I'm going by memory so if imprecise let me know?
Remmers played RT the whole season until late in the season and Easton got injured and we had to move things around. We moved Remmers to RG and brought in Hill to play RT, right? Hill did not play as well as Remmers did at RT especially in the playoffs.
Remmers is a RT.
The weakness along the line is at Guard with Berger's on the verge of retirement. Easton, even when healthy, was still the weak link on the line - IMO.
I have no idea where Isadora is in terms of potential and then we also signed a Eagles backup Guard and seem to be letting Sirles move on.
This draft is much better then last year in terms of OL at both Tackle and Guard...according to pretty much everyone.
I think we are looking heavy at Tackle and Guard with our first and second rounds.
Question: Price (pec injury) is he a pure Center or can he play Guard? I know Elflein played both at OSU but I really don't want to move Elflein after such a good rookie year.
Then again, last year I fully expected us to draft 2 tackles with our first 3 picks and we picked none. I was all over Dawkins (Temple) as a Tackles prospect and he turned out starting 11/12 games for the Bills at LT and was PFF's 10th ranked LT.
Trade up and take the best OT possible. We don't need alot of players (i.e. "depth"). We need great players at as many positions as possible. And we have that. Maybe I'm wrong- but where are we "thin"? Not OL. RBs are a dime a dozen. WR? Maybe. But we had a couple on the bench last year that may be ready to contribute this year (or we can re-sign Wright). Not DL. Not LB. Maybe at DB- but again, that's just for depth. We already have our starters (with the possible exception of the Nickel CB). Why worry about getting 7-10 players, when- at best- those draft picks are fighting for 2nd on the depth charts? Might as well get the 1 or 2 players that we "need" to be great at all our positions.
Sure, Price can play guard.
But, if Remmers is staying at RG, which I believe he will, and Easton is back at LG - he played well last year and after he got hurt the line was not nearly as good, then I do not see us taking a guard. Isidora looked pretty good, too. We did not even tender Sirles so I suspect he will leave. Hill did not play very good at RT last season. So . . . the OL line need is at tackle.
CB is always a possibility. I heard the same about looking at the CB position in FA. I like Callahan in Chicago but Chicago has the right to match any contract - like they did with Fuller. I doubt they will let the Vikings take him. May need to trade for him.
Here's what I'm thinking...
1. RT - Remmers and Hill competing there is OK, but I think we can potentially upgrade two positions by drafting the RT and moving Remmers inside to RG to compete with Isadora. And if we can keep Hill out of the starting lineup, we can keep his cost down next year when it comes time to pay him. Having him as tackle depth for both positions is huge.
2. DE - We should have a really nice rotation inside with Joseph, Richardson and Jaleel. Now we need a better rotation outside. This would be slot corner, but we just drafted a 2nd round slot corner (Alexander) and if the Vikings don't think he's the answer, we should probably find a low-cost free agent to fill this. No hurry though. Maybe even after June 1st.
3. LB - I'm intrigued by Eric Wilson, but outside of him we're woefully thin at LB and we were pretty lucky last year to go mostly injury free there. Plus, we may need to hedge our bets against the possibility of not being able to re-sign Barr.
4. RB - You can almost bet on it. Rick will end up with a 4th. Maybe by trading down one of the above picks. But we need a new Jet. Recently heard there are 8 backs in this year's draft who were given higher grades than Christian McCaffrey, which is hard to believe, but whatever. Maybe one lands here.
Quote: @pumpf said:
Trade up and take the best OT possible. We don't need alot of players (i.e. "depth"). We need great players at as many positions as possible. And we have that. Maybe I'm wrong- but where are we "thin"? Not OL. RBs are a dime a dozen. WR? Maybe. But we had a couple on the bench last year that may be ready to contribute this year (or we can re-sign Wright). Not DL. Not LB. Maybe at DB- but again, that's just for depth. We already have our starters (with the possible exception of the Nickel CB). Why worry about getting 7-10 players, when- at best- those draft picks are fighting for 2nd on the depth charts? Might as well get the 1 or 2 players that we "need" to be great at all our positions.
Agree wholeheartedly. My one caution would be that draft picks don't always pan out and sometimes those picked lower work out better. I'm all for being aggressive for the ones you've identified as a potential starter; especially given the team we are fielding.
Quote: @PurplePastor said:
@ pumpf said:
Trade up and take the best OT possible. We don't need alot of players (i.e. "depth"). We need great players at as many positions as possible. And we have that. Maybe I'm wrong- but where are we "thin"? Not OL. RBs are a dime a dozen. WR? Maybe. But we had a couple on the bench last year that may be ready to contribute this year (or we can re-sign Wright). Not DL. Not LB. Maybe at DB- but again, that's just for depth. We already have our starters (with the possible exception of the Nickel CB). Why worry about getting 7-10 players, when- at best- those draft picks are fighting for 2nd on the depth charts? Might as well get the 1 or 2 players that we "need" to be great at all our positions.
Agree wholeheartedly. My one caution would be that draft picks don't always pan out and sometimes those picked lower work out better. I'm all for being aggressive for the ones you've identified as a potential starter; especially given the team we are fielding.
Yeah, but why trade up when you don't have to? Looks like the value at RT this year is between 30 and 40. We could feasibly trade DOWN and still get one of the top 3. Without a 4th, I don't see us trading up.
Quote: @MaroonBells said:
@ PurplePastor said:
@ pumpf said:
Trade up and take the best OT possible. We don't need alot of players (i.e. "depth"). We need great players at as many positions as possible. And we have that. Maybe I'm wrong- but where are we "thin"? Not OL. RBs are a dime a dozen. WR? Maybe. But we had a couple on the bench last year that may be ready to contribute this year (or we can re-sign Wright). Not DL. Not LB. Maybe at DB- but again, that's just for depth. We already have our starters (with the possible exception of the Nickel CB). Why worry about getting 7-10 players, when- at best- those draft picks are fighting for 2nd on the depth charts? Might as well get the 1 or 2 players that we "need" to be great at all our positions.
Agree wholeheartedly. My one caution would be that draft picks don't always pan out and sometimes those picked lower work out better. I'm all for being aggressive for the ones you've identified as a potential starter; especially given the team we are fielding.
Yeah, but why trade up when you don't have to? Looks like the value at RT this year is between 30 and 40. We could feasibly trade DOWN and still get one of the top 3. Without a 4th, I don't see us trading up.
Only if there is someone we really covet and see as a much better prospect/value than who is left. Then I think we are in the position to be aggressive. It's not like we need a bunch of later draft picks that won't make the team. I do realize that continuing to supply our prospects/practice squad is an annual need, but we are in a win now mode and finding a few contributors will only help.
I just want to go get some pro bowlers on OLine. My ideal draft would be a OT in the first and a OG in the second, followed up by a DE in the 3rd. I'm skeptical of just moving Remmers around. Just get a stud at RG and RT and let the tackles battle it out and the guards battle it out. I don't want us playing musical chairs whenever someone gets hurt. You spend all season having Remmers get his feet down as a G, and then the rookie RT gets injured and now Remmers moves to RT and Isadora comes up at RG and you have changed two spots and one guy is relearning his feet on the fly.
I would be fine with them combining all of our 5th round and later picks to move down in the draft to get the O line guys that they feel can contribute.
It seems like many posters are putting Remmers at RG after having to fill in for injuries last year and get Hill on the field. Hill did not play RT better then Remmers had all season. Has the team indicated switching Remmers to Guard? I may have missed a reference to that but it seems to have become a common thought on here.
I would not mess with the successful fix of multiple positions along the line last year. Reiff, fixed the biggest weakness. Then Remmers fixed the RT position and then drafting Elflein fixed the Center/line call position. We need Guards. Berger might be done and Easton was just OK even when healthy.
Their seems to be around 3 first round graded Guards this year which is not too common. I just looked up Elflein's teammate:
Notable: Price, who played guard for three seasons and moved to center as a senior, started 55 consecutive games at Ohio State to top Luke Fickell’s school record for starts and consecutive starts of 50, set between 1993-96. Price (along with teammate Tyquan Lewis) tied Pat Elflein’s school record for most games played by an Ohio State football player: 55.
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