You Make The Call: Hughes/Brown or Bulaga/Neal

[Maxie the Taxi]

Tarlam wanted Pouncey, a center. I did too, and I think the Steelers are going to have the very best center in the NFL over the next 10-15 years.

But with Pouncey already off the board I'm extremely happy with the Bulaga pick.

+1

Well with things falling the way they did I'm glad we avoided the hard feelings of having this thread named "Pouncey vs Bulaga: Did we do the right thing?"

I wanted Pouncey, but only if he fell to us. I wouldn't have traded up to get him. We have other needs too which TT addressed very nicely.

[Gunakor]

I'd have traded our #1 and Scott Wells to the Steelers for that pick to get Pouncey, but I wouldn't have traded multiple picks. I like Wells, but if he isn't the starting center then he's not worth a roster spot.

Doubt the Steelers would have gone for it anyway.

[Lurker64]

I'd really have to know how bad Charles Brown's back is (That was the "unpublicized medical concern" that has since been publicized.) If it's Justin Harrell bad, obviously everybody would want Bulaga...

[Maxie the Taxi]

I'd have traded our #1 and Scott Wells to the Steelers for that pick to get Pouncey, but I wouldn't have traded multiple picks. I like Wells, but if he isn't the starting center then he's not worth a roster spot.

Doubt the Steelers would have gone for it anyway.

We need some luck this year keeping our guys healthy, then we'll be fine.

[Bretsky]

FIRST OFF, NOT FAIR.......we didn't know Brown would be there so Buluga was the correct choice.

As to the question

NO BRAINER

I take Jerry Hughes and Charles Brown w/o hesitation.

[Fritz]

Wonder what the reaction on the board and other Packer boards would be if it'd turned out that way - Hughes Brown - and then people had found out Brown has a back concern.

The piercing arrows slung at TT with references to Harrell would have been unbearable.

[Gunakor]

FIRST OFF, NOT FAIR.......we didn't know Brown would be there so Buluga was the correct choice.

As to the question

NO BRAINER

I take Jerry Hughes and Charles Brown w/o hesitation.

Why?

Bulaga is going to be a better OT than Brown. I can state that with near certainty.

The question is whether or not we needed a new OLB. I just haven't been convinced that we did. I acknowledge that Hughes would be an upgrade over Jones, but I dont' think it's as important as finding the very best LT that we possibly could.

So take Neal and Hughes out of the question entirely. Whichever of these scenarios gives us the best LT for the future is the answer to this poll. Simply because we don't need a new OLB in the first place.

[Bretsky]

FIRST OFF, NOT FAIR.......we didn't know Brown would be there so Buluga was the correct choice.

As to the question

NO BRAINER

I take Jerry Hughes and Charles Brown w/o hesitation.

Why?

Bulaga is going to be a better OT than Brown. I can state that with near certainty.

The question is whether or not we needed a new OLB. I just haven't been convinced that we did. I acknowledge that Hughes would be an upgrade over Jones, but I dont' think it's as important as finding the very best LT that we possibly could.

So take Neal and Hughes out of the question entirely. Whichever of these scenarios gives us the best LT for the future is the answer to this poll. Simply because we don't need a new OLB in the first place.

Well, it sounds like you are dismissing the question then.
Buluga was the right pick and we can't look at it in hindsight but its still fun to project.

I think Hughes is a future Pro Bowler; I'm not nearly as sold on Jones as some. I think he's a stopgap.

Greater gap of talent between Hughes and Near than Buluga and Brown IMO

[Pugger]

Wonder what the reaction on the board and other Packer boards would be if it'd turned out that way - Hughes Brown - and then people had found out Brown has a back concern.

The piercing arrows slung at TT with references to Harrell would have been unbearable.

+1

[Gunakor]

Well, it sounds like you are dismissing the question then.
Buluga was the right pick and we can't look at it in hindsight but its still fun to project.

I think Hughes is a future Pro Bowler; I'm not nearly as sold on Jones as some. I think he's a stopgap.

Greater gap of talent between Hughes and Near than Buluga and Brown IMO

Not dismissing the question. I'm assigning value, and I don't think a future pro bowl OLB is nearly as valuable than a future pro bowl LT. No matter how good Hughes is going to be, our team would suffer if it had Charles Brown as it's LT instead of Bulaga. It's just not as important to get after the other team's QB as it is to protect your own. That's just how I feel.

So what it came down to, IMO, is that Bulaga is a future pro bowl LT and Brown is not.

In looking ahead, it'll be much easier to find a pro bowl OLB in future drafts than it will be to find a pro bowl LT. That has to be taken into consideration when looking at this poll too.

[mission]

If I can factor in getting Burnett in the third (since we were kind of thinking 2nd) then Ill take Buluga / Burnett over Brown / Hughes any day. Brown is just such a scary pick. And me personally, I never really watched him play when I caught USC a couple times this year. I have no idea about him.

The more I read about this Neal guy, and listen to the coaches talk, I think he might be the kind of guy that comes in and really shines. He has top NFL coaches for his position/side of the ball and has all the tools in the world. Purdue isn't exactly known for turning out NFL ready defensive linemen are they? I think he could be a mainstay in our defense if he can stay healthy.

[Bossman641]

I don't understand McGinn's point. Personally I think Brown will bust and is a huge project. As far as being ready to play now, Bulaga is much more NFL-ready then Brown is. That alone makes the choice Bulaga/Neal for me.

[Bretsky]

Mission makes a good point though regarding substituing Burnett for Neal

I think the reason some of us would choose Hughes/Brown is partially because we're not fone of the Neal Pick. And part of that is merely due to readings we do studying the draft. If Neal turns out to be better than most of the guys we liked more than him then the Packer route was a no brainer.

Many of us really liked Burnett

And probably more than Neal for round two