Since I'm always critiquing everyone else's mock drafts, it's everyone else's turn with mine. Cuts: OT Breno Giacomini CB Darrelle Revis ILB David Harris OT Ryan Clady FS Marcus Gilchrist Resign: OG Brian Winters LS Tanner Purdum ILB Bruce Carter OT Ben Ijalana Free Agent Signings: FS Bradley McDougal OT Riley Reiff TE Vance McDonald LB Sio Moore LB AJ Klein CB Sterling Moore CB Nolan Carroll Trade: Panthers trade #8 and #72 to the Jets for #5 overall (to acquire Jabrill Peppers) Selections: #8 Overall - QB Deshaun Watson, Clemson We finally get a dynamic playmaker at the quarterback position that will start right away. This team has obviously been starving at the position for years, and Watson brings all the winning intangibles to table, along with coveted playmaking ability. This doesn't mark the end of the Hackenberg era, but it seems they're not confident in having him as their starting quarterback next year. Say what you want about Watson's deficiencies, but he's a winner, he has a good head on his shoulder, he has an NFL arm, and he can make plays with his feet, which is so important in the modern day NFL. It's good to note that he looks to be a passer first and a runner second, but will be able to make plays with his feet as he learns to figure out NFL defenses. #37 Overall - OT Roderick Johnson, Florida State Roderick Johnson was thought of to potentially be a top 15 pick before he fell off this past year. Still, he was a second team All-American and was awarded the ACC's Jacob Blocker trophy as the conferences best blocker. Three year starter at left tackle, with a lot of experience. He's proven to be a good run blocker (blocking for Dalvin Cook's amazing two seasons), and has all the skillsets to be a solid NFL pass protector. #69 Overall - CB Chidobie Awuzie, Colorado Can't say I'm an expert on the guy, but Colorado's defense has been great this year in the air raid heavy Big-12. They only allow opposing quarterbacks to complete 48% of their passes. He's a willing blitzer as well, with four sacks in 2015 for the Buffaloes. According to the following link, he's also incredibly versatile in being able to defend on the outside, in the slot and at times in a safety type of position. (http://www.denverpost.com/2016/08/30/colorado-buffaloes-defense/) #72 Overall - RB De'Veon Smith, Michigan Smith adds a power dimension to our backfield that Khiry Robinson was supposed to add. We have Powell handling the third down duties, but this team badly needs an infusion of youth at the running back position. It's interesting to note that Smith also has incredibly low usage at Michigan, being in a split backfield situation. He's big and powerful, along with deceptively fast. Could be the runningback of the future, but for now will help us late in ball games like Shonn Green used to. #101 - Traded to Washington for our next Wayne Hunter; Brandon Shell! Genius! #133 Overall - TE Josiah Price, Michigan State Used primarily as a blocker, Price can still catch some passes here and there. We haven't had a formidable blocker of a tight end in a long time as Kellen Davis in his wide zone wiff blocks coming across the formation don't count. #165 Overall - C/OG Brian Allen, Michigan State At this point it's a bit of a crap shoot. Just tossing in a player who was heralded as Michigan State's best blocker in 2015 by WalterFootball. #197 & #229 - Take your pick Depth Chart: QB - Dashaun Watson, Bryce Petty, Christian Hackenberg RB - Matt Forte, Bilal Powell, De'Veon Smith FB - UDFA or lower tier signee WR1 - Brandon Marshall, Robbie Anderson WR2 - Eric Decker, Charone Peak WR3 - Quincy Enunwa, Jalin Marshall LT - Riley Reiff, Ben Ijalana LG - James Carpenter, Dakota Dozier C - Nick Mangold, Wesley Johnson RG - Brian Winters, Brian Allen RT - Roderick Johnson, Brent Qvale, Brandon Shell TE - Vance McDonald, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins,Brandon Bostick, Josiah Price DE - Leonard Williams/Sheldon Richardson NT - Steve McLendon, Deon Simon DE - Muhammad Wilkerson/Sheldon Richardson OLB - Lorenzo Mauldin, Mike Catapano ILB - AJ Klein/Sio Moore, Bruce Carter ILB - Darron Lee, Erin Henderson OLB - Jordan Jenkins, Julian Stanford CB1 - Nolan Carroll, Marcus Williams, Starling Moore CB2 - Buster Skrine, Daryl Roberts CB3 - Chidobie Awuzie, Justin Burris FS - Bradley McDougal SS - Calvin Pryor, Rontez Miles I didn't address outside linebacker or edge rusher because we've taken Jordan Jenkins and Lorenzo Mauldin IV in successive years in the mid rounds. I expect them both to be penciled in as 2017 starters at the position. I couldn't find a spot to slip an ILB in the mid rounds, so we'll likely try to fill that spot by committee with Sio Moore/AJ Klein or in a best case scenario a restructured contract by David Harris or a re-signing of Erin Henderson. With our beefy front, we really just need a block-eater for Darron Lee whom I think will take a big step forward next year. I also didn't factor in a likely trade of Sheldon Richardson for probably a late 2nd/mid 3rd round pick. Didn't want to be too generous to us with draft picks, given my unlikely trade down. That pick would go to a safety or a linebacker. What do y'all think? Rip away.
Big fan of the Awuzie pick. I've been watching Colorado since Liufau went down early in the year and he and Witherspoon are as vetted as you can get as a college corner. He plays with good coverage and well against the run. Feel like we can get Watson in the second. There's been a lot of knocks against him this year but I wouldn't mind taking a shot at him, I've thought he would be an NFL starter since his freshman year. Not sure on Roderick Johnson. I like his athleticism but I've seen speed rushers spin him around and power rushers walk him back into his QB. I feel like he should be playing better than what I've seen from him.
Brandon Shell may actually be a player here. He seems to be gaining praises within the organization. I am starting to believe he will be slotted in as the starting RT next year
Watson is a polarizing QB for sure, I hope Clemson makes it to the National Championship Game to take on Alabama. I personally think he has flaws in terms of accuracy and seeing the field. However, I could be wrong. Absolutely like everything else here JV, but I wonder if Riley Reif can play LT full time.
Nice work JV. Only thing is I would like another OLB in the mix, maybe through FA. I just dont see mauldin and jenkins scaring anyone as pass rushers
He's a bit of a question mark, but I read a couple of PFF articles on him that seemed somewhat encouraging in his 2016 campaign. He's probably the second best 'left' tackle available behind Whitworth and I hate the idea of signing another stopgap at age 35 where he'll likely start regressing hard. If not Reiff or a rookie then we might as well move forward with Ijalana who has honestly been OK so far. He was a second round pick and reportedly a solid college locker after all so he's at least somewhat talented. I agree, I'm just not sure what's out there. Maybe Nick Perry (with a career high 8 sacks and counting) or Melvin Ingram (finally coming on a bit with 16 sacks the past two years combined) or Erik Walden. Problem is that because of the weak pass rusher free agency class these guys will likely command a nice salary despite being single digit sack guys.
Any draft that has us trading down and still getting Watson is A OK in my book. I'd have no problem taking him at 3, 4, or 5. Don't know if he even gets there though let alone 8 with 3 QB needy teams ahead of us. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
We absolutely cannot take a QB in the first round. You let Petty and Hack fight it out next year. If one of them plays well, then you're set at QB. If they both fail, you have a high draft pick in the 2018 draft which has 3 good QB's (Rosen, Darnold, and Jackson). There is no need to take a B-tier QB in the first round this year.
I basically like your cuts. The only place I'd differ is possibly keeping Harris and cutting Mangold instead. Harris is healthy and still playing pretty well. Lee gives Harris a lot of credit for helping him develop and stay on an even keel this season. By cutting Mangold, the Jets would suffer no dead money hit and would gain $9 million in cap space. I'm not sure Mangold can stay healthy for a full season any more. I like the players you re-sign, with the possible exception of Carter. I've been disappointed that he hasn't contributed more this season. I like the idea of a trade down. If the Panthers traded up to take Peppers, I think Gettleman would get tarred and feathered and run out of town. I like the positions you addressed in FA, but don't know much about any of the players you had the team signing. I like the positions you added with your draft and wouldn't hate the addition of Watson, but don't believe it will happen or should happen, unless Petty shows nothing in the next 4 games, and Mac now thinks that he made a mistake taking Hack. Right now, I think they should go with Petty, Hack and a younger FA like Glennon next season. If they draft a QB high, then they're essentially wasting the draft picks used on Petty and Hack. I'm rooting for Petty, so I'm hoping that the Wisconsin LT Ramczyk will have moved up the rankings and the Jets will have him as the BPA, or will be able to trade down and take him. Barring that, I hope they will take Fournette.
It's all perspective, I guess. I don't see Watson as a B-tier prospect. If you do, then your reasoning makes sense. However you don't pass on a potential franchise quarterback in my mind because you have two guys younger than 26 on the roster.
Love the draft and the FA pick ups. I still think we will shop Richardson and get a 3rd round pick with a conditional pick the following year which we could go for another OL/DB or OLB. I would be ecstatic if this occurred though
I already thought your first pick was a bit of a reach. Now that I have seen Petty get us a win I am more convinced than ever that this is the draft where we need to find our mad dog pass rusher from the outside.
Or perhaps our very own Ed Reed in Jamal Adams. I liked what I saw of Derek Barnett early in the year. Not only is he a polished player in terms of his pass rushing technique and relentlessness as a pass rusher, but he's done it now for three great seasons at Tennessee. He reminds me of a slightly smaller Terrell Suggs which if the comparison holds true would be exactly what we've needed for the better part of a decade. He's starting to turn into the guy I want at 5 assuming Garrett is gone.
Lets try this again with a different spin, because I'm off from work and pretty bored. Cuts CB Darrelle Revis FS Marcus Gilchrist WR Brandon Marshall OT Breno Giacomini Restructure David Harris to cap-friendly deal, or cut & resign him for vet minimum. Trade: Sheldon Richardson for conditional 3rd round pick Re-signings OG Brian Winters OT Ben Ijalana LS Tanner Purdum ILB Bruce Carter Free Agent Signings - QB Mike Glennon (not as in love with him as anyone else, but I'm doing this based on the assumption that the franchise does not want to invest a first or second round pick on a player like DeShaun Watson. Give him three years, guarantee much of the first two and make him cuttable after year 2... Hopefully sign him to a contract along the lines of 3 years/$35-40 million/$20 million guaranteed) - FS Bradley McDougald (not going to act like I know a ton about the guy, but he seems to be a good player on a much improved defense, and a good tackler) - RT Ricky Wagner (three year starter at right tackle for a solid Ravens offensive line. Slides into the starting lineup without much issue). - OT Sam Young (swing tackle, depth signing & camp competition. No more free rides along the offensive line) - CB A.J. Bouye OR CB Dre Kirkpatrick OR CB Sterling Moore (Bouye would be an ideal signing, but something tells me he's not in the budget as he's been excellent this year. Pencil in Kirkpatrick or Moore, or one of the mid-tier corners if Bouye is unavailable due to our other signings). - TE Anthony Fasano (stopgap at tightend, and an excellent blocker. We can look to the middle rounds of the draft for a receiving threat. Fasano will help the running game a ton as he does with every franchise he goes to). Draft 1st round - DE/OLB Derek Barnett (Tennessee) Love this kids motor and he is one of the most accomplished defensive players in the draft. He has 31 career sacks coupled with 51 career tackles for a loss playing in the tough SEC. He also has 2.5 tackles for a loss and a sack against the elite Alabama offensive line in 2014 & 2015 (couldn't find the game log for 2016). He should finally give us the pass rusher we've been looking for since John Abraham 2nd round - OT Ryan Ramczyk (Wisconsin) Something tells me he won't be there, but for the sake of my mock working out perfectly he falls to us. I would not be against trading up to get this kid. Wisconsin routinely puts out excellent offensive lineman, and he comes from a great pedigree at that program. He falls to us in the second due to an offseason hip surgery and slides right into the left tackle spot to start the year. The injury and surgery concerns me (although there is no history of injuries), but it's supposedly only a four month recovery and he's on the road to be a great player. 3rd round - CB Jourdan Lewis (Michigan) Lewis has been one of the best cover corners in college football and is often manned up in single coverage at Michigan. Harbaugh trusts him a lot to be in man coverage. He's a bit undersized and light, but some of the better corners have similar weights (Josh Norman - 6'0", 190 pounds, Richard Sherman - 6'3", 194 pounds, Chris Harris Jr. - 5'10", 198 pounds, Jason Verrett - 5'10", 176 pounds). These guys are required to cover, not light up the weight room. 3rd round (Sheldon pick) - RB De'Veon Smith (Michigan) De'Veon Smith has played in a runningback by committee system for the duration of his college career, so he exits college with 500 combined touches. We have an explosive receiving running back in Bilal Powell, and the savy veteran who unfortunately is uncuttable in Matt Forte. Our running back position has been starved of youth for a long time, and we add a big pounding tailback in the mold of Shonn Greene to wear down defenses at the end of the game. 4th round pick - Brandon Shell trade 5th round pick - S Godwin Igwebuike (Northwestern) Don't know a ton about this kid, but he's a three year starter with well over two hundred tackles in his career. He should go a long way in improving the special teams on our putrid unit and could eventually turn into a starter once Calvin Pryor is gone. 6th round - ILB Hardy Nickerson (Illinois) Three year starter/four year contributor at Illinois. Another player picked with special teams in mind as a hard nosed player with a ton of experience. 7th round - CB Duke Dawson (Florida) Started in the slot for one of the best secondaries in college football. Depth Chart QB - Mike Glennon, Bryce Petty, Christian Hackenberg RB - Matt Forte, Bilal Powell, De'Veon Smith FB - UDFA TE - Anthony Fasano, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins WR - Eric Decker, Robbie Anderson WR - Quincy Enunwa, Charone Peak WR - Jalin Marshall, Devin Smith LT - Ryan Ramczyk, Ben Ijalana LG - James Carpenter, Dakota Dozier C - Nick Mangold, Wesley Johnson RG - Brian Winters, Craig Watts RT - Rick Wagner, Brandon Shell DE - Mohammad Wilkerson NT - Steve McLendon, Deon Simon DE - Leonard Williams, Anthony Johnson OLB - Derek Barnett, Lorenzo Mauldin ILB - David Harris, Bruce Carter ILB - Darron Lee, Hardy Nickerson OLB - Jordan Jenkins, Mike Catapano CB - A.J. Bouye (ideally), Marcus Williams FS - Bradley McDougald, Doug Middleton SS - Calvin Pryor, Ronald Martin CB - Jourdan Lewis, Juston Burris Slot - Buster Skrine, Daryll Roberts I like the way this one worked out a lot better than my previous one. I'm not sold on Glennon like the rest of this board is, but he has a place in this league, even if it's as a stop gap. If the young kids beat him out next year, then so be it. We end up with a Seahawks - Matt Flynn/Russell Wilson type of situation and we eat the money. I think this draft greatly improves the defense, getting our blue chip pass rusher along with strengthening the secondary.
I love the revised draft, although I would rather have Hood from UNC over Smith from Michigan in the 3rd. Also, I think Shell could start at right tackle next year. Good stuff though and it would allow us to evaluate the play of the QB's to see if we need one in the 2018 draft which has 3 good QB's.
Something tells me all of my free agent signings would not be able to happen. If that were the case then we would have to rely on Shell to start at right tackle and likely go with an extremely budget cornerback. Steven McLendon could also be another candidate to be cut to make room for Deon Simon to start. Wilkerson's $18 million cap hit is really going to hurt our free agency period next year. I know this isn't exactly how it works but the way I see it we end up with around $40 million in cap space. Leave $10 million for draft picks and Maccagnan will have to get creative. Glennon for $10 million McDougald for $5 million Bouye for $7 million Wagner for $8 million The other two are vet minimums accounting for $4 million. Leaves us with around $6 million before a Harris or Mangold restructure. If we were to cut Mangold, I'd like for us to take a look at Packers free agent center J.C. Tretter if they let him go. Titans free agent center Brian Schwenke is another one to look at.
Interesting. Thanks for the second version. I'll have to do some research on both the FAs and draft picks you suggest. I like this better on the surface, largely because of no Peppers. The thing about signing Glennon, however, is that he would be locked in as the starter if he's getting that much money, and then Petty and Hack probably wouldn't get developed. I'd rather they roll with Petty and Hack next season and sign a Foles type to compete for the starting job.
More Offensive players in FA ..good Don't like the revised draft with 2 def in first 3 rounds.,should get that OL complete instead but RB looks good First 3 rounds all offense please We have had enough D "stars" that are mediocre performers
