DonHutson
01-02-2009, 10:35 AM
I'm trying to decipher any draft hints from the end of the year statements by McCarthy and friends. Elements of this post could've gone into other threads, but I thought I'd keep them together in an attempt to tease one coherent thought out of my head.
1) Most of the OL positions are up for grabs, and zone scheme will remain (though with some evolutions).
Sitton will be the RG. Spitz will have every opportunity to beat out Wells at C. Colledge will have a chance to beat out Clifton at LT, or else he will be the LG. Tauscher hasn't even had his surgery yet. They didn't say this, but I would think that pusts the start of camp in doubt for him. I'd be surprised if he comes back. Therefore Moll and Giacomini are the contenders for RT. Other than a few generaic platitudes, Allen Barbre's name was conspicuously absent from any specific discussions about positions. They seem to want to keep guys at set positions from now on.
Draft Impact: If they really don't consider Barbre a contender, and if they don't want to keep moving Spitz around, then they probably want Colledge to play LG. My take is that he only moves to LT if Clifton becomes a real liability.
Therefore, I think LT is very much in play for the first or second round in the draft. At #9, and again at #41, there are a couple of athletic zone type LT's who might be able to step in. In particular I would keep an eye on Jason Smith from Baylor in the 1st. I just have a feeling he could be the guy.
Also, a "competition" between Moll and Giacomini scares the hell out of me. We already know that Moll sucks. They seem high on Giacomini, but I'd hate to just hand him the job. I'd look for a RT to get drafted as well. A name to watch: Fenuki Tupou from Oregon. Described by Scouts Inc. as a 333 pound bad MF'er, with above average agility who can get out and hit a moving target. Maybe Oregon PackFan call add some insight on this guy?
2. They referred to Cullen Jenkins as one of the best players on the team, and they attributed much of the lack of pass rush to his injury.
Personally, I don't think we can afford to rely on Jenkins to be healthy, and I think we need to augment the pass rush whether he is healthy or not. However, if we take these statements at face value, that may mean that DE is not a priority in the first couple of rounds.
3. All LB positions are up for grabs.
If they're willing to move guys around to different positions, I would think they would be willing to add another horse to the race. If Aaron Curry falls to #9, I would think the Packers would grab him in a heartbeat. If they are willing to move Barnett outside, then maybe they would think about a guy like Maualuga. But, they also seem happy enough with Poppinga and Chillar (and Bishop for that matter). Given the money being spent at LB already, I think this is more likely a case where they shuffle the cards they already have.
I didn't see a lot of commentary on the DB's. So at this point, I'm thinking more and more that OL could be a priority.
1) Most of the OL positions are up for grabs, and zone scheme will remain (though with some evolutions).
Sitton will be the RG. Spitz will have every opportunity to beat out Wells at C. Colledge will have a chance to beat out Clifton at LT, or else he will be the LG. Tauscher hasn't even had his surgery yet. They didn't say this, but I would think that pusts the start of camp in doubt for him. I'd be surprised if he comes back. Therefore Moll and Giacomini are the contenders for RT. Other than a few generaic platitudes, Allen Barbre's name was conspicuously absent from any specific discussions about positions. They seem to want to keep guys at set positions from now on.
Draft Impact: If they really don't consider Barbre a contender, and if they don't want to keep moving Spitz around, then they probably want Colledge to play LG. My take is that he only moves to LT if Clifton becomes a real liability.
Therefore, I think LT is very much in play for the first or second round in the draft. At #9, and again at #41, there are a couple of athletic zone type LT's who might be able to step in. In particular I would keep an eye on Jason Smith from Baylor in the 1st. I just have a feeling he could be the guy.
Also, a "competition" between Moll and Giacomini scares the hell out of me. We already know that Moll sucks. They seem high on Giacomini, but I'd hate to just hand him the job. I'd look for a RT to get drafted as well. A name to watch: Fenuki Tupou from Oregon. Described by Scouts Inc. as a 333 pound bad MF'er, with above average agility who can get out and hit a moving target. Maybe Oregon PackFan call add some insight on this guy?
2. They referred to Cullen Jenkins as one of the best players on the team, and they attributed much of the lack of pass rush to his injury.
Personally, I don't think we can afford to rely on Jenkins to be healthy, and I think we need to augment the pass rush whether he is healthy or not. However, if we take these statements at face value, that may mean that DE is not a priority in the first couple of rounds.
3. All LB positions are up for grabs.
If they're willing to move guys around to different positions, I would think they would be willing to add another horse to the race. If Aaron Curry falls to #9, I would think the Packers would grab him in a heartbeat. If they are willing to move Barnett outside, then maybe they would think about a guy like Maualuga. But, they also seem happy enough with Poppinga and Chillar (and Bishop for that matter). Given the money being spent at LB already, I think this is more likely a case where they shuffle the cards they already have.
I didn't see a lot of commentary on the DB's. So at this point, I'm thinking more and more that OL could be a priority.