The weekend is finally over. There are plenty of presents left under the tree and I am eagerly awaiting next year. Apart from the fact that the satellite link from the US kept going down and then the channel switched to NASCAR just before the Matt Roth pick, it's been a great 2 days.
It's a cliche but he really showed a Belichick-ness about his drafting - hard working football players, versatile guys, most with good pedigrees, and a couple of well thought out projects. There was no picking for picking's sake in the later rounds as we have seen occasionally in the past with Wannstedt and I have been extremely impressed with the UFA signings - both KayJay Harris and Josh Davis carried R3/4 grades in at least 2 publications and I fully expect Ben Wilkerson to sign.
There were no trade offers worthy of merit to shift down from the 2. Ronnie Brown was clearly the best back in the draft, especially for our system. You are looking at a 2000+ total yardage factor back. In fact I could see him have a Roger Craig type effect with 1000+ rushing and 1000+ receiving, matched only by the man who is compared to him, Ladanian Tomlinson. Tomlinson has better vision, but if you asked me whether I would use the 2nd pick on Tomlinson, I would bite your hand off. To my mind he is the best back in the NFL and when you hear people like Merrill Hoge, Peter King, Don Banks, Gil Brandt, etc eulogising about how great Ronnie can be, it makes you smile.
Matt Roth carried a late 1st round grade and was tremendous value. I'm sure Nick wanted to come out of this draft with a Mike Vrabel type player and he got one, but better. He can play end, he will play some DT in passing situations and he will play LB as he did for a couple of seasons at Iowa. I love this kid's intensity, I love the stories about pulling off Gallery's facemask and having to be held back even in the walkthrough to stop him hitting people and making a LT pass out in fear. He is going to good for our team and his 110% attitude, especially late in games is really going to impact his defensive mates.
Crowder was the #1 rated LB in the entire draft on a couple of boards and the #1 rated ILB on almost every one. To get him in R3 was a steal pure and simple. Yes he has had the off-field issues and yes he has the injuries, but if he can stay healthy, he can be a Pro Bowler at worst. He is intense, can play all along the LB spots, hits like a train and brings an intensity similar to Roth's. When Crowder hits you, you stay hit. Like Roth he has had some off-field issues, but are you really going to be a pain in the asss when you are playing alongside Junior Seau and Zach Thomas? I don't think so. He can come in and start straight away. He is the successor to Zach long term and if those knees stay healthy - he got clearances from 3 of the world's leading knee specialists - then we have a hell of a performer.
Travis Daniels was an obvious pick. Nick wanted Corey Webster in the worst way, but Daniels isn't a bad 2nd string. He is big, fast enough - 4.49 - and really smart. Plus he is very athletic, very instinctive and has tonnes of big game experience. Couple that with big hitting ability, then you are looking at a guy who will push for playing time from week 1. He knows the defensive system perfectly and whilst he'll start at CB, he could push for PT inside. Mel Kiper during Saturday's telecast called him a 2nd round player and he was a 3rd rounder on most boards. There were a couple of players on the board that I felt we could also have looked at - Elton Brown being one of them - but Brown's off field issues, coupled with a dramatic weight gain and some concern about his behaviour in Indianapolis forced him to drop. But CB is a need and a big, aggressive CB with long arms is Nick's MO and Travis fits it. Plus he's 10 times the player Randall Gay was and he had a tremendous year in NE.
Anthony Alabi is a player that Keith and I talked about pre-season as a nice project. The guy is ultra athletic, has long arms to keep defenders off him and in the upper body is as strong as an ox. Like he said in his post draft interview, he's a bit of a rough diamond, but Coach Houck spent a lot of time with him, working him out and eating with him, going through our schemes and breaking down film......he was the sort of guy where Nick said to him - you get a pick here, give us your best guy. Alabi was certainly that. I don't agree with the Wesley Britt fan club. Britt had a hairline fracture of his leg during Senior Bowl practices, the same bone that he has a permanent metal rod and screws inserted because of a previosu break. Durability issues, especially on a LT who lacks lower body strength is a real concern in the NFL against big, physical ends, especially with 310lbs on that leg. Alabi has real strong upside and will go straight into the mix to start. Again, there were players such as Antajj Hawthorne on the board, but Hawthorne's inconsistency, his lacsydasical nature, coupled with his utter stupidity meant that Saban steered away. As PFW said on rating Alabi at 11 for tackles :"Very athletic prospect with a great body and excellent potential." And again, this is a kid with a higher rating than the pick merited.
In the 7th round Kevin Vickerson is an interesting selection. A pass rushing DT who could play outside when we shift to the 3-4 at times during games, he started to scratch the surface of his skills last year with 5 sacks. He runs a 4.96 40 for a guy at 310lbs, which is very impressive. He is an intense player, a hard nosed guy who had a 4th round rating from 2 more senior ratings services, a 5th round rating from most and he himself had been told to expect to hear his name go in the 3/4 area. We worked him out and were one of three teams to show interest in the last days. You have to remember that this team will carry as many as 10 or even 11 defensive linemen. ALl of whom are versatile. That rotation of Taylor, David Bowens, Roth, Holliday, Carter, Tim Bowens, Chester, Zgonina, Romero, Vickerson, etc is going to be really key to us playing well in 2005. Again, look at the Pats DL rotation - Seymour, Jarvis Green, Traylor, Marquise Hill, Ty Warren, Wilfork, etc etc, you know that a big DL rotation is important because Nick will really be mixing the schemes up.
The UFA signings have been great to this point. KayJay Harris stands well above all of them. Harris carried a 3rd/4th round grade. He has some issues, but he's big, fast, athletic - 241 and runs in the 4.50 area at worst, breaks tackles, hits the hole hard, shows a 2nd gear and has good hands. A JUCO transfer he needs to get in the weight room and turn some fat to muscle, but he was excellent in the postseason workouts. He doesn't seem to have stayed on the field long enough to maximise his potential but the upside is huge. Having played baseball for 4 years he's older and this comment from an NFL exec is worrying :
"(West Virginia RB) Kay-Jay Harris is such a con artist I think he fools himself sometimes."
But he has clear talent. Was PFW's 153rd rated player. Plus Rick Spielman twice scouted him in person at West Virginia.
Josh Davis runs great routes and can get seperation. PFW had him as the 162nd rated player overall. He is a very fluid mover and whilst he won't beat you down the field deep, he will do the ugly stuff well. He needs to get stronger but Coach's weight room plan will immediately help.
Lionel Turner was one of Saban's favourite players and at times he can look really, really good. He needs to be more consistent, but was highly recruited and could be a good SLB back-up and ST maven. I am not a Brock Berlin fan. I suspect Ben Wilkerson will come in as well, which would be huge for this club and gives us some solid competition on the OL.
Overall, I think Miami's draft has been hugely succesful. 3 starters on day 1. Roth may not start but will play enough in the rotation to be classed as a starter. Brown will dominate and Crowder's upside is monumental. Alabi could be a real player in 2 years and Vickerson too will be in the rotation. Daniels will play early and often. Well done to Coach Saban and Rick Spielman, the coaches and the area scouts. Solid job.
It's no surprise that a number of organisations are giving our draft an A. I would say B+/A- and if the FA pickups continue in the same vein then A-/A. And remember, just because you haven't heard of guys like you have some of the others that got passed over, doesn't make them bad picks.
Hope you've all enjoyed it and here's to next year when you can expect the following players to be at the head of a lot of lists:
QB
Matt Leinart, Charlie Whitehurst, Omar Jacobs
TB
DeAngelo Williams, Wali Lundy, Reggie Bush, Laurence Maroney, Demetrius Summers
TE
Joe Newton, Mercedes Lewis
WR
Derek Hagan, Santonio Holmes, Todd Watkins, Clinton Soloman, Martin Nance
OL
D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Marcus McNeil, Max Jean-Giles, Eric Winston, Andy Whitworth, Jon Scott, Jeremy Trueblood, Daryn Colledge, Greg Eslinger, Mike Degory, Mike Jones, Justin Blaylock.
DL:
Rod Wright, Mathias Kiwanuka, Gabe Watson, SuperMario Williams, LaMarr Woodley.
LB:
Chad Greenaway, Ahmad Brooks, AJ Hawk, Ernie Sims, Omar Gaither.
DB:
Jason Allen, Mike Huff, Jimmy Williams, LaRon Landry, Antonio Cromartie, Charles Gordon.
Hope you enjoyed the Ask Boomer stuff and here's to the 2005 season and the 2006 draft.
Boom.
It's a cliche but he really showed a Belichick-ness about his drafting - hard working football players, versatile guys, most with good pedigrees, and a couple of well thought out projects. There was no picking for picking's sake in the later rounds as we have seen occasionally in the past with Wannstedt and I have been extremely impressed with the UFA signings - both KayJay Harris and Josh Davis carried R3/4 grades in at least 2 publications and I fully expect Ben Wilkerson to sign.
There were no trade offers worthy of merit to shift down from the 2. Ronnie Brown was clearly the best back in the draft, especially for our system. You are looking at a 2000+ total yardage factor back. In fact I could see him have a Roger Craig type effect with 1000+ rushing and 1000+ receiving, matched only by the man who is compared to him, Ladanian Tomlinson. Tomlinson has better vision, but if you asked me whether I would use the 2nd pick on Tomlinson, I would bite your hand off. To my mind he is the best back in the NFL and when you hear people like Merrill Hoge, Peter King, Don Banks, Gil Brandt, etc eulogising about how great Ronnie can be, it makes you smile.
Matt Roth carried a late 1st round grade and was tremendous value. I'm sure Nick wanted to come out of this draft with a Mike Vrabel type player and he got one, but better. He can play end, he will play some DT in passing situations and he will play LB as he did for a couple of seasons at Iowa. I love this kid's intensity, I love the stories about pulling off Gallery's facemask and having to be held back even in the walkthrough to stop him hitting people and making a LT pass out in fear. He is going to good for our team and his 110% attitude, especially late in games is really going to impact his defensive mates.
Crowder was the #1 rated LB in the entire draft on a couple of boards and the #1 rated ILB on almost every one. To get him in R3 was a steal pure and simple. Yes he has had the off-field issues and yes he has the injuries, but if he can stay healthy, he can be a Pro Bowler at worst. He is intense, can play all along the LB spots, hits like a train and brings an intensity similar to Roth's. When Crowder hits you, you stay hit. Like Roth he has had some off-field issues, but are you really going to be a pain in the asss when you are playing alongside Junior Seau and Zach Thomas? I don't think so. He can come in and start straight away. He is the successor to Zach long term and if those knees stay healthy - he got clearances from 3 of the world's leading knee specialists - then we have a hell of a performer.
Travis Daniels was an obvious pick. Nick wanted Corey Webster in the worst way, but Daniels isn't a bad 2nd string. He is big, fast enough - 4.49 - and really smart. Plus he is very athletic, very instinctive and has tonnes of big game experience. Couple that with big hitting ability, then you are looking at a guy who will push for playing time from week 1. He knows the defensive system perfectly and whilst he'll start at CB, he could push for PT inside. Mel Kiper during Saturday's telecast called him a 2nd round player and he was a 3rd rounder on most boards. There were a couple of players on the board that I felt we could also have looked at - Elton Brown being one of them - but Brown's off field issues, coupled with a dramatic weight gain and some concern about his behaviour in Indianapolis forced him to drop. But CB is a need and a big, aggressive CB with long arms is Nick's MO and Travis fits it. Plus he's 10 times the player Randall Gay was and he had a tremendous year in NE.
Anthony Alabi is a player that Keith and I talked about pre-season as a nice project. The guy is ultra athletic, has long arms to keep defenders off him and in the upper body is as strong as an ox. Like he said in his post draft interview, he's a bit of a rough diamond, but Coach Houck spent a lot of time with him, working him out and eating with him, going through our schemes and breaking down film......he was the sort of guy where Nick said to him - you get a pick here, give us your best guy. Alabi was certainly that. I don't agree with the Wesley Britt fan club. Britt had a hairline fracture of his leg during Senior Bowl practices, the same bone that he has a permanent metal rod and screws inserted because of a previosu break. Durability issues, especially on a LT who lacks lower body strength is a real concern in the NFL against big, physical ends, especially with 310lbs on that leg. Alabi has real strong upside and will go straight into the mix to start. Again, there were players such as Antajj Hawthorne on the board, but Hawthorne's inconsistency, his lacsydasical nature, coupled with his utter stupidity meant that Saban steered away. As PFW said on rating Alabi at 11 for tackles :"Very athletic prospect with a great body and excellent potential." And again, this is a kid with a higher rating than the pick merited.
In the 7th round Kevin Vickerson is an interesting selection. A pass rushing DT who could play outside when we shift to the 3-4 at times during games, he started to scratch the surface of his skills last year with 5 sacks. He runs a 4.96 40 for a guy at 310lbs, which is very impressive. He is an intense player, a hard nosed guy who had a 4th round rating from 2 more senior ratings services, a 5th round rating from most and he himself had been told to expect to hear his name go in the 3/4 area. We worked him out and were one of three teams to show interest in the last days. You have to remember that this team will carry as many as 10 or even 11 defensive linemen. ALl of whom are versatile. That rotation of Taylor, David Bowens, Roth, Holliday, Carter, Tim Bowens, Chester, Zgonina, Romero, Vickerson, etc is going to be really key to us playing well in 2005. Again, look at the Pats DL rotation - Seymour, Jarvis Green, Traylor, Marquise Hill, Ty Warren, Wilfork, etc etc, you know that a big DL rotation is important because Nick will really be mixing the schemes up.
The UFA signings have been great to this point. KayJay Harris stands well above all of them. Harris carried a 3rd/4th round grade. He has some issues, but he's big, fast, athletic - 241 and runs in the 4.50 area at worst, breaks tackles, hits the hole hard, shows a 2nd gear and has good hands. A JUCO transfer he needs to get in the weight room and turn some fat to muscle, but he was excellent in the postseason workouts. He doesn't seem to have stayed on the field long enough to maximise his potential but the upside is huge. Having played baseball for 4 years he's older and this comment from an NFL exec is worrying :
"(West Virginia RB) Kay-Jay Harris is such a con artist I think he fools himself sometimes."
But he has clear talent. Was PFW's 153rd rated player. Plus Rick Spielman twice scouted him in person at West Virginia.
Josh Davis runs great routes and can get seperation. PFW had him as the 162nd rated player overall. He is a very fluid mover and whilst he won't beat you down the field deep, he will do the ugly stuff well. He needs to get stronger but Coach's weight room plan will immediately help.
Lionel Turner was one of Saban's favourite players and at times he can look really, really good. He needs to be more consistent, but was highly recruited and could be a good SLB back-up and ST maven. I am not a Brock Berlin fan. I suspect Ben Wilkerson will come in as well, which would be huge for this club and gives us some solid competition on the OL.
Overall, I think Miami's draft has been hugely succesful. 3 starters on day 1. Roth may not start but will play enough in the rotation to be classed as a starter. Brown will dominate and Crowder's upside is monumental. Alabi could be a real player in 2 years and Vickerson too will be in the rotation. Daniels will play early and often. Well done to Coach Saban and Rick Spielman, the coaches and the area scouts. Solid job.
It's no surprise that a number of organisations are giving our draft an A. I would say B+/A- and if the FA pickups continue in the same vein then A-/A. And remember, just because you haven't heard of guys like you have some of the others that got passed over, doesn't make them bad picks.
Hope you've all enjoyed it and here's to next year when you can expect the following players to be at the head of a lot of lists:
QB
Matt Leinart, Charlie Whitehurst, Omar Jacobs
TB
DeAngelo Williams, Wali Lundy, Reggie Bush, Laurence Maroney, Demetrius Summers
TE
Joe Newton, Mercedes Lewis
WR
Derek Hagan, Santonio Holmes, Todd Watkins, Clinton Soloman, Martin Nance
OL
D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Marcus McNeil, Max Jean-Giles, Eric Winston, Andy Whitworth, Jon Scott, Jeremy Trueblood, Daryn Colledge, Greg Eslinger, Mike Degory, Mike Jones, Justin Blaylock.
DL:
Rod Wright, Mathias Kiwanuka, Gabe Watson, SuperMario Williams, LaMarr Woodley.
LB:
Chad Greenaway, Ahmad Brooks, AJ Hawk, Ernie Sims, Omar Gaither.
DB:
Jason Allen, Mike Huff, Jimmy Williams, LaRon Landry, Antonio Cromartie, Charles Gordon.
Hope you enjoyed the Ask Boomer stuff and here's to the 2005 season and the 2006 draft.
Boom.
