2)in this mock trades are crucial, therefore will explain them.
I will trade out of the 1st-round completely. I don't want to pick a WR there because we don't need one immediately and I guess that next year the WR-class will be deep again.
I didn't want to pick Dupree because of his short arms…yes, because of his arm length. Baalke seems to like long arms when it comes down to pass-rushers and this was the argument against Dupree.
Imho, there is no d-liner worth a 15th ovr who could fit our system.
RB? Certainly not.
DB? Perhaps but given the pressing need in the front7 and the deepness of the draft at this position, I don't think so.
O-line? LG is the only pressing need which could be filled through the players we already got on the roster.
After that, I thought about trading down to about 25th ovr. O-liner Erving is out of consideration because he is a former OT and a future Center where we are set with Kilgore and MMArtin for now though Erving would be a nice fit to a ZBS perhaps even at LG but still, too much of a luxury in our recent situation.
OLB Owamagbe Odighizuwa came up next but he would be too much of Brooks and too little of a pass-rusher. This is luxury again.
I even thought about Maxx Williams because of VD's contract situation but for this kind of a luxury pick one needs to invent a new word.
However, we trade out of the first round and gain a mid-2nd, mid 3rd and a 2016 1st or 2nd-rounder.
2a: ILB Stephone Anthony, Clemson
He is tall and athletic, therefore he got the potential to match up with Graham pretty well. And he apparently fills a need.
2b: DT/DE Carl Davis, Iowa
…of course, IF he is available here. Seahawks, have fun with that.
3a: DT/DE Marcus Hardison, Arizona State
A very risky pick because he only played one good season. He seems to be blessed with some serious quickness and according to reports he is more of a pass-rushing DE than a run-stuffing one. Given the lack of pass-rushing 5-tech in the lower rounds and the need to fill this hole as good as possible, I would gamble here.
3b: OT Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M
Gained through a trade again.
Looks like a luxury pick but he is some kind of quality backup at OT and could take over at RG for Boone next year.
4a: WR Chris Conley, Georgia
He is not NOT Boldin's successor. He is the insurance for Torrey Smith. He is coming from a run-heavy offense, he is very athletic and still very tall. Needs to get more physical.
Sure, could be Montgomery, Bell or whoever. But I preferred the workout warrior instead even if he smells too much like Stephen Hill.
4b: CB Josh Cox, Mississippi State
OTC is taking full responsibility for that, even unquestioned :D
5: FS Adrian Amos, Penn State
Can play at CB as well. Would replace Dahl as the premier Reid-backup.
6: OLB Zach Wagenmann, Montana
He would be a pass-rushing OLB in our system. In his first year, where he has to gain some additional muscle he could contribute on the ST.
7a: DT Bobby Richardson, Indiana
Either too early or too late for him. He is 6-3, 283 and 34-5-8 arms. As MD and the NFL report stated, he is playing very fast. Played 5-tech at Indiana, perhaps he could it here too. Motor never stops, team captain.
7b: RB Trey Williams, Texas A&M
Pure around the tackles-back. Could be a reliable Dexter McCluster for us.
UDFA and potential alternatives in the lower rounds:
-OG Mark Dieffenbach, Penn State
-OT Laurence Gibson,
-DE Tavaris Barnes, Clemson
Critique:
-WR very late? Yeah, what should I do instead? Justin Smith is a question mark right now, Dockett is certainly not THE insurance you want to have for him. Save for Carradine, we don't have any alternative answer for him and the remaining guys are solid but that's about it.
-No RB until round 7? Sure, could have picked David Johnson somewhere again. But Hyde and Bush are set and if I had picked a RB high, i.e. round 4 at the very latest, Hunter is useless immediately. BUT, of course, Baalke could keep Hunter exactly for the reason of not showing his hand.
-how many d-liners do you need??? As many good d-liners as I can get!!! We are bleeding all over the defensive side. Instead of taking half-measures and try to reinforce every voided position, I'm using the "build through the trenches"-approach.
Thus, reinforce the d-line as good as possible in order to make the life of the 2nd and 3rd level easier, at least for this season. Fill the remaining needs next off-season or through this year's FA.
-no OG (early) in despite of Iupati's departure? Brandon Thomas and MMartin are still here, one of them certainly got enough talent to be a successful LG in 2015. The loser of this contest will be a good backup for sure.
Any questions?
[ Edited by communist on Mar 17, 2015 at 10:59 AM ]