Now that free agency has sufficiently concluded, it's time to go heavy into the draft. Following up our first mock draft from about a month ago, we've had some shakeups in the top 10 and bloom is coming off some of the quarterbacks, who will get taken anyway. And while we provide another option for the Patriots at 23 who reminds us of a former first-round pick of theirs, we ended up in the same place.
_____________________
But I again came back to Epenesa because I just think he's more pro-ready and the Patriots need a stronger edge player than Chase Winovich showed as a rookie.
24. Saints:
Jordan Love, QB, Utah State
___________________________
NICKEL PACKAGE
Five things on our mind.
1. Kudos to the Krafts for stepping up when the state and the nation needed help with the masks and supplies in China. They get a bad rap at times (hey, it comes with being a billion-dollar owner), but Robert and Jonathan are always quick to assist when anyone asks for help. This is just another example.
2. It's too bad that Rex Ryan (again) stuck his foot in his mouth with the turd comment (which is a term used a lot by football people to cut to the chase about a player who could affect others negatively), because his overall point was accurate on Amari Cooper: “This is the biggest disappearing act in the National Football League. He doesn’t show up on the road, he doesn’t show up against when the competition is good — when he’s up against the top corners, that guy disappears. To me, you pay Dak Prescott. Forget all those numbers. They’re No. 1 in the league because of Dak Prescott, not because of this guy. It’s a deep draft at receiver. They made a huge mistake right here.”
3. People love to bash him — and he deserves it for some of the timing on his decisions as GM, and the return in the trade — but Bill O'Brien made a lot of sense when he talked about the DeAndre Hopkins trade — not that anyone will listen. "I would say the deal with Arizona was a deal that we felt was in the best interest of our team," O'Brien said on a conference call for Texans season-ticket holders. "DeAndre Hopkins was a great football player here. He made so many plays for us. We love DeAndre Hopkins. But he had three years left on his deal and he wanted a raise. And we weren't going to be able to go in that direction. We felt like we had a great offer from Arizona that involved picks. That involved an excellent three-down running back who is hungry and humble and just can't wait to get started. David Johnson is going to be a great addition to our football team. ... There's a lot of things that go into trades. Lot of thoughts that go in. How much are you going to take on contractually? How much does it take to buy that second-round pick, that No. 40 pick? What type of player are you bringing in? What type of player are you losing and what is in the best interest of the team?"
4. Good to see Dion Lewis land in a spot where he'll get time with the Giants: “It was a perfect and a unique opportunity,’’ Lewis told reporters on a conference call. “There were a lot of factors. Joe Judge being there, me having a relationship with him with my three years in New England. Also I grew up a Giants fan so it was always a dream of mine to play for them so when I got the opportunity in these circumstances I couldn’t pass it up. I’m looking forward to working with coach Joe Judge, playing for my hometown team and getting to work with Saquon as well.’’
5. Please stay inside. I try not to get into real-life stuff because we're supposed to be a diversion, but the sooner we get past this, the sooner the games can come back and we can get on with our lives.