NFL Draft

[Mellsblue]

Watson to Browns it is. Who gets the Mayfield consolation prize? A QB merry-go-round that refuses to stop.

[switchskier]

Watson to Browns it is. Who gets the Mayfield consolation prize? A QB merry-go-round that refuses to stop.

You have to expect Mayfield to colts now, as it looks like Winston is staying at the saints. I wouldn't bet against a midseason trade though. Still think Watson misses at least 6 games with over 20 civil cases still against him, though it's a hell of a lot of cap space to have tied up in your QB riom.

It would be very like the Browns for this to blow up in their faces.

Houston did well to get that much considering everyone knew that they had moved on.

[switchskier]

I was reading today about Watsons new contract with the Browns. $230m guaranteed for someone that has 22 civil cases still against him. What's more they've given him just $1m in base salary for next season so that if the league suspends him or fines him for this season then he still gets pretty much all of his money in future years and only loses $57k a game.

Pretty distateful. Doesnt the backloading signal that they think a ban is incoming? Feels risky too to guarantee $230m on the hope that nothing further happens. But it's the NFL so it's not exactly surprising.

[Mellsblue]

Yeah, it stinks.

[Mellsblue]

Another, erm, dodgy character gets a big payday. Dolphins going down the Giants route of building through free agency on a below average foundation……

[Buggaluggs]

The Bengals going from 4-12 duds to the superbowl in one season after some wise and some lucky free agency pickups has got quite a few teams that are a bit crap thinking that they are 2-3 key signings away from winning it all. Most of them will regret at least some of these signings.

[Mellsblue]

Speaking of building through the draft rather than free agency……. The Giants have now had 11 straight 1st round picks leave the franchise prior to a second contract.
Saquon is next up and I can’t see him getting one unless he repeats his rookie season, not to mention there are rumours he would be traded for a second or early third. The following year was Jones and Dexter Lawrence, both up in the air, and Deandre Baker who was gone within 12 months. We’ll find out Schoen’s thoughts on Jones and Lawrence when it’s 5th year option deadline.

[Mellsblue]

Right then. As a Giants fan, it’s the most exciting week of the season. What is your (realistic) dream 1st round scenario and your round 3 or later pet favourite.
For me:
Must get an OT at 5 - Neal, Ekwonu and then Cross. At 7 I’d be very tempted by Sauce but would still probably prefer a trade back to pick up a 1st rounder for next year. Falcons or Seattle would be good as it’s not too far, they both need QB and I reckon Falcons will be terrible this year.
Probably unrealistic dream scenario is all OTs on the board at 5 and start a bidding war for someone to get in front of the Panthers. Such a terrible year for it to be a terrible QB class as none of them are really worth 7 let alone 5.
Round 3 or later player I really want is Troy Anderson. One year at linebacker after playing QB and RB in school and most of college, and he already gives me poor man’s Parsons vibes. Not that anybody is Parsons who is the player I really wanted the Giants to draft last year…. even if it was heart over head.

Speaking of last years draft: the Giants are rumoured to be looking to trade Toney, who hasn’t turned up to OTAs….

[switchskier]

My dream scenario is for the Giants or the Jets to trade us both their first round picks and a second for Deebo Samuel, and even then I'd be only ok with it (not going to happen I know). Alternatively if we could get a good second for Garropollo that would be good. Other than that the best I can hope is that a really good prospect falls so that they're in range at 61. From the various bits of analysis I like the sound of the edge rusher Mafe, Daxton Hill at safety or Ojabo if the injury really causes him to slide.

Don't think that Gardner will be there at seven. Either the Jets or Texans will take him. I do think that there'll be a surprise at 1 though. Trent Balke loves long armed pash rushers so I can definitely see him picking Travon Walker rather than Aiden Hutchinson.

My bold prediction is that Pickett slides all the way out of the first round.

[switchskier]

Oh, and agree that the Falcons will be terrible. If I was their GM then I'd be aiming to accumulate capital and aim for the number one pick and new QB next year.

Don't watch enough college football to have late round draft crushes. A colleague thinks that Carson Strong will be a star and the niners are constantly mocked to Marcus Jones - an undersized corner/return man.

[Mellsblue]

Giants are light years away from spending any serious draft capital on any player but the Jets did have an offer for Tyreek Hill accepted do they could offer a haul for Deebo.

Carson Strong was terrible at the senior bowl and there are big concerns over his knee but…… he is supposed to be the best pure passer this year. Someone may get a steal if he slides a long way.
Eric Crocker likes Marcus Jones.

[switchskier]

Giants are light years away from spending any serious draft capital on any player but the Jets did have an offer for Tyreek Hill accepted do they could offer a haul for Deebo.

Carson Strong was terrible at the senior bowl and there are big concerns over his knee but…… he is supposed to be the best pure passer this year. Someone may get a steal if he slides a long way.
Eric Crocker likes Marcus Jones.

Crocker likes everyone though. Apart from Jimmy G and Kenny Pickett.

How would you feel if the Giants went QB at 5 or 7? Maybe Willis with the intention to let him sit a year but then take over before you have to pay Jones' his relatively expensive fifth year option? You're definitely more than a year away from contending I think.

[Mellsblue]

Giants are light years away from spending any serious draft capital on any player but the Jets did have an offer for Tyreek Hill accepted do they could offer a haul for Deebo.

Carson Strong was terrible at the senior bowl and there are big concerns over his knee but…… he is supposed to be the best pure passer this year. Someone may get a steal if he slides a long way.
Eric Crocker likes Marcus Jones.

Crocker likes everyone though. Apart from Jimmy G and Kenny Pickett.

How would you feel if the Giants went QB at 5 or 7? Maybe Willis with the intention to let him sit a year but then take over before you have to pay Jones' his relatively expensive fifth year option? You're definitely more than a year away from contending I think.

There’s nobody good enough. If Willis is still there at the back end of the 1st rd I wouldn’t be adverse to them trading up but ultimately the roster has so many holes I wouldn’t want to trade away any picks. Chances are we’ll be picking top 10 next year and if we can trade back to get pick a ‘23 1st rd pick we’ll be set for a trade up in to the top 2/3 next year (assuming we’re not already there). Bryce Young at Alabama looks the business and the Ohio State QB is meant to be just as good.
I’d suggest we’re 3 min years away from contending, even if we nail three consecutive drafts. That’s why today is the most exciting day of the season!

[Mellsblue]

We’ll find out Schoen’s thoughts on Jones and Lawrence when it’s 5th year option deadline.

Jones = declined
Lawrence = exercised

[Mellsblue]

Well f**k me. After years of taking a TE who can’t consistently catch or block, a RB at 2, a seemingly mediocre QB at 6, an above average DT, a CB with an attitude problem and a WR with an injury and attitude problem, I do believe the Giants have nailed the 1st rd.
The only downside is no extra 1st round pick next year. Jones either needs to ball out or suck so bad we’re in the top 2/3.
Hoping for Booth Jnr at 36 as the best CB left and seemingly a consensus first rounder to everyone other than the NFL GMs, and then take best player available.
Good vibes for the first time since the false dawn at the end of Judge’s first season.

[switchskier]

Well f**k me. After years of taking a TE who can’t consistently catch or block, a RB at 2, a seemingly mediocre QB at 6, an above average DT, a CB with an attitude problem and a WR with an injury and attitude problem, I do believe the Giants have nailed the 1st rd.
The only downside is no extra 1st round pick next year. Jones either needs to ball out or suck so bad we’re in the top 2/3.
Hoping for Booth Jnr at 36 as the best CB left and seemingly a consensus first rounder to everyone other than the NFL GMs, and then take best player available.
Good vibes for the first time since the false dawn at the end of Judge’s first season.

Thibodeaux was meant to go number 1 for ages, so that looks like great value and he could really thrive in the big NY market. Think it's a better fit for him than somewhere smaller weirdly. Neal looks like a very safe pick. He plays right tackle with Thomas on the left?

Apparently the niners were offered pick ten and a swap of late round picks by the jets for deebo and an delighted we didn't do that. Think that the Titans got fleeced in the trade for Brown who is 50% of their offense. They just got worse.

Patriots zigging whilst others are zagging again. I thought that we might get Strange in the third with a bit of manouvering. Noone seems to have seen that one coming. Now thinking we might have to move up for Jurgens in Mack does retire as I'm assuming.

[Mellsblue]

Well f**k me. After years of taking a TE who can’t consistently catch or block, a RB at 2, a seemingly mediocre QB at 6, an above average DT, a CB with an attitude problem and a WR with an injury and attitude problem, I do believe the Giants have nailed the 1st rd.
The only downside is no extra 1st round pick next year. Jones either needs to ball out or suck so bad we’re in the top 2/3.
Hoping for Booth Jnr at 36 as the best CB left and seemingly a consensus first rounder to everyone other than the NFL GMs, and then take best player available.
Good vibes for the first time since the false dawn at the end of Judge’s first season.

Thibodeaux was meant to go number 1 for ages, so that looks like great value and he could really thrive in the big NY market. Think it's a better fit for him than somewhere smaller weirdly. Neal looks like a very safe pick. He plays right tackle with Thomas on the left?

Apparently the niners were offered pick ten and a swap of late round picks by the jets for deebo and an delighted we didn't do that. Think that the Titans got fleeced in the trade for Brown who is 50% of their offense. They just got worse.

Patriots zigging whilst others are zagging again. I thought that we might get Strange in the third with a bit of manouvering. Noone seems to have seen that one coming. Now thinking we might have to move up for Jurgens in Mack does retire as I'm assuming.

Yep, Neal at RT. He played there in his freshman year so does have some experience in the position. I’m therefore hoping he won’t go through the same growing as Sewell did when he moved from left to right tackle.
There were odd trades all round.
Pats picking Strange caught everyone surprise, including NFL Network who didn’t have cameras on him. They must seriously love him and think everyone else does as well to not think he’d drop to them in rd 2 (I assuming they have a rd 2 pick).
If you want a C then keep an eye out for Fortner from Kentucky as he seems to have received a lot of attention late in the process.
It will be interesting to see where the run starts on QBs

[Mellsblue]

Never mind. Fecked up rd2 - looks like we tried to get cute at CB and then got jumped for Booth, only to take a WR who seems to have a consensus late 3rd/early 4th grade. It then sounds like we reached for a CB with our second third round pick.
On the flip side, we now have two 4th round, three 5th round and one sixth round.

[switchskier]

Never mind. Fecked up rd2 - looks like we tried to get cute at CB and then got jumped for Booth, only to take a WR who seems to have a consensus late 3rd/early 4th grade. It then sounds like we reached for a CB with our second third round pick.
On the flip side, we now have two 4th round, three 5th round and one sixth round.

Yeah, the analysis I read was that your new WR is Tovey light, which seems a bit pointless.

Niners drafts are always a bit perplexing but we've learnt to trust in the Shanalynch brain trust. Depressing to overdraft a running back in the third round again, and it's a poor sign for Sermon. Like the sound of a physically gifted edge rusher in the second round the our coaches can work with, but a very fast but raw wide receiver feels like a luxury. Good to see that we've addressed O-line in the fourth round but feels too late to protect our investment in Lance.

What's most perplexing is that they haven't traded at all. Usually they trade up a few times, but the one season where we have more picks than roster slots we're not trading up at all.

[Mellsblue]

Never mind. Fecked up rd2 - looks like we tried to get cute at CB and then got jumped for Booth, only to take a WR who seems to have a consensus late 3rd/early 4th grade. It then sounds like we reached for a CB with our second third round pick.
On the flip side, we now have two 4th round, three 5th round and one sixth round.

Yeah, the analysis I read was that your new WR is Tovey light, which seems a bit pointless.

Niners drafts are always a bit perplexing but we've learnt to trust in the Shanalynch brain trust. Depressing to overdraft a running back in the third round again, and it's a poor sign for Sermon. Like the sound of a physically gifted edge rusher in the second round the our coaches can work with, but a very fast but raw wide receiver feels like a luxury. Good to see that we've addressed O-line in the fourth round but feels too late to protect our investment in Lance.

What's most perplexing is that they haven't traded at all. Usually they trade up a few times, but the one season where we have more picks than roster slots we're not trading up at all.

Reading a few bits that the WR and RB picks may be to reassure Debo that his workload will be reduced. Might explain it?

Giants’ 3rd day was a lot better but the 2nd is still perplexing…… especially when I read that the CB we picked is a slot and we already have two young slot CBs drafted in the last two years. Perhaps they believe one of the three can be moved outside. I think I, and loads of other analysts and reporters, would be a lot higher on the draft if the 2nd rounder had been someone else.

[switchskier]

Never mind. Fecked up rd2 - looks like we tried to get cute at CB and then got jumped for Booth, only to take a WR who seems to have a consensus late 3rd/early 4th grade. It then sounds like we reached for a CB with our second third round pick.
On the flip side, we now have two 4th round, three 5th round and one sixth round.

Yeah, the analysis I read was that your new WR is Tovey light, which seems a bit pointless.

Niners drafts are always a bit perplexing but we've learnt to trust in the Shanalynch brain trust. Depressing to overdraft a running back in the third round again, and it's a poor sign for Sermon. Like the sound of a physically gifted edge rusher in the second round the our coaches can work with, but a very fast but raw wide receiver feels like a luxury. Good to see that we've addressed O-line in the fourth round but feels too late to protect our investment in Lance.

What's most perplexing is that they haven't traded at all. Usually they trade up a few times, but the one season where we have more picks than roster slots we're not trading up at all.

Reading a few bits that the WR and RB picks may be to reassure Debo that his workload will be reduced. Might explain it?

Giants’ 3rd day was a lot better but the 2nd is still perplexing…… especially when I read that the CB we picked is a slot and we already have two young slot CBs drafted in the last two years. Perhaps they believe one of the three can be moved outside. I think I, and loads of other analysts and reporters, would be a lot higher on the draft if the 2nd rounder had been someone else.

I'm sure that there's an element of reassuring deebo but I dislike the value of drafting running backs early. You can get a difference maker at the end of the third. Nick Cross went just three picks later and lots thought he was in play at 61. The la k of safety means lots of Hufonga getting beat for speed deep. We've shown time and again that we can get running backs in the 6th round or UDFA - none of Mitchell, Wilson, Breida or Mostert were highly drafted. Indeed we only spent any draft capital on the first of them.

I wonder how Big D feels about drafting a punter at the top of the 6th? I personally think that punters are undervalued, especially if they can kick off too and this one's meant to be a bit special.

[Mellsblue]

Yeah, the analysis I read was that your new WR is Tovey light, which seems a bit pointless.

Niners drafts are always a bit perplexing but we've learnt to trust in the Shanalynch brain trust. Depressing to overdraft a running back in the third round again, and it's a poor sign for Sermon. Like the sound of a physically gifted edge rusher in the second round the our coaches can work with, but a very fast but raw wide receiver feels like a luxury. Good to see that we've addressed O-line in the fourth round but feels too late to protect our investment in Lance.

What's most perplexing is that they haven't traded at all. Usually they trade up a few times, but the one season where we have more picks than roster slots we're not trading up at all.

Reading a few bits that the WR and RB picks may be to reassure Debo that his workload will be reduced. Might explain it?

Giants’ 3rd day was a lot better but the 2nd is still perplexing…… especially when I read that the CB we picked is a slot and we already have two young slot CBs drafted in the last two years. Perhaps they believe one of the three can be moved outside. I think I, and loads of other analysts and reporters, would be a lot higher on the draft if the 2nd rounder had been someone else.

I'm sure that there's an element of reassuring deebo but I dislike the value of drafting running backs early. You can get a difference maker at the end of the third. Nick Cross went just three picks later and lots thought he was in play at 61. The la k of safety means lots of Hufonga getting beat for speed deep. We've shown time and again that we can get running backs in the 6th round or UDFA - none of Mitchell, Wilson, Breida or Mostert were highly drafted. Indeed we only spent any draft capital on the first of them.

I wonder how Big D feels about drafting a punter at the top of the 6th? I personally think that punters are undervalued, especially if they can kick off too and this one's meant to be a bit special.

Agreed on where to draft RB.
I watched a bit of Nick Cross highlights as we needed a Safety and he looks like he could be the business.

[Mellsblue]

[switchskier]

So the NFL dissapoints again, settling on an 11 game suspension, with a $5m fine for Watson. Looks like they didn't have the stomach to suspend him for the year and then have to fight in the courts - they just wanted it over. An 11 game suspension is laughably low considering that the judge that the NFL gave the four cases to concluded that he had committed assault. A $5m fine is also a pittance for someone slated to earn $230m on his current contract, though I imagine his out of court settlements are also costing him something.

The only bright side that I can see is that it might screw over the Browns. They now have to honour Watsons salary this year (I think around $9m against the cap) before the cap hit jumps to over $50m next year and they have to get rid of his supporting cast. Even then I imagine that the roll with Brissett for 11 games and roll all of their cap space now into next year.

Best thing about this is that Watsons first game back in week 13 is against the Texans. I imagine that he might be in for quite a hot reception.

[Big D]

So the NFL dissapoints again, settling on an 11 game suspension, with a $5m fine for Watson. Looks like they didn't have the stomach to suspend him for the year and then have to fight in the courts - they just wanted it over. An 11 game suspension is laughably low considering that the judge that the NFL gave the four cases to concluded that he had committed assault. A $5m fine is also a pittance for someone slated to earn $230m on his current contract, though I imagine his out of court settlements are also costing him something.

The only bright side that I can see is that it might screw over the Browns. They now have to honour Watsons salary this year (I think around $9m against the cap) before the cap hit jumps to over $50m next year and they have to get rid of his supporting cast. Even then I imagine that the roll with Brissett for 11 games and roll all of their cap space now into next year.

Best thing about this is that Watsons first game back in week 13 is against the Texans. I imagine that he might be in for quite a hot reception.

I don't think the NFL had that strong a case considering this is clearly a compromised agreement.

Doesn't mean it is right or Watson any less of a scumbag though.