Jerod Mayo?

I think we have more pressing needs than LB, but Fletcher is 33, Washington is 30, Rocky is coming off a major knee injury and supposedly has a degenerative knee condition in both knees, Godfrey is old and hasn't re-signed, and Blades isn't even a lock to make the roster. In other words, our LB corps is not exactly rock solid. In fact, our LB corps is riddled with question marks.

To my opinion we are pretty much set in linebacker corps, however we could get one in day two, and I don't really think that Mayo or Bell will be available. You get one to get depth (I like Wheeler from G-Tech, you still find him in 4th or 5th round), but you go another year with Fletcher, Rocky and Marcus, then next year you pick one on Day 1. There's no urgency in 2008 for LB's.

Yes to Mayo. I think we'll draft a LB or two in the 3rd or lower rounds

Some mock drafts have him going in the 1st round so there's no chance we'll be able to aquire him, unless we get him in the first which in my opinion would be a waste of the pick..

My only issue with picking Mayo so early is that, starting LB's in the NFL are almost a dime a dozen. More importantly, there are diamonds in the rough to be had for sure. Whether its in later rounds or FA market signing or even in off of a practice squad. If need be we can find a LB or two at any given time (case in point Godfrey)

Also LB's tend to be system guys (more so than any other defensive position) so a great guy for our current 4-3 system could be ineffective in a 3-4 role (or for zone vs gap responsiblities, or rush vs pass, etc etc). Who's to say we don't get a new defensive coordinator in a year or two who implements a totally different system which Mayo might not fit into (a la Lavar). Vesting such a high pick in a guy who isn't absolutely necessary to improve our defense would be foolish IMO.

Considering the risk-reward tradeoff as well as the overall pool of starting LBs, I think it would be a stretch to pick up any LB in the 1st round. There will be CB's, D-linemen, O-linemen, and WR's available of comparable talent levels.

If we were to pick someone like Mayo or Connor in the first round to me that would throw up a bunch of red flags that that pick isn't for us. That in, let's say June, that pick is going to a team that needs a linebacker...like maybe the Bengals?

I know Mayo was an area high school star. Yesterday the local paper was
talking him up as a first rounder.

Right now teams are trying to throw up so many smoke screens to get someone else to tip their hand. This nothing more than high stakes poker.
Only people lying more right now are politicians.

I would love to be in the war room and watch the games being played with
the media and other NFL teams.

Some interesting questions for Mayo

Brown: NFL coaches really investigate prospects - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_563376.html)

I don't think that spending a pick at LB, especially if they trade down, is a bad idea, however Mayo at 21 would be a pretty awful pick. Again though, if we are talking pick 32-35 though, and we've picked up another 3rd rounder, then Mayo isn't a bad choice.

I think a WR in the first would be an awful selection. I think a Safety in the first would be an awful selection. I think a CB in the 1st, not named Antoine Cason, would be a bad selection. Offensive line or Defensive line in the first is where that pick needs to go. After the first round, many more positions become fair game. A QB in the 3rd or before would be bad. A TE or RB on the first day would be bad (but not in round 3 if the value is there).

Outside of that, anything is fair game if the value is there.

I certainly don't think LB is an immediate, unquestionable need. However, as I noted above, I don't think it would be at all unreasonable if the Redskins decided to use the 21st pick on a LB.

Do we have need along the O-line? Certainly, but the projected lineup of Samuels, Kendall, Rabach, Thomas and Jansen looks good. Heyer is a work in progress and we better hope he doesn't have to start more than 1 or 2 games, but he's a decent backup. Similarly, I hope Lorenzo Alexander doesn't have to start a single game, but some believe Lorenzo Alexander could be a starting guard in the not too distant future future. We need to start planning for the future of our O-line now, but don't we need to do the same thing for our LB corps?

We also have needs at cornerback. But right now, our projected starting lineup of Springs and Smoot is good enough for me. Carlos Rogers will likely start the season on the PUP list as he is coming off major knee surgery, but isn't Rocky coming off a major injury as well? Yes Springs is aging, but Fletcher is no spring chicken. It sounds like we have have the same question marks at corner as we do at LB.

I know a lot of people are hoping that we use a high round draft pick on a wideout. I too think we could use another wideout and wouldn't be happy to see us start the season with Anthony Mix as our #3 receiver. But, I don't think we'll get a lot of added value out of a rookie wideout. History shows that few rookie wideouts put up decent numbers. Guys like Randy Moss and Dwayne Bowe are the exception, not the rule. Moreover, supposing we draft a rookie wideout in the first round and Jason Campbell throws for 3,100 yards, it's not as though a lot of those yards are going to go to the rook. Moss will probably rack up 1,100 or so yards, Cooley will probably snag passes for another 700, ARE will likely get somewhere around 500 yards, and Portis another 300 yards, leaving about 500 yards for guys like Yoder, Mix and the rookie. Finally, there should be plenty of decent WR prospects available in rounds 2 or 3.

So, while I'd like to see us draft a guy like Merling, I wouldn't be shocked or particularly upset if we drafted Mayo in the first and targeted wideouts, O-linemen, etc. in rounds 2, 3, and 5.

I don't think that spending a pick at LB, especially if they trade down, is a bad idea, however Mayo at 21 would be a pretty awful pick. Again though, if we are talking pick 32-35 though, and we've picked up another 3rd rounder, then Mayo isn't a bad choice.

I think a WR in the first would be an awful selection. I think a Safety in the first would be an awful selection. I think a CB in the 1st, not named Antoine Cason, would be a bad selection. Offensive line or Defensive line in the first is where that pick needs to go. After the first round, many more positions become fair game. A QB in the 3rd or before would be bad. A TE or RB on the first day would be bad (but not in round 3 if the value is there).

Outside of that, anything is fair game if the value is there.

What if, as some have speculated, Mike Jenkins falls all the way down to #21?