Cover 4 - JT's Blog

Wednesday Video: Emmitt Smith

Wed May 14 10:40:10 -0700 2008

Undersized and somewhat underappreciated, Emmitt Smith ran through opposing defenses for 15 years, being extremely consistent and setting the NFL record for all-time rushing yards. Probably the best player on the Cowboys dynasties of the 90s, Smith wasn't flashy, but was effective and should be appreciated.

2007 Fantasy Football Thoughts

Wed May 14 10:34:54 -0700 2008

As the football season comes to a close, that means fantasy football is in its championship, if it didn't already happen for your league. I've played fantasy football for years, but this is the 2nd year I have really been into it, and I have learned a lot this year. There are 3 main things from which I learned:

My own stupid mistakes.
Reading fantasy football 'experts', opinions, and news.
Fairly in-depth NFL research.

Using those 3 things, and a little bit of luck, I won my 12-team keeper league this year, and there are definite reasons I did better than last year. At the end of the season last year, I only had 3 of the 16 players I had drafted. 3 of those players were traded away in a good trade, but the rest were lost because I had a horrible draft. My first 3 picks were (in order): Larry Fitzgerald, Cadillac Williams, and Ben Roethlisberger. Luckily I made up for it by working the waiver wire, picking up Tony Romo and Jay Cutler, among other guys.

This year, I knew a lot more before the draft came around, and at the end of the year, I still had 8 of my 16 draft picks, which isn't too bad for all the movement that comes with a fantasy football season. I did well in the draft (keeping Gore, Brees, and Brandon Jacobs) drafting Brandon Marshall in round 10, Ben Roethlisberger in round 12, and Dallas Clark in round 13. I was also able to grab Selvin Young, Jeff Garcia, Nick Folk, Earnest Graham, and the Tampa Bay Defense off of the waiver wire.

This doesn't mean the season wasn't without its growing pains and stupid decisions. After 4 horrible weeks, I dropped one of my keepers, Drew Brees. I also dropped my 9th round draft pick Greg Jennings, who ended up having a great year, although he sucked for the first 3 weeks.

Anyway, I hope to post fantasy football thoughts and updates here periodically, I hope they help somebody. If you wish to help me determine my keepers for next season, leave me a comment. I get 3 keepers, and my list of candidates includes (in no order):

1) Brandon Jacobs
2) Earnest Graham
3) Frank Gore
4) Anquan Boldin
5) Selvin Young
6) Brandon Marshall

Cleo Lemon Sucks

Wed May 14 10:34:54 -0700 2008

I was just watching some of the Dolphins @ Patriots game and saw something that infuriated me. Here's the situation:

It's 4th and goal from the Pats 1 yard line, Lemon has done a serviceable job of leading the Dolphins down the field so far, and the drive comes down to this play. It's a play action bootleg, with Lemon rolling to his right, he gets good blocking and as he is rolling out he pump fakes, pulling a LB away from him and toward the receiver, leaving a semi-open lane to the end zone. So far, so good. As Lemon sprints to the goal line, 2 Patriots defenders are fast approaching from the left, all 3 are on a collision course to meet at the goal-line. As Lemon nears the endzone, he keeps the ball in his right hand and makes a little hop-skip attempt to stay in bounds, however the ball crosses out of bounds at the half yard line. The Patriots get the goal-line stand and the ball, first and 10 from their own 1.

The sequence was perfect, well...until Lemon completely wimped out. You're on the worst team in the league, and if you ever want to prove you're anything other than a career backup, you've got to show some fire. I mean, just prancing out of bounds at the half yard line! Not to mention keeping the ball in his right hand instead of switching it to his left.

If he wanted to score, he had to at least put the ball in his left hand, but most likely either jump high or dive low into the end-zone. Instead he showed little courage or field awareness, turning the ball over on a play in which he should have scored.

There is no way Big Tuna wants a player on his team like that, Parcells demands heart and determination from his players.

Coach Ratings 2007

Wed May 14 10:34:54 -0700 2008

Bill Belichick was recently named the AP Coach of the Year, and he most likely deserved it. The team had stars, but it is an amazing thing for a football team to finish the season 16-0, and he deserves some credit for that. However, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't take a critical look at the decision and look at other viable candidates for the award. As you will find out by reading my blog, I like using metrics and statistics to measure achievements and success, and this post will be no exception.

Recently Mike Sando made a post on Matt Mosley's ESPN Hashmarks Blog in which he rated the coaches. The metric is very simple: Pro Bowl Players - Wins. There is a nice table in Sando's post, but it is somewhat outdated, so I am going to post an updated 2007 table here to be analyzed and perused.

This is obviously not conclusive proof of anything, but it does give a good reference point of where to start when analyzing a coach's effectiveness. It is interesting to notice a playoff team like the Cowboys in the bottom 5. It truly is a testament to their talent, and shows that Wade Phillips isn’t any better here than in Denver or Buffalo, but he has better players and coordinators around him. In contrast, the highest rated non-playoff coach was Romeo Crennel, who seems to have really gotten the most out of his players this year. It remains to be seem whether he can replicate this success next year.

In closing there are 3 names I want to mention: Sean Payton, Lovie Smith, and Marty Schottenheimer. What do they have in common? They were the 2006, 2005, and 2004 AP Coaches of the Year, respectively. Where are they on this chart? Schottenheimer is out of football, Payton has a respectable score of +7, while Lovie Smith has dropped all the way to a +3.

I recommend you to analyze this table, study other sources, and come up with your own conclusions from this data.

Wild-Card Round Playoff Picks

Wed May 14 10:34:54 -0700 2008

The wild card round of the NFL Playoffs is this weekend, so here are my picks and reasoning.

Game 1, Seahawks over Redskins

The Redskins are currently a very trendy pick, and I must admit I almost picked them myself. However, I don't have enough faith in Todd Collins, Clinton Portis, Joe Gibbs, and the underachieving receivers to pull it off. The Seahawks are very hard to read, and often seem to lose games they should win and win games just when you've given up on them. Despite this fact, the game is at home for the Seahawks at Qwest Field, which is one of the toughest and loudest places in the NFL. Matt Hasselbeck and the crowd will carry this team on to round 2, where they will likely be trounced.

Game 2, Jaguars over Steelers

Halfway through the season, people were wondering if the Steelers were the ones to beat the Patriots, now we are wondering if they can beat a Wild-Card team on their home turf. Ben Roethlisberger is about the only bright spot coming into this game, and he may put up a fight since the secondary is Jacksonville's weak spot. However, with Willie Parker out, Pittsburgh reeling and Jacksonville on a role, and possibly the deepest team in the playoffs, the Steelers will be no match for the Jags.

Game 3, Buccaneers over Giants

Both teams are entering the playoffs looking like something they are not. The Giants are supposedly 'hot' yet are 3-3 over their last 6 games, with all their wins coming on teams with losing records, and being beat by any team with an 8-8 record or better, including an embarassing blowout loss to the Vikings. The Bucs are viewed as a 'cold' team, having lost 3 of their last 4. However, Jeff Garcia has been resting his back for the majority of the last quarter of the season, and several Bucs starters sat out to recuperate as soon as a playoff spot was locked up. It's a home game for the Bucs, and their now healthy veteran leaders will give them one last playoff run before many of them call it quits.

Game 4, Chargers over Titans

If the Titans were healthy, this could be a close game. However, with so few playmakers, and half of those playmakers hurt, there is not much more Jeff Fisher can do for this overachieving team. The only way Tennessee wins this game is if Norv Turner and Philip Rivers have a colossal meltdown, which, while unlikely, is within the realm of possibility.

These teams may not be who I am cheering for this weekend, but they'll be who you will be seeing next weekend.

Analysis of Coach Ratings

Wed May 14 10:34:54 -0700 2008

In a previous post, I presented a primitive coach rating system that was created by ESPN’s Mike Sando. However, it was only a cursory look at this year’s statistics and there was little analysis. In this post I will include past coach ratings and use some statistical analysis to see if we can recognize some trends and attempt to draw some conclusions about a coach’s success.

I put together a similar table of the data for the 2006 season, so I could compare and contrast last year with this year. Here are some basic statistics of the data:

2006 vs. 2007

Interestingly, the 2007 numbers are higher all across the board indicating that possibly coaches are better, pro bowlers are better distributed, or a combination of both. However, given the fact that the NFC South did not get one single pro bowler (yes, you read that right), I don't think the distribution of players has improved, so perhaps coaches are doing more with less this season. There are also more teams with 10 or more wins this year, with 11 teams reaching that plateau in 2007, and only 8 doing so in 2006, this could also add to the discrepancy. Of course, to read any more into this we would need more data, and pro bowlers-per-team data is not readily available.

The following two sections were completed by comparing a coach's score to the relevant means while also making use of the standard deviation. If you are unsure how a standard deviation works, just understand that the following coaches are either in the top or bottom 15% of coaches, and google it if you wish to enlighten yourself.

Thoughts

These ratings are not foolproof, but I believe that they provide a good basis for analyzing coaches. Many of the coaches on the 'worst' lists are either no longer on their team or are definitely on the hot seat at the time of their poor season.

It is also interesting to note that Jon Gruden shows up as the 3rd best coach, as well as the 3rd worst coach for his performance in back-to-back seasons. In 2006, the Bucs had 4 wins and 3 pro bowlers, while in 2007 they had 9 wins and 0 pro bowlers. The main credit here may not go to Gruden himself, but rather to the GM Bruce Allen for bringing in solid veterans and adding more depth to the team. Last year Cadillac Williams and Chris Simms went down with injuries, and it destroyed their season. This year Cadillac and Jeff Garcia were both out with injuries, yet the Bucs hummed right along thanks to the play of Earnest Graham and Luke McCown.

Both of the last 2 Cowboys coaches showed up on the 'worst' coaches list. Parcells could only get 9 wins out of his 7 pro bowlers, but it seems to have been acknowledged that he is not the coach he once was, but is a great architect. This explains why Wade Phillips' Cowboys had 12 pro bowlers this season. In a way, it is somewhat unfair for any coach to have a good score with 12 pro bowlers, but then again, if half of the starting players on your team are considered the best in their conference, a 13-win season may be underperforming.

Bill Belichick shows why he is among the best coaches ever, being the only coach to show up in the top coaches category both years, while Brad Childress, who is bad every year, shows why the folks in Minnesota are unsatisfied with the state of the Vikings.

Coaches who do not show up on this list? Well they must be doing just enough to keep their jobs, but will probably need to step things up in the future if they hope to be retained.

Divisional Round Playoff Picks

Wed May 14 10:34:54 -0700 2008

After going 3-1 in the wild card round, I'm back for more in the divisional round. There are no stunners this weekend, but I believe there are good reasons for that. According to TMQ: "Since the current playoff format was adopted in 1990, home teams in the divisional round are 53-15, a .779 winning figure." So, without further ado, here are the picks.

Game 1: Packers over Seahawks

There are a few subplots in this game including Holmgren and Hasselbeck returning to Green Bay and Matt Hasselbeck's guarantee last time they played in the playoffs. Those will provide some things for the announcers to talk about, but will have little bearing on the game. The Packers will win this game, but I'm not so much picking Green Bay to win, I'm more picking Seattle to lose. Seattle has been a yo-yo team this year, coming up completely flat some games, and looking like the best in the NFC the next. One of the main reasons for this is their running game: they have not had a solid running back to rely on all season, making the team rely almost exclusively on Matt Hasselbeck and his receivers. Any pass-wacky team will experience their ups and downs, unless they have an all-pro QB and receiver, of which the Seahawks have neither. Hasselbeck is a solid QB, but often makes dumb decisions, and you're never sure which Seattle WR will show up to play this week.

Up until halfway through this season, with the emergence of Ryan Grant, you could almost describe the Packers the same way I described the Seahawks. However, now that Grant has become a solid running back for the Packers the team no longer has to rely completely on Favre, which will keep Seattle's defense honest. The game is at home and the Packers have a better offense, which gives them the edge here.

Game 2: Patriots over Jaguars

Heading into the playoffs the general consensus was that if one team could beat the Patriots, it was the Jaguars. They are a stereotypical 'cold-weather' team, with a great running offense and defense as well as having a QB who manages the game well. However, this game will be like the last time the Jags went to New England 2 years ago: It will appear to be close for the beginning, but the Jags make a crucial mistake and the Patriots run away with the game. Their offense is just too good, their defense makes plays, and Belichick will have no problem game-planning for Jacksonville. It would be interesting and somewhat fun to see Jacksonville win, but it won't happen and New England will keep on rolling to the AFC Championship game.

Game 3: Colts over Chargers

The last time the Colts and Chargers played, future Hall-of-Famers Peyton Manning and Adam Vinatieri each had arguably the worst game of their careers. Manning threw 6 interceptions and Vinatieri missed 2 field goals, including a 29-yard field goal that would have secured the game for the Colts. On the flip side, Antonio Cromartie had his coming out party, grabbing 3 interceptions, including one of the most amazing catches I have ever seen. That game was in San Diego in a pouring rain, and the Chargers had to use every single advantage given to them to squeak out a victory. This time around, the game is in Indianapolis and Peyton and company have had over a week to heal up, gameplan, and focus for the Chargers.

Ladanian Tomlinson will most likely bounce back and have a good game this week, but he will be the only Charger to do so. With the Colts healthier and Antonio Gates out, Rivers will have fewer options and have more pressure on him. Peyton Manning will pick apart the Chargers secondary, and the Colts should pull away with the game as Rivers and Norv Turner throw it away.

Game 4: Cowboys over Giants

Many people, including a few of my esteemed colleagues, are picking the Giants over the Cowboys. Among the myriad reasons they are citing for this: Wade Turner has never won a playoff game, it's hard to beat a team 3 times in a season, Jessica Simpson is a distraction, and that T.O will not be 100%. Admittedly, these are all OK reasons to be worried, although none say anything about the Cowboys as a football team. It's easy to give equally mundane reasons as to why the Giants will not win: Eli Manning can't handle the pressure of a big game, always be wary of the trendy media pick, Plaxico Burress has a bum ankle, and none of their running backs are 100% healthy. None of those reasons have slowed down the Giants this season and won't be the reason they lose this weekend.

Wade Phillips' defense will be well prepared for the Giants, putting pressure on Eli all day forcing them to rely on their running game. This could become a problem if the Cowboys are able to jump out to an early lead, which I expect them to be able to do, riding 2 weeks rest and homefield advantage to a victory.

Be sure to check out Andrew's and Jed's picks also, and don't forget to heckle them come Monday.

Thoughts On Goodell's Press Conference

Wed May 14 00:00:00 -0700 2008

Earlier yesterday morning, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell met with former Patriots' Video Assistant Matt Walsh for over 3 hours. After the lengthy meeting, the commissioner met with the press to ask questions and I was lucky enough to catch the press conference. So after all the drama, questions, answers, and videotapes, what did I learn and what do I think? Read on to find out.

Things I Learned

Everything Walsh said matched up with what the NFL discovered in the Fall of 2007. There will be no new penalties imposed on the Patriots as a result of these new tapes.
Goodell is still very happy with the punishment imposed on the Patriots and felt it was appropriate and sent the right message to the rest of the league.
Belichick felt that taping was permissable as long as it wasn't used in the same game. Goodell states he didn't buy it then and he doesn't buy that explanation now.
Matt Walsh knew that was he was doing was a little shady and attempted to be discreet in his activities.
Walsh kept the tapes for resume purposes in case he wanted to be a coach or to be employed by another NFL team in the future since it showed some of his experience.
Walsh did not want to bring this out publicly, and uniformly denied all media requests to speak, which is why we haven't heard from him until now.
There is/was no tape of the Rams' walkthrough before the Super Bowl. Walsh was on the sideline doing work in his Patriots gear during the walkthrough.
There are two new things that the Patriots may be penalized for:

Players scalping Super Bowl tickets over a 2 year period
A player practiced while he was still on injured reserve.

What I Think
After wading through all the drama during the 2007 NFL season and watching the commissioner's press conference, I feel the whole thing was overblown. The Patriots cheated, there is no doubt about that. Every team tries to get an edge, albeit in different ways. This is/was not the event that brings down the Patriots' dynasty and this didn't destroy the NFL as Gregg Easterbrook prophesied. I love reading Mr. Easterbrook's work, but he hyped this whole situation up to something it never should have been, and I almost bought into it.

There is no reason to continually hold this over the head of the NFL, New England, Robert Kraft, or Bill Belichick. The whole situation is done and over with and there was nothing real scandalous about it. Thanks to commissioner Goodell for being so good-natured through the whole ordeal and for pursuing all leads. He's been a great commissioner, and if this is the worst thing that happens under his watch, I think the NFL is in great shape.

2008 Draft Review: AFC South

Sat May 10 00:00:00 -0700 2008

This is part 4 of an 8 part series analyzing the draft division-by-division. Click here for part 3.

Houston Texans

The Picks
1(26) - Duane Brown, T, Virginia Tech
3(79) - Antwaun Molden, CB, Eastern Kentucky
3(89) - Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia
4(118) - Xavier Adibi, OLB, Virginia Tech
5(151) - Frank Okam, DT, Texas
6(173) - Dominique Barber, S, Minnesota
7(223) - Alex Brink, QB, Washington State

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out the draft grades for each team.

GRADE: C
Some thought Duane Brown was a reach in the first round, but I thought he was one of the five or six best offensive tackles in the draft because of his athleticism. Brown is a very good offensive lineman, and that's what the Texans need. Antwaun Molden is a good developmental cornerback; RB Steve Slaton will be a good change-of-pace back; OLB Xavier Adibi is fast and athletic, but is not instinctive, and a bit overrated; and Frank Okam is a big body who wasn't consistent enough to be a high pick. Safety Dominique Barber is a decent sixth-round pick and could help out in the secondary.

Fan Thoughts
The great folks over at Battle Red Blog had this to say about the draft:

Like many Texans fans, I was shocked at the selection of Duane Brown in Round One. But as reflected by many of you in the Comments, I think we have to give Smithiak and more importantly, Alex Gibbs, the benefit of the doubt for now. Fact is, we have no way of knowing whether Brown is the answer at LT. We do know, however, that Kubes and Gibbs believe he is. If they thought the chance of losing out on him by moving further back was too great, or that his ceiling is higher than any of the other players they could have gotten at No. 26, or that the team absolutely HAD to get a LT with the first pick of this year's draft, I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt.

My Thoughts
The Texans didn't have a sexy draft, or even a critically acclaimed one. However, like the rest of the drafts under the Kubiak regime, it seems to be a solid one. It seemed like every pick they made was trying to find a contributor, someone who could help out this season and in the future. I think they did that and deserve better than what Kiper gave them.

\t \t \t \t \t \t

Indianapolis Colts

2(59) - Mike Pollak, C, Arizona State
3(93) - Philip Wheeler, ILB, Georgia Tech
4(127) - Jacob Tamme, TE, Kentucky
5(161) - Marcus Howard, OLB, Georgia
6(196) - Tom Santi, TE, Virginia
6(201) - Steve Justice, C, Wake Forest
6(202) - Mike Hart, RB, Michigan
6(205) - Pierre Garcon, WR, Mount Union
7(236) - Jamey Richard, C, Buffalo

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out the draft grades for each team.

GRADE: B
The Colts drafted three of my top six centers. Mike Pollak has outstanding mobility and will likely be moved to guard, while Steven Justice and Jamey Richard are quality linemen. Philip Wheeler will help out at ILB. For this offense, fourth-round pick Jacob Tamme at tight end should be a nice fit. The Colts drafted Mike Hart in the sixth round, and he'll have a great opportunity to be the backup to Joseph Addai. Hart lasted till the sixth round because of a 4.7 time in the 40. Mount Union WR Pierre Garcon is a nice player who some scouts thought could make a team.

Fan Thoughts
Here are some thoughts from Stampede Blue, a Colts blog:

I think we got excellent value for almost every pick we made. Pollak seems to be a great steal for Polian and Co. at #59. The crop of Interior Lineman wasn't very good up top this year, with Brandon Albert and Chilo Rachal as the only 2 Interior Lineman to get picked before Pollak. He seems very excited to be joining the Colts (who wouldn't?)

My Thoughts
Indianapolis rarely has a sexy draft, or a giant surprising pick, but they often have solid drafts that help their team. I don't think the lack of a 1st round pick kept them from getting any playmakers this year, and I like Phillip Wheeler, the linebacker from Georgia Tech.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Picks
1(8) - Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
2(52) - Quentin Groves, DE, Auburn
5(155) - Thomas Williams, OLB, USC
5(159) - Trae Williams, CB, South Florida
7(213) - Chauncey Washington, RB, USC

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out the draft grades for each team.

GRADE: C-
Not only was defensive end Derrick Harvey a big reach at No. 8 (after trading up with Baltimore), but the Jags gave up three picks in order to draft the Florida defensive end. Quentin Groves will be a good defensive end if he plays like he did as a junior. I do like CB Trae Williams, who could be a factor right away. I thought the Jaguars should have traded for Jason Taylor, a proven pass-rusher who would have been the missing link along the defensive line.

Fan Thoughts
Big Cat Country offers up some solid draft analysis here:

I'd say we did that alright. Rather than get one "top ten" defensive end, we got the third and 5th best ends on the board. There are some who had Harvey ranked higher than Ghoulston (though I don't know if the Jaguars felt that way). Groves is the best speed rusher in the draft and will be Gregg Williams magic toy all season long. Frankly, its' astonishing that we selected either one of these guys.

My Thoughts
I don't think the two DE picks can be criticized at all. They gave up a lot to move up in the draft, but if they pan out the Jags have 2 solid ends for years to come. Both of their 5th round picks came from schools who have done well recently, we'll see if that success can carry over into the pros.

Tennessee Titans

The Picks
1(24) - Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina
2(54) - Jason Jones, DE, Eastern Michigan
3(85) - Craig Stevens, TE, California
4(103) - William Hayes, DL, Winston-Salem State
4(126) - Lavelle Hawkins, WR, California
4(134) - Stanford Keglar, OLB, Purdue
7(229) - Cary Williams, CB, Washburn

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out the draft grades for each team.

GRADE: C
Running back Chris Johnson is a good player, but I wasn't expecting him to go to Tennessee, especially because the Titans need a wide receiver. (They should have looked at WR Devin Thomas in the first round.) They did get WR Lavelle Hawkins in the fourth round and Vince Young will like the former California wide receiver. Jason Jones can play DE or DT. I don't have a problem with the player they drafted on Day 1, but the philosophy is skewed. It was the third straight year Tennessee drafted a running back in the first two rounds. Craig Stevens is a good blocking tight end. William Hayes has good closing speed for a defensive end, but was a reach in the fourth round. Stanford Keglar was a good fourth-round pick with some ability, and seventh-rounder Cary Williams could make this team as a developmental cornerback.

Fan Thoughts
Hardcore fan analysis brought to you by Music City Miracles.

After sleeping on it and giving it some more thought today, I like the Chris Johnson pick. I had said over and over I didn't want to take a RB having picked Chris Henry and Lendale in the 2nd rd over the last 2 drafts...I think we have historically drafted well as an organization, so I trust us if that makes any sense...

...Obviously a lot of us were way off projecting the WR talent in this draft. When the 1st WR to go is Donnie Avery and its in the 2nd rd I can now look at it and say it would have been a mistake to take one. Thats coming from someone that wanted a WR(Devin Thomas) more than anyone.

The only player I'm really baffled we passed on is Merling. I thought he was a great fit for our defense. I don't claim to know as much as Fish or M.R. so I can't question the move, especially seeing as 2 D-lineman went before Merling after we picked.

My Thoughts
People were down on the Chris Johnson pick, but I loved it. He won't be playing running back for the Titans; he will be making a huge impact on special teams and can even be a good receiver (a position he played in college for a year or two). However, aside from the Johnson pick, they went for a lot of diamond-in-the-rough types, and I don't know how well that will work out for them.

2008 Draft Review: NFC South

Sat May 10 00:00:00 -0700 2008

This is part 5 of an 8 part series analyzing the draft division-by-division. Click here for part 4.

Atlanta Falcons

The Picks
1(3) - Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
1(21) - Sam Baker, T, USC
2(37) - Curtis Lofton, OLB, Oklahoma
3(68) - Chevis Jackson, CB, LSU
3(84) - Harry Douglas, WR, Louisville
3(98) - Thomas DeCoud, S, California
5(138) - Robert James, OLB, Arizona State
5(154) - Kroy Biermann, OLB, Montana
6(172) - Thomas Brown, RB, Georgia
7(212) - Wilrey Fontenot, CB, Arizona
7(232) - Keith Zinger, TE, LSU

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out the draft grades for each team.

GRADE: B
I thought they would take DT Glenn Dorsey, but the Falcons needed a face for the franchise, and had to take QB Matt Ryan. He should be a great starting point; a new era of Falcons football begins. USC OT Sam Baker wasn't healthy in 2007, he struggled in Senior Bowl practices and he has short arms for a left tackle. I like Baker, but I thought it was a bit of a reach moving up to get him. Linebacker Curtis Lofton is a decent second-round pick, but I really like what Atlanta did in the third round, taking WR Harry Douglas, CB Chevis Jackson and safety Thomas DeCoud. Kroy Biermann is a good pass-rusher. Wilrey Fontenot played opposite Antoine Cason at Arizona, although he'll be more of a dime back. RB Thomas Brown is not real big, and he's going to be battling Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood for playing time in the backfield.

Fan Thoughts
The talented writers at the Falcoholic offer up this perspective on the draft:

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't agree with the way the Falcons carried out this draft, but all three players could end up carrying immense value for the Falcons. Ryan is an incredible risk with Glenn Dorsey on the board, though, and I'm still not convinced that Matty Ice (I do love the nickname!) will be the answer for us. If the team is willing to let him sit for a year and build an offensive line for him, Ryan might just be successful in the NFL. I just think the same thing could be said of Brian Brohm and Chad Henne.

My Thoughts
The Falcons needed a lot in this draft, which they got. However, I'm not sure if they got the right things. I feel Dorsey would have been a better pick at 3, but Peter King's piece on Ryan did change my mind somewhat. If they can grab 4-5 starters from this draft, the Falcons should be pretty happy with it in the long run, but we'll see if they can get that.

Carolina Panthers

The Picks
1(13) - Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon
1(19) - Jeff Otah, T, Pittsburgh
3(67) - Charles Godfrey, CB, Iowa
3(74) - Dan Connor, OLB, Penn State
5(141) - Gary Barnidge, TE, Louisville
6(181) - Nick Hayden, DT, Wisconsin
7(221) - Hilee Taylor, OLB, North Carolina
7(241) - Geoff Schwartz, T, Oregon
7(250) - Mackenzy Bernadeau, G, Bentley

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out the draft grades for each team.

GRADE: B
The future is now in Carolina, which gave up its first-round pick in 2009 to trade back into this year's first round and draft offensive tackle Jeff Otah. Jonathan Stewart is a workhorse running back and Dan Connor is a real nice pick in the third round. I like the Panthers' picks on Day 2, highlighted by Iowa CB Charles Godfrey, who I thought was the best player on the board heading into Day 2. Tight end Gary Barnidge, who they picked in the fifth round, catches everything thrown his way, although he is not much of a blocker. Hilee Taylor has a very good motor at OLB, Geoff Schwartz is an overachieving OL and G Mackenzy Bernadeau out of Bentley has a good chance to make the team. I didn't like seeing them give up a future first-round pick, and Stewart does have some durability concerns, but this was a good draft for the Panthers.

Fan Thoughts
Here are some thoughts from Cat Scratch Reader, a Panthers' fan blog:

Wow, what a day. Looks like Mel Kiper was right, Jonathan Stewart was the target. I love the pick. The Panthers need player makers and Stewart will be just that. They said they wanted to get back to ‘Old school’ running the football and todays’ two draft picks support that.

The second pick is the one that will be questioned. I love Jeff Otah but the Panthers certainly paid a price. #43 a 4th rounder and next years #1 seems a little pricey on first blush. Otah is a mauler at RT who will allow Jordan Gross to move to left tackle. I guess the Wharton move to guard wasn’t smoke after all. Otah changes the offensive line around.

My Thoughts
Stewart and Otah could finally get the Panthers out of the purgatory they seem to have been stuck in lately; or they could just keep them there. It's hard for me to get a good feeling about this draft as my gut tells me not to like it, but on paper it looks quite good, especially getting Dan Connor that late in the draft.

New Orleans Saints

The Picks
1(7) - Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC
2(40) - Tracy Porter, CB, Indiana
5(144) - DeMario Pressley, DT, North Carolina State
5(164) - Carl Nicks, T, Nebraska
6(178) - Taylor Mehlhaff, PK, Wisconsin
7(237) - Adrian Arrington, WR, Michigan

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out the draft grades for each team.

GRADE: C+
I'm high on DT Sedrick Ellis -- there wasn't much of a difference between him and Dorsey. Cornerback Tracy Porter has to show toughness in run support and also be able to match up against physical wide receivers. Porter should also be able to help out as a punt returner. DeMario Pressley is a classic underachiever. He looked good at the start of his college career but never became a dominant player. OT Carl Nicks has some ability and talent, but he just needs to maximize it. I didn't like taking PK Taylor Mehlhaff over Brandon Coutu, but I did like getting WR Adrian Arrington in the seventh round. I thought he could go as high as the fourth round.

Fan Thoughts
Here is a quick blurb from Canal Street Chronicles on the Saints day 1 draft:

I don't know about you guys but I am pretty happy about day one of the draft. I love the Sedrick Ellis trade. That is exactly what I thought should happen. Honestly, Tracy Porter was off my radar, as I think he was off a lot of peoples radar. But I am liking what I have been reading about him. And at least at this point, and I hope I don't regret saying this, I actually trust the Saints. Now that we have taken care of some business on the defensive side, we have a little freedom in the later rounds to take an offensive player if he was BPA.

My Thoughts
They got the DT they needed to help shore up the defense, and I feel Nicks was a good pick in round 5. However, this team seemed dysfunctional last year, is this draft and a few free agent moves enough to bring them back to 2006 form?

Tamba Bay Buccaneers

The Picks
1(20) - Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas
2(58) - Dexter Jackson, WR, Appalachian State
3(83) - Jeremy Zuttah, G, Rutgers
4(115) - Dre Moore, DT, Maryland
5(160) - Josh Johnson, QB, San Diego
6(175) - Eugene (Geno) Hayes, OLB, Florida State
7(238) - Cory Boyd, RB, South Carolina

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out the draft grades for each team.

GRADE: B
Aqib Talib fits this system and is the perfect Cover 2 cornerback. He has great ball skills, but not the recovery speed. Wide receiver Dexter Jackson has great speed, but are his hands going to be good enough? Jackson was the only WR the Buccaneers drafted, and that was a need area for them heading into the draft. Third-round pick Jeremy Zuttah from Rutgers gives this offensive line some versatility. What I want to see is DT Dre Moore put it all together every week. He showed glimpses of that at Maryland, but if the Bucs can motivate Moore, then they could have found a gem in the fourth round. QB Josh Johnson is a great athlete and Jon Gruden likes him, but Johnson will be a project quarterback for the future. Linebacker Geno Hayes probably isn't the next Derrick Brooks at linebacker, but he's very instinctive and is a good form tackler. He could be a nice fit at weakside linebacker in Tampa Bay's scheme.

Fan Thoughts
Buc 'Em offers up this insight on the Buccaneers' draft:

The Bucs deserve an B+ for last weekends draft results. The Bucs solved their Cornerback question, added speed to the offense, and got guarenteed hog mollies for both sides of the line. First the obvious, Nobody has questioned Talib's ability, just his character and I think the two year drug-less period he's had proves that he has turned the page. Surely theres no guarentees, as we're all human and susceptible to relapses. At any rate, you could argue drafting Mike Jenkins over Talib, but they're almost one in the same and if you had to wager money, I'm sure you would bet Talib has the better athleticism of the two corners...

I know alot of you are disappointed the Bucs didnt draft another Wide Receiver, but outside of the 5th round, there really wasnt an opportunity to look toward the wide receiving position again. I think the Bucs had a very solid draft. They filled several voids on the team and added just enough spark to make next season even more interesting.

My Thoughts
I thought the Aqib Talib pick was a very good one as the Bucs got a good system fit and value at #20. It's the rest of the draft I am unsure about. Josh Johnson just adds to the logjam of suspect QBs and I'm not sure Dexter Jackson will add what the Bucs are looking for at WR.

Wednesday Video: Reggie White

Wed May 07 00:00:00 -0700 2008

I wanted to go defense with this W.V., but it's harder to find nice video of the guys who aren't quite as sexy as a quarterback or running back. However, I found one quite nice video of the 'Minister of Defense' and it's worth watching to remember how good he was.

Wednesday Video: Randall Cunningham

Wed Apr 30 00:00:00 -0700 2008

This Wednesday Video brings you a player who really seemed to be a harbinger of things to come. Randall Cunningham was the first effective, true, dual threat quarterback. Staubauch, Young, and Elway all could run, but they couldn't run like Cunningham could, and the few QBs that rushed for more than he did could not pass like him. So enjoy some video of an amazing athlete in action.

2008 Draft Review: NFC North

Wed Apr 30 00:00:00 -0700 2008

This is part 3 of an 8 part series analyzing the draft division-by-division. Click here for part 2.

Chicago Bears

The Picks
1(14) - Chris Williams, T, Vanderbilt
2(44) - Matt Forte, RB, Tulane
3(70) - Earl Bennett, WR, Vanderbilt
3(90) - Marcus Harrison, DT, Arkansas
4(120) - Craig Steltz, S, LSU
5(142) - Zackary Bowman, CB, Nebraska
5(158) - Kellen Davis, TE, Michigan State
7(208) - Ervin Baldwin, DE, Michigan State
7(222) - Chester Adams, G, Georgia
7(243) - Joey LaRocque, LB, Oregon State
7(247) - Kirk Barton, T, Ohio State
7(248) - Marcus Monk, WR, Arkansas

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out the draft grades for each team.

GRADE: B
Chris Williams is the left tackle the Bears need from a pass-protection standpoint, and he'll start as a rookie. Matt Forte is a hard-nosed running back. He's not flashy, but he's elusive. I like what the Bears did on Day 2, starting with Vanderbilt WR Earl Bennett, who reminds me of Hines Ward. Arkansas DT Marcus Harrison lasted until the third round because of some off-field concerns, and Nebraska's Zack Bowman is a big corner who was once projected as a first-round pick, before he suffered injuries to both knees. LSU safety Craig Steltz -- who reminds me of former Bear Doug Plank -- will be a solid special teams player and could push for a starting job. With his height, Arkansas WR Marcus Monk could be a red zone threat and he qualifies as a very good seventh-round pick. He looked like a second-rounder after his junior year, and ran a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash, which is excellent for a 6-foot-4, 220-pound receiver. Tight end Kellen Davis has tremendous athletic ability but he needs to be more consistent.

Fan Thoughts
This is from a comment in the Grading The Draft article over at Windy City Gridiron:

The first 3 picks are an instant upgrade for the offense in areas the Bears sorely needed, but there’s no reason I can see why we didn’t grab a quarterback like O’Connell, Johnson, or Woodson. However, if Harrison has his head on straight he could be a steal and spell Tommie Harris smoothly, and Steltz should be able to rotate with Payne and Manning at the safety spots when Brown gets hurt. It seems like we took a lot of chances on guys who have had serious injuries in the past, but in Monk’s case, if he can stay healthy he could be a really good pick, Zack Bowman may turn out to be a good player if his knees are no longer a concern, but did we really need him? Maybe they think he can play safety. If we would have taken a QB and a guard at a higher spot, I’d feel a bit better about it, but still solid overall.

My Thoughts
The Bears must like those Commodores, grabbing 2 Vanderbilt players with their first 3 picks. The Bears definitely went after all the right positions except for quarterback, but we'll have to see how many work out for them. I feel that Bennett and Williams will, as will 1 of their 5 7th round picks. However, if the Bears want to go anywhere, they need someone worthwhile calling the signals.

Detroit Lions

The Picks
1(17) - Gosder Cherilus, T, Boston College
2(45) - Jordon Dizon, OLB, Colorado
3(64) - Kevin Smith, RB, UCF
3(87) - Andre Fluellen, DT, Florida State
3(92) - Cliff Avril, OLB, Purdue
5(136) - Kenneth Moore, WR, Wake Forest
5(146) - Jerome Felton, FB, Furman
7(216) - Landon Cohen, DT, Ohio
7(218) - Caleb Campbell, S, Army

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out the draft grades for each team.

GRADE: C+
Gosder Cherilus is a right tackle who is an effective run-blocker, which is why the Lions drafted him in the first round. But third-round pick Kevin Smith is the key player in the Lions' draft class. Smith proved at Central Florida he could carry the load, and in my opinion, he'll be the Lions' starting running back in Week 1. Jordon Dizon is undersized for a middle linebacker, but he has a chance to be productive in Detroit's scheme, because he has the ability to cover the deep middle. Fullback Jerome Felton is more effective as a runner than a blocker, but he's a good value pick in the fifth round. Army safety Caleb Campbell went in the seventh round and is big at 229 pounds. Campbell could be an OLB if he puts on 10 to 15 pounds. Cliff Avril could be a decent pass-rusher, although he had only six sacks in 2007. DT Andre Fluellen flashed big-time ability early in his career at Florida State but never lived up to it.

Fan Thoughts
The smart folks over at Pride of Detroit had this to say about the Lions' draft:

Personally, I would give the lions a solid C for their efforts this past weekend. After thinking about it for a few days, I'm really warming up to the Gosder Cherilus pick, and even the Jordon Dizon selection doesn't seem as bad either. I felt that the third-round was drafted excellently by the Lions, but there was lots of room for improvement in the fifth-round as I didn't like either of those picks. Finally, in the seventh-round, I obviously like the pick of Army's Caleb Campbell as I think he can make the team as a big safety or a small outside linebacker.

Although my grade was only a C, a better fifth-round easily would have pushed it into the B range. The Lions' draft could have been better, but overall, I really think Detroit did a solid job this past weekend in New York City.

My Thoughts
Central Florida has produced Brandon Marshall and Dante Culpepper in recent years, and Kevin Smith could be the next big thing from there. Avril was a solid pick in round 3 and the Lions grabbed the draft's media darling in round 7, but I'm unsure of how well Cherilus will work out for them. The Lions seemed to be cursed in the draft (Millen?), and this year may not be any different.

Green Bay Packers

The Picks
2(36) - Jordy Nelson, WR, Kansas State
2(56) - Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
2(60) - Patrick Lee, CB, Auburn
3(91) - Jermichael Finley, TE, Texas
4(102) - Jeremy Thompson, DE, Wake Forest
4(135) - Josh Sitton, G, UCF
5(150) - Breno Giacomini, T, Louisville
7(209) - Matt Flynn, QB, LSU
7(217) - Brett Swain, WR, San Diego State

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out the draft grades for each team.

GRADE: B-
The Packers took a QB on both days of the draft: Brian Brohm in the second round and Matt Flynn in the seventh. Brohm is cerebral and accurate, but can he stay healthy? Flynn is big, has good arm strength and can run for a first down if he has to. Flynn has intangibles, something you must have to lead a team to a national title. Second-round pick Jordy Nelson is a great athlete, and will be a faster version of former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark. Patrick Lee is a very good cover corner and a solid second-round pick. Tight end Jermichael Finley has a ton of talent, he just has to make strides in terms of catching the ball and blocking. Defensive end Jeremy Thompson has a similar attitude and motor to current Packer Aaron Kampman.

Fan Thoughts
Here are some thoughts from the Acme Packing Company on this year's draft:

I had thought they might use their top pick on an offensive lineman, but apparently GM Ted Thompson is content to let the current group battle it out this preseason for the starting roles at both guard positions. They didn't need depth on the line, but they could have found more competition.

They reached on WR Jordy Nelson, he might be a great player but the Packers could have selected him later. But everybody else was either projected to go about when Thompson drafted them.

My Thoughts
The Brohm selection is probably boom or bust, and Jordy Nelson, while good, does not fill a need for the Packers. They grabbed more positions of need later, and one more QB for the heck of it. I wouldn't be too thrilled if I was a Packers fan, but at least your team is fairly good as it is.

Minnesota Vikings

The Picks
2(43) - Marcellous "Tyrell" Johnson, S, Arkansas State
5(137) - John David Booty, QB, USC
5(152) - Letroy Guion, DT, Florida State
6(187) - John Sullivan, C, Notre Dame
6(193) - Jaymar Johnson, WR, Jackson State

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out the draft grades for each team.

GRADE: B
They had only one pick in the first four rounds. I had safety Tyrell Johnson going in the first round, so to get him in Round 2 (43rd overall) is a great pick because Johnson has big-time skills. In the fifth round the Vikings took John David Booty, an accurate quarterback who is great at throwing on the move and sees the field extremely well. Letroy Guion is more of a developmental defensive tackle, and center John Sullivan was average in 2007, but at times looked very good in his career. Factor in the addition of DE Jared Allen, and this was a good draft for the Vikings.

Fan Thoughts
Folks at the Daily Norseman serve up their thoughts on this draft:

I like the Booty pick...I see it as a pick to add diversity. We have went the small school, unpolished, high ceiling qurterback and we’ll see how it turns out. With Booty, we went the polished, pro style, large school route. I see this guy as an NFL game manager which is not a bad thing. Possibly like a Brad Johnson earlier in his career.

The other picks I don’t have a problem with but I’m not estatic about any of them.

My Thoughts
This seems like a 'we-drafted-because-we-had-to' draft by the Vikings, who must have spent all their time working on the Jared Allen trade, which helped their team, but not their draft. Johnson is a good safety, but they skipped out on all positions of need and could have done better than Booty at QB if they were looking for someone to push Tarvaris Jackson.

2008 Draft Review: AFC East

Tue Apr 29 00:00:00 -0700 2008

This is part 2 of an 8 part series analyzing the draft division-by-division. Click here for part 1.

Buffalo Bills

The Picks
1(11) - Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy University
2(41) - James Hardy, WR, Indiana
3(72) - Chris Ellis, DE, Virginia Tech
4(114) - Reggie Corner, DB, Akron
4(132) - Derek Fine, TE, Kansas
5(147) - Alvin Bowen, OLB, Iowa State
6(179) - Xavier Omon, RB, Northwest Missouri State
7(219) - Demetrius Bell, T, Northwestern State
7(224) - Steve Johnson, WR, Kentucky
7(251) - Kennard Cox, DB, Pittsburgh

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out the draft grades for each team.

GRADE: C+
Cornerback Leodis McKelvin is going to be a very good player and I liked the pick. James Hardy is the big wide receiver the Bills need, someone who can be a threat in the red zone. Virginia Tech DE Chris Ellis is a decent pass-rusher, and I thought CB Reggie Corner and TE Derek Fine were reaches in the fourth round. I did like their late-round picks, RB Xavier Omon, OT Demetrius Bell and WR Steve Johnson.

Fan Thoughts
Here's something I grabbed from Buffalo Ramblings, a nice Bills blog:

If you were looking to be wowed by Buffalo's draft class, a la 2007 when Marshawn Lynch and Posluszny sent waves of excitement through the fan base, 2008's class may disappoint you slightly. However, these are ten good football players that the Bills brought in - and half of them could be instant-impact rookies in one way or another. Did the Bills address all of their needs? No - they failed to find an impact tight end. This team's second-day philosophy has remained consistent for all three years they've been there, and tight end remains the team's one glaring weakness. The team will instead rely on Fine to add to a competition that includes Robert Royal, Courtney Anderson, Teyo Johnson and Derek Schouman.

So for me? I'm satisfied. No draft is perfect. I get the logic. I'm not wowed, and I'm not going to brag about this draft class to all of my pals. But the Bills lost a lot of role players this off-season and took strides to replace them with young, smart, athletic football players. It's hard for me to argue with that logic.

My Thoughts
Buffalo's draft was a not a sexy one, but it has the possibility of being one that improves the team in a lot of small ways. The added depth on defense and special teams is no doubt helpful for a team looking to get over the hump. Nothing to be scared of in this draft yet, but I feel that in looking back on this draft, Bills fans will either say it was a solid, but unspectacular draft, or that it was a horrible mistake.

Miami Dolphins

The Picks
1(1) - Jake Long, T, Michigan
2(32) - Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson
2(57) - Chad Henne, QB, Michigan
3(66) - Kendall Langford, DE, Hampton
4(110) - Shawn Murphy, G, Utah State
6(176) - Jalen Parmele, RB, Toledo
6(195) - Donald Thomas, G, Connecticut
6(204) - Lex Hilliard, FB, Montana
7(245) - Lionel Dotson, DT, Arizona

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out the draft grades for each team.

GRADE: B-
Jake Long fills a need at left tackle, and I liked Bill Parcells' selection of Clemson DE Phillip Merling with the 32nd overall pick because he's solid against the run. The pick of Chad Henne in the second round tells you Miami is not sold on John Beck; however, I'm not sold on Henne. He has accuracy issues and a long delivery and he isn't mobile. I do like his toughness and he does have some of those intangibles you look for in a quarterback. Defensive end Kendall Langford is a big body, but I thought he was somewhat of a reach after an average senior season. Shawn Murphy really came on as a guard and he could battle for a starting spot. Jalen Parmele was a workhorse at Toledo, a big running back who also has some speed. And Lionel Dotson was a good seventh-round pick who should be able to help at nose tackle.

Fan Thoughts
Here's what the guys at The Phinsider think of the Dolphins' draft:

But for now, what I take away from this draft is that Parcells and Ireland have a plan for this team. and this was a classic "Bill Parcells draft." He's building the team from the inside out and focusing on the two most important aspects of the game of football: running the ball and stopping the run. You may be asking where the secondary help and receiver help is, but those 2 things can be addressed next year. For now, the Dolphins wanted to improve both the ground game and passing attack by beefing up the offensive line. They also wanted to sure up this "swiss cheese" run defense that Miami had last year. Because we saw first hand that if you can't stop the run, you can't win in this league.

My Thoughts
Bill Parcells is one of the premier talent evaluators in the league, and that showed through in this draft. He got great value with Merling and Henne and solidified the trenches on a Dolphins team that sorely needed it. This draft won't give the team a winning record, but it will be a building block upon which success can be found.

New England Patriots

The Picks
1(10) - Jerod Mayo, ILB, Tennessee
2(62) - Terrence Wheatley, CB, Colorado
3(78) - Shawn Crable, OLB, Michigan
3(94) - Kevin O'Connell, QB, San Diego State
4(129) - Jonathan Wilhite, CB, Auburn
5(153) - Matthew Slater, S, UCLA
6(197) - Bo Ruud, OLB, Nebraska

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out the draft grades for each team.

GRADE: C+
I'm a big fan of linebacker Jerod Mayo, a lights-out hitter who reminds me of a young Junior Seau. Cornerback was a position of need with the loss of Asante Samuel in free agency. But taking Colorado CB Terrence Wheatley -- when CB Charles Godfrey was on the board -- was a reach. (I projected Wheatley to go somewhere in the fourth round.) Michigan's Shawn Crable fits their 3-4 scheme as an OLB. Quarterback Kevin O'Connell is intriguing, but he was taken a bit high in the third round. Matt Slater's future is going to be as a kick returner/special teams player. Cornerback Jonathan Wilhite leveled off during his career at Auburn, and Bo Ruud will be a backup linebacker.

Fan Thoughts
Not much fan analysis to be found for the Patriots, so here's what Pats Pulpit thinks of Mayo:

I really like this kid. He's fast and strong with the physicality and ability to play OLB if called upon...And learn he will. Bruschi, Vrabel and Thomas will turn this rookie into a monster of a linebacker. I can only imagine how psyched Jerod is to be surrounded by these guys and able to soak in everything they have to offer.

My Thoughts
Who I am to question the Patriots? Jerod Mayo should be a solid player for several years and O'Connell was a great developmental QB pick. All of the other picks weren't sexy, but came from big-time programs which helps players take that step to the next level.

New York Jets

The Picks
1(6) - Vernon Gholston, OLB, Ohio State
1(30) - Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue
4(113) - Dwight Lowery, CB, San Jose State
5(162) - Erik Ainge, QB, Tennessee
6(171) - Marcus Henry, WR, Kansas
7(211) - Nate Garner, T, Arkansas

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out the draft grades for each team.

GRADE: B-
Lining up opposite Calvin Pace, OLB Vernon Gholston has a chance to get a lot of sacks in his rookie season. Tight end Dustin Keller can be used in a lot of different ways and will give the passing game some much-needed juice. Dwight Lowery had a great junior season at corner for San Jose state, but his grade tailed off as a senior. Erik Ainge does not have that wow factor you like to see in a quarterback, but he has great pocket awareness. And he has the ability to make throws when he's outside the pocket. Ainge has a little bit of that "it" factor. Kansas wide receiver Marcus Henry does not have a lot of speed and doesn't separate well, but he caught the ball very effectively. I liked the Jets' picks, but I thought they would have taken wide receiver a bit earlier in the draft.

Fan Thoughts
It was hard to find good analysis on the whole draft, but The Jets Blog is a good Jets blog that mentions this about Gholston:

I think analysts oversimplification of what Gholston did in the Michigan game is wrong; I’ve heard analysts say he abused Long all game, or that he only was over Long for one of the four sacks he had in that game. Both are true. While Gholston lined up on the right side of the offensive line for most of the game, he did take about ten plays against Long. Considering Long let up only like … two sacks in all of college … one sack in ten plays against the year’s premiere talent is pretty damn good.

My Thoughts
Sorry Jets fans, but I did not like your draft. Gholston exemplifies workout warriors and you grabbed a TE that can't block and inadvertently pissed of your current TE. Ainge was a decent pick in the middle rounds, but isn't much different than Clemens or Pennington. We'll have to see how the draft pans out, but right now the Jets are no closer to catching the Patriots or Bills than they were last season.

2008 Draft Review: NFC West

Mon Apr 28 00:00:00 -0700 2008

This is part 1 of an 8 part series analyzing the draft division-by-division.

Arizona Cardinals

The Picks
1(16) - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State
2(50) - Calais Campbell, DE, Miami (Fla.)
3(81) - Early Doucet, WR, Louisiana State
4(116) - Kenny Iwebema, DE, Iowa
5(149) - Tim Hightower, RB, Richmond
6(185) - Chris Harrington, DE, Texas A&M
7(225) - Brandon Keith, OT, Northern Iowa

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out draft grades for each team.

GRADE: B-
I like CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, but I thought Arizona would take a running back (Ray Rice?) in the second round. Instead, Arizona drafted DE Calais Campbell. If Campbell reverts back to his 2006 form, this will turn out to be a good pick. LSU WR Early Doucet will be a slot receiver and was a good third-round pick. I like RB Timothy Hightower, although he doesn't have a lot of speed. I like their sixth- and seventh-round picks (Christopher Harrington and Brandon Keith), but the Cardinals didn't get a quality running back to complement Edgerrin James, unless Hightower is able to play the part.

Fan Thoughts
I have to admit, it was hard to find a good Arizona Cardinals' fan blog. If you know of one, let me know! These thoughts come from Raising Zona.

THE ARIZONA CARDINALS SELECT DOMINIQUE RODGERS-CROMARTIE, CB, TENNESSEE STATE. Outstanding! They filled a need rather than going with best available. They did take the best available corner in my mind. I liked Talib, but I didn’t think Rodgers-Cromartie would be available at this point. Even ESPN had the Cards going RB. This may not turn out to be the best first round player in Cardinals history, but most likely the smartest pick in the first round since moving to Arizona. Go Cards!

My Thoughts
The Cardinals addressed all of their needs, got great value in Campbell, grabbed my favorite corner on the board, and even got 2 Iowa boys. A very solid draft for a team trying to wiggle out of decades of mediocrity.

San Francisco 49ers

The Picks
1(29) - Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina
2(39) - Chilo Rachal, G, USC
3(75) - Reggie Smith, CB, Oklahoma
4(107) - Cody Wallace, C, Texas A&M
6(174) - Josh Morgan, WR, Virginia Tech
7(214) - Larry Grant, OLB, Ohio State

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out draft grades for each team.

GRADE: C+
They didn't address their need at wide receiver until the sixth round and didn't take an OLB until the seventh round. Kentwan Balmer is a solid DT prospect for their scheme, and I like Chilo Rachal's aggressiveness at guard (he can also play right tackle). Reggie Smith is kind of a tweener at safety or corner. He has ability, but needs to settle on a position. Cody Wallace was the No. 1 center on my board. Josh Morgan is a decent receiver. OLB Larry Grant can make this team as backup.

Fan Thoughts
Niners Nation did a great job with their draft coverage, and here's a snippet from their 49ers Draft Review: Initial Answers post.

I will not say I'm disappointed or think it was a bad draft. Aside from the usual cliches about waiting 3 years to fully evaluate a draft, I think there are some good things to come out of this, depending on how you view the players taken. If you view this as a lot of reaches, you're going to be disappointed until they prove it on the field. I can see how the team appeared to reach when other quality talents were still around. I think my opinion is more of disappointment in who the 49ers could have taken, rather that who they actual took.

My Thoughts
The 49ers got some talented players in this draft, but did not address all of their needs, getting a wide receiver, tackle, or linebacker very late in the draft or not at all. I feel the 49ers may be able to get around 2 solid starters from this draft, but this won't put them over the hump in the NFC West.

Seattle Seahawks

The Picks
1(28) - Lawrence Jackson, DE, USC
2(38) - John Carlson, TE, Notre Dame
4(121) - Red Bryant, DT, Texas A&M
5(163) - Owen Schmitt, FB, West Virginia
6(189) - Tyler Schmitt, LS, San Diego State
7(233) - Justin Forsett, RB, California
7(235) - Brandon Coutu, K, Georgia

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out draft grades for each team.

GRADE: B
Lawrence Jackson stepped up his performance and deserved being a first-round pick. I would have looked at Dustin Keller, although John Carlson is a more complete tight end. Texas A&M's Red Bryant is a stay-at-home defensive tackle. He was productive in 2007, but he never took his game to the next level coming out of high school. Owen Schmitt is a throwback old-school fullback. Tyler Schmitt is a good long snapper. Justin Forsett has the chance to make this team at running back. Georgia's Brandon Coutu -- whom I thought was the best kicker in this draft -- could be this year's Mason Crosby.

Fan Thoughts
Field Gulls does a great job with the Seahawks and with this draft. I grabbed the following snippet from this article.

Okay, we'll have to wait and see who Seattle grabs as an NDFA, but unless I see a tackle in there somewhere, I'm prepared to knock them a grade just for that omission. I cannot understand how a team with a win now mentality fails to pick insurance for such and essential position, in such a deep tackle draft.

Preliminary Draft Grade: B-

I'm going to play my own Devil's Advocate for a second, before I get outside for a little bit. I think Seattle needs depth at tackle, I see it as a Need-need. I think that Holmgren's offense has always relied on good pass pro and that Walter Jones was the biggest factor in him signing with Seattle so long ago.

My Thoughts
I feel the Seahawks picked a bust in the first round and may not have gone with the right kicker in round 7, but made up for it with solid drafting in the middle rounds. Red Bryant, John Carlson, and Owen Schmitt are three players that should play a nice, if unspectacular, role for the Seahawks in the future.

St. Louis Rams

The Picks
1(2) - Chris Long, DE, Virginia
2(33) - Donnie Avery, WR, Houston
3(65) - John Greco, G, Toledo
4(101) - Justin King, CB, Penn State
4(128) - Keenan Burton, WR, Kentucky
5(157) - Roy Schuening, G, Oregon State
7(228) - Chris Chamberlain, LB, Tulsa
7(252) - David Vobora, OLB, Idaho

Expert Thoughts
This comes from Mel Kiper's ESPN article handing out draft grades for each team.

GRADE: C+
Taking DE Chris Long allows Adam Carriker to stay inside at defensive tackle. Some didn't think Donnie Avery should have been the first WR to come off the board. It might have been a bit of a reach, but he caught 91 balls and has the ability to make people miss. John Greco is a versatile offensive lineman. CB Justin King has a lot of potential, but he gets beat in coverage far too much. Wide receiver Keenan Burton would have gone higher than the fourth round if he hadn't been slowed by knee and ankle injuries in his senior season. Roy Schuening has a chance to start this year at guard. Chris Chamberlain had a very nice season at Tulsa. And don't forget about OLB David Vobora, aka Mr. Irrelevant, who I thought was a midround pick. Vobora has some ability and I would be surprised if he didn't make this team as a special teams player.

Fan Thoughts
I grabbed the following bit from an article on Turf Show Times.

You'll notice all of these players lack character questions, more specifically, they are all cited as diligent and dedicated to what they do, from the first pick to the very last in the draft. More than avoiding any Pacman Jones type shenanigans, this gives the Rams players who'll make a concerted effort to address shortcomings on the field with hard work and determination, i.e. it means guys like David Vorbora have a better chance of making a contribution to the team and having an impact on the field.

The 2008 draft was a fairly safe one for the Rams, with some guys who'll have an immediate impact like Long or Greco and some who could benefit the team down the road like King or Burton. Down the road, we'll see how this draft really looks for the Rams.

My Thoughts
The Rams' draft has some shortcomings, but I feel that the pick of Chris Long at #2 justifies the rest of the draft. As I mention in our most recent deep, he will be an immediate contributor for this team. Avery was a surprise pick as the first WR off the board, but the Rams scouting department knows better about this stuff than the rest of us.

Last-Minute Draft Thoughts

Sat Apr 26 00:00:00 -0700 2008

The NFL Draft starts in 17 hours, so taking a page from Peter King, here are some things 'I Think I Think'.

I think I am going to live blog the draft tomorrow, make sure to tune in to check it out.

I think that the Chiefs made a good trade in getting what they got from the Vikings.

I think that Carl Peterson will somehow mess up some of their draft picks, and Chiefs fans everywhere will scream.

I think my newest mock draft is decent, check it out.

I think Denver should trade down, but I have no idea what they will do.

I think that Lito Shephard will be traded in the 2nd round for a 2nd round pick.

I think that Jonathan Stewart (RB, Oregon) will be the best halfback in this class.

I think that Vernon Gholston is the biggest workout warrior, and could very well end up being the next Mike Mamula or Vernon Davis.

I think that some team will reach for a wide receiver when one shouldn't be drafted before the 20th pick.

I think the Raiders would be wise to trade down from #4 and pick up some picks in the 2nd or 3rd round, since they currently have none.

I think the draft will be a blast tomorrow, and I hope you have fun also!

Draft Day Blog

Sat Apr 26 00:00:00 -0700 2008

Welcome to the 2008 NFL Draft live blog! Remember to refresh the page (you can hit F5) periodically to see my latest ramblings. All times are Central.

12:13 PM - It appears we already know the first four picks of the draft (Long, Long, Ryan, McFadden), but it could be a giant ruse to get other teams to trade up. It will be very interesting if the first four picks play out differently.

1:25 PM - Draft time is approaching and I've got my Elway jersey on and I'm ready for this to start. Andrew has made two new posts, check them out.

1:43 PM - With the Dolphins' pick coming up, I wonder how long Parcells will take to turn in Jake Long as the pick? Will he hold on for courtesy's sake? Will he submit it right away?

2:04 PM - To nobody's surprise, the Dolphins selected Jake Long. What is surprising is that they got their pick turned in within 3 minutes. It will be interesting to see if the Rams are entertaining any trade offers.

2:13 PM - The Rams' pick is in and it is....Chris Long, just as prescribed. A good pick, I think Long will be a very solid DE. Those Rams teams that were the Greatest Show on Turf had a decent defense with good pass rushers.

2:17 PM - If Matt Ryan is taken for the Falcons, they really will be starting over and will be doing it with character guys.

2:30 PM - McFadden and Russell provides a ton of talent in the backfield. What are they gonna do with all their halfbacks?

2:32 PM - All the Chiefs' fans around me are cracking me up. They are so nervous. Will they take Dorsey? Will they trade?

2:36 PM - Well no trades so far, but the Chiefs got Dorsey. He could be very good for the Chiefs. Do the Jets take Gholston now?

2:44 PM - With the Jets pick done, the Patriots pick becomes interesting. With they take LB Rivers, CB McKelvin, or trade down?

2:56 PM - That's a huge move up by Jacksonville from 26 to 8. Is Harvey or whoever they want worth that much? Great move down by the Ravens, absolutely fantastic by them.

3:06 PM - I'm surprised to see Rivers as the pick because they had other needs, but he could be OK. However, I think that he benefited from a good D-Line that made him look a little better than he is. Dan Connor may be a better pro LB.

3:15 PM - Surprising pick with Mayo at 10 to Patriots. Andrew and company were absolutely shocked. I think Branden Albert is a good deal for whoever gets him now.

3:26 PM - Not super excited, but I think Clady should be a good draft pick. He's gonna be a lifetime Bronco (Boise St. -> Denver) and it will be great having another big guy to protect Cutler.

3:35 PM - I think the Bears pick will be Otah or Mendenhall.

3:53 PM - The Chiefs have had a very solid draft so far with Dorsey and Albert, they're doing a good job building for the future.

3:54 PM - Arizona's pick is in...and they take Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, a solid pick. Andrew seems to think his one kidney is a problem, I think Andrew is nuts.

4:01 PM - The Ravens traded up for Flacco, that's a huge surprise. Good job trading down by the Texans, it will be interesting to see what Kubiak goes with.

4:19 PM - The guys from MileHighReport have made me feel better about the Clady pick.

4:20 PM - At 4:20 PM...cough, cough...the Bucs take the Kansas CB Aqib Talib.

4:38 PM - Cowboys select Felix Jones at 22, pretty big surprise there, I think he would still be there at 28. I'm calling Brad to see what he thinks.

4:47 PM - Brad not real happy with the Felix Jones pick. It's OK but it's a little high and he really wanted Mike Jenkins. He hopes Jenkins or Limas Sweed is there at 28. Jones will be a good fit as a fast runner and kick returner

4:51 PM - No no no! I wanted Chris Johnson, he belongs in Denver!

5:07 PM - Brad's probably pretty happy with Mike Jenkins, but I feel they could have gotten him at 22 and waited until 28 for Felix Jones (or Chris Johnson).

5:30 PM - Surprise by the Jets to grab Keller, he's good, but did they need to trade up to get him? I thought they might take a QB or WR.

5:40 PM - With the WRs still falling, the Dolphins grab Merling and get a good value. I thought we might have seen a WR there.

5:42 PM - The Chiefs' fans really want Sweed or Kelly and there is a very good chance both will be there at their pick. The Rams take Donnie Avery, WR from Houston. Who is that?

6:13 PM - Sorry for the delay in updates, the Chiefs' fans were so livid that Limas Sweed or Malcolm Kelly was not drafted it made me cry. Not much is better than angry Chiefs fans.

6:18 PM - Denver's pick is next, I think it will be Jackson, Sweed, or maybe a safety like Reggie Smith.

6:30 PM - Well they picked Eddie Royal, WR from Virginia Tech. Not sure what I think, but they need a punt returner. Here's a video of him.

6:43 PM - Is there something we don't know? Why are all these receivers going ahead of DeShaun Jackson, Malcolm Kelly, and Limas Sweed? It's very strange to see them falling so far.

7:32 PM - Very interesting to see Brian Brohm to go Green Bay, it's gonna be a good competition between him and Aaron Rodgers. I wonder what kind of fight will be put up by Beck in Miami against Chad Henne.

7:40 PM - Called Jed, he's fairly happy with Mendenhall and Sweed, but surprised the Steelers ended up with those guys. Those are basically my sentiments.

7:43 PM - NFL Network did a better job with coverage overall, but I love the Ron Jaworski breakdowns where he shows what he looks for in QBs and how they play. He's definitely my favorite analyst.

7:55 PM - With the Giants taking CB Terrell Thomas the draft day 1 comes to an end. Time for me to get up, move around, and reflect on what's happened. Thanks to everyone who read this, and have a great evening!

Wednesday Video: Lawrence Taylor

Wed Apr 23 00:00:00 -0700 2008

Lawrence Taylor, the original and only LT, was the most feared player to ever step foot on a football field. His mix of pure speed, talent, strength, and drive made him such a force that other teams would base their entire gameplan around his presence. Hall-of-Fame coach Joe Gibbs created a new position, the H-Back, just to block Lawrence Taylor. He was truly an amazing player, someone you have to see to believe.

Below are the first two videos of a six-part series on LT. In order to save space, I simply linked to the last four parts below the videos. Enjoy all six, it's truly worth it!

19-0btuse

Wed Apr 23 00:00:00 -0700 2008

According to ProFootballTalk and The Smoking Gun, the New England Patriots are still attempting to acquire the trademark on "19-0" and "19-0 The Perfect Season". This is despite the fact they finished the season with a record of 18-1 after losing to the New York Football Giants in the Super Bowl.

The reason the Patriots organization is still pursuing this copyright is beyond me. They did not (do I need to emphasize that more?) finish the season 19-0 and it would be extraordinarily arrogant of them to assume they can complete this next season undefeated, no matter how easy their schedule is.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk suggests that it makes sense from a business standpoint to continue after the trademark given the money they have spent the last 4 months pursuing it. My response? It's a sunk cost! Just because you've waited at the dentist's office for 3 hours doesn't mean you should wait another 30 minutes. When making decisions, the sunk cost is lost forever and the Patriots should be looking forward, not backward.

I fail to see the logic behind the and I feel the whole idea is stupid, dumb, obtuse, or lacking in intelligence, whichever synonym you prefer. I don't like the Patriots much, but I do respect the owner Robert Kraft. If this shenanigan continues, I won't respect him much longer.

Wednesday Video: Barry Sanders

Wed Apr 16 00:00:00 -0700 2008

Wednesday Video is back with the most electrifying back to ever play the game. Stuck on bad Lions teams, he made them a threat to win every single game and made defensive players look silly the way nobody else could. The first video is a nice 5 minute highlight reel and the second is a somewhat more complete 10 minute video. If watching Barry run doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will.