Month: April 2008 (Page 6 of 30)

After flipping back and forth between NFL Network and ESPN on Day 1 of the NFL draft, it’s obvious the NFL Network has the better coverage. It’s just too bad that not every fan has the channel and some are solely stuck with ESPN’s horse manure.

Here are some random thoughts on the draft coverage:

– Biggest analyst blunder: When the Falcons traded back into the first round to select OT Sam Baker, Charles Davis of the NFL Network said, “Is this where they take Brian Brohm and get their quarterback?” Yeah Charles, the Falcons are going to take Brohm to compete with Matt Ryan.

– I’m not a huge fan of Mike Mayock, but he was phenomenal on Day 1. Any time a team traded up in the first or second round, he had a beat on which player they were going to take. He doesn’t have great presence on TV, but the guy knows his stuff.

– My kudos for Mayock comes with a caveat, however, because I think the NFL Network is flat out handed better information. And obviously that makes sense because it’s the league’s network, so one would think they would get more inside than ESPN.

– Hey Keyshawn, not every team needs a wide receiver.

– Hey Rich Eisen, there are other schools in America besides the University of Michigan. I swear I thought he was going to start crying if Mario Manningham fell any further.

– Chris Berman is a shell of his former self. And his stuttering is staggering.

What did you think of the draft TV coverage?

John Clayton of ESPN.com handed out his top winners and losers from Day 1 of the NFL Draft.

Winners:

1. Kansas City Chiefs: The plan was to find a pass-rusher to replace Jared Allen, who was traded to the Minnesota Vikings. The Chiefs made out even better, getting perhaps the best defensive player in the draft, LSU’s Glenn Dorsey, at No. 5. Some feel Dorsey might be the best defensive player to come around in years. Now he’s the anchor of Kansas City’s improving defense. The Chiefs also were able to get the offensive lineman of their choice in Virginia’s Branden Albert, and they got a good break toward the top of the second round when CB Brandon Flowers fell to them. For a team hoping to find five or six starters out of this draft, Day 1 was a bonanza.

Losers:

3. New England Patriots: Thanks to the 49ers’ horrible 2007 season, the Patriots ended up with the seventh pick in the first round. They hated it. It was a horrible spot for the Patriots, a franchise that mastered the team concept.

The seventh pick probably would have received the third- or fourth-highest salary on the team, so it was evident the Patriots would trade down. They dumped the pick to the Saints and got moderate value. With the 10th pick, New England drafted Jerod Mayo, who probably would have fallen to the Redskins at No. 21. Mayo could end up being a Pro Bowler for the Patriots — he’s smart and can play inside or outside. But he’s going to get a max contract worth around $4 million a year. At least the Patriots got out of the No. 7 spot, which would have cost them more than $7 million a season.

I think we’re going to look back on this day and say the Chiefs built a solid core. They got tremendous value from their trades and wound up getting the best defender in the entire draft (Dorsey) and an offensive lineman (Albert) many thought they might take at No. 5. It’s weird to see the Patriots in the “losers” category.

Photo Courtesy of Flickr

This Saturday, join Anthony Stalter and me as we blog the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. As the draft moves along, Anthony will provide his insight and we’ll be taking questions and comments from our readers. Our live blog will also feature video highlights and reader polls.

The Draft begins at 3 PM ET on Saturday.

I had the chance to go on live with Bill Watters and Greg Brady of AM640 Toronto Radio and talk about the NFL Draft. To listen to the segment, just click on my name (Anthony Stalter) in the second box and the audio will start playing.

Click here to listen to the segment.