Countdown to the NFL Draft

[Jedi Master Carr]

I am going to use this as the place to speculate who will go first in the NFL draft, also can comment on the NFL schedules (they were announced Friday) and any roster moves. One move that happened Monday that I was happy about was the Chiefs signing DE Vonnie Holiday from Green Bay (sorry Figrin) it seems like a good move he is a very good run stopper and a solid pass rusher, no Douglas but he will do. As far as the Draft goes, I don't see the Bengals going with Palmer, I think they have more needs than a QB, they probably want to trade down, but they are having problems finding teams to bid with. Right now I don't know what they will do.

[Figrin D'an]

As much as I personally liked Holiday (he's a hilarious guy, and is quite intelligent), he wanted too much money. I don't think he's worth the amount of money that KC gave him, but if they're willing to spend him, I don't fault Holiday one bit for taking it. My only complaint about his playing ability is that he tends to allow himself to be taken out of plays on occasion. He has yet to take his game to the "next level"... maybe he'll have a breakout season with the Chiefs.

I have to admit... I'm starting to get concerned about the number of players the Packers have let go, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Three starters (DE Vonnie Holiday, LB Nate Wayne, CB Tyrone Williams) have left in free agency. Two more (DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and LB Na'il Diggs) were both highly sought, but the Packers put up the money to resign KGB (gotta love those initials) and matched an offer the Lions made for Diggs. Williams is a bit old, and has lost a step, but was still a good balanced CB. But, I guess Green Bay feels they have enough depth to make up for the loss. The D-Line has good depth too, so that will help ease the loss of Holiday, but the LB corp is a huge concern. If they were going to let Wayne go, I thought they would push for someone else in free agency. Most of the top LB free agents, like Colvin and Brooking, have signed already though. They're aren't a lot of great LB picks for the early rounds of the draft, either.


The Draft... Cincinnati is going to be stuck with the #1 overall pick. I can't forsee anyone willing to shell out the picks/players to get it, unless the Bungals give it away for peanuts (which frankly wouldn't surprise me). Carson Palmer is a good player... so are Terrance Newman, Terrell Suggs, Byron Leftwich... but, there is no "killer" sure-hit player in this years draft, like a Michael Vick or a Peyton Manning. If a team can't get Palmer for QB, they'll go for Leftwich, Broller, Grossman, Simms, or Ragone.

Personally... I think the best player in the this year's draft is Charles Rogers. The Lions, whom are likely to take him, will be very happy with that choice in a few years. Think poor-mans Randy Moss, without the jackass attitude.

[sirdizzy]

carson palmer should go first

i thought the bengals would have been better off trading that #1 pick for 2-3 first round picks and upgrading their entire team

there most pressing item is not a QB they got doable QB's they need an offensive line, recievers and a whole new defense


denver better take a CBfirst pick they lost their top 2 CBs to free agency

[Jedi Master Carr]

It too bad for Palmer and the Bengals is they can't trade that pick because QBS who have played for the Bengals haven't worked out since Esiason. If I were them I take a 2nd, and a later pick and drop a couple of spots. Seems like the best decision to make.

Figrin about Holiday actually the Chiefs got out lucky there they gave him a 5 year deal worth 31 million but he is set to make a huge signing bonus in year 3 so they will have to renogitiate then or cut him, so its really a two year deal worth like 6.2 million so I think they got off really cheap.

[Admiral Lebron]

Why aren't the bengals good? Haven't they had the first round draft pick for like the last... dozen years? :lol

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well they have picked players who weren't great Akki Smith and David Klinger come to mind. So they have picked a lot of busts plush Brown is a moron he is the worse owner in the NFL.

[jjwr]

Oh the draft, so many possibilities for my Pats. With a buttload of picks they should be in good position to get a few impact players and fill in the roster from there. 2 in the 1st round, 1 in the 2nd, 2 in the 3rd and I think 3 in the 4th.

What I'd like to see is for them to try and package the 19th pick and some of their later picks to move into the top 10 and get one of the stud WR's, use the 14th to get one of the many D-Lineman available. Possibly move up to get a 2nd 2nd round pick so they could get another Lineman and possibly McGahee and then fill in the roster from their. Stock up on a few more bodies for the line, a CB at some point should be considered a must as well.

The other option would be to stand firm at 14 and 19 and maybe take the best lineman at 14 and get that 2,000 rusher with the #19 and hope he pans out, they really could use a stud back.

[JMK]

I have a beef with the scheduling. I don't know if every team gets nailed with this, but the Dolphins play at home vs. the Redskins on November 23rd, then they play in Dallas on the 27th! 4 freaking days later! What gives!!!???!!! Of course they have a 9-day break after that, but still 2 games in 4 days? Luckily its against the 'skins and Cowboys!:lol

[Jedi Master Carr]

Its a Thanksgiving game right? That is the way it is always been.

[jjwr]

Yeah those suck but every year someone has to do it.

I did like one suggestion a few sportswriters made, basically remove the Cowboys from Thanksgiving to give other teams a shot at it. Keep the Lions there for their long standing history and rotate.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Lamar Hunt (the owner of the Chiefs) have made that suggestion every year about rotating teams, it hasn't gotten anywhere so far.

[Jedieb]

Keep the Cowboys, but dump the Lions. The Cowboys will eventually turn things around. The Lions will continue to suck!

I just don't know about Palmer. I think I'd rather trade the #1 pick and take some established players or a bunch of low first or second round picks. That's a good way to build some depth and address defensive and offensive lines. A #1 QB is going to cost a bundle and there's no guarantee he'll pay off. Hell, I like Leftwich more than I do Palmer.

The one thing you can be sure of? The Bungles are going to screw up. Whoever they take will have a short and insignificant career in Cincy.

[JMK]

This is totally against my character, but if I was ever drafted by the Bungles I would refuse to report to camp. I would not let that organization ruin my career.

[jjwr]

The problem is the Bengals have no one to trade the #1 Pick to. If they could trade it I'm sure they would in a heart beat, sadly there are no guaranteed #1 players this year, lots of potential but no Mannings, no Vick, etc.

The Bengals are getting better, Marvin Lewis has the team at least doing something, they're cutting off some fat, making some decent signings and maybe actually moving in the right direction. We'll see!

As for the Cowboys, blah! What a boring team, even with Parcells they're a boring team. The only time I'm gonna watch them is when the Pats crush them in November up in Foxboro :)

[JMK]

And when the Dolphins have their way with them in November. :D

[Jedi Master Carr]

My Chiefs play neither this year, and I am glad there we got an easy schedule I think. About the Bengals they are leaning to taking Newman the top rated CB with the #1 pick, not sure if that is a great idea or not. If that happens, he will drop to 4, Chicago, Dallas or Arizona could draft them, they all could use a QB.

[jjwr]

Unlike past years this draft has so many unknowns, heck only a few weeks away and no clear cut #1. I'm curious if the Bengals pass on Palmer when he'll go, there are a number of top 10 teams who need a QB but Leftwich is in there as well.

A interesting note I read about the schedule, it was on the cnnsi Monday Morning Quarterback, someone asked why the Cowboys had such a hard schedule seeing as they had a bad record last year. Seems that the league has its base schedule set through the end of the decade. You figure the opposing conference rotates every four years so its tough to get a break in that department, and if you play in a decent division there are another 6 tough games, throw in a Conference Division who happens to be good and a bad team could be SOL.

[sirdizzy]

i have always been in the opinion that they should rotate the teams on turkey day

i really hate dallas and don't want them on tv on a good football day

[JMK]

More general football chat:
http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/story/6318826

The deal is all but done!!! I can't wait to see Thomas and Seau line up next to each other! :crack

[jjwr]

Good thing he's old :) He'll definetly be a good addition to the team but it doesn't scare me as much as it would have 5 years ago.

Course the Pats still don't have a running game so its still kinda moot :)

Just checked out the newest mock draft on cnnsi.com, some interesting stuff. All of the early picks are kind obvious and they don't take into account likely/possible trades. They've got the Pats taking the big Georgia DT Sullivan at 14 and taking McGahee at 19. I'd have no problems with those picks, as long as they get one stud DT early I'll be happy, after that its all cake.

They've got the extra picks and McGahee could be huge for them.

Course the big question with the Pats is their WR Corps. They were weak last year, no height, little speed and no deep threat. Deion Branch had a solid rookie year, and receives usually get better in their 2nd year so he should be solid. If Graham their #1 TE pick from last year does the same they should be decent. They still need that big reciever though, I've heard rumors of them picking up Oronde Gadsen, if he can stay healthy I'd be happy with that. I'd like to see them get a WR in the draft but they may not need to.

[JMK]

It's true that Seau isn't what he once was, but he's still better than 90% out there and he will certainly draw more attention to himself and by extension will make Thomas a more effective linebacker.

I'd be leery about drafting McGahee, he sounds like he's doing well, ahead of schedule, but once you wreck a knee it's always prone to being wrecked again. I guess he's worth a gamble if a team has 2 picks in the same round and he's still available.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I am sure some team will pick him in the second round at least. Seau is good pickup I am glad my Chiefs don't have to face him any more :p

[JMK]

From www.miamidolphins.com :

The Miami Dolphins today acquired All-Pro linebacker Junior Seau from the San Diego Chargers in exchange for a conditional 2004 draft choice. Seau, 34, is a veteran of 13 NFL seasons who has been selected to the Pro Bowl on 12 occasions.

Originally a first-round draft choice (5th overall) of San Diego in 1990, Seau has appeared in 200 regular season games in his career, starting 199 of them. He has registered 1,480 tackles, 47 sacks, 15 interceptions, 16 fumble recoveries, 12 forced fumbles and 88 passes defensed. He also has started all six playoff games in which he has participated, and in 1994 led the Chargers to the AFC Championship before being defeated by San Francisco in Super Bowl XXIX at Pro Player Stadium. His 200 games played are tied with Russ Washington (1962-82) for the most in Chargers history. His 47 career sacks rank third on San Diego’s all-time chart.

In 2002, Seau started all 13 games in which he played and finished third on the team’s tackle chart with 84 total stops. He missed three games with an ankle injury. He also posted 1.5 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and seven passes defensed.

Besides being chosen to the Pro Bowl each of his first 11 seasons in the league and last year, Seau was named the Chargers’ MVP every year from 1997-01. He also was named to the Chargers’ 40th Anniversary Team and the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-Decade Team for the 1990s.

The 6-3, 255-pound Seau was an All-America selection in his final season at USC in 1989 before entering the NFL. A native of Oceanside, Calif., Seau established the Junior Seau Foundation in 1992, which helps children in Southern California. Born on January 19, 1969 in San Diego, Seau has a daughter, Sydney Beau, and two sons, Jake Ryan and Hunter.


It's done! Woohoo!!!