AZ54

I'm still hanging onto my suggestion that Lynch might very well be the 2nd rated QB on the Browns board. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-footba...happen-in-top-5 I don't think Cleveland wants to go back very far and SF might very well be their target in this charade. First, I doubt the Cowboys take a QB at #1. If Jerruh wants to win a Superbowl now then the best path to do this is to grab a blue chip player with #4 overall and then do whatever it takes to get a decent backup QB in Rd 2, or with your second pick if it means trading up. I think SF is the obvious target here for Cleveland. Rumors are they have a deal to move Kap to the Broncos if they draft a QB, and they'll likely get something in draft picks in exchange. Clearly they want someone else at QB. Kap wants out as well so there is no love lost among both sides in SF. Currently SF has 12 draft picks. What are they going to do with more picks than that? If Cleveland is just as happy with Lynch, or happier, then why not see if the 49ers really want Goff? The risk here might be the Eagles jumping ahead of #8 to take Lynch but they have shipped out a lot of players and need to restock their roster. They are good enough at QB with Bradford for two seasons to be patient and see what happens. Beyond the Eagles you are looking at Buffalo and maybe the Jets but for either team to get all the way up ahead of #7 it's very expensive and I don't see it happening.

Regardless of the outcome of this incident I have no interest in drafting Oakman. I just don't see him as a very productive player even if he looks the part. Even as we get to the later rounds I prefer to grab an injured player who has more upside (I don't view Oakman as having much upside) or, really late, take a flyer on a guy like Moritz Boehringer.

I was thinking the same thing. I could see that deal going to the Giants as well unless they are enamored with someone like Treadwell and don't want to risk losing him. If a team wants a WR this year there is a big drop off after the first few. Even among 1st Rd picks you have diverse skill sets between Treadwell and Coleman. If it works out and we can still trade back to 15 and pick up an additional 2nd Rd pick I'd be very happy.

STL = LA and yes Wentz is the only QB who makes sense here. As they are saying on NFL Network, he's been in a pro-style offense and is ready for play action from day one. Can't say that for either Goff or Lynch. CLE - Goff is not a lock here IMO because their second rated QB could very well be Lynch. I believe Hugh Jackson is very confident in his ability as a coach, with good reason, and will take the QB he feels has the higher upside. SD - Might very well be happy to park Tunsil in front of Rivers. DAL - Now they have Ramsey fall to them and I think Jerruh can't resist saying he took the best player in the entire draft. JAX - Myles Jack is perfect fit BAL - They can go anywhere except QB. I believe Buckner is the perfect fit for what they want to do on defense and goes here. SF - Kap has them nervous and I find it hard to believe they want to put all their eggs in the Gabbert basket. They will be happy with either Goff or Lynch. 4/14: "Kaepernick to Broncos done.Hinges on SF drafting a quarterback." - Mark Dominik, ESPN Read more at http://www.walterfootball.com/nflrumors/te...O8qWeAj8R78L.99 PHI - Frozen out of the QB hunt I think they turn to the next best thing... a running game and take Elliot. TB - Bosa drops to them and they are happy to oblige NYG - They could go with Stanley, or any number of directions. CHI - ?? For us to get one of the better players we'll need someone like Hargreaves or Lawson to go in the top 10. If Bosa drops would we take him? He ran LB drills at both the Combine and his Pro Day and looked very comfortable doing it. Forget the forty time, his 3-cone performance was very good so he has the agility to drop into space. We'd have some pretty good bookends with McPhee on the other side.

This is great news for us as far as someone falling to us. I think now it's very likely Lynch is gone in the top 10. On the flip side I think this makes it harder for us to trade back unless someone has a real desire for the player that falls out of the top 10. I could see that for Stanley who is definitely a LT or to a lesser extent Buckner. Less likely for Buckner just because there is so much Dline depth.

That was funny although I wonder how many here understand that reference.

In this day and age where sexual assault can consist of just looking at a woman the wrong way I'll wait to see what happens. Not only that, if you have consensual sex and the next day the woman decides she didn't want to have done that then it's a sexual assault. Or if she had a drink of two beforehand then the next day felt she shouldn't or didn't want to have agreed to what she agreed to the night before then you are guilty. I'm not saying he's innocent but I refuse to jump in and say he's guilty until the facts are put forth.

Trade up for Goff? I don't see the value in that. If Pace/Fox think the QB need is that significant then we should just sit and take Lynch at #11. He has just as much upside IMO but perhaps a lower floor than Goff. Goff is incredibly accurate but his tendency to throw off his back foot when under pressure is very concerning. As Bears fans we know what that means. It is entirely possible that SF takes Lynch anyway. I actually think he fits better with his mobility in Kelly's quick-read offense. That my biggest concern with Lynch...can he truly read the field left-to-right or deep-to-short because he's never really done it. Physically he has all the tools you want. The only significant difference between Wetnz and Lynch is that one played in a pro-style offense and the other was in a spread offense.

I don't think he has enough arm strength to be a viable backup QB in the NFL.

I don't think he has enough arm strength to be a viable backup QB in the NFL.

Seems clear we're taking a QB in this draft, we just don't know how early. I'd say 3rd Rd is a possibility and 4th Rd is most likely. I took a look at some film on a few of the prospects that are off the beaten path (i.e. not named Hogan or Prescott): Brandon Allen... I've seen a few people praise him as a solid backup QB candidate with a long career ahead of him. I see good pocket awareness and ability move around to avoid pressure. He's mobile enough to bootleg and can throw well enough on the run. I'd like to see him throw with more anticipation as he usually is waiting for guys to make their break and then be open. He's accurate and arm strength is good enough to work the intermediate part of the field. I don't see much on deep passes and at times on out-routes he's waiting too long which will lead to INTs in the NFL. I don't usually like comparisons to existing NFL players but this kid reminds me of Kirk Cousins. He gets dinged because his hands are smaller than mine. Brandon Doughty... Against LSU he looked lost for much of the game. Not surprising given the huge jump in game speed. He's just too static in the pocket. Step it back down to La Tech and he's back in his spread offense comfort zone. At times there is very good accuracy but under pressure he's behind his WR too often. He has enough tools to be worth developing but the lack of pocket awareness concerns me. I think he'll need more time to fit into an NFL offense than Allen. Jeff Driskel... Statue in the pocket doesn't have a good feel for what's going on around him and where to step up to buy time. All the physical tools are there but something is missing. At times he'll make throws you love to see, then, especially when under pressure, the ball can be anywhere. He's not that good throwing on the run but he's athletic enough to bootleg out of the pocket. Nate Sudfeld... As day 3 prospects go I like this kid a lot. He's got the size at 6'6" and the live arm to make all the throws. Quite often he shows rare accuracy on deep balls dropping it in over the shoulder of the WR in stride. I think if he wasn't working from a spread offense he'd be getting a lot more talk as a mid-rd pick. With that, he's got some things to learn from under center. plus at times his decisions and accuracy are not what you'd expect. Those issues occur far enough apart that I think good coaching can fix them. He's not going to run away from anyone in the NFL, except perhaps Terrance Knighton, but he's mobile enough to move out of the pocket at times. In the pocket he has a good feel for pressure and moves around well enough to buy time. Of the four I watched film of tonight I'd say Allen is best prepared to play early, and perhaps that holds for the first couple years, but I'd take Sudfeld because he has better upside and IMO could develop into a solid starter. Sudfeld probably needs 2 years of work before he's ready but we have that time behind Cutler, and more if we want it. After those two I'd take Doughty and then my last choice would be Driskel who I don't think will ever be a decent backup QB. Overall I'd put Sudfeld on par with Hogan or Prescott (I put Allen in there too) but I think he has more upside than either. Although I've seen improvement from him, I'm not convinced Prescott will ever cure his inaccuracy enough to be a starter. Hogan's occasional WTFWTT throws still bother me. Sudfeld is listed a 7th Rd or UDFA prospect on CBSSports, then in their writeup they state that he has enough potential that he could be drafted in the middle rounds.

To be fair, drafting Stanley, who I like, probably won't help the left side run game that much.

Nothing can erase his poor accuracy and inconsistency.

Just scanning the web tonight catching on the rumor mill from the last week. Things I've seen of note from either Aaron Leming, Walterfootball, NFL.com, CBSSports, or just my own thoughts.... https://twitter.com/AaronLemingNFL?ref_src=...7Ctwgr%5Eauthor 1) Aaron Leming says Bears have strong interest in Ezekiel Elliot and he might be the pick unless a top 5 player falls. I like Elliot a lot but RB is not my first preference at #11. I have to say the tandem of Elliot and Langford both with power, speed, and quickness, would make life tough for defenses especially with the Oline players we picked up in FA. Elliot is outstanding on blitz pickup so he's the ideal 3rd down back. An excellent running game is best way to keep Cutler from feeling the pressure to win games and force throws. 2) Crazy how many mocks have us taking Leonard Floyd. I don't see it in anything he's shown on film but apparently I'm in the minority on this one. Is this simply because Fox took Von Miller and people assume we'll reach to get an edge rusher in this draft? Or is the skinny kid who often gets pushed around at the LOS really something special waiting to happen? 3) I see a lot of mocks with either of the Clemson DEs taken in the top 10, mostly Shaq Lawson. FWIW Shaq Lawson just visited with Bears. I have far more interest in Lawson over Dodd (at any draft slot). I think he's an excellent edge player and, even if he's not quite the speed rusher we'd like to have, he offers more fast edge pressure than anyone we currently have on the roster while being excellent against the run. Like McPhee he might able to move inside a bit on passing downs. I'm warming up to the possibility we take him at 11 although it probably means goodbye to Willie Young. 4) Many mocks have us taking Hargreaves. While I don't think he's ideal because of his issues covering bigger WR downfield, he'll be an upgrade over anyone we have on the roster today. I'd be ok with him at 11. 5) Bears showing interest in Nick Vigil. A day 3 pick someone mentioned a while back. The odds we draft him are now exactly 0. 6) While we sit at the worst spot in terms of the likely talent drop off, I think we also sit at the best spot for trading back if a team wants Lynch. I really want to trade back to #15 with the Rams. How desperate are the Rams for a QB? I expect Wentz and Goff to both be gone by SF at #7. If Lynch is all that remains among the top QBs when the Eagles are on the clock, and they pass on him then what happens? Tampa and NY Giants won't take a QB but both have big needs and a shot at a day 1 starter so I think they'll be less likely to move back (or the price gets too high). Lynch has garnered some strong interest from teams like the Bills. The Jets are a possibility too (swap picks in the 1st and we take the Wilkerson problem off their hands?). 7) Tyler Higbee is an idiot.

Stick to TalkBears and you'll get better information.

From reports it seems Jaylon Smith is already back into the end of the 1st Rd and each day he seems to be getting higher. Top 10? I doubt it. Those clubs usually have serious needs and more often than not need immediate help to save people's jobs. If the medical check is very positive, after the top 8 prospects are off the board (plus one or two surprise picks) then I can see Smith going anywhere from 10th on down to late 1st.

Of course opinions are different but what matters is understanding how that scout views prospects. There are people who will place more value to speed and raw physical ability, while others place more value to the football skills. Some put more weight toward big schools and level of competition than others might. What characteristics for each position do they put the most weight on? If you follow someone enough you can start to figure out how they grade prospects.

If we draft Rankins and put him at NT I'd be curious to see how that works.

I understand the grades vs. drafted nonetheless Gabriel's evaluation doesn't hold up IMO. Cravens ran a 4.66 forty, 27in vertical, 16 reps @ 225lbs, 3-cone 6.92sec. Everyone highlights one thing with him: He can play the position Deonne Bucannon plays. Bucannon ran a 4.49 forty, 19 reps, and 36" vertical and 3-cone 6.96sec. With those measurements they are a somewhat comparable but still Cravens shows up as the more limited player in space. We're talking about the 6th overall ranking by Gabriel and the more athletic Bucannon was drafted 27th overall. QB's get drafted higher than their grades warrant because of the criticality of the position. It's true as well for LT and edge rushers. But I can't see anyone drafting a slow in-the-box S/OLB in the top 10 and I doubt Cravens even goes in the 1st Rd. FWIW I said many weeks ago that I'm not a fan of Cravens. I just don't see anything special on tape to warrant an early pick in the draft 1st or 2nd Rd. I think his combine and pro day numbers back that up. No matter the need I feel there are better players available in the first two rounds of the draft, and there are similar players available later in the draft.

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.