Draft

As football fans across the globe cast their longing eyes in the direction of the April draft, I decided that now might be a good time to reflect on draft classes of the last 10 years. Too often in this business, we rush ahead to the next big event without taking pause to evaluate the past and learn from it. In a way, this study will still be a celebration of the coming 2009 draft as I believe it will shed some light on certain overlooked trends that no one ever stops to consider. I will begin with a class by class showdown of sorts at the quarterback position over the last 10 drafts.  This is part III in the series:

Continue reading "NFL Quarterback Draft Class Showdown: 2004 vs 2003"

 As football fans across the globe cast their longing eyes in the direction of the April draft, I decided that now might be a good time to reflect on draft classes of the last 10 years. Too often in this business, we rush ahead to the next big event without taking pause to evaluate the past and learn from it. In a way, this study will still be a celebration of the coming 2009 draft as I believe it will shed some light on certain overlooked trends that no one ever stops to consider. I will begin with a class by class showdown of sorts at the quarterback position over the last 10 drafts.  This is part II in the series:

Continue reading "NFL Quarterback Draft Class Showdown: 2002 vs 2001"

As football fans across the globe cast their longing eyes in the direction of the April draft, I decided that now might be a good time to reflect on draft classes of the last 10 years. Too often in this business, we rush ahead to the next big event without taking pause to evaluate the past and learn from it. In a way, this study will still be a celebration of the coming 2009 draft as I believe it will shed some light on certain overlooked trends that no one ever stops to consider. I will begin with a class by class showdown of sorts at the quarterback position over the last 10 drafts.  First up, we have the class of 1999 taking on that of 2000:

Continue reading "NFL Quarterback Draft Class Showdown: 2000 vs 1999"

And with the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select…

A) Matthew Stafford, QB, UGA

B) Eugene Monroe, OT, UVA

C) Aaron Curry, LB, WF

D)  Jason Smith, OT, BAY

Continue reading "And with the first pick in the 2009 ..."

 Talk all you want about the “potential” of Matt Stafford and Mark Sanchez, but if you’re looking for an immediate impact quarterback in the 2009 draft, look no further than the diminutive Pat White of West Virginia. To use the old cliche that probably became a cliche because it used to be considered an invaluable trait, the guy is simply a play-maker. Sure, he “only” stands 6′0 1/4 and weighs 197 lbs., but this is a player who isn’t afraid to put the team on his back in crunch time and make the game-deciding play. Still, the story of his life has been one of under-appreciation, and the tale of this year’s draft is looking like yet another chapter.

Continue reading "Standing Pat: The Case for Mountaineer #5"

 

           Each week, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend’s games.  I will prognosticate on all the playoff games each week.  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!  

Continue reading "Predictions Divisional Round"

     I'm making a list.  The list contains the name of all the sixth round rookie quarterbacks who could have played at Colt Brennan's level from the Sunday night Hall of Fame game in their NFL debut.  It's not long.  Tom Brady comes to mind....after that, I don't know.  It's not just that Brennan threw two touchdowns and completed all of his passes.  It's that he did it in style.

Continue reading "Colt Brennan: Possibly not just a ..."

     According to Kevin Burnett's blog, a lot of the Cowboys blitz packages are easy to read because they disguise what's going on in coverage.  If that's true (which would explain a lot), then cornerback is an important position for the Cowboys in a way that it is not for teams like the Giants and Eagles, who rely on diverse and disguised pressure packages to create problems for an offense.  Lucky for Jerry Jones and Wade Phillips, the Cowboys are stacked at the position.  Not only do the 'Boys have Terrence Newman, Anthony Henry and Adam "the-artist-formerly-known-as-Pacman" Jones, they also have a slew of young talent, both from draft picks and practice squad players.

Continue reading "Cowboys' Cornerback Depth Makes for ..."

     John Clayton's July 9th blog ( http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=clayton_john) about the state of pre-camp signings portends more possible trouble for the Falcons organization leading into training camp on July 25.  Clayton explains that agents trying to get pre-camp signings for first and second round draft picks have encountered what the military calls a snafu.  Without getting too down and dirty, the sticking point in contract talks regards a rule that regulates increases in rookie salaries to 25 per cent, annually.  Agents have made a practice exploiting a loophole in this rule that allows bonus money to be guaranteed for the final year of a contract in a lump sum.  This protects players who bust out of the NFL before their contract expires and helps players who outperform the built-in strictures of their contracts.  However, with the CBA ending in 2011, first and second round picks--who typically sign contracts of four, five, or six years--can't be guaranteed any money because there is no framework in place to do so.  The bottom line: we're at an impasse.    

Continue reading "Unsigned Picks in Unsettling Circumstances"

Going into training camp, there are always a lot of question marks for a team in a rebuilding phase.  The 2008 Atlanta Falcons are no exception.  Will Matt Ryan start week 1?  Is Sam Baker an elite (or even starting) left tackle at the NFL level?  Looking beyond these common questions, however, lies another set of questions, the resolution to which will go as far as any other in determining the Falcons success in 2008 and beyond.  These questions revolve around the guys you haven’t heard much about.  That you haven’t heard about them is the scary part.

Continue reading "Paying the Piper: Ghosts of the 2006 ..."

I'd be remiss if I didn't inaugurate my Steelers blog with an analysis of the 2008 NFL Draft when it's less than two weeks away. Draft predictions are an exercise in sports geek futility, but with a little understanding of the team's needs and philosophy, you can take an educated stab at who they may end up with.

Continue reading "Projection of Steelers NFL Draft - First 4 Rounds"