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Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Texas Rangers Evaluation
The season is almost a third of the way done already and the Rangers have found a way to exceed expectations as well as under perform in some key areas. Injuries have played a major role so far in this season with 12 players having already landed on the disabled list and Martin Perez might be on his way because of elbow inflammation. Before I dive into the good and the bad of this season, I have to talk about the Ranger training staff or lack thereof for a second. At this moment, Texas leads the majors with the amount of players of who have hit the disabled list this season. Injuries ranging from arm tightness to hamstring pulls to herniated disks to Tommy John surgery, any type of injury that could sideline a player seems to happen on a regular basis year in and year out with this training staff. I can't count how many times players like Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler went on the disabled list for the same injury in the same season. I haven't seen any team come close to the amount of preventable injuries that the Rangers have had this season. I can't imagine how the training staff could still have a job after this season with most of the injuries occurring due to a lack of stretching/warming up.
Now onto the baseball side of things. Despite the injuries, the Rangers have found away to stay afloat and are currently one game over 500 despite the fact that almost the entire rotation has spent some time on the disabled list. If someone had told me before the season that the Rangers would be without their starting second basemen, catcher, ace pitcher and two other quality pitchers for extended periods of time, I would have been happy with being a couple of games under 500. It is even more impressive given the fact that the Rangers haven't really hit the ball all that well this year. Prince Fielder, Elvis Andrus and Mitch Moreland have struggled most of the year and now star third basemen Adrian Beltre is slumping to go along with little production from second base and catcher. If the Rangers can get their bats going even in the slightest bit, they can make up some ground on the A's in a hurry now that their starting rotation is in tact. The Rangers could use another bat either through trade or free agency. If I had it my way, I would trade Mitch Moreland for some bullpen relief and sign Kendrys Morales to play DH as Moreland really doesn't play in the field anymore and hasn't done much at the dish. We will see what they do during the trade deadline, but expect the Rangers to be busy looking for a bat or two.
While there have been some positives so far this season, there have also been some underperforming aspects as well. At this moment, the Rangers are near the bottom in every statistical pitching category including ERA, opponents batting average and quality starts. Outside of Yu Darvish, the starting pitching has been pretty erratic this season. Martin Perez started the season off great, but has struggled in his last three starts. Robbie Ross has had his moments, but always seems to give up the big inning. Tanner Scheppers gave up five runs or more in three of his four starts before hitting the disabled list. Matt Harrison and Colby Lewis have had trouble lasting more than six innings. If the Rangers expect to win the division let alone make noise in the playoffs, they are going to need their starters to pitch much better and last deeper into ballgames.
Another lacking area has been the bullpen. With the additions of Scheppers and Ross to the starting rotation, the bullpen has lacked reliable arms outside of Jason Frasor and Joakim Soria. Alexi Ogando has had trouble locating pitches and has gotten hit hard because of it. Neil Cotts, after a stellar season last year, has given up the long ball too often this year, especially against left handed hitters. Due to injuries, players like Nick Martinez and Justin Germano find themselves in the big leagues instead of getting more seasoning in the minor leagues, which has made it hard to put them in at crucial stages of the game due to their inexperience.
Lastly, the coaching has lacked this year as it has in years past. Manager Ron Washington is known for his ability to teach defense, however, the Rangers have consistently been near the top in errors committed each year. Along with this, he relies on certain pitchers too much, regardless if they are struggling or not which has cost the Rangers at times this year. He has yet to adapt his gameplan with the National League rules as the Rangers haven't faired very well in interleague play on the road the past few seasons or in both World Series appearances.
If I had to make a prediction, I would say the Rangers will be active at the trade deadline, but won't mortgage their future to get the quality player they need and will finish behind the A's and possibly the Mariners in the division standings. After another year of missing the playoffs, Texas will fire Ron Washington as manager and will promote Mike Maddux to be their next manager in the offseason.
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Monday, May 12, 2014
2014 NFL Draft Losers
Now that the NFL Draft is over, it is time to discuss the losers of this years draft.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles came into the draft with a couple of needs including wide receiver, cornerback and defensive line. The offense wasn't the problem for the Eagles last season, so it was expected this would be a heavily defensive draft outside of looking for a replacement for Desean Jackson. The Eagles found a great replacement for the loss of Jackson in Jordan Matthews. Matthews is the all time receiving yards and receptions leader in the SEC and has proven his ability to get open and make plays. He occasionally drops a catchable ball, but his ability to get open in space, block in the running game and the fact that he is a high character and intelligent player far outweighs the occasional drop. This part of the draft was a hit for the Eagles.
The miss started with the over drafting of defensive end Marcus Smith. Smith is a high motor player who gets to the quarterback, which is what the Eagles need, however, he was a second to third round selection that was drafted in the first round. The Eagles already traded back once at this point in the draft, but could have traded out of the pick again to get themselves another selection either in this draft or a future draft and then selected Smith in the mid to late second round. The selection of Josh Huff in the third round was also a little puzzling as the Eagles had just selected Jordan Matthews in the previous round and return Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper albeit Maclin coming off a season ending injury. The Eagles could've filled a bigger need like cornerback with a guy like Phillip Gaines, who was drafted with the very next pick, but the Eagles chose to go with another receiver. The Eagles addressed the cornerback position in free agency last season, however, it didn't have the results they expected with the additions of Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher. Another body at the position wouldn't have hurt, especially in this day in age with the league becoming more pass heavy.
While the Eagles drafted players in their positions of need like defensive back, defensive line and wide receiver, they left a lot to be wanted especially on the defensive side of the ball. With their best pick coming on the offensive side of the ball, the Eagles will have to hope that their pass rush improves with the addition of Marcus Smith because if he doesn't have an impact this season, than that secondary could get torched again for the second year in a row.
Washington Redskins
The Redskins had a lot of holes to fill, most notably on the offensive line to help protect quarterback Robert Griffin III and in the secondary to help improve their pass defense. The Redskins added Ryan Clark in free agency, which should help put a bandaid on the wound, however, they really needed to add some secondary help given that their secondary is aging very quickly. The Redskins attacked the offensive line by getting great value with tackle Morgan Moses and guard Spencer Long. Both Moses and Long come from run first systems, which should help an already powerful running attack that the Redskins have with Alfred Morris. A good running attack will help keep RG3 on his feet and limit the amount of hits he will take, thus ensuring that he will be at his best for the Redskins. It will also help the Redskins offense become more dynamic, especially given the addition of Desean Jackson at wide receiver to go along with Pierre Garcon and tight end Jordan Reed. The offense looks to be in good shape for the Skins.
The problem though for the Redskins is that they really didn't help themselves on the defensive side of the ball at all. Out of the eight picks the Redskins had, only two were used on the defensive side of the ball. One was for outside linebacker Trent Murphy who will be used as an insurance policy to both Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo, who have had trouble staying healthy. There are two problems with this pick. First I understand the need to get a backup option given both Orakpo's and Kerrigan's injury history, however, the Redskins had a greater need at cornerback and defensive line that went unfilled in exchange for a luxury pick. Secondly, Murphy was a player who could've been gotten in the third or even fourth round, but Washington took him in the middle of the second round. That's a little high for a guy who definitely won't be getting the majority of the snaps at outside backer unless one of the previously mentioned players get hurt. The Redskins could've chosen a guy like Timmy Jernigan at the same slot to help bolster their defensive line or even traded a little further back and taken a guy like Stan Jean-Baptiste who could've learned under pros like Deangelo Hall and Ryan Clark on how to be physical as that was his biggest deficiency coming into the draft.
The Redskins addressed the corner position in the fourth round when they drafted Bashaud Breeland from Clemson. Breeland is a good tackling corner, however, he isn't a playmaking or shutdown style corner so he could find himself at safety given his lack of playmaking potential. Maybe the Redskins can teach him how to make a play on the ball, but he was a better zone defender than press man cover corner so it is unlikely, which is another reason why the Redskins dropped the ball in this draft.
The Redskins offense will be much improved this year with the free agency additions and draft acquisitions. However, the defense still looks to be limited given the lack of attention paid to it not only during free agency, but also in the draft. It looks as though the Redskins will be in a ton of shootouts this year and will be forced to outscore the opposition, since they won't have a defense to rely on.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills came into the draft with needs on both the offensive and defensive line as well as wide receiver and linebacker. The Bills started the draft off nicely by trading up to wide receiver get Sammy Watkins. Watkins is a dynamic player who catches everything thrown his way. He has breakaway speed and was by far and away the best receiver in the draft. On one hand I love the move because they upgraded the position and got a conditional pick in the next draft by trading Stevie Johnson. On the other hand I don't understand the move because the Bills are more than one player away from winning the division or making the playoffs so it seems rather odd to mortgage their future for a player that will help the team, but won't necessarily get them over the hump.
The Bills have a strong defensive line against the pass ranking 2nd in total sacks last season to go along with a good secondary. However, Buffalo really needed to get another tackle to help plug the running lanes as the Bills are one of the worst teams against the rush. Buffalo only drafted one defensive front seven player in linebacker Preston Brown who should help improve the position, but didn't fix their problem at hand against the run.
The biggest problem with the Bills draft was that although they drafted three offensive lineman, their are issues with all three. Tackle Cyrus Kouandjio has had injury problems in the past and didn't exactly light it up at Alabama either. Taking Kouandjio in the second round was a little high as he is expected to step in and contribute right away on the offensive line, which I don't believe he is ready for. Guard Cyril Richardson was drafted in the fifth round, which was proper placement of where he should be taken. Richardson, however, comes from the up tempo passing system at Baylor and had problems at times handling pressure coming from linebackers and corners. His run blocking will also be a subject of talk given that the Baylor up tempo style left defenses wondering what was coming as opposed to the knowing the offense was going to run it right at you, so it will be interesting to see if he can push the pile or not. Lastly, Seantrel Henderson is a waste of pick in my opinion. Henderson completely underperformed throughout his entire time at Miami and the fact that he failed a drug test at the NFL combine knowing that he would be tested just shows that he doesn't care. Now that he is already in the league's drug program, one more failed test and he is gone for an entire season. Henderson is an all about me kind of guy, which is the last the Bills need.
Detroit Lions
The Lions two glaring needs coming into the draft were offensive line and cornerback. The Lions addressed neither of these positions when they drafted tight end Eric Ebron with the 10th pick. Ebron is a big, fast tight end that is a matchup nightmare for a defensive coordinator. Teaming him up with Calvin Johnson will help spread the field and prevent defenses from doubling Johnson especially with the acquisition of wide receiver Golden Tate. However, this pick didn't make much sense in that the Lions just resigned Brandon Pettigrew and have Joseph Fauria as well, let alone the fact that talented cornerbacks like Kyle Fuller, Jason Verrett and Darqueze Dennard were still on the board and yet again the Lions passed on filling this need. The Lions face Aaron Rogers and Jay Cutler twice a year and with those passing attacks you would think that they would realize they need a corner or two on their roster as they were one of the worst teams against the pass and have been for the last couple of seasons. Don't get me wrong, I like Ebron and think he will be an amazing player, but when you continue to miss the playoffs and give up 30+ points a game, eventually you have to realize that the draft isn't always about getting flashy players.
With the next pick the Lions took Kyle Van Noy, one of the most underrated players in the draft in my opinion. Van Noy is a great pass rushing linebacker who is also good in coverage, but has trouble getting off block occasionally. This pick was also a problem because the fit doesn't work. Van Noy comes from a 3-4 scheme at BYU and is too small to be a down lineman or an inside backer in the Lions 4-3 scheme. There is new leadership under first year head coach Jim Caldwell, but he ran a 4-3 scheme in Indianapolis as well and with the defensive line talent that the Lions have, it is unlikely they will move to a 3-4 scheme making Van Noy a player without a position.
Of the remaining six draft selections, Detroit only took one cornerback, one offensive lineman and no linebackers. It just doesn't make sense to draft two more defensive lineman and a kicker when you have glaring holes on the O line and defensive backfield. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has been injured throughout his career because he gets hit 20+ times a game because the offensive line has never truly been upgraded properly through the draft and it was ignored once again so it wouldn't be a surprise to me if Stafford goes down again this year as it is obvious that the Lions will be looking to score a ton of points through the air, opening him up to plenty of hits with the lack of quality on the offensive line.
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle is an interesting team because they didn't really have many needs coming into the draft. Offensive line was an area that was a problem at times last year due to injuries and the loss of Golden Tate at wide receiver and Red Bryant and Chris Clemons from the defensive line were the only areas that needed to be addressed. After trading out of their first round pick, the Seahawks took wide receiver Paul Richardson to try and replace Golden Tate. Richardson was very effective last year catching 83 passes for over 1300 yards and 10 touchdowns. The pick was kind of interesting in that Allen Robinson, Cody Latimer and Davonte Adams were all still on the board at wide receiver and late first round talents like Stephon Tuitt and Timmy Jernigan were available at the defensive line. Both Latimer and Robinson block better in the run game than Richardson does, which was something Golden Tate was very good and something I thought the Seahawks would try to replicate.
As Seattle has done in recent drafts, the Seahawks over drafted for an offensive lineman in Justin Britt. While Britt has the size and is physical, he was more of a third to fourth round selection than a second round pick. Morgan Moses was still on the board and would've been a better value pick than Britt especially since Moses is a very good run blocking offensive lineman. Maybe Britt will be a surprise, but the Seahawks better hope he doesn't turn out like James Carpenter who has been a high pick disappointment at the offensive line so far.
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Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles came into the draft with a couple of needs including wide receiver, cornerback and defensive line. The offense wasn't the problem for the Eagles last season, so it was expected this would be a heavily defensive draft outside of looking for a replacement for Desean Jackson. The Eagles found a great replacement for the loss of Jackson in Jordan Matthews. Matthews is the all time receiving yards and receptions leader in the SEC and has proven his ability to get open and make plays. He occasionally drops a catchable ball, but his ability to get open in space, block in the running game and the fact that he is a high character and intelligent player far outweighs the occasional drop. This part of the draft was a hit for the Eagles.
The miss started with the over drafting of defensive end Marcus Smith. Smith is a high motor player who gets to the quarterback, which is what the Eagles need, however, he was a second to third round selection that was drafted in the first round. The Eagles already traded back once at this point in the draft, but could have traded out of the pick again to get themselves another selection either in this draft or a future draft and then selected Smith in the mid to late second round. The selection of Josh Huff in the third round was also a little puzzling as the Eagles had just selected Jordan Matthews in the previous round and return Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper albeit Maclin coming off a season ending injury. The Eagles could've filled a bigger need like cornerback with a guy like Phillip Gaines, who was drafted with the very next pick, but the Eagles chose to go with another receiver. The Eagles addressed the cornerback position in free agency last season, however, it didn't have the results they expected with the additions of Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher. Another body at the position wouldn't have hurt, especially in this day in age with the league becoming more pass heavy.
While the Eagles drafted players in their positions of need like defensive back, defensive line and wide receiver, they left a lot to be wanted especially on the defensive side of the ball. With their best pick coming on the offensive side of the ball, the Eagles will have to hope that their pass rush improves with the addition of Marcus Smith because if he doesn't have an impact this season, than that secondary could get torched again for the second year in a row.
Washington Redskins
The Redskins had a lot of holes to fill, most notably on the offensive line to help protect quarterback Robert Griffin III and in the secondary to help improve their pass defense. The Redskins added Ryan Clark in free agency, which should help put a bandaid on the wound, however, they really needed to add some secondary help given that their secondary is aging very quickly. The Redskins attacked the offensive line by getting great value with tackle Morgan Moses and guard Spencer Long. Both Moses and Long come from run first systems, which should help an already powerful running attack that the Redskins have with Alfred Morris. A good running attack will help keep RG3 on his feet and limit the amount of hits he will take, thus ensuring that he will be at his best for the Redskins. It will also help the Redskins offense become more dynamic, especially given the addition of Desean Jackson at wide receiver to go along with Pierre Garcon and tight end Jordan Reed. The offense looks to be in good shape for the Skins.
The problem though for the Redskins is that they really didn't help themselves on the defensive side of the ball at all. Out of the eight picks the Redskins had, only two were used on the defensive side of the ball. One was for outside linebacker Trent Murphy who will be used as an insurance policy to both Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo, who have had trouble staying healthy. There are two problems with this pick. First I understand the need to get a backup option given both Orakpo's and Kerrigan's injury history, however, the Redskins had a greater need at cornerback and defensive line that went unfilled in exchange for a luxury pick. Secondly, Murphy was a player who could've been gotten in the third or even fourth round, but Washington took him in the middle of the second round. That's a little high for a guy who definitely won't be getting the majority of the snaps at outside backer unless one of the previously mentioned players get hurt. The Redskins could've chosen a guy like Timmy Jernigan at the same slot to help bolster their defensive line or even traded a little further back and taken a guy like Stan Jean-Baptiste who could've learned under pros like Deangelo Hall and Ryan Clark on how to be physical as that was his biggest deficiency coming into the draft.
The Redskins addressed the corner position in the fourth round when they drafted Bashaud Breeland from Clemson. Breeland is a good tackling corner, however, he isn't a playmaking or shutdown style corner so he could find himself at safety given his lack of playmaking potential. Maybe the Redskins can teach him how to make a play on the ball, but he was a better zone defender than press man cover corner so it is unlikely, which is another reason why the Redskins dropped the ball in this draft.
The Redskins offense will be much improved this year with the free agency additions and draft acquisitions. However, the defense still looks to be limited given the lack of attention paid to it not only during free agency, but also in the draft. It looks as though the Redskins will be in a ton of shootouts this year and will be forced to outscore the opposition, since they won't have a defense to rely on.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills came into the draft with needs on both the offensive and defensive line as well as wide receiver and linebacker. The Bills started the draft off nicely by trading up to wide receiver get Sammy Watkins. Watkins is a dynamic player who catches everything thrown his way. He has breakaway speed and was by far and away the best receiver in the draft. On one hand I love the move because they upgraded the position and got a conditional pick in the next draft by trading Stevie Johnson. On the other hand I don't understand the move because the Bills are more than one player away from winning the division or making the playoffs so it seems rather odd to mortgage their future for a player that will help the team, but won't necessarily get them over the hump.
The Bills have a strong defensive line against the pass ranking 2nd in total sacks last season to go along with a good secondary. However, Buffalo really needed to get another tackle to help plug the running lanes as the Bills are one of the worst teams against the rush. Buffalo only drafted one defensive front seven player in linebacker Preston Brown who should help improve the position, but didn't fix their problem at hand against the run.
The biggest problem with the Bills draft was that although they drafted three offensive lineman, their are issues with all three. Tackle Cyrus Kouandjio has had injury problems in the past and didn't exactly light it up at Alabama either. Taking Kouandjio in the second round was a little high as he is expected to step in and contribute right away on the offensive line, which I don't believe he is ready for. Guard Cyril Richardson was drafted in the fifth round, which was proper placement of where he should be taken. Richardson, however, comes from the up tempo passing system at Baylor and had problems at times handling pressure coming from linebackers and corners. His run blocking will also be a subject of talk given that the Baylor up tempo style left defenses wondering what was coming as opposed to the knowing the offense was going to run it right at you, so it will be interesting to see if he can push the pile or not. Lastly, Seantrel Henderson is a waste of pick in my opinion. Henderson completely underperformed throughout his entire time at Miami and the fact that he failed a drug test at the NFL combine knowing that he would be tested just shows that he doesn't care. Now that he is already in the league's drug program, one more failed test and he is gone for an entire season. Henderson is an all about me kind of guy, which is the last the Bills need.
Detroit Lions
The Lions two glaring needs coming into the draft were offensive line and cornerback. The Lions addressed neither of these positions when they drafted tight end Eric Ebron with the 10th pick. Ebron is a big, fast tight end that is a matchup nightmare for a defensive coordinator. Teaming him up with Calvin Johnson will help spread the field and prevent defenses from doubling Johnson especially with the acquisition of wide receiver Golden Tate. However, this pick didn't make much sense in that the Lions just resigned Brandon Pettigrew and have Joseph Fauria as well, let alone the fact that talented cornerbacks like Kyle Fuller, Jason Verrett and Darqueze Dennard were still on the board and yet again the Lions passed on filling this need. The Lions face Aaron Rogers and Jay Cutler twice a year and with those passing attacks you would think that they would realize they need a corner or two on their roster as they were one of the worst teams against the pass and have been for the last couple of seasons. Don't get me wrong, I like Ebron and think he will be an amazing player, but when you continue to miss the playoffs and give up 30+ points a game, eventually you have to realize that the draft isn't always about getting flashy players.
With the next pick the Lions took Kyle Van Noy, one of the most underrated players in the draft in my opinion. Van Noy is a great pass rushing linebacker who is also good in coverage, but has trouble getting off block occasionally. This pick was also a problem because the fit doesn't work. Van Noy comes from a 3-4 scheme at BYU and is too small to be a down lineman or an inside backer in the Lions 4-3 scheme. There is new leadership under first year head coach Jim Caldwell, but he ran a 4-3 scheme in Indianapolis as well and with the defensive line talent that the Lions have, it is unlikely they will move to a 3-4 scheme making Van Noy a player without a position.
Of the remaining six draft selections, Detroit only took one cornerback, one offensive lineman and no linebackers. It just doesn't make sense to draft two more defensive lineman and a kicker when you have glaring holes on the O line and defensive backfield. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has been injured throughout his career because he gets hit 20+ times a game because the offensive line has never truly been upgraded properly through the draft and it was ignored once again so it wouldn't be a surprise to me if Stafford goes down again this year as it is obvious that the Lions will be looking to score a ton of points through the air, opening him up to plenty of hits with the lack of quality on the offensive line.
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle is an interesting team because they didn't really have many needs coming into the draft. Offensive line was an area that was a problem at times last year due to injuries and the loss of Golden Tate at wide receiver and Red Bryant and Chris Clemons from the defensive line were the only areas that needed to be addressed. After trading out of their first round pick, the Seahawks took wide receiver Paul Richardson to try and replace Golden Tate. Richardson was very effective last year catching 83 passes for over 1300 yards and 10 touchdowns. The pick was kind of interesting in that Allen Robinson, Cody Latimer and Davonte Adams were all still on the board at wide receiver and late first round talents like Stephon Tuitt and Timmy Jernigan were available at the defensive line. Both Latimer and Robinson block better in the run game than Richardson does, which was something Golden Tate was very good and something I thought the Seahawks would try to replicate.
As Seattle has done in recent drafts, the Seahawks over drafted for an offensive lineman in Justin Britt. While Britt has the size and is physical, he was more of a third to fourth round selection than a second round pick. Morgan Moses was still on the board and would've been a better value pick than Britt especially since Moses is a very good run blocking offensive lineman. Maybe Britt will be a surprise, but the Seahawks better hope he doesn't turn out like James Carpenter who has been a high pick disappointment at the offensive line so far.
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Sunday, May 11, 2014
2014 NFL Draft Winners
The draft just ended, but it's never too early to evaluate the winners from the 2014 NFL Draft
St. Louis Rams
The Rams helped themselves tremendously in this draft by not only addressing need areas like offensive line, but also adding quality depth at positions that were already strengths like the defensive line. The Rams helped shore up an offensive line unit that at times imposed their will in the running game, but also struggled at times pushing opponents off the ball by drafting Greg Robinson. Robinson can step in on day one and help create some lanes for Zac Stacy and Tre Mason to run through. Robinson's pass protection needs some shoring up, but that is to be expected with the spread option run attack the Tigers ran last season.
The Rams also made a strength stronger by drafting defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Donald is a three down tackle that can not only stop the run, but can also rush the passer as shown by his 10 sacks last season. While he isn't a huge tackle, this actually has worked to his advantage by allowing him to get better pad position against the opposing offensive lineman. Teaming Donald up with Michael Brockers on the inside should create some serious pressure on the interior of the opponents offensive line, which will help defensive end's Chris Long and Robert Quinn collapse the pocket by getting one on one match ups on the outside. The addition of Michael Sam will also help if he can make the team. While most people point out that most of his sack production occurred during a three game stretch, the same people fail to mention that Sam started receiving more attention, which helped open up more opportunities for Kony Ealy. Sam also created many QB pressures throughout the season, which is a valuable trait to have.
The Rams best picks, however, were cornerback Lamarcus Joyner and running back Tre Mason. Joyner is a ball hawking corner who can also lay the wood on an opposing receiver. His size hurt him in the draft, but he will be used as a slot corner, which makes his size less of an importance. He also has return skills if anything were to happen to Tavon Austin. Lastly, the Rams helped bolster their backfield by acquiring Tre Mason in the third round. Mason is a speedster who can get to the next level in an instant. This was a great pick for two reasons. First it helps provide an insurance policy in case Zac Stacy gets hurt at any time during the season or struggles coming out of the gate. Secondly, this allows the Rams to have a change of pace back who can not only catch defenses off guard after dealing with Stacy's power, but also allow the Rams to run an even faster hurry up offense given that Mason came from a no huddle system.
While there were many winners during the draft, the Rams had by far and away the best draft.
San Diego Chargers
The Chargers let the draft come to them and found some good value in many of their picks. The Chargers had to address their biggest need of all, which was cornerback and they addressed it immediately with cornerback Jason Verrett. Verrett is a physical corner who has shut down the likes of Jarvis Landry, Steadman Bailey and many others throughout his time at TCU. While he is smaller than prototypical corners, he makes up for this with his ability to jam the receivers at the line of scrimmage and give them as little airspace as possible while in routes. Verrett immediately improves the Charger secondary, which ranked 29th against the pass last season. He will also help the Charger's in the run game as he is not afraid to mix it up and try to put a hit on the running back. The Chargers filled another key need by drafting outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu in the form of pass rush. The Chargers ranked 25th in sacks last year and needed to bolster up a pass rush considering they play in the same division as Peyton Manning. Attaochu racked up 12 sacks this past season and can provide instant improvement in this area with his array of moves.
The Chargers also found very good value in the last two rounds of the draft. In the 6th round, the Chargers selected running back Marion Grice to help provide some depth at the running back position. Ryan Mathews has been banged up a few times over the last couple of years, so Grice should see some playing time sooner rather than later. Grice is a small but powerful back who averaged almost six yards per carry during his time at Arizona State. Grice can also catch the ball out of the backfield as he totaled 91 catches over the last two seasons. If Grice can stay healthy, he can provide a Darren Sproles type spark off the bench for the Chargers and provide the Chargers with greater flexibility not only on the field, but in trade offers as well. The Chargers also picked up speedster wide receiver Tevin Reese in the seventh round. At times last year, it seemed like the only offense the receiver the Chargers had was Keenan Allen after the injury to Malcolm Floyd along with Eddie Royal and Vincent Brown inconsistencies. Reese can come in and help spread the defense out with his speed and open up more opportunities through the air not only for Allen but for his teammates as well. Reese has lightening quick speed and could find himself playing a majority of the time in the slot. There is no doubt Reese has the speed and the play making ability to help the Chargers. The questions will be can he stay healthy and can he run patterns other than the go route consistently. If he can, than this will be a huge steal for the Chargers.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Wow did the Buccaneers address their offensive needs or what. First the Bucs addressed their wide receiver need by taking Mike Evans at the 7th spot. Evans is a big receiver who can stretch the field and help keep defenses from doubling Vincent Jackson. Evans has proven to be a very good go route receiver, but he will need to better develop other routes. This shouldn't be a problem with Vincent Jackson as his mentor.
Next the Bucs took tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins to provide some production at a position that was non existent last season. Seferian-Jenkins is a great receiving tight end who will put pressure on linebackers because of his speed as well as safeties because of his size. His ability to stretch the field will make it even more difficult to defend the Bucs passing game when you pair him with Jackson and Evans. These new weapons will help the Bucs be even more successful in the running game given that defenses will be paying a lot of attention to the much improved passing attack, so they don't give up the big play.
The Bucs best pick, however, came in the third round with running back Charles Sims. Sims is a great change of pace back that has 4.4 speed. He is lightening in a bottle if he can get into the open field. This pick bolsters the running back position for the Bucs with Doug Martin and Mike James coming off season ending injuries. Sims can also be used as a kick/punt returner as well, which only adds to his value.
Given the free agent signings, it was expected that the Bucs would focus their attention on the offensive side of the ball in the draft. They did exactly that and found not only great value, but also great talent at the positions they drafted.
Chicago Bears
The Bears did a very good job addressing their needs on both sides of the ball. The Bears started by taking cornerback Kyle Fuller who will step in immediately as the team's nickelback and will eventually take one of the outside corner spots when Charles Tillman or Tim Jennings leave. Fuller is a physical corner that also has very good play making ability, but wasn't heard about much given that he played for Virginia Tech.
Another big area of need was defensive tackle after Henry Melton left for the Cowboys and the Bears got an absolute steal here with Will Sutton. Sutton was a 1st round talent last year, but was seen as undersized for the position so he went back to school and put on more weight, which ultimately worked against him as his best asset of speed was taken away from him with the added bulk. The Bears will more than likely have him drop back to his original playing weight and will have a defensive tackle that can wreck havoc both in the pass and run game. Chicago also drafted defensive tackle Ego Ferguson in the 2nd round to help address the position as well. Ferguson may have been a reach at that point in time in the draft, but time will tell if the Bears knew something others didn't.
Chicago also got great value in the fourth round with the addition of running back Ka'Deem Carey. Carey is a very explosive back that can help provide a nice one two punch with Matt Forte out of the backfield. He can run between the tackles and catch the ball out of the backfield just like Forte and may ultimately be the successor at running back if Forte decides to move on in the future. Expect Carey to see the field early and often this year.
Lastly and in my opinion the best pick in the entire draft, the Bears addressed their quarterback need by drafting David Fales from San Jose State in the 6th round. Fales was spectacular in his two seasons at San Jose State throwing for over 8300 yards 66 touchdowns. While some will say he played against weak opponents, Fales went head to head with Derek Carr and beat the previously undefeated Bulldogs. He also played well against Stanford twice, BYU and Minnesota. In those five games, Fales threw for 14 touchdowns and only five interceptions and had a 164.5 QB rating. Fales obviously won't be starting anytime soon with Jay Cutler at the helm, however, he will get to learn from quarterback guru Marc Trestman who has already done wonders for both Cutler and Josh McCown. If Cutler struggles or gets hurt at some point during the season, Fales can step in and move the ball the field as he has shown throughout his college career. Ultimately, I believe Fales will succeed Jay Cutler at the position within the next three years.
San Francisco 49ers
The last winner of the draft was the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers came into the draft with a plethora of picks and had two glaring needs that needed to be filled: wide receiver and cornerback/safety. Not only did the 49ers fill these needs through the draft and trades, they also acquired some great depth at key positions with great value.
The 49ers filled their safety void by drafting safety Jimmie Ward from Northern Illinois. Ward is like Dashon Goldson in that he lays the wood on his opponents and can be a force against the running game. He also covers the pass really well as evident by his six interceptions last season. Ward might step in and start immediately after the 49ers lost Donte Whitner to free agency, but he could also learn from Antoine Bethea as well. Either way, Ward will see some significant playing this season. The 49ers also drafted three corners to try and help replace the losses of Carlos Rogers and Tarrell Brown. San Francisco still has Chris Culliver and Parish Cox along with Eric Wright so it is unlikely that any of the three draft picks will find their way up to the top of the depth chart, but it isn't out of the question for one of the three guys to win the nickel spot.
San Francisco also addressed their wide receiver need by acquiring Stevie Johnson in a trade from the Bills and by drafting Bruce Ellington in the fourth round. Johnson is a solid receiver that can add some punch to a receiving corps of Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree. While he is no longer a number one receiver, Johnson still has the ability to beat his opposing corners and take the top off the defense. He occasionally drops some catchable passes, however, getting Johnson for a 4th round pick(3rd depending on how he does this season) was worth the risk. Ellington is a small but speedy receiver who will play predominately in the slot in the NFL. He will get to learn from some of the best in Bolding and Crabtree, which should help his growth for the future.
The two best picks for the 49ers, however, were luxury picks that bolstered already strong units. Linebacker Chris Borland was drafted in the third round, which was a great pick for two reasons. First, Navarro Bowman is still recovering from the gruesome knee injury he suffered in the NFC Championship game against the Seahawks so this works as a safeguard in case he isn't ready to return right away. Secondly, Borland is a great tackling linebacker who plays the run extremely well a la Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman. If either Willis or Bowman were to go down or sign elsewhere in the future, the 49ers would have already have their replacement on the roster.
The best pick from San Francisco's draft came on the offensive side of the ball in the form of running back Carlos Hyde. In the last couple of years, the 49ers have tried to have a reliable back behind Frank Gore who can do it all in the form of catching, rushing and blocking. Hyde is the closest thing to Frank Gore. Anthony Dixon and LaMichael James were limited in what they could do and Marcus Lattimore is still recovering from one of the worst leg injuries since Willis McGahee in the National Championship game against Ohio State. Hyde gives the 49ers a ton of flexibility at the position. Gore and Hyde can be the one two punch the 49ers have tried to establish over the last few years while Kendal Hunter can become the third down back and Lattimore can continue to be eased back slowly while James will be traded or cut. Gore has taken a pounding over the last several years and the drafting of Hyde and Lattimore the last two years could signal the 49ers see that Gore's time with them is coming to an end. Both Hyde and Lattimore are strong north south runners like Gore and can fill his shoes in the running game, but will need to improve on their pass protection if either of them plan on taking over for Gore in the near term. The fact that San Francisco has this type of flexibly in their backfield after this pick makes this their best pick of the draft.
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St. Louis Rams
The Rams helped themselves tremendously in this draft by not only addressing need areas like offensive line, but also adding quality depth at positions that were already strengths like the defensive line. The Rams helped shore up an offensive line unit that at times imposed their will in the running game, but also struggled at times pushing opponents off the ball by drafting Greg Robinson. Robinson can step in on day one and help create some lanes for Zac Stacy and Tre Mason to run through. Robinson's pass protection needs some shoring up, but that is to be expected with the spread option run attack the Tigers ran last season.
The Rams also made a strength stronger by drafting defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Donald is a three down tackle that can not only stop the run, but can also rush the passer as shown by his 10 sacks last season. While he isn't a huge tackle, this actually has worked to his advantage by allowing him to get better pad position against the opposing offensive lineman. Teaming Donald up with Michael Brockers on the inside should create some serious pressure on the interior of the opponents offensive line, which will help defensive end's Chris Long and Robert Quinn collapse the pocket by getting one on one match ups on the outside. The addition of Michael Sam will also help if he can make the team. While most people point out that most of his sack production occurred during a three game stretch, the same people fail to mention that Sam started receiving more attention, which helped open up more opportunities for Kony Ealy. Sam also created many QB pressures throughout the season, which is a valuable trait to have.
The Rams best picks, however, were cornerback Lamarcus Joyner and running back Tre Mason. Joyner is a ball hawking corner who can also lay the wood on an opposing receiver. His size hurt him in the draft, but he will be used as a slot corner, which makes his size less of an importance. He also has return skills if anything were to happen to Tavon Austin. Lastly, the Rams helped bolster their backfield by acquiring Tre Mason in the third round. Mason is a speedster who can get to the next level in an instant. This was a great pick for two reasons. First it helps provide an insurance policy in case Zac Stacy gets hurt at any time during the season or struggles coming out of the gate. Secondly, this allows the Rams to have a change of pace back who can not only catch defenses off guard after dealing with Stacy's power, but also allow the Rams to run an even faster hurry up offense given that Mason came from a no huddle system.
While there were many winners during the draft, the Rams had by far and away the best draft.
San Diego Chargers
The Chargers let the draft come to them and found some good value in many of their picks. The Chargers had to address their biggest need of all, which was cornerback and they addressed it immediately with cornerback Jason Verrett. Verrett is a physical corner who has shut down the likes of Jarvis Landry, Steadman Bailey and many others throughout his time at TCU. While he is smaller than prototypical corners, he makes up for this with his ability to jam the receivers at the line of scrimmage and give them as little airspace as possible while in routes. Verrett immediately improves the Charger secondary, which ranked 29th against the pass last season. He will also help the Charger's in the run game as he is not afraid to mix it up and try to put a hit on the running back. The Chargers filled another key need by drafting outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu in the form of pass rush. The Chargers ranked 25th in sacks last year and needed to bolster up a pass rush considering they play in the same division as Peyton Manning. Attaochu racked up 12 sacks this past season and can provide instant improvement in this area with his array of moves.
The Chargers also found very good value in the last two rounds of the draft. In the 6th round, the Chargers selected running back Marion Grice to help provide some depth at the running back position. Ryan Mathews has been banged up a few times over the last couple of years, so Grice should see some playing time sooner rather than later. Grice is a small but powerful back who averaged almost six yards per carry during his time at Arizona State. Grice can also catch the ball out of the backfield as he totaled 91 catches over the last two seasons. If Grice can stay healthy, he can provide a Darren Sproles type spark off the bench for the Chargers and provide the Chargers with greater flexibility not only on the field, but in trade offers as well. The Chargers also picked up speedster wide receiver Tevin Reese in the seventh round. At times last year, it seemed like the only offense the receiver the Chargers had was Keenan Allen after the injury to Malcolm Floyd along with Eddie Royal and Vincent Brown inconsistencies. Reese can come in and help spread the defense out with his speed and open up more opportunities through the air not only for Allen but for his teammates as well. Reese has lightening quick speed and could find himself playing a majority of the time in the slot. There is no doubt Reese has the speed and the play making ability to help the Chargers. The questions will be can he stay healthy and can he run patterns other than the go route consistently. If he can, than this will be a huge steal for the Chargers.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Wow did the Buccaneers address their offensive needs or what. First the Bucs addressed their wide receiver need by taking Mike Evans at the 7th spot. Evans is a big receiver who can stretch the field and help keep defenses from doubling Vincent Jackson. Evans has proven to be a very good go route receiver, but he will need to better develop other routes. This shouldn't be a problem with Vincent Jackson as his mentor.
Next the Bucs took tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins to provide some production at a position that was non existent last season. Seferian-Jenkins is a great receiving tight end who will put pressure on linebackers because of his speed as well as safeties because of his size. His ability to stretch the field will make it even more difficult to defend the Bucs passing game when you pair him with Jackson and Evans. These new weapons will help the Bucs be even more successful in the running game given that defenses will be paying a lot of attention to the much improved passing attack, so they don't give up the big play.
The Bucs best pick, however, came in the third round with running back Charles Sims. Sims is a great change of pace back that has 4.4 speed. He is lightening in a bottle if he can get into the open field. This pick bolsters the running back position for the Bucs with Doug Martin and Mike James coming off season ending injuries. Sims can also be used as a kick/punt returner as well, which only adds to his value.
Given the free agent signings, it was expected that the Bucs would focus their attention on the offensive side of the ball in the draft. They did exactly that and found not only great value, but also great talent at the positions they drafted.
Chicago Bears
The Bears did a very good job addressing their needs on both sides of the ball. The Bears started by taking cornerback Kyle Fuller who will step in immediately as the team's nickelback and will eventually take one of the outside corner spots when Charles Tillman or Tim Jennings leave. Fuller is a physical corner that also has very good play making ability, but wasn't heard about much given that he played for Virginia Tech.
Another big area of need was defensive tackle after Henry Melton left for the Cowboys and the Bears got an absolute steal here with Will Sutton. Sutton was a 1st round talent last year, but was seen as undersized for the position so he went back to school and put on more weight, which ultimately worked against him as his best asset of speed was taken away from him with the added bulk. The Bears will more than likely have him drop back to his original playing weight and will have a defensive tackle that can wreck havoc both in the pass and run game. Chicago also drafted defensive tackle Ego Ferguson in the 2nd round to help address the position as well. Ferguson may have been a reach at that point in time in the draft, but time will tell if the Bears knew something others didn't.
Chicago also got great value in the fourth round with the addition of running back Ka'Deem Carey. Carey is a very explosive back that can help provide a nice one two punch with Matt Forte out of the backfield. He can run between the tackles and catch the ball out of the backfield just like Forte and may ultimately be the successor at running back if Forte decides to move on in the future. Expect Carey to see the field early and often this year.
Lastly and in my opinion the best pick in the entire draft, the Bears addressed their quarterback need by drafting David Fales from San Jose State in the 6th round. Fales was spectacular in his two seasons at San Jose State throwing for over 8300 yards 66 touchdowns. While some will say he played against weak opponents, Fales went head to head with Derek Carr and beat the previously undefeated Bulldogs. He also played well against Stanford twice, BYU and Minnesota. In those five games, Fales threw for 14 touchdowns and only five interceptions and had a 164.5 QB rating. Fales obviously won't be starting anytime soon with Jay Cutler at the helm, however, he will get to learn from quarterback guru Marc Trestman who has already done wonders for both Cutler and Josh McCown. If Cutler struggles or gets hurt at some point during the season, Fales can step in and move the ball the field as he has shown throughout his college career. Ultimately, I believe Fales will succeed Jay Cutler at the position within the next three years.
San Francisco 49ers
The last winner of the draft was the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers came into the draft with a plethora of picks and had two glaring needs that needed to be filled: wide receiver and cornerback/safety. Not only did the 49ers fill these needs through the draft and trades, they also acquired some great depth at key positions with great value.
The 49ers filled their safety void by drafting safety Jimmie Ward from Northern Illinois. Ward is like Dashon Goldson in that he lays the wood on his opponents and can be a force against the running game. He also covers the pass really well as evident by his six interceptions last season. Ward might step in and start immediately after the 49ers lost Donte Whitner to free agency, but he could also learn from Antoine Bethea as well. Either way, Ward will see some significant playing this season. The 49ers also drafted three corners to try and help replace the losses of Carlos Rogers and Tarrell Brown. San Francisco still has Chris Culliver and Parish Cox along with Eric Wright so it is unlikely that any of the three draft picks will find their way up to the top of the depth chart, but it isn't out of the question for one of the three guys to win the nickel spot.
San Francisco also addressed their wide receiver need by acquiring Stevie Johnson in a trade from the Bills and by drafting Bruce Ellington in the fourth round. Johnson is a solid receiver that can add some punch to a receiving corps of Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree. While he is no longer a number one receiver, Johnson still has the ability to beat his opposing corners and take the top off the defense. He occasionally drops some catchable passes, however, getting Johnson for a 4th round pick(3rd depending on how he does this season) was worth the risk. Ellington is a small but speedy receiver who will play predominately in the slot in the NFL. He will get to learn from some of the best in Bolding and Crabtree, which should help his growth for the future.
The two best picks for the 49ers, however, were luxury picks that bolstered already strong units. Linebacker Chris Borland was drafted in the third round, which was a great pick for two reasons. First, Navarro Bowman is still recovering from the gruesome knee injury he suffered in the NFC Championship game against the Seahawks so this works as a safeguard in case he isn't ready to return right away. Secondly, Borland is a great tackling linebacker who plays the run extremely well a la Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman. If either Willis or Bowman were to go down or sign elsewhere in the future, the 49ers would have already have their replacement on the roster.
The best pick from San Francisco's draft came on the offensive side of the ball in the form of running back Carlos Hyde. In the last couple of years, the 49ers have tried to have a reliable back behind Frank Gore who can do it all in the form of catching, rushing and blocking. Hyde is the closest thing to Frank Gore. Anthony Dixon and LaMichael James were limited in what they could do and Marcus Lattimore is still recovering from one of the worst leg injuries since Willis McGahee in the National Championship game against Ohio State. Hyde gives the 49ers a ton of flexibility at the position. Gore and Hyde can be the one two punch the 49ers have tried to establish over the last few years while Kendal Hunter can become the third down back and Lattimore can continue to be eased back slowly while James will be traded or cut. Gore has taken a pounding over the last several years and the drafting of Hyde and Lattimore the last two years could signal the 49ers see that Gore's time with them is coming to an end. Both Hyde and Lattimore are strong north south runners like Gore and can fill his shoes in the running game, but will need to improve on their pass protection if either of them plan on taking over for Gore in the near term. The fact that San Francisco has this type of flexibly in their backfield after this pick makes this their best pick of the draft.
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