APC Mailbag: Crossing enemy lines, Jimmy Graham and Packers draft talk

We have a new mailbag ! Thank you for all your responses.

This one is particularly draft heavy so the comment section will be wide open for debates which is encouraged. Just don’t forget to throw in some more questions for the next mailbag if you want.

I miss football on Sundays, so let’s stir up the football talk and open some mail:

There’s a lot of concern here with issues like this and I hope it’s something the NFL looks at over the off-season. Not to bash Philly fans, but I have heard that they are quite unbearable when you go to their stadium. Who knows, maybe a Super Bowl ring will have calmed them down.

The NFL has done work in recent seasons to make the experience more safe (being able to send texts to security, bag checks, etc.), but where it doesn’t really extend is what happens outside the stadium. Parking lot brawls can happen post-game when the alcohol flow reaches it’s breaking point.

At the end of the day, I’d say go if you get the chance because there are a lot of cool stadiums to visit and experience. If it makes you feel comfortable, just hold back on the beers after halftime, keep your wits about you and keep a level head. We’ll miss out on a lot of experiences if we worry too much about what could go wrong.

Or maybe just avoid Philadelphia. There are 30 other stadiums that would love to have you as a friendly guest.

Here’s a good article by numberFire that contains an interesting chart.

That article shows that the production for NFL tight ends drafted after 2000 usually dips after Year 5 and by Year 9 they’re generally not in the league. Jimmy Graham is entering his 9th season.

We could assume that Graham still has plenty of gas in the tank because the Seattle Seahawks offense wasn’t exactly running through the dynamic tight end. This was displayed last season when he had a little bit of a resurgence as a redzone weapon.

Of his 57 receptions and 10 touchdowns, 15 of those catches were in the redzone and all 10 touchdowns were in the redzone (or 66.7% of redzone catches).

He may thrive again if a pass happy offense was able to plug him in, but I think his peak years were unfortunately wasted in Seattle.

The Packers are in an odd position between need and want. If Aaron Rodgers had stayed healthy, they probably would be picking somewhere between 27-32 and that’s an important distinction to remember. So I really do think that the Packers can look at a position that isn’t as dire of a need compared to EDGE or CB.

I think they should really go with the best player available (unless it’s quarterback, because that’s a whole different equation). Roquon Smith fits that bill if he’s there at 14. He’s fast, has good instincts and could really open up the defense next to Blake Martinez.

He’s too good to pass up even if you agree that ILB is not an immediate need.

Pick 14 is a wonky spot, though.

Which brings me to the next question:

If the Browns go QB at #1 and the Giants follow suit with the second pick, I think other teams will start feeling a little warm under the collar and being a QB run in the top-10. Which means Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson could all go at the top of the draft (and Josh Allen if a team is feeling desperate). That would push some studs down the board including Calvin Ridley, Derwin James, Minkah Fitzpatrick and the aforementioned Roquon Smith.

As for who, I really like Smith and James as top talents in the draft who would be considered steals at pick 14.

Best possibility for the Packers at 14 would be for a top-10 player, like these two, to fall down to that spot like other #14 overall picks of the past.

A Darelle Revis in ‘07, an Earl Thomas in ‘10, and a Robert Quinn in ‘11 would be almost too good to be true, but it can happen.

Alright, we’re deep in the Packers draft talk so let’s just keep it rolling.

Would I be shocked if they drafted offense? Heck no! I’m sure Rodgers would be excited and that’s almost worth it right there. I really like what Calvin Ridley and James Washington could bring to the offense as receivers. Plus, Jordy Nelson is getting a little older and Randall Cobb is best served as a number three receiver instead of a number two.

Quenton Nelson from Notre Dame and Will Hernandez out of UTEP are intriguing line options as well, even if they don’t exactly sound as sexy as a skill position player.

Running back is likely a no-go considering Saquon Barkley will be gone early. I’d also prefer if the Packers went after a tight end in a later round too. Dallas Goedert anyone?

If we didn’t get to your questions this week, we’ll for sure save your responses and get to them in a later mailbag. Thank you for all the responses.

The combine is a few days away — whose stock is about to go up?