I think I'd want to roll with Jon Martin & Dallas Thomas at guard and sign Albert & Oher to bookend....... with the 1st rounder freed up for an impact type player you can't readily find in FA like Mike Evans, Sammy Watkins, Clinton-Dix, or Vic Beasley.
Vic Beasley just got absolutely dominated by Cameron Erving. It is absurd to leave Cameron Erving and Lache Seastrunk out of a 1st round mock. This guy's mocks get worse every year. The projected draft order had to be done under the influence of hallucinogens.
I'm not really sold on any of the left tackle prospects in the '14 Draft. I agree that I'd like to sign Branden Albert, even if it's a short-term contract, to be the left tackle. Hopefully Dallas Thomas progresses like I think he will and becomes the left guard. As for Martin, I'm hopeful he progresses at RT. Put a gun to my head, and I'd say Antonio Richardson if I'm pressed into drafting a LT, but I'm not saying that confidently. You're spot-on that the first round pick should be used on something other than a lineman. I'd be interested in Watkins, Ebron, Richardson* on offense and Nix, Tuitt, Mosley, Clinton-Dix, and maybe Roby on defense in round 1. *If I have to draft another LT.
No offense but I think if you actually analyze the game play for play as I did, you don't come away with that belief. I've still got my toe in the water on Vic Beasley. I like him but I'm not sold. My mind could easily change on him and would be especially prone to doing so if I started to get the sense that he's not playing offensive tackles with any kind of skill and then when he does, he's sucking bad. And I like Cameron Erving. He's well put together. He moves well. He's solid. But if I am Cameron Erving and I go into the film room with the FSU-Clemson game film and the goal of really isolating instances on film of me having to pass protect against Vic Beasley one-on-one in situations where the play call asked for a pocket to be maintained for Jameis Winston (as opposed to quick game)...I really only walk out of that film room with a handful of snaps. Maybe three or four. I'd also walk out of there with two or three more quick passes in which I could say yes this ended up being a quick pass, but I had Beasley handled on the play regardless of whether it was a quick pass or one where an NFL pocket was needed. And then there are about two or three qualifying plays that I would specifically erase from the film reel since I don't want the scouts to see Vic Beasley beating me. Florida State controlled the flow of the game from the get-go. They were up on the scoreboard and were able to run the football a lot. They were able to utilize quick passing and screens because they didn't have scoreboard pressure. They weren't often very far behind schedule in down-and-distance. That really helped minimize the true opportunities for Beasley to rush the passer in the game. But the other thing that minimized these opportunities is the fact that Clemson rotates actively along the defensive line and so between 30 to 40% of the plays on the field, you won't even find Beasley in the game...which is maddening. Yet another thing that minimized true opportunities to see him do what he can do is the fact that Florida State knew Beasley was the guy to watch, and Clemson knew that Florida State knew it...if that makes sense. So they often had Beasley playing roles designed to draw attention and free other players (blitzers, stunters, etc) to the quarterback. And then you go back to the fact that Florida State knew Beasley was the guy to watch out, on probably 80% of the occasions when Florida State needed a pocket and needed to make sure Jameis Winston had time, Beasley doubled. Simple fact. He was chipped by running backs, hit by tight ends at the line, even straight up double-teamed by left guard Josue Matias (whom I think could be a better pro at his position than Cameron Erving at his). I came away from that game just a little bit more solid on Vic Beasley. You knew heading into it he was going to face a great offense, bad scoreboard, great LG-LT tandem and great quarterback. It could have been awful for Vic. In some ways I guess you could say it was. But at the same time I walked away feeling like if THIS is what you get when Vic Beasley has literally just about everything going against him that he can have going against him...I can definitely work with that. On a 2nd & 29 he cut inside Cameron Erving's inside shoulder, beat the double-team of Matias and Erving and came screaming in at Jameis Winston, pounding him into the dirt on the play. Winston's an excellent quarterback so he got the football away, but it showed Beasley could still punch even when the chips are stacked against him. I had about three run plays that Beasley made really good plays on, as well. And then there's the opportunities that Clemson did not necessarily take advantage of putting Beasley in an up, outside linebacker position. He has looked REALLY interesting in that role. You put Beasley on the right team in the right situation, he's Justin Houston or someone like that. He's a good player.
Justin Houston is 6'3" 260 pounds. Beasley is 6'1" 235. I don't see them as comparable. I doubt Beasley ends up as a 3-4 OLB in the NFL. In my mock I sent him to the Jets with the 12th pick, partly because I realize he is a very good football player and partly because I don't like him that much. My post was more about Cameron Erving being the cream of this year's OT crop. Right now, I believe Matthews and Lewan to be better, but in three years I believe Erving will be the better pro and have a better NFL career. Kouandijo and Richardson are a notch down IMO. Another Cam Erving believer...http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/college/seminoles/os-fsu-news-1024-20131023,0,132165.story
Don't see why you would doubt Vic Beasley ending up at rush LB. He's equally adept at that as he is DE and has already spent time at LB at Clemson. He's great in space and can play standing up. Beasley to rush LB is a fairly easy projection to make if that's the defense you run. Heck, 4-3 SAM ala Von Miller or Bruce Irvin are in the cards as well. I'd argue that he's just shy or tied with Anthony Barr for the most versatile pass rusher this draft.
My good friend from middle school wrote that article lol. Who knows he might even post on Thephins occasionally
