Football Analysis

Cleveland comes out of this draft with (count ?em) seven first day talents. They?ve got eight keepers from this draft if everything pans out the right way and that is an exceptional scouting job by Cleveland. Possibly the best draft, just for it?s depth of quality. Read more »

With the Bengals' first round selection, Carl Setterlund found himself wondering ?Why Joseph at #24?? as the draft was unfolding. It seemed to me a poor decision when the cornerback crop was so deep, to take a guy who is seemingly inconsistent, even if he does have it all physically. Read more »

Things were looking a little bleak for the Colts after the smoke cleared from the opening salvos of the free agent signing period. Edgerrin James, the greatest back to wear a Colts uniform in the Indianapolis era, was headed to sunny Arizona. David Thornton, the 4th round pick made good and a leader on the revitalized defense of a year ago, was gone to the division rival Titans. Larry Tripplett had packed his bags and jetted north to ply his trade for the Bills. Read more »

For every good pick Chicago made, they made another move that I found perplexing. I think they leave the draft with four likely keepers and three big question marks. How do you grade a team that makes one good pick, and then chokes on the next one? Read more »

At #27 you?ve got to call DeAngelo Williams one of the two or three best value picks of the first day. The fit was questioned initially, thinking that Carolina needed some muscle to go with their finesse running game, but Carolina loves to shar the load in the backfield. Read more »

Marv Levy is getting heat for his first rounders but I think it?s exaggerated, and I love everything he did from the third round out. Some think this draft was a flop but I wholeheartedly disagree. Read more »

People argue that since Reggie didn?t get a lot of carries at USC that he wouldn?t be able to handle a large load in the NFL, yet what people forget to factor in are all of his catches, and his kick returns, on top of just running the ball. There is a golden history of multi-purpose backs that Reggie Bush is bound to join. Read more »

The Ravens didn?t go fancy in this draft, they just went for need. Although the names they took aren?t all that high-profile, other teams should have taken a clue from the Ravens? course. Trading up for Ngata probably wasn?t necessary but all the same, he?s going to be huge (literally) for the Ravens defense. Ngata is going to free up Ray Lewis more and you know that Baltimore is at their best when Ray Lewis is at his best. Read more »

Maybe you look at Denver?s draft and don?t think much of it, but if that?s your reaction you?re probably forgetting that they traded a second round pick to Green Bay for wide out Javon Walker. Read more »

This draft was decent at best for the Falcons. Jimmy Williams could end up being the only keeper out of the bunch, and I don?t feel the John Abraham trade deserves high praise. The Falcons aren?t in trouble, but could have set themselves up better for the future. Read more »

Arizona?s first day was outstanding and landing a guy like Leinart to be the face of the franchise will be huge. The Cardinals tailed off a little in the later rounds and didn?t stay true to the course of filling their holes. No safety at all? Read more »

Most pundits agree: the 49ers had a fantastic draft. This won?t erase the hemorrhaging of talent that has characterized the team of late. But it?s a start. The 49ers? No. 1 pick was TE Vernon Davis from Maryland. Not only was he the best tight end available, but the best receiver too. He is cast in the new mold of tight ends, a la Gonzalez and Gates, who can catch as well as a wideout. Davis can run and jump with the best of them. Read more »

As argued in ?Exit Interview,? the Texans primary concern is defense, and Reggie Bush would not be the silver bullet to right the ship. Mario Williams, the 2006 draft?s first selection overall, is considered by some to be as good as Julius Peppers. Peppers turned the Carolina Panthers? defense upside down as they came within three points of a Super Bowl victory. If Williams is that kind of impact player, the Texans? front office may have made the right choice. Read more »

Now that the NFL Draft is done, there?s a hole in my life. No longer can I constantly tinker with mock drafts, or debate the merits of the Lions picking an offensive tackle over a cornerback. I?ll no longer dream about Mel Kiper?s opinions, nor his hair. Read more »

With critics and fans alike demanding answers on why Houston Texans GM Charley Casserly chose to take defensive end Mario Williams with the number one pick in this years draft, Casserly has chosen to claim ignorance for his decision to pass up Reggie Bush at number one. Read more »

With an eerie parallel to the Portland Trailblazers selecting Sam Bowie instead of Michael Jordan in the 1984 NBA Draft; the Texans made a terrible mistake in passing on once-in-a-generation superstar Reggie Bush with the first pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. On the field, Bush will improve any offense considerably, even in his rookie campaign, due to his versatility, strength and quickness. Read more »

It?s the morning of the NFL Draft and news came recently that Mario Williams has signed with the Houston Texans making him the top overall selection. As I said in a prior article, this changes everything. The top 10 is reshaped by this blunder by the Texans. Watch at noon as madness ensues. RealGM will tweak their mock draft accordingly in a last ditch effort to get it right. Read more »

On a team with that pays such attention to their defense you?d definitely expect Chicago to address some problems at cornerback. They did that in part by signing Ricky Manning Jr. but he really isn?t a starter on a great secondary, so that could be looked at in the first day. While the linebacker core is strong on the surface it lacks depth making it a secondary concern, or in other words, something to be addressed in rounds 2-4. Read more »

The news of Mario Williams? signing changes everything. New Orleans has premier running back Deuce McAlister but McAlister has often found himself injured. It begs the question whether New Orleans still finds themselves wanting to trade back. Read more »

The Brett Favre soap opera is finally over for another year, thank you! The Ricky Williams sopa opera is finally over for another year, thank you! These have kept our attention since the Super Bowl, but now it is time to turn our attention to a few famous players from the Rose Bowl. Read more »