Daily Norseman Mock Draft, v3.0

Well, after all the heavy stuff we've talked about the last couple of days with the stadium and the potential move and things of that nature, let's lighten things up a little bit by looking at a newly-updated version of the Mock Draft.

(insert table here)

A couple of comments here. . .

-I've changed the top pick from Jake Long to Chris Long.  Now, if I were the Dolphins, Jake Long would still be MY pick.  But since I don't think Parcells is big on taking O-linemen that high, I think he's going to go for the big-time DE instead.
-The Vikings need to get a WR in this year's draft.  As you can see from the draft above, I view this year's wide receiver class as not being very "top heavy," but it is fairly deep.  If the Vikings want to get their hands on a wide receiver, they'd be better served waiting until Round 2 or 3.  The next time I do one of these, hopefully I can find the time to add a second round.
-My pick for Minnesota hasn't changed.  In my opinion, with the way I have the mock falling, Merling is the best choice for the Vikings at that spot.  All the notable OTs are gone, there isn't a WR worth #17, in my opinion, and Merling is the last DE worthy of a first-round grade.  I'll have more on Merling in a future posting.

There you have it, folks. . .discuss!

Read The Full Article:
http://www.dailynorseman.com/story/2008/4/6/171424/0096

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Please HELP...

This kind fellow went to be with the Lord at a very young age. Please help his family in this time of need.LINK

Read The Full Article:
http://blackandgoldpatrol.blogspot.com/2008/04/please-help.html

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I move; SB Nation Mock Draft; Colts will draft
Forte

I spend a lot of time in both Indianapolis and New York. Part of my non-blogging job keeps me NY for long stretches, which is one of the reasons I wanted to implement the Fellows program. I just spent the last 24 hours moving from my old NY apartment to a new one in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I'm finally moved in, settled, and re-organizing the place. I'm always astounded by how hard it is to move. I don't have a lot of stuff, compared to others, but good grief was it hard to move!

Anyway, now that things are settling down, I get a chance to catch up on some diaries written, articles I've been meaning to write (hint, hint, SPYGATE!), and other NFL-related stuff as we gear-up for the Draft.

• Per usual, shake n bake gives us nothing but the facts. His excellent diary maps out what the mock drafts are saying. In short, the Colts will take Matt Forte in the second round and Marcus Howard in the third. If Indy pulls that off, I might just dance a jig.
• Seriously, mgrex03 can crash my Who the hell will they draft party anytime. Same goes for anyone else. I had written up a whole article on John Carlson, because I think there is an outside chance he will where the Shoe next year. But, mgrex03 beat me to the punch, and wrote a much better article than I did.
• EA Sports will not release a PC version of Madden 09. This means there will be no licensed NFL game available on the PC. EA can officially bite my balls. I've played Madden on the PC for over 10 years. There is a very solid, core group of people who enjoy Madden on the PC and think consul games are for sissies. Let PC people play online with consul people and it's a slaughter favoring PC. But now, that won't happen. EA = jerks.
• Allow me to sing the praises of Titus Brown and Arman Shields. Both these guys emailed me recently to discuss the write-ups we did on them. They didn't have to do that, but because they are cool guys who care about what fans think of them, they felt the need to respond with "thank yous." I imagine these guys are nervous as all get out with the Draft coming up, because both are considering second day picks. Regardless of what happens, these two dudes certainly live up to the "high character" label they get. I'm pulling for them. Indeed, I'm pulling that they both get drafted by Indy.
• If Titus gets drafted by Indy, he will likely back-up a healthy Dwight Freeney. Freeney stated in a recent Colts.com viedo interview that his foot is fine and ahead of schedule.
• The SB Nation Mock Draft (which is the best community mock draft on the web now hands down!) has had a few controversial picks of late. WCG took RB Rashard Mendenhall with the 14th pick even though Chicago has no receivers, Rex Grossman STILL at QB, and a putrid offensive line. Needless to say, WCG was ripped by the community and by Matt Miller. And, in typical WCG fashion, he shot right back! I think my "Damn the torpedoes!" mentality in regards to critics has rubbed off somewhat one my blogfather, WCG. Hehehe.

More draft prospect info and Colts news coming soon.


Read The Full Article:
http://www.stampedeblue.com/story/2008/4/6/1414/28878

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Falcoholic Draft Countdown: Arizona Cardinals,
#16

1. Chris Long, DE, Miami Dolphins
2. Jake Long, OT, St. Louis Rams
3. Glenn Dorsey, DT, Atlanta Falcons
4. Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland Raiders
5. Ryan Clady, OT, Kansas City Chiefs
6. Vernon Gholston, LB/DE, New York Jets
7. Leodis McKelvin, CB, New England Patriots
8. Matt Ryan, QB, Baltimore Ravens
9. Sedrick Ellis, DT, Cincinnati Bengals
10. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, New Orleans Saints
11. Malcolm Kelly, WR, Buffalo Bills
12. Chris Williams, OT, Denver Broncos
13. Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Carolina Panthers
14. Jeff Otah, OT, Chicago Bears
15. Derrick Harvey, DE, Detroit Lions

The Lions choose to address their annual needs on defense by picking Harvey, a very capable pass rushing end who might've gone a pick earlier to the Bears had I not been dumb enough to leave him out of the poll. Sean Yuille of Pride of Detroit was kind enough to correct me, and so here we stand.

Next up are the Cardinals, represented by vacant ghost town blog Revenge of the Birds. The Cardinals could conceivably use help in the secondary, at running back and on the defense in general. I'm not even going to include a wide receiver, given that they have possibly the best 1-2 punch at this position in the league in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

Click on entry link below to access the poll and comments.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.thefalcoholic.com/story/2008/4/6/115751/3752

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(4/6) OU Post Scrimmage Articles and Notes

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

University of Oklahoma Football Second Scrimmage stats and quotes at SoonerSports.com

Box may return next weekend: Defensive coordinator Brent Venables said Box might return to noncontact work next week. Venables also said it was important for Reynolds to be back. "He's not 100 percent," Venables said, "but he needs to be out there to get some of the positioning down as much as anything, get a presence about him." (Tulsa World)

Recruits visit Norman: Centennial Frisco (Texas) High School quarterback Ryan Mossakowski was one of several blue-chip recruits in attendance. Mossakowski, the No. 53-ranked player in the nation according to Rivals.com, was accompanied at the scrimmage by Las Vegas defensive end Justin Chaisson, who is the No. 27-rated prospect in the country. Four-star cornerback Gabe Lynn of Jenks saw his second OU scrimmage. He was in Norman last weekend as well. Linebacker Tom Wort of New Braunfels, Texas, and tight end Greg Brown of Bixby were also in attendance Saturday. (The Oklahoman)

Bradford on the no huddle: Telling the Tulsa World "Today was about as game-like as we've had with the no-huddle as far as the referees and the clock and everything going," Bradford said. "I think we did move the ball pretty well. We did have some penalties that hurt us, but I thought our tempo was good today and guys for the most part, we were on the same page."

For OU walk-ons, spring is the time to shine: The Oklahoman

At last, Sooner offense springs to life: The Oklahoman

Replacing Hartley: The Oklahoman

Q&A -- Fullback Matt Clapp: The Oklahoman

Sooners a little rusty in second scrimmage: Norman Transcript

Flags fly fast in Norman: Tulsa World

Read The Full Article:
http://www.gnextinc.com/ousoonersblog/2008/04/46-ou-post-scrimmage-articles-and-n
otes.html

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Pelini does the college pub-crawl circuit

If any of the Nebraska players thought new head coach Bo Pelini would bring any of LSU's signature ostrich discipline with him from Baton Rouge, they have quickly found otherwise.

Pelini has made it known that campus bars are off-limits to Husker players and -- this weekend -- the coach was on a pub-crawl inspecting what he was expecting.

...a variety of people saw head coach Bo Pelini making surprise visits to at least a couple Lincoln downtown taverns late Thursday night and/or early Friday morning, apparently on the lookout for players who might not be following team rules.

Quarterback Joe Ganz said a few days ago that players are barred from visiting various downtown bars for the rest of the semester.

"We're grown men," Ganz said. "We understand what we have to do to help us get there. Like all college kids, we like to go out and have fun with each other . . . But it's something we're going to have to sacrifice, and it's not really a big sacrifice to make if we want to do what we want to do."

The Pelini era has not been without incident in the off-season, but it is EXTREMELY REFRESHING to see a head coach walking the walk.

View the original post or comment on Pelini does the college pub-crawl circuit...

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Where We Discuss Whether We'd Support the Vikings
If They Left Minnesota

"Players change teams so often these days. . .essentially, we're just rooting for laundry." - Jerry Seinfeld (slightly paraphrased)

The one question that a sports fan never wants to find themselves asking is "What would I do if my team were to move away?"  To be honest, it's not something that I've thought a lot about over the period of time that I've cheered for the Minnesota Vikings.  Call me a bit of an idealist, but I just always assumed that the Vikings would stay in Minnesota for as long as they existed.  Don't get me wrong, they still might. . .but the inexplicable actions of the Minnesota senate this past week casts a pretty sizable shadow of doubt over that, at least for the moment.

So, it made me wonder. . .what WOULD I do if the Vikings were to leave Minnesota?  Am I a fan of the Vikings because they're the Vikings, or am I a fan of the Vikings because they're located in Minnesota?  If they were to pick up and leave, would I. . .could I. . .still follow them on a regular basis, never mind maintain the level of fan-dom that I've achieved to this point in my sports-viewing life?

Obviously, the fact that the Vikings are located in Minnesota is a big part of what makes me a fan of the team.  Growing up in North Dakota, we could be assured that whenever there was NFL football shown on Sunday afternoons on NBC or CBS that the Vikings would be broadcast to our living rooms, regardless of where they were playing or when.  Nearly all of my football exposure during my formative years involved the Minnesota Vikings in some way, and that was pretty much based on where I lived.  After I left home and joined the military, I've (obviously) maintained a pretty heavy attachment to the Vikings franchise.

However, while the attachment to the team has grown stronger, my attachment to the state of Minnesota has waned.  Like I said, I grew up in North Dakota, but I have family in Minnesota.  But as the family that I have in Minnesota becomes smaller over the course of time, and as I spend more time away from the Upper Midwest due to the nature of military service, my attachment to the state of Minnesota has waned considerably.  Basically, outside of family, Minnesota's sports teams are the only real connection I have to the state.  I don't work there, I don't vacation there, I don't travel there. . .and heck, when I go to see the Vikings play the Saints this season down in New Orleans, I will have officially seen more Vikings' games outside of the confines of the Metrodome than within them.

My wife and I have often discussed where we'd like to retire to after my 20+ years of military service concludes.  Part of my answer has always been "close enough to the Vikings to get season tickets."  I've never been a season ticket holder in any sport. . .honestly, I've only attended one Vikings game at the Metrodome in my nearly 25 years of being a fan of the team.  When I give her that answer, it has always been given with the assumption that that would be Minneapolis.

But with the developments of the past week, it doesn't appear that I can make that assumption any longer.

The Vikings are, to be frank, Minnesota's most popular sports franchise (sorry Twin and Wild fans).  They have been ever since the inception of the franchise in 1961.  But it doesn't appear as though that holds any weight with the folks that run things in the state of Minnesota.  It's not as though Zygi Wilf isn't trying to keep the team in Minneapolis, because he is.  But if he threatened to move the team, it wouldn't surprise me in the least. . .and, quite frankly, it wouldn't hurt my feelings, either.

And rest assured, Zygi threatening to move the Vikings elsewhere would be an actual, realistic threat.  This isn't like Red McCombs threatening to move the team when everyone knew the Vikings had multiple years left on their agreement with the Metrodome. . .as Lester Bagley pointed out the other day, the Vikings have 40 games left on their current agreement with the Metrodome (I think it's probably closer to 48, but your mileage may vary).  That's four years, people.  It's not as though these stadiums pop up overnight, either. . .they take a few years to get built.  If the state of Minnesota wants to keep the Vikings around past the end of the 2011 season when the Vikings' lease with the Metrodome expires, they'd damn sure better have somewhere up and ready for use by Opening Weekend of 2012.  And Minnesota's not like some places that construction can be done year-round, either. . .it's going to take longer to get it done in Minneapolis (or anywhere else in Minnesota) simply due to the nature of Minnesota weather.

Sadly, the Minnesota senate has already shown us exactly how they view the Minnesota Vikings.  They're not even willing to commission a study that would be completely financed by Zygi Wilf and the Minneapolis Sports Facilities Commission.  Why?  Because it might accidentally lead to some actual serious discussion about getting a stadium for the Vikings taken care of.  Lord knows we can't have that, can we?

So, after further review, I've drawn the conclusion that if the state of Minnesota is going to show that level of contempt and disdain for the Vikings, it's only right that I show that level of contempt and disdain for the state of Minnesota.  I'll put it out there right now:

If the Minnesota Vikings are allowed to leave the state of Minnesota, I will follow them and cheer for them regardless of where they land.

My loyalty lies with this football team. . .with these players, with these coaches, and with this owner.  I'm not about to let my football-watching future be held hostage by a bunch of people that can't (or won't) see exactly how important the Vikings are to the community and the state.  When I was growing up, the Vikings chose me just as much as I chose them. . .and by God, I have been, am, and always will be a Viking fan.  At this point, I don't care if they're the Minnesota Vikings or the Portland Vikings or the Las Vegas Vikings or the Toronto Vikings or the Los Angeles Vikings or. . .well, I'm sure there's other places I could list.

Besides, if I wasn't a Vikings fan, what would I do?

Become a Packer fan?  Please. . .I could never attain that level of arrogance and pretentiousness.

Become a Bear fan?  See above.

Stop watching football all together?  Not bloody likely.

Wait for the NFL to come back to Minnesota?  Yeah, good luck with that. . .you DO realize that the 2008 season will be the 13th consecutive year without football in Los Angeles, right?  I feel bad for the folks that decided that they'd "just wait for another team to come along."

Now, I'm sure that there are those of you that are reading this and are wondering how I can say such a thing, and I understand that.  Like I said, maybe the nature of my work has left me detached from the state, maybe there are things that I'm not even aware of that make me feel this way.  Many Viking fans have much stronger ties to the city of Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota than I have.  But, in this matter, I am firmly behind the team. . .not the empty suits that would allow a franchise that means what the Vikings mean to the state of Minnesota to back up the moving vans and leave.

That's the way I see it.  Like I said, you may agree, you may not.  I hope that the Vikings stay in Minnesota. . .believe me, I would, despite some of the tone of what I've just said.  But if they don't?  Well, then all my Minnesota Vikings stuff would go into storage and I'd start collecting merchandise for the (insert city here) Vikings. . .or the (insert city here) (insert nickname here)s, if Minnesota was allowed to keep the name and all of that like Cleveland did when the Browns left for Baltimore.

I've spent nearly a quarter-century worth of autumns living and dying with the Vikings on Sunday afternoons, Monday nights, and any other time I've been fortunate enough to see them on my television.  And I'll be damned if I throw that away because of the arrogance of the lawmakers in the state of Minnesota.  If they're not willing to support my team, then I'm sure as hell not willing to support them.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.dailynorseman.com/story/2008/4/6/10357/78200

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Kenny Wright Clearly Needs to Go

As far as Kenny Wright's future with the Cleveland Browns goes?

I'd say "see ya".

I saw no reason why we should've kept Wright after last season due to the minimal playing time he received and the lack of impact he had on the defensive side of the ball. Our reward for keeping him is being able to see the headline "Browns CB K. Wright Arrested" across all of the mainstream media headlines across the nation. Among Wright's issues as he was down in the Texas Police Department parking lot:

-He caused a lot of ruckus, drawing police to him in the first place.
-He had a bag full of marijuana in his car.
-He fled on foot, resisting arrest.

Excuse me for the comment, but what a total douche. My view on this matter might be slightly hypocritical in the sense that I would not want to outright cut a player like Eric Wright, Sean Jones, or Kamerion Wimbley if they had been in this situation. I would be furious at the stupidity by one of the luckier people in the United States (someone who makes it to the NFL), but I'd give them a second shot on a short leash.

K. Wright never had an impact last season, and as far as I'm concerned, he cost himself the opportunity of competing for a job this season. Bringing in Ty Law or drafting a cornerback in the fourth-round (or later) would probably earn us a better buy anyway. After all -- Brandon McDonald, a fifth-rounder from last season, is already light years further than K. Wright in my opinion (now it's on and off the field, too).

Now then, in other news, you and three of your friends can win a tour at Cleveland Browns Stadium by Browns QB Brady Quinn:

During the Ultimate Draft Day Party hosted by the Browns and Donatos on April 26, Brady [Quinn] will take one winner and three of his or her friends on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Cleveland Browns Stadium and locker rooms. Brady will also watch part of the draft telecast with the winners. The winner will also receive four seats at the Browns VIP draft day brunch with other Cleveland Browns alum, autographed Browns memorabilia, suite tickets to a Browns 2008 preseason game and a $100 Donatos Pizza gift card. Interested customers can register to win at ClevelandBrowns.com, now through April 20, 2008. The winner will be selected and notified April 21.

Let me know if you apply; I'd be curious to see if one of my reader's wins!

Read The Full Article:
http://www.dawgsbynature.com/story/2008/4/6/102410/5966

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Another Texas RB on Angelo's radar

While Bears coach Lovie Smith talked this week about bringing in competition for Cedric Benson, running backs coach Tim Spencer was working toward that goal. Spencer met with Tulane running back Matt Forte on Thursday in New Orleans, a day after putting Texas' Jamaal Charles through a private workout in Austin. Could the Bears be looking at Charles, who succeeded Benson with the Longhorns, to do the same in Chicago? Continue

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Mike Tomlin: One season into his new job

A veteran network television executive, attending another in a long line of annual NFL meetings for him, strolled past a table near the hotel pool, where two young head coaches chatted. He stopped after a stretch, nodded his head toward...

Read The Full Article:
http://www.steelersfootballblog.com/2008/04/mike-tomlin-one.html

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