I can finally say that this is a tough choice because we have several from which to choose! For me, the contenders are: DE William Hayes, SS/FS TJ McDonald, OL Isaac Asiata, LB Raekwon McMillan. Those are all great additions! Ultimately, I'm going to say Raekwon McMillan, here's why.
DE William Hayes: We got him for a song, real steal of an acquisition. He has as many sacks as Branch, comes in much cheaper salary-wise and cost almost nothing to acquire. He is a stud run defender, and we need it! So there are minor cons in that he has a Channing Crowder-esque personality, saying completely stupid things that make you wonder if he really means it or not .. but at the end of the day he's a good citizen, fine in the locker room, and not a liability on or off the field, so we can live with the personality quirks. The only major con is that he's older, so he's a great addition for a few years. After that, father time will catch up to him I suspect.
SS/FS TJ McDonald: We paid peanuts for a fantastic player. Sure, he is a major risk off the field, with major problems with the league's substance abuse process, and South Beach is not lacking for temptation. But this is a low-risk signing ... all we'll really lose is bad publicity. This guy is an excellent SS, who in our scheme might be able to do a very good job at combo safety even though he's not really a FS. He's not available until the 2nd half of the season, but let's be real ... we'll be happy if either Reshad Jones or Nate Allen is healthy, so I'm not worried about what happens if all 3 are healthy (obviously it means Nate Allen sits!), so we'll be extremely excited no matter what the system if we get the player we think we get when he eventually does take the field. But, lots of cons for this pick up.
OG Isaac Asiata: Absolute steal to get one of the top 3 or 4 guards in the 5th round who fits our system perfectly. He provides the power we lack, but has the quick feet our scouts prioritize. He should be an instant-starter and a mainstay for years. If he had longer arms, was taller and faster he wouldn't be playing guard, nor would he have been available in the 5th round. In fact, he's really a 3rd round prospect in my book, but because he's a couple years older than many prospects, scouts got scared off. I'm super-happy we got him, and think he is an absolute steal. We've had a few years of good guard play here and there with guys like Smiley or Incognito, but neither was the answer long term. By and large our guards have been the worst of a bad team for many years. I haven't been this excited about a guard since we had Keith Sims.
LB Raekwon McMillan: Honestly, this is probably the lowest priority position on this list for me. And one of the primary characteristics needed today form a Mike is pass coverage ... and that's not currently a strong suit for McMillan. But he's my favorite new addition, because this kid is a natural leader, instinctive LB, has good range, size and speed. He is a sure tackler and doesn't take bad steps. He diagnoses quickly, coordinates the defense, leads vocally and by example, shows durability, puts football first, studies hard, is a gym rat, and puts together great physical ability with great mental ability and attitude in a very very young package. He has a high ceiling and is one of those guys I'm nearly certain will come close to reaching his ceiling. This kid can be a stud Pro-Bowler for 10+ years as our QB for the defense ... and that is really a comforting thought. While he may not be a good coverage LB now, I do think that he's the type to grind at it until he becomes a solid coverage LB. This guy is the real deal. I'm a big fan of Bobby Wagner in Seattle, and I was singing his praises when he came into the league. But honestly, I'm higher on Raekwon McMillan than I ever was for Wagner ... yeah, I think Raekwon is that special.
