NY Jets Draft: Risky Business

While the Jets made some good offseason acquisitions with Bart Scott and Lito Sheppard, the success of their draft is yet to be seen.

Most everyone is lauding their draft as a success and touting Mark Sanchez as the next Joe Namath. For what the Jets gave up in the draft for two of the players they selected, they better hope these guys pan out. 

Everyone is giving the Jets high grades on their draft with the conclusion that the draftees will pan out.

But what if they don’t?

They may end up looking like Mike Ditka did wearing the Ricky Williams dreadlocks wig. Also, I don’t see how you can give someone an A+ draft grade for getting three players—two of which were in later rounds (third and sixth).

The Jets gave up on Chad Pennington and one of the big reasons why was his weak arm. However, he won eleven games with the Dolphins last year and looked pretty good. Now, the Jets draft another quarterback who doesn’t have a strong arm.

Hmmm……?

The Jets traded up to the No. 5 spot in the draft to get Sanchez. Cleveland got DE Kenyon Coleman, QB Brett Ratliff, and DB AbramElam, as well as Jets’ No. 17 and second round pick. 

Okay…that’s five players Cleveland got so the Jets could select Mark Sanchez. Seems pretty risky to me but it could pan out…and hopefully for the Jets will.

They also traded and got the first selection in the third round and picked RB Shonn Greene out of Iowa. They gave up their third (#76), fourth (#115), and seventh (#228) round picks to Detroit in the trade. Three more players for one….hmm.

Finally they ended their draft by selecting offensive guard Matt Slauson in the sixth round.

Now I’m not saying any of these guys aren’t good. I’m just saying if they don’t pan out, the Jets gave away much of their draft and three players for nothing.

Remember the old saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket?” Looks like the Jets tried that with this draft.

Another thing that I look at when determining whether I think a draft was good is the immediate impact the players will have.

If Sachez starts and is successful, then the Jets did OK. Barring injuries I don’t see Shonn Greene making much of an impact this season.

The Jets had quite a few holes to fill and didn’t seem to get it done. It will be hard to actually grade the Jets draft until after the upcoming season or maybe two down the road.

At this time I’m very skeptical about their draft, but hopefully the guys will pan out for them. If not, they have a huge pile of money invested in Sanchez since he was the fifth overall pick. 

Did Sanchez get drafted so high because of his looks and charisma, or because of his play on the football field? Will we find out this season?

Yet another risk taken by the Jets by thinking they will get a huge contribution from a rookie QB.

Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco were in ideal situations, and Flacco wouldn’t have started right away if not for injuries.

Rookie QB’s rarely have success in the NFL. We’ll find out soon if the Jets draft was a boom or only a bit of risky business.

 

Jamaal Anderson: Time To Earn Your Pay

I know the picture above is of John Abraham, LOL. I couldn’t find one of Jamaal Anderson…I guess that sums up how bad his play has been so far. Anderson was picked No. 8 overall in the 2007 draft. He signed a deal worth $31 million with $15.4 million guaranteed.

So far Anderson has been a huge disappointment to say the least. In 2007 he started every game and had 30 tackles, no sacks, and three passes defensed. In 2008 he played fifteen games and had 27 tackles, 2 sacks, and three passes defensed.

If you add all those stats together and divide it into just his guaranteed money he has gotten paid around $237,000 for each play he’s made. I wish they would sign me…I’m pretty sure I could come up with numbers rivalling his and would do it for much cheaper!

So, what is Anderson’s problem? Is he not motivated? Does he have no talent? Work ethic? Was he overrated and just got numbers in college because he was big and on a decent defense? 

How about motivation…Was Anderson given the starting job too soon? Has he had adequate competition? Last year I think he did…however we all know he got to play because of the money, not his production. Kroy Biermann and Chauncey Davis were in backup roles and outproduced Anderson.

Biermann had 21 tackles and 2 sacks, while Davis had 38 tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 pass defense. Hmmm…if I were those two guys I’d be pissed because I’m pretty sure they’re not making anything near what Anderson is.

When you look at those numbers it kinda makes you sick. How much better would the Atlanta defense have been if Anderson was on the bench and Biermann and Davis sharing the time? I’d say much better, and I hope it’s that way this year.

Okay, so it’s not the motivation…especially since last offseason he talked many times about wanting to produce and get better. Is it his talent level? In my opinion that is his problem. He looks slow and non-athletic.

He lacks moves and just trys to speed rush or bull rush his way to the quarterback (which obviously worked in college but hasn’t panned out for him in the NFL). Anderson looks more closely like Swamp Thing lumbering around the football field than he resembles a football player.

It looks like he tries to produce on the field, but he does give up on plays and rarely do you see him chase someone downfield. Anderson’s work ethic probably isn’t too bad…he isn’t overweight or anything like that and he has nice size.

It just seems he was hugely overrated and unless he can pan out at defensive tackle may find himself out of football sooner than later.

I gave Anderson a break his rookie season…and hoped he would produce much more last year. He finally did get a sack against Chicago and actually had a good game. He had four tackles, one sack, and he even batted down a couple of passes.

I thought that would be his breakout game and was hoping that was the real Jamaal and not a fluke. He got another sack against Philly in the next game and then disappeared again.

Well, now is definitely his make or break time. The team drafted DE Lawrence Sidbury out of Richmond for even more competition. It wouldn’t surprise me if Sidbury or one of the other guys gets the starting job this season. 

It’s been rumored that the Falcons want to try Anderson at defensive tackle and I hope he pans out there. If he doesn’t, with his salary and given the depth that the Falcons have at DT and DE; Anderson will probably be cut because I don’t see anyone trading for him.

Atlanta Falcons Post-Draft Needs: Shopping for WR/LB Talent

After a strong draft, it looks like the Atlanta Falcons don’t have a lot of holes left to fill, but they are still thin at linebacker and are looking for additional help at receiver.

 

The Falcons didn’t address the linebacker position until the sixth round of the draft, when they selected Spencer Adkins. He’ll add depth to the position and be a special teams contributor.

The Falcons did add free agent linebacker Edmond Miles this week. Miles played for Miami last year, and most of his production was on special teams; he led the Dolphins with 16 special teams tackles.

The Falcons ‘backer starters will probably be Lofton, Peterson, and whoever wins the other spot between Stephen Nicholas and Coy Wire. That would leave only one experienced backup who has seen any significant playing time (Wire or Nicholas).

The other LBs on the roster include Tony Gilbert (in his fifth year, he’s played mostly special teams), Robert James (in his second, but was out all last season with a concussion), Chris Brock (an undrafted rookie from Missouri), and Derek Nicholson (an undrafted rookie from Florida State). 

Look for the Falcons to continue their search for a veteran to bolster the linebacking corps. The Steelers are trying to trade Larry Foote, but if they can’t, they’ll soon release him. Don’t know if the Falcons will be interested or not, but I’m sure Foote won’t be the only veteran LB to hit the market this offseason.

 

Also of concern, but not nearly as severe, is wide receiver.

Free agent Drew Bennett worked out for the team this week. I’m not sure if he will be signed or not, but he did have some productive seasons with the Titans.

 

The Falcons recently signed veteran RB Verron Haynes, who was with the Pittsburgh Steelers last year. Looks like the team is adding depth to several positions and trying to upgrade an already talented and productive special teams unit.

Look for the Falcons to continue to scan the waiver wire for talent, especially at linebacker.    

NFC South Draft Grades: Winners Or Losers?

Even though this year’s NFL draft was considered weak by many, multiple teams upgraded themselves with young talent. We’ll forecast the impact of the draft for each of the four teams in the NFC South. Let’s take a look and see who were the winners and/or losers in the 2009 draft.

ATLANTA FALCONS         

The Atlanta Falcons went into the draft with multiple holes on defense. They filled the need of tight end with the pre-draft trade with Kansas City for Tony Gonzalez. The Falcons traded down in the draft and picked up the first pick in the seventh round. The Falcons had eight selections overall, and seven of the eight picks went toward the defensive side of the ball.

The first pick in their draft was Peria Jerry at #24 in the first round. Jerry has an A draft grade by many and is looked at as possibly the best DT in the draft. Jerry should help the defensive line be more stout against the run and give John Abraham some help with the pass rush.

With the Falcons not retaining Lawyer Milloy they had a need for strong safety. It wasn’t a huge surprise for Atlanta to go with safety in the second round. They nabbed William Moore, SS out of Missouri. Moore was considered a top ten talent after his junior year but he was slowed by injuries and inconsistent play last season. Even though Moore’s stock dropped he was still viewed as possibly the most talented safety in the draft. If Moore pans out he will definitely have been a steal for the Falcons.

The Falcons also had holes at linebacker, corner, and defensive end. The corner positions were addressed in the third and fifth rounds. Both corners selected run in the mid 4.4 range and could provide depth or even push to start. Chris Owens San Jose St(3rd round) is 5’10, 181lbs and is considered a good man to man cover-corner. He was projected to go much later but the Falcons have had their eye on him for some time.

The fifth round selection, William Middleton was a three year starter and team captain out of Furman. He is 5’10, 193lbs and is a quality corner and high-character guy.

In the fourth round the Falcons may have struck gold with the pick of DE Lawrence Sidbury. Sidbury, out of Richmond was projected to go in the second round but fell to the Falcons with pick #125. Sidbury is a highly-talented pass rusher and ran a 4.5 forty at the combine. So far Jamaal Anderson has been a bust and may lose his starting job this season. Sidbury should also help the Falcons pass rush this season and I’m sure was the pick was popular with John Abraham.

In the fifth round the Falcons also picked up OT Garrett Reynolds from North Carolina. Garrett, 6’8, 310lbs. was a three-year starter for the Tar Heels. He will be a quality backup and fill a hole created by the retirement of OT Todd Weiner. 

In the sixth round the Falcons added LB Spencer Adkins out of Miami. Spencer was the first Miami player drafted at pick number 176. He is a bit undersized at 5’11, 230lbs and should be a quality backup/special teams player.

The last pick was DT Vance Walker out of Georgia Tech. He has good size at 6’2, 295lbs and was projected to go in the middle rounds of the draft. His stock dropped because of a lackluster senior season in which he battled a concussion and ankle injuries. The Falcons may have gotten another steal here as well.

Overall, the Falcons addressed almost all of their needs in the trade for Gonzalez and the draft. The only place I see they are still thin is at linebacker. We know Peterson and Lofton will be starters, but it’s still up in the air on who will start the other linebacker position. Coy Wire filled in last year and was solid but unspectacular. Stephen Nicholas is younger, faster, and more athletic and hopefully will push for the starting position. Past these four guys Atlanta doesn’t have much linebacker depth so look for them to add some more players in free agency. The Falcons drafted very well and this could be an A draft if William Moore and any of the other draftees pan out. DRAFT GRADE: B+

New Orleans Saints

Like Atlanta, the Saints went into the draft looking to bolster their defense. The Saints were the most aggressive players in free agency in the south and made some good acquisitions. Keeping Jonathan Vilma was big, but the additions of Gregg Williams as the defensive coordinator and S Darren Sharper should help as well.

The one thing that hurt New Orleans is they only went into the draft with four picks. The first round selection of Malcolm Jenkins CB/S could help the D out significantly. Jenkins was the number one ranked corner in the draft and has decent size at 6’0, 204lbs. He ran a 4.51 forty at the combine and looks like a solid pickup for the Saints.

Their next selections didn’t come until the fourth round where they picked SS Chip Vaughn, and LB Stanley Arnoux (both out of Wake Forest). Vaughn may be a good pick as he was projected to go in the second to third round. Vaughn is 6’1, 211lbs and ran a 4.42 forty and is good in run support.

Arnoux is 6 ft. 230 lbs and ran a 4.56 forty. Both of these look like solid pickups. The head-scratcher for the Saints was trading up to take a punter in the fifth round. No doubt the Saints had kicking woes last season but that move didn’t make much sense. Thomas Morstead out of SMU was their pick. He is 6’4, and weighs 225. Although he was projected to go in the seventh round, the Saints thought he had the strongest leg of all the punters in the draft. 

Other than reaching for the punter, the Saints had a solid draft by picking good players that they sorely needed on defense. The Saints didn’t have enough picks and the reach on the punter drops their grade as well. GRADE: C+

Carolina Panthers

One bane this off-season for the Panthers has been the Peppers saga. They franchised him, but he is yet to sign the tender. Due to the fact that franchising Peppers took a ton of cap money, the Panthers were virtually non-existent in free agency. Also they had no first round draft pick and in a questionable move traded away their number one next year.

Carolina ended up with seven picks in the draft (2 second, third, 2 fourth, fifth, and seventh). With their first pick Carolina selected DE Everette Brown out of Florida State.

If the team trades Peppers then this pick may end up being a good one. If they don’t it may not be so good for the Panthers. Brown with his high motor and work ethic seems like a solid pickup but the team has other, more gaping holes. It seems like a lot to give up for an insurance policy if Peppers leaves. Brown was projected to go in the first round and is a good player.

The other second round pick, FS Sherrod Martin out of Troy will add depth to the Panthers secondary. Evidently the Panthers are going to try him at corner. The knock on Martin is he was often injured, missing one whole season and having three major operations. If he can stay healthy he should be a solid pickup.

In the third round the Panthers reach to select DT Corey Irvin out of Georgia. He was projected to go in the later rounds of the draft. Irvin only had one season as a starter and probably will serve as a backup. He does have good size though at 6’3, 303lbs.

In the fourth they selected RB Mike Woodson (who is said to have injury and attitude problems) to replace the third running back slot vacated by Nick Goings. Woodson is a great return man and that may be where he finds his niche with the Panthers.

The other fourth round selection was FB Tony Fiammetta. A good blocker and pass protector, may be the heir apparent of FB Brad Hoover. Hoover looks like he’s still the man but he is getting older. Fiammetta looks like a backup for now.

What might be a late round steal was the pick of OL Duke Robinson in the fifth round. Robinson was projected to go in day one but dropped. Robinson definitely has talent but has been known to not have a great work ethic and has weight issues. Could be a great value pick if the Panthers can motivate him.

In the seventh round the Panthers took CB Captain Munnerlyn who definitely has the coolest name of anyone in the draft. Munnerlyn is undersized at 5’9 and 185. He will probably be relegated to a backup at best.

Overall, the Panthers didn’t do a bad job but they didn’t do a spectacular job either. Not having a first rounder and trading away their first rounder next year hurts. Also, most of the guys they selected will be backups and may not help the team that much this season. Not sure they filled the need at defensive tackle where they were decimated last year with injuries. DRAFT GRADE: C-

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs have made some moves this offseason that puzzle me. First, they hire an unproven head coach and a new general manager. They in turn do a major roster purge of veterans. Then they add the oft-injured but talented TE Kellen Winslow. That didn’t seem like a bad move, until they gave him a huge contract extension before he even proves himself.

This team has tons of cap money, but also looks like Swiss cheese looking at the holes. One glaring need (for a long time) has been quarterback. In the first round they traded up to get Josh Freeman out of Kansas State. Freeman has talent but is raw and will take a while to develop. He probably won’t be an impact player for the Bucs this year, considering all the quarterbacks on the roster. The pick may have been a little high for Freeman but it was a position of need. The question is will he pan out? The Bucs better hope so.

In the third round Tampa selected DT Roy Miller out of Texas. He is 6’1 and 310lbs and is a run stuffer. Looks like a good pickup for the Bucs and could surprise.

In Round 4 they selected DE Kyle Moore out of USC. He is 6’4, 265lbs and is a solid player. He had five sacks last season which was the most in his career. He was on a defense full of playmakers and may have been overlooked. Could be a good player for the Bucs.

OT Xavier Fulton was the Bucs fifth round pick. He is 6’4, 301lbs and played college ball at Illinois. A solid player with good work ethic but was inconsistent in college. Could end up being a starter given time.

The Bucs had two seventh round selections and picked CB E.J. Biggers, and WR Sammie Stroughter. Biggers is 5’11 and 180lbs, and ran a 4.34 forty. His knocks are he doesn’t have the athleticism to cover NFL receivers and he is too lanky.

Stroughter has talent and may be a good pickup. He has good return ability and is a decent receiver.

Overall the Bucs picked up some guys that can help but didn’t make a big splash. Freeman may end up being good but it might take a while. The defensive linemen will definitely help out. The team has too many holes and didn’t do enough to address them. DRAFT GRADE: C

 

 

 

Tony Gonzalez Trade, Falcons Soar Higher!

Well, it’s official…Tony Gonzalez is a Falcon. The Falcons traded the Chiefs their second rounder in 2010 for the perennial pro-bowler. Both teams come out winners in the deal, with the Falcons getting the immediate benefit. Let’s take a look at both sides and the impact the trade will have.

The Kansas City Chiefs are in rebuilding mode and can definitely use more draft picks. Even though the pick is next year it will still help the Chiefs. The loss of Gonzalez on the field as their TE will definitely be felt but how much is yet to be seen.

One thing is for certain: Gonzalez is a class act, and even though he wanted to be traded, he didn’t (and wouldn’t have) cause the Chiefs trouble like other crybabies in the league. However, when a player isn’t happy, his production on the field usually declines (a la Randy Moss in Oakland, Chad Johnson in Cincy).

The Falcons definitely came out good on the deal. Gonzalez is another weapon for Matt Ryan on offense and will also help with the run game. The addition of Gonzalez will make teams think twice about stacking the box against Atlanta (or blitz for that matter) this season.

The Falcons are giving up a second round pick which may seem steep. However, the pick is in 2010 and also frees up another pick for the Falcons to draft defense this year. With this year’s draft, Atlanta should be able to stock the defense and there shouldn’t be many holes to fill in 2010. With a stocked roster, a second round draft choice next year may not matter that much to the team.

Gonzalez should also benefit from the trade. He wanted to be traded to a contender, and if the Falcons can shore up the defense, the Falcons look to be one next season. I bet Matt Ryan is grinning about now and can’t wait to get on the field with Gonzalez.

Gonzalez should be a security blanket for the young Ryan. Defensive coordinators will have some late nights scheming and game planning for the Falcons offense this season. This is a deal that seems to make everyone happy and is definitely going to immediately help the Falcons.  

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