Well, folks, it's a rainy post-draft Labor Day Sunday, and I don't want to
clean and I'm feeling a little sluggish. Plus, my allergies are mysteriously
acting up. So, here are my thoughts on yesterday's proceedings. I'm taking the
Joel Buchsbaum approach unless you really butchered your draft (which
no one did this year), you got around a C or higher so as not to piss
anyone off. It looks as though the Stabler Division is going to be stacked this
year, with the Bears and Tornadoes having huge drafts and the High Life Men
still looking good. So, here are the capsules. Mike Faber's will go up when
I get his roster. Enjoy!
Gangstaz picks: RBs Amos Zereoue, Ladell Betts
and Justin Fargas, WR Antwaan Randle El, TE Freddie Jones, PK Jeff Reed,
Rams DST.
Comments: Used first pick wisely, filling a hole that has needed
filling for years by taking Zereoue. Betts and Fargas are nice, Fargas
particularly for the long haul. Randle El gives them another young stud
at receiver.
B+
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Generals picks: QB Mark Brunell, RBs Tony Hollings
and Onterrio Smith, WRs Robert Ferguson and Keenan McCardell, TE Jason
Witten, PK Neil Rackers.
Comments: McCardell is great insurance against letdown by Chris
Chambers or Torry Holt. Day was made by acquiring RB Tiki Barber from
Abs for Peerless Price and Troy Hambrick. Trade saved team from below-average
grade.
C+
|
Headquarters picks: QB Kyle Boller, RB Marcel
Shipp, WR Andre Johnson, TE Teyo Johnson, PK Bill Gramatica, Panthers
and Lions DST.
Comments: Fine job clearly building for the future. Panthers' "D"
is going to dominate, and this could have been a steal. Shipp is a fantastic
fifth back to have, especially behind a bit of a shaky backfield with
DeShaun Foster, Thomas Jones and Duce Staley up in the air.
B
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Brawlers picks: QB Kordell Stewart, RB Trung
Canidate and Olandis Gary, WR D'Wayne Bates, TE Dallas Clark, PK Steve
Christie and 49ers DST.
Comments: Traded for Donté Stallworth, who could turn into
Brawlers' best receiver in time. Cleared logjam at QB by doing so, giving
up Drew Bledsoe in the deal. Canidate a nice backup option, and Clark
could be starting by midseason.
B+
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Thunder picks: QB Matt Hasselbeck, RB Chris Brown,
WR Josh Reed, TE Cam Cleeland, PKs Morten Andersen and Doug Brien, Bills
DST.
Comments: Hasselbeck has more keeper value than Tommy Maddox, though
he may not start here over Maddox right away. Brown further stacks the
Thunder's backfield, which is quite deep. Otherwise, nothing special here.
C
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River Rats picks: RB Willis McGahee, WR David Terrell, TEs Jerramy Stevens and Anthony Becht, PK Matt Stover, Colts and Bears DSTs.
Comments: McGahee is a future-only player. Stevens and Becht are fine picks at tight end, but the jury is still out on Terrell. In the words of this owner: "Instead of slowly purging my team of Bears as I had planned, I ended up with three of them." Effort to trade Anthony Thomas earns a better grade, but overall, nothing really special here, but no special holes to fill, really.
C+
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Bears picks: QB Carson Palmer, RB LaMont Jordan,
WRs Javon Walker and Corey Bradford, TE Doug Jolley, PK John Hall, Vikings
DST.
Comments: Fantastic day overall, revamping QB position by getting
Bledsoe via trade and stocking for future with Palmer. Jay Fiedler is
out of a job with this team. Jordan and Walker are huge potential youngsters,
and Jolley is even bigger and better.
A+
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Cowtippers picks: RB Travis Minor, WRs Kelley
Washington and André Davis, TEs Alge Crumpler and Billy Miller,
PK Jay Feely, Redskins DST.
Comments: (Owner not at draft) Troy nailed down Washington, Davis
and Miller, who are solid picks, particularly for the future. Didn't need
RBs, really, but Minor is a bad bailout No. 4. Rumored trade with Neighbors
might have helped spread talent a bit.
C-
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Morenos picks: RBs James Stewart and Kevin Faulk,
WR Tai Streets, TE Kyle Brady, PK Rian Lindell, Falcons DST.
Comments: Traded later pick for WR Joey Galloway, who seems almost
as old as Jerry Rice sometimes, so youth at WR isn't so good. Will need
to address that area soon. However, may not need it with plenty of youth
at QB already on board. Solidified RB situation nicely, even if Stewart
falters.
C+
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HoodRats picks: QB Byron Leftwich, RBs Correll
Buckhalter, Adrian Peterson and Shawn Bryson, TE Daniel Graham, PK Kris
Brown, Packers DST.
Comments: Bounced back from being forgotten at train station to
draft plenty of solid youth that can even help right away. Leftwich is
great, but probably would be trade bait in the future behind Tom Brady
and Peyton Manning. Buckhalter and Graham are excellent.
A-
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Aborigines picks: RBs LaBrandon Toefield and
Troy Hambrick, WR Reche Caldwell and Charles Rogers, TE Chad Lewis, PKs
Jeff Wilkins and Joe Nedney, Broncos DST.
Comments: Team continued to build for future even though it seems
primed for a huge run this year. No matter how you slice it, trading Tiki
Barber leaves the team with nothing if Clinton Portis or William Green
go down. Rogers is a fine future pick, but WR corps isn't that old. Abs
lucky Doug Johnson went undrafted.
B
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Neighbors picks: QB Kelly Holcomb, RBs Larry
Johnson, Najeh Davenport and Jerome Bettis, TE Desmond Clark, PK Jeff
Chandler, Chiefs DST.
Comments: (Owner not at draft) Bill Huber did a fine job drafting
potential here, especially at RB. Bettis is a huge pick to make as late
as it was, and he'll probably start. Still needs to find someone to fill
in for Michael Bennett full-time though if Bettis can't. Holcomb could
be a superb pick or a big bust this year.
C+
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Tornadoes picks: QB Jon Kitna, RB Dominic Rhodes,
WRs Chad Johnson and Derrius Thompson, TE Jay Reimersma, PK Seth Marler,
Texans DST.
Comments: Tornadoes' best draft EVER. Filled every need on paper,
which is scary for the second-best team in the league. Texans, Johnson
and Thompson all could be starters by year's end. Kitna is a great bye-week
fill-in who could start elsewhere if he plays like he did at the end of
2002. Marler is underrated, big-time. Rhodes is also a fine pick and should
be No. 3 on the depth chart.
A+
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High Life Men picks: RBs Jamel White and Moe
Williams, WRs Ike Hilliard and Jerome Pathon, TE Byron Chamberlain, PK
Mike Hollis, Patriots DST.
Comments: (Owner not at draft) Williams is a great No. 3 RB, though
White is a very strange No. 4 RB to have. Hilliard a fine No. 4 WR, but
team might be better-served without Pathon. Champions simply needed depth
everywhere, as starting lineup and second string at key positions are
stacked, and Tim couldn't have done that much better or worse, truthfully.
B
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