The post-combine edition. Some big things happening here, and with it, teams are zeroing in on who they will pick. It's usually around here that my drafts start to resemble more of what the owners will do, so here we go.
1. Detroit (0-16): Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia
Rationale: With Orlovsky leaving, they now need a quarterback. Sanchez could go here if Stafford performs poorly on his pro day, but for now, the overrated Georgia QB is the pick (as opposed to the overrated USC QB).
2. St. Louis (2-14): Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
Rationale: The Rams haven't hid their man-crush on Monroe, and appear poised to take him at #2. They clearly need a tackle, and Monroe blew them away at the Combine.
3. Kansas City (2-14): Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
Rationale: Mark Sanchez is a possibility, but new coach Todd Haley needs to give Tyler Thigpen a chance under center. Curry looked great at the Combine, and he's a safe pick in this spot.
4. Seattle (4-12): Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
Rationale: Taking two OT's in the top four is painful, but Smith fills a need here. Steve Hutchinson left several years ago, and nobody's stepped up to take his place. Michael Crabtree could also go here if Seattle finds a nice prospect at the second round level, but OT is a more pressing need.
5. Cleveland (4-12): Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
Rationale: With Eric Mangini coming to town, Cleveland needs edge-rushers. That's exactly what Orakpo is, and he reaffirmed his status as the top defensive end in the draft with a solid Combine.
6. Cincinnati (4-11-1): Mark Sanchez, QB, USC
Rationale: With linebackers falling left and right, Sanchez is the best need-filler out there. It's clear that Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't the answer as the QB of the future, and Carson Palmer's constant injuries don't bode well.
7. Oakland (5-11): Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
Rationale: Al Davis loves star power, and there isn't a more exciting player in the draft than Crabtree. He fills a big need in Oakland, and could give the rocket arm of JaMarcus Russell a great target to throw to.
8. Jacksonville (5-11): Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
Rationale: His 40 time at the Combine was a bit slow, but he's a very good cover guy, and the Jags might shift him to free safety due to his versatility.
9. Green Bay (6-10): B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College
Rationale: Raji has flown up the charts due to very good Senior Bowl and Combine. With linebackers' stocks falling, Raji is the best fit for a team that needs defensive help very fast.
10. San Francisco (7-9): Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss
Rationale: SF needs to protect Frank Gore and give Shaun Hill time to throw. Oher's got some question marks that were brought up at the Combine in regards to pass protection, but he's great in the run game.
11. Buffalo (7-9): Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
Rationale: Insert the token Marshawn Lynch joke here. He's likely to be suspended for his most recent arrest, and Fred Jackson is a free agent. Even if re-signed, though, Jackson isn't a feature back, and Moreno will be in due time.
12. Denver (8-8): Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State
Rationale: They were down to their fifth and sixth-string guys this past season. Wells has a good combination of power and speed, and if he stays healthy, he'll be a good one.
13. Washington (8-8): Everette Brown, DE, Florida State
Rationale: Washington could take Duke Robinson or reach for a tackle, but Brown already has talent and could learn from Jason Taylor, one of the best of his era at defensive end. Ultimately, I think that's too much to pass up.
14. New Orleans (8-8): Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
Rationale: Davis had the most impressive 40 time of any top corner at the Combine. He has temper issues, but New Orleans desperately needs help in the secondary.
15. Houston (8-8): Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
Rationale: He's a sleeper, but I've always been extremely high on him. He has the best acceleration of any wideout in the draft not named Michael Crabtree, and the Texans could use a weapon to line up opposite Andre Johnson.
16. San Diego (8-8): Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
Rationale: Andre Smith may very well be the most inept football player in this draft pool. Bailing on the Combine cost him $30 million and 15 spots in this draft, but he won't drop past San Diego, a team that could use youth on the O-line.
17. New York Jets (9-7): Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
Rationale: I love Maualuga, but his Combine was less than stellar, as he tweaked his hamstring while running the 40. Him falling this far is a steal, and is more tempting than Jeremy Maclin, who would also be a good pick in this spot.
18. Chicago (9-7): Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
Rationale: On the other hand, the situation's much more dire in Chicago. Simply put, Kyle Orton needs a guy with soft hands to throw to, and Maclin's one of the best on the board who fills a definite need.
19. Tampa Bay (9-7): Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech
Rationale: Johnson could go to Buffalo at #11, Washington at #13, or Houston at #15. Jon Gruden compared him to Julius Peppers, and he IS a physical freak.
20. Detroit - from Dallas (9-7): Duke Robinson, G, Oklahoma
Rationale: Unfortunately, Andre Smith doesn't drop here. Still, Robinson is the best guard prospect in the draft by leaps and bounds. He'll never be a tackle, but he helps shore up a lousy front line in the Motor City.
21. Philadelphia (9-6-1): Alex Mack, C, California
Rationale: After Brent Celek caught 10 passes against Arizona, the tight end situation looks a lot more promising. Mack is clearly the best center in the draft, and he's an instant upgrade on the o-line for a coach who loves to draft big guys.
22. Minnesota (10-6): Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State
Rationale: Freeman's a reach, but that should tell you all you need to know about Tarvaris Jackson. This pick changes if they sign Kurt Warner or Jeff Garcia, which could very well happen.
23. New England (11-5): D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt
Rationale: Simply put, you could trot Deion Sanders out there and he'd compete for a job in this secondary. Moore is the best corner available, and given NE's performance in pass coverage, I think the Pats need him here.
24. Atlanta (11-5): Sen'Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn
Rationale: If Atlanta wants to build upon their success this year, they need to improve their run defense. Marks was the lone good part of Auburn's terrible season, and he'll be a very good pro.
25. Miami (11-5): Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky
Rationale: Miami needs secondary help. I had them taking Moore for quite a while, but with the defections from the draft, Lindley's the best defensive back available at this point.
26. Baltimore (11-5): Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
Rationale: This is an easy pick with all the first-round wideouts off the board. Pettigrew isn't only a good blocker, but he provides Joe Flacco with a big target in the midrange passing game, so he's a perfect fit.
27. Indianapolis (12-4): Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss
Rationale: Not only is Jerry good against the run and pass, but he runs a sub-5.00 40. For a defensive tackle, that's incredible, and for the Colts, who DESPERATELY need a run-stopper, it's too much to resist.
28. Philadelphia - from Carolina (12-4): Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State
Rationale: In looking at this defense, nobody in the front seven stands out as a star. Maybin's a bit of a tweener, but he plays hard and puts pressure on opposing quarterbacks. His being a sophomore hurts his status somewhat, but if he drops here, look out for Philly to pull the trigger on the local pass-rusher.
29. New York Giants (12-4): Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina
Rationale: The Giants could do anything here, and I wouldn't be surprised. Nicks, though, is shooting up draft charts, and he's the best WR available. For Eli Manning, who tried to turn Domenik Hixon into Plaxico Burress and failed miserably, Nicks is a good pick. He can replace the aging Amani Toomer and be a viable target.
30. Tennessee (13-3): Clint Sintim, LB, Virginia
Rationale: The drop from Jerry to the rest of the DT's is pretty substantial, and while they could go younger at either QB or WR, Sintim is a versatile linebacker who can play inside or outside in any system, and his 11 sacks in 10 games should say it all about his ability to bust up plays in the backfield.
31. Arizona (9-7): Javon Ringer, RB, Michigan State
Rationale: Arizona has no worries about Wells being off the board, as they've already got a quasi-power back in Tim Hightower. Ringer should be the dash to Hightower's smash, and with both being young, they've got time to mesh together. This could go in a different direction if Edgerrin James re-signs with the club, but that doesn't look probable right now.
32. Pittsburgh (12-4): Eben Britton, OT, Arizona
Rationale: Britton's the last of the marquee tackles in the draft, and Pittsburgh is more than happy to take him here. At 6'6", 310, he's a force, and one Pittsburgh needs in protecting Ben Roethlisberger, who's been on his back more times than any quarterback in the past several seasons.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
March Madness? How about February Freakout?
Why wait until several weeks from now to determine who's in and who's out of the NCAA tournament? Here is my mock bracket, with a disclaimer. I do not claim to emulate what the seeding committee is going to do. I'm merely out there to reward the teams who I feel deserve spots in the dance. I'll go seed-by-seed.
#1
1) Oklahoma
2) UNC
3) Pitt
4) UConn
These four teams are pretty much #1 locks barring losses to Little Sisters of the Poor-like schools. Flip the orders around any way you'd like. UConn looked pretty vulnerable against Pitt, where DaJuan Blair manhandled the overhyped, overrated Hasheem Thabeet, so they're probably the team in most danger of dropping out of this tier (even if that danger isn't significant).
#2
1) Michigan State
2) Louisville
3) Marquette
4) Memphis
MSU's stock is rising quickly. They're clearly the best team in the Big 10, a conference that's pretty strong this year. Louisville and Marquette have had great years in the Big East despite some recent hiccups, and Memphis is Memphis, dominating Conference USA.
#3
1) Wake Forest
2) Clemson
3) Villanova
4) Duke
The ACC freakshow, plus the fifth-best team in the Big East. I think all three ACC teams above are ridiculously overrated, especially Duke, a team with zip in the way of skilled bigs. Don't be surprised if I downgrade these teams further in my next mock tourney.
#4
1) Illinois
2) Missouri
3) Arizona State
4) Kansas
Some sleepers here. Illinois has snuck up on people this year, but Bruce Weber's gotten his guys ready at the right time. Missouri and Kansas have both been solid in the Big 12, and ASU is the best of the overrated Pac-10.
#5
1) Washington
2) Xavier
3) UCLA
4) Syracuse
Each of these teams is prone to the dreaded 12-over-5 upset special that happens every year, especially UCLA and 'Cuse. Washington's been good, but the conference is overrated, and Xavier may or may not truly be the best team in an unusually-deep Atlantic 10. UCLA and Syracuse, meanwhile, have notable weaknesses up front (Memo to the 12-seed that draws the Orange: Foul Arinze Onuaku, the worst free-throw shooter in the country, early and often)
#6
1) Purdue
2) Butler
3) LSU
4) Ohio State
Some teams that have flown under the radar. Purdue's slowdown game gives opponents major headaches, Butler's mid-major status leaves it easily-overlooked, LSU is the best of a bad SEC, and Ohio State has some quality wins this year, including two over my beloved Michigan Wolverines.
#7
1) Dayton
2) Florida State
3) Gonzaga
4) Boston College
We're getting into the teams I'm not totally crazy about. Dayton's OK, but Florida State fell out of the top-25 this week, Gonzaga's become so underrated they're overrated, and Boston College has a horrible Jekyll and Hyde complex.
#8
1) Utah State
2) Kansas State
3) Notre Dame
4) Kentucky
I can hear the Syracuse fans who live above me bashing their heads and screaming "WHY NOTRE DAME?!" I'll get to that later. Utah State's 24-2 record is nice, but their strength of schedule isn't. Kansas State has flown under the radar in the Big 12, and Kentucky's probably the #2 team in the SEC.
Notre Dame's been disappointing this year. However, that win over Louisville, in my mind, reaffirmed themselves as a tournament team. Of their seven in-conference losses, five were on the road, and the two at home were to ranked teams. If they don't choke in the conference tournament, I think they're in.
#9
1) South Carolina
2) Utah
3) California
4) Virginia Tech
SC is among the SEC's top teams, while Utah's mid-major conference is the only bad part of a very solid season. California has emerged as a dependable #4 in the Pac-10, and Virginia Tech has several quality wins, including one over Wake Forest when that squad was tops in the nation.
#10
1) Tennessee
2) Texas
3) Davidson
4) Minnesota
Three bubble teams and Stephen Curry's backup band. If Curry's ankle injury is worse than presumed, Davidson's out. However, with him on the floor, the team becomes an instant threat to go fairly far.
#11
1) Arizona
2) Providence
3) Florida
4) Temple
Three teams from power conferences make up most of this tier. Arizona and Providence are led by coaches in their first years at the helm, and both have done spectacular jobs. Florida's been OK, and Temple has quietly emerged as the third-best team in the Atlantic Ten, a conference that rivals the lower Big 6 groups this season.
#12
1) San Diego State
2) Creighton
3) Illinois State
4) Siena
SDSU is 2nd behind Utah in the Mountain West, and that's good enough. Creighton and Illinois State represent the Missouri Valley, which becomes trendy every March. Siena gave themselves a criminally-tough schedule, but the team dominated the MAAC, gave Pitt a game on the road, and may get in even if they don't win their conference tournament.
#13
1) St. Mary's
2) St. Joseph's
3) Rhode Island
4) Houston
Like Stephen Curry's Davidson, St. Mary's is a one-man show. If Patrick Mills isn't healthy, they're out. St. Joseph's and Rhode Island get in by virtue of the A10 being so good, and Houston is the second-best team in Conference USA behind Memphis.
#14
1) VCU
2) Northern Iowa
3) Cornell
4) Buffalo
#15
1) Arkansas Little Rock
2) Weber State
3) North Dakota State
4) American
#16
1) Stephen F. Austin
2) Radford
3) Morehead State
PLAY IN) CSU Northridge/Alabama State
These are all winners of lower conferences.
LAST FEW TEAMS OUT: BYU, UAB, Cincinnati, Wisconsin Green Bay, Penn State
#1
1) Oklahoma
2) UNC
3) Pitt
4) UConn
These four teams are pretty much #1 locks barring losses to Little Sisters of the Poor-like schools. Flip the orders around any way you'd like. UConn looked pretty vulnerable against Pitt, where DaJuan Blair manhandled the overhyped, overrated Hasheem Thabeet, so they're probably the team in most danger of dropping out of this tier (even if that danger isn't significant).
#2
1) Michigan State
2) Louisville
3) Marquette
4) Memphis
MSU's stock is rising quickly. They're clearly the best team in the Big 10, a conference that's pretty strong this year. Louisville and Marquette have had great years in the Big East despite some recent hiccups, and Memphis is Memphis, dominating Conference USA.
#3
1) Wake Forest
2) Clemson
3) Villanova
4) Duke
The ACC freakshow, plus the fifth-best team in the Big East. I think all three ACC teams above are ridiculously overrated, especially Duke, a team with zip in the way of skilled bigs. Don't be surprised if I downgrade these teams further in my next mock tourney.
#4
1) Illinois
2) Missouri
3) Arizona State
4) Kansas
Some sleepers here. Illinois has snuck up on people this year, but Bruce Weber's gotten his guys ready at the right time. Missouri and Kansas have both been solid in the Big 12, and ASU is the best of the overrated Pac-10.
#5
1) Washington
2) Xavier
3) UCLA
4) Syracuse
Each of these teams is prone to the dreaded 12-over-5 upset special that happens every year, especially UCLA and 'Cuse. Washington's been good, but the conference is overrated, and Xavier may or may not truly be the best team in an unusually-deep Atlantic 10. UCLA and Syracuse, meanwhile, have notable weaknesses up front (Memo to the 12-seed that draws the Orange: Foul Arinze Onuaku, the worst free-throw shooter in the country, early and often)
#6
1) Purdue
2) Butler
3) LSU
4) Ohio State
Some teams that have flown under the radar. Purdue's slowdown game gives opponents major headaches, Butler's mid-major status leaves it easily-overlooked, LSU is the best of a bad SEC, and Ohio State has some quality wins this year, including two over my beloved Michigan Wolverines.
#7
1) Dayton
2) Florida State
3) Gonzaga
4) Boston College
We're getting into the teams I'm not totally crazy about. Dayton's OK, but Florida State fell out of the top-25 this week, Gonzaga's become so underrated they're overrated, and Boston College has a horrible Jekyll and Hyde complex.
#8
1) Utah State
2) Kansas State
3) Notre Dame
4) Kentucky
I can hear the Syracuse fans who live above me bashing their heads and screaming "WHY NOTRE DAME?!" I'll get to that later. Utah State's 24-2 record is nice, but their strength of schedule isn't. Kansas State has flown under the radar in the Big 12, and Kentucky's probably the #2 team in the SEC.
Notre Dame's been disappointing this year. However, that win over Louisville, in my mind, reaffirmed themselves as a tournament team. Of their seven in-conference losses, five were on the road, and the two at home were to ranked teams. If they don't choke in the conference tournament, I think they're in.
#9
1) South Carolina
2) Utah
3) California
4) Virginia Tech
SC is among the SEC's top teams, while Utah's mid-major conference is the only bad part of a very solid season. California has emerged as a dependable #4 in the Pac-10, and Virginia Tech has several quality wins, including one over Wake Forest when that squad was tops in the nation.
#10
1) Tennessee
2) Texas
3) Davidson
4) Minnesota
Three bubble teams and Stephen Curry's backup band. If Curry's ankle injury is worse than presumed, Davidson's out. However, with him on the floor, the team becomes an instant threat to go fairly far.
#11
1) Arizona
2) Providence
3) Florida
4) Temple
Three teams from power conferences make up most of this tier. Arizona and Providence are led by coaches in their first years at the helm, and both have done spectacular jobs. Florida's been OK, and Temple has quietly emerged as the third-best team in the Atlantic Ten, a conference that rivals the lower Big 6 groups this season.
#12
1) San Diego State
2) Creighton
3) Illinois State
4) Siena
SDSU is 2nd behind Utah in the Mountain West, and that's good enough. Creighton and Illinois State represent the Missouri Valley, which becomes trendy every March. Siena gave themselves a criminally-tough schedule, but the team dominated the MAAC, gave Pitt a game on the road, and may get in even if they don't win their conference tournament.
#13
1) St. Mary's
2) St. Joseph's
3) Rhode Island
4) Houston
Like Stephen Curry's Davidson, St. Mary's is a one-man show. If Patrick Mills isn't healthy, they're out. St. Joseph's and Rhode Island get in by virtue of the A10 being so good, and Houston is the second-best team in Conference USA behind Memphis.
#14
1) VCU
2) Northern Iowa
3) Cornell
4) Buffalo
#15
1) Arkansas Little Rock
2) Weber State
3) North Dakota State
4) American
#16
1) Stephen F. Austin
2) Radford
3) Morehead State
PLAY IN) CSU Northridge/Alabama State
These are all winners of lower conferences.
LAST FEW TEAMS OUT: BYU, UAB, Cincinnati, Wisconsin Green Bay, Penn State
Sunday, February 15, 2009
ROL Bus: Back to full strength
Took some time, but I'm back in a blogging mood, and in time for Rock of Love. Oh, the miracles of life.
Anyway, this is the week of the yearly extravaganza that is Mud Bowl. Basically, all the girls wear skimpy attire while playing football on a wet, muddy field. Sophisticated, no? The team who wins gets a group date, and the MVP gets an overnight date. To nobody's shock, it degenerates into a full-on catfight, and we find out Bret doesn't have much of an arm, as he quarterbacks for both teams. Regardless, the team consisting of non-blondes wins, and the MVP award goes to a southern brunette. She goes to the show, and everyone else sort of sits around and mopes. Meanwhile, the southern belle and our perpetually-single protagonist have plenty of alone time.
Bret gets hit by a bus when a friend of his is killed in Iraq. Naturally, this dampens the mood of the group date. Last week, the tattooed brunette froze when confronted by Bret, and she does the same thing again but saves herself with the one thing all rock stars understand: A deep tongue-kiss. Smooth.
Eliminations come up, and we come down to tattooed brunette, blonde from Utah, and blonde introduced last week. Blonde introduced last week leaves tearfully, and I can't say I'll miss her too much. Next week: Blontourage members get called out for lesbian acts. Yep, this is must-see TV, folks.
Anyway, this is the week of the yearly extravaganza that is Mud Bowl. Basically, all the girls wear skimpy attire while playing football on a wet, muddy field. Sophisticated, no? The team who wins gets a group date, and the MVP gets an overnight date. To nobody's shock, it degenerates into a full-on catfight, and we find out Bret doesn't have much of an arm, as he quarterbacks for both teams. Regardless, the team consisting of non-blondes wins, and the MVP award goes to a southern brunette. She goes to the show, and everyone else sort of sits around and mopes. Meanwhile, the southern belle and our perpetually-single protagonist have plenty of alone time.
Bret gets hit by a bus when a friend of his is killed in Iraq. Naturally, this dampens the mood of the group date. Last week, the tattooed brunette froze when confronted by Bret, and she does the same thing again but saves herself with the one thing all rock stars understand: A deep tongue-kiss. Smooth.
Eliminations come up, and we come down to tattooed brunette, blonde from Utah, and blonde introduced last week. Blonde introduced last week leaves tearfully, and I can't say I'll miss her too much. Next week: Blontourage members get called out for lesbian acts. Yep, this is must-see TV, folks.
Monday, February 9, 2009
ROL Mini-blog
Thanks to my computer crashing last night during Rock of Love, no full recap this week. It's a shame, because a lot happened. Bret didn't think he was establishing a true connection with any of the girls, so he adds three girls off the street and puts them on the bus. Gotta say, though, it's his own fault (at least partially). When your idea of a fun group date is going to a strip club, there's not a lot of emotion there. Regardless, those three stay, and the girl most famous for her spat with former pornstar about her dark skin color gets the boot. I'm pretty indifferent; she wasn't repulsive, but she didn't really stand out.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
A-Fraud and Taken
My sports radio comrade Mike Polak wrote a sound blog post about the A-Rod steroids situation. Here's a link: http://nysportsbuff.blogspot.com/2009/02/rod-is-idiot.html
In other headlines, the wife and I saw Taken this weekend. Both of us were genuinely impressed. The flick is about a retired spy whose daughter gets taken hostage on a trip to Europe. Naturally, he flies over and hauls ass. On the whole, this doesn't sound impressive, but the execution of the middle-of-the-road idea is very good. The writers didn't overdo it with the script, and unlike some productions that make the hero's imminent escape blatantly obvious (24, I'm looking at you here), the movie has you on the edge of your seat on several occasions.
The script isn't anything special, but in the end, you get a hero you can feel for (you simply DON'T mess with a guy's kid). Nothing's TOO overdone, from an action standpoint, and it's not overly drawn out (which is good; there are only so many ways to kill someone). It's simple, it's effective, and while nothing will really take your breath away, Liam Neeson and company don't make many mistakes. All told, I recommend seeing it in theatres. It's not an Academy Award-winner or anything, but what it does, it does well.
RATING: ***1/4
In other headlines, the wife and I saw Taken this weekend. Both of us were genuinely impressed. The flick is about a retired spy whose daughter gets taken hostage on a trip to Europe. Naturally, he flies over and hauls ass. On the whole, this doesn't sound impressive, but the execution of the middle-of-the-road idea is very good. The writers didn't overdo it with the script, and unlike some productions that make the hero's imminent escape blatantly obvious (24, I'm looking at you here), the movie has you on the edge of your seat on several occasions.
The script isn't anything special, but in the end, you get a hero you can feel for (you simply DON'T mess with a guy's kid). Nothing's TOO overdone, from an action standpoint, and it's not overly drawn out (which is good; there are only so many ways to kill someone). It's simple, it's effective, and while nothing will really take your breath away, Liam Neeson and company don't make many mistakes. All told, I recommend seeing it in theatres. It's not an Academy Award-winner or anything, but what it does, it does well.
RATING: ***1/4
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