Dibs

Not top 10??? I strongly disagree with your opinion on this.

Now this is a factor that is often ignored and can mean the difference between a player being a decent/good NFL starter for a team and looking like garbage......or even the difference between decent & bust. It also seems to be ignored regularly when assessing FAs......which explains why so many good FAs fail in their new teams......and so many failing players become solid in a new team. Though surrounding talent(& coaching) are also factors....'fitting a system' is rarely given any importance by fans & media unless it is a glaringly big misfit.

You'd lose you bet 8 in the last 16 drafts 2006 Haloti Ngata #12 2005 Travis Johnson #16 2004 Tommie Harris #14 1999 Anthony McFarland #15 1998 Jason Peter #14 1996 Daryl Gardener #20 1995 Warren Sapp #12 1993 Leonard Renfro #24

1st rounders Mangold & Faine are very good.....Spencer a solid starter from 2nd season. So....the 1st rounders all hit(they virtually always do with interior OLmen drafted in the 1st round.....which is an amazing stat). 2nd rounders from 2000-2007.....bold is non-busts.....(note: some were moved positionally along the OL but all drafted as OCs) Brad Meester.....hit....129 starts....started as rookie Dominic Raiola....hit....108 starts....started 2nd season LeCharles Bentley....2 Pro-bowls before injury shortened career Al Johnson....45 starts....we'll call him a bust Bruce Nelson....bust Jake Grove....46 starts in 5 seasons(injury prone) David Baas....22 starts in 4 seasons(injury prone) Ryan Cook.....starter by end of rookie season Chris Chester....solid starter by end of 3rd season Ryan Kalil....if not for injury would have started every game Samson Satele....started every game in two seasons 7 out of 11 didn't bust(64% success).....with the jury still out on 2 injury prone players. This is a huge percentage for the 2nd round. They don't all become probowlers(obviously).....but a very large number become consistent solid NFL players(which we are lacking at the OC position).

If he has the quickness.....and the size.....I'd agree totally that he won't be there at the #11 spot.

OCs drafted in the 1st round virtually always pan out......2nd round OCs have an extraordinarily low bust rate(compared to most positions). All of the top OC prospects this year are projected to be 2nd round talent or better.....historically this means that it likely that all will develop into fine NFL players.

Unless we change the D scheme we use it would be extraordinary if we drafted him.

Since it looks like we will not be altering the defensive scheme we use.......I can't see Raji being drafted by us. Similar to N'Gata, he does not project as the penetrator that is sought after for the T2 D. I voted Brown but would love Peppers via FA(I'm allowed to dream)......or Suggs. With an OC selected in the 2nd......a LB signed via FA(Crowell or similar)......this would open up our 1st round pick selection. I'd take Pettigrew(though trade down if possible).

Can somebody please explain how you re-sign your guy(Greer) & then trade him? He is an UFA. Why would any team let us re-sign him & then trade with us to acquire him when they could simply sign him themselves first?

This draft is also deep for good OCs.......which is a position with a very low bust rate(as opposed to DE). I'd break the bank & get Peppers(looks like he will be a FA & somebody is going to pay top dollar.....why not us)......and grab a LB in FA. I'd Draft a TE in the 1st & OC in the 2nd.

Thomas Smith only played one season for us in that span(1999)

Due to age I'd take Roethisburger. In their prime.....Warner.

I've been meaning to ask you Bill.......do you want us to re-sign Peters(for top dollar)? Personally I think that re-signing him is the wisest move by far. If we do re-sign him......would you feel that drafting a RT at #11 would be wise? I guess this comes back to how effective Walker can be. When not asked to do things unsuited to his abilities, I was under the impression that he can be a solid RT. I feel DE, OC, TE & OLB(if we don't re-sign Crowell) are far more important at this point.....but again, it comes back to the level of play we could hope to get out of Walker.

My response to you initially was because of your statement....."He was average at best through the 5-1 start." I guess you accept that as mis-stated I totally agree that his regression after those first 5 games was extremely concerning.......but I wouldn't personally be throwing him away at this point nor spending large resources on replacing him until we know for sure what we have. As I have shown above(in a similar manner to your thread regarding questions on Gruden), Cassel has probably shown little more than Edwards so far in his career......I certainly wouldn't be considering him a savior at this point in his career.

.....and here is an interesting comparison for everyone who 'sees' how our players play and are convinced that our guys suck.....while other players around the league are actually great. Let's compare our crappy QB(who never throws the ball down field to continue drives).....who plays behind our terrible line.....with our awful WRs & TEs.....and our pathetic play-calling..... .....to Cassel.....who is going to be franchised.....plays behind the great Pats line.....throws balls to their probowl WRs.....has expert play-calling......and cheating on his side. % of passes thrown.... Behind the line: Cassel: 18.4% Edwards: 17.9% 1-10 yards Cassel: 51.7% Edwards: 54% 11-20 yards Cassel: 22.5% Edwards: 20.6% 21-30 yards Cassel: 3.5% Edwards: 5.1% 31-40 yards Cassel: 2.7% Edwards: 2.1% 41+ yards Cassel: 1.1% Edwards: 0.3%

Actually I was grading his overall performance. His overall performance includes his 4th Q stats which put it up well above average. His 4th quarter stats: 31-38-397-3-0 QBR: 139.9 A QB who excels in the 4th quarter is surely something of value.....and I'd say that he became dominant in the 4th quarter over those 5 games. His 1st-3rd quarter stats: 75-114-812-2-2 QBR: 85.1 His performance over the first 3 quarters in those 5 games may not have been stellar......but was certainly solid. It is only unrealistic expectations that could possibly have somebody looking at his performance over that period & come away with 'below average' as a conclusion. What is a realistic expectation from a QB......let alone a 2nd year player? Solid play in the first 3 quarters with excellence in the last. The average passing for 1st downs in the league is about 11 per game. Over the 5 games TE passed for over 11.5 1st downs a game(continuing drives). Warner today passed for 13. You speak as if you expect continual perfection from players. Most players will have bad days.....bad patches.....bad throws.....bad series. It is the combined statistics which give an indicator to how well a player is doing overall. Ignoring TEs 4th quarter stats......if he can emulate his play in those 5 games & learn to make/complete a few extra shots down field each game.......I'd be more than happy with that at the QB position.

I'm constantly amazed that people expect our players to be the top players all of the time.....and if they aren't.....they are bad players. I'm not sold on TE(particularly after his performance in the Browns game).......but to say his start to the season was average at best is absolutely ridiculous. He was 5-0 through those games. He had a QBR of 98.8 Completion % of 69.7 YPA of 7.95 TD% of 3.3 INT% of 1.3 Extrapolated to a full season.... 16-0 QBR - 2nd Completion % - 1st YPA - 4th TD% - 23rd INT% - 3rd Argue as much as you like that his regression casts grave doubts on whether he can become a top NFL QB......argue that he is injury prone......argue that he does not seem to be able to take the game by the throat.......but please don't even imply that his performance in the 1st 6 games was anything short of 'good'.

Stroud......1st round DT pick.....extending Schobel......extending Kelsay(which you predicted at the time & backed as a good move)......Johnson.....Tripplett......Williams. Not all of these moves worked but the FO has clearly shown over the last 3 years that they place a very high importance on the DL.

I don't see that as being the case. Urlacher MLB.....other good LBs(pro-bowls) for the T2.....Briggs, Brooks, June, Quarles, Nickerson. LBs who play behind good DLs seem to be able to shine better than those that don't.....regardless of scheme.

I don't think that statement is valid. DJ may well be a coach that coaches not to lose......who happens to use the T2 D. It does not follow that all coaches who use the T2 D coach not to lose as well. T2 Superbowl winners Bucs 02 Colts 06 T2 Conference winners Rams 01 Bears 06

Actually the Bears DTs are 'classic' T2 size.....all around 295-310lbs. They don't have the massive road grader type (NGata 345lbs) which is what a lot of people are hankering for around here. The Colts use extremely light DTs.......even for the T2 scheme.

None.....let them all get on the bus in a few minutes when it comes.

Hasn't made any difference thus far in their careers.

Yes, I hear he excites them.