Preseason Mock

[datchrisb1]

Round 1: Vadal Alexander OG (LSU)- The defensive line looks sustainable, the O-line looks horrible. Spend our first pick on a powerful athletic freak of nature and plug him in on the right side of Stone. We need to keep Stone at center.

Round 2: Spencer Django OG (Baylor)- Personally he will probably be a first round pick come May, but we really need to get stronger at the guard position. He has first round feet and could really play either guard or right tackle.

Round 3: Le'raven Clark OT (Texas Tech)- I loved this guy last year. He had a great season, just a nasty mean right tackle. Schraeder isn't cutting it. Clark is probably my favorite player at this point coming out.

Round 4: Bronson Kaufasi LB/DE (BYU)- Long rangy linebacker who is still developing there, but he is an excellent pass rusher, he just recently moved to the OLB in BYU's 3-4 scheme. They did run a variation of the 4-3 under for which Kaufasi did play the LEO position until he was moved to OLB. He is absolutely an athletic freak.

Round 5: Noise Gate

Round 6: Dillon Gordon TE (LSU)- Gordon is basically a tackle playing TE. He would be great in our zone blocking scheme. He is a great run blocking tight end with decent hands.

Round 7: Kivon Cartwright TE (Colorado St)- Followed this guy last year, thought he was coming out but he decided to stay at Colorado. He's a burner, he runs in the low 4.4s and it shows on tape, he is still developing.

[Dirtybird#11]

Nah I liked the 1st 3 picks but it spiraled outta control from there

[TheFalcoholic]

it's too early.

[hjerry]

I'd be very surprised if we went OL 3 picks in a row. This seems like fan panicking. I really don't think that the FO or the coaches see the OL as being as bad the fans do. I'd be surprised if we change more than 2 starters next season.

[datchrisb1]

I'd be very surprised if we went OL 3 picks in a row. This seems like fan panicking. I really don't think that the FO or the coaches see the OL as being as bad the fans do. I'd be surprised if we change more than 2 starters next season.

Why the h*ll not?

Konz was a bust and is now out of the league, Holmes IS a bust, Chester is 33 and was a backup on Shanahan's former team the redskins, same for Persons but instead of him being Shanahan's guy he's Quinn's guy, Asamoah doesn't fit, Schraeder is overrated and a free agent next year, Haley is all heart, but shouldn't be starting over Stone and Stone is out of position at guard and so is Haley, Polumbus is a backup here, practice squad on most teams, and Rodgers looks good but is a rookie 7th rounder still developing.

That leaves Stone at C and Matthews at LT starting, Haley really the only decent backup, did I state something out of place here. Am I wrong somewhere, because to me it is what it is, that's not panicking in my opinion. It's either 3 early O-lineman, 2 and a starting free agent, or some variation. The only way it is panicking is because it's preseason, but preseason is an indication of the style, sense of urgency, development, etc... of your team. Especially the trenches man. If you can't run the ball or stop the run in preseason, it's a good chance you can't stop it or run it in the regular season. Same for protecting the passer. If you are springing leaks okay cool, that's understandable, but if 'on man' you are being beat consistently, every preseason game, that's saying something.

[hjerry]

Why the h*ll not?

Konz was a bust and is now out of the league, Holmes IS a bust, Chester is 33 and was a backup on Shanahan's former team the redskins, same for Persons but instead of him being Shanahan's guy he's Quinn's guy, Asamoah doesn't fit, Schraeder is overrated and a free agent next year, Haley is all heart, but shouldn't be starting over Stone and Stone is out of position at guard and so is Haley, Polumbus is a backup here, practice squad on most teams, and Rodgers looks good but is a rookie 7th rounder still developing.

That leaves Stone at C and Matthews at LT starting, Haley really the only decent backup, did I state something out of place here. Am I wrong somewhere, because to me it is what it is, that's not panicking in my opinion. It's either 3 early O-lineman, 2 and a starting free agent, or some variation. The only way it is panicking is because it's preseason, but preseason is an indication of the style, sense of urgency, development, etc... of your team. Especially the trenches man. If you can't run the ball or stop the run in preseason, it's a good chance you can't stop it or run it in the regular season. Same for protecting the passer. If you are springing leaks okay cool, that's understandable, but if 'on man' you are being beat consistently, every preseason game, that's saying something.

You're panicking. This post kinda proves that. You're looking at that day 3 performance, and deciding that we'll be awful at OL.

Maybe things are as bad as many on TATF see them as, but there's also plenty of evidence that we weren't really even trying in that game, and that we were still just experimenting up front.

Your draft represents the worst case scenario for the OL.

[Bobby.Digital]

You're panicking. This post kinda proves that. You're looking at that day 3 performance, and deciding that we'll be awful at OL.

Maybe things are as bad as many on TATF see them as, but there's also plenty of evidence that we weren't really even trying in that game, and that we were still just experimenting up front.

Your draft represents the worst case scenario for the OL.

Our oline talent is pretty ****. I think Matthews is the only legit starting talent we have. Mabey Ryan Schrader but I'm not that high on him. Hawley, Chester and Stone should all be replaced. I think we should sign a FA lineman than draft 2 starters in the first 3 rounds.

[hjerry]

Our oline talent is pretty ****. I think Matthews is the only legit starting talent we have. Mabey Ryan Schrader but I'm not that high on him. Hawley, Chester and Stone should all be replaced. I think we should sign a FA lineman than draft 2 starters in the first 3 rounds.

Not every OL is full of top end players. Most of the guys on most OLs are acceptable at best. Maybe we resign Chester, maybe we don't, but he isn't as terrible as many here make him out to be, the same with Stone. I also think that Stone will continue to improve. The coaches seem to like him.

[datchrisb1]

You're panicking. This post kinda proves that. You're looking at that day 3 performance, and deciding that we'll be awful at OL.

Maybe things are as bad as many on TATF see them as, but there's also plenty of evidence that we weren't really even trying in that game, and that we were still just experimenting up front.

Your draft represents the worst case scenario for the OL.

Not every OL is full of top end players. Most of the guys on most OLs are acceptable at best. Maybe we resign Chester, maybe we don't, but he isn't as terrible as many here make him out to be, the same with Stone. I also think that Stone will continue to improve. The coaches seem to like him.

No, this the opposite man. You proved my point, I point out the physical evidence of what our actual situation is and your only counter is "I'm panicking" and we still have Chester. That's it. That's one guy extra (in your opinion), from what I already pointed out. And his play isn't showing that. Come on man, I'm not basing this on just one day, I'm basing it on a playing style I'm seeing, a lack of urgency, lack of physicality, lack of dominants, lack of nastiness. They should be protecting Matt like they would there own mother. That mindset, that style is not even close to being there. What you are talking about is a problem in gelling, teamwork, scheme, that can be worked on, what I have seen the past 3 preseason games is a lack of push, people losing one on one, not every once in a while but a consistent 'L', a consistent turn style at most of the guys we have, even the starters. I don't care what combination you through out there, you can't get around that. If he's a turn style at RG, he will be at LG, or even on the bench. Stone is good at C, Matthews is our LT, that's it man. Real talk. And it only gets harder the further you go out, if you can't hold up at RG, no way your doing any better at one of the tackle positions.

[datchrisb1]

I'd be very surprised if we went OL 3 picks in a row. This seems like fan panicking. I really don't think that the FO or the coaches see the OL as being as bad the fans do. I'd be surprised if we change more than 2 starters next season.

Also, on a side note. Commenting on your opinion of the FO, to me it's obvious that even though it might be the same people in the front office, the front office isn't the front office that we know when Mike Smith was here. That is obvious in the draft we just had. That draft has Dan Quinn written all over it. The picks just don't seem to be a Thomas Dimitroff type pick, there are no overly reaching picks where it's obvious he was thinking way too outside the box, trying to hard to find that diamond in the rough, there are no Chris Owens, Lamar Holmes, Chevis Jacksons, not even a Spencer Adkins or Marquis Spruills, guys that were literally off everyone's radar or considered low value targets picked in high rounds. Every pick was pretty much in line in my opinion. Every year I remember watching the draft and saying "He picked who?", go look him up and he's ranked a college free agent or a late round guy, and he picks him in the 2nd or 3rd round. I didn't do that this year.

Look at the evidence, TD doesn't have personnel control Pioli does, a GM that doesn't have control over bringing in the groceries,that wasn't there with Smitty. TD even had control over the roster when Smitty was here, the roster dude, who gets cut and who doesn't the GM had that, now TD doesn't have that control. To me that didn't make any sense in the first place, the GM deciding the final 53, not the coaching staff. Quinn has the control over the end roster, the end 53 now. It's not the same FO, not even close.

And regarding the coaching staff's opinion, its' obvious they are at least very worried. Schraeder is considered our starting RT, he didn't come out of the game until half way through the 4th quarter. We are going into the 4th preseason game and we are not sitting our starters, heck we don't even know who the starters are along the O-line. The third preseason game is suppose to be dress rehearsal, our third preseason game was still an audition! If they aren't concerned they wouldn't be rotating the line as much and the "starters" wouldn't be playing as much. The coaching staff is just as worried as all of these guys you are talking about in my opinion, to me that's obvious. Ravens are sitting ALL of there starters, that's what suppose to happen, the only players sitting for us are select defensive starters, Ryan, and Julio. I mean if that don't tell you anything I don't know what will!

Don't understand why you would be surprised that they will change more than 2 starters when you can barely name 3 with confidence yourself. I said all we have is Matthews and Stone, you called me a panicking fan and only added a "maybe" Chester. If we haven't even started playing a game yet and the "optimistic" fan is even saying we will probably change 2 starters, then we are in trouble. That's pretty much half of the O-line man and you appear to be on the positive side of things.

Edited September 3, 2015 by datchrisb1

[hjerry]

I'm not going to quote all that.

My general point is, they are still experimenting. We're not done yet. I still say that your panicking. I also have no desire to write down a diatribe on my feelings on the OL. If you decide that means that I have nothing good to say, then that's up to you. Again, maybe the line is as bad as the masses suggest, but maybe they aren't. Seattle is a great example of an OL, that has been awful in PS, but I don't expect to be that bad in the RS. I'll say again, that I'd be very surprised if they go OL, OL, OL, in the draft. That is the complete opposite of how they handled this offseason.

As far as this draft being different under Quinn, well...duh. Every draft and FA, is a collaboration of both the HC and the GM. Each one is more responsible for some areas than others, but they are both working together. Quinn's hands are in this one, just like Smith's were in the last ones. They have to have a singular vision. Now, I don't know how much of each of these picks were Quinn, just like I don't know how much of each of the years' prior were Smith. I wasn't there.