MrEpsYtown

I think there are a lot of fair points here. As you alluded to, I think a lot is going to come down to his combine workout. I mean if he runs a 4.81, and measured 6-3, he won't be a top ten pick, but if he blows it up, or at least puts up respectable numbers, I think you are getting a pretty special guy. I am very interested in how he measures, height, weight, wing span, hands, things of that nature. I don't want an H back. We also have to keep in mind that the guy is a redshirt sophomore, so there is a still a lot of growth to be had.

Honestly, I would consider a trade up for Nick Bosa. That's it. Otherwise I'd be looking to trade back a few spots or stay put. I do not think that Beane will trade up this year. I remeber him saying something about trading up needing to be calculated and such and not something you can do every year. Having traded up for two first round picks last year, I think Beane moves around the draft board, but I doubt a trade up in the first.

I tend to agree with the OP. Zay Jones to the Chargers for Forrest Lamp and a pick. This reunites Zay with Phil McGeoghan and it allows the Chargers to replace Tyrell Williams with a cheaper guy. We get a nice guard prospect, who would be a top 1-2 interior player in this draft. Chargers throw in a pick because we are assuming some risk as Lamp has barely played since he was drafted. I think it's a win-win for both teams.

Definitely some kernels! Last year when discussing quarterbacks, pretty much everything Beane said he was looking for in a quarterback is what Josh Allen is.

The fact that the Pegulas are willing to eat these costs and fire people actually makes me happy. If they know they didn't hire the right people and they are willing to eat costs just to get rid of them, tells me they are willing to do whatever it takes to get things right. But it does show they must be doing something wrong that they haven't been able to get it right.

Eh, more high level executives should get fired these days. Companies have no problem firing a custodian if he isn't doing a good job, COOs and such should be no different.

Great points all around. The system certainly seems broken, but it's really just the Patriots who like to take advantage of loopholes and such in teh rules. The don't re-sign their own and then they draft their replacement with comp picks and they sign veterans like Jason McCourty who get tossed to the scrap heap. Playoffs teams should be exempt from comp picks. It's the rich getting richer. We had an opportunity for a comp pick or two when when signed guys like Leon Johnson and Mike Tolbert and such, but I'd rather have the playoffs then some third round pick. There is zero chance we get any comp picks for the next few years, but hopefully as the roster gets better, we will see a change there. Great points guys.

Quoting DJ from the article: "Hockenson is a fun player to watch. In the passing game, he fights through press coverage and will stair-step defenders (fights through pass coverage and understands how to attack the leverage of defenders) down the field, helping to create some separation on crossers and deep-over routes. He tracks the ball naturally and his high-point skills are on display in the red zone. He is very physical after the catch and possesses adequate speed. Hockenson is at his best in the run game. He ragdolls defensive ends and linebackers. He had multiple pancake blocks in every game I studied. Overall, Hockenson is one of the best blocking tight ends I've ever evaluated and he is dependable in the passing game. He's a Day 1 impact player at the next level." There are a lot of McBeane traits in that assessment: smart fights physical blocks dependable Makes a ton of sense. Every other guy he listed has some sort of flaw, with big upside. This guy has big upside without the big flaws.

This is a great point. Dolphins did have a ton of talent on the roster on paper, but they still sucked. They gave the Patriots fits though. Maybe it was the coaching, or maybe it was the quarterback, but they were not devoid of talent.

We just better not draft an o-linemen. I'm good with Hockenson or a defensive player. The guy is the real deal and game changing tight end. Guys with his skills do not often bust. Ebron was all projection with little substance and it took him awhile for things to click. Hockenson is a complete tight end who also has a huge upside, and that is what makes him worthy of a top ten pick.

I've always had unreasonable love for Quinn, so would love for this to happen.

Above is what I said in the "AFC Cuts thread." He's a good player who has not played very much in a while and is going to be 33 years old. I think he would be an okay stop gap, but not sure he is a big upgrade. I could see him following Gase to the Jets.

I really think they were targeting a tight end that year, but wound up settling for O'Leary in the sixth. Drafted Karlos Williams like 5 picks before James went. Can't argue with the thought process, but in hindsight should have taken James.

I've said in other threads that Morse over Paradis is a no brainer and so obvious. Bigger, faster, stronger, more athletic, younger and scheme versatile. The idea that Paradis is better comes from PFF grades which I respect, but take with a grain of salt. I've watched both. Morse is better. That said, I'd be ecstatic with either.

Ben Garland not being brought back to the Falcons. He's a converted defensive linemen who turned into a serviceable guard. A bit older becuase he had to fulfill his Air Force commitments. I'd recommend him as functional depth at the guard position and to compete. Also at Air Force he was teammates with reciever coach Chad Hall.

I don't think I missed anybody. 5 starting linemen out of 50 who were top ten picks. First round picks? Yeah there are more. But out of those top ten o lines, just five top ten picks. You are missing one big point, and that is that the Bills have done a ***** job of doing anything for the last 15-20 years or so. That has absolutely nothing to do with the current regime. Sure this concept has not worked for us, but it has worked with pretty much every other good team in the league. A lot of people want to go ahead and draft Jonah Williams in the top ten. He looked like garbage when playing against NFL level competition, and there are a whole bunch of questions if he can even stick at tackle. Making a pick like that is simply idiotic. It's a reach, and it's what gets GMs fired. This team hasnt really bothered to draft many offensive linemen in the mid to late rounds. There are years in which they drafted no linemen at all. I like the thought process of the Teller and Dawkins picks. That's what I want to see more of. Not reaches in the first round. Please tell me who all all of these amazing top ten picked offensive linemen are around the league. If you look at the playoff teams is year there are a few. Tyron Smith, Eric Fisher (largely considered a bust), Ronnie Stanley, Russel Okung (not his original team), Quentin Nelson, Lane Johnson. That's six guys who were drafted in the top ten. If you want to look at top offenses in the NFL, KC had Fisher, Indy had Nelson, the Chargers had Okung, and the Falcons had Mathews and Mack. That's 5 guys. Those are the only top ten drafted offensive linemen who are starting on the top ten scoring offenses in the NFL in 2018. Fisher is considered a bust, and Okung and Mack are not with the teams who drafted them. What you do see is a ton of late first round picks, second round and third round picks, and UDFAs. Joe Thomas really did a ton to help the Browns be winners. The Titans have a left tackle drafted eleventh and a right tackle drafted eight, and they still suck. And their best lineman is their left guard who went undrafted. It's about using resources wisely and building a team. There is not really a formula, but reaching in the top ten to fill a hole is the worst thing you can do. This is not not a theory, it is a fact. There are so many busted top ten linemen in the NFL and it is a terrible place to reach for a guy to fill a hole. Draft BPA and do not draft for need. Be wise and target the guys in the mid rounds who can will fit what you what to do and will improve your team.

Going back to the Patriots, the highest drafted guy is Joe Tuney who was a 3rd rounder. They use mid round resources to grab guys from great football programs. Every once in awhile they use a first rounder on a left tackle like Wynn or Nate Solder. When you look at those top ten offensive lines in the NFL, only Quentin Nelson, Ronnie Stanley, Lane Johnson, Jack Conklin and Greg Robinson were top ten picks. Robinson is a bust on his third team who seemed to figure it out and Conklin only played in 9 games. That's five guys out of 50 starting linemen. I agree with you in that you have to find the right players. But I also feel that the top ten is not the place ever to do it, unless you ar getting an elite can't miss guy like Nelson. Simply find the right guys in the middle to late part of the draft.

I agree. What the Patriots do is the find lineman from the college teams that still actually coach linemen how to play. Iowa, Georgia, Wisconsin, NC State and some of the smaller schools with pro style type of offenses. Shaq Mason came from Georgia Tech, where all they did was run the ball. Norte Dame guys work too. To me that is the issue, and the answer. Too many spread type offenses in college do not properly prepare linemen for success in the NFL. Guys get picked high becuase of projection, see Joeckel, Luke (2013's Jonah Williams). Guys from universities that teach linemen the right way are the way to draft.

Yeah I'm not sure we will ever know, but in my mind I pin it on both of them. Matt Barkley was the most successful Bills quarterback to come out of that draft. It really was a crap quarterback year. Some pretty good undrafted players like AJ Bouye and Adam Thielen came out of that draft.

My gut tells me that he had final say in terms of personnel. He was being groomed to be the guy for a very long time. His biggest mistake was choosing EJ Manuel. Because after that he spent a ton of resources to try and help the guy, who simply did not have it. That's the main motivation for the Clay and Watkins overpays. And the braintrust did not help matters becuase they did not let him pick his coach. He constantly clashed with Rex and Dougie. Though he would have picked Hue Jackson and we would have wound up with the number 1 overall pick and either Carson Wentz or Jared Goff.

Its amazing that some people still defend Tyrod. He was just awful. Missing guys every where and holding the ball forever.

I really want to see this guy in a room having a talk with Vontaze Burfict about his antics. Could be great television.

Tyler Kroft and a few other guys make sense too. I like Demetrius Harris of the Chiefs as well, but he's long and lean, very similar to Croom. We need a guy who can block.

A couple guys make a lot of sense. Jesse James of the Steelers is probably my favorite. Jeff Huereman of the Broncos is pretty good as well. Maxx Williams would be cool but I think he's more of a #2. Tyler Higbee of the Rams is probably available via trade. He was drafted for Rob Boras when he was OC with the Rams and he currently serves as our tight ends coach. Rumors were the Rams wanted a sixth round pick for him. All young, bigger guys with upside.

I think they definitely cut Josh Sitton, and probably Daniel Kilgore and Ted Larsen. I would define Sitton as good. But he missed most of the season this year and is going to be 33 years old. He's an experienced guy who might make for an interesting stopgap somewhere, but that's pretty much it. Kilgore is a smaller zone center. He's 31. He was the guy they Niners re-signed then when they signed Weston Richburg, they traded Kilgore to the Dolphins. I would say that he's ok, but he's not better than Russell Bodine. Plus Bodine is younger, bigger, stronger, and has more experience. And Ted Larsen is pretty bad.