@dan-k said:
This is just what I would realistically try to do this off-season if I were head of the front office.
Re-Sign: TJ Ward - Alex Mack - Julian Posey - Craig Robertson
Free-Agency
Eric Decker, WR - Brandon Spikes, ILB - Malcolm Jenkins, FS - Khalif Barnes, OT - Garrett Graham, TE
Draft
Round 1, Pick #4: QB Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M)
Round 1, Pick #26: CB Justin Gilbert (Oklahoma State)
Round 2, Pick #35: OG Xavier Su'a-Filo (UCLA)
Round 2, Pick #49*: WR Jordan Matthews (Vanderbilt)
Round 3, Pick #71: ILB Shayne Skov (Stanford)
Round 4, Pick #123: FB Trey Millard (Oklahoma)
Round 5, Pick #133: HB James Wilder (Florida State)
Round 6, Pick #164: K Chris Boswell (Rice)
Great write up... It'll be a while before you'll get a shot at my mock/ roster, but here are my thoughts on yours by position... with some of my early leanings on the draft.
QB - While I take one in this draft, I do not spend my #4 on him. I simply do not see a long-term QB solution in this draft's top QB's. I am willing to let '14 ride on Hoyer repaired knee and add a McCarron, Boyd or Shaw as my project "dice-roll". Who depends on how the draft falls.
RB - Agree on Tate. Also not sure about Hyde, but question his agility rather than his speed. I like James White a great deal and if he falls to the 5th round (as some services project) think he has "steal" written all over him.
FB - I'll shop the FA's; including UFA's. Your pick was a great prospect, but that knee injury was a bad one. He'll miss the Combine.
WR - I do not see enough "variety" in your top 3 WR's. My choice with the #4 is Sammy Watkins. The other WR I like a lot in this draft is Aberderris, who I see as the classic possession WR. While it's getting harder to believe in him, I also am not quite ready to give up on Little ... yet. That said Decker is a nice FA choice that might change my mind on Little.
TE - Maybe after the combine... and we know what our scheme will be in '14. I saw Graham play 6 or 7 games this season. Nothing special there...
OL - I think we need both OG and RT help... badly... Here again, I like to see the Combine (agility drills) before deciding. I think Richardson (Baylor) has a chance to be a great Guard, but Martin (ND) not projects well at OG, but he also might be our RT solution. Either at #26 may be the way I'd go. I have been waiting for Kaliff Barnes to be really good for years, and it just has not happened.
Dinner time... I'll do the D later...
