Trufant a Panther?

This was a thread over on tfy, tfy was at the senior bowl practice sessions and has tight connections with some of the Panther scouts. Damn good question by this "keiko" guy (lol). If Trufant runs another 4.3 he might be wearing Electric blue, Black and White next season.

Trufant - Panthers - tfy?
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You mentioned in another thread that Trufant might be the Panthers pick at #9, was that simply based on need = value or was that based on information you learned (saw/heard) at the senior bowl practices?

Thanks,
keiko.


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TFYDraft

Administrator
Posts: 2540
Posted: 1/18/03 910 pm
Re: Trufant - Panthers - tfy?
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A bit of each, though he must run very well to be that high a pick.

 

yeah, he'd probably be an upgrade, but is CB something we need to spend a 1st on considering how weak the offense is at nearly every position? We're pretty well manned at CB if we re-up Fair. No, our guys aren't superstars, but they do a damn good job. I know it's not a popular position to take, but we need to do what it takes to be in position to address the QB and WR positions in the first two rounds. After the game yesterday, I don't see how Boller makes it out of the 1st. He should be our fallback position at QB if we can't or won't trade up. I figure he's still on the board (safely) until the Broncos pick at 20. That leaves us the option of trading down and aquiring an additonal pick (early) or two (one early, one late). I really want no part of either Sims or Ragone. I see our QB choices limited to three guys who can get the job done for us-Palmer, Leftwich, and Boller, otherwise we go FA for the starter and re-sign Peete for another year as backup.

WR is hurt by the absence of Roy Williams and Rashuan Woods, so the 1st round talent is limited to Rogers (he has Lions written all over him) and Johnson early and Lloyd and Taylor late. There'll be a good sized seletion of second tier talent available later. We need a burner to pair with Smith and let Moose become the possession guy.

RB is also up in the air at this point. I don't see Lamar coming back at all. Brown is not the answer either. Foster may or may not be able to come back. Hicks should be a capable replacement for Lamar, but will he be enough? I'm still far from sold on LJ especially with our O Line as presently configured. To me anyway, he just hasn't shown the needed burst to get through small, quickly disappearing holes at the next level. Steven Davis maybe depending on his price or a Sapp or Fargas in the 3rd would help matters greatly.

We'll also have to address the O Line in this year's draft and FA. I had hopes for Nesbit coming back, but it's starting to look as if he's not. Donnalley's on his last legs and Tuten ain't exactly my cup of tea as a starter. We'll have to take an O Lineman the first day (probably 3rd round). There's something to say for continuity while making additions to the O Line. Completely rebuilding the O Line in the offseason could set us back as the new guys adjust to each other. A FA tackle, re-signing Nesbit, and drafting a tackle/guard early is the path I'd take at this point.

Unless it's just some one who really could be a big upgrade and a difference maker on D, I say we stick with the Offensive side of the ball in the draft.

 

I mentioned this in the Senior Bowl thread late last night. Thought about him at the pick, especially if Newman's gone.
If the right receiver isn't there, I think it's a need. It's not easy to find a really good corner - regardless of how good our D is or should be.

Tell the truth some of our O should come from free agency anyway. I'd rather take a corner and have him be the right guy and us fill in with the rest of the picks through the 5th be O.


Trufant ran a 4.33 at pro day last year. He's a legit 5'11. He's active against the run and the pass, has some things to work out but is said to have one of the most natural feels for the position in the draft. Most years this type guy'd be 5'8 and can't tackle, even this high. I say go for him. It works for me.

A lot better than LJ or reaching twelve spots for the next receiver, anyway. Or drafting an OT even though I like Harris.

 

Never said he wasn't a major talent and if our offense was only missing a piece or two, I'd no doubt jump at the chance to draft him. The fact is that with the guys we have now our D is playoff quality. Our O is somewhere between high caliber Division II and low caliber Division I-IA at this point. Trufant may allow us to drop the point against and up the INT stats, plus free SS from some of his kick return duties, but he's not going to get our O up to NFL standards and that's our major problem at the moment.

 

Magnus...

The Sherlock Holmes in me ask's "your warming to harris?"

 

If he can give us a long term shut down corner, and that gives us more options late in the game when we choke with a lead, that's a big change. Our corners aren't that good at all. I don't care what points we have to make up to be #1 overall, because we're facing better teams this year. We have to improve at a lot of places.

I expect we'll go after at least two offensive starters in free agency. I expect that the top two wide receivers are gone when we pick, and that the third, Lloyd, will be a fairly big reach at 9. I expect that Larry Johnson is not a franchise back. I expect we're not going for a first round QB, if one's there. Offensive tackle in the first round is farfetched with our holes.

It's not the biggest need. I know that.
It's also the way to get an impact player at a position we're weak at. It's the way to stop needing to mask players in coverage and field the defense we want to. It's the way to shut teams down all game, against better competition, rather than just the Lions.

Yes, WP, I'm warming. I didn't expect he'd come out, but I had him around 20. I still do, but if we have to reach, we have to reach. He's better than Gross.

But I don't have him higher than the top two corners, and RTs who can start right now can be had in 3. Can't say that about physical corners who run 4.33s.

We have more than the one pick. I'd rather get impact at a need position than just get somebody pedestrian because he fills a need.

 

So you're giving up on Howard and Wesley this quick? We all know Cousin wasn't he long term answer. At worst, if they fail, we can go after a CB next year. Don't think that I don't see the merits of your arguements for Trufant, I really do. I'm just concerned that Fox doesn't fall into the same trap Dungy fell into in Tampa Bay...build a monster unit on defense and try to get by with a mediocre offense.

 

For as much as I've love to see Newman become a Panther, I just don't see him still being out there for a pick!

 

I wouldn't scream. Trufant is that kind of player, not like DE. Howard and Cousins are decent, but none of our guys have that kind of speed. We can run more man and 3 deep zone when we have to. A 3 deep zone is the way to play Vick, and it would give us someone with comparable speed.

We've got cap room to spend on O. I'd love to see Linclon Kennedy. Stepen Davis. Kordell. And there aer some good prospects that we can spend on O the next few rounds to fill out.

It's a plan. Not the greatest, but we'll be better, and it fits.

 

>>So you're giving up on Howard and Wesley this quick?

No. But that doesn't mean we have to stand pat. Wesley, for one, doesn't have to be a starter next year. But he could, especially at his size, be an asset in situations and if he starts, he's doing what you hope he can. He's already as good as Howard, IMO, and if Fox plays more cover 2 looks but cover three after the snap, Wesley should be an asset as a starter.

>>We all know Cousin wasn't he long term answer. At worst, if they fail, we can go after a CB next year. Don't think that I don't see the merits of your arguements for Trufant, I really do.

Certainly. Just like you've been a proponent of OT because of need. I push this a little harder because I don't know that we can find a gem in middle rounds, and just like in FA, I don't know we can get that one guy who'll make the difference in 3 or 4.

>>I'm just concerned that Fox doesn't fall into the same trap Dungy fell into in Tampa Bay...build a monster unit on defense and try to get by with a mediocre offense.

Certainly. I worry about that as well. Far as I'm concerned, unless we lost Jenkins and couldn't get anyone to replace him (04), there's nothing that needs to be picked for a few years on this defense. Any need should come from FA. But corner? Who'd we get, McAllister, Bly? I don't feel comfortable with them. The corners later on I don't like.

And much as I've been screaming offensive impact, and to lay off spots like OT, I feel like this is the right place if we're looking for a corner. Another midlevel guy isn't going to get the job done. If we don't get that guy this year, that's fine.
But seeing a guy that's physical and fast and still has a good feel for the ball and the corner position rise? It gives me hope for #9. Even though I find Newman better, I think Trufant fits better here and if we have the chance to take him, and there's not good value offensively, he's the guy I take.



Piper...you coming around to Kordell? Lincoln Kennedy'd be great. Davis is a short term fix but I'm okay with that. I'd be more okay with that than QB, but the more I see and read of him, Boller's going to a playoff team in the first.