'09 Draft Conundrums - First pick: Curry or Crab
 

After truly thinking about this over the weekend, I think it comes down to Aaron Curry being drafted for the Will linebacker position or Michael Crabtree.

If the Chiefs draft Curry, it looks like this:

ROLB ("Falcon") - Mike Vrabel
MLB ("Mike") - Zach Thomas
ILB ("Will") - Aaron Curry
LOLB ("Sam") - Derrick Johnson

without Curry:

ROLB - Vrabel
MLB - Thomas
ILB - Boiman/Biesel
LOLB - DJ

or the Crabtree draft:

WR - Bowe
RB - Johnson
TE - Gonzalez
WR - Crabtree

without Crab:

WR - Bowe
RB - Johnson
TE - Gonzalez
WR - Darling

Which situation is the better one?

Well we don't have Boiman, we do have Williams. Bradley and even Engram would start over Darling. DJ will be ILB in the 3-4.

I still think it's possible for us to draft a OT if we can't trade down.

Screw that.

They draft Monroe. I'm sticking with my earlier predictions. Bookend tackles in this situation:

LT: Eugene Monroe
LG: Brian Waters
C: Rudy Niswanger
RG: Mike Goff
RT: Branden Albert

versus

LT: Albert
LG: Waters
C: Niswanger
RG: Goff
RT: McIntosh

So, in terms of what would benefit the team the most, it's:

1. Tackle
2. Linebacker
3. Wide receiver

It's going to wheeling and dealing this year, and I have a gut feeling that it's going to be Connor Barwin as the target.

I'm hoping we can trade down, but I have my doubts. If Stafford goes #1 I think our chances are higher, if he isn't picked #1 I hope he gets picked at 3, by your Kansas City Chiefs.

And Demorrio is going to play the SAM? Over DJ? DJ play the Will spot? The guy whose biggest problem is sheding blocks to get to the ball? Eeeww.

Sweet baby Jesus...

DJ is going to be going against blockers a hell of a lot more often as an OLB vs an ILB...

And the NT and DE's who are going to be keeping guards and pulling centers and fullbacks and tightends from burying his ass as a Will backer are who exactly?

My guess is Turk - Tank - Boone with Dorsey coming in to shoot gaps on passing downs and when we're using a hybrid look. I think DJ gets some time at both positions, though.


What benefits us the most? Depends a lot on what you think of Crabtree but I'd go with

LB
WR
OT

In all the hypotheticals, I don't know why we aren't talking about a trade to Detroit for Dorsey. They've got picks, desperately need D-linemen, and would allow the Chiefs to not waste a #5 pick as a single down type of player.

There are a few reasons. For one, you almost never see a trade like that for a top-5 pick, especially a D player, from a year ago.

We don't really know what Dorsey can do. Could be he has the leverage, strength, and quickness to have a special role in a hybrid defense.

I gotta say though, it does make sense. He's much more valuable in the 4-3, and only one year removed from the draft teams would be more likely to judge him by the scouting report they had on him coming out, which keeps his value high despite his down year. Hopefully they realize Herm wasn't using Dorsey to rush like he should've been.

What do you think we could get for him?

I don't think that asking for the Dallas picks that they got for Roy Williams would be beyond the edge of reason. The 20th in the first and the third rounder.

I would hope we could find a better deal than that. I would at LEAST make them include their 2nd.

I realize that's practically asking for Jared Allen trade value, but if he was worth the 5, according to some the 1, just last year, why has his value diminished so much? He's still the same guy, so we didn't let him shoot gaps that doesn't mean he isn't explosive.

Roy Williams went to the Pro Bowl and that's what they got for him, and I think that the Lions made out like bandits on that trade. First and a third for a guy that really doesn't have a true position in the 3-4? Sounds okay to me, especially in this years draft where it looks like there is darn near comparable value between the 5th pick and 20th pick. Maybe get the Lions true third round versus the Dallas pick, making it a very high pick in that round. But I can't imagine a team giving more than that.

I'm starting to believe KC is going to trade DJ for a late 1st or early 2nd round pick. Especially if KC trades down with the Eagles/Broncos.

hmm? I would take a late 1st/ early 2nd for dj. In this situation Connor Barwin would indeed be a Chief.

FWIW, rumor has it that Hali and McBride are penciled in at OLB.

See Chiefsplanet thread number 205827(sorry, I'm a noob and can't link yet)

That would maybe mean:

Vrabel
Thomas
DJ
Hali

As the roster stands now, and assuming we make no trades, I'm really starting to think Crabtree is the pick.

McBride is not going to play OLB. He's a prototypical 3-4 defensive end.

The lions definitely got the better end of that deal, I was shocked. I do think Dorsey should be worth more, I hope his age counts for something. I guess I wasn't keeping in mind that Dorsey is a pick of the old regime. The FO would be a lot more likely to deal him for lesser value, as they didn't pick him. If we really are going true 3-4, maybe this is something you have to consider.

All I know is if I'm Detroit, I think I just got a steal. I'd bet a better deal could be had. You're sure a team like Tampa wouldn't give up their 1 and 2? That sounds reasonable to me. 19 and mid 2 to get the #5 player from a year ago(allegedly #1 on a lot of boards) sounds like a good deal for them

The "prototypical" 3-4 end is taller and has longer arms than McBride.

I agree with this.


One thing Pioli has done with the free agent signings is made it very unclear who we may draft. Hopefully, multiple teams will fear us taking their guy and offer a good trade. We could really pick multiple players. I think the most likely players are (in no particular order):

Curry
Crab
Raji
Monroe

Hopefully someone is in love with one of these players and will trade up for him. Raji really has a lot of value bc their are so few DTs in this draft. Monroe will also be pretty valuable bc their seems to be a pretty significant drop off in talent for a LT after him. There are several other LT prospects but I think Monroe is vastly superior to them as a prospect.

I'm talking about technique. If he had a prototypical position, it's the 3T tackle in a 4-3. But since we're looking at probably running a 1-gap 3-4, that would make him a defensive end.

Either way, he's not gonna be an outside linebacker.