OK someone's got to say it - we're not drafting Berry

**bwilliams** · 03-23-2010, 10:54 PM

So many of you seem to want to draft Berry. Which is OK, but you also seem to think it will happen. It won't.

Pioli's a guy who wouldn't draft a LB (Curry) last season because he didn't think LBs should be taken top-5. He isn't going to draft a safety top-5, top-10, or top-15, especially when we have big gaps on out OL and DL.

We're going Okung, Baluga, or Williams in the 1st round (barring a massive trade-down). There isn't a whole lot that can be guarenteed, but this can.

**Hayvern** · 03-23-2010, 11:19 PM

I tend to agree with you, but I have been wrong before.

**kckidd8870** · 03-23-2010, 11:27 PM

So what if you trade spots with cleveland ,and Berry is still around.Would you draft him.Only the top five get the big money.

**bwilliams** · 03-24-2010, 12:21 AM

Originally Posted by kckidd8870

So what if you trade spots with cleveland ,and Berry is still around.Would you draft him.Only the top five get the big money.

If we trade with Cleveland, we go Baluga or Williams. If we pick in the top-15, our 1st round pick will be a LT or NT. Not Berry, McClain, or anyone else.

**AussieChiefsFan** · 03-24-2010, 12:22 AM

He a one in a decade player. Safety is the most desperate position on the team. It's a no brainer. They NEED to draft him!

**bwilliams** · 03-24-2010, 12:51 AM

Originally Posted by AussieChiefsFan

He a one in a decade player. Safety is the most desperate position on the team. It's a no brainer. They NEED to draft him!

They aren't going to. I understand your reasoning, but it won't happen.

We need a SS desparately this draft. But SS isn't out biggest need. Simply because safety isn't that important a position, compared to NT or LT.

**AussieChiefsFan** · 03-24-2010, 01:39 AM

Originally Posted by bwilliams

They aren't going to. I understand your reasoning, but it won't happen.

We need a SS desparately this draft. But SS isn't out biggest need. Simply because safety isn't that important a position, compared to NT or LT.

it is when the only descent one left is jarad page!

**wildcat** · 03-24-2010, 09:19 AM

I tend to agree with what most of you are saying, but just to look at the other side of the debate... aren't we overpaying Tyson Jackson? He was projected to go somewhere in the middle of the round but we selected him at the top of the draft and are overpaying him because Pioli thought he was the best fit.

I could see Pioli drafting Berry IF he believes he is his kind of guy and there is no better option available. Besides, since this is an uncapped year, doesn't that mean we can sign Berry at whatever amount is agreed on? Maybe Berry is sensible and does not think he should be made into the highest paid safety ever before he has proven himself at the next level.

With all of that said, I believe that OT or NT is more likely to be Pioli's choice, but I am not going to pretend to know what is in his head. Pioli seems to be the type who plays the chess game and misdirects people.

**bwilliams** · 03-24-2010, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by wildcat

I tend to agree with what most of you are saying, but just to look at the other side of the debate... aren't we overpaying Tyson Jackson? He was projected to go somewhere in the middle of the round but we selected him at the top of the draft and are overpaying him because Pioli thought he was the best fit.

I could see Pioli drafting Berry IF he believes he is his kind of guy and there is no better option available. Besides, since this is an uncapped year, doesn't that mean we can sign Berry at whatever amount is agreed on? Maybe Berry is sensible and does not think he should be made into the highest paid safety ever before he has proven himself at the next level.

With all of that said, I believe that OT or NT is more likely to be Pioli's choice, but I am not going to pretend to know what is in his head. Pioli seems to be the type who plays the chess game and misdirects people.

But (in Pioli's way of thinking) we're not overpaying Tyson Jackson, based on his positional value. If Tyson Jackson were an elite DE, he'd be making his current salary. I mean, that's the reason we picked him over Curry. Pioli wants to apportion his money based on what he thinks the position is worth. He's willing to shell out $10M/year to a QB/LT/DE. He isn't willing to shell out $10M/year to a S/RB/TE. Part of the reason is longevity - hard hitting safeties and running backs don't tend to last that long at an elite level, while top LTs and NTs do - and part of the reason is that teams can win SBs with average safeties but no average DLs and OLs.

I mean, I get the love for berry. He's the best safety prospect since Sean Taylor. He's fast, skilled, and would immediately upgrade our secondary. But if your best defensive player is a SS, you're not getting to the playoffs. Same as if your best offensive player is a TE, which is why we traded Tony G.

The current braintrust's plan is to pay a certain value for each position, with the most important positions getting the most money. You may disagree with this strategy (personally, I don't think it works unless you have some amazingly unselfish personnel and a Tom Brady-level QB), but it's what we're doing.

**wildcat** · 03-24-2010, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by bwilliams

The current braintrust's plan is to pay a certain value for each position, with the most important positions getting the most money. You may disagree with this strategy (personally, I don't think it works unless you have some amazingly unselfish personnel and a Tom Brady-level QB), but it's what we're doing.

Like I said in my post, I agree with that and I understand why we presumably went DE instead of LB. I was just stating the other side of the argument. I think we are most likely to continue to use the same apparent strategy that landed us TJ. However, we can't pretend to know everything about Pioli based on how we think he went about selecting our picks last year.