Tag: 2009 NFL Draft (Page 16 of 26)

Athlete Profile: Eugene Monroe

Growing up with four other siblings, hand-me downs and competition for everything were commonplace. Each day was an exercise in fast feet, quick reflexes, and the occasional chop block. You learn too, that if you want to stand out from those around you, it takes dedication.

Comparatively speaking, I had it easy. In a family of 16 children, one can imagine Eugene Monroe has had a lot of practice protecting what was valuable. Now all we need to do is trade out the remote control for a quarterback, add about 250 pounds and we get quite possibly the best offensive lineman in the class of 2009.

Born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey, Monroe got his chance to stand out while playing football at Plainfield High School. While there, Monroe made the all-state team twice, did not allow a single sack in his last 25 games, and was widely regarded as the best offensive lineman of any high school in the country.

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Rumor: Lions set on Jason Smith

Rotoworld.com (via KFFL) has a juicy draft rumor about the Lions:

KFFL posted an item late Sunday saying that the website has “learned” the Lions will take Baylor LT Jason Smith with the No. 1 pick in the draft.

KFFL is usually very accurate, but it rarely reports anything and there are no sources cited. It’s also still over a month away from the draft, leaving plenty of room for skepticism. That the Lions have begun contract talks with their No. 1 pick to be makes it possible, however, that they’ve settled on Smith. He is probably willing to take a deal only slightly larger than Jake Long’s.

I’m sure we’ll see a lot of these rumors in the next month. As Rotoworld points out, KFFL.com is solid but this report can be filed in the speculation category.

Lions focusing on Mark Sanchez instead of Matthew Stafford?

ProFootballTalk.com is reporting a rumor that the Lions are focused on USC quarterback Mark Sanchez and not Matthew Stafford.

Mark SanchezWe’re putting this one squarely in the “rumor” file for now. But since this is a “rumor mill,” we’re not going to ignore it pending official confirmation or a second source.

There’s a rumor making the rounds in league circles that the Lions are focused not on Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, but on USC quarterback Mark Sanchez.

As previously mentioned, the Lions apparently plan to talk to multiple players about a possible rookie contract. It could be that the Lions will float multiple names, and ultimately talk to multiple players, in order to soften up the expectations of the guy whom they really want.

I wouldn’t trust anything PFT.com posts, but if the Lions do take Sanchez at No. 1, that would be the shock of the year.

Who knows, maybe Sanchez will be a solid pro. But he had some of the best talent in the country around him at USC and he was far from spectacular. He has limited starting experience, wasn’t necessarily great in the clutch and doesn’t throw a great ball.

Stafford might not have been spectacular in college himself, but there’s no denying he has pro talent.

Should the NFL change its draft seeding?

ESPN.com’s John Clayton brings up an interesting debate about whether or not the NFL should change the current way it does its draft seeding.

NFL DraftThere is one idea that came from last year’s 8-8 Chargers season that does have merit. The Chargers defeated the Colts in overtime in the wild-card round and advanced to the divisional round. Yet, in the draft seedings, the Chargers select 16th, the Colts 27th.

Under a competition committee proposal, playoff teams would be reseeded based on how deep they go in the playoffs. Teams eliminated in the first round would be seeded from 21 to 24 based on their record. Also, non-playoff teams wouldn’t suffer at the expense of playoff teams in the draft, the tool that is vital for improving the talent base of a team.

This rule is broken. Having the Chargers draft before 9-7 non-playoff teams such as the New York Jets, Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers isn’t right. Chargers fans enjoyed a playoff game, while the Jets’ poor finish left fans heartbroken. Those fans shouldn’t have to see the Chargers get a pick before them.

Couldn’t agree more. If the Chargers were good enough to get past the Colts in the first round of the playoffs, then technically they’re the better team and should have a lower draft seeding. It doesn’t make sense to reward the Chargers in the draft when they were already good enough to get the second round of the playoffs.

Clayton is on the money in this instance.

2009 NFL Mock Draft Version 1.0

It would probably be good for me to do an intro to this piece, but I’m going to skip all the foreplay and just get right to the action. And let’s be honest – you probably wouldn’t have read the intro anyway.

Below is my first mock draft of the year. You can disagree all you want, but just make sure you go into detail in the comments section so I know you care. I hate those bastards that trash my work and don’t have the common courtesy to tell me how much of a moron I am in print…

Let’s mock!

1. Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia
Jason Smith (Baylor), Eugene Monroe (Virginia) and Aaron Curry (Wake Forest) are all possibilities for new GM Martin Mayhew with this pick. But the offensive tackle and linebacker positions are deep in this year’s draft – the quarterback position is not. Mayhew can get his franchise quarterback in Stafford, select an offensive tackle at No. 20 and then fill the middle linebacker need in the second or third round. There, I just fixed the 0-16 Detroit Lions in less than 100 words.

2. St. Louis Rams: Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
If Smith goes No. 1 to the Lions, then I fully expect the Rams to take Virginia offensive tackle Eugene Monroe. With the jettison of long-time veteran Orlando Pace this offseason, St. Louis needs to address their need at left tackle and they’ll do so with either Smith or Monroe depending on who’s available. If it’s Smith, then they land one of the most athletic offensive lineman in the draft.

3. Kansas City Chiefs: Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
The Chiefs could really use a right tackle to pair with last year’s first round pick, Branden Albert, but Curry would be too good to pass up here. GM Scott Pioli put a premium on versatile defenders while he was in New England, and that’s exactly what Curry is. The Wake Forest product could play either outside or inside in a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme and is easily the best defensive prospect in this year’s draft.

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