Sunday, April 27, 2008

Draft Diary Day 2

  • Again, let me start off by pointing you back to our mock draft for those who missed that it was back up. I love that you all knocked our server off line looking at it the first time, but it was sort of frustrating to have it down for 24 hours.
  • Let's be clear about yesterday: I have zero doubt that Pollack was a great pick. I didn't doubt it at the time. Almost immediately we realized that Saturday was a f/a and more likely they don't trust Charlie "The Human Sieve" Johnson to protect Peyton on RG. Our less than enthusiastic comments had more to do with the anti-climatic nature of the pick than questioning the decision. We lost one starter to free agency, and just replaced him. That's a good pick.
  • Yesterday's 'lightning round' version of the draft might actually make me watch it. Doing two rounds faster than the first round last year means that much less blathering.
  • Did anyone notice the Titans AGAIN didn't take a WR in the first round? I'm telling you, they are the only ones smart enough to know that VY CAN'T THROW.
  • I hated ESPN's coverage of the two bridesmaids (Henne and Brohm). They missed both the Jags trade and pick and the Colts pick yakking about two guys who will be lucky to be Brian Griese. That's fine and all, but to do that after ALREADY spending all day on them was annoying.
  • Kravitz likes the pick. Frankly everyone does. No one is dumb enough to question Bill. As many have rightly said before, "In Bill we trust". Chappell's article has some great quotes by Bill who seems to have focused in on Pollak early.
  • The Jags still don't get it.

When the day began, the Jaguars had eight picks, including two in the third round and three in the fifth round. They had no picks in the sixth or seventh rounds. When Saturday ended, the Jaguars had just two fifth-round picks remaining for their Sunday workload.

The easy math is that Harvey and Groves cost the Jaguars half of their ’08 picks and one of their ’09 selections. Unless the Jaguars start trading players for picks, they will end this draft on Sunday with the smallest class in franchise history.

“When you look at it at the end of the day, the players we got are values at need positions, whereas the players at the back end (of the draft) may not have made the team,” personnel boss James Harris said.

There’s a deep message in those words and the message is obvious: The Jaguars have reached the point of such roster strength that having a lot of picks is a waste of time, money and resources. The even deeper message is: This team may have only had one need as it headed into this draft, and that need may have been fully and satisfactorily addressed in the trades that allowed for the selections of Harvey and Groves.

When teams don't restock their depth with young players, they pay a price down the line. San Diego has no picks till late today. The Pats cut almost their whole class last year. It's fine to say, "We're so deep we don't need rookies", and it might not matter this year. But very soon you find your roster has gotten old, and you can't recover on the fly. If San Diego and NE want to try this, that's their problem, but for the Jags to think they are a Super Bowl contender when they can't consistently win inside their division is a pipe dream. That team will regress this year, and become very weak in about two more seasons. I love it.

  • Day two picks of note: The Pats take another LB. I guess we weren't the only ones who thought their LBs looked ancient. The Titans take a TE. I'm serious, they are running the McNair offense all over again. Air McNair BARELY threw the ball at all until he had been in the league about 9-10 years.
  • Demond weeps as the player he projected for the Colts just went to the Lions who traded up to take him.
  • And we scoop up a LB (Phillip Wheeler from GA Tech) in round three. Hagler is free agent after this season, so I think we can all assume that he'll be gone. The ESPN breakdown says he's over aggressive. Hopefully that can be coached out of him. I'd say that pretty soon we'll be making that inevitable run on corners.
  • Here's an article I just found by the Football Scientist that pimps Reggie Wayne as possibly the best WR in the league based on his deep threat production.
  • Demond chimes in to let me know his wife thinks Mike Hart is the pick. Who has any idea at this point.
  • So KSquared is safe. We go TE in round four to off set the loss of Ben Utech. Jacob Tamme sounds like a project, but that's more or less to be expected when you get picked in round 4.
  • So if we look at the Colts need board, we've covered guard and TE, but we still need an upgrade at back up RB, and backup DE (unless Wheeler gets converted).
  • Round 5 pick gives us another LB/DE type. Beautiful. Marcus Howard sounds like he could be a solid backup at end. Word on the street is that he can bring the pressure.
  • Fletcher has to be sweating bullets right now as the Colts draft a second TE. I have no info on this guy at all, but I'm better he's more of a blocker.
  • The least sexy draft of all time continues for the Horse as they take another O lineman before ABSOLUTELY NAILING Mike Hart of Michigan. That's a tremendous pick for the 6th round. BAM!
  • So with just one pick remaining, the Colts have basically addressed every key issue on the team. We got rushing depth, receiving depth, O-line depth, a great RB option. In Bill We Trust. Great draft.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

No need to defend yourselves. I think we're all just throwing our two cents in, not trying to "prove you wrong" or anything. It was definitely anti-climactic, but hell, we should expect that by now! I'm looking forward to the third round where we'll see what direction they decide to take the draft. Will it be a bunch of corners or do they go RB/LB? It will be fun, and we know at least one of those late-rounders will be a starter for us in a year or two, if not sooner.

Anonymous said...

Here's what CNNSI says about our 3rd round pick:

Lacks quickness, the ability to immediately change direction, lateral speed, and the ability to make plays outside the box. Not known as a hard-working player.

Those are obviously just the negatives, but does that sound like a Colts defender?

Deshawn Zombie said...

Yeah, that's weird. Although as always, we have to trust Polian over these media guys (even if he did draft Gilbert Gardner)

Anonymous said...

Maybe they drafted him for DE? Who knows...

Demond Sanders said...

Here is Scouts Inc's take:

Strengths: Possesses very good size and is well built for his height. Shows the ability to make plays outside the tackle box. He's athletic for his size. Is able to avoid a lot of block and sift through traffic. Wraps up upon contact and is a reliable open field tackler that flashes the ability to deliver the big hit. Times blitzes well, takes the shortest path to the quarterback and displays very good closing burst. Flashes the ability to run through blockers in the backfield and is a relentless pass rusher. Has experience lining up on the inside and outside.

Weaknesses: Is thickly built but doesn't play as strong as his measurables indicate. Can be overaggressive and overruns holes. Does not like to take on blocks and will get out of position at times running around them. Isn't physical or aggressive enough in coverage. Lacks ideal instincts in coverage, as well. Takes some false steps and over commits. Doesn't explode out of cuts, loses too much speed when forced to turn and run and lacks ideal man-to-man cover skills. Displays marginal ball skills and isn't much of a playmaker in coverage.

Sounds like a project that could be a bust or pay big dividends later on.

Anonymous said...

My prediction for round 5: Cory Boyd, RB, South Carolina.

Joel said...

The only two games I watched Philip Wheeler play were the game last year and the year before against Notre Dame, and he was an absolute BEAST in both of those games. He put a hit on Brady Quinn a couple years ago that was just ghastly. He doesn't seem at all to fit the mould of the typical linebacker we draft, but he reminds me a bit of a poor man's Ray Lewis. Big, built, wants to take your head off every time. He will probably need some discipline coached into him, but keep in mind too that he played for Jon Tenuta, whose defensive philosophy is blitz, blitz, and then blitz some more. So some of that may have been how he was instructed to play.

All that to say, when I saw we picked him, I was stoked. I think he can bring some real toughness to our linebacker corps.

Anonymous said...

how about this little gem from the draft chat on espn.com:

Brandon (Tennessee): Is anyone as confused as me at the Titans not addressing their most glaring need... wide receiver? Its as if they have no concern in giving Vince Young a target.

Scouts, Inc.'s Keith Kidd: Absolutely. They have taken three RBs in the last three drafts on the first day. I thought for sure they would address the WR position early as they lack a true No. 1. They needed an option for Vince Young. However, based on how the receivers dropped, nobody thought highly of this class.

Anonymous said...

Gotta love the howard pick.

I called it well before the draft on stampedeblue

Anonymous said...

4.45 40? I love him already.

Anonymous said...

Thank GOD they took a RB, I was getting nervous about having only Addai/Keith and FA scrubs. Whew! Good pick!

shake'n'bake said...

I love Howard
Colt Brennan will have nightmares about Howard for the rest of his like after that Bowl game.

In the 7th I want another DE. Rudolph Hardie and Titus Brown are underrated small school guys.

Deshawn Zombie said...

I'm in favor of a corner just for old times sakes

Anonymous said...

Mike Hart? Uh, ok. Nice guy, but I'm willing to bet the fact that a lot of the guys they were hoping to fall to them didn't. But Mike Hart in the sixth round? There's a guy with a built in pun to him, but a very talented runner. May not put the flash to the dash, but hey, if he can catch, he's already better than KSquared.

Bill Polian FTW

shake'n'bake said...

Oh Yeah

Polian hasn't taken a DB yet. It's a lock he can't help himself.

Anonymous said...

Is David Givens a FA?

He owes his life to Brady. That guy is a hack.

Although Vince Young is the worst quarterback since Mike Vick.

- JC

Demond Sanders said...

Hart is at least as talented as Kenton Keith. We are only looking for someone who can eat up 8 or 9 carries a game (and catch the ball). Keith won the job last year almost by default after DeDe Dorsey was hobbled by turf toe. I think it will be nice to see a stronger competition for the second and even third spots. Dawson may be the one who loses his spot on the team.

Anonymous said...

They already have jersey numbers for these guys on the Colts.com roster... Isn't that a little fast? lol. Also, what's the deal with Mungro? He still rehabbing or did we let him go?

shake'n'bake said...

Mungro was suppose to be resigned as soon as they felt he was healthy. I guess he had some trouble. I'd hope he'll at least get a shot in camp

shake'n'bake said...

3 centers WTF?

In Polian I trust, but in Polian I do not understand.

Anonymous said...

Maybe Polian is trying to prove that he truly is the smartest drafter around - he can build a team almost entirely with college centers.

And heck, with Peyton at QB, maybe he could.

Unknown said...

what this spells to me is that polian has a lot of trust in last year's DB backups, as hayden is in a walk year and I would question him getting resigned. should be interesting.

shake'n'bake said...

They cannot have confidence in Tim Jennings. I'm assuming Dante Hughes and Micheal Coe look good.

Bob M. said...

Mike Hart in the 6th? Wasn't he a surefire Heisman winner about 9 months ago? I like it. A lot.

3 Centers? They're working on that super-secret Manning Cloning Project. Polian told me not to tell any--oops. (But what are the 6/7 round centers thinking when they step on the field--okay, they have a pro bowler, and their top pick, then us? "Can I wash your car, Mister Saturday?")

Too many guys to digest right away and really, what fan will know about the 5-7 rounders until the preseason games start? Nothing about the draft upset me, so that's a plus, no?

Deshawn Zombie said...

Tim Jennings cannot possibly inspire confidence. I couldn't agree more. He was awful last year.

Bob M. said...

Okay, the more I read about this draft class the more I like. Still a little concerned about DE/DL depth, but I will assume that the brainstrust has great faith in Freeney's progress so far.
And if one or both of the the LBs seems to be better suited as a 3-4 OLB, that compares favorably with Mathis's basic skill set and size/speed (was I high on him when they drafted him? Um, he was a defensive player and we needed D help, but beyond that....). So we may have addressed some DL and LB issues, plus the OL, RB,and TE issues. Which is what was needed.
But we all know the REAL important day is Monday... what UFAs are signed and how many will stick? I think the average has been about 2 per season for the Polian era, and that includes a Pro Bowl center and a nearly Super Bowl MVP RB.... So I'm usually more stoked about that list.
Bill Barnwell had a great comment on the FO Audibles page: The Pats drafted a QB in the third round, which means he must twice as good as Brady. (Or one-third as good as Bledsoe.)
Is it August yet?