Round 1 Winners and Losers

[WUnderhill]

Who are your winners and who are your losers so far?

Here’s mine:

Winner: Chicago Bears. To be able to draft your QB #1 overall and then immediately add a top 10 receiver is just hard to say anything bad about. We don’t need to comment about how they were able to do it, we all know.

Winner: NE Patriots. It would have been dumb to trade this pick with Drake Maye available. They did the right thing and took who I think is every bit the prospect that Caleb Williams is.

Winner: AZ Cardinals. Getting Marvin Harrison Jr. at 4. Come on. He could be a #1 overall in many drafts.

Winner: Colts. Who’d have thought you’d be able to select the first defensive player in the draft at #15?

Winner: Xavier Worthy. Can’t ask for a better situation to go to as a WR.

Winner: Carolina Panthers. Got their guy and the 5th year option for the swap of a 5th and 6th rounder. Now have a pick in every round!

Loser: Drake Maye. poo roster with an unproven defensive HC. The least set up for success of all the first round QBs.

Loser: Atl Falcons. Yeah we may all look back in a few years and say “Genius!” But for now, you just gave a QB a huge contract to win now and you did nothing to help your team win now.

Loser: Kirk Cousins. Dude’s gotta be scratching his head. Probably pissed. He wants to win in the twilight of his career and his new team just drafted his backup in the t10.

Loser: Denver Broncos. Panicked and reached. You can see Payton’s arrogance with this pick.

[Liminy]

11 minutes ago, WUnderhill said:

Loser: Payton

Anybody catch him on McAfee's draft show? Dude would not shut up. Denver should check their medicine cabinets

[Bear Hands]

Some reactionary takes...hard to really get too definitive before these guys play, but some teams have created really nice situations for some top notch talent--> 

Favorable:

• SEA: I love the Murphy II fit in Seattle for Macdonald.  He was one of my favorite players in the draft and could be an ideal centerpiece for that defense.  They have some special young pieces in place.
• MIN: If you told me they would land JJ McCarthy and Dallas Turner without giving up a future first, I would've thought you were crazy.  They were patient, didn't panic, and navigated the draft very well
• LVR: They stuck to a BPA strategy and I think this will be super beneficial for them.  Bowers is one of the best TE talents in over a decade.  O'Connell may be filling in until 2025 for them but Bowers is a piece to build around. 
• CHI: Caleb walking into an offense with 2 OTs in place, DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Keenan Allen, De'Andre Swift, & Kmet.    
• NO: I hate to admit it but Fuaga was my favorite lineman outside of Alt and think they nailed this one.  

Unfavorable:

• The Falcons, regardless of what you think of either Cousins or Penix made one of the most head scratching moves in recent memory.  They couldn't even quite explain their reasoning well in their press appearances so far.  You spend $150 mil for 4 years on Cousins, apparently gave him an assurance they would help him via the draft, then they turn around and draft a backup/future starter that's 24 and ready to play. And his camp has already put out in the world he's confused by it all.  Nice work.  
• So Penix is either coming in sooner due to Cousins not working out (hedging their bets) or Penix will be 28/29 by the time he's handed the keys. 

 

[CRA]

2 minutes ago, Bear Hands said:

Some reactionary takes...hard to really get too definitive before these guys play, but some teams have created really nice situations for some top notch talent--> 

Favorable:

• SEA: I love the Murphy II fit in Seattle for Macdonald.  He was one of my favorite players in the draft and could be an ideal centerpiece for that defense.  They some special young pieces in place.
• MIN: If you told me they would land JJ McCarthy and Dallas Turner without giving up a future first, I would've thought you were crazy.  They were patient, didn't panic, and navigated the draft very well
• LVR: They stuck to a BPA strategy and I think this will be super beneficial for them.  Bowers is one of the best TE talents in over a decade.  O'Connell may be filling in until 2025 for them but Bowers is a piece to build around. 
• CHI: Caleb walking into an offense with 2 OTs in place, DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Keenan Allen, & De'Andre Swift, & Kmet.    
• NO: I hate to admit it but Fuaga was my favorite lineman outside of Alt and think they nailed this one.  

Unfavorable:

• The Falcons, regardless of what you think of either Cousins or Penix made one of the most head scratching moves in recent memory.  They couldn't even quite explain their reasoning well in their press appearances so far.  You spend $150 mil for 4 years on Cousins, apparently gave him an assurance they would help him via the draft, then they turn around and draft a backup/future starter that's 24 and ready to play. And his camp has already put out in the world he's confused by it all.  Nice work.  
• So Penix is either coming in sooner due to Cousins not working out (hedging their bets) or Penix will be 28/29 by the time he's handed the keys. 

 

I can get down wtih this one.  I think Atl helped the Raiders have a good draft.  Not that I don't like Penix, but I think them landing Brock is better for them than if they had gotten Penix.  And I think they were the team most thought might get squirrely and take him 

[X-Clown]

4 minutes ago, Bear Hands said:

Some reactionary takes...hard to really get too definitive before these guys play, but some teams have created really nice situations for some top notch talent--> 

Favorable:

 

• LVR: They stuck to a BPA strategy and I think this will be super beneficial for them.  Bowers is one of the best TE talents in over a decade.  O'Connell may be filling in until 2025 for them but Bowers is a piece to build around. 

 

 

I think Minshew wins that job, not typical that you give a backup QB 12.5 million per year

Edited April 26 by X-Clown

[WUnderhill]

5 minutes ago, Liminy said:

Anybody catch him on McAfee's draft show? Dude would not shut up. Denver should check their medicine cabinets

Didn’t catch it but I usually avoid watching him. Can’t stand the guy.

[BrianS]

I understand the Penix pick.  The guy is the best passer in the draft.  Better arm and mobility than Cousins, but similar enough that Penix can learn a lot.  Cousins is gone after 2025, and might even be the backup by midseason 2025.  Sucks for him, but that's how I read it.

[Bear Hands]

4 minutes ago, X-Clown said:

I think Minshew wins that job, not typical that you give a backup QB 12.5 million per year

Yeah that's true.  Gotta admit though, Minshew looked a lot less capable in IND than earlier in his career.  Think Aiden played for LV with more ease and had a bit better vision/could see more of the field.  Minshew is a real backyard style QB that can get locked on guys.  

[MHS831]

23 minutes ago, WUnderhill said:

Who are your winners and who are your losers so far?

Here’s mine:

Winner: Chicago Bears. To be able to draft your QB #1 overall and then immediately add a top 10 receiver is just hard to say anything bad about. We don’t need to comment about how they were able to do it, we all know.

Winner: NE Patriots. It would have been dumb to trade this pick with Drake Maye available. They did the right thing and took who I think is every bit the prospect that Caleb Williams is.

Winner: AZ Cardinals. Getting Marvin Harrison Jr. at 4. Come on. He could be a #1 overall in many drafts.

Winner: Colts. Who’d have thought you’d be able to select the first defensive player in the draft at #15?

Winner: Xavier Worthy. Can’t ask for a better situation to go to as a WR.

Winner: Carolina Panthers. Got their guy and the 5th year option for the swap of a 5th and 6th rounder. Now have a pick in every round!

Loser: Drake Maye. poo roster with an unproven defensive HC. The least set up for success of all the first round QBs.

Loser: Atl Falcons. Yeah we may all look back in a few years and say “Genius!” But for now, you just gave a QB a huge contract to win now and you did nothing to help your team win now.

Loser: Kirk Cousins. Dude’s gotta be scratching his head. Probably pissed. He wants to win in the twilight of his career and his new team just drafted his backup in the t10.

Loser: Denver Broncos. Panicked and reached. You can see Payton’s arrogance with this pick.

the Cardinals also got Darius robinson, the DE from Missouri.  

Agree on all counts.  The Atlanta pick--if Cousins goes down, you look smart.  If not, you are making a decision of a fifth year option for a QB who has not played.  Then you have an inexperienced QB wanting fair market value for his services.  The Birds are going to have a TON of cap hit on the QB position alone. 

Here is the kicker--Penix will be 24 next month--and the Falcons, if all goes as planned, will ice him for 4 years before he starts a game.

[X-Clown]

3 minutes ago, BrianS said:

I understand the Penix pick.  The guy is the best passer in the draft.  Better arm and mobility than Cousins, but similar enough that Penix can learn a lot.  Cousins is gone after 2025, and might even be the backup by midseason 2025.  Sucks for him, but that's how I read it.

Then why did Atl give Cousins 100 million guaranteed if they only think he would start for 1-2 years? Isn't that really stupid or am I missing something?

[MHS831]

The Raiders got screwed out of Penix.  That could be losing--here is the question:  Do they take Rattler today? 

[Bear Hands]

8 minutes ago, CRA said:

I can get down wtih this one.  I think Atl helped the Raiders have a good draft.  Not that I don't like Penix, but I think them landing Brock is better for them than if they had gotten Penix.  And I think they were the team most thought might get squirrely and take him 

I like that the Raiders didn't shy away from him just because they have Mayer.  Their defense is already becoming scary and they're positioning themselves well to drop a QB in come 2025.  They need another outside CB and a WR with a lot of good ones still out there.  The DL adding Wilkins with Crosby, Koonce, & Tyree could be nasty.  A steady accumulation of trench warfare and blue chippers.

Elsewhere, I love the Pearsall fit in SF.  Could be a perceived reach, but I have a hard time not seeing him work out in the league.  

And the Rams - I was thinking they would be aggressive but they didn't need to and landed Verse at 19.  Excellent value and he will pair really well with Byron Young.

 

 

 

[MHS831]

Just now, X-Clown said:

Then why did Atl give Cousins 100 million guaranteed if they only think he would start for 1-2 years? Isn't that really stupid or am I missing something?

Nope.  Best case scenario for Atlanta is that their 2024 first round draft pick never sees the field until they are deciding on his fifth-year option. 

Or he could play well in pre season and they could get a first rounder and some change for him in a trade--he is nothing but insurance at this point.

[LinvilleGorge]

Drake Maye was definitely the big loser last night. Definitely walking into the worst situation of the rookie QBs.