That's really the only shot I think of a team moving up is if they fall in love with Clowney. There are a group of QB's that are very closely graded, but only one elite 4-3 DE prospect. According to wikipedia most of the teams picking after us run a 4-3, but unfortunately most need a QB as well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4–3_defense 2. Rams 4-3 3. Jags 4-3 4. Browns ? 5. Raiders 4-3 6. Falcons 4-3 7. Tampa Bay (I think Lovie runs a 4-3) A shrewd move by Rick Smith would to make the Rams think that a team is about to move up to the top spot to select Clowney from them and force them to throw us an extra pick to move to #2.
I'd bet anything they stay at #1 and select Bridgewater but if you could make the Browns swap there's a good chance Clowney is still available at # 4.
I would be scared stiff to draft Clowney with the motivation issues. I expect bad things to happen sooner or later once he gets paid. If people don't care, they don't care. People don't suddenly change their stripes and become motivated any more often than little scrawny people suddently become super athletes. You might get a good rookie season out of him, and a good year right before his next contract, but I expect him to make Mario Williams look focused. If you think he is a risk free pick, you are fooling yourself.
Off course if they are receiving offers for Bridgewater they should jump on that. I don't think the market is going to be there for QB since it's so saturated at the top.
It isn't fair that college players are being perceived as having motivation issues because they don't want to play in college. It just isn't logical for someone who would have gone #1 overall if he was allowed to come out last year to risk anything by playing college football for free. He should have just quit, hired a trainer, hired an agent and continued going to class. But then the media would label him a quitter and drag his reputation through the mud. All for making a logical decision that was in his best interest. Protecting millions and saving his body for the ultimate stage. Maybe he does have motor problems, but I sure as hell didn't see it last year when he had nothing to lose. He brought the heat every down. He was a monster. Then his buddy shreds his leg, his draft stock drops and he'll probably be cut in a year or two. Clowney doesn't want that future. Clowney was the consensus #1 pick last year, he was absolutely amazing - why the hell should he waste his time playing for free this year? Not logical. "Passion, glory, SC pride" - that's all bull**** fairytale stuff. That NFL paycheck, that NFL fame, that endorsement money - that's real. Clowney is probably just a whole hell of a lot smarter than Oregon's QB who tore his ACL right before the draft playing for free in a game nobody remembers.
Yeah there are a lot of players like Jamarcus Russell and Clowney could be one of them. Once he gets the NFL paycheck he may be content with that.
That's exactly it. He's playing for a paycheck. He quit this year before he even had that paycheck. What happens once he actually gets it? From the absolutely selfish perspective, the truly smart thing to do would be to get a team to commit to paying him 50 million dollars and then half @ss it so he doesn't end up with dementia and arthritis like all the idiots who bought all that 'team first' bull****. If I were him, that's probably what I'd do. I never particularly enjoyed playing football, and mostly remember all the crappy injuries. Once I was paid, the coaches could kiss my @ss. But if I were doing the drafting, I'd avoid drafting the smart ones, and I'd look for the idiots who actually believe all the rah rah crap, because I know they'll be stupid and sell out their bodies for "team" and "honor" and all sorts of other BS. And once they'd destroyed Their bodies for no good reason, I'd cut them to save money on expensive broken players and draft their replacement. So I don't blame Clowney for wanting to get paid, but I also know that whoever does the paying isn't getting the most value from him for what they pay. Albert Haynesworth got over on the Redskins. Good for him. But as a Texans fan, I want my team to get over on the hired help, not the other way around.
I really don't want Clowny; I think he is appropriately named. Gets paid and sits with mystery injury. Don't do it. His background and lack of a work ethic is screaming at you Texans.
Without the combine, interviews, background checks, etc., the player I'd like to see drafted is Anthony Barr. We need another dynamic linebacker to help our non-existent pass rush. Preferably I'd like to see them trade down with Cleveland and take Barr with the fourth overall pick.
I say trade with Cleveland and get their #4 pick and this year's 2nd round pick and their 2015 and 2016 1st round picks. And then trade with Minnesota and get their #8 pick their 2nd round pick and next year's 1st and 2nd round picks. That's alot of talent that can be added to the team over a year's time within a span of two drafts. Plus the two 1st rounders they would have in 2016.
BO'B is a proven developer of QBs. That could be an asset that we can leverage to not spend the top pick on a QB, but rather use his superior QB development skills to coach up a guy we take later. The pass rush from Clowney + Watt will make ALL of our defensive players look better.
