2017 NFL Mock Drafts & Top Prospects

[YoloinOhio]

Per Leroi... on Bills top 5 big board

 

Inside Marshon Lattimore's rise from Cleveland's East Side to Ohio State's next NFL star

From the same streets as Cardale

http://www.cleveland.com/osu/2017/04/inside_marshon_lattimores_rise.html#incart_river_mobileshort_index

Edited April 26, 2017 by YoloinOhio

[BuffAlone]

That would still be a better draft than what we will likely get from the Bills.

 

Last year 3 picks on a 2 down inside linebacker and an injured DE, injured WR, a backup college QB, and a DT with maturity issues.

Ragland will play all 3 downs at the Mike. We draft a Will,and play Brown at Sam

[jeffismagic]

Ragland will play all 3 downs at the Mike. We draft a Will,and play Brown at Sam

 

Ragland can't play the mike in McDermott's Carolina scheme. Either the scheme changes to accommodate Ragland or the Bills will get torched.

[Blokestradamus]

Ragland can't play the mike in McDermott's Carolina scheme. Either the scheme changes to accommodate Ragland or the Bills will get torched.

 

Sean McDermott seems to think he can. Why don't you?

[YoloinOhio]

@salsports

Bills targeting 2-3 players but know none may be there when they select, so have had solid "just in case" talks with teams below 10.......

 

..those deals would also be contingent on those other teams' target being there, of course. But wheels are in motion if that's the case..2/

 

...If 1 of those Bills targets gets past 5-6, they are willing to move up a few spots, but only if cost is right. 3/...

 

I don't know the 2-3 players but educated guess based on discussions I've had leads me to Adams/Hooker being 2 of them.. 4/4

Edited April 26, 2017 by YoloinOhio

[GunnerBill]

@salsports

Bills targeting 2-3 players but know none may be there when they select, so have had solid "just in case" talks with teams below 10.......

 

...If 1 of those Bills targets gets past 5-6, they are willing to move up a few spots, but only if cost is right. 3/...

 

none of the 5 names we have is worth a trade up in my opinion. I think Lattimore is the 2nd best player in the class but you do not trade up in the first round for corners!

[jeffismagic]

 

Sean McDermott seems to think he can. Why don't you?

 

I don't know that McDermott actually does believe it. He stated he would start with Ragland and Preston Brown inside. That's not a ringing endorsement.

 

As to why Ragland can't play the mike in McDermott's Carolina scheme OR Frazier's Tampa 2, I am sure you are aware the mike linebacker in both needs to have tremendous range and be able to drop back in coverage.

 

I have discussed the linebackers on the team and was told the WLB in McDermott's Carolina scheme might be where Ragland ends up. He could play 2 downs where he just has certain zones to cover and come off the field on 3rd down and obvious passing situations.

[26CornerBlitz]

@SalSports

New at WGR: Bills have had 'solid discussions' with teams about trades (more): http://www.wgr550.com/articles/news/capaccio-bills-have-had-solid-discussions-teams-about-trades via @AddThis

[Jamie Muellers Ghost]

Lattimore, Howard, Davis ?

 

I can hear the moans when Howard goes 4-6.

 

@salsports

Bills targeting 2-3 players but know none may be there when they select, so have had solid "just in case" talks with teams below 10.......

 

..those deals would also be contingent on those other teams' target being there, of course. But wheels are in motion if that's the case..2/

 

...If 1 of those Bills targets gets past 5-6, they are willing to move up a few spots, but only if cost is right. 3/...

 

I don't know the 2-3 players but educated guess based on discussions I've had leads me to Adams/Hooker being 2 of them.. 4/4

[YoloinOhio]

Lattimore, Howard, Davis ?

 

I can hear the moans when Howard goes 4-6.

 

 

Corey Davis said in a radio interview yesterday that he expects to go 12-18 range. I thought that was interesting. Looks like he would be very surprised if Bills took him at 10, and also would seem they've shown very little outward interest in him. Otherwise he'd think that he could go as high as 10. Edited April 26, 2017 by YoloinOhio

[Blokestradamus]

 

I don't know that McDermott actually does believe it. He stated he would start with Ragland and Preston Brown inside. That's not a ringing endorsement.

 

As to why Ragland can't play the mike in McDermott's Carolina scheme OR Frazier's Tampa 2, I am sure you are aware the mike linebacker in both needs to have tremendous range and be able to drop back in coverage.

 

I have discussed the linebackers on the team and was told the WLB in McDermott's Carolina scheme might be where Ragland ends up. He could play 2 downs where he just has certain zones to cover and come off the field on 3rd down and obvious passing situations.

 

I highly doubt that anyone is calling the Tampa 2 in the NFL with any kind of regularity anymore. It's been picked apart because of the Mike drop and how few players can execute it.

 

The Mike does need coverage ability and Reggie has that. He's not the most athletic guy in the world (especially in comparison to what the scheme has had) but let's not talk like he's Vontaze Burfict slow or anything. Reggie has the requisite football IQ to position himself well and he's shown the ability to marshall the shallow/intermediate MOF and the hook zones.

 

I think people are so used to seeing this role executed by a true superstar freak athlete that it raises expectations that 'mere mortals' like Reggie Ragland aren't capable of it.

[Blokestradamus]

Corey Davis said in a radio interview yesterday that he expects to go 12-18 range. I thought that was interesting. Looks like he would be very surprised if Bills took him at 10, and also would seem they've shown very little outward interest in him. Otherwise he'd think that he could go as high as 10.

 

Smokescreen.

[dave mcbride]

I am definitely making that assumption. Adrian Peterson led the league in rushing in 2015 (his last healthy season). He also has about 12,000 career rushing yards and 100 TDs. He is the best RB of his generation. Mike Gillislee has 865 career rushing yards. He has 154 career carries (Peterson has 8 different seasons of more). We are talking about 1 to 2 year deals (not 6). If the Patriots think that Mike Gillislee is a better short-term option as the between the tackles runner than Adrian Peterson than I am questioning their judgement (not to mention MG was more expensive and cost a 5th round pick).

The same could have been said about LT, Edgerrin James, and Emmitt Smith when they were on the market. My guess is that Peterson is likely done as an elite player. Honestly, I didn't think he was particularly dominant in 2015 either -- at least, not like 2012. They simply fed him the ball all of the time. More importantly, he is 32: an age at which pretty much all elite RBs with tons of mileage fall off the cliff. He's apparently not even going to be starting for NO. I don't think he'd be a good fit in NE's system either. He's a weak receiver and an utterly indifferent blocker.

Edited April 26, 2017 by dave mcbride

[Chuck Wagon]

@salsports

Bills targeting 2-3 players but know none may be there when they select, so have had solid "just in case" talks with teams below 10.......

 

..those deals would also be contingent on those other teams' target being there, of course. But wheels are in motion if that's the case..2/

 

...If 1 of those Bills targets gets past 5-6, they are willing to move up a few spots, but only if cost is right. 3/...

 

I don't know the 2-3 players but educated guess based on discussions I've had leads me to Adams/Hooker being 2 of them.. 4/4

 

 

Hopefully it's Adams / Hooker / Thomas, those are the three guys I'm praying one of which drops to us, otherwise I hope we move down.

[jeffismagic]

The same could have been said about LT, Edgerrin James, and Emmitt Smith when they were on the market. My guess is that Peterson is likely done as an elite player. Honestly, I didn't think he was particularly dominant in 2015 either -- at least, not like 2012. They simply fed him the ball all of the time. More importantly, he is 32: an age at which pretty much all elite RBs with tons of mileage fall off the cliff. He's apparently not even going to be starting for NO. I don't think he'd be a good fit in NE's system either. He's a weak receiver and an utterly indifferent blocker.

 

AP with his running style is lucky to have lasted as long as he did. He might have another year left. Patriots don't like risking it on players near the end. They move on a year or two early.

[Kirby Jackson]

The same could have been said about LT, Edgerrin James, and Emmitt Smith when they were on the market. My guess is that Peterson is likely done as an elite player. Honestly, I didn't think he was particularly dominant in 2015 either -- at least, not like 2012. They simply fed him the ball all of the time. More importantly, he is 32: an age at which pretty much all elite RBs with tons of mileage fall off the cliff. He's apparently not even going to be starting for NO. I don't think he'd be a good fit in NE's system either. He's a weak receiver and an utterly indifferent blocker.

I don't want to rehash it all but I laid it out on a post later. In 2015 Peterson had almost 1,500 yards and 4.5 YPC. It wasn't like he was struggling. I wouldn't read too deep into splitting carries in NOLA. Payton would have split carries with Peterson in his prime. That's just what he believes.

 

Blount has 13 catches the last 2 years combined. That's the role that they are filling. They added Burkhead and still have White and Lewis. They are trying to add the pounder. I like Gillislee but the point remains that he isn't better at that role than Peterson (and I think MG will succeed there).

[dave mcbride]

AP with his running style is lucky to have lasted as long as he did. He might have another year left. Patriots don't like risking it on players near the end. They move on a year or two early.

Yep, and another thing to factor in vis-a-vis the Pats: Peterson is a fumbler. That's not merely a rep; it's actually true, and it also appears to be a disqualifying trait for BB (and one of the reasons why I think Dion Lewis will not be on the team much longer). Check it out:

http://www.startribune.com/adrian-peterson-needs-to-get-a-firm-grip-on-fumbling-issue/365551791/

I don't want to rehash it all but I laid it out on a post later. In 2015 Peterson had almost 1,500 yards and 4.5 YPC. It wasn't like he was struggling. I wouldn't read too deep into splitting carries in NOLA. Payton would have split carries with Peterson in his prime. That's just what he believes.

Blount has 13 catches the last 2 years combined. That's the role that they are filling. They added Burkhead and still have White and Lewis. They are trying to add the pounder. I like Gillislee but the point remains that he isn't better at that role than Peterson (and I think MG will succeed there).

8 fumbles in 2015. Remember what you know about BB and fumbling. Edited April 26, 2017 by dave mcbride

[YoloinOhio]

 

 

Hopefully it's Adams / Hooker / Thomas, those are the three guys I'm praying one of which drops to us, otherwise I hope we move down.

i think it is Thomas/Howard/Lattimore just my guess

[Kirby Jackson]

Yep, and another thing to factor in vis-a-vis the Pats: Peterson is a fumbler. It's true, and it appears to be a disqualifying trait for BB (and one of the reasons why I think Dion Lewis will not be on the team much longer).

http://www.startribune.com/adrian-peterson-needs-to-get-a-firm-grip-on-fumbling-issue/365551791/

 

8 fumbles in 2015. Remember what you know about BB and fumbling.

The fumbling is the ONLY thing that I can think of. I would still fall back on the 5th round pick and $500k.

 

The point that I was making is that if any other team did that they would get killed. The Pats get a pass because of Brady and the machine. The decisions should be judged on their own merit. Someone was saying that they were a step ahead and thinking outside of the box. Were they thinking outside of the box when they signed Chandler? Traded for Mingo? No, they were bad personnel decisions at the time and they failed. I don't think that this will fail because Gillislee is pretty good. It wasn't the best decision for what they needed and the cost. That was the point I was trying to make.

Edited April 26, 2017 by Kirby Jackson

[CNY315]

Not thrilled to hear this trading up talk