10 replies to this topic

[SeoulSoxFan]

No picks are made in a vacuum. Who came out ahead in the AFCE, and who made the best pick?

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To add, I think Dolphins had a very solid draft. Martin to protect Tannehill (had to pick him, although no one else would have as a top 10), and Lamar Miller as a young RB.

No surprise coming from me, but Jets had the worst out of the four. Coples and Hill have potential, and can't argue with that, but absolutely no one who will come in and instantly bolster a weak and shallow OL - especially with Tebow and the the new "commitment' to the running game.

I thought they should have taken DeCastro even if it meant giving up on a pass rush prospect, or Hightower to manage the middle of the field against the NE TEs.

Edited by SeoulSoxFan, 28 April 2012 - 07:48 PM.

[Clears Cleaver]

_{The Dolphins are completely changing their offense and will run a no-huddle, fast-paced, west-coast, spread-style scheme. Basically, it will be all about pace and speed. I'm not sure where Jake Long fits in, but Philbin would rather have four guys like Egrew than overpay a Brandon Marshall. We'll see if it works. They won't be competitive in 2012 but as their get guys for this system, they will be a pain in the ass to play, especially in Miami in September and October when its a lot hotter and humid than NE, NY and BUF are used to. Vice Versa, how will this system play in the cold in the northeast in December?}

[CiminoUM5]

No picks are made in a vacuum. Who came out ahead in the AFCE, and who made the best pick?

--
To add, I think Dolphins had a very solid draft. Martin to protect Tannehill (had to pick him, although no one else would have as a top 10), and Lamar Miller as a young RB.

No surprise coming from me, but Jets had the worst out of the four. Coples and Hill have potential, and can't argue with that, but absolutely no one who will come in and instantly bolster a weak and shallow OL - especially with Tebow and the the new "commitment' to the running game.

I thought they should have taken DeCastro even if it meant giving up on a pass rush prospect, or Hightower to manage the middle of the field against the NE TEs.

Disagree on the Dolphins draft. Tannehill was an awful first round selection. He could end up turning out well, but he's a project, and you don't take a project QB in the top 10. Martin I really don't know much about other than he was projected to go earlier than when they chose him, so I'll defer on that. As a UM fan I can tell you that Vernon does have some nice upside, but he's another project type and there was a LOT of better talent on the board at the time. Reached for that TE (drawing a blank on his name at the moment) big time IMO. Miller was a great pick, too much value to pass up. Their biggest fail was not getting a top WR. Their entire fanbase agreed that WR is one of their biggest needs, and this was an insanely deep draft at that position. They waited way too long and got a couple decent guys, but passed on a lot of options that would have had a much bigger impact, like Sanu, Givens, Hilton, Childs, and Criner, just to name a few.

[SeoulSoxFan]

_{The Dolphins are completely changing their offense and will run a no-huddle, fast-paced, west-coast, spread-style scheme. Basically, it will be all about pace and speed. I'm not sure where Jake Long fits in, but Philbin would rather have four guys like Egrew than overpay a Brandon Marshall. We'll see if it works. They won't be competitive in 2012 but as their get guys for this system, they will be a pain in the ass to play, especially in Miami in September and October when its a lot hotter and humid than NE, NY and BUF are used to. Vice Versa, how will this system play in the cold in the northeast in December?}

There are already rumblings of a Jake Long trade:

http://profootballta...-outs-in-miami/
http://www.thephinsi...ading-jake-long

Insane, but what do I know.

[SMU_Sox]

I didn't get the hype with Tannehill. He didn't impress me much and I saw him play a lot. I think Miami will be back in two to three years finding yet another QB prospect.

Hill intrigues me but he's raw as a receiver.

Overall I think the Pats added the best talent and had the overall best draft.

[pdaj]

BB's mid-draft maneuvering was a bit of a head-scratcher, but I dug the Pats' draft based on the two late first-round grabs alone. Hightower and Jones should play and make an impact immediately. Awesome grabs.

I didn't get the hype with Tannehill. He didn't impress me much and I saw him play a lot. I think Miami will be back in two to three years finding yet another QB prospect.

I think Tannehill was the clear #3 QB in the draft (big, smart, athletic, strong arm), with a ceiling that may equal, if not surpass, that of RGIII. Sure, there's (arguably) a lot more risk involved with Tanny, but he's a great fit for Miami, and the Dolphins weren't able to trade down. He wasn't going to last til' the 2nd round, so they bit the bullet. If Tannehill reaches his potential, Fin fans will be okay with missing out on Luke Kuechly or Michael Floyd. The rest of the Dolphins draft was solid. Martin will start, Vernon will serve as a much-needed pass-rusher, Miller will be the KR/PR as he awaits a bigger role in '13, and Agnew has huge potential in Philbin's offense. Hunch prediction: B.J. Cunningham surprises and emerges as a player.

Speaking of Kuechly, I'm glad he's not a Bill. Still, I think Buffalo also had a solid draft. Gilmore, Glen, and Bradham were all real solid selections. T.J. Graham's an absolute burner. It'll be interesting to see how much he plays in his rookie season.

Aren't the Jets trying to win now? Not overly impressed with their draft. Coples was far too inconsistent in college, IMO, to warrant such a high selection, and Hill, while having solid potential, seems too raw to be able to contribute immediately. All jokes aside, I liked the Griffin selection late, but as was mentioned above, their offensive line issues were left unresolved.

Edited by pdaj, 28 April 2012 - 09:09 PM.

[SMU_Sox]

It's too bad Weeden is 28. I believe he is a better QB than Tannehill. He makes fewer poor passes and he is more accurate. His Y/A are about 1.4 yards higher than Tannehill too (8.4 versus 7.06). Tannehill is more athletic - no one will argue that. Weeden though was more composed in the pocket and was also more accurate, but had a better supporting cast. As far as ceiling it's hard to articulate why one athlete has a higher ceiling than another but I disagree that Tannehill's ceiling may equal or surpass RG3's.

As a fun way of agreeing to disagree would you care to wager $50 that Tannehill's first 3-4 years in the league (you pick either 3 or 4) are better than Weeden's by a metric we can agree on? I'd like to take Weeden and I'd suggest QB rating as the metric even if it isn't a great stat.

[pdaj]

As a fun way of agreeing to disagree would you care to wager $50 that Tannehill's first 3-4 years in the league (you pick either 3 or 4) are better than Weeden's by a metric we can agree on? I'd like to take Weeden and I'd suggest QB rating as the metric even if it isn't a great stat.

Sure, but can I put you in charge of reminding me about the bet in 4 years? Haha, I lose my keys at least once a week.

CBSSports has their grades in already.

http://www.cbssports...unk-the-weekend

Here's what they have to say about the AFC East:

Buffalo Bills


Best pick: I really liked the Bills getting Cordy Glenn in the second round. He had first-round ability and should be an immediate starter at left tackle.

Questionable move: They took North Carolina State receiver T.J. Graham in the third round in large part because he can fly. But he dropped a lot of passes in college and that might have been too high.

Third-day gem: Florida State tackle Zebrie Sanders was a nice value pick in the fifth round. He was a quality starter for the Seminoles.

Analysis: The Bills landed a top cover player in the first round in Stephon Gilmore and then waited to take a tackle in Glenn in the second. It proved to be a good strategy. Both players should start. They added some other nice players in the later rounds. The one concern is Graham.

Grade: B

Miami Dolphins

Best pick: Third-round tight end Michael Egnew has the ability to split out and create matchup problems. He's what you want in a tight end.

Questionable move: Taking Ryan Tannehill with the eighth overall pick is a risk. He has tools, but limited starts. Did they overdraft because of the need at the position?

Third-day gem: Running back Lamar Miller might have some shoulder issues, but he is an explosive runner. The Dolphins might have nailed a special back.

Analysis: The draft will be graded on the Tannehill pick in the long run. If their analysis is accurate, and he's a franchise passer, this will be a really nice draft. If not, well, this regime won't be around long. I liked what they did after Tannehill a lot. But he is this draft.

Grade: B+

New England Patriots

Best pick: Some questioned Chandler Jones, the team's first pick. Not me. I think he will develop into a nice pass rusher for a team that needs it.

Questionable move: Drafting safety Tavon Wilson in the second round. Most scouts had him rated down the board. But Bill Belichick has to like his versatility since he has played corner as well.

Third-day gem: They took Nebraska corner Alfonzo Dennard in the seventh round. That's great value. He did have an arrest, but don't the Patriots have a car wash outside their facility to clean off player stink?

Analysis: Belichick usually trades back, but moved up twice to land Jones and Dont'a Hightower. Those picks are solid, even if I didn't like the trade up to get Hightower as their second first-round pick. The pick of Wilson could decide this draft.

Grade: B-

New York Jets

Best pick: Second-round receiver Stephen Hill has the tools to be an explosive player, but he is raw. Can this regime get the best out of him? If they can, he will be a steal. Boom or bust pick.

Questionable move: Taking Quinton Coples in the first round is a strange move for this team. He doesn't seem to fit what they do. Oh, and he also took last season off at North Carolina.

Third-day gem: Running back Terrance Ganaway put up big numbers in Baylor's offense. He is a big back at 239 pounds.

Analysis: The Jets took two players in the first two rounds who are risks. Is that really something this front office and staff can afford to do? Add in the stupid Tim Tebow trade, and the Jets haven't had a great start to 2012. It's a feast-or-famine draft.

Grade: C-

Edited by pdaj, 28 April 2012 - 11:45 PM.

[Tony C]

I really like the Bills draft overall, a bit more than the Pats'. Gilmore and Glenn look to be really solid, and TJ Graham as a wideout is more intriguing than Wilson as a safety. But hard not to love the Pats' 1st rounders, and we'll see from there -- I really like Alfonzo Dennard. I think one of the reasons the Pats have success with a few shady types is they surround them with high character types, and this draft is a classic example of that. A real emphasis on team captain been thru adversity and come out the other end types...and one possible head case.

After that the Jets are the most boom or bust draft, and Miami's draft depends on Tannehill. If he's a stud QB, then this is the best draft in the division. If not, if he's another Matt Moore, then it's likely the worst. My guess is the latter.

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Aren't the Jets trying to win now? Not overly impressed with their draft. Coples was far too inconsistent in college, IMO, to warrant such a high selection, and Hill, while having solid potential, seems too raw to be able to contribute immediately. All jokes aside, I liked the Griffin selection late, but as was mentioned above, their offensive line issues were left unresolved.

My thoughts exactly. Stephen Hill knows how to run straight down the field really fast and not much else. Demaryus Thomas was more polished than Hill coming out of that Georgia Tech offense and it took him almost two years at the NFL for things to click. Hill may be a nice weapon in 2014 for whoever the team brings in after the Sanchez/Tebow shitshow runs its inevitable course. But he's not helping this team win in 2012 and probably not 2013 for that matter.

[collings94]

I'm really excited about Hightower coming to NE. As a big LSU fan, I can personally attest to his playmaking ability and the fact that he can show up just about anywhere on the football field to make a tackle.

I'm not that big on Tannehill, his numbers last year (3,700 yds, 61% completion rate, 29 Td's to 15 Int's) were good, but not that amazing considering that he played in the Big 12, were any QB worth his salt can throw for 3,500+ yds.