What if?

[gollum]

Now that this is the slow time of the year...my mind starts to wander...especially at work. What if we didn't get to play the Redskins twice a year?

Before I start this...I realize that we won four games by 7 or fewer points and lost three. We could have just as easily beat Pittsburgh or the Giants, but this post is not intended to look at every possible outcome, just two.

We played two close games with the Skins last year and it could have gone either way. In the first...Rod Gardner couldn't get out of bounds on the long pass from Brunell or else they would have been in relatively easy field goal range to tie the game and send it to overtime. In the second, Crayton catches a 39 yarder on 3rd and 3 with 30 seconds left for the victory.

Had we lost either of those, or not made the miraculous comeback in Seattle, we most likely would have picked 7th in the draft. Had we lost two of the three, we would have picked 2nd San Fran, Dallas, Miami as the top three picks!...so much for the historical powerhouses of the league.

That being said, I wonder how the draft would have played out with either scenario. I know that most fans are thrilled with the draft results, but what if...?

This is how we drafted:
#11-Ware
#20-Spears
#42-Burnett
#109-Barber
#132-Canty(traded #148 and future picks)
#208-Beriault
#209-Pettiti
#224-Ratliff

Had we lost one more game, we would have had the following picks:
#7, #20, #38, #105, #143, #208, #209, #219
Would we still have taken Ware at #7? We could have tried to trade back, but the first trade didn't take place until pick #23, so we probably would not of had a trading partner. Would we instead have taken Mike Williams? Interesting quandry! My gut tells me that we still would have taken Ware, but would you feel that was too high? If we did in fact take MW @ #7, you can bet Canty would have been the selection at #105 instead of Barber. With #38, I think we would have selected Josh Bullocks instead of Burnett. With #143, I think we would have taken either LB Robert McCune, OT Anthony Alabi, DE/LB Trent Cole or RB Cedric Houston. Instead of Beriault, perhaps LB Kenneth Pettway or RB Nehemiah Broughton at #208 depending on who was taken at #143, and still Pettiti at #209. Ratliff would still be taken at #219.

Had we lost two of the three, we would have the following picks:
#2, #20, #36, #104, #140, #208, #209, #216
At #2, I suspect Braylon Edwards would have been the pick(assuming no trades). I don't know if Spears would still have made it to #20, but the chain reaction if Cleveland would have taken Pollack at #4 as rumored would make a definite ripple effect. If anyone in the top 20 would have fallen, I think it would have been Travis Johnson since I believe Houston would have taken the leftover between Merriman and Ware. If Spears is there, you take him, but if not...then who...Johnson? Fabian Washington? Marlin Jackson? Then at #36, you've probably got choices of Barrett Ruud, Shaun Cody, Josh Bullocks, or Burnett...my guess is Bullocks. #104 is probably Canty, #140 is DE/LB Trent Cole or C.Houston, and #208 and beyond would be same as above scenario.

I understand that there is no way to predict who would be available if but one pick changes, but I thought it was interesting to run through hypotheticals nonetheless. What did surprise me is that I don't know if I would have felt any better about our draft had we selected higher.

Thoughts?

[Seven]

Originally Posted by gollum

Now that this is the slow time of the year...my mind starts to wander...especially at work. What if we didn't get to play the Redskins twice a year?

Before I start this...I realize that we won four games by 7 or fewer points and lost three. We could have just as easily beat Pittsburgh or the Giants, but this post is not intended to look at every possible outcome, just two.

We played two close games with the Skins last year and it could have gone either way. In the first...Rod Gardner couldn't get out of bounds on the long pass from Brunell or else they would have been in relatively easy field goal range to tie the game and send it to overtime. In the second, Crayton catches a 39 yarder on 3rd and 3 with 30 seconds left for the victory.

[View Full Quote]Had we lost either of those, or not made the miraculous comeback in Seattle, we most likely would have picked 7th in the draft. Had we lost two of the three, we would have picked 2nd San Fran, Dallas, Miami as the top three picks!...so much for the historical powerhouses of the league.

That being said, I wonder how the draft would have played out with either scenario. I know that most fans are thrilled with the draft results, but what if...?

This is how we drafted:
#11-Ware
#20-Spears
#42-Burnett
#109-Barber
#132-Canty(traded #148 and future picks)
#208-Beriault
#209-Pettiti
#224-Ratliff

Had we lost one more game, we would have had the following picks:
#7, #20, #38, #105, #143, #208, #209, #219
Would we still have taken Ware at #7? We could have tried to trade back, but the first trade didn't take place until pick #23, so we probably would not of had a trading partner. Would we instead have taken Mike Williams? Interesting quandry! My gut tells me that we still would have taken Ware, but would you feel that was too high? If we did in fact take MW @ #7, you can bet Canty would have been the selection at #105 instead of Barber. With #38, I think we would have selected Josh Bullocks instead of Burnett. With #143, I think we would have taken either LB Robert McCune, OT Anthony Alabi, DE/LB Trent Cole or RB Cedric Houston. Instead of Beriault, perhaps LB Kenneth Pettway or RB Nehemiah Broughton at #208 depending on who was taken at #143, and still Pettiti at #209. Ratliff would still be taken at #219.

Had we lost two of the three, we would have the following picks:
#2, #20, #36, #104, #140, #208, #209, #216
At #2, I suspect Braylon Edwards would have been the pick(assuming no trades). I don't know if Spears would still have made it to #20, but the chain reaction if Cleveland would have taken Pollack at #4 as rumored would make a definite ripple effect. If anyone in the top 20 would have fallen, I think it would have been Travis Johnson since I believe Houston would have taken the leftover between Merriman and Ware. If Spears is there, you take him, but if not...then who...Johnson? Fabian Washington? Marlin Jackson? Then at #36, you've probably got choices of Barrett Ruud, Shaun Cody, Josh Bullocks, or Burnett...my guess is Bullocks. #104 is probably Canty, #140 is DE/LB Trent Cole or C.Houston, and #208 and beyond would be same as above scenario.

I understand that there is no way to predict who would be available if but one pick changes, but I thought it was interesting to run through hypotheticals nonetheless. What did surprise me is that I don't know if I would have felt any better about our draft had we selected higher.

Thoughts?

Refreshing thread. Different. Hey.....Is your company hiring? I could use the time off!!

[Native Born Fan]

You have too much time on your hands Gollum. Why don't you spend all that time thinking about the precious? But i agree. I can't really imagine being more pleased with our draft. I'm probably just a silly homer though.

[Chocolate Lab]

I've kind of thought about this, too, with lots of people complaining that winning a couple of those meaningless games at the end, especially against the Skins, cost us draft position.

But I think we'd have taken the exact same players even if we'd picked at, say, seven and 15. So in the end, all the hand-wringing about Buffalo's winning streak didn't mean anything. IMO we got Ware and Spears just like we would have, only we saved a little money on their contracts.

[jksmith269]

I think more about if Buffalo had lost three or four more games but then I realize we got exactly who we wanted or atleast some of us wanted. I was very happy with our draft I see 5 future starters out of our picks or more....

[SilverStarCowboy]

Originally Posted by gollum

This is how we drafted:
#11-Ware
#20-Spears
#42-Burnett
#109-Barber
#132-Canty(traded #148 and future picks)
#208-Beriault
#209-Pettiti
#224-Ratliff

Thoughts?

WHAT IF!


#11-Ware =Larence Taylor/Charles Haily
#20-Spears=Reggie White/Bruce Smith
#42-Burnett=Derrick Brooks/Willie Miginest
#109-Barber=Julius Jones/Travis Henry
#132-Canty(traded #148 and future picks)=Richard Dent/Jason Seymore
#208-Beriault=Bill Bates
#209-Pettiti=Mark Tuinea
#224-Ratliff=Glover

[TwoDeep3]

Does this mean Petiti is going to overdose while in the company of a Hawaiian?

[SilverStarCowboy]

Originally Posted by TwoDeep3

Does this mean Petiti is going to overdose while in the company of a Hawaiian?

Wow...from a Cowboys fan?.......Tui was a late round pick.....a productive OT.... may Mark rest in peace....

[bobbie brewskie]

we also could have had the first pick of the draft if buffalo went 1-15

[SilverStarCowboy]

Originally Posted by bobbie brewskie

we also could have had the first pick of the draft if buffalo went 1-15

Who would you have taken with the 1st pick?


Dallas needed defensive front seven.

Ware?
Spears?
Burnett?

[bobbie brewskie]

Originally Posted by SilverStarCowboy

Who would you have taken with the 1st pick?


Dallas needed defensive front seven.

Ware?
Spears?
Burnett?

im just saying if they did go 1-15, every1 always says IF IF IF i mean who cares, but with the #1 i woulda traded it to the 49ers by threatening them to take smith . . . anything in the top 10 woulda been nice but your right who would we have gotten that was not ware?

[SilverStarCowboy]

Originally Posted by bobbie brewskie

im just saying who would we have gotten that was not ware?

I totally agree, if itwas not thare, then he wouldn't have been Ware.

[bobbie brewskie]

Originally Posted by SilverStarCowboy

I totally agree, if itwas not thare, then he wouldn't have been Ware.

i actually think we would have done a lot of different stuff this offseason if we had the #1 pick, we would not have gotten a certain position during FA and used our pick to fill that spot. but yea who would we have picked if we had the #1 hell even a top 5 pick?

[SilverStarCowboy]

Originally Posted by gollum

Now that this is the slow time of the year...my mind starts to wander...especially at work. What if we didn't get to play the Redskins twice a year?

Before I start this...I realize that we won four games by 7 or fewer points and lost three. We could have just as easily beat Pittsburgh or the Giants, but this post is not intended to look at every possible outcome, just two.

We played two close games with the Skins last year and it could have gone either way. In the first...Rod Gardner couldn't get out of bounds on the long pass from Brunell or else they would have been in relatively easy field goal range to tie the game and send it to overtime. In the second, Crayton catches a 39 yarder on 3rd and 3 with 30 seconds left for the victory.

[View Full Quote]Had we lost either of those, or not made the miraculous comeback in Seattle, we most likely would have picked 7th in the draft. Had we lost two of the three, we would have picked 2nd San Fran, Dallas, Miami as the top three picks!...so much for the historical powerhouses of the league.

That being said, I wonder how the draft would have played out with either scenario. I know that most fans are thrilled with the draft results, but what if...?

This is how we drafted:
#11-Ware
#20-Spears
#42-Burnett
#109-Barber
#132-Canty(traded #148 and future picks)
#208-Beriault
#209-Pettiti
#224-Ratliff

Had we lost one more game, we would have had the following picks:
#7, #20, #38, #105, #143, #208, #209, #219
Would we still have taken Ware at #7? We could have tried to trade back, but the first trade didn't take place until pick #23, so we probably would not of had a trading partner. Would we instead have taken Mike Williams? Interesting quandry! My gut tells me that we still would have taken Ware, but would you feel that was too high? If we did in fact take MW @ #7, you can bet Canty would have been the selection at #105 instead of Barber. With #38, I think we would have selected Josh Bullocks instead of Burnett. With #143, I think we would have taken either LB Robert McCune, OT Anthony Alabi, DE/LB Trent Cole or RB Cedric Houston. Instead of Beriault, perhaps LB Kenneth Pettway or RB Nehemiah Broughton at #208 depending on who was taken at #143, and still Pettiti at #209. Ratliff would still be taken at #219.

Had we lost two of the three, we would have the following picks:
#2, #20, #36, #104, #140, #208, #209, #216
At #2, I suspect Braylon Edwards would have been the pick(assuming no trades). I don't know if Spears would still have made it to #20, but the chain reaction if Cleveland would have taken Pollack at #4 as rumored would make a definite ripple effect. If anyone in the top 20 would have fallen, I think it would have been Travis Johnson since I believe Houston would have taken the leftover between Merriman and Ware. If Spears is there, you take him, but if not...then who...Johnson? Fabian Washington? Marlin Jackson? Then at #36, you've probably got choices of Barrett Ruud, Shaun Cody, Josh Bullocks, or Burnett...my guess is Bullocks. #104 is probably Canty, #140 is DE/LB Trent Cole or C.Houston, and #208 and beyond would be same as above scenario.

I understand that there is no way to predict who would be available if but one pick changes, but I thought it was interesting to run through hypotheticals nonetheless. What did surprise me is that I don't know if I would have felt any better about our draft had we selected higher.

Thoughts?

if you think about this, there is really no doubt, because of the current Dallas Roster, if Dallas had the first pick Bill would have had no choice but to either trade down to draft the best defensive lineman or stay at #1 and selected the best defensive lineman.










In the darkest depths of mordor I met a girl so fair but Gollum and the Evil world snunk up and crept away with her, her, her yeah yeah......there's just one thing I have left to do...

[PaEagleHater]

Just think if we had that first pick, kept our 11th and traded it to one of the teams that had two first rd picks. If ifs and buts were candies and nuts we could open a candy store. I don't know about a candy store, but I think we will be opening some stuff this season...