Football Fragments - An Interview with NFL Draft Statistics – Part 4

 A Series of Interviews with Draft Statistics of the NFL - Part 4

Random Thoughts - Position Strength of the 2008 Draft

  by Drew Boylhart

Every year the “experts” who mimic and repeat what they hear about players and the draft in general give us all a general talent grade for the draft before it starts.  They gather all the “inside” information and suggest to us if the draft is deep or if it is void of any real good talent.   As you know by now as far as I’m concerned, I have never seen a draft that does not have talent in it.  I believe you just have to find it.  It’s that simple.  If you team is suggesting to the press and in interviews that this draft or for that matter any other draft is weak and not very talented you can bet your team is screwed.  The draft always has talent and is good every year because if it wasn’t then teams who are in the playoffs year after year and are drafting at the bottom of every round would not be finding any talent and we all know that is not happening.  That being said - here is my take on the talent in this years draft. 

OFFENSE

QB - Excellent - Everybody is suggesting that this is not a good year for QB’s but that is just because the need for QB’s in the first round is not there like it has been for other drafts.  There are Franchise QB’s like Matt Ryan , JD Booty, and developmental Franchise QB’s like Chad Henne, Matt Flynn, Andre Woodson, Dennis Dixon, Josh Johnson. Then there are development starting QB’s like Brian Brohm, Paul Smith, Kevin O’Connel. Joe Flacco, TC Ostrander, Sam Keller and some even think that Colt Brennan might make it someday as a starter.  This is a very strong group with excellent potential.   

RB - Excellent - There are Franchise RB’s and Developmental Franchise RB’s and Developmental Starting RB’s along with third down RB’s.  There will be RB’s in the Rookie free agent pool after the draft is over that will impact.  There always is.

FB  - Very Good - There is a small group of very good FB’s but the NFL doesn’t use FBs for some ridicules reason.  Owen Schmitt is a joy to watch along with Patrick Hillis.  Jacob Hester will find a way to do what is asked of him and Jerome Felton is a dam good blocker to say the least.  At some point it’s going to dawn on coaches that the way to keep a QB from getting injured is to use a fullback! Not an H-back or a TE in the backfield, a fullback.  It’s just that simple.

OL - Excellent - There is ONE pure Franchise LT Ryan Clady - There is ONE Franchise LT/LG Jake Long.  There are a ton of good developmental college LT’s that will have to be moved inside or to the right side.  That makes them developmental O-lineman with excellent potential to be starters and or franchise lineman.  Centers are very good developmental centers but have physical limitations that can be corrected with good coaching and drafting to fit systems. 

TE - Solid -  there are only a few potentially complete TE’s in this draft.  The rest are Hybrids WR’s or H-Backs that will have problems unless they are drafted too fit a system.

WR  - Excellent - Tall , fast, big, strong, quick, good hands.  Also you can take your pick of Possession WR, Speed WR’s, Special team WR’s.  It’s like going to a buffet table.  Very strong and deep into Rookie free agency.  

 

DEFFENSE

DT  - Very Good -  There is one pure Franchise DT, Sedrick Ellis.  Dorsey is good but will take time, Pressley has excellent talent and the rest will all need time and need better coaching and must be drafted into the system their talents can best be used. 

DE  - Good - Chris Long, Vernon Gholston are franchise players.  Harvey reminds me of Jevon Kearse , take that for what it is worth.  Campbell has the size and the talent but no heart, Johnny Dingle has excellent potential but the rest are situational pass rushers with good developmental skills.  The biggest problem with this group except for Long Gholston and Dingle is heart, passion and work ethic.  The talent is there!

LB  - Excellent - Keith Rivers, Dan Conner, Curtis Lofton, Philip Wheeler, Beau Bell,  all have franchise potential.  Then add to that the developmental potential to be a franchise or starting LB like, Ben Moffitt,  Jordon Dizon, Alvin Bowen, Curtis Gatewood, Thomas Williams,  Jonathan Goff.  Add to that a player or two or three in the rookie free agent pool and you got a hell of a linebacker draft.

CB  - Good - You have Mike Jenkins, Reggie Smith, Antoine Cason as starting CB’s that good turn into Franchise CB’s.  The rest of the group has excellent developmental potential but it will take some time.  Special teams will save a few.

S - Solid - No real standouts.  Plenty of talent and solid players.  Personally I’m not as high as everyone else is on Kenny Philips.  I think he is solid but not a stand out safety.  It looks like Kenny will be picked much higher then I think he should be because of his size.  But I don’t see the instincts.  Maybe he will prove me wrong!  

Overall rating of this draft - Excellent just like it is every freaking year!!!

Football Fragments - An Interview with NFL Draft Statistics – Part 3

by Fred Jones

This is the third part of the interview with Draft Stat.  We’ve moved the interview location to one of Fred’s favorite places:  Gulf Shores, Alabama.  Stat likes to have his data publicized in addition to being interviewed about things with which he’s quite conversant.  He also appears to enjoy the libations that he’s provided during the interviews.  The interview now continues.

ME:  Welcome, Stat, to the third part of this in-depth interview regarding NFL Draft statistics.

STAT:  Thank you and I must say you guys at The Huddle Report do know how to treat a guest.  I imagine your readers do get the full benefit of their subscription payment with all the information and insights you provide.

ME:  Yes, I think they do.  But, let’s get on with it.  I know your time is valuable and you are preparing for  the up-coming draft and you must be in perfect form for all the numbers that will be generated there.  As a reminder, we’re still talking day one draft from 1998 through 2006.  So here goes.

My first question expands the scope of your answers to include the annual Rookie Cap.  For our readers, the Rookie Cap is the specific pool of money within each team’s salary cap that is earmarked for signing the team’s selected draftees and un-drafted free agents.  It’s the maximum amount a team can spend to sign their draftees in that year.  Under the CBA, the Rookie Cap rises in sync with the league salary cap so the rookies’ pot doesn’t increase any faster than the veterans’ pot of money.  Each year the Rookie Cap for each team is determined by a battery of lawyers, accountants, and magicians representing the league and the players’ association.  Determining the amount of money each franchise can spend on its rookies is controlled by calculations not made public, but factors in the number of draft choices and the position of those draft choices each franchise has that year.  Why it’s secret, I don’t know, but that’s how it is.  I’m pursuing this line of questions to see if teams are getting more “value” from first round picks than from second round picks than from third round picks.  For this argument, “value” is the money spent on rookie contracts versus the games played and won.

STAT:  Wow!  I appreciate your specificity.  It helps me focus on the right data for my answers.  I wish some of the NFL commentators would be so clear in what they present as facts to the public.  Unfortunately and often times that’s not the case; the fans get numbers thrown at them that are confusing.  I realize the “talking heads” are only doing their job of reading what’s put in front of them, but you’d think they’d have a bit more conscience as to what comes out of their mouths.  But, I digress and I’m sorry to interrupt.  It’s just that I get frustrated at the way some folks incorrectly use my material.

ME:  I understand and sympathize with you Stat, but let’s get back on track.  As you have probably understood, my questions have been to determine if there is a correlation between a team’s drafting results and  their won-loss record.  So far, it appears that drafting still comes down to picking the right players, not quantity or drafting position.  Over the nine years we’ve been talking about, which teams spent the most Rookie Cap dollars on first day draft picks?

STAT:  Remember in the previous part of the interview, I told you that the Cardinals and the Rams tied with the most first day draft picks with 32?

ME:  Uh-huh.

STAT:  Well, the Cardinals spent more than $32 million on those picks.  For some reason, that franchise has had a reputation of being tight-fisted.  Go figure.  Pardon the pun.

ME:  I know we are talking just the first year Rookie Cap figures but they reflect perceived value of the draftee and that first year figure is generally a base for the typical initial four year contract for most first day draftees.

In a way that’s surprising about the Cardinals, but if you consider the Rookie Cap rules, it makes sense.  O.K.  Which team has spent the least Rookie Cap dollars on first day picks?

STAT: The Buccaneers have spent a little more that $15.5 million on their picks.  But note that they had only 22 picks as compared to the Cardinals who had 32 picks.

ME:  Remind me.  The Cardinals won-loss record was what during that period and the Buccaneers won-loss record was what?

STAT:  The Cardinals went 50 and 94.  The Buccaneers went 77 and 67.

ME:  H-m-m.  So the idea that quantity of, and dollars spent on, first day draft picks are not critical factors in winning in the NFL, huh?

STAT:  Apparently not.

ME:  Hey, do you want a brewski?  I’m getting a bit dry from talking, so I’m going to have one.

STAT:  Sure, I’ll take one.  I don’t like to see someone drink alone.

ME:  How about some other teams?  What about the Patriots? The Cowboys?  The Redskins?  The Lions?  And The 49ERS?

STAT:  Well, The Patriots had 29 first-day draft picks.  They spent a little over $22 million and their record was 92 and 52.  The Cowboys…24 draft picks…about $18.5 million …67 wins and 77 losses.  The Redskins…20 draft picks…about $18.5 million…65 wins and 79 losses.  The Lions…28 draft picks…almost $28 million…46 wins and 98 losses.

ME:  What team got the most bang for their bucks?  What I mean is what team got the most wins during that period for the money they spent on their first day draft picks?

STAT:  Oh, now you want me to do some math, huh?  The Patriots, followed by the Steelers, the Buccaneers, the Packers, and the Colts.

ME:  And who is on the other end?

STAT: Far and away the Browns.

ME:  We’ve been talking about first day draftees here.  Let’s shift gears a bit to look at the first round draft choices to see if this view has any trends.  Which team spent the most on first round picks and how many picks are we talking about?

STAT:  The Raiders have had 12 first round picks.  They spent a bit over $14.5 million on these 12 guys.  But the Cardinals had 11 first round picks and spent almost $20 million.  The Dolphins had only 5 first round picks and spent almost $7 million.  That’s the range.

ME:  That’s quite a range.  From 5 to 12 first round picks and from $7 million to almost $20 million.   I’m going to ask you to do some math again, but we’ll finish this portion of the interview with it.  What was the average amount spent on first rounders during this period?  On second rounders?  On third rounders?

STAT:  That’s three questions and the answers will cost you one final brew.  Do you want exact to the penny or round numbers?

ME:  Round them off.  It’ll be fine.  Here’s your brew.

STAT: Thanks.  The average dollars spent on the first rounders was almost $1.5 million each.  The average spent on the second rounders was about $619,000 and the third rounders cost about $421,000.

ME:  Stat, thanks for this information.  I’d like to continue this line of questions a bit longer in another session, if you don’t mind.  I’d like to ponder these answers.  I see a few more pertinent aspects of the draft numbers I’d like to pursue.  O.K.?

STAT:  Just name the time and place.

Random Thoughts

  by Drew Boylhart

• Congratulations to the New England Patriots. They are the best team in football and deserved to be in the Super Bowl. This Patriot team is on the verge of making history. I guess the big question in everybody’s mind will be how much will the “incident” affect that history? Will history show that the Patriots rose above it or will it always be a nagging part of the story? I guess the commissioner decided what part of history it would be by handing out a penalty and I guess the Patriots rose above that penalty and had an undefeated season anyway. That’s what good teams do. They take adversity and overcome. Congratulations to the Patriot fans and organization.

 

• Congratulations to the Garden State Giants. You talk about over coming adversity! They had to overcome Plexico Burris playing and practicing whenever he felt like it. Jeremy Shockey playing whenever he felt like it and being a disruptive force that kept Eli from becoming the leader he has been the last few games. A secondary that at times has played like a group of high school players, a coach who at the beginning of the season was going to be fired. Michael Strahan not showing up for camp due to personal problems and the team calling themselves a New York team and playing in New Jersey the Garden State! Now that’s adversity! Oh yea I almost forgot, I had to deal with Giant fan after Giant fan, E-mailing me during the season and telling me how “wrong” I was in my profile about Eli Manning. Now that’s adversity!

 

• I put my first mock draft up and let me tell you the reaction was amazing. First to all to the fans of the Falcons Chiefs and Raiders, I know the order of picking for those three teams will be decided by a coin flip. All I did was list them (for the time being) in alphabetical order for the purpose of doing a mock draft! It wasn’t meant to insult any one or favor one team over another. It was just a way to do a mock draft. That’s all it was. Seriously!

 

• There was a player who played in the Shrine Game that I wanted to see real bad and the kid did not disappoint me. In fact I wish they would invite him to the Senior Bowl. The kids name is Josh Johnson QB San Diego. He is a part of a QB class in this draft that is outstanding. He is a QB with excellent athletic talents but can make plays from the pocket, read defenses, and has a gun for an arm. His leads by being infectious and making the players around him play better because of his talents. The kid is the real deal. A first round talent that will be downgraded because he needs to bulk up, and show his ability to learn a complex offense and level of competition. For me personally he is the real deal and drafting him in the second round makes a whole lot of sense to me.

 

• Now the Packers have lost and the Farve countdown in the press will begin. I wish ESPN would just leave him alone and let him make up his mind at his own pace. I hope Favre makes up his mind and does not let the situation linger on any longer than it has too. This is almost as bad as when you knew at the start of the school year that the bully of the school was going to give you a wedgie and there was nothing you could do to stop it. All you could do was anticipate the anguish!

 

• Tony Romo when he stays within himself - can be a good QB. When his mechanics are good and solid and he throws over the top he reminds me of Jake Delhomme QB Panthers. But when he tries to get fancy, drop his elbow and impersonate Brett Farve - the kid is a disaster waiting to happen. I don’t believe that Wade Philips and Jason Garrett are strong enough coaches to keep this kid going in the right direction. It could be a long season for the Cowboys next year if someone doesn’t get a hold of this kid real fast.

 

• I suggested in the profile I did on Vince Young (see THR achieves) that Vince would go through a few coaches before he would become a winning QB at the NFL level. I said the same thing about Alex Smith before he was the first pick of the 2005 draft. Alex is now on his third offensive coordinator and Vince has just blown through his first offensive coordinator. This is what you get when you draft an athlete to play QB for your team instead of a QB.

Football Fragments - An Interview with NFL Draft Statistics – Part 2

by Fred Jones

This is the second part of the interview with Draft Stat being conducted by Fred Jones.  It begins at The Huddle Report’s get-a-way somewhere on Padre Island.  Stat has made his data available and Fred is asking questions regarding the draft from 1998 through 2006 and the players taken in the first three rounds of those drafts.  So it continues.

ME:  Good afternoon, Stat.  It’s a nice day here on Padre Island.  I hope you are enjoying the weather here on the beach.

STAT:  Yes, it’s quite nice.  Of course, it’s not like Indianapolis in February or March.

ME:  Ah, yes.  You’re referring to the site of the NFL Draft Combine, huh?

STAT:  Yes.  I don’t know why they can’t conduct the Combine in places like here, perhaps Miami or even San Diego.  I guess there would be too many distractions.

ME:  O.K.  We left off the interview with questions regarding the number of defensive and offensive players taken in the recent nine years of the draft.  Let’s finish up on that topic first.  Which playing position has had the most selections in round 1, round 2 and round 3?

STAT:  41 cornerbacks were taken in round 1.  In round 2 there’s a tie at 39 between defensive tackles and centers.  In the 3^rd round, linebackers come in first at 52.

ME:  So on day one of the draft, what are the top five positions taken?

STAT:  First is cornerback at 116.  Second is linebacker at 108.  Third is wide receiver at 90.  Fourth is defensive tackle at 84.  And fifth is defensive end at 65.  Here’s an interesting side note: only 2 punters and three kickers have been taken on the first draft day during this period.

ME:  Yeah well, that’s not too surprising.  Moving on.  Let’s talk about running backs.  Is there anything, statistically speaking, interesting about running backs taken in this period?

STAT:  All my data is interesting.  It’s just that some analysts find certain data more interesting than other data.  But in the context of your question, it’s curious that 55 running backs have been selected: 28 of them in the first round, 3 in the second round, and 24 in the third round.  It appears it’s rare for a running back to be taken in the second round, huh?

ME:  That last comment is a question.  I’m here to do the questions.  O.K.?  What about quarterbacks?

STAT: 26 were taken in the round 1 and 14 taken in rounds 2 and 3 each.

ME:  I sense that I’ve offended you a bit.  I didn’t mean to.  Let’s have a brew.  I’m buying.

STAT:  O.K., but not fruit wedges in mine.

ME:  I thing we’ve covered the playing positions pretty well, but we may get back to them later.  Now I’d like to talk about how the teams draft on day one.  Which team has had the most draft picks on day one from 1998 through 2006?

STAT:  There’s a tie here.  The Cardinals and the Rams each have had 32 first day picks.

ME:  And on the other end, which team has had the fewest draft picks on day one?

STAT:  I’ll disregard the Texans in my answer since they only began picking in 2002.  Given that exception, there’s another tie.  The Redskins and the Falcons have the fewest day one picks.  Each team had only 20 selections.

ME:  It seems that there’s a lot of admiration for the Patriots these days since they went undefeated in the 2007-2008 regular season.  How many first day picks did the Patriots have?

STAT:  The Patriots had 10 first round picks, 10 second round picks and 9 third round picks.

ME:  Let me try a new type of question on you Stat.  Do you see any trends in the number of first day selections and the number of wins and losses a team had during this period?  Is that a fair question?

STAT:  First of all, it’s a fair question.  And second, I’d like another brew.  But to get to your real question, my answer is nope.

ME:  Could you elaborate a bit?

STAT:  Let’s take the Patriots with their 29 picks.  In that period they had 92 regular season wins and 52 losses.  The Raiders also had 29 picks, but they had only 64 wins and 80 losses.  Here are some others: The Bears had 30 first day picks, 68 wins and 76 losses.  The Colts had 27 picks, 92 wins and 52 losses.  And the Ravens had only 21 picks, but had 81 wins and 63 losses.  So go figure!

ME:  I guess that’s a bit surprising, but perhaps there is something in the theory of who you pick versus how many you pick.

STAT: Perhaps.  Hey, the Lions had 28 picks and had only 46 wins and 98 losses!

ME:  O.K.

STAT: And the Titans had 28 picks, 81 wins and 63 losses!

ME:  O.K.  O.K.  Let’s move on.  This next series of questions are a bit more complex.  They relate to the first round draft picks of each team and how many games these first rounders played in for the team that picked them.  Over the nine seasons, each team played 144 regular season games.  Which team had their first round picks play the most games during this period?

STAT:  Interesting question.  The Browns played their first round draft picks in 99.8% of those 144 games.  And they had 40 wins and 88 losses.

ME:  And the fewest games played by their first round picks?

STAT: The Ravens’ first round picks only played in 65.6% of the possible regular season games.  During that time, the Ravens won 81 games and lost 63.

ME:  Some people would say this is definitely upside down, but if that’s what the numbers show…

STAT:  Yes, that’s what they show.

ME:  What about the same question regarding second round picks?

STAT:  First of all, I tell you that there is no trend here either.  The Chargers played their second round draft picks the most: 80.8% while winning 66 games and losing 78 games.  At the bottom of the list, the Falcons played their second round picks only 8.8% of the possible games.  They won 70 games and lost 73.

And to answer your next question, there is no trend with playing third round picks either.  The Packers played their third round picks in 92.5% of their games and won 84 while losing 60.  The Ravens played their third round picks in 38.7% of their games while winning 81 and losing 63.

ME:  My belief that it’s the quality of the selection that may be the telling factor in the success a team realizes in the Draft, not the quantity of players taken.  Of course, I don’t mean to insult you, STAT.

STAT:  No insult taken.  I just do numbers.

ME:  Great.  Then let’s move on.  Uh-oh!  Look at the time.  I’m afraid we’ll have to call it quits for now and pick up on the interview tomorrow.  Is that O.K. with you, STAT?

STAT:  Sure.  I’ll be here.  I’m just going to sit here a while and enjoy the sun, the sand and the ocean.  Er, leave the last of that six-pack.  O.K.?

Football Fragments - An Interview with NFL Draft Statistics – Part 1

by  Fred Jones

This is the first of a series of interviews I conducted with that famous NFL Draft guru, Draft Statistics, known to his friends as Stat.  I decided to conduct these interviews to gain a better insight for both myself and the readers of The Huddle Report so we would appreciate the work, complexity, and financial expense surrounding the annual ritual of drafting players into the NFL.

I’ve known Stat for a few years and we’ve manipulated many numbers together.  Stat has a tendency to be pretty rigid in his stances while I continue to fight the emotion of the moment.  But Stat has his faults, too; often he trends to live in the past and cannot see what’s happening now or think about the future.  So, our friendship is complementary.

Stat’s range of data knowledge is extensive and given to being notably affected by the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the players and the team owners.  And each time the CBA is modified, Stat changes the way he collects his numerical information.  It makes comparing information across years a bit moot, so these interviews will be limited within the years 1998 and 2006.  This allows for comparisons under the same basic set of rules and limitations.

I sat down with Stat during the 2006-2007 Bowl season to watch a few games and have a few brews.  While he was rapidly recording a bunch of numbers, I asked him if I could ask him some questions about the NFL Draft for the record.  Stat said, “Of course.  All my answers are on record.”  So it began.  I opened another two brews for us and began the first part of the interview.

ME:  O.K., Stat, let’s start with an easy question.  What’s the most surprising thing in your records?

STAT: Whoa there, big fella.  That’s like asking Hugh Hefner which playmate is the best.  And like Hugh, my answer depends on what your preferences are.  Are you partial to blondes?  Dimensions?   The current playmates compared to those from decades past?  You see, the answer is in the eye of the beholder.

ME:  I see what you mean.  So let’s establish some boundaries on the numbers.  I’d like to focus on recent drafts.  And say we only consider those draftees taken in the first three rounds.  Also, let’s restrict this interview to those players that are drafted by a team and plays(ed) for that team.  I know you’re still compiling numbers on the 2007 NFL season, let’s limit the range of years from 1998 through 2006.  O.K.?

STAT: Fine.  That’s how to get information that’s meaningful from my numbers.  It’s funny how many people ignore establishing a common ground for looking at numbers and just simply say something like, “The 1986 draft is the best draft ever.”  Those making these types of statements tell me that their breath-a-lizer test results would equal their I.Q.  So now that we’ve established the boundaries within which I can present decent answers, let’s get started.  Oh by the way, I need a re-fill.

ME: Here’s your fresh one.  Oh, don’t throw the pop-tops on the floor.  When my wife vacuums, the pop-tops mess up her vacuum cleaner’s innards.  I’m not going to focus on players’ numbers like their 40 times, their height or weight like Mel does.  I really want to understand the trends; to see if there are patterns in drafting that make teams more successful in drafting players than others; to see if the money spent on rookies is worth it.  So, with all this in mind, we’ll start with some easy questions.  First, from 1998 through 2006, how many rookies were drafted in the first three rounds?

STAT: Hell, that’s easy: 855.

ME: O.K. Here’s one that’s a bit tougher.  We assume that first draft day selectees should be starters early in their careers.  What percentage of all possible games do first day draftees start?

STAT: Good question.  52.4%.

ME:  Let me get this straight.  Over the nine-year period we’re talking about, the first day draftees only start a little more than half of the games played?

STAT: Yep.

ME: I’d like to take this a bit farther if you don’t mind.  Again, we’re talking about those players drafted by a team and play(ed) for that team.  What percentage of all the games these players played for their drafting team, did they start?

STAT:  H-m-m.  67.1%.

ME:  I would guess that first round draftees started and played more games than these first three rounds combined show.  And the percentages for second round draftees would be a bit less as would the third round draftees.  Am I right?

STAT:  Pretty much.  The first round draftees played 67% of all games possible.  The second round draftees played 52.7% and the third round draftees, surprisingly, played 69.7%.  Now as to the games started versus the games played, first rounders started 80.8%, second rounders started 65.7% and third rounders started 49.3%.

ME: Interesting.  But I would have expected more starts from these players after their rookie years so that these percentages would be quite a bit higher.  I recognize that trades and injuries affect these numbers, but with around 43% of drafted players taken on the first day, one would logically assume that they would play and start a higher percentage of games for their drafting team.  Especially with the money and hype first day draftees get.  At least that was my impression.

STAT: Impressions and facts, often times, are at odds.  Pardon the pun.

ME:  I’m getting a bit woozy from all the brews we’ve had, so I ask a few more simple questions to end this session of the interview.  O.K.?

STAT: No problem.  Ask away.

ME:  Over this period, were more offensive players taken or more defensive players?

STAT: There were 441 defensive players taken and 413 players taken on the first draft day.

ME:  Ah-Ha!  Gotcha!  Even with the beers I’ve had, I can still do simple math.  Earlier you told me that there were 855 players taken on the first day of the draft in the nine years we’re talking about.  Now you tell me that 441 defensive players and 413 players were taken.  That’s 854 players.  A statistical discrepancy?

STAT:  Not at all.  In 1999, the Colts took Brandon Burlsworth with their 63^rd pick.  Brandon did not have a position tag and never played for the Colts.

ME:  Let’s stop here.  We’ll continue this interview later.

STAT:  No problemo.  Is there any beer left?

Quick Hits

by  Aaron Freeman

1. Parcells must think we’re all idiots. The Dolphins have denied that they’ve hired Sparano as their coach, but yet they’ve already hired a quarterbacks coach but not a head coach? And also the team has basically interviewed only 2, perhaps 3 candidates in the week since Sparano interviewed. If Sparano is officially named the coach, there’s got to be some sort of sanctions against the Dolphins when all is said and done.

2. How come Rex Ryan seems to be the only coach from a non-playoff team that is getting his share of interviews. I don’t understand why the teams (Dolphins, Falcons, and Ravens) have basically limited to their interviews to only candidates on playoff teams. This makes no sense to me. Every NFL team has at least one viable head coaching candidate, yes even the Raiders. But with only a few exceptions, these guys are going largely unnoticed.

3. One guy on a non-playoff team that is getting a few sniffs is Russ Grimm. Some think he has a good shot at getting the job in Washington. If so, then I think it’s a sure bet that Alan Faneca will finish his career as a Redskin. Frankly, whether or not Grimm gets the job really doesn’t matter, since I thought Faneca and the Redskins would make a good fit before the Grimm rumors were mentioned.

4. The Browns are doing the right thing by wrapping up Derek Anderson long-term. I’m not completely sold that Anderson is “the guy” but it doesn’t hurt the team one bit to at least give him and itself some security just in case Brady Quinn is not. At the very least, a year or two from now, they can move either Anderson or Quinn for a middle round pick to some team desperate for a quarterback prospect. There really is no downside.

5. If I could advise Drew Rosenhaus on one of his clients, I would tell him to try and get Bernard Berrian a deal in Buffalo. And if I could talk the guys in the Bills front office, I’d tell them spend some money on Berrian. The combination of Berrian and Evans would be a very difficult matchup for any defense and gives Trent Edwards some real weapons.

Random Thoughts

  by Drew Boylhart

• If I were the Atlanta Falcons owner I would hire Marty Schottenheimer as a GM/ Head Coach! Marty is a quality person who knows the business and would only have the interest of the owner and the franchise as his main goal. After a few years he could step up to the GM role or VP Role and hire a coach that would continue what he started. Atlanta needs stability and Schottenheimer would bring it.

• June Jones is leaving the University of Hawaii to be the new coach for SMU. Good for June Jones. He deserves it and has worked hard at a program that was nothing when he got hired. He was hired by Hawaii when no one else would give him a job. He has pulled himself back up the mountain and deserves what he has accomplished. All of this does not make Colt Brennan a first round draft pick! All it does is give Colt a job at SMU or Hawaii when he can’t handle the NFL. I guess that’s not a bad thing either.

• Personally I’m not impressed with Central Florida running back Kevin Smith. I believe he has Ron Dayne disease. He is too slow to the line of scrimmage. He will have to be in a two back offense with an excellent fullback and you tell me how many teams run that kind of offense at the NFL level? Not many. I’m also not sure how quickly he will be able to pick up an offense at the NFL level! As a second or third rounder he would be a solid pick but as a first rounder I think it would be a mistake.

• If you are not allowed to celebrate after you score a touchdown then why are you allowed to celebrate after you make a sack or a tackle behind the line of scrimmage? I wonder what would happen if after a sack the player ran across the field and leaped into the stands ? Would that be all right? The NFL better get a grip on this issue real fast. If I was a QB and someone stood over me celebrating after they sacked me I would bring my foot up so fast to his crotch he would be spitting out at least one of his testicles! I’d gladly pay the fine for that.

Random Thoughts

by  Drew Boylhart 

• Someone please tell me why anyone would believe June Jones when he says that Colt Brennan should be a high draft choice in the 2008 draft.   Sean Salisbury just said that he asked June Jones what he thinks of Colt’s chances and that he trusts June’s opinion.  What am I missing here?  Sean really thinks that June is above manipulating the press about this situation!  He really thinks that June doesn’t have his own interest at heart!  I think it’s about time that these announcers do their own homework if they are going to be considered “experts”.  Hey Sean, go look at some film and form your own opinions – it’s not that hard. 

• Bill (I never finished a contract) Parcells said that he needed time to talk to everyone and get a feel for what needs to be done.  Now that he has robbed the Dolphins owner of a piece of his franchise, I’m guessing Bill said two words to everyone he met at Dolphins headquarters – “Hello” and “Goodbye”.  

• The more that college programs go to the spread attack offense, the more QB’s will have a longer LTI in the NFL.  Drafting a QB from a spread offense that has the Coach calling the plays from the sidelines in a no huddle system makes it nearly impossible for that QB to be successful at the NFL level.  The QB is so far behind mentally and physically that it will take at least five to six years before he can come anywhere near being consistent.  The NFL is going to have to change the way they are drafting QB’s.  The risk reward ratio is too far down the road.  I would take the QB’s salaries out of the cap.  Then I would suggest that teams be able to protect one QB on every practice squad and that the pay scale of a practice squad QB should be the minimum rookie salary.  It’s the only way to develop QB’s unless they go to a minor league system!     

• The New England Patriots won their last game and are now 16-0.  I guess I was wrong about ESPN.  All I heard all day long was how the Redskins got into the playoffs.  I’m amazed that the secondary story of the day was that the New England Patriots went undefeated in the regular season!   Now, before all you New England fans that think I have a “vendetta” against the Patriots begin to believe I’m getting soft and sucking up to you, just remember that your team still has to win the Super Bowl to match the Dolphins’ greatest season in the history of the NFL! 

• The juniors are declaring faster than water can swirl down a flushed toilet.   Most of them are doing this because they have been informed that they have a 1st round grade.  Here is the problem with that.  As more and more juniors declare, more and more will be pushed into the second round.  If you declare too early on this information, you run the risk of being pushed to the back of the line, so to speak.  There are only 32 players that can be picked in the first round and receive first round money.  It would not surprise me if this year there is more false information about players than we have ever seen before coming from agents and college Head Coaches fighting to keep their players in the first round.  Does the name Colt Brennan ring a bell?