DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

by **JMP** Thu Apr 29, 2021 9:55 am

I figured I'd start a thread for round 1 now. We can use this throughout the day and tonight during the draft.

Here's where I'm at:

At 6, I want Smith or Pitts. At 18, I want Harris or Zaven Collins. I could live with other players at those picks, but I admit I'd be disappointed if we don't land 2 of those 4 players.

The good news is, at 6 we are absolutely getting either Smith, Pitts, Chase, Parsons, Waddle or Sewell - and those are all potential home run picks. (Yes, even Sewell.)

Prediction: the Phins will trade at least one of their receivers for a late round pick tonight - Grant, Wilson or Hurns.

A prediction that I'm not as certain about: I think the Phins could trade down from 6, and depending on how far down they pick could still end up with Smith, Chase, Parsons, Waddle or Sewell.

by mercury22nathan Thu Apr 29, 2021 10:17 am

well, as long as we're going to talk about fantasy land here, there are still folks pushing the fairytale...

Dolphins only team in play for remote trade possibility involving Watson

That leaves Miami, a team that has all the draft picks necessary to make a Watson deal happen today, next week, next month or even next offseason. It's a pursuit that sources have said would have previously received the support of head coach Brian Flores and general manager Chris Grier. In truth, very little has changed on the Dolphins' end in terms of the franchise’s ability to make a deal. Tua Tagovailoa is still the starting quarterback.

https://sports.yahoo.com/if-a-deshaun-watson-trade-materializes-during-the-2021-nfl-draft-it-will-be-a-one-team-pursuit-062023844.html

yes, this was just posted this morning. supposedly a settle will be reached with all 22 female accusers opening the way for a trade to Miami.

I CALL BULLSHIT!! how can a supposed legitimate writer getting away with putting this out there?

by CarsonChris Thu Apr 29, 2021 10:35 am

Need a QB

by **JMP** Thu Apr 29, 2021 10:41 am

It is mind-boggling that people are still talking about Watson getting traded. It's even more mind-boggling that people are still talking about Watson getting traded to the Dolphins. The Dolphins have done everything they can to build the team around Tua, who they drafted at #5 just a year ago, but I guess people just see what they want to see.

Tua went 6-3 in games he started and had almost a 2:1 TD:INT ratio. Yeah, yeah, I know - he had nothing to do with those 6 wins. Rolling Eyes

People are going out of their way to shit on him now, after he had some success, but can you imagine the backlash if he had instead gone 3-6 and threw more INTs than TDs?? Shocked

by mercury22nathan Thu Apr 29, 2021 11:59 am

CarsonChris wrote:Need a QB

funny that you should mention that. me, personally, i think Tua will be fine...more than fine. with weapons, i think he will excel. but Barry Jackson at the Herald is now reporting that Miami was hellbent to get Burrow implying they "settled" for Tua.

The Dolphins had to worry about the Cincinnati Bengals throughout the 2019 season as the teams jockeyed for the top quarterbacks in that 2020 draft class. That didn’t work out as Miami hoped; the Dolphins coveted Joe Burrow, but the Bengals rebuffed trade offers and opted to keep Burrow.

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article250981779.html

i don't recall any discussion at the time that Miami tried to tempt Cincinnati with a trade offer.

Ok, back to the 2021 draft.

by mercury22nathan Thu Apr 29, 2021 12:01 pm

from the same Jackson article above...

An NFL front office executive who was in touch with the Dolphins this week conveyed to me that he would be surprised if the Dolphins draft Sewell, based on his conversation with them.

that's good news in my book.

by CarsonChris Thu Apr 29, 2021 12:49 pm

It's all smokescreen until the draft starts. I do remember Miami wanting Burrow.

by HalCHorn Thu Apr 29, 2021 1:07 pm

If Pitts goes 4 to Atlanta, hoping for Smith or Chase and would be very happy with either, Chase's opt-out notwithstanding. He was dominant enough in 2019 for me to still be interested and that team was loaded with receiving talent.

Sewell I just don't see him being that much better than some of the other OT prospects available, whereas I see Smith and Chase being significantly better than the rest of the WR group (excellent group that it is this year).

by mercury22nathan Thu Apr 29, 2021 1:11 pm

CarsonChris wrote:I do remember Miami wanting Burrow.

ok, let me clarify. i do remember hearing that Miami liked Burrow (as did everyone else with eyeballs), but i was not aware of a trade offer. i wonder what Miami was willing to give up?

by mercury22nathan Thu Apr 29, 2021 1:12 pm

HalCHorn wrote:If Pitts goes 4 to Atlanta, hoping for Smith or Chase and would be very happy with either, Chase's opt-out notwithstanding. He was dominant enough in 2019 for me to still be interested and that team was loaded with receiving talent.

Sewell I just don't see him being that much better than some of the other OT prospects available, whereas I see Smith and Chase being significantly better than the rest of the WR group (excellent group that it is this year).

i agree.

by CarsonChris Thu Apr 29, 2021 1:19 pm

My eyeballs tell me Smith over Chase. Metrics tell me Chase over Smith.

by DolFan 316 Thu Apr 29, 2021 1:42 pm

mercury22nathan wrote:well, as long as we're going to talk about fantasy land here, there are still folks pushing the fairytale...

Dolphins only team in play for remote trade possibility involving Watson

That leaves Miami, a team that has all the draft picks necessary to make a Watson deal happen today, next week, next month or even next offseason. It's a pursuit that sources have said would have previously received the support of head coach Brian Flores and general manager Chris Grier. In truth, very little has changed on the Dolphins' end in terms of the franchise’s ability to make a deal. Tua Tagovailoa is still the starting quarterback.

https://sports.yahoo.com/if-a-deshaun-watson-trade-materializes-during-the-2021-nfl-draft-it-will-be-a-one-team-pursuit-062023844.html

yes, this was just posted this morning. supposedly a settle will be reached with all 22 female accusers opening the way for a trade to Miami.

I CALL BULLSHIT!! how can a supposed legitimate writer getting away with putting this out there?

Because there's no such thing as "legitimate" media anymore. Journalism's dead and has been for a while. Modern media = anybody saying anything about anyone else they want, regardless of whether it's even close to being true and with absolutely zero repercussions or consequences if it's not. Your anger should actually be directed at the people who still take everything the media says as the absolute truth, they're the problem and it's a severe one.

by DolFan 316 Thu Apr 29, 2021 1:44 pm

CarsonChris wrote:It's all smokescreen until the draft starts. I do remember Miami wanting Burrow.

I do as well. And it's perfectly understandable. Maybe Grier did make an offer behind the scenes and it was refused, in which case there's no point in any of us knowing.

by **JMP** Thu Apr 29, 2021 1:54 pm

Keep in mind, with the Burrow vs. Tua thing, that the Dolphins didn't know right away that Tua was going to recover from the hip injury, or when. That info came out much later in the process. So sure, I bet the Dolphins (and every other QB-needy team) explored the possibility of trading up to #1. That's doing your due diligence - and should be par for the course if you are a GM on a team that needs a QB.

Regardless, it is clear that the Dolphins loved Tua then, and it is even clearer now as they've spent an offseason building a team around him.

by DolFan 316 Thu Apr 29, 2021 2:02 pm

BTW in back to back drafts the Fins took John Bosa and Eric Kumerow to solve their edge rushing problem, both at 16 overall weirdly enough. How'd that work out for them? So I'd rather not have a mediocre edge rusher at 18. Even OT would be a better value there, not to mention a better player.

To put it another way I'd rather take Jenkins at 18 as opposed to a player he dominated last season in Ossai just to fill a need.

by **JMP** Thu Apr 29, 2021 2:29 pm

DolFan 316 wrote:BTW in back to back drafts the Fins took John Bosa and Eric Kumerow to solve their edge rushing problem, both at 16 overall weirdly enough. How'd that work out for them? So I'd rather not have a mediocre edge rusher at 18. Even OT would be a better value there, not to mention a better player.

To put it another way I'd rather take Jenkins at 18 as opposed to a player he dominated last season in Ossai just to fill a need.

That's a great point. Don't settle just because you need a specific position.

All of these edge/pass rusher names being tossed around just don't get me too excited. That's why at 18 I'd rather take a RB that I know is good rather than reach for an edge guy that may or may not be good. Sure, Etienne or Harris could bust, but I feel more comfortable taking one of those backs than a player that projects as a pass rusher but didn't produce in college. I like Zaven Collins a lot, and he is the OLB that I think is the best fit for the Phins in terms of size, strength, athleticism, etc., but he's not exactly a pass rusher - or, he wasn't at Tulsa at least.

And Azeez Ojulari seems to be rising up draft boards, and he did have good production this past season with 9.5 sacks - but he supposedly sucks against the run. (Strange stat with him: this year he had just 31 tackles, but 12.5 were tackles for loss, including the 9.5 sacks.)

So yeah, I don't know...it just sucks that pass rush is the biggest Dolphin need in a draft where there's no dominant or complete pass rushers.

by **JMP** Thu Apr 29, 2021 2:39 pm

Some tidbits I picked up on NBC Sports Edge (formerly Rotoworld):

The 49ers reached out to the Packers about trading for Aaron Rodgers. The Packers told them to fuck off (I may have made up that last part...)

The Falcons have been fielding trade offers for pick 4, but have not yet gotten an offer they like. They are likely to stay at 4 and take Pitts.
--This tells me two things: 1. they are not going to draft a QB at 4, and 2. the Dolphins really got an excellent deal from the Niners for pick 3.

The Saints are trying to get into the top 10, presumably for a CB.

by DolFan 316 Thu Apr 29, 2021 2:40 pm

Sucks against the run? Not from what I heard. This says he's actually quite good against the run but lacks that "bendiness" that all the elite pass rushers have.

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/futures/2021/futures-georgia-er-azeez-ojulari

by finfanatic Thu Apr 29, 2021 3:05 pm

Heck, everybody wanted Burrows!

I wanted Herbert. I did think Tua was going to be good too, so...

And Tua MAY YET be good. I once thought Josh Allen sucked rancid meatballs and look at him now!

I have a funny feeling that at #18, Grier may be forced to go with BPA, which may mean someone like Barmore is the highest rated player, and I saw someone's mock had the Phins picking Barmore?

Zaven Collins is #29 on the list.

I just ran the simulator and at #18 I am looking at:
#15 - Micah Parson
#17 - Azeez Ojulari
#18 - Cristian Barmore
#19 - Najee Harris
#21 - Alijah Vera-Tucker
#22 - Rashod Bateman
#23 - Kwitty Paye

The best move for the Phins may be to trade down from #18. I just don't know if anybody is going to be "worthy" of the #18 pick. Or not have some substantial baggage (Parsons).

Although... Parsons at #18 would be TERRIFIC VALUE... if you knew he wasn't gonna explode and spray fecal matter over the Dolphins reputation!!!

A top offensive talent and the top defensive talent in the draft? Outstanding. If it works?

DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc. 1f60e

DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc. 1f60e

by **JMP** Thu Apr 29, 2021 3:07 pm

DolFan 316 wrote:Sucks against the run? Not from what I heard. This says he's actually quite good against the run but lacks that "bendiness" that all the elite pass rushers have.

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/futures/2021/futures-georgia-er-azeez-ojulari

Interesting. I should have looked at that sooner! Makes me like him even more than I did, and I've been warming up to him over the last couple of weeks. I have read/seen some things that made me think he was not good against the run, maybe somewhat supported by his very low tackle numbers.

by **JMP** Thu Apr 29, 2021 3:15 pm

finfanatic wrote:Heck, everybody wanted Burrows!

I wanted Herbert. I did think Tua was going to be good too, so...

And Tua MAY YET be good. I once thought Josh Allen sucked rancid meatballs and look at him now!

I have a funny feeling that at #18, Grier may be forced to go with BPA, which may mean someone like Barmore is the highest rated player, and I saw someone's mock had the Phins picking Barmore?

Zaven Collins is #29 on the list.

I just ran the simulator and at #18 I am looking at:
#15 - Micah Parson
#17 - Azeez Ojulari
#18 - Cristian Barmore
#19 - Najee Harris
#21 - Alijah Vera-Tucker
#22 - Rashod Bateman
#23 - Kwitty Paye

The best move for the Phins may be to trade down from #18. I just don't know if anybody is going to be "worthy" of the #18 pick. Or not have some substantial baggage (Parsons).

Although... Parsons at #18 would be TERRIFIC VALUE... if you knew he wasn't gonna explode and spray fecal matter over the Dolphins reputation!!!

A top offensive talent and the top defensive talent in the draft? Outstanding. If it works?

Yeah, I never expected Josh Allen to be any good. I was shocked at his turn-around this season, and Diggs really played a massive role in that IMO. Of course, if you believe the story that has been circulating about Allen having 20+ dropped INTs this past season, maybe we get lucky and he comes down to Earth in 2021???

Anyway, looking at your list for pick 18:
Micah Parson
Azeez Ojulari
Cristian Barmore
Najee Harris
Alijah Vera-Tucker
Rashod Bateman
Kwitty Paye

Me personally, I don't like Paye or Vera-Tucker for the Phins, so they're out. I'm not a big Bateman fan either, so he's out for me. Barmore is a beast, but I don't want a DT at 18. Ojulari is very intriguing.

BUT...

If those are my choices, Parsons would have to be the guy based purely on value (again, assuming the Phins dug deep and are OK with what they found). I do believe he's the top defender in this class. But damn, I really, really, REALLY want Harris!

by **JMP** Thu Apr 29, 2021 3:34 pm

How's this for a rumor, posted on NBC Edge:

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Aaron Rodgers has told "certain members of the organization he does not want to return to the Green Bay Packers."

Schefter reports things have disintegrated to the point that each of team president Mark Murphy, head coach Matt LaFleur and GM Brian Gutekunst have traveled to California to try to get Rodgers to change his mind. Per Schefter, Rodgers "has not budged." Schefter terms the situation "a standoff." Gutekunst issued a statement insisting Rodgers remains a part of the team's 2021 plans, while Schefter reports the team has offered to extend Rodgers' contract. It would appear Rodgers' smoldering resentment at the team's Jordan Love pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft has not abated. Once again passing on pass-catching help in free agency surely did not help. Frankly, it is crazy the Packers are not considering dealing Rodgers. They have drafted his replacement and a 37-year-old coming off an MVP season will never be more valuable. The Pack wanted to plan for their post-Rodgers eventuality. If it's not time to put it into motion now, when will it be?
Source: ESPN
Apr 29, 2021, 3:19 PM ET

We all need to pray that Rodgers doesn't go to the Niners. Remember, we have the Niners' first round pick next year. I'm counting on them having another losing season after Jimmy G inevitably gets hurt and the rookie struggles...

by finfanatic Thu Apr 29, 2021 3:45 pm

Yeah, there is an undercurrent in GB that might just get VERY OOOGGGLLLEEEEEE!!! before it is all over IMO.

Rodgers is great and all, but that dude thinks his shite doth not maketh an odor IMHO.

I do not see how the HC and GM escaped getting axed when they drafted Love last year. That sort of shot across the Bow of the HMS Rodgers got the last HC sent packing.

by **JMP** Thu Apr 29, 2021 4:00 pm

I'm getting antsy...4 hours to go!!! Really curious to see which QB the Niners take at 3, and what the Falcons do at 4. Those two picks could play a big role in what Miami does at 6.

I'm thinking the Niners go with Jones or Lance, with Fields a slight possibility. Falcons go with Pitts or Lance/Fields - or do they trade down?? How crazy would it be if the Phins have the opportunity to choose between Pitts, Smith AND Chase at 6?? It could easily happen.

by DolFan 316 Thu Apr 29, 2021 4:48 pm

Let the record show that the Packers decided to actually trade UP in the first for Love--a trade that in all likelihood saved Grier from picking Isaiah "The Flake" Wilson, who last I checked actually put out a 6-song rap album. I kid you not.

You just KNOW *somebody's* going to make a completely and absurdly nonsensical move tonight. Let's hope it's not Grier!

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DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

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Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

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Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.

Re: DRAFT 2021 round 1: rumors, projections, news, etc.