By Michael J Morris

With both teams licking their wounds to kill time on the flight to England, it was anyone’s game Sunday between the 49ers and the Denver Broncos.  The Broncos, coming off their embarrassing 14-59 performance against the Oakland Raiders a week prior and the 49ers losing to the Carolina Panthers.

Last week, David Carr was given an opportunity to take the reins as the quarterback of the quarterback-less 49ers, but failed to meet expectations similar to those of the team at the start of the season.  Although his time under center was forced because of an injury to Alex Smith late in the game against Carolina, it was enough to see that his decision making was too much like Alex and it was time to give plan C a try.

Plan C goes by the name of Smith, Troy Smith, the Heisman winning quarterback that was drafted out of Ohio State in 2007.  The same Troy Smith that had a website made for him by Browns fans urging Cleveland Browns management to take him in the draft.  Browns management failed to listen but the poll is still out to whether or not that decision will be a costly one. Smith would be drafted in Day 2 at the end of the fifth round.

 

 

Don’t get me wrong, Troy Smith didn’t have a great game, as he only passed for 197 yards and a score, but he did get the job done, completing 8 of 10 passes for 110 yards with a late touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree that put them ahead.

You couldn’t expect a guy who a week ago was third in line, but to see that he took advantage of his opportunity and kept from making a mistake that those ahead of him would most likely have made gives a little hope to the quarterback situation.

The defense was able to keep Kyle Orton and the Broncos out of the red-zone, allowing them only 16 points on the day despite a 369 yard outing by Orton. Frank Gore made Smith’s job a lot easier as well, carrying the rock for 118 yards and a touchdown.

“Our receivers just told our coaches, ‘you know, let’s play,’” Gore said. “We can’t try to hold stuff back. You know our coaches called it and Troy did a great job … he made big plays when it counted and when we needed it.”

I’m sure the bye week couldn’t have come soon enough for Coach Singletary and his staff.

“We’re going to continue to go forward with Troy Smith right now,” Singletary said. “We’re going into the bye week and as far as Alex Smith is concerned, it’s a week-to-week deal. I’ll wait and talk to our doctors, trainers, whatever. But we’ll make those decisions when we need to.”

Go back to 49ers Fan Spot 

http://michaeljmorris.wordpress.com/ 

 

 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers came into the free agency period with more cap space than any team in the league and they are expected to be big players in free agency to patch holes on a team that was a mere 4-12 last season. They’ve started out by signing arguably the best free agent not named “Peyton” or “Mario,” signing Vincent Jackson to be their #1 wide receiver and much needed deep threat (career 17.5 YPC). Jackson will start opposite Mike Williams, more of a possession receiver. If new Head Coach Greg Schiano can get Williams into shape, Josh Freeman has a pretty solid receiving corps to work with in Vincent Jackson, Mike Williams, and Kellen Winslow.

Did the Buccaneers overpay by giving Jackson 55.5 million over 5 years with 26 million guaranteed? Maybe a little, but not as much as the Redskins did giving Pierre Garcon 42.5 million with 21 million guaranteed over the same time period. Garcon has never had 1000 yards in a season. Jackson has done that 3 times, including 60 catches for 1106 yards and 9 touchdowns last season. Besides, the Buccaneers had the money to spend.

There are a few concerns here. How will Jackson do without Philip Rivers, ones of the game’s best? Secondly, free agent wide receivers never seem to do as well in their new venue as their old. Thirdly, Jackson is 29 so this contract (assuming he plays the entirety of it out) takes him into his age 33 season.

Finally, how will Jackson respond to a large amount of money? He’s been wanting to get paid for years and rightfully so. He deserves it. However, he held out for most of the 2010 season after not being given a long term deal. There was also some speculation that he would hold up the lockout by demanding the Chargers couldn’t franchise tag him. Combine those 2 things with the fact that Jackson had no problem leaving San Diego for 4 win Tampa Bay and you’ve got a guy who may just be chasing the money. For a Buccaneer team with a lot of money and a lot of help needed, I think Jackson is worth the risk.

Grade: B

 

Week 13 Pickups 

Week 13 Injury Report 

 

WR Nate Burleson (Detroit)

Percent owned (ESPN): 26.6%

Burleson deserves to be owned in all leagues. He, not Brandon Pettigrew, is Matt Stafford’s #2 target after Megatron. He was in the preseason and he was in the opener. He had 5 catches for 60 yards in the opener and Detroit’s passing offense looks like one of the better ones in the league this year.

RB Cadillac Williams (St. Louis)

Percent owned (ESPN): 6.8%

Steven Jackson will not play against New York this week. Cadillac Williams, who rushed for 91 yards on 19 carries after Jackson went down week 1, figures to be the lead back. He’s especially valuable in PPR leagues because he’s a hell of a pass catcher. He caught 5 passes for 49 yards week 1.

WR Devery Henderson (New Orleans)

Percent owned (ESPN): 6.0%

Marques Colston is out for at least 4 weeks. Henderson, who caught 6 passes for 100 yards and a score in the opener, will step into the starting lineup for him. I don’t know to tell you how explosive New Orleans’ offense is, so this is very good for his fantasy value.

QB Cam Newton (Carolina)

Percent owned (ESPN): 23.7%

Cam Newton threw for 422 yards and 2 scores in the opener. He won’t do that every week and he’ll have his share of inconsistencies as a rookie, but he’s definitely got the upside to be worth a spot on your bench for now.

WR Brandon Gibson (St. Louis)

Percent owned (ESPN): 1.4%

Danny Amendola is out at least and a week and likely longer. Someone has got to catch the passes for Sam Bradford. Brandon Gibson, who led the way with 3 catches for 50 yards against Philly’s tough pass defense, figures to be the guy along with Mike Sims Walker, who was blanketed in the opener by Nnamdi Asomugha.

 

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (Buffalo)

Percent owned (ESPN): 25.2%

Ryan Fitzpatrick isn’t going to throw for 4 touchdowns every week, but in his first full season as a starter, he looks to have settled into his role and provides for a decent QB2. He’s especially valuable if you have a starting quarterback who had an iffy week 1 performance (Eli Manning).

QB Rex Grossman (Washington)

Percent owned (ESPN): 3.5%

Like Fitzpatrick, Grossman shouldn’t be started yet, but if you have an iffy starting quarterback and are looking for a backup with some upside, I’d go Cam Newton, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Rex Grossman 3^rd. Hell, I might pick up one of those 3 if I wasn’t satisfied with my backup situation and just wanted to keep them away from an opponent. The former first round bust has revitalized himself in Mike Shanahan’s offense with 305 yards and 2 touchdowns in the opener.

RB Deji Karim (Jacksonville)

Percent owned (ESPN): 8.5%

With new quarterback Luke McCown, the Jaguars figure to run a lot. This is nothing new for them, but Maurice Jones Drew is on a play count, something he’s not happy about, thanks to his less than 100% injury situation. Karim only had 31 yards in the opener, but it’s the 14 carries I like to see. He’s a nice handcuff for MJD, an injury risk, and a high upside player for your bench for non-MJD owners.

TE Ed Dickson (Baltimore)

Percent owned (ESPN): 1.2%

Ed Dickson looks like Flacco’s favorite of his two tight ends, Dennis Pitta being the other one. Without a ton of talent at wide receiver (two decent veterans and a pair of raw rookies), the Ravens look to feature a lot of two tight end sets, much like New England does with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Dickson had 5 catches for 53 yards and a touchdown in the opener.

TE Fred Davis (Washington)

Percent owned (ESPN): 1.3%

Fred Davis caught 5 passes for 103 yards in the opener. The reason he’s so low on this list is because Chris Cooley wasn’t playing at 100% in their first game. The veteran Cooley will be better as the season goes on, but even then, Davis might be Washington’s most talented tight end.

TE Scott Chandler (Buffalo)

Percent owned (ESPN): 0.3%

Scott Chandler had 1 career catch going into this season. He caught 5 passes for 63 yards and 2 touchdowns in the opener. He’s not a particularly talented player, but Ryan Fitzpatrick showed comfortability throwing to him in the preseason and in the opener. The 6-7 263 Chandler is a hell of an end zone target and the Bills lack a true #2 receiving threat after Stevie Johnson.

 

 

WR Mike Williams- Tampa Bay

Percent owned (ESPN): 35.4%

No idea why he’s not universally owned. In 4 games, he has 19 catches for 238 yards and 3 scores. He’s Josh Freeman’s favorite target and since he’s a rookie, he’s only going to get better as the year goes on.

WR Danny Amendola- St. Louis

Percent owned (ESPN): 11.3%

Amendola had 21 catches for 208 yards as St. Louis’ #2 coming into week 5, but with Mark Clayton going down early in the game, Amendola exploded for 12 catches for 95 yards in his absence. Clayton is reportedly done for the year.

WR Deion Branch- New England

Percent owned (ESPN): 3.3%

Branch is going back to New England. He knows their offense. He knows Tom Brady. They paid a 4th round pick for him so it seems like they really wanted him, which indicates that they plan on featuring him in their explosive offense.

WR Jabar Gaffney- Denver

Percent owned (ESPN): 19.3%

Gaffney is worth owning as the #2 receiver on one of the most explosive passing offenses in the league. He’s caught 31 balls for 337 yards and a score in 5 games.

WR Mike Thomas- Jacksonville

Percent owned (ESPN): 6.0%

Thomas has been the Jaguars best receiver this year catching 21 passes for 258 yards. He’s not amazing, but he’s consistent and he’s young so he has upside.

RB Mike Hart- Indianapolis

Percent owned (ESPN): 0.4%

Joseph Addai and Donald Brown could both miss next week’s game against Washington. Mike Hart would be the lead back in their absence. Indy doesn’t run a ton, but Hart wouldn’t really have anyone to steal his carries and he’s a good pass catcher in Indy’s pass heavy scheme. The 3rd year former 6th round pick out of Michigan rushed 11 times for 50 yards and a score in relief of Addai week 5.

 

WR Brandon Tate- New England

Percent owned (ESPN): 18.9%

Someone has to take over Randy Moss’ role in New England. If not Branch, then Tate, an electrifying 2009 3rd round pick out of North Carolina, seems like the favorite to do so.

WR Roy Williams- Dallas

Percent owned (ESPN): 37.0%

He’s alive!!! Roy Williams has seemingly finally come back to life in Dallas’ offense with 15 catches for 257 yards and 3 scores in his last 3 games.

WR Anthony Armstrong- Washington

Percent owned (ESPN): 0.3%

Armstrong is an undrafted rookie receiver, but he’s 27. He could leap frog Joey Galloway on the depth chart very soon and he’s a very talented receiver with 4 catches for 141 yards and a score in the last 2 weeks.

TE Benjamin Watson- Cleveland

Percent owned (ESPN): 4.6%

He has 23 catches for 230 yards and a score this year and has been Cleveland most…er only consistent target. You could do a lot worse with your tight end in a deep league.

TE Tony Moeaki- Kansas City

Percent owned (ESPN): 6.1%

In 4 games, he has 16 catches for 173 yards and 2 scores. He’s a rookie so he’ll better as the year goes on and Matt Cassel loves checking down to his tight end. Again, you could do a lot worse with your tight end in a deep league.

TE Andrew Quarless- Green Bay

Percent owned (ESPN): 0.0%

Really digging deep, but Quarless caught 4 passes for 51 yards after coming in for the injured Jermichael Finley and the injured Donald Lee week 5. Finley and Lee are both out for at least this week and possibly longer. Quarless is a talented tight end and should be fantasy ownable simply because he is a starter in Green Bay’s explosive offense.

 

 

Updated 4/20/11

QB RB FB WR TE OT G C DE RLB DT 3-4 DE NT MLB OLB CB S K P

Scoring System 

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. AJ Green 96 (Georgia)

2. Julio Jones 96 (Alabama)

3. Jonathan Baldwin 86 (Pittsburgh)

4. Leonard Hankerson 82 (Miami)

5. Titus Young 81 (Boise State)

6. Torrey Smith 69 (Maryland)

7. Vincent Brown 69 (San Diego State)

8. Randall Cobb 67 (Kentucky)

9. Edmond Gates 67 (Abilene Christian)

10. Dwayne Harris 66 (East Carolina)

11. Greg Little 65 (North Carolina)

12. Tandon Doss 62 (Indiana) 

13. Jerrel Jernigan 61 (Troy)

14. Jeremy Kerley 61 (TCU)

15. Lyle Leong 57 (Texas Tech) 

16. Dane Sanzenbacher 56 (Ohio State)

17. Terrance Toliver 55 (LSU)

18. Niles Paul 54 (Nebraska)

19. Denarius Moore 51 (Tennessee)

20. Cecil Shorts 50 (Mount Union)

21. Stephen Burton 49 (West Texas A&M)

22. Aldrick Robinson 47 (SMU)

23. Ronald Johnson 46 (USC)

24. Darvin Adams 45 (Auburn)

25. Jeff Maehl 43 (Oregon)

26. Armon Binns 42 (Cincinnati)

27. Ryan Whalen 42 (Stanford)

 

  

All times, pacific time 

Day 2

7:18: After day 2, My top 10 BPA, OT Bruce Campbell (17), DE Everson Griffen (25), CB Donovan Warren (32), DE/OLB Eric Norwood (34), OT Jason Fox (49), OLB Roddrick Muckelroy (50), TE Dennis Pitta (55), RB Jonathan Dwyer (60), WR Dezmon Briscoe (61), OT Ciron Black (62)

7:11: Falcons get some guard depth, offensive guard Mike Johnson, Alabama, good value, good pick. 

7:10: Titans take Rennie Curran, outside linebacker from Georgia, fills a need, solid scheme fit, solid value pick, this is why this team wins games. They draft well. 

7:07: Brandon Ghee finally out of the green room. He made a mistake by attending. He’ll be a solid player in the future. Though he has future #2 cornerback written all over him. The Bengals just get deeper at an important position, solid selection. 

7:05: Will ESPN ever bash a pick? 

7:02: Saints take Jimmy Graham. Most loaded tight end team in the league? I think so. That’s not as good as it sounds though. They needed some defensive line help and haven’t gotten that. 

6:58: Kevin Thomas before Everson Griffen? Is there something I missed? Why do teams hate him? 

6:57: Colts take Kevin Thomas, CB, USC 

6:56: Chiefs move up to take Tony Moeacki. He could be a steal if he stays healthy, but whatever happened to positional value. They needed to address QB, LT, RLB, and NT this year. They haven’t done any of that. 

6:55: Andy Reid looks like Uncle Vernon Dursley. 

6:52: Browns reach for another offensive lineman, Shawn Lauvao, guard/tackle, out of Arizona State. Is Mike Holmgren running the show here or Eric Mangini? My guess is Mangini. 

6:51: Andy Reid on ESPN to talk about eating cheeseburgers.  

6:50: Interesting fact, Andre Roberts had 6 career drops in college. He’s a real small school sleeper.

6:47: Wow, stuff moving fast, Patriots take a high upside wide receiver, Taylor Price and the Niners take a good player, Navarro Bowman, but I’m not sure he fits their scheme.  

6:46: Head scratcher here. Panthers take Armanti Edwards, a wildcat quarterback. I’m assuming they’ll move him to wide receiver and try to use him like a Josh Cribbs type guy. But he is a huge reach here and they didn’t need to trade up to get him. 

6:43: Patriots trade down again. Surprise. Panthers move up. They could probably take another great player here. If they take Everson Griffen. This is an amazing draft.  

6:42: They’ll go with another receiver, Andre Roberts. Hard to argue with this. Roberts is a solid wide receiver with good hands and great character.  

6:41: Cardinals on the board. They need a left tackle. Jason Fox is a solid guy to protect Matt Leinart’s blindside. He’ll need that badly. 

6:40: Denver takes a receiver who can actually run routes, Eric Decker. He’s a good player and fills a need, but what are they going to do about that run defense. Josh McDaniels must not think his conservative offense will need to control field positions and stop short downs.

6:39: Or their 2nd defensive end of the draft. That works too. They already brought in one defensive end in Darryl Tapp this offseason. Now they bring in two more through the draft. Washington DE Daniel Te’o-Neshiem. I guess that’s why they were stockpiling all of those picks. To make stupid trades up and draft the same position repeatedly. Who is going to replace Sheldon Brown?

6:36: Eagles on the clock. They like fat offensive linemen. Maybe Ciron Black. 

6:35: Browns better hope McCoy is better than I think. If not, they’ll be needing a quarterback in 2013 or 2014. 

6:34: But when Mack Brown walked up there to announce the pick, it was pretty obvious. I count this as a win for me. I had this in my mock, just like 40 picks earlier. 

6:33: Is it time for Colt McCoy? I doubt it. Why would Holmgren take him here if he didn’t take him before? Cleveland might actually take another QB (Kafka, LeFevour). Holmgren is a bold man.  

6:31: 2 of my top 25 players are still available. Brandon Ghee is still somewhere in a green room crying. 

6:30: Bengals take Jordan Shipley out of Texas. Good. They need to take some more weapons for Palmer. Shipley can also be a punt returner type guy. Think Brandon Stokley. 

6:29: Bengals need a nickelback/kick returner type guy. Is it AOA’s time to shine. 

6:27: Or they can take another defensive tackle. Corey Peters, Kentucky. What is with all of these defensive tackles? This is like the 14th DT or something like that. 

6:26: Falcons need a defensive end. I know they don’t like project guys, but they have to take Everson Griffen here.  

6:25: Annoying voice over lady once again, mixed with some “New York, New York, New York” no pick analysis.  

6:23: Steelers take Emmanuel Sanders 3 rounds too early. 

6:22: So far ESPN’s 3rd round coverage has been them talking about Colt McCoy and showing beer commercials (not the funny kind) and not analyzing any draft picks. Do these people realize this is their job?

6:20: Houston takes Earl Mitchell, defensive tackle, Arizona, good motor guy, overacheiver, under athletic, but I don’t know when they’ll take a replacement for Dunta Robinson (which they need to stop Peyton Manning). This CB class isn’t that deep.

6:19: Josh McDaniels has drafted one front 7 defensive player in his tenure in Denver (Robert Ayers). Not a good idea when they were one of the worst run stopping teams in the league the year before.

6:18: I’m Josh McDaniels! I don’t need defense! Broncos take a center, JD Walton, Baylor. He’s a good center, but he’s not really what the Broncos need. 

6:17: Broncos on the board. Maybe they’ll actually take a defensive player. 3-4 DE Arthur Jones Syracuse. 

6:16: Chargers take Donald Butler. He’s a bit of a reach and doesn’t fit the scheme well as a 3-4 MLB. Chargers can never draft well. I don’t know why they still win games.  

6:15: Chargers move up. They have a ton of needs and are extremely unpredictable. I won’t even try this one. 

6:14: On the money exactly, LaFell to Panthers at 78. Great draft. This is going to be a crazy offense next year. I had LaFell going to Carolina in the 2nd several times this year. I count this as a win.  

6:13: I have a good feeling the Panthers will take a WR to compliment Steve Smith and help out Jimmy Clausen. Either a big guy (Brandon LaFell) or a speed guy (Marshawn Gilyard). 

6:12: Bold prediction: Damian Williams is a future Pro Bowler. 

6:11: But I can’t argue with them taking the best available (in my mind). Damian Williams was my #1 WR and my #13th overall player. He’s everything you look for in a #1 WR. Humble, good route runner, good production, great hands, decent size, decent speed, gets open, gets YAC, love him. Titans are having the best draft so far according to my Big Board with Derrick Morgan (8) and Damian Williams (13) and they didn’t even have a 2nd rounder. Vince Young should be thrilled. 

6:08: Titans are going to be looking at DT, CB, OLB 

6:07: Chad Jones to Giants. There goes my one in a row streak. Chad Jones is a good player, but doesn’t fill an obvious need. They’ve brought in 2 safeties already this offseason. 

6:05: Giants up next. I think they may be the one to take a shot on Jonathan Dwyer, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they took a guy like Damian Williams. This is a smart organization. 

6:04: Damn I am clutch. That one was on the money. 

6:03: Major Wright to Chicago? Makes sense. They need upside and athleticism in the secondary. 

6:01: So the Jags took a 3rd round caliber DT in the 1st and a 3rd round caliber DT in the 3rd. At least they’re consistent. Jack Del Rio is so lazy he can’t think of new positions. They have not helped themselves at all this year. 

6:00: Shouldn’t have even tried, D’Anthony Smith, DT, Louisiana Tech 

5:59: Ok, I can’t resist, Everson Griffen or Riley Cooper. 

5:58: Jags on the board. I’m not even going to try to predict this one. 

5:57: Miami takes John Jerry and gets their future replacement for Justin Smiley.  

5:56: Bills don’t take a quarterback or a left tackle. Those positions aren’t important anyway. Alex Carrington to Bills. He’s a good player, 3-4 DE from Arkansas State, but he doesn’t fill a need or have positional value. 

5:55: Packers move up for Morgan Burnett. Once again the Packers get a good player. They do this every year. If Atari Bigby does down again this year, they have a replacement. 

5:53: Taylor Mays is pissed at Pete Carroll. Niners/Seahawks just got a little bit more interesting. Mays might “accidentally” fall out of bounds and hit Carroll. 

5:52: Colleen Dominquez fell asleep.

5:50: Ravens take Ed Dickson, tight end, Oregon. Good pick. He’s better than Todd Heap. 

5:49: Raiders are making some decent picks. Veldheer looks like a LT of the future. If they can get the QB situation sorted out somehow, they could win 8 games in a few years. 

5:48: The Raiders have finally taken a great athlete (the world makes sense). Not Bruce Campbell, but Jared Veldheer, Hillsdale, 6-8 312 5.05. 

5:47: Jon Gruden has a name fetish. 

5:45: Scott Pioli has completely abandoned the Patriot way. S, RB, CB, G with his first 4 picks, Jon Asamoah, guard, Illinois 

5:44: Chris Berman takes forever to read. Does he know how? 

5:42: KC looking NT here probably. Cam Thomas out of North Carolina makes sense.

5:40: Bucs take a defensive back, Myron Lewis, tweener CB/S guy, Raheem Morris will love working with him and his upside. 3rd round starts with CB-CB-CB. 

5:39: Spievey it is. I got one right! 

5:38: Lions need to go LT here (Jason Fox), though I wouldn’t be surprised if they went CB (Amari Spievey) 

5:37: Jimmy Clausen’s connection broke up. I blame Todd McShay.

5:36: Jerome Murphy is the pick. Steve Spagnuolo obviously thinks he can make good players out of 4th-7th round d-linemen and I don’t blame him. 

5:35: Rams pick is in. Everson Griffen? I predicted it last round and I’ll count it as a win if it happens. Rams fans should too. 

5:33: Three of my top 25 players still available, Damian Williams (13), Bruce Campbell (17), Everson Griffen (25). 

5:32: Someone will get a hell of a steal in Damian Williams in the 3rd. 

5:31: Saints take Charles Brown. My a favorite sleeper of mine. He’s a hell of a player. Jamaal Brown could be on the move.

5:30: Jerry Jones is on ESPN. Hopefully, he’s not drunk. 

5:28: Pat Angerer is the pick. It’s not as smart as I thought it would be. It’s Angrier though. 

5:26: Colts are a smart team and that’s why they’ll probably take Charles Brown. If not him, someone smart. They always draft smart. 

5:25: BB takes his BFFL Urban Meyer’s MLB, Brandon Spikes, upside, but slow, interesting pick. In BB we trust.

5:24: Pats might finally take Alex Carrington here. Actually, I’d be surprised if they didn’t trade back again. 

5:23: Here we go finally, Vlad Ducaase, big upside kid on the O-Line. Makes sense since they are a run heavy team. 

5:22: ESPN too busy showing Jets fans to tell us the pick. 

5:19: Mel Kiper thinks it’s a bad thing that Golden Tate can make catches in traffic. I normally agree with him, but in my book, that’s a good thing. 

5:17: Jets need to get pass rushers. That’s really their only remaining need. Corey Wootton and Alex Carrington are solid options. No good rush linebackers here though unfortunately. 

5:15: I was just shot in the head again. Golden Tate to Seattle. Good pick. Getting an immediate starting WR caliber player in the 2nd round. Solid value. Pete Carroll is making some nice picks. 

5:14: Mel Kiper just sounds smart. 

5:11: Seattle Seahawks on the board. Do they take a USC guy (Damian Williams, Everson Griffen, Joe McKnight) or a quarterback (Colt McCoy)? Gun to my head (I promised I wouldn’t say this tonight, but I have to) I’d say Everson Griffen. 

5:08: Browns take…some random guy. Montario Hardesty, RB, Tennessee. Mike Holmgren is holding out for Mike Kafka or Dan LeFevour. I’m calling it right now.

5:07: Does Steve Young ever listen to himself and think, what am I saying? 

5:06: Cleveland moves up to 59. Colt McCoy makes a lot of sense, but there are no guarantees. 

5:04: Ben Tate, RB, Auburn to Texans. 

5:03: 5 minutes between picks in 3rd round. Good thing I type 75 WPM (assuming my thumbs don’t get in the way), but I may have to cut out the witty/stupid comments.

5:02: Make that 19. Pats trade down again. Wow. 

5:01: 40 seconds still on clock. I can get something to eat/drink. Yes. 

5:00: How many picks do the Pats have? Like 18?

4:59: Pats picking again. I still say Alex Carrington. They reportedly love him. 

4:57: Great value pick for Baltimore. They run a 3-4 without a true run stopping NT. Now they have a true NT. Cody won’t play a ton (low stamina), but he is a great pick here. They need someone like them

4:55: Baltimore’s pick is in. Terrence Cody? 

4:54: Packers take Mike Neal, 3-4 defensive end, Purdue, great underrated quick player. I don’t know what team he fills, but he’s a good player and the Packers always take good players. That is why this is always a good team. 

4:53: Packers will take BPA. Bruce Campbell? Chad Jones? 

4:50: Cowboys take Sean Lee, MLB, Penn State great solid leader, great pick, fills a position of need, Cowboys having a great draft 

4:48: Bruce Campbell is Cowboys is my prediction. That would be a stacked offense. 

4:47: I like the Dunlap pick too. Upside. Upside. Upside. But, so predictable. The Bengals love guys who have character issues. 

4:46: I love the Cunningham pick. Great motor, great athleticism, great player, consistent, this is why I love being a Pats fan. They know how to draft. 

4:45: And Bengals take his teammate, Carlos Dunlap, I had them taking him in the first, so I’ll count this as a win.

4:44: Patriots take Jermaine Cunningham, rush linebacker, Florida 

4:41: Patriots on the clock, pick is in, ESPN goes to commercial. My prediction: Alex Carrington 

4:40: Worilds has upside, but he’s inconsistent. I think the Steelers can bring it out of him though and he won’t have to play right away. Solid selection. 

4:39: Steelers pick Jason Worilds, rush linebacker, Virginia Tech 

4:38: I know they say thumbs are the result of evolution, but my left thumb keeps hitting my mouse pad and clicking me to random places on the screen. Damn it. 

4:37: Yep, it’s Gerhart. Good pick. The Vikings needed another RB to spell Peterson in the backfield and get back to that power running game and there isn’t a better power runner in this draft class.

4:35: Gerhart looks happy. Minnesota moves up to take Gerhart. 

4:32: Did Chris Mortensen just compare McCluster to “Wesley Welker?” They barely even play the same position!

4:31: Houston on board. They’ll be looking at a running back. They’ve made it clear they want an RB. Montario Hardesty. Joe McKnight. Toby Gerhart. Or a CB, Brandon Ghee (the last man left in the green room). 

4:29: Javier Arenas to Chiefs. Interesting pick. I like their 3 kick returner offense. It could work. 

4:28: Taylor Mays lost a ton of money by going back to school. He was a lock to be the 7th pick last year. Now he goes 48th. Wow.

4:27: According to Todd McShay and his magical football field board, Jonathan Stewart is James Stewart. You’d think for the money he gets paid, he’d remember names.  

4:25: Chiefs on board. My prediction (I can start making these with confidence again after 2 in a row right) is Terrence Cody. 

4:24: Finally got one. Mays to Niners. Great upside pick. I had him going to them at 13, so I’ll count this as a win for me, definitely one for the Niners. 

4:21: Mays to Niners? That’s my prediction.  

4:18: Finally. Finally. This Panthers team is going to be a good team. Clausen to Panthers at 48. Wow. Him with that line and that running game. They need another receiver and some d-line help, but, as teams will soon learn, when you have a quarterback, you can mask some needs. 

4:17: Will Panthers take Jimmy Clausen at 48? I won’t even answer, but I have no idea. 

4:16: Clausen is somewhere crying. Cardinals take Daryl Washington. Doesn’t fit their 3-4 at all at 227 pounds.

4:15: While ESPN was showing me random people on the street in New York, the Giants took Linval Joseph, defensive tackle, East Carolina. 

4:14: Arizona trades up to 47. Clausen? Finally? 

4:13: Another thing I haven’t gotten to say, but want to, Mike Holmgren said they were looking for a quarterback if there was one they liked available. I think it’s safe to say Clausen he does not like. McCoy? Maybe. Sleeper name for Browns at QB, Mike Kafka. Mel Kiper said he could be a 3rd round pick and he seems like the type of guy Holmgren would like. Reminds me a bit of Hasselbeck.

4:12: Btw, I love the Gronkowski pick for the Patriots. Finally got a chance to say this. Great big target. Great upside. Great big blocker. 

4:11: Beadles will probably move to guard. He could be a decent player, but why pick him here? 

4:10: With the 45th in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select Zane Beadles, offensive tackle, Utah 

4:09: Raiders are making good picks. If they put Gradkowski at QB, they could win some good games. 

4:08: Broncos on clock? Will they take Jimmy Clausen and use a 4 quarterback offense? Maybe. 

4:07: One of the best picks the Raiders could have made (other than Clausen).

4:06: LaMarr Houston to Raiders. Who is making these picks? It’s not Al Davis.

4:05: Sergio Kindle is an underachieving, injury prone player, but he has a ton of upside. He’ll push Terrell Suggs and maybe the Ravens veteran leadership (Lewis, Reed) will push Kindle to best as possible.

4:04: Kindle to Ravens.

4:02: Baltimore on clock? Terrence Cody here? At least that’s what I’m hearing. 

4:01: I have never been so happy to see the commish, the Pats take Rob Gronkowski. Love it. 

4:00: And now I have to change to ESPN 2. Seriously, what is the pick? I’m hearing different things from everywhere, changing channels, hearing NEW YORK again, not seeing the commish. 

3:59: Oakland trades down, Pats trade up. Pick has been in for like 5 minutes, but ESPN hasn’t announced it. 

3:58: NFL Network is getting teams wrong, ESPN is showing commercials, I officially have no idea, what is going on? Where is Roger Goddell?

3:55: My NFL draft grades should be fun. I wonder how many Cs Ds and Fs I’ll give for teams passing on Clausen. 

3:54: Torrell Troup pick is interesting for Bills, fills a need, but not a huge needs, but he’s also not even BPA at his positions (Terrence Cody, Linval Joseph, Cam Thomas) 

3:53: Will Oakland be the one who finally takes Clausen? Or will they take Taylor Mays or Bruce Campbell (athletic guys)? Or will they take some random guy? My bet is on random guy. 

3:52: Still 11 of my top 34 available. I think I may start a team and buy a 2nd round pick and take Clausen and then sign a bunch of undrafted guys. That team might actually win some games. 

3:51: Bills take Torrell Troup. 

3:49: Bills on the clock, do they go quarterback (McCoy, Clausen) or left tackle (Charles Brown).

3:47: Sources told me they liked Sergio Kindle, but I guess those were wrong. The Dolphins take Koa Misi, rush linebacker, Utah. Misi is a very raw player, who looked good at Senior Bowl, but how will he convert to a new position. He is an overachiever and a great locker room guy though.  

3:46: Miami on clock, Sergio Kindle makes a lot of sense 

3:45: Not an awful pick. I like guys like Damian Williams and Golden Tate more, but Benn has more upside than either of those guys. The Buccaneers need a #1 receiver. Solid B.

3:44: Benn puts on the hat. He’ll be the pick. I had him going to the Bucs at 35, so I’ll count this as a win for me. Finally. 

3:43: Benn on phone, looks like he’ll be the pick. 

3:42: Bucs move up, Arrelious Benn makes sense, remember Raheem Morris said his #1 need this offseason was getting help for Josh Freeman and I don’t think he was referring to Reggie Brown. 

3:41: A little scouting report on TJ Ward since you’ve probably never heard of him. Undersized, aggressive, but not fundamentally sound hitter, lack of speed, lack of ball skilling, injury issues. 

3:38: Hmm, quarterback that can help us win games, or a 5th round prospect at safety. Let’s go with TJ Ward Oregon. Will Jimmy Clausen ever be drafted? 

3:36: Let’s see what Mike Holmgren meant when he said he wishes he liked Jimmy Clausen more. This pick will probably either be Jimmy Clausen or Colt McCoy.

3:33: Good pick. Nate Allen is a better fit than Taylor Mays at free safety and he’s a safer pick. He has those Brian Dawkins comparisons.

3:32: Could Andy Reid take Jimmy Clausen? Weirder things have happened, but I doubt it. Taylor Mays makes sense here, fills a need at safety, has the speed Reid likes, or he may take Terrence Cody as his hamburger eating buddy. 

3:31: This is one of the stupidest picks of the draft. Matt Cassel is decent, but not great. Clausen has the potential to be great. He probably knows their offense already better than Matt Cassel does. He could have gone in and mentored Cassel on the offense and then taken over in 2011 and they would have been competitive in the weak AFC West for years. But now they have a cool option in Dexter McCluster that doesn’t fill a need.

3:28: Or we could go with another running back. Thomas Jones. Jamaal Charles. Dexter McCluster. No o-line, mediocre QB, but a lot of cool RBs. YAY

3:27: Shut up Steve Young. I want to know the pick.

3:23: Will Charlie Weis bail out Jimmy Clausen? He should. Matt Cassel is a one year stop gap, but Clausen could be the longterm answer. If this draft made any sense, they’d take Clausen. But it doesn’t, so I don’t really know. 

3:22: I actually don’t mind this pick. Brian Price was one of the BPA and the Buccaneers were awful against the run last year. i just didn’t think they’d actually go DT-DT. Price is perfect for their scheme. Solid B+ pick. 

3:21: Or take another defensive tackle, that’s cool. Brian Price out of UCLA. 

3:20: Annoying voiceover lady is back. 

3:19: Living on the west coast, seeing these commercials for Raiders’ tickets every commercial break is pretty funny.

3:17: Bucs on the board. Positions of need: CB, DE, S, WR Will they actually take one of these positions? Who knows? My prediction is Arrelious Benn. Everson Griffen, Brandon Ghee, Taylor Mays all make sense though, as does Golden Tate. 

3:16: Chris Cook is a good player, but what happens when Favre retires? Tarvaris Jackson? Sage Chokesenfels?  

3:15: Chris Cook?! Wow. I don’t think Jimmy Clausen will ever be drafted. Will his former coach (Charlie Weis) and the Chiefs bail him out? He better hope so. 

3:14: Let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York (seriously, this song again, I had to listen to it all night last night, seriously) 

3:12: If the Vikings don’t take Jimmy Clausen, I will literally pull my hair out. The Vikings have a chance to take a guy who is regarded as a consensus top 10 prospect quarterback at 34. Favre won’t be around forever and I really don’t think Favre will be offended if the Vikings take Clausen. He wasn’t offended when the Packers took Aaron Rodgers in 2005.

3:11: I didn’t predict it, but I like it. Some teams know the importance of protecting your QB. Jason Smith and Roger Saffold will be bookend tackles for Bradford for many years.  

3:10: With the 33rd pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams, select Roger Saffold, offensive tackle, Indiana 

3:07: ESPN polls say 54% think McCoy is the best quarterback available, 46% say Jimmy Clausen. People are stupid. 

3:05: Steve Young says the Lions have been doing a good job getting help for Matt Stafford over the past 2-3 years. So many things wrong here. First, he has no left tackle. Second, Stafford hasn’t even been town an entire year. If Stafford doesn’t get better protection soon, he may sound like Steve Young when he retires. 

3:03: Rams on the clock. If they don’t trade down, they’ll be looking for a pass rusher (Everson Griffen, Carlos Dunlap) or wide receiver (Arrelious Benn, Golden Tate)

3:01: 12 of my top 34 players on my Big Board are still available, plenty of good talent left 

3:00: Jon Gruden predicts trades will be made. There’s a risky prediction. 

2:59: My Top 12 BPA, Jimmy Clausen, Charles Brown, Damian Williams, Bruce Campbell, Terrence Cody, Brian Price, Everson Griffen, Brandon Ghee, Golden Tate, Donovan Warren, Taylor Mays, Eric Norwood

2:55: Rams are reportedly fielding offers for the #33rd pick. The Bills and Browns are in the mix. If I was the Rams, I would call up the Raiders, Bills, Chiefs, Vikings, and Browns, all of whom are probably targeting either Jimmy Clausen or Colt McCoy here, put them on speaker phone, or video conference, and let them go at it auction style.

2:40: While we wait, let’s have a little mini (fake) interview with Raiders’ owner Al Davis.

Me: So Al, every year before this year, you have only taken players based on 40 times, but this year you took Rolando McClain. What changed?

Al Davis: I…hate…everyone…..All NFL Mock Drafts……have me taking Bruce Campbell……I wanted to take Bruce Campbell…..because he is fast….and big…..but if I had taken Bruce Campbell……all of those mock drafters would have been right…and they would have been happy…and I hate everyone…..but if I had taken Jimmy Clausen…..Raidah fans would have been happy…..and I hate everyone…..so I took Rolando McClain…..he is not fast….and makes all of those mock draft fans….but still pisses off the fans……I…hate…everyone

In all seriousness, I actually think something like that is what happened. Either that or that rumor I heard about Raiders’ scouts giving Al Davis fake 40 times is true. Or Al Davis secretly died and the Raiders didn’t tell anyone.

2:28: One more thing about the Tebow pick, I think this proves that Josh McDaniels is living in his own world. It’s one thing to prefer players over other players (Demaryius Thomas over Brandon Marshall, Matt Cassel/Kyle Orton over Jay Cutler, Tim Tebow over Jimmy Clausen), but another thing to think other teams feel that way too. Why did he have to move up to 25 to take Tebow? How many other teams would have taken Tebow over Clausen? 1? 2? none? What was the point of trading up?

2:25: First while I have some time, I want to speak some more on Tebow to the Broncos. I really think the Broncos are trying to run an option spread offense in the NFL, or at least some form of one. Why else would they be drafting this many option spread players (Tebow, Thomas). I would not be surprised if they drafted an option spread running back (Jonathan Dwyer) in the 3rd round range. As for Tebow, I think he has to be happy with where he is going. He went in the first round, which was a bit of a stretch for him, especially over Jimmy Clausen. He goes to a team with a coach known for good work with quarterbacks (Matt Cassel, Tom Brady). He goes to a team where he won’t have to play right away and a team that runs a spread offense like he did at Florida. 

2:20: Yesterday was embarrassing. My mock drafts make too much sense. I look at team needs, find best available at those positions of need, take into account team drafting strategy, and scheme, and then make a pick. I don’t even know what it is most NFL teams do, but it’s definitely not that, at least not based what we saw yesterday. Don’t get me wrong some picks made a lot of sense (Gerald McCoy to Buccaneers, Russell Okung to Seahawks, Derrick Morgan to Titans, Sean Weatherspoon to Falcons, Bryan Bulaga to Packers, Dez Bryant to Cowboys, Jerry Hughes to Colts), but not anywhere near enough. Hopefully I get more picks today. Check out my Day 2 Mock Draft.

 

Day 1 

8:11: Maybe Jimmy Clausen will actually be drafted tomorrow too. 

8:09: Be back tomorrow. Hopefully with some better picks and not just a weird combination of ESPN bashing and self loathing. 

8:08: The Saints already have Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter (my favorite underrated player in the league) at cornerback. They also have Malcolm Jenkins, who could play safety, but considering they used the 14th pick on him last year, that wouldn’t make a lot of sense. Now they have added another cornerback. I don’t get it. Plus, Patrick Robinson doesn’t have a good work ethic. He reportedly took plays off in college to prevent injuries so he wouldn’t get hurt before the pros.  

8:05: Gun to my head, I would have died multiple times tonight. 

8:03: Patrick Robinson defensive back Florida State. He was my fourth choice. Not really. Weird day. 

8:01: Alright gun to my head, I’ll stick with Everson Griffen my original pick. 

8:00: My dad saw cheering Saints’ fans and asked me who they were. I wanted to say “who dat” but he wouldn’t have gotten it. 

7:58: Everson Griffen, Carlos Dunlap, Sergio Kindle are the most likely picks in my mind. Of course, with the way this draft has been going, it’ll probably be done on those players. 

7:57: I do like the pick. Both Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis will be free agents in 2011. Hughes is a value pick. He can be a solid nickel rusher in the 4th quarter when the Colts are playing with the lead. Hughes is undersized, but plays with a great motor which the Colts like. He fits the scheme well.

7:54: Berman was right. I was wrong. Jerry Hughes. 

7:53: Chris Berman says Jerry Hughes. Interesting idea. 

7:50: Colts on board. Charles Brown makes sense here and the Colts like to make sense. 

7:49: Left tackles be damned. Running backs, defensive tackles, safeties, awesome. In fact, let’s trade up for a running back. It’ll be awesome. Jahvid Best is a great player, but he doesn’t help the Lions in a way they need.

7:47: Lions take Jahvid Best, running back, California 

7:45: Pick traded to Lions. Jahvid Best will be the pick.

7:39: Jimmy Clausen to Vikings is my prediction. If that means anything any more. 

7:37: Interesting pick for Jets. Antonio Cromartie will be their #2 corner next year, but Wilson is a solid nickel corner and is a great punt returner. He has huge upside and if he pans out, the Jets have two shutdown corners. Wow. 

7:35: Jets take Kyle Wilson. Today is not my day.

7:33: As for the Odrick pick, I don’t get it. He doesn’t fill a need, but it’s hard to argue when Odrick is one of the best available and is a perfect fit for the scheme. 

7:31: Do I even want to make a prediction? Jets on the board. I’ll go with Jerry Hughes just because I had him in my actual mock draft. Yeah, remember that thing.  

7:29: Or I could be wrong again. That’s cool. Jared Odrick to Dolphins. Not sure where he fits, but he does fit the scheme. 

7:26: Dolphins on the clock. I know I’ve been wrong a lot, but Sergio Kindle makes a lot of sense here. They reportedly love him. 

7:24: Patriots take Devin McCourty, cornerback, Rutgers, interesting, not sure how I feel about this yet, but I don’t hate it. In BB we trust.

7:23: I didn’t think Jimmy Clausen would have this many parallels to Aaron Rodgers, but it’s looking like Clausen will end up as Favre’s backup. I doubt the Vikings pass on him at 30 if he’s there. 

7:22: Broncos/Ravens trade details, Ravens get 2nd and 3rd, Broncos get 1st (Tebow), teams swap 4th rounders (5 spots) 

7:21: If Pats pick, it will be either Jared Odrick, Sergio Kindle, or Taylor Mays. 

7:20: Patriots on the board. Will they finally pick? 

7:19: The Cardinals needed a nose tackle, they could have won the division if they had taken Clausen. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. 

7:17: Cardinals pick finally, Dan Williams, nose tackle, Tennessee, have fun with Matt Leinart and Derek Anderson 

7:16: Cardinals pick is in, but ESPN is busy being in love with Tebow. 

7:12: If the Cardinals pass on Jimmy Clausen they are pretty stupid. 

7:10: I love Tim Tebow and I thought I would be happy when he was drafted. Josh McDaniels had to ruin that. 

7:07: Still congrats to Tebow.  

7:05: Denver moves up and takes Tim Tebow. NOOOOOOOOOOOO. I love Tebow. Josh McDaniels will destroy him. 

7:04: Ravens will either take Jared Odrick, Kyle Wilson, or Dan Williams. 

7:04: USA USA USA USA USA USA  

7:03: Dez Bryant is a stereotypical Jerry Jones pick, flashy, big 12. He has some baggage, but he’s a good pick.  

7:02: Ravens on the board. Jared Odrick makes sense. 

7:01: Dez Bryant is a Cowboy. Again. 

7:00: Roy Williams = bye bye. This is what happens when you don’t catch the ball or get open. 

6:59: Looks like Cowboys are taking Dez.  

6:58: ESPN is reporting the Patriots have traded their pick to Dallas at the same time Todd McShay is saying the Pats will pick Dez Bryant. Wow. 

6:56: Adam Schefter is saying this pick could be Mays. Hmm… As a Pats fan, I wouldn’t mind. 

6:55: Bryan Bulaga just looks like a Packer. 

6:53: Pats on the board. Don’t rule out a trade. If not a trade, probably Dez Bryant. 

6:51: And it is Bryan Bulaga. If Chad Clifton goes down this year, Aaron Rodgers won’t die. 

6:50: Packers could take Dez Bryant. He may be BPA in their eyes. However, he might be way lower than that. He’s that polarizing. If not Bryant, probably Bryan Bulaga. 

6:49: Josh McDaniels is stupid. The final package for Jay Cutler, a 3rd rounder, Richard Quinn, Kyle Orton, Robert Ayers, Demaryius Thomas. WOWOWOWOW 

6:48: Demaryius Thomas was the first receiver taken in the 2010 NFL Draft. WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW 

6:47: Or they could just take some guy who doesn’t know how to run routes.  

6:46: With the 22nd pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Broncos take Demaryius Thomas, wide receiver, Georgia Tech 

6:45: This pick could be Dez Bryant, but why would the Pats trade down if they thought the Broncos would take Bryant. The Pats want him too. 

6:44: While I have some time, I like the Bengals pick. Carson Palmer needs a guy like Jermaine Gresham to throw to. Two thumbs up.

6:43: Patriots trade down, there’s a surprise. Broncos move up to 22. Jimmy Clausen? 

6:42: Bengals took someone without character flaws. What is going on this year?Bengals take Gresham out of Oklahoma. 

6:41: Jimmy Clausen has Erin Andrews following him around. He is so lucky!

6:40: Bengals will probably be looking for criminals here. Carlos Dunlap and Jared Odrick make sense. If they want to go with someone who hasn’t been arrested, Dez Bryant, Taylor Mays, and Jermaine Gresham. Gun to my head, I’d say Carlos Dunlap.

6:37: Right position, wrong player, but they could have done worse. Kareem Jackson is a decent pick. 

6:36: With the 20th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans select Kareem Jackson, cornerback, Alabama 

6:35: Houston is probably looking at Kyle Wilson here at 20. They need to replace Dunta Robinson. 

6:34: Hard to argue with the Falcons taking BPA. They know how to draft. 

6:33: I’m glad Jimmy Clausen did not choose to attend. This would have been embarrassing for him. He will probably go to Denver at 24, Arizona at 26, Minnesota at 30, or a team who moves up, but wherever he goes he will be an impact player.

6:32: With the 19th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons take Sean Weatherspoon, outside linebacker, Missouri 

6:30: Falcons probably looking at Sean Weatherspoon and Kyle Wilson here. 

6:29: Here’s my deal with Maurkice Pouncey. He was a 3rd round pick in January. He has not played since January. You always have to be weary of late risers like him. Pouncey never played up to his potential at Florida. 

6:28: Steelers take Pouncey, the center out of Florida, this was pretty predictable. 

6:27: Will the Steelers take Jimmy Clausen? Not likely, but possible. 

6:26: As much as I can like a guard over a quarterback, I do like this pick. Iupati is a huge upside guy and it’s obvious the Niners want to get back to their run blocking ways. He has Larry Allen esque upside.

6:25: I guess the Niners are staying put. Mike Iupati from Idaho. 

6:22: I’ll go more in depth in my draft grades next week, but I love this pick for the Titans because Morgan doesn’t need a lot of work. A lot of the high upside defensive ends have been busting in recent years. Defensive ends have to hit guys and wrestle with fat guys. It’s not hard to see why when players at that position get a huge signing bonus, they stop putting in as much work as you’d like. Morgan doesn’t need a lot of work.

6:21: Great pick. Morgan was the best DE in college football last year, good size, good speed, good motor, most proven defensive end.

6:20: A pick that makes sense, no way. The Titans take Derrick Morgan out of Georgia Tech. 

6:19: Sources tell me the Niners have made another trade, likely down from 17. Will Jimmy Clausen ever be drafted?

6:17: Commercials. Ugh. Time to eat food. 

6:15: The Titans should take Derrick Morgan. I say should because I’m done trying to predict stuff. If the world makes sense, Morgan will be the pick. He was the most dominant DE in college last year.

6:14: Yeah, let’s go with the raw kid who didn’t dominate at all in college over the proven defensive end who lived in the backfield last year.

6:13: With the 15th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Giants select Jason Pierre Paul, defensive end, South Florida 

6:09: I can’t hate the Seahawks pick too much, at least relatively so, but they may really regret letting Jimmy Clausen fall to their division rival Niners at 17. Assuming the Niners actually take him. 

6:07: Giants on the board. Derrick Morgan is my guess, but it could be Sean Weatherspoon or Dan Williams. 

6:05: Maybe Thomas just is incapable of showing emotion. Or maybe he really didn’t want to go to Seattle. Come on, you’re going to the NFL. Be a little happier. 

6:05: With the 14th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Earl Thomas, safety, Texas.

6:04: Earl Thomas on the phone, but he doesn’t look too happy. 

6:02: I know I was complaining about how fast the action was moving, but I haven’t had to say anything in 4 minutes. What is going on? 

5:58: Seahawks on the board. For the love of all that makes sense, they better take Jimmy Clausen. 

5:57: I think the whole draft being on a Thursday thing is confusing people to make bad picks. 

5:56: Eagles take Brandon Graham. He is not the best player available. He is not the best player at his position. He doesn’t fill a big need. They did not have to move up for him. Want me to keep going. 

5:53: Chargers/Dolphins trade details. Chargers get 12th. Dolphins get 28th, 40th, a 4th round pick, and Tim Dobbins. 

5:52: Philly moves up to 13. Broncos move back down. The pick will be Earl Thomas. 

5:51: Matthews at the highest would have gone 20. Why did the Chargers have to move up to 12 to get him? Plus, why even take a running back in the first anyway? This is a deep running back class. Bad pick. Bad pick. 

5:50: Chris Mortensen got something right? Matthews to Chargers. Chargers did something stupid again in the draft. Why am I not surprised?

5:48: Chris Mortensen thinks the pick will be Ryan Matthews. Therefore, the pick will not be Ryan Matthews.

5:47: Chargers move up, most likely to take Dan Williams. Chris Berman says he thinks it’ll be Ryan Matthews. At this rate, it’ll probably be some random guy. Details of Dolphins trade forthcoming.

5:44: Anthony Davis = Andre Smith 2.0. Why would the Niners move up?

5:43: With the 11th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers take a big fat guy from Rutgers 

5:41: Josh McDaniels obviously does not know what a draft trade value chart is. The Niners are likely to take Jimmy Clausen here. 

5:40: Niners moving up. Broncos moves down to 13 and pick up a 4th.

5:39: Alualu is not a top 10 player. The Jaguars probably took him because he won’t demand a lot of money. Their financial issues may be worse than we though. He won’t help them a ton though. Bad pick. Plus, he won’t sell anymore NFL Tickets for the Jaguars, which is something they needed to do here.

5:38: Some random player it is. Tyson Alualu. WTFWTFWTFWTFWTFWTFWTFWTF 

5:37: Jacksonville has a few options here. They can take a QB, Jimmy Clausen. They could trade down (not sure who they’d trade with). They could take Dez Bryant or Derrick Morgan. Or they could take some random player. 

5:36: Stuff on my mind. I wish Rolando McClain had attended the draft so I could see him cry (sad tears, not happy tears) when his name was called.

Bye bye Marshawn Lynch, he’ll probably be traded, most likely to the Chargers was the 28th pick, and the Bills will take Tim Tebow and go left tackle in the 2nd. If they do that, I don’t think it’s a bad pick. But that’s a big if. 

5:34: Oh good, crappy commercials. I have time to say stuff that’s on my mind. 

5:33: So the Raiders don’t take a fast player, but instead take a guy who doesn’t fit the scheme, doesn’t have good positional value, and fills a position that’s not a need at all (Kirk Morrison is their 3rd best defensive player) and now the Bills take the one position they don’t need. No QB in town. No Left Tackle in town. 

5:32: I don’t understand anything anymore. 

5:31: Bills move fast, take CJ Spiller.  

5:30: I think Al Davis was tried of being made fun of for just picking fast players so he took some random guy. 

5:29: Raiders take McClain. WTF. 

5:28: This pick should be Jimmy Clausen. I will be some crazy athlete. Most likely Bruce Campbell. 

5:27: With the 8th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select Darrius Heyward Bey, wide receiver, Maryland…o wait 

5:26: Yikes, that picture even scares me. 

5:25: Next on the board

5:24: I don’t hate the Browns pick. I would have taken Clausen, but they could have done worse. 

5:23: With the 7th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns take Joe Haden, cornerback, Florida 

5:20: Michael Smith says it’ll be between Joe Haden and Kyle Wilson. I guess I was wrong. Haden it is.

5:19: ESPN has cameras at Tim Tebow’s house? That’s not creepy.

5:18: Gun to my head, I’d say this pick would be Earl Thomas. 

5:17: Mike Holmgren said he wishes he loved Jimmy Clausen more. I guess we’ll finally find out what that means. I would take Clausen, but I think they could take either Joe Haden, Earl Thomas, Derrick Morgan.

5:16: Gotta love the Okung pick. Matt Hasselbeck might not be killed next year again. 

5:15: With the 6th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Russell Okung, offensive tackle, Oklahoma State

5:10: Russell Okung will be going to the Seahawks. Pete Carroll has to love all of the stupid draft rooms ahead of him.

5:08: Eric Berry is a great player, but this means he will be by far the highest paid safety in the league next year. That’s not right. The Chiefs aren’t a good team. They need more than a safety. Safeties also run huge risks of injuries because they have to hit like linebackers at cornerback size. 

5:06: Eric Berry says he’s always wanted to be a Chief. He did not pass the stupidity test.

5:05: ESPN snooping on Eric Berry. I guess he’ll be the 5th pick. Scott Pioli must have been kidnapped by ninjas. This is not the Patriot way.  

5:04: NFL Draft commercials are like the opposite of Super Bowl commercials. They all suck. 

5:02: Trent Williams was asked by the Redskins if he was committed to be great. Well, he passed the stupidity test. I’ll say that much for him.

5:01: Russell Okung makes too much sense for the Chiefs here at 5. Matt Cassel has the slowest release in the NFL. He needs better protection. Okung is an NFL ready LT and a guy who can anchor a line for years.

5:00: Trent Williams is not a left tackle. He is a fast right tackle with athleticism. He is not an elite pass protector. He will not able to make an immediate impact. This is not a good pick. Think Chris Williams out of Vanderbilt in 2008. 

4:58: With the 4th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins select Trent Williams, offensive tackle, Oklahoma 

4:55: The next pick will, with 85% certainly by Russell Okung. Okung is the best available player, but rumors are out there at the ‘Skins like Trent Williams more. Okung would definitely be the right pick. They need to protect McNabb and Okung is that Ryan Clady type player like Mike Shanahan had in Dallas, er, I mean Denver. Dallas is not in Denver.

4:54: Hard to argue with the Bucs taking McCoy. They sucked against the run last year. Good pick. 

4:53: With the 3rd pick in the 2010 NFL Mock Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Gerald McCoy, defensive tackle, Oklahoma

4:48: Ndamukong Suh’s head looks like a house of spears. I bet that’s how his parents named him. 

4:47: Will the Buccaneers take Gerald McCoy? Will the Redskins select Russell Okung? Will this annoying voiceover lady ever shut up? 

4:46: The next pick will be Gerald McCoy. If there are any more guarantees tonight, that’s it. 

4:45: Obviously I don’t like this pick, unless they make a trade for a veteran left tackle (Jared Gaither). Have fun protecting your 73 million dollar investment. 

4:43: With the second pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackle, Nebraska. 

4:42: Ndamukong Suh on the phone. I’m guessing that’s not his mom. Somewhere Matt Stafford is crying.

4:40: 50/50 chance this pick is Okung. 50/50 this is Suh. Okung would be the smart pick though. 

4:38: Overall the Rams could have done worse, but at least they drafted a guy with upside at the right position. Bradford isn’t ready to be a week 1 starter though. I’d give the pick a solid B. 

4:37: With the 1st pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams select Sam Bradford, quarterback, Oklahoma. 

4:35: Chris Berman: The Rams went 1-15 last year so there’s nowhere to go but up. I’m guessing Chris Berman did not do well in math.

4:34: Gotta love the one dude sitting in New York with the Patriots hat. 

4:31: Oh crap. It’s Chucky. Oh wait, that’s just Jon Gruden. 

4:30: Browns reportedly willing to trade almost their entire draft and some of their picks next year for Sam Bradford. Talk about putting all of your eggs in one basket. Not a good idea when that basket is a spread QB who is coming off of shoulder surgery. 

4:28: According to ESPN, Dallas is in Denver. Who knew. 

4:26: 99% chance that Sam Bradford goes #1. The Rams have not announced the pick yet which looks a little concerning. They could put a hole in everyone’s mock and take Jimmy Clausen #1 overall. It’s doubtful though. 

4:23: The wise words of Steve Young. Everyone is open in college. No one is open in the pros. It all makes sense now. All of this work I have done scouting quarterbacks has been pointless. 

4:21: Drew Brees has been announced as the Madden cover athlete. Drew Brees will separate his shoulder week 1 next season and be out for the year.

4:18: Note to Demaryius Thomas, LaMarr Houston, Rob Gronkowski, Jahvid Best, and Brandon Ghee, you will not be drafted today. You’re just setting yourself up to look stupid.

4:16: Bryan Bulaga just looks like he wants to beat someone over the head with a big stick.

4:12: Today is like Christmas for NFL Draft fans. Unless you’re a Raiders fan. 

4:07: This is my NFL Draft Live Blog. There are very few guarantees on draft day, but I can guarantee that my draft coverage will be better than Matt Millen’s.

 

Spotlight #1: Oklahoma WR Ryan Broyles

Spotlight #2: Oklahoma DE Frank Alexander 

1st quarter

14:32: Broyles catches one in the flat, can’t do much with it.

12:24: Broyles wide open in space after a play fake, good speed, able to catch it and make the lunge for the end zone, but just steps out of bounds.

11:03: Alexander just misses a deflection at the line.

10:06: Broyles with a sizeable punt return in space, but it’s brought back by a hold away from the ball.

8:19: Broyles does a nice job of catching a low underthrow by Landry Jones.

4:36: Broyles catches a nice throw in a tight window for 27 over the middle.

4:21: Broyles catches a short one, can’t do much with it.

3:52: Broyles catches a short underneath pass.

2:31: Alexander pushed around on a run play.

1:06: Alexander with a very nice pass rush against a double team.

0:39: Alexander whiffs on an unblocked tackle up the middle.

2^nd quarter

14:46: Broyles may be small, but a nice block after another receiver catches a short pass helps the play go for a few more yards after the catch.

14:15: Broyles takes a short one for a few yards. Nice run after.

13:40: Kansas State cornerback Nigel Malone with his 5^th pick of the year. He’s made a few nice plays today and covered Kenny Stills well, though he was not on Stills here. Malone is a junior and at 5-10 175, he’s unlikely to come out early, especially since he’s only been at Kansas State for this year. He was a JuCo transfer. A note on Landry Jones, he really stared down his receiver here, leading to the pick. Bad play.

12:54: Alexander can’t chase down a guy off the edge.

12:32: Broyles catches one short, good play in space for a first down and more. 16 yards.

12:17: Broyles short for 4 yards.

6:24: Alexander can’t change direction in the open field as Kansas State’s mobile quarterback jukes him out.

5:05: Quarterback run to Alexander’s side. Small gain after a tackle by stud sophomore safety Tony Jefferson.

3:21: Broyles catches one short for a first, can’t do anything afterwards as the defense was right there.

2:03: Malone with his 2^nd pick of the game, his 6^th of the season, this time he was covering Kenny Stills. Bad throw by Jones and a great play by Malone again. Malone is having a great game, 2 picks and Kenny Stills has been held to 2 receptions.

1:17: Alexander can’t quite recover a fumble on the sideline in bounds. Nice effort, but nothing to show for it.

0:19: Alexander into the backfield, gets in on a combined short tackle from behind. The back fumbled on this play

0:14: Broyles can’t pick up the ball in the air in time to catch it deep. He was also well covered.

0:10: Broyles jammed well at the line. He is small.

 

3^rd quarter

11:58: Alexander inside move and a sack.

10:54: Broyles targeted, but nice play by the defensive back to bat it out.

10:22: Broyles catches it in space, nice run after, especially his tightrope alone the sideline to score a touchdown. 29 yards.

9:33: Alexander disengages, can’t quite make the ankle tackle on the quarterback.

6:18: Broyles 11 yards on a slant. Caught it in stride well.

4:21: Sack by Oklahoma’s other defensive end, Ronnell Lewis. The former linebacker is making plays today. He projects as a 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level.

2:05: Jones underthrown to Broyles, incomplete.

1:59: Broyles goes up and gets one in stride against tough coverage. He catches it well. A natural pass catcher, he doesn’t use his body first to catch. He uses his hands.

0:55: Alexander hits the quarterback as he throws.

0:48: Alexander in on a sack with Tony Jefferson, who was a blitzing safety.

4^th quarter

14:11: Alexander gets into the backfield, but Kansas State’s mobile quarterback dodges the sack.

13:47: Alexander double teamed, a good job to get off the block. Oklahoma is up 51-17 so Alexander is getting a chance to show his pass rushing abilities on every play. He looks good.

11:44: Broyles gets the short pass and takes it for a solid gain and a first down.

11:03: Oklahoma has a huge lead, but Broyles doesn’t care, he still gives it his all blocking downfield with a strong motor on a long touchdown run by Oklahoma’s fullback.

0:00: I always love discovering new players I had never heard of. Nigel Malone did a great job in this game, picking off 2 of Landry Jones’ passes, to give him 6 on the year, 2^nd in the FBS. He also did a solid job on Kenny Stills, limiting him to 4 catches, his lowest total of the season. Malone may be undersized, but if he has a good senior season as a good finish to this sack, he could be a fairly high draft pick.

With Stills well covered by Malone, Landry Jones leaned on Ryan Broyles early and often and Broyles didn’t let him down. Broyles caught 14 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown. He caught a lot of short stuff and was able to use his open field abilities to get a lot of yards after the catch. He’s a natural receiver and looks very fluid. He knows how to get open inside and he’s got solid speed.

He might not have the size or the athleticism to be a #1 receiver at the next level, but he can be a nice possession #2 receiver or a slot receiver and he has return ability as well. He also showed an impressive motor and a lot of fight as a run blocker. He’s small and might have some trouble with jams at the line, but I think his motor makes up for this some. I would be very surprised if he wasn’t a productive player at the next level.

Powered by Ryan Broyles, Landry Jones went 35 of 47 for 505 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 2 picks. However, as I mentioned, a lot of Jones’ stuff went short to Broyles. In fact, he was just 5-11 on throws on 15+ all night and he did have those 2 ugly picks. He’s got a lot to work on, but he’s still in the running to be the 2^nd quarterback off the board behind Andrew Luck, though after a rough week against Texas Tech and this game, his stock is slipping just a bit.

On the defensive side of the ball, Frank Alexander showed great pass rush ability. For some reason, the stat sheet doesn’t show it, but he was in on at least one sack. He also had a quarterback hit and a sack that was missed because Kansas State has one of the most mobile quarterbacks in college football. He has 7.5 sacks on the season and got consistent pressure in this one and showed impressive pass rushing moves. However, he did struggle against the run, which makes sense because he’s just 255 pounds. There’s no denying his pass rushing ability with 7.5 sacks this year and 7.5 last year, but he might just be a 3-4 linebacker at the next level and we didn’t see him in coverage at all in this one. I’d say he’s a 2^nd rounder.