DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2013 NFL Season NFL Draft (2013) Draftee articles

The O doesnt look that bad, I think Daboll made them 100x worse than what they were. The two big questions for the O are Colt and Tony Pashos. If Colt is ever going to have success in the NFL this is the offense for him and Heckert believes in Pashos.

Defensively we have lots and lots of questions.

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Mack was the highest drafted C all time

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Well, that's not entirely fair. Faine was also drafted 21st, and Mike and Maurkice Pouncey have both been drafted higher since (15th and 18th respectively).

Actually, it is.

Here's why.

Last year's year was praised for its character and perseverence. That was directly attributable to the kind of players that Heckert said that Mangini wanted. That's the way they laid their draft board out. Character was a huge component, and it may have eliminated certain other players from the draft equation.

Hillis was a guy Mangini liked, and had tried previously to get. He's a high character guy.

The draft was filled with high character guys.

One other thing ..... very rarely does a coach get only 2 years to create a turnaround. Mangini brought in players to create a base for his systems. Those guys aren't going to fit Holmgren/Shurmur's system. If Mangini was given the same 4 years that other coaches generally get, then who knows how those players would have fit in as mentors and "player/coaches"? However, dumping the program after only 2 years makes it difficult to know.

You make it sound like Mangini wasn't given a fair shake.

He was retained by a guy who has been around the block in the NFL. By a guy who has experienced success with more than one team. By a guy who is well respected in NFL circles for his knowledge of the game and for his accomplishments.

Mangini got the entire year to win that guy over. Do you think he would have been let go if Holmgren really thought he could get the job done?

Mangini just isn't a very good coach at this time. Maybe he'll be someday, but he just isn't right now.

Holmgren was never going to be happy with a defensive minded coach. he gave it a shot, and it didn't work.

I also think that he looked at the schedule and didn't want to throw his chosen coach into that meat grinder. Give the holdover guy a year ...... get another year of draft picks under your belt ..... and put the new guy in a much, much better position.

It made sense. It was really a no lose situation for Holmgren.

Remember that Kokinis was brought in as the GM at Mangini's request. With Mangini as the GM/HC, it was a complete failure. It was that failure that saw us bring in Holmgren and Heckert and eventually Shurmur.

That failure belongs completely on Mangini's shoulders and that's why he only had two years. If he had gotten over the 5-11 hump, it still might not have been enough without making the playoffs.

I doubt that "improvement" would have been enough. Hell, we showed a ton of improvement .... and he got fired the day after the season ended anyway. I believe that he would have had to make the playoffs, and probably won a game to keep his job.

With the schedule we faced last year. that would have been damn near impossible. It's just as well that Mangini was fired, because it was painfully obvious that he would be sooner or later anyway. This was as close to a shotgun wedding as you'll find .... and once the schedule shotgun was removed, and the team improved enough that another coach would want to come in and coach it, the marriage was over.

Let's just hope that the new regime is successful.

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LB Fujita, Gocong, DQ with Maiava, Brown, Costanza, Trusnik

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Please, no. Fujita and Gocong are two of the slowest linebackers in the league. And Gocong sucked in a 4-3 in Philadelphia. I'm hoping Maiava or someone else can step in and play for him.

Also, if Trusnik sticks around (Mangini guy) I think he is more of a defensive end.

I actually think that Trusnic will stick for a year or so as a LB. I don't think that he's ever going to be an NFL DE, but he does have some ability as a backup LB. Since it is unlikely that we'll be able to get "Jauron LBs" in here this year, we'll probably have to make do with what we have.

The LB corps will be slow this year. There's not much that can be done about it. It's going to be a transition at LB over the next couple of years.

Same thing for some of the backup DE/DT spots. The backups won't be "Jauron ideal", but they are what we have right now. I don't see Heckert going crazy in free agency unless rosters expand significantly. I have the feeling that he wants young players with potential over guys with a year or 2 left. I think that he might look at a (very) few guys who fit the system, and who have not yet reached their potential with their old teams. I would be stunned if he goes crazy signing big name/big dollar guys at this point. I think that he wants to build this team through the draft .... and given the 10-1 disappointment to reward ratio we seem to have in free agent signings, I agree with the philosophy.

I agree with that. I am just dreading a defense with Fujita and Gocong starting at linebacker. My gut tells me Maiava will at least be in there on passing downs. But hopefully he replaces Gocong at some point.

I feel like we will only go strong after a free agent if he puts us over the top (i.e Asante Samuel and the Eagles) and makes us a legit Super Bowl contender. Not if he only makes us a little better.

Right now I don't think there is a player in the league that could turn us into a Super Bowl contender by just being on our team.

I don't see how the Browns can go into next year with Gocong as the starting MLB. He has never played the position before, and was a huge disappointment in PHI. Fujita is fine; he's a quality SAM, but we need a MIKE.

agreed. and why I wouldn't mind giving up Atlanta's 2012 4th rounder for Nick Barnett if GB ends up trading him over just releasing him (w/ Bishop and Hawk their ILB set for the future)

I just suspect that we're going to be in "get by" mode next year at LB. If I'm not mistaken, there are supposed to be some pretty good LB coming out in next year's draft. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see us take the hits this year, and grab a couple of first round LB lext year. (or a 1st and a 2nd rounder)

It would fit the trend we've seen ...... load up on DB .... then DL ..... then LB ..... when it makes sense to do so in the draft.

If Colt and Little pan out that would be a great direction to go. Depending on how last years guys continue to develop and how this years guys pan out, we could be close to a complete team after next years draft.

DQ is the WILL. Just get Vontaze Burfict next year.