It looks like Ohio State seven-footer Kostos Koufos is going to sign with an agent and stay in the NBA draft. He is projected to go in the middle of the first round. Even if he doesn’t sign with the NBA his Greek passport will enable him to get over a $1 million in Europe. This is bad news for the Buckeyes since the quarter had already started and they will get hit by the APR. Once again, a rule that penalizes a coach and his program when he has no power over a player’s decision. If Myles Brand could sign for a couple of million I think he would leave school as well.

I still remember seeing pictures of President Bill Clinton in the Arkansas cheering section when they won the national championship, but Barack Obama has gone one better. He got to play in a pick up game against some of the North Carolina players. Check out the video - even Bill Clinton couldn’t do that.

It’s too bad that the first basketball playing president could be Obama when it should have been Bill Bradley a couple of years ago.

The geniuses at the BCS have officially rejected a proposal that would have eventually given college football (and its fans) a 4-team playoff format.

The conference commissioners who manage the Bowl Championship Series opted Wednesday to end their brief consideration of a new plus-one format, which would have built a four-team playoff into the current five-game structure. Their action — or lack of it — assures that the current system will remain in place through at least the 2013 season.

“The thing … that came through loud and clear is there’s satisfaction with where we are,” said Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner and BCS coordinator John Swofford.

Who’s satisfied? The people lining their pockets? Please. I think I speak for many college football fans when I say, “You unbelievable mother fuc…”

Thanks for all but guaranteeing another four years of thrilling “postseason” action.

The meltdown continues in Dallas. The team fired Avery Johnson after the Mavs’ second-straight first-round exit.

ESPN’s Tim Legler usually gives pretty thoughtful commentary, and he defends Johnson in this clip.

Check back tomorrow for my thoughts on where the Mavs should go from here.

The Super Bowl champion New York Giants were honored by President George W. Bush at the White House Wednesday. Well, most of the Giants.

(There were a few key players not in attendance. Among them were: TE Jeremy Shockey, DEs Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora and LB Antonio Pierce. Former Giants S Gibril Wilson, now with the Raiders, was there.)

Those players probably had better things to do. Lord knows Shockey can be complaining about something somewhere.

After a thrilling double-overtime Game 1 for the ages, the Suns/Spurs series came to a rather unremarkable close last night when the Spurs won at home, clinching the series 4-1. Throughout the five games, San Antonio utilized the Hack-a-Shaq defense, intentionally fouling Shaquille O’Neal and putting him on the line to try to end the Suns’ possessions. For the most part, it worked, as O’Neal shot a woeful 32 of 64 (50%) from the line.

I don’t blame the Spurs for utilizing a perfectly legal tactic in attempt to win a game or series, but it’s a little bush league, isn’t it? From a fan’s point of view, it really slows the game down and hinders the enjoyment of watching two good teams battle each other for the right to advance in the playoffs. Honestly, it was kind of sad to see a proud team like the Spurs utilize Hack-a-Shaq.

That said, it’s the league’s fault for allowing it to continue. There’s a rule prohibiting it in the final two minutes of a game, but for the other 46, it’s fair game. Former coach and current television analyst Jeff Van Gundy says that the league can’t legislate for a player’s weakness. That is, they can’t put in rules to protect Shaq just because his free throw shooting stinks.

To a certain extent, I agree with him. But the league can (and has) put in rules to make the game more enjoyable to watch. And whatever we can do to reduce the number of foul calls (and subsequent free throws) will only enhance the game. I never understood why the league has flagrant fouls, but no “intentional” fouls. When a player comes up and hugs Shaq (and he doesn’t have the ball), that’s an intentional foul. Officials can tell the difference between this and an off-the-ball foul that happens during the normal flow of the game (such as Boris Diaw grabbing Manu Ginobili as he tries to go around a screen). If you intentionally foul a player without the ball, the rule should be that the player gets one free throw and the team keeps possession of the ball. This would eliminate Hack-a-Shaq altogether and certain NBA games (that have Shaq, Ben Wallace, or any other horrible free throw shooter) would be much more enjoyable to watch.

Get it done, Stern. (I’m not holding my breath.)

SI.com had the fans rank all 30 MLB ballparks. Below are the top and bottom five based on overall ratings.

Top:

1. Cleveland Indians, Progressive Field
2. Milwaukee Brewers, Miller Park
3. Pittsburgh Pirates, PNC Park
4. Detroit Tigers, Comerica Park
5. St. Louis Cardinals, Busch Stadium III

Bottom:

26. Minnesota Twins, Metrodome
27. Texas Rangers, Rangers Park in Arlington
28. New York Mets, Shea Stadium
29. Washington Nationals, RFK Stadium
30. Florida Marlins, Dolphin Stadium

Of these, I’ve only been to Comerica and Dolphin Stadium and I must say – the fans have them right on both accounts. Comerica is absolutely beautiful and there isn’t really a bad seat in the house. Dolphin Stadium on the other hand, feels like you’re watching the game from the moon, which makes sense considering it’s a football stadium.

The Seattle Times is reporting that Kevin Durant will win Rookie of the Year.

Kevin Durant, who led all first-year players in scoring, assists and free-throw percentage, will be named the NBA’s rookie of the year and become the first Sonics player to win the award.

Two league sources confirmed Durant outdistanced second-place finisher Al Horford, an Atlanta forward. The sources spoke anonymously because the official announcement is scheduled for Thursday.

In my year-end awards column, I made the case for Al Horford, but predicted that the sportswriters would go with Durant due to his high scoring average.

ROY is a two-horse race between Kevin Durant and Al Horford. There’s no doubt in my mind that Durant is going to be a superstar, but Horford has the edge efficiency wise (16.5 to 15.2) and has done it in three fewer minutes a game. In the end, I think voters will gravitate towards Durant’s 20.1-point average (along with his unequaled potential), but Horford has a big edge in rebounds, FG% and PPS. Let’s not forget that the Hawks are playoff-bound while the Sonics have the second worst record in the league. There’s something to be said about the timing of Horford’s arrival in Atlanta and their sudden development into a playoff team, albeit a bad one.

I think Horford has the edge, but Durant will probably win it. Given the fact that KD has played his best ball in the second half of the season despite having virtually no help, it won’t be a huge travesty if he goes home with the trophy.

Horford deserves the award, but Durant won it. Life goes on.

I’m now four-for-four in my predictions, but the MVP is the big one, and I have the feeling I backed the wrong horse.

Every wonder what it would feel like to be an offensive lineman for Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning? Well you’re in luck because SPORTSbyBROOKS.com (via PRO FOOTBALL TALK) gives you an inside peek:

I love Peyton’s response to Tarik Glenn telling him to go sit down: “I will sit down – ya’ll stop yelling! No, we’re cool!”

Uh Peyton, you’re the one that’s yelling home boy.

Are you kidding me? Who’s next for the NBA draft? I hear there is a back up guard at New Jersey Tech who is putting his name in the draft. Not really, but that’s how cheap the list of underclassmen entering the draft has become. The NBA needs to do something to fix this before it becomes even more of a joke.

Take for example the fact the Tyler Hansborough, the collegiate player of the year, is coming back for his senior year. However, three of his teammates have put their name into the draft. I can’t blame the players. They don’t listen to their coaches anyway. And most coaches just say go ahead. It gives them a little publicity for their program. Why shouldn’t the players get free trips to work out for teams all across the country. It’s just like being recruited again.

David Stern you need to either step in and close the loop hole or better yet. Allow players to jump to the NBA right out of high school. LeBron James has done pretty well for himself. Even Darius Miles, whose playing career has been a bust, still banked more money than most people can only dream about.

Here’s my suggestion. Let the players put their name in after their junior year. Make it closer to the baseball rule. You can be drafted out of high school, but once you are in college you can’t look at the NBA until after your third year in college. Forget about age. A lot of kids go to prep school and are 19 or 20 by the time they get to college.

Close the loophole and give acedemics more than just lip service.

Speaking of Tyler Hansborough: His little brother Ben has tranferred from Missisippi State to Notre Dame. Ben averaged, 10 points a game for the Tigers last year. Give Rick Stansbury credit he was the only one who thought he was good enought to play at that level coming out of high school. And this is how Ben repays him.

As I watched the young Atlanta Hawks win two home games against the far more experienced Celtics, I wondered – what would it take to turn Atlanta into a serious contender?

My first thought would be to build a time machine and go back to the ’05 draft and take Chris Paul instead of Marvin Williams. This team is in desperate need of a playmaking point guard and Paul would be a perfect fit. The Mike Bibby trade gave the team some experience at the position, but his poor shooting after he came to Atlanta (41%) coupled with his horrible accuracy in the playoffs (35%) leads me to believe that his 19-point, seven-assist seasons are long gone. He is a 14/6 guy now (at best) and for that, the Hawks will pay him $15.2 million next season. Yeesh.

The time machine theory is fine, but had they drafted Paul they probably wouldn’t have Al Horford on the roster and that would be a setback. Let’s move on to more real-world possibilities…

Josh Smith and Josh Childress are both restricted free agents this offseason. Will they pay them both? They should. Smith is a star on the rise, and as soon as he figures out to limit his outside jumpers (or learns to shoot them), he’s going to be extremely difficult to stop. Childress is a do-it-all role player that shoots a great percentage and plays defense. The problem is that there aren’t enough minutes for him with Williams on the roster.

So I say sign both Smith and Childress to long-term deals and try to move the less-efficient Marvin Williams for a point guard. Certainly there is some team out there who wants a relatively inexpensive, athletic, 21 year-old forward that regularly puts up 15/6, right? The Hawks should target the Raptors, who have two good point guards in Jose Calderon and T.J. Ford. Toronto is going to keep Calderon, so Ford seems like a logical fit for the Hawks.

If the Hawks re-sign Smith and Childress, they’re not going to have the salary cap flexibility to sign a free agent point guard for the foreseeable future. I like the idea of a sign-and-trade with Washington for Gilbert Arenas, but Agent Zero could ruin the team’s budding chemistry.

Either way, the team will eventually have to choose two of their three forwards – Williams, Smith and Childress – as it doesn’t pay to have that much money locked up in three guys that basically play the same position. Considering that Childress (9.4) gets more fourth quarter minutes than Williams (8.4), it appears that head coach Mike Woodson has made his choice.

Michael Jordan hired fellow ex-Tar Heel Larry Brown to a four-year contract to coach the Charlotte Bobcats.

“How are you going to say no to Michael?” Brown said. “I’ve known him a long time. The things he stands for have made our game better. There’s no way I could say no to him. It was a pretty easy decision once my wife said yes.”

Brown’s nine NBA teams are three more than any other coach — Kevin Loughery and Lenny Wilkens each coached six.

“I think I’ve coached almost everybody in the NBA, but I’m going to challenge everybody to do their best,” Brown said. “That’s what Michael is about and that’s what I’m about.”

The Bobcats are in their fourth year, and Brown gives the struggling franchise instant credibility. He’s one of only five NBA coaches with more than 1,000 wins and the only coach to lead teams to NBA and NCAA titles.

Counting the ABA’s Carolina Cougars, the Bobcats will be Brown’s 10th job as a professional basketball coach. He’s a turnaround specialist in that he likes to take teams with losing records and make them winners. He has a career winning percentage of 0.577. Here is a list of his team’s records before and after his arrival:

Denver Nuggets: 37-47 –> 65-19
New Jersey Nets: 24-58 –> 44-38
San Antonio Spurs: 31-51 –> 21-61 –> 56-26
Los Angeles Clippers: took over a 22-25 team and went 23-12 down the stretch, 41-41 the next season
Indiana Pacers: 41-41 –> 47-35
Philadelphia 76ers: 22-60 –> 31-51 –> 28-22 –> 49-33
Detroit Pistons: 50-32 –> 54-28 (NBA Champions)
New York Knicks: 33-49 –> 23-59

As with the Spurs and the Sixers, it sometimes takes Brown two or more seasons to turn his team into a winner. The only team that Brown left as a loser without at least one 52+ win season was the Knicks, and if he hadn’t clashed with management, he probably would have eventually turned that team around as well. (To be fair, when he took over the Knicks, the roster was even worse than it is now.)

So what does this mean for the Bobcats?

Well, it’s good news if the players buy in to Brown’s plan and don’t get miffed by his sometimes-abrasive coaching style. The Bobcats don’t have any superstars that can put themselves above the team, so everyone is expendable. Emeka Okafor is a restricted free agent, so barring a surprise, he’ll have a year to decide if he likes playing for Brown before he has to sign a long-term deal. Brown has a history of improving the play of his point guards, but those relationships are often tenuous, so it will be interesting to see how Ray Felton responds to Brown’s style. Expect a big improvement on the defensive end, where the Bobcats were 23rd in the league in defensive efficiency.

Brown talks about his return to coaching:

Sure it’s tough when your favorite team jumps out to an 11-15 start when they were considered heavy World Series contenders. But it’s no excuse to give your 7-year old son a Mike’s Hard Lemonade in efforts to numb the pain.

47 year old Tigers fan, Christopher Ratte lost custody of his son for a week because his 7 year old son was caught drinking a bottle of Mikes Hard Lemonade in the stands. Ratte’s son was thirsty towards the end of a game and asked for a bottle of lemonade and Ratte obliged but he unknowingly purchased his son a bottle of “hard lemonade”, not knowing that it contained any alcohol.

“I’d never drunk it, never purchased it, never heard of it,” Ratte of Ann Arbor told [the reporter] sheepishly last week. “And it’s certainly not what I expected when I ordered a lemonade for my 7-year-old.”

A security guard saw the boy drinking it, took the bottle away from the kid, scolded the parent, called the police over and took Ratte in for questioning for an hour while his son was taken to a hospital for observation. The child was then kept from Ratte and his wife for two days in foster care, then once released, it was another week before Ratte could go back to his house and be around his son.

This seemed like an honest mistake, but what’s truly appalling is that the father attempted to get the kid sauced at a Tiger game. At least do it at a Lions game - where people really need to be sauced to enjoy the action.

The World of Isaac ranked the top 10 hottest celebrity fans, which included Eva Longoria (Spurs), Jessica Alba (Warriors) and of course, Ashley Judd (Kentucky).

Oh yeah, and:

4. Lucy Pinder – Southampton Saints

The Southampton Saints? Yeah, yeah - I’m totally a fan, too.

Photo Coutresy of Flickr

The college football season isn’t even close to kicking off, but hey, it’s never too early to put together a NFL mock draft right? SI.com put together its mock for the 2009 NFL Draft.

1. Chiefs (via trade with Falcons) — Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia * — A quarterback has gone No. 1 overall six out of the past eight years, and Stafford looks like the most likely candidate to develop into that kind of elite QB. His numbers were mediocre last year, but he had no line or receivers. The Falcons will have the worst record, but be able to field trade offers because they don’t need a QB.

2. Raiders — Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech * — Plays in a big numbers system, but his size and speed still make him an elite receiver. And he will fit into the “Al Davis kind of player” category.

3. Lions — Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State * — Wells said he wants to stay four years at Ohio State, but an elite running back trying to save wear and tear on his body would be foolish not to go pro as soon as possible.

4. Falcons (via trade with Chiefs) — Andre Smith, OT, Alabama * — Smith doesn’t get the publicity of Ole Miss offensive tackle Michael Oher, but we’ll take a shot on a player many considered the top prospect in his high school class.

5. Rams — James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State — Could have been a top-15 pick this year. Goes higher than usual for an inside linebacker because of athleticism.

A year from now at least two of these five prospects probably won’t go higher than the fifth round. Happens every year.

Photo Courtesy of Flickr

According to several national reports, former Cy Young winner Roger Clemens did the horizontal polka with country music singer Mindy McCready.

Embattled Major League Baseball star Roger Clemens began a 10-year affair with country music singer Mindy McCready when she was just 15 years old, the New York Daily News reported Monday.

Clemens began the affair when he was 28, a married father of two and pitching for the Boston Red Sox while McCready, now 32, was a karaoke bar performer dreaming of a singing career, the News reported.

Such an affair would undermine the defamation lawsuit Clemens filed on January 6 against former trainer Brian McNamee, who claimed he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone several times between 1998 and 2001.

When reached for comment Clemens stated, “Mindy McCready is a very honest person. That said, she misremembered what happened between us. She misremembered the sh*t out of the situation.”

Photo Courtesy of Flickr

It’s kind of sad that the most compelling thing about the Cavs/Wizards series is all the drama surrounding the ongoing feud between LeBron James and DeShawn Stevenson, though I have to admit I love hearing clueless announcers describe the insult in LeBron’s comparison of DeShawn to Soulja Boy. Then Soulja Boy shows up and meets Stevenson before the Wizards go on to blow the Cavs out in Game 3. Apparently, LeBron bought a private room in a club that night and played a new Jay-Z song in which he disses Stevenson. Caron Butler and his squeeze were in the club and when they heard the song, they left. On and on it goes. Oh yeah, the Cavs are up 3-1 heading back to Cleveland.

Hedo Turkoglu won the Most Improved Player award, making me three for three in my year-end award predictions. The award was well deserved as Turk’s Efficiency Per Game jumped 56% and he played a large role in the Magic’s emergence this season. Turkoglu won the award going away, with Rudy Gay and LaMarcus Aldridge coming in second and third. Former lottery picks simply have a tough time winning this award because the press expects them to make a leap early in their career. Voters are more likely to give it to someone that comes out of nowhere (and no one saw Turkoglu’s season coming).

The Suns dodged a bullet in Game 4 by jumping all over the Spurs. No NBA team has ever come back from being down 3-0, but the Suns have a shot. (Granted, it’s a long shot.) If they can find a way to win Game 5 in San Antonio, they’ll get the opportunity to tie the series at home. I’m mildly optimistic because it seems like they made some adjustments guarding the Spurs’ pick and roll, and Boris Diaw has taken on the challenge of guarding Tony Parker. Given all that has happened thus far, the Suns have to be thinking that the series is a lucky Tim Duncan three away from being tied up, 2-2. They know they can play with the Spurs and they just need to take it one game at a time.

I’m really starting to enjoy watching the Jazz. I played for Bo Ryan on one of his national championship teams at UW-Platteville, and Jerry Sloan has the Jazz playing like we did. Take care of the ball, cut and pick hard, get good shots and play defense. They always make the extra pass, rarely take a bad shot, and it translates to wins. Ryan’s teams overcome a lack of athleticism by outwitting their opponents, and the Jazz are doing the same thing. I don’t know how Jerry Sloan hasn’t yet won Coach of the Year, but if we’re willing to give the MVP to Kobe as a career achievement award, we might as well reward Sloan as well.

I’m a Josh Howard fan and a proponent of the legalization of marijuana, but I have to wonder about the timing of his comments. Apparently, Howard has a history of partaking, so when a writer brought it up as a possible reason for Howard’s less-than-stellar performance in the playoffs, he took issue and said that he only smokes Mary Jane during the offseason. This, of course, flies in the face of the NBA’s substance abuse policy and the interview has become a giant distraction for the already distracted Mavs. I like Josh and I like Dirk, but I have to say I enjoy watching Mark Cuban and his league leading $105 M payroll get knocked out in the first round. Cuban made his fortune during the internet boom, which means he basically sold an idea for lots and lots of money. I’m not blaming him for being in the right place at the right time, but that’s all it was, right? Now he owns the Mavericks and that makes him an expert on putting a team together… Only he just traded away his second-best young player for a washed-up point guard and it looks like his Mavs are going to make their second consecutive first-round exit. Ouch.

Photos courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel. and Flickr.

The Mercury News is reporting that the San Francisco Giants might move wonder pitcher Barry Zito to the bullpen following his brilliant performance against the Reds Sunday in which he gave up eight earned runs in only three innings.

“We’ve got to do something,” said Bochy, after Zito allowed a six-run first inning. “We can’t keep doing what we’re doing and getting what we’re getting.”

Here is what the Giants have received from their opening-day starter: an 0-6 record in six starts, a 7.53 ERA, a growing soundtrack of boos at home and no sign of a break in the clouds.

The ironic thing about the disaster that is Barry Zito is that the only thing the Giants have in their farm system is pitching. So not only did GM Brian Sabean hand out a ridiculous $126 million contract to Zito last offseason, he also blocked the development of young pitchers like Pat Misch. Think that money would have been better used to upgrade the field, Sabean? Ah what am I saying – Rich Aurilia, Ray Durham and Dave Roberts are fine players.

Photo Courtesy of Flickr

After free agency, the draft is the next big event in the NFL calendar. A good fantasy season starts in the offseason, and a savvy fantasy footballer should pay attention to the draft. Specifically, we need to identify those skill position players that will have an opportunity to shine come September.

Running back is the most important position to consider. Of all the skill positions, tailbacks have the easiest transition to the pros, and there are usually a few rookie standouts every season. Last year, Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch burst onto the scene in a big way. Two seasons ago, Maurice Jones-Drew, Joseph Addai and Reggie Bush became household names. (At least in fantasy households, that is.)

To a lesser extent, it’s also important to identify those wide receivers and tight ends that will have a chance to play right away. The transition to the NFL is much more difficult for these positions, but anyone who picked up Marques Colston off the waiver wire two seasons ago will tell you that there are exceptions. Last season, Dwayne Bowe and Calvin Johnson were starter-quality in many fantasy leagues and there are no doubt a few wideouts from the ’08 class that will have an impact this fall.

Conversely, it’s rare for a first-year quarterback to have any appreciable success in his rookie season, so it’s better just to pretend they don’t exist.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at this weekend’s draft and try to identify a few rookies that will make an impact this fall.

RUNNING BACKS

Darren McFadden, Raiders
Al Davis’ flashy offseason continues. The Raiders added the top RB prospect in the draft to a rushing corps that includes Justin Fargas, Michael Bush, Dominic Rhodes and LaMont Jordan. Conventional wisdom says that McFadden will eventually start, but Fargas played well last season, Bush has some upside, and both Rhodes and Jordan are proven veterans. If McFadden sits atop the depth chart come August, you can bet he’ll be a third- or fourth-round pick (at least).

Matt Forte, Bears
Thus far in his career, it’s fair to say that Cedric Benson has been a disappointment, so it’s no surprise that Chicago decided to shore up its running game in the draft. GM Jerry Angelo considers Forte to be a “three-down back” which means that Benson’s job is in serious jeopardy. Forte is a big, strong back, has good hands and is an instinctive runner. He lacks breakaway speed, but should be a good fit for the Bears grind-it-out offense.

Kevin Smith, Lions
Detroit released Kevin Jones, and now has Tatum Bell and Brian Calhoun sitting atop its depth chart, so there are carries to be had in the Motor City. Smith was the eighth RB selected this weekend and he played college ball for Detroit, so the Lions have had ample opportunity to scout him. He is patient, strong and runs with a mean streak, but there are questions about his speed and character.

Jonathan Stewart, Panthers
Just when fantasy owners thought that DeAngelo Williams would have the Carolina backfield to himself, here comes another talented back. With the departure of DeShaun Foster, there are a lot of carries to go around in Carolina’s run-heavy attack and Stewart is talented enough to challenge Williams for the starting job. He’s quick and agile, but the big concern for Stewart is his durability, as he always seemed to be nicked up. He doesn’t have a lot of experience carrying the full load, so it looks like we may have a RBBC in Carolina… again. (Great.)

Other RBs to watch: A number of teams set themselves up for “Thunder and Lightning” combinations. The speedy Felix Jones will join Marion Barber in Dallas. Likewise, the even speedier Chris Johnson will provide a big change of pace from LenDale White’s plodding style. In Pittsburgh, Rashard Mendenhall, who was projected to be the second back off the board, landed in Pittsburgh (as the fourth RB selected), where he’ll likely share the load with Willie Parker… A few mid-round RBs went to teams with vulnerable starters. The shifty and speedy Steve Slaton will try to poach Ahman Green’s job in Houston, while Tim Hightower, a strong but plodding runner, joins an Arizona backfield that is thin on talent.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Devin Thomas, Redskins
Although he only had one good season at the major collegiate level, the scouts are high Thomas’ great hands and ability to make people miss after the catch. He has good speed and is a smooth runner. Since Antwaan Randle El is better suited as a slot receiver, a good preseason could earn Thomas a starting job in Washington.

James Hardy, Bills
At 6’5”, Hardy is the prototypical “big” receiver. He’s athletic and has good speed. Like most rookie wideouts, he needs to work on his route running, but he’s capable of contributing right away given Buffalo’s options after Lee Evans.

Limas Sweed, Steelers
Scouts, Inc. had Sweed rated as their most talented WR in the ’08 class, but a wrist injury is an on-going concern. Sweed was drafted as the heir-apparent to Hines Ward, but it will take an injury to Ward or Santonio Holmes for him to crack the starting lineup.

Malcom Kelly, Redskins
Kelly is another highly rated wideout heading to a good situation. He’ll have to battle fellow rookie Devin Thomas for playing time, but there is a lot of opportunity for targets in Washington and someone has to get them. Kelly lacks top end speed, but otherwise he’s a solid receiver with nice hands and good quickness.

DeSean Jackson, Eagles
With Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis holding down the starting jobs in Philly, there isn’t a whole lot standing between Jackson and a starting job. He was one of the highest rated wideouts in the draft and if he can keep his focus, he should have an opportunity to shine for the Eagles.

Donnie Avery, Rams
Avery has tremendous speed, so if he improves his route running, he could play a lot of snaps as the Rams third wideout. Isaac Bruce is gone, so Avery just has to beat out guys like Dane Looker and Reche Caldwell for that WR3 spot.

Other WRs to watch: Playing time is going to be the problem for Jordy Nelson, who joins Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and James Jones in the Packers’ stacked receiving corps. If one or more of those players misses time with an injury, Nelson should be ready to step in. He is big and strong (and surprisingly quick) and has good hands. He should thrive in the West Coast offense once he gets a chance… Eddie Royal joins a Denver team that is reshuffling its WR corps after the departure of Javon Walker. He’s small, quick and speedy, and will probably contribute more as a return man than a wideout unless injuries push him into action… It looks like the Giants got nice value in Mario Manningham, who some thought would be drafted in the first or second round. He is a playmaker, but has character and durability concerns that caused him to drop into the third round. The Giants will try to find Amani Toomer’s replacement over the next couple of seasons, and Manningham is a contender… Jerome Simpson joins a Bengals WR corps that is in flux. He has great hands and terrific leaping ability, and while his speed isn’t great, he doesn’t have any major weaknesses in his game.

TIGHT ENDS

Dustin Keller, Jets
Keller is more of a big wide receiver than a tight end. He’s athletic and is a weapon in the passing game, but isn’t much of a blocker. With Chris Baker and Bubba Franks ahead of him, Keller has an opportunity to be the Jets’ main TE in the passing game next season.

John Carlson, Seahawks
The Seahawks acquired Jeb Putzier in the offseason, but they drafted Carlson to be their future TE. He has to work on his footwork, but he has all the tools to be a quality starter in the NFL.

Other TEs to watch: The Redskins drafted Fred Davis despite having one of the best pass-catching TEs in Chris Cooley. He’s very reliable in the short to intermediate passing game and has good quickness and a knack for making catches… The Chiefs drafted Brad Cottam to be the heir-apparent to Tony Gonzalez, who has said that he’s only planning to play one more season. Cottam is big, quick and fast, but has had trouble staying on the field.

Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News.com thinks the Raiders’ fourth overall pick of Darren McFadden had Al Davis’s stank all over it.

It had to be McFadden on Saturday, damn all else. It had to be McFadden, even if that wasn’t the most logical path presented to the Raiders during the early parts of the NFL’s first round. Logic? Pfaw!

So what if, as Kiffin pointed out a few days ago, the Raiders already had a full set of tailbacks - they have paid Justin Fargas, kept Dominic Rhodes, suffered LaMont Jordan and cultivated Michael Bush?

So what if the Raiders have an enormous need for strength and girth to stop the run and Louisiana State’s Glenn Dorsey was sitting there, set to be an NFL strength-girth superstar?

None of that mattered. None of that entered Davis’ mind when McFadden was there. Kiffin conceded the Raiders were even thinking of trading up to guarantee getting McFadden!

At the news conference, Kiffin seemed relatively happy with this pick, mostly because of all the help McFadden could provide Russell eventually. Or else Kiffin just knows that he might as well spend his remaining Raiders days with a smile on his face.

Why bother? It’s perfect. It’s the Raiders. It’s the same famous thing, over and over into infinity.

Got to side with Kawakami here. McFadden might very well turn out to be a fantastic player (he was absolutely incredible in college, I don’t care what any scout says about his small legs) and when drafting in the top five, teams generally take the best player available and fill needs later. But Dorsey would have been a fantastic pick as well and would have filled a major need. Even with all the young talent, would anyone be surprised to see Oakland drafting in the top 10 again next year?