Under Further Review

It's time to put the TMG DraftZone to bed. I have enjoyed doing all the mock drafts and especially proud of the DSA Rankings I created, but indifference on my part and from draftniks everywhere has made me realize that this is a lost cause. I look forward to following the NFL Draft in 2015 and in the years to come. Take care, and God bless.

2014 NFL Draft Grades: NFC West

It's hard to imagine that back in 2010 the NFC West was the butt of jokes throughout the league for having a team with a losing record win the division. Not any more. The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers are the two best teams in the NFL, and Seattle capped off their 2013 season with a rout of Denver to win their first Super Bowl title. Arizona narrowly missed the playoffs and St. Louis has one of the most talented rosters in the league and all four teams only seem to get better. Arizona Cardinals: B- Best Pick: Deone Bucannon Late Round Sleeper: Logan Thomas The Cardinals added to a tough defense with the hard hitting Deone Bucannon in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, and then picked up Kareem Martin to the defensive line rotation in Round 3. The offense got a boost with the selection of Troy Niklas, the big tight end in Round 2 and the small but speedy John Brown to play the slot receiver in Round 4. A late round sleeper pick could be Logan Thomas, who will have time to learn the pro game at quarterback and should eventually replace Carson Palmer at quarterback for Arizona. San Francisco 49ers: A Best Pick: Carlos Hyde Late Round Sleeper: Bruce Ellington The rich get richer, as San Francisco continues to make excellent picks in the NFL Draft. First Rounder Jimmie Ward will team with last years first pick Eric Reid to form one of the best safety tandems in the league. Carlos Hyde should eventually replace Frank Gore at running back, and will provide a great change of pace when sharing the ball carrying duties with Gore. Three third round picks add depth and are future plans for San Francisco, with Marcus Martin able to play guard or center, Chris Borland can spell NaVarro Bowman while the latte rehabs a knee injury, and Brandon Thomas is coming off his own ACL tear and and basically redshirt in 2014. A late round sleeper looks to be Bruce Ellington, who can add another target for Colin Kaepernick to develop the 49ers passing game. Seattle Seahawks: C Best Pick: Kevin Norwood Late Round Sleeper: Kevin Norwood The Seahawks roster is loaded with talent from top to bottom, and it looks like the current crop of draft picks will have a tough time finding playing time with the World Champions. Paul Richardson and Justin Britt flashed in spots last year, but both were seen as reaches as high as they were selected. Kevin Norwood might have the best chance to make an impact on the field in Seattle. St. Louis Rams: A Best Pick: Aaron Donald Late Round Sleeper: Maurice Alexander The Rams had two first round picks, courtesy of the trade with Washington in 2012. They had that pick at #2 and selected the powerful tackle Greg Robinson, and with their own pick in Round 1 the Rams added Aaron Donald at defensive tackle. Robinson will give Sam Bradford some much needed protection and the big tackle excels in the run game, where he will shine the most for St. Louis. Donald rounds out the best front 4 in the NFL, and will the youth up front the Rams will be a force on defense for years to come. The running game was upgraded with the selection of Tre Mason, and the secondary got help from LaMarcus Joyner, E.J. Gaines and late round sleeper Maurice Alexander. With a compensatory pick in Round 7, the Rams selected Michael Sam, the Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC and the first openly gay player picked in the NFL Draft. Sam will have a tough time finding playing time with the Rams talented front 4 but he has a chance to shine on special teams and make his mark there for now.

2014 NFL Draft Grades: AFC West

The Denver Broncos rolled through the AFC on their way to the conference championship before falling hard against the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl. Peyton Manning put up record numbers and the Broncos wanted to make sure he still has the weapons on offense to continue at his incredible pace. But the AFC West placed two other teams in the playoffs, as the Kansas City Chiefs completed a remarkable turnaround from 2-14 to 11-5, and the San Diego Chargers won their final four games to make the playoffs as the 6th seed. The Oakland Raiders finished in the cellar again but are looking to improve with the draft and having the 5th Overall selection. Denver Broncos: B Best Pick: Cody Latimer Late Round Sleeper: Corey Nelson Denver lost Eric Decker to the Jets in the offseason, but were able to find his replacement in Round 2 with the selection of Cody Latimer, the big receiver from Indiana who catches everything thrown his way. I'm sure Peyton Manning will find Latimer early and often in the upcoming season. First round pick Bradley Roby will move into a starting cornerback position, but he needs to rediscover his 2012 form if he is going to stay there. A late round sleeper pick could be Corey Nelson, who could get time on the field depending on the rehab of Von Miller and his ACL injury. Kansas City Chiefs: C+ Best Pick: De'Anthony Thomas Late Round Sleeper: Aaron Murray The Chiefs are looking to build on their success going into the second season under Andy Reid, but a need to find another playmaking wide receiver to compliment Dwayne Bowe wasn't to be found. First round pick Dee Ford will add to a dangerous pass rush, and third rounder Phillip Gaines adds depth to the secondary. De'Anthony Thomas will pick up the slack left by the departure of Dexter McCluster, and Aaron Murray could be a late round sleeper as the eventual replacement for Alex Smith. Oakland Raiders: A- Best Pick: Derek Carr Late Round Sleeper: Keith McGill It's not often when one of the best picks in the draft going #5 Overall isn't even the best pick for the team, but that happened to the Raiders. Khalil Mack looks like a sure fire hit as an outside linebacker, and second rounder Derek Carr looks to be the face of the franchise for years to come as the quarterback the Raiders have sought for a long time. Gabe Jackson was a steal in Round 3, and might start from the get-go for Oakland at guard. Keith McGill looks to be a late round sleeper at cornerback for a team that needs lots of help in the secondary. San Diego Chargers: A- Best Pick: Jason Verrett Late Round Sleeper: Ryan Carrethers San Diego got a late first round steal with Verrett, who would have been the first corner off the board if he were a little taller. But his speed and coverage skills are excellent, and he should be able to adapt to the pro game. Second Rounder Jeremiah Attachou is a raw talent, but he can be an outstanding pass rusher for the Chargers. Chris Watt is a tough, hard worker in the trenches and could move into the lineup at guard. A late round sleeper looks to be Ryan Carrethers, who could make his mark in the middle of the defensive line as a run stopper.

2014 NFL Draft Grades: NFC South

2013 proved once again that the NFC South is the most topsy-turvy division in football. The Atlanta Falcons went from the best record in the NFC in 2012 to last in the South with a 4-12 record. The Carolina Panthers overcame a 1-3 start to win the division and get a first round bye in the playoffs. The New Orleans Saints still have the best quarterback in the division with Drew Brees, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made the biggest splashes in the off season during free agency. It looks like things are going to keep flipping around in the NFC South once again. Atlanta Falcons: B+ Best Pick: Jake Matthews Late Round Sleeper: DeVonta Freeman The Falcons needed to shore up the offensive line and give Matt Ryan more time to pass and open holes to run through, and they did just that with the selection of Jake Matthews at #6 Overall. Matthews is a polished product and will step in right away. Ra'Shede Hageman could do the same on defense after falling out of Round 1. With the best years of Steven Jackson behind him, the running game got a hot in the arm with the selection of late round sleeper pick DeVonta Freeman, who played in a three back rotation at Florida State but he can be the go to back for the Falcons. Carolina Panthers: B Best Pick: Kelvin Benjamin Late Round Sleeper: Tyler Gaffney The Panthers came out of nowhere to win the division in 2013, but there are major holes everywhere, especially on the offensive line and wide receiver. The pick of Kelvin Benjamin addresses the need at receiver. The offensive line got help in Round 3 with the pick of Trai Turner, but he will play guard and tackle is still a need. Second rounder Kony Ealy adds depth to the pass rush. A late round sleeper looks to be Tyler Gaffney, running back who could get touches if injuries crop up again in the backfield. New Orleans Saints: B Best Pick: Brandin Cooks Late Round Sleeper: Vinnie Sunseri The Saints traded up to #20 and got the speed receiver they wanted in Brandin Cooks, who should take advantage of the fast turf in the Superdome in the high powered New Orleans offense. The Saints are hoping that second round pick Stanley Jean-Baptiste can become the cover corner that his size and speed could lead him to be, but he needs time to develop his overall game at corner. A late round sleeper looks to be Vinnie Sunseri, a tough safety who could pair with last years first rounder Kenny Vaccaro to give New Orleans a top tandem in the defensive secondary. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B+ Best Pick: Austin Sefarian-Jenkins Late Round Sleeper: Robert Herron The Buccaneers stood pat at #7 Overall and got the receiver they wanted in Mike Evans, then got the big tight end who will free up coverage in the middle with the selection of Sefarian-Jenkins in Round 2. Third Rounder Charles Sims will be able to share the load with Doug Martin and could eventually become a full-time back. A late round sleeper could be Robert Herron, a slot receiver who will benefit for all the attention given to Evans, Sefarian-Jenkins and Vincent Jackson.

2014 NFL Draft Grades: AFC South

The Indianapolis Colts ran away with the 2013 AFC South title, but the free fall of the Houston Texans from two time division champ to 14 game losing streak was painful to watch. The Texans got the prize of the 1st Overall Selection of the 2014 draft, and they grabbed the biggest prize on the board. Houston Texans: A Best Pick: Jadeveon Clowney Late Round Sleeper: Tom Savage Clowney is a supreme talent, and with everyone questioning his motivation I see him playing with a huge chip on his shoulder. At least until he signs his second contract. But the Texans hit all the high notes with their picks at the Top of the draft. Xavier Su'a-Filo will be an anchor on the interior of the offensive line. C.J. Fiedorowicz is a big target but he excels as a run blocker. One of the biggest steals of the draft was Louis Nix falling into the middle of the third round. Many thought the Texans would select a quarterback early, but getting Tom Savage on Day 3 could be their long term solution to a shaky quarterback problem. Indianapolis Colts: C Best Pick: Donte Moncrief Late Round Sleeper: Ulrick John The Colts did not have a first round pick, as theirs was traded to Cleveland for Trent Richardson. The success of this draft class will be tied in to how well Richardson performs for the Clots. They can only hope it will be better than last year. Jack Mewhort is a tough-minded offensive lineman who could move inside for the Colts. Donte Moncrief could be a long term replacement to Reggie Wayne. Late round sleeper Ulrick John could also find some playing time on the offensive line. Jacksonville Jaguars: A+ Best Pick: Blake Bortles Late Round Sleeper: Storm Johnson The Jaguars hit the jackpot in the 2014 NFL Draft. They got their franchise quarterback in Blake Bortles. They got two excellent receivers to replace Justin Blackmon when they selected Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson in Round 2. They beefed up the offensive line with the picks of Brandon Linder and Luke Bowanko. The secondary got two talented prospects in Aaron Colvin and Telvin Smith, and the defense got a pass rusher in Chris Smith. The Jaguars final pick in the draft was Bortles teammate at Central Florida, Storm Johnson. Johnson could get a lot of reps in the backfield with the departure of Maurice Jones-Drew. Tennessee Titans: B Best Pick: Bishop Sankey Late Round Sleeper: Zach Mettenberger The Titans stuck to their Best Player Available philosophy and selected Taylor Lewan in Round 1. The Titans offensive line is deep but Lewan is too talented to have sit on the sidelines, and pairing him up with last years first rounder Chance Warmack will go a long way to aiding the development of Jake Locker. Second round pick Sankey looks to replace Chris Johnson in the starting backfield. DaQuan Jones will add depth to the defensive line. Getting Mettenberger late in the draft could be a top sleeper pick if Locker continues to struggle.

2014 NFL Draft Grades: NFC North

The Green Bay Packers won the NFC North title in 2013, but an injury to Aaron Rodgers and a porous defense nearly cost them the playoffs. The Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions were cost the playoffs because their defenses had even more holes. And the 2012 division champ Minnesota Vikings followed poor play at the quarterback position to the bottom of the standings. All four teams were looking to fill in those holes going into the 2014 NFL Draft. Chicago Bears: B Best Pick: Kyle Fuller Late Round Sleeper: Brock Vereen The Bears picked Fuller in the first round to get younger and more physical, and they will accomplish just that. Their next two picks addressed a run defense that was less than stellar when the Bears selected Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton. ka'Deem Carey looks to give Matt Forte a break in the run game. A late round sleeper could be Vereen, who has the physical build to move into the secondary and make an impact for Chicago. Detroit Lions: B- Best Pick: Eric Ebron Late Round Sleeper: Caruan Reid Detroit had holes in the offensive line and the secondary to address, but passing up on the talented tight end Ebron was too big of a temptation. Ebron can clear out the middle of the field and is a match up nightmare for linebackers and safeties. Kyle Van Noy will add an extra dimension to the pass rush from the linebacker position. Third Round pick Travis Swanson could eventually move into the starting center position. Reid will add depth to the defensive line and could become a starter if the Lions eventually part ways with Ndamukong Suh. Green Bay Packers: B+ Best Pick: Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix Late Round Sleeper: Jared Abbrederis The Packers addressed a glaring hole on defense with the selection of Clinton-Dix in Round 1 to play safety. Green Bay then selected another target for Rodgers with the pick of Davante Adams in Round 2. Khyri Thornton gives the defensive line depth and a tough player who will mix it up in the middle. While Adams can stretch the field, late round sleeper Abbrederis looks to be a sure handed slots receiver for the Green Bay offense. Minnesota Vikings: A+ Best Pick: Teddy Bridgewater Late Round Sleeper: David Yankey I've made my feelings known about Bridgewater, and I still feel he will be the best quarterback of this years draft class. He will get a chance to learn the offense while Matt Cassel holds the fort, but I believe that Bridgewater will be starting by the end of the upcoming season. Anthony Barr was selected #9 Overall, and I see the talented, physically gifted linebacker thriving in new Head Coach Mike Zimmer's defense much the same way that Vontaze Burfict has in Cincinnati for Zimmer there. Scott Cricthon was a first round talent that slipped to the third round, and he can add depth to the pass rush. A late round sleeper is more of a shocker that David Yankey lasted until Round 5. He was projected by many as a late first round-early second round pick, and along with undrafted offensive tackle Antonio Richardson, will beef up the Vikings defensive line for years.

2014 NFL Draft Grades: AFC North

The Cincinnati Bengals won the AFC North in 2013, but were eliminated in a surprising home playoff loss to San Diego. It marks the first time in franchise history that the Bengals made the playoffs three years in a row, but with a roster as talented as theirs they are looking for more going into the 2014 season. Perhaps the biggest surprise was that Cincinnati was the only team from the AFC North to make the playoffs. Baltimore followed up their Super Bowl campaign with an 8-8 season, and Pittsburgh missed the playoffs for the second year in a row with an 8-8 record as well. Cleveland brought in a new coach and GM and they were loaded with two first round picks for 2014. Baltimore: B+ Best Pick: C.J. Mosley Late Round Sleeper: John Urschel Baltimore looks to have found its heir apparent for Ray Lewis in first round pick C.J. Mosley, who many saw as a Top 10 talent. He is a tough, smart hard hitter who will start from Day 1. Tim Jernigan will give the Ravens depth in the defensive line in Round 2. As usual, the Ravens had a strong draft from top to bottom, getting players in later rounds like Lorenzo Taliaferro and Mike Campanaro who can contribute this year. A late round sleeper looks to be John Urschel, a guard who might find a place in the offensive line right away but who is also perhaps the smartest player in draft, after getting his Masters degree from Penn State and teaching math classes there while playing football for the Nittany Lions. Cincinnati: B+ Best Pick: Darqueze Dennard Late Round Sleeper: Russell Bodine The Bengals needed depth in the defensive secondary, and had one of the three best corners in the draft fall into their lap with Darqueze Dennard falling to #24. The Bengals found the bruising back to pair with Gio Bernard in Round 2 with the pick of Jeremy Hill, and also got the eventual replacement for Michael Johnson on defense with Will Clarke in Round 3. Cincinnati also had another potential future starter fall for them when they picked up A.J. McCarron in Round 5. A late round sleeper looks to be Russell Bodine, a center selected in Round 4 who can also play guard. Cleveland: B+ Best Pick: Johnny Manziel Late Round Sleeper: Terrence West The Browns traded down in Round 1, then traded back up to get Justin Gilbert, a cornerback who will team with Joe Haden to form potentially the best tandem in the NFL. Then they traded up with their second 1st Rounder and got the quarterback they wanted all along in Johnny Manziel, who will have a chance to start from Day 1 depending on the health of Brian Hoyer. The offensive line got a healthy dose of big and nasty with the pick of Joel Bitonio, who can play on the right side and open up holes for late round sleeper Terrence West, a bruising back from Towson who will split reps with newly acquired Ben Tate. Pittsburgh: A- Best Pick: Ryan Shazier Late Round Sleeper: Daniel McCullers The Steelers went for defense, and got tow potential starters in Ryan Shazier and Stephon Tuitt. Dri Archer is a multi purpose speedster who will give defenses fits with his blazing speed. In need of a wide receiver, the Steelers picked up Martavis Bryant, who could start opposite Antonio Brown from Day 1. A late round sleeper could be Daniel McCullers, the massive nose tackle who can fill up the middle and free up defenders to make plays around him.

2014 NFL Draft Grades: NFC East

In 2013, Chip Kelly took his up tempo, high octane offense to the top of the standings in the NFC East, but in a tightly bunched division, a good draft can make a big difference as to who goes to the playoffs and who stays home. Dallas Cowboys: B Best Pick: Zack Martin Late Round Sleeper: Anthony Hitchens and Ahmad Dixon Dallas resisted the temptation of drafting Johnny Manziel and took the highly regarded and versatile offensive lineman in Zack Martin. Martin can slip into the left guard position between their last two top picks in Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick to form a solid offensive line to protect Tony Romo and open holes for DeMarco Murray. The Cowboys traded up to pick Demarcus Lawrence, who is expected to fill the hole left my Demarcus Ware as their top pass rusher. Hitchens and Dixon both have the opportunity to play for a defense that was one of the worst statistically in the NFL last year. New York Giants: B Best Pick: Weston Richburg Late Round Sleeper: Andre Williams The Giants could not overcome an 0-6 start and are looking to regain their footing at the top of the NFC East. 1st Round Pick Odell Beckham gives Eli Manning a new target and Beckham is an explosive kick returner. Richburg looks to anchor the offensive line for years to come. Third Rounder Jay Bromley looks to plug the middle on defense. Late Round Sleeper Williams looks to move into the backfield rotation and add depth to the running game. Philadelphia: C+ Best Pick: Jordan Matthews Late Round Sleepers: Ed Reynolds and jaylen Watkins The Eagles perhaps reached a bit in the first round for Marcus Smith, but Chip Kelly knows that you have to get to the quarterback in the NFL, and Smith can do just that. But they may have been able to get him later in the draft. Matthews, along with third round pick Josh Huff, look to fill the hole left by the departure of Desean Jackson. A late round sleeper looks to be Ed Reynolds at the safety position along with Jaylen Watkins at cornerback. The Eagles defense spends a lot of time on the field because the offense scores so quickly and both players could move into the rotation in the secondary. Washington: B Best Pick: Morgan Moses Late Round Sleeper: Lache Seastrunk The Redskins did not have a first round pick because of the trade for Robert Griffin III two years ago, and after trading down Washington was able to get a first round talent in DE/LB Trent Murphy. Murphy plays along the lines of Ryan Kerrigan and Brain Orakpo, and he is as tough minded pass rusher off the edge. Moses fall to their laps in Round 3 and he could move into the starting lineup on the right side of the offensive line. Seastrunk could be a late round sleeper pick as a change of pace back paired up with Alfred Morris, who can take a lot of pressure off Griffin and keep the franchise quarterback healthy.

2014 NFL Draft Grades: AFC East

Ever since 2001, teams in the AFC East, for the most part, have been looking up at the New England Patriots. As long as Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are with the patriots, everyone will be trying to catch up. Buffalo made the first big trade of the draft, and are pretty much going all in this year when they traded nest year's 1st Round pick along with an additional pick to move up and get Sammy Watkins. Along with their additional picks and offseason moves, Buffalo looks to make their move to the top of the AFC East. Buffalo: B+ Best Pick: Sammy Watkins Late Round Sleeper: Cyril Richardson Watkins is the playmaker the Bills desired and they made the big move to get him. Now last years first rounder, quarterback E.J. Manuel, has the big play weapon that can light the fire under the Bills offense. But the selection of tackle Cyrus Kouandjio and late round sleeper Cyril Richardson will give Manuel the protection he needs and open up running lanes for Fred Jackson and Bryce Brown. If Seantrel henderson can play up to his potential then the Bills will have a powerful o-line for years to come. Preston Brown is a tough inside linebacker who will help plug up the middle and stop the run. Miami: B Best Pick: Jarvis Landry Late Round Sleeper: Jordan Tripp Miami needed to rebuild their offensive line and may have reached to select Ja'wuan James at #19, but he is a solid right tackle that the the Dolphins can build around. Billy Turner is a mauler of an offensive lineman but is also a small school talent who will need to work his way into the line. Landry is a sure handed receiver that could become a go-to target for Ryan Tannehill. Tripp is an FCS star who will play like a BCS playmaker on defense. New England: B- Best Pick: Jimmy Garoppolo Late Round Sleeper: Bryan Stork The Patriots picked Dominique Easley in Round 1, and if the injury plagued defensive tackle can hold up physically then this pick will be a steal. But 2 ACL injuries in college makes one wonder if hen can withstand the rigors of the NFL trenches. Garoppolo is the latest heir apparent to Tom Brady, and now he may be the one who eventually replaces the future Hall of Famer. But the Patriots put a lot of draft pick eggs in one basket by selecting Stork, Cameron Fleming, and Jon Halapio to shore up the defensive line. New York Jets: B+ Best Pick: Jace Amaro Late Round Sleeper: Jeremiah George The Jets picked hard hitting safety Calvin Pryor in Round 1, and he looks to be the defensive enforcer in the middle of the field that Rex Ryan is looking for. Amaro gives Geno Smith a big target down the middle, and he should be targeted in play action with the free agent addition of Chris Johnson. Dexter McDougle should get plenty of action at corner now that he is healthy after a shoulder injury cost him most of last season. George can be a sleeper pick as an outside edge rusher in Ryan's 3-4 defense.

Swimming in the Deep End of the 2014 NFL Draft

Day 1 of the 2014 NFL Draft is in the books. For the longest time we have heard about how deep this draft is, and how many quality players are available. Rounds 2 and 3 tonight will show just how deep the draft is. Researching the mock drafts the past four months has provided a long list of players who at some time were seen as first round selections. If you take a look at the players still available, you could argue that they would make a pretty solid 1st Round of the draft. Offense: Derek Carr Allen Robinson Cody Latimer Davante Adams Jordan Matthews Marqise Lee Jarvis Landry Bruce Ellington Austin Seferian-Jenkins Jace Amaro Troy Niklas Cyrus Kouandjio Morgan Moses Joel Bitonio Antonio Richardson Cyril Richardson David Yankey Xavier Su'a-Filo Marcus Martin Weston Richburg Defense: Ra'Shede Hageman Tim Jernigan Louis Nix Kony Ealy Scott Crichton Stephon Tuitt Trent Murphy Demarcus Lawrence Kyle Van Noy Jeremiah Attaochu Lamarcus Joyner Stanley Jean-Baptiste That's just the players who had 1st Round Grades at one point. That doesn't even include the quarterbacks and runnning backs who were seen as a reach for Round 1: A.J. McCarron Zack Mettenberger Aaron Murray Jimmy Garroppolo Tajh Boyd Tom Savage David Fales Carlos Hyde Tre Mason Bishop Sankey Ka'Deem Carey Jeremy Hill That's 32 players not including the backs. The bright lights always shine on Day 1, but a draft is made with the quality players a team can pick up on Day 2 in the second and third rounds. A team on the rise can get the players to help them get over the hump. A good team can get the talent they need to get to the top. a team at the top can get the selections they need to stay there. Day 2 of the 2014 NFL Draft gets underway soon. I'm anxious to see who goes where and when. Let the picks start rolling in.

2014 NFL Draft 1st Round Mock Draft Scoring Recap

The first round of the 2014 NFL Draft is complete. I have totaled the points I scored on NFL.com in their Predict The Pick contest, and if I had stuck with my guns and kept Greg Robinson at #2 and Jake Matthews at #6 (as I had them placed before changing them 3 days ago), I would have picked up an additional 180 points. As it was, I wound up 50 points behind Matt Mayock and Todd McShay, and tied Mel Kiper. I had Blake Bortles and Khalil Mack going #3 and #5. I just had them backwards. And late in the draft I got C.J. Mosley and Jason Verrett correctly placed. Overall, I did very well. I just wish I had kept the two big tackles where they were. But I have to hand it to Mel Kiper. Of all the mock drafts I researched this year, Kiper was the ONLY one to have Ja'Wuan James going in the 1st Round. And Kiper hit the nail on the head and had him placed at Miami at the #19 Overall selection. Way to go, Mel.

TMG DraftZone Final 2014 Mock Draft

It's Draft Day. Finally. Now it is time to get the last mock drafts out there for all to see and for draftniks like myself to put out money where our keyboards are. I have Jadeveon Clowney going #1 Overall to Houston, and I have to laugh when I hear the big reason why the Texans will not pick him. He doesn't fit their 3-4 defensive scheme. Give me a break. When you have a player with that much talent, you change your scheme to fit Clowney. It's as simple as that, and I cannot believe that a Defensive Coordinator like Romeo Crennel can't change his ways find the best fit for Clowney on his defense. Can you imagine a Texans 4-3 defense, with Clowney on the right side and J.J. Watt on the left. Teams might be able to get away with double teaming just one, but I don't see that happening for long. So you have to put two blockers on the star pass rushers. A tight end on one, and a running back to get a chip block on the other. Do the math. How many receivers does that leave? Three. That's it. Houston would be able to bring a blitzer on every play and still have double coverage in the secondary. If I were a Texans fan, I'd take those odds every play. But I think back to two examples in the 80's that tell me the shortsighted would pass on Clowney now, and those with vision would take him and change their scheme to fit his abilities. In 1983, when the Miami Dolphins selected Dan marino, Paul Zimmerman was famously caught on the draft coverage making the comment 'Who is going to coach him?' Then Chris Berman came back with the correct response-Don Shula is a pretty good coach. Shula admitted later in making a mistake with Marino. The mistake was that he did not start him right away. Up until then, the Dolphins under Don Shula were what we now call a Ground and Pound team. Run the ball, then run it some more. In Marino's second season, the Dolphins threw the ball on 76% of their plays, and Marino set records for passing yards and touchdowns while leading Miami to the Super Bowl. Shula had the vision to change his scheme to fit his quarterback, and Miami enjoyed success for the next decade with a hall of Fame Quarterback leading the way. The next year, an example of shortsightedness came into play in the NBA. Everyone knows the story of Portland passing on Michael Jordan and selecting Sam Bowie. But before the draft, a conversation between Bob Knight and a member of the Blazers front office was recounted in John Feinstein's book A Season on the Brink. Knight was coaching the US Olympic Team, and Jordan was the star of the team. He was asked by a friend who worked for Portland about Jordan. Knight told him to take Jordan. The reply was 'we already have Clyde Drexler, and we need a center.' Knight told him 'Play Jordan at center. No one can stop him.' The rest of the story is what can happen when you draft to fit your scheme and pass on the once in a generation talent like Jadeveon Clowney. So here is the Final TMG DraftZone Mock Draft for 2014. I have these picked posted on NFL.com under the entry sycamore88. I'd like to see just how I am going to do against everyone else, but with this draft year you just never know. 1) Houston Jadeveon Clowney 2) St. Louis Jake Matthews 3) Jacksonville Khalil Mack 4) Cleveland Sammy Watkins 5) Oakland Blake Bortles 6) Atlanta Greg Robinson 7) Tampa Bay Mike Evans 8) Minnesota Johnny Manziel 9) Buffalo Eric Ebron 10) Detroit Darqueze Dennard 11) Tennessee Anthony Barr 12) NY Giants Taylor Lewan 13) St. Louis Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 14) Chicago Aaron Donald 15) Pittsburgh Calvin Pryor 16) Dallas Tim Jernigan 17) Baltimore C.J. Mosley 18) NY Jets Marqise Lee 19) Miami Zack Martin 20) Arizona Ryan Shazier 21) Green Bay Justin Gilbert 22) Philadelphia Brandin Cooks 23) Kansas City Odell Beckham 24) Cincinnati Kyle Fuller 25) San Diego Jason Verrett 26) Cleveland Teddy Bridgewater 27) New Orleans Kony Ealy 28) Carolina Morgan Moses 29) New England Ra'Shade Hageman 30) San Francisco Bradley Roby 31) Denver Xavier Su'a-Filo 32) Seattle David Yankey I have St. Louis taking Jake Matthews at #2, but I could have very well put Greg Robinson there. And even though reports earlier in the week said the Raiders would not take Blake Bortles of Johnny Manziel at #5, I can still see them taking the big signal caller from Central Florida who can give them their version of Ben Roethlisberger. I see Minnesota taking Manziel at #8 because new head coach Mike Zimmer has seen first hand what an average, vanilla quarterback can do after watching Andy Dalton the last three seasons in Cincinnati. Don't forget that the Vikings are moving into a new stadium in a couple of seasons. Just think what a quarterback like Manziel can do to energize the fan base in Minnesota. It's four hours until the start of Round 1 of the 2014 NFL Draft. Let's get it's going. It has been a long draft season.

Twas The Night Before The NFL Draft

Twas The Night Before The NFL Draft And all around Radio City Music Hall The prospects began to gather Including Jadeveon Clowney and Johnny Football What many teams are looking for Is an offensive tackle to take There are plenty to choose from Including Cyrus, Greg, Taylor and Jake. Playmakers found on offense Must be more than looks The receivers are talented With Beckham, Benjamin, Lee and Cooks Teams are looking for hitters That can make the quarterback sack Attention will be paid To Anthony Barr, Ryan Shazier and Khalil Mack The big stoppers up front Have always been premium picks This year you have Aaron Donald Along with Tim Jernigan and Louis Nix. But at the top of the draft Fans will be on needles and pins To see if their team will select Mike Evans or Sammy Watkins. As always fans will want A quarterback who is ready Is it going to be Bortles, Carr, or a QB named Teddy. As the league passes it around The field more and more Corners like Gilbert, Dennard, Fuller and Verrett Will be picked to lower the score. Safeties are becoming stars Because teams are not taking a flier When they can find players as good As Ward, Clinton-Dix and Pryor. The big tight ends will be picked Throughout the draft we know With talents such as Eric Ebron And a pass catcher named Amaro. Tomorrow night the Commish Will start the show off right I wish the players all the best And to all a good night.

TMG DraftZone Final DSA Player Rankings 2014

The 2014 NFL Draft is tomorrow. Finally. The extra two weeks this year has made it feel like an extra two months. But the time has come for Commissioner Roger Goddell to step up to the podium at Radio City Music Hall and make the announcement that the Houston Texans are on the clock. Mock Drafters have had their say, and the final DSA Player Rankings show that there is not much change in who looks to go where. But one thing it is showing is that what may be termed 'The Safe Pick' is coming back in vogue for 2014. Last year, offensive lineman went with three of the first four picks, and six of the top 11. Now this year, Taylor Lewan looks to be the safest pick garnering the most interest at the top of the draft. Lewan moved up 6 spots in the DSA Rankings, going from 14 to 8 in the Final Rankings. Eric Ebron could be considered the safest pick of the skill players at the top of the draft, and he moved up four positions to #9. The quarterbacks at the top, Johnny Manziel and Blake Bortles, fell 2 and 4 positions respectively as it is beginning to look like teams may take their top position prospects first, then trade back into the end of Round 1 to get the quarterback they want. But for the most part, there was very little movement in the Final DSA Player Rankings. The biggest riser was Kony Ealy, who moved up 8 positions to #20. But two rankings ago he was #21, so Ealy got back the positions he lost previously. Bradley Roby did the same thing, only in reverse. Roby fell seven spots to #28, which is where he was two rankings ago. Louis Nix fell seven spots to #30, which is far and away his lowest position in this years rankings. But the biggest overall fall was completed by Teddy Bridgewater. A horrendous pro day workout has led the one-time top quarterback prospect to fall from #2 in the first rankings, with a score of 3.00, to #3/3.40, then #11/11.40, and the fall was completed in the last two rankings at #17/17.70 and finally #22/24.40. Bridgewater is the leading candidate for the Stone Drop Award for 2014, but it could easily go to Manziel or Bortles, depending on which quarterback falls the furthest in the 2014 NFL Draft. But with the end of the 2014 Mock Draft Season now upon us, it is time to reveal the final TMG DraftZone DSA Player Rankings for 2014, with average score and position up or down from the previous rankings: 1) Jadeveon Clowney 1.20 0 2) Sammy Watkins 3.20 0 3) Greg Robinson 3.90 0 4) Khalil Mack 5.00 1 5) Jake Matthews 5.50 3 6) Johnny Manziel 6.80 -2 7) Mike Evans 7.40 0 8) Taylor Lewan 11.20 6 9) Eric Ebron 12.10 4 10) Blake Bortles 12.60 -4 11) Anthony Barr 12.90 0 12) Justin Gilbert 12.90 -3 13) Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 13.10 -3 14) Aaron Donald 13.40 -2 15) Darqueze Dennard 16.40 0 16) Calvin Pryor 16.70 0 17) Zack Martin 17.00 1 18) Odell Beckham 18.40 2 19) C. J. Mosley 19.40 0 20) Kony Ealy 22.30 8 21) Brandin Cooks 22.80 1 22) Teddy Bridgewater 24.40 -5 23) Marqise Lee 24.80 2 24) Kyle Fuller 25.10 0 25) Ryan Shazier 25.90 1 26) Derek Carr 28.50 5 27) Tim Jernigan 28.60 0 28) Bradley Roby 28.70 -7 29) Ra'Shade Hageman 29.60 0 30) Louis Nix 29.90 -7 31) Dee Ford 30.10 2 32) Xavier Su'a-Filo 30.50 0 33) Jason Verrett 30.60 -3 34) Morgan Moses 32.00 1 35) Jimmie Ward 33.20 3 If you look at the previous DSA Player Rankings and the Final Rankings, you are going to see a lot of familiar names. 34 in fact. The only player to fall out of the DSA Rankings this time was Cyrus Kouandjio, who could easily go #28 to Carolina, a team in need of offensive line help. But draftniks see the top players being the ones that are most likely going in Round 1, and we will find out tomorrow night. I will be posting my Final Mock Draft right before the Round 1, and tonight I will have my annual Twas The Night Before The NFL Draft. It's been a long draft season, and like everyone else I am anxious to see The Commissh walk up the the podium. Let The 2014 NFL Draft Begin.

How the 2011 Draft Cured Panic In The Draft Room

For the longest time, many teams were hit with the same affliction this time of year. Panic In The Draft Room. It's a condition where the GM's and personnel people of NFL teams look at their depth chart and think 'We don't have a quarterback!' Since the free agency period has already started, and most good quarterbacks are under contract, the easiest cure is reaching for a quarterback in the NFL Draft. From 1998 to 2007, look how many first round quarterbacks didn't pan out. Ryan Leaf, Tim Couch, Akili Smith, Cade McNown, David Carr, Joey Harrington, Patrick Ramsey, J.P. Losman, Matt Leinart, JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn. There were many more misses than hits at the position, and for the most part it can be attributed to overreaching at the position when you have too many other holes to fill. That's Panic In The Draft Room. The problem then lessened the next three years. 2008 brought Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco, while 2009 featured Matthew Stafford at the top. That draft also had Mark Sanchez and Josh Freeman in Round 1, and while they didn't work out in the long run, both had some success early before their team situation became toxic. 2010 had Sam Bradford at #1 Overall, and injuries have held him back but the jury is still out as to whether the Rams will pull the plug on Bradford. The other first round quarterback in 2010 was Tim Tebow. We all know how that turned out. But in those three seasons, the only real reaches were Sanchez and Tebow, both of who were traded up for to draft. It looked like Panic In The Draft Room had become dormant, at the very least. Then came the 2011 NFL Draft. Cam Newton was the presumptive #1 Pick for Carolina, and he turned out well for the Panthers. Other teams at the top that needed quarterbacks passed and selected the best player. Buffalo took Marcell Dareus. Cincinnati selected A.J. Green. Arizona picked Patrick Peterson. San Francisco took Aldon Smith. Then Panic reared it's ugly head. Tennessee shocked everyone by taking Jake Locker #8. Jacksonville traded up six spots to select Blaine Gabbert. Minnesota took the biggest leap and selected Christian Ponder at #12. You could feel the shockwaves hit the Draft Rooms, as Panic was back in town. Locker looked to be the possible #1 Overall Selection in 2010 if he had come out after his junior year. But he returned and had a subpar senior season at Washington, and all the flaws that were overlooked by his physical gifts were exposed for all too see. The only team that was a possiblity for Locker in Round 1 for 2011 looked to be his hometown Seattle Seahawks. But the Titans did away with those plans very early. Gabbert did not play in a pro style system, and didn't work out at the Combine. Playing on a bad Jacksonville team didn't help, but he was not ready to play in the NFL. And no one had Ponder going in Round 1. But the Vikings made the reach, and though Ponder took the team to the playoffs, it can be attributed to the play of Adrian Peterson more than Ponder. Teams that didn't reach in round 1 hit paydirt in Round 2. The Bengals paired up Green with Andy Dalton, and the 49ers got Colin Kaepernick with the next pick. All they have done is win. Dalton has started from Day 1 and led the Bengals to three straight playoff appearances. Kaepernick came off the bench in Year 2 and led the 49ers to the Super Bowl, and was a batted pass away from returning last season. The 2012 NFL Draft was loaded at the quarterback position. Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III went #1 and #2. Ryan Tannehill went #8 and he is starting to settle in to the position with Miami. Cleveland missed out on Brandon Weeden, but Seattle hit it big with Russell Wilson in Round 3. Weeden was a reach for his age more than anything, and Tannehill was lacking in experience. But even though Washington made a huge trade to get Griffin, it paid off with a division win that season. As for Luck, he is going to be one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL for many years to come. But 2012 saw the beginning of a dormant period for Panic In The Draft Room. I had boldly predicted that 5 quarterbacks would go in Round 1 of the 2013 NFL Draft, and only E.J. Manuel was selected. Teams looked at the quarterbacks and thought 'there are better players available, and we can get them later if we need to.' That is what happened. Geno Smith went for an early choice for #1 Overall to the second round. Mike Glennon fell to Round 3 and Matt Barkley fell all the way to Round 4. The 2014 NFL Draft season started out with some mock drafts having four quarterbacks going in the first eight picks, and I remember seeing one that had 4 of the first 5 picks being quarterbacks. But look now. Johnny Manziel may be the only one to go in the top 8 picks, and Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater, and Derek Carr are seen as possible trade up picks late in Round 1. The cure for Panic In The Draft Room is a heavy dose of a Deep Draft washed down with a little patience. But can you imagine what this draft would look like if Locker, Gabbert and Ponder had really panned out and made a big impact? Last year, there would have been at least three quarterbacks in Round 1, and even though they may not have played well, the prevailing thought would have been 'Let's give them some time' and the quarterbacks would be flying off the board early and often this year. But the three players taken in a five pick span in 2011 have been less than spectacular, and more than anything that has led to a cure for Panic In The Draft Room. Until next spring, that is.

Trades To Be Made Part 2

The talk of the NFL Draft the last week has been not so much on the players and who is rising and falling, but which team is going to move up or down in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft. It looks like the Atlanta Falcons are enamored with the talents of Jadaveon Clowney, and what they will have to give up to move from #6 to #1 and select the talented defensive end. If the Falcons want Clowney, there will be a high price to pay. Moving up to the #2 pick in 2012 cost the Washington Redskins three #1's and a #2. It will take that and possibly another pick in a later round to acquire the 1st Overall pick this year. Now the question is 'Do the Falcons pull the trigger?' As a draft blogger, it's easy for me to say Yes but if I were making the trade I'd make damn sure that the #2 pick wasn't this year. The draft this year is loaded. There will be first round talents going in Round 3. Atlanta has holes to fill and their run of injuries last season showed what can happen to a team top heavy with stars and lacking in depth in the salary cap era. This year, Atlanta can get the depth they need as well as players who can contribute right away. If the Falcons can hold onto their 2nd and 3rd Rounders this year, they can pick up talent to help and still get their blue chip player in Clowney. It will cost them down the road, but the Falcons have enough veteran talent to contend for a title, and when you have a team like that it is easier to bring in free agent players that will take the place of the lost draft picks. Think about it: if the Falcons make the playoffs and win a game, their first rounder will be no earlier than #25 in 2015. Their second round pick this year is #37. If that pick is an A grade talent, then Atlanta will survive the big trade of 2014. Now there is talk going around that Dallas is going to do whatever it takes to select Johnny Manziel. It would be a publicity coup for the Cowboys, keeping the Texas football legend in state who will take over for Tony Romo someday. But Jerry Jones will have to make an even bigger deal than what the Falcons would have to make to move up to #1 Overall and select Jadaveon Clowney. Atlanta and St. Louis are the only teams in the Top 8 not in the market for a quarterback. If Atlanta doesn't make the deal for #1, Houston could still take Manziel. If Houston and St. Louis pass, then Jacksonville, Cleveland, or Oakland might take the Heisman Trophy playmaker. Dallas would then have to move up to #6 to pick Manziel. But I've been doing the math, and if Dallas really wants Manziel and are willing to do anything to get him, at the very least they need to make the deal with St. Louis and move up to #2 or go all the way and take Manziel at #1 after making a deal with Houston. But to move up that far, Dallas is not only need to trade a boatload of draft picks, somewhere in the line of three #1's, two #2's, and a third rounder somewhere. And they will need to throw in a player or two as well. I can see one Cowboy who would be wanted by both Houston and St. Louis is Terrence Williams, a young talented receiver who can contribute right away and for a long time. But if Manziel falls in the draft, any one of the teams in the top 8 can hold the pick hostage until they get the player they want, and at #14 they can still get a quarterback, possibly Blake Bortles, Derek Carr or Teddy Bridgewater. The first round of the 2014 NFL Draft is going to be a free-for-all with trades, and I find it interesting that jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys would be the biggest wheeler/dealer of the bunch. Their championship teams of the early 90's were built through a lopsided trade with Minnesota for Herschel Walker. Now the tables are turning. If Dallas makes the trade, they better hope that Johnny Football lives up to the hype or it may take the Cowboys a long time to recover.

TMG DraftZone 2014 DSA Player Rankings 4.0

The 2014 NFL Draft is 2 weeks away, and if it had not been moved into May the first round would be underway right now. As it is, the draft experts now have extra time to overanalyze prospects and make change after change to their mock drafts. But for the most part, the changes are happening after the first 8 picks. The top of the draft is looking to be pretty solid at this time. I mentioned in an earlier posting you could take the top players, put them in a hat, and draw out a mock draft that wouldn't get too many arguments. Take a look at the top eight players in my latest DSA Player Rankings. Jadaveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins, Greg Robinson, Johnny Manziel, Khalil Mack, Blake Bortles, Mike Evans, and Jake Matthews. It would be a surprise if Clowney was picked eighth, but would anyone be shocked if the other 7 players were picked in any order at this time? I'd say no. This is the reason that there can be so much flux in where players are going in mock drafts at this time. One mock had Teddy Bridgewater going #1. Two others did not have him going in Round 1 at all. One mock draft had Derek Carr going at #4 and another going at #8. Seven others did not have him going in the first round. Charles Davis on NFL.com has Carr going as the first quarterback taken, this time by Tennessee at #11. Blake Bortles was a Top 8 pick in nine out of 10, but the tenth had him going to Cleveland at #26. Amazingly, Johnny Manziel was placed no lower then 8th Overall, after a number of mock drafts early in the process had him going to Cleveland at #26 or not in Round 1 at all. Bridgewater is now the leading candidate to win The Stone Drop Award for 2014. The first DSA Player Rankings had Bridgewater at #2. The second at #3. Then a bad pro day dropped the one time presumptive #1 Overall Pick to #11, and now he has fallen all the way to #17. I don't see Bridgewater falling out of the first round for the reason that someone who passed on him earlier will trade back up to get him late in Round 1. Other than Bridgewater, the biggest drops in the DSA Player Rankings was found to be Tim Jernigan and Kony Ealy. Jernigan was placed at #14 in one mock draft, #16 in three others, and not in Round 1 at all in five others, but he fell 10 spots to #27. Ealy fell seven spots to #28 in spite of being listed as high as #16 in one draft and #20 in another. But Jernigan looks to be the second best defensive tackle in the draft behind Aaron Donald, and I don't see him falling out of Round 1. Ealy needs to find a team that needs a pass rusher, and the prevailing thought is that Ealy may fall to round 2. There really wasn't too many big jumps up in the DSA Player Rankings this time. Calvin Pryor, C.J. Mosley, Ryan Shazier,and Kyle Fuller moved up four spots, and Morgan Moses makes his first appearance in the rankings. Eric Ebron gained three positions, and I still see the big tight end as a possible top 10 pick. Brandin Cooks gained three spots as well, moving up to #22. But the biggest jump came near the bottom, as Bradley Roby gained seven spots to #21. Roby took a hit earlier in the draft process but now it looks like the player who was a dominant cornerback in 2012 is the one being judged now instead of the one who seemed to have a setback last year. The extra two weeks before the draft is giving everyone a chance to take a look at players like Roby a little more closely. Why were they not as productive in 2013 as they were in 2012? Why did their production jump so much last year? The extra analysis is going to have players going all over the draft boards. I will post one more mock draft and DSA Player Rankings the week of the draft, and I'm going to have a Hat Draw Mock Draft as well. I'm going to draw out the top 8 players, then 9-18, and 19-32, according to how the players are ranked in the DSA Player Rankings. But for now, here are the TMG DraftZone DSA Player Rankings 4.0 for 2014, with their average score and positions moved up or down in the rankings: 1) Jadaveon Clowney 1.50 0 2) Sammy Watkins 4.00 2 3) Greg Robinson 4.00 -1 4) Johnny Manziel 4.70 3 5) Khalil Mack 5.20 0 6) Blake Bortles 6.50 -3 7) Mike Evans 7.40 1 8) Jake Matthews 7.90 -2 9) Justin Gilbert 11.50 1 10) Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 12.40 2 11) Anthony Barr 12.90 -2 12) Aaron Donald 13.10 2 13) Eric Ebron 13.90 3 14) Taylor Lewan 15.00 -1 15) Darqueze Dennard 15.70 0 16) Calvin Pryor 17.40 4 17) Teddy Bridgewater 17.70 -6 18) Zach Martin 19.90 0 19) C.J. Mosley 20.30 4 20) Odell Beckham 21.50 -1 21) Bradley Roby 23.20 7 22) Brandin Cooks 24.90 3 23) Louis Nix 25.40 -1 24) Kyle Fuller 25.50 3 25) Marqise Lee 25.60 -1 26) Ryan Shazier 25.70 4 27) Tim Jernigan 27.10 -10 28) Kony Ealy 27.70 -7 29) Ra'Shade Hageman 27.80 4 30) Jason Verrett 30.00 1 31) Derek Carr 30.50 -5 32) Xavier Su'a-Filo 30.50 2 33) Dee Ford 30.60 -4 34) Cyrus Kouandjio 32.30 1 35) Morgan Moses 32.90 3 Every year there is at least one player who is a late riser into the bottom of Round. On the defensive side, I said that Jeremiah Attaochu could be one of the late risers, and now you can add Morgan Moses to the list. Offensive tackles have always been a valuable asset, and the big tackle from Virginia looks to be becoming more valuable as the draft nears. Round 1 is two weeks away on May 8th. The rollercoaster rides through the mock draft season will soon be coming to an end, and who knows where the ride will stop for the prospects going into the 2014 NFL Draft.

TMG DraftZone 2014 NFL Mock Draft 2.0

When the 2014 NFL Draft season started, all the talk was 'Which quarterback will the Houston Texans take at #1 Overall?' Now it has become 'Which team is going to take a chance on a quarterback in the 1st Round?' But it makes me wonder just how certain a quarterback going first would be if it were not for the presence of Jadaveon Clowney at the top of everyone's draft boards. Clowney has moved to the top of my mock draft, even though I have touted Teddy Bridgewater since Day 1 to be that top pick. But it is beginning to look like Bridgewater will be the quarterback who drops the most this year. My last post was Trades To Be Made. If Bridgewater gets past Minnesota at #8, I wonder which team that passed on a quarterback at the top will make the trade to move up and get the one time potential top pick. In my mock draft, in regards to the teams looking to take a quarterback, I have Clowney going #1 to Houston, Blake Bortles #3 to Jacksonville, Sammy Watkins #4 to Cleveland, Jake Matthews #5 to Oakland, Mike Evans #7 to Tampa Bay, and Johnny Manziel #8 to Minnesota. From there it is a free fall down to Cleveland again at #26 to find a team looking to draft a quarterback. Arizona may be looking to find a future replacement for Carson Palmer, and the same for the Cincinnati Bengals with Andy Dalton, but if they take a quarterback I see it happening in Round 2, depending on the availability of A.J. McCarron, Zack Mettenberger, Derek Carr and Aaron Murray. So let's say that Bridgewater falls to the 20's on draft night. You are the Houston Texans. You just picked up Jadaveon Clowney. Now the quarterback you have taken a long look at is there for the taking, but you have to move up to the #21 to #25 positions to get him. What do you offer? You have the first pick in each round the rest of the way. #33 Overall would yield a very good player. Perhaps throw in your 4th and 5th Rounders as well. That might be pretty tempting. Or your 2nd Rounder this year and your #1 next year. A price to pay, but if the Texans make the playoffs that pick will be no sooner than #21 in 2015, and you keep the rest of your picks this year in a very deep class. Now you need a trading partner. Take a look at Kansas City. Andy Reid has a history of draft trades. And for now I have the Chiefs taking Xavier Su'a-Filo to shore up their offensive line. I have previously had KC taking a receiver at #23. In either case, they might be able to get a top player at either position at #33, and you can pick up an additional #1 next year. I can see the deal happening, but if Cleveland finds out and they want Bridgewater, there is going to be a very lucky team in that 21-25 range that will reap the reward of a draft day bidding war. Of course it could be that Bridgewater goes in the Top 8, but there are starting to be too many questions about him to make me think that will happen. But until the trades start to roll in, I'm going to put up my mock draft for where teams are drafting now, and who I think they will select. So here is the TMG DraftZone 2014 NFL Mock Draft 2.0: 1) Houston Jadaveon Clowney 2) St. Louis Greg Robinson 3) Jacksonville Blake Bortles 4) Cleveland Sammy Watkins 5) Oakland Jake Matthews 6) Atlanta Khalil Mack 7) Tampa Bay Mike Evans 8) Minnesota Johnny Manziel 9) Buffalo Eric Ebron 10) Detroit Justin Gilbert 11) Tennessee Anthony Barr 12) NY Giants Zach Martin 13) St. Louis Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 14) Chicago Tim Jernigan 15) Pittsburgh Calvin Pryor 16) Dallas Aaron Donald 17) Baltimore C.J. Mosley 18) NY Jets Marqise Lee 19) Miami Taylor Lewan 20) Arizona Cyrus Kouandjio 21) Green Bay Darqueze Dennard 22) Philadelphia Brandin Cooks 23) Kansas City Xavier Su'a-Filo 24) Cincinnati Ryan Shazier 25) San Diego Louis Nix 26) Cleveland Teddy Bridgewater 27) New Orleans Dee Ford 28) Carolina Allen Robinson 29) New England Kyle Fuller 30) San Francisco Kelvin Benjamin 31) Denver Bradley Roby 32) Seattle David Yankey If the schedule was not changed, the first day of the NFL Draft would be in 12 days. But we get an extra two weeks to analyze who will be going where, and the moves teams are making to get the players they want. The Houston Texans are on the clock. I can't wait for May 8th to see Commissioner Goddell to walk to the podium. It's going to be a great draft for the NFL in 2014.

Trades to be Made: 2014 Edition

Every year, there are plenty of draft trades that are made. It doesn't matter if it is the first round or the last, deals can make or break a team on Draft Weekend, and I am starting to get the feeling that in 2014 the wheeling and dealing, or the possibility of the big trade, is going to be in the forefront of the upcoming draft weekend. Start at the top this year. The Houston Texans need a quarterback. I still say that Teddy Bridgewater is going to be the best of the bunch in this years crop, but it looks like their top targets are Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel. But the best player in the draft is Jadaveon Clowney, the freakishly talented defensive end. But Houston already has J.J. Watt, and their question is 'Do we tandem the pass rush with Watt and Clowney, or do we take the quarterback who will get us back to the playoffs?' If the Texans are dead set on a quarterback, they need to look for a trading partner who will break the bank for Clowney. St. Louis already has Chris Long and Robert Quinn, so they are set at defensive end. Then there is Jacksonville. I have already written about how Gus Bradley is looking to build the Jaguars much the same way he former team, the Seattle Seahawks, were built. Defense, power running game, and an intelligent quarterback who doesn't make mistakes that costs you game. If Clowney is there at #3, Jacksonville will take him. But how much do they want him? I wonder if they might consider a trade up to #1, and hold onto their second round pick this year to get a quarterback they want. A.J. McCarron, Derek Carr and Zach Mettenberger come to mind who Jacksonville could target with that pick. But as good as Clowney looks to be, the Jaguars need to fill a lot of holes, so I don't see them as a top candidate to trade. Cleveland has the 4th Overall Selection, but they also have #26, which they received for Trent Richardson last season. But Cleveland needs a quarterback and a playmaking receiver. I have them taking Sammy Watkins at #4 and Derek Carr at #26. But if Teddy Bridgewater falls past #8, and the Browns did not take a quarterback at #4, they could be in trade mode themselves to move up and get a quarterback they covet. Cleveland made a big deal three years ago with Atlanta do that the Falcons could draft Julio Jones, but this year I don't see the Browns moving up to get Clowney. The Oakland Raiders could use a player like Clowney. They could also use a player like Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles, Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews, Khalil Mack and Sammy Watkins. Translation: The Raiders need a lot of help, and trading away a boatload of draft picks for Clowney doesn't make a lot of sense. But these are the Raiders. So who really knows what they are going to do. As I mentioned earlier, Atlanta made a blockbuster deal three years ago to move up from #27 to #6 and take Julio Jones. The Falcons are in the sixth position this year, after a season of one injury after another cost them any chance of success. Would they pull the trigger on another blockbuster deal and move up to #1 and get Clowney? I don't see it happening. They need help on the offensive line, and with Greg Robinson and Jake Matthews they have 1 and 1A to choose from. If they have their eye on defense, Khalil Mack might still be there. Atlanta sacrificed number ones to get Jones back in 2011, and it cost them with lack of depth last year. I don't see it happening this year with the Falcons. If the Houston Texans can't move out of #1, and they take a quarterback, the trade focus will be on the St. Louis Rams, who also have the #13 pick this year. They made their own big trade two years ago and hoarded picks from the Washington Redskins in the Robert Griffin III deal. Jeff Fisher has taken those picks and started to rebuild the Rams into a winner. But they need help on the offensive line, and they can get either Robinson, Matthews or Taylor Lewan later in the Top 10 if they move down. Now all the Rams have to do is find a trading partner. With one of the deepest draft classes in memory, good luck with that. It is one month until the 2014 NFL Draft, and it will be interesting to see if The Big Trade is made before the draft, or if we have to wait until the Houston Texans are officially on the clock before it happens.

TMG DraftZone2014 DSA Player Rankings 3.0

We are a little over one month away from the 2014 NFL Draft, but with the draft now in May it still feels like it is just a couple of weeks away. In compiling the latest edition of the DSA Player Rankings, the top of the draft is settling into place very nicely, with the exception of one player. With the majority of Pro Days completed, the overanalysation of players is in full swing. And no position get the treatment than quarterback. It is starting to remind me of a presidential primary season. When a candidate makes the announcement that they are running, there is excitement aplenty. The early poll numbers go up, and everything looks great. Then all the pundits start to dissect the candidate and all the flaws become exposed. Now take a look at what has happened to Teddy Bridgewater this draft season. To a degree, it started against Central Florida last season for Teddy. He was an early Heisman candidate, then Louisville lost to UCF. His numbers were never as spectacular as Blake Bortles or Johnny Manziel, but he kept winning. A 12-1 season was capped off with a great performance against Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl, and the full spectrum of his play in college put Bridgewater at the top of the draft charts for quarterbacks going into the 2014 NFL Draft. Then the questions started. He didn't have a big enough body frame. At the combine, his hands weren't big enough and he didn't throw on the field. He had a lousy pro day. Now the doubters are piling on. Bridgewater has taken one of the biggest drops I've ever recorded this late in the draft process with the DSA Player Rankings for a player at or near the top. Other top name prospects have had bigger drops, but those started early, most notably Da'Quan Bowers. Bridgewater dropped eight positions, from #3 to #11, as one mock draft had him at #26 to Cleveland and another had him at #32 in a possible trade scenario. I have written of my support for Bridgewater, and I still believe that he will be the best quarterback of this class. But what I'm seeing is almost a Panic In The Draft Room In Reverse. It's gone from We Need A Quarterback, We Need A Quarterback, to Maybe We Don't Need This Quarterback. If Bridgewater falls past Minnesota at #8 in the upcoming draft, I wonder who will make the move up to get him and I will discuss these possibilities in my next posting. For now, there are two big movers. Mike Evans has moved into the Top 10, moving up five spots to #8, and Tim Jernigan is getting a lot of attention in the middle of the draft as well. Jernigan jumped up nine slots from #26 to #17 as teams are possibly looking to snare the next Geno Atkins for the middle of their defense. Besides Bridgewater, the biggest drops were taken by Jason Verrett, falling eight spots to #31, and Marqise Lee, who dropped seven positions from #17 to #24. Verrett is seen as undersized, and the drop by Lee can be seen as a result of the rise of both Odell Beckham and Brandin Cooks. The player at the top has been there all along this year, and that is Jadaveon Clowney. The St. Louis Rams, in a way, have to be hoping that the Houston Texans take a quarterback at #1 Overall. If Clowney is still there when the Rams pick, they could very easily make a trade along the lines for what they got in 2012 for Robert Griffin III from Washington, and they would still be able to get the offensive lineman they covet to give Sam Bradford some protection. Clowney is far and away the top talent in a very good draft class, and someone is going to break the bank to get him. So here is the 2014 TMG DraftZone DSA Player Rankings 3.0, with the average score and movement up or down from the previous rankings: 1) Jadaveon Clowney 2.10 0 2) Greg Robinson 3.00 2 3) Blake Bortles 4.40 (1) 4) Sammy Watkins 4.80 1 5) Khalil Mack 5.20 1 6) Jake Matthews 6.70 1 7) Johnny Manziel 7.30 1 8) Mike Evans 9.90 5 9) Anthony Barr 11.00 0 10) Justin Gilbert 11.30 0 11) Teddy Bridgewater 11.40 (8) 12) Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 13.30 (1) 13) Taylor Lewan 14.90 (1) 14) Aaron Donald 15.20 0 15) Darqueze Dennard 16.40 0 16) Eric Ebron 16.70 0 17) Tim Jernigan 19.50 9 18) Zack Martin 19.90 0 19) Odell Beckham 21.70 3 20) Calvin Pryor 21.80 (1) 21) Kony Ealy 22.40 3 22) Louis Nix 22.50 (2) 23) C.J. Mosley 23.10 (2) 24) Marqise Lee 23.70 (7) 25) Brandin Cooks 24.80 3 26) Derek Carr 24.80 0 27) Kyle Fuller 25.50 2 28) Bradley Roby 25.60 4 29) Dee Ford 27.40 5 30) Ryan Shazier 29.00 1 31) Jason Varrett 29.10 (8) 32) Kelvin Benjamin 31.30 3 33) Ra'Shade Hageman 33.00 (6) 34) Xavier Su'a-Filo 33.90 0 35) Cyrus Kouandijo 34.00 (5) 36) David Yankey 35.00 0 37) Jimmie Ward 36.20 0 It will be interesting to see if Tim Jernigan can continue to climb up the draft charts as he has, and if you are looking for a player outside of the Top 32, keep an eye on Jeremiah Attaochu, the talented but raw linebacker from Georgia Tech. He looks to be a solid 2nd Rounder, but a team like New England or Seattle, who can afford to develop a talent like his, might grab him in Round 1. It is 1 month until the 2014 NFL Draft. I should be able to post at least two more DSA Player Rankings, and it will be interesting to see who the late risers are for 2014.

Draft Day Free Screening

I just returned from a free screening of Draft Day down in Louisville. As a draft blogger, there was no way I was going to miss a movie about the NFL Draft. Especially a free one. It was worth the trip. As you probably already know, Kevin Costner plays the GM of the Cleveland Browns, and it follows him through the day of the first round of the NFL Draft, and the trials, tribulations and temptations of making the selections that will shape the future of your franchise. It focuses on the whys behind a player being selected, and how much playing a hunch on a gut feeling can factor into the pick. Costner is Sonny Weaver, Jr., the son of a legendary coach of the Browns who winds up being the boss of his father for a time, and who has come to Cleveland to build the team into the winner the fans of the Cleveland have been looking for since coming back into the league. Jennifer Garner is the salary cap analyst for the Browns front office, who loves the game and had to fight her way up the ladder in a man's world. Costner and Garner are also romantic partners, who find it difficult to carry on their relationship while working together in the same office. Denis Leary is the newly hired coach who butts heads with the GM, and Frank Langella is the owner who not only wants a winner but who wants the Browns to be more relevant in the NFL. Weaver starts the day receiving an offer too good to refuse, but he does. He wants to sit at #7 and get the playmaking linebacker he wants, but the owner wants the franchise quarterback at #1. The owner wins out, but the price has increased. Now the coach, who wants the best running back to build with, along with the quarterback who he believes in but is coming off of injury, sees the future of the team heading the wrong way. it all comes to a head when Commissioner Roger Goddell says the Cleveland Browns are on the clock. From here the war room action gets crazy. The GM starts to have doubts about the quarterback he traded to get, and wants to confirm those suspicions. The coach wants to make a deal that he thinks will benefit the team even more. The type of team HE wants to coach. And the owner has gone to New York to present the #1 jersey to his prized pick at the top of the draft. Needless to say, there is a lot of craziness that goes on during the first round, and in the end the Browns end up with the best end of all the bargains. Of course, I couldn't help but think that if the GM's in this movie were actually running teams in the NFL, they would not be around for Day 2 of the draft. Overall, I give Draft Day a draft grade of B+. Yes, it was a bit too manic, but not too over the top. And the real treat were the actors portraying the top prospects. They were convincing enough to make you believe they could be on the stage come May this year at Radio City Hall. As for the individual grades, I give Costner a late first/early second round grade. He was believable enough to the point that I'm sure there are Browns fans who wish he had been the GM during the last couple of drafts in Cleveland. Langella earns a mid-second round grade as the owner who wants the prize but only sees the shiny object, not the reason it may tarnish. I give Leary a late second round pick as the coach who has a Super Bowl ring, but just how egotistical is someone who constantly flashes the ring to prove a point. But for me the performance of Jennifer Garner makes her my #1 Overall Selection. Garner holds her own against the guys, but also completed the entire shoot in the most impossibly high heels. Now that is a trooper you want to build your franchise around. Draft Day opens on April 11th. I recommend it not only to draftniks everywhere but to all who want to spend an enjoyable evening at the movies. And don't forget to wear your favorite teams colors. It is a movie about the NFL, after all.

TMG Draft Zone 2014 Mock Draft 1.0

I've been so busy with other things in life that posting my first Mock Draft of 2014 has kept been getting put off. And now after The Scouting Combine and free agency, about all I can say is that you could take Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel, Jadaveon Clowney, Jake Matthews, Greg Robinson, Sammy Watkins and Khalil Mack, put their names in a hat, and draw out the first 8 blindly and not go wrong. I might just have to try it out and see what happens. In spite of his less than stellar showing at his pro day, I'm sticking with Bridgewater at the 1st Overall position. Bortles looked very good and Gus Bradley is going to have some sleepless nights wondering about the up and coming quarterback or the best player in the draft in Clowney. The Rams made a haul off of trading the pick that Washington made for Robert Griffin III, and I wonder if they feel like they can make a similar deal this time. They re-signed Roger Saffold after his deal with the Raiders fell through, and adding a bookend tackle would make life that much easier for Sam Bradford. Until the trade is made, I have the Rams taking the more athletic Robinson over the polished Matthews (for now). As for Matthews, I have him going 8th to Minnesota. The Vikings could use a franchise quarterback, but they re-signed Matt Cassell and have Christian Ponder as well. Say what you want about both quarterbacks, but they have both recently led teams to the playoffs. And how do you make an average signal caller better? Give him a great running back. The Vikings have the best in the game in Adrian Peterson. Give him targets to throw to. Minnesota has Corderrelle Patterson and Kyle Rudolph. Put a wall of an offensive line in front of him. Put Jake Matthews opposite Matt Kalil, and you have a tackle combination that most teams would love to have. Think this could work in Minnesota? Look what it did for Alex Smith in San Francisco. So here is the first mock draft from the TMG Draft Zone for 2014, with a 110% certainty to change in the next 2 months: 1) Houston Teddy Bridgewater 2) St. Louis Greg Robinson 3) Jacksonville Jadaveon Clowney 4) Cleveland Sammy Watkins 5) Oakland Blake Bortles 6) Atlanta Khalil Mack 7) Tampa Bay Justin Gilbert 8) Minnesota Jake Matthews 9) Buffalo Eric Ebron 10) Detroit Darqueze Dennard 11) Tennessee Anthony Barr 12) NY Giants Taylor Lewan 13) St. Louis Calvin Pryor 14) Chicago Louis Nix 15) Pittsburgh Ha'Sean Clinton Dix 16) Dallas C.J. Mosley 17) Baltimore Mike Evans 18) NY Jets Marqise Lee 19) Miami Zack Martin 20) Arizona Cyrus Kouandjio 21) Green Bay Jace Amaro 22) Philadelphia Jason Verrett 23) Kansas City Odell Beckham 24) Cincinnati Kyle Fuller 25) San Diego Tim Jernigan 26) Cleveland Johnny Manziel 27) New Orleans Ryan Shazier 28) Carolina Kelvin Benjamin 29) New England Aaron Donald 30) San Francisco Brandin Cooks 31) Denver Ra'Shade Hageman 32) Seattle Kony Ealy As you can see, I do not have Johnny Manziel going in the top 8 of the draft. I just feel that teams are going to get a little jittery in regards to Manziel, either the potential for injury for a running quarterback or that the risk won't match the reward. I do have Justin Gilbert going #7 to Tampa Bay as the replacement for Darrelle Revis. Buffalo needs some playmakers on offense, and Eric Ebron is too tempting to pass on at #9. Mike Evans would be a good choice for the Bills, but a physical monster like Ebron would be a great target for E.J. Manuel down the middle and in the red zone. However the first round of the draft falls out, there is talent aplenty from top to bottom. If you can find full 7 round mocks out there, or even just two rounders, look at the players in the 60's and 70's and you can probably make an argument that they could go in Round 1. I do know this: some GM is REALLY going to have to screw up his early picks to get a C grade or worse this year. But it always happens. I just wonder who it will be in 2014.

2014 DSA Player Rankings 2.0

The TMG Draft Zone has returned after a time on sick leave. I wasn't just under the weather. I was buried about 3 feet down before digging my way out. I was hoping to post the second DSA Player Rankings of 2014 right after the NFL Scouting Combine and before the start of free agency. But unable to do so, my mock draft research spans both events, so in a way it is an average of the Draft Slot Average. Jadaveon Clowney is once again a solid pick at #1 Overall, and the tide of the first quarterback to go has shifted from Teddy Bridgewater to Blake Bortles. But barely. The surprise among the quarterbacks is that Johnny Manziel is not feeling the love as he once did. Johnny Football dropped 4 spots down to #8, and in a way he has flipped positions with Greg Robinson. The athletic tackle, who wowed at the Combine, looks to be the first lineman to go off the boards instead of Jake Matthews. Robinson made a strong leap up 3 spots to #4, and is a mere three tenths of a point away from #2. Justin Gilbert also made a strong move, leaping 7 positions into the top 10 at #10. The top of the pack has started to separate from the rest, as there is already a nearly 3 point margin between #8 and #9. But the research I performed showed that the first round is getting to be a solid block of players. 20 players were listed in each mock draft I researched, 4 others were left out of one, and 4 others were left out of two of the mocks. Overall, there were 34 players who averaged 30 or better. Teams will be getting first round talent well into the third round of the draft this year. It's going to take a monumental screw-up for a team to get a bad grade on Draft Day this year. The biggest gainer was by far Aaron Donald, who jumped an incredible 17 positions. Odell Beckham was also a double digit gainer, moving up 10 spots. Justin Gilbert also made a strong move, leaping 7 positions into the top 10 at #10. Dropping hard were C.J. Mosley and Cyrus Kouandjio, who both fell 11 spots. I don't see Mosley staying down too long, but the concerns over the knee troubles of Kouandjio could cause him to be the winner of the Stone Drop Award of 2014, the player who started out the highest and who falls the farthest. Another candidate could be Kelvin Benjamin, the highest slotted player in the first DSA's who fell out completely the next time. Benjamin will not fall too far out of Round 2. He is too freakishly talented for someone to let him go too long, even if he has trouble catching the ball. So here is the 2nd 2014 DSA Player Rankings, with the average score and the positions gained or lost from the last DSA Rankings, and I promise to do better to keep my draft postings coming here to the TMG Draft Zone: 1) Jadaveon Clowney 2.10 0 2) Blake Bortles 3.10 1 3) Teddy Bridgewater 3.40 (1) 4) Greg Robinson 3.50 3 5) Sammy Watkins 5.00 0 6) Khalil Mack 6.20 2 7) Jake Matthews 7.90 (1) 8) Johnny Manziel 9.30 (4) 9) Anthony Barr 12.00 0 10) Justin Gilbert 13.00 7 11) Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 13.40 3 12) Taylor Lewan 14.10 (1) 13) Mike Evans 14.40 0 14) Aaron Donald 15.70 17 15) Darqueze Dennard 15.70 (3) 16) Eric Ebron 16.50 (1) 17) Marquise Lee 19.10 (1) 18) Zack Martin 19.40 5 19) Calvin Pryor 19.70 3 20) Louis Nix 20.80 1 21) C.J. Mosley 21.60 (11) 22) Odell Beckham 22.20 10 23) Jason Varrett 24.60 5 24) Kony Ealy 25.10 0 25) Derek Carr 25.40 (7) 26) Tim Jernigan 25.90 0 27) Ra'Shade Hageman 27.00 (7) 28) Brandin Cooks 27.80 5 29) Kyle Fuller 27.80 5 30) Cyrus Kouandijo 28.90 (11) 31) Ryan Shazier 29.50 4 32) Bradley Roby 29.60 4 33) Xavier Su'a-Filo 29.70 4 34) Dee Ford 30.60 4

Measuring the Combine

The 2014 NFL Scouting Combine is underway in Indianapolis. The prospects have been weighed and measures, and they are now going through their on-field workouts. And for the first time, the biggest discussion concerning the quarterbacks has been the hand measurements. I have already posted about why I feel the Houston Texans should take Teddy Bridgewater with the 1st Overall Pick of the draft. Now there are concerns about the size of his hands and whether he can hold onto the ball and make accurate passes in bad weather. I get the feeling that analysts are trying to raise the bar on nit-picking in leading up to the draft. Don't get me wrong. I understand the concerns. If a quarterback has a bigger hand, they can hold on to the ball better, especially in colder weather. But don't they make gloves to help a quarterback do just that? Jim McMahon wore gloves back in 1985 for the Chicago Bears, and he said it helped him throw a better pass. So much that he even wore them in the Super Bowl indoors at the Superdome. So to me that is less of a concern. But if you want to see how well Bridgewater can handle bad weather, go back and take a look at his game film from his sophomore season at Louisville. Having watched the Cardinals play that season on their way to the Sugar Bowl, Bridgewater played in rain and even more rain in over half of the games that season. Bridgewater played exceptionally all season, and I have no doubts that he can handle the weather in the NFL. What does worry me about Bridgewater is that he will not be participating in on-field drills at The Combine. I'm watching the wide receivers work out now, and they are catching passes from Blake Bortles and A.J. McCarron. I have always been a foremost advocate of quarterbacks throwing in the receiver drills, as it shows just how quickly a passer can adapt to changing instructions and how well they can adjust to different receivers. But Johnny Manziel and Derek Carr are not throwing in these drills either, for what it's worth. When I see a a quarterback not throw at The Combine, I think back to Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert. Newton did throw, and didn't look very good. Gabbert didn't throw at all, on the advice of his agent, just like Bridgewater, Manziel and Carr this year. But the teams saw the ability and desire of Newton to work on his game, and he threw much better at his Pro Day. It almost looked like Gabbert was trying to hide his flaws, and those have been exposed in his time with the Jaguars. If I were giving advice to a quarterback, I'd tell him to go out and throw as much as possible at The Combine, show how much and how readily you are wanting to learn, and to have fun. Go out and show that the size of your hands have no bearing on how well you can throw the ball. But most of all have fun and enjoy yourself. It's a job interview. Show your potential employers how much you enjoy playing football, and how much your chosen path means to you. It's tough to do that standing on the sidelines.

2014 DSA Player Rankings 1.0

It is time to reveal the first DSA Player Rankings from the TMG Draft Zone for 2014. Apologies for the delay in bringing the rankings to you as work has delayed my research in the past week. But I have been putting together the mock drafts, and the first DSA's of the year have proved that this year is going to be all about star power at the top of the draft. The Houston Texans have yet to tip their hand as to who they may take with the 1st Overall Pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, and I do not suspect they will any time soon. So mock drafts everywhere have Houston taking any number of players at the top. The Texans need a quarterback, and you can find mocks with Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles, or Johnny Manziel listed first. Or they could go for the best player in the draft, and you will also for Jadaveon Clowney rated at the top. But you will also find the three quarterbacks as far down as #8 to Minnesota, and Clowney no more then 5th to Oakland. Which is why Clowney leads the way in the first DSA Player Rankings of 2014. Sammy Watkins edged out Jake Matthews for the fifth slot, but they took very different paths to get there. Watkins can be found in just about any mock draft in the neighborhood of #5 to #7 for Tampa Bay. Matthews has as many postings at #2 to St. Louis as he does at #11 to Tennessee. The top 9 slots are rounded out by Greg Robinson, Khalil Mack, and Anthony Barr. It would not be much of a stretch to say, even this early in the process, that these nine players will be the first names called going down to Buffalo and their pick at #9. The one player would could easily find his way there is Derek Carr. Carr is #18, but 40% of the mock drafts I researched did not list him in the first round, and the others all had him at #8 to Minnesota. Carr certainly has to talent to compete with the top three QB's, and his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine and pro day at Fresno State will go a long way to determining where he goes in the draft. I have already written about the Jacksonville Jaguars taking Clowney at #3, then getting their quarterback in Round 2. If Carr does get past the Vikings in Round 1, I wonder how frantic the phone lines will be in the Jags draft office to make a trade. I can picture the Cleveland Browns being a likely trading partner with the 26th Pick they acquired from Indianapolis. If the Browns take a QB at #4, they may want to add more draft picks to their already sizable stockpile this year. Jacksonville would be moving up nine spots, and sending their second rounder plus a couple of late round picks, or a higher pick next year, could very well net the Jaguars a top flight signal caller to build around this coming season. So here is the DSA Player Rankings 1.0, exclusive to the TMG Draft Zone, for the 2014 NFL Draft: 1) Jadaveon Clowney 2.60 2) Teddy Bridgewater 3.00 3) Blake Bortles 3.70 4) Johnny Manziel 3.70 5) Sammy Watkins 5.50 6) Jake Matthews 5.80 7) Greg Robinson 6.70 8) Khalil Mack 7.70 9) Anthony Barr 8.80 10) C.J. Mosley 13.00 11) Taylor Lewan 14.40 12) Darqueze Dennard 15.00 13) Mike Evans 15.70 14) Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 16.10 15) Eric Ebron 16.60 16) Marquise Lee 17.40 17) Justin Gilbert 18.90 18) Derek Carr 19.10 19) Cyrus Kouandijo 20.00 20) Ra'Shade Hageman 22.30 21) Louis Nix 22.80 22) Calvin Pryor 23.60 23) Zack Martin 24.60 24) Kony Ealy 24.80 25) Kelvin Benjamin 24.90 26) Tim Jernigan 26.60 27) Jace Amaro 28.90 28) Jason Varrett 29.40 29) Stephon Tuitt 30.10 30) Allen Robinson 30.60 31) Aaron Donald 30.60 32) Odell Beckham 31.50 Three players I want to keep an eye on up to and just past the NFL Scouting Combine, and where they start to find themselves in mock drafts everywhere, and Eric Ebron, Kelvin Benjamin, and Calvin Pryor. Ebron and Benjamin are both physical marvels, but Ebron has the polish and Benjamin is a work in progress. But teams love to have big targets such as these 2, and I can see both moving up draft boards everywhere. As for Pryor, teams are really starting to go with the physical safeties to play the middle of the field, and though Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix has long been seen as the top player at that position, there are many who see Pryor as one with just as much talent as Clinton-Dix, and the value placed at the position recently could move him up to the middle of the first round, possible to St. Louis at #13. The NFL Scouting Combine is coming up in less than 3 weeks, and it will be interesting to see who is getting some buzz talk going before, and then who will be the biggest winner coming out of Indianapolis later this month.

Defense Wins Championships

The Seattle Seahawks proved the old adage true tonight in putting a WWE-style smackdown on the Denver Broncos 43-8 to capture the Super Bowl. My prediction of a 3 point Denver win was off just a little (to say the least!), but I'm not sure too many people saw this coming. But I think it is safe to say that the rout was spotted about 12 seconds into the game when a botched snap led to a safety, and it was all downhill from there for Denver. I can't help but think what this win for Seattle will do for the draft stock of defensive players going into the upcoming 2014 NFL Draft. Yes, having a franchise quarterback is important, don't get me wrong, but if you have a defense that can go facemask to facemask with the best in the game and completely shut them down like the Seahawks did then there are going to be a lot of teams rethink their draft plan and who they might take in May. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. It was pointed out during the broadcast that the Seahawks defense was built from the back forward, and that is very much against the norm. A front four can get pressure on the quarterback if he doesn't have any one to throw to, and with Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and friends in the secondary, it was nearly impossible all season for opponents of Seattle. Looking at the top draft prospects, I can easily see Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix, Calvin Pryor, Justin Gilbert, Darqueze Dennard, Jason Varrett and all of the top secondary prospects moving up the draft boards for the next three months. And if I were scouting for an NFL team, I'd take a look at corners that can physically match up with receivers even though they may not have the speed one has usually coveted. If a corner can win the battle off the line of scrimmage, it is easier to keep coverage throughout the play. Who needs catch up speed if you are already blanketing the target. With the season over, I'll start gathering my DSA Player Ranking data and putting out my own mock drafts. This is a time that I always look forward to, the time when hope springs eternal. Until that first bad draft pick for your team makes you yell out 'WHAT THE BLEEP WERE THEY THINKING!!!'

Super Sunday from New Jersey

The loyal readers of the TMG Draft Zone will remember the comments I made about the Super Bowl being held in an outdoor stadium at a cold weather location from back in May 2010, right after the announcement came down that the big game would be in New Jersey following the 2013 season. I said back then that the big weather concern would be the wind, and it looks like it may play a part after all. How much the wind swirls is going to directly affect how the ducks of Peyton Manning flutter around the yard, and in a close game as most seem to think we will have, I can see the outcome being determined by the kicking game. A little breeze here, a gust there, and the ball is wide right or left, and Super Dreams are lost. My prediction for the game: Denver 23, Seattle 20. Matt Prater makes the game winning kick, his third of the day, in spite of the conditions at the buzzer, and no one remembers because Manning will get all the press. Perhaps in time they will, as has happened with Adam Vinateri and his game winner for New England. But for now, the quarterbacks will be all the talk of the game. Just like they will be come draft day in May.

Mock Draft Mode

The TMG Draft Zone had to take a break as I have been in the process of moving, and finding the time to write has been a bit on the difficult side lately. But now that I have just about everything in place once again, and with a week before the Super Bowl, it is just about time to get back into Mock Draft Mode here in the Draft Zone. As you all know, I do not put out my first mock draft until after the Super Bowl. I believe in getting the draft order set (unless there is a coin flip to determine a spot in the order) before trying to figure out who will be going where come draft time. But publishing mock drafts is now a year round business, and they have been coming fast and furious lately. The latest one I read has caused me to want to reveal who is going to be at the top of my first mock draft, and he will be at the top of all the mocks I put forth unless the Houston Texans go out and pick up a quarterback somewhere. I have seen Johnny Manziel listed at #1, along with Jadaveon Clowney, and just today I looked at a mock draft that had Blake Bortles going first overall. Houston needs a quarterback, and I will put Teddy Bridgewater in the top spot until the Texans make a deal to get a new signal caller in this off season, if they do at all. I have lived in the Louisville area the last 6 years, but that is not the reason I am putting Bridgewater at the top. He is by far the most pro ready quarterback with the fewest question marks going in to the draft, and he will be the best of the group down the road. I listened to a number of Louisville games on the radio, and I cannot tell you the number of times I heard the announcers complain that the Cardinals were running a boring offense. It was the type of offense where the quarterback took snaps from under center, handed the ball off to the running backs, ran play action passes, passed the ball from the pocket, where he used his mobility to makes plays outside the pocket in space to find an open receiver, and could run for first downs when no one was open. Does this sound familiar? It should. It is called a PRO OFFENSE. Bridgewater is not going to need to be schooled in how the pros run their offenses when he gets to the NFL. He has been running that system already. His accuracy from the pocket and on the move is tremendous. Can he make plays in the open field? Take a look at the last two plays against Cincinnati this year. He scrambled out and got a first down running backwards, then threw a touchdown pass from more than 30 yards as he was being pulled down to the ground to win the game. Some will say he played against inferior competition in conference play? Take a look at what he did against Florida in the Sugar Bowl and Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl. Others will point out that he is slight of frame. I'm sure that he is already on a training regiment that will get him more muscle, and no one should question his toughness after playing with a broken wrist in 2012 to clinch the Big East title and a BCS Bowl bid. But what I am looking to see out of Bridgewater at the NFL Scouting Combine is what he scores on the Wonderlic test. People I have talked to in Louisville who know Bridgewater say that he is one of the smartest, most intelligent people they have met. He graduated in 2 1/2 years while playing football, and his athletic ability on the field might even be surpassed by his intelligence level off the gridiron. There have been a number of quarterbacks taken high in the draft who failed miserably in the NFL, and too many of them did not have the prowess above the neck to match what they had below it. I'll be putting out my first mock draft next week, and you will see Teddy Bridgewater at the top. And unless the Houston Texans make a bold move to trade out of the top spot of go out and get another quarterback, you will be seeing Teddy at the top until the 2014 NFL Draft commences in May.

The Big Question Going Forward

Looking at the top of the 2014 NFL Draft, there is already a consensus of opinion forming in the draftnik ranks. It has the Houston Texans selecting Teddy Bridgewater 1st Overall, and the St. Louis Rams beefing up their offensive line with Jake Matthews going second. Houston needs a quarterback, and I'm sure that there will be a lot of jockeying for the 2nd pick from other teams in need. The Rams have Sam Bradford at quarterback, and they believe as I do that he can be the franchise signal caller they envisioned him to be with the first pick of the 2010 NFL Draft. They also have a pair of outstanding pass rushers in Chris Long and Robert Quinn, so even though a pick of Jadaveon Clowney added to the defense could happen at #2, I believe it will be another team making that pick with a trade. But if the Bridgewater/Matthews scenario holds, and you are the Jacksonville Jaguars, what move do you make? I brought up this in my previous blog, and if it comes to play it will be discussed for a long, long time. The Jaguars need a quarterback, but they have needed a pass rush for what seems like forever. Jacksonville was last in the NFL in sacks in 2013, and getting to the quarterback is just as important in the NFL today as having a franchise quarterback. Al Davis put it best when he once said 'The other team's quarterback must go down, and he must go down hard.' Many mock drafts are already slotting Blake Bortles from nearby Central Florida to the Jaguars. And the pick makes a lot of sense. But keep in mind that the Head Coach of Jacksonville is Gus Bradley, and he cut his NFL teeth building a nasty defense in Seattle, all the while being led on offense at quarterback by first Matt Hassleback, a veteran nearing the end of his days as a starter, then by Russell Wilson, a special talent but one that was a third round draft pick. I wonder if Bradley believes that he can catch the Wilson lightning in a bottle again. But I can see Bradley looking to piece together a defense along the lines of the one he coached in Seattle. To do so, he will need to beef up the pass rush, and I cannot see Jacksonville passing on Clowney if he is still available. The Jaguars have Chad Henne right now, and though no one is going to consider him a franchise quarterback, he did lead Jacksonville to four wins in the second half of the season, and he can steer the ship until a quarterback such as Zach Mettenberger or Tajh Boyd is ready to take the reins. This is going to be The Big Question Going Forward: Do you go for the sexy pick of quarterback at the top of the draft, or do you go for the smart pick? One thing that the history of the NFL Draft has shown us is that there is no such thing as a sure thing, but it has also shown us that the smartest drafters always benefit the most in the long run. Jacksonville was smart in 2013 with a draft that brought in Luke Joeckel, Jonathon Cyprien, Ace Sanders, and Dwayne Gratz. They would be smart again to keep building on the 2013 finish by adding Jadaveon Clowney if he is there at #3 and then to add a quarterback they can build on in Round 2.

The Year of The Pretty Boys

It's getting to be that time of year. It's NFL Draft Season, and the TMG Draft Zone is back. If the 2013 NFL Draft was known for not having a sure fire star at the top, the 2014 Draft will be known for possibly having too many big names to choose from. Who will be going where, and who will be drafting them, will be discussed at length for the next 4 months. The 2013 NFL Draft will be known as The Year of The Big Uglies. The top seven selections were offensive or defensive lineman. The first skill player chosen was Tavon Austin by the St. Louis Rams, who engineered a trade with Buffalo to move up eight slots and take the dynamic playmaker. The New York Jets followed with cornerback Dee Milliner, then 4 of the next 5 players selected were lineman. Only one quarterback was selected in the first round, with Buffalo taking E.J. Manuel in the 16th slot with the pick they acquired from the Rams in the Austin trade. No running backs went in Round 1, though Giovanni Bernard and Eddie Lacy had big impacts for Cincinnati and Green Bay after going in Round 2. The 2014 NFL Draft will see no such dispersal of position players. It will be The Year of The Pretty Boys. The Quarterback Draft. I caught some grief for making a bold prediction last year that 5 quarterbacks would go in Round 1 of the draft, as the yearly Panic In The Draft Room would set in. Although only one was taken, 6 rookie quarterbacks wound up starting a game in 2013, so I do feel some vindication with my prediction. There was panic, it just waited to hit in season. This year the Panic In The Draft Room will hit long before draft night. It will hit a team hard and they are going to make a bold move up the boards to get the player they want. But this year, the teams that are truly in need of a quarterback are already at the top of the draft. It is going to come down to who REALLY WANTS their man. The quarterbacks in the 2014 NFL Draft are going to command much of the attention this year, and rightfully so. The top three at this time are Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles, and Johnny Manziel. Bortles has the NFL prototype size and arm strentgh, Manziel can make plays all over the field, and Bridgewater combines the best of what NFL teams are looking for: accuracy, intelligence, leadership. It will not be a bold prediction to say that these three players will go in the top 5, and it would not be one either to add Derek Carr into the top 5 as well. The younger brother of former 1st Overall Pick David Carr matches up well with Bortles physically and many see him as having the best upside of all the top prospects. As good as these four players are looking right now, take a look at what you might call Tier 2 of the quarterbacks. A.J. McCarron, who won two national titles at Alabama. Tajh Boyd, who led Clemson to a Top 10 season and an Orange Bowl win. Zach Mettenberger and Aaron Murray are coming off of knee injuries, but both were considered Heisman candidates at the start of the season. both should be ready to go by the start of training camps. I have long said that teams picking at the top of the draft have just as important of a selection at the start of Round 2. There are first round talents there, and making the right choice can prove to be just as much of a windfall as the player taken in Round 1. Jacksonville did well in selecting Jonathon Cyprien, and Philadelphia got a steal at tight end with Zack Ertz. I wonder how many teams are going to look at the quarterbacks in the 2014 Draft, see a player who fits their needs and they can get in Round 2, and then take the player who is going to have the biggest impact right away in Round 1. Quarterbacks are going to rule the day in May, but if need a pass rusher or offensive line help as well as a quarterback, I wonder how many teams are going to make the bold move and take Jadaveon Clowney or Jake Matthews and then roll the dice on a quarterback later on in the draft. But in the NFL, you must have the right man at the quarterback position. So the Pretty Boys are going to fly off the draft board like never before. Can you imagine a talent like Clowney falling to Atlanta at #6, and then adding him to a team that fell hard last year due mostly to injuries on both sides of the ball but is just one year removed for the NFC Championship game? The Falcons can sit and wait, and like everyone else they are going to have four months to think it over.