Jrry32 Pre-Combine Mock Off-Season - 2/21/2013

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jrry32

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Alright, I figured I'd do one final mock before the combine. In this mock, I decided I'd do 2 drafts that I felt would both fit with the mock. If you want to, you can decide which you like better.

Cuts
Steven Jackson(technically voided) - 7 million in cap savings
Wayne Hunter - 4 million in cap savings
Cap Space - 11 million

Re-signings
Robert Turner - 2 years 2 million
Cap Space - 10 million

Free Agency
kenny_phillips.gif

Kenny Phillips FS
Projected Contract: 5 years 25 million, 5 million signing bonus, 8 million guaranteed(4 million dollar year one cap hit)

Cap Space - 6 million

NFL Draft A
Round 1 Pick #16 - Lane Johnson OT Oklahoma
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Explanation: I really like Johnson. I think he has the athleticism, length and attitude to be an elite OT. He can play either side and would really shore up our pass protection for Sam. Give Boudreau a kid this talented to work with and watch him turn him into a stud.

Round 1 Pick #22 - Tavon Austin WR/RS/HB West Virginia
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Explanation: Tavon Austin is the ultimate mismatch as a player. He can line up as your slot WR, flanker, HB and return kicks and punts. He's extremely explosive with game-breaking speed and some of the craziest stutter steps, jukes, jump cuts, dead legs, etc. that you'll ever see. Get the ball in his hands in space and he'll do amazing things. This is a kid who is the ultimate moving piece in an offense...I think Schotty will love him because Schotty loves motion and loves moving players around. Think of Lance Kendricks motioning between FB and TE. Austin can realistically motion between HB, FL and SL and be a major threat at all three positions. The package versatility that he gives you on the field is insane and Sam will love this kid as a weapon.

Round 2 Pick #16 - Terrance Williams WR Baylor
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Explanation: TW has been falling down draft boards since the season ended but color me surprised. He's exactly what we need in an outside WR. He's a little raw on route running but Williams has strong hands, a big body and can separate vertically. He also possesses elite field awareness and great body control. Williams would stretch the field for us and offer Sam a big WR that he can just toss the ball up to. He's great value at this spot in the draft.

Round 3 Pick #16 - Sean Porter OLB Texas A&M
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Explanation: Porter is an extremely athletic OLB that would move Jo-Lonn Dunbar to the SLB position and give us more speed and coverage ability on the field. Porter also is a very effectively blitzer that can get after the QB and recorded 9.5 sacks in 2011. He would be a great addition and effectively plug a hole that has caused us problems for years giving us 3 effective starting LBs and a very nasty, athletic defense.

Round 4 Pick #16 - Marcus Lattimore HB South Carolina
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Explanation: It's looking more and more likely that Marcus might not fall this far. I would love to have him here, though. He's worth the injury risk and offers us a great back to pair with D-Rich and Pead. Lattimore is an extremely effective blocker who can catch the ball out of the back-field at a high level and will work his butt off to be the best at whatever he does. As a runner, he's a big HB who is very fluid and elusive for his size. He has great balance for a big HB and impressive strength which makes him very hard to tackle. He reminds me of Matt Forte.

Round 5 Pick #16 - Michael Williams TE Alabama
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Explanation: I love his blocking ability and this pick just makes too much sense for us. He'd be the #2 TE behind Kendricks and allow us to move Lance around and use him as more of a H-Back. Williams is an amazing blocker and would immediately make a difference as a mauling run blocker in the run game. As a pass blocker, Williams has impeccable technique for a TE that combines with his length and strength to make him extremely effective at that too. As a receiver, Williams isn't a great athlete but he has strong hands and a big body which make him a threat if you don't pay him adequate attention.

Round 6 Pick #16 - Earl Watford OG James Madison
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Explanation: Some will want us to go LG earlier on. I think with Shelley Smith, Robert Turner, Brandon Washington and Rok Watkins that we'll be ok if we choose to wait. Boudreau is excellent at developing OLs. Watford is a very good pick-up here in that he has starting potential down the line but is overlooked because he's from small school. Watford is a good athlete and a good technician. He doesn't have overwhelming power or size at 6'4" 300 but he is a career LG and would provide a very good pass protector and a solid run blocker who understands angles and can get to the second level. Great risk/reward pick at this point in the draft.

Round 7 Pick #16 - Kemal Ishamel SS UCF
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Explanation: As I've made it abundantly clear, Ishmael is my favorite sleeper prospect at SS. He'd be used as a special teamer and back-up Mikell in 2013. Hopefully, he could take over in 2014 as the starter when Mikell is cut.

NFL Draft B
Round 1 Pick #16 - Chance Warmack LG Alabama
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Explanation: Warmack is an elite prospect, if he fell to us, I think we'd have to take him. He's a massive mauler with great technique that would immediately step in and offer us a Pro Bowl caliber LG. I've never evaluated an OG prospect as good as Warmack.

Round 1 Pick #22 - Keenan Allen WR Cal
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Explanation: Keenan Allen is a tall, lanky WR who has the ability to step in immediately and make an impact. Allen is a great YAC threat because of his balance, surprising strength for his frame and great agility. Allen has extremely impressive burst, short area quickness and fluidity which combine to make him extremely effective at separating on shorter routes. Allen also has reliable hands, understands how to use his frame to block out defenders and can go up and get the ball. He lacks a great 2nd gear which doesn't make him much of a deep threat but Allen looks like a solid #1 WR to me. I've compared him to Michael Crabtree on the field.

Round 2 Pick #16 - Kyle Long OT Oregon
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Explanation: Who doesn't love sibling rivalry? Kyle will step in at RT and face his brother who is the LDE, that ought to motivate him to improve quickly. I think the competition will be great for Kyle. Boudreau should be able to mold an amazing athlete into one great RT. Kyle has all the athleticism along with the right attitude to be a major asset to our OL. I know Sam will appreciate having Chance Warmack and Kyle Long added to the unit in front of him.

Round 3 Pick #16 - Sean Porter OLB TAMU
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Explanation: Same as above.

Round 4 Pick #16 - Chris Harper WR Kansas State
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Explanation: This is a very intriguing pick because Harper doesn't really fit what most would think of as a slot WR. Harper is a 6'1" 228 WR who is a former QB. He's drawn comparisons to Anquan Boldin and there's some validity to it although I think Boldin is more physical when the ball is in the air. However, what drew me to Harper as a slot WR is that he really knows how to use his body and can catch the ball in traffic like few can. Harper also has excellent RAC skills and really surprising agility for a man his size. His route running needs to improve, he needs to be more physical when the ball is in the air and he needs to do a better job of protecting the ball after the catch. That all said, I really think Harper has a lot of potential as a NFL slot WR. He can play outside but his ability to work the middle and make tough catches in traffic will drive defenses crazy plus he's quite dangerous and hard to bring down with the ball in his hands.

Round 5 Pick #16 - Michael Williams TE Alabama
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Explanation: Same as above.

Round 6 Pick #16 - Zac Stacy HB Vanderbilt
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Explanation: I don't think that HB is a huge need because I feel really good about Pead and Richardson. However, Stacy offers us an excellent change of pace to those two. He's a short, compact HB with incredible leg drive and toughness. He has a very low center of gravity an just churns out yardage. He has the potential to be excellent value here as a great thunder combination to Pead and Richardson. Another great option would be Dennis Johnson.

Round 7 Pick #16 - Kemal Ishamel SS UCF
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Explanation: Same as above.

Starting Line-up A:
QB: Sam Bradford
HB: Marcus Lattimore
FB: Lance Kendricks
SE: Terrance Williams vs. Brian Quick
FL: Chris Givens
SL: Tavon Austin
TE: Michael Williams
LT: Rodger Saffold
LG: Robert Turner vs. Shelley Smith vs. Rok Watkins vs. Earl Watford
C: Scott Wells
RG: Harvey Dahl
RT: Lane Johnson

LDE: Chris Long
LDT: Kendall Langford
RDT: Michael Brockers
RDE: Robert Quinn
WLB: Sean Porter
MLB: James Laurinaitis
SLB: Jo-Lonn Dunbar
CB1: Cortland Finnegan
CB2: Janoris Jenkins
CB3: Trumaine Johnson
FS: Kenny Phillips
SS: Quintin Mikell

K: Greg Zuerlein
P: John Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
RS: Tavon Austin

Starting Line-up B:
QB: Sam Bradford
HB: Zac Stacy vs. Daryl Richardson vs. Isaiah Pead vs. Terrance Ganaway
FB: Lance Kendricks
SE: Keenan Allen
FL: Chris Givens vs. Brian Quick
SL: Chris Harper
TE: Michael Williams
LT: Rodger Saffold
LG: Chance Warmack
C: Scott Wells
RG: Harvey Dahl
RT: Kyle Long

LDE: Chris Long
LDT: Kendall Langford
RDT: Michael Brockers
RDE: Robert Quinn
WLB: Sean Porter
MLB: James Laurinaitis
SLB: Jo-Lonn Dunbar
CB1: Cortland Finnegan
CB2: Janoris Jenkins
CB3: Trumaine Johnson
FS: Kenny Phillips
SS: Quintin Mikell

K: Greg Zuerlein
P: John Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
RS: Chris Givens vs. Janoris Jenkins vs. Isaiah Pead

Thoughts?(And I didn't want to add him in here but I'd find some way to afford to retain William Hayes)
 

libertadrocks

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I like B better, however im not a fan of not retaining SJ.

Ultimately Fisher is still a run first guy. If we open with either Lattimore(who likely will open on PUP) or Richardson as our starting RB we wont be able to do that, which puts a ton of pressure on a bunch of first and second year WRs.
 

jrry32

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  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3
libertadrocks said:
I like B better, however im not a fan of not retaining SJ.

Ultimately Fisher is still a run first guy. If we open with either Lattimore(who likely will open on PUP) or Richardson as our starting RB we wont be able to do that, which puts a ton of pressure on a bunch of first and second year WRs.

Keep in mind that in Option B, we'd have Richardson, Pead, Stacy and Ganaway. You can run as much as you want with that group. Don't need a HB who can carry the ball 20+ times a game to run it down a team's throat. That said, Stacy and Lattimore could both handle 20 carries a game if you asked them to. I think it would be better if they didn't though. Use our HB depth and talent.
 

Angry Ram

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Messages
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libertadrocks said:
I like B better, however im not a fan of not retaining SJ.

Ultimately Fisher is still a run first guy. If we open with either Lattimore(who likely will open on PUP) or Richardson as our starting RB we wont be able to do that, which puts a ton of pressure on a bunch of first and second year WRs.

Agreed.
 

MerlinJones

Pro Bowler
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Jan 26, 2012
Messages
1,020
I'd be pretty happy if the Rams draft followed B.

I think I'd rather go best available TE in round 2 (more of an offensive weapon than blocker), but would have no problem with another Long wearing the horns.