Hasselmock Version 2.0 (04/03/09)

[Hasselbeck]

Good info Leaf.. you are always well in tuned with things down there so thats good to know.

[Hasselbeck]

Last year Mike Mayock had the first 13 or 14 picks pegged. Mel Kiper only had 4 or 5 right in that same span of picks.


Leaf

Well in defense of Kiper.. last years draft was not nearly as hard to gauge as this years.. I mean there was a general idea how the top 10 would go.

This year.. all kinds of things can, and likely will happen.. it should be the most entertaining draft in recent memory, if for only the question marks all across the board.

[RyanLeaf16]

Good info Leaf.. you are always well in tuned with things down there so thats good to know.

Definitely will provide more as I come across credible info. Just remember, Raheem and Mark Dominik learned from Gruden and Allen. Everything you hear in reports is all a smoke-screen. The only time the Bucs ever let on about who they wanted was with Carnell Williams. Other than that, it's always mis-information to throw off the national media and other teams.

Don't get me wrong, the Bucs will show a heavy interest in Freeman - but that is the whole idea, make everyone think you want the kid when in reality, your target(s) never leave One Buc.

Last year, I was told a few days prior to the draft that it was Jenkins or Talib if one of them was still available. This year, I have not been given any sort of definitive answer. All I know is that there are guys inside One Buc who have a serious interest in English and even greater interest in Vontae Davis. In fact, many in One Buc see a lot of similarities between Davis and Talib.


Leaf

[dave]

I can appreciate all the time, research and effort that goes into people who do these, but, I just want to provide some advice and make one thing clear:

1) Do not listen to what any national "experts" are saying about the Bucs pick.

2) I GUARANTEE the Bucs will not take a quarterback in the first round and it will DEFINITELY not be Josh Freeman.

I said on MM last year that the Bucs would likely take Mike Jenkins or Aqib Talib with their #1 and they did. I can tell you with 100% confidence that the Bucs will not take Josh Freeman. For some reason, these national media guys are trying to connect Raheem to Freeman b/c Raheem spent 1 year at K-State and they think the Bucs need a quarterback.

Right now, the Bucs are comfortable with the quarterback situation. Josh Johnson is a football prodigy. This kid knows the game of football and can really pick up a scheme very quickly. He will compete with Luke for the starting job. This past week the team had a mini-camp and both quarterbacks looked impressive. Luke was actually carving up Jim Bates' defense in 7-on-7 drills.

From what I have heard and what I know, the Bucs are looking at DE and CB with the first round pick. Supposedly, Larry English and Vontae Davis have a lot of fans inside One Buc Place.


Leaf

This is why it's better to ask a particular team's fan what their team might do in the draft.
They tend to watch everything more carefully than guys like Kiper or McShay who have to cover all 32 teams.

It's the same reason why I think Philly won't go OT in round 1.

[Hasselbeck]

This is why it's better to ask a particular team's fan what their team might do in the draft.
They tend to watch everything more carefully than guys like Kiper or McShay who have to cover all 32 teams.

It's the same reason why I think Philly won't go OT in round 1.

Well depends on the fan.. a lot of fans are clueless. Leaf actually knows people in the Bucs organization if I remember correctly.

But then you have instances like mine.. where I could ask 5 different people who I trust that are in the scope of things in Seattle about where we are leaning and I will literally get 5 different names.

There's so much bullshitting and smoke screening going on now, especially 3 weeks out of the draft, that its hard to believe anyone.

[Blick]

Do a mock.

I bet at least half the teams in the the top 10 would love to trade down.

I'm good.

Half the teams in the top 10 don't have Scott Pioli as their GM. He always acquired extra picks during the draft at New England.

Cinci DE Connor Barwin recently said in an interview that KC would move him to OLB if they drafted him. The Chiefs also told Barwin that they had the third pick, but that things could change.

They'll probably trade down even if they don't get good value in return because they're not going to get good value at 3 anyway. Orakpo is a reach. The players at the top of the draft are QB's, LT's, and a non-pass rushing LB, and the Chiefs shouldn't take any of those positions at 3. The only position that is a need out of those 3 is LB and it's the worst value. You can find good inside LB's later in the draft and there will be plenty of DE/OLB tweener pass rushers available later as well.

[Hasselbeck]

I'm good.

Half the teams in the top 10 don't have Scott Pioli as their GM. He always acquired extra picks during the draft at New England.

Cinci DE Connor Barwin recently said in an interview that KC would move him to OLB if they drafted him. The Chiefs also told Barwin that they had the third pick, but that things could change.

They'll probably trade down even if they don't get good value in return because they're not going to get good value at 3 anyway. Orakpo is a reach. The players at the top of the draft are QB's, LT's, and a non-pass rushing LB, and the Chiefs shouldn't take any of those positions at 3. The only position that is a need out of those 3 is LB and it's the worst value. You can find good inside LB's later in the draft and there will be plenty of DE/OLB tweener pass rushers available later as well.

Yeah but Pioli was already playing with a loaded deck, it's hard to say what he will do when he has to build from scratch.

The ideal thing for all the teams in the Top 5 is a move down.. but with the salaries being what they are and the fact there are really no slam dunks in the draft aside from Curry.. teams are reluctant to move up.

I mean you have to keep in mind.. Calvin Johnson - one of the best prospects to come around in years - wasn't drawing enough of a stir for the Lions to move down a couple years ago. Yes Matt Millen was in charge, but that still is worth noting.

[Blick]

Yeah but Pioli was already playing with a loaded deck, it's hard to say what he will do when he has to build from scratch.

The ideal thing for all the teams in the Top 5 is a move down.. but with the salaries being what they are and the fact there are really no slam dunks in the draft aside from Curry.. teams are reluctant to move up.

I mean you have to keep in mind.. Calvin Johnson - one of the best prospects to come around in years - wasn't drawing enough of a stir for the Lions to move down a couple years ago. Yes Matt Millen was in charge, but that still is worth noting.

True. But, if he can get Cassel and Vrabel for a 2nd round pick then I wouldn't be surprised to see him pull off something on draft day.

Like you said in an earlier post, I think this is going to be a really interesting draft. I'm excited to see what happens.

[Blick]

I realize it's going to be hard. That's why I said that they would still trade down even if they didn't get fair compensation.

[ThunderHorse]

Well, I know you said not to trip, but I'm going to have to shoot you down on the idea that Indianapolis would draft Moreno.

While Polian does have a history of grabbing a lot of skill players on the offensive side of the ball from the south, whether its the ACC or the SEC, I know with 100% certainty that he will not pick up Moreno.

It isn't the first time I've seen a mock with Moreno being grabbed, but even though the run game was pitiful for Indianapolis last year, they are happy with Addai/Rhodes, and are confident in the future that Mike Hart will pick up and help. if Indianapolis does decide to try and grab a runningback, its going to have to be a back that's stock has fallen so much that they can be picked up in later rounds, and I'm talking ROUND 3 if we decide to grab something other then DT in the first round.

In your mock I see you have Hakeem Nicks and Evander Hood still on the board at our pick, and both of those guys are players Polian wouldn't dare let go, Hood being first. Hakeem Nicks is a wet dream for a colt fan, and most don't expect him to still be on the board, but if Polian decides that he doesn't want to go DT in the first round because they're aren't any worth a first round pick, then he will go Receiver or, however unlikely it may be, he COULD go Linebacker, but that is pushing it.

More then likely, if there is no DT that we want that we can't grab in the 2nd round with our pick, and for some reason we decide not to go WR, I feel that Polian would decide to draft down, or surprise everyone and go O-line... OR, he could just use the first round pick to pick up the second round guy that he wanted in the first place, out of fear that they might be gone by our pick.

But, most certainly, we will not draft Knowshon, and while it WOULD make sense, Polian isn't going to do it, this is one thing I'm absolutely sure of.

Otherwise, Great mock draft, I love how you wrote an explanation for every one, and its certainly the best on the forum, blows AsoRaiders right out of the fucking water.

[Senser81]

LOL at Nicks being taken only one spot ahead of Brian Robiskie (and in the 2nd round no less!). LOL at Josh Freeman being taken in the middle of the first round.

I know these mocks are a work in progress, but this is one of the worst mock drafts I have seen in the last 6-7 years. You are definitely no Mike Mayock. Lets hope your next mock will be better than this one.

[calgaryballer]

I really hope that the Raiders take Michael Johnson...

We can cook up a couple of crows after the draft

[FirstTimer]

Love the Bears 2nd Rd pick of Ramses Barden...please let it be true.

[dboy_dc]

I've read somewhere that QB's that come out as Juniors tend to fail in the League as opposed to players that came out as seniors or 5th year seniors (redshirted). I wanna find that article but they had a list of all the QB's who came out early and they've all failed, and they used an example like (i think) Matt Ryan and how he was a 5th year college player.

So my point? Tim Tebow to Detroit next year and I hope we pick up that LB or and OL this year or trade that pick to some other dumb team.

[Woy]

"Ziggy" Hood? Oh hell no.
Receiver or corner in the first round for the Titans, not a damn defensive tackle. I don't care if we lost Haynesworth, we still have a pretty deep defensive line and don't need to address that position until later on in the draft.

Haha, the picture of Joey Harrington made me chuckle though.