Just some pre-draft thoughts since I didn’t get a chance to throw a mock draft together (the draft snuck up on me this year.)
If the Lions are smart (which they’re not, after all, they fired the greatest GM in the NFL history last year,) they should go with Jason Smith with the first overall pick. Simply put, the Lions just need to start over. Best to start from the inside out. If they team Smith with Gosder Cherilus at the right tackle position, they could be solidifying their offensive line for the next decade.
Josh Freeman is probably the wildcard of the NFL Draft. When ranking the players based on athleticism and ability, Freeman is probably in the area of rounding out the top 50 available, but he could of gone as high at #19 to Tampa Bay before they signed Byron Leftwich. Kind of sounds like Joe Flacco last year. Wasn’t one of the of 32 best available, and probably should have gone in the second round, but Baltimore took him at #18. Ratbirds lucked out. The Lions could go with Jason Smith at #1 and still get their QB in Freeman with the first pick of the second round.
Personally, I don’t see why people are so high on Mark Sanchez. The guy only started 16 college games. I tried finding a guy of late that had only one full season of starting in college and then went on to become an NFL starting quarterback, and was unable to find one. Not to mention, Pete Carroll, whom has coached in college and the NFL, questioned whether or not Sanchez is ready for the NFL. When a guy like Carroll, whom has put player after player in NFL, questions whether one of his players is ready or not, that gets my attention. While recent USC quarterbacks have struggled in the NFL one way or another. Carson Palmer can’t stay healthy, and Matt Leinart literally can’t hit the broad side of a barn, and he has Boldin & Fitzgerald to throw to!
The Broncos MAY have a chance to draft Mark Sanchez at #12. They definitely have a chance to take Josh Freeman at #12 and again at #18. I think they’ll pass on taking a quarterback in the first round, or early in the draft for that matter. I think Josh McDaniels take the 2009 season to see what he has in Kyle Orton/Chris Simms. And one of the things about going to into a current draft is also having knowledge of who is going to be available in next year’s draft. Remember guys like Bradford, McCoy, and Tebow are going to be available this year. If any of these guys had some out this year, Sanchez (and MAYBE Stafford) don’t get drafted until day two.
I think for the most part, this will be a pretty “boring” draft for the Bears. Add a wide receiver and a free safety to the roster, if the chips fall correctly, and then just add depth at certain positions for the rest of the draft.
I expect Anquain Boldin to be traded before or on draft day. I’m not so sure about Braylon Edwards. Who wants a WR that can’t catch? Boldin has said he wants out. The Cardinals management has said they’re listening to offers. Throw on top of that, that the Cardinals management is cheap. They’re not going to pay him the money he deserves. It’s a freakin’ miracle that Fitzgerald didn’t have to go elsewhere to get his worth.
Personally, I would love to see the Bears go after Boldin, but they obviously don’t have the ammo to go after him. Unless they traded more future first round picks. That draft pick trade value chart says that a first round pick next year is worth a second round pick this year. The Bears don’t have a first round pick in 2010. The only ammo they have to play around with is their 2011 first round pick. If a first round pick next year is worth a second round pick this year does that make a first round pick two years from now worth a 3rd round pick this year? That’s an honest question that I honestly don’t know the answer to. Besides, if we’re talking about trading future first round picks for Boldin, it’s going to have to be multiple first round picks. Hell, give the Cardinals our first round picks for 2011, 2012, and 2013. If it means having Jay Cutler and Boldin teamed together, I’m willing to pay that price. I wouldn’t mind having a first round pick until 2014 if it resulted in getting a true quarterback with a true wide receiver.
As a rule, I like to stay away from drafting Florida and Big 12 wide receivers, and not just because Mark Bradley (Oklahoma) and Justin Gage (Missouri) didn’t workout in Chicago. Mainly because WRs from Florida and the Big 12 rarely pan out in the NFL. Look at some of the WRs taken in the draft from Florida over the last ten years or so:
Andre Caldwell, Chad Jackson, Taylor Jacobs, Jabar Gaffney, Reche Caldwell, Travis Taylor, Darrell Jackson, Travis McGriff, Jacquez Green, Ike Hilliard, Reidel Anthony.
11 guys. All 11 were taken in the 3rd round or higher. And the only guy I would have wanted on my roster would have been Hilliard (in his prime) and maybe Darrell Jackson.
Same goes for all 12 teams of the Big 12. No successful NFL WRs have come out of there in the last 20 years, other than Wes Welker, and he didn’t start to have success until he arrived with the New England Patriots. Anyone can be successful in New England (well except for Florida WR Chad Jackson.) My point being is this year; I’m praying the Bears stay away from Florida WR Louis Murphy and Oklahoma WR Juaquin Iglesias.
