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2005 NFL Draft - Running Commentary
April 23, 2005
Lou Pickney, DraftKing.com
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Click here for page one.
1:02- Live from Portland, Oregon, Scott Massey (who helped me with last year's real-time running commentary) called in to comment on Andrea Kramer's haircut. "I think she looks like a pixie," he commented. Well, without Michael Irvin's twelve shades of brown suit or Randy Mueller's awful squished watermelon tie, there has to be something to poke fun at this time around.
1:06- Thanks to the power of my DVR (Digital Video Recorder), I went back to the Ronnie Brown pic during commercial... and found that his Miami jersey had no name on the back. What, the Dolphins were too cheap to print up 6-7 jerseys with prospective picks' names on the back? Did they have one for Brown but forget it at the hotel? These are the things I want to know.
1:09- My 3-for-3 streak is over, as Chicago took a moody Cedric Benson at #4. No love for Mike Williams? Is Thomas Jones going to be on the outside looking in going into camp? Will they platoon at RB? Bears fans should not be happy with this pick.
1:14- Why do people think that comparing Cedric Benson to Ricky Williams is an insult? Yes, Ricky went off the deep end last year (after teetering on the brink a time or two before), but on the field the guy was amazing. Remember, his first season in Miami was so good that it activated a clause (1,500+ yards) requiring the Dolphins to give the Saints an ADDITIONAL first round pick (on top of the one Miami sent New Orleans intially) as a condition of the trade that sent Williams to Miami for the 2002 season. If Benson's first five seasons are as productive as Ricky's, Chicago and Benson should both be thrilled. Meanwhile, Benson is acting as if his family pride has been challenged by the whole process. Note to Cedric: this is NOT the way to differentiate yourself from Williams. Chill out, enjoy playing for the Bears, and let your actions speak for themselves.
1:24- You know, it's great how ESPN has live shots from the homes of various players, and from having worked in the TV news biz for six years I can tell you firsthand that it looks much, MUCH easier than it is in practice. ESPN's producers and behind-the-scenes staff do an amazing job pulling it all together seemlessly. However, it's a shame that they go to all that trouble... and then we see Cadillac Williams on the phone smiling and laughing and talking, telegraphing that Tampa Bay is taking him at #5. Kind of takes away the element of surprise, no?
1:38- In the first true shock of the draft, the Tennessee Titans ignored need and drafted rap producer Lil Jon. Oh wait, excuse me, that's West Virginia CB Adam "Pac Man" Jones dressed up as Lil Jon. All he's missing is the golden goblet. His Pac Man gold chain was unintentional comedy to the 10th degree.
1:45- They showed a live shot from the Vikings draft party... and there was a guy there dressed in a Viking costume, complete with a mallet. Hopefully he's not going to take the character to the next step and actually start pillaging.
1:59- Good pick by the Cardinals in taking Antrel Rolle. The question that will forever go unanswered: had he fallen to Washington, would the Redskins have taken Rolle at #9? I guess we'll never know for sure.
2:02- As we pass the two hour mark of ESPN's draft coverage, Aaron Rodgers' fake smile has disappeared.
2:07- The "NFL Roundtable" set looks like it was stolen from MTV circa 1997 (MTV Live or some other such show). Oh, wait, that's the Cold Pizza set. No offense to the Cold Pizza crew, I just seldom watch TV in the morning.
2:12- Carlos Rogers goes to Washington. That fills the corner need, but I do wonder if Washington would've taken Rogers over Rolle, since there were a few scouts out there who had Rodgers ranked #1 overall among CBs.
2:17- At last, Mike Williams has been drafted! But by Detroit?! See, this happens every year in the draft. But had I projected that on Draft King, I would've been crucified for it (you Lions fans were great with your e-mails, and I know I would've heard from you en masse on that one). Top 10 WRs taken three straight years... you know, I really like Mike Williams, and I think only Ronnie Brown is a better prospect, but still Detroit taking him was a shocker to me.
2:21- You know, the "video conferencing" that they do from various team headquarters looks better and better every year. When it first debuted it looks like streaming video on an overloaded connection, but now it's approaching broadcast quality. I wonder how the contrast was for HDTV viewers? Or did they even bother with HDTV for the draft?
2:27- Ed Werner tells us that Dallas wants defense with both first rounders. Oh, you think so, doctor?
2:29- Demarcus Ware trumps Shawne Merriman for Dallas. Interesting...
2:30- I've never seen Bill Parcells smile so big; he seems thrilled.
2:35- Poor Aaron Rodgers. At least he's handling the situation with maturity and class.
2:42- Smart move by San Diego taking Shawne Merriman. Considering that I didn't expect Merriman to be on the board here, I look at this as a decent value pick for San Diego.
2:50- Finally a trade up! I was wondering if they had secretly banned them for the year or something. Gotta think that the Saints want Derrick Johnson.
2:52- Nope, it's Jammal Brown. Teams never seem to trade up to take who I think they're going to take.
Click here to read page three of the 2005 NFL Draft Commentary.
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