not happening at 12. this is either a smoke screen for a possible trade down to a team that really wants Iupati, or our due dilligance in case we trade down to the late teens/early 20s and he's the best guy on the board.

personally, I could live with drafting him in the first, but only as part of a trade down where we got at least an additional second.

however, drafting him is pure luxury, given our much bigger needs on D and WR, the fact we've got a few good guards on the team already, and the fact that we apparently getting rid of smiley when we don't have to.

how is it a luxery?? Donald Thomas sucks and we are getting rid of Smiley. Incognito also has issues so banking on him for 16 games is risky

Im not saying i agree with drafting him, but you can't call it a luxery anymore

Personally I think we have a bigger need at Center than at guard.

Kind of stupid really. Smiley started 12 games in 08 and 12 games in 09. We signed him after coming off an 8 game season and knew he had injury concerns but yet that is the reason we are getting rid of him.

Same story for Grove and the injury history. He only started 10 games last year and is already on pace to miss more games than Smiley so he could be on the trading block next year as well.

Steve Hutchinson was one of the first guards in a long time to get picked high in round one and he went @ #17 but Iupati at 12 is ridiculous.

Man, is this staff stubborn! They just have to prove that a dominant running game is the way to win in the NFL while ignoring the passing game. Why even go after a strong armed QB if you are not going to give him some weapons?

We have passed or missed on way too many WR's in the past couple of years. Taking Turner over Louis Murphy is the one that really gets me.

.....................................................................................
“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

I find it ridiculously short sighted and not very saavy the manner in which Sparano and the coaching staff gets down on a player, and then shoots our foot off with public show of it ... resulting repeatedly in devaluing the player's trade value.

We demonstrate the poker playing skills of a bafoon. This seems in stark contrast to Bill parcells and I frankly don't get it.

Perhaps iot is just Sparano's frank and honest self coming thru, but not very effective for a head coach.

MikeO, it's a luxury in the sense that we have gaping holes at other positions with only horrible players to plug in currently, while at least at OG we have decent and possibly good players currently on the roster. Not saying we couldn't use better play out of the RG spot, but to use #12 on it at the expense of higher rated players at positions of great need, makes no sense

Phinjim Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I find it ridiculously short sighted and not very
> saavy the manner in which Sparano and the coaching
> staff gets down on a player, and then shoots our
> foot off with public show of it ... resulting
> repeatedly in devaluing the player's trade value.
>
> We demonstrate the poker playing skills of a
> bafoon. This seems in stark contrast to Bill
> parcells and I frankly don't get it.
>
> Perhaps iot is just Sparano's frank and honest
> self coming thru, but not very effective for a
> head coach.


--agree 100%. we got nothing for Roth when we could have kept him thru the season and either given him a low RFA tender or traded him (something better than nothing), or even kept him and given him a chance to redeem himself (the way he played for Clev he'd been our #1 LB going into camp by a mile).
and now this mess with Smiley--yes he is injury prone, but not hurt right now--to announce he defintley won't be on the team next year because of his propensity to get hurt--well who will give us anything of value for him now? stooopid

berkeley223 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MikeO, it's a luxury in the sense that we have
> gaping holes at other positions with only horrible
> players to plug in currently, while at least at OG
> we have decent and possibly good players currently
> on the roster. Not saying we couldn't use better
> play out of the RG spot, but to use #12 on it at
> the expense of higher rated players at positions
> of great need, makes no sense


I don't totally disagree. But if they have him rated as the "best player available at #12".....and if they view this guy as a player with a future of being a 10 time pro bowler type player....thats tough to pass up.

I wouldn't love the pick. But if they are that much in love with the guy I wouldn't go crazy if they took him either

You don't draft an OG in the first round. PERIOD!

well someone is taking this guy in Rd 1!!!

IDIOTic

Doen't look like anyone is breaking an arm in reaching out to assume Smiley's remaining contract.

This may mean we over paid, or that Sparano is on the outs with him or that they really like Cognito.

Bottom line ... we probably need to keep a little depth. Hope they haven't ruined his attitude, with all the shoppinng him talk.

I'd love to think that the FO was smart enough to "act like" they wanted to shop him to get other teams to not make offers ... but history does not show that level of poker playing in FIN City.
- A stretch of a strategy anyway, as you could ruin morale and possibly lose a good man

My read is another personnel gaffe for which I hope they talk with him and make amends. We have roster enough holes without opening more.

MikeO Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> well someone is taking this guy in Rd 1!!!


Whoever does is wasting their pick. Paying an OG a 1st round salary is ludicrous. How good can you be at OG to deserve a huge payout? If the Center and OT suck, it doesn't matter how good you play.

We will be able to run the ball on anyone and eat up the clock and then give up 27 points in 15 minutes on defense. nice.

.....................................................................................
“I'm here" You're welcome!" - Kenny Powers

eesti Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We will be able to run the ball on anyone and eat
> up the clock and then give up 27 points in 15
> minutes on defense. nice.


Every game will look like the Colts Monday Night game last year. Hold the ball for 45 min and still lose cause our defense gives up points on like 1 or 2 plays