Ghetto Bowl VII draft analysis

by Andy Hanacek

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+


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


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+


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


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+


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+


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-


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+


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-


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


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+


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+


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