FanPost

Mr. Awesome's Mock Offseason (Coaches, FA, Draft)

Staff:

HC Chip Kelly, Head Coach Oregon
Will the eagles win this one out against us? I love Mularky, but Chip Kelly appears to be the next best coach. Just google him.

OC Gary Campbell, RB Coach Oregon
This guy is the Man. In his 27 years as Oregon's backs coach, he's produced 14 1000 yard rushers. If kelly is hired on as Coach, you better believe he will be designing the offense. Campbell offers a "good-cop" quality that I think will be good for the locker room and the offensive performance anxiety we've had for so long. Expect Campbell to be more of a leader/teacher type than a play designer.

DC Dan Quinn, Florida Defensive Coordinator
Quinn runs the best 4-3 defense in the nation of college football. He's one of the finalists for the Defensive Coach of the year award and was previously a Defensive Line Coach for the Seahawks. He's young, but proven and one of the few really good 4-3 coaches. His expertise in NFL caliber defensive lineman will be essential to using and developing one of our biggest weaknesses into a strength.


GM Marc Ross, NY Giants
In my extremely limited opinion, the best candidate of those available. Great track record for finding talent.

Notable Retention: Jerry Sullivan. I highly doubt this is possible, even with an assistant HC designation.

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Free Agency:

*Re-Sign Smith
*Re-Sign Allen
*Re-Sign Cox
*Re-Sign/Structure Monroe
*Re-Sign Jennings
*Sign Ed Dickson TE
*Sign Antonio Smith ROT
*Sign Josh Cribbs WR

-I'm willing to bet someone breaks their bank for him if NE isn't able to retain, but if Welker comes cheap as an aging short receiver with a knee history, he'd be a great slot on this offense.

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Draft:

1.2. Trade back with PHI ((x)1.5, (x)2.37, (x)4.101, 2014 1st, (x)2014 3rd, 2015 2nd)
1.5. Trade back with CIN (1.16, 2.43 - THROUGH OAK, (x)2.48, (x)2014 2nd, (x)2014 4th)

*(x) designates pick to be traded by the end of the draft

First Round Value Board (including potential sliders)
1. Jarvis Jones
2. Dee Milliner
3. Damontre Moore
4. Bjoern Werner
5. JONATHON HANKINS***
6. Sam Montgomery
7. Jonathon Jenkins
8. Johnathon Banks
9. Xavier Rhodes
10. Matt Elam

1.16. Jonathon Hankins, DT Ohio State

For me this is a complete dream scenario that I think is possible. We are able to trade back twice, and still pick up a quality DT who could be top 10 talent (2012 Rams Draft, anyone?) if not for the massive depth on the DL at the top of the draft. Hankins reportedly manhandled Luke Joekell, who is the clear cut best Offensive Lineman coming into this draft. Hankins on the right side will open up a hell of a lot of opportunity in that 5th gap on the right side. He's a big long-armed stuffer (sound farmiliar) with a limitless ceiling. There are questions on his motor, but with a Mosley rotation as a safety net (also farmilar), this should be a minimal risk.

Unless we get a steal on resigning Knighton, he will demand more than he's worth. I think he's better than Mosley, and he's looked really good in spot duty but I don't think letting his market value drop on the bench will work when we let him test the market. He's played good enough that a lot of teams will hope they can shake the Jacksonville out of him and boost him into a dominant player. Alternatively, a new GM may tryand keep Knighton and trade Alualu, but I think the former is more likely. Possible comp pick in 2014?

Trade up with DET (2.37, 2014 3rd, Maurice Jones-Drew, Aaron Ross, George Selvie)

1.17. Barrett Jones, OL Alabama

I feel that this will offer maximum value for Jones-Drew and minimal risk for a team trading for him. With swapping an extra second we got from moving back we get the most versatile offensive lineman in the draft and 2nd best IMO and the Lions get a handful of players at positions of need including a star running back while only moving back about 20 spots.They aren't actually having to lose any picks for MJD and the draft looks like it has a strong second and 3rd round again this year. Jones can come in and play anywhere that Monroe isn't as an immidiate starter, though I think it will be

Trade up with PIT (2.48, 2014 2nd, 2014 4th Laurent Robinson)

1.22. Giovanni Bernard, RB North Carolina

Pit takes care of it's future by scooting back. The Jags would no doubt get criticism for this trade, but it appears to be another win-win to me. Pit has a lot of needs but talent between here and the middle of the second round is mostly pretty consistent. Pit sees an opportunity to get an equal player and a free 2nd and 4th round pick heading into 2014. We replace MJD with...MJD 2.0. I love me some MJD, but I think it's time he and the Jags amicably seperate. Giovanni is the man to take his place, as he could be MJD with the explosion factor of 2006.

Second Round Value Board (including potential sliders)
1. Mike Glennon, QB
2. Logan Ryan, CB***
3. Tyler Wilson, QB***
4. Ryan Nassib, QB
5. Sylvester Williams, 34 DE/DT
6. DJ Fluker, RT
7. Richard Wagner, RT
8. Tavon Austin, WR
9. Joseph Randle, RB
10. Justin Hunter, WR

2.34. Logan Ryan, CB Rutgers

When choosing between Keeping the 5th pick for Milliner or trading back, I realized that I was really choosing between Derek Cox being the #1 or #2 Corner on the team. The benefit to him being the #1 (choosing a CB later) is that we can take the trade. The benefit to Cox being number 2 is that it won't hurt as bad if his injuries persist. Also, if Cox is our second best in a young pair of corners, we'd be amongst the best combos in the league. Logan Ryan in the compromise, as I think he is about equal to Cox in talent with an equal ceiling. He's not quite as big or physical as Cox, but he is very technical and would present a great compliment and long term starter. I hope playing for Rutgers keeps him off of the radar for the first 33 picks, though it would be a Patriots type of thing to snatch this guy up at the end of the first.

2.43. Tyler Wilson/Ryan Nassib, QB

Wilson reminds me quite a bit of Andy Dalton. Do injuries around a team that gave up way too early in season offer a good excuse for Wilson's awful year? Maybe or maybe not, but I think for a mid-second, Wilson would be a Andy Dalton type of "safe" pick to push for a starting position or push Blaine to keep it.

On the other hand, there's Ryan Nassib who would be more of a Freeman/Kapernick type of pick/player. I think you can get at least a (slightly) taller version of Russel Wilson out of Nassib. You will notice Mike Glennon on the list. I don't expect him to be available.

3.65. Gerald Hodges, OLB Penn State
Hodges looks like a starter to me. I expect his stock will rise to mid-2nd, but for now I'm sticking with the market value of a 3-4 rounder. You're not going to get a Daryl Smith out of Hodges, but interestingly enough I see a lot of Justin Durant in him. He has great physical skills and instincts. What separates Hodges from Durant is Hodges doesn't have Durant's top end speed but I think you can trust him in coverage.

4.98. Tyrann Mathieu, S

Mathieu carries a bad image after being cut from LSU for violating substance rules. My assumption is that he will fight hard to up his game, and you never really know how a drug violation will affect a player's stock. Mathieu is a great talent with meh measurables including only a 5'9" frame. As a full time nickel back and blitzing/zone safety, Mathieu has the talent and mind to play at a very, very high level. Even with his height/character concerns, he should be a 2nd round at minimum. Personally, I think we'll be able to get him with our high 4th, but the combine/pro day probably won't change a lot for him.

4.101 Greg Reid, CB Voldosta State
Reid is in a similar situation to Mathieu. Some would argue that Reid was lucky to have Xavier Rhodes and Mike Harris to rely on and benefited from the scheme they played in. With ideal size and measurables, Reid presents plenty of upside and is another risk/reward pick. Between Mathieu and Reid, if one of them gets their act together we'll have a potential Gem in the 4th round with nearly zero risk. Between the two, Reid is more likely to go higher than this but I don't see either taken in the top 100 otherwise.

5.135. Lane Johnson, OT Oklahoma

An underrated lineman who could be a very quality backup or potentially starter down the line (Bradfieldish)

6.169. Sean Porter, OLB South Carolina

His stock has plummetted, and as linebackers often do, the fringe 3rd-5th rounders could drop to the undrafted market. I believe Porter is still capable of big things, and wouldn't be surprised to see him get some of his stock back come pro day time.

7.201. Sheldon Richardson, 34 DE/DT Missouri

Richardson is on the rise and some may have it that by draft time he'll be a second rounder or higher. Other places haven't even heard of him. He looks like a high motor guy who's pretty well rounded and in most drafts probably would be a good 2nd or 3rd rounder. I targeted him because he has the skill set and frame to play both a DT and a DE in the 3-4 and though Quinn is a 4-3 guy, he has some hybrid plays in the book and we potentially have the personal for hybrid pass rush and blitzing schemes.

Final Haul: 2DTs, 2 CBs, 2 OLS, 2 OLBs, 1 RB, 1 QB, 1 S, an Extra 2014 1st and 2015 2nd
Key losses: MJD, Greg Jones, Laurent Robinson, Terrance Knighton, Aaron Ross

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Depth Chart:

QB: Gabbert, *Wilson, Henne

RB: *Bernard, Jennings, Parmele, *UDFA/FA

FB: Owens

WR: Shorts, Blackmon, Shipley, Elliot, Cribbs, *UDFA/FA/PS

TE: Lewis, *Dickson, Potter

OL: Monroe, *Jones, Nwarni, *Smith, Rackley, Brewster, Bradfield, *Johnson, Nowak

DE: Babin, Branch, Mincey, Chick, Lane

DT: *Hankins, Alualu, Mosley, *Richardson

LB: Smith, Poszlusny, Allen, *Hodges, *Porter, Stanford

CB: Cox, *Ryan, Harris, *Reid, Middleton/Rutland

S: Landry, Lowery, *Mathieu, Blake

P: Anger

K: Scobee

LS: Cain

FanPosts do not necessarily reflect the views of the authors of Big Cat Country or SB Nation.