Monday, April 26, 2010
Mock Draft Results
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Mock Draft 4.0
4/14/10
With the NFL Draft only a week away I had to get my final version of the draft up. Drum roll please…
Your 2010 NFL Draft!!!
Trades aren’t included in this draft, but I bet there will be a lot of ‘em.
* denotes underclassman
1. St. Louis Rams: QB Sam Bradford*, Oklahoma
The Rams should trade down in the draft if they can, as I say in Dear Rams Fans. But, with organization issues over ownership the team just needs to take the safe pick that will bring in fans.
2. Detroit Lions: DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
The Lions made some nice moves on the D-line by trading for Corey Williams, a 3-technique DT and signing Kyle Vanden Bosch. This means they have one more spot on the D-line and Suh fills that perfectly. WOW, the Lions are making good moves, who would’a thunk it?
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DT Gerald McCoy*, Oklahoma
The Bucs rush defense makes Tiger Woods look like a good husband…or at least an awful “playa.”
4. Washington Redskins: OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma St.
After trading for McNabb the Redskins need to protect their investment and give him time to bomb it to “Carlos” Santana Moss and the other over-paid Redskins receivers.
5. Kansas City Chiefs: OT Bryan Bulaga*, Iowa
The Chiefs have solid WR’s now and can wait until the second round to draft defense and a RB.
6. Seattle Seahawks: S Eric Berry*, Tennessee
The Seahawks could draft Trent Williams in hope to find the next Walter Jones, but I think Carroll will want to take the best players available.
7. Cleveland Browns: CB Joe Haden*, Florida
I don’t think the Browns like Clausen enough to draft him here, especially after the train-wreck their last Notre Dame QB became.
8. Oakland Raiders: OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers
He had the fastest 40 yard dash of the lineman...yep...fits all of Al Davis' criteria for a first round pick. But what else would you expect after this team drafted Heyward-Bey over Crabtree and Maclin.
9. Buffalo Bills: OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma
The Bills have an okay defense and have already gone out in public saying they would rather pass on Clausen and draft Tebow in the second round, but who knows…it could be a smoke-screen.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars: DE Jason Pierre-Paul , South Florida
Jason Pierre-Paul may have the best upside in the draft, he only played D-I football for one year. Just listen to Jerry Jones and his drunken rants for advice, AKA don’t take Tebow!!! Will look for a WR in the second if they are smart.
11. Denver Broncos (via Chicago): ILB Rolando McClain*, Alabama
Yeah, yeah Dez Bryant is here, but there are a lot of good WRs this year and McClain is definitely the best ILB in the draft.
12. Miami Dolphins: DE Derrick Morgan*, Georgia Tech
Nice move to get Marshall means the Dolphins have to capitalize in the first round and find a replacement for Joey Porter.
13. San Francisco 49ers (via Panthers): S Earl Thomas*, Texas
The Niners choose the best player on the board and beef up the defense that Singletary likes so much.
14. Seattle Seahawks (via Denver): RB C.J. Spiller, Clemson
The Seahawks have known all along Spiller was there guy...he is Pete Carroll's NFL Reggie Bush.
15. New York Giants: OLB/DE Brandon Graham, Michigan
The Giants LB’s need a governmental bailout more than General Motors. Brandon Graham will bring a sure tackler and pass rusher to the G-mens D.
16. Tennessee Titans: DT Brian Price*, UCLA
This only makes too much sense, still gotta replace Haynesworth and Price is a perfect fit at DT in a 3-4 defense. I could see them pick Bryant though.
17. San Francisco: QB Jimmy Clausen*, Notre Dame
In a surprise move the niners give some extra motivation to starter Alex Smith and get themselves ready for the future.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers: OL MIke Iupati, Idaho
The Steelers have had O-line troubles the last two seasons, even through their Super Bowl win last year, time to clear this up. Could draft WR Dez Bryant, but they traded Holmes because of his trouble off the field. Why get another troubled WR? Iupati can play anywhere on the line.
19. Atlanta Falcons: DE Everson Griffen*, USC
The Falcons missed out on Peppers and need to make up for it. Griffen is an athletic beast and has worked his way up the charts with his off-season workouts.
20. Houston Texans: S Taylor Mays, USC
Mays would have been picked higher if he went out last year. The Texans lost Robinson and need a boost in the secondary.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: TE Jermaine Gresham*, Oklahoma
The Bengals add to their receiving corps in an attempt to get Carson Palmer back to the level he played at in 2005 and 2006.
22. New England Patriots: WR Dez Bryant*, Oklahoma St.
He says he’s the next Randy Moss, now he gets to play with Randy Moss. Welker’s injury and Moss’ age makes this pick necessary.
23. Green Bay Packers: OT Bruce Campbell*, Maryland
Year in and year out the first round of the draft is dominated by the grinders over the skill positions and the loss of Clifton at OT calls for over hall on the OL. If the Packers want to win, they need to protect Rodgers.
24. Philadelphia Eagles: CB Kareem Jackson*, Alabama
The Eagles secondary looked like a bunch of chickens running around with their heads cut off last year. They dropped Sheldon Brown and need a new starter opposite Samuel.
25. Baltimore Ravens: CB Kyle Wilson, Boise St.
The Ravens trade for Boldin alleviates the need for a WR. They need youth at the CB position though. Pass defense used to be a strength for the Ravens.
26. Arizona Cardinals: DE/OLB Sergeo Kindle, Texas
Kindle fits two roles the Cardinals are looking for. A LB to replace Dansby and an outside pass rusher. Yeah they have Joey Porter, but how reliable is he?
27. Dallas Cowboys: C Maurkice Pouncey*, Florida
Pouncey is one of the most hyped players in this years draft and you know what a sucker Jerry Jones is for hype…unless you’re hyping Tebow or Parcells…he can come in and start anywhere on the interior line.
28. San Diego Chargers: RB Ryan Mathews*, Fresno St.
Sproles can't handle the load on his own, Mathews has been climbing up the draft boards for weeks...especially after the poor performance in the combine by Dwyer.
29. New York Jets: DE Carlos Dunlap*, Florida
The Jets are old at the DE position, so they’ll bring in Dunlap for depth this year.
30. Minnesota Vikings: QB Colt McCoy, Texas
The Vikings bring in a QB to replace Favre after he returns this year. Plus they’re both southerners and Favre can bring him up well, Tavaris looks like just another Childress mistake.
31. Indianapolis Colts: DT Dan Williams, Tennessee
The Colts need interior D-line help, Williams has been the top player on the draft board for the last nine picks and finally hears his name called.
32. New Orleans Saints: DE/OLB Jerry Hughes*, TCU
The Saints add to their pass rushing attack to disrupt that pesky Brett Favre and those young QBs in the NFC South.
Here's a link to other great NFL mock drafts: NFL Mock Draft Database
And here, you can see all of my past stories Tim Kanak, and blogs Tim Kanak blog
Dear Rams Fans
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Fantasy Sports
HOLD UP. This means you are rooting against your team. yes I still want the Cardinals to win, but that means I'm rooting FOR Cardinal pitchers to give up runs...there is something wrong with that, there is something wrong with all of this.
During football season I would go to sports bars and watch multiple games to cheer on my fantasy players, and I wasn't the only one doing this. EVERYONE was. Are fantasy sports really that important to our culture? The answer is YES. We as Americans are naturally competitive and if we aren't atheltic enough to go out on the field and play the game ourselves then we have to cheer for a specific team to win and when the win we feel Fan F***ing Tastic! When our teams lose, we are at rock bottem. Maybe not all Americans, but I suspect the majority of people in America, NO, The civilized world have a team they are die hard fans for. Europe has soccer, that's okay...they like a little girl sport, but hey, we're talking about the french here. We have as humans have retained the animalistic characteristic of competition, to be the best, to be at the top of the food chain. This is what we live for. What better way to do this than to give people MORE control.
The average fan has no say on what their favorite team does. Now we have blogs so we as avid sports fans can complain as much as we want, but the owners and the GM don't have to listen to what we would do with the team, what we want to do with the team or what we wouldn't do with the team. In comes fantasy sports. They give us total control, so did the Madden video games, but those aren't as much of a challenge...you literally play against each other so it's based on the skill of the other video game player. While, fantasy sports are based on what the real player does, except YOU, the Average Joe, get to pick who is on your team. What an amazing concept, in fantasy world I can listen to Billy Beane and his "Money Ball" tactics, or I can throw it out the window and get all home run hitting $20 million players. CONTROL. People like to have control, and this "game" allows it.
So, what's wrong with it then? If your picking who's on your team then you don't have to pick players you hate, or players from rival teams. BUT, if you want to win, as is the American spirit, you will pick whoever the best available option is...like me. I'm stuck with two Cubs on my team (Alfonso Soriano and Randy Wells), both good players. I immediately regretted picking them though, and somehow I have more Cubs than Cardinals (Wainwright). This is just wrong, according to fantasy logic, I should root for more Cubs than Cardinals. F*** that. I tried to trade them to some of my unlucky cubby fan buddies. No Go. They know I want to dump them and are trying to take advantage. Randy Wells for Jason Heyward, I'll pass. Heyward was Mr. Irrelevant in my 12 team league, while Randy Wells was an 11th round pick. Wells even pitched 6 perfect innings yesterday. BUT, I still want to get rid of them. AND I'm the rare exception.
In fantasy football this last year I literally rooted for my fantasy team more than my favorite professional team (Rams), though I wanted the Rams to get last place; because they are so unbelievably horrid they needed that first overall pick. I have an excuse, somewhat, but I know Packers fans and Bears fans who rooted for their fantasy teams over their own teams. Bears fans drafted Favre, Cowboys fans drafted Portis, Patriots fans drafted Manning. What the hell?!?
Is there any solution to this madness? The only solution in the near future I see is for a giant EMP bomb to go off like in 24 and destroy the World's internet, then Chloe O'Brien needs to be assassinated so nobody can fix it. If this doesn't happen then in five years, fantasy sports will dominate the real thing; babies born in this era won't have real teams to root for, their fathers will draft them players in keeper leagues. That will be the team of the future. How do you tailgate a fantasy game? Break out the beer, the grills and the tents and lets celebrate in the streets of the suburbs! ...maybe The Pope can help us? Or maybe he'll just draft Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Cromartie.
