Christian MaCaffery

D Wills signing or no signing will let us know in about a week and a half if MaCaffrey is on the radar. Maybe they will prefer to sign a FA as well. Lance Dunbar (Cowboys) or Travaris Cadet (Saints) may be good fits if the FO thinks D Will is not in the fold.

As to CM, I think the Steelers would pass because the value at other positions would be too great. Maybe someone like Curtis Samuel would fit the bill in the second round if Colbert feels that an upgrade to the back ups at RB is needed. I don't think it is needed until the mid rounds though.

 

Correct we aren't letting Bell go but we have no clue what happens, it is sounding like we will franchise him this year and we don't know what will happen. When Bell is such a big part of our team it can't hurt to have a very good back up there. Dupree, Shazier, Bryant or Heath aren't in the same boat as Bell. When Bell goes down we are are so much of a different team, even with Dwill.

You look at it as being a back up I look at it as being a starter at some point. Guys like McCaffrey don't come around often and the fact that he matches our system can't be over looked. Again like I said before if he is there I have no problem picking him and if we pass on him I am fine with that as well. This draft is loaded rounds 2-4 we can get a starter at OLB, CB and/or S in any of them rounds. jmo

 

Only way you take ANY RB at 30 is if you are letting Bell walk. Bell is the best in the game right now...you don't draft his backup in rd 1.....Just like you don't draft a backup QB early. You need to draft as many playmakers as possible early to take advantage of Bens last years....not waste picks preparing for after Ben retires.....

Here is a picture of any QB drafted by Pitt... Thats not helping get #7..

 

Myself and NY SF are pretty much the only ones who would be happy with taking Mccaffrey.....if we do,(which I doubt anyway)or we don't I won't be mad either way. The part that bothers me though is people saying we have Bell ...we don't need to waste a 1st round pick on a back up. He can easily be used as a complement to Bell and with Bell because of their superior receiving skills. Special teams....enough said.
Yes everyone one knows we need a pass rush but some of you guys act like just drafting a OLB solves everything....first off anyone we draft at 30 is coming to a complex defense and with plenty of weaknesses/flaws. The draft might be deep at the position but the impact you can reasonably expect from any of these OLBs that will be around at 30 will probably leave a lot to be desired. You don't just draft a "pass rush"....

Our pass rush will continue to underwhelm if we continue to play soft behind it ,I don't care who we draft.
If our coaches keep claiming we don't have the CBs to play man then we better start finding some who can,which is why I feel the CB position probably has more value at 30 than the OLB position. We may have enough on the roster if we re sign Harrison and Chickillo makes a jump. I think addressing OLB in FA makes the most sense for us and finding some DBs in the draft....safety if one of the top 2 falls.

There are a lot of question marks on our O which should be the strength of the team and we can go from extraordinary to ordinary real quick like we saw last year. IMO Green is done and I know quite a few of you agree. Adding one of the 2 top TEs in this draft adds some insurance to a couple of huge question marks at both our TE and WR spots. I don't feel either will be there so we may have to look for another playmaker to take the focus off of AB....

"Obviously" ....a pass rusher is a major need and if you tell me selecting so and so gives us that then yeah I'll take 2 please. I just don't see that guy out there when it's our turn to pick. Which means we may have to look at alternatives to help us win games,better coverage to give our guys a chance to get to the QB or a improved/consistent offense to make our Ds job easier...CB/OLB I feel are equally important and go hand in hand in being able to improve our D. I'm sure we will put our board together and pick the "player "that will fill our needs and not just draft a position of weakness.....

 

Love this post, you bring up some nice points. People act like if we draft McCaffrey he would be a back up, well I guess he will be but look at what he could bring. #1 special teams....a spot we keep looking at and never being able to fill. #2 how about taking the load off Bell, man ever think there is a reason he is hurt a lot......he get a ton of touches. This kid could come in and we could split Bell out, still have an option with Bell while still having a playmaker in the backfield. I will keep pointing out how much our offense changed with Dwill in there cause he don't have the same skill set as Bell.

Drafting a guy in the 1st round isn't always the answer, just cause we have a need at a position don't mean it can't be filled in the 2nd, 3rd or even beyond. Like you say I have no problem with this pick and if we don't pick him I am fine with that as well, but imo this kid is a very nice match for our system.

 

Draft Scout News
03/04/17 - 2017 NFL Combine, Day 3 Winners: Christian McCaffrey: The explosive player out of Stanford put up some big numbers at the combine, running a 4.48 in the 40 and posting a second-best 37 1/2-inch vertical jump. His 12-foot-1 broad jump was also a top-tier number. McCaffery doesn’t get the same attention as the other top guys in this class (Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook), but he should, and I think ultimately he doesn’t make it out of the first round. As colleague Rob Rang put it, he’s a “four-down back” who can contribute in so many ways. A smart team will realize what a weapon he is and utilize him. - Will Brinson, CBSSports.com

 

I think if a bona fide #2 WR shows up next year, the offense's reliance on Bell may lessen. An obvious statement lol, but a lot of those touches in the passing game may go way down if Bryant comes back full tilt or whoever emerges... Does that have an affect on McCaffrey being in the mix

 

My thinking is even is Bryant comes back you still can use Bell to split out and McCaffrey in the back field or vise versa. The more I read and the more I think about him the more I am starting to want McCaffrey in the first. Here are some reasons why:

I am tired of seeing Bell go down and us have to change the style of offense we play, bring a guy like McCaffrey in and run the same style is Bell is out.

These 2 guys on the field matched with AB, Bryant and if Green is healthy how do you stop them? Serious AB is the best in the business, Bryant will stretch the field as does Green in the middle of the field and a combo of Bell/McCaffrey out of the back field and split out is unstoppable.

Special teams....enough said

This draft is loaded in rounds 2-4, maybe even more at OLB, CB, S, TE and WR. Just cause we have a need doesn't mean we have to pick that spot in the 1st round. We can get a starter in this draft in any position listed here in rounds 2 and beyond.

The NFL have become an offensive league so why not keep adding weapons, especially ones that fit this system so good?

JMO