Many football players truly struggle when they leave the game. Why? Football is a drug. And there is no substitute.

NFL 16 games a year
MLB 162 games
NBA 82 games
NHL 82 games

Football is a process sport. You train, plan, prepare, practice, and then play. You only have one game a week. The other sports are all about the games. Ray Lewis has been in the NFL since 1996 and has played in “just” 222 games. A second year baseball player could have passed that total by the all star game break this year.   

Football isn’t fun, at least not in general sense of the word. It is work. Go look at an NFL playbook. There is nothing else like it in sports. The other leagues are free flowing action where you’re reacting on the fly an awful lot. There is obviously a lot of preparation done in other sports, but nothing that compares to football.

The men who succeed in football are truly invested in the sport. They spend all week working and preparing so that they get to go play for 3 hours each week. The games are special. They are an event. Ronnie Lott once sacrificed part of a pinkie so that he would not miss a game. Jack Youngblood played multiple games on a broken leg. He asked for a lot of aspirin and a really good tape job. Football players suffer a concussion and their first reaction is to shake it off and stay in the game. Think about that for a second. Who would suffer major brain trauma and not want to come off the field to get checked out?

Many football players live and die for the game. They have built their life around the sport and it is all they know. This isn’t about fame, celebrity, or money. I’m talking about football itself. There are a few reasons that it is so special.

Football is the greatest team sport of them all. In the NBA you can acquire a couple of superstars and instantly be a championship contender (Clippers just this year). We’ve seen World Series titles bought and paid for in baseball (Marlins, Yankees). Hockey is very much a team sport, but one player can make a huge difference in a franchise (Gretzky, Lemieux, Crosby, etc.). Football remains the ultimate team game. Barry Sanders never made it to a Super Bowl. Dan Marino got to just one. The Colts had more superstars than the Patriots, but it was New England that won more titles.

Being part of a football team is special. It can build bonds that last forever. There are friendships that develop in the locker room that go beyond position, age, race…whatever guys should have in common. Back in 2003 the Pats cut veteran SS Lawyer Milloy. Tom Brady drove to Milloy’s house and asked him if there was something he could or should do to help Milloy out. Lawyer said no, that’s just the business part of football. Brady was a young QB back then, but he knew how important Milloy was to the locker room. He wasn’t about to lose a leader and good player if there was something he could do about it.

Remember the stories about Barry Bonds and his huge locker in SF? He had a recliner and a TV in there. Joe Montana would have never gotten away with something like that. Because all 53 guys are so important in football, there is a camaraderie that doesn’t necessarily exist in all the other sports.

A big part of what makes football so special is the primal nature of the sport. You get to hit other players. They get to hit you. It has a caveman element to it. That touches into some parts of the psyche and soul that other games don’t know even exists. You can have a mild-mannered guy like Merlin Olsen step onto the football field and almost become a whole other person. The same is true with many others. Brian Dawkins is a great example from recent years. Off the field, he was a calm person with a nice smile and friendly demeanor. On Sundays he became Wolverine or Weapon X. He was a ball of fiery emotions that ran around at 100 mph and wanted to physically destroy whatever was in front of him. There are also guys like Kyle Turley who were kinda crazy on and off the field.

We love to use the word “warrior” in regard to athletes. No one is truly comparing them to soldiers of the present or the warriors of the past. As primal as football is, it is still very much a game. While death isn’t part of the equation, there is a kind of physical suffering that makes up football and brings the word warrior into play. Remember Emmitt Smith in 1993 running over the Giants despite his shoulder injury? There was intense physical pain every time he got hit, but like one of Pavlov’s dogs, Smith ran back to the huddle after every play and got ready for the next hit. Remember the famous image of Kellen Winslow after the SD/MIA playoff game in 1982? The man had given literally everything he could to help the Chargers win that dramatic OT game. He had to be helped off the field. When was the last time an NBA player was too exhausted to make it to the locker room? Baseball isn’t even in this conversation. Hockey players who go through the marathon OT playoff games are the guys who know best what this is like.

Think about playing in the elements. That puts a stress on football players that isn’t there for basketball or hockey. Baseball players do deal with heat and light rain, but have never played through a blizzard or day when it is -40 with the windchill factor. Again, this ties into the primal side of things. Playing a game in miserable conditions touches on some innate part of being tough. It is brutally cold/hot/wet/snowy. No normal human should want to be outside. But football players are there and ready to play a game in such conditions. They may not be happy about it, but they have a certain macho pride in doing so.

When you think about it, suffering is a big part of football. You play a game on a bad ankle when it is cold outside and should feel miserable, but instead that is the happiest 3 hours of the week because you got to play. You were on the field with your football brothers, all working toward a common goal.

Nothing outside of football is like this. Coaching is light years different. Business? Nope. Entertainment? Nope. Broadcasting? Nope. Nothing. Football is unique.

This isn’t about just playing a game, although that is part of it. You can play an intense game of pickup basketball. You can go play competitive softball or even some adult league baseball. You can skate around and shoot some pucks. You can play street hockey. In Canada I would think there are plenty of adult hockey leagues. Football is a different beast. The body can’t take playing tackle football beyond a certain point. You could play touch or flag, but that’s a different sport. And that’s part of the point. Football isn’t something that is always there. At some point you make a permanent break.

When some players walk away from football, it is the hardest thing they’ve ever had to do. Some are lucky and are able to put it in their rear view mirror and move on quickly. Others truly struggle with leaving behind the game they love. They won’t find that kind of brotherhood anywhere else. They won’t find any other job with that kind of primal nature and physicality to it. Oh sure, they could join the army, but that would involve a whole other level of sacrifice.

We don’t know why Junior Seau killed himself, but I would be that one issue is that he simply couldn’t find anything to fill the void left by retiring from football. We do know that a lot of football players struggle after retiring. Depression, divorce, and destructive behavior are some of the key problems for retired players. “Civilian life”, so to speak, has to be boring. Sure you might have some money, but how do you replace the mental, physical, and emotional challenges that football presented on a weekly basis? You really can’t. Football is a drug, and a very, very powerful one at that.

It has been a slow news week for the NFL. Well not slow compared to any other major sports league offseason, but slow compared to what it has been the past few weeks. Mini-camps have started for rookies and select veterans. Rookie contracts are flying in every hour. If a 5^th round pick’s contract excites you, more power to you, but due to the new CBA and rookie contracts that are essentially set in stone before the player is even drafted, I have a hard time caring.

Since the news has been slow, I want to look ahead at some 2012 story lines. The NFL is never short on drama and I don’t see Peyton’s first season in Denver, Luck vs. RG3, or Andy Reid’s potential hot seat failing to give us a good story. Yes, I said Andy Reid could be on the hot seat. If the Eagles don’t win a playoff game in 2012, it will be 4 straight years without a playoff victory. I’m not saying he’ll get fired, but it’ll be tough to justify another season if they fail to advance in the playoffs again.

The one trend I can’t possibly see continuing is absurd passing numbers. I found an article from December of 2010 on NFL.com that says “Dan Marino’s single-season record of 5,084 passing yards — set 26 years ago — is in serious jeopardy.” In 2010, no one broke the record. Philip Rivers came closest with 4710 yards, average just a hair under 300 per game. In 2011, Drew Brees and Tom Brady eclipsed it and Matt Stafford was one Calvin Johnson bomb away from topping it as well.

Think about that. A record that stood for nearly 3 decades was broken by 2 guys in one season. Sure, the rules regarding illegal contact that were instituted a few years ago have certainly aided the passing game. In Marino’s day, you could basically assault receivers down the field and it was OK. Nowadays I’m pretty sure if you sneeze on them it’s a 5 yard penalty. With that said, I still refuse to believe NFL defenses won’t find a way to adjust. Only the Saints had a top 10 rushing attack. They were the only team with the gaudy passing numbers that had a running game you had to respect. The only thing to be afraid of with the Lions running game is another Jahvid Best injury.     

The one thing I see in common with the big numbers is TE play. The “worst” #1 TE for the 5,000 yard passers was Brandon Pettigrew. He had 83 catches for 777 yards. That’s a pretty good season for a TE, but pales in comparison to Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The improved TE play is where I think NFL defenses are going to adjust.

A great TE is always a matchup nightmare. Assuming they’re a decent blocker, the threat of the run is always there. If you’re running a 2-TE set like the Patriots did all season, it could be a run or a pass. The San Diego Chargers frequently had nothing other than Antonio Gates in the downfield passing game but he was a good enough blocker that you had to respect LaDanian Tomlinson and the passing game at the same time. I simply refuse to believe that TE play is going to remain this dominant without an adjustment from NFL defenses. WR play is at a very high level but it’s not historically dominant like TE play. Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald have been the two best WRs in the NFL recently, but their numbers aren’t much different than guys like Marvin Harrison or Rod Smith did in the early 2000s. In fact, reception numbers are lower.

So how can NFL defenses adjust? If I knew the answer, I wouldn’t be writing this article because I’d be on an NFL staff. The first step I would take is more athletes at LB. Very few teams use a thumper at MLB these days like a Jeremiah Trotter. The MLB is increasingly more athletic. He needs to cover the short middle part of the field, an area where the TE thrives. If he’s completely outmatched athletically (most are outmatched, but not completely) he’ll get eaten alive. OLBs need to at least have the speed to match the TE. You won’t often find a 6’4 LB who can run with TEs, so you’re better off finding a shorter guy who can at least keep up in my opinion. It won’t matter if your LB is the same height as the TE if his speed gives him 2 steps on you. At least force the QB to make an accurate throw into tight coverage. I think something we saw a lot in 2012 were TEs who had a LB chasing him from behind and unable to keep up.

The second thing I think we’ll see is more press coverage. If you look at the Saints or Patriots, their offense is heavily based off of timing. Bumping WRs and TEs at the line will disrupt that timing. The Eagles are shifting their defense to be more press heavy. Why? Combine press coverage to disrupt timing and slow WRs/TEs with a ferocious pass rush from the front 4 and hopefully that half second lost in a route equals an off target throw or a rushed QB who makes a mistake. They traded Asante Saumuel for loose peanut shells because he didn’t fit the new scheme even though he can be one of the top CBs in the game.

Last, if you can put more emphasis on the pass rush, do it. There’s no better way to stop a passing game than to get pressure in the QB’s face. Those are my suggestions. How would you combat possibly the best TE play we’ve ever seen? Will the extra use of the TE continue to allow absurd passing numbers? Will NFL defenses adjust enough to at least slow things down or force teams who can’t run the ball to actually run the ball?

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The other thing I wonder is will an NFL team who only has a game manager at QB win a Super Bowl any time soon? The closest example since the Bucs won in 2003 was the 2005/6 champion Pittsburgh Steelers with 2^nd year QB Big Ben at the helm. Obviously we now know Big Ben is a big time QB, but that’s the closest you get to a winner who didn’t need superb QB play. There are several teams who lack top flight QBs who think they’re Super Bowl contenders like the 49ers, Ravens, and Cowboys. They probably either need to make a change or hope their current guy takes a big step forward.

The QB position is obviously more valuable than ever. Look at how much the Washington Redskins gave up to draft Robert Griffin III. Look at how many teams have gone nowhere without a top flight QB. It is not a coincidence that the best season the Lions have had in a long time happened when Matt Stafford lit it up. Look at the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, and Washington Redskins the past 5 years. No QB=no Super Bowl threat no matter how good the rest of the team was. The Dolphins were pretty good last season outside of the QB position. Matt Moore isn’t exactly a bad QB either, but does anyone think he could win a Super Bowl if he were on a team with a dominant defense and a great running game like the Texans? I don’t. I’m not convinced Matt Schaub can either. Now, what if you put Drew Brees on the Dolphins like he should have been?

I think one of the reasons so many teams never take that next step is a failure to admit that their QB isn’t the guy you need to win a Super Bowl. Joe Flacco hated the “game manager” label last year but it’s what you get when you’re the QB of a great team without being great yourself. Flacco has averaged a little over 3,600 passing yards, 22 touchdown passes, and 11 interceptions the past 3 years. Is that the kind of QB you expect to win a Super Bowl?

A failure to admit that you had the wrong QB can easily lead to a team missing their window of opportunity. Sometimes you get lucky (Rams from Trent Green to Kurt Warner or Patriots from Bledsoe to Brady) and fate takes control. Drew Bledsoe was probably never going to be a Super Bowl level QB again and luckily for the Patriots he got hurt. You don’t want to miss a window because you held onto Carson Palmer or Marc Bulger.

Quick Hits

-While there isn’t much exciting news, this is the time of year where rookie hype starts. “Wow this guy looks incredible out there,” or “You can see X team got a steal with this guy.” Do yourself a favor and ignore that. There are countless examples of guys who look good in mini camps who can’t do a thing once the vets come to town and they have to start hitting. Talent in shorts is one thing. Talent in full pads when a guy who’s bigger, stronger, and faster than you is coming to hit you as hard as possible and give you the old “welcome to the NFL” is a whole different thing.

-Mark Sanchez is accused of bad decisions by his QB coach? Coach, have you seen Sanchez’s off field success? I’d say you need to find a way to take those good decisions and put them on the field. A question to my readers. Kate Upton or Super Bowl champion QB? That my friends is a tough call.

-I’m sad to see that Jamaal Jackson, former starting C for the Eagles, is retiring. Most felt he deserved an opportunity elsewhere after he lost the starting job last summer but the Eagles (with good cause) kept him as a backup. Jamaal would still like to play, but he’s not so desperate that he will jump at any offer. He had a tryout offer with the Giants and walked away from that. Jamaal wants to play, not just sit on someone’s bench. He still thinks he can be a good starter. Can’t blame him for wanting a final shot to get back on the field. Being hurt in 2010 and a backup in 2011 isn’t the way anyone wants to go out if they can help it.

-Am I the only person who thinks reality TV is missing the boat? How many athletes out there are basically dead beat dads with numerous kids from different mothers? Deadbeat Athlete (it even rhymes!) would be an instant hit. Follow around guys like Terrell Owens and Warren Sapp as they try to spend time with the kids they’ve neglected and try to find ways out of paying their child support. This seems perfect for FOX. Tweet me @NFLGimpy television execs!

I’m going to be out of town for the next week or so and I’m going to try and write a column for next Monday but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do it. I already have the idea and it’s not time sensitive so if big news breaks and I don’t have an opinion no one cares about regarding the news, my apologies. The out of town trip does include some time in New Orleans so in all reality this may be the last you’ll ever hear from me. Just rest assured, if I do go down, it’ll be with a smile on my face for obvious reasons.

Einstein said true genius is the ability to take complex ideas and make them simple.  That’s the kind of stuff Greg is best at.  He rarely says anything that blows you away, but then you think about his information and realize that the simple points he made were dead on the money and something you hadn’t considered before.

So often when we look back at drafts, people focus on specific players and value.  Greg is looking at positions to try and figure out the goal of each team and what that means to their style of play.  He’s not giving us new information, but is giving us a new way to look at existing information.  That’s Greg and why he’s such a valuable person to read/listen to.  I assume most of you follow him on Twitter already, but if not…he is someone that all NFL/football fans should follow.     

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Just how much is the NFL a passing league?  The first pick of the 1st round was QB Andrew Luck.  2nd round was WR Brian Quick.  3rd round was TE Dwayne Allen.  4th round was WR Chris Givens.  Gotta find the guys who can throw and catch.

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Mike Shanahan was once considered an offensive guru.  He was an assistant coach for the Broncos in the mid-1980s.  They were top 8 in scoring each year.  He then had a short, awkward time as head coach of the Raiders.  That didn’t work.  Shanahan ran the SF offense from 1992-1994.  They led the NFL in scoring each year.  They led in yards for 2 years and then finished all the way down at 2nd place in 1994.  The Niners won the SB and Shanny headed back to Denver.

Shanahan got to coach John Elway for 4 seasons.  This resulted in 2 SB wins and another year where the team went 13-3 and was upset in the playoffs.  The offense was Top 10 in points/yards each year.

In February of 1999, Mike Shanahan was the king of the NFL.  He had made Elway a champion.  He had gotten Elway to play the best football of his career in the final 4 years of his career.  Shanny had turned guys like Shannon Sharpe, Terrell Davis, Ed McCafferey, and Rod Johnson from no-names into elite skills players.

Shanahan is the first coach I remember consistently using empty sets.  That became a trendy thing to do in the NFL.  Shanahan not only scripted the first 15 plays of a game, he used different formations or packages on each play, probing the defense for a weakness.  This was an update on Bill Walsh’s scripting idea and it became common practice.

The good days weren’t over at that point, but they became few and far between.  Shanahan is only 1-4 in the playoffs since Elway retired.  Shanny hasn’t had an offense lead the league in scoring or yards since Elway retired.  The team was 2nd in both categories in 2000.  In the last 5 years, Shanny hasn’t had a team finish higher than 16th in scoring.

His Midas touch with QBs is no longer there.  Shanny drove Jake Plummer into retirement with his coaching style.  Shanny traded for Donovan McNabb after the 2009 season, thinking they would work well together.  That was an epic disaster.  Rex Grossman had some good moments for the Skins, but he is simply an INT machine.  Shanny rolled the dice on John Beck and tried to tell the football world that this guy could be a good QB.  The NFL world laughed at him.  The experiment was a major failure.

Shanny did have some success in Denver with Jay Cutler for the 3 years they were together.  Cutler showed big time talent and was an ascending player when Shanahan got fired.  We’ll never know how that would have worked out.  Too bad for both guys.

Now Shanahan has gambled his career, job, and reputation on RG3.  Shanny traded up and paid a big time price to get Griffin.  In the end, it was a deal that he simply had to make.  The Skins had no one else at QB.  Shanahan needs him on a personal level as well.  The days of being labeled an offensive guru are gone.  Shanahan is desperate to once again work with a talented QB and show the world he’s still got his magic.

RG3 has elite talent.  I think he has the character and personality to deal with a demanding coach like Shanahan.  RG3 is what the Skins needed, but he can’t do it alone.  Does WAS have the blocking?  The runners?  The receivers?

The team has added some pretty good pieces in the last couple of years, but there is now a challenge of taking all the young guys and new players and mixing them together into a cohesive offense.  This isn’t defense where the guys can thrive right away based on effort and raw talent.  Offense is about timing and precise execution.

If Shanahan can get RG3 up to speed very quickly and the Skins show signs of offensive life, things will be good in 2012.  If the offense really struggles, you have to wonder if Dan Snyder will either pull the plug on Shanahan or demand changes.  Normally that would be tough, but it is even tougher for Shanny since his son Kyle is the Offensive Coordinator.  2012 is sink or swim time.

Will Shanny remain a tough, rigid coach?  Will he bend a little bit to get in tight with the young star QB?  Can the two of them hit it off and deliver immediate results?  Normally expectations wouldn’t be high, but Cam Newton blew up the bell curve for everyone last year.  He was a rookie QB playing for a defensive head coach in a short offseason and then went and lit up the NFL.  If you’re taken early, coming along slowly may not be good enough anymore.

I think it will be very interesting to see how Shanahan handles the situation and how RG3 handles life in the NFL.  If they can get on the same page and get along, those two could bring out the best in each other.  If there are some bumps in the road, things could get dicey.  Shanahan is a desperate coach and RG3 knows he’s the future of the franchise.  That would make for an awkward power play.  Skins fans are hoping the only argument is who should get more credit for the offensive success of 2012.

Alright, let’s hand out some draft grades!

Just kidding. I got a lot of feedback last week on the draft grade column on whether or not people think drafts are gradable before the players set foot on the field. Is a player really a reach if he plays at an All-Pro level during his career? Was the value great if the player never sees the field? But then again, when you grade a draft, you’re only grading based off of whether or not that team solved needs, found value, or executed their plan to add talent. Really great stuff last week everyone.

What I want to do this week is tie the biggest stories going on right now together: Concussion lawsuits, Bountygate suspensions, and the loss of Junior Seau. This unfortunately all ties together. There are literally thousands of former and current NFL players who have health symptoms caused by concussions suffered during their NFL careers. Hundreds of them are now suing the NFL. They claim the NFL either knew or should have known the long term effects of concussions and should have taken better steps to protect players. If they did know and they concealed the information, they’re in a lot of trouble.     

With Bountygate, you have coaches and players allegedly paying $$ to injure other players. So, the NFL possibly hid the long term effects of concussions and players were intentionally hurting each other, thus causing concussions or targeting players with a history of concussions. That’s a baaaaaad combination. The lawsuit could cost the NFL hundreds of millions or more if the former players win. If the NFL knew that players were targeted like I mentioned and didn’t do anything about it, they’re instantly negligent, meaning they could have protected players and didn’t do it. The former players would instantly have firm ground to stand on to show the NFL didn’t take appropriate steps to protect them from concussions. That makes the strong punishment necessary.

As of now, the lawsuits are still in a very preliminary phase. The biggest issue is jurisdiction, who needs to oversee the trial. The NFL is trying to have the case dismissed obviously to avoid the massive amount of legal fees just to fight the case. They don’t think it’s a litigious matter, it should be handled internally through the NFL and the player’s union. Even if the players lack a leg to stand on, if the case goes to trial, the legal fees will be huge. Where it goes is obviously a key question. With the issues of Bountygate, the NFL can’t leave any wiggle room that they will condone these activities. A lawsuit of questionable validity cannot be given Exhibit A of the NFL’s negligence to player safety. Allowing bounties would be Exhibit A.

That’s why the punishments have been so severe. Indefinite suspension for Gregg Williams, 1 year for Sean Payton, 1 year for Jonathan Vilma, etc. Like I said, no wiggle room: the NFL needs to let the world know they won’t tolerate this crap. The crazy thing is that players don’t understand why. Bears LB Lance Briggs said he understands player safety but that Vilma’s suspension was too much. Lance, for the sake of you and your family, I sincerely hope you’re just an idiot and haven’t had brain cells killed by your great NFL career. If you’re just an idiot, you’ll be fine as long as smart people managed the millions of dollars you’ve made in your career.

Vilma was suspended for 1 year because he’s Exhibit A for the players involved in Bountygate. He’s accused of offering $$ to take out players, specifically Brett Favre in the NFC Championship game. The NFL needs to make sure that any player who thinks about this is instantly afraid of losing their livelihood. Same with coaches. One of the best ways to discourage a behavior is to make someone afraid of the punishment. That’s why you spank a child when they do something wrong. I just used Brett Favre and spank in the same paragraph, I hope John Madden doesn’t read this…

If you want to argue that Vilma has been martyred for the cause of player safety, I won’t argue. They are absolutely making an example of him for the reasons I mentioned above. The question is whether or not you agree with it. I do. I love the game of football. I love that it dominates the sports world. You already have players like Kurt Warner saying that he’s hesitant about letting his kids play football because of the health risks. Kurt Warner is a potential Hall of Fame QB. If he’s hesitant, how many thousands of parents are hesitant? My mom was hesitant to let me play, but not because of concussions, just generic broken bones and such. Ironically I broke 2 bones while playing 2 different sports, neither of which was football. If there were real concerns about my long term health from concussions, I may not have won that battle.

I had a teammate wander off the sidelines during a game due to a concussion. He was so out of it he just started walking around. I didn’t hear about it until we were in the locker room when a teammate was telling everyone to pray for him. Broken legs heal, concussions might not. Sure you may not be a pro athlete after a bad break, but Joe Theismann isn’t unable to earn a living because of is leg. He doesn’t forget who his family is because his leg got snapped in half.

I feel awful that so many current players are too damn stupid to know what their future might hold. You can take headshots out of the game without destroying the product. Just google Sheldon Brown Reggie Bush to see the hit Sheldon put on Reggie in the playoffs a few years ago. That’s a great, clean, football hit. Sheldon put a punishing hit on Reggie, Reggie had to take a few plays off to catch his breath, he came back on the field and is still able to earn a living. Everyone wins.

Players do seem to understand that they are going to have arthritis, body aches, bad shoulders and knees, etc. Concussions are a different animal. When you mess with your brain, crazy things happen. Just look up Dave Duerson who shot himself in the chest so his brain could be studied. He knew something was wrong with him and hoped that his death could bring answers for others.

That’s where Junior Seau comes into play. Seau isn’t a former player that was forgotten before his death. Seau is an all time great. If you have followed the NFL for more than 5 years you know exactly who he is. Current players, especially those on defense, probably grew up idolizing him. He played the game with an amazing tenacity. When he was on the field, offenses knew he would come at them with everything he had on every single snap of the game.

His fame leads me to hope he can be the martyr the NFL needs. I don’t want Seau’s death to be a senseless tragedy. I hope something good can come out of children losing their father. If it is revealed that his suicide was caused or influenced by CTE, hopefully it will be the wake-up call current players need to stop fighting change. The game is important, but hopefully you play it for less than half of your life. Players still have decades of things to look forward to after they retire. CTE, caused by concussions, can prevent that from happening. The game can still be great without headshots. The game can still be great if players miss more time than they did before because of concussions. It’s part of the NFL to succeed while players are injured. What difference does it make why they’re out?

It’s unfortunate we need bounties, hundreds of lawsuits, and a tragic death to see that the NFL and the game of football needs to do a better job protecting players. It’s even worse that there are still many people that need convinced. They’re professional athletes not gladiators. We should care about their livelihoods after they leave the game. I’m not talking about financial well being, if a player blows millions of dollars and flips burgers for a living after he retires that’s his own fault. The point is that players shouldn’t be unable to make a living because of the injuries they sustained.

Quick Hits

-I love the lack of drama with rookie contracts. I hated when a player who had yet to play a meaningful down of football held out for more $$. Now, no drama and the structure of the new CBA forces teams to give more $$ to veterans. Love it.

-Recent Titans draftee Zach Brown wasn’t happy Mike Mayock said he’s allergic to contact. Brown’s response was to challenge Mayock. Yes, the best way to prove you’re tough is to challenge a guy old enough to be your father. I’ll consider you tough when you take on Maurice Jones-Drew in the open field.

-AFC North QBs are sleeping a little bit better with Terrell Suggs injured. He said it’s only a partial Achilles tear but I don’t see how he could be effective at all this season. He may be on the field, but he won’t be a game changer like he was last season.

-Speaking of AFC North QBs, can someone explain to me why Big Ben finishing up his degree is newsworthy? Who cares?

-LaDanian Tomlinson said he’s 95% retired. I kind of hope he is because he’s a shell of his former self. I hate it when players ruin their legacy with a few “I can’t let go” years near the end. Bow out gracefully LT.

-I hate Top 100 lists. Football is the ultimate team game. Chemistry is more important than pure talent. The right system is more important than pure talent. Very few players can succeed in any scheme. A Cover 2 LB would get eaten alive if he had to attack the line of scrimmage. A pocket passer wouldn’t dominate if he had to throw on the run outside of the pocket constantly. You cater systems to the strengths of your players. A lot of times it’s a coach properly using a player’s talents that makes him special. That’s why you see a guy like Jason Babin float around the NFL until he’s paired up with Jim Washburn (Defensive Line coach of the Titans and Eagles). All of the sudden he’s a double digit sack, Pro Bowl player. Who’s more valuable, the WR or the CB who can shut him down? Would you rather have Revis or Calvin Johnson?

-I made taco burgers for Cinco de Mayo. Yes, an Americanized version of something Mexican that’s barely related to the original. Isn’t that exactly what Cinco de Mayo is anyways?

That’s all folks. Feel free to comment below.

Dontari Poe was chosen 11th overall.  He only had 21.5 TFLs in his whole career and never came close to playing up to Still’s level.  Fletcher Cox was taken 12th.  He had a great year in 2011, but had done little prior to that.

How could a one-year wonder and a no-year wonder be taken 40 picks ahead of Still?  Devon had size.  He had played at PSU and faced some great competition.  He was part of a good defense.  He was productive.  What was missing?   

Pro potential.

Poe is a freak.  If he ever puts it all together, he can do special things in the NFL.  He could be Halotia Ngata, maybe even better.  Poe has a rare combination of size, speed, strength, and agility.  He is unproven.  That’s why he’s available at pick 11.  If he was a proven commodity, he might have gone 3rd overall.

Cox isn’t rare, but he is special.  He has good size at 6-4, 298.  He ran a blazing 40 at the Combine and had a very good overall workout.  He is a natural pass rusher with the ability to flourish in an attacking scheme in the NFL.  He is raw and has a lot of upside.  You watch tape and Cox shows enough athleticism that he could have been picked as a 4-3 DE or DT.

Still?  He has a good frame at 6-5, 303.  All 32 teams would like a guy with that build.  Unfortunately, the rest of his Combine workout was average.  He’s not bad in any category, but isn’t good either.  When you are trying to be a 1st round pick or Top 40 player, you need to stand out.  Still didn’t.

But what about game tape?  Surely a guy with 17 TFLs stands out on tape.  Yes and no.  Still did make plays.  Unfortunately, most of them came in the middle of the season when PSU played Eastern Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Purdue, NW, and Illinois.  There was one interior OL in that group that will be in an NFL camp this summer – Adam Gettis from Iowa.

Late in the season PSU faced Nebraska, Ohio State, and Wisconsin.  Those teams were able to control Still.  They had NFL type blocking in the middle and it showed.

The point here isn’t to rip apart Devon Still.  He had a very good career at a big time football school.  He got better each year and is headed in the right direction.  Unfortunately the NFL can be a cruel mistress.  What you’ve done isn’t as important as what you’ll do moving forward.

Look at WR Stephen Hill.  He caught 49 passes in 3 years at Georgia Tech.  He went 20 picks ahead of Rueben Randle, who was a star at LSU.  Randle caught 97 passes in his career.  He is a big, talented WR with good experience and production.  Yet he fell behind the guy who is all potential.

The NFL sees Hill and drools.  He is big, tall, fast, and naturally gifted.  Should he be blamed for playing at GT in an offense that ran the ball 3/4 of the time?  The goal isn’t to find the most productive college players.  The goal is to find the best NFL prospects.  Randle might turn out to be better than Hill, but Hill has the potential to be an NFL star.

Part of what makes evaluating players so tricky is that there are so many variables.  Who is being coached well?  Who has access to a good weight room?  Who is being used right by the coaching staff?  Who is underachieving because he’s an immature kid?  Who is overachieving because he is a very mature kid?  And so on.

You never know how a player will react to the NFL.  Getting into an NFL weight room can have a tremendous impact on a player.  Pro coaching can take a raw piece of clay and turn it into an impressive finished product.  Physical maturity is a huge factor.  College kids are kids.  Those are boys playing football.  The NFL is a man’s game.  Guys grow up in a hurry.  Bodies change.

Be careful not to focus too much on college results or the obvious things you see when watching a player in college.  Your eyes can play tricks on you.  Results can play tricks on you.  In order to really find the best prospects, you must learn to look for the little things that separate a good college player from a good pro prospect.

Case Keenum and Kellen Moore both belong in the College Football Hall of Fame, but neither was drafted.  Matt Cassell was a backup at USC, but was taken in the 7th round.  As much as anything, that may sum up the trickiness of understanding who is a good pro prospect and who isn’t.

12. Fletcher Cox, DT Mississippi State 6-foot-4, 298 pounds

Fletcher’s best days are ahead of him. I honestly believe that statement and at the same time, this is the most excited I’ve ever been over a player the Birds have selected in the 1st round. Cox is a 300-pound athlete at defensive tackle and that’s a rarity in the NFL. He’s also a player that could end up seeing time at nose tackle, under tackle and left defensive end for Philadelphia.

If you’ll humor me and look him up on YouTube the only thing you need pay attention to is this young man’s feet at all times. Look at him once he has penetrated and is forced to change directions in the backfield. Players like Jerel Worthy, Devon Still, Michael Brockers and even Dontari Poe have to stop, change direction and then move again. Fletcher makes that transition seamlessly and has the movement skills of an athletic end.    

This is where I see him being a special player down the road. Right now he is not special. Jim Washburn can turn him into a dynamic pass rusher though and that’s something the Eagles have lacked inside since Corey Simon was in his prime – or before he ate fellow lineman Paul Grasmanis – whichever came first.

46. Mychal Kendricks, LB Cal 5-foot-11, 240 pounds

The pick confused me as I’ve never seen this short of a SAM linebacker, however in terms of value it was spot on. Juan Castillo has been screaming for athleticism at the position though and Kendricks has it. Before I even touch that I want to take exact quotes from my notes in several games I studied on him.

“Tackling machine” – “Nose for the ball” – “Very surprising strength for short guy” – “Stout at point of attack” – “Bit of a catch tackler” – “Is he in on every play?” – “Great at filling gaps/meeting RB in hole” – “reads and reacts well” – “Very smart”

So, my only complaints were that he “caught” people sometimes and that he was short. That’s a heck of a lot better than Philadelphia’s current SAM corps.

Kendricks was also a Combine freak. The Eagles didn’t draft him simply because of his numbers there though. It’s on the film. I had him as a 3rd rounder before the Combine as you didn’t get to see how fast he was on film being up at the line of scrimmage so much. Once he lit the Combine on fire – 2nd rounder.

Worst case scenario, he kicks to WILL and eventually replaces Ryans in the middle.

59. Vinny Curry, DE Marshall 6-foot-3, 266 pounds

Vinny Curry nearly had a 1st round grade from both Tommy Lawlor and I. The Top 100 on our page was a projection for The Huddle Report, not our rankings. Next year we’ll provide both lists. This isn’t just a steal, it’s highway robbery.

Mike Mayock compares Curry to Cliff Avril of the Detroit Lions and I see the similarities. Curry isn’t a tremendous athlete, but he uses a quick burst and leverage to get in a tackle’s grille real quick and put them on roller skates. We’re talking a relentless, non-stop guy here. He’ll also play disciplined football and make very good plays against the run.

I expect him to come in the rotation as a starter and make an impact immediately and then eventually move up, eventually being one of our top sack guys. Brandon Graham really has a fire under his cheeks now.

88. Nick Foles, QB Arizona 6-foot-5, 243 pounds

I commented during the draft on Foles that I thought the Eagles had made a huge reach for him even though he was a quarterback that I really liked, even more than 2nd round pick Brock Osweiler. If you look at my notes on the site you’ll see my comments that “I’d start to value him in the 5th round”.

While I won’t reverse my field on my attitude that the Eagles did in fact select Foles too high, I will relay that I’m much more comfortable with the value discrepancy after two things happened. First, Howie Roseman and Andy Reid landed Brandon Boykin in the 4th round who is in my opinion a Top 40 talent. Unless he’s had his leg amputated, he had no business falling that far.

Second – and this was really just as important – I got to watch Foles sit down with Jon Gruden for his QB Camp. There were plenty of things I took away from this experience that really taught me something and that’s an integral part of scouting – understanding that you can learn more from everyone.

Gruden spent a lot of time talking with Foles about some of my biggest concerns which are his footwork (which tie into his arm strength), the amount of sacks he takes and his propensity to turn the ball over. For part of the segment Jon brought in Brad Johnson and the three talked about Foles’ lack of propensity to check down and dump the ball off to receivers. This was huge for me and crazily enough, it looked as if they had just given Foles the Holy Grail by his reaction.

He had a certain attitude about him during the show that I really liked. Foles is a jovial, straight forward kid who is respectful, but for lack of better wording – isn’t kissing anyone’s butt. I don’t want to see a teenager in there. He didn’t show me one. Foles came off as an intelligent kid who was genuinely getting a lot out of the meeting, but also had a lot of confidence.

They passed the ball at the end with Gruden showing him some things and I didn’t see the floating or wobbling on deep balls I saw on film. It was simply a breath of fresh air.

In all, I still think 88 was high for the quarterback and won’t go back on that, but I liked Foles before the draft and like him even more now. Andy Reid, Marty Morhinweg and Howie Roseman know him much better than I do. Their track record as NFL coaches is better than mine – duh. This is a pick I’ll fully support going forward.

123. Brandon Boykin, CB Georgia 5-foot-9, 182 pounds

Boykin had some concussions in Athens and broke his leg at the Senior Bowl causing him to slide. I had a mid to high 2nd round grade on him, so unless he’s developed gangrene, is walking around like a pirate on a peg-leg and has a parrot on his shoulder – STEAL.

He’s a tremendous return man and makes the Eagles so dangerous on special teams with him on kickoffs and DeSean Jackson on punts. Some people make the mistake of thinking that he played slot corner because of a lack of talent – not true. He played on the outside, but was such a weapon on the inside that Georgia could leave him there.

Boykin is perfect for the stage of progression the Eagles’ cornerback situation is in right now. They need someone to really challenge Joselio Hanson in the slot and master that area. In the long term, they’ll need a young guy to be good enough to take over for either Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie or Nnamdi Asomugha.

If you switch Boykin to pick 88 and Foles to 123, this draft is absolutely PERFECT so far for me. I might have preferred a different linebacker to Kendricks, but he is still outstanding.

The only reason I bring this up is because I’ve never said that in seven years.

153. Dennis Kelly, OT Purdue 6-foot-8, 321 pounds

As you know, I don’t BS my readers. I have no idea what to say about Dennis Kelly other than he’s huge, he looks like a McQuistan brother with that long hair and apparently – Howard Mudd liked him.

I’m on board if Howard is.

194. Marvin McNutt, WR Iowa 6-foot-3, 216 pounds

McNutt isn’t the exact receiver I’d have picked here simply because I think he dominates poor corners and gets controlled by good corners. He finished his senior season with 82 catches for 1315 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Against Leonard Johnson from Iowa State – 4 catches, 61 yards

Against Alfonzo Dennard from Nebraska – 4 catches, 29 yards

Against Jamell Fleming from Oklahoma – 4 catches, 46 yards

Now, that doesn’t mean he’s a bad player or he won’t work out with the Eagles, it’s just that he wasn’t my cup of coffee. What he does have is great hands and leaping ability. He’ll also give the Eagles a presence in the red zone with his size that they’ve been looking for.

200. Brandon Washington, OG Miami 6-foot-3, 320 pounds

This pick really surprised me. First, I didn’t think Washington would still be on the board in the 6th round. I knew some scouts had 4th round grades on him but of course, that doesn’t mean he’ll always go there. It was good value to me.

I was surprised because Washington doesn’t seem like a Mudd guy; he seems like a Castillo guy. The Hurricanes do run a zone-blocking scheme under Art Kehoe, but Washington isn’t a knee bender, plays upright and has always come off to me as more of a bully when playing inside. He has also played tackle too though, so maybe they liked that athleticism.

229. Bryce Brown, RB Kansas State 6-foot, 223 pounds

I’ve had to deal with this kid’s nonsense since he was a high school recruit. First he had a member of the family/street agent charging people for recruiting updates, then he plays games on Letter of Intent day and then finally ends up at Tennessee. After that he transfers to Kansas State and touches the ball three times.

Complete waste of a pick. I’m sure the Eagles see the upside in his workout numbers, but I just wouldn’t have touched him. His older brother Arthur Jr. was always the level-headed one to me and he’ll be in the draft next year at linebacker.

Good thing it was a 7th rounder.

I know many of you would love a draft grade on the Eagles. I’m not big into grading drafts, but I’d certainly have to give the Eagles an “A” this year. They threw away a 7th round pick, that’s my complaint. Usually they’d be picking a starting linebacker there – so I’m content with it.

Duce Staley got on the phone right after the draft and signed Chris Polk as a UDFA at running back, so Brown is out of here anyway.

Howie Roseman, Andy Reid, the scouting department and the coaching staff won’t be reading this, but if they ever did – I’d be congratulating them. I feel this is the best draft class they’ve pulled off since 2002 and we all know how that went.

The draft is done! Yay! I have a great idea! Let’s grade every single team before any of these players step on the field. Bruce Irvin in the first? Let’s give the Seahawks an F because the pick surprised us even though numerous teams had a top 15-20 grade on him. Yeah, their draft was awful even if Irvin turns out to be the next Von Miller and is a dominating presence on defense for the next decade. Wait, what’s that you say? That doesn’t make sense?

Exactly.

Grading a draft before these players step on the field is a useless exercise because you never know how a player is going to turn out. Obviously based on draft position you can assume that a player taken in the 2^nd round is expected to have a bigger impact than a player taken in the 6^th, but we all know that isn’t always what happens. Who would you rather have catching passes from your QB? Chad Jackson (36^th overall pick) or Marques Colston (252^nd overall pick)?     

With that said, let’s hesitate to call AJ Jenkins (WR from Illinos taken at 30^th by the 49ers) a reach because Stephen Hill and Rueben Randle were still on the board. Give him 2 or 3 years in the league before we judge the pick. Yes, a lot of picks may be based off of projected upside as opposed to previous on field production, but do you think the Giants regret taking Jason Pierre-Paul after only 6.5 career sacks in FBS play? I doubt it. Jenkins is 6’ tall, runs a sub 4.4 40 and has a 38.5 inch vertical jump. Fast, good height, and he can jump? Not bad at all, if he puts it all together the 49ers could have a pretty good WR.

So, instead of grading picks, criticizing them, projecting what these players will produce in the next 2-3 years, etc. I want to show you how useless previous draft grades have been to demonstrate why you shouldn’t judge these picks until some time has passed. We’re all guilty of it, myself included. I laughed at Harrison Smith in the 1^st round. You know what else I laughed at? The aforementioned Jason Pierre-Paul. I thought he was a bust waiting to happen after watching him in person. I saw a guy whose athleticism didn’t show up on the football field who got beaten by an athletically inferior OL from Pitt quite soundly. I knew he was an athletic freak once his measurables came out but like Donatri Poe, I didn’t think it would translate to the football field. Oops.

I did a quick google search on 2008 draft grades. The players in that class have had 4 full seasons to demonstrate their worth. I pulled up footballsfuture.com to see what they had to say about some results. For the Chicago Bears, they said:

Best Pick:Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt, Round 1.
Youth and athleticism were needed at tackle, and Williams was one of the best tackles in the draft. Worst Pick:Matt Forte, RB, Tulane, Round 2.
This is not because Forte is a bad player, it is because of how he fits. He is a north/south runner, much like Cedric Benson. Passing on Brian Brohm here could come back to bite the Bears in the rear. 2nd Day Steal:Earl Bennett, WR, Vanderbilt, Round 3.
Bennett is the type of all around threat teams will have to account for. Overall: C-. The Bears added some talent to an offense in need of some fresh faces. The problem is, the offense will go nowhere without a QB. Not selecting a QB at any point in the draft, especially passing on Brohm and Henne in the second round could really hurt the Bears.

Chris Williams has started only 38 games over the past 4 years (maximum of 64) and struggled with injuries. Williams was expected to be their LT for the next decade but has played a lot at OG when healthy. They called their worst pick Matt Forte and that they should have taken Brian Brohm over him. Brohm currently plays for the Las Vegas Locomotives (CHOO! CHOO!) according to his Wikipedia page. Forte has averaged 110 yards from scrimmage per game the past 2 seasons and almost a touchdown every other game. I’ll give them Earl Bennett though, solid contributor. Quite literally, Footballsfuture got it backwards on best and worst.

Another example? Washington Redskins.

Washington

Best Pick: Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma Round 2.
Landing the best receiver in the draft in the second round is great value. Ignore his 40 time, he can play and his size is a great compliment to his new teammates at receiver. Worst Pick:Fred Davis, TE, USC, Round 2.
This is nitpicking because Davis is arguably the top TE in the draft. The Skins needed help on the defensive line, and took Devin Thomas just before to help the passing game. This should have been a defensive lineman. 2nd Day Steal: Colt Brennan, QB, Hawaii, Round 6. Brennan could be a steal this late in the draft. The Skins have a slew of receiving options, and Brennan’s ability as a gunslinger would be a nice fit if he has to see the field. Overall: C. The Skins did get very good value on Day One. Thomas, Davis, and Kelly were all steals at their draft spots. The Skins needed to address the defensive line and chose not to, which could really hurt when the season rolls around.

Malcolm Kelly struggled to stay healthy in the NFL and was released before the 2011 seasons with an injury settlement. He hasn’t played a down in the NFL since. Colt Brennan? Colt was a preseason superstar that led some draftniks to declare him a future NFL starter. Colt has yet to attempt a pass in regular season game. He’s currently on the Saskatchewan Roughriders after he couldn’t cut it in the UFL.

I don’t do this to pick on Footballsfuture or anyone who does draft grades. I literally did a google search for 2008 draft grades, pulled up their website and read through 3 or 4 before I found those 2 examples. Are the statements glaringly wrong? No. The point is that 4 years later, does anyone think that Colt Brennan was a steal? Would anyone draft Brian Brohm over Matt Forte? Of course not, but those statements were commonly agreed upon by many writers. Nothing that was said was controversial. Heck, I probably agreed with the statements at the time. I know I thought Chris Williams was a great pick for da Bears. Ditka vs. Hurricane…DITKA! What if the hurricane’s name was Ditka? Oh that’s a toughy. The point is that grading a draft before the players set foot on the field doesn’t accomplish anything other than writing some words to fill a column.

Ok, a little off topic, but if you haven’t seen the Superfans sketches from SNL back in the 80s you’re missing out. Tell you want, if the link I post on my twitter gets 50 retweets, I’ll dig up a photo from college where I dressed as Chris Farley from the Superfans sketch, wearing a grass skirt, coconut bra, and an awful fake mustache. I am wearing a shirt under the coconut bra, so the pic won’t permanently burn out your retinas, only temporarily. I also had an awful goatee, don’t judge.

Speaking of mistakes we shouldn’t judge (great transition, right?), one of my favorite draft stories is Mike Adams. Yes, one of my favorite stories is a guy who tested positive for marijuana at the combine and lied about it to NFL teams. Why? His response to the mistake. Adams sent out a letter to NFL teams that states he will forego his signing bonus for 1.5 years in order to protect the team who drafts him from losing $$ if he screws up again. Before this mistake, many analysts had him pegged as a 1^st round prospect. Adams specifically sought out the Pittsburgh Steelers in hopes they would give him a second chance.

A little background on Adams. Adams is from Farrell, PA, a small former steel town about an hour or so north of Pittsburgh. Farrell isn’t exactly booming since manufacturing left the area, in fact, it’s a depressed town with a very high crime rate. Living in Pittsburgh and having been to Farrell, I can tell you that the Steelers are something everyone in those little former steel towns look forward to every week and Adams is no exception. He grew up bleeding black and gold (black and yellow black and yellow…sorry if I got that suck in your head now).

When he reached out to the Steelers, they told him he was off of their draft board because he lied to them during the pre-draft process about his marijuana use. Adams asked what he needed to do in order to get back on their board and they outlined specific criteria he would have to follow if he wanted to get back on. Needless to say, whatever that criteria was, he followed it and the Steelers drafted him in the 2^nd round.

Even after a whole column bashing the whole concept of judging picks, I’ll admit this is a gamble I think will pay off. NFL teams don’t put a player back on their board this late in the game without a lot of confidence. I think Adams is going to pay off for the Steelers in a big way. Achieving a childhood dream is hopefully something he doesn’t take lightly. This is a neat little story about a player who made a mistake who has been given a huge opportunity to rectify it.

Quick Hits

-If NFL Draft analysts were judged solely on hair, Mel Kiper would have been forced into retirement years ago by the competition. Sorry Mayock, hair is just not your strong suit. You’ll have to settle for superior analysis.

-Allow me to be a homer for a minute. If he can stay healthy, Lucas Nix will make the Raiders as an OG after going undrafted.

-I wonder where Colt McCoy will go. He can’t stay in Cleveland. You can’t have a young starter (younger than the guy replacing him in fact), draft his replacement, and expect him to happily stay. A change of scenery will be a good thing for Colt. I like Green Bay, he’ll have no pressure there at all and they need a veteran backup badly.

-The NFL Network is doing another top 100. It’s safe to say Eli Manning, snubbed in 2011, will be one of the biggest jumpers.

-Another childhood dream was fulfilled when Miami RB Lamar Miller was drafted by the Miami Dolphins. Miller allegedly has some injury concerns but if he can stay healthy I wouldn’t be surprised to see him starting in a year or two. For the record, that’s not a draft grade.

-A few Dolphins fans I know aren’t too happy with the Ryan Tannehill pick. I think this could be a case of pre-draft speculation skewing your opinion. Let’s look at a few facts. First off, Tannehill’s college coach, Mike Sherman, will be his offensive coordinator in Miami. No one in the NFL knows Tannehill better than Sherman. Sherman has been a head coach in the NFL and understands the value of a good QB after some guy named Brett Favre led his team. Finally, the Dolphins have Joe Philbin as their head coach, the same guy who oversaw Aaron Rodgers transition from Brett Favre’s backup to NFL superstar (Discount Doublecheck!).

I’m willing to give the Dolphins the benefit of the doubt here. Dolphins fans, I know you’ve been screwed over by QBs big time since Marino. A lot of pre draft speculation implied the Dolphins coaches didn’t want Tannehill but owner Stephen Ross did. Let that stuff go, rumors before the draft are more likely to be false than true. Let it play out. Trust me, this can’t possibly be worse than Pat White.

Tommy and Matt rule! Other websites drool!

This is my in column kudos to Tommy and Matt for an awesome year scouting the draft. In case you didn’t see it, they placed 2^nd in the Huddle Report’s annual top 100 list. The reason the Huddle Report uses top 100 instead of mock drafts is because a mock draft has little to do with your abilities as a scout. Different teams will value players differently and more often than not knowing a team’s drafting tendencies is more important than actual scouting skills. Many Eagles fans who never watched a down of Mississippi State football knew they would want a guy like Fletcher Cox based off of what others wrote in scouting reports. When you make a up a top 100, you’re guessing the 100 players who will be drafted with the first 100 picks. This shows you’re able to value players properly in an overall context.

Tremendous job guys. Also, speaking of Huddle Report, Matt and I stole a fun little game they did. Here’s how it works. Matt and I both got a team and when their pick came up, we also made a pick. Over the course of 5 years, our picks will be put up against their picks to see whether myself and/or Matt got more starts out of our “picks” than the NFL team did. Winner gets to take that NFL GM’s job… I think.

I hope I can avoid getting screwed. The Bengals (who I had) were picking at 17 and 21 in the first round. At 17, I immediately selected Dre Kirkpatrick, CB from ‘Bama. They agreed and took him as well. Matt immediately questioned my pick because I didn’t go David Decastro, an OG from Stanford who ended up on the Steelers. Why? I looked at the board. I surmised that picks 18-20 were more likely to take Kirkpatrick than Decastro (and since Decastro fell past 21, I was right) and that I would take him at 21 and get both…then they traded down to 27 and Decastro went before that. So, I took Cordy Glenn, who ended up on the Bills in the 2^nd round. Thankfully, Glenn is penciled in at LT for the Bills already. We’ll see how it goes, but it was a lot of fun and thanks to Huddle Report for letting us steal their idea!

Follow me on twitter, @NFLGimpy and don’t forget to retweet my column link to see if you can get some bona fide blackmail on me.

This has been an odd draft with a plethora of trades and frankly, a myriad of odd picks and bent values when teams do trade up. It’s been tremendously perplexing from my standpoint having covered this wondrous event for so long. What the Eagles were able to do though was maneuver once again and get great value in the 2nd, where I’ll start off.

46. Mychal Kendricks, MLB Cal 5-foot-11, 240 pounds

This pick took me by surprise simply because Kendricks is a middle linebacker and because he’s only 5-foot-11 and you’re projecting him to SAM where he’ll have to cover much taller tight ends. I expected a player like Bobby Wagner here. That was just the conventional thought as the Eagles had also had Wagner to NovaCare and he has the size.

That said Juan Castillo has stressed that he wants tremendous athleticism at the SAM spot and Kendricks does bring that. He was good for a 4.47 40-yard dash, 4.14 short shuttle and 39.5-inch vertical leap at the Combine. Those are absolutely obnoxious numbers for a 240-pound man. Kendricks has played outside linebacker before, however my concern was that it was in a 3-4 system and as a pass rusher.

As for his film, he is a very good player between the tackles and he’ll spend a lot of time there in the Wide 9. You’ve got a very sound tackler who has a non-stop motor and is always around the play – no matter what. Hustle is never a question with Kendricks, nor is toughness. He also is a rangy guy that can get wide and cover the flats. He’ll be an immediate boost to the Eagles’ run defense; that I am certain of.

My only question is in his height. I’ve simply never seen a 5-foot-11 SAM. Maybe Mychal will break the mold and I hope he does as he is very talented and physically gifted. I will say that the worst case scenario with him is that he moves to WILL, projects as a definite starter and is the eventual replacement for DeMeco Ryans in a few years at MIKE. If that’s the worst that comes out of this pick – I’ll take it.

59. Vinny Curry, DE Marshall 6-foot-3, 266 pounds

Before I even get into the player, Roseman picked up a 4th rounder trading back here. Absolutely excellent job of wheeling and dealing – especially given the fact that I was angry he passed on a player like Curry where we were sitting before.

I see this pick as tremendous value and frankly, Brandon Graham better have his butt ready this season as Curry is a real grinder that really fits the Wide 9. I traded some emails with a few people in the league after the draft and Curry was mentioned as one of the best picks of the entire 2nd day.

Curry is a high-motor, high intensity, vigilant player with the strength to run right over you. He’s very disciplined on the field and while people hinge on his pass rushing skills – don’t overlook his run defense – it’s quite impressive. I think Eagles’ fans are looking at a future starter on their defense here or at the very least, a consistent 6-10 sack guy in a rotation.

Did I mention on top of all of this the Birds added back a 4th round pick, so now they’ve essentially just given up a 6th rounder to pick up Fletcher Cox, Mychal Kendricks and Vinny Curry?

I’m flying extremely high at this point of the draft.

88. Nick Foles, QB Arizona 6-foot-5, 243 pounds

Here’s where I come crashing back down to earth. You have defensive backs like Jayron Hosley, Brandon Boykin, Ron Brooks and DeQuan Menzie on the board. There are very talented and explosive return specialists that are also wide receivers like T.Y. Hilton on the board. If you want to get a really good backup running back, those guys are there. Instead, the pick is Nick Foles.

When talking to quite a few from inside the league after the draft this was called one of the biggest reaches of the 2nd day along with John Hughes and T.J. Graham. One person had Foles with a 4th round grade. The majority had him with 5th, 6th and 7th round grades.

I say this actually liking Nick Foles. I even picked him for the Eagles before the draft. In fact, I’ve gone on record before that I like Nick Foles more than I like Brock Osweiler who went to the Denver Broncos with the 57th overall pick. The point is – I’m not hating here – the simple point is I’d love to see what the Eagles see. Not only do I not see it, no one I spoke to around the league does.

Moving onto the actual player…

People are questioning if he’ll fit in a West Coast Offense and I mentioned in my notes on our site that I think he’s perfect for it. Foles does a great job of spreading the ball around to everyone on the field and that’s because he doesn’t cut the field in half like the aforementioned Osweiler. He does throw a nice, catchable ball and his accuracy can be great on short and intermediate passes. I’m talking about ball placement here – not just completing the passes. Foles has always been enjoyable to watch move the chains.

Where he loses me is anything over 20 yards. The zip comes off the ball and you don’t get a spiral. If he has to hit an outside breaking route his ball will fall behind or low often. People say he has a “big arm” and it must be because he floats balls to Juron Criner. I think those people are the same that thought Brady Quinn had a big arm floating passes to Maurice Stovall and Rhema McKnight. All three receivers are constantly adjusting to floating ducks. That’s not a big arm, that’s just heaving the ball deep. It doesn’t work that way in the NFL.

I like the kid a lot and hope that improvement to his footwork and mechanics can fix some of these issues. He’s unique for Philly fans because we’ve never seen a bigger, statuesque pocket passer. It’s simply my opinion that this was terrible value.

If you want to jump up and get a quarterback you believe in do it a round early, not two rounds early. I believe he would have easily been there in the 4th round. My comment is not that I know more than the Eagles because I do not, but I wouldn’t have made this pick.

Summation

The Foles pick wasn’t ideal, but the Eagles got a 4th rounder back and the first three picks of the draft really had the feel of a “Dream Draft”. Hell, Vinny Curry is a player I had rated higher than Kendricks and the Kendricks pick was a very good one, so I’m not throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

In fact, I’ll keep the bathwater. Reid’s track record with quarterbacks is pretty impressive, so if he believes that much in Nick Foles then so will I. Most importantly, it looks like Coach Reid also went into the offseason and trusted his defensive staff in Jim Washburn and Juan Castillo – saying enough is enough – and got the Birds two quality linebackers. Now the defensive line that registered 50 sacks last season is even more talented.

Do your thing Andy and Howie – I’ll trust you. (I’m sure that means a lot to them)