re: Bruce Feldman (The Athletic) has the Saints selecting OL Will Campbell in round 1

I don’t disagree that fuaga was hit and miss. He showed promise. I tend to listen to a lot of the scouting reports that people are scared of Campbell. I don’t dislike the player. I think Warren is twice the prospect Campbell is. There’s so many interior lineman in this draft that you can get i don’t see the value in taking Campbell there.

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Fuaga's rookie year was solid but overrated on here. I'm highly confident Campbell would be better at LT

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I don’t disagree but remember Fuaga switched from RT to LT when he got here. Pretty impressive season for a rookie when you consider that

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Campbell tested slightly worse than Slater

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Campbell has the 15th highest RAS all time for OT. Clears Slater

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He's the best pass protector in the draft based on last years stats alone if I'm not mistaken.

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He was the 120th highest graded tackle according to PFF last year. Graded worse than his freshman and sophomore season and had over twice as many penalties this season than he’s had previously. I still think he’s a damn good prospect but it’s fair to point these things out.

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don’t disagree but remember Fuaga switched from RT to LT when he got here. Pretty impressive season for a rookie when you consider that

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Fuaga completely shut down Myles Garrett this year. That being said, I’d think he’d be a top 3 RT in the nfl.

LT is one of the few money positions in the league, te is not. It’s why you pick Campbell over the penn st te.


There are other prospects I like more than Campbell, but if nothing drops, I’d be fine with taking him, especially over any of the qb prospects.

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I think he’ll be fine at LT. Move Fuaga to RT and penning to lg

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Fuaga did very well as a ROOKIE at a new position in LT. I'd bank him on remaining at LT. If you draft Campbell you test him & Penning between RT & LG that way there are only 2 players/positions in flux.

I don't like the idea of moving young players to new positions like Fuaga & Campbell nor do I like switching positions for struggling players like Penning but we do have to field best 5 OL. Penning's inconsistent play has not warranted is us picking up his 5th year option so it's possible he is a FA after this year so drafting Campbell makes a ton of sense. If Penning's play builds on what we saw last year then that still leaves us the potential to sign him to a new contract, just cheaper than the $17M+ 5th year option.

Same logic applies to Olave's 5th year option which makes drafting a WR a smart move too.
Similar logic applies to Carr's contract which makes drafting a QB at #9 a smart move too.

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Also Gronk & Kelce were the keys to several Super Bowl championships as well.

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I’d say the QBs had a little more to do with those championships than te.

Bowers just had a record breaking year at te, and it had no effect on that team’s record. And he’s who I really wanted last year.

Not to mention both Gronk and Kelce were taken outside of the first, same for the best te the year before on Detroit.

I remember reading you needed 6 things to qualify. Which means you skipping a spot you would grade poorly is a smart decision.

Take fuaga's rookie year into consideration, he had played 25 games in college on the RIGHT side. Never left. And he came in and played fairly well. Graded positive in the run. Graded average in pass protection. That's despite poor LG/C and QB play (rattler was responsible for many sacks.)

Penning had equivalent success as a RT, he's also coming up on "do you exercise his 5th year option? Or do you... Not" if he's not, you assume he's gone and you need to figure out a solution to that. Which means Campbell might be the best answer

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H/W differences. Not the workouts

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It’s all… relative

Here’s Campbell updated card

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H/W differences. Not the workouts.

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I’d say the QBs had a little more to do with those championships than te.

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Playoff football is about personnel matchups & being able to exploit any possible weakness of the opposition. Gronk & Kelce in their primes were matchup nightmares. Both New England & KC regularly went to them on 3rd downs or key situations in playoff games which gave way to some big performances by both.

Without the mismatches those two created, the opportunity for Brady & Mahomes to get created for those championships doesn't occur. There's no greater example than Kelce's catch against the Bills that set up the game tying FG with a few seconds left against the Bills or Gronk's performance in Brady's last Super Bowl with the Bucs.

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Bowers just had a record breaking year at te, and it had no effect on that team’s record. 

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The Raiders have one of the worst rosters in the NFL & HC who is in over his head. Without Bowers, the Raiders probably go winless last season.

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Not to mention both Gronk and Kelce were taken outside of the first

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This is irrelevant in terms of discussing elite pass catching TE's effects for an organization.

As long as Will is actually interested in playing G I'd love it