Re: 2023 NFL Draft - Rounds 2-3 Discussion Thread

[JMP]

Tucker Kraft just went to GB. Josh Downs went right after that to IND, good value at 79.

Dawand Jones, Clark Phillips, Chandler Zavala and small school riser Joey Fisher available along with the sliding Darnell Washington.

If I had to guess right now I'd guess on Achane being the pick.  I also like Ricky Stromberg, the C from Arkansas.   If up to me I think I'd roll the dice on Jones if he's there at 84.

Jones would make me very happy. Zavala is intriguing.

What about LB? Are Drew Sanders and Trenton Simpson both available???

[JMP]

JMP you know I'll be glued to the TV tomorrow night. LGD

I'm a Devils fan now! Take 'em out tomorrow!!!

[JMP]

Tyjae Spears to Titans.

[HalCHorn]

Levis and Spears, Titans getting good offensive value today.

re: Drew Sanders no he went 67 to Denver.  Great value there, I had him going about 15-20 picks higher.

One more pick til ours. Rooting mightily for Jones to be the pick here, OT is our biggest need IMO.

[JMP]

I really want Washington at 84, but it sounds like his knees are a big concern.

Is it too early to take Freeland?

[JMP]

Phins on the clock!

[JMP]

Phins take Achane! Speed kills baby!!

[JMP]

Damn, this offense is going to be SICK! Achane is a home run hitter that can play anywhere on offense and also return kicks. Speed, speed and more speed!!

[HalCHorn]

Well, that's what I was predicting a few picks ago. I'll take it, he looks like he should add a few home runs to our team. But we need some blockers......

[JMP]

So Fangio got his pick, and now McD gets his!

[JMP]

Well, that's what I was predicting a few picks ago.  I'll take it, he looks like he should add a few home runs to our team.  But we need some blockers......

Good call Hal!

Yep, still gotta beef up that line. My guess is that will come in free agency, once teams make their post-draft cuts.

[JMP]

One thing about Achane...he's only 188 pounds, but he's tough as nails and he can break tackles. Believe it or not, this little dude could be a short-yardage weapon in addition to being a playmaker.

[CarsonChris]

I'm going to watch video

[JMP]

I remember Achane absolutely shredding my Canes this season. I think that was the first time I heard of him.

He wasn't used much as a receiver in college, but I bet the Phins are going to give him a big role in the passing game.

[JMP]

Steelers just took Darnell Washington. Really good fit, if his knees hold up.

[JMP]

49ers select Kicker Jake Moody at 99! Moody is an outstanding kicker...I did not expect him to go that high.

[DolFan 316]

Now I'm hearing that the real reason Smith was drafted is because Grier's son was a college teammate! Are you KIDDING me?!?!

I'm also hearing that he's one of those players who refuses to listen to coaches and talks back to them instead. Oy...

[finfanatic]

Well, we learned a few things:

One - Someone feels like the Phins Oline is not a concern. Grier said it and he meant it.
Two - Apparently TE is not the big need we all thought.
Three - Does drafting Achane mean the Phins will not trade for Cook and his cap hit?
Four - Cam Smith pick means Iggy do be so stanky even Fangio say "Uh uh!"

The picks:
ONE - Cam Smith - I had heard the talk and saw he was dropping. Like Hal, I think I would have preferred DJ Turner there. This sorta reminds me of taking Jamar Fletcher when you have Madison and Surtain. Lets hope this doesn't turn out like that Dumbstedt pick???!!!! Lots of DBs left that I think might turn out to be equally as good, but... who knows?

TWO - I wanted Spears, but Achane was the 1a pick. I saw Achane demolish my Gators once back when the Defense was fairly good. He didn't run like a 188 lb RB. This was a good pick IMO.

This is about what I was expecting, but I was hoping the Grier faux pas would be to go DT or LB with that first pick instead of CB, but... And he did get a Cb with injury concerns and motivational concerns, so... Grier gots to be Grier!!!

I saw where Grier mentioned the DB injuries last year as one of the reasons for the Cam Smith pick? Hello? Is there anyone home? Did you not see the injuries on the Oline last year!!

Anyway... If the Oline is the reason the Phins underwhelm again this year, we have nobody to blame but Grier IMO.

[DolFan 316]

Well, we learned a few things:

One - Someone feels like the Phins Oline is not a concern. Grier said it and he meant it.
Two - Apparently TE is not the big need we all thought.
Three - Does drafting Achane mean the Phins will not trade for Cook and his cap hit?
Four - Cam Smith pick means Iggy do be so stanky even Fangio say "Uh uh!"

What I learned is this: 1. Grier's whiffed on so many O-line picks that he is now literally too afraid to ever draft one again, even if it's a perfect storm like the best guard in the draft falling right into his lap. 2. He absolutely hates RBs with any size or power because hey, picking up those crucial, critical short yardage 3rd and 4th downs that every team finds itself needing to do in games with the season on the line isn't that important. 3. He's really susceptible to letting himself get talked into taking a CB high and 4. This is the one NFL offense that treats the TE position the way every team did in the early '70s.

This sorta reminds me of taking Jamar Fletcher when you have Madison and Surtain. Lets hope this doesn't turn out like that Dumbstedt pick???!!!!  Lots of DBs left that I think might turn out to be equally as good, but... who knows?

Ah yes, I remember it well...I, 316, was the only one who said right away that it was a horrible pick because I had seen Fletcher get torched and scorched in the Rose Bowl by none other than Freddie Mitchell, who was somehow an even bigger bust. I, 316, was told I was an idiot for being furious about Drew Brees getting passed over to add a bad CB to what was already the league's top pass D. Something about nickel CBs playing 60% of the snaps. At least people were willing to grudgingly admit I was right eventually. Years later. Through clenched teeth.

This is about what I was expecting, but I was hoping the Grier faux pas would be to go DT or LB with that first pick instead of CB, but... And he did get a Cb with injury concerns and motivational concerns, so... Grier gots to be Grier!!!

This was the pick that should get Grier fired. As in, 5 minutes after he made it. Someone even said McDANIEL himself looked pissed when this pick was announced      

I saw where Grier mentioned the DB injuries last year as one of the reasons for the Cam Smith pick? Hello? Is there anyone home? Did you not see the injuries on the Oline last year!! 

Anyway... If the Oline is the reason the Phins underwhelm again this year, we have nobody to blame but Grier IMO.

Grier's ALWAYS been the one to blame even BEFORE becoming GM since he's had a hand in ruining this team's drafts for over 20 years now. But thank you FF for at least acknowledging why I feel the way I do.

As for Achane I haven't said much about him not because I think it's a great pick (I don't) but because in comparison to the ludicrously absurd Cam Smith fiasco of a debacle, taking a shrimpy RB looks like a stroke of genius by comparison. Okay, so he's fast. How's that going to help him when he's constantly tackled in the backfield due to that O-line Grier keeps telling us we're fools to be worried about, hmmm?

[JMP]

Well, we learned a few things:

One - Someone feels like the Phins Oline is not a concern. Grier said it and he meant it.
Two - Apparently TE is not the big need we all thought.
Three - Does drafting Achane mean the Phins will not trade for Cook and his cap hit?
Four - Cam Smith pick means Iggy do be so stanky even Fangio say "Uh uh!"

The picks:
ONE - Cam Smith  - I had heard the talk and saw he was dropping. Like Hal, I think I would have preferred DJ Turner there. This sorta reminds me of taking Jamar Fletcher when you have Madison and Surtain. Lets hope this doesn't turn out like that Dumbstedt pick???!!!!  Lots of DBs left that I think might turn out to be equally as good, but... who knows?

TWO - I wanted Spears, but Achane was the 1a pick. I saw Achane demolish my Gators once back when the Defense was fairly good. He didn't run like a 188 lb RB.  This was a good pick IMO.

This is about what I was expecting, but I was hoping the Grier faux pas would be to go DT or LB with that first pick instead of CB, but... And he did get a Cb with injury concerns and motivational concerns, so... Grier gots to be Grier!!!

I saw where Grier mentioned the DB injuries last year as one of the reasons for the Cam Smith pick? Hello? Is there anyone home? Did you not see the injuries on the Oline last year!!  

Anyway... If the Oline is the reason the Phins underwhelm again this year, we have nobody to blame but Grier IMO.

Great post, FF.

On Smith: he immediately becomes our #3 corner, can play inside and outside, and allows us to move Ramsey around. Maybe more importantly, he allows us to move on from X in a year or 2. This is a pick that helps today, but will help even more tomorrow. I'd also add that last year our CBs were Kohu, Crossen, Iggy, Bethel, and Campbell - with an injured X. The position was an absolute disaster. Grier added arguably the best CB in football and a high-upside rookie. That's HUGE, and honestly I'm shocked that so many Dolfans are complaining about it all over the internet.

On Spears:

Ian Rapoport reported on the NFL Network that Spears suffered two torn ACLs in his past. At the NFL Combine, tests revealed a full thickness cartilage loss, and no ACL in his knee. Additionally, Spears has arthritis. Rapoport said it's unclear how long he will be able to play in the NFL, and even openly wondered if Spears could be a "one-contract guy."

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2023-nfl-draft-worrisome-medical-report-emerges-after-titans-select-tulane-rb-tyjae-spears/

That sucks...I really liked Spears.

On TE: Washington had a chance to start (assuming he could even stand up) because of his blocking prowess. But as I've said all along, any other TE we drafted would likely have been a third stringer. None of these other guys can block, and we all saw last year that this offense does not need a receiving-only TE.

On OL: we will add a FA soon - probably Cam Fleming. Fleming will be a huge upgrade. At worst, he's the primary swing tackle. At best, he wins the RT job and also backs up Armstead. He had arguably his best season last year as a starting RT in Denver - under the current Dolphins OL coach.

Austin Jackson looked borderline-great in preseason last year. If he can pick up where he left off now that he's healthy, we're set at RT between him and hopefully Fleming. LG is still a concern, but the offense was unstoppable last season when Eich was starting, and we added a smart vet in Feeney to compete with him (and backup at C). We also have some intriguing (to me, anyway) young linemen in Cotton, Lamm and Christian.

I would have loved to draft a T or G yesterday, but the fact is, anyone we drafted was likely coming in as a backup. Instead, we got two players that are going to see a ton of action as rookies. The OL isn't the reason we lost in Buffalo last year (that falls on Waddle and the defense), and I do think the line will be improved this year with better depth and better coaching.

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