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2007 NFL Draft
This year’s draft was nearly as exciting for me as last year’s. I’m not quite sure why. Maybe because there were no clear needs for the Cowboys to fill? Or maybe because there was no concensus pick for the Cowboys? Or maybe there just weren’t as many superstars this year to get excited about.

But one thing I did get excited about was Brady Quinn’s saga.

Brady Quinn
The Notre Dame quarterback was called by many the most “NFL ready.” The year before potential number one pick Matt Lienart slipped all the way to number 10 and the Arizona Cardinals. Meanwhile, the quarterback declared the most “NFL ready” that draft went with the next pick to the Denver Broncos.

The year before, Aaron Rodgers had been projected as the potential first pick in the draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Instead, he slipped all the way to pick number 24 for the honor of backing up Brett Favre in Green Bay.
The sam thing ended up happening to Quinn. But the commissioner was compassionate and let him stay in his suite to avoid the humiliation of being passed over again and again…and again. This got my attention. As soon as Ted Ginn was taken thoughts entered my head, but I dared not entertain them.

There was some discussion of the Cowboys taking Quinn. They hadn’t had a true franchise quarterback since Troy Aikman retired in 2000. They had gone through the likes of Quincy Carter, Ryan Leaf, Vinny Testeverde, and Drew Bledsoe all to no avail. Then last seaons they introduced the world to Tony Romo.

But here was a potential cornerstone of the franchise. A quarterback most NFL teams had in the top three of their draft boards, if not higher. I was genuinely afraid the temptation would be too much for Jerry Jones to handle. But he did, masterfully. He traded out of the spot to snag the Browns’ number one pick next year.
This did two things. One, showed confidence in Tony Romo and two, gave the Cowboys the ability to get a “wow” player in the ‘08 draft.

Anthony Spencer
The Cowboys didn’t stay out of the first round. Instead, they traded with the always confusing Eagles to get back into it. The Eagles allowed the Cowboys to swoop in and pick up a defensive end they will convert to outside linebacker and who many feel could be a major force in the pass rush. The Eagles drafted Kevin Kolb to replace Donovan McNabb in the event Spencer lays him out.

From what I understand Spencer is a great pass rusher. He recorded 93 tackles last season as a defensive end and 10.5 sacks. If Wade Phillips can convert him into a DeMarcus Ware or Shawne Merriman type player then the Cowboys may resurrect Doomsday.

Raiders
Personally, I think the Oakland Raiders made a mistake. Not by taking JaMarcus Russell, at this point they pretty much had to. They made a mistake by not signing a veteran quarterback which would’ve allowed them to take Calvin Johnson.

The Raiders need a new dynamic on offense. They traded for Randy Moss to give them that, and he never did. Instead, Randy Moss curled up in his shell and refused to come out. He was unhappy and rather than channeling that into effort he let it drag him into depression. He underperformed in Oakland and never gave 100%.

The Raiders should’ve signed a veteran QB, drafted Johnson, and then moved Moss somewhere to get more picks this year. Oakland needs a lot more help on offense than Russell alone can give them. If they bundled Moss with a pick or two they could’ve gotten another second. That would’ve allowed them to get another offensive weapon on the first day.

New England Patriots
But the Raiders didn’t do that and they wound up trading Randy Moss to the New England Patriots for a fourth round pick next year. There’s no doubt somewhere in there a shade of the ability he once showcased still exists. If he can bring that back he could help make the New England offense prolific once again.
New England has made some big moves this offseason.

First, they signed Adalius Thomas (rated as maybe the best free agent) to bolster their aging line backing corps. His presence should help make the defense as aggressive as it once was and as formidable as it was during the Superbowl years.

Meanwhile, they have worked hard to correct the issues with their receiving corps. Last season they did little to add Tom Brady after being forced to trade away Deon Branch. They learned their leason and worked hard to fix that issue.

They signed Donte Stallworth who showed tremendous skill in Philadelphia last season. They signed Kelley Washington who was a talented but unused wideout in Cincinnati. Then they grabbed up a player who is all effort, Wes Welker, who will not only help them at wide reciever but also assist their return game. Finally, they traded for Randy Moss.

The Patriots are positioning themselves for another title run. They have loaded up and had two first round picks this year. They traded one away for a first rounder next year, assuring they will have plenty of opportunities next season as well. They’ve really set themselves up and they will be more dangerous than ever next season.

(Don’t be surprised if the Patriots sign Keyshawn Johnson)

Brian Leonard
I wrote an earlier post about white running backs and Leonard’s desire to be one. He ended up being drafted in the second round by the St. Louis Rams. Now, he certainly won’t start over Steven Jackson, but if he can succeed anywhere it’s in St. Louis. He’ll probably play a hybrid Half back/Fullback role. He has good hands and the Rams like to throw out of the backfield so I wouldn’t be surprised if they role him out to the flat regularly.

Conclusion
I enjoyed the draft, felt the Cowboys did quite well. They scored the player they wanted and someone to rush on the opposite side of DeMarcus Ware. They also got themselves a first round pick next year from a team who will very likely have a top ten pick. They got themselves several tackles to help on the offensive line and even a kicker for the future.

The draft went well for my team. How did your team do?