Post Senior Bowl,February Mock. I've been converted

[Cbus cardsfan]

This is my first stab this year at the entire 1st round. I shouldn't reveal my thinking because i've been first or tied for 1st every year in the Big Red sheet's draft contest . But alot can change from now until April.Plus the end of the round is kind of a crapshoot anyway. But here goes:

1-Oakland-Jamarcus Russell, QB. It's pretty obvious that he should be the pick. But everyone thought Reggie Bush would be last year. So, who knows what Aging Al will do.
2-Detroit- Joe Thomas,OT-Matt Millen gets skewered again for making a questionable choice and passing on Brady Quinn.He's fired after next year.
3-Tampa(wins coin flip)- Calvin Johnson, WR- I know they may think twice now that David Boston is in the fold but Johnson is too good to let slip by.
4-Cleveland- Alan Branch,DT- They also,surprisingly, pass on Quinn. They have so many needs and Crennel needs to show the team is moving in the right direction.
5-Arizona-Adrian Peterson,RB-This is where i have been converted. I think Whiz loves the possibility of adding AP to this offense. Who would've thought 2 years ago that Leinart AND AP would be in the Cards backfield.
6-Washington-Jamaal Anderson-They need a pass rusher and he may turn out to be the best player in this draft.A sack machine.
7-Minnesota- Brady Quinn,QB- His fall stops here. They never thought he'd be available and you don't pass on Brady Quinn because you have Tavarius Jackson.Jackson showed nothing last year and is a project. Plus, Rick Spielman(Vikes GM) really likes Quinn.
8-Houston-Ted Ginn jr.,Ohio State- They need to get Carr all the help they can and Ginn is a perfect compliment to Andre Johnson.He also gives them some sorely needed speed on that side of the ball.
9-Miami-Gaines Adams,DE-Jason Taylor isn't getting any younger and Adams is good guy to groom as his replacement.Also, Taylor can flip-flop in passing situations to get them 2 speed rushers on the field during passing situations.
10-Atlanta- Reggie Nelson,FS-They need secondary help and he's a big hitter that makes plays. They could easily go with Landry as well.
11-San Francisco- Amobi Okoye,DT- Nolan saw first hand what a force Okoye was at the Senior Bowl and he's only 19. They need secondary help but Okoye is too good to pass up.
12-Buffalo-Dwayne Jarrett,WR-It's hard to predict what Marv Levy will do after last year. They need a good complement to Lee Evans and Jarrett would seem to fit the bill(pun).Levi Brown may also go here.
13-St.Louis-Laron Landry,S-They need help everywhere on defense and Landry is the best defensive player left on the board.Their OL is banged up so i could see Levi Brown here also but,in the end, they go defense.
14-Carolina-Levi Brown,OT- They had Bridges starting at RT last year. That should tell you enough to know where their priority should be.
15-Pittsburgh-Darrelle Revis,CB-They desperately need CB help and the hometown guy is the best choice.Tomlin is a defensive coach so he'll go that way.A surprise like Lawrence Timmons could go here also.
16-Green Bay- Marshawn Lynch,RB-Ahman Green is old and Lynch is the perfect pick for them.To me, this is the no-brainer of the draft if Lynch is there,he's the pick.
17-Jacksonville-Patrick Willis,LB-They are pretty solid everywhere and i think they just take the best player available and that's probably Willis. A DE like Jarvis Moss is also possible.
18-Cincinnati-Lawrence Timmons,LB/DE-They need someone to get some pressure on the QB. With Justin Smith likely gone and the injury to David Pollack, Timmons makes sense.Plus he went to FSU so there's a good chance he's had some off field issues that the Bengals love.
19-Tennessee-Dwayne Bowe,WR-Is there a team that needs a WR more than than the Titans? They may go for more of a speed guy like Meachum but Bowe is the better prospect.
20-NY Giants-Jarvis Moss,DE-Strahan is old and injury prone. Moss gives them a good young pass rushing prospect to go with Kiawanuka and Ossie(can't spell his name but you know who i mean).
21-Denver-Leon Hall,CB-Corner is a need with the loss of Darrent Williams and Hall is probably the best guy out there.I could see a surprise pick of Ryan Kalil here also.He seems like a typical Denver OL.
22-Dallas-Paul Posluzny,LB-This is where it really starts being a crapshoot. They need help on the OL but there is no one worthy. PP could be inserted from day 1 into a LB slot, either in or out, in their 3-4 alignment.
23-Kansas City- Sidney Rice,WR-could go Meachum but Rice is probably better. They need WR's badly as Kennison and Hall aren't scaring any DC's out there.Adam Carriker as a pass rusher may also get a look here.
24-New England-Adam Carriker,DE-He seems like a good 3-4 DE prospect and the kind of guy Belichick likes to draft.I don't know if he's athletic enough to be a 3-4 LB but Vrabel isn't a youngster anymore.
25-NY Jets-Jon Beason,LB- could form a dynamic tackling duo with fellow Miami alum Jonathon Vilma.They'll also look at CB here.
26-Philadelphia-Quinn Pitcock,DT Ohio State-very productive in college and gives them a guy to throw in the DT rotation.May also look at a S as Brian Dawkins is 34 years old.
27-New Orleans-Zach Miller,TE-Gives Brees another option in an already very potent offense. If they lose Charles Grant then Anthony Spencer may be the pick as he is kind of like a poor man's Will Smith.
28-New England- Buster Davis,LB-Teddy Bruschi can't play forever and Davis is very active all over the field.
29-Baltimore- LaMarr Woodley,DE/LB-He's very good 3-4 prospect and could be the ideal replacement for Adulais Thomas if he leaves. They may also give Justin Blalock a look here.
30-San Diego-Anthony Gonzales,WR Ohio State- they need another wideout and Gonzo may be the best all around WR in the draft when you factor in speed with route running.He'll surprise everyone when he runs about 4.3-4.4 40.
31-Indianapolis-Daymeion Hughes,CB-They may also go with a LB like Brandon Siler here.Dungy likes speed on defense so alot will depend on how Hughes runs.
32-Chicago-Brandon Merriweather,FS-The Bears love ball-hawking play makers on defense and Merriweather fits that to a tee. Justin Blalock is also a possibility but Rueben Brown has a couple years left.

the rest of the Cardinals draft goes like this(at least i hope so)
round 2- Anthony Spencer DE, they need to get some youth at the DE position and Spencer is a very good prospect.
round 3- Fred Bennett CB, stock has dropped mightily since the Senior Bowl but he has the size/speed combo that teams love.At one time he was considered first round talent.
round 4-i would love for Rufus Alexander, Earl Everett, or Prescott Burgess to be available here to fill and OLB need but i doubt they are so i'll go with Michael Johnson to try and fill a FS need. I don't think it's a pressing need because i think we'll sign Ken Hamlin in free agency.
round 5- Kyle Young,OL- i'm sticking with my guy. I think he is very good and brings a nasty attitude with him that you know Russ Grimm has to love.
round 6- Trent Edwards QB, if he wasn't injured he would go much higher and he still may go before the 6th round.We need another QB to groom for the backup role when Warner leaves.

well, there you go. Feel free to rip away.

 

[Mulli]

My avatar salutes you!

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

My avatar salutes you!

be careful, i used to have Maurice Clarett as my avatar and look at what happened there .

 

[Mulli]

be careful, i used to have Maurice Clarett as my avatar and look at what happened there .

Damn. Better find a new one.

 

[az jam]

Good early mock. I agree that lots will change between now and the draft with free agency, the combine and workouts all coming up.
I don't think the Cards will draft AP. I think they will pick up another rb in free agency. Not a big name but someone tough in the red zone. Maybe Davenport or Dayne. I think in the draft they go for either Branch or Anderson if Thomas is gone and I think he will. Whisenhunt keeps saying that they want to get tougher. IMO that starts with the line. But who knows, its fun to start the draft guessing game.

 

[HooverDam]

round 6- Trent Edwards QB, if he wasn't injured he would go much higher and he still may go before the 6th round.We need another QB to groom for the backup role when Warner leaves.

well, there you go. Feel free to rip away.

I'd rather not have a young guy (Leinart) being backed up by a younger guy (Edwards) a year from now. I like either having an experienced vet as your started, with a young guy being groomed (i.e. Green Bay's situation), or a young starter with a capable veteran as a fall back plan (the Cards current situation). After Warners gone I'd love to have a guy like Jeff Garcia as the back up (not him specifically since his stock is through the roof right now, but someone in that vein).

 

[Redrage]

Overall, this is pretty good.


Two key places where we part company:

1) I don't think Joe Thomas will go at number two. He may be the best tackle in this draft, but I don't think he's a number two pick. Brady Quinn is, and may still yet go number one.

2) Jamal Reynolds is a sexy pick right now, but I don't see him going ahead of Gaines Adams. At this point Adams is a more refined player and he has a knack for the big play. He also plays the run better than Reynolds. At his best Reynolds may always be a one dimensional pass rusher.

We'll see how things shake out after the combine. I'm very interested to see where Ginn goes. At best, he's the fourth best wide receiver in this draft, but the Devin Hester factor is going to help him.

 

[az jam]

Overall, this is pretty good.


Two key places where we part company:

1) I don't think Joe Thomas will go at number two. He may be the best tackle in this draft, but I don't think he's a number two pick. Brady Quinn is, and may still yet go number one.

2) Jamal Reynolds is a sexy pick right now, but I don't see him going ahead of Gaines Adams. At this point Adams is a more refined player and he has a knack for the big play. He also plays the run better than Reynolds. At his best Reynolds may always be a one dimensional pass rusher.

We'll see how things shake out after the combine. I'm very interested to see where Ginn goes. At best, he's the fourth best wide receiver in this draft, but the Devin Hester factor is going to help him.

Its Jamal Anderson. (Renolds was the Packer high draft pick that became an all time bust)Actually the scouts feel Anderson is the better player against the run than Adams. He is bigger than Adams weight wise. But the combine and workouts may certainly change things.

 

[Goodyear Card]

Cbus,

I like your picks but it doesn't address our needs at OT. The odds are most likely against LD staying and I don't think Wells is the long term answer at RT. Thomas most likely won't be available with the 5th pick, however I am still hoping, but I would like to see an OT is the 2nd round.

 

[lobo]

still gotta' believe it will be thomas IF AVAILABLE...the need is too great...a solid running back to pick up is a whole lot easier than a real good tackle..but then again you had thomas at number 2...if that is so peterson is the pick or drop down for nelson/landry

 

[TruColor]

Cbus,

I like your picks but it doesn't address our needs at OT. The odds are most likely against LD staying and I don't think Wells is the long term answer at RT. Thomas most likely won't be available with the 5th pick, however I am still hoping, but I would like to see an OT is the 2nd round.

Man, I'd love to see what Grimm could do with Big.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

i think they'll re-sign Davis and add another lineman,like Steinbach, during free agency. That will lessen the need for an early pick on the OL. They want to get tougher and a guy like Steinbach is a great place to start. If Davis isn't re-signed, i think they have to tag him and work out a trade for at least a 2nd round pick.With that pick they could get a Joe Staley,Arron Sears, or the tackle from Notre Dame.

 

[seesred]

I also think from what I've been hearing is that Grimm wants Davies and so does the Wiz. The Wiz has said he will meet with Davies fairly soon. They also have neem mentioning stienback and Stark. We will see. BUt if this type of thing happens we will skip the O-line in the first round and look at the third or fourth round before looking at the O-line. I agree with most that the center and right side are set. If Davis resignes than that would leave only the left guard spot open.

Davis was a back up pro bowler and compared to other seasons he played pretty solid all year. He was in for almost every snap and can only get better as most O-line guys do in thier 4-6 years.

We definitly need a corner who has expierance. I see this as a FA must. Rolle foes to the weak side if we can pick up a good corner and Green as he learns more will be a real solid back up. I would like to see Machlin stay, but IMO he will play for another team this year.

It will be very interesting to see what he does as far as Navaree , Shipp and JJ goes. It will also be a question mark as far as Griffith goes. He still can ball and hit. Would he lacks in speed he makes up for in smarts and keeps very fit.


GBR
40

 

[kerouac9]

2) Jamal Reynolds is a sexy pick right now, but I don't see him going ahead of Gaines Adams. At this point Adams is a more refined player and he has a knack for the big play. He also plays the run better than Reynolds. At his best Reynolds may always be a one dimensional pass rusher.

Actually, all the reports that I'm reading say quite the opposite. Jamaal Anderson is more like a Michael Strahan-/Julius Peppers-/Mario Williams-type LDE and Adams is more of the pure pass rusher in the Simeon Rice mold. I think that right now, Anderson has 10 lbs on Adams.

At this moment, I'm torn between Adrian Peterson, Alan Branch, and Jamaal Anderson as my hopes for the Cards to take. Thank goodness that the Combine is relatively soon and will calcify my opinion around one player and I can start hating on people again.

I like Peterson because I think that he's a special player who can be used in multiple ways for this team. Do I that that he's the Swiss army-type guy that Bush has been for the Saints? No. But I think he could be really effective and could be the best player on the board when the Cards pick. I think that he could be as good as Steven Jackson, but I'm not sure that he's as physical a runner as Jackson was. His injury history really troubles me, as well.

Alan Branch could be a great player. The importance of a great defensive tackle can't be under-appreciated. Look at what Jamal Williams, Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, or Casey Hampton does for their teams. Look at what a combination of John Henderson and Marcus Stroud do for the Jaguars. Futhermore, they can seemingly play into their mid-30s and still remain effective and active. The problem is that they can be hit or miss, and I'm not sure that the Cards can afford to draft the next Ryan Sims. Only interviews will tell the kind of passion that Branch has for football and being great.

And that leaves us with Jamaal Anderson. It maybe be harder to find a great strongside defensive end that can play the run and collapse the pocket in a pass rush than it is to find a good two-way defensive tackle. There are maybe a half-dozen of these guys in the NFL today. Patrick Kearney in Atlanta, Michael Strahan, Julius Peppers, and the rapidly developing Mario Williams are four that I can name off the top of my head, but the lack of these players may be a contributing factor to why so many teams are switching to a 3-4 alignment or playing small-ball on defense with the Tampa-2. An impact player at LDE makes an entire defense better. The question is whether or not Anderson has the heart to be the best, and whether his measurables show is potential in the combine.

My thought is that defensive tackles usually slip a little on draft day (especially the big guys), while DEs tend to rise some. I wouldn't be surprised to see a team like the Lions or Bucs talk themselves into Anderson once the clock ticks over to April. Either of those teams could take Joe Thomas if he checks out, as well. Branch would give Pendergast a ton of flexibility in mixing 4-3 and 3-4 looks.

Otherwise, I think that Minnesota still loves Tavarius Jackson, and I don't think they'd pass up Calvin Johnson (who I think might slip) to get Brady Quinn, who I think is overrated and will have an over-managed pro day and skip the Combine altogether. If it comes down to Quinn or Ginn, Jr., I wonder if the Vikings (who really have a problem with playmakers on that side of the ball) are going to be faced with a tough choice. Honestly, I expect the first trade down of the day to come from Minnesota if the Redskins don't do it first.

 

[az jam]

Nice analysis K-9 on Peterson, Branch and Anderson. I think one of these will be the Cards pick for sure. Free agency, the combine and workouts will help sort out our pick. IMO Quinn could drop out of the top ten if the Browns and Bucs pass on him. Of couse someone could trade up for him. Should be an interesting draft day.

 

[Skkorpion]

Cbus,

I like your picks but it doesn't address our needs at OT. The odds are most likely against LD staying and I don't think Wells is the long term answer at RT. Thomas most likely won't be available with the 5th pick, however I am still hoping, but I would like to see an OT is the 2nd round.

Your constant underrating of our starting OTs is maddening. Yes, we need depth at Ot since we have none but you don't draft depth in round 2 when we need to come out of this draft with at least four starters - OLB, DB or S, RB and DE, and a fast WR.

CBUS, I just don't agree with you on Ted Ginn. He's a lousy pattern runner and combined with his poor hands, he is a complete missfit for Houston. Andre Johnson is already their deep threat. Houston needs some posession receivers with good hands.

I see Ted Ginn as the next Willie Gault. Anybody remember him with the Bears? All he could do is run straight very fast and catch TDs or drop sure TDs.

 

[red desert]

Let's swap Fitz for Andre Johnson.

As Wind In His Hair would say - "Good Trade"

 

[Pariah]

I see Ted Ginn as the next Willie Gault. Anybody remember him with the Bears? All he could do is run straight very fast and catch TDs or drop sure TDs.

I don't like Ginn as our pick at #5, but in fairness to him, Gault was a sprinter first, ballerina second, and a WR third.

Ginn is a football player.

 

[Rats]

Nice analysis K-9 on Peterson, Branch and Anderson. I think one of these will be the Cards pick for sure. Free agency, the combine and workouts will help sort out our pick. IMO Quinn could drop out of the top ten if the Browns and Bucs pass on him. Of couse someone could trade up for him. Should be an interesting draft day.

I also agree with K9 that the best fit for the Cardinals would be Branch or Peterson with Anderson having a slight edge over Gaines. If we take one of these then we have to get a top CB in FA. Clements would be my preference. The Cardinals have the major pieces on offense in place for the future but not so on defense. I think they would like DT to be set for several years and with Branch and Watson that would be the case. If the LB play to there potential and Beisel is brought back then I see this unit as set. I would not even think London Fletcher as he is to small and Ron Mckinnon like. I want to stay with size at ILB. Griffith was a solid Denny guy and will not be brought back as Fransisco will via for the starting job with whoever is brought in. Davis should be resigned. A center will not be our 2nd pick that is for sure so Kalil will not be a Cardinal but I could see best OL here if we intend to not keep Gorin, Ross or Lewinsky. I would prefer the best deepthreat Wr. in the 2nd round. Rice or Bowe maybe left here or we trade up to grab Rice. 1st Round Peterson/Branch 2nd Round Rice/ BPA or trade up. BPA the rest of the way. Hope Graves/Whis are up to the task.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Your constant underrating of our starting OTs is maddening. Yes, we need depth at Ot since we have none but you don't draft depth in round 2 when we need to come out of this draft with at least four starters - OLB, DB or S, RB and DE, and a fast WR.

CBUS, I just don't agree with you on Ted Ginn. He's a lousy pattern runner and combined with his poor hands, he is a complete missfit for Houston. Andre Johnson is already their deep threat. Houston needs some posession receivers with good hands.

I see Ted Ginn as the next Willie Gault. Anybody remember him with the Bears? All he could do is run straight very fast and catch TDs or drop sure TDs.

Gault is a fair comparison but Ginn is alot more elusive than Gault was. Gault was just straight line speed. Ginn has some lateral moves and quickness. The thing that is going to help Ginn alot is that he'll probably be the fastest guy in the league from the moment his name is called and teams/scouts love that pure speed. I don't know about his route running getting much better but his hands definitely improved from last year to this year. The thing with route running is he can slide by a little bit because he has the speed to counteract a poor route. Plus, you would think his route running will improve at the NFL level.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

I also agree with K9 that the best fit for the Cardinals would be Branch or Peterson with Anderson having a slight edge over Gaines. If we take one of these then we have to get a top CB in FA. Clements would be my preference. The Cardinals have the major pieces on offense in place for the future but not so on defense. I think they would like DT to be set for several years and with Branch and Watson that would be the case. If the LB play to there potential and Beisel is brought back then I see this unit as set. I would not even think London Fletcher as he is to small and Ron Mckinnon like. I want to stay with size at ILB. Griffith was a solid Denny guy and will not be brought back as Fransisco will via for the starting job with whoever is brought in. Davis should be resigned. A center will not be our 2nd pick that is for sure so Kalil will not be a Cardinal but I could see best OL here if we intend to not keep Gorin, Ross or Lewinsky. I would prefer the best deepthreat Wr. in the 2nd round. Rice or Bowe maybe left here or we trade up to grab Rice. 1st Round Peterson/Branch 2nd Round Rice/ BPA or trade up. BPA the rest of the way. Hope Graves/Whis are up to the task.

The good thing is all of Branch,Thomas, Anderson, or Peterson can greatly help the Cards and they will definitely get one of them. Peterson can probably have the greatest impact thought.I think him and Thomas are the most sure-fire players out of the top 5 with Branch right there.

 

[artp]

The good thing is all of Branch,Thomas, Anderson, or Peterson can greatly help the Cards and they will definitely get one of them. Peterson can probably have the greatest impact thought.I think him and Thomas are the most sure-fire players out of the top 5 with Branch right there.

And, we have to get one of them. I am optimistic and don't think we will be drafting in the top 5 again for a while. If this is our last chance at a franchise draft pick, I would take A Peterson.

 

[kerouac9]

Let's swap Fitz for Andre Johnson.

As Wind In His Hair would say - "Good Trade"

Houston wouldn't make that trade. Andre Johnson is better than Fitz is.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Houston wouldn't make that trade. Andre Johnson is better than Fitz is.

and way better than Boldin, no doubt...