A Look Back: 2007 Mock Draft

I am continuing to review my mock drafts so here is my mock draft of the 2007 NFL Draft. I had properly predicted 6 players and 5 other position needs right. Had I not been stubborn in my argument for the Raiders taking Calvin Johnson I might have had a few more right, but oh well.

Oakland Raiders

Projected Pick: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech

Actual Pick: Jamarcus Russell QB LSU

This pick was one I stubbornly made. I had a strong feeling that the Raiders would sign Culpepper and everyone was saying Moss was on his way out. I thought the Raiders would bring in Culpepper and provide him with the next best thing to Randy Moss, Calvin Johnson. The combination worked reasonably well in Detroit with very little practice time. However, the Raiders wanted their franchise QB, something that they can hardly be blamed for.

Detroit Lions

Projected Pick: Jamarcus Russell QB LSU

Actual Pick: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech

I thought that the Lions would want an eventual replacement for Kitna. They would draft Drew Stanton later in the draft, but they added the Superfreak Calvin Johnson with the 2^nd overall pick. Johnson right now is the hands down best player on the Lions squad. Johnson was a great pick up.

Cleveland Browns

Projected Pick: Adrian Peterson HB Oklahoma

Actual Pick: Joe Thomas T Wisconsin

Joe Thomas has been phenomenal for the Browns, who had one of the best lines in football that season. Can you imagine what they may have been like though with Peterson in the backfield? It would have been a devastating combination, but the Browns seemed content with Lewis.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Projected Pick: Gaines Adams DE Clemson

Actual Pick: Gaines Adams DE Clemson

The Bucs needed a replacement for Rice at DE and Gaines Adams was the best in this draft class.

Arizona Cardinals

Projected Pick: Joe Thomas T Wisconsin

Actual Pick: Levi Brown T Penn State

When Wisenhunt and Grimm went to Arizona it was almost obvious that the Cardinals would go after an offensive lineman. I thought Thomas would fall to them, but while he didn’t the Cardinals were happy to draft Brown with the 5^th overall.

Washington Redskins

Projected Pick: Amobi Okeye DT Louisville

Actual Pick: LaRon Landry S LSU

I thought the Redskins would want the young DT to be a longtime anchor for their shaky defensive line. However, with rumors of the late Sean Taylor’s departure the Skins thought they would add the punishing Landry to the roster. Landry has been great for the Skins.

Minnesota Vikings

Projected Pick: Brady Quinn QB Notre Dame

Actual Pick: Adrian Peterson HB Oklahoma

I’m pretty much positive that the Vikings made the better decision in this draft. They had both Quinn and Peterson to pick from and they picked the much better player even though they already had a good running back on roster. This was probably the best pick in the 2007 draft.

Atlanta Falcons

Projected Pick: Laron Landry S LSU

Actual Pick: Jamal Anderson DE Arkansas

I thought the Falcons would want a safety. I’m willing to bet that after Milloy’s performance against Arizona safety will be a priority in the 2009 draft. However, they went with Anderson who has been an adequate compliment to Abraham.

Miami Dolphins

Projected Pick: Levi Brown T Penn State

Actual Pick: Tedd Ginn Jr. WR Ohio State

I could not believe the Dolphins made this pick. Brady Quinn was on the board and the Dolphins clearly had the need for a QB after Culpepper’s departure. Instead they take Tedd Ginn Jr. way ahead of his value. Ginn has developed nicely, but Quinn would probably helped give the Dolphins more than one win that season though.

Houston Texans

Projected Pick: Denver Broncos Adam Carriker DE Nebraska

Actual Pick: Amobi Okeye DT Louisville

This pick is why I don’t generally mock trades. I believed a rumor that the Broncos would trade up to get Carriker. I was very wrong and the Texans decided to shore up their defensive line for the foreseeable future. Denver would later draft DE Jarvis Moss in the first round so I had the need addressed, I just wanted it more than Denver did.

San Francisco 49ers

Projected Pick: Alan Branch DT Michigan

Actual Pick: Patrick Willis MLB Ole Miss

I thought the 49ers would want to upgrade their DT spot, but it was not to be. Instead they added phenom Patrick Willis. Overall, that is a better decision as I had Branch overvalued at this spot. Apparently I was told by a friend that if I had ESPN Insider I would have known the Niners were going to draft Willis. This is my shameless plug for ESPN.

Buffalo Bills

Projected Pick: Patrick Willis MLB Ole Miss

Actual Pick: Marshawn Lynch RB Cal

I thought that the Bills would want an ILB to fill the void London Fletcher left. They did draft Posluszny in the second, but with their first they added Lynch to replace Willis Mcgahee, seems like a no-brainer now that I think about it. Oh well, the Bills did eventually draft an ILB.

St. Louis Rams

Projected Pick: Jamal Anderson DE Arkansas

Actual Pick: Adam Carriker DE Nebraska

The Rams needed help along the defensive line that much was obvious. Even though they drafted Carriker as a DE, he played mostly DT in the hybrid system the Rams ran. Thus, there was still a need for a DE in the next year’s draft.

New York Jets

Projected Pick: Carolina Panthers Reggie Nelson S Florida

Actual Pick: Darrelle Revis CB Pittsburgh

The Jets traded up to get Revis before the Steelers could draft him. I can’t really blame them as Revis has been very valuable to the Jets Defense. I thought the Jets would go tight end, but the Jets had other ideas. They would get with my line of thinking the next draft with Keller, but getting Revis was the much better idea.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Projected Pick: Darrelle Revis CB Pittsburgh

Actual Pick: Lawrence Timmons OLB Florida State

If I had bowed down to conventionality I would have put Timmons down. Every mock draft under the sun had the Steelers taking Timmons to fill the void left by Joey Porter. I thought however that the Steelers would draft Revis to help their secondary and the return game. Revis would have been great! However, the Jets must have had the same idea I had because they made a substantial trade to get ahead of the Steelers. I have nothing to complain about however as Timmons has played great this year.

Green Bay Packers

Projected Pick: Marshawn Lynch HB Cal

Actual Pick: Justin Harrell DT Tennessee

This was probably my favorite moment of the draft. ESPN panned to Green Bay after the pick was made and you could see a bunch of kids looking at one another asking “Who?” Harrell was a pick no one expected. I and most people thought they would add a RB to the roster with this pick given that Ahman Green had left. Harrell has thus far not been a factor. One wonders that because this pick has not produced what it would have meant to trade for Randy Moss that off season.

Denver Broncos

Projected Pick: Jacksonville Jaguars Michael Griffin S Texas

Actual Pick: Jarvis Moss DE Florida

The Broncos did decide to trade up for a DE, but not until here. My rumors were wrong. Denver traded up for Moss and Jacksonville would later take Reggie Nelson. Thus I had two positions and suspicion of a trade properly assessed. I just had the players very wrong.

Cincinnati Bengals

Projected Pick: Leon Hall CB Michigan

Actual Pick: Leon Hall CB Michigan

The Bengals got assaulted through the air in the 2007 season. They needed to address their problems with this pick. Although their air problems continued Hall was a valuable pick.

Tennessee Titans

Projected Pick: Tedd Ginn Jr. WR Ohio State

Actual Pick: Michael Griffin S Texas

The Titans needed a WR for Vince Young, but the Titans refused to draft one. They went defense and while Michael Griffin has been great for them, you have to wonder if they would have benefited from a WR.

New York Giants

Projected Pick: Joe Staley T Central Michigan

Actual Pick: Aaron Ross CB Texas

I thought the Giants would want to upgrade their offensive line with the athletic Staley, but they felt it was better to address their secondary issues. Ross has been valuable starting for most of the season. It would seem I had this pick all wrong.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Projected Pick: Houston Texans Aaron Ross CB Texas

Actual Pick: Reggie Nelson S Florida

I thought Jacksonville would go safety in the draft, but then again I also thought Houston would be picking this low. Secondary seemed to be a concern for the Texans and I thought this low they would be able to get Ross.

Cleveland Browns

Projected Pick: Dallas Cowboys Anthony Spencer OLB/DE Purdue

Actual Pick: Brady Quinn QB Notre Dame

Finally the boy from Cleveland makes good. After an awkward waiting period the Notre Dame QB came off the board. I did have the Cowboys taking Spencer in the first round so I still got that pick right.

Kansas City Chiefs

Projected Pick: Dwayne Bowe WR LSU

Actual Pick: Dwayne Bowe WR LSU

Kansas City lacked dynamic WR play in their playoff run. Thus it seemed obvious that the Chiefs would select a WR in the first. Bowe was a good selection who has benefited the Chiefs immeasurably.

New England Patriots

Projected Pick: Chris Houston CB Arkansas

Actual Pick: Brandon Meriweather S Miami

If the Patriots needed anything they needed secondary players. I thought they would go corner, but the Patriots had other ideas.

Carolina Panthers

Projected Pick: New York Jets Greg Olsen TE Miami

Actual Pick: Jon Beason MLB Miami

This pick seemed a little odd to me. Carolina had a need for a tight end and with Olsen still on the board it seemed like they would pick him up, but instead they drafted Beason, Dan Morgan’s successor. Beason has been a dynamite defender for the Panthers and was a very smart pick up.

Dallas Cowboys

Projected Pick: Philadelphia Eagles Justin Harrell DT Tennessee

Actual Pick: Anthony Spencer OLB/DE Purdue

Spencer was a great fit for the Cowboys 3-4 defense. However, I debate the value of picking him up. After all they did draft Carpenter the year before. As far as Philly was concerned I thought they would need help on the D-line, but the last years pick Bunkley stepped up the next year and has started since.

New Orleans Saints

Projected Pick: Robert Meachem WR Tennessee

Actual Pick: Robert Meachem WR Tennessee

After the great year Drew Brees and Colston had, it only seemed to make sense to give Brees another dynamic weapon. Meachem has not really broken out as a primary target of Brees, but they say it takes three years for to catch up to professional football for some WR’s. We’ll see next season how much of an impact he will make.

San Francisco 49ers

Projected Pick: New England Patriots Lawrence Timmons OLB Florida State

Actual Pick: Joe Staley OT Central Michigan.

I thought the Patriots would go after a linebacker in this draft to eventually replace the aging Bruschi and Seau. However, they elected to trade this pick to the 49ers who added the dynamic blocker Staley to their roster. This was a good pick for the 49ers as he has started every game since his rookie year. That kind of durability is rare among NFL linemen,

Baltimore Ravens

Projected Pick: Ben Grubbs G Auburn

Actual Pick: Ben Grubbs G Auburn

The Ravens needed a great deal of help along their interior o-line. Grubbs, being the best lineman available seemed like a no-brainer.

San Diego Chargers

Projected Pick: Dwayne Jarrett WR USC

Actual Pick: Craig Davis WR LSU

The Chargers did not have a dynamic WR on their roster. Gates was obviously Rivers favorite target and a WR would free coverage off of him and take players out of the box against LT. However, the Chargers picked Davis who has yet to make a lasting impact. Although he did get hurt he has not been a factor. After all, the Chargers did trade for Chris Chambers later that same year.

Chicago Bears

Projected Pick: Paul Posluszny OLB Penn State

Actual Pick: Greg Olsen TE Miami

With rumors of Lance Briggs departing I thought the Bears would go after the dynamic Posluszny in this draft. He showed at Penn State the ability to play the inside and the outside linebacker positions very well. However, the Bears elected to pick a tight end who had had great production in the Bears system. Since the Bears were able to hold onto Briggs picking Posluszny would have been a waste.

Indianapolis Colts

Projected Pick: Jon Beason OLB Miami

Actual Pick: Anthony Gonzalez WR Ohio State

The Colts had two key departures in the off-season, LB Cato June and WR Brandon Stokley. I thought the Colts would draft to replace June who had a critical 142 tackles for the Colts in 2006, but the Colts decided to replace Stokley in the hopes on freeing up Wayne, Clark, and Harrison. This was not a bad decision as Harrison has struggled and will more than likely be replaced by Gonzalez soon enough.

Madden 09: A Few Things to Change

Players are traded and added to rosters at the tail end of the off-season, but Madden is finalized before these moves occur. Thus, there are always minor adjustments to be made on Madden rosters to make the gae true to life, that is unless you didn't agree to that move. I've decided to address some of the moves that Madden will not have made adjustments for. These are not going to be all of them, but these will be the most prominent and significant moves to be made.

Jason Taylor
Madden location: ROLB Miami Dolphins
Actual location: DE Washington Redskins

If Madden has not brought back position changing a lot of Redskins fans will be upset. However, if he can be changed Redskins fans will definitely make the roster change as soon as the game is out of the box. Jason Taylor will provide the Skins with a phenom pass rusher. I have friends that played with the Skins and one of the comforts I had was that as long as I avoided Andre Carter I'd have al day to throw. Now the Skins will be pass rushing from both sides and I already feel Roethlisberger's pain...

Jeremy Shockey
Madden Location: TE New York Giants
Actual Location: TE New Orleans Saints

Giants fans may not be quick to make a roster update, but Saints fans will definitely welcome this change. Saints fans will now have a big target over the middle of the offense that will demand attention. The attention he will command will open up lanes for Reggie Bush and Deuce helping Saints fans establish a much smoother running game.

Kevin Jones
Madden Location: Free Agency
Actual Location: RB Chicago Bears

Given that his signing was a month ago there is a high probability that he will actually be on the Bears roster on Madden 09. Jones will provide the Bears with a decent caliber running back. However, as far as Madden goes, it will be a matter of preference as to whether Jones is properly utilized. If users pass to HB's a lot, Jones will be valuable, but otherwise they have a power back in Forte and a speed back in Wolfe. Jones will provide depth, but nothing game altering.

Brett Favre
Madden Location: NFL Greats List
Actual Location: New York Jets

Favre will be a topic of hot contention for online franchise modes. Die hard Packer fans will not want to let him go and Jets fans will insist on having him. How Favre is dealt out is not a concern of mine. However, or those of you curious on how to activate Favre I can tell you how. EA states that Favre is on their NFL Greats List. All that is required is that you activate Favre and he becomes available in the free agent pool. Once their assign him to the team you and yours have decided upon.

Chad Pennington
Madden location: New York Jets
Actual Location: Miami Dolphins

Pennington will be welcome to Dolphins fans. The other options at QB for iamiwere not nearely as promising. Pennington will provide stability until the user can pump up one of the younger QBs or Pennington can be trading bait used to get a better QB. Either way, Pennington has considerable value in Miami.

Daunte Culpepper & Byron Leftwich
Madden Location: Free Agency
Actual Location: Pittsbrugh Steelers
Many Steelers owners will not want these two with a healthy Charlie Batch on roster, but the shrewd owners will take on the two veterans and trade two of the four Steeler quarterbacks for picks and/or offensive lineman. Pending the ratings of all the QBs I plan on keeping Culpepper in reserve. Culpepper's strong arm and mobility will mean in the event Roethlisberger gets hurt, I won't have to change my offense very much. Culpepper can be a reliable backup to Reothlisberger and a welcome addition to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Free Agency: Real World and Madden

The Preseason has started and there are still some decent free agents out there. Its unfortunate for these players that they don't have a place to play football. However, the silver lining is that there is a wealth of players to choose from in Madden 09. Free agents can help bolster depth in a needy area, fill in for an injured player, be a stopgap to hold you over until the next off season, or provide your team with a valuable steal. I always try and add a free agent or two to my franchise at the beginning of the season. Here are a few that I will be interested to look at in this year's version of Madden.

Ty Law CB
Legendary shutdown corner Ty Law is surprisingly still on the free agent market. Law is notorious for asking for way too much money. However, at this point in the year and being at the tail end of his career Law might have to settle for a smaller pay check if he wants to play. The last time Ty Law was mentioned in the news it was Browns GM Phil Savage saying Ty Law's asking price was too high. Kansas City fired him, the Browns think he's not worth the high price, and the Patriots have made little effort to bring back their star corner. Unfortunately for Ty Law, if he doesn't act and soon, his career will be over.

Madden Analysis:
Ty Law's speed will probably be too low to be of great value to a team. However, if Madden has brought back position changes, Ty Law will be a great Safety. His abilities will help provide stability at the safety position or a year while another player is groomed or traded for.

Kendrell Bell LB
Kendrell Bell had a great career in Pittsburgh and then joined Kansas City and did very poorly. He did not fit in at all with the 4-3 defensive structure. What is surprising is that no 3-4 team has wanted to sign him as a veteran voice . He may get a look if injuries occur, but he should have been tried out on many different squads. Kendrell Bell still has some years left in him and could become very valuable to a 3-4 team.

Madden Analysis:
Kendrell Bell will not have a very high rating after an 8 tackle season. However, he can provide depth on linebacker needy teams.

LeCharles Bentley C/G
Bentley suffered a substantial knee injury on the first day of Browns training camp in 2006. Then, he got a staph infection which took him out another year. Finally the Browns released Bentley and he now reportedly has many different offers to join squads. However, most squads are concerned about his ability to come back and play after two years. If he can indeed comeback and play at a level he used to play at, Bentley could be a veritable steal for some franchise.

Madden Analysis:
Bentley's ratings will be hindered by him not being in the NFL for two years. Depending on how kind EA is towards Bentley, he will be a free agent steal or nothing more than a backup.

Daunte Culpepper
I have said enough about Culpepper in this blog for people to know I think he could be great for some team. However, no team seems to be interested in him. It's not surprising considering that most teams solved their QB problems in the draft. However, if an injury occurs and Brett Favre isn't available Culpepper could get looked at.

Madden Analysis:
Culpepper will have a strong arm in Madden. So for those of you in need of a Strong Armed QB, Culpepper could be a cheap solution.

Why Hasn't a Team Signed Daunte Culpepper?

I am having difficulty believing that some team has not grabbed Daunte Culpepper off the free agent market. NFL.com says that “he is being selective, waiting for the right opportunity with the right team.” If that is the case…why hasn’t a team given him an offer he can’t refuse? Culpepper has many question marks, but a solid QB is very tough to come by in this league. In this article I’ll explore the question marks concerning Culpepper and discuss possible locations for him.

Could Daunte Culpepper’s success in the NFL be attributed exclusively to Randy Moss? I say no. Randy Moss is a once in a generation talent and he definitely helped Culpepper in similar fashion to how he helped Tom Brady. Culpepper was and is a good QB and Randy Moss just enabled him to explode. Culpepper still has a ridiculously strong arm, which is a blessing and a curse. Culpepper fits the ball into very tight spots the second those spots open. Five times in 2007 Culpepper tried to thread the needle and got picked, but most of the time he got a completion out of the exchange. He also has some mobility. Although hampered by his knee injury, he is mobile in the pocket and even beat a linebacker to the edge for a touchdown against Miami in 2007. Culpepper is talented and Randy Moss only enhanced that talent.

Should Daunte Culpepper’s injury history be a concern? I say not necessarily. Culpepper damaged three ligaments in his knee and had surgery to repair those ligaments. However, I agree with Culpepper that an injury of that nature and the surgery required to repair the knee takes two years to recover from. Culpepper and Miami both rushed his return to the field. He should not have been on the field that soon. In four games he was sacked 21 times and Saban benched him. Saban reportedly stated that Culpepper’s problem was “further north of the anatomy chart” implying that he felt Culpepper’s knee was fine, but rather his head was the reasoning behind his benching. Culpepper has had some decision making problems, but I attribute this to faith in his arm. Gunslingers always throw interceptions and considering he has a career completion percentage of 63.8% I think he knows the ins and outs of the game. Culpepper played in seven games in Oakland and put up a decent showing. He injured his hamstring at the end of the season, but this should be of little concern to his knee. Culpepper, from what I read and hear, is fully healed and ready for a football season.

Should Culpepper’s mediocre stint in Oakland be an indication of his abilities? I say no. In 2006 Culpepper got sacked 21 times in 4 games and in seven 2007 games he was sacked 21 times again. That’s an improvement…it’s not great, but Oakland doesn’t have that great of an offensive line and Culpepper wasn’t incredibly mobile. Five touchdowns to five interceptions is not great, but it is better than many QB’s. Culpepper did lose three of nine fumbles, but his small hands have always made fumbling a problem. Any team that hires him should be prepared for fumbles, but Culpepper is experienced in getting on top of those fumbles. Culpepper, if given the right atmosphere and talent, could one again become a dominant QB in the NFL.

What team should sign Daunte Culpepper? With the draft having passed there are few options left for Culpepper. Green Bay, Atlanta, Baltimore, and Miami all took QB’s in the draft. Culpepper could be signed if there is an injury. The team I would most like to see Daunte Culpepper going to would be the Carolina Panthers. Deangelo Williams & Jonathan Stewart will provide Carolina with a great running game. Carolina has one o the better offensive lines in the NFL. Plus, Steve Smith, D.J. Hackett, Muhsin Muhammad, and Dwayne Jarrett will make a fierce receiver corps. Daunte Culpepper would be a terrific insurance policy in the event that Jake Delhomme gets injured. In so many ways, Carolina would be a great fit for Daunte Culpepper. However, many teams could benefit greatly from having Culpepper on their roster and I sincerely hope that somebody snatches him up. Culpepper has a rocket arm and ability that I definitely want to see more of and I look forward to seeing him on the field once again.

Why the Baltimore Ravens Don't Need a Rookie Quarterback

I have been keeping tabs on ESPN’s Sportsnation NFL Mock Draft and have been troubled with many picks that have been made. However, I just chock this up to a mass of people voting without intimate knowledge of team needs and players. Sportsnation had Baltimore selecting Quarterback Brian Brohm of Louisville with the 8^th Overall pick. This is not an uncommon, or for that matter a bad thought. Many believe that Baltimore is just a quarterback away from being a contender and if that is the case then a QB in the first round would make sense. However, I disagree with this thought for many reasons.

If I’m going to argue that the Ravens do not need a rookie QB, then I need to talk about the QBs that they do have. Steve McNair started six games and in those he threw two touchdowns against a total of 11 turnovers. McNair did complete 64.9% of his passes, a career high, but he did not seem to have the arm for the long ball. Maybe the surgeries he has undergone will help him take another shot, but he is definitely not a long term solution. Kyle Boller threw 9 touchdowns against 14 turnovers with 61.1% in 12 games. Boller is definitely not the solution and should be a backup. Looking at these two QBs maybe a little dynamic youth at the position could be very helpful.

For that dynamic youth the Ravens do not have to draft a QB, but rather could give Heisman Trophy Winner Troy Smith a shot. Smith fell out of favor in the draft because of his height and the fact that he was surrounded by talent. This led him to fall into Baltimore’s lap in the 5^th Round. Towards the end of the season, when Baltimore no longer had anything to play for, they gave the young QB a chance. Against Indy he was 3 for 5 for 33 yards and ran in a 6 yard touchdown. Then against Miami he was 5 for 11 for 49 yards. Then Smith got his first start against one of the more imposing defenses, Seattle. Smith did not throw a pick, although he did lose two fumbles in the game. He passed for 199 yards and a touchdown in addition to running for another 25. Then, he started against Pittsburgh and played well throwing for 171 yards and a touchdown in addition to rushing 23 yards. Troy Smith played well enough at the end of the season that he should get a chance to start. He can be the dynamic youth that Baltimore has needed from the QB position.

If Baltimore has hesitations about Troy Smith, then I do not think that drafting another QB is the solution. The Boller experiment did more harm than good for the Ravens and drafting another young QB who may fail would lead the franchise down a long and painful road. It would make sense to bring in a new veteran QB into the mix then add another inexperienced QB. Looking at the veterans available I would say Daunte Culpepper might be a nice option. It takes two years to fully heal from a knee injury like the one he suffered. Culpepper was once an MVP and is looking to make a comeback. He could run the offense, who knows maybe even revitalize it, and let Baltimore’s tenacious defense do what it was designed to do, win games. If Troy Smith is thought to be too young to take the reigns and McNair is finished, bring in Culpepper.

Baltimore’s secondary should be considered more of a priority than QB in this draft. Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle are both getting up there and behind them is nothing spectacular. They are also injury prone and if they are out the Baltimore secondary is picked on. Adding a dynamic youthful corner in the first round (where one is surely to be available to the Ravens) is critical to not only establish depth at the position, but also to provide this secondary with a future. So, in conclusion, because of Troy Smith’s dynamic play, greater needs in the secondary, and Daunte Culpepper still a free agent, the Baltimore Ravens do not need a rookie quarterback.