Mike Mayock Thinks Bucs Should Draft Dez Bryant
February 23rd, 2010
Assuming the Bucs stay at No. 3 and defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy are gone, NFL draft guru Mike Mayock believes the Bucs should draft wide receiver Dez Bryant.
Play along with Joe:
Let’s say the Bucs remain at No. 3 overall.
Let’s say both defensive tackles, manbeast Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy, are both gone.
What next?
No less an authority than Mike Mayock, the premiere NFL draft analyst who works for no less than the NFL Network, has an idea:
Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant.
Taking part in a conference call yesterday, Mayock spoke about the Bucs, so documents Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.
Mayock’s concern is great enough, in fact, that he said the Bucs should strongly consider taking suspended Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant at that spot.
“He’s my third rated player in the country,” Mayock said of Bryant, “and you’ve got a young quarterback there you’re trying to develop and the best thing you can do for him is get him an Andre Johnson-type wide receiver.”
Mayock said the Bucs have a wealth of needs which include help in the defensive backfield but he said he believes their needs match up well with the areas of greatest depth in this year’s draft class.
Drafting Bryant so high would surprise Joe a little bit, but Joe remembers Raheem the Dream talking about surrounding quarterback Josh Freeman with weapons. Selecting Bryant would certainly fit that description.
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:02 pm
I guess Dez Bryant should be interesting, and im not sure but, i guess all the hype on Suh and McCoy should be the same than last year with OT between Jason Smith and Eugene Monroe, all about that 2 guys but the real deal werent this 2, it was Michael Oher, so i guess the DT can be added maybe trading down, i like the way Brian Price plays at DT, just a thought
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:04 pm
I’m on board. I’ve been saying if no McCoy to trade back and grab Bryant or Hayden. Staying at 3 and grabbing Bryant is ok by me as well. I like Mayock better than Kiper or McShay, he’s more accurate in his player assessment.
If we’re not going to stop teams, we have to at least rack up points.
And yes, the draft is deep with our team needs.
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Let us not forget, we can always trade a later pick\player and move UP into the 1st round thus having two 1st round picks.
Mark wants to build the team thru the draft…put your money where your mouth is…
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Who is Gerald Perry?
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:08 pm
The more talk about the defensive line man in this draft, the more I think we should go offense. If Mike Mayock thinks this guy is a Andre Johnson type, Wow. That is all i need to hear. Freeman to Bryant, Dez that is. Imagine if we resigned Antonio Bryant as well. The dynamic Bryant and Bryant / combo, and their little friend Stroughter too. Damn, i am bored.
On another note, i do think we need to get a young running back in the mix too. Someone in the 3rd or 4th round. A bigger guy with some pop, this team needs to emulate the Jets. Maybe the running back out of Mississippi State. A Shonn Greene type..
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:12 pm
LOL Joe just knew he was going to make that mistake sooner or later. Joe already caught himself typing that name a couple of times before.
No idea why Joe thinks of Gerald Perry when he’s typing Gerald McCoy.
Could be worse: Joe could type Colt McCoy, which he hasn’t done yet. Odd.
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Taking Dez at #3 would be stupid. I’m not saying I am smarter than Mayock, but it would be stupid and that’s a fact. Here’s why.
If Suh and McCoy are gone, and we want Bryant, Price, or Haden….we CAN trade down. No matter what is happening with other teams, if we decide to take much less than what the point system says we should get for moving down, then a team WILL make the trade.
To move from 3 to 10 for example, the point system says the other team would need to compensate us for a whopping 900 points. 900 points is equal to the 18th pick of the first round. However, if we agreed to make the move for say a 2nd or even 3rd rounder, the other team would be getting a ridiculously great deal and would jump on it. People might be scratching thier heads and fans might be furiously screaming the Glazers are cheap bastards who don’t care about the team, but the reality is….
At #10 we still get to draft who we wanted (Price, Haden, or Bryant) for much less money, AND we get a 2nd or 3rd round pick in a very loaded draft. So in the end, taking less would net us more.
Bottomline is, there is NO reason to stay at #3 if Suh and McCoy are gone. Unless we take Okung. :p
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:29 pm
The Tribune Bucs writer is Roy Cummings. Always a solid source.
February 23rd, 2010 at 6:03 pm
I have no objections to that pick. So many needs, but with K2 , Stroughter and Dez they should be able to light it up. Wait, who’s calling the plays again??? Maybe they should draft defense.
February 23rd, 2010 at 6:07 pm
I can see raheem takin dez at 3 but I perfer they trade down and pick up more pick and then land dez cuz more picks the better and more pick means more depth at certain places! I just can’t discard kiper he said last year that we would draft freemen and who to say we won’t draft berry but I perfer dez. But kipers not often wrong!
February 23rd, 2010 at 6:08 pm
The Andre Johnson comparison is a bold one. If it turns out to be true, no one could fault the Bucs for taking Dez at #3. The trouble is, taking Dez at #3 means that’s the expectation – and, basically, if he isn’t Andre Johnson right from the start, he’s a bust.
Stroughter and Dez Bryant makes me salivate a little bit, but I agree with JDouble. There’s no reason to take Bryant at #3 if trading down is an option. Getting even one more Day 1 pick could (and, in my humble opinion, would) mean another starter. Our team has more holes than Swiss cheese, it’s only logical to fill as many holes as possible.
February 23rd, 2010 at 6:26 pm
U guyz make it sound easy. Just trade down but it take two to tangle and from what I’ve be readin there not many teamz that wanna trade up to or into the top five the money they would have to dish out for 3rd pick !
February 23rd, 2010 at 6:34 pm
Zech, that’s why I always qualify any opinion I have on trading down with the phrase, “if trading down is an option.” Because you’re right, odds are good that it’s not. I just think Dom should do everything in his power to trade down.
February 23rd, 2010 at 6:40 pm
It’s easy to say “trade down” ….but if no other teams want to trade up??
Reportedly all 3 of the top 3 teams are attempting to trade down , without many takers so far. Why?? Because no wants to pay 30 million garanteed to a rookie when the next CBA will probably limit rookie salaries.
So , if you CANT trade down , both tackles are gone , and you lose Antonio Bryant in free agency , I think you would be a complete MORON not to consider Dez Bryant.
February 23rd, 2010 at 6:45 pm
I agree with u totally but do I think it will happen its tough to say I want the bucs to pick up more picks but it depends if they can get another team like seattle or sanfrancisco that have two first round picks to give the bucs both first and a second round pick for the 3rd pick!
February 23rd, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Dez Bryant isn’t another Calvin Johnson or another Larry Fitzgerald. These are the only 2 receivers that I would have drafted in the position we find ourselves in this year. When was the last time a top 5 receiver made the Pro Bowl other than Fitzgerald?
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:04 pm
We have so many holes in the line ups on both side of the ball..
I be OK with Dez…
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Passers make the Resievers, not the other way around. Taking Dez at #3 is dumb. I garauntee we can trade down if we accept a 3rd round pick as our compensation.
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:18 pm
Jdouble altho I agree with u but if the recievers keep droppin the ball like clayton. I would trade down and then pick up more picks. I wouldn’t trade down from 3 to 10 or 13 for a 3rd rounder I would want a 2nd rounder. Then I would draft dez bryant we gotta surrond freemen with some good catching reciever!
February 23rd, 2010 at 7:27 pm
“Passers make the Resievers, not the other way around.”…….oh I see…
the ole which came first argument….the chicken or the egg…
brilliant
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:14 pm
This has my stamp of approval… for whatever that is worth. :-/
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Zech….you still get Dez Bryant wether you take a 2nd or a 3rd. The difference is we might not have a trade partner if we demand a second. Someone will bite if we take a third.
If you guys are ok with taking Bryant at #3…why would you be against taking a 3rd rounder to drop back a few spots and draft him there instead? You get the same exact player with a smaller contract and an extra pick.
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:25 pm
Point system says #10 team would have to give us thier 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rounder to move up to #3. That will never happen. The point I’m trying to make is if we accept a mere 3rd round pick to drop back 3-7 spots, the other team is getting a great deal and we still get the player we want, plus we pick up a 3rd round pick.
Screw What the point system says we SHOULD get. If we wanted Bryant it would make sense to get anything we could, even if it was just a 3rd round pick….and then take Bryant anyways. Like I said before, we’d get more by excepting less.
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:25 pm
JDouble,
Why should we be willing to accept less for our puck in order to trade down? None of organizations ever accept less for a player or pick than what they are worth. In fact, the argument can be made that the top organizations get more value out of the trades they are a part of (i.e. Pats trading Seymour for a first round pick). If we are truly trying to change things in Tampa in building through the draft, then why shoot ourselves in the foot like that? If Dominik has shown us anything it is his adept ability to get great return in trades (Kellen Winslow, 2nd rounder for Gaines). Your logic seems to be illogical.
Anybody, am I wrong in the way I’m thinking here?
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Tommy Boy, you’re not getting what JDouble is saying. If we want Bryant, we should get whatever we can for the third pick, trade down into the late top-10, and draft Bryant there. If we stay at three and draft Bryant, we get nothing extra, but if we move down using his scenario, we get an extra third-rounder (which in this draft might be another starter).
It’s not that we SHOULD only accept an extra third-rounder to move down… just that, if Bryant is truly who we want, we should get what we can.
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Tommy Boy – JDouble is correct in his logic.
The reason TO trade down like JDouble suggests is:
1. Smaller contract for the Round 1 player
2. More picks overall
3. By asking for a lower 1st round and 3rd round it makes it MORE likely another team would be interesting in trading up.
In order to trade down let us hope and pray that Bradford has a GREAT pro day and that Claussen lights up at the combine. The more these QB’s look and do better the more likely it will be that the Bucs can do a trade with Washington/Seattle/Cleveland/Kansas City, etc.,
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Then in essence we are running this team as if we were frequenting a pawn shop. We have a gold necklace that is worth $500 but are willing to accept $200 because we want cash now. You’re saying accept a lower round pick just to have an additional pick, essentially accepting a lesser quality player. Correct me if I’m wrong, but we need quality more so than quantity.
Furthermore, let’s not give the impression that we are pushovers amongst the other organizations in the league. Doing what JDouble is suggesting will send the signal that the Bucs can get fleeced. I respect JDouble’s opinions, I just can’t agree with them.
In the end, the Bucs brass is going to probably do what no one expects. It is fun to debate about it though.
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:35 pm
Jdhelfrich,
Think about this, what if we trade down and then some other team picks Dez. Then we gave up our pick for less than what it was worth and also lost out on the player we wanted.
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:59 pm
I say we only trade our 3rd overall pick to a team that needs a Qb and that has 2 number 1 picks like seattle and get them to give us a later 1rst rounder and 2 or 3 round pick so enesance we have 2 number 1 picks 2 2nd round picks and possibly 2 3rd round picks. That’s whay I would like to se but who knows!
February 23rd, 2010 at 11:19 pm
The trade value chart is outdated and inapplicable to the highest picks that can’t be traded away easily due to the financial burden.
The value of picks isn’t static and determined by a simple chart, it depends on the benefits for both teams and the leverage they have in their position. Just like a real negotiation. If the Bucs are desperate to get rid of their pick, teams will be offering less for it because they know the Bucs will accept a lower offer. If there’s little competition for the pick, again teams will offer less for the pick because there’s no need to offer more.
Which is exactly why a 2nd rounder may just be good enough for the Bucs to move down, while they won’t actually be getting ripped off. Especially in this really deep, high-talent draft more picks are very valuable, a lower salary hit is valuable too, and the talent drop-off between #3 and, say, #10 isn’t that big. And aside from DT, the Bucs have so many holes that they can use as many talent-infusions as they can get.
February 23rd, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Zech,
Im not sure about the GM, but I question whether the Dream can follow all that………………if they have to pull that off on draft day he might break into convulsions.
February 24th, 2010 at 1:53 am
The bucs can just as easily trade back with Seattle (6th) to take Dez as they can to 10, bc seattle has two 1st round picks. Problem is they don’t have a 3rd. They’d offer the 4th, we’d want the 2nd rounder so who knows….
I think the biggest mistake we can make in the draft this year is to “fall in love” with one guy. With so many holes to fill, really ANYONE we pick with top 10 talent is an instant upgrade to our team. I understand both sides of the value argument and see your points, but in my opinion you should never sell yourself short of your value.
February 24th, 2010 at 3:41 am
you gotta trade up to #1 and grab suh….if that doesnt happen you fall back with a trade to lie #10 or #14 and grab a second rounder with it……either move up to win at first pick or fall back and get extra picks from a well stocked draft………….adam from ny
ps mike may*ock might be good…but not that good…………toddy mcshay is a complete fool……..and mel kiper cant stand that little runt acting like he knows….and mel thinks the guy is actually jeopardizing his job security longterm
February 24th, 2010 at 3:42 am
you gotta trade up to #1 and grab suh….if that doesnt happen you fall back with a trade to like #10 or #14 and grab a second rounder with it……either move up to win at first pick or fall back and get extra picks from a well stocked draft………….adam from ny
ps mike may*ock might be good…but not that good…………toddy mcshay is a complete fool……..and mel kiper cant stand that little runt acting like he knows….and mel thinks the guy is actually jeopardizing his job security longterm
February 24th, 2010 at 3:48 am
****look at the picture of dez bryant….due somehow to the glare on his helmet face mask it looks like he has giant light blue cabbage patch eyes, a big thick bridged elephant man nose, and a tiny mouth shaped like the the nike insignia…what a funny looking dude….take a look …….you gotta look….he looks so silly behind that mask……
who is that masked man?……its not dezzy arnez it just a freaky looking guy that mike mayjock is riding hard
adam from ny
February 24th, 2010 at 8:03 am
Tommy Boy – I had to laugh when you used the pawn shop example but for arguments sake – yeah you’re right.
The problem with your thinking is this: you THINK your gold necklace is worth $500 but when no one wants it and it’s only worth $250 in gold why should you expect to get $500?
Just like the housing market – people believed their housing prices would increase 10% y/y well guess what? The market wasn’t there and now with over 25% of people underwater in their mortgages…
On the Bucs if they were only 1 or 2 players from being contenders I would hold out for the “price” I wanted; that isn’t the case. The Bus have too many needs and in this case yes quantity over quality is the case.
Having said that I would only want to see this IF and only IF both DT’s are gone with picks 1 & 2. My personal preference would be to snag either McCoy or Suh – dropping down for additional picks would be my back-up plan and in order to make that happen you’ve gotta sweeten the pot to get a trading partner.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:16 am
I happen to like Dez Bryant. I think that would be a great pick at three. When it comes to the draft I have a rule: Do not go with the guys that are overhyped. I.E. Joe harrington, dan wilkenson, glenn dorsey. The list of overhyped players seems to go on and on. We are boardering on overhyping these DT’s. Remember with the exeption of Sapp and a very few others like hall of fame others, DT is not a sexy pick. They are there to clog the middle to allow others to make splash plays or regular plays. I hope everyone knows they may not see Suh or McCoy making all of these spectacular sacks and tackles in the backfield. It is very rare to have a DT make big plays themselves. That is what made Sapp special. Look at Lavar Arrington. He made all sorts of plays at Penn State and although he was a servicable linebacker, he was nothing close to what he was hyped to be. If the buc fans want sexy they need to look at Bryant. Underrated and all he did in college is make plays. If all of us were excited about calvin johnson we should be just as excited about Bryant if we go that way. Plus, there are other DT’s in this draft that will get us bucs fans where we need to go.
February 24th, 2010 at 9:54 am
Chris,
Excellent post.
Some “juice” for the offense would be refreshing, and the bucs have never hit on a great wide out in ROund One. Maybe they are due.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Chris:
Not sure if Joey Harrington was overhyped. Joe believes Harrington was ruined when the Lions tried to turn him into a west coast quarterback. He had never been a west coast quarterback.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:03 am
I think this year’s overhyped players would be Jason Pierre-Paul and Eric Berry. Pierre-Paul is a one year wonder that hasn’t done much of anything and yet he’s being projected as a top five pick. If I here that Eric Berry is the next Ed Reed one more time I’ll puke. I don’t think it’s possible to over hype Suh. He is truly a man beast.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:59 am
joe – detroit didnt ruin ERIC HIPPLE…..lol……just something to think about……adam from ny
February 24th, 2010 at 11:00 am
im going to call culpepper & kurland…..i have beef with the glazers over tickets…im going to get brad on the case…..adam from ny
February 24th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Mayock is either on the payroll of one of our competitors in the NFC South, or has mental problems. The top 3 players (starters) in the draft are Suh, McCoy, & Berry. While we all want Suh, the Bucs are a better team with either McCoy or Berry too. We need defense before “any” offensive players. what the Bucs better do is re-sign Bryant.
February 24th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Mayock has been, by far, the most accurate predictor of prospects over the past three years. I’m not agreeing with him either, but his proven track record is something to consider.
February 24th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
I would love us to draft Dez at #3!! Thats what I’ve been saying all along. I just hope we can trade down and pick up a second rounder and still get him. This guy is amazing in every aspect of his game. He would be worth the # 3 pick. I would just like us to get a 2nd rounder also. What about a trade with Oakland. We send them the #3 pick and maybe a 3rd rounder for their # 8 pick and Asomaugh. He and Revis are the top 2 corners in the league so why not go after him. To have N.A. and Talib would be awesome. And we could still probably draft Dez Bryant at #8 as well!!! That would be the best scenario. IMO