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2008 NFL Draft - Pseudo Live-Blog

6:45pm: With the first round over (and in record time - 3 hours less than last year, thank God) I'm packing it in for the night. All in all, a pretty exciting NFL Draft so far. Lots of trades, some surprises, and two outright stick-ups by the Eagles & Ravens. Glad to have been here. Let's see who wins the Chad Johnson auction tomorrow...

6:38pm: Nice, Mort makes a fried chicken joke to Keyshawn, and everyone on the ESPN set freezes mid sentence. God forbid anyone makes a joke anymore. Wonder how long it takes for ESPN to force a Mort apology and banish him to Cold Pizza (sorry - "First Take") for six months...

6:32pm: ...Or, the Jets can trade up to take a tight end. Either way, really. By the way - ESPN just cut away to the fans for a lead-in to a commercial break, and it reminded me of a mosh pit back in high school. Just a bunch of white guys, probably a little drunk, jumping up and down with their hands in the air, making general asses of themselves. God I hated high school. Almost as much as I hate these Jets & Giants fans.

6:23pm: Gotta admit, I'm a little scared right now. The Jets just traded back into the first round at #30 with Green Bay - I've got to imagine they're going to grab a runningback or receiver. Then there's the Patriots' forfeited pick, then the Giants go #32. All in all, this is going to be an interesting 25 minutes for New Yorkers.

5:22pm: Now that we've had our first major "Character issue" pick - Aqib Talib from Kansas going #20 to Tampa Bay, I'm heading out for a little while. I am interested to see how the ESPN crew, and Goddell handle the 31st overall pick - I'm wondering if they'll jsut holda moment of silence, or if they'll wait the full 10 minutes for the pick before announcing "Oh, that's right, the Patriots forfeited it because of a stupid rule that every other coach in the NFL violates in some way or another". But until that time, I'm out.

5:17pm: Yet another highway robbery... Phily trades out of the first round with the Panthers, and they pick up Carolina's 2nd and 4th pick this year, and Carolina's #1 next year! Andy Reid is either a genius or a complete moron, and I'm leaning toward genius.

5:11pm: Finally, someone woke up and took Jeff Otah off the board. The Panthers traded up with Philly to get him, causing many confused Eagles fans to hold their heads in disbelief, followed shortly by the ceremonial booing and throwing of batteries towards the stage. Nice moment here as the NFL honors military servicemen on stage... and the ESPN crew spends the first 55 seconds of a 60 second ceremony continuing to debate the Otah pick. Seems like they finally shut off the microphones right in the middle of a Keyshawn Johnson point - I'm sure he'll be OK with that...

5:01pm: The Ravens have traded back up into the first round, taking Houston's #18 overall pick. Looks like they're grabbing Joe Flacco from Delaware ahead of Briam Brohm & Chad Henne. Interesting... talk about someone raising their stock through a great showing at the combine. Mel Kiper must be thrilled about this pick - he's been pimping Flacco as a first rounder for weeks. I just enjoy typing the name Joe Flacco - seems like he belongs in a bodega in northern Jersey instead of shoulderpads in Baltimore, but whatever.

4:58pm: I'm not even going to pretend to know how to pronounce or spell the name of the offensive tackle the Lions just selected #17 overall. All I know is that they A) didn't take the best available tackle, and B) didn't select a wide receiver. I'm disappointed on many levels here.

4:55pm: Chris Mortensen with the throwaway line of the first round so far, in describing Arizona's first round pick Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: "He only has one kidney, but GM's seem to have decided that they're OK with that." Wait... what?!?

4:47pm: And naturally, the Lions immediately trade away the pick to the Chiefs, who use it to take yet another offensive lineman not named Otah. At least this one was a guard - Brandon Albert. It's almost like the Lions are teasing me - dropping farther and farther down the board so they can justify using a first round pick on a receiver, as long as it's at like #25 overall...

4:42pm: Crap - Steve Young just proved why he belongs on the stage ahead of me. He made a great point - the Lions have the best QB in the NFC North right now in Jon Kitna... which is a really scary thought for the NFC North. Detroit has to go either runningback or o-lineman.

4:37pm: We've had three offensive tackles taken so far, and yet the consensus #2 tackle on just about every board - Jeff Otah - before this draft started is still available. How is this possible? Jake Long - OK, that makes sense. But Ryan Clady and Chris Williams ahead of Otah? Really? By the way - I've got fingers and toes crossed right now praying the Lions manage to take DeSean Jackson. It would be even better if they grabbed Malcolm Kelly - not only would they screw up by taking another first round receiver, but they wouldn't even get the consensus best one out there...

4:29pm: The Panthers take Jonathan Stewart at #13, leading ESPN to run a quick montage of Stewart's running plays from Oregon. I think in the nine clips they showed, I counted seven different Ducks' uniforms - each of which nearly gave me a seizure. We're nearing the moment of truth for the Lions... I'm giddy just thinking about Roger Goodell saying "With the 15th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, Matt Millen has committed career suicide and selected DeSean Jackson."

4:25pm: After Buffalo & Denver make largely non-descript picks, it's Carolina, Chicago & Detroit. Anybody else hoping that the Lions get stuck with taking "Best Available"... and it's a receiver? I'm openly rooting for this to happen.

4:17pm: Random funny note - the ticker at the bottom of the screen running each team's "Key loss" and "Key addition"... for Seattle they list the Key Loss as "PK Josh Brown". Really? He was the biggest loss? Not the 2005 NFL MVP Runningback that the Seahawks cut last week? Also, Chris Berman just said the patriots were going to get a 15 yard penalty for "holding the Mayo". God I loathe him - not only was the joke unfunny, but I can't remember the last time I saw a 15-yard holding penalty in the NFL.

4:13pm: Love the Jets fans trying like hell to drown out the Patriots' pick... And love the pick of Jerod Mayo here for New England. Corner or LB - had to be one or the other. I thought Mayo would go 9th to Cincy, but certainly not upset with landing him 10th. The extra 3rd round pick from the Saints should come in handy as well.

4:11pm: In theory, with Buffalo & Denver holding the next two picks, the Pats could maybe afford to move down again here, since neither of those teams need a corner. But I still expect them to take Rodgers-Cromartie here and try to shore up the hole that Asante Samuel left in going to Philly.

4:07pm: Good Lord - the Ravens absolutley robbed the Jaguars for that pick! They moved down 18 spots in the first round, and picked up three more picks for their trouble? Harvey better turn into an All-Pro in the next three years...

4:01pm: The Jags take who? I mean, I've seen this kid Derrick Harvey play, but I can think of a couple d-lineman still on the board who have got to be better than him. Maybe it's the hometown discount thing - the kid did go to college 20 miles away from Jacksonville. And I'm extremely disappointed to see Keith Rivers celebrating at his house with the Bengals on the clock. Was really hoping he'd drop to the Patriots at #10 overall. But I'm not complaining if they end up with Rodgers-Cromartie, and I'm sure they won't be either. They had 2 guys in mind, and as long as they get either of them, they've got to be happy.

3:56pm: OK, I don't think anybody saw a Jacksonville/Baltimore trade coming. I thought the Ravens might move down if Matt Ryan was gone, but that's an awful steep move to 26th. Maybe they'll package a bunch to come back up and get a QB, but Brian Brohm or Joe Flacco should both be available around the mid 20's... this could work out very well for them, both in gaining picks and saving salary money.

3:53PM: ...and the Saints take Sedrick Ellis. Of course they do.

3:51pm: "There has been a trade between the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. The Saints are now on the clock..." How am I not on stage instead of Steve Young? What analysis does he really bring that I couldn't?

3:43pm: Hmm... Jets & Patriots back to back... nah, no chance the fans at Radio City get fired up for the next twenty five minutes... Jets take Gholston. Excuse me while I go fashion a nice little noose for my stupidity... Actually, no. I'd like to see who the Pats take, or if they take anybody, before I go hang myself for missing an opportunity like this.

3:35pm: You know, I'm legitimately pissed at myself. Bodog.com, among other sites, was offering all kinds of odds on the top 10 picks in the NFL Draft (obviously with Jake Long off the board). So far with the Chiefs grabbing Glenn Dorsey, I'm five for five, four for four in actual "unknowns". If the Jets take Gholston and the Pats trade with the Saints to grab Sedrick Ellis, I'm quitting while I'm ahead.

3:27pm: Wow - 4 for 4... I know, I'm stunned too. But honestly, was there ever a doubt that the Raiders would take the home run offensive threat with the questionable off-field personality in Darren McFadden? I mean, that had to be like a 23/27 favorite on the board at The Mirage this morning...

3:13pm: Just flipped on the draft (don't ask... got busy)... looking pretty good from yesterday's post. Got the #1 & #2 pick correct so far, Long & Long. Let's see where the Falcons go... loving the ESPN montage here showing all the shit Atlanta's been through in the past 12 months. Tough year.

Labels: Draft, Live Blog, NFL, NFL Draft

posted by Big D @ 3:13 PM 0 comments

2008 NFL Draft

Alright everybody. I’ve been studying. I’ve read everything I can get my hands on relating to this year’s NFL Draft. I’ve watched countless hours of Mel Kiper & Todd McShay arguing about Glenn Dorsey’s knees, Vernon Gholston’s arm strength and Matt Ryan’s presence. And after all that, I’ve come up with this analysis of the 2008 NFL Draft. Ready?

I’m about 97% certain that Jake Long, offensive tackle from Michigan, is going to be picked #1 overall by the Dolphins. After that, well as always, it’s pretty much a crapshoot. Hope you haven’t come here looking for some type of competent breakdown of the entire first round of the draft, because let’s face it guys – none of us ever get it right.

Jake Long, well that’s the gimme. Since he’s already had the press conference in a Dolphins cap and expressed how happy he is to be in Miami, I’d say it’s a done deal. Let’s just roll through the rest of the top 10 because let’s face it – after the first 10 picks, most of us are in a Kiper Coma on the couch anyway.

2. St. Louis Rams

Chris Long, DE – Virginia. It’s a coin flip between Long & Glenn Dorsey here for the Rams. Long has the advantage of an NFL pedigree, and he allows them to move Adam Carrikker back to D-Tackle and improve their pass rush.

3. Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan, QB – Boston College. No brainer, unless they try to trade down since nobody from 4-7 really needs a QB. There’s a risk involved in that move though, as the Ravens at pick #8 are praying that Ryan slips to someone they can trade up with for whatever reason. But the Falcons have to know by now that Byron Leftwich & Joey Harrington aren’t going to cut it this season.

4. Oakland Raiders

Darren McFadden, RB – Arkansas. I can’t imagine a situation in which Al Davis passes on the big time offensive threat, even when the defense is getting older and slowing down. McFadden is the obvious choice here, even with the money they’ve spent on Dominic Rhodes & Lamont Jordan the past two offseasons. However, if Davis isn’t the one calling the shots here, look for a defensive presence – either Dorsey or Gholston.

5. Kansas City Chiefs

Glenn Dorsey, DE – LSU. The Chiefs have plenty of time to pick up a densive lineman to replace the newly departed Jared Allen – in fact, since they got another first rounder out of the deal, they could use it to get his replacement. But this pick gives them an impact defender on an abysmal defensive line that ranked 28^th in rushing yards allowed last season but was top 10 in passing yards allowed and sacks recorded. Why wait when you can get him here?

6. New York Jets

Vernon Gholston, DE/LB – Ohio State. I just don’t think there’s anyway this kid lives up to the hype he’s created for himself. He’s not Mike Mamula, but he was a middle of the road prospect until he showed up in Indianapolis and showed off his biceps. If he gets put into a system that showcases his skills, or if he gets moved to LB full time, he could be a good defensive player for a long time. But I don’t think he’s got what it takes to bang bodies on the line in the NFL.

7. New England Patriots

Keith Rivers, LB – USC. Let me start by saying I’m almost 100% convinced that the Patriots do not keep this pick. But if somehow the Pats do keep it, they take a cornerback (Cromartie?) or linebacker (Rivers), because D-Line is probably the one spot in New England (besides QB) that should be set for the next five years. There’s all kind of talk about the Saints and/or Bengals trying to move up, both of whom are in love with Sedrick Ellis. Cincy has the #9 pick, New Orleans has the #10. And if I’m New England, I’m moving this pick to whichever team offers me a first round flip with a third rounder and next year’s first or second. With all the holes Cincy needs to fill, I can’t see them offering that much. (Also, if New England’s smart – which they’ve proven to be – they take the newly acquired third rounder and package it with their own second rounder and make a play to Miami for Jason Taylor. Picks #63 and either 73 or 74 overall in the draft might be enough to get Taylor away from the Dolphins, even if Belichick & Parcells would have to shake hands to make it happen.)

8. Baltimore Ravens

Antonio Rodgers-Cormartie, CB – Tennessee State. The Ravens obviously are more in need of a stable quarterback than another big playmaker on defense. But if Ryan’s off the board, the next QB will be one of either Brian Brohm, Joe Flacco or Chad Henne. None of those three are top-10 picks, so the Ravens will either have to trade down (or use other picks to trade back up later in the round) or else take the best available player that they feel like fits their team. A star CB with big play potential certainly fits that bill.

9. Cincinnati Bengals

Jerod Mayo, LB – Tennessee. Plenty of options to choose from in the 9-hole, but I think the Bengals are going to need to focus on fixing their defense this year. Side Note: How in the hell did Cincy turn down a first and a third round pick for Chad Johnson? Especially when the third rounder could turn into as much as another first?!? Good God – never before has a team been offered a five quarters for a dollar trade after the dollar has publicly said that they don’t want to be in that particular wallet anymore, and the Bengals decided to turn it down? Are they expecting more for their disgruntled dollar? Perhaps five quarters and a dime? Sometimes sports makes no sense to me – the only explanation I can come up with is that Marvin Lewis doesn’t want to give in and trade Chad away because he’s afraid that anyone on the team who doesn’t like his approach will immediately go to the media and whine about the situation to try and get traded. Thing is – that’s what happens anyway.

10. New Orleans Saints

Sedrick Ellis, DE – USC. I’m writing this as if New Orleans is actually making this pick. Honestly, I believe the Saints end up with Ellis at #7 overall, and the Pats grab Rivers here. Either way, New Orleans could use a little more help on the O-Line and Pitt’s Jeff Otah would be hard to pass up here, but Rivers is the best LB still available, and the Saints’ defense was absolutely awful in ’07.

I could go on and on about the rest of the round, or even the draft, but let’s face it – I’ll be stunned if I’ve gotten even three of these picks right. Except Jake Long. I’m feeling pretty confident about that one.

Last year, I live-blogged the NFL Draft from a golf course. Or at least, I attempted to. Things didn’t work out so well after my cell phone/PDA battery decided that 45 minutes of combined battery life were more than enough for one day. This year, I’ve got a newer, better cell phone/PDA with almost three hours of life… and even more importantly, I’ll be home in front of my TV! I’m not planning a full live-blog, but I am going to try to login a couple times per round at least through the first and drop some informational nuggets out there for all of you to enjoy.

Other quick notes before I bow out for the night:

n It was very nice to have the Bruins semi-relevant in this area again, if only for a couple weeks. I stayed away from writing about them last week because I didn’t want to seem like every other writer who jumped off the bandwagon years ago and just got back on in time for the postseason. Two years ago, I wrote this post about the state of the NHL. And until about two months ago, I stood by everything I had said. But then I slowly started flipping channels and coming across VersusHD (thank God!)… and then I started checking out the standings and realizing that the sport wasn’t nearly as dead as it was last season… and then ESPN started showing me more and more NHL highlights, and suddenly I was right back into it. I will freely admit that I probably watched 30 hockey games total this year, and most of them were Penguins games back when I was still in the ‘burgh. But I’m very glad to have hockey back in my life. Now, if the Bruins could just find a way to never play the Canadians again…

n I had actually planned to jump on here last week and write a quick breakdown of the first round of the NBA playoffs. But it turns out that I have even less time to do stuff now that I’m not working a normal 9-5 job anymore. My days are all screwed up when I spend 14-18 hours one day playing cards, then the next two days trying to catch up on sleep. Anyway, for the record, I have the Celtics (duh) in four, Magic in five, Cavs (don’t EVER trash talk LeBron… duh) in six, and Pistons in six winning in the East, with the Spurs in five, Hornets in five, Jazz in six & Lakers in five in the West. I know – really going out on a limb there taking the top four seeds in each conference. After that, I’ve got the Celtics in six over Cleveland, Magic in seven over Detroit, Lakers in six over Utah and Spurs in five over New Orleans. Finally, I like the Celtics in six over Orlando and Lakers in seven over the Spurs. I’m leaving the Finals alone for now. Too far away to start guessing at that.

I should be on here tomorrow, even if it’s only for a couple of quick-hit posts during the NFL Draft. See you all then.

Lata.

Labels: Draft, NBA, NFL, NHL, Playoffs, Postseason

posted by Big D @ 3:34 PM 0 comments