If you were GM and had someone who could be the GQBOAT....

[rayzor]

That's generally been true, but DeCastro is the exception. He has perennial pro-bowl talent, and has been compared to the likes of Steve Hutchinson in his heyday. And this is a different NFL than when that was the common attitude. Just look at NO, it's their Guards, not Tackles that make that line go and are the real protectors of Brees. Good OG's help keep a clean pocket for the QB to step up in, which is essential in todays pass-happy NFL.

i did a quick look at who made the pro bowl as guards this year and there was only on taken in the 1st round and that was with the 32nd pick. one was taken in the 2nd. evans and nicks were taken in the 5th and 4th rounds (respectively) and 2 were undrafted. in fact both nicks and evans were drafted as OTs.

point is, drafting one early is a bit unncessary. quite a few successful OGs in the pros weren't OGs in college. they are converted OTs.

[Woodie]

i did a quick look at who made the pro bowl as guards this year and there was only on taken in the 1st round and that was with the 32nd pick. one was taken in the 2nd. evans and nicks were taken in the 5th and 4th rounds (respectively) and 2 were undrafted. in fact both nicks and evans were drafted as OTs.

point is, drafting one early is a bit unncessary. quite a few successful OGs in the pros weren't OGs in college. they are converted OTs.

It's not about where they were taken, it's about the value they bring to the team. And if anybody was confident that these guys would turn into the dominant players they are, they would have been taken much earlier (there were reasons they were taken where they were, and it's not as simple as the position they played). There's a huge difference between good Guards and great ones...and if you have a chance to get a great one, you at least consider it. For the most part, when a player is considered clean at their position, they usually go pretty high...even Guards. But for a Guard to be taken this high, he usually has to be considered "special" and DeCastro is.

One last thing, pretty much everyone has DeCastro rated as a top 10 talent, and being taken in the top half of the first...some even in the top ten. So obviously DeCastro is seen by the vast majority of professional evaluators as the exeption to the rule (which I don't think is quite as applicable as it once was anyway), not an unworthy early pick as has been intimated here.

Again, I do want to be clear that I think we will and should go defense, but you can't just dismiss this guy as a high 1st pick because his position has traditionally been devalued in the past...particularly in the new pass-happy NFL with a rookie wage scale.

[rayzor]

i guess decastro is "special". i won't argue with that. i think that there are some punters and kickers that are "special" as well. still don't want to be drafting them in the first round.

i think a team has to have very few holes on it aside from the interior Oline before they start drafting OGs in the first round. the bengals might be one of those teams, imo.

just on a tangent...BPA is a fine idea, but to go exclusively by that taking shoever is the BPA regardless of need at your pick won't necessarily make you a better team. in fact it likely won't do much to help you out much at all because your weak spots will still be weak spots.

if we take a QB or RB at 8 or 9 because they are the BPA, we are making a mistake considering 1) the needs that we have and 2) the players we have at that position already.

BPA according to prioritized needs is the best way to go, imo.

[csx]

Its a lock that either the first or second pick will be OL. Then again in the 3rd or 4th.

No it isn't.

[Woodie]

i guess decastro is "special". i won't argue with that. i think that there are some punters and kickers that are "special" as well. still don't want to be drafting them in the first round.

Now you're just being silly :rolleyes:.

i think a team has to have very few holes on it aside from the interior Oline before they start drafting OGs in the first round. the bengals might be one of those teams, imo.

just on a tangent...BPA is a fine idea, but to go exclusively by that taking shoever is the BPA regardless of need at your pick won't necessarily make you a better team. in fact it likely won't do much to help you out much at all because your weak spots will still be weak spots.

if we take a QB or RB at 8 or 9 because they are the BPA, we are making a mistake considering 1) the needs that we have and 2) the players we have at that position already.

BPA according to prioritized needs is the best way to go, imo.

We can go around and around talking the value of DeCastro, but as far as the Panthers go, I do not, and have never advocated going absolute BPA. I think smart teams go BPA "at a position of need." And while RG is a position of need, IMO, it is far down the list way past DT, CB, LB, and maybe S. So, while I think DeCastro's value is high 1st, I don't think he should or will be a consideration for us unless there is nobody of value at one of those defensive positions...which I think would be VERY unlikely.

[rayzor]

Now you're just being silly :rolleyes:.

We can go around and around talking the value of DeCastro, but as far as the Panthers go, I do not, and have never advocated going absolute BPA. I think smart teams go BPA "at a position of need." And while RG is a position of need, IMO, it is far down the list way past DT, CB, LB, and maybe S. So, while I think DeCastro's value is high 1st, I don't think he should or will be a consideration for us unless there is nobody of value at one of those defensive positions...which I think would be VERY unlikely.

yeah, i wasn't targeting you with that comment. just the conversation took my mind there.

sorry if that was misunderstood.

i do know that was being a little facetious with that kicker comment, but not completely. there's just some positions that i absolutely wouldn't address that early regardless of how talented or elite they were supposed to be at that position....unless there were absolutely no holes on the roster and that was the only area that there was a bit weak.