The Draft

[Bubba Grizz]

So, who's happy with the draft this year? Packers got Raji and Matthews in a first round that stunned Green Bay because Ted Thompson rarely trades up.

[Canelek]

Hard to say. Some good players were drafted by Denver, but the D-Line was ignored. Again.

[Sylvus]

I really really really didn't want the Lions to draft Stafford, I don't think he's going to be a good pro.

I hope he proves me wrong.

[miir]

I still can't fathom how a team can pay a rookie 13 million a season...

[Wulfran]

I still can't fathom how a team can pay a rookie 13 million a season...

No shit... the NFL seems backwards in this regard. Pay the kids after they've proven themselves...give them incentive to perform. Shelling out those kind of bucks on the basis of what they've done against college kids is crazy to me...

So... bets on Stafford becoming Joey Harington Pt II?

[Sueven]

The rookie contracts really fuck up the draft, and hopefully they get fixed in the next round of collective bargaining.

Eagles perspective: I'm happy.

The Eagles and the Patriots seem to have mastered the art of gaming the draft. Both teams have traded down enough times in the past that both have stockpiled substantial assets for the future. Investing time into building up your future draft assets is very worthwhile. This year the Eagles were able to make 8 draft picks, trade draft picks for two good veterans (Jason Peters and Ellis Hobbs), and still have 9 picks stockpiled for 2010, when they can do it all over again.

As for the specific players:

Jeremy Maclin: Happy about this. Another speedy, relatively small receiver with good open field running skills and the ability to return kicks seems a little redundant with DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis already on the roster. But these are the kind of guys that thrive in a west coast offense, and Maclin has somewhat better size and ball skills which should make him a better threat on deep balls than anyone we've got on the roster now, and he was too talented to ignore at the spot where he was drafted. I'd rather have him than anyone we might have taken instead, like Michael Oher or Percy Harvin or Donald Brown. Brandon Pettigrew would have been nice, but Maclin has more potential and is equally valuable for the Eagles needs.

LeSean McCoy: Perfect sort of runner for the Eagles, good hands and instinctive. Was very productive in college and only played two years, so still has some tread on the tires. Late second round seems to be a good place to draft a running back; you're high enough up that the guys available are likely to succeed, but not so high up that you're wasting a high pick on a guy who won't perform any better than the guy you could get a full round later.

Everyone else: Stockpiling bodies at useful positions. Got some help and depth in the secondary and along the O-line. Happy with most of these guys (especially Macho Harris), although I'm a little curious why we drafted that one wideout from Washington State. We've already got a bunch of wideouts-- DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Kevin Curtis and Jason Avant are pretty set as the top four, I expect, and we've also got Hank Baskett and Reggie Brown on the roster. Maybe this new guy will push Baskett for the obligatory tall guy roster spot? Or maybe he's our excuse to bump Reggie Brown off the roster for good?

Anyway, the importance of stockpiling guys like this is demonstrated every year when competent teams are able to promote competent in-house talent to replace injured or underperforming players. This happened last year for the Eagles. Shawn Andrews was lost for the season with injuries/depression/general instability, and was replaced by Max Jean-Gilles, a late-round pick from a few years back who stepped up and played well until he got hurt too, at which point he was replaced by Nick Cole, another deep roster guy who was also able to step up and play well. Hopefully we can get a few more good backups out of this crew, and guys like Cornelius Ingram have the potential to develop into more.

This is also a weakness of teams that are constantly trading their draft picks for veterans or to move up. Who's going to step up when your star acquisition gets hurt? The Jets traded two good draft picks AND three competent players for Sanchez, in the midst of a draft where they only selected three total guys? This is not a team that is going to have a strong bottom of the roster.

[Sueven]

Also, Bubba:

Read in some random Sports Illustrated article that Clay Matthews has gained EIGHTY pounds since coming to college. Are you fucking kidding me? What do they feed the players at USC?

[Trek]

The Eagles had a good draft, if Ingram comes back after the injury he could be a huge steal and a great weapon, if not, no big deal as Sueven mentioned the Eagles are very good at stock piling picks. I dont know why so many Eagle fans are always down on Reid and co. even tho we havent won a SB they keep turning out good/competitive clubs, which is all I can ask for IMO.

[Winnow]

I'm really happy with what the Cardinals have done in the offseason.


1. Resigned Warner

2. Put Boldin on the trading block and no one made a big offer. Now, Boldin can eat his pride, his shit-ass agent can get fired or finally negotiate a reasonable contract and the Cardinals get to keep Fitz/Boldin/Breaston (all 1000+ yards last year) in tact.

3. Beanie Wells. I admit I'm completely anti OhioSu but watching tape of this guy makes me hope he kicks the OhioSU curse and actually performs. He is the kind of RB the Cardinals need. Big, hard to tackle, and can move the chains, allowing the Air Show even more freedom to destroy secondaries.

4. Draft Picks #3 and #4. Safety Rashad Johnson and CB Greg Toler. Rashad is going to be in our 4 safety packages with Rolle and Adrian Wilson (both outstanding players), allowing Arizona to keep Francisco off the field (guy that gave up the final TD to Pittsburgh)

Toler is a small school CB (like Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was for us last year and he turned out to be an excellent pick)

Pro Football Weekly on the draft's 4th round:

The Cardinals may have landed the top sleeper in the draft in St. Paul's CB Greg Toler, who awoke in the scouting community after performing very well in the East Coast and Cactus Bowls. He has size, ball skills and surprising instincts for a small-school talent and should fit in well in a secondary with another small-school prospect, Tennessee State's Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

nice

5. OLB Cody Brown #2 pick. He helps with our outside rush.

Weak spots that need to be addressed:

-need a solid TE. Imagine Arizona's passing game if they could add a TE to the mix...or even just a good blocking TE.

-need to add some depth to Offensive line. The O line has matured and is decent but really needs some depth and a Center.

-need a return man on special teams. Arrington gone, and he was only so so. Perhaps Toler will be the new return guy with his 4.3 speed.

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Overall I'm extremely happy as long as Boldin gets resigned. They kept everyone together, Improved their running game and shored up their secondary.

What's not to like about the Cardinals going into next season? I can see a rematch of Philly @ Arizona for the NFC Championship again. The rest of the NFC West isn't going to challenge Arizona next year. AZ will be playing for playoff positioning.

The Eagles should improve as well with an added WR to go opposite DeSean Jackson.

I was worried about the Cardinals falling apart after last year but amazingly they've held together and actually made some solid improvments.

[Zamtuk]

There is an OSU curse in the NFL?! I must be unaware of this, please explain...

[Wulfran]

Also, Bubba:

Read in some random Sports Illustrated article that Clay Matthews has gained EIGHTY pounds since coming to college. Are you fucking kidding me? What do they feed the players at USC?

Is it wrong that when I read this I had an image of topless cheerleaders floating around a locker room doing a Sound of Music motif, singing "just a little bit of sugar, helps the steroids go down..."? (yeah I know there is no proof of programs of performance enhancing drug use in these athletes but 80 lbs???)

[Bubba Grizz]

Same actress (Julie Andrews) different movie. Mary Poppins is what you are thinking of.


I have kids.

[Wulfran]

You're right! I fail at musicals...

[Sylvus]

Interesting... I just heard that the Steelers released Larry Foote, and that the Lions knew that was coming and that's why they didn't draft a LB.

If that's the case, I have a lot more respect for the Lions organization than I did on draft day.

[Spang]

The Lions are going to win the Super Bowl.

[Bubba Grizz]

The Lions are going to win the Super Bowl.

You know, I'm going to be in Vegas to do some presentations this July. I think that is worth a $10 bet.

[Kilmoll the Sexy]

Interesting... I just heard that the Steelers released Larry Foote, and that the Lions knew that was coming and that's why they didn't draft a LB.

If that's the case, I have a lot more respect for the Lions organization than I did on draft day.

This would not have taken a super genious to know it was coming though. Every person who follows the Stillers knew Foote was done this year with that man-beast Timmons waiting behind him. Foote being a Mich St guy made it an easy move to the Lions (although it may be awful damn rough going from Super Bowl champ to toilet bowl team)