Booms Bust Steals & Rip Offs

So here it is. The 2010 National Football League Draft Boom, Bust, Steal, Rip Off list. This is a short list of those players that are going to live up to expectations (Booms), fail to meet expectations (Bust), are going to way out perform their draft status (Steals), and those that are no worth their draft status (Rip Offs).

Booms:

Russell Okung – This guy has it all. The feet, the feel, the size and the experience. He will be the next Joe Tomas.

Dez Bryant – The best looking receiver since Calvin Johnson. He has all the physical tools. The hands, the concentration, the speed, agility, acceleration, size. If it wasn’t for some media trouble he would be a top 5 or 10 pick.

Bust:

C.J. Spiller – Here is a lack of options pick. Spiller is a good back with a little bit of everything, but he doesn’t have that 1 thing. You look at all the good backs in the league and they do it all well, but the best have that one thing (LT’s vision, AP’s explosion of speed and power…)

Taylor Mays – Here is the next Roy Williams (Cowboys Safety). He is extremely one dimensional, and that just doesn’t work in the NFL. Safeties, even strong safeties need to be somewhat versatile, and Mays is not. He would be better suited for an outside linebacker position if he could gain another 25 lbs. Either way, he is going to bust at safety.

Steals:

Eric Berry – This guy is the next Troy Palamalu or Ed Reed. He has it all. The coverage skills. The hard hitting mentality. The intellect. The speed. Even though he is defiantly a top 10, his value is number 1, so he is a steal anywhere after that.

Jimmy Clausen – If he falls below the top 10, this guy is the steal of the century. It isn’t often that you get a QB that is ready to start in the NFL day 1, and Clausen is. He has the vision, he reads great, is able to work through 3rd and fourth progressions, has great pocket awareness, and has the physical talents (arm strength, size, speed and accuracy). He also has higher potential than even Sam Bradford.

Rips Offs:

Some of the late first round offensive tackles (Charles Brown & Rodger Stafford) – Everyone can use another tackle so people tend to reach at this position. Carolina did it a couple years ago for Sam Baker moving back into the first round. How has that turned out?

Brian Price – There are so many teams looking for a Defensive nose tackle that teams are reaching this year. Now don’t get me wrong, this is the year to do it, but Brian Price in the first round???

Sorry Seattle?

Well the last week has done a lot to shape up what is going to happen on Day 1 of the 2010 National Football League draft, and I thought I would take a minute and shed some light just in case you haven’t figured it out.

Picked number 1 overall in the 2010 NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams is quarterback Sam Bradford out of Oklahoma. That’s right, St. Louis cut Mark Bulger from the team this week leaving no doubt that St. Louis is taking Bradford. Now there is always the possibility that they will go after Jimmy Clausen, but all indications are they prefer Bradford.

So what does this mean, Detroit now has whatever player they want. It was possible for the rams to take Suh or Okung (which are the top two on Detroit’s board), but now they have to take a QB.

The next bomb shell was Washington trading for Donovan McNabb. It was possible for them to take Bradford if St. Louis didn’t, or Clausen if they deemed him worth, but not now. Now they are going to take a Defensive or offensive linemen. This is going to depend who is on the board.

If Detroit takes Okung, it is likely that Washington will take one of the remaining D linmen (Suh, McCoy or Morgan). If not, they will take Okung.
So that means Rams take Bradford, Detroit takes Okung or Suh, the Bucks take McCory or Morgan, and Washington takes Okung or Suh.

So what does this have to do with Seattle? They were hoping the Rams would take Suh, the lions would take Okung, Bucks would take McCoy, the Redskins would take Morgan leaving KC with Berry and they would have Bradford fall in their laps.

Sorry Seattle?

Thank You Seattle!

Let me start by saying that I don’t think there is a single (maybe dozen) moves the Seattle Sea Hawks can make to have an impact on their season. Well, save trading for Peyton Manning. That is about as likely as Terrell Owens going back to the Philadelphia Eagles. However, their trade for the San Diego Chargers quarterback Charlie Whitehurst does have an impact on other teams. In fact, potentially a huge impact. Congratulations Seattle, you have become relevant again… For a minute. Ok, so what do you care about a never has been quarterback?... Two things.

First, The Sea Hawks did give up a third round pick for the guy. They did give him a two year 8 million dollar deal. And oh yeah, they did get a new coach, Pete Carol. Fine a third round pick isn’t huge, but it isn’t chump change. Any good team will tell you how important draft picks are. Second, 4 mill a year isn’t a ton, but it isn’t chump change unless he is the “potential” future. And third, Pete Carol may have not had much success in the NFL in the past, but they guy is SMART. This wasn’t just some random deal they paid too much for.

Second, the mock drafts all just go rewritten! Look there are a lot of teams that are looking for a quarterback this year. It just so happens that there are four or five pretty good ones in this draft. We all assumed that Seattle was going there. Not anymore. Not for the price they paid. Now that means that Bradford or Clausen could keep falling down the board. That means two things, if St. Louis and Washington don’t take quarterback (and with the DT, DE and OL this is possible), these guys could start a trade war!

It’s going to be interesting. Thank you Seattle!