Underclassmen Declaring 2022 Draft

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Cowboysrock55

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Yeah probably shouldn't trade up, but hard to find a quality LT picking at 32.
:)
Yeah it's hard but the NFL has entered of LTs drafted outside the top ten. Plus there are other spots on the Oline I'd consider.
 

Simpleton

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He's legit, probably a top 15 pick, but he's a guy who exemplifies how difficult the Tyron Smith situation is. When he plays he's a Pro Bowl LT, and he's still just 31 and his injuries this year have been really flukey, so do you roll the dice and just straight up cut him if someone like Cross somehow fell to us, without knowing what Cross will actually end up being?

With a guy like Penning he could at least slot in at RT but Cross doesn't really profile as a RT or OG and doesn't have any experience there, so do you force him to move until Smith is done?

There's risk any way you go unless you can find a guy who profiles both as either an RT or OG right now, with LT upside/flexibility for when Smith is truly done.
 

Chocolate Lab

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He's legit, probably a top 15 pick, but he's a guy who exemplifies how difficult the Tyron Smith situation is. When he plays he's a Pro Bowl LT, and he's still just 31 and his injuries this year have been really flukey, so do you roll the dice and just straight up cut him if someone like Cross somehow fell to us, without knowing what Cross will actually end up being?
He's like Witten -- it's the not the years, it's the mileage.

And it's always something now. Even if he gets surgery on the ankle, that back is always going to pop up.

That said. I'm sure the team agrees with your line of thinking and wouldn't draft a LT to cut ties with Smith.
 
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Simpleton

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He's like Witten -- it's the not the years, it's the mileage.

And it's always something now. Even if he gets surgery on the ankle, that back is always going to pop up.

That said. I'm sure the team agrees with your line of thinking and wouldn't draft a LT cut ties with Smith.
Perhaps so, it's just really difficult cutting a 31-32 year old Pro Bowl caliber LT, particularly one on a very reasonable contract.

The best case scenario is that Steele continues to get reps at LT and becomes just as serviceable on the left as he was filling in for Collins on the right, that way we can roll with Smith for a bit longer and have a very cheap fill-in for a few years in Steele. Then when Smith is truly done, presumably in about 3 years, we can either keep Steele at LT or draft one and perhaps replace Collins with Steele at RT.
 

Chocolate Lab

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Perhaps so, it's just really difficult cutting a 31-32 year old Pro Bowl caliber LT, particularly one on a very reasonable contract.

The best case scenario is that Steele continues to get reps at LT and becomes just as serviceable on the left as he was filling in for Collins on the right, that way we can roll with Smith for a bit longer and have a very cheap fill-in for a few years in Steele. Then when Smith is truly done, presumably in about 3 years, we can either keep Steele at LT or draft one and perhaps replace Collins with Steele at RT.
Yeah, the best case is that Smith stays healthy for a while longer, but I don't know how smart that is vs pure hope. But yes, maybe Steele can fill in for the odd game at LT with more reps. I do really like him.

Also, I may die on this hill but I'm still not giving up on Ball. Really hoping they just decided he needed an entire year in the weight room -- he did look kind of skinny for an NFL tackle -- and it's not that he simply can't play.
 

Simpleton

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Yeah, the best case is that Smith stays healthy for a while longer, but I don't know how smart that is vs pure hope. But yes, maybe Steele can fill in for the odd game at LT with more reps. I do really like him.

Also, I may die on this hill but I'm still not giving up on Ball. Really hoping they just decided he needed an entire year in the weight room -- he did look kind of skinny for an NFL tackle -- and it's not that he simply can't play.
Yea, Ball could end up developing into something, who knows?

Steele looked like a CFL caliber player last year and now is a pretty reasonable starting RT at the very least.
 

Simpleton

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Cameron Thomas from San Diego St. declared, could end up being our 1st rounder.
 

Couchcoach

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I think by now hoping that Tyron can stay healthy is falling into Sean Lee syndrome. I'm a huge fan of Tyron but it's time to bring his successor in....now.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I think by now hoping that Tyron can stay healthy is falling into Sean Lee syndrome. I'm a huge fan of Tyron but it's time to bring his successor in....now.
If you're expecting him to play 16 games, just forget about it. So what you have to ask yourself is if he is worth it for 10-14 games a season. I'm cool getting his replacement but odds are even a first round pick won't be as good as Smith. So that's why you have to ask yourself is the cost worth the benefit? Not sure I have the answer.
 

Rev

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If you're expecting him to play 16 games, just forget about it. So what you have to ask yourself is if he is worth it for 10-14 games a season. I'm cool getting his replacement but odds are even a first round pick won't be as good as Smith. So that's why you have to ask yourself is the cost worth the benefit? Not sure I have the answer.
Get him in now for some of the best training. Don't wait until you absolutely have to have one.
 

Simpleton

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Someone like Rashawn Slater who could've started out at LG would've been perfect but that guy isn't always there. It's difficult because are you really going to burn a 1st on a guy who is an OT only and then cut either Smith or Collins?

It's a big risk to take.

Unless someone like Slater who has the versatility to play OG and projects as a potential LT falls to us, I think the best course of action is to keep looking for developmental OT types in the mid-rounds to mitigate the need for a swing tackle for the 4 games or whatever that Tyron misses.

Steele seems like he's becoming serviceable at LT, maybe Ball has something, maybe add another 3rd or 4th there and between all of them maybe one of them can step in as a full-time LT in a few years?

The guy I like in the 1st this year is Zion Johnson, assuming we don't re-sign Connor Williams. I think he'd make a lot of sense in that mid/late-20's range. He might not be a great projection at LT but he has played it, he projects as a really good LG, and you can roll the dice and throw him in that mix with Steele and Ball and see what happens.
 

Couchcoach

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Watching the Sun Bowl with Washington State v Central Michigan. CM's Lew Nichols looks good out there. Doesn't have breakaway speed, but he's quick and powerful. 5'10" 220 lb'er, really impressive
 

Cotton

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