Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Messin' With Ross Tucker and a Peter King Follow Up

I am waiting for Gregg Easterbrook to put out his TMQ, but in the meantime I figured, like any good bully, I would pick on Ross Tucker and make fun of his brilliant observations. Hopefully Peter will be done Tweeting and actually have his MMQB-Tuesday out by the time I am done with this and then because it takes me a full day to digest Easterbrook's ramblings I can tackle him at a very soon to be later date.

Ross Tucker doesn't give every team a grade, that's pointless he says, so he picks arbitrary categories like "Loved It" or "Didn't Love It Or Hate It" as a much more accurate form of displaying what he thought about each team's draft.

Giving a draft grade for each team the day after the draft is a fruitless exercise. It takes a minimum of three years before a draft can be revisited and evaluated to determine how productive a team was with its selections.

Giving an arbitrary letter grade is much stupider than giving an arbitrary phrase indicating how you liked a team's draft. In three years the Falcons draft may not be an A-, but Ross Tucker's grade of "Love It," still holds up..according to him. One reason Ross Tucker gets his articles bookmarked by me is that he shrugs off one subjective arbitrary category using letter grades to grade how teams did in the NFL draft to use a completely different subjective arbitrary category to grade how NFL teams did in the NFL draft.

Loved It

This is category one. I don't mean to assume but when Tucker says he "loved it," I am assuming that means an "A" was received.

Baltimore Ravens: The Wizard of Oz, GM Ozzie Newsome, does it again by entering the draft with no glaring needs and getting tremendous value at every selection.

No glaring needs other than another good WR, an improved OL, younger CB, and backups at LB and DE. Other than that, yes nothing sticks out.

Cincinnati Bengals: Marvin Lewis is tired of trying to play finesse football in the black and blue division. Instead of running from the bullies in the schoolyard in Baltimore and Pittsburgh, the Bengals are going to hit them in the mouth with Alabama tackle Andre Smith and USC linebacker Rey Maualuga.

Then Smith will attempt to digest the fallen player whole while Maualuga dances behind him...but later apologizes.

Instead of running from bullies they chose a group of players with character/motivation issues. That's a route they have never been down before.

Philadelphia Eagles: They got arguably the best receiver in the draft, Jeremy Maclin, at No. 19

This is only arguable because it is clearly not true. Michael Crabtree is a better receiver and Percy Harvin would have been picked before Maclin if he had not smoked pot before the Combine.

Oh, and did I mention they got the most talented left tackle in the league in Jason Peters via trade

Yesterday we had the TRADE OF THE YEAR and today we have Jason "11.5 sacks allowed last year" Peters as the most talented left tackle in the league. I am starting to wonder if the columnists at CNNSI.com are starting to lose their minds.

Hated It

This is arbitrary category #2.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

The Bucs still need a defensive tackle, though I am sure they hope Roy Miller from Texas can fill that role.

Considering he is listed as a DT, I would certainly guess the Bucs are not planning on trying him out at wide receiver, and are, in fact, hoping he can play the defensive tackle position.

Didn't Love It Or Hate It

This is arbitrary category #3.

You're Gonna Do What?

Arbitrary category #4. Oh shit, now Ross Tucker is not even using categorical phrases, but using phrases in the form of questions to describe how teams did. I thought for sure the Bengals would get their own category of "Why Did You Drive Drunk and Then Get In A Fight?" but they didn't.

Oakland Raiders:

First-round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey is fast but has trouble catching the ball at times, which is kind of a problem when you are trying to make your living as an NFL receiver.

If Bill Simmons wrote her, he would say, "Ladies and gentlemen, your 2009 Oakland Raiders." I am not kidding, I thought about the format of http://www.euthanizealdavis.com/ earlier this morning and already have the background picked out for the site. I am not sure if everyday I would post something else about Al Davis that should piss the Raiders fan base off or what, but after reading the Raider's message board yesterday, they need an intervention ASAP. I feel like I would doing a public service by starting this site for the Raiders fans everywhere.

New York Jets: Everyone else loves what the Jets did. Not me. It is hard for me to imagine USC quarterback Mark Sanchez being better as a rookie than fourth-year vet Kellen Clemens.

Exactly.

The pressure on Sanchez will be huge for a team whose roster is ready to win now. Drafting only three players means the team is looking to get into the postseason.

Ex-freaking-actly. Though I mock Ross Tucker for stating the obvious a lot, I am glad he stated the obvious here. I think it needed to be said...at least in my opinion.

Need More Information

Arbitrary category #5. Really every single draft pick made could go under this heading and every single grade could be "Need More Information" since none of the players have ever played a single down in the NFL. I digress though...

Jacksonville Jaguars: Jack Del Rio was tired of drafting guys who didn't pan out.

As opposed to Dan Snyder and Al Davis who just can't seem to get enough of it.

New York Giants

You can't tell me Nicks and Barden will be better than Anquan Boldin or Braylon Edwards the next two years. By the time the rookies develop, the window on the Giants' title hopes might be closed.

I obviously can't predict the future (if you don't believe me, just look at my New Orleans-Denver series prediction), but I don't think the Giants window is going to close in two years. Except on the offensive line, which is not that old, the Giants have a pretty young team at the skill positions of QB, RB, WR, DE, and CB. I think both players would have made sense for the Giants, but I would actually argue they helped their future out by not trading for one of two guys who are (a) older than the guys they drafted and (b) have certain questions about their durability (Boldin) and ability to catch the football and not drop it (Edwards). Both players would probably also want new contracts in the new future, Boldin especially, which would not be good for the Giants salary cap situation.

I am not arguing the Giants are better without those two players, because they are not, but I don't think they have mortgaged the future by drafting younger, less proven players. I think Nicks could turn into a great receiver. He put up great numbers at UNC with three different (and not quality) quarterbacks throwing the ball to him.

Detroit Lions: This draft will always hinge on whether Matthew Stafford earns the exorbitant money he is receiving.

You mean the Lions draft success will depend on whether the guy they paid nearly $42 million dollars guaranteed and are relying upon to lead the team for the next decade becomes a good player or not? Surely, Ross you must jest. Thanks for the insight.

To his credit, he has handled the process fantastically up to this point. Now he just needs to play well.

So far he has interviewed well and managed to walk up to the podium, fake smile, and hold up a Detroit Lions jersey. Granted, Eli Manning was not able to do this in when he was drafted by the Chargers, but I think we should hold off on giving Stafford credit until he actually does play well.

Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew and Western Michigan safety Louis Delmas are the most physical players at their position and fit what Jim Schwartz is trying to do in the Motor City.

Which is win one game this year.

Steady As She Goes

Arbitrary ranking #6 is the pirate phrase ranking apparently. Though he did forget the word "mate," but I will forgive him.

Indianapolis Colts:

BYU wide receiver Austin Collie has Colt written all over him

I want to make fun of this but I said the same thing about Larry English and the Patriots in my mock draft. The guy's last name is Collie and Tucker says he has "Colt" written all over him. It would have been an animal joke if I had made one, but I won't.

Tennessee Titans:

The Titans got another young body on the defensive line in Sen'Derrick Marks, who they will need to get to play hard on every snap.

The rest of the guys on the Titans defense will only need to play hard 73% of the snaps. Actually, this is better than having Albert Haynesworth, who only played hard when he was going to be a free agent.

Shrug Of The Shoulders

Arbitrary ranking #7. Rather than the 5 letters of the alphabet that are usually used to grade a team's draft, Ross Tucker has created 7 different phrases, which should help his grades hold up in the long run much better. Screw you Mel Kiper Jr.!

San Francisco 49ers:

Ball State quarterback Nate Davis gives San Francisco a physically gifted quarterback who has some obstacles to overcome to become an NFL caliber passer.

Is this a vague reference to the fact he has a learning disability? Specifically dyslexia? No offense but even with a learning disability he is probably more intelligent than 50% of the players currently in the NFL. I say this even though Davis got an 11 on the Wonderlic.

Peter did manage to get his MMQB-Tuesday out in time.

Sadly, Ivn did not make the mailbag this week...and neither did I. We will get over our disappointment and rebound next week.

"I don't care if I screwed up in picking the tackle number two,'' Devaney told me. "I was tired of seeing our quarterback get killed. I don't care if we give up 50 points a game, I'm not going to sit around and watch our quarterback get abused the way he did last year and the way he would have if we didn't address the offense line.

I just think the Bills and the Lions should take note of this quote. I am not going to mention this again. I'm done.

Must be a terrible thing for Carr, by the way. He gets picked number one in the draft, and what he's remember for most is getting sacked -- 208 times in his first four seasons. He never led the league in anything in those four season, other than being sacked. Three times in those four years he led the NFL in times sacked.

I got the anti-privilege of watching David Carr play two years ago and though he was sacked a lot early in his career, if there was a defensive lineman who got anywhere near him, he would shut it down and not even try to complete a pass but just prepare for the sack. He was actually ducking before the defensive lineman could get to him in the Tennessee game two years ago for Carolina. David Carr is also kind of a wimp and I will never defend him in any setting.

Did you wonder, like I did, why the Bucs, set on taking Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman with their first-round pick, paid the Browns a sixth-rounder for the privilege of moving up two spots in the round.

Blame the Mel-Kiperization of the draft world.

"A lot of mock drafts had Denver taking Josh Freeman,'' Tampa Bay GM Mark Dominik said the other night. "I thought paying a sixth-rounder was a small price to pay for insurance to make sure we got our guy.''

Tampa Bay fans have to be absolutely thrilled that their GM pays attention to mock drafts by the media who can't even get 50% of their picks right for his information rather than networking through the league or maybe just using any other method available to the GM of an NFL team. I can't think of a more stupid reason to move up in the draft than to look at mock drafts and base your team decisions on that. Next thing we know this guy will be making decisions based on the Truth and Rumors section at SI.com. I am going to go ahead and say this does not bode well for the Bucs.

From Chad Short of Dallas: "Britney Spears' father, Jamie Spears, was able to get control of Britney due to her self-destruction. Are there any grounds for the NFL to do the same thing with the Oakland Raiders? At some point someone needs to step in and say enough's enough.''

Well, I think a lot of Raider fans share your pessimism.

Here's the thing, they don't share the pessimism. Again, I don't like taking cheap shots but that article is like a big, wonderful cheerleading homeristic dream. Sorry, I think it is true. If Heyward-Bey and Mitchell turn out to be worthy of the spots they were drafted, I will be shocked.

From Alex Martin of New Orleans: "You write, 'I've never seen so many teams so in love with a corner who runs 4.53 as is the case with Malcolm Jenkins.' Interesting way to look at it. Especially when you consider Nnamdi Asomugha ran a 4.5 40 coming out of college, too. How did he work out?''

In your face Peter King. His readers really are smarter than he is...and yes, I realize Asomugha was a smart Raiders draft choice, but then they gave him that absurdly stupid contract...so they get no credit from me.

Peter, what say you?

Very well. He's the highest-paid cornerback ever. But I'd bet you a grande latte that there was more interest higher in the draft for Jenkins, who was drafted 14th overall, than there was in 2003 for Asomugha, who was drafted 31st.

So Peter is saying, Jenkins drew more interest running a 4.53 40 coming out of college than Asomugha did and that proves his original statement that Jenkins had the most interest of any corner who ran a 4.5 40? Possibly his statement could only be true because Asomugha proved you don't have to be exceptionally fast to be a great corner in the league. Except Peter wasn't comparing the two players, he was questioning whether that was fast enough to run the 40 for an NFL cornerback. Peter made that statement and I think it inherently contained some questions as to why all the teams were interested in Jenkins if he ran that slow of a 40, like Peter did not understand why the teams liked him. I think he forgot Asomugha ran a "slower" 40 but Asomugha ran a 4.50 40 and turned out to be a great player so he feels stupid for forgetting...so Peter plays semantics rather than admit he forgot.

Peter could easily say, "Yes there was a lot of interest in Jenkins because of the success of Asomugha," and admit he forgot Asomugha ran that "slow," but instead he takes all of the questioning out of his own statement and tries to act like it was just a simple statement that Jenkins had the most interest ever for a guy who ran a "slow" 40. (As if there should be a chart that gauges the "interest level" for cornerbacks who ran a "slow" 40 and Jenkins would have the most interest) Really Peter was doubting whether Jenkins could be successful running that time in the 40 and a reader called him on it, and Peter being petrified of the fact he completely forgot what Asomugha ran in the 40 and was successful in the NFL, just tries to make his original statement just a simple statement that Jenkins received more interest than any other cornerback who ran a 4.5 40.

I'm tired now. I think Ivn and my questions were much better and challenging than the one's Peter got. We'll try again sometime.

It's on to trying to read TMQ so I can decipher it for everyone tomorrow.

22 comments:

  1. Good luck with TMQ. I read some, skipped most of it of course, and read the part on the Auto companies. Horrible. This guy needs to stick with what he gets paid to do (which I think is write about football) and leave the subjects he clearly does not understand alone.

    Whats wrong with looking at mock drafts and basing your decisions on that? I mean alot of fantasy football players do that all the time...oh wait, thats for fun.

    Shouldnt that get him fired right away? He gets paid to know what players fit with his team, yet he based his draft pick on "experts" who work for TV stations. Good move, I'm sure that QB is going to work great for you (I bet he plays 10 total games in his career).

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  2. Thanks, I will read through it and see what I want to post about it tomorrow. Hopefully everyone will have a chance to read it and chime in with me on how dumb it is.

    There are so many things wrong with looking at mock drafts to base your team decisions on. Gregg Doyel wrote a really funny article today partly about Josh Freeman, but mostly about Graham Harrell. I don't know if Tampa Bay is in for good times over the next couple of years. It seems like they collect players like they are running a fantasy team.

    I know, for me, the biggest thing about the draft is finding guys who fit your team and it seems like Tampa did not exactly do that. What I don't get is they signed Luke McCown to a 2 year deal with the presumption he would be the starter, then signed Byron Leftwich, drafted Josh Johnson last year and then they drafted Freeman, who is going to command a shitload of money when that money could have been spent at the DT position. I hope they don't know what they are doing b/c they are in Carolina's division. My hopes may come true.

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  3. that sucks that you and Iyvns emails didnt get chosen. I thought they were really well thought out and would have gotten a response. Oh well, the world probably would have ended if peter picked one of those and admitted he didnt have a decent response to them.

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  4. I really did not expect to have them chosen at all, but it still would have been neat. I thought we had decent questions but I don't believe Peter would truly try to answer a question he did not know the answer to.

    If he doesn't know the answer to a question, he just tries to make the person feel stupid or it seems like he changes the subject.

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  5. no. He knew the answer to them, it just wasnt one that he would have liked because it would have made him look stupid.

    I havent even listened to this interview yet, but I'm sure this is something everyone that reads this blog can appreciate. http://audio.weei.com/m/22167700/peter-king-si-nbc-sports.htm

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  6. Though I don't think Freeman was worth a first round pick, I will play devil's advocate.

    For all we know, Tampa Bay traded up two spots because there was another team also attempting to do the same. Neither fans nor the media know exactly what was said in the talks between the Buccaneers and Browns, though, so Peter's conclusion that they were looking at mock drafts is irresponsible journalism.

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  7. Fred, I tried to listen to the Peter King interview and it froze up my entire computer here at work and I had to reboot it thereby losing anything unsaved on my desktop that I had not gotten a chance to save. Peter King strikes again! I will try to listen to it when I get home.

    Edward, you could be completely correct about Freeman, there could have been another team looking to get Freeman at that spot. I am more trying to make fun of the fact that the Bucs drafted another QB when they already signed one and resigned another and the fact the GM mentioned that he looked at mock drafts online and that played in his decision making.

    I am not really questioning the move up, well not completely, more questioning the idea an NFL GM would let a mock draft affect a decision he made.

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  8. oh man! My bad, dude! I was definately not trying for that. Although.....you are a panthers fan, and I'm a pats fan. SABATOGE!!!!!!!!!!! The Pats are fawking awesome! NO ONE DENIES THIS!!!!!!!!

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  9. It's no big deal, I just had not updated something on the Quicktime player I was using to play it and it always freezes when that happens. It's amazing how often it freezes and I lose information...yet I take it so well b/c I am used to it.

    You have sabotaged me enough when you convinced John Kasay to kick the ball out of bounds in the Super Bowl, this was the last straw. I laughed really hard at your KSK impression though.

    I have to admit Bill Simmons was right, this Chicago-Boston series has been pretty good. I am actually getting tired of OT games. I know Marbury wants to not be seen as selfish, but it would help if he did not pass up open shots.

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  10. It's funny, because I have friends that are just like the tommy from quicy charecter, so those posts always crack me up. One of them has the flying elvis tatooed on his right tricep. I mean, I love the patriots, but thats just silly.

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  11. Am I the only one who is so freaking tired of the phrase "good value" and it's siblings? Ozzie Newsome gets praised for getting good value...which used to mean getting a guy who people thought would go higher in a lower spot. This draft everybody and their brother who wasn't in the AFC West seemed to be getting "value picks" or some such. Well when you have 123 draft experts and 246 mock drafts, isn't everybody overratted and underratted? How come nobody said that the Lions didn't get a value pick? Let's face it, if the Lion's had a decent QB, like say, Eli or even an older guy like Warner, no way they take Stafford. This guy wasn't even close to being the best player in the draft, but the Lion's felt they needed a QB to grow the team around.

    Value pick is basicly a fantasy term that has found it's way into regular football I think. You know when that guy in a draft gets a guy a round or two later cause somehow everybody forgot about him (that would be Drew Brees for me, 7th round woot woot go Meatballs!!) and people go "Ohhh good pick!" I hate this term now. It's devalued as a meaningful term. I'll give Simmons his props for making fun of all the NBA draft guys about "length" "hops" and whatever is the new buzz word each draft.

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  12. Ohoh and another thing...didn't the Lions draft a guy 2 years ago in teh second round? Drew Stanton? The kid has only had a couple chances to play, but I hardly thinkt hat Matt Stafford is going to be any better, jsut more expensive.

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  13. Yes, yes they did draft Stanton in the 2nd round (great value pick there, if by value you mean the Lions drafted him 5 rounds ahead of what he should have gone). Stanton is not good, thats why he has not played for them. He went to Mich State, thats all you really need to know about how good a QB he is going to be in the NFL.

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  14. Fred, you really know someone who has that tattooed on his tricep? That is fantastic. They do a little take off on Carolina fans as well, which I am not entirely sure if its accuracy.

    Martin, I use the term value pick way too much when it comes to the draft, so I am probably as guilty as anyone on that. It really has become devalued...I don't think I want to use it anymore.

    The Lions did draft Stanton a few years ago and if AJ says he is not very good, then I take his word for it. I thought he would get a chance to play as well, but maybe he is just so bad he won't get that chance.

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  15. Well I'm kinda biased when it comes to Mich St players, since I'm a Michigan fan. However, from what I saw of him last year (which was very little) is that he's not very good.

    But the most telling thing is that he couldnt even start for the Lions even when their starting QB and backup went down with injuries...He was the 3rd string, and when 1 and 2 go down the Lions chose to go get Culpepper instead of letting their 3rd string start.

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  16. It's just fine if you are biased in being a Michigan fan. I have a tendency to like Michigan State QB's for some reason, then they end up stinking in the NFL.

    I don't know whether to believe Stanton stinks and that is why the Lions did not start him or the previous regime was so incompetent they would not know a good QB even if he was on the roster.

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  17. That could be the case, in fact, I'd say its probably a combo of both.

    Talk here in the news is the Lions thinking of signing Foote.

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  18. I think Foote would be a good signing. Can he play LT? Ok, I am really done with that now. I know the Lions have two good tackles already.

    AJ, I want to really know what people are saying up there about the Pistons now that they laid down against the Cavs. Is Joe Dumars going to be run out of town or gently pushed for the Iverson trade etc?

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  19. Well I can say the fans here in the area have not been very happy with this team this year. They stopped showing up to games, stopped watching them on TV, etc. its pathetic what this team has become. You watch a team the past 6 years become one of the best by putting out max effort every single night, by "going to work" as they like to say...being hard nosed, lunch pail wielding team. Well this year you could tell right off the bat that they were not that team anymore, they no longer related to the city, or the fans that pay to watch them.

    They didnt try, and anyone who watched the playoff games could see, they just gave up. They didnt care, and they've played like that the past few years. The fans here, the media, everyone, are not taking it anymore. All this talk after last season was about the team accepting more responsablity of how they play, how the new coach is not going to let the players get away with anything...and thats exactly what happened. They were all talk, no actions.

    Dumars is beloved here, he will never really be ripped on. Sure he made mistakes, and even he admits it. He is a very very honest person when it comes to that. The trade for Iverson was bad, but you know what, the Pistons werent getting out of the 2nd round anyway this year, with or without him. The feeling around here is what they plan on doing with the cap space that is now there with this trade. I think we are all in a wait and see what he does type mood.

    But people are looking for a change, thats for sure. We are sick of watching these so called pros go out every night and hardly look like they care. In a city hit like Detroit, thats just not going to fly, and people have stopped going to see them.

    The reaction here hasn't really settled in I think though, with the Wings looking like they could win it all again, and baseball season starting up (and the Tigers looking like a real team again), along with the NFL Draft, I'm not sure many people care anymore for what happened to them this season. We all gave up on them mid year, just like the team gave up on us mid year.

    In the end, we all still have faith in Dumars to get this team back to what it use to be...a team that tried hard every single night, that captured what this city is all about.

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  20. God, AJ I am fucking pumped up after reading that. I want to go work for the Piston organization now. I feel motivated.

    I watched very little of that series because I can't stand to see a team just give up like that. I hope they turn it around, they have the cap space to do it, and I think it would not take them too long.

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  21. Everyone knew this year wouldn't be great, but no one thought they would finish in the 8th seed. And obviously you can't win every year, but thats not what people here are upset with. Its the effort they put in that people here can't stand.

    They have the cap space and I am hearing talks about a trade with NO. Maybe bringing West here, but to me, West shouldn't be your best player.

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  22. Yes, I agree. David West should be the 2nd or 3rd best player on a championship team in my opinion. Salary cap room is always good, maybe they will be able to do something this off season and bring in someone who can turn the team around. Detroit seems to have a lot of good role players and guys who can contribute, they just seem to lack a little offensive firepower and a #1 type guy.

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