And the Nuggets lost. I'd rather discuss the draft.
The Broncos started their selections off by trading up in the first round to choose Jarvis Moss, a defensive end from Florida, with the 17th pick. The Broncos gave up the 21st pick, as well as third and sixth round picks, to move up to 17th.
In theory, it's okay, just like our overall draft strategy this year. Moss is certainly talented. He had two sacks and forced a fumble in the national championship game. It's just that the trade is kind of funny. The Broncos are betting that Moss will be better than whomever they would have picked at No. 21, plus two other players, all combined. Will he be? I don't know. I know I was a lot more confident in Elvis Dumervil's 20 sacks his last college season than I am in Moss' 7.5 last year. (Let's not forget that, according to the Denver Post, Moss tested positive for marijuana use in college. Not that shocking in 2007; I just want you to know what I mean if I bring it up later.)
The Broncos also drafted defensive end Tim Crowder from Texas, offensive tackle Ryan Harris of Notre Dame, and defensive tackle Marcus Thomas, who's sort of from Florida. (He was kicked off the team for breaking curfew last year, according to the Post, and also tested positive for marijuana back when he was on the team.) We also got a jump on giving up next year's picks, sending a third-rounder to Minnesota as part of the move to acquire Thomas.
I don't know any of these guys, so I won't pretend to know much one way or the other. The strategy of loading up on linemen-all from major programs-doesn't really bother me in theory, considering the team's struggles along both lines last year. It's boring, but it doesn't bother me. I just hope we picked the right linemen, and on first glance, the Florida guys concern me a little.
The rest of the draft wasn't very interesting, with a few exceptions. Brady Quinn free-fell through the first round, I guess, or maybe the media just had a higher opinion of him than NFL people did all along. It called to mind the experience of Aaron Rodgers two years ago. To me, though, it's possible both guys were still drafted too high.
Stud kicker Mason Crosby of C.U. went to the Packers in the sixth round. Frankly, I would have been more excited if the Broncos selected Crosby than I am with any of their picks presently. Defensive lineman Abraham Wright went in the seventh round to the Dolphins. J.J. Billingsley went undrafted...the Broncos can at least invite him to camp, right? (Oh, that's right, he went to Eaglecrest. Forget it.)
I know some Brigham Young fans read the blog. Their quarterback, John Beck, went in the second round to Miami, which is fitting. I don't know who has the worse track record, BYU quarterbacks in the pros or young quarterbacks on the Dolphins. Could be interesting to watch.
The biggest move, though, was the Raiders sending Randy Moss to the Patriots for a mere fourth-rounder (cornerback John Bowie). Moss was a disappointment in Oakland, but I think if he really wants to, he can get back to or near an All-Pro level.
I like the Patriots more than most teams, and the move should make things interesting. But if I liked the rich getting richer so much, I'd vote Republican. (Wait a second....)
Seriously, though. What this reminds me of, speaking of washouts from Oakland, is when the Yankees were the only team that could afford to take on Jason Giambi. It sort of sucks for every other team to have to sit back and watch. But you know how many titles the Yankees have won since then? None. I wonder if the Patriots aren't headed for the same fate.
7 comments:
I had the same thoughts about draft day (imagine that). It's almost like Jarvis Moss had one great game in the national championship, which made up for his prior underperformance. And I am not sure he wouldn't have been available at #21, so giving up the additional picks doesn't make much sense to me. But if 2 of our 4 selections end up contributing on the line, then our draft was decent on the whole.
Watching Brady Quinn drop was so satisfying - when will the sports media learn to stop overhyping popular players and to start paying attention to what teams actually need from the draft?
The Randy Moss trade just blows my mind. I know he has underperformed in Oakland, but he's had the erratic likes of Aaron Brooks and Andrew Walters to throw to him. Even if he has lost a step, he is still worth more than a fourth rounder. But I like the Pats' strategy overall - they identified a need at wide receiver and went out and acquired everybody who could even arguably make a contribution. Their WR corps has gone from one of the worst in the league to one of the best, and it hasn't cost them very much to make it happen. The rich do indeed get richer . . .
Oh, yeah. The Randy Moss trade was awful for Oakland.
It's worth noting that Dr. Z of Sports Illustrated gave the Broncos a D-, dead last in the NFL, for their draft. I'm probably being too easy on them, which is not usually my problem.
A D-? How could we have done worse than the Dolphins choosing both Ted Ginn #9 and a BYU quarterback?
Funny story, the best player in college football this year is only good enough to be drafted in the 5th round, think about that
Are you talking about the Heisman winner?
Troy Smith was neither the best player in college football nor deserving of being drafted in any round, so it is a good thing you protected your rep by posting anonymously.
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