Be prepared for AJ to fall head-over-heels for Upshaw or Perry (my $$ is on Perry), become convinced that Buffalo at 10 and/or KC at 11 are after them, & trade up. The only thing that could change this is if AJ gets hit by a bus before the draft.
I dunno. I'm feeling more of a year where he gets really liberal with the future picks, realizing that he and Norv are likely gone without positive results - and if that's the case what the hell does he care if his successor has a full compliment of draft picks to work with. We'll trade up in one of the rounds for certain, I'm just not sure whether it'll be the 1st. I'm more feeling the 2nd - at the expense of a future 2nd and possibly another 2012 pick - and probably for some DB that would have been there or close to it at our natural pick - meanwhile when we hear the announcement of the tradeup, we as the fans will be all excited and hopeful because a key OL prospect has fallen to the 2nd for whatever reason only to be ultimately deflated when the pick is made.
If is going to go out and spend money on a pass rusher and SS in FA this year and use our #1 on a different need (OL or DL)
If your to believe Kevin Acee who had a big article that suggested AJ admired Courtney Upshaw in today's UT, then you might have some proof. But it should be noted with the exception of Rivers & Mathews, AJ doesn't have a history of going after people he showed a great amount of attention on.
My prediction has absolutely nothing to do with that tool Acee. Here's an interesting mock that has Kuechly falling to us. I'd be a creamy mess if that happened.
I'd have a hard time believing we'd take Kuechly over Perry in this situation, even assuming Kuechly is the BPA. This would also create quite a log jam at ILB even assuming we get a rotation with Spikes & Mouton going. If he's absolutely BPA and Perry & Upshaw are off the board, then I could see getting him. But even then i'd think long and hard about hitting other needs like DB or OG
True, but last year is a bad benchmark for anything. The draft was held before free agency for the first time in when? And we had how many FA's at varying levels (starter, depth, expendable). Last year was the first year we saw AJ really seeming to value floor over ceiling on players because it seemed like he needed to safeguard around us potentially not being able to re-sign (or him not being willing to pay what it would take to re-sign) some of our own FA's - or other available FA's.
Spikes is old, Mouton completely unproven,what else is there besides Butler? Bird? Gakhar? I wouldn't stake the future on those guys. Kuechly is the type of guy who is basically NFL-ready, fundamentally strong, very savvy, & a hard worker. What's not to like? Perry & Upshaw are both good athletes & football players, but you never know how they'll transition to a 3-4 OLB. That's almost ALWAYS a crap-shoot unless the draft pick is coming from that scheme/position. AJ is highly unlikely to draft a tackle at 18, much less a guard. And his track record at DB is suspect at best. I'd take the guy that I know can play where we want him, especially since at 18 he'd quite likely be the BPA.
More of it is a question of what is available on the boards when we come up. While OLB might be a crap shoot it is also a desperate position of need as of right now. We must have more pass rushers. With four ILBs on the roster, one a solid vet, one an emerging star and two unknowns really, we still are in better shape there then we are at OLB. And as regarding drafting an OL that high, AJ does draft for need. If we need a tackle or guard and the top OLB are off the board, I very well imagine AJ will draft for need more then just BPA. It could be though he thinks we need an ILB and Kuechly would be the selection, but i think an OL is more likely out of need (unless the Gaither/McNeil/Dielman thing gets resolved)
2012 NFL Mock Draft: San Diego Chargers Projected To Pick DE Nick Perry Feb147:44pby Eric Stephen Link The USC Trojans have had 15 first-round picks in the NFL draft over the last 10 years, and the 2012 draft figures to add two more to that list. All-American left tackle Matt Kalil will likely be a top five pick, and he is expected to be joined in the first round by a fellow junior, defensive end Nick Perry. In the latest 2012 NFL mock draft at SB Nation, Perry is projected to be picked 18th by the San Diego Chargers. "San Diego could pursue Mario Williams in free agency. Of course, Williams might prefer to return to the outside in a four-man front," wrote Ryan Van Bibber at SB Nation. "Norv Turner needs help in the pass rush, along with a few other things, in his one last shot at credibility in San Diego." Perry had 9.5 sacks as a junior in 2011, starting all 12 games for the Trojans last year. The defensive end had 21.5 sacks in his three years at USC.
