Daily Links: Jets to Host Brandon Flowers
Posted on April 11th, 2008 by Bassett
- The Jets are going to have VT Corner Brandon Flowers (projected high second) for a visit.
- Mike Reiss of the Globe notes how the Jets and Pats strategies might be linked this year.
- Here’s a pretty good mock draft from SI’s Don Banks.
- Totally unrelated to football, but comedian Demetri Martin teaches you some skateboarding tricks.
Filed under: Daily Links
Probably my favorite corner in the draft, and a very natural fit as a #2 guy. I wouldn’t mind taking him at 36 at all.
I am curious what makes this a “pretty good” mock draft? Do you think it accurate? Are you one of those who figures that Tangini are stupid enough to take McDaddy when the other top 5 GMs pass, and you really, really want him? Do you like the write-ups? Do you really think there will be no trades in the top 10 picks?
Once again, the question for me is there anyone Tangini want enough to pick them with the 6th pick. None of us are NFL GMs or scouts and none of us have access to the Jets war room, so we will just have to wait.
But I suspect if Ryan drops to us, we might trade him to Carolina who knows Baltimore will take him otherwise and that they’d have to reach and use their first to pick and overpay Henne or Flacco cause both are likely to be gone by their second round pick.
I doubt anyone will trade up to McDaddy if he drops to us. The Lions are the only team with a RB need in the top 7-15 who might trade with us and will they want to give up a needed pick when it looks like a good (better?) back will be there for them. But that would be nice.
Ellis and Dorsey all have trade value to Denver and Carolina if they drop to us. These two teams cannot be assured these two will be there when they pick.
About the only guys I see the Jets thinking might be worth drafting here are the two Longs and Gohlston and it is likely all will be gone.
If Banks is correct and no one trades with us, I see us taking a CB (our current area of biggest need absent a 3-4 pass rushing LB) or even an OT to start at the LT or RT position, moving Woody to compete with Moore.
Harlan
I think there are two factors that could lead to a trade-down:
- Cincy and New Orleans have very similar needs on defense – both should be looking closely at Ellis and a top CB – so each may feel the need to move higher to secure their guy. This is esp plausible if they see NE as an additional threat to take “their guy”.
- As Harlan mentioned, if Ryan is still around at 6 (and I think there’s a better than 50/50 chance he will be), CAR could deal with us to move ahead of BAL, or BAL could move up to secure him themselves.
Right now, my best guess is that the top 5 goes Long, Long, Dorsey, Gholston, Clady. That puts us in a realistic position to trade down and get Harvey or a CB, or to take DMC outright at #6.
Harlan –
I am curious what makes this a “pretty good” mock draft? Do you think it accurate? Are you one of those who figures that Tangini are stupid enough to take McDaddy when the other top 5 GMs pass, and you really, really want him? Do you like the write-ups? Do you really think there will be no trades in the top 10 picks?
In order of importance.
1) I waste a lot of time in a given day, but trying to figure out who’s going to trade where inside the top ten isn’t tops on my list. If it doesn’t involve the Jets then is pretty low bandwidth, even so, I don’t have the time to think about what could and couldn’t happen so am happy with others baseless speculations as much as my own
2) I don’t ‘like’ McFadden as much as other players, but if he is there at six, I won’t be mad at him. Actually if I was to rank my top six (for the Jets) it would look like this: Chris Long , Jake Long (Long, Woody & Moore can compete), Vernon Gholston (move Gholston or BT inside for now), Darren McFadden, Sedrick Ellis (2 Gapper … yes!), Matt Ryan (Alex Smith or Matt Schaub?), Glenn Dorsey (1 gapper … meh)
3) The fact that Parcells is even negotiating with Gholston as a potential #1 (it’s a leverage thing on C Long though, but gives you a sense of where things are) I won’t put it past Al if Dorsey, and the Longs are already gone.
4) Banks draft is pretty close to average perception of valuation of players who are out there and who will be picked where. More and more people seem to think that Gholston (see my MDM 6.5 later today) will go to the Raiders, something I’m not sold on, but can’t look past as it’s the way the wind is blowing right now. The Raides seem to be telling everyone they can that this is the case right now but makes me think “Al doth protest too much”.
5) I don’t think Tangini is in any way stupid and your logic is leaking water. Using your logic, if Chris Long is on the board at six, the Jets should pass because other GMs did?
6) The Jets will have their board set up, and I’d bet you a 2008 First Round draft pick jersey McFadden is ahead of Matt Ryan … I mean he’d be their selection if both are still out there..
7) McFadden played in the SEC and is battle-tested. This isn’t a Blair Thomas Penn-State creampuff schedule redux. McFadden is arguably the best playmaker in the draft and his stuff is eye-popping. As you might be suggesting, I don’t believe everything that I read, but I’ve seen the kid play, and he’s legit. I don’t love the off the field stuff, and he needs to work on his lower body strength but it would be an absolute crime if he lasts past #7 … you can hold me to that. Mix in that he can throw the ball (unlike Brad Smith) and he’s got to be a consideration for Schotty and the re-vamped O.
8) My biggest fear is that the top five consist of McFadden & Gholston, Dorsey & the longs … leaving the Jets the untenable position of staring Ryan in the face with no one before #13 (starting to become a big hurdle) even likely to try and leapfrog past the Ravens for Matt Ryan’s services. If the Jets are in that situation, then I think they take Ryan over Ellis.
Re: Reiss’ Globe piece
I’m surprised there isn’t more outrage over your link to this article. As everybody here in the comments will tell you (ad nauseum), a team must never, ever, ever consider what other teams might be doing in the draft. The draft should be conducted in a sensory-deprivation tank. It’s preferable if the team doesn’t even know who’s already been selected. Such discipline rewards any team with the BestPlayerAvailable and prevents them from erroneously acquiring talents that a) fit their scheme and roster composition or b) creates a competitive advantage against other teams in the league/division. Those are near-sighted goals that taint the awesomeness that is an NFL draft pick.
Well put as usual Basset, I agree with the scenario at 8 being the biggest fear, but if we are presented with that situation I would either hope that the Jets would be burning up the phone lines with Baltimore, Carolina and Chicago trying to get them to trade up for Ryan, or to Cincy and New Orleans to get them to trade up for Ellis, and if they couldn’t I would hope they would reach slightly for the best corner available (McKelvin or DRC) than take another player ill suited for their front 7 in Ellis.
I kind of agree with that. If the Longs, Gholston and McFadden are off the board, I think the Jets will try hard to trade down, with either Ellis or Dorsey being more attractive trade bait than Ryan (New Orleans and Cincy are close enough to make a move and the dropoff at DT is substantial enough to make it worth their while). I think ideally we’d move down 1-2 times and take someone like Derrick Harvey or Quentin Groves. But if they stay put, I think they’d take Ryan over a corner or Ellis.
I like the way you are thinkng there seanmac, but Quentin Groves’ stock may have dropped some what with his recent heart surgery
Ryan will go to either Atlanta or KC. Herm never upgrades the line, we know that well. He always goes for the flashy pick–in this case Ryan if he’s available.
If we draft McFadden it would be nice, but RB is not an area of immediate need and we could wind up revisiting the Lamont Jordan era again with TJ and LW ahead of him. I’d rather not draft RB with the first pick.
I also see a possible scenario that has us trading up to Atlanta’s slot at #3 to ensure we get the player we want (C. Long, J. Long or Gholston), especially if STL picks Gholston instead of J. Long, allowing Long to fall to #3. Al Davis’ unpredictability will be the wild card here. I wouldn’t necessarily want to do this but it is a possibility
I don’t think Ryan will fall to the Jets, so this comment is academic. But, what did you think about Don Banks’ prediction that if the Jets were to choose Ryan, they would trade Chad? I wonder if he meant in 2008? I like Ryan a lot and think he could be a good QB from day 1 in the NFL; however, having a rookie (Ryan) and a question mark (Clemens) as the Jets’ QBs scares me. I guess if the Jets moved Chad, they’d have to sign a veteran. As much as I am optimistic about this season, the QB position is a huge uncertainty.
sjfalcon, I don’t think either ATL or KC is going to draft Ryan. ATL has 7 of the top 103 picks in this draft, and their new GM comes from the Belichick tree. I don’t think they’ll mortgage their future for Ryan. I see them taking the best available lineman at 3, and then filling other holes including QB in their numerous later picks.
KC – Carl Peterson is going to control that war room, not ol’ Herm, and Peterson had built the best o-line in the NFL in the early 2000’s. I think he returns that direction with Clady and gives Brodie Croyle one more chance.
I think Ryan, McFadden and S Ellis will all be available when we pick, which should boost our chances of trading down from zero to reasonable.
SD99–I think that if we select Ryan, we’d have to trade Chad in 2008. Can we afford to carry 3 big QB salaries?
Rich, I think the answer is “yes” if the Jets contemplated keeping Chad as part of their plan for 2008. Ryan would be given no. 6 pick money (although his agent would want some sort of QB premium, whether in salary, bonus or term). So, the Jets already had to pay somebody no. 6 money and I don’t see why a QB would alter their salary plans, assuming Chad was part of those plans anyhow.