5/1/07

It's May, which means training camp is right around the corner. The NFL Draft was this past weekend, so let's talk some football.

The first round this year was excrutiatingly long - 6 hours, 2 minutes, to be exact. And it wasn't that long because of all the excitement, either; no trades took place until pick 14. This seemed to be a draft where everyone wanted to move down, but no one could find a partner. Here are my 10 observations from the draft:

1. Family ties was the theme of the weekend for the Washington Redskins. Their first round pick, LaRon Landry, is the brother of Ravens' safety Dawan Landry. In addition, their 6th round picks were HB Blades, son of former NFLer Bennie Blades, and Jordan Palmer, younger brother of Cincinnati QB Carson.

2. Three or perhaps four players who are ready to step in and make an immediate big-time impact were available in the first round. Those players were Calvin Johnson, who went to Detroit, Landry, Adrian Peterson, who went to Minnesota, and the questionable one is Greg Olsen, who went to Chicago. Everyone else should struggle for a season, given their positions and skill levels.

3. I don't know at what point New England looked at Washington and decided to make them the model for their franchise, but it's a strategy they ought to forget as soon as possible. Adding career second bananas Donte Stallworth (on his third team in three seasons) and Adalius "I've played my entire career next to Ray Lewis" Thomas, as well as a 30-year-old Randy Moss who hasn't been an impact player for years and has now been booted from two teams because he throws his hands in the air, and waves them like he just don't care, are moves that are absolutely Redskinesque, and I mean that in the worst possible way. Meanwhile the Redskins, who have quietly made a few strategic moves to bolster their defensive personnel but avoided the temptation of another major roster overhaul, have looked like the Patriots. It's almost like the best and worst front offices in the League had a brain switch. I'm in favor.

4. How does Dallas not draft Brady Quinn? Are they really that sold on Toni Romo? I mean, really? I can't believe they traded his rights to Cleveland after his absurd free-fall - absolutely mind-boggling.

5. Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, seems to be in love with the Brows draft. If I'm a Browns fan, that fact scares the shit out of me.

6. Draft "grades" are so ridiculous at this point. First of all, most everyone uses the wrong criteria - the draft isn't supposed to help you this coming season. As I said before, only a handful of drafted players will be making any kind of impact for their teams, the rest will play like rookies. Secondly, we have no idea how this is going to pan out. How many experts thought the Chargers did a fabulous job the year they took Ryan Leaf? Who knew the Patriots got the steal of the century when they took Tom Brady in the 6th round (I'll give you a clue - not even the Patriots)? Talk to me in three to five years, then we can grade each draft class.

7. How much money did Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith lose when his team crapped the bed at the BCS title game? He was being talked about as a day one player back when his Buckeyes were trouncing everyone in sight. One Florida steamrolling later, though, and he's going with the very last pick in the fifth round. Not that that game helped his opponent Chris Leak out any - he didn't get drafted at all.

8. Here's my list of teams that will be very sorry they passed on Brady Quinn: the Buccaneers, the Vikings, the Dolphins (big time!), the Texans (will they ever learn?), the Bills, the Panthers, the Packers, and the Cowboys.

9. Just because the Panthers should have taken Brady Quinn with the 14th pick, doesn't mean that Keyshawn Johnson should be on ESPN's draft coverage saying that the Panthers should have taken Brady Quinn with the 14th pick.

10. First round picks most likely to bust: Gaines Adams, TB (one-dimnsional); Adrian Peterson, MIN (fragile); Ted Ginn, MIA (are you kidding me?); Marshawn Lynch, BUF (Pac-10 RB); Justin Harrell, GB (fragile); Brandon Meriwether, NE (crazy); Anthony Spencer, DAL (not that good).

I think, for the hell of it, I'll grade 2003's NFL draft with my next post in this blog.