Regarding the malicious and false claim that I had a bunch of targeted tight ends at the top of round one.
Here from my very first thread on this forum…April 2.
Link:
You mean your first post after running away with your feelings hurt, then changing your name? And I don’t think posting your idea of trading up to take a TE in the 1st round is saying what you think its saying.
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Trading down…is what I wrote in my April post. It’s right there in the screen grab and link.
As for all this other nonsense that I must be a narcissist, a sociopath, a Lazarus poster who has returned from the grave after haunting this forum under 11 different personnas…whateva.
I’ll keep it classy, and not chase nonsense.
Now that’s funny lol 
Always liked me some Lassie. Thanks for the tribute!
I view TE’s as secondary WR’s/ more like WR’s under a different positional name, I could care less where they get picked, and care far more --how they produce and help the team.
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Beyond that excellent point, LaPorta was taken with a bonus second round pick [No. 34 overall], that the Lions didn’t have when Round 1 started.
And it’s clear that didn’t value LaPorta as a 1st Rd pick because they took Jack Campbell ahead of him.
Obviously, they valued him more than Branch, but it sounded like a close call.
Anyway, I don’t think many had any objection to drafting LaPorta in Rd 2 because Rounds 2 and 3 are where TEs should be drafted, not Rd 1.
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Just 16 snaps on offense.
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I have about a half dozen saved mock drafts that included us drafting LaPorta.
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Will give you credit for Kincaid at No. 21:
R1 (25) BUFFALO BILLS (VIA JAX): TE DALTON KINCAID, UTAH
Pick Grade: Elite
The Bills make a small jump to land the premier pass-catching tight end in the draft in Kincaid. This is a huge value pick for the 10th overall player on the PFF big board. Kincaid was the focal point of the Utah offense and led all players at the position with a 91.8 PFF receiving grade in 2022.
But, suggesting the Lions trade down to take Kincaid with a premium pick in Rd 1 is not the same as them taking LaPorta in Rd 2 at No. 34 overall. And, it doesn’t rebut anyone’s position that taking a TE in Rd 1 is a poor use of draft resources relative to other options or positions available.
You traded UP to get Kincaid in the 1st round. Your scenario played out like the actual draft. The difference is you didn’t wait for LaPorta or any other TE. You traded into the 1st round to grab a TE.
Perfectly said. When the idea of taking a TE in the 1st round comes up, most of the board cringes. But as soon as the 2nd round starts, the feelings change rapidly. There are a handful of posters who specifically said that LaPorta in the 2nd round would be a pick they could support. I remember @Jman really liked Tucker Kraft in the 3rd round. That was a really good “called shot” because he not only identified the player, he nailed the value.
In his post he didn’t trade down to take Kincaid. He traded UP with the Chargers to take Kincaid. If you relate his post to how the real draft unfolded, Brad would have still taken Gibbs and Campbell. But he wouldn’t have waited at 34 for LaPorta. He would have traded back into the 1st round to grab Kincaid.
Piecing together the conversations, it appears that Branch might have had a higher “grade” than LaPorta. Taking LaPorta was not a pure BPA choice. Dan apparently had a mancrush on Sam, and Brad was smart enough to know that if they passed on Sam at 34 he would be gone by 48. The way Dan explained the Brian Branch pick to Sheila makes me think that the staff saw him as a little redundant to CJGJ. So while Branch may have had a higher “grade,” the role he would play, the character score and how the draft was playing out all led to taking LaPorta and taking the risk of losing Branch.
I’ve heard it said there are perhaps only 20 or so true 1st round worthy picks in this class. With that in mind I’d like to trade down, while also finding a trade-up partner.- YAC/ Catholic Ninja
Yeah, that’s not exactly what you said. Like @Air2theThrown said, just own it. Own what you said. You clearly wanted to trade back and get more picks, take Breese and then trade-UP for Kincaid. Is that not what you wrote?
I especially like how you came back after getting kicked off the board and acted like it was your first time ever seeing the board.
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Thank you.
Not gonna front, taking a TE at pick 34 was early for me. But after day 1 I told the board get ready the pick is gonna be a TE LOL.
I woulda deferred to Brad after Skoronski was gone. Thinking he would say:
Nolan Smith & Calijah Kancey. Nope!
Gibbs & Campbell - two guys I loved, early than I thought. Oh well.
Round 2/3- I woulda went Branch NB, OCyrus RG, and Hyatt/Tillman WR or Tucker Kraft TE
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Its hard to pinpoint exactly which direction Brad is going to go because they put personality and football character so high on the list. There are things about the players we have no clue about that can move a guy up or become a deal breaker for Brad. I think Gibbs vs Bijan is a good example. We can debate all day long on which guy the staff would prefer. But we would have had no clue that there were things about Gibbs character and background that made the staff fall in love with him.
I think LaPorta is another one of those guys that had “it.” Goff talked about how many guys we have on the team that showed up on Wednesday with a positive attitude and ready to do battle. Whether we win or lose the previous week is irrelevant. Those guys show up as the same person every single week. Goff said that stuff is infectious to the rest of the team. But what he thinks is special about the types of guys Brad and Dan bring in is that they don’t need someone else to motivate them on Monday. As you might imagine, they identified LaPorta as one of those guys.
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It’s true. But when I look back at drafts there’s always the comparisons.
This year for me will be Laporta and Hooker vs OCyrus , Kraft, or Tenn WR.
Branch is a stud his vs Quan Martin NB Kerbys teammate went a few picks later.
Brodric Martin or was waiting being patient to see if he makes it to round 4 or just take NT Cameron Young Miss St , was that the right move.
I personally would have waited and not traded up.
Then you have “your guys” Ivan Pace, Darius Rush, Stetson Bennett, Deuce Vaughn, etc
Always follow them and look back on drafts and be like damn he made it or damn can’t believe he didn’t make it