Board 8 > Board 8 National Football League League (B8NFLL) Season 13: The Offseason

(+) Yeah! (+)

Round 1 Recap
1. Chiefs - Eastern Washington OLB Samson Ebukan
2. Titans - Texas A&M WR Mike Evans
3. Panthers - North Dakota St. QB Carson Wentz
4. Jets - Florida St. CB Jalen Ramsey
5. Lions - California QB Jared Goff
6. Browns - Mississippi St. QB Dak Prescott
7. Pioneers - Maryland WR Stefon Diggs
8. Bills - Utah OT Garrett Bolles
9. 49ers - North Carolina QB Mitchell Trubisky
10. Lightning - Pittsburgh DT Aaron Donald
11. Bengals - Grand Valley State OLB Matthew Judon
12. Steelers - Florida OT D.J. Humphries
13. Pioneers - Minnesota WR Eric Decker
14. Falcons - Northern Iowa HB David Johnson
15. Redskins - Ohio St. HB Ezekiel Elliot
16. Cowboys - Temple OLB Hasaan Reddick
17. Colts - Miami HB Duke Johnson
18. Wildcats - Stanford HB Christian McCaffrey
19. Giants - Kansas St. WR Tyler Lockett
20. Broncos - Wake Forest CB Kevin Johnson
21. Rams - Georgia OLB Leonard Floyd
22. Pumpkins - Penn St. OT Donovan Smith
23. Patriots - Florida St. CB P.J. Williams
24. Ravens - Notre Dame DE Stephon Tuitt
25. Dolphins - Wisconsin OLB T.J. Watt
26. Hawks - Missouri Connor McGovern
27. Buccaneers - USC DE Leonard Williams
28. Raiders - Auburn DE Dee Ford
29. Jaguars - Oklahoma OLB Jordan Evans
30. Packers - Samford CB James Bradberry
31. Seahawks - Florida St. C Cameron Erving
32. Dolphins - Montana MLB Jordan Tripp
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Round 2 Recap
1. Chiefs - Texas DE Alex Okafor
2. Titans - Texas A&M OT Germain Ifedi
3. Panthers - West Alabama CB Malcolm Butler
4. Jets - Iowa G Brandon Scherff
5. Lions - Stanford G Joshua Garnett
6. Browns - Miami WR Allen Hurns
7. Dolphins - Missouri DE Kony Ealy
8. Bills - Michigan St. FS Montae Nicholson
9. 49ers - Central Michigan HB Thomas Rawls
10. Raiders - Michigan St. CB Trae Waynes
11. Bengals - Oklahoma WR Kenny Stills
12. Steelers - Nebraska WR Quincy Enunwa
13. Pioneers - San Jose St. G Wes Schweitzer
14. Dolphins - Florida St. DT Timmy Jernigan
15. Redskins - Boise St. OLB Kamalei Correa
16. Seahawks - Memphis CB Bobby McCain
17. Colts - Alabama MLB C.J. Mosley
18. Wildcats - Oklahoma OT Daryl Williams
19. Giants - Minnesota DT Ra'Shede Hageman
20. Broncos - Boston College OLB Matt Milano
21. Dolphins - Oregon St. CB Steven Nelson
22. Pumpkins - Indiana HB Tevin Coleman
23. Redskins - North Dakota St. OT Joe Haeg
24. Ravens - San Diego St. SS Damontae Kazee
25. Vikings - UCLA G Caleb Benenoch
26. Hawks - Auburn OLB Carl Lawson
27. Buccaneers - Eastern Illinois OLB Kamu Grugier-Hill
28. Raiders - Wake Forest WR Michael Campanaro
29. Pioneers - Ohio St. SS Vonn Bell
30. Packers - Pittsburgh OT T.J. Clemmings
31. Seahawks - Wisconsin MLB Joe Schobert
32. Dolphins - William & Mary OLB J.J. Krause
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NFL Draft Order
1. Chiefs
2. Titans
3. Panthers
4. Jets
5. Lions
6. Browns
7. Bears
8. Bills
9. 49ers
10. Lightning
11. Bengals
12. Steelers
13. Pioneers
14. Falcons
15. Redskins
16. Seahawks
17. Colts
18. Wildcats
19. Giants
20. Broncos
21. Rams
22. Pumpkins
23. Patriots
24. Ravens
25. Vikings
26. Hawks
27. Buccaneers
28. Raiders
29. Jaguars
30. Packers
31. Cowboys
32. Dolphins

Bears own Pioneers 7th
Broncos own Giants 3rd
Browns own Dolphins 5th
Cowboys own Seahawks 5th
Dolphins own Vikings 3rd, Bears 3rd + 5th, Falcons 3rd + 5th, Broncos 3rd
Falcons own Dolphins 6th
Jaguars own Steelers 3rd
Pioneers own Bears 7th
Seahawks own Cowboys 4th
Steelers own Dolphins 3rd
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Rounds 3 and 4 are slated to begin between 2-3 PM ET tomorrow
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The last few picks of round 1 after Dee Ford was taken were intense, i was on pins and needles the whole time. I'll have to send the Dolphins a fruit basket for going DE a few picks later.

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Just a heads up that I will not be in the spreadsheet in the early portion of the range that I gave. I hope to begin no later than 2:30 ET
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Round 3 Recap
1. Chiefs - Indiana OT Jason Spriggs
2. Steelers - Alabama TE O.J. Howard
3. Panthers - Mississipi St. FB Malcolm Johnson
4. Jets - Arkansas TE Hunter Henry
5. Lions - Nebraska HB Ameer Abdullah
6. Browns - Florida St. OLB Kris Perry
7. Dolphins - Vanderbilt OT Will Holden
8. Bills - Delaware DT Zach Kerr
9. 49ers - Michigan St. CB Tony Lippett
10. Lightning - Miami TE David Njoku
11. Bengals - USC QB Cody Kessler
12. Jaguars - Baylor G Spencer Drango
13. Pioneers - Utah CB Eric Rowe
14. Dolphins - Oregon St. G Isaac Seumalo
15. Redskins - USC CB Josh Shaw
16. Seahawks - Florida St. DE Ray Taylor
17. Colts - LSU G Vadal Alexander
18. Wildcats - Oregon CB Bobby Gooden
19. Broncos - LSU DT Ego Ferguson
20. Dolphins - UConn DT Shamar Stephen
21. Rams - LSU MLB Kevin Minter
22. Pumpkins - South Carolina OT Corey Robinson
23. Patriots - Washington HB Bishop Sankey
24. Ravens - Indiana QB Nate Sudfeld
25. Dolphins - Illinois SS Clayton Fejedelem
26. Hawks - Clemson WR Martavis Bryant
27. Buccaneers - Duke G Lucas Patrick
28. Raiders - UCLA QB Leonard Bush
29. Jaguars - Texas A&M SS Justin Evans
30. Packers - Utah G Jeremiah Poutasi
31. Cowboys - N.C. St. SS Josh Jones
32. Steelers - Ohio St. C Pat Elflein
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Round 4 Recap
1. Chiefs - Miami OLB Steve Smith
2. Titans - Virginia Tech CB Martin Terry
3. Panthers - Oregon G Anthony McGrady
4. Jets - San Diego St. MLB Darryl Miller
5. Lions - Texas OLB Pete Hill
6. Browns - Wyoming C Chase Roullier
7. Bears - Grambling St. G Pierre Newton
8. Bills - Kansas G Natrone Burnett
9. 49ers - Alabama St. OLB Byron Jackson
10. Lightning - Henderson St. G Isaiah Larsen
11. Bengals - Syracuse CB Steve O'Neal
12. Steelers - Tennessee QB Joshua Dobbs
13. Pioneers - LSU C Ethan Pocic
14. Falcons - Coastal Carolina WR Matt Hazel
15. Redskins - Michigan C Graham Glasglow
16. Seahawks - Ohio St. WR Philly Brown
17. Colts - Louisville QB Trevor Marsh
18. Wildcats - Rutgers TE Tyler Kroft
19. Giants - UTEP C Timmy Norris
20. Broncos - Boise St. SS Darwin Thompson
21. Rams - Alabama HB T.J. Yeldon
22. Pumpkins - Florida CB Matt Mitchell
23. Patriots - Texas Southern DE Cameron Franklin
24. Ravens - USC OT Chad Wheeler
25. Vikings - Nebraska C Spencer Long
26. Hawks - Mississippi St. C Blake Vandiver
27. Buccaneers - Auburn HB Cameron Artis-Payne
28. Raiders - Texas Tech DT David Black
29. Jaguars - Arizona DE Jerry Nakfoor
30. Packers - LSU C Pierre Vuong
31. Seahawks - Utah CB Greg Hennings
32. Dolphins - Clemson K Chandler Catanzaro
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NFL Draft Order
1. Chiefs
2. Titans
3. Panthers
4. Jets
5. Lions
6. Browns
7. Bears
8. Bills
9. 49ers
10. Lightning
11. Bengals
12. Steelers
13. Pioneers
14. Falcons
15. Redskins
16. Seahawks
17. Colts
18. Wildcats
19. Giants
20. Broncos
21. Rams
22. Pumpkins
23. Patriots
24. Ravens
25. Vikings
26. Hawks
27. Buccaneers
28. Raiders
29. Jaguars
30. Packers
31. Cowboys
32. Dolphins

Bears own Pioneers 7th
Browns own Dolphins 5th
Cowboys own Seahawks 5th
Dolphins own Bears 5th, Falcons 5th
Falcons own Dolphins 6th
Pioneers own Bears 7th
Steelers own Titans 5th
Titans own Steelers 6th

Rounds 5-7 will begin between 2-3 PM ET tomorrow
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To Do:
- Post-draft stuff (Madden grades, first pick not best pick, three selections in each round I liked, one regret first three rounds, favorite draft classes)
- Clean up inbox, again
- Spend more time into my project
- Add Pioneers finances to sheet
- Do my Top 5 players at each position
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Like yesterday, it will probably be closer to 2:30 ET when we begin
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Panthers trading block update:
Vilma is no longer for trade

I am looking to move MLB Rob Thomas and/or CB Trent Gunn, for a similar tier C who would be making under 920k this year after guarantees are paid.
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Round 5 Recap
1. Chiefs - Arkansas TE A.J. Derby
2. Steelers - Colorado FB Travor Simmons
3. Panthers - Kentucky OLB Antonio Paige
4. Jets - L.A. Tech QB Jeff Driskel
5. Lions - Boston College DE Larry Davis
6. Browns - Oregon St. QB Sean Mannion
7. Dolphins - BYU FS Corwin Kato
8. Patriots - Florida FS Dexter Sullivan
9. 49ers - Tennessee OT Derrick Gore
10. Lightning - MLB London Connell
11. Bengals - Kentucky DT Oge Burton
12. Steelers - Texas A&M OLB Kory Schroeder
13. Pioneers - Michigan OLB Reginald Stump
14. Dolphins - Colorado St. QB Garrett Grayson
15. Redskins - Baylor OT Jack Browning
16. Cowboys - Texas A&M HB Luther Singletary
17. Colts - Florida HB Kevin Simmons
18. Wildcats - Florida St. SS Montae Mackey
19. Giants - Colorado DT Richard Miller
20. Broncos - Notre Dame CB Allen Gamble
21. Rams - North Carolina CB Duane Lloyd
22. Pumpkins - Miami of Ohio OLB Ronnie Kozlowski
23. Patriots - Oklahoma OT Spencer Jordan
24. Ravens - Vanderbilt FS Andy McMillan
25. Vikings - South Carolina G Darnay Caulley
26. Hawks - Washington OT Jim Truman
27. Buccaneers - Purdue SS Andre Cobb
28. Raiders - Notre Dame DE Charles Luhr
29. Jaguars - Virginia Tech WR Dan Browning
30. Packers - Montana St. TE Pete Gonzalez
31. Cowboys - Troy WR Rory Henderson
32. Browns - Ohio St. CB Damien Nichols
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Round 6 Recap
1. Chiefs - Colorado QB Wally McGee
2. Titans - Nicholls St. HB Jonathan King
3. Panthers - Michigan St. FB Craig Moss
4. Jets - Miami HB Mike James
5. Lions - California TE Clay Hales
6. Browns - Texas A&M G Bruce Simms
7. Bears - San Diego St. MLB David Smith
8. Bills - Texas Souther CB Mark Evans
9. 49ers - William & Mary DE Irving Carter
10. Lightning - Michigan SS Dale King
11. Bengals - Cornell CB Jackie Frazier
12. Titans - East Carolina FS Devin Wilcox
13. Pioneers - Utah DT Mo Costanza
14. Falcons - Auburn FB Dennis Sabbatini
15. Redskins - California DE Anquan Wyatt
16. Seahawks - Baylor G Rocky Cooper
17. Colts - Wyoming WR Robert Herron
18. Wildcats - Florida WR Gerald Styles
19. Giants - North Carolina WR Lester Shades
20. Broncos - UCLA WR Lennox Floyd
21. Rams - North Carolina SS Skip McGrath
22. Pumpkins - Northeastern DT Sedrick Barton
23. Patriots - Ohio St. FB Gabe Reid
24. Ravens - Penn St. FB Ivan Galloway
25. Vikings - Clemson OLB Deion Potter
26. Hawks - Southeast Missouri St. DE Jim Walker
27. Buccaneers - Texas A&M OT Terrell Walker
28. Raiders - Boise St. OLB Jake Warner
29. Jaguars - Rensselaer K Andrew Franks
30. Packers - Michigan OT Keenan Evans
31. Cowboys - Arizona MLB Byron Lott
32. Falcons - Georgia HB Antonio Pederson
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Round 7 Recap
1. Chiefs - Iowa FB Dave Holt
2. Titans - Minnesota DT Anthony Gooden
3. Panthers - California DT Michael Thomas
4. Jets - BYU SS Andy Nelson
5. Lions - Buffalo DT Jay Flowers
6. Browns - South Dakota St. DE Isaac Minter
7. Pioneers - USC MLB Kyle Kato
8. Patriots - Arkansas G Tyrone Spence
9. 49ers - UCLA G Brian Tillman
10. Lightning - Ohio St. FS Clay Strickland
11. Bengals - Clemson OT Isaac Johnson
12. Steelers - Maryland DT Greg Jackson
13. Bears - Western Illinois G Dee Wicks
14. Falcons - Butler OT Jamel Heyward
15. Redskins - Virginia Tech TE Conrad Green
16. Seahawks - Houston DE William Watson
17. Colts - Miami P Justin Vogel
18. Wildcats - Fresno St. OT Andrew Rhodes
19. Giants - Georgia DE Trace Crockett
20. Broncos - Arkansas St. DE Darryl Curtis
21. Rams - Ole Miss WR Adam Preston
22. Pumpkins - Notre Dame WR Jayson Bush
23. Bills - LSU WR Anthony Hilliard
24. Ravens - North Carolina OLB John Newberry
25. Vikings - Wake Forest DE Brian Wheaton
26. Hawks - Stanford MLB Keith Robinson
27. Buccaneers - Minnesota P Peter Mortell
28. Raiders - Missouri TE Thomas Carty
29. Jaguars - Wisconsin FS Elvis Lane
30. Packers - Fresno St. WR Byron Lawrence
31. Cowboys - Pittsburgh C Jorge Agnew
32. Dolphins - California C Chad Van Dyke
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How many of these 5th thru 7th rd players have actually developed. single digits?

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Madden Draft Grades

The following is a list of all user teams ordered by the letter grade given to them and then alphabetically. Take little stock in how you are graded. These are not at all an indicator of the ratings to expect from your rookies nor future performance. They are essentially arbitrary. All AI teams are given A grades.

A
Lions

A-
Browns
49ers
Patriots

B+
Chiefs
Colts
Packers
Steelers
Wildcats

B
Bills
Giants
Jaguars
Panthers
Pioneers
Pumpkins
Redskins

B-
Buccaneers

C
Bears
Falcons
Titans
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MegamanX posted...

How many of these 5th thru 7th rd players have actually developed. single digits?

Like 2-3 drafts ago, I went through the Day 3 draft spots and named notable players taken at each spot. It is way north of single digits.
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In addition, Madden also mentions when they deem a team's first pick was not their best pick. Again, this is an arbitrary distinction and not based on anything of importance. Still, useless information can be interesting!

Bears
First Pick: G Pierre Newton
Best Pick: MLB David Smith

Bengals
First Pick: OLB Matthew Judon
Best Pick: QB Cody Kessler

Packers
First Pick: CB James Bradberry
Best Pick: OT T.J. Clemmings

Patriots
First Pick: CB P.J. Williams
Best Pick: HB Bishop Sankey

Pioneers
First Pick: WR Stefon Diggs
Best Pick: CB Eric Rowe

Seahawks
First Pick: C Cameron Erving
Best Pick: CB Bobby McCain

Titans
First Pick: WR Mike Evans
Best Pick: OT Germain Ifedi
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To Do:
- Officially begin rookie signing period
- Post-draft stuff (three selections in each round I liked, one regret first three rounds, favorite overall draft classes)
- Clean up inbox, again
- Spend more time into my project
- Add Pioneers finances to sheet
- Update team financial sheet for already-signed rookies
- Do my Top 5 players at each position
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Patriots release the following players:

LOLB Ragin Haverfield
CB Darrell Cruz
FS Dashon Goldson
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KCF0107 posted...

26. Hawks - Missouri Connor McGovern

KCF0107 posted...

9. 49ers - UCLA G Brian Tillman

Just a few public corrections I would like to make are McGovern is a G and Tillman is actually a MLB.
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Signing Draft Picks

Quite a few teams have done it already, but now's the time to get those draftees' signatures and have them suit up for your squad. It is essentially just like signing your own free agents, but you don't have to worry about holdouts/franchise tags, and you typically have far fewer players to sign.

There are a few things you need to keep in mind as you read your PM. One, you will not know the overall ratings until they are signed. That is an in-game mechanic and not something by my design. Two, the desired deals for each player, in terms of length, is based on where they were taken. It is as follows:

Top 5 - Six years
6-10 - Five years
11-32 - Four years
2nd-4th rounds - Three years (will be eligible for RFA)
5th-7th rounds - One year

Once again, you do not have to offer them their exact deals and can change their length, but I advise you to sign them to the length that they ask for because if you change the length, they might ask for considerably more money.

The deadline to sign your rookies will be March 16th at 6 PM ET. Should you idle, I will sign all your rookies to the deals that they are asking for (such a severe punishment I know). If you have roster space issues, then I will prioritize players who will fill roster holes and then in descending order of when they were selected until your roster is filled.
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MegamanX posted...

How many of these 5th thru 7th rd players have actually developed. single digits?

Depends on your definition of developed. Most of them will increase in OVR but do you mean guys who significantly improve? Ones who develop into starters? It's hard for 5th to 7th rounders to develop purely because of lack of play time but late round picks who actually see the field do develop.

Quick glance over the last 3 drafts (2014 draft is based off projections, I didn't write down draft positions for that one. 2015/16 are based off actual draft position)

5th rounders
C Russell Bodine 75 > 82 (2014)
G Luke Bowanko 75 > 80 (2014)
P Jacob Schum 74 > 87 (2014)
G Arie Kouandjio 74 > 78 (2015)
MLB Joey Kaufman 71 > 81 (2015)
WR Dennis Robinson 73 > 78 (2015)
SS Quentin White 74 > 77 (2016)

6th rounders
WR Chris Hogan 75 > 81 (2014)
SS James Sanford 75 > 80 (2014)
G Mark Glowinski 74 > 80 (2015)
WR Robert Woods 76 > 82 (2015)
WR Chauncey Sharper 72 > 77 (2015)
WR Dennis Robinson 73 > 78 (2015)
OLB Neil Parker 72 > 78 (2016)
OLB WIllie Walls 71 > 75 (2016)
TE Jace Amaro 74 > 78 (2016)
MLB Chad Carpenter 70 > 74 (2016)
C Dimitrius Massey 70 > 76 (2016)

7th rounders
FS Shelton Kelly 70 > 75 (2014 - but he did get to 77 after his rookie year)
SS Jermaine O'Leske 71 > 77 (2014)
MLB Alvin Williams 65 > 79 (2015 - so +14 in 2 seasons)
TE Josh Hill 71 > 76 (2015)
MLB Raymond Els 68 > 71 (2016)
WR Alex Erickson 71 > 74 (2016)

I only have draft data for the last 4 drafts so that's all I can give you.

I do know that Stephen Tulloch was a 7th rounder and he's my starting OLB who has been amazing since he got the starting gig 3 seasons ago (280 Tackles, 14 Sacks, 8 FF, 6 FR, 2 INT). He's gone from 76 > 86 in the last 5 seasons despite being old (he's 33 now)

Aaaaaalviiiiin

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Throwing it out there that TE Tate Casey (84 OVR - 30 yo) is available for trade. His contract would be reasonable (~3.2m) after I eat the dead money. In the last 7 seasons he has put up just short of 3000 yards and 13 TDs

I'd be looking for a late draft pick or a young cheap OLB, MLB or DE in return.

Also I don't know if this will be part of KCFs 'regret' picks but here is how badly I bumbled the Steelers draft by trying to be smart (it did not work out well)

I traded a future 2nd, 6th and future 7th for a 3rd, 5th and future 6th

I used the 3rd to draft TE O.J. Howard as he was the top TE in the draft and typically they have come out 78-80 and done well. He came out as a 76.

I used the 5th to draft FB Simmons as he was the first 'blocking' FB we have seen since we switched non imported classes. His blocking rating is the 3rd worst in the league for FBs

Both were positions of excess (i.e. unnecessary) and without them I'd be under cap with space to fill my final hole. I am now slightly over cap and have to make a cut/trade to fill that hole.

So in summary. Steelers gave up a future 2nd (plus dead money) to draft a downgrade at TE and a FB who will likely never see the field. Maybe Howard will flourish and make it worth it down the line but right now it looks like a badly fumbled gamble

Panthers cut QB Matt Ryan and RG David Stewart

Wildcats cut RT Seantreal Henderson, ROLB Demario Davis, and SS Joe Goosby
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When reworking a contract, what happens to the remaining signing bonus?

Carries forward to the new deal I believe. That's how it works on holdouts at least

KCF's Favorite Picks

I'm going to go through each round of the NFL Draft and highlight my three favorite picks and explain why. For the most part, I look in the early rounds for perfect team fits based on historical production, a visible succession plan to starting job (or immediate starter), players who might be the missing piece to the puzzle, and selections that just make me think, "That guy's going to have a long, productive career somewhere." For the later rounds, I look for players who most likely have a chance of sticking around for a long-ish career for a myriad of reasons. While I do know some of the rookie ratings due to user signings, ratings were not a factor in my analysis nor were players dropping further than expected draft slot.

In addition, I will probably list an honorable mention or two and most importantly, a regret pick. What I mean by a regret pick is someone that I believe may have just made a mistake and went in the wrong direction. I will limit myself to just one per round and only for the first three rounds because honestly how much can you really regret in the sixth round?

I will try and limit picks that I made myself, but there will be a few. I will refrain from choosing any Pioneers picks. At the end of all this, I will also mention my three favorite team draft classes.
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First Round

Bills OT Garett Bolles (8th overall) - I'm not going to do the math again, but the Bills OL last season had the worst block:sack ratio in our league's history. It was not simply due to strategy either because War and the Aaron Rodgers-era Browns ran a similar strategy, and the OL performed nowhere near what the Bills managed to do. The Bills were considering going in other directions that would do nothing to solve their core problems, so like last season when I highlighted the Chiefs changing directions from CB to DT, I want to highlight the Bills finally putting a 1st rounder toward the OL. Now they should still going after multiple OL in free agency, but this move puts them in the right direction away from last season's disaster.

Redskins HB Ezekiel Elliot (15th overall) - We had four HBs go in a span of five picks in the first round, and it was Elliot who I believed landed in the perfect destination. With Pro Bowl talents at QB, WR, and TE, Elliot's pure running capabilities are what this team truly needs. The OL is a little bit in flux, but with users often shying away from OL in free agency, Washington will definitely land some quality interior OL to bring this offense to the next level. Elliot is my post-draft pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year, and I think he has the highest odds for becoming a future MVP in the league.

Broncos CB Kevin Johnson (20th overall) - Arguably the best defensive team in the league, they've had a revolving door of CBs outside of Phillip Buchanon. He's been gone for a few seasons now, but they've been putting serious resources at the positions the past two seasons. With great defensive pieces in front and behind them, Johnson and other CBs could really start to developmentally take off this season.

Honorable Mentions
Lightning DT Aaron Donald (10th overall)
Rams OLB Leonard Floyd (21st overall)

Regret Pick - Packers selecting CB James Bradberry over C Cameron Erving or Gs Brandon Scherff and Joshua Garnett

I'm sure Bradberry will be a fine player. That isn't the concern here. The issue is that the Packers had the most difficult offseason to navigate financially, and instead of following the path they were on, they veered off-course. Not only did they miss out on a chance to secure their RG spot for the present and future, but for a team that was on the cusp of making the Super Bowl, they will have to make several roster decisions to either significantly weaken their SB odds this season or put themselves in a big financial hole next season.
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2nd Round

Jets G Brandon Scherff (36th overall) - I want to reiterate that Scherff likely being a highly-rated rookie was not a factor here. The Jets, a prime bounceback candidate, are somewhat weak on the OL after the retirement of RT Kareem McKenzie. What they don't have in high-end talent across the board, they are seemingly making up for it with a lot of depth. OL, more than any other area, needs quality depth, and the Jets, who still will be getting at least OT in free agency, appear to be in as good of shape as any in the AFC in OL depth. As an added bonus, RG Jake Grove at 37 years old is seeing his career wind down, so Scherff will be in line to be his heir.

Raiders CB Trae Waynes (42nd overall) - If there was any concern that the Raiders D was a pretender after their surprise AFC title game run in S11, last season put that baseless theory to rest. The Raiders have been great at developing their young LBs and DBs, and Waynes has a chance to unseat 32-year-old DRC as the #2 CB to play in front of 90+ safeties in Reshad Jones and Kam Chancellor. They got this with the pick the Lightning gave them to sign backup QB Blake Bortles who had no future in Oakland after Andy Dalton's QB of the Year finalist season. The SB window for this Raiders team is just getting longer.

Seahawks MLB Joe Schobert (63rd overall) - I almost went with C.J. Mosley here given how reliable that Colts defense and Mosley has a higher chance to start as a rookie, but I see Schobert as the poster child of the excellent, mutually benefical AI draft day trade between the Seahawks and Cowboys. Schobert was the second pick among the haul Seattle received for trading down and third overall for the team, but he might end up being the best of them all.

Honorable Mentions
Panthers CB Malcolm Butler (35th overall)
Colts MLB C.J. Mosley (49th overall)

Regret Pick - 49ers selecting HB Thomas Rawls over OLB Kamalei Correa

I thought incumbent McKinnon had a higher rating, but he did have a more efficient rookie season than most HBs at his rating. While I understand the value since Rawls had a first round grade attached to him, I haven't been shy about my strong feelings for the 49ers grabbing an OLB early.
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3rd Round

Jets TE Hunter Henry (68th overall) - The Jets have had the same 1-2 punch at TE for seemingly the past 10 seasons, but with Teyo Johnson retired and Tim Day set to join him soon, the Jets and their TE friendly offense should see quick dividends and great development out of their rookie TE if he emerges out of the preseason as the starter.

Broncos DT Ego Ferguson (83rd overall) - I have already mentioned that the Broncos defense is excellent, and Ferguson gets to play as a rotational DT with four 90+ DL, including both starting DTs being in their 30s. This is how you draft well for the future in the middle rounds.

Dolphins SS Clayton Fjedelem (89th overall) - The Dolphins might be known as an OL factory given the quantity players being taken in during RFA, but if you go by quality, they are a SS factory. They've had five major players at the position. Three have won DB of the Year (Shaun Williams, Michael Huff, and Jaquiski Tartt), one has been the starter for three SB-winning teams (Antoine Bethea), and the other is likely the only B8NFLL DB to have multiple INTs and FFs+FRs in each of their first five seasons (Isa Abdul-Quudus). One or both of Bethea and Tartt will be leaving in this upcoming offseason, and while he won't be seeing the field much this season if injuries don't happen, he has a good chance of being the next great Dolphin SS.

Honorable Mentions
Lions HB Ameer Abdullah (69th overall)
Jaguars SS Justin Evans (93rd overall)

Regret Pick - Cowboys selecting SS Josh Jones over an OL

The Cowboys are going to be hard-capped next season, and 3/5 of their OL will be free agents. I don't know if they will be able to re-sign any of them. They have very few waiting in the wings, so now would have been a prime opportunity to have more players in the fold to develop and take over the reins next season.
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4th Round

Lions OLB Pete Hill (101st overall) - The Lions have been depressingly awful on defense since trading likely future Hall of Famer DT Claude Wroten in what is on a short list of the worst trades in B8NFLL history. Incumbent LOLB Junior Galette is a pretty mediocre OLB outside of his absurd 6 FRs last season, so it isn't an arduous path for Hill to become the starter. Maybe Hill can become what Avery Williamson is to the Wildcats.

49ers OLB Byron Jackson (105th overall) - The 49ers have the cap space to go after Connor Barwin or Tom Burton if they wish, but as of right now, neither are 49ers, so given what is known at this point, it appears that the LOLB spot will be occupied by Shazier or Jackson this season. Given how great 49ers LBs have historically been, getting a potential starter in the 4th round is better than anyone can realistically expect.

Bengals CB Steve O'Neal (107th overall) - Now the Bengals secondary isn't in good shape, but he could be a starter as a 4th round pick on an average defense. That's not a bad place to begin a career!

Honorable Mentions
Jets MLB Darryl Miller (100th overall)
Wildcats TE Tyler Kroft (114th overall)
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5th Round

Wildcats SS Montae Mackey (146th overall) - The Wildcats defense is still a work in progress, and SS is still a position they have yet to solve. Thanks to special teams and frequent sub-packages, backup SSs get a lot of action, so maybe Mackey will ultimately be the answer. Given the Wildcats do not have the cap space currently to go for a free agent upgrade, it isn't out of the question that Mackey becomes the starter.

Vikings G Darnay Caulley (153rd overall) - With a scrambling QB and one of the league's best HBs, the Vikings OL is going to get a lot of work in this season. The Vikings, will only have 4 Gs on the roster if they sign all of their rookies, and one is a 37-year-old who missed five games last season. There always seems to be one Day 3 OL taken that eventually becomes a long-time starter somewhere in the league. Caulley is as good of a bet as any to be that guy from this draft.

Cowboys WR Rory Henderson (159th overall) - The Cowboys aren't a prolific passing team, but they've have a surprisingly good history of developing Day 3 WRs. Given their cap space woes for the near future, it is possible Henderson could emerge as a future slot receiver, with a very remote chance of being a future starter.

Honorable Mentions
Bengals DT Oge Burton (139th overall)
Packers TE Pete Gonzalez (158th overall)
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6th Round

Bears MLB David Smith (167th overall) - There's a long history of Day 3 MLBs becoming fixtures in the league. To name a few, Bryan Vinson was a 6th rounder of the 49ers. John Abbate was a 7th rounder of the Hawks, and Clifton Thompson a 5th rounder of the Packers. If David Smith is to be included among those names, it won't be as a Bear, but the path will begin here.

Lightning SS Dale King (170th overall) - It's possible he will be buried on the depth chart if the Lightning go after someone in free agency, but on a very fluid roster with a starting SS whose play and development hasn't guaranteed himself a new contract beyond this season, King has a chance of being the starter come next season.

Seahawks G Rocky Cooper (176th overall) - Currently penciled in as the starting LG, Josh White was a former 5th round pick. Top free agent Gs Grayling Love and David Stewart were former mid-round picks of the Seahawks (Stewart was a fantasy draft pick, but he was in the low-70s as a rookie, so I'm using him as an example anyway!). The Seahawks have a pretty good history of developing mid-round Gs. With an OL full of injury issues and many veterans in their final seasons, Cooper can become another in a long-line of Seahawk-developed Gs.

Honorable Mentions
Jets HB Mike James (164th overall)
Cowboys MLB Byron Lott (191st overall)
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7th Round

Lions DT Jay Flowers (197th overall) - Even though the Lions D is still trying to find out the right combination of players and strategy to approach league average levels, Flowers has a chance to fight for the #3 DT job, so good for him.

Rams WR Adam Preston (213th overall) - There is a trade in the works for the Rams to acquire a starting WR, but regardless, the Rams have the thinnest WR depth. With QB Ryan Tannehill having a bounceback season, and fifth round rookie Barron Ogden having a very impressive rookie season as the #4 WR, Preston landed in a great place to keep his NFL dreams alive.

Cowboys C Jorge Agnew (223rd overall) - Back in our first draft in S2, the second-to-last pick of the draft was C Nick Mangold who has 90 starts in 11 seasons with the Dolphins and Browns. I have already mentioned the Cowboys financial woes, impending OL free agents, and lack of players waiting in the wings. Could their 7th rounder be their future starter in the middle? Anything is possible, but at the very least, he could be one of the few players taken in the round to get a second contract and still be in the league in two seasons.

Honorable Mentions
Panthers DT Michael Thomas (195th overall)
Broncos DE Darryl Curtis (212th overall)
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Favorite Three Draft Classes

Detroit Lions
QB Jared Goff (5th)
G Joshua Garnett (37th)
HB Ameer Abdullah (69th)
OLB Pete Hill (101st)
DE Larry Davis (133rd)
TE Clay Hales (165th)
DT Jay Flowers (197th)

In a division where two teams had a combined one pick in the first three rounds (Bears and Vikings), and the other had a disappointing one (Packers), the Lions did an excellent job to try and get out of this rebuild phase. You have the starting QB who won't be the injury-prone, mediocre E.J. Manuel, much-needed bodies on the interior OL and backfield, a potential starter at OLB, and a late round DT who could have a long career. It may not scream one of the best, and the Lions are probably still at least a season away from being playoff contenders, but I think this is the start of a significantly better Lions team than those we have seen in recent seasons.

Miami Dolphins
OLB T.J. Watt (25th)
MLB Jordan Tripp (32nd)
DE Kony Ealy (39th)
DT Timmy Jernigan (46th)
CB Steven Nelson (53rd)
OLB J.J. Krause (64th)
OT Will Holden (71st)
G Isaac Seumalo (78th)
DT Shamar Stephen (84th)
SS Clayton Fejedelem (89th)
K Chandler Catanzaro (128th)
FS Corwin Kato (135th)
QB Garrett Grayson (142nd)
C Chad Van Dyke (224th)

That's one way to replenish a defense that saw two retire (OLBs D.J. Williams and Daryl Smith), two depart in free agency (DT Ndamukong Suh and MLB Paul Worrilow), and a top reserve signed away in RFA (DE Cassius Marsh). The sheer volume of picks and where they were located makes it almost impossible not to include them on this list, but given where they spent those picks, they were the most obvious candidate to include. They could have as many as three rookie starters, and many other top reserves and potential future starters in Miami or somewhere else. They also spent their second ever draft pick on a QB, and seeing how that first one turned out, Grayson is probably going to be something special, even if it is just an ace clipboard holder.

New York Jets
CB Jalen Ramsey (4th)
G Brandon Scherff (36th)
TE Hunter Henry (68th)
MLB Darryl Miller (100th)
QB Jeff Driskel (132nd)
HB Mike James (164th)
SS Andy Nelson (196th)

After uncharacteristically finding themselves in the Top 5, the Jets made the most of this opportunity. Ramsey is an instant starter in a fantastic secondary. Henry and Miller are potential Week 1 starters. Scherff is another piece to a deep OL and should become the RG once incumbent Grove retires. Driskel could end up being the backup QB after the Jets traded Mariota. James may have the best odds out of anybody in our history to become the first HB taken in the 6th or later to become a starter. Nelson is the backup at SS, which means he will see a ton of action. Every player selected was given the opportunity to craft a long career in this league, with the Jets even.

Honorable Mentions
Dallas Cowboys
Denver Broncos
Indianapolis Colts
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AI trade

Rams receive:
WR Martin Nance (90 overall, 35 years old)

Giants receive:
HB Ryan Matthews (84 overall, 28 years old)
FS Justin Simmons (76 overall, 24 years old)
QB Jay Fernandez (73 overall, 25 years old)

Giants incur a $1.26 mil cap penalty next season to turn an $8.85 mil cap hit into $4.13 mil
Rams incur incur a $1.24 mil cap penalty next season, but they have AI cap space, so this is nothing.

With Roy Williams retiring and Michael Crabtree traded, the Rams had a big need at WR and got a better one than they could get in free agency.

The Giants had substantial cap issues. Moving on from Nance also allows them to start rookie Tyler Lockett. Matthews gives them a very capable backup HB, and Simmons is coming off of a rookie season where he had 1 sack, 1 FF, and 2 FRs. Fernandez is roster filler as this also plugs the final two holes on the Giants roster.

Giants also release DE Trace Crockett and CB Demetrice Morley as a result of this trade.
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To Do:
- Add draft class to draft notebook
- Clean up inbox, again
- Spend more time into my project
- Do my Top 5 players at each position
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I have also been cleaning out my outbox for about half an hour now, and I finally dipped below 1000.
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I regret not regularly taking care of my inbox/outbox. I think that I have deleted over 2000 items now.
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bumpo

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Less than 12 hours

So here's how my draft went

1st - OT DJ Humphries - 83
2nd - WR Quincy Enunwa - 77
3rd - TE O.J. Howard - 76
3rd - C Pat Elflein - 76
4th - QB Joshua Dobbs - 74
5th - FB Trevor Simmons - 68
5th - OLB Kory Schroeder - 71
7th - DT Greg Jackson - 69

Here's what I probably should have done different if I had stuck to my original plan (WR, TE and FB were all draft day decisions swayed by different things)

2nd - OLB Correa (78) or MLB Mosley (78) or G Benenoch (80)
3rd - OLB Perry (77) or MLB Minter (76) or G Drango (79) or DT Ferguson (76)
5th - DE Davis (74)

Or more realistically, I wouldn't have had the 3rd and 5th and would have had my 6th as I wouldn't have made the trade. My original plan had been:

OT
HB (pre draft trade took care of this)
OLB/MLB = C/G
DT = QB
DE

So in hindsight my original plan would have worked out better if I hadn't tried and failed to be smart.

My only pick that really mattered here was 1st and I aced it so I get an A

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Average rating by round projection (I'm throwing out FB/K/P from the equations just because)

Top 15
2017 - 82.8
2016 - 82.53
2015 - 83.6 (Top 10 not 15 that year)
2014 - 83.6

1st
2017 - 81.5
2016 - 81.07
2015 - 80.37 (inflated by Top 15 being reduced)
2014 - 81.08

1st-2nd
2017 - 80.11
2016 - 79.66
2015 - 79.77
2014 - 80

2nd
2017 - 79
2016 - 79
2015 - 78.38
2014 - 78.6

2nd-3rd
2017 - 78.44
2016 - 77.12
2015 - 77.2
2014 - 77

3rd
2017 - 76.52
2016 - 75.78
2015 - 75.9
2014 - 76.04

3rd-4th
2017 - 76.22
2016 - 75.71
2015 - 76.28
2014 - 76.87

4th
2017 - 75.73
2016 - 74.42
2015 - 75.18
2014 - 74.52

4th-5th
2017 - 74.22
2016 - 74.87
2015 - 74.77
2014 - 75.37

5th
2017 - 73.6
2016 - 73.63
2015 - 73.5
2014 - 74.04

5th-6th
2017 - 71.88
2016 - 73.5
2015 - 71.55
2014 - 72.71

6th
2017 - 71.52
2016 - 71.1
2015 - 72.35
2014 - 71.47

6th-7th
2017 - 70.55
2016 - 70.62
2015 - 71.5
2014 - 71.77

7th
2017 - 68.76
2016 - 69.26
2015 - 68.33
2014 - 69

Undrafted
2017 - 67.37
2016 - 67.33
2015 - 64
2014 - 66

I may do average ratings of where players are now at a later point but just as a quick example of what I mean. The average rating of someone with a 1st round projection (including Top 15) from the 2014 draft as of today is 87.03

WARNING

A lot of wordy posts are incoming. You have been warned [socko].
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