Wouldn't buy too much into it, its the senior bowl not the combine.
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I would draft Ertz at TE, a beast of a blocker, great size and hands. If he's around when they pick take him or trade up a few spots. Great TE combo in Pitta and Ertz. Then you also save $ by not tendering Dickson to be UFA next season. Great value pick. He could be like a Gronk for us.
Seriously, I think we could very well go into this draft and build mostly around the offense, if we manage to re-sign Kruger and Ellerbe and get a Terrence Knighton to play NT through FA, we may need a safety too if Reed isn't re-signed.
IMO Cary Williams is gone, Reed is probably gone next season, while Kurger and Ellerbe are priority re-signings on defense. We will need to sign a NT and a FS if we go into the draft with an offense first mentality. I think both Glover Quinn from Houston, and Terrence Knighton from Jacksonville are affordable. That essentially fills our defensive holes. This defense was seriously hurt half way through the year, but it has really came alive in the play offs, so I think the worries about the defense this year were exaggerated. We are still stacked on D, we just better hope Suggs, Ngata, and Webb come back healthy next season, if they do, then we will be a top 5 D again. McClellan, Ellerbe, and McClain are good enough to fill our ILB depth for next season, we can use at least one pick on a decent ILB prospect too.
Then we basically go in the draft and get Flacco every single weapon possible, and some Oline help. Could be the philosophy in the draft. Don't be surprised to even see another back drafted, think a speedy LaMcihael James type pick, the Ravens have shown interest in Kenjon Berner from Oregon, who is basically LaMichaels twin. We need a miss match TE who can block too, we need another wide out, and we need either a day 1 starter at LT, or developmental LT who can be a starter eventually, ala Jared Gaither. We could do with interior Oline depth too.
We are going to have A LOT of money tied into Rice and Flacco, so we are going to need to build around them. Everyone thinks this is the Colts under Manning, I see it more along the lines of Saint Louis and the greatest show on turf, Flacco being Warner, and Rice being Faulk.
You can forget the Ravens getting Glover Quinn. Word is that Houston is going to do everything they can to keep him even if it means they tag him. Terrence Knighton we might be able to get since his problem is keeping the weight off (although I think the Ravens could motivate him to stay in shape). McClain is a career backup at best and Kruger is as good as gone along with Reed. Wicked's idea of changing the defense from 3-4 to 4-3 is the way to go and draft LBs that can fit into the scheme.
We are not going to have any money to sign any significant free agents.
This is not a team that likes to just continually restructure contracts.
Knighton may be a priority for JAC.
From Rotoworld:
Quote:
The Florida Times Union believes impending free agent DT Terrance Knighton's chances of returning have increased with the hiring of Gus Bradley.
Beat writer Ryan O'Halloran points to Bradley's affection for bigger-bodied tackles to clog the middle, and Knighton certainly fits the bill at 6-foot-3 and 330 pounds. However, he started just four games in 2012 and was demoted to a reserve role under the old regime. Knighton, 26, figures to be one of Jacksonville's priorities this offseason, assuming his contract demands are reasonable.
I believe in priorities, but I also believe in opportunities.
If we don't snag one of these 6'5+ 255+ TEs this spring then we had better snag a capable 6'3/6'4 LB, safety or CB to defend against them.
Ben Grubbs was also supposed to be a "high priority" FA last year, we offered him the same contract as NO did, but he wanted to play in New Orleans. Terrence Knighton may not even want to be in Jacksonville after all the losing seasons, and the fact that he was benched half way through the season.
Yup. I agree. Some guys just want $$$. Some guys just want $$$ + an SB contending locker room. I think that's an advantage that we have (along with NE, GB, PHI [<-- not anymore maybe])...although it's never as big of an advantage as I'd like it to be. Anyway, there's certainly a good chance that Knighton wants to be "saved" from JAC...and saved by a winner. We'll see...
This really isn't true. Ertz is probably not going to reach the Ravens at pick 61/62, so we'd have to trade up into the mid 2nd round to get him. Mid 2nd rounders have first year cap #s that aren't that far apart from the $1.3 million that Dickson will make. At most, cutting Dickson to draft Ertz might save $300-$400k, which is peanuts.