EBF
Footballguy
- I alternated between the NFL Network and ESPN coverage throughout the draft. The NFL Network removed a lot of the drama from the broadcast by constantly revealing the picks before the commissioner took the podium. I found myself more entertained by the ESPN broadcast, where you didn't know who would be picked until it was officially announced by Goodell (what's the point of watching that long, dramatic walk up to the podium when you already know what he's going to say?). Tisk tisk, NFL Network. You dropped the ball today.
- ESPN's crew is also a little better IMO. I like Mayock, but Gruden is great and there's something classic about Kiper on draft day. Tom Jackson was an added bonus, visibly dismayed as he witnessed the continued destruction of the Broncos by Josh McDaniels. The only downside was Steve Young. Great quarterback. Absolutely brutal commentator. He's not articulate and his knowledge of the players/teams isn't impressive (Austin Miles anyone?). You could practically see Kiper and Gruden facepalming every time he opened his mouth. He and Emmitt should go on tour together.
- Sam Bradford to the Rams. They have no receivers and no line. Other than that, it's a great situation. Seriously though, if his rookie season doesn't end with him being carried off the field on a stretcher, I think this will turn out to be a good pick. You need a franchise QB to compete in today's NFL and the Rams might have found their guy today.
- Did Al Davis miraculously remember to take his medication today? Or maybe he found a hot tub time machine and went back to 1975 and retrieved the younger version of himself that actually knew how to run a football club. I was gripping my couch with anticipation when the Raiders were on the clock, awaiting another classic blunder, but there was no such payoff today. For the first time in a while, the Raiders made a perfectly sensible pick in the first round and got themselves a good football player. Rolando McClain should be an anchor in their lineup for years.
- Poor CJ Spiller. He had a big grin on his face after he was picked by the Bills at #9. I wonder if he'll be smiling when Buffalo is sitting in last place with a 3-9 record and he's getting hammered in the backfield on every carry in a snowstorm, stretching to catch passes from a carousel of crappy quarterbacks. I've had my doubts about Spiller for a while and this destination makes me think he's doomed for more of a McFadden/Bush career trajectory than superstardom.
- Congratulations to the Jacksonville Jaguars for making this year's first "WTF?" pick by selecting Cal DT Tyson Alualu 10th overall. I had seen Alualu projected as a late first rounder and if he ends up being a solid starter then this won't be a bad pick in hindsight, but today it looks like a laugher.
- Mathews to the Chargers at 12. I like it. Did they overpay? Maybe a little bit, but he wasn't going to be there at 28 and he's the only surefire bell cow running back in this draft. They got their guy and he'll make them a better team from day one.
- Is Josh McDaniels a younger, more insane Al Davis? First he runs Jay Cutler out of town. Then he spends his entire 2009 draft on guys who will be working at Kragen Auto Parts three years from now. That should've been enough to qualify him for a spot in the Matt Millen Hall of Fame, but he's outdone himself this year with personnel moves that could be more disastrous than Helen Keller driving a tank through rush hour traffic on the 101. First he gives away one of the best receivers in football for two second round picks. Then he passes up Dez Bryant for Demaryius Thomas. I'm one of the biggest Thomas fans you'll find, but even I can't justify passing up a can't-miss franchise receiver for a player with similar skills, but a much steeper learning curve. Then there's the cherry on this dog crap sundae: Tim Tebow in the first round at #25 overall. Wow. That pick will either look like pure genius in hindsight or it will be the butt of endless draftnik jokes for the next two decades. If only McDaniels had brains as big as his balls.
- Jerry Jones should hire a criminal attorney asap because he just committed armed robbery. The Cowboys were already a scary offense with Tony Romo, Miles Austin, Jason Witten, Felix Jones, and Marion Barber. Add Dez Bryant to the mix and you just might be attacked by the US Army on the grounds that you're stockpiling too many WMDs (plus I think there's oil in Texas). After suffering the consequences of passing on Randy Moss for more than a decade, Jerry finally redeems himself by grabbing the best skill player in the draft at #24. What a steal.
- Did I mention Tim Tebow already? This is by far the wackiest pick in the first round and the most intriguing. Tebow was borderline disastrous at the Senior Bowl, he's considered a raw passer despite his college career, he hasn't played in a pro style offense that forced him to make a lot of difficult decisions under duress, and his mechanics need a serious overhaul. Does that sound like first round QB to you? The thing is, Tebow was a prolific player at the college level and he's going to work his butt off to become the best player he can be. Most people agree that he has already made tremendous progress to his mechanics over the past few months, but that doesn't mean he won't revert to old habits under pressure when the live bullets are flying. This pick could either be brilliant or an unmitigated horror show.
- Kyle Wilson at 29. Why do I suddenly feel like there's a massive conspiracy to let the Jets get every good player in the NFL? Seriously. They stole Sanchez and Greene last year in the draft. They got Holmes for a 5th round pick and Cromartie for dirt cheap. Now they've added a lockdown corner who was talked about as a potential top 10-15 pick with one of the last picks in the first round. At this rate their entire roster will be Pro Bowlers by about 2013. No more trips to Hawaii. Just move the game to the Meadowlands.
- Jahvid Best to the Lions at 30. Love it. Kevin Smith was never the answer even before his injuries. The Lions should've picked Percy Harvin over Brandon Pettigrew last season, but they've made amends for that mistake by signing Nate Burleson and drafting Best. Best will give them a dynamic Warrick Dunn/Reggie Bush type of punch out of the backfield and slot to go along with the Stafford-to-Calvin show. Of course, it's the Lions, so Best will probably step on a land mine sometime in the next five minutes.
- LOL Jimmy Clausen. I had a bust vibe all along and it seems like the NFL brass shared my sentiment. If he's going to be a horrible pro then he's most likely going to end up in Buffalo, Oakland, or Cleveland tomorrow. My money's on Buffalo. Sorry Bills fans.
- ESPN's crew is also a little better IMO. I like Mayock, but Gruden is great and there's something classic about Kiper on draft day. Tom Jackson was an added bonus, visibly dismayed as he witnessed the continued destruction of the Broncos by Josh McDaniels. The only downside was Steve Young. Great quarterback. Absolutely brutal commentator. He's not articulate and his knowledge of the players/teams isn't impressive (Austin Miles anyone?). You could practically see Kiper and Gruden facepalming every time he opened his mouth. He and Emmitt should go on tour together.
- Sam Bradford to the Rams. They have no receivers and no line. Other than that, it's a great situation. Seriously though, if his rookie season doesn't end with him being carried off the field on a stretcher, I think this will turn out to be a good pick. You need a franchise QB to compete in today's NFL and the Rams might have found their guy today.
- Did Al Davis miraculously remember to take his medication today? Or maybe he found a hot tub time machine and went back to 1975 and retrieved the younger version of himself that actually knew how to run a football club. I was gripping my couch with anticipation when the Raiders were on the clock, awaiting another classic blunder, but there was no such payoff today. For the first time in a while, the Raiders made a perfectly sensible pick in the first round and got themselves a good football player. Rolando McClain should be an anchor in their lineup for years.
- Poor CJ Spiller. He had a big grin on his face after he was picked by the Bills at #9. I wonder if he'll be smiling when Buffalo is sitting in last place with a 3-9 record and he's getting hammered in the backfield on every carry in a snowstorm, stretching to catch passes from a carousel of crappy quarterbacks. I've had my doubts about Spiller for a while and this destination makes me think he's doomed for more of a McFadden/Bush career trajectory than superstardom.
- Congratulations to the Jacksonville Jaguars for making this year's first "WTF?" pick by selecting Cal DT Tyson Alualu 10th overall. I had seen Alualu projected as a late first rounder and if he ends up being a solid starter then this won't be a bad pick in hindsight, but today it looks like a laugher.
- Mathews to the Chargers at 12. I like it. Did they overpay? Maybe a little bit, but he wasn't going to be there at 28 and he's the only surefire bell cow running back in this draft. They got their guy and he'll make them a better team from day one.
- Is Josh McDaniels a younger, more insane Al Davis? First he runs Jay Cutler out of town. Then he spends his entire 2009 draft on guys who will be working at Kragen Auto Parts three years from now. That should've been enough to qualify him for a spot in the Matt Millen Hall of Fame, but he's outdone himself this year with personnel moves that could be more disastrous than Helen Keller driving a tank through rush hour traffic on the 101. First he gives away one of the best receivers in football for two second round picks. Then he passes up Dez Bryant for Demaryius Thomas. I'm one of the biggest Thomas fans you'll find, but even I can't justify passing up a can't-miss franchise receiver for a player with similar skills, but a much steeper learning curve. Then there's the cherry on this dog crap sundae: Tim Tebow in the first round at #25 overall. Wow. That pick will either look like pure genius in hindsight or it will be the butt of endless draftnik jokes for the next two decades. If only McDaniels had brains as big as his balls.
- Jerry Jones should hire a criminal attorney asap because he just committed armed robbery. The Cowboys were already a scary offense with Tony Romo, Miles Austin, Jason Witten, Felix Jones, and Marion Barber. Add Dez Bryant to the mix and you just might be attacked by the US Army on the grounds that you're stockpiling too many WMDs (plus I think there's oil in Texas). After suffering the consequences of passing on Randy Moss for more than a decade, Jerry finally redeems himself by grabbing the best skill player in the draft at #24. What a steal.
- Did I mention Tim Tebow already? This is by far the wackiest pick in the first round and the most intriguing. Tebow was borderline disastrous at the Senior Bowl, he's considered a raw passer despite his college career, he hasn't played in a pro style offense that forced him to make a lot of difficult decisions under duress, and his mechanics need a serious overhaul. Does that sound like first round QB to you? The thing is, Tebow was a prolific player at the college level and he's going to work his butt off to become the best player he can be. Most people agree that he has already made tremendous progress to his mechanics over the past few months, but that doesn't mean he won't revert to old habits under pressure when the live bullets are flying. This pick could either be brilliant or an unmitigated horror show.
- Kyle Wilson at 29. Why do I suddenly feel like there's a massive conspiracy to let the Jets get every good player in the NFL? Seriously. They stole Sanchez and Greene last year in the draft. They got Holmes for a 5th round pick and Cromartie for dirt cheap. Now they've added a lockdown corner who was talked about as a potential top 10-15 pick with one of the last picks in the first round. At this rate their entire roster will be Pro Bowlers by about 2013. No more trips to Hawaii. Just move the game to the Meadowlands.
- Jahvid Best to the Lions at 30. Love it. Kevin Smith was never the answer even before his injuries. The Lions should've picked Percy Harvin over Brandon Pettigrew last season, but they've made amends for that mistake by signing Nate Burleson and drafting Best. Best will give them a dynamic Warrick Dunn/Reggie Bush type of punch out of the backfield and slot to go along with the Stafford-to-Calvin show. Of course, it's the Lions, so Best will probably step on a land mine sometime in the next five minutes.
- LOL Jimmy Clausen. I had a bust vibe all along and it seems like the NFL brass shared my sentiment. If he's going to be a horrible pro then he's most likely going to end up in Buffalo, Oakland, or Cleveland tomorrow. My money's on Buffalo. Sorry Bills fans.
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