NFL Mock Draft Part 4

Just as a side note: once I finish the first round (I'll try to have that done today), I'll archive all the picks under the first part. That way you can reference the entire thing in one post so you can prove just how off I was. Anyway, continuing on.

16. San Fransisco

Earl Thomas, CB/FS, Texas

San Fran will have a little bit of room to play around with two picks in the first round, and since they don't really need a lot of help up front on defense and their offensive line should be bolstered with an OT taken with their earlier pick, they could stretch down for someone useful in their secondary. Taylor Mays could also be picked here, but his stock has dropped quite a bit over the past year and Thomas has climbed. Anything could happen here, the 49ers have options.


17. Tennessee Titans

Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, Florida State

There's no question what the Titans will be after with this pick, and it'll probably come down to who the Tennessee organization thinks is the best defensive end left in the draft. Dunlap and Griffen have lost a lot of steam lately, while Pierre-Paul is looking like one of the premium ends in the draft. The Titans could decide otherwise, but you can be certain that a DE will be grabbed to make up for their poor pass-rush performance last year.


18. Pittsburgh Steelers

Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa

Pittsburgh's got a pretty strong team as it is and they have a few future-building options here. They could go after Taylor Mays, as they do need help at safety down the road, or they can prepare for Colon's free agency two years down the road when he'll be asking for a gigantic contract and have Bulaga sitting and waiting to take the spot. As far as offensive tackles go, Bulaga is one of the best in the draft and may go earlier if Oakland or San Fran decide on him.

Browns after Vick?

Sorry, just read an article about the Browns' hunt for a quarterback and Michael Vick was mentioned as one of the possibilities. Could not contain the emotions associated with having Vick play for the Dawg Pound. Had to say something...

NFL Mock Draft Part 3

11. Jacksonville Jaguars

Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

Although Tebow might not be the best pick at this spot, even if he has come around at the Senior Bowl, the Jaguars need him if they want to stay in Florida. It's sad that the growth of a team is not always what's best, especially when on the verge of relocation. Right now the Jags need a high-profile pick, and grabbing Tebow, already a big name in Florida, will help out their situation. I'm still leery as to whether or not Tebow's game will translate to the NFL. I think on a team like Miami that will run a wildcat offense consistently, he will be a great fit. That's if he can stay healthy, the kid isn't afraid of contact but has to remember to protect his arm.


12. Miami Dolphins

Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee

I think if the Fins have a shot at McClain they will be happy to take him over Williams, but their main priority this draft is definitely defense. There are other options here for sure, Dunlap, Griffen, Morgan (a stretch), or Odrick, who is making some waves at the Senior Bowl, but Williams is a good replacement for Ferguson, who is getting up there in years. I don't see the Dolphins going for a wide receiver here, like Golden Tate, but these things do happen.


13. San Fransisco 49ers

Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma

This pick simply fills a need the 49ers have, and the other options here are iffy. San Fran doesn't need a lot of help at running back, so top RB prospect Spiller will probably fall down to the Seahawks. The 49ers may also pick one of the many defensive ends still left, like Dunlap or Griffen, or maybe even cornerback Earl Thomas, but with San Fran's need for a right tackle, Willimas will be difficult to pass up and hope he's still around for the sixteenth pick.

Hedo Turkoglu's Exceptional Grasp of the English Language

Armstrong: You came out tonight, early, aggressive. What was different for you tonight in terms of setting the tone with your game in this game?

Turkoglu: Ball.

NFL Mock Draft Part 2

6. Seattle Seahawks

Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

If Clausen goes to the Redskins, Seattle could be looking at Bradford as their option at quarterback. Carroll will be in his first draft at the helm of the Seahawks and will look to start building his team around the position. Even with tons of talent still available, it will be hard for him to pass on either Clausen or Bradford. Tebow's too big of a gamble at this high of a pick; after his performance in the Senior Bowl, he looks like he needs a bit of work on his passing game. Haden, Morgan, and McClain, or one of the many offensive tackles still on the board: Williams, Davis, or Campbell, are still all valid options, as are any of the guys who slip down to sixth if Bradford goes earlier. There are option, it just all comes down to how St. Louis decides to start everything off.


7. Cleveland Browns

Joe Haden, CB, Florida

Haden seems like a good score for the Browns, as the fifth-overall ranked college player should slip a few spots due to teams filling their needs. I was really happy with the way the Browns finished up the season this year, finishing with 4 straight wins and close losses against the Chargers and the Bengals the weeks prior. They still need a lot of work but stretching for a quarterback at this juncture would prove fruitless. They'll need to build a defense and Haden seems like a good pick. They'll just need to grab a franchise quarterback at some point down the road before they're ready to make the Dog Pound excited for a trip to the postseason. Haden is the premium cornerback available in the draft, and he'll fill that position for the Browns for years to come, but it's still up in the air as to whether Brady Quinn can really fill out the role.


8. Oakland Raiders

Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers

With the top quarterbacks off the board, Oakland will try to build around the position by protecting what they do have. Davis is probably the best option here, although Campbell may also be in consideration if Davis is already gone. With the mess in Oakland, no player is going to have an impact right away, but Al Davis would be smart to grab a premium left tackle. There are a few other ways to go, McClain, Dunlap, and Griffen for example, but Davis has improved a lot and seems like the most NFL-ready of the remaining left tackles. Players to avoid: Derrick Morgan and Taylor Mays. Their stocks have been dropping and although the Raiders need help on defense, Dunlap or Griffen would be better picks in my opinion.

NFL Mock Draft

What an exciting draft year! With a new CBA looming and a possible rookie cap, we're seeing a lot of players entering the draft early, and it seems like there's plenty of talent to go around. Ndamukong Suh is pretty much the best player in the draft, but will he go number 1? I'm gonna try to lay it out as much as I can so you all have a little more knowledge for the big day.


1. St. Louis Rams

Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

GM Billy Devaney has been heard saying he's a little afraid of taking a defensive tackle as the number one pick, especially when the Rams are in such need of a quarterback. My opinion is either they realize the game-changing ability of Suh and take him in the number 1 slot, or trade a few spots down to allow Tampa Bay to grab the coveted AP player of the year and twice-over defensive player of the year. They don't want to trade down any lower than fourth however, as the Redskins are definitely going to grab a QB and the Rams will want the choice between Clausen and Bradford. There is a slim chance that a trade down will be too tough to orchestrate and the Rams will realize that their need for a quarterback is greater than anything else at the moment, in which case I see them taking Clausen, but I highly doubt it. one thing's for sure, the Lions are hoping the Rams pass on this guy.


2. Detroit Lions

Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

Rated slightly below Suh, McCoy offers another viable defensive tackle option if the Rams take Ndamunkong. The team that really loses out the most is Tampa, who really needs a defensive tackle on their line. Both Detroit and Tampa Bay were pitiful in the sack department last season, and both will be hoping that St. Louis opts for the quarterback option. Either way, I don't see Detroit going with any other position than a defensive tackle, leaving safety Eric Berry on the board. Safeties never go in the top three picks, but that could be changed in the minds of some GMs after watching Pittsburgh crumble this season without Polamalu. Berry could sneak into the top three, especially if both defensive tackles are gone.


3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Russel Okung, OT, Oklahoma State

Tampa Bay will have two options at this point, and neither one is the ideal situation. They really fucked things up at the end of the year by winning two meaningless games against the Saints and the Seahawks. Now instead of drafting a franchise defensive tackle, they'll be stuck with the option of offensive tackle Russel Okung or safety Eric Berry. Safeties aren't usually drafted this high, and although Berry might sneak in at this pick, chances are Tampa will go with Okung to protect the young Josh Freeman. Freeman took over at the end of the season last year and had some bright moments. Give him some more time in the pocket and you might see some more results.

Russian Timbits Hockey

What The Hell Is This Shit?

C'mon Prince. You can do better than that...



Prince's Vikings Song

I Wish Basketball Was Still Like This

Finally started Bill Simmons' big book of basketball, aptly titled, and got the urge to see what I could find on youtube. Well, how about the entirety of game 7 from the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. An entertaining watch on this slow day...


Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10

NFL Conference Championship Picks

Colts (-8) over Jets

Well the Ravens finally met their end at the hand of the Colts, and I can do nothing but applaud an Indianapolis team that had incredible drive both on defense and offense. Baltimore actually stood strong, holding the Colts to just 20 points, not an insurmountable amount, but the real kudos go to a Colts' defense that hustled over the entire field, covering both the run game and the passing game. Even Reed's interception was foiled by an adamant Garcon who forced a fumble, giving Indy the ball back. This Indy team was just looking too good. So will they be able to beat the surpising Jets...

Last week I knew that these youngins were gonna give the Chargers a hard time, but a victory was unexpected. Kaeding should be taking some time off from kicking a football this offseason and kicking himself instead, missing all three field goal attempts including shorter ones from 36 and 40 yards, but San Diego was just unable to get anything going at all. Jackson and gates combined for 204 of Rivers' 298 passing yards, but neither were able to reach the end zone. With only 61 combined rushing yards between the entire offense, San Diego just couldn't find a balanced attack, a criticism of them all season.

Now the Jets have to face the team with the best record in the AFC that seems set on winning it all this year. Ironically, by sitting all their starters against the Jets in week 16, Indy allowed New York to make the playoffs and now face them in the conference championship. This time around though there will be no letting up and with a tenacious defense and Manning at the helm, a team that only made it into the red zone once last week (Sanchez scored a 2 yard touchdown, which left them 1/1, 100% conversion in the red zone, not bad!) has a very slim chance of winning this game. I would like to think it's gonna be a close game, as there have been so few of those this postseason, but honestly, this might be another blowout. I think I'll have to wait until the Superbowl for another nailbiter.

NFL Picks Divisional Round

3-1. Not a bad start. OK, so I guess I underestimated the Jets but c'mon, did anyone else put as much faith in Warner as I did? Well I think he might meet his match this week against the Saints, and I'm still not sure the Jets have really proven themselves fully, so what will the divisional round have in store? Here's what I think:

Saints (-7) over Cardinals

This should be a tough one for the Saints, especially if Warner has another outing like last week, but Darren Sharper is one of the top defensive players of the year and he should have something to prove. Combine that with Brees' hell-of-a-season (ignoring the last few games played once a playoff spot had been secured) and the Saints should be able to put up a few more stops than the Packers and still score as many points. I'm not 100% sure if New Orleans will cover the spread, but for the outright win I'm taking the Saints. Sorry Warner, I have faith in you, but very little in your team's defense.

Ravens (+7) over Colts

I'm gonna continue on with my love of Baltimore, especially when you give them a 7 point spread. That being said, if anyone can beat the Colts right now, I truly believe it's the Ravens, and I think they will. Ray Rice has been a beast as of late, and although Flacco had an off game, he's capable of throwing for 200+ yards (threw for 256 against the Colts in week 11). The question is does he need to have a great game when playing against a mediocre Colts' run defense? My one worry is pairing Manning up against a weakened Ravens' secondary. Their defense shone last week against New England, but let's be honest, Indianapolis is a tougher challenge. This could be a nail-biter, and Baltimore's record in those games this season is not stellar, but I still like them as the upset.

Cowboys (+3) over Vikings

Remember a few weeks back when Favre and Childress had that little spat? Well it really screwed things up as far as team-building goes, and since then the Vikings haven't been doing so hot. They still have a great team, great receiving, great run game... but are all those pieces going to fall together again for this game? It's gonna be tough especially when facing the hottest team in the NFL right now. Dallas has dominated the past few weeks and going up against a flawed Minnesota secondary that supplies multiple targets for Romo could be the death of the Vikings. I don't see Dallas slowing down anytime soon, and if they get another strong performance from guys like Felix Jones and Roy Williams, this could be another big victory for the Cowboys and Romo's reputation.

Jets (+8) over Chargers

Let me start by saying that I'm not jumping on the Jets' bandwagon, I actually think the Chargers are gonna win this one, but the Jets are looking fantastic right now. This game is going to be a lot closer than I originally thought, looking at the numbers and the matchups, but I still think Rivers and Jackson are going to be too much for New York to handle. I also like the dual rushing/receiving threat of Sproles to cause some trouble for the Jets. All things considered, New York is going to need another superhero-style performance from their defense. It's going to have stand tough against the Chargers' passing game and Sanchez will have to have another stellar game, which is very possible headed back home to southern California. San Diego has had some close games, and this should be another one, but I think they should be able to pull out a victory.

Memories

Found a pack of Skybox basketball cards from 1990 at the hardware store today for a couple bucks. Was pretty excited, got Clyde the glide, Bill Laimbeer, and Glen Rice, among others. The icing on the cake however was this Chuck Daly card. Oh memories. R.I.P. Chuck.

Scottie Pippen hates Little People

Scottie Pippen, a seven-time NBA All-Star and a member of six NBA title teams, today issued the following statement regarding his role in the movie "Midgets vs. Mascots":

"Given the recent controversy surrounding Gary Coleman, the fact that I've been repeatedly asked questions about my small part in the movie 'Midgets vs. Mascots,' and a related video posted online which shows me being assaulted by a group of Little People, I want to clear up any misunderstandings.

"In 2008, I agreed to play a cameo role in a movie titled 'A Tribute to Big Red' (now titled 'Midgets vs. Mascots'). My role was scripted, and the first two scenes went off without any problems. During the third scene, I was told that four Little People, along with actor Gary Coleman, were going to become angry with something I said and storm off as the scene ends. Instead, they basically attacked me, with Gary Coleman apparently climbing on a chair behind me to hit me over the head with a phone (twice).

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scottie-pippen-issues-statement-regarding-midgets-vs-mascots-movie-80986382.html

NFL Playoff picks

In short, Dallas is playing extremely well, the Jets are overhyped, the Cardinals are pissed, and Baltimore is just as good as everyone thought they were at the beginning of the season. With all the speculation going into wild-card weekend, I'm leery of jumping on ramshackle bandwagons with teams whose stats the past few weeks have been over-inflated. I have to look at the whole season and hence my picks for the opening round:

Bengals (-2.5) over Jets

Has any team built up more hope in their fans than the Jets these past few weeks? Coming out of nowhere to make the playoffs in the final game of the regular season. Fantastic stuff. Unfortunately that is all gonna come crumbling down when they actually have to face the Bengals' starting lineup. Cincinnati has had too good of a season to have it taken away by a young and shaky New York team in the first round.

Ravens (+3) over Patriots

I love the Pats, they're my team, but they kinda gave their fans the middle finger this season and my other team, the Ravens, are looking like a stronger pick this year. Baltimore was one of my favorites to win the Super Bowl at the beginning of the season, and they were a couple last minute plays away from 11 wins, and I have a lot more faith in them to win this one against "crazy old Bill Belichick." I really think he's gonna find someway to mess things up, and the loss of Welker is huge. Let me repeat that HUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGEEEEE!!! Where else can Brady throw except Moss, who's gonna have coverage on him so heavy he won't be able to see his own hand in front of his face? Combine that with New England's awful defense this season and the Ravens should win this in high-scoring fashion.

Cowboys (-4) over Eagles

I still have little faith in Donovan McNabb and a whole lotta love for Romo. The dude is inconsistent as all hell, but with back-to-back shutouts, he should have a little more courage throwing the ball knowing his defense has been standing strong lately. This should be a close one, as should all of these games actually, and it's not going to be a washout like the season ending pummeling the Cowboys handed the Eagles last week. There will be a little bit of revenge, but I don't think the Eagles will get up to much this game.

Cardinals (pick) over Packers

I have no idea what the Packers achieved last week by running up the score against a resting Cardinals team besides making themselves overconfident and Arizona mad. Not angry, mad. We all remember what the Cardinals did last year when no one had faith in them, and with a receiving core that is one of the best in the NFL, it's hard to write them off even if Green Bay does seem like the dominant team right now. That being said, the Packers are looking great right now and Rodgers is on fire. I really think that they could be Super Bowl bound, if (a big if) they can beat the Cards. It will be one of their toughest tests and if they can pull it off they could gain the momentum to take them to the big game. I just don't think they'll win though.