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i would find another team to root for if this was our draft

I don't know but I really think Jamal Adams if available would be the best pick for us. He is a natural born leader of men and will grow our defense along with Mosley to be fierce again after the retirement of Suggs. But, I seriously doubt we land him unless we trade up.

I was really going to wait until after the combine and the start of FA to make my third mock draft but it's late and I have nothing better to do...so buckle up, here we go. I usually don't try to predict trades, but I'll make an exception here since this is being made pretty much on the fly. We trade our 1st (16th overall) and 3rd (Comp) to Detroit in exchange for their 1st (21st overall), 3rd, and 4th. So basically we're moving back in the first, up in the third, and acquiring a 4th. Round 1 (pick 21) - Sidney Jones // CB // Washington // 6'0", 185 lbs Jones is my top all around CB in the draft, but here I have him as the third CB taken behind Wilson and Lattimore. Why? I feel Wilson is the better CB within 20 yards of the LOS, but Jones is better all around, and Lattimore just has wicked potential. Jones is remarkable at staying with his man no matter what and staying disciplined while in coverage. Personally I think he's the best all around coverage corner in the draft, he doesn't have a major pitfall in any kind of coverage, he can do it all. On top of that, he is a surprisingly reliable run defender as well. We saw this past year what happens to our defense when Jimmy inevitably gets hurt, we go from being a contender for the best unit in football to hot garbage. Jones can step in right away and start opposite Jimmy on the outside, and let Tavon move inside to slot where his skillset is better suited. If/when Jimmy goes down we can kick Tavon back out and keep rolling forward. Round 2 - Haason Reddick // ILB/EDGE // Temple // 6'1", 237 lbs Reddick is a very interesting prospect, I don't know if there is anyone in the LB class that is more athletically gifted than him. I fully believe that with him and Correa on the field together our unit would be extremely tricky for offensive coordinators and players alike to decode, having two guys that can switch between ILB and EDGE would allow for some creative playcalling that'll disguise what we're going to do. Together he and Correa can be a duo that plays off each other and make each other better. The two of them on the field together would shut up the Correa deniers real quick, they seem like a pair that could spell nightmares for opposing offenses. However, I would be remiss if I failed to mention that Reddick is in danger of not being here, in a relatively weak ILB top end, and he being so athletic and smart, he could start to rise even moreso than he already has. Round 3 - Jay Guillermo // C/G // Clemson // 6'3", 310 lbs It's no secret that Zuttah was the weakest link in our starting oline unit, we need to draft his successor. Since the Gradkowski debacle Zuttah has been a valuable asset starting at center for us and being mostly reliable, but this past year he took a very noticeable step backward. With a year of development Guillermo can take over from Zuttah and be our center for the future, in the mean time he is valuable depth up front in case injuries keep popping up. Guillermo fits the new look our oline seems like it'll go in now that we have a new set of coaches working with them, Guillermo is nothing if not a mauler. I don't think he'll be a guy capable of taking over year 1, so with him I think Zuttah will most definitely be starting come next year, which many around here would hate, but he's safer than the alternatives. Round 3 (from earlier trade) - Noah Brown // WR // Ohio State // 6'2", 220 lbs I know people hate taking WRs based on potential, especially since it hasn't worked out amazingly for us yet, but Brown is a very special case. First of all, I expect us to address the WR position in FA, honestly I don't think we can afford not to, the FA WR class is relatively strong with some notable names that we can afford to add, i.e. Garcon, maybe even a Brandon Marshall if he gets cut. Now Brown has all of the tools to be a great WR, he should have stayed for his final year at OSU, but he decided to declare early. He's a big bodies WR with good speed - though not a speedster, maybe he can sneak into the late 4.4s as far as the 40 goes - but on tape I am impressed with his ability in the intermediate area and his release off the snap is top tier, the guy gets separation more than his receiving numbers would indicate. Probably my favorite thing about him is that he is a very aggressive run blocker, just watch the guy, when it's time to run block in gets in there and attacks, which is great for a team like us that really wants to establish the run from the onset of the game. Round 4 - Ejuan Price // EDGE // Pittsburgh // 5'10", 246 lbs Unfortunately, based on where he's from it's pretty safe to assume that he's a Steelers fan, that being said, I'm happy to look the other way in this case. If Price is available this late then all teams are foolish to let him go by unpicked. Forget about his height, as a situational pass rusher in the NFL Price will be a star from the get go. His spin move is Freeney-esque, but he uses a variety of moves to get to opposing QBs and he's damn good at getting there. He's an immediate upgrade to our lacking pass rush and, in my opinion, he does have the strength to be more than just a situational guy eventually. Round 4 (from earlier trade) - Jordan Morgan // OG // Kutztown // 6'2", 313 lbs Another Senior Bowl kid that really impressed me playing at LG, held up very well in both pass blocking and getting very good push as a run blocker. Small school guy so he obviously needs some work, personally what I saw at the Senior Bowl as an area that could be improved is that he's impatient, if he doesn't have someone directly in front of him to block he moves out of position to block someone off the LOS, leaving the QB potentially vulnerable and opening himself up to a penalty for being downfield. Also, while run blocking he tended to move his guy straight back rather than trying to wall him off and opening up a hole. That being said, he held up very well against both Carlos Watkins and Montravious Adams, two guys that I really, really like that'll go much earlier than him, and I feel like both of the problems that I mentioned are fixable in time. One of our downfalls this season was lack of depth along the oline, Jensen regresses and Urschel just hasn't taken the step forward that we want him to. Now add into the equation that it's a possibility that Wagner will leave in FA (hopefully not, I think it would be a mistake to let him go), kicking Lewis out to RT in all likelihood, leaving us with a gaping hole at LG, we need interior blockers badly. One of the more intriguing - at least to me - things that I've found while going through the process is that in the past 10 years (possibly even further back, I didn't go back farther) we have taken a small school guy every year with only one exception (2011). I don't know about you all, but this is just a pattern that I never really noticed. And also something to keep in mind: we met with Morgan at the Senior Bowl, take from that what you will about whether we like him or not. Round 5 - D.J. Killings // CB // UCF // 5'10", 180 lbs Getting to that point in the draft where I'm just going to name an under the radar guys that I like, Killings is that guy. He's on the smaller side, but the guy is really smooth and QBs didn't challenge him all that much, however, when he was challenged he always showed up. Obviously not a perfect prospect right out of the gate, is any CB this late? but I see the tools of a guy that will surprise some people if given the shot. We need depth at slot CB, believe it or not I don't want to rely on Powers again next season, and I like DJ's fit with us. Round 6 - John Law // ILB // Appalachian State // 6'1", 235 lbs Again, guy I really like, see sideline to sideline athletic ability, coverage skills, packs some punch in the run game, and possibly most important, the instincts are there. ILB depth was a problem even when Zach Orr was on the team, now that he's gone we could use another guy, even if it's someone who won't see the field much aside from special teams. Also, having an ILB named "Johnny Law" would just be great. Round 7 - Karel Hamilton // WR // Samford // 6'0", 200 lbs This late, could be anyone, but during the East/West Shrine game Hamilton showed off some unbelievable hands and speed to go deep. Samford has been pumping out some good talent the past couple years, Michael Pierce for example, and I can see Hamilton carving out a role in the NFL. Main thing is though, guy has a top tier set of hands and I'd love to have this guy, for a team that for whatever reason loves to take guys with lots of speed and questionable hands - every freaking time - it'd be nice to have a guy with a set of reliable hands, and the guy even has the speed we always want so it wouldn't be much of a departure.

I've got another great idea. How about we draft somebody with our #2 and #3 picks who can actually play.

Adams is one of the few guys I'd consider trading up for. He is amazing, and would be a real game changer for the Ravens.

Yeah, I love Jamal, but this is the draft that you want to have as many selections as possible. I'm not seeing a big enough drop off in talent that would make trading up anywhere near sacrificing the picks needed to do so.

I think Britt will be looking at Marvin Jones type money at about 4yrs 28Mil that will probably have big bonus money and a smaller cap number over the first two year. I think Garcon will be looking at a much larger commitment imo. Somewhere around 4yrs 36Mil. It's my thinking that moving forward Britt and Garcon will produce at a similar rate, but Britt has the potential to be much more of a difference maker imo. I agree that Garcon has proven track record and Britt doesn't as much. Imo that's why Britt will come cheaper but looking at their 3 year trend track which is more of a future indicator then a entire career, Britt will be a bargain for some team. That's my only point. All the stats were just to show that difference between the 2 might not be as far apart as many think. As for the 3rd down stats. I pointed you to this site at some point, I'm sure it probably got lost through all the other stats. It only gives one year but again, what you've done for me lately gives a much better indicator of what you can do for me moving forward than your entire career imo. The site i looked at Britt converting 17 3rd downs into 1st downs. That's 36% of his 1st downs coming when the team needed him to make a play on 3rd down. They only ranked that top 21 WRs and Garcon didn't make the list so I couldn't get his numbers. http://hosted.stats.com/fb/leaders.asp?type=Receiving&range=NFL&rank=104 In terms of cutting Wallace for Britt. I think Britt has proven enough to show that he'd be more of a consistent chain mover and could also provide the same big plays as Wallace, so imo it's an upgrade. I like Mike Wallace to be clear.

I think we're trying to rationalize it happening so the Ravens can get him. Excellent run defender of epic proportions. Can pursue extremely well, get across the formation on cutbacks, and rarely misses a tackle. He's just phenomenal against the run. As a pass coverage safety, he's able to cover tight ends with ease, processes combo routes that require pass offs in coverage, and shows good enough range to play in a single high. He's also an elite leader and has excellent character. He's just an A+ across the board and he's going to go in the top 10 unless he bombs the combine or shows a lack of desire.

still wondering why pees is still here

I think he will fall to us. I think Marlon Humphrey's is going to do better in the combine and I think teams will view Sidney Jones as the better prospect and look past Lattimore's injury history, if so they're going to lose out because we're going to be a lucky team if we get Wilson here. I think he's going to be a really good CB.

so why does nobody ever talk about jourdan lewis? seems to be the forgotten man of this class and maybe the most underrated. his ball skills are incredible, hes got the athleticism, hes plays quick and fast and decisive, long speed, change of direction. not sure why he gets no attention around here. id love him at 48.

I mean speed is important but I'm more interested in the flip hips drill or whatever it's called - doesn't matter if you can run 4.4 in a straight line if you're always stumbling backwards

Unfortunately you can't just "trade a few low round draft choices" to move up. It takes a lot more than that to move up 16 spots. First you want to get rid of all the tight ends so we can draft one in the first, and now you want trade all of our picks away until we only have four left? We wouldn't have enough players to make 53 if you were pulling the strings my friend. Im not trying to give you a hard time because I know youre new to this. Im just trying to reel you back down to reality a bit. But quality depth is extremely important especially because our guys have trouble staying healthy and thats what the later rounds are for (every once in while you find a quality starter down their too) But it isnt out of the question to move up once in the first three rounds (possibly more depending how many spots we have jumped). But its a long season, and we have a lot of spots to fill/upgrade. We need all the help we can get.

I'm skeptical of this report. That said, if it's true, good thing they didn't. That Flacco/Rice 1-2 pick was easily one of the most important pair of draft selections in Ravens history, maybe THE most important outside of Lewis/Ogden.

We're on the same page.

DeDe Westbrook has two DV arrests, that kind of rap sheet won't fly with our FO. Some good players in this mock but not having a new CB or pass rusher after first two rounds? Not going to happen.

The KC pick til this day still puzzles me because there was so many other more talented players than him left, but besides that, Bronson had an unforseeable injury. In 15' we took the best TE in the draft and a run stuffing DT who had a top 50 grade on him. In 14' we took Jernigan who was a beast at FSU and Gilmore who was over drafted, but outside of that, most recent picks weren't initially as terrible as many people make them up to be. In 13' Art Brown looked like a legit talent and just never panned out and Williams has been arguably the best run stuffing NT in the league. Dude c'mon don't be a homer... Our draft success in recent years has been poor at best and our ability to retain players has been even worse. Max Williams and Carl Davis has been bums, Correa and Kaufasi were not smart picks regardless of bronson's injury. The entire 2015 draft class will be off the team before long, heck only 3 players are on our roster combined from the 2009-2012 drafts and depending on how free agency pans out we may only have 1-2 left from the 2013 draft. This isn't a new issue, our draft success has gone down the toilet That's every team in the league. And you only get 4 years from most of your draft picks - after that, their agents tell them to test the waters because there's always a few teams with a boatload of cap space (Cleveland has $100 million in cap space this year) willing to throw obscene money at free agents. Very few players re-sign with their original team - Josh Norman, Bruce Irvin, Lamar Miller, KO, Maclin, etc. You have to way overpay them like Von Miller, franchise them or they walk. So, very few teams have players left from the 2009-2012 drafts. And most will lose most of their players from the 2013 draft. The average rate of success for all teams in the past 5 years is 1 starter per draft.

@PaRAYdise The Green Bay Packers trade: OLB Kyler Fackrell (0 stars for Packers, +0.5 stars for Eagles) The Philadelphia Eagles trade: OLB Connor Barwin (-8 stars for Eagles, +8 stars for Packers)

This is the best DB and pass rushing class in the past 5+ years.. We need to get some stopgaps on O in free agency (ton of o line cuts coming that can get us through at C and RT for the year) and draft heavy on defense while we have the opportunity. Second rounders at those positions this year would be top 15-20 picks most other classes. We can't afford to miss on so many high picks this year.

I think the Jaguars, if they choose not to go Hooker, will land Adams. I think he's a near lock for the top 10 and it'd be a real head scratcher if he fell to 16. I'd be thrilled, but confused.

As much as I'd like a top WR or CB we need a Pass Rusher bad. That's part of the reason we didn't finish out game's last year because the QB had so much time to do what he wanted back there in the pocket.

Bob Sanders clone.

bakers 40 time could vault him into the first, along with all the other burst/agility/fluidity drills. i just dont see a day 2 prospect with baker, his film is too damn good.

I don't really like it because Humphrey, at the moment, projects much better to a zone scheme where he can play Tampa 2 or Cover 3 while he learns some of the finer points of the game. Jimmy was pretty much a press specialist coming out.

Confirmed

do you see the damage ozzie does with 4th and 5th round picks? its absurd. he doesnt wanna trade his 4th and 5th rounders for good reason. also, you sound like you arent familiar with the draft class at all. there are 2 safeties that are almost certain to go before a corner goes, and then there are 5 or 6 first round corners this year. this draft is loaded with quality corners all the way up until the 4th round. we will be able to trade BACK and find a corner in the first. also, if we took a guard or TE in the first 2 rounds it would probably be a ggood pickup, considering we need a plan to move on from pitta and OJ howard and evan engram are incredible talents, and dan feeney and cam robinson look like future pro bowl guards which is also a huge weakness on this team.

still wondering why pees is still here I have been asking that same question for 2 years now his 4th quarter defense hasn't changed different players every year same coach same results I'm no math wiz but I can put 2 and 2 together

I'm focusing on this part because this is the crux of where we differ. The Ravens said they want a complimentary receiver. I don't think that means big, physical and who can make plays down field when needed. I honestly don't think Marshall, Garçon or Britt is necessarily what they're looking for, but I'd definitely take Marshall bc I think he's a far superior player that won't cost as much and can likely be had on a shorter deal and therefore you're not taking on as much risk. Britt is going to cost similar to the other two, but doesn't have the track record (even if comparable over a recent 2-3 year snap shot), has never stood out on a good team, and is going to require a 5 year commitment. Not doing that on a questionable player. You mentioned Derrick Mason which is exactly what I envision when the Ravens say complimentary to what we already have. We have two outside guys who can make big plays down field, can take short crossing routes to the house with their speed. We have big and physical WR and TEs. We need craft route running. Garçon imo is the best of the 3 in that regard. I think they want an Edelman type guy personally. A guy that gets open early and often, finds soft spots over the middle but can go outside if needed. None of these 3 are that, but I think Garçon is the closest. The ideal scenario is Camp is this guy... and that's another reason why I prefer and older stop gap type player instead of committing 5 years to someone like Britt. Perriman is on this team and should fill whatever you could hope Britt to bring to the table and hopefully much more on a smaller deal over the next 3 years. Thats it. That's all I'm saying. Marshall imo in hands down the best player of the bunch and would likely come plug a hole for a year or two. Might not fit exactly what they're looking for but clearly upgrades the group. Garcon gets open. Wins with route running and hands. To me that's a closer fit to what they mean by complimentary than either of the other two. Big plays, speed, physical - all that should be covered by what's on the roster. We need precision, timing and sure hands. Britt - not saying he's definitely a bad player and wouldn't upgrade the group. But I'm definitely not cutting Wallace to get him which I've seen suggested. He hasn't done it enough for me to commit 5 years and money to. And imo what you'd hope he brings is exactly what I'm already expecting Perriman to do and more. Even if all the stats break down similarly over a 2-3 year snap shot, it's by far the best snap shot of Britts career. Garçons entire career looks like that. We've already got high upside guys we're hoping to break out in a big way.... I'm not spending more in hopes of finding the same result. In a business of no sure things, at a position we've historically had trouble with, I'm putting my money on the surest things. Garçon has been consistent. His floor is something I'd be satisfied with. Marshall can be a down right monster and won't take much commitment. For Britt, you're banking on him replicating his absolute best year ever consistently for the next 3-5 years just for the deal to make sense. If he becomes Kenny Britt again you're screwed. And if I can't get the more sure thing I'm spending way less money to bring back Aiken and giving him more opportunity. Over the past 3 years is ratio of targets to catches to yards is pretty darn similar. And all 3 were with the Ravens. I'd rather pay half or less to Aiken and bank on that if I triple his opportunity he'll triple the return. Side note: for any of the 1st down stats to really tell us anything we'd have to know things like average depth of target and down/distance of each. Meaning if every throw to a player was at a depth of 12 yds and on 1st down and 10... yes every catch will be a 1st down. That doesn't mean he's a clutch guy on 3rd down who gets open in obvious passing situations and can fight for that 1st. Not knocking or discrediting any of it... just pointing out that without context it's just as simple as comparing yards and catches.

marshal yanda was playing out of position and with one arm, our starting RG was ducasse for a good period of time, and zuttah had clearly taken a step back. wagner is not the issue on our line, he could stand to get more push in the ground game, but wagner isnt the one putting DTs in joes lap before he finishes his drop.

If he would pick anything close to that, it would be great. Gotta nail those 1rst and 2nd round picks and the rest will pan out. No more Kindle, Cody, Elam, AB, KC, and Maxx Williams picks. Can't survive that way. Even Upshaw was just about a 1rst round pick-35th. He was good his first year and helped us win a SB so I can't put him on this list, but when you trade and out of the first, and pick someone with the 35th pick in the draft, I don't think you're aiming for somebody that can only stop the run. Such a bummer Ramsey went right before us last year. So unfortunate. Ronnie's a baller though, at an important position too. The 4th round was really good last year. But that better happen when you not only trade down and pass on BIGTIME studs like Chris Jones, Noah Spence, Sterling Shepard, Deion Jones, Derrick Henry, Micheal Thomas, Cody Whitehair and others. All besides Jones were flirting with first round selections and slid right to us. Passing on them is one thing, but then we pick a "hustle" player from BOISE STATE, without a position at the next level. FacePalm. Gotta nail those first and second round picks THIS YEAR, otherwise we'll be sitting at 8-8 or 9-7 at best for years to come.

lol WHAT? some of the things i read on these forums boy i tell ya... by the way if you wanna know how flacco does when hes actually in a situation that can allow for productive qb play, look at his season after the bye week, ya know, when his line and receivers were actually on the field and he was mentally getting over his multiple torn knee ligaments.

If you go back and look at every draft we've had since 1996, we're drafting just as good now as we always did. And to say the last two draft classes are busts is nuts! You have to give them a couple of years to really see if they are productive or not.

Connor Barwin certainly didn't play well last year and is on the downswing of his career, but I'm still happy to have him. The 4-3 clearly wasn't working in his favor, and it looks like both the Eagles and Barwin realize that. It looks like he'll be going to a 3-4 team by trade or free agency, and hopefully that pushes him back to the 7-8 sack type of guy he's been. I'll take that with his solid run stopping and coverage, and it means I don't have to compete as hard with everyone in EDGE FA lol

Games are won in the trenches. O-line, especially the center position is all the ravens really need. The D was solid as long as the offense didn't get so predictable that they couldn't stay on the field. And that's where games were lost. In the second half when the O couldn't couldn't adapt and the D got wore out. You give the run game and add and extra second or two to the protection and they already have the backs and receivers to torch any defense in the league. If you want to give Flacco play makers give him him maulers up front. The D needs better CB's. I get that. But if the O can't grind out drives to give those guys some rest it really doesn't matter how good the next CB is.

Barwin younger but if the issue with Doom is just that he was dealing with a torn acl and could possibly regain form after healing then why entertain trading for a 30 year old pass rush coming off a down year with a cap hit of 8 million when the team could probably save money by asking Doom to take a pay cut and still have a pass rusher?

i think that's what people are trying to rationalise - dbs so rarely go in the top 10 and there are at least 3 who are expected to go around then - is it crazy to maybe see on of the safeties fall? probably but we can all hope...

That's a great comparison really. I totally see it. Except he's more fluid since hes not absurdly musclebound lol

We don't need an underrated player on this team however. I'd rather take a chance on Humphrey and Tabor, considering I don't see serious concerns. They can both play and are ultra competitors. They have that chip on their shoulder and I think our defense needs some kind of swagger. They can both set the tone of a game and make big plays.

the problem is pees is not good at utilizing the talent he has and is not creative whatsoever

Panthers trade: 5th round pick (No. 8 in round) Seahawks trade: Jeremy Lane @RavensFanMania

If he does really well, then perhaps he could be a good trade down target if we go back to the twenties.

Confirmed.

I think he'll be a great fit here. Here's another name, what about Arthur Jones? I know he's disappointed Indy since signing there and he's had injury plagued seasons here as well but when healthy he was pretty good, I personally think he would be a really good low cost signing if we managed to lose Lawrence Guy.

nothing about ZDS's rookie season actually LOOKED good though. the old saying "numbers dont lie" is in fact, a lie. 6 sacks could just mean the qb had to hold the ball way too long, it could mean a blown blocking assignment, it could mean a ton of things that dont necessarily equate to a pass rusher doing his job at a high level. all of Z's rookie sacks were exactly those things, i dont think he had a single sack that was a result of him making a great play. its pretty easy to see the difference between pierce straight up putting the moves on guys up the middle and having a great combination of quickness and strength that he used to win matchups, he wasnt just making plays on poorly executed blocks. but overall, i do agree, you cant have blind faith after a good rookie year. just saying pierce looked like he flat out made better plays as a rookie than ZDS did.

Mangold is the only guy out there I'm interested in as well. Just only if he's cut, I'm sure the Jets would ask for too much in a trade and some team that's not us would be willing to overpay in trade compensation. Doesn't Pierce play NT for us? Ngata would fit in where he was before, 3-4 DE. Ngata, Pierce and Jernigan.

only if the price is right I mean what games did some of you guys watch for Christ sake this guy is good But NOT Great and should make nowhere close to 10 mill a year and with we overpay him we will be set back again I would rather have a top CB or Receiver I watched every game, no one played as well as Willams. Sure The Ravens young guys did a good job, however big guys cannot play all the downs no matter who they are. So your point is you would rather give up first downs, control of the ball and possibly multiple scores. No one is arguing getting a CB, It can be done but lets stay in contention. Williams shut down run games, he has the capability of playing some pass however its not his best suit. The Ravens have no veteran DL if Williams goes. I believe he is an anchor of the team. He is a leader on and off the field. I would give up Zuttah and Dumervil for Williams any day of the week. I would risk a Rookie Center or developing a replacement, than a weakened DL. The LB crew will be fine without Doom. As far as a WR, the Ravens can afford one with the loss of SSr. I argue that the Ravens have the space to keep Williams. If you are saying you don't want him, that is just something that we disagree on. I agree 100%. And getting a "top CB or WR" means $12 million+. Garcon wants $9 million & Brandon Marshall (if cut) wants $12 million. That's a lot of cash to pay for an old WR. CB Stephon Gilmore wants $14 million. Cutting Dumervil, Shareece Wright & Kyle Arrington gets you the money to sign Williams ($10 million+). You're going to replace Wright with a CB in the draft anyway. Same with Arrington. Cutting Watson & Kendrick Lewis gets you most of the money to resign Wagner. All 5 of those guys have in house replacements. And more importantly, your entire O-line stays intact (Ravens were 4-0 last year when they all started together). If you didn't cut anyone else, you'd still have about $9 million to go out and get a veteran WR/CB/ILB. Add in at least 1 maybe 2 top CB in the draft and this defense looks infinitely better - BWill, Pierce, Suggs, Judon, Mosley, Peanut, Weddle, Webb, Jimmy, Tavon, Draft CB, Draft CB, Draft S. Still have Kaufusi, KC, Davis, Henry, ZaDarius, Canady waiting in the wings.....That's a Top 5 defense.

Out of everyone on that list, as soon as FA starts, the only guy I'm interested in is really Nick Mangold. If I'm making an improvement at CB/OLB, then I want to go big or go home at each of the respective positions. I'm looking at the market for the top FA OLBs/CBs and if the price is right then I'm certainly for bringing them in, if not then I'm okay with looking towards those other guys, but Mangold would be a solid signing, he may have declined but we need as much maulers as we can get here. I haven't kept up with him honestly but I know what he was at his best, even if he's declined a bit, I just want a Center who can push the pocket and help big on inside runs. I just don't know about Ngata, I don't know how much he has left and I think he can delay bringing a guy like Michael Pierce who has big potential into the mix. I just don't think Ngata is a need if we bring back Brandon Williams as heartbreaking as that sounds. Back to Mangold, a lot of his struggles were attributed to his injuries, and it's not like the Jets are desperate to let him go, they have weighed in keeping him at a restructure but the cap savings is too much to do so. Personally I would say bring him in for a visit and don't let him leave till he signs.

Definitely some interesting names there. I like Mangold. I'm looking for the next Matt Birk ... some guy who moves along from his former team but still had a lot in the tank and provides much needed leadership from the center position. Of course, I don't really know where he is at the moment and not all players age as gracefully as others. He's still worth a check out. If we lose Williams and if Ngata came relatively cheap, he'd be a welcome rotational player in the middle.

I agree, or at least most of it, considering Williams price tag. After cuts, and if we don't resign Wagner or Williams, we will have a LOT of money. Nobody is BWIll, but we have Pierce, Henry, Davis, Timmy, Urban, Kufasi, and other talented bigs- I know they aren't all NTs people. Plus we'll be adding more in the draft I'm sure. Always do. I just think spending 2-3mil more a year on a top flight proven corner, over a top NT would be better spent. Especially considering the Cornerback spot has basically been single handily holding us back for YEARS. Not to mention, having Jimmy, Gilmore, and Tavon going into the draft would give us so much more flexibility in the draft. Perhaps we could then go after a Jamal Adams or Mike Williams, instead of knowing we have to get a shut down corner in round 1 or 2. So many ways to go about thins this off season, I'm pretty excited to see the moves. It's fun to think of the different scenarios and puts opinions on here. Trumaine Johson would be an awesome addition as well imo. He'll probably cost around what Williams does. Random off topic thoughts....but what do you think about some one year fliers on riskier players? If we make other good moves to compete next year. Guys like Jamal Charles and Julius Peppers. I'm aware of the age thing, but Sizzle and Peppers coming of the edges still sounds great to me

I'd like Matt Elam back on the veteran minimum. Also be nice if we could retain juice. Brandon Williams would be nice to keep over Wagner, I'd just hate to break the bank for him.