2018 Forum Mock: Discussion Thread

that was the worst decision he ever made

 

I don't know that the Cleveland franchise is in a place to turn down quality players because of their age.

 

Fair enough. But in all seriousness, bringing in an old CB for the minimum to be the 5th or 6th on the depth chart doesn't impact the plan in the slightest. His age was used as the reason behind the lack of Interest last year and those who passed on him then solely for that reason ended up with egg on their faces. The very same could happen this year. And if it doesn't, which is a distinct possibility, then I've lost a deep reserve I wasn't planning around without losing a penny otherwise. In basically every essence, it's a no-lose situation. The only downside is losing spot No.90 on the roster count.

 

I'm a little late on the back-patting wagon, and a few of my spots are still potentially in flux, but I'm legitimately excited about the prospects of both near-future and long-term success. Now obviously it wasn't a herculean feat considering that I inherited arguably one of the friendliest rosters in the league. The Saints owned the league's 2nd best offense statistically and I feel that I've perhaps improved on it. Bringing in David Bakhtiari allowed me to move Ryan Ramczyk inside, and with both Ramczyk and Terron Armstead having injury concerns, it's a relief to have three starters with high quality resumes at OT. The center and TE spots are perhaps the weakest of the team. Zach Fulton was a solid starter, and I'm hoping he's pushed by Martinas Rankin. At worst, one of the two should fare no worse than the injured Max Unger did last season, so the performance there shouldn't slide from last season. As far as young offensive lines go, it may be one of the best units out there, especially in pass protection.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins is a question mark but there's upside, and he should be no worse than Colby Fleener. I essentially swapped out Josh Hill for David Morgan II, which could be an upgrade. Same goes for DeVante Parker swapping out Willie Snead. Anthony Miller should be a threat both inside and outside. And if he falters, I have Ted Ginn Jr. returning and an added piece in Trent Taylor, who played well with Jimmy Garoppolo. The running back situation could honestly be the deepest in the league, obviously as long as the rookies don't bust. Mark Ingram could be allowed to walk with Nick Chubb in the fold, Ronald Jones II adds another dynamic back. Two years from now, the offense could legitimately having Lamar Jackson taking snaps from the shotgun or pistol next to Alvin Kamara and Jones II with Thomas and Miller. Obviously they'd all have to pan out, but it's tantalizing projection. And if all of the rookies are duds, I'd at least have a similar if not a slightly improved version of last year's offense, which is arguably championship caliber.

With as much focus as was spent on the offense during the draft, almost the entirety of the prior portion was spent on overhauling the defense. It wasn't a full-fledged gutting. I inherited terrific young talent in Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Williams. Ken Crawley was a pleasant surprise, David Onyemata was in full breakout mode last season. Cameron Jordan is a perennial DPoY level defender. That aside, run defense was a serious concern, and with the additions in place, on paper, I might be able to get away with a Nickel base without being vulnerable against the run. Danny Shelton is an outstanding space eater. Kenny Clark was terrific in both facets. And Jerry Hughes is a ruthless run defender, criminally underrated in my eyes. I've watched him make plays like these look almost routine at times. I'd be able to swap out Shelton for Jordan and bring in Danielle Hunter, who's also effective against the run and the pass. With Henry Anderson in the fold, the front four could see a constant rotation without sacrificing the level of play, which is a strategy borrowed from the 2013 Seattle unit that didn't have a lineman play over 617 snaps. And during obvious passing situations, the unit of Hunter, Jordan, Clark and Hughes is one I'd expect to be able to net pressures without sending extra rushers on a routine basis.

The starting MLB and WLB spots may have floors as low as the ceiling are high. If Reuben Foster is proven guilty and doesn't see a snap, there won't be any tears from me. However, whether true or not, the current news of the retraction and alleged false allegations could be huge for his availability. That said, Vontaze Burfict is a yearly headache due to his lack of availability. Fortunately, Nick Kwiatkoski played well enough for Chicago to outright release Jerrell Freeman. Jatavis Brown has fared well as a modern-day off-the-ball LB, and Jaquiski Tartt, who quietly had a very good season himself, essentially saw equal snaps at safety and linebacker, so he'd be able to continue filling the moneybacker role. On the back end, the duo of Lattimore and Crawley is beefed up with the addition of Quincy Wilson, who finished strong down the stretch. Trevor Williams is possibly the fourth most known Chargers CB, but he had himself an outstanding season in coverage. He saw exactly as many snaps as Casey Hayward and allowed just 2 more receptions in comparison, with only 4 allowed catches of 20+ yards. He has experience in the slot and outside and should he continue his success, he'd round out a seemingly impressive group of young corners. Marcus Williams may be known for the pitiful tackle attempt on the TD, but it was his only allowed score of the year, with only 6 allowed receptions into his area. He'll be paired with Ricardo Allen, who's quietly been a plus coverage safety during each season, and Tartt will be cycled in between them. With one of the better kickers and punters, and Dorian O'Daniel hunting on ST, the special teams should hold their own as well.

I also feel like I tailored certain acquisitions around stopping division rivals defensively. Carolina's zone read plays off of reading the RE, with the LT kicking out to block the WLB. It's countered by the gap exchange, with the WLB looping around the DE, who crashes down inside. With Hughes and Burfict at RE and WLB respectively, they could make it tough to consistently overcome. With respect to Matt Ryan, half of his yardage came between the hashes from 0-19 yards. Having quality coverage ability between the SCB, LBs and SS should make the are more difficult to defend in theory. The same goes for Jameis Winston, who saw over 40% of his yards in the same area. I'm by no means proclaiming that I'd expect those specific areas to decline, but I do feel like the roster is now arguably better equipped to handle the dangerous offenses in the division. All-in-all, I feel good about what I've done here. Had we kept our teams going into next year, I would've drafted differently. But even if the picks falter, I feel like I have a team that could very well contend for the postseason, perhaps even the title.

 

The Saints fared as follows:

RL 1st (FM 1st): Lamar Jackson, QB
RL 2nd (FM 3rd): Nick Chubb, RB
RL 2nd (FM 1st): Ronald Jones II, RB
RL 2nd (FM 2nd): Anthony Miller, WR
RL 3rd (FM 3rd): Martinas Rankin, OL
RL 3rd (FM 7th): Jordan Akins, TE
RL 3rd (FM 7th): Dorian O'Daniel, LB
RL 4th (FM UDFA): Troy Apke, S
RL 4th (FM UDFA): Will Dissly, TE
RL 4th (FM 5th): Ito Smith, RB
RL 4th (FM 6th): J'Mon Moore, WR
RL 5th (FM UDFA): Ja'Whaun Bentley, LB
RL 5th (FM UDFA): Dane Cruikshank, DB
RL 5th (FM 6th): Siran Neal, DB
RL 5th (FM UDFA): Jordan Wilkins, RB
RL 6th (FM UDFA): Damion Ratley, WR
RL 6th (FM UDFA): Jordan Thomas, TE
RL 7th (FM UDFA): Nick Bawden, FB
RL UDFA (FM 6th): Riley Ferguson, QB
RL UDFA (FM 7th): Arrion Springs, CB
RL UDFA (FM 7th): Jester Weah, CB

Not too shabby, especially with the only ones not being drafted being a late 6th and two late 7th rounders. My remaining UDFA target list included LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe in UDFA, whom went in the 4th, RB Trenton Cannon, whom went in the 6th, and CB Keion Crossen, whom went in the 7th. I actually made space for Iyiegbuniwe by releasing enough players for an additional add, but I forgot to officially sign him as the 90th player. Would feel somewhat improper now after the fact, so I'll roll with 89. I will accredit him as one of mine in spirit.