Early take on the draft

[PonyExpress]

#24. Brandon Merriweather: Before the draft, I was concerned he was too small for S, and not quick enough for CB. Now that he has been taken in rd 1 by my team, I am his biggest fan.

#127.Kareem Brown. Objectively: A probable bust. Through Red white and blue glasses: If he cares enough to apply himself has starting caliber talent.

#171. Clint Oldenburg: Seems like a marginal athlete by the measurables. I'd like to know his arm length and hand size.

#180. Justin Rogers: IMO upside is an impact special teamer.

#202. Mike Richardson: I believe Richardson can start in the NFL. Not immediately, it will take time to wash the bad defensive coaching off him. Maybe by year 3. I give this pick a thumbs up.

#208. Justise Hairston: Has excellent size/speed/quickness. Played at Rutgers. Big back. I'm going to dream we got a diamond in the rough. A 39" vertical at 220 lbs is tremendous. We'll have to see if he has any vision.

#209 Corey Hilliard: I'd like to know his arm length and hand size. A mauler, great time on agility drills for a 320 lber. His size and versatility at left and right tackle are intriguing. Supposedly not a natural knee bender, which means Left Tackle is a long shot.

#211: Oscar Lua: does not have the athleticism to start in the NFL IMO. I wish him the best.

#247: Mike Elgin: has freakish quickness and looks like an ideal long term project at Center.

And G'bless every single one of them.

 

[Water Boy]

#24. Brandon Merriweather: Before the draft, I was concerned he was too small for S, and not quick enough for CB. Now that he has been taken in rd 1 by my team, I am his biggest fan.

#127.Kareem Brown. Objectively: A probable bust. Through Red white and blue glasses: If he cares enough to apply himself has starting caliber talent.

#171. Clint Oldenburg: Seems like a marginal athlete by the measurables. I'd like to know his arm length and hand size.

#180. Justin Rogers: IMO upside is an impact special teamer.

#202. Mike Richardson: I believe Richardson can start in the NFL. Not immediately, it will take time to wash the bad defensive coaching off him. Maybe by year 3. I give this pick a thumbs up.

#208. Justise Hairston: Has excellent size/speed/quickness. Played at Rutgers. Big back. I'm going to dream we got a diamond in the rough. A 39" vertical at 220 lbs is tremendous. We'll have to see if he has any vision.

#209 Corey Hilliard: I'd like to know his arm length and hand size. A mauler, great time on agility drills for a 320 lber. His size and versatility at left and right tackle are intriguing. Supposedly not a natural knee bender, which means Left Tackle is a long shot.

#211: Oscar Lua: does not have the athleticism to start in the NFL IMO. I wish him the best.

#247: Mike Elgin: has freakish quickness and looks like an ideal long term project at Center.

And G'bless every single one of them.

I think Meriweather is the only one who is going to make the team.

 

[BelichickFan]

I think Meriweather is the only one who is going to make the team.

LOL, he may be the only one that'll have a noticable impact but a bunch of them will make the team.

 

[sebman2112]

#24. Brandon Merriweather: Before the draft, I was concerned he was too small for S, and not quick enough for CB. Now that he has been taken in rd 1 by my team, I am his biggest fan.

Nice to see you've been converted.

#127.Kareem Brown. Objectively: A probable bust. Through Red white and blue glasses: If he cares enough to apply himself has starting caliber talent.

Objectively, I think your opinion is wrong. How is he a "probable bust"? Watch him play? I doubt it, since I thought you hadn't seen very much of Meriweather either.

#171. Clint Oldenburg: Seems like a marginal athlete by the measurables. I'd like to know his arm length and hand size.

Honestly, I don't know all that much about the guy. We'll have to wait and see if he's any good.

#180. Justin Rogers: IMO upside is an impact special teamer.

After reading up on him it sounds like he could be a little more than just a special teamer, and could be an interesting prospect.

#202. Mike Richardson: I believe Richardson can start in the NFL. Not immediately, it will take time to wash the bad defensive coaching off him. Maybe by year 3. I give this pick a thumbs up.

What's funny is I've seen a ton of ND the past few years, and I forget all about him going into the draft. He was a two year starter, and could be an interesting prospect.

#208. Justise Hairston: Has excellent size/speed/quickness. Played at Rutgers. Big back. I'm going to dream we got a diamond in the rough. A 39" vertical at 220 lbs is tremendous. We'll have to see if he has any vision.

Now, he's interesting. NE put him through a private workout, and when you read his scouting reports he sounds like a good backup to Maroney. It was at the lower level but he still racked up 1,800 yards, and 20 TD's rushing in one season. He also cought the ball well, and his agility test were very good.

#209 Corey Hilliard: I'd like to know his arm length and hand size. A mauler, great time on agility drills for a 320 lber. His size and versatility at left and right tackle are intriguing. Supposedly not a natural knee bender, which means Left Tackle is a long shot.

He's another one that sounds interesting, and we'll have to see how he does.

#211: Oscar Lua: does not have the athleticism to start in the NFL IMO. I wish him the best.

Oscar is a good run stuffer, who should be at least a good two down run stuffer for NE.

#247: Mike Elgin: has freakish quickness and looks like an ideal long term project at Center.

He's ideal for the ZBS, so it seems NE is probably going to use zone blocking, but we'll see.

 

[PonyExpress]

Objectively, I think your opinion is wrong. How is he a "probable bust"? Watch him play? I doubt it, since I thought you hadn't seen very much of Meriweather either.

Sebman,
I find your insinuations about my knowledge of college football highly amusing. I have held my tongue up to this point and will continue to do so in the interests of comradeship. After all, all of us root for the same team here.

 

[ayjackson]

Well Merriweather should have a good shot at starting FS or nickel back.

Kareem Brown has a chance to backup Wilfork and spell him five to ten plays a game. He'll be good enough to make the 53 or be cut, likely.

The rest are all bound for the practice squad, at best. They were drafted because they had a chance to get there. They'll be developed there. None will make the team.

It just seems that BB/SP did not see any talent outside of Merriweather that could make the 53 man roster. He may have been looking WR at 28, but decided Moss was a better idea, given a number one next year was offered.

More than just a little dissappointing from a fan's perspective, but if the talent isn't there, there's no point in drafting it. I'll have to assume that it isn't BB/SP's intention to sabotage our future by not drafting any talent to develop (hyperbole warning).

 

[BradyManny]

More than just a little dissappointing from a fan's perspective, but if the talent isn't there, there's no point in drafting it. I'll have to assume that it isn't BB/SP's intention to sabotage our future by not drafting any talent to develop (hyperbole warning).

Are you forgetting this draft also provided us with Wes Welker, Randy Moss & an 08 first rounder? Do you think another team can top that?

 

[sebman2112]

Sebman,
I find your insinuations about my knowledge of college football highly amusing. I have held my tongue up to this point and will continue to do so in the interests of comradeship. After all, all of us root for the same team here.

I wasn't questioning your knowledge of college football. I was questioning how much you've actually watched Miami. As I said to you before, I only question this because I found some of the things you said about Meriweather to be somewhat different from reality. It's fine though, since it's your opinion.

 

[patchick]

Kareem Brown has a chance to backup Wilfork and spell him five to ten plays a game. He'll be good enough to make the 53 or be cut, likely.

Really going out on a limb there, eh?

Let's take the Jimmy Johnson approach to draft picks as currency that can be spent in a variety of ways. Looking at the Pats' first 5 picks (since I can't pretend to have informed opinions about 7th-round OLs):

24: Brandon Meriweather
28: Randy Moss + a 2008 first-round pick
60: Wes Welker
91: Oscar Lua + a 2008 third-round pick
127: Kareem Brown

Seems to me that's a pretty darned good yield, especially given the weak draft. The only value I really raise my eyebrows at is from pick 91; the first three are rock-solid.

 

[BradyManny]

91: Oscar Lua + a 2008 third-round pick
127: Kareem Brown

Plus that's likely going to be a pretty early third round pick.

As for the 08 first rounder, the Niners are going to continue to get better, I'm thinking their pick will be somewhere in the Seahawks range this season, so still an upgrade over this year's #28. Back to back years of rooting against NFC West teams.

 

[BelichickFan]

As for the 08 first rounder, the Niners are going to continue to get better, I'm thinking their pick will be somewhere in the Seahawks range this season

I think it'll be around 10. I think they finish last in their division. And except for TB, Cleveland and hosting Arizona I think they're underdogs, as of now, in every game. They weren't good last year, 5th worst in point differential. They were a weak 7-9.

 

[PonyExpress]

I wasn't questioning your knowledge of college football. I was questioning how much you've actually watched Miami. As I said to you before, I only question this because I found some of the things you said about Meriweather to be somewhat different from reality. It's fine though, since it's your opinion.

If our viewing habits differ, it is likely more in the approach than the content. I like to view all college teams objectively, while some prefer to sit in their underwear su(king Hurricane di(k on Saturday afternoons.

 

[BelichickFan]

I think it'll be around 10. I think they finish last in their division. And except for TB, Cleveland and hosting Arizona I think they're underdogs, as of now, in every game. They weren't good last year, 5th worst in point differential. They were a weak 7-9.

After I posted that I wondered if I was making an ass out of myself so I checked Football Outsiders for fun.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2007/01/02/ramblings/dvoa-rankings/4768/

They ranked SF 29th last year. I thought they were a bad team before looking at that, and, while not definitive, it didn't change my thinking.

Seahawks ? Rams ? Both better than the 49ers IMO. And the Cards just might be too.

 

[SamBamsFan]

I think it'll be around 10. I think they finish last in their division. And except for TB, Cleveland and hosting Arizona I think they're underdogs, as of now, in every game. They weren't good last year, 5th worst in point differential. They were a weak 7-9.

Well, just to take their side, if you take out the noise from the $'s they through out in free agency, they were very successful in acquiring some talent. They just traded a 4th for DJax. I really like the first round picks in Willis and Staley, and they added a ton of other draft picks w/ greater or lesser potential. They could easily add 6 starters from last years team, all of which you would consider upgades. You do get the "redskins" factor when you transition that many players in an off-season, so it will be interesting to see how soon they make positive steps as a team. I would guess the pick would wind up between 14-20. They are in a weak division, though I wouldn't expect them to beat Seattle twice this year.

 

[BelichickFan]

Well, just to take their side, if you take out the noise from the $'s they through out in free agency, they were very successful in acquiring some talent. They just traded a 4th for DJax. I really like the first round picks in Willis and Staley, and they added a ton of other draft picks w/ greater or lesser potential. They could easily add 6 starters from last years team, all of which you would consider upgades. You do get the "redskins" factor when you transition that many players in an off-season, so it will be interesting to see how soon they make positive steps as a team. I would guess the pick would wind up between 14-20. They are in a weak division, though I wouldn't expect them to beat Seattle twice this year.

They could be better. They also lost the OC. The rookies, who knows. Darrell Jackson isn't a very good WR - he put up pretty good numbers over the years but he's not that good. I like Clements. But they have a LOT to prove. And unless Seattle gets decimated again, the 49ers aren't sweeping them this year.

Bottom line, the 49ers were BAD last year. They have a way to go to get to average. 12-15 is almost worst case for me. Best case ? Top five.

 

[sebman2112]

If our viewing habits differ, it is likely more in the approach than the content. I like to view all college teams objectively, while some prefer to sit in their underwear su(king Hurricane di(k on Saturday afternoons.

Are you serious? I'm not a Miami fan, I've been a Nebraska fan since childhood.

 

[ayjackson]

Seems to me that's a pretty darned good yield, especially given the weak draft. The only value I really raise my eyebrows at is from pick 91; the first three are rock-solid.

The yield was good - the excitement from a fans perspective wasn't. I wasn't trying to be critical. It's just as a fan, you research all these players who might turn into stars for your team, and then they trade away the picks or select players that you've never heard of. That's all I was saying. They traded their picks for players (Welker, Moss), future players (2008 #1 and #3), and developmental players (all picks after Brown).

Very happy with Merriweather, Welker, Moss, SF's 2008 #1 and Oakland's 2008 #3.

My point with Brown was that unlike all they other day 2 selections, he likely wouldn't make it through to the practice squad if he couldn't make the 53.

Next year though, be sure to remind me not to waste so much time trying to figure out who the Pats may draft. Slap me or something. I was 0 for 10 in my ten possible patriots. I'll take solice in the bold assumption that if Griffin slid to 24 and Soliai to 91, they would have been Pats.

 

[patchick]

The yield was good - the excitement from a fans perspective wasn't. I wasn't trying to be critical. It's just as a fan, you research all these players who might turn into stars for your team, and then they trade away the picks or select players that you've never heard of. That's all I was saying.

Oh, sorry, I should have been clearer -- my post on value wasn't a response to yours, I was just ragging on your "53" line because it came out funny! The rest of the post was just intended as a response to the title "Early take on the draft."

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

#24 Brandon Meriweather: BB answered the character questions. His measurables are similar to Asante's coming out of college, I'm hoping he gets more reps at CB than S, I'm not excited about small Safeties the way the Pats' Safeties have been getting pounded.

#127 Kareem Brown: The knock is effort? I could have sworn something similar had been said about Ty Warren coming out of Texas A&M. Then there's this report - "Hard worker who puts in extra hours in the training room, evident by his improved upper body strength that he took advantage of to toss blockers aside the second half of 2006 (really stepped up his intensity level and showed better hand placement the last seven games of his career)...Smart player who easily takes the plays from the chalkboard to the playing field...Plays with good intensity and passion (coaches call him a pleasure to work with)..." He can replace Santonio Thomas on the Practice Squad and develop.

#171 Clint Oldenburg: 3 year starter at Left Tackle. Academic All-MWC. Converted TE, like Ashworth before him will have a lot to learn from Dante, but he should develop into a decent swing tackle on the Practice Squad.

#180 Justin Rogers: "Rogers, a Greenville, Texas, native, led C-USA in sacks last season and leads the league again in 2006. He also anchors a defense that leads C-USA and ranks 14th in the nation overall in rushing defense." Vrabel was a sack master at Ohio State, Bruschi and Colvin, Adalius Thomas, TBC, all of these guys are sack-masters for their college programs. You have to like a DE who racked up 64 TT in 2005 and leads a high ranking run defense. A bit stiff in his change of direction numbers, but Woicik & Nash can work on that.

#202 Mike Richardson: I had him on my board as soon as I saw his 3-cone - "...ran his 40s in 4.48 and 4.50. He also had a 36-inch vertical jump, 10-foot-7 broad jump, 4.05 short shuttle and 6.27 three-cone drill." Those are better measurables than Asante's coming out. I'm looking forward to seeing what Collier and O-T-I-S can make of this young man.

#208 Justise Hairston: "On the season Hairston had eight 100 yard rushing games, four 200 yard games and one 300 yard game. He averaged a national-best 167.9 rushing yards per game and scored 20 rushing touchdowns. He also led the nation in all-purpose yards per game at 199.8 yards per game." He had a productive sophomore campaign while at Rutgers. I would like to see another back come in and battle him for the Practice Squad.

#209 Corey Hilliard: 4 year starter at Left and Right Tackle. Good prospect for a move inside to OG.

#211 Oscar Lua: Don Davis' replacement. If he can bulk up while retaining his quickness he could be a good fit..."Alert and instinctive inside linebacker. Physical at the point of attack and looks to hit someone. A bit short, but has the bulk to fill gaps. Uses his hands well to take on and shed blockers. Reliable tackler in the open field who flashes hitting ability. Plays hard and gets the most out of his ability." His limitations (other than size) won't stand out as much in a 3-4, but he'll need at least another 10 lbs. to be durable (especially with his injury history).

#247 Mike Elgin: "He was a first-team academic all-American last year and has made the academic all-Big Ten team the last two years... mechanical engineering major..." 3 year starter at RG/C. Classic Patriots' late round OC candidate from a technically sound program.

Not as exciting a class as I'd like, I was really bummed when Philly scooped up Stewart Bradley at 87, I was hoping he'd fall to 91 and see what BB would do. Still I didn't like the quality of this draft class from the start. The extra first day picks in 2008, and the potential of Randy Moss, make it a good haul with room for some UDFAs to spice it up a bit more yet.

 

[BelichickFan]

#127 Kareem Brown . . . He can replace Santonio Thomas on the Practice Squad and develop.

He's not going on the Practice Squad, he'd be claimed quickly when we released him to get him there. Brown is a very talented player, hopefully he can live up to the talent.