Is OT Ryan Clady an Option at 10? (1 Viewer)

[joe87]

If we do, than we better be trading Stinchcomb or Strief to get as high of a pick as we can in the second or third round to get a LB or a DT.

Who in their right mind would trade for Stinchcomb? Can NFL teams make trades to the AAFL?

IMO, Stinchcomb may be the worst starter on our entire team. If the "elite" defensive players are gone, and we can't make a deal to trade down, I'd be fine with taking Clady to give us a very good bookend tandem at OT. If we can't protect Brees, we won't win many games.

 

[Guitarzan]

I agree that BPA is the easiest way to avoid risk. But I think it might be wiser to stockpile picks by moving down rather than drafting a position where we already have a Probowl player stationed.

A GM's credibilty would come into question if the plan was to take a player who's already playing as one of the best in the league at his position and move him away from that position to TRY a rookie there instead.

 

[Guitarzan]

Who in their right mind would trade for Stinchcomb? Can NFL teams make trades to the AAFL?

IMO, Stinchcomb may be the worst starter on our entire team. If the "elite" defensive players are gone, and we can't make a deal to trade down, I'd be fine with taking Clady to give us a very good bookend tandem at OT. If we can't protect Brees, we won't win many games.

Not necessarily a big Stinch fan (I think he's good enough) but Drew was one of the best protected QB's in the league. Especially from games 3-16.

 

[workhorse]

Who in their right mind would trade for Stinchcomb? Can NFL teams make trades to the AAFL?

IMO, Stinchcomb may be the worst starter on our entire team. If the "elite" defensive players are gone, and we can't make a deal to trade down, I'd be fine with taking Clady to give us a very good bookend tandem at OT. If we can't protect Brees, we won't win many games.

I agree that Stinch isn't the greatest, but a team like KC, for example, is hurting for lineman. Maybe get a late round pick

I would much rather see us trade down, but what if we can't get a trade partner? We may have to trade some depth on the Oline to move back. I really hope we do something to collect late first, second, and third round picks. There will be some very good defensive players taken at that part of the draft.

 

[joe87]

I agree that BPA is the easiest way to avoid risk. But I think it might be wiser to stockpile picks by moving down rather than drafting a position where we already have a Probowl player stationed.

A GM's credibilty would come into question if the plan was to take a player who's already playing as one of the best in the league at his position and move him away from that position to TRY a rookie there instead.

If we took Clady, I'm sure he'd start at RT here as long as Brown was on the team.

Trading down would definitely be he best option if no elite defensive players slip to us, but first we need to find someone willing to trade up for fair value.

Though if Clady would fall to #10, I'm sure it'd be very easy to find someone willing to give fair value since quality LT's are at a premium.

 

[Joodas Avila]

Not unless we have a productive FA period and get alot of players for the D.

Yup, exactly. If we land some impact defenders in FA, drafting a T, or evan a WR, wont be too bad a slap in the face. I'd still be bitter though.

 

[joe87]

Not necessarily a big Stinch fan (I think he's good enough) but Drew was one of the best protected QB's in the league. Especially from games 3-16.

That stat was despite Stinchcomb, not because of him. He gets beat more than anyone on the team and doesn't offer much at all as a run-blocker either. We're lucky Brees has such great pocket awareness and gets rid of the ball quickly. We also use TE's and RB's to help pass block on Stinch's side.

I was drinking the Stinchcomb Kool-Aid last off-season when we re-signed him, but we really need to bring someone in there this year. I'm not saying it's our top need, but IMO it's in our top 5 and bringing in a solid player at that spot would help.

 

[joe87]

I agree that Stinch isn't the greatest, but a team like KC, for example, is hurting for lineman. Maybe get a late round pick

I would much rather see us trade down, but what if we can't get a trade partner? We may have to trade some depth on the Oline to move back. I really hope we do something to collect late first, second, and third round picks. There will be some very good defensive players taken at that part of the draft.

I'd love to see us trade down a few times and pickup extra picks and/or veteran players like we did in 2006. Hopefully it works out, but first we need a player that someone REALLY wants to fall to us.

 

[Guitarzan]

That stat was despite Stinchcomb, not because of him. He gets beat more than anyone on the team and doesn't offer much at all as a run-blocker either. We're lucky Brees has such great pocket awareness and gets rid of the ball quickly. We also use TE's and RB's to help pass block on Stinch's side.

I was drinking the Stinchcomb Kool-Aid last off-season when we re-signed him, but we really need to bring someone in there this year. I'm not saying it's our top need, but IMO it's in our top 5 and bringing in a solid player at that spot would help.

I wouldn't mind getting better at the spot. Can Clady out perform him as a rookie?

 

[RJ in Lafayette]

I agree that the draft is about value and that trading down--it does take another team wanting to trade up and offering reasonable compensation--is a possibility. If there are a number of defensive players we like who are still on the board at 10, we might just see the Saints sliding down four or five slots and picking up a third, or sliding down 10 to 12 slots and picking up a second.

That's the fascinating thing about this year's draft--not only is there no consensus number one pick, but there seem to be only eight or so players worthy of a top 10 selection. Break it down: On offense, only McFadden, Ryan and Jake Long (and some might add Clady); on defense, Ellis, Dorsey, Gholston and Chris Long. The second tier might be another 12 or 15 players, with the bottom quarter of the first round consisting of players who could sneak in the first round or go high in the second round

We have limited draft picks. How do we maximize value? If you have a top 10 pick at an impact position like left offensive tackle--and offensive left tackle is arguably the second most critical position on offense--who fills a need (again, this presupposes moving Brown to right tackle), you have to at least consider picking the left tackle. That is all I am saying.

As far as the Saints moving up or moving down, the latter strikes me as a stronger possibility, unless we satisfy a number of secondary and linebacker needs in free agency. Unless Dorsey carries an injury risk, it will take our second round pick to move up to pick Ellis or Dorsey. I do not see us moving up to pick anyone else.

At 10, chances are we will have a number of defensive players bunched together on our board who we would be happy to pick at 15 or 20, but not at 10. Additionally, the Saints might be looking at an offensive player at a slot like 20, and picking up another high pick might allow the team to go offense in the first round, and then focus on defense with three picks in rounds two and three.

Let's see what happens in free agency.

 

[joe87]

I wouldn't mind getting better at the spot. Can Clady out perform him as a rookie?

I don't know much about Clady, but from the way people are talking about him he sounds like he's going to be an elite LT. Brown started out at RT for us and played great. IMO if he's no better than Stinchcomb (even as a rookie) you can pretty much label him a bust, unless it's because of injury or something like that.

 

[RJ in Lafayette]

Something else to consider--and I do not know the answer or have information to do more than simply speculate on the answer.

Brown had a tough 2007 season. A reason was his health. Wasn't there a knee concern with Brown in the 2004 draft? If there is a question of Brown's long-term health--and I do not know that there is--then picking an offensive tackle makes more sense.

 

[joe87]

Something else to consider--and I do not know the answer or have information to do more than simply speculate on the answer.

Brown had a tough 2007 season. A reason was his health. Wasn't there a knee concern with Brown in the 2004 draft? If there is a question of Brown's long-term health--and I do not know that there is--then picking an offensive tackle makes more sense.

I remember reading that many teams red-flagged Brown b/c of knee issues. It doesn't look like it effects his play much, but it's almost definitely a long-term concern.

If we take Clady, he starts at RT for now and possibly takes over at LT after we trade or choose not to re-sign Brown. I wouldn't be too excited about giving him a massive long-term contract when you don't know how long his knees are going to hold up.

 

[Conrad]

In the extreme case that the Saints had to go offense then Ryan Clady is the pick or any other OT. The only position that the saints could pick would be OL.

I agree if their is no defensive player that we like at 10 if that doesn't work then we trade down or reach.

 

[basilisk]

this draft is fairly deep at OT, tho not necessarily LT... there are two OTs rated ahead of clady, 3 if you count long - williams and otah... two more are rated after him, nicks and baker, so that's 6 "premier" OTs in this draft with many others at not quite the same status...

i'd be for taking BPA @ 10 unless a decent trade materializes... and to the guy who posted that it's "not gonna happen" re: brown moving to RT, why not (if it strengthens the team)?... brown's contract, while based on LT, won't look so bad for a RT in a year or two