First, it seems I did fairly well by tagging 3 out of ten draft possibilities (“10,000 Phin Dollars to Top Finheaven Draft Guruâ€Â), getting Ginn, Beck and Satele.
In accepting my 3,000 phin dollars (“thank you, thank youâ€Â) I want to give credit to Boomer for hitting so hard on Ginn (based on the relationship factor etc.). It certainly makes sense to draft in a direction where you’ve got a connection and inside information to base your decision on. This made Ginn an easy bet to make. IMO the upside with this kid is exciting as hell, contingent on his further development as a WR. But one thing for sure, he adds the “X factor†when he’s on the field!
Beck was another easy bet because he fits the profile Cam and RM have for a QB. The more I see of this kid the more I like. He’s tough, intelligent, well schooled, very accurate, and has a great attitude/leadership skills. Furthermore, I believe his maturity is a BONUS, not a detriment.
Satele was another safe choice because he’s also in the “connection network,†and may be the best C in the draft. I hope he’s given the chance at C right away because I’ve been saying all along we need to move Rex back to G. Whatever happens, we added some nice talent to the OL.
As far as Ginn, I was against picking him before the draft, but I’ve subsequently changed my perspective because of what Ginn may be able to do for our running game! Here’s the deal --- if Cam can find a way to get Ginn into the offensive mix (via routes that exploit his speed/quickness and his “take-it-to-the-house†potential on any play with the ball in his hands via screens, reverses etc.) it will force opposing defenses to account for this kid big-time. This can free things up for our offense and help dictate via sets etc. match-ups we can exploit with our “power game,†aka Ronnie Brown. Of course this assumes Ginn is actually on the field and has proven to opposing teams he MUST be accounted for as a receiving AND running threat. In other words Ginn’s value could be (???) the BALANCE potential he brings to Cams system. Bottom line, after watching the highlights on this kid, he has the potential to be used in a wide variety of ways on this team, and I’m counting on Cams creativity to maximize his talent and impact.
Lorenzo Booker: This is one I should have seen coming. IMO an excellent change of pace to Ronnie, and a guy with serious talent that never was utilized/maximized in college.
Paul Soliai: Excellnet 4th round pick! This guy is MASSIVE and pretty athletic for such a big human being. Looks like this ends Manny’s saga in Miami…
Reagan Mauia: Wow, this guy looks like a wrecking machine lead blocker (one of my draft wishes)! This dude is a real POWERFUL player who will punish anyone in the way! Exactly what the doctor ordered for leading Ronnie to the promised land.
Drew Mormino, Kelvin Smith, Brandon Fields and Abraham Wright: I believe all of these guys have a legitimate shot to make our roster. Probably 2 or 3 will stick (development roster included), so I think we got serious value all the way through the draft.
My grade = B+ with serious A+ potential. In fact, I really believe (all things considered) this draft could prove to be among our best! Regardless, I feel Cam and Randy put together an excellent plan, stuck to it, and laid the foundation for some serious talent infusion.
Time will tell…
In accepting my 3,000 phin dollars (“thank you, thank youâ€Â) I want to give credit to Boomer for hitting so hard on Ginn (based on the relationship factor etc.). It certainly makes sense to draft in a direction where you’ve got a connection and inside information to base your decision on. This made Ginn an easy bet to make. IMO the upside with this kid is exciting as hell, contingent on his further development as a WR. But one thing for sure, he adds the “X factor†when he’s on the field!
Beck was another easy bet because he fits the profile Cam and RM have for a QB. The more I see of this kid the more I like. He’s tough, intelligent, well schooled, very accurate, and has a great attitude/leadership skills. Furthermore, I believe his maturity is a BONUS, not a detriment.
Satele was another safe choice because he’s also in the “connection network,†and may be the best C in the draft. I hope he’s given the chance at C right away because I’ve been saying all along we need to move Rex back to G. Whatever happens, we added some nice talent to the OL.
As far as Ginn, I was against picking him before the draft, but I’ve subsequently changed my perspective because of what Ginn may be able to do for our running game! Here’s the deal --- if Cam can find a way to get Ginn into the offensive mix (via routes that exploit his speed/quickness and his “take-it-to-the-house†potential on any play with the ball in his hands via screens, reverses etc.) it will force opposing defenses to account for this kid big-time. This can free things up for our offense and help dictate via sets etc. match-ups we can exploit with our “power game,†aka Ronnie Brown. Of course this assumes Ginn is actually on the field and has proven to opposing teams he MUST be accounted for as a receiving AND running threat. In other words Ginn’s value could be (???) the BALANCE potential he brings to Cams system. Bottom line, after watching the highlights on this kid, he has the potential to be used in a wide variety of ways on this team, and I’m counting on Cams creativity to maximize his talent and impact.
Lorenzo Booker: This is one I should have seen coming. IMO an excellent change of pace to Ronnie, and a guy with serious talent that never was utilized/maximized in college.
Paul Soliai: Excellnet 4th round pick! This guy is MASSIVE and pretty athletic for such a big human being. Looks like this ends Manny’s saga in Miami…
Reagan Mauia: Wow, this guy looks like a wrecking machine lead blocker (one of my draft wishes)! This dude is a real POWERFUL player who will punish anyone in the way! Exactly what the doctor ordered for leading Ronnie to the promised land.
Drew Mormino, Kelvin Smith, Brandon Fields and Abraham Wright: I believe all of these guys have a legitimate shot to make our roster. Probably 2 or 3 will stick (development roster included), so I think we got serious value all the way through the draft.
My grade = B+ with serious A+ potential. In fact, I really believe (all things considered) this draft could prove to be among our best! Regardless, I feel Cam and Randy put together an excellent plan, stuck to it, and laid the foundation for some serious talent infusion.
Time will tell…
