MM's draft article: another way to get OT.

Matt's usually good insight made for a great article and if you haven't read it, you missed a good read. Rather than bundle our #13 and # 17(or other combinations with our 3rd or 4th pick) to move into top 4-10 slots, there is yet another way to get that OT which we MUST have. How about considering using a pick from next yr, maybe our #2 or #3, plus one of our firsts this yr? Matt pretty well covered all the bases, but getting our OL straightened out this yr is our # 1 priority. His suggestions are all well conceieved, but I am just suggesting using a 2nd or 3rd from next yr so we could still preserve our second first rounder this yr.

It will boil down to what the draft team wants at #17 this yr, eg, Iupati, to solidify this OL, assuming we can trade up. Usually I don't like trading away relatively high picks from the next yr, but we have an OL that has been neglected so long, and is so short on talent that I cannot see us not taking both a top 2 or 3 OT, but also an OG...my guess is if we really feel Iupati is that good, we can fix an OL that has roughly 4 good backups, but no real starters. It is tough to draft virtually an entire OL from 2nd to 4th rounders and expect them to play at all pro caliber. Frankly, Scot's philosophy that "we don't pay $7mil for an all pro OG"(Hutchinson, Faneca) as well as "you can always get good OLinemen in 2nd to 4th rounds" has been a disaster for us. We have to build our OL now. Using a 2nd or 3rd rounder from next yr and adding him to our # 13 this yr would accomplish the above.

Solari and Brown may be great. But you still need talent to have a pro caliber OL. We don't. This is the time, but we need to get into the 4th thru 8th position to guarantee it. Washington taking McNabb released the SKINS to build their OL. We have to trade up to get our OT...either as MM laid out, or by borrowing a pick from next yr.

Bad idea simply b/c none of these OT's in this year's draft are worth trading up for. None of these guys are elite. Just got to see how things fall. If they miss out on the top 4 guys then they have to go by their board, but no need to trade up for this group of OT's.

Originally posted by lamontb:
Bad idea simply b/c none of these OT's in this year's draft are worth trading up for. None of these guys are elite. Just got to see how things fall. If they miss out on the top 4 guys then they have to go by their board, but no need to trade up for this group of OT's.

Okung? Bulaga? These guys aren't worth trading up for?

Nope, I would rather let the chips fall where they may.

Originally posted by YourHuckleberry:

Originally posted by lamontb:
Bad idea simply b/c none of these OT's in this year's draft are worth trading up for. None of these guys are elite. Just got to see how things fall. If they miss out on the top 4 guys then they have to go by their board, but no need to trade up for this group of OT's.

Okung? Bulaga? These guys aren't worth trading up for?

Maybe b/c the team is desperate, but they aren't elite OT's that teams would or should be trading up for. Not saying these guys are bad players just not worth it imo. Trading up into the top 5 to draft a RT just doesn't make sense. If the best guys are gone you have to go by your board and trust in your scouting and coaching. And if they gonna give up a 2nd why not just get a proven player like Gaither? Probably can get him for a 3rd.

Okung would be the only tackle worth moving up for. He's the only true left tackle available in this year’s draft. Whether he's an elite talent or not, nobody knows...

I just don't see how a team with the 13th and 17th picks would feel the need to trade picks this year. Scott M traded the round 2 last year because his BPA was not there as I remember it.

Originally posted by YourHuckleberry:

Originally posted by lamontb:
Bad idea simply b/c none of these OT's in this year's draft are worth trading up for. None of these guys are elite. Just got to see how things fall. If they miss out on the top 4 guys then they have to go by their board, but no need to trade up for this group of OT's.

Okung? Bulaga? These guys aren't worth trading up for?

Okung yes, depending on what you have to give up.

Bulaga no way.

I really don't like trading away future picks like a 2nd round. At #13 there will be one of these OT's (Williams, Bulaga or Davis) quite frankly i'd be happy with any of them.

But trading up a few spots to secure Williams ensures that we have a legit RT and the remaining draft picks can be focused on depth and secondary.

Originally posted by NinerBuff:
But trading up a few spots to secure Williams ensures that we have a legit RT and the remaining draft picks can be focused on depth and secondary.

Depends what we have to give up really, would determine how I'd feel about the trade

Originally posted by Gavintech:

Originally posted by YourHuckleberry:

Originally posted by lamontb:
Bad idea simply b/c none of these OT's in this year's draft are worth trading up for. None of these guys are elite. Just got to see how things fall. If they miss out on the top 4 guys then they have to go by their board, but no need to trade up for this group of OT's.

Okung? Bulaga? These guys aren't worth trading up for?

Okung yes, depending on what you have to give up.

Bulaga no way.

Okung is definitely worth trading up for but he is the only one. Any other year he would probably be a consensus #1 or #2 pick, but with the Rams desperate for a QB and the best two DT prospects to come out in about a decade... he's not getting the hype he probably would in other years. He's got the physical skills and wants to compete (like he did at the combine when he didn't have to), he will be a solid LT for a long time in the league.

Put down the trade value chart and slowly back away. Trading away picks to get a top notch OT prospect is basically a panic reaction to a bad situation. Yes, the O-line is bad. No, it has not been neglected. The team has spent three high draft picks on the O-line over the last 5 years... this is not neglect. Also, the line is not necessarily devoid of talent. I believe that we already have enough talent to be at least a mid level O-line. The real problem is lack of continuity and poor coaching. Every argument that's been made for Alex Smith's career being derailed by a lack of Offensive continuity goes double for the O-line. No unit on a football team needs continuity more than the O-line. I believe that with the Solari upgrade and the fact that these guys will be running the same offense as last year, the line will make a major step forward. The only spot where we have a serious lack of talent is the RT position. Quality RT's are typically found in the late first to early second round... not in the top 10.

In the last 20 years, no team with two first round picks has ever spent them both on the O-line (only four teams have ever spent both picks on the same unit - always Defense). So don't expect to get Iupati plus a Tackle in the first round. It's not gonna happen.

If you look around the league at how the top teams have built their O-lines, you won't see two top 10 picks invested in the Tackle positions. To build a successful team, you cannot overinvest in any one unit. You have to spread your resources around and build the team as a whole. We've already invested a top pick (essentially a #7) and a big chunk of salary cap space in Joe Staley, and he's doing a good job. We don't need to overreact and use another top pick (or a bunch of top picks) on a top 10 Tackle. We can get the RT we need by trading down to the late first round and taking Brown or Saffold.


Steelers
LT - Max Starks - third round (75)
TR - Willie Colon - fourth round (131)

Vikings
LT - Bryant McKinnie - first round (7)
RT - Phil Loadholt - second round (54)

Colts
LT - Charlie Johnson - sixth round (199)
RT - Ryan Diem - fourth round (118)

Saints
LT- Jermon Bushrod - fourth round (125)
RT - Jonathan Stinchcomb - second round (37)

Patriots
LT - Matt Light - second round (48)
RT - Nick Kaczur -third round (100)

Jets
LT - D'brickashaw Ferguson - first round (4)
RT - Damien Woody - Originally a first round pick (17) by the Patriots. Acquired by the Jets as a 31 year old FA.

Cowboys
LT - Flozell Adams - second round (38)
RT - M Columbo - first round (29)

Chargers
LT - Marcus McNeill - second round (50)
RT - Brandyn Dombrowski - undrafted

we need one of these guys, I'd be happy with any one of them!

If we were looking for a Walter Jones, Jason Peters type tackle then Okung would be the only shot. But, if we're looking for a solid starter who will immediately improve the team, there are quite a few options. This years OT class is very deep with solid talent not elite talent.