QB: Flacco / Skelton / Swiss Army Knife Joe WebbRB: Foster / Stewart / MBush / HunterWR: DzBryant / Cruz / StJohnson / Mike Floyd / James Jones / Swiss Army Knife Joe WebbTE: Winslow / MBennettPK: Gould / HauschkaD/ST: Cowboys / RamsI really, really, really like me some Joe Webb.Detailed commentary to follow. I owe it considering I haven't said a word this Draft. Family will do that to you.
First, about the Draft:1.01: Arian Foster, RB Texans - Gave about a minute's thought each to Rice and McCoy. In the end, it came down to TD's (floor/ceiling).2.16/3.01: WR Cruz, Giants, WR DzBryant, Cowboys - Really wanted to go WR/WR here. Was hoping Green would fall. Only other player in the debate was Mike Wallace, but I'm a huge Antonio Brown backer. Some might say tremendous windfall with Nicks going down, I actually see it as a hindrance to Cruz, as I think he needs Nicks on the field to consistently do his thing, so I'm wishing Hakeem a speedy recovery. Prognosis grew more positive during this writing.4.16/5.01: WR StJohnson, Bills, RB JStewart/Panthers - The QB run in Round 4 dropped Johnson right in my lap, and I couldn't say no. Stewart was a little tougher, and as it turns out, much more controversial. Much has been written about strategies for these Leagues over the years, and for years I've been a big RB2BC guy. I also don't think I've ever had the 1st overall pick in one of these, and I can be a risk manager drafter, and we're 64 players in and I don't have a backup plan if something happens to Foster and that makes me nervous. That QB run dropped more than just Johnson, and there was a lot of tempting low-hanging fruit with this pick, but landing Johnson had me feeling so good about my WR, and there was nothing compelling at QB and TE. I think the Panthers Offense can support a tremendous amount of ground production from Newton, Williams and Stewart, and really DeAngelo was the final player on my list besides Stewart at this point. Wasn't getting either at 6.16, so I grabbed the younger guy, who I'm hoping will be the Red Zone bull.6.16/7.01: TE Winslow, Bucs-Hawks, QB Flacco - Oh, boyzeez...well, at least I made a good decision not to chase the runs and reach for a QB or TE at 4/5 turn, as only 2 QB and 3 TE went off the board since that time. I had targeted Flacco, so was pleased that he fell to me here. With all the positive change going on in Tampa Bay, I was really looking forward to what Winslow could do this year. Would have taken Keller had he fallen though, and I really had to debate between Winslow and Olsen. I have to look at the Winslow trade to Seattle as a mixed blessing. On the one hand, the QB situation is in flux, and Zach Miller doesn't help, but on the other, Winslow is an emotion driven player, and this has absolutely put a chip on his shoulder, and while Miller is a NICE TE, a healthy and motivated Winslow is elite, and Bevell's Offense is capable of heavy TE production. He should be the Red Zone receiving TE, and in that area of the field, shouldn't have much competition for looks.Still have work to do at both QB and TE, though...8.16/9.01: RB Michael Bush, Bears, WR Michael Floyd, Cardinals - I was absolutely blindsided by the QB run from 7.15 to 8.14. Never saw it coming, and actually, it quite irked me, because I respect the draft skills of everyone in these Leagues, and at some point we're all supposes to be skilled and savvy enough that runs like these shouldn't occur, as we continue to scoop the value that falls when they start. If that's what happened, I wouldn't have had any trouble landing a solid-to-decent QB2 at this turn...but then again, my two Mike's had no business being there either when the Draft came back to me. Palmer didn't faze me, but when Fitzpatrick and Dalton followed Luck in succession, I was crushed, and found myself hoping that Bradford...BRADFORD(!!!), would fall. That's pretty sorry. Then again, I landed Mike & Mike. Huge fan of Mike Bush. Thought he'd land a starting gig somewhere. Now, I had Forte in my biggest High Stakes League last year, and until he got hurt, he was a monster, no doubt. Now we've got injury recovery, unhealthy contract situation, and by far the most talented back in a series that have been brought in to share time. I think Bish is in a position to put up very solid RB2 #'s this season. Almost went with a rookie 2-for with David Wilson. Dom scooped him up at 9.02, solid. Love Mike Floyd's skills, and situation as well. In my opinion, he has Julio Jones/AJ Green talent written all over him. Fitz is a cerebral WR who knows how valuable it is to both him and the Cards to have a legitimate threat on the opposite side of the field, so I like the mentoring angle. QB situation isn't ideal, but I'm a Skelton backer, and it stands to reason that if Kolb is playing well enough to be starting over Skelton, that only means good things for Fitz, Floyd and the Cards passing game.1/2-Way Point: Flacco//Foster, Stewart, MBush//Cruz,DzBryant, StJohnson, MkFloyd//Winslow - I think my Team stands up to any other in the League, and although I see some comparable ones, I don't see a better RB1-3 and WR1-4. How am I going to resolve QB, and I really want a 2nd TE!10.16/11.01: RB Kendall Hunter, 49'ers, TE Martellus Bennett, Giants - I seem to recall being in a bit of a hurry when this turn came around, and being mildly annoyed that Jake Locker, Matt Cassell and Randall Cobb were all taken in the 10th. In a surprising twist, the TE's remaining on my short list were Seattle Zach Miller and Bennett. Miller went at 10.15, but had I gone with Miller, I would have wound up with both Seattle TE's (Winslow/Miller), now instead I get to have both TE's off in late Week 11 after the Winslow Trade. Lovely. I love Kendall Hunter's game and situation, but in retrospect I probably should have taken a stud D/ST (there were only 2 off the board at the time) to help make up some comparative ground at QB, because once again, I was the victim of an unexpected run, and almost wound up getting screwed out of a solid D/ST between here and the next round...12.16/13.01: D/ST Cowboys, WR James Jones, Packers ...and what a run it was! At the last turn, I could have selected D/ST 3. By the time it came back to me, I was looking at D/ST 16. Rough going in that the Giants and Falcons went at 12.14 and 12.15, but I still was able to land the Cowboys. I really like the work they did this offseason shoring up their biggest weakness, the secondary. If they can control the offensive turnovers, I think it's a pretty safe bet they can outperform their draft position here, and at least finish in the top 12. I had really hoped to bag Randall Cobb earlier in the draft, and when Jones was still there, I couldn't resist getting a piece of the Packers high-powered passing game. Jones is a nice bench WR for this format, in the sense that he's a textbook big play feast/famine guy, and an injury to Jennings or Nelson would catapult him, and at WR5 I don't have to depend on him for the weeks he sometimes disappears in a cloud of 3/30/0. Considered LaFell and Breaston.14.16/15.01: PK Robbie Gould, Bears, QB John Skelton, Cardinals - Third time's a charm = jumped right into the run in spite of myself and got a solid PK in Gould. There hadn't been a QB taken in four full rounds since Tebow was taken as QB 30 at 10.13, and I still only had Flacco. Of all the dreck remaining, I had a shot at 2 'starters' with Weedon and Gabbert, neither of who's offense offered much excitement, so Skelton was kind of just hanging around there as a guy in a decent situation with absolutely tremendous upside potential. Even after I made the pick, I knew I'd still probably have to waste a remaining pick to make up for missing out on that run.16.16/17.01/18.16: D/ST Rams, PK Steve Hauschka, QB/WR Joe Webb, Vikings - I really ground my teeth when I missed the Redskins by two picks. That's a D that's absolutely outperform it's draft position, but I'll settle for the Rams, in Jeff Fisher's return to the NFL. If I was a Rams fan, I'd be elated, as one thing's for sure, they are going to play inspired football, and compete. Hauschka was the remaining PK who played for an offense that might score above the League average points....and then there was Joe Webb, my final pick. I absolutely love Joe Webb, and I'm not a fan of Ponder, and I'm predicting that Webb is going to spend a significant amount of time under center for the Vikes this season...and do well! Which puts me in an extreme minority. Which doesn't usually work out too well. I love guys like this. Drafted Brad Smith everywhere last year hoping to catch lightning in a bottle with a WR who'd post QB stats. Bottom line is this though: you find this kind of pick on only two types of teams: either those that are so good and deep they can afford a 'flyer', or those who are desperate. In the end, my QB situation still is a bunch of IF (Flacco performs like a QB1), IF (Skelton wins the starting job), IF (Webb has any impact whatsoever).So I'll call my QB situation what it is: desperate. Amazing that my 18th Round Pick might carry such weight. Not just Webb, but what I did with it. Gabbert was still there, but the fact that he didn't get drafted speaks volumes about his expected production. There were other flyer conventional QB's. Perscribing to the theory of improving your weakness by making your strengths, stronger, I could have taken a TE3 or WR6, but that's the deal with Webb. Again, I love the guy, and I strongly feel he's going to make an impact with the Vikings, if not at QB, then at WR, where besides Harvin, I don't think they've got anyone more complete than Webb. Simpson is not multi-dimensional, and Webb is better than Jenkins and the rest. If Ponder beats out Webb, that means the Vikes QB situation is better than average, and if he's playing WR, it's likely he'll be on the field in all 3WR sets.I like what I did at RB and WR, and I think that alone could get me through 7 weeks. No Stewart and Mike Bush Week 6, but I'm at full strength everywhere else. Week 8, is going to be a hurdle (no Flacco, Foster, StJohnson, but it's do-able. Week 11, with only six Teams left, no Cruz, and no TE's. That's probably as far as this Team goes, F'ed by circumstance. I think I can hold my own with PK and D/ST. The outcome of the Winslow trade is going to play a major factor in just how far I go, I think, because to make it to Week 12 when the remaining teams are back to full strength, every one of my position groups is going to have to perform at a high enough level to mitigate the potential fallout at QB.QB Flacco/8, Skelton/10, Webb/11RB Foster/8, Stewart/6, MBush/6, Hunter/9WR Cruz/11, DzBryant/5, StJohnson/8, MkFloyd/10, JaJones/10TE Winslow/11, Bennett/11PK Gould/6, Hauschka/11D/ST Cowboys/5, Rams/9Fun Draft, great competition. Good Luck, all!
