What direction in the draft if Howard comes aboard?

[Cowboy from New York]

Now that we have a Dallas newspaper confirming that trade talks between Dallas and the Saints are actually going on maybe its fair game to speculate how this would change our draft plans if Howard does in fact join the team.
It seems the consensus prior to Howard was around Merriman or possibly Spears. Spears would be a dead issue but what about Merriman, my first thought was that the front 4 would provide the pass rush so we wouldnt need our 1st pick to go to a rush specialst LB but the counter to that is the "you can never have enough pass rushers" motto.
With Howard here are needs would be FS, RT, MLB, LB, WR and backup RB.
Everything but FS and backup RB should be considered for our round 1 picks.
I think we'll trade #20 to reaquire picks so at #11 we might go Merriman or get Alex Barron, or Williamson at WR. I don't think anyone else qualifies for spending our #11. This ofcourse assumes that the "usual suspects" are already gone in the top 10, D Johnson, B Edwards, M Williams.
Thoughts?
I'll save trading out of #11 and keeping #20 for another thread.

[playit12]

Originally Posted by Cowboy from New York

Now that we have a Dallas newspaper confirming that trade talks between Dallas and the Saints are actually going on maybe its fair game to speculate how this would change our draft plans if Howard does in fact join the team.
It seems the consensus prior to Howard was around Merriman or possibly Spears. Spears would be a dead issue but what about Merriman, my first thought was that the front 4 would provide the pass rush so we wouldnt need our 1st pick to go to a rush specialst LB but the counter to that is the "you can never have enough pass rushers" motto.
With Howard here are needs would be FS, RT, MLB, LB, WR and backup RB.
Everything but FS and backup RB should be considered for our round 1 picks.
[View Full Quote]I think we'll trade #20 to reaquire picks so at #11 we might go Merriman or get Alex Barron, or Williamson at WR. I don't think anyone else qualifies for spending our #11. This ofcourse assumes that the "usual suspects" are already gone in the top 10, D Johnson, B Edwards, M Williams.
Thoughts?
I'll save trading out of #11 and keeping #20 for another thread.

If we get Howard I can't believe we'd be picking up a tweener at LB/DE. Merriman is only a high prospect in a 3/4 and we'll be running a 4/3 to keep our playmakers on the field. We won't have the size to run a 3/4 at the ends, and on plays where we run a 3/4 for extra pass coverage we'd go with an undersized LB Corp anyway.

I'd look for us to trade down with 11 and pick up a RT, MLB, and FS in the first 3 rounds.

My guess with the first pick would be Jammal Brown, but that remains to be seen. Of course you can often get a good MLB in Free Agency (Same with FS) so don't be surprised if we grab a WR instead.

[silverbear]

If we trade for Howard, particularly if Dat is part of the trade package, the number one priority at Valley Ranch will be finding linebacker help in the draft...

2nd and 3rd priorities will be ROT and FS... perhaps a backup RB...

[ghst187]

I think our draft priorities become (in order) LB, FS, WR
I don't think there is a first round FS in this draft so we might take a WR before FS.
I think if DJ (and definitely if Merriman) is gone at 11, we trade down with that pick. The thing about Merriman is that he can also play ILB or MLB. In fact, in a 4-3 he'd probably be most effective at DE or MLB because of his size. If we trade down from 11, I think we'll look at a WR at 20, Clayton or Williamson and possibly trade down with that pick also.
I think we'll look hard at Blackstock, Poole, and Bullocks in the second. We'll for certain trade down at least one of those firsts.
Jonathan Goddard is a guy I'd like to get if we recoup a late second or third round pick.

[Tio]

Derrick Johnson.

[Bobo]

There's no "definites" on a trade down. I want DJ at 11, but if he's not there, and we can't trade down, now what? Same goes for pick 20 if you can't get a trade down.

LB still has to be the top priority. I like Burnett, and 20 may be a reach, but may be about our best choice w/o a 2nd and 3rd round pick. Maybe take a chance at moving Thomas Davis to OLB at 20....but I'm not as sold on him since he hardly played any OLB, rather have Burnett.Crowder has a lot of things going against him, I'd rather stay away. Guys like Thurman, Ruud, McCune....probably all 2-3rd rounders.

A big question is who on the current roster could make a decent starter and at what spot? Keep Al as a starter? Start Shanle? And if so, what position?

I don't know if there's a FS worth #20, maybe Pool, but sounds like big reach. Hopefully a decent FS makes it to the 4th.

Could take one of the top 3 OT's at 11 or 20. But with so many picks spent on the o-line so far and now Rivera, will the team keep putting so much into the o-line? Maybe one of the top WR's fits better here, and again, may be reaching.

[tyke1doe]

We'd probably go wide receiver and linebacker. But I would definitely expect a trade down with No. 11 and No. 20.

[jem88]

It's just our luck that there is a dearth of first-round quality tackles. I really think we need to address the Right Tackle position but from what I've read lately, Barron's stock is slipping slightly as he didn't do too well in his interviews so maybe he wouldn't be good value with the #11. The dream scenario (assuming we get Howard) would be for any one of Williams, Edwards or Johnson to fall to us, but I don't see that happening either. Trading down is always an attractive option but will there be any serious takers? I'd love to have either Clayton or Williamson but neither with the 11th. So one possibility would be to still take the best available DE (after all, having Howard and Grant didn't stop the Saints from taking Will Smith.) Thoughts?