AZ54

One former GM doesn't think Davenport gets out of the top 10. Here Casserly has him going at #5 overall, which is very surprising to me. Casserly always has his own strong opinions, sometimes unique to himself, but he also has a lot of contacts around the league. When I see something like this about Davenport it makes me wonder if this is what he's hearing from his contacts, as well as what he sees in him (likely Senior Bowl film). Almost everywhere else I see Davenport talked about more as a 4-3 DE. Davenport and Edmunds are a little different in their strengths/attributes but each could fill a role on our defense. Edmunds being more OLB/ILB versatile, while Davenport fits the McPhee role as OLB and then DE in our 4-man front for our nickel D. I'll be watching the combine closely to see how these two perform in the agility drills. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000091...-saquon-barkley

I like this option with Zack Fulton quite a bit. Cut Sitton and backfill OT in Rd 2 or 3 where there are some good options.

Isn't that the problem here? He hasn't established he has the ability to handle playing ILB, in a durable fashion. Now he's happy at safety and coaches are talking about him as a good player there but the same coaches are trying to trade him.

Not interested. I didn't like him that much as a draft prospect and now with the injury history I see no reason to give up a pick. Then I read that he has walked away from his college team, went AWOL one day with the Redskins, and then went full MIA. No way I'd give up a draft pick for him and then pay him $1.7mil. I'm not even sure where fits in our defense. He is not big enough for ILB, too slow for safety, so he's just an in-the-box NB. I would like to see the Packers trade for him so Nagy can get him in coverage on Cohen.

I think Marcus Davenport could be in the mix at #8. Much depends on how he works out and if he can show enough lateral movement skills. If he doesn't have that he may just fit as a 4-3 DE.

I'll agree that down the road McG will be better than Massie is today. How much? I don't think it's a big upgrade. However, the same things about any CB we draft improving over the years can be said. Anyway, I agree that things like his core strength and even fundamentals will improve but each time I watch him his slow foot speed makes feel like I'm watching a young Massie when he first arrived with the Cardinals. http://draftbreakdown.com/2017/12/10/mike-...-stanford-2017/ I see plays where QNelson comes over to help him and just takes over the defender driving him around the field. It's kinda funny to see McG just stand there as Q takes his man away from him. In his movement skills Nelson just looks quicker and smoother moving than McGlinchey, even if he doesn't have great range. That's why I'm ok with drafting Nelson at #8. Park him next to Leno and Leno gets better on some of those plays where he gives up early inside pressure. Now if we have to wait a year for McGlinchey to be equal to or better (a bit IMO) than Massie I'm perfectly content with the choice of Brandon Parker as our backup swing OT this year. He has LT potential. Keep Massie around for another year and then in 2019 we add another OT prospect after Massie is cut and Parker starts at RT. In the meantime, we also have a young CB with long term starting potential. Or we drafted someone like Wynn at OG with #21, draft Parker still in the 3rd, and the Oline's future looks outstanding.

I'm not buying that this was a good deal for SF. From OTC.com "The effective guarantee is the first two years of the deal minus the per game bonuses which is about $59.6 million. That is about $9 million more than he would have earned if tagged twice so that’s a big number. --------------------- Therefore the point that they have him for 2 years well they could have done that for less money. Certainly for far less risk if they just franchised him this year, then worked on the long term deal next year. --------------------- back to OTC.com "From a salary cap perspective the 49ers frontloaded the contract for a whopping $37 million cap hit this year (and perhaps more if they did that acceleration trick) but took a modest $20 million cap hit in 2019. This surprised me a little as I expected big cap charges in the first two years so this tells me two things. One is that the team still isn’t sold on him being a sure thing just yet as doing this would have forced them to raise the two year cash flow level by about $6 million. Secondly it tells me that they are going to be active in free agency and this gives them a better chance to spend next year as well. Here is the breakdown of the contracts cap structure:" ------------------------- OTC makes hte point that this deal falls in line with Rodgers, Stafford, Wilson, Luck, Roethlisberger, and even Carr. There is still the fact all of them were far more accomplished in their body of work than Garoppolo. The thought that the franchise had no leverage in this doesn't fly either because they had the franchise tag for two years as a cheaper way out. JimmyG could only negotiate with one team for two years if that's what SF wanted. If Jimmy wanted more money now for long term security he could have settled for less than the franchise tag on an annual basis but with more guaranteed money. He has the same risk as the team: He's only had 7 games and if he gets exposed as being less of a franchise QB by the end of next year, or he gets injured again as he did in his 2nd start in NE which also raises long term questions, then the balance of the contract equation changes in the team's favor. I still think it's horrible negotiating for Lynch to pay him on par with QBs who have a much better body of work including Superbowl victories. He had options and he never even got close to the franchise tag deadline much less using the tag to add leverage to his side. He was owned by the player's agent who is still out celebrating his victory.

I'm keeping Long at RG. He has a long offseason and there will be no moving him around this year. Sitton I'd cut. I don't think his injury issues will get better as he gets older and for some reason he gets away with a fair amount of grabbing/pulling when he's out of position. I think he starts to get more flags as his feet slow down. I'm not opposed to keeping Sitton another year either but if the upgrade in Wynn is the best player available so be it, we fill the 2019 need this year. Worst case is that Wynn give us some good insurance if Long's recovery takes longer than expected. In which case we can keep Sitton. If Long isn't ready to play early in the season who are we playing? Morgan? He has long term promise but I'm not sure a year of no practice helped him enough to be a starter. Kush? He has his own injury concerns to recover from.

I'm keeping Long at RG. He has a long offseason and there will be no moving him around this year. Sitton I'd cut. I don't think his injury issues will get better as he gets older and for some reason he gets away with a fair amount of grabbing/pulling when he's out of position. I think he starts to get more flags as his feet slow down. I'm not opposed to keeping Sitton another year either but if the upgrade in Wynn is the best player available so be it, we fill the 2019 need this year. Worst case is that Wynn give us some good insurance if Long's recovery takes longer than expected. In which case we can keep Sitton. If Long isn't ready to play early in the season who are we playing? Morgan? He has long term promise but I'm not sure a year of no practice helped him enough to be a starter. Kush? He has his own injury concerns to recover from.

I think McGlinchey is probably a bit better athlete than Massie but I'm not sure he'd be that much of an upgrade, and probably will be a downgrade in the run game. I see McGlinchey as more of a late 1st to early 2nd Rd prospect and in this mock we're sitting at 21 where I feel there will be better value/need matchups for us to take. http://draftscout.tsxfiles.com/position-rankings/ WEAKNESSES Tardy pass-sets and late to mirror. Forgets his feet and struggles with wide speed. Poor hand/punch timing, allowing rushers to cross his face and wrap his outside shoulder. Hips/butt rise in his kickslide. Only average arm length. Has an answer for the first move, but consistently struggles with counters. Overeager at times in the run game and tips his hand, ending up on the ground. – Dane Brugler 12/30/2017

I'm really bummed out about this. After the draft last year I was assured John Lynch was the smartest GM in the NFL. Now he gives a QB who has played a total of 7 games in the NFL the largest QB contract ever. Say anything you want about his play; good, bad, great, whatever, he still only has 7 games and just 5 in that offense. Very little body of work here to base this decision on. If your GM can't drive a better bargain than making him the highest paid player in the league then he's not doing his job well. Until NFL defenses have film and tendencies on your QB it is caveat emptor. I don't think Garoppolo will be a bust but it's ridiculous to make him the highest paid player. At least Joe Flacco had a Superbowl ring on his hand when he was given a huge deal.

Arden Key scares me. On one hand I see prototypical OLB for Fangio, on the other I see prototypical bust. In his place I'd take the best CB Pace has on his board. Could be any of Carlton Davis, Josh Jackson, Mike Hughes here, maybe someone else I haven't seen yet. Where they all rank depends on what site you go to and right now some of those names fall all the way into the 3rd Rd. That'll be sorted out soon. Josh Jackson, a former WR, has good INT numbers but he's very soft as a tackler. Davis is the opposite and hits like you want a DB to hit plus he's good right in the face of the WR. Mike Hughes seems to have the mirror skills to hang with a WR all over the field. Then I'm not a big McGlinchey fan either because he reminds me of a guy named Massie with his often too-slow feet. If we already have a RT who struggles with edge speed why add another? In that spot I'd take Isaiah Wynn OG and build a brick wall in front of Trubisky where he can always step up, or step up and out of the pocket. That there leaves the outside pass rusher in quandary even if they can beat Massie out wide. ----------------- Where does he fit on the field: ILB or OLB? Leighton Vanderesche. Watch his highlights and you'll feel like you're watching a young Urlacher at times. http://draftscout.tsxfiles.com/position-rankings/ COMPARES TO : 2018 Hall of Fame finalist Brian Urlacher, Bears - It might seem presumptuous to compare Vander Esch - essentially a one-year wonder - to Urlacher, who recorded an eye-popping 1,229 tackles and 41.5 sacks over his 13 NFL seasons, all in Chicago. There are some eerie similarities between the two, however, not the least of which are their similar sizes, athleticism, physical tackling and small-school backgrounds. It is worth remembering that prior to earning the No. 9 overall pick in 2000, the 6-4, 258 pound Urlacher also fell off the recruiting radar after playing eight-man football in high school and played his college ball at New Mexico before

Looks like competition for the NB role. Don't see the speed or length to compete on the outside. Mincy looks like he has very good quickness and he's physical, similar to LeBlanc except he seems to be a bit faster. It's hard to tell much from a 3min highlight film. Now playing in the NFL vs. Canada is a huge difference so he has his work cutout for him if he wants to make the roster.

Even if I'm not yet sold on him I agree on Fitzpatrick being the only real DB option in the top 10. Amerson is interesting. From what I've seen of some highlights his style fits what Fangio wants. Pace can kick the tires and see if he's healthy but I'd be surprised if we sign him this early.

Does anyone think we should take this guy with our first round pick? I don't like him and think he's nothing more than a NB in the NFL. I've seen him mocked to us at #8 in several places. Everything I've seen of him on film just shows a quick little guy. When he tackles someone he's usually going for a ride backwards about 3yards. That won't get any better in the NFL. Some smaller players have the ability to play bigger, Callahan comes to mind, but I haven't seen that in the film I watched. I think players like Alshon Jeffrey, who Ward can easily run with, would own him on all jump balls. I haven't seen anyone calling for us to draft him at #8 nor even in a trade back scenario so I suspect nobody else is enamored with his play.

Nobody will ever hire McDaniels as their HC after this, except of course the Patriots. I've said for years they were a classless organization and now we can add this to their long record. I don't have a problem with them putting McDaniels as HC in waiting but that's a decision that should have been done early enough, or at least they should have let the Colts know up front that this was a possibility. To let it play out like this is really unethical but not surprising knowing the Patriot way.

It's easy to say the same about OTs in this draft yet you just grabbed one in the first in your mock. Connor Williams, Orlando Brown, McGlinchey, Kolton Miller, Chukwuma Okorafor, Martinas Rankin, Jamarco Jones. Tyrell Crosby, Brandon Parker, Alex Cappa, and we can toss in Desmond Harrison too. We don't know yet if Edmunds is worth a top 10 pick but he needs to be on our radar. We don't know that about the OTs either even though I've been on board with taking Connor Wiliams at #8. Fortunately WR is also a position missing elite talent but with good depth in this draft. Everything is aligned so that we should be able to get help across the board if we can trade back a bit as you proposed. I am wondering though if the Bears aren't content with their OTs as they stated. The more I read about the RPOs and watching the Eagles execute them I think QNelson has to be on our radar for our first pick. If Biggs is right and running inside is that important we could benefit from an upgrade especially with Long's offseason surgeries. Nelson is so good LBs will know they have to get into their run gaps quickly, likewise for Long if he gets healthy. Content with the OTs doesn't mean they wouldn't like an upgrade. I'm not an OC/DC expert but it seems to me this new offense will give more things for edge rushers to think about before they commit to getting to the QB. They'll no doubt use some read-option plays plus we should start seeing a lot more screen plays. This could mean that OT becomes a target on the 3rd day. Regardless, I'd still like someone more nimble than Massie on the right side for those occasional deep routes Nagy said he likes to call. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/footb...0206-story.html

Having another NFL offensive mind in the room as they build/design our new offense will help. I am concerned about Helfrich's ability to understand early on how to attack NFL defenses beyond the 4-6 games you get before they have enough film to know your tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses.

I have more homework to do on Fitzpatrick. I admit when I watched him live in the playoffs he never really jumped out as a potential elite player, someone worth the #8 overall. I'll bring up what I've said for the last few years. On that Alabama defense it is hard to standout. The flip side is how much is all that talent helping a player? I'm sure some 'Bama fans will get on my case (again) but right now my sense is Fitzpatrick looks like he'll be a very good safety in the NFL. So does 4th Rd pick Eddie Jackson. By most accounts he does not have the athletic talents of a player like Jaylen Ramsey but we'll find that out soon enough. His best attribute appears to be his versatility in the defensive backfield. Again, that's similar to Ramsey except Ramsey is an elite athlete. For now my thoughts are that if Fitzpatrick looks more like an NFL safety than CB then I don't want to take him at #8. We have much higher needs than S and there will be similar talent grades, if not higher, still on the board.

Congratulations to Urlacher. He's the first Bears Hall of Famer my kids grew up watching. The link below has a nice short video (1:30) of each player when they got the knock on the door. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000091...e-class-of-2018 Over the decades I've been a Bears fan there are a few games that standout. One of them will always be the Arizona game when Urlacher just dominated on defense. That is one of the all-time greatest games, if not the greatest, I've ever seen from a defensive player. This game even has its own Wikipedia page (who knew?): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Chicago_..._Cardinals_game The game was also notable for featuring one of the best performances of Brian Urlacher's career. He recorded 19 tackles and a forced fumble that was returned for a touchdown. Teammate Devin Hester commented on Urlacher's performance, stating, "We watched the film and everybody was saying that he just turned into the Incredible Hulk the last four minutes of the game, just killing people and running over and tackling whoever had the ball."[

I can't imagine we'd get a first round pick for Howard but a late 2nd or 3rd I could see. Then use our two 4th Rd picks and trade up into the 3rd. With my top 4 picks I come out of the draft with: Barkley nice upgrade at RB, he can do it all and he has game changing home run speed to go with his power. The Mickey Mouse offense he was in at Penn State didn't really showcase all he can do as an inside runner. With his speed who is covering him out of the backfield? If they keep a DB in for coverage then use the run option on the RPO. DJ Chark WR 2nd Rd, he needs work but I figure Nagy and Helfrich will love his quickness and speed, and more importantly they'll know how to use it in an offense. He provides a legit deep threat as well to offset everyone else we have. Alex Cappa OT 3rd Rd, looked very good at Senior Bowl, needs a year to take over for Massie and has LT potential long term but is our backup swing OT this year. Kemoko Turay OLB 3rd Rd, was unblockable at Senior Bowl in 1on1 pass rushing drills but shoulder injury history clouds his draft status. and then... Michael Joseph CB 5th Rd. Excellent character and good athlete from a small school. We fill CB starters via FA and he spends a couple seasons learning the ropes with a good chance to develop into a starter down the road. http://draftscout.tsxfiles.com/position-rankings/ "He does a great job smothering the receiver in both man and zone coverage to crowd the catch point. Joseph leads all of college football with eight interceptions in 2017, adding 43 tackles and 14 passes defended."

I don't think it changed that much except Washington's #13 seemed like a nice spot to trade back to. Regardless we all knew Smith was going somewhere and so was Cousins.

I don't see the value of any WR being worth a top 15 pick. I can't imagine Pace will either especially with some other very good options likely to be on the table. I would not rule out Barkley either if he's there. RB might not be the direction I want to go at #8 but he's a heck of a lot better pick than any WR in this draft. Adrian Peterson carried the Vikings offense on his back for many years.

It's hard to verify but it seems he's just 20 years old, maybe 21. If that's correct he's should have a lot of potential to improve.

Ade Aruna. OLB candidate for late on Day 3, might even be a UDFA. Has the traits but is very raw. Stats won't match up since he apparently was moved inside in 2017. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2756155...-all-star-games