Todd McShay: (12:03 PM ET ) Sorry for mix-up yesterday. I know how patient and understanding SportsNation is, so I'm sure Buzzmaster didn't need to field any negative emails...
Todd McShay: (12:04 PM ET ) We keep inching towards the draft. Still more than a month away but lots to discuss as always. Pro Days are winding down but we had some good workouts recently at Texas, Notre Dame (Quinn's running) and Georgia. We can also discuss the fallout of the Matt Schaub trade. Let's get to it...
Kipp (Erie PA): Hey Todd, read a report today that Randy Lerner offered no advice for Brady Quinn and the Browns #3 pick, just wondering how you push through all the rumors to see who a team is really interested in (especially the Browns)....
Todd McShay: (12:08 PM ET ) The closer we get to the draft the harder it is to take "reports" at face value. At this point, teams know what players are on their radar in the first round but they haven't even met to set their official "draft board", so everything is really speculation.
Todd McShay: (12:10 PM ET ) As far as the Browns are concerned, they will first need to rank the prospects at the top. My guess is it will look something like the following: JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn, Adrian Peterson and Joe Thomas... they will likely skew their draft board to drop Calvin Johnson b/c of their needs. Secondly, they must decide if they like one of those players so much that he's worth trading up a spot or two in order to secure him.
Pacman Jones (Tenn): Can you please talk Al Davis into trading for me?
Todd McShay: (12:11 PM ET ) Sure, I'll get right on it.
Todd McShay: (12:15 PM ET ) By the way, for all of you that made suggestions for Austin, TX (and there were only a disappointing few), I'm happy to report that Eddie V's was a great meal. Mack Brown was kind enough to take us on Wednesday night and I would highly recommend it to anyone in the area.
Santino (Bronx): So are the Jets leaning towards a CB in the draft? Will Ross be there?
Todd McShay: (12:17 PM ET ) I think it's one of the positions they'll look to target. Ross will go in that range. After Leon Hall, there's a lot of different opinions on the next best CB's. I like Ross, Chris Houston (Ark), Darrelle Revis (Pitt) and Eric Wright (UNLV).
Todd McShay: (12:17 PM ET ) I also think the Jets would be wise to consider TE Greg Olsen if he's still available. He would add a new element to the offense as a seam-stretching receiver down the middle.
Dan (San Jose): Jarrett has fallen off the radar a bit, and other WR's have crept up (Bowe, Rice, Meachem). Any chance he could slip to the 49ers in the second (after they grab Carriker or Willis in the 1st)? Thanks!
Todd McShay: (12:20 PM ET ) I do think Jarrett's stock is in flux b/c we haven't seen him run yet. USC's Pro Day is coming up on March 28. If he runs poorly (high 4.6's or worse), it could knock him to the bottom of the first round. But I still think he'll be in the first-round mix.
Todd McShay: (12:21 PM ET ) Like the CB position, there's a lot of differing opinions on the top WR's after Calvin Johnson. I think the others worth 1st round picks are Jarrett, Dwayne Bowe, Ted Ginn Jr. (b/c of his added RS value) and Robert Meachem. I think Sidney Rice and Steve Smith belong early in Round 2.
Todd McShay: (12:24 PM ET ) As far as SF is concerned, picking at No. 11 is tough. I see about seven "elite" prospects in this year's class -- C. Johnson, J. Thomas, J. Russell, B. Quinn, A. Peterson, L. Landry and G. Adams. After that, there's about 15-20 very good players. I think teams picking in the low-20's will get close to the same value as teams picking in the early-teens.
Justin (California): What would it take for the 49ers to trade up to the second or third pick to take Calvin Johnson? It seems they have a ton of first day picks and could be able to put a package together to get it done.
Todd McShay: (12:29 PM ET ) The Niner's are still rebuilding so I'm not sure the smart move is to mortgage off a draft for one player. If I'm wrong, it would take the No. 11 pick (1,250 points according to trade-value chart) and probably their second and third round picks this year and an additional second-round pick in 2008 to move up to No. 2 (2,600 points).
Drew , Jackson , NJ: Todd-What do you think the steelers really need to address in the 2007 draft?
Todd McShay: (12:31 PM ET ) I think the three most pressing needs are at OLB and CB. And remember; the OLB is really more of a DE need with the team eventually transitioning to a 4-3 scheme. That's why I think an undersized DE like Jarvis Moss (Florida) makes sense in the first round. After that, they need to continue to add young depth at OC, RB, DL and DS.
Andrew (Orlando): Where do you think Lawrence Timmons and Alan Branch will go?
Todd McShay: (12:33 PM ET ) Both players are slipping a bit. Timmons had a solid but unspectacular workout recently. I still think he comes off the board between 15 and 25. Branch is a tougher one to figure. He has the best combo of size and mobility of all the DT's in this year's class but teams are cooling on him b/c of his inconsistent motor and concerns that he will lose motivation (and get too heavy) once he starts collecting a paycheck.
Todd McShay: (12:34 PM ET ) I actually think Branch could slip to the bottom-half of the first round before it's all said and done. This really opens up an opportunity for the next best DT's in this year's class -- specifically Louisville's Amobi Okoye and Tennessee's Justin Harrell.
Ryan (Tempe, AZ): The Lions aren't going to draft Quinn, if the Browns don't, and since the Texans have mortgaged their future with Schaub, how far will Quinn slip?
Todd McShay: (12:37 PM ET ) If Quinn slips past Cleveland at No. 3, I think the next realistic landing spot (assuming no trades) is Minnesota at No. 7. After that it gets a little dicey. Maybe Miami at No. 9 or Carolina at No. 14? But in all reality, Quinn slipping out of the top-10 is a real longshot. If he gets past the Vikings I think teams will look to trade in for the value.
Todd McShay: (12:40 PM ET ) The interesting fallout of the Schaub trade is that Detroit's chances of trading out of No. 2 are significantly worse. Houston was the one team that many thought would "dance" with Detroit. I'm not sure the Lions want to pick at No. 2 and I think they'll be faced with a really tough decision if stuck.
Franco (Bloomfield): What about the G-Men? Will Revis be there when they pick?
Todd McShay: (12:41 PM ET ) I think he could be. As I mentioned before, the cornerbacks rated after Hall will come off the board between 18 (Bengals) and 27 (Saints). If it's not Revis, it could be Ross or Houston.
Josh (Grand Rapids): The Lions need to put on their Big-Boy Pants and take Calvin Johnson!
Todd McShay: (12:43 PM ET ) Could you imagine? The sad part is that Calvin Johnson will be the best player on the board if he doesn't go No. 1 to the Raiders, but Millen obviously can't afford that PR storm.
Hende (OH): Why would Crennel support drafting a rookie QB in the first round? That's basically signing his own pink slip.
Todd McShay: (12:44 PM ET ) I'm assuming he wouldn't support that decision. If the Browns take a QB it's not a good sign for Crennel. He needs a player that can help the team win now -- like Adrian Peterson or Joe Thomas.
Todd McShay: (12:45 PM ET ) While Crennel might not like a QB at No. 3, remember that we were saying the same thing a year ago about Jeff Fisher after the Titans took Vince Young. Look how that turned out...
Ben (SF): Has Hughes from Cal dropped out of the first round?
Todd McShay: (12:47 PM ET ) Absolutely. He ran better at Cal's Pro Day -- in the high 4.5's. But I think teams will shy away from him until late in the second round (at best). Because of his marginal top-end speed, the only teams that would consider him on Day 1 would be ones that run lots of cover-2.
shawn - maine: patriots need secondary help but i think as of this year they need safties more then corners. What do you think and which safety would fit best?
Todd McShay: (12:49 PM ET ) I would agree. LaRon Landry will be long gone. I think Nelson has first round value for some teams but I think he's too one-dimensional for the Pats' liking. I would think Michael Griffin, Brandon Merriweather and Eric Weddle would be better values -- ranging from the late-first to second round.
Chris (Broadview Heights, OH): I'm going to make a fearless prediction, Brady Quinn = Joey Harrington. In about 3-4 years whatever team winds up with Quinn will regret it, hopefully it's not Cleveland!
Todd McShay: (12:53 PM ET ) You are entitled. I hear the same sorts of comparisons with J. Russell to Akili Smith... but I don't buy either. I think Russell and Quinn will both be good starters in the NFL. Russell has far better tools but Quinn is far more polished in terms of his understanding of the pro game and systems. Assuming both players get a better supporting cast than Carr got at Houston, I don't think we'll look back on either as "busts" from the 2007 class.
Todd McShay: (12:55 PM ET ) Great stuff, everyone. Thanks again for your patience yesterday. No more Pro Day trips for me, so we'll be back to the regular slot (Thursday's at noon) starting next week and running through the draft. Until then, be well...
