What Was I Thinking: The Good and the Bad of 2011

Back from a long break and ready for the season to start...

I found some hand-written notes on drafting from prior to last year's NFL season, and some of my advice sure is humorous:

2011 Selected Fantasy Football Notes

1) Grab Knowshon Moreno--new Broncos offense is run-oriented

Fortunately, I did not have a chance to draft Moreno as he struggled once again with injuries and failed to live up to expectations.

2) Avoid Broncos receivers (same thought with the run-oriented offense)

I did much better with this projection, but who would have guessed that Tebow would take the helm for the majority of Denver's games and the team would emphasize a ground-game never seen before in the NFL.

3) If Jermichael Finley is healthy, take him as your TE

Well, Finley did not stay healthy and had a disappointing year.  As with Moreno, I lucked out and Finley was off the board when I was thinking TE, so I took a risk on that guy for the Saints...What is his name?  Oh yeah, Jimmy Graham--and wow, what a season did Jimmy have.

4) Look at the Rams offense as there may be value at the WR

My thought was that the Rams had a new offense that would emphasize the pass. Sam Bradford was returning after a productive rookie season. So, I concluded that one of St. Louis' receivers would be a hidden star and good selection as a late round draft flyer. Wrong. The Rams stunk, dealt with numerous injuries, and anyone who followed my advice would have wasted a late round pick.

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Finding the 18 or so recommendations and evaluating them a year later was fun; I'll be sure to do it again for next season--I am always good for a laugh.

My Top 5 Draft Stinkers

With the changes in Blogger, I needed to simplify my blog layout with the new background as the other design had become unreadable.

Anyway and back to content...

After a weekend of absorbing a volcanic eruption of NFL draft news, I laughed the loudest or shook my head the most at the following five items.
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Note: I organized this as a "David Letterman Top List"; well top 5 instead of to 10.

NUMBER 5: PRANK CALL

What happened to Rutgers prospect, Mohamed Sanu, during the draft was certainly a head-shaking moment.

With his family and friends gathered around him, some goofball pranked call him, pretending to be an official from the Bengals.

Sanu then believed that he had been drafted.

It took several minutes before the ruse was revealed--leaving Sanu and family wiping the egg off their faces.

Sanu was eventually drafted by the Bengals, so all is well that ends well.

But, who does that to someone else?

I think NFL commissioner Roger Goodell should grant a violence waiver for Sanu as he should be allowed to pummel the prankster that spread so much misery on the first day of the NFL draft.

NUMBER 4: UNTRUTHFUL

It was reported by ESPN that Browns' officials had assured current starting QB Colt McCoy that they would not draft a QB in the first round.  Then they drafted QB Brandon Weeden in the first round.  So, who is not being honest here?  The source of the story?  The Browns?  Colt McCoy?

Who knows or cares.

No matter the profession, an organization's management should always be pursuing opportunities for improvement.  Colt McCoy may or may not be the signal-caller of the future in Cleveland.

They wanted to add competition, had targeted Weeden, then likely became concerned that he would not be available beyond the first round.  As such, they selected him.

Let two players compete and designate the top performer as the starter.

Save the promises (alleged promises) for your significant other.

NUMBER 3: BLEW IT OFF

I had projected LSU CB Morris Claiborne to go to the Buccaneers with the fifth pick.  He is considered the best cover corner in the draft, and has excellent size and speed. Well, the Bucs traded back, and the Rams lost out on the WR they wanted, so they traded the pick to the Cowboys who drafted Claiborne at six.

Prior to the draft, the media reported that Claiborne had bombed his Wonderlic test--the exam given to prospects to help NFL execs gauge intelligence.  In an interview, Claiborne stated that he "blew off the test"--arguing that is why he scored poorly.

Blew off the test?

How could you not take this test seriously?

I would much rather hear him say, "I did not feel well," or "I was having a bad day," or "I just did not perform that day."

Anything other than I blew it off as he had plenty of time and resources to prepare for it.

Makes me question what else Claiborne will blow off with his new freedoms as a highly paid professional.

NUMBER 2: DRAFT A QUARTERBACK, DRAFT A QUARTERBACK

The Redskins package a deal to move up and select franchise QB prospect Robert Griffin III.  They have a limited number of picks after round #1, and are considered well behind division rivals the Giants, Cowboys, and Eagles.

So what does a struggling team do with their 4th round pick?

Add an offensive or defensive lineman to better control the line of scrimmage?

Grab a receiver or running back?

Select a linebacker?

No, no, and no.

The Washington brain-trust chooses another QB: Kirk Cousins from Michigan St.

How many QBs are the Skins going to play at the same time this year?

I'll be interested to see it, if the answer is more than one.

Good grief.

Note: USA Today writer Nate Davis wrote a thoughtful defense of this selection, but adding another QB  this early with so many other immediate needs is highly questionable; especially considering the Skins released veteran QB John Beck, leaving them with no experienced passers. 

NUMBER 1: A PUNTER?

Yes, my Buccaneers were awful last year.

Yes, we had many holes on the roster to fill entering the draft.

Yes, the Bucs passed on some good players to select the guys they did.  But, the same can be said about the Jaguars, and their officials chose Cal punter Bryan Anger in the 3rd round.

A punter? In the 3rd round?

For such a lousy team?

I think this amusing selection will create a new football fan fad--keep a running list of the first 31 players that those Jaguars passed on to draft a non-scoring kicker.  It will be fun for years to come to count how many contributors, starters, all-pros, and maybe even a hall-a-famer that Jacksonville passed on to choose a punter.

So no matter how bad things are for us Tampa fans, it definitely is worse to be cheering for the Jacksonville Jags these days.

Or maybe, I should refer to them as the future "Los Angeles Jaguars."

Best Name

Which player has the best name in next weeks NFL draft?

I say it is a defensive end/outside linebacker from the University of Illinois named Whitney Mercilus.

Mercilus is leaving the NCAA after a successful junior year in which he was named the best defensive end in the country in winning the Ted Hendricks Award.

He led the nation with 16 sacks, and also had 9 forced fumbles.

Most scouts have him listed as either second or third best at his position.

But what about the great name for an NFL sack artist?

I can hear an announcer saying this:

"One word about the pass rush in today's game: Mercilus!"

or...

"Another Mercilus pummeling!"

I think a great football name should count for at least bonus points; considering all the areas that teams evaluate potential draft picks.

Sideline Reporting

Who said that football sideline reporters never get any good scoops?

Michelle TaFoya did during last night's Patriots thumping the Jets:

Rex Ryan knew it was a mistake right away.

When Mark Sanchez took a time out with 1:24 left in the first half, Ryan was angry, already thinking about the Patriots next possession.

Ryan told NBC’s Michele TaFoya that the timeout was the “stupidest play in NFL history.”...

So, instead of the usual "coach talk" when confronted with a microphone, I offer this solution: Have the sideline reported just hang out with Rex Ryan and get his input on every Sunday night game.

They could pay him to watch the first half, he could assume his effective portrayal of a comedian, and the audience could just laugh and shake their heads.

It would be much better than the usual blah, blah, blah.

Rex, you won't coach forever, but I think you have a bright future as television court jester.

No Respect

Listening to all the fantasy football fans must really get annoying for professional football players.

But how bad is it when your own family disses you in fantasy?

...Going into the year, we weren’t sure that Fred Jackson would start for the Bills. He struggled to get respect even inside his own house.

His wife didn’t select him until the fifth round of her fantasy football draft. She chose Michael Turner over him.

“[I told her] I’m not going to continue to sit here if you’re skipping over me in these rounds. If you don’t take me, I’m going to call your brother and tell him to pick me up,” Jackson said.

She drafted him. Like all of Jackson’s fantasy owners, she’s doing very well this year.

Too funny.

I drafted you Fred.

Wait it was in the 8th round.

Now that was a lucky pick for me.

The Mental Game

Tennessee Titans Insider Jim Wyatt reported this today on star running back Chris Johnson:

Running back Chris Johnson needs as many reps as he can take to get on the same page with his offensive line. He didn’t practice Wednesday, however, because of sore ribs.

Johnson said he would practice Thursday and expects to play on Sunday against the Broncos.

“I am just a little sore,” he said. “I got a lot of mental reps. I’ll be OK...

Glad to hear that you got all those "mental reps" at practice today Chris.

I just finished a 6 mile mental rep run, and before that, I completed three sets of mental rep bench presses of 325 lbs.

Dude, I am exhausted...