Suppose the Jaguars make an early and successful push for Julius Thomas in Free Agency.
The second round of the draft rolls around, and Maxx Williams is somehow still on the board when the Jaguars pick again?
Would you draft Maxx Williams with that pick?
Or suppose Thomas in free agency and Clive Warford is there at the top of the 3rd.
Would you pull the trigger on Warford?
Would your answer hinge on whether Marcedes Lewis is kept, Jaguars needs elsewhere, or something else?
I've been tossing this scenario around in my head for a while, and I'm not sure what I would do.
I really like Maxx Williams as a TE prospect. If it were at all possible to employ a 2 TE set like New England had a few years ago with Gronkowski and Hernandez, it could pose any number of matchup advantages for the Jaguars, give us all kinds of depth at the position, and give Bortles yet another weapon to utilize. All of those are appealing to me.
But part of me thinks under that scenario, Williams/Warford might be a luxury the Jaguars can't afford, depending upon what needs are left after free agency, especially in the absence of a trade down that might net the Jaguars additional picks, especially not knowing who we took in the first and who else would be left on the board under this scenario.
What do you folks think?
Quote:Suppose the Jaguars make an early and successful push for Julius Thomas in Free Agency.
The second round of the draft rolls around, and Maxx Williams is somehow still on the board when the Jaguars pick again?
Would you draft Maxx Williams with that pick?
Or suppose Thomas in free agency and Clive Warford is there at the top of the 3rd.
Would you pull the trigger on Warford?
Would your answer hinge on whether Marcedes Lewis is kept, Jaguars needs elsewhere, or something else?
I've been tossing this scenario around in my head for a while, and I'm not sure what I would do.
I really like Maxx Williams as a TE prospect. If it were at all possible to employ a 2 TE set like New England had a few years ago with Gronkowski and Hernandez, it could pose any number of matchup advantages for the Jaguars, give us all kinds of depth at the position, and give Bortles yet another weapon to utilize. All of those are appealing to me.
But part of me thinks under that scenario, Williams/Warford might be a luxury the Jaguars can't afford, depending upon what needs are left after free agency, especially in the absence of a trade down that might net the Jaguars additional picks, especially not knowing who we took in the first and who else would be left on the board under this scenario.
What do you folks think?
Bulls, if the Jaguars sign Julius Thomas I personally wouldn't draft a TE until later in the draft, certainly wouldn't use a 2nd round pick on one. I'd be shocked if the Jaguars don't draft defense with their first two picks, best available defensive player with the 3rd pick followed up with someone like Eric Kendricks in the 2nd round,
If they draft a TE after signing Thomas, It probably wouldn't be until later in the draft. This team still has many holes to try to fill to double up on a luxury.
Quote:Bulls, if the Jaguars sign Julius Thomas I personally wouldn't draft a TE until later in the draft, certainly wouldn't use a 2nd round pick on one. I'd be shocked if the Jaguars don't draft defense with their first two picks, best available defensive player with the 3rd pick followed up with someone like Eric Kendricks in the 2nd round,
So this is true for you even if the team cut Marcedes Lewis?
I like the idea of Kendricks as a second round pick.
A two TE set is an absolute terror to Defenses, and one that I'm kind of amazed more teams don't push for. Three down Tight Ends are really, really difficult to find so if one comes your way, I am all for nabbing him. Just the schematic freedom alone would be worth it in my opinion.
Now, with all of that being said I'm not terribly thrilled with any of the Tight Ends in this years class. There are some intriguing players, but none that really jump off the page to me so I'm not so sure that the talent is available to field a true "dual Tight End" offense.
Quote:If they draft a TE after signing Thomas, It probably wouldn't be until later in the draft. This team still has many holes to try to fill to double up on a luxury.
But is getting weapons for our young QB and maximizing his chances of success truly a "luxury?"
I get your argument, believe me.
Just don't know if it would necessarily be "wrong" per se to double up on TE.
The Ravens and the Patriots did it a few years back for Brady and Flacco.
The Colts did it with Luck.
Quote:So this is true for you even if the team cut Marcedes Lewis?
I like the idea of Kendricks as a second round pick.
Yes- because I believe it's a certainty the Jaguars will cut Lewis, there's no way he'll be on the roster next year at a $8M cap hit, and I don't think he'll be open to taking a pay cut. If the Jags entertain the idea of drafting a TE I'm assuming the earliest they'd do it is the 3rd round, if a guy like Jesse James is still on the board in the 3rd round I'd be ok with David pulling the trigger.
Quote:A two TE set is an absolute terror to Defenses, and one that I'm kind of amazed more teams don't push for. Three down Tight Ends are really, really difficult to find so if one comes your way, I am all for nabbing him. Just the schematic freedom alone would be worth it in my opinion.
Now, with all of that being said I'm not terribly thrilled with any of the Tight Ends in this years class. There are some intriguing players, but none that really jump off the page to me so I'm not so sure that the talent is available to field a true "dual Tight End" offense.
What about the TEs in this class do you not like?
Do the top guys lack the blocking skills, or do you not think they can stretch seams well enough?
Quote:So this is true for you even if the team cut Marcedes Lewis?
I like the idea of Kendricks as a second round pick.
Me too, the first two rounds need to be dedicated to getting younger and more athletic on defense, a combination of Shane Ray and Eric Kendricks would be nice.
Quote:Yes- because I believe it's a certainty the Jaguars will cut Lewis, there's no way he'll be on the roster next year at a $8M cap hit, and I don't think he'll be open to taking a pay cut. If the Jags entertain the idea of drafting a TE I'm assuming the earliest they'd do it is the 3rd round, if a guy like Jesse James is still on the board in the 3rd round I'd be ok with David pulling the trigger.
That makes sense to me.
But I think if Thomas is signed and Lewis is cut, there is still a hole on the roster for at least a blocking TE, since neither Thomas nor Harbor fit that bill.
Quote:That makes sense to me.
But I think if Thomas is signed and Lewis is cut, there is still a hole on the roster for at least a blocking TE, since neither Thomas nor Harbor fit that bill.
That's why I like the idea of Jesse James in the 3rd, he's a blocking dynamo at 6'7 260+ Lbs but has upside as a receiver as well, he has a chance to develop into a dominant (complete) TE.
Quote:That makes sense to me.
But I think if Thomas is signed and Lewis is cut, there is still a hole on the roster for at least a blocking TE, since neither Thomas nor Harbor fit that bill.
Sign Luke Stocker too from Tampa. Would not cost much at all.
Quote:What about the TEs in this class do you not like?
Do the top guys lack the blocking skills, or do you not think they can stretch seams well enough?
I don't feel like there is anyone truly athletic enough to threaten LBs with theirspeed and Safeties with their physicality. That's what makes (made) Gronkowski and Hernandez so deadlly together; LBs couldn't run with them, and Safeties couldn't control them.
Williams will be a Heath Miller type in my eyes, which isn't a bad thing in any way and might actually work with Thomas as more of a speed threat, but beyond him I see them as being Pete Mitchell types when they top out.
Then again, I've been wrong before.
Quote:I don't feel like there is anyone truly athletic enough to threaten LBs with theirspeed and Safeties with their physicality. That's what makes (made) Gronkowski and Hernandez so deadlly together; LBs couldn't run with them, and Safeties couldn't control them.
Williams will be a Heath Miller type in my eyes, which isn't a bad thing in any way and might actually work with Thomas as more of a speed threat, but beyond him I see them as being Pete Mitchell types when they top out.
Then again, I've been wrong before.
Pete Mitchell is who I see when I consider O'Leary.
Maxx Williams reminds me of Doug Cosbie.
Quote:Sign Luke Stocker too from Tampa. Would not cost much at all.
Not bad.
Quote:Pete Mitchell is who I see when I consider O'Leary.
Maxx Williams reminds me of Doug Cosbie.
Bingo on the O'Leary statement. I'm going to need to dig into my memory banks for Cosbie.
Who was Marino's Tight End before David Greene? Can't think of that player's name.
The backup TE that I would target is MyCole Pruitt out of Southern Illinois. He is 6'3" 250 Lbs and runs a sub 4.6/40, which turned out to the be fastest time for a TE at the Combine. He is more of an H-Back and might be considered a player similar to Charles Clay of the Dolphins.
I think the Jags need the 2nd TE to be different than the primary TE, like a Move TE and a H-Back TE.
MyCole Pruitt should be available at the top of Rd 5.
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I think Pick 36 will be quite intriguing for the Jags.
I love the idea of taking Eric Kendricks but he could very well slip into the later part of Rd 1 and be taken by the Packers or the Cardinals.
I am also quite intrigued with Eli Harold - OLB/LeoDE out of Virginia, especially if the Jags are able to land Leonard Williams with Pick 3, as I suspect they will.
I also feel that the pick will be very attractive to other teams in a trade down scenario and I suspect that the Jags could garner another Rd 4 selection by trading down in Rd 2 and still be in a position to take a premium player.
If the Jags do not sign Brian Bulaga, then I think there is a good chance they may target Cedric Ogbuehi, who would offer real value at the middle of Rd 2.
Having an extra Rd 4 pick, might allow the team to move up into the latter part of Rd 2 and take another premium player if a targeted player falls. The Jags could package their Rd 3 and Rd 4 picks to move up into Rd 2 and take their 2nd Rd 2 pick, while still having a Rd 4 selection to start the Day 3 selections.
I have no idea what is going to happen and because of that, I find this time of speculation most intriguing and a whole lot of fun.
Quote:Bingo on the O'Leary statement. I'm going to need to dig into my memory banks for Cosbie.
Who was Marino's Tight End before David Greene? Can't think of that player's name.
Cosbie...Dallas Cowboys TE of the early-mid 1980s.
I do not remember David Greene.
I remember a guy named Ferrell Edmunds...big...very fast...very long arms...and couldn't catch a cold.
I remember Keith Jackson, who came over from the Eagles.
Quote:Cosbie...Dallas Cowboys TE of the early-mid 1980s.
I do not remember David Greene.
I remember a guy named Ferrell Edmunds...big...very fast...very long arms...and couldn't catch a cold.
I remember Keith Jackson, who came over from the Eagles.
Edmunds was my heartbreak as a young football fan. And you nailed his description; you couldn't have built a better Tight End in your garage but the guy just couldn't catch.
And I was wrong on Green's name. I was thinking of Eric Green who the team brought over from Pittsburgh in '95. That was back in my "am I a Dolphin fan or a Jax fan?" days.
Quote:Edmunds was my heartbreak as a young football fan. And you nailed his description; you couldn't have built a better Tight End in your garage but the guy just couldn't catch.
And I was wrong on Green's name. I was thinking of Eric Green who the team brought over from Pittsburgh in '95. That was back in my "am I a Dolphin fan or a Jax fan?" days.
I hated those transition days (from Dallas to Jax).
Some of the most difficult days of my football fandom.
Eric Green was an outstanding red zone target and very big.
Edmunds never made sense...to have all of that physical talent and never put it together. If he could hold onto those passes, he could have been one of the all time greats with Marino throwing him the ball.
He's like the offensive version of Alonzo Spellman. Great physical specimen, but never put it all together.
In Spellman's case, IIRC, there were mental health issues with him.
I don't know if there are any comparisons to Edmunds or Green in this draft.