2018 NFL Draft

Jolly Red Giant

cosatron wrote: »

The browns have hired Scot McCloughan as draft consultant and his scouting in the later rounds is second to none and his high on Baker Mayfield, so what could happen is take Barkley at 1 and chubb at 4 and take Mayfield in the second round, or trade 4 for a few picks as i don't think Mayfield will go in the first 15 picks.

There isn't a hope in hell Mayfield makes it past the top ten - never mind the second round.

The following teams need a QB - Browns, Broncos, Jets, Cardinals, Bills - plus the Giants, Colts, Vikings, Miami, Chargers and Steelers (Rivers and Ben are getting old), Jags - even the Pats need a QB.

One of Broncos, Jets, Vikings or Cardinals will get Cousins - after that there will be a mad scramble from the other teams most in need, with people looking to trade up, to get the 4 QBs. I suspect that all four will be gone by 1.7 or 1.10 at the latest (and interestingly the pundits are suggesting that Rosen will be the one to drop because of his injury history and he is so static in the pocket)

Foxtrol

gstack166 wrote: »

There’s 4 QBs in the first round mix and only one solid RB competing for a top 5 spot. Take Barkley first overall and pick your QB at 4, it’s so simple, but it is the Browns we are talking about.

That’s fine if they rate all QBs the same but as a supposedly professional outfit they should have a preference for the guy they see as the best fit for them, the 5 top QBs are very different. Saying we’ll take what is left is the lazy and cowardly option and it is similar that likely got the last regime fired.

gstack166

Foxtrol wrote: »

That’s fine if they rate all QBs the same but as a supposedly professional outfit they should have a preference for the guy they see as the best fit for them, the 5 top QBs are very different. Saying we’ll take what is left is the lazy and cowardly option and it is similar that likely got the last regime fired.

I don’t think it’s the be all and end all to be honest. There has been good teams with average to below QB’s that have done ok lately, Bortles & the Jags comes to mind as an example. I get what you’re saying totally, but this Barkley kid seems like a once in a generation talent, when you have holes everywhere, you must pick the best player on the board in my opinion, and that’s him.

adrian522

I love the way there seem to be a once in generation talent in every draft. Pretty short generations I guess.

cosatron

Jolly Red Giant wrote: »

There isn't a hope in hell Mayfield makes it past the top ten - never mind the second round.

The following teams need a QB - Browns, Broncos, Jets, Cardinals, Bills - plus the Giants, Colts, Vikings, Miami, Chargers and Steelers (Rivers and Ben are getting old), Jags - even the Pats need a QB.

One of Broncos, Jets, Vikings or Cardinals will get Cousins - after that there will be a mad scramble from the other teams most in need, with people looking to trade up, to get the 4 QBs. I suspect that all four will be gone by 1.7 or 1.10 at the latest (and interestingly the pundits are suggesting that Rosen will be the one to drop because of his injury history and he is so static in the pocket)

do you think Mayfield is top ten talent though, ive read that he could end up like russel Wilson or johnny manziel. His a bit undersized and has character issues. would you be happy if the bronco's took him?

brinty

adrian522 wrote: »

I love the way there seem to be a once in generation talent in every draft. Pretty short generations I guess.

Sure don't ye know in each of the last three draft classes there's been a transcendent once in a generation running back available... :rolleyes:
There's always a sure thing Edge Rusher/ Defensive end...
And a can't miss guard/ o tackle..

gstack166

adrian522 wrote: »

I love the way there seem to be a once in generation talent in every draft. Pretty short generations I guess.

Always mods with the smart ones.
Seeing as he is tipped to be the first RB in 20 years to go #1 would that constitute a) being a generation talent & b) being a generation since it last occurred?

brinty

gstack166 wrote: »

Always mods with the smart ones.
Seeing as he is tipped to be the first RB in 20 years to go #1 would that constitute a) being a generation talent & b) being a generation since it last occurred?

a) no it would not say he's a generational talent, just that other players in this class aren't as good - is he better than Elliot or Fournette
b) depends on your definition of a generation but i think 20 years is roughly about a generation.. in my eyes anyways

gstack166

brinty wrote: »

a) no it would not say he's a generational talent, just that other players in this class aren't as good - is he better than Elliot or Fournette
b) depends on your definition of a generation but i think 20 years is roughly about a generation.. in my eyes anyways

That’s why the oringinal post said ‘seems like a generational talent’ obviously just by the draft pick you can’t determine if he is or isn’t, but his numbers going by the combine seem to project he would be better than Fournette & Elliot.

EDIT: can’t post pictures but I’ve just copied this off of the TMMQB on SI:
• Barkleymania. Penn State running back Saquon Barkley put some distance between himself and the field for the best player in the draft. “He’s the best running back prospect I’ve seen in 25 years,” Saints coach Sean Payton told me. Another team, which had given only four draft prospects perfect grades in the last 20 years, told me Barkley is the fifth.

Billy86

adrian522 wrote: »

I love the way there seem to be a once in generation talent in every draft. Pretty short generations I guess.

'A' once in a generation draft? There are usually more than just one! And the highest ceiling QB prospect in 10 years seems to come about 3 out of every 4 years as well.

I'm just praying on a run on everything but EDGE guys... wishful thinking with that position, but if Clay Matthews took a paycut while him and Nick Perry with just Vince Biegel behind them leaves quite a bit to be desired (esp. due to both being injury prone), adding someone like Chubb or Edmunds into that makes a huge change all around (and would allow Matthews to move to ILB at times which they never should have moved away from after he did so well playing across the LB spots a few years back... but if it works, you could always trust Capers to keep "fixing it" until it didn't, then leaving it as is). It would never happen with Ted Thompson who loved to trade down, but if we were to trade up for one of those two without an outrageous price to do so I would be over the moon.

NinetyTwoTeam

Barkley is the real deal, I think he's better than Zeke and Fournette easily. He's a better receiver than both for starters, higher top speed. Doesn't have the injury history like F or the character issues like Z. Outside of Bama and Georgia the most NFL like defenses in college were Michigan and Washington, he smoked them both.

I wouldn't take any of the QBs at 1 or 4, tbh none of them are convincing. I'd take Saquon at 1 and WR James Washington at 4, the best RB and best WR, both NFL ready. won't matter what QB you take if the cupboard is bare and the Browns need a lot more on offense. Gordon can't be relied on, Coleman is injury prone, other than that all they have is Ndjoku.

Darnold is a turnover machine, led the league in turnovers, Rosen looked good at times but hard to judge because he was on a bad team. Mayfield is a punk but he has that it factor, is the most mobile and he torched Georgia, they should have been in the final but the coach messed up and called an end around in OT. Still dunno if he's worth a top 5 pick.

If I was taking one of them at 4 it would be Rosen. 2nd round if Baker is gone I'd take Josh Allen, if he's gone maybe Mason Rudolph.

Foxtrol

gstack166 wrote: »

I don’t think it’s the be all and end all to be honest. There has been good teams with average to below QB’s that have done ok lately, Bortles & the Jags comes to mind as an example. I get what you’re saying totally, but this Barkley kid seems like a once in a generation talent, when you have holes everywhere, you must pick the best player on the board in my opinion, and that’s him.

But why end up with an average to below quality QB when you have the choice in the guy you believe is your franchise QB for the future? I don’t agree in ignoring the value of a position. No matter how high you rate an RB, the position is simply not as valuable as getting the right QB.

The only way they justify not taking a QB is if they rank a number of the QBs at a similar level, which I would see as a failure in scouting or decision making. If they go with Barkley at 1, it will be the line they use if not that they always wanted the guy they ended up with at 4. That’ll be the story until one of the QBs taken before does better than their guy and the leaks will start that someone overruled someone else in the choice. We’ve seen it all before.

D9Male

Baker Mayfield will surely go in the top 7 picks.

I think anybody drafting a RB number 1, when they need a QB needs their head examined. If you look at the top 10 RB's in the league, here is where they were drafted:

Elliot high 1st in 2016
Bell lower 2nd in 2013
Johnson 3rd round in 2015
Gurley mid 1st in 2015
Hunt 3rd round in 2017
Gordon mid 1st in 2015
Freeman 4th round in 2014
Fournette high 1st in 2017
McCoy 2nd round in 2009
Kamara 2nd round in 2017

Also look at the average NFL tenure of this Top 10. 3.2 years.

Now look at the top 10 QB's in the league. Say Brady, Rodgers, Brees, Wilson, Big Ben, Ryan, Stafford, Newton, Wentz, Rivers. Only 2 drafted outside the first round. And they average 8 years or so as starters in the league.


I know that practically everyone would disagree with my Top 10, but the point stands. I don't care if SB is a once in a generational talent. I would only be drafting him if I didn't need a QB, if I had a good OL to get the good out of him and if I was picking outside the Top 10.

phatkev

D9Male wrote: »

Baker Mayfield will surely go in the top 7 picks.

I think anybody drafting a RB number 1, when they need a QB needs their head examined. If you look at the top 10 RB's in the league, here is where they were drafted:

Elliot high 1st in 2016
Bell lower 2nd in 2013
Johnson 3rd round in 2015
Gurley mid 1st in 2015
Hunt 3rd round in 2017
Gordon mid 1st in 2015
Freeman 4th round in 2014
Fournette high 1st in 2017
McCoy 2nd round in 2009
Kamara 2nd round in 2017

Also look at the average NFL tenure of this Top 10. 3.2 years.

.

I'm of the same opinion when it comes to drafting RBs, I think using a top 10 pick on one is just daft!The value is just not there. Lets not forget Trent Richardson was a generational talent, that was going to match Adrian Peterson for production!

Look at Adrian Peterson the greatest pure runner iv ever seen from day one in the league and he made the Playoffs once or twice

Saquan is a lot worse between the tackles but he's a far far be receiver this could make him amazing with the right coaches but if a team has the right coaches they wouldn't be picking high in the draft.

gstack166

Kace Icy Bug wrote: »

Look at Adrian Peterson the greatest pure runner iv ever seen from day one in the league and he made the Playoffs once or twice

Saquan is a lot worse between the tackles but he's a far far be receiver this could make him amazing with the right coaches but if a team has the right coaches they wouldn't be picking high in the draft.

Why is the general consensus then that he will not make it to #4. Either he goes Browns #1 Giants (who should be looking for a QB too seeing as they don’t expect to be high up in this position come draft time again) #2 or else someone else trades up with the Colts for him at #3. They can’t all be wrong about him is what I’m thinking.

Foxtrol

gstack166 wrote: »

Why is the general consensus then that he will not make it to #4. Either he goes Browns #1 Giants (who should be looking for a QB too seeing as they don’t expect to be high up in this position come draft time again) #2 or else someone else trades up with the Colts for him at #3. They can’t all be wrong about him is what I’m thinking.

Post combine the hype train is now in full overdrive. We’re one anonymous tweet away from the ‘general consensus’ being that multiple teams are willing to give up king’s ransoms to trade up for Barkley. Pre-combine it was regularly discussed that Barkley could fall to #4 or further in the draft. For those who have watched him in games (like you’d presume most teams have) his combine numbers weren’t surprising to suddenly cause this rush for him.

As has been said, this draft is extremely unpredictable but even so the Colts (presuming they’re telling the truth on Luck) and Giants are both in a much better suited than the Browns to take Barkley, even if I don’t think it would be the wisest of moves for either. They each have holes but at least have a number of pieces to build around, including a QB.

gstack166

Foxtrol wrote: »

Post combine the hype train is now in full overdrive. We’re one anonymous tweet away from the ‘general consensus’ being that multiple teams are willing to give up king’s ransoms to trade up for Barkley. Pre-combine it was regularly discussed that Barkley could fall to #4 or further in the draft. For those who have watched him in games (like you’d presume most teams have) his combine numbers weren’t surprising to suddenly cause this rush for him.

As has been said, this draft is extremely unpredictable but even so the Colts (presuming they’re telling the truth on Luck) and Giants are both in a much better suited than the Browns to take Barkley, even if I don’t think it would be the wisest of moves for either. They each have holes but at least have a number of pieces to build around, including a QB.

We’ll just have to wait & see. I think he goes #1 though for the reasons I’ve stated previous, that being the Giants take him. Barkleys mere presence & the threat of a power run game would reshape ways defenses approach the Giants and take huge pressure off a line that no matter what they do to it this year probably still won’t be good enough to block for Manning all game long.

Foxtrol

gstack166 wrote: »

We’ll just have to wait & see. I think he goes #1 though for the reasons I’ve stated previous, that being the Giants take him. Barkleys mere presence & the threat of a power run game would reshape ways defenses approach the Giants and take huge pressure off a line that no matter what they do to it this year probably still won’t be good enough to block for Manning all game long.

It is madness to skip on the QB you think will be your franchise because you fear that one of the next two teams might take an RB. Looks like neither of us are going to change our opinion but take a look at what teams Dorsey was involved with have done in the past, it might give us some idea of what the future holds:

https://twitter.com/NathanZegura/status/970725337519853569

gstack166

Foxtrol wrote: »

It is madness to skip on the QB you think will be your franchise because you fear that one of the next two teams might take an RB. Looks like neither of us are going to change our opinion but take a look at what teams Dorsey was involved with have done in the past, it might give us some idea of what the future holds:

https://twitter.com/NathanZegura/status/970725337519853569

Oh I agree with you on that but we are talking about the Browns here :P but at the same time, let’s just say for argument sake Barkley turns into this freak that some are suggesting & he has 7-8 years in the NFL with staggering numbers, doesn’t that immediately take huge relief off whatever QB they have there anyways, if he was the 1st or 4th choice QB on their list?

letowski

gstack166 wrote: »

Why is the general consensus then that he will not make it to #4. Either he goes Browns #1 Giants (who should be looking for a QB too seeing as they don’t expect to be high up in this position come draft time again) #2 or else someone else trades up with the Colts for him at #3. They can’t all be wrong about him is what I’m thinking.

As a Colts fan, the general consensus is that we (and I) would prefer Chubb over Barkley, that's on forums and social media. Chubb had a good combine, bar a pedestrian 3 cone drill (albeit important for a DE), he had an explosive 4.65 forty at 269lbs. He has alot of similar traits to Bosa with regards to elite hand play, power and run stop ability as well as the production to back it up.

They have remarkably similar college production:

Chubb -> 40 games, 54.5 TFL, 25 sacks
Bosa -> 38 games, 51 TFL, 26 sacks

I think say if Barkley is there at #3 and Dorsey offers Ballard the #4 and #33 or #35 to move up, the Colts will take the offer. At the end of the day, good running backs enter the FA every year, but good edge rushers in the FA are very rare, franchises just don't let them go unless for contracts like $15mil plus per year. It's a premium position for sure.

Jolly Red Giant

cosatron wrote: »

do you think Mayfield is top ten talent though, ive read that he could end up like russel Wilson or johnny manziel. His a bit undersized and has character issues. would you be happy if the bronco's took him?

I actually want Cousins - I don't like any of the QBs at the top of the draft. The one QB I find intriguing is Lamar Jackson (an awesome athlete but an erratic QB) - but I wouldn't touch him until the end of the 2nd at the earliest.

From a Broncos perspective - signing Cousins changes last season's team from 5-11 to 9-7 (or even 10-6). Getting an OT and OG with a mid-round RB in a deep RB class could shift that W-L to 12-4 or better in a weak AFC. While the cap situation would be tight - being able to trade down and get three or four starters where the team has big holes from a deep class at these positions - for me - is the best case scenario.

If the Broncos don't get Cousins then they are left with - drafting a QB with issues and possibly trading up from 1.5 to get your QB - losing draft picks, not being able to fill holes - and then risking the QB ending as a bust. It would set the Broncos back years. On top of that the Broncos defence would be another year older and more players would be hitting their sell-by-date. It is an absolute shame how Elway has wasted two years of that defence through his incompetence in drafting a QB.

Now - in terms of risk - getting Cousins is the best option - but Elway might have no choice but to roll the dice on one of the rookies.

Of the 4 QBs - and some of this has been outlined -
Darnold is a turnover machine - and that is something that is very hard to fix.
Rosen is the best pure passer - but is cumbersome in the pocket, has a history of injuries (and both his pocket presence and injury history could see him end up like Bradford) - and, apparently, he was not liked by his teammates.
Mayfield - is an arrogant sob - clearly has some issues - and could easily be a bust. Saying that - he can make throws and is more accurate than the others.
Allen - I don't get the hype - he has made strides but it is from a very low base. If he was that good I don't think he would have had to beg to get a college to take him on. He is the all-American hero, the little guy made good - with a big arm and accuracy and footwork issues. For me, he has bust written all over him.

The other thing is that I don't think any of these four are particularly smart (unlike Jackson who appears to be blowing the coaches away with his football IQ).

I would be worried if Elway was making a pick - he likes tall big arm QBs - like - Allen - and has already taken Osweiler and Lynch to fit the same build. He also likes a pure pocket passer - and Rosen fits that bill - but I would worry how long he would last as an NFL QB against the speed teams now have on defence.

The one thing that give me some hope is that I don't think the QB would be Elway's choice - I think Kubiak will be the main man in deciding who the pick was.

If I had to pick one of the four I would probably go for Mayfiled - purely because he is the most accurate and that is very important when it comes to being an NFL QB. I don't get the Manziel comparison - he is not that stupid - but I don't think he is Russell Wilson either. If the Broncos take him I would be very happy if he ended up as a top half QB who didn't turn the ball over too much.

Jolly Red Giant

Foxtrol wrote: »

It is madness to skip on the QB you think will be your franchise because you fear that one of the next two teams might take an RB.

That would be the case if it wasn't Barkley and there weren't four QBs at the top of the draft and you are picking again at 1.4

Assuming the Giants and Colts take a QB or trade down for someone who wants a QB - the Browns will still have two of the four available at 1.4 and could well have all four if the Broncos get Cousins.

phatkev

Jolly Red Giant wrote: »

The other thing is that I don't think any of these four are particularly smart (unlike Jackson who appears to be blowing the coaches away with his football IQ).

the reports I read from the combine suggested that gms/coaches/scouts were blown away by Mayfields football IQ

If I had to pick one of the four I would probably go for Mayfiled - purely because he is the most accurate and that is very important when it comes to being an NFL QB. I don't get the Manziel comparison - he is not that stupid - but I don't think he is Russell Wilson either. If the Broncos take him I would be very happy if he ended up as a top half QB who didn't turn the ball over too much.

It's lazy journalism, simply as that! the only things they have in common is that they're smaller white QBs

gstack166

Jolly Red Giant wrote: »

That would be the case if it wasn't Barkley and there weren't four QBs at the top of the draft and you are picking again at 1.4

Assuming the Giants and Colts take a QB or trade down for someone who wants a QB - the Browns will still have two of the four available at 1.4 and could well have all four if the Broncos get Cousins.

Sports Illustrated are running Cousins to pick Jets story now.

mikemac2

Jolly Red Giant wrote: »

The other thing is that I don't think any of these four are particularly smart (unlike Jackson who appears to be blowing the coaches away with his football IQ).

You should watch the NFL network clips where Steve Mariucci interviews them, draws up a play from his 49’ers day then interviews them again on something random to stress them and to see if they forget the play and then they have to draw it and explain it

It’s existed for years. Most QBs do well. I don’t remember any disastrous attempts over the years , not even Manziel

Mayfield nailed it exactly and impressed Mariucci

He comes across as very rehearsed and trained in his answers but sure they all do that, prepped by their agents for months

Foxtrol

Jolly Red Giant wrote: »

That would be the case if it wasn't Barkley and there weren't four QBs at the top of the draft and you are picking again at 1.4

Assuming the Giants and Colts take a QB or trade down for someone who wants a QB - the Browns will still have two of the four available at 1.4 and could well have all four if the Broncos get Cousins.

Getting a QB is very different than guaranteeing that you get the QB you think has the best chance to succeed in your team.

Paully D

Matt Miller has his 7 round mock out, based around Cousins signing with the Jets:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2762798-2018-nfl-mock-draft-matt-millers-7-round-predictions-post-combine

He has the Browns going Barkley at #1 and nabbing Darnold at #4.

Quenton Nelson going #2 to the Giants (:eek:), Allen to the Broncos at #5, Rosen to the Dolphins at #11 and Mayfield to the Cardinals at #15.

tripperman

Paully D wrote: »

Matt Miller has his 7 round mock out, based around Cousins signing with the Jets:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2762798-2018-nfl-mock-draft-matt-millers-7-round-predictions-post-combine

He has the Browns going Barkley at #1 and nabbing Darnold at #4.

Quenton Nelson going #2 to the Giants (:eek:), Allen to the Broncos at #5, Rosen to the Dolphins at #11 and Mayfield to the Cardinals at #15.

Still in shock from reading it, he has my chargers taking Lamar Jackson in the second round and Tanner Lee in 5th or 6th round as well, I really doubt Jackson will fall that far, he will go in the first round

Gally79

tripperman wrote: »

Still in shock from reading it, he has my chargers taking Lamar Jackson in the second round and Tanner Lee in 5th or 6th round as well, I really doubt Jackson will fall that far, he will go in the first round

Browns need a QB more than anything else. Therefore I’m sure their 1st pick will be a QB

Billy86

Poor Matt Miller, every time I see him I see 'Matt Millen', remember those 2000s Lions drafts and can't take it seriously from the outset.

That said, while Davenport is probably the best and most sensible option for GB at 14 as Edmunds and Chubb will be long gone by then if we don't trade up, he has us going DL in rd.2 and OG in rd.3... that is insanity. Our defensive line is looking quite good, Mike Daniels has been quality for years, Kenny Clark looked like he's turned into a real star last season, and Dean Lowry proved to be a guy that's very, very effective at doing the unseen, dirty work that you need someone to in a 3-man line (think Brett Keisel when he was with the Steelers), and we've got some good young depth. We also had a bunch of injuries on the line last year and something like 4-5 backups and street guys playing... and they all did fairly well, keep an eye out particularly for Kyle Murphy.

I'm guessing he just saw that we may have a veteran leaving at OG and that our DL looks think on the Packers' wikipedia page and just ran with that, because after QB those are possibly the two areas we least need to draft high in out of the entire team. I get that a 32 team, 7 round mock is a serious undertaking, but if he was lazy about it then it's just a waste of time.

NinetyTwoTeam

None of these QBs are a lock to be a franchise QB, in fact none are even a lock to be decent starters. Other than Mayfield they haven't won squat - it's a really unaccomplished group. Darnold got waxed by Ohio States D. And Ive seen Baker do some really dumb stuff in games.

Barkley is as close to a lock to be a stud RB as you can get. Take him and you still have pick 4 to try and get your guy.

if you pick the wrong guy at 4 but have Barkley that's a lot better than possibly picking the wrong guy at 1 and also missing out on the slam dunk that Barkley is.

Billy86

Gally79 wrote: »

Browns need a QB more than anything else. Therefore I’m sure their 1st pick will be a QB

If the Browns with that team take a QB he'll just go the same way as Johnny Manziel, Brady Quinn, Branden Weeden and Deshon Kizer.

Jolly Red Giant

Paully D wrote: »

Matt Miller has his 7 round mock out, based around Cousins signing with the Jets:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2762798-2018-nfl-mock-draft-matt-millers-7-round-predictions-post-combine

He has the Browns going Barkley at #1 and nabbing Darnold at #4.

Quenton Nelson going #2 to the Giants (:eek:), Allen to the Broncos at #5, Rosen to the Dolphins at #11 and Mayfield to the Cardinals at #15.

Way too many QB needy teams for two of them to drop out of the top 10.

NinetyTwoTeam

Gally79 wrote: »

tripperman wrote: »

Still in shock from reading it, he has my chargers taking Lamar Jackson in the second round and Tanner Lee in 5th or 6th round as well, I really doubt Jackson will fall that far, he will go in the first round

Browns need a QB more than anything else. Therefore I’m sure their 1st pick will be a QB

They needed one 2 years ago and traded the pick that was Wentz to the Eagles. Then they traded the pick that was Deshaun Watson and took Kizer, despite Watson being a champ and Kizer being an underachiever.

But you might be right, they might be unwilling to chance letting another team steal their thunder for the 3rd year running. But I don't see any of these guys being worthy of a number one pick, or even guys who will be ready to start this year. However goes to the Browns will struggle mightily if they are thrown in the year, they have a severe lack of talent on offense (though if Gordon can stay sane and Coleman healthy they might be ok at WR)

btw there is zero chance Lamar Jackson goes in round 1. he is way too sloppy and is determined to be a QB, he'll be a 3rd rd pick at best)

Foxtrol

NinetyTwoTeam wrote: »

btw there is zero chance Lamar Jackson goes in round 1. he is way too sloppy and is determined to be a QB, he'll be a 3rd rd pick at best)

He is determined to be a QB because he is a QB, and a good one at that.

You’ll be proven flat out wrong believing he’ll be still around in the third.

Foxtrol

Jolly Red Giant wrote: »

Way too many QB needy teams for two of them to drop out of the top 10.

That mock draft and many others will be especially useless this season, given that they won’t consider trades. This one seems particularly all over the place even aside from that.

mikemac2

General manager Ozzie Newsome loves Alabama players and he needs wide receivers. That makes the selection of Calvin Ridley an easy one to predict before free agency

Such lazy analysis

Paully D

Woah, Daniel Jeremiah has the Ravens taking Mayfield at #16 in his latest mock.

I like Mayfield a lot and think he’s the best QB in this class by some distance, so I’d be well on board with that if the chips fell that way.

It’s also worth noting that Jeremiah used to work as a scout for the Ravens so will have a bit of inside knowledge.

Paully D

https://twitter.com/danschneiernfl/status/971796572999749632?s=21

TOss Sweep

Foxtrol wrote: »

He is determined to be a QB because he is a QB, and a good one at that.

You’ll be proven flat out wrong believing he’ll be still around in the third.

Pats will take him the 2nd round

Paully D

Ridiculous carry on from NFL teams at the combine.

Falcons were proven to have been at similar last year and there was no punishment, so I doubt anything will happen, but the same old dinosaurs are up their old tricks it seems.

It was pretty crazy,” Guice told SiriusXM’s Late Hits. “Some people are really trying to get in your head and test your reaction. I go in one room, and a team will ask me do I like men, just to see my reaction. I go in another room, they’ll try to bring up one of my family members or something and tell me, ‘Hey, I heard your mom sells herself. How do you feel about that?’”

What do they even hope to gain from this style of questioning? It’s not as if a player is going to punch someone from an NFL teams front office when they know they have to be on their best behavior FFS. :rolleyes:

Foxtrol

TOss Sweep wrote: »

Pats will take him the 2nd round

Don't think he'll last until the 2nd but it would be interesting if they got him. From what I've seen he has a very different skillset to Brady. Doesn't seem like they'd get the most growth from him through shadowing the current playbook as a backup.

TOss Sweep

Foxtrol wrote: »

Don't think he'll last until the 2nd but it would be interesting if they got him. From what I've seen he has a very different skillset to Brady. Doesn't seem like they'd get the most growth from him through shadowing the current playbook as a backup.

One thing about Jackson Petrino ran a pro style offense and more to the point a Ron Erhardt-Ray Perkins style offensive system which believe it or not is the base offense the Pats run every weekend. Charlie Weiss installed it under Bill. Bill has already dipped out of the Brady type QBs with Brisset and I cant see why he wouldn't do it again. One thing Jackson has shown so far is his intelligence and football smarts and he is the type of player Bill would probably work with.

One of the Pats websites did a very good article about it the other day take a look at the plays in the gifs down the page. Some of Petrino's plays that are the same as some plays the Pats run today.

https://www.patspulpit.com/2018/3/8/17095112/2018-nfl-draft-film-review-lousville-quarterback-lamar-jackson-new-england-patriots-offense

Paully D

Enjoyed this piece from The MMQB on Mayfield and his interviews at the combine:

https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/03/08/baker-mayfield-combine-interviews-draft-browns-jets-dolphins-saints-giants

INDIANAPOLIS — The interview schedule includes a room number—not a team name—but prospects at the scouting combine are given a map of which team would be in which room for the 15-minute sessions. So by the time Baker Mayfield arrived for his interview with the Browns, he was prepared to meet head coach Hue Jackson and GM John Dorsey. He just wasn’t anticipating what happened next.

Right off the bat, before the handshakes and intros, and before the Heisman trophy winner sat down, Dorsey in his booming Southern Maryland drawl fired one across the bow.

“So you like food trucks?”

Early last year, Mayfield was arrested after fleeing while being questioned by the police over a fight that occurred amidst a cluster of food trucks in Fayetteville, Ark. With Dorsey’s jab, everyone had a nice laugh at Mayfield’s expense, Mayfield included. Then they got down to business. He met with 11 teams in total: The Dolphins and Jaguars on the first night, and the Bills, Broncos, Browns, Jets, Giants, Saints, Chargers, Cardinals and Washington on the second night. He faced question after question about that arrest and a handful of other off-field incidents. And then there were the head-scratchers—one team asked Mayfield what sort of beer he drank (his answer: Michelob Ultra or Dos Equis).

But there were two major questions about Mayfield coming into the combine: Can he make the throws required of a franchise quarterback? And does he have the temperament of a franchise quarterback? The former was broadcast for all to see, and early reports indicate Mayfield did impress in the throwing portion of the combine, though teams will want to put him through a more extensive battery of throws at his pro day.

Mayfield arrived Wednesday and left Saturday afternoon. In between, he woke up at 3:30 a.m. to take a drug test (yes, the NFL asks prospects to rise this early to submit urine), met with both Nike and Adidas as the two companies bid for his services, and collected so much free gear he had to check it all in two bags on his way back to Los Angeles, where he’s training with Jimmy Clausen. Before the Oklahoma quarterback checked his bags, he shared his takeaways from the combine with The MMQB in the back of an Uber SUV.

Going into the combine, Mayfield earned mixed reviews for his attitude at the Senior Bowl. Executives with some teams expressed concern over a blunt “I am what I am” attitude, encapsulated in the opening salvo of The MMQB’s weekly series on Mayfield. You’ll recall, Mayfield told a Bears scout who was insistent that he sit down for a short interview: “You guys just drafted Mitchell Trubisky. So what do you want with me?”

In the weeks since the Senior Bowl, Mayfield has leaned on former NFL quarterback Chad Pennington as a mentor after the two met in Mobile. Pennington was on hand to mentor the quarterbacks, and served in the same capacity as part of the NFL Legends program in Indianapolis. Pennington said he talked to all of his prospects about treating every team as though they might one day employ you: “There’s only 32, and they all matter.”

“I think you watched him on the field and felt really good how he performed from a football standpoint,” Pennington says, “so we started talking about being a professional, and how he presents himself in the best light and making sure these organizations truly understand who he is and not forgetting that.

“He’s secure with who he is. So as an evaluator, I think you have to be careful about judging that as not being perceptive enough or being too loose.”

Mayfield regretted that some of his actions last year forced his interviews down a character assessment path as opposed to a football track. “You only have 15 minutes and certain teams want to talk about the off-field stuff for eight minutes, and frankly that stuff can be addressed pretty quickly,” Mayfield says. “You sit down eye to eye, man to man, it’s pretty easy to see that I’m not Johnny [Manziel], I’m not gonna lose my head, and that I love the game of football.”

Mayfield says he clicked really well with Dolphins head coach Adam Gase, and with the Broncos staff as well. Miami, Denver and New Orleans were among a handful of teams that structured the meeting as follows. First, a coach diagrams a play on a white board. He runs down the protection, the routes, the progressions, how to attack a defense in Cover 2, Cover 3 and Man. Then he erases the play and the questions begin. Who’s one teammate you’d like to take to the NFL with you? Tell us about this play in the Oklahoma offense? What’s your drink of choice? What do you plan on running in the 40? At the end of the 15 minutes, Mayfield is handed a marker. Teach us the play.

Mayfield believes he aced those tests, and even recalled a handful of those plays a day later. “Miami’s was a gun, Richmond protection, with an out route and backside go,” he says. “Denver was Dice right, 72, seam on the backside and a dig.”

To Mayfield’s surprise, a handful of teams seemed interested in the Oklahoma offense beyond just a simple evaluation of his ability to explain football concepts. They actually wanted to learn it. “Some teams are just analyzing our offense,” Mayfield says. “You look at Philadelphia running RPOs, and what McVay is doing with the Rams. Some of what we did is the next step for the NFL. They have to adapt to the players and that’s what it’s all about. It’s not old-school football anymore. You’ve got to play to your players’ talents.”

As for the off-field questions, Mayfield says he hasn’t changed anything about his attitude, and felt like it would be a disservice to the team that drafts him if he represents himself as a different person. “There are a lot of things I would take back, off the field, to be a franchise guy,” he says. “Not get arrested, not grab my crotch on live television, all that stuff. But the teams that want me to not be who I am? Somebody who’s going to change me mentally and take away my competitive edge? I don’t want to play for you.

“If I was gonna act like anything else, then that wouldn’t be who they’re drafting. So I want to go somewhere where they know exactly who they’re getting, because one of the 32 teams is going to fall in love with it. There’s a fine line between being an arrogant a

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and being a confident kid who believes in his own ability. Some teams, it comes off one way, some teams it comes off another. But I’m glad I had to earn it. Because you’ve got to have an edge.”

Several teams used the combine as an opportunity to ask Mayfield’s OU teammates about the QB. One team asked fullback Dimitri Flowers if Mayfield’s personality fit the media portrayal. “I say Baker’s a great person,” Flowers says. “I think the media tries to make something more than it is. He’s a fiery competitor and he lets his emotions show. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. And the bad is what people dwell on.”

Some Oklahoma prospects were on the receiving end of a favorite question asked by most NFL teams when quizzing a prospect about his college teammates: If you could take one teammate with you to your future NFL team, who would it be? Here’s the thinking: If one player is far and away the most talented prospect from a school, but no one says they’d take him along to the next level, there’s a problem. Some players refuse to name just one. On his shortlist, Flowers listed Mayfield first. Tight end Mark Andrews was asked: If you could take four teammates with you to a golf tournament, who would they be? (Mayfield made that cut too).

“Sometimes you know there’s one guy on the team who’s the best player, and you ask everybody that question,” says 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. “And if no one says that No. 1 guy, that means the guy is not liked. Then you consider what position he is, and you have to decide if you can live with that. We’ve definitely been turned off from a guy if a number of his teammates don’t like him.”

Teams are getting to know Mayfield, and that will continue over the next few weeks. He has private visits confirmed with the Giants, Jets and Browns, and the Browns, Jets, Dolphins and Saints plan to work him out in Norman at some point after his pro day on Wednesday. So far, evaluators have learned this about the QB: Very few people will say a bad word about him, from the teammates he’s spent the last four years with to the people he meets on planes.

On a Southwest flight from L.A. to Indianapolis for the combine, Rams coach Sean McVay took his seat then looked up to see Mayfield standing there smiling, motioning towards the middle seat. They spent the next couple of hours talking ball.

“I don’t know how much I can say here without getting in trouble,” McVay says. “But he’s got a presence and a swag I respect, in terms of being a competitor. You talk about bringing guys with you and raising the level of play, he does that. Didn’t seem like any moment was too big for him. You can see he’s a likable guy, I bet his teammates love him, comfortable swag where it’s not a cockiness. It’s a confidence.”

After the first hour, there was a lull in the conversation. Then McVay turned to Mayfield: “So tell me about this Oklahoma offense.”

mikemac2

The Ravens didn’t interview him

I saw Mayfield mocked to the Ravens at 16 which had me excited

It’s Newsome’s last draft. Would be a good ending to take a shot at the next franchise QB. Flacco won’t be getting another extension and I don’t see him either playing on years like Brady & others. He may well be retired within two years, it wouldn’t surprise me

gstack166

Foxtrol wrote: »

As has been said, this draft is extremely unpredictable but even so the Colts (presuming they’re telling the truth on Luck) and Giants are both in a much better suited than the Browns to take Barkley

Not anymore I was 90% on him going #1 before. I’m 100% now he ends up a Brown.

Paully D

Browns have three main options really as while I like Tyrod, I don't think he's going to be anything more than a short-term solution:

- Draft Barkley #1 and take who they feel is the best remaining QB at #4
- If they feel there's a significant gap between their QB1, take him at #1 and the best ranked player left on their board at #4
- Or, something that I haven't seen mentioned, trade back up to #2 (and they have the capital to put something together)

It all depends on what way they have the QB's ranked IMO, but there's a bit too much at stake for the Browns to risk not going QB at #1 if they have someone they like a lot more than the others.

For example, the Giants are unlikely to be in this draft position again for quite a while, so will they avoid the opportunity to potentially take Eli's successor? Colts won't draft a QB, but then there's a chance that someone like the Bills or Cardinals (or Jets if Cousins doesn't sign) puts a package together to jump up.

Don't get me wrong, Barkley is superb, but if there's a QB I liked a lot more than the others I'd be more than willing to give Barkley up for him. We could get into this debate all day long, but the way the RB position is it means that Barkley is never, ever going to be the difference between them turning the franchise around or not.

Now the way the draft falls they may well be able to take Barkley at #1 and still get their QB1 at #4, but would you risk it? I think I'd be taking my QB1 at #1, looking into potentially jumping back up a couple of slots, but being comfortable with taking the best player on my board at #4 if not.

But who knows what the Browns are thinking and that's what makes this all so exciting!

Or trade back with both picks and get all of the picks

Billy86

With Kizer gone the Browns will definitely be taking a QB no later than the 2nd round. I think Taylor was a potentially excellent signing to allow the rookie to sit and learn which was my main issue with Cleveland drafting QB at #1 or #4; they'd essentially be throwing whoever it was right into the fire and setting them up to crash and burn like they have so many other QBs in the last 10-15 years.