A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
By now we have heard every angle possible about either drafting Andrew Luck and getting rid of Peyton Manning, or keeping Peyton and trading the pick, or drafting Luck AND keeping Manning so Luck can sit a couple of years.
I have a different idea. It may sound crazy, you may not like it, but here it goes…
With one final game remaining, the Indianapolis Colts still control their own destiny in the Andrew Luck Derby.
Problem is, this team is peaking at absolutely the wrong time.
NFL general managers let out a sigh of disbelief on Thursday when Matt Barkley announced that he would remain at USC for his senior season.
It was just assumed that Barkley was going to enter April’s NFL draft as one of the top picks. NFL Draft experts had Barkley projected as the No. 2 quarterback that would be taken in next year’s draft and well within one the top 10 picks.
Matt Barkley definitely changed the outlook of next year’s NFL draft and if other junior signal callers follow his lead, the landscape of the NFL will look a lot different for teams looking to select a quarterback. [Read more...]
I love the NFL Draft.
Actually, I love the thought of the NFL Draft.
For some reason, I spend three months every year trying to find the perfect scenario for the Vikings when it comes to the last weekend in April, only to sit and stare at the screen when everything falls apart. It’s just another thing to add to the list of things that make me hate sports.
For some reason though, I come back every year, and this year was no different.
The Vikings are entering a season with a new head coach and a lot of questions. What better way to get a head start on everything than with a great draft right? Well, I wouldn’t call this year’s draft a great one, but I wouldn’t call it a terrible one either. I’m not one to assign or even look at draft grades. I’d rather assess the picks by need and caliber, which we are about to do.
Now that the college football season is FINALLY over and the NFL is approaching the end, people are starting to turn their attention to the NFL Draft, which inevitably means an onslaught of mock drafts from every Tom, Dick, and Melkiper on the Internet.
But mock drafters would be wise to proceed with caution, as the uncertain labor situation makes projecting the draft even more difficult this year than it normally is.
Do you really want to work in the personnel office of a National Football League team? Or even be someone on TV, radio, or the Internet suggesting who the best players available in the NFL Draft will be? Would you dare say publically who a specific team should consider in regards to the franchise’s needs??
Then get ready to be humbled, and often.
Just the quarterback position alone proves the total crapshoot in trying to determine what a player’s ability or potential may be. And very often it comes down to attributes that cannot be measured at the NFL Combine or even on a Wonderlic test. Maybe it’s that ‘swagger’ rating used in the Madden 11 game.
Chris Berman was not pleased that ESPN cut back to he, TJ, and the rest of the crew while the service men and women were being honored last night.
Luckily for us all, Jimmy Traina captured the video:
The 1st round of the 2010 NFL Draft was held yesterday, and it was full of intrigue.
There were trades, surprise picks, the new format, the complete implosion of Mel Kiper’s Big Board, and lots of big bear hugs for NFL Attorney General Roger Goodell, and much, much more.
At least, I thought all of those things happened, but that was before pick #25 happened.
Because, you see, what happened at pick #25 will forever determine the fate of Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels, the Broncos franchise itself, and perhaps even the future course of humanity.
As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, the NFL Draft is being schedule much differently this year than in years past.
Rather than holding the draft on Saturday and Sunday during the day, the NFL is spicing things up a bit and showcasing the first round of the draft all on its own during primetime. They are then doing the same thing for the second and third rounds, followed by the remainder of the draft on Saturday.
Here is all of the need-to-know information for the 2010 NFL Draft, which if you didn’t know is tonight, well you probably need to come out of your coma.
On Thursday afternoon, I had the good fortune of doing a second NFL Draft preview podcast with Gil Brandt, scouting legend/guru/sage/oracle/insert-plaudit-here. Brandt’s experience, knowledge, and insight into the draft and scouting process in the NFL really cannot be understated.
Mr. Brandt and I did our first podcast interview about a month ago, focusing primarily on the history of the scouting combine and how NFL personnel departments operate. This podcast gets far more specific about the 2010 NFL Draft, which is right around the corner: next Thursday.
Everyone who is not a general manager of a professional team wishes they were a GM, regardless of the sport. This is probably the most agreed upon thing in sports. That is why fantasy sports are (basically) the most popular thing in the world.
I know for sure that I have thought and will continue to think that I can assemble a team better than some GMs out there.
My favorite time to pretend I am a GM is when the NFL Draft rolls around. Most people who have a favorite team, in my case the Minnesota Vikings (sad, yes I know), have an opinion for what area said team needs to improve whether it is for talent or personal reasons.
Today’s topic, however, has nothing to do with who the Vikings should draft. As long as it is a quality pick and they don’t reach for a project pick who is then rushed along without proper development (See: Jackson, Tarvaris), I don’t mind who they pick.
Rather, let us take a look at something more general, and one the biggest yearly debates and uncertainties of the NFL Draft: the debate of production vs. potential.
What, you thought we were only talking about college basketball this month?
Luckily, I was fortunate enough to get one of the most experienced and respected voices in the NFL – Gil Brandt, the father of modern NFL scouting and the Combine – to join me recently for a podcast that will provide an insightful respite from our wall-to-wall March Madness coverage.
Mr. Brandt and I spoke for nearly a half hour about a wide range of topics. If you’re an NFL fan, this is a podcast that you will not want to miss.
With the season winding down for the Fighting Irish there is a question that’s just as big as whether Charlie Weis will return.
What will the future be for Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate?
(Editor’s Note: The Sports Agent Corner is our periodic Q&A with Dallas-based sports agent Gary Glick of Synergy Sports, Inc. Learn more about Gary and see his list of past and present clients at the Synergy Sports website.)
MSF: Give us an update on your players currently on NFL rosters.
Gary Glick: Interesting year so far. We had several that were released and several doing well. One of the ones to watch is Mike Adams at Arizona (#27). He is small at 5’8” but has been very effective on special teams and is a very sure tackler.
MSF: How does the beginning of the UFL influence your landscape? Is this a place where you are going to actively direct your clients who cannot make it on an NFL roster right now? Is the UFL immediately on par, better than, worse than the CFL?
