NFL Draft Day Two
So yesterday we started up the draft again with rounds 2 and 3 being called out. A lot of hidden gems, and some really talented players can be had in the mid rounds-this is where teams can get real "value" picks.
Let's kick it off by going over some of the noteable picks.
No. 35-Cincinnati Bengals select Andy Dalton QB TCU-
This is one of those "value" picks in my mind. Dalton is a great fit for the type of offense the Bengals run-more of a "West Coast Offense". Pairing Dalton with the Bengals first round pick WR A.J. Green is a great start to rebuilding this team. Love the pick here.
Draft Grade: A
No. 36-San Francisco 49ers select Colin Kaepernick QB Nevada-
The very next pick, the 49ers move up to grab a QB to possibly compete for the starting job. Kaepernick isn't a QB that is probably fit to move right into the starting role, but his raw athletics and arm could get him there with some grooming. Can't blame the 49ers for at least looking to fix there glaring problem. Still would have drafted Ryan Mallett before both Dalton and Kaepernick.
Draft Grade: B
No. 38-Arizona Cardinals select Ryan Williams RB Virginia Tech-
The Cardinals drafted Chris "Beanie" Wells only a couple of years ago, and then they draft another RB here in the second round? I guess with the NFL becoming more of a running back by committee they feel the need to have 2 running backs to rotate out, but their styles are very similar. This might have simply been a pick where Ryan Williams was the best player left on the Cardinals draft board, and simply couldn't pass it up.
Draft Grade: C+
No. 44-Detroit Lions select Titus Young WR Boise State-
The Lions have killed it this year in the draft. Titus Young was a star for Boise Star, and throwing him on the same side of the ball with stud Pro Bowl WR Calvin Johnson can only help. Now, if only they can keep QB Matthew Stafford healthy.....
Draft Grade: A-
No. 51-Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Da'Quan Bowers DE Clemson-
I can't believe this guy dropped all the way to No. 51. We are talking about a guy who was labeled potentially as the No. 1 pick in this draft. After having a major knee surgery, close to the infamous micro-fracture surgery his stock dropped tremendously. At this point in the draft I really can't see what there is to lose, but I can definitely see what there is to gain...and that's the true meaning of a "value" pick. Buccaneers could be scary on defense next year and regain that tough status they had for so long.
Draft Grade: A+
No. 57-Detroit Lions select Mikel Leshoure RB Illinois-
Another huge pick for the Lions...picking the best player available. I think the Lions have had the best draft this year as a team. Can't go wrong here with adding potentially another weapon to this offense. The Lions are extremely young, but they have to start somewhere.
Draft Grade: B
No. 58-Baltimore Ravens select Torrey Smith WR Maryland-
Baltimore got a home grown stud in Torrey Smith. He was one of my favorite wide receivers in this draft...this guy can flat out play. The Ravens really needed another WR to put along side of Anquan Boldin, and this guy should have the opportunity to step right in and contribute.
Draft Grade: A
No. 64-Green Bay Packers select Randall Cobb WR Kentucky-
Great, just what QB Aaron Rodgers needs. Another dynamic play maker to add to an already stacked offense. Cobb was used all over the field at Kentucky, and I don't think he has a specific position he's necessarily great at, but he's good at a lot. He played mostly at WR, but also got some playing time at RB and doing kick off and punt returns.
Draft Grade: B
Noteables in the 3rd round:
No. 71-Dallas Cowboys select Demarco Murray RB Oklahoma-
This pick kind of surprised me. They just drafted 2 years ago Felix Jones, but I'm assuming this will be Marion Barber's replacement. Demarco has a lot of speed and big play ability.
No. 74-New England Patriots select Ryan Mallett QB Arkansas-
This is a major, major value pick. But, I was definitely not expecting the Patriots to select a QB here. Maybe they plan on grooming Mallett under Tom Brady for the future, or maybe to groom him and trade him like they did with Matt Cassel? Either way I was both surprised for how far Mallett slipped, and that the Patriots were the team to pick him up.
No. 78-St. Louis Rams select Austin Pettis WR Boise State-
St. Louis needs some weapons on offense to give Sam Bradford something to work with. This pick makes perfect sense, and Pettis could turn into a good No. 2 wide receiver. Like this pick a lot for the Rams.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Opinion: NFL Draft
So as you may know, the 2011 NFL Draft kicked off last night in New York City. This year they did things a little differently, calling out just the 32 first round draft picks on Thursday, and making it a weekend long process for the rest of the players not selected in the first round. I can't say that I am a fan of that. The NFL is the ONLY sport to drag out its draft process...and I'll tell you why. The almighty dollar. Enough about the process, let's get into the picks that were made and also some strange one's that were not made.
1. Carolina Panthers select Cam Newton QB Auburn-
I'll be the millionth person to say this, but Carolina...I feel sorry for you, Cam Newton is now your problem. What a waste of a 1st overall pick. Cam Newton is exactly the same model as Vince Young, except Vince Young didn't have any off the field problems to note before getting drafted. Where is Vince Young, and why don't you ask the Titans organization how that pick worked out for them? What makes even less sense is, in 2010 the Carolina Panthers selected QB Jimmy Clausen in the 2nd round. Did he play well during last years regular season for the Panthers? No. But who did?? He was playing with nobody. We've seen this type of occurence time and time again. A rookie QB thrown into the fire on an awful team, only to be thrown under the bus for not performing well.....David Carr, and Joey Harrington are two big names that come to mind. But instead of drafting talent to build around a young rookie QB, you go and draft ANOTHER QB. Awesome job scouting, awesome.
Draft Grade: D
4. Cincinnati Bengals select A.J. Green WR Georgia-
This pick I think threw a lot of the other teams off. The Bengals get a very talented WR with great size, speed, and hands. But, who do they plan on throwing the ball to A.J. Green? Most people had the Bengals going with a QB here, especially after QB Carson Palmer continues to say that he will not be back next season to play with the Bengals. Do I love the player? Yes. Do I love they went with a replacement for Chad Johnson when he leaves? Yes. Do I think it was the position they most needed now? No. So overall, not bad selection...but not outstanding for where they picked in the draft.
Draft Grade: A-
6. Atlanta Falcons select Julio Jones WR Alabama-
Absolutely love this pick. An already stacked Falcons team moves all the way up to No. 6 in the draft and snags a tremendously athletic and fast WR in Julio Jones. The Falcons get what they needed, another great WR to put next to their already Pro-Bowl WR Roddy White. The pair of them, put with a very powerful running game in Michael Turner and a Pro-Bowl QB in Matt Ryan is amazing. This might be one of my favorite picks in the draft. Way to go Atlanta, way to go.
Draft Grade: A+
8. Tennessee Titans select Jake Locker QB Washington-
Let's start off with this. The Titans needed a QB, badly. Rusty Smith was definitely not going to cut it at QB, and Vince Young is as good as gone. Locker most likely would have been the No. 1 overall pick had he come out of college last year and entered the draft. He dedcided to stay in school, and play one more year at Washington. Washington as a wholeplayed terrible for most of the 2010 season, and Locker's stock dropped quite a bit when his numbers really took a hit. His accuracy and footwork I think are the main things he needs to work on, but definitely has some talent. The Titans drafting him here at No. 8 I think might be a little bit of a stretch, but the Titans did draft a position of major need.
Draft Grade: B
10. Jacksonville Jaguars select Blaine Gabbert QB Missouri-
You have a decent QB in David Garrard, and a great RB in Maurice Jones-Drew. What do you draft with the 10th overall pick? Another QB in Blaine Gabbert??? This one is a reach for me. The Jaguars have been known for "reaching" in the first round, when last year they drafted Tyson Alualu with the No. 10 overall pick. Maybe they see something we don't. We will have to wait and find out.
Draft Grade: C
12. Minnesota Vikings select Christian Ponder QB Florida State-
Speaking of reach, this one by far was the most shocking pick in the first round to me. I applause the Vikings for picking a major area of need in the QB position, but Christian Ponder...and at No. 12??? You have in my opinion the best QB available on the board still with Ryan Mallett from Arkansas, or even Andy Dalton from TCU. This by far was the biggest "reach" in the first round, and as you can see by my grade, wasn't a good pick.
Draft Grade: D
13.Detroit Lions select Nick Fairley DT Auburn-
This is one scary pick for any opposing offensive line next year. You have Kyle Vanden Bosch, Ndamukong Suh, and then you add a player of Nick Fairley's talent to that line? Look out. Love the pick here at 13. The Lions may have to be recognized next year as a threat, as long as young QB Matthew Stafford can stay healthy.
Draft Grade: A
19.New York Giants select Prince Amukamara CB Nebraska-
Prince dropped somewhat in my opinion, and CB was a major area of concern for the Giants. Prince is very raw, but has great speed and size. At this spot in the draft, you can't blame them for taking one of the best players on the board. He'll need some time to develop all his skills, but the talent is definitely there. Giants get a need checked off their list, and potential star while doing so. Nothing wrong with that.
Draft Grade: B+
22.Indianapolis Colts select Anthony Castonzo OL Boston College-
Here is a guy who could have gone much higher in the draft, but the Colts get lucky enough to nab one of the best OL prospects in the draft all the way back at No. 22 in the draft. Peyton needs protection to throw that ball, and this guy should give him just that. Love the pick, and this should help the franchise QB stay off his back a little less often.
Draft Grade: A-
26.Kansas City Chiefs select Jonathan Baldwin WR Pittsburgh-
With Baltimore not working out a last minute trade to move out of the No. 26 position, they did the rare thing. Simply let the pick pass. So Kansas City ends up snagging a great sized, and tremendous athlete in Jonathan Baldwin. If he was at any other college getting the ball actually thrown to him often, I could only imagine the stats this guy could've put up. Another piece to the puzzle is added with this pick, putting a talented receiver on the other side of the field from Pro Bowl WR Dwayne Bowe.
Draft Grade: A-
28.New Orleans Saints select Mark Ingram Jr. RB Alabama-
This to me is where the strangest thing happened in the first round. You have the New England Patriots originally in the spot to pick. The glaring need for the Patriots is a running game, and you have the former Heisman Trophy Winner in Ingram left on the board....and you trade the pick? It's extremely hard to criticize the Patriots, due to the fact that Belichick is a draft "genius". But this one had me scratching my head. New Orleans is now the benefited team, and get's a Emmitt Smith clone to add to an already high powered offense. They get a round of applause for stepping up and making a trade to add such a talented player that late in the draft....It was actually the first time ever in the history of the draft that the first RB wasn't selected until No. 28. And they got a dang good one in Mark Ingram.
Draft Grade: A+
1. Carolina Panthers select Cam Newton QB Auburn-
I'll be the millionth person to say this, but Carolina...I feel sorry for you, Cam Newton is now your problem. What a waste of a 1st overall pick. Cam Newton is exactly the same model as Vince Young, except Vince Young didn't have any off the field problems to note before getting drafted. Where is Vince Young, and why don't you ask the Titans organization how that pick worked out for them? What makes even less sense is, in 2010 the Carolina Panthers selected QB Jimmy Clausen in the 2nd round. Did he play well during last years regular season for the Panthers? No. But who did?? He was playing with nobody. We've seen this type of occurence time and time again. A rookie QB thrown into the fire on an awful team, only to be thrown under the bus for not performing well.....David Carr, and Joey Harrington are two big names that come to mind. But instead of drafting talent to build around a young rookie QB, you go and draft ANOTHER QB. Awesome job scouting, awesome.
Draft Grade: D
4. Cincinnati Bengals select A.J. Green WR Georgia-
This pick I think threw a lot of the other teams off. The Bengals get a very talented WR with great size, speed, and hands. But, who do they plan on throwing the ball to A.J. Green? Most people had the Bengals going with a QB here, especially after QB Carson Palmer continues to say that he will not be back next season to play with the Bengals. Do I love the player? Yes. Do I love they went with a replacement for Chad Johnson when he leaves? Yes. Do I think it was the position they most needed now? No. So overall, not bad selection...but not outstanding for where they picked in the draft.
Draft Grade: A-
6. Atlanta Falcons select Julio Jones WR Alabama-
Absolutely love this pick. An already stacked Falcons team moves all the way up to No. 6 in the draft and snags a tremendously athletic and fast WR in Julio Jones. The Falcons get what they needed, another great WR to put next to their already Pro-Bowl WR Roddy White. The pair of them, put with a very powerful running game in Michael Turner and a Pro-Bowl QB in Matt Ryan is amazing. This might be one of my favorite picks in the draft. Way to go Atlanta, way to go.
Draft Grade: A+
8. Tennessee Titans select Jake Locker QB Washington-
Let's start off with this. The Titans needed a QB, badly. Rusty Smith was definitely not going to cut it at QB, and Vince Young is as good as gone. Locker most likely would have been the No. 1 overall pick had he come out of college last year and entered the draft. He dedcided to stay in school, and play one more year at Washington. Washington as a wholeplayed terrible for most of the 2010 season, and Locker's stock dropped quite a bit when his numbers really took a hit. His accuracy and footwork I think are the main things he needs to work on, but definitely has some talent. The Titans drafting him here at No. 8 I think might be a little bit of a stretch, but the Titans did draft a position of major need.
Draft Grade: B
10. Jacksonville Jaguars select Blaine Gabbert QB Missouri-
You have a decent QB in David Garrard, and a great RB in Maurice Jones-Drew. What do you draft with the 10th overall pick? Another QB in Blaine Gabbert??? This one is a reach for me. The Jaguars have been known for "reaching" in the first round, when last year they drafted Tyson Alualu with the No. 10 overall pick. Maybe they see something we don't. We will have to wait and find out.
Draft Grade: C
12. Minnesota Vikings select Christian Ponder QB Florida State-
Speaking of reach, this one by far was the most shocking pick in the first round to me. I applause the Vikings for picking a major area of need in the QB position, but Christian Ponder...and at No. 12??? You have in my opinion the best QB available on the board still with Ryan Mallett from Arkansas, or even Andy Dalton from TCU. This by far was the biggest "reach" in the first round, and as you can see by my grade, wasn't a good pick.
Draft Grade: D
13.Detroit Lions select Nick Fairley DT Auburn-
This is one scary pick for any opposing offensive line next year. You have Kyle Vanden Bosch, Ndamukong Suh, and then you add a player of Nick Fairley's talent to that line? Look out. Love the pick here at 13. The Lions may have to be recognized next year as a threat, as long as young QB Matthew Stafford can stay healthy.
Draft Grade: A
19.New York Giants select Prince Amukamara CB Nebraska-
Prince dropped somewhat in my opinion, and CB was a major area of concern for the Giants. Prince is very raw, but has great speed and size. At this spot in the draft, you can't blame them for taking one of the best players on the board. He'll need some time to develop all his skills, but the talent is definitely there. Giants get a need checked off their list, and potential star while doing so. Nothing wrong with that.
Draft Grade: B+
22.Indianapolis Colts select Anthony Castonzo OL Boston College-
Here is a guy who could have gone much higher in the draft, but the Colts get lucky enough to nab one of the best OL prospects in the draft all the way back at No. 22 in the draft. Peyton needs protection to throw that ball, and this guy should give him just that. Love the pick, and this should help the franchise QB stay off his back a little less often.
Draft Grade: A-
26.Kansas City Chiefs select Jonathan Baldwin WR Pittsburgh-
With Baltimore not working out a last minute trade to move out of the No. 26 position, they did the rare thing. Simply let the pick pass. So Kansas City ends up snagging a great sized, and tremendous athlete in Jonathan Baldwin. If he was at any other college getting the ball actually thrown to him often, I could only imagine the stats this guy could've put up. Another piece to the puzzle is added with this pick, putting a talented receiver on the other side of the field from Pro Bowl WR Dwayne Bowe.
Draft Grade: A-
28.New Orleans Saints select Mark Ingram Jr. RB Alabama-
This to me is where the strangest thing happened in the first round. You have the New England Patriots originally in the spot to pick. The glaring need for the Patriots is a running game, and you have the former Heisman Trophy Winner in Ingram left on the board....and you trade the pick? It's extremely hard to criticize the Patriots, due to the fact that Belichick is a draft "genius". But this one had me scratching my head. New Orleans is now the benefited team, and get's a Emmitt Smith clone to add to an already high powered offense. They get a round of applause for stepping up and making a trade to add such a talented player that late in the draft....It was actually the first time ever in the history of the draft that the first RB wasn't selected until No. 28. And they got a dang good one in Mark Ingram.
Draft Grade: A+
Thursday, April 28, 2011
NBA Playoff Re-Cap (04/27/11)
04/28/11
The Spurs Stay Alive
It seemed almost certain that the Spurs were set to be done for the 2010 NBA season. But, before anyone was able to write them off in the West, they come back and stole game 5.
The Grizzlies thought they had it all but wrapped up when Zach Randolph went to the line and hit 2 of 2 free throws. Randolph walked to his sideline putting his index finger over his mouth, as if he could quiet the crowd. He, and the rest of the Grizzlies thought the game was sealed and they had won their first playoff series ever. Little did he know what would happen in the next 15 seconds of that game.
Down by 4 the Spurs had a strategy to get a quick 2, getting a layup from the in-bound pass that took a mere 2 seconds off the clock. They were down by 2 with aprroximately 12 seconds left in the game. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was willing to play the "free throw game". Hoping that by getting a quick 2, and fouling one of the Grizzlies players, they would miss at least 1 of their free throws to make it a one possession game. They did not miss. Putting the Grizzlies up by 3 still.
Ginobili coming down on the court on the next possession went on the corner of the court to get off a wild 3 pt shot. Swish, it went straight through. The 3 pt shot he just made put them even and still showing a glimpse of the old Spurs famous comebacks.....or so they thought. Replay was requested, and it was found conclusive that Ginobili had his left foot clearly on the 3 pt line, making it a long 2 pt shot-and putting the Grizzlies up by 1 still.
Grizzlies inbound the ball and the Spurs fouled Randolph immediately. With approximately 1.7 seconds left, Randolph had to nail both free throws to insure at worst they would end up in overtime. He got them both, without even blinking an eye at the line.
Popovich had (1) :20 second timeout left to advance the ball to the other side of the court, and set up one last second play to get off a 3 pt shot. We have seen this situation plenty of times for the Spurs, and Popovich is a master at creating a great look at the hoop with minimal time remaining. With 1.7 seconds left, I'm sure the Grizzlies and everyone else in the building was expecting another Manu Ginobili 3 pt shot to try and tie it up, or even possibly Matt Bonner-who lead the league in 3 pt shooting. But, not coach Popovich. The inbound pass went straight to Gary Neal, a rookie from the college Towson Tigers. With 1.7 seconds remaining, Neal faded right and threw up a good looking 3 pt attempt. Sure enough, it went straight to the bottom. The buzzer sounds, and that was the end of regulation. All tied up, and going into overtime, this game was meant to be for the Spurs.
You could hear the arena finally get a sense of confidence back in their team, who had gone down to the unlikely Grizzlies, 3 times in the first 4 games. The momentum had shifted, and the air was taken right out of the Grizzlies players.
The confidence of the Spurs in overtime, with the crowd giving them the much needed boost was all they needed to steal game 5.
The game ended in overtime with the Spurs keeping their hopes alive, winning 110-103. Maybe, just maybe the Spurs are still alive in this series. We will have to see, when they go back to Memphis to play the Grizzlies in Game 6. And you know that the fans and those players will surely be pumped up for that one.
Noteable stats of the game:
Spurs: Ginobili- 33 pts, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Parker 24 pts, 9 assists. Duncan 13 pts, and 12 rebounds .
Grizzlies: Randolph 26 pts, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. Sam Young 18 pts, and 6 rebounds. Conley 20 pts, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds.
The Spurs Stay Alive
It seemed almost certain that the Spurs were set to be done for the 2010 NBA season. But, before anyone was able to write them off in the West, they come back and stole game 5.
The Grizzlies thought they had it all but wrapped up when Zach Randolph went to the line and hit 2 of 2 free throws. Randolph walked to his sideline putting his index finger over his mouth, as if he could quiet the crowd. He, and the rest of the Grizzlies thought the game was sealed and they had won their first playoff series ever. Little did he know what would happen in the next 15 seconds of that game.
Down by 4 the Spurs had a strategy to get a quick 2, getting a layup from the in-bound pass that took a mere 2 seconds off the clock. They were down by 2 with aprroximately 12 seconds left in the game. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was willing to play the "free throw game". Hoping that by getting a quick 2, and fouling one of the Grizzlies players, they would miss at least 1 of their free throws to make it a one possession game. They did not miss. Putting the Grizzlies up by 3 still.
Ginobili coming down on the court on the next possession went on the corner of the court to get off a wild 3 pt shot. Swish, it went straight through. The 3 pt shot he just made put them even and still showing a glimpse of the old Spurs famous comebacks.....or so they thought. Replay was requested, and it was found conclusive that Ginobili had his left foot clearly on the 3 pt line, making it a long 2 pt shot-and putting the Grizzlies up by 1 still.
Grizzlies inbound the ball and the Spurs fouled Randolph immediately. With approximately 1.7 seconds left, Randolph had to nail both free throws to insure at worst they would end up in overtime. He got them both, without even blinking an eye at the line.
Popovich had (1) :20 second timeout left to advance the ball to the other side of the court, and set up one last second play to get off a 3 pt shot. We have seen this situation plenty of times for the Spurs, and Popovich is a master at creating a great look at the hoop with minimal time remaining. With 1.7 seconds left, I'm sure the Grizzlies and everyone else in the building was expecting another Manu Ginobili 3 pt shot to try and tie it up, or even possibly Matt Bonner-who lead the league in 3 pt shooting. But, not coach Popovich. The inbound pass went straight to Gary Neal, a rookie from the college Towson Tigers. With 1.7 seconds remaining, Neal faded right and threw up a good looking 3 pt attempt. Sure enough, it went straight to the bottom. The buzzer sounds, and that was the end of regulation. All tied up, and going into overtime, this game was meant to be for the Spurs.
You could hear the arena finally get a sense of confidence back in their team, who had gone down to the unlikely Grizzlies, 3 times in the first 4 games. The momentum had shifted, and the air was taken right out of the Grizzlies players.
The confidence of the Spurs in overtime, with the crowd giving them the much needed boost was all they needed to steal game 5.
The game ended in overtime with the Spurs keeping their hopes alive, winning 110-103. Maybe, just maybe the Spurs are still alive in this series. We will have to see, when they go back to Memphis to play the Grizzlies in Game 6. And you know that the fans and those players will surely be pumped up for that one.
Noteable stats of the game:
Spurs: Ginobili- 33 pts, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Parker 24 pts, 9 assists. Duncan 13 pts, and 12 rebounds .
Grizzlies: Randolph 26 pts, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. Sam Young 18 pts, and 6 rebounds. Conley 20 pts, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds.
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