Why would the Pats move up to #13 for Smith when you consider the teams in between the 13th and 17th picks:
14 St. Louis Rams - Julio Jones WR Alabama. -- Desperately need WR.
15 Miami Dolphins - Trade alert the Dolphins trade #15 to San Diego for #18 and other stuff. The Chargers select Ryan Kerrigan OLB Purdue. -- Kerrigan isn't a fit anyways. We don't care if someone leaps up for him.
16 Jacksonville Jaguars - Aldon Smith DE Missouri. -- A risky conversion project the Pats likely won't take a chance on.
So none of those 3 teams have OT as a need. Why do the Pats trade up again when they can sit tight and just take Tyrone Smith when he drops to #17, if they even want Smith? It just makes no sense. If the draft unfolds that way at the top, I'd rather have the Pats trade down a handful of spots, get some extra picks and land a defensive end.
Then trade out of 28 for more picks. Why are you in love with Smith? I see Vollmer as the Pats future LT. Drafting an RT with a 2nd or 3rd rounder would be more value effective. If Smith turns out to be strictly an RT btw, moving up to 13 for an RT is a huge waste of value.
Excellent point on Smith. A NFL General Managers set rule:
Do not waste a pick and take a OT for the right side early. Right tackles are a dime a dozen. We have our Left Tackle of the future already. I can't see OT as a major need. Maybe 4th round with James Carpenter. I think Light comes back for reasonable $.
Some comments on our need picks.
Disagree on Kerrigan. Why?
Here are some warts on the others I have seen here:
Watt DE=Tom Condon. BB would have Condon players off his board. Would BB ever hold a grudge? Bill "elephant" Belichick would never do that. I love Watt and he would give us a career in that spot but.......
Aldon Smith OLB=This guy is purely a 4-3 DE. He is a forward moving kid. Coverage might be difficult for him. Great pass rush tools. Do they translate to the NFL? Can he play in space.
Clayborn DE= Too light for our DE position the way BB is playing it now. Too lumbering to play in space. Has that palsy health issue as well. Third round?
Ayers OLB= Why even remotely consider him? He has no pass rush. He will fit someone like the Bears who do a 4-3 and OLB is not a rush primary. We were in sub packages 57% on the time. He just can't help us. No urgency in his game. Pedestrian speed. Can't see him on our board at all. Why the hell is he rated so high?
Quinn OLB= Sexy pick. Maybe a lot of potential. Foreign to play in space. Stated to be a DE in 4-3 as optimum position. One year of a resume. Still think he could work out in the long run here but is he worth a few years of teaching when we need help now? Has benign brain tumor.
Houson OLB=Played OLB but special note: Takes plays off and disappears. How many of you wanted Moss out on a rail because of that reason? Way too inconsistent. Why even consider that issue? His best attribute?....he flashes...Yeah and then what?
Reed OLB=Love this kid. Played DE but did drop upon occasion. Might be second round pick rather than spend #17 or #28. His issue is like Quinns' but he played last year and Quinn did not. Quinn might be closer to top ten. We can save Reed to #33 perhaps.
Cameron Jordan DE= Probably the safest pick at DE. Not my cup of tea but he can rush and has enough so BB can flex him off the dirt upon occasion.
Cameron Heyward DE=Recovering from Tommy John surgery and that has me worried about playing the DE position in 2011. I think he is solid but not spectacular. Good fall back player in Round 2.
Sherad OLB=See Aldon Smith. O.K. in mid second to third round. Has some character issues just this year. Romeus was the better player until injuries this year. In Fact Romeus will be the steal of the draft IMO. The shorter Sheard is not the typical BB size ideal.
Romeus OLB= A keeper. He is your highest 2012 pick if you can let him red shirt PUP for a year like Tate. Was a top ten pick prior to 2010 season. Had disc and ACL surgery and lost his mom. Bigger and faster than Sheard. Our 2012 first round pick already here.
Wilkerson DE=Nice pick and can play some NT in a pinch.He played in a smaller school system. He does not address our pass rush though. #17 is too high. #28? I don't know.
Acho OLB=Actually played some OLB. Not as strong or talented as Orakpo. Smart. Maybe a third round talent in actuality. Shorter than BB likes.
Moch, Carter, Carter=Too small
Kerrigan OLB=3RD best cone and 40 of top ten DE's and 2nd in strength 225s. Compatible to best OLBs in combine skills. Most prototypical BB size in OLB. Extensive Pro Drills by scouts proved he can drop. Best motor in the Draft.
O.K. I see Miller as the best on paper and on tape. You have to really dig to get negatives but he won't be there anyway.
Sleeper: If Moch had another 3" in height and some structured play at OLB he would be fine, but he did his own thing at DE and it worked in NCAA.
My DE/OLB picks?
It comes back to Kerrigan,
Watt second only because of Condon,
Jordan who makes sense but is smaller that Watt,
Reed because we don't burn a higher pick,
Quinn... just threw him in but he will be gone by #17,
Aldon Smith because of his physical tools,
Romeus when healthy maybe is the top and we can get him and red shirt him this year
and Wilkerson only because he did not play at Georgia, Michigan, Florida, Ohio State etc. and does not have that big game background.
So that is my opinion and might not be shared by all Cousins here.
This is why Kerrigan intrigues me, that and his motor. I compared.
I kept this to round one and two IMO.
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