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Posted 04/30/2007 at 08:26 PM
I really wanted to write this blog last night as soon as the draft was over but I figured that I should take just a little more time to let the weekends events sink in. So now that they've sunk, here goes...
First of all, the big winner is no doubt the Cleveland Browns. How they wound up with Brady Quinn and Joe Thomas could be considered a miracle. This miracle will help put their franchise back into the playoffs within two years.
The big loser is the Houston Texans. Dumping David Carr and adding Matt Schaub to the roster weeks ago was a fantastic move but they completed ruined it by getting Schaub absolutely no help on the offensive side of the ball. He's now going to become the same in-game tackling dummy that Carr was.
The biggest risk award goes to the Miami Dolphins who passed up Brady Quinn to take Ted Ginn Jr. Ginn Jr. is still unable to step foot on a practice field and if he can't impact the Dolphins in a positive way immediately, new Dolphins coach Cam Cameron will once again be hearing the "boos" that reigned on him during his draft day press conference. In fact, the Dolphins pick (number nine) won't be judged by Ginn's performance but rather by the career of Brady Quinn.
The draft seemed quiet for the St. Louis Rams but they filled the two holes with the most immediate needs, defensive tackle and cornerback. With those positions filled, the biggest steal came with FB Brian Leonard. Leonard will add another threat to a backfield that already includes a strong runner in Stephen Jackson. Adding Dante Hall as a receiver/returner makes St. Louis a contender in my book. Quiet but solid draft for the Rams.
The Raiders obviously benefitted from the draft in more ways than I can count. Adding two QB's to the roster including number one pick JaMarcus Russell means that we won't be seeing anymore of Andrew Walter. What's more interesting is that Walter's favorite target from his Arizona State days, TE Zach Miller, is on his way to Oakland. RB Michael Bush from Louisville is also a Raider and if his legs move the way they did before his injury, he's a threat. Oakland needed some help on the offensive line as well so they grabbed Mario Henderson and WR Mike Williams is coming to town from Detroit along with Russell's new tutor Josh McCown. All in all, the Raiders new coaching staff completely revamped their offense by adding five new starters and getting rid of one, Randy Moss.
How sad is it that some players who would be considered in the elite level of the league are being traded for fourth round draft picks? Insert the newest New England Patriot Randy Moss. If Moss can stay happy, the Patriots are the front runner for the Super Bowl. If he causes locker room problems, this move will be the worst in New England history. Either way, it amazes me that the guy could only be dealt for a fourth round draft pick.
In other sports news.......
I enjoyed watching Jeff Gordon have beer cans thrown at his winning car after taking the checkered flag this weekend. I'm not much of a Nascar fan and this reminded me why.
The Golden State Warriors are just one win away from knocking off the number one Dallas Mavericks. In case you've forgetten, I'm happy to remind you that this is something I saw coming and predicted in an earlier blog.
The Miami Heat looked old and slow and lost four straight to the young and fiesty Chicago Bulls. It was unbareable to watch both Wade and Shaq struggle.
With just two weeks till The Players Championship in Jacksonville, some big names in golf such as Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh came in with solid performances in this weeks Byron Nelson Classic. Mark your calendars and DVR's for the TPC as it may just be the best one in years.
The hockey playoffs are still going on. I swear I saw the Devils win in OT this weekend.
And of course baseball season is in full swing and the New York media has finally decided to leave Alex Rodriguez alone. That's because despite Rodriguez's incredible start, the Yankees are already 6 1/2 games out of first place, last in the AL East, and have the third worst record in baseball. New target; manager Joe Torre.
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