Gardner Good as Gone

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

I would bet my life we only get a very, very low 2nd rounder (i.e. from the Chargers) or we get a high 3rd rounder.

I'm not so much worried about Gardner's trade value as I am about Smoot's situation. If we let this guy go without any compensation (because we can't afford to tag him), I'll be livid. We should be able to get a very high second rounder for Smoot.

If we packaged our 3rd rounder (9th in the third round) and a second round pick we'd get for Smoot, we'd be able to get a low 1st round pick. That would leave us with the 9th overall pick, another first round pick, a 3rd rounder, a 4th rounder, and a pick in the sixth and seventh rounds.

We'd definately be able to draft a top notch wideout (like Braylon Edwards, Mike Williams, or Troy Williamson - who many feel will watch his his stock skyrocket after the combine), a solid starting defensive end or tackle, and some other quality players.

With that kind of draft, a new center (i.e. the mauling Titans' center Hartwig), and a new blocking tight end, our roster would be so, so sweet.

My revised ideal 2005 starting roster:

QB- Ramsey
HB- Portis
H-back- Cooley
LT- Samuels
LG- Dockery
C- Hartwig (via free agency)
RG- Thomas
RT- Jansen
TE- ??? (offseason acquisition)
WR- Coles
WR- Williams (via first draft pick)

RE- ???
DT- Griffin
DT- Noble
LE- Wynn
OLB- Arrington
OLB- Washington
MLB- Pierce
CB- Springs
CB- Harris
FS- Taylor
SS- Bowen/Lott/Clark