Pace likely to draw heavy interest

BasX · Mar 11, 2009

After the St. Louis Rams released the No. 1 overall pick from the 1997 draft on Tuesday, the market for NFL left tackles became a lot more intriguing. Although three years removed from his last trip to the Pro Bowl and in spite of 12 grueling seasons playing at the line of scrimmage, Orlando Pace will likely not be a free agent for too long.

Instantly, Pace becomes a player of interest for the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles, all of whom are looking to upgrade the tackle position. Philadelphia's situation is perhaps the most dire, with Tra Thomas off to Jacksonville, Jon Runyan's future with the team unclear and Winston Justice wildly ineffective as a pro and rumored to be on the trading block.

If the Lions make the move to acquire Pace, it would help the nation's mock draft gurus considerably. The Rams, by their release of Pace, will now almost definitely be drafting a tackle with the No. 2 overall selection, be it Jason Smith, Eugene Monroe or Andre Smith. If Pace ends up in the Motor City, this would further fuel speculation that the team would stick to drafting Matt Stafford, as many have prognosticated, since Pace would have his back in protection schemes. However, with the left side of the line taken care of, the Lions could instead select linebacker Aaron Curry, who some have labeled as the only "can't miss" prospect amongst the top players available this year.

One jersey you likely won't see Pace wearing in 2009 is that of the Chicago Bears. Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune predicts that the team will not make a run at Pace, partly due to financial reasons, but also due to the fact that they're set on starting Chris Williams at left tackle this upcoming season.
Click to expand...

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/features/rumors

Mamba · Mar 11, 2009

We'll gladly take him in SD.

Log in or Sign up

Pace likely to draw heavy interest

BasX I Win

Mamba The King is Back Staff Member Global Moderator

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

Pace likely to draw heavy interest

BasX I Win

Mamba The King is Back Staff Member Global Moderator

Share This Page

Useful Searches