From now until the NFL draft, I will be posting a mock draft every Saturday. The Saturday of the draft, nothing is official yet, but I hope to have a collaboration with some others, and a live Draft Diary.
Mock Draft: April 9, 2005
1. San Francisco 49ers: Alex Smith, QB Utah
2. Miami Dolphins: Ronnie Brown, RB Auburn
3. Cleveland Browns: Derrick Johnson, LB Texas
4. Chicago Bears: Braylon Edwards, WR Michigan
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Cedric Benson, RB Texas
6. Tennessee Titans: Aaron Rodgers, QB Cal
7. Minnesota Vikings: Erasmus James, DE Wisconsin
8. Arizona Cardinals: Antrelle Rolle, CB Miami
9. Washington Redskins: Pac-Man Jones, CB West Virginia
10. Detroit Lions: Alex Barron, OT Florida State
11. Kansas City Chiefs: Carlos Rogers, CB Auburn*
12. San Diego Chargers: Marcus Spears, DE LSU
13. Houston Texans: Mike Williams, WR USC
14. Carolina Panthers: Heath Miller, TE Virginia
15. Dallas Cowboys: Dan Cody, DE Oklahoma
16. New Orleans Saints: Corey Webster, CB LSU
17. Cincinnati Bengals: David Pollack, DE Georgia
18. Minnesota Vikings: Elton Brown, G Virginia
19. St. Louis Rams: Jamaal Brown, T Oklahoma
20. Dallas Cowboys: Anttaj Hawthorne, DT Wisconsin
21. Jacksonville Jaguars: Mark Clayton, WR Oklahoma
22. Baltimore Ravens: Troy Williamson, WR South Carolina
23. Seattle Seahawks: Channing Crowder, LB Florida
24. Green Bay Packers: Brodney Pool, S Oklahoma
25. Denver Broncos: Cadillac Williams, RB Auburn
26. New York Jets: Shaun Cody, DT-DE USC
27. Atlanta Falcons: Khalif Barnes, T Washington
28. San Diego Chargers: Travis Johnson, DT Florida State
29. Indianapolis Colts: Brandon Browner, CB Oregon State
30. Pittsburgh Steelers: Darryl Blacktock, LB Virginia
31. Philadelphia Eagles: Maurice Johnson, T Mississippi
32. New England Patriots: Shawne Merriman, DE-OLB Maryland
* Dallas Trades down with Kansas City for the 15th overall pick and a third round pick
Friday, April 08, 2005
OC Friday Morning Quarterback: The Crystal Ballpisode
I laughed out loud. Three times actually. Not that it's a huge deal, but rarely do I laugh out loud while watching any sort of TV, much less a show that isn't outwardly a comedy such as our beloved OC. But yes indeed, I laughed out loud at the conclusion of the opening scene which saw Seth ask Ryan if he and Marissa are together and have Ryan answer that "we're taking it slow." Enter Sandy who explains that Marissa will be staying with the Cohens while Julile and Caleb go to Europe. "That'll help taking it slow," or something along those lines is how Seth responded. It was funny dammit.The other scenes that I found hilarious were the encounter between Ryan and Marissa at school trying to figure out if her being at the Cohens would make things awkward and again when Ryan walked in on Marrisa changing in the pool house when he was looking for Trey. Seth approached Ryan, finding it amusing and stated, "C'mon man, Trey's in the house...he's wearing a shirt." Maybe you had to see it, which I'm hoping you did.Other than that, all in all, a pretty solid episode, but not nearly enough Summer. The anticipated Ryan/Marissa reunion didn't actually happen....yet, but i'm guessing it will before the end of the season. Trey couldn't avoid trouble again, this time stealing the crystal ball from the movie "Risky Business" to help cover the security deposit for his apartment (Alex's old pad) that he's moving into. Ryan and Seth had to play superhero and go get it back. Watching Ryan begrudingly let Seth come along with him to retrieve said egg was a great scene when Ryan tosses the car keys at Cohen, and it was like Seth didn't even react to having something thrown at him. Like that kid you went to school with that never played sports.The bottom line here folks is that I realized how great it was to watch a new episode again after a week off. And (thankfully) The OC is new again next week. The Hangover will go on...
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
What the Brewers (administration) should do
Opening Day in the Brew City is just a few days off. I can't help but wonder how many people are calling in sick for work on Monday and planning on going to work on Tuesday with a hangover. The baseball operations department of the Brewers seems to be going out their jobs in a positive way, but the higher ups in the administration could probably still use some pointers.
While the team did draw over 2 million fans in attendance last year, Milwaukee is certainly not selling out Miller Park any more often than Opening Day and the Cubs series with any regularity. Here are just a few thoughts for some of the suits to consider:
Plug Miller Park as "The Keg." It's a great nickname for a stadium named after the best domestic brewery in the nation. (Take that St. Louis).
Offer beer specials. This one may be easier said than done because I'm not familiar with MLB policy, but if it isn't outlawed by Bud Selig, once again, it just makes sense for a park named after barley pop in the Brew City. What better way in the city of Milwaukee to put butts in the seats? Oh yeah, the team is also named after drinking beer as well.
Free parking in stadium lots after the first inning is over. A good way to reach out to the faithful showing up, albeit a tad late.
BrewersNation. See previous post. Go with it.
More bobble head nights. Apparently people show up in droves to get a bobble head. I realize there are only a handful of players left that warrant having their head bobbling that aren't already cannonized, but if Marquette can give away Dwyane Wade paraphanalia every year until probably the year 2025 (or until they have a solid team again, which ever comes first) then why not more Robin Yount and Gorman Thomas goodies?
General Admission nights in the Terrace level, or All U Care to Drink nights in the Terrace. Anything that can be offered to fans for the terrible sight lines in the upper deck would be much appreciated. Never sat in the Terrace before? I'll bet you a coke you have a rail in your sight line.
With that, I offer the suits at Miller Park some friendly advice. I'm expecting my email inbox to overflow with follow ups from big wigs with the Crew.
While the team did draw over 2 million fans in attendance last year, Milwaukee is certainly not selling out Miller Park any more often than Opening Day and the Cubs series with any regularity. Here are just a few thoughts for some of the suits to consider:
Plug Miller Park as "The Keg." It's a great nickname for a stadium named after the best domestic brewery in the nation. (Take that St. Louis).
Offer beer specials. This one may be easier said than done because I'm not familiar with MLB policy, but if it isn't outlawed by Bud Selig, once again, it just makes sense for a park named after barley pop in the Brew City. What better way in the city of Milwaukee to put butts in the seats? Oh yeah, the team is also named after drinking beer as well.
Free parking in stadium lots after the first inning is over. A good way to reach out to the faithful showing up, albeit a tad late.
BrewersNation. See previous post. Go with it.
More bobble head nights. Apparently people show up in droves to get a bobble head. I realize there are only a handful of players left that warrant having their head bobbling that aren't already cannonized, but if Marquette can give away Dwyane Wade paraphanalia every year until probably the year 2025 (or until they have a solid team again, which ever comes first) then why not more Robin Yount and Gorman Thomas goodies?
General Admission nights in the Terrace level, or All U Care to Drink nights in the Terrace. Anything that can be offered to fans for the terrible sight lines in the upper deck would be much appreciated. Never sat in the Terrace before? I'll bet you a coke you have a rail in your sight line.
With that, I offer the suits at Miller Park some friendly advice. I'm expecting my email inbox to overflow with follow ups from big wigs with the Crew.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Promising start....Here's hoping
Well Brewers' fans, the season has started about as good as anyone could have imagined. Ben Sheets looked tough (still), the team actually gave him adequate run support (finally), Jeff Cirillo had a career game (remember him?) and J.J. Hardy clearly established himself as the the N.L. front runner for Rookie of the Year. Ok, that last one may be a slight stretch, but on the same token, don't be surprised if it happens.
Once again BrewersNation (I just made that one up, and I'm thinking it's gonna stick) is hopeful that the Crew can snap it's streak of finishing below .500. This year there actually seems to be a tad more hope than usual, if being a Brewers fan has taught me anything over my lifetime, it's that you've got to savor every victory. Which is why I was so elated after Opening Day in Pittsburgh. Plus, Milwaukee has struggled greatly at PNC Park, so everything about it was a positive.
I want to get back on the topic of J.J. Hardy for just a little while longer. Hardy was known more for his defense in the minors than his bat, but nonetheless, it's exciting to finally have one of the "top prospects" BrewersNation has been touting for so long actually on the field at Miller Park. And even though J.J. isn't supposed to be anything overly special at the plate, he might wind up hitting .300, or even .280. That would be a big step up from the last few Brewers' SS, guys of the likes of Craig Counsell and "Rolls" Royce Clayton.
Bottom line, savor every victory and believe that The Crew can crack the .500 mark and climb out of the cellar this season. I just happen to be one of the believers.
Once again BrewersNation (I just made that one up, and I'm thinking it's gonna stick) is hopeful that the Crew can snap it's streak of finishing below .500. This year there actually seems to be a tad more hope than usual, if being a Brewers fan has taught me anything over my lifetime, it's that you've got to savor every victory. Which is why I was so elated after Opening Day in Pittsburgh. Plus, Milwaukee has struggled greatly at PNC Park, so everything about it was a positive.
I want to get back on the topic of J.J. Hardy for just a little while longer. Hardy was known more for his defense in the minors than his bat, but nonetheless, it's exciting to finally have one of the "top prospects" BrewersNation has been touting for so long actually on the field at Miller Park. And even though J.J. isn't supposed to be anything overly special at the plate, he might wind up hitting .300, or even .280. That would be a big step up from the last few Brewers' SS, guys of the likes of Craig Counsell and "Rolls" Royce Clayton.
Bottom line, savor every victory and believe that The Crew can crack the .500 mark and climb out of the cellar this season. I just happen to be one of the believers.
Monday, April 04, 2005
2005 National League Season Preview
AL East
1. Atlanta Braves (93-69)
2. Florida Marlins (92-70)
3. New York Mets (89-73)
4. Philadelphia Phillies (82-80)
5. Washington Nationals (75-87)
Do I think the Braves are the best team in this division? Not really, but you just can't pick against them. The Marlins still have great pitching, and improved their offense, and I have changed my initial reaction to the Mets and am now convinced they will be a force in the division.
The Phillies are fading fast and had a very short window of opportunity. Last year. If they finish as poorly, or worse than I predicted, they may move Jim Thome. He has a big contact and Ryan Howard is major league ready at AAA.
The Nationals have good pitching, but a questionable offense. Vinny Castilla is getting older, Nick Johnson has never lived up to his hype and Jose Guillen will get in a fight with Frank Robinson before the month is over. Other than that, they got some potential.
NL Central
1. Chicago Cubs (92-70)
2. St. Louis Cardinals (90-72)
3. Milwaukee Brewers (81-81)
4. Cincinnati Reds (80-82)
5. Houston Astro (77-85)
6. Pittsburgh Pirates (73-89)
When it all comes down to it, the Cubs have too much pitching to lose this division. I know Wood and Prior have already had some scares, but I don't think it will be anything to worry about. The offense is going to be fine, and will not miss Sammy Sosa or Moises Alou for one minute. Aramis Ramirez, Derek Lee, Corey Patterson and Jeromy Burnitz will provide enough offense to make up for the loss, and Nomar will have an MVP type season.
I like the Cardinals offseason moves, mainly adding Mulder, but I think they had a charmed season last year. Rolen finally clicked offensively and it seemed like every guy they threw out there made an impact. Those seasons come around once in a while, and you usually don't see them twice. Last year was thier chance and they blew it.
Yes I picked the Brewers to finish .500, and in third, and it wasn't just because I've been a Brewer fan since the age of 10. I've had the opportunity to closely follow this team for the last two years, and have seen huge strides taken. This team has far more talent than you would expect for a $40 million payroll and are coached extremely well. Ned Yost does a great job of motivating the guys and keeping the atmosphere lose, and Mike Maddux and Davey Nelson are argualby the two best coaches at their postion. The offense looks good, but the bullpen is a question.
A lot of people have the Reds as a darkhorse in this division, but I don't see it. Griffey won't stay healthy, Rich Aruilla's best days are behind him, same with Joe Randa, and they still don't have good enough pitching. Don't tell me Eric Milton, he can't carry a staff.
Wow, what happened to the Astros. Berkman is hurt, Kent and Beltran are gone, and Biggio and Bagwell are in the twilight of thier careers. Roger Clemens will wonder why he came back. Before the All-Star break.
The Pirates are builing a good club, just like the Brewers with a lot of young guys. Unlike the Brewers, they're doing it with pitching. Oliver Perez was best pitcher I got the chance to see last year, his stuff is just nasty and he keeps gettin better. They will be good, but not yet. Until then, expect Llyod McClendon to get tossed from a lot of games.
NL West
1. San Diego Padres (88-74)
2. San Francisco Giants (84-78)
3. Arizona Diamondbacks (82-80)
4. Los Angeles Dodgers (74-88)
5. Colorado Rockies (70-92)
The Padres win this division by default. They are a good team, but not good enough to win a division, not even good enough to win a wild card. They still have a good bullpen and rotation and now add a dimension of speed with Dave Roberts. Was Brian Giles really worth Jason Bay and Oliver Perez?
The Giants should win this division, but they're too old and we don't know how many games Bonds will play in this year, if he even plays at all. This is the last season you will see this Giants team, its time to rebuild.
Arizona could sneek up on some people. I love Brandon Webb, he is a guy who's been victimized by Ben Sheets' disease throughout his career. He pitches great, but gets no run support. Toss in Javier Vazquez, Russ Ortiz and Shawn Estes and you have yourself a good rotation. The offense has some bopers, but Craig Counsell and Royce Clayton are your first two hitters in your lineup? Looks like a lot of solo home runs.
The Dodgers...What is Paul DePodesta doing? Can we stop this whole "Moneyball" Thing. The A's are winning because they have good players, not some formula. I read the book, I heard the lunacies, but the bottom line is Eric Chavez, Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson, Durazo, Damon, Giambi, those guys were all good players. The things the Dodgers are doing here, and I know what it is, eliminating speed and steals for on base percentage and big hitters, it's just dumb. They went from a great defensive team to a bad one, and even worse they brought in sinker ball pitchers. So you want pitchers who will get ground balls when you have a bad defense?
The Rockies are bad. Just bad. Here's a thought, trade Todd Helton for some young pitching. You won't get sucess out of any free agent pitchers, because pitching in Coors is a mental thing now. You need a youngster who doesn't know anybetter and can be tought to use off speed pitches. Plus, you haven't won with Helton, so you might as well lose without him.
Wildcard: Florida Marlins
Playoffs: Marlins over Braves
Cubs over Padres
NLCS: Marlins over Cubs
World Series: Yankees over Marlins
MVP: Nomar Garciaparra
Cy Young: Ben Sheets
ROY: JJ Hardy (would have picked Garret Atkins but he's already starting the season on the DL)
First palyer traded: Willy Mo Pena
First Manager Fired: Jim Tracy
Don't be surprised if: The people in Florida remember they have a baseball team.
1. Atlanta Braves (93-69)
2. Florida Marlins (92-70)
3. New York Mets (89-73)
4. Philadelphia Phillies (82-80)
5. Washington Nationals (75-87)
Do I think the Braves are the best team in this division? Not really, but you just can't pick against them. The Marlins still have great pitching, and improved their offense, and I have changed my initial reaction to the Mets and am now convinced they will be a force in the division.
The Phillies are fading fast and had a very short window of opportunity. Last year. If they finish as poorly, or worse than I predicted, they may move Jim Thome. He has a big contact and Ryan Howard is major league ready at AAA.
The Nationals have good pitching, but a questionable offense. Vinny Castilla is getting older, Nick Johnson has never lived up to his hype and Jose Guillen will get in a fight with Frank Robinson before the month is over. Other than that, they got some potential.
NL Central
1. Chicago Cubs (92-70)
2. St. Louis Cardinals (90-72)
3. Milwaukee Brewers (81-81)
4. Cincinnati Reds (80-82)
5. Houston Astro (77-85)
6. Pittsburgh Pirates (73-89)
When it all comes down to it, the Cubs have too much pitching to lose this division. I know Wood and Prior have already had some scares, but I don't think it will be anything to worry about. The offense is going to be fine, and will not miss Sammy Sosa or Moises Alou for one minute. Aramis Ramirez, Derek Lee, Corey Patterson and Jeromy Burnitz will provide enough offense to make up for the loss, and Nomar will have an MVP type season.
I like the Cardinals offseason moves, mainly adding Mulder, but I think they had a charmed season last year. Rolen finally clicked offensively and it seemed like every guy they threw out there made an impact. Those seasons come around once in a while, and you usually don't see them twice. Last year was thier chance and they blew it.
Yes I picked the Brewers to finish .500, and in third, and it wasn't just because I've been a Brewer fan since the age of 10. I've had the opportunity to closely follow this team for the last two years, and have seen huge strides taken. This team has far more talent than you would expect for a $40 million payroll and are coached extremely well. Ned Yost does a great job of motivating the guys and keeping the atmosphere lose, and Mike Maddux and Davey Nelson are argualby the two best coaches at their postion. The offense looks good, but the bullpen is a question.
A lot of people have the Reds as a darkhorse in this division, but I don't see it. Griffey won't stay healthy, Rich Aruilla's best days are behind him, same with Joe Randa, and they still don't have good enough pitching. Don't tell me Eric Milton, he can't carry a staff.
Wow, what happened to the Astros. Berkman is hurt, Kent and Beltran are gone, and Biggio and Bagwell are in the twilight of thier careers. Roger Clemens will wonder why he came back. Before the All-Star break.
The Pirates are builing a good club, just like the Brewers with a lot of young guys. Unlike the Brewers, they're doing it with pitching. Oliver Perez was best pitcher I got the chance to see last year, his stuff is just nasty and he keeps gettin better. They will be good, but not yet. Until then, expect Llyod McClendon to get tossed from a lot of games.
NL West
1. San Diego Padres (88-74)
2. San Francisco Giants (84-78)
3. Arizona Diamondbacks (82-80)
4. Los Angeles Dodgers (74-88)
5. Colorado Rockies (70-92)
The Padres win this division by default. They are a good team, but not good enough to win a division, not even good enough to win a wild card. They still have a good bullpen and rotation and now add a dimension of speed with Dave Roberts. Was Brian Giles really worth Jason Bay and Oliver Perez?
The Giants should win this division, but they're too old and we don't know how many games Bonds will play in this year, if he even plays at all. This is the last season you will see this Giants team, its time to rebuild.
Arizona could sneek up on some people. I love Brandon Webb, he is a guy who's been victimized by Ben Sheets' disease throughout his career. He pitches great, but gets no run support. Toss in Javier Vazquez, Russ Ortiz and Shawn Estes and you have yourself a good rotation. The offense has some bopers, but Craig Counsell and Royce Clayton are your first two hitters in your lineup? Looks like a lot of solo home runs.
The Dodgers...What is Paul DePodesta doing? Can we stop this whole "Moneyball" Thing. The A's are winning because they have good players, not some formula. I read the book, I heard the lunacies, but the bottom line is Eric Chavez, Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson, Durazo, Damon, Giambi, those guys were all good players. The things the Dodgers are doing here, and I know what it is, eliminating speed and steals for on base percentage and big hitters, it's just dumb. They went from a great defensive team to a bad one, and even worse they brought in sinker ball pitchers. So you want pitchers who will get ground balls when you have a bad defense?
The Rockies are bad. Just bad. Here's a thought, trade Todd Helton for some young pitching. You won't get sucess out of any free agent pitchers, because pitching in Coors is a mental thing now. You need a youngster who doesn't know anybetter and can be tought to use off speed pitches. Plus, you haven't won with Helton, so you might as well lose without him.
Wildcard: Florida Marlins
Playoffs: Marlins over Braves
Cubs over Padres
NLCS: Marlins over Cubs
World Series: Yankees over Marlins
MVP: Nomar Garciaparra
Cy Young: Ben Sheets
ROY: JJ Hardy (would have picked Garret Atkins but he's already starting the season on the DL)
First palyer traded: Willy Mo Pena
First Manager Fired: Jim Tracy
Don't be surprised if: The people in Florida remember they have a baseball team.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)