Quick Draft Update

The NY Jets reportedly have decided to stick with Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens. That means that Matt Ryan with the 6th pick no longer makes any sense. Also Laurinaitis has decided to return for his Senior year which I suggested would happen in Picks 1-6, but doing what one should never do I second guessed myself in Picks 7-12 and suggested he was NFL and New England bound. To ratify those egregious errors here's a Draft Update 2.5, complete with an extra pick.

With the 6th pick the New York Jets fans will be looking running back or offensive lineman. Well they've got Thomas Jones and although he only had one rushing TD last year he performed well (3.6 YPC) and Leon Washington gave him a few breathers and managed to rack up a 5 YPC average over 70 carries. I don't think Running Back is where they'll be going but their running game does need a lot of help. Here we should see OT from Boise State Ryan Clady coming off the board and heading out to New York as the Jets fans boo, because that's what they do on draft day.

Now at 7 the Patriots have a choice to make. And for them this is more of a luxury pick than anything. Lawrence Maroney had a decent year in a pass first offense so I don't think they're going Running Back here despite some good Running Back talent waiting to be picked up. Laurinaitis is no longer available so are they still looking at LB. I see Penn State LB Dan Connor getting picked up. Their Linebacking corps is still getting older by the Minute and they should be looking to the future. Dan Connor could easily be that future.

Of course at 8 now Baltimore is looking at Matt Ryan or Brian Brohm. Yes I know they still have Troy Smith and Smith looked pretty good in the last few games of the season when he saw some playing time but passing up on Matt Ryan for a 5th rounder who's barely 6 feet tall is going to be hard to explain to Ravens fans. If they aren't looking to get Ryan then they better start listening to some trade offers. If Matt Ryan really is available going in to pick 7 or 8 expect to see a lot of phones ringing in an effort to make a move up there where no one thought they would be available. I say Ryan but I expect a trade.

Now at 11 Buffalo is also licking it's chops at a top QB that didn't look to be available, Losman even said he wants out of Buffalo and I don't think Trent Edwards is the future. So Brohm and Woodson are available here. I think Brohm has the edge right now but all of that could change going into the combines. Maybe Woodson moves ahead, maybe Brennan surprises a lot of people, maybe Dennis Dixon still interests, but Brian Brohm should be the pick here.

And for the additional pick that I promised, the Carolina Panthers with the 13th pick go to the offensive backfield and they will take Andre Woodson from Kentucky. Delhomme has been average since that Super Bowl run, Matt Moore is not the future, and Testaverde simply can not play another year, it's against the laws of phyisics. If they aren't one of the teams to trade up looking for the slipping Ryan, then expect them to jump all over Andre Woodson right here. Unless they think they can get Brennan or Dixon in Round 2 and they're happy with that.

So an updated Recap:
1. Miami - Glenn Dorsey, DT - LSU
2. St. Louis - Chris Long, DE - Virginia
3. Atlanta - Darren McFadden, RB - Arkansas
4. Oakland - Sedrick Ellis, DT - USC
5. KC - Jake Long, OT - Michigan
6. NYJ - Ryan Clady, OT - Boise State
7. New England - Dan Connor, LB - Penn State
8. Baltimore - Matt Ryan, QB - Boston College
9. Cincinnati - Vernon Gholston, DE - Ohio State
10. New Orleans - Mike Jenkins, S - South Florida
11. Buffalo - Brian Brohm, QB - Louisville
12. Denver - Kenny Phillips, S - Miami
13. Carolina - Andre Woodson, QB - Kentucky

Don't forget to keep up with the draft action with Picks 1-6, picks 7-12 , picks 14-20 , and an UPDATED picks 21-31.
More after the jump...

Added Thoughts on a Slow Day

I was recently informed that Tampa Bay Buccaneer WR Micheal Spurlock returned a kickoff for a Touchdown. No small feat by any means. Why is this important? It was the TEAMS first kick return for a TD in 32 years. By contrast Devin Hester has 4 Kick Return TDs, in 30 games.

Arizona Assistant Coach/Interim Head Coach Kevin O’Neil officially gets to add another title to be introduced as, Arizona Assistant/Interim/Head Coach – in waiting, Kevin O’Neil. I would love to see that on a business card.

The Bears offense looked pitiful last night. Apparently Kyle Orton is not the savior. Who woulda thought? He’s got 2 more chances to prove himself before April when the Bears announce they drafted Andre Woodson/Brian Brohm/Colt Brennan to be the new QB1 for Chicago.

Congress is getting involved, again, in the steroids scandal after the Mitchell Report’s release. They are planning a hearing of epic proportions. Part of me is picturing the scene from Godfather II when Frankie Pants is going to testify, and then recants seeing Michael with his brother. Imagine Radomski getting up there to testify and then turning around and seeing Clemens and Bonds on the flanks of his Mother in the audience. The other part of me is picturing the hearing scene in Casino with Gary Sheffield berating Sen. Mitchell on the stand. Either way, this should be epically more entertaining than the most recent steroid/congress hearings in March 2005, when McGwire refused to comment and Sammy played the whole “No Habla Ingles” card.



Part of me is angry at these coaches jumping ship after promising commits they will be there and signing these contracts. Then again if I’m getting a $1.1 million dollar pay-bump I’m not so sure I don’t do the same thing. With that said it is really disgusting that Rodriguez, allegedly, contacted Terrelle Pryor one of the most sought after recruits and told him to attend Michigan before telling anyone ANYONE that he was leaving the Mountaineers, except maybe Mrs. Rodriguez.

Back to Orton for a second. For those of you who watched the game, that 55 yard, off the wrong foot HEAVE he chucked that got picked off in the end zone, wasn’t a bad decision. Sure he didn’t need to make it, Chicago still had 1 Time Out and 98 seconds to score 7. The problem with the play is purely mechanics. His skills are not that of an NFL starting Quarter Back. Had he thrown the ball a half yard deeper and one and a half to the right, that’s a TD and an amazing play. Unfortunately, in the NFL 2 yards is a big difference. It’s the difference between First and Ten and Fourth and Two, between he caught it with both feet in and he didn’t get his left foot in, and in this instance it’s the difference between a TD and possible win and a Pick and a Loss.

Miami Tackle Vonnie Holliday said of Sunday’s win, “It was like winning the Super Bowl” complete with dancing, celebrating, and tears of happiness, seriously. Uhhh you might finish 3-13, but have the Patriots coming up so most likely you’re looking at 2-14 at best. Vonnie, I have never played in an NFL game, a surprising fact to many, but I am willing to bet, it was absolutely nothing like winning the Super Bowl. I wasn’t even like beating the Niners in the Wild Card game when you were a Packer in 2001. It was however exactly like beating the floundering Ravens to keep your team out of the record book as the worst in NFL history.

Back to Clemens, The "Rocket's Red Flags" piece, is hysterical, please give it a read.

What are the odds on who leaves first Rich Rodriguez (Mich), Dennis Erickson (ASU), Nick Saban (Bama), Bobby Petrion (Ark), or Lindsay Lohan (Rehab)?

How good is LeBron? I knew he was going to be good, but this good. I’ve always said there will never be another MJ, and there won’t. But there will be a LeBron James, and he’s getting better each year. He’s a freak. AND he’s a good guy to boot, he had tea with 4Real’s mom and her friends, seriously. I have been for awhile (since mid 2005 season) on the LeBron bandwagon and I’m not afraid to admit it. With that said how ridiculous is his new commercial, “you don’t want to be me, you want to be better than me”. Yeah, sorry to doubt you, but not possible Bron Bron.

More after the jump...