As crappy as this draft appears, let's talk about the 3 great picks we made:

[Ed B]

It's going to take me a long while to make any sense of the horrible selections of Pace and Kenny King (who won't even make the team, mark my words) but I think in all the negativity we shouldn't overlook the selections of Johnson, Hayes, and Boldin.

Bryant Johnson is a virtual clone of Frank Sanders. If he has a career like Frank did, how can anyone ever say he was not worth the 17th pick? Plus, unlike frank, he has the added ability to return punts. And he has better hands....much better, in fact.

Anquan Boldin is a multitalented athlete (almost started at QB for the Seminoles) whose awful footspeed (4.73 at the combine) is probably a result of his ACL recovery. He is faster than that. Best of all, he is a complete bad-ass of a player. He blocks like he's mugging someone and is like a RB in the open field. He loves contact.

Gerald Hayes is not an exceptional talent but he is a good one. While I criticize this pick because we have too many players just like him (undersized backers like Woods, Thompson, Fisher, etc) there is no denying that Hayes is a fundamentally solid tackler with above-average movement skills. I think he will be a great special teams player at first and a fill-in for McKinnon in a few years. At 6'1", he can eventually carry 250.


So, while we're all being justifiably negative, let's take a quick break and realize that these three picks look like home runs.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

I believe that both Johnson and Boldin are first round talent. It'll be nice to see them play, especially if Boldin can get back to his 4.4 speed.

Hayes was a steal in my book. If you like Ronnie Mac's style, you'll like this kid.

 

[Ryanwb]

I found this on the web and posted it in the chat, but now I can't find the link again so I will paraphrase:

Boldin had SUPERIOR arm strength to anyone on the Seminoles roster during this time there.

 

[Ed B]

Boldin is really a tough player.

I just hope that he doesn't get lost on the depth chart, because suddenly we have about 10 guys at wideout.

 

[Cardiac]

I also really like the pick of Reggie Wells, OT taken in the 6th rd.

If this kid can take his game to the next level(s) then he will be a huge steal in this draft. Gotta love keeping the Oline stocked.

 

[Ed B]

Originally posted by Cardiac
I also really like the pick of Reggie Wells, OT taken in the 6th rd.

If this kid can take his game to the next level(s) then he will be a huge steal in this draft. Gotta love keeping the Oline stocked.

Tell me more about him if you've seen him play....I know absolutely nothing about him.

 

[BuckeyeCardinal]

Gilbert

Probably not a full time starter....but Gilbert looks to be a decent back-up middle linebacker who could be an NFL starter someday.....will not go sideline to sideline and will be removed during passing downs but at 6 feet 250 has the strength to plug the middle and be a 2 down run stuffer........leading tackler for the Georgia squad........Hayes also can play outside.

 

[Cardiac]

Originally posted by Ed B
Tell me more about him if you've seen him play....I know absolutely nothing about him.

Just the bio that was posted by skorp.

 

[JeffGollin]

Probably not a full time starter....but Gilbert looks to be a decent back-up middle linebacker who could be an NFL starter someday
I am pulling for Gilbert more than anyone we drafted.

Because he's a run stuffing smashmouth dude in the middle and I have a soft spot in my heart for those kinds of guys. (I also pray for Hayes to gain some weight and also succeed as a stuffer of many runs).

Gilbert may lack the speed/athleticism to even stick in the pros, but every day I will hope that he prevails.

 

[jmr667]

Sullivan has to be one happy camper. All the vets from before he got here are gone and replaced with younger guys. I wonder how much influence he had in the "war room" and the WR negotiations earlier in the offseason.

He's going to have a busy camp with his new WR coach trying to sort out the WR position. Gotta figure Johnson and Boldin will get lots of looks this year though since they were drafted in 1st and 2nd rounds. Wonder if that means some of the others (Kasper, etc.) will not get much chance to prove themselves.

 

[Ed B]

With our speed and talent at LB, I frankly do not see Gilbert making the squad.....guys like Young, Woods, Fisher, etc are just so much faster and talented.

However, he has size that none of them do, so maybe he will surprise us.

 

[Buckybird]

Gerald Hayes

I talked to Antonio Bryant(WR Cowboys), his college teammate
at the Dallas Desperados game today about Hayes and he said
he is a bada$$. He can cover sideline to sideline and will knock your teeth out. He appears to be McKinnons replacemant. With our good LB corps and lack of DLineman, how about a switch to the 3-4?

 

[Mr. Boldin]

Originally posted by Ryanwb
I found this on the web and posted it in the chat, but now I can't find the link again so I will paraphrase:

Boldin had SUPERIOR arm strength to anyone on the Seminoles roster during this time there.

Until Greg Jones came.. Just look at that guy. He is so big I cant decsribe it.

 

[KingofCards]

Originally posted by Ryanwb
Boldin had SUPERIOR arm strength to anyone on the Seminoles roster during this time there.

Can you say reverse w/a Passing option?

 

[tigertat]

Originally posted by Ed B
With our speed and talent at LB, I frankly do not see Gilbert making the squad.....guys like Young, Woods, Fisher, etc are just so much faster and talented.

However, he has size that none of them do, so maybe he will surprise us.

You really think Young and Woods are talented. Neither could handle the SLB spot. It was like there was only 2 LB's on the field last year. Plus with guys like Burton, Jones, and Faulk on the team, Gilbert will easily make the squad. Faster doesnt always mean more talented.

 

[mdsisquo]

Re: Gilbert

Originally posted by BuckeyeCardinal
Probably not a full time starter....but Gilbert looks to be a decent back-up middle linebacker who could be an NFL starter someday.....will not go sideline to sideline and will be removed during passing downs but at 6 feet 250 has the strength to plug the middle and be a 2 down run stuffer........leading tackler for the Georgia squad........Hayes also can play outside.

If he has to be taken out on passing downs, how can he play the outside where he would be required to cover someone? I still like the pick. Would have rather grabed Weathersby cause we have no depth and he would upgrade our secondary in the dime. But Hayes is a solid pick.

 

[Stout]

Originally posted by Ed B
Tell me more about him if you've seen him play....I know absolutely nothing about him.

Ed, the only way anyone would see him play is if they went to a Clarion game. They aren't televised and there is even little to no coverage of the PSAC (We're a Pennsylvania conference-all the state schools-but not Penn State-they actually aren't a 'state school'-don't ask me why) on the internet. Sadly, even though I whooped for joy to see us take a homer pick like a guy from Clarion, my alma mater's rival, I don't even know a damn thing about him. Now if we just sign the Punter from my school, Edinboro, as an UDFA, I'll be set-1 Clarion, 1 Edinboro and 1 PSU!!!

Too bad we didn't draft OT Lance Nimo, who went to TB in the 4th-he went to my high school! I used to kick his older brother's butt all the time! Lol

 

[Ed B]

Originally posted by Stout
Ed, the only way anyone would see him play is if they went to a Clarion game. They aren't televised and there is even little to no coverage of the PSAC (We're a Pennsylvania conference-all the state schools-but not Penn State-they actually aren't a 'state school'-don't ask me why) on the internet. Sadly, even though I whooped for joy to see us take a homer pick like a guy from Clarion, my alma mater's rival, I don't even know a damn thing about him. Now if we just sign the Punter from my school, Edinboro, as an UDFA, I'll be set-1 Clarion, 1 Edinboro and 1 PSU!!!

Too bad we didn't draft OT Lance Nimo, who went to TB in the 4th-he went to my high school! I used to kick his older brother's butt all the time! Lol

haha I played on the same team as Eric Steinbach in high school. How did they end up getting drafted and we ended up being losers on a message board?

 

[Stout]

Me? Injuries and a lack of speed (and more than a bit of lack of desire early in high school). I developed good size and strength but did it too late to probably have made it to the NFL regardless of talent or speed. You?

 

[MadCardDisease]

Originally posted by Ed B
Boldin is really a tough player.

I just hope that he doesn't get lost on the depth chart, because suddenly we have about 10 guys at wideout.

I think Boldin is going to be a great WR. The guy plays with an attitude and isn't afraid to go across the middle.

One of his best assests is his Blocking. It's going to be fun watching him toss CB's around this year. He really gets into Defensive Back's heads with his physical play.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Originally posted by Ed B
haha I played on the same team as Eric Steinbach in high school. How did they end up getting drafted and we ended up being losers on a message board?

To quote my coach at WSU "You're too small to play line for us, and too slow to do anything else. Go play baseball."

 

[dylanbw]

Boldin & Gilbert....

...as a lifelong Georgia Bulldob Fan (from the Herschel Walker days when I was a kid), I obviously watched this past year's Sugar Bowl very intently. To me, Boldin was the most impressive player on the field that evening. He ran a couple of great, precise routes (especially a "Jerry Rice Pattern" Z-Out at the goal-line for a TD. Then later, he heaved a perfect 65 yard bomb that Talman Gardner dropped for a sure TD that would have changed the whole game. Just a very impressiva all around performance. His selection certianly takes the sting out of not getting Suggs or Bulldog Jonathon Sullivan (major "collapse the pocket" DT stud).

On another note Tony Gilbert was seldom flashy, but was very, very consistent. I would be shocked if he did not make the team as a back-up/special teamer.

I did not see Ed B at the draft, but I did talk to a guy in a Wadsworth jersey. My Marcel Shipp jersey got a few nice comments, but I was also booed by a few kids in Eagles jerseys - quite a day.

Let's hope Johnson & Pace work out - but I tend to agree with Harry's comments about them being picked earlier than needed.