Draft Game: Seven Picks, One FA to Put a 'Seattle Defense' On The Field.

[manxman2601]

Topical yet simple

You are only allowed to pick defensive players and you aren't allowed any trades. Use the seven Patriots picks and one external FA signing to put together a defense that comes as close to the Seattle one in both form and performance.

1. you can keep as many current Patriot players as you like.
2. You can re-sign any defensive player.
3. One FA signing.
4. Seven picks, no trading.

Go for it!

 

[mayoclinic]

Topical yet simple

You are only allowed to pick defensive players and you aren't allowed any trades. Use the seven Patriots picks and one external FA signing to put together a defense that comes as close to the Seattle one in both form and performance.

1. you can keep as many current Patriot players as you like.
2. You can re-sign any defensive player.
3. One FA signing.
4. Seven picks, no trading.

Go for it!

My kind of draft.

FA signing: In real life I'd take Linval Joseph. But in this fantasy money-is-no-object scenario in which we could have any FA, I'd take Greg Hardy.

The draft:

29. Ra'Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota. 6'6" 318#. (NFL DraftScout #26).
62. Marcus Smith, DE/OLB, Louisville. 6'3 1/2" 258#. (#79) (Tough call between Smith and Nebraska DB Stanley Jean-Baptiste.)
93. Christian Jones, LB, Florida St. 6'3" 236#. (#115)
4. Justin Ellis, DT, Louisiana Tech. 6'2" 351#. (#140)
6a. Antone Exum, DB, Virginia Tech. 6'2" 220#. (#167).
6b. Aaron Lynch, DE, USF. 6'6" 260#. (#206)
7. Aaron Colvin, DE, Oklahoma. 5' 11 1/2" 194#. (#222)

I'd also take Jonathan Dowling (#284) as a UDFA.

Guys who almost made the list:

- Calvin Pryor, S, Loisville (#28)
- Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford (#44)
- Stanley Jean-Baptiste, CB, Nebraska (#86)

 

[manxman2601]

My kind of draft.

FA signing: In real life I'd take Linval Joseph. But in this fantasy money-is-no-object scenario in which we could have any FA, I'd take Greg Hardy.

The draft:

29. Ra'Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota. 6'6" 318#. (NFL DraftScout #26).
62. Marcus Smith, DE/OLB, Louisville. 6'3 1/2" 258#. (#79) (Tough call between Smith and Nebraska DB Stanley Jean-Baptiste.)
93. Christian Jones, LB, Florida St. 6'3" 236#. (#115)
4. Justin Ellis, DT, Louisiana Tech. 6'2" 351#. (#140)
6a. Antone Exum, DB, Virginia Tech. 6'2" 220#. (#167).
6b. Aaron Lynch, DE, USF. 6'6" 260#. (#206)
7. Aaron Colvin, DE, Oklahoma. 5' 11 1/2" 194#. (#222)

I'd also take Jonathan Dowling (#284) as a UDFA.

Guys who almost made the list:

- Calvin Pryor, S, Loisville (#28)
- Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford (#44)
- Stanley Jean-Baptiste, CB, Nebraska (#86)

Who's your Kam Chancellor?

 

[mayoclinic]

Who's your Kam Chancellor?

Exum. You sold me on that one. Calvin Pryor would be perfect, but I couldn't pass up the DT.

 

[doesntmatter1]

I want to fix the offense, but I would be pretty satisfied with Mayo's all D draft.

 

[manxman2601]

Defensive players to keep:

McCourty (Earl Thomas)
Talib (Sherman)
Jamie Collins (Leo/WLB)
Mayo (MLB)
Chandler Jones (Leo)
Tommy Kelly/ Armstead (LDE)
Hightower/Ninkovich (SLB)


So I need a 1 and 3 tech DT, an extra pass rusher, a #2 CB, a strong safety and backups.

Free Agency: Henry Melton (assuming he's fully fit). 3-tech.


Rnd 1: Ryan Shazier. A perfect solution to fill the Kam Chancellor role.

Rnd 2: Marcus Smith. My Bruce Irvin Leo. The Seahawks defense has lots of speed which Smith provides.

Rnd 3: Jimmie Ward. This is a little bit ambitious but what the heck Ward is a great McCourty backup which leaves Harmon as the #4 safety.

Rnd 4: Justin Ellis: i Tech DT.

Rnd 6A: Antone Exum: CB #2

Rnd 6B: Shamar Stephen: Backup 5 and 1 tech.

Rnd 7:Ethan Westbrooks: Another sub package DE.



Depth Chart:

LDE: Kelly/Armstead/Stephen
1 Tech: Ellis/Siliga/Stephen
3 Tech: Melton/Kelly/Armstead
Leo: Jones/Collins/Westbrooks
SLB: Hightower/Ninkovich
MLB: Mayo/Collins
WLB: Collins/Smith
CB1: Talib/Dennard
CB2: Exum/Dennard
Nickel CB: Dennard/Arrington/Ryan
SS: Shazier/Harmon
FS McCourty/Ward

Sub DE: Marcus Smith/Westbrooks
Sub DT: Melton & Kelly/Armstead.

 

[Big-T]

Keep:
Chandler Jones, Tommy Kelly, Armond Armstead, Chris Jones, Sealver Siliga, Jerod Mayo, Jamie Collins, Aqib Talib, Alfonzo Dennard, Logan Ryan

Free Agent:
Greg Hardy

Draft:
1. Kyle Van Noy (LB)
2. Deone Bucannon (SS)
3. Bashaud Breeland (CB)
4. Josh Mauro (DE)
6. Vinnie Sunseri (SS)
6. Devon Kennard (LB)
7. Ryan Carrethers (DT)

4-3:

Hardy-Kelly-Siliga-Chan. Jones
Collins-Mayo-Van Noy
Talib-Bucannon-McCourty-Dennard​

Dennard & Ryan might not be as tall as the Seahawks corners but they're both scrappy, physical guys so it can work. It's more of a Seahawk/49er hybrid style too, so not quite an emulation of what the 'hawks put out.

 

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

I like what you guys have done, but I’m going to try to take a different route, and add a curve ball too. DT has a lot of variables right now so I’m going to assume of Kelly and Wilfork that only Kelly is healthy, and that of Chris Jones and Armstead that only Jones develops. I think we have some players that can replicate the things that Seattle does, but we don’t have a Kam Chancellor, a Brandon Mebane, or the depth at pass rusher.

FA: Michael Bennett

Draft:
1. Louis Nix
2. (RFA) Brandon Browner
3. Stanley Jean-Baptiste

Bennett can rotate in at DE with Jones and Ninkovich and play DT in light defenses like he does with the Seahawks. He’s not quite as good as Greg Hardy, but I don’t know if Hardy can play inside and I consider that a valuable trait in a defense modeled after Seattle.

Brandon Mebane is a severely underrated player in their defense. He clogs up the running lanes, stonewalls double teams, and collapses the pocket. Hopefully Wilfork can do that, but in this game I’m assuming he cannot. I’m confident Louis Nix can do that.

Kam Chancellor is a very rare type of player. It’s not easy to find someone with his combination of size, range, talent, and brutality. I’ve looked around and the only player that I think can fill that role is his teammate Brandon Browner. He’s a restricted FA and Seattle probably feels confident enough that they don’t have to resign him. He’s also getting older so a move so safety makes sense.

Hopefully Talib and Browner can help Jean-Baptiste learn to play well as a big CB. I haven’t watch him, but being in Mayo’s post is good enough for me.

Base
Bennett Nix Kelly Jones
Hightower Mayo Collins
Talib Dennard
McCourty Browner

Nickel
Bennett Nix Kelly Jones
Mayo Collins
Talib Ryan Dennard
McCourty Browner

Dime
Ninkovich Kelly Jones Bennett
Mayo
Talib Ryan Arrington Dennard
McCourty Browner

Nascar Nickel
Ninkovich Kelly Jones Bennett
Mayo Collins
Talib Ryan Dennard
McCourty Browner

Nascar Dime
Ninkovich Bennett Jones Collins
Mayo
Talib Ryan Arrington Dennard
McCourty Browner​

 

[stevedogc]

Defensive players to keep:

McCourty (Earl Thomas)
Talib (Sherman)
Jamie Collins (Leo/WLB)
Mayo (MLB)
Chandler Jones (Leo)
Tommy Kelly/ Armstead (LDE)
Hightower/Ninkovich (SLB)


So I need a 1 and 3 tech DT, an extra pass rusher, a #2 CB, a strong safety and backups.

Free Agency: Henry Melton (assuming he's fully fit). 3-tech.


Rnd 1: Ryan Shazier. A perfect solution to fill the Kam Chancellor role.

Rnd 2: Marcus Smith. My Bruce Irvin Leo. The Seahawks defense has lots of speed which Smith provides.

Rnd 3: Jimmie Ward. This is a little bit ambitious but what the heck Ward is a great McCourty backup which leaves Harmon as the #4 safety.

Rnd 4: Justin Ellis: i Tech DT.

Rnd 6A: Antone Exum: CB #2

Rnd 6B: Shamar Stephen: Backup 5 and 1 tech.

Rnd 7:Ethan Westbrooks: Another sub package DE.



Depth Chart:

LDE: Kelly/Armstead/Stephen
1 Tech: Ellis/Siliga/Stephen
3 Tech: Melton/Kelly/Armstead
Leo: Jones/Collins/Westbrooks
SLB: Hightower/Ninkovich
MLB: Mayo/Collins
WLB: Collins/Smith
CB1: Talib/Dennard
CB2: Exum/Dennard
Nickel CB: Dennard/Arrington/Ryan
SS: Shazier/Harmon
FS McCourty/Ward

Sub DE: Marcus Smith/Westbrooks
Sub DT: Melton & Kelly/Armstead.

Shazier certainly seems to have the intangibles as Chancellor, but can he make the switch to safety? Does he have good enough coverage skills? If so, sign me up.

 

[Kontradiction]

FA: Lindval Joseph

Round 1: Calvin Pryor (FS, Louisville)
Round 2: Marcus Smith (DE, Louisville)
Round 3: Stanley Jean-Baptiste (CB, Nebraska)
Round 4: Lamin Barrow (ILB, LSU)
Round 6: Shamar Stephen (DT, Connecticut)
Round 6: Aaron Lynch (DE, USF)
Round 7: Daniel Sorensen (SS, BYU)

Bring in Joseph and cut Wilfork. Joseph provides push against the pass and is good against the run. Take Pryor at #29 in Round 1 and covert him over to SS. Pryor is very much a hitter and I would have him add at least five pounds to his frame. He's also very strong in coverage. Not Chancellor's size, but guys his size who can hit and cover are hard to find. Pryor would do just fine.

I would take Marcus Smith in the second round as well. Nice pass rusher with good speed and fundamental technique. I also like the way he uses his hands to fight off blocks. Jean-Baptiste would be my pick in the third round, regardless of what happens with Talib (who, in my version, takes a team friendly deal). He adds size and athleticism at the position and would be a steal at that point.

I would select Barrow in the fourth. He's more of a pure athlete at this point than a footballer, but the main issue with him is tackling technique. He can be coached up on that and he adds more athleticism next to Collins at the LB position. Stephen and Lynch would both be my picks in the sixth and I view Lynch as an absolute steal there. They both add pass rushing ability and athleticism to the DL. Round 7 is essentially a throw it at the wall and see if it sticks pick for me, but I would Sorensen here and try to get some use out of him in subpackages as a coverage specialist against TE's who can also deliver some pop.

And this was harder than it sounded.

 

[mayoclinic]

My kind of draft.

FA signing: In real life I'd take Linval Joseph. But in this fantasy money-is-no-object scenario in which we could have any FA, I'd take Greg Hardy.

The draft:

29. Ra'Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota. 6'6" 318#. (NFL DraftScout #26).
62. Marcus Smith, DE/OLB, Louisville. 6'3 1/2" 258#. (#79) (Tough call between Smith and Nebraska DB Stanley Jean-Baptiste.)
93. Christian Jones, LB, Florida St. 6'3" 236#. (#115)
4. Justin Ellis, DT, Louisiana Tech. 6'2" 351#. (#140)
6a. Antone Exum, DB, Virginia Tech. 6'2" 220#. (#167).
6b. Aaron Lynch, DE, USF. 6'6" 260#. (#206)
7. Aaron Colvin, DE, Oklahoma. 5' 11 1/2" 194#. (#222)

I'd also take Jonathan Dowling (#284) as a UDFA.

Guys who almost made the list:

- Calvin Pryor, S, Loisville (#28)
- Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford (#44)
- Stanley Jean-Baptiste, CB, Nebraska (#86)

I'm going to revise this slightly:

Keep Jerod Mayo, Jamie Collins, Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Michael Buchanan, Armond Armstead, Chris Jones, Aqib Talib, Devin McCourty, Alfonzo Dennard, Dont'a Hightower.

1. Ra'Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota. 3 Tech.
2. Deone Bucannon, FS, Washington St. Our Kam Chancellor.
3. Marcus Smith, DE/OLB, Louisville. Leo / SAM.
4. Christian Jones, LB, Florida St. MLB/WLB.
6a. Aaron Lynch, DE, USF. Base DE.
6b. Deandre Coleman, DT, Cal. 0/1 Tech, 3 Tech and 5 tech options.
7. Antone Exum / Aaron Colvin / Jonathan Dowling / Dontae Johnson, DB. If comp picks are allowed, I'd try to get as many of these big, versatile DBs as possible.

 

[Kontradiction]

FWIW, I was originally going to go after McGill in the third round, but his latest injury concerns scared me a way so I played it safe with Jean-Baptiste.