NFL Draft: Defense

 

A week from now, fans and experts alike will be breaking down round one of the 2011 NFL draft.

Historically, offense takes center stage with the top picks, but this year, marquee defensive players may rule the early going. Since the end of the bowl season, no less than five defenders have been mentioned as possible top overall selections.

Defensive lineman are a premium and this year’s draft will be no exception. Linebackers and defensive backs are rarely taken near the top, but both positions have an elite athlete that could go very high.

Defensive Tackle

With the rebirth of the 3-4 defensive scheme, you hear more specialized categories of d-lineman, 3 technique, 4 technique, 3-4 end, 4-3 end, etc. This year’s draft features a pair of elite athletes that may fit anywhere along either alignment.  Auburn’s Nick Fairley was a one man wrecking crew for Auburn’s National Championship defense. Fairley excels at interior penetration and some have projected him as the top pick in the draft. Across the state, Alabama’s Marcel Dareus  arrived on the scene after destroying Texas in the 2009 National Championship Game. Dareus has the versatility to perform both inside and outside.  Baylor’s Phil Taylor is exciting 3-4 coordinators with his mammoth size and strength. Nobody is stronger than Oregon State’s Stephen Paea. Paea set a combine record with 49 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press. Looking for a sleeper? Look no further than North Carolina’s Marvin Austin. Austin sat out the 2010 season due to off the field issues, but showed why he was the nation’s to defensive recruit coming out of high school during his career in Chapel Hill.

Defensive End

One of the biggest wild cards in the 2011 NFL draft is Clemson defensive end DaQuan Bowers. Once considered by many as a potential top overall pick, Bowers has seem his stock drop due to injury concerns. A healthy Bowers could be an absolute steal mid-way through the first round.  UNC’s Robert Quinn was another premiere Tar Heel defender that was suspended for the entire season. A strong combine has Quinn soaring up mock draft boards. Defensive end may be the deepest position of stellar athletes. Not unlike defensive tackle, alignment plays a role. 3-4 defenses seek more stout run stopping ends, while 4-3 defense’s go with more mobile pass rushing types. Wisconsin’s JJ Watt, Missouri’s Aldon Smith and California’s Cameron Jordan all project as first round selections. Ohio State’s Cameron Heyward is down the list a bit, but has upside above any other, and could be the steal of the draft.

Linebacker (Inside)

3-4 defenses seek more mobile inside linebackers, while 4-3 schemes deploy a larger, thicker run stopper.  Inside linebacker is one of the weakest groups in the 2011 draft. Michigan State’s Greg Jones was once thought of as a high first rounder, but has slipped quite a bit. A pair of high-profile athletes may be the best bargains on day two. LSU’s Kelvin Sheppard and Oregon’s Casey Matthews have good upside and would be smart picks by those of need. Sheppard led a rugged Tigers defense while Matthews comes from a family of NFL stars.

Linebacker (Outside)

Texas A&M’s Von Miller’s stock has grown more than anyone since the end of the 2010 season. Miller struggled early on, after a sensational junior season. Miller running a blistering 4.42 at the combine at 6’3″ 246 pounds. He is the premiere linebacker in the draft. UCLA’s Akeem Ayers is the next best on the board, thought to be an ideal outside man in the 3-4 setup. Georgia’s Justin Houston has the most intriguing size/speed combo. The All-SEC ‘backer is 6’3″ 270 with 4,6 speed.  The feel good story of the draft is certainly Boston College’s Mark Herzlich. Herzlich beat cancer, coming back for a fine senior season after sitting out 2009.

Cornerback

Was there a more exciting player in college football than LSU’s Patrick Peterson? Imagine a true cover corner, weighing 220 pounds with 4.3 speed! Throw in one of the elite kick returners in the game and you have Peterson. Peterson has been compared to Hall of Famer’s Rod Woodson and Mel Blount. Peterson may eventually grow out of the position when he tops 230 pounds, at which time he will move back to safety. Nebraska’s Prince Amukamara is the only other corner that is a sure-fire first round pick. After Peterson and Amukamara, those selecting a corner in round one may be reaching a bit. Colorado’s Jimmy Smith has nice size and speed, while Texas’ Aaron Williams may project at safety due to slow forty times. While Peterson is a game breaker, there is a serious lack of depth at corner in this draft.

Safety

Safety is not a position that usually is addressed early in the draft. Every couple of  years, an Ed Reed, Laron Landry or Eric Berry comes along. This is not one of those years. UCLA’s Rahim Moore is the consensus at free safety, he’s expected to go off the board early on day two. The top strong safety is Clemson’s DeAndre McDaniel who projects late on day two. Potential mid-round value will come from Florida’s Ahmad Black,  South Carolina’s Chris Culliver, Jeron Johnson of Boise State and Idaho’s Shiloh Keo.

Next week, we will give you a closer look, with our own mock draft.

NFL Draft: Offense

 

Are you as eager for a taste of some NFL as I am? It’s only the draft, but its the closest thing we are going to get for a while I’m afraid. While free agency and trading of players is on hold, NFL teams may trade draft choices.

What needs do your team have? To give you a preview, we will take a look at some of the draft picks that will garner the headlines next week. First the offense.

Quarterback

Without question, Auburn’s Cam Newton will (and should be) the #1 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers. Newton has off the chart measurables and is coming off an unbeaten National Championship season celebrated with a Heisman Trophy.  Blaine Gabbert of Missouri is the only other QB certain of a first round selection, while Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett and Washington’s Jake Locker will also be considered. The best value may come from the next group who will be selected on day two. TCU’s Andy Dalton has done nothing but win and is a perfect fit for a West Coast offense. Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick is second only to Newton in measurables, with mid major competition the only question mark. If you are looking for sleepers, Virginia Tech’s Tyrod Taylor and Texas A&M’s Jerod Johnson fit the bill.

Running Back

There is a reason that Alabama running back Mark Ingram has paid a visit to so many NFL teams leading up to the draft. Ingram is NFL ready and without question to top player at the position. He has many of the same attributes as Emmitt Smith and while pedestrian in the forty, nobody is faster in the ten yard sprint to the hole. A trio of backs are a step down from Ingram and figure to go anywhere from late on day one to early on day two. Illinois’ Mikel Leshoure and Daniel Thomas of Kansas State are big backs, while Virginia Tech’s Ryan Williams offers more moves. Projecting as late round sleepers are Alex Green from Hawaii and Maryland’s Da’Rel Scott.

Fullback

Fullback continues to be phased out by many NFL offensive coordinators and those at the college level as well. A trio bringing very different skills figure to have their name called during the draft. Tulsa’s Charles Clay was a college tailback, USC’s Stanley Havili a traditional fullback while Stanford’s Owen Marecic was a two-way star for the Cardinal.

Wide Receiver

Two future Pro Bowler’s highlight the wide out position in Georgia’s AJ Green and Alabama’s Julio Jones. Both arrived in the SEC as elite recruits and didn’t disappoint. Both could end up in the top 10 overall, with Green projecting as high as the top 5.  Maryland’s Torrey Smith and Jonathan Baldwin of Pittsburgh may be the next two to go. Smith has incredible speed numbers and excels at returning kicks while Baldwin has prototype size, much like his Panther predecessor Larry Fitzgerald. Those looking for late round value will consider Hawaii’s Greg Salas and Terrence Tolliver of LSU. Salas was highly productive but may be viewed as putting up system numbers while Tolliver’s numbers were limited by weak play at quarterback.

Tight End

It is uncommon for a tight end to be selected in the first round, but Notre Dame’s Kyle Rudolph is uncommon talent. Rudolph arrived in South Bend as the top prep player at the position in the nation and delivered. Kyle missed much of the 2010 season due to injury but has elite skills.  There is no clear-cut next best at the position, I like Arkansas’ DJ Williams.  If you are looking for a sleeper, look no further than South Carolina’s Weslye Saunders. Saunders was suspended in 2010 for violation of team rules, but is massive and mobile.

Offensive Line (Tackle)

Usually one offensive tackle stands out as the sexy pick at the position. Not so this year with four players worthy of first round selection, in no particular order. USC’s Tyron Smith and Gabe Carimi of Wisconsin helped themselves with strong combines. Boston College’s Anthony Castonzo and Nate Solder of Colorado have prototype size and will be in the mix. Someone will get a late round steal with Auburn’s Lee Ziemba. Ziemba who started at left tackle for four years for the defending national champs, figures at right tackle at the next level.

Offensive Interior (Guard/Center)

NFL scouts are looking for athletes that can contribute at both center and guard. The flexibility is a huge advantage as teams only have eight lineman active on game day. Three figure to be considered on day one, Florida’s Mike Pouncey, Danny Watkins of Baylor and Florida State’s Rodney Hudson. Pouncey is the brother of Maurkice, who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie with Pittsburgh this season. Watkins is old for a rookie, having served as a firefighter for four years out of high school before attending Baylor. Hudson is the finesse player of the bunch, having been honored as the top lineman in the ACC for two seasons running. USC’s Kris O’Dowd has a big upside and could be a steal for the team that selects him mid draft.

Tomorrow, we will take a look at the defense

NBA: Best in the West?

 

While the matchups in the Eastern Conference are set in stone, the Western Conference won’t be finalized until the regular season wraps up tomorrow (Wednesday) night.

Home court advantage is a big deal in the NBA playoffs and bigger to none than the Los Angeles Lakers.  The Lakers are looking to three-peat, but are a year older and Thunder can be heard louder and louder in the distance. A year ago, on their way a second consecutive NBA title, Showtime was put to a test against Oklahoma City.

Here is what we do know, San Antonio is the top dog, and holds home court through the Western Conference playoffs. It’s not yet clear whom the Spurs will open up with, but it will be either Portland, Memphis or New Orleans. We also know that Denver will enter the post season as the fifth seed, with Dallas, Oklahoma City or even the Lakers their opening round opponent.

Despite being best in the west (record wise) the Spurs aren’t getting much post season respect. San Antonio is a three-headed monster, with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker all a year grayer. A Spurs win tonight in Los Angeles might even bump the Lakers down to fourth. Why is that significant? It would mean a potential 2nd round rematch should both win their opening round series. Probably not what San Antonio is wishing for, but certainly a possibility should they win tonight.

Oklahoma City is the opposite of San Antonio when it comes to hype. The Thunder are the sexy pick with young stars, led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Oklahoma City strengthened its only weakness, acquiring bruiser Kendrick Perkins from Boston in a trade deadline deal. Nobody wants to play the Thunder, at least not early on in the post season.

Denver has been the surprise of the west. Since the blockbuster Carmelo trade, the Nuggets have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Head Coach George Karl has gone as far to say its his best and most favorite team in his years in the Mile High City. While the Nuggets lost the star power in Anthony, they acquired incredible depth and substantial talent as well in the deal.

Dallas has high hopes and their is not a deeper team in the Association. Dirk Nowitzki is having a huge season and the Mavericks go ten deep on the bench. The loss of Caron Butler hurt, but the addition of Corey Brewer has helped off set that. Make no mistake, the difference in the Mavs this season, is the rebounding and physical defensive presence of Tyson Chandler.

Portland is the only other team in the west that may make some noise. The Blazers improved their lot with the trading deadline acquisition of mercurial forward Gerald Wallace. LeMarcus Aldridge and Wes Matthews should both receive consideration for most improved honors, while injuries have become synonymous with Brandon Roy and Greg Oden.

How important are these end of regular season games? I’ll give you my favorite answer, it depends. It didn’t matter for Boston as they were locked in to their slot in the East and rested the old boys in the loss to Washington on Monday night. Other teams have indicated that they will rest players, in hopes of a quick rest of bumps and bruises. Playoff matchups do matter and they will be impacted by these last few games, meaning they matter as well.

The Second Season

 

What is more entertaining? March Madness or the NBA playoffs? The main difference?  No one and done upsets. The favorite is far more likely to win a best of five or best of seven series than the single elimination NCAA format. I don’t think a “best of” would work in the college game, but that’s an argument for another time.

The NBA playoffs, often referred to as the Second Season, begin in less than a week. This is one of the most anticipated post season’s in recent memory. We have showtime looking for a three-peat, the South Beach trio, the Hall of Fame Boston vets and much more. Lets take a look at what we have to look forward to, who has helped themselves and how.

We know more detail in the Eastern Conference, as the first round matchups are close to final. The Western Conference is another story, with San Antonio, the top dog, the only certainty among the seedings. More on the West in our next edition, lets focus on the East….

Chicago and Indiana may be the biggest mismatch of the post season. The Bulls are on a roll and Derek Rose is on a MVP mission. Rose will get plenty of help from a deep and talented front court. Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng are a complete group and fueled by solid bench play from Taj Gibson. The Bulls achilles heel may be deep shooting (or lack thereof), but that’s why they got Kyle Korver, right? If I’m up against Chicago, I try and make them beat me from the perimeter. The Pacers are also buyoued by an emerging front court with Roy Hibbert, Tyler Hansbrough and Josh McRoberts all taking a big step forward this season. I’ll tune in just to see Danny Granger, Indiana’s small forward may be the most underrated star in the game.

I am really looking forward to Miami and Philadelphia. The Sixers have some of the most athletic, talented young players in the Association. Philly continues to stockpile lottery caliber talent like Jrue Holiday, Thadues Young and Evan Turner. Sixers coach Doug Collins has done an excellent job with the raw talent, meshing it with superstar Andre Iguodala and the oft injured Elton Brand. Turner, the 2nd overall pick in the 2010 draft hasn’t had the impact some expected (yet) and I am certain much more was expected when they traded for center Spencer Hawes. What can you say about the Heat? Philly is just the kind of opponent that Miami beats up on. Do not expect the unexpected from  Leron and company. With three of the most aggressive slashers in the league, the Heat identified perimeter shooting as a major need. Mike Miller was the first target, he has been hurt and shooting has been off target. Most recently, Mike Bibby was addded. Another shooter to spread the floor, another Miami player that can’t/won’t play defense. Well documented, and surprising has been Miami’s inability to score with the game on the line.

You want a Garden party? How about Boston and New York in the first round. Talk about some great opening round television ratings. The Knicks bouunce back into prime time with Amare Stoudamire and more recently Carmelo Anthony putting Big back in the Apple. The problem with the Knicks are the other guys. Those other guys were all sent packing to Denver to get Melo and Chauncey Billups. In a way, New York is a mini Miami, the Knicks sacraficing depth for the star power. The burning question… is the concentrated star power what it takes to win a series, or will a lack of depth be the pitfal. The Celtics may have pulled the biggest surprise at the trade deadline. Boston giving up their enforcer Kendrick Perkins for the versatility of Jeff Green. Boston did add some nice pieces in Nenad Kristic and Troy Murphy who will both play large roles in the playoffs. Will we see O’Neal’s Shaquille and Jermaine? They appear to be a luxury needed only come playoff time.

Orlando and Atlanta round out the first round matchups in the East.  The Magic have been aggressively adding pieces all season long, just not certain if the pieces are from the same puzzle. The Magic made a huge move early, taking a chance of guard Gilbert Arenas,formerly of Washington. The possibilities seemed exciting, but Gilbert isn’t close to the player many remember. Rashard Lewis was the price to get Arenas, more a balancing act of cap room, that (former) talent on the court. Orlando followed that up with a blockbuster, reacquiring point forward Hedo Turkoglu from Phoenix. Hedo was magical during the  ’09 playoffs, before taking his talents to Canada. Jason Richardson came along with Torkoglu from the Valley of the Sun, providing yet another player that has to have the ball to be effective. The good news is Vince Carter was given a one way ticket to the desert from the Magic Kingdom. As for Atlanta, a 32 point loss the other night to  a CBA team known as the Wizards says it all. The Hawks have some incredible raw talent, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford could hold their own in a three on  three  tournament on the playground against anyone.  Seems par for the course in the ATL, which brought us Pistol Pete and  Dominique the Human Highlight Film. Atlanta did make a valiant effort to bring coherence to it all, but not even Kirk Hinrich can get it done.

Next time, we’ll try to make some sense of the Western Conference matchups.

What’s wrong with the Red Sox?

 

For the first time since World War II, the Boston Red Sox have started the season 0-6. This comes to a shock given the hundreds of millions the club spent in the off season to an already formidable roster.

Need help at the corner? Sign free agent Adrian Gonzalez formerly of San Diego. Just entering his prime, Gonzalez’ swing is tailor made for the dimensions of Fenway. Gonzo posted terrific numbers in cavernous PETCO Park and  has BoSox fans salivating at the possibilities in bean  town. Short on speed and athleticism? Sign former Tampa Bay All-Star Carl Crawford. Crawford, arguably the most athletic player in the majors, seems a perfect fit in left field with the green monster to his back.

So what’s all the fuss? The talk shows are rampant with discussion as Boston stumbles out of the gate. Is it too much to overcome is the question I keep hearing. Are you kidding me? 156 games and six months of baseball remain. Baltimore leads the AL East and there start couldn’t have been better. Right behind are the Yankees, who are conveniently at Fenway for a three game series this weekend.

Bottom line, the Red Sox will be fine. I will go out on a limb and say they will win the American League pennant. Not just the AL East, they will be in the World Series! Boston is adjusting to the new superstar additions and the cold start could be attributed in part to the miserable weather during the Cleveland series. In the three game season opening series, they ran head first into a white hot Texas offense, arguably the best in baseball.  Jacoby Ellsbury, who endured an injury plagued 2010 campaign is working his way back into shape. A healthy Ellsbury, along with second baseman Dustin Pedroia and Crawford will create nightmares for opposing managers on the base paths.

There is plenty more to fuel the Boston offense. While they collectively slumped in week one, their lineup is so stocked with  hitters, don’t expect many slumps of this nature. With the addition of Gonzalez, Kevin Youkalis, the heart and soul of the Red Sox, slides over to third base. Need more left handed power for the short porch at Yankee Stadium and down the line in Fenway? How about a rejuventated David Ortiz at DH and a healthy JD Drew in right field.

Boston did make a substantial change replacing team captain Jason Varitek behind  the plate with Jarrod Saltamaccchia. Varitek is  still with the team, but this change was necessary and could be contributing to the slow start. Saltamacchia was a huge  prospect with Atlanta, and was the key to  the Braves rental of Mark Texeira, traded over from Texas several years ago.

Boston has a slump buster in the rotation in Jon Lester. He was masterful in Thursday’s loss at Cleveland and it most cases will have plenty of offensive support. Josh Beckett, John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka round out the top of a rotation that can carry Boston deep into the post season. Jonathan Papelbon leads the bullpen, with Bobby Jenks now on board for insurance. Daniel Bard is a prototype setup reliever possessing 100 mph heat.

Red Sox nation should breath a collective sigh of relief, unless of course they get swept by the Yankees. Then, the meltdown will truly begin.