Got A Chance To Talk To A Player On The D-Line About The Draft

[TANTRIC-NINJA]

@KoolKat

Good point but because of that list I think it increases the value of Guards...like DeCastro who is always compared to Steve Hutchinson(Pro Bowler!)

Is it a reach? Not if that is a ready to start pro bowler..And not now when top 10 rookie money is wayy cheaper than signing a Grubbs, Nicks.

But

Defense is a need and we almost should spend all 7 or at least 5 of 7 picks on defense IMO

I however like Decastro..a lot and would be quite happy....

[koolkatluke]

@KoolKat

Good point but because of that list I think it increases the value of Guards...like DeCastro who is always compared to Steve Hutchinson(Pro Bowler!)

Is it a reach? Not if that is a ready to start pro bowler..And not now when top 10 rookie money is wayy cheaper than signing a Grubbs, Nicks.

But

Defense is a need and we almost should spend all 7 or at least 5 of 7 picks on defense IMO

I however like Decastro..a lot and would be quite happy....

Funny part is Steve Hutchinson wasn't even a top 10 pick. But people want to spend a top 10 on this kid really?

[rodeo]

Last guard in the top 10 was Chris Naeole in 1997. Never made a pro-bowl but was a decent starter for 10 years. The Saints passed up Tony Gonzalez for him.

[philw5289]

i talked to Dwill on ustream about who we would draft and he said he thought a linebacker lol

[MadHatter]

Hangman was signed to be a starter and the team really likes Williams and Bell. Pollak may be camp fodder but we will already have good comp. for the 2 guard position without adding a rookie.

We very well may be OK without drafting a rookie Guard. However, my point is that none of the moves we have made would preclude us from taking a G at #9. We did not invest significant money into the position via re-signing our guys or through FA. So, cutting any of them (not saying we will) would not cause a Cap issue.

Not saying that we will, but also don't think the moves you are talking about woudl preclude it.

[Riverboat Ron]

I could see offense if the right guy is there when we're on the clock, but I'm going to say there's a 75% chance it will be a defensive lineman.

[MHS831]

Correct, players have no idea, but drafting youth where we have developing youth is perhaps not the best way to fix the problems.

We are older and injury prone at LB.

We are older and injury prone at OT.

We have youth and a veteran returning from IR at DT

Rivera has been said to not value CBs early

We were 25th in the league at sacking the QB

If you take all this stuff into consideration, we probably take the BPA at OL, LB, and DE.

The board could look like this (NO ORDER)

Riley Reiff

Luke Kuechly

Quinton Coples

Melvin Ingram

David DeCastro

[Woodie]

http://thedctimes.co...-rank-best-ogs/

1. Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens (3rd)

2. Carl Nicks (5th)

3. Evan Mathis (3rd)

4. Josh Sitton (4th)

5. Mike Iupati (1st - 17th)

6. Brian Waters (undrafted)

7. Jake Scott (5th)

8. Andy Levitre (2nd)

9. Chad Rinehart (3rd)

10. Steve Hutchinson (1st-17th)

11. Jahri Evans (4th)

12. Logan Mankins (1st-32)

13. Jeremy Zuttah (3rd)

14. Richie Incognito (3rd)

15. Mike Brisiel (undrafted)

16. Leroy Harris (4th)

17. Brandon Moore (undrafted)

18. Ben Grubbs (1st-29th)

19. Stephen Peterman (3rd)

20. Rob Sims (4th)

21. Justin Blalock (2nd)

22. Davin Joseph (1st-27th)

23. Chris Snee (2nd)

Pay attention because I'm not doing this again. Do you notice a pattern? Only 4 1st round picks in the top 23. None were drafted in the top 10. So when exactly did guard perception change? When has a guard ever been picked in the top 10 of the draft?

Plain and simple Picking a guard in the 1st round is a luxury Pick for teams that were either in the playoffs or close to it (mostly in). We were neither.

Now go look up what they are getting paid (at least the one's that have hit FA in the last couple of years). That's where you'll see just how much teams are now valuing Guards. And the new CBA is also playing a part in the value of Guards as well. And don't get so caught up in where they were taken in years past, because that has nothing to do with the change in perception and value in todays NFL. As the NFL has changed to a more pass friendly league, teams now realize that they cannot get by with only a road grading type of Guard, they need guys that are much more skilled and athletic at the position than ever before. Guards now need to be proficient at both pass and run blocking, and as their requirements have gone up, so has their value.

[tiger7_88]

I brought up D. Poe and the player said that he would always take up two blockers, and that you can't single-team such a guy.

Active players are generally not very good scouts.

D. Poe was *often* single-teamed and taken out of the play. In Conference USA.

Let me repeat that... Conference USA.

Not the SEC.

Not the ACC.

Not the PAC 10.

Etc.

CONFERENCE USA.

[Moose87Banks]

If it's offense, I think we take Decastro. His mobility fits in so well with the style of offense we run. Guard is also a bigger need right now than any position.

Sure we could use another corner, but we do have an ELITE starter cornerback.

Sure we could use a dominant Dlineman, but we have some young talent there, some proven vets, and one proven star there.

We have 2 backup quality guards looking to start. Protecting is one of the best investments we can make with this draft. Plus we are an injury to Kalil or Gross away from having an average Oline to having a downright awful Oline.

He isn't much of a reach at 9 either, many mocks have him going between 11 and 15.

Lol I wouldnt say we have an elite corner. He's been up and down in recent years. He's solid though, not "ELITE"

[KendrickPanther]

Gambles numbers last year were extremely good. They showed his completion % and targeted and he did very well.

[Razeyfingers]

Lol I wouldnt say we have an elite corner. He's been up and down in recent years. He's solid though, not "ELITE"

He was every bit of elite last year and thats all that counts for now. Give credit where its due. The man never gets any and yet here we are after he put amazing numbers and someone is STILL downplaying him. Yeah Smitty has had inconsistent numbers too. You saying 89 isnt elite also?

Gamble is an elite corner despite what the AP says. . . lols @ any media joke that says Jabroni Greer is the best corner in the nfcs :lol:

[Frizzy350]

Lol I wouldnt say we have an elite corner. He's been up and down in recent years. He's solid though, not "ELITE"

He was playing as a top 3 corner in the NFL last year. Funny how when Fox was here and we were typically running zone coverage Gamble never seemed to play to his potential. Then the second we start running him man to man he's like glue and picking off jump balls.

You really can't tell how good a corner is if they are always playing zone, its just too misleading.