Tag: Gil Brandt

This 2012 NFL draft do-over has the Bucs making up for the Mark Barron selection

Gil Brandt of NFL.com reimagines the 2012 NFL draft and has the Bucs finding someone to play alongside Gerald McCoy.

The NFL draft is next month, and after posting a 7-9 record in 2019, the Buccaneers find themselves sitting near the middle of the first round with the 14th pick.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Bucs will use that pick to take an offensive tackle to help their O-line and protect six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, who chose to leave the Patriots after 20 years and set up shop in Tampa. Whoever Tampa Bay picks in round one, let’s hope they have as big an impact as last year’s first-round pick Devin White, who came on strong at the end of the season and proved to be the franchise cornerstone the team was hoping for.

But, even a prospect that seems like a future star can turn into a bust. Take former Bucs first-round pick Mark Barron, who many people, including current Raiders GM Mike Mayock, who was a draft analyst for NFL Network at the time, thought was a perennial Pro Bowler in the making. Barron was traded midway through his third season after never turning into the defender the Bucs envisioned.

And, in his redo of the 2012 NFL draft, Gil Brandt has the Bucs passing on Barron at the No. 7 spot in favor of defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, who ended up getting drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 12.

Here’s why Brandt loves the thought of Cox joining the Bucs:

“Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy made the Pro Bowl six times in his nine Bucs seasons, but can you imagine how much more he would have flourished if he’d been playing alongside a defensive lineman of Cox’s caliber instead of the rotating cast of characters Tampa fielded?”

For what it’s worth, Cox has been named a Pro Bowler the past five seasons and even earned First-Team All-Pro honors in 2018 following his 10.5-sack season. Hindsight is always 20/20, and at the time the Barron selection seemed like a slam dunk. But, as we’ve come to find out, there’s no such thing when it comes to the NFL draft.

As for who Brandt reimagines the Eagles taking now that Cox is a Buc, well, he has some linebacker named Lavonte David going to Philly at No. 12. David, of course, was drafted by the Bucs in the second round of that year’s draft.

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NFL.com’s Gil Brandt tabs Dolphins as 2020 worst-to-first candidates

Could the Dolphins really go from worst to first? NFL.com’s Gil Brandt seems to think so.

The foundation set by the Miami Dolphins this season is a promising one — this team looks ready to make a leap in year two under Brian Flores, especially once this team gets a much needed infusion of talent courtesy of all the Dolphins’ 2020 assets.

Just how high could that ceiling go? That depends on who you ask. Some, like NFL Hall of Famer and NFL.com analyst Gil Brandt, seem to think the Dolphins may not be done shocking the competition — Brandt ranked the Dolphins as the NFL’s most likely team to go from worst to first in 2020.

“…Even with the Miami front office sending loads of talent out the door this year, this was a surprisingly resilient group, thanks to the leadership of veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and the emergence of youngsters DeVante Parker, Mike Gesicki and Jerome Baker. There is plenty left to be done, but the Dolphins will have ample opportunity to improve in the offseason, with tons of cap space (per Over The Cap) and draft capital at their disposal. Brian Flores is coming off an especially impressive debut season. With Flores at the helm, I could see the Dolphins winning in 2020 even if they draft a quarterback in the first round…” – Gil Brandt, NFL.com

This is quite the endorsement — although it is probably one we’ll wait on before jumping head first onto the bandwagon. The Dolphins have the potential to cause a lot of disruption in the AFC East in 2020, especially if Tom Brady finds himself playing football somewhere else next season.

But worst to first? Everything, and we mean everything, would have to come up aces for the Dolphins to see so many new faces mesh so well, so fast. This isn’t to say that it won’t happen. But it sure is a crazy idea to wrap one’s head around as a Miami Dolphins fan — even after the way the 2019 season played out.

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Gil Brandt: Giants GM Dave Gettleman doing an ‘outstanding job’

Hall of Fame executive Gil Brandt believes New York Giants GM Dave Gettleman is doing an “outstanding job” despite the criticism.

The job of New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman may very well be on the line after just two seasons in blue, but don’t tell that to Pro Football Hall of Fame executive Gil Brandt, who believes Gettleman is doing an “outstanding job.”

“I think he’s doing an outstanding job,” Brandt told the New York Post. “I don’t care what they say, I just know the players that they got, and how I graded those players. See, what Gettleman does is a lot like we used to do. He rolls the dice that they can be great players. They may be a bust, but they can be great players.”

So far, it’s too early to call any of Gettleman’s investments “great players” or “busts.” Some, like guard Will Hernandez, have all the potential in the world but aren’t playing well. Meanwhile, you have others like fifth-round rookie wide receiver Darius Slayton who are blowing expectations out of the water.

“They’ve done a great job of accumulating young players, and especially in the later rounds,” Brandt said. “Like the guy from Auburn [Darius Slayton], the wide receiver, he is gonna be, I think, a really good player. The left guard [Will Hernandez] I think is a good player, I think the guy they got from Clemson [Dexter Lawrence] is a good player. I think the Giants’ future is very bright.”

There have been a few flubs in Brandt’s eyes however, including the decision to trade up in Round 1 of the 2019 NFL Draft for cornerback DeAndre Baker, who has struggled for much of the season but come on late.

“DeAndre Baker, I think, might be a better safety than he is a corner,” Brandt said. “He was very good as a cover corner at Georgia, I think he lacks a little quickness to be a really great corner in the National Football League.”

Interestingly, Brandt also gave Gettleman credit for acquiring defensive lineman Leonard Williams from the New York Jets — a move widely criticized by fans and media members alike.

“I thought coming out of the draft, Williams was a top-five player,” Brandt said. “And I got to know him quite well. Was a great character guy there at USC. This is a quality, quality individual, I think. I would love to have him for a third-round pick. I don’t think you’re gonna find anybody as close to his ability in the bottom half of the first round.”

All things considered, Gettleman has done a relatively good job freeing up cap space, unloading bad contracts and stocking the team with young talent. And while it hasn’t yielded any positive results yet, it’s only been less than two years.

Maybe, just maybe, Giants owners will see it the same way and keep Gettleman on board.

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