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NFL Draft 2009: Getting Started By Ron Jumper So the 2009 NFL Draft is almost here and it is time to dive in head first. In the next couple of weeks leading up to the draft, I’ll have positional breakdowns, team needs, and my own Mock Draft. There is much to discuss, as there always is this time of year in the NFL. To kick things off, I’m going to start off with my Tampa Bay Buccaneers, discuss the impact of the Jay Cutler trade, and examine what the Lions can do to become relevant again. So, enough small talk, time to get started. Tampa Bay: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are not hiding the fact they want to save money and get younger. That part is obvious, however the way they are going about implementing that strategy is a harder code to crack. Hiring a 32-year-old coach that has never been more than a defensive backs coach is a gutsy call, especially considering that hiring strategy hasn’t been the most successful recently. I’m going to give Raheem Morris the benefit of the doubt and see what he can do. Truthfully, Morris should be given a couple of years before anyone can call this “his” team anyway. The franchise isn’t trying to win right now, it is trying to rebuild and have a youth movement. Blaming him for not winning is a little silly if you ask me. As for the current roster, they are really strong in three areas: offensive line, tight end, and safety. If Carnell Williams could ever get healthy, I would add running back because, combined with Earnest Graham, that is a very good duo of backs just based on talent. Davin Joseph has emerged as one of the premiere offensive guards in the game and tackle Jeremy Trublood has had some issues off the field, but is a talented young player just the same. Jeff Faine, Aaron Sears, and Donald Penn round out a very good group. As for the tight end position, the trio of Kellen Winslow, Alex Smith, and Jerramy Stevens gives the Bucs arguably as good a group of tight ends as there is in the league. At safety, the starters are Jermaine Phillips and Tanard Jackson, two of the hardest hitting safeties in the league. The depth is very solid as well with Will Allen, Sabby Piscitelli, and Donte Nicholson. The Bucs don’t need any help from the draft in these three areas, as they have much more pressing needs. As for what needs they have, I would say quarterback is first on the list right now. The buzz is starting to grow more and more that Tampa Bay will grab Kansas State QB Josh Freeman at pick 19 in round 1. Head coach Raheem Morris coached at Kansas State when Freeman was a freshman, giving him some great insight as to what to expect from the young gunslinger. I would even begin to worry a little bit that someone will grab Freeman before the Bucs pick, the Jets are at 17 and are known to be looking for a QB. Also, the Broncos just recently became in need of a QB as well and they have picks #12 and #18. After that, I would say defensive tackle, outside linebacker, and cornerback are needs. Most people are still clammering about needing a wide receiver, but I disagree. With great receiving tight ends like the Bucs have, you can still make plays in the passing game with Antonio Bryant and Michael Clayton. Regardless, without a QB yet, why invest in targets you can’t properly utilize yet anyway? Seems wasteful, look at the Titans model since they drafted Vince Young and tell me if they still should have been drafting wide receivers all this time. On defense, I mentioned the safeties then there is DE Gaines Adams, CB Ronde Barber (who is aging fast), and MLB Barret Rudd. Depth is really thin at DT, OLB, and CB. Chicago Bears: So the Bears finally got the quarterback they have been coveting for what seems like ages now. Jay Cutler is a very good gunslinger and is only going to get better. The question now becomes, what can the Bears do to give him some weapons? They have a stud running back in Matt Forte and Devin Hester is improving as a part-time WR, though he still has some ways to go. At tight end, they are solid with Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen. That leaves a true #1 wideout for Cutler. They could sign veteran WR Tory Holt or maybe try to swing another trade to bring in Braylon Edwards or Chad Johnson. I’m guessing they look to the draft, even though they traded their first rounder to acquire Cutler. In the second round, they will likely be picking between some variation of Brian Robiskie, Brandon Tate, Juanquin Iglesias, Derrick Williams, and Louis Murphy. Many like Robiskie, I just think he lacks the ability to be a #1 WR and is more likely to be just a possession receiver. The rest are more explosive, with Murphy having the best combination of size and speed in my opinion. I have to wonder, where were the Vikings in all of this? Being able to add Jay Cutler to that roster would be unstoppable. Suddenly, Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice, and Visanthe Shiancoe would actually have someone who could get them the ball. With that defense and running game, they quickly become a Super Bowl contender. It is a little ironic that Cutler landed in Chicago, the same division as the Vikings. I can understand the Vikings’ argument that the Bears sold the farm to get Cutler, but how many really good young quarterbacks are there? When deciding who was the “winner” of a trade, I have some basic criteria. In a few years, if Cutler leads the Bears to playoff success, will those draft picks really matter then? Usually, the long term winner of a trade is the team that comes away with the best player in the deal. That is, without question, the Bears in this case. Denver should be able to address some needs and upgrade in talent due to additional draft picks, but they are back to square one at the most important position in the game. Detroit Lions: It is the same song with a difference dance for Detroit, as they are trying to rebuild yet again. Amazingly though, I think they could come out of this draft in much better shape than they went in. If they are to ever have a chance at being relevant again, this is the draft. The Lions have 5 of the top 82 picks, with picks 1, 20, 33, 65, and 82. Having both the first pick and then having multiple picks gives you so much room to operate. First, they could trade down from the first pick and receive additional picks. Secondly, if they need to move up, they could package some combination of picks 20, 33, 65, or 82 to move up spots if the player they want is not going to be there when they are on the clock. It is a large leap of faith to think the Lions will make the right decisions, but the opportunity presents itself just the same. If it were up to me, this is what I would do: **In a perfect world, I would trade picks 20 and 65 to move up to pick 16 so that I know Josh Freeman will be available. The Jets (17), Broncos (18), and Bucs (19) are all potentially looking for a QB. Here is that scenario: Pick 1: LB Aaron Curry, Wake Forest Pick 16: QB Josh Freeman, Kansas State Pick 33: CB Sean Smith, Utah Pick 82: OG Duke Robinson, Oklahoma If that were to happen, Curry would become the building block of that defense at linebacker. Curry would play opposite of Ernie Sims to give them a solid OLB core. With Freeman, he has a lot of potential and could learn a lot playing behind Daunte Culpepper, as Culpepper has a similar build and style to Freeman. Cornerback is a huge need and Sean Smith is a big time corner, literally. At 6-3 215, Smith is the biggest corner in the draft but he also has the ideal athleticism and production required to start in the NFL. Duke Robinson can help shore up the interior of the offensive line, which should help youngster Kevin Smith find running lanes inside. I understand that this is a lot harder to make a reality than I’m letting on, but this is what I would try to do if given the opportunity. SportsOverload will be offering additional information on the NFL draft in the coming weeks. Be sure to stay tuned. April 9, 2009 |
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Be Careful What You Wish For
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Jumpology: My Bracket Jumpology: Scouting The Heavyweights Jumpology: Reviewing The Bracket
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