I know it's been a while since the draft, but I haven't blogged about it so here we go. I'll start out with breaking down the draft from USC's perspective and then from Florida's perspective in the next blog.
No USC players were chosen in the first round. A lot of Trojans slipped in the draft with as many as 4 Trojans projected in the first round at different times. This is the first time in a while that there were no Trojans drafted in the first round, although USC did have seven players selected overrall in the 2010 NFL Draft. That tied for second most with Alabama and Oklahoma this year, behind only Florida's 9 picks. USC has had at least 5 players chosen in each of the past 6 NFL drafts and 7 of the last 8. And over history USC is second all time only to Notre Dame with respect to players drafted. USC now has 464 players drafted by the NFL, and Notre Dame has 466.
The USC draft picks:
Taylor Mays, S: (49th overall, 17th in the 2nd round) Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. Taylor Mays was projected by many to be a mid-first round pick so to see him slide well into the second round was surprising. His former coach Pete Carroll also passed on him multiple times to add insult to injury. However Taylor Mays landed in a good spot. The 49ers are a good fit for him. Coach Mik Singletary will know how to get the most out of Taylor Mays and he is best suited for a 3-4 defense where he can roam around so this might end well for Taylor Mays despite him dropping a full round and losing a lot of money after not coming out after his juniour year.
Charles Brown, OT: (64th overall, 32nd in the 2nd round) Drafted by the New Orleans Saints. Many also had Charles slated as a late first round pick so he fell a bit as well. New Orleans already has a pro bowl left tackle in Jamal Brown who is only 29 years old. And although Brees was sacked 20 times last year, it's unlikely that Charles Brown will be getting much playing time barring any injuries so he'll have a year or two (or three) to sit and learn and develop.
Damian Williams, WR: (77th overall, 13th pick in the 3rd round) Drafted by the Tennessee Titans. Many had Damian Williams as a 2nd rounder with some even thinking he would slip into the 1st round so he slipped a bit as well. The Titans have as many as 10 receivers on their roster, but none that really stand out so Williams will get his shot alongside last year's top pick Kenny Britt. Williams should be able to make his mark on this team even if it's not as a WR as he was one of the best return men in college last year.
Kevin Thomas, CB: (94th overall, 30th pick in the 3rd round) Drafted by the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts could use some help on defense so Thomas should get a shot. He was helped by his performance during the combine where he was able to showcase a good combination of size and speed (6 ft 192lbs and 4.48 40 yard dash).
Everson Griffen, DE: (100th overall, 2nd pick in the 4th round) Drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. Griffen was projected by many to be a late first round pick, but fell all the way to the 4th round due to character concerns. The Vikings already led the league in sacks last year so he is going to a position of strength. He should be able to get some playing time however to showcase his skills.
Joe McKnight, RB: (112th overall, 14th pick in the 4th round) Drafted by the New York Jets. McKnight skipped his senior year to enter the draft after allegations of illegal benefits came about before USC's bowl game this year. McKnight heads to a team that led the league in rushing last year. They lost their leading rusher Thomas Jones and Leon Washington, but they picked up LT. McKnight will be the 3rd back behind Greene and Tomlinson, but he should be able to contribute on special teams.
Anthony McCoy, TE: (185th overall, 16th pick in the 6th round) Drafted by the Seattle Seahawks. McCoy was projected by most to be a 2nd round draft pick, but due to a reported failed drug test he fell all the way to the 6th round. He is penciled in as the 3rd TE on the Seahawks, but if anyone knows how to use him it's his old college coach Pete Carroll so he might see some playing time if he comes prepared.
In my next blog I'll take a look at the Florida Gators that were drafted in the 2010 NFL Draft.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
The NBA Finals: Celtics vs. Lakers
OK it's the match up we've all been waiting for. Well at least since Lebron fizzled out of the playoffs a couple of rounds ago much like he did last year. This match up is intriguing on so many levels.
Preface
First of all there is the history. This is the 12th time these two teams will meet up in the finals. That's more than any other match up in any other major professional sport. For the record Boston leads the series 9-2 at the moment. Boston dominated the series early on with Bill Russell against Wilt and Jerry West's Lakers, but Magic Johnson was able to take 2 out of the 3 show downs against Larry Bird and the Celtics in the 80's. These are also the two franchises with the most NBA rings. Boston has 17 and Los Angeles has 15.
Secondly because of "current" history. These are for the large part the same two teams that met up in 2008. Boston won in 6 games including a record breaking comeback at the Staples Center in the series as well as a record breaking blowout to finish the series in Boston. In 2009 it looked as though we were headed for a rematch before Kevin Garnett injured his knee. He missed most of the second half of the season as well as the playoffs. Boston ended up losing in 7 games to the Orlando Magic who ended up losing to the Lakers in the finals. Many believe that the Celtics would have won it if Kevin Garnett hadn't been injured. This was also Kobe's first ring without Shaq.
Breakdown
What makes this match up any different than the one in 2008? Let's start with Boston. They do start the same 5 (Perkins, KG, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rondo) as they did in 2008. In 2008 their key players off the bench were Leon Powe and James Posey. This year they have Rasheed Wallace, Glen Davis, and Tony Allen. The bench is pretty much a wash. The starting 5 however have experienced pretty significant changes even if the players are the same. The Big 3 are all older and ate least a step slower, most notably Kevin Garnett. He was a dominant top 10 player in the league when these two met in 2008. Now after 2 years of injuries he is a shell of his former self and is more of a role player on this years team. To make up for that though is the emergence of Rondo. The Celtics won despite of him in 2008, but now he is an integral part of their offense. They count on him to make big plays and set up the other players as well as play tenacious D on opposing guards. The Celtics strength still remains their defense as it was in 2008, and Doc Rivers knows how to get the most out of his veteran players.
The Lakers are somewhat different than they were in 2008 as well. First of all they are more experienced now after 2008 and winning the ring in 2009. In 2008 the players other than Kobe were pretty inexperienced in the playoffs. Now they are all playoff tested so we will see if they look like deer in headlights like they did in 2008 when they got pushed around inside. They also have two major additions in Artest and Bynum who were not there in 2008. Bynum will be key because the Laker bigs were pushed around by Boston last time around, and Artest will be key because he will be guarding Paul Pierce who won the Finals MVP award compared to last time when he was guarded by Vladamir Radmonovich.
Prediction
Kobe looks like Kobe again after the OKC series and he will be gunning for revenge in this series for 2008. We all saw in the PHX series what Kobe can do when he's motivated. The key I believe will be whether or not Ron Artest will be able to slow down Paul Pierce. Artest is known for his defense and he's put it on display this offseason, but Paul Pierce has done well against him in the past so we will see. If Bynum can stay on the floor and avoid injury and fouls than that will also give huge help to Pau Gasol who would then be able to play the PF position instead of C.
In the end I'm picking the Celtics in 7 because I think they will give the Lakers problems downlow and because of how they defend. As Doc Rivers said this starting 5 is undefeated in the playoffs.
Here's to a hopefully great finals match up!
Preface
First of all there is the history. This is the 12th time these two teams will meet up in the finals. That's more than any other match up in any other major professional sport. For the record Boston leads the series 9-2 at the moment. Boston dominated the series early on with Bill Russell against Wilt and Jerry West's Lakers, but Magic Johnson was able to take 2 out of the 3 show downs against Larry Bird and the Celtics in the 80's. These are also the two franchises with the most NBA rings. Boston has 17 and Los Angeles has 15.
Secondly because of "current" history. These are for the large part the same two teams that met up in 2008. Boston won in 6 games including a record breaking comeback at the Staples Center in the series as well as a record breaking blowout to finish the series in Boston. In 2009 it looked as though we were headed for a rematch before Kevin Garnett injured his knee. He missed most of the second half of the season as well as the playoffs. Boston ended up losing in 7 games to the Orlando Magic who ended up losing to the Lakers in the finals. Many believe that the Celtics would have won it if Kevin Garnett hadn't been injured. This was also Kobe's first ring without Shaq.
Breakdown
What makes this match up any different than the one in 2008? Let's start with Boston. They do start the same 5 (Perkins, KG, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rondo) as they did in 2008. In 2008 their key players off the bench were Leon Powe and James Posey. This year they have Rasheed Wallace, Glen Davis, and Tony Allen. The bench is pretty much a wash. The starting 5 however have experienced pretty significant changes even if the players are the same. The Big 3 are all older and ate least a step slower, most notably Kevin Garnett. He was a dominant top 10 player in the league when these two met in 2008. Now after 2 years of injuries he is a shell of his former self and is more of a role player on this years team. To make up for that though is the emergence of Rondo. The Celtics won despite of him in 2008, but now he is an integral part of their offense. They count on him to make big plays and set up the other players as well as play tenacious D on opposing guards. The Celtics strength still remains their defense as it was in 2008, and Doc Rivers knows how to get the most out of his veteran players.
The Lakers are somewhat different than they were in 2008 as well. First of all they are more experienced now after 2008 and winning the ring in 2009. In 2008 the players other than Kobe were pretty inexperienced in the playoffs. Now they are all playoff tested so we will see if they look like deer in headlights like they did in 2008 when they got pushed around inside. They also have two major additions in Artest and Bynum who were not there in 2008. Bynum will be key because the Laker bigs were pushed around by Boston last time around, and Artest will be key because he will be guarding Paul Pierce who won the Finals MVP award compared to last time when he was guarded by Vladamir Radmonovich.
Prediction
Kobe looks like Kobe again after the OKC series and he will be gunning for revenge in this series for 2008. We all saw in the PHX series what Kobe can do when he's motivated. The key I believe will be whether or not Ron Artest will be able to slow down Paul Pierce. Artest is known for his defense and he's put it on display this offseason, but Paul Pierce has done well against him in the past so we will see. If Bynum can stay on the floor and avoid injury and fouls than that will also give huge help to Pau Gasol who would then be able to play the PF position instead of C.
In the end I'm picking the Celtics in 7 because I think they will give the Lakers problems downlow and because of how they defend. As Doc Rivers said this starting 5 is undefeated in the playoffs.
Here's to a hopefully great finals match up!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Good time to be a QB in the draft
Let's take a look at NFL teams and see which have uncertainties at QB, and there's quite a few of them. As the postseason proved last year you cannot win in the NFL without a franchise QB. Here's a few of the teams that might be looking to draft a QB this April.
St. Louis Rams: The Rams have Marc Bulger, but he hasn't had a productive season since 2006-2007 and for someone who turns 33 before the draft the indications aren't good. There's no coincidence that the Rams have been one of the worst teams in the NFL the last few years. The Rams will almost certainly be taking a long look at QB with their first pick.
Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks have Matt Hasselbeck, but he'll be going on 35 entering next season and he's been injury riddled and ineffective the last two years. The Seahawks have two picks in the first round and with a new head coach in Pete Carroll they might be looking to draft a QB.
San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers have Alex Smith the former number 1 pick, but he's been a disappointment thus far. He might get another shot this year, but another year outside the playoffs and they will be for sure looking for a change. They might be looking for a future QB in this draft if they don't believe in Alex Smith or just for insurance.
Arizona Cardinals: They have Matt Leinart. Leinart the former top 10 pick has been very much a disappointment thus far. He's more known for what he's done off the field than what he's done on the field thus far. Most likely Leinart will be given the opportunity this year to lead the team, but the team still might want to draft a QB for the future anyway. Leinart isn't in the greatest position given the team has just lost Boldin, Rolle, and Dansby.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Having drafted Josh Freeman in the first round last year they should be set at QB at least for the next 2-3 years.
Carolina Panthers: They have Matt Moore penciled in at starter after they released Jake Delhomme. They were arguably a QB away from contending last year or two. They also lost Peppers, but they will definitely be looking to sure up their QB position.
Atlanta Falcons: Set with Matt Ryan.
New Orleans Saints: Set with Drew Brees.
Detroit Lions: Set with Mathew Stafford last years number 1 overall pick.
Chicago Bears: Set with former Pro Bowler Jay Cutler.
Green Bay Packers: Set with Aaron Rodgers.
Minnesota Vikings: They have Brett Favre, or do they? No one knows if Brett Favre will be back next year, and even if he is they will need a QB for the future. If they want to contend for the next 4-5 years they need to have a QB who can step-in in case Favre retires.
Washington Redskins: They have Jason Campbell who they drafted in the first round a few years ago, but with new head coach Mike Shanahan they might be looking for a new QB this year. The Redskins have disappointed the last few years and owner Dan Snyder might want a new face to his franchise. Jason Campbell at the most will get one more year (if that).
New York Giants: Set with Eli Manning.
Philadelphia Eagles: Set with McNabb, Kolb, and/or Vick.
Dallas Cowboys: Set with Romo.
Kansas City Chiefs: They have Matt Cassell who they signed long-term last year.
Oakland Raiders: They desperately need a QB with Russell and Gradkowksi starting games for them last year. However with owner Al Davis you never know what the Raiders will do along with him reportedly still believing in Russell despite Russell's lack of effort and progress.
Denver Broncos: They have Kyle Orton and they just traded for Brady Quinn, but they might still be looking for a more long-term answer at the QB position.
San Diego Chargers: Set with Rivers.
Jacksonville Jaguars: They have David Gerrard who is an average QB, but they have major attendance issues and they might be looking for an upgrade to boost attendance.
Tennessee Titans: Vince Young will be given the chance to prove he's an NFL QB after he won some games last year.
Houston Texans: Set with Schaub.
Indianapolis Colts: Set with Peyton.
Cleveland Browns: They just traded for Delhomme after releasing or trading both Quinn and Anderson. Delhomme is more of a stop-gap maneuver so they might be looking for a franchise QB this draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Set with Roethlisberger.
Baltimore Ravens: Set with Flacco.
Cincinnati Bengals: Set with Palmer.
Buffalo Bills: They are in dire need of a QB. They have Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick on their roster, but they will be looking for a QB in this years draft with a new head coach and former players like Jim Kelly advocating for a new QB.
Miami Dolphins: Set with Henne and White.
New York Jets: Set with Sanchez.
New England Patriots: Set with Brady even if Belichick likes to experiment.
That's as many as 12 NFL teams that may be looking for a franchise QB in the first few rounds this year.
St. Louis Rams: The Rams have Marc Bulger, but he hasn't had a productive season since 2006-2007 and for someone who turns 33 before the draft the indications aren't good. There's no coincidence that the Rams have been one of the worst teams in the NFL the last few years. The Rams will almost certainly be taking a long look at QB with their first pick.
Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks have Matt Hasselbeck, but he'll be going on 35 entering next season and he's been injury riddled and ineffective the last two years. The Seahawks have two picks in the first round and with a new head coach in Pete Carroll they might be looking to draft a QB.
San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers have Alex Smith the former number 1 pick, but he's been a disappointment thus far. He might get another shot this year, but another year outside the playoffs and they will be for sure looking for a change. They might be looking for a future QB in this draft if they don't believe in Alex Smith or just for insurance.
Arizona Cardinals: They have Matt Leinart. Leinart the former top 10 pick has been very much a disappointment thus far. He's more known for what he's done off the field than what he's done on the field thus far. Most likely Leinart will be given the opportunity this year to lead the team, but the team still might want to draft a QB for the future anyway. Leinart isn't in the greatest position given the team has just lost Boldin, Rolle, and Dansby.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Having drafted Josh Freeman in the first round last year they should be set at QB at least for the next 2-3 years.
Carolina Panthers: They have Matt Moore penciled in at starter after they released Jake Delhomme. They were arguably a QB away from contending last year or two. They also lost Peppers, but they will definitely be looking to sure up their QB position.
Atlanta Falcons: Set with Matt Ryan.
New Orleans Saints: Set with Drew Brees.
Detroit Lions: Set with Mathew Stafford last years number 1 overall pick.
Chicago Bears: Set with former Pro Bowler Jay Cutler.
Green Bay Packers: Set with Aaron Rodgers.
Minnesota Vikings: They have Brett Favre, or do they? No one knows if Brett Favre will be back next year, and even if he is they will need a QB for the future. If they want to contend for the next 4-5 years they need to have a QB who can step-in in case Favre retires.
Washington Redskins: They have Jason Campbell who they drafted in the first round a few years ago, but with new head coach Mike Shanahan they might be looking for a new QB this year. The Redskins have disappointed the last few years and owner Dan Snyder might want a new face to his franchise. Jason Campbell at the most will get one more year (if that).
New York Giants: Set with Eli Manning.
Philadelphia Eagles: Set with McNabb, Kolb, and/or Vick.
Dallas Cowboys: Set with Romo.
Kansas City Chiefs: They have Matt Cassell who they signed long-term last year.
Oakland Raiders: They desperately need a QB with Russell and Gradkowksi starting games for them last year. However with owner Al Davis you never know what the Raiders will do along with him reportedly still believing in Russell despite Russell's lack of effort and progress.
Denver Broncos: They have Kyle Orton and they just traded for Brady Quinn, but they might still be looking for a more long-term answer at the QB position.
San Diego Chargers: Set with Rivers.
Jacksonville Jaguars: They have David Gerrard who is an average QB, but they have major attendance issues and they might be looking for an upgrade to boost attendance.
Tennessee Titans: Vince Young will be given the chance to prove he's an NFL QB after he won some games last year.
Houston Texans: Set with Schaub.
Indianapolis Colts: Set with Peyton.
Cleveland Browns: They just traded for Delhomme after releasing or trading both Quinn and Anderson. Delhomme is more of a stop-gap maneuver so they might be looking for a franchise QB this draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Set with Roethlisberger.
Baltimore Ravens: Set with Flacco.
Cincinnati Bengals: Set with Palmer.
Buffalo Bills: They are in dire need of a QB. They have Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick on their roster, but they will be looking for a QB in this years draft with a new head coach and former players like Jim Kelly advocating for a new QB.
Miami Dolphins: Set with Henne and White.
New York Jets: Set with Sanchez.
New England Patriots: Set with Brady even if Belichick likes to experiment.
That's as many as 12 NFL teams that may be looking for a franchise QB in the first few rounds this year.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Why the Knicks are bad
Jordan Hill, Danilo Gallinari, Channing Frye, Mike Sweetney. That's the Knicks last 4 Knicks lottery picks. That's why they are bad. They have done a decent job drafting later in the draft with players like David Lee, Nate Robinson, Trevor Ariza, Wilson Chandler, etc, but you build your team in the lottery.
It is in the lottery where you get superstar players. That's where you build your franchise moreso than free agency. The Lakers drafted Kobe. The Cavs drafted Lebron. The Heat drafted Dwayne Wade. The Nuggets drafted Carmelo. The Raptors drafted Bosh. The Suns drafted Amare. The Blazers drafted Brandon Roy. The Mavs drafted Dirk. The Spurs drafted Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu (and David Robinson for that matter). The Rockets drafted Hakeem. It's very, very, very rare that you will be able to get a superstar in their prime sign via free agency to your team. That's how you win championships.
With Jordan Hill the Knicks passed up on DeMar Derozan, Brandon Jennings and some others that already look like better players than Hill. It's still early for Hill and he might develop into a decent player, but than again the Knicks won't be able to see any benefits as he was traded as a part of the Tracy McGrady dea.
With Danilo Gallinari the Knicks passed up on Eric Gordon, Brook Lopez, Anthony Randolph, Nicolas Batum and others who look like better players than Gallinari. It is still early for Gallinari though and maybe he'll develop into a more complete player rather than just a 3 pt shooter.
With Channing Frye the Knicks passed up on Bynum, Danny Granger and others.
With Sweetney the Knicks passed up on Josh Howard, Barbosa, David West, Diaw, Kendrick Perkins and others.
The Knicks are bad, but they are worse at drafting in the lottery. That is why they are where they are even more than the horrible signings like Jerome James, Eddy Curry, and Jared Jeffries.
It is in the lottery where you get superstar players. That's where you build your franchise moreso than free agency. The Lakers drafted Kobe. The Cavs drafted Lebron. The Heat drafted Dwayne Wade. The Nuggets drafted Carmelo. The Raptors drafted Bosh. The Suns drafted Amare. The Blazers drafted Brandon Roy. The Mavs drafted Dirk. The Spurs drafted Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu (and David Robinson for that matter). The Rockets drafted Hakeem. It's very, very, very rare that you will be able to get a superstar in their prime sign via free agency to your team. That's how you win championships.
With Jordan Hill the Knicks passed up on DeMar Derozan, Brandon Jennings and some others that already look like better players than Hill. It's still early for Hill and he might develop into a decent player, but than again the Knicks won't be able to see any benefits as he was traded as a part of the Tracy McGrady dea.
With Danilo Gallinari the Knicks passed up on Eric Gordon, Brook Lopez, Anthony Randolph, Nicolas Batum and others who look like better players than Gallinari. It is still early for Gallinari though and maybe he'll develop into a more complete player rather than just a 3 pt shooter.
With Channing Frye the Knicks passed up on Bynum, Danny Granger and others.
With Sweetney the Knicks passed up on Josh Howard, Barbosa, David West, Diaw, Kendrick Perkins and others.
The Knicks are bad, but they are worse at drafting in the lottery. That is why they are where they are even more than the horrible signings like Jerome James, Eddy Curry, and Jared Jeffries.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Super Bowl
Does Peyton Manning need to win this game for his legacy? In a word: yes. People are already anointing Peyton as the best quarterback of all-time. I disagree. He's not even the best quarterback of this generation. Tom Brady (still) is.
Just two years ago people were calling Tom Brady the best ever. He was coming off an 18 win season with an MVP award and 50 TD passes. He lead his team to a lead with 4 mins to go in the Super Bowl. A season ending injury and early exit from the playoffs later and now people are ready to call Peyton Manning the best ever? Please.
People are way too quick to crown people now-a-days. Peyton Manning is still like Steve Nash for me. I'll take him in the regular season all day, but in the playoffs give me Brady. Peyton Manning has won 4 MVP's so people will argue he's the best ever. Guess what that's a regular season award. He more often than not disappoints in the playoffs. And guess who has 3 MVP's? Brett Favre. Nobody is arguing he's the best QB ever. People project that Peyton will break all the major QB records. Guess who's records he's going to be breaking? Yep, Brett Favre. Again nobody is going to argue that Brett Favre is the greatest ever. Not to mention in this era every QB puts up huge statistics (even Matt Schaub) so you can't compare to players from earlier eras like Joe Montana, John Elway, and definitely not against Johnny Unitas, Bart Starr and others.
In the end Peyton Manning is agonizingly mediocre in the playoffs, currently at 9-8. Does that scream to you best ever? Nope, not me. Give me playoff performances over regular season stats. Peyton has struggled big time in the playoffs, especially early in his career. Give me someone like Brady who is 14-4 in the playoffs or Montana who is 16-7.
Just two years ago people were calling Tom Brady the best ever. He was coming off an 18 win season with an MVP award and 50 TD passes. He lead his team to a lead with 4 mins to go in the Super Bowl. A season ending injury and early exit from the playoffs later and now people are ready to call Peyton Manning the best ever? Please.
People are way too quick to crown people now-a-days. Peyton Manning is still like Steve Nash for me. I'll take him in the regular season all day, but in the playoffs give me Brady. Peyton Manning has won 4 MVP's so people will argue he's the best ever. Guess what that's a regular season award. He more often than not disappoints in the playoffs. And guess who has 3 MVP's? Brett Favre. Nobody is arguing he's the best QB ever. People project that Peyton will break all the major QB records. Guess who's records he's going to be breaking? Yep, Brett Favre. Again nobody is going to argue that Brett Favre is the greatest ever. Not to mention in this era every QB puts up huge statistics (even Matt Schaub) so you can't compare to players from earlier eras like Joe Montana, John Elway, and definitely not against Johnny Unitas, Bart Starr and others.
In the end Peyton Manning is agonizingly mediocre in the playoffs, currently at 9-8. Does that scream to you best ever? Nope, not me. Give me playoff performances over regular season stats. Peyton has struggled big time in the playoffs, especially early in his career. Give me someone like Brady who is 14-4 in the playoffs or Montana who is 16-7.
Monday, January 25, 2010
2010 QB draft prospects
Now that we have discussed Tim Tebow let's go over some of the other QB prospects looking to get drafted in 2010. Here's the top QB prospects other than Tebow as we head towards the combines and the Senior Bowl.
Sam Bradford
Jimmy Clausen
Jevean Snead
Colt McCoy
Tony Pike
That's the order I see them being drafted. Now let's break them down.
Sam Bradford:
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 214
School: Oklahoma
Pros: Very accurate passer. Has good height for his position. Quick release. Experienced despite being a junior. Good footwork.
Cons: Injured shoulder. Might be injury prone due to lack of bulk and strength. Average arm strength. Performed well when given time from OL, but lacks the mobility and strength to deal with a pass rush. Good examples of this are last year when scoring 60+ points per game in the defensive deficient Big 12 he could only 14 points against Florida in the National Championship game and also this year when he got hit and injured repeatedly.
The biggest concerns for scouts are his injured shoulder and arm strength. Tom Brady also was a skinny kid who supposedly didn't have a strong arm going into the draft. Bradford will most likely be drafted in the top half of the first round.
Jimmy Clausen:
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 217
School: Notre Dame
Pros: Good size for the position. Experienced 3 year starter from a major program. Good poise and very confident. Played under NFL "type" offense with Charlie Weiss.
Cons: Average arm strength. Tended to lob too many balls up where he was helped out by NFL talent at his WR positions and the horrible opposition he was playing against. Seemed immature at times.
Many people have Clausen as the top pick. They believe he has a strong arm and great intangibles. I disagree with both of those. I think he has a suspect arm which was disguised by his WR's and that he's pretty immature. Despite that he will still probably be picked in the top half of the first round.
Jevean Snead:
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 218
School: Ole Miss
Pros: Strong arm. Has experience in a pro style type offense. Has good size for the position.
Cons: Not very accurate. Threw a ton of picks this year when the spotlight was on him.
I see Snead as a 3rd round pick. He has potential, but he needs to make better decisions with the ball.
Colt McCoy:
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 210
School: Texas
Pros: Very mobile QB. Accurate in the short to intermediate game.
Cons: Weak like Chad Pennington like arm. Took most snaps in the shotgun. Doesn't have prototypical size. Didn't play well against better defenses this year (Nebraska, Oklahoma and Alabama). Questions about his ability to take a hit after he went down with a bruise in the National Championship Game.
Some people still have colt McCoy as a second rounder. I however think he's more of a 3rd or 4th round pick.
Tony Pike:
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 225
School: Cincinnati
Pros: He's huge and has prototypical size for a pocket passer. Accurate QB who was successful in college.
Cons: Very weak arm. Not very mobile. Didn't play well against the best defense he faced in Florida.
Most people see him as a 3rd or 4th rounder.
Overall this class would have been more interesting if Jake Locker and Ryan Mallett decided to declare, but that's my take. Now what's yours?
Sam Bradford
Jimmy Clausen
Jevean Snead
Colt McCoy
Tony Pike
That's the order I see them being drafted. Now let's break them down.
Sam Bradford:
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 214
School: Oklahoma
Pros: Very accurate passer. Has good height for his position. Quick release. Experienced despite being a junior. Good footwork.
Cons: Injured shoulder. Might be injury prone due to lack of bulk and strength. Average arm strength. Performed well when given time from OL, but lacks the mobility and strength to deal with a pass rush. Good examples of this are last year when scoring 60+ points per game in the defensive deficient Big 12 he could only 14 points against Florida in the National Championship game and also this year when he got hit and injured repeatedly.
The biggest concerns for scouts are his injured shoulder and arm strength. Tom Brady also was a skinny kid who supposedly didn't have a strong arm going into the draft. Bradford will most likely be drafted in the top half of the first round.
Jimmy Clausen:
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 217
School: Notre Dame
Pros: Good size for the position. Experienced 3 year starter from a major program. Good poise and very confident. Played under NFL "type" offense with Charlie Weiss.
Cons: Average arm strength. Tended to lob too many balls up where he was helped out by NFL talent at his WR positions and the horrible opposition he was playing against. Seemed immature at times.
Many people have Clausen as the top pick. They believe he has a strong arm and great intangibles. I disagree with both of those. I think he has a suspect arm which was disguised by his WR's and that he's pretty immature. Despite that he will still probably be picked in the top half of the first round.
Jevean Snead:
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 218
School: Ole Miss
Pros: Strong arm. Has experience in a pro style type offense. Has good size for the position.
Cons: Not very accurate. Threw a ton of picks this year when the spotlight was on him.
I see Snead as a 3rd round pick. He has potential, but he needs to make better decisions with the ball.
Colt McCoy:
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 210
School: Texas
Pros: Very mobile QB. Accurate in the short to intermediate game.
Cons: Weak like Chad Pennington like arm. Took most snaps in the shotgun. Doesn't have prototypical size. Didn't play well against better defenses this year (Nebraska, Oklahoma and Alabama). Questions about his ability to take a hit after he went down with a bruise in the National Championship Game.
Some people still have colt McCoy as a second rounder. I however think he's more of a 3rd or 4th round pick.
Tony Pike:
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 225
School: Cincinnati
Pros: He's huge and has prototypical size for a pocket passer. Accurate QB who was successful in college.
Cons: Very weak arm. Not very mobile. Didn't play well against the best defense he faced in Florida.
Most people see him as a 3rd or 4th rounder.
Overall this class would have been more interesting if Jake Locker and Ryan Mallett decided to declare, but that's my take. Now what's yours?
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Tim Tebow the big NFL draft mystery
Tim Tebow. The biggest name in college sports is now creating more than a few water cooler discussions about his NFL future and where he should be drafted. While he has many supporters including Tony Dungy, John Gruden, Jim Kelly and others, he probably has more people claiming he won't make it. His many detractors include Todd McShay and Mel Kiper of ESPN who argue he doesn't have enough arm strength, accuracy, pocket presence, footwork, release, etc necessary to be an NFL QB. These same people claim that it is too much of a risk to draft Tim Tebow in the first two rounds as a QB and that he is better suited as a 3rd, 4th, or even later pick.
Let's break down some of those arguments:
1. Tim Tebow is too much of a risk to take in the first two rounds. Really? Let's take a look at the QB's taken in the first two rounds of the draft for the last few years: Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Brian Brohm, Chad Henne, JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn, Kevin Kolb, John Beck, Drew Stanton, Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Jay Cutler, Kellen Clemens, Tarvaris Jackson, Alex Smith, Aaron Rodgers, Jason Campbell.
Every QB you take is a risk. Nobody is a guarantee. You don't know how these QB's will pan out in the NFL. We're not even looking back at some horrible picks like Ryan Leaf, Rick Mirer, Akili Smith, Tim Couch, Cade McNown and others who were top 10 picks. Saying Tim Tebow is too much of a risk is a fallacy.
2. Tim Tebow doesn't have enough accuracy. Tim Tebow's career passing percentage is 67.1 percent. That's better than players like Peyton Manning, Eli Manning and other greats who have come out of the SEC. He also has a higher passer efficieny rating than them as well.
3. Tim Tebow has a slow release that starts low and has bad footwork. Everyone can see that, but those things can be fixed. Even if they can't there have been others like Philip Rivers with weird or slow releases that have done all right. It's worked thus far, and although I'd try to change his motion, it's not out of the question that he can't get away with it at the next level. Tim Tebow throws off the wrong foot a lot of the times or sidearms the ball. That's the reason why it looks like he doesn't have enough arm strength. If he steps into his throws he actually has plenty of arm strength to make all the throws necessary in the NFL. He's thrown the ball 60 yards off his knees so he's definitely not another Chad Pennington. He just needs a little work.
4. Tim Tebow is slow and his running style won't work in the NFL. Tim Tebow ran a 4.5 second 40 yard dash time coming into college. While the accuracy of that is debatable, it shows he has the enough speed to run in the NFL. Vince Young ran a 4.6 second 40 yard dash and people marveled at his speed for a QB. RB's like Knowshon Moreno run a 4.6 second 40 yard dash too so he has more than enough speed to run in the NFL.
Now those are different types of runners. Tim Tebow probably compares more with Mike Alstott and Jerome Bettis in terms of running style although he's faster than both of them and they turned out all right.
5. Tim Tebow plays in the spread and can't take snaps under center. These are also the same people who are willing to take Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy really high even though they take snaps primarily out of the shotgun formation in spread offenses too. Not to mention that in the NFL! players like Drew Brees, Kurt Warner, Tom Brady and others also primarily take snaps out of the shotgun too and they're not too bad.
6. Tim Tebow can't succeed because other Florida QB's like Chris Leak, Danny Weurfel, Rex Grossman, etc. weren't successfull in the NFL. I don't even know where to start on this one. Past history at a school has almost no bearing at all on how a current player will do especially when it's from different coaching staffs and regimes. I guess Ben Rothlesberger couldn't succeed since no one else at his school had been successfull or Philip Rivers, or Steve McNair, or Peyton Manning, or Drew Brees and others. Not to mention Leak, Grossman and Weurfel were all short standing at only 6 feet tall. Leak and Weurfel also had weak arms unlike Tim Tebow.
7. He's a Heisman winner so he's going to be just like Eric Crouch or Chris Weinke or Gino Torretta or Jason White etc. OK, that's some solid reasoning right there (sarcasm). Let's see Eric Crouch was 5'8" tall and he had no arm strength. Weinke was about 28 years old in college and like Torretta and Jason White he was slow and lacked suffient arm strength to succeed in the NFL. They are in no way comparable to Tim Tebow so please stop using this argument.
Every QB, and I mean every single Qb drafted has questions going into the NFL draft (I'll dissect the other QB's in the draft in another post), but I think Tim Tebow has the necessary tools to be successfull in the NFL. I'm not even talking about his intangibles which are off the chart. He's 6'3" and 245 lbs. He has a strong arm and he's quick. I'd take him just based off that. There's just so many Tim Tebow haters out there that they cling to just about anything and everything they can.
Let's break down some of those arguments:
1. Tim Tebow is too much of a risk to take in the first two rounds. Really? Let's take a look at the QB's taken in the first two rounds of the draft for the last few years: Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Brian Brohm, Chad Henne, JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn, Kevin Kolb, John Beck, Drew Stanton, Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Jay Cutler, Kellen Clemens, Tarvaris Jackson, Alex Smith, Aaron Rodgers, Jason Campbell.
Every QB you take is a risk. Nobody is a guarantee. You don't know how these QB's will pan out in the NFL. We're not even looking back at some horrible picks like Ryan Leaf, Rick Mirer, Akili Smith, Tim Couch, Cade McNown and others who were top 10 picks. Saying Tim Tebow is too much of a risk is a fallacy.
2. Tim Tebow doesn't have enough accuracy. Tim Tebow's career passing percentage is 67.1 percent. That's better than players like Peyton Manning, Eli Manning and other greats who have come out of the SEC. He also has a higher passer efficieny rating than them as well.
3. Tim Tebow has a slow release that starts low and has bad footwork. Everyone can see that, but those things can be fixed. Even if they can't there have been others like Philip Rivers with weird or slow releases that have done all right. It's worked thus far, and although I'd try to change his motion, it's not out of the question that he can't get away with it at the next level. Tim Tebow throws off the wrong foot a lot of the times or sidearms the ball. That's the reason why it looks like he doesn't have enough arm strength. If he steps into his throws he actually has plenty of arm strength to make all the throws necessary in the NFL. He's thrown the ball 60 yards off his knees so he's definitely not another Chad Pennington. He just needs a little work.
4. Tim Tebow is slow and his running style won't work in the NFL. Tim Tebow ran a 4.5 second 40 yard dash time coming into college. While the accuracy of that is debatable, it shows he has the enough speed to run in the NFL. Vince Young ran a 4.6 second 40 yard dash and people marveled at his speed for a QB. RB's like Knowshon Moreno run a 4.6 second 40 yard dash too so he has more than enough speed to run in the NFL.
Now those are different types of runners. Tim Tebow probably compares more with Mike Alstott and Jerome Bettis in terms of running style although he's faster than both of them and they turned out all right.
5. Tim Tebow plays in the spread and can't take snaps under center. These are also the same people who are willing to take Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy really high even though they take snaps primarily out of the shotgun formation in spread offenses too. Not to mention that in the NFL! players like Drew Brees, Kurt Warner, Tom Brady and others also primarily take snaps out of the shotgun too and they're not too bad.
6. Tim Tebow can't succeed because other Florida QB's like Chris Leak, Danny Weurfel, Rex Grossman, etc. weren't successfull in the NFL. I don't even know where to start on this one. Past history at a school has almost no bearing at all on how a current player will do especially when it's from different coaching staffs and regimes. I guess Ben Rothlesberger couldn't succeed since no one else at his school had been successfull or Philip Rivers, or Steve McNair, or Peyton Manning, or Drew Brees and others. Not to mention Leak, Grossman and Weurfel were all short standing at only 6 feet tall. Leak and Weurfel also had weak arms unlike Tim Tebow.
7. He's a Heisman winner so he's going to be just like Eric Crouch or Chris Weinke or Gino Torretta or Jason White etc. OK, that's some solid reasoning right there (sarcasm). Let's see Eric Crouch was 5'8" tall and he had no arm strength. Weinke was about 28 years old in college and like Torretta and Jason White he was slow and lacked suffient arm strength to succeed in the NFL. They are in no way comparable to Tim Tebow so please stop using this argument.
Every QB, and I mean every single Qb drafted has questions going into the NFL draft (I'll dissect the other QB's in the draft in another post), but I think Tim Tebow has the necessary tools to be successfull in the NFL. I'm not even talking about his intangibles which are off the chart. He's 6'3" and 245 lbs. He has a strong arm and he's quick. I'd take him just based off that. There's just so many Tim Tebow haters out there that they cling to just about anything and everything they can.
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