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NFL Football Players Draft Injuries Rookies Season SuperbowlPublished: April 27, 2009
Like many Bronco fans, my emotions following this weekend’s NFL draft ranged from angry to bewildered. Why on Earth would this coaching staff draft a running back (Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno) in the first round? How is it possible that only one pick was used on the front seven? Don’t they know how awful this defense was last year?
I was frustrated.
I was angry.
Now I’m breathing a sigh of relief.
That sigh is based on a little noticed signing. Denver brought in Chris Baker—a nose tackle from Hampton University—as an undrafted free agent. Baker is not a big name like BJ Raji, Ron Brace, or even Ziggy Hood, but he is just what the doctor ordered.
Of the tackle prospects available in the 2009 draft, Baker is one of the only players to come out of a 3-4 system like the Broncos will run this year. He played at the nose and at end—demonstrating the versatility coach Josh McDaniels covets.
He has the measurables coveted by NFL scouts. He’s 6’2″, 326 lbs. He ran 4.94 in the 40-yard dash, did 24 reps on the bench press, and has a 35 1/2″ vertical leap.
He was a productive player at Hampton. In his senior season he had 69 tackles including eight and a half sacks and 16 tackles for loss. According to scouts he’s quick off the snap, plays with excellent leverage and is able to shed blockers.
So why wasn’t this guy drafted…one word: character.
Hampton started his career at Penn State, but was kicked off the team for a series of off-field incidents, which culminated in an assault charge. He resurrected his career at Hampton, but teams remain concerned with the character problem.
Baker will give Josh McDaniels’ strategy of adding high-quality, high-character players its first test. If McDaniels’ philosophy holds, the large number of “good guys” in the locker room will serve as a positive influence on one or two marginal candidates—causing them to focus and raise their level of commitment.
If Baker can put his “issues” behind him, the Broncos just may have filled the largest hole on their defense. And that should cause Bronco fans to breathe just a little easier.
Published: April 27, 2009
The 2009 NFL Draft was undoubtedly one of the more exciting ones in recent memory. The Jets traded up to obtain their franchise quarterback, the Patriot’s worked their usual draft- day magic, and the Oakland Raiders confused each and every one of us at least a few times during the process. However, their may be no more impressive feat in this year’s draft than the body of work put forth by Jerry Reese and the New York Giants. With that said, here is my analysis of the New York Giants’ 2009 draft picks:
Published: April 27, 2009
*This was the most recent picture of Al Davis I could find*
Enough already about the Sanchez deal right? The real shocker was the Raiders selection of Darrius Heyward-Bey. Well, I’ve got the inside scoop on how the Raiders pick went down.
Mind you, I don’t have the exact timing down, since the Raiders are a shadowy organization so it’s a rough estimate….
5:00 p.m. (ET). The call of “The Raiders are on the clock” echoes through the dark chambers of hell, known as McAfee Coliseum. The Crypt Keeper, arises from his tomb, and summons Tom Cable.
5:03 p.m.: Tom Cable rushes in immediately, making sure not to look him directly in the eye for fear of being fired on the spot. Al Davis instructs Tom Cable to give him a list of the 40-yard-Dash Times.
5:05 p.m.: After pulling out his catheter, and cleaning his urine, and feces soaked trousers Al Davis looks through the list. Nodding. He’s got an idea.
5:06 p.m.: Al Davis picks up the phone, and calls Usain Bolt. The conversation goes something like this.
Usain picks up, to silence……
Usain: “Hello? Who is this?”
AD: a long deep breath (as if it could be his last) “itssss AAAAALLL Daaaviss. Would you like to play receiver for the Oakland Raiders?!?”
Usain: “I thought you were dead”
AD: “My soul died decades ago, when I sold it to the devil himself for glory. So now, I must carry my frail, undead body, amongst the living. I’m hell bent on destroying the once proud legacy of this franchise and my soul cannot rest until I do so. Will you play for me young one, so that I can carry out this task?”
Usain: ” No thanks, I’m a track star not a football player, and I can’t catch”
AD: “I know. But you’ll learn to have good hands”
Confused Usain hangs up……
5:08 p.m: Al decides to go with plan B. He picks up the list Tom Cable brought him and points to the fastest 40-yard-dash for a WR, and instructs them to choose him accordingly. His minions to blindly carry out the order.
5:09 p.m.: The Raiders select DHB, and not even he is ready, judging by his reaction.
Immediately after the initial shock the legion of Raiders fans who were busy pre-ordering their Crabtree jerseys, go into a frenzy trying to justify the pick and explain why it was right. In their minds he is the next Randy Moss; just without the hands, size, and overall talent. But damn can he sure run in a straight line fast.
And maybe just maybe it will work, but then Al Davis will continue to walk amongst the living and your team will be doomed toward failure or mediocrity at best.
So let us hope that it doesn’t, and Al Davis’s final task for Lucifer himself is finished. May he finally rest in peace, so that Raider Nation can too.
Besides it’s the Broncos turn now……….
Published: April 27, 2009
After the draft, the Raiders signed four rookie free agents and others to come.
Florida Atlantic ILB Frantz Joseph,
Joseph is a strong middle linebacker and should be at the very least depth for backing up Morrison.
He has sufficient height and bulk with long arms. He is very physical and plays with a nasty demeanor. He is a dependable tackler that delivers the big hit also he does a nice job in the box. Joeseph has a great motor. Joeseph comes from a difficult upbringing though he is the nation’s second-leading tackler last season with 154 tackles. Named first All team in the Sun Belt Conference the last two years and leading tackle in school history. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNstliEo4Hs
Brigham Young OLB David Nixon
Nixon is 6’3″, 223 pounds with a team-high 11.5 tackles for a loss last season. Probably may have a chance of making the team on the special teams.
Harvard DT Desmond Bryant
Bryant, appeared in all 10 games and started one last season for Harvard. He was named to the All-Ivy League second-team at defensive line after leading the team with eight quarterback hurries and finishing with four and a half tackles for a loss.
Kent State WR Shawn Bayes
Bayes is really known, as a speedster he ran a 4.35 at is pro-day. Though he is not a big receiver he has come on strong his senior season has played all four years for Kent State. He had 39 catches for 642 yards and five touchdowns last season. Bayes will compete for spot on special teams.
Published: April 27, 2009
The Vikings had 5 selection in the two day draft this season, due to some past season trades. I think that the Vikes did have a good overall draft this season.
In the 1st round:
I was hoping for the Vikes do go with the receiver route and they did. They selected Percy Harvin.
The Vikes did ignore some of his character-issues in Harvin as well as his durability. He played very well on the field I think with Percy on the one side of the field, Berrian on the other and All-Pro running back AP; this is going make the defenses facing the Vikes to be a little more honest than putting 9 men in the box.
Harvin is not your typical receiver, he is compared to Eric Metcalf, now that is going back. He will be used wherever the Vikes think he will be the most effective at that situation.
Here is a scouts’ analysis on Harvin:
In the 2nd round:
In the second round the Vikings go after a offensive linemen in the first day. The Vikes select Phil Loadholt.
I really like this pick for the Vikes. I can see him starting on the right side of the line when the season comes around. He is a beast at 332 pounds.
Here is a scouts’ analysis on Loadholt:
In the 3rd round:
In the Vikes first pick of the second day of the draft, they go on the defensive all day. The Vikes draft Allen Asher.
He reminds me a bit like Antonio Winfield. He is undersized and not afriad of getting his nose dirty while tackling ball carriers.
Here is a scouts’ analysis on Allen:
In the 5th round:
In the 5th round, the Vikes select Jasper Brinkley. The Vikings add a hard hitter to their lineup with the selection of Brinkley.
He punishes ball carriers and will add a bit of toughness to the Vikings defense. He also fills a need for Minnesota at linebacker.
Here is a scouts’ analysis on Brinkley:
In the 7th round:
The Vikes selected Jamarca Sanford. Sanford has shortcomings in speed and size, but with teams carrying so many defensive backs nowadays, Sanford has a chance to find a spot on the Vikings’ depth chart as a safety.
Here is a scouts’ analysis on Sanford:
Published: April 27, 2009
When Miami’s implementation of the Wildcat series took the NFL by storm in 2008, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Suddenly, NFL analysts had to explain why it worked, and they discovered some good reasons. The fakes and options built in to it ruined defenders’ reads. Having the person taking the snap be a running threat created a numerical advantage. If defenders didn’t stay completely disciplined, they could get gashed for big gains.
It’s funny to me that it took lots of serious analysis to realize that, because college football fans had seen mobile snap-takers give their teams these same advantages for years.
The one downside was that Ronnie Brown isn’t exactly a great passer. He had a nice throw against the Patriots, and there was always the flea flicker-type play the Dolphins ran against the Texans. Still, the series was almost exclusively a running formation.
Not that it was ineffective, as Miami averaged 6.1 yards per carry from the Wildcat. However, everyone seemed to agree that the package could become more effective with someone who’s a threat to pass. Enter the Dolphins’ second-round pick, Pat White, who was immediately labeled “the Wildcat who can throw.”
I would be surprised if Miami gave up on having Ronnie Brown do Wildcat, given how successful it was, but it’s pretty clear that White is the future of the formation down there. He is a legit threat both throwing and running, and the Dolphins can expand what they do with it.
Now that an actual quarterback will be doing the wildcat, can we still even call it the wildcat anymore? The thing that makes it specifically “the wildcat” is the presence of a running back behind center.
With White taking the snaps, it’s basically now a new flavor of spread-option offense. That very thing that many folks said would never be attempted in the NFL is going to be attempted in Miami this fall.
It should not be surprising at all that it’s going to happen. Spread offenses have been far too effective in college for them never to seep up into the pro league.
Most of the complaints about the spread—offensive linemen in two-point stances, wide splits between linemen, the quarterback too far deep in the shotgun—really only apply to a small set of teams like Missouri and Texas Tech. None of those apply to Florida’s offense, for instance. In actuality, there are almost as many different spread-offenses as there are teams that run them.
Kansas City ran a full-on passing spread offense last season. The result was that their points per game improved about 73 percent from 12.5 a game before implementation to 21.6 a game after, and that was with a team woefully lacking in talent. New England ran one in 2007 with top-shelf talent, and they destroyed nearly everything in their path on the way to an 18-1 record.
Now with the Dolphins, we will see what a more run-based spread will do. It’s obviously a more risky situation with the hits White will probably take, but the Dolphins will still have Chad Pennington taking the majority of the snaps and Brown to run the Wildcat if necessary. It’s a calculated risk, but one with multiple backup plans built in. In other words, it’s the only way this could find its way into the risk-averse NFL.
How things work out with White and Miami will have a huge impact on the draft next year. It’s a copycat league, and a dozen teams had tried some Wildcat by the end of last season. If the Dolphins’ experiments work well, that will have a huge impact on guys like Tim Tebow, Dan LeFevour, and Colt McCoy, three highly-regarded quarterbacks who have led their teams in rushing at least once in their college careers.
For their part, the Dolphins say that the Wildcat series will remain a small part of their offense. Play in and play out, you can still expect to see Pennington under center doing his normal hand-offs and three- to seven-step drops. It makes sense to do it that way; after all, Pat White won’t hold up taking NFL hits 30 times a game.
However, White’s presence in Miami means we will get to see some spread-option in the pros. Go ahead and call it “the Wildcat who can throw” if it makes you feel better. Either way, college football fans were right about this one: It was inevitable that someone would try it, and this fall, it’s actually going to happen.
Published: April 27, 2009
The NFL gives the media and fans ample opportunity throughout the offseason to get psyched for the upcoming season, and the NFL draft is no exception.
However, there is one thing I must ask from the media and fans alike.
Please stop with the NFL Draft “grades.”
Anyone “grading” how a team did immediately after the draft does not have football intelligence. I’m sorry if this hurts your ego, but it’s true.
There is absolutely no way to know how well your team did in the draft for at least a couple years—and sometimes more.
I also do not believe in Mel Kiper or any of the TV pinheads, who are never held accountable for anything they say.
I believe and trust in the guys that did the research, watched hundreds of hours of film, and are paid to do their job for an NFL team.
As a Dallas Cowboys fan, I’m sorry to say that there are just as many “draft gurus” cheering for America’s team as any other.
For those know-it-all’s, you might want to ask yourself: “If I know so much, why am I not working for an NFL team?”
On paper, the Cowboys had a less than spectacular draft. There were no “big” names drafted by Jerry Jones and the gang. But what positions did the Cowboys have have a major hole at?
The Cowboys had enough talent before the draft began to compete for the Super Bowl. Last year’s debacle had nothing to do with lack of talent, it had to do with poor coaching decisions and team chemistry.
Eliminating Terrell Owens should improve the chemistry, but by removing the “cancer” in the locker room, it also erased a very productive football player. (By the way, it is hilarious to see opposing fans talking about how much the Cowboys are going to miss T.O., when last year they were saying that T.O. was the problem.)
In steps Roy Williams, who you can call the Cowboys’ 2009 “first rounder.”
Williams didn’t have a very good 2008, but he put up decent numbers for one of the biggest train wrecks in football, the Detroit Lions, every year he was there. He is now surrounded with talent, and giving him an offseason to work with Tony Romo (they have been working out together daily since the end of February) should pay dividends.
Like it or not, he is a more proven commodity than the receivers taken in the 2009 draft. Since it takes an average of three years for a receiver to become an impact player in the NFL, the Cowboys may be ahead of the game.
As for the actual Cowboys’ draftees, I’ll be honest, I only know a lot about one of them, Clemson safety Michael Hamlin. But that doesn’t mean that this draft class is horrible.
For those who think this class is the worst Cowboys draft ever, I’m guessing you don’t know when Roger Staubach was drafted? How about Joe Montana, Tom Brady or Kurt Warner? (10th, third, sixth round, and undrafted, respectively). Those four guys led their teams to 15 Super Bowls. Quite an accomplishment for some “no-name, low draft picks”
What I do believe is the Cowboys got a lot of much needed depth in some core areas, especially on defense and special teams.
In the 3-4, you can never have too many linebackers. In the NFL, you can never have too many defensive backs. Dallas stockpiled both.
It seems that the Cowboys made special teams a major focal point of this draft. USC kicker David Buehler should have opponent’s starting their drives from the 20, instead of the 35. The other defensive draftees had special team’s experience in college, and would make the Cowboys younger in that area.
There is also the business side. If you have to pay first round money to rookies every year, the cap space dwindles, and you risk losing solid veteran players. The Cowboys already have a tremendous amount of talented veterans on their team, and would love to keep the “Star” on their helmets.
An NFL team can’t get a bunch of paper tigers in the first round, pay them an obscene amount of money every single year, hoping that they turn out great. That is, unless they want to become the Detroit Lions or Oakland Raiders.
Cowboys’ fans, let the next few seasons play out before we start judging this class. And when we do, let’s base it on the value at which the Cowboys got them.
Published: April 27, 2009
The 2009 NFL Draft is complete. Teams have made their selections of former college football standouts whom they hope will take their teams to the next level this season.
Some players that have been taken will need a couple years in order to become steady players, others will never pan out at all. However, there are some key players taken in this draft that will make an impact starting on Week 1.
Here are those players.
Published: April 27, 2009
Every year before and after the draft, all you hear about is who is over-hyped, and who will be the next bust.
We’re constantly fed the names, Ryan Leaf, Tony Mandarich, and Todd Marinovich, while very rarely being fed the names of the guys who were overlooked into the later rounds, who eventually became stars.
Excluding the first round, here is a round-by-round look at 10 guys (two per round) who should be able to perform well enough to make teams regret passing on them.
This listing is in no particular order.
Published: April 27, 2009
A couple days ago, I remarked on how I looked forward to the chance of getting to go to a Sounders game.
Well, a couple days later, I got my chance!
One of my friends that had season tickets invited me to come along.
I jumped on the opportunity and went to the game with an open mind. Walking to the stadium kind of gave me flashbacks to my first Seahawks game…
The Sounders game day environment, like the Seahawks game day environment, is way different from going to a Mariners, Husky football, or Husky basketball game.
I never knew people could get so hyped up over a soccer game. My friend remarked that the game day environment was just as crazy before the Sounders joined the MLS.
But, he said the fan base and the fan environment are on a whole different level now.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have any Sounders gear, but my friend lent me one of his trendy Sounders’ scarves.
It seems like these scarves are the equivalent of a baseball cap at a Mariners game.
EVERYONE had one.
We made it in time for the Golden Scarf ceremony (I still don’t get what that is), but people seemed excited, so I just clapped and smiled acting like I knew what the heck was going on.
I enjoyed the PA announcer.
He wasn’t like Tom Hutyler (M’s PA announcer), but a guy with a British accent.
I almost felt like I was at a Quidditch Match (whatever that feels like).
Anyway, the pre game player introductions were pretty epic, and the crowd was just so into the game before it even started.
Eventually the game started, and I stood along with everyone else to watch the game for 45 minutes.
I didn’t think I was going to be able to stand for that long, but it really wasn’t a big deal at all.
This was WAY better than watching it on TV. The seat I was in was one of the best seats in the house.*
I’m not going to try to preach any ground-breaking analysis—I was asking my friend a question like every 10 seconds about the different strategy and the way the game was going.
Thankfully my friend didn’t get sick of me.
Frankly, I was really surprised at how involved the crowd could get despite there not being so many goals scored.
But, the anticipation that collectively builds among everyone watching is a cool thing. Every missed shot or goal was wrenching and collective, “Damn its, shoot, crap.”
I loved it.
For once, the fans at a sporting event were actually WATCHING the game.
Soccer is not a passive sport to watch, unless you watch it on TV. Unlike baseball, football, or basketball, there are ZERO breaks in between the action.
I think you’d be crazy to leave to go to the bathroom.
I wasn’t in a million years going to leave my seat and lose the possibility of seeing the Sounders score a goal.
Speaking of goals, it is probably one of the best feelings when your team scores a goal.
The Sounders scored two this game, and it felt good!
Overall, it’s amazing what a change of heart a person can have. That’s why you always have to be open up to things no matter how much your preconceived notions may motivate you.
P.S. My favorite player?
James Riley!
*Tickets are cheap! You could get decent seats for $30…that’s a good good deal in my opinion.