The 2018 NFL Discussion Thread

[SteveSly]

I was going to ask you about him. He is not needed as a starter, so I can only imagine that working with Mike Munchak will only be a boon to him.

You guys also signed WMU running back Jarvion Franklin as a free agent. This guy is a true sleeper. He is kind of a north / south running back, but has plenty of power and is a brute and can power over people. He kind of got overlooked a bit because WMU had 3 really good running backs over the past two years using a committee type system, with Franklin as just one of the three, but I honestly think he has a chance to do big things with a bit of development.

[The Dark Elf]

A RB who runs too upright. Maybe the 6th best in the class. Could have taken Derrious Guice and had a steal. Another fail, imo.

Blount is old.

Kerryon Johnson is a very good blocker and can catch out of the backfield, which fits the Lions' scheme. Derrius Guice is not known for either, and I guess he's also a bit of a high maintenance douche bag. There's a reason Penny, Michel, Chubb, Jones and Johnson were drafted before him. News is Washington was going to draft Kerryon, but Detroit traded up to snag him. Washington then traded back several spots and got Guice.

I like the Lions' draft. They had the worst run game in the NFL and Stafford was sacked 47 times, but still ended up with a 9-7 record (and top six passing offense/13th best total offense). The difference between 9-7 and 11-7 is that they couldn't get a damn yard or two when they needed it (against Atlanta and Pittsburgh).

Blount may be "old" but he did quite well with the Eagles last year, and will be used just situationally (in Blount's case, short yardage), as will Johnson and Riddick. The addition of Frank Ragnow and Tyrell Crosby (one of the biggest steals in the draft in the 5th round) should really solidify that line. You give Matt Stafford all the time in the world and the threat of a real running game (remember the damn Lions haven't had a hundred yard game from an RB since Reggie Bush 4 years ago), and he will cut defenses to ribbons.

[Lou]

You guys also signed WMU running back Jarvion Franklin as a free agent. This guy is a true sleeper. He is kind of a north / south running back, but has plenty of power and is a brute and can power over people. He kind of got overlooked a bit because WMU had 3 really good running backs over the past two years using a committee type system, with Franklin as just one of the three, but I honestly think he has a chance to do big things with a bit of development.

[SteveSly]

Kerryon Johnson is a very good blocker and can catch out of the backfield, which fits the Lions' scheme. Derrius Guice is not known for either, and I guess he's also a bit of a high maintenance douche bag. There's a reason Penny, Michel, Chubb, Jones and Johnson were drafted before him. News is Washington was going to draft Kerryon, but Detroit traded up to snag him. Washington then traded back several spots and got Guice.

I like the Lions' draft. They had the worst run game in the NFL and Stafford was sacked 47 times, but still ended up with a 9-7 record (and top six passing offense/13th best total offense). The difference between 9-7 and 11-7 is that they couldn't get a damn yard or two when they needed it (against Atlanta and Pittsburgh).

Blount may be "old" but he did quite well with the Eagles last year, and will be used just situationally (in Blount's case, short yardage), as will Johnson and Riddick. The addition of Frank Ragnow and Tyrell Crosby (one of the biggest steals in the draft in the 5th round) should really solidify that line. You give Matt Stafford all the time in the world and the threat of a real running game (remember the damn Lions haven't had a hundred yard game from an RB since Reggie Bush 4 years ago), and he will cut defenses to ribbons.

I agree with everything you say. The Lions have addressed the majority of their needs this off season. As a skeptical Lions fan, I have a good feeling about everything that has transpired.

[moecurlythanu]

Kerryon Johnson is a very good blocker and can catch out of the backfield, which fits the Lions' scheme. Derrius Guice is not known for either, and I guess he's also a bit of a high maintenance douche bag. There's a reason Penny, Michel, Chubb, Jones and Johnson were drafted before him. News is Washington was going to draft Kerryon, but Detroit traded up to snag him. Washington then traded back several spots and got Guice.

Well, I hope it pans out for you. Lack of a running game has been the Lions downfall for quite some time. I saw several of Johnson's games, and he's not the one I would have targeted, but it's somewhat of a crap shoot, so maybe it'll work out for you.

[moecurlythanu]

Not really at all happy with the Browns draft. Only one guy was someone I was considering, but further down. For the most part, the players they drafted should help, but with the other players available at those slots and the drafting ahead of projections, I have to give it a D.

Imo the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, and LA Chargers all did very well this draft.

[NeonKnight]

Mike Mayock, who literally spends all year scouting and evaluating college football players for the draft....

And it wasn't just Mayock, as you said, everyone loved Barkley in this draft, especially after he blew up the combine. His 4.4 would have been 3rd in the WR group, and his 41 inch vertical topped Julio Jones! Some say he is going to be another Tomlinson, others say there has never been a RB like this before...

And what about what Gettleman? He did not even hesitate to send this pick up and wait for trade offers. That is conviction.

Sure all GM's hype their players, but he said he has been evaluating players for 25 years and only one player in his entire career got his highest grade - Peyton. Saquon is the second to have his highest grade.

Trust your board, and also draft a mean SOB in the second round to block, Kiper gave Will Hernandez his best run blocking grade in 25 years, and don't look back. Shurmur was also fully on board with taking the RB over a QB, and I trust his judgement when it comes to evaluating QB's.

There is no doubt in my mind that they both believe Eli has something left, if he gets the help he needs. They've been telling us this for months. They also said they really believe in Webb and drafted another QB with potential in the 4th because they want competition at that spot. If Shurmur can work his magic with Keenum and whatever else the Vikings had on offense, I wonder what he can do with Eli, OBJ, Engram, Sterling Shepard and now Barkley?

[Poisoned Youth]

I’m happy with the Cowboys draft. Things were not done in the order I had hoped, but the primary issues (barring the late Witten news) were addressed. They had 10 picks, got a Hitchens replacement, sturdied up their Oline, got a pair of WRs, got a TE, and then got Tavon Austin for a 6th, and a DT for Switzer (someone I scratched my head why he was drafted last year).

Game changers? Perhaps not. Though I think Connor Williams has a chance to make the Cowboys Oline her much better.

[DocProgger]

2004

Big Ben
Eli
Phillip Rivers

2005

Alex Smith
Aaron Rogers

No doubt those were a couple of good drafts for QBs, especially 2004. Just to clarify, I was citing recent drafts where at least 4 QBs were taken in 1st round like this year. I was not claiming there are never years where you would take a QB(s) high in draft. I just don't think this is one of them (especially as high as the top 4 were taken) and the odds are that only 1 or 2 of the 5 will be looked upon as great picks. But, some teams are in desperation mode when it comes to QBs, so you get years like this.

[3LockBox]

Seattle spent draft picks the last 3 or 4 years on o-lineman. I think Snyder/Carroll believe that they had the talent, just not the right coaching and scheme. And having pedestrian receivers and running game made life tough for the o-line and QB.

[Lou]

No doubt those were a couple of good drafts for QBs. Just to clarify, I was citing recent drafts where at least 4 QBs were taken in 1st round like this year. I was not claiming there are never years where you would take a QB(s) high in draft. I just don't think this is one of them (especially as high as the top 4 were taken) and the odds are that only 1 or 2 of the 5 will be looked upon as great picks. But, some teams are in desperation mode when it comes to QBs, so you get years like this.

I misunderstood you. Thank you for clarifying!

[NogbadTheBad]

Seattle spent draft picks the last 3 or 4 years on o-lineman. I think Snyder/Carroll believe that they had the talent, just not the right coaching and scheme. And having pedestrian receivers and running game made life tough for the o-line and QB.

We can hope, currently you can color me skeptical.

[The Dark Elf]

There are 10-15 good to great quarterbacks in the NFL at any given time. The rest of the league is left scrambling. Of the five QBs chosen in the first round, you'll be lucky if 2 or 3 are starting 5 years down the road.

[Lou]

Is Ed still in timeout?

[NogbadTheBad]

He placed himself in timeout, last time I talked to him there was little to hint at him coming back.

[Lou]

He placed himself in timeout, last time I talked to him there was little to hint at him coming back.

That sucks. I miss him in this thread.

[Facelift]

There are 10-15 good to great quarterbacks in the NFL at any given time. The rest of the league is left scrambling. Of the five QBs chosen in the first round, you'll be lucky if 2 or 3 are starting 5 years down the road.

But with fewer exceptions than just about any other position, the first round of the draft is the only place where you can get a franchise QB. They're very rarely available in Free Agency and you have to pay a fortune for one. That's why pointing to first round QB flameouts of years past is totally missing the point. If a team picking high - like, say, the Giants - didn't like any of these QBs enough to draft one of them, then they should have picked Chubb or traded down. The mistake was not necessarily in not taking a QB, it was drafting a RB at 2. It doesn't matter where a RB is on one's draft board, you don't take one - ever - in the first round. Teams that do are making bad decisions. The Giants made a colossally awful decision, even if Barkley is an All-Pro next year.

[The Dark Elf]

But with fewer exceptions than just about any other position, the first round of the draft is the only place where you can get a franchise QB. They're very rarely available in Free Agency and you have to pay a fortune for one. That's why pointing to first round QB flameouts of years past is totally missing the point. If a team picking high - like, say, the Giants - didn't like any of these QBs enough to draft one of them, then they should have picked Chubb or traded down. The mistake was not necessarily in not taking a QB, it was drafting a RB at 2. It doesn't matter where a RB is on one's draft board, you don't take one - ever - in the first round. Teams that do are making bad decisions. The Giants made a colossally awful decision, even if Barkley is an All-Pro next year.

While I agree with you in principal, I think you have to look at the Giants' draft in total. Gettleman, whether through stubbornness or genuine dislike, didn't think any QB was worth a 1st round pick, and in my mind he had to make his choices for sticking with the quickly fading Eli Manning. So he drafts Barkley and Will Hernandez at 1 and 2 in an effort to keep Manning from being destroyed in the pocket like last year. And who knows, Lauletta might be just as good as any of the QBs drafted before him. Expect for maybe once or twice a draft, you get a really outstanding QB -- and I don't think much of any of them from this year.

[NogbadTheBad]

Top QB's not taken in the first round:-

Brady, Brees, Wilson, Warner, Favre, Young, Montana, Theismann, Staubach, Unitas,Starr

RB's in the HOF taken in the first round:-

Faulk, Smith, Sanders, Dickerson, Allen, Dorsett, Peyton, Simpson, Sayers, Brown

So yeah, you have to take a QB in the first round & it's never a good idea to take a RB in the first round.

[3LockBox]

RB's in the HOF taken in the first round:-

Faulk, Smith, Sanders, Dickerson, Allen, Dorsett, Peyton, Simpson, Sayers, Brown

wow, hard to believe that Billy Sims nor Ottis Anderson are in the HoF.

[DocProgger]

Top QB's not taken in the first round:-

Brady, Brees, Wilson, Warner, Favre, Young, Montana, Theismann, Staubach, Unitas,Starr

RB's in the HOF taken in the first round:-

Faulk, Smith, Sanders, Dickerson, Allen, Dorsett, Peyton, Simpson, Sayers, Brown

So yeah, you have to take a QB in the first round & it's never a good idea to take a RB in the first round.

I was just about to post something similar. To expand on that:

Starr (17th round--200th) (5 NFL Champ total, 2 SB wins)
Unitas (9th r--102) (3 NFL Champ total, 1 SB)
Staubach (10th r--129) (2 SB wins)
Montana (3rd r--82nd) (4 SB wins)
Warner undrafted
Brady (6th r--199) (5 SB wins)
R Wilson (3rd r--75th)

Also add Stabler (2nd r), HOF etc

and Jerome Bettis is a 1st R HOFer, and A Peterson will be in the HOF.

Oh, and last year's SB QBS--Nick Foles (3rd r) and Brady (6th r)

I was surprised to see that the last and only 1st Round QB in the HOF since 1983 is Troy Aikman. That will change in a few years when a few more get elected, but its interesting.

I don't expect Barkley to be a HOFer or the next Jim Brown, but he has a chance be a stud solid Pro Bowl RB for the next 6-8 years at least and will start right away. I don't think you can say that with the same confidence re any of the top 5 QBs that went in the 1st r.

[The Dark Elf]

wow, hard to believe that Billy Sims nor Ottis Anderson are in the HoF.

Unfortunately for Billy, he had only 3 healthy seasons and retired after 5 years. But he had 1131 carries for 5106 yards and 186 receptions for 2072 yards. That's 4.5 yards per carry and 11.1 yards per catch playing 2 of 5 seasons on one leg.

[moecurlythanu]

Iirc, Steve Young was a 1st Round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

[DocProgger]

Iirc, Steve Young was a 1st Round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

That was in a special supplemental draft because he had already signed to play in the USFL, so that gets an asterisk. I wouldn't consider it a true 1st round NFL pick.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

That sucks. I miss him in this thread.

yeah, I always viewed him as the type of comedian who says outrageous things just to ruffle the feathers of the easily ruffled

I’m happy with the Cowboys draft. Things were not done in the order I had hoped, but the primary issues (barring the late Witten news) were addressed. They had 10 picks, got a Hitchens replacement, sturdied up their Oline, got a pair of WRs, got a TE, and then got Tavon Austin for a 6th, and a DT for Switzer (someone I scratched my head why he was drafted last year).

Game changers? Perhaps not. Though I think Connor Williams has a chance to make the Cowboys Oline her much better.

I thought it was good too

but just watch Switzer go and have an awesome season where he lands...