NFL 2011 Off-Season Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Scott Merryfield]

With the labor dispute and no free agency so far, it's been a slow off season up to this point. However, the NFL Draft begins tonight, so now is probably a good time to open a new off season thread.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

The Lions seem poised to take either a DE, CB or OT with their first round pick. I would be fine with any of those, as they are all positions of need. The team also desperately needs outside linebackers, but it doesn't appear that there will be any that are close to worthy available at their #13 spot. This position will have to wait for a later pick.


I think the Panthers taking Cam Newton at #1 overall would be a huge mistake. This kid has "bust" written all over him. (1) He's only played a single season of college ball, (2) he played in a very simple offense, (3) he's not very accurate with his passes, and (4) from the interviews with Newton, he doesn't appear to be very bright. The QB position is very demanding mentally at this level, and the past is littered with physically talented guys who failed because they lacked what it takes between the ears -- Jeff George, Ryan Leaf, Scott Mitchell and Vince Young all come to mind.


Carolina will be bad with or without Newton, so they will be in the running for Stanford's Luck next year. They shouldn't reach for a QB in a draft that is really lacking at that position.

 

[Patrick_S]

No team should waste a first round pick or even a 2 - 6 on Cam Newton. He simply is not a good prospect for the NFL for the reasons you mentioned.


In college you can get away with being a one read guy and then taking off with the ball, in the NFL you might as well simply hand the ball over to the other team if that is the only way you can play QB.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Carolina ended up being the first of several teams to reach for a QB in the first round. As I said above, I think this was a huge mistake for the Panthers. I also thought the Vikings made huge reach taking Ponder. He probably would have been there for them in the 2nd round. Minnesota's mistake was Detroit's gain, though, as they left Fairley for the Lions. With one Williams retiring and the other getting older at DT, Fairly should have been a no-brainer for the Vikings.


I think the run on QB's can partially be blamed on no free agency. Some teams with QB needs panicked and took players thay really were 2nd or 3rd round talent in the first round. Had there been a free agency period already, those teams may have already addressed their QB needs through those means.


Atlanta gave away a lot to move up and take Julio Jones -- their 1st, 2nd and 4th round picks this year, and their 1st and 4th rounder next year. That's way too much to give up when you already have Roddy White. Was Matt Millen working as a consultant for the Falcons?


I liked the Lions pick. While DT wasn't a real need, they took by far the best player left on the board. Prince Amukamara may have fit a more pressing need, but Fairley was too good a prospect to pass up.

 

[Patrick Sun]

The Falcons will just try to outscore their opponents for years to come because they won't have a decent pass rush for years to come. I still wished they'd tried to go higher and nab AJ Green because he's so money. I fear Julio Jones will be inconsistent, but hope he wasn't an overreach by Dimitroff.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

The Lions stuck to their philosophy and went with best player available over most glaring need in Day 2 of the draft. Titus Young is being compared to DeSean Jackson, and Detroit did need another receiver, as they have nothing behind Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson. If Young turns out anywhere near the level of Jackson, this will be a good pick.


Detroit then essentially traded their 3rd and 4th round picks to move up into the 2nd round and take running back Mikel Leshoure. The Lions did need another RB, since Best is not any every down back, and Leshoure was considered by many to be the 2nd best running back in the draft.


The players they wanted at linebacker and cornerback were all taken, so I do not have a problem with these picks. My only question is why, instead of trading up for Leshoure, they didn't try to trade up for the LB Ayers from UCLA?


The Lions will need to fill their holes at linebacker and cornerback via free agency -- assuming there is free agency this year.


Mallett to the Patriots? That's not where I expected him to land.

 

[Ockeghem]

Hmmm. I thought the Lions did fairly well with this draft. They got a second wide receiver (they still need a third), a solid running back, and IMO they solidified their corners which I think they desperately needed to do. They still need to improve their secondary, though.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Originally Posted by Ockeghem

Hmmm. I thought the Lions did fairly well with this draft. They got a second wide receiver (they still need a third), .

They have both Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson under contract, so 2nd round pick Titus Young will hopefully be their third receiver. Burleson is better than any 2nd receiver they've had for quite a few years. Their #3 receivers were horrible last year, though.