Ol' Bag of Donuts » Antonio Cromartie

Thoughts on the first round

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:00:02 +0000

So the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft is officially in the books.

Thursday night really had it all, didn’t it? Suspense, trades, intrigue, trades, gambles, trades - it was all there. Did I mention there were trades?

There was even a romantic interest. And we all know who I’m talking about.

Yep – Mel Kiper, Jr.

ANYWAYS, since Adam did such an excellent job talking about the Green Bay Packers’ selection of Bryan Bulaga – my two cents: LOVE the pick – I will focus my attention on the rest of the first round this morning.

(Quick aside: I’ll be back later today with a look at some possible Friday targets for the Packers.)

Here are five things I loved from the first round:

The Detroit Lions kept it simple, stupid, with the No. 2 pick and took arguably the best player in the draft in defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Detroit has put an increased emphasis on the lines of scrimmage this offseason – something Lions fans had never seen before – and it should equal more wins in 2010. As Packers fans, we’re going to hate Suh for the next, oh, eight years or so.

The Seattle Seahawks had glaring needs at left tackle and safety heading into this draft. What did they walk out of Thursday night with? Only the draft’s best left tackle (Russell Okung) and second-best safety (Earl Thomas). Both players dropped, through no real fault of their own, and the Seahawks will benefit in the long-term because of it. They still need playmakers on offense, but can address that Friday. John and Pete are off to a great start.
The New York Jets’ selection of cornerback/return ace Kyle Wilson at No. 29. Wilson is a bit undersized, yes, but he’s a dynamic, playmaking corner with exceptional ball skills. With Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Wilson as their top three corners, the Jets will be extremely scary to pass on this season. This only furthers my belief that New York is headed for 12 or 13-win territory this year.
Buffalo’s selection of C.J. Spiller at No. 9. Yes, the Bills are loaded at running back, but Marshawn Lynch is a disaster off-the-field and Spiller’s presence now makes him expendable. Spiller was, hands down, the best back in this draft. The Bills still need to sure up their o-line, but once they do, they’ve found their catalyst.
The Raiders’ selection of Rolando McClain at No. 8. He brings great value and fills a need. A smart pick by Crazy Al? Dear Lord – what has the world come to?

Here are five things I, um, didn’t love from the first round:

Denver’s selection of Tim Tebow. Look, I love Tebow’s intangibles. And, unlike many, I think he’s got the potential to turn into a starting NFL quarterback…somewhere, someday. I just don’t think Denver was the right team to take him. Remember, the Broncos were a borderline playoff team last season. With your first round picks – they had two – your goal must be to find players who can get you over the hump. You can go about that by drafting for need or by taking the best player available, but either way, that’s got to be your goal. Does Tebow fill a need? No way. Was Tebow really the best player available at that spot? Not. A. Chance. He might get his shot someday, but I’m starting to think that will happen with someone other than Josh McDaniels as his head coach.
Jacksonville’s selection of Tyson Alualu with the 10th overall pick was a shockingly dumb pick. Alualu was considered, almost universally, to be no better than a late first round pick. D-tackle is a crucial position, yes, but Alualu isn’t nearly the difference maker that Suh or Gerald McCoy (taken by Tampa Bay at No. 3) are. The Jags could have traded down, at least a few spots, and still got him. He could make a difference and prove me wrong. For his sake – and those in the Jacksonville front office – he’d better.
Similar story with San Diego trading up 16 spaces to grab running back Ryan Matthews. To me, this move stinks of “We’re only one player away” and, as I’ve always said, that’s a dangerous mindset to have. Sure, Matthews fills a real need, but did the Chargers have to jump that far? I can’t imagine they did, considering almost everyone had Matthews as a late first round pick. He doesn’t play nose tackle or anywhere in the secondary, last time I checked, and San Diego now has less ammo to address those crucial spots later in the draft.
Speaking of failing to address a crucial position, how ’bout them Cowboys? Someone has told Jerry Jones he has no left tackle at the moment, right? Leave it to Jones to get star-struck and trade up for the flashy, yet troubled, wide receiver (Dez Bryant). I know you can’t always draft for need – and Bryant does bring great value in that spot – but he won’t be able to make any impact if Tony Romo is constantly running for his life. Jerry – don’t go changin’.
Oh Detroit – how you tease us so. While I loved what the Lions did in taking Suh, I really did not like what they did at the end of round one. Is Jahvid Best really worth dropping 28 spots in the fourth round? When you are as bad as the Lions are, I say no way. Sure, they got the player they wanted, but they are now unable to address both o-line and corner – two crucial positions for them – on Friday. Plus, come Saturday, they’ll be waiting 28 picks longer than they would have, originally. All for a small, fast back with a concussion history. Nice.

What about you, gang? What were your thoughts on the first round? As always, comment, baby, comment!

-Chris Lempesis

Other thoughts on the first weekend of free agency

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:00:23 +0000

So far, we at OBOD have covered the hell out of free agency as it relates to the Green Bay Packers and the rest of the NFC North.

(Okay, maybe we haven’t “covered the hell” out of it. But we’ve been good….solid….decent. Yeah, let’s stick with that – decent.)

But what about the rest of the NFL? After all, there has been activity outside of the division and, with it being Monday morning and all, it seems like a good time to expand our horizons and look at some of the other notable moves made. Some of these, of course, have Packers-related repercussions and we’ll mention them, as needed.

Cardinals taking big steps back – After watching Kurt Warner retire awhile back, the Cardinals lost three more key players this past weekend. Arizona finally rid themselves of Anquan Boldin, trading the somewhat malcontent receiver and a fifth round pick this year to the Baltimore Ravens for third and fourth round picks this year. Boldin might have been a pain in the butt, but he’s also an elite talent who is as tough as they come. Steve Breaston is decent, but Boldin he is absolutely not (love this move for the Ravens, by the way, as Boldin finally gives them the big-time wideout they seemingly have never had). Another big loss comes in the form of middle linebacker Karlos Dansby – I remember seeing him do something big a couple of months ago, but I can’t remember what - signing with the Miami Dolphins (five years, $43 million with $22 mil guaranteed). Dansby, while not an elite ‘backer, is very good and was a great fit for that defense. The Cards also lost safety Antrel Rolle to the New York Giants (five years, $37 million with $15 mil guaranteed, more on that in a bit). It’s true that they replaced Rolle by trading a fourth round pick this year and a seventh next year to the New York Jets for safety Kerry Rhodes and that Rhodes is a good player. But Rolle was on the up and knew this scheme. It will take Rhodes time to learn it. Those moves, combined with Matt “Chubby Girls and Beer Bongs” Leinart now at quarterback, lead me to believe the NFC West is an open race. Well, unless you’re the Rams.

The champs also appear to be losing some steam – The New Orleans Saints were dealt a considerable blow on defense as linebacker Scott Fujita signed a three year, $14 million deal with the Cleveland Browns. Fujita, while not a great player, was a very solid presence, both on and off the field. Things could get even worse if safety Darren Sharper bolts for another team (the Miami Dolphins, perhaps?). Sharper is 34, but is coming off of one of his best seasons yet and could still be a very good player for at least another year or two as he is a great fit in Gregg Williams’ scheme. The Saints seem to be making a push to get Sharper back, but they need to do more. If he leaves, that defense isn’t as good and they could go back to where they were a couple of years ago (i.e., a .500 team that wins eight games 45-41 and loses eight games by that same score). Right now, the Cards are definitely not as good as they were last year and the Saints could be heading that way, opening the door for other NFC teams….like maybe the Packers?
Two contracts shed a light on how much the Packers will have to pay Collins and Pickett – If you thought Nick Collins was going to want big-time dough before, you have to think that tenfold now when you see the deal Rolle got – the richest ever for a safety. In two years of playing free safety – he’d been a corner, previously – Rolle recorded 139 tackles, five interceptions, 13 passes defended and 1.5 sacks (with a Pro Bowl appearance in 2009). Collins, over the past two years – playing in two different schemes – recorded 104 tackles, 13 interceptions, 28 passes defended and one sack (with two Pro Bowl appearances). Collins pretty much crushes Rolle in the key playmaking categories and, as a result, you have to think he will want much more than Rolle got. If Rolle is getting an average of over $7 million per, Collins likely will aim for the $8-$10 million-a-year range and, at this point, it’s hard to blame him. Thanks, New York. As for Ryan Pickett, you can now use the contract given to New England’s Vince Wilfork - five years, $40 million with $25 million in guaranteed money - as a barometer of sorts. Age-wise, the two are fairly similar (Pickett turns 31 in October while Wilfork turns 29 in November). And while Pickett is not in the same class as Wilfork, a truly elite 3-4 nose tackle, he’s not that far off and provides great value to Green Bay’s defense. If Wilfork got an average of $8 million per, it’s likely going to take $5 or $6 million on average to lock up Pickett.
Cromartie deal not a slam dunk for the Jets – Many seem to be applauding the New York Jets for trading a third round pick in next year’s draft to San Diego for cornerback Antonio Cromartie. Those people have said that Cromartie’s pairing with Darrelle Revis (the second best corner in the game) gives the Jets the best corner tandem in football. While I disagree with them on that - Charles Woodson and Al Harris/Tramon Williams, anyone? – I’ll stick to the trade in this post. Here’s what Cromartie is: A guy who had one truly amazing season (2007, in which he recorded 10 picks) and two average ones since (five picks of the past two years combined). He’s also still griping about a new contract – even though he’s only been decent as of late – and has fathered seven children in five different states. I know Rex Ryan has a devil-may-care attitude about players with questionable character, just like his old man, but I also know that you don’t see too many Antonio Cromarties on championship teams. So glad the Packers didn’t pursue this guy.
Bad trends building for Big Ben – Okay, so this one doesn’t have anything to do with free agency. But the accusations of sexual assault against Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in Georgia was one of the biggest NFL stories of the weekend. Now I have no idea whether or not the guy is guilty or not. In the end, that’s not up to me to decide, anyways. What I do know, though, is that a nasty trend is forming with him. This is the second time such accusations have been lobbed his way, remember. He beat the criminal charges, stemming from an incident in Nevada awhile back, and he may well beat these. But leaders – true leaders – simply do not put themselves in these spots. Can you ever see Joe Montana allowing himself to be put in such a spot in a million years? Or even a guy like Aaron Rodgers? Not a chance in hell. Sure, he’s won two Super Bowls and he’ll never have to pay for a drink in Pittsburgh again. But if you want to be truly great, Ben, and not be remembered simply as “the guy who kept getting accused of sexual assault”, you must stop allowing yourself to get caught in these situations. Okay, I’ll jump off my soapbox now.

-Chris Lempesis

Thoughts on Pickett, LT and Mike Mayock

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:19:30 +0000

Since they say that three is the magic number – why am I making a “Schoolhouse Rock” reference? I wasn’t even born when that show was on – here are some thoughts on the three biggest Green Bay Packers-related news items of the day.

Report: Ryan Pickett to be franchised if new deal not reached by Thursday

Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network reported Tuesday that the Packers plan to use the franchise tag on Pickett if the two sides can not reach a new contract agreement by Thursday (the deadline to place franchise and transition tags on players).

Tagging Pickett would cost the Pack just over $7 million for the 2010 season. My best guess, though, is that Green Bay is just placing the tag on him so it can be sure Pickett has no shot to hit the open market (where he would be snapped up in about two seconds). The Packers likely want him back and just want some more time to iron out a long-term deal. And based on what Pickett has said so far – he likes Green Bay as a city and is excited about being on a team on the rise, for example - I think he really wants to be back.

This is not, as ESPN’s Kevin Seifert suggests, similar to what they did with Corey Williams after the 2007 season (i.e., franchising Pickett in the hopes of then trading him). Williams didn’t want to come back to Green Bay and the Packers really didn’t want to pay him (as it turned out, a smart move on their part).

Surely the team knows Pickett’s value. He’s shown a rare versatility for the position in that he can play d-tackle in a 4-3 and nose in a 3-4. He’s played through injuries, almost always brings his best effort each and every week and was one of the top reasons this team had the NFL’s top run defense last season. Plus, he’s still fairly young – set to turn 31 in October – for a position where guys can play until their late 30s (Pat Williams is still going strong at 37 and Ted Washington played until he was 39).

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: There’s no way Pickett is not back in Green Bay next season. A deal will be reached.

LaDainian Tomlinson’s release brings speculation that he will land in Green Bay

One of the best running backs in league history, Tomlinson, saw his nine-year career in San Diego end Monday as he was released by the team. Speculation has run rampant as to where Tomlinson will end up, with some putting the Packers as a leading candidate.

On paper, it makes sense for them to say that. Tomlinson said Monday that he wants to go to a team with both an elite quarterback and a realistic shot to make it to the Super Bowl next season. As of now, it’s fair to say the Packers have both those qualities. Plus, Tomlinson won’t ask for much money and is at least saying all the right things about not needing to be the top back wherever he lands.

When you stand back and look at it, though, it’s hard to see why the Packers would want him. First, how many 30-year old free agents has Ted Thompson even gone after, let alone signed? You can count that on one hand with less than five fingers.

Also, the Packers already have a clear No. 1 in Ryan Grant (p.s., no way I’d trade him to San Diego for Antonio Cromartie) and Brandon Jackson has settled in to the role of pass catcher/blitz buster rather nicely. What role does Tomlinson then play? Short yardage/occasional pass catcher? Maybe, but to put him in that role would be to take touches away from Jackson. I’d rather give those touches to 24-year old Jackson than 30-year old Tomlinson. I’m weird like that. And yes, he’s saying the right things now, but I have a hard time believing Tomlinson will fully be able to sublimate his ego, especially if his new team struggles out of the gate.

When you add it all up, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for Green Bay to go after him. I also might be the only guy who still thinks Ahman Green should be brought back. Why is everyone dogging a backfield of Grant, Jackson and Green? Teams have won Super Bowls with less.

Bruce Campbell or Brandon Graham at No. 23 for the Pack?

On a conference call with reporters Tuesday, NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said he thinks either Maryland offensive tackle Bruce Campbell or Michigan outside linebacker Brandon Graham could go to the Packers in the first round at pick No. 23, according to the Green Bay Press Gazette.

Mayock said Campbell, while not very aggressive and not great as a run blocker, is a very good pass protector who perhaps should have stayed in school one more year. The more I read up on Campbell, the more I like. He appears to have solid footwork and is very light on his feet (well, for being 6-feet, 7-inches and 310 pounds, anyways). He’d be a good fit in the current zone blocking scheme. As for the lack of aggression, that stuff can always be worked on. Plus, as we learned with Allen Barbre, aggression doesn’t mean much if you can’t actually play. He’d likely be a top 10 pick if he went back to Maryland for one more year, so if the Packers can get him at 23 this year, maybe they should do just that. A list of the top 50 available players this year, posted on Sports Illustrated’s site Tuesday, has Campbell at No. 9.

As for Graham, Mayock pointed to his short stature (6-feet, 1-inch) and small arms as reasons he could fall a little bit. On the positive, he pointed to Graham’s high-motor and strong Senior Bowl performance. I am not in favor of Graham being the pick at all. People keep saying the team needs to upgrade at the other OLB spot and I’m not sure why. Brad Jones, as a seventh-round pick who spent more than half the year on the bench, came in and performed well enough. Was he exposed a bit later on? Maybe, but with a full offseason to learn the position and grow physically, Jones could become a very nice player next season. The pressing needs at o-line and corner must be addressed before the team drafts another OLB. That’s a very frivolous move, in my mind.

-Chris Lempesis