Am I the only person very happy with this draft?

[Nasser22]

I'm fine with the draft. I still don't think we did well with our off-season, but they have done a good job today. I trust Wiz.

 

[azdad1978]

Hmm I'll wait 2 years from now to till I give my opinion on this years draft.

 

[football karma]

eh its ok. But to give up a 4th rounder to move up?

Per the trade chart -- the value difference between 33 and 38 is around 60-pts

the 104th pick is worth 86pts --
the 5th rounder was worth 35pts, so there was no easy match

so-- the compensation is high per the chart, but not egregious

 

[john h]

Holy overreactions Batman! I swear some of yall would bash this draft if we got Jon Ogden and Shawne Merriman with our first two picks. Let's look them over:

1. Levi Brown: Second best tackle in the draft, and most importantly, this was a pick that had to be made. Left tackle was far and away our biggest need coming in. If we didn't get Brown we would've had to go with a bigger reach in Doug Free or James Marten in the second (both guys are clear third round picks).

2. Alan Branch: Let's put these Gabe Watson comparisons to bed right now. Watson was a second round pick on most people's boards coming into the draft, and Branch was clearly top ten. Branch is way better athletically, had much more consistent production, and his weight/motivation issues aren't as nearly pronounced as Watson's was. Plus, he will fill in at DE, a position that we also seriously need. The steal of the draft.

We had the Brown/Thomas discussion last week. Some like me came to the conclusion Thomas was very good but it is yet to be proven he is better than Brown. I am as happy with Brown as I would have been with Thomas. My thoughts centered around Peterson vs an OL whoever was there? Barring any healthy issures I think Peterson will be a star in the NFL. Maybe Brown and Thomas will also. As to Branch I just do not have a clue. I read about him. Saw him play a couple of times and that is it. We did not go crazy with some way out reach so I am giving us a B for the moment.

 

[seesred]

I'm very happy about these two picks. We win on both lines and they are now very strong. At least we didn't pick Ted Ginn Jr.

GBR
40

 

[Pariah]

If it works out, I'll be happy. Right now I have my reservations.

I worry about Branch working out in the NFL--I have less reservations about Chris Houston, Paul Posluszny and Davis Harris--all guys we could have had with that pick, a couple of which we could have had if we'd stayed put.

I also worry about passing on Peterson. I think he;s a special back, and I don't think Levi Brown is going to be a special tackle--much less a special LEFT tackle.

That said, I think these guys could be okay. I just don't like who we passed up to get them.

 

[Goldfield]

Were stronger & more physical at the LOS on both sides of the ball. Thats always good.

Thomas will probably be the better pro but he wasnt an option.

Brown is a physical run blocker & we want to run the ball. Makes sense to me.

 

[D-Dogg]

I'm happy.

We liked Brown better...better run blocker and apparantly Atlanta was HOT all over him too. So we really couldn't trade down much to get him, so it was nice to just take the guy we liked. Set at LT now, and that was a HUGE hole.

When we traded up I was EXCITED as hell...how often do we trade up at all? I was hoping, however that we were trading up for Paul Pos, because we NEED a LB like that guy. But you know, grabbing Branch right there was a GREAT value move...he'll be very good for us...I love it (and I would have killed someone if we took him at 5). Great pickup at the time, and a starter in the second round.

Get better in the trenches.

We still need a LB in a BAD way, but if Michael Bush is still there in the third when we pick, we should grab him.

 

[ReddBird]

Now that the first day is winding down, I picked up this weekend's USA Today.

Their sports guy, Jarrett Bell, plugged Levi Brown in at #8 (Atlanta), saying, "Brown could be an anchor for years." He put Alan Branch at #11 (San Francisco), saying, "(Branch) could be the cornerstone lineman Mike Nolan needs for his emerging defense."

I liked Thomas over Brown for pass defense; liked Brown over Thomas when it comes to the run. Whiz wants to run. I didn't like giving away a pick to get Branch but SF would have taken him if we hadn't moved up. And I don't think we're as solid at DT as everyone else seems to think.

Last year, this board -- me, too -- were ecstatic over DG's picks. Looking back, I think our ectasy might have been overrated. (No, not Leinart. Love Leinart.) So...if we're not quite as happy this year...so what? Let's see what happens.

 

[arthurracoon]

eh its ok. But to give up a 4th rounder to move up?

Buffalo gave up a 3rd to move up in the same area as us (11 to 2 vs. 6 to 1)

 

[Doc Cardinal]

I'm happy with an offensive lineman in round 1 and a defensive lineman in round 2....of course I've also had ti many martunees.

 

[wierwolf]

I'm happy with an offensive lineman in round 1 and a defensive lineman in round 2....of course I've also had ti many martunees.

cheers Doc

 

[Shane]

both are reaches. Will they be good players? Maybe, but when you only have 6 picks you don't give up one to move 5 spots for a player who by most accounts would have been there when you picked next.

Wow you are calling Branch a reach at #33? Most draft experts that I have read have him as a top 10 pick.

 

[cardsfanmd]

Holy overreactions Batman! I swear some of yall would bash this draft if we got Jon Ogden and Shawne Merriman with our first two picks. Let's look them over:

1. Levi Brown: Second best tackle in the draft, and most importantly, this was a pick that had to be made. Left tackle was far and away our biggest need coming in. If we didn't get Brown we would've had to go with a bigger reach in Doug Free or James Marten in the second (both guys are clear third round picks).

2. Alan Branch: Let's put these Gabe Watson comparisons to bed right now. Watson was a second round pick on most people's boards coming into the draft, and Branch was clearly top ten. Branch is way better athletically, had much more consistent production, and his weight/motivation issues aren't as nearly pronounced as Watson's was. Plus, he will fill in at DE, a position that we also seriously need. The steal of the draft.

I sure would, Odgen is old and a year away from retirement and Merriman is a roidhead.

 

[Diamondback Jay]

First off, as a Penn State alumni, I'm estatic to see another Nittany Lion brought to the Valley.

That being said, on a talent perspective, the Cardinals did what they set out to do-- they filled their biggest glaring weakness with a player who has all the potential to be the best tackle in football. Skill wise, he's that good. If he can develop the mental toughness to go along with his physical gifts and skills, he'll easily be the anchor of this OLine for the next 10-12 years and will be making a few Pro Bowls along the way.

He may not have been the sexy pick like Peterson would have been, but at the same time this pick really could be the defining pick in setting the Cardinals in the right direction.

As for Branch, you get a guy who was a legit top 10 projected pick for a fourth rounder? How is that a bad deal by any stretch?

Also like Buster Davis!

 

[Buckybird]

I'm still bummed about Peterson. We are going to play old school football,
pound the rock and bloody your nose. Solid draft so far, hopefully it translates
to W's!!!

 

[Diamondback Jay]

Let me just put it to you this way.. And no I'm not saying this to be a homer, to show blind Penn State/Cardinal love or any jibberish like that.

If Brown develops in to the LT he's capable of becoming, this move will really be the defining moment for this franchise finally turning the table. The team got the glamor picks with Leinart, Fitzgerald and Boldin, and the glamor signing in Edgerrin James. That's obviously a nucleus that most teams would kill to have. Now it's time to give them a good supporting cast, and to fill out the roster with some hard working hosses.

Also, why are the complaints over Brown "being another Davis" from the same people who are crying foul over the Cardinals letting Davis walk?

 

[wierwolf]

Plus if the running game gets going. It should be a huge year for Boldin and Fitz...

 

[Jetstream Green]

I likey this draft

We got some football players and didn't go for style points. What I thought was a decent free agency does not look so bad right now. Remember, Green didn't use the talent well and our line of scrimmage on both sides will make us see how good our skill players really can be.

 

[CtCardinals78]

I think you're overreacting and getting too caught up in the players the rest of the NFCW has taken.

So far in our division:

SF drafted one very good ILB and a OT. Willis will probably have in impact right away. Chances are Staley won't. He's a terrific athlete at OT but won't be an instant star, and there's no indication that he'll be anything more than a good starter. Solid pickups for them but hardly enought to catapult them in to contention.

Rams drafted Carriker. That's it so far. Good player but he's not spelling doom for us.

Seattle hasn't even drafted yet. We did get another run stuffer which helps considering the changing complexion of the NFCW. Gore, Alexander, Jackson...we've got some big backs and power running to face now.

When coupled with their FA pickups and their drafts we needed to have a lights out draft. Sorry didn't happen. Our best pick IMO didn't come until 3rd round. Buster Davis is going to be our best player from this draft. With Clements, Willis, Lelie, J. Hill SF is significantly better. Their first three picks are solid safe guys. Willis could be the most dominate LB to come out since Urlacher and we ge to see him twice a year.

Seattle is healthy and made some key FA acquisitions.

What did we do? Our best FA signing is another teams nickle CB. We let our best OLineman go which forced our hand to reach in round one. Brown is alright but I don't like the fact of Whiz saying we don't need to pick for need and that's exactly what we did. We get an Olineman who's knock is that he takes plays off and is prone to false starts and give up an Olineman who false starts and takes plays off. I'm not crazy about LD but if we kept him we could have pursued more options in the first round like Landry, or maybe even traded down for Willis.

In the second round we trade away our 4th rounder for a top ten prosepct who fell hard. Should be warning signs all over that. His knock overwight, lazy, takes plays off. Sorry if I am not excited about the first two picks.I can't get pumped about two guys whose effort is questioned and one where it's such a factor he fell 28 spots from where he was projected. We wasted our 2nd and 4th round picks IMO. I think they are average picks at best and this is the one draft where we needed to be lights out.

So no we did not do what we needed to do to stay competitive with the SF's and SEAs. Unfortuantly we will be phasing to the 3-4 and we do not have the personal for it so between that switch and this draft I have a feeling we missed the bus on the NFC West this year and will be in the same boat next year. Just hopefully it's w/o RG.

 

[Scot1]

After reading all these comments, I've moved from being slightly happy with this draft so far to being pretty darn happy. I was bummed out by not getting Thomas. He could've started the first game, while I'm not sure Brown will be ready. I was expecting to have the LB problem solved with Pick 2, and instead we got Branch, whom I'd forgotten about. There clearly were widespread doubts, he fell like Watson if not as far, but if he can serve as a good run-stopping NT or DT, that does improve us. As far as I can imagine, Davis is bust-er-boom (sorry). He isn't all that big or all that fast, and I expect one or the other. But maybe he can do the job, especially as a MLB in the 3-4 with big linemen to keep tacklers off him. I wish one of them was a sure thing the way Johnson, Thomas, Landry, Willis, etc. seem to be. But we addressed two needs and got one enormous drop--the automated rating engines should like our draft.

 

[Diamondback Jay]

When coupled with their FA pickups and their drafts we needed to have a lights out draft. Sorry didn't happen. Our best pick IMO didn't come until 3rd round. Buster Davis is going to be our best player from this draft. With Clements, Willis, Lelie, J. Hill SF is significantly better. Their first three picks are solid safe guys. Willis could be the most dominate LB to come out since Urlacher and we ge to see him twice a year.

First off, Clements worth 80 million to you? Yeah he's a good CB, but should Arizona have opened it's wallet and crippled themselves elsewhere? I don't think he's THAT good of a player to make the "splash" San Francisco did.

Ashley Lelie is mediocre.. And that's stretching it. Sure, he's an upgrade over Antonio Bryant.. But is that really saying a whole lot?

Willis is a good LB.. I do agree he'll be the most complete LB to come out of this year's draft, but would you have taken him at 5? What would he have done to fix Arizona's Grand Canyon sized hole at LT? Also, you admitted you liked Buster, so it's not as though Arizona completely ignored the position.

Seattle is healthy and made some key FA acquisitions.

Who? A declining Patrick Kearney?

What did we do? Our best FA signing is another teams nickle CB.

..... who was on a team with two young Pro Bowl caliber CB.

We let our best OLineman go

That's subjective. Also, would you have given him what Dallas paid him? Forget about what COULD have been last year, let's talk about the here and now.

In the second round we trade away our 4th rounder for a top ten prosepct who fell hard.

.... who at least three teams were ready to jump on like flies on stank had Arizona not picked him.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

1) In our division we face Gore, Alexander and Jackson, and the Cards answer was to beef up the D-line with the most talented player available.

2) Our running game was anaemic for most of last season. The Cards response was to select the best run blocking O-tackle.

3) They added a tacklling machine at LB

In Free Agency they improved at Safety, Cornerback, depth at O-line and on special teams.

We matched well with our rivals in the West last season, (we won the division 4-2) and I like our chances in the Leinart era.

 

[Redsz]

First off, Clements worth 80 million to you? Yeah he's a good CB, but should Arizona have opened it's wallet and crippled themselves elsewhere? I don't think he's THAT good of a player to make the "splash" San Francisco did.

Ashley Lelie is mediocre.. And that's stretching it. Sure, he's an upgrade over Antonio Bryant.. But is that really saying a whole lot?

I wouldn't even call Lelie better than Bryant. He is soft and only has value on the long ball.

..... who was on a team with two young Pro Bowl caliber CB.

Agreed. Hood could of started for many teams this year. And his metrics from Football Outsiders back this up. He will start and be a good player for us.

That's subjective. Also, would you have given him what Dallas paid him? Forget about what COULD have been last year, let's talk about the here and now.

I also agree. I certainly didn't grade Davis out as our best. Espically considering he needed the TE to chip the DE. Milford Brown and Nick Leckey consistantly played better.

 

[Duckjake]

Also, why are the complaints over Brown "being another Davis" from the same people who are crying foul over the Cardinals letting Davis walk?

How many times do we have to post this? Because no matter how you try to spin it: Leonard Davis + LaRon Landry > Levi Brown.

But we got two slightly above average players who should contribute a lot this fall out of a below average draft. Probably better than Rolle/Arrington but not as good as Leinart/Latui or Fitzgerald/Dansby.