Matt Hasselbeck, QB, TEN – Active

Matt Moore, QB, MIA – Active

Sam Bradford, QB, STL – Inactive

Chris Johnson, RB, TEN – Active

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, NE – Active

James Starks, RB, GB – Active

Nate Washington, WR, TEN – Active

Devin Hester, WR, CHI – Active

Willis McGahee, RB, DEN – Active

Roy Helu, RB,  WAS – Inactive

Andre Johnson, WR, HOU – Inactive

Vincent Jackson, WR, SD – Active

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Every year I scour the internet and Twitter to compile a list of funny and relevant team names.  This year there were a lot of them and I am happy to unveil them to you now! By the nature of the internet, some of the humor is quite crude… but most good jokes are anyways right?

New additions:

• Lockout with your cock out
• Danny’s Woodhead
• The Arian Brotherhood
• Burressted Development
• Resisting Burresst
• A Rivers Runs Suh It
• Forgetting Brandon Marshall
• Revis and Butthead

Classics

• 4th Down Syndrome
• Multiple Scorgasms
• Romosexual Tendencies
• My Vick in a Box
• Steave Breastonlargement
• Somewhere Over Dwayne Bowe
• Skittles, Taste Dwayne Bowe
• BP Oilers
• Henne-nut Cherios
• Slob on My Kolb
• Eli, The Other White Manning
• Let’s See Them TD’s
• Corn On The Schaub
• ScoobyDrewBreesDo

Not Football Related

• Here for Beer
• Wacky Waving Inflatable Flailing Arm Tube Men
• Mighty Morphin Flower Arrangers
• Team Ramrod.
• Scissor Me Timbers

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Philadelphia Eagles

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first.  The Eagles are my and most people’s favorites to win the NFC in 2011.  This is largely due to the ABSURD amount of talent added in free agency over the past week, which includes Ronnie Brown, Cullen Jenkins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (DRC), Nnamdi Asomugha and Jason Babin.  Jenkins is a wall of a defensive tackle with a particular talent for getting his hands up into the passing lanes and batting down short passes (he holds the Green Bay Franchise record for this statistic in a single season by a D-lineman with 9 in the 2007 season). Rodgers-Cromartie is a very solid Cornerback that has been getting better each year since drafted 16^th overall in 2008.  He has made a name for himself by coming up with big plays in crucial situations, namely a 99 yard INT return for a touchdown against the Rams in his rookie season which secured the division title for the Cards. Jason Babin was also brought back to Philly this offseason through free agency off the heels of a 12.5 sack season in 2010. The least attractive addition to the roster for the Eagles is the most recent, Ronnie Brown.  Don’t get me wrong, Brown makes the team better and will probably handle short yardage and goal line touches.  But, with all the blockbuster players picked up on defense, its easy to barely acknowledge this one. Lastly, the biggest surprise acquisition for Andy Reid’s ball club was Nnamdi Asomugha.  Asomugha is in most people’s eyes the 2^nd best cornerback in the entire league.  With three cornerbacks that are talented enough to be the top guy on any team in the league and a formidable pass rush the Eagles defense is, on paper, the best in the NFL for the upcoming 2011 season.  It is difficult to see what could stand in the way of this team’s success apart from a slew of injuries.

Kenny Britt

If we set aside all the off-field issues and pretend that Britt would play in all 16 games, I would have him as a top 15 wide receiver this season.  Now he will be facing some disciplinary actions and I expect him to see a four game suspension and have it reduced down to two.  He was not likely to crack my top 20 at WR given Jake Locker looked to be the starting QB for this seasuon but now that Matthew Hasselbeck is in Tennessee, Britt has a QB that can accurately and reliably hit an open receiver.  Last season, when Britt was on the field, he looked like a man among boys in what was otherwise a very pedestrian passing attack. Britt got hurt in week 8 and did not return until week 14, but despite missing all this time to injury, he still amassed 775 yards and 9 TDs.  Most impressive to me was how much more successful the Titans were with him on the field.  The first 7 games of the season were all played with Britt in the lineup and the Titans were sitting at 5-2.  Starting the week that Britt got hurt, the Titans slid on a 6 game losing streak.  This was more to do with poor QB play from Rusty Smith and Kerry Collins, but Britt is by far the best receiving threat the Titans have on their roster and defenses are forced to keep 8 in the box in an effort to contain Chris Johnson.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cards were in a tough spot this offseason.  They wanted to do everything they could to make Larry Fitzgerald happy, so that he would not leave the team after the 2011 season.  In order to do that, they needed to get him a QB.  The draft did not provide this for them, but a trade with Philadelphia for Kevin Kolb did.  He cost them Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2^nd round pick, but you don’t often get a potential franchise QB cheap, so it was worth the risk.  DRC was expendable after the drafting of Patrick Peterson and in the sub-par NFC West; the Cards are playoff contenders again.

Donovan McNabb

I don’t think the Vikings are going to be in the running for the division title, but with Adrian Peterson carrying the load and a solid defense to keep the offense on the field, McNabb is able to prove that he was not the problem in Washington last season.  Losing Sidney Rice hurts but with Roy Williams, Johnny Knox and Devin Hester at receiver, McNabb has a better receiving corp than many of his pro bowl seasons in Philly.  Fantasy owners shouldn’t expect McNabb to be more than a QB2, but Vikings fans can be happy to have someone who can potentially take them back to the playoffs.

Buffalo Bills

If you are familiar with me, you know I am a big Bills fan.  I might be just excited for my team here, but Buffalo made two very nice acquisitions this week in Free Agency. Unfortunately, Buffalo lost Paul Posluszny early in the Free Agency period to Jacksonville, but Pos is a better 4-3 middle linebacker than he is ILB in the 3-4 and since the Bills are still adjusting their personnel to suit the new scheme, this won’t likely hurt too bad.  Especially after drafting Kelvin Sheppard and signing Nick Barnett, they should be okay at ILB.  The Bills are also set up to take serious advantage of the new 3^rd-QB rule, or lack there-of.  Buffalo took an explosive playmaker from their division-rival New York Jets when they signed Brad Smith.  Smith can now be placed at the 46^th roster spot (3rd QB) and take snaps from under center.  Previously, using your 3^rd QB before the 4^th quarter meant that your 1^st and 2^nd string QB’s could not re-enter the game.  Buffalo needs excitement brought back to their football team badly and even the idea of CJ Spiller and Brad Smith in a Wildcat formation is pretty darn exciting.  I expect Buffalo to remain a losing football team next season, especially since they are still in the AFC East, but look for a lot more big plays and fantasy points in 2011.

Tavaris Jackson

After Hasselbeck left town for Tennessee, Tavaris Jackson signed a deal to reunite him with his old offensive coordinator in Seattle.  There will be some competition between Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst, but my guess is that his understanding of the offense and his relationship with fellow former Viking and newly acquired Seahawk Sidney Rice makes Jackson the heavy favorite to win the starting job.  Throw in the addition of Zach Miller to the receiving corp for good measure and now Seattle might actually have an offense.  Jackson has a lot of talent and play-making ability so if he was able to work on his down field accuracy and pocket-presence, he may be able to resurrect his career with this opportunity.  In my eyes, it comes down to how consistent Marshawn Lynch can be to take the pressure off the passing game.

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Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals have no QB and Larry Fitzgerald has said that he will not stay in Arizona if they cannot take the QB position seriously this season and get him someone to throw him the ball.  They opted not to draft a QB with the 5^th overall pick, but instead they snatched up the safest and among the most talented players in this year’s draft.  LSU’s Patrick Peterson was projected by a lot of analysts to go #1 overall to the Panthers earlier in the offseason, but he fell to Ken Whisenhut at #5. Peterson will be an impact player and shut-down cornerback in this league.  He has the intangibles to be as good as Darrelle Revis or Nnamdi Asomugha, but it will be up to Ray Horton (Cardinals Defensive Coordinator) to groom him and get him to realize this potential.  In the second round, the Cardinals continue to ignore the available QB talent (though it was pretty well picked over by this time) to take Ryan Williams, RB from Virginia Tech. I was surprised here as Williams was not a name I was very familiar with, and with Beanie Wells, Tim Hightower and LaRod Stephens-Howling all on the roster already… I did not expect to see another RB taken.  There is no concealing that Wells was a disappointment, but Hightower still has some gas in the tank and Stephens-Howling is a playmaker who they like to have touch the ball around 5 times a game. And in the third round the Cards took TE Robert Housler, an athletic pass catcher that reminds me a little bit of Tony Moeaki.  Housler has very good leaping ability to go with his reliable hands and considerable speed.  It still all depends on which QB the Cards get from free agency, but Housler has a chance to make an impact in his rookie season.  Taking a QB with their picks would have been a mistake and if the trades didn’t work in their favor, the Cards made a solid, disciplined decision to wait on taking a QB of the future.  Solid draft for the Cards.

My Grade: B

St. Louis Rams

I expected St. Louis to take a RB and WR early in this draft.  Sam Bradford progressed quickly and was very close to getting his team into the playoffs in his rookie campaign.  The Rams do not have a #1 caliber WR and Steven Jackson is quickly running out of gas in the tank after many seasons carrying the entire Rams offense.  Unfortunately for St. Louis, Julio Jones was long gone by the 14^th pick and there was no reason to reach that far up on Mark Ingram, so the Rams took Robert Quinn from UNC.  Quinn is a bit of a developmental prospect, but I expected him to be off the board by this pick as his 6’4’’ 265 lb frame and the potential he showed in college shows that he could be one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL before long. Initially he will be part of a rotation with Chris Long and James Hall, but after one or two seasons, I expect Quinn to surpass both of these guys in production. In round two, the Rams took TE Lance Kendricks from Wisconsin.  Kendricks is 6’3’’ and also has more than enough speed to be an impact player in the passing game.  Young QB’s tend to lean on their TE in a sticky situation so hopefully for Bradford, Kendricks is able to start Week 1.  In rounds 3 and 4, the Rams finally address the WR need.  They took Austin Pettis and Greg Salas consecutively, but neither guy is a #1 receiver.  The Rams seem to have an army of slot receivers and no one capable of getting open against the opponent’s top cornerback.  I like that the Rams didn’t reach for a player that shouldn’t have been drafted yet, but I would have liked to see them get involved in some of the trades going on to try and fill some of their bigger needs.

My Grade: C+

San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco made the first eyebrow raising pick in the draft this year with the first round selection of DE Aldon Smith.  Smith is an explosive pass rusher off the edge and once he adjusts to playing from a 2-point stance, he will prove to be a key part of Jim Harbaugh’s new defense.  The 9ers do have questions at QB and DB, but I think they are going to re-sign Alex Smith for one more season, which allowed them to take a more developmental QB in the second round.  That QB is Colin Kaepernick.  Colin is a dual-threat, with the ability to take off and run as demonstrated from his “pistol” offense that he ran in Nevada.  Kaepernick was one of my favorite QB prospects in this draft and was probably the only one that wasn’t selected too early by their new team.  In round three, the 49ers took DB Chris Culliver from South Carolina.  He is a bit of a ball-hawk and a versatile one at that.  I expect Culliver to compete for time in nickel packages.  Overall, the 49ers stayed true to their board and were able to do a good job addressing their biggest needs early in the draft.  Very solid draft and a great start for new coach Jim Harbaugh.

My Grade: B+

Seattle Seahawks

Head Coach Pete Carroll tore this team down last season to rebuild it in his image.  It proved to be a success as he took his team to a playoff win against the Saints despite being just 7-9 in the regular season.  Russell Okung proved to be a great pick for the future and Carroll wanted to give him some support, so with his first two picks this year, he took James Carpenter (round 1) and John Moffitt (round 3).  Carpenter is a VERY versatile player that can play at guard or tackle on either side of the ball.  He will provide stability to the line in the event of injuries and will likely be a solid starting offensive lineman for years to come.  Moffitt is a bit more of a developmental prospect, he probably will not see the field unless there are injury problems in his rookie season.  Time will tell whether or not he has the tools to be a starter in this league, but he sure has some great young talent around him to develop with and learn from.  This wasn’t a very sexy draft for the Seahawks, but the offensive line is crucial to sustained success in this league and soon there will be a new QB in Seattle that will need protecting.

My Grade: B-

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With the NFL lockout looking as though it is about to end, it is about time to end my little vacation get this series finished!  Given how much time has passed since the draft, I am going to run through these last two divisions quickly, but I am always available on twitter to talk about your teams’ newest players.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons are traditionally conservative in their draft strategy, but changed their ways this year by making a blockbuster trade to move to the 6th overall pick and draft Julio Jones.  Jones BLEW UP the NFL Scouting Combine and did so on a broken foot.  He is an explosive playmaker that will further help Matt Ryan develop into the franchise QB he has been playing like the past few seasons.  Normally I say that the winners of draft-day trades are the teams that acquire picks, but I can not say that this time.  The Falcons are on the verge of becoming a Championship team.  Their regular season was VERY impressive last year and the only area of concern on offense for me was at WR2.  Jones alleviates that concern immediately and could be the one peice of the puzzle that was missing for the Falcons.  I can’t grade them too high when they paid so much, but I truly believe time will show this to be a great pick for the Falcons.  In round three, the Falcons added Akeem Dent from Georgia.  Dent has a fast motor that never quits and should be able to make an impact on special teams while he earns a spot in the starting lineup.  Lastly, in round 5, Atlanta added a more traditional change-of-pace back with the selection of Jacquizz Rodgers.  Rodgers has INCREDIBLE lateral movement which was on display at the scouting combine and I think is likely to return kicks as well as see the field in third down scenarios.

My Grade: B-

Carolina Panthers

Oh Carolina… The Panthers were in a tough spot with the first pick in the draft.  They took Cam Newton to be the new QB of the future despite how risky it was.  Newton’s talent is matched only by his potential, but he is as unproven as a Heisman winner and National Champion can be after his brief career at Auburn.  The problem is, that despite all this potential, Newton fits the prototype that scares a lot of people: mobile, inexperienced and accuracy issues.  On the flip side, he wins. Enough said, really.  He won an NCAA National Championship with Auburn AND the NJCAA National Football Championship at Blinn College the year before.  I for one do not think that Newton will be able to translate his game to the NFL, but i’m sure he’ll make enough plays that it will be fun to watch!  Also, with two picks in round three, the Panthers took two interior defensive lineman (Terrell McClain and Sione Fua) to help bolster their 23rd ranked rush defense.  The success of this draft will be entirely dependent on whether or not Newton is a success and since my gut tells me he will not, I cannot grade them well.  Sorry Panthers fans, I hope I am wrong.

My Grade: D

New Orleans Saints

The Saints made great strides in this draft.  They surprised me by selecting Cameron Jordan with the 24th overall pick, but only because they didn’t select Mark Ingram, who they traded back into the first round for.  Jordan is a VERY talented and physically gifted defensive end and should prove very valuable to Gregg Williams, who loves to blitz from the second and third level.  Ingram is what the Saints needed most of all, a punishing interior rusher.  Pierre Thomas was as close as they had and he missed the vast majority of the regular season last year, leaving Chris Ivory to carry the load with Reggie Bush.  Ingram is also quite a good pass blocker and should prove to be a key addition for a team more than talented enough to make another Super Bowl run.  In round three, the Saints took Martez Wilson to help Gregg Williams with his blitzing schemes.  Wilson is a versatile player that can lineup either inside or outside and could very well see the field in his rookie season as a pass rusher on third downs.

My Grade: B+

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers are an exciting, young team with a lot of pieces in place already.  They were a surprising 10-win team last year and there is a lot of pressure for them to continue their winning ways.  The biggest need for Tampa was a pass-rusher at defensive end.  They sure got that as they took Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers with their first and second round picks.  Bowers was a first round talent that slid due to his knee injury.  It is a pretty serious one and will likely keep Bowers from having a very long career in this league.  With that said, there was not a more talented DE in this year’s draft class and Bowers should make an impact on the field starting in his first game.  I am not a huge fan of taking back to back players at the same position, but since when is the ability to rush the passer from both sides a bad thing!?  In the third round, Raheem Morris decided to stay on the defensive side of the ball and took Mason Foster to play LB.  Foster isn’t the biggest guy on the field and he isn’t the fastest, but he has great instincts and is pretty quick for the position he plays.  Foster reminds me a lot of Jon Beason, so if they get lucky, the Buccs will have a long term starting linebacker.

My Grade: C+

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Chicago Bears

The Bears were the surprise NFC North Champions last season, even with the Super Bowl Champions in their division.  They played exceptionally on defense and even found a balance between the rushing and passing attacks on offense during last regular season.  Unfortunately for Bears fans, they were not able to overcome their mediocre at best offensive line in the playoffs, but this made it clear where their first pick should go.  With the 29^th overall pick, the Bears took Gabe Carimi from Wisconsin to anchor their line for years to come. Carimi is a prototypical right tackle, but might spend a little time playing at guard on this line next season unless the Bears go after any interior lineman in free agency. I also think that he would do well on the left side after he develops as an NFL athlete, but ideally there will be another tackle added to the roster next year that can play the left side.  In round two with the 53^rd overall pick, Chicago selected Stephen Paea who set the Scouting Combine record on the bench press. He is a bit of a developmental prospect with raw athleticism, but he will excel as a one gap run stopper in the middle of the defensive line in the future. His incredible strength will translate to this role in the Bears’ defense that loves to blitz up the middle.  Paea will eat up at least two blockers and should allow pressure by the linebackers through the middle. In round three, the Bears took DB Chris Conte from California.  Conte is an incredibly versatile defensive back that filled in at just about every spot during his time in college before transitioning to safety in his final season.  He will make an immediate impact on special teams and with the veterans on defense to help him develop, he will find a spot somewhere in the starting lineup before too long. I would have liked to see the Bears take an interior offensive lineman that would allow Carimi to play at right tackle, but Paea will be an impact player and clearly the Bears were confident in his abilities. Also, they opted not to take a playmaker at WR. I am not jumping for joy at this draft, but I think they should be running the ball more anyways and there is plenty of free agent talent available at receiver, so all hope is not lost.

My Grade: C+

Detroit Lions

Many people are very big on this year’s draft for the Lions, but I am not one of them.  They added some great players to their team, but ignored their biggest need in the secondary. Prince Amukamara fell past Houston and seemed to be a lock for Detroit who continues to lose games because they cannot contain the big play.  I will admit that I had Fairley higher on my draft board than Prince, but it was because of how well Fairley fits into Tennessee’s defensive scheme and how big of a reach it was for them to take Locker 8th overall. Fairley along with Suh at DT will give the Lions a VERY stout run defense and will obviously make the pass rush more effective, but this is not enough for a secondary that was average at best last season statistically. There were two picks in the second round for Detroit and both were spent on offensive skill positions.  First the Lions selected Titus Young from Boise State.  Young is just 5’1’’ 174 lbs, but he has the speed to be a very impactful deep threat as well as return man.  He is so fast he makes it very difficult for teams to not provide safety help to the corner that is covering him and with Calvin Johnson on the other side of the field, one of these guys will be in man-coverage more often that opposing defenses would like. The second pick in round two for the Lions was spent on Mikel Leshoure who is much better between the tackles than Jahvid Best, who is almost certain to serve as a 3^rd down / change of pace back from here on out.  Passing on Amukamara was a mistake, but they made considerable improvements to their team and stayed true to their draft board.  They won’t get an A from me, but I don’t hate their choices.

My Grade: B+

Green Bay Packers

The Super Bowl Champion Packers had needs on both sides of the line as well as WR and DB.  They were able to address these concerns for the most part in this draft, by selecting someone at each of these positions in the first four rounds with defensive lineman being the only exception.  In the first round, they took Derek Sherrod from Mississippi State. This isn’t a pick that is going to excite too many fans, but he has the versatility to play anywhere on the line, but would ideally be a great RT of the future for the Packers opposite Chad Clifton. In round two the Packers took Randall Cobb from Kentucky, who is a speedy playmaker that could fill in for James Jones, who is looking to enter free agency after his fourth season.  In round three the Packers made what was, to me, a puzzling selection with RB Alex Green from Hawaii.  Green is a big, punishing runner with great hands out of the backfield. To me, the Packers are a passing team with Ryan Grant at RB and James Starks as a change of pace back.  If I was coaching the Packers, Green would just be a goal line back at best… but don’t be surprised if he has a much larger role than this starting in his rookie season. I am not sure how much better they got with this draft, but they filled gaps that will be opened by departing free agents and added depth along both offensive and defensive line.  And after all, they were Super Bowl Champions last year, so they will certainly still be able compete for a chance to repeat next season.

My Grade: B

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings only had two selections in the first three rounds this season and with their first round pick, they made the second most questionable selection in this year’s draft by taking Christian Ponder 12^th overall.  Ponder has a lot of the intangibles that you want to see in a franchise QB and came from a pro-style offense.  It will take the Vikes a little time to adjust their personnel and playbook to suit the quick timing attack that suits Ponder’s strengths, but with great risk comes great reward… so only time will tell how good this pick was. He might be in over his head if he has to start week 1, especially considering the lockout, but there is certainly a nice running back at his disposal to help him move the ball down the field.  In round two the Vikes took the draft’s top Tight End, Kyle Rudolph from Notre Dame.  Rudolph is likely to assume a primarily blocking role and for good reason, he might as well be a tackle… judging by the size of him.  I would have thought the Vikes would look to add a possession receiver or grab an impact player on defense with this pick, but having a TE tandem like Rudolph and Shiancoe can provide one hell of a crutch for a young QB.  Minnesota’s saving grace was that they were able to address areas where they lacked depth with their 6 picks in rounds 6 and 7.  With reaching for Ponder AND ignoring positions of need to take Kyle Rudolph, I can’t grade Minnesota well, but if Ponder becomes a successful NFL QB, I’ll be happy to have been wrong!

My Grade: C

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Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are never satisfied with anything but success and with the spotlight always bright for the Cowboys, there is almost always a focus on the skill positions.  I was very happy to see that Dallas was able to recognize their needs on the offensive line and front seven of their defense.  In the first round, with the 9^th overall pick, Jason Garrett grabbed a new franchise left tackle to protect Romo and bolster their running game which was their Achilles heel all last season.  Tyron Smith is 6’5’’ 307lbs and while he has some weaknesses in his game, he is a freakish athlete that should be able to play in this league for more than a few years.  In round two, Dallas took what many believe to be among the biggest steals of the draft.  Bruce Carter, LB from UNC, is 6’2’’ 241 lbs and is a very quick, explosive player.  I expect him to start out as the weak-side ILB for his first few seasons, but look for him to transition to the strong side (or even OLB) depending on team need and scheme in the future. Personally, I was not too high on Carter but I do think that the Cowboys benefited from him sliding into the 2^nd round, where even I agree he was a bargain despite his injury.  I did not get the 3^rd round selection of DeMarco Murray, because a team with Felix Jones and Tashard Choice shouldn’t really need to take a change of pace back this early in the draft. The 4^th round pick of David Arkin was their best in my opinion.  Arkin was a standout player for Missouri St. and is able to play at either guard spot or center.  He may need some time to develop into a reliable starter, but he will add depth and stability to the interior of their offensive line for years to come. The Cowboys got better at the positions they needed to most, in the trenches.  They needed to address their inability to run the ball last season given all the talent and depth they have at the RB position and with two offensive lineman taken in the first four rounds they have done that.

My Grade: B+

New York Giants

The Giants won round one of this year’s draft when they took Prince Amukamara with the 19^th overall pick.  I have written about how big of a mistake it was for Houston to ignore this guy and will do the same for Detroit when I grade their division, but the Giants were able to land this future lock-down corner.  This is the perfect place for Prince to mature as there is MUCH less pressure for him to be an immediate success amidst the formidable defensive secondary that New York already had.  He will see less playing time, but should benefit from having veterans around him to show him the ropes.   In the second round, the Giants again took the best player available at a position of strength for the team.  Marvin Austin has the talent to be drafted in the top half of round one, but fell due to being a part of the group of UNC players who were suspended for last season.  He is an extremely large and dominant player on the interior of the offensive line and while he, like Amukamara, will become part of a rotation, Austin should make an immediate impact as well.  In the third round, the Giants took Jerrel Jernigan as a slot receiver and kick returner.  Jernigan is a shift route runner that should develop into a very solid possession receiver for Eli.  His impact might not be felt on offense this season, but expect this scrappy player to make an impact on a lot of special teams plays in his rookie season.  Jerry Reese and the Giants did a great job of sticking with the best players available and because of that, the Giants will be a FAR more competitive team this coming season.

My Grade: A+

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles had 2 picks in every round after the third (and one in rounds one through three as well of course) and made the most of this chance to add some quality depth at key positions.  In round one, Andy Reid stayed true to his usual standard of drafting his lineman with his high draft picks to take Danny Watkins from Baylor.  Watkins played tackle in college, but will likely be transitioning to guard for Philly who is trying to protect Michael Vick and open up holes for LeSean McCoy in the run game. Watkins is a big physical and relentless blocker that fits the Eagles style of play perfectly.  This was a great pick and exactly what the Eagles needed most in my opinion with two guards entering the free agent market.  Round two was more of a head scratcher for me as they reached pretty far up to select Jaiquawn Jarrett from Temple.  Jarrett is a great fit for the Eagles as he is a very physical and hard hitting safety, which they were looking for. However, most scouts had a 3^rd or 4^th round projection for him and I would have liked to see the Eagles move back in the second round and try and acquire an extra pick in the later rounds.  In round three, the Eagles selected Curtis Marsh from Utah State.  Marsh is a press-coverage cornerback with great mobility and fluid hip-movement.  He is a developmental project, but could very well start contributing in dime and nickel packages right away.  They got considerably better on their o-line and secondary in this draft and with a team full of playmakers already on the roster, they were able to pick up some key players in needed positions.

My Grade: B

Washington Redskins

The Redskins are in rebuilding mode and despite having a QB situation that is murky at best; Shanahan selected two defensive linemen in the first two rounds.  Ryan Kerrigan was taken with the 16^th overall selection after Washington traded down to pick up an additional 2^nd round selection.  Kerrigan was a highly disruptive pass rusher during his career at Purdue and should make an immediate impact paired with Bryan Orakpo.  The 9^th pick of the 2^nd round was spent selecting Jarvis Jenkins out of Clemson.  Jenkins is a very large interior defensive lineman who can play in either the three of five techniques.  He is especially gifted at defending the run by eating up blockers without surrendering his gap.  Many times throughout his college career, a third blocker was needed to move this guy.  The Redskins traded back 4 times in the 2^nd round with their extra selection and were able to get an additional 4 picks in the later rounds.  In round three the Skins took Leonard Hankerson from Miami, who is a big physical WR that has the skill set to be a #1 receiver for this offense.  He isn’t the fastest guy on the field, but neither is TO and he has caught his fair share of touchdowns. In the fourth round Shanahan drafted himself a running back that fits the style of runner that he has worked so well with, in the past.  Roy Helu from Nebraska is a one-cut runner that excels between the tackles and could earn a starting job for Shanahan by the end of his rookie season.  Like I said, the Skins are rebuilding and they are bringing 12 rookies onto their roster to compete for a spot on the squad.  When you need to make a lot of changes, sometimes the best thing you can do is clean house.

My Grade: A-

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Denver Broncos

The Broncos had the NFL’s 2^nd worst rush defense.  They lacked playmakers in their front seven to help Elvis Dumervil disrupt opposing offenses.  They allowed an absurd 154.6 yards per game on the ground and despite breakout seasons from a variety of offensive players… the Broncos were unable to finish better than 4-12.  This staggering disappointment for a team averaging 21.5 points and 348.9 yards per game on offense led to the firing of head coach Josh McDaniels, who really gave this team a boost in his first couple seasons.  Unfortunately, each season ended with a meltdown and no playoff appearance, so now John Fox is going to try his hand at running this Broncos franchise. Denver held the third overall draft pick and went with the best pure-pass rusher that this draft had to offer.  Von Miller is almost a sure-fire success at the NFL level and while it is hard to criticize the pick at all, I fully expected them to take Marcell Dareus to fix their issues with the running game.  This however, is not the way John Fox operates.  When he arrived in Carolina, he drafted Julius Peppers to build his defense around.  This is the role that Miller will fill in the John Fox scheme and we should expect him to flourish.  The Broncos ended up with two 2^nd round picks as well, taking Rahim Moore (FS) and Orlando Franklin (OL).  Moore is a great player and a good value where he was selected, but I do not feel that the need in the secondary was great enough to warrant this pick.  Taking Miller in the first meant this pick needed to be spent on the defensive line and no DL was taken by Denver until round 7.  At the end of the day, the Broncos got players that will contribute, but they did a poor job of matching picks with needs.  I would not expect to see a winning football team in Denver next season, since they are still unlikely to be able to stop the run.  I would also expect to see some long-time Broncos leave the team once the lock out is lifted as the Broncos try to rebuild under their new coach.

My Grade: B-

Kansas City Chiefs

The 2010 season was a breakout year for the entire Chiefs organization.  They led the league in rushing with a two-headed attack of Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones, with Dwayne Bowe finally being a playmaker and finishing the season with 15 touchdowns (just 3 behind the league’s leader, Arian Foster).  Going into this draft, the Chiefs needed to get impact players who could make a difference immediately. They managed to do that.  They drafted Jonathan Baldwin late in the first round to be a compliment to Bowe, as he was the only viable receiving threat they had at the receiver position.  Baldwin is 6’4’’, 228 lbs. and has incredible athletic ability for someone of that size.  The biggest knock on him thus far has been consistency, but if Haley and the Chiefs were able to get Dwayne Bowe’s act together, Baldwin should be able to benefit greatly from what this organization has to teach him.  Round two led to the selection of Rodney Hudson, a strong, intense interior offensive lineman.  This is really the last drastic need on offense for the Chiefs, who are now ready to go as far as Jamaal Charles and Matt Cassel can take them.  With two picks in round three, the Chiefs finally addressed the defensive side of the ball.  With the 70^th overall pick, the Chiefs took Justin Houston, a very talented pass rusher from the OLB spot.  He slid primarily due to character issues, but the third round was clearly a steal for a player with this amount of pure talent.  I am very big on this draft for the Chiefs, who stayed disciplined and followed their draft board to get the players that will help them try and repeat as division champions.

B+

Oakland Raiders

I have to keep telling myself to just grade the draft here, due to how absurd the firing of Tom Cable was to me.  Admittedly, the Raiders are a franchise that demands success immediately… but they got it.  The drafting of JaMarcus Russell turned the Raiders into a punch line for a few seasons, but without him Cable took a fairly mediocre team and swept this division with it.  Playoffs or not, this was an impressive feat and makes you almost a shoe-in for a playoff run the next season.  Cable built the team to win in the AFC West and it did, so why get rid of him?  See, here I go again… back to the draft!  In round two Oakland got themselves a tough interior lineman to open up holes between the tackles for Darren McFadden when they took Stefan Wisniewski.  In the third round Al Davis did what he does, drafted a speedster with incredible physical attributes.  Defensive back Demarcus Van Dyke was among the fastest defensive backs at the combine and surely got Al Davis’ attention there.  This pick makes sense, because of the unpredictable nature of the Nnamdi Asomugha contract and the lockout combined.  I expect Asomugha to leave the team and there to be a big hole in the Raider secondary as a result.  Hopefully Van Dyke isn’t too much of a developmental prospect, because he could be needed right away.  The Raiders did not have a round 1 pick, but even so, they did very little to help themselves immediately… apart from drafting Wisniewski.

D+

San Diego Chargers

For a team that is a contender EVERY year, sometimes missing the playoffs is a good thing.  With the 18^th overall pick, the Chargers made one of the better first round selections when they took Corey Liuget from Illinois.  He is 6’2’’ 298 lbs and is going to be an effective run-stopper in this league.  The thing that really sets him apart as an interior d-lineman is his ability to contribute on pass rushing scenarios as well.  Liuget is a factor on all 4 downs and should anchor the front seven of San Diego for years to come.  Round two saw the Chargers pick twice and to my surprise both picks were also on the defensive side of the ball.  The Chargers added Marcus Gilchrist (DB) and Jonas Mouton (LB) to the roster with expectations that each will contribute on special teams.  I think Gilchrist has a chance to make the field on defense immediately however in nickel and dime packages and potentially even at safety, should there be any injuries through the course of the season.  Mouton has exceptional speed for a man his size and should immediately see the field on kickoff and kick return teams, but with the level the Charger defense played at last season, I just can’t see him playing a significant role on the defensive side of the ball for a little while. I was surprised to see no receivers taken by San Diego this year, but I guess the Special Teams was really what doomed them and Phillip Rivers will find SOMEONE to catch passes (Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson sound good enough?).  Not a great draft in my opinion, but they didn’t need to have one, they are still Super Bowl contenders next season.

My Grade: C+

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Houston Texans

The Texans made what I believe to be a critical error in the first round when they passed on Prince Amukamara with their 11^th overall pick.  This is not at all a slight on JJ Watt, who will be a successful defensive end in Wade Phillips’ new scheme. The Texans allowed 4,280 yards through the air last season, just 261 yards off of the record for worst in NFL history.  Amukamara is a shut down corner that has proven to be consistent and durable over his two seasons as a starting corner back in Nebraska.  His list of accomplishments includes being a 2010 First-Team All-American and 2010 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. I do not think an acceptable solution for such a terrible secondary is to upgrade the pass rush and rely on 3^rd and 4^th round selections (Brandon Harris and Rashad Carmichael) to become a starting CB in Peyton Manning’s division. Again, time will show that Watt and 2^nd round pick Brooks Reed are quality players along the front 7 and will provide an effective and highly disruptive pass rush for many years.  But, for this season, apart from signing Nnamdi Asomugha in free agency (whenever that occurs), the Texans are going to continue to allow too many big plays for their offense to compete with. And it should go without saying that for THIS franchise, this draft will be judged on the impact it has on making the Texans making the post season next year.

My Grade: D+

Indianapolis Colts

This was a solid draft for the Colts, nothing flashy… but with their first pick they took Anthony Castonzo (6’7’’ 311 lbs) to be a bookend left tackle for the remainder of Peyton Manning’s career and likely the start of the next guy’s too.  This is a smart choice for Bill Polian and the Colts considering there was a slight disturbance in the timing of the Colts’ offense this past season.  I thought the Colts would attack the wide receiver and/or running back positions as Reggie Wayne and Joseph Addai’s careers start to rapidly deteriorate, but Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie(if he can stay healthy)  and Donald Brown will have to suffice until then…  But, mostly because in round two Peyton’s offensive line got another new bookend tackle for the right side in 6’4’’ 317 lb. Ben Ijalana.  Ben will take a little time to reach his full potential, but for now he will provide depth to the tackle position and should allow for Manning to let his pass routes develop and stay on his feet until retirement.   The rest of the Colts’ picks were mostly unexciting, I was not a big fan of 4^th round pick Delone Carter, RB from Syracuse, but he is likely to see at least a little playing time in the rotation since Donald Brown, Joseph Addai and Javarris James all made the field last season.  Bottom line here is the Colts did not need much to remain divisional favorites and they got it, with the only exception being a ball hawk for their secondary… but free agency could still solve that problem.  I am not so sure they can make another playoff run without a trusted running back to run the ball, but Manning can fill a lot of gaps and he sure knows how to demand the most from his teammate.

My Grade: A-

Jacksonville Jaguars

I am on record as not being a David Garrard fan; I have called him an average player and said that each year with him at QB is one of abandoned potential for the Jags.  This seems harsh, but it has proven to be true again and again.  So to me, the decision to move up and take Blaine Gabbert with the 9^th overall pick was a solid one.  You cannot compete with Peyton Manning and Matt Schaub by continuing to stick by a guy that has trouble winning in big games.  Average won’t cut it anymore and since Gabbert was the consensus top-qb for most analysts and teams, the fact that the Jags were able to take him as the third overall QB in the draft could prove to be a steal.  With the Jags’ 2^nd pick (which was in round 3), they took William Rackley out of Lehigh University, a small school in Pennsylvania. Rackley was a dominant tackle in college, with his limited competition.  But, in the pros he will likely transition to an interior lineman and his strong fundamentals and work ethic should prove enough to make for a smooth transition. The last pick I want to discuss was yet another small-school standout, Cecil Shorts from Mount Union.  Shorts went with the 17^th pick of the 4^th round and is a very adept route runner with great hands.  I worry some about his speed after only run a 4.59 40 yard dash at the combine, but the quickness he showed in the 3-cone drill leaves me with little doubt he will be able to create separation and get open for some big plays down the field.  It will take a little time before he might be able to compete as a number one wide receiver, but he could prove to be a difference maker right away in an offense that needs a consistent receiver.

My Grade: B

Tennessee Titans

This years’ draft was entertaining and different than any other year due to free agency not occurring until afterwards… Each team varied up its strategy, but few made a move as head-scratching as when the Titans selected Jake Locker with the 8^th overall pick.  Blaine Gabbert was still on the board and a much more complete prospect at the QB position.  Tennessee is fresh coming off of a bad experience with a mobile quarterback and selected another one with an accuracy problem.  Locker excels with his intangibles, such as leadership and work ethic, but if he was the one the Titans were targeting, why not trade back and wait for Gabbert to come off the board before you reach on a player that would likely have stayed on the board for 10-15 picks? There was only one pick made by Tennessee that I really liked and that was when they took Akeem Ayers in round 2.  Ayers is 6’3’’ 254 lbs and will join the rotation of defensive ends for the Titans.  His size coupled with his burst speed could turn him into a dominant edge rusher from the 3-4, but I think of him more as a first and second down run stuffer with enough versatility to still be a threat should the opposing offense drop back to pass.  I am not sure he can become a 4 down player, but time will tell as the Titans need a couple seasons to rebuild around their new franchise QB.  The third and fourth round picks were focused on stuffing the run with the addition of 6’1’’ 300 lb. Jurrell Casey at DT and 6’1’’ 238 lb. Colin McCarthy to play ILB.  I am not wild about either prospect, but they each have a fast motor and McCarthy should be able to contribute immediately on special teams.

My Grade: C-

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