Saturday, May 1, 2010

2010 NFL Draft Grades Part 2

Let's continue with the 2010 NFL Draft grades for the other sixteen teams in the NFL. I am hoping to get at least a "1" or a "10" out of one of these drafts. The funny part is I know I am going to rave over a couple drafts and then they will end up being terrible. It's going to happen. I feel like my grades are too high, but I really like the teams I gave the high(er) grades to. There has to be a team that really screwed up or did well and I think I found them in these grades.

Yes, I do realize it took me over a week to get my NFL Draft grades posted. I like to take my time. The Miami Dolphins start off.

Miami

Bill Parcells is another guy I don't like criticizing too much when it comes to drafting players. He knows what he is doing when he chooses a guy in the draft. I like the trade back from #12 because the Dolphins wanted a nose tackle or end for the 3-4 defense and Parcells knows he could get one later in the first round and accumulate some picks. Basically by making this trade Parcells got his 3-4 end in Jared Odrick and a rushing linebacker in Koa Misi. Just a smart move if you can make it, which the Dolphins could. John Jerry was taken in the 3rd round and it wouldn't surprise me when he is starting this year. After that, there is a bunch of "Parcells guys" which are hardworking players that may not seem to have much talent, but a good coach knows how to get the most out of them. This was a good, if non-sexy draft for the Dolphins. They knew they had some needs and they met those needs. It is a lot like the Falcons draft in my mind. It won't make headlines, but 2-3 years down the road we realize guys who were drafted here contributed in some way to the success of the team.

Grade: 7

This grade might be a little bit high, but the Dolphins did get Brandon Marshall with a 2nd round pick, so I have to factor that into the equation as well. They needed a pass rusher, an end or tackle for the 3-4 defense, depth on the offensive line and a receiver. They got all of those players either through trade or with the first 3 picks of this draft. I call that a successful draft. Plus they signed Vince Oghobaase as an UFA and I really thought he would get drafted. The guys they got later in the draft, like A.J. Edds and Chris McCoy, may not work for other teams, but they are exactly what the Dolphins are looking for. Plus, it was assured to the Dolphins none of these draft pick's mothers are/were prostitutes.

Minnesota

It appears that no matter how many times he tries to deny it or chooses odd times to come out and announce he has not made a decision (if I am not wrong, wasn't there a quote attributed to Favre on the day of the draft about he had not made a decision on whether he was playing or not. He just can't let anyone else have the spotlight can he?), Brett Favre is not retiring. The Vikings did not draft a quarterback. This was a pretty good draft for the Vikings and they made a great move by trading their #30 spot to the Lions. They got a durable running back in Toby Gerhart and an incredibly promising pass rusher in Everson Griffen out of the deal. Chris Cook can play safety or cornerback, both positions the Vikings need help with. For me, later in the draft Joe Webb may end up being a steal. He was a college quarterback who is trying to convert to be a wide receiver. As much as I don't enjoy Brett Favre's presence in the world, there are worse quarterbacks to have throwing you the ball while you are learning a position and Webb has the athleticism and size to be a perfect wide receiver.

Grade: 6

Why the low grade you may ask? It goes back to the central premise of the NFL Draft. To make your team better now or provide depth and security by adding players who may not start today, but could start down the road. Teams should try to draft players who are good now and provide depth for the future. The Vikings succeeded by adding Gerhart, Cook, and Griffen, but they failed in my mind to meet some of the current needs the team has. They needed a safety and a cornerback, they drafted a cornerback/safety in Chris Cook. I thought they needed to take a player at each position. Also, they need defensive line help because Pat Williams is getting old and they didn't do anything to meet this need. Another nitpicky problem I have is what happens if Favre doesn't come back? Isn't it worth it to take a flier on a quarterback at some point in the draft? It is obvious the team doesn't like Tavaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels, so when Favre leaves after this year or whenever he leaves, wouldn't it be smart to have someone the Vikings like with more than one year in the system? It was a good draft that involved the Vikings taking good players, but I think they could have met some of their needs better.

New England

The Patriots have gotten some criticism for trading away picks this year for future picks. I don't get this criticism at all. The Patriots made 12 draft choices this year, do they really need a few more? I like what New England has done with their draft choices. They have four picks in the first 2 rounds next year, that's not a bad thing. The Patriots had a tight end problem and they have gone to great lengths to solve this problem with drafting Rob Gronkowski (who just sounds like a Patriot) and Aaron Hernandez. These two guys should help solve the Pats tight end problems. The needs they had going in the draft was wide receiver, linebacker, tight end, and defensive tackle. They drafted guys for all those needs and they did well. Jermaine Cunningham is the guy they hope to use in solving their pass rush problems and I didn't love the pick of Devin McCourty (I think they should have gone in a different direction), but it does fill a need the Patriots have so I can't bash them for that. I think Zac Robinson could stick on the team and the two 3-4 DT's they got in the later rounds are good values, but I wish they had addressed the position earlier.

Grade: 7

I possibly could like this draft for the Patriots too much. They addressed their tight end need, got some offensive line prospects that they can develop for down the road, got a pass rusher in Jermaine Cunningham, and Taylor Price is a nice developmental prospect at wide receiver. Really the high grade for this draft is a product of them trading to get more picks and still getting the players they want to fill their needs. I thought they could have done better to fill the wide receiver need they had, but Aaron Hernandez can split out wide as a hybrid receiver/tight end if necessary. The Patriots take a sort of circular way of drafting, but they end up getting the job done. Did they fill their wide receiver and defensive tackle needs for right now? Probably not, but they did a good job of filling their other needs at cornerback, linebacker and tight end.

New Orleans

The New Orleans Saints had a few needs going into the draft. They needed to get some defensive line depth, linebacker depth, and they needed a safety to replace Darren Sharper. Coming out of the draft they did not address two of those three needs in any fashion. As you can tell from my other draft reviews, I don't consider this a positive. They drafted Patrick Robinson to play corner, which I assume means Malcolm Jenkins is going to the safety position. For me, they didn't need another cornerback this early in the draft even though Robinson was a good value at this point. There were good defensive tackles and linebackers on the board at this point and I think they should have taken one of them. I do like the Charles Brown selection and love the Matt Tennant selection. Sean Canfield may have a future in the NFL, but I don't know if the Saints fit what he does best and I am not sure he can even make the roster. He has landed in the wrong spot possibly. I have read positive things about Jimmy Graham, who is about as raw as you can get at the tight end spot, but I didn't think he was the best tight end available in the 3rd round and he hasn't played much football either. For me, he was selected on potential over other tight ends who should have been chosen before him.

Grade: 4

I know this is a pretty low grade, but I felt like the Saints wasted their first pick with Robinson. They didn't need a cornerback that early, even if this allows Jenkins to move to safety. They followed this pick up with two straight developmental-type picks and finally landed a center I really like in Tennant. This is not a bad draft, but this draft doesn't make their defensive line or linebacker core any stronger. They needed to get better at those positions and they weren't able to.

New York Giants

I am so torn on this draft. I think I could give it a "9" or I could give it a "4." It is mostly because of Jason Pierre-Paul, their 1st round draft pick. Is he going to be a bust or a 12-15 sack guy? It seems like no one can agree on this. I don't know if there is an in-between for him at this point. He's a great pick because the Giants needed another pass rusher, in fact the Giants met all of their current needs in this draft, which is really nice to see. Linval Joseph is a great pick and I see him having a good career in New York, of course I thought the same thing about William Joseph. I like Chad Jones in theory, but for me he is more of an athlete at safety than a natural safety, but I could be wrong. I love the Phillip Dillard pick in the 4th round. This guy can make tackles and I think he could end up being a steal for the Giants. Sure he played behind that awesome defensive line at Nebraska, but he made tackles and I think he is better in pass coverage than he gets credit for. Mitch Petrus and Adrian Tracy were good picks for their production in college versus the round they were chosen in.

Grade: 8

I've had some doubts recently about Pierre-Paul, especially since he didn't produce for more than one year. The Giants (as pointed out to me the other day) have taken a chance on guys like this before, so I think they will have success with him. I try not to rave about drafts too much (and may fail), but if Pierre-Paul produces then I think this could be a great draft for the Giants. I can't meet in the middle and give them a medium grade, I won't hedge that way. I think Joseph will be a good tackle, and even if Jones busts at safety, Dillard will make a fine linebacker and Mitch Petrus may have a future in the NFL also.

New York Jets

The Jets get some points due to trading for Santonio Holmes and Antonio Cromartie. They filled two of their needs there, but I think they had a big need for defensive line help, which they did not address at all. They are great at the cornerback position for the next 5 years with Cromartie, Wilson, and Revis. No team is going to be able to throw on them and the blitzes Gregg Easterbrook hates will only get worse. I don't like what I have seen (as little as it has been) from Vladamir Ducasse as much as everyone else loves what they have seen. I think sometimes teams fall in love with players from smaller schools who look like they could be great players. He will be a guard with the Jets and I don't think he is ready to step in for Alan Faneca right now, which is what he will have to do. Joe McKnight was supposed to be good at USC, but it never happened. Is he even as good as Leon Washington? I don't believe he is personally. Then they drafted a fullback in the 5th round because they absolutely insist on not drafting a defensive tackle to make me happy.

Grade: 6

Yep, that's low. I am not hating the players they drafted, just the way they drafted. Kyle Wilson will be a great corner for the Jets, they just didn't need him as much as they need a defensive lineman in my opinion. Obviously the Jets subscribe to the "best player available" theory and that is fine, I just don't have to give them a good grade for it. The Jets will be impossible to throw on, but they really needed to upgrade the front 7 and they did not do this. The Jets had a great pass defense last year without Cromartie and Wilson, but they still need someone to step in for Shaun Ellis or Kris Jenkins soon. They don't have that. I am the only one apparently who isn't in love with the Ducasse selection, but I think that may end up being the best choice (in terms of making sense for their needs) overall for the Jets. Joe McKnight would be great if he could get his shit together, but he won't, so he will be a guy who will try to do what Leon Washington did, just less successfully. Also, in regard to the trades they made, the Jets traded for a cornerback who may not be as great as everyone thinks he is and a receiver who will only play 75% of the year and then become a free agent. Yeah, I am being pretty negative right now.

Oakland

Now that I have semi-panned the Jets draft that involved them taking actual decent players, I am going to give the Raiders draft a good grade for taking good players. Are we sure Al Davis is alive? I don't think he is because this was a good draft. The Raiders had needs and they actually met those needs. They traded for Jason Campbell, which is an automatic upgrade over JaMarcus Russell, and they drafted well. I do have questions about Rolando McClain and I don't know if he is really worth the #8 pick in the draft, but at least the Raiders made a smart pick for a player that will actually improve their team. I was right the Raiders would draft Bruce Campbell, I was just three rounds too early on my pick, and they also got Jared Veldheer...those are two offensive tackles that could be busts or stars. Either way, they were worth the pick for the Raiders. LaMarr Houston was another good pick and the Raiders did take a speed guy, Jacoby Ford, but they did it in the 4th round which is a good time to take a speed guy. Just an overall smart draft to try and help improve this team.

Grade: 8

Yes, I just gave the Raiders an "8." It was that good of a draft, and not just on a "Raiders scale." They didn't really need an ILB as much as they need other positions, but they still used draft picks on the positions they need. They drafted the right guys in the spots where they should be drafted, traded for a better quarterback, took "workout guys" in the appropriate rounds so there was less risk to make the team look bad if they bust, and the Raiders met their team needs. Believe it or not, there is talent on this team, and if they can get the quarterback situation sorted out there is an outside chance they could actually contend for a playoff spot this year. No, I am not high.

Philadelphia

Wow, the Eagles had a lot of draft choices. 13 total. Remember the last two games of the season against Dallas? The Eagles couldn't stop Romo and they couldn't stop the Cowboys from getting to McNabb. You figure they would address all these issues in the draft, right? No, they will not address all these issues. The Eagles did not draft one offensive lineman nor did they draft a corner before the 4th round. They went heavy on safeties, linebackers, and defensive ends. I like the Brandon Graham pick, you have to get to the opposing team's quarterback, but do they need Nesheim, and Sapp too? This wasn't a bad draft, I like Nate Allen, Graham, and Sapp a lot. They did a good job of drafting pass rushers to get at the quarterback, but I think they had other secondary issues that didn't involved the safeties. I would have liked to see them take a corner before the 4th round. Given the number of draft picks the Eagles have, they are bound to land some talent and this isn't a bad team already, so they have definitely improved. I feel like they could have done something to the offensive line though.

Grade: 6

The Eagles got some good talent, but I think a team that has this many draft picks should use some of them to trade up or try to fix the offensive line that got abused by Dallas. There are players I like in this draft and the Eagles did great in the later half of the draft with Coleman and Charles Scott. I think this is a team that could have upgraded the cornerback and offensive line positions a little bit better in the draft. They made some good picks, but I am not sure if a guy like Nesheim is as big of a need as an offensive lineman or another cornerback might be.

Pittsburgh

They didn't draft a quarterback, so that says they will quit trying to trade Roethlisberger or they really like Dennis Dixon and Byron Leftwich. I mocked Mike Iupati to the Steelers and I don't know why I did that. He seemed like a Steelers guy, but Maurkice Pouncey can play more positions on the line and that's what the Steelers need more. He's a great pick because he can play multiple positions and the 2nd round pick Jason Worilds just seems like a Steeler as well. I think the Steelers needed another corner, but they seemed stuck on improving their pass rush, passing game and offensive line. I can't blame them for that. I don't really like either of the receivers they chose because they aren't very big and we all know Roethlisberger prefers tall receivers (remember him complaining about not having enough tall receivers?). I don't know how Jonathan Dwyer lasted until the 6th round and I am pretty sure Pittsburgh can find a way to use him effectively. This wasn't an exciting draft, but they have gotten depth and provided for some security should any of their current players leave in free agency or lose their effectiveness.

Grade: 7

I like the Pouncey pick because the Steelers needed offensive line help, in fact I think they should have taken another offensive lineman. They should have done more to improve their cornerback position, I don't know if trading for Bryant McFadden will get the job done. Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown are both fairly slight guys and I am sure they fit in somewhere, I just don't know where yet. I like the Thaddeus Gibson pick and think in a season or two he should be a productive player. The Steelers weren't looking to fill too many holes and the draft reflects that. They have gotten guys who can play sparingly for a few years and will hopefully develop into good players. Sometimes the best drafts are those that aren't very exciting upon first inspection.

San Diego

I am big on filling needs in the draft. You can probably tell from what I am writing and may hate that about me. It's just how I am. If a team has a need, you don't reach for a player, but you find a player to fill that need. I am sort of questioning the Chargers for trading up like they did to get Ryan Matthews, but like the Tyson Alualu situation with the Jaguars I can't blame a team too much for trading up to get a player they want, especially if they really need that player. The Chargers did need a running back...like last year they needed one, refused to take one in the draft, and paid for it. Not to mention, the Chargers are a team that can afford to trade draft picks to get a player, while I don't think the Jaguars can do this. I love Ryan Matthews. If you forced me to list my favorite running backs in the draft, it would go like this:

1. Ryan Matthews
2. C.J. Spiller
3. Montario Hardesty

The Chargers needed Matthews and they got him. Kudos to them. The second need the Chargers had was a nose tackle and they got one of the best ones in the draft, Cam Thomas, in the 5th round. This is a story of two drafts for me. The Chargers made picks I loved and then they made picks I hated. They have three of each. I don't like the Darrell Stuckey choice, Jonathan Crumpton choice, or the Dedrick Epps pick, but the picks make sense in the context of what the Chargers need.

Grade: 9

Why the high grade you may ask? They filled every need they had with a quality player and the picks I didn't like actually had a purpose behind them, and just because I didn't like them, doesn't mean they won't pan out. They needed a third tight end and a third QB and Epps and Crumpton are good developmental prospects that don't need to see the field for the Chargers. Stuckey is a reach for me in the 4th round but that doesn't mean he is a bad player. They got a pure NT and a pure RB out of this draft. I would have given them a "10" if they had passed on Stuckey and tried to get some offensive line help in the fourth round. I really liked this draft for the players the Chargers chose and how it improved the team.

San Francisco

The 49ers had the advantage of two first round draft choices and they needed to use them to help the offensive line, which they did. I like the choice to help fix the secondary, but I have to question why they didn't try to get a cornerback at all. Taylor Mays could end up being a good safety, but he isn't a cover cornerback and he actually struggles in coverage, so that isn't a help at all to the 49ers. I appreciate them trading up for Anthony Davis to play tackle, but I think I would rather have seen them draft a cornerback and an offensive lineman in the 1st round, not two offensive linemen. Anthony Davis has motivation problems and now he is going to be coached by Mike Singletary. This is either really going to work and Davis will end up being great or it will fail miserably. This is a very talented group of draft picks but Iupati reportedly isn't a great pass protector, Anthony Davis has motivation problems, Taylor Mays hasn't gotten his talent together yet, and Navarro Bowman had discipline problems at Penn State. That's a lot of questions about the first 4 picks for the 49ers.

Grade: 5

I thought the 49ers needed a corner badly. They could get carved up by opposing teams this year through the air. The offensive line has been improved, and that is a good thing, but I have a feeling the 49ers are going to be looking to replace either Davis or Iupati in a couple of years. Davis looks like he could easily bust. After trading for Ted Ginn Jr, the 49ers draft a guy who does the exact same thing Ginn does in Kyle Williams. Anthony Dixon is a backup at best in the NFL and the 49ers chose a player at the cornerback position in the 7th round. I think sometimes they rely on Singletary's ability to get through to players too much. This draft has a boom or bust-type feel to it and I think it will bust. I don't know if Anthony Davis will get motivated and I really like Taylor Mays, but not in a secondary with no cover corners.

Seattle

The Seahawks had a great draft, but I don't know if I like it as a top-tier draft for this year. It's not a result of the early picks, but because the later round picks drag the grade down a bit. I am glad the Seahawks didn't draft a quarterback, because they didn't need one, but I would have liked to see them take one at some point in the draft. That's me being nitpicky. They got the best tackle in the draft, the second-best safety, and the 2nd best wide receiver with their first 3 picks. It doesn't get better than that. After that, I like the Anthony McCoy pick if only because Carroll isn't drafting a player from USC he isn't sure about (Taylor Mays is still fuming). For me, I think E.J. Wilson was a reach where he was drafted and I wish the Seahawks had focused on the defensive line a little bit more. We all know Aaron Curry can't sack the quarterback so someone has to do it.

Grade: 8

I feel like I am liking too many of these team's draft picks, but I can't take away too much from the Seahawks for not taking players I like later in the draft. Those players don't generally have as much of an impact as players taken early in the draft, and they nailed those picks. Obviously no draft pick is a lock to do well in the NFL, but Tate, Okung, and Thomas fill needs and are some of the best players at their position in the draft. I like the Kam Chancellor pick for special teams and he can play both safety positions, though he may not start. Other than that, I feel like Seattle did not get great value with their late round picks. I don't hold that against them too much though because of how they drafted early in the first couple rounds.

St. Louis

They had no option when they knew they were keeping the #1 to go with Sam Bradford. I have said my part about him previously. He seems to be a leader at the quarterback position but he comes from a very quarterback-friendly offense and he had injuries last year. That being said, he seemed to be the best quarterback in the draft and had to go to the Rams. I liked the Rams picking a tackle to protect him, how novel to do that, and they even got Gilyard to give him a weapon. I don't like how they chose a corner in the 3rd round when they needed depth there and had so many other needs, like at linebacker and defensive tackle. They also need a tight end that can catch the ball, which they didn't find in this draft either...unless you want to count Fendi Onobun who caught two passes last year for Arizona, which was his first year of playing football in college. I did like the George Selvie pick and he was double-teamed all last year at South Florida which shouldn't happen to him as much in the NFL. He's a good value in the 7th round...actually a great value. He will be a good backup. Really, there is nothing else for me to get excited about in this draft.

Grade: 6

They got their franchise quarterback and their tackle. What irritates me is they could have also gotten a good defensive tackle in there as well, but they chose a cornerback, which isn't as big of a need in my mind. It's not that I don't like Murphy, there just has to be some pressure on the opposing quarterback at some point. The scouting report for Josh Hull, the Rams last pick, said one of his pros about him was that he is "intelligent." Nice, that should convert well to football skill. We all know how football players have to be smart to succeed. The Rams did well when they had to, but I think they really had a chance to improve the team and they didn't do enough to take advantage of that opportunity.

Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay had a good draft. They went with the Moses-stocking-the-arc method (two players from the same position at a time) that Jacksonville loves. The Bucs needed a lot of help on the defensive line and they got it with the first two picks in Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. The Bucs' needs were defensive end, defensive tackle and wide receiver. From seeing them play first hand last year I would agree with all of that. So I am torn when they chose two DTs back-to-back. I think one of those picks should have been a DE, but they couldn't stop the run last year at all, so with a guy like Price available in the 2nd round, it makes sense to take him. That being said, they didn't take a DE until the 7th round, which is indefensible in my opinion. They needed to take one before that point in the draft. I like Arrelious Benn a lot and I think he was a necessity for Tampa Bay. I hate the Mike Williams pick. He is a turd and always will be. I am not sure you can convince me differently. Cody Grimm is the "gritty-hustler" type player announcers love to talk about and Dekoda Watson should have been taken earlier than the 7th round.

Grade: 7

I'm forgiving the Bucs for not grabbing a DE early on. They wanted to make sure the middle was plugged up and with McCoy and Price in there, it definitely will be covered. It may be overkill, but is a necessary overkill, no point in half-assing it. Still, they had to take a defensive end at some point early in the draft and they didn't. I like the Benn pick, but don't even know why a team would waste its time on Mike Williams. There had to be a better receiver available at that point, but maybe they needed someone to hang out with Aqib Talib and get in fights. Myron Lewis is a good fit for the Tampa 2 defense they run and Cody Grimm provides the much needed grit to the team. Still, they have a huge hole on the defensive end spot and as much as McCoy and Price can help, a team has to have good defensive ends as well.

Tennessee

I put Derrick Morgan and Pierre-Paul in the same company. For me, they were of equal value. I thought Pierre-Paul had the higher ceiling but Derrick Morgan was more of a sure thing. I am biased against USC receivers, so I personally don't like Dwayne Jarr---I mean Mike Willia---I mean Damian Williams in the 2nd round. He lacks elite speed and is only 6'1" 196 pounds so he is like a possession receiver without the size required. I don't hate him, but I have grown suspicious of USC receivers over the past 8-10 years. Rennie Curran was a great pick and from what I have read about Alterraun Verner he is a slightly larger Cortland Finnegan-type player. Robert Johnson was a good value for where he was picked, but I think the Titans wasted a few picks later in the draft. Rusty Smith shouldn't be on an NFL roster and David Howard didn't even have a scouting report on him in many places I looked him up.

Grade: 6

I like the Derrick Morgan selection, though I thought he would be a bust a few times I saw him play at Georgia Tech. I actually really like the Marc Mariana choice in the 7th round. He is a guy who seemed to find a way to get open and I think if he makes the roster the Titans may find a way to use him...he has to make the team first though. The Titans did a good job of meeting their needs, but I am not sure if some of the guys they have chosen will be able to make an impact in the NFL. Even though they selected Myron Rolle, I don't see him starting in the NFL, nor do I see Robert Johnson in that role. It was a good draft, but I don't see too many of the players from Round 3 to the end of the draft making an impact for the Titans down the road...Verner being the possible exception.

Washington

The Redskins traded away their 2nd round pick for Donovan McNabb, which even thought it isn't one of my favorite moves, it does make the team better. I will have to factor that in to my grade for them. The Redskins needed offensive line help badly at nearly all the positions and they took care of their quarterback need with McNabb getting drafted, but I still would have liked to see them draft a quarterback and let Shanahan work his "magic" on that quarterback. The Redskins decided to choose the second-best left (though I think Williams is a right tackle) tackle before the best left tackle which makes no sense to me. Russell Okung is a better player than Trent Williams. Anyone who watched the Big 12 last year may know this, but somehow Mike Shanahan hasn't figured this out. He has a good history with offensive tackles, so I am tempting history in criticizing him, but I don't care. Williams was the wrong pick. I don't like any of the Redskins other picks, outside of Erik Cook, and I do like Selvish Capers for where he was picked. So the Redskins did draft well when they actually chose offensive linemen. For me, Perry Riley, Terrence Austin, and Dennis Morris were picks that should have been used instead on a young quarterback or more offensive line help, THEN the Redskins could have gotten Austin and Morris later in the draft or as an UFA since they both seemed to have grades of UFA prior to the draft.

Grade: 3

That's my grade even with McNabb being the new quarterback. The Redskins chose the wrong offensive tackle, they didn't get enough offensive line help, they didn't get McNabb an offensive weapons upgrade, and I am just not a fan of this draft. Trent Williams may end up being a great offensive tackle, but I have visions of him not being a left tackle in the NFL. You don't draft a right tackle #4 overall in the draft. The McNabb trade was a good one for the Redskins, but they need to protect him better than they protected Campbell last year and I don't know if the offensive linemen they drafted this year can do that immediately. They needed to get McNabb more to work with also and they didn't seem to do that. Granted, they didn't have but 2 picks in the first 5 rounds, but that also means they need to me more careful with the picks they made. I think the Redskins are going to be improved this year, but I don't know if this draft will be a big reason for this.

Feel free to tear me apart or disagree in the comments.

10 comments:

  1. I will say one thing about the pick of Trent Williams over Russell Okung. While there is no doubt that Okung was the better overall player, Williams is significantly better on the move, pulling, on screens, etc. Given the kind of plays Shanahan likes to run, it might well be that Williams is a superior fit for the Redskins. I tend to believe that [slightly less talent + better fit] can be a better pick than [better talent + worse pick], so perhaps Shanahan knows his stuff.

    Additionally, as a casual fan, it's important to remember what Bill James said about scouting: "Scouting should be 95% of evaluation, and statistic 5%. Statistics are about who has been good; scouting is about who WILL be good." I figure in this case, the Redskins think that Williams is a better fit and will be better over the next five years.

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  2. I'm not a Dillard fan myself. I think the Giants reached for him and should have taken Chaney out of Miss St, who's bigger and faster than Dillard.

    Dillard would have been there in Rd 5-6.

    I liked Lindval and I think Petrus will have an impact in a year or two.

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  3. The only thing I'll say about the Giants' draft is this: by drafting a safety earlyish, it means Aaron Ross will stay at CB. This is the worst thing to happen at the draft IMO. Even coming out of college he screamed safety and while he's played well at times, he just seems lost, confused and overmatched too often.

    I think the Rams really screwed the pooch though. Suh should've been the number 1 pick. I know they've used first round picks in recent drafts on the D-Line, but you have the best D-Line prospect in years vs. a mediocre QB coming off major surgery. Giving Bradford 30M is a terrible idea, not only b/c of his skills, but his potential isn't even all that high, what we saw at OU is about as good as we can expect at the pro level.

    As I've said too many times before, if your team is going to suck, then don't reach on a QB. Get the offensive line settled, get the defensive line settled, fill in some skill positions and then go after your QB. Saves you from having to draft Bradford 1 overall and you maximize the talent at every position.

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  4. HH, Shanahan does know his stuff when it comes to tackles, there is no doubt about that. Possibly for the offense it will be a better fit for the Redskins. I don't know, I felt like OSU ran some plays that were similar to what OU ran and Okung could have adapted and done as well as Williams may do. I would agree with the talent + fit thing though.

    I didn't think Williams was a Top 5 pick at tackle, but I am also an idiot.

    KBilly, I really like Dillard. I think he will be as good of a fit as Chaney, but only time will tell. I like Lindval also and Petrus is a good backup for the time being.

    Rich, I think it does mean Ross will go to CB, especially since they signed Rolle. I don't like the idea of drafting a QB with other needs either, but I think the Rams had to draft one this year and then if/when it doesn't work out they will have to start over. It is almost more of a PR thing anything else. They couldn't go into the season with Feeley as the starter. So in lieu of signing a FA QB they had to draft one early. I am with you, and thought Suh should have been the guy, but I understand why they didn't do it.

    They may think they got the O-line settled with Saffold and Smith, but they could have used defensive help too.

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  5. I have been hearing Aaron Hernandez was a first round talent, but fell because of smoking pot. Is this true? Is he really that talented?

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  6. <ZZZZZZ#~~

    Yea dude. Hernandez was 1st round talent...[takes hit]...But he likes to toke the reefer.

    Dave's not here man...

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  7. What kills me about the Bradford pick was that if they were willing to spend the money on a veteran QB that they spend on Bradford, they could have got a QB as good as they hope Bradford will be.

    I look at Bradford as the next but not quite as good, Eli Manning. I think Eli is a mediocre QB. He has some good games, some bad games, but if he plays smart, and the Giants play like the Giants are suppossed to be built to play, then he and the team are winners. I'd have been on Suh like a shot. It's going to take a long time to convince me that Bradford was so substantially better then Clausen or McCoy that taking Suh and then one of those qb's later wasn't a better idea.

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  8. Yeah, Hernandez seemed to like pot and it hurt him. I don't know if he had 1st round talent, but he definitely did have talent at UF.

    Martin, teams just have to have a young guy in the draft with that pick and I guess they find it hard to find a good, young QB to give that kind of money to. I like Suh also, but if the Rams put a good team around him I think he can win games. I don't know if he will be a franchise QB or not though. Of course I have doubts about a lot of 1st round QBs anyway.

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  9. Oh, and of all the receivers from USC in the past decade who I thought were going to be good in the pros..Steve Smith. Every one of these other guys relied on size and a ton of other weapons around them to succeed. Smith always played hard, unlike most of the others, ran good routes, had great hands in traffic.

    The only other one that I was on the fence about was Kerry Colbert. He always had good hands, but never seemed to get much seperation in college. If that's a problem at that level, it's going to be moreso at the Pros.

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  10. I am at the point I don't trust any USC receivers. I see Williams as a product of the USC system a little bit and just overall really similar to Jarrett, Colbert, and Williams. I am not saying Damian Williams won't succeed, but he isn't big and isn't fast.

    If he went to Southern Methodist I wonder where he would even be drafted.

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