From KFFL.com Posturing to drive the price up for us, or an honest attempt at, oh, BJ Raji? I can't imagine that #23 and #47 would be enough for the Jags unless pick value in this draft has taken an even bigger hit than we imagined.
Sounds like they might be trying to ante up the price. But there could be some good players there that would fill their need left by Vrabel. Orakpo and Ayers come to mind. I doubt they're really interested in Raji. Belichick likes to run with people that know his system already (regardless of age), so they'll look to extend Wilfork at the end of this season. He knows what he can get from Wilfork and Raji is too much of an unknown.
Good point. Either way, I'd be surprised if this got done. Given their position in the first round, they'd have to give up 2 of their 2nds or a 2010 pick to move up. If I were the Jags, I'd consider it simply for the sake of forcing another team to move.
If you've ever worked in New England, you're a liar around this time of year. Pats, Browns, Broncos... I believe nothing they say all April long. Even the Jets have put out more smokescreens and rumors than any other team out there. Some teams combined don't have as many rumors as the Jets do.
I'd wager they're moving up to grab Michael Oher. By moving into the low top ten, New England would pretty much secure either Oher, Andre Smith or Eugene Monroe, should he fall. If they were to do that, not only would they strengthen their O-Line in time for King Brady's return, but they could royally screw the Bills as well. I'm imagining the Bills are counting on either Oher or Smith to fall to them. (I personally think there is a world of difference between the Smiths, Monroe and Oher and the other tackles in the draft). The Pats could force a division rivals hand and drive the Bills to a)reach for a lesser tackle or b) address tackle later on and possibly get stuck with a non-starter. It's a pretty novel solution to the "how are we going to defend T.O.?" question. "Sack the fucking defenseless quarterback, that's how!" The other reason I think the Patriots are targeting Michael Oher? Because Bill Belichick, douchebag though he may be, is a smart guy who does his homework. It's called "The Blind Side" by Michael Lewis, and it's a powerful argument that whichever team drafts Mike Oher will have a bright future. Imagine Combine interviews were conducted by trained investigative journalists over the course of years. That's what The Blind Side is.
Yeah, I don't know about this one. Light and Kaczur are going to be 31 and 30 this season, and they have O'Callaghan ready to step in. I could see them taking a developmental tackle down the line, but picking up a high payment tackle who won't start in the next 3 or 4 years seems like a very un-Beli thing to do.
Good point. However, Logan Mankin's, Stephen Neal's and Nick Kaczur's contracts expire this year. Light's in 2010, Koppen's in 2011. Light makes about 4.2 million this year; he's the highest paid of the five by at least a million. Logan Mankins, one of the best guards in football, will make a little over a million this year. I believe the Patriots will trade one, if not more of these players before their "big payday," as is the Patriots wont. Ergo, they want to draft a top-notch replacement.
It's so hard to say with NE. Remember when everyone was convinced (thanks to Patriot and Bears leaks) that they were trading up for either Robertson or Sullivan? Other teams went to great lengths to get up in the draft for them, and the Pats took Warren, who is who they wanted all along.
I strongly doubt if Pats would trade up - they need to restock the depleted LB corps, especially now that Vrabel is out of NE as well. I am thinking they would go for Rey Maualuga.
It really isn't at all, I read it and loved it but it isn't investigative journalism at all, it's michael lewis telling a story about the adopted son of his long time friend, it doesn't delve deeply into the ethical questions, or truly that deep into Oher's past or personality, hecomes out in many ways as big a mystery as he was at the beginning. If anything if I were a scout I'd be less likely to draft Oher based on the book, he comes across as a great kid, but the fact that he can't read and learn a playbook at either the high school or the college level is a real concern in learning the even more complicated Pro Schemes. I mean no NFL team is going to act out every play for him with chairs or ketchup bottles like they did for him in high school and college.
