2024 Free agency and draft thread

[Lake Shore Drive]

I'm calling for them to trade back from 12 and getting Hampton later in the first.
I'll be OK with him at 12 but it's a reach in my mind.

The strange thing is once the 5 or 6 'blue chippers' are off the boards, pretty much every pick thereafter is gonna be considered a reach pick, because most of these remaining players have late teens/mid 20's stamped as to their value. Yet teams after those blue chippers are gone still have to make a selection. And not every team in that reach zone will be able to trade back.

It really is a crazy draft this year. One commentator on the NFL radio channel put it best when he said this draft class has only a few true stars, yet it also has a lot of starters. Sounds almost contradictory, but at the same time seems spot on.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

I hear ya....but I'd be willing to bet at least one QB in this draft turns out to be better than both Nix and Penix.

Maybe Ward? I was and still am a fan of both Nix and Penix. Pre-draft I would've been ok if NE had selected either. Glad we got Maye though. I think Cam will need a few years to show his worth if Tenn selects him. If he falls or a different team moves up for him, he could develop quicker.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

I think a WS game get better ratings than the NFL draft especially if a big name team is in it.

Would be interesting to see those numbers. Last year the amount of spectators that showed up to watch the draft was crazy.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

I named a couple that were behind him. The ones ahead of him have been top-5 QB's at different parts of their career. And yes Baker is up there but like you said he has figured things out and looks closer to being a top-10 QB now. This is why situation matters big time. A player can have all the talent in the world and be a bust because the organization around them is terrible. The one that comes to mind is David Carr. Went to maybe the worst situation a top overall pick has ever went to when joining the expansion team Texans. I wonder if he went to even a middle of the pack situation what he could have been.

This is why I laugh when people say so and so is a system QB. Why wouldn't a good FO/ coaching staff build a system around the most important position on the field?

 

[shopson67]

This is why I laugh when people say so and so is a system QB. Why wouldn't a good FO/ coaching staff build a system around the most important position on the field?

Yeah, there are two flavors of good coaching. Those that have their system and those that work more to their players' strengths (the best probably do both). It would be more on the GM IMO to get the right kind of players on the roster.

A famous bad draft example for my teams was the Bills drafting Kaiir Elam. They play mostly off/zone and draft a press corner in the 1st after getting sniped by the Chiefs for McDuffie. He gets outplayed early on by the other corner they drafted on day 3 and never earns the starting job thereafter. Maybe the Cowboys can get more out of him, he's certainly a strong athlete.

 

[Iggloo]

I've seen fans here do their own mocks....why not CC?

Collinsworth is one of the owners of Pro Football Focus. I doubt he does his own research but they probably just stick his name on mock drafts since he’s a celebrity.

 

[cdumler7]

This is why I laugh when people say so and so is a system QB. Why wouldn't a good FO/ coaching staff build a system around the most important position on the field?

It definitely makes sense to build around the QB. They are the most important player on the entire roster to get right. You can still have your plays you like the run, but let's say a QB struggles with timing then why would you have 85% of your plays only work if timing is perfect? Look what the Ravens have done with Lamar. They did a great job of playing to his strengths and drafting players that fit where Lamar likes to attack on the field. Got themselves an MVP level QB because of that decision.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

K9 will easily go if they move. He can't stay healthy, and he's coming on his final year. Charbs came on strong last year and McIntosh finally came on (as a 3rd down) - he was projected to do well in the NFL, but his first preseason (2023) he heavily jacked up his leg, took a full season+ some to heal.

And then I would assume they draft another RB to replace in the mid rounds which are loaded with RB talent.

If we can get a 3rd for Walker I'm fine. A 4th? Ehh... anything later I don't get the point of moving him. Just keep him for this year, he's cheap.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

The strange thing is once the 5 or 6 'blue chippers' are off the boards, pretty much every pick thereafter is gonna be considered a reach pick, because most of these remaining players have late teens/mid 20's stamped as to their value. Yet teams after those blue chippers are gone still have to make a selection. And not every team in that reach zone will be able to trade back.

It really is a crazy draft this year. One commentator on the NFL radio channel put it best when he said this draft class has only a few true stars, yet it also has a lot of starters. Sounds almost contradictory, but at the same time seems spot on.

It's a draft at a lot of positions where you'll prob. get a DECENT player. Someone serviceable that will benefit your team. It's a good class to have a lot of middle round picks and NOT top 10 picks.

That said, you're unlikely to get a SUPERSTAR player that will just transform a defense/offense. There's a couple there for sure, but VERY limited compared to most drafts. Like the OL. You'll prob. end up with someone decent that can start games and maybe be a plus starter... but you're not likely to get a Tyron Smith, Lane Johnson, Trent Williams, Walter Jones, Zack Martin, Steve Hutchinson, Thuney, etc. The level of talent (at the draft point) just isn't the same.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

The strange thing is once the 5 or 6 'blue chippers' are off the boards, pretty much every pick thereafter is gonna be considered a reach pick, because most of these remaining players have late teens/mid 20's stamped as to their value. Yet teams after those blue chippers are gone still have to make a selection. And not every team in that reach zone will be able to trade back.

It really is a crazy draft this year. One commentator on the NFL radio channel put it best when he said this draft class has only a few true stars, yet it also has a lot of starters. Sounds almost contradictory, but at the same time seems spot on.

It's NOT a draft you want to be drafting top 15... ideally you're in the 20s lol. Most teams appear to be wanting to trade back at this point.

You may come away with a SOLID starter at the end of the 1st... which is fine. It's unlikely you're coming away with a SUPERSTAR in the top 10... the value just isn't there this draft. Again, it's why so many teams are wanting to trade down, and nobody is really biting.

Like you've got Hunter, Jeanty (but RB), Carter maybe? Warren (but he's a TE with some size limitations - hands/arms), ehh? Membou was barely even mentioned before this year and he's better suited at guard..

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

It's a draft at a lot of positions where you'll prob. get a DECENT player. Someone serviceable that will benefit your team. It's a good class to have a lot of middle round picks and NOT top 10 picks.

It's why I'm on board for my Bears trading back on their 10th pick. The trouble is, you have to find a team willing to move up into that spot. That's the tricky part.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

It's why I'm on board for my Bears trading back on their 10th pick. The trouble is, you have to find a team willing to move up into that spot. That's the tricky part.

Yah. A lot of teams aren't trading up this year though, and a lot of teams are looking to trade back.. it's just not as enticing of a class.

That said, it's always tough to trade back. It's my pet peeve when fans scream, "OMG TRADE BACK!" You gotta find a trade partner and the right package first, you fool. And that's not easy. It's not fuckin' Madden or a mock draft simulator lol. You also as a team have organizations/owners that are a division/conference opponent, or that you just despise lol. So unless you get some lopsided haul (which really is only offered for QBs these days) you're just gonna tell them to piss off lol.

 

[fightinfunbags]

K9 will easily go if they move. He can't stay healthy, and he's coming on his final year. Charbs came on strong last year and McIntosh finally came on (as a 3rd down) - he was projected to do well in the NFL, but his first preseason (2023) he heavily jacked up his leg, took a full season+ some to heal.

And then I would assume they draft another RB to replace in the mid rounds which are loaded with RB talent.

If we can get a 3rd for Walker I'm fine. A 4th? Ehh... anything later I don't get the point of moving him. Just keep him for this year, he's cheap.

A 3rd sounds pretty expensive. I think a decent comp for Walker is Deandre Swift. Swift was a super talented guy that also couldn’t stay healthy. He went for a 7th round pick. I don’t think Walker could net anything better than a 5th. Just my opinion.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

A 3rd sounds pretty expensive. I think a decent comp for Walker is Deandre Swift. Swift was a super talented guy that also couldn’t stay healthy. He went for a 7th round pick. I don’t think Walker could net anything better than a 5th. Just my opinion.

I agree... which is why I think Seattle should just hang onto him for his last year...

 

[shopson67]

It's why I'm on board for my Bears trading back on their 10th pick.

Even if Jeanty or Warren is available at #10?

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Even if Jeanty or Warren is available at #10?

Good question. When I said I was on board for trading back, I assumed most of the top talent will have already been taken. If Jeanty's still on the board, I'm for staying put and he's a Bear. With Warren, as an armchair GM, I'd at least put out some feelers to see what kind of demand, if any, are out there for him and at least listen to the offers. But I'd definitely settle on him, that's for sure.

 

[fastforward]

...If Kenneth Walker can stay healthy he’s a pretty good RB, Charbonnet is decent but I’m not sure if he can be a RB1

Walker is a good runner but he's an awful RB. He's a poor blocker and he's absolutely clueless as a receiver, (see Geno Smith pick 6 against the Rams). He'll produce some highlight reel plays every season because he's fast and he has a great change of direction, but that's it. He doesn't break tackles and he's not good in short yardage situations.

Charbonnet is a jag with no outstanding traits. He's had 1 run of 30+ yards in 240 attempts. He lacks speed, he doesn't make people miss, and he doesn't break tackles. He's a solid receiver out of the backfield. He's a decent blocker, but he's been fined for illegal head shot blocks twice already. His next head shot could result in a suspension.