[MIJB#19]

Gossip News: Merchantmen want #2 pick in upcoming draft
The 2006 season is hardly begun, but there are signal that the #2 overall selection in the 2006 IHOF draft is up for grabs. The North Plainfield Plague can't afford the pick acquired in trade with Paris in the 2005 offseason and are openly advertising the selection. As trade-a-holic as the Merchantmen are, their management have claimed to be seeking for 2006 draft picks. An ironic message in the forum where the owners keep in touch with eachother hinted to the Merchantmen already being in negotiations.

But why would they want the pick? Sure, they can use help at 7-9, but their cap troubles have been often highlight by your favorite football gossip magazine. It would take some serious cutting and dealing to get the cap space for a #2 pick overall. BUt if they get that pick, where should they head?

Quarterback is a non-issue, the management loves Justin McDavid, who missed the 2006 season. Leonard Lyon has recently emerged as a better passer and went 3-3 in the last six weeks of the season. Sure, the Merchantmen need a new quarterback to backup Lyon, but a rookie?

Wide receiver could be interesting as Gregory Monti and Bryce Ewald have been suffering injuries that limited their skills. The rookies Lonnie O'Reilley and Devin Henson played well, but getting a fifth receiver could be a need.

Offensive line help is always welcome, but do they still need it? Wilson Grimaldo an Harold Hurtado are good tackles, Butch White and especially Brant Heinrich have turned out to be good draft picks. Add either Russell Malave or Alvin Causey and you see five good starters.

Defensive linemen are not needed, but the tackle position could use an upgrade for John Bryant's position. Behind then line, the linebacking team is lacking a good backup, but backups are not taken #2 overall.

In the secondary, the Merchantmen could want a good cornerback to accompany Tai Wayne and Dennis Preciado to shut down the receivers. With the safeties also not sure about their jobs, this could be the #1 position group to upgrade.

Or the Merchantmen are just playing a game to get a high value pick and will trade down with it to get more value out of the pick. Thet pulled that trick in 2005 with the #6 overall pick, even though they defend with the "Mario Hudson could fall there" excuse. Having good contact with Paris, they knew Paris would grab him at #4 overall.

Our take is that the Merchantmen general manager has lost his mind once again, manager M.IJ.B. is a trade-a-holic. He needs treatment for this addiction. Looking back to the bad deals he made to trade up from #14 to #6, the deal to use the 2006 first rounder as a 2005 #28 overall and then trading three picks in the top two rounds of 2006 for Columbus' 2007 one-two-three. This guy makes bad moves. As soon as he does it again, Gossip News will be there to rub it in.