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It doesn't turn me into Jack Nicholson in The Shining(*), but it is definitely one of the creepiest ads on radio.
(*)True fact: I so wish I had been able to take a photo of this, but I once saw a Blockbuster that had it billed as The Shinning.
Good stuff, man.
I place far more weight on Reuter's Picks, for what it's worth. Rang had us spending a 1st Rounder on an O TACKLE or something of equally galactic stupidity, earlier. :bricks:
YES.
I've been onto Dontari "Cask of Amontillado" Poe from EARLY on.
There ain't SQUAT for Footage on the guy, but have you seen his WORKOUT videos??? Not pimping the WorkOut Warrior aspect, you understand ~ it's all about FOOTBALL skills!! ~ but the guy is a 6.5/350 SUPER BEAST, and I'm asking myself WHERE'S THE FAT???
And he's ALREADY getting "5 Tech" Love!!!
I can't WAIT to see Footage of this kid...
Dream draft:
#22: Zach Brown, OLB UNC
About an inch and 10-15lbs under what BB would want in an outside linebacker and can improve upon taking on blockers but with 4.4 speed and incredible instincts as a blitzer/passrusher, BB allows him to get bigger and make an impact as the season progresses. Think Von Miller in Denver with possibly even more potential.
#24: Alshon Jeffery, WR South Carolina
A drop in production and possible weight issues allow him to slip to the twenties. Big Target with great leaping ability and physicality. Big play wide receiver this team is lacking.
#53: Kenny Vaccaro, S Texas
Seen a little of his play and NEPdraft is spot on with their analysis. Fast, versatile, good in coverage (no more ****ty angles)
#2B: Trade back: for a 2013 second and 3rd that was used to trade up for Jeffery.
will update later.
i think they'll draft kuechley out of bc. He seems like a pats type of guy. Not sure how he'll fit into a 3-4 or 4-3. I'd think more 3-4 ilb. Although i kind of want to see them stick with a 4-3 or at least have some pass rush somehow....where do carter and anderson go in a 3-4 if they are really only good at rushing the passer? Hmmm....plus i think they are only signed through this year.
Anyway kuechley will probably fall as he probably isn't that fast. But he's kind of the un-guyton. Physical, knows where to be, actually likes to tackle. I think bb won't be able to resist in the tail end of the 2nd.
So here' sone draft:
1a. Still
1b.. Trade down
2a. Kuechley
2b. Semu wr rutgers
for god's sake, man: The guy's got 4 letters in'is name, and you missed 2!! :bricks:
3a. Ben jones c georgia
3b. Tj mcdonald s usc
i know they don't have 3rds but that's part of the trade down.
Another possibility is to take upshaw in the 1st. He would be a good 3-4 olb...not sure if they're goign back to 3-4 though.
Here goes... i am going to work off the NE Patriots top 100 rankings for availability - but i might allow myself a little flexibility on this (e.g. RGIII is ranked at #30 and Landry Jones at #27 when i think most would agree they will go much higher - and some players have off field issues (injury, legal etc.)) and i will give myself more leeway the lower down i go (as it is harder to grade the further down we drop).
I am going to assume that the Raiders and Saints make the playoffs (and loose in the Wildcard round) and theat the NEP make the playoffs, win the Wildcard and loose in the Divisonal game. So i am giving us pick #22 and #27 in Round 1, picks #53 and #59 in Round 2 and pick #91 in Round 3 (apologies if the numbers dont stack up - but i hope thay are pretty much there).
I am assuming that our needs are for a CB, FS, OLB and DL and that we have addressed WR through FA. I am D all the way!
Round 1 - Pick #22
The New England Patriots select - Vinny Curry, DE/OLB from Marshall. With Upshaw off the board in the top 10 BB takes a shot at a franchise pass rusher. Team captain, high smarts, the physical tools and a good motor. Curry can operate in multiple schemes and will help take the pressure and attentio off FA pick up of 2011, Andre Carter.
Notable players passed on - in my scenario i had Brandon Jenkins, Zach Brown and Dre Kirkpatrick still on the board.
Round 1 - Pick 27
The New England Patriots Select - Devon Still, DL of Penn State. He has come through hell this month and still plays well. Has the flexibility to play DT in a 4-3 and as DE in a 3-4. Crucially, is a team captain at Penn State.
Notable players passed on - in this scenario, Donte Hightower, Manti Teo'o, Chase Minifield and Jared Crick were on the board.
Round 2 - Pick 53
The New England Patriots TRADE this pick, along with the 4th round pick (123 ovr)to move UP to the 44-47 range and take Peter Konz, OC, Wisconsin. Konz appears to complete the re-tooling of the Pats O-Line which will continue to provide Brady with the best pass protection in the NFL.
Round 2 - Pick 57
The New England Patriots select - Robert Lester, FS from Alabama. BB takes his defensive star from 'Bama. Lester has been down in production this season, but provides the complementary safety to Patrick Chung that the team has been crying out for.
Round 3 - Pick 91
The New England Patriots select - Donte Paige-Moss, DE/OLB of UNC. BB does the TE/RB "Double Dip" in the pass-rush in 2012 and takes a value pick at the botom of the third. DPM was once mooted as a 1st round prospect and does represent a risk. However he has the physicals to do the job at the NFL level, and finds himself in a good situation in Foxbro.
I haven't posted a mock in a couple of weeks so I thought I would update mine. The first is my absolute dream scenario, where everything falls into place. The second is a more realistic mock.
Mock 1- Dream Draft
Trades
Hoyer for 2012 2nd
2nd for two 3rds
3rd for two 4ths
1a- OLB- Courtney Upshaw- Alabama
Just an absolute beast that would be perfect for the Pats at 3-4 OLB, even without the ideal measurables. Unfortunately he could go top 15.
1b- WR- Alshon Jeffery- South Carolina
A disapointing season has him moving down some draft boards behind Blackmon and Floyd. He also won't run well which could push him to the bottom of round 1. If he is available here I wouldn't hesitate, Jeffery will be a beast in the NFL.
2a- FS- TJ McDonald- USC
I love the way this kid plays and I think he would bring a presence to the defense. Sure he gets called for personal fouls and takes some bad angles at times, but they can be fixed. My problem with Meriweather wasn't his bad tackling or angles, it was his refusal to improve those areas. I don't see that being a problem with McDonald.
2b- S- Mark Barron- Alabama
He's really having a great year and could form a monster safety rotation with Chung and McDonald. Adding another playmaker and depth at safety is a priority this offseason.
3a- WR- Juron Criner- Arizona
Ocho should be gone and I don't know how much Branch has left, so I go with two WR's. I love the speed Criner plays at, he just does everything fast and puts pressure on the defence. He has the size to be a deep threat, but also the ability to get great YAC on short passes. I really like his fit in this offense.
3b- LB/S- Sean Spence- Miami
While not a fit as a base LBer, I like Spence as a roleplayer in a hybrid LB-Safety position. He is an undersized LB, but he has great instincts and plays hard. He can match up with TE's and really help the coverage among the LBers on 3rd down.
4a- CB- Trumaine Johnson- Montana
One of the heighest ceilings among CB's in this class, but character and competition questions drop him down the board. He need more depth at CB, and Johnson adds another big, athletic body that can play press man coverage and add versatility to the defense.
4b- TE- Michael Williams- Alabama
Monster blocker, underutilized pass catcher, great pontential. Poor mans Gronk.
4c- KR/WR- Joe Adams- Arkansas
The return game has been very disapointing and thats where Adams excels. This could spell the end for Edelman
UDFA- OT- Josh Oglesby- Wisconsin
FA- DE/OLB- Mario Williams
FA- DT/DE- Calais Campbell
Realistic Mock
Trades
Hoyer- 2012 2nd
1st for 2nd and 3rd
2nd for two 3rds
3rd for two 4ths
1- WR- Mohamed Sanu- Rutgers
Not quite as good as Alshon Jeffery, but a monster in his own right. I wouldn't be disapointed with Sanu.
2a- DE/OLB- Vinny Curry- Marshall
Not as good an all around OLB prospect as Upshaw, but Curry is an elite pass rusher and has a ton of potential.
2b- FS- TJ McDonald- USC
2c- CB/S- Stephon Gilmore- South Carolina
Gilmore has the ability to play both CB and FS, so his skills and versatility would immediately help this secondary.
3a- DE/OLB- Devin Taylor- South Carolina
Really struggled early in the year, dropping his draft stock, but has picked it up as of late. Huge potential but is very raw. His body needs time to grow and develop to be ready for the NFL
3b- WR- Juron Criner- Arizona
3c- LB/S- Sean Spence- Miami
4a- CB- Trumaine Johnson- Montana
4b- TE- Michael Williams- Alabama
4c- KR/WR- Joe Adams- Arkansas
UDFA- Josh Oglesby- Wisconsin
) This probably best represents my understanding of the draft.
Okay, going to have my very first pop at this and see how I get on. Two disclaimers though (don't want to be held to these next April
1. Being based in the UK, I don't get to watch college football and I don't have the knowledge to effectively scout these players even if I did. What I do is research - seeing what is said about the prospects in various places, learning from previous drafts and developing ideas based upon that. How successful that approach is will be seen (although in last years prediction contest I did jointly win, predicting Solder and Vereen - probably a fluke).
This probably best represents my understanding of the draft.
2. I've only just started the research process and haven't looked at nearly enough prospects so this mini-mock will be a very early and incomplete guesstimate.
But here goes:
Trade Brian Hoyer for mid 2nd rounder
1. Trade 1A and 3 to move up ahead of the NY Jets
1A - Courtney Upshaw DE/OLB
Not sure BB will trade up for someone who doesn't fit the measurables for the position, nevermind drafting him in the first round, but I really like what I've read and seen of Upshaw. Screams "Patriot" to me and looks to be an immediate defensive upgrade. Wouldn't trade up too high for him but he's a good option for the Jets so moving up 3 or 4 places to jump ahead of them would probably be worthwhile.
1B Trade 1B for 2012 2nd and 2012 3rd (If Devon Still was available here, I'd take him rather than trade down but I don't think he will be).
2A - Dont'a Hightower ILB
The Patriots need to seriously upgrade their defense and as I see it only Wilfork, Mayo and probably McCourty should be seen as locks for next year. Hightower not only provides excellent cover but should compete with, and possibly beat out Spikes for the second ILB spot. He also has the added benefit of possibly being able to play as an OLB.
2B - Markelle Martin FS
At the moment it's him or TJ McDonald - I can't really decide. Would also be tempted by Sanu or the Baylor WR Kendall Wright if they were available. Still Safety is a position of need and with two linebackers already selected, there's no need for the DE/OLB conversion projects that seem to be rated in this spot and no 3-4 DE's that appeal.
2C - Ben Jones C
Not enthused by this but there's not a lot available in this range. Trade into 2013 perhaps?
2D Trade 2D for 2012 3rd and 4th
3A Marvin McNutt - WR
We see it so often. Sir Tom Brady (I'm British so I've adopted and knighted him) needs to feel comfortable with a wide receiver if he's going to feature in the receiving game. McNutt works in a pro offense, knows his routes and is a former QB and intelligent. If anyone is going to make Brady feel comfortable it's him right? And just to make you salivate - It's 3rd and goal, Brady has dropped back, Welker is in the flat and Gronkowski and the 6'4" McNutt are loitering with intent at the back of the endzone towering over 5'10" and 6' DB's. Who can say "TD" the quickest?
3B - Kheeston Randle DE/DT
Might not offer a pass rush from the 3-4 DE position, but is a 6-5, 305 pounder who plays low and eats up double teams. Can't ask for more in the bottom of the third round.
4 - DaJohn Harris DT/DE
Could probably be had later but I'm done working on trades as I haven't fully researched this end of the draft yet. Is a 6-4 310lb DT from USC and could be an interesting development option as a 3-4 DE.
Not a bad draft. Would love to have included Still, Sanu or Kendall Wright but didn't see the opportunity and I'm not overly keen on the likes of Worthy, Crick or Winn for the DE positions. On the other hand, I really like Upshaw and Hightower at this moment in proceedings and see them as upgrades for this defense. Glad to address the safety spot but would have liked to include a CB like Minnifield or Gilmore. Randle and Harris are development 3-4 DE's who might just make a spot their own.
On the offensive side, I'm not convinced an OK Centre is a desperate need but didn't see much else at that slot worth picking but McNutt may be my early binky and adds a TD threat to an already potent offense.
More work needed yet I fear.
~ in Week 17!!
