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Most of this weekend I will spend on free agency and how to rebuild through that in a league with a growing cap. However, I think there I should go ahead and get my thoughts out there on some trade down prospects with a team that I believe is likely to go after the top pick in the 2016 NFL Draft: San Francisco.
My reasoning
Whether you are mocking them a quarterback in the fourth round like Chad Reuter or in the first round like they do at Alpha Football, if you are the 49ers you can't go into the season with Blaine Gabbert as your starting quarterback.
Before you correct me and say that Chip Kelly is perfect for Colin Kaepernick, you need to know that neither he nor the 49ers really want him in San Francisco. He is making way to much money for the team to keep him at his current salary, and he doesn't want to be with the team enough to take a cap hit.
Not only that, but Chip Kelly has gone towards pro-style quarterbacks in recent history anyway. Remember when he made Nick Foles look great? That is because his offense relies on things other than pure athleticism and/or a quarterback that can carry the ball 10-12 times per game.
That is a conversation for a different time, but the point is the quality of quarterback in that locker room is terrible, and what GM and team President need to make an impact more than the guys who fired Jim Harbaugh for Jim Spagnola who they promptly fired? No one.
That is why they should/will make a trade for a quality quarterback or risk mediocrity by beating the worst teams in the league with a decent running game and a streaky defense and ending up picking around 6-12 every year.
So what would a deal look like:
(Based on Drafttek's awesome trade chart)
Tennessee Titans receive: 7th overall, 37th overall, 102nd overall, 2017, 1st round pick (assuming that they pick around the 16-20 range which makes sense if they hit on a QB) is fair value.
So, at 7 who are the guys that the Titans should be looking at?
The No Brainers
1. Laremy Tunsil OT, Ole Miss
-No way he falls, but there was no way that Leonard Williams was supposed to fall last year right?
2. Jalen Ramsey DB, FSU
-It is hard to take a DB in the top 5 in the NFL Draft just from a pure positional value thing that some GMs have. Will the Baltimore Ravens pull the trigger?
3. Joey Bosa DE, Ohio State
-Bosa is one of the highest ceiling prospects in the draft, but guys like Deforest Buckner and Robert Nkemdiche may end up snowing some people and convincing those GMs that they have more upside.
They Could Fall
4. Ronnie Stanley OT, Notre Dame
If you love Taylor Lewan at LT, I think this is the pick you want. Stanley is a great tackle prospect, but if Tunsil goes 3rd to San Diego, who takes Stanley?
5. Deforest Buckner DL, Oregon
I am not a fan of Buckner because I feel like he beats bad Pac-12 offensive linemen with strength rather than length or moves. I also think he is on the ground entirely too much. However, if LeBeau pounds the table and says that he can make this guy great, he could be a great addition to this line.
Safe reaches
6. Vernon Hargreaves CB, Florida
VH3 fell down on my board a little bit down the stretch because when he isn't making plays on the ball and when he is getting beaten with double moves, it is hard to remember how great he can be. However, in a league where a shorter cornerback like Tyrann Mathieu are making an impact, I believe that moving him around and mixing it up with him on the short side of the field, the wide side, at safety, and in the slot can really emphasize how many impact plays he can make on an aggressive defense.
7. Laquon Treadwell WR, Ole Miss
Maybe the safest pick in this draft other than Tunsil and Bosa, Treadwell's play just makes him look like a receiver that will constantly get 750+ yards per year, and who can be a number one in this league. Is he Mike Evans or Amari Cooper good? No. However, he could be on the same level that Odell Beckham and Kevin White were when they were prospects.
Bonus wildcard
Noah Spence EDGE, Eastern Kentucky
Look, if you want a guy that can constantly disrupt a game Spence is someone you should look at. The Denver Broncos showed the league that you need a good offense to get to the playoffs, but it is a great defense that wins it. With the depth at the CB and OT positions in this draft the Titans could focus on guys like Jack Conklin, Taylor Decker, William Jackson III, and Mackenzie Alexander in the second round of the draft with their two picks and get great value here.
There is almost no great 3-4 edge rushers in this class, and Spence is probably the cream of the crop. If you want to take pressure off of your DBs by keeping the QB under fire, this is a dark horse candidate in this class.