MHS831

Hill and Rod are on the board. If one goes, we could move up--but there are some good CBs on the board.

There are a few more Ga Bulldogs in the mix--but I would not discount the 2 DEs McDonald or UGAs C Miller--but Lb makes too much sense. HAULCY jumps off the page when I look at the list. I dunno.

right. You have a need that is multifaceted (Ickey, Walker 1 year deal, Moton's wheel) and finding good OTs is very difficult. Since the guy who has the highest upside is 21 and raw, you pass him by and try to find a S or TE because they would start--even though the really did not deserve first round grades. I get the move to take a T. I did not think they would, but Morgan demonstrated long-term vision. Hats off

Youd think our scouts have ankle bracelets and have to be home by dark as a condition of their parole.

There are at least 4 in that range that I would love to have-- Allen, Hill, Rod, Golday-- Separate issue---I think the Chiefs hit a home run yesterday.

Swag, I didn't love anyone in the first round. I figured both Proctor and Freeling would be gone. And I was not really interested in sharing my thoughts as a result--I was trying to read the tea leaves to figure out what Morgan would do and justify my reasons for thinking that. I see the players at the top (except Proctor and Freeling) as potential guards. It seems many of these players who are drafted as short-armed OTs end up being kicked inside. I could not settle on a player I wanted, to be honest. However, in my opinion, Proctor and Freeling were the two who were born to play OT. They can fix their problems. Now, if you want to talk round 2, I think there are players I hope we target--ILB is the position I would love to address--but if Hurst (WR) or a Safety is the pick, I would understand. Gotta be LB. Bold prediction: I think Morgan trades up for Rodriguez. However there are 4 LBs I would take--popcorn time

You have good points, but the key point you make is "win now." I am looking at our T situation and Freeling's ceiling. GMs are wrong nearly half the time in the first round. Nobody knows, but I said the pick was a long-term pick vs. a "win now" the Gross comparision was just an example and I was not intending to defend a hypothetical raw player with upside against a proven Panther legend--the point was, nobody comes in as a complete package. Gross was a super bowl OT, and so was Remmers--so we could disagree about semantics all day--I see your point and understand that there are risks with every pick--at 19, the true first rounders were gone compared to others. I like his upside. Higher than Gross's upside at the same age--in my view.

I am not really interested in engaging with people with MHS issues here. Obviously, I never claimed to be a scout--just a fan with opinions--this is my hobby--you, however, are perhaps too emotionally involved in this. By the way, the pros are right just over 50% of the time in the first round. Is 50% your validating standard?

Gross was 23 when he was a rookie. How good was he at 21? I get your argument--until we see him on the field...but I am coming from the perspective of his ceiling. Gross was great, but he did not have the physical gifts Freeling has. The draft is about potential and upside. Considering their ages, size, physical attributes, and athleticism, do you think Freeling has the potential to be as good or better than Gross?

We can hope this turns out well. I started a few threads that pointed out the shortcomings of the OTs at the top of the draft. If the issue is "can he start right now?" this is a bad pick. If the question is, "how high is this 21-year-old's ceiling?" then we got the best OT. I read that people were calling it a strong OT draft in round 1--I did not see it that way. He needs to get stronger and develop his technique. He seems coachable. I am glad we got Freeling instead of another WR with bad hands or Sadiq.

RIGHT NOW? He has work to do. If anyone would like to explain how any other lineman in this draft has a higher ceiling, I am all ears. I remember when we drafted Gross. He was not ready for LT, so we played him at RT. I recall Peppers eating him alive in practices. I recall thinking, "We drafted a bust from Utah." He too had a high ceiling. First rounders get five year deals (in theory) If years 2-5 are elite as opposed to years 1-5 being average, give me the slow rookie season. If you are relying on rookies to take you to the promise land, you ain't going to the promise land. I see Freeling playing a lot this year, one way or another.

Highest ceiling of any OL in this draft? these guys think so.

I see that. I have the same concerns. Maugioa is a beast--the second best OL in the draft. Is he the best OT? I read articles about him being moved inside (and the Utah OT is a RT or Guard)--Proctor has some issues as well--If you recall, I wrote about the flaws of the OTs at the top of the draft, which is why I assumed we were not drafting OT in round 1, especially after signing Walker. So I get it. However, as a freak and considering his age, maybe he develops quickly and our OL guru can bring him along. I have a feeling he will be thrown into the fire before he realizes it.

Or Moton's.

I 'd rather have a 21-year old with questionable technique issues than a 23-year old player with limited physical attributes. Most OTs have mechanical issues when they enter the league. The three tackles drafted before Freeling at #9, #10, and #12 have mechanical issues as well--but they are not the athlete and they lack the physical attributes Freeling has. In four years, Freeling will be 25 and elite, in my view. In four years, the others drafted before Freeling might easily be guards.

Folks, if your best argument is to cherry pick attributes of Freeling and compare him to a person who had similar attributes (not all, just the cherry-picked attributes) who struggled or busted, an isolate incident, then that is a dumb argument. The work ethic and mental approach to football is critically important. Every player is unique. If you mention a similar player who busted, are you suggesting that there are not similar players who were successful? Make sense.

I understand the concerns--he is not P. Sewell or Joe Thomas. He has technique issues and was not great in the run game and was good in pass protection when UGA did not pass much. Then there is the immediate need vs long term need perspective. I did not see Freeland being there-frankly. Here is why: He has nearly 35" arms and his hands are large (10.5"). He ran a 4.93 40 at the combine. He is very agile. His vertical was 33.5". Physically, he is a freak. He is 21 and he seems very intelligent (coachable). You have to remember, some of these rookies are 24, 25 years old. Freeling is A team player. His shortcomings are fixable. Short arms (as with the kids from Utah and Miami) are not fixable. The Run on OTs began at #9: Fano (picked 10 picks earlier) has 32" arms and his hands are 9". He did not play in the SEC like Freeling. Many think the short arms project him to guard. Mauigoa (picked 10th) has 33" arms. He is a solid player, but his arms make him borderline as a T (they seek 34" and up as ideal) Kayden Proctor (picked 12th overall) struggled in pass protection and projects by many to RT or G. Weight management is a concern. So it is possible that Freeling will be the first LT taken who actually plays LT. (he also has the ability and experience to play RT) His questions are fixable and not limited to physical limitations. Here is the question: If you know that you need a Tackle, and you could choose between all four of these players, who would you pick? I am not sure that Freeling would not be the player I selected if given the opportunity to take any of them.

There are three positions that we have had that are very difficult to fill and we went without for a long time--QB, Edge, OT. If they are on the board when you pick and you can upgrade, you take them--I just did not see Morgan doing it. Freeling was not a second rounder (I forget who said that). If we selected Concepcion or Sadiq, I would not like it. Freeling? OK. I get it. lets move on

I wanted Lemon, actually, but the locker room is very important. Nothing disrupts the chemistry more than a loud, crazy, disgruntled WR. He will become that. They said he sucked during interviews.

Everyone on the board at 19 had some reason to question their future success. If you focus on the deficiencies of your pick vs. the strengths of everyone else, you will always see it as a half empty glass. My view? Tackle was a red flag here--Ickey out and may never be the same and the same was not worth the money he would demand. Moton is old and playing on a peg leg, and Stone Forsythe could not be successful as a homeless man's body guard. This pick has risks just like those before us and after us. I think he has the potential to be the best LT in this draft--and that is more valuable than a S or TE. As much as I did not think they would do it--and I do not see the top of the draft as one that had typical "can't miss" OT prospects. We will be OK. Freeling is a coachable, eager, smart, athletic player. We could have done much worse. I had him going off the board around pick 12, so I did not give him much focus. I love building through the OL, and we were scary at OT--better on paper than in reality, in fact. I get it. Morgan is solid, in my view.

He is a good fit for LT here in the wide zone and with a mobile qb. Freeling has some work to do with his balance and technique, but our OL coach--the guru who works with tackles specifically at practice--had a loud voice in the draft room, one can assume. Ickey was average at T and frankly, not a great fit for our system at T. As a guard, (I Pray they move him there if they keep him) he could be special. I think of this as a long-term play that makes the OL cap manageable by 2027. I think the move might have upgraded 2 positions. He seems positive and he seems coachable. I am not too worried--he reminds me of Gross a bit. Gross was not a LT day 1, but he was a great pick.

He is a good fit for LT here in the wide zone and with a mobile qb. Freeling has some work to do with his balance and technique, but our OL coach--the guru who works with tackles specifically at practice--had a loud voice in the draft room, one can assume. Ickey was average at T and frankly, not a great fit for our system at T. As a guard, (I Pray they move him there if they keep him) he could be special. I think of this as a long-term play that makes the OL cap manageable by 2027. I think the move might have upgraded 2 positions. He seems positive and he seems coachable. I am not too worried--he reminds me of Gross a bit. Gross was not a LT day 1, but he was a great pick.

It is not a given that Walker beats him out. Walker would be a great swing T (and so would Freeling for a season--played both sides in college). Is there some rule that says we have to draft players in the first round from the Carolinas? Horn, Ickey, XL, Freeling--?

I did not think they would do it--with Walker and Moton and Dave Canales comments about seeing the field immediately. There could be something we do not know, but this also has the potential to make us better at 2 spots--Ickey was average at best--could be an elite G. Freeling can become an elite LT. If we get cap room by releasing Hunt in 2027, move Ickey to RG....we got 2 positions covered as we become more cost effective--I get it. I just did not think they would do it.

Love it--but a lot of "Ball knowers" were predicting it. Still, I literally laughed out loud at this.