Draft Gurus: Bottom-line, is there a Mayo-Esque Starting OLB in this draft?

[Feep50]

Barwin at #23? I'm fine with that so long as we have a starter in place before the draft. Jason Taylor would be the logical fit if we took Barwin at 23. If we were to sign Peppers that changes things considerably....

 

[bakes781]

Peppers is gonna cost you a 1st and probably a 2nd. Not to mention your chances of resigning Wilfork or Seymour.

 

[JSn]

Peppers is gonna cost you a 1st and probably a 2nd. Not to mention your chances of resigning Wilfork or Seymour.

Dude, that line is SO last week.

Cassel set the market on trades. If Carolina wants him gone, they'll get a second or a low first, tops.

 

[Feep50]

Peppers is gonna cost you a 1st and probably a 2nd. Not to mention your chances of resigning Wilfork or Seymour.

I have my doubts about this. We shall see soon enough though.

 

[bakes781]

Dude, that line is SO last week.

Cassel set the market on trades. If Carolina wants him gone, they'll get a second or a low first, tops.

Dude you were wrong about Cassel and you're wrong about Peppers. Carolina doesn't want him gone and so unless someone blows them away with an offer he isn't going any where.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Good question, right of the bat I would say Sintim but after I though about it Larry English is the guy who was not on my radar at all a month ago who is flying up the draft charts lately. It is such a tough position to judge that is why BB is making that decision as he did great with Mayo last year.

Sintim and English are both good prospects. But I think it's unrealistic to think they are Mayo type prospects who will step in right away. with that in mind, I'd go with Barwin who has the highest upside. It will probably take some time for him to learn the position but he could contribute on passing downs, on special teams, and as a tight end until he is ready.

Meanwhile I think Woods (who was tendered 2M!!) is the default starter opposite Thomas. I really would have preferred to get a vet player like a Peppers/Suggs/Dansby but right now I think the odds are low since they ALL got franchised. Grrrr.

 

[bakes781]

You do know Barwin's first year on defense he matched English's sophomore season? And he plays Special Teams and he's a good TE and he's more athletic... I like the longer production timeline on defense, but all things being equal, you lad is a damned fine 4-3 DE who still has to face the same transition challenges with fewer tools.

For what it's worth Larry did play ILB and was a basketball standout in high school.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

For what it's worth Larry did play ILB and was a basketball standout in high school.

Yup, it should help him, but I do have to note I'm hoping for LBs taller then 6'2" to take on Pro-OTs. I like Larry, if BB wanted to move him inside and work him at SILB I'd be cool, but I'd still rather have Sintim there.

 

[CanadianPat'sFan]

Sintim and English are both good prospects. But I think it's unrealistic to think they are Mayo type prospects who will step in right away. with that in mind, I'd go with Barwin who has the highest upside. It will probably take some time for him to learn the position but he could contribute on passing downs, on special teams, and as a tight end until he is ready.

Meanwhile I think Woods (who was tendered 2M!!) is the default starter opposite Thomas. I really would have preferred to get a vet player like a Peppers/Suggs/Dansby but right now I think the odds are low since they ALL got franchised. Grrrr.

Totally agree with this and like you I am not sold on Woods and was hard on the Suggs bandwaggon.

The difficulty of this question is many of the best OLB are going to be projects as we have a lot of good conversion guys (Orakpo, English, Maybin, Barwin and Johnson to some extent) Mayo was a LB through and through and that is why he was able to make the jump right away to the NFL as WILB for us. All of the players I mention will have a learning curve to pick up OLB with Barwin I think having the highest ceiling.

 

[Feep50]

Anyone envision a scenario where BB packages a couple of picks to move up in the first round? To around say 12-18 for a player he really covets? Maybin? Orakpo? Brown? Maybe someone slips into middle of the round.... Raji will be long gone before #10.... Pity

 

[mayoclinic]

Anyone envision a scenario where BB packages a couple of picks to move up in the first round? To around say 12-18 for a player he really covets? Maybin? Orakpo? Brown? Maybe someone slips into middle of the round.... Raji will be long gone before #10.... Pity

Not terribly likely. As I posted on another thread, there are a bunch of players clustered between 21 and 60, and only a handful of "top 20" picks who would likely be worth trading up for, all of whom are extremely probable top 10 picks: Jason Smith, Eugene Monroe, Michael Crabtree, Aaron Curry, and BJ Raji. Unless one of them falls into the teens, I don't see us trading up.

I think a trade up in the 2nd round is more likely. Packing our 3rd round pick (#89) with #58 gets us to around 43-44; packaging it with #47 gets us to around #33. Having #23, 34, 43 and 47 would be nice.

I could also see us trading #23 back 5-10 spots in the draft, if another team wants to target a particular player, given the density of players in that range and lack of clear separation. We could possibly do both: trade #89 to move up in the 2nd, and trade back from #23 to pick up the 3rd rounder that we gave up.

 

[Feep50]

Not terribly likely. As I posted on another thread, there are a bunch of players clustered between 21 and 60, and only a handful of "top 20" picks who would likely be worth trading up for, all of whom are extremely probable top 10 picks: Jason Smith, Eugene Monroe, Michael Crabtree, Aaron Curry, and BJ Raji. Unless one of them falls into the teens, I don't see us trading up.

I think a trade up in the 2nd round is more likely. Packing our 3rd round pick (#89) with #58 gets us to around 43-44; packaging it with #47 gets us to around #33. Having #23, 34, 43 and 47 would be nice.

I could also see us trading #23 back 5-10 spots in the draft, if another team wants to target a particular player, given the density of players in that range and lack of clear separation. We could possibly do both: trade #89 to move up in the 2nd, and trade back from #23 to pick up the 3rd rounder that we gave up.

This does make the most sense and does seem to be BB's MO from what I've seen following the draft more closely for the last 8 years..... I guess I would like to see it one time and it's the gambler in my wanting it to happen......

But I agree with you're analysis 100%....Damnit

 

[bakes781]

Anyone envision a scenario where BB packages a couple of picks to move up in the first round? To around say 12-18 for a player he really covets? Maybin? Orakpo? Brown? Maybe someone slips into middle of the round.... Raji will be long gone before #10.... Pity

Of those guys you mentioned I think there's a very good chance Maybin slips. I don't like him for the Pats, but I think he'll be there at #23 if you want him.