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- Jul 30, 2010
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- Jemma
Well, we did it! We really fucking did it! We're Super Bowl champions! Now that the season's done, it's time for the offseason. Ready? Here it goes:
Cut: None.
(I can't think of any. I really can't. I think that Robinson will likely need to be restructured or something because of his contract - or traded - and I get that guys like Rapp and Henderson are likely not starting next year and could have trade value...but I can't really think of many cuts.
Re-sign:
Matthew Stafford
Odell Beckham Jr.
Joseph Noteboom
Sebastian Joseph-Day (one year)
Matt Gay (RFA, multi-year-deal)
Coleman Shelton (RFA)
Troy Reeder (RFA)
Travin Howard (ERFA)
John Wolford (ERFA)
(Stafford will likely have an extension to save us serious cash in the long run, Beckham is part of my plan in this mock. Noteboom takes over for Whitworth. The rest are either restricted or exclusive rights free agents.)
Release:
Von Miller
Darious Williams
Sony Michel
Austin Corbett
Brian Allen
Sebastian Joseph-Day
Johnny Mundt
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
Donte Deayon
Buddy Howell
(Miller already said that he's entering free agency, and he's probably out of our price range. D-Will and SJD are bounceback candidates, but I can't see it with us. Michel could end up leaving for a starting gig. Corbett and Allen will likely price out of our cap range. Mundt has lost his job to Blanton and Hopkins. Okoronkwo, Deayon, and Howell are negligible losses.)
Free Agency: None.
(Honestly, I don't see us signing many free agents, if any, since we're up against the cap.)
TRADES:
Van Jefferson to the Detroit Lions for 2022 second round pick.
(Normally, I'd deal Woods or let OBJ go in free agency, but honestly, if we're signing OBJ for, say, a short-term deal, we're probably dealing Van because of Harris and Atwell maybe stepping up. Look, I don't have much faith in Atwell, but we drafted him in the second round and Harris - who will likely be a wide receiver - in the fourth, as well as Skowronek in the seventh. Either way, a wideout is expendable with this group.)
Darrell Henderson to the Houston Texans for 2022 sixth round pick (New York Jets).
(Henderson, despite being injured a lot, has probably upped his stock with this Super Bowl performance through the passing game. Houston is desperate for running back help; they have Scottie Phillips and Rex Burkhead left, while David Johnson and Royce Freeman shouldn't move the needle either And while I like Henderson, I won't hesitate to move him for a good pick; he's lost his job to Akers, and I guarantee we draft another running back or two this year anyway because of the injury issues all four of ours have - and because I don't see Michel re-upping with us when he can get a huge contract elsewhere.)
Taylor Rapp to the Dallas Cowboys for 2022 sixth round pick.
(The Cowboys are losing a shit ton of players in free agency this year, and while they'll probably go hard in free agency, I can't see them satisfied with their safeties. Rapp is cheap, has draft pedigree, and should be a solid player for them. In return, we get a nice pick for a player who won't - and shouldn't - start for us.)
Detroit Lions 2022 second round pick to the New York Jets for 2022 second round pick (Panthers) and 2022 fourth round pick (Seahags).
(The Jets jump up to get a falling inside linebacker, while we snag an extra fourth.)
New York Jets (Panthers) second round pick to Miami Dolphins for 2022 second round pick and 2022 third round pick (69ers).
(Miami uses their picks to jump up for a falling running back. We move back for more picks.)
2022 second round pick (Dolphins) to the New York Giants for 2022 third round pick (Giants) and 2022 third round pick (Dolphins).
(Yeah, I'm trading out of the second round. Crazy? Well, we'll see about that.)
2022 sixth round pick (Cowboys), 2022 sixth round pick (Jets), and 2022 seventh round pick (Rams) to the New Orleans Saints for 2022 fifth round pick.
(Saints get more late round picks to help offset their likely cap crunch, while we move up.)
And now, without further ado, here's our mock draft!
DRAFT:
3rd round (Giants) - Cade Otton, TE, Washington. (6'5", 250 lbs.)
(Otton is someone I fell in love with. Him or Jalen Wydermyer are the tight ends I'm interested in. Otton is a fantastic blocker for a starting college tight end, and he's quite capable as a receiver. He's versatile as all get out, able to flex out wide, go inline, or in the backfield. I think McVay could do a lot of things with Otton.)
3rd round (Dolphins) - Darian Kinnard, OG, Kentucky. (6'5", 345 lbs.)
(Kinnard reminds me a lot of a another big Kentucky lineman: Larry Warford. He is a mauler in the run game; simply put, if he gets his hands on you, it's over. But he's also surprisingly nimble for a man his size, a good pass-protector. His issue is that he'll be stuck at guard in the NFL; he doesn't have the feet to play tackle. Weight is also a concern. But he's a good prospect who will fall here because of his limitations.)
3rd round (69ers) - Boye Mafe, OLB, Minnesota. (6'4", 265 lbs.)
(Mafe is seriously skilled. He's raw and needs to improve his technique, but has an Energizer bunny motor, and plenty of tools to work with. Honestly, I think he could take snaps at inside linebacker because his athleticism is that good.)
3rd round (Brad Holmes comp.) - Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri. (5'8", 194 lbs.)
(Badie is the player I want the most, but if he blows up the Combine like I expect him to, he won't be here. Badie is an explosive player, rarely puts the ball on the ground, has surprising strength, and is the best receiving back in this class. Maybe you'd compare him to Henderson - and yes, he'd be taking Henderson's place - but Badie honestly reminds me of Jamaal Charles. He could have the exact same impact.)
4th round (Seahags) - Jalen Pitre, SS, Baylor. (6'0", 197 lbs.)
(Pitre may not even be here; he really blew up the Senior Bowl. I'm assuming he's here because I want to talk about him. He simply is one of the better box safeties in the draft. He may not have the size, but he has incredible sideline-to-sideline range, is a solid tackler, is versatile enough to cover the slot and go big nickel, and has solid coverage skills.)
4th round (John Johnson comp.) - Cole Strange, OC/OG, Chattanooga. (6'6", 301 lbs.)
(Strange has played left guard for most of his career at Chattanooga, but I like him more at center. He's a people mover in the run game with the nasty temperament you love to see in an offensive lineman. He's an older prospect, which hurts his draft stock, but he's smart, has solid pass-protection ability, and I think he could be a solid developmental center behind Shelton.)
5th round (Saints) - Isaiah Pola-Mao, FS, South California. (6'4", 205 lbs.)
(Don't let Pola-Mao's size fool you; he's an incredibly fluid and rangy free safety, and solid tackler, although he may need to put on more weight. Like Pitre, he's quite versatile, able to cover slot receivers, although, honestly, I'd prefer him as the single high safety.)
5th round (Rams) - Zaquandre White, RB, South Carolina. (6'1", 215 lbs.)
(White is the bigger back we need on this team. He runs hard, and is extremely physical, but he has a second gear in the open field and is very explosive. He's not very elusive, but he's not there to be elusive. He's there to be a physical, punishing running back.)
6th round (Samson Ebukam comp.) - Joshua Williams, CB, Fayetteville State. (6'2", 197 lbs.)
(Williams comes from a D-III school, and while he's sushi-raw, he has so much potential that I'm willing to wait on it. He's big, fast, has incredible ball skills, and decent coverage, and he's versatile enough to line up in the slot and outside. He simply needs to learn the finer points of being a defensive back.)
6th round (Gerald Everett comp.) - Decobie Durant, CB, South Carolina State. (5'10", 175 lbs.)
(Durant is another small school corner, but one with excellent technique for a small school corner. He lacks size and will likely be forced into the slot, but he's a willing tackler, has tremendous instincts, and is a fantastic ballhawk of a corner.)
6th round (Troy Hill comp.) - Tayland Humphrey, DL, Louisiana. (6'5", 349 lbs.)
(You would not believe how athletic this kid is. For such a big man, he's quite explosive, has a surprising motor, and is country strong. May not be here if he can show out at the Combine.)
7th round (Dolphins) - Ali Fayad, OLB, Western Michigan. (6'2", 250 lbs.)
(Fayad has the raw statistics, and I could see someone like him being taken in the seventh like Garrett was. He has poor length, so you're never really going to see him win with his hands. But he's got a quick first step, and if you speed rushed him, you probably could get a lot of mileage out of him.)
Roster (starters, bold; rookies, italics):
QB - Matthew Stafford, Bryce Perkins.
RB - Cam Akers, Jake Funk, Tyler Badie, Zaquandre White.
TE - Tyler Higbee, Cade Otton, Brycen Hopkins, Kendall Blanton.
WR - Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Odell Beckham Jr., Chatarius Atwell, Jacob Harris, Ben Skowronek, Brandon Powell.
OL - Joseph Noteboom, David Edwards, Coleman Shelton, Darian Kinnard, Rob Havenstein, Alaric Jackson, Bobby Evans, Cole Strange.
DL - Aaron Donald, Greg Gaines, A'Shawn Robinson, Bobby Brown III, Earnest Brown IV, Tayland Humphrey.
LB - Leonard Floyd, Ernest Jones, Travin Howard, Justin Hollins, Troy Reeder, Christian Rozeboom, Terrell Lewis, Chris Garrett, Boye Mafe, Ali Fayad.
DB - Jalen Ramsey, Robert Rochell, Jordan Fuller, Nick Scott, David Long, Joshua Williams, Decobie Durant, Terrell Burgess, Jalen Pitre, Isaiah Pola-Mao.
ST - Matt Gay, Johnny Hekker, Matthew Orzech.
Thoughts? Critiques? Concerns about my sanity? Feel free to put them here.
Cut: None.
(I can't think of any. I really can't. I think that Robinson will likely need to be restructured or something because of his contract - or traded - and I get that guys like Rapp and Henderson are likely not starting next year and could have trade value...but I can't really think of many cuts.
Re-sign:
Matthew Stafford
Odell Beckham Jr.
Joseph Noteboom
Sebastian Joseph-Day (one year)
Matt Gay (RFA, multi-year-deal)
Coleman Shelton (RFA)
Troy Reeder (RFA)
Travin Howard (ERFA)
John Wolford (ERFA)
(Stafford will likely have an extension to save us serious cash in the long run, Beckham is part of my plan in this mock. Noteboom takes over for Whitworth. The rest are either restricted or exclusive rights free agents.)
Release:
Von Miller
Darious Williams
Sony Michel
Austin Corbett
Brian Allen
Sebastian Joseph-Day
Johnny Mundt
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
Donte Deayon
Buddy Howell
(Miller already said that he's entering free agency, and he's probably out of our price range. D-Will and SJD are bounceback candidates, but I can't see it with us. Michel could end up leaving for a starting gig. Corbett and Allen will likely price out of our cap range. Mundt has lost his job to Blanton and Hopkins. Okoronkwo, Deayon, and Howell are negligible losses.)
Free Agency: None.
(Honestly, I don't see us signing many free agents, if any, since we're up against the cap.)
TRADES:
Van Jefferson to the Detroit Lions for 2022 second round pick.
(Normally, I'd deal Woods or let OBJ go in free agency, but honestly, if we're signing OBJ for, say, a short-term deal, we're probably dealing Van because of Harris and Atwell maybe stepping up. Look, I don't have much faith in Atwell, but we drafted him in the second round and Harris - who will likely be a wide receiver - in the fourth, as well as Skowronek in the seventh. Either way, a wideout is expendable with this group.)
Darrell Henderson to the Houston Texans for 2022 sixth round pick (New York Jets).
(Henderson, despite being injured a lot, has probably upped his stock with this Super Bowl performance through the passing game. Houston is desperate for running back help; they have Scottie Phillips and Rex Burkhead left, while David Johnson and Royce Freeman shouldn't move the needle either And while I like Henderson, I won't hesitate to move him for a good pick; he's lost his job to Akers, and I guarantee we draft another running back or two this year anyway because of the injury issues all four of ours have - and because I don't see Michel re-upping with us when he can get a huge contract elsewhere.)
Taylor Rapp to the Dallas Cowboys for 2022 sixth round pick.
(The Cowboys are losing a shit ton of players in free agency this year, and while they'll probably go hard in free agency, I can't see them satisfied with their safeties. Rapp is cheap, has draft pedigree, and should be a solid player for them. In return, we get a nice pick for a player who won't - and shouldn't - start for us.)
Detroit Lions 2022 second round pick to the New York Jets for 2022 second round pick (Panthers) and 2022 fourth round pick (Seahags).
(The Jets jump up to get a falling inside linebacker, while we snag an extra fourth.)
New York Jets (Panthers) second round pick to Miami Dolphins for 2022 second round pick and 2022 third round pick (69ers).
(Miami uses their picks to jump up for a falling running back. We move back for more picks.)
2022 second round pick (Dolphins) to the New York Giants for 2022 third round pick (Giants) and 2022 third round pick (Dolphins).
(Yeah, I'm trading out of the second round. Crazy? Well, we'll see about that.)
2022 sixth round pick (Cowboys), 2022 sixth round pick (Jets), and 2022 seventh round pick (Rams) to the New Orleans Saints for 2022 fifth round pick.
(Saints get more late round picks to help offset their likely cap crunch, while we move up.)
And now, without further ado, here's our mock draft!
DRAFT:
3rd round (Giants) - Cade Otton, TE, Washington. (6'5", 250 lbs.)
(Otton is someone I fell in love with. Him or Jalen Wydermyer are the tight ends I'm interested in. Otton is a fantastic blocker for a starting college tight end, and he's quite capable as a receiver. He's versatile as all get out, able to flex out wide, go inline, or in the backfield. I think McVay could do a lot of things with Otton.)
3rd round (Dolphins) - Darian Kinnard, OG, Kentucky. (6'5", 345 lbs.)
(Kinnard reminds me a lot of a another big Kentucky lineman: Larry Warford. He is a mauler in the run game; simply put, if he gets his hands on you, it's over. But he's also surprisingly nimble for a man his size, a good pass-protector. His issue is that he'll be stuck at guard in the NFL; he doesn't have the feet to play tackle. Weight is also a concern. But he's a good prospect who will fall here because of his limitations.)
3rd round (69ers) - Boye Mafe, OLB, Minnesota. (6'4", 265 lbs.)
(Mafe is seriously skilled. He's raw and needs to improve his technique, but has an Energizer bunny motor, and plenty of tools to work with. Honestly, I think he could take snaps at inside linebacker because his athleticism is that good.)
3rd round (Brad Holmes comp.) - Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri. (5'8", 194 lbs.)
(Badie is the player I want the most, but if he blows up the Combine like I expect him to, he won't be here. Badie is an explosive player, rarely puts the ball on the ground, has surprising strength, and is the best receiving back in this class. Maybe you'd compare him to Henderson - and yes, he'd be taking Henderson's place - but Badie honestly reminds me of Jamaal Charles. He could have the exact same impact.)
4th round (Seahags) - Jalen Pitre, SS, Baylor. (6'0", 197 lbs.)
(Pitre may not even be here; he really blew up the Senior Bowl. I'm assuming he's here because I want to talk about him. He simply is one of the better box safeties in the draft. He may not have the size, but he has incredible sideline-to-sideline range, is a solid tackler, is versatile enough to cover the slot and go big nickel, and has solid coverage skills.)
4th round (John Johnson comp.) - Cole Strange, OC/OG, Chattanooga. (6'6", 301 lbs.)
(Strange has played left guard for most of his career at Chattanooga, but I like him more at center. He's a people mover in the run game with the nasty temperament you love to see in an offensive lineman. He's an older prospect, which hurts his draft stock, but he's smart, has solid pass-protection ability, and I think he could be a solid developmental center behind Shelton.)
5th round (Saints) - Isaiah Pola-Mao, FS, South California. (6'4", 205 lbs.)
(Don't let Pola-Mao's size fool you; he's an incredibly fluid and rangy free safety, and solid tackler, although he may need to put on more weight. Like Pitre, he's quite versatile, able to cover slot receivers, although, honestly, I'd prefer him as the single high safety.)
5th round (Rams) - Zaquandre White, RB, South Carolina. (6'1", 215 lbs.)
(White is the bigger back we need on this team. He runs hard, and is extremely physical, but he has a second gear in the open field and is very explosive. He's not very elusive, but he's not there to be elusive. He's there to be a physical, punishing running back.)
6th round (Samson Ebukam comp.) - Joshua Williams, CB, Fayetteville State. (6'2", 197 lbs.)
(Williams comes from a D-III school, and while he's sushi-raw, he has so much potential that I'm willing to wait on it. He's big, fast, has incredible ball skills, and decent coverage, and he's versatile enough to line up in the slot and outside. He simply needs to learn the finer points of being a defensive back.)
6th round (Gerald Everett comp.) - Decobie Durant, CB, South Carolina State. (5'10", 175 lbs.)
(Durant is another small school corner, but one with excellent technique for a small school corner. He lacks size and will likely be forced into the slot, but he's a willing tackler, has tremendous instincts, and is a fantastic ballhawk of a corner.)
6th round (Troy Hill comp.) - Tayland Humphrey, DL, Louisiana. (6'5", 349 lbs.)
(You would not believe how athletic this kid is. For such a big man, he's quite explosive, has a surprising motor, and is country strong. May not be here if he can show out at the Combine.)
7th round (Dolphins) - Ali Fayad, OLB, Western Michigan. (6'2", 250 lbs.)
(Fayad has the raw statistics, and I could see someone like him being taken in the seventh like Garrett was. He has poor length, so you're never really going to see him win with his hands. But he's got a quick first step, and if you speed rushed him, you probably could get a lot of mileage out of him.)
Roster (starters, bold; rookies, italics):
QB - Matthew Stafford, Bryce Perkins.
RB - Cam Akers, Jake Funk, Tyler Badie, Zaquandre White.
TE - Tyler Higbee, Cade Otton, Brycen Hopkins, Kendall Blanton.
WR - Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Odell Beckham Jr., Chatarius Atwell, Jacob Harris, Ben Skowronek, Brandon Powell.
OL - Joseph Noteboom, David Edwards, Coleman Shelton, Darian Kinnard, Rob Havenstein, Alaric Jackson, Bobby Evans, Cole Strange.
DL - Aaron Donald, Greg Gaines, A'Shawn Robinson, Bobby Brown III, Earnest Brown IV, Tayland Humphrey.
LB - Leonard Floyd, Ernest Jones, Travin Howard, Justin Hollins, Troy Reeder, Christian Rozeboom, Terrell Lewis, Chris Garrett, Boye Mafe, Ali Fayad.
DB - Jalen Ramsey, Robert Rochell, Jordan Fuller, Nick Scott, David Long, Joshua Williams, Decobie Durant, Terrell Burgess, Jalen Pitre, Isaiah Pola-Mao.
ST - Matt Gay, Johnny Hekker, Matthew Orzech.
Thoughts? Critiques? Concerns about my sanity? Feel free to put them here.
