Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Hurry Up and Get Here, Valentine's Day!

So I can show my love and appreciation for all things NFL combine which starts a mere 4 days later!

I'm really excited this year because this year more than most others, we have been waiting to see the real talent in the draft. Let's face it, the underclassmen in this draft are top-notch, the Senior class, not so much so.

Take for example the top QBs in the draft. Stafford, Sanchez and Freeman are really the only QBs even worth mentioning at this point. The Seniors failed to impress in their various bowl games, with the possible exception of Pat White, who is unlikely to be drafted as a QB.

But the best part in my mind is that we'll see some mind-blowing 40 times which will greatly increase draft stock. Also, some of these underclassmen will be weighed in and measured for the first time in 2 or 3 years. I'd be surprised if Jeremy Maclin comes in at the 6'1", 200lbs he's listed at. However, the combine will be his chance to show he's the fastest hands on two legs (fastest legs with two hands?). I expect him to securely grab hold of a top ten draft position.

I'm expecting top-rated lineman, Andre Smith, to show up either in amazing shape or in terrible shape. He has been out of the light completely for 5 weeks.

Also, with the Lions poised to pick Stafford at #1, it's possible Sanchez comes in and shakes things up a little. Just imagine the immense pressure on the Detroit front office. It's possible one of these guys is you saviour. It's just as possible they'll both be busts. You definitely don't want to pick the wrong one or you know the fans and the media will never let you forget about it!

Well, anyway, for the next two weeks I will be putting up new polls referring specifically to the combine. They will close the day before and then we can see how well we predict things as a group.


12 comments:

  1. herdfan, this is not the post I was referring to earlier. I will have to do that one from home, as I can't find certain ingredients!

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  2. Don't know if you've seen it, but Simon's third blog is up and he has an interesting take on the three underclassmen QBs declaring early. Here's the link.

    http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports/columnists/hyde/blog/2009/02/london_calling_draft_winds_iii.html#comments

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  3. You expect me to read that? Maybe when I finish War and Peace...

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  4. Ingredients? I am intrigued, but I can wait. I am packing up my work and taking it home anyway. I may get stuck again! lol It is snowing like ...what does it snow like? It rains cats and dogs. Hmmm.

    I have always said that Pat White won't be an NFL QB. Now that I've said that, he'll get drafted early and start as a rookie!

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  5. I need a new topic to discuss. I'm worn out on what we need to upgrade the team, that hasn't changed. I can't defend Ginn anymore, he's going to have to prove me right in 09. LOL

    So what's a good early February football topic? The players available in free agency and the draft.

    To build a good team I believe in the 'get the best players available theory'.

    If you need a NT but there aren't any good ones available in free agency you don't overpay for the best one available just to fill a need. If he's not that good, go with what you have. In our case it's not that bad. Fergy, Soliai and this Cohen guy might be better than we think. We were solid this year. We shouldn't reach for a NT in the draft either and take him too early because he's the best one available and we want to get one, but he's not grading out real high. Teams tend to do that and we've done that in the past. It makes your team worse over time. i don't think the trifecta will do that.

    We have to add the best players available at whatever position to upgrade the team. Now that being said, when you're pretty solid at say QB, RB and TE, you don't have to target that area but if a good TE is there maybe we take him. I'm not just talking 1st round, at any point in the draft. Say a QB we had rated pretty high is still there in the 3rd or 4th, maybe they take him if they believe he has a legitimate upside. But if these players aren't better than what we already have, go with another position. Take the best players as they fall and in time you'll be a better team for it.

    We have a need at enough positions with OL, OLB/ILB and DB leading the way, and there is enough talent in this draft at those positions to come away with good talent at need positions. But if a special player falls to us, we should probably take him. We have enough picks to still address needs.

    So what is really available in free agency that makes us a better team? Who and at what price?

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  6. Well said Bungle. I disagree wholeheartedly but you make a good argument ;).

    I'm the type of person who goes to the store with a list and doesn't shop compulsively because a previously undiscovered good deal presents itself (unless it's too good to pass up...like a franchise type player).

    But I see your point and I think it's very likely that the Trifecta goes with another pass rusher. I personally would go ILB or DB due to need, but a lot can change between now and the draft and our needs might not be the same.

    But you're right about upgrading. Even if we have Porter and Wake, we could still draft a pass rusher number one and potentially have an elite starter, reliever, and back-up. Like I've said before, I don't mind shoring up one area at a time.

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  7. I kinda agree with Bungle here about best available, with position of need. Take Jarod Mayo with the patsies, I along with the whole bar I was seated at collectively went "why did they draft him so high". He was supposed to be 2nd round but they had him ranked as their highest defensive player with a big need for young LB's. Although I'd love for us to go all out defense this year with some sprinkled O-line and maybe a cheap FA wideout who will do more than keep the bench warm

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  8. Even if we got an overpriced FA wideout who will do more than keep the bench warm, it would be a step up than 2008! ;)

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  9. "I'm the type of person who goes to the store with a list and doesn't shop compulsively because a previously undiscovered good deal presents itself (unless it's too good to pass up...like a franchise type player)."

    Tin, my point is that you don't know what the market will be yet in free agency and our needs may not be plentiful in free agency. So we have to go after the best players available who can upgrade our team. We also don't know how the draft will pan out. Last year I'm sure we didn't think Phillip Merling would be there at #32 so we took him because he was the best player available on our board. Now DE was a need we were targeting so it worked out but that's the philosophy I'm talking about.

    We don't know who will be there at #25 or who may fall to us at #44 (from WAS for JT). When it's time for us to pick, we have to take the best player or try to trade down if that player is a RB or QB and that's not what we're looking for.

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  10. Tin, I agree with that. What free agent WRs do you like?

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  11. Hank Baskett, Jabar Gaffney, Bryant Johnson and Brandon Jones all could be potential targets. I don't think it's a particularly strong year for wide-outs in free agency though, and would rather roll the dice on drafting a stud AND doing the same thing we did last year which was to bring in a couple of Undrafted rookies (bess and Foster) and AFL talent (Armstrong) to compete. Other that Housh and Toomer, there aren't any WOW-type receivers available in FA.

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  12. Id' like to see us add a WR with some experience, even a 2nd tier talent like we've mentioned. We could use a WR who has made plays in this league. A guy who has been in the endzone a few times.

    For example, Brandon Jones has 9 career TDs in 4 seasons. That's as many career TDs as our WRs (not counting Wilford) have combined. Ginn has 4, Camarillo 4, Bess 1 and London 0.

    We have potential at WR but I feel we need some experience just incase Camarillo is not 100%. You could look at Jones as an affordable solution who could step right in and perform. That doesn't mean we can't draft another WR with upside to develop. And we can always sign a couple of rookie free agents again.

    I'd like to see heavy competition at WR this year. I'm just not sure we can land a stud.

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