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Welcome back my fellow CSR mockaholics!
This week, I have thrown in a few trades I just get a funny feeling about from watching team front office interviews and considering roster moves made to date. They could be completely out of left field or completely accurate, but they make sense to me and IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, THEN YOU CAN JUST....please tell us in the comments, below!
As the draft approaches and free agency wears on I will progressively add rounds and implement hypothetical trades, culminating in a full, 7 round behemoth the week before to draft occurs. I hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think down in the comments!
| 1 | CLE (from HOU) | Blake Bortles | QB, UCF | So far in free agency it appears the Browns have made little in the way of net gain, talent-wise, but this is a very talented yet underachieving roster. They have also released Brandon Weeden, clearing the way for them to select yet another QB at the top of the 1st round. This time, they won't take a chance on the 2nd or 3rd best QB on the board, packaging their 4th overall pick and Indy's 26th pick to move up and nab the guy at the top of their board. Bortles will start the season behind Brian Hoyer but will probably step into the starting lineup by season's end. |
| 2 | ATL (from STL) | Jadaveon Clowney | DE, South Carolina | When Houston passes on Clowney and trades back, Dimitroff will already be on the phone. St. Louis is dying to move back from this pick and are able to pick up Atlanta's 6th overall pick and next year's 1st rounder for a chance to keep Clowney in the "Dirty South". Atlanta's rebuilt defensive line is complete, and Mike Smith is happy. |
| 3 | JAX | Sammy Watkins | WR, Clemson | Call me crazy but I am buying the line out of Jacksonville that they are not enamored with one of this year's expected 1st round QBs. I think they will do exactly what they have said and take a QB in round 2-3 and coach him up behind Henne for a year or two. With Clowney gone and after investing last year's 1st rounder in Luke Joeckel, I expect the Jags will pass up Greg Robinson and take the most explosive offensive playmaker in the draft. The uncertainty surrounding Justin Blackmon makes this a no-brainer, and in the event the erstwhile receiver does turn his life around a trio of Watkins/Blackmon/Shorts could be scary. |
| 4 | MIN (from CLE via HOU) | Teddy Bridgewater | QB, Louisville | With Bridgewater and Manziel still on the board and Oakland and Tampa waiting, Minnesota decides to jump up and grab the QB they covet. I'm not sure this is the best move for them, but they seem like a team that believes they are a QB away from contending, so this is a move I could easily see them making, and with the cost of moving up only being a couple mid-rounders, why not? |
| 5 | OAK | Greg Robinson | OT, Auburn | Despite having a ton of cap room Oakland curiously allowed their two best players (Jared Veldheer and Lamarr Houston) to walk in free agency while instead re-signing Veldheer's over-the-hill backup Khalif Barnes and oft-injured RB Darren McFadden. I initially mocked Johnny Manziel here but have a hard time believing even Oakland would be so cruel as to take a diminutive QB with the 5th overall pick two months after allowing his All-Pro caliber blindside protector to escape. Therefore, I now see them taking Greg Robinson. Greg is cheaper than Veldheer, has a higher ceiling, and is not coming off a season-ending knee injury. Reggie McKenzie has said he is "pretty certain" who his starting QB is going to be, which leads me to believe he does not plan on taking said QB with the 5th pick as there is no way he could know which QBs will still be available at this spot. |
| 6 | STL (from ATL) | Jake Matthews | OT, Texas A&M | Having expected Oakland to take a QB, St. Louis is upset to have traded themselves out of range for Greg Robinson. Jake Matthews is a hell of a consolation prize. He can immediately step in at RT, allowing Rodger Saffold to move inside to guard and to provide quality depth at tackle. Matthews will ultimately be the heir apparent to Jake Long, of course, and short-term insurance in case Long's back flares up again. |
| 7 | TB | Khalil Mack | LB, Buffalo | Originally I mocked Jake Matthews here, but he is gone a pick earlier this time around. I take the Josh McCown signing as evidence that the team plans to give Mike Glennon another year to develop. The front office gave him a veteran mentor in McCown who has been described by teammates as "fatherly", and Anthony Collins was brought in to protect the blindside, so this time I am going with the best player left on the board, Khalil Mack. New coach Lovie Smith has retooled this defense, bringing in DE Michael Johnson and swapping out Darrelle Revis for Alterraun Verner. Khalil Mack and Levonte David could do for Lovie in Tampa what Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher did for him in Chicago, something that every NFCS team should fear. |
| 8 | HOU (from MIN) | C.J. Mosley | LB, Alabama | Brian Cushing can't stay healthy and Joe Mays left via free agency. With NT Earl Mitchell also leaving, FS Danieal Manning coming back from a serious injury and D.J. Swearinger entering only his second season, the Texans defense is basically non-existent up the middle, and C.J. Mosley would be a day 1 starter at ILB beside Cushing. The popular pick here would probably be Johnny Manziel, especially as far as fans from Texas are concerned. However, with two young signal callers under contract and the Matt Schaub situation unsettled, I see no reason to create a logjam at the position with so many other glaring needs. |
| 9 | BUF | Eric Ebron | TE, UNC | I'm sticking with this pick until someone gives me a good reason why I shouldn't. The most sure-fire way to get the most out of E.J. Manuel is to give him as many weapons as possible. The Bills invested heavily in WR last year, and C.J. Spiller is still one of the most electrifying players in the game. A game-breaking tight end is the only piece missing from the puzzle. |
| 10 | DET | Taylor Lewan | OT, Michigan | I've been consistently mocking Mike Evans in this spot, but with the signing of Golden Tate in free agency I think the priority changes. A cornerback or safety here would also make sense, but new coach Jim Caldwell is an offensive guy so I think he grabs a guy on that side of the ball. Lewan would be an instant upgrade at RT and could transition to LT eventually as Riley Reiff's best position for the long run is probably on the right side. Don't let Lewan's assault charge give you false hope of him falling to the Panthers; this is Detroit we're talking about. Lewan will fit right in. |
| 11 | TEN | Johnny Manziel | QB, Texas A&M | I don't know that Johnny Football will fit Ken Whisenhunt's scheme, but I can't believe the new head coach of the Titans would be willing to go into the season with Jake Locker as the starter and Charlie Whitehurst as his only other option for when Locker inevitably gets hurt. Besides, can you imagine a more appropriate sponsorship opportunity for Johnny Football than Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey? I'll wait... |
| 12 | NYG | Timmy Jernigan | DT, Florida State | No change. Linval Joseph and Justin Tuck are gone, and this defense is coming apart at the seams. Time to rebuild it. I gave Mike Evans a look but it seems the team believes in Reuben Randle as the number 2, so I doubt they go that route. |
| 13 | STL | Mike Evans | WR, Texas A&M | Nobody was more happy to see the Lions sign Golden Tate than the St. Louis faithful. The Rams needs a viable red-zone threat in the worst possible way and the Lions were the only team I could really foresee keeping them from getting one of the two best receivers in the draft class. |
| 14 | CHI | Anthony Barr | LB, UCLA | I was mocking HCD here previously but then Da Bears went out and signed Ryan Mundy and M.D. Jennings in free agency. Therefore, on to linebackers! Lance Briggs is a shadow of his former self and James Anderson was never more than a solid starter. Barr will bring big play ability to a defense that is in dire need of a talent injection. |
| 15 | PIT | Justin Gilbert | CB, Oklahoma State | No change here. Pittsburgh needs corners in the worst possible way, and Gilbert is the best of the bunch. No-brainer. |
| 16 | DAL | Aaron Donald | DT, Pittsburgh | No change. Aaron Donald is the perfect fit as an UT in Kiffin's Tampa-2 defense AND he crushed the Combine. I can not see a believable way he slips past Jerry Jones here. Henry Melton was also just brought in for a song, and if he returns to form this duo could torment the NFCE for several years. |
| 17 | BAL | Hasean Clinton-Dix | S, Alabama | Baltimore could still go with Marqise Lee here, but after signing Steve Smith wide receiver becomes less of a priority, at least temporarily, and HCD will give the Ravens the roaming backfielder they haven't had since Ed Reed's heyday. It will also afford the team the opportunity to move Matt Elam back to his more natural spot at strong safety. |
| 18 | NYJ | Marqise Lee | WR, USC | Landing Eric Decker in free agency helps, but he has a ceiling as a top-tier #2 receiver. If Marqise Lee gets back to 2012 form he could be the best WR in a deep draft class at the position. If he is still on the board the Jets will pounce. |
| 19 | MIA | Zach Martin | OT, Notre Dame | The Dolphins wisely picked up Branden Albert to man the blindside for Ryan Tannehill, but Tyson Clabo is getting older and has never been more than a solid starter. Martin could start at RT from day one and would provide insurance in case Albert has any more injury problems. |
| 20 | AZ | Dee Ford | LB, Auburn | John Abraham will soon be drawing Social Security and Matt Shaughnessy has never been the same after the shoulder injury he suffered early in his career. With C.J. Mosley off the board Arians will opt for the best 3-4 edge rusher in the draft. |
| 21 | GB | Louis Nix III | DT, Notre Dame | Even with the re-signing of B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly are still over 30 and the Pack needs an anchor up front that is capable of collapsing the pocket and holding up against the run. Nix is prototype for their scheme. |
| 22 | PHI | Darqueze Dennard | CB, Michigan State | No change. Philly needs help all through the secondary and Dennard is the best pure cover man in the draft. The Eagles would be ecstatic if he is available this late. |
| 23 | KC | Brandin Cooks | WR, Oklahoma State | No change. With the core of their dominant defense intact, adding weapons for the anemic passing attack is point number one for Andy Reid and Co. I think Andy will go nuts if a sane version of Desean Jackson is still sitting on the board when his pick comes up. |
| 24 | CIN | Ryan Shazier | LB, Ohio State | Cincinnati doesn't have many glaring holes and they have got quality depth throughout most of the roster. CB is a popular pick because Leon Hall and Terence Newman are getting old and there is always a chance Adam Jones could pull a Pacman at any moment and get suspended/arrested, but I don't believe they are ready to pull the plug on Dre Kirkpatrick just yet, so he'll get one more year to show he can be "the guy" once Hall can no longer do it. Xavier Su'a-Filo and Kony Ealy will be considered as well, but as I was looking over the roster the biggest weakness I could find was the lack of speed at the linebacker position. Shazier is a blazing-fast, instinctive playmaker and will be the perfect complement to the existing duo of Vinny Rey and Vontaze Burfict. |
| 25 | SD | Ra'Shede Hageman | DT, Minnesota | With Dee Ford gone this time around and Cam Thomas' recent defection via free agency, the Chargers decide to take a chance on the at-times dominating defensive tackle out of Minnesota. At worst he should be an upgrade over the unspectacular Thomas, at best he could be the rare 3-4 nose to attain superstar status. |
| 26 | HOU (from CLE) | Stephon Tuitt | DE, Notre Dame | Houston went out and grabbed Jerrell Powe from KC to replace the departed Earl Mitchell at nose and they selected C.J. Mosley earlier in the round. Tuitt would provide an upgrade over the aging Antonio Smith, and the team's biggest superstar, J.J. Watt, will be happy to finally have some help on defense. |
| 27 | NO | Jace Amaro | TE, Texas Tech | I'm sticking with this one. The dispute between Jimmy Graham and the team still hasn't seen any movement, and I see Jimmy being the kind of guy that will hold out for the wide receiver money he feels he deserves. The team can not afford to pay him as a top WR. This could get very ugly, and there is no depth at all behind Jimmy which leaves the team with absolutely no leverage in contract talks with him. Amaro can step into Jimmy's role as an oversized slot-receiver from day 1 if Jimmy holds out. If the rookie plays well, it could pressure Graham to come to the table. If he plays EXTREMELY well then the team could work out a trade for Jimmy so they can get something for him rather than having to let him walk as a free agent. |
| 28 | CAR | Odell Beckham, Jr. | WR, LSU | Over the last several weeks I have probably watched every publically available piece of internet footage where OBJ is catching a football. He has subsequently become one of my top-5 favorite players in this draft. If we are able to grab him at 28 and choose to I will probably lose my mind. I hate to make outlandish predictions so I won't, but suffice to say that in 25 years if this young man is having his bust cast for a spot in Canton I will not be surprised. He has that kind of talent. |
| 29 | NE | Calvin Pryor | S, Louisville | Well, for all the talk about teams "copycatting" the Seahawks' recipe for success last year, the Patriots would have to be the team stoking the fire. They went out and grabbed Darrelle Revis to replace Aqib Talib, then also signed Richard Sherman's erstwhile counterpart from Seattle, Brandon Browner. With Devin McCourty as the playmaking safety a-la Earl Thomas, all the team needs is an enforcer in the mold of Kam Chancellor to put the finishing touches on the "Legion of Boom: Foxborough Edition". Ladies and gentlemen of New England, I give you Calvin Pryor. You're welcome. |
| 30 | SF | Xavier Su'a-Filo | OG, UCLA | Left guard Mike Iupati broke his leg in January and at right guard Alex Boone is arguably the weakest starter on the 49ers' depth chart (though still solid). Su'a-Filo provides quality insurance against setbacks with Iupati and a potential upgrade for Boone. CB is a popular pick and Verett could very well be the guy here. They have had some turnover at CB with the losses of Carlos Rogers, Perrish Cox, and Tarell Brown, but Tramaine Brock and Eric Wright return, Chris Culliver should return from injury and they added Chris Cook in free agency. Plus, this is a VERY deep CB class and the 49ers have 5 picks in the first 3 rounds and 7 total. WR could also be an option, but again, deep position while quality guard prospects are sparse. |
| 31 | DEN | Kony Ealy | DE, Missouri | The Elway and Foxy Show will be amazed to see the second most complete 4-3 DE in the draft still sitting there this late in the first. Drafting Ealy should allow Fox to plug him in on run downs to keep Demarcus Ware from wearing down as the season wears on. Guard could get a look here but I personally am not high on Yankey and Elway may consider Gabe Jackson a reach (though I wouldn't). Nah, Kony Ealy would be Fox's Mike Rucker or Charles Johnson; a do-everything ironman that holds up well against the run and can collapse the pocket. Ealy's motor is non-stop, and if he continues to fill out his frame with good muscle in pro strength and nutrition programs he will be a 60 tackle, 10 sack kind of guy for 7-10+ years, dependent on injuries. |
| 32 | SEA | Kelvin Benjamin | WR, Florida State | No change. Seattle still needs a big-bodied red-zone threat at the WR position and Benjamin is still just too good of a value to pass up here. The team released Sidney Rice and Taylor Price, the only free agent signee at the position, is not the answer. |