Mailbag 4-24-12

Time for the final mailbag before the draft.  I wonder what these questions will be about...

Whats Up EZ,

    Bro, all of your drafts have my Bucs looking a Mo Claiborne going to them in the first.  Let's just say Minnesota jumps on him at 3.  What do we do then?  What other options are there?

Aaron T - Tampa, FL

Aaron,

    Sure, I'll bite.  Lets pretend that Minnesota does in fact either select Claiborne, or make a move so someone else can grab him.  If this happens, the Bucs still have quite a few options too look at.  Obviously, trading down and grabbing additional assets is always something too look at, but my guess is that you wanted some player names, so again, lets assume they stay put.  The most obvious name to look at for them would be Trent Richardson.  He is an elite prospect who immediately would change the look of this whole Tampa offense.  I like Blount, but he is no Richardson.  If Trent is still available, they would most definitely look there.  Obviously, I had him going at 4 to Cleveland though, so lets look further.  The Bucs secondary needs a lot of help and with Claiborne gone, that brings us to the next in line at corner, Stephon Gilmore.  It also brings the top safety, Mark Barron into play.  Both of these guys could be good adds, and Barron would even project as a starter from day 1.  Unfortunately, at 5, I see both of these guys as reaches.  

   Another name to consider would be Matt Kalil.  If Minnesota passes on him, Tampa could look to add the best tackle in this draft.  Sure Donald Penn is getting the job done, but how much better would this offense be if they moved Penn to the right side, and inserted Kalil on the left?

    Finally, I would suggest a surprise name here too.  I think the sneaky pick here, and possibly the best one, would be to choose Luke Kuechly.  The Bucs need linebackers, and there is none better in this draft than the BC product.  Again, he becomes a day one starter, and I think his upside and consistency would be very attractive to Mark Dominick. At 5, Kuechly is not as much a reach as either Barron, or Gilmore, and he fits the system perfectly.

Thanks Aaron.

E,

     Every year at the draft, ESPN always shows some dude who was supposed to go really early, sitting in the Green Room, waiting to hear his name called.  Who is the guy most likely this year to slide?

Clayton R - Atlanta, GA

Hey Clayton...

    You are absolutely right.  Every year someone who was expected to go high, inevitably drops.  Sometimes it is hard to pick who it will be though.  This year, is one of those years.  I think if I were to have a gun at my head, I'd guess Ryan Tannehill.  Right now, he is getting pub as a possible 3-4 selection depending on if Minnesota trades, or if Cleveland wants him.  Then there is the Phins at 8 who seem to like him a bunch.  I have also heard that he would fall past Seattle if he fell to 12.  Still, he strikes me as a guy who may be hot today, that teams may cool on over the next 48 hours.  If he does slip past Seattle at 12, I could easily see him falling all the way to Denver.

    Matt Kalil is an interesting name to watch too.  I think Minnesota would be silly to pass on him at 3, but if they do, there is no guarantee he would get scooped up by either Tampa or St Louis.  Miami would look hard at him at 8, and then Buffalo at 10 I would estimate to be his floor.

    Because of his position, Trent Richardson could slip a bit.  Teams seem more reluctant to take a back high, but he really is a special player.  If Cleveland passes, both Tampa and St Louis would have tough decisions to make.  Then, Miami, KC, and Seattle could all take a look.  I have a hard time imagining him falling that far though.

    Finally, both Quinton Coples, and Melvin Ingram could be candidates to fall.  Coples has immense upside, but comes with a lot of risk.  I am already projecting him to slide to Seattle at 12, but if they pass, he could fall into the 20's.  Melvin Ingram I like, but he too could slide.  I think the Cards, Jets, and Eagles would both look hard at him in the teens, but then he too could find himself looking at a 20-something draft spot.

Thanks for the question Clayton.

Mr EZ...

    So yet again you have dissed my boy Chandler Jones, dropping him into the 2nd round.  Some of the real experts show him going in round 1. What do you have against him?


Brad L - Freeport, NY

Mr Brad...

    I have absolutely nothing against Chandler Jones.  In fact, he is on my upside list, because I think he could develop into a much better player at the pro level.  Having said that, I do my Mocks primarily based on team need as compared to player grade.  Jones is very, very closely rated to both Andre Branch, and Whitney Mercilus.  It was almost a toss up as to which 2 I though would go late in round 1, and which one would slip into the second.  It would not surprise me one bit to hear the Commish announce Chandler's name on Thursday night.  If he were to go mid-teens or higher, I would think that to be a reach, but anywhere from 15 down make perfect sense.  He is exactly the kind of player that someone will fall in love with and trade back up into round 1, or down from an early round 1 position to secure.

Thanks for the awesome question Brad.