January 15th, 2009 . 9:05 am . By: Buzz Carrick

When I sat down to do a Mock Draft last night I got one mostly done, then I realized how stupid the whole thing was cause I was just guessing on pretty much the entire thing.  Some years there’s a dead solid lock for #1, like Maurice Edu for example.  This year that’s not the case. Add to that the willingness of the #1 team, Seattle, to trade out and combine it with trader Mo sitting at #2 and there is going to be come chaos this morning at the Draft.

So I decided instead of the Mock I would just share some of the stuff making the rounds and some of that stuff that I think will happen.

- Seattle has “put the for sale sign in the window” as someone put it to me last night.  They want to trade down.  I’ve been told, which makes it hearsay, that TFC has an offer on the table of their 4th and 13th pick and Seattle is telling everyone to beat that offer if you want in.

- So would a team want to pay it?  Cause trader Mo is at #2 and he want the #1 as well.  Based on some chatter and others things it seems probable that if he gets both picks he’ll take the two most “need” players: Omar Gonzalez and Stephen Frei.  Both can help his team, but being Mo he’ll also entertain offers for them post draft and perhaps demand high prices.  If you need one of those two guys you have to get up top now and there are a couple teams thinking about it.

- I believe LA might be a team that is interested in Frei.  After trading for Dema Kovalenko last night they don’t need a holding mid like Cronin anymore.  They also will consider trading down if Frei is gone.

- Seattle still likes Zakuani so everyone says.  I’ve never bought into that completely, as it makes more sense to take a player like Omar Gonzalez, a Ga player who will help them more than Zakuani in year one. Zakuani isn’t a for sure talent, just the best attacking talent.  If Seattle trades down to #4 with TFC then Zakuani will still be there and they will get him anyway.

- Most people consider it a forgone conclusion that despite his knee injury, someone will take O’Brian White in the first round.  White is that talented.  Most likely to do so is Toronto since White has Canadian residency. 

- Mike Grella and Marcus Tracy will also get drafted but not until later.  Look for a team with a lot of picks to take a flyer on one or the other.  New England for example.

- For FCD fans here’s the strategy as I see it.  With the signing of Purdy and the possible signing of another defender, center back is not really on the cards.  Maybe with their last pick as depth.  What is on the cards is attacking talent, forwards certainly but outside chance at true wide mids.  Oduro’s gone, Cooper’s eventually gone, Cunningham’s out of contract, and Watson’s option was not picked up.  FCD will almost certainly take one, or even two, attackers in the first round.   They were never really after Omar Gonzalez, attacking talent has been the target all along.

- Picking at #5, FCD will have a specific player in mind and might even try to go up and get him if things fall a certain way, but they will also have a second choice in mind.  If both are gone look for them to trade down and take their chances with whatever happens to be available later.

- Top attacking names are… Steve Zakuani, Chris Pontius, Peri Marosevic, Jeremy Hall, Jordan Seabrook, maybe even Kyle Patterson.

- FCD can take a Ga player.  They have talked out with MLS how this will work.

- Team that might be looking to move up, at least based on chatter: TFC (already covered), RSL, KC, and Colorado.

Hope you enjoy the draft.  If you’re stuck at work, or even if you’re not, come join us in our 8th Annual Draft Day Chat Room I’ll be hosting form the draft room floor. It’s an IRC based chat room, the info is on the side of the site.

The chat room won’t be up and running till noon’ish.  But the server is: irc.freenode.net and the channel will be 3rddegree.

Edit: If Dax McCarty is going to be traded this winter, it’s going to need to be today. After today his value goes way down.

Categories: 120 Fahrenheit.

9 Comments

Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI

Leave a comment