The draft was awesome. I'm happy with all the moves that the teams I liked made and I love that the teams I disliked ended up with players that are undesirable to me.
Brandon Graham to the Eagles!!!
Brandon Graham (and Jason Avant) are now the intersection of my two favorite sports teams. The Eagles traded up to get Brandon Graham, who I think is a perfect fit for the system. Graham will really have the perfect opportunity to shine in Andy Reid's blitz-happy system. I am absolutely ecstatic that the Eagles took Brandon Graham...it almost makes up for them getting rid of Donovan McNabb. I'm soooo happy! Adam Shefter tweeted that he expects Brandon Graham to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Hopefully that happens! The sky's the limit for Brandon Graham!
Jimmy Clausen - Not Drafted in the First Round!!!!
NFL teams are realizing the detriment of players with off-the-field or character problems, and it's really great seeing that teams recognize how crappy of a person Jimmy Clausen is. He's classless, rude, displays no sportsmanship, and is basically an asshole. Jimmy Clausen is just another Jay Cutler and Terrell Owens waiting to happen. He's going to be a diva, demanding attention and splitting the locker room. Jimmy Clausen learned today that when teams look for a quarterback, they look for a man to lead the team on the field, but also morally and spiritually. This is also exactly why the Broncos moved up to take Tim Tebow.
Roger Goodell has done a great job cleaning up the league of both divas and criminals. Dez Bryant, a stud receiver as he is, dropped down to the Cowboys, and Jimmy Clausen hasn't even been drafted yet! NFL teams now realize that if they don't produce good role models for kids and emphasize the good things in people, down the road, they will either have to suffer from fines, suspensions, or split locker rooms.
On Dez Bryant, it's like the Cowboys haven't learned anything in their last few years. The team has enough distractions, and while Dez Bryant is a great receiver, he will just add to the distractions that the team suffers from. Haven't Cowboys fans had enough of Jessica Simpson's pretty face, PacMan Jone's criminal offenses, and Terrell Owens' tears? I do have to say, however, that if there's one team that seems to be handling distractions reasonably well, it's the Cowboys. It just doesn't make sense to me that it seems like they go out of the way to bring more distractions into the clubhouse.
Man...we thought that the Jets defense was good last year. This year, the Jets are going to be so much scarier. The Jets picked up Cromartie from San Diego, and now they just picked up Kyle Wilson, the stud corner from Boise State that dropped all the way down to the 29th pick! Along with Revis, no quarterback will be able to complete a pass against this defense. Even though I think that the offense downgraded from Thomas Jones to the quickly-aging LT, and I still don't believe in Mark Sanchez at all, their offense really won't need to produce much because the defense will keep their team in the game. The Jets may not be a team built for the regular season, but come playoff time, I think that this team will be one of the most dangerous for any opponent. I'm quite interested to see how Tom Brady and the Patriots fare against the stiff defense of the Jets.
Other Thoughts
CJ Spiller - I really believe in this guy. The NFL has been moving more toward speed backs and speed receivers (think AP, Chris Johnson, Wes Welker, Percy Harvin). CJ Spiller is, in my opinion, the best non-quarterback all-around player. This guy can literally do everything. It's really too bad that he's going to Buffalo though. I really doubt that they'll be able to use him to the best of his abilities. Trent Edwards really isn't equipped to lead an efficient passing attack, and the offensive linemen in Buffalo aren't much better. It's really too bad to see so much pressure placed on CJ Spiller during his first season. I think it will only make him a worse player. Hopefully his body won't be too beat up and broken after a couple of years playing in Buffalo.
The Lions - Over the years, I've become a Lions sympathizer, because they really aren't good enough for me to be a "fan" of theirs. The Lions were super lucky to get Ndamukong Suh to anchor their defense and Jahved Best to complement Kevin Smith to lead their running attack. The Lions now have enough solid players and weapons all around to have a solid foundation for basically a new start for the team. I'm interested to see how the Lions defense plays this year, as we know that they probably won't have any problem scoring with a more mature Stafford leading the pack and the talents of Calvin Johnson, Best, and Smith following him.
For all the talks about Tebow's throwing mechanics and Clausen's experience in a pro style offense, people need to understand that character, effort, and attitude is as much a part of a player's success as 40 times, arm strength, and bench press. Ask Ryan Leaf, Michael Vick, and Eddie George how many super bowl rings their God-given talents landed them. Then check out the jewelry box belonging to lesser-physically talented and lower-drafted guys liek Joe Montana and Tom Brady.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't particularly think Tebow will be a great NFL quarterback. But if it's one thing I learned from the past four years of following him in college, it's that never EVER doubt the man. I'll be routing for him to prove me wrong and if one day he's adding a Super Bowl ring to his Heisman and countless other trophies, you won't find another person happier to be proven wrong.