken in the mid-late 1st round by a team in need of a playmaker.
If 4 QBs go in the top 5 picks, he just might fall
As I said earlier, I would love to see the Lions get Watkins. I just don't see it happening at #10 unless we trade up (which I don't want us to do). The team I'm most worried about grabbing Watkins is Tampa. That, or maybe a team after #10 jumping ahead via trade to nab Watkins.
Tampa has a lot of needs, but I'd bet he doesn't fall past buffalo.

 
Gosh. I hope Watkins doesn't get drafted by Buffalo. Every warm weather college player who is drafted there seems to want out after 3 years.

 
Vikings signing Incognito makes sense. He and Mike Priefer should get along famously.

Edit to add: Vikings signing a rogues gallery of Vick, Cook and Incognito. This doesn't fit with a team that couldn't or wouldn't resign Harvin. I doubt that anything close to that happens.
I could be wrong, but I didn't think trading Harvin had anything to do with character concerns. i though it was a combination of durabilty, contract, and general unhappiness on his part that lead to the deal. They were getting a 1st plus, for a guy who seemed to have no intention of re-signing there.

Mike Zimmer has a reputation of keeping some bad eggs in line(which is a big reason why Cincinnati frequently had so many) and I think after missing on the top rookie QBs, they will want to make a splash to at least get the fans excited in the new stadium.

They've put a lot of time and effort into Cook, and he's been up and down when healthy, but has flashed some big time skills. In a lot of ways I think he is similar to Leon Hall.

Incognito is more or less a guess, but they seem to be more than ready to move on from Charlie Johnson, and Norv Turner likes to have some maulers on the o-line, and with his off field stuff, Incognito should come cheap, or at least a lot cheaper than what his talent should be.

 
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Don't believe that Incognito is a upgrade over Charlie Johnson. Definitely not worth the headache. Let the Patriots sign him. I have been told countless times that they can absorb anybody into their lockerroom.

 
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Awesome post. Just looking at your Bengals portion, I think you underrate Michael Johnson. He is a really good every down DE. In fact, when you say he is one dimensional, I'm not even sure if you are trying to say he is a good pass rusher only or if he is a good run stopper only.

In my opinion, he is a really good all around DE with youth and high character on his side. I think he ends up getting close to $10M a year. In which case, it won't be in Cincy.
I may be underrating his run stopping ability. It seemed that was always a knock on him, but maybe he's improved more than I gave him credit for. I don't see 10 million a year happening though, the depth at DE in both the draft and free agency is just way too high. I do think he's the #3 free agent DE available, and really probably #2 since Hardy is almost a lock to stay in Carolina.

 
Excellent post. I enjoyed the whole read and appreciate all the effort. Your substantial reasoning had all kinds of substance.

 
Don't believe that Incognito and upgrade over Charlie Johnson. Definitely not worth the headache. Let the Patriots sign him. I have been told countless times that they can absorb anybody into their lockerroom.
thought it was just me.......whew!,.....glad to know it's not!!

Seriously though, does anyone truly believe that any other team will even remotely seriously consider bringing him in? I just don't see any team in which their coaching regime (Minn) is entering it's inaugural season taking a flyer on this guy. Just seems he would be an additional headache/problem that can be done without. I truly believe Incognito has sufficiently sullied his reputation (over many years now) to the point where he won't be employed in the NFL ever again. I also don't think he could have a more ironic last name. He has consistently grabbed the bad news spotlight.

Sorry about the tangent. Again, excellent thread by the OP.

 
Not sure how free agency will unfold (agree, don't expect any big names like Verner or Byrd, but don't think they would want a vet WR like Rice to take reps away from youngsters Bailey, Givens and Quick), but IMO A+ on the draft from the STL perspective. Outstanding work (on the rest, too), Travdogg.
My thinking with Rice being a big target they need, was that Quick was likely on the roster bubble. Am I jumping the gun a little there?

 
Not sure how free agency will unfold (agree, don't expect any big names like Verner or Byrd, but don't think they would want a vet WR like Rice to take reps away from youngsters Bailey, Givens and Quick), but IMO A+ on the draft from the STL perspective. Outstanding work (on the rest, too), Travdogg.
My thinking with Rice being a big target they need, was that Quick was likely on the roster bubble. Am I jumping the gun a little there?
It would be a massive surprise, IMO, if he doesn't make the roster. He has been a disappointment, and clearly in retrospect he was overdrafted (they could have taken the more pro-ready Jeffery or Randle), but they saw something in him they really liked, and I don't think they want to give up yet. He does seem to be missing something (physicality, aggressiveness, football IQ, concentration?), but if the light came on, physically and athletically he could be like a poor man's TO. Vincent Jackson got off to a somewhat slow start, too, though he reminds me more of Jerome Simpson so far in his low level of competition perdigree and slow start arc and trajectory to his NFL career. But I'm sure they want to see if he is something beween the two, and better than Simpson if not as good as Jackson.

Excellent job, though. Very well conceived, you have an impressive general knowledge of the 32 teams and their likely specific draft and free agency needs, and obviously took some time thinking this through. Easily one of most outstanding efforts of its kind I've ever seen in the SP. Keep up the great work! :)

 
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