Lions and Raiders and Pollack
National Football League
Draft King Mailbag
January 12, 2005
Lou Pickney, DraftKing.com
Reader feedback is always welcomed here at DraftKing.com. Send your thoughts to me at LouPickney@gmail.com.
From: Geoff Lewis
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 1:36 PM
To: LouPickney@hotmail.com
Subject: dratf talk
I was just looking at your mock draft and I'm a little puzzled by the pick you have the Lions making. It doens't make sense for the Lions to draft DL with their top pick. To me it seems that the positions of S, TE, OL are more important and need to be addressed before DL. I think Heath Miller out of Virginia is a good fit for the Lions who are looking for a top quality TE and since Miller rewrote the record book in the ACC I think he would fit in nicely. Also where do you think Ernest Shazor from Michigan will go in the draft since he just announced he is going? He's a playmaker and I could see the Lions picking him up in the second round if he is available. Let me know what you think.
Lou: With Thomas Davis (Georgia), Jason Allen (Tennessee) and Shazor all declaring for the draft, there will be talent out there. It's possible that Detroit will use a first rounder on one of them, but the more prudent thing, in my opinion, would be to wait and take one in the second round. Shazor may or may not be among the group awaiting, but there are some talented safeties coming out this year. Perhaps none of them is worthy of a first round pick, but they will be good pros.
Heath Miller could fit in well with the Detroit offense. But with rumors swirling about the possible release of Joey Harrington, it's possible that Detroit might be looking to take a first round QB. I'm going to redo my mock draft as soon as I finish this mailbag (to update things, such as Mathias Kiwanuka opting to stay at Boston College). But keep in mind that the NFL Draft often has teams taking guys who fit the "best player available" mold and that it won't all follow a logical path. So there will be some teams, perhaps Detroit included, who will fill spots that might not look like the largest needs they have.
From: Bryce Pettit
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 1:55 PM
To: LouPickney@hotmail.com
Subject: Raiders Draft
I have to also disagree that the Raiders will take Rodgers at #7. He is nothing like Troy Aikman, and I think that's what they want under Norv Turner. Think Al Davis wasn't swooning when Collins and the Raider receivers had the vertical game going this year, like at Denver in the snow? Norv is not a West Coast guy and that's what Rodgers is best suited for. If Rodgers or even Alex Smith is available at 7 I think they trade down. They have so many needs that this makes sense. Because they are going vertical and they will probably sign a FA RB in the off season, the only offensive player who could tempt them at 7 would the top receivers, Williams and Edwards. Opposite Porter, and with Curry coming back after his injury, Collins would have to do extra weight training to keep his arm from getting tired in the fourth quarter! Also, do think Best (or somebody else) might go the Raiders to replace the awful experiment with the 3-4 under Ryan? That might be the biggest off-season move they make other than RB.
Lou: I will agree that the Raiders do have a number of needs that they could address with the #7 pick. That was addressed on here last week. Realistically, I doubt that Aaron Rodgers will be on the board when Oakland comes on the clock at the #7 spot. But if he's there, could Al Davis really pass on him?
I know that Davis is a "win now" kind of guy, and two straight losing seasons can't be sitting well with him. So from that perspective, he can't be happy with how things are going. My Rodgers prediction is based on the thought that Oakland will be very aggressive in going after Shaun Alexander. If Oakland is unable to obtain a high end RB via free agency, you might see them land one of the big three RBs (Cadillac Williams, Cedric Benson or Ronnie Brown) in this spot.
With the 3-4 defense, it obviously did not work well for Oakland. Warren Sapp was well-known in Tampa for being a locker room distraction, but he was worth putting up with because of his high skill level. He didn't work out so well in Oakland in 2004; if it was because of the 3-4 defense or because Sapp hit the wall remains to be seen. Trading down and landing a good DE isn't an unreasonable idea for the Raiders.
From: Curtis Ferguson
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 3:21 PM
To: Lou Pickney
Subject: Browns draft , and comments
Being a die hard Browns fan, living in Dallas, I want to get a couple of opinions and see how far off I can be...
IMO, I feel the Browns should trade down , get more picks (Lord knows we need them), and take an OL, and an impact Defensive player...IF we trade down. I like Ferguson-but heard he was going back to school or Barron, Brown...on the line, Webster, Rolle or DJohnson .
Depending on where we trade, Dallas or SD, (to get 2 #1’s) We have enough cap room to sign 2. Should Pollack drop to us in the second rd. I like him, I know you don’t, but every GA game I watched he made plays...the Browns need Playmakers...period. Forget 40 times, bench presses and vertical hops...PLAYMAKERS!
I also like the trade of W Green and picking up picks and if we do...possibly drafting C Benson! ? What do you think.? I like Suggs, but feel he will be too fragile for a 16 game schedule., especially with the neck probs.
IF NOT the trade down scenario, then I am pulling for a “Franchise” QB, Rogers, or Smith, (unlike Couch, could we get it wrong TWICE!)... I feel that all teams go as their QB can take them (exclude Ravens in the SB year-an awesome D carried them). Look at NE, Phil, GB, Pitt, or any good team. I am NOT sold on Garcia, (injuries, undersized, but love his competitiveness), Holcomb (injuries, had his shot to prove last year), McCown, just not the stud you need., and Josh Harris, signed from the practice squad in Balt. (Nuff sed,-- practice squad)
I also like Derrick Johnson, We need a STUD LB, have not had one since the prime of Clay Matthews, and Chip Banks...USC boys...(Still think Clay should be in the HOF-your thoughts?) DJ is fast, makes plays and can tackle, an under appreciated art today in the NFL, until you see as many arm tackles and shoulder throws and dives at the ankles as I did this year watching the Browns. We have “serviceable”LBs in A Davis , C Thompson and others, but no stud to lead us on Defense. Griffith is the only vocal guy on Defense and he should not be leading the team in tackles..that means you are getting too many plays downfield.
Antrelle Rolle would be nice as well, (thinking we may lose A Henry) if we do, then Rolle is a lock. With S Jones coming in next year we could solidify a defense that gave up 100 pts in 100 mins this year. The defense MUST get better...and hopefully Savage has the wherewithall to see that....sure he does.
I am fired up, cannot wait for the Browns of ‘05, with Jones and Winslow coming back, along with the 18 other IR players we had, we should be OK. But need a GREAT, not good, but GREAT draft to get back to respectability...then compete the following year.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Lou: Thanks for writing. I don't look at this as venting as much as giving some well-grounded thoughts. My mock draft is about to get turned upside-down with updates on guys (I'm finally giving up on D'Brickashaw Ferguson changing his mind and going pro). January 15 is the key day, since that's the final day for players to declare early entry (they can back out by January 19, provided that they haven't signed yet with an agent). Ahmad Brooks says he's returning to Virginia as well; Al Groh (Virginia's coach) has to like that he kept two of the three guys that he could have lost as potential first round picks (with TE Heath Miller being the only one who got away). The ACC should be really fun to watch next year. Lookout for Virginia.
Note that Matt Leinart is still on the fence, but I'm putting him on the board as being in there. If he passes up a chance to go #1 in the NFL Draft, I'll be surprised.
And for the record, I do not dislike David Pollack. Just note that every year there are defensive linemen who look like a sure bet for being a first round pick. Most of the mock drafts have them as middle or so first rounders, they played for a big university... and then they fall out of the first round. Now to be fair, typically this happens more often to guys who come out early (Rien Long, Randy Starks, etc.) But with guys disappearing from the board due to not declaring for the draft, it's possible that Pollack will go in there. We'll see what I come up with once I put the thing together here momentarily.
