NFL Draft

[Abagadro]

Anyone else degenerate enough to watch this throughout the day? I'll be writting statistics papers with it on in the room, so I consider myself only half a degenerate.

I am really pumped as the buzz is that Alex Smith will go #1. He is a super cool kid and (having watched every single college play he has ever played) he is one hell of a QB.

If he goes first it is likely the Utes will have the #1 pick in the NFL and NBA drafts this year. Who'da thunk it?

[Strazos]

WTF is a Ute?

[gimpyone]

non mormon utahan?

[schild]

An Ute is my childhood housekeeper. Part German. Part PURE evil.

[Shockeye]

Two Utes?

Vinny?

[murdoc]

Anyone else degenerate enough to watch this throughout the day? I'll be writting statistics papers with it on in the room, so I consider myself only half a degenerate.

I am really pumped as the buzz is that Alex Smith will go #1. He is a super cool kid and (having watched every single college play he has ever played) he is one hell of a QB.

If he goes first it is likely the Utes will have the #1 pick in the NFL and NBA drafts this year. Who'da thunk it?

I'm working the nightshift (8pm - 8am) tonight, but I'll be staying up when I get home to at least watch the first round. It's my only sport fix until the actually NFL season starts.

[Abagadro]

Woot!

[Rasix]

Woot!

He'll be a flop.  Not for lack of trying, but I don't think this kid will do squat.

[Abagadro]

He's an amazing QB. Trust me on this. He will do well.  He is Steve Young II.  It will likely take 5-6 years to get there, but he will.

EDIT: Have you seen him play much or are you basing that opinion on something else?

[Rasix]

I caught Utes a few times on TV during the year.  He seemed like a good fit in a gimmicky system and on top of that was a great athlete. Didn't look like "OMG PRO SUPERSTAR" material with his arm, but hell, I'm not a scout.  Good thing he's got that good TE to throw to, because their receiving corp is garbage.   Did they actually get a reliable runner in the offseason (Barlow's iffy)?  You might be right on the 5-6 year thing for him to shine, because after the recent York mishaps, it'll take the 49ers a while to build a system anyone would succeed in.

[Abagadro]

As a Utah student/fanatic I watched every play he made. His arm is actually amazing on deep throws, he was just rarely cut loose in that system and frankly didn't need to be.  However, a lot of the throws in that system were curl routes and medium range outs which are tough passes and he was super accurate. Many of his incompletions were drops.  His decisionmaking is almost flawless and the coaches considered him another coach on the field.  He can run and pass on the run.  The only reason he wasn't more highly recruited out of HS was because he basically handed the ball to Reggie Bush an let him run 80 yards on every play.  He has huge upside potential.

I agree that he will be limited by the team he is on unless it gets much better or he goes somewhere else.

[Toast]

Alex Smith is absolutely for real. He's got the speed, footwork, and arm strength.

[schild]

How was the ESPN/EA spot for Xbox360?

I mean, that's the most important part, rite?

Edit: Wow, too bad I think it's ALL just CGI movie clips.

[Trippy]

Alex Smith is absolutely for real. He's got the speed, footwork, and arm strength.

My biggest concern about Smith is whether or not he can adapt quickly to the standard pro set and learn the footwork and timing involved with running a West Coast offense.

[Paelos]

I'm happy for my Georgia people. For those of you who don't know, Carolina will have the best defense ever now with Thomas Davis. That man was overshadowed in the media by David Pollack, but the NFL scouts don't miss a thing by drafting him higher. He's gold.

[Toast]

Interesting factoid:

Oklahoma had 11 players drafted, a number that does not include Jason White.

[HaemishM]

I watched pieces and parts of it, mainly to see how Green Bay drafted. Other than Aaron Rodgers, I couldn't tell you they drafted that well. 2 DE's, 2 CB's (or was it 3), a Center, 2 WR's and Rodgers. Yeah, way to work on the deficiencies there, Sherman, you fucktard. While I agree they need to start finding a replacement for Favre (I give him 2 years), was Rodgers it and was it really that necessary? They need linebackers, a run-stopping DT, a new starting Strong Safety, 2-3 more CB's than they got. In essence, they need a whole new fucking defense. For the money Rodgers will probably get, they'll be able to do shit in free agency for the next few years. Unless one of these corners turns into the next Champ Bailey (the hype that is, not the reality), I see Green Bay slipping big time. Fucking Sherman. Way to let your best defensive player (Sharper) defect to you nearest division rival.

On another note, Detroit is now officially scary on offense, provided Garcia or Harrington can actually throw the fucking ball. Mike & Roy Williams, Charles Rogers and a decent running back? Oh yeah. They will be interesting.

San Fran will suck for a long time after this.

[Hoax]

@Alex Smith:  The kid may be for real, but the 49er's are so fucked that he may have his career destroyed.  The only smart thing Ericson ever said was something like: [in response to people asking if Cody Picket would get to play] "look putting him in there with no offensive line, no running game, no recievers and no defense would be like putting a baby pig in a room full of bears"

Unfortunately Rattay and Dorsey/Pickett aren't much in the way of competition and the 49ers are so broke they'd be hard pressed to bench Smith for a season after they shell out the cash just because its the good thing to do.

My Begals had a great draft I think, if Marvin Lewis is half the man/coach I want him to be his gambles of slightly character deficient but highly skilled players wont bite anyone in the ass.  It was a huge treat to hear them call Cincy the sleeper AFC team to unseat the Pats.

Who Dey mother fuckers


I watched the entire draft btw, minus a nap on day2 and some sex after round2 on day one, (me and gf needed a break).  The Coors Light commercials definately had subliminals because the gf went and bought some and she usually ONLY drinks wine.

@Green Bay:  Horrible draft, your going to have to sit through 2-3 years minimum rebuilding the team, might as well have made one last shot at the lombardi before Farve retires.  Instead the defense will still suck more then any defense has sucked before and yet another hero of my childhood will go out not with a bang but with a whimper (see: Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice).


Interesting Factoid:  The Big12 disgusts me, but luckily the PAC-10 is around to make me forget about hating any other division in NCAA football.

Interesting Factoid II:  This goes to show that if Jason White had won back-to-back heisman trophies it would have been the greatest injustice of all time.

P.S.  Does anyone think the 49er's are better off that Matt Leinhart didn't go out, assume that they would have taken him.

P.P.S.  Fuck spelling, think I missed some stuff but its time to stop working and get some lunch.

[Shmtur]

Fucking Sherman. Way to let your best defensive player (Sharper) defect to you nearest division rival.

Just a note - it's Ted Thompson or whatever doing the drafting and whatnot in Green Bay now.  Sherman had the GM title stripped.

Oh, and the CB from the second round is actually a CB/S who played more safety.  The C is a C/G so he can jump around.  Otherwise?  WHY IN THE FUCK ARE YOU DRAFTING WR'S WITH YOUR RECEIVING CORPS?   Especially since there were some good value DL players still available.  Hell, Antajj Hawthorne or whatever was available into the sixth round - sure the guy has issues (OMG he smokes pot), but he has talent, and he's from UW.  Take a chance.  Basically, I see this draft as saying that the Sherman GM years were a wash, and it's time for some mild rebuilding.  I'm not sure, but that may be the right thing to do.

And Minnesota has underachieved every year for a while now, so I'm expecting the same from them this year, though in this case them underachieving is still probably better than the Packers will be.

[Triforcer]

Maurice Clarett in the third round?  Dumbasses.

[MrHat]

Maurice Clarett in the third round?  Dumbasses.

Shanahan loves drama.

[El Gallo]

With that leg-whipping, chop-blocking o-line they have, Clarett will gain 2,000 yards a year for 3 seasons, and then they will trade him to some moronic team like the Redskins for real, live quality players or picks.  It's worked before.

Glad to see my Steelers brought in another highly touted TE who they will never, ever actually throw to.

[Rasix]

Maurice Clarett in the third round?  Dumbasses.

Do you expect less from the team that let Reuben Droughns get away and just about signed the entire Cleveland defensive line? The inmates are running the asylum in Denver.

Glad to see my Steelers brought in another highly touted TE who they will never, ever actually throw to.

Could be worse, they could have drafted a TE/WR that's never even really played the position. At 21.  The mind boggles.   I guess someone wants to find the next Antonio Gates.

[MrHat]

Maurice Clarett in the third round?  Dumbasses.

Do you expect less from the team that let Reuben Droughns get away and just about signed the entire Cleveland defensive line? The inmates are running the asylum in Denver.

Droughns was incredibly overrated.  He wasn't a very good player, just got 2 lucky games last year and everyone thought he was specatular.  Besides, Broncos have Tatum ftw.

I agree though, they are a bit looney out here.

[Paelos]

Droughns was not overrated at all. He was hamstringed by the fact that Shanahan wouldn't make up his mind about who was going to be in the game. Droughns could be a great runningback in any system that actually wants to make good runningbacks and stick with them. If they hadn't alternated Griffen into the game for six games, Droughns would have finished in the top 5 in average yards per game easily. Anybody that posts 1200+ rushing yards in a season is NOT overrated.

[HaemishM]

Fucking Sherman. Way to let your best defensive player (Sharper) defect to you nearest division rival.

Oh, and the CB from the second round is actually a CB/S who played more safety.  The C is a C/G so he can jump around.  Otherwise?  WHY IN THE FUCK ARE YOU DRAFTING WR'S WITH YOUR RECEIVING CORPS?   Especially since there were some good value DL players still available.  Hell, Antajj Hawthorne or whatever was available into the sixth round - sure the guy has issues (OMG he smokes pot), but he has talent, and he's from UW.  Take a chance.  Basically, I see this draft as saying that the Sherman GM years were a wash, and it's time for some mild rebuilding.  I'm not sure, but that may be the right thing to do.

I still think Sherman has some say, because those are very much like Sherman picks. They drafted Wideouts because I think Driver is due to break down and get injured this year, Ferguson is never going to be that good and they need someone to throw to when Javon Walker gets doubled. With the schizo way they played games last year, you never knew whether they'd be tossing 40 passes a game or 30 runs a game, all depending on which defense showed up that week. Instead of Aaron Rodgers, they should have drafted the best CB they could this year with the first pick. Or DL, whichever was better. As it is, I don't see how they improved one iota for next year. Maybe they are positioning themselves for high-round picks in 2006. Short of the resurrection of Reggie White, I think that defense will actually be a lot worse this year.

[UD_Delt]

Alex Smith = Tim Couch. Another overrated QB playing in a gimmick offense against poor competition. Both going to teams that have no choice but to start them and having to deal with overzealous fans and media. The cards are stacked against Smith before he even steps out on the field. I think he'll fail.

Cincinnati gets the grade for drafting the player most likely to go to prison in Odell Thurman.

I'm happy with the Browns draft. Our first few rounds were filled with solid quality players that will fill a gap. Braylon Edwards combined with Winslow being able to play will be a nice boost to the offense. Poole should also be an immediate starter at Safety. Frye has potential and was a good third round pick. We didn't make any amazing moves or anything but we filled positions of need and this looks to be the best draft of the last few years for us.

I have no idea why Denver would waste a third round pick on Clarett. I'm guessing they could have had him a couple of rounds later. I also hope he is a spectacular fail.

Disclaimer: I am a bitter Cleveland Browns fan so everything I say needs to be take with a grain of salt...

[Hoax]

@UD_Delt:
http://www.bengals.com/press/news.asp?iCurPage=0&news_id=2864

Marvin Lewis has faith in him and I have faith in Lewis.  Besides if he's a good enough LB he'll never go to jail ala Ray Lewis, so who cares?

Yes Alex Smith is totally fucked, if Rattay can even recover enough to start he will prob loose the starting job because he is such a piece of trash.  I think your overestimating the gimmicky offense thing though, from what people who actually watched the Utes play are saying he's the real deal.  But I agree he's going to be under allot of pressure and will be thrust into the starting role with no hope if Barlow plays like a fucking half-assing moron this year.  He'll have decent WR's but if the defense doesn't rebound a ton (having Peterson back might help) Smith will be asked to pass the entire second half and will be far from the smartest player on the field by the end of the season thanks to the pathetic Oline.

I hope things go well for Clarett, there is a guy who got really fucked by allot of different people.  I wouldn't bet on it, as he has a tendency to say the right things and do the wrong things but I hope he becomes the player he would have been had he been playing college ball these past two years.

I hear that Anthony Munoz's son is going to quit football because he didn't get drafted and that sucks in my book, I met his dad several times and he's a hell of a guy.

[Shmtur]

Ahman Green arrested

Thought it was interesting, unpleasant news that a couple people here would want to know, and given the timing of the draft this is a better place for it.

Good thing they didn't lose Davenport over the offseason, even if he is horribly injury prone.  Still, not a good distraction, considering the strides Minnesota has apparently made this offseason.  What I wonder is, what exactly was he arrested for?  All the article states is that there was a hangup on a 911 call, so there's really no details to this.

[Nazrat]

It is good to see that domestic violence is a such a serious crime that his bond was set at $150.   

[UD_Delt]

I hope things go well for Clarett, there is a guy who got really fucked by allot of different people.  I wouldn't bet on it, as he has a tendency to say the right things and do the wrong things but I hope he becomes the player he would have been had he been playing college ball these past two years.

Huh? Who fucked over Clarett? Everything that happened to him was due to his own stupidity.

--The funeral thing... He was told to submit in writing the request and didn't, then complained that they wouldn't let him go because he screwed up.

--He accepted gifts from a booster then faked a police report.

--He burned every bridge possible at OSU and then even after OSU said they would welcome him back he instead decided to sue the NFL.


Yeah. That's really a guy who got fucked over by other people.

[HaemishM]

Maurice Clarett is living in a pool of his own stupid. He accepted a gift he KNEW was against regs. Then, when he got caught on it, he didn't even have a good lie. No, he wasn't the only one involved, as I think OSU's entire program should be covered in stinky feces, especially the coach. But he started it all by accepting things he knew he shouldn't have. He can't even speak cogently most of the time I've ever heard him. Taking all that stupid forward into a suit against the NFL was just icing on the stupid cake.

Ahman Green in domestic violence. Sweet. Why not just fucking take a doobie the day before your drug test. I feel really bad for Favre this year, because he's coming back into a situation that is rife with potential for disaster. And I blame it all on Sherman's asstastic GM'ing the past few years. I hope he gets run out of town on a rail after this year. If the Pack even makes it to the playoffs, I'll be shocked. There's only so much left in the Favre bank, and these last two seasons have probably drained it big time. The only bright side is that Aaron Rodgers has a chip on his shoulder against the rest of the league for not drafting him. Good, make sure you come in and don't Couch it up.

Alex Smith is going to get clobbered. That team is so awful they should be demoted to the NCAA. Tennessee is going to be just as bad for the same reason, fucking with the salary cap. At least the Titans have a good coach, but San Fran? Who knows?

Speaking of undrafted, Jason White was left undrafted and flapping in the breeze. NOBODY wants him. His agent asked all 32 teams and no one even wanted a workout. OUCH.

[Hoax]

I watched every OSU game that season, if you saw this kid fucking play you'd understand why I can't just write him off as a fucktard.  On the field Clarett played with fucking heart, he was a hell of a RB to watch.

I removed the rest of the things I was going to say, about the myth of "pure" NCAA football and whatnot...

[UD_Delt]

I watched every OSU game that season, if you saw this kid fucking play you'd understand why I can't just write him off as a fucktard.  On the field Clarett played with fucking heart, he was a hell of a RB to watch.

I removed the rest of the things I was going to say, about the myth of "pure" NCAA football and whatnot...

I saw him play that year. Every game as well including one at the horseshoe and 2 or 3 at The VC. The wife went to OSU and I've been a fan for a long time myself as one of my cousins was a starting receiver at OSU back in the '80's (Mike Lanese), not to mention Cleveland itself doesn't really have any good college ball so it's a secondary OSU city.

He did play incredibly well that season but I think his personal issues (and stupidity) override his ability. Which is all too bad as with a better head on his shoulders he could be another Jerome Bettis type of bruising running back.

[WayAbvPar]

I have two words for Maurice Clarett- Lawrence Phillips.