O.city's Mock Draft
 

Everyone else is making one, so I figured I'd get in on the action.

This mock is based on a couple assumptions.

First, we sign Paul Soliai in free agency to play NT if it's a reasonable contract if not this is how I draft. Second, we resign Orton to compete with Cassel in training camp, and he wins. We sign Ben Grubbs to a deal.

Round 1.
At 11 overall, Richardson falls to us and we take him. Best RB prospect to come out in years.

Round 2.
Dontari Poe, falls out of the first round right to us here.

Round 3
Bobbie Massie. Got a RT, who is a monster and played RT in college.

Round 4
Joe Adams. Some speed at wr

Round 5
George Iloka. Safety Depth

Round 6
. Michael Egnew. We get some TE depth.

Round 7
Chris Galippo. Some special teams help and lb depth.

This scenario covers every single one of our needs.

Of course, talk about pressure! I think that might be why teams with huge free agent signings never seem to do well. There's too much worrying then that goes on regarding expectations from outside the locker room.

Also, when Peyton retires quite possibly after the first season he's here, we're stuck again attempting to find a replacement QB without a low draft pick.

But hey, if there's a scenario where this team wins a Super Bowl in the next one or two seasons, this is probably it.

SNR, this is based on Manning being healthy and playing 3 or 4 years. If we could do that this offseason, I'd be fine with trading some picks next draft to get a young qb to play when Manning hangs it up.

Also this draft scenario woudl give us an oline of

Alber, Hudson, Konz, Asamoah, Adams.

Thats a young damn fine offensive line.

Definitely. I wouldn't mind bringing in Manning. I've already sold my soul to one of the most mediocre franchises in professional football. I'm sure the devil wouldn't mind if I began rooting for the QB I hated the most for several years.

If we re-sign Bowe and Carr, this team as it stands right now pre-draft would be the most talented supporting cast Peyton Manning has ever surrounded himself with. The possibilities associated with that provided Manning is healthy make me splooge.

Now imagine adding some quality rookie offensive linemen, a talented free agent NT, and numerous other guys to round out the depth. This team would be scarier than a plane breaking in half in mid-air!

How cheap is Manning going to come to allow us to go after a top tier FA NT?

Resigning Bowe and Carr is going to eat into that $30mil cap because they are both going to get hefty raises. If Bowe gets franchised then he's going to get ~10mil more. If Carr gets resigned to an equal to, or more than, Flowers' deal then he's going to get ~6mil+. So that $16mil right there, not including the extra couple hundred thousand that players are going to get that are already signed. Then you have to re-sign Belcher, Gilberry, McClain(?) and... Palko, j/k.

IMO, if we go after Manning, we have to target a NT in the first 2 rounds. I don't think we'll have the money to go after a FA NT.

C, imo, is a luxury pick right now. Hudson was drafted and projected as a NFL C. We can get a good G later in the draft.

Not a fan of Egnew's NFL prospects. Dude is a lesser version of Chase Coffman. 7th? Sure, take a chance. 4th? Nope. Too early.

If we sign Manning, the ONLY pick at 11 should be Tannehill.

JMO but that would set up a nice little Favre/Rodgers situation for us.

Problem with that is Manning is getting out of that kind of situation, I'm not sure he's going to wanna come here for that.

And jd, I think Soliai might come a little cheaper, for the fact that the phins are switching to a 43 and he might be a casualty there.

I seriously doubt Soliai will be cheap. He's already been a franchise tag and even though he had a down year, he was an alternative addition to the Pro Bowl this season. He's going to command a pretty healthy, long term contract IMO.

And I don't like Burfict.

He doesn't play smart, doesn't read the play very well and he's a borderline psychopath on the field. He ruined any chance ASU had in the Utah game this past season with several idiotic personal penalties and poor play. And that seemed to happen quite a bit this past season.

With the team needs, I don't see it beneficial burning a second rounder on a special teams punt/kickoff coverage player as that's exactly what he'll be.

Belcher doesn't get any respect around here, but he's grown a ton and has gotten better each of his first two years in the league. He's a quality MLB and with his instincts, he still has a lot of room to grow his game.

I know Soliai won't come cheap but we need a NT and he is a really really good one. Pay if you have to.


I agree Burfict is a head case.

I like Belcher alot, he just needs some work in the pass game.

Soliai was really raw coming out of college. He's grown a lot in his game. But I still don't think he's "really, really" good.

With Gregg, Gordon and Powe, I don't think that our defensive tackle position is really in that bad of shape. In Crennel's system, it's a two-down position anyway and I thought that Gregg and Gordon did a pretty good job in 2011, and with further work, Powe has all the tools to be effective.

Truth be told, if our defensive ends played at a little higher level, you'd see a lot more out of that line than thinking there is a hole at the NT position on 1st and 2nd downs. It's not a flash position in this system and simply requires a guy to occupy two blockers. Both Gregg and Gordon did that effectively and I don't really see anyone in this class that gives you anything over a guy like Powe.

I think you are giving our NTs too much credit. They weren't good at all.

In this case, sac is actually partially correct.

The fact that our leading tacklers were DJ and Belcher tells you the NTs did their job well most of the year.

The thing he isn't taking into account are the other variables, though.

Gregg and Gordon were on 1 year deals and aren't spring chickens...bringing Gregg back would be a mistake because I think Powe deserves to have a chance to play. Powe played all of 10 snaps last year.

Soliai would solidify this defensive line and would make our rotation impressive throughout the whole DL. If he hits the open market, we should make a run at him. You simply can't watch that guy play and not be reminded of Dan Saleamua.

Let Gregg and Gordon both walk and sign Soliai. Go into next year with Soliai and Powe at NT.

Just how I see it.

I think Soliai would be pretty perfect in the role we need him to play. It would make our defense top notch.