I'm chomping at the bit for more of this stuff so why not http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft09/insider/columns/story?id=4085612 16. San Diego Chargers (8-8): Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB, Ohio State Top three needs: ROT, RG, SS The running back situation in San Diego is not as good as you might think. LaDainian Tomlinson has dealt with nagging injuries recently Darren Sproles was given the franchise tag during the offseason and Michael Bennett is an aging backup who won't carry much of the load, so this is a good luxury pick for the Chargers. Wells would provide them with a big back who can keep Tomlinson fresh and allow Sproles to remain in a complementary role, and he would also provide some certainty for the future. In defense of this pick, all the tackles go off the board in the top 10. Jackson's gone, Jenkins is gone. Basically its Moreno, Wells, Malauga (who goes at the bottom of the first) and maybe perria jerry if you want him. Frankly i've now heard that Wells has a degenerative condition in his foot so I really am backing away from him. But the cupboard is pretty empty here. 14. (78) San Diego Chargers Duke Robinson G Oklahoma You got beef. I don't know if he could be a right tackle but the guy is the best guard in the draft and an absolute road grader. He and Dielman next to Hardwick would make one hell of an interior line. 13. (113) San Diego Chargers T.J. Lang OT Eastern Michigan More of a developmental prospect, good player and could fit in nicely at RT. At the very least he gives good competition for Clary. At best, with some work with the coaches he could be a very good RT. 33. (133) San Diego Chargers (Compensatory) Jarett Dillard WR Rice 34. (134) San Diego Chargers (Compensatory) Michael Hamlin SS Clemson Don't like either pick. Jarret is very small, doesn't have good speed. He has very good hands but not a whole lot else. Hamlin's a good safety with solid ball skills but he's not much of an intimidator and is really stiff. Probably would've gone Courtney Greene or David Brutton over Hamlin. Don't like picking a WR here. But if you can believe it Ramses Barden falls to the high 6th 12. (148) San Diego Chargers Scott McKillop ILB Pittsburgh AJ type of player but has so little physical skills I don't like him at all. Just don't think he can be an NFL player 6. (189) San Diego Chargers Marlon Favorite NT LSU Decent nose tackle prospect but is only 6'0 and doesn't look to be able to add more then 310lbs. Also not a good athlete or has good instincts but he's a very good run stopper and plugger. 15. (224) San Diego Chargers Deangelo Smith CB Cincinnati At this point it'd be a miracle if he'd make the team
1. RIP would love this pick. I don't. We have bigger needs than RB at 16. Do you really think that Beanie will win us a SB in '09? 2. I like Duke, but he doesn't last through the 2nd round. I'm liking Chip Vaughn at safety for this pick. 3. Lang is OK - I prefer Gerald Cadogan, if he lasts. 4. Like Ant said, good little WR. I go back to defense. ILB Jasper Brinkley 5. No Hamlin here since I chose Vaughn on the 3rd. Why not a RB now? I like James Davis from Clemson. 6. Not a McKillop fan. I take a shot at a NT prospect here, Chris Baker. AJ likes to find the small school guys (Hampton). Baker's had a little off-field trouble. That could drive AJ away. 7. I got my NT prospect with the previous pick. Back to OL - Sebastian Vollmer. He's huge & hasn't been playing football that long. Worth a shot at this point in the draft. 8. Deangelo Smith? If I'm taking a flyer in the 7th, I'll go for better depth than this guy. The homer VT fan in me goes with Orion Martin. Not the flashiest athlete, but he's relentless & has a hard-hat, lunch pail type of work ethic.
I think Todd McShay has been reading my posts and then taking credit for them, because this is basically what I said in a nutshell. At least for today I like Beanie Wells. I believe that had he gone back for his senior year he'd be a top 5-10 pick next year with his only knock as durability.........in short, Adrian Peterson. Buck Melanoma, the question is not wether he can win us a SB this year, its wether he can replace LT someday, and this may be AJ's best shot in the next 3-5yrs at a top 10 caliber runningback without having to trade up. Beanie probably won't get 50 carries this year, but he's only 20yrs old and it'd be nice for him to sit behind LT for a year and learn.
I'll throw a better question out there re: Wells (or Moreno for that matter) Can he and Sproles take enough of a load off that Tomlinson can go into the playoffs semi-rested and healthy? That's the immediate year one question for ANY running back but even more so for a first round running back. And I'll be honest my own opinion, if Maulauga isn't the pick at 16, I am not so sure we need another ILB. I don't like who we get in this draft, I don't have a high opinion of Brinkley or Ellergibe (and I'm a Bulldog homer here) or almost any other ILB in this draft. Though if you want an embarrassing mock, try this one: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/mock-live/round1 We traded down with the Pats to get LB Larry English in the first, and got the Pats' last second rounder to get somebody, they haven't picked for the chargers yet
They probably could, but I can't fathom our FO spending that kind of money on one position. And make no mistake - we need another ILB for depth. Wilhelm is heading outta here (I hope, I hope, I hope!!!!!). At least Brinkley can hit, something Wilhelm will never do.
they got loadholt in the second. i don't think the pats will trade up to get clay matthews. that seems a bit silly. of course, that's coming from a message board that thinks perria jerry can play the charger's zero gap NT.
That draft is a joke! Larry English isn't big enough to play DE in the 3-4. Beanie Wells will not fall to the 2nd round! The Patiots have NO USE for a guy like Pat White. And there is no way Laurenitis goes higher than Maualuga!
