2015 Mock Draft

1.       Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jamies Winston – QB – Florida State

The off-the-field concerns about Winston are real. But he’s also really the only QB in this draft who can be an impact player next year.

2.       Tennessee Titans – Marcus Mariota – QB – Oregon

I’m not a believer in Mariota, but I do believe that someone will want him badly enough to trade for him. I think the Titans take him and try to leverage a trade from one of them teams that wanted him.

3.       Jacksonville Jaguars – Dante Fowler Jr. – DE – Florida

I know that Leonard Williams is the consensus best player in the draft, but I think that the Jags have a good enough interior defensive line to focus on their edge rush. Fowler can bring them the strong edge rusher they’ve been looking for.

4.       Oakland Raiders – Amari Cooper – WR – Alabama

Again, I know that I’m passing on the best player available here, but it’s still the Raiders. I think they’re committed to getting a big play receiver and Cooper is everything you could want from a receiver prospect.

5.       Washington Redskins – Leonard Williams – DL – USC

While the Redskins have addressed their interior line during free agency, I think they jump at the chance to get the best defensive prospect in this draft. They can live with a sub-par outside linebacker if Williams is causing havoc from the interior.

A Faclons fan's Draft Wishlist

I’m going to be clear, this is not a mock draft or a statement of who the Falcons MUST come out of the draft with. This is just the players I would like to see in a Falcons uniform when the season begins. I’m going to include a number of prospects at a number of positions who could go through the first four rounds. I know they can’t take everyone, but I’m doing this more to illustrate that the draft can be successful with a number of selections.

Vic Beasley – DE/OLB – Clemson 

Some have labeled Beasley as a workout warrior. I just don’t buy it. He was just too productive at Clemson. His workout more likely confirmed what was seen on tape and I think he’ll be a big time edge rusher with Dan Quinn pushing him. The concerns about his technique are also things I think that Dan Quinn can work to refine.

Giants Take Another Receiver in the First Round?

                Despite the emergence of offensive rookie of year Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants may be looking to add more weapons during the 2015 NFL Draft.

                This actually makes some sense because, in spite of ranking 7^th in the league in passing yards and 9^th in passing touchdowns, the Giants receiver base was far from steady this past season. Beckham missed the first four weeks of the season as well as the entire preseason with a nagging hamstring injury. Victor Cruz missed the entire season after suffering a torn patellar tendon in week 6. Beyond those two, the Giants receiving corps. has been far from stellar. Kevin Ogletree, Reuben Randle and Preston Parker are all strictly backups and package players. If Cruz takes longer to return from his injury or his speed is sapped, it’s conceivable that the Giants would be looking for a legitimate threat opposite Beckham (assuming he plays all 16 games) next season.

                Prevailing wisdom is that the Giants would address either the offensive or defensive line during the first round and address receiver in one of the later rounds. But does picking a receiver in the second or third round, even a deep class, yield results?

                In seven of the last nine drafts, the Giants have taken a receiver in the first three rounds of the draft, for a total of 8 receivers. Of those eight, only two (Steve Smith and Beckham) have received pro bowl nods, with Hakeem Nicks being the only receiver to eclipse the 1000 yard mark more than once. The others, Sinorice Moss, Mario Manningham, Ramses Barden, Randle and Jerrel Jernigan have done little to settle the receiver issue. Moss, Barden and Jernigan were back of the roster players who rarely saw the field on offense and almost never had the ball in their hands. Manningham and Randle have found more success, each pushing at points to be a starter, but neither were able to hang onto the job. Randle still has a chance to show his development, but is better suited to the slot. Nicks or Manningham could return as a free agent, though it is unlikely.

                To put into context how badly the Giants have muffed the scouting of receivers during the last nine years, here are some of the receivers who were taken following the Giants selection of a receiver. 2010 and 2013 have been excluded because the Giants did not select a receiver in those drafts and it can be assumed they felt as if they had no need to address the position. 2014 is also being excluded because one cannot say for certain how good the other receivers would be in that particular draft. For 2009 since they took two receivers it will be marked from the point that they took Hakeem Nicks.

2006: Greg Jennings, Brandon Marshall, Marques Colston

2007: Jacoby Jones, James Jones (Debatable on how good they would be compared to Steve Smith, but both are still in the League and Smith isn’t.)

2008: Pierre Garcon, Stevie Johnson

2009: Mike Wallace, Julian Edelman

2011: Cecil Shorts

2012: T.Y Hilton

               

                This group accounts for 9 pro bowl selections, (not counting Jones’ selection as a returner in 2012) 25 1000+ yard seasons and 404 receiving touchdowns. While there are clear differences in talent, any one of these receivers could have been an upgrade over the current crop of receivers the Giants have. And all were available when the Giants selected receivers, the vast majority of which are no longer with the team.

                Consider also that Cruz and Parker were both undrafted free agents in 2010. Cruz signed with the Giants immediately while Parker spent the first few years of his career with Tampa Bay. Both remain on the roster while drafted Jernigan, Manningham and Nicks are all looking for work.

The draft isn’t the Giants only option however. Corey Washington, an undrafted rookie out of Newberry, was reminiscent of Victor Cruz in the 2014 preseason  and could be an intriguing option should he continue to develop. They have also signed Juron Criner from the Raiders and Dwayne Harris from the Cowboys. Criner has never developed and shouldn’t be counted on while Harris has been more impactful as a special teams player. Neither provides an upgrade over the in-house options.

The Giants certainly could go after a receiver in this draft. There is a ton of talent at all stages and it could give the Giants much needed insurance in case Beckham gets hurt or Cruz is slow in recovering. However, waiting until the second or third round to address the position would be a mistake. The last nine drafts have shown that Jerry Reese’s evaluation of mid-round receivers has bene spotty at best. The Giants need to either go for broke with a first round pick (Amari Cooper or Kevin White could still be on the board at 9) or wait and pick up UDFAs. At the least they should consider drafting another receiver during day three to give them more options should a second or third rounder not pan out. 

The Trent Richardson Trade

I was all set to write about the Hall of Fame and the progress certain players have made towards it, but then the Browns went out and decided to hijack this post by trading Trent Richardson to the Colts for the Colts first round pick in the 2014 draft.

To say this trade surprised me would be a major understatement. While I was never a big fan of Richardson, he was a solid player and one of the pieces I thought the Browns could build around in years to come. Clearly, the organization had other ideas. Every piece of information I got from the press conference the Browns had was that they clearly valued Richardson less than the previous regime and the fans did. I can understand, since the previous regime and many fans believed that Richardson was a do-it-all elite level running back. I found him to be overrated in that regard. I view his as a quality power back with enough moves to get by, but also reliant on dominant blocking to make big plays down the field. I thought he was closer to a Steven Jackson type than an Adrian Peterson type, who he was compared to at times going into the draft. That’s hardly a bad thing, just not as good as many think.

For the Colts, this does work out to a great trade. They get a back who can be a workhorse and bring a sense of toughness to the running game for only a first round pick. Considering he was the third overall pick in the same draft that they got their franchise quarterback in, a first round pick feels like a steal. Especially if they can keep him and Andrew Luck together for the next ten years.

For the Browns, it’s the equivalent of throwing the towel in for this season. Richardson was the most consistent weapon they could count on offensively. While Jordan Cameron has played well, he’s a big question mark going forward. There’s just no way to tell how his numbers are going to be affected by the return of Josh Gordon or if he will remain a viable option as the season unfolds. Brandon Weeden has been terrible, which is hardly surprising to me. Just too much change and not enough time to acclimate to the NFL for him to really have a chance to be successful. Combined that with the suspension to Josh Gordon and the inconsistent play of the other receivers, not to mention the horrible play of Oniel Cousins, who is currently playing right guard, it’s not surprising the Browns field one of the worst offenses in the NFL right now.

The next question for the Browns really is who is next? The idea that Brian Hoyer starting the next game could spell the end for Brandon Weeden in Cleveland sounds to me like a fairly accurate assessment. They want to see what they have in Hoyer and if he’ll be a viable option at quarterback going forward. If he fails, then he’ll likely be out the door with Weeden. But what about Cameron, Alex Mack or Josh Gordon? All were products of the previous regime and are not as close to the fans hearts as Richardson was. 

Personally, I think they should re-sign Mack and let other players play out their contract. Cameron might be a candidate for the franchise tag, but I think it’s totally based on whether or not there is a better option in free agency or the draft. I understand wanting to get more players who fit the system, but I am not a fan of giving up quality players just for the sake of fit. They did it once with Richardson, and they really can’t afford to do it too much going forward. Though I think Greg Little could be playing for his job long-term right now. 

HOF Report; Week 1

Building Legacies

 Peyton Manning:  He tied Brett Favre with his 23rd game with 4 plus touchdown passes as well as tying the all-time single game touchdown record, the first one to do so in 44 years. Hard to do better than that. There’s nothing left for him to do to make himself a Hall of Famer, but in the annals of the all-time greats, this performances is just another benchmark by which his statistics are marked.

The Aaron Hernandez Situation

        Tight End Aaron Hernandez’s arrest on the charge of first degree murder has sent major ripples through the NFL. On the one hand, the Commissioner’s office will need to make a decision on how to punish Hernandez, which regardless of his guilt or innocence in this matter is going to happen. On the other, the Patriots have to deal with the loss of their one, relatively reliable receiver and the ramifications his cutting him.

        I’ve never been a fan of Roger Goodell and I will continue to not be a fan of his heavy-handed, openly bias management of the Commissioner’s office. That being said, he is probably the perfect man to handle this situation. The severity of the charges cannot be understated and if Hernandez is found innocent and cleared of all charges, it would still be difficult for him to find a place on an NFL roster. As it stands, the NFL should take a similar tact to Michael Vick. Suspend Hernandez indefinitely, pending the outcome of the legal proceedings. If he is found guilty of the most serious crime, first degree murder, then there’s almost no point to lifting the suspension, as he’ll likely spend the rest of his playing days in prison.

Should he be found not guilty of that charge, the far trickier problem of punishing him comes into play. There are still five other gun-related charges against him. My opinion is, should he be found not guilty of all of these in addition to the murder charge, the suspension should be extended to at least the next full season, following the end of the legal proceedings. I admit I don’t know the full extent of those charges nor what their severity his, but I definitely think that whether or not he is found guilty of those charges should play a role in determining how much time he misses, should he be found not guilty of the murder charge.

The other part of this is the Patriots and how they move forward. To begin with, they’ve lost arguably their most reliable receiving weapon. While Rob Gronkowski is the best receiver on their team, his injury problems made Hernandez the more reliable option. With Hernandez gone, the Patriots are relying more than ever on Gronkowski to be the main receiving option. While Danney Amendola, Donald Jones or second-round pick Aaron Dobson could become big time receiving threats and pick up the slack left by the departure of Hernandez, the Patriots have to be looking hard at the remaining free agent receivers and tight ends.

The other major part that the Patriots end of this mess is the salary cap situation. Last August, the Patriots signed Hernandez to a 7-year 39.5 million dollars contract. With his release earlier today, they only have two years of that contract to worry about, this year and next year. This year, there isn’t too much to worry about. The dead money the Patriots have to deal with this season is only 4 million (to the best of my knowledge). While that’s not a small sum, the Patriots have taken care of their free agent and draft signings for the most part. However next year is when things are going to get stickier. Dead money from Hernandez’s contract jumps to 8.6 million, in the 2014 league year, which could seriously hamper their ability to re-sign players like Brandon Spikes, Aqib Talib and Rob Ninkovich. While the Patriots are the Patriots and can find ways to move on, an 8 million dollar hole in their salary cap is not going to help.