Wednesday Notes: Draft Trades in the Cards?

[Mitch]

Listening to Rod Graves' interview on Cards' Insider, it became clear that: (1) The Cardinals have no interest or desire to trade up from #5...RG said, "We feel we can stay put and still get a great player at #5;" (2) the Cardinals may be interested in trading down from #5 if a deal suits them, as RG put it: "We would like to add more draft picks if we can." And Graves reiterated that they may be more than content to remain at #5.

If the Cardinals don't trade down from the #5 pick...they may still have options to acquire extra draft picks if they trade down from #38, #69 or #105. In fact, if we look at last year's draft trades, there is a greater likelihood that teams can acquire extra draft picks by trading down in the the early portions of rounds 2 and 4...that's where most of the action was last year.

Last year...despite all the trade rumors involving top ten picks...not one trade was made. The reason? Teams are leery of the increased guaranteed money contract attached to the top ten picks.

Might this year be different? Perhaps. For a couple of reasons: (1) Two elite players in this draft (WR Calvin Johnson and RB Adrian Peterson) may well be targeted by teams willing to move up...teams are more willing to shell out big bucks and guarantees for "can't miss" players; (2) Several teams in last year's drafts have been criticized for passing up franchise QBs...(and there typically are knee jerk reactions the following year) this time around, if JaMarcus Russell and/or Brady Quinn were to fall to #5 or beyond, there may be some sigfnicant offers from teams wanting to move up to snag either of them, particularly since Russell and Quinn are the only two blue chip QB prospects in this draft. Last year there were three: Young, Leinart and Cutler.

The first trade in last year's draft involved a QB:

DENVER gets: #11 QB Jay Cutler.
ST. LOUIS gets #15 CB Tye Hill and #68 (3rd) DT Claude Wroten.
Draft Pick Analysis & Grades* (per TSN's 2007 Draft Guide):
Cutler (5/5): (A) "Team has its QBOF in this strong-armed passer."
Hill (16/16): (B-) "Ball skills, overall coverage improved as season progressed."
Wroten (15/0): (C-) "Flashed potential, but didn't make many plays."
Early winner? Denver

The second trade followed right away:

BALTIMORE gets: #12 DT Haloti Ngata.
CLEVELAND gets: #13 DE Kamerion Wimbley and #181 (6th) Babatunde Oshinowo.
Ngata (16/16): (A) "A solid run stuffer who has learned to use his hands."
Wimbley (16/15): (A) "Agile, mature player has 11 sacks."
Oshinowo (1/0): (C-) "Probably can't even be a situational player."
Early Winner? Both teams win here as they both got the players they wanted without sacrificing much.

The there were two trades at the end of the first round:

PITTSBURGH gets: #25 WR Santonio Holmes.
NEW YORK GIANTS gets: #32 DE Mathias Kiwanuka, #96 (3rd) ILB Gerris Wilkerson, and #129 (4th) T Guy Whimper
Early Winner? Pittsburgh. TSN's grades: Holmes (16/4* ST's ace)-A-/Kiwanuka (16/9)-B-/Wilkerson (16/2)-C-/Whimper (8/0)-C. But, if Kiwanuka, Wilkerson and Whimper all develop into solid starters, the Giants are the winners.

BUFFALO gets: #26 DT John McCargo (5/0--C--foot injury in week 5)
CHICAGO gets: #42 (2nd) SS Danieal Manning (16/14--B--"held his own")
and #73 (3rd) DT Dusty Dvoracek (0/0--INC--"foot injury derailed him")
Early Winner: Chicago. Manning started 14 games for NFC Champs.

Then there were a flurry of trades in picks #35-#44...

WASH gets: #35 LB Rocky McIntosh (16/1--D--"must get better grasp of def.")
NYJ gets: #53 (traded), #189 (6th-traded), and 2007 2nd rounder.
Early winner: Jets. Used picks to acquire QB Kellen Clemens and have 2007 2nd rounder

NE gets: #36 WR Chad Jackson (12/1--D--"a non-factor thanks to early injury")
GB gets: #52 WR Greg Jennings (14/11--B--"looked like real deal early, but faded late"), and #75 C Jason Spitz (14/13--B--"Just OK as a starter, but could have a long career")
Early winner: Green Bay--snagged a better WR 16 picks later and grabbed a starting C.

GB gets: #37 (from Denver for Walker traded to ATL)
DEN gets: WR Javon Walker
ATL gets: #37 CB Jimmy Williams (13/5--D--"had problems in man coverage") and #139 T Quinn Ojinnaka (11/0--C--has good feet and power and is expected to contribute)
GB gets: #47 T/G Darryn Colledge (16/15--B--"could be a stud if he doesn't get a big head"), #93 (traded) and #148 QB Ingle Martin (1/0--D+--"very raw but showed enough to stick as the #3 QB")
Early winner: Denver gets a stud in WR Javon Walker.

PHI gets: #39 T Winston Justice (0/0--D--"Inactive all year. can he play? Who knows?")
TEN gets: #45 RB LenDale White (13/0--D--"was a disappointment among rookie running backs") and #116 ILB Stephen Tulloch (16/3--B--"a physical player who has some learning to do")
Early winner: Tennessee.
******************This looks like what the Cards may be able to do...the #38 pick for the #45 and #116 (4th)****

NYG gets: #44 WR Sinorice Moss (6/0--C+--"season was ruined by inuries before it began")
BAL gets: #56 C Chris Chester (11/4--B--"has great quickness and feet but needs to add bulk") and #87 CB David Pittman ((0/0--C-/--"needs to develop nasty attitude, disappointing")
Early winner: hard to tell here.

The third round trades...

The #71...for the #76 and #220 (7th)

The #80...for the #83 and #95 (3rd)*****now this one is sweet 1 3rd for 2 3rds.

The #93...for the #109 and #183 (6th)

Day Two trades...Early 4th round;

The #99...for the #108 and DT Hollis Thomas

The #115 and #185 for the #127 and G Artis Hicks

The #109...for the #115 and #185 (6th)*****this is what the Cards may be able to do to recover their 6th rounder.

The #138 (5th)...for the #150 (5th) and #189 (6th)****or---play the 5th into a 5th and a 6th.

My prediction: The Cards will trade down twice. They will trade down from #5 and pick up an extra third rounder. And they will trade down from #105 and pick up an extra 6th rounder. So the Cards' draft winds up looking somewhat like this:

1. T Levi Brown, Penn. St.
2. G/T Justin Blalock, Texas
3a. DE Ikaika Alama-Francis, Hawaii
3b. LB Stewart Bradley, Nebraska
4. DT Brandon Mebane, California
5. TE Scott Chandler, Iowa
6. LB John Abbate, Wake Forest
7. T Renardo Foster, Louisville

 

[kerouac9]

You really can't compare anything against the 2006 draft, since that was probably the deepest draft in the past 15-20 years. This draft is much more similar to the 2003 draft, where there were very few blue-chip players and solid depth later on.

Everyone saidt hat the 2006 draft was incredibly deep. Really, I think that teams will be happy if their 4th and 5th round picks actually make the roster. Last year's draft was so good that you saw 4th and 5th round picks as starters.

You can't really compare them.

 

[earthsci]

You really can't compare anything against the 2006 draft, since that was probably the deepest draft in the past 15-20 years.

In 2000 a perennial Pro Bowl QB was drafted in the 6th round. Does that happen every year?

 

[GreenCard]

OK Mitch,fax your prediction and picks to Graves.Tell him to study it and share it with Whiz then --just do it.

 

[Garthshort]

Hawaii DE

Mitch, is he just a 4-3 DE?

 

[Mitch]

Mitch, is he just a 4-3 DE?

Good question, Garth. Now that he's bulked up to 280...he may be ideal for the 3-4 DE. This kid can play. Strong and quick.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

You really can't compare anything against the 2006 draft, since that was probably the deepest draft in the past 15-20 years. This draft is much more similar to the 2003 draft, where there were very few blue-chip players and solid depth later on.

Everyone saidt hat the 2006 draft was incredibly deep. Really, I think that teams will be happy if their 4th and 5th round picks actually make the roster. Last year's draft was so good that you saw 4th and 5th round picks as starters.

You can't really compare them.

I agree. Last year's draft didn't have the severe drop off this year's class seems to have.

I would say you have some very solid players till about the middle of the third round. Then there is a grand canyon like drop off.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

1. T Levi Brown, Penn. St.
2. G/T Justin Blalock, Texas3a. DE Ikaika Alama-Francis, Hawaii
3b. LB Stewart Bradley, Nebraska
4. DT Brandon Mebane, California
5. TE Scott Chandler, Iowa
6. LB John Abbate, Wake Forest
7. T Renardo Foster, Louisville

If we got BOTH Levi Brown and Justin Blalock I would cry tears of joy. It would be like waking up from a really bad nightmare.

IF that did happen I would stick them at RT and RG and not move them for 10 years. THAT would be a power running offensive line.

Just let me enjoy fantasy land for a second.

LT - L.Brown
LG - J.Blalock
C - A.Johnson
RG - D.Lutui
RT - Wells/Ross/Gandy/Brown - whomever wins the position.

Wow. THAT is an offensive line.

 

[Mulli]

If we got BOTH Levi Brown and Justin Blalock I would cry tears of joy. It would be like waking up from a really bad nightmare.

IF that did happen I would stick them at RT and RG and not move them for 10 years. THAT would be a power running offensive line.

Just let me enjoy fantasy land for a second.

LT - L.Brown
LG - J.Blalock
C - A.Johnson
RG - D.Lutui
RT - Wells/Ross/Gandy/Brown - whomever wins the position.

Wow. THAT is an offensive line.

Only took you a few lines to move them from right side to left side.

?

 

[sr7706]

If we got BOTH Levi Brown and Justin Blalock I would cry tears of joy. It would be like waking up from a really bad nightmare.

IF that did happen I would stick them at RT and RG and not move them for 10 years. THAT would be a power running offensive line.

Just let me enjoy fantasy land for a second.

LT - L.Brown
LG - J.Blalock
C - A.Johnson
RG - D.Lutui
RT - Wells/Ross/Gandy/Brown - whomever wins the position.

Wow. THAT is an offensive line.

What?? Starting 2 rookies next to each other....I don't care who they are, that would be a disaster...

 

[Zeno]

My opinion of course, no basis of fact, just pure speculation but I think the Cards stand pat in round 1 but will be serious contenders to move down in each round afterwards and attempt to come away from the draft with a total of 8 or 9 players...rather than the 6 we currently have.

 

[lobo]

What?? Starting 2 rookies next to each other....I don't care who they are, that would be a disaster...

Is there something stronger than a disaster. It just won't done.

 

[kerouac9]

My opinion of course, no basis of fact, just pure speculation but I think the Cards stand pat in round 1 but will be serious contenders to move down in each round afterwards and attempt to come away from the draft with a total of 8 or 9 players...rather than the 6 we currently have.

Hey... Quantity Versus Quality. That's been really, really successful in the past...

 

[RugbyMuffin]

What?? Starting 2 rookies next to each other....I don't care who they are, that would be a disaster...

True.

But mix and match as you please and it still looks good.

Plus when was that last time at least one side of our line wasn't a disaster........well that is not fair. M.Brown and L.Davis were adequate last year.

 

[Mulli]

Rugby, you starting the two rookies on the left side or the right side?

 

[dreamcastrocks]

What?? Starting 2 rookies next to each other....I don't care who they are, that would be a disaster...

The Jets proved that you can start 2 rookies, and still be successful. Yes, they did not start next to each other, but it is very likely that two rookies would be better than Ross/Wells on the left side for example.

Would you rather start
Levi Brown and Justin Blalock on the left side, or Oliver Ross and Reggie Wells?

I know what I, and the majority of us would select.

 

[football karma]

The Jets proved that you can start 2 rookies, and still be successful. Yes, they did not start next to each other, but it is very likely that two rookies would be better than Ross/Wells on the left side for example.

Would you rather start
Levi Brown and Justin Blalock on the left side, or Oliver Ross and Reggie Wells?

I know what I, and the majority of us would select.

I doesnt have to be an either / or

I would most want Blaylock / Wells or Brown / Wells



I think most undervalue Wells signficantly ---

while the line improved when he moved to Tackle, it also improved when Leckey went to center and Latui went into the lineup.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I doesnt have to be an either / or

I would most want Blaylock / Wells or Brown / Wells



I think most undervalue Wells signficantly ---

while the line improved when he moved to Tackle, it also improved when Leckey went to center and Latui went into the lineup.

I agree with you. I thought Wells did well in the second half of the year at RT. If Whiz & Co. insist that he is a G, I would rather start a rookie, than him at G.