Dexter McCluster

Discussion in 'NFL Draft' started by luvyablue23, Mar 21, 2010.

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  1. Gut

    Gut Pro Bowler

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    Hey...

    Good to see ya Titanium!

    It's gonna be VERY interesting to see where he goes. His short height and little weight (170lbs) pretty much guarantees he can't develop into a starter. And that 4.58 40 could litterally drop him 2 rnd potentially. If he's that slow, you can no longer pretend he's a Leon Washington/Darren Sproles/Reggie Bush type RB. So if he doesn't have breakaway speed and can't become a starter, what value does he have? Right now you'd say a 4th rnd pick. If he ran a 4.45 or faster 40 I'd say rnd 3 with someone willing to take him in rnd 2. At best, you're hoping he can provide slot WR like Wes Welker...not fast but almost impossible to cover on short option patterns...and be a #2 RB like Sproles. The problem is he may have also hurt his value as a special teamer because he no longer has breakaway speed.

    I think someone will take him with a comp pick in rnd 3. His slight stature, slow 40 and injury history will scare off a bunch of teams but someone with a creative offense will probably take him there.

    Interestingly enough, Welker was traded for a 2nd rnd pick and Washington has a 2nd rnd tender I think (and the Jets think they will get it) while the Chargers are so happy with Sproles, they put the 1st+3rd rnd tender on him guaranteeing he'll stay put and indicating they wouldn't even want to lose him for a 2nd rnd pick in a loaded draft (even though they could probably get McCluster cheaper). If McCluster can dip into the 4.3's, he's gone in rnd 2 almost for sure so I think his 40 will have a big effect on where he goes. breakaway speed increases his value as a #2 RB, Slot WR and especially as a kr/pr so that really boosts his overall value by being able to contribute in so many ways without getting him killed.

    Gut
     
  2. Gut

    Gut Pro Bowler

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    Well...

    You're Welcome! However, I disagree with a few things. First of all, when your offense is decent and your D is terrible, you fix the defense to win more games, not upgrade the offense. We already have a plethora of talent on offense..VY, CJ, Britt, Cook, Scaife, Gage, Wash, ect. Take a look at the 2nd game against the Colts, the Pats game and the Chargers game. Now take a moment and think how many MORE points (if any) we'd score with McCluster at #2 RB (not much playing time), #4 WR (not much playing time), PR and KR (though I doubt he'd do both). If you add the points per game we'd improve, would that have made a difference in those games vs a dominant pass rusher or top notch CB opposite Finny (though Finny was out for the Pats game)?

    You can take a guy in rnd 3 or 4 and coach em up. The problem is you might not see their ceiling for 3-5 years and we need the help NOW! And frequently, those guys are drafted to be secondary players with the hope of becoming a starter. Hoping they become both a starter and a perennial double digit sack guy is a lot to hope for. Or put it like this...BOTH Ford and Hayes have the potential and have been with us for 2+ years. Do you expect either or both of them to be a dominant pass rusher this year? We can HOPE they do, but I don't think any of us...including the Titans coaching staff is convinced. Meanwhile, you can draft an Orakpo in rnd 1 and get 11 sacks his first year. That's the kind of immediate impact we need.

    He does play faster, but how fast is that? He dominated Tenn but they were missing one of their best LB's and the S opposite Berry. Poor play by backups leaves big holes in a defense. But again, how much value does he have to add towards winning a game? How much would he have on the Titans?

    Very true, but they also outweight him by what...30lbs??? Some of his exceptional COD skills are BECAUSE he's so light.

    To me he's a 3-4th rnd player. If I'm the Titans I wouldn't take him any earlier than rnd 4 because he probably can't give us the boost we need compared to what a similarly ranked defensive player can. Plus, this draft is so deep a 4th rnd pick might be equal to a 3rd rnd pick in value in a lot of drafts and we could get a future legit starter whereas McCluster probably can't start for us. That can/will change after his pro day where we'll see his best 40. I expect a team to take him in rnd 3 or perhaps a comp 3. I don't think it'll be us. I don't think someone will take him in rnd 2 based on his weight (injury risk/upside) and (current) speed. If he runs a 4.40 someone could take him rnd 2 if they think they can get a lot of bang out of him for the multiple roles he can play without getting him killed. But then again, this i a very deep draft so the overall draft value says he could be a 3rd rndr who falls into rnd 4.

    The one team that could really draft him would be the Pats. They know exactly how to use a Wes Welker type and a Kevin Faulk type RB and they want to throw it a zillion times. McCluster could be a perfect fit for them.

    Gut
     
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  3. Gut

    Gut Pro Bowler

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    Well...

    He also said Babin is a backup DE. Right now Ford and Hayes are our projected starters. While it appears they WANT to start Hayes at LDE this coming season...they don't appear as sure of Ford as a starter. This would be where a Morgan, Graham, Hughes would come in.

    Oh how I'd love to see some concussed Colts starting with their trigger man. If he goes down, so do the Colts!!!

    I would also like the addition of a top notch CB, but see that as less likely given our scheme (a dominant pass rusher is always worth more than a cb playing zone coverage). The Colts can get away with playing rookie CB's (and not highly draft ones) because they have 2 pro bowl DE's.

    A valid concern, but hopefully a more experienced VY, Britt, Washington, Cook can make a bigger difference. And frankly, if the D is significantly better, our O will have a lot more chances with better field position and time of possession. Even improving the D improves the O...

    Gut
     
  4. Gut

    Gut Pro Bowler

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    He's played BOTH WR and RB. Due to his height (under 5'9) and weight (about 170lbs) he can't really start at RB or WR so he's a secondary player at best.

    Gut
     
  5. luvyablue23

    luvyablue23 Camp Fodder

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    Thanks for the input, but I must disagree with you on the appraised talent level of our offense. Gage, Wash, and Scaife cannot truly be called gamechangers. For the sake of argument ;in comparison to the Colts who have Manning, Wayne, Addai, Clark, Gonzalez who were all first round investments. (although conceding the Colts build to their offense) My principal argument is that if the team spends a first round pick on a quarterback; conventional wisdom is you get him a line (check) and then get him a supporting cast to grow with. Besides the Colts, look at the Ravens, Jets, Cardinals (by default), Packers, Falcons, etc. We don't need to be loaded, but one more playmaker please.

    [/QUOTE] If you add the points per game we'd improve, would that have made a difference in those games vs a dominant pass rusher or top notch CB opposite Finny (though Finny was out for the Pats game)?[/QUOTE]

    Our starting Field Position would definitely improve which would shorten the field and at the very least give us a few extra FG's. Not that we would have won the game; but.....Conversely if we had a quality wideout that was hit in stride and can MAKE the catch unlike Nate, we have 7 points and the momentum in that Colts game.



    [/QUOTE]The one team that could really draft him would be the Pats. They know exactly how to use a Wes Welker type and a Kevin Faulk type RB and they want to throw it a zillion times. McCluster could be a perfect fit for them.

    Gut[/QUOTE]

    I'm not saying we draft McCluster; I'm just speculating on the value he could bring. Granted he is not Spiller, but I think a more affordable cog that we can use to upgrade. This pick would only be possible if we DID go D in the first. As far as immediate sacks, which DE do you think can do it? The only one I see that interests me is Graham, JPP is nothing but upside and potential and he will take 2-3 years to develop INHO. I am hoping that Heimerdinger feels the same way about the offense and this quote is from his take on Jared Cook:

    And how much does he need to know what a consistent Jared Cook can bring?

    “Oh, a tremendous amount,” Heimerdinger said. “Hell, I don’t even know who our team is besides C.J.”

    I'm hoping that the last line indicates he is lobbying for more talent. We shall see. Thanks as always.
     
  6. luvyablue23

    luvyablue23 Camp Fodder

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    [/QUOTE]Oh how I'd love to see some concussed Colts starting with their trigger man. If he goes down, so do the Colts!!![/QUOTE]

    Yeah that would be great but let's be honest if Manning even senses Mays on a Safety Blitz; he'll probably just take the snap and spike it. He's too smart/weak to take any chances and he'll just have that smug look like; 'Im a panty waist and I know it, but I'm going to break all the passing records and there's nothing you can do about it'
    However I think seeing Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne, and Gonzalez writhing on the turf in pain because of Mays is worth 45 yards in penalties. He would definitely bring the intimidation factor; the kind that Ray Lewis had over Eddie.
     
  7. RollTide

    RollTide All-Pro

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    You did say you wanted spiller didn't you?


    Why draft a player who isn't going to play? We have 3 Wrs who will be on the field, a solid vet Te in Scaife and a RB who caught 50 passes last year. Then there is Cook who is supposed to have WR type speed and skill. Do we take CJ off the field?

    If they want to bolster the WR position then draft a WR. They talked to Shipley who can also help in the return game.

    I understand your point you are talking about a player who might not have a position in the nfl.
     
  8. luvyablue23

    luvyablue23 Camp Fodder

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    which 3 WR's you see us lining up and who's the slot? Gage isn't good for all 16, neither is Washington. I'm just playing devils advocate here mind you; but so many carries for CJ isn't healthy for his career. He's like Peyton Manning to the Colts; if he goes; so do we. All I'm saying.
    God forbid he goes down in week 4 for 6 weeks; and we have to rely on Lendale. Goodbye explosiveness, hello vanilla offense, hello increased pressure on D.
     
  9. TorontoTitanFan

    TorontoTitanFan Pro Bowler

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    McCluster is way too much of a luxury pick. He's the kind of guy you take when you have multiple picks in the 2nd round. The Titans don't even have a 2nd, so I really don't see them using a pick that could be used to shore up an area of need on a guy who is a luxury.
     
  10. luvyablue23

    luvyablue23 Camp Fodder

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    I don't know if I agree that another dynamic playmaker on offense is a luxury; I'm leaning towards necessity. Either way we will find out what the FO thinks soon enough.

    Cool avatar by the way!
     
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