"Best Player Available"

Discussion in 'NFL Draft' started by thnom, Feb 1, 2006.

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  1. maximus

    maximus Starter

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    Im beginning to think that if Young and Bush are gone, then we should draft Ferguson.
    I wouldnt mind trading down if Bush was there(and someone offered a killer of a deal for Bush-someone will)
     
  2. h4t

    h4t Starter

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    I've heard Reese expound on his draft philosophy last year. He believes in taking the BPA in the first round only. After that it is his philosophy to draft strictly for need. In addition to that, he selects a couple positions of need and drafts several players at that position. Last year the 2 positions he deemed positions of need were OL and WR, hence he drafted 3 WRs and 3 OLs, hoping to hit on at least one or more. By picking so many at each position, he feels he protects himself from striking out and coming up empty handed at the need positions. Two years ago the position of need was DE and hence the selection of 3 DEs (Laboy, Odom, and Schobel). When he drafted Nickey, he stated that he needed a safety and Nickey was the only draftable safety left on his board, hence the fateful trade up to get him. This year his positions of need have already been stated by him--LB and Safety. I would not be surprised to see at least 4 picks coming from those 2 positions. The question I have is whether this is a necessary way to go in the era of the salary cap. I think that when you draft for need instead of BPA, you run the risk of missing out on a lot of great players, and the overall talent level of your roster suffers. I think our record is starting to reflect the results of drafting for need and reaching for players like Gardner, Nickey, Echols, etc.
     
  3. skitch

    skitch Shut Up and Play Ball!

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    Regardless of McNair's renegotiation (or lack there of)....WE HAVE TO GET A QUARTERBACK and they are crazy if they pass on Young OR Leinart. "Brick", "Hawk", etc... are going to be great players, but we have to worry about a QB of the future before a left tackle, or a linebacker, etc...
     
  4. Vince Hawk

    Vince Hawk Guest

    I agree. We drafted 3 OTs last year and this year looks really strong with O-lineman, especially OTs on the first day. There will be some real steals this year on them, but I'll feel we wasted at least one pick last year if we take anymore O-lineman this year. I know Munchak is a real strong position coach and we can depend on him coaching up our draftpicks, thus allowing us to get sleeper type players in mid rounds and later in draft, but we need better production from the line in the future. I assume we will lose Olson and probably Hopkins as well. Possibly Hartwig also. Mangold looks like a great Center and Gilles, a bulldozer Guard. I guess you could justify taking an O-lineman under the right circumstances. (Losses of at least 2 or 3 current lineman and BPA in draft.) D'Brick will be awesome, but I definately want Young, Leinart or Bush in that order, so I'd only want D'Brick or Hawk if we trade down. Cutler is another option if we trade down to at least 9 or 10. We definitely need speed upgrades at linebacker and safety combined with intelligence and instinctiveness, like a Polamalu and Lofa Tatupu types. I hope for a Howard, D'Qwell, Ko Simpson or Allen in the second round. I would like to see us trade out of our 2nd round spot, moving down in the round and picking up a 3rd round pick. Would like Daniel Bullocks from Nebraska also. He always managed to have the ball in his hands at the Senior Bowl, got something like 5 or 6 ints. in practices and picked up the fumble for TD in game. Looks like a real playmaker and solid player. Just a bunch of my thoughts. Curious if anyone agrees or disagrees.
     
  5. Vince Hawk

    Vince Hawk Guest

    Loved the WRs we got last year in draft. Hopefully they will continue to improve and not regress like Calico did (after injury, in his defense of course, which is what worries me about Jones and Roydell). Calico was looking like a stud in preseason his second year when Roy Williams blew both of Calico's knees out. I think the Calico injury more than any other catapulted our decline the last 2 years. Completely changed what we were capable of doing on offense IMO. Hopefully he will be 100% back to where he was this year and we'll have mismatches all over the field. He's huge and no one seemed to be able to keep up with him going downfield, ala Randy Moss like. Also hope Tank can play like his rookie year again or better.
     
  6. Soxcat

    Soxcat Pro Bowler

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    And that BPA at a skilled postion might be a QB which is why we will probally go that route (because we NEED one). My point is if we didn't need a QB but needed a DE we should take the DE even if the QB was technically the BPA. You said yourself you wouldn't just take guys you didn't need, especially with the early first round pick. Besides, there are a bunch of quality guys who could one day be pro-bowl players available when you pick #3 or #6. WOUld we all hyped up to get one of the RBs last year if we had EG in his prime or if Chris Brown had stayed healthy and ruhn for 1500 yards? However, in the 5th round if a great value RB is available under those conditions you might grab the guy instead of a dud S just because you need one. Isn't the strategy Reese has been using proving itself?

    My point on Bob Sanders is we were so focused on getting DEs we passed on a guy we desperately need right now. Apparently the Colts knew Sanders was goign to be good. I guess Reese either has a bad strategy or simply doesn't do as well at seeing talent.
     
  7. TitanJeff

    TitanJeff Kahuna Grande Staff

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    I agree. If this was 2001 and you knew McNair was certain to be the QB for the next few years, it would be nuts to draft Young or Leinart.

    I think Reese has been forced to look more at position in the last few years because, without free agency, that is how he had to fill holes. He'd take 2-3 DEs, WRs, OTs hoping one or more pans out. I don't think it meant they were a reach. For all we knew, Reese had them graded out the same as anyone else available.

    We need him right now but did we then? How could Reese know Tank would be injured? Tank should have been ready to begin a solid stretch of seasons. If Tank would have played to expectations, Sanders would have been a special teamer (or at the nickel) and the Titans would not be any closer to replacing the talent they lost in Kearse.

    As they say, hindsight is 20/20.
     
  8. Soxcat

    Soxcat Pro Bowler

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    Sanders would have been what Bulluck was before he moved into the starting lineup. Having Sanders instead of LaBoy would not have hurt us that badly. The guy that ultimately replaced Kearse is KVB, in other words the DE picks haven't really been all that special anyway. Certainly Odom was worth the pick where we got him so I have no problem with that pick just like I have no problem with where we picked Starks. This whole idea of grabbing a handfull of players at one postion hoping one of them pans out is the easy way out. If Reese was truly good at evaluating talent he could just take the guy he has the most confidence in and use the other picks at other positions. Are you saying Garner and Nickey were not reaches? I might be wrong (I don't know what GMS were thinking) but based on just what I was reading Laboy was literally off the radar for DEs.
     
  9. TitanJeff

    TitanJeff Kahuna Grande Staff

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    In hindsight. At the time, who looked to be the better option? Your second-round safety who is ready to take his game up to the next level or a 5-8", 200 lb rookie? Do you draft a safety with a major hole at DE?

    And Reese knew KVB would be available how? And he knew he'd have 12 1/2 sacks how? C'mon, you sound like Reese has the ability to look into the future.

    And if that choice bombs out, where does that leave you? BTW, LaBoy outplayed just about everyone else on the DL at the close of the season last year. If anyone has underachieved, it's been Odom. So why is Odom a value and LaBoy not?

    Based on their play, I do. But both looked to be good prospects when they were drafted. It's not like Reese gave up a lot to get Nickey. Gardner has been a disappointment from day one.

    LaBoy was a second-round prospect on most mocks (best I can remember) and was ranked close to Babin.
     
  10. RollTide

    RollTide All-Pro

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    Not Best Athlete, Best Player!

    I think some of you guys have this all wrong. The term "best athlete" is not literal as in the player who most likely would win a decathalon. It means drafting the best prospect at his position. It's a value play.

    For example you ask yourself if reggie bush is a better RB prospect than young or lienart are QB prospects. The answer to that question is yes! Bush is a better prospect at his position than anyone in this draft. Period! One poster suggested that bush was the best athlete but not the best RB. That is absolute insane nonsense. Did you see him play? He makes deangelo williams look like he is carrying a 50 lb weight by comparison. You have to go back to guys like barry sanders or bo jackson to find a prospect like that.

    That's my understanding of the best athlete concept. You might need a corner back more but if you see a budding lawrence taylor or reggie white you go that route because they are better prospects. It's the best player, ie prospect.

    The problem reese has drafting third is that he might not see those 2 QBs as equals. What if he believes that one or the other is superior? If he thinks that lienart is a superior prospect why would he want to settle for young? And vice versa. That situation would compel us to trade down or even up. We all post as of it is an either or situation. Whoever is on the board that's fine. But reese might not see it that way. Remember that there is a 50% chance that one of these guys will be a failure. We have seen that so many times. Players like ryan leaf, heath schuler, rick mirer, akili smith are just as common as the manning's and mcnabbs.
    Look at the 1999 draft. Couch, mcnabb, smith. Those were the top three picks. Scary huh? Not good odds there. You can't just sit back and let the draft come to you. You have to decide who is the better prospect and go after him.
     
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