mayoclinic

Assume that the Pats pick up a high 3rd round pick from Kansas City via trade, currently projected to be #69 - I'm not sure how we would do this (trade current player vs. future pick), but assume it for the sake of this exercise. Assume also that the Pats pick at #23 and 55 in the first 2 rounds, with picks at #45 and #50 from Tennessee and Jacksonville.

Consider the following 2 alternate draft scenarios:

Option 1:

23. CJ Spiller, RB, Clemson - the most electric offensive playmaker in the draft
45. Corey Wootten, DE, Northwestern - 6'7" 280# prospect who should be good at the 5-technique
50. Greg Romeus, DE/OLB, Pittsburgh - 6'5" 265# prospect with a lot of upside; strong against the run and rushing the passer
55. Austen Lane, DE/OLB, Murray St. - 6'6" 260# small school freak who has DeMarcus Ware-like agility numbers and tremendous productivity
69. Mike Johnson, OG, Alabama - 6'6" 305# mauler who paved the way for Mark Ingram this year
120. Jared Veldheer, OT, Hillsdale - 6'8" 325# athletic OT with a lot of upside who has been compared to Sebastian Vollmer, and who could take over at RT in 2011 or 2012 once Vollmer eventually moves to LT

Option 2:

- Trade #23 + #45 to Denver or San Francisco for a pick in the 10-12 range (I'll call it 11 for now). #23 + 45 are worth 1210 points according to the old draft value chart; #11 is worth 1250. I think those teams are the most likely trading partners with picks in the relevant area of the draft.

11. Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama - 6'4" 255# defensive playmaker to pair with Mayo
50. Greg Romeus, DE/OLB, Pittsburgh
55. Austen Lane, DE/OLB, Murray St.
69. Mike Johnson, OG, Alabama
120. Jared Veldheer, OT, Hillsdale

If you prefer other guys at DE/OLB or OL, feel free to substitute, but I've left all of the players the same except for 23 + 45 vs. 11.

In one draft we get a RB + a 3-4 DE, including the biggest offensive playmaker in the draft; in the other we get possibly one of the 2 best defensive playmakers (along with Ndamukong Suh) in the draft.

Which option would you prefer?

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi

carolinatony

I would LOVE either of these Mayo.
There is Only 1 problem and BB will never have a draft like this. It fills our needs..what we belive; but BB will somehow feel different.

Its possible he doesn't take a LB this year I really believe. The moves we may this past year have surprised a lot of us.

carolinatony

I enjoy your picks Mayo. You need to do another 2 rounder with every teams picks. You beat these other mocks I read online.
Very good job.

BradyMossWelker

I really don't see anything special in Wootten, I really don't!!
I would prefer to draft romeus first, or taking a better DE, like Brandon Graham if still available

mayoclinic

Feel free to substitute, if you think someone else will be available. I've picked guys I like at DE, DE/OLB and OL, but if you think that Jared Odrick or Arthur Jones will be available at 45 and is a better option than Wootten I'm fine with it. Similarly, I prefer Romeus and Lane to Graham at 3-4 DE because of their length and concerns about whether Graham can play in space, but I certainly don't have a problem with substituting Graham if you really believe he'll be available.

Those choices are not material to the poll, which was really about the trade-up option. The question that I saw was whether getting a blue chip defender like McClain was worth giving up another potential blue chip offensive prospect like Spiller plus a solid 3-4 DE prospect? That's the big question. I think most people would give up 2 red chip prospects to get a blue chipper like McClain, but I used Spiller because I think many people would consider him an elite talent and offensive weapon, which we could certainly use.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi

mayoclinic

I'll do another 2+ rounder January 15 or soon thereafter, once the draft order is mostly determined and once the status of all eligible underclassmen is determined.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi

carolinatony

While I think Spiller is a good RB; isn't he more of a quick,fast back?
With Maroney we would be better off with a Power back ala Corey Dillion to go with him.

NePatriots

I see it the opposite way. I think that Maroney can be a banger, and we've seen that the last few weeks. I would love a Maroney/Spiller combination with a Sammy Morris-esque to bring in as a change-of-pace.

That said -- Rolando McLain is too good to pass up.

__________________
NEPatriotsDraft.com, home of
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
analysis. Follow
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
and
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
.

carolinatony

I see it the opposite way. I think that Maroney can be a banger, and we've seen that the last few weeks. I would love a Maroney/Spiller combination with a Sammy Morris-esque to bring in as a change-of-pace.


I do not see Maroney as a banger but maybe I am wrong. With that being said if BB trades up, I hope its on defense.

mayoclinic

That's been discussed some on this board, with posters split pretty much evenly. See for example:

Wes Bunting's All ACC Team (discussing Spiller vs. Jonathan Dwyer)

My impression is that Spiller is regarded as a blue-chip talent (top 15) who will quite possibly fall to the late 1st round (or even early 2nd, though I think that's unlikely) because of concerns that he may not be a 3-down back. His upside is Chris Johnson, with better receiving and return skills. His downside is Reggie Bush. But he is a legitimate threat to go all the way every time he touches the ball, and after watching the Saints run past us with their superior speed I can see the advantage to having a weapon like Spiller on offense.

Earlier this season I favored a power back to complement Maroney. With the way Maroney's running right now, I'm not so sure.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi