2015 Draft Thread.

[Birds4life81]

Good pick for the bungles

 

[Birds4life81]

Raiders take my sleeper ILB Ben Heeney

 

[Tampabirdsfan]

I just simply don't get the Hicks pick ... we didn't trade Kendricks and I highly doubt we just drop him with a year left on his rookie deal. To me that's just stupid ... you're talking about a kid who covers a ton of ground and has averaged 90+ tackles and 4 sacks the past two years. We bring in Kiko, we extend Ryans ... who do you play where?

Obviously, ILB wasn't our biggest need, but I will be a big need next year. Chip obviously isn't thrilled with Kendricks and he will be gone after this year. Ryans is coming off his second Achilles and was on the downside of his career before the injury. Kiko is a beast. That would leave hole that needs to be filled next year. Hicks will get some pt this year and be starting in 2016. We still have 3 picks to fill needs at S and OL. Plus we could potentially make a trade. Could we trade Boykin for a 5th? I had thought we might be able to get a 4th for him, but maybe not quite. Kurtis Drummund and Austin Sheppard in the 6th?

 

[WIZ]

You keep Boykin if you can only get a fifth.

 

[deerpathdave]

The ILB pick surprised me as well. Looking at the position, you figure that they are thinking further ahead than I would have imagined. I had Kelly pegged as very much a NOW sort of guy. You really have two years max left out of Ryans. Perfect really to train up Hicks as your next guy. They also seem to have essentially already decided that regardless of how good Kendricks is, they don't intend to give him the huge second contract that someone will offer. So while the position is ridiculously deep now, a year (max two) from now, your starters are probably Hicks and Kiko.

The trade of a current pick for a round higher next year, is one of my favorite gambits, that almost always favors the guy getting next year's pick. The team making that deal is normally thinking real short term and have deluded themselves that they have found this terrific player that everyone let slide in the draft. Again it shows long term thinking from a NOW sort of guy to take that deal.

What they are giving up, is the opportunity to get one of these young guards or Adrian Amos. It does lead me to believe that they are happier with some of the current roster than we imagined. The current starting guard and safety are already on the roster. Most likely Watkins and Barbre. And they must feel pretty good about Tobin and Gardner as well.

I also thing they already know who all the 6th and 7th round picks will be as well as the Undrafted Free Agents. I am sure they have there eyes on some guys that really are pretty unlikely to be drafted by another team. All of us are going to be hitting Google when the next picks come in. If those sort of guys are your targets anyways, why not trade away picks?

 

[Birds4life81]

Brett Hundley in the 5th to learn behind Aaron Rodgers -- sounds pretty smart with very low risk. I want Cody Fajardo in the 6th or a slight trade up

 

[Green Head]

Brett Hundley in the 5th to learn behind Aaron Rodgers -- sounds pretty smart with very low risk. I want Cody Fajardo in the 6th or a slight trade up

Why would you want Fajardo when we have Tebow

 

[Tampabirdsfan]

You keep Boykin if you can only get a fifth.

Max value he has is a 4th, which clearly nobody was willing to give up. Maybe we could trade him for a conditional pick in 2016 but that's it. With Maxwell, Rowe, Thurmond, Carroll, and Watkins, he just doesn't give us much. Even if Watkins moves to S, what would he do for us as a 4th or 5th cb?

 

[Rey]

The ILB pick surprised me as well. Looking at the position, you figure that they are thinking further ahead than I would have imagined. I had Kelly pegged as very much a NOW sort of guy. You really have two years max left out of Ryans. Perfect really to train up Hicks as your next guy. They also seem to have essentially already decided that regardless of how good Kendricks is, they don't intend to give him the huge second contract that someone will offer. So while the position is ridiculously deep now, a year (max two) from now, your starters are probably Hicks and Kiko.

So who starts at ILB if Chip has decided that Kendricks isn't his type of player? Do you just bench Kendricks if both Ryans and Kiko are healthy?

 

[deerpathdave]

So who starts at ILB if Chip has decided that Kendricks isn't his type of player? Do you just bench Kendricks if both Ryans and Kiko are healthy?

This gets back to my discussing yesterday about using Kendricks at Safety. The guy runs a 4.4 and is as agile as just about any Safety. You may not call him a Safety, call it a 46 D or make up a new name, but why not get your 11 best players on the field?

 

[Taz]

There is really no justification for the Hicks pick. Mufasa and Alonzo will start in 2015 and 2016 (remember they resigned Mufasa). So we took a guy who is going to sit on the bench and I mean deep bench for two years? Not with that many holes on this team. Kelly simply misjudged the draft board and this is the second year in the row this team has misjudged the board.

 

[deerpathdave]

There is really no justification for the Hicks pick. Mufasa and Alonzo will start in 2015 and 2016 (remember they resigned Mufasa). So we took a guy who is going to sit on the bench and I mean deep bench for two years? Not with that many holes on this team. Kelly simply misjudged the draft board and this is the second year in the row this team has misjudged the board.

The justification is thinking two years ahead. And two years can easily become one year or even less with injuries. It strikes me as a classic BPA pick.

 

[Iggloo]

Let's face it this team is moving backwards.

They basically upgraded two positions this offseason, safety and corner. The rest is basically the same, or worse depending on your view of Bradford.

 

[NDIrishGuy]

Let's face it this team is moving backwards.

They basically upgraded two positions this offseason, safety and corner. The rest is basically the same, or worse depending on your view of Bradford.

So upgrading 2 positions and pretty much staying the same everywhere else is moving backwards?

 

[deerpathdave]

Let's face it this team is moving backwards.

They basically upgraded two positions this offseason, safety and corner. The rest is basically the same, or worse depending on your view of Bradford.

Bradford is the huge wildcard.

 

[Taz]

The justification is thinking two years ahead. And two years can easily become one year or even less with injuries. It strikes me as a classic BPA pick.

All the more reason to say this was a horrible pick. 4 year contracts so you are saying this kid is not going to start until year 3 if ever. The reasoning is not good. Its a bad pick at a position that is so loaded that they are going to have to cut two to three guys who are going to play for other teams. It was overkill. Poor roster management by a guy who is showing more and more every day he is not an NFL GM.

 

[Iron Eagle]

I guess I thought this was obvious, but this team is being torn down and retooled for the current leadership.

 

[Taz]

Seems like every year the Steelers take Penn State players. Meanwhile in Philly....

 

[Taz]

I thought they gave Brad Jones more than a 500k signing bonus. He probably gets cut as well as Acho and Goode. Hicks becomes the 4th inside guy and special teams player. Meanwhile outside they have Graham, Barwin, Smith and Braman.

 

[Rey]

I would think OL is a much bigger need if we're looking down the line or if injury happens ... if Gardner starts at RG who's our backup at either Tackle spot? If either Peters or Johnson go down what do we do?