GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

I'm opening my own thread for Mocks, most likely because I will be posting a bunch of mocks here and don't feel like flooding the Draft Central area of the site with multiple mock threads. With today's news that Samardzija won't be in the draft, it seems like a good place to begin.

Oakland Raiders-Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame-Anybody who thinks that Al Davis is already leaning toward Jamarcus Russell just doesn't know Al Davis. He's unpredictable. That said, hiring Steve Sarkisian as their head coach is leading this way with their pick. Sarkisian is a QB Coach by trade, and at USC he played Quinn twice and witnessed Quinn's near upset of the then #1 ranked Trojans in the infamous "Bush Push" classic. Certainly Sarkisian could only dream of the possibilities that could happen if he could coach Quinn.

Detroit Lions-Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin-If Matt Millen truely is learning on the job, then the reports that he's sniffing around Thomas are probably accurate. If he hasn't learned, expect him to nab the incredibly talented Calvin Johnson with this pick, as reciever is STILL a Lion weakness.

Tampa Bay Bucs-Calvin Johnson, WR, Ga. Tech-I don't think taking recievers in the top 10 is ever a good strategy, but what do I know? Jon Gruden took Michael Clayton in the first round in 2004, and got results from him as a Rookie. But with Clayton yet to duplicate the results from his rookie year, and Joey Galloway becoming less serviceable with every passing year, the need for Calvin Johnson is just great enough to the point where they can't pass on his talent, me predicts.

Cleveland Browns-JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU-Adrian Peterson could be an intriguing pick here, but the value of RBs in the NFL is declining steadily to the point where passing on Peterson becomes acceptable. Russell will be a better pro than Charlie Frye, which would justify the pick.

Arizona Cardinals-Reggie Nelson, S, Florida-At this point, this pick is far fetched to say the least. But the Cardnials have very few needs that aren't on the offensive line. With no linemen to speak of worthy of this pick, the Cardnials have to take the best player on their board. I don't see them taking a D-Lineman because they have gone there so often with adequate success recently. Darnell Dockett comes to mind. Nelson is a guy who I think will shoot up the board during workouts; a guy who reminds me a little of Michael Huff, a little of Sean Taylor, and might remind Coach Whisenhunt a little of that safety with the crazy hair.

Washington Redskins-Alan Branch, DT, Michigan-Given the choice of our highest rated end or highest rated tackle, I think Branch is the selection. Gaines Adams doesn't strike me as a guy made for Grilliams' system, espicially playing alongside already undersized Andre Carter. Jamaal Anderson of Arkansas is a possibility, who combines great pash rushing skills with run anchoring ability. But Branch is massive at 335 and can rish the passer as well as any DT on the board.

Minnesota Vikings-Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
Houston Texans-Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville
Miami Dolphins-Lamar Woodley, DE/OLB, Michigan
Atlanta Falcons-Levi Brown, OT, Penn State
San Francisco 49ers-Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC
Buffalo Bills-Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas
St. Louis Rams-Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
Carolina Panthers-LaRon Landry, S, LSU
Pittsburgh Steelers-Darrell Revis, CB, Pitt
Green Bay Packers-Marshawn Lynch, RB, California
Jacksonville Jaguars-Charles Johnson, DE, Georgia
Cincinnati Bengals-Tank Tyler, DT, NC State
Tennessee Titans-Ted Ginn Jr, WR, Ohio State
New York Giants-Michael Bush, RB, Louisville
Denver Broncos-Leon Hall, CB, Michigan
Dallas Cowboys-Michael Griffin, S, Texas
Kansas City Chiefs-Quinn Pitcock, DT, Ohio State
New England Patriots (f/SEA)-Lawrence Timmons, OLB, Florida St.
New York Jets-Brian Leonard, FB, Rutgers
Philadelphia Eagles-Daymenion Hughes, CB, California
New Orleans Saints-Paul Pozluzny, OLB, Penn State
New England Patriots-Justin Blalock, G, Texas
Baltimore Ravens-Tony Ugoh, T, Arkansas
San Diego Chargers-Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU
Chicago Bears-Ben Grubbs, G, Auburn
Indianapolis Colts-Patrick Willis, ILB, Ole Miss

Comment or change as you see fit. Just remember...it's early.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

looks pretty good for this early. i dont care who the skins take, as long as its on defense

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

Sarkasian turned that down.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

Oakland Raiders- jamarcus russell

Detroit Lions- brady quinn

Tampa Bay Buccaneers- calvin johnson

Cleveland Browns- joe thomas

Arizona Cardinals- leon hall

Washington Redskins- alan branch

Minnesota Vikings- gaines adams

Houston Texans- adrian peterson

Miami Dolphins- jamaal anderson

Atlanta Falcons- reggie nelson

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[quote=dblanch66;271165]Sarkasian turned that down.[/quote]Indeed.

I still think Quinn will be the first pick. 60% sure (now thats confidence!). I think the Raiders eventual head coach will have a lot to do with the pick, but I just dont see Al Davis falling in love with JaMarcus Russell. He might, but this guy passed up a chance to trade for Culpepper, is said to be showing little interest in Byron Leftwich...I think he prefers the Aaron Brooks/Vince Young type of mobility.

With Davis, I think it comes down to either Quinn, or Calvin Johnson. If he's going to take QB, why would he not take the best prospect?

Ultimately, Russell would be a better pick than Calvin Johnson, but I just don't think he's going to be that enamored with JR after he works him out.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

the skins will pick alan branch hopefully

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

Find my Mock here: [url=http://nfl-connection.com/nfl-draft/nfl-connection-mock-draft-version-10/]NFL Connection Mock Draft Version 1.0 at[/url]

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[quote=TAFKAS;271219]Find my Mock here: [URL="http://nfl-connection.com/nfl-draft/nfl-connection-mock-draft-version-10/"]NFL Connection Mock Draft Version 1.0 at[/URL][/quote]
Nice mock Tarfkas ! Liked your thinking on GB taking TE, Miller and Tenn. taking Ginn ! Loved the Bengal getting arrested on draft day ,,,, to get used to it !! but why not having the cowboys pick getting high on crack ?

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

As much as I would love to have a guy like Branch, I think we need depth via more draft picks. So, I'd like to see us trade down to about the 20th pick for more picks and grab ILB Patrick Willis and a DT with a 2nd round pick (acquired via trade). If we do not trade down I see us taking Branch.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

I agree trade down, we need more picks

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[QUOTE=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;271287]As much as I would love to have a guy like Branch, I think we need depth via more draft picks. So, I'd like to see us trade down to about the 20th pick for more picks and grab ILB Patrick Willis and a DT with a 2nd round pick (acquired via trade). If we do not trade down I see us taking Branch.[/QUOTE]

Absolutley. I mean I love Branch, Adams and Andersen (Especially Adams), but I dont view any of them as "Can't Miss" type guys. I really think we should trade down to 15ish, and pick up a few extra picks on day one. I would love if we could turn our 6th pick into the 15th with a few picks down the road. I wouldnt be shocked if we could get a second and a later round pick (with swapping firsts) with the way teams covent these draft picks, I really think trading down is somthing we need to at least look at. If the offer isnt there, then so be it, but if we get somthing good, trade.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

if we can trade down and get a DE/DT/MLB in the first and a DE/DT in the second (that are reasonably talented) i'd be cool with that. working a trade may be hard unless someone like calvin johnson is still on the board though.

I kinda doubt the cards go S, since they already got a playmaker there. what they really need is some O linemen that can actually block. i'd also be a little surprised if leonard went that early or if ginn goes after jarrett (though it's perfectly possible).

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

Being able to trade down still seems like a big "if". Most teams wind up staying where they're at - other than Eli for Philip Rivers, there hasn't been a big trade in the top ten in a while.

There would have to be an irrational line of thinking (i.e. Ditka for Ricky Williams) on a certain player for our 'trade down' dreams to come true.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[QUOTE=Beemnseven;271462]Being able to trade down still seems like a big "if". Most teams wind up staying where they're at - other than Eli for Philip Rivers, there hasn't been a big trade in the top ten in a while.

There would have to be an irrational line of thinking (i.e. Ditka for Ricky Williams) on a certain player for our 'trade down' dreams to come true.[/QUOTE]

I definately agree that trading down is still a big "if." I think, however, that there are enough big names that someone would be willing to trade up. Between QBs Russell and Quinn, RB Peterson, WR Johnson, OT Thomas, DT Branch there is a lot of talent at key positions.

Moreover, teams do (oftentimes unwisely) trade up into the top 10. In 2005, Minnesota traded into the #7 slot to get Troy Williamson. In 2004, Cleveland traded up to #6 to nab Winslow. In 2003, the Jets moved up to #4 to grab DT Robertson and the Saints traded up to #6 to get DT Sullivan. In 2002, Kansas City moved up to #6 to get DT Sims. In 2001, Atlanta moved up to #1 to get Vick, San Francisco moved up to #7 to select DE Carter, and Green Bay moved to #10 to get DE Jamal Reynolds. So, while trading into the top 10 isn't necessarily a frequent occurence, it's not rare either.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[quote=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;271525]I definately agree that trading down is still a big "if." I think, however, that there are enough big names that someone would be willing to trade up. Between QBs Russell and Quinn, RB Peterson, WR Johnson, OT Thomas, DT Branch there is a lot of talent at key positions.

Moreover, teams do (oftentimes unwisely) trade up into the top 10. In 2005, Minnesota traded into the #7 slot to get Troy Williamson. In 2004, Cleveland traded up to #6 to nab Winslow. In 2003, the Jets moved up to #4 to grab DT Robertson and the Saints traded up to #6 to get DT Sullivan. In 2002, Kansas City moved up to #6 to get DT Sims. In 2001, Atlanta moved up to #1 to get Vick, San Francisco moved up to #7 to select DE Carter, and Green Bay moved to #10 to get DE Jamal Reynolds. So, while trading into the top 10 isn't necessarily a frequent occurence, it's not rare either.[/quote]I don't think a team should ever pass up a chance to trade down, barring a guy you want just slipped into your lap. At #6, it's hard to get a good value pick that satisfies a need, so I think if you have a trade offer on the table, you take it.

It's just difficult for a team to come up with enough value points to trade up into the top six. The price is very steep, and in many cases, its just foolish to do so. I'm guessing we will be stuck at six.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[B][SIZE=4]GTripp's Mock Version 2.0 (February 2, 2007)[/SIZE][/B]

[B]Oakland Raiders-Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame[/B]-The question isnt about Quinn v Russell here. The real question is Quinn v Calvin Johnson. Do the Raiders try to rebuild their offense around a franchise QB, or around a franchise WR? It'd be nothing short of foolish to think we know what the Raiders are going to do here. We do know that Al Davis will set the tone for this whole draft, and may God help us all.

[B] Detroit Lions-Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin[/B]-Could the Lions make a surprise pick like Gaines Adams here at No. 2? Oh Matt Millen, you crazy wonderful lunatic. Don't make me regret my decision to trust that you know what you are doing. Thomas is a massive prospect at tackle.

[B] Tampa Bay Bucs-Calvin Johnson, WR, Ga. Tech[/B]-I don't think taking recievers in the top 10 is ever a good strategy, but what do I know? Jon Gruden took Michael Clayton in the first round in 2004, and got results from him as a Rookie. But with Clayton yet to duplicate the results from his rookie year, and Joey Galloway becoming less serviceable with every passing year, the need for Calvin Johnson is just great enough to the point where they can't pass on his talent, me predicts.
[B]
Cleveland Browns-Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma[/B]-It seems to me from watching film of Peterson at Oklahoma that Adrian will bounce it wide if the hole isn't huge. This is a habit that will bite him at the pro level. I think he could be the first big RB bust since Curtis Enis, or at the absolute best a very slow learner. The Browns would be better off taking a QB here. It just seems like they see something in Charlie Frye that they like. Whatever that is, I'm still looking. Peterson is the selection.
[B]
Arizona Cardinals-Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas[/B]-This is the first really really tought pick to project. The Cardinals are a team who have more needs on the offensive line than at every other position on the team combined. But if they stay at No. 5 there's no lineman they could select worthy of this selection. It makes this team a prime candidate to try to deal their selection for more picks. This, in turn, will make it more difficult for Washington to trade down, simply because any team that would want to trade up to 6 could likely get up to 5 for similar value. Assuming the Cards hold this pick, a player could fly up the board over the next 3 months and get selected here, such as Florida's Reggie Nelson. Right now in this version of the Mock, I'm going to give them the best player available, Arkansas' Jamaal Anderson.

[B] Washington Redskins-Alan Branch, DT,[/B][B] Michigan[/B]-Branch is massive at 335 and can rush the passer as well as any DT on the board. With this selection, the Redskins go from a quesitonable situation in the middle of the DL to a very solid one with a young stud in the middle and great depth behind him. He may very well be the best player available at pick No. 6.

[B] Minnesota Vikings-JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU[/B]-I think Brad Childress is smart enough to realize that Tavaris Jackson is not the future of this franchise. Brad Johnson could very well be cut and this team could be left without a quarterback. Either way this is a squad in rebuilding, but JaMarcus Russell could remind fans of Daunte Culpepper with his arm and whatnot. Or something. Look, the pick is going to be Russell.
[B]
Houston Texans-Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville[/B]-The Texans are making a strong effort to build the defensive line up first. Word is that they aren't impressed by 2005 first round DT, Travis Johnson a Dom Capers/Charley Casserly selection. The ideal situation would be for Johnson to pan out and to pair him with the 19 year old Okoye and have a dominant defensive line with Anthony Weaver and Mario Williams at defensive end. Either way, they hope to get a stud in Okoye.
[B]
Miami Dolphins-Anthony Spencer, DE/OLB, Purdue[/B]-We all know how the "'tweener" players end up flying up the board after workouts. Dom Capers, now left in charge of the Dolphins Defense in the wake of Saban's departure is likely to push for the selection of an athletic linebacker type to play in his 3-4 scheme.
[B]
Atlanta Falcons-Reggie Nelson, S, Florida[/B]-Athletic safety in the mold of Michael Huff who I expect to fly up the boards after workouts. Will compete with Lawyer Milloy and Jimmy Williams for playing time in the secondary. Will be very, very good.
[B]
San Francisco 49ers-Ted Ginn, WR, Ohio State
Buffalo Bills-Leon Hall, CB, Michigan
St. Louis Rams-Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
Carolina Panthers-LaRon Landry, S, LSU
Pittsburgh Steelers-[/B][B]Marshawn Lynch, RB, California[/B]
[B] Green Bay Packers-Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC
Jacksonville Jaguars-Charles Johnson, DE, Georgia
Cincinnati Bengals-Tank Tyler, DT, NC State
Tennessee Titans-Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee
New York Giants-Levi Brown, T, Penn State
Denver Broncos-Daymeion Hughes, CB, California
Dallas Cowboys-Michael Griffin, S, Texas
Kansas City Chiefs-Quinn Pitcock, DT, Ohio State
New England Patriots (f/SEA)-Patrick Willis, ILB, Mississippi
New York Jets-[/B][B]Lawrence Timmons, OLB, Florida St.[/B]
[B] Philadelphia Eagles-Darrell Revis, CB, Pittsburgh
New Orleans Saints-Paul Pozluzny, OLB, Penn State
New England Patriots-Marcus McCauley, CB, Fresno State
Baltimore Ravens-Tony Ugoh, T, Arkansas
San Diego Chargers-Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU
[/B][B] Indianapolis Colts-Buster Davis, ILB, Florida State[/B]
[B]Chicago Bears-Ben Grubbs, G, Auburn
[/B]

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

Pretty good mock. I still think Russell will go higher. Also, the Lions already have a great LT in Backus. The Lions need help on the O-line, but not at LT and I wonder if they would be reluctant to invest such a high pick in a guy, only to change him from an LT to a RT. Finally, Carricker keeps climbing draft boards.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[quote=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;274362]Pretty good mock. I still think Russell will go higher. Also, the Lions already have a great LT in Backus. The Lions need help on the O-line, but not at LT and I wonder if they would be reluctant to invest such a high pick in a guy, only to change him from an LT to a RT. Finally, Carricker keeps climbing draft boards.[/quote]I like Carriker, but after I had Denver taking a corner, It just seemed like every other team would prefer a player who wasn't Carriker. Just means someone gets a 2nd round steal.

Backus I think was on the franchise tender this year, although I seem to remember him signing a big deal last year. I think this is a position Detroit could upgrade.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

As far as I'm concerned, that could be us. If we could trade down, get Okoye then pick up Carriker, I think we'd be looking good draft-wise.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[quote=TheMalcolmConnection;274374]As far as I'm concerned, that could be us. If we could trade down, get Okoye then pick up Carriker, I think we'd be looking good draft-wise.[/quote]That would be pretty ideal. I think with Arizona also looking to trade down, its going to be difficult to find a suitable trading partner.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

Am I wrong in thinking the Pats would be a good trade partner to pull that off?

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[quote=TheMalcolmConnection;274378]Am I wrong in thinking the Pats would be a good trade partner to pull that off?[/quote]Who would the Pats want bad enough to trade two first rounders for? I think Pioli is too smart to put all his eggs in one basket like that.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

I was thinking a second (if they had it).

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[quote=TheMalcolmConnection;274382]I was thinking a second (if they had it).[/quote]They do hold the 60th pick, but even if they gave us the 24th and the 60th, we'd be giving them 600 points in value, thats a bad deal for us. Rather take Branch in that situation.

If we got the 24th and the 28th from them, we'd still be giving 200 points of value for that, and I'm not sure what they'd want with the No. 6 pick.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

I feel like a lot of people are worried that we wouldn't get an elite player with those picks though. First round picks are still first round picks.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[QUOTE=GTripp0012;274384]They do hold the 60th pick, but even if they gave us the 24th and the 60th, we'd be giving them 600 points in value, thats a bad deal for us. Rather take Branch in that situation.

If we got the 24th and the 28th from them, we'd still be giving 200 points of value for that, and I'm not sure what they'd want with the No. 6 pick.[/QUOTE]

I know they would never do it, but I'd love to trade the 6th overall pick for the 24th and 28th. I rarely think that Top 10 picks are worth 2 first rounders. But, as you pointed out, there's no one the Pats would want at #6. They've got good DEs and DTs, so Branch and Anderson are out. Johnson is going to be gone by #6. They're obviously settled at QB, so they're not looking at Quinn or Russell. They don't need another RB with Dillon and Maroney. So, there is no way we'd get their 2 1st rounders, but I'd love that deal.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[quote=TheMalcolmConnection;274385]I feel like a lot of people are worried that we wouldn't get an elite player with those picks though. First round picks are still first round picks.[/quote]I think if the right trade comes our way, we should take it. Two picks are always better than one. But we are sitting pretty at six with the first defender unlikely to go off the board before 5, and [U]any[/U] trade down means we pass on an elite defender. Still, 2 very good players are better than one elite guy, so I might even give the Pats 200 points of value to get multiple 1st rounders. However, the Patriots are unlikely to trade up even with 200 points of value in their favor. Trading up is usally not a smart move, and I don't see anyone the Pats would target at No. 6.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[quote=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;274388]I know they would never do it, but I'd love to trade the 6th overall pick for the 24th and 28th. I rarely think that Top 10 picks are worth 2 first rounders. But, as you pointed out, there's no one the Pats would want at #6. They've got good DEs and DTs, so Branch and Anderson are out. Johnson is going to be gone by #6. They're obviously settled at QB, so they're not looking at Quinn or Russell. They don't need another RB with Dillon and Maroney. So, there is no way we'd get their 2 1st rounders, but I'd love that deal.[/quote]I tend to think the value chart is a little weighted towards the top and that giving up 200 points to trade down out of the top ten is generally a smart move. Of course, that by definition would make it a dumb move to trade up into the top ten giving up two first round picks, and I find it tough to believe we would be lucky enough to have any team approach us with enough picks to make a serious deal for the 6th pick.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

I would consider a mid-first round pick and an early second round pick. I think that could be very doable (but the Skins won't do it).

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[quote=TheMalcolmConnection;274394]I would consider a mid-first round pick and an early second round pick. I think that could be very doable (but the Skins won't do it).[/quote]This is a good trade as long as the guy you are targeting falls to that first rounder that you are getting. It's risky, but if you are successful and land your guy, having that 2nd rounder is pretty sweet.

A perfectly even trade accoring to the chart would be the Rams 1st and 2nd for our 6th overall.

If we could get something like that, we'd be sitting pretty.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

I'd be way down with that. I just feel like even though I like Branch and Andersen, I'd rather be able to knock out two things at once.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[quote=TheMalcolmConnection;274398]I'd be way down with that. I just feel like even though I like Branch and Andersen, I'd rather be able to knock out two things at once.[/quote]I like em both. I think this D is going to take a couple years to rebuild, and we honestly don't know enough right now to completely fix this thing. I think we'd be best off taking a sure fire DT prospect (although nothing about Branch is sure-fire, hes the closest thing there) and addressing more needs with more picks next year (2008).

Let's say we take Branch and he ends up earning the starting role right out of camp. It could turn out that Carter ends up being a pass rushing stud for us and all we really need is a 3rd round DE to play on the left side. Or it could turn out that even with a stable interior, Carter just doesn't provide a consistent pass rushing threat. If he needs to be cut or moved back to LB, we can then draft a pure pass rusher to play on the right side in 2008.

The more we know the better our decisions will be.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

I'd also be down with that. The main thing I hope is the Skins don't screw UP this draft. No trading next year's picks. None of that crap.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[quote=TheMalcolmConnection;274403]I'd also be down with that. The main thing I hope is the Skins don't screw UP this draft. No trading next year's picks. None of that crap.[/quote]I hear that. That's why we are in this predicament.

I was surprised that there wasn't more outrage when we dealt this years second to move up from 53 to 35 to get Rocky. I knew we were impatient, but wtf was that? He was probably going to fall, and there were plenty of other prospects we liked that would have been there at 53 if we werent. Sometimes we just lock into a guy who isn't even necessarily the best guy available.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

Yeah, I was OK with that because I knew we screwed it all the way around already.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[quote=TheMalcolmConnection;274407]Yeah, I was OK with that because I knew we screwed it all the way around already.[/quote]Sad, but true.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

Just as much as we need to learn to not waste draft picks and be overactive in FA, we also need to learn to keep our core players, do manageable contracts. THEN we can be like the rest of the league.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[quote=TheMalcolmConnection;274412]Just as much as we need to learn to not waste draft picks and be overactive in FA, we also need to learn to keep our core players, do manageable contracts. THEN we can be like the rest of the league.[/quote]We actually have a bunch of key players hitting the market this year. Dock gets all the pub, but what about Ade Jimoh, Todd Wade, Mike Pucillio, even Jeff Posey and Kenny Wright? Pucillio and Wade espicially were great line depth for us. I'd much rather get these five back with cheap multi year deals and let Dock walk then sign Dock to a big deal and let all these role players get away.

It's getting to the point where we really should start thinking about Cooley's deal. Dudes one of the best TE/H-Backs in the league and is making less than 40 players on our team on a contract that expires after this year. Pay him now.

I think we are learning slowly but surely. The fans victimize our front office for letting Pierce and Smoot get away, and with Pierce I think the critizism is justified. All front offices have to make tough decisions with who to let walk and a lot of times, teams lets young talent walk and they become successful other places. It's not going to kill them, it happens.

Where we differ from most teams is how we go about replacing them. We don't ever go bargin basement to replace and thats a problem. That's where the cap problems originate.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

Yup, it's like we have to max out the cap every year. How about getting a few role players and just SAVING some cash for next year?

But I know I'm preaching to the choir.

Re: GTripp's Official Mock Draft Thread
 

[quote=TheMalcolmConnection;274418]Yup, it's like we have to max out the cap every year. How about getting a few role players and just SAVING some cash for next year?

But I know I'm preaching to the choir.[/quote]True, and the cap situation is only going to get worse every year we keep restructuring.

IMO we have a chance to save ourselves this year by not going out and restructuring deals. We can stop the impending salary cap tidal wave.

Assuming we restructure 10 mil in cap room as we do every year, it would force us over the cap in 2008 with only 25 players counting towards it (because that 10 mil that isnt being part of the cap now is being spread over 2008 and 2009 as [B]guarenteed[/B], [U][B]unrecoverable[/B][/U] money). This could get ugly if we dont change the way we go about our business right now. It would get to a point where we would have to cut/restructure all veterans just to field a roster.

It will be interesting to see how we approach this.