Mailbag 5/5

Since it looked like Laskey, Days, et. al. were signed to UDFA deals immediately after the draft, why not go ahead and (gulp) add another round to it?Is it something to do with the amount of money you have to give a drafted vs. non-drafted player? Or something else?

I think you said it all in your question. The draft is already a drag to watch after the first few rounds as it is, so adding another round would just make that even worse. I'm happy with the way the draft/UDFA system works now because it's almost like a mad dash as soon as the draft ends.

Say you’re a brand new fan coming to your first jackets game. What color should you wear? Might sound like a dumb question but when I look at our fans on game day there are some in white, gold, grey, blue and even some confused dwag fans wearing red on some occasions.It seems to me there is a lack of unity with our fans. White outs are awesome especially when the stands our filled. But if you were to go to a clemson game you would wear orange. A gergia game you wear red. How can we unify our fans?

I say wear gold or yellow, unless it's a white-out. You can get really obnoxious with the gold and yellow, but it is just so much fun.

Who has the best Pro career on a look back many years hence?

I'm gonna go with DeAndre Smelter or Shaq Mason. Statistically, we probably won't be able to tell with Mason, but I would say that he's got the best chance at a Super Bowl ring right now with the Patriots.

But I will definitely say Smelter will be the best statisticaly just because I felt like he was the best player Tech had come into the draft, though I am curious to see how Baltimore elects to use Darren Waller.

When will WR recruits begin to see this style of offense as historically lucrative for their position?

I wouldn't even say that the wide receiver position is "historically lucrative" in this offense. I think our offense, while it limits the route tree, does a fantastic job of preparing the receivers for the NFL.

At Georgia Tech, receivers need to do three things: block before they can play, be able to go up and make deep pass receptions, and be selfless and know that they aren't going to get the ball 10 times a game.

This prepares them for the NFL because all of those are all vital to receivers.

It seems odd that from our run-first offense, we’ve put twice as many wide receptors (Thomas, Cone, Smelter, Waller) in the NFL than running backs (Dwyer, Allen)… is this an anomaly? Why do you think this is?

I actually don't think it's that weird at all. I just think that Tech's offense does a better job of preparing receivers for the NFL then running backs.

None of Tech's running backs come anywhere close to the NFL position. A-backs translate better to slot receivers and B-backs as fullbacks or H-backs.

There is always a chance, however, that someone can break the mold. Take Jon Dwyer, for instance. Had he not put on all that weight, the talent was definitely there for him to be a difference-maker at the next level. I still believe Laskey and Days could both make impacts in the NFL, though with Laskey, I'm not sure it'd be at running back.

On a related note, when (if ever) will negative recruiting of our WR targets drop the whole "you’ll never get into the NFL playing in ‘that’ offense" shtick?

Whenever people stop saying we run a "silly high school offense." By the way, and this is directed at David Cutcliffe, how many receivers has Duke had drafted recently?

Given where the four UDFAs were picked up, which do you see as having the best chance of sticking and making a roster?

I'm going to say Synjyn Days for two reasons. First, I believe he is the best player out of all our UDFAs. And second, he is coming into a fantastic situation at Dallas, where they just lost one of the best running backs in the NFL and don't really have much to replace him.

If Days can show off before the season starts, which with Dallas' O-line is a good possibility, he coud be in line for some serious play time this season.

You’re the GM of the Buccaneers. You have four options with the first overall pick. Do you…
a) Draft Jameis Winston?
b) Draft Marcus Mariota?
c) Draft someone else?
d) Trade the pick?

Believe it or not, I'm actually going with Winston. With what the Bucs have right now, they need to get someone who doesn't need a whole lot of work as a pro-style quarterback, but they do need a quarterback. The most logical pick for them to make was Winston.

He has all of the talent to be a very successful NFL quarterback; he just needs to want it.

Subsequently, would you agree that Winston’s career will end in only one of two ways:
a) The Hall of Fame
b) Effectively blacklisted from the league, JaMarcus Russell-style

I wouldn't agree with that at all. This goes back to what I said at the end of the last question. He just needs to want it. Jameis Winston will be as successful as his work ethic, similar to JaMarcus Russell. Russell, like Winston, had all the talent in the world, but wasted it by having no work ethic until fairly recently when he attempted a comeback that has since fizzled.

For Winston to be successful, he has to have a better work ethic than that.

Do you think Shaq Mason has a shot to be the starting center? Brian stork seems to be his only competition.If not, is it safe to assume that he will be rotated in and out of the patriots offensive line due to their lack of depth, the inevitable injuries associated with those inner lineman positions and Shaqs talent?

I'm not sure about this season, but definitely some time in the near future, I could see that as a strong possibility. I think the Patriots are a great fit for Mason, and Bill Bellichick certainly likes him and even referred to him as the best run-blocker in the whole draft.

Bryan Stork still has three years left on his rookie contract, but if Bellichick believes Mason to be a better player, I could certainly see him starting as soon as this season. We shall just have to wait and see though.