NFL News and Jabber

It appears that Roger Goodell has come up with his latest way to shake up the NFL.  He has already made great improvements with the player conduct and shortening up the NFL Draft.  Now it sounds like the Commish wants to put his stamp on the outrageous salary that is demanded to sign the top NFL rookies.  Looking at Jake Long’s deal with the Fins it appears that it has ruffled Roger’s feathers a little… Read more

2008 AFC North Draft Grades

Baltimore Ravens

Needs: QB, WR, CB, DL, LB, RB

Baltimore suffered a serious fall from grace last year after they competed with Cincinnati for bottom feeder in the AFC North; a year removed from winning the division with an impressive 13-3 record. In the wake of Steve McNair’s retirement and a new coaching staff, a new QB is at the top of the wish list along with numerous offensive playmakers. The Ravens usually stout defense is aging rapidly and does not have a backup plan if Bart Scott and/or Ray Lewis were to leave via free agency in the upcoming year. Read more

2008 NFC North Draft Grades

Chicago Bears

Needs: OL, WR, RB, QB, DL

Between inconsistent play, injuries and free agency, the Bears need a complete retooling on offense. Both starting receivers, Bernard Berrian (Vikings) and Muhsin Muhammad (Panthers), left via free agency. Cedric Benson produced sporadically before suffering a severe ankle injury and there is little prognosis on his comeback. Rex Grossman resigned with the Bears because there was little recourse in the QB free agency market. A solid draft would cue a Bears turnaround.

1.14 - Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt
2.13 - Matt Forte RB Tulane
3.07 - Earl Bennett WR Vanderbilt
3.27 - Marcus Harrison DT Arkansas
4.21 - Craig Steltz S LSU
5.07 - Zackary Bowman CB Nebraska
5.23 - Kellen Davis TE/DE Michigan State (no that’s not a misprint, Davis played on both sides of the ball last year)
7.01 - Ervin Baldwin DE Michigan State
7.15 - Chester Adams OG Georgia
7.36 - Joey LaRocque OLB Oregon State
7.40 - Kirk Barton OT Ohio State
7.41 - Marcus Monk WR Arkansas

Draft Grade: B+

Comments: I know that popular opinion is to condemn the Bears draft because they neglected to get a QB. I agree somewhat. If Angelo had turned the Steltz pick or the Bowman pick into Andre Woodson, I would have to give them an A. Chicago hit on all of the positions they needed to (except QB) without any reaches that I saw. They even picked up a couple steals in Marcus Harrison and Marcus Monk. I believe Harrison is a first day pick if he doesn’t get injured early in the year and I cannot fathom how Marcus Monk is 7th round material. His size alone should allow him to crack the Bears roster. Chris Williams will provide the Bears with stability on the offensive line and Matt Forte is a three down back who will make Bears fans forget the name Cedric Benson. I think Earl Williams will make a serviceable pro as well. This draft was solid and should bring Chicago back on the right path.

Detroit Lions

Needs: OL, RB, LB, DL, CB

Mike Martz is gone as offensive coordinator. Gone with him are runningbacks TJ Duckett and Kevin Jones and defensive tackle Shaun Rogers. Quarterback Jon Kitna will be sacked all the way to the hospital if he gets hit with the same frequency he has in the past two years. Paris Lenon is likely one of the worst MLBs in the NFL. The Lions have made no secret to the fact that they would like to shift gears and get back to a power running game. Difficult to do without an offensive line and a runningback.

1.17 - Gosder Cherilus OT Boston College
2.14 - Jordon Dizon OLB Colorado
3.01 - Kevin Smith RB Central Florida
3.24 - Andre Fluellen DT Florida State
3.29 - Cliff Avril DE/OLB Purdue
5.01 - Kenneth Moore WR Wake Forest
5.11 - Jerome Felton FB Furman
7.09 - Landon Cohen DE Ohio
7.11 - Caleb Campbell S Army

Draft Grade: A

Comments: Probably couldn’t have done much better. The first three rounds filled all of the major needs that the Lions had. They even got a decent fullback to lead block. Gosder Cherilus will be used as right tackle, which is his best position and Jordon Dizon will start at SLB before transitioning into the MLB role. There is nothing flashy about Kevin Smith’s running style; he just gets it done. I view the Lions running game in a similar light. No razzle dazzle but solid production. I think Cliff Avril will play a hybrid type of role; both standing up at LB and with his hand down as DE on pass rush downs. Caleb Campbell is an interesting prospect out of Army. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him integrated into the Lions defense sooner rather than later. Excellent draft by the Lions.

Green Bay Packers

Needs: CB, OL, QB, TE, DL

The Green Bay Packers are coming off of a season that saw them win the NFC North and make it to the NFC Championship game. They are a team with very few holes. Youngster Aaron Rodgers seems poised to take over the reigns from Number 4 at QB and hidden gem Ryan Grant seems ready to handle the upcoming year with a full load. What the Pack does need is insurance for Rodgers and some depth on the line and at TE. Their CBs are getting up there in age as well.

2.05 - Jordy Nelson WR Kansas State
2.25 - Brian Brohm QB Louisville
2.29 - Patrick Lee CB Auburn
3.28 - Jermichael Finley TE Texas
4.03 - Jeremy Thompson DE Wake Forest
4.36 - Josh Sitton OT Central Florida
5.15 - Breno Giacomini OT Louisville
7.02 - Matt Flynn QB LSU
7.10 - Brett Swain WR San Diego State

Draft Grade: B-

Comments: It’s difficult to grade a draft where the team doesn’t have any glaring needs. At first glance, they hit on all of the positions they needed depth at. But upon further inspection, there are a few head scratchers. Brian Brohm at 2.25 sticks out for sure. Why spend that high of a pick on a backup for Aaron Rodgers? I know that competition breeds winning but that seems like a bit of a waste to draft a backup QB that high, especially with prime interior lineman on the board available. Taking Matt Flynn alone could have accomplished the same goal without the use of a 2nd round pick. Jordy Nelson is an interesting pick. I like him as a faster, smaller version of TO. He uses body positioning and physicality to make a living over the middle. Just not sure he was the pick with every WR not named Thomas or Avery on the board. Ted must have seen something though. I like the Lee pick. He is a better corner than many give him credit for. The tackles taken both seem like fliers but if I am banking on one team flier tackles panning out; it’s the Packers. Finley seems like a bit of a reach. All in all, Green Bay got the depth they needed but I wonder if a couple of their choices were out of place or reaches.

Minnesota Vikings

Needs: QB, WR, OL, S, DT

Minnesota made a huge splash before the draft, trading their 1st and 3rd round picks to acquire Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen. If you can make a deal to secure a big piece of the puzzle and you need to move high picks to do it, good on you. In my opinion, the Vikings are a pass rusher and a consistent quarterback away from being a huge contender. Vikes brass seems high on Tarvaris Jackson but he needs to work on his decision making and consistency.

2.12 - Tyrell Johnson S Arkansas State
5.02 - John David Booty QB USC
5.17 - Letroy Guion DT Florida State
6.21 - John Sullivan C Notre Dame
6.27 - Jaymar Johnson WR Jackson State

Draft Grade: A-

Comments: Minnesota made its mark before the draft but the players they added with those picks should propel them into the division title race. My only complaint is waiting until the 6th round to address the OL. I think a better guard or tackle should have been had in the 5th round like Roy Schuening, Carl Nicks or Barry Richardson. John David Booty is an intriguing pick. I wouldn’t be surprised if he pushes Tarvaris Jackson for the starting job. Tyrell Johnson is a quality prospect who should crack the starting lineup late this year or next. Jared Allen could very well be the player they need for their defense to be propelled into legendary status.

tag: NFL, NFL Draft, Grades, Vikings, Lions, Packers, Bears, sports, footballjabber.com

2008 AFC West Draft Grades

Denver Broncos

Needs - LT, DT, KR/PR, WR, CB

With the retirement of Matt Lepsis, the Broncos absolutely had to have a left tackle of the future out of this draft. Pair that with the loss of Javon Walker and a dismal run defense in which much of the blame was placed on the defensive line, it was easy to see what positions Denver was going to target early in the draft.

1.12 - Ryan Clady OT Boise State
2.11 - Eddie Royal WR Virginia Tech
4.09 - Kory Lichtensteiger OG Bowling Green
4.20 - Jack Williams CB Kent State
5.04 - Ryan Torain RB Arizona State
5.13 - Carlton Powell DT Virginia Tech
6.17 - Spencer Larson OLB Arizona
7.13 - Josh Barrett S Arizona State
7.20 - Peyton Hillis FB Arkansas

Draft grade: B

Comments: The Broncos hit on Clady; I think that kid is the real deal. He is athletic enough to get out and block in space for Denver’s zone blocking scheme. Royal is a bit of a head-scratcher. Everyone is quick to compare Royal to Steve Smith of the Panthers but the AFC West is chock full of physical corners and I think Royal might get fed his lunch at the LOS by guys like Quentin Jammer and DeAngelo Hall. He is a legitimate return threat however. I believe Barrett in the 7th is a huge steal and one always has to take notice when Denver drafts a running back in the late rounds. With the Denver backfield in a bit of flux with Travis Henry’s poor performances last year and Mike Shanahan’s unwillingness to give Selvin Young the job outright, Torain may make a splash.

Kansas City Chiefs

Needs: OG, OT, DT, DE, WR, QB, CB

Kansas City had holes on both sides of the ball and needed a huge draft; especially in the wake of trading away Jared Allen. I think that was the right move. Chiefs brass needs to admit that they are rebuilding. Trading Allen gave them the extra ammo needed to get some young impact players and bring their team back to respectability.

1.05 - Glenn Dorsey DT LSU
1.15 - Brandon Albert OG Virginia
2.04 - Brandon Flowers CB Virginia Tech
3.10 - Jamaal Charles RB Texas
3.13 - Brad Cottam TE Tennessee
3.19 - DaJuan Morgan S North Carolina State
4.06 - Will Franklin WR Missouri
5.05 - Brandon Carr CB Grand Valley State
6.04 - Barry Richardson OT Clemson
6.16 - Kevin Robinson WR Utah State
7.03 - Brian Johnston DE Gardner-Webb
7.32 - Mike Merritt TE Central Florida

Draft Grade: A-

Comments: Some may argue that if you can’t give KC an A+ with this draft, you can’t give anyone an A+. I disagree with some of the moves that KC made. Glenn Dorsey, Brandon Albert and Brandon Flowers are a monster rounds 1 and 2. A dream for Coach Herm and GM Carl Peterson. But in the third round, it gets dicey. Jamaal Charles opened the Chiefs third round. I get that they want support for Larry Johnson but if LJ were to ever go down to injury, you’d want another bowling ball type of back. I think that if you wanted an RB that could handle 20-25 carries to back up LJ, then Tashard Choice was the pick. If you wanted an RB that would split time with Kolby Smith if LJ fell to injury, you could have waited for that guy. Either the Charles pick was a miss in my opinion. My second biggest beef is the lack of OL picks. Brandon Albert and Barry Richardson are good value for where they were picked but you can make a case for replacing 4 of the 5 starters on the Chiefs line. Yet only two OL selections were made. I think that OL could have been addressed with the Cottam pick and TE could have been selected later. All in all though, KC had the big draft they needed. I view their defense being upgraded greatly as well as half of their line. It will be interesting to see what Herm’s plans are for Jamaal Charles.

Oakland Raiders

Needs: WR, KR/PR, OL, DL, LB

Oakland dipped into the free agent pool hard this year; signing talent like Javon Walker, Drew Carter and Gibril Wilson. They also traded for DeAngelo Hall; giving a second round pick to Atlanta in return. Oakland’s draft was thin but they had the 4th overall pick and a smattering of mid round picks to cover depth and a few needs.

1.04 - Darren McFadden RB Arkansas
4.01 - Tyvon Branch CB Connecticut
4.26 - Arman Shields WR Richmond
6.03 - Trevor Scott DE Buffalo
7.19 - Chaz Schilens WR San Diego State

Draft Grade: C+

Comments: Crazy Al Davis strikes again. I realize that dynamic playmakers score touchdowns and touchdowns help win football games. I get that. But Oakland had the following players at running back; Justin Griffith, Oren O’Neal, Dominic Rhodes, LaMont Jordan, Michael Bush, Justin Fargas and Adimchinobe Echemandu. Mike Bush hasn’t been evaluated at the NFL level and had first round grades before his freak leg injury last year. You just resigned Fargas for three years. Glenn Dorsey is still on the board and you know that New Orleans is foaming at the mouth for him and is willing to sell the farm to get him to the tune of two 1s (this year and next) and a 2. I think a trade down was the right call there. The Raiders are jammed right up against the cap and a cheaper rookie pick would probably have served their purposes moreso. My feelings of Oakland’s right course of action aside, I think that Tyvon Branch will serve the Raiders return game well as the replacement for Chris Carr. Arman Shields has a shot to crack the roster this year.

San Diego Chargers

Needs: OT, DT, CB, RB, S

With the departure of Shane Olivea, the Chargers have a big hole on the offensive line. Mike Turner also left via free agency and LaDainian Tomlinson needs a backup. Injuries to Jamal Williams last year also exposed a shallow defensive line. The Chargers had few holes as a team and had the luxury of taking BPA for many of their picks. Like Oakland, San Diego’s draft is thin due to pre-draft trades.

1.27 - Antoine Cason CB Arizona
3.06 - Jacob Hester FB/RB LSU
5.31 - Marcus Thomas RB Texas El-Paso
6.26 - DeJuan Tribble CB Boston College
7.27 - Corey Clark OT Texas A&M

Draft grade: B-

Comments: Antoine Cason is good value in the late first round; I don’t think any of the remain tackles were of decent value there. I think that a trade down would have served the Chargers better but they may not have had any takers. Going back to back RBs in the third and fifth is a bit of a head scratcher, Andrew Pinnock seemed to be the heir apparent at FB and Darren Sproles remains as a scat back option. Taking Tashard Choice (can you tell I’m a T Choice fan?) as a guy who can handle a full load should LT fall in the early third and going line (offensive or defensive) with the fifth round pick would have made more sense to me. Waiting until the seventh round to take a shot at a tackle would suggest to me that the Chargers are confident in their ability to replace Shane Olivea from within. Time will tell whether that thinking is correct or not.

tag: NFL, Football, NFL Draft, Grades, Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders, footballjabber.com

Daily NFL Draft Video | Football Jabber

Leading up to the 2008 NFL Draft there will be daily NFL Draft related videos added to our Vod Pod. Prospects highlights and analysis for the Jabber Head.

The videos can be accessed by the little video box on the side bar or clicking the video link in the above toolbar.

tag: 2008 NFL Draft, Draft Prospects, Video, Football, Footballjabber.com

3 Round NFL Mock Draft Updated

The Football Jabber Three Round NFL Mock Draft has been updated. There has been quite a bit of movement with all of the Free Agency activity. Sink your choppers in as the wait for the 2008 NFL Draft enters it’s final month!

Round One | Round Two | Round Three
Round 1

#1 Miami - QB Matt Ryan

Do I think this is the best choice for the rebuilding Dolphins? No. But the fact of the matter is that Ryan is the most NFL-ready QB available for the Dolphins who are desperate for playmakers on the both sides of the ball. Parcells isn’t a stranger to drafting a QB 1.01 and I think the hype gets to him. I still believe that the Dolphins best course of action is to trade down.

#2 St. Louis - DE Chris Long

It isn’t a well kept secret that St. Louis is enamoured with Chris Long. Drating a defensive end would allow Adam Carriker to have a home position and would also take some pressure off of Leonard Little.

#3 Atlanta - OT Jake Long

Atlanta has signed a whole schwack of defensive tackles through free agency. I doubt they waste time to bring in these guys if Dorsey or Ellis is the pick. Gandy and Weiner aren’t getting any younger and both experienced injury-problems last year. Head Coach Mike Smith is a power running guy; offensive tackle serves his purposes.

#4 Oakland - RB Darren McFadden

Crazy Al Davis strikes again! Hurry, hurry, hurry; all cap space for the next four years must go! No guaranteed money deals refused! Despite having Echemandu, Justin Fargas, Mike Bush, LaMont Jordan and Dominic Rhodes on the roster, I fully expect Oakland to draft McFadden. Davis loves offensive playmakers with speed and DMac fits the bill perfectly. Look for LaMont Jordan and Dominic Rhodes to be given their walking papers if this happens.

#5 Kansas City - DT Sedrick Ellis

The Chiefs get put in a tough spot at 1.05. Do you reach for Clady or Otah? Or do you draft one of the falling blue chip tackle prospects? The Chiefs can’t resist pulling the trigger on Ellis; the lesser talented but much more durable tackle prospect. A trade down would better suit the Chiefs in this situation so they could draft a Chris Williams or Jeff Otah, but I don’t think they find a buyer.

#6 New York Jets - DE/OLB Vernon Gholston

The Jets remain thrilled that Gholston slips to them at 6. Despite signing Calvin Pace, Gholston is still a huge upgrade for the team as their pass rush was abyssmal last year. Gholston would most definitely play with his hand up for the Jets.

#7 New England (from San Francisco) - CB Leodis McKelvin

Despite what Dallas’ leaked cornerback draft board would have you believe, I think Leodis McKelvin leaves the board first to the Patriots who need to replace two cornerbacks lost in free agency. McKelvin adds return skills to the mix as well as good coverage abilities.

#8 Baltimore - OT Ryan Clady

Baltimore has been advised to treat this year as if Pro Bowl tackle Johnathan Ogden will not be returning. Heeding that advice Head Coach Harbaugh drafts his replacement in Ryan Clady. Clady is a fluid tackle who always seems to be in position. The Ravens will continue to lean on their running game this year and Clady is a solid choice to ensure it keeps rolling.

#9 Cincinnati - DT Glenn Dorsey

Dorsey slips to 9 amongst injury concerns swirling around him. Even with the phantom injuries appearing out of nowhere, Dorsey at 9 is too much to pass up. The Bengals failed to pick up a defensive tackle via trade this offseason so Dorsey fill sin nicely here.

#10 New Orleans - OLB Keith Rivers

New Orleans complete sits reconstruction of the linebacking corps with the drafting of Rivers. Rivers would likely take the job of current strong side linebacker Scott Fujita. Alongside newly acquired MLB Johnathan Vilma, the Saints instantly gain some credibility on defense.

The rest of the order—>

tag: NFL Draft, Mock Draft, Football, Sports, commentary

NFL Draft Prospects | Top 10 RB’s

I can’t recall in recent memory, a draft that has been so deep in quality runners. While 2006 produced many solid halfbacks, it is my belief that the players who will chosen in the 3rd, 4th and 5th rounds of this draft are of much better talent and have a better shot of becoming legitimate feature backs.

#1 Darren McFadden, Arkansas

Despite what Mike Mayock says, I have difficulty pushing DMac down enough that Mendenhall or Stewart chases him down. Paternity suits and knocks on character aside withstanding, Darren McFadden is still the number one prospect for halfbacks in this draft. His vision, elusiveness and speed will allow him to be a productive NFL runner. Running a 4.27 forty definitely doesn’t hurt.

#2 Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois

Mendenhall has had his praises sung by many a scout over the past couple of weeks. He is described as “the entire package” and that may indeed be true. Mendenhall is about as fast as a 225 pound back can be. His rare mix of size, speed and agility allow him to run by you, dance around you or run you over if he so chooses.

#3 Jonathan Stewart, Oregon

The proverbial bowling ball runner, Stewart is an old school coaches dream. A guy who can pound the ball inside 30 times a game and tire out a defense. Stewart may have lost a position on Mendenhall due to Mendenhall’s great combine but make no mistake; Stewart is strong and runs a quick dash for a 230 pound guy. He is easily first round talent and will not be far behind Mendenhall.

#4 Ray Rice, Rutgers

Rice is a meat-and-potatoes kind of runner. His speed and agility good but not great. His size isn’t the best but he packs a lot of weight onto a smaller frame. What he does excel at is running the ball early and often and getting production. Many compare Rice to Frank Gore; a stocky, compact guy who is fast and agile enough to make you miss and leave you in the dust but also physical enough to take 25 handoffs a game and bruise your linebackers. His durability is unquestionable after taking nearly 1000 handoffs in three years without major injury. He should be a steal for a team in the early to mid second round.

#5 Felix Jones, Arkansas

I was very high on Jones until the combine. When north-south speed and big play ability are your calling card, you can’t run a 4.47 and expect scouts not to be disappointed. A few months aso, many postulated whether McFadden was even the best runningback on his own team. Jones is still a supreme talent but he has question marks. He hasn’t carried a full load at the collegiate level and may have difficulty transitioning into an NFL feature back. I still believe that Jones can bounce back and will be an impact player in the NFL but for now, Rice leapfrogs Jones into the 4th spot.

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NFL Draft Combine Rolling

I have to wonder how many marriages and relationships were strained this weekend with all of the NFL Draft Combine coverage. Guys (and some Gals) spending hours in front of the TV preparing for the hours they will spend in front of the TV in April. I have to admit I was on the opposite end of the marriage spectrum spending the weekend at my Mother in-law’s house. The wife is happy…Me…not so much. So this morning I’m spending some time in the film room (read, my kitchen on the laptop) catching up.

I have been singing praise of the new NFL.com since they unveiled it going into last season. With them putting limitations on video being used by the media they have done well with providing it on their site. It takes away from it a bit watching the combine online but I do have to say that it’s kind of cool to be able to choose the 3-4 minute snippets I’m watching instead of the hours of filler.

Check out the NFL.com Combine page. You can catch some video there or go straight to the Video Gallery. They have a “Top 10″ for Sunday. Myself, I enjoyed the QB, RB, WR, recaps.

tag: NFL Draft, Combine, Video, Football, Sports

2008 NFL Fantasy Football Combine

That’s right, I said that. It’s coming on Saturday, February 23rd. If your one of those lucky people with the NFL Network you can watch guys run drills that will take you back to the Presidential Fitness Tests in gym class in the 80’s. You can watch it with more in mind than who your favorite team may draft. I know that I don’t look at things in the NFL as many do. There are stages for a lot of folk in the offseason. Super Bowl…Combine…Draft…Preseason. Throw in some Free Agency in there I guess. There is a certain breed that looks at the whole calendar year in a different light. That breed is the Dynasty/Keeper fantasy football owner.

Not even the yearly fantasy football player is up bunched in with this group. Many of them shut down this time of year, focusing on family…jobs…American Idol. Not that we don’t give some thought to those things. The Dynasty/Keeper owner is running a franchise. For myself, I get more out of football this way. I’m keeping an eye on cuts…where the hell is the migraine ridden Zach Thomas going to end up? I need to know if I franchise tag him in an IDP Dynasty this year. I’m keeping an eye on the combine and draft because…well…I’m going to have several rookie drafts in the weeks following the NFL Draft. To be honest, without that burden, I’m not going to care much how high a guy can jump or run without pads on. It still isn’t that big of a gauge but I get that much more out of it knowing that I’m preparing for a championship run in my league.

Do you play in a Dynasty/Keeper (or want to)? Watch this VIDEO of Mike Maylock’s Top 5 Running backs and tell me it doesn’t get your fantasy juices going! How about WR’s and TE’s? I tell you, if your a big fan of fantasy football and have not taken the jump to Dynasty/Keeper land your missing out! Let’s face it…most of us are not going to be a GM in the NFL. We are not going to be scouts either. That’s what this whole “fantasy” thing is all about, get the most out of it.

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Fantasy Football & NFL Draft Links

Things have slowed down in the fantasy football world. The posts on some of my favorite blogs have gone down…I’m sad. Are you just waiting for the end of summer to get rolling again? Are you telling me you love fantasy football but are not in a Dynasty/Keeper league that keeps you busy during the offseason? What a shame!

To get a fantasy dynasty fired up checked out our Fantasy Dynasty 101 series. These steps will help you set up a successful Dynasty league that will retain owners interest all year long. It’s looked at from the prospective of using Individual Defensive Players or the standard D Team/Special Teams. You will never look at fantasy football the same again once you have tried this!

There is that NFL Draft thing coming up as well I hear. We have all kinds of content going for the upcoming NFL Draft. Throw on your favorite jersey and click on our three round NFL Mock Draft. We still have player profiles rolling in as well. This, my friend, is not only to be used with the NFL Draft. After the draft this content will be expanded with the focus of Fantasy Football Dynasty and Keeper leagues, where drafting fantasy rookies is important.

So let’s take a look around at what some of our favorites are up to…

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