Oh, What Might Have Been!: LT Marcus McNeill Makes Pro Bowl

[rayfsc07]

And all you Davin Joseph lovers, McNeil was available in the 2nd round with the Trueblood pick.

No.

McNeil went 9 picks ahead of Trueblood.

[acacius]

This is just another example of the Chargers drafting perfectly. Them and the Pats have reached the top tier of the league when it comes to this. We're at the bottom looking up at them.

I don't know that I'd necessarily agree that we're at the *bottom* looking up at them.  There are some teams out there that have *really* struggled at the draft.

[rayfsc07]

To not take McNeil in R1 wasn't because no one thought he could have a good year this year, or even next, and maybe the one after.  It is because long term he MIGHT have some problems.

That being said, I wanted McNeil all along.  Being a fan of UF and the SEC, I saw him often and he is a machine.  I thought he was well worth the chance he MAY get hurt in the future.  

[acacius]

I can't really fault the team for not taking McNeill in the first.  (Which, I'll add, is a very different thing than saying I agreed with the Joseph pick.)  If they were concerned about his back, that's a perfectly reasonable reason for passing on a player.  And let's be honest.  Who here thinks that McNeill would have made the pro-bowl this year playing for THIS team?  I certainly don't. 

[RedAlert]

Perhaps it's the lack of OL coaching competence that makes me believe McNeill would not have had the same impact in Tampa..

McNeil might be out of the league in a few years.

[rayfsc07]

McNeil might be out of the league in a few years.

He aso might be a pro bowler the next 10.....

McNeil might be out of the league in a few years.

He aso might be a pro bowler the next 10.....

Who knows...To be fair I did want McNeill before the draft but I got off the bandwagon after hearing about the back problem.

[Feel Real Good]

McNeil might be out of the league in a few years.

Considering the Bucs have had ZERO competent tackle play for almost a decade, that wouldn't be a bad deal.

[alldaway]

Feel Real Good

I must assume you were all for drafting Colmer then? I mean he is a tackle but Kaczur is an interior o-lineman that can play tackle occasional. 

Goes with what dal said to some degree. LOT is the most valuable position on an NFL line. We opted to pass on McNeil (medical)and Justice (character) to draft a guard. I still think that when picking OL you start by picking the most coveted position, that being LOT. We chose to draft OG first and OT 2nd and I think that is just bad managment there. You can get a top 3 OG in R2, [you can't get a top 3 LOT in R2, unless you are picking early.

If Levi Brown keeps dropping, it might be possible.

[bradentonian]

I was 100% behind the decision to pass on McNeill due to the health risk.  After the Colmer debacle, along with Terrence Murphy from the Packers ending his career so early, there was a lot of risk.  That being said, I think we reached for an OG in the 1st and a ROT in the 2nd when those positions can be filled with quality players later in the draft or in FA.

[cvillebucfan]

Goes with what dal said to some degree. LOT is the most valuable position on an NFL line. We opted to pass on McNeil (medical)and Justice (character) to draft a guard. I still think that when picking OL you start by picking the most coveted position, that being LOT. We chose to draft OG first and OT 2nd and I think that is just bad managment there. You can get a top 3 OG in R2, you can't get a top 3 LOT in R2, unless you are picking early.

[cvillebucfan]

MBF true but I think Trueblood was the 5th OT taken.

1. Ferguson
2. McNeil
3. Whitworth

maybe he was 4th.

This also is not a very good OT class.

MBF true but I think Trueblood was the 5th OT taken.

1. Ferguson
2. McNeil
3. Whitworth

maybe he was 4th.

This also is not a very good OT class.

We're pickin' early though, so it is in the realm of possibility.