April 28, 2007

2007 NFL Draft

The draft is about to kickoff. We'll be adding our point of view in the comments section of this post.

92 Responses:

J-Red said...

Average fan weight at Radio City Music Hall: ~275lbs.

And I just saw someone with a Donte Whitner Bills jersey. That'd be like wearing a Redskins' Heath Shuler jersey to the draft.

Brien said...

I'll be switching back and forth between ESPN and NFL network to compare the coverage. So far I've been watching ESPN. The amount of screen real estate devoted to blank space is driving me crazy.

Here's the problem: ESPN has the normal bottom line ticker and the NFL Draft ticker at the bottom of the screen. Then there's also the Draft order ticker that's vertical along the left side. This means that if you're watching on a 4:3 television, much of your screen is taken up by scrolling information. I'm OK with that. But if you're watching on a 16:9 television, you have huge gray vertical bars on either side of the picture. It's almost enough to make me commit to NFL network (non HD). My TV isn't all that big (30") but the picture from MSG is closer to 20" after you account for all the wasted space.

The draft just started and I'm already annoyed.

Brien said...

OK, NFL Network isn't much better. Marshall Faulk is only a slightly better speaker than Shannon Sharpe.

J-Red said...

Actually, I'm watching on an HD-LCD 20" with a SDTV feed and the ESPN "On the Clock" bar still has a decent strip of empty gray space on the left side.

One team down, 31 picks to go. No one has done anything stupid yet.

J-Red said...

Ok, if ESPN wants me to change channels, keep telling me who a team is going to pick before Goodell announces it. There's supposed to be drama.

J-Red said...

And wouldn't a player being so happy that he breaks down in tears be an indication that Detroit ISN'T taking him?

J-Red said...

Nice to see T-Sizzle in the new Under-Armour commercial.

Brien said...

I think Cleveland needs to go with Brady Quinn here. O-linemen are good when you only have one or two holes to fill, but they need a QB (Frye isn't that guy).

Well, they just took Thomas. I think they'll regret that, but it might break their streak of terrible picks.

J-Red said...

Damn the Browns! They made the best pick long term for them playing in the AFC North. Now they might be able to run the ball a little and protect Frye or Derek Anderson.

J-Red said...

I think the Browns couldn't afford to take Brady Quinn. They can't get stuck under that cap number for a few years if he gets beat up. Plus they have no receivers. They'd be chewing up big cap numbers for two or three years with no running game and no receivers.

J-Red said...

Jeremy will join us shortly. He didn't get much sleep last night and he's emptying his nervous stomach in the bathroom.

Brien said...

But NFL contracts aren't guaranteed. If he sucks, get rid of him or redo his contract.

I think we might see someone trade up here to take Quinn. Especially if Okoye goes in the next two picks, someone will probably make an offer to the skins (but we know how Snyder feels about trading down).

Brien said...

Best story of the draft so far: Gaines Adams' mother's hair. It's a Billy Ray Cyrus style mullet, but feathered and curled on top. The best part is that it's fake hair. Now she can afford all the ugly fake hair she wants.

J-Red said...

Signing bonus is guaranteed. The third pick can expect about $20M in guaranteed money now. Mario Williams got more than $26M in guaranteed money as the number one last year, and the cap had a big adjustment this offseason.

J-Red said...

I thought Calvin Johnson's mom/aunt/grandmother has looked the best so far.

Brien said...

Devin Hester in the Madden commercial: "I bet you never thought I'd run the opening kickoff in the Super Bowl back for a touchdown."

Ummmm, I would. I even put money on it. It payed off quite nicely.

Brien said...

But the signing bonus is the cost of drafting at that point. It doesn't really matter who you take, you're paying $20-$30M. Quinn will have more of an impact RIGHT NOW than Thomas will.

J-Red said...

Cleveland taking OT Thomas is probably going to screw the Ravens' shot at getting Staley. It's almost certainly impossible if Arizona picks OL as expected.

J-Red said...

Yeah, the guaranteed money is the same, but the risk is not. Quinn would be destined to fail in Cleveland with Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow comprising their ENTIRE offense. Joe Thomas is pretty much a can't-miss pick. He doesn't display any of the laziness that has busted out other OL. If you're going to tie up that much money, make sure it's someone who won't be riding your bench, or counting against the cap when they aren't even on the team.

J-Red said...

If that Vilma for Portis trade had anything to it, perhaps the Skins will take Peterson and make that trade.

It makes about as much sense as taking a safety or trading for Briggs.

Brien said...

What about the Skins taking Adrian Peterson here and making the Portis-Vilma trade? I like that a lot better than counting on Betts to be the #1 back.

J-Red said...

"We know the Redskins are not taking Brady Quinn because they have Jason Campbell."

Oh, silly silly Mort. I wouldn't be shocked if they took Brady Quinn, thinking they could trade him, and then they hold the bag.

J-Red said...

Ha! I beat you to the Peterson + Vilma/Portis angle. Yet somehow the ESPN guys haven't brought it up....

Brien said...

I wouldn't be surprised if they take Quinn and trade Campbell for $.50 on the dollar. That seems par for the course for Synder's fickleness.

J-Red said...

Yeah, that does seem like his M.O.

I wish there were guys like Snyder that would develop stocks for you and then sell them low right before they take off. That'd be great.

Come to think of it, how did he get rich in the first place?

Brien said...

HA! Kiper takes the Redskins to task for deemphasizing the draft. What was he going to say? That you're better off trading draft picks for proven veterans because no one can accurately predict how draft picks are going to play? That would put him out of a job!

J-Red said...

I think Landry would be a horrible pick for the Skins. He's a gambler, Sean Taylor is a gambler, and they still won't get any pressure on opposing QBs. They'll both be flailing back there.

At least he can hang out with his brother, Dawan, of the Ravens. Maybe they'll share an apartment in my complex and I can play some bocce ball with them.

J-Red said...

Dynamic Duo! Which one is Robin?

J-Red said...

I think that's the Red Roof Inn on Airline Highway in Kenner, LA. Big spender!

Brien said...

They seem like the bocce ball type. And your apartment complex definitely seems like it would attract a lot of NFL players.

J-Red said...

And how much was LaRon Landry's stock inflated by Dawan's performance with the Ravens? The Ravens picked him in the 5th round.

J-Red said...

I don't think I'd have any problem having Tom Condon as my agent. He seems like a much better guy to hang out with than Rosenhaus.

J-Red said...

Didn't Rachel Nichols used to be Rachel Carson? I have a feeling she's a lot better looking on TV than in person. That pretty much makes Pittsburgh a perfect place for her to broadcast from.

J-Red said...

Oh, Rachel Carson was the person who wrote Silent Spring. Oh well.

Rachel Nichols went to Churchill High School in Montgomery County.

J-Red said...

Why isn't Miami sprinting to the podium to take Brady Quinn?

Brien said...

This happens every year. Why do we always get suckered into Mort telling us that lots of teams are looking to trade? Big draft day trades are very rare, but every year they tell us that one might happen. Then all the picks are chalk.

J-Red said...

Ted Ginn, eh.... Way to go Dolphins. That makes a lot of sense. Now KC can extort a ton out of Miami for Trent Green. This was the first time Brady looked visibly upset at not getting picked.

J-Red said...

Is Quinn going to fall all the way to 29? I'd be happy with the Ravens taking him.

He got REALLY red right after Ginn got picked. He's really embarassed now.

Brien said...

Yeah, that was pretty shocking. Where does Quinn go now? The next few teams to pick aren't really looking for a new QB.

J-Red said...

Someone will have to move up, maybe St. Louis, but they have enough other holes. One of these teams is going to actually pick the "best available player" regardless of their needs, especially as we get into teams that aren't really in bad shape.

Brien said...

Yeah, the whole "best available" thing is a crock. GMs never take the best available guy in the draft. They ALWAYS look at what their holes are.

I like the Okoye pick. The fact that he's 19 is a huge plus in my mind.

J-Red said...

Amobi Okoye and Mario Williams will now be working together. You can criticize Houston for last year's draft all you want, but at least they are sticking to their plan. I guess they've seen first hand how putting a QB on his back affects his game.

J-Red said...

Goodell invited Quinn to a private suite so the cameras wouldn't be in his face the whole time.

I'm still not sure how I feel about Goodell. I like that he looks like a football player, even though he never was. I don't like that he never wears a suit, but rather a black/navy blazer and lighter gray pants. I like that he seems to care about the players' personal lives. I don't like that he seems obsessed with overseas games, going as far as proposing a 17th regular season game so they can have an entire week overseas, and even suggesting that Super Bowls should be played overseas.

J-Red said...

Looks like Mike Vick didn't make the trip up to Radio City Music Hall for the draft. I wonder how much heartburn he is causing Goodell.

J-Red said...

Pittsburgh is coming up in two picks. Who is the next anointed Pro Bowler in the AFC North?

Brien said...

Vick was there for the pre-show tribute to VT.

Pittsburgh looks like they're going to take Revis, the CB from Pitt. I like that pick, or Posluszny from Penn State. The Steelers probably need more help in the secondary, and they've had good success with LBs drafted in the later rounds. I think if he's available, they'll almost certainly take Revis.

Brien said...

Finally, a trade! The Jets have to be taking Quinn here, right?

J-Red said...

Good move by Carolina. No one has been able to trade down all day, and they finally got the opportunity. I can't see this being anyone other than Quinn.

J-Red said...

Wow, Carolina really extracted some good stuff out of it. An extra second rounder!

Brien said...

So a 1, 2, and 5 for a 1 and a 6. Seems fair. ESPN is saying that the Jets are going to take a CB, so Revis might not be there for the Steelers.

J-Red said...

I forgot about Kellen Clemmens. The Jets also have Pennington, Tuiasosopo and Brad Smith (2nd in Heisman voting from Iowa a few years back).

This might not be a very bright trade after all for the Jets.

J-Red said...

So you don't get Revis and you take Hall. Seems like a no-lose for the Steelers. Certainly nothing to throw away a 2nd rounder for.

J-Red said...

According to the Draft Value Chart, the Jets overpaid to move up 11 spots.

Brien said...

Yeah, the Steelers will probably take Hall or Revis after this (or maybe Posluszny, but probably not). You think there was no reason for the Jets to trade a 2nd rounder to move up 11 spots? There's no way both Hall and Revis would still be around at 24.

J-Red said...

I don't know what picks Carolina has later today. The trade itself wasn't a bad idea, it just feels like they might have overpaid.

J-Red said...

Later today or early tomorrow I mean.

J-Red said...

If Cleveland gets Joe Thomas and Brady Quinn at anything less than mortgaging the entire future, I will be sick to my stomach.

J-Red said...

You can't like Timmons. I think I'd rather have Posluszny.

Brien said...

So the Steelers take Timmons. I'm happy with them taking an OLB, and Timmons was higher rated than Posluszny. I'm surprised they passed on Hall, though, since he was #2 on Kiper's board.

Brien said...

I added up the numbers for the trade, and it looks like the Jets overpaid by 10 pts, which isn't much at all. Seems like a fair trade according to the chart.

J-Red said...

Actually, the Panthers appear to be undercompensated in the Jets trade. 25th pick (720 pts), 59th pick (310 pts) and 164th pick (25.8 pts) for a total of 1055.8 pts to Carolina.

Jets got 14th pick (1100 pts) and 191st pick (15 pts) for a total of 1115 pts to NYJ.

I must have misread something the first time I looked at it.

J-Red said...

I can't imagine Cleveland isn't talking to NE or Dallas about packing their 3rd pick in the 2nd round to make sure they get ahead of KC or the Ravens and get Quinn. I'm not happy about this development.

Here goes Staley too most likely, to the Giants.

Brien said...

Yeah, I'd be surprised if Cleveland is the ONLY team looking to move up at this point. I'd be shocked if Quinn slides to 29. There are too many teams left that could gain a 3rd round pick by swapping their late 1st with an early 2nd.

Jeremy said...

The Browns are no longer the laughingstock of the league. They are going to be really, really dangerous in a few years with a base of Brady Quinn, protected by Joe Thomas. Phil Savage is a genius at the draft.

J-Red said...

I hate Miami. It's one thing to screw up your own draft, but try to keep your shit out of my division's toilet.

J-Red said...

Savage did train under the best.

J-Red said...

Dallas could be looking at a pretty good first round pick next year.

Brien said...

Wow, Cleveland gave up next year's #1? That's a steep price, but it's probably worth it considering Quinn is a top-10 caliber pick.

J-Red said...

Yeah, I guess you have to throw the chart out the window in that situation. There's no way Cleveland's 1st next year will be worth about 180 pts, but to them it's worth it to get something they wanted and needed.

J-Red said...

And I think my guaranteed argument from back when Cleveland took Joe Thomas 3rd is looking pretty good now.

J-Red said...

guaranteed money argument that is

J-Red said...

Suzy Kolber just reported that the Ravens and Chiefs were pushing hard for Quinn, which forced Cleveland's hand. I just want to draw attention to this comment I made:

I can't imagine Cleveland isn't talking to NE or Dallas about packing their 3rd pick in the 2nd round to make sure they get ahead of KC or the Ravens and get Quinn. I'm not happy about this development.

Brien said...

Yeah, that has to hurt, having a franchise QB fall almost to your position and then losing him. Especially when your team was calling around about a trade too.

J-Red said...

So long as we're picking between Staley, Posluszny and Grubbs I'm not complaining. The Ravens and Pats can only benefit so much from other teams' incompetence.

Brien said...

Yeah, those are pretty solid choices, and one of them should be left.

J-Red said...

Perhaps more than one. I suspect Carolina will take Olson and Philly will take Meacham.

J-Red said...

Or Olsen and Meachem even.

Jeremy said...

Wow, I didn't hear that the Ravens were interested in Quinn but I had independently thought that he would be a good fit. Boller is pretty much cooked, and you figure that Quinn could have sat behind McNair and learned for a year and then give him the reins. Oh well... Jamal, Brady, and Joe in Cleveland. Interesting 2008 season shaping up.

J-Red said...

So Dallas moved down 4 spots, and effectively traded a 3rd and a 5th for Cleveland's first rounder next year. If it screws the Redskins, I'm all for it.

J-Red said...

I don't think the Ravens were interested in Quinn until it appeared they could get him pretty cheaply. It probably would have cost this years' 2nd and both 4ths, which is too much. I don't think they wanted to dip into next year.

J-Red said...

Ravens are guaranteed Staley, Grubbs, or Posluszny. This is working out pretty well.

Brien said...

So essentially, Dallas gave up a 3rd, a 5th, and moved down 4 spots in the first round to get a first round pick next year (and remember, it's Cleveland's pick). That seems like a pretty smart move to me.

Brien said...

I need to read everything that's posted before I say something. I've been beaten to the punch by J-red at least twice today.

Anyway, I think you're crazy if you think giving up a 2nd and 2 4ths for Brady Quinn is too much. The Ravens are one Mcnair injury away from losing their wild card spot to Cleveland or Cincinnati.

J-Red said...

You're right about the 2,4,4 trade being enough, but to Dallas that might not have been as attractive as Cleveland's high 2, high 1 offer.

And I'm not going to accept that McNair could possibly be injured.

J-Red said...

And your implication that the Steelers are going to win the division was way too ludicrous to warrant a response.

Brien said...

Haha, there goes Staley. And in the 4 hours since I complained about the lack of trades, there have been at least 4 or 5 trades. Thanks for listening, NFL GMs.

J-Red said...

I'm surprised at the number of trades. The Quinn trade was going to take place no matter what, but the other teams seem to be moving up to select guys that aren't much higher rated than who they could have gotten.

It looks like the Ravens will take Grubbs. That's fine by me, but next year we'll REALLY need a tackle and a QB assuming Ogden and maybe McNair both retire.

J-Red said...

Ben Grubbs, pretty good pick for the Ravens based on what they need and where he was rated. I liked seeing him pull on all those Auburn clips, though I doubt he'll do too much of that on the next level.

Brien said...

I think Kiper and Keyshawn hate each other.

Yeah, Grubbs is a good pick for the Ravens. Maybe he'll keep Mcnair from getting injured.

J-Red said...

Earlier Steve Young and Mortensen seemed to be butting heads a lot too.

Brien said...

That was a really long first round. But I think it's actually the first time I have ever watched the whole thing.

J-Red said...

It's probably the first time I watched it with serious interest the whole time. I usually watch about the first 10 picks and then follow online.

I don't know how Redskins fans do it each year with so few picks. If you look around the league, there aren't any good DL on the cut list for June 1.

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