From next level reports

Some of this may be moon worthy...

http://www.gbnreport.com/nextlevelreports.html

SAN DIEGO STATE senior offensive tackle MIKE KRACALIK has received additional attention from Carolina and San Diego... both teams have done private workouts with him in recent weeks.

USC senior defensive tackle MIKE PATTERSON has private visits scheduled with Carolina and Detroit.

SAN DIEGO STATE senior safety JOSHUA DEAN (#42) has received plenty of additional attention since his Pro Day... Atlanta, Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Jacksonville, New England, NY Jets, Philadelphia, San Diego and Tampa Bay have inquired more about him, done private workouts or invited him to visit... one of the reasons for that is that teams who have reviewed the practice tapes from the Las Vegas All-American Classic have seen him playing both safety and corner in those practices... especially the 1-on-1 drills, as he matched up with all of the receivers on his team... showing better footwork, quickness and hips than many had thought for a kid that played mostly strong safety in college... has also been more flexible in workouts

 

definitely we need to pick an OT and WR with the first two picks

 

no we don't we need the best player available at those slots if its DT and SS so be it, but I don't want 2 reaches just because there's a slight weakness at that spot. That only means there will be a long term average player there. I'd rather have a player who will become great somewhere else and find an average player in later rounds.

 

WR in the first round makes absolutely no sense at all unless we're already prepared to concede that Colbert is not a worthy starter. With Smith signed long-term, why would you spend a second round pick one year and a first round pick the next on the same spot? Maybe Colbert is best suited for being a third WR and not a starter, but I certainly wasn't sure of that based on last season's performance. That said, we obviously do need depth at WR in the middle and late rounds.

 

Maybe because of all of the following : 1) We've lost Moose, the NFL's yardage and TD leader. 2) Smith is coming off of a nasty break w/ ligament damage. 3) Colbert tied for 4th in the NFL in dropped passes. 4) Proehl is 37 years old with 16 years in the NFL. 5) We started last season with Carter expected to be on the depth chart, and we know what happen to him. The sum of ALL of the above says why.

 

not to mention that drafting someone last year doesn't mean shit. 'Zona had BJ Johnson and Anquan Boldin...1st and 2nd round picks, and still took Larry Fitzgerald.

 

#1) Moose wouldn't have gotten anywhere near those numbers if Smith were healthy. Smith will take up most if not all of that slack, plus we obviously don't intend to pass as much this season.

#2) If the team has concerns about Smith's long-term health, then sure, the pick makes sense. So far that does not seem to be an issue, however. Not only has the team been positive, but no one else seemed to be using that as justification for a pick until your post.

#3) Like I said, if you're sure that Colbert shouldn't be a starter then drafting a WR in the first makes sense. Otherwise it doesn't, and while his drops were frustrating, I don't see that being enough to conclude that Colbert definitely shouldn't be starting.

#4) Obviously we need depth, but you don't intentionally draft a third receiver in the first or second round. When it happens it's because the player was a bust.

#5) No, we didn't. Carter was excepted to be on the PUP if not the IR to continue rehabbing. His subsequent injury only worsened the situation. In no way were we expecting him to contribute. But this would have been a fair point if you had said Smith instead of Carter. Obviously you never know when your backups will be pressed into action, but you don't spend a first round pick on a possible injury fill-in.

It isn't unprecedented for a team to spend a 1st or 2nd one year and a 1st or 2nd the next on the same starting spot, just rare. In cases where you do, as with Johnson, it's because you've already conceded that you made a mistake. Johnson was crap and everyone except AZ knew it before that draft. Dennis Green obviously knew it, and that change in leadership is why they went back and addressed the position again. Without that change at the top, and without Johnson being so obvious a waste of money, it's doubtful that AZ would have gone back to that well.

 

In theory, the Panthers won't draft a guy. They draft for need, and the biggest need right now is theoretically replacing Proehl - something that could be done with a midlevel FA next year. Whoever drafted would probably sit inactive, and this team has been known for staunch, unwavering predictability in offensive player usage - from Foster being in on only certain formations (that the team assigns certain formations to certain players) to Proehl being the 3rd WR behind literally anyone - from Moose/Smith, to Moose/Hankton, Proehl has and never will be the 2nd receiver.

But we drafted Colbert with that said (he had to sit inactive because of the way we assign personnel until Smith left). I'd rather draft a slot/KR/PR type player instead, being that (like Benson) a Williamson might go wasted this year waiting for next year. You don't do that to 1st round picks, and I would rather we not draft a DT first for that reason as well (rotation player). But we've filled many needs, and inevitably, a first or second will fall into a backup spot.

Which leaves us hoping for the best overall player. And Clayton, IMO, does have that potential at 14, even though some do have him ranked lower. Williamson would most likely be the BPA if there.

 

:supergrin


As for Williamson, given that I think he's very far from the 14th best player in this draft, I can't conceive of a scenario in which he'd be the best available for us. But yeah, if a WR was the best available, that would be fine.

 

We'll know on draft day the teams feeling about Smiths health.