Cleveland QBs and FSU linemen
National Football League
Draft King Mailbag
February 2, 2005
Lou Pickney, DraftKing.com
Reader feedback is always welcomed here at DraftKing.com. Send your thoughts to me at LouPickney@gmail.com.
From: OyzukiBloom@***.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 1, 2005 12:38 PM
To: Lou Pickney
Subject: Roddy White
I am surprised to see Roddy White in the first round. I thought he pulled out of the Senior Bowl with a hamstring injury. If that isnt healed by the combine (which seems unlikely) I just don't see him going in the first round.
BTW - i agree with one of your readers that Cleveland has more pressing needs than QB. Gotta keep a QB upright first. Also, I would expect Romeo Crennel to focus on D, where the Brownies have many needs......
Lou: I'll address the Cleveland situation with the next e-mail. As for Roddy White, yes he missed the Senior Bowl due to a high hamstring pull. He has three weeks (roughly) until the combines in Indianapolis, and he'll need to recover in time to make a good showing there. He could opt to go with private workouts if he's not ready by then, but that won't look good for him as teams evaluate draft talent. For the moment I have him going to Pittsburgh (thinking that the Steelers will lose Plexico Burress and want to replace him with another tall WR), but everyone was raving about Mark Clayton last week in Mobile, and I might be tempted to pull a switcheroo with Clayton and White. Some still think White will go in the top 20, but we'll see.
From: George Cain
Sent: Wednesday, February 2, 2005 2:28 AM
To: Lou Pickney
Subject: Cleveland Browns
With Cleveland having Phil Savage who has helped Baltimore draft such an impressive force on defense as their GM and Romeo Crennel as their future HC, don't you think Cleveland might pick defense with their 3rd pick?
Lou: It's a distinct possibility. If San Fran takes a QB and Miami takes a RB, that will leave either Aaron Rodgers or Alex Smith on the board at #3. Trading down would be wise for the Browns, but who needs a QB bad enough to trade up to get one? Oakland at #7 or Arizona at #8? If Cleveland sits still and goes defense, I'd think it would be either CB Antrel Rolle or OLB Derrick Johnson. With Rolle it's a great deal easier to forsee them sticking and picking him there, but if it's Johnson... wow, that would be quite a reach at #3. Johnson is an awesome player and did some great things at Texas, but he can almost for sure be landed by trading down. But how far? Ahh, therein lies the intrigue.
If Cleveland trades the #3 pick, I don't think it'll happen until they're on the clock. Especially if there's a question about which QB the 49ers will take at #1, a team that's set on Smith or Rodgers will want to be sure that their player is there before taking the plunge on a trade. But what the Browns do will have a major impact on the draft, so keep a close eye on news out of Cleveland, especially if you're a fan of teams drafting in the next few spots below them.
From: Matt Bitonti
To: Lou Pickney
Sent: Wednesday, February 2, 2005 1:37 PM
Subject: mailbag
I enjoy reading your site, especially the mailbag.
I have two comments- they both concern FSU linemen and the question are they overrated?
RE: Alex Barron at 5 - ok this guy isn't in the same class as Walter Jones, who was also an FSU OT taken at 6 overall. Yes Pace was in that draft and this draft is weak at the position - he's got durability concerns and from what i've seen is more wirey than massive - maybe im just looking at the situation too simply but shouldn't a borderline top 5 OT be a man-mountain?
RE: Travis Johnson at 17 - ok he had a great year and runs a 4.75... but he's only 285 and had substandard production in the years prior... i mean if he were 320 that would be something different - but he looks a little light in the ass to me for a guy who's apparently a first round lock. How much upside can a guy really have as a 285 pound DT?
These are very good matches between teams and needs - i guess my real question is are these guys just the best of a bad crop or are they legit top 5/top15 guys respectively?
Lou: You make fair arguments against the placement of both Barron and Johnson. I'll address them one at a time.
Alex Barron is the best OT in a weak offensive tackle class. Had D'Brickashaw Ferguson come out early from Virginia, it would have changed everything. But Jon Gruden was adament about overhauling his offensive line in the press conference the day after the last Bucs' 2004 season game, and at #5 Barron could become the team's starting left tackle for years to come.
I agree that Barron is not in the class of Orlando Pace, but short of landing Walter Jones from Seattle it's going to be tough for the Bucs to get some top-notch talent in-house without giving up some picks or players. And Tampa Bay needs to hold onto their picks for a few years after losing so many in the deal with the Oakland Raiders that brought them Gruden.
It's not impossible to forsee a scenario where Tampa Bay trades down one spot to Tennessee so the Titans can draft Antrel Rolle at #5 (to ensure they'll get him, even though the Titans are cap-heavy and the top five is a cap nightmare normally) and then allow the Bucs to get Barron at #6. There are a few other scenarios (especially if Alex Smith or Aaron Rodgers falls to their spot) where Tampa Bay could trade down, perhaps to #8 with Arizona, and then still be able to get Barron. Consider that Jordan Gross, taken at #7 by Carolina two years ago, was 6'4" 300 pounds, and Barron is 6'6" 305, and I think it's a reasonable move. Tampa Bay would be better off with Cadillac Williams in my opinion, but looking at how Jon Gruden does things (never with a single back dominating the carries), it seems that TB going with Barron is a feasable move. If that doesn't happen, Barron may drop.
As for Travis Johnson, he's not a Ted Washington style gap-filler... at all. Instead, Johnson is more of a speed guy (as you noted; I've seen his 40 time listed from 4.7 to 4.75). Collapse the pocket and bring the heat. Offensive guards and centers will hate facing him, especially when the offense is playing from behind. Where Johnson will get in trouble will be against draws and plays designed to pull him out of position, which is a concern. But, for a guy who is 290 pounds, he is super quick and can be expected to disrupt at least a few plays per game simply by making the pocket disappear well before it should. He would be an interesting fit with Cincinnati, but could be the best with Minnesota (though their MLB needs I think will lead them to take Channing Crowder).
