Report: Browns fire George Kokinis Posted by Anthony Stalter (11/02/2009 @ 10:13 pm) CLEVELAND SCORES reports that the Browns have fired GM George Kokinis. It’s hard to react to this without having all the facts, but the Browns under Randy Lerner are starting to rival the Oakland Raiders and the Washington Redskins as the most dysfunctional franchises in the NFL. As I discussed yesterday, it all comes down to Randy Lerner. Why would the General Manager hand-picked by Eric Mangini be fired after only nine months? He’s not coaching the team, and frankly most of his moves have made sense. He hasn’t destroyed the cap and he traded guys like Winslow and Edwards for draft picks. His draft doesn’t look great so far, but for years Browns fans have complained about not drafting offensive linemen, and Kokinis picked up a center in the first round. He may not look like a pro-bowler now, but it’s not crazy to expect Alex Mack to anchor the line for years with Joe Thomas. Problems must exist behind the scenes, but will Randy Lerner have the guts to face the media and explain himself here? With a control-freak like Eric Mangini, who’s going to come in and run this team?
65 Observations about the 2009 NFL Draft Posted by Anthony Stalter (04/27/2009 @ 5:30 pm)
I’m going to channel my inner Peter King and dole out a crap load of quick-hit thoughts on last weekend’s NFL draft, which by the way, was one of the more unpredictable drafts I have ever witnessed. Below are 65 observations from the 2009 NFL Draft. Why 65? I don’t know – don’t worry about it. Originally I came up with 62, but I know that some people freak out when things aren’t in round numbers, so I added three more. But the number 65 means nothing, so don’t waste time searching for its meaning. Obviously these are all my opinions and feel free to debate them. But before you do, I already know that it supposedly takes three seasons to fully grade a draft and that no prospect is a sure thing. Again, I’m projecting here – so lighten up and let’s strike up some good debates. 1. Outside of the fact that he’s now a millionaire and could buy a small country, I kind of feel bad for Matthew Stafford. You know some halfwit fan or media member can’t wait to utter the comment, “For $72 million, he should have made that pass.” I hate the fact that money plays such a huge role in sports because when you get down to it, completing a pass, making a catch or kicking a field goal has nothing to do with how many zeros are on your paycheck. 2. I know I’m not saying anything new here, but the rookie salary structure is a joke. When teams don’t even want a top 5 pick anymore because of the financial burden that comes with it, there’s a huge problem. 3. The kid could turn out to be the next Ryan Leaf on the field, but Lion fans have to at least take comfort in the fact that Matthew Stafford is saying all the right things at this point. He did an interview with the NFL Network on Sunday and he talked about how he wants to be a starter right away, but also wants to learn and be patient in his development. From all accounts, he looks like he has a great head on his shoulders. 4. If Tyson Jackson turns out to be the next Richard Seymour like Chiefs’ GM Scott Pioli believes, then nobody is going to remember (or care) that he was taken with the third overall pick in a weak draft class. Read the rest of this entry » Posted in: NFL, NFL Draft Tags: 2009 NFL Draft, Aaron Curry, Al Davis, Alex Mack, Alphonso Smith, Andre Smith, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, B.J. Raji, Baltimore Ravens, Bill Belichick, Brandon Pettigrew, Braylon Edwards, Brian Cushing, Brian Orakpo, Buffalo Bills, Chris Beanie Wells, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Clint Sintim, Darius Butler, Darren Sproles, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Duke Robinson, Everette Brown, Green Bay Packers, Hakeem Nicks, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jason Smith, Jay Cutler, Jeremy Maclin, Kansas City Chiefs., Kenny Britt, Knowshon Moreno, L.J. Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson, Louis Delmas, Malcolm Jenkins, Marc Bulger, Mark Sanchez, Matthew Stafford, Miami Dolphins, Michael Crabtree, Michael Oher, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, NFL Draft, NFL Mock Draft, NFL Mock Drafts, NFL Mock Drafts 2009, Oakland Raiders, Orlando Pace, Percy Harvin, Peria Jerry, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Plaxico Burress, Rey Maualuga, Ron Brace, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams, Steven Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Vontae Davis, Washington Redskins
NFL Draft: 5 Day 1 Winners Posted by Anthony Stalter (04/25/2009 @ 11:21 pm)
It’s absolutely ridiculous to claim that a team “won” on draft day when none of the players have even played one down in the NFL yet. But it is fair to debate which teams made quality decisions on draft day (i.e. trades, overall maneuvering, etc.), and below are five franchises that I thought made out well after the first two rounds. 1. Cleveland Browns Alex Mack, C (21); Brian Robiskie, WR (36); Mohamed Massaquoi, WR (50); David Veikune, DE (52) The Browns became one of the day one draft winners the moment they were able to trade out of the No. 5 pick, because there wasn’t a prospect at that spot that Cleveland loved and they saved a ton of money getting out of the top 5. So they were able to make a deal with the Jets and landed the 17th and 52nd picks, as well as three players (Kenyon Coleman, Brett Ratliff and Abram Elam) that used to play for Eric Mangini in New York. The underrated Elam is the best of the group and should start at strong safety after the team decided to not re-sign Sean Jones. After the deal with the Jets, the Browns made yet another move, trading the 17th overall pick to Tampa Bay for the 19th and 191st selections. Still not satisfied, the Browns again traded back, this time dealing the 19th pick to Philadelphia for the 21st and 195th selections. When they finally did select a player at No. 21, they got the best center prospect in the draft in Mack, who joins a solid offensive line that already features Eric Steinbach and Joe Thomas. Although I was surprised that they passed on OLB Everrette Brown early in the second, they got a polished receiver in Brian Robiskie and then eventually filled their linebacker need with Veikune, who is raw but has good upside. Massaquoi was a bit of a surprise, especially considering the Robiskie selection earlier in the round, but it’s hard to criticize what Mangini and new GM George Kokinis did on the first day. It also must be noted how well the Browns played everything before the draft, keeping things close to the vest and not tipping their hand. Obviously that trade with the Jets for the No. 5 pick had to be in the works for a while given the players involved. Read the rest of this entry » Posted in: NFL, NFL Draft Tags: 2009 NFL Draft, Aaron Curry, Alex Mack, Anthony Stalter, Brian Robisike, Cleveland Browns, Clint Sintim, Darius Butler, David Veikune, Eben Britton, Eugene Monroe, Hakeem Nicks, Jacksonville Jaguars, Max Unger, Mohamed Massaquoi, New England Patriots, New York Giants, NFL Draft, Patrick Chung, Ron Brace, Seattle Seahawks, William Beatty
Official 2009 NFL Draft Post & Rumor Mill Posted by Anthony Stalter (04/25/2009 @ 2:00 pm)
As the NFL draft rolls on over the next two days, I’ll post picks, thoughts and stay on top of any rumors that I hear and post them here. Enjoy. 2:55PM ET: Mike Mayock of the NFL Network claims that his “cell phone is blowing up” with reports that the Jets are trying to trade up to No. 2 for USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. 3:19PM ET: According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Dolphins will select Connecticut cornerback Darius Butler at No. 25. 3:22PM ET: The Rams could trade back into the first round for middle linebacker Rey Maualuga according to NFL Network’s Steve Wyche. 3:38PM ET: I’m shocked the Chiefs passed on Aaron Curry, but all the pre-draft rumors that said Tyson Jackson would be their pick were obviously dead on. Jackson is the best 3-4 end in the draft and obvious was a commodity. 3:40PM ET: The Browns got exactly what they wanted with this trade. They weren’t in love with anyone at No.5 and managed to trade out. Great move – I wonder what kind of ransom the Browns got. 3:42PM ET: Mike Mayock just made a great point about the Jets trading up to No. 5. What team did they want to get ahead of to go all the way up to No. 5? 3:45PM ET: DE Kenyon Coleman, QB Brett Ratliff, S Abram Elam No. 17 and No. 57. A sleeper in this deal is Elam, who is one of the more promising safeties in the draft. 3:52PM ET: The Bengals select OT Andre Smith – another low character guy for their low-character roster. He is a tremendous talent, but he comes with a ton of baggage. Read the rest of this entry » Posted in: Fantasy Football, MLB, NFL, NFL Draft Tags: 2009 Mock Drafts, 2009 NFL Draft, 2009 NFL Mock Draft, Aaron Curry, Al Davis, Alex Mack, Alphonso Smith, Andre Smith, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, B.J. Raji, Baltimore Ravens, Bill Belichick, Brandon Pettigrew, Braylon Edwards, Brian Cushing, Brian Orakpo, Buffalo Bills, Chris Beanie Wells, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Clint Sintim, Darius Butler, Darren Sproles, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Duke Robinson, Everette Brown, Green Bay Packers, Hakeem Nicks, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jason Smith, Jay Cutler, Jeremy Maclin, Kansas City Chiefs., Kenny Britt, Knowshon Moreno, L.J. Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson, Louis Delmas, Malcolm Jenkins, Marc Bulger, Mark Sanchez, Matthew Stafford, Miami Dolphins, Michael Crabtree, Michael Oher, Minnesota Vikings, Mock Drafts, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, NFL Mock Draft, NFL Mock Drafts, NFL Mock Drafts 2009, Oakland Raiders, Orlando Pace, Percy Harvin, Peria Jerry, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Plaxico Burress, Rey Maualuga, Ron Brace, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams, Steven Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Vontae Davis, Washington Redskins
2009 NFL Mock Draft Version 3.0 Posted by Anthony Stalter (04/20/2009 @ 5:30 pm)
This is it – the week NFL draft nuts have been waiting for. Soon enough, prospects will know what cities they’re headed to and draft mock experts everywhere will look like idiots when less than half of their predictions are correct despite spending hours of time researching the picks. I say it every year – the NFL draft is a crapshoot in terms of trying to make predictions. Nobody knows how high prospects are rated on draft boards around the league except the teams themselves. So while it’s fun to project who will go where, nobody has a clue – not Mike Mayock, not Mel Kiper and certainly not Anthony Stalter. (Did I just refer to myself in the third person? What a joke.) The following is my third and final mock of the first round. In my previous two mocks, I had some fun by predicting potential trades that could play out, but I won’t do it here. I’m playing this mock “straight up” because predicting trades in the first round is harder to do than predicting what kind of mood Billy Bob Thornton will be in when he sits down to give an interview. Zing! Some of you will inevitably feel as though that I have teams reaching with their picks. That’s fine, but realize that reaches are going to happen come Saturday because they’re just a part of the draft. If you disagree with any of my picks, go ahead and let me hear about it in the comments section. After all, the NFL draft is a spectacle and it’s supposed to be fun for fans. Enjoy all the action on Saturday and good luck to your favorite team on draft weekend. (Click here to see Mock Draft Version 1.0 and Mock Draft Version 2.0) Read the rest of this entry » Posted in: NFL, NFL Draft Tags: 2009 Mock Drafts, 2009 NFL Draft, 2009 NFL Mock Draft, Aaron Curry, Al Davis, Alex Mack, Alphonso Smith, Andre Smith, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, B.J. Raji, Baltimore Ravens, Bill Belichick, Brandon Pettigrew, Braylon Edwards, Brian Cushing, Brian Orakpo, Buffalo Bills, Chris Beanie Wells, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Clint Sintim, Darius Butler, Darren Sproles, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Duke Robinson, Everette Brown, Green Bay Packers, Hakeem Nicks, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jason Smith, Jay Cutler, Jeremy Maclin, Kansas City Chiefs., Kenny Britt, Knowshon Moreno, L.J. Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson, Louis Delmas, Malcolm Jenkins, Marc Bulger, Mark Sanchez, Matthew Stafford, Miami Dolphins, Michael Crabtree, Michael Oher, Minnesota Vikings, Mock Drafts, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, NFL Mock Draft, NFL Mock Drafts, NFL Mock Drafts 2009, Oakland Raiders, Orlando Pace, Percy Harvin, Peria Jerry, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Plaxico Burress, Rey Maualuga, Ron Brace, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams, Steven Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Vontae Davis, Washington Redskins
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