Duane Brown/Sam Baker

A player creeping up a lot of draft boards at this point in time is Virgnia Tech's OT Duane Brown. So much so that he looks to be being considered as high as Atlanta's first second round pick in some mock drafts.

I recognise that some posters have expressed dissinterest in USC's Sam Baker, after questionable workouts and what looks to falling stock. It makes me wonder...Who Ya Got?

Is anyone here high enough on Brown and low enough on Baker to take him at number 33? Better value can probably be found at WR, with a player like Hardy, but it's concievable we can pick up better value at WR in round 3 than we can in round 2, with players like Avery and Lavelle Hawkins projected to be available.

Baker is a very good player, but I have followed VA Tech and I would rather get Brown.

Brown could be an option, yes. I think he's solidified a second-round spot and could still be on the rise. He'd benefit by being able to come here and learn the position behind Pace without having to make an immediate impact.

some have had Brown as a long shot upset pick to the Texans as a perfect fit in the ZBS. I'd take him as a second option depending on WR's available

Both guys are from zone blocking teams. Either player would be great for Atlanta, since Atlanta runs the zone blocking scheme. Were probably better off with Anthony Collins from Kansas or Carl Nicks from Nebraska. Anthony Collins is very versatile able to play all positions along the line. Nicks is a massive monster who is suprisingly light on his feet.

I'm fairly high on the prospect of selecting Brown, and having him learn the nuances of the LT position behind Pace, as Nick has suggested. I can't pput my finger on what exactly it is about him, but he just seems like a quality player. For whatever reason, I don't love Sam Baker, despite his success at USC.

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Originally Posted by starfoxx

Both guys are from zone blocking teams. Either player would be great for Atlanta, since Atlanta runs the zone blocking scheme. Were probably better off with Anthony Collins from Kansas or Carl Nicks from Nebraska. Anthony Collins is very versatile able to play all positions along the line. Nicks is a massive monster who is suprisingly light on his feet.

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I agree. Guys coming from zone-blocking schemes in college (or FAs from Denver, Houston, Atlanta, etc.) scare me and I didn't know both of them played in one. I imagine it's a little harder to evaluate how their talent will translate into a more straight-forward, power blocking scheme like the Rams run.

On top of that, I'd rather we draft a right tackle type - a mauler like Carl Nicks or Collins. I don't agree with the notion that we need to draft a LT-type to replace Pace. Alex Barron is built like a natural left tackle - he's more of a finesse blocker with a leaner body and huge wingspan. Yes, making the transition could be a step backward in his "progress" (I use that term lightly), but I don't think it'd be as difficult as his rookie-year switch from LT to RT. Not to mention that even then, he pretty much started from day one.

:l

-jake-

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Originally Posted by EDM

a mauler like Carl Nicks

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EDM, I'm a big Nicks fan (Carl, not Stevie), but the proverbial "character issues" scares me. You're a Husker, how scared should an NFL team be by his "issues"?

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Originally Posted by HUbison

EDM, I'm a big Nicks fan (Carl, not Stevie), but the proverbial "character issues" scares me. You're a Husker, how scared should an NFL team be by his "issues"?

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Here's a report of what happened...

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Two current Nebraska football players and two former players with NFL Draft hopes got in trouble when police busted a party they were at Saturday night. Police say they ticketed Maurice Purify, 22, Carl Nicks, 22, Ben Martin, 19, and Mike V. Smith, 19, after they were called to 3124 Mickaela Lane in northwest Lincoln just before midnight Sunday about a loud party. Officer Katie Flood said police arrived to find the music could be heard from the sidewalk and more than 75 people inside. Empty beer cans littered the home. Flood said police cited 10 partygoers who remained after officers told everyone to leave, including the four. Smith was accused of maintaining a disorderly house, and Purify and Martin of being inmates of a disorderly house. Police arrested Nicks on suspicion of being an inmate of a disorderly house and failure to disperse after he wouldn’t leave. He since has been released.

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You can be the judge of it, but that sounds like a pretty harmless incident to me. These types of parties go on every single weekend here all over this college town... believe me, in Lincoln there isn't much else to do for recreation. A sad excuse but true. Downtown is littered with nothing but bars, restaurants, and college kids.

I'm not defending this behavior, in fact I've never been a bar hopper (can't stand the bar scene) and have given up drinking except for on special occasions. But to call a guy's character into question because he was caught "staying at" a party seems kind of weak to me. It never said he resisted and we don't know the details... but for instance, when my friends and I threw a party that was broken up (we didn't want so many people there anyway, sometimes it just "happens"), there was a group of about 10 closer friends that stayed hidden upstairs until the coppers left. I'm sure if they were eager enough to bust someone they could've stuck around, searched the house and charged those 10 friends with the same thing.

So to be frank, and without getting too political (or bringing up the possible racial side to this story), the youngsters here have nothing better to do and neither do the cops. It's not a good excuse at all and it was poor judgement on his part, but I don't believe Nicks is a repeat offender. Maurice Purify was, which is too bad, because I had hope for him as a late-round gem at WR.

I don't know all the details of this incident or have any inside information, but that's my opinion.

:l

-jake-

Nicks was drinking and he is over 21 I think its unfair to call him a character issue becuase of that. College kid drinking ooooooooooooh noooooooooooooooo say it ain't so

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Here's a report of what happened...

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Yea, that doesn't sound all that bad. As long as this appears to be isolated, I wouldn't mind seeing him in horns.

I wouldn't mind Nicks, either. He strikes me as a player with a lot of upside since he only converted from defensive tackle to offensive tackle a couple years ago and is already pretty good at the position. His difficulty maintaining academic eligibility is another small concern, though.

Brown is similar in that he made the transition to tackle only after he got into college, but I would be concerned about whether he is a fit for the system we're running. I'm sure the coaches could make that call.

I think its more like Brown vs. Nicks. Heres the thing Nicks is the mauler who is more of Linny's type of guy and Brown is more finesse suited for a pass happy offense. They are pretty much have opposite playing styles, but both may be able to play LT. Brown pass blocks better Nicks run blocks better and both are good in the opposite department that they are good at, but raw. In this run centered offense I think we would go Nicks.