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National Football League
Draft King Mailbag
March 6, 2007
Lou Pickney, DraftKing.com
Reader feedback is always welcomed here at DraftKing.com. Send your thoughts to me at LouPickney@gmail.com.
From: Ron Scott
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Mar 6, 2007 9:20 AM
Subject: Cowboys
Glad to see your still doing your mocks and answering questions, keep up the
good work. My question for you is about my cowboys. Given the fact that we
just signed Davis, Columbo could be re-signed, TO and glenn will be back,
and not knowing what direction Wade Phillips wants to go with this club,
what do you realistically see happening with the cowboys 1st pick?? I mean
in years past I could always say well I want us to get this guy or that but
considering where our team is personnel wise and when we pick there doesnt
seem to be any stand out players at that 22 spot. I'm just not convinced
about guys like Rice, Bowe, Ross, etc.....
How realistic are our chances of getting Joey Porter?? Are the boys really
interested in this guy or is it just a rumor to talk about. And if the boys
do get him do you see that being a plus for us since he is on the downslide
of his career??
Lou: Joey Porter would have been a great addition to the Cowboys defense, but he is going to the Miami Dolphins. $32.5 million over five years, $20 million of which is guaranteed. That's some sweet action.
Even though they didn't get Porter, picking up an OLB pass rusher would be nice for Dallas, particularly since that would help to alleviate the pressure on DeMarcus Ware. With two tackling machines at ILB (Bradie James and Akin Ayodele) that already is a strong LB unit, particularly with depth in the form of Bobby Carpenter and Kevin Burnett.
As for the #22 pick, if the right DE is still on the board, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Dallas looked to that spot. While DE is traditionally considered to be a run-stopping spot in a 3-4 (along with keeping blockers off the LBs), a player similar to Luis Castillo (who had 7½ sacks in 2006) might be just what Wade Phillips wants for that defense. Finding such a guy is easier said than done, and it will ultimately come down to how the Cowboys rate the DE prospects in the draft and who is on the board when they pick.
Dallas hasn't developed any top-flight WR talent in recent years, but that has been okay to a point since they plucked Terry Glenn from free agency (with successful results) and brought in Terrell Owens last off-season. But Dallas needs to plan for 2008 and beyond, when both Glenn and Owens may be gone, and taking a wideout at #22 would certainly help to that end. Dallas could wait until round two or three to go with a wide receiver, but with so many talented WRs likely to be on the board when they pick in the first round, there is a strong likelihood that at least one of the prospects will be high on Dallas' list.
From: Michael Littleton
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Mar 6, 2007 12:25 PM
Subject: Dallas
I really like the signing of Leonard Davis, even though most people
don't. I really believe he is better suited to play RG. I don't want
to see him having to go against Strahan and Kearse twice a year at RT.
I am however intrigued at a recent idea that my friend flew by me. How
do you think the Cowboys line would look with Blalock playing RT next to
Davis at RG. Blalock was a damn good RT for most of his career at Texas
and if we can't resign Colombo, I could see that being a viable option.
I also like the idea of us going WR or FS with our first pick. I am
really high on Brandon Meriweather, he'll spend every off season
training with Ed Reed and Shaun Taylor and he'll be an elite safety in
this league sooner rather than later.
Lou: While Leonard Davis was labeled as an "underachiever" in Arizona, I don't think that the Cowboys signed with with the intent of playing OG. Moreover, while Justin Blalock could end up as a good tackle, his versatility makes him extra appealing as a mid-first round pick, and I think that bringing in Blalock and having him play tackle and Davis play guard would not sit well with many Cowboys fans.
However, John Clayton reported tonight on ESPN that Davis "may play guard or tackle" for the Cowboys, so it looks like where he will play remains in question, at least for now.
From: Jason Crist
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Mar 6, 2007 1:06 PM
Subject: Bucs options
If the Bucs are sitting at #4 and Brady Quinn is still there, and Calvin
Johnson is off the board, do you think they would trade down to #6
(Washington), or #7 (Minnesota), in order to pick up a few extra picks
and maybe select a guy like LaRon Landry, the safety out of LSU? I know
they have some needs at other positions, but, Landry is a playmaker in
the secondary, and something Tampa has been missing since John Lynch was
shown the door three years back (still makes me mad to this day!). He
could fill the void on defense that will be left by the aging Derrick
Brooks, Ronde Barber, and Simeon Rice, not to mention learn a thing or
two while playing next to the veterans.
Lou: Trading into and out of the top five is tough, but it's not impossible to think that the Bucs might trade down. I think that if Calvin Johnson is off the board, Tampa Bay will pick up one of the two top DEs (Gaines Adams or Jamaal Anderson) and go from there.
I'm very high on LaRon Landry, but if the Bucs stay with the #4 pick, I'd think that would be too high of a spot at which to take him.
From: lboruchow@comcast.net
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Mar 6, 2007 3:09 PM
Subject: Falcons
think the top of your mock draft is shaping up to be extremely accurate, save for one pick: the Falcons.
Firstly, I dont think Reggie Nelson is a top 10 pick - no way. Second, the Falcons are said to be considering moving last year's pick (Jimmy Williams) to safety, since he has not shown he can play CB in the NFL. Additionally, their other corner, Webster, just sucks (lol).
For these reasons, I suggest that a more accurate Falcons pick is either Leon Hall to start opposite Dante Hall, or Charles Johnson since Kerney left to Seattle and they have very little depth or insurance for the oft-injured John Abraham.
Lou: Maybe I'm oversold on Reggie Nelson, but I see him as an incredible talent who was the key to holding Florida's secondary together for its 2006 SEC & BCS Title run.
Perhaps the Falcons will move Williams to safety, though I would question if using a top ten pick at corner would be the best move financially with DeAngelo Hall also on the roster.
I'd think DE might also be a consideration, but #10 is a no man's land for that, with the top two DEs likely to be gone while the next layer doesn't particularly warrant a pick that high, and included in that gorup is Georgia DE Charles Johnson.
From: Craig Rotz
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Mar 6, 2007 5:57 PM
Subject: Draft Boards Changing less in 2007
My thinking is that a larger number of players participated in the combine this year. Therefore, I think that pro days will therefore cause less rethinking of draft boards. What do you think?
Comment on draft boards - I thought Adam Carriker had a very good Senior Bowl week and an excellent combine. Why hasn't that translated into him moving up more draft boards?
Any chance Landry could climb higher than where you have him at 8? It would seem that a safety who can play the run and cover fast tight ends or slot receivers would be a premium.
Lou: With the wide range of free agent moves, and with QB evaluations still being made (for elite prospects), I think we'll see plenty of movement on draft boards.
For example, I had Joe Thomas linked with the Bucs if he fell to #4, but that seems highly unlikely now with Tampa Bay signing former Giants OT Luke Petitgout. As for the rankings of the players themselves, that has been (more or less) situated since well before the combine. There's always the chance of a player breaking late and moving up, or running into some off-the-field problems and moving down as a result, but overall there is a relatively general consensus of where most guys should go, in at least a ballpark estimate kind of way.
As for Adam Carriker, he is a wild card, maybe not as much as a Ted Ginn, Jr., but still he's someone who could go anywhere from San Francisco at #11 to all the way into round two. Carriker is huge, and as a DE he seems like a great fit for a 3-4 defense as a run-stuffer who has good speed to go with his bulk. The problem he faces is with teams that demand more pass rushing from the DE spot who might prefer other prospects with less size and more speed.
Because of those factors, Carriker won't be a good fit for every team, and he ideally would be picked up by a team with a 3-4 that needs a DE. That limits his options, and while a 4-3 team could take him for a DE/DT tweener role, his greatest potential value (at least in my estimation) is with a 3-4 team.
Maybe I'm wrong on thinking that Landry won't be able to sneak up higher than #8, but his position (free safety) would seem to limit his options for that. Tampa Bay at #4, as I just referenced in the last e-mail, would be a good fit for him, but paying top five money to a free safety might be a tough sell, particularly with other elite talent at higher profile positions likely to be on the board.
From: Sean Spielman
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Mar 6, 2007 6:21 PM
Subject: 2007 mock draft
I am a lifelong fan of the Minnesota Vikings. I have been following
your mock draft as well as others for a few weeks now. I know the Vikings
are in desperate need of a wide receiver, but latelt I have felt if we don't
trade up to get CJ, We should definately take Brady Quinn if he is still on
the board. We could still pick up a quality receiver early in the second
round (particularly Sidney Rice). Where do you see him landing? If you have
the time I would definately like your opinion.
Lou: I would think that Minnesota might be wise to land a veteran QB (not Chris Weinke) as opposed to going with a rookie QB to go with Tarvaris Jackson and Brooks Bollinger. But, by the same token, Brady Quinn would be an interesting addition to the team, though that would derail the development of Jackson as the long-term answer as the team's QB.
The Vikings should be able to get a quality WR in round two, whether it is Sidney Rice or Robert Meacham or another receiver. At 6'3½", Rice has the height that teams will like, and hoping that he'd be there when they pick in round two might be a bit unrealistic for Minnesota. It might be worth Minnesota trading up from the second round into the late first round to secure him, if that's what the Vikings decide to do.
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