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- Jan 14, 2013
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It has been awhile since I last put out a mock. I've unfortunately been busy with real life and haven't had as much time to watch players this year. I have a lot of catching up to do. I'm hopeful I'll be able to do it.
Restructure
QB Jared Goff
Goff's contract is one that makes sense for a restructure because it has a large roster bonus and he isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Re-sign
K Greg Zuerlein
OT Andrew Whitworth
DL Morgan Fox
QB Blake Bortles
All Practice Squad Players
All ERFAs
Yes, we're letting Littleton walk. I don't take pleasure in that, but we have to make hard decisions. Littleton's price tag is too high for me. He's a good but not elite ILB. Whitworth has announced that he wants to return. It makes logical sense to bring him back. It'll give Noteboom additional time to recover from his injury.
Trades
Rams trade WR Josh Reynolds
Bills trade 2021 Round 5 Pick
In this mock, we keep Robert Woods, but we still have a lot of mouths to feed in the passing game. Reynolds is entering the final year of his deal, so we flip him to Buffalo for a future 5th (to compensate for the 5th we traded to Cleveland).
Rams trade CB Nickell Robey-Coleman and Round 7 Pick #20
Bengals trade Round 6 Pick #1
The Bengals' slot CB, Darqueze Dennard, is a FA. NRC is still a quality slot CB who fits Cincy's scheme. With Ramsey, Hill, Long, and Darious Williams, we have enough depth and talent at CB to trade NRC and save a few bucks on his salary.
Rams trade Round 3 Pick #20
Ravens trade Round 3 Pick #28 and Round 4 Pick #33
Ravens trade up for a player. They have multiple fourth round picks, so this isn't a huge loss for them.
Rams trade Round 4 Pick #34 and Round 6 Pick #20
49ers trade Round 5 Pick #10 and Round 5 Pick #30
49ers trade up for a player.
Rams trade Round 6 Pick #1
Saints trade Round 6 Pick #24 and 2021 Round 6 Pick
We trade down again.
Free Agency
Stephen Weatherly OLB
Weatherly has been stuck behind Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter in Minnesota, but I think he's an underrated player. At 6'5" 265, he seems big for a 3-4 OLB at first glance, but he's an athletic big man who played 3-4 OLB in college. Personally, I think he's an underrated player who could break out if given a larger role. He's a really good run defender on the edge who has the athleticism to drop into coverage when needed. His pass rush potential isn't entirely clear at this stage, but he has shown flashes when given PT in Minnesota. I think he has the potential to be a real bargain for us.
Avery Williamson ILB
Williamson is a potential cap casualty for the Jets. He's a well-rounded ILB who was expected to be a major player next to C.J. Mosley coming off his strong 2018 season. However, he tore his ACL during the preseason and missed the season. I think he's a guy who could prove to be a real bargain this off-season. If he returns to his 2018 form, he's a good starting ILB who can do a bit of everything. Because he's a cut, he won't cost us a comp pick.
Jordan Reed TE
Reed is another cut for us to sign. This is a bit of a luxury signing for us, but Reed produced extremely well under McVay. Of course, the contract would have to be one heavy on incentives based on games played because of Reed's injury issues. Still, he could do well on a "prove it" deal here.
NFL Draft
Round 2 Pick #20 - Robert Hunt OG Louisiana-Lafayette
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amIG_LweREM
Analysis: Hunt is a mauling monster of a run blocker who put his guy on the ground with regularity. At 6'5" 325 with good athleticism and overwhelming power, Hunt has the potential to be a perfect replacement for Rodger Saffold. During his time at Louisiana, he started at RT and LG. He has the athleticism and length to stick at RT, but he would need a lot of technical refinement in pass protection there first. At OG, I think he has the potential to compete for a starting job as a rookie due to his size, power, and athleticism. He'll need to be more consistent with his pad level and precise with his hand placement, though.
Round 3 Pick #28 - Jonathan Greenard OLB Florida
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIF9wrXiEsA
Analysis: I said awhile back that I expected Greenard's stock to take a hit at the Combine, and that seems to have happened. Greenard has had some durability struggles in college and didn't test extraordinarily well, but he's a heady pass rusher who does the little things well. He's also an extremely tough player who will play through injuries and give it his all on every snap. He has the potential to be a solid all around EDGE defender. As a pass rusher, his footwork stands out to me. He understands how to use stutters and false steps to get the OT out of position.
Round 4 Pick #20 - Evan Weaver ILB California
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d13Z-MaE6a8
Analysis: Weaver actually turned in a much better Combine than expected. I thought with a poor showing, he'd fall to the 5th or 6th round. Instead, he turned in a respectable Combine. He ran a 4.76 40 (better than the 4.8 40 expected of him) and performed well in the agility drills. Weaver has his limitations and will never be a good matchup for twitchy HBs and receivers in M2M coverage. But he has phenomenal instincts, can defeat blocks, and is a heady zone defender. Yes, Weaver has his athletic limitations, but he's also a tackling machine who will leave everything he has on the field.
Round 4 Pick #33 - James Lynch DL Baylor
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm8iOvwFQzM
Analysis: It's possible that Lynch goes higher than this. He's a tough projection. He put up stellar production this year (19.5 TFLs and 13.5 sacks) as a 3-4 DE, but his traits aren't special. He has good burst and power for a 6'4" 290 pound DL, but he has very short arms and doesn't really have any dominant traits. He's a smart player who plays hard and executes his responsibilities well. I've seen him compared to Matt Ioannidis, another DL I liked who fell way further than he should have. Lynch is capable of spelling Donald or playing 5-Tech.
Round 5 Pick #7 - Nick Harris C Washington
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQvM-7Q9Jo
Analysis: Harris had a rough Senior Bowl week and is undersized at 6'1" 300, but the Senior Bowl wasn't really a place where he'd stand out. It doesn't play to his strengths. Harris is a great athlete with outstanding movement skills and really shines as a combo blocker. He's also very experienced and heady. He's an active and aggressive player who compensates for his lack of size with his aggression and core strength. Harris is likely to fall down the board due to his small stature and lack of positional flexibility, but he has the potential to be an effective starter in a ZBS like ours.
Round 5 Pick #30 - Broderick Washington DL Texas Tech
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOCe7ESUtl0
Analysis: Washington is a lunch-pail defender who was well liked by Texas Tech's coaches and his teammates. He's not going to be a game-changing talent in the NFL, but he's a guy who can be an effective rotational player because he's capable of playing any position on an even front. He plays the game with effort and violence, uses his short and squatty build well to clog up gaps in the running game, and shows great awareness when it comes to finding the football. He's an effective run stopper who unfortunately doesn't appear to have a ton of pass rush potential.
Round 6 Pick #24 - Quintez Cephus WR Wisconsin
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjl_Q1kR0qM
Analysis: The Combine went very poorly for Cephus and likely dropped him from a 4th round pick to a 6th/7th round pick. It's hard to ignore his 4.7 40. That's brutal. But it's also hard to ignore the tape on Cephus. He's a quality route runner with outstanding hands who uses his strength and size to create separation at the catch point. He's also an excellent run blocker, which is important in our scheme. And while his 40 was quite bad, he doesn't play anywhere near that slow on tape.
Projected Starters
QB: Jared Goff
HB: Todd Gurley
WR: Brandin Cooks
WR: Robert Woods
WR: Cooper Kupp
TE: Tyler Higbee
LT: Andrew Whitworth
LG: Competition
C: Competition
RG: David Edwards
RT: Rob Havenstein
SDE: Sebastian Joseph-Day
NT: Greg Gaines
UT: Aaron Donald
OLB: Clay Matthews
ILB: Competition
ILB: Avery Williamson
OLB: Stephen Weatherly
LCB: Jalen Ramsey
RCB: Troy Hill
SLCB: David Long Jr.
FS: John Johnson III
SS: Taylor Rapp
K: Greg Zuerlein
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
Restructure
QB Jared Goff
Goff's contract is one that makes sense for a restructure because it has a large roster bonus and he isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Re-sign
K Greg Zuerlein
OT Andrew Whitworth
DL Morgan Fox
QB Blake Bortles
All Practice Squad Players
All ERFAs
Yes, we're letting Littleton walk. I don't take pleasure in that, but we have to make hard decisions. Littleton's price tag is too high for me. He's a good but not elite ILB. Whitworth has announced that he wants to return. It makes logical sense to bring him back. It'll give Noteboom additional time to recover from his injury.
Trades
Rams trade WR Josh Reynolds
Bills trade 2021 Round 5 Pick
In this mock, we keep Robert Woods, but we still have a lot of mouths to feed in the passing game. Reynolds is entering the final year of his deal, so we flip him to Buffalo for a future 5th (to compensate for the 5th we traded to Cleveland).
Rams trade CB Nickell Robey-Coleman and Round 7 Pick #20
Bengals trade Round 6 Pick #1
The Bengals' slot CB, Darqueze Dennard, is a FA. NRC is still a quality slot CB who fits Cincy's scheme. With Ramsey, Hill, Long, and Darious Williams, we have enough depth and talent at CB to trade NRC and save a few bucks on his salary.
Rams trade Round 3 Pick #20
Ravens trade Round 3 Pick #28 and Round 4 Pick #33
Ravens trade up for a player. They have multiple fourth round picks, so this isn't a huge loss for them.
Rams trade Round 4 Pick #34 and Round 6 Pick #20
49ers trade Round 5 Pick #10 and Round 5 Pick #30
49ers trade up for a player.
Rams trade Round 6 Pick #1
Saints trade Round 6 Pick #24 and 2021 Round 6 Pick
We trade down again.
Free Agency
Stephen Weatherly OLB
Weatherly has been stuck behind Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter in Minnesota, but I think he's an underrated player. At 6'5" 265, he seems big for a 3-4 OLB at first glance, but he's an athletic big man who played 3-4 OLB in college. Personally, I think he's an underrated player who could break out if given a larger role. He's a really good run defender on the edge who has the athleticism to drop into coverage when needed. His pass rush potential isn't entirely clear at this stage, but he has shown flashes when given PT in Minnesota. I think he has the potential to be a real bargain for us.
Avery Williamson ILB
Williamson is a potential cap casualty for the Jets. He's a well-rounded ILB who was expected to be a major player next to C.J. Mosley coming off his strong 2018 season. However, he tore his ACL during the preseason and missed the season. I think he's a guy who could prove to be a real bargain this off-season. If he returns to his 2018 form, he's a good starting ILB who can do a bit of everything. Because he's a cut, he won't cost us a comp pick.
Jordan Reed TE
Reed is another cut for us to sign. This is a bit of a luxury signing for us, but Reed produced extremely well under McVay. Of course, the contract would have to be one heavy on incentives based on games played because of Reed's injury issues. Still, he could do well on a "prove it" deal here.
NFL Draft
Round 2 Pick #20 - Robert Hunt OG Louisiana-Lafayette
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amIG_LweREM
Analysis: Hunt is a mauling monster of a run blocker who put his guy on the ground with regularity. At 6'5" 325 with good athleticism and overwhelming power, Hunt has the potential to be a perfect replacement for Rodger Saffold. During his time at Louisiana, he started at RT and LG. He has the athleticism and length to stick at RT, but he would need a lot of technical refinement in pass protection there first. At OG, I think he has the potential to compete for a starting job as a rookie due to his size, power, and athleticism. He'll need to be more consistent with his pad level and precise with his hand placement, though.
Round 3 Pick #28 - Jonathan Greenard OLB Florida
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIF9wrXiEsA
Analysis: I said awhile back that I expected Greenard's stock to take a hit at the Combine, and that seems to have happened. Greenard has had some durability struggles in college and didn't test extraordinarily well, but he's a heady pass rusher who does the little things well. He's also an extremely tough player who will play through injuries and give it his all on every snap. He has the potential to be a solid all around EDGE defender. As a pass rusher, his footwork stands out to me. He understands how to use stutters and false steps to get the OT out of position.
Round 4 Pick #20 - Evan Weaver ILB California
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d13Z-MaE6a8
Analysis: Weaver actually turned in a much better Combine than expected. I thought with a poor showing, he'd fall to the 5th or 6th round. Instead, he turned in a respectable Combine. He ran a 4.76 40 (better than the 4.8 40 expected of him) and performed well in the agility drills. Weaver has his limitations and will never be a good matchup for twitchy HBs and receivers in M2M coverage. But he has phenomenal instincts, can defeat blocks, and is a heady zone defender. Yes, Weaver has his athletic limitations, but he's also a tackling machine who will leave everything he has on the field.
Round 4 Pick #33 - James Lynch DL Baylor
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm8iOvwFQzM
Analysis: It's possible that Lynch goes higher than this. He's a tough projection. He put up stellar production this year (19.5 TFLs and 13.5 sacks) as a 3-4 DE, but his traits aren't special. He has good burst and power for a 6'4" 290 pound DL, but he has very short arms and doesn't really have any dominant traits. He's a smart player who plays hard and executes his responsibilities well. I've seen him compared to Matt Ioannidis, another DL I liked who fell way further than he should have. Lynch is capable of spelling Donald or playing 5-Tech.
Round 5 Pick #7 - Nick Harris C Washington
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQvM-7Q9Jo
Analysis: Harris had a rough Senior Bowl week and is undersized at 6'1" 300, but the Senior Bowl wasn't really a place where he'd stand out. It doesn't play to his strengths. Harris is a great athlete with outstanding movement skills and really shines as a combo blocker. He's also very experienced and heady. He's an active and aggressive player who compensates for his lack of size with his aggression and core strength. Harris is likely to fall down the board due to his small stature and lack of positional flexibility, but he has the potential to be an effective starter in a ZBS like ours.
Round 5 Pick #30 - Broderick Washington DL Texas Tech
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOCe7ESUtl0
Analysis: Washington is a lunch-pail defender who was well liked by Texas Tech's coaches and his teammates. He's not going to be a game-changing talent in the NFL, but he's a guy who can be an effective rotational player because he's capable of playing any position on an even front. He plays the game with effort and violence, uses his short and squatty build well to clog up gaps in the running game, and shows great awareness when it comes to finding the football. He's an effective run stopper who unfortunately doesn't appear to have a ton of pass rush potential.
Round 6 Pick #24 - Quintez Cephus WR Wisconsin
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjl_Q1kR0qM
Analysis: The Combine went very poorly for Cephus and likely dropped him from a 4th round pick to a 6th/7th round pick. It's hard to ignore his 4.7 40. That's brutal. But it's also hard to ignore the tape on Cephus. He's a quality route runner with outstanding hands who uses his strength and size to create separation at the catch point. He's also an excellent run blocker, which is important in our scheme. And while his 40 was quite bad, he doesn't play anywhere near that slow on tape.
Projected Starters
QB: Jared Goff
HB: Todd Gurley
WR: Brandin Cooks
WR: Robert Woods
WR: Cooper Kupp
TE: Tyler Higbee
LT: Andrew Whitworth
LG: Competition
C: Competition
RG: David Edwards
RT: Rob Havenstein
SDE: Sebastian Joseph-Day
NT: Greg Gaines
UT: Aaron Donald
OLB: Clay Matthews
ILB: Competition
ILB: Avery Williamson
OLB: Stephen Weatherly
LCB: Jalen Ramsey
RCB: Troy Hill
SLCB: David Long Jr.
FS: John Johnson III
SS: Taylor Rapp
K: Greg Zuerlein
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
