I won't be shocked, it all depends on their evalution of Kaczur. If they think he's a long term starter then I don't see them picking Winston or another OT. Then a Mangold would make more sense with Koppen's upcoming free agency (and current rehab). But if Kaczur is looked at as a long term swing man backup then Winston is very much on the table.

__________________
Don't Give Me a Defensive Player Who Can't Tackle . . . What Am I Going to Do With Him ? --- Bill Belichick

Surely Kaczur is looked at as a long term starter.

__________________
"I got a little shine on and showed you guys a little taste of my speed."

----Vince Wilfork, Jan. 7, 2007

Ryan Cook C in the bottom of the third or lower represents great value.

What a fascinating suggestion. I've been disregarding OL in the first because the guard and tackle positions look pretty solid with long-term deals for Light, Mankins, Neal and Kaczur. Duh, isn't something missing there?

Koppen's injury has been reported as serious. He's a UFA after the season. And center is one of the few positions in the draft with a clear-cut #1 prospect and a major dropoff to #2. I fully expect Mangold to go in the first, since teams like the Jets and Pittsburgh have holes at the position. Hmm...

Here's one wild hypothetical:

The Pats like Lawson, Carpenter or Cromartie at #21 and all three are gone. No great value on the board. And say Chicago would like to squeeze in ahead of Denver to nab Chad Jackson. A modest trade down and Mangold at #26 looks very reasonable, leaving you with a ton of picks in the 2-4 range to maneuver for a nice group of players. And leaving draft prognosticators across the land to weep in frustration. Not likely, but not out of the question.

The only thing with Cook is that he's 6'6" which is awfully tall for a Center. I like his versatility but I'm not sure he's a starter at Center in the NFL.

__________________
Don't Give Me a Defensive Player Who Can't Tackle . . . What Am I Going to Do With Him ? --- Bill Belichick

Ryan Cook
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Position: C
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College:New Mexico

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Projected Round3
MEASUREMENTS
HEIGHT 6'7"
WEIGHT 318
40 TIME 5.50



ATTRIBUTE SCORE
SIZE 9/10
SPEED 6/10
STRENGTH 8/10
ATHLETICISM 6/10
XFACTOR 7/10

DRAFTX.com VALUE
60.5


Pros: Punishing run blocker with very good strength. Shows great form, and has emerged into one of the better centers in the nation. Terrific size and uses it well. Good footwork and quickness, very nimble for a big man. Versatile, consistent and experienced.
Cons: Hasn't been playing top competition at New Mexico, and hasn't been tested in the passing game as often as you'd expect due to NM being a primarily run-oriented offense. Has been surrounded by one of the better OLs in the nation, and a very productive back.
Strengths:
Has great size and a large frame with long arms...Is very strong...Plays with an attitude and has a nasty demeanor on the field...Feet and quickness are more than adequate inside...Smart and a hard worker who wants to improve...Versatile and can play multiple positions...Durable and productive with a lot of experience.

Weaknesses:
Might be too tall and struggles with leverage and knee bend...Is not very mobile or adept in space...Not very explosive...Is not a great natural athlete...Below average at the second level taking on linebackers...Weight room strength doesn't always translate onto the field...Still raw and will need to be developed further.

Notes:
Former walk-on for the Lobos...Highly decorated and earned first team all-MWC honors three straight years...Could potentially move outside to tackle at the next level...Interesting developmental prospect due to his great size and intangibles.

I agree with you to say he is not necessarily a starter. However the guy would be a great late 3rd pickup. Cheap for 4 yrs and maybe a starter. He is nasty.

Supposedly he's someone we've shown a good amount of interest in so don't forget about him on draft day.

__________________
Don't Give Me a Defensive Player Who Can't Tackle . . . What Am I Going to Do With Him ? --- Bill Belichick

Patchick, you make this all sound very believable! Of course this assumes BB considers Mangold worthy of a 1st Round pick.

__________________
"I got a little shine on and showed you guys a little taste of my speed."

----Vince Wilfork, Jan. 7, 2007

Sorry, but you are very mistaken. NT is not a need. We have a very good starter in Wilfork. Reserve NT may or may not be a need depending on what the Pats feel regarding Wright and Thomas.

Lumping ILB and OLB together and calling it LB is a fallacy as well. The Pats have 9 LBs signed currently. The major concern, unless they move Vrabel back outside is one of the strongest positions in the draft and that is OLB. ILB isn't nearly as strong.

RB isn't a NEED position as the Pats already have 4 RBs on the roster in Dillon, Faulk, Evans, and Charles. (I don't consider Evans a FB since he can't really block).

I agree totally.