Official 2021 Off-Season News/Rumors Thread

[BlackBeak]

Peter King reported that we had a 3rd rd grade on Leatherwood

I just looked him up on the NFL website: 6.28 basically “likely to be a starter in 2-3 years.

Looks lime the appetite for OT’s might have surpassed the talent. I don’t get this Mayock guy. The clown car seems to now be in Oakland, I mean LA, I mean Vegas.

[sflegend89]

I just looked him up on the NFL website: 6.28 basically “likely to be a starter in 2-3 years.

Looks lime the appetite for OT’s might have surpassed the talent. I don’t get this Mayock guy. The clown car seems to now be in Oakland, I mean LA, I mean Vegas.

They reached on Damon Arnette last year too, people defended it, graded as one of the worst CB's in the NFL last year if I recall.

[PainServer52]

Mayock was such a good TV guy. His mock drafts were usually on point but his real drafts have been pretty crazy so far. I wonder how many of the players they draft are actually his picks and how many are Grudens?

[Shas]

Peter King reported that we had a 3rd rd grade on Leatherwood

Saw that too - the speculation was oddly specific too, like he got that info from a reliable source:

"7. I think I’d say this in response to the Raiders’ belief that the Ravens were lying in wait for tackle Alex Leatherwood to get past mid-first-round so Baltimore could pick the Alabama tackle late in round one: My belief is the Ravens had a round-three grade on Leatherwood. So they’d never have considered him late in the first."

I had heard the rumor that the Ravens wanted Leatherwood and settled for Bateman. That puzzled me greatly, so it's good to hear King call shenanigans on that rumor.

As I went through the list of tackles Leatherwood never made sense to me as a priority for the Ravens. All the scouting reports called him a rangy, athletic lineman who lacked punch and aggressiveness.

So he makes sense in a zone scheme where the OL is reaching, and in Gruden's West Coast scheme where RBs need to be receiving targets.

He doesn't make sense in the Ravens power run scheme. What he does poorly is what Cleveland does well, and what the Ravens need. So it's somewhat insane to claim the Ravens saw Leatherwood as a first round target.

It sounds to me like either a) someone simply looked at Leatherwood as a swap for OBj at RT, or someone in Las Vegas tried to defend over drafting Leatherwood by claiming the Ravens wanted him.

[Raveninwoodlawn]

Mayock was such a good TV guy. His mock drafts were usually on point but his real drafts have been pretty crazy so far. I wonder how many of the players they draft are actually his picks and how many are Grudens?

I agree, he wasn’t afraid to go against the grain a bit, but he was right more often than people want to give him credit for.

Leads me to believe it’s Gruden really calling the shots…you don’t pay a coach $10 million a year to not have final say.

[sflegend89]

What I don't get with the Raiders is why they don't trade down, I have a very strong feeling Arnette and Leatherwood were not going in the 1st round if the Raiders didn't take them. Even if they like those guys, picking them in the top 20 is just absurd. Trade down with literally anyone and get extra picks.

[one eyed bird]

Strange thing is is if they would have taken the same players,the Safety in the first and the OT in the 2nd, people would say they had a nice first 2 rounds

What I don't get with the Raiders is why they don't trade down, I have a very strong feeling Arnette and Leatherwood were not going in the 1st round if the Raiders didn't take them. Even if they like those guys, picking them in the top 20 is just absurd. Trade down with literally anyone and get extra picks.

[sflegend89]

Strange thing is is if they would have taken the same players,the Safety in the first and the OT in the 2nd, people would say they had a nice first 2 rounds

EDC said something in his Lounge interview that rings true here

"Part of my job as GM is understanding league value in the draft"

That's where Mayock/Grudon just don't seem to get it. How the rest of the league values these players is just as important as how much YOU value these players. If they cared about league value like EDC talked about then they would trade back with literally anybody in the 1st round and very likely still get their guy. But they seem to have this headstrong "WE REALLY LIKE THIS GUY AND WE'LL TAKE THEM NOW!" mentality.

Neither Arnette or Leatherwood will make or break your draft. Move back. If somebody just happens to take them, fine, get your next highest rated player. They've probably cost themselves a considerable amount of free mid round picks by not trading back the last 2 years.

[Forgettable1]

EDC said something in his Lounge interview that rings true here

"Part of my job as GM is understanding league value in the draft"

That's where Mayock/Grudon just don't seem to get it. How the rest of the league values these players is just as important as how much YOU value these players. If they cared about league value like EDC talked about then they would trade back with literally anybody in the 1st round and very likely still get their guy. But they seem to have this headstrong "WE REALLY LIKE THIS GUY AND WE'LL TAKE THEM NOW!" mentality.

Neither Arnette or Leatherwood will make or break your draft. Move back. If somebody just happens to take them, fine, get your next highest rated player. They've probably cost themselves a considerable amount of free mid round picks by not trading back the last 2 years.

Psychologically or emotionally soothing. Whether you sink or swim you can honestly look yourself in the mirror and say you did it with your guys. Fate didn't cheat you. A crafty GM didn't steal from you. No. Sink or swim -- you did it with YOUR guys.

"I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this..."

[Sarcasticfury]

EDC said something in his Lounge interview that rings true here

"Part of my job as GM is understanding league value in the draft"

That's where Mayock/Grudon just don't seem to get it. How the rest of the league values these players is just as important as how much YOU value these players. If they cared about league value like EDC talked about then they would trade back with literally anybody in the 1st round and very likely still get their guy. But they seem to have this headstrong "WE REALLY LIKE THIS GUY AND WE'LL TAKE THEM NOW!" mentality.

Neither Arnette or Leatherwood will make or break your draft. Move back. If somebody just happens to take them, fine, get your next highest rated player. They've probably cost themselves a considerable amount of free mid round picks by not trading back the last 2 years.

I mean, that's basically what Gruden's been doing since the Raiders hired him back. He made it clear from Day 1 that he was gonna do things his way, with his guys, conventional wisdom or modern trends be damned.

[WNCRavensFan]

Peter King reported that we had a 3rd rd grade on Leatherwood

Saw that too - the speculation was oddly specific too, like he got that info from a reliable source:

"7. I think I’d say this in response to the Raiders’ belief that the Ravens were lying in wait for tackle Alex Leatherwood to get past mid-first-round so Baltimore could pick the Alabama tackle late in round one: My belief is the Ravens had a round-three grade on Leatherwood. So they’d never have considered him late in the first."

I just looked him up on the NFL website: 6.28 basically “likely to be a starter in 2-3 years.

Looks lime the appetite for OT’s might have surpassed the talent. I don’t get this Mayock guy. The clown car seems to now be in Oakland, I mean LA, I mean Vegas.

Okay so, I looked at Leatherwood and he was my #4 OT with a late first round grade. I thought people were sleeping on him - ie he would be a bit of a sleeper - but the Raiders obviously weren't. He physically looks the part, has good knee bend and lateral movement, and plays with intelligence. His tape looks really good to me and I see no reason why he can't get reps as a rookie.

So I don't know if it's flattering to be in the same boat as Mayock or not. Filmstudy had him even higher, #2 OT even ahead of Darrisaw and Jenkins. And Slater for that matter, but neither of us are convinced he'll play OT.

I will also point out that Kolton Miller was seen as a huge reach in 2018 and he turned out to be one of Mayock's very best draft picks.

[Roll Tide]

Okay so, I looked at Leatherwood and he was my #4 OT with a late first round grade. I thought people were sleeping on him - ie he would be a bit of a sleeper - but the Raiders obviously weren't. He physically looks the part, has good knee bend and lateral movement, and plays with intelligence. His tape looks really good to me and I see no reason why he can't get reps as a rookie.

So I don't know if it's flattering to be in the same boat as Mayock or not. Filmstudy had him even higher, #2 OT even ahead of Darrisaw and Jenkins. And Slater for that matter, but neither of us are convinced he'll play OT.

I will also point out that Kolton Miller was seen as a huge reach in 2018 and he turned out to be one of Mayock's very best draft picks.

The scouting reports that I read criticized his arm length for reasons to consider him an NFL guard. His college performances at Bama told a different story. We shall see if he ends up being as good as I expect him to be. That said I agree with the sentiment that they could have traded back and still have gotten him.