(02-26-2024, 10:45 AM)jaglou53 Wrote:

(02-26-2024, 08:12 AM)flgatorsandjags Wrote: I'd love JPJ in the first, I've been high on him for a while and I think he will end up one of the best centers in the league.    If we don't get a center in FA there will be a lot of speculation on if we stick with Fortner at center or draft a center in the first couple rounds.  I still don't think it's a guarantee we bring in another starter center even though Fortner is the 33rd ranked center and only 32 teams.  Hopefully Doug's and Baalkes comments on Fortner is just smoke but I wouldn't bet the house on it. 

If Baalke ignores addressing the Center position in a significant manner, my hope for this team will significantly be reduced. There is no justification in continuing to count on Fortner; both the tape and numbers don't lie. Is it possible that he he gets much stronger and becomes at least an average Center? I'd say that stranger things have happened, but not addressing this position during the off-season would be malpractice. If Fortner does improve, the team would then have the nice problem of having quality depth on the interior line.

There's a mixed feeling here locally on that as well. With Fortner and the position. Most of us see it and want him out of the starting line up, most fear as Baalke and Pederson's comments continue to suggest, is that, they just really like the kid. 

He has 37 starts now. He's been able to hold up physically with his durability, which, if I am being fair? I can see why he's held up. He's probably in a weird window where he's physically not giving it his all to get in the mix and risk injury or he's lost most of the time on his assignments so minimal contact is needed to work him to begin with. 

But, yeah, I am with you. I think it's easily the most identifiable and certifiably the weakest position on the 53 man roster and if it's not addressed there's something severely wrong with the front office and coaching staff. I still prefer a proven free agent now over a rookie. Especially if that rookie means a RD1 or RD2 selection is needed. 

I wouldn't mind a situation, where, maybe they DO take JPJ with pick 17, but, they decide to justify his value there by making him play LG or RG as a rookie next to the newly signed free agent at Center. You now have a good problem in my opinion there.

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