An all defense draft eh, Stigma? Interesting. I would love if FA played out like that, although I'm not so sure Mack would be totally worth that kind of cheddar at this point. I think he stays in Cleveland and forces the browns to pay him or cut him, because he's not going to get that contract anywhere else imo.
Quote:Now that the Jags have secured their draft position, here is my latest mock off-season.
Free Agency:
1. Alex Mack - C - Browns - 8.5 Mil/Season - replaces Stefen Wisniewski and jumpstarts the Jags running game.
2. Mario Williams - DE - Bills - 10.5 Mil/Season - rotates with Odrick at big DE on passing downs.
3. Olivier Vernon - DE - Dolphins - 8.0 Mil/Season - rotates with Dante Fowler at the Leo position
4. Janoris Jenkins - CB - Rams - 8.0 Mil/Season - starting CB opposite Davon House with Colvin as nickel CB
Draft:
Rd 1(5): Jalen Ramsey - FS - FSU - starting FS and QB of the secondary
Rd 2(38): Sua Cravens - SS/OLB - USC - could play either SS or Otto OLB position
Rd 3(69): Vernon Butler - DT - La. Tech - 3 Tech DT in rotation
Rd 4(105): Xavien Howard - CB - Baylor - Big developmental CB
Rd 5(141): Antonio Morrison - ILB - Florida - nickel LB on passing downs
Rd 6(177): Kevin Byard - SS - MIddle Tennessee - Backup SS
Rd 6(193): Victor Ochi - DE/Leo - Stony Brook - backup developmental Leo
Rd 7(213): Ejiro Ederaine - OLB - Fresno State - backup LB - special teamer
This would be a dream FA class...although I hope they find a LB upgrade somewhere...
Quote:Now that the Jags have secured their draft position, here is my latest mock off-season.
Free Agency:
1. Alex Mack - C - Browns - 8.5 Mil/Season - replaces Stefen Wisniewski and jumpstarts the Jags running game.
2. Mario Williams - DE - Bills - 10.5 Mil/Season - rotates with Odrick at big DE on passing downs.
3. Olivier Vernon - DE - Dolphins - 8.0 Mil/Season - rotates with Dante Fowler at the Leo position
4. Janoris Jenkins - CB - Rams - 8.0 Mil/Season - starting CB opposite Davon House with Colvin as nickel CB
Draft:
Rd 1(5): Jalen Ramsey - FS - FSU - starting FS and QB of the secondary
Rd 2(38): Sua Cravens - SS/OLB - USC - could play either SS or Otto OLB position
Rd 3(69): Vernon Butler - DT - La. Tech - 3 Tech DT in rotation
Rd 4(105): Xavien Howard - CB - Baylor - Big developmental CB
Rd 5(141): Antonio Morrison - ILB - Florida - nickel LB on passing downs
Rd 6(177): Kevin Byard - SS - MIddle Tennessee - Backup SS
Rd 6(193): Victor Ochi - DE/Leo - Stony Brook - backup developmental Leo
Rd 7(213): Ejiro Ederaine - OLB - Fresno State - backup LB - special teamer
Sua Cravens at Otto would be awful. He would get swallowed up. I actually don't like him as a prospect at all
Free Agency:
Oliver Vernon - DE - Dolphins - Would be my first priority this offseason. Younger guy who is a very good pass rusher (rated top for DEs by PFF). Miami seems like they are going to let him go and Vernon has stated he is a Florida boy. Jax keeps him in state to reunite with Odrik.
Trumaine Johnson - CB - Rams - Big corner who would fit very well in our scheme and is a playmaker. Would allow Colvin to move inside where he seems to be a better fit. Janoris Jenkins and Sean Smith would be fallback options.
Alex Mack - C - Browns - Think Dave goes for Mack again and we have seen that he would like to play here. Another year removed from injury and hopefully fully healthy and ready to regain his form.
Caleb Sturgis - K - Eagles - Sturgis was picked up when Eagles Pro Bowl kicker Cody Parker went on IR. Dave brings in a local kid to provide veteran competition for Myers.
Draft
Rd 1 - Jalen Ramsey - FS - FSU - Dave makes it know that he wants a FS so he gets the best one in the draft. No brainer.
Rd 2 - Jarrad Davis - LB - UF - Rumor is he is reconsidering returning. Would be one of the top LBs in the draft next year. Always around the ball and a thumper, would be groomed to take over for Poz.
Rd 3 - Carl Nassib - DE - PSU - D1 sack leader and still growing into his body. One year wonder but would be an awesome project for the LDE spot behind Odrik.
Rd 4 - John Theus - T - UGA - Local kid to push Joeckel and Parnell. Will need to add some bulk to play at the next level
Rd 5 - Joe Schobert - OTTO - WIS - One of my favorite players in the draft. Hard worker and good at getting to the QB. STer and occasional pass rusher to start off.
Rd 6 - Beau Sandland - TE - MON - Started Juco, then went to Miami and finally Montana State. Plays a lot like Gronk/Kelce. An absolute bull once he gets the ball.
Rd 6 - Alex McCalister - LEO - UF - Talented but very lean. Will reunite with Fowler and hopefully give you an impact like Danielle Hunter
Rd 7 - Devon Johnson - RB - MAR - Massive back who can help in short yardage situations and play a little FB/TE
QB - Bortles, Henne
RB - Yeldon, Gray, Robinson, Johnson, Grant
WR - Robinson, Walters, Sterling
WR - Hurns, Lee, Greene
TE - Thomas, Harbor
TE - Lewis/Sandland, Koyak
LT - Joeckel, Wells
LG - Cann
C - Mack, Bowanko
RG - Linder, Shatley
RT - Parnell, Theus
LEO - Vernon/Fowler, Davis, McCalister, Smith
DT - Marks, Alualu, Bennett
NT - Miller, Jones
LDE - Odrik, Nassib
WLB - Telvin, Tripp/Pullard
MLB - Poz, Davis
OTTO - Fowler, Skuta, Schobert
CB - House, Colvin
FS - Ramsey, Evans, Wolff
SS - Cyprein/Sample
CB - Johnson, McCray, Marshall
K - Myers/Sturgis
P - Anger
LS - Tinker
I like Sua Cravens in the 2nd round. Im a big Jalen Ramsey fan. He's gonna bring life to that secondary
Quote:An all defense draft eh, Stigma? Interesting. I would love if FA played out like that, although I'm not so sure Mack would be totally worth that kind of cheddar at this point. I think he stays in Cleveland and forces the browns to pay him or cut him, because he's not going to get that contract anywhere else imo.
I was thinking about this lately.
Unless we take Ronnie Stanley with our first pick, this draft could end up being very defense heavy.
Would it make much sense drafting anything other than T on offense? And if not high - instant starter material, worth it at all?
Quote:I was thinking about this lately.
Unless we take Ronnie Stanley with our first pick, this draft could end up being very defense heavy.
Would it make much sense drafting anything other than T on offense? And if not high - instant starter material, worth it at all?
I'd like to see them get a number 2 TE since we run that lineup quiet a bit. Lewis will likely be resigned but I wouldn't mind a young guy to take over that role.
In this mock draft the Jags make a couple of trades:
Free Agency:
Jets slap Franchise Tag on Muhammed Wilkerson
Rams slap Franchise Tag on Trumaine Johnson
Jags sign on first day of Free Agency:
1. Alex Mack - C - Browns - 8.5 MIl/Yr contract - immediate upgrade in the Jags running game
2. Janoris Jenkins - CB - Rams - 8 Mil/Yr contract - Jenkins is equilvalent to Hargreaves in this draft class - starts opposite House with Colvin manning the nickel CB spot
3. Olivier Vernon - DE/Leo - Dolphins - 8 MIl/Yr contract - Jags have their 2nd Leo pass rusher who is solid against the run.
4. Tashaun Gipson - FS - Browns - 8 MIl/Yr contract - Jags decide to not risk getting their FS in the defensive backfield
about a week later the Jags sign
5. Matt Forte - RB - Bears - 4 Mil/Yr - Jags have their backup RB
Draft:
When Chargers take Jalen Ramsey with the 3rd pick, the Jags make a trade with the Jets trading Pick 5 for Picks 20 (Rd 1) and 119 (Rd 4) PLUS Muhammed Wilkerson - DE
Muhammed Wilkerson will rotate with Odrick at the Big DE position -
Jags sign Wilkerson to a 12 Mil/Yr contract
Rd 1(20): Noah Spence - DE/Leo - Eastern Kentucky - Jags grab another Pass rushing DE whom they believe is a Top 10 selection who drops due to some baggage in college - Senior Bowl seals deals
Rd 2(38): Sua Craven - SS - USC - Jags decide that they need to upgrade over Jonathan Cyprien and take a player many view as another Troy Polamalu
Rd 3(69): Joshua Perry - Otto LB - Ohio State - Jags grab their new Otto LB - Skuta becomes a backup Otto and part of the Leo DE rotation
Jags trade Picks 105 (Rd 4) and 177 (Rd 6) for a late Rd 3 selection
Rd 3(93): Vernon Butler - DT - Louisiana Tech - Jags get another 3 Tech DT to rush the passer and stop the run.
Rd 4(119): Antonio Morrison - ILB - Florida - Jags take their backup MLB
Rd 5(141): Kevin Byard - SS - MIddle Tennessee - Jags take another S to push Josh Evans out the door
Rd 6(193): Victor Ochi - DE/Leo - Stony Brook - small school pass rushing demon that becomes a developmental Leo De
Rd 7(213): Ejiro Ederaine - OLB - Fresno State - backup LB and special team ace
Stigma, I always enjoy your scenerios which involve trades. As far as this last one, the positives are:
1. All of the free agent pick-ups would strengthen the team considerably by addressing areas of weakness. I doubt Forte would come here, but the rest are very possible.
2. Craven, Perry and Butler are all solid picks. Butler looked great in La. Tech's bowl game and would be a steal in the 3rd.
3. Trading for Wilkerson would be a slam dunk winning move. Who knows, maybe the Jets would do this out of desperation for their q.b. of the future ( Lynch or Goff )
Now for the negative:
The only one which stands out is not taking a left tackle in either free agency or the draft. More competition is needed for Joeckel and, as much as I like Craven, I would rather take the top rated left tackle in the 2nd. Due to the quality depth at this position in the draft, someone like Jason Spriggs might be available. With Gipson at free safety, I believe Sample and Cyprien would be more than adequate at strong safety.
Finally, the most interesting and risky move is taking Spence in the 1st. I know they will see him at the Senior Bowl and he appears to be a top 10 talent, but for a franchise that has been burned by 1st rounders Soward, Matt Jones and Blackmon due to drugs/alcohol they had better be extremely confident that he no longer has this problem.
The
I don't think Cravens will be a good NFL safety. His perfect role would be like Buchanons for the Cardinals but don't really see a fit for him on this D.
I feel the biggest problem with the Jags offensive line and in particular with Joeckel is that the Jags don't run the ball enough. If the Jags had an established running game then Joeckel would not have to face DEs that know that they don't need to stop the run. Joeckel is good at run blocking but Wisniewski can't move anybody in the middle so the Jags can't run the ball. Then there is Beadles who just needs to be cut. Right now, I see Joeckel as a 2nd year player because he lost his rookie year to injury. Beadles is just awful and he makes Joeckel look even worse. I believe the team needs to fix the offensive line, but not with the throw the baby out with the bath water approach.
A line like this:
Joeckel - Linder - Mack - Cann - Parnell
should be able to create some running lanes and that is what the Jags need in developing a ball control offense.
Bortles will always throw the deep ball, but an established running game will make him that much better.
Personally, I think the Jags need to bring in Matt Forte to spell Yeldon, but if Forte proves to be too costly then I like James Starks of the Packers as my backup RB.
An improved running game and defense will do wonders for the Jags win-loss record in 2016.
I can't say I disagree about the need to run more effectively and how Mack will assist greatly with that. Hopefully Joeckel will then become more effective at pass protection. That being said, I still would like the team to bring in another left tackle. Wells is totally unproven and if Luke gets hurt or continues to get beat a quality backup will be needed. Getting someone like Spriggs in the 2nd round would give the line much needed security.It will be interesting to see how Caldwell approaches this.
I like Bobbie Massie as a Free Agent backup OT
I watch some of Spriggs during the bowl season, and I have looked at him as a prospect, but the NFL is so different from college and there is no one in college who is like J.J. Watt.
Other than the last game at Houston, I was satisfied with Joeckel.
The defense requires a lot of talent infusion and I would rather concentrate high draft picks on fixing it than getting a rookie OLT that may or may not be any better at blocking J.J. Watt than Joeckel.
I think the team needs to scheme for Watt and when you have Joeckel next to Beadles then the problem is compounded.
Beadles makes Joeckel work that much harder, because Beadles should not be starting.
Quote:I feel the biggest problem with the Jags offensive line and in particular with Joeckel is that the Jags don't run the ball enough. If the Jags had an established running game then Joeckel would not have to face DEs that know that they don't need to stop the run. Joeckel is good at run blocking but Wisniewski can't move anybody in the middle so the Jags can't run the ball. Then there is Beadles who just needs to be cut. Right now, I see Joeckel as a 2nd year player because he lost his rookie year to injury. Beadles is just awful and he makes Joeckel look even worse. I believe the team needs to fix the offensive line, but not with the throw the baby out with the bath water approach.
A line like this:
Joeckel - Linder - Mack - Cann - Parnell
should be able to create some running lanes and that is what the Jags need in developing a ball control offense.
Bortles will always throw the deep ball, but an established running game will make him that much better.
Personally, I think the Jags need to bring in Matt Forte to spell Yeldon, but if Forte proves to be too costly then I like James Starks of the Packers as my backup RB.
An improved running game and defense will do wonders for the Jags win-loss record in 2016.
I agree that a C who can really create push up front would help out a lot, both in our running game and passing game. I don't know that I'm ready to take the plunge back into Mack who will surely get a big contract. Wiz is serviceable, but upgradeable.
That said, I don't expect this team to spend the kind of money that you projected them spending. One top,maaaaybe two top Free-agents. But Mack, Vernon, Johnson or Jenkins, AND Gipson?
That's a whole lotta moolaaaa.
I think Mack is ours *if* we want him.
The others? I'm not so sure about.
I just love to play "On The Clock" at Fanspeak
Using the Fanspeak draft board, which I don't necessarily agree with, here are my draft selections"
Rd1P5: Jalen Ramsey - FS - FSU
Rd2P8: Noah Spence - DE/Leo - Eastern Kentucky
Rd3P7: Joshua Perry - Otto/OLB - Ohio State
Rd4P6: Vernon Butler - DT - Louisiana Tech
Rd5P5: William Jackson - CB - Houston
Rd6P8: Xavien Howard - CB - Baylor
Rd6P24: Antonio Morrison - ILB - Florida
Rd7P7: Jonathan Williams - RB - Arkansas
Quote:<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2016/1/11/10724160/2016-nfl-draft-player-breakdown-jalen-ramsey'>http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2016/1/11/10724160/2016-nfl-draft-player-breakdown-jalen-ramsey</a>
And that's why you take him. How many players can make that play?
The one against the Gators.
I don't understand the Sua Cravens picks at all. Do we really need another SS on this roster?? Cyp, Sample and Evans isn't already enough SS?
Where would he play at LB? He isn't taking Telvin's spot. He's way too small to be the OTTO. Could he even play inside at the Mike? Probably not.
Quote:I don't understand the Sua Cravens picks at all. Do we really need another SS on this roster?? Cyp, Sample and Evans isn't already enough SS?
Where would he play at LB? He isn't taking Telvin's spot. He's way too small to be the OTTO. Could he even play inside at the Mike? Probably not.
Yeah, I don't get it either.