We have talked about this in bits and pieces around here, but never really had a thread for discussing it. Now may be the time.
I am working on some research so that I can provide comprehensive draft analysis. I am going off of what I have read about how Tim Ruskell operates. A Tim Ruskell draft board is smaller than a lot of other teams. He is extremely cautious, particularly about two things: that a player fits the system, and the players character. Because of this, he often eliminates numerous players, sometimes probably including players that the national media draftniks have us taking.
Once he has his board, he breaks off small lists of 5 to 6 players that he believes will be available at each pick. Obviously this is flexible, in case players he likes slide, or maybe he has the opportunity to move up.
This is what I am going to attempt to do in my preview of the draft, which will probably start soon. In looking at the first round, almost all the players I believe that Ruskell really likes are better suited as early second round picks. Jonathan Stewart may be the only one that fits at 25, and if he is gone....
Do you think the Hawks will or should trade down? Obviously the catch is that they have to find a partner. Not always possible, which may account for first round picks like Chris Spencer.
Here is just food for thought-- I was looking at the draft trade chart. Atlanta now owns 34-37-48
#34 and #37 together are valued at 1090 points. Seattle's #25 and #55 are worth 1080 points. Which pair of picks would you rather have? Lets Discuss...END
Please Remember to Support the Site by Checking Out the Advertisers. Loyal Readers--If You Could Please Check Out 2 or more Advertisers per day and See What they have to Offer, this Site Would Really Hum. Thank You Again for Your Support.
That's a rough call Mike... I really think that it kind of depends on our CB situation. If we can't lock down Tru, and I'm not too sure any FA's are realistic replacements, I almost believe we have to trade up unless TR has an ace up his sleeve. If J Stew falls then 25, 55. If not then 34, 37 would be much better. We could lock up Keller and a RB like Rice with those picks... Speaking of Picks, how many comp picks do you expect the Hawks to have for next year?
ReplyDeleteCTS
I agree that we will most likely try to trade down unless Stewart falls. Also agree that the talent we are looking for is more suited to be drafted in the 2nd round than the first.
ReplyDeleteHard to predict how the board will fall but I think we will be looking at DT (Trevor Laws; ND), TE (Dustin Keller; Purdue), and G (Branden Albert; Virginia) if we indeed can trade down.
-Coach B
I agree Coach B, I think Laws is one of Ruskell's targets. Smart guy and he has a lot of extracurriculars at ND, including serving on a leadership committee.
ReplyDeleteCTS, go check out the post from a couple of days ago on compensation picks. It should lay it all out.
The one 1st round corner I think the Hawks would consider is Antoine Cason. He has already done a whole bunch of work starting foundations which raise money for cancer research. That sounds pretty atypical of a guy who started his whole college career. Especially at AZ...has anybody partied there, i hear it is craaaaaaaazy :-0
ReplyDeleteDo you really think Albert will fall out of the 1st? I tend to agree with some of the earlier talk about staying away from the OL until later on... Of course if Albert dropped into the 2nd we couldn't pass on that. I'm starting to believe that we should trade Tru and get a 1st and 3rd for him to pick up one of the top 3 CB's. And realistically, I would be happy with any of the top 7 CB's minus Flower's, I'm tired of small CB's. Taking that into account, maybe we don't have to snag a top 3 and can wait until the 2nd, but would love to have Rodgers-Cromartie.
ReplyDeleteCTS
I Can't see us getting a 1st and a 3rd for Tru considering Hall a better corner only went for a second. Not only that but a team is going to have to shell out big bucks, not many teams are willing to to that this close to the draft.
ReplyDeleteI don't see us taking a CB in the draft unless we use Tru to trade down to get one in the early rounds. other than that I think we go for Stewart. I don't see a TE being available for us unless we trade down but in order to do so I think we need to use TRU and if that is the case then we go CB and Putzier is the starter for better or worse. Can't be much worse than Pollard.
ReplyDeleteI think if we do move down, it will be at the time of the pick during the draft. TR will want to see who is there and if someone will want to move up. I would like to see the Hawks move down about 8-10 picks and possibly try and pick up a late 3rd rounder for it. Trading Tru would be no different then Hall, the Hall deal was conditional on the Raiders signing him to a long term deal. At this point I could see the Hawks forking over Tru to a team like Houston. They are on the rise and with Robinson out for awhile, they need CB's in that division.
ReplyDeleteThere are several areas of future concern that Ruskell may attempt to alleviate through the draft. We all want to 'win now', yet building blocks of the draft are valuable to long-term success. For example:
ReplyDeleteRuskell has drafted using future consideration with selecting C, G, DE, CB, and DT.
Spencer, Sims, Wrotto, Tapp, Mebane, Jennings/Wilson all replaced or will replace key players. (Tobeck, Gray/Hutch, Wistrom, Darby, etc.)
Will he take the next Leroy Hill this year? I don't know if we can keep Lofa and Hill. The next W.Jones? Hopefully not the next Tru.
I saw Tim Ruskell on a flight to Dallas on 3/7 (the day Julius Jones signed), so I was wondering if the 'Hawks were considering trading up to land Stewart @ 22? This was, of course, before the announcement of Stewart's surgery. I'd imagine they'll now sit tight or trade down.
ReplyDeleteHell no! We're taking J Stew and he's going on to be the greatest RB of all time!
ReplyDeleteHaha, ok, maybe I won't rush to judgment until i see what you come up with.
I don't agree with you Anonymous. I think the toe surgery does not matter that much. If anything it makes it easier for us to pick him up because every other team will be leary of his toe. I can only speculate though....
ReplyDeleteIf a deal with Trufant doesn't get signed and he plays for the franchise tender, can the team financially afford to pay a first round draft pick and still be able to sign their other picks?
ReplyDeletenow that Fitzgerald has signed opening up all of Arizona's cap space and all the high profile FA's are gone? would the Cardinals consider offering some high draft picks for Trufant knowing they have the cash to sign him? just a thought..
ReplyDeleteSeahawker0624
The OG from Virginia, Albert, is supposed to be a monster, I would love to see the Hawks pick him up....however, I got a feeling Pittsburgh is looking at him in the 1st round. I could see the Hawks moving out of the first round to pick up an extra pick...I think picking up the extra pick is key.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, I've been saying for a month that we should trade down out of the first round, but nobody seems to agree. TR seems to like to trust his draft board and take the best player available, but the consensus is that this is a deep draft with good quality throughout the first 2 rounds and maybe the top half of the 3rd, but that after the first dozen players there is not a lot of separation between the abilities of the players. It would definitely seem to be a better idea to have more picks in the first 2 rounds rather than higher picks (if you're not going to be picking in the first 12 picks).
ReplyDeleteI've heard talk on the Scouts Inc podcast (Todd McShay I think) that, because Matt Ryan isn't so far ahead of the rest of the QB pack, and because it is likely that only Ryan goes in the first half of the 1st round, that the Falcons may try to take Run DMC or one of the lineman with the 3rd pick, and then trade up from the start of the second round into the first round to take one of the top QBs.
If we picked 37th, 48th and 55th rather than 25th and 55th, then maybe we could get a TE (Keller, maybe even Davis), a good WR and DT, maybe even a decent RB (Charles, Felix Jones if his stock has fallen after the Combine) if we're still think about drafting some speed at HB.
Atlanta probably wouldn't give us 2 second rounders for our first, but we could chuck them a 3rd, or a 2nd next year. I definitely think one of the teams at the top of the 2nd round will trade up, and Atlanta seems best placed.
Mike, could you see the Hawks or the Falcons agreeing to our 1st and 3rd for their two 2nds? Given that you have observed TR, do you think that he will change his draft to take account of where our need is and when those players will be available, or just sit pat and take the top player on his board?
I'd like them to trade down instead of picking someone not worth the pick. If Atlanta gets another pick, like they are planning on for Hall, I bet they would trade. We could then get whichever TE we wanted, and a DT or maybe a guy like Gosder Cherilus who supposedly looked very good in his workouts today.
ReplyDelete-Griffin
Trading down would be perfect because of the Seahawks' needs. If they can get a 2nd and 3rd round pick for their 1st, they could draft a TE, RB, LT, and a DT or CB in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Considering how deep RB, TE and LT are this year, that would be great value.
ReplyDeleteI am so sick of hearing how we need tackles.
ReplyDeleteFYI - Walt is still great and has another couple of Pro Bowl years in him.
FYI - Lock is a very, very, very good RT. The coaches have even said he's probably the LT of the future. He's athletic and good! So, when Walt does hang-em-up, we're still sitting well.
Ray Willis looks like a good RT. The coaches like him and have said very positive things about him. He just hasn't been given a chance at tackle b/c others, who are some of the best in the NFL, have been in the way.
With that being said, why in the heck is offensive tackle such an important position to some of you?
Tackles play an entire game, they aren't like DL who rotate... we need more DL...
bk
Probably because you will never make it far into the playoffs let alone win a super bowl without a good offensive line because the team that scores the most points wins. LT is also the hardest player to find on the line. Common sense.
ReplyDeleteIf there was ever a year to trade down this is it. IMO we need as many picks in the first three rounds that we can get. Now if J. Stewart or B. Albert is sitting there I might change my mind but other than that I will be listening to all offers.
ReplyDeletebobbyk--we are one injury at LT from disaster. Lock could take over for Walt (ostensibly), but who would take over for Lock?! Willis?! He is unproven. Thats why you draft a T early, give him at least two years of learning before he gets thrown into the fire.
ReplyDeleteThats the best case scenario. That said, I'd hate to see another CB or OL taken in the first round.
SlaveToTheBusinessman