Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Draft Recap/Eval Part 3: Rnd 3-7

I know all of you are familiar with how long I think it is before a draft can be fully evaluated. However, as I outlined last month, there are a couple of methods that I will use immediately following the draft to see how A. The Lions did getting guys based on "projection" and "potential" (two words that end up wrong 50% of the time.) and B. How the GM did running the draft.

In Part 1, I addressed the GM. Part 2 will addressed rounds 1-2. Part 3 will address rounds 3-7. Part 4 will be my final overview of the big picture.

After that, it will be on to the off season and information from mini-camps, off season moves, and new position evaluations as the players/situations change.

Day two, as I have previously mentioned, was set up by the day one trade back that gave the Lions the 3rd pick in the draft (version 2.0). It is my belief that the first round of day 2 is essentially the same for a team as round 1. Each team knows who is available. Each team knows what needs they and other teams have filled through the off season and the first two rounds, and where they are likely headed for the later rounds.

After looking at who was gone, and who was left, I had a great feeling Saturday night that the Lions were really going to shine on day 2. Unfortunately, I was very busy again Sunday, so couldn't sit down to enjoy the draft. I was able to turn it on and see they traded for Kevin Smith right off the bat, and to be totally honest -- they could have totally screwed the rest of the draft, and I would have been ok with it at that point. I've said before, and will say many times, I think that Kevin Smith will be the most productive back taken in this draft.

First off, the significance of day 1 to get into the top of 3 cannot be overlooked. Three of the 4 2nd - 3rd round backs the Lions liked were gone by the end of round 2. (actually, looking back at it, 2 of the 4 were gone before they picked in 2). After Smith, the Lions felt they were into a lower tier of backs -- fortunately, Miami owned pick 1 of round 3, and they had no need at all for a RB. I've read many places that at least 3-4 teams were trying to get the Dolphins' pick to take Smith, and at least as many (or more) were talking with St.Louis. I don't know how much overlap was there. The Lions won because they were definitely taking a back, which Miami did not need. Also at that point, Miami had 2-3 players rated equally that they were looking at taking, and Smith wasn't one of them. So luck also played a big part. Finally, it was not secret the Lions needed a RB and Smith was the best guy left -- anyone who wanted him had to trade ahead of Detroit to get him. Miami, only moving down two spots -- and only having an opportunity for one of the players they liked to be taken, was able to get the player they wanted (Kendall Langford -- their other two options were OT Greco and CB Godfrey -- who literally went off the board Smith-Greco-Langford-Godfrey -- proving Miami was right not to want to trade down more than a couple of spots) while still getting an extra 6th rounder. Miami really needed quantity of draft picks, and that is also an MO of Parcells coached/GM teams as well.

I'll stop here and say that Round 3 of this year's draft, if it garners the 2 starters and rotational DE (possible replacement for White) that I feel it did, will be by far the best round 3 by any team in the last 20 years. 3 in 3 (starters in round)!

I got to see the rest of the day 2 picks as a whole, and thus didn't get to have speculative fun of guessing. One trend to note is that after the Lions took Dizon, and then 2 more LB went off the board in 2, there was a run at LB in 3 with 7 being taken in the round (including one before Connor, who I'm still not sure why he fell as he seems to be a good fit for a 3-4 team.) While I haven't seen teams taking flak like the Lions did for Dizon in 2, all of those LB (other than Connor) were considered double-digit "reaches" for where they were taken. Looking back at the draft, I think the rankings and mocks undervalued two positions this year as far as team need and priority: LB and OT. I also think that they overvalued by far WR (with 0 taken in round one, versus projections of at least 2 or 3) and DE (while a lot were taken, not too many were taken at "reach" spots, in comparison to LB, Oline, and even DT) On the whole though, as usually seems to be the case, the pundits overvalued "skill" players and undervalued the guys in the trenches. Apparently teams are a lot smarter than the media gives them credit for, and really do know what it takes to win games.

Back to the Lions -- I waffled for a while before the draft -- after picking up a bit of info pointing to Marinelli really liking Fluellen, but he was "projected" round 5, so I was putting him round 4 in my head thinking that would be a round early to be sure they got him. So at first, while I liked the pick, I thought they were jumping the gun a bit. However, as I looked over it more, I decided that they really had to take him there if they wanted him.

Reasons? Well, first off they had a choice of Fluellen, Harrison, Bryant, and Moore. Of the three, Fluellen had the most versatility, and he played in the same defense at Florida that the Lions use (in essence) and the coaches there were disciples of Marinelli, so he knew the Fluellen would already be grounded in the basics of the Lions D -- which shortens the learning curve significantly. Finally, of the 4 remaining, 2 were more NT in a 3-4, whereas Fluellen and Harrison were the two more suited to a 4-3. (Harrison went 3 spots later to Chicago as a replacement for Tank Johnson). I saw rumor on a couple of Tampa sites that the Bucs were one of the teams that wanted Fluellen, and were trying to trade with the Pats to snag him off the board if Detroit didn't take him, so they would be ahead of Chicago -- who was also rumored to want him. One story even mentioned one GM calling up Millen to tell him he was a lousy SOB for snagging him out from under them. Ouch! Only time will tell if he was worth it, but I see him at least beating out Cody for the active roster, and earning time in the rotation.

The trade up for Avril didn't surprise me -- I think he slid because teams were unsure where he would fit best -- 4-3 DE or 3-4 WOLB? (pass-rush backer?) I was a little leery of two 4's (especially next year's) but ended up viewing it this way: Moore at the top of 5 is essentially this years 4th rounder and Avril is essentially next year's. (It may or may not make logical sense, but I've never claimed to be perfect.) Considering his up-side, I was fine with a possible rush specialist with essentially next year's 4th. With White and IAF starting as 3-down DE's, and Smith in the mix, I'm thinking if he works out like he seems he'll make the roster and rotate in early in the season as a rush specialist on obvious passing downs.

As for Moore, I can see both sides of the for/against where he was taken. While granted, there were some CB's I would have liked to see them take, I think they are satisfied at this time with Bodden-Fisher-Wilson-Smith-Robinson as the CB's competing for roster spots. I think Smith and Robinson actually have the edge due to special teams play over Wilson, who while I think he does well, may not be best suited for the Deuce (similar to Bryant -- I see durability issues cropping up). We'll have to see.

That being said, Moore is the ultimate in positional flexibility, having participated as a WR, RB, and KOR/PR with equal facility. He won't be #1 at any of those, but he will make a fine 4th or 5th WR, emergency RB/RB receiving out of the backfield on some plays, or running in the slot. If it is a tie between him, Cason, Calhoun, Ellis and Walters as the return specialist, I can see him wining the job because of what else he brings to the table -- it would be like keeping both one of the WR and one of the RB. Best of both worlds, and frees up a possible roster spot for the D (extra S, LB, or D-lineman)

Cohen to me screams "practice squad for a year or two, and hope to break into the roster due to injury or retirement as a rotational guy." Nothing more, nothing less.

Finally, I was very impressed by the pick of Campbell in 7. Just like last year, I think their 7th rounder again has a great shot to make the roster, and push for a back-up spot to Lewis/Lennon on the strong side. He is the LB/S hybrid needed on the Big Nickel packages to stop those routes over the deep middle that killed the Lions last year.

All in all, I think the Lions, for the most part, made good picks for need in day 2 -- enough so that I can see at this point 6 of the 7 players form rounds 3-7 making the final roster. Whether it is due to poor existing talent, players let go, or great drafting -- or a combination of all 3 -- I could care less. It seems at this point the Lions had a stellar 3rd round, and very solid, if unsexy once again, day 2.

Your thoughts? Keep up the great Dialogue!

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree 100%... As I said before, of the 9 players we drafted, I see 8 of them seeing playing time this year.4 or 5 as starters on O & D 2 on ST and the others as rotational/package players. Cohan is the odd man out, but i think they kep him as a prodgect player on practice squad. not being able to report till june will hurt him this year. Maybe he can be concidered the 4th round pick for next year. That would move him up from where he was picked, but one year on the practice squad should up hi playing level to at least 4th round quality.
All in all I am very pleased with this years draft. if the players we picked this year work out the way they should, and we have another good draft next year....SUPER BOWL here we come!
GO LOINS!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

The one CB you missed is Kelly he'll be hugh as well thats why they didn't take a corner also but, I think next years draft the CB market is deeper.

Agreed that the second day was great drafting. From what I read about Fluellen his stat line was great with only 5 starts and missing about 4 game due to hyperextion (?? spelling) of the elbow 93 tackles 11 sacks and when in line up 1.75 yards per carry not bad he was going to be a first round pick.

go Lions.
lionwing2019

Anonymous said...

As many have stated. The 2nd round is the crowning jewel of this years draft for the Lions. It's hard not to get excited about it too because we have far too many moments where we made draft picks in the past that defied explanation, especially in later rounds.

After last year's draft where we made a variety of questionable moves, M&M (yea, that's right, I DID just steal a trademark) really helped to create a solid foundation for this team. In my mind, a team's foundation is best created by drafting on the lines, and in this draft we took at least 3 players that will help to stabilize the line on both sides of the ball. One is a RT who, while he doesn't fit our system perfectly, should compliment the run very well (I know this wasnt a late rounder but it still suits the overall point I'm trying to make). Also, two others, while I wasn't very flattered with them initially, seem to be capable of filling the needs of run stopper and pass rusher very well.

As for some of the other late round moves...

Kevin Smith: Has a lot of potential at RB and should be a contributer and starter in his rookie season. I don't know if the rest of you are going to like this analogy, but I really see a lot of Kevin Jones in his style of play...minus the extensive injuries. He bust a gain of 20-40 yards but isnt quite elusive enought to make it 60-80. The major difference for me is that he jukes a lot more from what I've heard. I could be wrong though as I haven't put in as much research as I'm sure some others have on this site.

Kenneth Moore: This was the worst pick of the draft to me. Yes, I know he was brought on for his potential as a return specialist; however, he wasn't even the number one returner on his team. He is the type of guy who will do anything to help his team (as was outline by DF1979) but I question whether he is truly good enough at any of these positions to be a reliable backup at anything but WR.

Felton - Some risk/reward with this pick. I posted a lot on him before shortly after the draft and I'm very pleased with his potential as a short yardage type of player. He has been described as being similar to Jerome Bettis, except faster; it's hard not to get excited about that possibility.

Cohen - Not much to say here. Probably can't make a worthwhile contribution to ST. He may challenge for a spot on the scout team but I think we would have been better off looking at some of the CB's available.

Campbell - The feel good story of the draft and pretty much the only way the Lions got any air time throughout the whole damn thing. If he can make the transition to SLB we could really help build some depth at the position. This pick leads me to my next discussion...

***

This draft reveals that what before was a slight tendency is now a self-evident fact -- that the Lions are in the process of installing a small and undersized defense. We just unloaded Rogers and replaced him with a much smaller run-stopping DT. We drafted an edge rusher who could play WLB in some schemes. We drafted a safety who will be making the transition to SLB. It's very obvious that this isn't just coincidence.

With this smaller defense we should see a great deal more speed and quickness off the ball, both of which Detroit has been lacking on the defensive side of the ball for as long as I can remember. It should also bring in players that don't rely solely on their size to make plays but more on their intelligence and sheer athleticism.

However, a small defense brings some negatives as well. First and foremost being that their strength is severely cut down. It is very true that if the gaps are maintained properly, this should be a non-issue, but there is no such thing as perfection in a scheme and there are going to be times where players miss assignments or are simply overmatched by their opponent. In these cases, our lack of strength up front could become a BIG problem. We are in a division that is tending towards the run on all fronts; most notably in Minnesota and Chicago, and if their guys on the O-line are pushing around our D-line we're in for a world of hurt.

Another issue with undersized players is that they are more prone to injury. When I was a kid my parents always used to tell me "you may be small, but you know...the bigger they are the harder they fall." At the time this was enough reassurance, but what they failed to mention also is that 'the bigger they are the more they can beat the living hell out of you'. Constant match-ups with guys who can overpower you is bound to take a toll on anyone's body, and if your entire team is undersized this may be reason for concern.


All in all though, I think this new tendency on defense is a positive one. If you look around the league, I feel that the bestcurrent comparison would be the Indianapolis Colts. Now, I'm not saying that we are as good as the Colts, or ever will be for that matter, even on the defensive side of the ball. My only point is that Dungy maintains a T2 defense that is a bit undersized and very quick. Of course, they also have one of the most dominant pass-rushers in the league, so if Marinelli really wants the Detroit Deuce to succeed he'll need to find a high impact pass rusher. My guess is that this is going to be the main emphasis in next years draft.


Okay, I'm tired and the thought of spellchecking all of this scares me at the moment so sorry ahead of time if any of this sounds messed up...Fortunately for me, I'm not quite sorry enough to actually go back and fix my potential mistakes.


-StreetWorm

CHIEFGER139 said...

after day one was over-those of us posting on m-live were saying the only 2 quality rb's left were charlas and smith, glad they traded up and got him-if we waited longer would of missed out on the deep runningback group all together-

i think avril was a steal if you look at what numbers he was rated at and where we got him, fluellen was a great pick-needed another 300 pounder to work his way into the mix to give our smaller defensive tackles a rest and depth incase of injuries.

waiting to get a wr in the 5th rd is a step up for millen and seeing that mc donald also is coming back from an injury he had surgury on we have 3 receivers now who were hurt and we dont know how those injuries will effect them.

and i like the big full back they got-may be able to use him right away-i say day2 they hit a homerun!! looks like guys that contribute immediately.

DetroitSims said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
DetroitSims said...

Agree with you 100% DLF1979. Day 2 of the draft looked a lot better than day 1 after watching it, but they did a good job at getting the players they wanted. Besides the WR in the 5th, everybody down the line looks like they could contribute in some way. Coheen, I agree with you guys 100%, he'll be a practice squad guy for a couple of years but, I did watch some video on him and he looks promising. Flullen is definetly a Marenelli guy, He's the double cheeseburger version of the big mac aka big baby. At first I was kinda mad that they let Shaun go but, he couldnt do ANYTHING those last 8 games which was very dissapointing.

All I can say is that is was nice to see a non-sexy draft for once in millens era!!! We filled a lot of holes and made the team better. Good competion at most places where we needed it! Push some of the guys that are on the team to get better before the youngster takes there place. Its gonna be an exciting year to be a lions fan. Not only this year but, for years to come. Marenelli can build off of this draft for next year.

Streetworm,
It kinda worries me to about the smaller defense also, they are gonna fly to the ball and make the hits but, how long can they sustain it!! Some of these might have some durability issues, but like you said Dungy runs a smaller defense and it works for them. I think that Marenelli could do the same here with the right guys in place. He's got some of them right now. Its gonna be a wait till the preseason and see how everything is gonna look and work out.

DetFan1979 said...

How could I have forgotten Felton AKA an improved version of Duckett? He was another of my favorite late round picks -- once I looked up who he was. He's a good blocker, but his real strength is that short-yardage back. I like Jon Bradley as a workhorse FB who can block, create lanes, and lead block like a dumptruck -- but Felton had 63 TD's in college -- and converted something like 90+% of 3rd down runs. This guy knows how to get teh tough yards near the endzone, or to pick up the first downs. I like his addition a lot -- I would like to see them keep 5 or 6 backs on the roster -- Smith-Bell-Bradley-Felton for sure, with Calhoun, Pinner, and Cason fighting for the other spot (or two) depending on who contributes on ST the most. If Calhoun and Cason lose out to Moore or one of the other returners, I don't see either one returning with the backs the Lions have now.

Even moreso than the secondary, it has gone from an empty position, to a solid one.

Anonymous said...

I had a really good feeling on draft day once the round 3 picks were being made and we were filling spots.

The barometer was Owen Schmidtt at the fullback spot. Once he kept sliding, the fullback was wait-and-see.

Fulton was rated higher than Schmidtt, but was a "hybrid"/"tweener" back.

I could care less what he's called, other than "Lion".

-nubs

Anonymous said...

What I like about the second day and the draft as a whole is that the Lions not only went for need but also made an effort to get the players they valued. In previous years, it always seemed that the Lions took the BPA because someone ahead of them took the player they really wanted or it was whom the "experts" said they should pick. AJ Davis comes to mind. The Lions wanted a CB but got stuck behind teams making a run on CBs. They panicked and selected AJ who could not even last to first game. This year it looks like they coveted all their 3rd round picks and made sure they got them. It is nice to see a plan working.
LionsfaninPA

JJLions20 said...

Everybody seems to be agreeing. This Draft wasn't sexy but looks to be very effective. Time will tell. I think we should remember Marenelli changed some things in the preparation for this draft, and maybe we are seeing the evidence. Not only did he spend time with the scouts, sit down and watched film with the scouts so they understood what he was looking for, he also made changes regarding interviewing the college players. Remember, they started the interview process early. They were prepare to talk to these kids at the senior bowl. Is it a surprise that 4 of those first 5 picks were at the senior bowl. Smith was the only exception in the first three rounds. I'm guessing what they saw in Avril and Fuellen at the senior bowl had a lot to do with them picking them in the 3rd round.

As for the last 3 picks, they all look like they can fill a niche, and they all look like they could be special team contributors. You don't need home runs in rounds 5-7. Just try to get a hit, and maybe one will go out of the park.

Lets remember Rookies usually struggle. Cherilous will struggle. He will miss some assignments, but if he lives up to his first round billing, he will be able to get some push on the right side of the line. Dizon will struggle at times two. Remember Bailey could not hack the MLB in the cover-2. Urlacher said he struggled the first couple of years. And neither of them were rookies in the scheme. So Dizon will have his work cut out for him. Smith has the best chance of making the impact. He’ll have to learn quickly on how to block in the backfield or Kitna could get killed. But the kid has vision, and knows how to run in the zone blocking scheme, so I think he will thrive. Avril may show a lash or two, but remember Rod says DE is one of the most difficult positions for a rookie. Not only is Avril a rookie, he didn’t even play a full season as a DE at Purdue. He started a couple of games as an OLB. So lets not set too high of expectations there. Hopefully Fluellen can break into the D-Line rotation and contribute.

I still say if the Lions are to get to .500 or beyond this year, they will need quality of play out of the guys that are in their 3rd year or less to step up. Then need a lot out of the following players: Bullocks, Alexander, Alma-Francis, CJ, Sims, Frank Davis, & Jonathan Scott to take that next step in 08. Calhoun and Cody either need to take that next step or they will be on the street. Hopefully these two guys really worked in the off-season and can turn around a disappointing start of their career.

Anonymous said...

I'm not too worried about the small defense, I think we are going to see a lot of what we saw at the beginning of last year where we were actually leading the league in turnovers. I think we do the same if not more, couple that with less turnovers (hopefully) on the offensive side and we're on our way to 11 wins this year. That's right you heard it here first, 11 wins.

Anonymous said...

Hey guys its lionsclick77, greatness20 and now ryandalion. That jerk Bacterium/myleader/pistol got me and willy kicked out of the other forum today.

Anyway, How are you guys doing over here?

Anonymous said...

dreamweaver,
I see 8 of the 9 players we drafted getting playing time. Cohen was my odd man out too. But you never know

lionsclick/greatness20/ryandalion

GREATNESS20 said...

OK I can now post over here with the big dogs!

I see some are concerned about all the new rookies comming in and making an immediate impact. I feel Kevin Smith will have an immediate impact, Gosder will do his job, Dizon will run the middle linebacker position better than anyone we've seen in years in blue and silver, Flu will get the job done on the D-Line and I'm really excited about Avril.

Anonymous said...

lionclick/greatness20
just like Detfan1979, you forgot about Felton. I was upset when the Lions did not even try to sign Duckett but like Detfan said Felton is the new improved version-Duckett 2.0. I think he will contribute immediately in the short yardage game.
LionfaninPA

GREATNESS20 said...

Your right! I only forgot Felton on accident. He is a beast! I believe he will have a huge impact around the goal line and during short yardage situations.

Anonymous said...

Just a couple of thoughts. While we all might not agree on every draft pick, we probably all agree that this year's draft seems to be the best one as far as filling team needs rounds 1 - 7 in recently memory.

Combining the draft with the changes in the Lions coaching staff along with which free agents the Lions signed prior to the draft, and its easy for me to see that coach Marinelli had a plan to improve the Lions the second the season ended, and he proceeded with that plan aggressively.

I don't think it would be a wise thing to altar that plan any time soon. The Lions are being built into coach Marinelli's team. Locker room problems as well as differing coaching philosophies are being shown the door. The turnover in personnel since coach Marinelli was hired has to be upwards of 60%. Continuity of team chemistry is needed going forward. Another draft like this one next year and we'll be that much further along the road to respectability.

I don't know if the Lions will finish 10 - 6 or 6 - 10 or anywhere in between, but for the good of the team I don't think it would be such a good idea in changing head coaches anytime in the next 3 years. Now, continuity is needed in the coaching ranks rather than change.

Go Lions
5Bakerstreet

CHIEFGER139 said...

hopefully next year we will be coming off our 1st playoff year meaning our team is much better off and we only have 2 or positions on the entire team that need upgrading instead of practically the entire roster except for wr and qb and the kickers we needed help everywhere this year-that shouldnt happen ever again if were truely moving in the right direction.

minker said...

Can you imagine, Felton following Bradley on fourth and one or at the goal line? Now that's a heavy formation that could bulldoze most anyone. He's a load and he's fast through the hole.

I think Moore could turn out to be a great surprise for us, especially watching and learning from our receiving corps. Roy will be putting on a showcase for his talents and you have to believe that Calvin will accept that challenge and be spectacular as well, that combined with Furry's guts to catch over the middle, Moore couldn't have a better group of role models. If McDonald doesn't drastically change his habit of running the wrong way, I can see Moore contending for that fourth receiver spot.

Cohen will help the competition on the D-line and if he's a Marinelli guy, may surprise us as well. I like the idea of rotating the D-line that DetFan'79 posted earier, it's a great way to teach the younger players, evaluate who's getting the job done and keep fresh legs pressing the pocket.

ClusterFox said...

Great Posts over the weekend. It took me all week to catch up. detfan 1979's comment about loseing the 4th rounder next year reminded me of a question I had regarding compensatory picks. Thinking of the guys we lost in free agency, on paper it seems like we should easily be able to recieve picks that are equal to or exceed that 4th rounder. Am I way off base, or does anyone have anymore insight into this subject? Is it completely up to the preformance of these guys in there new homes?

Anonymous said...

Clusterfox, interesting question about compensatory picks and it's something I've been thinking about lately as well since we had so many FA's leave and brought in relatively few.

Here's what I can gather. According to Wikipedia:

the placement of the picks is determined by a proprietary formula based on the player's salary, playing time and postseason honors with his new team, with salary being the primary factor. So, for example, a team that lost a linebacker who signed for $2.5 million per year in free agency might get a sixth-round compensatory pick, while a team that lost a wide receiver who signed for $5 million per year might receive a fourth-round pick.


Here's another explanation from ESPN:

Under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, teams that lose more or better "compensatory" free agents than they acquire in a year are eligible to receive compensatory draft choices. No team can receive more than four. The choices range from the third to the seventh rounds, and they are all positioned at the bottom of the round.

The NFL Management Council determines the number and value of the compensatory picks, and it guards the secrecy of its compensatory formula like Coke guards its secret recipe. This much is known: The NFL formula is based on salary, playing time, postseason awards and the net of free agents lost versus free agents signed.

***

From what I can gather it seems that salary amount is the primary factor involved. Amount of players gained or lost as well as awards with new team seem to be the secondary factors involved. So we'd have to compare the salaries of the players we've lost this offseason with the ones that we've gained. Also, keep in mind that players who were cut do not count (therefore excluding Kalimba Edwards and KJ). If you're really bored you can also attempt to analyze how well the players who resigned will do with their new teams. Hopefully very well because it would help us with compensatory picks (although I'd be pissed if Bailey underperformed all that time and then did something worthwhile for the Broncos).

I'm not gonna go over everything, but here are some of the major names that left our organization and signed with another team:

T.J. Duckett
Boss Bailey
Fernando Bryant
(there were more but none that I can think of stand out right now)

Looking at those names we may do well because Bailey and Duckett signed some fairly big long term contracts with the Broncos and Seahawks respectively. Still, I don't have time research some of the signings we've made like Kelly. But from direct recolection, I don't think we've paid anyone a whole lot so we'll probably be in pretty good shape when it comes to compensatory picks.

If no one else does more research later tonight I may look into it a little bit further.

-StreetWorm

ClusterFox said...

Went digging, didn't find much but found this:

COMPENSATORY DRAFT PICKS: Compensation awarded by the league to teams who lost more UFAs than they signed. Compensation is in the form of extra draft picks added to the end of rounds three through seven. The quantity of picks is equivalent to the difference of UFAs signed to UFAs lost. For example, if a team loses 4 UFAs and signs 1 UFA, they will receive three Compensatory Selections. The value of the picks is determined by the difference of the contracts signed by the players lost and those acquired. The highest possible compensatory pick is the 31st of the third round (91st overall). If a team has signed an equal number or more UFAs than it lost, no "Compensatory Picks" are awarded.

If this is to be trusted, then it sounds like you could actually determine the number(up to 4) we will get, its just the value of them that this mystery formula applies to.

Anonymous said...

"• Defensive end Ikaika Alama-Francis looks stronger entering his second year.

“Oh, yeah,” Marinelli said. “He’s spent a year in the weight room.”

Marinelli said Alama-Francis wasn’t much heavier, though, and hadn’t lost any speed.

“I call it man-strength,” Marinelli said. “He’s starting to fill out a little bit. His quickness is very good. I mean, he’s running extremely well right now.” ***blog from Nick Costonika Free Press.

I guess we need "Man Strength" to 'pound our rocks' and 'claw the walls'.

STREET WORM

AWESOME JOB!

The only thing to add to comp. picks is that I don't feel we will get any.

We had a few go, but we signed a bunch.

CB Kelly, FS Smith, SS Pearson, TE Gaines, DT Darby, LB Fincher, LB Gardner, OG Hulsey.

I think we're better off.

-nubsnobber

DetFan1979 said...

To clarify guys, DetroitSims post that was deleted was just an accidental double post. Appreciate all the great comments on here!!