Day 2 = Sheard

[Metaphors]

Bowers is kind of unrateable at this point. The fact that he's available must mean his knee is awful...but if there's a chance he can play, he's easily the best option.

Agree. If he is bone-on-bone in the knee area, then it is just a matter of when (not if) he breaks down. That means the opportunity cost of taking him it too high until you hit the talent cliff in this draft (maybe #75?). If he doesn't have a degenerative condition, there is no way he makes it out of the 1st round for the likes of Wilkerson, Heyward and Sherrod.

Otherwise, I'll double up on the Pitt Panthers Sheard and Romeus.

After passing on DEs with pass rush skills, it seems clear Belichick is planning on bringing pressure using OLBs with their hands on the ground. TBC is a likely cap casualty so there are effectively 2 open OLB spots. Sheard and Romeus are good fits, where Houston and Reed seem less so. Your prediction makes a lot of sense.

 

[patchick]

I guess it's official: I'm the lone person on the board that thinks that Sheard has roughly the same chance of succeeding as a Patriots OLB as I do of getting struck by lightning while holding a winning lottery ticket.

The man is unable to move along any axis that is not N-S.

Hey, at least that's two directions! Justin Houston can only go South.

 

[Spike]

Houston failed the combine drug test. Any player that can't stay clean, when they KNOW they will be drug tested, is somebody I'd be very.......no heck, I wouldn't take him.

Agreed! Let him be someone else's headache.

 

[Peachhead]

Houston failed the combine drug test. Any player that can't stay clean, when they KNOW they will be drug tested, is somebody I'd be very.......no heck, I wouldn't take him.

Good point. I was ready to cut Houston a break because of Hernandez' history and how that didn't take him off BB's board (and personally I don't give a s**t about MJ unless it affects your availability for games). But then again Hernandez was clean at the combine.

-1 to Houston for general dumbs**ted-ness

 

[Off The Grid]

I guess it's official: I'm the lone person on the board that thinks that Sheard has roughly the same chance of succeeding as a Patriots OLB as I do of getting struck by lightning while holding a winning lottery ticket.

You are mistaken.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Bowers is kind of unrateable at this point. The fact that he's available must mean his knee is awful...but if there's a chance he can play, he's easily the best option.

Otherwise, I'll double up on the Pitt Panthers Sheard and Romeus.

Me too !!!! :rocker:

 

[Metaphors]

The man is unable to move along any axis that is not N-S.

If you are right, he won't be the pick. I see him differently. He is instinctive and moves laterally down the line extremely well. Reads play action and bootlegs quickly and doesn't waste steps locking onto the ball.

He hasn't shown the ability to drop (which I guess would be "South") but I expect that is the one area of OLB that the Pats are willing to coach up. You don't need an accountant to track the times Ware drops into coverage.

A pure straight-ahead guy, but without the explosiveness to use him as even a 3rd down pin-you-ears-back-and-go pass rusher.

The Pats have passed on that type of player consistently for years. Not sure why they would take one now. You are describing a "linear" pass rusher but I disagree with that assessment for Sheard. He is more angular...get off the ball quick, engage the blocker(s) and drive to influence the pocket. It is that sort of "lean" that Cunningham does well so Sheard could be a good complement opposite him. If he were an inch taller with longer arms, that "lean" might have pushed him into the first round.

If my eyes are right, the Pats should be looking for Sheard at #33. If your eyes are accurate, I don't think you will have to worry about buying a Sheard jersey this year.

 

[dryheat44]

If you are right, he won't be the pick. I see him differently. He is instinctive and moves laterally down the line extremely well. Reads play action and bootlegs quickly and doesn't waste steps locking onto the ball.

He hasn't shown the ability to drop (which I guess would be "South") but I expect that is the one area of OLB that the Pats are willing to coach up. You don't need an accountant to track the times Ware drops into coverage.



The Pats have passed on that type of player consistently for years. Not sure why they would take one now. You are describing a "linear" pass rusher but I disagree with that assessment for Sheard. He is more angular...get off the ball quick, engage the blocker(s) and drive to influence the pocket. It is that sort of "lean" that Cunningham does well so Sheard could be a good complement opposite him. If he were an inch taller with longer arms, that "lean" might have pushed him into the first round.

If my eyes are right, the Pats should be looking for Sheard at #33. If your eyes are accurate, I don't think you will have to worry about buying a Sheard jersey this year.

Fair assessment. I think he could do okay as a 4-3 end, playing off the tackle and controlling him off the snap and not giving ground in the run game. He might (might) even do OK as a Steeler, Cowboy, or Charger linebacker. I've watched Pittsburgh quite a bit over the last two years, and I've seen nothing that leads me to believe he can succeed here...which is odd, because I respect and usually agree with your evaluations.

 

[Metaphors]

Fair assessment. I think he could do okay as a 4-3 end, playing off the tackle and controlling him off the snap and not giving ground in the run game. He might (might) even do OK as a Steeler, Cowboy, or Charger linebacker. I've watched Pittsburgh quite a bit over the last two years, and I've seen nothing that leads me to believe he can succeed here...which is odd, because I respect and usually agree with your evaluations.

Not surprising since translating college DEs to Pats OLBs is just above particle physics on the complexity scale. For a pick this high, I would imagine Belichick will be pretty discriminating in what he is looking for in an OLB. I haven't seen a lot of Sheard so my sample size is relatively small. If you are seeing something radically different from me, maybe I just caught him on days when he was Red Bull'ed up or facing a particularly good matchup for him.

 

[Synovia]

Houston failed the combine drug test. Any player that can't stay clean, when they KNOW they will be drug tested, is somebody I'd be very.......no heck, I wouldn't take him.

You mean like Aaron Hernandez? Or Warren Sapp?


There's a risk with these guys, but they're usually some of the best values in the draft.

 

[TheSolderKing]

Brooks Reed @ 33

kid has speed

does he not posses the best 10 yard split??? A split that even Von Miller finished 2nd behind Reed?


ppl call him 1 dimensional... just b/c u read it on a mock board???give the guy a chance. He will NOT disappoint.

33 is REED book it!!!


I am new hi... I use to follow unregistered... go my official registered name now.

Reed fits our system...

we can't get to the QB quick enough. This guy can and will make QB's panic.



I like Leshore for our last 2nd

maybe a DLman @ 26?


REED is our MAN. Stop hating

 

[PatsCanDoIt]

If we make this ONE pick today, I'll be pretty happy about the draft.

Anyone else got him on their board?

 

[Frick]

Instead of Sheard, Reed or Carter from NC (their potential looks like maybe a half step better than Ninkovich):

Trade #33 to SF for their 2nd round pick and their 2 4th round picks.

If Bill thinks Wisniewski is the C of the future, draft him before the Raiders can.

If not, try Marcus Cannon (tub of goo from TCU).

With #56, another G; example: Will Rackley.

With pick #60, TE Housler from Florida Atlantic. Convert him to Outside Receiver. 6'5", 244, 40-4.51 if he dropped to 224, what do you think his time would be?

With pick #74, Dontay Moch. If he can be taught some techniques, he'd be awesome.

With pick #92, BRBA.

With the picks from the 4th, 5th and 6th rounds, Mark Herzlich, BC (OLB); Brandon Bair, DE (Oregon)- he only needs weight; Keith Darbut, OLB, D-3, Baldwin Wallace-6'4", 229, 40-4.40, 10'6" broad jump, 38" vertical, 225 lb. x 26. He could replace Slater until he is developed; Jah Reid, OT, as a backup; and pick up a QB of the future.

That's what I'd want instead of Sheard. Plus, any picks we get next year for trading Mankins, Kaczur, Meriweather, Butler, Slater, Tully Banta-Cain, we should be able to get a 2nd, a 3rd and maybe a couple of 7ths, plus the compensatory pick for Matt Light.

Next year, Penn State has a good looking OLB, there's a few good looking DEs and, if need be, draft a C. With all the money we'd save from not signing Light, Mankins or keeping TBC, we could even think about signing a kid named Fitzgerald from Arizona.

That's what I'd rather do.

 

[JSn]

Fail Fail Fail Fail Fail