Monday, May 01, 2006

PYY NFL Draft Report

I am not going to get into the NFL Draft too deeply, there are too many websites that have paid writers who actually make their living, writing and posting info about it. In this instance, I am just being your average blogger hack. But there are a few interesting things to note about this year's event. And as is usually the case, I will only expostulate on the players that I care most about.

Matt Leinart QB USC

He goes to Arizona. I desperately wanted the Raiders to pick him, but Brother Al always marches to his ego, I guess. They passed him up. I am sure that his countenance was not especially bright, as he kept hearing other names called. But, he could not have landed in a better place, at a better time.

The Cardinals have just signed Edgerrin James, the former Colts' star running back, as a free agent. Kurt Warner is there and will serve as an excellent mentor. What's not to like if you are an Arizona fan? He has to love being close to home, too.

They will be a force to be reckoned with sometime in the next couple of years, barring injuries. And, who knows? Maybe they back into the playoffs next season.

Reggie Bush RB USC

I didn't get to see it, but they tell me that he didn't look too happy when the Saints called his name. No doubt they will use him immediately and will pay him well for it. I mean, what's the big deal here? A young man grows up gets drafted number two, something that almost every boy dreams of, and he's looking sour?

Oh, in one sense, I can understand why. The Saints are horrible, the city is in disarray, and it's not close to home. It's not a good fit. And so, I wonder if the Saints will use him as trade bait, if he is truly not happy. But I just cannot get this one thing out of my head. If they are willing to build a team around him as a marquee player and pay him an exorbitant salary for playing a game, then shouldn't he be thankful that he isn't one of the millions of kids that aren't that lucky?

Besides that, he will have Drew Brees handing the ball off to him.

Jay Cutler QB Vanderbilt

The Rams needed a QB badly. So what do they do? They draft him and send him to Denver in a trade for Tye Hill, a cornerback. Oh well, I am sure that Mike Shanahan is well pleased. This guy is supposed to be better than Leinart and Young, both.

Joseph Addai RB LSU

This guy has the ability to burst, he has moves, and he has power. Sounds like the Edge to me. It will be easy for him to learn the Colts' system and for them to blend him in, since he has those qualities. He may start out as the number two back behind Dominick Rhodes, depending on when he gets signed and how much work he gets in camp. But as the season wears on, he might prove himself worthy of starting.

What happened to the Texans? Who is
Mario Williams? And why did they pass on Reggie Bush? David Carr needs someone to take the pressure off of him, in the worst way. And, they let him pass? It does not compute. All I can say is, he had better be a damned good defensive end.

2 comments:

A.C. McCloud said...

I didn't see the Reggie Bush facial expression, but it's not surprising a young man might want to avoid such things.

However, sports stars are in a position to help the NOLA cause tremendously. That's why I found it interesting Tiger Woods and a few other major golf stars chose not to attend the weekend PGA tour event in the chocolate city.

At the risk of devolving into the capitalism versus altruism debate, Phil Mickelson did attend, and will donate his proceeds not only this year, but in following years to the cause of rebuilding. To me it would be nice if our sports heroes set that kind of example more often.

Sorry for the interruption--I enjoyed your draft analysis!

LA Sunset said...

No interruption at all AC.