Hi everyone,
Some of you may remember me from a couple of months back, when I (a Falcons fan) came to this board to ask for advice about the Packers' offseason needs, as well as, the current talent on the depth chart. You guys were tremendously helpful, and I believe that I was able to create a very successful offseason and draft for your beloved Packers.
First, a little bit about the mock draft/offseason. The mock offseason was held on the Atlanta Falcons Message Board (AFMB) and consisted of 32 Falcons' fans who each researched one team and participated in an offseason and draft for their respective team. The process started in early February, so the Interactive Mock Draft (IMD) Free Agency started before the real free agency, and the draft will complete tomorrow. Admittedly, the free agency portion is a newer addition to the game, so it had some unrealistic aspects, but the draft was quite entertaining and a great way to kill time during the offseason.
Without further ado, here are the results from the mock free agency and draft:
Signed Free Agents:
James Jones, WR
Randy Starks, LE
Jason Worilds, LOLB
Antoine Bethea, FS
Matt Flynn, QB
John Kuhn, FB
Andrew Quarless, TE
Will Svitek, OT
Evan Dietrich-Smith, C
Paul Soliai, NT
Jamari Lattimore, ILB
Sam Shields, CB
Draft (No Comp Picks):
Round 1, Pick 21 - Stephon Tuitt, DT/DE, Notre Dame
Round 2, Pick 21 - C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Iowa
Round 3, Pick 17 - Terrence Brooks, FS, FSU
Round 3, Pick 26 - Shayne Skov ILB, Stanford
Round 4, Pick 8 - Bruce Ellington, WR, South Carolina
Round 4, Pick 21 - Cameron Fleming, OT, Stanford
Round 4, Pick 31 - Michael Sam, DE/OLB, Missouri
Round 6, Pick 30 - Tom Savage, QB, Pittsburgh
Round 6, Pick 32 - Mike Davis, WR, Texas
Now as some of you may have noticed, the Packers have a TON of picks in this mock draft. That's because I traded Randall Cobb away. I'm sure that won't be a popular decision, but trust me, I had a thought process behind it. Given the results of the mock free agency, the Packers had to backload a lot of their contracts, so spending big money on resigning Jordy and Cobb in 2015 didn't make fiscal sense. So instead of allowing Cobb to leave in free agency next offseason, and receive a 2015 3rd round comp pick, I went ahead and traded Cobb for a third and two fourths in the 2014 draft. In real life, the Packers should get better value for Cobb, but I just wanted to get a trade done, so I made it happen.
Breakdown of drafted players and their roles:
In this scenario, the Packers were able to fill most of their needs in FA with players like Antoine Bethea, Jason Worilds, Randy Starks, and Paul Soliai. Signing all these players allowed me to draft players early and not force them into starting positions immediately. Having Stephon Tuitt split time with Datone Jones, Brooks learn from Bethea, and Fleming develop behind Bulaga is a great luxury that most teams can't afford. However I believe the mock draft also applies to the Packers' current real situation quite well with the exception of the hole at center due to EDS leaving (although that could be addressed with the comp pick in the 3rd).
On defense, Stephon Tuitt can start immediately across from Datone Jones/Mike Daniels with B.J. Raji at NT. Terrence Brooks can start as FS and is a rangy, instinctive free safety, who in my opinion is the prototypical player for that position. He won't be confused for an enforcer like Pryor anytime soon, but he has the speed to cover the field, as well as, above average tackling and playmaking ability. Shayne Skov is a much needed upgrade (potentially) over Brad Jones who had a terrible year last year. Skov has experience playing in the 3-4 and is legitimately the best A-gap blitzer I've ever seen. The only player that I've ever seen time blitzes as well Skov is maybe Polamalu when he jumps over the other team's linemen. If you haven't had a chance to look at Skov, I would recommend watching some of his film; it's pretty amazing. That being said, he can definitely improve in coverage which hopefully will happen since he'll be another year removed from his ACL tear. Michael Sam had a terrible combine, but I think he's worth taking a shot on, considering his 11.5 sacks this season. He could end up being a steal in the late fourth, but more than likely he'll just be a good role player as a situational pass rusher.
On offense, C.J. Fiedorowicz serves as a solid blocker and good redzone threat for Rodgers to throw to. He's not the flashiest player, but I think he will be a solid starting TE in the NFL. Originally, I had planned on drafting him in the third round, but by pick 21 in the 2nd round, Ebron, Amaro, Seferian-Jenkins, and Niklas had been chosen, so it was now or never. Since Randall Cobb was traded away, I drafted Bruce Ellington to replace him as the dangerous slot receiver. Ellington is a little raw, but I think he has the talent to replace Cobb with his unmistakable playmaking ability as well as a certain clutch factor late in games. Mike Davis also adds good depth to the receiving corps. Davis has a 3-4 round grade from multiple sources, so getting him with the last pick in the sixth could be a steal. He has the speed to stretch the field or break plays off screens at the very least. Davis is also a surprisingly tenacious run blocker. And I'm sure Rodgers appreciates every weapon he can get considering I traded away one of his favorites. On the offensive line, I added Cameron Fleming as a backup RT. I honestly didn't do much research on him; I just find offensive line tape too boring. It seems that most people think he has good potential though. The final player that I drafted was Tom Savage, who has an interesting story since he was a starter as a true freshman, but then got injured and sat out two years after transferring twice. Savage seems like he's learned from his mistakes and showed a lot of potential this season for Pittsburgh. He's got a great arm, powerful build, decent pocket awareness, surprising mobility, but inconsistent accuracy at times. After watching him play a few games, he reminds me a lot of Roethlisberger with his big arm and tenacity to finish the play. The Packers have said they want a young QB, and I think Savage could become a great spot starter if he sits behind Rodgers for a couple of years.
Final Depth Chart:
Signed Free Agents
Draft Picks
Offense:
QB: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, Tom Savage, Scott Tolzien
RB: Eddie Lacy, Jonathan Franklin, Dujuan Harris, Orwin Smith
FB: John Kuhn, Ina Liaina
WR: Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Bruce Ellington, Jarrett Boykin, Mike Davis, Chris Harper, Myles White, Kevin Dorsey, Sederrik Cunningham, Alex Gillett
TE: C.J. Fiedorowicz, Andrew Quarless, Brandon Bostick, Jake Stoneburner, Ryan Taylor
LT: David Bakhtiari, Will Svitek, Aaron Adams
LG: Josh Sitton, Lane Taylor
C: Evan Dietrich-Smith, JC Tretter, Garth Gerhart
RG: T.J. Lang, Don Barclay, Andrew Tiller
RT: Bryan Bulaga, Derek Sherrod, Cameron Fleming, Jeremy Vujnovich,
Defense:
RE: Stephon Tuitt, Datone Jones, Mike Daniels
NT: Paul Soliai, Josh Boyd
LE: Randy Starks, Jerel Worthy
ROLB: Clay Matthews, Nick Perry, Nate Palmer
ILB: A.J. Hawk, Shayne Skov, Brad Jones, Jamari Lattimore, Sam Barrington, Victor Aiyewa
LOLB: Jason Worilds, Michael Sam, Andy Mulumba, Chase Thomas
CB: Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Casey Hayward, Micah Hyde, Jarrett Bush, Davon House, Antonio Dennard, James Nixon, Jumal Rolle
FS: Antoine Bethea, Terrence Brooks, Chris Banjo
SS: Morgan Burnett, Sean Richardson
TL;DR - Mock draft on Falcon's message board. Showed the results with a little explanation. Look at mock draft section.
Well folks, that's it. That was a ton to read, so if you managed to read it all, good for you! And thanks for all the help you guys gave me. Let me know what you think of the draft/offseason!
Some of you may remember me from a couple of months back, when I (a Falcons fan) came to this board to ask for advice about the Packers' offseason needs, as well as, the current talent on the depth chart. You guys were tremendously helpful, and I believe that I was able to create a very successful offseason and draft for your beloved Packers.
First, a little bit about the mock draft/offseason. The mock offseason was held on the Atlanta Falcons Message Board (AFMB) and consisted of 32 Falcons' fans who each researched one team and participated in an offseason and draft for their respective team. The process started in early February, so the Interactive Mock Draft (IMD) Free Agency started before the real free agency, and the draft will complete tomorrow. Admittedly, the free agency portion is a newer addition to the game, so it had some unrealistic aspects, but the draft was quite entertaining and a great way to kill time during the offseason.
Without further ado, here are the results from the mock free agency and draft:
Signed Free Agents:
James Jones, WR
Randy Starks, LE
Jason Worilds, LOLB
Antoine Bethea, FS
Matt Flynn, QB
John Kuhn, FB
Andrew Quarless, TE
Will Svitek, OT
Evan Dietrich-Smith, C
Paul Soliai, NT
Jamari Lattimore, ILB
Sam Shields, CB
Draft (No Comp Picks):
Round 1, Pick 21 - Stephon Tuitt, DT/DE, Notre Dame
Round 2, Pick 21 - C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Iowa
Round 3, Pick 17 - Terrence Brooks, FS, FSU
Round 3, Pick 26 - Shayne Skov ILB, Stanford
Round 4, Pick 8 - Bruce Ellington, WR, South Carolina
Round 4, Pick 21 - Cameron Fleming, OT, Stanford
Round 4, Pick 31 - Michael Sam, DE/OLB, Missouri
Round 6, Pick 30 - Tom Savage, QB, Pittsburgh
Round 6, Pick 32 - Mike Davis, WR, Texas
Now as some of you may have noticed, the Packers have a TON of picks in this mock draft. That's because I traded Randall Cobb away. I'm sure that won't be a popular decision, but trust me, I had a thought process behind it. Given the results of the mock free agency, the Packers had to backload a lot of their contracts, so spending big money on resigning Jordy and Cobb in 2015 didn't make fiscal sense. So instead of allowing Cobb to leave in free agency next offseason, and receive a 2015 3rd round comp pick, I went ahead and traded Cobb for a third and two fourths in the 2014 draft. In real life, the Packers should get better value for Cobb, but I just wanted to get a trade done, so I made it happen.
Breakdown of drafted players and their roles:
In this scenario, the Packers were able to fill most of their needs in FA with players like Antoine Bethea, Jason Worilds, Randy Starks, and Paul Soliai. Signing all these players allowed me to draft players early and not force them into starting positions immediately. Having Stephon Tuitt split time with Datone Jones, Brooks learn from Bethea, and Fleming develop behind Bulaga is a great luxury that most teams can't afford. However I believe the mock draft also applies to the Packers' current real situation quite well with the exception of the hole at center due to EDS leaving (although that could be addressed with the comp pick in the 3rd).
On defense, Stephon Tuitt can start immediately across from Datone Jones/Mike Daniels with B.J. Raji at NT. Terrence Brooks can start as FS and is a rangy, instinctive free safety, who in my opinion is the prototypical player for that position. He won't be confused for an enforcer like Pryor anytime soon, but he has the speed to cover the field, as well as, above average tackling and playmaking ability. Shayne Skov is a much needed upgrade (potentially) over Brad Jones who had a terrible year last year. Skov has experience playing in the 3-4 and is legitimately the best A-gap blitzer I've ever seen. The only player that I've ever seen time blitzes as well Skov is maybe Polamalu when he jumps over the other team's linemen. If you haven't had a chance to look at Skov, I would recommend watching some of his film; it's pretty amazing. That being said, he can definitely improve in coverage which hopefully will happen since he'll be another year removed from his ACL tear. Michael Sam had a terrible combine, but I think he's worth taking a shot on, considering his 11.5 sacks this season. He could end up being a steal in the late fourth, but more than likely he'll just be a good role player as a situational pass rusher.
On offense, C.J. Fiedorowicz serves as a solid blocker and good redzone threat for Rodgers to throw to. He's not the flashiest player, but I think he will be a solid starting TE in the NFL. Originally, I had planned on drafting him in the third round, but by pick 21 in the 2nd round, Ebron, Amaro, Seferian-Jenkins, and Niklas had been chosen, so it was now or never. Since Randall Cobb was traded away, I drafted Bruce Ellington to replace him as the dangerous slot receiver. Ellington is a little raw, but I think he has the talent to replace Cobb with his unmistakable playmaking ability as well as a certain clutch factor late in games. Mike Davis also adds good depth to the receiving corps. Davis has a 3-4 round grade from multiple sources, so getting him with the last pick in the sixth could be a steal. He has the speed to stretch the field or break plays off screens at the very least. Davis is also a surprisingly tenacious run blocker. And I'm sure Rodgers appreciates every weapon he can get considering I traded away one of his favorites. On the offensive line, I added Cameron Fleming as a backup RT. I honestly didn't do much research on him; I just find offensive line tape too boring. It seems that most people think he has good potential though. The final player that I drafted was Tom Savage, who has an interesting story since he was a starter as a true freshman, but then got injured and sat out two years after transferring twice. Savage seems like he's learned from his mistakes and showed a lot of potential this season for Pittsburgh. He's got a great arm, powerful build, decent pocket awareness, surprising mobility, but inconsistent accuracy at times. After watching him play a few games, he reminds me a lot of Roethlisberger with his big arm and tenacity to finish the play. The Packers have said they want a young QB, and I think Savage could become a great spot starter if he sits behind Rodgers for a couple of years.
Final Depth Chart:
Signed Free Agents
Draft Picks
Offense:
QB: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, Tom Savage, Scott Tolzien
RB: Eddie Lacy, Jonathan Franklin, Dujuan Harris, Orwin Smith
FB: John Kuhn, Ina Liaina
WR: Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Bruce Ellington, Jarrett Boykin, Mike Davis, Chris Harper, Myles White, Kevin Dorsey, Sederrik Cunningham, Alex Gillett
TE: C.J. Fiedorowicz, Andrew Quarless, Brandon Bostick, Jake Stoneburner, Ryan Taylor
LT: David Bakhtiari, Will Svitek, Aaron Adams
LG: Josh Sitton, Lane Taylor
C: Evan Dietrich-Smith, JC Tretter, Garth Gerhart
RG: T.J. Lang, Don Barclay, Andrew Tiller
RT: Bryan Bulaga, Derek Sherrod, Cameron Fleming, Jeremy Vujnovich,
Defense:
RE: Stephon Tuitt, Datone Jones, Mike Daniels
NT: Paul Soliai, Josh Boyd
LE: Randy Starks, Jerel Worthy
ROLB: Clay Matthews, Nick Perry, Nate Palmer
ILB: A.J. Hawk, Shayne Skov, Brad Jones, Jamari Lattimore, Sam Barrington, Victor Aiyewa
LOLB: Jason Worilds, Michael Sam, Andy Mulumba, Chase Thomas
CB: Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Casey Hayward, Micah Hyde, Jarrett Bush, Davon House, Antonio Dennard, James Nixon, Jumal Rolle
FS: Antoine Bethea, Terrence Brooks, Chris Banjo
SS: Morgan Burnett, Sean Richardson
TL;DR - Mock draft on Falcon's message board. Showed the results with a little explanation. Look at mock draft section.
Well folks, that's it. That was a ton to read, so if you managed to read it all, good for you! And thanks for all the help you guys gave me. Let me know what you think of the draft/offseason!
