Who would you rather? Running Back Edition

On top of which, Stinchcomb can play LT, if need be. Too many unknown variables there, with Bushrod and Strief still unsigned. I’m fine with Carimi, also.

Sure you can slide the better guy over the guard, and the more space-eater over the center, but why do that if you can instead pick someone who is the much better fit to improve your team that much more at a different position?

If he “improved your team that much more at a different position”, then he would be the BPA on your board, not ranked behind the guy you’re considering taking. In the case of DT, if you think he’s better than Ellis AND the other DT, then you would be foolish to take the other DT. The left-right assignment is relative to the fortes of two best overall DTs on your roster. Same thing goes for Will and Sam OLBs. There’s no way in hell I’m bypassing the potential best of the three (Ellis included), just because he’s not suited to play the position opposite where the 2nd best (Ellis) currently plays, as the 3rd best. If I do that, I’m selling myself short. I now have B+C instead of B+A, assuming overall talent is represented alphabetically. B+C/C+B is NEVER going to be better than BOTH B+A/A+B. If it was, C would be > A. That’s like saying Ellis and Haynesworth would be a bad combination, because both are 3 techs. That’s bullsh**. The only reason they’re both 3 techs is because they’re both the best penetrating DTs on their respective rosters. In a 4-3, you obtain the two best DTs possible, THEN you sort it out. NOT vice versa. And Ellis obviously CANNOT be counted on to give you 5+ sacks per year, if he’s only done it once in three. Maybe he can, when lined up next to a guy like Liuget or Wilkerson. Or vice versa. Again, we’re talking about putting a premium on a first round space-eater when we have no linebackers to fill those holes, outside of Vilma!

On that side of the coin …

However, one guy can predicate the switch. You can’t just say, hey pick up Houston if he’s there and we can switch to a 3-4…as most of the rest of our personnel doesn’t fit.

I’ll assume you meant “can’t predicate”. When you’re talking about a 1st round talent on a team practically void of edge talent, one guy most certainly CAN predicate the switch. That’s the type of impact player you’re SUPPOSED to base your scheme upon. Most of the rest of our personnel … like who? Will Smith has played in the 3-4 under Haslett. Remi Ayodele has in Dallas. Scott Shanle isn’t even under contract, but he has also in Dallas and here. Vilma has with the Jets. Alex Brown hasn’t, but he’s not effective in the 4-3 either, so what does it matter? They’re just a bunch of so-so players that we’re looking to improve on anyway. On top of which, Gregg Williams isn’t going to be here long term. What I’m saying is, there’s a good chance the guy you draft at 24 is going to represent your best overall defensive player regardless, so why not just take the BPA and go from there? The rest will either fall into place and improve as a group, or we’ll continue to be mediocre in that area, until more difference makers can be acquired.

In short, outside of non-elite DBs, DT is the last defensive position I’m looking to address in the first round. That said, if push comes to shove and that’s the position we’re deadset on taking, give me the best overall DT, regardless of what his forte is. Same goes for OLB, only much higher up the list of wants … albeit moot, as the odds of the BPA actually being an OLB at 24 aren’t even worth discussing.

I just think a first round pick should be spent on a position that frankly has the potential to change a game. I don’t see that at guard or center but almost any other position applies. I agree with a BPA approach for the most part, but i temper that with some level of need.

A good running game can change a game and interior OL is crucial to that transpiring. Not as much as OTs and RBs, obviously. But we are talking hypothetical BPA, are we not? I get what you’re saying, but I definitely don’t view Gs and Cs in the same light as Ps and Ks. They’re not inherently off limits, just rare that they’d be considered that good coming out. Same goes for FBs. I’d have no problem drafting a FB in the 1st round, if he was being touted as the next Larry Centers and no one else graded out better.

Agreed, just not for the sake of taking a lesser overall player. Patrick Peterson is great in the return game, btw. Not that we have a snowball’s chance in Hell of landing him. He’d also likely start over either of our CBs, so the risk would probably outweigh the potential reward, a la Tracy Porter.