I call BS on half the picks in that mock. Most notable: Tebow coming out as a junior? What? Runner up: Michael Oher as the #1 overall pick and best OT in the class? What? Anyway, I would prefer Malcolm Jenkins to anyone save Rey Maualuga.
What's the problem? It's a 3-4. Linebackers of ANY kind are essential. If you move your OLBs up to rush the passer, you need quality ILBs to help cover the short routes and stop the run. It's fine if you think we need a pass-rushing OLB more than a run-stopping/pass-covering ILB, but let's not get carried away and paint ILBs as a waste.
The Pats did. The 49ers play a different 3-4 than we do. Our ILBs take are washed out of plays far more often than any other 3-4. It's the least important position by far in the Bill Parcells two gap 3-4.
No I doubt we will be. Also I would not be surprised if we somehow were able to snag Terell Suggs with a grand offer. That could be incredible for us as far as options go in the draft if we were able to cover up ROLB quickly. All you really have to do to get him is cut Joey Porter and make some inflated offer for the first year and he's yours.
Same, I always thought he was a bit overrated with some inflated stats. Wonder if we look at a guy like Little Animal at OLB spot? Or maybe even Cushing? Depends some on where we eventually end up I guess.
We went after Calvin Pace with his one year of productivity with a boatload of money. Why would we not go after Terell Suggs whose best position is OLB and not DE?
I have a feeling he'll demand more money than we're willing to pay him, exactly like Pace. A bunch of Baltimore's LBs, Ray Lewis and Bart Scott included, are apparently free agents next year. So it's likely Suggs won't be back in Baltimore, but I don't see him coming here. I think some team will overpay for him. Maybe the Cowboys; Zach only signed a 1-year deal.
I'm hopeful at least in some sense because Roth seems to have taken on his role at SOLB fairy well. We'll see how Porter does at ROLB along with Moses and determine things based off of that.
I wouldn't be comfortable dismissing need at LB because of Matt Roth's preseason performance. It'd be nice, though: opens the door nice and wide for Malcolm Jenkins. Corner is an understated need.
Cornerback is a need to be sure but if we were to retain Will Allen and then add Malcolm Jenkins while maintaining the safety core we've actually built a very good secondary. This defense is not THAT far away. The offense is on the same note but possibly even more advanced.
I'm hoping for a starting corner tandem of Will Allen and Malcolm Jenkins. We'll need to extend Allen a couple of years, though. Around 2010/2011, draft another corner high, and then when we're ready to let Allen go (or if his age mandates that he take a reserve role) Malcolm Jenkins becomes our #1 guy and the new kid is the #2.
Everything becomes that much easier when you have the offensive line, quarterback, and the defensive front seven complete. Drafts actually become fun when you can debate "OMG Desides I can't believe you don't want this guy to be our third WR in the first round"- "Jaj you're a moron we should be drafting a TE to replace Fasano to give Henne a downfield TE target".
Ain't that the truth! I have a sneaking suspicion our draft will tilt towards the defense next year, though. I'm not sure why, but I think we're on the lookout for another DT and/or RDE, definitely a linebacker or two, and a corner. WR may have to wait, or might be addressed in free agency. (Or through trade. Mr. Boldin, please come to Miami. Mr. Boldin...)
DT I can see, but RDE? Really? That's our position of greatest depth right now. A corner definitely, a linebacker for sure, safety I hope not. The offense is further along in its rebuilding than the offense although these clever little moves Parcells has made have said a total defensive rebuilding effort from being necessary. Ayodele, Ferguson, Langford, Andersen, the revival of Roth, Crowder, Porter to some degree, and Soliai. Stuff like that has made it possible to do this project far faster than the old, ok we can get two needs in this draft in the 1-2 and hope we can get this done by year four rebuilding process. It'll be interesting though if Parcells actually takes a CB over a DE/OLB next year. Then again he doesn't really take linemen that unbelievably high. I think he's less of a predictable man than people think. Everyone and their mother were guessing it would be Chris Long this year. Next year, I have a sneaking suspicion we will see a CB and go with our roster of Porter, Andersen, Moses (he is the successor at the moment, but we'll see), and Roth (down at 260 LBs). It goes against what we know of Parcells but if we've learned anything with this team is that they like to fill holes with solid, affordable players. The Dolphins are being rebuilt in a different way then the Cowboys were with their major stars and random spots where they're weak (no one cares to mention that they have a major hole at NT with two undersized guys). Instead they ooh and ahhh at DeMarcus Ware being on the defense and Pac-Man Jones. You won't have that on the Dolphins. You have the proper guys at their proper positions. If anything the team that the Dolphins are starting to take on the image of is the old Dolphins from the 70s in that the players on that team were all fairly good but not incredible, especially on defense. I'll take the team with the sheer lack of holes anywhere over the team with ten Pro-Bowlers and a glaring problem right up the middle.
Not to mention that wide receiver also looks quite good for next year especially in the top five guys.
Holiday isn't getting any younger. The youth movement on offense is pretty much done; time to finish clearing out the defense. When Langford succeeds Holiday, someone has to be behind Langford. If we go CB, OLB, WR, and DT in the first four rounds next year, I will not be surprised. Not necessarily in that order, though. I was kind of hoping for Glenn Dorsey. Oh well...
Langford won't be succeeding Holliday though. It'll be Merling at this point replacing Holliday. LE- Langford, Starks RE- Merling, Wright, Dotson I do remember your Dorsey love. It was warranted though.
I'm not sure Merling stays on the defensive line. I think he moves to LB at some point. He looks horrible in Chiefs colors. I wish the Saints had gotten him.
Merling was very adamant pre-draft about his desire to remain a DE, and not move to OLB. He should be an amazing DE for you guys in a year or so, I was quite jealous of that pick.
Well, guys, Merling played linebacker for the second half of the third preseason game. They're serving crow until 5 PM in the lobby. But really, we're going to address linebacker somehow. Ideally we'd bring in a major free agent for the interior and then draft a stud pass-rusher for the outside. Hell, maybe Jerry Jones will trade DeMarcus Ware to us.
If they move him, imo its a big mistake. He is an all-around DE who plays very well against the run with his hand down. Moving him to LB neutralizes that to some degree. Would be a bad move imo.
If the Porter issue is serious enough though, we will need him at OLB to try and get some pressure, unless someone else can fill that void. Parcells OLBs do tend to be a bit larger though, so even though he might not have his hands down all the time, it still might be a good fit for Merling, we will see. Getting DeMarcus Ware would be incredible, but I dont see how unless we mortage a big part of our draft.
