May 10, 2012
Lost in all of the hype and debate about which NFL prospect is the next Joe Montana or Jerry Rice, is which prospects could become Pro-Bowlers on the interior of the offensive line (or at least Pro Bowl caliber, if there is no Pro Bowl). This year’s Draft showed how lightly NFL teams value interior lineman, specifically centers. Peter Konz, the #1 rated center according to many draft sites, fell all the way to the Atlanta Falcons at #55. But when you look at teams that have been successful over the last decade, they all have had very good, if not elite, centers.
THE PATRIOTS – DAN KOPPEN
Dan Koppen started 119 games from 2003-2010 for the Patriots. He was injured early in 2011. During his tenure as the Patriots center, New England won two Super Bowls and started another season 19-0. Koppen may not be as important to the team’s success as Tom Brady or Bill Belichick, but he has been an important cog on the offensive line for a long time.
THE COLTS – JEFF SATURDAY
Saturday started 188 games for the Colts from 1999-2011. Anyone who thinks that the Colts’ offense is completely run by Peyton Manning has never seen Saturday argue with him on the sidelines. Saturday was out there for all of those years calling protections and identifying linebackers for the Colts’ offensive line. He is a major reason that Peyton Manning started every game for 13 years in a row. It will be interesting to see how much of an impact Jeff Saturday can make in Green Bay now that he has signed with the Packers.
MORE EXAMPLES
Maurkice Pouncey, David Haas, and Scott Wells have all been on Super Bowl teams in the past two seasons. The Steelers went against the grain and drafted Pouncey 16th overall in 2010. He has more than lived up to the selection by earning a selection to the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons. Scott Wells went from the Packers’ 7th round draft pick in the 2004 NFL Draft to the starting center in Super Bowl XLV and a Pro Bowler in 2011. He recently signed a contract with the Rams. Before the 2011 season, David Haas left the 49ers and signed with the Giants in free agency. The Giants had not made the playoffs in two years, but won the Super Bowl last year with Haas manning the pivot. The list does not end there. The Bears’ Super Bowl run in 2006 featured team captain and perennial Pro Bowl Center Olin Kreutz. The Giants’ 2007 Super Bowl team had Shaun O’Hara, who made three Pro Bowl teams and one All-Pro Team.
Does Fathead undervalue centers too? The only center on Fathead.com is Nick Mangold.
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Poor play at center can bring a team down as well. Would the Cowboys have had better records in recent years if they had gotten more consistent play from center Andre Gurode? Gurode, at times, struggled with shotgun snaps, and, on a few occasions, had multiple bad snaps in the same game. The Cowboys chose not to resign him following the 2010 season, and, while he signed with Baltimore for the 2011 season, he started only five games for the Ravens.
Recent history has shown that the most successful teams in the league have to-of-the-line centers. A poor center can bring down an otherwise talented football team. So why do NFL teams seem to overlook this position in the draft? It is one of the greatest mysteries in pro football.
May 1, 2012
The NFL Draft is over so now its time for everyone to prematurely judge which teams did well and which teams blew it. That sounds like a lot of work.They say it takes three years to properly evaluate a draft, so I’ll take the easy route and look back at the 2009 NFL Draft for my winners.
Detroit Lions – When you have the first pick in the NFL Draft, you better nail it. The Lions “earned” the No. 1 pick in the draft by finishing the 2008 season at a perfect 0-16, so it’s not like they could get any worse. When they selected Matthew Stafford to be their quarterback, the team instantly got better and hasn’t stopped improving since. They only won two games in his rookie season but improved to 6-10 in 2010 and made the playoffs at 10-6 last season. Finding a franchise quarterback alone makes the Lions a winner in this draft, but they weren’t done. With their second first-round pick they added Brandon Pettigrew who has become a nice target for Stafford and De Andre Levy is a starter at linebacker.
Finding their franchise QB in the 2009 Draft makes the Lions winners.
Chicago Bears – Here’s another team that found its quarterback in 2009. The Bears didn’t have to draft a rookie to do it though. They took advantage of the problems Josh McDaniels created in Denver and turned a bunch a picks into Jay Cutler. For the first time in a long time the Bears are set for the future at the most important position on the field. Johnny Knox is a quality receiver they picked up in the 5th round.
New York Jets – Yep. You guessed it. There is a pattern here. This is the year they drafted Mark Sanchez. Whether you think Sanchez is a good quarterback or not, you can’t argue with the success the Jets have had with him on the field. Not many teams have done better than reaching two conference championship games in the last three years. In the third round New York picked up Shonn Green, who has been a big part of the running game and is now the starting running back. Sixth-rounder, Matt Slauson, is the starter at left guard. The Jets made just three picks in the 2009 NFL Draft and all three are starters.
Green Bay Packers – Anytime a team wins a Super Bowl, you can look back at its recent drafts and probably find a few key contributors. In 2009, the Packers drafted DT, B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews at linebacker, both are impact players on the defense that was part of the Packers run to their Super Bowl victory after the 2010 season. Fourth-round pick, T.J. Lang is now a starter on the offensive line as well.
Philadelphia Eagles – The Eagles were about the biggest underachieving team in the NFL last season, but don’t go blaming that on the 2009 NFL Draft. Jeremy Maclin, their first round pick, led the team with 859 yards receiving and round two pick, LeSean McCoy gained more than 1,600 yards from scrimmage and led the NFL with 20 touchdowns. He was also the MVP of my fantasy team last year. Philly also found Moise Fokou in the seventh round. Never heard of him? You’re not alone, but according to philadelphiaeagles.com, Fokou “established himself as one of the Eagles top special teams performers in his rookie season before earning a starting job in his sophomore campaign.” That’s a nice find in round seven.
April 30, 2012
With this year’s NFL Draft concluded, there were, as always, plenty of surprises. Here were some of the big ones from last week’s mega event.
Browns Trade up to grab Trent Richardson: Few would argue that Richardson is a top talent in this year’s draft. He was projected by most as the top running back, so it’s difficult to lambaste Cleveland too much for this pick. But it’s what the Browns gave up that made this a bit of a head-scratcher. Cleveland was so determined to snag Richardson that they gave up 4th, 5th, and 7th round picks to move up a single spot in the trade to Minnesota. The Vikings already have Adrian Peterson, so there was little chance they would have drafted Richardson. The Browns were hedging against the possibility of another team moving up in front of them and wanted to be sure they got their man. Still, three picks was probably a bit much to move up a single spot.
Redskins Draft RGIII … and then Kirk Cousins: Talk about a fairly awkward moment. The Redskins, as expected, took Heisman winner Robert Griffin III with the No. 2 pick overall, essentially making him their franchise quarterback. Washington is without any real stability under center, so it’s safe to say that he’ll probably get his shot to start sooner rather than later. Teams are usually interested in giving a young quarterback weapons, but the Redskins did just the opposite in the third round. You could almost hear the collective ‘huh’ from fans after Washington drafted Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins in the third round. The move made little sense as the Redskins have more pressing needs and instead of giving Griffin a weapon to make the team better, they drafted another player at his position that probably won’t play much. It’s doubtful that Cousins will really push Griffin, but Washington appeared to be buying some insurance with this move. If Griffin doesn’t pan out, then it could be argued that this was a wise move. But until that happens, the Cousins pick warrants plenty of criticism.
RG3 will be joined by fellow QB Kirk Cousins in Washington this year.
Patriots Trade up to take Dont’a Hightower: Hightower was one of the elite linebackers in this draft and once the Steelers passed on him, New England moved up in the first round to take him fearing he wouldn’t last long. Hightower was a prime target of the Steelers, but once highly-rated guard David DeCastro fell to them, they couldn’t resist the opportunity to upgrade their offensive line. That opened the door for the Patriots to, in turn, upgrade their defense – one of the league’s worst last season.
Seahawks take Bruce Irvin at No. 15: This was perhaps the first big reach of the first round and one of the bigger ones in the whole draft. Irvin was a strong player for West Virginia, no doubt. But there are questions that he may not even be able to play every down in the NFL since he’s fairly one-dimensional, used mainly as a pass-rusher. Seattle could have probably traded down to secure an additional pick or two and still ended up with him if he was really the guy they wanted all along.
Mohamed Sanu gets Scammed: The story of the entire draft may have been when Sanu was prank-called by a fan claiming to be a Bengals representative, saying the team was taking him in the first round. An excited Sanu and company were then mortified when Cincinnati went with Kevin Zeitler and hilarity ensued in the Twittersphere. Ordinarily you might feel bad laughing about something like that, but the Bengals took him later in the draft so everything turned out fine. Still, imagine being told you were drafted only to find out you weren’t. Embarrassing.
April 26, 2012
NFL Mock Drafts are never accurate, but they are incredibly fun to make and tear apart after 10 picks. Here is my mock draft attempt:
1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
The pick is already in. The Colts will rebuild around their new franchise QB.
2. Washington Redskins – Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
Mike Shanahan hopes RGIII is what the Redskins need to get them into the playoffs.
The Redskins will rally around RG3 and look to him to make a playoff run in the NFC East.
3. Minnesota Vikings – Matt Kalil, OT, USC
The first pick that hasn’t already been made, the Vikings give Ponder a LT to grow with.
4. Cleveland Browns – Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
The Browns cannot pass on a stud RB to help control clock in the AFC North.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
The Bucs get the top CB in the draft, and the eventual replacement of Ronde Barber.
6. St. Louis Rams – Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
Sam Bradford gets his #1 receiver for years to come.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars – Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
Jacksonville could go in a lot of directions, but I really like what Gilmore brings to their defense.
8. Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
Miami is desperate for a QB, and I think they reach to get one with the 8th pick.
9. Carolina Panthers – Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
Panthers need help up front and Fletcher Cox is a safe player with Pro Bowl potential.
10. Buffalo Bills – Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
Kuechly would be another great addition to the Bills re-stocked defense.
11. Kansas City Chiefs – David DeCastro, G, Stanford
Guards don’t normally go this high in the draft, but DeCastro isn’t a normal guard.
12. Seattle Seahawks – Quinton Coples, DE, UNC
Seattle needs to be able to get to the QB and Coples can provide just that.
13. Arizona Cardinals – Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
Larry Fitzgerald has faced constant double-teams since Anquan Boldin left. Floyd can change that.
14. Dallas Cowboys – Mark Barron, S, Alabama
Barron immediately upgrades their Secondary and starts Day 1.
15. Philadelphia Eagles – Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
Andy Reid loves to build depth on his lines in the Draft. Brockers would be great in rotation.
16. New York Jets – Melvin Ingram, OLB, South Carolina
Rex Ryan would love having teams guess where Ingram will be lining up each play.
17. Cincinnati Bengals – Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
Corner is a big need for the Bengals, and they get a stud in Kirkpatrick.
18. San Diego Chargers – Whitney Mercilus, OLB, Illinois
Mercilus can be the rush OLB the Chargers have been missing since Shawne Merriman.
19. Chicago Bears – Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
Could go WR, but with Reiff still on the board I think they try to keep Jay Cutler upright.
20. Tennessee Titans – Cordy Glenn, G/OT, Georgia
The Titans need help at Guard and Tackle. Glenn can play either spot.
21. Cincinnati Bengals – Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisconsin
The Bengals are back on the clock, and fortify the interior line for Andy Dalton.
22. Cleveland Browns – Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
With Trent Richardson already selected, the Browns continue to upgrade their offensive weapons.
23. Detroit Lions – Jonathon Martin, OT, Stanford
The Lions may look to trade down with no corners of value here. If not they have to get a Tackle.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers – Dont’a Hightower, ILB, Alabama
With no offensive lineman to pick, the Steelers would love to add Hightower to their linebacker corps.
25. Denver Broncos – Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis
Denver has a HUGE need at DT. They get a HUGE DT in Poe.
26. Houston Texans – Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech
A big WR opposite Andre Johnson could be too good to pass up.
27. New England Patriots – Shea McClellin, OLB, Boise St.
The Patriots need a pass rushing OLB and McClellin would be a great fit.
28. Green Bay Packers – Doug Martin, RB, Boise St.
The Packers could easily go with either Upshaw or McClellin, but getting the #2 RB would help as well.
29. Baltimore Ravens – Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama
With Hightower gone, Konz could be the pick, but an OLB opposite Terrell Suggs could be lethal.
30. San Francisco 49ers – Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
Harbaugh likes tough, smash-mouth football. Konz could fortify the line for the 49ers.
31. New England Patriots – Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame
No one thinks the Patriots make both 1st round picks, but Smith fits a need.
32. New York Giants – Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
The Giants always go best player available. Fleener is that guy in this draft.
April 25, 2012
The 2012 NFL draft is now just hours away, and a handful of teams are set to hit the jackpot this season.
Some of the teams that will have success in this year’s draft had a lackluster 2011 campaign but hit a home run in free agency to set themselves up nicely for the April 26 draft. Others had a phenomenal 2011 season and are afforded the luxury of a draft full of options and calculated risks.
Fans following these teams will have big smiles on their faces along with high expectations for the upcoming season.
The St. Louis Rams Have Already Had Success by Trading Down in the 2012 Draft
The St. Louis Rams have done nothing but cultivate a winning franchise this offseason.
After a trade with Washington, The St. Louis Rams will have plenty of early round picks for the next few years.
Despite a 2-14 2011 season, the Rams made an intelligent decision by hiring new head coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher brings a proven track record, winning attitude and an automatic jump start to the stumbling franchise.
He also helped lure free-agent cornerback Cortland Finnegan to the team, who gives the Rams defense an identity.
Now the Rams turn to the draft, where they’ve already swapped the No. 2 pick with the Washington Redskins for the No. 6 pick. In doing so, the Rams also picked up another second-round pick this season.
That means the Rams will have three picks within the top 40—not bad for a franchise looking to turn things around.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Fans Should Be Ecstatic
Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans should be more than happy right now thanks to the franchise making a splash in the offseason.
With the signings of offensive lineman Carl Nicks, wide receiver Vincent Jackson and cornerback Eric Wright, the Bucs drastically improved in free agency. This allows the team to draft players without depending on them to make an instant impact in 2012.
With the No. 5 overall selection and six picks in total, the Bucs have the opportunity to return to their winning ways of 2010, when they finished 10-6.
Certainly fans will expect the Bucs’ first-round pick to make a good first impression, but the pressure on that player is radically reduced by the teams’ free-agent signings.
Although 2011 was a season to forget, 2012 should be one to remember for the Buccaneers.
With a Strong Draft the Kansas City Chiefs Will Be a Playoff Team in 2012
The Kansas City Chiefs were decimated by injuries in 2011 but will be playoff contenders in 2012.
With the signings of Peyton Hillis and Eric Winston in free agency, the Chiefs set themselves up for a prominent draft. The team has eight picks in total and can afford to draft the best available player with its first three picks.
The Chiefs will look like a completely new squad in 2012, so fans should be pumped.
The Philadelphia Eagles Have Plenty to Look Forward to in the 2012 Draft
With nine picks in the 2012 Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles are bound to get better.
After a 2011 season where nothing short of a Super Bowl appearance was expected, success in 2012 is a must for the franchise and it all begins with the draft.
The Eagles have five picks in the first four rounds, including two second-round selections. With these picks the Eagles will likely look to improve with a big wide receiver and an offensive lineman.
Eagles’ fans should be excited for 2012 as they look to erase the disappointment of 2011.
The Cincinnati Bengals Will Continue to Make a Statement with the 2012 Draft
The Cincinnati Bengals are setting themselves up for success for years to come.
Not only did they make the playoffs in 2011, but they now have nine draft picks in 2012. These picks include No. 17 and No. 21 of the first round. And with these picks coming so close together, the Bengals can draft a combination of needs, like an offensive lineman and a running back.
The Bengals franchise will solidify itself as a contender with a dynamite draft in 2012.
The Green Bay Packers Will Do Nothing but Improve with 12 Draft Picks in 2012
Although the Green Bay Packers didn’t finish with the championship belt in 2011, they won 15 games in the regular season.
Just when NFC North opponents didn’t need the Packers to continuously improve, the Packers have 12 draft picks in 2012. Even better for the Packers, six of those picks are within the first four rounds of the draft.
This gives the Packers plenty of chances to make another run at the Super Bowl next season—watch out!
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