Commanders Post at The Warpath

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- - Jerod Mayo? (http://www.thewarpath.net/showthread.php?t=23208)

I know Mayo was an area high school star. Yesterday the local paper was
talking him up as a first rounder.

Right now teams are trying to throw up so many smoke screens to get someone else to tip their hand. This nothing more than high stakes poker.
Only people lying more right now are politicians.

I would love to be in the war room and watch the games being played with
the media and other NFL teams.

Some interesting questions for Mayo

[url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_563376.html]Brown: NFL coaches really investigate prospects - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review[/url]

I don't think that spending a pick at LB, especially if they trade down, is a bad idea, however Mayo at 21 would be a pretty awful pick. Again though, if we are talking pick 32-35 though, and we've picked up another 3rd rounder, then Mayo isn't a bad choice.

I think a WR in the first would be an awful selection. I think a Safety in the first would be an awful selection. I think a CB in the 1st, not named Antoine Cason, would be a bad selection. Offensive line or Defensive line in the first is where that pick needs to go. After the first round, many more positions become fair game. A QB in the 3rd or before would be bad. A TE or RB on the first day would be bad (but not in round 3 if the value is there).

Outside of that, anything is fair game if the value is there.

I certainly don't think LB is an immediate, unquestionable need. However, as I noted above, I don't think it would be at all unreasonable if the Redskins decided to use the 21st pick on a LB.

Do we have need along the O-line? Certainly, but the projected lineup of Samuels, Kendall, Rabach, Thomas and Jansen looks good. Heyer is a work in progress and we better hope he doesn't have to start more than 1 or 2 games, but he's a decent backup. Similarly, I hope Lorenzo Alexander doesn't have to start a single game, but some believe Lorenzo Alexander could be a starting guard in the not too distant future future. We need to start planning for the future of our O-line now, but don't we need to do the same thing for our LB corps?

We also have needs at cornerback. But right now, our projected starting lineup of Springs and Smoot is good enough for me. Carlos Rogers will likely start the season on the PUP list as he is coming off major knee surgery, but isn't Rocky coming off a major injury as well? Yes Springs is aging, but Fletcher is no spring chicken. It sounds like we have have the same question marks at corner as we do at LB.

I know a lot of people are hoping that we use a high round draft pick on a wideout. I too think we could use another wideout and wouldn't be happy to see us start the season with Anthony Mix as our #3 receiver. But, I don't think we'll get a lot of added value out of a rookie wideout. History shows that few rookie wideouts put up decent numbers. Guys like Randy Moss and Dwayne Bowe are the exception, not the rule. Moreover, supposing we draft a rookie wideout in the first round and Jason Campbell throws for 3,100 yards, it's not as though a lot of those yards are going to go to the rook. Moss will probably rack up 1,100 or so yards, Cooley will probably snag passes for another 700, ARE will likely get somewhere around 500 yards, and Portis another 300 yards, leaving about 500 yards for guys like Yoder, Mix and the rookie. Finally, there should be plenty of decent WR prospects available in rounds 2 or 3.

So, while I'd like to see us draft a guy like Merling, I wouldn't be shocked or particularly upset if we drafted Mayo in the first and targeted wideouts, O-linemen, etc. in rounds 2, 3, and 5.

[QUOTE=GTripp0012;441259]I don't think that spending a pick at LB, especially if they trade down, is a bad idea, however Mayo at 21 would be a pretty awful pick. Again though, if we are talking pick 32-35 though, and we've picked up another 3rd rounder, then Mayo isn't a bad choice.

I think a WR in the first would be an awful selection. I think a Safety in the first would be an awful selection. I think a CB in the 1st, not named Antoine Cason, would be a bad selection. Offensive line or Defensive line in the first is where that pick needs to go. After the first round, many more positions become fair game. A QB in the 3rd or before would be bad. A TE or RB on the first day would be bad (but not in round 3 if the value is there).

Outside of that, anything is fair game if the value is there.[/QUOTE]

What if, as some have speculated, Mike Jenkins falls all the way down to #21?

I wouldn't want Jenkins at that spot. I'm just not sold on him. I'd rather see Laws or Lawrence Jackson at 21, if we can't land Albert, Williams, or Merling.

Cason is my top-rated Corner. Ahead of DRC, ahead of McKelvin, ahead of Talib, ahead of Jenkins.

[QUOTE=GTripp0012;441283]I wouldn't want Jenkins at that spot. I'm just not sold on him. I'd rather see Laws or Lawrence Jackson at 21, if we can't land Albert, Williams, or Merling.

Cason is my top-rated Corner. Ahead of DRC, ahead of McKelvin, ahead of Talib, ahead of Jenkins.[/QUOTE]

Yeah I'm with you on Cason. I wanted him last year when he was rumored to be coming out in the 2007 draft.

I'm torn between Laws and Balmer. I imagine you're not sold on Balmer because of his relative inability to succeed until this year.

Anyhow, several people "in the know" speculate that Jenkins and-surprsingly-Gholstong are the most likely to fall way way down. The key is really what the Falcons do at #3

I could see Gholston slipping to 7, with the Pats sitting there, even though the Jets would be crazy to pass on him and let the Pats grab him.

Anyway, that is pretty much why I'm not sold on Balmer (though I did give him a first round grade). I don't often plug my own stuff, but I feel that this is relevant in this case:

[URL="http://mvn.com/nfl-draft/2008/04/19/mvn-writers-mock-draft-21-washington-redskins-dt-trevor-laws-notre-dame/"]NFL Draft University | MVN - an NFL Draft blog » Blog Archive » MVN writers mock draft: 21. Washington Redskins - DT Trevor Laws, Notre Dame[/URL]

The risk on Balmer isn't that bad, since multiple year starters who break out as Seniors tend to be the real-deal, but of course, I keep saying "beware the career year". If all Balmer's season really was turns out to be a well-timed career year, then he's not going to be successful in the NFL. You don't really have that risk with Laws.

[quote=GTripp0012;441283]Cason is my top-rated Corner. Ahead of DRC, ahead of McKelvin, ahead of Talib, ahead of Jenkins.[/quote]

Cason would be a nice choice..

[quote=GTripp0012;441283]I wouldn't want Jenkins at that spot. I'm just not sold on him. I'd rather see Laws or Lawrence Jackson at 21, if we can't land Albert, Williams, or Merling.

Cason is my top-rated Corner. Ahead of DRC, ahead of McKelvin, ahead of Talib, ahead of Jenkins.[/quote]
I think Trevor Laws and Lawrence Jackson are big reaches at #21, no matter who's off the board, especially when they're projected as early to mid 2nd rounders. I just don't think that they would be good value picks at the #21 spot.