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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?

Oakland Raiders
There's been some mild debate about this year's draft. The Oakland Raiders have the dubious honor of sitting atop the draft board and their selection has been virtually set in stone. After the Bowl game Jamarcus Russell appeared to be the shoe in for the spot. Not because he's the best player available, but because he's the best player at his position available (Quarterback, the Raiders position of most need).

Meanwhile, Scouts are practically messing their pants everytime Calvin Johnson worksout. They text their buddies about his physical abilities and drool over what he could be in a few years. They say his the best player they've seen in years.

Then the Houston Texans up and trade for Matt Schaub. They've named him the starter and are actively shopping David Carr. That same Carr they took with their first ever drafte pick and number one overall in 2002.

I guess we shouldn't really be surprised this happened though. Starting in 1970 here is the list of Quarterbacks taken 1st overall:

1970: Terry Bradshaw
1971: Jim Plunkett
1975: Steve Bartkowski
1983: John Elway
1987: Vinny Testaverde
1989: Troy Aikman
1990: Jeff George
1993: Drew Bledsoe
1998: Peyton Manning
1999: Tim Couch
2001: Michael Vick
2002: David Carr
2003: Carson Palmer
2004: Eli Manning
2005: Alex Smith

Needless to say, there's been a big interest in Quarterbacks lately. The list includes plenty of talented guys, hey they wouldn't have been taken were they not talented. But it yields very few winners. And that's the idea when you take a Quarterback first overall. It's not enough to get a good guy, a guy who can help your team win games. You must get a great guy and one who will help win you Superbowls.

Some people would say those QB's who didn't win a Superbowl but were taken 1st overall simply didn't have the pieces around them or the coaching above them. But part of being a winner is making others better. A Quarterback taken 1st overall must be next to a miracle worker or else he will not be worth it. He must lead you to a Superbowl or you "should have taken somebody else."

And that brings me back to Russell. Is he great? That's the question the Raiders must think long and hard about. Will he lead them to the Superbowl, work with the coaches to get there, and make his teammates better? Taking a Quarterback first overall is risky because his not winning a Superbowl makes him a bust (Drew Bledsoe*, Michael Vick both turned their teams around but never won the big prize and have been much criticized for it [I realize Vick still has plenty of time]).

Personally, I think the Raiders should sign David Carr. I believe the kid has great talent but was handled poorly in Houston. I feel for Matt Schaub because I think he has great talent but he's going to Houston. The Raiders could sign Carr and rework his contract to more friendly terms, giving him one year to prove himself. Then they could do what they know they should do: draft Calvin Johnson.

The Raiders need a prolific receiver to make up for their many shortcomings. They need somebody who will make every catch no matter how poorly delivered. Johnson, allegedly, meets this mold and would be well worth the first round draft pick. Plus, it's much easier to recover from a Wide Receiver bust than a QB bust (seems like there are more reliable WR's than QB's).

Once they've signed Carr and targeted Johnson they can get about the business of trading Moss. I don't think they'd trade him to Houston for Carr (unless Houston threw in some serious sweetners) so they should try to look for the best deal out there. A second first round pick would be nice but I think Moss' value is in the second round plus some other incentives.

If they could get a nice lineman and some picks for Moss they'd be on their way to rebuilding their offense. It doesn't have to be prolific or anything since their defense is pretty good; it just has to score some points. Something they couldn't do at all last year.

If the Raiders did this I think they'll have a far better chance than drafting Russell, still having to rebuild the offensive line, and still having to deal and then replace Moss.


*Drew Bledsoe never lead a team to a Superbowl win though he does have a ring courtesy of Tom Brady.

Raiders Should Draft Johnson

Everybody's saying how the Raiders should snap up Jamarcus Russell like he's the hottest commodity since fire. Well, not everybody. Read this mock draft, for instance.

But it's something I've been thinking about for a bit. Calvin Johnson by all reports is a physical freak. Supposedly out jumping the machine designed to measure vertical leap among other feats. He's reportedly by far the best player in the Draft and best receiver in years.

If all this is true, and it appears to be, and Johnson is really such a phenom then the Raiders would be stupid to pass on him. They need a top receiver and pairing him with Joey Porter could do wonders.

Then, of course, theres the question of quarterback in Oakland. The Aaron Brooks experiment failed miserably and Andrew Walter appeared lost in that dysfunctional offense. They'll need someone smart and tough; someone who can make the reads quickly and get the ball to Porter and Johnson.

That's why I think the Raiders should  trade Randy Moss to Kansas City for Trent Green.

That's right, trade him to division opponents and watch him eat away at their soft core as he did in Oakland. Green's still a good Quarterback and would give Oakland a few years to find that marquee QB.

They've just singed Dominic Rhodes to compliment LaMont Jordan and their one-two punch should give the offense a little more power next season. If they start shoring up their line then they could address their QB situtation and get rid of a cancer at the same time. Maybe even get a draft pick out of it.

If they did this then they would get the best player in the draft, get rid of Moss, get a quality Quarterback (not a franchise QB, they're aiming too high right now), and give teams someone to worry about opening up more room for Porter.

With the Raiders Defense all the offense needs to do is score at least a couple touchdowns a game (something they couldn't do last season) and control the ball. With this running combination, talented receivers, and savy QB they would have a shot at being near .500 next season.

What a horrible idea! But according to John Czarnecki it's a great one (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5528508).

In his column he proposes moving the Rams back to LA from St. Louis and then shifting the Raiders there. His justification? Many small-market teams (including Oakland) can hardly support their teams, or can't support their teams but get to keep them because of the NFL's revenue sharing. What if Al Davis doesn't want to move to St. Louis? Well, then we'll just move the Cardinals back to St. Louis (abandoning their new stadium) and dump the Raiders in Arizona.

WHAT?

While I agree it's more fiscally responsible to relocate a struggling team to LA, rather than expand this is just stupid. You can't just forget the Raiders connection with Oakland and give them to St. Louis. You can't just severe the ties between St. Louis fans and THEIR Rams. And finally, the Cardinals finally look like they may become the most popular team in Arizona (assuming they field a team that plays to its potential and the Cowboys don't win the Super Bowl).

It seems like the NFL is basically preparing to move the Chargers over to LA because San Diego can't find the money to help them build a new stadium. This wouldn't be so bad as the distance isn't so great and the Chargers were once LA's team.

But if this doesn't happen the Saints may well be asked to move there. Personally, I don't think this will happen for a number of years because the NFL doesn't want to look like their abandoning Katrina victims. Paul Tagliabue would like to see something concrete get going before he retires so I don't think the Saints will go to the City of Angels.

So if the Chargers find a way to stay in San Diego and you want to move the Raiders(to free up the Nor Cal market for the Niners) and you want some instant fan-support then move them to LA. They have history there, including a Super Bowl win, and the move could help reinvigorate the team.

All this assumes LA truly wants a team. I think they do but I don't live there so I don't really know the interest. This solution would prevent having to find a new team to put in St. Louis (or Arizona) or any other location in the potentially massive shift the NFL Czar proposes.

After his debut season as a Raider is Randy Moss ready to move on? More importantly is the Raider organization ready to move him on? The answer to these questions should be no. Randy Moss is having a nearly identical season this year as he did last year. With two major exceptions.

Last year the Vikings were winning and in the playoff race. And Randy Moss had considerably more touchdowns. This combined to mask the fact that Moss only had 767 recieving yards (down from 1632 in '03), only 49 receptions total (down from 111 in '03), and 13 touchdowns (also down from 17). This year he has 76 total receptions, 789 total yards, and 5 touchdowns. That last stat is what has Moss and the fans most disgruntled. Not only is Moss not scoring the Raiders are more than underperforming with only 4 wins and no hope of the playoffs.

This has lead some to speculate that Moss will demand to be moved after this season. And this will probably happen unless Al gets rid of quarterback Kerry Collins and Head Coach Norv Turner and then makes some moves to convince Randy Moss this will be a winning team next season (centered on him scoring).

But if he does demand a trade what team will be wiling to part with the players, picks, and/or cash it'll take to get him? The Lions are always looking for a shiny new reciever. Mike Shanahan likes to take chances on would be, used to be super stars.  But the one team that may be willing and able to pull a player-for-player deal to get Moss. That team is the Philadelphia Ealges. They can ship the troublesome Terrell Owens to the Silver and Black for the (at least this year) less troublesome Randy Moss. If they did this they may well be able to get back to the playoff hun. And who knows the Raiders could get back in it too.