NFL 2010

[Maphusio]

Steelers are dropping this guy like a bad habit, like he's radioactive.

*does a little dance* My love towards him and the Steelers does not run much further than my chances at getting a date with Natalie Portman. They SO shouldn't have won last years big hoorah.

On other news, Rams have a QB worth shakin' a stick at? Maybe.

 

[Sander]

None too subtle if you look between the lines:

CBs and pass rush. Get the talent in the secondary to run man, free up more rushers for blitzes and stunts that are Rex's forte.
Cut TJ, sign a spent LT, talk of dealing Faneca? Clearly they are not preoccupied with remaining the league's best rushing team.
Now snag Braylons Edwards, Holmes, make a run for Marshall.
Big shift in pass/run ratio about to take place there. Trouble is, it's a QB league, and their QB was a turnover artist last year.

And now they got the best man corner in the draft. That's one hell of a secondary.

On other news, Rams have a QB worth shakin' a stick at? Maybe.

Eh, it's a 1st overall pick. 50% chance he busts. Much bigger chance he's still pretty bad in his 1st year even if he gets better eventually.

In other news, I'm pretty stoked on getting Gerald McCoy. Perfect guy for the system, and he's even a Bucs fan. Should be a major upgrade for our D-line, and that was sorely needed.

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

Not in love with the Patriot's pick, or how high they took him, or the fact that they've been wasting high picks year after year trying to replace Asante. But their secondary does suck.
They have more pressing needs to address, but I'll hold my tongue to see what they do tonight. Lot of nice talent left, and they have a ton of options with the picks they have. By day's end they need OLB, WR and TE. Barring that, I'll be purchasing Hartford Colonials season tickets for the fall.

Enough with the economy drafts. Is this the draft or are you playing limbo? Low, lower, lowest. How low can you go until you fall flat on your ass? Again, I'd rather have one high priced guy that gets 15 sacks, than 3 reasonably salaried "value" scrubs who get 5 sacks each.

I hope we can look back in a few years saying
"That was the draft BB traded down from what became Dez Bryant and Tim Tebow"
instead of
"That was the draft BB traded down from what became Dez Bryant and Tim Tebow"
Time will tell...

NFC got some real beasts early on there. Watched the first 30 minutes, it was the best recruiting endorsement for Oklahoma I've ever seen.

And now they got the best man corner in the draft. That's one hell of a secondary.

Yep, more man CBs frees up more pass rushers. More pressure, more sacks, more bad throws, easier coverage. One hand washes the other.
Look how good Cromartie was when Merriman was at his peak, and how his numbers dipped when Merriman slumped/blew out his knee/stopped juicing.

On other news, Rams have a QB worth shakin' a stick at? Maybe.

I fear without the protection, we're looking at David Carr or Mark Bulger 2.0. You throw these kids right into the fire without adequate protection and their mechanics go to shit because they can't cope with the rush.
Granted, I don't watch a lot of Oklahoma games, but this kid doesn't seem like a #1 Manning type lock as franchise QB.

I say he blows his shoulder out again by mid-season.
Outside of S-JAX, who's going to take the pressure off this kid?

 

[Brother None]

Not in love with the Patriot's pick, or how high they took him, or the fact that they've been wasting high picks year after year trying to replace Asante. But their secondary does suck.

Not to mention you put two second-rounders, and good players, into your secondary last year, and have much more pressing need.

The trading back was par-for-the-course, the actual pick a bit of a head scratcher.

Barring that, I'll be purchasing Hartford Colonials season tickets for the fall.

Awesome. Get me a Quinn jersey after the Broncos cut him and Colonials pick him up
(lulz Colonials)

Look how good Cromartie was when Merriman was at his peak, and how his numbers dipped when Merriman slumped/blew out his knee/stopped juicing.

It's even funnier when you look at Merriman tape and see how often it's their elite Dline that got him his sacks. With no NT to speak of, he's done.

I fear without the protection, we're looking at David Carr or Mark Bulger 2.0.

For sure. Poor Bulger. People completely forget he's a really talented QB. Or was.

Granted, I don't watch a lot of Oklahoma games, but this kid doesn't seem like a #1 Manning type lock as franchise QB.

Weak year for QBs. Still, Clausen'll be a steal in the 2nd.

I say he blows his shoulder out again by mid-season.
Outside of S-JAX, who's going to take the pressure off this kid?

They gotta keep in Feeley or Null for a bit to take the hits.

They do have a pair of 1st-round tackles but Barron is obviously no LT, and Jason Smith is a huge question mark. When Stafford hits the field they'll have to Max protect all the time.

Also also

I'M PUMPED. All fears of PC doing something stupid, or overpaying for a USC player like Mays or Griffen turned out to be unfounded. We sat pat and simply took the obvious picks, and the obvious picks just happen to be really good value. Okung at 6 is a steal. And Early? Well, the fact that Schneider and PC were high-fiving when the Eagles pick was announced as Brandon Graham says it all.

Take it away, Q/PM.

 

[Murdoch]

Scuttlebutt in the Twin Cities is that the Vikings'll pick up Clausen to replace Favre after next season. Meh, anythings better than Tarvaris Jackson!

 

[Brother None]

If Vikes really wanted Clausen they'd have sat pat and took him. I wouldn't be shocked if he's gone with the Rams pick.

 

[Murdoch]

If Vikes really wanted Clausen they'd have sat pat and took him. I wouldn't be shocked if he's gone with the Rams pick.

Rams picked QB Sam Bradford in the 1st round. The Vikings'll get Clausen.

But in general the plan as I understand it was to give up a 'bad' first round pick due to position to pick up an additional overall pick, and 'better' placement in the second round.

 

[SimpleMinded]

Aye, should work out well for the Vikings as they'll have no trouble getting Clausen where they're at now.

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

That would be a smart pick for the Vikes IMO.

Rams picked QB Sam Bradford in the 1st round. The Vikings'll get Clausen.

I think he means they'll deal the pick, someone will trade up to lock up Klausen.(?)

Not to mention you put two second-rounders, and good players, into your secondary last year, and have much more pressing need.

On top of Leigh Bodden, Shawn Springs, Meriweather - they have a decent backfield. They got shredded some last year, but everybody's secondary gets shredded with the rules now.

I think they are going the same route as the Jets - Just fill your nickle and dime packages with as many cover CBs as possible. Man up and rush the rest. Yee-haw.

Such is the way when you move to a passing league.
Awful lot of DBs, LBs, and DT went that first round - a lot more than WRs, QBs or RBs.

Some great talent left in this 2nd round.

The trading back was par-for-the-course, the actual pick a bit of a head scratcher.

Makes me think they wanted to trade back even farther and still get McWhatshisname but couldn't find any trade partners (or more likely wouldn't trade with remaining pickers - Miami, Jets and Indy.

I guess I can't argue with the fact that they got picks back for essentially doing nothing but passing on Dez and Tebow.
Lots of folks here are all kinds of pissed, Dez Bryant was the homer favorite.
I don't know that he's any kind of remedy for what ills the Patriots though.

(lulz Colonials)

Well, we're holding back our cult classic Whalers name and the greatest fight song in sports for when we get our big league hockey team back.

If anything, I'd like to check out the new Giants Stadium, supposed to be something.
No more mafia/Hoffa conspiracies though.
Giants games are great, it's that unfortunate other tenant that gives the Meadowlands a fetid stench.

Shea Stadium, 2 Giants Stadiums. How, for 3 stadiums in a row can the Jets still be the only team without their own stadium?
Yankees & Mets got state-of-the-art stadiums last year, Giants get theirs now, why do the Jets have to ride the Giants' coattails everywhere? Stupid, they should've moved to Queens with the Mets, that's their territory.

For sure. Poor Bulger. People completely forget he's a really talented QB. Or was.

Kid had a lot of promise, so did Carr. But when a young kid gets sacked at record breaking levels like that, their skills start to regress as they move into survival mode, and looks like neither of them will ever get over that shell-shock.
It's one thing if you're Ryan Leaf, it's another when the team hangs you out to dry.

I'M PUMPED. All fears of PC doing something stupid...

Yeah, Pete did pretty good so far.

 

[UniversalWolf]

Yeah, nice first round for the Seahawks. They utilized their two first-rounders very effectively. I also like the Niners beefing up their o-line.

I think the Rams made a mistake taking Bradford over Suh. They could've had Suh and McCoy/Clausen.

Getting Bulaga was pretty much the best-case-scenario for the Packers, so I'm happy with that pick. I never thought he'd fall far enough for Green Bay to get him at 23. If he works out it makes the o-line so much better, because they can move Lang to guard and they won't have to reshuffle the whole lineup if one guy gets hurt.

I hope McDaniels is in the league for a long time. He's becoming my favorite clown.

That trade up to get Thomas made no sense. I don't think the Pats were going to take Thomas, and the Packers definitely weren't going to take him, so what was the point?

The Raiders actually made a respectable pick for once. Amazing.

 

[Sander]

Rams picked QB Sam Bradford in the 1st round.

The Rams aren't picking him, but the Rams could very well trade the pick to someone who does want him.

That trade up to get Thomas made no sense. I don't think the Pats were going to take Thomas, and the Packers definitely weren't going to take him, so what was the point?

Prevent other teams from trading up to grab Thomas with the Pats, who love trading down?

Lots of folks here are all kinds of pissed, Dez Bryant was the homer favorite.

Eh...why? I mean, he's a good player, but there's a bunch of question marks too.

Also whoo, this 2nd round is possibly more important for the Bucs than the 1st round pick. Or at least more telling for the quality of the front office. Two high 2nd rounders. I'm hoping we get Tate and one of the top DEs.

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/23/nfl-draft-blows-out-nba-playoffs-in-ratings-battle/

NFL draft blows out NBA playoffs in ratings battle

More than twice as many people watched the NFL draft than the NBA playoffs on Thursday night.

Wow.

Yeah, nice first round for the Seahawks. They utilized their two first-rounders very effectively. I also like the Niners beefing up their o-line.

I'm always in favor of lineman in the 1st round. If you can draft a guy that can anchor your line, at a pro-bowl level for the next 6 years, you've done your team really well. These are the franchise cornerstones.

I think the Rams made a mistake taking Bradford over Suh. They could've had Suh and McCoy/Clausen.

That's a great call, b/c I personally don't see what sets Bradford so far ahead of those other guys, but I'm not a scout either. They were just showing all the footage of him being fed plays from the sideline while at the line. This is the kid you want diagnosing NFL defenses?

It's going to be a long, painful learning curve for him and this whole QB class.
Class of '83 this ain't.

I hope McDaniels is in the league for a long time. He's becoming my favorite clown.

Yeah I know, he's so headstrong, it'll be his downfall someday. I'm glad Tebow is someone else's problem, that way I can enjoy watching the drama from afar.

The Raiders actually made a respectable pick for once. Amazing.

Yeah, much to the Giant's chagrin. They have no ILB since Antonio Pierc, they were banking on this guy.

 

[UniversalWolf]

I hope McDaniels is in the league for a long time. He's becoming my favorite clown.

Yeah I know, he's so headstrong, it'll be his downfall someday. I'm glad Tebow is someone else's problem, that way I can enjoy watching the drama from afar.

There's a solid chance McDaniels gets fired before Tebow, whether he ultimately ends up being good or not, ever becomes the starter. Funny.

 

[Cimmerian Nights]

Which is weird b/c the kid is a long term project as an NFL QB.

I think I'm actually going to watch this second round for a little while. Lots o' good talent left, shorter rounds. Sausage and peppers simmering on the stove. And I love Mel Kiper's accent. Kiper has really upped his game now they he doesn't own the monopoly as draft expert. The guy invented the role (for better or worse).


You gotta love LT:
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[Brother None]

Gotta say Pats made up a lot of ground on the 2nd day. Gronkowski and Cunningham'll be great for the team. Taylor Price might well be one of the best WRs of this draft.

Still, I'm still too PUMPed about the Seahawks draft to consider how others did. Golden Tate was a steal obv, and while I didn't necessarily love much of our late-round picks, Anthony McCoy was a steal and Thurmond III and Kam Chancellor can contribute immediately in rotation (not sure if we keep Chancellor as an in-the-box safety or convert him to an Elephant formation OLB...or both).

What I like best is the trades. Not necessarily because I love the players (LenWhale White is as LenWhale does, Kevin Vickerson should be a rotational player, and no one knows for sure how Leon Washington returns from his leg injury), but because the deals are just so savvy. None of them were really giving up picks;
Gave 104th for LenWhale + 111th
Gave 139th for Washington + 236th
Gave 176th for Vickerson + 185th

The LenWhale/Vickerson trade barely sees us lose any value. The Washington trade is heftier but he has the upside to be worth it.

Rich Eisen called it the "best three days by an NFL organization I have ever seen", and we currently adorn the frontpage of SI.com, NFL.com, CBSSports.com and Frith knows where else. The frenzy is overdoing it, of course, and draft-day "grades" are an asinine concept, but it's nice to be taken seriously again, at the least. The NFC West in general looks to have done pretty well, which is good because we have a long climb back to respectability.

PS: some crazy trading going ended up making picks look like 231 Washington Redskins (from Philadelphia via New England, Denver, and New England) or 158 New Orleans Saints (from Dallas via Denver, New England, Oakland, and Jacksonville)

 

[Sander]

The Seahawks owned this draft. They're clearly the winners of this draft, despite Pete Prisco hating on them for no reason whatsoever.

I'm really excited about the Bucs draft. We got two of the three or four best DTs in this draft to hopefully turn our weakest position last year into our strongest this season. The same with the wide receiver position - Benn was the 3rd best receiver in this draft, a guy who really fights for balls and is great after the catch. Same type of player as Anquan Boldin. Mike Williams has often been called the 2nd or 3rd most talented WR in the draft, but he had a lot of off-the-field issues. The Bucs are supposed to have a really good handle on those issues, that were related to academic performance, but it's still a significant risk. But if it does pan out, they got the 2nd or 3rd best receiver in the draft in the 4th round of the draft.
Myron Lewis at CB is supposed to be the future replacement of Ronde Barber - very physical corner who's big and very good against the run and as a rusher. He'll be good as a zone corner in the Bucs Tampa 2 where his weaknesses (man coverage) will be disguised.

And I really want to see what McDaniels is going to do with Tebow and Thomas. It sounds like he's moving to a wildcat-like offense, building off the threat of Tebow's running skills. That's also work great for Thomas who played in a system like that in college.

 

[UniversalWolf]

I have a feeling the Raiders told Al the draft was next week. They actually did well this year. They could go 8-8 in that crappy division. Just the fact that JaMarcus Russell got released makes them a better team. Now, who's going to sign him next?

Detroit could win 6 games this year. And that's solid improvement.

Chicago is a powder keg. They could be better than last year - or it could be a huge disaster. If they start out slow I see things turning bad.

I'm not sure what I think of the Vikings draft. It could be end up being good, but it seems to me they're in denial about the real weakness of that team - the o-line. It's aging quickly and not great at pass protection.

 

[Murdoch]

I was a bit dazed by the Vikings pick strategy. Clearly Favre is coming back for another year of punishment, but then what? And gods forbid the man is injured and we have to rely on Tarvaris Jackson.

oh well, I don't really care, but it goes to show that neither the pundits nor armchair amateurs like me have any idea how to draft players.

 

[UniversalWolf]

I was a bit dazed by the Vikings pick strategy. Clearly Favre is coming back for another year of punishment, but then what? And gods forbid the man is injured and we have to rely on Tarvaris Jackson.

I agree. It might turn out to be a good draft for them, but it's hard to see exactly what they were trying to accomplish. I would've thought loading up on DB prospects and OL guys would've made more sense...or maybe doing the classic Patriots move and stockpiling picks for the future. The Pats have two first-rounders and two second-rounders next year. That should be interesting.

There's an early bandwagon building for the Pack's sixth-round pick, RB James Starks from Buffalo. Interesting player.

 

[Sander]

I was a bit dazed by the Vikings pick strategy. Clearly Favre is coming back for another year of punishment, but then what? And gods forbid the man is injured and we have to rely on Tarvaris Jackson.

oh well, I don't really care, but it goes to show that neither the pundits nor armchair amateurs like me have any idea how to draft players.

Either that, or the Vikes' front office sucks or has a distorted sense of its weaknesses.

I agree. It might turn out to be a good draft for them, but it's hard to see exactly what they were trying to accomplish. I would've thought loading up on DB prospects and OL guys would've made more sense...or maybe doing the classic Patriots move and stockpiling picks for the future. The Pats have two first-rounders and two second-rounders next year. That should be interesting.

They'll probably trade back for a bajilion players again.

In other news, Jevan Snead is a sobering prospect. He was being projected as the #1 QB by some people before his junior season. He then had an absolutely horrific junior season, came out, and he was picked up by the Bucs as an undrafted free agent to compete for the third QB spot. What a drop.