ESPN Say's Newton To Enter Draft

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by Terpfan76

I'd rather trade down and take Locker than reach on any of these other guys. In fact, the best case would be if he were to fall to the second round and be able to snatch him there while still trading down in the first.

Personally I think that if we trade down we should take Christian Ponder, not Locker. Ponder has excellent intelligence, accuracy, mobility, and intangibles. While his arm is not the strongest, he makes up for it by being a creative leader.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Lotus

Personally I think that if we trade down we should take Christian Ponder, not Locker. Ponder has excellent intelligence, accuracy, mobility, and intangibles. While his arm is not the strongest, he makes up for it by being a creative leader.

I heart you

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I heart you

Aw, shucks.

I've read about and watched game videos of a bunch of draftable QB's. Ponder is the one who seems to me most likely to be a solid starter. Not only that, I think he will be ready to play as early as any other QB in this class. What he doesn't have can be remedied in the film or weight rooms, whereas other QB's in this class seem to have drawbacks which are more difficult to fix.

I say use the #10 pick on a defensive beast (like Von Miller or Cameron Jordan) or trade down to still grab a defensive beast later in the first round. Then draft Ponder in a later round.

[skinsfaninok]

Originally Posted by Lotus

Aw, shucks.

I've read about and watched game videos of a bunch of draftable QB's. Ponder is the one who seems to me most likely to be a solid starter. Not only that, I think he will be ready to play as early as any other QB in this class. What he doesn't have can be remedied in the film or weight rooms, whereas other QB's in this class seem to have drawbacks which are more difficult to fix.

I say use the #10 pick on a defensive beast (like Von Miller or Cameron Jordan) or trade down to still grab a defensive beast later in the first round. Then draft Ponder in a later round.

Well like I've mentioned before, I watched him live in person and he looked RIDICULOUSLY BAD here in Norman.. Made bad decisions under pressure and very avg arm strength, yea you need smarts but sometimes that just isn't enough in the Pros.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by skinsfaninok

Well like I've mentioned before, I watched him live in person and he looked RIDICULOUSLY BAD here in Norman.. Made bad decisions under pressure and very avg arm strength, yea you need smarts but sometimes that just isn't enough in the Pros.

I agree, he did look bad that game. Probably the worst of his college career. But that is just one game. Even Manning and Brady look bad sometimes.

My argument is not that he will be a Pro Bowler or is a can't-miss. Rather, IMO he is the best prospect for our offense in a lackluster QB class.

[SkinzWin]

Originally Posted by Lotus

Aw, shucks.

I've read about and watched game videos of a bunch of draftable QB's. Ponder is the one who seems to me most likely to be a solid starter. Not only that, I think he will be ready to play as early as any other QB in this class. What he doesn't have can be remedied in the film or weight rooms, whereas other QB's in this class seem to have drawbacks which are more difficult to fix.

I say use the #10 pick on a defensive beast (like Von Miller or Cameron Jordan) or trade down to still grab a defensive beast later in the first round. Then draft Ponder in a later round.

Copy cat. lol

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by SkinzWin

Copy cat. lol

How am I a copy cat? I know SS mentioned Ponder before but I have since done my own "independent" research and come to a similar "independent" conclusion. Or did you say something that I missed?

Here's my mock draft right now, which I could not have copy catted:
1 Von Miller OLB Texas A&M
2 Christian Ponder QB Florida State
5 Ryan van Bergen DE Michigan
5 Phil Taylor NT Baylor
6 Clint Boling OG Georgia
7 Graig Cooper RB Miami
7 Johnny Brown S Mississippi

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by Lotus

How am I a copy cat? I know SS mentioned Ponder before but I have since done my own "independent" research and come to a similar "independent" conclusion. Or did you say something that I missed?

Here's my mock draft right now, which I could not have copy catted:
1 Von Miller OLB Texas A&M
2 Christian Ponder QB Florida State
5 Ryan van Bergen DE Michigan
5 Phil Taylor NT Baylor
6 Clint Boling OG Georgia
7 Graig Cooper RB Miami
7 Johnny Brown S Mississippi

Ponder will be available as late as the 4th round. If he's lucky he'll go in the third. I mean look at it this way. Someone like Locker or Mallet (possibly both) is going to fall to the second round. From there Ponder will have to compete with that Devlin, Dalton, Stanzi group and hope to emerge as the top guy in that second or third tier despite his elbow problems.

Colt McCoy last year had much more going for him then Ponder yet he fell to the beginning of the third round. As you all remember McCoy was deadly accurate, experienced, and mobile with decent arm strength. And on top of that he was not only a leader, but a leader that was at the forefront of a national championship run.

Ponder has some of those attributes. He's accurate when healthy, he's mobile, he's a great leader, and he has a good arm on top of 3 years worth of starting experience. However he also comes from a program that couldn't even get to the BCS despite being in the ACC (McCoy did it twice). And ironically I'm not even saying that I don't want Ponder, in fact I actually wouldn't be to disappointed if we got the kid. However I wouldn't draft him before the third round at this point. Plus the funny thing is that as weak as the ACC has been in recent years, they're still the best conference these days when it comes to producing QB's (Vick, Ryan, Rivers, Schuab).

[SkinzWin]

Originally Posted by Lotus

How am I a copy cat? I know SS mentioned Ponder before but I have since done my own "independent" research and come to a similar "independent" conclusion. Or did you say something that I missed?

Here's my mock draft right now, which I could not have copy catted:
1 Von Miller OLB Texas A&M
2 Christian Ponder QB Florida State
5 Ryan van Bergen DE Michigan
5 Phil Taylor NT Baylor
6 Clint Boling OG Georgia
7 Graig Cooper RB Miami
7 Johnny Brown S Mississippi

I was just saying that because I had just said take Von Miller at 10 and Ponder or Dalton later in the draft a few posts earlier. I know you have your own independent conclusions. I wasn't trying to be rude, just joking.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by SkinzWin

I was just saying that because I had just said take Von Miller at 10 and Ponder or Dalton later in the draft a few posts earlier. I know you have your own independent conclusions. I wasn't trying to be rude, just joking.

Sorry, not a copycat, just a poor reader. But you and I agree, brother.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Lotus

How am I a copy cat? I know SS mentioned Ponder before but I have since done my own "independent" research and come to a similar "independent" conclusion. Or did you say something that I missed?

Here's my mock draft right now, which I could not have copy catted:
1 Von Miller OLB Texas A&M
2 Christian Ponder QB Florida State
5 Ryan van Bergen DE Michigan
5 Phil Taylor NT Baylor
6 Clint Boling OG Georgia
7 Graig Cooper RB Miami
7 Johnny Brown S Mississippi

yeah never mind that I said a few weeks ago I thought we'd take Miller in the first round (though the buzz is Locker, and the behind the scenes buzz is Quinn)

You are a copycatter!

[Lotus]

SS, any buzz on going a different defensive direction at #10 than OLB?

What I'm thinking is that Cameron Jordan could be a Pro Bowler at 3-4 DE. We could take Jordan at #10 perhaps. Then we would have potential Pro Bowlers at each level of the defense.

When you look at the defense horizontally, Miller or Quinn make sense. But if you look at the defense vertically, a DE like Jordan makes sense.