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El Hombre Says: Deep breath before filling out draft report cards
May 3, 2007
By Michael Bradley
SPiN Columnist
No matter how much you think you know about the NFL Draft, you really don't know anything. Even if you can avoid being hypnotized by Mel Kiper's hair and listen to his every word, you don't know. Should you find a way to watch the same amount of tape as Mike Mayock, NFL Network's Captain Video, you still don't know. Have a friend who knows a guy who knows Bill Belichick? You don't know.
Yet, here we are less than a week after the '07 draft, and EVERYBODY knows. They know that the Browns did a "great" job in landing tackle Joe Thomas from Wisconsin and ND quarterback Brady Quinn, even if they did sacrifice what should be a top-10 '08 pick for Quinn, who looked like he had just come off a semi-formal bender when he was finally summoned from commish Roger Goodell's airtight suite sometime around 5 p.m. EST to be presented to the Radio City Music Hall audience.
They know that Miami blew it big time by drafting Ted Ginn, Jr. with the ninth overall pick, instead of Quinn, Mississippi linebacker Patrick Willis or the cast of Friday Night Lights. They know Washington messed up. Again. And that Philadelphia broke the golden rule of sports by trading with its major rival (at least that's what Eagles fans think) and getting the short end of the trade, according to those who "know."
In Philadelphia, they really know. Even though they don't. In fact, when it comes to the NFL Draft, the folks in this town can make Sergeant Schultz look like the chairman of the Heidelberg MENSA chapter. This is a city that prides itself on paying no attention to college football. Start talking about Temple's grid hopes, and people lose interest faster than they do with the average Saturday Night Live sketch. People just don't care. You're excited about the big LSU-Florida matchup? Well, they'd rather watch the 1981 Super Bowl, if only to boo Jaws one more time.
So, when the football cognoscenti start trashing the Eagles' draft class, well, let's just say it's wise to turn a deaf ear to the "analysis." Ask the local fans or media about Notre Dame defensive end Victor Abiamiri, taken late in the second round by the Eagles, and they'll be able to tell you precious little about his skill set. Ask them to pronounce his name, and get the butcher block ready. That's to be expected. Even the most devoted college fan isn't going to know anything about Rashad Barksdale, the cornerback from NFL hotbed Albany University, whom the Eagles took in the sixth round. Yet, everybody is going to be able to bad-mouth the Birds' draft.
One of the biggest reasons for the anguish is the trade Philadelphia made with Dallas. (Philly gave up its first-round pick, the 26th overall, in return for a second, third and fifth.) Forget that the teams' "rivalry" is largely one-way, with the Cowboys and their fans hardly reciprocating the venom spewed in their direction by the Eagles' mob. When the teams play in Texas, Cowboys' fans come out to cheer their team. When the venue moves north, Birds' supporters are there to attack Dallas. The teams are divisional rivals, but Philadelphians still suffer from the America's Team hangover and serious Lombardi Trophy envy, while Botox Jerry Jones simply believes his franchise to be superior to everyone else's, despite a decided lack of post-season success during the past decade.
Once Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie did the deal with Jones, it was as if Lurie had melted down the Liberty Bell and sold the molten copper to Satan himself for purposes of recasting it as a giant Cowboy star for the Hellfire Lounge. Compounding matters was the instant analysis of Dallas selection Anthony Spencer, a defensive end/outside linebacker from Purdue, who before the draft was considered to be a potential starter but hardly a perennial Pro Bowler. Forget that, said Eagle Nation. If the Cowboys drafted him as a result of a trade with their franchise, he must make Lawrence Taylor look like a sissy. For the next four months, Philadelphia fans will be haunted by nightmares of Spencer's blazing around the corner and turning Donovan McNabb's good knee into pudding. Twice a year.
Speaking of McNabb, the draft wasn't too kind to him at all. There he was, rehabbing his mangled ACL and enjoying a respite from the latest troubles caused by his or his parents' mouths, when the Eagles up and used their first pick in the draft on a quarterback. A quarterback? Just when McNabb thought he was clear of any challenges to his primacy, thanks to the team's unwillingness to re-sign Jeff Garcia, here was his presumed replacement, Kevin Kolb, riding on up from Houston with quick feet, a sharp mind and a make-all-the-throws arm. Yeah, that screwy offense he ran with the Cougs was nothing like the Birds' brand, but he would have time to learn the new stuff. About two years. After that, it was open season on the starting job.
Backup A.J. Feeley should have been the guy most angry, since his spot is in jeopardy, despite a shiny new four-year contract. At least he has his smoking soccer girlfriend, Heather Mitts, to console him.
On McNabb's official website, there was a poll asking what position the Eagles should fill with the 26th pick. There were six choices. Guess which spot wasn't mentioned?
It took McNabb three days to have a conversation about the pick with Eagles coach Andy Reid. Not that we learned anything about it. For all we know, McNabb could have boarded a plane to Minnesota Tuesday with his agent to talk with former Eagle offensive coordinator Brad Childress about a possible job there. Or, he could have continued his rehab in peace and quiet. We'll learn more eventually, but now it's all about the speculation, and that's kind of fun.
The moral of all this? Let the football people handle the draft and then wait to see if they're right. For example, is Lions' GM Matt Millen now a genius because he took Calvin Johnson second overall, after messing up the previous four drafts? Not quite. And Andy Reid and the Birds aren't stupid because they didn't choose Arkansas cornerback Chris Houston with their first choice. At least not yet. Give the Class of '07 a chance to show what it can do. Then make your judgment.
And if you happen to run into Donovan McNabb in Minneapolis, Chicago or Charlotte, don't be surprised. And don't expect a long conversation, either. The man has a lot on his mind.
May 3, 2007
By Michael Bradley
SPiN Columnist
No matter how much you think you know about the NFL Draft, you really don't know anything. Even if you can avoid being hypnotized by Mel Kiper's hair and listen to his every word, you don't know. Should you find a way to watch the same amount of tape as Mike Mayock, NFL Network's Captain Video, you still don't know. Have a friend who knows a guy who knows Bill Belichick? You don't know.
Yet, here we are less than a week after the '07 draft, and EVERYBODY knows. They know that the Browns did a "great" job in landing tackle Joe Thomas from Wisconsin and ND quarterback Brady Quinn, even if they did sacrifice what should be a top-10 '08 pick for Quinn, who looked like he had just come off a semi-formal bender when he was finally summoned from commish Roger Goodell's airtight suite sometime around 5 p.m. EST to be presented to the Radio City Music Hall audience.
They know that Miami blew it big time by drafting Ted Ginn, Jr. with the ninth overall pick, instead of Quinn, Mississippi linebacker Patrick Willis or the cast of Friday Night Lights. They know Washington messed up. Again. And that Philadelphia broke the golden rule of sports by trading with its major rival (at least that's what Eagles fans think) and getting the short end of the trade, according to those who "know."
In Philadelphia, they really know. Even though they don't. In fact, when it comes to the NFL Draft, the folks in this town can make Sergeant Schultz look like the chairman of the Heidelberg MENSA chapter. This is a city that prides itself on paying no attention to college football. Start talking about Temple's grid hopes, and people lose interest faster than they do with the average Saturday Night Live sketch. People just don't care. You're excited about the big LSU-Florida matchup? Well, they'd rather watch the 1981 Super Bowl, if only to boo Jaws one more time.
So, when the football cognoscenti start trashing the Eagles' draft class, well, let's just say it's wise to turn a deaf ear to the "analysis." Ask the local fans or media about Notre Dame defensive end Victor Abiamiri, taken late in the second round by the Eagles, and they'll be able to tell you precious little about his skill set. Ask them to pronounce his name, and get the butcher block ready. That's to be expected. Even the most devoted college fan isn't going to know anything about Rashad Barksdale, the cornerback from NFL hotbed Albany University, whom the Eagles took in the sixth round. Yet, everybody is going to be able to bad-mouth the Birds' draft.
One of the biggest reasons for the anguish is the trade Philadelphia made with Dallas. (Philly gave up its first-round pick, the 26th overall, in return for a second, third and fifth.) Forget that the teams' "rivalry" is largely one-way, with the Cowboys and their fans hardly reciprocating the venom spewed in their direction by the Eagles' mob. When the teams play in Texas, Cowboys' fans come out to cheer their team. When the venue moves north, Birds' supporters are there to attack Dallas. The teams are divisional rivals, but Philadelphians still suffer from the America's Team hangover and serious Lombardi Trophy envy, while Botox Jerry Jones simply believes his franchise to be superior to everyone else's, despite a decided lack of post-season success during the past decade.
Once Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie did the deal with Jones, it was as if Lurie had melted down the Liberty Bell and sold the molten copper to Satan himself for purposes of recasting it as a giant Cowboy star for the Hellfire Lounge. Compounding matters was the instant analysis of Dallas selection Anthony Spencer, a defensive end/outside linebacker from Purdue, who before the draft was considered to be a potential starter but hardly a perennial Pro Bowler. Forget that, said Eagle Nation. If the Cowboys drafted him as a result of a trade with their franchise, he must make Lawrence Taylor look like a sissy. For the next four months, Philadelphia fans will be haunted by nightmares of Spencer's blazing around the corner and turning Donovan McNabb's good knee into pudding. Twice a year.
Speaking of McNabb, the draft wasn't too kind to him at all. There he was, rehabbing his mangled ACL and enjoying a respite from the latest troubles caused by his or his parents' mouths, when the Eagles up and used their first pick in the draft on a quarterback. A quarterback? Just when McNabb thought he was clear of any challenges to his primacy, thanks to the team's unwillingness to re-sign Jeff Garcia, here was his presumed replacement, Kevin Kolb, riding on up from Houston with quick feet, a sharp mind and a make-all-the-throws arm. Yeah, that screwy offense he ran with the Cougs was nothing like the Birds' brand, but he would have time to learn the new stuff. About two years. After that, it was open season on the starting job.
Backup A.J. Feeley should have been the guy most angry, since his spot is in jeopardy, despite a shiny new four-year contract. At least he has his smoking soccer girlfriend, Heather Mitts, to console him.
On McNabb's official website, there was a poll asking what position the Eagles should fill with the 26th pick. There were six choices. Guess which spot wasn't mentioned?
It took McNabb three days to have a conversation about the pick with Eagles coach Andy Reid. Not that we learned anything about it. For all we know, McNabb could have boarded a plane to Minnesota Tuesday with his agent to talk with former Eagle offensive coordinator Brad Childress about a possible job there. Or, he could have continued his rehab in peace and quiet. We'll learn more eventually, but now it's all about the speculation, and that's kind of fun.
The moral of all this? Let the football people handle the draft and then wait to see if they're right. For example, is Lions' GM Matt Millen now a genius because he took Calvin Johnson second overall, after messing up the previous four drafts? Not quite. And Andy Reid and the Birds aren't stupid because they didn't choose Arkansas cornerback Chris Houston with their first choice. At least not yet. Give the Class of '07 a chance to show what it can do. Then make your judgment.
And if you happen to run into Donovan McNabb in Minneapolis, Chicago or Charlotte, don't be surprised. And don't expect a long conversation, either. The man has a lot on his mind.
