New Column is Up

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I wrote about the LBs for PE.com.

-Link-


ANSWERS

RE:  Marlin Jackson at RCB

He absolutely could be the answer.  He's got good size and ability.  He's been a quality starting CB in the past.  I don't think we can count on him because of his knee issues.  Will he be 100% for 2010?  Can he stay healthy for the whole year?  He started all 16 games in 2007.  Since then he's only played in 11.  Playing CB isn't easy.  That position requires speed, quickness, skill, athleticism, and the right mentality.  If Jackson has lost anything in those areas he might be ineffective.  The ACLs could really affect his speed, quickness, and agility.  It could also affect the confidence he has in his legs and coverage ability.  We'll see how he does at Lehigh, but don't start counting chickens quite yet. 

One way to look at Marlin is as a lottery ticket.  If he can be a starting CB, we got a huge prize.  If he can be the starting FS, we got a good prize.  If he's able to be a role player, we got a prize.  If he busts...we're out our money.


RE:  Eagles draft board

The Eagles are too secretive to let that pictures of that thing get out.  I hear some things about past draft boards and share them when I can, but info on the current board is hard to come by.  The Cowboys board has gotten out a couple of times in the last few years.  At some point you have to start wondering if they are letting it out intentionally for a reason.


RE:  OJ Atogwe

He is not in a normal situation.  He was given the Franchise Tag last offseason.  That makes his situation unique.  It is complicated due to all of  the rules that govern RFAs, tenders, and Franchise players.  Most RFAs have a simple tender situation and they must sign.  Atogwe is an interesting situation.  I was surprised that no one talked to him earlier in the offseason.  If/when he becomes a true UFA it will be interesting to see if anyone goes after him or if there is an injury or some other issue that has scared teams away.  I think he's a pretty good player.


RE:  RCB

Myron suggested we could have gone after Dunta Robinson.  Maybe.  However, the Falcons were desperated for CB help.  They overpaid to get him.  We'd have had to outpay them to steal him away.  Dunta was terrific early in his career, but hasn't played at the same level in recent years.  I understand that the Falcons felt like they had to do something drastic and thusly went after him.  I don't think we were in the same situation.  Plus, as we've talked about many times in the past you want to avoid big dollar free agents as much as possible.  Those guys work out probably less than 50% of the time.  You need to make sure you're getting an elite player if you pay elite money.

As for staying at 24 and getting Kyle Wilson....we absolutely could have done that.  What pass rushers would we have been able to bring in?  There were only a handful of 4-3 pass rushers in the entire draft that were of any quality.  If you pass on Graham or someone in the 1st round you are going for a project later on.  I come from the school of drafting that says always take the pass rusher over the cornerback.  The DE can have significant impact on any given play.  He's there vs the run and pass.  The CB won't have that same impact.

As for Owusu-Ansah...he is a major project.  Myron says "the only thing really keeping him out of the first 2 rounds was the fact that he played in a small school against poor competition".  That's HUGE.  The only thing keeping Megan Fox from falling in love with me is the fact we've never hung out and listened to Jan Hammer together while drinking PBR.  Okay, maybe that's a poor analogy, but you get the point.  Sure AOA tested well and has a lot of potential, but he's never once in his life faced a legitimate NFL player.  Had he been able to play in the Shrine Game or Senior Bowl we'd have gotten to study him.  Watching him dominate at the D2 level is great, but doesn't make him a legit RCB target.  I thought AOA looked more like a FS from what I saw of him.


RE:  Howie's grade

I think you can give him a grade based on the moves he made.  Clearly we don't know how they will work.  We're judging his ability to handle the offseason and acquire players.  Howie was faced with some tough situations and circumstances, but came through it well and really impressed me.  We'll sit back 10 years from now and see how things worked out long term.  Do any of the draft picks become regular Pro Bowlers?  Does Ernie Sims thrive in our scheme?  Is Alex Hall the next Carlos Emmons or is he just a short term backup?  Who did we pass on in the draft?  And so on.

I like the moves Howie made.  We'll find out if they worked and how well they worked over time. 
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