Joel Klatt on NFLN Total Access re: McCarthy

[MAD GAINZ]

I read that too, but where was that 2nd going to come from?  We had already burned this year and next years on getting the 23rd pick.

I'm guessing it was 11, 23, our 2025 1st, 2026 2nd, and 2025 3rd.

[NFL Draft Guru]

Yeah, I think the calculation was that we'll have $159M in cap space, a QB on a rookie deal and a handful of comp picks. We can afford to overspend a little for QBOTF and the draft's best defensive player.

I think moving up to 17 was a pretty easy argument if you're picking up the #1 EDGE player. They'll pickup a compensatory 3 (or more) to replace that pick. Then you can much more easily maneuver around the draft board if you aren't eyeing up premium positions. So they'll be able to pickup some picks next year I imagine. But the $100M+ in cap room absolutely matters. The Vikings talk about "resources" a lot. You can replace your lack of picks with $.

[pattersaur]

I'm guessing it was 11, 23, our 2025 1st, 2026 2nd, and 2025 3rd.

Jeez. And the Pats turned this down?! I really wanted Maye. They must have too. They better hope he fulfills his potential because with some very doable maneuvering on their part they could've turned those picks into 4 firsts across this year and next. To drop 8 spots. And they said no. Wow.

[MaroonBells]

Jeez. And the Pats turned this down?! I really wanted Maye. They must have too. They better hope he fulfills his potential because with some very doable maneuvering on their part they could've turned those picks into 4 firsts across this year and next. To drop 8 spots. And they said no. Wow.

I wanted Maye more, but really only because I think that's who KOC wanted and I trust his judgement. I was hoping for the big trade up. But over the last couple weeks I began to think of JJM as pretty even with Maye on my wishlist. 

In many ways JJ's a cleaner prospect. He needs development (they all do), but you don't have those problematic footwork issues like you would have with Maye. Then there were the handful of QB experts who continued to rank Maye last among the top 6. I trust KOC's judgement over theirs but it was a little concerning. To give up the farm, you'd like to see more of a consensus on the guy.

[comet52]

Thank you Robert Kraft for saving us from Herschel Walker Part Deux. Go get yourself a strip mall massage, buddy, you've earned it!

[MAD GAINZ]

I wanted Maye more, but really only because I think that's who KOC wanted and I trust his judgement. I was hoping for the big trade up. But over the last couple weeks I began to think of JJM as pretty even with Maye on my wishlist. 

In many ways JJ's a cleaner prospect. He needs development (they all do), but you don't have those problematic footwork issues like you would have with Maye. Then there were the handful of QB experts who continued to rank Maye last among the top 6. I trust KOC's judgement over theirs but it was a little concerning. To give up the farm, you'd like to see more of a consensus on the guy.

Totally agree, MB.  I was hoping for Maye, but despite his upside, he has some downside as well.  All the rookie QBs this year did, whether it was Caleb's questions on hero ball/decision making, to Daniels skinny frame and taking a lot of sacks for a mobile QB, to Maye's footwork and decisionmaking, to McCarthy's projection questions playing in a low volume passing attac), Penix's injury history and weird release, Nix's projection with the offense he played in and questions about his upside, etc.

Given the likelihood that Williams and Daniels were going 1 and 2, it seemed like our best options were to convince the Patriots to trade out of Maye (for a lot of draft capital) or try to get JJM who has a lot of traits, accuracy, leadership, but is more of a projection.  

Honestly, I see a lot of Joe Burrow in JJM.  Same build, mobile, accurate, and Burrow wasn't asked to carry a team until his 5th year at LSU when he exploded.  If JJM stayed in school and transferred to a team that gave him the same opportunities as Burrow, we could have been talking about him as a potential #1 pick next year and we got him at 10 in this draft.

I like how it played out.

BOOM

[MaroonBells]

BOOM

You gave yourself away there, Wetlander. :-)

[minny65]

Not being able to move up for Maye could be a blessing in disguise.  You need two to tangle, even if you are giving up too much sometimes it is not enough of course.

I head on a show recently, and I'm sure many of you have as well, but the year or two before Chiefs drafted Mahomes the Chiefs brass tried desperately to move up for a one of the QB's but were rebuffed (I think it was said to be Mariota in 2015?) they then picked Marcus Peters.  The following year they didn't have the ammo to move up, so they moved down and drafted Chris Jones at around 39.  Finally in 2017, they made the move up for Mahomes.

So the bottom line is sometimes not being able to move up and get your guy could be a blessing!

For all I know (and now hope) McCarthy ends up being a much better QB than Maye and we didn't have to give up pick 23 plus.  So, if we made the move up for Maye we wouldn't have Dallas Turner either.  What if both McCarthy and Turner turn into studs while Maye flops?  Even if both QB's flop but Turner turns into an All-Pro DE we still benefit.

[StickierBuns]

Bill Belichick is a fan:

https://twitter.com/10k_Takes/status/178...gr%5Etweet

[MAD GAINZ]

You gave yourself away there, Wetlander. :-)

Lol, I'm not trying to hide.  Just trying something new, like ditching the Canadian tuxedo for a new suit.   You know, keeping it fresh.