To Pearl
I had only known Pearl for a little over three years now but she left her mark upon me. Pearl always smiled and said how beautiful everybody was and how much she loved everybody. In the short time that I knew Pearl I made a promise that I was going to take care of her Granddaughter forever, which I cannot recall if it was verbal or just an understanding. I made the same promise to her husband Phil even though I never had the honor of meeting him. But from the first day that I really sat down to talk to Pearl, I wanted to make sure that she too was happy and knew that she was loved by me. People who really care can have these types of unwritten contracts with each other. Pearl did things because she cared and she was a wonderful human being. The world needed Pearl more than Pearl needed the world. Sunday night, everybody had taken notice of how lovely Pearl looked, that she did not have the wrinkles of somebody who was stressed. That is because the only thing Pearl was capable of was smiling and bringing laughter to everybody. It was little things, like trying to trick me into giving her an extra Werther’s, yelling out “That’s my hat!” during a slideshow at Erika’s 30th birthday party, always saying “Hi honey” when we would come over, being excited about Stacy and I living in her house even though we had only been together for three and a half months, catching her walking without her walker when I came by for a monthly biscotti visit, soft hands, telling me that it was Lori’s teeth in her hands when I knew full well that it was Pearl’s pearls in her hands, knowing that she helped a little neighbor girl who needed a second mother, knowing that when times were bad she was the mediator and the one who could stay calm and sort things out, and the list continues with all of us. One of the things that I am most appreciative of is allowing me to become a part of her family that she made so many sacrifices to create. It saddens me a great deal to see her go but the root of the sadness lies in the fact that she became a part of my family and that she was such a great human being. I know that there were some trying times for Pearl and sometimes it was hard to hang on but I thank her for hanging on as long as she did because I know I speak for so many family and friends when I say that she has shaped me in a way that nobody else could. One of my greatest mentors shared a word with me, Saive, which means everything you do makes me who I am. To Pearl, Saive and thank you for everything you have done to shape me and everything that you have done that will shape my future.
I will love and miss you.
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Updated Info -- Draft
New player that i just read about that I think may turn out to be a super sleeper. Big guy from a division III school, may go undrafted but he seems to have some skills and a lot of fight in him. Guy by the name of Daryll Jackson out of Kean University. Not a ton of info on him but he sounds like a solid player to watch. Would not mind him making his way to Green Bay.
Now for my picks for the Packers and Bears
The Packers are in relatively good shape and just need a few players to smooth out the current rough edges as well as plan for the future. I will also list some back-up picks just in case my guy is not available.
Round 1 (23) : Patrick Robinson CB Florida State – Where the Packers pick and with their current needs I think that Robinson is the best player for them to pick. He needs to gain consistency but he has two great ones ahead of him to show him the ropes while he plays the Nickel spot. In a year he will step in and be fantastic. When he has been on he has been amazing so the potential is there and his consistency issues are not attitude related. Back-up: Brandon Graham DE-LB Michigan Jerry Hughes LB TCU
Round 2 (56) : Koa Misi LB Utah – Koa Misi is underrated and he will work his rear off to be better with each passing game (remind you of a draft pick of theirs from last year? He will cause headaches for opponents trying to figure out who is blitzing Matthews or Misi. I like this kid a lot. Back-up: Tyson Alualu
Round 3 (86): Jared Veldheer OL Hillsdale – Veldheer is chock full of potential but he needs time to develop. While a third round pick may be high for somebody who just has potential the gamble is worth it in this case. He will sit behind Chad Clifton, probably play in a game here or there, and take over the position for the next 8-10 years. The Packers need a young tackle and Veldheer fits the bill. Back up: Linval Joseph DT-DE
Round 4(122) Darrell Stuckey Kansas – I think that this guy may be one of the most underrated players in the draft. He has the right combination of coverage skills and likes to hit. While he may not jump out on film I would love to have him on the Packers because they do not need a huge playmaker, they just need consistency and Stuckey will bring it. This may be a little high for him, but I would take him just to secure him being on this team. Back-up: Akwasi Owusu-Ansah CB-S
Round 5 (154)(169) I am torn between a few players:
One of these two running backs:
Trindon Holliday RS-RB-WR – Maybe this seems a little high for a guy that will probably just be a return specialist. Maybe I am dreaming in thinking that he can be a change of pace running back. But I see him filling both rolls and finding a way to get on the field in more than just a returning capacity. Even if he is only a returner I think he is going to be a great one. Small but the kind of guy you want on your team.
Deji Karim RB Southern Illinois – More of a running back then a return man on the surface than Holliday but he will serve the same purpose as Holliday. He is a better running back than anybody else on the Packers minus Grant.
Zoltan Mesko P Michigan State – I think that he is the best bet for punter in this draft, strong leg, played for a real time program, high character, punted in poor weather. He is also a decent athlete and will make a hit if he needs to. That is one thing I really liked about Jon Ryan (The guy the packers never should have cut), he made plays when his punts were about to be blocked and would lay a hit if need be. The only other punter I like is going to be a free agent and that is Scott Ravanessi from Southern Illinois
Myron Rolle S – This only makes sense if the Packers do not draft Stuckey in the fourth round. It kills me that a knock on a guy is leaving to be a Rhodes scholar for a year. Hey, he may be a little out of football shape but that does not take away from how well he played the three years before that.
Back-ups: Jason Fox OT Miami Michael Hoomanawanui TE Illinois
Round 6 (193):
E.J. Wilson North Carolina – He is a little undersized for a 3-4 end but he has a lot of striking similarities to Cullen Jenkins. Okay he is not that caliber of a player but he has enough where he can play the end position for the Packers and rotate in. With the uncertainty of the future at DE with Jenkins and Jolly beyond this season Wilson is worth a look to develop. Back-up: Ed Wang OT Virginia Tech
Or
Patrick Stoudmire CB Western Illinois – I had to run around a bit to get more information on this kid. From what I have read, I think he is a real sleeper. He is quick and tough and still a bit raw—played basketball so he may have some untapped skills. If the Packers do not grab a cornerback at this point I think that he is the right player to grab here. He may also have some return skills but I could not find any info on him doing this in the past.
Round 7 (230) Kevin Matthews C-G – Maybe I just keep thinking about the history of the Matthews, late bloomers and savvy players. Some of the best centers in the NFL are crafty high character and smart players who are not super athletes. Matthews seems to be the same way and it is hard to argue with the success of his Dad. I am not expecting him to be the next Bruce Matthews but maybe the next Franky Winters. Worth taking at this point, even if he takes a year or two on the practice squad.
Back-up: Kelton Tindal WR-RS Newberry – This guy reminds me a little bit of Devin Hester in the sense that he is insanely fast. He is a little smarter than Devin Hester and does not have quite the shiftiness…yet. I think that he is incredibly raw and could develop into something more than a fast kick returner in three years. That is a long time but Donald Driver took two years to show anything outside of practice. Worth a try here.
On the other side, the Bears have a lot more needs than picks and Angelo has really screwed them royally to date. I think that his offseason moves were desperate and he overpaid for everybody. I think that Brandon Malumal….you know who I am talking about and Chester Taylor were good moves but he paid too much. Right now the Bears need to be conservative and get some players that are what they are and forget about potential.
Round 3 (75): Eric Norwood OLB – The Bears have thrived off of tough high character linebackers for a long time and Norwood fits the bill. He has some deficiencies but that is why he is going in the third round. More importantly he will be able to produce right away for the Bears and has a few mentors on this team.
Round 4 (109): Jordan Shipley WR – The bears are chock full of potential players at WR but who is the reliable one? That is why they need Shipley and they need to hang onto him. The Bears gave up too quickly on two other players in the past that went on to become solid third down receivers; Ricky Proehl and Bobby Engram. While neither player was a super star their third down conversion rates were astounding. Shipley can be the third down receiver and will work hi butt off to be a solid player for them.
Round 5 (141): Darrion Stewart S – Another South Carolina Gamecock for the Bears. Stewart is another high character guy who will bust his butt for 60 minutes and he is a decent athlete. I will be surprised, assuming that the Bears draft him, if he is not starting right away but at the very least he will be a core special teamer.
Round 6 (181): Brandon Carter G – As my brother always points out, offensive lineman need some ugly factor (I actually do not know what Carter looks like) but you need a guy who is going to be mean and is a little pissed off at the world. Carter is mean. He plays hard and loves to smash opponents. Olin Kruetz still has this attitude but he has really fallen off, the bears need a player to be a brute again and Carter will do this. Plus their offensive line is weak.
Round 7 (218): Jimmy Saddler-McQueen DT-DE: The Bears need some consistency and they need a guy who is NOT a youtube sensation, just a guy that does his job. Saddler McQueen is probably not a starter but he is a rotation guy that has some value.
No matter what the Bears need a lot more but this type of a draft may assist in winning at least 7 games this year. I am not patronizing, I really think that Angelo has screwed this team up that bad.
Round 1 (23) : Patrick Robinson CB Florida State – Where the Packers pick and with their current needs I think that Robinson is the best player for them to pick. He needs to gain consistency but he has two great ones ahead of him to show him the ropes while he plays the Nickel spot. In a year he will step in and be fantastic. When he has been on he has been amazing so the potential is there and his consistency issues are not attitude related. Back-up: Brandon Graham DE-LB Michigan Jerry Hughes LB TCU
Round 2 (56) : Koa Misi LB Utah – Koa Misi is underrated and he will work his rear off to be better with each passing game (remind you of a draft pick of theirs from last year? He will cause headaches for opponents trying to figure out who is blitzing Matthews or Misi. I like this kid a lot. Back-up: Tyson Alualu
Round 3 (86): Jared Veldheer OL Hillsdale – Veldheer is chock full of potential but he needs time to develop. While a third round pick may be high for somebody who just has potential the gamble is worth it in this case. He will sit behind Chad Clifton, probably play in a game here or there, and take over the position for the next 8-10 years. The Packers need a young tackle and Veldheer fits the bill. Back up: Linval Joseph DT-DE
Round 4(122) Darrell Stuckey Kansas – I think that this guy may be one of the most underrated players in the draft. He has the right combination of coverage skills and likes to hit. While he may not jump out on film I would love to have him on the Packers because they do not need a huge playmaker, they just need consistency and Stuckey will bring it. This may be a little high for him, but I would take him just to secure him being on this team. Back-up: Akwasi Owusu-Ansah CB-S
Round 5 (154)(169) I am torn between a few players:
One of these two running backs:
Trindon Holliday RS-RB-WR – Maybe this seems a little high for a guy that will probably just be a return specialist. Maybe I am dreaming in thinking that he can be a change of pace running back. But I see him filling both rolls and finding a way to get on the field in more than just a returning capacity. Even if he is only a returner I think he is going to be a great one. Small but the kind of guy you want on your team.
Deji Karim RB Southern Illinois – More of a running back then a return man on the surface than Holliday but he will serve the same purpose as Holliday. He is a better running back than anybody else on the Packers minus Grant.
Zoltan Mesko P Michigan State – I think that he is the best bet for punter in this draft, strong leg, played for a real time program, high character, punted in poor weather. He is also a decent athlete and will make a hit if he needs to. That is one thing I really liked about Jon Ryan (The guy the packers never should have cut), he made plays when his punts were about to be blocked and would lay a hit if need be. The only other punter I like is going to be a free agent and that is Scott Ravanessi from Southern Illinois
Myron Rolle S – This only makes sense if the Packers do not draft Stuckey in the fourth round. It kills me that a knock on a guy is leaving to be a Rhodes scholar for a year. Hey, he may be a little out of football shape but that does not take away from how well he played the three years before that.
Back-ups: Jason Fox OT Miami Michael Hoomanawanui TE Illinois
Round 6 (193):
E.J. Wilson North Carolina – He is a little undersized for a 3-4 end but he has a lot of striking similarities to Cullen Jenkins. Okay he is not that caliber of a player but he has enough where he can play the end position for the Packers and rotate in. With the uncertainty of the future at DE with Jenkins and Jolly beyond this season Wilson is worth a look to develop. Back-up: Ed Wang OT Virginia Tech
Or
Patrick Stoudmire CB Western Illinois – I had to run around a bit to get more information on this kid. From what I have read, I think he is a real sleeper. He is quick and tough and still a bit raw—played basketball so he may have some untapped skills. If the Packers do not grab a cornerback at this point I think that he is the right player to grab here. He may also have some return skills but I could not find any info on him doing this in the past.
Round 7 (230) Kevin Matthews C-G – Maybe I just keep thinking about the history of the Matthews, late bloomers and savvy players. Some of the best centers in the NFL are crafty high character and smart players who are not super athletes. Matthews seems to be the same way and it is hard to argue with the success of his Dad. I am not expecting him to be the next Bruce Matthews but maybe the next Franky Winters. Worth taking at this point, even if he takes a year or two on the practice squad.
Back-up: Kelton Tindal WR-RS Newberry – This guy reminds me a little bit of Devin Hester in the sense that he is insanely fast. He is a little smarter than Devin Hester and does not have quite the shiftiness…yet. I think that he is incredibly raw and could develop into something more than a fast kick returner in three years. That is a long time but Donald Driver took two years to show anything outside of practice. Worth a try here.
On the other side, the Bears have a lot more needs than picks and Angelo has really screwed them royally to date. I think that his offseason moves were desperate and he overpaid for everybody. I think that Brandon Malumal….you know who I am talking about and Chester Taylor were good moves but he paid too much. Right now the Bears need to be conservative and get some players that are what they are and forget about potential.
Round 3 (75): Eric Norwood OLB – The Bears have thrived off of tough high character linebackers for a long time and Norwood fits the bill. He has some deficiencies but that is why he is going in the third round. More importantly he will be able to produce right away for the Bears and has a few mentors on this team.
Round 4 (109): Jordan Shipley WR – The bears are chock full of potential players at WR but who is the reliable one? That is why they need Shipley and they need to hang onto him. The Bears gave up too quickly on two other players in the past that went on to become solid third down receivers; Ricky Proehl and Bobby Engram. While neither player was a super star their third down conversion rates were astounding. Shipley can be the third down receiver and will work hi butt off to be a solid player for them.
Round 5 (141): Darrion Stewart S – Another South Carolina Gamecock for the Bears. Stewart is another high character guy who will bust his butt for 60 minutes and he is a decent athlete. I will be surprised, assuming that the Bears draft him, if he is not starting right away but at the very least he will be a core special teamer.
Round 6 (181): Brandon Carter G – As my brother always points out, offensive lineman need some ugly factor (I actually do not know what Carter looks like) but you need a guy who is going to be mean and is a little pissed off at the world. Carter is mean. He plays hard and loves to smash opponents. Olin Kruetz still has this attitude but he has really fallen off, the bears need a player to be a brute again and Carter will do this. Plus their offensive line is weak.
Round 7 (218): Jimmy Saddler-McQueen DT-DE: The Bears need some consistency and they need a guy who is NOT a youtube sensation, just a guy that does his job. Saddler McQueen is probably not a starter but he is a rotation guy that has some value.
No matter what the Bears need a lot more but this type of a draft may assist in winning at least 7 games this year. I am not patronizing, I really think that Angelo has screwed this team up that bad.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
NFL Mock Draft in Andre's Eyes
4/8 update – QB shake ups! McNabb traded and Bulger released! Mistakes for both teams!
Here is a Mock Draft of sorts where I use my not so humble opinion on who should be taken and who will be taken. The should be taken at that spot will be based on who I think is going to be taken by the previous teams (So that is why pick 1 and 2 is Russell Okung)
1. Rams – Should be taken: Russell Okung – Bradford is not worthy of the first overall pick, the most talented player in the world can’t play if they are hurt. Okung will be a building block for the offensive line. I am also a firm believer with building lines first.
Who they will pick: Sam Bradford.
2. Lions – Should take: Can I say Russell Okung again? Well assuming that the Rams take Bradford they should take Okung for the same reason, and they will take Okung so it works out well. Another choice would be Suh but the Lions have enough players in this spot that it does not quite make sense
3. Buccaneers – Should take: Ndamukong Suh. Suh is the best player in this draft and will be good for a long time. Everybody envisions that the bucs will take McCoy (Possibly the bucs themselves) because they see Sapp in McCoy. I don’t. I think that McCoy is a little too soft, a lot softer than Sapp ever was, and I don’t typically believe in Oklahoma players. Suh could be the center of the defense for a decade. In the end they will not listen to me (Because the Bucaneers are reading this blog) and take McCoy.
4. Redskins – McNabb instantly changed this situation and that trade could have saved a lot of heartache in the capital. Not because McNabb is going to dominate, though he will be decent, but because it saved them from drafting Claussen. They already have one primadonna in Colt Brennan and they do not need another. The Redskins are a bit of a mess so there are a lot of needs. Again, I believe in building a team from the line out. I would say Suh for them but they have Haynesworth even if he is a big fat bust he still has talent and draws a double team. Despite the fact that I do not think he is worthy of this high of a pick and that he is going to be very average the safest OT is Bulaga and that is who they are going to take. Personally, I think that the best offensive lineman at this position is Lupati or Pouncey but this seems to be too high to draft either. So basically if I could not trade out I would go for the best player available which at this point is Suh so take him.
5. Chiefs – The Chiefs are going to take Eric Berry and they should. They have some pieces in place and Berry is the best player on the board that fits them. While they may be tempted to take Suh if he is available they need to take a step back with their DL.
6. Seahawks – If Suh is still available at this point the Seahawks should take about 3 seconds to make their pick. If everything falls the way that it does then he will be there and they will take him. So Suh and Suh
7. Browns – With Eric Berry being taken two slots ahead of them they are going to be disappointed but Holmgren is unphased about these kinds of things to a fault (Oh no Daniel Graham I will just reach for Jerramy Stevens). Holmgren will have to think long and hard about Claussen here but I don’t think he will go that direction for two reasons, the fans probably do not want another ND QB and I think that Holmgren is in love with Tebow and will take him in the second round. Holmgren will also think long and hard about Earl Thomas. When all is said and done they will probably go with Derrick Morgan to help their pass rush. I am a little torn as to who he should take because there is a need for a playmaker on both sides of the ball. But gun to the head I would bite the bullet and take Earl Thomas or Derrick Morgan…let’s just go with Morgan.
8. Raiders – If everything falls the way I predict they will take Bruce Campbell because they need an offensive lineman and Al Davis loves measurables. He may also take Pierre-Paul but I think that they want a new offensive lineman. This will be another awful pick. If I was the raiders I would take Rolando McClain to lead the defense. Alternatively I would also think about Earl Thomas at this point.
9. Bills – The Bills will take Jimmy Claussen because they forced themselves to take him. What I mean is that they have convinced themselves that they need a quarterback more than anything else. If I was the Bills I would take CJ Spiller and dump Marshawn Lynch. Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller could make an explosive combination. Forget about Brohm, who is a spoiled child apparently, Fitzpatrick and Edwards are good enough to lead this team. They may also want to think about OL and take Lupati (Again, I like this kid and do not like the any of the OT’s at this point).
10. Jaguars – The Jags may fall into a panic and there is a lot of thought that they may still crave a pass rusher, though I am not sure of that. Many are projecting Pierre-Paul but I think that the Jags are going to avoid taking another pass rusher in the first round. I think that they are going to grab Dez Bryant at this spot. While I am wary of Dez Bryant it makes sense here. While it may seem a little odd here, I would take Maurkice Pouncy. Meester is old and I think that a good center makes a line ten times better. Pouncy seems to be a very rare center who could play anywhere on the line but is smart and savvy enough to play center. The fact that he can sit behind Meester or push to start should help him. I really actually think the Jags have almost everything in place to succeed this year.
11. Broncos – The fact that the Bronco’s have this pick is a testament to how savvy they were in trading Cutler. With this pick they can take the best player available which is probably Lupati or Haden. Considering that Andre Goodman is listed as their starting corner I think that there is a good bet that they are going to take Haden here and they should. Haden will be solid for the next 5-10 years and will have an excellent mentor in Champ Bailey.
12. Dolphins – Not a good spot for the Dolphins but they are a franchise on the rise so they should be happy with grabbing Rolando McClain at this point and that is what they should do. However, I think that they are going to gamble a little bit and go with Pierre-Paul to bolster their pass-rush which is in a little bit of disarray. I think I am a little conservative so I would go with the safer pick in McClain.
13. 49ers – The 49ers have another pick at 17 so there is no need to reach for anybody here. Really it is a chess game for them because they have to decide who do they want that the Seahawks Giants, and Titans might take. Looking at their needs and those teams needs they may have some interesting decisions to make. The best player on the board that the 49ers can use is going to be Lupati, the other tackles available are too big of a gamble and Lupati is a tough guy and there is a chance that he would not be available with their next pick, particularly with the Seahawks picking next.
14. Seahawks – While the Seahawks need some OL help they need a legit running back and the OL help available at this point is nothing special and CJ Spiller is far too talented to pass up. While they already have smaller quick running backs on the team there is no way that they can pass up CJ Spiller at this point. So once again, with the way that the draft has fallen the Seahawks will take Spiller and should take Spiller.
15. Giants – The Giants could not be happier at this point with how the draft has fallen. Their biggest need is going to be linebacker and McClain is still available. Some were concerned with him being tired at his last workout due to his Crones disease but this kid is the real deal and will lead the team. So the Giants will take McClain and they should take him at this point.
16. Titans – The Titans will look at who has fallen and who they could use. Ultimately though the player that they wanted all along will be available in Maurkice Pouncey. Mawae is getting a little long in the tooth and dominating centers rarely fall into your lap like this. The titans will pull the trigger on him and they should.
17. 49ers – The 49ers will find themselves in an interesting position here because there are three or four players that they can seriously consider. The niners will be happy with Anthony Davis, Earl Thomas, Brandon Graham, and Kyle Wilson. Since they just drafted Lupati, who may be a OT but is more likely a guard, they will not take Davis. Graham could boost their pass rush but they have enough on their team that they ultimately will go for a DB. Earl Thomas is a bit of a mystery because he may be able to play CB as well as safety and the niners need both. Because of his versatility I think that the Niners will go with Thomas because Wilson is not a sure thing and Thomas is a bigger playmaker. I love Thomas and I am not that hot on Wilson so I would take him as well.
18. Steelers – Their hearts were cracked when Pouncey was taken by the titans but not broken. The Steelers need help in a few areas. While I just said that I am not the biggest fan of Kyle Wilson, this is who they are going to take because they have a need at CB. I agree with the position but I would instead go with Patrick Robinson because I think Robinson will be the better player in the long run and he will get the coaching he needs. I am happy that he is not taken here though.
19. Falcons – The Falcons have a few needs but they are in pretty good shape overall. What that means is that they can afford to take the best player on the board. Depending on who you are you might say that it is Anthony Davis or Kyle Williams, but I do not like either of them. Both players fill a need for them so I am going to venture to say that they will take Williams so they have two shorter but tough corners on their roster who will cause coverage sacks. Personally I would be tempted to take Gresham here. I know they have Tony Gonzalez but the question is will they next year? Another option would be Sergio Kindle because they could use another playmaking linebacker.
20. Texans – The Texans are going to feel like two CB’s were stolen from them by the Falcons at this point. With that said they will take the next CB in line who could be McCourty, Patrick Robinson, or Perrish Cox depending on who you listen to. I have a feeling that they are going to be intrigued with McCourty’s skills and attitude but I may be wrong. They may also take a flier on another Scarlett Knight in Anthony Davis because their offensive line has never really been steady. If I had to pick though I would say that they will take McCourty. If I was them I would take Patrick Robinson but again I am happy if they do not take him.
21. Bengals – The Bengals will probably take who they perceive to be the best target for Palmer. Just because they have been stockpiling WR does not mean that they will not take one here. They have an interesting choice here because there are varying opinions on the guys available at this spot. I think that they may take the most explosive player at the position which would be Golden Tate. If they want a wideout though, I would take either Arrelious Benn or Demaryius Thomas. They could also take Gresham here which would probably be the smartest pick. But to separate myself a bit I think that they are going to take Golden Tate here.
22. Patriots – The Patriots usually surprise us with their picks—if he is a bust they say, “We don’t need to rely on the draft anyways.” If he is a good player they say, “Look how smart we are!”. Not that I am done with that, they will take Brandon Graham and use him as an outside linebacker and as much as I hate the Patriots, it is the right pick for them and they should draft him here.
23. Packers – Like I said I really like Patrick Robinson and if the draft falls the way that I think it will I want them to take him. No hesitation grab him. Are you listening Ted? Take him. Please do not take Anthony Davis. Don’t even think about Taylor Mays either. Take Robinson! Wait, aren’t you listening to me? Okay, we agree then? Okay, let’s do it. Robinson and Robinson.
24. Eagles – My mind is blown that PFW (I love you guys by the way) think that the Eagles will take Tebow here. No, they won’t and they should not. I think that the Eagles will look at this spot and they will be happy to draft Anthony Davis here, which is probably where he should actually go, and I cannot argue too much with that pick. However, Sean Weatherspoon may be the best pick here because their other LB either cannot stay on the field or are just not good enough to start and Weatherspoon is versatile
25. Ravens – The Ravens are going to be extremely happy with taking Demaryius Thomas at this spot. This is what they should do and this is what they will do. The Ravens will finally have a WR that is big and can play.
26. Cardinals – The Cardinals need help at linebacker and at DE. Sean Weatherspoon is the best player between those two positions and they will take him and should take him. The End
27. Cowboys – The Cowboys learned their lesson with Roy Williams and will steer clear of Taylor Mays and take Jerome Murphy and move him to free safety. With their team needs this is a bit of a reach but they really could use him so I will agree with this pick.
28. Chargers – The Chargers may have traded away their starting cornerback (and with him all of his illegitimit children and headaches) but they have Caeson in to step in) but they also lost their big guy in the middle in Jamal Williams (Who was perhaps on his last set of knees anyways). So that leaves a glaring need and a 3-4 nose tackle is the most valued position so it makes sense to take the top nose tackle here in Dan Williams. The Chargers have been known to surprise in the past but I think that this is to straightforward to ignore at this point so this is what they will do and this is what they should do.
29. Jets – The Jets are a fairly solid team overall. They could use a bit of help at the safety spot so I think that they may go for TJ Ward at this spot. It is a bit of a reach though. Personally I would go after Vladimir Ducasse as he will fill a need down the road and they can be patient with him. It is so hard to read teams in these types of spots though, I am still going to go with Ward.
30. Vikings – The Vikings are stupid. So they will take Taylor Mays here because they are dumb enough to fall into this trap. He will start for them and Aaron Rodgers will pick him apart. Then I will laugh at them. I hope they pick Mays because I hate them so much and he will fail with them.
31. Colts – The Colts are going to look at their draft board and decide that they will listen to Andre Smith and draft Brian Price. Price is a quick powerful high motor type of DT that fits the Colts defense. While Odrick is higher on many teams boards Price just fits their system better and he is probably the best player on their board at this point. So Price and Price.
32. Saints – The Saints will be jumping for joy at this point. The top bellcow type running back will still be on the board in Ryan Matthews and they need one of those types of backs to compliment Reggie Bush. I could not agree more. So Matthews and Matthews.
As I said, the Browns will take Tebow in round 2. Beyond that your guess is as good as mine!
Here is a Mock Draft of sorts where I use my not so humble opinion on who should be taken and who will be taken. The should be taken at that spot will be based on who I think is going to be taken by the previous teams (So that is why pick 1 and 2 is Russell Okung)
1. Rams – Should be taken: Russell Okung – Bradford is not worthy of the first overall pick, the most talented player in the world can’t play if they are hurt. Okung will be a building block for the offensive line. I am also a firm believer with building lines first.
Who they will pick: Sam Bradford.
2. Lions – Should take: Can I say Russell Okung again? Well assuming that the Rams take Bradford they should take Okung for the same reason, and they will take Okung so it works out well. Another choice would be Suh but the Lions have enough players in this spot that it does not quite make sense
3. Buccaneers – Should take: Ndamukong Suh. Suh is the best player in this draft and will be good for a long time. Everybody envisions that the bucs will take McCoy (Possibly the bucs themselves) because they see Sapp in McCoy. I don’t. I think that McCoy is a little too soft, a lot softer than Sapp ever was, and I don’t typically believe in Oklahoma players. Suh could be the center of the defense for a decade. In the end they will not listen to me (Because the Bucaneers are reading this blog) and take McCoy.
4. Redskins – McNabb instantly changed this situation and that trade could have saved a lot of heartache in the capital. Not because McNabb is going to dominate, though he will be decent, but because it saved them from drafting Claussen. They already have one primadonna in Colt Brennan and they do not need another. The Redskins are a bit of a mess so there are a lot of needs. Again, I believe in building a team from the line out. I would say Suh for them but they have Haynesworth even if he is a big fat bust he still has talent and draws a double team. Despite the fact that I do not think he is worthy of this high of a pick and that he is going to be very average the safest OT is Bulaga and that is who they are going to take. Personally, I think that the best offensive lineman at this position is Lupati or Pouncey but this seems to be too high to draft either. So basically if I could not trade out I would go for the best player available which at this point is Suh so take him.
5. Chiefs – The Chiefs are going to take Eric Berry and they should. They have some pieces in place and Berry is the best player on the board that fits them. While they may be tempted to take Suh if he is available they need to take a step back with their DL.
6. Seahawks – If Suh is still available at this point the Seahawks should take about 3 seconds to make their pick. If everything falls the way that it does then he will be there and they will take him. So Suh and Suh
7. Browns – With Eric Berry being taken two slots ahead of them they are going to be disappointed but Holmgren is unphased about these kinds of things to a fault (Oh no Daniel Graham I will just reach for Jerramy Stevens). Holmgren will have to think long and hard about Claussen here but I don’t think he will go that direction for two reasons, the fans probably do not want another ND QB and I think that Holmgren is in love with Tebow and will take him in the second round. Holmgren will also think long and hard about Earl Thomas. When all is said and done they will probably go with Derrick Morgan to help their pass rush. I am a little torn as to who he should take because there is a need for a playmaker on both sides of the ball. But gun to the head I would bite the bullet and take Earl Thomas or Derrick Morgan…let’s just go with Morgan.
8. Raiders – If everything falls the way I predict they will take Bruce Campbell because they need an offensive lineman and Al Davis loves measurables. He may also take Pierre-Paul but I think that they want a new offensive lineman. This will be another awful pick. If I was the raiders I would take Rolando McClain to lead the defense. Alternatively I would also think about Earl Thomas at this point.
9. Bills – The Bills will take Jimmy Claussen because they forced themselves to take him. What I mean is that they have convinced themselves that they need a quarterback more than anything else. If I was the Bills I would take CJ Spiller and dump Marshawn Lynch. Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller could make an explosive combination. Forget about Brohm, who is a spoiled child apparently, Fitzpatrick and Edwards are good enough to lead this team. They may also want to think about OL and take Lupati (Again, I like this kid and do not like the any of the OT’s at this point).
10. Jaguars – The Jags may fall into a panic and there is a lot of thought that they may still crave a pass rusher, though I am not sure of that. Many are projecting Pierre-Paul but I think that the Jags are going to avoid taking another pass rusher in the first round. I think that they are going to grab Dez Bryant at this spot. While I am wary of Dez Bryant it makes sense here. While it may seem a little odd here, I would take Maurkice Pouncy. Meester is old and I think that a good center makes a line ten times better. Pouncy seems to be a very rare center who could play anywhere on the line but is smart and savvy enough to play center. The fact that he can sit behind Meester or push to start should help him. I really actually think the Jags have almost everything in place to succeed this year.
11. Broncos – The fact that the Bronco’s have this pick is a testament to how savvy they were in trading Cutler. With this pick they can take the best player available which is probably Lupati or Haden. Considering that Andre Goodman is listed as their starting corner I think that there is a good bet that they are going to take Haden here and they should. Haden will be solid for the next 5-10 years and will have an excellent mentor in Champ Bailey.
12. Dolphins – Not a good spot for the Dolphins but they are a franchise on the rise so they should be happy with grabbing Rolando McClain at this point and that is what they should do. However, I think that they are going to gamble a little bit and go with Pierre-Paul to bolster their pass-rush which is in a little bit of disarray. I think I am a little conservative so I would go with the safer pick in McClain.
13. 49ers – The 49ers have another pick at 17 so there is no need to reach for anybody here. Really it is a chess game for them because they have to decide who do they want that the Seahawks Giants, and Titans might take. Looking at their needs and those teams needs they may have some interesting decisions to make. The best player on the board that the 49ers can use is going to be Lupati, the other tackles available are too big of a gamble and Lupati is a tough guy and there is a chance that he would not be available with their next pick, particularly with the Seahawks picking next.
14. Seahawks – While the Seahawks need some OL help they need a legit running back and the OL help available at this point is nothing special and CJ Spiller is far too talented to pass up. While they already have smaller quick running backs on the team there is no way that they can pass up CJ Spiller at this point. So once again, with the way that the draft has fallen the Seahawks will take Spiller and should take Spiller.
15. Giants – The Giants could not be happier at this point with how the draft has fallen. Their biggest need is going to be linebacker and McClain is still available. Some were concerned with him being tired at his last workout due to his Crones disease but this kid is the real deal and will lead the team. So the Giants will take McClain and they should take him at this point.
16. Titans – The Titans will look at who has fallen and who they could use. Ultimately though the player that they wanted all along will be available in Maurkice Pouncey. Mawae is getting a little long in the tooth and dominating centers rarely fall into your lap like this. The titans will pull the trigger on him and they should.
17. 49ers – The 49ers will find themselves in an interesting position here because there are three or four players that they can seriously consider. The niners will be happy with Anthony Davis, Earl Thomas, Brandon Graham, and Kyle Wilson. Since they just drafted Lupati, who may be a OT but is more likely a guard, they will not take Davis. Graham could boost their pass rush but they have enough on their team that they ultimately will go for a DB. Earl Thomas is a bit of a mystery because he may be able to play CB as well as safety and the niners need both. Because of his versatility I think that the Niners will go with Thomas because Wilson is not a sure thing and Thomas is a bigger playmaker. I love Thomas and I am not that hot on Wilson so I would take him as well.
18. Steelers – Their hearts were cracked when Pouncey was taken by the titans but not broken. The Steelers need help in a few areas. While I just said that I am not the biggest fan of Kyle Wilson, this is who they are going to take because they have a need at CB. I agree with the position but I would instead go with Patrick Robinson because I think Robinson will be the better player in the long run and he will get the coaching he needs. I am happy that he is not taken here though.
19. Falcons – The Falcons have a few needs but they are in pretty good shape overall. What that means is that they can afford to take the best player on the board. Depending on who you are you might say that it is Anthony Davis or Kyle Williams, but I do not like either of them. Both players fill a need for them so I am going to venture to say that they will take Williams so they have two shorter but tough corners on their roster who will cause coverage sacks. Personally I would be tempted to take Gresham here. I know they have Tony Gonzalez but the question is will they next year? Another option would be Sergio Kindle because they could use another playmaking linebacker.
20. Texans – The Texans are going to feel like two CB’s were stolen from them by the Falcons at this point. With that said they will take the next CB in line who could be McCourty, Patrick Robinson, or Perrish Cox depending on who you listen to. I have a feeling that they are going to be intrigued with McCourty’s skills and attitude but I may be wrong. They may also take a flier on another Scarlett Knight in Anthony Davis because their offensive line has never really been steady. If I had to pick though I would say that they will take McCourty. If I was them I would take Patrick Robinson but again I am happy if they do not take him.
21. Bengals – The Bengals will probably take who they perceive to be the best target for Palmer. Just because they have been stockpiling WR does not mean that they will not take one here. They have an interesting choice here because there are varying opinions on the guys available at this spot. I think that they may take the most explosive player at the position which would be Golden Tate. If they want a wideout though, I would take either Arrelious Benn or Demaryius Thomas. They could also take Gresham here which would probably be the smartest pick. But to separate myself a bit I think that they are going to take Golden Tate here.
22. Patriots – The Patriots usually surprise us with their picks—if he is a bust they say, “We don’t need to rely on the draft anyways.” If he is a good player they say, “Look how smart we are!”. Not that I am done with that, they will take Brandon Graham and use him as an outside linebacker and as much as I hate the Patriots, it is the right pick for them and they should draft him here.
23. Packers – Like I said I really like Patrick Robinson and if the draft falls the way that I think it will I want them to take him. No hesitation grab him. Are you listening Ted? Take him. Please do not take Anthony Davis. Don’t even think about Taylor Mays either. Take Robinson! Wait, aren’t you listening to me? Okay, we agree then? Okay, let’s do it. Robinson and Robinson.
24. Eagles – My mind is blown that PFW (I love you guys by the way) think that the Eagles will take Tebow here. No, they won’t and they should not. I think that the Eagles will look at this spot and they will be happy to draft Anthony Davis here, which is probably where he should actually go, and I cannot argue too much with that pick. However, Sean Weatherspoon may be the best pick here because their other LB either cannot stay on the field or are just not good enough to start and Weatherspoon is versatile
25. Ravens – The Ravens are going to be extremely happy with taking Demaryius Thomas at this spot. This is what they should do and this is what they will do. The Ravens will finally have a WR that is big and can play.
26. Cardinals – The Cardinals need help at linebacker and at DE. Sean Weatherspoon is the best player between those two positions and they will take him and should take him. The End
27. Cowboys – The Cowboys learned their lesson with Roy Williams and will steer clear of Taylor Mays and take Jerome Murphy and move him to free safety. With their team needs this is a bit of a reach but they really could use him so I will agree with this pick.
28. Chargers – The Chargers may have traded away their starting cornerback (and with him all of his illegitimit children and headaches) but they have Caeson in to step in) but they also lost their big guy in the middle in Jamal Williams (Who was perhaps on his last set of knees anyways). So that leaves a glaring need and a 3-4 nose tackle is the most valued position so it makes sense to take the top nose tackle here in Dan Williams. The Chargers have been known to surprise in the past but I think that this is to straightforward to ignore at this point so this is what they will do and this is what they should do.
29. Jets – The Jets are a fairly solid team overall. They could use a bit of help at the safety spot so I think that they may go for TJ Ward at this spot. It is a bit of a reach though. Personally I would go after Vladimir Ducasse as he will fill a need down the road and they can be patient with him. It is so hard to read teams in these types of spots though, I am still going to go with Ward.
30. Vikings – The Vikings are stupid. So they will take Taylor Mays here because they are dumb enough to fall into this trap. He will start for them and Aaron Rodgers will pick him apart. Then I will laugh at them. I hope they pick Mays because I hate them so much and he will fail with them.
31. Colts – The Colts are going to look at their draft board and decide that they will listen to Andre Smith and draft Brian Price. Price is a quick powerful high motor type of DT that fits the Colts defense. While Odrick is higher on many teams boards Price just fits their system better and he is probably the best player on their board at this point. So Price and Price.
32. Saints – The Saints will be jumping for joy at this point. The top bellcow type running back will still be on the board in Ryan Matthews and they need one of those types of backs to compliment Reggie Bush. I could not agree more. So Matthews and Matthews.
As I said, the Browns will take Tebow in round 2. Beyond that your guess is as good as mine!
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Some draft thoughts
Busts or Overhyped
Gerald McCoy – I am not sure why anybody would pick him over Suh. Suh is a beast to me and McCoy seems very soft. He reminds me of Glenn Dorsey but not as strong. Everybody wants to compare him to Warren Sapp and I can see it but I just don’t think he has the same instincts and strength.
Bryan Bulaga – maybe I am thinking about all of the Iowa offensive linemen that have come out over the course of the last 15 years and that most of them do not have solid NFL careers. Bulaga is a good lineman who can start for a long time but he is not going to dominate. A top 10 pick really should dominate so I think that he is a little overrated at this point. I also think he is more of a guard than a tackle.
I think that most of the OT in this draft are overrated with a lot of bust potential—particularly with the speculation that there will be a run on OT’s early in the draft. Here is my quick breakdown:
Anthony Davis – This kid is not a bad player but I think that some of the same fears that everybody had for Jeff Otah a few years ago should apply to Davis. He is powerful and big and a little slow. He has a mean streak but he is a bit immature and may turn out to be a bit of a head case. He does not have enough ugly factor and offensive lineman need ugly factor. Should be projected as more of a late first rounder early second rounder and needs a little bit of time to develop.
Trent Williams – Just an average player with a high ceiling to me. We see players like him every year.
Bruce Campbell – My god I hope that the Packers do not draft him. All the talent in the world but lack of production. Between Campbell and Okung they have the highest ceilings but I think that Okung is much further along and is battle proven whereas Campbell is still learning how to play the position.
Jason Pierre-Paul – Well I like his name. But ultimately I cannot figure this one out. He seems like the Akili Smith of DE’s—that is to say, somebody who shows up for half of a season and does well then makes themselves eligible for the draft. A guy with a lot of upside but not a lot of production, to me at least, is a guy that you take a chance on in the third or fourth round. It is going to take a gutsy and overconfident coach and GM to draft this guy. I don’t see him becoming anything more than a perennial tease or one of those guys that only shows up in a contract year.
Carlos Dunlap – We have seen this before; great talent and poor work ethic. Dunlap has been known to nurse injuries, take plays off, has a limited number of pass rushing moves, and is known as being immature. The question is, at what point do you draw the line with players like this? This is a guy that obviously needs hard coaching but is probably not receptive to it. This leaves a team with either a player who walks off the field crying, ala Manny Wright, or they totally shut down. Either way you do not want them on your team. Sure, there is a chance that he will turn out, but again you should probably take a flier on a player like this in the middle rounds.
Terrence Cody – Giant overeating defensive lineman typically do not work out in the NFL. Gilbert Brown worked out well but he was his own worst enemy and ate his way out of the league at one point in time. Look at anybody nicknamed Bigdaddy and you will find guys that did not work out. The only player that comes to mind that was able to control himself with being a big physical presence and not overeating to the point that his endurance was gravely affected was Ted Washington. Washington was smart Cody’s intelligence has been questioned. So I don’t see the light clicking for him.
Golden Tate – Golden Tate saw an opportunity to declare for the draft and possibly get picked in the first round. I am not convinced that he is going to be a bust but I really do not think that he is going to be a dominate #1 receiver. He needs to work on his quickness and fundamentals from what I see/understand. He reminds me of Devery Henderson, who is decent, but not a super star. When a receiver is under 6 foot, usually they need to be quick like Wes Welker and Steve Smith (CAR) and I am not sure that Tate has that same type of quickness. He certainly has the long speed though. I am not ready to call him a bust but I don’t think he is going to dominate. He also needs to work on catching with his hands instead of his body but that is just fundamentals that he can work on. Overall though, I am a little wary of all of the top WR prospects in this draft.
Sam Bradford – I already outlined this in my previous post, I don’t think Bradford will be bad, but he is not worthy of the top pick this year. There are too many question marks with him in my opinion. Now, what is interesting and perhaps mulligans my statements is that Gil Brandt was at his personal workout and he said that it is the best quarterback workout he has seen since Troy Aikman (He was the one that drafted Aikman). The only person in the history of my football obsession that understood scouting better than Brandt was the late Joel Buschbaum so I may be wrong in my assessment.
Colt McCoy – Boy last year at this time I may have said something else but I have some serious concerns with how he is going to pan out. I am always wary of Texas players, nothing against the school, but a lot of players from Texas have grown up being coddled and are a bit of “Legends in their own Minds” and McCoy may be no different. Still, it is hard to ignore his insane completion percentage the last two years. I would take a flier on him in the fourth round but I just don’t think he has the talent. I look at him as a Tim Rattay type player. I am not sure that he will be a bust per se but I do think that he has been a little overhyped.
Taylor Mayes – Boy Taylor Archuleta Williams Mays sure can hit! He sure can put the hurt on a receiver after he catches the ball. He sure can miss that big hit and allow for that player to run it in for a touchdown. But man look at that freakish talent! If you haven’t guessed yet, I think Taylor Mays is going to be exactly like Roy Williams and Adam Archuleta. He goes for too many big hits and misses and he has too many coverage deficiencies to be an effective safety. I would not touch him. The one thing he may be able to do though is if a team really likes him they could convert him to linebacker ala Thomas Davis. He may be effective at that but do you really want to draft a guy that you are projecting to a different position in the first round? The Vikings are rumored to take him, I say let them!
Underrated/the real deal players
Russell Okung—I think that Okung could be a great starter for a long time. He is not for everybody because he is more of an athletic zone tackle rather than a power player. So he will dominate against speed rushers and may have a little bit more trouble with power rushers. Still I like him a lot and I think that there is a huge gap between Okung and the next best OT.
Jared Veldheer from tiny little Hillsdale college. He has just as much potential as Campbell but teams will be a bit more patient with him. It is really hard to project a guy from this small of a school to the NFL. But Veldheer is not lacking in size, strength, smarts, or instincts. There have been a few small school offensive lineman that have made it to the NFL recently (Boothe, Bernadeau) from small schools. This is complicated though because none of them have been from quite as small of a school as this guy but none of those that have made it have nearly the upside that Veldheer does. Because of that I think that this guy will make it and I want this guy on the Packers.
Mike Kafka – I have already discussed him before so I will make this shorter. He reminds me of Jake Delhomme but he is further along at this point. He may not ever win pretty but he will win. He will surprise a lot of people with his intangibles and is a late bloomer.
Joe Haden – I am always wary of Florida players. I typically would never go out on a limb and claim to like one but I have a feeling that Haden is different. He is a good all around player, good athlete, and gets the job done.
Ed Wang -- Maybe he does not have it all in regards to speed and he may seem a little stiff according to some sources but Wang is going to fight tooth and nail to be successful. He has a lot of pride in his play and is treating playing in the NFL like it is a legacy, which to a degree it is. With two olympians as parents going home during the offseason means that he will possibly lose weight. He will fit well with a zone blocking team.
There are other guys I like and dislike in the draft but this is what I have right now. I am working on the Mock Draft so I will post that hopefully tomorrow.
Gerald McCoy – I am not sure why anybody would pick him over Suh. Suh is a beast to me and McCoy seems very soft. He reminds me of Glenn Dorsey but not as strong. Everybody wants to compare him to Warren Sapp and I can see it but I just don’t think he has the same instincts and strength.
Bryan Bulaga – maybe I am thinking about all of the Iowa offensive linemen that have come out over the course of the last 15 years and that most of them do not have solid NFL careers. Bulaga is a good lineman who can start for a long time but he is not going to dominate. A top 10 pick really should dominate so I think that he is a little overrated at this point. I also think he is more of a guard than a tackle.
I think that most of the OT in this draft are overrated with a lot of bust potential—particularly with the speculation that there will be a run on OT’s early in the draft. Here is my quick breakdown:
Anthony Davis – This kid is not a bad player but I think that some of the same fears that everybody had for Jeff Otah a few years ago should apply to Davis. He is powerful and big and a little slow. He has a mean streak but he is a bit immature and may turn out to be a bit of a head case. He does not have enough ugly factor and offensive lineman need ugly factor. Should be projected as more of a late first rounder early second rounder and needs a little bit of time to develop.
Trent Williams – Just an average player with a high ceiling to me. We see players like him every year.
Bruce Campbell – My god I hope that the Packers do not draft him. All the talent in the world but lack of production. Between Campbell and Okung they have the highest ceilings but I think that Okung is much further along and is battle proven whereas Campbell is still learning how to play the position.
Jason Pierre-Paul – Well I like his name. But ultimately I cannot figure this one out. He seems like the Akili Smith of DE’s—that is to say, somebody who shows up for half of a season and does well then makes themselves eligible for the draft. A guy with a lot of upside but not a lot of production, to me at least, is a guy that you take a chance on in the third or fourth round. It is going to take a gutsy and overconfident coach and GM to draft this guy. I don’t see him becoming anything more than a perennial tease or one of those guys that only shows up in a contract year.
Carlos Dunlap – We have seen this before; great talent and poor work ethic. Dunlap has been known to nurse injuries, take plays off, has a limited number of pass rushing moves, and is known as being immature. The question is, at what point do you draw the line with players like this? This is a guy that obviously needs hard coaching but is probably not receptive to it. This leaves a team with either a player who walks off the field crying, ala Manny Wright, or they totally shut down. Either way you do not want them on your team. Sure, there is a chance that he will turn out, but again you should probably take a flier on a player like this in the middle rounds.
Terrence Cody – Giant overeating defensive lineman typically do not work out in the NFL. Gilbert Brown worked out well but he was his own worst enemy and ate his way out of the league at one point in time. Look at anybody nicknamed Bigdaddy and you will find guys that did not work out. The only player that comes to mind that was able to control himself with being a big physical presence and not overeating to the point that his endurance was gravely affected was Ted Washington. Washington was smart Cody’s intelligence has been questioned. So I don’t see the light clicking for him.
Golden Tate – Golden Tate saw an opportunity to declare for the draft and possibly get picked in the first round. I am not convinced that he is going to be a bust but I really do not think that he is going to be a dominate #1 receiver. He needs to work on his quickness and fundamentals from what I see/understand. He reminds me of Devery Henderson, who is decent, but not a super star. When a receiver is under 6 foot, usually they need to be quick like Wes Welker and Steve Smith (CAR) and I am not sure that Tate has that same type of quickness. He certainly has the long speed though. I am not ready to call him a bust but I don’t think he is going to dominate. He also needs to work on catching with his hands instead of his body but that is just fundamentals that he can work on. Overall though, I am a little wary of all of the top WR prospects in this draft.
Sam Bradford – I already outlined this in my previous post, I don’t think Bradford will be bad, but he is not worthy of the top pick this year. There are too many question marks with him in my opinion. Now, what is interesting and perhaps mulligans my statements is that Gil Brandt was at his personal workout and he said that it is the best quarterback workout he has seen since Troy Aikman (He was the one that drafted Aikman). The only person in the history of my football obsession that understood scouting better than Brandt was the late Joel Buschbaum so I may be wrong in my assessment.
Colt McCoy – Boy last year at this time I may have said something else but I have some serious concerns with how he is going to pan out. I am always wary of Texas players, nothing against the school, but a lot of players from Texas have grown up being coddled and are a bit of “Legends in their own Minds” and McCoy may be no different. Still, it is hard to ignore his insane completion percentage the last two years. I would take a flier on him in the fourth round but I just don’t think he has the talent. I look at him as a Tim Rattay type player. I am not sure that he will be a bust per se but I do think that he has been a little overhyped.
Taylor Mayes – Boy Taylor Archuleta Williams Mays sure can hit! He sure can put the hurt on a receiver after he catches the ball. He sure can miss that big hit and allow for that player to run it in for a touchdown. But man look at that freakish talent! If you haven’t guessed yet, I think Taylor Mays is going to be exactly like Roy Williams and Adam Archuleta. He goes for too many big hits and misses and he has too many coverage deficiencies to be an effective safety. I would not touch him. The one thing he may be able to do though is if a team really likes him they could convert him to linebacker ala Thomas Davis. He may be effective at that but do you really want to draft a guy that you are projecting to a different position in the first round? The Vikings are rumored to take him, I say let them!
Underrated/the real deal players
Russell Okung—I think that Okung could be a great starter for a long time. He is not for everybody because he is more of an athletic zone tackle rather than a power player. So he will dominate against speed rushers and may have a little bit more trouble with power rushers. Still I like him a lot and I think that there is a huge gap between Okung and the next best OT.
Jared Veldheer from tiny little Hillsdale college. He has just as much potential as Campbell but teams will be a bit more patient with him. It is really hard to project a guy from this small of a school to the NFL. But Veldheer is not lacking in size, strength, smarts, or instincts. There have been a few small school offensive lineman that have made it to the NFL recently (Boothe, Bernadeau) from small schools. This is complicated though because none of them have been from quite as small of a school as this guy but none of those that have made it have nearly the upside that Veldheer does. Because of that I think that this guy will make it and I want this guy on the Packers.
Mike Kafka – I have already discussed him before so I will make this shorter. He reminds me of Jake Delhomme but he is further along at this point. He may not ever win pretty but he will win. He will surprise a lot of people with his intangibles and is a late bloomer.
Joe Haden – I am always wary of Florida players. I typically would never go out on a limb and claim to like one but I have a feeling that Haden is different. He is a good all around player, good athlete, and gets the job done.
Ed Wang -- Maybe he does not have it all in regards to speed and he may seem a little stiff according to some sources but Wang is going to fight tooth and nail to be successful. He has a lot of pride in his play and is treating playing in the NFL like it is a legacy, which to a degree it is. With two olympians as parents going home during the offseason means that he will possibly lose weight. He will fit well with a zone blocking team.
There are other guys I like and dislike in the draft but this is what I have right now. I am working on the Mock Draft so I will post that hopefully tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
2010 NFL Draft part 1
So right now, this is my current take on my favorite April event, the NFL draft:
I am consistently incorrect about the Quarterbacks that will make it and the duds for the most part. I hit on a few in the ’99 draft with thinking that McNabb was going to be a star and that Akili Smith and Culpepper were the busts (Culpepper kinda was) but was totally incorrect in thinking that McNown and Couch were going to be good. I was totally wrong last year in thinking that both Stafford and Sanchez were not NFL ready (time will tell but they both look good now). But here goes:
QB’s – Overall I think that this is a group that is chock full of potential but a lot of players that need some time to develop.
Sam Bradford – Overrated but he will be decent if he does not take a ton of punishment early in his career. I keep thinking of David Carr when I look at him. Not in the purest sense but I keep thinking that he has talent but will get destroyed early in his career and never quite catch on. The rams would be fools to take him first overall.
Jimmy Clausen – I want to believe that he will be good. I think he really has talent and I really want him to be good. But he has to go to the right team. The best thing that can happen to him is to fall the way of Aaron Rodgers and Brady Quinn where he drops in the draft. But unlike Quinn he needs to go to a good team where he can develop for a year or two. Although, it may end up that he goes to the Redskins where I think he will be successful so perhaps the slide is not necessary.
Tim Tebow – The question really is what seperates Tebow from guys like Rex Grossman, Cade McNown, Ryan Leaf, Daunte Culpepper, David Carr, etc etc? His noggin! Look, Tebow may not have that perfect throwing motion, he may have been in an unorthodox system, and he may be too eager to run but he wants to get better. He is willing to change things to get better and he has clear talent. He is not going to be the savior of a franchise right away but he can gain some experience his first year, fill in for a game or two, and win. He kind of reminds me of a middle class man’s Steve Young.
Tony Pike – I feel like I am repeating myself a bit here but this is a guy that needs to have a year or two to develop and get a little bigger and thus less fragile. He is a gamer and wants to win and has a lot of talent if teams do not worry about his slightly different release or ball grip as I have heard that this is the knock on him. He has been rising a bit recently to the point where I hear that some are ranking him as the third best QB in the draft. He draws a lot of comparisons to Flacco who I was hot and cold on when he came out. I don’t think that is a fair comparison but I think he may find similar success eventually.
Colt McCoy and Dan LeFevour both win the Ryan Leaf award for me—that is great college quarterbacks that are overhyped. I don’t forsee either doing anything in the NFL although LeFavour does have some intangibles and could go the way of Tim Rattay.
Mike Kafka – My official Andre underrated guy. I love this guy and I truly think that he was a late bloomer and is only going to get better in the NFL. He has leadership, athleticism, a good head on his shoulders (Northwestern), and is just a winner. Hear me now! This is your Jake Delhomme kind of guy who is not always pretty but will lead his team to victory. Instead of cassion moxy he has Chicago Moxy.
So instead of drafting Bradford, the Rams should trade down and draft Okung in the first and steal Kafka in the fifth. I will address other stuff later but I love starting with the most important position on the field first.
I am consistently incorrect about the Quarterbacks that will make it and the duds for the most part. I hit on a few in the ’99 draft with thinking that McNabb was going to be a star and that Akili Smith and Culpepper were the busts (Culpepper kinda was) but was totally incorrect in thinking that McNown and Couch were going to be good. I was totally wrong last year in thinking that both Stafford and Sanchez were not NFL ready (time will tell but they both look good now). But here goes:
QB’s – Overall I think that this is a group that is chock full of potential but a lot of players that need some time to develop.
Sam Bradford – Overrated but he will be decent if he does not take a ton of punishment early in his career. I keep thinking of David Carr when I look at him. Not in the purest sense but I keep thinking that he has talent but will get destroyed early in his career and never quite catch on. The rams would be fools to take him first overall.
Jimmy Clausen – I want to believe that he will be good. I think he really has talent and I really want him to be good. But he has to go to the right team. The best thing that can happen to him is to fall the way of Aaron Rodgers and Brady Quinn where he drops in the draft. But unlike Quinn he needs to go to a good team where he can develop for a year or two. Although, it may end up that he goes to the Redskins where I think he will be successful so perhaps the slide is not necessary.
Tim Tebow – The question really is what seperates Tebow from guys like Rex Grossman, Cade McNown, Ryan Leaf, Daunte Culpepper, David Carr, etc etc? His noggin! Look, Tebow may not have that perfect throwing motion, he may have been in an unorthodox system, and he may be too eager to run but he wants to get better. He is willing to change things to get better and he has clear talent. He is not going to be the savior of a franchise right away but he can gain some experience his first year, fill in for a game or two, and win. He kind of reminds me of a middle class man’s Steve Young.
Tony Pike – I feel like I am repeating myself a bit here but this is a guy that needs to have a year or two to develop and get a little bigger and thus less fragile. He is a gamer and wants to win and has a lot of talent if teams do not worry about his slightly different release or ball grip as I have heard that this is the knock on him. He has been rising a bit recently to the point where I hear that some are ranking him as the third best QB in the draft. He draws a lot of comparisons to Flacco who I was hot and cold on when he came out. I don’t think that is a fair comparison but I think he may find similar success eventually.
Colt McCoy and Dan LeFevour both win the Ryan Leaf award for me—that is great college quarterbacks that are overhyped. I don’t forsee either doing anything in the NFL although LeFavour does have some intangibles and could go the way of Tim Rattay.
Mike Kafka – My official Andre underrated guy. I love this guy and I truly think that he was a late bloomer and is only going to get better in the NFL. He has leadership, athleticism, a good head on his shoulders (Northwestern), and is just a winner. Hear me now! This is your Jake Delhomme kind of guy who is not always pretty but will lead his team to victory. Instead of cassion moxy he has Chicago Moxy.
So instead of drafting Bradford, the Rams should trade down and draft Okung in the first and steal Kafka in the fifth. I will address other stuff later but I love starting with the most important position on the field first.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Cheesy but I don't care right now
Now that I have lost Bella I didn't realize just how much she affected me every day. I missed her sister when she left us but I guess somehow Bella still helped fill that newly missing part. You never realize what everyone and everything does for you every day.
Even if she was just a pet rat my heart has been broken since I lost her. The only thing that she ever wanted from us is affection and a bit of food. She always understood that whatever we were eating was rightfully hers as well (lemons, cinnamon twists, turkey sandwiches, etc). We always understood that she felt this way. She was mischievous but never malicious. Even when she mistook our fingers for a piece of food she was still gentle. Gentle, loving, and caring were the best ways to describe her and her sister.
I have had pets my whole life off and on, but I have never had a pet that understood so well how to show affection towards her parents. I would come home and look at her and she always looked like she wanted to come out and play with us. Both her and her sister found ways to escape their cage not so they could run around the house, but so they could jump into bed with us.
I guess that I was setting myself up for heartbreak when we bought those two, I knew they did not live long. Regardless, they both captured my heart and made me feel so happy when I was sad. I don't know what heaven is or if the afterlife is anything like what is said. What I do know is that if there is a heaven I want Bella and Sayouri to be there. Sayouri broke my heart with the look she gave me with our last goodbye. I just have a feeling that she was there when Bella was almost gone. I think she came down to her and told her that it was time. I thought Bella had passed on, I couldn't hear or feel her heartbeat and her eyes were closed. But in Stacy's arms, she opened her eyes, reached out her hand and grabbed Stacy's finger to say her last goodbye. In those two rats I saw God. I know that they too were Atman and a part of this world. I don't know if I have ever been this upset at something in my entire life. Some might say that I must have a charmed life. But really it just says how much something so small, so innocent, so loving, so caring, and so wonderful two amazing creatures can be.
Thank you to anybody who reads this because it has broken my hear to write it. Appreciate the small things like pets and love and anything that makes you smile. Don't take these things for granted. No matter what, when they are gone, you probably think that you did just as I feel I did. Even though I told them everyday that I love them.
Bella and Sayouri, I miss both of you. The way you smelled, your fur, your cheetoh colored teeth, your affection, your OCD cleaning of each other and us, your 4:30 am bedroom visits, your excitement, your hands wrapped around your cage bars like you were in jail, you stealing our food, you letting me play the pied piper at 7:00 am, the happiness that you brought your crazy parents, and so on. This is my goodbye to you for now, but I look forward to meeting you again when I come up to heaven.
Take care everybody.
Even if she was just a pet rat my heart has been broken since I lost her. The only thing that she ever wanted from us is affection and a bit of food. She always understood that whatever we were eating was rightfully hers as well (lemons, cinnamon twists, turkey sandwiches, etc). We always understood that she felt this way. She was mischievous but never malicious. Even when she mistook our fingers for a piece of food she was still gentle. Gentle, loving, and caring were the best ways to describe her and her sister.
I have had pets my whole life off and on, but I have never had a pet that understood so well how to show affection towards her parents. I would come home and look at her and she always looked like she wanted to come out and play with us. Both her and her sister found ways to escape their cage not so they could run around the house, but so they could jump into bed with us.
I guess that I was setting myself up for heartbreak when we bought those two, I knew they did not live long. Regardless, they both captured my heart and made me feel so happy when I was sad. I don't know what heaven is or if the afterlife is anything like what is said. What I do know is that if there is a heaven I want Bella and Sayouri to be there. Sayouri broke my heart with the look she gave me with our last goodbye. I just have a feeling that she was there when Bella was almost gone. I think she came down to her and told her that it was time. I thought Bella had passed on, I couldn't hear or feel her heartbeat and her eyes were closed. But in Stacy's arms, she opened her eyes, reached out her hand and grabbed Stacy's finger to say her last goodbye. In those two rats I saw God. I know that they too were Atman and a part of this world. I don't know if I have ever been this upset at something in my entire life. Some might say that I must have a charmed life. But really it just says how much something so small, so innocent, so loving, so caring, and so wonderful two amazing creatures can be.
Thank you to anybody who reads this because it has broken my hear to write it. Appreciate the small things like pets and love and anything that makes you smile. Don't take these things for granted. No matter what, when they are gone, you probably think that you did just as I feel I did. Even though I told them everyday that I love them.
Bella and Sayouri, I miss both of you. The way you smelled, your fur, your cheetoh colored teeth, your affection, your OCD cleaning of each other and us, your 4:30 am bedroom visits, your excitement, your hands wrapped around your cage bars like you were in jail, you stealing our food, you letting me play the pied piper at 7:00 am, the happiness that you brought your crazy parents, and so on. This is my goodbye to you for now, but I look forward to meeting you again when I come up to heaven.
Take care everybody.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sports stuff
First thing is first, NCAA tourny. To make a long bracket short, Kansas over Pitt for the Championship. Oh yeah, biggest of all upsets, Duke loses in the first round. Yes you heard it here first.
Next. Early picks for Packers and Bears draft as well as "The Good, the Bad, and the ugly. A lot will change in the next month with where some will be drafted but as of right now here are a couple of picks.
Packers
Round one: Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State- I like this guy a lot and the Packers really need to draft the best available. Jenkins will not start this year unless there is an injury. The next year he will start and he will be a pro bowler within a year of starting. What is not to like about a cornerback who is physically talented and puts the hurt on opponents?
Round two: Connor Barwin DE-OLB Cincinnati - This guy is a pretty decent athlete who has a really high ceiling. He will take some time to develop BUT he also has enough ability and drive to start right away. Again, how can you not like a guy like this; high motor, great attitude, and has the measurables. This guy fits the new 3-4 OLB spot that the Packers need.
Round three: Gerald Cadogan Penn State - This is a bit of a gamble at this spot but this guy has a good attitude and has talent. The one thing that may be his undoing is that he is not nasty and is a little too nice. As my brother Paul always says, "A good offensive lineman is one of those ugly guys with lots of pimples who are mad at everybody." On Paul's theory this guy will not work out but he may be worth the gamble and the Packers need a guy who can play left tackle.
Post 3rd Round guys: Quinn Johnson FB LSU - The more I read reports on this guy the more I wonder if I was watching a different senior bowl then everybody else. This guys was making blocks and cat catches and laying the hurt on defenders. Solid and welcome in Green Bay
Andy Kemp OL Wisconsin - With Tauscher's future a little uncertain Kemp could be a solid back-up at guard or tackle and possible surprise starter for the Packers. Maybe I am living in the past and comparing him to Tauscher but I like this kid.
Jarron Gilbert DE/DT San Jose State - Dangerous to pick guys on athleticism alone but he showed he could play with the big boys in the east west shrine game.
Jason Williams LB Western Illinois - I love Western Illinois linebackers and safeties. This guy is exactly like all the previous western guys, a tough hard nosed guy. May end up being an inside LB for the packers.
Bears
1st round whoever is the best wide out available? If Jeremy Macklin is available they should jump on him. If not the next best guy should be Hakeem Nicks from N.C. They should avoid Percy Harvin and Darrius Heyward-Bey. I am not sold on either of those two. But the Bears need a wide receiver who can play. They made a huge mistake last year in drafting Earl Bennett. Hell, my brother played WR for Monmouth 10 years ago and he may want to walk into bears camp because they need wide outs and yes, he could beat out Earl Bennett. If neither Macklin nor Nicks is available then the Bears should trade down or possibly go for OT Eben Britton out of Arizona if he is available.
Round 2 Kraig Urbick OG-OT Wisconsin - This only happens if they draft a wide out in the first round and not an OL. Urbick may be able to transition into a tackle in the NFL but even if he stays at guard he will be a good fit for the Bears. On the other hand Patrick Chung SS from Oregon may be an excellent pick here as well as the Bears really need a solid safety who does not get hurt every year.
Round 3 Call me crazy but I think Pat White QB West Virginia and I will tell you why, of the top 10 QB's in this draft only 2 or 3 will make it so why not gamble a little on an intriguing prospect? White is a little bit of an underdog and he is the type of player that plays best when he has a chip on his shoulder. If he does not work out as a QB then the bears can use him at wide out.
Post 3rd round guys: Courtney Greene SS Rutgers - Needs some work but could pay off in the end for the Bears. Loves to hit.
Ramses Barden WR Cal Poly - This guy will not ever dominate but he should be able to add a little weight and be a third down guy and anybody who is 6-6 is a red zone threat. The Bears receiving core needs an enema and they may as well cut half the core and bring in new guys who want to play. This guy could do something for them.
Dominique Eddison WR Stephen F. Austin - This is another one of those guys who may slip through the cracks far enough for a team to get a steal. Look for him to take a couple of years to bulk up but after that he may be dynamite. Remember, it took T.O. three years to really look good (That was a little painful for me to type)
Jason Boltus QB Hartwick - It is a mystery as to why this guy did not go to a larger school. After scouring to find information on him I came to the conclusion that he will be a diamond in the rough. He has a strong arm, smarts, and can make more throws then a guy from this small of a school should. Why not take a chance in the 6th or 7th round?
THE GOOD (The highly touted players that will work out for NFL teams)
Aaron Curry OLB Wake Forest
Eugene Moore OT Virginia (Remember this is the guy that beat out Branden Alberts and forced him to play guard in college)
Ray Mauluga LB USC - This guy is the real deal
James Laurinitis LB Ohio State - Another tough mean LB
Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State
Jeremy Maclin WR Mizzo
THE BAD (Busts or guys that will never live up to their billing)
Brian Orakpo - Texas players who have been coddled never seem to transition to the NFL well because they are nobodies when they are rookies and cease to play hard
Mark Sanchez - Really? I can't believe how highly thought of this guy is. Does anybody remember that a year ago he could not beat out John David Booty? Maybe I am wrong here but he will suffer the Leinert fate.
Darrius Heyward-Bey - He will be overdrafted and NFL teams may find out soon that while he may be a great athlete he will not beat the jam in the NFL and will suffer the same fate as former Maryland combine dynamo Vernon Davis. He will frustrate coaches for years.
Andre Smith - I can go one of two ways with this guy. If he goes to a hard nosed coach who will whip him into shape, this guy could dominate. On the other hand he seems really immature and naive and if he goes to a team like the raiders or a "players coach" he will eat himself out of the league. He reminds me too much of former Wisconsin monster OT Aaron Gibson. Although he has a damn good name
Matthew Stafford QB Georgia - Stafford will play in the NFL and he will start and he will succeed. But he will never be a top 10 QB and he is considered to be the best QB available in this draft. Think like a Jim Everett type of QB.
THE UGLY (Guys that will make it happen in the NFL or are better then their billing)
Josh Freeman QB Kansas State - I think that there is a distinct possibility that Freeman will be the only starting QB to come out of this draft. He is underrated.
Ziggy Hood DT Mizzo - There is something very intriguing about this guy. He reminds me of La'Roi Glover.
Jason Boltus QB Hartwick
Chase Coffman - Especially if he goes to the Colts. He has the same attitude and dedication as his father but in a much larger body and he has room to grow.
Mitch King DT/DE Iowa - Don't discount this kid because of his lack of size. He is the type of role player that will help a team and find ways to get on the field and make a difference
A.Q. Shipley - Centers have to be smart and savvy and some of the best centers are human fire hydrants. Shipley will be surprisingly effective in the NFL but he will not look pretty doing it.
That is all for now but I am sure I will have other opinions and I am sure that things will change in three weeks or so.
Next. Early picks for Packers and Bears draft as well as "The Good, the Bad, and the ugly. A lot will change in the next month with where some will be drafted but as of right now here are a couple of picks.
Packers
Round one: Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State- I like this guy a lot and the Packers really need to draft the best available. Jenkins will not start this year unless there is an injury. The next year he will start and he will be a pro bowler within a year of starting. What is not to like about a cornerback who is physically talented and puts the hurt on opponents?
Round two: Connor Barwin DE-OLB Cincinnati - This guy is a pretty decent athlete who has a really high ceiling. He will take some time to develop BUT he also has enough ability and drive to start right away. Again, how can you not like a guy like this; high motor, great attitude, and has the measurables. This guy fits the new 3-4 OLB spot that the Packers need.
Round three: Gerald Cadogan Penn State - This is a bit of a gamble at this spot but this guy has a good attitude and has talent. The one thing that may be his undoing is that he is not nasty and is a little too nice. As my brother Paul always says, "A good offensive lineman is one of those ugly guys with lots of pimples who are mad at everybody." On Paul's theory this guy will not work out but he may be worth the gamble and the Packers need a guy who can play left tackle.
Post 3rd Round guys: Quinn Johnson FB LSU - The more I read reports on this guy the more I wonder if I was watching a different senior bowl then everybody else. This guys was making blocks and cat catches and laying the hurt on defenders. Solid and welcome in Green Bay
Andy Kemp OL Wisconsin - With Tauscher's future a little uncertain Kemp could be a solid back-up at guard or tackle and possible surprise starter for the Packers. Maybe I am living in the past and comparing him to Tauscher but I like this kid.
Jarron Gilbert DE/DT San Jose State - Dangerous to pick guys on athleticism alone but he showed he could play with the big boys in the east west shrine game.
Jason Williams LB Western Illinois - I love Western Illinois linebackers and safeties. This guy is exactly like all the previous western guys, a tough hard nosed guy. May end up being an inside LB for the packers.
Bears
1st round whoever is the best wide out available? If Jeremy Macklin is available they should jump on him. If not the next best guy should be Hakeem Nicks from N.C. They should avoid Percy Harvin and Darrius Heyward-Bey. I am not sold on either of those two. But the Bears need a wide receiver who can play. They made a huge mistake last year in drafting Earl Bennett. Hell, my brother played WR for Monmouth 10 years ago and he may want to walk into bears camp because they need wide outs and yes, he could beat out Earl Bennett. If neither Macklin nor Nicks is available then the Bears should trade down or possibly go for OT Eben Britton out of Arizona if he is available.
Round 2 Kraig Urbick OG-OT Wisconsin - This only happens if they draft a wide out in the first round and not an OL. Urbick may be able to transition into a tackle in the NFL but even if he stays at guard he will be a good fit for the Bears. On the other hand Patrick Chung SS from Oregon may be an excellent pick here as well as the Bears really need a solid safety who does not get hurt every year.
Round 3 Call me crazy but I think Pat White QB West Virginia and I will tell you why, of the top 10 QB's in this draft only 2 or 3 will make it so why not gamble a little on an intriguing prospect? White is a little bit of an underdog and he is the type of player that plays best when he has a chip on his shoulder. If he does not work out as a QB then the bears can use him at wide out.
Post 3rd round guys: Courtney Greene SS Rutgers - Needs some work but could pay off in the end for the Bears. Loves to hit.
Ramses Barden WR Cal Poly - This guy will not ever dominate but he should be able to add a little weight and be a third down guy and anybody who is 6-6 is a red zone threat. The Bears receiving core needs an enema and they may as well cut half the core and bring in new guys who want to play. This guy could do something for them.
Dominique Eddison WR Stephen F. Austin - This is another one of those guys who may slip through the cracks far enough for a team to get a steal. Look for him to take a couple of years to bulk up but after that he may be dynamite. Remember, it took T.O. three years to really look good (That was a little painful for me to type)
Jason Boltus QB Hartwick - It is a mystery as to why this guy did not go to a larger school. After scouring to find information on him I came to the conclusion that he will be a diamond in the rough. He has a strong arm, smarts, and can make more throws then a guy from this small of a school should. Why not take a chance in the 6th or 7th round?
THE GOOD (The highly touted players that will work out for NFL teams)
Aaron Curry OLB Wake Forest
Eugene Moore OT Virginia (Remember this is the guy that beat out Branden Alberts and forced him to play guard in college)
Ray Mauluga LB USC - This guy is the real deal
James Laurinitis LB Ohio State - Another tough mean LB
Malcolm Jenkins CB Ohio State
Jeremy Maclin WR Mizzo
THE BAD (Busts or guys that will never live up to their billing)
Brian Orakpo - Texas players who have been coddled never seem to transition to the NFL well because they are nobodies when they are rookies and cease to play hard
Mark Sanchez - Really? I can't believe how highly thought of this guy is. Does anybody remember that a year ago he could not beat out John David Booty? Maybe I am wrong here but he will suffer the Leinert fate.
Darrius Heyward-Bey - He will be overdrafted and NFL teams may find out soon that while he may be a great athlete he will not beat the jam in the NFL and will suffer the same fate as former Maryland combine dynamo Vernon Davis. He will frustrate coaches for years.
Andre Smith - I can go one of two ways with this guy. If he goes to a hard nosed coach who will whip him into shape, this guy could dominate. On the other hand he seems really immature and naive and if he goes to a team like the raiders or a "players coach" he will eat himself out of the league. He reminds me too much of former Wisconsin monster OT Aaron Gibson. Although he has a damn good name
Matthew Stafford QB Georgia - Stafford will play in the NFL and he will start and he will succeed. But he will never be a top 10 QB and he is considered to be the best QB available in this draft. Think like a Jim Everett type of QB.
THE UGLY (Guys that will make it happen in the NFL or are better then their billing)
Josh Freeman QB Kansas State - I think that there is a distinct possibility that Freeman will be the only starting QB to come out of this draft. He is underrated.
Ziggy Hood DT Mizzo - There is something very intriguing about this guy. He reminds me of La'Roi Glover.
Jason Boltus QB Hartwick
Chase Coffman - Especially if he goes to the Colts. He has the same attitude and dedication as his father but in a much larger body and he has room to grow.
Mitch King DT/DE Iowa - Don't discount this kid because of his lack of size. He is the type of role player that will help a team and find ways to get on the field and make a difference
A.Q. Shipley - Centers have to be smart and savvy and some of the best centers are human fire hydrants. Shipley will be surprisingly effective in the NFL but he will not look pretty doing it.
That is all for now but I am sure I will have other opinions and I am sure that things will change in three weeks or so.
Monday, January 12, 2009
An ode to the beer that pissed me off
Dear Kronenbourg 1664 brewer,
How are you doing today? Let me explain something to you. You are French. At one point in time the US was so pissed at you guys that we took an American food and almost changed french fries to freedom fries. So already I feel the need to give you the benefit of the doubt because we were kind of jerks to you just because of a couple of unethical transactions. Well I tried the beer that you brewed. I spent $8.99 on a six pack. Alright I paid a little more, I can handle that. I opened your beer and tasted it and I thought, "hmm, it really is not bad." Then I drank more of you. I soon realized that I would prefer many beers before I would try you. Then I thought about it and I was like "Well for that much I could have bought some Heinekin or Becks. Then I thought, wait a minute you are in a green bottle, yet you do not taste skunkey, which pissed me off even more because I have grown to love the Skunky taste of Heiniken and Becks. As I gazed at the bottle I realized just how much you pissed me off, because you only contain 11.2 oz. What the hell is that! You not only taste not that bad, do not give the green bottle promise of skunkiness, and cost more than Becks but you cannot even deliver on volume. You know what Kronenbourg 1664 brewer? I am done with you forever. Quick Stacy, give me and old style...well at least you don't suck as much as Strohs.
Much love and Regards,
André M. Smith
How are you doing today? Let me explain something to you. You are French. At one point in time the US was so pissed at you guys that we took an American food and almost changed french fries to freedom fries. So already I feel the need to give you the benefit of the doubt because we were kind of jerks to you just because of a couple of unethical transactions. Well I tried the beer that you brewed. I spent $8.99 on a six pack. Alright I paid a little more, I can handle that. I opened your beer and tasted it and I thought, "hmm, it really is not bad." Then I drank more of you. I soon realized that I would prefer many beers before I would try you. Then I thought about it and I was like "Well for that much I could have bought some Heinekin or Becks. Then I thought, wait a minute you are in a green bottle, yet you do not taste skunkey, which pissed me off even more because I have grown to love the Skunky taste of Heiniken and Becks. As I gazed at the bottle I realized just how much you pissed me off, because you only contain 11.2 oz. What the hell is that! You not only taste not that bad, do not give the green bottle promise of skunkiness, and cost more than Becks but you cannot even deliver on volume. You know what Kronenbourg 1664 brewer? I am done with you forever. Quick Stacy, give me and old style...well at least you don't suck as much as Strohs.
Much love and Regards,
André M. Smith
Sunday, January 04, 2009
It is time.
It has been a while since I have blogged anywhere so I have a lot to cover.
Musicals
What is the deal with musicals. I mean really they are pretty silly. Does anybody just break out into song and have a whole band playing for them. I watched the movie enchanted yesterday and they actually poked fun at this concept. Then there are all of these "Classic" musicals that everybody will donate their kidneys for to see a new cast when they know that they will never like them as much as the "Original" cast. So they start out on broadway and then some actually trancend to the screen, like rent. When that came out all the girls were like "Oh my goad Rent is now a movie. Then there is me, who is like, what the F is rent. Am I uncultured? Let's take "Grease". It is a story about the tough greasy boy who does not want to admit that he likes the prudish nerdy girl. I know, all the girls like the bad boy and all the boys like the nerdy girls. Have we really covered new territory? The only concession prize to this movie is Grease 2. There I said it! I mean, that shit was too good for Broadway. It knows what it is; a series of songs about sex. Songs like "Reproduction", "We are going to score tonight", and "Let's do it for our country". Even "Cool Rider" features Michelle Pfeifer straddling a step ladder. If you like musicals I am sorry, but take a Freudian look at them. There I said it.
Music
I am always beind the times with music. But I have to say that my favorite album of 2008 is officially "Re-arranger" by Mates of State. Submarines knotch their way in at number two. Most original of 2008: Fleet Foxes. Worst of 2008: anytime I am listening to the radio and I hear Fred Durst, Slipknot, deathmetal in any form, Metallica post "Black Album", and most country--regardless if any of it was actually made in 2008 because again, I am always behind the times. There I said it.
Movies
I don't see enough movies either. I guess I watch a lot of old ones. My favorite of the year is "Nick and Norah's infinite playlist" but in all fairness I still have yet to see the double Rogan feature of "Pineapple Express" and "Zach and Miri make a porno" because I am pretty sure I would like both of those. Every Christmas we see a bad movie and this year it was "The Spirit". Suprisingly enough it was not the worst movie I have ever seen, but is still the worst of the year hands down.
On another movie note, I just watched a movie called "Hawk: The Slayer". Let me explain the various categories of bad movies in decending order of bad to worse: Bad movies that are so bad and campy that you love them. Classic example, Plan nine from outer space. Then there are those movies that have amazing production value but you just can't stand the story. My example of this is when "Stargate" came out (But of course the one that I hated and others loved is "Saving Private Ryan". Then there are movies that are just flat painful to watch. My example of this would be "House of 1000 corpses". Finally there are those movies that are painful to watch, have awful special effects, and worst of all they set themselves up for a sequal. Hawk: The Slayer is one of those fantasy movies similar to "Conan the Barbarian". Actually the story reminds me of the movie "Krull" which is not a very good movie but at least had decent special effects for its time. But Hawk the Slayers best special effect is when this witch uses magic to freeze an evil soldier, but her wand just shoots out green silly string. Later she uses her magic to blind a room of bad guys which is really just a bunch of bubbles, a fog machine, and disco lights. I mean the guy in it who is supposed to be a giant is only like 6'5". THEN it has the audacity to set itself up for a sequal! Well anyways, if you want to see how bad it is they actually did put it on DVD. But really you may be better off drinking an ex-lax and tabasco cocktail. There I said it.
Will I be ready?
Today somebody put a flier under my windshield wiper and on my garage door. It starts out with "AM I READY TO STAND BEFORE ETERNAL GOD". Well yeah I guess so. According to this little essay the "much biblical evidence points to May 21, 2011 as the day of the rapture of believers - the final day of salvation. Those left behind will destroy each other, and on October 21, 2011." I wonder if we will celebrate my 30th birthday, I mean that is one of those milestones in a persons life. But don't you love how they can never say, "Look! I am going to say it now and if I am wrong then you never have to listen to me again, when I tell you that the end of the world is May 21, 2011." No of course not. They have to add ambiguity in case they are wrong. Actually I don't know who they even are. They are bold enough to leave this literature under my windshield and on my garage door. But nowhere does it say who they are! They do however tell me to listen to www.familyradio.com. So if I knew who these people were I think I might say "WILL YOU BE READY TO FACE ME IF THE WORLD DOES NOT END ON MAY 21, 2011?" If you are religious and believe in something, more power to you. But don't preach to me. There I said it.
That is all for now.
::End Transmission::
Musicals
What is the deal with musicals. I mean really they are pretty silly. Does anybody just break out into song and have a whole band playing for them. I watched the movie enchanted yesterday and they actually poked fun at this concept. Then there are all of these "Classic" musicals that everybody will donate their kidneys for to see a new cast when they know that they will never like them as much as the "Original" cast. So they start out on broadway and then some actually trancend to the screen, like rent. When that came out all the girls were like "Oh my goad Rent is now a movie. Then there is me, who is like, what the F is rent. Am I uncultured? Let's take "Grease". It is a story about the tough greasy boy who does not want to admit that he likes the prudish nerdy girl. I know, all the girls like the bad boy and all the boys like the nerdy girls. Have we really covered new territory? The only concession prize to this movie is Grease 2. There I said it! I mean, that shit was too good for Broadway. It knows what it is; a series of songs about sex. Songs like "Reproduction", "We are going to score tonight", and "Let's do it for our country". Even "Cool Rider" features Michelle Pfeifer straddling a step ladder. If you like musicals I am sorry, but take a Freudian look at them. There I said it.
Music
I am always beind the times with music. But I have to say that my favorite album of 2008 is officially "Re-arranger" by Mates of State. Submarines knotch their way in at number two. Most original of 2008: Fleet Foxes. Worst of 2008: anytime I am listening to the radio and I hear Fred Durst, Slipknot, deathmetal in any form, Metallica post "Black Album", and most country--regardless if any of it was actually made in 2008 because again, I am always behind the times. There I said it.
Movies
I don't see enough movies either. I guess I watch a lot of old ones. My favorite of the year is "Nick and Norah's infinite playlist" but in all fairness I still have yet to see the double Rogan feature of "Pineapple Express" and "Zach and Miri make a porno" because I am pretty sure I would like both of those. Every Christmas we see a bad movie and this year it was "The Spirit". Suprisingly enough it was not the worst movie I have ever seen, but is still the worst of the year hands down.
On another movie note, I just watched a movie called "Hawk: The Slayer". Let me explain the various categories of bad movies in decending order of bad to worse: Bad movies that are so bad and campy that you love them. Classic example, Plan nine from outer space. Then there are those movies that have amazing production value but you just can't stand the story. My example of this is when "Stargate" came out (But of course the one that I hated and others loved is "Saving Private Ryan". Then there are movies that are just flat painful to watch. My example of this would be "House of 1000 corpses". Finally there are those movies that are painful to watch, have awful special effects, and worst of all they set themselves up for a sequal. Hawk: The Slayer is one of those fantasy movies similar to "Conan the Barbarian". Actually the story reminds me of the movie "Krull" which is not a very good movie but at least had decent special effects for its time. But Hawk the Slayers best special effect is when this witch uses magic to freeze an evil soldier, but her wand just shoots out green silly string. Later she uses her magic to blind a room of bad guys which is really just a bunch of bubbles, a fog machine, and disco lights. I mean the guy in it who is supposed to be a giant is only like 6'5". THEN it has the audacity to set itself up for a sequal! Well anyways, if you want to see how bad it is they actually did put it on DVD. But really you may be better off drinking an ex-lax and tabasco cocktail. There I said it.
Will I be ready?
Today somebody put a flier under my windshield wiper and on my garage door. It starts out with "AM I READY TO STAND BEFORE ETERNAL GOD". Well yeah I guess so. According to this little essay the "much biblical evidence points to May 21, 2011 as the day of the rapture of believers - the final day of salvation. Those left behind will destroy each other, and on October 21, 2011." I wonder if we will celebrate my 30th birthday, I mean that is one of those milestones in a persons life. But don't you love how they can never say, "Look! I am going to say it now and if I am wrong then you never have to listen to me again, when I tell you that the end of the world is May 21, 2011." No of course not. They have to add ambiguity in case they are wrong. Actually I don't know who they even are. They are bold enough to leave this literature under my windshield and on my garage door. But nowhere does it say who they are! They do however tell me to listen to www.familyradio.com. So if I knew who these people were I think I might say "WILL YOU BE READY TO FACE ME IF THE WORLD DOES NOT END ON MAY 21, 2011?" If you are religious and believe in something, more power to you. But don't preach to me. There I said it.
That is all for now.
::End Transmission::
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Early NFL draftology--QB
Okay, so in my post surgery state I am going crazy with boredom and I am out of the super pain stage so I am going to write a pre-end of combine blog about the one position that I usually stink at predicting; Quarterback, in no particular order, so here goes:
1.Matt Ryan--Boston College
Considered to be the best quarterback prospect by most. He looks the part and has the charisma. He will be good but never great, considering he is considered to go so high he will be considered a bust at first. In the long run if he stays mentally strong he will succeed and make some team happy, though I do not think it will be the team that drafts him. The biggest knock on him is his arm strength but I will also remind you that another Boston college quarterback by the name of Matt Hasselbeck was considered to not have a strong arm coming out of college and he has made a pretty good career so far. Trent Dilfer like career.
2. Brian Brohm--Louisville
Interesting prospect considering that he comes from a football family and scouts have had their eye on him for a while and he has not been a disappointment for the most part. He is a tough call because he has been injured a lot. Probably the best quarterback in the draft but I am unsure of most of the quarterbacks in this draft. I think he is going to be very good quarterback in the nfl for a couple of years. He will show potential in his first year, then have a decent five or six years and then fade away. Think Jim Harbaugh but a shorter career.
3. Colt Brennan--Hawaii
There seems to be a big buzz about this guy. I will keep this short and sweet. This guy is cocky and will rub his team the wrong way and never get it together. The same vain as Ryan Leaf, Cade McNown, and JP Losman. Buster
4. Chad Henne--Michigan
I like this guy a lot. Why, because it takes a lot to start in the big ten for four years. Okay I was wrong about another guy who started for four years in the Big Ten in Jeff Smoker, but he had a substance abuse problem and lost it mentally. Henne is a good leader and is a tough guy who needs a little bit of time to fully develop. If he goes to a team like the Seahawks or the Panthers where there is not going to be pressure to start this year but a little bit of pressure to start in a couple of years he will be successful. I could see Henne having a long prosperous career in the NFL and at the very least he will be a solid backup who comes in and wins some clutch games for his team.
5.Joe Flacco--Deleware
Part of me wants to say that this guy is going to be very good but maybe that is because of his name. He impressed a lot of people at the Senior Bowl and he has all the tools. Everybody is falling in love with his size and arm. But he is also not considered to be a great athlete, it reminds me a lot of what people were saying about Johnathon Quinn when he came out of Middle Tennesee State and Cree Morris when he came out of Saint Mary's. He has a 50/50 shot of developing and will probably be overdrafted (Should be a 5th rounder but is projected to go in the third round as of this writing). Make no mistake though, he is a much better prospect then either Morris or Quinn. Potential alone makes him worth a draft pick.
6. John David Booty--USC
I have been known to dislike USC quarterbacks and never beleive that they are going to develop into anything. JDB is no different. He is injury prone, has a questionable arm, and questionable decision making. He reminds me a lot of Shane Matthews, will be able to handle starting and not losing the game for a team but cannot be counted on to win a game for a team.
7. André Woodson--Kentucky
The biggest boom or bust in the draft. I want to believe that he is going to be good quarterback. I am leaning towards him being very good because he regressed his junior year and fought back to redeem himself his senior year. A tough thing to do. I also asked Stacy what she thought because honestly it really is anybodies guess and Stacy likes him so I will agree with her. Remember what Daunte Cullpepper and Byron Leftwich was supposed to be? André Woodson will be just that because he will not have the pressure of being a top ten pick. Although I could see his stock rising enough to where he would still be a mid first rounder.
My Pick for the Derek Anderson Award:
Ricky Santos--New Hampshire
Unbeleivably productive quarterback who has a strong enough arm and is a good enough athlete to succeed in the NFL. Needs time to adjsut to the speed of the NFL obviously but I could see him playing in the NFL for a long time and being a successful quarterback. Think Dave Krieg without the turnover record.
1.Matt Ryan--Boston College
Considered to be the best quarterback prospect by most. He looks the part and has the charisma. He will be good but never great, considering he is considered to go so high he will be considered a bust at first. In the long run if he stays mentally strong he will succeed and make some team happy, though I do not think it will be the team that drafts him. The biggest knock on him is his arm strength but I will also remind you that another Boston college quarterback by the name of Matt Hasselbeck was considered to not have a strong arm coming out of college and he has made a pretty good career so far. Trent Dilfer like career.
2. Brian Brohm--Louisville
Interesting prospect considering that he comes from a football family and scouts have had their eye on him for a while and he has not been a disappointment for the most part. He is a tough call because he has been injured a lot. Probably the best quarterback in the draft but I am unsure of most of the quarterbacks in this draft. I think he is going to be very good quarterback in the nfl for a couple of years. He will show potential in his first year, then have a decent five or six years and then fade away. Think Jim Harbaugh but a shorter career.
3. Colt Brennan--Hawaii
There seems to be a big buzz about this guy. I will keep this short and sweet. This guy is cocky and will rub his team the wrong way and never get it together. The same vain as Ryan Leaf, Cade McNown, and JP Losman. Buster
4. Chad Henne--Michigan
I like this guy a lot. Why, because it takes a lot to start in the big ten for four years. Okay I was wrong about another guy who started for four years in the Big Ten in Jeff Smoker, but he had a substance abuse problem and lost it mentally. Henne is a good leader and is a tough guy who needs a little bit of time to fully develop. If he goes to a team like the Seahawks or the Panthers where there is not going to be pressure to start this year but a little bit of pressure to start in a couple of years he will be successful. I could see Henne having a long prosperous career in the NFL and at the very least he will be a solid backup who comes in and wins some clutch games for his team.
5.Joe Flacco--Deleware
Part of me wants to say that this guy is going to be very good but maybe that is because of his name. He impressed a lot of people at the Senior Bowl and he has all the tools. Everybody is falling in love with his size and arm. But he is also not considered to be a great athlete, it reminds me a lot of what people were saying about Johnathon Quinn when he came out of Middle Tennesee State and Cree Morris when he came out of Saint Mary's. He has a 50/50 shot of developing and will probably be overdrafted (Should be a 5th rounder but is projected to go in the third round as of this writing). Make no mistake though, he is a much better prospect then either Morris or Quinn. Potential alone makes him worth a draft pick.
6. John David Booty--USC
I have been known to dislike USC quarterbacks and never beleive that they are going to develop into anything. JDB is no different. He is injury prone, has a questionable arm, and questionable decision making. He reminds me a lot of Shane Matthews, will be able to handle starting and not losing the game for a team but cannot be counted on to win a game for a team.
7. André Woodson--Kentucky
The biggest boom or bust in the draft. I want to believe that he is going to be good quarterback. I am leaning towards him being very good because he regressed his junior year and fought back to redeem himself his senior year. A tough thing to do. I also asked Stacy what she thought because honestly it really is anybodies guess and Stacy likes him so I will agree with her. Remember what Daunte Cullpepper and Byron Leftwich was supposed to be? André Woodson will be just that because he will not have the pressure of being a top ten pick. Although I could see his stock rising enough to where he would still be a mid first rounder.
My Pick for the Derek Anderson Award:
Ricky Santos--New Hampshire
Unbeleivably productive quarterback who has a strong enough arm and is a good enough athlete to succeed in the NFL. Needs time to adjsut to the speed of the NFL obviously but I could see him playing in the NFL for a long time and being a successful quarterback. Think Dave Krieg without the turnover record.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
I ruined Christmas!
So I was told today that I ruined christmas.
I am not the board of education.
I did not fail six classes for her.
(Come to think of it. I failed a class once....when I was a freshman in high school...that was the last time and only time)
I did not dismiss her
She did everything to herself
I think it is time to take account for your own actions. When I screw up, that is what I do.
But I ruined Christmas...because you decided to fail classes...I have worked for virtually everything that I have...but I ruined christmas for you.
Oh yeah, and please stop washing your baby while I am on the phone with you...oops looks like you failed at parenting too...but you didn't have to, you chose to.
I am not the board of education.
I did not fail six classes for her.
(Come to think of it. I failed a class once....when I was a freshman in high school...that was the last time and only time)
I did not dismiss her
She did everything to herself
I think it is time to take account for your own actions. When I screw up, that is what I do.
But I ruined Christmas...because you decided to fail classes...I have worked for virtually everything that I have...but I ruined christmas for you.
Oh yeah, and please stop washing your baby while I am on the phone with you...oops looks like you failed at parenting too...but you didn't have to, you chose to.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
There is toothpick on the carpet
Here is some spoken word from a non-existent poetry slam
There is a toothpick on the carpet
It has been there for over a week
Sitting there ominously for over a week
Just outside the bathroom
At my ubiquitous job
It is chewed at one end
Chewed up like how I feel on a daily basis
I look at you and think
Why doesn't that hispanic janitor pick you up
Is it because you are chewed at one end
Pondering this I walk into the bathroom
and pee at the urinal
and realize
I am not the only one who text messages while pooping at work
::End Transmission::
There is a toothpick on the carpet
It has been there for over a week
Sitting there ominously for over a week
Just outside the bathroom
At my ubiquitous job
It is chewed at one end
Chewed up like how I feel on a daily basis
I look at you and think
Why doesn't that hispanic janitor pick you up
Is it because you are chewed at one end
Pondering this I walk into the bathroom
and pee at the urinal
and realize
I am not the only one who text messages while pooping at work
::End Transmission::
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Mean Gene Oakerland: and now the newest addition to the WWE....
So I heard that Hilary Clinton has recently decided on her own theme song. It reminds me a lot of how professional wrestlers have their own theme songs and based on what my feelings are on Hilary, well the possibilities are endless. I keep thinking about the scene in Woody Allen's "Banana's" where the new dictator takes of the country and states "From this point forward everybody who is younger than 16 will now be 16. From this point forward everybody must change their underwear every hour on the hour and underpants must now be worn outside of your pants to show that they are fresh." Alright, let me take a step back. With all this information I will use my powers to look into alternative futures and give my audience a scenario:
The lights are dim within the capital building. Congress is eagerly awaiting what will happen next. A slight pitch of feedback comes over the speakers, all of the sudden the voice of Chigusa Nagayo is heard over the speakers and she descends from the ceiling and proclaims
CN: And now the self proclaimed most powerful woman in the world, champion of the Universal association of everything....Hilary Clinton!
Then blarring of the speakers everybody in congress hears....YOU AND I by Celine Dion! The lights two spot lights turn and and a caped Hilary Clinton is a business suit flies in and lands at her podium. Hilary puts on her headset and proclaims to all of Congress
HC: Today I ENDED THE WAR IN IRAQ!!!
Inquisitive Congressman: Queen Hilary how did you accomplish this feat?
HC: Nobody may address me unless they are bowing to me
(Chigusa Nagayo at this point body slams the IC and he bows to Hilary)
IC: My apologies your Holiness. May I ask how you ended the war in Iraq?
HC: I handed all the women of Iraq machine guns, 200 lbs of ammo, and provided them with detonators so they could coax all their husbands to suicide bomb each other...
Whoops! I lost the vision of the future, well you get the point. Yeah, maybe that is a little off color but oh well.
::End Transmission::
The lights are dim within the capital building. Congress is eagerly awaiting what will happen next. A slight pitch of feedback comes over the speakers, all of the sudden the voice of Chigusa Nagayo is heard over the speakers and she descends from the ceiling and proclaims
CN: And now the self proclaimed most powerful woman in the world, champion of the Universal association of everything....Hilary Clinton!
Then blarring of the speakers everybody in congress hears....YOU AND I by Celine Dion! The lights two spot lights turn and and a caped Hilary Clinton is a business suit flies in and lands at her podium. Hilary puts on her headset and proclaims to all of Congress
HC: Today I ENDED THE WAR IN IRAQ!!!
Inquisitive Congressman: Queen Hilary how did you accomplish this feat?
HC: Nobody may address me unless they are bowing to me
(Chigusa Nagayo at this point body slams the IC and he bows to Hilary)
IC: My apologies your Holiness. May I ask how you ended the war in Iraq?
HC: I handed all the women of Iraq machine guns, 200 lbs of ammo, and provided them with detonators so they could coax all their husbands to suicide bomb each other...
Whoops! I lost the vision of the future, well you get the point. Yeah, maybe that is a little off color but oh well.
::End Transmission::
Friday, June 15, 2007
Beer
In my current unemployment stretch I have been pondering the meaning of life and how I could make some doe so I don't have to wash dishes for the government. My best idea so far has been to start brewing various types of beer using beer archetypes. This is the list and attributes so far:
Andre's Green Skunk - This would be similar to Heineken but maybe slightly more aged. The label would be a cartoon picture of me holding two skunks by their tails with a giant smile on my face. It would come in a green bottle.
Andre's Backyard Malt Liquor - This would be similar to Mickey's but with more sugar added and maybe a little more flat. The label would be a cartoon picture of me with an afro stirring up malt liquor in a bathtub. It would come only in 40 oz. bottles.
Andre's American Style Beer (piss water) - This would be like all those American style beers that everybody sorta likes but nobody actually loves. It would probably be closest to Michelob ultra. The cover would be cartoon Andre facing a barrel and pissing in it. It would come in every form: Cans, Kegs, bottles, IVs, powdered, etc.
Andre's Irish Mud - This beer would be like Guinness. The cover would feature cartoon me rubbing an Irish mans head in the mud. It only comes in cans and bottles and when they are opened it sounds like a spider barking.
Andre's Monk Ale - This would be just like Chimay. The cover would feature cartoon me in a monks robe with lighting shooting from my fingers to an old oak barrel. It would only come in bottles that are 13.52 oz.
Andre's Zombie Ale - This would be like one those rouge beers where you just wonder how that flavor could come from a beer. It would have so much bite that it will hurt coming out the other end. It is 18.5% alcohol per volume. The cover would feature cartoon me beating a zombie with a golf club who is lying on a grate. It only comes in 12 oz. and 30 oz. bottles.
Andre's German Diesel - This beer is a prepackaged mixture of really crappy beer mixed with cola. The front cover features me pumping gas into a VW bus. Comes in 16 oz. bottles.
Andre Martinez special blend - This would be exactly like the American style beer but slightly aged and with a lime and a shot of tequila in it. The front cover would be cartoon me filling bottles from a tapped cactus.
Andre's Kabuki Samurai Ale - This would be similar to the German Diesel, but instead of it being mixed with cola it would be mixed with rice milk and have a half shot of Sake in it. The cover would be cartoon Andre in kabuki garb and stabbing a dragon with a naginata (Those things that look like a cross between a spear and a sword). It would come in 12 oz. bottles.
Andre's Royal Family Stash - This is my English style beer similar to Boddingtons. It would only come in pint cans and the cover would be cartoon me sneaking out of the royal palace with a barrel above my head.
Andre's Meade - Meade is the most underrated drink in the world and I plan to bring it back. This would be pre-spiced and come in bottles and jugs. The front cover would feature cartoon me with a bee hive on my hands getting chased by a giant bee.
Any suggestions? That is all.
::End Transmission::
Andre's Green Skunk - This would be similar to Heineken but maybe slightly more aged. The label would be a cartoon picture of me holding two skunks by their tails with a giant smile on my face. It would come in a green bottle.
Andre's Backyard Malt Liquor - This would be similar to Mickey's but with more sugar added and maybe a little more flat. The label would be a cartoon picture of me with an afro stirring up malt liquor in a bathtub. It would come only in 40 oz. bottles.
Andre's American Style Beer (piss water) - This would be like all those American style beers that everybody sorta likes but nobody actually loves. It would probably be closest to Michelob ultra. The cover would be cartoon Andre facing a barrel and pissing in it. It would come in every form: Cans, Kegs, bottles, IVs, powdered, etc.
Andre's Irish Mud - This beer would be like Guinness. The cover would feature cartoon me rubbing an Irish mans head in the mud. It only comes in cans and bottles and when they are opened it sounds like a spider barking.
Andre's Monk Ale - This would be just like Chimay. The cover would feature cartoon me in a monks robe with lighting shooting from my fingers to an old oak barrel. It would only come in bottles that are 13.52 oz.
Andre's Zombie Ale - This would be like one those rouge beers where you just wonder how that flavor could come from a beer. It would have so much bite that it will hurt coming out the other end. It is 18.5% alcohol per volume. The cover would feature cartoon me beating a zombie with a golf club who is lying on a grate. It only comes in 12 oz. and 30 oz. bottles.
Andre's German Diesel - This beer is a prepackaged mixture of really crappy beer mixed with cola. The front cover features me pumping gas into a VW bus. Comes in 16 oz. bottles.
Andre Martinez special blend - This would be exactly like the American style beer but slightly aged and with a lime and a shot of tequila in it. The front cover would be cartoon me filling bottles from a tapped cactus.
Andre's Kabuki Samurai Ale - This would be similar to the German Diesel, but instead of it being mixed with cola it would be mixed with rice milk and have a half shot of Sake in it. The cover would be cartoon Andre in kabuki garb and stabbing a dragon with a naginata (Those things that look like a cross between a spear and a sword). It would come in 12 oz. bottles.
Andre's Royal Family Stash - This is my English style beer similar to Boddingtons. It would only come in pint cans and the cover would be cartoon me sneaking out of the royal palace with a barrel above my head.
Andre's Meade - Meade is the most underrated drink in the world and I plan to bring it back. This would be pre-spiced and come in bottles and jugs. The front cover would feature cartoon me with a bee hive on my hands getting chased by a giant bee.
Any suggestions? That is all.
::End Transmission::
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Two issues....maybe three
First issue is a combination of two, both political which is an area I don;t usually touch upon but here goes:
The death of Falwell:
Jerry Falwell never really left a very good taste in my mouth. He was good at one thing; uniting those that were too weak to think logically for themselves. Who could I compare this to? A fundamentalist, because frankly that is what I always thought that he was. He chose to use religion to bring down those that fell outside of the normal person. Okay, I will admit that I at one time was a dumb naive kid who didn't understand homosexuality, therefore I felt it was unnatural. But as stupid 13 YEAR OLDS typically do, I grew up. But obviously Jerry Falwell didn't, he was against homosexuality, he supported segregation, and he used religion to manipulate people. I am not one to support people dying but come on people, why the hell should anybody have their flags at half mast for this bastard? Isn't our country currently seeking out another fundamentalist? His name is Bin Laden and he does the same thing. Granted Falwell never resorted to violence (as far as I know but I could be wrong) but it is a form of abuse and it is a moral sin to me [The Church of Andre is forgiving of a lot of things but not abuse of power via religion]. Half mast should be something sacred, for real heroes, people who die for freedom not oppressors! Hell if Bill Clinton died (Not Hillary of course) I would put my metaphoric flag at half mast. While I am here I may as well move on to my next order of business; the next election, because I wonder what change will mean. I myself am a tree hugging conservative which is an oxymoron I think.
Okay so here are the four highlighted candidates:
Barak Obama: This guy is a great rhetorician and has superb charisma. So did Bill Clinton and it worked for him. Obama has captured the hearts of all the young naive college age students (Except me) with his promise of a better world. But really all that he has done is made promises to make change. Does anybody real believe that he is actually going to follow through? That was a trick question because I have seen first hand people that eat this guys crap up. I could tell you about my struggles with trying to fit in with the cool kids while having a speech impediment or the one year where I was the smallest kid in my football league yet still overcame that and lead my team in tackles just like Obama has told his story about his epiphanous moments in life that made him face long odds and he came out stronger...but the difference is that I am telling the truth where Obama has either flat out lied or has stretched the truth. Here is a blog about said truth stretching: http://mediamatters.org/items/200704130003
Media Matters - Couric's "Notebook" rehashed debunked Obama rumors
Hillary Clinton: What can I say, she is a devil bitch who has been power hungry for years. Why did she stay with Bill? Because she realized that he was a bridge to her gaining power. I am the largest advocate for equal rights. But too many times equal rights becomes a quest for power over everything. Hillary is a living example of a person who wants to avenge her supposed oppression as a Woman by becoming the supposed most powerful person in the country. What happens when somebody of this low of moral fiber sees a means to gain power? They are willing to lie cheat and steal to gain that power. So of course Hillary states, "If we in Congress don't end this war before January 2009, as president I will," (http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/02/clinton-i-will-end-iraq-war.html
CNN.com - CNN Political Ticker)
Do you smell hypocrisy here? Well I do. Is this who we want to run our country? Not me.
John "Wayne" McCain: I will be honest with you, I really like McCain a lot. I really wanted him for President when he lost out in the last primary. But then again I wanted Bill Bradley too (I still dream that instead of War Bradley would have just kicked Saddam's ass in a game of basketball and made him leave Iraq forever in the largest pay=per-view event in the history of the world). Regardless, I like McCain and he is a bit more liberal of a conservative. But a great deal of people fear that McCain has never fully recovered from being a Vietnam prison camp. I don't really know but it might be a scary thought. Still I like his reaction of wanting to "find and kill the bastards" on 9\11. He has moxy and I wouldn't mind having him as president.
Rudy Giuliani: The knock on this guy is that he is a little gruff at times and may have mob connections. Look I hate to stereotype here but there are a great number of idiots out there that assume anybody who is Italian or has an Italian last name automatically has Mob ties. Maybe there is some validity to it. But if everybody is so accepting of Obama why not accept this guy? He has proven that he can get things done in New York. Obama just promises to get things done. So I give him the edge there. He isn't the most conservative republican but neither is McCain. Giuliani had New York recovering from 9\11 before the rest of the country could. Break downs within communication cause major disasters to become out of hand. Giuliana could never have expected such an atrocity to happen in New York, yet they recovered. I like this guy obviously, because I like guys that get things done and that is what I think this country needs. Agree or Disagree? I would like to know.
On to the next power trip...Ted Thompson
So what do you do when you have one of if not the best Quarterback in NFL history telling you "I will come back for another year but I need you to provide me with weapons?
A. Go out and sign top free agents and pull off astute trades in order to bring in the right players
B. Trade for the player that said quarterback is offering to give up his own salary for for a measly 4th round pick/
C. Ignore said quarterback. I mean your Ted Thompson you are so flawless in your evaluation of talent that you can draft better wideouts in the third round, like a 6'0 3\4" 200 pound wideout who runs the 40-yard dash in an astounding 4.77 seconds who hails from football powerhouse San Jose State who was projected as a fifth round pick.
D. Ignore said quarterbacks request, draft a defensive tackle with your first pick (Why not make your deepest position deeper?) then wait to get a much needed tight end with your last pick in the draft
E. Both A and B
F. Both C and D
Ted Thompson picked choice "F" and in doing so enraged a quarterback who is at his best when he is excited and confident in his teammates. I wasn't an advocate for getting Randy Moss. But if I was Ted Thompson and I had Brett Favre calling me and saying "I want Randy Moss and he wants to play in Green Bay. Please get him and take the money out of MY SALARY!" You can bet that I would say, "Okay Brett we will do our best." then I would jump on the phone and tell the Raiders, "IT IS A DEAL!!!" But Ted has too big of an ego to do that. Wait isn't his ego the reason that he got fired from Seattle? This kind of reminds me of a person from another sport...what was his name? Oh yeah Jerry Krause. The man who destroyed quite possibly the most amazing sports team in history. But he didn't need pugs like MJ, Phil Jackson, Dennis Rodman, etc. He could rebuild a new dynasty and they build a statue outside of the United Center of him in all of his fat toad-like glory. Sorry Ted but you are worshipping the wrong GM. Remember how astute Ron Wolf was. Remember how well he recovered from making mistakes? Remember how he listened to his colleagues? Well maybe he stopped listening to you. Bob Harlan for the love of God and all that is Holy light a fire under this mans ass or fire him. That is all for today.
::End Transmission::
The death of Falwell:
Jerry Falwell never really left a very good taste in my mouth. He was good at one thing; uniting those that were too weak to think logically for themselves. Who could I compare this to? A fundamentalist, because frankly that is what I always thought that he was. He chose to use religion to bring down those that fell outside of the normal person. Okay, I will admit that I at one time was a dumb naive kid who didn't understand homosexuality, therefore I felt it was unnatural. But as stupid 13 YEAR OLDS typically do, I grew up. But obviously Jerry Falwell didn't, he was against homosexuality, he supported segregation, and he used religion to manipulate people. I am not one to support people dying but come on people, why the hell should anybody have their flags at half mast for this bastard? Isn't our country currently seeking out another fundamentalist? His name is Bin Laden and he does the same thing. Granted Falwell never resorted to violence (as far as I know but I could be wrong) but it is a form of abuse and it is a moral sin to me [The Church of Andre is forgiving of a lot of things but not abuse of power via religion]. Half mast should be something sacred, for real heroes, people who die for freedom not oppressors! Hell if Bill Clinton died (Not Hillary of course) I would put my metaphoric flag at half mast. While I am here I may as well move on to my next order of business; the next election, because I wonder what change will mean. I myself am a tree hugging conservative which is an oxymoron I think.
Okay so here are the four highlighted candidates:
Barak Obama: This guy is a great rhetorician and has superb charisma. So did Bill Clinton and it worked for him. Obama has captured the hearts of all the young naive college age students (Except me) with his promise of a better world. But really all that he has done is made promises to make change. Does anybody real believe that he is actually going to follow through? That was a trick question because I have seen first hand people that eat this guys crap up. I could tell you about my struggles with trying to fit in with the cool kids while having a speech impediment or the one year where I was the smallest kid in my football league yet still overcame that and lead my team in tackles just like Obama has told his story about his epiphanous moments in life that made him face long odds and he came out stronger...but the difference is that I am telling the truth where Obama has either flat out lied or has stretched the truth. Here is a blog about said truth stretching: http://mediamatters.org/items/200704130003
Media Matters - Couric's "Notebook" rehashed debunked Obama rumors
Hillary Clinton: What can I say, she is a devil bitch who has been power hungry for years. Why did she stay with Bill? Because she realized that he was a bridge to her gaining power. I am the largest advocate for equal rights. But too many times equal rights becomes a quest for power over everything. Hillary is a living example of a person who wants to avenge her supposed oppression as a Woman by becoming the supposed most powerful person in the country. What happens when somebody of this low of moral fiber sees a means to gain power? They are willing to lie cheat and steal to gain that power. So of course Hillary states, "If we in Congress don't end this war before January 2009, as president I will," (http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/02/clinton-i-will-end-iraq-war.html
CNN.com - CNN Political Ticker)
Do you smell hypocrisy here? Well I do. Is this who we want to run our country? Not me.
John "Wayne" McCain: I will be honest with you, I really like McCain a lot. I really wanted him for President when he lost out in the last primary. But then again I wanted Bill Bradley too (I still dream that instead of War Bradley would have just kicked Saddam's ass in a game of basketball and made him leave Iraq forever in the largest pay=per-view event in the history of the world). Regardless, I like McCain and he is a bit more liberal of a conservative. But a great deal of people fear that McCain has never fully recovered from being a Vietnam prison camp. I don't really know but it might be a scary thought. Still I like his reaction of wanting to "find and kill the bastards" on 9\11. He has moxy and I wouldn't mind having him as president.
Rudy Giuliani: The knock on this guy is that he is a little gruff at times and may have mob connections. Look I hate to stereotype here but there are a great number of idiots out there that assume anybody who is Italian or has an Italian last name automatically has Mob ties. Maybe there is some validity to it. But if everybody is so accepting of Obama why not accept this guy? He has proven that he can get things done in New York. Obama just promises to get things done. So I give him the edge there. He isn't the most conservative republican but neither is McCain. Giuliani had New York recovering from 9\11 before the rest of the country could. Break downs within communication cause major disasters to become out of hand. Giuliana could never have expected such an atrocity to happen in New York, yet they recovered. I like this guy obviously, because I like guys that get things done and that is what I think this country needs. Agree or Disagree? I would like to know.
On to the next power trip...Ted Thompson
So what do you do when you have one of if not the best Quarterback in NFL history telling you "I will come back for another year but I need you to provide me with weapons?
A. Go out and sign top free agents and pull off astute trades in order to bring in the right players
B. Trade for the player that said quarterback is offering to give up his own salary for for a measly 4th round pick/
C. Ignore said quarterback. I mean your Ted Thompson you are so flawless in your evaluation of talent that you can draft better wideouts in the third round, like a 6'0 3\4" 200 pound wideout who runs the 40-yard dash in an astounding 4.77 seconds who hails from football powerhouse San Jose State who was projected as a fifth round pick.
D. Ignore said quarterbacks request, draft a defensive tackle with your first pick (Why not make your deepest position deeper?) then wait to get a much needed tight end with your last pick in the draft
E. Both A and B
F. Both C and D
Ted Thompson picked choice "F" and in doing so enraged a quarterback who is at his best when he is excited and confident in his teammates. I wasn't an advocate for getting Randy Moss. But if I was Ted Thompson and I had Brett Favre calling me and saying "I want Randy Moss and he wants to play in Green Bay. Please get him and take the money out of MY SALARY!" You can bet that I would say, "Okay Brett we will do our best." then I would jump on the phone and tell the Raiders, "IT IS A DEAL!!!" But Ted has too big of an ego to do that. Wait isn't his ego the reason that he got fired from Seattle? This kind of reminds me of a person from another sport...what was his name? Oh yeah Jerry Krause. The man who destroyed quite possibly the most amazing sports team in history. But he didn't need pugs like MJ, Phil Jackson, Dennis Rodman, etc. He could rebuild a new dynasty and they build a statue outside of the United Center of him in all of his fat toad-like glory. Sorry Ted but you are worshipping the wrong GM. Remember how astute Ron Wolf was. Remember how well he recovered from making mistakes? Remember how he listened to his colleagues? Well maybe he stopped listening to you. Bob Harlan for the love of God and all that is Holy light a fire under this mans ass or fire him. That is all for today.
::End Transmission::
Friday, April 20, 2007
NFL draft...Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears
Okay, so last year I really liked what I saw from Mark Anderson and then the Bears drafted him and I was a little annoyed. But alas I have no proof of this, so I have written up who the Bears and Packers SHOULD take in next weeks draft.
Packers
Round 1 (16): Marshawn Lynch RB Cal
Lynch is the best all around back in this draft. Okay Peterson has more talent but I think Lynch might have better hands and better vision. The Packers need a back with these qualities and Lynch will be a solid running back in the departed Ahman Green mold.
Round 2 (47): Zach Miller TE Arizona State
Regardless of what anybody says, Zach Miller is the best tight end in this draft. A lot of people out there obsess over speed, but Miller finds the soft spots in the zones, is a strong and willing blocker, and has good functional speed. Miller fits their scheme and will be everything Bubba Franks was supposed to be.
Round 3 (78): Eric Weddle S Utah
Weddle is a solid safety who is being underrated because of his lack of top-end speed. But Weddle is a football player who has succeeded in playing both safety positions and cornerback in college. Marquand Manuel appeared to be the worst starting safety in the NFL last year and the Packers need somebody to push him, Weddle will do that.
Round 4 (112): Josh Wilson CB Maryland
Wilson is a quick undersized corner who can return kicks. The key thing with this guy is that he loves to hit and hits hard. There have been 5'9" corners that play above and beyond their size. Wilson reminds me a lot of former Texas A&M Aaron Glenn. I would not be surprised if it takes a year for him to develop and then has a similar career to Glenn. He also can be a dangerous punt and kick returner.
Round 5 (157): Zak DeOssie LB Brown
DeOssie was a beast in the Ivy League and he has the mental capacity and physical gifts to develop into a solid LB like a Gary Plummer or possibly even better. He needs at least a year to develop but he has the potential to grown physically. Regardless of if the Packers draft him here I think he will be a starter somewhere down the road.
Round 6 (193): Garrett Wolf RB Northern Illinois University
Okay I am a little biased here, I mean he was technically my student for two weeks. Regardless of that, Wolf was super productive in college, has excellent vision, good hands, and is quick. He will never be a starter in the NFL because he lacks size (Although Warrick Dunn is virtually the same size) but he will be a very good role player in the mold of former Florida State running back Amp Lee, but I think he will be more successful in the NFL then Lee was. Two things that Wolf is really good at is he understands how to avoid getting blasted by defenders and has battled and defied many odds in his college career.
Round 7 (228): Tyler Ecker TE Michigan
Ecker is an underrated prospect at tight end because he was not featured in the Michigan offense. He will probably never be a starter but he could be a solid second tight end. Reminds me a little bit of a guy I liked last year named Owen Daniels who went to the Texans and did quite well.
Round 7 (235): Kyle Cook C-G Michigan State
Center is the hardest position on the offensive line to play. An NFL center needs to be both smart and athletic and Cook has good feet and smarts. He lacks great size and strength at this point in his career but he could develop over time and play in Europe. He fits the zone-blocking scheme perfectly and has a Big-Ten mentality.
Round 7 (243): Marvin Burrough QB/Athlete
I have and always will love converting QBs that are great athletes into wide receivers. Burrough has a strong enough arm to be the third or fourth string QB on a team as well as playing the third or fourth string WR for the Packers. He is a poor mans Anquan Boldin at this point and will need to play in Europe in order to develop. But if a team is patient with him, he could be a real diamond in the rough.
The Bears
Jerry Angelo loves drafting lineman and it makes sense. But I don't think the Bears need to worry as much about lineman at his point. With that said, this is strictly my opinion on what the Bears should do. I don't think that they will follow the first two picks I have for them.
Round 1 (31): Dwayne Bowe WR LSU
Bowe is not the sexy WR pick that other wide outs are in this draft. But he is a great football player who produced well his senior year. He needs a kick in the ass to realize his place in the NFL and the Bears have plenty of guys who can knock him silly in practice a few times (Urlacher, Archeleta, and Mike Brown.) He falls somewhere between Keyshawn Johnson and Muhsin Muhammed, in the sense that he has great hands and good size but lacks top end speed. He is not quite as arrogant as Johnson but not quite as selfless as Muhammed. I think the Bears can do something with him.
Round 2 (37): Drew Stanton QB Michigan State
This brings up a lot of controversy, but Stanton is a solid quarterback that is a true leader and I feel that he is the second best quarterback in this draft behind Quinn (JeMarcus Russel will be a bust). By drafting him here the Bears do one of two things; Light a fire under Sexy Rexy and he starts performing consistently or they find their starting Quarterback in Stanton. Either way, they win. Stanton reminds me of a cross between Matt Hasselbach and Chris Chandler.
Round 3 (94): Justin Durant LB Hampton
This pick presumes that Lance Briggs does not get traded, plays out the year, and then leaves the Bears. Even if he does get traded I think Durant is an excellent pick here and that he could replace Briggs in the "thug" linebacker role. Durant has a mean streak, loves to play football, and has potential to grow. At this point he is still undersized and will be jumping from division II-A but I think he can and will do it. He is a bit like Zach Thomas but bigger and faster and will never be close to the player Thomas is, but only a select few can say that about themselves.
Round 4 (130): Ikaika Alma-Francis DE Hawaii
Francis is a big DE who could probably slide over and play tackle as well. He needs work on his discipline but has Sasquatch-like natural strength and if he ever realizes his potential he could be a beast. This is more of a value pick at this point but the Bears could really use a guy like this because Anderson is more of a pass rushing specialist and I have never been overly impressed with Ogunleye (compared to how much he gets paid). He reminds me of a La'Roi Glover with more talent but less motor.
Round 5 (168): Louis Leonard DT Fresno State
This is a little bit of a reach at this point but the Bears need a big fat lineman after losing Alfonso Boone. Leonard is just a run stuffer at this point in his career, but he is a good one and would fit the Bears system quite well. Similar to former Bear Keith Traylor, but less of a blob.
Round 7 (221): Reggie Merriweather RB Clemson
Merriweather is a short but stout enough back similar to Washington's Rock Cartwright, but Merriweather might be a little quicker and not quite as strong. The Bears need a running back to get to the outside and replace the departed Thomas Jones. Merriweather is a 10 carry a game type of back that has value as a roleplayer and could surprise as a second kick returner.
Round 7 (241): Kyle Williams OT USC
Williams may be gone at this point. As with any late round pick, it is hard to predict when somebody might go. Williams only started for a year but he played behind some pretty good talent. He needs a bit of refinement and the Bears can be patient with him. The Bears need to start thinking about their future on the offensive line and Williams could be ready to go when Tait retires or the Bears get rid of him. Williams needs to get a little more feisty and aggressive but he has a lot of talent.
Agree? Disagree? Well whatever. This is what I would do if I was an NFL GM for either of these teams.
::End Transmission::
Packers
Round 1 (16): Marshawn Lynch RB Cal
Lynch is the best all around back in this draft. Okay Peterson has more talent but I think Lynch might have better hands and better vision. The Packers need a back with these qualities and Lynch will be a solid running back in the departed Ahman Green mold.
Round 2 (47): Zach Miller TE Arizona State
Regardless of what anybody says, Zach Miller is the best tight end in this draft. A lot of people out there obsess over speed, but Miller finds the soft spots in the zones, is a strong and willing blocker, and has good functional speed. Miller fits their scheme and will be everything Bubba Franks was supposed to be.
Round 3 (78): Eric Weddle S Utah
Weddle is a solid safety who is being underrated because of his lack of top-end speed. But Weddle is a football player who has succeeded in playing both safety positions and cornerback in college. Marquand Manuel appeared to be the worst starting safety in the NFL last year and the Packers need somebody to push him, Weddle will do that.
Round 4 (112): Josh Wilson CB Maryland
Wilson is a quick undersized corner who can return kicks. The key thing with this guy is that he loves to hit and hits hard. There have been 5'9" corners that play above and beyond their size. Wilson reminds me a lot of former Texas A&M Aaron Glenn. I would not be surprised if it takes a year for him to develop and then has a similar career to Glenn. He also can be a dangerous punt and kick returner.
Round 5 (157): Zak DeOssie LB Brown
DeOssie was a beast in the Ivy League and he has the mental capacity and physical gifts to develop into a solid LB like a Gary Plummer or possibly even better. He needs at least a year to develop but he has the potential to grown physically. Regardless of if the Packers draft him here I think he will be a starter somewhere down the road.
Round 6 (193): Garrett Wolf RB Northern Illinois University
Okay I am a little biased here, I mean he was technically my student for two weeks. Regardless of that, Wolf was super productive in college, has excellent vision, good hands, and is quick. He will never be a starter in the NFL because he lacks size (Although Warrick Dunn is virtually the same size) but he will be a very good role player in the mold of former Florida State running back Amp Lee, but I think he will be more successful in the NFL then Lee was. Two things that Wolf is really good at is he understands how to avoid getting blasted by defenders and has battled and defied many odds in his college career.
Round 7 (228): Tyler Ecker TE Michigan
Ecker is an underrated prospect at tight end because he was not featured in the Michigan offense. He will probably never be a starter but he could be a solid second tight end. Reminds me a little bit of a guy I liked last year named Owen Daniels who went to the Texans and did quite well.
Round 7 (235): Kyle Cook C-G Michigan State
Center is the hardest position on the offensive line to play. An NFL center needs to be both smart and athletic and Cook has good feet and smarts. He lacks great size and strength at this point in his career but he could develop over time and play in Europe. He fits the zone-blocking scheme perfectly and has a Big-Ten mentality.
Round 7 (243): Marvin Burrough QB/Athlete
I have and always will love converting QBs that are great athletes into wide receivers. Burrough has a strong enough arm to be the third or fourth string QB on a team as well as playing the third or fourth string WR for the Packers. He is a poor mans Anquan Boldin at this point and will need to play in Europe in order to develop. But if a team is patient with him, he could be a real diamond in the rough.
The Bears
Jerry Angelo loves drafting lineman and it makes sense. But I don't think the Bears need to worry as much about lineman at his point. With that said, this is strictly my opinion on what the Bears should do. I don't think that they will follow the first two picks I have for them.
Round 1 (31): Dwayne Bowe WR LSU
Bowe is not the sexy WR pick that other wide outs are in this draft. But he is a great football player who produced well his senior year. He needs a kick in the ass to realize his place in the NFL and the Bears have plenty of guys who can knock him silly in practice a few times (Urlacher, Archeleta, and Mike Brown.) He falls somewhere between Keyshawn Johnson and Muhsin Muhammed, in the sense that he has great hands and good size but lacks top end speed. He is not quite as arrogant as Johnson but not quite as selfless as Muhammed. I think the Bears can do something with him.
Round 2 (37): Drew Stanton QB Michigan State
This brings up a lot of controversy, but Stanton is a solid quarterback that is a true leader and I feel that he is the second best quarterback in this draft behind Quinn (JeMarcus Russel will be a bust). By drafting him here the Bears do one of two things; Light a fire under Sexy Rexy and he starts performing consistently or they find their starting Quarterback in Stanton. Either way, they win. Stanton reminds me of a cross between Matt Hasselbach and Chris Chandler.
Round 3 (94): Justin Durant LB Hampton
This pick presumes that Lance Briggs does not get traded, plays out the year, and then leaves the Bears. Even if he does get traded I think Durant is an excellent pick here and that he could replace Briggs in the "thug" linebacker role. Durant has a mean streak, loves to play football, and has potential to grow. At this point he is still undersized and will be jumping from division II-A but I think he can and will do it. He is a bit like Zach Thomas but bigger and faster and will never be close to the player Thomas is, but only a select few can say that about themselves.
Round 4 (130): Ikaika Alma-Francis DE Hawaii
Francis is a big DE who could probably slide over and play tackle as well. He needs work on his discipline but has Sasquatch-like natural strength and if he ever realizes his potential he could be a beast. This is more of a value pick at this point but the Bears could really use a guy like this because Anderson is more of a pass rushing specialist and I have never been overly impressed with Ogunleye (compared to how much he gets paid). He reminds me of a La'Roi Glover with more talent but less motor.
Round 5 (168): Louis Leonard DT Fresno State
This is a little bit of a reach at this point but the Bears need a big fat lineman after losing Alfonso Boone. Leonard is just a run stuffer at this point in his career, but he is a good one and would fit the Bears system quite well. Similar to former Bear Keith Traylor, but less of a blob.
Round 7 (221): Reggie Merriweather RB Clemson
Merriweather is a short but stout enough back similar to Washington's Rock Cartwright, but Merriweather might be a little quicker and not quite as strong. The Bears need a running back to get to the outside and replace the departed Thomas Jones. Merriweather is a 10 carry a game type of back that has value as a roleplayer and could surprise as a second kick returner.
Round 7 (241): Kyle Williams OT USC
Williams may be gone at this point. As with any late round pick, it is hard to predict when somebody might go. Williams only started for a year but he played behind some pretty good talent. He needs a bit of refinement and the Bears can be patient with him. The Bears need to start thinking about their future on the offensive line and Williams could be ready to go when Tait retires or the Bears get rid of him. Williams needs to get a little more feisty and aggressive but he has a lot of talent.
Agree? Disagree? Well whatever. This is what I would do if I was an NFL GM for either of these teams.
::End Transmission::
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Beating a dead horse....
Alright maybe I am beating a dead horse here but I have to make another comment on the V-tech shootings. Cho states in his video "When the time came, I did it. I had to." "You had a hundred billion ways to avoid today but you decided to spill my blood. You forced me into a corner and gave me only one option. The decision was yours, now you have blood on your hands that will never wash off." At which point he goes on rants about how all the rich destroyed his life. Now maybe I am going to sound a little insensitive here but honestly I don't care if that is how I sound because this kid has caused such a surge of emotion in me (Who was not linked in any way to anybody murdered) that I feel I should be blunt. This kid didn't want to get any better. Connecting this with my previous movie review of "Quitting" it takes more than just a support system more than just a person to identify that you need help and more than just asking for help. It takes all three of these things. One needs to identify the problem, find the support they need, and WANT to get better. This kid had his parents try and get him help, he had teachers try and get him help, and he had a University that had a program to help him. The only thing that he didn't have was a desire to help himself. He blames everybody else for everything that has been bad in his life. He CHOSE to commit these attrocities. He didn't want to get better. I have had a lot of shitty people in my life that have been assholes, yet I have dealt with issues in a non-violent way. No life is perfect, even when it appears that somebody has it all, they didn't always and their is bound to be some pain in their lives. Even God has wept. Does somebody who has a silver spoon in their gob know how to really take care of themselves? Do they secretly wish to be something that they are not? Of course, we are all only human. Obviously this kid needed to feel empowered somehow. There are various outlets in life that one can go to, some feel it is religion, others just need a friend to talk to, Cho chose a violent one because he gave into hate and anger. He blames all those that were assholes to him, yet in the end he continued the chain. With any type of abuse it forms a chain of abuse (ie a person who is sexually abused has a tendency to abuse and those that they abuse, abuse others and so forth) and it takes a strong person to break the chain. Obviously Cho resorted to being worse than those that abused him. So I urge people to help others help themselves. And as I always like to put it, I am sure that the devil has a special room for Cho where Cho gets a pitchfork up the ass at least twice a day if not in other places. But what do I know?
Furthermore is these dumbasses who are trying to get attention by doing other things like bomb threats and written threats to get attention. Ugh! I am tired of this bullshit! The mark of a true champion is falling and picking yourself up.
::End Transmission::
Furthermore is these dumbasses who are trying to get attention by doing other things like bomb threats and written threats to get attention. Ugh! I am tired of this bullshit! The mark of a true champion is falling and picking yourself up.
::End Transmission::
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Review: Quitting
Quitting (IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298238/)
Quitting is a biographical docudrama about Chinese actor Hongshen Jia and his addiction do drugs. It is a true story that features the actual people acting as their own characters. What makes this film unique is that it just as much about quitting the addiction as it is about how his family is affected. It is about the sacrafice that a father makes for his son. Just as Jia reverts to drugs, his addiction stresses his father out so much that he reverts to alcohlism. One of the great subtextual themes behind this film is that it takes more than just the self to overcome addiction, it takes support from others, it takes acceptance of the self, and it takes desire to change. It can't be just one aspect it must be a composition of all of them
4 Stars (5 star scale)
Quitting is a biographical docudrama about Chinese actor Hongshen Jia and his addiction do drugs. It is a true story that features the actual people acting as their own characters. What makes this film unique is that it just as much about quitting the addiction as it is about how his family is affected. It is about the sacrafice that a father makes for his son. Just as Jia reverts to drugs, his addiction stresses his father out so much that he reverts to alcohlism. One of the great subtextual themes behind this film is that it takes more than just the self to overcome addiction, it takes support from others, it takes acceptance of the self, and it takes desire to change. It can't be just one aspect it must be a composition of all of them
4 Stars (5 star scale)
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
You want to know a hero...
I would like to make a comment on the recent tragedy. Number one, Virginia Tech needed to take a little quicker action on locking down the University when the first incident happened. Think of the lives that could have been saved. Number two, with all the issues of immigration going on these days I think this reveals something to us. Maybe I am in the wrong here but this kid had immigrant parents who were either blind to their child's needs or were linked to this deeply disturbed kid, and yes they should have noticed because his fellow classmates knew he was a little off. Here is a link to one of the reports:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18148802/?GT1=9246
Next I would like to address a true hero. A 76 year old professor blocked the doorway from this gunman while his students escaped through the window saving numerous lives. In all the tragedy of the events if one person should be recognized it should be this guy. In accordance to my previous entry I would like to propose the question to all those out there that believe that you must be their religion or you go to the bad place; Is Professor Liviu Librescu, 76, a senior Israeli researcher and lecturer at Virginia Tech going to hell after saving numerous peoples lives?
http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=3004
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18148802/?GT1=9246
Next I would like to address a true hero. A 76 year old professor blocked the doorway from this gunman while his students escaped through the window saving numerous lives. In all the tragedy of the events if one person should be recognized it should be this guy. In accordance to my previous entry I would like to propose the question to all those out there that believe that you must be their religion or you go to the bad place; Is Professor Liviu Librescu, 76, a senior Israeli researcher and lecturer at Virginia Tech going to hell after saving numerous peoples lives?
http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=3004
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