I was hoping the Cowboys would take Jackson Jeffcoat, if just for the publicity, in the 7th round.
SB Nation has a good UDFA tracker up here: http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/5/10/5703808/undrafted-free-agent-signings-tracker-2014-nfl-draft
From the Bears list the only guys I really have an opinion on are Jordan Lynch and Christian Jones. Lynch is a total non-factor as far as I’m concerned. The guy just can’t play QB and if he’s insistent on it he might as well go home since he’s burning a roster spot. That said, he’'s a gamer, a local and a feel good story. Maybe there’s a fit at another position where his power and grit can be an asset, but QBs converted to RBs or TEs have a pretty poor track record.
Christian Jones however is a different story. So glad they brought him in and considering he apparently “decommitted” from Jacksonville, Emery must have broke the bank to convince him. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but I view him as essentially another draft pick. I sincerely think Jones can be a threat to Bostic, Greene and Williams’ job security. Of course his scouting report reminds me a bit of Cornelius Washington and so far he’s been a nothing, so maybe my excitement needs to be tempered. He was undrafted after all.
Groy is another Wisconsin product and is apparently the highest rated OG left available. His scouting report is pretty shaky, so we’ll see. Gabe Ikard was a guy I’d have liked to give a shot but he’s in Tennessee.
Most of the other guys are probably a nothing, not sure any are even listed on the NFL website’s player rater.
There were some Reddit rumors that noted pool-jumper and all around headcase TE Colt Lyerla, a.k.a. Ankle-bracelet, was going to join the Bears. The guy is a stud. Emery is way more willing to roll the dice with character guys than Lovie and Co. ever were. Most importantly one of his close friends was fellow Duck Kyle Long. In a lot of ways it adds up and I’d welcome the guy because we could use another pass catching TE opposite Bennett.
Somebody should take a flyer on OSU QB Kenny Guiton. You may remember him as the guy who stepped in for 3 games after Braxton Miller was injured and played pretty well.
I hate to say “I told you so”, but… okay, we all know that’s a lie.
Well, I’ve had a bit of time to check out the Packers’ draft picks, and mull it over a bit. I realize the folly of grading a draft before the players have set foot on the field, but I enjoy it, so here goes:
Overall: For the first time I can remember, the Packers didn’t make a trade. They didn’t trade up (the Bills are idiots for giving up next year’s first round pick to move up 5 spots), they didn’t trade down (the Redskins passed on some nice talent at the top of the second round to acquire more picks, which they kinda had to do because they sold their future for RGIII), they simply waited for the players to fall, and then pick them. It’s probably a good strategy, but completely boring. They ended up grabbing guys to fill their needs, and, luckily, they don’t have too many gaping holes on their roster left to fill.
1 (21) - Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, FS, Alabama
I should be very happy with this pick. Safeties were a huge need for the Packers and I think he’ll be able to start there almost immediately. There were two big names at the safety position, Dix and Pryor, and Dix fell to them at 21, so he was good value too. Also, outside of Lee and Bridgwater, I wasn’t drooling over any other players taken with the next 15 picks or so, so there wasn’t a missed opportunity. So I should really like this pick. And I do, I suppose. I think he’ll be a good NFL safety. He’ll be around the ball, won’t get burned too often, will take good angles and will be versatile and able to move around the defense. I just don’t see anything WOW about him on tape, and the first round should be a WOW guy. The lack of upside is troubling, but, overall, not a bad pick.
2 (53) - Davante Adams, WR, Fresno State
I like him. You can’t argue with his production (131 catches, 1718, yards, 24 td’s). Actually, you can argue with his production, because he comes from a pass heavy offense that focused on him and played against some questionable defenses, so those stats are hyper-inflated. He’s got good size (6’1.5" 215), strong hands, and a good attitude. I watched a bit of tape on him, and while that production is clearly inflated, he’s very good. He’s a good route runner, runs almost a full route tree, he’s quick, with good catching radius, he’s great after the catch, and he’s tough. The downside is he loses concentration and technique sometimes, he’s not really into the whole blocking thing, and he needs a fair amount of refinement to his game (but he’s much further along than many college receivers). Overall, I like him a ton. He may be a need (depending on the Cobb/Nelson contract situations next year), but I may have liked Moses or Marcus Martin a bit better here. Good pick though.
3 (85) - Khyri Thornton, DT, Southern Miss
I am more excited about this guy than I should be. He’s not special physically, he’s not productive, he doesn’t blow single blockers away, he tires out at the end of games, and he was a huge reach in the 3rd round. But, when I watched some tape of him, he’s quick, versatile, and he keeps hustling to the ball. The problem is, he hasn’t been a playmaker. I’d watch him blow past his blocker, but fail to make a play on the ball carrier or the QB. Maybe it’s his instincts or his awareness, but I wanted more impact out of his play. He’s great at putting himself in a position to make a play and he’s rarely a liability, but he really needs to finish. If he can do that, he has the quickness to be an impact D lineman in a 3-4 (or even a 4-3, he’s pretty versatile.) He just hasn’t put it together, and was a reach in the third round. The upside is there though.
3 (98) - Richard Rodgers; TE, California
An average player a position of need. Was a reach, needs a lot of work, and I liked other players much better there. I can see the upside: he’s a good athlete, good build, get him in stride and he can move, but he’s not a good blocker, he’s not all that productive, and he doesn’t pop out at you. Not too happy with him, but he could develop, given enough time.
4 (121) - Carl Bradford, OLB, Arizona State
I was hoping for Brock Vereen here, or Keith McGill (who went just before), but Bradford is an OK pick. I really like his discipline, versatility, and quickness off the ball; he could be a heck of a pass rusher. But I’m not sure he can do in the NFL, what he did in college. Too often, he’ll be engulfed by the big linemen and be taken out of the play, and he can be contained in one on one blocks. But he does have some very nice quickness and can make plays for you, but teams may just run at him all day. He can put a hit on you, though, and I love his relentlessness. Overall, a pretty good pick for the 4th round, I just liked some other guys better.
5 (161) - Corey Linsley, OC, Ohio State
Center was a huge need for the Packers (TT has never drafted a center in the 9 years he’s been drafting for the Packers), and Linsley has the capability of starting in the NFL. I don’t see him ever becoming a Pro Bowler, but I also hope he won’t be a liability. He’s not gifted physically (centers generally aren’t, which is why they’re centers), but he’s pretty strong and doesn’t get pushed around too often. He’ll get beat by speed, especially blitzers up the middle, which makes me concerned about him in the NFL. But he also won’t blow any DT’s off the ball in the run game. He is what he is, and that should be fine for the 5th round. He’ll compete with JC Tretter, a better sized/more athletic player, for the starting spot. Here’s hoping Tretter develops well.
5 (176) - Jared Abbrederis, WR, Wisconsin
For the first time in awhile, the Packers make Wisconsin happy and draft a Badger to play for them. Abbrederis was good value in the 5th round, and he’s been highly productive in college. A good route runner, he also catches the ball well, and has a bit of speed and quickness to him. He’s also great at finding spots in zones and running option routes correctly, so Rodgers may like him a lot. The problem is that I don’t think he’ll be able to handle the physicality of the NFL game. He’s already had a couple of concussions, he’s too slight, he’s not strong (only 4 reps on the bench press), and may get pushed around in the NFL. I don’t see a huge future for Mr. Abbrederis in the NFL, but he does have some value and upside.
6 (197) - Demetri Goodson, CB, Baylor
What’s not to love about an older (he’s already 25), often injured (broke his arm and tore his ankle), raw (he’s only started one year) CB who isn’t great at tackling? A complete developmental project (athouth the Packers had a ton of luck developing Sam Shields from a UDFA athlete to a starting caliber CB), I suppose he’s worth a 6th round pick, but I would’ve preferred him as a UDFA or late 7th rounder. I would have much rather my Canadian boyfriend Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. Still, he’s a great athlete, I just don’t see him breaking into the Packer roster anytime soon.
7 (236) - Jeff Janis, WR, Saginaw Valley State
I love TT’s drafting based on BPA rather than need. Janis could easily have been the BPA, with outstanding measurables (he’s 6’3", ran a 4.42 40, had the best combine short shuttle, and did 20 reps), great production (83-1,572-14) and he was Offensive Back of the Year in '13. Sure it was in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, but we can’t have everything. Let other teams grab the Stephen Hills or Kelvin Benjamins in the first round, I love grabbing them in the 7th. Janis is another huge project, he’s only played against really bad competition and doesn’t show the technique a NFL receiver needs, so I can’t see him making the roster, but his upside is great for a 7th rounder, and maybe they can sneak him onto the practice squad.
All told, a like, don’t love, this draft. Outside of Adams, Janis and Goodson, though, these guys all have some physical limitations that make me question their ability to really dominate in the NFL. Still, an NFL roster needs guys who are solid also, and I think Clinton Dix, Linsley, and Thornton could fill that need.
I am still amazed that Texas didn’t have even one player drafted. How is that possible? Texas is a gold mine of football talent and Texas is, well Texas.
I am going to ask a question that indicates my initial thoughts on the worst draft. The Patriots.
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Easley, DT. - i don’t know anything about this guy other than what I’ve read. However, what I’ve read is scary. He is a big guy (6’2", 288) and he has had a torn ACL in both knees. I was shocked to hear that, and to see the Patriots take a chance like that on a first round pick. Was there a lot of talk about this guy not going to be around in the second? Or 3rd? That seems like a big risk for a first rounder.
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Garrapalo QB. - I am sure I spelled that wrong, but what do Pats fans think about taking a QB in the second round when 1) odds seem to indicate that he would have been there in the 3rd, and 2) more importantly, he is not going to help the team at all this year, and isn’t even projected to.
I think over the past 10 years, the Pats have drafted very well, but maybe I am wrong. But when the Pats take a player, I usually think they know what they are doing more often than not, and I never doubt their draft picks. However, I don’t follow the Pats, so I don’t know how their drafts have panned out over the years.
Are their any Pats fans out here or anyone that knows them well enough to comment here?
Because I think their top 2 picks were very poor, given the value they received.
I thought about this comment a bit… And I thought about last year’s comments about Bell, and how he was rated higher on their board than Lacy. The Steelers front office seems to make comments like this often, where a player they draft isn’t the guy that most people seem to like at the position, but rather they take a guy that is a bit further down most teams (and draftniks, for whatever that’s worth) lists.
Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like the Steelers are always trying to be the smartest ones in the room? Rarely do they take the consensus player at the position of need for the team. Shazier is another example. Maybe he is going to be great, but they have such a screaming need at CB. I now must assume they are going to aggressively hunt the waiver wire for any salary cap cuts this summer, and/or late pre-season cuts to help their Defensive backfield. Not a recipe for success, unless they have a couple of guys targeted already that they know are going to get chopped because of their salary numbers. The problem with this strategy is the Steelers are right up against the cap, so they are not going to get a great player this way. IMO, anyway.
I was surprised you gave this a “like”. It reads more like a “meh” to me. Or maybe “I don’t love it, I don’t like it, but it could have been worse.”
Nothing wrong with that, by the way.
SeniorBeef - do you know this clown Aaron Goldhammer? He has been ESPN’s go-to guy for Manziel info in Cleveland, and after three days, I hate him already. He looks like “Syndrome” or “Incredi-boy” from the movie “Incredibles”. But worse, when he talks his head jiggles like crazy. It’s worse than watching Sam Waterston
He drives me crazy with his head jiggling all over the place. It’s worse than Sam Waterston, king of the wiggle-jiggle head.
I was completely unimpressed with the Seahawks draft. They pass on Marqis Lee (maybe Carroll knows something that we don’t though), and Siu’a-Filo, guys who could immediately improve their team at positions of need, and instead trade down, getting only an additional 4th round pick. Then they trade down again, missing out on Jordan Matthews and Cyrus Kouandijo (again, good talent at position of need), and end up drafting Paul Richardson in the second round who carried maybe a 3rd round grade. Richardson is a too skinny speedster and not much else. Then, at the end of the second round, they reach again, this time for a guy with a 5th-6th round grade, Justin Britt, who may not ever be more than a swing tackle. They also reached for another 5th-6th rounder in Cassius Marsh, a head case with questionable talent and strength. I won’t pretend to know too much about the rest of their guys, but I thought the Seahawks did an awful job of drafting this year.
I’m not Beef but I hate Goldhammer enough to reply anyway. He’s partnered up with a very popular local sports personality (Tony Rizzo) and for as much as I like the Rizz I can’t listen to their show. “Hammer” plays the radio equivalent of a wrestling “heel” so the fact that everyone hates the guy is mistaken for the shtick “working.”
Rumor has it that Goldhammer is like BFFs with the station owner and that’s as close to a reason as I can see why he’s let anywhere near a microphone.
A few years back CBS started all day local sports talk on one of their Cleveland stations and I’ve never tuned into WKNR since.
Goldhammer has been pining for Manziel so it could be his “thing”. He was clearly thinking that either Cleveland would get all the Johnny Football celebrity nonsense to talk about, or he would get to spend the next few years complaining because they didn’t take him.
He’s a typical try-hard radio asshole.
Good news. Sports Illustrated posted a 2015 mock draft. I refuse to look at it.
I don’t know much about the players in the Seahawks draft, but Carroll has done a nice job building the team through the draft, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt. For now, of course. :D. I’ll be happy to flame him if he ends up cutting 5 of the draft picks before the season starts.
I didn’t mean to limit Goldhammer comments to just SenorBeef. I just wasn’t aware if anyone other than Cleveland folks knew him, and SenorBeef was the only Browns fan I knew of.
The guy is a major tool. I’m glad it isn’t just me being my overly critical self. He has been on every day since the draft, and he is abrasive. The head jiggle is just one of those things that drives me crazy. He thinks he is much smarter than he is, and he is very impressed with himself.
Goldhammer? More like Farthammer. (I don’t know if anyone else has heard that used as an insult, but thst is what immediately came to my mind when I saw his name.)
I have to say, he is single-handedly making me hate that the Browns have Manziel. If he is the guy that ESPN goes to for their Browns news this year, I will be majorly disappointed.
There are rarely WOW guys at pick 21.
Nm
I do sometimes get that feeling about picks like Archer but not Shazier and Bell. In Shazier’s case they wanted an impact player with explosive speed who can line up almost anywhere. He’s not a safety but he’s taking over part of Polamalu’s role in the defense. With Bell, he’s simply a better fit for the direction our offence is moving (and they were concerned about Lacy’s injuries). They like what he can do receiving out of the backfield; I strongly doubt they would take Lacy if they had a ‘do-over’. Last year’ o-line would not have suited Lacy at all. That’s my biggest concern for the upcoming season is to see if Munchak can get better run-blocking from these guys. They improved a lot last year after the assistant line coach took over more from Bicknell but it was still lacklustre.
Their picks will never match the mock drafts and all that though. I’ve never seen an actual NFL draft write-up but I know an NHL scout and I’ve seen a couple of their scouting reports (not on anyone noteworthy) and they are very in-depth. The write-ups in draft preview magazines don’t even scratch the surface. There’s a note for how they turn to the left with the puck, left without the puck, backhand pass in stride, not in stride, shooting tendencies, passing tendencies, etc. There’s more on how well they accept a pass than most draft previews spend on an entire evaluation. All those mock drafts and talk of draft stock is just to give them something to talk about. There’s a reason they all look roughly the same (and never a whole lot like the actual draft).
Regarding the corners. The screaming need stemmed from poor front 7 play. Watch some of those plays where Ike Taylor got supposedly burned last year. On several he’s playing outside technique and passing his guy off but the safeties aren’t there. I think it says a lot about him that he took the heat; his teammates knew who got burned on those plays. That’s not to say they wouldn’t like some new blood at corner but they had prioritized other needs that should help their existing corners play better. They did add Mitchell who had the speed at least, hopefully he’ll be a good fit. Aside: Woodley’s gone but he also accepted the blame for Pryor’s 90+ yd run for the Raiders but Keith Butler said later that was Timmons’ gap. I like that kind of thing.
The depth situation is such that we will find out soon anyway. No more Aaron Smith or Farrior to red-shirt behind. This crop will be starting sooner than we’re accustomed to.
They remind me of weather outlets trying to predict the upcoming season when they can’t even get next Monday right. None of these mocks are ever close for the current season much less a whole year away. Laughable.
But pick 22…
I’ll take a stab at this, as a Pats fan. I don’t follow the draft nearly as closely as y’all do, so keep that in mind. In general, I think Belichick and the Pats are among the better drafters in the league, particularly given that they rarely have high picks to work with. First and second round picks over the last several years have been:
2013: Jamie Collins, LB - 2nd Rd
2013: Aaron Dobson, WR - 2nd Rd
2012: Chandler Jones, DE - 1st Rd
2012: Dont’a Hightower, LB - 1st Rd
2012: Tavon Wilson, DB - 2nd Rd
2011: Nate Solder, OL - 1st Rd
2011: Ras-I Dowling, DB - 2nd Rd
2011: Shane Vereen, RB - 2nd Rd
2010: Devin McCourty, DB - 1st Rd
2010: Rob Gronkowski, TE - 2nd Rd
2010: Jermaine Cunningham, LB - 2nd Rd
2010: Brandon Spikes, LB - 2nd Rd
Obviously, the jury is still out on the newer players, but the only major bust I see out of that bunch is Ras-I Dowling, who has never done anything. The first round picks of Jones, Hightower, Solder and McCourty have all turned out good.
As for this year, I think Garrapolo is an attempt at the scheme fit and an obvious try for a Brady clone. Only time will tell, but this is definitely a pick that is not expected to bear short-term fruit. Easley is a boom/bust risky pick. The guys supposedly has Top 10 1st round talent, but major injury concerns. If he stays healthy and plays up to his supposed talent, they’re geniuses for they value they got; if not, they’re idiots 
No, any more info?
So, the Packers are apparently giving Colt Lyerla a tryout. Guess this head case is less problematic for them than Jermichael Finley.
I was interested in the Bears giving him a shot, but when just about every NFL team treated him like the plague I assumed the of field issues were even worse than reported.
We’ll see, hopefully he drags down that locker room and doesn’t become the next Jimmy Graham.
He passed his tryout and signed with the Packers as an UDFA. I don’t expect anything out of him, except to be cut without making the roster.
Finley had spinal fusion surgery and still hasn’t, and may never, receive medical clearance. I don’t think you can compare that to a chronic fuckup like Lyerla.
I’d be shocked if either of those happened. His issues seems chronic, and, to be honest, I don’t think he’s all that great shakes when he is actually playing.