|
National Football League
Draft King Mailbag
November 17, 2006
Lou Pickney, DraftKing.com
Reader feedback is always welcomed here at DraftKing.com. Send your thoughts to me at LouPickney@gmail.com.
From: Brian D'Amato
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Nov 16, 2006 10:53 PM
Subject: Mock Draft
Mr. Pickney,
Either you are a big Michigan State fan or you really hate the Bears! Which is it? I mean why would the Bears take Drew Stanton in Round 1 when Rex Grossman is having a brilliant season. I know Grossman is a medical nightmare, but the Bears do have some capable backups on their roster in Orton & Griese. What gives? How about a game breaker at WR or TE?
Is there a lot that separates Calvin Johnson from Dwayne Jarrett? I've only seen Johnson played once this year (vs. Notre Dame), whereas we have all seen Jarrett's brilliance on display in national games since he was a freshman.
On a bit of a side note, dont you think its ideal for the NFL to change its draft selection order process? Why not have a lottery like the NBA does which atleast diminishes talk that a team is "tanking" for a certain player?
Your Thoughts?
Lou: I'm not particularly a Michigan State fan, though I don't root against them. Actually I'm a fan of the University of Tennessee, which as of this writing I don't project to have producing any first round picks for the 2007 Draft. DT Justin Harrell might make a late run if he recovers successfully from a torn biceps, which he *played through* in the Florida game in the most courageous college effort I've seen since Marshall's offensive line was carrying an injured Byron Leftwich down the field after plays a few years ago. I tend to follow SEC football a bit more than the other conferences, if for nothing else because I live in the Birmingham TV market (and I'm moving to Nashville in 2007, so that won't be changing my geographic outlook anytime soon.)
I try not to let any personal biases cloud my judgment; it's not a wish list, but rather a projection of where I perceive players being the most likely to end up at any given time.
My impression of Rex Grossman is that he has been great at times and spotty at times. Yes, the Bears have Brian Griese and Kyle Orton as backups, and you're probably right that they won't take Drew Stanton. But if Stanton falls, which may happen (more likely than not from my observations), someone unexpected could very easily snap him up. Don't take that projection as an indictment of the Bears' QB corps, but rather as an indication that Stanton may end up with an unexpected team if he's on the board toward the bottom of the first round.
Dwayne Jarrett is an excellent receiver. Physically he has the NFL prototype; DwayneJarrettOnline.com lists him at 6'5" 210, though the site also claimed, "As a wide receiver, Dwayne Jarrett can do absolutely everything," which may be a slight stretch. Jarrett has good hands and is clearly a difference-maker on the field. He doesn't have elite speed (I've seen him listed between 4.45 and 4.5 for the 40) and he has been criticized for "playing slow" at times, though I've also seen plays where he appears to be anything but slow.
Give Calvin Johnson an edge on speed (listed at 4.3 in the 40) and bulk (Johnson is listed at 238 pounds), which is about the only way to separate the two very gifted athletes. With blocking, the ability to take contact off the snap, and outmaneuvering defenders on pass routes, the extra size makes Johnson the more elite prospect of the two. Now, as Marvin Harrison has shown, you don't have to be big or a track star to make plays in the NFL... but it sure helps to have great speed, prototype height, and plenty of muscle. Plus, Jarrett was banged up a little this year, which shouldn't matter, but could be one of those tiebreakers for a team on the fence between them.
I don't think the NFL will go toward an NBA-style lottery system. Because the NFL is passionate about parity, I doubt that you'll see any push in that direction, particularly because a borderline non-playoff team (think of the recent 9-7 squads that have missed) could get lucky, obtain the #1 overall pick, and as a result disproportionately improve relative to its previous season's finish. Also, particularly in this era of free agency and almost all non-guaranteed contracts, guys are playing for their job for the following year. Why play soft to help a team that could easily turn around and cut you?
There are also negatives to having the #1 pick: it eats up a ton of cap room, and it can actually lead to angst within a fan base when a team decides to buck popular opinion for its own internal decision, i.e. the Houston Texans taking Mario Williams over Reggie Bush.
From: Gemist77@aol.com
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Nov 17, 2006 7:38 PM
Subject: Da Bears!!!!!!!!!!!
Where do you think that bears will go? I am hearing they will go defense again. What do you think of Mike Browns future with the Bears? I think they should go O-line because the bears line is getting older, maybe like a offensive guard because Ruben Brown is getting older. What do you think?
Lou: Losing Mike Brown created a major void in the Bears' secondary. A great SS can make a world of difference for a defense, with examples ranging from Rodney Harrison to Troy Polamalu. Look at how Peyton Manning picked apart the Patriots in the Indy/NE game earlier this year once R. Harrison left that game with an injury.
But despite missing major time in two of the past three seasons (this one included), Brown won't be 29 until next year, and I see Chicago holding onto him as long as possible. Teams that give up on high-end safeties often see them end up starring for other teams on into the future (from Rodney Harrison to John Lynch, who plays free safety but is a notorious hard hitter.)
Offensive line makes sense for the Bears. If Justin Blalock is on the board when they pick, I could see the Bears bringing him on board.
NFL Draft Prospect Profiles
Draft King is owned and operated by Lou Pickney. © 2003-2024, all rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, the views expressed here are those of Lou Pickney alone and do not necessarily reflect those of any media company.
| 