Canal Street Chronicles

2010 CSC Community Mock Draft: The Seattle Seahawks Select...

2010-03-17T18:00:43Z

The fourteenth pick in our second annual CSC community mock draft is now up, meaning the Seattle Seahawks are on the clock. For the first time ever we have two brothers and CSC members, saints fan in cowboyland! and bayoumaverick, teaming up to make the pick, thanks to an obvious clerical error on my part. Fortunately, they were able to agree on which player to choose. Read on to find out who they picked.

Thanks to saints fan in cowboyland! and bayoumaverick for their participation.

With the fourteenth pick in the CSC community mock draft, the Seattle Seahawks select...

Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech

The Seattle Seahawks are in a state of transition. But in the volatile division that the NFC west is, that transition can be quicker than you realize. With the Kurt Warner show done in the desert, and the Rams, well their the Rams, the Seahawks could find themselves in a battle with the niners for the division with a couple of strategic moves and the good health of some key veterans.

This would have been a lot easier if C.J. Spiller would not have been taken off the board one pick earlier. I believe he is a Chris Johnson-like talent, with a slightly bigger frame. Would be great in Seattle! However, that is not the case. The Seahawks have several needs which include offensive line, defensive end, safety, and running back.

The need at running back can be addressed in the second and third rounds. This draft is bottom heavy at RB. Only one or two first round talents in this one, but a lot of value later on in the draft. Someone like Ryan Mathews of Fresno State or Demarco Murray. Either of these players in the second round could help with the missing big play aspect in Seattle's offense. They can both catch the ball out of the back field and demonstrate the ability to take it to the house anytime they touch the ball.

I also believe that they will have to draft a quarterback of the future very soon. Hasselbeck has been suffering from disc issues in his back and that injury does not go away. If Clausen or Bradford is still available with the sixth pick, I believe they would be inclined to look real hard at that position. I love the pick of Eric Berry, though. Too early to look at any other quarterback's at fourteen.

Under this mock draft the safety position is now filled by Eric Berry of Tennessee, selected earlier with their first of two first round picks. He will come in and start day one. He should fit right in with Carroll's defensive mind. He is a playmaker, and Carroll will find a way to exploit his talent.

As for the offensive line, they have used many first and second round picks on this unit. It has not yielded the success many in Seattle would have wanted the last few years. Injuries to the quarterback have not helped matters either. Injuries and contract squabbles with future hall of fame LT Walter Jones has handcuffed them during these last four years. The fact of the matter is, they have to look to the future at LT eventually. I believe Jones can still be effective for a year or two, but two guys they might look at here are tackle Anthony Davis from Rutgers and guard Mike Iupati from Idaho. Davis is 6'6" and 325lbs. He was the standout on a very good Rutgers O-line. Huge man, but only benched pressed 21 times, which is alarming. I must question his work ethic when the other top linemen are pumping it up 30+ reps. Plus he bailed on his pro day the morning of, claiming a hamstring injury. Don't think he will be picked here and his stock is falling after wasting the scouts time at his pro day.

The other offensive lineman I like here is Iupati from Idaho. He is listed as a guard but his 6'6" 330lbs frame say otherwise. I believe he could start at guard and transition later in his career to tackle. Scouts say that he moves much better than most guards, but is not as good in pass protection. Playing next to Jones for a year or two, he could be coached into the ability to play tackle in two or three years. I liken him to Carl Nicks. He is moving up the draft boards, but the Seahawks are looking for value and Iupati is probably a later first round selection.

In this transition period, it is important to draft value and not need because they have a lot of needs. I believe the best value at this spot is defensive end Derrick Morgan of Georgia Tech. He is 6'4" and weighs in at 275lbs. Many experts say that Morgan will be gone in the top 10 so at fourteen, the value is there. He is a perfect fit to play opposite of Kerney to solidify a horrible pass rush last year. He is a speed pass rush guy and is a better fit in the 4-3 being run in Seattle.

If Seattle would land Eric Berry and Derrick Morgan, find an offensive playmaker in the second and add line depth in the later rounds the Seahawks might be able to compete for the division; which isn't really saying much.

Poll

Do you agree with this pick?

Justin Fargas Visiting Saints

2010-03-17T15:07:16Z

Finally, some news to report; it's about time. WWLTV reports that Justin Fargas, formerly of the Oakland Raiders, is visiting the Saints and their offer is based on whether or not they're thinking of matching the Eagles offer for Mike Bell.

Personally, I love the move. He won't be anything more than a third running back; He's 30 years old but still has some gas left in the tank.

Running back Justin Fargas could possibly be the Saints first offseason acquisition.

The eighth-year pro was in New Orleans on Tuesday night, eating dinner with Saints officials at Emeril’s in the Warehouse District, a source confirmed to Eyewitness Sports.

The visit could be tied into whether the team decides to match the Philadelphia Eagles’ contract offer with Mike Bell, which was signed Tuesday. It was Bell’s second visit this offseason after the Saints tendered the running back at the lowest possible compensation.

New Orleans has seven days to match the Eagles’ offer sheet.

In seven seasons with the Oakland Raiders, Fargas rushed for 3,369 yards and 10 touchdowns on 827 carries. He fumbled 10 times, losing only four.

But Fargas missed the final two games of the 2009 season with a knee injury and the Raiders cut ties with him this offseason, citing his inability to pass a physical.

Fargas, though, disputes that and he has taken visits with the Browns and Eagles so far during the free agency period.

Poll

Would you like to see the Saints sign Fargas?

Mike Bell: Should He Stay or Should He Go Now?

2010-03-17T11:00:45Z

By now we've all heard the news that Mike Bell has gotten an offer from the Philadelphia Eagles, a one-year deal worth $1.7 million. Mad props to Grumps for his coverage of all the action yesterday. But since there's absolutely nothing else to discuss, we may as well talk about it a little more.

When Bell made his first free agent visit to Seattle over a week ago, I asked all of you whether you thought the Saints would let Mike Bell sign with another team. Eighty-one percent of you thought they would and I agree with the majority. I wouldn't be surprised if Bell wasn't in a Saints uniform next season. In fact, I'm probably more surprised that he's garnered so much interest in the free agent market, but not having any draft pick compensation attached to you will do that. Now that Bell has signed an offer sheet with the Eagles, the Saints have one week to match the offer or let Bell walk. We're going to find out who was right and who was wrong.

It would seem pretty obvious that if the Saints really cared about Mike Bell remaining a Saint, they wouldn't have made such a low tender and at such a late date. But as the Times-Pic speculates, maybe the team really does want Bell and were just being a little cute with the numbers...

It's also possible that the Saints were gambling that they could keep him for less money, but that they'll be willing to up the ante now that they're hand is being forced.

Perhaps. It would be a smart move. I still doubt it, however, and don't expect the team to match.

Just for old times sake, I'm gonna throw up another poll asking if you think the Saints will let Mike Bell walk, the same question asked eleven days ago. It will be interesting to see if results remain the same or if opinion has changed now that the hour is actually upon us and more details have been revealed.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Poll

Will the Saints let Mike Bell sign with the Eagles?

2010 CSC Community Mock Draft: The San Francisco 49ers Select...

2010-03-16T18:00:26Z

We're up to lucky number thirteen in our second annual CSC community mock draft. The thirteenth pick is owned by the San Francisco 49ers in this years draft so they're on the clock. Hustl504 will be representing the team and your host for the day. Find out who he's going with for the Niners by making the jump.

Thank you very much to Hustl504 for his participation.

With the thirteenth pick in the CSC community mock draft, the San Francisco 49ers select ...

C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson University

The two most glaring needs for the 49ers this offseason are right tackle and cornerback. However, top prospects Russell Okung, Bruce Campbell, and Joe Haden are already off the board. San Francisco still has two viable in Brian Bulaga and Trent Williams to shore up their line. However, one of the two will almost definitely be available for San Francisco’s next pick at number seventeen. Additionally, division rival Seattle picks next, and one of their core needs this year is at running back. With the luxury of two picks in the first round this year, the 49ers are going with a screw-your-rival/best-player-available strategy with their first pick of the draft.

Looking at the 49ers on offense, we already see a solid core of young, talented players.

Quarterback – Alex Smith. Check.

Wide Receiver – Michael Crabtree. Check.

Tight End – Vernon Davis. Check.

Running Back – Frank Gore. Check.

This begs the question, "Why draft another offensive skill position?"

As we’ve seen in the past few years, the concept of a running back by committee has become the norm throughout the NFL. The 49ers possess an outstanding workhorse, when healthy, in Frank Gore. However, his injury concerns leave San Francisco grasping for a reliable backup should he go out of commission again. Backup Glenn Coffee, the Niners’ thirdround pick last year, averaged a paltry 2.7 yards per carry in limited action last season. The talent behind Coffee in San Francisco’s backfield is practically nonexistent. One thing we’ve learned as Saints fans is that you can never have too much depth at running back. Enter C.J. Spiller.

via www.takoma.com

After an electric true freshman year sharing time with James Davis where Spiller rushed for 938 yards on 129 carries, his production gradually declined over his sophomore and junior years, rushing for 768 and 629 yards, respectively. Electing to return for his senior year for the opportunity to be Clemson’s feature back, Spiller proved he could successfully handle the workload. In 2009, Spiller rushed for 1212 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding another 503 yards and 4 touchdowns receiving. He also proved himself to be an electrifying returner, scoring an additional five special teams touchdowns and averaging 26.3 yards on punt returns and 32.8 yards on kick returns.

via farm2.static.flickr.com

Spiller’s explosive playmaking ability was gauged in two events at the Combine, where he posted a blazing 40-yard dash time of 4.37 seconds and a respectable 18 bench press repetitions.

via jacksonville.com

Some see Spiller as a potential Reggie Bush prototype who may suffer from too much dancing and not enough strength to succeed in the NFL. However, this risk pales in comparison to Spiller’s potential in his explosiveness and play-making abilities in three phases of the offensive game. Mike Singletary’s interest in re-establishing San Francisco’s run game goes no further than C.J. Spiller at thirteen overall.

Poll

Do you agree with this pick?

The Most Boring Off-Season Ever Heating Up?

2010-03-16T11:00:37Z

zzzzz....zzzzz....zzzzz....

Oh, sorry; didn't see you there. I guess I must've fallen asleep. Can you blame me? This has got to be the most boring, uneventful off-season in the history of all off-season's. Not that it's a surprise, of course, just that I had no idea it would actually be this boring. You know something is seriously wrong if both Canal Street Chronicles and the Times-Pic are finding inspiration from Pro Football Talk.

The unrestricted free agency period has been, ironically, restricted for the Saints thanks to the new CBA provisions for top playoff teams so there aren't many possible free agent acquisitions to discuss and debate. Once Fujita left for Cleveland and the team was finally allowed to join the fun, most of the players they'd scheduled visits with either cancelled or signed with another team (Delhomme, Little, Kemoeatu). James Hall is the only player they might sign but that's looking neither likely nor interesting.

So I've made that inspiration of our featured poll on the left sidebar for a little while here. Go cast your vote. It's also the first topic up for debate and consideration. Feel free to also use this thread to discuss previous off-seasons and how they compare to this one so far. What was the most exciting off-season in Saints history? And by all means, share your thoughts on how you think this off-season is shaping up thus far.

If there has been anything noteworthy to talk about this off-season it is other teams' interest in Saints free agents and the depressing, worrisome fear that the front office might let our championship team be picked apart like a Thanksgiving turkey. Scott Fujita's gone, Charles Grant got the axe, Sharper's status is still up in the air, Mike Bell requires no compensation to sign elsewhere and now Anthony Hargrove is attracting interest. There are quite a few key names on that list.

Honestly, I think given the amount of free agents the Saints had to deal with this off-season, they've done a good job of "showing the love" and appear to have made some smart, tough decisions in an effort to save some money and not overpay (see: Sharper). Since many of the players they had to handle in free agency were restricted, however, and since that part of the free agency period doesn't heat up until the unrestricted free agency period cools, the possibility of future pillaging does exist. It's important to remember that they just can't keep everyone; it's the nature of the beast. Especially given their apparently high payroll and with future contracts to think about.

Hargrove's scheduled visit to Detroit may signal that drying up of the unrestricted free agent pool and forecast the league-wide movement of teams beginning to dip into the restricted free agent market. Since we don't have much else to talk about, I am making that the second topic for today. If Hargrove were made an offer, the Saints would then have the option to match that offer or let him walk and receive a third round draft pick. What would you prefer to see the Saints do if put in that situation? Is Hargrove a valuable part of this team or would a third round pick be of better use? Is the off-season about to get more exciting and possibly more worrisome?

Poll

If an offer is made to Anthony Hargrove, should the Saints match or take the draft pick?

Bell to Visit Flappy Birds (aka Eagles)

2010-03-15T22:14:02Z

Bell to Visit Flappy Birds (aka Eagles)

Restricted free agent Mike Bell will visit the Eagles on Tuesday.
Birds beat writer Jeff McLane reported last week that Bell was "unlikely" to land in Philly, so the team may only make a minimum salary-level offer during the visit. Bell would be a short-yardage specialist with the Eagles.

New Orleans Saints restricted free agent defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove visiting the Detroit Lions | - NOLA.com

2010-03-15T20:39:06Z

New Orleans Saints restricted free agent defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove visiting the Detroit Lions | - NOLA.com

New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove, a restricted free agent, will visit the Detroit Lions tonight and Tuesday, according to a league source.

The Saints would have the right to match any offer Hargrove might sign with another team. Or if they chose not to match an offer, they would receive a third-round draft pick as compensation -- Hargrove's original draft round.

2010 CSC Community Mock Draft: The Miami Dolphins Select...

2010-03-15T11:00:41Z

Next up are the Miami Dolphins with the twelfth pick in our second annual community mock draft. Like last year, the Fins will be represented by CSC member, jful. To find out who he thought was the best fit for Miami, keep reading.

My sincere thanks to jful for this participation.

With the twelfth overall pick in the CSC community mock draft, the Miami Dolphins select...

Jason Pierre-Paul, DE/OLB, South Florida

via www.tampabay.com

The Miami Dolphins unquestionably have a shot at an AFC East title in 2010; it's no longer safe to assume the Patriots own the division. However, in order to remain competitive with the Pats, the surprisingly strong Jets, and the rebounding Bills (haha, just kidding. Sorry Bills fans), the Dolphins have to address their defensive needs in the first round. This may come as a disappointment to some Miami fans - many of my friends around here are concerned about their running backs (Ronnie Brown's recovery and Ricky Williams' age), finding a true number one wide receiver (Dez Bryant would be attractive, if he were still available), and their depth along the defensive line (Jason Ferguson's certainly not getting any younger). However, developing a formidable pass rush should be the first priority for the Dolphins' front office, and I think that's true for a few reasons.

First, as other teams with many needs to fill have found out, one big-play offensive superstar will not turn a franchise around. Additionally, the Dolphins offense is solid enough. They have a solid ground game, and they seem to have the most successful integration of the "Wildcat" of any team in the league. Chad Henne is still developing as a quarterback, but he appears to have the physical tools to be successful in the NFL; and while the receiving corps in Miami doesn't post eye-popping stats, they have a diverse set of skills among their young, developing receivers.

Second, the primary contributors to the Dolphins' pass rush are gone: Joey Porter was released; his nine sacks led the team. Jason Taylor is a still-unsigned free agent (his seven sacks were second-most), and I'm pretty sure he's turning like 45 this year and/or becoming a professional ballroom dancer. The Karlos Dansby pick-up was big for solidifying the interior of the linebacker corps, but there is still a glaring need for an outside pass rusher. In the modern NFL, premier pass rushers are behind only franchise quarterbacks and left tackles in terms of importance, so the Dolphins have to fill this hole in their defense with the twelfth overall pick. Jason Pierre-Paul may be the perfect solution.

(I'd draft him just for the hit around the 1:17 mark)

He's 6'5", 270lbs., and he ran a 4.64 40-yard dash. That's pretty ridiculous. Jason Pierre-Paul has been talked about as a bit of a gamble because of apparent academic troubles, lack of experience, and other "intangibles" -whatever those are (Tebow's got boatloads!) - but there's no doubt he has some pretty freakish athletic ability.

Right? Pretty athletic guy, to say the least. I can't see Parcells & co. opting for a wide receiver when finding a replacement outside linebacker is so critical, especially since the high-profile, loud-mouthed Porter often failed to live up to his own billing.

Jason Pierre-Paul has a skill that would fill in nicely: he's fast, athletic, and very strong, with ridiculously long arms and the ability to put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. He could provide an immediate boost to the turnover department (something we Saints fans can attest to the importance of), which last season was pretty bad; an eight turnover differential is never a good thing.

Some mock drafts have him going as high as third overall (I can't imagine that), but he's popularly considered a top-10 pick. I mention that because I think, other than Suh and McCoy, there isn't a defensive tackle worth taking at twelfth overall, nor is there another pass rusher who is clearly a superior prospect (although I personally like Jerry Hughes better, but I'm no expert so who cares). As a result, Jason Pierre-Paul doesn't have to worry about moving; he'll start his NFL career in South Florida.

Poll

Do you agree with this pick?

Mike Florio Bashes Reggie Bush

2010-03-14T18:12:46Z

More photos » David J. Phillip - AP

Browse more photos »

Came across this article yesterday from our friend Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk. If you haven't read it yet, do so now. It's short and won't take but a minute. In it, Florio reacts to Mickey Loomis' statement that the Saints would be keeping Reggie Bush at his current salary in 2010.

Honestly, I really think Florio's main purpose with this article was to point out the possibility of a bad management decision on the part of the Saints front office. But whether it was intended or not, it comes off more as a hidden-agenda attack on Bush's ability and production. I'm only now getting a chance to comment on it because I wasn't really sure what to make of it. Like a deer in headlights, I was frozen. Here are a few bits and pieces that I am choosing to nitpick:

It is, in our view, a move that has more to do with business and less to do with football. It can't be about football, because Bush doesn't bring $8 million worth of football value to the table.

Can value really be defined? Reggie, like a rare coin to a numismatist or a mahogany floral carved Victorian chest to Leslie Keno, is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for him. If the Saints are willing to give him $8 million, than that's how much the team values Reggie. I'm not so sure it's really up to Florio to determine any players value, let alone Reggie's in Sean Payton's offense.

No, this is about maintaining the Bayou post-Super Bowl buzz, about selling jerseys, about keeping the fans from engaging in an all-out revolt.

Have you ever even met a Saints fan, Mike? World War III breaking out during Woodstock was more likely than Saints fans putting together any kind of revolt after finally watching their team win the Super Bowl. It's all kumbaya down here, baby. In forty-three years we've never been happier; now is the least likely time this fan base would do anything of the sort. In Payton and Loomis we trust. So if they thought they could do without Bush, I'm sure most of us would just go along with it. Besides, given Reggie's penchant for being so controversial among Saints fans, getting rid of him might actually cut back on some of the in-fighting.

But of all the things Florio says in this article, I find one statement above all else to be the most controversial and this is where I'll leave it for you guys to take over the discussion...

Though the Saints likely would have won the Super Bowl without Bush...

What do you think?

Poll

Would the Saints have won the Super Bowl without Reggie Bush?

2010 CSC Community Mock Draft: The Denver Broncos Select...

2010-03-14T11:00:28Z

The picks keep coming in our second annual community mock draft here at Canal Street Chronicles. The Denver Broncos are now on the clock with the eleventh pick. CSC member vicvega26 is responsible for making today's selection. Make the jump to see who he's chosen.

Thank you very much for your participation, vicvega26.

With the eleventh pick in the CSC community mock draft, the Denver Broncos select ...

Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State University

Since we are talking about the draft first I'd like to point out something I think is funny about last years draft. We gave up our 5th round pick for Thomas Morstead. A lot of fans were upset about this, myself included. It's one of those things where we all have to say, "Ok Mr. Payton, you told us so."

Not only did he punt really well (I almost wrote "for a rookie" here but I don't think that is needed) but he also kicked off and for the most part did that really well. He had a huge play in the biggest game of the season. And to top it all off, the Eagles get the worst 5th round draft pick they could possibly get. It might as well have been a 6th rounder. The reason for that is the New Orleans Saints are the World Champions! I just can't say that enough. The New Orleans Saints are the WORLD CHAMPIONS!!

On to the Denver Broncos. They were the "Surprise/Surprise/Not surprised" team of last season. They seemed to be in disarray coming into the season. They had a very young rookie head coach coming in and butting heads with the "franchise" quarterback as he's walking through the door (I think they may have dated the same girl in college or something but I have nothing to back that up so don't quote me) and their best player is always, well, he's a...umm...kind of a...sort of a...uhhhh...lets just go with distraction. He's one of the most dominant receivers in the game, no doubt, but he's a problem none the less. Did I say problem? I meant distraction. Distraction!!

So I think jumping out to a 6-0 start was shocking to pretty much everyone. After a 6-0 start there were people believing that the Broncos were for real. Surprise! Then they dropped their next four, with one of those losses at the hands of the Washington Redskins who were 2-6 at the time. Surprise! People who thought they were real: they weren't. They started out hot and burnt out by the end. Typical post-John Elway Denver Broncos. Not surprised.

The Broncos have a solid team and are headed in the right direction but they have some holes to fill. They have some holes to fill now and some holes that are developing, particularly in the secondary, that they need to start filling for the future. They could possibly take a "quarterback of the future" with this pick should one be available but I don't think they should. Kyle Orton didn't play that bad last year throwing 21 touchdowns to 12 interceptions and ending with an 86.8 quarterback rating. Also, I'm having a hard time believing in any of the youngsters coming out in this draft.

With the recent departure of veteran center Casey Wiegmann they could definitely use some interior offensive line help but I believe you can find solid interior linemen in the later rounds. If Brandon Marshall were to leave, which is always possible, then they could really use a wide receiver like Dez Bryant. They have their running back of the future in Knowshawn Moreno but he could use a "bruiser" to sub out with to make the tough carries. Again though, I think this can be addressed in the later rounds.

Even though the defense was the strength of the team last year there is definitely work to be done there as well. The run defense allowed 128.7 yards a game which was good for 26th in the league. And they capped the season off allowing Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs to run all over them to the tune of 259 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. You would have to think that was due to poor play on the defensive line. They could use a defensive end that plays in the opponents back field. They made the switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 last season so generally you don't expect for your defensive ends to put pressure on the quarterback but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be able to get into the backfield. But when you think about the 3-4 the most important player on the field may just be the nose tackle. You need a one man wall there so they can take up two or even three blockers freeing up your linebackers to make tackles. The Broncos may feel they solved both of these problems in free agency by signing LSU's own, defensive end Jarvis Green from the New England Patriots and three time Pro Bowl nose tackle Jamal Williams from the San Diego Chargers.

I like the Broncos linebackers. That would be the only position on the team that I don't think should even be considered before round four in this years draft unless a Sean Weatherspoon drops to the 45th pick which better not happen with the Saints picking at number 32.

The secondary is good but for how long? A couple of them I would say were great. We saw many years of good football from Ty Law. Even though Brian Dawkins made the Pro Bowl this year and has been knocking heads off for many moons, it has to be getting towards the end, right? And Champ Bailey will go down as one of the best. In my opinion he is the best corner since "Primetime." You may have taken note of the past tense of those last few sentences. I'm not saying these guys can't play anymore but the clock is ticking. The secondary will definitely be addressed but after Eric Berry and Joe Haden are gone, I can't see anyone worthy of the 11th pick.

The Broncos put a first round tender on Brandon Marshall which means they are willing to let him go or they would have used the max tender of a 1st and 3rd round pick. I believe any team that is in need of a wide receiver, maybe the Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, or New York Jets, will have to value Brandon Marshall more than a late first round pick. I mean lets face it, you aren't going to get a receiver as good as Brandon Marshall in this years draft and obviously things aren't going to work out for him in Denver.

Now I know the general consensus is that the kid from Oklahoma State is just another problem child but I believe that is kind of blown out of proportion. Not to mention if you want a top tier wide receiver, he is probably going to have an attitude problem in one way or another. So the pick for the Broncos is Dez Bryant.

Poll

Do you agree with this pick?

QB Delhomme's visit moved to Sunday; no new contracts offered by Saints

2010-03-13T21:40:28Z

QB Delhomme's visit moved to Sunday; no new contracts offered by Saints

"The Saints, with Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees behind center, are about as far from the starting quarterback market as a football team can get."

About!? How can a team be any further away?

2010 CSC Community Mock Draft: The Jacksonville Jaguars Select...

2010-03-13T12:00:27Z

We're now onto the tenth pick in our second annual CSC community mock draft. Today's pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars was made by Monkey Poop Battle. I will let him take over and reveal the player he has selected. Thanks to him for his participation.

The tenth pick in the Canal Street Chronicles mock draft will be made by our resident poo slinger, Monkey Poop Battle. He is both a scholar and a gentleman. If your man stopped using lady-scented body wash and switched to Old Spice, he would smell like MPB. A woman once got pregnant simply by looking into his eyes. He is about to throw a handful of knowledge feces your way, so you'd better prepare yourself to catch his nuggets of wisdom. He's on a horse (Note: Monkey Poop Battle may have written his own intro and forced Saintsational to post it under threat of projectile excrement).

With the tenth pick in the CSC community mock draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select...

Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama

via i67.photobucket.com

Who wears short jorts . . .

Ha ha, just kidding. No, we do not project the Jacksonville Jaguars selecting potential fourth string tight end Tim Tebow with the tenth pick in the 2010 draft. I just posted his picture at the top of this summary because I know that the very mention of wasting such a high pick on a project like Tebow makes many Big Cat Country readers' heads explode Scanners style. You might ask why I hold such vitriol for a team the Saints only play once every four years, a team the Saints have faced only four times in their entire history? Because I am still bitter about this:

Summary of the Current State of the Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars of the past few years remind me of the Jim Haslett Saints of 2000-2005. Both had mediocre offenses with a couple of talented players. Both were led by a quarterback that does well enough to keep his job, but is hard to imagine leading a team to the Superbowl. Both defenses were worse than mediocre, but had a few quality players that prevented them from being an utter disaster. Both teams could beat any opponent on their schedule with the right breaks, but could just as easily lose to the worst team on their schedule. In short, the Jaguars are an inconsistent team, one whose current form has enough upside to potentially make it to the playoffs, but likely little else. In fact, I'm not entirely convinced that Jack Del Rio and Jim Haslett aren't the same person.

Jacksonville Drafts the Best Available Player

The Jaguars are more than one player away from being a Superbowl contender, so it would probably be wise to look for the best available player regardless of position rather than to chase a specific need. Fortunately, it appears as though that is the philosophy of the Jaguar's GM, Gene Smith. Last year, Jacksonville selected offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, despite the fact that OT was probably at the bottom of the list of team needs.

For the purposes of this mock draft, I am assuming the Jaguars are unable to trade down (something they would probably like to do, considering they do not have a 2nd round draft pick this year). At this point, it becomes a guessing game as to what player the Jaguars will have graded the highest. According to our mock draft, Joe Haden, Eric Berry, and Taylor Mays are all off the board. If any of these three are somehow remaining when the Jaguars make their pick, all three will receive serious consideration. Wide receiver Dez Bryant out of Oklahoma State will get a very good look. His off the field issues may have cost him a few spots in this draft, but that might play into the Jaguar's hands with the tenth pick. C. J. Spiller, running back from Clemson, will be a tempting option as well. He is an explosive running back, and would compliment Maurice Jones-Drew in the Jaguar's run heavy offense. Defensive tackles Dan Williams from Tennessee and Brian Price from UCLA are both very talented players that could step in on day one. Brian Price may be graded a bit lower for other teams, but his pass rush abilities would be a major asset to Jacksonville's defense woes. Chances are the Jaguars will have him graded higher than other teams because he would fit in their scheme very easily. Safety Earl Thomas from Texas is another player that the Jaguars will take a serious look at.

Still, for my money, there is one player that stands out above the available players listed above. I predict the Jacksonville Jaguars will spend the tenth pick on the best available player, and that player is:

Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama

via media.al.com

Yippee-ki-yay, mother@#%&er!

Rolando McClain, middle linebacker from the National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide, is the complete package. With 274 career tackles, 29.5 tackles for losses, and five interceptions in three years with the Tide, he has the stats to justify a high draft pick. Listed at 6'4" at 258lbs., he has the frame to be a force in the middle of the Jaguar's defense. More importantly, he is a guy that is known as a successful leader and a bright mind capable of getting his teammates in the right position for defensive success. Some pundits suspect he will fall in the draft after disclosing that he suffers from Crohn's disease, an inflammation of the lower intestines. Don't expect this to seriously affect his draft stock in Jacksonville, however. Current Jags QB David Garrard also suffers from the same affliction, and it has hardly been an issue for the team.

If the Jaguar's are truly looking for the best available player, Rolando McClain is their guy. Linebacker may not be the biggest team need, but he will almost certainly improve their struggling defense. If the Jaguar's do select him with the 10th pick, he will become my odds on favorite player to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, and will likely be an impact player and leader for the next several years.

Poll

Do you agree with this pick?

Mickey Loomis Press Conference Transcript: Saints State of the Union

2010-03-13T00:06:16Z

Opening Statement: "We’ve had some time to celebrate winning Super Bowl XLIV. It’s been everything that we could have dreamed of. We want to thank our fans for the tremendous reception that they’ve given us. It started with the greeting that we had at the airport when we came back from the airport when we got back from Miami, the victory parade, which was beyond description if you weren’t a participant and all the way through the mardi gras parades that we were able to participate in. We want to thank the krewes for allowing us to do that and frankly from my point of view and I participated in a couple of those, it was like an extension of the victory parade. We appreciate that a lot. We recognized the special relationship that our fans have had with this team, not just this year, but for all o these years and I can assure you that we don’t take that for granted. I also want to assure our fans that we’re back to work. We’re preparing of the upcoming season and the opportunity to defend a championship. We’re on schedule in our preparations for the draft. We have all of our draft picks except for our fifth round choice, which last year we traded in order to take Thomas Morstead. Though the final four rules prevented our participation in free agency until a little while ago, we’re prepared for that. We’re closely monitoring the activity and now we have the opportunity to bring a few guys in and sign at least one UFA. We began this offseason with difficult decisions. We terminated the contracts of Jamar Nesbit, Mark Simoneau and Charles Grant and those players have meant a lot to this organization, great team guys who were instrumental in turning a 3-13 team in 2005 into a Super Bowl champion for the 2009 season. We also started this league year with ten unrestricted free agents and 18 restricted free agents, 16 of whom we tendered offers to. So far we’ve been able to sign three of our unrestricted free agents, Nick Leckey, Jason Kyle, Pierson Prioleau and one of our restricted free agents, Leigh Torrence. We hope to have contracts for all of the RFAs tendered in the coming months. We have a lot of work in front of us, but we’re going to be doing that pretty diligently. We’ve lost one player to another team so far, Scott Fujita and Scott just got an offer that was too good to turn down. He wanted to return to New Orleans. We wanted him to return to New Orleans, but we understand what free agency is. We’re going to miss Scott and Jaclyn. They were the first to commit to the New Orleans Saints after Hurricane Katrina, after the 2005 season and Scott really exemplified the type of player we want in New Orleans, intelligent, tough, high-character and a great leader for our team. We wish them all the best."

Q: Do you hope to have multiyear contracts for all the RFAs or signed tenders?

"For all of those guys we’d like to have multiyear contracts. We’ll just see what happens in the coming months."

Q: Are you not going to shy away from multiyear contracts due to the uncertainty of the collective bargaining agreement?

"There is uncertainty in terms of the collective bargaining agreement and where we’re going to be at. That’s going to cause us to evaluate each deal, but if we can make it work under our salary structure, under what we anticipate, then certainly we’d like to have each of these guys under a multiyear contract."

Q: Are you giving yourselves a salary cap?

"We always have a budget. That’s no different than any year for us."

Q: Is it higher than normal?

"I wouldn't say that. I’d think it’s normal. We’re approaching this year with the idea that there eventually will be an agreement."

Q: Darren Sharper has been fairly public with his feelings about contract negotiations with he and the club so far. From your side of the table, hearing these comments are you affected by it or would you rather it not be that way?

"I have all of the love in the world for Darren Sharper. I just don’t have all the money in the world for Darren Sharper. We’d like to have Darren back. We really would and again, no different than any player, if it fits under the salary structure and the resources that we have, then we’ll definitely want to have him back. If it doesn’t and he has an opportunity somewhere else, we understand that."

Q: Can you explain for an average fan what an uncapped year means and that it doesn’t necessarily mean to break the bank without a cap?

"The uncapped year really means that we don’t have a fixed salary cap that we have to stay under. But that doesn’t change the fact that we have limited resources like any team, so we have to pay attention to that. That’s what we’re going to do."

Q: Does the amount you spend more amount the club’s overall bottom line at the end of the year?

"It certainly affects that, yes."

Q: In the perfect world, everybody probably returns to the team, but when you win a Super Bowl, your players are looked at as a notch above. Are there a handful of guys such as Darren Sharper and Pierre Thomas that there is a good chance you could lose?

"I don’t know if there’s a good chance or not. That’s really not up to me. It’s up to other teams. I think historically, if you look at teams that are successful, their players are attractive. They have success because they have good players. We’re not different than those teams. New England for example, has lost players over the years with their success and Indianapolis has players that they've lost that they rather would have kept. There’s definitely going to be some of that. It’s a little unique this year because of the rules and we have a number of guys that are restricted free agents instead of being unrestricted free agents. If you look at the last ten or 15 years where there have been restricted free agents, there haven’t been many of them that have changed teams, there have been some. The likelihood of a restricted free agent changing teams, I don’t know if it’s greater this year or less than prior years. We’ll have to see, but we have some good players that are restricted free agents."

Q: Is it more difficult to evaluate players strictly on football as opposed to emotion after what happened this year?

"Yes, it’s probably a little more difficult. You want to continue to have success with the guys that have gotten you to this point. There’s no question about that. But each one of these guys has to make an individual decision for their family, but to maximize their earnings. We understand that. There’s nobody happier for Scott (Fujita) and the contract he got than I am on the one hand because I like him so much and I know what he’s meant to our team. On the other hand, it’s really disappointing to lose a player like Scott who has meant so much to us. There are some conflicting emotions that go on when you evaluate your own team."

Q: Coming off of the Super Bowl championship, are you sensing more interest from players or from agents in coming here and being a part of what your club has built?

"I think that over the last four years New Orleans has become an attractive place for players to come to for a lot of reasons. Our coaching staff, the quality of guys that we have on our team, obviously the success, the quarterback that we have and the environment that’s been created here. I think that’s been a trend over the last four years. Certainly when you win a Super Bowl championship, it becomes even more attractive."

Q: After the Super Bowl, one of your scouts in a conversation referenced a conversation he had with you in San Antonio four years ago where you said this club was going to be all about character from now on. Do you remember that conversation and can you tell us about it?

"Yes. One of the things that happens when you go through some adversity is that people reveal themselves. Knowing how diffcult the circumstances were going to be in New Orleans after 2005, we just felt like character took an even greater importance for our team. It’s been a point of emphasis. It was a point of emphasis with Sean (Payton) at the very first meeting that I had with him and that went a long way toward us being on the same page. We’ve continued to have that emphasis and we will continue. There will be occasions where we think that even though a guy has some stuff in his background that we don’t like that it would be a good opportunity for a player to turn himself around. I think Anthony Hargrove’s an example of that, but we’re going to emphasize character going forward just as we have the last few years."

Q: Who will fill Scott Fujita’s position?

"That remains to be seen. We have some guys in our program right now in Jonathan Casillas andStanley Arnoux, young players. We have some other candidates, Anthony Waters, Troy Evans, but that will be determined in training camp."

Q: Are you looking to fill the position internally as opposed to externally?

"Again, we’re not able to participate (free agency) at a very good level in the UFA market. We’ll see what happens in the next few months."

Q: As a general rule when you bring a free agent in, is it a case of wanting to get a deal done or is it purely exploratory on both sides?

"I think it’s a combination. Clearly when you bring somebody in during this period, then you have an idea you want to sign them, but there’s also a lot of times we maybe have not had direct contact with that player and want to get to know them, want to hear how they see themselves. We want to talk to them about the role we have for them and how that meets their expectations and so I’d say it was a combination of those two things.

Q: Would Jake Delhomme fit that description?

"We’re going to have Jake visit later today. We have James Hall in here today. We had a visit scheduled with Leonard Little and an emergency came up and he’s had to postpone that, so we’ll see what happens."

Q: Does the postponement of Leonard Little’s visit have nothing to do with James Hall visiting?

"No. Unrelated."

Q: Do you think that Jake Delhomme is interested in being a backup?

"I think that remains to be seen. That’s part of the reason we’re bringing him here. Obviously Jake wouldn’t take the visit if he didn’t have that interest."

Q: Do you have any other visits scheduled?

"We have those three scheduled. Actually we don’t have Leonard Little rescheduled yet, but James Hall and Jake Delhomme and that’s all I’m willing to disclose at this time."

Q: Are you looking to see if Delhomme is interested in taking on a backup role?

"I think this is a combination of that exploratory visit along with a desire to sign him. We need to have a conversation with Jake and talk about how he sees himself and how he thinks he would fit here before we can say, ‘We’re willing to sign you.’"

Q: In terms of need in free agency, would you rank defensive end above linebacker?

"We have a need at both of those positions, but we have more guys in the building at the linebacker position than we do at defensive end. But we also have a lot of draft picks that we get to exercise in April. Hopefully we’ll be able to fill both of those spots between free agency and the draft."

Q: Having evaluated Drew Brees coming off of a shoulder injury, does that make you better able to look past injuries to a player’s potential, such as Delhomme and his elbow?

"We need to answer that to some degree, although we don’t have a lot of concern about the injury. We saw some things during the season that lead us to believe that he’s fine. Again, we’ll have a discussion with him about that today and tomorrow. And we give all of those guys a physical when they come as well."

Q: How important is keeping Jahri Evans and the offensive line together?

"He’s a high priority. Jahri has developed himself into being one of the best – if not the best – offensive guards in the National Football League. Clearly we want to keep him here. Not just because he’s a great player, but because of the type of person that he is. He’s one of these players that exemplifies what we want to bring here. We’ll see if we can get that done in the near-term."

Q: How have the conversations been with him and his agent?

"It has been very positive."

Q: With the 32nd pick in the first round, has there been more consideration and discussion of possibly trading that pick this year?

"It’s too early to do that. I think that we’ve shown in our history that we’re not afraid to trade up, trade down, trade out, trade for a player. We’ve exercised all of those options over the years and we’ll do the same, but it’s really too early start talking about that with other teams."

Q: Do you think things will change with the Restricted Free Agent (RFA) this year from past years?

"We’re evaluating that. We’ve gone through every restricted free agent available and the compensation attached to them, so we’re evaluating that. I’m not going to disclose that we are or we aren’t going to exercise that opportunity."

Q: With as many key players that you have that are RFAs, a lot of people speculated that other teams would jump on them early. Do you think the RFA market is more of a timetable thing?

"I think the RFA market doesn’t really heat up until after the initial Unrestricted Free Agent market cools down. The timing for that is probably in the upcoming weeks as opposed to the week or so that has just ended. Whether that’s greater than it has been in the past, I don’t know. I’m as anxious to find out as you are. The good news is that we have a right of first refusal on all of our Restricted Free Agents first and if we elect not to exercise that, then there’s going to be compensation attached to most of them, and in some cases some very high compensation. We’ll make those decisions as they come about."

Are you curious to see if anyone will use the so-called "poison pill" in an RFA contract?

"I’m not worried about that. If it happens, it happens and we’ll address it at the time. I don’t spend a lot of time contemplating the ‘what ifs’ in that scenario."

Q: Do you envision signing your RFAs to long-term deals in the coming weeks or would you wait until later?

"I think for the most part, those discussions will happen after a bit of time goes by. I can’t give you a specific timeframe, but it will be later rather than sooner."

Q: Will Reggie Bush be back? And will he be back at his current salary?

"Yes. He’ll be back and he’ll be back at his current salary."

Q: What goes into the decision as to what level to tender different RFAs at?

"There are a lot of variables that go into that decision. The primary variable for me is what gives us – the New Orleans Saints – the best opportunity to get that player signed to a multi-year deal? That’s the thing that I start with, and then it’s a matter of production. How likely is it that the player will get an offer from another team? What’s the position? Who do we have on our roster that if we lost the player we could replace him with? There are a lot of variables, but the primary one is what gives us the best chance to get the player signed to a multi-year deal."

Q: Have there been any contract talks with Brees on a raise?

"He has a contract for this year and for next year. That’s all I’m going to say about that."

Q: Would there be interest in giving him that raise sooner than later, or would there be difficulty in light of the uncertainty with the CBA?

"I’m not going to address that. I’ve said many times before that these contracts are personal issues for players. They’re business issues for our team, but they’re personal issues for our players. I don’t like the opportunity of talking about a specific player’s contract. I’ll talk about the principles behind RFA tenders and things like that, but until these things are completed I’m not going to discuss them."

Q: Do you like the idea of the Draft being split up over three days?

"That’s a good question. I don’t know because we haven’t gone through this before. This will be unique. When I think about it, one of the things that happens is that between Day One and Day Two, you reevaluate your board and you reevaluate the things that have happened, and all of a sudden the first picks the next day become more valuable. Instead of having one day of that, we now have two days of that so it will be interesting to see the activity that happens overnight on both of those days at the top of the next round."

Q: Do you think there will be more trades?

"There could be. It will certainly lead to more calls. But it will be interesting to see how that plays out."

Q: Is the time around the Draft a fun time of year for you or just a lot of stress?

"We look forward to it. It’s exciting to have new players come into your program. It’s the culmination of a year’s worth of work for our college scouting staff and our coaches are involved, so it’s an exciting time; it really is."

Q: At the Super Bowl, you said that you guys were a little behind but now you’ve said that you’re up to date. How have you been able to catch up?

"Really we were behind in terms of free agency more than anything else. The college staff andRick Reiprish and his area scouts have done a good job. They didn’t miss any time except for the four or five days that they were at the Super Bowl. They’ve been on top of it. When I said ‘behind,’ it meant that I wasn’t able to participate in some of their meetings in January and February and we would have already have had meetings with our coaches and college scouts and pro personnel people, so we’ve been able to catch up and have those meetings in terms of the pro free agents. We’re caught up in that regard. The other thing that helps us is the rules in the sense that we weren’t able to be a participant in the opening days of free agency. Even though we were behind, there wasn’t a whole lot we could do about it anyway."

Q: With so many big-name veteran players being released this year, how do you balance going after the "quick-fix" with an older player or going after a younger player with more years in his future?

"We’re not opposed to players that have a lot of experience in the league. We’ve shown that and we’ve had success with that – Darren Sharper being ‘exhibit A’. But it all comes down to value. Are we getting the right value for that particular player? When you look at an older player, you have to look at the investment. If you’re making an up-front investment, how likely is it that he’s going to play for your team for the length of the contract? We have to pay attention to all of that and we do. We’re not always right but those are the kinds of things that we pay attention to. With a younger player, you don’t have as much concern about them being able to play at a high level throughout the contract and therefore your investment up front might be a little greater."

Q: When you’re evaluating a veteran player, do you have in mind a minimum number of years that you want him to be productive?

"I would say no, because that could be one year. It could be a player that we think can come in and help us this year or it may be a guy that we’re counting on two or three years from. It just depends on the individual."

Hope sharper comes back.. what a great player... everytime i played v.s him it was bad.. well 1...

2010-03-12T22:07:47Z

Hope sharper comes back.. what a great player... everytime i played v.s him it was bad.. well 1 time was good ... lol

Jeremy Shockey
Twitter

2010 CSC Community Mock Draft: The Buffalo Bills Select...

2010-03-12T12:00:58Z

We're up to the ninth selection in our second annual CSC community mock draft already and on the clock now is the Buffalo Bills. Representing them is CSC member, saintfever09. Make the jump and read on to find out who he thought was best for the Bills.

Thank you very much to saintfever09 for your participation .

With the ninth pick in the CSC community mock draft, the Buffalo Bills select ...

Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame

In order to win in the National Football League, teams usually need to start by building three main things:

A quarterback
A guy to protect the quarterback
A guy to rush the other team's quarterback

In the modern NFL, teams are built around the passing game. Whether it's the West Coast offense implemented by the New York Giants, a wide open offense like our very own New Orleans Saints, or some hybrid mixture such as the Atlanta Falcons; teams are driven by quarterbacks. The Giants have Eli Manning, the Saints have the best quarterback in the game (ahem, i think we all know his name), and the Atlanta Falcons have Matt Ryan. It is a quarterback driven league, and that is why i have the Bills selecting a quarterback at number nine overall in the draft.

With Chan Gailey as the new head coach of the Bills after management jettisoned Dick Jauron and Perry Fewell, he will be looking to find a quarterback who he can trust to make any throw from the pocket. Buffalo's designated signal caller during the 2009 season was Trent Edwards, a three year veteran at the time, from Stanford. Although Edwards has a tremendous amount of upside, he has a very bleak injury history that will likely cost him his starting spot in 2010.

In 2009, Edwards played in only 8 games, starting in just 7 of them. In those games, he had six touchdowns and seven interceptions...not a very good stat for a team in the same division as the Patriots, Jets and Dolphins. Over the past eight seasons, only one has been a winning one (9-7) for the clueless Bills. If they have any chance of turning the table, they have to draft a franchise signal caller and build around him.

Clausen is the man. At Notre Dame, Clausen was known for his ability to sling the ball down the field to guys like Golden Tate in the wide open offense of Charlie Weis. He will have the same in Buffalo with Lee Evans, a speedy wide receiver who is capable of getting behind the defense and making the big play.

Dez Bryant was also given some strong consideration at this pick because of the departure of Terrell Owens. Owens drew the double team which allowed Lee Evans to beat single coverage down the field. The only reason Jimmy Clausen gets the nod over Bryant is because franchises are built around quarterbacks...not wide receivers.

Dan Williams was a close third in my opinion. The Bills are rumored to be re-tooling their defense into a 3-4. The main things that a team needs to build a 3-4 defense is a nose tackle that can handle double-A-gap assignments (the space between the center and both guards), paving the way for linebackers to make tackles in the backfield and get to the quarterback. Although Marcus Stroud used to be a very powerful nose tackle in his prime, he has begun to regress and the Bills need to add youth to their defensive line. However, in the AFC East the Bills must be able to match the New England Patriots point for point if they want a chance to make the playoffs. In order to do so, they have to be able to score enough points. Thus, Jimmy Clausen.

In conclusion, the Buffalo Bills have many needs before they can become an AFC contender. However, first and foremost is the quarterback position. In the AFC, with quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Joe Flacco, Matt Schaub, and Ben Roethlisberger, you need an offense to win games and reach the playoffs. Jimmy Clausen brings great intangibles, a powerful arm, superior intelligence, and experience in a great offensive system under Charlie Weis to the Buffalo Bills.

Poll

Do you agree with this pick?

Big Announcement. I never thought this would happen, but I am writing a book. A great opportunity...

2010-03-12T02:17:49Z

Big Announcement. I never thought this would happen, but I am writing a book. A great opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many

Drew Brees via Twitter

Jake Delhomme to visit Saints

2010-03-11T21:08:14Z

Jake Delhomme to visit Saints

Duncan approves.
Twitter:
jeffduncantp
Jake Delhomme and the Saints are a perfect fit at this stage of his career. He would be an excellent backup to Brees.

2010 CSC Community Mock Draft: The Oakland Raiders Select...

2010-03-11T12:00:24Z

Time for the eighth overall selection in our second annual CSC community mock draft. This means the Oakland Raiders are now on the clock and representing the silver and black is the one, the only stujo4. Ask and you shall receive.

Stu did an excellent job of "mocking" the Raiders, so there's no telling who he's gonna pick. Make the jump to find out where he went with it.

Thank you so much for your participation, stujo4.

With the eight pick in the CSC community mock draft, the Oakland Raiders select...

Taylor Mays, S USC

via moretalk.files.wordpress.com

The Oakland Raiders traditionally are the laughingstock of the NFL draft. There is no indication that Al Davis has given up control of the process and with a senile old man still making the calls, how much worse could I do. Right? First, let's review the last decade of Raider first-round picks and assess the damage.

2009 - #4 - Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR - "In a bit of a head-scratcher, the Raiders bypass Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin to select Heyward-Bey." - NFL.com That's being kind. It was a hoot, with WTF's and ?????'s coming out of everybody's heads.
2008 - #4 - Darren McFadden, RB - Injury prone, hasn't yet delivered on his potential.
2007 - #1 - JaMarcus Russell, QB - LSU!! LSU!! Bust. Terrible attitude and work habits.
2006 - #7 - Michael Huff, S - Track star. As a first round NFL safety? Bust.
2005 - #23 - Fabian Washington, CB - Traded for a fourth round pick during the 2008 draft.
2004 - #2 - Robert Gallery, OT - One of my favorites, a project paying off.
2003 - #31 - Nnamdi Asomugha, DB - Gold, Jerry! Gold!
2003 - #32 - Tyler Brayton, DE - Mediocre. Left as a free agent after the 2007 season.
2002 - #17 - Phillip Buchanon, DB - Sucked. Journeyman just cut by the Lions.
2002 - #23 - Napoleon Harris, LB - Peaked in rookie year; went to the Vikings in the Randy Moss trade.
2001 - #28 - Derrick Gibson, DB - Who? Pretty sure he sucked.
2000 - #17 - Sebastian Janikowski, K - Sticking around long enough to break some records.

In this year's offseason, the Raiders continued with the weirdness. The restricted free agent tender decisions didn't make sense (e.g. putting a first and third round tender on their crappy nickel back, Stanford Routt). They tried to trade CB Nnamdi Asomugha, perhaps the best corner in the league (and by far the highest paid; who wants to pick up that contract?). This past weekend, they cut RB Justin Fargas right after naming him their "Commitment to Excellence" award winner. The dinner where they'll present the award to him is on March 13th. Awkward.

Sure, you can examine the Raiders' weaknesses and make a draft pick that would improve the team, but that would be logical and probably far from reality. Al Davis is dazzled by hot measurables (Heyward-Bey ran a 4.3 40-yard dash at the combine and had been clocked as low as 4.23). So who made a big splash at this year's combine? Wide receiver Jacoby Ford ran a 4.28 40-yard dash and was the only one who was clocked below 1.5 seconds at the 10-yard mark. He's a burner, but he's only 5'9". Taking fast WR's in the first round two years in a row? That's too crazy even for Al Davis.

OT Bruce Campbell had an awesome combine with the best 40-yard dash time and the longest arms of the offensive linemen; and he benched 225lbs. 34 times. That had to catch Al's attention. And he was the favorite bone-headed pick at #8 for the Raiders (BleacherReport.com, WalterFootball.com, InsidePulsesports.com, NewNFLdraft.com, and FootballsFuture.com all picked Campbell for the Raiders in their mock drafts).

But something happened on the way to heaven. In our CSC community mock draft, the Kansas City Chiefs took Campbell at fifth overall, making a mockery of my mockery of the Raiders in this mock draft. So what is Mock Al Davis' second choice? The fastest defensive back at the combine - Taylor Mays, USC.

via seattletimes.nwsource.com

Mays, a 6'3" 230lbs. safety, ran a 4.24 unofficial 40-yard dash at the combine (a controversial 4.43 official time; probably was closer to 4.30) and did well in the bench press, vertical jump and the broad jump. And the kid can hit, no doubt about it. Don't let him see your taillights, he pulls a heavy load. He says he looks up to Ronnie Lott and Troy Polamalu. Does he fill any need on the Raiders? No. What's with trying to use logic? We covered that already. Maybe he'll replace Michael Huff (see above list, 2006).

Let's check in with NFL.com and their Combine write-up and see how Taylor Mays matches up as a Raider (I've added my own notes as well):

Mays has an outstanding combination of size, strength and athleticism for the safety position. He possesses excellent speed (RAIDER!), quickness and burst for his size, which makes him a versatile player who could fit in several different schemes. He has good instincts to attack the alley as a run defender and can make plays in the passing game as a deep safety. He tends to be too aggressive (RAIDER!) with the ball in the air, trying to make the big hit (RAIDER!) instead of making a play on the ball. He can be inconsistent with his angles and technique (RAIDER!) but relies on his great athleticism (speed? RAIDER!) to recover and make the play. Mays will be highly coveted in this year's draft if concerns about his overall mental makeup (RAIDER!) are answered.

Ok, I'm feeling good about this. As a final confirmation, who did one of our cousins over at SB Nation's Raiders blog, Silver & Black Pride pick in his own fanpost mock draft last week? First round, Taylor Mays, S, USC. Second round, Tim Tebow, QB, Florida.

GAAA!!!

Alright, that's enough. Obviously, Raiders fans are as crazy as Al Davis.

Poll

Do you agree with this pick?

Spoke to Darren Sharper, who hasnt ruled out a return to NOLA but says Saints havent shown enough...

2010-03-10T20:37:07Z

Spoke to Darren Sharper, who hasnt ruled out a return to NOLA but says Saints havent shown enough love yet.

Mike Triplett
Twitter

2010 CSC Community Mock Draft: The Cleveland Browns Select...

2010-03-10T19:00:35Z

Next up in our second annual CSC community mock draft is member natde1016 with his selection for the Cleveland Browns, owners of the seventh pick in the 2010 NFL draft. The only way to find out which prospect he chose for the Browns and why he chose him, you'll have to make the jump.

Many thanks to natde1016 for his participation in this years mock draft.

With the seventh pick in the CSC community mock draft, the Cleveland Browns select...

The Cleveland Browns are coming off an absolutely terrible year in which they finished 5-11. Midway through the year the Browns were a legitimate candidate to go 0-16, and first year head coach Eric Mangini seemed almost certain to be fired at the end of the season, if not earlier. Although the team rallied and finished the season with a 4 game winning streak, they still need help at just about every position.

The Browns ranked dead last in overall offense. Their passing attack was the worst in the league, averaging a measly 129.8 yards per game. It was not helped by the trades of starting TE Kellen Winslow to the Buccaneers and number one receiver Braylon Edwards to the Jets, nor the constant quarterback swapping of Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson, who was just cut. While Brady Quinn is by no means guaranteed to succeed this next year, I don't believe that Jimmy Clausen is worth taking this early in the draft (for more details, check out MtnExile's excellent profile on him in his coverage of the Seahawks draft choice).

Their rushing game was surprisingly effective though, ranking 8^th in the league with 130.4 yards per game. This was mostly due to the emergence of fifth year running back Jerome Harrison, who managed over 900 yards and 4.4 yards per carry despite playing in only 13 games, and starting less than eight.

Their defense was as bad, if not worse than the offense, and ranked 31^st in the league (29^th in passing and 28^th in rushing). They were tormented throughout the year, and became known for their atrocious tackling. If you have any doubts as to how truly awful their defense was, watch this clip from their first game of the season:

That pretty much summarizes their season right there, in addition to their most glaring area of need: the secondary. A few days ago I had the Browns taking a linebacker, but with the recent signing of free agent OLB Scott Fujita (my soul hurt as I wrote those words), their linebacking corps got a big upgrade. I eventually decided that since Eric Berry is already off the board, the Browns have to take the next best DB available, and that is Florida DB Joe Haden.

"Haden has proven himself on the football field enough to make the jump to the pros. He regularly covers receiver's butts like underwear and is rarely out of position. He keeps his hips low and moves in and out of cuts fluidly. He can get up for jump balls and doesn't miss many tackles" (NFLDraftDog.com)

"Read & React: Typically plays in press or off-man coverage, reading the receiver to gain an advantage on the route. Good straight-line for the deep route. Reacts quickly in zone coverage and when he's facing the quarterback in man coverage. Little wasted motion in closing once he sees the ball in the air.

Man Coverage: Very strong in man coverage. Quick, active hands to provide an initial pop to the receiver in press coverage. Quick feet and loose hips for the transition to run downfield. Good balance and body control to mirror the receiver. Can plant his foot in the ground and explode out of cuts. Good use of hands downfield to prevent separation. Shows a legitimate late burst to close after the ball has been released. Good timing and hand-eye coordination to slap the ball away as it arrives.

Zone Coverage: Smooth, low backpedal out of his stance. Maintains cushion with his backpedal, keeping his eyes alert to receivers in his zone. Changes direction smoothly with no wasted motion. Plays even faster than he has been timed, a credit to his recognition and efficient change-of-direction ability.

Run Support: Reads run and is quick to close toward the line of scrimmage. Evades blocks due to his lateral agility and anticipation and is willing to take on bigger ballcarriers. Understands his role on the edge and approaches it with a workmanlike mentality." (CBSSports)

Haden was a consensus top 10 pick among most football pundits, and many were expecting him to solidify that status with a 40 time around a 4.4, maybe even closer to a 4.3. But Haden disappointed, running a 4.57 and 4.60. However, there is no doubt that he is still an elite cornerback, and he plays much faster than his 40 time would indicate. He can play man and zone equally well, and is also solid in run support. Haden has all the makings of an elite corner, and is too good of a player for the Browns to pass up.

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