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KD's NFL Draft Grades - New Orleans Saints

2011-08-17T09:51:00.005-04:00

Just a year after knocking off the Colts in the Super Bowl, the Saints were eliminated in the wild-card round by the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks. Granted, Marshawn Lynch broke one of the greatest runs in the history of football, but still, to lose to Seattle is embarrasing. New Orleans re-dedicated itself to improving it's running game and their offseason moves reflect that. They also wanted to add some youth on the defensive side of the ball and spent 5 of their 6 picks on defense players. These moves, in my opinion, should help the Saints in the quest to recapture the NFC South title away from the Atlanta Falcons.

1st round, 24th overall) Cameron Jordan - DE - California
With their first pick in the 1st round, the Saints drafted what many thought to be the best 5 technique (3-4 DE) end in the entire draft. Cameron Jordan will shift to the 4-3, where he can play both end and shift inside to tackle in certain situations. Jordan has a strong pedigree as his father, Steve, was a 6-time Pro Bowler at TE, most notably for the Minnesota Vikings.

How he fits in: The Saints lack a dominant pass-rusher opposite Will Smith. I doubt that former Chicago Bear Alex Brown is that guy. He's able to provide good play against the run and situational pass-rushing ability, but Cameron Jordan is the future at DE. Smith and Brown are 30 and 32 respectively and Jordan is a great technician. You could also slide Jodran inside on passing downs next to guys like Sedrick Ellis or Mitch King.

Outlook: Jordan might be eased in as a rotational player for this year, at least starting out, but he's certainly going to be in the running for the strongside DE spot opposite Will Smith. He's not as explosive as a traditional 4-3 DE prospect and sometimes gets overexcited and will lose contain on the edge. That said, if you can keep him under control, his ability to hold the point of attack is very good and he's outstanding against the run, so much of the pass-rush he provides is just a bonus for you.

1st round, 28th overall) Mark Ingram - RB - Alabama
Coach Sean Payton knew he needed to upgrade his running game in the offseason, and the Saints made a blockbuster trade sending a 2012 1st rounder to the Pats for the right to select Mark Ingram, the best running back in the Draft. Ingram, a 5'9" 215lbs workhorse at Alabama should be an immediate starter and feature back for the Saints.

How he fits in: The oft-injured Reggie Bush was traded away to Miami and Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory have battled injuries the past two seasons. Enter free agent Darren Sproles to replace Bush and Ingram will get first crack at the feature back role. Ingram runs hard between the tackles and can break the big play. Built very similar to and has speed similar to that of former Cowboys great Emmitt Smith. He's also got very underrated hands out of the backfield (his dad, Mark Sr. was a receiver for the Giants and Dolphins in the late 80s and early 90s). Ingram should be the tone-setter on this offense and will be great for the Saints near the goaline. Ingram couldn't have asked for a better situation to land in as the Saints have a very good O-line.

Outlook: Ingram was a very durable back at Alabama and he'll be able to split carries again in New Orleans (he did so at 'Bama with Glen Coffee and Trent Richardson), so durability won't be as big of an issue as many thought it might be. Ingram will be a key cog in the Saints offense as they'll have a viable running game once again. He could very easily be the Offensive Rookie of the Year for the Saints, and I think they made a great pick here.

3rd round, 72nd overall) Martez Wilson - LB - Illinois
The Saints have very little depth behind linebackers Jonathan Vilma, Scott Shanle, and Clint Ingram. Martez Wilson, a high school classmate of the Chicago Bulls Derrick Rose, overcame a very rough upbringing to become a 2-year starter for the Illini. He's had some off-field incidents, including getting stabbed while helping a teammate in a bar fight in 2009. He's more athlete than football player, but his skill of running the arc and bending around the corner give the Saints a good blitzer from an OLB position. He has played ILB, so if something were ever to happen to Jonathan Vilma, he could step inside in a pinch. He should compete with Shanle and Ingram for one of the outside LB spots this year.

3rd round, 88th overall) Johnny Patrick - CB - Louisville
Jabari Greer as been a revelation for the Saints at CB and Tracy Porter has been solid. Former 1st rounder Patrick Robinson is in the mix as a second starter or nickel corner. Patrick, a pretty underrated prospect from Louisville, has excelled in both man and zone coverage. However, he came to Louisville as a receiver and his technique is still very raw by NFL standards. He'll get caught peeking in the backfield when he shouldn't be and things of that nature, but he's definitely got the skill and temperment to work with. He could be a solid contributor in a year or two.

7th round, 226th overall) Greg Romeus - DE - Pittsburgh
Still lacking some depth on the D-line the Saints took a late round flier on the former Pitt Panther star Greg Romeus. Injured last year and only playing two games, Romeus was productive for three seasons after redshirting for the Panthers. However, as a junior, he was overshadowed by teammate Jabaal Sheard, now of the Browns, in a big way. That's not to say Romeus can't get to the passer as he tallied 20.5 sacks in 3 seasons. He's not as athletic as you'd think and he's somewhat stiff when pursuing. He doesn't have many moves and relied too much on his speed rush in the Big East. However, his combination of size and speed 6'5" 264lbs and 4.85 forty give you something to work with. He might sneak onto the roster, but at the very least should be a solid practice squad guy.

7th round, 243rd overall) Nate Bussey - LB - Illinois
The Saints grabbed Martez Wilson's teammate Nate Bussey with a late 7th round pick. A safety originally for the Illini, Bussey played well on special teams his first season and a half and starting his final 18 contests at weakside linebacker. Bussey is a small guy, but a solid tackler. He'll have to make a serious run on special teams to make the roster, which is a daunting task given the number of good special teams players the Saints have. However, their most prominent one, Marvin Mitchell left in free agecny, so that leaves one extra spot available.

Overall Grade: A-
I really like what the Saints did, especially trading back into round one for Mark Ingram. I think he'll add a dimension to the offense they haven't had in a while. Cameron Jordan, Martez Wilson, and Johnny Patrick all will have a chance to become solid contributors, perhaps even starters, in a few years time. Romeus and Bussey are two guys who could find roles on special teams or in a rotation. In my opinion, the only thing keeping the Saints from an "A" is the fact they didn't address some positions on the O-line, such as C and RT. Veteran Olin Kreutz was brought in to replace Jonathan Goodwin, but how much longer will he last? John Stinchcomb was just cut the other day at RT; what's their plan there? I'm not sure placing Jermon Bushrod or Charles Brown at RT is the right move. Other than that, I think they did a great job, even if it involved giving up a 1st rounder in 2012.

Sports Quick Hits - 8/15

2011-08-15T15:31:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the delays between posts. But we're back, and there's a rumor going around that we may see the return of Chizzy soon.

NFL
Football is finally back! Well, preseason football that is. Just a few observations from the limited action I saw over the weekend:

1) Philip Rivers is good. Really, really good. The Chargers offense should be fine.

2) It could be a really long season for Andy Dalton and the Bengals. Question: If they finish as bad as I think they will, do they draft Andrew Luck next year? If he enters the Draft that is.

3) Colts fans should start worrying about Peyton Manning's neck injury. Without him, they're not a good football team.

4) As dumb as the new kickoff rule is, I was surprised to see some long returns this weekend. Kudos to Lovie Smith and the Bears for totally ignoring the rule and having Robbie Gould kickoff twice from the 30 yard line to practice coverage (the new rule dictates you must kickoff from the 35 and players may have only a maximum of a 5 yard run-up to the ball).

5) Ryan Mallett is by far and away the most pro-ready of the rookie QBs, but he won't start this year being stuck behind Tom Brady. That said, Blaine Gabbert, Cam Newton, and Jake Locker were all fairly impressive in their preseason debuts.

Obviously there were a ton of transactions right after the lockout ended. Here's 5 moves that I like and don't like made by teams.

Moves I like:

1) The Eagles signing multiple free agents and dealing Kevin Kolb. The Eagles got a king's ransom for a pretty unproven player. Landing Dominique Rogers-Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha gives them the best trio of CBs probably ever. Ronnie Brown gives them a power runner, and adding the Giants Steve Smith gives them a nice option in the slot. However, I'm not sure they'll get away with having Casey Matthews starting at MLB all year.

2) The playing hardball and retaining Ahmad Bradshaw. The diminutive power runner tried to up his contract status by visiting Miami and scheduling one to Cincinnati. Miami said his demands were too high and the Giants brought him back for slightly less than what Bradshaw wanted from Miami. Good move for both parties there.

3) Darren Sproles to the Saints. Mark Ingram will be the workhorse there, but let's face it, Sproles is an upgrade to Reggie Bust...I mean Bush. While he's not as fast as Reggie, he's a better runner between the tackles, is a much better kick returner (look up the numbers for yourself, Reggie was pretty damn bad), and can do all the things out of the backfield that Bush did for New Orleans. Their offense could be scary-good. Remember, in 2009, Brees was only 18 yards shy of breaking Marino's signle-season record (5,084 in 1984). Brees could challenge that.

4) Minnesota trading for Donovan McNabb. This comes with the caveat that McNabb is 100% into football this year. The Vikings have a lot of pieces in place and have Adrian Peterson to rely on. Sidney Rice leaving creates a void on offense, but I think Minnesota will find ways to manage their downfield attack. McNabb at least offers a nice mentor to Christian Ponder, again, with the caveat that he's totally into football this year.

5) Okay, not NFL related, but Andrew Luck's beard is on the road to magnificence.

5 Moves I don't like:

1) Reggie Bush to Miami: New Orleans gave him up for a 6th round pick and reserve safety Jonathon Amaya. That's pretty telling to me. He himself has admitted his knee is messed up, and Miami trying to pass him off as a true #1 RB is just a disaster in waiting.

2) The 49ers keeping Alex Smith. Just watching their first preseason game was pretty ugly. I'll give Jim Harbaugh the benefit of the doubt for now, but Colin Kaepernick wasn't stellar either. However, a reunion of Harbaugh and Andrew Luck in 2012 would bring more attention to the 49ers than they've had since a man named Rice caught passes there.

3) Chris Johnson holding out in Tennessee. I understand the man wants paid, and deservedly so, but just get to camp already. Tennessee is willing to play ball and will make you the highest paid RB ever. But, the more Johnson stays away, the more Javon Ringer (a high school nemesis of mine) can ease into the starting role.

4) Marcel Dareus in Buffalo. What happened man? You showed up at the Draft weighing in at 318lbs and looking great. 1st day of training camp in Buffalo - 343lbs. Yikes. However...

5) ...that's small potatoes compared to Bryant McKinnie in Minnesota. The once elite left tackle has eaten himself off the roster and up to nearly 400lbs. Someone has to protect Donovan McNabb's backside or the Ponder era will start early.

MLB
First and foremost, apologies to JM. His Brewers are for real this year and are a legitimate contender. My Reds however, are done - stick a fork in them. Too much drama in the front office between Dusty Baker and Walt Jockety, too many injuries, and half the team coming back to earth (I believe I said that would happen in my NL preview) a little harder than expected has ended their season prematurely. Nice to see Dontrelle Willis coming back strong though.

How good are the Phillies? At 37 games above .500 (78-41 record) they have a nice lead on the Atlanta Braves, currently 9 games. They've run away with the divison as the third place Mets are just 20.5 games back.

The NL East aside, there's some really good races in every other division. Starting in the AL, Boston's only got a .5 game lead over the Yankees in the East. In the Central, the White Sox and Indians are both within 4 games of first place Detroit (it feels weird typing "first place Detroit" when not talking hockey). In the West, it's a close two-horse race as the Angels are just 4 back of the Rangers.

In the NL Central, Chizzy's Cards are trying to close a 5 game gap between them and first place Milwaukee and out West the surprise Diamondbacks hold a 2 game lead over defending Champs San Francisco.

I'll be the first to admit that I typically lose a lot of interest in baseball around this time of year, especially since the Reds aren't in contention this year (back to normal for Cincinnati) and I turn into a football junkie yet again, so apologies in advance if our baseball coverage is a little lax.

Other Sports News
Due to inclement weather, NASCAR had a road course race this morning at Watkins Glen in New York. Can you say ratings boom?!?

Terrelle Pryor is supposedly meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell tonight or tomorrow to see if he can become elgible for this Wednesday's Suppelemental Draft. Both Miami and Oakland have shown interest, but his eligibility remains a question mark. Former Georgia RB Caleb Kings is the only other noteworthy name up for grabs.

Mark Sanchez admits he wanted to fight Rex Ryan after Ryan considered benching him during the 3rd quarter of the Jets 10-6 loss to Miami last November. Sanchez put together back-to-back stinkers in a loss to the Patriots the week before the Dolphins game. All things considered, give me Rex Ryan, and his new tattoo, in the battle of "The Weight-Watcher vs. The Cradle-Robber". It might as well be the undercard of the proposed Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao fight next spring.

Speaking of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao - that really needs to happen, and soon. I've given up on watching any UFC event, unless Anderson Silva is involved, but I've been a boxing fan since I watched Tyson bite off Holyfield's ear. Gone are the glory days of the world's once most followed sport.

TGTS - Back in Action Soon

2011-08-14T13:47:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the delays between posts. Chizzy is still recovering from taking the bar exam and I've been quite busy with work. Chizzy will have an article on his beloved Philadelphia Eagles soon, so I'm skipping them in my Draft Reviews. I'll have a Sports Quick Hits up Tomorrow and should be back in regular action. Thanks for your patience.

KD's NFL Draft Grades - Indianapolis Colts

2011-08-01T17:02:00.003-04:00

When you have Peyton Manning, who's now weilding a new $90M contract, your team always has a chance, and with the Colts offense getting some players back healthy in 2011, such as Joseph Addai, Anthony Gonzalez, and Austin Collie, they should be potent. GM Bill Polian and owner Jim Irsay said they were going to improve the offensive line after the Colts lost to the Saints in the Super Bowl. That didn't happen in 2010, but it did happen in the 2011 Draft. With just 5 picks, the Colts addressed a couple of needs and got, in my opinion, two steals in the latter rounds of the Draft. Let's see who they got.

1st round, 22nd overall) Anthony Castonzo - T - Boston College
Since the retirement of Tarik Glenn, Peyton Manning hasn't had a top tier protector on his blind side. Look at some of the other quarterbacks in the league. Philip Rivers has Marcus McNeill; Tom Brady has Matt Light; Aaron Rodgers has Chad Clifton and soon to be Bryan Bulaga; Jake Long has...oh, wait. Either way, Peyton Manning deserves better than Charlie Johnson, who has played well, but is a more natural guard.

How he fits in: It shouldn't be too hard for the big man from Boston College to win the starting LT spot from day one. Charlie Johnson might be able to hold him off for a while, but it it's really just a matter of time. Castonzo, who stands at 6'7" 311lbs isn't quite in the same class as Trent Williams and Russell Okung from last year's class, but he's very good in his own right, and in my opinion, the best left tackle in this year's clast. He's got some nastiness to him in the run game, and Peyton Manning's quick reads and throws will mask some deficiencies in his pass sets.

Outlook: A biochemistry major who was nominated for the Rhodes Scholarship, it's safe to say Castonzo is very smart, and he's also got a high football IQ on the field. He's got a prototypical build, and while not as athletic as some guys with his build, he's long enough to reroute defensive ends. Has to learn to play with better leverage. Castonzo played against a lot of top competition including Derrick Morgan, Allen Bailey, Robert Quinn, and Da'Quan Bowers during his college years in the ACC. He'll be a starter for a long time in the NFL.

2nd round, 49th overall) Ben Ijalana - G - Villanova
Similar in many ways to Jets 2010 pick Vladimir Ducasse, Ijalana comes from the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) where he started 53 straight games for the Wildcats. Ijalana played LT in college, but with a shorter build at 6'3" 317lbs, he'll probably have to be groomed at G. The Colts have a few prospects on the interior with Mike Pollak, Kyle DeVan, and Jeff Linkenbach, but none are really dominant interior players. Ijalana is pretty athletic for his size, but will be making a tremendous jump in competition. I'd expect he probably won't start right away, but he could phase out either Pollak or DeVan, eventually. He could surpass Jeff Linkenbach as a top backup this season.

3rd Round, 87th overall) Drake Nevis - DT - LSU
If not for Nick Fairley's burst into national prominence during his senior season, one of the SEC players we all would have been talking about on the D-line would've been Nevis. Antonio Johnson and Daniel Muir got the job done last year on the Colts interior, but Muir was just signed by the Rams, potentially clearing the path for Nevis to start early on. Eric Foster and Fili Moala are decent role players and DeMario Pressley was recently added, but Nevis could be the best of that role-playing bunch. He's a prototypical tackle for the Colts; undersized, quick, and very experienced coming out of college. At 6'0" 294lbs, Nevis racked up 24 TFL's and 10 sacks the past two years for the Tigers. Very quick and athletic for his size on the interior, clocking a 5.06 forty in Indy at the Combine.

4th round, 119th overall) Delone Carter - RB - Syracuse
The Colts were able to bring back Joseph Addai at a favorable contract. He and Donald Brown are a nice tandem, but both have had issues staying healthy. Dominic Rhodes, Mike Hart, Devin Moore, Javarris James (cousin of former Colt great Edgerrin James), will likely compete for the 4th running back spot, i.e. a special teamer who might be active on game day. Addai and Brown are the top guys, but I think Delone Carter locks down the third spot and could be a starter by season's end. A 5'8" 222lbs wall of muscle, Carter plays a lot bigger than he his and should get all of the short yardage carries right off the bat. He's got decent hands out of the backfield and shows decent change of direction skills for a man his size. Carter had some off-field issues and was kicked off the team for a year, but was reinstated and ripped off back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons. This will be the Colts future at RB, a lot more so than Donald Brown, and he should be a nice addition to the Colts offense this weekend.

6th round, 188th overall) Chris Rucker - CB - Michigan State
Rucker had several off-field incidents at MSU, his most recent including getting involved in a dorm-room brawl as a senior, and he also had several alcohol related incidents on campus. Coach Mark Dantonio suspsended him briefly as a senior, but he was surely the Spartans best defensive back. At 6'0" 195lbs, he's not overly quick, but he's very good in man-to-man coverage and is at his best when he can be physical up on the line. He's a very good tackler and isn't afraid to come up in run support and is definitely a gamer. Jeraud Powers and Jacob Lacey will probably be starters, but Rucker should push for playing time in nickel and dime packages with the release of Kelvin Hayden. Provided Rucker can keep his nose clean off the field, he's got a lot of potential and should it in very well in the Colts cover 2 scheme where he can be physical up close to the line of scrimmage.

Overall Grade: A-
I have to give the Colts credit, they identified some of their biggest weaknesses and addressed them. Overall though, what they did in the draft paled in comparison to the importance of re-signing Peyton Manning. They scratched that off their list, and despite his not being 100% healthy, he'll be fine for the regular season. Anthony Castonzo and Drake Nevis look like they'll be the only two rookies to start off this year. However, Ijalana, Carter, and Rucker all have the potential to contribute in specific packages or in depth roles right away. Each of those three also has the potential to start down the road. Despite having limited picks, the Colts turned in some nice names that will be able to contribute to the team both now, and in the future.

Sports Quick Hits - 7/25 - Lockout Over/Stars Overseas?

2011-07-25T12:35:00.005-04:00

Well, it's a little late today, but with this edition of Sports Quick Hits, you can know that the NFL Lockout is Over! Almost. It's still pending the formality of the players vote, which at this points looks like it'll be a majority agreement with the owners unless something dramatic changes. With that vote, the NFL and NFL Players committees, who worked until 3am this morning, have expedited the NFL time line. If the deal is accepted today, here's what will happen:

Monday, 7/25 - The NFL will announce teams can go to 90-man rosters and will distribute official free agent lists. So, expect to see a bunch of big names, and we'll also get clarification on guys like Logan Mankins and Vincent Jackson, and whether or not their franchise tags will stick.

Tuesday, 7/26 - Teams can begin negotiating with drafted rookies and undrafted college free agents beginning at 10am. All signed players are allowed into team facilities, with 10 teams beginning training camp. To keep teams from having additional practices, all teams may begin camp only 15 days prior to their first preseason game. Teams may begin resigning their own free agents and start negotiations with unrestricted free agents and begin trade talks. However, transactions involving unrestricted free agents and trades cannot be reported to the league office until Friday the 29th, so you may have to wait a few days to see some new faces on your favorite team's roster.

Wednesday, 7/27 - Ten more teams are allowed to report to training camp, and ten more will report Thursday with the Jets and Texans reporting on Sunday.

Thursday, 7/28 - Teams can begin to cut players currently under contract to get back under the new $120M salary cap. Teams must spend at least 89% of that total in cash contracts, or $106.8M). Presently, there are 8 teams over the cap. Those teams and the amounts over are as follows:

Dallas Cowboys - $18.9M over
New York Giants - $11.3M over
Oakland Raiders - $10M over
Pittsburgh Steelers - $10M over
Minnesota Vikings - $5.1M over
Indianapolis Colts - $2.7M over
New York Jets - $1.2M over

Among some of the notable players likely to be cut due to high salaries are: Reggie Bush, Saints; Shawn Andrews, Giants; Flozell Adams, Steelers; Marion Barber, Cowboys; Vince Young, Titans; Donovan McNabb, Redskins; and Vernon Carey, Dolphins. Note that this list doesn't include players like Peyton Manning and Santonio Holmes, who are unrestricted free agents whose contracts will come off their respective teams books should they leave. Those two are unlikely, but there will be a lot of guys in flux the next 4 days.

Friday, 7/29 - All teams can file all new transactions (signed unrestricted free agents, rookie contracts, and trades) with the NFL League Office starting at 6pm.

August 4th - Deadline for recertification of NFLPA and ratification of new Collective Bargaining Agreement by the players.

As much as I hate to dole out kudos to these two, but my hats off to Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith for taking over these negotiations the last two weeks. And lastly, I think you have to ask the owners, was it worth it? I think not, and I think that's plenty evident by teams hurting badly on season ticket sales.

MLB
Just when the MLB trade deadline is approaching and some of the races are getting hot, the NFL seemingly solves its lockout issues. Buzzkill for baseball. Anyways, there are some great races going on. Here's my top 3.

1) NL Central - this one is sort of by default, as the first place Pirates, also tied with the Cardinals and Brewers, all have worse records than every other first place team in the Majors and are all also worse than 4 of the second place teams around the majors. The Reds are also 3 games back and won back-to-back games for the first time in a month last night. I'd expect some serious deals to go on in this division over the coming days.

2) AL Central - don't look now but Ozzie Guillen's White Sox are hard-charging and just two games below .500 and just 4.5 out of first after a dreadful start. Detroit holds a two game lead over the Indians, who just won't seem to go away. I think this remains a 3 horse race to the bitter end.

3) NL Wild-Card - the Braves have a 4 game lead over Arizona right now, but Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cincinnati, the New York Mets, and Washington Nationals are all within 10 games of the Braves.

Other Sports

A lot of NBA guys are looking overseas. Deron Williams already signed with a team in Turkey, and that squad is currently in talks with Kobe Bryant. Dwight Howard has eyed teams in Europe, Turkey, and maybe biggest of all, China, in order to improve his game overseas while the NBA Lockout is in effect.

Terrelle Pryor, the former Ohio State QB, may not be allowed to be in the Supplemental Draft, which still has yet to have a date set for it, as he left Ohio State under his own volition, as opposed to being ruled academically ineligible or being kicked out of school for unforseen circumstances.

Lastly, and this one is for Chizzy, I'll go ahead and call the Eagles trading Kevin Kolb to the Arizona Cardinals for CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie and a draft pick. Book that one for Friday night.

KD's Top 10 College Football Games for 2011

2011-07-20T09:01:00.005-04:00

Sorry for the brief hiatus the past two days, we should be back on track now. It's better late than never, but my Top 10 College Football Games of 2011 are finally here. Obviously college football rivalries happen with pretty much weekly regularity, and a few of them happened to make my list. That being said, you won't see a game like Michigan vs. Ohio State on the list, as I tried to pick the best games that will occur this year, meaning that both teams should be good and that the game will have significant bearing on the BCS standings. I don't see Michigan vs. Ohio State fitting those characteristics this year.

Now, after reviewing my games, it's pretty tough to determine an exact 1-10 order. Obviously teams records will change and may knock the game down slightly in the rankings, but on paper, prior to the season these are the marquee matchups. I've listed them in the order that they will occur on the calendar from earliest to latest. I've listed the teams, their ranks, game date, location, and will have a rundown of each team. I'll list a key player to watch on each team as well, and if it is a rivlary game, you'll have the moniker associated with it, or one cleverly made up by yours truly. Here we go.

Please note these rankings reflect ESPN's Mark Schlabach's Way Too Early Top 25 rankings as published January 11, 2011 to keep consistent with my prior college football articles. That, and rankings haven't been released yet.

1) #3 Oregon vs. #4 LSU
Date: September 3rd
Location: Cowboys Stadium, Dallas Texas
Moniker: The NCAA Probe Bowl

Preview: Just yesterday, LSU got hit with a year's probation and sanctions for recruiting violations centered on former junior college recruit Akiem Hicks and former assistant D.J. McCarthy. Oregon is currently being probed by the NCAA for the recruitment of LaMichael James and Lache Seastrunk, and their relationships and financial dealings with Will Lyles and Baron Flanery. Oregon's high-powered offense will matchup with LSU's retooled defense in a Pac-12 vs. SEC showdown. LaMichael James will be suspended for the matchup due to an altercation with his girlfriend last year, so the Ducks will have to rely on Darron Thomas and Kenyon Barner. LSU has some quarterback issues, and Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee will probably both see time, so expect the Tigers to rely on the running of Spencer Ware.

Key Players: I'll have to go with Barner and Ware here. Both of them should carry their teams in this game. Barner is a dynamic weapon as a kick returner, running back, and they've put him in the slot and out wide at times. He should see action all over the field. Ware, a converted quarterback is a pounder at 5'11" 225lbs, and he'll see a lot of work.

Predicted Winner: I like LSU's defense and their ability to grind the clock in this game to slow down the Ducks. Without LaMichael James, the Tigers will be able to key on Kenyon Barner, and Oregon's top two receivers from last year are both gone. The SEC takes this one.

2) #1 Oklahoma at #7 Florida State
Date: September 17th
Location: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahasse, Florida.
Moniker: The Trail of Tears Game

Preview: These two teams have hooked up in an inter-conference matchup the past two years. Oklahoma has more talent coming back than any other team in the country; they have 29 players with starting experience returning, but it centers around two guys: QB Landry Jones and WR Ryan Broyles. Expect Oklahoma's offense to put up yardage and points through the air. Their defense should be fine, although the passing of the late Austin Box will hurt them in the middle. The Noles are looking to replace Christian Ponder at QB, but they have a slew of talented running backs and E.J. Manuel does have some starting experience. The Noles defense, in particular their outstanding CB tandem of Xavier Rhodes and Greg Reid will be tested early and often in this matchup.

Key Players: For Oklahoma, I'll go with ILB Tom Wort. He'll be pressed into starting action again with the loss of Box, and the British Import will have to be on his toes against the Noles ground game athleticism of E.J. Manuel. For the Noles, I've to take Manuel. He'll have to grow up fast as this is each team's second game of the season, and Oklahoma has far more players and plays in place than the Seminoles do.

Predicted Winnner: Oklahoma won this matchup last year in Norman 47-17, and it's hard to not take them again here. Florida State won't have Christian Ponder, and Oklahoma simply has too much firepower for the Noles. Even though it's in Chief Osceola's back yard, the Sooners are too much in this contest.

3) #2 Alabama at #23 Florida
Date: October 1st
Location: The Swamp (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium), Gainesville, Florida
Moniker: SEC Bare-Knuckle Game

Preview: While it's not a traditional rivalry game for Florida like they have againts Georgia or Florida State, nor Alabama with Auburn, these two teams were at the zenith of college football in the 2000s. They met in the SEC Championship Game in 2009 and 2010, with each team winning it once and moving onto the National title. Florida will have to replace Urban Meyere with Will Muschamp, who will instill a more traditional offense for the Gators. Alabama will have to deal with losing Mark Ingram, Julio Jones, and Greg McElroy on offense. Alabama has plenty of talent coming back, and their defense should be very good as some key guys decided to return. Florida lost a lot in the secondary via the draft and Janoris Jenkins getting kicked out of school. This is Alabama's toughest early season test, and it could derail their National Championship aspirations.

Key Players: For Alabama, a lot of this season hinges on RB Trent Richardson's ability to shoulder the full load at RB. For the Gators, give me head coach Will Muschamp. This is Florida's big test this year, and Muschamp, a former Saban assistant with LSU and the Miami Dolphins, will have to figure out which QB to go with to take on the best coach in College Football.

Predicted Winner: I'll take the Crimson Tide in a closer game than what many will be expecting.

4) #19 Nebraska at #12 Wisconsin
Date: October 1st
Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
Moniker: The Big 10 Intra-Squad Scrimmage Game

Preview: This game will be quite confusing as Nebraska and Wisconsin's uniforms are nearly identical, save for their helmets. Okay, so my made up moniker isn't great, but even the teams are pretty similar. Both have big lines, solid defenses, like to run the ball, and now, with Wisconsin's addition of QB Russell Wilson, both teams have outstanding quarterbacks. Taylor Martinez and Russell Wilson should both be very fun to watch. Both can throw, both are very mobile, and they both make good decisions, and despite the tradition of both teams, I don't think this will be the type of plodding, low-scoring game Big 10 fans are accustomed to.

Key Players: I'll stick right with Martinez and Wilson here. Both teams will have solid defenses, though each squad will have a significant amount of graduated and drafted talent to replace, so I think this game could be a higher scoring affair. Whichever QB makes fewer mistakes will win the game.

Predicted Winner: Badger fans will be jumping around in Madison as they have a more reliable running game to go with the outstanding game Russell Wilson brings to the table.

5) #10 Ohio State at #19 Nebraska
Date: October 8th
Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
Moniker: The Big 10 Blue Bloods of College Football Game

Preview: In what would've been the first game back for Jim Tressell, Terrelle Pryor, and the rest of the suspended Buckeyes, the Ohio State team will look a little different. I can't imagine them going 5-0 in the stretch of games prior to this one, and they'll be going into a very hostile environment for the first time on the season. Nebraska comes into this game off a road trip to Wisconsin, which in my scenario, they will lose, so this has the makings of a great game for two of the blue bloods of College Football. This should make for the start of an interesting inter-division rivlary in the Big 10, however, the Leaders and Legends names are just completely stupid. Fail.

Key Players: For Ohio State, they'll be getting back Daniel "Boom" Herron, their best runner who can help take the pressure off of whomever their QB is at this juncture. Herron runs hard for his size, and is probably Ohio State's best weapon offensively as DeVier Posey will be making his return as well. For Nebraska, give me DT/DE Jared Crick. He played with Ndamukong Suh, and he's very good in his own right against both the run and pass.

Predicted Winner: Score one for Big Red and the Huskers here. Ohio State is in disarray and it'll be just the first game back for the suspended players still on the roster. Inexperienced QB play in this environment? Ain't gonna happen Buckeyes.

6) #4 LSU at #2 Alabama
Date: November 5th
Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Moniker: The Saban Bowl

Preview: In what could be the game the determines the SEC West's representative in the SEC Championship Game, the Tigers battle the Crimson Tide in a huge battle. LSU won the most recent battle in 2010 winning 24-21, but Alabama leads the all-time series 45-24-5. The Saban Bowl might be the best game all season this year. Alabama will have a high-powered running attack and a stout defense, much like LSU, so this could be that type of low-scoring, plodding game (yes, even in the SEC) that traditional football fans like me love. I think the Crimson Tide will have more overall talent, and if QB A.J. McCarron develops well, they should be the better team as long as Trent Richardson is still healthy.

Key Players: A pair of linebackers here. For Alabama, I'll give you Dont'a Hightower, and for LSU I'll give you Karnell Hatcher. Both inside backers will have to be on their games to stop Trent Richardson and Spencer Ware as a lot of the offense will come on the ground in this battle.

Predicted Winner: Hard to go against the Tide at home. I think their defense is better, and they'll have revenge on their minds after losing in Baton Rouge last year.

7) #3 Oregon at #9 Stanford
Date: November 12th
Location: Stanford Stadium, Palo Alto, California
Moniker: The Pac 12 QB Battle

Preview: There's two potential Heisman candidates playing in this game with Stanford's Andrew Luck and Oregon's LaMichael James. This game could potentially be a knockout for a BCS Championship Game representative. Stanford's lone loss last year was to the Ducks and Andrew Luck came back for another year to graduate with his recruiting class and to make a run at a Pac 12 title. Luck will have to carry the Cardinal this year as he's losing some talent on offense, most notably Ryan Whalen and Owen Marecic, along with 3 starters on the O-line. Oregon, if they get past LSU in their opener, will have this game marked as the only contest between them and back-to-back undefeated regular seasons.

Key Players: Luck and Oregon QB Darron Thomas will be the key factors in this matchup. The Cardinal will be at home, in probably their biggest home game in a long time. Thomas will have to lead the Ducks attack into hostile territory, but it should make for a very exciting game to watch.

Predicted Winner: I'll take Andrew Luck and Stanford in a revenge game here. Stanford is pretty underrated, and if there's a next Peyton Manning, it's Andrew Luck.

8) #8 Arkansas at #4 LSU
Date: November 25th
Location: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rogue, Louisiana
Moniker: The Battle for the Golden Boot

Preview: Tyler Wilson takes over the reins at QB for the Razorbacks after Ryan Mallett graduated. The Hogs have a lot of talent coming back with Knile Davis and Dennis Johnson at RB, Joe Adams, Greg Childs, and Colbi Hamilton coming back at receiver. Wilson played very well in spot duty last year, including a 300 yard game. He also played well in the Spring Game and has some Razorback fans already comparing him to Ryan Mallett. LSU will have been through the wringer coming into this game having played Oregon, Florida, Auburn, and Alabama, so this is the last hurdle in their season, and they could be really banged up.

Key Players: Wilson and Jordan Jefferson, the two QBs in this game, will be the key. Arkansas will probably be able to put up some points on the LSU defense, so it'll be up to Jefferson to keep the Tigers in the game. LSU kicked a ton of field goals last year in the redzone, so they'll really need to convert touchdown opportunities in this game to keep pace with the Hogs.

Predicted Winner: I'll go with an upset here and take the Razorbacks despite them having to go into Death Valley. I think they just have too much talent on offense and can outscore LSU in the end.

9) #2 Alabama at #17 Auburn
Date: November 26th
Location: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama
Moniker: The Iron Bowl

Preview: Alabama nearly wrecked Auburn's National Championship season last year, but Cam Newton powered the Tigers comeback. In Tuscaloosa. Auburn nearly derailed Alabama's perfect season in 2010, in Auburn. So, something's going to give here. Obviously, without Cam Newton, Auburn's going to be lacking on offense a little bit. This game is Alabama's last hurdle to the SEC Championship Game, so it could be for all the marbles for the Tide. Last year's freshman phenom Michael Dyer will have to take up a bigger work load along with Onterio McCaleb. If Trent Richardson is still running hard, he'll be on his way to a potential Heisman campaign.

Key Players: Michael Dyer and Trent Richardson. This rivalry game has been pretty close the past few years, and I expect no different this year even though the Crimson Tide have more total talent. Richardson and Dyer are both big backs who run hard, and will have to produce in this game to keep the chains moving and put points up on the board.

Predicted Winner: Roll Tide. Alabama's going to be too strong for the Tigers this year, but I expect the game will be closer than most people think. It's a pure hatred game here, and if recent history is any indicator, it should be very entertaining to watch. At the very least, it's a good way to work off your turkey hangover the day after Thanksgiving.

10) #1 Oklahoma at #6 Oklahoma State
Date: December 3rd
Location: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Oklahoma
Moniker: Bedlam

Preview: We close out the Top 10 Games of 2011 with Bedlam. The rivalry between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State is a long-running one that dates back to the Big 8 Conference with the Sooners dominating the all-time series with an 81-17-7 record, including 8 straight wins since 2002. In fact, OK State's last two wins came in 2001 and 2002 when Oklahoma was ranked 4th and 3rd respectively while the Cowboys were unranked. This year figures to be different as both teams could potentially be in the top 10 and this could be the game that determines if Oklahoma's going to head to the BCS Championship Game. Oklahoma State has a deadly QB - WR combo of its own in Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon, but they'll have to replace the departed Kendall Hunter in the ground game. I'd expect this to be a shootout with Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles on the other side.

Key Players: Blackmon and Broyles. Perhaps two of the best three receivers in College Football, with respect to the outstanding Alshon Jeffery, these two should light up the scoreboard. Pay special attention to Blackmon especially, as he absolutley abused Nebraska's Prince Amukamara last year, and in my opinion, will carry a higher grade than Georgia's A.J. Green did when he enters the NFL Draft.

Predicted Winner: It's hard to buck history here, so I'll have to take the Sooners in a wild shootout in Stillwater. And if I were a betting man, I'd bet on Oklahoma to take on Alabama in the BCS National Chamipionship Game, which would be one heck of a matchup for all College Football Fans.

KD's NFL Draft Grades - Cleveland Browns

2011-07-14T09:55:00.004-04:00

The Browns were involved in the league's biggest 1st round trade, with Atlanta, who moved up to select Juilo Jones. The Browns the made another trade to move back up to the 21st spot, held by the Chiefs, by giving up a 3rd round selection. The Browns of course are transitioning from Eric Mangini's 3-4 defense to a 4-3 under new head coach Pat Shurmer. Anytime you have a team trying to make a huge transitition like that, it's usually a 2 year process at minimum; though it is a little easier to go from a 3-4 to a 4-3 than the other way around. The Browns had the leagues 31st ranked offense last year despite pulling off to major upsets, beating the Patriots and the Saints behind rookie QB Colt McCoy. The Browns managed to get him a few new weapons after upgrading their D-line. Let's see what they did.

1st round, 21st overall) Phil Taylor - DT - Baylor
Given the Browns traded down a few years ago and took C Alex Mack, it's not really a surprise they went with his counterpart on the other side of the line, even though the front office is different. Taylor himself was a bit of a head-scratcher as many people had him pegged as a 3-4 NT, and a lot of people had him going to Kansas City, who traded out of this spot. However, with Shaun Rogers taking off to New Orleans prior to the lockout, the Browns need a big body in the middle to go next to Ahtyba Rubin.

How he fits in: Taylor is massive, standing 6'4" and is down to 334lbs, yes, down to 334lbs. He's a big guy who can occupy blockers and take up double-teams, much the way Rubin already did as the Browns NT last year. Taylor's stamina isn't that great, and he's battled a sprained knee and turf toe already in his career. He should definitely push for a starting spot as a rookie, but he'll be rotated in and out of the lineup more than Rubin will be until he gets his weight fully in check.

Outlook:: For as big a trade as the Browns made, they're not really getting anything new. In reality, they're just reinforcing the interior of their 4-3 defensive line by putting him next to Rubin. Taylor's physical style of play will keep people from getting to the linebackers at the next level. All things considered though, the Browns could've taken Cameron Jordan or Da'Quan Bowers to upgrade their pass-rush. Even Julio Jones at 6 if they had stayed put would've been really nice for Colt McCoy. So, Taylor's going to have to make an impact to make that trade stand up.

2nd round, 37th overall) Jabaal Sheard - DE - Pittsburgh
Again, the Browns passed on Da'Quan Bowers here, fearing his surgically repaired knee and taking Jabaal Sheard over him. An underrated prospect who didn't garner the same headlines as Pitt teammate Greg Romeus, Sheard was often the better player and had a nice career across from Romeus. Sheard was a three year starter for the Panthers and won the 2010 Big East Defensive Player of the Year Award. He's got good size 6'2" 264lbs, and is pretty athletic and had a lot of 3-4 teams interested in him as an outside linebacker. Registered at least 10TFL s and 5 sacks in each of his three years as a starter and had 14.5 TFLs and 9 sacks as a senior. He should win one of the starting DE spots for the Browns as a rookie.

2nd round, 59th overall) Greg Little - WR - North Carolina
Adding another receiver was imperative for the Browns and they got a pretty good one late in the second round. Little came to Chapel Hill as a receiver, was then converted to running back, and went back to reciever in 2009. He is one of the most physical receivers in the Draft, but he also sat out the 2010 season while suspended for improper dealings with an agent. He also saw some time on the Tar Heels basketball team in 2007. At 6'2" 231lbs he's built more like a running back than receiver, and while he's certainly not a deep threat, he's a good all-around player whose well suited for the west coast offense. His best football is still ahead of him at receiver.

4th round, 102nd overall) Jordan Cameron - TE - USC
Ben Watson had a revival year last year under coordinator Brian Daboll, who is now gone. Alex Smith and Evan Moore are decent depth, but all three players are more plodders and better blockers than they are receivers. Watson's the best of the bunch, but he'll turn 31 this year. Cameron, a TE whose stock was rising after a good showing at the Combine is a guy who can stretch the seasm. A former basketball player at BYU, Cameron was the Trojans second TE as a senior after playing two years as a backup wide receiver. He's got excellent size at 6'5" 254lbs and clocked a 4.59 forty time in Indy. He's a "potential" pick as he only had 16 career receptions at USC, all coming as a senior. It is worrisome that his ypc average is just a paltry 7.6 for someone with his athleticism; only 1 TD in his career.

4th round, 124th overall) Owen Marecic - FB/LB - Stanford
The Browns want to move on from the style of FB that Lawrence Vickers is and want to bring in a banger to lead block for Peyton Hillis. Vickers, more of a receiving FB/H-Back hybrid was a decent blocker, but they didn't get the most out of his versatility. Marecic, who played both FB and ILB for the Cardinal, is probably the best blocking FB to come out in the Draft this year. Marecic has good size at 6'0" 248lbs and is definitely a throwback type of player. He's decent in short yardage situations and gives you a little something in the receiving game, though make no mistake, his job is going to be to open holes for Peyton Hillis. That said, it's a little early to take a FB in the 4th round, but given the style of offense the Browns will have, it makes sense.

5th round, 137th overall) Buster Skrine - CB - Tennessee-Chattanooga
Joe Haden, Sheldon Brown, and Coye Francies give the Browns three nice prospects at CB, and they have some developmental prospects in DeAngelo Smith and Ramzee Robinson. That said, the ability to improve the depth in the secondary is a thing Cleveland wanted to address and did so with Skrine. An undersized corner at 5'9" 186lbs, Skrine has timed in the 4.3's despite running an official 4.48 forty. He was a three year starter at UTC, whose most famous football alum is Terrell Owens, and while his tape, by all accounts is pretty average, his workouts are outstanding. He might have been overdrafted, but he could push for a dime spot as a rookie and may offer something as a backup kick returner to Josh Cribbs.

5th round, 150th overall) Jason Pinkston - T - Pittsburgh
Having to play John St. Clair at RT is no fun for any team, and the Browns tried to find his immediate replacement here with Jason Pinkston. A left tackle at Pitt, Pinkston is built more like a G at 6'3" 317lbs, but he still might have a home at RT in the NFL given the likes of smaller, physical guys who've succeeded there in Marshal Yanda, Michael Oher, both Ravens, and even a younger Mark Tauscher for the Packers. Pinkston should push St. Clair and Tony Pashos for the RT spot, and may even slide inside to challenge Floyd Womack at RG if he can't make a push on the outside. An experienced player, Pinkston's a bit of an underachiever and has shorter arms than you'd like. Cousin of former Eagles receiver Todd Pinkston.

7th round, 248th overall) Eric Hagg - S - Nebraska
T.J. Ward might've made as big an impact as a rookie S of any player since his former Oregon teammate Jarius Byrd a few seasons ago. Sabby Piscatelli and Abram Elam both struggled at the SS spot and neither may be long for a starter's role. Hagg, a player with decent size at 6'1" 209lbs, was a two and a half year starter for the Cornhuskers and has experience at both CB and S. It was a S where he made his biggest impact as a senior playing next to Prince Amukamara. Hagg notched 49 tackles, a sack, two hurries, 4 PBUs and 5 INTs to win Nebraska's Defensive MVP Award. He's played a combination of safety and nickel corner, so he offers some versatility with where you can play him. He should be able to unseat one of the Browns backups in the secondary and find a role to contribute in as a rookie.

Overall Grade: B-
Other than the big trade with the Falcons, the Browns had an under-the-radar type of draft. Nothing too flashy, just meat and potatoes at positions of need. Phil Taylor and Jabaal Sheard should both start and will have every chance to make an immediate impact as rookies. Greg Little should fill a role, but isn't the deep threat the Browns needed, nor is he the true #1 WR that the Browns could've had if they kept that 6th overall pick and selected Julio Jones. Owen Marecic will be a nice lead blocker for Peyton Hillis and will fill some roles on special teams and can even double as a LB if needed, though it's pretty early to spend a 4th round pick on an offensively one-dimensional FB. Skrine might have been overdrafted as well, but he and Eric Hagg could push for certain roles in the secondary as rookies. Pinkston could play either RT or RG, but must play up to his potential. I think the Browns had a lot of chances to add more talent to their roster, but went conservative in many cases and didn't get enough back in the Falcons trade to warrant a higher grade from me.

KD's NFL Draft Grades - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2011-07-12T19:28:00.007-04:00

The 'Young Bucs' were only a bad, late-season home loss to the Detroit Lions away from going 11-5 and taking the wild-card spot that belonged to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers. Leave it to Detroit to let the Packers win...
Anyways, the Buccaneers hit a homerun with QB Josh Freeman in 2009. Gerald McCoy and Brian Price helped stop the run and were nice picks in 2010. The Buccaneers also scooped up LeGarrette Blount off waivers after he was cut by Tennessee. GM Mark Dominik has steadily put together one of the youngest, most talented rosters in the entire league. With a boatload of cash to spend after the Glazer family cut costs to help stave off financial debt with their ownership stake in English Premier League powerhouse Manchester United, Tampa Bay has more money than any team in the NFL to spend on free agents. They also had an incredible draft haul, let's take a look.

1st round, 20th overall) Adrian Clayborn - DE - Iowa
The Buccaneers had trouble stopping the run and getting to the opposition's quarterback last year. Stylez G. White (formerly Greg White) led the team with just 4.5 sacks. When you play in a division with Drew Brees and Matt Ryan, that's not going to get it done. White and fellow ends Roy Miller and Tim Crowder didn't do enough against the run, as the Bucs allowed an average of 131.7 yards per game. Clayborn should help fill the void at the strongside end spot.

How he fits in: Clayborn was a dual-threat player at Iowa showing he was capable of stopping the run and getting after the QB. As a junior in 2009 he lit the Big 10 on fire making 20 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. Clayborn dealth with some shoulder issues, mainly due to Erb's Palsy, which he was born with, that limited his play as a senior. He racked up 7 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He's got experience playing the strongside, weakside, and even has kicked inside to defensive tackle in certain situations. At the very least, Clayborn should earn the starting strongside DE spot opposite White this year and will be a force against the run.

Outlook: Many people had the Bucs pegged to take a pass-rusher, it was just a question of whether it was going to be Clayborn, Cameron Jordan, or Da'Quan Bowers. In my opinion, they landed the best of the bunch with Clayborn. At 6'2" 281lbs, he's got good size, is fairly athletic, and can hold the point of attack. He's versatile enough that he can kick inside in passing situations to allow the Bucs to put in another DE, like Bowers or Crowder, and have 3 guys capable of getting to the passer surrounding Gerald McCoy. Great pick here as long as his shoulder's hold up.

2nd round, 51st overall) Da'Quan Bowers - DE - Clemson
The Bucs dipped into the DE well again here going purely with the best player available. Two years ago, Da'Quan Bowers was considered the best player in this entire draft class. Surgery on his left knee in February, rumored to be microfracture surgery - a deathnail for any athlete - hindered his abilities to perform at the Combine and he looked sluggish at his pro day workout, hence why his stock slipped so drastically, as doctors feared he'd be out of the league within 3 years. A physical specimen at 6'3" 280lbs, many 3-4 teams considered Bowers to play OLB prior to the injury; he's that athletic. After seeing part-time action behind some solid players entrenched above him at Clemson his first two years, Bowers led the nation in sacks with 15.5 and racked up 25 TFLs in 2010. Bowers is capable of playing either side, and will probably be a rotational player starting out, but he and Clayborn are the future bookends in Tampa.

3rd round, 84th overall) Mason Foster - LB - Washington
Barrett Ruud, a tackling machine for Tampa Bay is a free agent, and Geno Hayes, Quincy Black, and Dekoda Watson leave a litte something to be desired should Ruud leave. Mason Foster, an outside backer at Washington, is a very capable player and has experience in the middle and as a weakside guy. With the Bucs ample cap room, it wouldn't be a surprise if they brought back Ruud and started Foster next to him. Foster's got great size and speed for the Bucs scheme at 6'1" 245lbs and clocking a 4.75 forty. He's a tackling machine who can cover, and he's gotten got the QB a bit with 10.5 sacks over the past two seasons. He reminds me of a young, poor-mans Derrick Brooks in that he can do it all pretty well (not as well as Brooks though) but isn't overly phyiscal. He should be a day one starter, it's just a matter of whether he'll play inside our outside.

4th round, 104th overall) Luke Stocker - TE - Tennessee
Kellen Winslow's an outstanding tight end, but his physical style of play and injury history are always going to leave you concerned. After Winslow, there's not much depth to speak of. The reliable John Gilmore is nearing his last legs, and there's little else on the roster. Stocker can be a very nice number two TE and complement Winslow well. I'd draw the comparison of Stocker to being Anthony Fasano in Dallas when the Cowboys had Jason Witten. At 6'4" 258lbs, Stocker's a big guy who can block better than most prospects in this draft class. He's got decently soft hands and is a little more sneaky quick than you'd think. He's an experienced player having entered 52 contests for the Vols and had two nice seasons as a junior and senior despite some bad QB play in Knoxville. He's not going to stretch the seam by any means, but he's a guy who can do everything a TE needs to do well enough to get a decent amount of playing time.

5th round, 151st overall) Ahmad Black - S - Florida
Tampa Bay's got some talent in their secondary with Aqib Talib - legal issues aside - Ronde Barber, Tanard Jackson - off-field issues aside - and Sean Jones. Corey Lynch made some nice plays, but ended up on IR. With Jackson on a 50/50 chance of returning due to off-field problems, the Buccaneers took a chance on another best player available scenario in Ahmad Black. The Gator safety, who owns one of the most ridiculously thugged out Twitter accounts I've ever seen, is a solid player who lacks size and speed. Black's just 5'9" 184lbs and only ran a 4.76 forty, but if you watch his film, he's got game speed and covers decent ground. A three year starter and team captain, Black registered 7 INTs his first year as a starter and 13 throughout his career. He's got experience playing CB in Florida's system, and the Tampa 2 style might leave him better suited to be Ronde Barber's (or Aqib Talib's) replacement if Jones, Jackson, and Lynch all return at safety. Either way, the Bucs got another good player who fills a hole.

6th round, 187th overall) Allen Bradford - RB - USC
The Bucs found a true steal in LeGarrette Blount last year and made the most of him as he led all rookies in rushing. With Earnest Graham and Cadillac Williams reduced roles, the Bucs looked around for a new number two back. Bradford, once a workhorse starter for the Trojans, is almost a carbon copy of Blount. At 5'11" 242lbs, Bradford cuts like a dull blade, but he's got good speed for a big back, has nice hands, and decent blocking ability. To give you a fair comparision, he's equivalent to what Willis McGahee is for the Ravens; a big back that can come in and blow people up in short yardage and goaline situations and catch passes out of the backfield. With Blount's ability to shoulder a full load, adding Bradford to Cadillac Williams gives Tampa Bay a nice trio of backs who can do some different things and still wear out a defense.

7th round, 222nd overall) Anthony Gaitor - CB - Florida International
The Bucs still need some depth at CB and they might have added some more here. A typical Bucs-type CB, Gaitor is 5'9" 177lbs, but was a four year starter and brings plent of experience to the table. He's got pretty good straight line speed and racked up 11 career INTs. He's shown some decent return ability on those picks racking up 263 return yards. He might be able to stick as a 5th or 6th corner for Tampa Bay if he shows something on special teams. They do have a good number of young players there, so it might even take something more in preseason action, how much there is, for him to stick. At the very least, he could be a practice squad candidate and get rostered somewhere down the line.

7th round, 238th overall) Daniel Hardy - TE - Idaho
Again, back to having little depth behind Kellen Winslow, the Bucs added a versatile prospect to potentially add to the roster. Converted DE Erik Lorig did a decent job as a FB last year, but Tampa could really use a full-time solution after losing Chris Pressley to the Bengals last year. At 6'3" 249lbs, Hardy fits more of an H-Back/FB size profile and could very well find himself playing in that role. He was the second leading Vandals receiver last year despite missing 5 games with a broken arm hauling in 32 catches for 545 yards and a TD. He's not much of an in-line blocker, so moving to the backfield could be an option for him, though Tampa Bay might feel compelled to keep him as a 3rd TE.

Overall Grade: A+
In my opinion, this was one of the two best draft classes in the entire NFL this year. The Buccaneers got two major, albeit slightly risky, talents at their most glaring position of need with Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers. Adding Mason Foster to the LB corps is a huge coup, and one move that will reap benefits for Tampa Bay's defense more than people expect. They also filled some backup roles with talent players with Luck Stocker, Ahmad Black, and Allen Bradford, though Black could very well challenge for a starting spot depending on where he's played. Even their last two picks both have a chance to make the roster and contribute in some capacity as rookies. The only knock I might give Tampa Bay is that they didn't address the interior of the OL with G Davin Joseph slated for free agency. However, given the Bucs tremendous amount of salary cap room with which to maneuver, they very well could retain him, or even go after someone better like Harvey Dahl or Carl Nicks in free agency. They've certainly got money to throw at free agents like Nnamdi Asomugha if they so choose to, and at the end of the day, all they did with this draft class was get even better. And that's the point.

Sports Quick Hits - Hard Labor Edition

2011-07-11T18:17:00.004-04:00

Happy All-Star Break to all baseball fans out there; hopefully your team has played better than my Reds have of late. Just to let you know, if you're missing Chizzy, he's still in preparation for the bar exam, and probably won't be back until August, so you'll have to bear with me for the remainder of the month. I myself am thinking about taking the plunge into law school...yikes, right? But that's a ways off still, if I go through with it. Onto more sports related things, and perhaps some of the best news we've received yet in the NFL Lockout, so we'll start and end there, as there's not much news going on in the sports world besides the lockout this week.

NFL
Reports surfaced today that a new CBA could be reached between the players and owners in the NFL lockout, and could be ratified by owners as early as July 21st. In order to pass, 75% of the owners, i.e. 24 of the 32, must vote in favor of it. While the revenue-sharing issues amongst owners aren't at the forefront this time around, if I had to bet on two owners who would vote no, it'd be the same two as the last time around: Cincinnati's Mike Brown, and Buffalo's Ralph Wilson.

It's rumored that the last sticking issue, and quite frankly in my opinion, the most surprising, is the rookie wage scale and rookie contract length issue. The owners want to be able to sign first round picks for 5 years, which I get since they're still shelling out big bucks to 21, 22, and 23 year olds who've never set foot on an NFL field. On the other hand, if the current players are getting to free agency after 4 accrued seasons of service, shouldn't it be the same for the rookies? I think so. The players have already made several concessions and hopefully the owners will see that with respect to the rookie wage/contract length issue and not muck up the negotiation process.

Now, with the potential ratification date on the 21st, it appears that the only football lost, other than the 50 plus workouts, OTAs, mini-camps, and rookie tryout camps that have already been lost, would be the Hall of Fame Game on August 7th, between the Chicago Bears and the St. Louis Rams. Here's what the truncated league calendar would look like:

July 21st - CBA ratification and date to start educating teams (i.e. GMs, coaches, players, staff, etc.) on new collective bargaining agreement and voluntary training.

July 25th - Begin signing period for undrafted rookies and re-signing of teams free agents. For example, teams can sign any undrafted rookie free agents, but wouldn't be able to sign others free agents - meaning at this point, teams could only re-sign their own players, the Dolphins couldn't make a call to Ahmad Bradshaw, for example.

July 28th - League Year Opens, free agency begins. At this point, all those players waiting on huge pay days: Nnamdi Asomugha, DeAngelo Williams, Ahmad Bradshaw, Sidney Rice, etc are now set to meet with any NFL team if they haven't re-signed with their 2010 team.

At this stage, most, if not all teams begin training camp. This is typically the normal start time anyway, but they'll have been without said OTAs, rookie camps, mini-camps, etc.

August 2nd - Teams must set max rosters at 90 players.

August 3rd - Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets from their current NFL team. At this point, it would be those players who are slated for free agency that haven't accrued 4 seasons of play.

August 7th - Deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers in the form of draft picks or player compensation. I don't think there's that many huge restricted free agent names out there, but it could be interesting to watch.

August 12th - Deadline for drafted rookies to sign. I think this is a good step, as it forces both teams and players (and their agents) to negotiate deals quickly. Given the truncated timetable, I'd imagine most rookies are signed relatively quickly once the market is set on rookie contracts. I can't imagine any lengthy holdouts as we've seen over the past few years with players like Michael Crabtree, JaMarcus Russell, and David Pollack.

August 16th - Restricted free agency period ends.

August 29th - Deadline for players to report to camp. If players fail to report they're to be listed in the reserver, non-football injury list, or PUP (physically unable to perform list) until week 6 of the season.

At this point, I think it'd be assumed that the trade deadline would be the same as usual, also typically around week 6 of the NFL season.

All things considered, I think the timetable is fair as it gives each NFL team a chance to take care of the easier things first, like signing UDFAs and bringing back their own free agent players before getting into restricted free agency and teams making runs at unrestricted free agents.

I've still not seen word on franchise tags applied to players prior to the lockout, for instance, Patriots G Logan Mankins. Teams would still be able to use a franchise tag and possibly a transition tag as well, and would get to use those coinciding with restricted free agency's deadlines.

In other news:
Adam "Pacman" Jones was arrested in Cincinnati over the weekend on disorderly conduct charges. Though he claims he wasn't drunk, I've got it on good authority that he's been frequenting a particular bar with fellow Bengal Frostee Rucker, and Reds P Aroldis Champan, and on more than one occasion, Jones has been carried out of the bar and had a cab paid to take him home. I don't think he'll ever learn.

The Women's World Cup Team made it past Brazil and into the semi-finals against France. Go USA, but man, women's soccer is very slow and tough to watch!

I'm not really interested in the Home Run Derby. Much like the NBA's dunk contest, there's hardly ever many big names in it, and without steroids, it's just not the same as seeing Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds just go yard.

Chiefs OLB, and former Patriots OLB, Mike Vrabel will retire and return to Ohio State to become linebackers coach. I wish you well Mike Vrabel, but why go back now? I have to think that most, if not all, of that staff will be gone after 2011 when Ohio State makes a run at Bo Pelini, a former Buckeye, or Urban Meyer, who just moved to Columbus. All things considered though, you had a great NFL career and should do what you want.

KD's NFL Draft Grades - New York Giants

2011-07-07T14:48:00.004-04:00

The Giants, under GM Jerry Reese have drafted pretty well over the last few years, and they have a talented roster. Injuries to the offensive line and a gaff by a rookie punter kept them out of the playoffs in that loss to the Eagles. However, Eli Manning must cut down from his legue-leading 25INTs next year for the G-men to make a serious run into the playoffs. The Giants led the league in forced turnovers, and have maintained a good running game since the Tiki Barber days. All things considered, the Giants don't have a whole lot of weaknesses aside from an aging offensive line. Let's see what they did in the draft.

1st round, 19th overall) Prince Amukamara - CB - Nebraska
The Giants, who I felt could've really used a left tackle, made a great value pick here with Nebraska's Prince Amukamara. He was the best player on the board, and had Nick Fairley not been on the board at 13, the Lions would've been hard pressed not to take him. The Giants have spent lavishly on their secondary in recent years signing free agent Antrel Rolle and using high draft picks on Kenny Phillips, Aaron Ross, and Corey Webster dating back to the 2005 Draft. While Webster is solid, he's had trouble staying with faster receivers in the division like DeSean Jackson and Dez Bryant, while Tarell Brown and Aaron Ross leave something to be desired when they've had to start.

How he fits in: Enter Prince Amukamara. Despite getting torched by Justin Blackmon last year, Amukamar had a fantastic season. Amukamara was a three year starter who played in 47 consecutive games to close out his career with the Cornhuskers. He's got great size at 6'0" 206lbs and could be a legitimate number one corner in the league over time. He could press any of the Giants top three corners for a starting position this year. He does have some struggles flipping his hips and turning and running after more athletic receivers. He's good against the run and he can play man or zone coverage with equal effectiveness.

Outlook: Amukamara will eventually become the Giants number one corner, unless they go out and sign Nnamdi Asomugha or something like that - the Prince is that good. Some have even mentioned that he could have a home at FS down the line, and if Kenny Phillips continues to not stay healthy, perhaps the Giants experiment with that move a little earlier than expected. The Giants made a nice move here, but you've really got to start wondering how long they continue to use David Diehl at left tackle before sliding him inside to his natural guard spot.

2nd round, 52nd overall) Marvin Austin - DT - North Carolina
Another value pick here. Austin carried a 1st round grade before being suspended for the 2010 season for improper dealings with an agent in Chapel Hill. Austin could very well be replacing free agent Barry Coefield, who could command a pretty big pay day in this year. With only Rocky Bernard, Linval Joseph on the active roster at seasons end, and Dwayne Hendricks on the practice squad, the Giants had to make a move. Austin goes 6'1" 309lbs, and looked pretty impressive in drills and at the Combine for not having played football in a year. Austin was a three year starter for the Tar Heels, including his freshman year, but he's carried a reputation as an underachiever who works out well.

3rd round, 83rd overall) Jerrel Jernigan - WR - Troy
Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, Steve Smith, and the rest of the Giants receiving corps aren't going to be confused as a true deep threat any time soon. If there's one thing the Giants learned from the loss to the Eagles last year, it's that you can always use a game changer. They've got one in the backfield in Ahmad Bradshaw, but he's a free agent. Jernigan would be a great slot reciever who can also line up outside and be used as a deep threat. Jernigan's also an excellent kick and punt returner and offers some versatility for the Giants that year. At 5'8" 185lbs, Jernigan is undersized, and didn't run as fast as people thought he would, clocking in at just 4.46 in the forty.

4th round, 117th overall) James Brewer - T - Indiana
The Giants addressed their offensive line with James Brewer in the 4th round. Overshadowed by Rodger Saffold, now with the Rams, at Indiana, Brewer played right tackle throughout his career. He's got very good size at 6'6" 323lbs and is pretty athletic. Some draftniks think that he could eventually be moved over to the left side of the line, much like Trent Williams was at Oklahoma. He's had some nagging ankle injuries that have caused him to miss some time, and isn't overly physical for his size. If Brewer gets time to learn behind Kareem McKenzie and David Diehl, he should be able to challenge for a starting spot in a year or two.

6th round, 186th overall) Greg Jones - LB - Michigan State
I really like the Giants pick here with Greg Jones. He's a tackling machine who has some decent coverage skills and was all over the field with the Spartans. Jones reminds me a lot of Antonio Pierce who anchored the Giants D for so many years. There's no real middle linebacker prospect on the Giants roster, so it wouldn't surprise me if Jones pushed for a starting spot right away. That said, the Giants could make a move for someone in free agency like Dhani Jones or Stephen Tulloch, but Jones could very well be the future. He's a little lacking in strength and has some trouble shedding blocks and at 6'0" he's a little on the short side. However, he's got the frame to add some more bulk and muscle as he's just 242lbs. I love this pick here for the Giants.

6th round, 198th overall) Tyler Sash - S - Iowa
Another nice pick here, and I really like it for the Giants. Tyler Sash certainly isn't a flashy prospect, but much like the rest of the Iowa defenders taken in this draft, he's a very solid player. Sash profiles as a backup SS to Kenny Phillips as he goes 6'0" 211lbs and isn't overly quick. He's an outstanding tackler and made a lot of plays for the Hawkeyes. Sash had a nose for the football in Iowa's zone scheme, notching 13 interceptions in 3 years and breaking up 14 passes. Sash doesn't have the speed or athleticism to be a regular starter, but he should crack certain packages and will contribute on special teams as a rookie.

6th round, 202nd overall) Jacquian Williams - LB/S - South Florida
The Giants went for a developmental prospect here. Williams stands at just 6'2" 216lbs, but led the Bulls in tackles as a senior. Just a one-year starter, Williams was voted a team captain and produced some decent numbers in his starting campaign registering 71 tackles, 11 for loss, 2.5 sacks, and an interception. Williams may be facing a position switch unless he bulks up, but he could compete with some current players on the roster for a special teams job.

7th round, 221st overall) Da'Rel Scott - RB - Maryland
Scott, one of the fastest backs in the entire draft sure slipped a lot further than many people thought. It was rumored the Raiders had a 2nd round grade on him, and many others had him in the 4th. Scott, a 5'11" 211lbs back ran a 4.34 forty and had a few breakaway runs for the Terps. Scott's had some injury and fumble issues throughout his career. However, this pick is strikingly similar to the Ahmad Bradshaw pick the Giants made a few years ago. Scott's bigger and faster, and could eventually prove to be a potential replacement for Bradshaw should he leave via free agency.

Overall Grade: A-
I really like what the Giants did in this draft, and I think they got some talented players at every juncture of the Draft. Prince Amukamara, Marvin Austin, Greg Jones, and Tyler Sash could all make significant impacts as rookies. James Brewer and Jerrel Jernigan could prove to make significant contributions down the line. At the very least, Jernigan gives them a quality deep threat and a kick and punt returner. Da'Rell Scott might be a diamond in the rough and could prove to be a nice complement to Brandon Jacobs or Ahmad Bradshaw, or both. They really only had one wobble, that being Jacquian Williams, and with a late 6th round pick, I'm willing to overlook that for everything else they did. The only reason I'm not giving them a solid A is that I just don't think they addressed the tackle position the way the could've. Anthony Castonzo was still on the board, and James Brewer has a long way to go before he's going to be a left tackle. Other than that, it's one of the best draft classes this year.

KD's NFL Draft Grades - San Diego Chargers

2011-07-06T09:34:00.003-04:00

For years most NFL pundits have lauded the Chargers for having the most talent-rich roster in the NFL. I highly disagree. Their offensive line isn't as good as it was when LaDainian Tomlinson was running in San Diego. The defense, even before Shawne Merriman's injuries before left town, wasn't that great. Last year, they put together the 1st overall ranked offense notching 395 yards per game; they were second in points scored with a 27.6 average. They also fielded the top defensive unit surrendering just 271.6 total yards a game while giving up just 20.1 points per game, good for 10th in the league. Yet, another slow start doomed the Chargers and they missed the playoffs. GM A.J. Smith's moves have come under a lot more scrutiny in recent years and he pulled some more questionable moves in the 2011 Draft.

1st round, 18th overall) Corey Liuget - DE - Illinois
A lot people, myself included, were a little puzzled by this pick initially, but upon further review, I think the Chargers made a nice move. Liuget profiled as more of a 3-technique player in the 4-3 defense, as opposed to the 5-technique 3-4 DE spot that he'll play for the Chargers. He simply lacks the ideal height teams are used to. However, we've seen several good 3-4 DEs emerge with less than adequate height over the past few seasons. The Chargers own Luis Castillo, Miami's Randy Starks, and Kansas City's Glenn Dorsey are all 6'3" or under. Liuget is 6'2" and brings adequate bulk at 298lbs. He comes off a superb season for the Illini with 63 tackles, 12.5 TFLs and 4.5 sacks.

How he fits in: The Chargers front line is pretty serviceable, but it's not as dominant as you'd want it to be; especially in a division that features the top two rushing offenses in the NFL in Kansas City and Oakland respectively. Luis Castillo will hold down one DE spot for sure while Liuget and savvy veteran Jacques Cesaire will likely battle for the other spot. The Chargers have a few guys capable of playing 3-4 DE and sliding inside in nickel and dime packages in Travis Johnson and Ogemdi Nwagbuo, and Liuget should challenge to take snaps away from either of those players in those situations. While he might not "start", Liuget will certainly be in the rotation and will receive plenty of snaps as a rookie.

Outlook: Really, looking back on this pick, I think the Chargers made a great choice. My only question would be, why not Cal's Cameron Jordan at this juncture? Jordan had experience in the 3-4, is a better pass-rusher, more athletic, and has the prototypical size you look for. It will be interesting to watch Liuget and Jordan as each was drafted by a team that uses a defense that was thought to be the opposite of where each would go (Jordan went to the Saints 4-3 scheme). Liuget should hold his own, and he'll be a starter for a long time, even if it's not right away. I like this pick for them as I think he helps stop some of the AFC West's rushing attacks.

2nd round, 50th overall) Marcus Gilchrist - CB - Clemson
The Chargers had a bit of an under-the-radar pick here in the 2nd round, but they landed a solid player. Gilchrist, who formed a nice tandem at S for Clemson alongside Deandre McDaniel, will be used primarily as a CB by the Chargers. Quentin Jammer is a solid veteran presence, but he's starting to slow down. After Antonine Cason, there's very little depth to speak of. The Chargers also have FS Eric Weddle set to become an unrestricted free agent in the new CBA, and he'll command top dollar on the open market. So, Gilchrist will likely be a nickel corner to start with, but the Chargers may have some plans for him at FS depending on what happens with Eric Weddle.

2nd round, 61st overall) Jonas Mouton - LB - Michigan
Much like trading multiple picks for LSU FB Jacob Hester a few years ago, this pick is mildly absurd. Now, let's start by prefacing this pick that the Chargers had some of, if not the worst special teams in the NFL last year, and it probably cost them 2 or 3 games at least. Mouton had a ho-hum career in Ann Arbor until his senior season, but is a special teams linebacker really worth the 61st overall pick (am I one to judge as my own team drafed Pat White 44th overall in 2009?)? Mouton goes 6'1" 239lbs, so he's undersized for the base 3-4 scheme, where he'd have to play inside. However, he probably fills the role that Tim Dobbins left vacant by leaving in free agency a year ago, and Mouton can probably be that special teams ace and 3rd ILB, just, was it necessary to spend a 2nd round pick on him?

3rd round, 82nd overall) Vincent Brown - WR - San Diego State
After Vincent Jackson, whose contract situation remains unresolved, though it's expected he'll stay with the Chargers, Malcolm Floyd, and Legadu Nanee, the Chargers lack depth at receiver. Buster Davis has been a disappointment, Patrick Crayton is a role player, and the rest are simply bodies competing for a special teams job. Vincent Brown gives the Chargers a legitimate slot receiver option. At 5'11" 187lbs and running a 4.57 40, Brown's not flashy, but gets the job done. His stock rose after a solid showing at the Senior Bowl. However, it remains to be seen if he's simply that good (69 catches, 1,300+ yards, 10TDs in 2010) or if super San Diego State QB Ryan Lindley should start getting more credit.

3rd round, 89th overall) Shareece Wright - CB - USC
The lack of depth in the Chargers secondary was not lost on A.J. Smith as he doubled-up at CB early on. Wright's career was marred by off-field incidents at USC, but he finally came on strong in 2010. At 5'10" 185lbs, he's a smaller corner who can run and play some tight man-to-man coverage. However, he's a gambler and will take a lot of unnecessary chances, or just flat out get caught looking in the backfield. He's not a reliable tackler either, but it's hard to judge his overall ability as his best football might still be ahead of him. A hairline fracture in his neck limited him to 2 games in 2008. Was arrested in 2008 for a misdemeanor of disturbing the peace and was ruled academically ineligible for the 2009 season, only playing in USC's bowl game. Buyer beware here, but he definitely fits the Chargers scheme and what they like to do with their corners.

6th round, 183rd overall) Jordan Todman - RB - Connecticut
This pick should clearly indicate that the Chargers either have no plans to try and re-sign Darren Sproles, or that they simply know they won't be able to and are moving on accordingly. Todman, who reminds some of the Giants Ahmad Bradshaw, is a smaller, quick back who has more size than Sproles. At 5'8" 203lbs and running a 4.40 flat 40, Todman gives them a nice sized complement to Ryan Williams. A two year starter for the Huskies, he posted back-to-back seasons of at least 1,100 yards and 14 TDs. He's also versatile enough to catch passes out of the backfield, hauling in 42 for 283 yards during his career. He might even be able to return kicks, effectively filling all of the roles that Darren Sproles had filled.

6th round, 201st overall) Stephen Schilling - G - Michigan
A rare 4-year starter for the Wolverines, Schilling's come a long way since being abused by Vernon Gholston of all people way back in 2007. Schilling saw time at RG and RT as a freshman and sophomore before starting every game the last two years at LG. At 6'4" 308lbs he carries nice size, and is a solid technician. However, he simply lacks the core strength you see in guards at the NFL level and his footwork is merely average. Schilling should at the very least become a swing guard on the inside - one of the two linemen that dress for the game that don't start but are active - and he's got the chance to learn from one of the best guards in the business in Kris Dielman.

7th round, 234th overall) Andrew Gachkar - LB - Missouri
Another potential special teams pick here. Gachkar had the unenviable task of trying to replace Sean Weatherspoon last year in Columbia playing the weakside linebacker spot for the Tigers. He did a decent job, but it's still somewhat surprising he was drafted. He's undersized at 6'3" 228lbs and despite being a two-year starter for the Tigers, he'll have a very uphill battle just to make the Chargers roster as a special teams player.

Overall Grade: C+
The Chargers addressed a few needs in this draft, filling spots at DE, CB, and replacing, or at least attempting to replace Darren Sproles. They didn't get any better at pass-rusher, as Larry English has disappointed across from Shaun Phillips ever since he was drafted. They also didn't account for the possiblity of having to replace Eric Weddle should he leave in free agency, and the special teams guys they drafted, were both over drafted - Mouton by a ton. Vincent Brown and Stephen Schilling provide nice depth at the respective positions, as does Jordan Todman. All things considered though, the Chargers had a lot of talent they didn't choose left on the board with a lot of their picks and overdrafted to fill niche roles - not what you'd want to do if you're A.J. Smith and potentially facing a move to Los Angeles.

Sports Quick Hits

2011-07-05T12:36:00.004-04:00

Hope you had a great 4th of July Weekend! I had a great time golfing at Beavercreek Country Club and at JM's wedding. Chizzy's Cards beat my Reds last nigth, 1-0, on an infield hit. And now, Albert Pujols might be back tonight. Wow! More on that in a second. With Major League Baseball a week away from the All-Star Break, this is really kind of a dead-time in sports. Wimbeldon just finished and the Women's World Cup is still ongoing, but that's about it. Here's a quick look at the top stories in the sports world.

MLB
While it's hard for me to say who the best baseball player I've ever seen play is, especially since so many were on the juice during the 1990s and early 2000s, I'd have to narrow the list down quite a bit. My candidates, including all positions would be as follows, in no particular order:

- Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals
- Ken Griffey Jr, OF, Seattle Mariners (and only his time with the Mariners)
- Mariano Rivera, CP, New York Yankees
- Frank Thomas, 1B, Chicago White Sox
- Greg Maddux, SP, Atlanta Braves
- Tony Gwynn, OF, San Diego Padres

Of those, you have a dominant starting pitcher in Maddux, and this might be my favorite state of all-time, who only threw a 3-0 count 17 times in his entire career. Mariano Rivera is the best closer we've ever seen, or will ever see. Ken Griffey Jr, if not for injuries, might have or be close to having all the records in the books for HRs. Frank Thomas and Tony Gwynn could flat out rake and both were big human beings, Thomas more so than Gwynn. And then we have Albert Pujols, who could potentially start the Reds vs. Cards game tonight, just 15 days after breaking his wrist. Just incredible, and I'll have a full-length article about Pujols soon. It's a big week in the NL Central as the Brewers just continue to lose on the road, the Reds play both St. Louis and Milwaukee, and the Pirates are still in the thick of things. Makes for an interesting second half in a tight division.

NFL
Yep, the lockout's still in effect, but more meetings are scheduled for this week. The Hall of Fame Game, slated to be played by the Rams and Bears on August 7th, is slated to be on track. While despite talks nearly disintegrating last week, a source says an agreement is likely to be achieved, just not this week. Hmmm, where have we heard that before. Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith, along with the lead negotiating teams will be back to have face-to-face discussions this Thursday and Friday. Strictly my opinion here, but those two days could make or break the potential CBA deal. I think we'll have a clear understanding of who soon a deal can be done or how far apart the two sides really are by Saturday.

The retired players have also filed a class-action lawsuit and want a seat at the negotiating table as well. The named plaintiffs are some big-time names: Carl Eller, famed defensive lineman from the Vikings "Purple People Eaters" defense; Franco Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers; Marcus Allen of the Raiders and Chiefs; and Paul Krause of the Redskins and Vikings.

NBA
Another lockout here, and the first thing to go, much like the NFL was free agency. Starting July 1st, the NBA's traditional free agency opening day, came and went without any transactions. Everyone's favorite uncled, Charles Barkley offered this quote regarding the lockout situation:

"It's going to get ugly. I've already been on the record saying I don't think they're going to play at all next season."

That my friends, would be turrrrible.

NHL
NHL free agency is in full swing, and a familiar name popped up in an unfamiliar place. Jaromir Jagr, who most know from his days with the Pittsburgh Penguins (maybe some might remember him with the Rangers also) ended up signing with the rival Philadelphia Flyers, for a one year $3.9M deal. The 1999 league MVP played the last three seasons in Russia. I think this is pretty odd as Jagr won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins playing along side the great Mario Lemieux, now the Penguins owner. Something smells a little fishy here.

Tennis
Maria Sharapova made a nice run in climbing back to the top 6 in the world, but she fell short in the Wimbeldon Final, losing 6-3, 6-4 to Petra Kvitova. On the men's side, Roger Federer went out early, and Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in the final to claim his first Wimbeldon Championship and a cool $7.5M. He's got a 48-1 record this year, losing only to Federer in the French Open last month. Djokovic was 0-4 in grand slam tournaments against Rafael Nadal until beating him in England.

Other Sports
South Carolina won its second straight College Baseball World Series over SEC rival Florida.

The US Women's World Cup team is 2-0 and has a big one against Sweden, also 2-0, on Wednesday night. A win there means the US would avoid having to play Brazil in the knockout stage.

Joey Chestnut won the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest downing 62 yesterday.

Derek Jeter returned last night and was hitless against the Indians. He remains just 6 shy of 3,000 for his career.

That's all for this weeks edition of Sports Quick Hits. I'll have some NFL Draft Grades for you throughout the week.

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T11:19:00.002-04:00

Chizzy and I apologize for the lack of content on the site over the last week. Both of us have been extremely busy with work and Chizzy's studying for the bar exam, no, not the Coors Light one, the real one. Anyways, we hope you and yours have a great 4th of July! We'll have regular content back on site starting tomorrow. - KD

Sport Quick Hits - KD & Brooklyn Decker? Almost...

2011-06-27T20:29:00.005-04:00

Sorry for the delay in getting this posted today. Chizzy is off in New York and I've been swamped with work and other things. Other things being booking a trip to Vegas, getting ready for JM's wedding this weekend, and dusting off the golf clubs for 18 holes on Friday. Now, onto the Quick Hits. With the NBA and NHL Finals and Drafts concluded, there's really not much sports wise to concentrate on other than baseball, so let's start there.

MLB
I had time to read through Sports Illustrated while waiting for my car in the shop this past weekend (nothing major, so no worries) and came across an article talking about Derek Jeter and his chase for his 3,000th career hit. Jeter will be come the 3rd youngest player to do it, and he should reach that milestone in the coming week. The article talked about how Jeter has used only one model of bat, and the same stance he's used since high school, throughout his entire career. It really is one of the quirkier swings you'll find, as he keeps his hands extremely tight into his boday. Having been so consistent since 1996, the Yankees are now frustrated at Jeter's propensity for hitting ground balls. Jeter admitted in the article he was pretty frustrated by his contract dispute this past offseason, so I think there's going to be something coming to a head with Jeter - most likely after he gets number 3,000.

Former Reds Manager Davey Johnson just won't go away. Jim Riggleman resigned as manager for the Washington Nationals, and they've hired Davey Johnson to fill in. Johnson hasn't managed in 11 years, and is 68 years old. With Johnson and McKeon now both battling the teams, and age, in the NL East, I'd like to make a notion that if they do indeed realign the divisions, that both the Marlins and Nationals be placed in the Southeast Retirement Home one.

The Los Angeles Dodgers filed for bankruptcy protection in a Delaware court today. This comes just days before the June 30th deadline that had been imposed by Major League Baseball, and now basically ensures a settlement in the Dodgers ownership debate won't come any time soon. Commissioner Bud Selig condemned the move, and it should be known that the Commissioner can terminate the franchise, effectively telling Frank McCourt couldn't own the team. McCourt claims that he's got interim finances to hold the team over without stiffing players and staff. This saga just keeps getting uglier and uglier. Here's the in-depth story.

NFL
Updating my story from last week, the NFL and the Players Association will meet yet again this week. Players were given updates on the situation last week on the phones, presumably from DeMaurice Smith, NFLPA attroneys, and player reps, keeping them aware of the situation. Many athletes have hinted on Twitter and through other social media and communication sources, that a deal could happen in 3 weeks time. The Players Association and its attroneys met alone today in Minneapolis in an informational meeting about the situation. From what we've learned, from what little has been leaked out, the following concessions have been made:

- The owners will not include the potential for an 18 game season in this CBA, which I think is a damn good thing. There'd be too much crappy football by expanding the schedule.

- More benefits will go to the retired players pension fund and for medical and player safety studies. Again, another good thing.

- Players with a minimum of 4 years accrued experience will have the option to become an unrestricted free agent, rather than becoming a restricted free agent and having a tender (draft pick compensation) placed on them. It's not yet known what happens to players who've been franchise tagged, but there will be tags in the new CBA. Players who were tendered prior to the lockotu that have 4 years experience will become unrestricted free agents. That's big news for guys like Saints G Carl Nicks, a pair of RBs in Carolina's DeAngelo Williams, and the Giants Ahmad Bradshaw. Perhaps the biggest potential name, Patriots G Logan Mankins, is still an unknown as he was tagged prior to the lockout.

- Both sides are still determining how to splite the $9.3B pie that is NFL yearly revenue. The players' share would be very close to 50%, and the $1B in expense credits that the owners receive off the top (before any money is divided) would disappear. No word on team revenue sharing yet, as the 2006 CBA put in place a plan where the top 15 revenue generating teams (Cowboys, Patriots, Eagles, Redskins, Seahawks, etc.) would pool a percentage of their revenue and give it to the 17 bottom revenue generating teams (Bengals, Jaguars, Raiders, Vikings).

- No fees for the players would come from designated shares, but rather the entire pool of revenue and teams would have a salary cap floor, from which their minimum salary cap must be above. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ownership, the Glazer family, who partially operates soccer power Manchester United, is $1.7B in debt, and consequently have docked payroll for the Buccaneers. Well, they're going to be forced to spend now, and it's rumored they'll be $70-80M under the cap, but no word on how much they'll have to spend to get to the floor. Either way, that number is staggering. Good luck if you get into a bidding war with them for say, CB Nnamdi Asomugha.

Lastly, both sides have agreed there will be a rookie wage scale, we just have no idea what the max salary would be. It's been rumored that the NFL will adopt an NBA style "ladder" where each draft picks salary is pre-determined. This means that the number 1 overall pick can earn 'X' amount of dollars and each subsequent pick earns a predetermined amount less than that 1st pick and goes down the line.

Got all that? Good. John Clayton reported on ESPN last week that there could be a meeting July 7th or 8th in which the owners would meet to ratify the proposed new CBA and end the lockout. Here's to hoping!

NBA
I missed the first few picks of the NBA Draft, but watched more of it than I ever have. Cavs fans got Kyrie Irving from Duke and Tristan Thompson from Texas with their two picks in the top 5. Good luck winning with those two. Hey, at least they also acquired two future 2nd round picks in a trade with Orlando. There were more foreign-born players drafted in the 1st round than ever before. A case of Dirk Fever perhaps? I think so.

The NBA is also about to head into a lockout. Bummer. I actually enjoyed watching the NBA more this season than I have since Michael Jordan wore the 23 jersey for the Chicago Bulls. The first time around. Here's a trivia question for you. Most people know that Michael Jordan wore his famous 23. He also wore 45 after coming back from baseball. But, did you know that Michael Jordan, for one game, wore another number? His jersey was lost prior to a game in Orlando. Post in the comments section what you think it was and I'll tell you if you're right. There's no prize for Googling it. Here's to hoping the NBA's lockout is no where near as potentially ugly as the NFL's got for a time. Something tells me that David Stern being in charge will make things a little more difficult than DeMaurice Smith has made things in the NFL's labor dispute.

NHL
Chizzy posted a great article several weeks ago about franchises abandoning their cities and relocating to new towns. The Winnipeg Jets were one of those franchises. Well, now they're back. Or is it the Atlanta Thrashers moving north? I don't know, but I do know that either way the NHL is planning on a massive realignment in the 2012-13 season. I think the NFL did a pretty good job in 2002 when the Houston Texans came into the league, though some of the divisions are a little mixed up geographically to keep the rivalries going. I mean, you don't think of Indianapolis as a southern city do you?

Anyway, as for the NHL's proposed realignment, the league plans to create 4 divisions; two with eight teams and two with seven teams. Several teams like the Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators, and Columbus Blue Jackets are hoping to be moved into what is now the Eastern Conference. The proposed plan is likely to be finalized in this December's Board of Governor's Meeting.

In other news:
Former Florida Gator LB Channing Crowder hinted that he sold all of his Florida Gator jerseys to Jacksonville businessmen during his career in Gainesville. Crowder was drafted by Miami in 2005, and made the comments on his weekly radio show in Miami.

Another former Dolphin and former West Virginia Mountaineer QB Pat White will play football this season for the UFL's Virginia Destroyers. This after White retired from the Kansas City Royals minor league affiliate earlier this year.

Keeping with the college football theme here, Wisconsin RB Zack Brown will be transferring to Pitt. Brown has already graduated from Wisconsin, but only played 3 seasons, so he'll be immediately eligible to play for the Panthers. The Badgers will get a gift though as extremely talented N.C. State QB Russell Wilson will be transferring to Wisconsin. A shortstop who played two season in the Colorado Rockies organization, has given up on baseball, and will be able to play immediately at Wisconsin as he'll be taking graduate classes. He reportedly chose Wisconsin over Auburn, I'm guessing because Auburn gave all of its spending cash to Cecil Newton. Sorry, I had to.

Both Williams sisters knocked out of Wimbeldon already? Serena bowed out today. I honestly can't remember seeing a Wimbeldon not won by one of those two, though I admit, I usually don't watch tennis all that much. However, I did meet Andy Roddick as he came to the restaurant where I worked at during college when he was in Cincinnati for the Western & Southern Open. Unfortunately, he didn't have Brooklyn Decker with him, though I have met Vanessa Minillo...she's not bad either.

Lastly, a bit of news semi-related to Chizzy and I's beloved Dayton Flyers. The University of Dayton, known to some as God's Country, and known to others as the second greatest place on earth behind Disney World, will host the NCAA Tournament's "First Four" in 2012 and 2013. The 2013 Tournament edition will mark the 75th anniversary of the NCAA Tournament. I attended all of the "First Four" games last year (thanks to Kimbo for the cheap tickets and sweet seats) and saw a Final Four team in VCU play. Hey, it was worth the $70 alone to know that there was a rumor Charlie Sheen, a Dayton native and fan of USC was in the house. He wasn't there, and as a result, USC didn't play with Tigerblood.

I'll be back tomorrow with the Chargers Draft Grade.

KD's NFL Draft Grades - New England Patriots

2011-06-23T17:11:00.004-04:00

For a team that most every fawns over for their ability to draft, the Patriots have been pretty poor at it the last few seasons, which makes their 14-2 finish in 2010 all the more impressive. Last year's class had a decent impact with TE's Rob Gronkowksi and Aaron Hernandez, along with LBs Brandon Spikes and Jermaine Cunningham. This year's Patriots draft class included a lot of trades, including their record streak with the Eagles, who've made a trade in each of the last 10 Drafts with the Patriots, but some teams have wisened up and haven't had the wool pulled over their eyes (49ers) as some teams have in the past (Raiders). New England still had a ton of ammo in the first three rounds, and ended up trading a portion of it for picks next year. That being said, let's take a look at what they did this year.

1st round, 17th overall) Nate Solder - T - Colorado
The Patriots O-line has been one of the more dominant ones over the years, but it's starting to come apart. RG Stephen Neal retired due to injury. LG Logan Mankins held out the first 10 games of last season, and was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, but New England put the franchise tag on him before the lockout; we'll see how that plays out. Veteran LT Matt Light is a free agent, so it made sense for the Patriots to grab one in the first round. Solder, a converted TE, is long and very lean, much like RT Sebastian Vollmer and is better in pass protection than he is in the ground game; which is good for New England, but he comes with some drawbacks.

How he fits in: The Solder pick is an insurance policy for Dante Scarnecchia's O-line unit. If Logan Mankins does someone leave, they could re-sign Matt Light and slide him to LG. If they somehow keep both Light and Mankins, Solider can be a swing tackle and learn for a year. Solder struggled mightily at the Senior Bowl and has trouble with physical pass-rushers, especially those with natural leverage. With his being 6'8" 319lbs, pretty much every pass-rusher will have leverage on him. Solder needs to add more strength, as he's not good in the ground game. New England doesn't run a lot, though BenJarvus Green-Ellis turned in a 1,000 yard season last year. Solder should have a shot to start as a rookie and Dante Scarnecchia is as good as it gets coaching up linemen.

Outlook: I feel like Anthony Castonzo, who went later on to the Colts, would've been a better fit, as he's a better all-around player. But, for what the Patriots want, Solder might fit the bill. Despite all of the 3-4 teams in teh AFC East, only Miami's Cameron Wake had more than 10 sacks last year, so he won't face that much elite competition in-division. As long as he keeps the Ghost of Bernard Pollard away from Tom Brady, he'll have earned his pay and more. As he develops and adds more strength, he could become one of the better LTs in the AFC. I liken him to Tennessee's Michael Roos, just without the run-blocking skills to this point.

2nd round, 33rd overall) Ras-I Dowling - CB - Virginia
One of the things the Patriots do well is draft to stop the teams in the AFC East, which has seen an influx of talent at receiver come in during the past few seasons. Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess, and Lee Evans all cause matchup problems and the Patriots added another solid corner to their secondary. A bigger CB at 6'1" 198lbs, Dowling should be able to come in and start right away opposite last year's rookie sensation Devin McCourty. Darius Butler and Kyle Arrington are adequate, but they're better served as nickel and dime backs. Dowling's got a great football IQ and is very athletic, despite not having standout speed. He's overcome a broken ankle and battled knee and hamstring issues as a senior, but in the Patriots scheme, he should be able to put everything together and become a day one starter.

2nd round pick, 56th overall) Shane Vereen - RB - California
Here's the Patriots draft took a bit of a wobble in my opinion. Kevin Faulk has been the classic 3rd down back in the NFL for seemingly forever. But age and injury have taken their toll on him, though he says he'd like to come back. Shane Vereen gives them a more explosive option as a 3rd down back. However, with the law firm that is BenJarvus Green-Ellis set to be a free agent, and Danny Woodhead not being able to sneak up on anyone this year, the Patriots needed a feature back in my mind. Vereen carried the rock plenty in his three years at Cal notching 556 carries and 29TDs on just under 3,000 yards rushing. He also caught 74 passes, so the attraction to the Patriots pass-happy system is natural. But, isn't he just a suped-up version of Danny Woodhead? I think they could've had him a round or two later on.

3rd round, 73rd overall) Stevan Ridley - RB - LSU
The wobble continued as the Patriots drafted a potential to BenJarvus Green-Ellis should he leave via free agency. Ridley carried a late round grade, and was a bit of a one-year wonder for the Tigers. He doesn't have a lot of tread worn off the tires so to speak, having totaled just 306 carries over his career. He's a one-cut type of runner who is sort of like a beggar's Arian Foster. He's got decent size at 5'11" 225lbs, but he's not very fast, and isn't going to make many people miss him in space. He's a one gear and go back who can churn out hard yards, but that's about it. Ridley's not a big threat in the passing game catching just 11 passes as a senior for a paltry 61 yards. It'll be interesting to see how Ridley fits into the Patriots scheme, as I picture him as the replacement for Sammy Morris in a sort of pseudo-fullback/short yardage and special teams ace.

3rd round, 74th overall) Ryan Mallett - QB - Arkansas
Purely an arbitrage pick here. New England's pretty high on backup Brian Hoyer, but should Tom Brady go down to injury again, the Patriots aren't going to go as far as Matt Cassel took them in 2008. Mallett's probably the best pure passing QB in the draft, and has excellent arm strength. However, off the field issues, questions about his work ethic, failed drug tests, blowing off the Panthers pre-draft meeting, and everything else caused Mallett to fall into the late 3rd round. Either way, Mallett went much, much lower than he should have, and the Patriots, while they probably won't ever get much from him on the field unless Tom Brady gets injured, they'll probably land a draft pick in a year or two, much like the Eagles are about to with Kevin Kolb. A ho-hum pick in terms of production, but that's not the purpose for the Mallett pick, and with a team capable of going 14-2, they've got a lot of leeway to make such a move.

5th round, 138th overall) Marcus Cannon - G TCU
Marcus Cannon would've been drafted much higher, but in the pre-draft process, it was discovered that he had a treatable version of lymphoma that had developed in his groin over four years ago. Cannon's currently undergoing treatment, and his playing status for this season's up in the air. It might've even been a planned "redshirt" year for him anyway as the Patriots have some younger guys in Dan Connolly and Rich Orhnberger that will also get a crack at replacing the retired Stephen Neal. Cannon the player, was a LT for the Horned Frogs and is very athletic for being 6'5" 358lbs. I'm sure the Patriots will want him to cut more weight so they can use him to pull on counters and bootlegs and such for Tom Brady. He's got outstanding push in the run game and is adequate in his mirror and slide technique, however, for a guy with his size, he lacks a nasty demeanor. As long as his long-term health is okay, Cannon will be a future starter for the Pats.

5th round, 159th overall) Lee Smith - TE - Marshall
Bill Belichick loves him some TEs. Alge Crumpler had a crucial drop in the AFC Divisional round, and his blocking prowess as dipped some, which makes him a candidate for the turk in New England. That's where Lee Smith comes in. He's essentially like having a 3rd tackle on the field and reminds me of a bigger version of the Bengals Reggie Kelly, whom was dominant as a blocker in their 2005 playoff season. Smith is huge at 6'5" 266lbs, much like Crumpler was, and he's very physical off the line. He's athletic enough to reach, scoop, and pull when asked, but he's not going to be busting anyone up the seam. He could be a nice goaline option for New England with his size, as he caught 74 passes for the Tundering Herd, but had just 3 TDs in his career. New England found plenty of ways to use Gronkowski, Hernandez, and Crumpler last year, so it stands to reason that they'll find a way to use Smith if they do in fact drop Crumpler.

6th round, 194th overall) Markell Carter - LB - Central Arkansas
The Patriots have long needed to upgrade their pass-rushing talent at OLB. Tully Banta-Cain is the best of the bunch, and they're still developing Jermaine Cunningham. The Pats are rumored to be heavily interested in Matt Roth, should he get out of Cleveland as he's rumored to do, but Roth's more of an edge-setting run stopper than anything else. Rob Ninkovich is a cover guy. They don't really have a true pass-rusher. Carter has a chance to earn a roster spot if he shows he can get after the QB in camp and in preseason. He's got a nice build at 6'4" 248lbs, and is very athletic, but lacks the strenght necessary at the NFL level, so the practice squad could be in his near future. Carter recorded 5.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss as a DE his senior season. A worthy developmental prospect for the Pats.

7th round, 219th overall) Malcolm Williams - CB - TCU
Another developmental prospect at corner here. Williams, a JUCO transfer played two years for TCU. He's got some experience at S and at CB, but made his hay on special teams primarily. While he didn't start a game, he's got decent size at 5'11' 204lbs, and is fairly athletic. While I doubt he supplants anyone off the roster, Williams bears watching as he could make an impact on special teams. There weren't really a whole lot of prospects left on the Patriots board at this juncture, so Williams is a player who makes sense for them as a depth pick.

Overall Grade: C
The Patriots landed some talent and traded for some future draft picks, which I'm sure they'll trade away in the future. Nate Solder, Ras-I Dowling, and Marcus Cannon will all be starters for the Patriots. Shane Vereen fills a niche role as a 3rd down back. As does Lee Smith. However, the Patriots overdrafted Stevan Ridley and only got developmental prospects with their later round picks. They also didn't address a pass-rushing OLB need that's been looming over the roster since Mike Vrabel left town in the Matt Cassel trade. While there's no grading Bill Belichick's genius, I don't think the Patriots capitalized as much as they could have with this draft. I think you can make a strong case that they would've been served well to keep their other 1st round pick and taking the very player the Saints got when they acquired it with Mark Ingram. Ryan Mallett was a value pick, but what's he really going to do for the Patriots? Unless Tom Brady gets hurt, it's hard to imagine Mallett setting foot on the field for them, so he'll likely get them a future pick, which will probably get traded later on anyway. The Patriots cycle through picks and don't land as many quality players as they could. It remains to be seen what kind of production they get out of this class, but as it stands right now, I think it's very average.

KD's NFL Draft Grades - Washington Redskins

2011-06-22T18:19:00.003-04:00

Mike Shanahan, GM Bruce Allen, and the Washington Redskins needed to add a lot of talent. The Redskins responded by trading down out of the 10th spot, to Jacksonville, and proceeded to trade multiple times throughout the Draft, landing 12 picks in total. Of the 12 picks, however, 8 of them came after the 4th round. The Redskins have holes at a lot of positions, and are still trying to infuse talent into their new 3-4 defense. Years of bad drafting and bad free agent contracts (DeAngelo Hall, Albert Haynesworth, etc.) have left the Redskins devoid of talent, so the multiple draft picks strategy works to a degree. However, the Redskins haven't fully addressed what they'll do with Donovan McNabb and the rest of the quarterback position. Here's what they did with their abundance of picks.

1st round, 16th overall) Ryan Kerrigan - LB - Purdue
Brian Orakpo burst onto the scened as a rookie with 11 sacks. In 15 games last year, he added another 8.5 sacks. The problem being, no one else added much, and as such, guys like Andre Carter probably won't be back. Enter Ryan Kerrigan, a talented DE at Purdue, he racked up 37.5 sacks and 55.5 tackles for loss over his career. Playing in 48 games, he brings a wealth of experience in the 4-3, so it remains to be seen how he'll transition to a 3-4.

How he fits in: Given the Redskins dismal OLB depth chart after Brian Orakpo, Kerrigan should figure to start early at the strongside position. He's something of a cross between Matt Roth and Mike Vrabel, that comes out looking like a version of the Rams DE Chris Long, if you can follow all that. Kerrigan is 6'3" 267lbs, and has a non-stop motor. He's not as athletic as you'd like and didn't do a whole lot form a two-point stance for the Boilermakers. That said, he's got absolutely violent hands, has a vast array of pass-rush moves, and can run the arc surprisingly well. Jim Haslett runs a pretty aggressive defense, so it's not likely Kerrigan will have to drop into coverage too often, as he's very unproven in that regard.

Outlook: Kerrigan will have to transition to a 3-4 OLB spot, but he'll have some opportunities to put his hand in the dirt in nickel and dime situations. He should be able to stop the run pretty well, as he did at Purdue, but it's his pass-rushing abilities across from Orakpo that will be scrutinized the most. Depending on how Haslett uses Kerrigan, he should have every opportunity to show what he can do. Matt Roth, a 4-3 DE out of Iowa, struggled for thre seasons in Miami before they moved him to OLB. He continued that success last year Cleveland, and is now squarely on the Patriots radar. If someone as unathletic as Roth can be an edge-setting menace, Kerrigan can certainly do it, and what he gives the Redskins as a pass-rusher is a bonus.

2nd round, 41st overall) Jarvis Jenkins - DE - Clemson
The Redskins defensive front is a collection of aging veterans like Phillip Daniels and Vonnie Holliday, retreads from other teams like Adam Carriker and Darrion Scott, and some young players like Kedric Golston and Jeremy Jarmon. Of that group, only Vonnie Holliday and Kedric Golston have had much success over their careers, and the Redskins figure to dump some of those names and contracts. Jenkins possesses prototypical size at 6'4" 310lbs and is a very good bull-rusher. He didn't get many press-clippings due to a lack of sacks, but he's good against the run. He doesn't have a nice repertoire of pass-rush moves, but he's good in pursuit and moving down the line against the run, but he has a tendency to play too tall at times. Jenkins should make the Redskins 2/2 in picking defensive starters in this draft class though.

3rd round, 79th overall) Leonard Hankerson - WR - Miami
When your top two receivers are Santana Moss and Anthony Armstrong, you're in some trouble. Santana Moss is still good and is pretty underrated, but he's starting to get up their in years. Armstrong is a deep threat, but he's inconsistent. Enter Hankerson who brings size, terrific hands, and some good route-running ability to the Redskins offense. "Hank" is 6'1" 209lbs and brings a 16.1 ypc average along with 23 career TDs to Kyle Shanahan's offense. Hankerson had an 1,156 yard season as a senior, and should profile as a nice number two option opposite Santana Moss. He'll eventually be phased into a starter's role at some point this season, and gets the Redskins to three starters in this draft class; good for a team that needs a lot of help.

4th round, 105th overall) Roy Helu - RB - Nebraska
With Clinton Portis hitting free agency this year, the Redskins needed to add a talented back in the Draft as their roster reads Ryan Torain and Keiland Williams as the top two returning backs from last year. Portis has said he's opening to a return to D.C., but the cost will have to be right for the Redskins. Mike and Kyle Shanahan's system has featured a one-cut runner for ages, and has produced the likes of Terrell Davis, Mike Anderson, Olandis Gary, and Clinton Portis with 1,000 yard seasons. Roy Helu's a decently sized back at 5'11" 219lbs, and has good speed. He led college football in runs over 30 yards last year, but has been nagged by injuries throughout his career. If he can stay healthy, he should be a really good fit in the Redskins offense, and he's shown to be a capable receiver out of the backfield as well. He should get plenty of carries as a rookie, but Washington will probably look to bring back Portis or add another back in free agency.

5th round, 146th overall) DeJon Gomes - S - Nebraska
Gomes played a hybrid positon of safety-linebacker for Bo Pelini's Blackshirts in Nebraska. He'll be a full-time safety in the NFL, as he goes 5'11" 208lbs, and he should be able to carve out a role for himself as a rookie. As an in-the-box type of SS, he should find a niche in Jim Haslett's nickel and dime packages as a blitzer or someone who covers TEs. He certainly won't unseat LaRon Landry, but he's got more talent that a lot of the other options the Redskins have at S like Reed Doughty, Kareem Moore, and Macho Harris. Gomes should find himself playing in some particular packages and will be a force on special teams. He's a bit limited athletically with what he can do, but has a nose for finding the football as he racked up 99 tackles, 3INTs and 4PBUs as a senior for the Huskers.

5th round, 155th overall) Niles Paul - WR - Nebraska
Paul makes it three straight Huskers heading to D.C. and he too should find a nice niche role like Gomes. Paul, a big receiver at 6'0" 224lbs, has good bloodlines as his uncle is former NFL RB Ahman Green. Paul's built like a running back as he has very short arms and unbelievably small hands for someone his size. Paul is versatile as he can return kicks and punts, and he's experience with 46 games under his belt. In those games he hauled in 103 passes for over 1,500 yards and 5TDs. Paul is more of a deep threat than a possession receiver who comes from a very conservative offensive system. He should earn a roster spot as a 4th or 5th receiver and kick returner.

6th round, 177th overall) Evan Royster - RB - Penn State
The Redskins drafted a second big back here, who also is a decent one-cut back. Royster comes from the Penn State program where he was the main running threat for most of his career toting the rock 686 times. He's 5'11' 212lbs, but looks like he's 225lbs and plays bigger as well. He does a lot of things well, he just lacks speed and athleticism. Royster hasn't been the best redzone running back, but he can churn out yardage between the 20's. Royster could find a home in the Redskins backfield, and he could be cut outright in camp. Depending on how quickly he grasps the system and what the Redskins do with Portis, or another free agent, Royster could earn a spot. But that spot might not come through his own doing.

6th round, 178th overall) Aldrick Robinson - WR - SMU
As I mentioned with Greg Salas in the Rams review, Aldrick Robinson is another of the June Jones offense recievers. Robinson is a little different than Davone Bess and Emmanuel Sanders however, as he possesses the speed to get deep. At 5'9" 184lbs, he's probably direct competition for Anthony Armstrong down the line, and he can return punts, though he didn't do that at SMU as he was too valuable to the offense there. His lowest YPC average came as a freshman with a 16.8 clip, and he registered two 1,000 yard seasons as a sophomore and again as a senior. He was very productive with 181 catches for over 3,300 yards and 30TDs. So, you know you're getting someone with good hands, and he's got nice speed. He'll have to adapt to running NFL-style routes in the slot, but he's a great value pick here for Washington.

7th round, 213th overall) Brandyn Thompson - CB - Boise State
If there's one position on the Redskins defense that's got some depth to it, it's at CB. DeAngelo Hall is a riverboat gambler who lives and dies by the big play, but he's starting to really figure things out. Carlos Rogers play has slipped a bit, but he's been serviceable since he was drafted in 2005. However, he's a free agent that will command some nice coin in free agency after guys like Nnamdi Asomugha and Jonathan Joseph are signed. Thompson won't supplant anyone as a starter right off the bat, but he can fill a hole lower on the depth chart if Rogers doesn't come back. He's shown a nose for the football with 13INTs over his career in Boise, and as a three-year starter, he's got good game experience. He could find his way onto the field in nickel and dime packages, but like most late round picks, he'll have to show something on special teams to stick on the roster.

7th round, 217th overall) Maurice Hurt - G - Florida
A depth pick here for the Redskins. Hurt played mostly LG for the Gators and benefitted by playing next to each of the Pouncey twins throughout his career. He got some experience at RG and RT in 2010, but for the most part, he's bounced between a starter and a top backup while in Gainesville. Hurt's got decent NFL size at 6'2" 318lbs, but he's not mobile, and will have to play RG. The Redskins don't have much on either side of veteran C Casey Rabach. However, with his presence and getting to play next to either Trent Williams or Jammal Brown, if Hurt has to play, he'll be sandwiched between guys with experience. He'll have to compete with backups Xavier Fulton, Selvish Capers, and former 2nd overall pick Mike Williams for time, as Artis Hicks figures to hold down one of the G spots. He could be an interesting developmental prospect and could be destined for the practice squad.

7th round, 224th overall) Markus White - LB - Florida State
The Redskins added some more depth to their OLB corp with the selection of Markus White at this juncture. Like Kerrigan and Orakpo before him, White's a convert 4-3 DE prospect. He played three seasons in Tallahassee after coming over from the JUCO ranks. He started seeing significant time for the Noles as a junior and became a two-year starter. He really turned it on as a senior registerin 12.5 TFLs and 8 sacks. Despite having a nice build at 6'4" 266lbs, he's not very quick or athletic. He'll also take some time to develop into something of use in a 3-4, so he too could be headed to the practice squad.

7th round, 253rd overall) Chris Neild - NT - West Virginia
With a 4th pick in the 7th round, the Redskins took a developmental NT prospect as insurance in case they decided to finally unload Albert Haynesworth who is extremely miscast in their 3-4 defense and wants out of town badly. Neild's got good size at 6'1" 319lbs, and was a 3-year starter for the Mountaineers. However, that experience at NT came in a 3-3-5 system, which isn't quite the same as playing in a 3-4 defense as a 0 technique. Neild's a stump in the middle and is decent against the run, but he's going to have to really impress against NFL level competition to stay on the roster.

Overall Grade: B+
I'm pretty tempted to give the Redskins an A- here, but they failed to address the QB position, and had a surefire shot at Blaine Gabbert at the 10th spot. However, they traded that pick to Jacksonville to recoup more picks. I like what they did with their early rounders as Ryan Kerrigan, Jarvis Jenkins, Leonard Hankerson, and Roy Helu should all see significant action as rookies, and all 4 could end up starting in 2011. DeJon Gomes, Niles Paul, Aldrick Robinson, and Brandyn Thompson should all be able to carve out roles for themselves as well and could see some nice time. I'm not sure where Evan Royster fits in, and they've got a few developmental prospects at the back end of the 7th round. However, when you consider that they could get 3 opening day starters and an additional 5 role players seeing the field out of this class in week one, you've got appreciate that draft haul. It remains to be seen how they'll address the QB position, and I think they could've done some more on the O-line, but all things considered, this is a good, deep draft class that will pay some early dividends.

Sports Quick Hits - Turds in the Punch Bowl

2011-06-21T10:49:00.005-04:00

My schedule was thrown off a bit this week with work, so I'll get back to my NFL Draft Grades tomorrow, and hopefully by this weekend I'll have my Top 10 College Football Games article posted. So, that aside, here's Sports Quick Hits, a day late, but not a dollar short.

Golf
To quote the late, great Harry Caray, "Hoooolllllyyy Cow!" That was some performance by Rory McIlroy this weekend en route to winning the US Open. I mean, that was pretty brilliant. In the midst of round 2 of my fantasy golf run, and having missed the first round of the Open, I noticed two of my players, Y.E. Yang and Graeme McDowell were both in or near the top 10 heading into Saturday. Unfortunately for me, Rory McIlroy tallied a scorching 16 under par finish to take the title, and a cool $1.44M for the win. And good for him, after that terrible collapse at Augusta. Personally, I find it hard not to root for someone who goes out to see "Hangover Part II" in between rounds. You've also got to be very impressed by amateur Patrick Cantlay, who finished at even par. All in all, it was a great tournament to watch, and I'm sure Chizzy will have even more detail on this in the near future.

NFL
I thought I'd have better news regarding the lockout today given that the owners are in an informational meeting regarding the state of the lockout and a new proposed CBA. Lawyer Bob Batterman is confident the owners meetings won't stretch into Wednesday, as once thought late last week, as there will NOT be a vote on the new CBA.

Word leaked to media outlets that a potential owners meeting last week could "blow up" and halt negotiations with the players all together. ESPN ran a story this weekend stating that owners of two AFC teams were against the the proposed CBA that would end the lockout. In order for a new CBA to be enacted, 75% or 24 of the 32 league owners must vote in favor of the proposal. You may remember in 2006, when the late Gene Upshaw and former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue basically saved football, the CBA that expired March 1st this year was voted in favor by a count of 30-2.

The two owners who voted against it are interestingly enough in charge of AFC teams, and could perhaps be the same two owners, though I'll concede I think a separate owner could be part of that twosome this time around, who voted no last time around. They were Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson, the oldest in the league at 92, who openly admitted he didn't understand what the terms of the 2006 CBA meant. I'll give him a pass for his age and the fact he did so much for the AFL and merging it with the NFL in 1970. The other was Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown whose team finished dead least in ESPN's franchise rankings. Just look to him to figure out why; the man is, and alway has been a turd, and as former University of Dayton Quarterback Rob Florian once told me, "You can't polish a turd." Al Davis could theoretically be the other based on the fact the Raiders may be heading back to Los Angeles. Again.

Giants C Shaun O'Hara reportedly told teammates to prepare for camp on July 27th, which is typically around the time camps start anyway. Stay tuned.

***Wednesday Update: After a labor-heavy intensive meeting yesterday, the NFL's owners committee and Rodger Goodell will meet with NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith in suburban Boston today and tomorrow in another "sectret" negotiating session. The major compromise appears to be in terms of free agents. Those players who have accrued 4, 5, or 6 seasons will now be unrestricted free agents. In the past, a player had to wait 5 years to become a UFA. There's a rumor that the proposed CBA will include something similar to the NBA's max contract stipulation, which would prohibit any one player from making 10-12% of a team's total salary. Those already doing so, for example, Tom Brady, will still have their contracts honored, but it means that Peyton Manning is a UFA, and the Colts probably won't be able to sign him to a monster $20M per year deal as they've done in the past, which I think is a good thing league wide. The NFL is also stipulating that teams must operate with a salary cap floor, meaning they have to be "X" amount of dollars away from whatever the cap is, and they can't go lower. If your team is competing for a free agent with Tampa Bay, sorry, but you'll lose at least in terms of money available. Here's to hoping they actually get something done that allows trainging camp to open near it's traditional July 22nd start date. I'll leave you with a tweet from Colts owner/pseudo wannabe rocker Jim Irsay. Here it is:

"I'm just so f-ing excited...but I don't know why!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" For more details of the meetings scheduled in Boston for today and tomorrow, click here.***

NFL Odds and Ends
Outcast Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor will enter the NFL Supplemental Draft, which will be held and conducted via e-mail, as it's typically done, sometime in July. Pryor, right now, is the only major name that will enter as former Florida CB Janoris Jenkins, who was kicked out of school for repeated marijuana arrests, will transfer to Divison II North Alabama. Ironically, the North Alabama program is now being headed by Terry Bowden, and his brother, Jeff, is the associate head coach.

AEG has partnered with Farmers to form a potential plan to build an NFL stadium between the Staples Center and L.A. Convention Center as part of L.A. Live to attract a potential franchise to move to America's second largest market. Personally, I don't think there's any way the Vikings or Bills are moving, so I think it comes down to the Chargers, Rams, Jaguars, and possibly the Raiders. Of those four, I think the Chargers are the best fit as they started their franchise in the city of angels.

MLB
Chizzy's St. Louis Cardinals have taken the top spot in the N.L. Central again, but will lose Albert Pujols for 4-6 weeks with a sprained wrist. If Milwaukee and Cincinnati are for real, now's the time of them to make a move.

Florida Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez resigned over the weekend giving way to 80 year old Jack McKeon. The Marlins started off 30-20 and were just a few games back of the Phillies. Something went terribly wrong as the Marlins have gone just 2-21 since that time. McKeon, who led the Marlins to an improbably World Series victory in 2003, said that, "I've managed since I was 14, and I'll probably manage until I'm 95." What team was he in charge of at age 14?

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig rejected the television proposal between the Dodgers and Fox Sports a day after Frank and Jamie McCourt agreed on a divorce settlement. In the TV contract, Frank McCourt was to receive $385M of a $3B total up front, allowing the Dodgers to make the June 30th payroll deadline. Now, they're in a state of limbo. If McCourt fails to make that deadline, Major League Baseball could seize full control of the Dodgers and put the team up for sale. Here's MLB's statement on the matter:

"This decision was reached after a full and careful consideration of the terms of the proposed transaction and the club's current circumstances," commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "It is my conclusion that this proposed transaction with FOX would not be in the best interests of the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, the game of Baseball and the millions of loyal fans of this historic club."

Here's the rest of the story, including Frank McCourt's comments on Bud Selig's ruling.

NBA
The Dallas Mavericks shocked just about everybody and finished off the Miami Heat 4-2 to win the franchises first NBA Title. Perhaps even more embarrasing than Cleveland Cavaliers fans calling themselves Dallas Cavericks fans, is that Macy's mistakenly ran an ad in the Miami Herald the day after the Heat lost, congratulating them on winning the NBA Championship. Oops.

It's unfortunate that for so much of the LeBron hating, and some of it deservedly so as he choked about as hard in the fourth quarter of each game as the New England Patriots did against the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. Let's face it, LeBron's never, ever, going to be Michael Jordan. He's not as consistent as Magic Johnson even. LeBron is LeBron, and he always will be.

That said, it's unfortunate that stars like Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd won't be remembered as much for winning an NBA Title as the Heat will be for losing one. However, one rumor that I've heard that's quite interesting, is that if Jason Kidd does retire, Dallas would make a move to bring back Steve Nash. Wouldn't that be something if Dirk Nowitzki, once labeled soft and un-clutch, though not quite to LeBron standards, could win titles with Jason Kidd and Steve Nash?

As for those Dallas Cavericks fans, shouldn't you be more worried about the upcoming NBA Draft and how you're going to have to take Kyrie Irving and Enes Kanter? Yikes.

NHL
More turds in the punch bowl in the Stanley Cup Finals as the city of Vancouver's collective cheese slid completely off the cracker. Congrats to the Boston Bruins for winning game 7, and goalie Tim Thomas for setting a record of allowing only 8 goals in 7 games. That said, for a city known for its beauty, splendor, and based on the last Winter Olympics, the people, what the hell happened? I mean, it's not Rodney King redux, and it's not quite on par with the Cincinnati Police Riots, the only close rioting I've ever encountered, but's nonetheless very disturbing. I know Canadiens love their hockey intensly. I'm guessing it's about on par with how the British love soccer, I don't know, I've never been to a hockey game in Canada or on the pitch in the UK, but it has to be close. I mean, you didnt' see this in the city of Pittsburgh after the Steelers lost the Super Bowl.

Well, as you can see, it's been quite an interesting past few weeks in the sports world. Hopefully next week's installment of Quick Hits will have some more happy news.

KD's NFL Draft Grades - Miami Dolphins

2011-06-16T20:54:00.008-04:00

My beloved Miami Dolphins had the 15th pick in the Draft, so forgive me if I embellish a little here. I'd like to feel a little more confident in Miami going into 2011 as they finished with the 6th ranked defense and beat the Super Bowl Champs in Lambeau Field. However, Miami was 30th in the NFL in points scored last year, and parted ways with the ancient Dan Henning at offensive coordinator. They responded by hiring Brian Daboll from Cleveland, who fielded one of only two offense that scored less than Miami last year. Great. Miami's the 3rd youngest team in the league and has a lot of talent, but a deteriorating running game and subpar play from Chad Henne kept them from making a playoff run. They selected Florida C Mike Pouncey to fill the void there, but had things shaken out a little differently on Draft night, he wouldn't have been the pick. Here's why.

1st round, 15th overall) Mike Pouncey - C - Florida
On my Dolphins forum on Draft night we learned that Miami's draft board for the first round went in order as follows: Jake Locker, Christian Ponder, Robert Quinn, and they graded Mike Pouncey and Gabe Carimi the same. All I have to say is yikes, and thanks to the Titans and Vikings for keeping Miami away from one of the quarterbacks as I feel like they'd be destined to fail in Miami. Miami suffered through long bouts of bad play in the middle last year from C Joe Berger. Reserve Cory Proctor broke his leg minutes into his first start against Chicago and things went downhill from there as Miami list 4 of its last 6 games. Enter Mike Pouncey to fix things.

How he fits in: Pouncey will be given every opportunity to be the starting C right off the bat, and I'm perfectly fine with that. His younger twin brother, Maurkice, left early and if not for Ndamukong Suh would've been the best rookie in the league last year for the Steelers. Mike joins fellow first rounders Vernon Carey, one of the few survivors from the dreaded Dave Wannstedt era draft of 2004, and Jake Long, who'll be named the top lineman in the NFL this weekend on NFL Networks Top 100 players, falling somewhere between 21st - 30th overall; congrats Jake! Miami will have to add a free agent guard to start opposite Richie Incognito or John Jerry, with Pouncey in the middle. Mike's not quite as technically sound as his twin Maurkice was, but he's still a good player, but has only one year of experience at C. He brings good size at 6'5" and 303lbs, and is excellent in space, an attribute that will be helpful as Daboll will use zone schemes in the running game.

Outlook: Overall, I love the Pouncey pick, as I wanted either him or Alabama's Mark Ingram if Miami was unable to trade down. I think he'll fit in nicely as a C, and in a worse-case scenario, they can play him at guard and move Richie Incognito to C. So, that's a fallback scenario I'm okay with. It stings slightly that they didn't take a chance on Ryan Mallett here, but idiotic owner Stephen Ross, in one of the few moves of his I've actually liked, has basically laid it out that if Miami doesn't make the playoffs this year, Tony Sparano is a goner. GM Jeff Ireland might be safe, and next year's QB crop could be the best one since the 1983 class if certain players declare; so I'm glad he saved some picks and didn't trade up for Locker or Ponder. Pouncey made their Draft for me.

2nd round, 62nd overall) Daniel Thomas - RB - Kansas State
After a run on running backs in round 2, Jeff Ireland made a move back up into the 2nd round to acquire Thomas. Miami didn't have a 2nd round pick due to the Brandon Marshall trade in 2010, so they gave up a 3rd, a 5th, and a 7th round pick to Washington to move back up. Thomas is a big back at 6'0" 230lbs and has sweet feet for a big back to go along with his stellar vision. However, he's not fast, and goes down more easily than a big back should. A former JUCO QB, Thomas only has two years experience as a running back, but we saw what Brian Daboll did with Peyton Hillis in Cleveland last year. I like the pick, but Miami could've waited until the 3rd round and still got a quality back. They also options in free agency and have been linked to DeAngelo Williams (who I think ends up in Denver reuniting with John Fox) and Ahmad Bradshaw, who wouldn't be a free agent if the CBA reverts back to the 2010 league rules. Personally, I'd prefer Bradshaw as he's more of a homerun hitter and can do some more things than Thomas will be able to initially.

4th round, 111th overall) Edmond Gates - WR - Abilene Christian
One of the most glaring weaknesses on Miami's offense last year was that while they're big and physical, they're very slow. Brandon Marshall is fine as a #1 option, but he doesn't have elite speed. Brian Hartline is their fastest guy, but he ended up on IR to close out the year. Davone Bess is an outstanding slot guy and can play outside, but like Marshall, doesn't have elite speed. Undrafted rookies Marlon Moore and Roberto Wallace didn't add much. Enter Gates, who was the fastest receiver at the Combine running a 4.37 40. He comes from Abilene Christian, and dominated at that level hauling in 66 passes for 1,182 yards, good for a 17.9 ypc, and 13 TDs. However, he got by on physical talent and being the fastest player on the field at that level. He's 5'11" 193lbs and is pretty similar to Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace, though he's not quite that fast. He should give Miami a shot in the arm as a #4 receiver and kick returner, but he'll have to take his time learning the route tree at the NFL level. Fortunately for Miami, they won't need him to do much more than run fast as a rookie.

6th round, 174th overall) Charles Clay - TE - Tulsa
Miami needed a second TE to compliment Anthony Fasano, whose a fantastic all-around player, but isn't a downfield threat as a receiver. Clay's 6'3" 245lbs and played FB, QB, WR, and TE for the Golden Hurricane. He's a jack of all trades, master of none. During his career he had 179 carries for 911 yards and 10 TDs and caught 176 passes for 2,225 yards and 21 TDs. He's very versatile, but isn't a great blocker as a TE, and didn't do enough in-line blocking as a FB. It'll be interesting to see how they use Clay, but I had to ask, why not take a chance on Virgil Green at this juncture?

7th round, 231st overall) Frank Kearse - NT - Alabama A&M
Miami GM Jeff Ireland's found a few late round and undrafted gems in RB Lex Hilliard, WR Davone Bess, and K Dan Carpenter, but more often than not, his late round picks are throwaways, and that's how I feel here. Miami's defense has some budding stars in NT Paul Soliai, DE Kendall Langford, OLB Cameron Wake, and CBs Vontae Davis and Sean Smith. Karlos Dansby's well established, and 2010 rookie Koa Misi did a pretty solid job, however, Miami could've really used a 3rd OLB for pass-rushing situations, and with several guys on the board, they passed and opted for a backup NT. Paul Soliai became the richest defensive player in the history of the Dolphins this offseason, which is saying something as they've had some studes throughout the past 15 years. He won't be going anywhere, and has absolutely abused Nick Mangold, the league's best C in 3 straight games against the Jets. Kearse comes from the SWAC and is the first player drafted from the entire conference since 2004. He's 6'4" and 315lbs and was looked at by a few teams, namely Pittsburgh and New England, so I'll trust Miami taking a chance on him. However, Miami already has Chris Baker, a pet project of Mike Nolan from Denver, ahead of him on the roster, and I think Kearse is destined for the practice squad.

7th round, 235th overall) Jimmy Wilson - CB/S - Montana
Late round picks rarely have stories as interesting as Jimmy Wilson, who spent two years in jail on trial for murder after playing three seasons at CB for the Montana Grizzlies. Wilson got into an argument with his aunt's boyfriend, who was drunk at the time and pulled a rifle on Wilson. Wilson and the boyfriend got into a physical altercation and the gun went off, killing the boyfriend. The New York Times covers the aftermath significantly better than I can, so I'll let you read the story on your own time. Wilson also got into trouble while at Montana for biting his girlfiend in the leg, and was suspsended for a game in 2010. At this time, I'd just like to find it ironic that Miami questioned Dez Bryant about his mother's prostitution and Ryan Mallett's off field activities and removed both from their draft boards, yet they take a chance on Jimmy Wilson. Go figure. Wilson played CB for three seasons and came back as a S after two years in prison. He's undersized for an NFL S at 5'11" 185lbs, but is a fierce hitter and Ireland says he'll start there and have to make a mark on special teams to stick.

Overall Grade: B-
Mike Pouncey and Daniel Thomas really make the draft for Miami. The Dolphins needed significant help in the middle of their O-line, and they got it in Mike Pouncey. If they add a mobile LG (they tried to trade for New England's Logan Mankins last year when he came back from his holdout, so keep an eye on that move if he leaves New England, which is doubtful), they're O-line could be really good. Thomas should be the starter, and if they're successful in luring a talented free agent RB in, they'll have a a nice backfield. Gates will add some speed and will help open things up for Brandon Marshall, Brian Hartline, and Davone Bess, but he's got a lot to learn before he can make a significant contribution to the offense. Clay is a mystery man for now, and I still contend Virgil Green would've helped them more. Kearse and Wilson were throwaway picks and Miami could've used help at OLB and S, and there were plenty of picks still on the board at those spots at the time. However, I believe that Miami filled some big needs, and they managed to keep all their picks for next year. I think Brian Daboll's passing scheme, which he learned in New England, that empasizes quick throws could, and I'm purposefully emphasizing could here, help out Chad Henne some. However, if he doesn't take the next step, both Henne and Tony Sparano will both be gone in 2012. And I like the fact Jeff Ireland stuck to his guns and kept his picks as they'll have a full arsenal to use to trade up for a QB if needed. If you haven't figured it out by now, I love Andrew Luck and I'd be fine with Miami giving up a slew of picks to get him in 2012, but that's a long way off for now. Overall, Pouncey and Thomas will make this class and whatever Gates and Clay add to it will be a nice bonus.

KD's NFL Draft Grades - St. Louis Rams

2011-06-16T17:18:00.003-04:00

Recently there's been a lot of fuss about AEG's attempt to lure one of 5 NFL teams out to Los Angeles. The Rams, who started in Cleveland, spent a good number of years in Anaheim and L.A., and are one of the 5 teams being considered to make the move. Personally, I feel like the Chargers, who were founded in Los Angeles, are the best team to move since it's the shortest trip, not counting the Raiders, and that the St. Louis Rams should be allowed to stay in the midwest and continue building upon an upstart young team. After all, their only Super Bowl title came in the Gateway to the West. There's also been much speculation that the Rams will be heavily in the market for Randy Moss or Sidney Rice once free agency starts to provide Sam Bradford with the elite weapon he desparately needs. Overall, I'm intrigued by what the Rams did during the Draft, and I think they'll get some good help from their class.

1st round, 14th overall) Robert Quinn - DE - North Carolina
Once considered the top player in the 2011 Draft Class, Quinn was suspended for the 2010 NCAA season along with a few other Tar Heels for improper conduct with an agent. Quinn's stock didn't fall too much as he still went in the top 15 picks of the Draft after blowing away scouts with a very impressive pre-Draft workout in Chapel Hill. At 6'4" 265lbs with long arms and club-like hands, and impressive athleticism, Quinn figures to be the premier pass-rusher the Rams are currently lacking.

How he fits in: Despite being away from football for a year, I'd be shocked if Quinn doesn't crack the starting lineup early on this season. The Rams have two outstanding talents in their front seven in strongside DE Chris Long and MLB James Laurinaitis. FS O.J. Atogwe is pretty underrated, but the Rams certainly need to add more punch on their defense. Quinn certainly does that and will compete with savvy veteran James Hall for the starting weakside DE position. Steve Spagnuolo is a master of a blitz-heavy 4-3 defense (see Giants over Patriots in the Super Bowl) and it wouldn't surprise me one bit to see him move Quinn all over the place to get him favorable matchups.

Outlook: Lots of rookies hit the proverbial "rookie wall" after about 10 games, and I expect Quinn might hit that wall harder than most having been away from football for so long. Let's be real, there's being in shape, and then there's being in football shape - two totally different things for those who haven't played the game. I'd imagine Quinn will get the lion's share of the snaps with James Hall spelling him when needed. Certainly I'd expect him to beat out reserves C.J. Ah You and George Selvie and Quinn could feasibly see time at OLB in pass-rushing situations. Overall, I absolutley love this pick, even if it takes Quinn some considerable time to get back up to speed; I truly believe he'll make a nice impact for the Rams and should garner some Defensive Rookie of the Year consideration.

2nd round, 47th overall) Lance Kendricks - TE - Wisconsin
All young QBs benefit from having good TE play and while Daniel Fells was pretty serviceable, along with Michael Hoomanawanui, the Rams still lacked that TE that could get down the seam and stretch the field. Kendricks gives them that option now, and while he's not spectacular in any one facet of the game, he does everything he has to do pretty well. At 6'2" 243lbs, there's some fullbacks in the league bigger than he is, but he's a willing blocker, and he's got pretty good body control when in open space. He compares pretty well with the Jets Dustin Keller, who has really helped Mark Sanchez, and I expect Kendricks to have the same kind of productivity for Sam Bradford. Kendricks caught 43 passes for 663 yards and 5 scores, good for a very impressive 15.4 ypc average. He'll have to work on his blocking skills to unseat Fells from the number one TE position.

3rd round, 78th overall) Austin Pettis - WR - Boise State
The Rams have a bunch of number 3 and 4 receivers on their roster, with Danny Amendola leading the way. However, Amendola belongs in the slot more than anywhere else. Laurent Robinson can't stay healthy, Mardy Gilyard fell behind in the playbook, and Brandon Gibson and Danario Alexander still have a way to go and have battled injuries, hence why the Rams are in the market for Moss and Rice. Pettis comes in and profiles as a #2 possession-type receiver. The best word to describe him is probably smooth, as he runs very good routes, he's got superb body-control and great hands. He's not overly fast and won't take the top off an NFL secondary, but he's smart and isn't afraid of getting physical at the line or over the middle. Very productive with 229 career catches for nearly 3,000 yards and 39 TDs for Boise State, and that should help him acclimate to the NFL pretty quickly.

4th round, 112th overall) Greg Salas - WR - Hawaii
The Rams went to the receiver well again, and tabbed another ultra-productive guy in Hawaii's Greg Salas. Salas is cut from almost the exact same cloth that Austin Pettis is and probably more competition for Alexander, Gilyard, and fellow rookie Pettis at the possession receiver spot. Salas, like Davone Bess at Hawaii and Emmanuel Sanders at SMU, now with Miami and Pittsburgh respectively, are products of the June Jones spread offense, and Salas notched two 100 catch, 1,500 yard seasons for the Warriors, vaulting himself up draft boards. A former running back, he's physical off the line and uses his 6'1" 210lbs frame very well. He'll have to learn the nuances of an NFL offense, but like Bess and Sanders, he comes out as a very solid route runner.

5th round, 158th overall) Jermale Hines - S - Ohio State
St. Louis, like the Lions before them, is a team with a lot of holes, so talent can help pretty much anywhere. Veterans James Butler and Michael Lewis gave way to youngster Craig Dahl by the end of the year, and he's not someone you really want to start in your secondary. O.J. Atogwe will be back off injury, but behind him there's really not much available. Hines played SS for the Buckeyes and brings more size and athleticism to the Rams lineup. Hines is 6'1" and 219lbs and is a very sure tackler. He's very much a liability in coverage, and profiles as an in the box, 2-down safety at the NFL level. That's not necessarily a bad thing as the Rams have some better coverage guys on the roster, but they could certainly use his run-stopping prowess on defense. He should compete for a starting gig, even as a 5th round prospect.

7th round, 216th overall) Mikail Baker - CB - Baylor
Baker's a project player at corner for the Rams. He was primarily a kickoff returner early in his career in Waco, he started the final 9 games of the 2010 season after suffering a season-ending knee injury 3 games into the 2009 campaign. Baker came to the Bears as a wide receiver and didn't make the transition to the defensive side of the ball after receiving a medical redshirt after breaking his collar bone in 2007. Baker's an experienced player and Baylor's all-time leading kick returner, but that probably won't help him much in the Rams secondary as he's a major project that could take a few seasons on the practice squad to get him up to snuff in an NFL defense.

7th round, 228th overall) Jabara Williams - LB - Stephen F. Austin
The Rams linebacking corps, aside from James Laurinaitis, isn't much to write home about. The other two starters, Larry Grant and Na'il Diggs, also former Buckeyes are solid, but are aging, especially Diggs. David Vobora's got experience, but you really don't want to have to start him. After that Chris Chamberlain, David Nixon, Curtis Johnson, and Bryan Kehl...well, you get the picture. Williams falls right into that category as well, as he's another project player for Spagnuolo. A 6'1" 228lbs, more athlete than linebacker, Williams will project to the weakside behind Grant and Vobora. He'll have to show something special teams to stick.

7th round, 229th overall) Jonathan Nelson - CB - Oklahoma
Again, another project here. A one-year starter for the Sooners, Nelson racked up 5 career INTs and 9 PBUs in 17 starts for the Sooners. He possesses decent size at 5'11" 188lbs. He should compete for a boundary corner spot as a rookie and may bring something to the table on special teams as he's a pretty solid tackler. He's decent in run support and has a knack for making big plays at big times. Overall though, there's just not enough of a body of work to get an accurate read on how he'll transition to the pros. Oklahoma DBs are all over the NFL map, so Nelson may stick onto a roster somewhere, even if it's not in St. Louis.

Overall Grade: B
The Rams draft class is pretty top-heavy with Quinn, Kendricks, and Pettis likely to start as rookies. Salas will likely have some sort of role on the offense, but after that only Jermale Hines has the potential to be a starter down the road. Spagnuolo's a defensive guru and might be able to find uses for the latter end of the draft class in Baker, Williams, and Nelson. The Rams accomplished their goal of adding some weapons for Sam Bradford, but they could've used help in the secondary and another running back to spell Steven Jackson; though they're rumored to be at the top of the list for Darren Sproles. The first 3 picks really make the grade, and if Robert Quinn turns out as good as they expect him to be, this class could help get the Rams to the top of the NFC West.

5 Players Who I Think Could Win the US Open, and the One I Think That Will Win It

2011-06-16T09:30:00.006-04:00

It's time for the ol' US Open. America's national championship is the toughest tournament the players will play all year.

Five inch high rough? Check.

Greens that roll faster than hardwood floors? Check.

Par 4's longer than the longest hole Average Joe plays ever? Check.

The U.S. Open is the USGA's (golf's governing body) opportunity to rise up and slap the professionals around like a red-headed step child. The winning score is rarely below par, you're going to see a heck of a lot more scores in the 80's than you will in the 60's, and Sunday is known for its famous meltdowns.

TC Chen's double chip back in the 80's. Arnold Palmer blowing a seven shot lead back in 1966. Dustin Johnson going triple-bogey triple-bogey last year at Pebble. Phil Mickelson double bogeying the eighteenth in 2005 to hand the title to Geoff Ogilvy.

This year should be no different. Congressional Country Club's Blue Course measures over 7,600 yards. The 18th hole is a brutal 523-yard par 4, with a tight fairway and a green completely surrounded by water. I don't want to play that hole. Meanwhile, many players are starting their tournament on the par 3 10th hole, a 213-yard hole that is over water, with bunkers in front and behind. Talk about a way to be shaking in your boots before you even get started. I've played a lot of golf, but I'd be terrified with 15,000 people watching me.

Having said all that, it takes a special (or extremely lucky) person to win a U.S. Open. They need to be long off the tee, hit a LOT of greens, and be a solid - but not great - putter. The reason I say that is because at the U.S. Open, you're not trying to make birdies. You're trying to make pars. So if you hit a lot of greens, two putts are going to be just fine.

Almost every player in this tournament can two putt from most places, so in my mind hitting greens is the most important quality in a U.S. Open champion candidate. Even more important than wearing snazzy outfits on the course, and that's saying a lot because as we all know, 90% of being good at golf is looking good while you're on it.

Keeping those qualities in mind, the following five players are the ones that I believe have the best shot to win this week at Congressional, followed by the player I think WILL win. Go into this knowing that I'm probably going to be wrong.

PLAYERS I DON'T THINK WILL WIN THIS WEEK

Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Paul Casey, Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim.

PLAYERS THAT COULD SNEAK IN THERE, BUT AREN'T MY FAVORITES

Nick Watney, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Jeff Overton, Ernie Els (won here at Congressional in 1997).

POTENTIAL CANDIDATES TO HOIST THE TROPHY

Lee Westwood: Starting at the Masters, the strapping Englishman has played six events leading up to the U.S. Open, winning twice and never finishing outside the top 11. That's a pretty good track record if you ask me.

Westwood is known as one of the best ball strikers in the world with his irons, especially the longer irons.

At a U.S. Open, the key is to get on greens. If you don't, you may as well be left for dead. The last three years, the winners of the tournament have all been in the top 15 in greens in regulation for the tournament.

Westwood's statistics this year on the PGA Tour?

68.33%. Good enough for 18th place. And he ONLY plays the top events on Tour; he's not playing the John Deere Classics and the Turning Stone Championships which yield high GIR percentages. He's also been dropping a lot of putts from 15-25 feet (27.08%, 2nd on Tour).

Also, Westwood leads the Tour in distance from the pin from shots from 125-150 yards as well as shots from 200-225 yards - key distances this week. He also has the lowest Sunday scoring average on Tour this year. All this information leads to a strong potential for Westwood to capture his first ever major championship this week.

Luke Donald: He's the No. 1 player in the world, has played in nine events on Tour this year, and has finished in the top 10 in eight of them. In the words of Jason Segel in the Bad Teacher trailer, "THAT'S ALL THE ARGUMENT I NEED, SEAN!"

But in case those statistics still leave you wanting for more, I'm happy to oblige. Donald - long thought to be one of "the next big things" in golf - is known as Mr. Consistency. While he doesn't hit the ball a long way, he is one of the best players in the world with both the irons and the flatstick.

He leads the Tour in scoring average, is 5th in birdie average, 6th in putting, and is 33rd in GIR average. While nothing on Donald's resume blows anyone away, it is the fact that nothing in his game is a glaring weakness. He is an all-around great player.

At the U.S. Open you need everything to be solid - driving, irons, wedges, putter. Nothing needs to be overly spectacular, but everything needs to be reliable. Donald has that game, and fits the bill of a major champion. The most important thing is that even he believes this major is his best opportunity - he said earlier this week that the U.S. Open is the major that best suits his game.

Phil Mickelson: I don't really need to go into statistics here. Why? Because Phil will contend here. The guy has nine Top 10's over the last 15 years, including five second place finishes.

Phil is the most tortured player in recent U.S. Open history, and perhaps of all-time. He finished second at Pinehurst to Payne Stewart in 1999 in one of the most iconic tournaments of our lifetimes, to Tiger Woods in 2002 at Bethpage Black when the crowd was distinctly behind him, to Retief Goosen at Shinnecock in 2004 when Phil's putter failed him, most tragically in the aforementioned tournament at Winged Foot in 2006, and again at Bethpage in 2009 when his putter failed him.

Phil wants to win this tournament more than anything, and I think this is his last great shot at it. He's getting up there in years, and his dominant reign seems to be on the beginning of its downturn. As a diehard Phil fan myself, I don't want to see him falter. Watching him in the 2006 Open was one of the hardest things as a fan of sports that I ever had to watch.

But there's no doubt Phil is contending here this week. He's been playing well, won the week before the Masters, likes the set-up, and is always a threat to win.

Steve Stricker: Stricker may be 44 years old, but he's been playing the best golf of his career after the age of 40, similar to Kenny Perry a few years ago.

Known for spending his winters hitting balls out of a heated range in upstate Wisconsin, Stricker has the game, demeanor, and recent track record to set up for success this week.

Known as one of the best ball strikers and putters on Tour, Stricker can hit the ball with the best of them. He hits a TON of fairways (65.55%, 33rd on Tour), which is important at the U.S. Open. If you get into the rough, sometimes you can't even find it, and if you do you're better off getting it out with a machete in your hand.

Stricker also hits a lot of greens (67.75%, 22nd on Tour), and is especially accurate from 150 yards and in. Finally, he's the best in the game from 15 feet and in, which reflects and impeccably cool attitude which serves well in a U.S. Open. He likes to stay steady, and just goes about his business.

What's the takeaway from all of this? As shown in his recent win in the Memorial, if Stricker is on his game he's one of - if not the - best in the world.

K.J. Choi: Does K.J. even have emotions? I mean, the guy doesn't smile, doesn't get angry, barely talks, and basically goes about his business on the course like a samurai ninja. In fact, that's my new nickname for him: Ninja Choi.

Ninja Choi picked up the biggest win of his career last month at the Players Championship when David Toms basically threw up on himself in a playoff.

Long known for playing basically an entire set of hybrid clubs, Choi is a great iron/hybrid player. He ranks near the top of the Tour for shots played from 150-200 yards, and with an abundance of 440-470 yard par 4's, those shots need to be on to hoist the trophy on Sunday.

While his statistics aren't overwhelming in his favor, Ninja is what us in the golf world like to call a "grinder." What this means is that he's a gritty player who never gives up, and can make par from anywhere. In a U.S. Open, that's essential, which is exactly why I like Ninja Choi to sneak up the leaderboard this week.

MY PICK TO WIN THE TITLE: In a complete front-runner move, I'm taking Mickelson. It seems his "window of opportunity" is closing, and if he's going to win a U.S. Open this is the best year to do it. Best of luck Phil, bring home the hardware.

KD's NFL Draft Grades - Detroit Lions

2011-06-15T15:50:00.003-04:00

On the Dolphins forum I belong to, several members, myself included, participate in a 2 round mock draft and "adopt" teams to draft for. I got my hometown Bengals and the Detroit Lions. Gross right? Well, the caveat for the mock draft is that we can't trade picks, so you're stuck where you're at. So, with my 4 picks, I managed to get 3 right. All of them except the Lions taking Nick Fairley with the 13th overall pick (Fairley was available in our mock draft surprisingly, but I really didn't think the Lions would consider it given the gaping hole they have at left tackle). So, I was wrong, but got the most picks right out of all contestants in the mock forum, so I'll take that. GM Martin Mayhew has done a fantastic job of adding talent to a Lions team that was run into the ground by Matt Millen. While Detroit's not all the way back, you can certainly tell they're more competitive and have some pieces to the puzzle. And after adding players like Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford, Ndaumkong Suh, and now Nick Fairley, the Lions fans have something to cheer about, and the rest of this draft class fits that bill. Let's have a look.

1st round, 13th overall) Nick Fairley - DT - Auburn
No player in college football exploded onto the scene like Nick Fairley did for Auburn last season. The 6'3" 291lbs defensive tackle recorded 60 tackles, 24 of which came behind the line of scrimmage, and 11.5 sacks. An explosive 1-gap penetrator Fairley carried the Auburn defense to a national title and for a time, had some draft experts debating who was better between he and Marcel Dareus. The fact that Dareus went 10 spots ahead of Fairley shouldn't be as damning as it sounds, as Fairley is an equally good player, but won't fit into every defense.

How he fits in: Fairley's stock slipped a bit do to some questions about his being a 1-year wonder and a shaky work ethic. I think he answered the latter by showing up at the Combine in terrific shape and dominating most of the workouts. The problem being, Marcel Dareus did equally well and is almost 30lbs larger than Fairley. I'd expect Fairley to be on the field plenty next to Ndamukong Suh, who won't let Fairley not work to his full potential, quite a bit even if Fairley's not technically a starter. Jim Schwartz's defenses in Tennessee utilized a fantastic DL rotation, and I'd expect the Lions will do that with Suh, Fairley, and veteran Corey Williams. They also have two younger players in Sammie Lee Hill and Andre Fluellen who will take some snaps away from Fairley in short yardage and goaline packages. However it plays out, Fairley will be on the field a lot, and with him playing next to Suh and in between Kyle Vanden Bosch and Cliff Avril, he'll be a solid cog in a very formidable defensive line.

Outlook: Detroit had it's pick of any offensive tackle save Tyron Smith at this spot. They also could've used Prince Amukamara desperately in the secondary, but instead opted to upgrade the strongest unit of their defense. Their D-line was good, and now it's really good. They're a double-digit sack defensive end away from being dominant. While I thought they would've opted to protect their $60M investment in Matthew Stafford, the Lions have faith in veteran Jeff Backus and the freshly minted Rob Sims to step in at left guard and keep Stafford protected. This was purely a BPA (best player available) pick, and it's a whale of a pick. After looking back on it, I understand it, and I love it.

2nd round, 44th overall) Titus Young - WR - Boise State
Detroit again went with the BPA move here and ended up with one of the more underrated receivers in the draft in Boise State's Titus Young. The charismatic receiver from Boise State has garnered comparisons to the Steelers' Mike Wallace. I think those are a little off as Young doesn't have quite that speed, but he can stretch a defense. Young's real benefit will come from playing both in the slot and opposite Calvin Johnson. Derrick Williams failed at this role since being drafted a few years back and Bryant Johnson is starting to slow down. Young should start off as the 3rd receiver behind Johnson and Nate Burleson who had something of a renaissance last year, but Young should eventually challenge for that starting role opposite Megatron. Young can also return kicks if needed, but Detroit is expected to roster Stefan Logan for those duties.

2nd round, 57th overall) Mikel Leshoure - RB - Illinois
As a Dolphins fan, I was hoping Leshoure would keep slipping even though I pegged him to the Lions in our forum two round mock draft. Leshoure failed a drug test prior to the Combine and his stock fell, but only slightly. Leshoure's a big back and should shoulder more of the load allowing Detroit to find ways to use the explosive Jahvid Best in space more. Leshoure is 5'11" 230lbs and runs with very good balance. He's not overly athletic and doesn't quite have the homerun type speed of a Steven Jackson, but he's not that far off. He's an excellent receiver and a pretty willing blocker, so Detroit's getting a true #1 RB here. Leshoure posted a very impressive season in 2010 running 281 times for 1,697 yards and 17TDs. He also hauled in 17 passes for 196 yards and 3 more TDs. Another great pick who will make an immediate impact from the get go.

5th round, 157th overall) Douglas Houge - LB - Syracuse
After giving up some picks to move up to get Mikel Leshoure, the Lions went back to addressing the defensive side of the ball, and their weak linebacking corps. DeAndre Levy is a very good player who should get to move back to his more natural weakside position after having played in the middle last year. Bobby Carpenter finished the year starting on the strongside, but probably shouldn't be handling those duties. The Lions also have their eye on Tennessee Titans tackling machine Stephen Tulloch, a free agent, to come in and start in the middle. Detroit's got some decent backup players, but they can easily be improved upon and they did so here with Hogue. A weakside linebacker for the Orange, Houge is pretty football savvy and is good in coverage. He's a reliable tackler and wrapped up 95 as a senior. He might stay on the weakside of Detroit's unable to land Tulloch and is forced to keep Levy in the middle. He's got starting potential down the road, but should be a nice role player for the Lions as a rookie.

7th round, 209th overall) Johnny Culbreath - T - South Carolina State
Detroit's added a few pieces to try and solidify their left tackle position. Jeff Backus will likely beat out Tony Ugoh, Jason Fox, and Corey Hilliard, but it doesn't hurt to add another project. Culbreath goes 6'5" 280lbs, but is very fleet of foot. He'll have to make a pretty big jump in competition and might be looking at a position switch to guard until he's able to add enough bulk to kick outside to tackle. Culbreath should be a nice player to have on the practice squad, and should be able to serve as a depth player in a year or two at the very least.

Overall Grade: A
See, I told you I give out A's to some teams. While Detroit ignored weaknesses at left tackle and at cornerback, you have to realize they've been rebuilding from an 0-16 that had an enormous amount of holes. GM Martin Mayhew's done a nice job of plugging some of the gaps, but, as the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day. Detroit is a team that needs talent everywhere, and they landed talent at DT, WR, RB, and LB, and got a nice project along the offensive line. The Lions are a team on the rise and should be able to draw some decent free agents in the secondary and in the linebacking unit to help sure up their defense. With the players they added this year, they'll see significant impacts from Fairley, Young, and Leshoure, and should get some help from Doug Houge. It's hard to not really like what the Lions did and if they can get expected production out of their first three picks, they could feasibly make a run at cracking the .500 mark. It's unfortunate that they reside in the NFC North, because if they were in the West, you're probably looking at the division favorite. They did a great job, and now that they've proven to themselves they can win on the road, I think Detroit will be in the thick of things for the first half of the season.

KD's NFL Draft Grades - Minnesota Vikings

2011-06-14T11:29:00.004-04:00

Perhaps no team made a more shocking pick than the Vikings selection of Florida State Quarterback Christian Ponder with the 12th overall selection. Many draft experts were left shaking their heads at the pick, but we know now that had Minnesota not taken him, Miami had him atop their draft board at the 15th selection. However, I believe that Ponder was worth a 1st round pick in the middle of the round, so I don't consider it much of a reach for Minnesota, especially since they had a huge need at the position. Minnesota ended up with 10 total selections that they used to help fill in some of the holes on their roster. At a quick glance on paper, Minnesota's roster is pretty complete, and the horrific play of Brett Favre just showed how important quality play at the quarterback spot is.

1st round, 12th overall) Christian Ponder - QB - Florida State
You'll recall that I liked Ponder better than just about every quarterback prospect in the draft except Ryan Mallett when it comes to on-field skills, and unlike Mallett, Ponder's record is as clean as a whistle. Ponder's extremely smart having already completed his undergraduate degree in finance and his MBA, and he was working on a Masters of Sport Management in the spring of 2011. Most of Ponder's struggles at FSU were due to injuries, coaching changes, and very inexperienced wide receivers in Tallahassee.

How he fits in: Ponder should be in the mix to start from day one as Brett Favre is finally done, we think. Joe Webb and Rhett Bomar probably won't stand in Ponder's way, so unless a veteran is brought in via free agency or traded for, Ponder should get a handle on the job right away. Ponder's got decent size at 6'2" 229lbs and comes from a pro-style offense at Florida State. Jimbo Fisher kept the offense pretty simplistic due to the young receivers and skill players. Ponder's got decent arm strength, and his athleticsim is very good. You sort of have to color him as a crossbreed of Aaron Rodgers and Chad Pennington.

Outlook: Ponder will certainly benefit from being able to hand the ball of to Adrian Peterson. Minnesota has some nice weapons in Percy Harvin, Visanthe Shiancoe, and Sidney Rice, if they're able to re-sign him. The offensive line is good, but it's getting old. Bryant McKinnie is still a mountain of a man but he's lost a step. Steve Hutchinson isn't the best guard in the NFL any more, and Phil Loadholt looks great one week and like a turnstyle the next. That's where Ponder's athleticsim will factor in as he can extend the play outside the pocket and still keep his eyes downfield, much like Favre did running all over the field. Ponder will see action early, and he's my favorite of the first 4 guys drafted to succeed.

2nd round, 43rd overall) Kyle Rudolph - TE - Notre Dame
I won't profess to know how the Vikings will use the dynamic tight end early on, but one of my old co-workers was Rudolph's basketball coach in high school and still keeps in touch with him, and in fact, was with Rudolph when he was drafted. He relayed that the plan was for Minnesota to use Visanthe Shiancoe as the starter and rotate Rudolph and veteran Jim Kleinsasser based on the situation (Rudolph in passing sets, and Kleinsasser in running sets). Then, they'll make a decision to keep one of the two between Shiancoe and Kleinsasser to team with for the future going forward after the 2011 season. Rudolph brings tremendous size, athleticism, and hands to the position. He's an adequate blocker, and he'll get better over time. The key for him is to stay healthy. At 6'6" and 259lbs, he's a nightmare mismatch for anyone in a defenses back seven. He just has to stay on the field.

4th round, 106th overall) Christian Ballard - DT - Iowa
Ballard's stock took a hit when it came out when he failed a drug test at the Combine in February, which is pretty dumb to say the least because you know it's coming up. Regardless of his off the field habits, which are frequent among players anyway, Ballard is a legitimate top 50 talent, so Minnesota got a nice value pick here. Ballard's undersized compared to the "Williams Wall" made up of Kevin and Pat, who've been shutting down run games since the mid 2000s. Ballard stands in at 6'3" 284lbs, but like most Hawkeye defenders, he displays great technique to make up for the lack of size. He's versatile and can be lined up as a strongside DE in short yardage situations, and that may be what the Vikings have in mind as Ray Edwards, who is following Tom Zbikowski into professional boxing, is a free agent. Ballard will see plenty of snaps, be it at end or tackle, and he should make an immediate impact.

5th round, 139th overall) Brandon Burton - CB - Utah
The Vikings traded away Benny Sapp just before the season started last year and Antoine Winfield is getting pretty old. Asher Allen, Lito Sheppard, and Frank Walker are little more than average depth at this point, so Minnesota decided to add a potential future starter to its lineup. Utah's program has been churning out solid defensive prospects over the last several years, and I think they'll really surprise people in the new Pac-12 conference. They'll miss Burton's presence as he opted to entre the draft a year early. Obviously, Burton could've benefited from an extra year at school, but he brings nice size 5'11" 190lbs to the table. A two-year starter, he's gotten his hands on a lot of footballs notching 18 pbus and 3 picks the past two seasons. He'll probably start as a dime or nickel player as a rookie and will have the opportunity to learn from a savvy vet like Winfield, which will help him in the future. Getting Chris Cook and Cedric Griffin back from injury will make it harder for Burton to earn playing time.

6th round, 168th overall) Demarcus Love - T - Arkansas
Playing through a leg injury, Love had a horrendous showing at the Senior Bowl and dropped way down draft boards. He might even have to switch inside to guard at the NFL level because of his lack of athleticism. At 6'4" 315lbs he's stout enough to anchor against a bull-rush, but has trouble mirroring and sliding his feet against quicker rushers. He bounced back and forth between left and right tackle at Arkansas (switching sides in certain series thanks to a strange gimmick in Bobby Petrino's offense). His technique leaves something to be desired and he'll get caught lunging after defenders and struggles in space. Minnesota might be a good fit for him, but he'll have to compete with a slew of guards on the roster to earn playing time.

6th round, 170th overall) Mistral Raymond - S - South Florida
Minnesota had a need at safety after some dissapointing play from Tyrell Johnson and an injury to Madieu Williams. Raymond was an off-the-radar pick and was a one year starter for the Bulls. He notched 43 tackles (4.5 for loss) and an interception as a senior. He has just average size and might just be purely a competition pick for one of the reserve safety spots. He'll have to show something in the preseason either on defense or special teams just to make it through final cuts.

6th round, 172nd overall) Brandon Fusco - C - Slippery Rock
Fusco was an intriguing player at the Senior Bowl as he more than held his own against a much higher level of competition. He showed decently well at the Combine and even showed up with some added muscle from the Senior Bowl, checking in at 6'4" 306lbs. He's very athletic and is a very quick learner, so coaches will like him a lot. His technique is raw, as he often plays too high and has trouble finding and sticking with work at the second level. While I don't think he'll push the incumbent John Sullivan this year, he could very well push him next year or even be the eventual successor to the great Steve Hutchinson at left guard.

6th round, 200th overall) Ross Homan - LB - Ohio State
Minnesota's had a strong group of linebackers the past couple of seasons led by E.J. Henderson and Chad Greenway. Ben Leber is capable of holding his own, but there's almost zero depth aside from Jasper Brinkley. Homan was a tackling machine for the Buckeyes recording 108 stops as a junior and 72 as a senior. He's also decent when going back into coverage, but he's short so you can throw over the top of him to backs and tight ends. He dispelled a lot of concerns showing up to the Combine at 240lbs, up from the 225lbs he was playing at in Columbus. Homan won't start as long as Chad Greenway is a Viking, but he's certainly a player who is smart enough to grasp the defense enough to take Leber or Henderson off the field on 3rd downs and in nickel situations.

7th round, 215th overall) D'Aundre Reed - DE - Arizona
The third DE from the Wildcats program behind Brooks Reeds and Ricky Elmore, D'Aundre provides the Vikings with another option for depth along the D-line. Everson Griffen and Brian Robison currently hold the top two spots, but they're not much to write home about. Reed played in 34 games with 7 starts over his final two years at Arizona, and was an adequate player. He brings a nice combination of size and athleticism to the table, but he just hasn't been able to put everything together yet. He might have his best football in front of him still, but he looks like he's destined for the practice squad at this point.

7th round, 236th overall) Stephen Burton - WR - West Texas A&M
It's pretty rare to have two players from the Lone Star Conference go in the Draft, but that's what happened with Miami's Edmond Gates and the Vikings Stephen Burton. Burton is a big receiver at 6'4" 215lbs and has decent speed. Prior to his arrival at West Texas A&M, he was a kick returner for Long Beach Community College averaging 23.9 yards per return. He'll give the Vikings a tall receiver to throw to, but he's a project at best for right now.

Overall Grade: B
As Ponder goes, so goes this draft grade. I really like the pick, he's just got to prove it out on the field. Kyle Rudolph and Christian Ballard are both solid players who will see a lot of action right away. After that though, the Vikings added a lot of depth. They owned the 6th round with four selections, the best of whom will be C Brandon Fusco. Demarucs Love has a long way to go, but he might shape himself into a useful player for the Vikings, perhaps a swing tackle or 3rd grade with possible starting potential down the road. However, there's not a whole lot to be excited about having so many late round options and just three picks in the first four rounds. However, all three of those picks should be good, and if they can develop Brandon Burton and Brandon Fusco, this draft will have shaped up pretty nicely. Any additional production they can get from the likes of Mistral Raymond, D'Aundre Reed, and Stephen Burton is a bonus.

A Few Articles

2011-06-14T10:03:00.002-04:00

Hey readers,

I don't really have the time to copy and paste these articles in here, but I wanted to point your attention to an article I recently wrote for The Bleacher Report.

I'm currently corresponding for them for the U.S. Open, and they asked me to write about the most exciting finishes in U.S. Open history. Here's the link.

And in case you missed my posting of the 10 Most Devastating Franchise Relocations in History, here's the TGTS link, and here's the link I posted on The Bleacher Report.

KD's NFL Draft Grades - Houston Texans

2011-06-13T15:57:00.003-04:00

For several years now the Houston Texans have had a very potent offense formed from a solid, yet underrated offensive line, and two impressive trios. First it was Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, and Steve Slaton. Now, Slaton has fallen off the map and Arian Foster led the NFL in rushing after bursting onto the scene the final 3 weeks of the 2009 season. Former Texans GM Charlie Casserly has been vindicated for his choosing defensive end, and now outside linebacker, Mario Williams over Reggie Bush who I think we can now label as a rather large bust. The Texans had been on the cusp of the playoffs and had the league buzzing when they defeated arch-rival Indianapolis in week one this year. However, the secondary was absolutely torched, roasted, burned, and any other adjective you can think of that correlates them to the Maginot Line as they couldn't stop a nosebleed, let alone a pass. Former Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips has come in to run the defense, and he'll install his trademark 3-4, giving the AFC 9 teams (the entire AFC East, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, San Diego, Kansas City, and now the Texans) that will be running the odd front. Houston needed parts to install it, so let's check out what they did.

1st round, 11th overall) J.J. Watt - DE - Wisconsin
I was at the Ohio State vs. Wisconsin game this past season when J.J. Watt sacked Terrelle Pryor in the 4th quarter to essentially clinch the game for the Badgers. I told my friend, and faithful TGTS reader, JM that Watt would be a top 20 pick in the draft. Well, J.J. almost cracked the top 10. The former TE from Central Michigan became an absolute force in Wisconsin's defense the past two seasons. Watt has tremendous size at 6'5" 290lbs and his athleticism blows away just about every other 5 technique's in the Draft (Cal's Cameron Jordan might've had him here, but he went to the Saints who run a 4-3, so that question will go unanswered, but Watt is unquestionably more talented that Jared Odrick, the first 5-technique end drafted in 2010, who played 3 quarters for my Dolphins before breaking his foot and ending his season on IR, but I digress) and had Watt looking like he could fit in either defense.

How he fits in: It wasn't that much of a secret prior to the Draft, if you knew where to look, that Mario Williams was going to make the switch to 3-4 OLB, giving the Texans a pass-rusher who has double-digit sack capabilities. With what the Texans had on their roster, Watt will likely start opposite either Antonio Smith or Shaun Cody, with Watt manning the strongside. Mario Williams will move to the weakside spot opposite the winner of the Brooks Reed vs. Connor Barwin battle - more on that later. Watt's got a tremendous motor, and combined with his size and speed, he should excel at penetrating and stuffing the run much like Marcus Spears of the Cowboys, whom Phillips also coahced, did in his first two years.

Outlook: With Aldon Smith off the board, the Texans had to narrow down their choice to Watt, Prince Amukamara, and Robert Quinn, and with Quinn being suspended for the previous season, it was really a two-man battle. However, front seven players in the 3-4 are rare and hard to find, so I can't fault the Texans at all for pulling the trigger on a DE rather than a corner despite their depleted secondary, especially a prospect that's as good as J.J. Watt is. Watt's the type of guy who'll be a 10 year starter in the NFL and will be good every year, so I'd have to rate this as a fantastic pick for the Texans.

2nd round, 46th overall) Brooks Reed - OLB - Arizona
When Connor Barwin was lost for the season with this week one ankle injury (WARNING - don't click the link if you've got a weak stomach!) you really can't give someone a fair timeline. With Barwin's health in question, the Texans needed someone opposite Mario Williams as they plan to keep DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing in the middle, which quite frankly, makes their front 7 pretty scary. Brooks Reed fit the bill. A bigger prospect at 6'2" 263lbs and has drawn comparisons to Clay Matthews. I'm not sure I buy those comparisons, but Reed is a decent player in his own right. Much like Watt, he's got a relentless motor and is very physical. He needs to work on his pass-rush moves and struggles to disengage from blocks. He'll also have to drop into coverage in Phillips' scheme, which is something he's never done.

2nd round, 60th overall) Brandon Harris - CB - Miami
It seems like a long time since a Hurricanes DB has been drafted in the first round, and many thought Harris had an outside chance of being selected there this year. Harris, a smaller, but speedy corner checks in at 5'9" 191lbs. He profiles as more of a nickel guy, which the Texans need, but he should have every chance to earn a starting role in what should be an open competition with Glover Quinn, Kareem Jackson, Jason Allen, and fellow rookie Rashad Carmichael. Harris isn't good against the run, and is something of a gambler when he plays on the outside. He'll reward you with it, and he'll get burned by it, so he should fit into the Texans secondary very well. Sarcasm aside, Harris is the most athletically gifted corner Houstn has aside from Jason Allen, so he might break into the starting lineup earlier than most think. At the very least, I think he's a solid nickel or dime back who'll work his way up quickly.

4th round, 127th overall) Rashad Carmichael - CB - Virginia Tech
Another small corner was added to the Texans abysmal secondary with the selection of VPI's (Hokie fans will get that) "Rock" Carmichael. Carmichael's not as athletic as Harris and will be limited to playing the boundary corner (the short side of the field and/or covering a teams #2 receiver - traditionally the teams right cornerback). He's a lot tougher against the run than Harris is and he was a special teams standout at Virginia Tech. I think he's got a good shot at being the dime cornerback and and playing on special teams right away. He'll have to really improve his football IQ to ever crack the starting lineup though as he, again like Harris, is a gambler who gets burned.

5th round, 155th overall) Shiloh Keo - S - Idaho
The Texans really needed some safety help as they ended the year with just three guys on the gameday roster. Bernard Pollard, their SS (the same Bernard Pollard that wrecked Tom Brady's knee in 2008) is a liability in coverage but is very good against the run. Quentin Demps has been a career backup, and Troy Nolan is a relative unknown at FS. So, the Texans added Keo, another slow, unathletic SS type, which was really a head-scratching move to me. Keo's draft stock went up early in the process as he was ultra-productive for the Vandals notching 170 tackles, 10 pass breakups and 6 INTs the past two seasons, letting everyone know he'd regained his form from 2006-07 (a shoulder injury in 2008 forced him to have surgery after just 5 games). He was invited to the Combine and was not impressive and showed up looking more like a barroom brawler than a strong safety. If he impresses on special teams, he could stick and phase out Quentin Demps, but the Texans really needed a centerfielder type, and Keo is not that by any means.

5th round, 152nd overall) T.J. Yates - QB - North Carolina
Matt Leinart and Dan Orlovsky aren't great options as a backup quarterback, so the Texans felt they needed to add depth behind Matt Schaub. And man, they landed a potential diamond in the rough in T.J. (Taylor) Yates. Yates was one of the sleeper QB prospects in this year's class that has a legitimate shot to earn a starter's role down the road. Much like the man ahead of him, Matt Schaub, who bided his time as a 3rd round pick sitting behind Michael Vick in Atlanta, Yates may go the same route. He's athletic, has a better deep ball than any of the big-name quarterbacks not named Ryan Mallett (Yes, it's better than Newton, Gabbert, and Locker's. Fact.) and is already a master of the play-action game, which is rare for college guys these days. The Texans use it a lot, and they use it well, so he'll be ahead of the curve somewhat in that regard. He comes from a pro-style offense, but it remains to be seen how good he really is as he had the benefit of playing with guys like Hakeem Nicks, Robert Tate, Brooks Foster, Richard Quinn, Greg Little, and Johnny White at Chapel Hill, all of whom are in the NFL now.

7th round, 214th overall) Derek Newton - T/G - Arkansas State
The Texans got another steal here in Derek Newton. Newton carried a 5th round grade by many, so the Texans get a nice value pick here. They're set at the tackle spots with Duane Brown and Eric Winston, but at left guard, they could face a hole in a season or two. Former starter Mike Brisiel is a free agent, and his fill-in from last year Wade Smith, is a career journeyman, though he looked the part in 2010. Either way, Newton's a good insurance policy, and at 6'4" 311lbs is pretty athletic, which the Texans require in their zone-blocking scheme. Once he adjusts to the level of competition in a season or two, he should be able to compete for a starting job at one of the guard spots.

7th round, 254th overall) Cheta Ozougwu - LB - Rice
With the Mr. Irrelevant pick, the Texans stayed right in their own back yard taking Rice defensive end Cheta Ozougwu, not cheddar as the old guy on stage prouncounced it. An undersized guy at 6'1" 247lbs, he may be more a candidate to backup Ryans and Cushing in the middle, as Phillips has always liked to have an ILB who can rush the passer. As a former DE, Ozougwu qualifies, and brings a little more size to the party than Xavier Adibi, Zach Diles, and Kevin Bently do. If they stick him on the outside, a more natural transition, he, Mark Anderson, Tim Jamison, and Stanford Keglar will compete for the backup roles, along with the loser of the Reed vs. Barwin battle. He's a longshot to stick on the roster, but he's got a sweet name and he's Mr. Irrelevant. I think he's a practice squad candidate.

Overall Grade: B+
If you're starting to wonder if any teams got an "A" grade, yes they did. And I would have given the Texans one had they addressed the free safety position. Were guys like Jeron Johnson, DeAndre McDaniel, Joe Lefeged, and Eugene Clifford not even on the board at the Mr. Irrelevant pick? If they weren't, then shame on the Texans if they don't improve their pass defense this year. Yeah, all four went undrafted for one reason or another, but all four have a better chance to make the Texans roster than Shiloh Keo and Cheta Ozougwu. The FS position aside, I thought the Watt and Reed picks were fantastic choices. Brandon Harris and Rashad Carmichael bring some nice things to the table, but you've got to hope former 1st-rounder Kareem Jackson can beat out one of those two for a starting role. T.J. Yates was a boon, and he might net them some higher draft choices in the future. While he's not quite a Kevin Kolb type of commodity, he's certainly approaching the ballpark of Matt Flynn right off the bat. Derek Newton could also be a nice steal and an eventual starter, but when you have such glaring needs on one particular unit and you don't address it with a stud player, you're in trouble. Now, if they Texans go out and land Nnamdi Asomugha and Quentin Mikell in free agency, I'll bump this grade up to an A, but for now, it stands as a B+.

6/13 Quick Hits and Weekend Happenings

2011-06-13T09:24:00.002-04:00

Hey there everybody, let's do a little weekend recap!

NBA: Rest easy City o' Cleveland. Your fallen superstar will NOT win a title this year. The Dallas Mavericks finished off the Miami Heat in astounding fashion - the Heat didn't pack a punch at all in the fourth quarter - and brought the team its first every championship trophy.

Halfway through the fourth quarter of Game 2, this series looked like a mismatch as Dallas was already in a 0-1 hole and stared at the scoreboard, down 15 points. But they stormed back, and won Games 3, 4, and 5 to let Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry enact their revenge on the Heat for the 2006 NBA Finals loss. A few notes on my general thoughts for the Series:

1. Good for the Dallas Mavericks franchise, even though I picked them to lose in EVERY postseason series this year. I for one, love owner Marc Cuban. I think he's funny, really connects with the players, and is entertaining for the fans. It's good to see him win a title.

2. Dirk Nowitzki really solidifies himself as one of the all-time greats with a championship victory and Finals MVP. When Bill Simmons' "The Book of Basketball" came out in 2009, he ranked Dirk as the 37th best in NBA history (for the record, he had Jason Kidd at 42, LeBron James at 20, and Dwayne Wade at an astonishingly-low 53). But now he HAS to go down as one of the best shooters in history, as well as the best European player of all time. Seeing the emotions as he hoisted the trophy was fantastic, and you can't help but like the guy.

3. I can't really see this season as a failure like the media seems to be portraying it. If the Heat has missed the playoffs altogether, or lost in the first round, it would have been a failure. This team had difficulties all season long, and they weathered the storm. With the weight of the world on their back, they beat a very good Celtics team and the best regular season team this year in the Bulls. They'll be back here. No doubt in my mind.

4. Finally, the whole Dwayne Wade/LBJ situation. Look at those numbers again from the "Book of Basketball." Does Wade really deserve to be 53rd, and James at 20? First off, let's put to rest the idea that James is the alpha dog of the Heat. Because he isn't. That's Dwayne Wade's team, no question. James is this team's Magic Johnson, and Wade is this team's Michael Jordan. Even when James had a triple double in Game 5, he couldn't take the game over in crunch time. He didn't slash to the hoop, and last night there were at least three occasions when he could have risen up for an easy layup but optioned for a fancy dish to a teammate that wasn't expecting it. Lebron disappointed me in this series, but Wade didn't. In my mind, that's all the argument I need to show that this is Wade's team.

MLB: The big news in the MLB this week is word from the MLB executives that a realignment movement has been brought into discussion. Apparently, this is a real possibility and a move that I think needs to happen. The NL has 16 teams, and the AL has 14, creating an inequality in playoff chances between the leagues. The word on the street is that the Houston Astros will be the team to move over to the AL to create a natural rivalry with the Texas Rangers - again, a logical move. The interesting thing is that the MLB is considering having two 15 team divisions and eliminating the East, Central, West division scheme we see today. Why, you ask? Because the Blue Jays and Orioles have no shot at the playoffs behind the Red Sox and the Yankees in the AL East. A final decision on this is months or even years away, so stay tuned.

The Milwaukee Brewers swept the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend to take the lead in the NL Central (sigh) behind Zack Greinke's arm and Prince Fielder's bat. The NL Central race is shaping up to be a doozy, with three teams (including the Reds) with a legitimate shot to win the title.

Welcome back to reality, Cleveland Indians. After a fantastic start and early eight game AL Central lead, the Indians have lost 9 of their last 10 to fall into a tie at the top with the surging Detroit Tigers. The Yankees took three from the Tribe this weekend as surfire first-ballot Hall of Famer Derek Jeter got his 2,993rd hit yesterday, moving him closer to being the 28th player in MLB history with 3,000 hits.

NFL: Not much to report on the NFL front, but apparently the LA Sports Commission has had talks with five teams about moving to Los Angeles. The City of Angels - America's second largest metropolitan area - hasn't had a franchise since the mid 1990's. The teams in question: San Diego; Minnesota; Oakland; Jacksonville; and St. Louis. I find it interesting that the two teams that left LA in the mid 1990's - the Rams and Raiders - have discussed moving back. To me, Jacksonville seems to be the most logical choice, as they have had trouble selling tickets for years. Once again, this issue is months if not years from being finished, so stay tuned.

Soccer: Apparently there's a really important soccer tournament going on - The Gold Cup. The championship for North America (including the Carribean islands), if the U.S. wins we automatically qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Unfortunately, we lost to Panama in a shocker Saturday afternoon. But fear not American soccer fans. We still can win the title and qualify for Brazil.

On Tap This Week:

NHL - Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals is tonight. Roberto Luongo played a stellar game in goal to give the Vancouver Canucks a 1-0 victory on Friday night. Tim Thomas and the Bruins hope to take Game 6 tonight in Boston and take the series back to Vancouver for a deciding Game 7.

PGA Tour - One of my favorite weeks of the year, our national championship begins this week at Congressional Country Club in Washington D.C. The U.S. Open is golf's toughest test, as more players shoot in the 80's than in the 60's. Look for a winning score around par in a tournament that has a wide open field. Tiger's not playing, so I suggest you watch to familiarize yourself with some of the players that will be taking over the game in the years to come.