Channing Crowder unlikely to re-sign

I think the question about Crabtree is whether he has elite breakaway speed. Then again, people said the same thing about Fitzgerald.

JewDago

it's funny; with what we've been discussing in free agency and the draft, it seems like a gamebreaker at any position is someone we definitely have to consider taking in the first, especially one who's dependable.

however, getting a big-time offensive player in the first absolutely requires that we be active in free agency and also necessitates that the right things happen in the draft.

in FA, we need to sign an ILB because this is a deeper draft at OLB than ILB. the more we learn about rey, the more it seems like he has neither the work ethic nor the instinct for the league. could cushing play ILB? it's arguably the most physical of the LBs and would make his injury history more of a concern. brandon spikes is an option, too, but physically similar to d'qwell, which could steer us away in pursuit of a banger.

two guys we've talked about a bit less are worrell williams from cal and jasper brinkley from south carolina. neither has elite speed, but both could become serviceable players in the 3-4 as run stuffers. brinkley has injury issues (tore knee ligaments, minor ankle injury), but his size is terrifying to RBs and QBs; he weighs 275 and can run a 4.7 and is a very effective blitzer because of those.

williams is a bit small at 6 feet even, but has been described as 'thick' and 'aggressive' and as someone who 'lays the wood,' the basic things you'd want out of your ILB.

however, those there are some prospects at ILB, there seems to be far more on the outside with larry english, clint sintim, everette brown, aaron maybin and, to a lesser extent, clay matthews, jr., who i think is a bit more of a sentimental pick than a practical one.

let's also not forget that we have no idea what beau bell can do at ILB, though i'd be surprised to see him emerge as a starter. we got him in the fourth, and while guys can come out of the fourth and be extremely effective, it doesn't bode well for him that he missed his rookie season. he's still got a lot of learning to do.

therefore, getting a pass rusher or an ILB in free agency would allow us to look at drafting a playmaker in the first. if we go that route, i'd like to see us trade down to somewhere in fourteen to eighteen, get extra picks and make a run at percy harvin, a guy who i think will be a truly special player in the right offense.

i don't know enough about crabtree aside from what i've heard, which is that he'll light the world on fire in the pros. he, too, is obviously an option if we stay at five and he falls that far. given that scenario, it's likely we could entice someone to trade up to get him.

does crabtree fight for the ball like fitzgerald does? if so, he's a far more intriguing prospect. that's a rare trait, and, as we've all seen this postseason, an incredibly valuable one.

Great post, JD. About the guys you've mentioned:

Cushing played ILB one game this year when Rey was hurt & didn't look good. May not be good enough sifting through the trash to play inside.
Worrell Williams actually reminds me of D'Qwell Jackson a little bit. He's 5'10 3/4", 242 lbs., and probably is maxed out physically. If we draft him, he's more likely to serve as DQ's backup.
Brinkley is a poor man's Maualuga. Great size, but not very good at recognizing plays. That knee injury also stripped him of some of his speed & athleticism.

Here are a few more names to consider:

Zack Follett, Cal - only measured in at 6'1", 231 lbs. today, but he was very productive as an OLB in Cal's 3-4 (10.5 sacks, 23 TFL's). He'll likely move inside in the pro's, as evidenced by his playing ILB at the Senior Bowl practices (he's struggled thus far).
Frantz Joseph, Florida Atlantic - looked great in the bowl game I watched. Goes 6'2", 235, and reportedly runs a 40 in the low 4.7's. May need a year or two to develop, but he could end up being a solid 3-4 ILB.

JewDago

i saw williams listed at 250; that's what made me think he wouldn't be a d'qwell clone and would be a good complement to him. with him being a bit smaller, i'm less enthused.

follett and joseph both seem extremely small for the 3-4. though they can add weight and strength, it'd be great to find someone who's a bit more ready to fit the system. however, if we pick guys who are somewhat undersized, it's good to know we have viable options.

brinkley really makes me wish we'd gone to a one-gap system. though he lost a bit of his athletic ability, i just want to see him shoot the A gap and destroy people, which i'm sure he will when he gets drafted by either baltimore or pittsburgh. he seems the kind of monster those teams go after.

Yeah, Follett and Joseph will need a year to develop. Scott Wright's comment about Follett from the Senior Bowl weigh-in was "Looks like he needs to hit the weights."

But as you said, it's a function of having a draft with 1-2 top 3-4 ILB prospects, then a couple Day Two developmental guys. I wouldn't be surprised if people start talking about Clay Matthews as a 3-4 ILB (he looked good playing linebacker today).

One thing we've missed: Clint Sintim is said to be versatile enough to play inside or out, though his best fit is likely outside. Anyway, mocks increasingly have him off the board before our second pick.

JewDago

especially with denver and green bay going to the 3-4, sintim will be gone in the late first for sure. 22-25 seems about the range for him, i think.

however, there could always be a position run at 3-4 OLB with a bunch of teams freaking out and all trading into position to get the specific player they want, which, with all the 3-4 OLBs in this draft, seems probable.

ballpeen

Just clicking.....no matter what we do in FA, I still don't think it should change the top of your draft very much.

If Crabtree was there, I don't see how it could be a wrong pick...same with Curry....same with Smith....I myself favor Andre Smith...I have never felt you can go wrong with a stud O-line....Smith and Thomas would make it stud.

Now before people start telling me why we won't do that, save the time...i know we won't do that....just saying we should.

Now to the real message...we need picks...the ideal IMO is to finally trade down a bit....and the way this draft is shaping up, we might be in a good spot for that to happen. Someone always falls in love with some player...and 5 is a good place for a team to try to move if the guy they like is still on the board...someone is going to be sitting there at 5 that someone feels they have to have.

Dropping 10 slots to pick up 2-3 picks works for me. We not only need quality, but we are in a position where we need some quantity as well. I think we might be able to pick up some quantity without sacrificing too much in the way of quality....it is a pretty deep draft down through 120 or so.

ballpeen

@ballpeen said:
Just clicking.....no matter what we do in FA, I still don't think it should change the top of your draft very much.

I think it could. If we give Channing Crowder a 5 year, $25M deal, it may be hard to justify taking another ILB in Aaron Curry at 5. Sure, he'd be BPA, but it'd be hard to draft a 3rd ILB when we may not even have a legit OLB on our roster.

JewDago

@jewdago said:
especially with denver and green bay going to the 3-4, sintim will be gone in the late first for sure. 22-25 seems about the range for him, i think.
however, there could always be a position run at 3-4 OLB with a bunch of teams freaking out and all trading into position to get the specific player they want, which, with all the 3-4 OLBs in this draft, seems probable.

I agree. The Patriots could be in the market for another OLB (depending on what they think of Crable). More importantly, the Ravens will be looking at rush backers if they lose Suggs; teams likely will try to trade up ahead of them to get the guy they have highest ranked.

EDIT: The Dolphins are also in the market for another OLB.

Just read that the Browns' representatives at the Senior Bowl spoke to Cal's Zack Follett. Though it doesn't guarantee anything (our scouts were all over Buster Davis a few years ago), Follett is someone to put on the list of ILB options. Could be a guy we pick up in the 4th Round.

ballpeen

Aloysius said:
I think it could. If we give Channing Crowder a 5 year, $25M deal, it may be hard to justify taking another ILB in Aaron Curry at 5. Sure, he'd be BPA, but it'd be hard to draft a 3rd ILB when we may not even have a legit OLB on our roster.

I do understand the point and understand the reality is it can change your approach....but for me anyway, the first pick needs to be viewed with long term lenses v looking at the next season, at least when you are a team like us who isn't a player away from possibly grabbing the brass ring.

Over the course of 10 years, Curry could hardly be viewed as a poor or unwise pick though I do agree it might not be the best pick to help us win a few more games next season if we pick up a backer or two in FA.