(Realistic) 2016 Draft Targets and Binkies

Simple Jack's Brother said:

Totally understand liking those quick twitch athletes, but the dude had 15.5 sacks (lead the nation) and missed 2 or 3 games due to injury at the end of the year. Either way, I wouldn't mind someone falling to us to sure up our Dline and maybe give us some talent to groom.



Dixon caught my eye a while back, but it seems like he's moving into the late 1st, early 2nd round discussion unfortunately. Hope that's not the case.

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Like I said, it was a brief look. I do need to revisit him. Certainly can't take away from what he achieved this year. One problem I have is that his one good year might raise his draft stock higher than it really should be and that would represent a value problem for BB.

manxman2601 said:

Like I said, it was a brief look. I do need to revisit him. Certainly can't take away from what he achieved this year. One problem I have is that his one good year might raise his draft stock higher than it really should be and that would represent a value problem for BB.

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Agreed, BB will be looking for value regardless, and Nassib could be too rich for him. Curious if he'll stay pat in the 2nd round or if he'll be looking to trade back and stockpile picks given our 1st round situation.

Simple Jack's Brother said:

Agreed, BB will be looking for value regardless, and Nassib could be too rich for him. Curious if he'll stay pat in the 2nd round or if he'll be looking to trade back and stockpile picks given our 1st round situation.

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It's not a great year to find starters but there's a lot of good role and depth players in this draft so that's a distinct possibility. Draft plenty and find some quality in camp.

manxman2601 said:

It's not a great year to find starters but there's a lot of good role and depth players in this draft so that's a distinct possibility. Draft plenty and find some quality in camp.

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Would be great if BB could pull a few more horseshoes out of his ass, because i really don't have very high hopes for this draft.

A serviceable WR, in between the tackles RB, LB depth, and a complimentary TE are all i'm asking for out of the draft.

RB/CB/KR Brandon Wilson, University of Houston
WR Will Fuller, Notre Dame
LBs Joshua Perry and Derron Lee, Ohio St.
RB C.J. Prosise, Notre Dame
CB/KR Cyrus Jones, Alabama
OC/OG Sebastian Tretola*, Arkansas
OC Mitch Smothers*, Arkansas

*if we're gonna stick with a similar scheme of the last few years instead of going back to Dante's ZBS.

Tyler Higbee. Said it in another thread, but I really that guy.

If he fills out his frame a bit, then I think he could be a steal in this draft.

manxman2601 said:

He has the quickness to play the slot but has shown an ability to beat press so that he can play outside too. So both, although probably the slot initially as his beating the press is still an in-progress improvement. My one concern with him, and this is only that it's not really been demonstrated yet, is how good he is at catching the ball, something that will probably show up in the Senior Bowl game and the combine.

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I find it interesting that you don't come away impressed with his catching abilities. As i watch his tape at WR, I feel like half his production came of impressive catches.
Like you, I really hope he's there in the 2nd. However with the way he's showed up at the Senior Bowl, I doubt that will happen. You already know he's going to kill the combine. Something makes me get this sense that Seattle is going to take him in the 1st. They would get a talent, and possibly a 3rd backup QB, that would fit their system to some extent.

If jones or Ohio Qb's could've hit him with nicer passes, I think he has atleast 2-3 more TD at a minimum.

About those hands though

DW Toys said:

I don't see RB on your list? RB is iffy? Lewis might not be 100%. Blount is an FA. Jackson...who knows? Bolden is ST. Jmaes White IMO I am making a full time Randall Cobb WR (same size). You have to get a back to at the least make opposing DCs say "O.K. ........wait....a run?". (P.S. Josh....Please change your snap count!!!!) That helps on the run as well. Too much farting around with formation changes and man in motion crap at the line. Whatever happened to speeding up the tempo?

Up to the line......Change this set, change that protection, call out the MLB, have the WR start motion and then....run it for a yard.....just great!

Maybe a vet like Matt Forte gives us quality snaps and can catch.

I like RB Kenneth Dixon from LA Tech in this Draft. He might be my second rounder if he lasts.



5'10" and 213 lbs. Unlike our RBs it seems he has vision rather than plow into the biggest pile on the line of scrimmage.

DW Toys

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Seems like a good player, but I don't think that tape makes much case for Vision. Those were some big holes he was running through.

You want to see Vision and Patience, go watch a tape of Christian McCaffrey. Thats patience and vision!

manxman2601 said:

It's not a great year to find starters but there's a lot of good role and depth players in this draft so that's a distinct possibility. Draft plenty and find some quality in camp.

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I agree. This is why I think we need to go the Free agent route for our O-line. That combined with the fact that OT's, even the best ones, aren't high impact players within their first year. Brady's getting older, so I think FA is the way to go. Not to mention, theres some pretty decent FA available.

HawaiianPatsfan said:

I find it interesting that you don't come away impressed with his catching abilities. As i watch his tape at WR, I feel like half his production came of impressive catches.
Like you, I really hope he's there in the 2nd. However with the way he's showed up at the Senior Bowl, I doubt that will happen. You already know he's going to kill the combine. Something makes me get this sense that Seattle is going to take him in the 1st. They would get a talent, and possibly a 3rd backup QB, that would fit their system to some extent.

If jones or Ohio Qb's could've hit him with nicer passes, I think he has atleast 2-3 more TD at a minimum.

About those hands though

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It's not that I'm unimpressed, it's just that I saw some drops on competed catches and double clutches at the Senior Bowl and I just think it's something on which we need to see more to get a better picture of his abilities to catch the ball. He certainly does make some excellent catches. I'm looking forward to seeing how he does in that combine drill whose name escapes me right now.

HawaiianPatsfan said:

I agree. This is why I think we need to go the Free agent route for our O-line. That combined with the fact that OT's, even the best ones, aren't high impact players within their first year. Brady's getting, so I think FA is the way to go. Not to mention, theres some pretty decent FA available.

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I agree about the OL. Let's go into the draft without worrying about that position. It was the mistake we made last year with the interior OL. If we have the OL sorted out, RB is the only pressing need in terms of a starter.

manxman2601 said:

It's not that I'm unimpressed, it's just that I saw some drops on competed catches and double clutches at the Senior Bowl and I just think it's something on which we need to see more to get a better picture of his abilities to catch the ball. He certainly does make some excellent catches. I'm looking forward to seeing how he does in that combine drill whose name escapes me right now.

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Hopefully he strains his hamstring and can't run the 40. That would help our chances of landing him. lol

manxman2601 said:

I agree about the OL. Let's go into the draft without worrying about that position. It was the mistake we made last year with the interior OL. If we have the OL sorted out, RB is the only pressing need in terms of a starter.

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Yeah, finding a OT that can start right away is already tuff enough, when youre picking in the late 2nd, well, well thats just a pipe dream. It also doesn't help that OT isnt that deep in the draft this year. With Cannons 3 mill, plus 2-3 million of the almost 20 we should be able to free up, we should allow us sign one of these players. Maybe draft a project in the 4th round or higher.

This was a copy paste from an Article PFF did yesterday Highlighting top O line free agents.

With the offseason underway for all but the final two teams, we are beginning to look ahead to free agency. Emphasis on offensive line performance has grown the last few years, particularly in pass protection as the league continues to evolve into a pass-heavy league and college players continue to run spread-heavy offenses. We are taking into account more than just each player’s 2015 grade, but also previous seasons, age, skill-sets, among other aspects, to give you the top 10 free agent offensive linemen of 2016.

To see every 2016 free agent, be sure to check out PFF’s free agency tracker.

(Editor’s note: Each players’ overall season grade for only 2015 is noted next to his name; grades fall within PFF’s new 1–100 scale.)

1. Cordy Glenn, OT (85.0)
2015 team: Buffalo Bills

Cordy Glenn is not a name that gets mentioned when discussing the best offensive tackles in the game, but he has had four solid years as a starter and has been the only consistent Bills’ offensive linemen over that span. Outside of a poor performance in Buffalo’s season finale against the Jets, Glenn had the best season of his short career. He graded as the ninth-best tackle in the league, and seventh in pass protection, where he allowed just two sacks and two hits all season.

2. Kelechi Osemele, G/OT (79.6)
2015 team: Baltimore Ravens

In his first full and healthy season at guard in 2014, Osemele had a breakout year that put him among the best left guards in the league. His strength is in the run game, but that doesn’t diminish his success as a pass protector. Over the past two regular seasons, Osemele has had just two below average games as a pass blocker—one of which came while playing tackle—and he’s averaged fewer than one pressure allowed per game when at guard. And while Osemele is best-suited to play guard, he offers proven positional versatility that none of the other top offensive line free agents can provide by being capable of playing either tackle position if needed.

3. Kelvin Beachum, OT (79.4)
2015 team: Pittsburgh Steelers

If not for his torn ACL, Beachum might have been even higher on this list. The former seventh-round pick was the fifth-highest graded tackle in 2014. He allowed just 19 total pressures on 687 snaps in pass protection, and his pass blocking efficiency of 97.5 ranked third among tackles that season. He was a bit more up and down during his brief stint in 2015, but still earned a good pass-blocking grade and an average run-block grade. The ACL injury is a concern, but his upside when healthy is as good as any of the free agents, and he’s still just 27 years old.

4. Mitchell Schwartz, OT (86.6)
2015 team: Cleveland Browns

Schwartz may have been snubbed from Sunday’s Pro Bowl, but he played well enough to earn our second-team All-Pro spot at right tackle. Although he did allow 43 total pressures this season, he also was tied for the most snaps in pass protection with a whopping 705; by comparison, only 15 tackles had more than 600 pass-block snaps. Schwartz has earned a positive overall grade in all four seasons, and is coming off the best season of his career. In addition, Schwartz has not missed a single snap out of 4,427 over his four years in the league.

5. Donald Penn, OT (84.6)
2015 team: Oakland Raiders

Since signing with the Raiders two years ago, Donald Penn has continued to be a reliable left tackle. In fact, he has had a top-10 overall grade in each of the last two seasons, which were also two of his best three years in protection. He has earned a positive run block grade in every season of the PFF era (since 2007). In a league that has a dire need of good pass protectors, a veteran like Penn should be valued.

6. Richie Incognito, G (90.0)
2015 team: Buffalo Bills

Prior to Incognito’s suspension in 2013, he had earned positive grades in both run and pass blocking for six consecutive seasons. Despite being out of the league in 2014, he returned to the field and had the best season of his career. His +35.0 overall grade was second behind only Marshal Yanda among guards, and he played every offensive snap for the first time in his career. At 33 years old, Incognito is probably not a long-term solution at this point, but he could still help shore up the interior offensive line for many teams.

7. Evan Mathis, G (89.6)
2015 team: Denver Broncos

Mathis is not the elite player he was a couple years ago, but even with a new team and injuries to start the season, he once again earned the highest run-blocking grade among guards. He arguably had his worst season in pass protection, but he still allowed just 19 pressures during the regular season and ranked 19th out of 82 guards in pass-blocking efficiency. Despite being the oldest player on this list, Mathis could be a great option for a team looking for a short-term solution in a heavy zone-blocking run scheme.

8. Ryan Schraeder, OT (87.0)
2015 team: Atlanta Falcons

Schraeder got significant playing time for Atlanta in 2014, and as much as the offensive line struggled to stay healthy, he showed some promise at right tackle, particularly as a pass blocker. He built upon that success this season to finish with the second-highest overall grade at right tackle after Schwartz. He had just two negatively-graded games in pass protection, with one coming against Houston, where he surrendered (only) one sack and two hurries to J.J. Watt. His 97.2 pass-blocking efficiency this season was second among tackles only to perennial All-Pro Joe Thomas. One downside for teams courting Schraeder is that he is the lone restricted free agent among the top offensive linemen, so it may take more to pry him away from Atlanta than most of the other options.

9. Brandon Brooks, G (66.7)
2015 team: Houston Texans

Brooks’ performance slipped a bit this year, but prior to it, he was a top-10 guard in his first two seasons as a starter. He has done well in a zone-blocking scheme in Houston, and had the fifth and third-best run block grades in 2014 and 2013, respectively. Brooks has allowed three sacks in as many years as a starter, and is coming off his best season in pass protection, with a +8.3 cumulative pass blocking grade. Brooks would be a good option for a team looking for a younger guard that could be a long term option, particularly one running a lot of outside zone, but does not want to shell out as much money that Osemele is likely to command on the open market.

10. Stefen Wisniewski, C (72.5)
2015 team: Jacksonville Jaguars

Wisniewski is going to hit free agency for the second year in a row after signing a one-year contract with the Jaguars last spring. He performed better than his last season in Oakland, but this year was still a bit below his best years in 2012 and 2013. Pass protection is his strength, and he’s graded positively in four of his five seasons as a pro. Wisniewski is not an elite center, but he is one of just 13 centers who had an above-average overall grade in 2015 out of 40 qualifying players. Wisniewski has also been extremely reliable throughout his career, missing just 19 snaps over five years.

HawaiianPatsfan said:

Yeah, finding a OT that can start right away is already tuff enough, when youre picking in the late 2nd, well, well thats just a pipe dream. It also doesn't help that OT isnt that deep in the draft this year. With Cannons 3 mill, plus 2-3 million of the almost 20 we should be able to free up, we should allow us sign one of these players. Maybe draft a project in the 4th round or higher.

This was a copy paste from an Article PFF did yesterday Highlighting top O line free agents.

With the offseason underway for all but the final two teams, we are beginning to look ahead to free agency. Emphasis on offensive line performance has grown the last few years, particularly in pass protection as the league continues to evolve into a pass-heavy league and college players continue to run spread-heavy offenses. We are taking into account more than just each player’s 2015 grade, but also previous seasons, age, skill-sets, among other aspects, to give you the top 10 free agent offensive linemen of 2016.

To see every 2016 free agent, be sure to check out PFF’s free agency tracker.

(Editor’s note: Each players’ overall season grade for only 2015 is noted next to his name; grades fall within PFF’s new 1–100 scale.)

1. Cordy Glenn, OT (85.0)
2015 team: Buffalo Bills

Cordy Glenn is not a name that gets mentioned when discussing the best offensive tackles in the game, but he has had four solid years as a starter and has been the only consistent Bills’ offensive linemen over that span. Outside of a poor performance in Buffalo’s season finale against the Jets, Glenn had the best season of his short career. He graded as the ninth-best tackle in the league, and seventh in pass protection, where he allowed just two sacks and two hits all season.

2. Kelechi Osemele, G/OT (79.6)
2015 team: Baltimore Ravens

In his first full and healthy season at guard in 2014, Osemele had a breakout year that put him among the best left guards in the league. His strength is in the run game, but that doesn’t diminish his success as a pass protector. Over the past two regular seasons, Osemele has had just two below average games as a pass blocker—one of which came while playing tackle—and he’s averaged fewer than one pressure allowed per game when at guard. And while Osemele is best-suited to play guard, he offers proven positional versatility that none of the other top offensive line free agents can provide by being capable of playing either tackle position if needed.

3. Kelvin Beachum, OT (79.4)
2015 team: Pittsburgh Steelers

If not for his torn ACL, Beachum might have been even higher on this list. The former seventh-round pick was the fifth-highest graded tackle in 2014. He allowed just 19 total pressures on 687 snaps in pass protection, and his pass blocking efficiency of 97.5 ranked third among tackles that season. He was a bit more up and down during his brief stint in 2015, but still earned a good pass-blocking grade and an average run-block grade. The ACL injury is a concern, but his upside when healthy is as good as any of the free agents, and he’s still just 27 years old.

4. Mitchell Schwartz, OT (86.6)
2015 team: Cleveland Browns

Schwartz may have been snubbed from Sunday’s Pro Bowl, but he played well enough to earn our second-team All-Pro spot at right tackle. Although he did allow 43 total pressures this season, he also was tied for the most snaps in pass protection with a whopping 705; by comparison, only 15 tackles had more than 600 pass-block snaps. Schwartz has earned a positive overall grade in all four seasons, and is coming off the best season of his career. In addition, Schwartz has not missed a single snap out of 4,427 over his four years in the league.

5. Donald Penn, OT (84.6)
2015 team: Oakland Raiders

Since signing with the Raiders two years ago, Donald Penn has continued to be a reliable left tackle. In fact, he has had a top-10 overall grade in each of the last two seasons, which were also two of his best three years in protection. He has earned a positive run block grade in every season of the PFF era (since 2007). In a league that has a dire need of good pass protectors, a veteran like Penn should be valued.

6. Richie Incognito, G (90.0)
2015 team: Buffalo Bills

Prior to Incognito’s suspension in 2013, he had earned positive grades in both run and pass blocking for six consecutive seasons. Despite being out of the league in 2014, he returned to the field and had the best season of his career. His +35.0 overall grade was second behind only Marshal Yanda among guards, and he played every offensive snap for the first time in his career. At 33 years old, Incognito is probably not a long-term solution at this point, but he could still help shore up the interior offensive line for many teams.

7. Evan Mathis, G (89.6)
2015 team: Denver Broncos

Mathis is not the elite player he was a couple years ago, but even with a new team and injuries to start the season, he once again earned the highest run-blocking grade among guards. He arguably had his worst season in pass protection, but he still allowed just 19 pressures during the regular season and ranked 19th out of 82 guards in pass-blocking efficiency. Despite being the oldest player on this list, Mathis could be a great option for a team looking for a short-term solution in a heavy zone-blocking run scheme.

8. Ryan Schraeder, OT (87.0)
2015 team: Atlanta Falcons

Schraeder got significant playing time for Atlanta in 2014, and as much as the offensive line struggled to stay healthy, he showed some promise at right tackle, particularly as a pass blocker. He built upon that success this season to finish with the second-highest overall grade at right tackle after Schwartz. He had just two negatively-graded games in pass protection, with one coming against Houston, where he surrendered (only) one sack and two hurries to J.J. Watt. His 97.2 pass-blocking efficiency this season was second among tackles only to perennial All-Pro Joe Thomas. One downside for teams courting Schraeder is that he is the lone restricted free agent among the top offensive linemen, so it may take more to pry him away from Atlanta than most of the other options.

9. Brandon Brooks, G (66.7)
2015 team: Houston Texans

Brooks’ performance slipped a bit this year, but prior to it, he was a top-10 guard in his first two seasons as a starter. He has done well in a zone-blocking scheme in Houston, and had the fifth and third-best run block grades in 2014 and 2013, respectively. Brooks has allowed three sacks in as many years as a starter, and is coming off his best season in pass protection, with a +8.3 cumulative pass blocking grade. Brooks would be a good option for a team looking for a younger guard that could be a long term option, particularly one running a lot of outside zone, but does not want to shell out as much money that Osemele is likely to command on the open market.

10. Stefen Wisniewski, C (72.5)
2015 team: Jacksonville Jaguars

Wisniewski is going to hit free agency for the second year in a row after signing a one-year contract with the Jaguars last spring. He performed better than his last season in Oakland, but this year was still a bit below his best years in 2012 and 2013. Pass protection is his strength, and he’s graded positively in four of his five seasons as a pro. Wisniewski is not an elite center, but he is one of just 13 centers who had an above-average overall grade in 2015 out of 40 qualifying players. Wisniewski has also been extremely reliable throughout his career, missing just 19 snaps over five years.

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Mitchell Schwartz and Brandon Brooks would be a good haul. Alternatively they could draft a developmental RT, much like they did with Fleming and use Waddle to back up Vollmer.

manxman2601 said:

Mitchell Schwartz and Brandon Brooks would be a good haul. Alternatively they could draft a developmental RT, much like they did with Fleming and use Waddle to back up Vollmer.

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Would we call Fleming developmental anymore or just a liability? haha

Simple Jack's Brother said:

Would we call Fleming developmental anymore or just a liability? haha

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To bad he can't use that Brain and that Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering degree to build him some booster rockets that make his feet move quicker.

Simple Jack's Brother said:

Would we call Fleming developmental anymore or just a liability? haha

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He was developmental when we drafted him at least.

You see this one @manxman2601 , and everyone else.
I doubt he makes it to our pick

HawaiianPatsfan said:

You see this one @manxman2601 , and everyone else.
I doubt he makes it to our pick

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Yup seen it. Here's the thing about Miller's showcase at the Senior Bowl. There's so much wasted movement in a lot of his routes and yet he still gets open with relative ease. Once he tidies up his feet it's going to be next to impossible for a corner to hang with him.

I saw a tweet on day 2 from Matt Miller, I believe, which said Miller was either getting open or getting held on every route he ran - he was never covered. And this is after only one season playing the position.

Granted the talent he was facing in terms of solid Corners wasn't that great.
Still I hope he last to the 2nd.