NFL 2007 Draft Thread

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

So you havent watched a single Saints game this year, eh?

 

I watched a couple of their games. Yeah Reggie's been nice at times, and drive-killing at other times.

 

Besides why insinuate I haven't watched a single Saints game? What I described him was what was going on earlier in the season, when people were calling him out for not living up to the hype. He was always getting negative yards earlier on the season. And I did say "UNTIL FEW GAMES TO GO" meaning I acknowledged he got a lot better in the end of the season.

[Art Sandusky 0]

I don't expect the dude to hit the field and smoke everyone like a bunch of dirtweed dimebags, but as Sean Payton showed down in New Orleans with Bush all you need to do is craft plays that take full advantage of him and defenses will have to start adjusting. Keep in mind the other offensive weapons that the Packers can deploy down the field and it becomes a very scary offense very quickly.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I don't mean to argue with you guys. You know what you want. I just think Ginn will be a bust, but hey if I'm wrong, my Bears will pay for it two times a year.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I'm not so sure. Even if Kotz says it's one pick out of seven, it's still a pretty important pick and with the draft as deep as it is this year, particularly at RB and WR, Green Bay should look more at a guy like Marshawn Lynch.

 

Remember, an important thing is that good college running backs almost always make an immediate impact, whereas receivers either show their talent right away or never do. You take on more of a draft risk with receivers than a good running back. And Ginn isn't even projected to go first round, I guess because of the injury and because there are a few other receivers ranked higher. Green Bay could have both if they traded up in the 2nd, though. Get rid of someone like Kabeer Gbaja Biamila. That guy has been utterly worthless since signing that huge contract years ago, and all he can do is occasionally get some speed to the outside. The Pack's defense didn't get better until they put him where he should be, in a situational or 3rd down pass rusher role. If some idiot team can look at his purty little stats (which show a shitload of garbage sacks) they can be suckered into trading for him for a high 2nd rounder.

[The Niggardly King 0]

If the Pack could and did take Ginn, what good picks at running pack would be around for them?

 

I didn't follow much college ball this year, so who would be a nice pick for them later on at RB?

[The Niggardly King 0]

Uh-oh

[Guest Vitamin X]

Antonio Pittman, Lorenzo Booker, Darius Walker, Tyrone Moss, DeShawn Wynn, Justin Vincent are the big name ones out of big name schools I can think of. Supposedly there's that bowling ball out of Hawaii that could be great too, Nate Ilaoa, who's 5'9", 248.

[Art Sandusky 0]

I'm not putting a lot of stock into the idea of drafting Lynch because there's a really good chance he'd be gone by the time Green Bay was on the clock. Before AP declared, Lynch was projected to be the first RB picked and the Pack isn't up until pick #16.

[naiwf 0]

For the Ted Ginn lovers just look at Dante Hall for another example. One year people were briefly considering him as an MVP candidate because of what he was doing on returns, but he was always a mediocre receiver and is not much of a return man anymore either. You can't rely on a potential speed demon (possibly wasting a 1st rounder on him) if he can't be on the field and contributing every down. As someone else said, the speed difference from college to the NFL level is huge, and a guy like Ginn is too soft to be a star at the next level.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Also... remember that the NFL defensive coaches are not exactly tools (usually...depending on the team). The LBs and Safeties that they draft aren't exactly the same slowpokes playing at Minnesota or Iowa where Ginn could easily use his speed to beat them in foot races. He'll be contended with on the line of scrimmage by CBs jamming him and once he gets past them, the Safety will also be there to help shadow him on deep routes.

 

The upside for Ginn is Randy Moss and honestly, Moss was an utter freak in college production wise that carried over to the NFL. Ginn's lack of production makes me wonder if he can really become an instant playmaker when he steps onto the field in the NFL. If I were a college coach with Ginn on my team, he'd be my Calvin Johnson go to #1 without a doubt WR.

 

I've also heard that his route running isn't that advanced compared to other WRs in the draft and that could hurt his stock as well. You can have all the speed in the world but if you can't run a route properly, you become a one-dimensional WR that is worth a 5th or 6th round pick at best.

[Art Sandusky 0]

As someone else said, the speed difference from college to the NFL level is huge, and a guy like Ginn is too soft to be a star at the next level.

So was Reggie Bush before he was drafted.

 

I'm really interested to see where Colt Brennan ends up. Vince Young's sidearm delivery was supposed to have been a hindrance as well, but didn't end up being so bad.

[Guest]

I think that whole sidearm thing with Young was bullshit. They were concerned because....

 

A)He's black (Let's be honest)

 

B)The rumored bad Wonderlic test

 

C)He's a running QB, and the track record for players of that ilk really isn't that good

 

I thought he would suck because he had problems making reads. Which means that I thought he was an idiot.

[Guest Vitamin X]

And even then, you may not be all that wrong. He made a lot of stupid decisions en route to that winning streak the Titans finished with. The stats make him look like he wasn't all that special. Let's see how he pans out in the next couple seasons, though.

[Guest]

I didn't think Young was all that great, until it got down into the 4th quarter. At that point of the game, the impact he made with his legs couldn't be denied. However, without Norm Chow's running schemes, that team is picking in the top 10 again.

[snuffbox 0]

Does everyone (besides me) still believe that Troy Smith wont make it in the NFL?

[Guest Vitamin X]

I have a feeling he'll just be a very average quarterback, and people shouldn't expect a whole lot more. Like Eli-level, but without the hype.

[Guest]

Troy will make it. He reminds me of Jake Plummer.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Also, forgot to address this earlier:

I'm not putting a lot of stock into the idea of drafting Lynch because there's a really good chance he'd be gone by the time Green Bay was on the clock. Before AP declared, Lynch was projected to be the first RB picked and the Pack isn't up until pick #16.

 

The second best running back is usually picked around the late teens or twenties in the first round. See Laurence Maroney or Joseph Addai last year, waaaaay after Bush. AP declaring makes him the first running back chosen, then Green Bay can take a shot at Lynch.

[Robert 0]

The last time the Packers had a return for a TD was Antonio Chatman in the 2005 season against the Bears. I don't see why we'd a new DT or DE since Kampman had a great year, Cullen Jenkins played great at the other DE position and the interior wasn't bad. Pickett and Colin Cole/Corey Williams fit the defense well. Drafting a RB with a 1st round pick would be odd, considering that Ahman Green came back from what should've been a career-ending injury and manage to run for 1000 yards with a new O-Line. Morency was a decent mid-season pick-up, and Herron has played well in his role as a 3rd down back/goal line back. Would Lynch be nice to have? Yeah, but we need help at safety, and I think a guy like Reggie Nelson from Florida would work. It seems that Ginn is a hot/cold type player who can bust out for 100 yards and two TD's, then he will have two catches for 13 yards. I say a safety who can make plays much like Nick Collins.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Why don't the Packers look into getting Michael Turner or something like that?

[2GOLD 0]

Does everyone (besides me) still believe that Troy Smith wont make it in the NFL?

 

Depends on a series of factors. Who drafts him, how long he is allowed to sit and learn, and if the offensive scheme fits to his abilities.

I'd say Troy Smith is at the very best Aaron Brooks but with slightly better decision making skills. Which isn't that bad since if Aaron had any decision making skills, he'd been one hell of a good quarterback. If someone tries to force him into the line-up the first year, I don't think he'll turn out well at all. The Florida game hurt any OSU linemen entering the draft more than it hurt Troy Smith. Those guys didn't look like they had any idea how to handle a speed rush.

 

I stand by what I said about Vince Young, that he's Randall Cunningham. Which again isn't an insult since I feared Randall like crazy when he was a member of the Eagles. And he made out to be a damn good starter, not great but good enough to win some games late. Which is all you really need in the modern NFL.

[Fökai 0]

As I had hoped, Brennan will stay for his senior season. The big question is whether the Warriors can find a serviceable back to supplant Ilaoa, not to mention the gaping hole left by OL Samson Satele and defensive lineman Alama-Francis and Purcell. As a plus, Bess, Rivers and Grice-Mullen will be back next year in the receiving corps, who ranked 1st, 3rd and 4th for the team in receiving yards. Second being Ilaoa.

 

As for the draft next year, both Brohm and Brennan will be top-15 picks at worst. The skill positions in next season's draft will be ugly beyond those two.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Unless teams really need a RB, most of them usually fall to the teens/twenties simply because the need isn't that big for most teams. Good RBs can be had in later rounds and fall more. Larry Johnson/Willis McGahee both fell to 1.23 and 1.27. Steven Jackson was the first RB taken at 1.24, with Kevin Jones at 1.30. Frank Gore fell to 3.01 and Maroney was picked at 1.21.

 

Here are the Top 15 teams and their RBs... Almost all of them have a Solid #1, Solid #2 at the worst however a rookie RB won't be as big an upgrade in comparison to other positions on that team. I starred the teams that I felt could use an upgrade at RB in the 1st round (not saying they would take one though).

 

Oakland: LaMont Jordan/Justin Fargas***

Detroit: Kevin Jones

Cleveland: Reuben Droughns

Tampa Bay: Cadillac Williams

Arizona: Edgerrin James

Washington: Clinton Portis/Ladell Betts

Minnesota: Chester Taylor

Houston: Domanick Williams/Ron Dayne***

Miami: Ronnie Brown

Atlanta: Warrick Dunn/Jerious Norwood

San Francisco: Frank Gore

Buffalo: Willis McGahee

St. Louis: Steven Jackson

Carolina: DeShaun Foster/DeAngelo Williams

Pittsburgh: Willie Parker

 

I could definitely see Marshawn Lynch falling down to the Packers at 1.16 and wouldn't be surprised to see AP "fall" to the Texans at 1.08 either. I think the fact that more teams are moving towards an "old school" RBBC system (look at the stats for teams from the 40's-60's in regards to their RBs and who got the majority of the carries) makes grabbing a first round RB to carry the whole load even less of a true 'need' thereby relegating talented RBs to the late 1st/early 2nd round or later.

[Guest Princess Leena]

McGahee would have been a top 5 pick if his knee wasn't blown up, so that's not the best example.

[Gert T 0]

I see Ted Ginn, Jr. as a Peter Warrick type receiver. Warrick was a decent #2 WR for the Bengals before he got the infection from the knee surgery. Of course the problem is he was drafted #4 overall. I would not spend a 1st round pick on Ginn unless I had a big WR lining up on the other side of him and even then I am tentative about it.

[Art Sandusky 0]

In light of THE ERASER~ declaring (I didn't know about this until today if it's old news), I now want him instead. Reggie Nelson and AJ Hawk on the same defense just sounds like "don't fuck with us in a couple of years."

 

I still want to see Ginn in Green n' Gold though.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Apparently WR Jacoby Jones has been lighting it up during the Shrine Game practices this week. He's out of Lane College.

 

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 210 lbs.

 

Sigmund Bloom over at FBG (A great source) has been following the Shrine Practices along with Colorado based expert Cecil Lammey, another poster at FBG. These threads are great to find out who could be sleepers in the NFL Draft. They also put up "The Audible" utilizing ITunes, so if you use it, it's worth trying to download those too as they go more in-depth.

 

Shrine Game Day One Practice - East: http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...=301199&hl=

Shrine Game Day Two Practice - East: http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...=301326&hl=

Shrine Game Day One Practice - West: http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...=301306&hl=

Shrine Game Day Two Practice - West: http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...=301397&hl=

[Gert T 0]

I wouldn't say Cleveland is satisfied with their RB situation, although they probably would not select on at #3 or 4. A great line for Reuben Droughns was he was asked what his off-season goals were..... "stay out of trouble". Good call Reub.

 

For Cleveland they would probably love for Michael Bush to slip to them in the 2nd Round, but I am not sure he'll be around.

[2GOLD 0]

Ben Patrick was a great tight end for Delaware, played like a guy who should have been playing for a bigger program. Glad to see he's doing well at the Shrine Game practices. Someone is going to get one hell of a tight end if they take a chance on him.

 

I'd love him in New England but I think the Pats might have enough tight ends for now.

[teke184 0]

I wouldn't say Cleveland is satisfied with their RB situation, although they probably would not select on at #3 or 4. A great line for Reuben Droughns was he was asked what his off-season goals were..... "stay out of trouble". Good call Reub.

 

For Cleveland they would probably love for Michael Bush to slip to them in the 2nd Round, but I am not sure he'll be around.

Cleveland's got enough holes to fill that they could take almost anything at #3 except a WR or TE.

 

 

In fact, given their holes at various positions, I'd talk with the Minnesota Vikings about moving down to #7, netting them extra picks in the bargain.

 

(Minnesota would jump for the #3 position if they thought that Calvin Johnson would still be there. It's a possibility since the Raiderslikely won't take him at #1 and Matt Millen would be torn into small chunks by the Detroit fans if he took yet another WR at #2)