Thoughts & head-scratchings from Round 1
Some random thoughts after one of the craziest 1st rounds of any draft in recent memory, where almost nothing seemed to go according to plan…
• At the time I loved the pick. But did Jacksonville actually reach on Blake Bortles? Once we saw all of the other QB’s drop, I began to wonder if the Jaguars had actually pulled the trigger too soon on Bortles.
• While I’m a fan of the player, it remains to be answered, was Sammy Watkins worth two 1st round picks & a 4th round pick? If he becomes A.J. Green or Julio Jones, the class of 2011, then it was worth the cost. If he does not develop into a Pro Bowl WR, then the cost of giving up next year’s 1st would haunt the Bills. In a perfect scenario, Watkins helps E.J. Manuel become the QB that the Bills envisioned.
• How much is hope worth? So much so that a room full of fans erupted at the news of the Browns drafting Johnny Manziel with the 22nd pick. Teddy Bridgewater & Derek Carr may end up being better QB’s, but the excitement of what you see on television from Manziel is enough to make a tortured fanbase erupt with happiness. In honesty, it was a sad sight.
• The fanbase that should have erupted with slight happiness? Thee Minnesota Vikings, getting the best QB on tape with the last pick of the 1st round (following trade-up with Seattle). Teddy Bridgewater is a pro-ready pocket-style passer with excellent instincts & ball placement. No, ESPN, showing a few of his incompletions on television does not make him a bad QB. Vikings might have the steal of the draft there.
• The reach of the draft? Taylor Lewan. Lewan is fine when the play stays in front of him. He’s a strong player in one on one contests, but he has problems with fast, edge rushers. So he gets to face Clowney and Robert Mathis a whole bunch in the Titans’ division. I personally feel that the team that grabs Morgan Moses today, gets a better all-around OT.
• Houston Texans may survive this thing after all. Derek Carr may not end up being Teddy Bridgewater, and they were oh-so close to landing Bridgewater at 33, but Carr is a nice option to pick up & run with after going with Clowney 1st. Carr is a far better option than Jimmy Garoppolo or Tom Savage, 2 guys that pundits assumed they would be forced to pick early in round 2 after a run on QB’s. But alas, Carr fell to them. This Carr may do better in Houston than the last.
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