On Draft Day, Everybody Was Celebrating

Those Who Can’t Play, Write

By Chad Brown

This was the first time in a couple of years that I didn’t do my usual NFL Draft pick-by-pick commentary. Not for lack of interest, more for a plethora of watch parties to attend and socializing to be done on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Plus, fellow Alpha Blogger Aaron Feldstein beat me to the punch with an excellent expose on the offensive tackle situation. So, I’ll save the team-by-team, pick-by-pick, automatic grades after the fact for the real experts, whom one decade ago predicted that Ryan Leaf would have a better career than some quarterback out of Tennessee. By the way, does anybody know how those picks worked out? Instead, I’ll give my not so quick hit thoughts on some pre-trade flurry picks, the coverage, some observations from watching at Latitude Lounge in Midtown and McFadden’s on the East Side and a few Diggyisms. So, in honor of Josh Howard, let’s cue up The Chronic and reflect on the weekend for a minute.

Despite all of the pre-draft coverage stating the start time and Miami’s early signing of Jake Long, I still received several texts asking whom the first few picks were. No problem there, other than the requests came between Noon and 2:30 and the draft started at 3:00. I can speculate like everyone else, but nobody’s so good that they know before the commish.

As for the top picks in the draft, clearly Bill Parcells has visions of Jumbo Elliot (twice) and Bruce Armstrong dancing in his head. OT Jake Long fits the Tuna’s mold of rebuilding through the trenches and the ‘Fins offensive line has been a punchline the past few years. As long as he’s closer to Orlando Pace and Chris Samuels than Tony Mandarich or Robert Gallery, this could be a huge step in the right direction. Signing him early doesn’t hurt, either.

Throw in DE Chris Long going to the Rams and you’ve got consecutive first round picks with the same surname. Has that ever happens before and, in the words of Norm Peterson, does this really affect the price of beer on Sundays? Then, what do we care?

Liked The Falcons selection of BC quarterback Matt Ryan. Understood, but didn’t really care for all of the questions/comments/texts regarding whether this meant the absolute end of the Michael Vick era in ATL. Please, that era was officially over once #7 was sentenced to hard time. He wasn’t coming back, he’s not coming back and it’s unfair to everybody not to move on as swiftly and decisively as possible. Just ask Bobby Petri—ok, bad example. They should also let Ryan be a young quarterback and not a savior in waiting. It’ll be tough enough doing that on a good team and, a pretty good draft “so far” notwithstanding, the Falcons won’t be a good team for at least a couple of seasons.

Did not applaud the selection of Darren McFadden by the Raiders—strictly personal, wanted him to go to the Jets. Don’t know whether I was hopeful or discouraged that Al Davis used almost all of the team’s allotted time (how much authority does Lane Kiffin have left, if any?). Now that this D-mac is a Raider, I’m looking forward to watching the all running back offense. Option, Wishbone, T-Formation, u name it, it’s in the playbook. Seriously, if the offensive line continues to improve and he’s deployed ala Marcus Allen, Marshall Falk or even Charlie Garner, he could be exciting to watch. Still don’t know if Oakland is going to be any good, but how about that running back pedigree in the AFC West? Holy Toledo, indeed.

As badly as the Chiefs have struggled down the stretch in ’07 and as little as Herm Edwards has done to be missed around the New York area, I’ve gotta applaud KC’s getting “up to date” through the draft strategy. While he might not be a replacement for Jared Allen, DT Glenn Dorsey could be a huge addition. Especially when considering the disappointing tenure of Ryan Sims and the time Edwards spent around Warren Sapp in Tampa Bay. Getting another first rounder for Allen didn’t hurt either. It remains to be seen how the rest of their picks turn out, but an active two day stretch could pay dividends. Of course, this is Carl Peterson and a team that last one a playoff game during my freshman year of college that we’re talking about.

As I mentioned before, was not happy to see McFadden taken off the board before the Jets could take a shot at him. That being said, I like the addition of DE Vernon Gholston. Winning in the AFC East means being able to knock Tom Brady around on a regular basis. This is something that Gang Green has been unable to accomplish on a regular basis, but bookending this kid with free agent signee Calvin Pace could reap some serious havoc. Maybe moreso on the likes of Trent Edwards and John Beck/Josh McCown/Chad Henne than Brady, but it’s a potential step in the right direction. As for the TE situation, I like Dustin Keller—though I’ll reserve judgment before anointing him the second coming of Dallas Clark ala Fox Sports John Czarnecki. What I don’t like is incumbent Chris Baker running his mouth about being underpaid, underappreciated and lied to, regarding his contract. As I said “offline” regarding certain unnamed veterans grumbling during the team’s offseason shopping spree, when you’re 4-12 two of the last three seasons, there’s not much room for this kind of complaint. If anything, he’s lucky management isn’t saying that he’s overpaid. BTW, this is all coming from a Baker fan, so take it with a grain of salt.

Now for some post Green Room not so quick hits.

Definitely thought that the reduced time between picks worked to everyone’s advantage (teams, broadcasters, fans). But the first round will always be a loooong one. How many text messages would I have received about the picks had the additional five minutes stood pat?

Was that the NFL Draft or a Saturday session of the New York Stock Exchange? I’d see a team on the clock, go talk to somebody for a minute or less, check back and see that a trade had been made. At the end of the day, this draft set records for most “pick movement”. Whatever works, but we might not know how these moves pan out for a few years.

Just wondering if the Jaguars included some real estate in Orlando when trading up for DE Derrick Harvey. The importance of pressuring Peyton Manning notwithstanding, that was awful lot to give up for the pick. Hope things work out.

Looks like The Tuna’s drafting acumen isn’t totally missing in Big D, nor were the celebratory hi-fives. The selection of Felix Jones, McFadden’s backfield mate at Arkansas, should be a good complement to the bruising, quick hitting style of Marion Barber. Their second first rounder, Mike Jenkins, fills a need in the secondary until Pacman Jones gets in shape. Having said that, I still have a feeling that that any more defections from the Cowboys front office might lead to the return of Shante Carver-Kavika Pitman, Sherman Williams type of players. At least there’s little chance of another Quincy Carter fiasco. Not that anybody from the tri-state area would mind at all.

Was kinda surprised that Jeremy Shockey wasn’t traded. Then again, if he didn’t spend every offseason in Miami, we might not have heard about how much better the team looked down the stretch without him. What is it with these New York TEs anyway? A little motion never hurt anybody. Still, he hooked up with Vida Guerrera a few years ago, so it’s not entirely hate here. As for Jason Taylor, Lito Sheppard and Chad Johnson, anything’s still possible. Taylor deserves a better situation more than Ocho-Stinko.

I’ve got to agree with two points on Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback on SI.com. Jim needs to propose to Pam already and the NFL Network had some nerve promoting Brian Billick as a quarterback exper—hahahahahahahahaha. Almost got the word out. Seriously, he did some nice work with Warren Moon, Brad Johnson and Randall Cunningham in Minnesota, but Baltimore? Let’s just say that the legacies of Unitas and Bert Jones are safe for a l’il while longer. Now, that doesn’t mean that Billick isn’t a fit for the broadcast world; he’s a natural and by all accounts did good work over the weekend. But he’s no QB ex, oh no, not going there again.

No wide receivers were taken in the first round. No big surprise, as I can’t remember one receiver who stood out as first round material. Plus, I attended the ’03 draft when most of Northern Michigan came to MSG to cheer on Charles Rogers and we know how that worked out, or didn’t. Of course, Andre Johnson was drafted early, too, and he’s worked out in H-town. So, it’s a gamble, but everybody’s favorite receiver-diva TO wasn’t a first rounder. Teams can help or hurt themselves at that position just as much in the later rounds.

Finally, gotta thank Jill, Joyce and everybody at McFadden’s (the Buffalo Bills bar on East 42nd street and 3rd Ave) for welcoming me with open arms when I came through during the second round. Yeah, I took some grief for wearing a green and white D’Brickshaw Ferguson jersey—I’d do it again, by the way. Hoping that Alan Faneca will help ’06 first rounders Brick and Nick Mangold take their offensive line play to the next level. But any banter I took or gave was all in good fun. Plus, never say that they don’t know their football or their history (you had to be there, trust me). But predicting a win over the Patriots in week 17 is not the best idea when your team hasn’t beaten them since ’03 or swept them this century. Nor is detailing how and why it’s going to happen. Even I wouldn’t go that far in forecasting or prognosticating.

No need to be too hard on anybody trying to project a player or team’s fortunes based on the ’07 collegiate season for one weekend this spring. After all, it was Draft Day and everybody was celebrating—kinda, sorta.