NFL Draft Coming to a City Near You?

NFL Draft 2011 (Photo credit: mjpeacecorps)

Well, finally someone came up with an idea I’ve been preaching and screaming about for roughly since 2002.  The NFL Draft is on the move to a city near you.  Not exactly but the most popular sport in North America will be moving the most popular non-sporting event to the other 31 cities that are homes to the franchises within the league.   The idea I that I think would work is for example in 2015 day one of the NFL draft to be held in Chicago, day two of the draft in Dallas and day three in Buffalo.  Then the following year day one of the NFL Draft in Dallas, day two Buffalo, day three in Green Bay. 

Spreading the draft around at different locations during the same year would not only add increase the experience for the fans but also build the excitement to when that city lands the primetime event of day one of the draft.  I think the NFL would be wise not to rule out a return to NY City after a break as they could capitalize on the whole “the draft is back where is started” stuff but a break for a few years is an excellent idea.       

The next move will be for the NFL Draft to be on a major network for day one just to see the monster ratings get even bigger.   I also read they realized the enormous error in their ways of having the draft on Mother’s Day weekend.   I guess they were really trying to get all males in deep trouble with Mom as no one messes with Mom.

Remember these Names: 2014 NFL Draftees Who Should Have Solid Careers in the NFL

With the NFL Draft flood over, free agency moves now less than a trickle and all the UDFA moves complete, I want to add my two cents to the draft picks I thought were nice moves by the NFL teams.   I always found giving grades a little ludicrous before these guys even played a season but I do think it is worth pointing out the guys that could make a bigger impact on teams than the first day selections.

AFC

Baltimore---John Urschel OG/OC Penn State….the perfect player for this franchise and its image.  John is hard working, extremely intelligent, athletic and gets the most of his abilities.   John fits the mold of the Ravens and should be a solid contributor to the franchise for the next seven to ten years.   John is the kind of person and player that Ozzie might be able to find a spot for in the front office when his days are over.

Buffalo—Cyril Richardson OG  Baylor…Buffalo went for broke in a sense this draft by trading their number one pick next year so they can certainly use every pick this year to step up and make 2014 that much more successful.   Richardson is a big body mauler who likely will push to start by midseason and may not give up that spot for quite a while.

Cincinnati---Russell Bodine C   North Carolina….Big body linemen who can move are hard to come by and especially men with extensive experience at making the line calls.  Bodine will be a long term answer for the center position and should quickly become a good friend to Andy Dalton.

Cleveland---Pierre Desir  CB   Lindenwood….The Browns drafted a lot of other talented players than just Johnny Football and even closed out with a real steal in Pierre Desir.   Mature beyond his years as he knows what it takes to be a man and if given some time to sit and learn should be that nickel corner/part time starter for many years to come for the Browns.

Denver—Matt Paradis   C  Boise State…..With Peyton under center it is always wise to spend picks on offensive linemen and especially ones that are hard workers like Paradis.  A walk on who has experience playing both sides of the ball and is comfortable with cold inclement weather.   The last thing a team playing in Denver wants is a center who is not used to playing in less than ideal situation.  Paradis will be part of the rotation and depth for this season but should nail down a position in the coming seasons.

Houston---Tom Savage QB  Pittsburgh….No question Coach O’Brien is going to build the team his way and under ideal situations it would be great if Tom Savage could spend all of 2014 on the bench digesting the offense.   Again under ideal situations but the likelihood is that he will see the field at some point and with his arm strength, confidence and ability to learn quick having played under different systems in all his college stops his learning curve should be less than others and have success sooner.   If O’Brien can turn Matt McGloin into an NFL player in a year he can certainly do something similar with Tom Savage.

Draft Day Review

OK, how do you know you are a draftnik? This is not the start of a bad joke.   You know you are a draftnik when someone calls to offer to watch your children so you can see Draft Day the weekend it opens.  That is what happened when my parents saw the preview for Draft Day and quickly called and offered their babysitting abilities for my two kids.   After thinking about it for a few seconds, I quickly took them up on the offer and looked forward to seeing what a major motion picture about my beloved NFL draft might be like.

The movie starts with us being introduced to general manager, Sonny Weaver Jr. (Kevin Costner) and his girlfriend, Ali Parker (Jennifer Garner), on draft day.   We see Sonny write something on a piece paper and it is pretty obvious that he is distracted as his girlfriend goes to leave and he is talking with a possible draft pick.   I did not realize that players called general managers on draft day, as I always thought it was a one way street until they get drafted.   We start to see the various signs of the pressure Sonny is under as he drives to the office on one of the biggest and most important days in the NFL.   He shows up with everyone still questioning what he’ll do with their top ten pick and then he gets a phone call from the team with the top pick and makes a fairly believable trade.   I say believable, as it is very similar to the trade the Redskins made with St. Louis to draft RG3.    After that trade is when the pressure is really turned up on Sonny from all parties, his head coach (Dennis Leary), his fans, his owner, his mother (played brilliantly by Ellen Burstyn).   We see Sonny Weaver, who is living in the shadow of his legendary father, meet the criteria of Rudyard Kipling’s “If” every step of the way.   For those who are not familiar with what I mean, Google it, but the poem starts like this, “if you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you.”  As the movie plays out and without giving away too much plot, with the exception of one ridiculous trade that any hardcore fan would know could never happen, it was enjoyable to watch and I recommend it to any football fan and even some non-football fans, as my wife enjoyed it too.  

A Review of the 2013 NFL Draft--NFC

Millions of children grow up dream of becoming a professional athlete. For a select few, those dreams eventually become a reality. For NFL fans, the chance so many dreams fulfilled during the NFL Draft is a great opportunity for all. Here's what happened in the NFC:

The Philadelphia Eagles drafted T. Lane Johnson for the number four overall pick in the draft. Chip Kelly made a splash during his first draft as the Eagles head coach by selecting former USC QB Matt Barkley. While many do not know how this will fit, Kelly may be looking to redesign his offense to fit as an NFL scheme.

The Dallas Cowboys made a nice second round selection by taking TE Gavin Escobar. He has great hands and will give Tony Romo another big- time option and down-field threat. The Cowboys then went on to draft CB B. W. Webb and RB Joseph Randle. They had a respectable draft but all of the pressure will be on Romo for next season.

The St. Louis Rams may have produced one of the best drafts in their franchise's history, as they reeled in some potential game changers across the board. Starting out with a speedy playmaker by the name of Tavon Austin, who will be a threat to take it to the house any time he touches the ball. Then the Rams drafted very wisely by reaching into the rich and proven talent tool from the SEC, as they selected Alec Ogletree, Barrett Jones, and Zac Stacy. Jones and Ogletree should prove to be handfuls in the trenches, since Jones has proven that he can literally play anywhere on the offensive line. The team also filled a hole at the safety position by selecting T.J McDonald in round three. He should be able to see the filed pretty soon.

The Washington Redskins filled obvious needs in their defensive backfield by going after David Amerson and former Georgia safety Bacarri Rambo. They also found a potential gem in the third round by getting a sure-handed TE Jordan Reed, which will greatly assist Robert Griffin III. While this may not be the most exciting class the Redskins have put together, it is certainly one that can push their team to the next level.

The New York Giants selected former Syracuse QB Ryan Nassib in the fourth round, even though he probably won't see the field due to Eli Manning. However, Nassib could be used as great leverage as a future trade if the Giants choose to go that route. The Giants also chose DE Damontre Moore, OL Justin Pugh, and DT Johnathan Hankins. The Giants did not need to do much to improve an already-talented roster, but they did fill some specific needs.

The San Francisco 49ers added a great draft class to an already talented roster that nearly won the Super Bowl last year. They got Marcus Lattimore in the fourth round, a guy who would have been picked in the first round if it were not for reoccurring leg injuries suffered in college. They also added some big-time talent to the defense by adding DE Tank Carradine, highly coveted safety Eric Reid, and big time pass rusher Cory Lemonier. The San Francisco 49ers got an A+ from FeedCrossing, considering this team is going to be great for years to come.

The Arizona Cardinals got some much needed help up front by snaring offensive guard Jonathan Cooper -- and they filled some obvious gaps on the defensive side of the ball. Kevin Minter, Alex Okafor and Tyrann Mathieu should be able to greatly improve that Cardinal defense next year. They also added some offensive sparks to the team as well by adding RB Stephan Taylor and playmaker Andre Ellington. It was a great draft for the Cardinals. Expect them to make some noise pretty soon.

The Seattle Seahawks did not have a first round pick due to the acquisition of Percy Harvin, but they did get some very good talent to add to an already talented roster. RB Christine Michael is a first round talent and has the potential to be great from day one. CB Tharold Simon brings off the field trouble, but a load of talent as well. They also could have potentially landed a gem in the 5th round by getting nose tackle Jesse Williams out of Alabama. This was a solid draft for the Seahawks, considering they will be a favorite going in to next year.

Q&A with Illinois--DT--Akeem Spence

Recently, I had the chance to talk football, NFL draft and life after football with one of the most gregarious players I have had the pleasure to speak with in star defensive tackle, Akeem Spence.

Footballdialogue: What is your official size and weight?

Akeem:  I am 6’0 ½ and 307

FD: What other sports did you play in high school?

Akeem: Track and Field and enjoyed weightlifting.

FD: How did you come to pick Illinois?

Akeeem:  It’s actually funny as they were not on my radar at until I came for a visit.   I then fell in love with the place.  The coaches knew my high school coach and I really enjoyed the weather and the idea of a fresh start.

FD:  What has been your best memory at Illinois?

Akeem:  2010 Texas Bowl vs. Baylor when we got to beat RG3.

FD:  Where was your favorite place to play on the road in the Big Ten?

Akeem:  I loved the crowds at Penn State and Michigan. It was awesome to play in front of that many people.

FD:  If a scout wanted a tape of you at your best what game would you give him?

Akeem: Against Purdue and Wisconsin this year.

FD:  Who was the toughest opponent you faced in college and at Illinois?

Akeem:  Opponent wise no doubt Travis Fredrick from the University of Wisconsin and at Illinois it was Graham Pocic.   It was fun to battle with Graham in practice.

Headlines Around the NFL

DeMarcus Ware weighs in on Tony Romo and the Cowboys moves this off-season.

Regardless of the recent QB moves Geno Smith will go top 10 and maybe as high as two.  I can see him as the new face of the Buffalo Bills but that is just me.

Good player makes a dumb mistake.  I'm betting Daryl Washington learns from this mistake.

You might not know the name but Logan Harrell is the kind of guy everyone should want as a neighbor.

Another union rep, Ryan Clabo, let go this time by the Atlanta Falcons.  If you are curious do a search how many reps have had to find new jobs.

An off the radar move, low risk, high reward by the Giants that could pay huge dividends this season.

Mark my words but a hot QB next year on the trading block will be Kirk Cousins.  Washington will consider trade offers during the off-season next year.

Look out football fans my guys at NFL Draft Bible are back.   Can't be draft season without them.

10 Ways to Improve the NFL for Fans

The new NFL logo went into use at the 2008 draft. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I am willing to bet few people look forward to the football season as much as I do. I heard a caller on the radio say that the NFL has made not just the Super Bowl an unofficial holiday, but every Sunday a holiday when football is being played. I agree wholeheartedly.

Granted, I feel that way regarding college football, too, but that's also not to say that there are some obvious and less obvious tweaks, updates, and changes that can be done to make the whole football experience even greater. Be scared, baseball!

Here are some ideas that I have had for a while. As always feel free to send me additional ones, modify these, or tell me I'm crazy. There is nothing better than discussing football with passionate fans. 

1. Rotate the NFL Draft

This is another item I have preached about for years, and hopefully, it gets addressed. Based on where I live, I have been able to attend the NFL Draft several times in New York City. It is a great event. With that said, I can't understand why it is locked into only being in New York. The NFL Draft is a ratings monster for the league, and my idea is to let some of the smaller-market cities that will never have the chance to host a Super Bowl, but could handle something like the NFL Draft, bid for it. Imagine the draft in Pittsburgh or Green Bay or Buffalo. These fans are diehards and deserve the chance to see this event up close and personal.  

Read the rest 

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