Month: January 2009 (Page 13 of 61)

      Don Banks’ Mock Draft 1.0

      January 26, 2009 /

      Don Banks of SI.com takes his first crack at predicting the first round of April’s NFL draft.

      Here’s a look at his top 5:

      1. Lions: Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
      Sure, it’d be a sexier No. 1 pick if I went with Georgia junior quarterback Matthew Stafford, but I’m not yet at the point where I can see the winless Lions taking anything that resembles a risky pick with the very first selection of the Jim Schwartz era. Plenty of questions remain about Stafford’s readiness to play quickly in the NFL, and my early read is the Lions will play it safe and start rebuilding their roster from the lines out. Smith, Virginia’s Eugene Monroe and Mississippi’s Michael Oher are all in the discussion when it comes to divining the top-rated offensive tackle.

      2. Rams: Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
      The Rams missed out on offensive tackle Jake Long with the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, but they’re assured of coming away with one of the upper tier tackles this time around. St. Louis needs an heir apparent for Orlando Pace, whose body has started to betray him in recent years. Monroe’s game might not be as highly regarded as Smith’s or Oher’s, but he’s a cleaner pick who comes with fewer question marks regarding his character, maturity and size.

      3. Chiefs: Mathew Stafford, QB, Georgia
      Screaming in my head as I make this pick is the reality that taking a first-round quarterback is not exactly the Scott Pioli way (see Brady, Tom, and Cassel, Matt). But the Chiefs quarterback situation has been a nightmare since Len Dawson or so, and that might make for a scenario in which Pioli makes an exception. With Tyler Thigpen playing serviceably last season, the Chiefs could afford to give Stafford the year or so of development that everybody seems to think he needs. Then again, finding another quality offensive tackle to pair with Branden Albert is much more Pioli-like.

      4. Seahawks: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
      This could be a pick that doesn’t change between now and April 25’s first round. In the perfect marriage of need and draft slot, the receiver-starved Seahawks should find Crabtree waiting. All you need to know at the moment is that Crabtree has conjured up comparisons to Cardinals all-world receiver Larry Fitzgerald with his blend of size, hands, athleticism and ability to make yards after the catch.

      5. Browns: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
      Eric Mangini’s Browns (still getting used to that) could go a lot of different ways in the five spot, but it’s going to be a defensive pick. The home-state hero Jenkins would give Cleveland’s shaky cornerback situation an infusion of talent, but you can make a strong case for help in the pass rush (DE/LB Brian Orakpo of Texas) or maybe at linebacker (USC’s Rey Maualuga).

      Anyone else find it ironic that the year the Lions are picking No. 1, the best player in the draft is a wide receiver? (I’m referring to Crabtree, of course.)

      Speaking of the Lions, the big questions surrounding their draft is whether or not they’ll pull the trigger on a quarterback like Stafford in the first round. With the success of rookie signal callers Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco, it’s going to be tempting for new GM Martin Mayhew to want to get a franchise quarterback with his first pick. But Banks has the right idea in building from the inside out and taking an offensive lineman like Andre Smith might be the best route for Detroit to take.

      NFL

      Is Big Ben underappreciated?

      January 26, 2009 /

      Clark Judge of CBS Sports.com writes that Ben Roethlisberger is one of the most underappreciated quarterbacks in the game.

      Ben RoethlisbergerRoethlisberger had big numbers last season, but that was the exception. Normally, he’s more efficient than he is overwhelming, doing what he must to win. As Fassel said, he’s at his best when his team needs him to be, which it did this season when Pittsburgh pulled off a raft of come-from-behind victories.

      But let’s not stop there. When Pittsburgh held off AFC favorite Indianapolis three years ago to advance to the conference championship game, it was none other than Roethlisberger who made a game-saving tackle of Nick Harper after the Colts defensive back scooped up a Jerome Bettis fumble and seemed headed for the go-ahead touchdown.

      So why doesn’t he get more attention? I mean, if you talk about what makes the Steelers tick you start with the league’s top-ranked defense, pump up coordinator Dick LeBeau, move over to Hines Ward, shift to the team’s trap running game, the club’s storied history and its stable ownership, then get around to Roethlisberger somewhere before dessert is served.

      “Things have worked against him,” said an AFC offensive coordinator. “He has the best defense in the league, so people ask, ‘Is it the defense or is it him?’ He typically has one of the top five rushing attacks in the league. So is it him or the other two?

      “But with the combination of the three, he’s a miracle worker. If he had just an ordinary defense or running game, the guy would be unbelievable because he would be forced to make plays.”

      Big Ben’s career breeds the perfect debate. On one hand, his numbers aren’t eye-popping and he’s been fortunate enough to have played on good teams his entire career. And if you want to get technical about his game, he holds onto the ball way too long and he’s a bit turnover prone.

      But there’s no denying that he’s clutch and he wins. He also played behind an offensive line this year that didn’t gel until the end of the season and one could make the argument that this was the worst Steeler o-line since Big Ben came into the league. So if you can’t appreciate what Roethlisberger has done this season, you’re either a Raven/Brown/Bengals fan, or you’ll never appreciate him.

      NFL

      Joe Torre blasts A-Rod and Yankee management in new book

      January 26, 2009 /

      Dodgers’ skipper Joe Torre decided to write a book. And then ripped his former employer and at least one former player in said book.

      Joe TorreIn an explosive new book called “The Yankee Years,” Torre gets most personal in his attacks against Alex Rodriguez, who he says was called “A-Fraud” by his teammates after he developed a “Single White Female”-like obsession with team captain Derek Jeter and asked for a personal clubhouse assistant to run errands for him.

      Torre, who left the Yankees and became manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers after the 2007 season, says Cashman never told the brass that the manager wanted a two-year deal and instead remained silent during Torre’s tense final sitdown with the bosses.

      The 477-page tell-all, which The Post purchased from a city bookstore last week, is written by co-author Tom Verducci, a longtime Sports Illustrated reporter.

      Torre recounts his 12-year career in New York through interviews. It is being published by Doubleday.
      Torre spent years trying to bring out a winning performance from A-Rod, the highest-paid player in baseball, which from all reported accounts included a lot of hand-holding and battling the insecurities and demons Rodriguez struggles with.

      And while the Bombers would win four world championships under Torre’s watch by 2000, there were years of tension over management’s choice of players and the growing silence between him and Yankee brass.

      Torre’s exit in the fall of 2007 came after a 20-minute meeting over his contract with Steinbrenner and other Yankee officials at the team’s Tampa, Fla., office.

      At the time, the skipper was coming off a tough and highly scrutinized season. He was seeking a two-year contract with the possibility of a buyout.

      Boy, how bad did the Yankee front office brass piss Torre off if he was compelled enough to write a 477-page tell-all? Joe doesn’t seem to be the type that would air secrets about his former club publicly, but this is a man that believes he wasn’t treated right in the end and obviously this is his retaliation.

      And once again A-Rod gets blasted, although this has to be the worst. Having your former manager call out your love affair with Derek Jeter? Ouch.

      MLB

      Fisher tells Collins he’ll start if he re-signs

      January 26, 2009 /

      Titans’ head coach Jeff Fisher told free agent-to-be Kerry Collins that if he re-signs with the team this offseason, he’ll be granted the starting quarterback job again.

      Kerry CollinsWhen Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher broke the news to Kerry Collins last week that he was headed to the Pro Bowl, he also communicated directly to Collins that he indeed wants him back as his starting quarterback in 2009, a team source told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.

      Fisher had made public remarks that Collins deserved to be the starter based on his performance this season, but a source said his private reaffirmation thrilled Collins, who has said he will retire if he does not get a contract as a starting quarterback.

      Collins, who was voted as a Pro Bowl alternate and replaces Brett Favre on the AFC roster, is scheduled to become a free agent in March. Though Titans GM Mike Reinfeldt has had some philosophical contract discussions with Collins’ representatives, there has been no real negotiations as of yet.

      If a contract is completed for Collins, it means former first-round draft pick Vince Young will have to cope with the disappointment of losing his job to the veteran. A team source said Young has promised to have a good attitude and work ethic this offseason.

      Collins deserves the starting gig with the way he performed last season but this is damning news to Young, who has fallen so far so fast.

      What do you do with VY now? Make him sit for another year and hope his confidence grows on the sidelines? Use him in special formations? Trade him?

      The Titans can’t trade him because it’s not like Collins is the long-term answer. But the good news is that if they re-sign Collins, they’ll once again have a solid veteran leading their offense next year and Young only counts for $2.16 million against the cap in 2009. But after next season, that number goes up to $7.5 million in 2010 and $8.5 million in 2011. You don’t want to be paying that kind of money to a quarterback riding the pine.

      NFL

      Browns hire George Kokonis as new GM

      January 26, 2009 /

      The Browns hired former Ravens’ pro personnel director George Kokonis to replace Phil Savage as general manager.

      Kokinis, who began his NFL career as an intern in the Browns’ operations department in 1991, was hand-picked by Mangini, who recommended him during his first interview with Browns owner Randy Lerner on Dec. 30. Mangini took over as Cleveland’s coach on Jan. 7, just one week after he was fired following three seasons with the New York Jets.

      Determined to match a coach and GM who can work well together after the Romeo Crennel-Phil Savage relationship failed, Lerner is teaming up a pair of friends who shared an apartment when they first broke into the league and have remained tight.

      Don’t know much about Kokonis but if you’re a Browns fan you have to love two things about this hire. One, he comes from a winning organization in Baltimore and worked closely with one of the best general managers in the NFL in Ozzie Newsome. Second, Kokonis and Mangini get along, which is obviously a huge plus. If Mangini is going to have success coaching the players that Kokonis selects in free agency and the draft, the two have to work together in order to build a winning roster.

      At least at this point, it looks like the Browns are in better shape with Mangini and Kokonis than they were with Romeo Crennel and Savage.

      NFL

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑