Jets RB and Shaun Alexander
National Football League
Draft King Mailbag
February 28, 2005
Lou Pickney, DraftKing.com
Reader feedback is always welcomed here at DraftKing.com. Send your thoughts to me at LouPickney@gmail.com.
From: Mike Eichner
Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2005 12:21 PM
To: Lou Pickney
Subject: Jets taking Cadillac?
I can't agree with you in two things having to do with Cadillac Williams and the Jets - a) he will not drop that far and b) the Jets need tight end and cornerback as their primaries. They have this pretty good guy named Curtis Martin, and I don't think backup running back is that vital. Your choosing of the Jets picking Williams means you think Martin is likely to retire at the end of next season, and I think he wants to be closer to Emmitt Smith's record before retiring that early. Justin Miller or Marlin Jackson are my two guesses for the Jets, but I'm curious as to hear why you think Cadillac is for the Jets.
Lou: Not long after you wrote that e-mail, I updated my list with Ronnie Brown displacing Cadillac Williams in the #2 spot. Now I still think Cadillac is going to be an outstanding pro, but the reality of the situation is that the need for RBs isn't there in the top twenty versus the need for other positions.
With the Jets, the intention behind drafting LaMont Jordan in 2001 was to have him eventually replace Curtis Martin. But Martin has been amazingly durable, and Jordan's chance to be a started has been pushed back to the 2005 season, where he will have to do it for a team other than the Jets (as he's leaving as a free agent). However, Martin will be 32 when the season begins, and age is a reality that even Martin cannot elude forever. His 10 straight seasons of 1,000 yards or more is quite impressive, but the reality is that the Jets have to begin looking toward the future at RB. Look at the Rams, who have already relegated Marshall Faulk to a backup RB role. And just like Martin, Faulk will be 32 when the 2005 season begins.
With the RB talent on the board, the Jets would be wise to snag one of the three if one (or more) of them fall to the #26 spot.
From: timrob@*******.net
Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2005 2:01 PM
To: Lou Pickney
Subject: (none)
is there a reason you think braylon edwards will be taken after mike williams in the draft. i hope youre right. i'm a vikings fan and id be happy with either one of them but i think id rather take edwards.
Lou: I've believed all along that Williams is the best WR prospect coming into this draft and that he would be taken above Braylon Edwards. At the combine on Sunday, Williams ran a 4.59/4.61 (depending on whom you ask) 40 yard dash in an impromptu decision. Some may say that hands the top spot to Edwards, but Edwards has not run his 40 yet. And Williams will re-run his 40 at his private workout in Tampa in March.
Physically, Williams is 6'4½", which is an inch and a half taller than Edwards. Williams also has twenty pounds on Edwards. But remember his days at USC, where Williams caught seemingly everything that Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart threw his way. His ball-catching skills were amazing. At Michigan, it was Edwards' problem catching the ball that prompted him to return for his senior season in 2004 (and wow, what a wise decision that proved to be in hindsight).
Some people think Chicago's problematic history with Michigan WRs (really just one: David Terrell) will make them shy away from Edwards, but that is unfair to Edwards. You wouldn't see the converse happen where a team's has a WR drafted just because that team has a legacy of good WRs in the pros (like Michigan State).
From: sharon4b@***.net
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 12:22 AM
To: Lou Pickney
Subject: Trading Saun Alexander
Lou, a kot of Seahawk fans believe that Shaun Alexander would have more value to the Hawks now as trade
bait especially since he has seldom been the recieving threat that a WCO needs.
In your opinion are there any possible trade partners who might step up and make us an offer?
My wild ass hope would be Miami. Whoever they pick at # 2 would cost them dearly anyway. We could negotiate some combination of picks so they could even have a shot at a QB this year.
Lou: What would the Dolphins want for the #2 pick? And moreover, what would the Seahawks want at #2 that would make the trade worthwhile, especially considering their cap room and the high signing bonus that would come with a #2 overall pick?
It is possible that Alexander could be traded, but it seems to me that the team worked too hard to keep him with the franchise tag (since they signed Walter Jones and Matt Hasselbeck to long-term deals) to just trade him. But if some team comes along with a really nice offer, it's not outside the realm of possibility.
