Showing posts with label NFL Draft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFL Draft. Show all posts
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Revisiting the Draft: Makin' Sense of the Seemingly Senseless
Enough time has passed since the completion of the 2009 NFL Player Draft for me to catch up on some sleep and re-learn my wife's name. Not to mention geek out all over again when undrafted free agents started signing (CHRIS BAKER OMGOMG RULON DAVIS !!)
But you didn't flip on the computer to read about future practice squadders. No, you did so to look at pictures of women with pendulous breasts sitting on sheet cakes, and ended up here when you accidentally typed "house" instead of "blouse" into Google. No worries. Put away the Jergens for a sec and hop past the leap for somethin' jumpin'.
There was a lot of commotion following Denver's trade for Falphonso. To reiterate: they gave up their first rounder next year--which, if my prediction is accurate, will be a pretty high pick--for Seattle's second this year to grab a corner who, if you listen to the slavering apes on denverpost.com, is not only short, but slow, and further, not a defensive lineman.
A few things about this. First, Falphonso was widely projected to be a first-rounder. The Broncos evidently thought better of taking him than they did of, say, grabbing Rey Maualuga or Ron Brace, either one of who would have given me a huge draft day chub. Or at least as huge as it gets.
While I don't necessarily think the secondary was as big a need, I can't fault them for taking a player they had rated higher. Teams that draft solely based on need are reactionary, no matter what John Clayton says. If Falphonso was a first rounder based on their evaluation, then trading a first for him makes sense.
Mike Klis pointed out the other day that the practice of trading a future first for a present second has been recently executed by two teams: the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos. The commonality between them--and good on Klis for noticing this--is that both General Managers were disciples of the Bobby Beathard school of drafting, which holds that that whatever draft you're drafting in is the one you need to concentrate on, and that trading a high future pick for a player that can help you now is the way to go.
Beathard, it should be said, drafted Ryan Leaf. But he also built the Redskins of the '80s.
For a local perspective that is much smarter than mine, here.
If you don't feel clicky, the author--who is actually good with numbers, unlike myself--makes the point that not only is draft value relative, but the value obtained later in the first and through the second beats that at the top by a country mile. Don't how long a country mile is? Best get your irrigation boots on and tromp a spell, friend, because it's a distance.
He also, and I found this very apt, said that, clearly, McDaniels/Xanders felt like they had 4 first round picks in the next two seasons. They had Falphonso rated as a first this year; so, in effect, they took three of the four in one draft. Which dovetails with the Beathardian philosophy of pursuing present value.
I had my concerns that they had failed to obtain enough defensive line help, and still do--but I also realize that this year was a weak class for linemen, and most likely, any young guy isn't going to make a significant impact next year anyway. If we get better on the line, it's going to be because Henry Winkler's character in The Waterboy is no longer our D-coordinator and because Marcus Thomas finally turns the corner. If Ayers can help at all, that's going to be fantastic, but young linemen need time to mature.
Cornerbacks, on the other hand, can play in various packages right away. And in Falphonso's case, as a returner as well. The more I think about the Broncos' recent draft, the more I like it. But then, I'm a homer.
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Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sunday Sleep Deprivation Summary
Alright. Let's not fool around. There's no sleep deprivation symptoms going on right now. After being holed up in front of the computer for most of 12 hours for this draft, my eyes and my brain are fried, but I wanted to share this...
There are three videos up on the Chiefs Web site right now, and if you're a Chiefs fan, you should watch them. I'll explain why once you have. One is a Draft Q & A with Scott Pioli, one is with Pioli and Todd Haley as they discuss round one, and the other is just Haley talking about rounds three and four.
Ah, ah, ah. Don't be cheatin'. Get back there and watch 'em.
Okay. Here's the deal. Actually, let's bullet point this:
* Everybody was freaking the funk out about the Chiefs pick, i.e. "Why didn't they make trades," "What was with the Dorsey trade rumors," "I can't believe it's not butter," etc.
* Everybody just needed to calm the flock down.
* If, having watched those videos, you don't think that these dueling brains are 400,000 times the improvement over what's been in place for the past 10 years, then you, my friend, are insane.
* For all of the bashers, I gotta give Carl Peterson respect for the job he did, or attempted to do, in his time in Kansas City.
* Having said that, Scott Pioli is going to make him look like a mental dwarf.
* I imagine fewer busts, fewer emotional ties when it comes to keeping guys around, and frankly, that includes draft choices, which was, in my nimble-minded opinion, Peterson's biggest crutch. That is, he was frequently guilty of the mentality that said, "Hey -- we went out and drafted this guy on the first day (or what have you), and we, of course, are smart, so that means it's worthwhile to keep this guy around. We'll wait and see what happens, even if that means five Ryan Sims years.
* The other thing that Pioli demonstrated to me, in those clips, is tolerance. That is, he understands the nature of the beast that is the media. If a reporter asks him why he took Joe Schmoe, he doesn't get all fiery-eyed and act the fool. He answers the questions because he knows they're coming, and he doesn't care.
* The most important thing, though, is that he seems to be the Clark Hunt model (hence the hire) of a shrewd evaluator of football talent. That's not to say that Peterson wasn't. Peterson, as we all know, was a great businessman. Pioli, however, will build something better between the hash marks.
* The line of those three clips goes to Haley, though. He appears in two of the three PCs, and in two of them, the question of "Did you plan to draft this much defense, or did it just fall to you that way" was asked a solid three times. On the last occasion, Haley offered his best attempt at patience/PC when he said, "Obviously, if you been around here a little bit, you had some trouble stoppin' people." That's about the nicest way you can possibly say that Herman and his crew should wear crash helmets for their own safety.
* So, I gotta be honest: I was hoping for some front seven, some O-line, and a receiver. They gave us two front seven, an O-line (even if it is home-grown), some secondary, a receiver, a tailback/special-teamer, and hell, a tight end they probably won't even break camp with. And of course a kicker with that last pick in the draft. Remember when we took Medlock in the fifth? Oh, boy. Those were delicious times.
And of course, they've already signed like five undrafted free agents. As Pioli repeatedly said, "The work's not done. There's a lot of ground to cover." He also said they feel good about the ground they covered this weekend. And I do, too. It's a bit hard -- but, come on, we all do it -- to have specific expectations for a draft. It's like going to see your favorite band play a concert and hoping they play X,Y, and Z (Editor's Note: Unless it's Rush, and you want them to play "YYZ." That's entirely different scenario altogether.). If they don't play it, you're bummed. You're the guy in the lot saying, "I dunno. It was alright, I guess," while 10,000 others are walking around with best-show-ever looks on their faces that you just don't understand.
Funny thing is, I had (Note: I said it was tough.) expectations, even though I knew better. Funniest part is that they were met. I'm not grimacing over any of our picks, and at the same time, I'm not drinkin' any Kool-Aid or ready to stamp the approval on the draft as a whole. I just feel good about it moving forward, and am ready to see how things develop this summer. In closing, I'll leave you with one final bullet point:
* You know all of those rumors about Todd Haley being tough, those allegations about him being an a-hole and a jerk, all those clips of him getting in the faces of his players. Well, I'm convinced of one thing: They are fucking real.
Not just that, but like, hard core, legions removed from football real. Having watched Haley footage, sleep-deprived and frizzle-fried, I'm officially kind of afraid of him. Like, he might be the guy that jams his car in park and gets out to stab you in the neck with a broken-off No. 2 pencil if you piss him off in traffic. Insult him at the stadium? You just signed off on three quarts of simmering cups of hot cocoa down your jersey. Gonna be inappropriate towards his family? I hope you like being rolled up in a paisley throw rug and finding yourself nestled at the bottom of the Missouri. I'm going to lay my head down on the pillow feeling confident that that guy has a dark, buried mafia background somewhere, and I'll sleep soundly knowing that I don't know him.
Good night. Go Chiefs, and whatnot.
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Saturday, April 25, 2009
Pre-Draft Thoughts
As we all wait for the most exciting selection meeting EVER, I have a few ideas rattling around my noodle. Lucky you, you get to read them, after this annoying little Interfeed speed bump...
WHY THE NFL DRAFT SUCKS
I know that there are always plenty of trades, and that makes things juicy for geeks like us and confusing for people like my dad. But rarely does anyone move at the very top of the show anymore, and that's a damned shame. The reason is that you have to pay top-ten picks an obscene and undetermined amount of money. Smart teams (the ones that actually win games and draft late in the first round) hate to shell out big bucks to unproven talent. Dumb teams (the ones that hold a seemingly permanent seat in the first dozen selections) would be better off with an array of good picks as opposed to one premium gamble--a gamble that often backfires.
The solution, friends, is a rookie salary cap. The NBA has one, and it works great. Every team, and every kid hoping to get drafted, knows exactly what each spot is worth. Clubs can build their budgets around that number, and if necessary trade up or trade down with exact dollar figures in mind. No one holds out, no one has to calculate the difference between a quarterback drafted at No. 1 versus, say, a linebacker taken there.
Plus, fuck rookies. Why should they have any leverage at all? There's nothing wrong with taking a kid who has a unique skill and making him a millionaire, but why should Kellen Winslow be the highest-paid tight end in the history of the league before playing a game? Again, going back to the NBA: Rookies there make plenty of coin, but the huge green comes with the second contract. Professional athletes actually earning their salaries by playing professional sports? Brilliant!
If that were in place this year, the Lions could trade down for multiple picks with ease. And teams that are legitimately one player away could move up--while paying a price--to roll the dice. But with cost certainty and no chance of a holdout, the wheeling and dealing could commence.
WHY TAKING A QUARTERBACK WITH THE NO. 1 PICK IS DUMB
For some reason, I was listening to the sports talk yesterday. And for some reason, Maurice Jones-Drew was sports talking. Turns out MJD is a pretty serious draftnik, and he said that if he were a GM, he'd never select a QB first overall, or even in the first round. The pint-sized dynamo, himself a steal in Round 2 in 2006, would only take a behemoth from the O-Line or D-Line.
His reasoning was twofold. First off, the game is won and lost in the trenches, everyone's heard that. Secondly, though, a big ugly who's not as good as advertised on draft day can still contribute to a team, while QBs who fail to match their hype are simply busts. Bad tackles can become passable guards, bad defensive ends can find a spot in a rotation (cough, Jarvis Moss). But a bad signal-caller can only hold a clipboard or get cut.
Look no further than Robert Gallery. He was a can't miss left tackle coming out of Iowa in 2004. The Raiders took him second overall and, well, he missed. A year later the other Bay Area team committed a similar whiff, as the Niners snagged Alex Smith. Now Alex Smith and Robert gallery are both lousy, and in hindsight neither should have been allowed anywhere near the top of the first round.
Difference is, Alex Smith will most likely spend the 2009 season and beyond doing something other than playing football. Robert Gallery, meanwhile, will start on an NFL offensive line for the sixth straight season. He's been moved to right guard, where he's extremely overpaid and no threat to make a Pro Bowl. But he can still play somewhere. After all, every team needs a warm body to block for extra points, and Alex Smith can't exactly fill that role.
Well played, Maurice.
NO ONE IN THE WORLD HAS MORE PRESSURE UPON HIM TODAY THAN:
Uh, that would be Josh McDaniels. Coach Doogie has, in four short months, replaced a Hall of Fame coach, given pinks slips to most of a defense, run a star QB out of town and wrested nearly all the authority in the franchise from an owner who vowed to make his next coach stick to X's and O's, not dabble in personnel.
Most rookie coaches have a bit of a honeymoon. If things don't go so well out of the gate, they can always lean on the excuse that they had to impose their system on the last guy's players. Well, almost every fingerprint Mike Shanahan left on this club has been washed clean. This is Doogie's baby, and with ten picks in the next two days, he'll either knock this draft out of the park or crash like the Hindenburg. There will be no middle ground.
A FINAL WORD ON TONY GONZALEZ
I'm sort of thinking that Kansas City wins more games than do the Falcons in '09.
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Game (Nearly) On, Kids
While the 2009 NFL Player Draft is starting later than usual (2 p.m. Colorado time), here at Casa del Cecil the helper elves have been up since before dawn, scribbling on whiteboards, organizing color-coded player identification cards by position and fielding phone calls.
Oh, OK, none of that is true. But I am going to pull the card table out of the basement. And I did buy a big bottle of Carta Blanca to help me think. Check back in for some all-the-way live chat coverage of the best day(s) on the NFL calendar/
Image from--obviously--The Sports Hernia.
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Sunday, April 19, 2009
Feeling the Draft '09: Getting Mocky With It
Should that have been "wit it"? I dunno, I'm lame.
Anyway, here's a look, totally separate from any reportage or inside information, as usual--at how the first round might break down. I'll make sure to give the Chefs a long snapper at #3 and the Raiders Ken Stabler at #7.
Not really. But don't think I didn't want to. I must behave, because this whole exercise is nothing if not dead serious business.
#1, Detroit Lions -- Jason Smith, T, Baylor
The rumor is, obviously, that Detroit is going to take the Cutlerian figure known as Matt Stafford first. They might well do so. They have not agreed to a contract with the kid in advance, though, which could complicate matters. In any case, in a draft with no clear-cut No. 1 pick, go with a potentially great pro like Smith.
#2 St. Louis Rams -- Andre Smith, T, Alabama
That's right, I'm taking a chance on manboobs early. Smith had all the momentum in the world for the No. 1 pick overall, right up until the end of the college season. He didn't play versus Utah--and I've read people who say that if he had, Paul Kruger likely would have destroyed him with his quickness--and then he just fell, fell, fell. But the guy is still enormous, quick for being so enormous and a fit for a deprived St. Louis team. (By the by, isn't it interesting that the Rams, a two-win squad last year, were so eager to let one of their best-ever players, Orlando Pace, walk in free agency to the Bears? Cutler is going to be hit this year like he hasn't since Vandy.)
#3 Kansas City Chiefs -- B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College
I dunno why more mock drafts don't have the Chefs taking the supposed best nose tackle prospect. Isn't Pioli supposedly a devotee of the New England System of Intelligent Drafting (patent pending)? Didn't the Patriots build those great teams by emphasizing defensive line (Richard Seymour, Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork) in the first round? Who cares if he blazed a few down prior to the Combine--if that's even true, which we don't know yet--if he can collapse two blockers as the centerpiece of a rebuilt 3-4?
#4 Seattle Seahawks -- Eugene Monroe, T, Virginia
Virginia has had a run of first-round talent on the offensive line in recent years, with D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Branden Albert hearing their names in called early, and that continues with the Ferguson-esque Monroe. I absolutely loved Ferguson when he came out and he's been a solid and totally uninteresting pro, so what the fuck do I know? But this Monroe kid could be a great replacement for the once-great-but-now-rapidly-aging Walter Jones.
#5 Cleveland Browns -- Matt Sanchez, QB, USC
They took Brady the Quinn in the first scant few years ago, but that's what a new regime will do (read: Broncos, Denver). Quinn is likely to be dealt, maybe even to the Mile High city's favorite team, heaven forfend, leaving Sanchez the heir apparent to Derek Anderson. A coup shouldn't take lone. (Why, by the way, is Sanchez skating by on the character issue considering the sexual assault charge he had as a freshman? Rey Maualuga is getting killed from every direction, but the experts just looooove Sanchez.)
#6 Cincinnati Bengals -- Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
Some folks think Crabtree is the single best player available, but he does have a foot injury, comes from Mike Leach's wacky passing orgy and is rumored to be an egotistical, posse-heavy headcase. That won't bother Mike Brown even a little bit. Plus, Cincy needs to replace both Hooshyermama and the soon-to-be-departed Ocheta y Cinco.
#7 Oakland Raiders -- Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
I admit, I have no originality. If a mock drafter doesn't have the raiduhs taking Darrius Heyward-Bey, they have 'em taking Maclin. He seems like a nice kid, which would be incidental to Al Davis, but he's definitely got the elite speed and production. Sadly, the Raiders seem to be on the upswing.
#8 Jacksonville Jaguars -- Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
Curry, another potential #1, falls past a bunch of teams that would have been well-served by his attacking nature and impeccable off-field character and ends up in north Florida. The Jaguars find the perfect replacement for Mike Peterson without having to do a thing.
#9 Green Bay Packers -- Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee
Why not? Tyson Jackson would be the popular pick here in this particular imaginary scenario, but Ayers has found a lot of traction following his senior season and subsequent all-star game performances. If the Packers' coaches think they can transform him into a 3-4 end, he certainly has the physical skills to make it.
#10 San Francisco 49ers -- Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia
The Niners can't believe their luck. They were supposedly players in the Cutler game and came out with nada, and they end up with his virtual clone a full nine slots later than he was expected to go. Unbelievable, say fans and detractors alike--but don't put a crown on his ass yet. Stafford is as big a gamble in some regards as Josh Freeman, another strong-armed passer who wouldn't be ranked as highly as he is in a better year for QBs. What, exactly, did he prove at Georgia? He's not the best pressure player. Who cares if he can throw it through a fire door if he hits the hinges instead of the knob?
#11 Buffalo Bills -- Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
The Bills need help in the defensive secondary, they have a recent history drafting Buckeyes (Donte Whitner, Ashton Youboty, Nate Clements) and this guy will likely be solid citizen, which will come as a relief to Bills' fans tired of shenanigans.
#12 Denver Broncos -- Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
This simply makes too much sense. The kid is a 300-pound end, for God's sake, and might as well have been ordered out of the 3-4 Five Technique mail catalogue. He also played well at a big-time program and feels strongly about his chosen profession, which can't be discounted these days. The Broncos' first pick simply has to be defense--has to--and this is a good place to start with no chance at Raji.
#13 Washington Redskins -- Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
Almost unbelievably, Orakpo falls down to Washington. While in some other universe--one more attuned to reality, perhaps--Orakpo is gone by this spot, potentially to Denver the pick before, in this candy-colored version he falls, making a certain short, spendcrazy owner extremely happy. O-sack-po is just the tonic Washington's aging D-line needs.
#14 New Orleans Saints -- Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi
Jerry is a mature, confident player with great quickness and would be a fantastic fit on this team's defense I can't snipe at this one at all; alongside Sedrick Ellis, Jerry could be a Pro Bowler for years to come and, barring injury or unexplainable freakout, the Saints could be set on the interior of their defensive line. He's no 3-4 prospect, which is the only reason that Denver and Green Bay passed earlier.
#15 Houston Texans -- Evander "Ziggy" Hood, DT, Missouri
An extraordinarily bried "run" on defensive tackles is on, with Houston reaching way up high, high, higher than his draftable grade for Hood, whose quickness would seem to mesh well with their 4-3 scheme but whose overall power seems to be in question. In any case, Ziggy is a great nickname.
#16 San Diego Chargers -- Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB, Ohio State
Wells fits the Chargers' tendency to draft talent regardless of its ancillary components; he's clearly a stud when healthy, but that's not often. There also seem to be whispers about his overall competitiveness. If he's physically and mentally right, this pick could be pure genius, which would only make Bronco fans more tetchy than we already are. This team can't live with Sproles as the lead tailback, that's not their style, they need a bruiser--Michael Turner, in other words, who they lost previously to the Atlanta Falcons.
#17 New York Jets -- Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State
Freeman, for whatever reason, seems to be rating really well in the opinions of certain teams, and the speculation is that the Jets are one of those. Who knows, of course, how true that is--but a squad set to go into the season with Brett Ratliff and Kellen Clemens as its' two number one starters could probably use some competition at the spot. Thing is, we fans in Big 12 country saw a fair amount of Freeman the last few seasons, and while I can't speak for anyone else...WTF? How is this kid rating so highly, beyond his pure physical attributes (6'6", 240 lbs)? He couldn't even beat CU, and boy, that hasn't been tough in about 6 years.
#18 Denver Broncos -- Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
Yes, I know this is a popular opinion following a certain newspaper's recent communication of such interest. Yes, I know that I have been in favor of the Broncos drafting Rey Maualuga for nearly two full years and yes, yes, seriously, I get it, running back is hardly the team's biggest need. But I keep thinking how dangerous this offense could be with a ferocious number one like Moreno who can also catch passes and block, and that as much as I like Peyton Hillis, there still isn't real true lead back and...and well, that's how you talk yourself into a place like this.
#19 Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Everette Brown, DE, Florida State
Brown is widely predicted to go higher in the draft than this, but circumstances happen. The Bucs might have wanted Freeman, they might have wanted Wells or Moreno, but they get a pretty good pass rusher from just down the road instead. Here's to the kid proving the Florida State defensive end curse wrong.
#20 -- Detroit Lions -- Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
This one pains. I've been wishing, hoping, praying to my Atheist God, whatever, that Rey-Rey would become a Denver Bronco. I just don't see him going earlier, so the Lions make up for last year's terrible 2nd round pick of Jordon Dizon--I mean, wow--with potentially the best defender in this whole shebangzoombop. I just made that word up to honor Rey.
#21 Philadelphia Eagles -- Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
I love this pick. The Eagles need to get younger in the secondary and Smith is a ballhawking interception machine with the short-area explosion to make a difference. Was that last sentence cliched enough? If not, I can re-write.
#22 Minnesota Vikings -- Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
This is just the kind of maddeningly odd pick that Vikes fans would expect from the Childress regime; not that it's not a position of need, but still. A tight end,mostly recognized for his blocking, in the first round? Pettigrew is one of those late risers, though, and could theoretically (realistically?) go even higher than this--or much later in the second round. But a pair of short throwers like Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels need help in the short and intermediate game, so here they go.
#23 New England Patriots -- Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut
This mock draft is, if nothing else, unpredictable. Belichick is supposed to have attended one of Butler's workouts personally, but maybe that's because they were located just down the street. Butler is a superfast, tackling-averse corner with the ability to hang all over an opposing receiver. Yes, USC linebackers Clay Matthews Jr. or Brian Cushing would make more sense, but we're not about making sense, here.
#24 Atlanta Falcons -- James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State
This kid has been killed everywhere recently, but he fits what the Falcons want to do with their 4-3. Everyone knows that his dad was Animal in the Road Warriors, but just in case you didn't: his dad was Animal in the Road Warriors. Hopefully for the many, many folks on the many, many Peachtree streets in Atlanta, some of that scripted violence transfers over.
#25 Miami Dolphins -- Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State
Maybin is another guy who was expected to go earlier, but drops. He's probably the quickest defensive lineman in this draft with excellent potential as an outside linebacker in the 3-4, so it makes sense that the Dolphins would want him as an eventual replacement for Joey Porter.
#26 Baltimore Ravens -- Brian Cushing, LB, USC
In the real world, Cushing would never fall this far. In imaginary mock draft candy canes-and-whiskey-for-breakfast world, he falls to a team that always seems to find the best defensive player available at their slot. That happens again.
#27 Indianapolis Colts -- Alex Magee, DT, Purdue
The first true reach of the round, Magee fits perfectly with what the Colts like to do--attack, attack, attack. He might not have, as the scouts say, sand in his pants, but he fills a need and fits the system.
#28 Buffalo Bills -- Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers
Sure, they signed T.O., but that dude is old as the meadows and breezes, so they get the closest thing to him in this draft in the big and agile Britt.
#29 New York Giants -- Percy Harvin, WR/RB, Florida
Thwarted by their fellow Empire State squad's previous pick, the Giants take the immensely talented but potentially nuclear Harvin, who not only has drug test problems but a history of conflict wherever he's been. He's also the most elusive and versatile offensive player in this draft.
#30 Tennessee Titans -- Clay Matthews Jr., LB, USC
Ex-Trojan Jeff Fisher can't resist adding a guy like Matthews, who improved over the course of his college career from a walk-on to a starter, and whose uncle was one of the best players, if not the best player, in Titans/Oilers history.
#31 Arizona Cardinals -- Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut
The underrated Brown will be a fine compliment to the up-and-coming Tim Hightower and help Arizona kiss goodbye to the do-everything talents of Edgerrin James.
#32 Pittsburgh Steelers -- Alex Mack, C, California
Another pick that everyone else is making, but in this case, it's the right one. Mack is a tough, strong player with the natural ability and competitiveness to be the next great Steeler center, in the tradition of Mike Webster and Dermontii Dawson.
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Saturday, April 18, 2009
Feelin' the Draft '09: One Week Away, Mark Your Calendars...
Just a note to the vast, squirming mass of internettery known as our readership that the 2009 NFL Player Draft is next weekend.
Are you going to watch it on television? Do you plan to travel to New York? Listen to the local radio station?
All fine ideas. But we'd request you add another item to the day's docket: follow along with the members of the Iron Triangle as we hold our first-ever, for-reals live chat--with the actual software and everything! We'll be starting bright and/or early New York time, so don't drink too many Midori Sours the night before.
We'll see you then. In the meantime, your team and city blows, unless it's mine.
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Monday, April 13, 2009
Feeling the Draft '09: Defensive Backs
It's April 13th already? Looks like I'm going to need to get on the stick with these, since the draft itself is less than two weeks away (Editor's note: OMGOMGOMGOMG) and you're not going to win that "who can find the largest internet cache of ridiculously speculative Broncos-related opinion" wager you made with your barber otherwise.
So, then. Let us examine a few guys from the defensive secondary that the predominantly orange-n-blue denizens of Dove Valley might see as a potential fit.
(If you'd like to read this on a more reputable website, click here.)
1. Rashad Johnson, FS, Alabama. 5'11", 205 lbs
This one almost doesn't fit our notion of looking outside the 8-man box at players you might not be familiar with; Johnson starred at a BCS school, played for one of the most well-known coaches in the game (Nick Saban) and saw plenty of weekend television face-time, even in a big square western state like ours. He has also, according to various internet reports, already visited Bronco headquarters and conducted a private workout for team brass. So it's not like we're climbing too far out on a limb. That said, we've long felt that Johnson, an aggressive ballhawk who came to the Tide as a running back, would be just the tonic an interception-deprived Denver secondary needs. He's a little on the light side, yes--his college playing weight was somewhere about twenty pounds south of what we have listed and he's never going to be great against the run. But recall that Saban is not only one of the best in the nation at coaching up defensive backs (look what his tutelage did for ex-LSU Tiger/current Washington Redskin LaRon Landry, another conversion from offense), he's also incredibly demanding of them, and Johnson was basically a defensive coach on the field for the Tide last year. If Saban believes, so should we.
Projection: 2nd round
2. Coye Francies, CB, San Jose State. 6'0", 185 lbs
Francies had been getting some run as a potential late first-rounder up until about a few months ago. Then he clocked in the 4.7 range at the Combine, and bing, bang, down the imaginary board he falls. Shame, too, because he's got fantastic size for a corner, plays faster than he times and supposedly can bench press more than twice his weight--he put up 225 pounds 24 times in Indianapolis, more than some offensive linemen. He also has experience against BCS competition, because he started his college career at Oregon State...before being dismissed following a charge of illegal weapons possession and thus forced onto the junior college-to-lower conference track. Oops. But hey, this is Colorado. We have concealed carry here.
Projection: 2nd-3d round
3. Sherrod Martin, CB/FS, Troy. 6'1", 198 lbs.
Martin seems to be largely absent from the pre-draft chatter and we simply can't understand why: is it because he went to a small school? Well, seeing as Troy has been steadily pumping talent (DeMarcus Ware, Leodis McKelvin, Osi Umenyiora) into the league over the last few years, that makes no sense. Is it because he doesn't have a position? Well, maybe; Martin's size and athletic ability seem to have various evaluators projecting him as a corner rather than a free safety, the position he played in college. And no one really knows if he can play corner. Possibly because it isn't his position. The propensity of the NFL's smart set to out-think themselves can be baffling. We think that a guy with his fluidity and agility--he blew up the 20-yard short-shuttle drill at the Combine in 3.98 seconds--can be productive playing centerfield in the pros. He will be a 25 year-old rookie, though, which might scare some teams away from wanting to develop him.
Projection: 3d round
4. Nic Harris, SS/OLB, Oklahoma. 6'2", 234 lbs.
The dreaded "tweener" label has been stamped, government-issue style, directly on poor Harris' bio: he lacks, say the scouts, enough speed or range to play safety or the strength and vinegar to play linebacker. So where does that leave him? All we know is, every time Oklahoma was on the tube--which was, as anyone in Big 12 country knows, is always more than plenty--he was around the ball, laying someone out. The strength caveat does have some merit, since he could only put up 225 pounds 15 times at the Combine. And it's true that speed and agility definitely aren't his forte. But won't need to be able to run with receivers if a team keeps him in the box as a strong safety and lets him rip; as for strength, that's why NFL teams employ highly-compensated men without necks. If nothing else, he's got the makings of a great special teams gunner.
Projection: 5th round
5. Donald Washington, CB, Ohio State. 6'0", 197 lbs.
Any bet on Washington is strictly based on upside, because he lost his starting job to Chimdi Chekwa last year following a two-game suspension to start the season and then largely lined up in the nickel. But oh, what upside: the two-time Indiana state long jump champion boasted a Combine-best 45-inch vertical leap and has been described by some observers as having been the best athlete on the team. Considering OSU's stature--Championship game failures aside--that's not small beer. Washington can run with NFL receivers and would be an excellent value on the draft's second day; says here he might end up as some team's starter before long.
Projection: 5th round, but could surprise and go much earlier
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Monday, April 6, 2009
Feeling the Draft '09: 3-4 Linebackers
Back again with another outside—as in far outside, past the bushes and the security guards—look at the Broncos’ needs in the upcoming 2009 NFL Player Draft.
Sure, other writers might just call it “the Draft,” but we here at the House prefer the veneer of legitimacy conveyed by “2009” “NFL” and “Player.” Consider it the lawyerly approach.
Judge us for our arrogance if you like; but please, do so in the comments section. Instead of, you know, court. Because, given the mindset we’ve established in paragraph one, we’d have to represent ourselves. And that would get ugly fast.
Enough chatter. Down below, a look at 5 linebackers who could potentially fit in Mike Nolan’s 3-4 defense.
1. Larry English, LB/DE, Northern Illinois. 6’2”, 255 lbs
English is a guy who doesn’t have a lot of name recognition outside the NIU campus but stands a real chance of going early in the draft. Possibly as early as the first round. He’ll most definitely be off the board by the end of the second. That’s a measure of the high value that 3-4 teams place on outside linebackers with his body type--although he’s a few inches shy of prototype height for the position--and ability to rush the passer (he’s the school’s career leader in sacks). He’s also, from all accounts, a good dude off the field and is a member of the University’s leadership council. Given the money that teams commit to players at the top of the draft, that plays pretty well these days. Unless you’re the Bengals.
2. Clay Matthews Jr., LB/DE, USC. 6’3, 240 lbs
Now, this is a name that might perk the casual fan’s ear, but more likely because casual fan is remembering Clay Matthews Sr., a linebacker who played seemingly a hundred seasons for the Cleveland Browns. Younger Clay has seen only one year as a starter, but it should be mentioned that he walked on to the team to begin with—if you turn yourself into a starter at USC, even if takes all four years, you deserve a little dap no matter your surname. He’s versatile, hard-working and a football-is-the-most-important-thing-in-the-universe type--although for all of his potential as a rush linebacker in the 3-4, he didn’t exactly produce a ton of sacks (only 4.5) playing at the Trojans’ version of the position, the “Elephant.” (Who came up with that name, anyway?) But the Draft is all about potential, and Matthews has it in spades.
3. Jasper Brinkley, ILB, South Carolina. 6’1”, 252 lbs
No, we haven’t forgotten that the 3-4 requires more than mere pass rushers, that it only works well when staffed by concrete-gnawing brutes in the middle who can fend off pulling guards and stuff the run. While scouts evidently weren’t impressed with Brinkley’s senior season or play at the East-West Shrine Game (we think that anyone who takes part in that contest should motor up to the stadium in a little car, wearing a fez), he made up for it with a better showing at the Combine. Not very fast, kind of Andra Davis-esque, but physically suited for the inside banging that the scheme entails.
4. Clint Sintim, OLB, Virginia. 6’2”, 256 lbs
The most obvious presence on this list, Sintim was drafted to play in Al Groh’s 3-4 alignment at Virginia and did so with elan—he owns UVA’s record for career sacks by a linebacker, with 27. That experience, combined with his ideal body type, pass rush ability, arm length (33 ½ inches) and ability to drop in coverage, will likely make him one of the first rush linebackers off the board, alongside English. Plus, Clint is an appropriately monosyllabic first name for a linebacker.
5. Neefy Moffett, DE/OLB, Florida St. 6’0”, 260 lbs
The knock on Moffett, who played defensive line in college, is that he’s too short. To which we say: don’t short linemen have natural leverage? It’s not like the dude is a wide receiver. He’s a brute, physically, and ProFootballWeekly’s Nolan Nawrocki (read: actual draft analyst) speculates that he could carry 280 pounds on his frame, making for one heck of a rush linebacker. If Jason Gildon could play for the Steelers in the mid-to-late ‘90s at 270 or so, we see no reason Moffett can’t do the same.
Image from http://assets.espn.go.com
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Monday, March 30, 2009
Feeling the Draft '09: Defensive Line
Just admit: you’ve had it up to here with expert analysis of the upcoming NFL draft.
With Adam Schefter breaking down Combine numbers. With Todd McShay’s smirk and Mel Kiper’s hair-helmet. You want an idea of who the Broncos might take on April 25th and 26th, but you want it to come from a guy with no more access to the team’s war room than the dudes who clean the Dove Valley toilets or paint stripes on the practice field.
Well, search no more. I’m here for you. Today, I'm taking a gander at potential defensive line prospects that might—or mightn’t, let’s be honest—fit in the hybrid 3-4/4-3 that new D-coordinator Mike Nolan promises to install in 2009.
1. Jarron Gilbert, DE, San Jose State. 6’5”, 287 lbs.
A month or so ago, most football fans outside of San Jose State’s Athletic Department couldn’t have identified this young man if they’d interviewed his relatives first and been prepped with a series of flash cards. But then a video surfaced on YouTube featuring Gilbert leaping out of the shallow end of a swimming pool in one motion and landing, flat-footed, on the deck. Go ahead and give that a try sometime. Couple that natural explosiveness with 35-inch arms and he’s got exactly the body type that coaches who run 3-4 schemes look for in the “five technique” end position. Nor is he a mere workout warrior; he made 22 tackles for a loss in ’08. But that YouTube video might have made him millions.
Projection: 2nd round
2. Sammie Lee Hill, DT, Stillman College. 6’4”, 329 lbs.
How does a kid Hill’s size grow up in Alabama, who was 270 lbs. leaving high school, not get a scholarship invite to play for the Crimson Tide? These mysteries of life, ever do they vex us. Hill is surprisingly athletic, considering his massive frame--he even played defensive end as a senior--but most likely projects to nose tackle in the NFL. A developmental prospect to be sure, since Stillman is a Division II school, but worth a look in the middle rounds.
Projection: 4th round
3. Terrance Taylor, DT, Michigan. 6’1”, 314 lbs.
Seems like Michigan puts a coke machine-sized tackle or two into the league every year—see the Arizona Cardinals Alan Branch and Gabe Watson—and Taylor is just the latest in line. Although perhaps a tad more squatty than some coaches like in a 3-4 nose tackle, that same “deficiency” also provides Taylor with natural leverage. By the by, the Steelers’ Casey Hampton is about the same height. How’s that been working out for Pittsburgh?
Projection: 4th round
4. Dorell Scott, DT, Clemson. 6’4, 310 lbs.
Clemson has a history of putting fine defensive linemen into the league—the Broncos had a pretty nice example for a few years, guy named Trevor Pryce—and Scott, while some analysts rip him for inconsistency, still managed to average more than 50 tackles as a sophomore and junior before dropping in status (along with the rest of the Tigers) during last season’s forgettable campaign. Can actually provide some pass rush, too, which makes him a potential fit at a variety of positions in a 3-4/4-3 hybrid.
Projection: 3d round
5. Fili Moala, DT, USC. 6’4, 303 lbs.
Moala probably has a tad more name recognition than the other dudes, having played for Will Ferrell’s favorite team, but opinions vary wildly on his future prospects. Some think he’d be better playing inside on a four-man line, some think he’d be an excellent 3-4 end, some people think he’s lazy and unpolished, some people think he’s a grinder who gives great effort and doesn’t mind the dirty work. When confronted by such conflicting information, we always go back to what we witnessed on the couch whilst drinking Old Milwaukee: a guy who started all or part of his every year on a USC defense that ate six-penny nails for breakfast and once blocked two kicks in a quarter last season against Arizona State. His cousin is Baltimore Ravens tackle Haloti Ngata, for those who put stock in “bloodlines.” (Which we don’t, really, but still worth mentioning, especially since some of the same criticisms were leveled at Ngata when he left Oregon.)
Projection: 2nd round
Image from cache.daylife.com
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Saturday, March 7, 2009
Feelin' the Draft '09: Do They Contradict Themselves? Yes They Contradict Themselves
I first had the idea for this post when this blog was but a fingerling swimmin' up the broadband stream, yet it took me three years to make it happen. Coming soon, my first driver's license.
One of the things that bothers me about draft season is the amount of conflicting information. Cripes, you can't trust anything that comes out around Combine season--40 times vary depending on which old scout was holding the watch, the results that the NFL network shows on screen aren't official, half of the guys are two inches shorter than their listed college height, etc. You have to carry the two and dot the E and make an educated guess about half of it.
The opinions that scouts hold about individual players also vary wildly--frequently from sentence to sentence in their reports. How are we, scant elements of the lumpen proletariat that we are, supposed to know if Dink McSnood from Tech State needs more sand in his pants or in fact has a bubble butt? When we read that the small-school receiver with character concerns is also an Eagle Scout, hrum fah bluh? Confusing, head hurt, must smash.
So I present to you all, following the drop, examples of this annoying phenomenon, courtesy of the formerly great and now sadly superannuated Pro Football Weekly's 2009 NFL Draft Guide.
First, we'll look at Oklahoma WR Juaquin Iglesias. PFW's Nolan Nawrocki--who can't carry the memory of Joel Buchsbaum's jock itch powder--says that he has "good short area quickness and agility to make a defender miss and create extra yardage after the catch." Nice, eh?
Except for that he also evidently "lacks great foot energy or show the vertical burst to finish routes." OK. So he's agile, and can turn big plays, but not that agile. Not those kind of big plays.
Or how about Coye Francies, cornerback from San Jose State? His "character is solid" and he has been a "model citizen at San Jose State" yet he was kicked out of Oregon State for an illegal weapons possession charge. Now, I don't wanna throw dirt on the Francies kid--I'm currently cleaning my Glock in between sips of 151--but last year Nawrocki couldn't shut up about "character concerns" that he never identified doggin' Ryan Clady. Make up your fucking mind, Nolester.
Then there are the projections without evidence. USC linebacker Clay Matthews, whose biggest attribute seems to be the ol' try-hard/tough guy label--along with having the real Clay Matthews as a dad--has "upside to continue developing as a pass rusher" but "average sack production." I have upside to scoring 40 goals for the Minnesota Wild but average ability to not fall down on skates and tear a knee ligament.
How about the left-handed compliment? Roy Miller, defensive tackle out of Texas, "uses suddenness to get to the ball" and has a "good motor" with which he "hustles and chases." Too bad he's only in possession of "marginal speed." Sorry, Roy, maybe there's work down at the post office.
The list goes ever on. Stanford defensive end Pannel Egboh "can disrupt the quarterback's vision" but, sadly, "does not make plays." Alabama running back Glen Coffee, a kid I love for my Broncos in the 6th round or thereabouts, "hits holes hard and shows the toughness to lower his shoulder and fight for yards." Unfortunately, that seeming advantage is negated by the fact that he "too often goes down on first contact and does not bust through arm tackles." MMM-hmm.
Then there are the real bogglers: Darry Beckwith, linebacker from down LSU way, "reacts quickly to the thrown ball." Yet, wait! How can that be the case, when he also "does not have a great nose for the ball" and is "too slow to diagnose"? Why is the negative "pear-shaped body" of Arizona State offensive tackle Paul Fanaika also the positive "very good mass"? Safety Patrick Chung from Oregon has "good instincts" but those evidently aren't good enough because he does not have "deep-hash instincts."
I could go on. But you all get the picture. And this booze ain't gonna drink itself.
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Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Feeling the Draft '09: What They Are Saying
The previous few days' brouhaha over Mr. Tennessee Hairy almost distracted me from my current bloggin' priority.
Thankfully for you both, said near-distraction never got very far past "almost." It's still draft time, I'm still mooning over 20 year-old dudes from state colleges and you're still here to eagerly lap up whatever blog-milk I spill, you...you...blog-milk lappers, you.
Past the leap, we'll offer an array of links and opinions related to the upcoming 2009 NFL Player Draft. So ease up on that inhaler, Percy, and follow along...
The fantastically-moustached Pat Kirwan posted his latest mock draft. I love mock drafts, because even the quoteunquote experts get them nearly entirely wrong, always. Mock Drafts are the Great Leveler--alongside the global economy, the internet, death, taxes, lower back pain and picking your schnoz at a stoplight.
Seriously, next time you're at a stoplight, look at the car next to you. Dude will be picking his nose. It's a guarantee.
My favorite Canadian draft site--these guys are like the NFL draft analyst version of The Onion's 'Outside Scoop with Jackie Harvey'--lists their top 100 players.
Pro Football Weekly says that the man almost everyone has the Chefs picking at #3 is the best investment in the draft.
NFL Draft analyzing guy Rob Rang picks his NFL Ecksteins. While most of his choices seem like they were suggested by Bill Plaschke over a big meal of Spam, Sno-Cap lard and Eskimo Pies, I do love me some Rashad Jennings. Pay attention plz, Coach Doog.
Image from www.the-hug.org
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Saturday, February 21, 2009
Feeling the Draft '09: Welcome Back, Kids
You smell that? (No--not that. That's just the Miller High Life Lite talkin'.) Smells like...combine.
I've waited to put together the first of what promises to be an exhaustive, repetitive and totally uninformed-by-any-actual-reportage series of posts on the 2009 NFL Draft until now, when the GMs and coaches and agents and potential Kansas City first round busts have all gathered in Indianapolis. It's kind of like waiting until Christmas Morning to open your presents; doing it early cheapens the experience.
Follow past the jump for more...
I haven't really decided how I'm gonna approach these, but I do know that my live bloggin' of the actual event will be condensed into one easy-to-follow post, so we can enjoy your hundreds of pertinent and not-dumb comments in one place. Last year's shotgun approach wore my typing fingers out, and then I got drunk too early. I'm sure there's a connection somewhere.
Anyway. Let's pop onto teh internets for a few items concerning the two teams that we care about here. That's right: the Saints and Vikings.
It's official, kinda. The Broncos are openly admitting that they plan to move to a 3-4 defense. At least some of the time. Other times, who knows? Maybe they'll use a 2-5. Or a 9-11. 10-4, good buddy.
We'll look at players who'd fit in later; my problem with the 3-4 is, and has always been, that it's hard to staff. You have to find a nose tackle who crushes Winchell's donuts, linebackers that are actually light defensive ends who can drop in pass coverage and actual ends that are more like 4-3 tackles, except taller. Preferably.
Jeff Legwold did a piece a while back--I'm too lazy to find the exact link at the moment--comparing the sizes of Denver's D-linemen with those of the two most successful 3-4 squads out there, the Patriots and Steelers. It wasn't pretty. There are basically no players on Denver's team who fit the ideal size profile of *any* front seven position in a 3-4, with the exception of Jarvis Moss as a potential outside 'backer. We simply don't have those 6'5, 300+ dudes you need to hold the edge as ends, nor anyone resembling a true nose tackle.
And with more teams going to a 3-4, those players are going to be harder to find.
Teams like, say, the Kansas City Chiefs?
Also from today's Rocky:
"It makes the Broncos one of several teams making the change - the Green Bay Packers recently made the switch to a 3-4 with Dom Capers as their new defensive coordinator, and the Kansas City Chiefs are expected to change once they choose their defensive coordinator - and puts them on hunt to fill some new roles in the scheme."
Ohh realllly? This is news to me. KC has invested a lot of high draft picks along the defensive line in recent years, and they were pretty much all 4-3 guys. Glenn Dorsey is a 4-3 guy. Tamba Hali is a 4-3 guy. Maybe Tank is a 3-4 nose...maybe. But it seems to me that the team that won't even tell its new coaching staff what their jobs are has more to lose in this switch than we do, since we've basically invested nothing up front over the last decade. And yes, it shows.
Our new head coach has evidently been studying up on the Patriot Guide to Dealing With the News Media. At least he's smiling.
Along with pretty much everyone else, I think the Chefs need to draft a quarterback. I know everyone loves The Tyler Thigpen Story, and it's cute, but of such are the 2-14 seasons made.
Question is, who? This isn't a great draft for quarterbacks-one of the worst in a long time, actually--and there are widely divergent opinions of the early favorites, Matt Stafford and Mark Sanchez. Profootballtalk.com quoted a source--who may not exist, you never know with them--as saying that Stafford "pees his pants" under pressure. Ouch. And there isn't exactly a long list of one-year college starters who have gone on to NFL fame and fortune, as Sanchez attempts to do. So are either of them worth the #3 pick overall?
Or will they end up with someone like this kid, who played down the road a spell? Or this one, who shares an alma mater with Jim Everett and Bob Griese?
Or this one, whose selection would cause Whitlock to immediately engage in a furious session of onanism in the middle of the middle of the Star's newsroom? That's what I'm rooting for. Because if there's one thing our Administrator can't get enough of, it's Big Sexy talkin' up his peeps from Ball State.
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Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Taking a Massive (link) Dump
This is the reason I'm posting right now. Yelberton Abraham Tittle, better known as Y.A., has his own website. Yelberton.
But wait, there's more! The Administrator already referenced this in a comment. But it needs more attention, because, well, seriously.
Wtf?
If you're gonna put in a 3-4, you need a dude like this.
Or this.
This guy earned his Bad Motherfucker wallet.
Bad news for everyone in the draft's top 15. Especially Denver.
These guys already have a seven round mock draft ready. It's wacky, but it's ready.
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Sunday, January 4, 2009
Sunday StubTube: Rough Draft
With the third overall pick in the 2009
the
select...
I've been hoping the Chiefs will snag this guy in April. Say what you will about blog starlet Erin Andrews -- or don't, because everyone and their mothers clog the 'spheres with EA material every single day. While it's worth a chuckle, I'm not necessarily a fan of the mockery, but I found it slightly more entertaining than what's transpired in the Minnedelphia game so far.
(link courtesy of Deadspin, via other sites)
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Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Tradition Tuesday: Brodie Bangs, Again
The rough focus of this blog is the rivalry between the Kansas City Chiefs (heralded by Bankmeister) and the Denver Broncos (championed by Cecil and Old No. 7). It may seem unfair that it's two versus one, but once KC gets that second Super Bowl win we'll even out the delegation.
Eight years ago we started The Tradition, in which Bronco fans travel out to the Truman Sports Complex with their team, and Chief lovers return to the Rocky Mountains with theirs. We tailgate, we talk massive amounts of shit, our wives are occasionally assaulted by rival fans, and we almost always watch the visiting team lose. It's a grand old time.
Here at the HoG, we're going to keep The Tradition going with Tradition Tuesday--a weekly state-of-the-rivalry address.
The conventional wisdom is that the Chiefs aced the draft process, and I was prepared to go along with that--until they failed to address their most glaring weaknesses. As for the Broncos, I have some major issues with a few selections, but on the whole they did a fair job restocking the cupboard. More, much more, after the jump...
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Normally I would never, ever, begin with the hated divisional rival in this space, but they really had a historic week. The 4-12 campaign they assembled in 2007 gave them a high pick in each round, of course, and a few old trades netted them a few more selections. What really sent their draft from promising to absurdly beefy was the trade of Jared Allen to Minnesota. This netted an extra first, two thirds (including, in a painful irony, the Broncos' original pick in that round) and a new spot in the sixth.
While this created a surplus of potential players, it also created a big hole in terms of pass rush. Many expected that to be addressed with the No. 5 pick, but Glenn Dorsey was simply too good to pass up at that spot. Barring injury he'll be a force on the D-line for years, squashing running backs, harassing quarterbacks, and requiring constant double-teams. Great pick.
After Jacksonville reached for Derrick Harvey, there were no elite pass-rushers available with the 17th pick. Virginia guard Branden Albert, however, had dropped out of the top 10. Albert has the ability to play tackle, another position KC desperately needed to fill. They swapped up two spots to nab him and added another potential Pro Bowler and ten-year starter.
So at this point King Carl must have felt like the smartest guy in the world. I was stunned, angry, speechless, pantsless...well, it was Saturday afternoon, there's no way I would have been wearing pants anyway. And the Chiefs still had at least ten picks to make.
Luckily, the mistakes started soon thereafter. With the fifth pick in the second round, No. 35 overall, KC could have devastated the league, or at least this Bronco fan in his underwear. Brian Brohm and Chad Henne were still on the board, either a more viable long-term option at QB than Brodie Bangs. Even if they stood pat with Croyle (which they did), there were still defensive ends available later in the round in Auburn's Quentin Groves and Miami's Calais Campbell. Groves in particular would have been intriguing. He fell out of the first due to his size, but playing next to Dorsey and facing man blocking he could have been a beast.
Instead, Carl went with Virginia Tech corner Brandon Flowers--solid, and almost assuredly the third consecutive starter drafted. And there's nothing wrong with going best-available when you have so many needs and your coach has publicly said you're looking for half a dozen starters. But blowing the chance to get a QB or DE makes this an iffy pick to me.
The first two third-round picks were luxury backups, Texas RB Jamaal Charles and Tennessee TE Brad Cottam. Nothing wrong with depth, particularly when your superstar first-stringers at these positions are old or coming off injuries, even if it does run counter to your stated strategy of drafting for immediate need. With their third (!) third-round pick, however, KC knocked it out of the park. DaJuan Morgan will be at least as good as Pollard and Page at the safety position, and will help the two out on special teams to boot.
Had I been King Carl for a day, I'd have used a third-rounder on either a linebacker (Dan Connor and Shawn Crable went in that round) or a receiver (D-Bowe's college teammate Early Doucet and Mario Manningham were available). But I'm not here to second-guess. Actually, that's exactly why I'm here.
The rest of the Chiefs' picks are incredibly boring for a moderate draft nerd like myself. I hear that 6th-round tackle Barry Richardson from Clemson is fat and lazy but may find his way onto the field in '08, and that KC may have a steal in 7th-round DE Brian Johnston. There are a couple of late-round receivers that I expect will get Banky's hopes up and eventually disappoint him, because that's what late-round Chief receivers do. Overall it was an outstanding effort, but I hesitate to ejaculate all over it like Mel Kiper and Peter King did due to the lack of a QB and a pass-rusher.
QBs occasionally fall out of trees. At some point Cleveland will part ways with either Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn (who'd be perfect in Kansas City). The teams that took Brohm and Henne, Green Bay and Miami, might eventually cut loose current starters Aaron Rodgers and John Beck. Donovan McNabb may soon be available. And you can do worse than picking up a Jeff Garcia or Gus Frerotte type. And by "do worse" I mean "start Brodie Croyle."
As for defensive end, good luck. Feel free, Carl, to follow the example of the 2007 Denver Broncos, who signed big-name D-line free agents Sam Adams and Simeon Rice. Banky sees a two-win improvement in this team, which I think is accurate.
DENVER BRONCOS
I won't spend nearly the same amount of time on my own team's draft, because I feel it was exceedingly ordinary. This club desperately needed an infusion of football skill, and I'm not blown away by what came in through the door. There are some highlights, though, including:
First-round pick Ryan Clady. Sure, he can barely spell his own name, but at least he won't have a hard time remembering he plays for the Broncos. You see, he went to Boise State, whose mascot is...never mind. I expect Clady to fuck people up all day long. I expect him to lay down his life to protect Jay Cutler. In fact, if I ever decide to criticize Cutler in a post on this blog, I fully expect my stubby fingers to be broken by Ryan Clady. Even if he can't read what I wrote.
Fifth rounder Ryan Torain, a tailback from Arizona State, is apparently a perfect fit for the Bronco offense. I really don't worry about who's carrying the ball for these guys any more. If the line is rebuilt the rushing yards will be there.
Cecil tells me that fellow Sun Devil Josh Barrett and fellow Copper State defender Spencer Larsen, a U of A linebacker, are the cat's jams. I believe him.
If it were 1995, and the H-back were still en vogue, I'd also love the selection of versatile Arkansas back Peyton Hillis. He's a skilled receiver, and he capitalized on his many TD opportunities while sharing the Wild Hawg backfield with Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. Perhaps he can transfer those skills to the pros and give Denver a true fullback instead of just another converted tailback.
I know nothing about CB Jack Williams or DT Carlton Powell, I simply hope they can walk upright during training camp. As for center Kory Lichtensteiger out of Bowling Green, he'd best be a foul-mouthed helmet-cracking asshole. That's because the Broncos passed on Steve Justice, who was basically reared from birth to apprentice under and then take over for Tom Nalen.
My least favorite pick is second-round Smurf receiver Eddie Royal. I know he's a return guy, and Cecil instructed me to find him on the YouTubes. I apologize for the horrible video quality and large number of unimpressive six-yard slants in this clip, but here you go. He can indeed take back a kick:
In my mind, though, Royal had best be a Pro Bowl-caliber kick returner to justify this pick. DeSean Jackson was still on the board, and he will almost surely be a better receiver than Royal at the same time functioning as a dangerous return man. Royal needs to be a Devin Hester/Dante Hall-in-his-prime type to make me change my mind--I'm tremendously disappointed in this selection.
If he can do this, however, I'll reconsider:
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Sunday, April 27, 2008
NFL Draft Edition Chi: nda Stupid
I still think Denver's number one pick in Ryan Clady out of Boise State was a great pick. But let's just hope for the sake of the Broncos' faithful, that the playbook will be available in colorbook form, and uh, sans words. The online version of the Charlotte Observer put together this post last month, and it's loaded with commentary regarding Clady's brilliance. Or lack thereof. Some highlights after the jump.Wonderlic results
Chris Williams-32
Jeff Otah- 28
Ryan Clady-13There is absolutely no way the Panthers should draft Clady given his Wonderlic score...the LT needs to be able to make quick decisions, read the defense, be in tune with the QB,etc...A Wonderlic score has been proven to be a good indicator in interior linemen and QBs as to whether they will adjust to the pro game or not...A player can work with a trainer to get stronger, but if he is dumb there is just not much you can do about that.
If Thomas Davis scored a 25 - then it is REALLY scary to think how stupid Clady is. They are coached on how to take these tests you know.
According to Paul Zimmerman, examples of average scores include for each NFL position (note the HIGHEST average score).
Offensive Tackle - 26
Center - 25
Quarterback - 24
Guard - 23
Tight End - 22
Safety - 19
Linebacker - 19
Cornerback - 18
Wide receiver - 17
Fullback - 17
Halfback - 16
While an average football player usually scores around 20 points, The Wonderlic, Inc claims a score of at least 10 points suggests a person is literate. Furthermore, when the test was given to miscellaneous people of various professions, it was observed that the average participant scored a 24. Examples of scores from everyday professions included,
Chemist - 31
Programmer - 29
News writer - 26
Sales - 24
Bank teller - 22
Clerical Worker - 21
Security Guard - 17
Warehouse - 15
If you read all of that, you will note that Clady is barely literate AND his score was HALF the average score of NFL offensive linemen.I am not saying that there is absolutely no way that Clady will not become a Pro Bowl tackle...They cannot afford a mistake with this pick and selecting an offensive tackle who is STUPID would be STUPID!!!!!(Editor's Note: A relative of SWC?)
Ouch. Well, Forrest Gump said "Stupid is as stupid does," and I always considered him a pretty bright character. I guess the flip side of this is that one doesn't have to be smart to learn how to chop block. I don't think. Good luck, Raton.
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NFL Draft Edition Beta: Catching Up
After recovering from that first round, icing my typing finger and drinking a bunch of cheap beer, I'm ready for a look back at what we have so far.
*Kansas City has had an excellent draft. Yeah, I know. I didn't think it would happen either. But lo, they took that passel of picks and turned it into a more than solid selection of players. Their draft roster looks something like:
1st round, pick #5: Glenn Dorsey DT LSU
1st round, pick #15: Branden Albert OL Virginia
2nd round, pick #4 (35 overall): Brandon Flowers CB Virginia Tech
3d round, pick #10 (73 overall, from Vikings): Jamaal Charles RB Texas
3d round, pick #13 (76 overall, from Lions): Brad Cottam TE Tennessee
3d round, pick #19 (82 overall, from Vikings): DaJuan Morgan S North Carolina State
4th round, pick #6 (105 overall): Will Franklin WR Missouri
5th round, pick #5 (140 overall): Brandon Carr CB Grand Valley State
That's damn good, especially considering the value in the first. Jamaal Charles reminds me a little too much of Tatum Bell, but there's no doubt he can fly. I suggested that the Chefs look at Cottam some time ago--yet more proof that Herm's a regular reader ("Herm-berto"). I also hoped the Broncos would draft Morgan. Too bad there, especially since Denver appears thus far unwilling to take a safety.
On to Denver:
1st round, pick #12: Ryan Clady OT Boise State
2nd round, pick #11 (42 overall): Eddie Royal WR/RS Virginia Tech
4th round, pick #9 (108 overall): Kory Lichtensteiger C Bowling Green
4th round, pick #20 (119 overall, from Redskins): Jack Williams CB Kent State
5th round, pick #4 (139 overall, from Raiders): Ryan Torain RB Arizona State
5th round, pick #13 (148 overall): Carlton Powell DT Virginia Tech
I love Clady, no matter what Mike Kiszla says--even though I would have also been fine with Jonathan Stewart. Royal fills a need, and let's hope they give him time to develop instead of just cutting him the first time he fumbles. Lichtensteiger was a good value and--let's all say it together--fits the system, as do Williams and Powell. No shiny Kansas City paint here, just a few solid wagons hooked to tiny, orange-n-blue mules.
Image courtesy of Arrowhead Addict
Here's to the Chefs drafting Colt Brennan. It's the least we deserve.
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