Friday, April 30, 2010

Going wild

-- Ok, so I'm starting to get just a little sick of hearing people talk about how certain rookies drafted this year will fit into the now fabled "Wildcat". It's as if the Wildcat has somehow over night become the key tool that every offense must now possess if it plans to have a hope of winning any game of football. Everyone from Tebow to Armanti Edwards to Golden Tate are being touted as potential Wildcat players. It does make me laugh though. The idea that a team might unbalance it's line a little and run a speed option type play was being derided as a gimmick at the start of last season and now suddenly it's the holy grail of all football. Much of this can be traced back to the success of Michael Vick by the Eagles, which conveniently misses the point that Vick is an actual QB and not a RB, that the Eagles didn't use the speed option, and all that was happening was just Vick... in the shotgun. Of course the threat of the pass or run was going to be successful, bearing in mind that pretty much all football is based on a similar premise. -- Darren Sharper - the reasonably capable if a little over rated FS - has been visiting the Jags. Somehow, he actually managed to come away from the Jags without a contract. This is less of a damning indictment of Sharper as it is a damning indictment of the Jaguars lack of ability to spot talent when it's staring them in the face. Now considering I called Sharper over rated, let me qualify my description of him as 'Talent'. Sharper is good. He has good range for an old guy and he's very football savvy. Considered a locker room leader, Sharper was a key component in the Saints best area last season and that was the secondary. However! Being described as the leagues defensive MVP was pushing the boat out just a little too far from the harbour in my opinion. Yes he was good... at picking off rookies QBs and taking advantage of the hard work of Porter and Greer. All that said, he's still an upgrade on a Jaguars secondary that at times looked like it was deliberately trying to lose games so they could reap the rewards of massive offshore bets against themselves. -- Flozell Adams is still without a team. I'm not saying that Flozell Adams is the greatest tackle in the world or that he could single handily carry the Lions to the Superbowl, but he is pretty good and there are some teams in desperate need of help at that position. The Lions have already been mentioned but my main point of focus is Buffalo. Basically the Bills need a LT pretty much as badly as Afghanistan needs a stable government and a burgeoning Jobs market. Flozell may be old, he may be a little expensive for what he is, but ultimately he will help Buffalo win games, something they wont do with Trent Edwards spending half the game on his backside. Have a great day everyone.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

I canna Faneca believe it!!!!

-- Alan Faneca has signed with the Arizona Cardinals, just days after his release by the New York Jets. Which has left another player in on the free agent market scratching his head. That player, is former Titans Center Kevin Mawae. Mawae maybe nearly 40 years old, but he is a pro bowl caliber O-lineman and knows a thing or two about making line calls and blocking. So why is Mawae still in limbo yet Faneca can get a job just like that? Mawae believes it has to do with his work with the NFLPA, including efforts to get a new CBA signed, insinuating that owners are wary of signing a player who is considered to be a leading figure in fighting for the players against NFL ownership. Personally I would be very interested in Mawae, especially if my O-line was as bad as Buffalos. -- More linemen now and Denver Broncos OT Ryan Clady has torn the Patellar tendon in one of his Knees. Was it caused during a rough and tumble practice session? Err, no, not quite. He injured his knee... playing basketball. And this, this ladies and gents (let's be realistic, gents) is why NFL teams are so adverse to players indulging in other sports and hobbies during their free time. Millions of dollars blown down the toilet by a casual game of basketball. Clady is expected to return some time in September, but that obviously means missing training camp and all other offseason work outs, setting him back a little. Have a great day everyone.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

We're off to see the wizard

I'm actually getting quite frustrated with the whole Kansas City thing. Lately the talk of the NFL world has turned to who had the best off season, obviously judged by looking at what players and staff were brought in during free agency plus the draft picks that teams scooped last week. And for me, Kansas is up there among the better teams this off season, joining the ranks in my not so humble opinion of Baltimore, New York (Jets), Seattle, Washington and Oakland. First consider this; Kansas supplemented it's coaching staff with both Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel. Now, are they the greatest coaches in the land at their respective positions? No, probably not. Are they an upgrade on the previous positions? Yes, I believe they are. Are they both reasonably competent and capable? Yes, they both are. Couple this with the new talent added to the team, including Thomas Jones, Eric Berry and Dexter McCluster and you have yourself a worthy candidate for most upgraded team in the off season. I'd also like to posit (if that's even a word) that the Eagles have done the same and should be allowed to hang with Kansas in the regions of "did pretty well this offseason". They've finally moved McNabb and thus ended the seemingly endless controversy over who will be under center this year. In addition they've added Brandon Graham to the D-line, who I personally think is one of the most promising rookies heading into the 2010 season. Couple that with the addition of solid rookie picks pretty much across the board and I think the Eagles, shock horror, might actually be in with a chance of going for the big one. Might... Have a great day everyone.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Wo Hen Diannao

My earlier post was a little short and I had promised to address the potential free agents still on the market, but the reason for this lack of product tonight was because I'm trying to make a new playbook. And I'm still sitting here, coffee to one side, pouch of tobacco sitting obediently on the other, still working. And I will be well into the small hours of the morning. So far I've created half a play. The reason for this has nothing to do with a lack of acumen or a lack of desire. It has everything to do with Microsoft Powerpoint. More specifically, it has everything to do with the fact that Powerpoint couldn't be less intuitive if it was voice activated and would only take commands in Mandarin. I hate it. Hate it. Shame I made my field template on it and can't bring myself to not use that now.

St. Patrick (Craytons) day

Two things I want to address today in the brief time I have: -- Patrick Crayton. Word on the street is that the Cowboys wideout has been given permission to go look for a trade. All I can say is, 'wow'. I like Crayton a lot. I think he's savvy, with safe hands and a good route runner. I actually like Roy Williams as well, but if I had to choose between the two then I'd wanna keep Crayton. There are plenty of teams out there that could do with another legitimate pass catcher, namely Miami, Buffalo, St. Louis & Chicago to just scratch the surface. Crayton is a great pick up if you can get him. -- Will Tim Tebow compete for the starting job? Why not? He's a first round pick and if we're honest, neither Brady Quinn nor Kyle Orton have covered themselves with glory so far in their careers. Of all the places in the league where a competition could take place, Denver is definitely a leading candidate. The plus side for a guy like Orton is that you know Tebow is going to push you to the limit and make you work your butt off, which can only be good for him. Have a great day everyone.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Winners and losers.

So with rounds 4-7 done, let's look at some of the more notable picks: -- Everson Griffen, DE to the Vikings at 100. Griffen was a guy touted to go late first to early second by many. This is a great pick, building depth on the roster. Can play intermittently for a year or two as he learns the system. -- Bruce Campbell, OT to the Raiders at 106. We knew they'd get him sometime!! The key thing here is that as a 4th rounder, Campbell can sit for a while until his skills can be properly developed. It's a good pick. -- Jacoby Ford, WR to the Raiders at 108. Remember this guy? He lit up the combine with his 40 yard dash and looked very comfortable during all the receiving drills. Another solid pick to work on as a project. Will probably feature in the return game. -- Kam Chancellor, FS to the Seahawks at 133. Really impressed me at the combine. For a fifth round pick, this is a good player. -- Kendrick Lewis, FS to the Chiefs at 136. Another safety who really stood out at the combine for his footwork, hip movement and ball skills. Very smooth, very alert, could one day pair with Eric Berry to make a daunting safety partnership. -- Dan Lefevour, QB to the Bears at 181. Erm, so wasn't LeFevour projected as a top 64 pick? Steal for the Bears who get a good QB to backup Cutler. Doesn't need to come in and perform day 1 so has a proper chance to develop. -- Jonathan Dwyer, RB to the Steelers at 188. Dwyer was spoken of highly and looked smooth at the combine. Will replace Willie Parker on the depth chart as the number three, giving him time to develop a little in time honoured Steeler fashion. -- Tony Pike, QB to the Panthers at 204. Another QB? What are they doing? -- Myron Rolle, SS to the Titans at 207. Quality safety, very intelligent and hard working. -- Jeff Owens, DT to the Eagles at 243. The thing that stood out for me about Owens was how quick his feet were, including change of direction, for a guy his size. A sneaky late value pick for the Eagles. In addition to the draft picks there were some notable trades as well, the pick of the bunch being: -- LenDale White, from the Titans to the Seahawks. A really good RB, fast and powerful, has been watching a lot from the bench due to the performance of Chris Johnson. If the Seahawks can find a slightly faster to pair with him, they'd end up with a great one two shot. -- Leon Washington, from the Jets to the Seahawks. Ah ha, just the ticket. Washington may be injured but when he gets back, expect to see the return of a very exciting back who can return punts and kicks with some of the best in the league. The Seahawks rushing attack could be tough to stop this year. -- Jason Campbell, from the Redskins to the Raiders. Much maligned in Washington, Campbell is a hard worker and does have a good arm. Decision making is still an issue, but when he's on form, he's a good QB. The trouble with going to Oakland is that they lack the pieces around Campbell for him to work with. This trade also leaves a big question mark hanging over JaMarcus Russell, who will cost the Raiders an additional $6 million if they don't cut him before the season begins. So with all that done and dusted, who were the winners and losers of the draft? Winners -- Kansas City. They haven't been given much Kudos for their work, but I think Kansas had a great draft and got better in a lot of places. Maybe not the big name drafts, but still solid picks none the less. -- 49ers. Added some great talent across the board. Will be hoping to run the ball more this year with Gore so as to take the pressure of Alex Smith, and brought in the right pieces to do it. -- Seattle. Upgrades left and right plus some great trades to further strengthen their roster. Seattle could be a team to watch out for in the coming years if they keep this up. -- Baltimore. Filled some needs and grabbed some great players to help get their defense back to it's best. Like this draft. -- Denver. This all depends on your perspective. Personally I think they got the Tebow decision spot on and put in other pieces to build for the future. -- Patriots. Traded savvy and have got better this year while setting up a major draft next year. -- Raiders. Made some good early decisions and got their top notch athletes later on. Surprisingly good draft. -- Eagles. Great draft. May not stand out on paper but they just upgraded their defense big time to match their sparkling offense. Possibly pushing Kansas for best overall draft. Losers -- Buffalo. Did little to fix their many issues and missed so many opportunities. Didn't do their homework by the looks of it. -- Carolina. Blew three picks on QB. John Fox just made his job a lot harder. -- Giants. Didn't really upgrade their roster in my opinion. Compared to the other teams in their division, they look weak and may just end up bottom of the NFC East. -- Jacksonville. I actually liked the Alualu pick, but other than that, the Jaguars did little to inspire confidence that they'll bounce back this year. -- Chargers. Like any self respecting political candidate, the Chargers offered so much promise, but delivered so little substance. I think they missed in a lot of areas. And so, alas, the draft is done for another year. But now things start to get interesting as teams go digging into the pool of undrafted Free Agents and unrestricted free agents still out there, waiting to be called. Tomorrow, time permitting, I'll try and run down some of the more intriguing among them. Have a great day everyone.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Crash landing

-- So, after hyping NFL.com for the last few days, it's just my luck that as I sit down to watch live coverage of the second and third rounds.... it's not there, thanks to some glitch that allowed multiple Mariotts adverts to load, but not the damn live stream. So I quickly gave up and whisked myself over to ESPN to follow the draft on their tracker, which was noteworthy largely because it too eventually crashed my entire computer (thanks ESPN, and no before anyone asks, my computer is not mediocre. It's not a hotshot, but it can easily handle more complex things than a chat window). And talking of chat windows, this was the other noteworthy thing, as ESPN seemed to have paid literally half the country to come and be online analysts. The top of the bunch was easily Mike Sando. I have no idea where he was at the time, but I suspect he may have been sitting in the booth where they hand over the picks as he regularly seemed to predict the teams selections while they still had time on the clock. Either that or Sando needs to start playing the lottery. -- Now sadly I don't have the time to run through all the picks in detail, so I'm going for the very brief comments on second rounders and just picking the highlights out of the third. Second Round 33. Rams. Roger Saffold, OT: Great Pick, protecting the backside of the new investment 34. Vikings. Chris Cook, CB: Anyone would thing the Vikings secondary is getting old.... 35. Buccaneers. Brian Price, DT: Erm, what about a receiver guys? Building a franchise D-line I guess. 36. Chiefs. Dexter McCluster, RB: The 2010 Kansas City Chiefs, stockpiling RB. Dumb. 37. Eagles. Nathaniel Allen, FS: Fills another need. Good drafting so far. 38. Browns. TJ Ward, FS: I don't get it? 39. Buccaneers. Arrelious Benn, WR: Ahhh... there we go. Nice pick. 40. Dolphins. Koa Misi, DE: Another defensive upgrade. Solid. 41. Bills. Torell Troup, DT: Yeah, no wonder they're in trouble. Stupid. 42. Patriots. Rob Gronkowski, TE: Cant have a Belichick draft without a TE. Solid pick. 43. Ravens. Sergio Kindle, DE: Great pick. The Ravens D is looking mean again for 2010. 44. Raiders. Lamarr Houston, DT: Clearly Al Davis has been locked in a cupboard this year. Good pick. 45. Broncos. Zane Beadles, OT: Not a bad upgrade. Could have done better with this pick. 46. Giants. Linval Joseph, DT: The 2010 Giants - 52 D-linemen plus Eli Manning. 47. Cardinals. Daryl Washington, LB: Oh, so that's where the Giants 46th pick went. Smart. 48. Panthers. Jimmy Clausen, QB: Finally off the board. John Fox needs a miracle from the kid. 49. 49ers. Taylor Mays, SS: Oh yeah!! Will probably end up at the Will LB spot. Great hitter. 50. Chiefs. Javier Arenas, CB: Add that to Eric Berry and the Chiefs have taken a big stride on defense. 51. Vikings. Toby Gerhart, RB: Solid banger to spell for Peterson. 52. Steelers. Jason Worilds, DE: Fits the Steelers mould nicely. 53. Patriots. Jermaine Cunningham, DE: I'll be honest. Who? 54. Bengals. Carlos Dunlap, DE: Should have been taken by Broncos at 45. Good pick. 55. Cowboys. Sean Lee, LB: Not bad. Adding depth to a good roster. 56. Packers. Mike Neal, DT: So you didn't want Cody because? 57. Ravens. Terrence Cody, DT: Because the Ravens wanted him? Ravens 2010 getting nastier by the pick. Watch out. 58. Texans. Ben Tate, RB: Solid player to fill a big need. Waited rightly to pull the trigger. 59. Browns. Montario Hardesty, RB: Good pick, but they still need a QB.... 60. Seahawks. Golden Tate, WR: Surprised he dropped this far. I think they got good value from this. 61. Jets. Vlad Ducasse, OT: I prefer Charles Brown, but Ducasse is still good and he fits the Jets physical style. 62. Patriots. Brandon Spikes, LB: They kept taking trades to move down to this solid pick. Does Belichick know how to do a bad draft? 63. Colts. Pat Angerer, LB: Solid Colts, as usual. They don't reach and they get rewarded. 64. Saints. Charles Brown, OT: Theres my man! Drew Brees just got a little bit safer. Third Round -- OG, Jon Asamoah to the Chiefs at 68. Another excellent pick by Pioli. Chiefs have done a great job in personnel this year. -- TE, Ed Dickson to the Ravens at 70. Good player adding depth to a great squad. -- WR, Brandon LaFell to the Panthers at 78. About time they got some help for poor Steve Smith. -- WR, Jordan Shipley to the Bengals at 84. But here's who the Panthers should have taken. That Bengals offense has received a major boost this offseason. -- QB, Colt McCoy to the Browns at 85. Ah ha! So that's where he'd been hiding all this time. The Browns are pretty dran lucky he fell this far though. No doubt Holmgren will be touted as a genius if it all works out, but you have to say they lucked out on this one. -- WR, Eric Decker to the Broncos at 87. I really like this pick. Another tool on the offense and I rate Decker highly. Steal. -- QB, Armanti Edwards to the Panthers at 89. A legit NFL talent at QB in my opinion. Odd choice though given the Clausen pick. -- LB, Navorro Bowman to the 49ers at 91. Ok, so if I wasn't a 49er fan this might not have come up, but hey; my blog, my rules. I like Bowman at 91, especially as the consensus just a month ago was that he might creep into the first round. Well, that's all for today. My mood was slightly soured by not being able to watch the draft live and by the combined efforts of ESPN.com and NFL.com to crash my computer (in which they succeeded) but hey, the juicy bit of the draft is done now so I can relax and go to sleep. Tomorrow concludes the draft and I'll be picking the most interesting selections (from my bizarre perspective) after it's all said and done. In the meantime, have a great everyone.

Friday, April 23, 2010

First Class

-- All I can say is, wow. That was a great draft, lots of stuff to get through, pretty darn exciting. 1. St. Louis Ram: Sam Bradford, QB: Was it really in doubt? I'm still not convinced though. The Rams O-line is significantly different to the one that Bradford played behind in college. 2. Detroit Lions: Ndamukong Suh, DT: Jim Schwartz was only ever looking at one guy with this pick. He needed Suh to be the anchor for his line, allowing him to build a carbon copy of the defense he ran so successfully in Tennessee. The Lions Defense just got upgraded big time. 3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Gerald McCoy, DT: It was heart warming to see McCoy's reaction to the pick. You know he's going to give everything for that team and when McCoy is giving you everything he has, you're in great shape. Quarterbacks beware! 4. Washington Redskins: Trent Williams, OT: Considered by many to be the most technically sound OT in the draft. Certainly very physically gifted and should slot in well to Mike Shanahans Zone stretch rushing attack. 5. Kansas City Chiefs: Eric Berry, S: Scott Pioli followed the old Belichick/Patriots model of strengthening up the middle first and Berry is definitely a big strength. Fantastic footwork, quick hips, Berry will be looking to make some plays in a very much pass first division. 6. Seattle Seahawks: Russell Okung, OT: It had to be. The Seahawks needed a new LT and Okung will be their guy. If Okung can take the pressure of the QB and buy him some more time, Seattle might just be able to get their offense up and running again. A great pick for a building franchise. 7. Cleveland Browns: Joe Haden, CB: Mike Holmgren was quoted as saying that he wish he liked Jimmy Clausen more. To be fair to the old dog, he stuck to his guns and went for the best player on his board. I'm still not sure about this one though, not sure how much of an immediate impact you're going to get. 8. Oakland Raiders: Rolando McClain, LB: Oh boy, did the Giants crowd in Radio City Music Hall not like this!! The guy they all thought would replace Antonio Pierce was instead scooped up by Al Davis in a pick that is surprising only in the fact that it was actually a good one. Raiders fans will sleep a lot better tonight. 9. Buffalo Bills: C.J. Spiller, RB: Elected not to take a QB and as we will see, that came back to haunt them. Spiller though is a great playmaker, both in the run game and the return game. If they can establish the threat of Spiller rushing, then maybe the play action game will open up a little for the Bills. 10. Jacksonville Jaguars: Tyson Alualu, DT: The immediate reaction of many people will be 'what?'. And to some degree they have a point. But the Jaguars needed to upgrade their defensive line and by going for an interior player like Alualu, they get a pass rush and run defense upgrade. Many will point to Dan Williams still being on the board, but I think Alualu gives you a better pass rush, which is the main thing Jacksonville were lacking. I like this pick... 11. San Francisco 49ers: Anthony Davis, OT: ... But I don't like this one. Davis is fine, he'll be great on the right hand side. But why trade away a fourth round pick for him? You just leap frogged the Dolphins by trading with the Broncos, neither of whom were ever likely to take Davis. It just doesn't make much sense to me. Still though, Davis is a good player and hopefully this will spell the beginning of a run first mentality. All we need now is a guard... 12. San Diego Chargers: Ryan Matthews, RB: Hello!! Bold move by the Chargers, but they need a back to spell with Sproles. The trouble with this pick is that you're giving up later selections to draft a player in a deep position. Even if the Chargers had stayed put, a good RB is going to fall to you. You can even wait till the second round and get a pretty good back to put accompany Sproles. I just think this is bad value management. 13. Philadelphia Eagles: Brandon Graham, DE: The Eagles traded up as the Broncos were more than happy to move back. And in return, the Eagles got one of my favourite players in this draft. Graham has the potential to make the most impact in his rookie year, especially with Trent Cole on the opposite side for teams to worry about. Great pick. 14. Seattle Seahawks: Earl Thomas, S: Nice pick. Thomas is a great safety and can really help to anchor the middle of the Seahawks defense. There are some good RB out there in the NFC West and Thomas wont be afraid to put his head down and get stuck in. 15. New York Giants: Jason Pierre-Paul, DE: The Giants fans were cheering as Pierre-Pauls name was read out. I think they'll be crying by the end of it. Pierre-Paul is a classic example of scouts over valuing speed and strength without the necessary football brain or technique to back it up. 16. Tennessee Titans: Derrick Morgan, DE: Surprised he fell this far to be honest. The chatter going about is that the Titans were disappointed to see Pierre-Paul come off the board, but I think at the end of the season they'll look back and thank their lucky stars it happened this way. 17. San Francisco 49ers: Mike Iupati, OG: ... and that's our O-line sorted. Kind of. I love Iupati, such a determined and physical guy, great at blocking both the run and the pass. Very happy with this pick. More than makes up for the moment of madness earlier. Expect Frank Gores numbers to spike next season. 18. Pittsburgh Steelers: Maurkice Pouncey, OG: No surprise to see Pouncey come off the board next. He's a great guard who will one day likely shift to center for the Steelers. They're a good franchise, and good franchises have a habit of picking linemen in the first round. Pouncey is a solid addition to this franchises future. 19. Atlanta Falcons: Sean Weatherspoon, LB: When you're playing the Panthers twice a year, it helps to have a good LB in the middle to stop the run (not that the stupid Panthers ever fully utilize their rushing assets). That's what you get with Weatherspoon. After McClain came off the board, I'm surprised that the Giants didn't snatch this guy up, but the Falcons certainly aren't complaining. Nice pick. 20. Houston Texans: Kareem Jackson, CB: I get it, you need a corner to replace Dunta Robinson. But take another look at your draft board. Look at the corner position and..... doh!! Yep, there's Kyle Wilson, sitting there wondering why he's still not been taken by number twenty. This is just a clear cut mistake by the Texans. 21. Cinncinati Bengals: Jermaine Gresham, TE: I was watching the draft on the NFL.com live feed, when me and Tom Waddle (great analyst) both said TE at the same time. They cut to Commissioner Goodell standing at the podium, and although I couldn't see or hear him anymore, I have this instinctive feeling that Waddle, like me, said 'Jermaine Gresham', just before Goodell read it off the card. This is a solid pick for the Bengals that rounds off nicely an excellent receiving corp. They might just prove to be 'The Team To Beat' next season. 22. Denver Broncos: Demaryius Thomas, WR: Finally the Broncos realised they hadn't picked anyone, so Josh McDaniels calls his old friend in New England, and hey presto, the Broncos steal one of the best receivers in the draft (alongside Arrelious Benn). Well done Broncos. 23. Green Bay Packers: Brian Bulaga, OT: I feel sorry for Bulaga. He got all dressed up to come to the draft, all excited about the fact he was going to be taken in the top ten and start earning a truck load of dollars...... or maybe not. Well, he'll still earn a truck load of dollars, just it'll be more of a GMC Sierra as opposed to a sixteen wheeled beast. The Packers were probably stunned that Bulaga made it this far, but they would have had no doubts snapping him up. Aaron Rodgers can now abandon any plans to have the seat of his pants cushioned for 2010. 24. Dallas Cowboys: Dez Bryant, WR: Let me ask you a question; you just released your starting left tackle and you have two very good WR on the books, so do you really want another one, especially one who comes with a lot of character concerns, something that your franchise has only just got over the season before? This is a horrible pick, stupid as hell. Keep an eye out tomorrow for a trade involving Patrick Crayton. Baltimore and Miami will probably lead the charge, and they'll be in for a treat if they get him. 25. Denver Broncos: Tim Tebow, QB: Oh yeah, they did!! Sacrificing second, third and fourth round selections is a statement of intent by Denver. Personally I think Tebow is great and Denver is an awesome fit. He won't be expected to come in day one and start, he has a QB-centric coach, and eventually Demaryius Thomas will become his new toy as they grow up in the system together. But Denver paid a heavy price. They just lost three potential players, and in a draft group this deep, they may come to regret that. The suspected reason that they made the move was due to the Bills apparently trying to put something together to come get Tebow. The Ravens have obviously taken full advantage. With these extra picks, it essentially means they got Anquan Boldin for free. Meanwhile the Bills were, by all accounts, absolutely devastated that Tebow got away from them. 26. Arizona Cardinals: Dan Williams, DT: Williams + Dockett = major interior domination. With the disruption to their LB corps, this pick brings a bit of stability. The Cardinals do not want to get involved in more shootouts like the one against Green Bay in the post-season. They'll be hoping that Williams will make such future encounters a little more one sided. 27. New England Patriots: Devin McCourty, CB: Bill Belichick likes nothing more than a player who can do multiple things. McCourty brings not just ability at the CB position, but big time special teams play to, from returning kicks to blocking field goals. The only reason you'd take him over Kyle Wilson would be for this. 28. Miami Dolphins: Jared Odrick, DT: With the addition of LB Karlos Dansby, this is exactly the kind of upgrade the Dolphins needed defensively. Their defense is definitely their weak spot and Odrick has more potential than people think. 29. New York Jets: Kyle Wilson, CB: Was Rex Ryan ever going to let this one pass? No, not at all. Add Wilson to Cromartie and Revis and suddenly you have a secondary that is not going to give up a lot of yards through the air. They can play man across the board and just blitz the crap out of people with few worries this season. New York is going to be a scary place to go play. 30. Detroit Lions: Jahvid Best, RB: Again, I'm not a big fan of teams moving up for RB when you know you could get a solid guy in the second or third round. Made worse by the fact they're picking at two in the second round, which is only a few picks away. I just don't think you can allow yourself to get that attached to a RB. 31. Indianapolis Colts: Jerry Hughes, DE: Obviously the whole Dwight Freeny injury thing in the run up to the Superbowl has stuck in the minds at Lucas Oil stadium. Hughes is a viable rotation type guy, though given the desire for speed on the Colts defense, it's entirely plausible he could end up playing DT. 32. New Orleans Saints: Patrick Robinson, CB: "Yeah, let's pick the one position outside of QB that we don't really need". The Saints need a run stopping LB and/or DT. This is a big mistake I feel as they might just be out of luck when they come to pick again tomorrow. Well, that's the first round done. Personally I thought it was fantastic to watch and the primetime format worked beautifully. I'll be back tomorrow to offer my thoughts once more on what promises to be an exciting second and thrid rounds. Have a great day everyone.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

The winds of change are definitely in the air.

-- And just like that, the AFC North has changed. The Pittsburgh Steelers - one of the premier franchises in the NFL - will lose QB Ben Roethlisberger for the first six games of the 2010 season. In addition, Roethlisberger will be assessed by a team of psychologists. The results of these tests could reduce or even extend his suspension. Already talk of a trade is rife, but the reality is no team - even if they're desperate for a QB - will touch Roethlisberger this season. The Steelers will likely now have a QB competition between Dennis Dixon and Byron Leftwich for the starting job. It could even add an interesting dynamic to the draft, as we could see the Steelers take a QB, though probably not until the third round. -- The Minnesota Vikings have acquired free agent Lito Sheppard. Sheppard was released earlier this year by the Jets. It makes sense for a Minnesota team that is growing increasingly long in the tooth at the CB position. Sheppard is a pretty good corner and will likely see most of his action this year as a nickel back. -- So tomorrow the NFL draft kicks off at 7:30 ET. For those that are interested and unable to get it on TV, you can catch all the coverage of the event live on NFL.com (I should be on the payroll the amount of free publicity I give them guys). So what are some of my last minute thoughts going in? 1) What will the Rams do at one? Well, it's not really a burning question because we know that unfortunately they're going to go with Bradford and hamstring their franchise for the next 5 years at least, but I had to get it out of the way didn't I. 2) Suh or McCoy? Who will the Lions take at number two. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced they'll take Suh. 3) Will the Browns go for Clausen at number 7 overall? Like most early picks, their choice here has the potential to cause great disruption further down the line. If they take Eric Berry instead (providing he's there), expect DB's to come flying off the board thick and fast afterward. 4) Bruce Campbell or Jason Pierre-Paul. One of these dramatically over rated players will probably go at number 8, when the Raiders come on the clock. 5) The Bills at 9. Predicting this pick will be the toughest of all in this draft. Another one of those picks where there are so many directions to head in it's mind boggling, and the ripples will be felt way down the first round. 6) The first of the 49ers picks at 13. Only of interest if you're a 49ers fan like me. Or, unless you're hoping to pick up an OT, OG or DB later in the first round. Another big ripple pick. 7) The 49ers at 17. Read the same as above. 8) Steelers at 18. Project Tebow? 9) The Patriots at 22. For how long? 10) Sorry to harp on this point, but what is it about the very hard working, successful, very coachable, determined, athletic, tough, accurate and charismatic Tim Tebow that scouts and analysts still dislike enough to grade him as a second or third rounder? Have a great day everyone.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Taylor made

-- Jason Taylor has signed a two year deal to become, heaven forbid, a New York Jet. I'm sure Jets fans are over the moon at that one. But Taylor is a solid player and the deal is rumoured to be essentially back loaded, meaning most of the money wont come until the second year (probably in the shape of a large roster bonus) by which time you would have let they guy go if you weren't happy with him. I think it's a good little addition to an already strong Jets D. -- Torry Holt has become a New England Patriot. With Wes Welker injured and unlikely to start the season, Holt might provide a solid and experienced pair of hands to play across the middle. He's certainly a good route runner still and I think these old veteran WR are under rated for their ability to contribute with solid catches. -- The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to plan for life without Ben Roethlisberger, even if it's just for a few weeks. The Steelers traded a 7th round pick to Tampa Bay for QB Byron Leftwich, who the Buccaneers previously acquired from Pittsburgh. I like Leftwich and if I was a Mike Tomlin, I'd be confident about having Leftwich come in as a stand in. -- I'm feeling a little ill lately, mainly nausea. The cause of this ailment is the fact that I find myself constantly agreeing with everything Charley Casserly has been saying lately. Maybe I was wrong about him? -- Solomon Wilcotts believes the Chargers will win the Superbowl. I believe Mr. Wilcotts has a nasty shock in store. After the draft is all done, I'll offer some of my opinions on where I think each division is going. -- This week, for those that somehow hadn't noticed, will see the 75th NFL draft. I'll be watching intently of course and everyday after the action I'll be offering my thoughts on the various picks and highlights. Have a great day everyone.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Recasting Big Ben?

-- Apologies for the absence this weekend, but time has been sparse. And the question that I return with is this: Do the Steelers need to draft a QB? This of course relates to the possible suspension of Ben Roethlisberger for his breach of the NFL's personal conduct policy. The suggestion that the Steelers might draft a QB is a hint that maybe someone in the Steelers building has told the press that Big Ben is potentially going to be given the Big Boot by Pittsburgh. I don't think they should, but then the Steelers are not an organisation that's very tolerant of bad behaviour (a policy that has served them superbly in the long term). So who would they draft? Well the Steelers already have Dennis Dixon who I thought did well when he stepped in briefly last season, and with the Steelers being the Steelers, they'll be after a player who is going to sit and watch for a year or two while he's groomed into the Steeler methodology. That could include any number of QB's in the draft, but it likely points to a second or third round pick. It's certainly a possibility that they could use their first round pick on a great character guy like Tebow, but it's highly unlikely. By the time they pick again, in all likely hood, he'll be gone. So who's a more realistic prospect? I think Tony Pike isn't a bad shout in the third round, or one of my personal favourites, Armanti Edwards. Both guys could be brought in to have a nice sit down on the bench for a year or two while they learn what it means to be a Steeler and observe the offense in action. Only two more days till we find out. I'm pretty damn excited now. Have a great day everyone.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Open a bottle of Ginn!

-- When the Dolphins picked up Brandon Marshall, one of my thoughts was "I wonder what will happen now to Ted Ginn Jr.?" Ta da! The answer is here. My beloved 49ers have come up trumps, trading a 5th round pick for Ginn. That's not a bad deal when you look at what he brings to the table for San Francisco. First of all you now have a legitimate punt return presence (and no, Arnaz Battle didn't count as that). Secondly you add a speedy, downfield receiver who can play opposite Crabtree. With Josh Morgan and Justin Hill coming through as good young receivers, the 49ers just got a whole lot better on offense. Things are looking up for a change. Have a great day everyone. I know I will now.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Running up a sweat

-- Talk of a trade is in the air and that talk centers around the possibility of the Cleveland Browns making a move to acquire the number 1 overall pick from the Rams. The obvious plan is to pick Sam Bradford, something Mike Holmgren would be very keen on after saying of Jimmy Clausen, that he wished he liked him more. The Browns have plenty of picks to play with, plus two QB, in order to get the deal done. Personally I think the Rams would be much more interested in another proposed trade for their pick that's doing the speculation rounds, and that's the possibility of the Steelers trading Roethelisberger in exchange for the number 1 pick overall. Personally I dont see it happening, I just don't think that's the Steelers style. But if it does happen... man that's a great trade from the Rams perspective. -- A parallel has emerged this offseason regarding trades for WR. Three teams have gone out to strengthen their receiving corps in order to help their youthful QB. The Ravens picked up Anquan Boldin, the Dolphins went and got Brandon Marshall, and the Jets went for Santonio Holmes. Proof, say many, that the NFL is becoming a pass dominated league. And I agree, it is. But is this a wise choice? The idea has been postulated that the Ravens were only so run heavy in the 2008 season because it took the pressure off Joe Flacco and that the Jets & Dolphins did the same in 2009 to take the pressure off their respective, inexperiencedQB. But what intrigues me is this: The Ravens in 2008 went to the AFC Championship game off the back of their running game. The Jets in 2009 went to the AFC Championship game off the back of their running game. Now don't go me wrong, I understand a lot of that is down to their respective defenses and the presence of Rex Ryan running said defenses in both situations (proof that a good coach can make things happen with his "X's and O's" and not just "Jimmy's and Joes", something many lower level coaches like to claim is untrue). But a lot of what these two teams have achieved is down to their ball control, run the clock, keep their own defense off the field type approach. And if you watch the Jets and Ravens over the last two years, one thing you'll see is a surprising amount of is break away runs, especially given the common belief that rushing attacks lack this 'deep strike' capability. But now I'm just rambling. I like physical rushing attacks and we'll leave it at that, or we'll be here all day. Have a great day everyone.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

A fin(e) trade

-- And Bam! Just like that, Brandon Marshall becomes a Dolphin. Wow. In exchange for a second round pick this year and a second rounder in 2011, that's a huge upgrade for the 'phins, at a position that was sorely lacking last year. One of the reason they've been so creative over the last few seasons with their Wildcat packages is that they've lacked a real aerial threat. But with QB Chad Henned coming along nicely and now bringing Marshall into the mix, Miami has a lot of offensive potential this year. Considering they also brought in Karlos Dansby to add a little something defensively, the Dolphins could now be considered close runners to the Jets as the team to beat in the AFC East.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

I think I might need a cigarette

-- Something disgusting happened today. Charley Casserly was talking on NFL Network about Gerald McCoy and I was sitting at home nodding. I hope this doesn't become a common occurrence. -- I know it's not football but yesterday I mentioned the Nicorette Inhalator I've just started using. I can now confirm it's a piece of junk. It actually seems to work out more expensive than smoking and the taste is horrible, without the soothing release and satisfying aroma of the actual cigarette. If you were thinking about investing in one, don't Unless you're the kind of person that smokes Ultra-Light Menthol's. Have a great day everyone.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Expensive Habits

-- Santonio Holmes will be suspended for the first four games of the 2010 NFL season after a breach of the leagues substance abuse policy. The funny thing is, I think he can miss those first four games and still finish the season as the Jets leading receiver. -- Leaning back in my chair with a cup of coffee in one hand and my new Nicorette Inhalater in the other (I'm pretty sure giving up smoking costs more than actually smoking), I tried to ponder the answer to the many questions about college QB coming into the league. The biggest knock against most of them is that they haven't taken many snaps from under center. To which the simple solution would be: start them in the gun. Just looking at the league as it is now, pretty much every team ran some kind of package out of the gun last year. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have both had incredible success from it. So why can't Tebow or McCoy? Have a great day everyone.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Holmes to Jets

-- I knew it. I knew someone would ruin my mock draft just hours after posting. This is precisely the reason why I don't like doing them. This time the culprits are the Steelers, who I've just learned have traded WR Santonio Holmes to the Jets in exchange for a 5th round pick (I can already picture Rex Ryan laughing).

My Turn to make a Mockery, Part 2

-- Yesterday I did a mock draft based on the way I thought teams would go, but today I want to go in a different direction and draft purely based on my own thoughts of which players each team should take, including many an upset: 1. St. Louis Rams - Brian Bulaga, OT - When you go back and look at the Rams last season, there biggest problem seems to be actually keeping their QB in the upright position. I like Bulaga, I think he's probably the best OT on the board, and I think he adds much more value to the Rams in the next few years than Sam Bradford does. 2. Detroit Lions - Gerald McCoy, DT - When you're playing the Packers, Vikings and Bears (offense under Mike Martz) twice a year, then you need to get to the QB. McCoy will bring you that pass rush. His presence in the oppositions backfield will take some of the pressure off the rest of the D. 3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ndamukong Suh, DT - The Bucs' are a team on the up. Their defense needs a guy like like Suh however to help them get into other teams backfields and start creating mischief. 4. Washington Redskins - Anthony Davis, OT - Providing the Redskins O-line remains unchanged going into the draft, I think Anthony Davis is their best upgrade, giving Donovan McNabb some protection on his backside. 5. Kansas City Chiefs - Eric Berry, S - Berry is a player with such fantastic footwork and movement I can easily see him making the transition to corner. I think Berry is a big time upgrade for the Chiefs D. 6. Seattle Seahawks - Derrick Morgan, DE - A great pass rusher, Morgan brings speed and sacks to the Seattle D, two things they need badly. 7. Cleveland Browns - Joe Haden, CB - Even though the Browns have moved to upgrade the position in the offseason, Haden is a great athlete who brings a lot to the table for the Browns. They'll probably wait till round 2 to go for a QB. 8. Oakland Raiders - Russell Okung, OT - Part of JaMarcus Russell's problem reside on the fact that he spends more time on his butt than I do. Okung is a step in the right direction. 9. Buffalo Bills - Trent Williams, OT - The Bills have much the same problem as the Raiders. Since the departure of Jason Peters, the left side of the Bills line has looked shakey. Williams, a sound technician, comes in and steadies the ship. 10. Jacksonville Jaguars - Sergio Kindle, DE - Kindle comes in and slots right in at DE, trying to bring some pass rush to the woeful Jaguars line. If Aaron Kampman gets healthy as well, the Jaguars will improve significantly in this area. 11. Denver Broncos - Arrelious Benn, WR - Even if they keep Marshall, you have to ask yourself for how long? And who takes the coverage off Eddie Royal if Marshall leaves? Benn is the answer. 12. Miami Dolphins - Rolando McClain, LB - The loss of Porter and Taylor this offseason leaves a void too big to be filled by just Karlos Dansby. McClain makes that LB corps even stronger and gives them a serious chance to compete in the AFC. 13. San Francisco 49ers - Mike Iupati, OG - Without doubt, Iupati makes a big impact. Putting him in at either guard or RT, you instantly make the '9ers line more durable and better able to stand up to the pass rush that has so often crippled the 49ers offense in the last few years. 14. Seattle Seahawks - CJ Spiller, RB - Finally the Seahawks find a run game with Spiller, who can also come in on special teams. Spiller is a great fit for that offense and gives the 'Hawks an outside chance at the division title. 15. New York Giants - Kyle Wilson, CB - Fixes a big problem on the Giants D. Their secondary needs and upgrade, and Wilson is the best answer in the first round. 16. Tennessee Titans - Carlos Dunlap, DE - Comes in to replace Vanden Bosch and get the Titans D back on track. The Titans were awesome at the back end of last season, they just need that little extra help getting to guys like Peyton Manning and Matt Schaub. 17. San Francisco 49ers - Earl Thomas, S - Fixes a need on the 49ers D for some speed and play making ability on the back end. Could push this defense over the edge. 18. Pittsburgh Steelers - Maurkice Pouncey, C/OG - The Steelers need help in the O-line, and that's just about it. Pouncey is an instant upgrade and will help buy time for Roethelisberger to wok his magic. 19. Atlanta Falcons - Brandon Graham, DE - What do the Falcons need badly? Pass rush. And Graham gives them that. 20. Houston Texans - Dexter McCluster, RB - A great fit for their offensive scheme and hopefully takes some of the pressure off of Matt Schaub to win games by himself. 21. Cincinnati Bengals - Jermaine Gresham, TE - After scooping up Antonio Bryant during Free agency, the Bengals now need a TE to generate problems over the middle. Gresham is a great answer to that problem and makes the whole offense more dangerous in one stroke. 22. New England Patriots - Taylor Mays, S - The only thing Bill Belichick likes more than a high character player is a player who can play multiple roles. Enter Mays, who will probably end up playing some safety, some Linebacker, and if New England get their hands on him, some TE, before his NFL career is over. 23. Green Bay Packers - Charles Brown, OT - Aaron Rodgers had a bad habit of holding on to the ball too long last season, but protection was still part of the problem. Brown comes in and starts on the right, before moving to the left a year or two down the line. 24. Philadelphia Eagles - Devin McCourtney, CB - Comes in to replace Sheldon Brown and play opposite Asante Samuel. Big upgrade for the Eagles D. 25. Baltimore Ravens - Rob Gronkowski, TE - Todd Heap is getting old now and the Ravens are shifting to a more pass happy system, so it makes sense to take a solid TE this late and start building for the future. 26. Arizona Cardinals - Sean Waetherspoon, LB - Comes in to fill the role left by Dansby. With Porter on the roster as well, the Cardinals D might just be able to hold off teams enough to protect their fragile offense with it's new QB. 27. Dallas Cowboys - Vladimir Ducasse, OT - With Flozell Adams gone, Ducasse makes sense with this pick. He's got good technique and will fight all the way. 28. San Diego Chargers - Kareem Jackson, CB - Comes in to fill for the loss of Antonio Cromartie. Look for the Chargers to get a RB in the second round. 29. New York Jets - Demaryius Thomas, WR - Made a college career out of catching 5 yard passes and taking them for long gains. This gives the Jets the flexibility to use short passes that better suit Sanchez. 30. Minnesota Vikings - Dan Williams, DT - The Vikings have a thing about DT's called Williams (in the the same way the Eagles have a thing about players called "something-with-two-letters-Sean"). This Williams will be the future replacement for another. 31. Indianapolis Colts - Brandon Spikes, LB - Getting younger at a core position on defense, taking Spikes would be a smart move for the Colts. 32. New Orleans Saints - Navorro Bowman, LB - Comes in to possibly replace Scott Fujita. Another day, another mock draft done. Have a great day everyone.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

My turn to make a mockery

-- Ok, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for a mock draft! If I'm honest, I'm not a huge fan of doing these even this close to the draft, as it only takes one player to catch a teams eye and thus move up a little in order to upset the whole thing. But I'm prepared to give it a whirl, especially in the absence of anything that would approach being a newsworthy story (The Cowboys old stadium gets demolished Sunday, 8am ET if you're interested). I'm going to do this not by picking who I think the teams should take (more on that later) but trying to guess who they actually will take. With that said, with number one overall selection in the 2010 NFL draft, the St. Louis Rams choose: 1. Sam Bradford, QB - It's inevitable. Like death and taxes, the Rams are certain to go with Bradford. They need a QB and they need to invigorate that franchise and it's fan base. 2. Detroit Lions - Ndamukong Suh, DT - Jim Schwartz has scooped Kyle Vaden Bosch off the free agent market, but now he needs an interior anchorman to play the part that was filled by Albert Haynesworth in Tennessee. I think he takes Suh to be his guy. 3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gerald McCoy, DT - McCoy is simply just a great fit for what Tampa wants to do defensively this season. They need a guy like McCoy to generate pressure up the middle. 4. Washington Redskins - Russell Okung, OT - The trade for McNabb leaves Washington free to take an OT like Okung at number 4. With a contract extension for McNabb on the horizon, they need someone to cover his backside. They take Okung to do it. 5. Kansas City Chiefs - Brian Bulaga, OT - Having invested in Matt Cassel, the Chiefs go looking for a LT to protect his backside. And they go looking in the direction of Brian Bulaga. 6. Seattle Seahawks - Eric Berry, S - The Seahawks badly need a defensive playmaker. Badly. Very badly. They generated just 13 INTs last year and this pick compliments their 2009 selection of LB Aaron Curry. 7. Cleveland Browns - Joe Haden, CB - Same reason as the Seahawks taking Berry. The Browns produced just 10 INTs last year and they need some help on defense. Haden adds a spark to that flagging D. 8. Oakland Raiders - Bruce Campbell, OL - Stop kidding yourselves Raiders fans, you know it's going to happen. 9. Buffalo Bills - Jimmy Clausen, QB - They need a QB and they can't wait on Tebow or McCoy. They have to pull the trigger now, and do so, taking Clausen to try and solidify the future of their franchise. 10. Jacksonville Jaguars - Derrick Morgan, DE - The Jaguars were outright appalling when it came to sacks last year. They were dead last and need a guy like Morgan to try and inspire a defensive comeback this year. 11. Denver Broncos - Rolando McClain, LB - Time to beef up the defense for Denver. They need assistance on this side of the ball and McClain brings both pressure and great tackling skills. 12. Miami Dolphins - Dez Bryant, WR - The Dolphins need a receiver and everyone still seems pretty hung up on Bryant. I think the Dolphins take a chance on him to provide a true weapon for Chad Henne to work with. 13. San Francisco 49ers - Kyle Wilson, CB - There'll be O-linemen still in the draft later when the '9ers pick again at 17, but for now they need someone to play opposite Nate Clements. Wilson is your guy. 14. Seattle Seahawks - Sergio Kindle, LB - I think the Seahawks go looking for a pass rusher they can mould to their needs, someone who will draw attention from Curry and try to establish an all dominating pairing at the LB position. Not a bad move. 15. New York Giants - Sean Weatherspoon, LB - With the loss of Antonio Pierce, the Giants need a new central figure at the LB spot. Weatherspoon, well noted for his communication skills, could be the guy. 16. Tennessee Titans - Jason Pierre Paul, DE - The Titans need to rediscover their pass rush. I think they blow it badly at this point by taking the over rated Pierre Paul. 17. San Francisco 49ers - Anthony Davis, OT - I think the 49ers fall out of their chairs that Davis is still on the board. Everyone starts looking at Coach Singletary and wondering if God likes him enough to also gift them a young and talented QB in the second round. Surely not another pick falling into their lap.... 18. Pittsburgh Steelers - Trent Williams, OT - The Steelers biggest problem last year was pass protection. Problem partly solved. 19. Atlanta Falcons - Carlos Dunlap, DE - Too good to miss for a Falcons team that needs to generate a little more pressure up front. They'll maybe regret not taking Earl Thomas. 20. Houston Texans - CJ Spiller, RB - When your per carry rushing tally is on a par with the Colts and the Norv Turner lead Chargers, you know things are going bad. That's why they go for a dynamic guy like Spiller. 21. Cincinnati Bengals - Earl Thomas, S - Add Thomas to the secondary pairing of Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph, and suddenly your defensive back end looks as mean as any in the league. 22. New England Patriots - Brandon Graham, DE - Pass rush was a big issue for the Patriots last year. Graham solves a big need that the Patriots still have going in to the draft. 23. Green Bay Packers - Mike Iupati, OL - They'll be surprised Iupati fell this far and given their pass protection issues from last year, they'll need him. A great fit. 24. Philadelphia Eagles - Taylor Mays, S - Mays can play safety or possibly convert to corner, but either way he adds much needed punch to the Eagles secondary. 25. Baltimore Ravens - Devin McCourtney, CB - The Ravens need to get better at defending the pass. McCourtney could be the answer. 26. Arizona Cardinals - Brandon Spikes, LB - In the space of one offseason, the Cardinals roster has practically fallen apart at the seams, losing key players all over the place. Spikes comes in and trys to reinvigorate their roster. 27. Dallas Cowboys - Charles Brown, OL - Steps in as the replacement, either this season or next, for Flozell Adams. 28. San Diego Chargers - Ryan Matthews, RB - The loss of Tomlinson and signing Sproles to just a one year tender leaves the Chargers short at RB. Matthews could be just the trick. 29. New York Jets - Arrelious Benn, WR - Sanchez needs weapons downfield and Braylon Edwards isn't the long term solution. Benn is highly rated and could be just what the doctor ordered to help the Jets offense take a big leap forward. 30. Minnesota Vikings - Kareem Jackson, CB - Will be brought in as the future replacement for Antoine Winfield. 31. Indianapolis Colts - Maurkice Pouncey, OL - A solid pick, as usual, from the Colts. Pouncey will join a good stable of O-linemen. 32. New Orleans Saints - Brandon Spikes, LB - If there is one thing the Saints need big time, it's a LB. Spikes is the best man left at that position by the time the Saints pick and should see plenty of action this season. Well, that's my 32. Again, it's always tough making mock drafts at this stage that will come anything close to the final deal, but it's fun to try I guess. But there is something that would be way more fun. And that's to jump into the GMs role and make my personal choices for each of the teams. Oh yeah, it's a picking free for all!!! Tomorrow maybe.... Have a great day everyone.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

All quiet on every front.

-- Nothing, not one single thing of note has really happened in the last two days. Just about the most news worthy thing would be Jimmy Clausens pro day, which by all accounts went well, including his connections with another highly rated prospect, Golden Tate. I can really smell a mock draft coming. Have a great everyone.

Thursday, April 08, 2010

Kick the tires? I'll kick your a**!!

-- The Washington Redskins have apparently made contact with the agent of Flozell Adams. It's a case of the over used proverbial phrase "kicking the tires" (which I hate with the kind of passion that divisional rivals have for each other). And it makes a lot of sense. The Redskins have probably had the single finest off season period out of all 32 teams and the signing of Adams would be the icing on the cake. Why? Other than solving a glaring need, it completely changes the way they look at their first round pick (4th overall). Now you can go out and pick whoever takes your fancy, with most of your needs already solved. But probably the more likely scenario is for you to trade down. Now you have the liberty of taking a slightly lower ranked OT such as Charles Brown who you can start on the right side before moving over a year or two down the line. Or, you can fill what would be the Redskins sole remaining glaring need at WR. If given the opportunity, expect the Redskins to pull the trigger on this one. -- The New Orleans Saints have picked up former Bears DE Alex Brown on a two year deal reportedly worth $6 million. The Saints have lost some important free agents already and could still lose Darren Sharper, so welcoming Brown makes a nice change. Brown will help generate pressure up front and create mistakes that can be capitalised on by the Saints superb corner tandem of Jabari Greer and Tracey Porter. -- Jason Taylor, LB for the Dolphins, may be about to put his hatred for the New York Jets behind him... by joining them. Taylor had a meeting with the Jets Wednesday as Jets HC Rex Ryan looks for extra pieces that will push his defense over the edge this coming season. Which is scary, to think that the Jets might actually get better on D, bearing in mind how good they were already last year. Have a great day everyone.

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Put it away Steve

-- Sadly it's been a thin day for news. A thin day. But one interesting thing I came upon when I finally headed over to NFL.com was this headline to an article by Steve Wyche: "Wang on brink of making history". Seriously, did nobody look at that and think "hmm, maybe we could word this better?". Gave me a chuckle though. -- It's funny how we always talk about guys getting over drafted when you consider that just over two months ago, Ndamukong Suh was the undisputed number 1 overall pick, and yet now some people have him slipping as low as 8. If the media types cant even decide on what value to place on a player, then really, how much attention should we really pay to their vaunted draft grades? -- There seems to be a growing belief that the 49ers will take either Dez Bryant or Golden Tate with the second of their first round picks. Please god. Just no. -- Charley Casserly is still being employed as a draft analyst by NFL Network. One question; why? -- There's trade talk in the air, with Albert Haynesworth the focus this time. The fact is, the Redskins have already paid Haynesworth over $25 million dollars for this season, so letting him go seems a little stupid. I'd want a return on that investment. But then hey, I wouldn't have paid his ridiculous contract demands in the first place. And who's going to take Haynesworth? Who in their right mind would take him now, knowing that they'd have to pay a fortune to sign him, only for him to start making demands about where he wants to play and how he wants to play? Seriously Mr. York, put the phone down. Put it down!! Have a great day everyone.

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

You put your fifth rounder in, you take your seventh rounder out, you do the...

-- After an explosive day yesterday with the McNabb deal finally done, we follow up today with..... the Seahawks trading Guard Rob Sims to the Lions for DE Robert Henderson. Hmph. Seattle also gets Detroits fifth rounder while Detroit gets Seattles first seventh rounder. And really this is just another great scoop by the Lions, who may not seem to have made as much of a splash in the offseason, but in terms of the quality of their picks, have done amazingly well. The question is now, with this effort to shore up their O-line, does it point to a mindset that will see the Lions take a LT with the number 2 overall pick? -- The St. Louis Rams might as well hang a banner over their front entrance that reads "we're going with Bradford" after the release of long time QB Marc Bulger. I have to believe that the market for Bulger will be tepid at best. And at least now the Rams offense can start gearing itself up and getting ready for a new sheriff in town. -- Flozell Adams is still on the free agency list, which surprises me given the number of teams that need help at the position. Ok so he's 35 and he's not a long term solution, but he still brings a lot to the table. Now I've always been a believer in using Free Agency to fill roster holes and solve needs, freeing you up in the draft to go pick whoever takes your fancy (but filling glaring needs first in the draft if you still have them). I think the teams out there that need O-line fixes (and there are many) could do themselves a lot of good by picking up Adams at OT and Chester Pitts (UFA from Houston) at OG. That's two instant upgrades on what a lot of teams are working with right now. Have a great day everybody.

Monday, April 05, 2010

McGone!

-- I love it sometimes, when many factors swirl together to create a perfect storm. In this case it was a combination of my Internet service provider and the local power company, who took turns to deny me access to the Internet while possibly the biggest deal this offseason was going down. And yes, I'm talking about Donovan McNabb being traded to the Washington Redskins for their 2010 second round pick (37th overall) and their 2011 fourth rounder (which might jump to a third rounder based on as yet unannounced circumstances). Fans in Philadelphia must be crying with joy. This is something they've been hoping for, for years. Fans in Washington will probably be crying with joy to, as it's likely McNabb will take over from Jason Campbell for the foreseeable future. The question on everyones lips though is, why? Why trade McNabb, the Eagles all time statistical leader in every major QB category, to a divisional rival? The answer can be found in coach Andy Reids background. He's a product of the same coaching tree that produced Mike Shannahan; the tree of Bill Walsh. And one of Walshs mottos regarding players was always "better a year too soon, than a year too late". And so we come to McNabb, as Reid looks to offload the aging QB (now 33) a year or two before he declines, instead of a year or two after. The same kind of mentality can be observed in the decisions involving Brian Dawkins and Brian Westbrook. And into the limelight now walks Kevin Kolb, who the Eagles value very highly. In addition, let's not forget that this deal gives the Eagles an early second round pick and therefore another chance to enhance their team. In recent years they've made strides to make their team younger, picking up guys like LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson. For the Eagles then, this could prove a turning point, a watershed moment. Could this be when the Eagles finally bring all the pieces together in the next year or two and finally win that coveted Superbowl? And the Redskins? With the introduction of Shannhan and now McNabb, could the Redskins be on the verge of going back to the big game? I'm afraid, only time has the answer. Have a great day, and I'll be back later.

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Let's Tackle the issue

-- In keeping with the recent trend, Saturday has brought us little news of interest, so this offers an opportunity to look back at the highlight from yesterday, which was the release of Flozell Adams by the Cowboys. Two things interest me particularly about this; what will the Cowboys do to replace him and where will he end up? Who Will Replace Him? Looking at the Cowboys roster, the most likely option appears to be Doug Free, who finished out last season at Right Tackle after an injury to Marc Colombo, who would be the only other current option to take on the role. There is of course Free Agency, but it makes little sense to dump Adams and then pick up another veteran Tackle. So the only two options that remain realistic, certainly in terms of the Cowboys making a playoff push, would be trade or the draft. Trade wise, there is only one name that really makes sense; Jared Gaither, of the Baltimore Ravens. It's believed that the Ravens would take a late first or an early second round pick for Gaither and that's exactly what the Cowboys have, holding the 27th overall pick (Baltimore picks at 25). The Ravens would likely then switch Michael Oher across to LT while The 'Boys would slot Gaither straight in at their LT spot. But what if the Cowboys hold on to their first round pick and go looking in the draft? Two names spring up at me right off the bat; Mike Iupati and Charles Brown. It's a little unlikely that Iupati will fall that low, but if he does, he certainly has the ability to convert into a mean LT. Brown is a player shooting up draft boards like a rocket. He's solid technically and many project that he will either go late in the first or early in the second. Dallas may just provide the answer to this young mans future. Where Does Adams End Up? Honestly, there are a lot of teams that need help, but here are some of the ones that jump to mind immediately. -- St. Louis Rams. It's looking like they'll go with Bradford at number one overall, so why not bring in Adams to boost the protection for their expensive new investment? -- Detroit Lions. Many people have the Lions picking a LT, possibly Russell Okung, with the second overall pick. Picking up Adams frees them to take Gerald McCoy at number 2. -- Washington Redskins. Their choices at number 4 overall basically come down to QB Jimmy Clausen or an OT, probably Okung or Bryan Bulaga. Taking Adams leaves them free to go with Clausen in the first round. -- Chicago Bears. I mean seriously, did you see the Bears protection last year? Adams would walk in and replace Orlando Pace. -- Green Bay Packers. I mean seriously, did you see the Packers protection last year? Would take some shuffling to figure out between Adams and Chad Clifton who goes left and who goes right. -- San Francisco 49ers. I mean seriously, did you see the 49ers protection the last couple of years? Adams would likely take up position on the right and try to stem the tide of sacks that the 49ers usually give up. -- New England Patriots. Belichick likes old veterans. Adams is old. Might come in on the left and force Sebastian Vollmer to RT for a season or two. Well, keep all that in mind anyway. One of the things I love about the NFL is the unpredictability of the offseason periods. And if your enjoying my little insights into the world of football, be sure to pass on the address to others. Have a great day everyone and Happy Easter. God bless.