thebandit27

Absolutely; highest upside by a good margin IMO--the type of guy that you spend a high draft pick on without hesitation because of what he can become.

Except that better-bang-for-the-buck wasn't the original point; the original point, again, was that another poster said Gaines was a better player. It's clear to me that we're on far different thought paths on this issue.

You would think that a player that's valued in the market would be able to snare a contract of reasonable value with a decent team, no? Not the case for Gaines, who had to wait 2 weeks on the open market before getting a backup contract from a bottom-feeder. As for relative value, if that's what the original poster meant, then it's still a silly supposition. Your last sentence is bordering absurdity. Buffalo decided not to pick up his option, and then traded him to a team that had 3 top-tier UFAs hitting the market in the same year and still needs to get a contract done with the reigning DPOY...and so Watkins (and Trumaine Johnson) hit the market. He got a 3-year contract like many other UFAs because the existing CBA expires after the 2020 season, and there are financial implications to a new CBA that can't be predicted at this point. I want to believe that you have a relevant argument to keep advancing here, but I'm just not seeing it. Maybe it's just me.

His real issue isn't upper body strength, it's core/functional strength (FWIW, he was 3rd amongst LBs in the bench at the 2017 combine).. If he can add some bulk to his lower body and develop better leverage when taking on blockers he'll be better against the run.

Good thing I didn't say that then, huh? Another poster said that Gaines was a better player than Watkins. I simply pointed out that the open market shows that Watkins was worth 4x as much as Gaines. If Gaines was viewed by anyone as a better player than Watkins, he'd have gotten more than medial backup CB money from the worst team in football.

Smoked wings are excellent as well, but I need to be in the mood for them. The fry-and-grill method is nearly fool proof. You get a nice saucey wing that still has the crispiness on the outside. That method is the reason that Elmo's and Caputi's are my two favorite wing joints in WNY.

Ever try the fry and grill method? That's my personal favorite.

Actually, the open market is the de facto determiner of value. Period. And draft status has zero effect on it. RG3 was the #2 overall pick to a team that traded 3 years worth of 1st round picks (and change) in order to draft him, while Kirk Cousins was a 4th round pick. Both were on the open market this year. One guy got a 3-year, $91M contract that was fully guaranteed; the other guy signed for the league minimum to be a 3rd stringer. Whatever point you were trying to make in your initial response to me was unclear to begin with, but it's even less so now. If your point is that you believe Watkins was overpaid, then just say so...I think he got a bit more than I was expecting (I figured it'd be $13M-$14M), but the fact remains that he still has significantly greater value than EJ Gaines, which was the original point.

I have no idea if you're attempting make a point here

How is that relevant to which guy is the better player?

Please tell me that you're purposefully obfuscating here One guy signed immediately for huge money with a contender, while another took a while to sign for backup money with a bottom feeder Surely you can see the point I have no idea, but it's hardly the only place that reported Dallas' hot pursuit of Watkins. Ian Rappaport also said that they made a big push and that money wasn't the difference

Gaines has indeed missed more time than Watkins, but the difference in their compensation is $12M per year. Quite simply: one player was paid among the elite at his position and the other got backup money from the worst team in the game. Not sure I buy that he had more value to Andy Reid thing either considering that the Cowboys were reported to have a competitive offer on the table and Sammy chose KC instead: https://clutchpoints.com/cowboys-rumors-dallas-made-strong-attempt-sign-sammy-watkins/ I don't know that many folks really felt that way, though you're right that some said that.

Weird how Gaines is this world-beating CB and Sammy is easily replaceable, yet when both players hit the open market, Sammy broke the bank with a monster contract that made him the 4th highest paid WR in the NFL on a playoff team and Gaines got backup CB money from the worst team in NFL history.

I had Roquan ahead of him--he was 8th on my board and Edmunds was 10th. Edmunds, however, had the highest "potential" grade of any player in this class on my board.

Not sure...if I had to guess, I would say that it was a mixture of positional value taking precedence (vis a vis 4 QBs going in the top 10) and teams not being excited about drafting a 19-year old kid.

I think you'll see him deployed as an EDGE guy at least some of the time as a rookie; he was a very effective in generating pressure both as a straight EDGE rusher and as a blitzer at Va Tech. I think the reason that MLB is seen as his most valuable position is that it allows him to contribute in every possible way. Run D, pass rusher, blitzer, zone defender, QB spy, man coverage, etc. The fact that the defensive communication would be funneled through him is a huge factor as well. Like I said though: put him anywhere and everywhere.

It's entirely possible that he'll end up in the 260+ range. I think his versatility is what makes him so special. You can move him around and do whatever you like positionally. The most important thing will be how quickly he can learn the game and how to cut down steps on the field so that he can play in every situation.

The issue is that most teams can find themselves a 2-down 'backer that can adequately thump against the run in the mid to late rounds or late in FA. As for Edmunds, he's a different discussion IMO. With him, you're talking about a guy that has the potential to be a perennial all-pro and a big-time impact defender in every phase of the defense (run stopping, pass rushing, coverage, communication, etc.).

The correct answer is both

Irfaan Gaffar‏Verified account @sportsnetirf 1m1 minute ago More #Canucks announce they have re-signed Markus Granlund. One-year $1.475 million.

Obviously there's a whole college season left to unfold, and you know as well as anyone how much can change, but I can tell you that I've never seen a DL class with even close to this level of talent. The Clemson 4, Oliver, Bosa, Jaylon Ferguson, and even Rashan Gary are guys that could easily be top-15 picks most years. Also, where the heck is Julian Love in this mock?

In 2017, Ragland had 44 total tackles (31 solo) and 4 TFLs in 10 starts with no sacks, turnovers forced, or passes defensed. I wouldn't call that a solid season, let alone a "very solid" one. Take it a step further and consider that he had 8 solo tackles and 3 TFLs in one game against Buffalo, and another 8 solo tackles and 1 TFL the following week against the Giants, and you're talking about a guy that basically had 2 good back-to-back games in the middle of a season full of nondescript play. EDIT: I should note that I don't say that to knock Rags; a guy his size coming off of an ACL tear has a long way to go. I simply mean to point out that his 2017 campaign didn't exactly make Beane look foolish.

They would have to find a trade partner, because that's the only way they save money against the cap. If they cut him, they actually take an additional $3.2M cap hit this year, whereas a trade will save them $1.3M

Well, if we're going to give credit to Dungy for TB's Super Bowl appearance, we should probably be consistent and give Gruden credit for the Raiders making the very same Super Bowl since he coached them the previous season

Probably Marrone after the team went 9-7 in 2014