(05-25-2018, 10:27 PM)Upper Wrote: (05-21-2018, 09:46 AM)Bullseye Wrote: The Jaguars did not trade back and accumulate a bunch of picks in 2016 and got what amounts to a single draft full of defensive triplets-Ramsey, Jack, and Ngakoue.
No one is lamenting passing on a trade down when there is as blue chip of a prospect as Ramsey available, and with such a drastic talent drop off after him too. Obviously in that circumstance you say no.
But Dave said he got offers to trade down in all of the Bortles, Fowler, and Fournette drafts (I can't remember any quotes about it from the Joeckel draft) and passed on them. In any of those cases it was pretty clear even at the time that none of them were can't miss blue chippers or that the fall off if you could trade down would be very steep, if at all. We can lament passing on those types of trade down offers for more pulls on the slot machine.
People have lamented the lack of trading down period. Most did not draw the distinction between the draft where there is blue chip talent available and not.
But interestingly, your closing paragraph betrays the premise behind the first.
Who is to say Bortles, Fowler or Fournette were not blue chip caliber players when they were drafted? The overwhelming majority of mock drafts prior to those respective drafts had at least Fowler and Fournette as top 5-10 picks. All of them have had success since entering the league.
Bortles has Jaguars team records TD passes thrown in a season, and took the Jaguars to within 2:37 of the Super Bowl. He didn't turn the ball over in any of those three playoff games. When you draft a QB at the top of the draft, you want your team contending with him by his fourth year. Mission accomplished. Counting the playoffs, Fowler recorded ten sacks last season, including two sacks in the AFC championship game all playing a part time role. Considering he has Calais Campbell in front of him, him being a reserve is not an indictment against him. He could start for many teams. Fournette missed a game due to suspension, was hobbled by a bad ankle in a few other games, and faced eight man boxes a ton, and still rushed for over 1000 yards, including a 100+ yard game in the playoffs against the Steelers and scored a TD against the Patriots. You want your players, especially top 5 draft picks, to have success in January when it counts the most.
I'm not sure how you can say these guys weren't blue chippers when they were drafted, or otherwise insinuate they were unworthy of the spots in which they were selected. All three have been productive players, helped get the team into the playoffs, and performed well in the playoffs once they got there.
(05-24-2018, 12:57 PM)Deacon Wrote: (05-21-2018, 09:46 AM)Bullseye Wrote: This year, it was the Colts' turn. While I think they helped themselves, I don't think at this admittedly early stage this 2018 Colts draft class, even with the trade back, compares to that 2016 Jaguars draft class.
Here's the thing to me about the 2018 Indianapolis draft class, and this is understanding that the class has yet to have a live practice, much less even play a down of NFL football; They picked two Guards with their top three picks.
Now, I am as much of a fan and maybe even more, of the O-line but there is still a limited amount of impact that a Guard can have on a team. I would be jaw-droppingly, slouch-faced stunned if Quenton Nelson impacts a game as much as Jalen Ramsey.
So in light of the above, why aren't the selections of guards in such high positions held against the Colts?
I remember when the Saints drafted Naoele in the top ten, and people trashed them for it.
Does the fact they traded back three spots at the top of the first somehow negate that unwritten rule of drafting?
Worst to 1st. Curse Reversed!
