How we choose to resign Albert is the real rub I’d say. If we select a top-flight LT with our first pick between now and then, that means we’ll be carrying 2 expensive OL until Albert resigns. What’s more he should be able to command LT money somewhere else if we’re not willing to pony up for the kind of money he might rightly ask for. Very likely scenario I’d say.

Ideal scenario: We pick up 2 top-name defenders in FA (DE & LB) and a veteran QB, we select Crabtree or Curry with our first pick, Unger (who can play any of 4 OL positions) with our 2nd round pick, and Josh Freeman (as a development project) with our 3rd round pick. Then in ‘10, we use our 1st round pick on a QB if we need to – there should be several good ones available. This year’s day one QB options are either not going to be ready to start in the NFL or just plain suck.

dbk – back to you, upon further review . . . it looks to me like there may be at least one RT (Eben Britton) and a couple of G’s (Robinson & Johnson) that might go mid-to-late first round.

I say we need to take off the board whoever we think the best player available is. As far as I’m concerned, that’s got to be either Michael Crabtree or Aaron Curry – either one looks to be a big get for our team.

I also believe that a team like Oakland would pay very handsomely for our #3 spot because of their 2 biggest impact needs (WR, SLB) and the strong likelihood that neither position will provide adequate talent for them at the #7 pick. Al Davis is crazy about going for impact players so I look for it to get pretty interesting for us this go round.

I think we also need to think about the fact that we’ll eventually need to replace Waters and Albert’s ability to play well at either LG or LT makes him a great candidate for Waters eventual replacement. Whether, for the sake of argument, Albert winds up at either RT or LG next season, it seems to me we would be sort of be in a position of overpaying Albert at this point in his career. I also strongly believe that Smith and Oher will be the first 2 players taken off the board. That leaves us with taking Eugene Monroe if that’s the way we’re going to go. I like Monroe plenty but I frankly can’t see him being the BPA at the #3 pick.

Give me a guy like Curry or Crabtree instead with that first pick and then in the 2nd round take either the best C available (Mack or Unger I would assume) or else the best RT (Eben Britton maybe?) available.

I know Albert was drafted as LT. That wasn’t what I was saying. You said you are against drafting a LT and moving Albert to RT because you would have a RT in that case making first round money. However, you then go on to say that you would move him to G. It seems odd that you don’t want to pay a RT first round money, but you are okay with moving him to G and paying a G first round money.

It is not at all unusual to find quality RTs, Gs, and Cs still available in round 2 and later. Unless somebody qualifies as a rare standout at any of those positions, there’s generally not a lot of value to be had in burning a 1st round pick on any those positions.

Taking a QB in round 1 this year would be a huge mistake in my opinion. Stafford does not impress me at all, Bradford needs to stay in school at least one more year. If we fail to address LB through FA, then Curry or Crabtree are my top picks.