April 26, 2009
We did pick-by-pick analysis for the third round, and continue to write up posts for every skill position player drafted the rest of the way.
1. The Jets gave up too much to trade up for Shonn Green, but he's going to be a major factor for the Jets. I have the sixth pick in my dynasty rookie draft coming up, and he's going to be a strong consideration.
He's a goal-line monster waiting to happen, but from what I gather can also block and catch passes. He really diminishes Thomas Jones' '09 value. It may take a year or two for Green to take over and be a fantasy starter, but the day will come. And the days of Jones as an every-week starter are probably done.
2. San Francisco's selection of Glenn Coffee was perplexing. I know they wanted another back, but Andre Brown and Rashad Jennings had a lot more potential. Coffee seems like a true backup type. Which is ultimately good news for Frank Gore and his owners.
3. Four straight receivers were taken in the middle of the round - Derrick Williams, Brandon Tate, Mike Wallace, and Ramses Barden. It's hard to imagine any of them making a huge contribution in the short-term, but Tate actually has the highest long-term ceiling in New England, even if he doesn't play a snap this year.
4. Jared Cook will cut into Bo Scaife's mediocre fantasy value. Same goes for Travis Beckum and Kevin Boss.
5. As late third-round picks go, Oklahoma WR Juaquin Iglesias has a lot of potential to carve out a big role in Chicago. It may take a little while to develop, but he has the right skill set to be a Jay Cutler favorite.
6. Ellis Hobbs to the Eagles! A little sad, but I understand. Pats are very deep at corner and weren't going to pay Hobbs in '10. We'll always have Media Day in Glendale.
Gotta admit: I had one of those wow moments stepping outside of Radio City after 11PM into a balmy New York night to head back home. Just grateful to have this gig. And wish they had more events here; it's awesome when this is a football town because it's so rare.
For some reason, it used to be a dream of mine to live somewhere I could walk to a movie theatre or home from a concert. (It's good to dream small.) But I think cabbing it back from the Draft beats it easy.
Enough punchy reverie.
On my way out, I saw Mel Kiper and Todd McShay being far more friendly than you'd hope. Downright chummy. I also heard a similar disturbing piece of information multiple times during the day: Mel Kiper is the nicest, most humble guy you'd ever want to meet in person.
That would make it harder to get annoyed by him on TV. Good thing, I suppose, I haven't actually met him. (And yeah, I mentioned this briefly on my spanking new Twitter account.
I will be happily covering the draft from the comfort of my apartment tomorrow. Silva, Wesseling, and myself will continue to keep you covered on our news page (Still cranking), and will pop in here. Stop on by.
In the meantime, check out Wesseling's awesome dynasty fallout post and my look at some good second day picks. Silva and I will also have "mid-term" grades up on NBCSports.com.
Signing off until day two,
60%G
April 25, 2009
Initial reaction on the Top-12 Dynasty league rookie picks following the first two rounds of the NFL Draft:
1. Knowshon Moreno, Broncos - The draft's best all-around running back. Evan Silva and I debated the committee effect in Denver, and I just don't believe Josh McDaniels is married to that approach. He didn't use the No. 12 pick to have a dynamite player sit behind Correll Buckhalter, J.J. Arrington and LaMont Jordan.
2. Chris Wells, Cardinals - This was a crazy good fit for both player and team. Wells is the most explosive back in the draft and will step in as the workhorse in a scary offense starting in Week One.
3. Michael Crabtree, 49ers - Just because he fell in the draft, that doesn't mean he falls in fantasy leagues. Crabtree should step in as an immediate starter and easily the best playmaker of Shaun Hill's weapons.
Continue reading "NFL Draft: Dynasty Fallout" »
So Stafford is a Lion. No surprise there. And while Daunte Culpepper may be the likely starter for Week 1, Silva pointed out in the news what a difficult early schedule Detroit has. I agree with him that a Week 7 bye is a good guess to when Stafford will take over, if not earlier.
So my plan today is as follows: Get my run out of the way now, monitor the news in the morning for NBCSports.com's blog, then put on my adult clothes and take a cab over to Radio City to meet Tom Curran at the draft around 1PM.
Silva, Wesseling, and myself will have you covered all day long in the news, with deep analysis on every single pick throughout the day. Hell, Silva got us started with a lot of posts between 2AM-5AM this morning. (I'm assuming it was him because only he's that insane.) I think it's one of our best days here at Rotoworld because we cover every angle. Silva and I will also write up a recap we'll post here at Rotoworld late night.
Ultimately, the news is our blog today. But I also want to have a presence here at Pancake Blocks. I'm debating whether we will just jump in when we can with fantasy analysis or take turns on a draft liveblog that includes all of you. I even might start tinkering with my Twitter account finally. So check it out.
I wasn't going to dive in until after our magazine was done, but if its good enough for Roger Goodell, Rich Eisen, and Peter King ... and the Patriots to announce their picks!
These are the types of things you can mull over on a long, boring morning run in Central Park. Happy Draft Morning.
April 24, 2009
With the final pick in the Pancake Blocks Mock draft, Steelers rep KB brazenly fires a shot across Ray Lewis' bow:
The Steelers are often referred as a smash-mouth football team, however, they could not convert 3rd and short to save their lives last season. Mike Tomlin would like to be able to put games away in the 4th quarter and give Dick LeBeau’s stellar, aging defensive line a breather. The Steelers have the runners to get the job done; the offensive line is this team’s Achilles heel.
The return of “Steeler football” begins in the trenches. While OTs Max Starks and Willie Colon are only signed for next season, the Steelers would be wise to beef up the interior O-line.
Continue reading "Pancake Blocks Mock: Pick No. 32" »
Long-time contender for MVC (Most Valuable Commenter) Scott C. is picking for the Cardinals for the second straight year. He writes that he is "sipping the Silva Kool-Aid this year." Aren't we all?
Arizona made a surprising run at the playoffs last year. After the 08 draft, not even the starting QB was decided, so to say there was a little uncertainty in the air is good a good expression. Thankfully for them they went with the right QB, added great draft picks and applied good coaching through out the year. They were the fantasy darlings of 08 - except the running backs. Last year this was a major area of need.
There was no continuity at the position and it began to weaken the offense midseason when their passing attack sputtered some. But they made adjustments, and that receiving corps is too good to contain all year, so they made the push into the big game.
Continue reading "Pancake Blocks Mock: Pick No. 31" »
April 23, 2009
The Titans don't have many needs, but they could certainly use a young corner. Dooger has found a hard-hitting, athletic Demon Deacon to fill the role:
With no major holes on either side of the ball, the Titans have the luxury of selecting the best player available. Yes, they lost Albert Haynesworth in free agency, but I think a lot of people are going to be surprised by how well last year's 2nd round pick Jason Jones will fill that hole. It's never a bad idea to replenish the talent on the D-line (especially since the Titans' starting ends, Kyle Vandenbosch and Javon Kearse, are both entering the final year of their contracts), but the Titans are commited to choosing the best overall player in round 1 and the value just isn't there at defensive end.
Nick Harper is 34 years old. He is reliable in run support and covers short routes well, but he is the weakest point on a very strong Titans defense. The loss of Hayneworth likely means less pressure on opposing quarterbacks, which will require better play from the Titans secondary, particularly on deep routes.
Continue reading "Pancake Blocks Mock: Pick No. 30" »
Mr. Silva is on the news, and here is his blurb on the move:
KC got its asking price, just not this year. Gonzo is 33, but coming off a 96-catch, 1,058-yard, 10-touchdown season. He obviously has a lot left, and going to a dome can't hurt. Atlanta relies on the run more than the '08 Chiefs did, though, and while Matt Ryan can only get better, Gonzo's numbers will likely dip some. He'll steer attention away from Roddy White, but could also cut into possession receiver Michael Jenkins' targets.
I'm in agreement here. I think you could expect some decline from Gonzalez, regardless of what team he was on. He was coming off the first back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons of his career.
Continue reading "Gonzo dealt to the Falcons" »
Next up is my wife's pick. While she has won the only fantasy league that she's ever played in (all women!), she's a little short on draft knowledge. So I wrote down ten reasonable names on a piece of paper and let her choose.
Our conversation went something like this:
Wife: I choose Kenny Britt. Because I like the idea of yelling "Go Britt!"
Gregg: That works. Short and sweet.
Wife: What position does he play?
Continue reading "Pancake Blocks Mock: Pick No. 29 (The Wife!)" »
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