JaMarcus Russell went through his junior season at Louisiana State as a wonderkind. He was putting up unbelievable stats while leading the Tigers to a 10-2 record and a spot in the All-State Sugar Bowl game against Notre Dame. During the regular season, Russell threw for 3,129 yards 28 Touchdowns and 8 interceptions. In the bowl-game against Notre Dame, Russell accumulated 350 yards of total offense and had 3 touchdowns while being named the game’s MVP in  a 41-14 win. At LSU’s pro-day, Russell measured and weighed in at 6’5 ½ 265 pounds, and was throwing 60 yard bombs from his knees. When people heard of this, most of them were saying, “he did what?” Guys with that kind of arm-strength are basically not human. Can Chad Pennington throw the ball even 50 yards with a running start and full wind-up? I doubt it.

But Russell was basically the topic of pre-draft chatter after what he did at the LSU pro-day. What puzzles me is that nobody was really talking too much about his weight. A quarterback coming in weighing 265 pounds….wouldn’t there be some concern over weight issues? In my mind, yes, there should have been. But the Raiders went ahead and drafted Russell with the 1st pick in the 2007 draft, over the likes of Calvin Johnson, who head coach Lane Kiffin wanted, Adrian Peterson, who is a perennial NFL rushing leader year in and year out, and even Patrick Willis, who just signed a 5 year extension with $29 million guaranteed with the 49ers because of how much of a beast he is. Passing on franchise WR’s, future hall-of-fame RB’s, and Brian Urlacher-type LB’s could set your franchise back years. In fact, in what is definitely a weird coincidence, in the next three drafts for the Raiders after Russell, they drafted a RB, WR, and LB. (Darren McFadden in ‘08, Darrius Heyward-Bey in ‘09, and Rolando McClain in ‘10, just for kicks)

So back to JaMarcus Russell. He held out his rookie training camp before signing a huge contract in the range of 6 years for $68 million with $31.5 million guaranteed. Russell didn’t even take a snap from center until December 2, 2007 when he did so against the Denver Broncos. Russell went 4 of 7 for 56 yards. He didn’t play again until December 23 when he played against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In a disastrous statistical game, Russell completed only 7 of 23 passes for 83 yards to go along with 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions, and 1 lost fumble. OUCH. After that performance, and the Raiders only sporting a 4-11 record, Lane Kiffin decided to start Russell in the last game of the season against the San Diego Chargers.  On Russell’s first pass as a starting quarterback, he threw an interception. Russell couldn’t finish the game after leaving early in the third quarter after an apparent injury. He did, however, finish the game completing 23 of 31 passes for 224 yards and a TD. I failed to mention he had three turnovers which led to 17 Charger points in a 30-17 loss. Without those 17 points, the Raiders would have won that game 17-13.

In the 2008 season, Russell was named the starting QB in training camp and ended up starting  15 games. In what was his best statistical season in the NFL thus far in a very short NFL career,  Russell threw for 2,423 yards, 13 TD and only 8 INT’s. That was not a bad year for a guy who is only starting his first full season in the league. The Raiders thought they had something now. They thought wrong. Coming into the 2009 season, Russell was again named the starting QB in training camp, which didn’t surprise anybody after the season he had in ‘08. Which would end up being the beginning of the downfall of JaMarcus Russell, he finished a horrible season completing 48.8 percent of his passes with an abysmal 3 TD’s and 11 INT’s in 9 starts. During the season, he was also benched for the likes of Bruce Gradkowski and journeyman Charlie Frye. Russell really soured in the Raiders’ front office with his mediocre play and nonchalant attitude. He was often seen on the sidelines looking not interested and non-caring. By the end of the ‘09 season, Russell was now the #3 QB on the Raiders depth chart.

In the off season, Russell was criticized for his lack of conditioning and the talk was beginning that the Raiders front-office personnel was trying to convince Al Davis that they had to move on from Russell. Davis eventually agreed and on May 6, 2010, less than 3 years after drafting him #1 overall, JaMarcus Russell was released by the Oakland Raiders. With $36 million already collected in paychecks and guaranteed money, and another $3 million coming his way in the form of a guaranteed paycheck, Russell collected $39 million from the Raiders for completing 52% of his passes, a little over 4,000 yards passing with only 18 TD’s and 23 INT’s. Now, Russell is jobless. What a shame for a guy to have so much talent, make so much money, to just not care about his job and then subsequently be released so soon into his career.

There was talk that the Cincinnati Bengals were interested in bringing him in as a backup, and there was also speculation some teams were interested in bringing him in and playing another position. Russell is not budging.  The New Orleans Saints have already said they are not interested in bringing Russell back to his home town to backup Drew Brees. Russell has said that he is not at all interested in signing with the Arena Football League or the Canadian Football League. I believe he should leave all doors open. Even if he tried to boost his stock in the newly developed United Football League, I think that’d be great for him. Daunte Culpepper has just signed with a team out in Sacramento. Having two big-name guys in the league would be good for exposure and be good for Russell. He shouldn’t say, “I’m only going to play in the NFL, or nothing.” I truly believe a team in the UFL should definitely try to woo him into playing a year or two with them. He is only 24 years old and doesn’t turn 25 until August. Playing a year in another league where he could work on his conditioning, keeping his weight under control, and even his skills, he could benefit in all aspects. But with that said, having $39 million in the bank is unreal, maybe he’ll just retire. Who knows? Only JaMarcus does.

Team Losses - T. Owens – WR, J. Reed – WR, C. Draft – LB

Team Additions – D. Edwards – DE, A. Davis – LB, C. Green – OT

Team Needs – (Switching to a 3-4) OT, NT, QB, OLB, WR, DE

Draft:

1. CJ Spiller – RB, Clemson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxkNT9IxEu8

2. Torell Troup – DT, UCF

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeLhek6HBOM

3. Alex Carrington – DE, Arkansas State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAvEloMMOhQ&feature=related

4. Marcus Easley – WR, Connecticut

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV2L0DpLmQM

5. Ed Wang – OT, Virginia Tech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMqPNKXgFLA

6. Arthur Moats – OLB, James Madison

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaaRxhjB_LU

6. Danny Batten – OLB, South Dakota State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJKntBPsdo4

7. Levi Brown – QB, Troy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3pgLJdyBh0

7. Kyle Calloway – G, Iowa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ7pxdQ3oPg

Miami Dolphins

Team Losses – J. Taylor – OLB, J. Porter – OLB, G. Wilson – S, T. Ginn – WR/KR, A. Ayodele – LB, N. Jones – CB

Team Additions – B. Marshall – WR, K. Dansby – LB, R. Incognito – G, T. Dobbins – LB

Team Needs – OLB, NT, FS, G, TE, ILB

Draft:

1. Jared Odrick – DT, Penn State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj5LXLmFg7E

2. Koa Misi – OLB, Utah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4Mm-hICcfc

3. John Jerry – G, Mississippi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwDK66T5kL0

4. AJ Edds – OLB, Iowa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do7aIOuBD7o

5. Nolan Carroll – CB, Maryland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY32955jZag

5. Reshad Jones – S, Georgia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R1Ryqw3k5Y

7. Chris McCoy – OLB, Middle Tennessee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eGaRsen0n8 (at 1:21 mark)

7. Austin Spitler – ILB, Ohio State

New England Patriots

Team Losses – B. Watson – TE, A. Thomas – LB/pass rush specialist

Team Additions – T. Holt – WR, D. Lewis – DT/DE, A. Crumpler – TE, T. Banta-Cain – OLB/pass rush specialist

Team Needs – (possibly implementing more 4-3 defensive fronts) TE, OLB, WR, CB, D-Line depth

Draft:

1. Devin McCourty – CB/KR, Rutgers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIl5Du2OMMg

2. Rob Gronkowski – TE, Arizona

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiCZGXQkVRU

2. Jermaine Cunningham – DE, Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94309Y-E6Os

2. Brandon Spikes – ILB, Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsSCrkUrI1U

3. Taylor Price – WR, Ohio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7WrvN3aKJE

4. Aaron Hernandez – TE, Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G0i3Cc84Tc

5. Zoltan Mesko – P, Michigan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJS91Gfd_CI

6. Ted Larsen – C, N.C. State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0l1LSO8M_g (at 1:47 mark)

7. Thomas Welch – OT, Vanderbilt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0l1LSO8M_g (at 2:02 mark)

7. Brandon Deaderick – DE, Alabama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzHFpI3L3DA

7. Kade Weston – DT, Georgia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0l1LSO8M_g (at 2:29 mark)

7. Zac Robinson – QB, Oklahoma State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QP4gWiz22A

New York Jets

Team Losses – T. Jones – RB, L. Washington – RB, K. Rhoades – S, L. Sheppard – CB, A. Faneca – G

Team Additions – A. Cromartie – CB, L. Tomlinson – RB, S. Holmes – WR, J. Taylor – OLB, B. Poole – S

Team Needs – OLB, DE, S, G, T

Draft:

1. Kyle Wilson – CB, Boise State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TMCiFmr7E4

2. Vladimir Ducasse – OT, Massachusetts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwLp0hBtWsg

4. Joe McKnight – RB, Southern Cal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fliv9DNBfIg

5. John Conner – FB, Kentucky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWksU1w1Qq0 (at :10 mark)

AFC West

Denver Broncos

Team Losses – B. Marshall – WR, T. Scheffler – TE, A. Davis – LB

Team Additions – J. Williams – NT, J. Bannon – DE, A. Ayodele – LB, B. Quinn – QB

Team Needs – WR, C, QB, D-Line, LB

Draft:

1. Demaryius Thomas – WR, Georgia Tech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nDhGrYAx5g

1. Tim Tebow – QB, Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unznEqnn2E4

2. Zane Beadles – OT, Utah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A43AZoUopLs (at 1:45 mark)

3. J.D. Walton – C, Baylor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95VCpeM5kEc (at :12 mark)

3. Eric Decker – WR, Minnesota

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx9WWaKQk5s&feature=fvst

5. Perrish Cox – CB, Oklahoma State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma_n9K3stn8

6. Eric Olsen – G, Notre Dame

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95VCpeM5kEc (at :42 mark)

7. Syd’Quan Thompson – DB, California

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMk77JUWmw0

7. Jammie Kirlew – LB, Indiana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu2wuaKUhGs

Kansas City Chiefs

Team Losses – N/A

Team Additions – T. Jones – RB, S. Smith – DT, R. Lilja – G, J. Urban – WR, C Wiegmann

Team Needs – OT, NT, S, TE, LB

Draft:

1. Eric Berry – S, Tennessee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABh4EthNnDA

2. Dexter McCluster – RB/WR, Mississippi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA1dAqOIEE0

2. Javier Arenas – CB, Alabama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIGsZqAK8N4

3. Jon Asamoah – G, Illinois

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=989OK1N8Hg0

3. Tony Moeaki – TE, Iowa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GoGPZ-43CY

5. Kendrick Lewis – DB, Mississippi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fMGEdBCO4A (at the 3:55 mark)

5. Cameron Sheffield – LB, Troy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG5EThKqj-U (at the 2:00 mark)

Oakland Raiders

Team Losses – K. Morrison – MLB, G. Ellis – DE, J. Fargas – RB, G. Warren – DT,

Team Additions – J. Campbell – QB, K. Wimbley – OLB, Q. Groves – OLB

Team Needs – (possibly transitioning to a 3-4 defense) OT, MLB, DT/NT, QB, S

Draft:

1. Rolando McClain – LB, Alabama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvj1eDfaIO4

2. Lamarr Houston – DT, Texas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKUTXDrkWXM

3. Jared Veldheer – OT, Hillsdale

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpRy5cVwHh4 (at 1:42 mark)

4. Bruce Campbell – OT/G, Maryland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnMm7AcJ7RI

4. Jacoby Ford – WR, Clemson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp4_19YsG2A

5. Walter McFadden – DB, Auburn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YultaUpaBAQ (pt 1 of  3)

6. Travis Goethel – LB, Arizona State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wnw5dmBHpA (at 5:20 mark)

7. Jeremy Ware – DB, Michigan State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wnw5dmBHpA (at 5:33 mark)

7. Steven Brown – DB, Michigan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wnw5dmBHpA (at 6:05 mark)

San Diego Chargers

Team Losses – J. Williams – NT, L. Tomlinson – RB, A. Cromartie – CB, T. Dobbins – LB

Team Additions – N. Vasher – CB, N. Novak – K

Team Needs – RB, NT, CB, DE, O-Line depth

Draft:

1. Ryan Mathews – RB, Fresno State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA9wiFnDVdE

3. Donald Butler – LB, Washington

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtJT1-uqcik (at 3:53 mark)

4. Darrell Stuckey – DB, Kansas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z52oB5j0QI

5. Cam Thomas – NT, North Carolina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npe9dFUyGJ4 (#95)

5. Jonathan Crompton – QB, Tennessee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNhd0oV3-3o

7. Dedrick Epps – TE, Miami

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SGnPKV9rZk

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

Team Losses – D. Edwards – DT/DE, J. Bannan – DT/DE, S. Rolle – CB

Team Additions – A. Bolden – WR, C. Redding – DT/DE, D. Stallworth – WR

Team Needs – ILB, CB, TE, WR

Draft:

2. Sergio Kindle – LB, Texas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVLT2w6Z6SY

2. Terrence Cody – DT/NT, Alabama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iig2eh_zjOs

3. Ed Dickson – TE, Oregon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc0hRDBgjBE

4. Dennis Pitta – TE, BYU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSqUnYL60Ao

5. David Reed – WR, Utah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUaGQrb6mgU

5. Arthur Jones – DT, Syracuse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsF3OEVaJBU

6. Ramon Harewood – OT, Morehouse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd-Am4-7ZV8 (at 4:12 mark)

Cincinnati Bengals

Team Losses – S. Smith – DT, B. Williams – G, L. Coles – WR, S. Graham – K

Team Additions – A. Bryant – WR, M. Jones – WR/TE, M. Nugent – K, G. Wilson – S, Pacman Jones – CB, C. Peerman – RB

Team Needs – TE, S, G, LB, QB

Draft:

1. Jermaine Gresham – TE, Oklahoma

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nngZJXnuS98

2. Carlos Dunlap – DE, Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q5Q2PZklrI

3. Jordan Shipley – WR, Texas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3oyB-AbPCU

3. Brandon Ghee – CB, Wake Forest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66qlBv7WTME (#17)

4. Geno Atkins – DT, Georgia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHcibKj216A (at 1:23 mark)

4. Rodderick Muckelroy – LB, Texas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLXCoGLMbTc

5. Otis Hudson – G, Eastern Illinois

6. Dezmon Briscoe – WR, Kansas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThFMPYiIniE

7. Reggie Stephens – C, Iowa State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz6YYSsWIeg (at :23 mark)

Cleveland Browns

Team Losses – J. Lewis – RB, B. Quinn – QB, D. Anderson – QB, A. Hall – LB, B. Poole – S, H. Fraley – C

Team Additions – J. Delhomme – QB, S. Wallace – QB, B. Watson – TE, S. Brown – CB, T. Pashos – OT, C. Gocong – LB, S. Fujita – LB, P. Hillis – RB/FB, A. Smith – TE, E. Ghiaciuc – C

Team Needs – QB, S, WR, CB, RB, LB, O-Line

Draft:

1. Joe Haden – CB, Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJBn0saY1_k

2. TJ Ward – S, Oregon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NetmUwDaAI

2. Montario Hardesty – RB, Tennessee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJJiHPqy8xE

3. Colt McCoy – QB, Texas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5B_tGheuQ4

3. Shawn Lauvao – G, Arizona State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcaxxJoe3n0

5. Larry Asante – S, Nebraska

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IkAU7G6Sic

6. Carlton Mitchell – WR, South Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddm_AwNfUY8

6. Clifton Geathers – DE, South Carolina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8uCPzHnWk4

Pittsburgh Steelers

Team Losses – S. Holmes – WR, W. Parker – RB

Team Additions – B. Leftwich – QB, A. Randle-El – WR, W. Allen – S, B. McFadden – CB, L. Foote – LB, J. Scott – OT

Team Needs – O-Line, CB, LB, RB, WR, TE

Draft:

1. Maurkice Pouncey – C, Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6NT3DAMtrE

2. Jason Worilds – LB, Virginia Tech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBzLNXDuTGA

3. Emmanuel Sanders – WR, SMU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNthxAPLaFw

4. Thaddeus Gibson – LB, Ohio State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icaUlcW2SCQ

5. Chris Scott – OT, Tennessee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IysD6dlxsIo

5. Crezdon Butler – DB, Clemson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhQucP7DjYE

5. Stevenson Sylvester – LB, Utah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-3oUIQ09IU

6. Jonathan Dwyer – RB, Georgia Tech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq9Yme2gczU

6. Antonio Brown – WR, Central Michigan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U172KCi1mks

7. Doug Worthington – DE, Ohio State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeCahfEqJLg

AFC South

Houston Texans

Team Losses – D. Robinson – CB, B. Russell (?) – S

Team Additions – N. Rackers – K, W. Smith – O-Line, M. Gaines – TE

Team Needs – CB, RB, G, FS, WR

Draft:

1. Kareem Jackson – CB, Alabama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUlu7sXogUM

2. Ben Tate – RB, Auburn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfBkonPBFGY

3. Earl Mitchell – DT, Arizona

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FgzV4MRXcU

4. Darryl Sharpton – LB, Miami

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fMGEdBCO4A (at 1:22 mark)

4. Garrett Graham – TE, Wisconsin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAljnqfm7yA

5. Sherrick McManis – DB, Northwestern

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4VulMlHEjI (at :12 mark)

6. Shelley Smith – G, Colorado State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kIXVCmvoUw (at :10 mark)

6. Trindon Holliday – KR, LSU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlYgAUH7zfI

7. Dorin Dickerson – TE/WR – Pittsburgh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9fZQpuoJ_Q

Indianapolis Colts

Team Losses – M. Jackson – CB, R. Brock – DE, R. Lilja – G, J. Sorgi – QB

Team Additions – A. Terry – OT

Team Needs – OT, G, DT, LB, QB, DE

Draft:

1. Jerry Hughes – DE, TCU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkvPIDwMlqE

2. Pat Angerer – LB, Iowa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NpRbgzYTY0

3. Kevin Thomas – CB, Southern Cal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TltqT7D8D_I

4. Jacques McClendon – G, Tennessee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f_Obm0Zi74

5. Brody Eldridge – TE, Oklahoma

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulV_O5UZE6U (at 2:05 mark)

7. Ricardo Mathews – DE, Cincinnati

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGh_uGzSPH8 (at 1:28 mark)

7. Kavell Conner – LB, Clemson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzgxywpm8wc (at 2:26 mark)

7. Ray Fisher – DB, Indiana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjBpDXKv6Fc

Jacksonville Jaguars

Team Losses – J. Henderson – DT, T. Holt – WR, T. Thomas – OT, Q. Groves – DE

Team Additions – A. Kampman – DE, K. Morrison – MLB, F. Keiaho – LB, K. Osgood – WR

Team Needs – LB, DT, S, QB, C, DE, WR

Draft:

1. Tyson Alualu – DT, California

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCjawbHQ2Ns

3. D’Anthony Smith – DT, Louisiana Tech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdX0jhm3ulI

5. Larry Hart – DE, Central Arkansas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxOvrOHGbU0

5. Austen Lane – DE, Murray State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLzaVpl0NUQ

6. Deji Karim – RB, Southern Illinois

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMpFoHv6kQM

6. Scotty McGee – KR, James Madison

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svRvZxTCTb4

Tennessee Titans

Team Losses – K. Vanden Bosch – DE, K. Bulluck (?) – LB, K. Mawae (?) – C, L. White – RB

Team Additions – W. Witherspoon – LB, J. Babin – DE, T. Hill – CB, C. Simms – QB

Team Needs – DE, CB, LB, G, WR, QB

Draft:

1. Derrick Morgan – DE, Georgia Tech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDFUIyuqiH0

3. Damian Williams – WR, Southern Cal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eggkv0Z0tQ

3. Rennie Curran – LB, Georgia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wndM8tc0SB8

4. Alterraun Verner – CB, UCLA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cZbjLR1l_c

5. Robert Johnson – S, Utah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_ourKzKOnY

6. Rusty Smith – QB, Florida Atlantic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qf5qN7TfiA

6. Myron Rolle – S, Florida State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsn1aIaYj-Y

7. Marc Mariani – WR, Montana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNM1NYBp0QQ

7. David Howard – DT, Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLzaVpl0NUQ (at :22 mark)

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons needed quite a few different things in order to make this year’s draft a success; a receiver to counteract Roddy White, help at linebacker, depth at defensive tackle, an offensive guard to solidify the line, and somebody who knows how to stop the pass (I know they have to defend Drew Brees, but when you play Carolina twice a year, ranking 28^th in pass defense doesn’t cut it).

With their first round pick (19^th) Atlanta decided to take Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon. Now this is a great pick considering that he was the best player available; He’ll surely cure all their problems at linebacker; he can play all three linebacker positions. His combine results were top-of-the-line and his film backs it up. A very instinctive, playmaking linebacker, Weatherspoon will probably serve a huge role as a weak side backer in Atlanta’s Tampa Two defense. I say this pick was a huge success.

The Falcons had to wait until the end of the third round before their next selection came around. This time, big-boy Kentucky defensive tackle Corey Peters was the selection. Now Peters isn’t the ideal starting defensive tackle, in the sense that his technique isn’t where it needs to be in order to compete every down in the NFL. However, Peters will add another hard-working body to the defensive tackle rotation in Atlanta; that looks like a solid pick to me.

Now in order to get their offensive line under control, which wasn’t too bad in the first place (only allowing 27 sacks in 2009), they drafted Alabama offensive guard Mike Johnson and UNLV offensive guard Joe Hawley. Neither may be the immediate fix at offensive guard, however, they will provide much needed depth to Atlanta’s questionable offensive line. Johnson can be a solid backup as a rookie, while Hawley has the versatility to play any of the three interior positions. Hawley may not be quite as talented as Johnson, but will provide more help than many may expect. Okay so these two picks didn’t quite exemplify the offensive line, but it’ll work for the time being.

Well, so far so good for the Falcons. At this point, they’ve used every one of their picks in a good manner. However, with all the needs that Atlanta came into the draft needing, it’s nearly impossible to satisfy all of them; Roddy White’s still lonely out wide and the secondary didn’t get any better when you drafted two straight offensive guards. Yet, I think this is where the Falcons did the best job. Still needing some help in the secondary, Atlanta chose Oklahoma cornerback Dominique Franks. Franks is a surprisingly good fit for Atlanta’s Tampa Two defense and should excel with his great instincts and zone coverage. He may not be a starting corner at first, but could help out in packages that require more than four defensive backs such as nickel or dime.

At this point, the only need left for the Atlanta Falcons to fill is at receiver. Wide receiver Roddy White accounted for 85 receptions, 1153 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns in 2009, so it’s safe to say that they have a #1 receiver. But other than that, the Falcons don’t’ have a guy that can pick up the slack (#2 receiver Michael Jenkins only had 635 receiving yards and one touchdown reception in 2009). So, with all this in mind, Atlanta picked up hybrid Kansas receiver Kerry Meier to fill their hole. Meier used to start at quarterback for the Jayhawks, but was converted to a receiver during his junior year. Ever since, Meier has been more than productive considering his circumstances. However, I don’t think that Meier is gonna be enough to satisfy that #2 spot. Hey, he might go out there and prove me wrong, but I haven’t seen enough proof to lead me to believe that this guy can be a productive receiver in the NFL. Picking up someone in the fifth round doesn’t exactly fill their need as well as it should. I’m not very impressed with how Atlanta handled that.

Overall Draft Grade: B

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers came into the draft needing three main things; a quarterback to build their team around, someone for that quarterback to throw to, and some players that could stop the run for God’s sake (particularly at defensive end). Some fans argue that quarterback is not as big of a need as the media portrays it to be, however, when your team leader throws more picks per game than any other quarterback in the league, we got a problem. So, to fit this need, the Panthers looked to the draft for answers.

It was probably a very painful few hours in Carolina’s draft room, as they were forced to wait until the mid second round before their first pick arrived. When it did, and they saw that Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen was still on the board, they couldn‘t believe their eyes. What is it with Notre Dame quarterbacks these days? I don’t know, maybe Brady Quinn scared teams off. But no matter, Carolina jumped all over Clausen while he was still there and there probably isn’t a second that goes by that the Panthers regret their decision. Clausen has an NFL-ready arm and is very used to playing in a pro-style offense at Notre Dame. He can fire passes into small spaces and can put some touch on the ball in order to make it just over the defender and into the receivers hands. Clausen should have plenty of opportunities to blossom as a quarterback in Carolina. Running backs Jonothan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams should make him look good anyways (much like Mark Sanchez and the Jets).

Now for that player for him to throw to; the Panthers had another whack at the NFL Draft piñata, this time in the mid third round, and went with LSU receiver Brandon LaFell. LaFell was a player that was projected to go in the early-to-mid second round, but it wasn’t a huge shocker when he was still around at the 78^th pick. Carolina‘s #2 receiver Muhsin Muhammad is entering his 15^th season in 2010, so this is a very smart pick, as LaFell shouldn’t have to wait long before his spot opens up in the offense. During his junior and senior season at LSU, LaFell never really had an established quarterback to throw him the ball and still managed to put up 1721 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns during that two-year speriod; he’s probably thrilled to be starting along side a matured quarterback in Jimmy Clausen.

That’s two needs down with their first two picks, so I guess you can say that the Panthers had plenty of breathing room with eight picks left. However, drafting quarterback Tony Pike and wildcat quarterback Armanti Edwards in the later rounds, I guess you can say Carolina would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to quarterback. Don’t wanna take any more chances there. These two picks may not look like much of a significance at first, but this is really where Carolina’s draft is going to make a huge impact. Not only do they have one franchise quarterback (Clausen), but they have two (Pike)! Not to mention someone to take the snaps in the wildcat and give Deangelo Williams a break.

This is where the “great” part of the Panther’s draft ends and the “good” part begins. With Probowl defensive end Julius Peppers on his way out, Carolina needed a strong, balanced guy to take his spot. Drafting Ole Miss defensive end Greg Hardy may not be in the best interest for the Panthers. Hardy used to be a big-time, explosive player at Ole Miss, but wasn’t even a starter in 2010 because of how badly injuries have affected him; I don’t think Hardy is a very reliable replacement at defensive end. Well too bad that’s the only defensive lineman they drafted, cause they sure needed some help in the middle if you ask me. Ranking 22^nd in the league in rush defense, the line is in obvious need of repair. And don’t go blaming their linebacking core; middle linebacker Jon Beason racked up 141 tackles last year; he’s not the problem.

However, the Panthers did draft South Carolina outside linebacker Eric Norwood in the late fourth round. Norwood isn’t the best athlete, but he has instincts and playmaking skills that shows very great potential. Norwood actually reminds me of middle linebacker Jon Beason that I spoke of earlier. If Norwood turns out like Beason, then the Panthers may not need a defensive line for then next eight years.

Overall Draft Grade: B+

New Orleans Saints

Coming into 2010 as the defending Super Bowl champs, it’s hard to believe that the Saints have any needs whatsoever. However, with last year’s first-round selection Malcolm Jenkins being in a limbo between corner and safety, while free safety Darren Sharper’s career is coming to a close, New Orleans has a lot happening on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive tackle and linebacker are areas of concern and some how the secondary still isn’t up to par.

With their first round pick, 32^nd overall, the Saints took another chance with a corner, this time Florida State’s Patrick Robinson. All this means is that last year’s 16^th overall pick Malcolm Jenkins will have a chance to move to safety, hopefully solidifying the secondary; so, when are the Saints going to give the whole defensive back thing a rest? That’s three years in a row that they’ve selected a defensive back with their first round pick, meaning that those picks obviously didn’t make a big enough impact to direct their draft picks in another direction. Now Robinson is a speedy, athletic corner that closes in fast on the receiver. He has great see-to-do instincts and can make a play pretty much anywhere on the field; he didn’t fall into the first round on accident. Robinson can provide another solid developing corner to the Saints secondary and can hope to be starting along side Malcolm Jenkins in the near future.

The next two picks were a bit of a mystery to me; first of all, do the Saints really need another tight end? They had five on their roster last season. And it’s not like they’re all bad or anything, Jeremy Shockey is probably the best pass-catching tight end in the game and back up David Thomas has enough talent to be a starter for just about any other team. Anyways, the guy they drafted, Miami tight end Jimmy Graham, is an ex basket ball player that only played two years of college football. He was very productive during his time on the gridiron and reminds many of Chargers tight end Antonio Gates. It would be great if this guy turned out like Gates, heck, it’d be great if all six of their draft picks turned out as pro-bowlers; then Drew Brees would have to get used to throwing out of two tight end packages.

The Saints took USC offensive tackle Charles Brown in the late second round, fulfilling a potential need at tackle if Jammal Brown gets traded. Brown is a solid NFL tackle that has a certain potential to become a starter sometime during his career. 6’5” 305 pounds, his size is certainly good enough and has pretty good athleticism for a big guy. This is a solid pick by New Orleans, they took the best player available rather than someone to fill their immediate needs, but I think this pick will certainly pay off.

Trading up seven spots to draft LSU defensive tackle Al Woods was probably the best decision by the Saints this draft. He may not be that player that’ll just blow up the scene in New Orleans, but he’s a hometown hero in Baton Rouge and will attract plenty of fans. The college-NFL transition will be very easy and he’ll have tons have people pushing him for success. He was one of the best run stoppers in the nation last year and that’s exactly what the Saints are looking for in a defensive tackle. With a surprising draft up to this point, Al Woods just made it look better.

Moving to their last pick of the draft, the Saints drafted Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield. Even though the Saints don’t have a very good history in drafting quarterbacks, this was a mediocre pick because they needed somebody be behind Drew Brees. If Brees were to get injured, the Saints wouldn’t be receiving their Super bowl rings this August. The need for a back up was exposed after Mark Brunell went unsigned this off season; in Brunells only start last season, he threw for 102 yards and one interception, so they’re not losing too much. Canfield is the type of quarterback that will be a good fit in New Orleans. He’s smart and accurate, much like Brees, and has great leadership skills; should be a great back up for the Saints.

Draft Grade: C

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers finished with the worst record in the NFC South, third worst in the NFL, and therefore had the third overall pick in the Draft. They needed quite a few things this draft, particularly on defense; two defensive tackles to satisfy the defensive line, help at defensive end, a play-making safety, someone at wide out, and maybe a guy or two to help out at linebacker.

Having the third pick of the NFL Draft, Tampa Bay had the opportunity to draft practically in player in the whole draft (outside the first two picks). Luckily, the Bucs chose the right year to be in need of a defensive tackle; Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy fell right into their laps. One of the four Oklahoma players to be drafted in the top four picks, McCoy was slightly overshadowed by the presence of Nebraska counterpart Ndamukong Suh. Suh was drafted second overall by the Lions, leaing Tampa Bay with a defensive tackle of equal value. McCoy is an extremely quick and speedy defensive tackle that also has enough power and strength to fight off the double team. An all-around athlete that has virtually no weaknesses. Predictable, yet great pick by Tampa Bay.

Does everybody remember when Warren Sapp and Anthony McFarland ruled the LOS back in the early 2000’s? They actually won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay if you recall. Well maybe that’s what they’re trying to recreate here by drafting UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price to follow up McCoy. Price brings more of a raw talent to the defensive line. He is very quick, like McCoy, but also is very violent in his play. Has great moves and is one of those guys that can really shoot a gap and stuff it. I like what the Buccaneers are trying to do here with their defensive line and I think both McCoy and Price have great potential starting next to each other.

Tampa Bay drafted two big-play receivers to quench their thirst for a receiver; Illinois receiver Arrelious Benn in the second round and Syracuse receiver Mike Williams in the fourth. Benn is a player that knows how to make guys miss and is a terrific worker, while Williams is very talented, yet had some off the field issues that put him at risk of not finding the field as much as wants to. The Buccaneers weren’t a very explosive offense in 2009, so adding these two receivers was a great way to add more talent around quarterback Josh Freeman.

In the later rounds, Tampa Bay addressed their nagging concern for a linebacker by not drafting one, but two solid players. Virginia Tech’s Cody Grimm and Florida State’s Dekoda Watson were both drafted in the seventh round by the Bucs. Both Grimm and Watson have enough drive and heart to be very effective special teams players as a rookie. Watson has more immediate potential to actually make a difference on defense, while Grimm may stick as a special teams player for most of his career.

As cornerback Ronde Barber is getting towards the point of retiring from the NFL, Tampa Bay looked for, and found, a replacement in this year’s Draft. Taking Vanderbilt corner Myron Lewis in the third round, Tampa Bay hopes that the retirement of Barber will not leave the secondary in ruins, but let a young star take over. Lewis has sound technique at every secondary position and is one of those guys that will impress wherever you put him. A good pick by the Bucs.

Overall Draft Grade: A

But what about youth developmental programs, and why does it matter? Every football player gets their start in “Pop Warner” youth style football, much like baseball players get their start in “Little League” play. It’s supposed to be a place where, like school-based programs, learning takes place. Learning about the sport and it’s proper play in a safe environment where basic fundamentals are taught that will, we hope, carry the student athlete through the rest of his/or her life. Integrity, honor, sportsmanship, respect for each other and the rules of the game, and above all, fair play. At least that’s what my contemporaries and I were taught growing up in the 1960’s and 1970’s. So why should it be different now?

Incidents of a violent nature at youth sporting events is not new, but has always been isolated to a few “bad days” here and there. Or is it? Is there a growing trend here, among the communities of our country? Are parents pushing their kids too hard to “win” at any cost? And who should take responsibility and control? We expect ourselves to hold each other to a high standard of behavior, but what about when that standard breaks down? If we are as a people, going to police our own on this, we first have to be aware of the danger signs. When a parent or a coach tells a player to “Get That Kid” at the top of his lungs, is he really saying “cover that kid” or “Stop that kid from beating us at any cost”? Where does the rage come from? Is it simply from being outplayed, or is the desire to please the parental figures in a youth athlete’s life pressure them to “win at any cost,” even if the rules are broken.

An ongoing study project at Rutgers University’s Youth Sports Research Council asserts that while there is still no evidence to support “Sports Rage” as an out of control “epidemic” situation, the instances are happening more often and leading to serious injury among those involved. The research at Rutgers points to two different areas: fan violence at events, and instances on the field of play. On Field instances are broken into three different incident types: athlete on athlete, violence against officials, and other situations such as assaults on coaches by parents and other bystanders. The following is quoted from a finding by the council, led by Professor Gregg Heinzmann, the council’s director, on the topic of parent behavior at youth sporting events (in larger type):

Why Do Parents Misbehave?

To date, many of the explanations given for “why rage occurs” have been too shortsighted to be of any practical value. For example, in response to the important and legitimate question, “why do some parents behave so poorly at their child’s sporting event,” the often parroted answer has been, “because no one told them they couldn’t.” Such simplistic analysis fails to provide direction for reforming youth sports, in terms of preventing sports rage, because it doesn’t address the underlying reasons for poor parental behavior.

To our credit as a society we have tried to do better in this decade, but it seems we still have a long way to go in some areas of policing our own behavior at youth sports events.

Still, when there is a connection between an overzealous parent shouting at his child or children to “get that kid,” and an incident that leads to serious injury of a youth athlete that was sparked by actions on the part of parents or coaches, we as a society have a moral obligation to prevent it from getting out of hand. Regardless of the fact that laws are in place or not, we should feel a duty to protect our youth and place a binding code of conduct on athletes, coaches, parents and fans of ANY youth sporting event at any level, with serious punishment to those that violate the code of conduct and the law.

There also has to be a concern that behavior of this type if allowed to go unchecked, leads to far worse incidents of violence as the athlete grows up, along with an increase in anti-social, and even possibly sociopathic action on the part of some. While we always commend the athlete for having a “winning” attitude or a great “game” face and playing with emotion, there is a clear line between what is acceptable and what is not on the field of play. While no clear relation exists between a youth athlete who gets into trouble for taking things too far on the field and the excesses of some current professional athletes and their behavior and “Self-Entitled” way of life, it’s not too far off base to surmise that poor sportsmanship and behavior on the part of youth athletes that aren’t “behavior modified” can lead to far worse actions in later life. The police blotters across the country are filled with current and ex-pro athletes running amok and tarnishing their reputations and the great game of football. The only way this can be combated is through early intervention on the part of parents, coaches, and administrators.

Not long ago a parent reached out to me to get my feelings on one such incident that took place last fall in a Denver suburb. My first thought was “these things happen all the time” but once I viewed the video (attached with the families’ permission at the end of this article) you will see that this is not the kind of thing that should be allowed to be explained away as “just football” or “it happens all the time.” I was compelled to get involved because of my background in football, and a moral standard I adhere to.

It’s because of an incident like this, where a young man could have been crippled for life, or worse, died on the field from a broken neck, that assurances must be granted that no incident goes by without an appropriate reaction from a league’s administrators no matter what the level. Youth football is about teaching skills. It’s about learning what a 2-5 sweep is. It’s about how to hold and carry and throw a football. What it is not is your coach or your dad telling you to “Get that Kid” and you punch him 4 times in the head and through his facemask and then grab him by the mask and twist his neck and head like your taking the lid off a jar, then walk away sneakily hoping you don’t get caught when most everyone clearly saw what you did. There is just no just excuse for this on any level. Not “its just football” or “it was in the heat of the game.” In the state where I live, what you are going to see on this video would be classified as a violent felony (assault and battery to be exact), which would and should cause anyone tried as an adult for such crime and convicted be jailed for said crime. Clearly we can’t do that in the case of a 10 or 11 year old child, but steps must be taken to make sure this never happens again, and proper behavior is reinforced at all times on the field of play.

This past week on our radio show we brought this situation to light by having the parents and coaches of the injured player join us for the last two segments of our show, along with their legal counsel, to take questions on air from myself and my team of co-hosts. We can’t believe for the life of us how these parents are in the minority in their feeling that something is wrong with this situation, and that there is the possibility of a “cover up” of some sort going on here, especially when I receive a reply via e-mail by way of a “statement” from the current president of the league where this incident took place the next day.

In this e-mail I was given a detailed account of the league’s sincerity and that “Trust me.

If we have the video, and it shows what it purports to show, swift, direct and appropriate action will be taken by me.” That is all well and good intentioned, and we are glad that it’s possible that common sense could win out here. But it should have been done when the incident took place, not six and a half months later, and only because the mother of the athlete involved came on my show because her and the few parents supporting her could not get any supportive action from the league’s administrator’s at the time of the incident and felt they had no other recourse to get assistance. That being said, I’m happy the current president of this league wants to move forward and get this rectified in a proper manner. In the interest of fairness I have invited him (and the league’s legal counsel if he feels threatened by the truth of this situation) to come on our show as guests two weeks from now, to explain what steps will be taken to make sure this never happens again.

These parents also feel that much as been done to smear them up until now, that they have been painted as “crazy malcontents” bent on destroying the league. I have been personally accused of “ getting involved in something that is none of my business” and “doing this to get the ratings of my show up.” As a matter of fact, while we were conducting the show this past Thursday night I was getting support from a few people in our show’s chat room. At the same time I was being harassed by someone via instant message telling me “what do I care about a few crazy parents for” and “since when does the “New York Based” sports media even care about youth football in Colorado.”

My Answer to these people is plain and simple: Any time anyone tarnishes the great game of football by their actions or lack there of, it’s my business. No matter where it is, New York, Colorado, or anywhere else, and I will stand up for these parents and their children until justice is done. It’s not about my show ratings. I get plenty of good guests, mostly retired NFL players, current college players or coaches, player agents, and fellow football media. I don’t need a story like this to get up my ratings. This story needs to be told and the issues addressed. No one is looking to keep these kids from playing football. That’s the last thing we want. But we want the athlete who was injured to never have to worry about getting hurt like this ever again because an opponent took it a little too far, or because a parent of the opposing player pressured him into beating up an opponent for no reason other then he was frustrated over being outplayed at that moment or because he didn’t like the way he was blocked. Anyone who needs to question that shouldn’t be involved in sports.

With the 16th pick of the NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans took versatile Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan. Morgan is another one of those guys that has tons of talent and, like Spiller, had the potential to be drafted anywhere in the draft. Quite frankly, if I were Jeff Fisher right now, I’d be pretty stoked about finding this guy at the 16th spot. He can play defensive end in a 4-3 system and an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. Morgan’s speed and relentless pass rush gives him the edge over most sluggish offensive tackles and he collapses the pocket very quickly; Tennessee couldn’t be happier. The defensive line has been falling apart lately and Morgan could defiantly add depth there and, heck, outside linebacker Kieth Bullock is getting up there in age, so it may not be a bad idea to see how he does at outside linebacker too.

The Broncos used their 1st round pick, 22, to draft Georgia Tech receiver Demaryius Thomas. This pick leaves me with one question; is this Denver’s master plan? First, we’re going to trade our #1 offensive threat, Brandon Marshall, to the Dolphins and, then, we’re going to replace him with an incoming rookie receiver that was the leader in YPC in college. They also drafted Tim Tebow with the 25th pick; the Broncos are taking some huge strides, the question is, are they in the right direction? There’s no doubt that the Broncos are looking to acquire a big-play receiver to replace Brandon Marshall, but the fact that they’re drafting Thomas to take over; those are some big shoes to fill. Now there’s no question that Thomas is a talented receiver; you don’t just fall into the 1st round on accident. He’s a very physical receiver that blows by corners with his strength. He has very sticky hands and, when he goes up for the ball, he’s almost always coming down with it. Sounds a little bit like Marshall. Final note – the Broncos should have never traded Brandon Marshall, because they’ve forced themselves to draft a receiver such as Thomas this early in the draft.

Only two ACC players were drafted in the 2nd round; Virginia cornerback Chris Cook went 34th to the Vikings and Virginia Tech defensive end Jason Worilds went 52nd to the Steelers.

When the Vikings took Cook, well, I’m not sure if they had their thinking caps on for this one. Cook is a very competitive, tough corner that isn’t afraid to help out with the run; sounds like a Vikings corner to me. But I’m afraid that Minnesota missed out on the chance to draft an elite receiver. Golden Tate, Arrelious Benn, Brandon LaFell, and Damian Williams are all receivers that would have scratched the itch for receiver in the 2nd round. Perhaps the Vikings are looking to turn Cook into a strong safety; not only do they have a greater need at that position, but Cook’s toughness and tackling mentality would certainly make an easy transition to the safety position.

Jason Worilds is a perfect fit for the Steelers; I love the pick. Pittsburgh’s starting defensive end Aaron Smith is entering his 13th NFL season, so it’s safe to say that, unless he pulls a Brett Favre, the Steelers are going to be without a defensive end very soon. Worilds will be a very good asset to the smash-mouth kind of football that the Steelers defense brings to the field. He is in a lot of ways like Georgia Tech’s Derrick Morgan in the sense that he explodes into the backfield. His pass rushing moves are as good as they get and he when he when he gets to the quarterback, he leaves no prisoners. I think Pittsburgh made a great pick here and that Worilds will be very successful under the Steelers aggressive, blitzing defensive scheme.

With the 71st pick, Georgia Tech safety Morgan Burnett was drafted by the Green Bay Packers. The main goal for Green Bay coming into the draft was to complete their offensive line in a sense where they wouldn’t be racing for answers in free agency. They took care of that in the 1st round, allowing them to pick up Morgan Burnett, a guy who wasn’t expected to be there in the 3rd round. Burnett’s a very quick, athletic, instinctive player that has all you want in a safety. He makes big plays on the ball, is terrific against the run, and should be a very good asset in Green Bay.

Miami tight end Jimmy Graham was drafted by the defending Super Bowl champions at 95th overall. It seems like defensive back has been the Saints biggest need in the NFL Draft the last five years, but as the 3rd round came along, New Orleans piled up by drafting a tight end I’m not quite sure they really needed. Hey, Graham should be thrilled; he’s going to be playing on last year’s Super Bowl winning, #1 offense. Though he may not get much playing time. Jeremy Shockey is still at lbay reeling in passes and 2nd string tight end David Thomas isn’t too bad either; he caught 35 passes for 356 yards and a touchdown as a back up in 2009. Not to mention the other two tight ends on their roster that never got to the field in the Saints Super Bowl run. I guess they’re just trying to provide competition.

Wake Forest cornerback Brandon Ghee was drafted by the Bengals with 96th pick. I like the decision the Bengals made with going with this guy in the 3rd round. They’re in a huge need of a #2 corner, as well as two fresh safeties; at least this satisfies one of their needs considering they didn’t address any needs in the first two rounds. Cincinnati drafted another tight end in the 1st round? What!? I thought their 2009 1st round selection, Missouri tight end Chase Coffman, was expose to take care of that? Oh yeah, he didn’t catch any balls last season, guess they gotta keep trying. Ghee didn’t make many headlines as a starter for Wake Forest, but he was very productive and will be a very solid corner in the NFL if he has time to develop. However, I’m feeling obligated to bash on Cincinnati; they didn’t really need to draft a tight end. They could have used their 21st pick in the 1st round to draft, hmm, I don’t know maybe Devin McCourtney? Kyle Wilson?

Miami linebacker Darryl Sharpton was drafted to the Houston Texans 102nd overall and offensive tackle Bruce Campbell was drafted 106th by the Oakland Raiders. A few picks later, Clemson receiver Jacoby Ford was drafted at 108 (The Raiders couldn’t go a draft without choosing a 4.3 forty receiver?).

UNC defensive end E.J. Wilson was picked up by the Seattle Seahawks at 127th overall, while Miami offensive tackle Jason Fox was picked next (128th ) by the Lions.

The Seahawks also picked up Virginia Tech safety Kam Chancellor 133rd overall (5th round), Clemson defensive end Ricky Sapp was drafted by the Eagles 134th overall, and Virginia Tech offensive tackle Ed Wang was selected by the Bills with the 140th spot.

Maryland corner back Nolan Carroll and UNC defensive tackle Cam Thomas were drafted back to back in the 5th round. Carroll by the Dolphins145th and Thomas by the Chargers 146th.

Boston College center Matt Tenant was selected by the Saints (158th), Wake Forest guard Chris DeGeare was picked up by the Vikings (161st), and Clemson cornerback Crezdon Butler was drafted by the Steelers (164th).

Hookies punter Brent Bowden was drafted by the Buccaneers (172nd), former Georgia Tech A-back Jonathan Dwyer was selected by the Steelers (188th), NC State center Ted Larson was picked up by the Patriots, and Florida State safety, road scholar, Myron Rolle slipped all the way down to the Titans; the last pick in the 6th round (207th).

Virginia Tech safety Cody Grimm was drafted by the Buccaneers (210th), NC State defensive end Willie Young was taken by the Lions (213th), Miami tight end Derrick Epps was picked up by the Chargers (235th), and, going to the Indianapolis Colts, Clemson linebacker Cavell Connor was the last ACC player taken in the draft.

In the Oakland Raiders case, they decided to form a marriage with kicker Sebastian Janikowski. Instead of an extravagant ring Janikowski received a hefty four-year, $16 million contract with $9 million guaranteed making him the richest kicker in NFL history.

Janikowski was the best available placekicker on the free-agent market. Other top free-agent kickers without a home are Cincinnati’s Shayne Graham, New York Jets’ Jay Feely, Arizona‘s Neil Rackers, and Pittsburgh‘s Jeff Reed.

Since he was drafted number one out of Florida State in 2000, he hasn’t disappointed during his 10 years in the Bay Area. He was the first special teams specialist in 21 years to be drafted in the first round.

The Polish left footed kicker has scored 1,000 points in his NFL Career. He has nailed 78.4 percent of his field goal attempts (229 of 292) and made 99% percent of his extra-points (313 of 316).

Sebastian’s had his best campaign in 2009. He racked up 95 points, made 26 of 29 field goals, only misfiring 3 times from 45, 57 and 66 yards. His leg has shown the durability to handle the gridiron mileage with 6 kicks converted from at least 50 yards out. His 61-yarder was the fourth longest in NFL history.

His 17 touchbacks on 58 kickoffs was the sixth-best in the NFL last season.

At first Al Davis didn’t see Janikowski as a game-changing kicker. As a rookie he misfired on 10 field goals and hit on 76 percent of his tries the first three seasons. But He has shown better consistency the past two seasons with 41 of 44 kicks inside 50 yards. He became the all-time leading scorer in team history in 2008.

The Raiders have taken care of their most coveted free agents of late. They rewarded Pro Bowl Punter Shane Lechler, star cornerback Nnamdi Asomugba, and defensive tackle Tommy Kelly with record contracts. The book is still open on defensive lineman Richard Seymour who Oakland acquired from New England for a 2011 first-round draft pick.

It’s closed in the kicking department. If they are ever to become competitive again they don’t have a lucrative leg  to blame their misfortunes on.

But it’s also time to tell the truth. If it wasn’t for President Bush “strongly” persuading New Orleans owner Tom Benson to “stick it out” in New Orleans for the sake of the people of the city and the state after Hurricane Katrina, the victory parade right now would have been held in San Antonio instead of New Orleans. The Superdome was rebuilt with federal money after the hurricane, tax money from you and me. We should have no problem with that either. If the same thing happened in Dallas or Arizona those stadiums would have been rebuilt as well.

Lets get back to the game now, shall we? Make no mistake here, the people of Cajun land needed this win, maybe more then the good folks of Indiana. It doesn’t mean the Saints are a better team on paper. It just means they were better on Sunday then the Colts were. The coaching was better, the players executed their game plan better, and the breaks went their way. We shouldn’t even be assigning blame here, we should just take it for what it was, a momentary lapse of reason. Brett Farve has them at least 6 times a year, and he’s supposed to be the modern day god of Quarterbacks.

So while everyone down in the bayou is in celebration mode, and all but 11 people showed up at the airport yesterday to welcome the return of the AFC champions home, we need to remind everyone that there much larger issues facing the game of Football right now other then did the better team won the Super Bowl or not.  The game of football is facing several serious issues that have to be faced, not avoided.

One thing Mr. Goodell is right about: there needs to be more communication in the negotiations and soon if a lock out is to be avoided in just under 13 months. The owners may think they will win no matter what because the networks will still fill the NFL treasure chest, but no one really wins if there is a work stoppage, just ask baseball and hockey if they have recovered from their work stoppages yet. The clear answer is no, they have not recovered at all. It’s time for some common sense to take hold here folks. The players are not backing down, and neither is their new union leader, DeMaurice Smith. Maybe the owners thought they were getting a “softie” when this guy took over. They were even selling T-shirts in Florida at all the pre-super bowl events last week for 5 dollars each. It’s time for Joe average fan to be worried.

With a stunning 31-17 upset victory over the Indianapolis Colts (16-3) in Super Bowl XLIV, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami on Sunday night, the New Orleans Saints (16-3) washed away at least a small amount of the suffering inflicted by the 2005 flood waters of Hurricane Katrina on the city for which the Saints played their collective hearts out.

Though New Orleans is still recovering from the worst natural disaster in U.S. history, the Saints provided a huge spiritual lift to a city in need, with the biggest win a football team can possibly have.

As a result, things will be different in New Orleans for a while.

The Big Easy? For at least several more days, it’ll be the Big Brees-y.

Fat Tuesday? Make that Phat Tuesday. Or even, Who Dat Tuesday.

And, from long-time Aints, to finally, Super Bowl-winning Saints.

Who Dat say they gonna beat dem Saints?

Well, only three teams could all season (only two when the Saints weren’t resting their starters), and much more importantly –- none were able to, for the first time in Saints’ history, when it mattered the most.

So, be gone, paper bags! Saints fans who used to wear them over their heads with embarrassment can now reveal their proud faces with the wide grins befitting loyal fans a Super Bowl champion.

Yes, the former NFL laughing stock has at long last reached the pinnacle of football success.

The franchise that began in 1967 and produced no winning seasons in its first 20 years of existence; the team that this year, enjoyed only its ninth winning season in its 43-year history; and, the club that had just two postseason victories over that time, not only won its third postseason game of the year on Sunday, but finally accomplished the ultimate feat that many Saints’ fans thought they’d never see.

In true New Orleans fashion, the Saints went marching into Miami and returned from the Super Bowl to the bowl of low-lying New Orleans, as conquering heroes, by pulling together in a team effort, with resiliency, guts, and a little bit of voodoo magic.

The Saints were led by their emotional leader, quarterback Drew Brees, whose supremely efficient 32-for-39, 288-yard, two-touchdown, no-interception performance earned him the Super Bowl XLIV Most Valuable Player award.

While many expected a shootout with big plays galore between Brees and Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning (who entered the game with his four NFL MVP’s and one Super Bowl MVP), it was a precise, patient, and composed Brees (in his inaugural Super Bowl appearance) who led his team to their first NFL championship.

It wasn’t even that Brees tied the Super Bowl record for completions with 32, or that he posted the second most accurate passing game in Super Bowl history, completing 82.1 percent of his passes. It’s that in a game in which both secondaries blanketed receivers downfield all game long, Brees beat Manning at his own game.

Manning is well known as the master improviser, adjusting and readjusting to what he sees until he can make a defense pay. However, this time, it was Brees who was perfectly content to forego throwing the deep ball (which he does so well), and instead, pick apart the Colts’ defense underneath, with 21 completions for single digit yardage. Nine more completions went for gains between 10 and 19 yards, and only two others were over 20 yards, while none of Brees’ completions went for more than 27 yards.

In winning with the short game, Brees effectively spread the ball around to eight different receivers. Wide receivers Marques Colston (7 catches, 83 yards) and Devery Henderson (7 catches, 63 yards) led the way, but Brees also connected with wide receivers Lance Moore and Robert Meachem, tight ends Jeremy Shockey and David Thomas, and running backs Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush.

Rebounding from a sub-par 3-for-7 opening quarter, Brees finished a nearly flawless 29-of-32 over the final three quarters, with two of those last three incompletions being a dropped pass and a spike to stop the clock. He completed his final ten passes (tied for the second longest streak in Super Bowl history), including all seven in the fourth quarter.

After starting the game with two punts, Brees directed New Orleans to scores on the Saints’ final four possessions and on five of their final six, before taking a knee to end the game in jubilation.

It was the perfect ending to a postseason run that Brees finished with eight touchdowns, no interceptions, and 732 yards.

Furthering the New Orleans team effort was second-year kicker Garrett Hartley, who became the first kicker in Super Bowl history to make three field goals of over 40 yards (46, 44, and 47 yards), a defense that kept Manning and the Colts’ dangerous offense in check over the final three quarters, and some great moves by the Saints coaching staff.

Manning (31-for-45, 333 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception) was good, but the Saints’ defense, led by the confusing looks designed by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, made sure that Manning wasn’t good enough to win.

The Saints opened the game in a 3-4 scheme as Manning guided the Colts to a 10-0 lead on their first

two possessions, including a 96-yard drive that matched the longest scoring drive in Super Bowl history. Williams then switched to a 4-3 alignment in a second quarter in which the Saints outscored the Colts 6-0 and possessed the ball for all but 2:27 and six of 32 plays.

“In the third quarter, we mixed it back and forth,” Williams said. “That was kind of our plan, to make sure that we didn’t show everything we had early in the game. We had a first half game plan, we had a third quarter game plan, and we had a fourth quarter game plan.”

The Saints also won the battle of Peyton vs. Payton, with New Orleans head coach Sean Payton’s bold move of taking away an extra possession from Manning, by opting for an onside kick to begin the second half. It was the first such kick in a Super Bowl prior to the fourth quarter, and it resulted in a Saints’ recovery and a march into the end zone for New Orleans’ first lead of the game.

Though Manning led the Colts back, to lead 17-13, in the third quarter, it was the Saints who had the big fourth-quarter, outscoring an Indianapolis team which set a record with seven fourth-quarter comebacks during the regular season.

Like Indianapolis, New Orleans had shown some of its own comeback ability this season, and the Saints dominated the Colts, 31-7, over the final three quarters, to make some of their own history.

New Orleans matched the largest deficit overcome (10-0) in a Super Bowl; they became the first team in NFL history to win three postseason games in the same season after trailing by at least seven points in each game; and, they overcame a double digit deficit for a league-leading fourth time this season. Ironically, on October 25th, on the same field, the Saints outscored the Dolphins, 22-0, in the fourth quarter to win, 46-34, to win their sixth straight game, en route to starting the season 13-0. This time, it was a 15-0 fourth quarter that won the game of all games for the Saints’ franchise.

Perhaps the most surprising moment came late in that fourth quarter, with nearly everyone expecting Manning to do what he usually does in a must-have drive. With the Saints desperately clinging to a 24-17 lead late in the fourth quarter, and Manning moving Indianapolis to the New Orleans 31 yard-line, the Saints’ defense came up with the big play, as it had all season. To that point, the Saints, who had lived off of takeaways all year, were unable to force any turnovers. That’s when second-year corner back Tracy Porter (who played with a Super Bowl trophy haircut) stepped right in front of Manning’s favorite target — Colts’ leading wide receiver, Reggie Wayne — before going untouched for a 74-yard pick-six that made the improbable dream finally seem real for long-suffering Saints’ fans. The score was the tenth interception return for a touchdown this season for the Saints’ usually opportunistic defense.

In the end, a disappointed Manning, who became the fifth Super Bowl-winning signal caller — and likely, at least the fourth future Hall of Fame quarterback — to lose to New Orleans this season (Eli Manning, Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, and Brett Favre were the others), said, “I give the Saints a lot of credit… they deserved to win.”

Of course, no football victory will ever give back the lives that were tragically lost, nor help return the thousands of still-displaced, former New Orleans residents to their hometown, nor solve many of the other serious problems that Hurricane Katrina left in her wake, which still affect New Orleans today.

But, the Saints capturing their first NFL title is hardly void of significance. It represents something for the entire city of New Orleans to rally around, and it can ultimately serve as inspiration to help restore New Orleans to the level it was in the past.

That feeling is reciprocal among the Saints. “We play for so much more than ourselves,” Brees said.

“We feel like we did this for them,” said Saints’ middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who played his college ball, fittingly at Miami.

“We played for our city,” Brees added. “We played for the entire Gulf Coast region. We played for the entire Who Dat nation that has been behind us every step of the way. It means everything. We’re here because of their strength and everything they fought through here the last few years. They’ve given us so much support, so we owe it all to our fans. Just to think of the road we’ve all traveled, the adversity we’ve all faced, it’s unbelievable. I mean, are you kidding me? Four years ago, whoever thought this would be happening? Eighty-five percent of the city was under water. Most people left not knowing if New Orleans would ever come back, or if the organization would ever come back.”

Similarly, Brees wasn’t sure if he’d come back to football, after a shoulder injury with San Diego earlier in his career. Ironically, Miami and New Orleans were the only two cities willing to take a chance on him. Miami passed, opening the door for Brees to come full circle and march the Saints into Miami and then back home, to adoring fans in New Orleans, as champions.

Also coincidental is what Brees chased last season, when he fell only 15 yards shy of the all-time single-season passing record of Dan Marino, who played for the Dolphins in yet another New Orleans-Miami connection. Now, Brees gladly trades second place in that race for the Super Bowl ring that Marino, one of the greatest ever, never won.

Even more coincidences make the Saints’ victory seem that perhaps this moment was indeed meant to happen for both Saints’ fans and for playing a role in helping to rebuild New Orleans, as much as for the Saints, themselves.

For one, there’s Manning being born and raised in New Orleans, just like his brother Eli (with the New York Giants), and their father Archie Manning, who was a Saints legend, a two-time pro-bowler, but who never enjoyed a winning season on a lot of those bad Saints teams between 1971 and 1982.

And, there’s even the Saints’ connection to the very trophy itself. Brees’ quarterback coach is 28 year-old Joe Lombardi, the grandson of the great Vince Lombardi, for whom the Super Bowl trophy is named. At least until the next champion is crowned, it might as well be temporarily renamed the Lombardi Gras trophy.

Even under the far more likely scenario that the trophy retains its original name of Joe Lombardi’s grandfather, it will certainly now be forever appreciated by the Saints and their fans, who despite facing serious, “real-life” issues, do seem buoyed through their identification with their Saints.

Brees said of the connection between the two, “We just all looked at one another and said, `We’re going to rebuild together. We are going to lean on each other.’ That’s what we’ve done the last four years and this is the culmination in that belief.”

After 43 years of waiting, the paper bags can be put away for good, because the franchise that used to be known as the Aints, finally bagged that ever-elusive NFL championship when its city needed it most.

It was a long time coming, through the years of the Aints, the paper bags, and now, the much more serious obstacle of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Yet, the city of New Orleans has always held steadfast in maintaining its close bond with its Saints, who have always meant a lot more than being a football team to the city they represent.

Saints fans believed that soon NOLA later, this moment was a dream which had to happen.

Now that it’s real, geaux crazy and celebrate on Bourbon Street, New Orleans. You deserve it!

And, when the party’s over, may the city of New Orleans soon follow the Saints along the same path to complete recovery.

We certainly are right in that mix, having predicted that the Indianapolis Colts would not only win their second championship in four years, but do so easily. Boy, were we wrong. Drew Brees (32 for 39, 288 yards, two touchdowns) led the New Orleans Saints to their first title and was named the game MVP in the 31-17 victory. When his team needed a strong drive, he delivered. Neither Brees nor Saints head coach Sean Payton panicked when they trailed 10-0 in the first quarter and they stayed with an agressive game plan.

They went for it on 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line in the second quarter (one in which they dominated) and came up short, but that didn’t stop them from going for a little trickery and recovering an onside kick to start the third quarter. The ensuing drive led to a touchdown and put New Orleans ahead, 13-10.

“We talked about it at halftime and it’s really a credit to every one of these players here,” said Payton. “There’s not enough room on this stage for all of them, but they carried out this play and I’m just proud. I’m proud of this team.”

The Colts answered with a 76-yard drive that culminated in a 4-yard burst into the end zone by running back Joseph Addai. No one could have surmised at the time that the 17-13 lead they now held would have been their last of the night.

Garrett Hartley hit a 47-yard field goal to cut the deficit to one and then in the fourth quarter, Brees went 7-for-7 on the drive of the game. He hit tight end Jeremy Shockey for a 2-yard scoring pass and then made it 24-17 by completing another pass on the two-point conversion.

Manning (31 for 45, 333 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception) took over with 5:42 remaining in the contest and was taking the underneath routes that the Saints defense was giving him. When he tried to go downfield, he was picked off by Tracy Porter, who brought it back 74 yards and the exclamation point.

When the scoreboard showed a final score of 31-17, Bourbon Street exploded like 10 combined Mardi Gras parades. An unlikely turnover by arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the game sealed the deal, and pinpoint accuracy by his adversary led to that.

What the time leading up to the super bowl has become however, is just painful. It’s painful to wait the two weeks. To have to deal with and listen to the hype, to deal with the trash talk and the silly questions by the “puesdo” media. I don’t mean hard working sports journalists, radio and television people, no sir. I mean people that have no business being on the asking end of questions in a press conference.

Can we at least get some different questions then what we have seen/heard over and over again the last 40 years? This is where “new” media shines as opposed to old school traditional media outlets. Some of the best questions I have heard from this week’s press coverage have come from those of us who make our make on the “outskirts” of sports media as opposed to those in the forefront. Some of these mainstreamers what to be part of the story as well as report it, that’s why they lean towards controversy to generate readership/listenership.

Clearly these so called “media” people would not be able to write a real “story” about this game without help from a researcher, or several online resources. These are the same people who are lambasting the Internet as the downfall of modern journalism as we know it. But ask anyone and they will tell you that print media is dropping dead, and in order to compete, traditional media must now do and operate the same as we ”new” media types do. I am Proud to have had traditional writing and broadcast training, but I’m also proud to be able to say that I saw this coming so many years ago. One of my former publications was the first Draft Guide to have a computer online BBS, and to use AOL chat to “live update” it’s users of the selections at the draft. I’m also proud to have been among one of the first to “live stream” the Draft in person from Radio city (in 2006). Even Mr. Goodell took notice, because the following year the only people who could actually broadcast video were the NFL itself and ESPN.

But who am I to critique? I’m just a Podcaster/Blogger/ Internet radio host/Independent scout and ex-coach, right? So let’s just hope that tomorrow everyone shuts up, and kick off goes off at 6:27:30 like it’s supposed to. Because it’s about time to enjoy a football game, isn’t it?