What the title should say is "Day 2, crap out", since I've decided to bail and only do a couple of intriguing picks and some brief info on the Panthers guys:
4) Ryne Robinson, KR, Miami (OH) - basically a guy to return kicks, and if everything goes well, he may develop his skills to be a slot reciever, put up impressive stats in college (13.9 yds/ret, 7 TDs)
5) Dante Rosario, TE, Oregon - H-back, what fun! (for a definition of H-back, see comments from Day 1) hopefully Rosario can be the second string TE, and maybe even in the field of play a lot on 2 TE sets, along with exciting motion from FB-TE or vice versa, should be a pass catching option to play opposite Micheal Gaines
5) Tim Shaw, OLB, Penn St - what else to draft but a LB from Linebacker U, this guy has been raved about on a couple of sites, apparently switched to DE for his senior year and still ranked 2nd on the team in sacks, high motor, do what you ask of him guy, should be a boon to special teams this year and hopefully a viable fill-in in the LB rotation (ie, 1 in every 4 plays) by the end of the year
7) CJ Wilson, CB/S, Baylor - finally got our man at safety, hopefully the Panthers may have struck gold, or at least a viable project, this large physical corner could see playing time at safety, as sad as that is
Other notables:
Micheal Bush, RB - 4th, Raiders, injury dropped this 2nd round pick to the 1st of the 4th round, I'd trade him for his L'ville counterpart (and Panthers 2nd rounder) Eric Shelton in a heartbeat
Troy Smith, QB - 5th, Ravens, sigh, the Ravens do love their mobile QBs, though I'm not sure Troy Smith has quite what it takes to make it in the NFL (read: intelligence, accuracy), then again, it was just a 5th rounder
Brandon Siler, ILB - 7th, Chargers, the Chargers got someone with 3rd round talent, and a 1st round ego in the 7th, not sure if thats a good thing or a bad thing, probably the latter
Jon Abbate, ILB - Undrafted, Texans, see draft preview, he will make an impact, if only on special teams, with the Texans
Chris Leak, QB - Undrafted, Bears, arguably better than Rex Grossman
Showing posts with label NFL Draft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFL Draft. Show all posts
Monday, April 30
NFL Draft In Review (Day 1)
Round 1
Best: Adrian Peterson - solid RB who will pair well with Chester Taylor and the revamped OLine from a year ago to provide a crutch to whichever QB of the future they groom
Brady Quinn - there was an interesting piece on this trade over at pro-football-reference, basically, the Browns paid high dollar for this pick in terms of "draft value", but the point is made, that the 22nd pick was really, to the Browns, an extra in the top-10, since that is where Quinn was valued, anyways, the real issue is that the Browns got a stud QB, local boy, and franchise LT to boot.
Worst: Levi Brown - I'm not sold on Levi Brown being worth a top-5 pick in the draft, the Cardinals needed to come away protecting Matt Lienart and Edge but basically got screwed as their prize LT was snatched up by the Browns, and were unable to trade out of the pick
Jamarcus Russell - yeah, yeah, yeah, they had to, he's a man of mythic proportions and stories, I would argue that the best way to go with this pick would have been Calvin Johnson, then to draft one of the "2nd tier" QB (Edwards, Stanton or Beck) to groom behind Trent Green or some other old fogey, ESPECIALLY if you're trading away Randy Moss. WTF were they thinking. Russell's growth will be hindered by playing for a team not ready to compete (see Carr, David)
Panthers: I loved the trade down, as one reviewer put it, there were only about 15 1st round quality players in this draft, and the Panthers made one of the smartest moves of the day trading away from a reach at any position they would have needed. The move saved cap room, and added nice OLine depth (which we'll get to later). Now, the actual pick, Jon Beason is the kind of guy the Panthers love, devoted to football, already has a mentor on the team, plays better than his measurements, and fills both the OLB and ILB positions (in case of a Dan Morgan injury)
Suprise: Ted Ginn Jr. - Wow, what a reach. This is where Ted Ginn goes if he's the best Ted Ginn he can be, heals super fast, is super fast, and is a prime reciever and punt/kick returner. However, with Brady Quinn on the board, and a gaping need at QB, how do you wiff on that one. This smells like the Bills passing up Leinart last year, not a smart move.
Round 2 (and no, they won't all be that long winded, though after that I have decided to split this up into a Day 1/Day 2 post pair) I'm tagging players with their teams here as well, since there may be more doubt about that sort of thing
Best: Eric Wright (Cle) - a solid corner who dropped too far into the 2nd round, the Browns finally addressed the other side of the ball and got good value
Ryan Kalil - see Panthers section
Worst: Chris Henry (Tenn) - a decent RB who may have succeeded in a rush happy offense like Atlanta or Denver, however he likely won't make an impact with the Titans (and they needed a WR here too)
Eric Weddle (SD) - not that the timing of the pick was bad (37th), its that the Chargers shouldn't have traded up to get him, a bit of a waste of draft picks in my opinion
Brian Leonard (St. Louis) - doubt he'll perform well for the Rams, a 2nd round pick really needs to be a viable option or instant starter, looks like the Rams missed that memo
Panthers: Dwayne Jarrett - essentially Keyshawn Johnson v 2.0, should be able to step into the 3rd WR role immediately and provide a consistent balance to Smitty for the future
Ryan Kalil - what a pick, easily the best center in the draft, however somehow slipped to the late 2nd round, also can long-snap as a bonus (goodbye Jason Kyle?), not necessarily a position of true need, but with the OLine injury bug that seems to eternally bit the Panthers, not a bad idea, this also makes Justin Hartwig expendable and a threat to be cut after the year
Suprise: Alan Branch (Ariz) - I had him in the top-10 which is certainly where his talent level was, but motivation and character questions arose during the draft, and he slipped right to the happy Cardinals
Round 3
Best: Lorenzo Booker (Mia) - a solid RB from Florida State who hasn't quite completely shown his full potential, he'll be a fun change of pace from the hard hitting Ronnie Brown
Worst: Tank Tyler (NCSU) - a character problem is not what you need now with the league cracking down on that sort of thing, I don't care if a guy can bench press my Taurus 13 times, if he ends up in the commisioner's office its not only a wasted pick, but a black eye for the franchise
Panthers: Charles Johnson - a solid DE from UGA, Johnson is known for his balance, ie ability to play the run or pass, he will immediately fill in for Rucker and Peppers on every 4th play or so and keep them fresh, while in the long term be a replacement for the aging Mike Rucker, also a good foil for the Panthers' other backup DE, undersized speed rusher Stanley McClover. On another note, I've come to terms with the Panthers inability to draft a Safety. The missed out on "their guy" multiple times, Meriweather/Nelson in the first and Weddle in the 2nd (not to mention Gattis/Gaddis in the 4th), in either case, hopefully a fill in can be signed, or maybe Nate Salley will realize he played a THE Ohio State University and start representing
Top-10 performance Review
1) Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russell QB, LSU
Check
2) Detroit Lions - Calvin Johnson WR, GT
Check
3) Cleveland Browns - Brady Quinn QB, ND
Minus 1/2 (I mean, they did take him later)
4) Tampa Bay Bucs - Gaines Adams DE, Clemson
Check
5) Arizona Cardinals - Joe Thomas OT, Wisc
Minus 1/2 (OT Levi Brown, I got the position and the rationale right)
6) Washington Redskins - Amobi Okoye DT, L'ville
Minus 1/2 (I mentioned Landry as an alternative)
7) Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Peterson RB, Oklahoma
Check
8) Atlanta Falcons (via Hou) - Laron Landry S, LSU
Minus 1 (DE Jamaal Anderson, oops)
9) Miami Dolphins - Alan Branch DT, UM
Minus 1 (WR Ted Ginn, oops again)
10) Houston Texans (via Atl) - Levi Brown OT, Penn St.
Minus 1 (DT Amobi Okoye)
Also, I got 8 correctly in the top 10, with super loser points for whiffing on Branch
55% correct, 8 of 10 overall
References:
List of Draftees Rounds 1-7
Mike Tanier's 7-round review
Charlotte Observer Projected Depth Chart
Panther's Various Draft Grades
Best: Adrian Peterson - solid RB who will pair well with Chester Taylor and the revamped OLine from a year ago to provide a crutch to whichever QB of the future they groom
Brady Quinn - there was an interesting piece on this trade over at pro-football-reference, basically, the Browns paid high dollar for this pick in terms of "draft value", but the point is made, that the 22nd pick was really, to the Browns, an extra in the top-10, since that is where Quinn was valued, anyways, the real issue is that the Browns got a stud QB, local boy, and franchise LT to boot.
Worst: Levi Brown - I'm not sold on Levi Brown being worth a top-5 pick in the draft, the Cardinals needed to come away protecting Matt Lienart and Edge but basically got screwed as their prize LT was snatched up by the Browns, and were unable to trade out of the pick
Jamarcus Russell - yeah, yeah, yeah, they had to, he's a man of mythic proportions and stories, I would argue that the best way to go with this pick would have been Calvin Johnson, then to draft one of the "2nd tier" QB (Edwards, Stanton or Beck) to groom behind Trent Green or some other old fogey, ESPECIALLY if you're trading away Randy Moss. WTF were they thinking. Russell's growth will be hindered by playing for a team not ready to compete (see Carr, David)
Panthers: I loved the trade down, as one reviewer put it, there were only about 15 1st round quality players in this draft, and the Panthers made one of the smartest moves of the day trading away from a reach at any position they would have needed. The move saved cap room, and added nice OLine depth (which we'll get to later). Now, the actual pick, Jon Beason is the kind of guy the Panthers love, devoted to football, already has a mentor on the team, plays better than his measurements, and fills both the OLB and ILB positions (in case of a Dan Morgan injury)
Suprise: Ted Ginn Jr. - Wow, what a reach. This is where Ted Ginn goes if he's the best Ted Ginn he can be, heals super fast, is super fast, and is a prime reciever and punt/kick returner. However, with Brady Quinn on the board, and a gaping need at QB, how do you wiff on that one. This smells like the Bills passing up Leinart last year, not a smart move.
Round 2 (and no, they won't all be that long winded, though after that I have decided to split this up into a Day 1/Day 2 post pair) I'm tagging players with their teams here as well, since there may be more doubt about that sort of thing
Best: Eric Wright (Cle) - a solid corner who dropped too far into the 2nd round, the Browns finally addressed the other side of the ball and got good value
Ryan Kalil - see Panthers section
Worst: Chris Henry (Tenn) - a decent RB who may have succeeded in a rush happy offense like Atlanta or Denver, however he likely won't make an impact with the Titans (and they needed a WR here too)
Eric Weddle (SD) - not that the timing of the pick was bad (37th), its that the Chargers shouldn't have traded up to get him, a bit of a waste of draft picks in my opinion
Brian Leonard (St. Louis) - doubt he'll perform well for the Rams, a 2nd round pick really needs to be a viable option or instant starter, looks like the Rams missed that memo
Panthers: Dwayne Jarrett - essentially Keyshawn Johnson v 2.0, should be able to step into the 3rd WR role immediately and provide a consistent balance to Smitty for the future
Ryan Kalil - what a pick, easily the best center in the draft, however somehow slipped to the late 2nd round, also can long-snap as a bonus (goodbye Jason Kyle?), not necessarily a position of true need, but with the OLine injury bug that seems to eternally bit the Panthers, not a bad idea, this also makes Justin Hartwig expendable and a threat to be cut after the year
Suprise: Alan Branch (Ariz) - I had him in the top-10 which is certainly where his talent level was, but motivation and character questions arose during the draft, and he slipped right to the happy Cardinals
Round 3
Best: Lorenzo Booker (Mia) - a solid RB from Florida State who hasn't quite completely shown his full potential, he'll be a fun change of pace from the hard hitting Ronnie Brown
Worst: Tank Tyler (NCSU) - a character problem is not what you need now with the league cracking down on that sort of thing, I don't care if a guy can bench press my Taurus 13 times, if he ends up in the commisioner's office its not only a wasted pick, but a black eye for the franchise
Panthers: Charles Johnson - a solid DE from UGA, Johnson is known for his balance, ie ability to play the run or pass, he will immediately fill in for Rucker and Peppers on every 4th play or so and keep them fresh, while in the long term be a replacement for the aging Mike Rucker, also a good foil for the Panthers' other backup DE, undersized speed rusher Stanley McClover. On another note, I've come to terms with the Panthers inability to draft a Safety. The missed out on "their guy" multiple times, Meriweather/Nelson in the first and Weddle in the 2nd (not to mention Gattis/Gaddis in the 4th), in either case, hopefully a fill in can be signed, or maybe Nate Salley will realize he played a THE Ohio State University and start representing
Top-10 performance Review
1) Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russell QB, LSU
Check
2) Detroit Lions - Calvin Johnson WR, GT
Check
3) Cleveland Browns - Brady Quinn QB, ND
Minus 1/2 (I mean, they did take him later)
4) Tampa Bay Bucs - Gaines Adams DE, Clemson
Check
5) Arizona Cardinals - Joe Thomas OT, Wisc
Minus 1/2 (OT Levi Brown, I got the position and the rationale right)
6) Washington Redskins - Amobi Okoye DT, L'ville
Minus 1/2 (I mentioned Landry as an alternative)
7) Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Peterson RB, Oklahoma
Check
8) Atlanta Falcons (via Hou) - Laron Landry S, LSU
Minus 1 (DE Jamaal Anderson, oops)
9) Miami Dolphins - Alan Branch DT, UM
Minus 1 (WR Ted Ginn, oops again)
10) Houston Texans (via Atl) - Levi Brown OT, Penn St.
Minus 1 (DT Amobi Okoye)
Also, I got 8 correctly in the top 10, with super loser points for whiffing on Branch
55% correct, 8 of 10 overall
References:
List of Draftees Rounds 1-7
Mike Tanier's 7-round review
Charlotte Observer Projected Depth Chart
Panther's Various Draft Grades
Wednesday, April 25
NFL Draft Post (pt 2)
Ok, now a quick top-10 preview (PS, this is assuming no movement in or out of the top 10, that is just too hard to predict)
1) Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russell QB, LSU
Looks like the need matches the potential here, unless they swing a trade for Green, in which case they'd take Johnson (that second plan would be much better IMO)
2) Detroit Lions - Calvin Johnson WR, GT
Yeah, yeah, another WR?, but paired with Roy Williams, this offense will go places, they
will likely try to shop this pick but to no avail
3) Cleveland Browns - Brady Quinn QB, ND
I'm a big Quinn fan, and now, he'll be throwing passes to my boy KW II, as I said in pt 1, he'll be the top QB in this draft and the Raiders will spiral more towards oblivion
4) Tampa Bay Bucs - Gaines Adams DE, Clemson
The Bucs attempt to fix their aging defense after missing out on trading up for CJ
5) Arizona Cardinals - Joe Thomas OT, Wisc
The Cardinals could go defense, but need to improve the run game and protect their investment at QB
6) Washington Redskins - Amobi Okoye DT, L'ville
The Skins go defense after no one attempts to trade up, could be Landry here as well
7) Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Peterson RB, Oklahoma
A talent like this has slipped too far. The Vikes have lacked a consistent RB since Robert Smith retired
8) Atlanta Falcons (via Hou) - Laron Landry S, LSU
The Falcons draft a safety to keep Jimmy Williams at corner, and defense is the main need here (since Calvin Johnson is off the board)
9) Miami Dolphins - Alan Branch DT, UM
Too many needs, too many needs. They'll have to wait on a QB (assuming no trade for Green) until Stanton, Edwards, or Beck later
10) Houston Texans (via Atl) - Levi Brown OT, Penn St.
If Schaub is going to be better than Carr, he'll need some protection
1) Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russell QB, LSU
Looks like the need matches the potential here, unless they swing a trade for Green, in which case they'd take Johnson (that second plan would be much better IMO)
2) Detroit Lions - Calvin Johnson WR, GT
Yeah, yeah, another WR?, but paired with Roy Williams, this offense will go places, they
will likely try to shop this pick but to no avail
3) Cleveland Browns - Brady Quinn QB, ND
I'm a big Quinn fan, and now, he'll be throwing passes to my boy KW II, as I said in pt 1, he'll be the top QB in this draft and the Raiders will spiral more towards oblivion
4) Tampa Bay Bucs - Gaines Adams DE, Clemson
The Bucs attempt to fix their aging defense after missing out on trading up for CJ
5) Arizona Cardinals - Joe Thomas OT, Wisc
The Cardinals could go defense, but need to improve the run game and protect their investment at QB
6) Washington Redskins - Amobi Okoye DT, L'ville
The Skins go defense after no one attempts to trade up, could be Landry here as well
7) Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Peterson RB, Oklahoma
A talent like this has slipped too far. The Vikes have lacked a consistent RB since Robert Smith retired
8) Atlanta Falcons (via Hou) - Laron Landry S, LSU
The Falcons draft a safety to keep Jimmy Williams at corner, and defense is the main need here (since Calvin Johnson is off the board)
9) Miami Dolphins - Alan Branch DT, UM
Too many needs, too many needs. They'll have to wait on a QB (assuming no trade for Green) until Stanton, Edwards, or Beck later
10) Houston Texans (via Atl) - Levi Brown OT, Penn St.
If Schaub is going to be better than Carr, he'll need some protection
Monday, April 23
NFL Draft Post (pt 1)
I've decided to resurface with a 2 part NFL Draft special, this initial post will detail the Panther's needs and some players to watch out for on day 1 (rounds 1-3). The next part, with an ETA of some time this week. Anyways, on to the major needs of the Panthers (in order of importance):
Safety: A MAJOR need, or at least I feel like this is a major need. Mike Minter is the patriarch of the defense, and has taken a pay cut and decided this will be his last season, and he's the good safety. Last year, the free safety (we'll call Minter FS and the off safety SS for this exercise), was a platoon of Shaun Williams and Colin Branch. (Essentially the FS and SS are interchangable, at least within the Panthers defense) Anyhow, with Minter gone next season an upgrade at the SS and potential replacement for Minter is necessary if not now, next year. And I, and hopefully the organization, will realize that it would be better to find that player now and start him for a year next to Minter. In the wings waits former 4th rounder Nate Salley who has potential, it would be a pleasant suprise if he turns into a starting caliber player for next year.
Who? Laron Landry LSU (top 10 range), Reggie Nelson UF (15-20th range), Micheal Griffin Texas (early 2nd), Brandon Meriweather Miami (2nd), Eric Weddle Utah (2nd), Tanard Jackson (CB/S) 'Cuse (late 2nd)
Tight End: After safety there are more ?'s about the plans of the team. Safety is the most well defined postion in terms of need, Minter WILL be gone next year and a fill in is needed. Tight End, however, is more of a question mark. The new Offensive Coordinator, Jeff Davidson, loves passing to TEs and currently only last year's second day pick Jeff King fits that description. So, assuming Davidson has his way, another TE should be in the Day 1 draft plans, however, they may just use what they have.
Who? Greg Olsen Miami (15-25th), Zach Miller ASU (2nd Round), Ben Patrick Delaware (3rd?), Matt Speath Minn. (3rd?)
Linebacker: And the questions mount. How will Dan Morgan come back? How will James Anderson play? Will Seward be able to fill in if Morgan gets injured. This position should also be addressed on the first day, though not necessarily early on day 1. As of now, the starting 3 look like: Davis, Morgan, and Diggs. The main issue is the Panthers would like someone who can play middle and outside, so that if Morgan regains his health the draft spot wouldn't be wasted, Willis is one of the few that fits that mold. If Willis is around at 14, the team would be hard pressed not to jump on him being the best talent though not necessarily the highest need position. **Ok, this is why I wanted to have a blog, 2 years ago, I said I'd like us to pick up USC Linebacker Lofa Tatupu if we could to strengthen the LB core, the response was, he's too small, not worth it, not a huge need. He turned out to be a BEAST. Now, out on a limb I go again. JON ABBATE, ILB, Wake Forest. I would love for the Panthers to nab him in the 4th round. He has a strong strong motor, and tackles VERY well, and at worst would be an excellent special teams player. I don't care WHERE he went to school, he lead a resurgent Wake defense against one of the premiere conferences in the ACC.
Who? Patrick Willis Ole Miss (top 15, rumored gone at 13), Paul Posluszny Penn St (15-20), Lawrence Timmons FSU (1st), David Harris UM (1st), John Beason Miami (late 1st), Brandon Siler UF (1st/2nd), Stephen Nicholas USF (3rd)
Defensive Line: Did you say questions? There are plenty of questions here. Mike Rucker is coming off surgery that could really dampen the end of his career. Also, Kris Jenkins could very well be traded for an extra pick. If this happens, expect it to be draft day, and I'd hope it wouldn't be for anything less than a late 2nd round pick. This would allow the Panthers to address more needs immediately by taking a small step back on the DLine (Maake & Damione). Anyways, assuming this does happen, DT might need to be addressed on day 2. On day 1, if a prospect is there with good value (slipping too far down the board) at the DE position, it may be addressed, but don't expect it.
Who? Jamaal Anderson Ark (top 15/20), Adam Carriker Neb (1st), Jarvis Moss UF (late 1st), Anthony Spencer Purdue (2nd)
Kick/Punt Returner: This was, aside from 3rd down percentage, the worst part of the Panthers game last year. Hopefully a KR/WR can be found some time in the later rounds (5th-7th), though if Ted Ginn was around in the 1st, it would make the Panthers think twice since the recieving core beyond Steve Smith is either aging or not living up to expectations.
Who? Ted Ginn OSU (15-20), Jason Hill Wazzu (early 3rd), Jamalle Cornelius UF (5th)
In summary, my Panthers Draft Board for round 1:
Laron Landry S (1%) - has to be the top prospect, impact player at position of need, will likely be gone by the 14th pick
Patrick Willis LB (9%) - ditto as above essentially, would fill the MLB/OLB void, but is rumored to be going to St. Louis if he's around at 13.
Greg Olsen TE (30%) - a possibility, but the focus of the Panthers' drafts is usually defense
Reggie Nelson S (40%) - this is the most likely pick, position of need and Nelson isn't that far of a drop from Landry
Ted Ginn WR (20%) - a wild card that would spice up the Panthers' offense and definitely turn the special teams around, this may be the pick if it is decided that value can be had at S or LB later in the draft
Lastly, what I'd like:
1st (14) - Ted Ginn (hey, i don't have accountability, and offense is COOL)
2nd (45)- Brandon Meriweather (can't go wrong drafting from "The U")
2nd (trade for Jenkins) - Zach Miller (Jeff gets his 2nd new weapon in as many rounds)
3rd (83) - Quinn Pitcock (DT OSU) or Quentin Moses (DE UGA) - Assuming Jenkins is traded (as I do here), addressing the D-Line should be an issue
4th (118) - Jon Abbate (I'll put off drafting a killer LB until next year, I have faith in Morgan, Anderson and Seward, and as is the policy with groceries BUY LOCAL)
5th-7th (155, ???, ???) - Offensive Linemen Prospects (2 please), an extra LB prospect couldn't hurt either
I got a lot of my info from the Charlotte Observer and NFL Draft Countdown, both quality sites. Also, I'm a big FO fan, so I'll go down on record agreeing with this article, saying that Jamarcus Russell, while not a huge bust, will not be worth the #1 overall pick.
Safety: A MAJOR need, or at least I feel like this is a major need. Mike Minter is the patriarch of the defense, and has taken a pay cut and decided this will be his last season, and he's the good safety. Last year, the free safety (we'll call Minter FS and the off safety SS for this exercise), was a platoon of Shaun Williams and Colin Branch. (Essentially the FS and SS are interchangable, at least within the Panthers defense) Anyhow, with Minter gone next season an upgrade at the SS and potential replacement for Minter is necessary if not now, next year. And I, and hopefully the organization, will realize that it would be better to find that player now and start him for a year next to Minter. In the wings waits former 4th rounder Nate Salley who has potential, it would be a pleasant suprise if he turns into a starting caliber player for next year.
Who? Laron Landry LSU (top 10 range), Reggie Nelson UF (15-20th range), Micheal Griffin Texas (early 2nd), Brandon Meriweather Miami (2nd), Eric Weddle Utah (2nd), Tanard Jackson (CB/S) 'Cuse (late 2nd)
Tight End: After safety there are more ?'s about the plans of the team. Safety is the most well defined postion in terms of need, Minter WILL be gone next year and a fill in is needed. Tight End, however, is more of a question mark. The new Offensive Coordinator, Jeff Davidson, loves passing to TEs and currently only last year's second day pick Jeff King fits that description. So, assuming Davidson has his way, another TE should be in the Day 1 draft plans, however, they may just use what they have.
Who? Greg Olsen Miami (15-25th), Zach Miller ASU (2nd Round), Ben Patrick Delaware (3rd?), Matt Speath Minn. (3rd?)
Linebacker: And the questions mount. How will Dan Morgan come back? How will James Anderson play? Will Seward be able to fill in if Morgan gets injured. This position should also be addressed on the first day, though not necessarily early on day 1. As of now, the starting 3 look like: Davis, Morgan, and Diggs. The main issue is the Panthers would like someone who can play middle and outside, so that if Morgan regains his health the draft spot wouldn't be wasted, Willis is one of the few that fits that mold. If Willis is around at 14, the team would be hard pressed not to jump on him being the best talent though not necessarily the highest need position. **Ok, this is why I wanted to have a blog, 2 years ago, I said I'd like us to pick up USC Linebacker Lofa Tatupu if we could to strengthen the LB core, the response was, he's too small, not worth it, not a huge need. He turned out to be a BEAST. Now, out on a limb I go again. JON ABBATE, ILB, Wake Forest. I would love for the Panthers to nab him in the 4th round. He has a strong strong motor, and tackles VERY well, and at worst would be an excellent special teams player. I don't care WHERE he went to school, he lead a resurgent Wake defense against one of the premiere conferences in the ACC.
Who? Patrick Willis Ole Miss (top 15, rumored gone at 13), Paul Posluszny Penn St (15-20), Lawrence Timmons FSU (1st), David Harris UM (1st), John Beason Miami (late 1st), Brandon Siler UF (1st/2nd), Stephen Nicholas USF (3rd)
Defensive Line: Did you say questions? There are plenty of questions here. Mike Rucker is coming off surgery that could really dampen the end of his career. Also, Kris Jenkins could very well be traded for an extra pick. If this happens, expect it to be draft day, and I'd hope it wouldn't be for anything less than a late 2nd round pick. This would allow the Panthers to address more needs immediately by taking a small step back on the DLine (Maake & Damione). Anyways, assuming this does happen, DT might need to be addressed on day 2. On day 1, if a prospect is there with good value (slipping too far down the board) at the DE position, it may be addressed, but don't expect it.
Who? Jamaal Anderson Ark (top 15/20), Adam Carriker Neb (1st), Jarvis Moss UF (late 1st), Anthony Spencer Purdue (2nd)
Kick/Punt Returner: This was, aside from 3rd down percentage, the worst part of the Panthers game last year. Hopefully a KR/WR can be found some time in the later rounds (5th-7th), though if Ted Ginn was around in the 1st, it would make the Panthers think twice since the recieving core beyond Steve Smith is either aging or not living up to expectations.
Who? Ted Ginn OSU (15-20), Jason Hill Wazzu (early 3rd), Jamalle Cornelius UF (5th)
In summary, my Panthers Draft Board for round 1:
Laron Landry S (1%) - has to be the top prospect, impact player at position of need, will likely be gone by the 14th pick
Patrick Willis LB (9%) - ditto as above essentially, would fill the MLB/OLB void, but is rumored to be going to St. Louis if he's around at 13.
Greg Olsen TE (30%) - a possibility, but the focus of the Panthers' drafts is usually defense
Reggie Nelson S (40%) - this is the most likely pick, position of need and Nelson isn't that far of a drop from Landry
Ted Ginn WR (20%) - a wild card that would spice up the Panthers' offense and definitely turn the special teams around, this may be the pick if it is decided that value can be had at S or LB later in the draft
Lastly, what I'd like:
1st (14) - Ted Ginn (hey, i don't have accountability, and offense is COOL)
2nd (45)- Brandon Meriweather (can't go wrong drafting from "The U")
2nd (trade for Jenkins) - Zach Miller (Jeff gets his 2nd new weapon in as many rounds)
3rd (83) - Quinn Pitcock (DT OSU) or Quentin Moses (DE UGA) - Assuming Jenkins is traded (as I do here), addressing the D-Line should be an issue
4th (118) - Jon Abbate (I'll put off drafting a killer LB until next year, I have faith in Morgan, Anderson and Seward, and as is the policy with groceries BUY LOCAL)
5th-7th (155, ???, ???) - Offensive Linemen Prospects (2 please), an extra LB prospect couldn't hurt either
I got a lot of my info from the Charlotte Observer and NFL Draft Countdown, both quality sites. Also, I'm a big FO fan, so I'll go down on record agreeing with this article, saying that Jamarcus Russell, while not a huge bust, will not be worth the #1 overall pick.
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