AZ54

You're assuming the team didn't give Nkemdiche a Rd 4 or lower grade.

He was also there when we had many of our WTF moments in the first couple rounds. Seeing Sua Cravens ranked so high might explain some of that.

We were a team that should have lost those close games. I think I want to see who we pick in the draft before getting into anything about next season. There's no doubt in my mind that with the right picks we will be competitive with any team in our division.

Nobody who can get around the corner. Acho should be able to do so but I don't see that 6.69 3-cone skill on the field for some reason. Maybe he added weight and is just not as agile?

I like to read his articles but Sua Cravens as the 6th best prospect in this draft?

Depth overall is one thing but there is a difference between the players fitting your scheme and need. So if we're serious about adding a DT starter we can't just sit back and take whoever is left in Rd 3. When the Colts traded up to get Dwight Freeney and shocked the pundits they simply said it doesn't matter: If he's your guy then he's your guy and you need to go get him. I'm a fan of Chris Jones but I used to think we could definitely grab him in Rd 2. He's strong against double teams and he can uproot an OG 1on1. He doesn't offer much in lateral movement skills. Now he's moved up on so many boards and mocks (back-filling a sliding Nkemdiche) I think he'll be gone in Rd 1. #11 seems to rich for that pick but if we trade back to #15 and if he's our guy then we should just take him. My problem is I don't know what Fangio views as his Dline need. Does he want to keep Goldman at NT or move him to DE? Hicks is definitely one DE starter. Interest in Ian Williams in FA says we want Goldman at DE. Then we flipped and signed Hicks at DE. If we're looking for a NT we could very well go with A'Shawn Robinson at #11. If DE is the preference then that's not Robinson and someone like Jones fits the bill better IMO. The plus side to putting Goldman at either NT or DE is that we have some flexibility and can wait until Rd 2 to grab best available of either. Rd 3 might leave us with Dline who fit 4-3 schemes better, or at least not starter quality players. We already have those in Ferguson and Sutton.

It's a team sport so you can't have a glaring weakness somewhere on the field. Aside from that, I really think it's about elite players and where they are on the field determines what you need to put around them. If you have an elite passing QB like Manning, Rodgers, or Brady then you might not need to block for more than 2-3seconds on most plays. It's hard to find those QBs so without one you might want to focus on the Oline. On defense when we had Urlacher and Briggs they helped cover up deficiencies at safety, or on the Dline. They helped a guy like Hunter Hillenmeyer have a decent career. Kyle Long will be good for Massie as opposed to Larsen being there (last year on the Cards). He'll be good for Grasu or Ramirez at center too. Regardless you first have to build your roster to fit your schemes. As you do that through the draft you expect to find a few of those elite players over the years. We did with Kyle Long and Jeffrey. Perhaps Goldman will get there but the cupboard is bare on D. Right now what's clear to me is that while Fox/Pace like Cutler they are not going to put the burden of winning games fully on his shoulders (as Peyton had in Denver his first few years). We're going to run the ball and we're going to find another RB to pair up with Langford. We're going to build the Oline in front of them too. I will say that I like this approach. These days teams have their nickel D on the field 60% of the snaps. To build a roster that way means your D is getting lighter. If we can build a strong running attack, especially with just the front 5 linemen then we will wreak havoc as Dallas did a couple years back with D. Murray. If the trend in the league is toward more passing I'm ok going against the grain.

I don't know what changed but I just checked at overthecap.com and the Jets are down to $20,547 in cap space. http://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space/

While we're at it, why not also pick up Revis and his $17mil cap hit?

No he's not. 3-cone drill Von Miller 6.7sec. Floyd 7.18sec. Aside from the lack of functional strength, this is the other issue with Floyd: He is quick but just not great at changing direction. More than a forty time this drill shows how well a guy will hold speed rounding a corner, or how quickly he'll accelerate in another direction. Cam Newton won't say it but Von Miller is in a very elite club. Want to know why people are worried about Derrick Henry in the NFL: 3-cone drill 7.2sec. For reference Forte ran it in 6.84sec. The lack of strength and agility make me say Floyd isn't worthy of being the 11th pick in the draft even if he is the closest player in the draft to Von Miller's abilities. If we were going with OLB at 11 I'd rather have Shaq Lawson who has a similar 3-cone time but also has the strength to play the run. He is the better player and that is backed up not just by physical attributes (forty time, 3-cone, etc.) but also by his production on the field.

Fox has indicated several times how much focus he puts into building a good training staff and how important it is for the players to follow their advice. This request of Gould just shows that they focus on every player on the roster. The fact Gould is taking it seriously indicates a level of respect for the program Fox is building, as a showing commitment towards his teammates. Might also mean please don't draft a kicker to replace me.

I don't see enough power in Floyd's game to be consistently effective off the edge. If speed doesn't work he's done. I'm not interested in him at 11.

The most interesting part of the interview is that Gould has been asked by the team to gain weight and strength.

With $175k in cap space I'm assuming the Jets biggest problem with Wilkerson is fitting him and a QB into their cap. They need a rookie pool too. For this reason the trade of Jeffrey for Wilkerson is not an option for them. Obviously some Jets players are getting cut but who? Take a look at their dead money column it is insane. http://overthecap.com/salary-cap/new-york-jets/ Dead money if player is cut: Revis: $25mil D'Brick $5mil Marshall $9.5mil Decker $4.5mil Skrine $10.25mil David Harris $7.5mil Gilchrist $6.8mil L. Williams $15.2mil Forte $9mil There are many more too... They don't have a lot of good options except 1) Trade Wilkerson and remove his $15.7mil cap hit and/or 2) Cut, trade, or renegotiate with Nick Mangold frees up $8.6mil with zero dead money.

After reading all this it might be that nobody is interested and the Bears at least have a passing interest. If there was an offer from Pace, whatever little it was, it might have been the best (and only) offer the Jets received. Let the clock tick.

Every time I see this guy talk the more I think he just doesn't care about football. I don't know what it's slotted for this year, but a 3rd Rd contract should net him $3-4mil, then with the prospect that a $50mil contract or more could be 4yr in his future. I don't believe any of that is going to change his attitude or approach to the game. If we get down to 5th Rd or later I'm in but if I see one more interview like what I saw this week he'll be off my board (FWLIW ). Back in Dec I'd had him as one of the top players I wanted.

Yes I'd be upset. I don't think he's that good to merit the 11th pick and he certainly doesn't fit a need at all with White and Jeffrey on board. The 11th pick is a really bad spot to be in since Ramsey got hurt and Nkemdiche fell off a balcony and then opened his mouth at the combine. I would prefer... The top CB. While I'm not the biggest Hargreaves fan at #11 he'd be a much better choice than Treadwell. I'd also be ok with Elliot. He's ranked among the top 10 prospects and that fits best available. I don't think Elliot is going to be an elite RB but I think he'll have a very good career with Pro Bowl potential. He has a lot of positive attributes as a runner but why I like him so much at this point is because he's an outstanding pass protection blocker. He's very good at scanning the front and moving to pick up the free rusher. Plus he will stop them in their tracks. That's not a trait Carey has, and Langford still has room for improvement although I think he'll be ok with another offseason under his belt. Any addition that better protects Cutler is a positive in my book. I also don't mind rotating Langford and Elliot both with enough speed to break long runs, and size/power to wear down defenders. That 1-2 punch would make for a good offense behind Long,Massie, Slauson, and maybe Ramirez starts at OC if Grasu isn't ready. Run them all day long. Both White and Jeffrey are good blockers as well. I'd be ok with Goff too, although I'm dead certain if that happened we'd be trading down with the LA Rams.

He'll be stopping in Chicago for a visit before the draft. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000064...er-on-nfl-radar

I'm interested but first and foremost is what his contract demands are. He's a really good player but as stated above, he's not elite like JJ Watt. He's going to want Malik Jackson money and based on his performance vs. Jackson he's correct to ask for that. I'd walk away from that but if he's willing to come in just under that bar, maybe the $13mil/yr range I might be talking to him. 12 sacks from an interior Dline position is pretty good and it's tough finding players who can do that. He instantly makes our OLB pass rushers better just from pressure up the middle. Compensation to the Jets...I'd gladly swap picks in the first round... 11 for 20. I don't want to give up our 2nd Rd pick. I think the draft value at 20 is pretty similar to what we can get at 11, I just hope the Jets think differently. There is no reason to push for this deal. The Jets are the ones in a bind with $175k in cap space, needing to sign Fitzpatrick, and DT talent is abundant in this draft. Fitzpatrick has nowhere else to go right now but after the draft that will quickly change as teams re-assess their needs. Denver is the wildcard in the QB market. We did business with the Jets last year and it worked out very well for them. If compensation from other teams is similar to our offer that good will could push the deal to us. Pace needs to sit back, relax, and let the Jets clock tick.

After posting in Jason's "Best Mock I can do thread" about CBs I figured I'd just summarize what I see of the top CBs after watching film on Draftbreakdown. I'm copying what I wrote about Hargreaves in that thread. Among the top 4 CBs in this draft I could live with any of them. I'm just not confident grabbing one at #11. We could drop back to #20 and grab whoever is left and be just as well off IMO. That's kind of the way this draft is after the top 10 picks. Hargreaves... It's not necessarily size sometimes it attitude. Some guys just love getting into your grill and making you work hard. Others can do it but prefer to be off a bit and use their athleticism to get back into position to make the play. I feel Hargreaves is the latter. Watching games against Alabama, Ole Miss, and Tenn I see: Elite cat-like quickness, excellent burst. Good speed but not elite long speed. He does not have the extra gear to catch up to WRs in the NFL. When tackling he prefers to take out the knees. He is not (at least I haven't yet seen) a square up tackler. If he does not dive at your knees (good RBs will at times set that up and make him miss 2:10 in the Tenn video) then he will side-slip and grab and drag. His quickness and burst make him good in run support because he can cover 10 yards so fast to get where he needs to be. This guy is not going to ever be considered a shutdown CB IMO. His quickness will get him INTs when the QBs throws behind the WR. In press coverage I see a guy who will reach out and quickly try to mirror a WR. Can he jam someone at the LOS? Maybe, but I'd like to see it before I buy it. Let me clarify, I think Hargreaves is good in man coverage even right off the line but I consider press coverage as a CB working to delay the WR, or reroute him off the LOS. That may be semantics but IMO if you want a CB who can reroute a WR and hold up the timing of a play Hargreaves isn't that guy. He is the guy who will mirror the WR and undercut the pass at times which works great on simple out routes, or quick inside slants. I think on other routes downfield he will get beat early off the line and stacked by bigger/faster WRs. I'll be happy to see another team put him on an island against Kevin White. Scheme will make a difference with Hargreaves because if he has a good safety over the top he will work his magic on the short and, to a lesser extent, the intermediate routes. I don't exactly know what Fangio prefers to have. -------- Jackson... I watched a bit of William Jackson III today. I saw him at the combine and he impressed me with his movement skills but in games he plays a bit stiff, or maybe it's just his long legs make him not as quick twitch in cuts. There is a big drop off in response time to cuts between Hargreaves and Jackson. Hargreaves will match up well against someone like Antonio Brown, Jackson won't. Jackson would match up better against someone like Alshon Jeffrey, Dez White, especially downfield. Jackson is more willing to throw his body into a runner, it would help if he added another 10lbs to his frame. Jackson isn't that good at press coverage either but I think the mentality and frame is there to better grow into that skill. --------- Eli Apple has just a couple games to watch on Draftbreakdown: NIU, Mich St. If I could put Hargreaves skills on one side of a line and Jackson's on the other, Apple would fit in the middle. He's more willing to take on a RB straight up than Hargreaves but at times hesitates to do so. In coverage he's good at mirroring, probably quicker on breaks than Jackson, but he's often grabbing at WRs after 5 yards. It's going to take him some time to break that habit. I think he holds up better downfield against the bigger WRs than Hargreaves. --------- Mackensie Alexander... If you want attitude on your defense this is your guy. He'd fit in with the 85 Bears defense. He's not afraid to mix it up with WRs around the LOS. His quickness is not far behind Hargreaves but he looks to have a little more long speed than him. Neither are elite in long speed. At times Alexander will look to hit hard other times he's side stepping and grabbing like Hargreaves. Nonetheless he's more physical. What I like best is that Alexander really wants to contest the WR making the catch. He's not going to be a shutdown corner but he's the kind of player you like to have on your side in a game. --------- (skipping Kendall Fuller I just don't think we'll want any conflict in the locker room if Kyle struggles again) Artie Burns.... Classic track star playing football. He's got all the physical traits you want except he just doesn't like to hit people sometimes that leads to him missing tackles. He can cover for the most part. I just wonder how guys like this handle the next level where the physicality goes up a notch. --------- Xavien Howard... Good football player but his physical talent isn't close to the above players. He absolutely needs to be protected over the top because he just doesn't have the speed to keep up. He's physical around the LOS, no hesitation to jam WRs off the line, and has enough quickness to be effective against short to intermediate routes. --------- Will Redmond... Smaller version of Hargreaves. More physical, more attitude around the LOS but lacks the muscle to do much with it.

It's not necessarily size sometimes it attitude. Some guys just love getting into your grill and making you work hard. Others can do it but prefer to be off a bit and use their athleticism to get back into position to make the play. I feel Hargreaves is the latter. Watching games against Alabama, Ole Miss, and Tenn I see: Elite cat-like quickness, excellent burst. Good speed but not elite long speed. He does not have the extra gear to catch up to WRs in the NFL. When tackling he prefers to take out the knees. He is not (at least I haven't yet seen) a square up tackler. If he does not dive at your knees (good RBs will at times set that up and make him miss 2:10 in the Tenn video) then he will side-slip and grab and drag. His quickness and burst make him good in run support because he can cover 10 yards so fast to get where he needs to be. This guy is not going to ever be considered a shutdown CB IMO. His quickness will get him INTs when the QBs throws behind the WR. In press coverage I see a guy who will reach out and quickly try to mirror a WR. Can he jam someone at the LOS? Maybe, but I'd like to see it before I buy it. Eli Apple has some of the same traits but you can also find some plays where he squares up on a RB and makes the tackle. I'm not a big fan of his but a smaller but more pesky Mackenzie Alexander seems to fit the bill a bit better. I'll spend some time this weekend (starts today for me) and review the CBs.

I like Rds 4-7 much better than Rds 1-3. I just don't see Hargreaves as a great fit for what Fangio wants in press coverage, nor having the size downfield to contest taller receivers. In Lovie's cover-2 he's a great fit. I don't see good value in Hunter Henry in Rd 2 compared to what else is available, especially the DT talent or maybe grabbing a better OT prospect. IMO for TE the value curve fits best around the 4th Rd and I'd be just as happy with a guy like Higbee in the 4th or 5th. Scooby followed by Smith? ...not a fan of back to back ILBs. The rounds they were selected in is likely to swap now that Smith appears to be recovering well. If we took Smith in the 3rd Rd would we really take Wright in the 4th? I doubt it. ---- On a side note: Most of us are not looking at RBs but we've done enough poking around in FA to make me think we will be drafting one. One of these days I need to start watching some film on them.

Houston played well the last 8 games. Young also played well but he is the better fit for a team wanting a 4-3 DE. I would make that trade, Young/Barwin, except I don't like Barwin's $7.3mi cap hit in 2016 and $8.3mil in 2017. Now if Philly picks up his $3mil guarantee for this season and we're only on the hook for $3.75mil then it works quite well. Next year Barwin's contract is structured so he can be cut if needed with just $600k in dead money and $7.75mil in cap savings.

Smith's injury is still very serious and despite the positive news he has a very long way to go before anyone can know if he'll be the same player. At #11...yes I'd be upset. If medicals are good perhaps 3rd Rd I'd be ok. 2nd Rd is where it gets dicey because there will still be good players available at many positions that can help us this season and down the road.

I'm impressed. I realize mobility is different from simple straight directional moves, especially a leg press, but a squat with that much weight requires plenty of stability in the knee. More importantly, since nerve damage affecting lower leg function is the top concern it requires his base/foot to be stable. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000064...ter-knee-injury ...told NFL Media's Mike Mayock he is already leg pressing more than 600 pounds and squatting more than 400 in the weight room as his recovery continues. "It's just a matter of time. I'll be fine," Smith said. His medical check-in in 2 weeks will be very well attended.