Vinny's Draft Strategy: Best Player or Predetermined Agenda?

In a perfect situation the BPA fits one of your positions of need. If not, I think you would either trade down, if possible, or take the player if he's too good to pass up. It would depend on who you already have at the position. If for example the BPA at #13 this year would have been a TE, I think it would have been hard for us to take him considering our TE situation. Not only do we have a great starter, but we also have good depth. I think in the first 2-3 rounds of the draft you should try to address your needs as best you can. Whether by trading picks or whatever, as long as it's reasonable and you're not losing value. In the later rounds I think you should go strictly by who you think is the BPA and can make your team. I think Vinny did a very good job of this last year. We traded down and got positions of need and also picked up players in the later rounds who not only made our team, but in the case of Horton, actually started. Orakpo was one of those perfect situations where, BPA, was also a position of need. I agree that Vinny is taking players in the later rounds who can also help on ST's, therefore he is taking players who have the best chance of making the team.

Please try to post one message where you don't criticize or outright insult another poster. The superior tone of your posts has become annoying.

Water off my back. I was half-way joking but if he wants to go toe to toe. I am down.

As far as the thread, I think that best player available is always the first consideration. But unless you are at #1 you are always reacting on some level. This year worked out well. Pass rush was a definite need, Haynesworth can't do it alone, and Orakpo was somewhere near the top of our board. That is why it took 5 seconds to get our pick in.

Same with Barnes. You can't have too many corners (we just lost a very good one) and this guy flashed first day talent.

But let's say the 3 pick comes around and the best players on our board are corners and Ends. At some point you have to shift slightly and go after an LB.

It's both BPA and need.

You can't have a plan set in stone. Each year is different and each draft class determines the plan of action you can take. Many teams focus on BPA but you also have to consider need as well.

Agreed. IMHO the wisest draft strategy involves a little of both BPA and DFN, depending on the state of both the team's roster and the big board at the time of the pick. That seems like the best way to generate the most mileage out of your picks.

I say grab a kicker

I'd say you have to BPA within reason (as in the TE situation that 53fan brought up) for the first few rounds, but after that why not go after positions of need for depth. We all know how spotty scouting can be, especially in terms of late round picks, so it's very hard to determine who the BPA is when you get in to the later rounds of the draft.

I say grab a kicker

I think two kickers were actually taken in the 5th round this year. LOL.

I think two kickers were actually taken in the 5th round this year. LOL.Yeah, dallas took one even though they have a good one in Folk.

It's both BPA and need.

You can't have a plan set in stone. Each year is different and each draft class determines the plan of action you can take. Many teams focus on BPA but you also have to consider need as well.

I tend to agree with this. Although we can site the 2008 draft as evidence that the FO went after "need" first. We can also look at the 2007 draft (Landry= BPA vs. Okoye=Need) or the fact that, by Vinny's own admission, that plan A was to draft J Mayo last year and plan B was to trade down versus taking DE's Calais Campbell or Phillip Merling who also filled need positions.

I have to say that I approve of alot of what the FO has been doing for the past 3 years.

It's both BPA and need.

You can't have a plan set in stone. Each year is different and each draft class determines the plan of action you can take. Many teams focus on BPA but you also have to consider need as well.

Matty again is spot-on. The subject of this thread creates a false either/or.

Yeah, dallas took one even though they have a good one in Folk.

Well maybe they knew something about this....

Dallas Cowboys kicker Nick Folk undergoes surgery to repair torn hip cartilage - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4147039)