Green Bay DE thoughts
National Football League
Draft King Mailbag
February 22, 2005
Lou Pickney, DraftKing.com
Reader feedback is always welcomed here at DraftKing.com. Send your thoughts to me at LouPickney@gmail.com.
From: Dan Frost
Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2005 12:40 PM
To: Lou Pickney
Subject: 2005 draft
Thanks for all your work. I enjoy looking at as many mock drafts and the reasoning behind them as possible.
As a Packer fan I know the defenisive needs that they currently have, and can understand your reasoning for projecting David Pollack as their first pick.
But I feel that if Shaun Cody is still on the board when it's GB's turn, they should be taking him. He, not only can rush the passer, but would be of great help against the run. The Packers need help in both those areas at the Power End position. His presence would take some of the attention off of KGB and would make life easier for a very young secondary (Ahmad Carroll, Joey Thomas, Jason Horton, Chris Johnson). His good run defense would give them what they have missed since Vonnie Holliday left in free agency.
Also, because he has played both inside and outside in college, he could be a very versatile player that could line up in multiple positions..............something Pollack would be unable to do.
Lou: It's entirely plausable that the Packers could take Shaun Cody if both he and Pollack are on the board. However, with Grady Jackson and Cletidus Hunt on board at DT, I'd think that the Packers would concentrate more on targeting an outside pass-rusher (Pollack) versus a multi-use guy like S. Cody. Granted, Hunt hasn't lived up to expectations, and S. Cody could be an interior pass rush threat, but S. Cody's liability against the run also is a concern that must be factored into the equation. In the end, I still think that the Packers will go with a pass rushing DE who could become a difference-maker opposite KGB (who is coming off of his fourth straight double-digit sack season), be it Pollack or Iowa's Matt Roth or someone of that ilk. Offenses right now are concentrating on KGB, which is all the more reason to bookend him with another pass rush threat to prevent the o-line from constantly bearing down on Gbaja-Biamila. But S. Cody shouldn't entirely be ruled out as a possibility, as you mentioned.
From: Brian Rowland
Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2005 1:15 PM
To: Lou Pickney
Subject: Panthers, O-Line or DB?
I see the Panthers either taking a OT/OG or working to improve their secondary with a better freesafety. Mushin Muhammad has expressed heavy interest in staying with the Panthers and working a new deal. Smith/Muhammad/Colbert are very team oriented players with good chemistry. You will see them take Alex Barron/Jammal Brown to steady the right side, or go for a strong DB such as a Thomas Davis that is sound defensively. What do you think.
Lou: The free agent market has certainly picked up for WRs, and in my next mock draft recalculation that will certainly have to be taken into account. Even if Muhammad and Carolina part ways, which still seems like a possibility, there's no reason that Carolina can't snag a free agent WR. Unlike the RB market, which has suddenly become a seller's market with the developments in Seattle with the Seahawks working some 11th hour magic to keep Shaun Alexander in-house, WRs are available en masse. Derrick Mason, Jerry Porter, etc. etc. It would be in Muhammad's best interest to work something out in Carolina versus perhaps being on the outside looking in.
If Alex Barron is on the board at #14, that would shock me first of all, but I'd think he would be a sound choice. Jammal Brown seems to be a little less regarded by scouts, but not terribly so, and going at #14 wouldn't be unreasonable. At the same time, a CB like Justin Miller would be a very nice pickup for any team. Forget that he played nearby at Clemson; he is a playmaker who also hits like a safety. But I'm not sure if the secondary is where Carolina needs to focus; with 26 interceptions last year, Carolina lead the NFL in that category. Obviously the pass rush from the front four and the play of the linebackers also contributed to that, but if the clock is ticking down in the war room and I'm the one who has to make that decision, I go offensive line. Protect Delhomme, open holes for the running game, and see where that takes the Panthers in 2005.
From: Ron Scott
Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 7:15 PM
To: Lou Pickney
Subject: Cowboys
I read today that the titans released D. Mason, S. Rolle, and K. Carter!!! You know me as a die hard cowboy fan I think it would be to our advantage to grab at least one of those guys. Especially Rolle because that is one of our most glaring needs right now. How real is the possibility that the boys will go after Mason and Rolle in your opinion?
Lou: It was a dark day yesterday for Titans fans, though the reality of their salary cap situation is that they had to make some major cuts. Andre Woolfolk will have to step it up now at CB for Tennessee.
I could see the Cowboys making a serious run at Samari Rolle. Why not? He's skilled, experienced, and just what Dallas needs in their secondary. Rolle's Valentine's Day arrest for domestic abuse might not sit well with the Cowboys brass, but it doesn't diminish his skills as a shut-down corner.
Derrick Mason will command a high price on the free-agent market, and while the Cowboys could make a run at him, it would be more financially prudent to aim at Rolle, go with a lower-priced veteran WR (remember, there will be a bunch of WRs out there on the market) and then get a rookie WR possibly to build on for the future.
