To be honest, I was championing Wilfork as the pick on this site as well and, while not disappointed in the pick b/c MLB represented a HUGE need for the team, I was disappointed that he went to the Pats. At the time, the familiar refrain was that the Jets could not possbilty spend four #1 draft picks on the d-line in five years. (I wasn't trying to be a jerk, but it seemed like, in my opinion, the tenor of your originial post was trying point out that Vilma was a bad pick...which I didn't agree with.)
Your post is actually bordering on being a rational argument. However, DE are Top 5 worthy material and G are not, especially with the contract that Gallery got for being drafted as a LT (at that time).
Maybe in 4-3 DE are top five worthy.(going by your arguement) Not a 3-4 de. I don't agree with your assesment because If gallery didn't pan out at LT, you still lost the money you invested him in. NOw if he couldn't play guard either, than you have a bust.(really hurting your cap) You able to turn that player in to a probowl player at guard and every team would take that. You still need five players on the oline. Your able to fill one positrion with a probowler , than you need only four more.
This has nothing to do w/ a player switching positions. For the record D rob will never be worth a 4th overall pick b/c he does not play a high impact position that's salary equals the player production. Is he a good player from a very weak draft? When playing his natural position, absolutely. But for the record, the position he plays, ddoes not warrant the early pick selection. As for Gallery, he was drafted to be a franchise LT.He was paid franchse LT money. My point is...is that a franchise LT is a position that DOES make an arguement for being a high impact position worthy of top monetary value. An interior lineman, whether elite or not...does not.
I still not convinced that if you told a GM he could pick a pro bowl guard (and let's slow down on Gallery as it has been 4 games) in the Top 5 he would do it over potentially picking a franchise QB, RB, pass rusher or even WR as that is a lot of money to be tied up on an interior linemen when you still have to go out and pay-up for tackles.
I don't buy this arguement at all. If you could have a Larry Allen / Will Shields quality guard on your team for a decade, he would easily be worth a top five pick. If Gallery consistently makes the pro bowl (3 out of the next five seasons or better), he is worth more than D-Brick and D-Rob put together (unless of course D-Brick can seriously step up his game). I would also say that Leonard Davis would have been worth a top 5 pick if he had played guard. As a LT, he was useless.
Hmm interesting analysis, so you are saying, if you fill one of 5 spots you only have 4 spots to fill? Excellent, now this may be a bit tricky but what happens if you fill two of those spots? how many are still left to fill?
I disagree strongly. The difference between an average guard and elite guard is not as big of a gap than that of an elite LT and an average one. You figure the peak value of an elite guard draft prospect is somewhere around pick # 20(and it usually slips to 30-35). An elite LT prospect usually peaks at picks 2-3 and is obviously alot more of an asset As for D'brick..he's on his way to being an elite pass blocker and an average run blocker...IMO that far outweighs a player who went 2 picks before him in a prior draft who is a borderline pro bowler at a less impactful position.
The jury is out on D'Brick. If he can't develop into a run blocker, he will nver make the pro bowl. Also, if other teams expect us to pass all the time (because we can't run block), they will beat us consistently with the blitz. To call Gallery a borderline pr bowler when he has excelled his first year in the guard position doesn't seem fair to me. Gallery has the talent and time to develop into much more (remember I did say if he can make at least 3 of the next five pro bowls, not make it one year by luck or injury). As this arguement initially involved Vilma, I would say that he hasn't exactly been more than a borderline pro bowler himself. In any event, I would take an elite player at the garbage positions (guard, safety, etc.) over a mediocre player at an elite position (QB, CB, LT, pass rushing DE/LB). As most teams (aside from the perrenial doormats) do not get top 10 picks very often (much less top 5 picks), they usually prioritize a postion that is harder to fill late in the draft over a position in less demand. With that being said, I would have a hard time passing up an elite player (at any position aside from K / KR/ PR) for a player at a key position that I wasn't so sure about.
For Brick, I believe he will eventually make the pro bowl b/c he plays a position where players are primarily judged for their pass protection against elite DE's. he's well on his way to being dominant in that regard. Example:Walter Jones earlier in his career was not a great run blocker, but got to several PB's b/c of his top notch pass protection. As for Gallery, all I'm saying is...would you take a guard in the top 5 of a draft and pay him elite LT money? I certainly would not...and if he was the player i Coveted, i would trade down to the 10-15 range at the very least.
The problem with that logic is that a truly elite guard just out of college might also be able to play tackle (maybe even left tackle). If you wait until 10-15 for your guard to drop, some desparate team in need of a left tackle will reach for him if they believe he has a shot to succeed at that position. If I had a shot to draft Larry Allen, Tory Polamalu, TO, Tony Gonzales, etc. in the top 5 I would pull the trigger, wouldn't you?
Polamalu I do not consider elite, Gonzalez I may consider and Alllen played LT for several years at a very high level,so yes I'd take him.
Has the above scenario ever actually happened. I don't really remember too many college guards being drafted to play tackle in the NFL. Let alone a team grabbing a guard in the middle of first and converting him to tackle. Kurt's point was that an elite Guard is valued in the 10 - 15 range, not in the the 1 - 10 range. By your logic (above), why wouldn't the team trade into the Top 5 to grab him?....b/c that would be overvaluing an elite guard that could potentially play tackle. Also, Larry Allen and Tony Gonzalez are all-time guys, not just perennial pro bowlers. Teams routinely pick WRs in the Top 5 (see: Detriot Lions), the Jets took Key at #1. The point is that the Top 5 is typically are for skill position players (QB/WR/RB/DE) and Tackles that will be protecting the QBs blindside.
Here are some stats: http://www.drafthistory.com/statistics/summary.html Since the NFL draft (1936) was instituted, this is how positions have broken down in the first round. QB: 139 RB: 218 WR: 152 TE: 51 C: 41 G: 62 T: 170 DE: 158 DT: 106 LB: 138 DB: 177
Here is something to think about. Raiders blocking scheme is very similiar to Denver blocking scheme. Its a stretch and cut blocking scheme. Looking at that system, using denver as an example, what were those great Broncos teams oline known for, having great tackles, or great interior oline. Tom Cable (raiders oline coach) said that guard is one of the most important positions in his zone blocking scheme , and thats the reason gallery was moved there. Gallery has the athethism to easily block on the second level. Alexs gibbs - oline coach who built Denvers legendary Olines. Never believe you had to take Olineman in his system, very high. He felt in his system , you could take a olineman in the middle rounds. Now if thats true in system raiders are running, it really dosen't matter if your Guard making some big dough. The tackles might not be.
