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Daily News Journal - DnJ.com Interview Special.
Mules GM Dave Thompson speaks after the Mules complete their draft.
Dnj: Welcome again and thank you for this time. As your time is fairly short today we will get to the questions straight away. After the major trade that brought CB Boyd to the Mules you then used pick 1.6 to select another CB as you selected Texas Tech’s CB Chester Heath do you not think that trading all those picks away to strengthen the secondary was putting too many eggs into one basket, especially when many analysts felt the CB spot was not even a major need?
Thompson: CB Wade Boyd is a great acquisition but he is in his 8th season, so rather than us being in the same boat in 2 or 3 years time of needing to add a top CB we took advantage of this years draft to get Heath who we rated as the 1b CB in the draft class, Hamilton may be 1a, but there is not that much to choose between them. On our draft board they were 2nd and 3rd behind the WR who went 1st overall. We did have other options with 1.6 but the plan was always to add a CB if one of the top two was available when we were on the clock.
Dnj: Heath in college struggled in zone coverage, won’t that be an issue at this level and why is he a good fit here?
Thompson: He is very quick so his M2M coverage will be top draw, add in quality BnR as well means we can mix our coverage schemes. Regarding zone schemes our scouts and coaching staff talked about that and it was felt by everyone that the struggles in zone coverage were down to the scheme Texas Tech ran rather than anything Heath did or didn’t do, with coaching we believe he will also improve dramatically in that type of coverage.
Dnj: Ok before we look at the other draft picks there were a number of other trades, first you sent star WR Hodel along with a 2021 6th round pick to Fresno for a 2020 2nd as well as DE Edwards and FB Korhonen, then you sent picks 5.19 and 6.19 to Pennsylvania for a 10th year vet receiver Carrigan can you explain these moves?
Thompson: Hodel has been a model pro but in his 9th season I felt that with the receivers already on the roster that we could move him and reacquire some of the picks we had traded away, getting a 2nd next year I felt was important, while at the same time adding another DE having missed out on one of our key targets in free agency was a bonus. Adding FB Korhonen was useful as we had just lost our only FB in free agency and Korhonen excels in run blocking which is exactly what we were looking for. Hodel will be a loss, but we have plenty of quality WR’s on the roster so we could afford to lose one.
Dnj: Yet you then acquired another WR?
Thompson: That is true Carrigan for late 5th and 6th round picks brings a big play ability that we felt was better than we were going to be able to acquire in the draft, especially with those late picks. We effectively sent a WR plus a 5th and two 6th round picks to acquire a big play WR, a DE, a FB and a 2nd round pick next year. If you break that down a 2nd round pick is more than worth a 5th and two 6th round picks, while getting Carrigan, Edwards and Korhonen for Hodel is a fairly even trade.
Dnj: Back to the draft when you were on the clock with pick 3.17 you traded it to Louisiana for a 2020 2nd and at that time it effectively ended the draft for the Mules fans. Then suddenly you traded back into this draft sending 2020 and 2021 3rd round picks for 3.31, 4.5 and 4.11. What was the thinking around this?
Thompson: We liked two players when we were on the clock at 3.17, however the offer from the Voodoo gave us another 2nd round pick next year (making two in total) for players I felt would be good but wasn’t 100% sold on.
However when that first deal was made I was planning to keep an eye on the two players and see if we could possibly acquire some later picks to grab one of them. Lawrence then started to offer their three picks for two future 3rdsm this happened with pick 3.29 on the clock. I felt we would get at least one of the two players we were targeting with 3.31 and possibly both if one fell to 4.5, and I had alternatives for the 2nd pick.
Happily we managed to acquire both as QB JT George (San Jose State) was available at 3.31
and then FB Rayburn (Iowa State) was still on the board at 4.5 so we were able to acquire both targeted players.
We then took a gamble at 4.11 and selected safety Baillargeon out of Mississippi State, as we are in need of a safety so he seemed like one worth rolling the dice on.
The two deals combined saw us send 2020 and 2021 3rd round picks for a 2020 2nd and three players, two of which were ones we were trying to decide between when we were on the clock with 3.17. So again I am pleased with the outcome of those moves.
Dnj: Are you happy with all the moves you made this offseason?
Thompson: Things could always have been better, but considering where we were due to draft, middle to late in each round, we have added two top draw CB’s, added a DE through trade, a couple of FB’s (one trade, one draft), an interesting QB prospect and a wildcard safety prospect. Yes we don’t have a 1st round pick next year (or 3rd) but we do have two 2nd’s and the following year we still have our 1st round pick but no 2nd or 3rd.those will be interesting drafts (and lots can happen in the meantime) but we are hopeful that we will be drafting late in both of those years.
Twitter responses re the draft and trades
@Wilhelm: Have I lost my job here? Two CB’s what are the team thinking, I am starting quality man! Trade?
@SafetyRiley: Cool man, we may have the best set of CB’s in the league regarding quality starters and depth.
@MullinSE: Hodel gone, no way man. Carrigan is cool though
@SafetyRiley: Need to view the tape of Mississippi State now…
@JTGeorge: Man I am going to the Mules to meet Otis (Peterson), when is the next plane? How do I get there?
Forum Boards comments:
SteveL: That a*****e GM don’t know what he is doing, two CB’s. Where was the future FB and QB. We also needed a safety! (Editor: posted prior to the trade with Lawrence to move back into the draft to cover all those needs)
JDonkey1261: Hodel gone, what a joke move, we should be adding talent not trading it away. Carrigan couldn’t handle the Hodel’s jock strap!
Mules4Ev%r: Boyd, Heath and Riley in the secondary, try passing on that. Go Mules.
KYatedy1: What the draft has started, when man, wow that weed was good.
Mules GM Dave Thompson speaks after the Mules complete their draft.
Dnj: Welcome again and thank you for this time. As your time is fairly short today we will get to the questions straight away. After the major trade that brought CB Boyd to the Mules you then used pick 1.6 to select another CB as you selected Texas Tech’s CB Chester Heath do you not think that trading all those picks away to strengthen the secondary was putting too many eggs into one basket, especially when many analysts felt the CB spot was not even a major need?
Thompson: CB Wade Boyd is a great acquisition but he is in his 8th season, so rather than us being in the same boat in 2 or 3 years time of needing to add a top CB we took advantage of this years draft to get Heath who we rated as the 1b CB in the draft class, Hamilton may be 1a, but there is not that much to choose between them. On our draft board they were 2nd and 3rd behind the WR who went 1st overall. We did have other options with 1.6 but the plan was always to add a CB if one of the top two was available when we were on the clock.
Dnj: Heath in college struggled in zone coverage, won’t that be an issue at this level and why is he a good fit here?
Thompson: He is very quick so his M2M coverage will be top draw, add in quality BnR as well means we can mix our coverage schemes. Regarding zone schemes our scouts and coaching staff talked about that and it was felt by everyone that the struggles in zone coverage were down to the scheme Texas Tech ran rather than anything Heath did or didn’t do, with coaching we believe he will also improve dramatically in that type of coverage.
Dnj: Ok before we look at the other draft picks there were a number of other trades, first you sent star WR Hodel along with a 2021 6th round pick to Fresno for a 2020 2nd as well as DE Edwards and FB Korhonen, then you sent picks 5.19 and 6.19 to Pennsylvania for a 10th year vet receiver Carrigan can you explain these moves?
Thompson: Hodel has been a model pro but in his 9th season I felt that with the receivers already on the roster that we could move him and reacquire some of the picks we had traded away, getting a 2nd next year I felt was important, while at the same time adding another DE having missed out on one of our key targets in free agency was a bonus. Adding FB Korhonen was useful as we had just lost our only FB in free agency and Korhonen excels in run blocking which is exactly what we were looking for. Hodel will be a loss, but we have plenty of quality WR’s on the roster so we could afford to lose one.
Dnj: Yet you then acquired another WR?
Thompson: That is true Carrigan for late 5th and 6th round picks brings a big play ability that we felt was better than we were going to be able to acquire in the draft, especially with those late picks. We effectively sent a WR plus a 5th and two 6th round picks to acquire a big play WR, a DE, a FB and a 2nd round pick next year. If you break that down a 2nd round pick is more than worth a 5th and two 6th round picks, while getting Carrigan, Edwards and Korhonen for Hodel is a fairly even trade.
Dnj: Back to the draft when you were on the clock with pick 3.17 you traded it to Louisiana for a 2020 2nd and at that time it effectively ended the draft for the Mules fans. Then suddenly you traded back into this draft sending 2020 and 2021 3rd round picks for 3.31, 4.5 and 4.11. What was the thinking around this?
Thompson: We liked two players when we were on the clock at 3.17, however the offer from the Voodoo gave us another 2nd round pick next year (making two in total) for players I felt would be good but wasn’t 100% sold on.
However when that first deal was made I was planning to keep an eye on the two players and see if we could possibly acquire some later picks to grab one of them. Lawrence then started to offer their three picks for two future 3rdsm this happened with pick 3.29 on the clock. I felt we would get at least one of the two players we were targeting with 3.31 and possibly both if one fell to 4.5, and I had alternatives for the 2nd pick.
Happily we managed to acquire both as QB JT George (San Jose State) was available at 3.31
and then FB Rayburn (Iowa State) was still on the board at 4.5 so we were able to acquire both targeted players.
We then took a gamble at 4.11 and selected safety Baillargeon out of Mississippi State, as we are in need of a safety so he seemed like one worth rolling the dice on.
The two deals combined saw us send 2020 and 2021 3rd round picks for a 2020 2nd and three players, two of which were ones we were trying to decide between when we were on the clock with 3.17. So again I am pleased with the outcome of those moves.
Dnj: Are you happy with all the moves you made this offseason?
Thompson: Things could always have been better, but considering where we were due to draft, middle to late in each round, we have added two top draw CB’s, added a DE through trade, a couple of FB’s (one trade, one draft), an interesting QB prospect and a wildcard safety prospect. Yes we don’t have a 1st round pick next year (or 3rd) but we do have two 2nd’s and the following year we still have our 1st round pick but no 2nd or 3rd.those will be interesting drafts (and lots can happen in the meantime) but we are hopeful that we will be drafting late in both of those years.
Twitter responses re the draft and trades
@Wilhelm: Have I lost my job here? Two CB’s what are the team thinking, I am starting quality man! Trade?
@SafetyRiley: Cool man, we may have the best set of CB’s in the league regarding quality starters and depth.
@MullinSE: Hodel gone, no way man. Carrigan is cool though
@SafetyRiley: Need to view the tape of Mississippi State now…
@JTGeorge: Man I am going to the Mules to meet Otis (Peterson), when is the next plane? How do I get there?
Forum Boards comments:
SteveL: That a*****e GM don’t know what he is doing, two CB’s. Where was the future FB and QB. We also needed a safety! (Editor: posted prior to the trade with Lawrence to move back into the draft to cover all those needs)
JDonkey1261: Hodel gone, what a joke move, we should be adding talent not trading it away. Carrigan couldn’t handle the Hodel’s jock strap!
Mules4Ev%r: Boyd, Heath and Riley in the secondary, try passing on that. Go Mules.
KYatedy1: What the draft has started, when man, wow that weed was good.
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