Gil Brandt said this about him (nfl.com)

Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida
6-4 , 304
Has speed and toughness. Played in the Sugar Bowl just hours after treatment for kidney stones. Very smart. Has lots of experience as a shotgun center. Maybe the best center prospect in 10 years.

Rates him somewhere between 21 and 30.

Just wondering if anyone knows anything about him, since I've never seen him mentioned here before. (Apologies if this repeats other threads...haven't had time to read everything lately.)

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He starts fights here.

You would want him at 23.

I would not. My not is a qualified not. (A lot of stuff would have to go "not my way" for us to want him there, and not just OT) I thought we had discussed him at length.

I don't want him at 23 because of the position he plays (positions)

Go see sleeper thread to satiate your desire. I found you one in the 4th. A damn good one, too. Seriously, investigate it.

He's not a better prospect than Alex Mack, so I don't think we should draft him at #23. Especially given our needs, interior line is not one of our bigger needs.

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I like him more than Mack. I think most teams do. I wouldn't be shocked if Denver tries to move down a few spots and selects him in the top 20. Pittsburgh and Atlanta will look at him too.

If he's there for Green Bay, he's a possible pick. He's an upgrade over Scott Wells at center or Jason Spitz/Daryn Colledge at left guard.

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He had kidney stones? Someone's been drinking a lot of protein shakes.

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Huh? I don't get the bolded bit.

What have you done, been convinced by Ted Thompson that interior linemen aren't worth first round picks? Have you been convinced by Mike McCarthy that Spitz/Colledge are sufficient?

Now, if you're saying this individual guy is not first round quality, that's one thing. But if you're saying the only OL position GB needs 1st round quality at is OT?

Argh.

What's next, Foster dude? Applauding Dez Bryant as the pick?

:)

I still think the only strategy that makes sense is "best offensive lineman available". I just keep thinking, if Green Bay had made a run at D'Brickashwa Ferguson when everyone said "we're set at LT", we wouldn't be having this conversation right now.

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Stupid hindsight comment. Clifton was one of the best LT's at the time, and wasn't as old as he is now. There's no reason to have a great left tackle and a first round left tackle in the roster at the same time.

Offensive tackle, especially left tackle is much more important than any interior lineman position. That's why left tackles take predecence over center and guards. Especially for our team.

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No, it isn't a hindsight comment. I wanted Ferguson bad back then, too.

As for only needing one stud LT....well, is it not easier to expect a LT to play elsewhere on the line than expect someone from elsewhere to LT (see, Mike Wahle, Daryn Colledge, eg.)?

And while Clifton was nearer the top at LT at the time than he is now, he already had some injury concerns (see Warren Sapp), and he already had the false start propensity well-established. He was a very good LT, he wasn't at the top.

But even if Clifton was the best LT in the league, Ferguson was the best OL the packers had a shot at that year....and it was a year when they NEEDED OL help a helluva lot.

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God damn it, you made me do it.

My "Qualified Not"

Just to friggin' Prove I like Pouncey (but not at 23---you'll see why in a second)

The Green Bay Packers MAY TAKE---WITHOUT ME BITCHING ONE LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT---Wade's Boy, Maurkice Pouncy if available at 23 if ANY---yes, I said ANY--- of the following are available AT THE SAME FUCKING TIME at 23---And I'm not kidding---

Sam Bradford QB, Ndamukong Suh DT, Gerald McCoy DT, Jimmy Clausen QB, Derrick Morgan DE, Dan Williams, NT, Jason Pierre-Paul DE / OLB (not for us, though) , Dez friggin' Bryant WR/Diva/prospective convict, Everson Griffen DE, Jermaine Gresham TE, Jared Odrick DE/DT, Sean Weatherspoon LB, Ryan Mathews RB, Golden Tate WR, [strike]Brandon Graham DE,[/strike] Damian Williams WR, Colt McCoy QB, Linval Joseph NT, Terrence Cody NT

You see that list Wade? You remember I said this causes fights? I am pretty sure that this list could piss off all other 824 members in one way or another---me designating your boy over any of them at 23, plus creating a shit-storm of BPA bullshit, etc. (For those with that plan- I say go bitch at Ted for being so hesitant to address needs via free agency if you don't like my "needs" leanings, and if you wanna bring up past FA acquisitions, that's fine with me, just wait until say, Jared Gaither is on our roster AND a Ndamukong Suh actually falls to 23 before you bring it my way, lol))

That's a pretty decent depiction of much of the top-flight talent in this draft, and you can pretty much bet most will be gone in the 1st round.

NOW

The list of "You cannot have your boy Pouncy if ANY of these are on the board at 23"

Russell Okung OT, Bryan Bulaga OT, Trent Williams OT, Anthony Davis OT, Bruce Campbell OT, Charles Brown OT, Eric Berry S, Joe Haden CB, Rolando Mclain I LB--ya, I said it, Earl Thomas FS, Kyle Wilson, CB/PR, Sergio Kindle OLB, Devin McCourty CB, Nate Allen FS, Jerry Hughes OLB.

THEN we have:

The list of "We gotta talk about it a liitle before you can have your Pouncey or I can have my choice if I convinced myself that I want them" list:

C.J. Spiller RB, Mike Iupati G, [strike]Brandon Graham OLB,[/strike] Taylor friggin' Mays S

So there.

That's my "qualified" don't want him at 23. Jeez, that was akin to work...

:tongue3:

Also, you may have noticed I have Brandon Graham issues I am attempting to resolve, lol

Ah, that's okay then. :)

I just thought it weird you might be saying "think 23 too high for OG/C on general principles." I can understand if you think other areas of sufficient need trump going OL at 23 with what's on the board.

Of course, if there were no legit OL at 23, me I'd strive to trade down rather than spend it on a LB. But that's another argument for another day.

And I guess neither of us is going to get our wish of a non-Packer FA or two before the draft on the OL. (I still don't think Tausch and Clifton are sufficient to count here, I don't care what the lawyers defining "free agent" say. Me, I think they needed at least one new FA bodies beyond Tausch and Clifton.

Scratch that. I still think that way. I will have serious attitude going into draft day if that condition persists.

And you haven't seen Iowa pugnaciousness yet... if Ted Thompson goes too little OL draft I'll probably find myself banned.

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