Just like a Game 7 in playoff basketball, BIG GAME football is all about matchups and game changing plays. No second chances. Winner take all. Tyrann Mathieu is my selection at #56, & without a doubt in the 3rd round. He is a dynamic playmaker, game changer, difference maker, and turnover creator. And here are my reasons...
We need quality over quantity these days in Superbowl favorite land people. We have 10 picks and there aren't 10 open roster slots in the final 53. We all love the fact that we are closer than we have ever been to winning it all... so, lets get real. Its football. One year ago, this guy is a top quality, ultra talented, 'Ball So Hard' top ten pick!!! Mark my words, a month from now... it would be a Russell Wilson style draft coup to get this guy at 56, let alone 87.
Forget 2nd round DTs & LBs, we can get those in the later rounds. What we need desperately is a better nickel CB to help us get off the field on 3rd downs, thus, I bring Mathieu into the fold as the missing "Fifth element" of the Legion of Boom.
Get him out of friggin' LSUisiana, let bygones be bygones, and let him feel a whole "new family" feeling of the Team, the 12th Man, and a sold out Century Link rockin' a high like no other! Besides, all it would take for Tyrann is creating a bigtime turnover vs. the Whiners, or returning a punt for a TD at the C-Link, and he'd be 'hooked' on a whole new healthy lifestyle.
Did Bruce Irvin have ATL regional history, major baggage, and was he a "risky pick"? YES.
Did he get into trouble and revert to his old ways? A RESOUNDING NO.
Before we went JS/PC crazy in freeagency, and got real playmaker/game changer in Percy Harvin for the slot, and 2 of the best 3 available passrushing DEs, I would have considered DE in Rd. 1, and Zach Ertz and/or Ryan Swope at #56 as similar 12th man fan favorites who would make a difference as offensive 3rd down specialists. The goal being in my mind to try and gain more first downs and keep opposing high powered offenses off the field. After all, it wasn't so long ago we were scoring approximately 20 points a game y'know... and we can't always play from 2 or 3 TDs behind and expect road playoff miracles. Sure, if we score 50 every week? No problem...
BUT... our biggest obstacles to Superbowl Immmortality are the Falcons, the 49ers, and Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. To win those BIGTIME games we need to win the turnover battle, get off the field on third downs, and get the ball back into the potent hands of Russell Wilson and Company. Sure, now, we can score... but to win the Lombardi Trophy we need to prevent the 49ers, Falcons, and Broncos from scoring more.
In summation, the pick is the 'HoneyBadger', Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU.
"The Look" on the field is like so...
On "basic" third downs, we take runstuffers Red, KJ, and Morgan off... Bring in Irvin, Mathieu, & Bennett... drop Chancellor to the coverageLB... & go with 5 pass rushers, Bobby Wagner and "OUR 5" vs. "THEIR 5". (D-line/defensive backs vs. o-line/offensive backs) like so...
{M.Ryan}
{Clabo, Konz, McClure, Blalock, S. Baker}
{R. White, J. Rogers, H. Douglas, Gonzalez, J. Jones}
[Kaepernick]
[A. Davis, Iupati, Goodwin, Boone, Staley]
[Crabtree, L. James, Boldin, V. Davis, Moss]
(P. Manning)
(Franklin, Ramirez, Koppen, Beadles, Clady)
(Decker, Moreno, Stokley, Tamme, D. Thomas)
vs.
Irvin, Avril, Mebane, Bennett, Clemens
B. Wagner
Sherman, Mathieu, Thomas, Chancellor, Browner
I believe with our newfound passrush specialists, and a "playmaking nickel corner with Legion of Boom attitude" at #56, (let alone #87) we can legitimately lineup with, and defeat, ANYBODY.
And to me, that smells like Superbowl victory.
:thirishdrinkers: