Year: 2012

NFL Draft Big Board (2010)

stevenlourie Uncategorized

100 Once in a decade prospect
95-99 Elite talent
90-95 Solid top 10 pick
85-90 Solid first round pick
80-85 Late 1st-early 2nd
75-80 Solid 2nd round pick
70-75 Solid 3rd round pick
65-70 3rd-4th round pick
60-65 4th-5th round pick
55-60 5th round pick
50-55 6th round pick
45-50 7th round pick
40-45 Undrafted, invite to training camp
30-40 Career practice squader
20-30 No NFL future
0-20 No football future 

 

1-25 26-50 51-75 76-100 101-125 126-150 151-175 176-200 201-250 251-300

Updated: 4/13/10

 

1. DT/3-4 DE Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska) 99

People who love stats get high off of Suh’s stat card. Over the last two years, Suh has 158 tackles, 19 sacks, 3 picks, and 2 touchdowns all as a 6-4 300 pound defensive tackle. He also led his team in pass breakups this year with 10. There’s a reason he received the most Heisman votes of any defensive lineman in NCAA Football history. Almost the size of some entertainment centers, he may be the most dominant defensive lineman of the decade. He can play both the 3-4 defensive end position and the 4-3 defensive tackle position. He will make a huge impact on the huge from the moment he enters the NFL. I can’t see him falling past the Lions at #2 and he could be the first defensive tackle to go #1 overall since Dan Wilkinson in 1994.

2. QB Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame) 98

Didn’t step up clutch in close games last year, but still had a hell of a statistical year for a mere junior throwing 28 touchdowns to 4 picks and averaging 8.8 YPA out of a pro style offense. It’s safe to say that while he lost a lot of close games, all 6 of his losses were by a touchdown or less, Notre Dame would have gotten destroyed without him. He played his best in big games and got absolutely no help from his defense. He has experience playing behind a poor offensively line, which he’ll likely have to do in the NFL if he goes top 5 as he’s projected, and he played most of last season through an injured foot, showing his toughness. He’s the top quarterback prospect in this draft class and gets a 98 rating. For the record, Matt Stafford got a 97 last year.

3. OT Russell Okung (Oklahoma State) 98

He’s got excellent footwork and good zone versatility. He has the agility, athleticism, and footwork to be an elite zone blocking left tackle, but he also has good strength, though not elite, and can take down defensive ends one-on-one. His footwork is his best attribute and he is strong as a run blocker and as a pass blocker.

4. S Eric Berry (Tennessee) 98

3/2/10: Of all the good things we could say about Berry, freakish athleticism was not one of them. That is no longer the case as he ran a 4.40 at 6-0 211, benching 19 reps, and flying 43 inches into the air. He’s still a risk in the top 3 because of his position. If he were drafted in the top 3, he’d absolutely have to be a perennial Pro Bowler, otherwise it was a waste of a pick. That being said, he’s one of the few safeties I’d say is deserving of a top 5 pick and if the Chiefs didn’t need a left tackle so badly, he’d be a lock to go 5th overall. He still could if Russell Okung is off the board at 5.

Berry didn’t have as many picks this year, 2, as he had in his first 2 years at Tennessee, 12, but that barely will effect his stock. He’s a real ballhawk in the defensive backfield and patrols zone very well with excellent instincts, but he also has above average coverage skills for a safety and has spent some time at cornerback, in addition to free safety and strong safety. He hits hard, but because of his size, 5-11 200, he projects as a free safety at the next level. In his NFL career he is going to break up plenty of passes, get plenty of tackles, picks, etc and could be the first defensive back to go in the top 3 the last 13 years this year if Tampa Bay falls in love with him.

5. DT/3-4 DE Gerald McCoy (Oklahoma) 96

If it weren’t for Suh, we’d all be singing McCoy’s praises right now. He would have been a lock first round pick last year and he came back and followed up his 6.5 sacks in 2008 with a repeat performance this year of 6.5 sacks. He is a top ten pick lock and could go in the top 3, along with Suh, the first time a defensive tackle has gone in the top 3 since 2000. He would be an ideal fit as a 4-3 one gap penetrator in a zone scheme defense but he can play the 3-4 as a defensive end and all 4-3 schemes.

6. QB Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) 92

4/9/10: Bradford looked great in his Pro Day, showing the stronger arm that it was predicted he would have when he showed up 15-20 pounds heavier to The Combine. The Rams have not announced him as the #1 pick, saying they are going to wait until his private workout with them on the 19th, but I would be very surprised if he wasn’t the pick and they didn’t have a contract in place with him before draft day on the 22nd.

2/26/10: It is reported that Bradford’s shoulder examination went excellent. I am also hearing that a dozen or possibly more NFL GMs were asked about Clausen and Bradford and all of them liked Bradford more. I still like Clausen more, but that won’t matter, if the Rams like him more. I haven’t made this decision final, but I think I could have Bradford atop my mock next week. He also bulked up from 218 to 236, a very impressive feat and necessary for someone whose arm strength was a question mark.

Quite the opposite of Clausen, he’s a proven winner with very mature decision making, but he doesn’t have Clausen’s arm or experience in a pro style offense. There’s no denying the season he had in 2008, but the fact that when Bradford got hurt this year, his freshman backup was actually able to put up close to similar numbers may show that Bradford is just a system quarterback. Then of course there’s his injured shoulder which is a red flag. He has a better arm than about 90% of the quarterbacks in this draft class, and his decision making is great, but there are some red flags here.

7. MLB Rolando McClain (Alabama) 92

3-4 middle linebackers prospects rarely go top 10, but McClain might be an exception. At age 21, McClain is drawing some pretty warranted, though still premature, comparisons to Ray Lewis. In 3 years, McClain has 270 tackles, 5 picks, and 8 sacks. Beyond the numbers, I haven’t seen a linebacker as big as him move as well as he does. At 258 pounds, he was able to chase Tim Tebow down from behind and he could run a low 4.6 40. He’s a huge thumper and a great fundamental tackler. 270 tackles in 3 years doesn’t seem like much for a middle linebacker, but when you consider he’s a 3-4 middle linebacker and those 3 years were freshman-junior and not sophomore-senior, that’s impressive. Of all I have seen of him, he hasn’t done one thing one. He drops back into coverage with great skill already at his young age and he’s a former defensive end so he’ll be excellent on blitz packages in the NFL. Because he already has experience in a 3-4, there will be no major learning curve for him when a 3-4 team drafts him, but I do have some concerns about which positions he can play in a 4-3. I’m pretty sure he’ll fit as a 4-3 middle linebacker, but not sure about 4-3 strong outside linebacker.

8. DE Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech) 91

Great combination of size and speed, and more important an excellent motor and initial explosiveness. He had 12 sacks this year and was also strong against the run at 275 pounds. The only thing stopping him from being a top ten pick lock is the fact that he won’t transition well to a 3-4 scheme, though I wouldn’t be surprised if a team tried to convert him to a 3-4 rush linebacker, though that’d be a mistake. He still has a good shot of going in the top ten and I think he has top ten talent at a possession of huge value in the NFL.

9. CB Joe Haden (Florida) 91

4/9/10: Turns out that 4.57 40 from his Combine was a result of a sore back. Haden ran a 4.43 40 at his Pro Day, in the rain nonetheless, so I’ll move him back to his Pre-Combine status. He’s still, by far, my top cornerback.

3/2/10: Not going to knock him down too much, but the 4.57 at 5-11 193 hurts his chances to go in the top 10 as he competes with Derrick Morgan, Rolando McClain, and Jason Pierre Paul to go 7th to Cleveland. I do expect him to run a little better at his Pro Day, but really his lack of speed today can be attributed to his running style, which shouldn’t hurt him on the football field. He doesn’t have good track speed, but he has football speed.

A former quarterback and wide receiver, Haden has all of the physical tools necessary for the NFL and he showed this year that he can be an amazing shutdown corner. He plays with great physicality and strength and uses those to shutdown the opposing wide receiver. He doesn’t scream #1 corner at me just yet, but he’s only 20 and in his 3rd year playing the position so if his development continues as it should, the sky is the limit for him. He is good against the run and as a blitzer which are rare, but useful skills for a cornerback to have.

10. OT Charles Brown (USC) 88

2/25/10: He needed to measure in at over 300 to get drafted in the first round and after measuring in at 303, the former blocking tight end looks like a future franchise left tackle. The Seahawks may consider him at 14. He also had 35 ¼ inch arms which is good and I think, in terms of pure footwork, he’s the best left tackle in the draft class.

A former blocking tight end, who I believe will need to weigh in at least at 300 pounds to get drafted in the first round. Very few offensive tackles ever get drafted in the 1st round at less than 300 pounds. His first weigh in will be at the Senior Bowl next week so we’ll see how he weighs in. If he can bulk up to 305-310 pounds he could be a dominant left tackle at the next level. He has amazing footwork for his age and experience in a zone style blocking scheme at USC so he is going to be one of the more coveted left tackles by teams who use zone blocking schemes.

11. OLB/MLB Sean Weatherspoon (Missouri) 88

3/1/10: A very good day for him, shaving about .1 second off of his projected 40 time with a 4.57, and also recording a 40 inch vertical leap and 34 reps on the bench press.

1/30/10: If there were a co-MVP, it would be Weatherspoon. He played middle linebacker for most of the game and that was where he indicated in an interview that he has best fit, but he really can play any 4-3 linebacker position, in addition to 3-4 middle linebacker, because hustle and vocal leadership don’t necessarily have a position and those are his signature traits. His coaching staff was raving ability his leadership ability all week and his hustle showed through on the field. On one play, Weatherspoon, a 241 pound linebacker, ran step for step with Mississippi’s Dexter McCluster, a 5-8 165 running back/wide receiver who is projected to run a 40 in the 4.3s, and trapped him in the corner of the end zone and broke up and almost intercepted the pass. He also had a late interception. His efforts were a huge part of the North’s front 7 domination and I think he has solidified himself as a 1st round prospect.

12. QB Tim Tebow (Florida) 88

4/9/10: He didn’t look great in terms of throwing delivery at his Pro Day, but he certainly, mechanically looked a ton better than he did in the Senior Bowl and all last season. In fact, the work he has made on his throw is a huge testament to his amazing work ethic and love of the sport. He’s still a project and far from a finished project, but he has good upside and I think he has the work ethic to fulfill it. I don’t see why some places regard him as less than a 2nd round prospect.

1/30/10: Contrary to what the media is saying, Tebow did not struggle in the Senior Bowl, in fact, his Senior Bowl was painfully neutral. I say painfully because I wanted him to either show me he’s not a true quarterback or that he is, but he did neither. He didn’t make a ton of tough throws, although he threw one impressive curl, and he completed 8 (should have been 9 if it weren’t for an easy drop) out of his 12 throws, but he was operating with Miami’s playbook which is one of the most college esque playbooks in the NFL. Basically, he was playing with the same Florida playbook he was comfortable and we didn’t get to see him be challenged by a pro style offense. So, basically, I learned nothing about Tebow in his Senior Bowl.

Showed in the Sugar Bowl his ability to throw the football and step up in big games by throwing more touchdowns than incompletions, but his mechanics are still poor. However, I don’t believe he has a single mechanical issue that can’t be fixed at the next level and he’s an extremely hard worker. His intangibles are off the chart. Right now the #10 pick is his to lose, based off of the comments Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver made about him earlier this season, so he’ll need to step it up once again in the Senior Bowl.

 

 

 

13. WR Damian Williams (USC) 87

Doesn’t get the big hype of guys like Dez Bryant and Golden Tate, but I think he’s the best overall wide receiver in this draft class because he possesses two traits, in addition to his natural athleticism, that very few wide receivers his age do, good route running, and a humble personality. He really knows how to get open and catch the ball at the best possible point and he’s not one to complain if a quarterback doesn’t throw to him. He’d be a perfect fit for a west coast offense and he can also return punts. He hasn’t been off the charts in terms of production, but he’s led the Trojans in catches and receiving yards in each of the last two years and had 70 catches for 1010 yards and 6 touchdowns this year in a pro style offense, despite having a true freshman at quarterback.

14. DE/RLB Brandon Graham (Michigan) 87

3/1/10: Graham wasn’t expected to run well but a 4.69 40 at 6-1 268 showing some surprisingly athleticism. He also put up 31 reps of 225 pounds.

1/30/10: Graham had a huge Senior Bowl week. It started out bad when he measured up at just over 6 feet and with the shortest arms of any defensive lineman, but he really impressed in practice and even more so in the game. He won Senior Bowl MVP with 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, a tackle for a loss, and 5 tackles. He was disruptive on almost every play and had more signature plays than any other player. He really hustled and earned a lot of praise from the commentators. He chased down Jarrett Brown, the fastest quarterback on either roster, from behind, something that will only show up on the stat sheet as a tackle. He’s a former linebacker, with an excellent motor and an excellent pass rushing repertoire, but he’s also extremely stout and disruptive against the run. He can play both 4-3 left end and 4-3 right end, in addition to rush linebacker. The commentators compared him to LaMarr Woodley of the Pittsburgh Steelers and I think that comparison is dead on. I think he cemented himself as a 1st round pick.

1/27/10: Measuring in at just over 6 feet at his weigh in isn’t good, but he’s making scouts forget about his lack of height, with his play at practice this week. He has a very solid base and looks like a legitimate defensive line player in the NFL. His form against the run needs to be improved, but he has shown great speed rushing moves in addition to being one of the best young bull rushers at the Senior Bowl. If he can impress in coverage, he could be a 1st round pick as either a defensive end or rush linebacker.

With 29 sacks in the last 3 years against Big 10 competition, Graham is a pass rushing machine, but despite his size, he isn’t great against the run. He’s best fit as a rush linebacker at the next level and I can’t see him fitting all schemes. His 40 time isn’t great either so he’ll be viewed as a bit of a tweener by the scouts and that could drop him down in the 3rd round. He has first round upside as a rush linebacker though despite his lack of height and timed speed, assuming he can transition to a new position well and hold up in pass coverage.

15. RB Jahvid Best (California) 87

2/28/10: Jahvid Best just ran faster than CJ Spiller (4.35 compared to 4.37). Now what is Spiller better at? Best is the more complete back of the two, the only thing that Spiller could really say was that his speed was on another level. Now that doesn’t appear to be the case. Best is a better between the tackles runner, he’s more explosive. The only real thing Spiller does better is catch passes. I have compared Spiller to a gimmick weapon type guy like Reggie Bush all along and Best to a speed feature back like Jamaal Charles. In a few years, when Best is the better runner, you heard it here. Yet despite all this, Spiller is getting more hype because of his “unofficial” 4.27. It’s unofficial for a reason.

He could fall below CJ Spiller in the draft because of his concussion late in the season, but he’s a more complete player than Spiller. He’s got more explosive legs, he’s a better runner in between the tackles, and his 40 time is probably going to be faster. They are comparable players in terms of pure speed, but Spiller is more of a straight line runner while Best has better running back skills like initial explosion and good change of direction.

16. S Earl Thomas (Texas) 87

Undersized and has poor tackling form, but he hits hard and his fundamental tackling issues can be corrected. He’s only 20 years old, but he had 8 picks this year showing his ballhawking abilities as a free safety. He has decent coverage skills too and could be looked at as a cornerback, though he has more value as a safety. His only issue will be at 5-11 190, fighting through the physicality at the line of scrimmage on running plays, and also, as is the case for someone who plays as wildly as he does at a small size, injuries in the future could be a concern.

17. OT Bruce Campbell (Maryland) 87

2/27/10: The 6-6 314 pound left tackle just ran a 4.78. In all honesty, this barely moves him up in my book, but after running a 4.78, measuring in with 36 inch arms, jumping 38 inches, and benching 225 pounds 34 times, Campbell has been the star of the combine. He should buy his house in Oakland now because I know somewhere Al Davis just shit his diaper.

2/25/10: After measuring in at 6-6 314 with 36 ¼ inch arms and benching 225 pounds 34 times, Campbell is making his case as the most athletic NFL draft prospect. If he runs a sub 5 at the combine, Al Davis could pull the trigger on him at 8. He still has questions about inconsistency and injuries in his past, but I think he’s shedding the label of “soft.”

If scouts can look past his history of injuries, he could get drafted in the top ten, but I don’t think they will be able to, so he could slip. He’d be best fit in a zone blocking scheme and he has amazing athleticism, but I haven’t seen it brought out of him enough yet for me to consider him a top ten pick. However, that 4.95 40 at 6-7 315 could turn heads, especially Al Davis’ head, unless he can’t turn his head without it falling off.

18. NT Terrence Cody (Alabama) 87

2/27/10: Cody weighed in at 370 at his Senior Bowl weigh in after promising he’d be at 355 and his stock lowered. Cody weighed in at 354 today at the combine. He still needs to lose some weight, but I think I can move him back up a little after dropping him following the Senior Bowl. If you’ve ever seen this guy play, he might be the most agile 354 pound man you’ve ever seen.

1/26/10: He is a large man. One can only hope he keeps his shirt on when he runs the 40 at the combine.

He may only be a two down nose tackle in the NFL, but so are Kris Jenkins and Jamal Williams and most are hugely important to their teams success. With so many teams switching to the 3-4 defense and so few of them having true 3-4 nose tackles, Cody could be a hot commodity this year going as high as 5 to the Chiefs and I think no lower than #29 to the Chargers.

19. WR Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State) 86

4/9/10: Bryant’s measurables and workout in the positional drills, especially after basically a year off of football, were really impressive considering he was wearing brand new cleats that had not been broken in before. However, when you consider that the reason he did not have cleats is because he “forgot,” it’s hard to consider this pro day a success. He is known for having mental lapses on the field, and dropped a few catchable balls today, so forgetting something as important as your cleats cancels out the good that the strong workout did, especially when it’s something as important of your Pro Day after being suspended a whole year for something stupid. He really did not seem to get the importance of this day.

Suspended for something bizarre, but that shouldn’t hurt his draft stock too much. The character red flags are there and he doesn’t always seem to have his head in the game. He drops way too many passes and isn’t a good route runner, but he’s going to be an excellent #2 deep threat at the next level at worst. He has an amazing size, speed combination and is extremely dangerous in the open field.

20. NT/DT Dan Williams (Tennessee) 86

1/30/10: Williams was a big disruptive force all game and really pushed the defensive line back in a big way. However, what really impressed me is, at 325 pounds, how mobile he is. He moved around great and actually covered a running back and prevented him from catching the ball out of the backfield. He also had a pass deflection. He can play any scheme, unlike Terrence Cody. He’s big enough to play 3-4, but also fast and agile enough to play defensive tackle in a 4-3, and he actually has experience in a cover 2 scheme at Tennessee so, despite his size, he can play that scheme at the next level. I can’t see him falling past Tennessee at 16, who needs a big defensive tackle to play in their cover 2 defense. I currently have him ranked as the top nose tackle ahead of Terrence Cody because of his scheme versatility, even though Cody is a better natural run stopper. Cody also weighed in at 15 pounds higher than expected at his weigh in which is not good.

Williams is the more versatile of the two elite nose tackle prospects this year as he can also play 4-3 defensive tackle and is a true 3 down nose tackle. He moves extremely well for his size and gets a great push up front, but he is nowhere near as physically dominant as Cody.

21. TE Jermaine Gresham (Oklahoma) 86

2/27/10: After his 4.76 40, questions about the health of his knee have resurfaced. That’s the last thing Gresham wants to happen at this point. 4.76 isn’t awful, but he was expected to run at least .1 to .15 seconds faster so this is a bit concerning.

Despite being injured all season, he’s still an elite tight end at the next level. Assuming his knee holds up strong through the combine and in team workouts, he’s a lock to be the first tight end off the board and a first round pick. He’s big, 6-6 260, and fast mid 4.6 40, and has amazingly soft hands. He’s not afraid to go over the middle and he’d be a welcome target for any quarterback in the league. He put together one of the greatest statistical seasons ever by a tight end in 2008 with 66 catches for 950 yards and 14 touchdowns and would have been the first tight end off the board in 2008 had he declared.

22. OT Bryan Bulaga (Iowa) 86

A very athletic offensive tackle who has had some trouble with injuries in the past, but he has the ability to play both left and right tackle at the next level. He moves well for his size and has big upside, but too often gets knocked over and doesn’t use his size with good leverage.

23. DT/3-4 DE  Jared Odrick (Penn State) 85

1/27/10: After Suh and McCoy go off the board early, Odrick makes a great case to be the next 3-4 defensive end chosen by displaying great agility, size, and hand use this week. He could also push Brian Price to be the 3rd defensive tackle chosen as well.

Very good agility for his size and good use of his hands to shed blockers, but a DUI back in March of 2009 could hurt his stock. He fits one gap penetrating schemes and also as a 3-4 defensive end. I think he actually would be better at the next level as a 3-4 defensive end which is good because a ton of teams have switched to the 3-4 lately creating a bigger need for natural 3-4 defensive ends like Odrick.

24. DT/3-4 Brian Price (UCLA) 85

Burst onto the scene with 7 sacks as a junior this year and should be able to turn that into a first round selection. He may be a bit of a one hit wonder, but if he continues his physical dominance at the next level, he will be a very solid player in the NFL as either a 4-3 defensive tackle or 3-4 defensive end.

25. DE/RLB Everson Griffen (USC) 85

3/1/10: Griffen put on about 10 pounds this season bulking up to 273 and there were some concerns about how he would carry the weight. After he ran a 4.64 40 today, those concerns should be gone. He also put up 32 reps of 225 pounds.

It’ll be interesting to see what he runs at the combine. He’s rumored to be able to run a 4.5 40, but he also put on 10 pounds of muscle this season so I’m not sure he can still run that fast. If he can, his stock could soar even though he never really did anything of note at USC in 3 seasons. 7 sacks this year after 9 combined in his first two years show good improvement and his run blocking form got a lot better this season with the added weight, but if his 40 time suffers, he may only be looked at as a left end, rather than a right end or rush linebacker. He’s still a major project either way.

 

Go on to 26-50

 

 

January (2010)

December (2010)

November (2010)

October (2010)

September (2010)

August (2010)

June (2010)

May (2010)

 

NFC West 2011

stevenlourie Uncategorized

St. Louis Rams

In 2009, the Rams won 1 game. Rookie quarterback Sam Bradford instantly made this a better team as the Rams won 7 games and almost made the playoffs. Bradford was 354 for 590 (60.0%) for 3512 yards (6.0 YPA), 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. That might not sound great, but consider that he lost Mark… (read more)

Prediction: 10-7 1st in NFC West, lose in NFC Wild Card

Arizona Cardinals 

The Cardinals obviously felt they were a quarterback away from being a legitimate Super Bowl contender because they spent a 2nd round pick and a starting cornerback to get Kevin Kolb. However, Kevin Kolb is not Kurt Warner and their supporting cast is not the supporting cast it was in 2009 when they won… (read more)

Prediction: 9-7 2nd in NFC West

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks went into week 17 in an interesting situation last year. They were 6-9 and missing their starting quarterback. If they lost by 15+, they’d set a record for most losses in a single season by 15+ with 10. For those of you who can’t do math, that would have meant that they lost all 10 of their games by 15+. However… (read more)

Prediction: 3-13 3rd in NFC West 

San Francisco 49ers

In the prime of the Mike Singletary era (by prime, I mean when people actually thought this team had a shot at making the playoffs), this team was known for its defense. However, the offense has somehow become the team’s best unit and no, it’s not because the offense got that much better. Alex Smith is still their… (read more)

Prediction: 3-13 4th in NFC West

 

NFC South 2011

stevenlourie Uncategorized

New Orleans Saints 

In February of 2010, the Saints were on top of the world as Super Bowl Champions. However, like every reigning Super Bowl Champion before them since the 2003 New England Patriots, the Saints failed to win a playoff game, losing in embarrassing fashion to the Seattle Seahawks, a team that somehow qualified… (read more)

Prediction: 13-4 1st in NFC South, lose in NFC semis

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons finished 13-3 last season and got the NFC #1 seed, but they were exposed late. New Orleans came into town week 16 and won and all of a sudden the mystique behind the Georgia Dome, where Matt Ryan had only lost once in his 3 year career, was gone. 3 weeks later, the Packers came in and… (read more)

Prediction: 14-6 2nd in NFC South, lose in Super Bowl

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers went 10-6 in 2010 and almost made the playoffs. However, after LeGarrette Blount took over as the starting running back week 7, and added a new dimension to their offense, rushing for 5 yards per carry out of the backfield, they didn’t lose by more than a touchdown for the rest of the season, hanging… (read more)

Prediction: 9-7 3rd in NFC South

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers had the worst record in the league last year and they were rewarded with the league’s toughest schedule. That’s what you get for being in the same division as Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and New Orleans. They play 6 games against those 3 teams and could easily lose all 6. They also play Green… (read more)

Prediction: 3-13 4th in NFC South

 

NFC North 2011

stevenlourie Uncategorized

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl, as I predicted last August (just saying), last year despite having many players on IR, including several key players. Among those were Ryan Grant, their lead back, Jermichael Finley, their stud tight end, Morgan Burnett, a talented rookie starter at strong safety, Nick Barnett, a… (read more)

Prediction: 13-4 1st in NFC North, lose in NFC Semis

Detroit Lions

In 2008, the Lions won no games. If they had forfeited every game, their record would have been the same. However, that seems like a long way away now. Bottoming out was what this team needed after a long stretch of terrible play. Bottoming out allowed them to start fresh with new personnel in the front office… (read more)

Prediction: 10-7 2nd in NFC North, lose in NFC Wild Card

Chicago Bears

The Bears went 11-5 and made the NFC Championship game last year, but I never bet big money on them to win ever. I didn’t trust them. Jay Cutler is an interception prone quarterback and offensive coordinator Mike Martz is a coordinator whose system leads to a lot of turnovers (a lot of yards and touchdowns too… (read more)

Prediction: 7-9 3rd in NFC North

Minnesota Vikings

Brett Favre was amazing in 2009 and this team almost went to the Super Bowl. Brett Favre was terrible in 2010, getting benched for Joe Webb, who also sucked. Now, former Eagles’ and Redskins’ quarterback Donovan McNabb is the starting quarterback and many Vikings fans feel he can get them back into the… (read more)

Prediction: 6-10 4th in NFC North

 

NFC East 2011

stevenlourie Uncategorized

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles stole the offseason. They might not be the best team (though they might be), but there’s no question this is the most hyped team. The added a key addition at almost every position, Dominique Rodgers Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha at cornerback, Jason Babin at defensive end, Cullen Jenkins at… (read more)

Prediction: 14-5 1st in NFC East, lose in NFC Championship

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys bottomed out last season. Once a popular pick to become the first team to play in a Super Bowl the same season that they hosted the Super Bowl, the Cowboys started the season 1-7 and finished 6-10. However, it wasn’t all bad. Wade Phillips is finally gone. The Cowboys were never going to win a… (read more)

Prediction: 10-6 2nd in NFC East

New York Giants

In 2004, the Giants started 4-1 before finishing 6-10. In 2006, they started 6-2 before finishing 8-8. They still made the playoffs and lost to the Eagles in the first. In 2007, they started 6-2 before finishing 10-6. They eventually got their act together and won the Super Bowl, but their 2nd half struggles were still… (read more)

Prediction: 7-9 3rd in NFC East

Washington Redskins

Rex Grossman predicts the Redskins will win the NFC East. Rex Grossman is wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I love that he made that prediction. I love unfounded confidence in sports. I love when a team down 3-0 in a series predicts a series win. I love when a team currently out of the playoff race predicts they will win… (read more)

Prediction: 6-10 4th in NFC East

 

New York Jets Preview

stevenlourie Uncategorized

 

By Kevin “Bird” Harrison

This off-season started with that heartbreaking loss in Indianapolis but since that devastating loss, it surely has been a fun ride. 

I’ve been a long suffering Jets fan / season ticket holder, and I love the aggressive attitude this team has taken on.  And yes, it still hurts that we blew a lead to the Colts and were so close to the Super Bowl for the 3rd time in my life.  I still have problems getting over losing a 10 point lead to Denver in the AFC Championship Game.  After losing to the Colts, I had problems sleeping that week and didn’t really speak much to my wife or my kids; I was kind of quiet.  It hurts to be so close for the first time in many of our lives; many of you like myself have been suffering since birth 40 years ago or less.  But, I’ve learned in sports that painful defeats can teach the team a lesson on how much it sucks to lose so we can try and rectify the situation the following year.  And based on the moves made this off-season and what the team has done; there was a ton of rectifying going on. 

It was just short of two weeks after that tough loss when Rex Ryan flipping the bird to a Dolphin fan.  I have no problem with this at all and thought it was justified.  Jets fans have been giving the Dolphin fans the finger for years.  This move by Rex, despite getting a fine, makes him one of us. We are frustrated Jets fans and to see our head coach give the finger to Dolphins fans, a team that we loathe, especially with all of the heartache Marino and Co. caused us back in the day, was great to see.  Rex should just keep on giving the finger to fans of the other teams.  People could interpret it as Rex giving the finger but to me, it’s Rex just saying that “we’re #1.”   

Then, before you know it, we hear that our franchise QB (aka Sanchise) his having surgery.  Wow…this came as a bit scary but once I read that he’d be back for training camp, it was definitely the right move.  Based on some of the off-season workouts and the start of training camp, it looks like the knee is ready and will give our leader even more mobility than he had last year during his rookie campaign.  I look for Sanchez to get even more plays from the play book and with a year of experience under his belt, be ready to utilize his new offensive weapons as he his attempts to take his QB skills to the next level this season and limit all of the interceptions.  I believe between the knee being repaired, a second go-around of training camp, a year of experience with the same coaching staff, an experienced backup quarterback to learn from, and some new receivers, should benefit him greatly. 

I love the fact that Rex had lap-band surgery this off-season. This should give a coach that already had a ton of energy even more energy to motivate the team.  And speaking of weight loss, I love that Kris Jenkins won the team’s Biggest Loser competition this year so he should be a rock this year as he’s much leaner. 

It was time for Free Agency and even though we were still in the Championship Game, we were still a flawed team. Since it’s an uncapped year, we got hurt but Rule 8 since we went so far in the playoffs.  This really annoyed me as we were only one game over average for the regular season even though we made it to the Championship Game.  We still needed to improve the roster to improve the team so this came as bad timing for an uncapped year. Lucky for us that Trader Mike (Tannenbaum) worked around our restrictions and improved this team from potentially good to potentially great.  The team will look even better playing on a new state of art stadium.

But as for player movement, you have to applaud the re-signing of Danny Woodhead.  This kid may never be a pro bowler but he has that Chrebet mindset. You can’t argue this guy’s passion for the game and his work ethic.  He’s a guy you just want on your team and have to root for.  

It was totally stupid that the team did not sign Jay Feely.  This guy was rock solid on kickoffs, extra points, and field goals.  It’s not easy in the NFL to get a reliable kicker.  With the Jets being so close, and in an uncapped year, this didn’t make much sense to let Feely walk.  As for his replacement, Nick Foley, hopefully do the job.  Feely was rock solid for us last year and fixed the problem we had when Nugent went down with an injury the year prior.  I know Folk has had his troubles but with Mike Westoff running the special teams, maybe he can fix Folk’s issues.  As Jet fan, we can’t cry over this loss because the loss of Feely gave us the ability to sign a free agent which we would not be able to do otherwise 

I loved the trade for Antonio Cromartie. I could care less that this guy loves unprotected relations with women without any concern for the birds and the bees. Who cares that he’s got 7 kids with 6 girls in 5 states or whatever the number is. If this guy uses protection on the field is as good as getting girls pregnant as he is in covering a wide receiver, then we got ourselves another stop cornerback to play opposite Revis Island.  Now we just have to hope that the Jets sign Darrelle Revis.  I think Cromartie will be great.  He is in a contract year and needs money to support his children so the best way to get money is to perform on the field and get a new long term contract.

Kerry Rhodes left the dog house and hit the road.  From what I’ve been reading, Kerry was a selfish player who cared more about himself and his Twitter account than he did about X’s and O’s.  I think the signing of Brodney Pool will actually bolster the safety position as he is more in the mold of a Rex Ryan player than Kerry was.

The releasing of Thomas Jones may be tough to swallow as he’s been our offensive leader for the past few years. I have to admit I was never a fan of the trade for him to begin with but it turned out to be a great trade.  So, the Jets are hoping that Shonn Greene can carry the work load.  He was amazing in the playoffs but he was coming off fresh legs from limited carries in the regular season.  I’m also a bit weary of his fumbling issues.  He’ll also be rushing behind an offensive line that lost a major piece of the puzzle last year.  More on the offensive line shortly.

To back up Greene will be future hall of famer LaDanian Tomlinson.  I can not believe that the Chargers let this guy go.  If he had left a few years ago, it would have been on almost the same magnitude as LeBron leaving Cleveland .  Since he’s a bit older in terms of a running back and did have an “off-year,” it’s not a fair comparison.  LT is ready to show the critics and prove to the world that he’s still got gas in his tank.  And he’s hungry.  This guy wants to win a Super Bowl before retiring and that’s the attitude I love to hear which will also rub off on the other players. I actually thing that all these beat writers who keep on saying it was the wrong move will see in the fall that it was the right move and will change their tune.  I feel LT could be the big surprise on our offense.

The biggest head scratcher of the off-season was the release of Alan Faneca. I thought in an uncapped year with this team gearing up to make a Super Bowl run that we should have kept this guy to teach Vladimir Ducasse, our 2nd pick, how to play on the OL. The salary would be justified to have Faneca serve as a mentor for a year to help with the youth to replace him and then probably Damien Woody for the following season.  We just have to hope that either Ducasse or Slausen steps it up to fill in this open hole to protect the quarterback and continue to make holes for our rushing attack.

Then, you gotta applaud the Santonio Holmes trade. The Jets got one of the top receivers in the game for basically nothing. Yeah, he’s got some issues throwing glasses at chicks in bars and issues of not turning his I-pod off on planes and is suspended the first 4 games of the year but this is was a no-brainer. Look all of a sudden how deep our receiving corps is: Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, Jerricho Cotchery, Dustin Keller, and Brad Smith. This surely is going to help out Mr. Sanchez.  And right before the start of training camp, the Jets signed Laverneous Coles for his third stint with the team to fill in for Holmes the first four weeks of the season.  This will really just be an audition to see if the Jets retain him for the balance of the season.

In letting free agent, Jay Feely go, the Jets were able to get even better signing one of the biggest enemies in Jets History in the form of Jason Taylor from the Dolphins. This was reminiscent of when the Jets signed Bryan Cox who we all hated.  However, that Cox guy turned out to be the heart and soul of our defense and at one point, was playing in the game with a broken leg. I think by the time week #3 rolls around and we see JT with about 4 sacks and a load of tackles, we’ll all turn to love this guy. The biggest flaw in our defense last year was pass rush especially in the fourth quarter.  Taylor wants to win and he came here to be one of those pieces that was missing in our run for glory last year.

I was a bit torn by the trading of Leon Washington who was one of my favorite players and a huge special teams weapon and target coming out of the backfield.  However, this guy had a major injury and we drafted his replacement in Joe McKnight who hopefully stops throwing up on the field once the season gets underway.  I do hope Leon makes it back and has a great year out in Seattle . 

To help with the loss of Leon Washington on special teams and to protect the team in case of not being able to sign Darrelle Revis to a long term deal, you have got to love Rex & Co. drafting another CB in Kyle Wilson.  You can’t have enough shut-down cornerbacks in this league.  Imagine this secondary with Revis on one side, Cromartie on the other side, Wilson in the nickel, and Poole playing safety. I’d say that would make it hard for Peyton Manning or Tom Brady to throw against.

The biggest distraction will be the Darrelle Revis contraction situation and his holdout from training camp.  Darrelle was the top defensive player in the league last year as far as I’m concerned shutting down opponent’s top receivers each week.  He still has two years left on his contract but really has outplayed the value of his current deal.  He deserves more money but $16 million per year is a hard hit to swallow.  I’m glad on not the GM on this issue.  Let’s hope they come to an agreement soon as this would change our entire defense if he sits out the entire season.  Let’s hope it doesn’t come down to that.

The Jets should have a great year.  On paper they look like an all-star team.  This offense will still run a ball controlled game but with Sanchez maturing, a nice receiving corps with Jerricho Cotchery and Dustin Keller still there going along with the new acquisitions, we should be airing it out a lot more than last year and put up a lot more points.

On defense, we were rated #1.  The Jets did this with Kris Jenkins missing the entire season and with Calvin Pace missing the first four games of the year.  In addition, they did this while learning a completely new defensive scheme.  Look for Vernon Gholston, the Jets #1 pick of a few years ago, to get more action now that he’s been converted back to defensive end.  Supposedly he is in great shape this year.   With the addition of Cromartie and Taylor to a solid defense already led by David Harris and it is going to be very hard for teams to score.

The Jets have had so much heartbreak over the years.  We’ve been close to the Super Bowl three times in my 40 years on this planet.  I still cringe over the Mud Bowl.  I’m still disgusted over blowing a 10 point lead to the Broncos and John Elway.  We all know what happened last year.  And the last time I thought the Jets were going to the Super Bowl, Vinny Testervede blew out his Achilles in the first game against the Patriots.  Do I make another prediction like that and risk something devastating happening?   The answer is YES. This team is confident.  The coaching staff is confident.  So, why shouldn’t that confidence and arrogance spread.  Even though I hate the NY Yankees, they always believe they are going to win the World Series.  I’m going to take that approach this year and predict that for my 40th Birthday, my sports dream comes true and the Jets lift the Lombardi trophy with this year’s AFC Championship Game being played on the home turf of the New Meadowlands Stadium.  What better way to christen a new stadium than to capture the AFC title!

So, I’m ready for the season even though most of our games it seems are at NIGHT time. But, I guess that’s the price to pay for being the HOT team in the league. Looking forward to see it all unfold on HBO’s Hard Knocks!

Is baseball season over yet…when’s kickoff???

http://khbirdmantalkingjets.blogspot.com/ 

 

New York Jets

stevenlourie Uncategorized

 

Debate the Jets’ offseason needs in The Football Fan Forum

2010 Projection:

In terms of non quarterback talent, I can’t think of a better team in the NFL. Their receivers, stacked, with Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, Jerricho Cotchery, Dustin Keller. Their offensive line, one of the best in the league for what they want to do, which is run the football in your face. 2nd round rookie Vlad Duccaase should take over the overrated Alan Faneca’s spot with ease. Their running backs, three strong, with Shonn Greene, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Joe McKnight, as well as two talented fullbacks, John Conner, and Tony Richardson. Their defense, the best in the league last year, looking at the numbers.

Now they add Jason Taylor to give them some pass rush, as well as Antonio Cromartie, who, when right, gives them a 2nd shutdown cornerback, and Kyle Wilson, a rookie cornerback with a ton of promise. Hell, maybe even Vernon Gholston will step up and live up to his promise. What’s the problem, quarterback play.

Mark Sanchez didn’t play as well last year as people give him credit for, but that’s okay. He was a rookie. He threw 20 picks last year, but that’s okay, so did Peyton Manning as a rookie. The key for him will be to limit those turnovers and start leading drives with his arm. He’ll have to bounce back from a bad rookie year the way Manning did. If he can play the way he did down the stretch last year, this team is going to be tough to beat all the way to the Jerry Dome for Super Bowl 45. If he throws 20 picks, again, the Patriots are too talented offensively for the Jets to overtake them. You can’t win the 11, 12, 13, 14 games needed to win this division without at least above average quarterback play, no matter how good the rest of your team is.

Projection: 11-5 2nd in AFC East

Power Ranking: 8

Last season: 9-7

Draft:

#29 CB Kyle Wilson (Boise State)

I would have prefered that they took a pass rusher like Jerry Hughes because of the positional value, but this is fine. I know they have Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, but Cromartie is a bit of a boom or bust type trade and in this league, which is becoming progressively pass heavy, you almost need 3 strong cornerbacks to make it deep into the playoffs. They couldn’t stop the Colts’ last year because, while Revis shut down Reggie Wayne, Peyton just had too many other options. If Wilson is half as good as ESPN hypes him to be and Cromartie pans out, this is a scary secondary that I’m sure even New Orleans and Indianapolis would have trouble with, especially if they get a better pass rush.

Grade: A-

#61 G Vladimir Ducaase (Massachusetts)

I liked this pick even before they cut Faneca, but with Faneca gone this makes a lot of sense. Ducaase is a punishing run blocker who fits their run heavy offense well and he’s much cheaper and younger than Faneca, who is a bit overrated in my opinion. I still don’t like that they haven’t improved their pass rush, but this was the next best thing.

Grade: A-

#112 RB Joe McKnight (USC)

I liked this pick before they traded Leon Washington, but with Washington gone this makes perfect sense and McKnight is a steal at this point. He’s not a feature back, but he’ll compliment Shonn Greene well longterm and be a nice shorterm 3rd down back.

Grade: A

#139 FB John Conner (Kentucky)

I happen to think Tony Richardson is one of the best fullbacks in the league, but he is getting up there in age. I’m not in love with the whole fullback of the future idea, but Conner is a decent value and a good addition to a run heavy team. He can also be a short yardage back and make some catches.

Grade: B

Overall:

The Jets didn’t have a lot of picks, but they made them count. They took 3 guys who will have immediate impacts on their team and another who will in the near future. Also, the reason they didn’t have a ton of picks is because they traded them for veterans like Cromartie and Santonio Holmes, who will add a lot to the team. They didn’t upgrade the pass rush, but with their corners, that might not matter, especially since they got a veteran rusher in Jason Taylor in free agency. Who knows, maybe Vernon Gholston will pan out this year? I don’t think I know a more stacked team at every position. 3-4 defensive end and rush linebacker are really their biggest holes, but they’re aren’t huge holes. However, what seperates this team from being a true Super Bowl contender is Mark Sanchez. He did alright late last year, but he did throw 20 picks last season. This, of course, is nothing to be worried about as guys like Peyton Manning threw 28 picks as rookies, but there are some guys who throw that many and never improve. Sanchy needs to make that sophomore leap into a big time franchise quarterback. He has an excellent supporting cast and I truly believe in him, but he’ll still have to do it, and that’s, at the moment, a bit of a question mark. Still, great draft doing a lot with a little. As a Patriots fan, this is not a team I look forward to having to face next year.

Grade: A

Offseason needs: 

3-4 Defensive End

The Mark Sanchez deal was brilliant, at least for the Jets, but they did lose Kenyon Coleman in the process and have yet to replace him. Adding another big time defensive line pass rusher to their 3-4 defense would make it so much better because they really struggled getting pressure on the quarterback, both from their 3 man line and from their linebackers. They only managed 32 sacks last year and couldn’t get any pressure on Peyton Manning in their playoff loss.

Wide Receiver:

This one probably won’t get addressed as much as it should for two reasons. One, Rex Ryan is a conservative coach who I can’t see spending a lot of resources on a wide receiver. Two, the Jets seem to like Braylon Edwards even though he only caught 50% of his targets last season. They are reportedly going to slap the 1st/3rd tag on him, which means he’s not going anywhere unless some GM is really stupid. However, Edwards is not as good as they think and Mark Sanchez needs a more dependable #1. More likely, they’ll, at most, look for a slot guy in the 3rd round range or in free agency if they really like one.

Traded for Santonio Holmes 

Cornerback:

Darrelle Revis is an amazing cornerback, but he can’t cover everyone. Imagine how much more effective their pass defense would be if they got a better cornerback opposite Revis. Their release of Lito Sheppard shows they probably view this as a need too and they could address this in the first 2 rounds if the draft with a guy like Kyle Wilson or Brandon Ghee in the 1st or a guy like Kareem Jackson or Jerome Murphy in the 2nd.

Traded for Antonio Cromartie, Drafted Kyle Wilson (#29)

Rush Linebacker:

The Jets had one of the best pass defenses in the league last year in almost every category. However, imagine how much better they could get if they had both an upgrade across from Revis and a better elite #1 rush linebacker. They only managed 32 sacks last year. I still have some faith in Vernon Gholston, despite his 0 career sacks in 2 years, but even if they keep him, they’ll have to look at rush linebackers early in the NFL Draft. Jerry Hughes, Ricky Sapp, and Jason Worilds could be options in the 1st through 3rd rounds respectively.

Signed Jason Taylor 

Running Back:

The Jets like to work with many running backs. Rex Ryan saw how effective that was when he was a coordinator in Baltimore and used that strategy last year with Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, and Shonn Greene. After releasing Jones, they may want to add one more guy to the mix, especially if Washington can’t bounce back from his leg injury well.

Signed LaDainian Tomlinson, Drafted Joe McKnight (#112) 

Nose Tackle:

Kris Jenkins will turn 31 before next season and he’s also coming off of a major injury. The Jets proved, when Jenkins was down, that they don’t have a reliable nose tackle behind him so they may want to target one this offseason.

Offensive Guard:

Their guards are among the best in the league, but they are also getting up there in age and there is very little depth behind them. Interior line depth is a need this offseason.

Drafted Vladimir Ducasse (#61)

 

Free agents:

QB Kellen Clemens (restricted)- 1 year 1.1 million

RB Leon Washington (restricted)- 1 year 1.7 million

RB Thomas Jones- signed with Chiefs 2 years 5 million

FB Tony Richardson- resigned

G Alan Faneca- signed with Cardinals 1 year 2.5 million 

WR Braylon Edwards (restricted)- resigned 1 year 5 million

WR Brad Smith (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.7 million

WR David Clowney (restricted)- resigned

TE Ben Hartsock- resigned

OT Wayne Hunter (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.2 million

OT Robert Turner (restricted)

3-4 DE Marques Douglas- signed with Dolphins 

NT Howard Green (restricted)- resigned 1 year

RLB Marquis Murrell (restricted)- signed with Patriots

OLB Larry Izzo

CB Lito Sheppard- signed with Vikings 1 year 2 million 

CB Drew Coleman (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.6 million

CB Donald Strickland- signed with Chargers 2 years

S Eric Smith (restricted) resigned 1 year 1.1 million

S James Ihedigbo (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1 million

K Jay Feely- signed with Cardinals 2 years

Offseason moves:

Jets re-sign WR Laveranues Coles 

Jets sign QB Mark Brunell 

Jets trade RB Leon Washington to Seahawks for 5th- and 7th-round picks

Jets cut G Alan Faneca 

Jets sign RLB Jason Taylor

Jets re-sign RB Leon Washington

Jets re-sign CB Drew Coleman

Jets re-sign QB Kellen Clemens

Jets acquire WR Santonio Holmes from Steelers for 2010 5th-round pick 

Jets re-sign OT Wayne Hunter

Jets re-sign WR Braylon Edwards

Jets re-sign WR Brad Smith

Jets re-sign S James Ihedigbo

Jets re-sign WR David Clowney 

Jets re-sign S Eric Smith

Jets re-sign FB Tony Richardson

Jets sign RB LaDainian Tomlinson

Jets sign S Brodney Pool

Jets re-sign TE Ben Hartsock

Jets trade S Kerry Rhodes to Cardinals for 2010 4th-rounder and 2011 7th-rounder

Jets acquire CB Antonio Cromartie from Chargers for conditional 2011 third-round pick

Jets cut CB Donald Strickland

Jets cut CB Lito Sheppard

Jets tender QB Kellen Clemens

Jets tender CB Drew Coleman

Jets tender S James Ihedigbo

Jets tender OT Wayne Hunter

Jets tender S Eric Smith

Jets tender WR Braylon Edwards

Jets tender WR/KR Brad Smith

Jets tender RB Leon Washington

Jets cut RB Thomas Jones

Jets sign K Nick Folk 

 

New York Giants

stevenlourie Uncategorized

 

Debate the New York Giants offseason possibilities in The Football Fan Forum

2010 Preview:

The bread and butter of this team since they won the Super Bowl in 2008 has been the pass rush. That’s why it was so surprising for football fans that this team had just 32 sacks last year. That was a big part of why they missed the playoffs last year. However, you look at the names on this defensive line, Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka, Osi Umenyiora, Jason Pierre Paul, they have to be able to bounce back this year. Tuck, Kiwanuka, and Osi were a great pass rushing trio just 2 years ago and the addition of a talented, albeit raw, rookie in JPP only helps. I think they’ll bounce back and have 40-50 sacks this year once again.

Another reason for them missing the playoffs last year was the inability of their secondary to tackle, having up huge plays. They added Antrel Rolle, Chad Jones, and Deon Grant into the mix, and they’ll also likely get Kenny Phillips back from injury. That will shore up their tackling, as well as their coverage, and lead to fewer big plays.

Their running game was also a big reason for them missing the playoffs last year and that’s the one area that I think is still a big question mark for them. If Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw rebound from injury plagued season, there running game should be fine. If not, that’s still an issue for them, unless someone else can step up and I don’t really see a step up type player behind Jacobs and Bradshaw on the depth chart. My guess is that the still young Bradshaw rebounds and Jacobs, getting up there in age, does not, and since Bradshaw is not a guy I see being able to carry the load because of his size, that’s not a good thing for this team.

The book on Eli Manning is pretty simple. He always will be slightly better than his supporting cast. If he has a good supporting cast, he can make them great, but he’s not the type of player who can lead a team all by himself. He needs help. He showed that last year. I think their defense will be better this year and their running game should be slightly better. Eli will also continue to build more chemistry with his young receivers, Mario Manningham, Steve Smith, and Hakeem Nicks, all three of whom were either first time starters or rookies last year. Another year with those three will only help him and this team.

Projection: 10-6 2nd in NFC East

Power Ranking: 11

Last season: 8-8

Draft:

#15 DE Jason Pierre Paul (South Florida)

JPP has a ton of upside and could be an excellent player here, but he could just as easily be a complete bust. He never dominated on the Division I level and while it’s easy to imagine a freak like this being a great player someday, that may not be what happens. I don’t know a ton about his work ethic, but high upside defensive linemen have a bad history over the best decade or so. Defensive linemen have to wrestle with 300 pound men and hit people so it’s understandable why, as soon as they get 15-25 million guarantee, they stop putting in as much work as you would like. If JPP does that, it’ll be very bad because he needs a lot of work.

Grade: C+

#46 DT Linval Joseph (East Carolina)

After taking one boom or bust defensive lineman, you’d think the Giants would go with a natural fit for middle linebacker in their scheme with a  guy like Daryl Washington, but instead they went with another boom or bust defensive lineman. Joseph has the nice measureables, but he’s a bit of a one year wonder and he needs a lot of work. He would have been a better fit for a 3-4, but the Giants don’t run a 3-4.

Grade: C

#76 S Chad Jones (LSU)

The Giants gave up a ton of big plays last year because their safeties couldn’t cover or tackle. This offseason, they have signed Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant, drafted Chad Jones, and have Kenny Phillips, presumably, coming back from injury. That aught to fix it, in fact some might even say it was overkill, though I won’t call it that because Jones was one of the best players available and you never know about Kenny Phillips’ health or whether or not Deon Grant will remember how to cover.

Grade: B+

#115 MLB Phillip Dilliard (Nebraska)

Positionally, he fills a need, but I don’t think he’s a great fit for their scheme, at least not as good as Sean Weatherspoon (who they could have drafted at 15) or Daryl Washington (who they could have drafted at 46). In fact, I don’t think he’s much different than a poor man’s version of Antonio Pierce, who was cut because he didn’t fit the scheme. It also puzzles me as to why they waited this long to address a position where they really had nothing.

Grade: B-

#147 G Mitch Petrus (Arkansas)

This looks more like a classic Jerry Reese pick, taking best available. Petrus is a 4th round prospect, but they get him in the 5th and he’ll help to turn around the Giants’ running game, which really struggled last year.

Grade: A-

#184 DE Adrian Tracy (William & Mary)

Actions speak louder than words. They say they don’t want to trade Osi, but they drafted two defensive ends. Tracy is a good value, but he’s undersized and doesn’t really fill a need. He could play some linebacker though which saves this pick’s grade.

Grade: B

#221 P Matt Dodge (East Carolina)

Leave it to Jerry Reese to take clearly the best punter in the draft class as the 3rd punter off the board. However, what about Jeff Feagles. He’s old, but he’s still a good punter and this whole idea of a punter of the future doesn’t really appeal to me for some reason.

Grade: C+

Overall:

This draft was not as strong as we have come to expect from the Giants, but they did some interesting things and took two players who have a ton of upside. However, they didn’t really address the running game, with the exception of drafting a guard, so they are counting on Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw to be healthy next year, which could be a bit risky. They also passed up on too many middle linebackers who fit the scheme for a middle linebacker in the 4th who doesn’t. So add the boom or bust start and some questionable mid-late picks, and this was not as strong of a draft, as they would have liked it to be.

Grade: C+

Key undrafted free agents:

MLB Lee Campbell (Minnesota)

DT Nate Collins (Virginia)

S Michael Greco (Central Florida)

Positions of need:

Safety:

The Giants gave up the 13th fewest yards in the league, but also the 3rd most points. That means they gave up a ton of big plays for touchdowns, whether on the ground or through the air, and they couldn’t stop anyone in the red zone. Both of those show poor safety play, which means sense because they are starting Michael Johnson and Aaron Rouse at safety after losing James Butler to free agency and Kenny Phillips to injury. Even if Phillips does return from his injury, which is not a guarantee at this point, they need a good safety to pair with him. Look for them to target a safety in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft, either Earl Thomas in the first or someone like Nate Allen or Chad Jones in the 2nd.

Signed Antrel Rolle, Signed Deon Grant, Drafted Chad Jones (#76)

Defensive Tackle:

The Giants got only 4.5 sacks from defensive tackles last year and they ranked towards the middle of the packs in all run defense categories, except for run touchdowns where they ranked close to dead last. Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins were the two starters for most of last year, and accounted for 3 of those 4.5 sacks, but both are free agents this offseason and Robbins will be 32 when next season starts anyway. Given how much the Giants like to upgrade inside, they could target Brian Price in the first.

Drafted Linval Joseph (#46) 

Running Back:

Remember when the Giants had Earth, Wind, and Fire going for them in the backfield. Well last season, Wind blew out of town, Earth turned to stone, and Fire played most of the season with two bad ankles. Jacobs averaged 3.7 YPC last year and only had 5 touchdowns so they may target a power back replacement like Jonathan Dwyer in the 2nd and cut him and his large contract. If they don’t, they at least need to grab some depth in the mid rounds.

Defensive End:

For all the money the Giants spent on the defensive line, they only had 32 sacks last year. Now Osi Umenyiora, who was converted from a starter to a nickel rusher late in the season, wants out unless he’s given his starting job back. He was their team leader with 7 sacks last year, but is weak against the run. If Derrick Morgan falls to them at 15, they will gladly take him and try to trade Osi. I wouldn’t be surprised if they traded to trade Osi either way. The Rams may have interest as they need a pass rusher and Osi, having already won a ring, may want to go to St. Louis to reunite with his former coordinator, now Rams Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo. He would also get to mentor young guys and try to rebuild a once proud franchise.

Drafted Jason Pierre Paul (#15), Drafted Adrian Tracy (#184) 

Middle Linebacker:

Antonio Pierce was just cut so they need to target a young middle linebacker in rounds 3-5 to come in and compete with Jonathan Goff for the middle linebacker job. This position is fairly deep towards the middle rounds.

Drafted Phillip Dillard (#115), signed Keith Bulluck

Outside Linebacker:

Danny Clark is a free agent and he could have been upgraded anyway. Plus, on the other side of the linebacking corps, Michael Boley is often injured so some depth at the position would be needed even if the 32 year old Clark was retained.

Offensive Tackle:

There has been talk of moving Kareem McKenzie to guard. They would need to draft a right tackle replacement if they were the case because Williams Beatty, their top reserve tackle, is not a right tackle. Even if McKenzie doesn’t move to guard, they could still use some more depth at the position.

Cornerback:

Aaron Ross and Corey Webster are good, but they have very little depth behind them and if Aaron Ross gets hurt like he did this year, they could have some major troubles against the pass.

 

Free agents:

QB David Carr- signed with 49ers 2 years 6.25 million

RB Danny Ware (exclusive rights)- resigned 1 year

WR Domenik Hixon- resigned 1 year 1.7 million

WR Derek Hagan (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.1 million

WR Sinorice Moss (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.1 million

TE Darcy Johnson (exclusive rights) 

OT Guy Whimper (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.1 million

G Kevin Boothe (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.1 million

DE David Tollefson (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.6 million

DT Barry Cofield (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.7 million

DT Fred Robbins- signed with Rams 3 years 12 million

OLB Danny Clark- signed with Texans

OLB Gerris Wilkinson (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.1 million

MLB Antonio Pierce- retired

MLB Chase Blackburn (restricted)

CB Kevin Dockery (restricted)

S CC Brown (restricted)- signed with Lions

S Aaron Rouse 

S Chad Jones 

P Jeff Feagles- resigned

Offseason moves: 

Giants announce retirement of WR Ike Hilliard

Giants sign MLB Keith Bulluck 

Giants waive S Chad Jones

Giants claim DE Alex Hall 

Giants announce retirement of MLB Antonio Pierce

Giants re-sign DT Barry Cofield

Giants re-sign WR Derek Hagan

Giants re-sign OLB Gerris Wilkinson

Giants announce retirement of P Jeff Feagles

Giants re-sign WR Domenik Hixon

Giants re-sign WR Sinorice Moss

Giants re-sign OT Guy Whimper

Giants sign S Deon Grant

Giants withdraw tender to S C.C. Brown

Giants re-sign G Kevin Boothe

Giants re-sign P Jeff Feagles

Giants re-sign DE Dave Tollefson

Giants re-sign RB D.J. Ware

Giants sign QB Jim Sorgi

Giants cut S Aaron Rouse

Giants sign S Antrel Rolle

Giants tender RB D.J. Ware

Giants tender WR Derek Hagan

Giants tender G Kevin Boothe

Giants tender S C.C. Brown

Giants tender DT Barry Cofield

Giants tender OT Guy Whimper

Giants tender OLB Gerris Wilkinson

Giants tender DE Dave Tollefson

Giants cut MLB Antonio Pierce