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National Football League
Draft King Mailbag
March 25, 2006
Lou Pickney, DraftKing.com
Reader feedback is always welcomed here at DraftKing.com. Send your thoughts to me at LouPickney@gmail.com.
Note that this is my final mailbag update from Tampa. Tomorrow I make my move to the Birmingham area; hopefully I'll be back up and going by mid-week.
From: Michael Allison
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Mar 24, 2006 11:03 PM
Subject: Bears draft questions
Hello Lou,
Great job on the site I follow your mock drafts with interest. I have some Chicago Bears questions for you today.
Firstly do you think the Bears will get better value by selecting a TE in round one, or by opting for help in the secondary? I know the Bears' offense needs all the weapons it can get to make it effective but GM Jerry Angelo has gone on record as saying there are 'thirteen' quality TE's in the draft. Meanwhile the Bears could clearly use some help at the corner position. Nathan Vasher continues to impress, but Charles Tillman allows too many big plays and there's been rumours the team prefers him at safety. Who would have to slip to the Bears at number 26 to make them look to the secondary over TE?
Secondly if the Bears do end up with a TE in round one, who would be the best fit in terms of what the Bears are trying to achieve on offense? We can discount Vernon Davis as he will be taken long before the Bears pick, but who would be the next best fit?
Lou: I think the Bears will give serious consideration to taking a tight end in the first round. But you do bring up a valid point about the team considering a corner at #26. A player like Antonio Cromartie could be a nice fit for them there. I don't know that it's a matter of a player falling to them, but more the Bears deciding which need is higher and going in that direction. Or perhaps the Bears will like Marcedes Lewis over Cromartie, but not Leonard Pope. Of course, teams keep this information very close to the vest, so we're left to speculate without having any definitive knowledge of what the Bears plan to do.
From: Craig Rotz
To: Lou Pickney
Date: Mar 25, 2006 2:22 PM
Subject: Vikings Draft - Day One
It must be getting close to draft. You are inserting the mailbag into the
draft every day.
I like what I've heard about Lendale White.
I think their first choice would be to trade with the Browns and grab one of
the top QBs or Vernon Davis (if one of them falls that far) followed by
Ernie Sims. I'm thinking that on day one they will target two linebackers,
a cornerback, a tight end and a running back. They need one or more
linebackers that can cover tight ends down the field because of their
Cover-2 defense. I also like the possibility of them going after Cromartie
because of his size and speed. (I don't know his health condition). They
may need to get ahead of the Dolphins to get him though. I don't see him in
your 1st round selections.
Lou: Actually, I've finally had some free time in-between jobs. I spent all day today packing, and the move will have me out of pocket for a few days. But the volume of e-mails hasn't hurt as far as inspiring me to keep this updated as much as possible.
If you believe the hype coming out of Minneapolis, Chester Taylor is going to be "the man" at RB this year for Minnesota. Keep in mind that the Vikings still have Onterrio "The Whizzinator" Smith, Moe Williams and an underrated RB in Ciatrick Fason. There was awhile there where I thought it was a foregone conclusion that the Vikings would take an RB in the first round, but with Taylor coming on board for $14 million, I think he will get a good chancee to earn the starting job.
I also like what I've heard about LenDale White. But with RB need low for many teams, he will likely fall lower than he should in the draft. That could make him a dreaded "value pick" where he ends up going to a team with an established RB and being utilized as a backup (think Deuce McAllister, Larry Johnson, Chris Perry, etc.) For his sake, I hope he gets the chance to shine right away.
From: Clayton Riley
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Mar 25, 2006 4:19 PM
Subject: Chiefs getting Chad Jackson
Are the chances slim for the Chiefs to snag Chad Jackson or Santonio Holmes now. As a fan should I be setting my sites on Tye Hill?
Lou: If either Jackson or Holmes are on the board, I think the Chiefs will jump on the chance to draft them. I suspect that Kansas City might trade up for such an opportunity (perhaps with Dallas trading down if the Cowboys are thinking safety and not wide receiver in round one.) I wouldn't label their chances as slim, though; Jackson in particular could quite possibly fall to them at #20. But if you're the Chiefs and you want one of those two WRs, do you roll the dice or do you move up? It's an interesting quandry to ponder.
From: Stephen Singer
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Mar 25, 2006 9:45 PM
Subject: Texans and Vince Young
You seem dead set that they’re going to take Reggie Bush. While most people would agree with you I don’t.
I can fully see a situation with how Young has flown down the draft boards that they trade out of the #1 pick and grab Young. This team has many holes to fill and RB is the least of them. Having multiple picks and a QB for the future (anyone who watches David Carr knows he doesn’t give off a Franchise QB vibe kind of like Aaron Brooks.) San Diego had two highly paid QBs (Rivers was drafted 4th so his contract will be more than Young’s) and still could manage their cap.
Also if there’s one man who could maximize what Vince young brings I think that person is Gary Kubiak. Look what he did with Jake Plummer this year. He did not ask Jake to go and be a drop-back read the defense QB. He asked him to roll out and use his athleticism while making only half field reads.
Taking Young (who’s a Houston native and beloved by the town to boot) plus having multiple picks is much more than anything that Reggie Bush can do for this team in terms of on-field production and attendence.
Lou: If the Texans could erase David Carr from their salary cap by releasing him, I think they just might. But, of course, that's not how it works in the NFL. A large amount of money is tied up in him, and so long as Carr stays, I find it extremely unlikely that the Texans would use *another* #1 overall pick on a QB. Keep in mind that Houston has already given Carr a three year contract extension since his original deal was struck.
Recall with the Chargers that Drew Brees was a second round pick, which made the situation in San Diego different salary cap-wise. Also, notice who stayed (the high pick.) Houston with two #1 overall QBs would break the bank by taking Vince Young at #1.
It is true that Houston has a servicable RB in Domanick Davis, who looks to be on the road to returning from artroscopic surgery on his left knee that kept him out of the season finale in 2005 against the 49ers. If the Texans deviate from Bush, I think it would be to take D'Brickashaw Ferguson, but that would likely involve trading down a spot or two, and so far there's been no buzz about any such move. The Texans could take Ferguson #1 overall, and really a cornerstone OT is what the team needs. But Reggie Bush is a special player, and I don't know if you can just pass up on a opportunity to draft someone of his calibre.
From: BIGJAGFAN@aol.com
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Mar 25, 2006 10:37 PM
Subject: NFL Draft
Is it possible that the jacksonville jaguars could get Lendale White, Laurence Maroney or Deangeo Williams?
Lou: It's entirely possible. I think the smarter move is to go defense in round one, especially since Greg Jones can play RB instead of FB if needed, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Jacksonville drafted one of those three RBs at #28.
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