Jacksonville Jaguars Draft Flashback: 2005

 

[EDIT]Now, I'm going to be traveling all day today.  With the switch to the new platform, I can schedule my posts, allowing me a great deal of flexibility.  Whereas on previous "travel days", you'd suffer from a lack of content, today you get fresh stuff!

How cool is that?

To start our "draft eve" coverage, let's look back to the 2005 draft and see what sort of treasure and fools gold we found.[/EDIT]


There's a rule among the "NFL Elite" that it's a poor decision to grade a draft class until three seasons have passed.  In today's "instant history" world, that's impossible as Mel Kiper and the rest of the ESPN Stooges will grade the draft almost as quickly as the pick is made.  That's just the demand of the 24 hour sports news cycle playing out in yet another absurd fashion.  I understand it, we all want to know that our teams did well, and because of that our media overlords give us what we want.

Before we get into the grading the 2005 draft according to the three year rule, I'd like to share some interesting statistics about the Jacksonville Jaguars and their success in the NFL Draft.

 

1. The Jaguars have 15 players from their 2003-2005 draft classes on their roster, tied for second in the league with the Bengals and Titans.
2. Jacksonville had 44 picks in the draft over the last 5 seasons, that's 4th in the league.
3. 28 Jaguars were drafted in between 2003 and 2007, that's the most in the league.
4. The Jaguars have drafted 12 starters in those five years.
5. There are 11 undrafted free-agents on roster, the most in the league.

The moral of the story?  Don't let anyone tell you the Jaguars don't know how to draft.  They get a little frisky in the first round, but they know how to find talent deep in the draft.  It's also why undrafted free-agents like to sign with us, cause they know they have a legitimate chance at becoming a starter.

In the 2005 Draft the Jacksonville Jaguars selected:

Matt Jones, WR (1/21):  Is he a total bust?  Is he on the cusp of getting his act together?  I have no idea.  Matt Jones goes from benched to highlight reel catch almost as quickly as I change my mind on keeping or trading Jones for an extra draft pick.   Matt Jones seems to be ripe for a draft day trade for a 5th and 7th round pick, especially considering that Troy Williamson merited a 6th round pick.  At least Matt Jones has caught a few balls and scored once or twice.  But it's that occasional flash of potential that just kills me.  Matt does just enough to get by and causes just enough drama to make me loathe him.  Even when he catches the ball I get upset because it's usually with one hand.   Seriously, I wish we could cut our losses, get a couple of late round draft picks, and move on.  Of course, that will nearly assure that he gets his head together and has a Hall of Fame career...

Khalif Barnes, OT (2/52) :  ESPN has us taking Barnes in the first round  of their 2005 re-draft.  While Khalif Barnes did save us from having a complete flop of a draft by falling to us in the second round, knowing what we now know, there's no way we take him first overall.  This is a guy that's rumored to be on the trade block as we head into the draft and it's a guy who doesn't have the best history with Jack Del Rio and the City of Jacksonville.   He's been a good enough left tackle, but he's not particularly endeared by the team right now.

Scott Starks, CB (3/87):   Solid special teamer and occasional nickel back, perhaps a jar on the shelf waiting to develop into something more.  I like him as a player and his team role, but he's not been spectacular either.  I'd assume that he's a free agent next year, so hopefully he plays like there's a fat paycheck waiting for him.  For a third round pick, not too shabby.   Unfortunatly, he's got two expensive free agents and one pro-bowler in front of him on the depth chart.  Only a position move by Brian Williams will have Starks on the field in anything other than the dime package.

Alvin Pearman, RB (4/127):  Alvin never really got a chance to do much for the Jaguars so getting a 5th round for him might be his biggest contribution to the team. 

Gerald Sensabaugh, S (5/157):  Here's the real gem of the class.  If Sensabaugh excels as the starter at strong safety this season, he'll be a steal.  (like the alliteration?)  We're talking about a guy who played with a torn labrum last season before tearing the other one.  He's tough, he's got a nose for the ball, and we're talking about getting a starter out of the 5th round.  When your first round is a near-bust, getting starters out of the late rounds is key.  Del Rio's administration does a fantastic job identifying and grabbing late round talent. 

Chad Owens, WR, (6,185):  So much potential, so little performance.  Chad Owens had very possible chance to be a contributor on the Jaguars.  Unfortunatly, his inability to do anything on special teams and tendency to shut down and make mistakes when returning is killing his career.  Seriousy, he signed up to play for the All-American Football League, the league that is bound to fold before even playing a game.  Chad has gifts at wide receiver but nobody will get past the muffed punts and kickoffs.  I'm told he can do it in practice like it's nothing, but once he gets in a game he shuts down and makes terrible mistakes.  A very disappointing bust.

Pat Thomas, LB, (6/194):  Waived in October of 2007, now plays for the Chiefs.  Spent 2006 season on Injured reserve with an injured hamstring. Never really broke through into the linebacker rotation, cut to make room for a backup quarterback after David Garrard was injured.  Currently signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Chris Roberson, CB (7/237):  Spent 2006 on injured reserve, had potential, but the cornerback group is pretty tight.  The Jaguars elected to not give him a restricted free agent tender, making him a free agent. 

Khalif Barnes and Gerald Sensabaugh are the bright spots of an otherwise mediocre draft class.  6 of 8 are still in the NFL, two of the 8 are starters, and Matt Jones is the most confusing player I've ever covered.  It's not great, and the Jaguars have certainly done better, but it's good enough I suppose.  This class would have a different feel entirely had Khalif Barnes found himself selected.  I remember back in 2005 when people said that we graded Barnes as a first round pick, getting him where we did was a steal.

So there you go, a look back at 2005.  Your thoughts?

-Chris

Read The Full Article:
http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2008/4/25/460204/jacksonville-jaguars-draft

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Brett Favre Is My Slutty Ex-Girlfriend

You may or may not have heard - Brett Favre was David Letterman last night. I didn’t know about it until this morning when the local news crews, starving for anything newsworthy beyond yet another report claiming that Wisconsin drinks and drives more than anyone on the planet, showed a snippet of Dave’s interview [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.green-bay-packer.com/2008/04/25/brett-favre-is-my-slutty-ex-girlfriend
/

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2008 NFL Draft Drinking Game.

The NFL Draft now starts at 3pm -- even though coverage began three months ago. We'll be here for the draft. Once things get rolling -- before 3pm, likely -- we'll post an open draft post and creating new posts for each draft pick. So the open draft, we'll just chat. Then with each pick, we'll praise, complain that pick. Sound good? Or would you rather have a single open forum and then we'll mess around with each pick in detail the following week. What works best for you guys?

Wanna play? With each major event, there's a customized drinking game. There's the Bleacher Report's game with the following rules.

• Every time you hear the phrases “on the clock,” “war room” or “character issues”… drink!
• Every time Chris Berman unveils a ridiculous nickname…drink!
• Every time a Chris Berman nickname references a song that’s over 20 years old…drink twice!
• Every time an ESPN analyst confuses Jake and Chris Long…drink!
• Every time Emmitt Smith uses a word that isn’t actually a word…drink!
• Every time someone you’re watching with wonders aloud whether or not Mel Kiper’s hair is real…drink!
• Every time you hear the word “spygate”…drink!
• Every time Jets or Eagles fans boo a pick…drink!
• Every time ESPN shows footage of Jets or Eagles fans booing picks from previous drafts…drink twice!
• If Jets or Eagles fans boo each other…do a shot!
• Every time Chris Mortensen “breaks” a story…drink!
• Every time the analysts point out that Eli Manning won the Super Bowl last year in a tone that indicates they’re having a hard time coming to terms with that fact…drink!
• Every time they show an undrafted player sitting awkwardly in the green room, waiting to hear his name called…drink!
• If the player has a family member or girlfriend by his side consoling him…drink twice!
• If you’re not sure whether or not the consoling party is a family member or a girlfriend…do a shot!
• If an analyst talks about the potential of Bengals WR Chad Johnson getting traded…drink!
• If Chad Johnson actually gets traded…drink twice!
• If your favorite team traded for Chad Johnson…do a shot! *NOTE: The “Chad Johnson” rules can also be applied to Brian Urlacher, Jeremy Shockey or Pacman Jones.
• Every time someone mentions that Tom Brady was drafted in the sixth round…drink!
• Every time you see a commercial starring Peyton Manning…drink!
• Every time you see a commercial starring Peyton and Eli Manning…drink twice!
• Every time you see a commercial starring the whole Manning family in it…do a shot!

I say we take the Bleacher Report's drinking game, maybe add some for our own, and then play. We'll be liquored up until Tuesday. Though, be careful. If you're drinking, make sure you spray down your front porch so Chris Henry doesn't accidentally come to your house thinking he's home. We claim no responsibility if wives observe and thoroughly beat down husbands for spraying the front porch in fear of the Chris Henry invasion.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.cincyjungle.com/2008/4/25/460469/2008-nfl-draft-drinking-ga

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Freeney will be ready for Opener

I don't think it's necessary to write a huge story about this, but...

In case any of you were wondering, or disillusioned by the Injury reports coming from the Colts Complex, Dwight will "no doubt " be ready for the Colts opener at Lucas Oil stadium

"The bottom line, he reiterated, is a complete recovery is expected, which includes regaining his rare speed. The most recent battery of X-rays and magnetic resonance image tests confirmed "everything is perfect'' structurally, Freeney said."

 

Read The Full Article:
http://www.stampedeblue.com/2008/4/25/460468/freeney-will-be-ready-for

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Is Vernon Davis a Bust

Editor's Note 8:45am - Yesterday I came across an interesting article over at ESPN.  Scout's Inc ran a piece evaluating every first round pick since 2000, and with Pops35's diary it seemed appropriate to include it with this.  The 49ers have ZERO first round picks from 2000-2004 with the team, which might be part of the reason the team is struggling to take the next step. Thoughts?

First off let me start by saying hello to I'm new here and I am not trying to push buttons I am really trying to get an understanding.

I was recently reading a story on Fox sports about Five-year draft rankings (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8068754/Five-year-draft-rankings:-Teams-25-32).  And the Niners are ranked 30th out of the 32 teams.   While I am not disputing the ranking because (I will be the first to admit) the Niners have not had great drafts since (in my opinion) the 1996 draft class with T.O. but there are very few exceptions.  But anyway during the reading they (the writer) eluded to Vernon Davis being a bust.  Now my question to you all is why is he being labeld a bust?  I don't think he is because with the position he plays it is hard for him to produce when you don't have a quaterback  or at the very least a half decent starter.  If anyone should be labeld a bust it should be Alex Smith, and when they drafted him in 2005 I thought it was possibly one of their worst picks ever.  I have always thought Alex Smith was a product of the system Urban Meyers runs. But like I was saying I just personally don't see Davis in that light and I would really like to know how he has apparently earned that title.

This is my opinion and I would like to hear/read honest and open responses!!! 

Poll

Do you believe Vernon Davis is a bust?

• Yes
• NO
• Too early to tell

  14 votes | Results

Read The Full Article:
http://www.ninersnation.com/2008/4/25/460351/is-vernon-davis-a-bust

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Best Drafting Team of Past 5 Years

With the draft right around the corner, I'm trying to overload on information, and read as much analysis as possible.  I really haven't read too many things, other than here, so I was interested in hearing some different perspectives.  I came across this article by Alex Marvez of Fox Sports, ranking teams on how they've done over the past 5 seasons.

I'll get to his analysis in a second, but I wanted to run down what the Colts have done the past 5 seasons , so we all know what we are comparing against (I really wanted to try out this new table feature, so here goes...):

20032004200520062007

1

Dallas Clark

2

Bob Sanders

1

Marlin Jackson

1

Joseph Addai

1

Anthony Gonzalez

2

Mike Doss

3

Ben Hartsock

2

Kelvin Hayden

2

Tim Jennings

2

Tony Ugoh

3

Donald Strickland

3

Gilbert Gardner

3

Vincent Burns

3

Freddie Keiaho

3

Dante Hughes

4

Steve Sciullo

4

Kendyll Pope

4

Dylan Gandy

5

Michael Toudouze

3

Quinn Pitcock

5

Robert Mathis

4

Jason David

4

Matt Giordano

6

Charlie Johnson

4

Brannon Condren

5

Keyon Whiteside

5

Jake Scott

5

Jonathan Welsh

6

Antoine Bethea

4

Clint Session

6

Cato June

6

Von Hutchins

5

Robert Hunt

7

T.J. Rushing

5

Roy Hall

6

Makoa Freitas

6

Jim Sorgi

5

Tyjuan Hagler

 

 

5

Michael Coe

 

 

7

David Kimball

6

Dave Rayner

 

 

7

Keyunta Dawson

 

 

 

 

7

Anthony Davis

 

 

 

 

My analysis first:  The top line of this table as absolutely fantastic, and is not matched by any other team in the NFL.  And just remember, the two previous years first picks were Reggie Wayne and Dwight Freeney.  It is unbelievable to think how good the top of the draft has been for the Colts, and it is all thanks to the Brain Trust of Bill Polian and Tony Dungy (like we all didn't know that already).  Once you get past the first line, however, it is very hit and miss:  Either the guy became a pretty good player, or he was out of the league within 2 years (the exception being Gilbert Gardner, as he is not a good player , and is still in the league).  There are some great late round picks (Mathis, June, Scott, Hagler, Bethea), but a lot of "who the hell is that guy?".  This list also does not include Gary Brackett or Ed Johnson, both undrafted but signed during this time period, and both huge parts of the Colt's defense.

On to the analysis of Marvez.  I'm not quite the homer that BBS is, but I'm still a homer at heart.  Marvez picks the Chargers as having the best drafts over the past 5 years.  I took a quick glance at their draft history, and they have done quite well.  I was all ready to start bashing away, but I don't think I can.  Marvez's opinion on their best pick:

Best pick: Eli Manning. Trading Manning to the New York Giants in 2004 netted fellow quarterback Philip Rivers and draft choices used for Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman and kicker Nate Kaeding. Rivers reached the AFC Championship game in just his second season as a starter.

They've done this before with Michael Vick.  They traded the pick to the Falcons, and ended up with Tomlinson and Brees, which is obviously a huge upgrade over the locked-up Falcon.  I tend to think he gave the nod to the Chargers based solely on this pick, as they have just as many "who?" players as the Colts do.  They only have one "steal" pick, which was Michael Turner.  Also, their 2005 draft was pretty awesome, with Merriman, Luis Castillo, Vincent Jackson, and Darren Sproles. 

Overall, however, I just don't see how you can rank them higher than the Colts, who Marvez had at #2.  Many of the players drafted over the past 5 years were instrumental to winning the Super Bowl, especially everyone on that top line (excluding Gonzalez, obviously).  Marvez's opinion on the Colt's best pick is a no-brainer:

Best pick: Safety Bob Sanders (2004/second round) was voted the 2007 Defensive Player of the Year.

A couple other comments from the article:

Front office: Polian earned the contract extension he recently received from team owner Jim Irsay. Polian has done an exceptionally good job surrounding quarterback Peyton Manning with talent and identifying players who can shine in Tony Dungy's cover-two defensive system.

Comment: A+. Polian excels at recognizing which picks may ultimately leave in free agency. He then drafts replacements that can be groomed for several seasons beforehand.

I also learned that A.J. Smith, Chargers GM, worked under Polian at a previous job, which explains why they are equally as good at the draft as Polian has been.  Overall, Marvez does a good job ranking all the teams, and has good explanations for each of them.  I'd agree with the Patriots being #3, and the Dolphins being #32.  They let their head coach take a friend's son over the face of a franchise, which is extraordinarily stupid, and cost said head coach his job after 1 win.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.stampedeblue.com/2008/4/25/460382/best-drafting-team-of-past

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Drew and Chad are now Begging like Weasels. This
is GREAT!

Chris Henry begged -- or is it bugged -- the judge during an April 22 hearing to allow him more "freedom" while waiting a trial on assault charges. Another hearing is scheduled for May 6. Not that it really matters since he's not a Bengals player anymore -- oh, how nice am I? (note: this is how bad Cincinnati.com's search engine is. I did a search on Chris Henry and it came back without any results)

Chad Johnson is, well, if you read this blog, you're well up to date on that. Wait, today is Friday. You're NOT up to date. Well, let's remedy that, shall we?

First, this excerpt on Lance's blog.

Jay Glazer, FOX NFL Insider with Jim Rome....on Chad
"It's too late to salvage this. People just don't understand how bad it has gotten. Last year, in a team meeting before a game...coaches asked if anyone had a problem with Chad. Carson Palmer stood up and said, "yea, I have a problem with him". Chad and Carson began arguing. Chad was screaming at Carson in the middle of the room"

This isn't the first time we've heard this. Even T.J. Houshmandzadeh's name has been dragged into it. Remember this story?

A league source tells us that there is growing animosity in the Bengals locker room toward receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Per the source, both are yelling "all the time" at quarterback Carson Palmer, but coach Marvin Lewis doesn't say or do anything about it. Players are also upset that the two receivers are trying to "run the team."

The situation reminds us of the latter days of the Denny Green era in Minnesota, where receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss were berating quarterback Daunte Culpepper and operating under a separate set of rules.

We should admit, we're not sure if the Glazier comment is about the same thing. It might be, it might not be. But from that December, 2007, post, it would appear that Lewis was already in a downfall of "losing the locker room". However, for his part, Marvin Lewis has won back the locker room -- which he apparently lost because of Chad Johnson anyway. I love full circle stories, don't you?

Per the source, one player's reaction was that Lewis should have gone even farther.  "He should have told Chad that he'd pack up his stuff and send it to him," the player said, "or that he'd just go ahead and send it all to Canton."

Now Oil Slick is pleading like a weasel amongst tigers.

video details and more

Is this Chad's version of "next question"? If so, we're disappointed. We expected so much more than this. Oil Slick pleads that the Bengals have a "king's ransom" with two first round picks that have been reported in the media -- which isn't true. The Bengals were offered one first-round pick in 2008 and a conditional 2009 third-round pick that could have upgraded to a first. As our boy Beerrun says, give me two first round picks for 2008 and 2009, then we'll talk.

"Bengals, if you're listening to me, please trade Chad."

Oil Slick is begging, man. He's BEGGING. On your knees, boy. I guess he's feeling the pressure of having a huge chunk of, at least, $21 million of Chad's guaranteed money -- to start -- is weighing him down. We all know that Mike Brown and company are making a point here. One that's becoming supported not from many Bengals fans, but even NFL fans are getting that trill watching Oil Slick beg and Chad squirm. No, it doesn't help this team keeping Chad. Still, if the team never intends to trade and they stick to their guns, watching this episode will remain of high entertainment value -- provided Oil Slick begs and Chad squirms. That stuff right there just makes my day.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.cincyjungle.com/2008/4/25/460432/drew-and-chad-are-now-begg

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Final 2008 Mock Draft: Indianapolis Colts

So, this is my last, pathetic attempt at a mock draft. I?ve done more mocks this year than any other year, and the reason why is I?ve been more focused on this year?s draft than any other. It was a goal of mine (a small one, mind you) to have better draft coverage in 2008. I hope I?ve done that for you guys. So, without further ado, here?s my final mock with explanations:

2 (59): Matt Forte? (RB, Tulane)I have a suspicion that East Carolina?s Chris Johnson will get gobbled up by a team like San Diego or Tampa Bay, aka teams looking for part-time RBs with game-changing ability. Unless Chicago takes Forte? at pick #44, I think he will fall to Indy. If he does, it?s a major coup. Forte? is a complete stud, and much better than other backs ranked higher than him. He?s a more complete player than Mendenhall and doesn?t have the injury concerns Jonathan Stewart does. Forte? would add a totally new dimension to the Colts offense, which will be in the top 5 in running the football next year if it sports both Addai and Forte?.

3 (93): John Greco (OT, Toledo) Colts fans expect DE Marcus Howard of Georgia to get drafted here, and he will likely be here at pick #94, but I think the Colts will pass on him to take Greco. The Colts are very big on Greco, and he fits the kind of player Howard Mudd loves to coach. If drafted by Indy, he will likely will play guard his rookie year, challenging Dylan Gandy for the starting spot. With the nagging injuries plaguing RT Ryan Diem of late, and the inconsistent play of Charlie Johnson, Greco is versatile enough to play guard and tackle, if needed. I think the Colts look at Greco as their future RT.

4 (127): Jack Williams (CB, Kent State) According to DraftTek, Marcus Howard is still on the board at this pick. If he is, the Colts will obviously take him with a big grin on their faces. However, in reality he?s likely gone here, which means a player like Jack Williams is perfect. Williams is a proto-typical Cover 2 corner who can contribute immediately on special teams. With Dante Hughes returning and Michael Coe growing into his own, the Colts will have a strong stable of CBs for the first time in a dog?s age.

5 (161): Arman Shields (WR, Richmond) This is actually a very tough pick because I think there are three guys in this area the Colts have targeted, but all three will be gone by the 6th round. C Kory Lichtensteiger, DT Carlton Powell, and LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar will all be there, and each offers something very special. But WR is a need position in this draft, and if a talented prospect like Arman Shields is still sitting there in the 5th round, you take him. I don?t care what Jim Irsay, Bill Polian, or Tony Dungy say. Until I see Marvin Harrison playing like Marvin Harrison, one has to assume he is still hurt. Shields offers speed, quickness, great route running, and good hands. He?ll struggle his rookie year a bit, but eventually he?ll catch on and play some slot receiver.

6 (196): Rudolph Hardie (DE, Howard) This is the first of four 6th round picks for the Colts, and it is here that Indy will target the pass rushers Colts fans are SCREAMING for. It will start with Hardie, who is an excellent rusher at 270 pounds. The reason you pass on Carlton Powell is because Hardie is big enough to play DT and DE in Indy?s defense. The last player the Colts picked from Howard in the 6th round was eventual Pro Bowler Antoine Bethea in 2006, and that worked out pretty well for them.

6 (201): Corey Lynch (S, Appalachia State) I cannot imagine a scenario where Polian and Dungy pass on this kid. Lynch is exactly the kind of special teams demon Dungy has sought since his tenure began in 2002. Lynch can also play both safety positions in a Cover 2. Remember, many players drafted in these late rounds have to be able to play special teams, and boy can Lynch ever play special teams.

6 (202): Mackenzy Bernadeau (OG, Bently) The Colts like this versatile guard who could challenge (along with, potentially, Greco) for the starting OG position. Bernadeau could play multiple line positions, providing a more stable back-up option than Charlie Johnson.

6 (205): Titus Brown (DE, Mississippi State) Titus Brown fits the mold for the kind of pass rushers the Colts are looking for. They want guys who can come in and provide speed off the edge on 3rd and 4th down, and who also play special teams. Brown has the speed to make an impact on special teams, and could develop into a Robert Mathis-type player. He also has the temperament and character to excel in this roll.

7 (236): Joey Haynos (TE, Maryland) The last true position of need is back-up TE, and the 6?7 Haynos can fill Ben Utecht?s old roll minus the fumbling. Haynos is a solid blocker and has excellent body control for someone his size catching the football.

Well, there you have it. I am likely 100% completely wrong about this mock draft. Hell, if I get one player right out of this, just one, I?ll consider myself a genius (yeah, I have low standards for genius). You?ll notice I left off players like QB Kevin O?Connell. Folks, I would be shocked if the Colts took a QB. I know they aren?t happy with Jim Sorgi, but the reality is there aren?t many good QBs in the later rounds of the draft. Maybe they will take someone like O?Connell, and I hope they do. But, a mock draft is a guesstimate of what the team may do, and what they should do.

You?ll also notice that many of these draft picks come from small schools or division IIA schools. This is because Bill Polian and the Colts do not subscribe to the "big school" mentality when it comes to drafting, and considering the Colts are the best sports franchise on the planet, I think that pretty much blows the "big school "theory out of the water. The best players do not come from Ohio State, Nebraska, Michigan, or LSU. Like Polian says, "If you can play, we will find you." I?ve seen far too many busts come from big schools, and too many great players from small schools, to subscribe to the "big school" theory.

So, tell me, how stupid is this mock?

Read The Full Article:
http://www.stampedeblue.com/2008/4/25/460404/final-2008-mock-draft-indi

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If Ellis is available, would you still go after
LB Keith Rivers

A few notes that have impacts with the Bengals. But a quick note about the site. There have been serious hardware issues that the techies at SB Nation have been addressing the past two days. They claim that everything should be stabilized now. Let's move on.

A fairly healthy percentage of mock drafts are giving Sedrick Ellis the nod as the Bengals clear-cut choice. And most people are fairly satisfied with that pick. We need a talented defensive tackle, badly. But there's a scenario developing. The Rams, it would appear, are favoring LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey as the second pick in the NFL Draft -- not allowing the Rams to go ahead and negotiate with their choice simply because of television coverage is ludicrous.

The New Orleans Saints also see Dorsey as a coveted pick, but they appear to be looking at defensive tackle nonetheless. Here's the problem. They've made it clear that they're interested in moving up the draft. It was generally expected that the Saints would jump several spots to pick Dorsey. But if the Saints leap-frog the Bengals, then Sedrick Ellis may be playing in the Bayou instead of the Queen City. I believe if the Bengals miss Ellis, it will be New Orleans that screws it up for us. Pete Prisco reports that the Saints are in trade discussions with the Rams, swapping first round picks and sending the Saints' starting left tackle to St. Louis. This could work out for us provided either the Rams or Saints pick behind the Bengals.

Palmer supports drafting Ellis while admitted Bengals fan, Kirk Herbstreit puts the smack down on the Cincinnati Bengals.

"There's talk about (USC defensive tackle) Sedrick Ellis coming in as a Cincinnati Bengal," Herbstreit said. "I don't know if he fits Cincinnati because he's got great character. He's an effort guy. He gives you 100 percent every snap. He's tremendous.

"I don't know if he fits in Cincinnati because he's too good a character. And yet, is he going to fall into the great abyss of the Cincinnati Bengals or is he going to be able to overcome that?"

"It's an embarrassment to this point," Herbstreit said. "I've been a Bengals fan my entire life, and I really feel at this point — I'm a big Marvin Lewis supporter and fan — but I think he and the staff have created the situation that they're in with Chad Johnson.

"I don't feel pity. I don't feel sorry for them. They kind of had rules for the team and then rules for Chad. This is where you are. Everybody has to be treated the same. In my opinion, this team is back to where we were four or five years ago."

Ouch! It would seem that Bengals and Reds fans are back to common ground -- other than playing in the same city of course. While the Reds are generally a depressing team to watch down the stretch of any season, the Bengals are depressing, well, all the time. Then the Reds introduce new ownership and hope went through the roof similar to how hope exploded after Marvin Lewis was hired. Now, the Reds fire their GM Wayne Krivsky and Reds fans are, while not depressed or anything like that, aren't so sure which direction this team will go. Bengals fans? Well, we kind of expect the worse and go ape-shit when the best (or better than "worse") actually shows up.

On support for Leodis McKelvin.

McKelvin likens himself as the next godly return man like Devin Hester. With the Patriots picking seventh, would they select him to replace Asante Samuel?

On support for Keith Rivers.

I'm with Mark Curnutte on this one. If Ellis isn't available, go after Keith Rivers. It's not that McKelvin is a bad talent or couldn't be useful. But Rivers would be a far more effective player playing nearly every defensive down rather than nickel and a few punt returns -- provided of course that we actually make the opposing offense punt.

I believe... maybe we should think Rivers over Ellis?

It's becoming clear that the Bengals are down to USC's Ellis and Rivers on their board -- with Ellis first. Even so, would you mind if the Bengals jumped Ellis for Rivers? As said on this blog before, there's serviceable talent at defensive tackle later in the draft. But the general consensus is that Rivers is the best linebacker while Ellis is not the best defensive tackle. Perhaps Rivers first, defensive tackle in the second round. There, you addressed two needs with decent talent on defense. With a returning Odell Thurman, two first round cornerbacks, you have to think this defense would immensely improve. Right? I know, I know. It's the Bengals. Blah, blah.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.cincyjungle.com/2008/4/25/460381/if-ellis-is-available-woul

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And We're Back!

Well, after some problems on the technical side of the house. . .I seem to remember someone mentioning something about checking the specs on the rotary girder or some such. . .The Daily Norseman is back and ready to go in time for tomorrow's draft.

Rest assured, this had nothing to do with the new Daily Norseman platform or anything relating to it.  It was a hardware problem back at the home office that caused all of this to take place.  Now that the problem appears to be solved, we don't anticipate anything happening again.  I'll say that in the 20 months that I've been running this site, the past couple of days have been the only significant downtime that we've experienced.  I'd have to say that that's pretty damn good.

As you can probably guess, with the Allen trade, I've scrapped the Mock Draft Database.  Why?  Well, because the Vikings only have one pick in the first three rounds and the vast majority of mocks don't project any farther out that.  So, at some point this evening or tomorrow morning, I'll just post a list of what various mocks think the Beloved Purple will be doing with their #47 selection.

There's a very good chance that I'll be here during the draft despite the Vikings not having the number of picks we'd originally anticipated.  Why?  Because it's the draft, that's why.  Hopefully we'll have a bunch of you coming by to discuss what's happening with the rest of the NFC North and the rest of the NFL in general tomorrow.  One of the new features of the new platform is comments that automatically refresh rather than having to hit the "refresh" button on your browser constantly.  Makes for an almost chat-like atmosphere.  I've seen it on a couple of other sites, and I think it really enhances interactivity during events and games and things of that nature.

Also, I wanted to say that it looks like we're looking at another record month for The Daily Norseman.  Despite the technical problems of Wednesday and Thursday, the site has had 13,044 hits in the past seven days.  Now, this site went online back in June of 2006.  The 13,044 hits we got this past week surpassed the number of hits the site received every month from June 2006 to October 2007.  With the draft coming up, we should hit another all-time monthly high for traffic, surpassing the mark we set. . .last month.  As always, my thanks to each and every one of you for making this possible and making this site what it is.

So, more draft stuff tonight and a lot more tomorrow morning leading up to 2 PM Central when everything starts at Radio City Music Hall.  Continue enjoying your Friday, everybody!

Read The Full Article:
http://www.dailynorseman.com/2008/4/25/460368/and-we-re-back

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