2014 NFL Draft: Centers and Guards

Man the draft is approaching rapidly! Looks like some of the defensive player groups might not get done until after the draft, but we'll see how it goes. Part of the problem is that I got distracted by going back and looking at some of the quarterbacks again, with an eye to possibly producing a big board before the draft. Maybe, if I have time.

For now it's on to Centers and Guards, the heart of the offensive line. Often unappreciated, they form the backbone of the offensive attack. And I still can't figure out how quarterback Josh Freeman has managed to get a new gig in free agency but former Bengals Center Kyle Cook hasn't?

Cook is an interesting story actually, going undrafted back in 2007 and subsequently going on to win a starting center job and earn the respect of his colleagues. Proof, yet again, that good players can be found deep into most drafts.

Right, let's get started, and as always these players are ordered the way they are because that's how the list I'm working from is ordered. One day - maybe next year - I'll actually order them based on my own preference.

Update; 04/19/14

Still working on the back end of the guards and centers post. Next year I'm doing these seperately because there is a crap load of players to cover. I've done twenty so far and that's only about half the list.

The Myth Of Coaching

"You can't teach that, you get out of bed with it!"

A phrase you hear about twice or three times a week during the regular NFL season, referring to some of the various attributes and skills demonstrated by players. Oddly enough a lot of things being referred to - aside from the pure genetic potential of the player - are things that can and indeed have been coached, even if it's as simple as putting a player in the weight room and developing his strength over the course of his career.

But around this time of year, with the draft looming ever closer on the horizon, there is a lot of talk about "it's ok, you can coach that" in reference to the various deficiencies in a prospects game.

Now where possible I try and avoid talking about the potential of coaches to develop a certain aspect of a players game for the simple reason that over the years we seem to have developed a great myth surrounding the NFL draft, namely that any physically gifted athlete can be taught the variety of skills he will need to succeed at the next level, skills that he did not possess in college.

2014 NFL Draft: Offensive Tackles

Behind the quarterback the left tackle is one of the most important positions in modern football. Mainly because they're responsible for protecting the blind side of the most important position in modern football. As such getting the right man at the spot, and indeed at right tackle, can be a huge boost to a franchise.

Will any of this years crop of tackles make the grade? Let's find out. And as always, the players are listed in the order that they are because that's how the list I'm working from is ordered.

2014 NFL Draft: Tight Ends

So next up in the series is the tight ends.

This year everyone is using a new phrase "the queen of the chess board" to describe the tight end, in reference to their versatility to be moved around all across the field.

The tight end position has certainly moved on from the days when they were effectively a sixth offensive line who occasionally trundled down the middle to catch a few passes. Now tight ends are treated more like wide receivers and as such teams are looking for something a little different.

The likes of Vernon Davis in San Francisco, Antonio Gates in San Diego, Jimmy Graham in New Orelans and Rob Gronkowski in New England have set the new bar for what is expected, that being a tall target man who is almost as fast as a receiver and who can be flexed out away from the offensive line to play in space if needed.

So here we go, and as always remember that these players are listed in the order that they are because that's how the list I'm working from is ordered.

Draft Strategy

So today we'll take a break from sifting through the players themselves to take a look at the actual strategy of drafting. Because the draft is a complicated thing. Getting it right can set a team up for years to come. Getting it wrong can set a team back for years to come.

There's a good reason why teams that consistently draft well such as the Giants, Packers, Patriots, Ravens and Steelers have remained competitive for more than a decade, and why teams that tend to draft poorly such as the Rams, Browns, Jaguars, Redskins and Texans are sitting at the bottom of the pile.

But what does a "good" draft look like versus a "bad" draft, and how do you go about building one?

2014 NFL Draft: Wide Receivers

Next up on the draft preparation schedule, it's the wide receivers.

Just before we jump right in I want to make a point. I've been doing some pre-scouting of some of the other positions and while I agree that this draft will probably have some really, really good football players taken in the later rounds, I have to say that a lot of the hype surrounding some of the early round picks looks a little misplaced.

Suffice to say that I've watched some players who are projected as first round picks who absolutely should not be in that discussion. But we'll cross those particular bridges when we come to them.

For now let's look at the wide receiver prospects for this year and again keep in mind that this list is not presented in the order that I personally would rank the players, rather it is the way it is because that's how the list I'm working from is ordered.

Update 04/01/14

Not an April Fools joke, just an update. I'm currently working on my review of the wide receivers for the 2014 draft. Should be up in the coming days.

2014 NFL Draft: Running Backs

"Momma's don't let your kids grow up to be running backs".

That's the new in vogue phrase for football. But considering even the lowest paid running backs in the NFL make more money in one year than the average American will make in six, I don't think growing up to be a running back is such a bad thing.

They are the unwanted children of football right now though. As the game shifts to an ever more pass orientated format, and with the NFL commissioner and the competition committee doing everything within their power to keep it that way, the value of running backs has declined.

The simple fact is this; player salaries are defined by the rules of economics. Economics is founded on the principle of supply and demand. The demand for running backs is not that high, while the supply of quality running backs is. Such is life.

Johnny Manziel Pro Day

Today the hype machine went into utter overdrive as Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel held his pro day.

There was music. There was a former US President. There was general managers and head coaches galore. There was... a jersey and helmet that looked like it had been saved from the trash. Nike devoted a page of its website to flogging merchandise that was only somewhat related to Manziel ($145 for a pair of "combat tights" anyone?).

Oh, and he threw a few balls around apparently.