NFL Draft Countdown - The Wright Stuff NFL Draft Blog

August 31st, 2007
• Well last night was our first real taste of college football and while it was great to start a new season we need to temper our enthusiasm for some of the players and their performances. Sure Brian Brohm threw for 375 yards and 4 TD's in just over a half but he did it against Murray St. by throwing to receivers who didn't have anyone within ten yards of them. That's not to say Brohm isn't a terrific player because he is and he just might be the #1 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, but racking up big numbers by abusing an undermatched team from the Ohio Valley Conference doesn't convince me one way or another. Rutgers junior wideout Tiquan Underwood was phenomenal with 10 catches for 248 yards and 2 TD's and if the Scarlet Knights can find a passing game they are going to be tough to beat, but I have a hard time believing they'll be able to throw the ball like that when they play West Virginia as easily as they did against Buffalo. And those are just a couple of examples from last night's action. The bottom line is that while it was fun to see games that actually counted it's very difficult to take much if anything meaningful away from a Top 25 team beating up on an inferior opponent so even though it was obviously impressive to see Louisville score 73 points it is important to keep everything in proper perspective and remember who they did it against.
August 30th, 2007
• Football is back tonight! And not just this preseason stuff but games that actually count! We'll have to wait another week for real NFL games but the college season kicks off tonight and while there won't be any games on level with Ohio St. / Michigan there is still plenty for hard-core fans and draftniks to get excited about. The obvious must-watch game is #2 L.S.U. vs. Mississippi St. and if you are looking for the most bang for your buck in terms of pro prospects that's your best bet. The other game I'll be watching split-screen is Louisville's, which will be the first opportunity to really start analyzing and picking apart Brian Brohm. Since they are playing Murray St. (i.e. a cupcake) Brohm should be in for a big night, although if it's a blowout as expected he probably won't play the whole game. Then tomorrow we have Washington at Syracuse on the slate before a full day of college football fun on Saturday. I can't wait for kickoff! You gotta love this time of the year.
August 29th, 2007
• Today Miami (FL) named Kirby Freeman their starting quarterback, which leaves the college and pro future of Kyle Wright up in the air. The #1 quarterback and 5th best player overall in the nation coming out of high school according to Rivals.com, Wright has failed to live up to those lofty expectations during his time in Coral Gables and this latest setback certainly won't help him come Draft Day. There is still a lot to like about Wright though and he might actually be one of those guys who winds up being a better pro than college player. Physically Wright appears to be the prototype, with good size (6-4, 225), a very strong arm and above average mobility but he is still not fully recovered from a knee injury suffered last year and that is said to have contributed to his inability to win the starting job. For all of the criticism that has been directed at him, much of which was deserved, Wright hasn't been quite as bad as you'd think, at least statistically, with nearly a 60% completion percentage and a 26/17 TD/INT ratio for his career. This is by no means the end of the line for Wright and for all we know he could be back under center for the Hurricanes by the second game but for now it's certainly one more obstacle he'll have to overcome. Even if Wright is never able to win that starting job back I still think he's a draftable prospect based on potential alone and I'd sure be willing to take a flyer on him in the late rounds as a developmental guy. Keep an eye on him as a sleeper.
August 28th, 2007
• As I've mentioned before I fully expect Hawaii QB Colt Brennan to be one of the most controversial prospects available for the 2008 NFL Draft and while there will be plenty of time between now and next April to debate his merits as a pro prospect it finally hit me today who he reminds me of: Philip Rivers. Now they aren't exact matches because Brennan has some questions about his bulk and an off-the-field issue that Rivers didn't coming out but other than that the two are pretty similar. In terms of strengths both put up huge numbers in pass-happy offenses while displaying outstanding accuracy and the ability to run through their progressions. On the other side of the coin they both have awkward deliveries and may not have the strongest arms in the world. Obviously that is merely a quick and superficial look at the comparison and I'll probably explore it in a more in-depth fashion over the next eight months or so but at first blush it sure seems to fit. Now will Brennan ultimately match Rivers when it comes to draft position and wind up being a Top 5 pick? That's hard to say but it's at least a possibility, although he could probably just as easily fall out of round one too. Remember, even on Draft Day '04 the general consensus was that Rivers wasn't the 4th best player available, it just so happened that the San Diego brain trust fell in love with him while coaching his squad at the Senior Bowl and when Eli Manning forced their hand by saying he didn't want to play for them the Chargers merely went to Plan B. In fact, you could argue that San Diego may have been the only team who had Rivers rated as the #2 signal caller that year and had Manning gone to the Chargers the Giants were probably going to take Ben Roethlisberger at #4 overall and Rivers may have fallen to Pittsburgh at #11 or maybe even further. It might take a Rivers-esque showing in Mobile for Brennan to debunk some of those questions about him and to get up into that rarified Top 10 air but I know I am really looking forward to evaluating him throughout the draft process. Thoughts on Brennan? Click Here to discuss him and others on the message boards.
August 27th, 2007
• Another day and another prospect arrested. This is starting to get ridiculous! Arkansas DT Marcus Harrison is the latest to get some ink on the police blotter after he was arrested on a felony drug charge and several misdemeanors when police found marijuana and Ecstasy in his vehicle during a traffic stop. Harrison has been suspended from the football team indefinitely. Needless to say his college career is in serious jeopardy and may very well be over. Before suffering a torn ACL in spring practice Harrison was being looked at as one of the top senior defensive tackles in the nation and was a possible first round pick but now with all of the uncertainly surrounding him (health / character) he will probably be in for a Draft Day freefall.
August 24th, 2007
• The new college football season can't start soon enough because I'm already getting real tired of talking about the legal problems of prospects. Gosder Cherilus and DeJuan Tribble of Boston College are the latest to have a run-in with the law as they were recently charged with one count of assault and battery and one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after an altercation at a Boston sports bar in which a 28-year-old man suffered a broken neck and other injuries. Both players are expected to plead not guilty when they're arraigned on October 1st and according to their attorney they were just "in the wrong place at the wrong time," How original. Cherilus and Tribble are potential Day One picks and even though we'll obviously have to let the legal process play itself out you can bet that most teams will now have a star next to their name for character concerns next April, regardless of the outcome.
August 23rd, 2007
• For those who haven't noticed I tweaked the mock draft today, changing about ten picks to one extent or another while also adding and removing some underclassmen. I'm often asked how I decide which underclassmen to include in my mocks and that's really a tricky issue when doing them this early in the process. Basically using too few or too many of the young guys will make the mock unrealistic and even though I have no delusions of nailing 32 of 32 in August I always aim to get as close as possible in terms of slotting the right players in the right areas of round one. As a general rule of thumb I try to include ten underclassmen in these early first round mocks, which means that for every one I add one has to get dropped. I also rely on conversations that I have with sources because there are certain players who are already actively looking into agents and, barring something unforeseen, getting ready to make the leap such as DeSean Jackson and Calais Campbell, making them no-brainers for inclusion. So that's how I do it. Enjoy the mock.
August 22nd, 2007
• The 2008 NFL Draft might have lost another very good prospect with Oregon St. wideout Sammie Stroughter taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team due to personal issues. According to reports Stroughter has been having a hard time dealing with the deaths of several people who were close to him, including two family members and a former assistant coach. A potential Day One pick who is a bit of a big school sleeper, Stroughter burst onto the scene in 2006 and quietly emerged as one of the best receivers (as well as punt returners) in the Pac-10. For all we know Stroughter could come back relatively soon or he could sit out the whole season but he does have a redshirt year available to him. Whether or not Stroughter will be a part of the 2008 NFL Draft is a situation that will bear watching but hopefully he will be able to take care of his issues off the field so he can get back to performing on it. Best of luck to Sammie.
August 21st, 2007
• It's beginning to look as if reports of the demise of Nebraska cornerback Zack Bowman's draft stock may have been greatly exaggerated after all. For those who aren't familiar with his story Bowman was a highly-touted JUCO prospect who arrived at Nebraska in 2005 where he eventually took over the starting job late in the season. Big things were expected from Bowman the next year but unfortunately he tore the ACL in his left knee during fall practice and did not play in 2006. Despite missing the entire year Bowman still gave strong consideration to going the Antonio Cromartie route and entering the 2007 NFL Draft, where most felt he would have been a Day One pick with the potential to move up if his workouts were as strong as expected. Ultimately Bowman went back to Lincoln for one more year and the injury bug bit again as he ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee during spring practice. Needless to say this latest injury left his status for both the season and the draft very much up in the air but there was recently some positive news as Samuel McKewon of Nebraska.Statepaper.com is reporting that Bowman has returned to practice and could be ready to play as early as the Huskers opener versus Nevada on September 1. If not for his most recent injury Bowman not only would have been the consensus top senior cornerback prospect in the country heading into the '07 season but talk of the Top 10 overall would have been out there. While most bumped him way down their draft boards when word of his latest setback hit the papers I kept him relatively high in my rankings (#4 CB and #36 Overall) and it looks like that was the right move. Obviously there are still a lot of unknowns with Bowman considering he has only played 11 total games at the Division I level and is coming back from some serious injuries but there is no doubt that the potential is now there for him to reemerge as a first round pick. Here's hoping Zack can make it all the way back from these injuries and have a good 2007 season because he is obviously due a little good luck.
August 20th, 2007
• The season hasn't even begun yet but it's time to fire up that prospect police blotter. Alabama defensive back Simeon Castille was recently arrested on a disorderly conduct charge. Details of the incident have not yet been released and obviously everyone is innocent until proven guilty but this is not a good situation for someone who has a potential pro career on the line to be in. Castille isn't an elite prospect by any means but he looks (looked?) like a solid mid-round type and could project to either safety or cornerback. How this will affect Castille's draft stock remains to be seen but it certainly won't help and regardless of how the case is ultimately resolved every team in the league will now have a character flag next to his name next April. Castille isn't the first prospect to get in trouble with the law and he won't be the last but that does not excuse it and at the very least he probably put himself in a bad situation.
August 19th, 2007
• The football season is about to start which means it's time for fantasy football again and I am actually in three leagues this year, two of which I've been in for a long time. The one I just joined has a bunch of buddies from college in it so you know there will be a ton of good-natured trash talking but the best part of it is we draft from scratch every year. My other two teams are in keeper leagues so I haven't had a chance at the full pool of players for about five years now and I was pretty psyched for the draft, which was yesterday. Here are some highlights: * I lucked out and drew the #1 pick (Thanks Kory!) so LaDainian Tomlinson was a no-brainer. It's great to get that top pick but it can be both a blessing and a curse because after that I had to watch 18 players go off the board before I got to choose again. I'll take it though. * Next up I had #20 and #21 which I used on Clinton Portis and Brandon Jacobs, who both obviously have some question marks but were the best running backs available at that point. Later in the draft I was able to handcuff Ladell Betts so regardless of what happens in Washington I'll have their starting running back and I feel pretty good about that. As for Jacobs, I think he is in store for big things and since he has averaged 8 touchdowns a year as a backup I figured he'll be good for at least that as the starter and he has a huge upside. * With my next choice I landed Marc Bulger to be my quarterback and even though he isn't flashy I feel like he's as good of a fantasy quarterback as anyone not named Peyton or Carson. * Since I went for running backs with my first three picks I had to sacrifice somewhere and that was at wide receiver, where I think I will be okay but am not totally satisfied. My top guy is Donald Driver, who is solid even if he doesn't match the numbers he put up last year. I also took a risk on Santana Moss in hopes that he can bounce back and play like he did back in 2005, when he was one of the top wideouts in fantasy football. To hedge my bets with Moss I also grabbed Chris Chambers. At tight end I landed Chris Cooley, who I think is a rising young star at the position. I may have to make a deal for a receiver at some point though. For some reason I ended up with a lot of Redskins (four total, even though I think Portis and Betts basically count as one) so I'll have a little extra interest in their games this year but that certainly wasn't by design. I won't bore you with all the details of my bench but it was definitely fun to do a fresh draft again and I am real happy with the roster I put together. As the guy who can't pronounce T.J. Houshmandzadeh's name in the commercial says: "Championship!" P.S. Every draft has one glaringly bad selection and this year's was Dominic Rhodes. How can you choose a backup running back who will have to work behind the worst offensive line in the league and will also be suspended for the first four games? And LaMont Jordan was still available! Worst pick ever. Nice one "C.W."!
August 18th, 2007
• In football everything always comes back around to the quarterbacks because that is the glory position so I thought I'd take a quick look at some of the battles going on around the league (in alphabetical order) and how I think they'll eventually shake out. * Cleveland Browns - Brady Quinn's holdout set him back in this race but neither Charlie Frye nor Derek Anderson lit the world on fire in his absence and it's really only a matter of time until the rookie takes the reigns. Frye will probably be the guy to start the season but Quinn will be running with the ones by mid-year at the latest. * Jacksonville Jaguars - Byron Leftwich is the guy here but he is in the last year of his contract and might not have a future with the team so when you combine that with his frosty relationship with Jack Del Rio I could definitely see David Garrard and/or Quinn Gray getting a chance at some point. However, as long as he isn't losing games for them and the Jags are in contention they probably have to stick with Leftwich. * Kansas City Chiefs - This one is a bit of a mess. Granted Damon Huard played admirably when forced into action last year but let's not kid ourselves because he is a career backup and journeyman (at best). The team wants Brodie Croyle to win the job but for every good play he makes there are two bad ones, although those are the growing pains you have to live with when you're talking about a young quarterback. It's basically a toss-up between the two right now and I don't know which way it will go but if I were to guess I'd say they go with Huard to start the season and make the move to Croyle before the end of September. * Miami Dolphins - This isn't a huge battle because I think Trent Green has a tight grip on the job, despite the team's confessions of love for the immortal Cleo Lemon. I don't think Miami is going to be very good this year though and Green is coming back from a serious injury so I wouldn't be shocked to see Lemon or rookie John Beck take a few snaps at some point. * Minnesota Vikings - There is no doubt that this is Tarvaris Jackson's job to lose but he might be doing just that. Jackson is still the future but he has been so bad in camp, throwing interceptions at an alarming rate, that I wouldn't be shocked if Brooks Bollinger started Week One. Ultimately Jackson is the guy they will go with though. * Oakland Raiders - Whoever wins this job may actually be the loser because that means they'll have to take snaps behind that offensive line! I don't really expect the guys up front to be as bad as they were last year, where scheme contributed greatly to their horrendous play, but whoever is under center is still going to take a beating. With JaMarcus Russell's holdout lingering on I don't see him playing until very late in the year, if at all, so Daunte Culpepper will likely get the call if he's healthy with Josh McCown and Andrew Walter behind him. * Tampa Bay Buccaneers - It looked liked Chris Simms might be in the mix here but he's still not healthy and this job belongs to Jeff Garcia for the foreseeable future. In fact, Simms probably isn't even the favorite for the backup job with Jon Gruden favorites Luke McCown and Bruce Gradkowski battling it out for that spot.
August 17th, 2007
• Just a few days ago I wrote about the unbelievable cache of talented players that the USC Trojans had accumulated and now it looks like they might in fact have too much of a good thing. Perhaps no position personified the Trojans recruiting dominance in recent years like running back, where Pete Carroll collected an amazing seven running backs who were rated as four star guys or higher by Rivals.com in the classes of 2006 and 2007 alone. With ten players competing for a finite amount of carries and playing time it was only a matter of time until some of these former high school stars got frustrated and started leaving the program and Emmanuel Moody became the first yesterday. It's being rumored that Oklahoma St. or another school closer to his home state of Texas could be an ultimate destination for Moody, who ran for 458 yards on 79 carries as a true freshman, but regardless of where he goes he'll have three years of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2007 season as a transfer. Moody was the first to leave but he certainly won't be the last and if true freshman Joe McKnight and Marc Tyler live up to their prep press clippings the top two spots on the Southern Cal depth chart could be locked up for the next 3-4 years. From Carroll's perspective I guess it's never a bad thing to have too many great players but you have to wonder why 2-3 of these guys keep signing on with USC year after year knowing how hard it's going to be to get on the field. Now obviously there is something to be said for not being afraid of competition and wanting to go where you feel most comfortable but at the same time these elite recruits are holding onto a potential lottery ticket and with no shortage of top schools courting them you'd think they would want to go play for a program where they'd not only get a great education but also have the best chance of getting to the next level. Maybe it's just me but if I were in their position I would be trying to find the best balance of athletics, academic and opportunity. Obviously things can work out differently, such is the case with McKnight who figures to be a major cog in the powerful Trojan offense right away, but his emergence also pushes C.J. Gable, Stafon Johnson, Allen Bradford, etc. even further down that loaded depth chart. Now these once budding superstars with the opportunity of a lifetime in front of them are fighting for mop up duty, are in line for position changes or, like Moody, looking for new programs. What a waste.
August 16th, 2007
• It's time for a rookie salary scale. JaMarcus Russell is now the only unsigned draft pick but my reasons for saying that the NFL needs to install a rookie salary cap have very little to do with getting these guys to camp on time. It would obviously be nice to eliminate the chance that these draft picks will report late, fall behind and perhaps jeopardize their careers by holding out but ultimately most guys get their deals done in plenty of time and it isn't a huge factor for the vast majority. So if holdouts aren't the issue then why do we need to see a cap implemented? Because rookie contracts have now become so ridiculous that it's likely JaMarcus Russell will get more guaranteed money in his deal than guys like Peyton Manning and LaDainian Tomlinson despite never having played a down in the league. Now don't get me wrong because I am definitely not one of these people who think that athletes are overpaid because the way I see it the money is there and I'd rather see it going to the players rather than into the pockets of billionaire owners. However, let's get the money to the guys who have earned it. I don't see why the Player's Association would choose to fight this issue too much because the players would still be getting the money, it would just be going to guys who have already proven themselves to be among the best of the best and if the top draft picks live up to their advance billing they will eventually get paid. A few years back the NBA put in a salary structure that dictated the dollar amounts and years of rookie contracts and it has been a huge success, eliminating nasty holdouts and giving teams a bit of insurance in case their choices don't pan out while stilling making sure the players will be very rich young men even if they were to never sign another pro contract. If you ask me that is a win / win for both sides. One final added bonus to this plan is it would take things such as Brady Quinn's extended contract negotations (a.k.a. Our Long National Nightmare) out of the headlines and put the spotlight on the field, where it belongs this time of year. I think it's only a matter of time until we see something like this put into place and what's eventually going to be the tipping point is Pro Bowl veterans going to their union and asking why unproven mid-1st rounders are getting paid more than they are. Now that's a tough question to find a good answer for and the reason is there just isn't one. Get it done guys!
August 15th, 2007
• The season hasn't even started yet but I might owe Titans RB Chris Henry an apology. As anyone who follows this site knows I was one of Henry's biggest critics throughout the draft process, labeling him "overrated" and a "workout warrior". Granted his combination of size (5-11, 230) and speed (4.40) were extremely impressive but I just couldn't get past his lack of production at the college level ( a total of 892 yards and 3.3 avg. for his career ) and felt he was a major reach in the 2nd round. Now I'm not afraid to admit when I am wrong because I feel like more often than not I'm right and this could be an instance where I'll have to eat my words. Granted it was only a preseason game but when I watched the Titans play Washington last week Henry appeared to be on a whole other level than Chris Brown or LenDale White, running hard and showing terrific explosion and power. Henry obviously has the physical tools to be successful and with nobody proven in front of him on the depth chart it looks like he will get every opportunity to make a major impact as a rookie. In the NFL the situation you go into often plays just as big of a role as talent and for Henry the stars sure seem to be aligning. I may just be guilty of reading way too much into one preseason performance but I really liked what I saw from Henry and based on that small sample I guess I'd be surprised if he wasn't starting for the Titans sooner rather than later.
August 14th, 2007
• Merry Maddenoliday! That's right, it's that time of the year and with the Madden '08 video game releasing today you can bet there will be a lot of people calling into work sick. The release of this game has become a phenomenon of unbelievable proportions and I am one of those fanatics who have to have the game as soon as it comes out. Now I'm not an avid gamer by any means and my lack of skills with the sticks reflects that but there's just something about the release days of NCAA and Madden that gets the blood flowing. In fact as I am typing this the game is sitting in front of me waiting to be opened and popped into the console so this is all you get for a blog entry today. If you have the game enjoy it and if not what are you waiting for? It's time to fire the Xbox 360 up!
August 13th, 2007
• Right now just about everyone and their mother has USC as the preseason #1 team in the country and they are a big favorite to win it all this year but just how good are they? Could this be a historically great team like new Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh has suggested? Quite possibly. In terms of sheer talent nobody is on the same level as the Trojans right now, in large part because guys like Sam Baker, Keith Rivers, Sedrick Ellis, Lawrence Jackson, Terrell Thomas, Fred Davis and John David Booty all opted to go back to school for their senior years rather than leaving early for the NFL. So right off the bat you have an experience group of veterans and that usually bodes well for teams, regardless of whether you are talking high school, college or professional football. What really has set Southern Cal apart from the pack though is their youngsters and after 3-4 years of stockpiling elite prospects and #1 recruiting classes the Trojans are absolutely loaded at every level of their depth chart. Guys like Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, Patrick Turner, Fili Moala, Taylor Mays, and Joe McKnight are the next wave of future All-Americans and top draft picks that Pete Carroll has coming down the pipe and I literally could have tacked on another 15 names to that list. In my experience the only team that could give USC a run for their money when it comes to talent and depth is the Miami Hurricanes from the Butch Davis days and I think we all know how well they did both on the field as well as on Draft Day. In short, USC absolutely has the tools to be special. So are the Trojans a lock to win it all this year? Absolutely not. They should be the heavy favorites that they are though and if they don't run the table it won't be because whoever beat them had better players. The 2007 NFL Draft was relatively quiet for USC but enjoy it while it lasted because there is about to be a pretty long stretch where we hear the names of Trojans called early and often.
August 12th, 2007
• They are dropping like flies! Everyone knows that injuries are part of the game and last year we saw top prospects like Michael Bush and Anthony Waters miss most of their senior campaigns with ailments that ultimately affected their draft stock and even though the season has not even begun yet we've already lost a few prospects for the year. The latest addition to the list is Pittsburgh WR Derek Kinder, who tore his ACL in practice and will have to sit out the entire 2007 season. Kinder joins Boston College LB Brian Toal (shoulder) and North Carolina St. TE Anthony Hill, who will also not see any action this year. Luckily all three players still have a redshirt year available to them and it would be in their best interests to take advantage of it. For the time being all three players are still in my rankings but once an official decision on their status is made I will pull them out. Here's hoping that this was the last of these types of serious injuries!
August 11th, 2007
• According to ESPN.com the mother of Arkansas RB Darren McFadden is quoted as saying that her son plans to leave school after his junior season and enter the 2008 NFL Draft. "He told me [Friday], 'Mom, I'll be through in December,'" Mini Muhammed said. "I said, 'What you mean?' He said, 'I'll be through.' That's what he told me." Asked if that meant her son would be entering the draft and joining the NFL, Muhammed said, "Yeah. He'll be making big money." This really isn't shocking news because McFadden is one of the leading contenders to go #1 overall should he bolt early but it was a mild surprise to see it made public so early. Also, this potentially opens McFadden up to a lot of criticism and should he or his team struggle this year fans will likely point to their star running back having one eye on a big pro payday as the main culprit. Obviously a lot can happen between now and the underclassmen deadline in January (i.e. injuries, poor season, etc.) but barring something unforeseen it sure seems like we can begin planning on McFadden being a part of the Class of '08. A big part. Just for fun here is the pic of "D-Mac" and his car that's been making the rounds:
August 10th, 2007
• Larry Johnson is scheduled to earn $1.7 million in 2007 as part of his rookie deal and is holding out for a new contract, preferably something along the lines of the $60 million pact that LaDainian Tomlinson received a few years ago. This is a pretty tricky situation and I can honestly see some valid arguments for both sides. In terms of production Johnson has not only been one of the best running backs in the league the past couple of years but probably one of the best players overall, regardless of position, so from that perspective he probably is being underpaid. Also, Johnson registered an NFL-record 416 carries last year and it should be noted that the last guy who set that record, Jamal Anderson of the Atlanta Falcons in 1998, was never the same afterwards and his body basically fell apart after getting such a heavy workload. Knowing this is his last chance to get a huge payday I can't really blame Johnson for wanting to get that new deal signed before he goes in for another season of 400+ carries behind a now suspect offensive line. However, his first two years in the league Johnson saw very little action, carrying the ball just 140 times combined in 2003 and 2004 including a mere 20 rushing attempts as a rookie, so even though you can make the case that Johnson has been overused recently the Chiefs certainly didn't get their money's worth early in his career so maybe it all equals out. With all of that in mind part of me says that he signed the contract and needs to get in camp and honor it, but on the other hand if I were in his situation I'd probably be doing the same thing considering how the team has been using him and the short shelf life of running backs. Ultimately I think Johnson will report to camp but I honestly don't know whether or not he'll get the deal he is looking for from the Chiefs. There were already trade rumors involving Johnson this past offseason and if this dispute carries on I could definitely see him getting dealt. The Chiefs offense is basically in rebuilding mold and Johnson is about the only legitimate weapon they have so they had better get him in soon or their season could be over before it begins.
August 9th, 2007
• Only two first round picks remain unsigned and one of them just happens to be #1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell, with the other being Darrelle Revis of the Jets. So how will this extended holdout, with no end in sight, affect Russell and the Raiders both short-term and long-term? For Russell this could wind up being a blessing in disguise because even though missing so much of his first training camp could essentially eliminate any chance he had of starting as a rookie that might be the best course for him anyway. For all of his physical tools most seem to agree that JaMarcus isn't ready to step in and start as a rookie so he couldn't really afford to miss any practices, let alone almost half of training camp and counting, and still hope to see the field much in 2007. Also, because Russell has been M.I.A. Oakland saw fit to go out and sign Daunte Culpepper so with both him and Josh McCown in the fold there is even less urgency on the Raiders part to force the future of the franchise onto the field before he's ready. My best guess is that Russell will indeed see the field and might even start at some point but that won't be until very late in the season now, which is great for him as he'll get to sit and learn without much pressure while avoiding the pounding that whoever Oakland's quarterback is going to take behind that awful offensive line. From the Raiders side of things this is just another classic example of why they've become the laughing stock of the league. Whereas most teams in recent years have had the #1 pick signed in plenty of time for camp, some even before the draft, Oakland has let the negotiations get out of control and if the media reports are accurate the two sides are still very far apart. As I said it's probably in the best interests of everyone involved for Russell to ride the pine as a rookie anyway but this still reflects very poorly on the franchise and even if he isn't going to start right away Russell is still missing valuable developmental time. With ticket sales lagging you also have to wonder if the Raiders will feel pressure to get Russell in the lineup sooner rather than later and if that's the case every day of camp that he misses will only increase his level of unpreparedness when / if he's forced into the lineup. Oakland has to be extremely careful with how they bring Russell along because he is the ultimate boom or bust prospect and regardless of whether he was going to play as a rookie or not this doesn't bode well. All in all the Raiders are going to be the big loser in this situation because eventually Russell is going to get paid his $30+ million of guaranteed money but Oakland is already putting that investment at great peril. And then people wonder why many are picking Oakland to be the worst team in the league this year again.
August 8th, 2007
• Without question one of the biggest stories of the offseason was the Michael Vick dog fighting fiasco and I figured I'd check in with some of my thoughts. Obviously this story has many angles but first and foremost let me say that if even half of the things alleged in the indictment against Vick turn out to be true I hope he not only never plays in the NFL again but that he is given the maximum sentence possible. Reading through that list of accusations just makes your stomach turn. The big question is will Vick ever play for Atlanta again and I think the answer is no, regardless of whether he's convicted or not. This has become such a high-profile and polarizing issue that it would be nearly impossible for them to bring him back into the fold, especially when you consider he's likely burned a lot of bridges with owner Arthur Blank. Heck, if he's found guilty Michael Vick might never play in the NFL again, let alone for the Falcons. I think another huge factor here is that you really have to question Atlanta's decision to trade Matt Schaub to Houston prior to the draft this year. Granted they did get a couple of 2nd round picks for a relatively unproven player and had they not made the deal the Falcons probably would have lost him and received no compensation in return next offseason but that seems like a small price to pay for the kind of insurance he would have offered. It's not like Vick didn't already have some off-the-field issues and concerns before this dog fighting case (see the video below for a good laugh) but from a pure football perspective he was a risk. I went on the record months ago as saying that I didn't think Vick would be a very good fit in Bobby Petrino's offense (probably a moot point now) and it's not like he was Peyton Manning or Tom Brady beforehand. For all of the excitement and flash he brings to a game the bottom line is that Vick was/is a middle of the pack signal caller in the NFL. Hindsight is always 20/20 so it's easy to rip Atlanta for dealing Schaub now knowing what we know but the warning signs were there and I think they took a big risk in letting him get away and now it looks like the decision is going to blow up in their faces. You can bet it's going to cost them a whole lot more than the two 2nd round picks they got for Schaub to land another top young quarterback next offseason! So where does this leave Atlanta on the quarterback front? Obviously Joey Harrington isn't the answer so if I'm right in my assumption that the Mike Vick era (error?) is over then they will be in the market for a signal caller in the very near future. The obvious solution would be to draft Brian Brohm, who played for Petrino at Louisville and knows his system, but the problem there is Brohm looks like a Top 3-5 overall pick and Atlanta might win just enough games to put them out of that range. They could of course try to trade up for him and they do still have an extra second rounder from the Schaub deal but would a pick in the 10-15 area along with two 2nd's be enough to get them Brohm? I highly doubt it. Luckily for the Falcons this is a great crop of senior quarterbacks and even if they miss out on Brohm they could target Kentucky's Andre' Woodson, Michigan's Chad Henne or Hawaii's Colt Brennan. Needless to say I would be pretty surprised if they didn't take a quarterback with their first pick of the 2008 NFL Draft. At the end of this sad story nobody comes out winners and there is plenty of blame to go around for this mess, from Vick for putting himself in this position (guilty or not) to the Falcons for sticking their heads in the sand and enabling Vick to get away with a lot of stuff over the years. It will likely be a while before we know what Vick's future will be (although the Feds 90% conviction rate doesn't bode well for him) but from the Falcons perspective the best course of action in my opinion would be to cut ties as soon as possible and move on.
August 7th, 2007
• With another season of pro and college football just a matter of weeks away you've no doubt seen your newsstands littered with preview magazines lately, from Lindy's to Athlon's to Street and Smith's and so on. I actually buy every one I can get my hands on because in my business information is power and even though a lot of the stuff in them is repetitive for me you never know when that one little nugget of intel can make a difference. Needless to say I am doing a lot of reading these days! I'm often asked which of these preview magazines I like the best so here it goes: Now keep in mind that I'm not the type who prefers the flash and I'd much rather get the in-depth information, even if it comes at the expense of some glossy photos and fluff articles on the top two or three players in the nation. With that being the case my two favorites are Phil Steele's College Football Preview (http://www.philsteele.com/) and the Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook (http://www.blueribbonyearbook.com). These are both massive books, each checking in at 300+ pages, and they bring you nothing but thorough, comprehensive and exhaustive detail on every team out there. These publications aren't really for the casual fan but if you want to know all about Wyoming and Central Michigan as much as you do Notre Dame and USC then these are right up your alley. Sorry if that came off as sounding like a paid advertisement but I assure you I have no vested interest here, these are just two books that I make sure to pick up every year and highly recommend. In fact, they are sitting next to me right now as I am typing this. This isn't to say that the others aren't good and useful as well because they are, but Steele and Blue Ribbon simply take it to another level in my opinion. The Steele mag will run you about $10 while Blue Ribbon is a little spendier and checks in at just over $20 but regardless of which direction you go I am confident you'll be happy with the purchase. If you haven't picked them up yet make sure you do because the clock is ticking and there isn't much time left before the season to cram!
August 6th, 2007
• Welcome back! Today was the official re-launch of NFL Draft Countdown.com with all of the 2007 information coming down and the new content for 2008 going up. The 2008 NFL Draft is less than a year away you know!!! Hard to believe but it's true. I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone once again for your continued support. Just when I think the site can't get any bigger it manages to exceed my expectations and last year was no exception. Without all of you none of this would be possible so thanks for allowing me to live a dream and do what I love. Now on to business. The re-launch featured an initial group of about 250 top seniors in the positional rankings and I've once again added key career stats to the scouting report pages for each prospect so you can see how they stack up with their peers, at least statistically. Please keep in mind that it is still very early in the scouting process and these preliminary rankings are extremely fluid. In fact I'll be adding players and shuffling the order as I watch tape throughout the rest of the summer and right up until Draft Day next April. Here are a few other features you'll want to be sure to check out: * '08 Mock Draft - The first of the year! Round one with analysis. * Chris Long Interview - Q&A with the star defensive end from Virginia. * Ask NFLDC - Scott Wright fields reader submitted questions. * Heisman Watch - Early look at the race for college football's most prestigious award. * NFL Player Rankings - Best of the best. This is the list prospects hope to be on one day. Go ahead and browse around the site and check out all of the new stuff because there is a lot of it. I will be trying to update this blog just about every day so there will always be something new to stop by and check out so be sure to visit often. I hope you're as excited about the upcoming football season and kicking off a new year of coverage as I am and as always I will strive to bring you the best NFL Draft coverage out there, all 100% FREE.

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