"why should we pass up the higher-rated (offensive) prospect?"-Rick Smith

[papabear]

I don't disagree with this, but I think the key part of that quote is "an offensive player rated a lot higher than a defensive player". If there are two guys at the top of the draft board , one offense and one defense, and they are rated fairly closely....then I think we'll take the defensive guy even if he is rated slightly lower. If an offensive player is rated significantly higher you have to take him. The rub is trying to decide how big a gap there must be in whatever grading system they use to over-ride the obvious defensive need.

That's why I have liked our FA signings. Not so much because of the individual players, but because they give us some options at our weak areas that allow us the freedom to take any position on draft day because.