Where did the last twelve months go? 2011 is about to get into our rearview mirror. Great! A time for lists! One quick spin through the last 365 days in the most shallow of ways-- by hitting 11 random stops while trying to make sense of the year gone by.
Super! Bowled-- let's face it-- we are an NFL Nation and once again pro football's championship game didn't disappoint. Unless you had purchased tickets to seats that didn't exist and had to stand outside Cowboys Stadium in the freezing cold. Far from the Super Bores of yore-- last year's 31-25 Green Bay victory was the 6th decided by single digits in the last ten years (and only Tampa Bay's trouncing of Oakland in 2003 would qualify as a blowout).
Lucky with Lockouts-- unfortunately the NFL and NBA offseason delivered unnecessary daily drama ("Day 13 of the Lockout...Day 132 of the Lockout..."). Thankfully only Canton's Hall of Fame Game was cancelled-- and a ten year deal is in place for the NFL. And thank goodness the NBA and its players woke up to realize that as a league they are a luxury item and not the need pro football is for the public. See you when the deals expire. On the Wizards front, a rebuilding 66 game season is much less miserable than a rebuilding 82 game season. And at leas the uniforms are cool again.
A March with Thrills, Chills and Spills-- the NCAA Tournament provided grand theater with all #1 and #2 seeds getting bounced before the Final Four... VCU going from the "First Four" to the national semifinals... and the NBA guys on TNT waxing on about how much college basketball they watch and know. Even referring to the round of 64 as the "second round" and pushing Sunday tipoffs to after 8pm can't ruin my favorite three weeks of the year.
College Coaching Carousel-- after years of relative calm in and around the beltway... major ripples locally with Gary Williams retiring, Jim Larranaga moving to Miami and Karl Hobbs getting fired. While the Terps and Colonials look to be reloading, the Patriots are primed for another solid season in the CAA.
Cap-itulation and regime change-- what will we do now that the Bruce Boudreau commercials are no longer gracing the area? After an impressive first round series win over the New York Rangers (the only one in the Eastern Conference that didn't go seven games) the Caps were broomed out of the playoffs by Tampa Bay. Then after a 7-0 start the team hit the wall and Boudreau hit the road. Despite being unable to lead the Capitals into the conference finals, Boudreau elevated the expectations from the mess he inherited Thanksgiving weekend of 2007. One could make the case that if he had flopped as a then-interim coach... George McPhee would have followed him out the door back then. Instead, Dale Hunter tries to provide a midseason transfusion.
Toothless Tiger... and the next big thing?-- Tiger Woods went another year without winning a major tournament. As he approaches his late 30's one wonders what sort of window he has for catching Jack Nicklaus...but for every Tom Watson that stops winning in his early 30's there's a Mark O'Meara who experiences a resurgence in his 40's. While I once thought he had a "true slam" where he won all four majors in one season... the possibility remains for him to pickup four more championships within the next ten years. Meanwhile, fans at Congressional Country Club were treated to Rory McIlroy's run at the US Open... let's wait for the kid win two before we elevate him to the level of even Padraig Harrington or Angel Cabrera.
No Joking-- Tennis saw Novak Djokovic grab dominance by the throat... the Serb won three majors to scale the heights previously claimed by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. After a somewhat democratic era where dominance meant two majors(1989-2003)... we've seen a triple-play five times in eight years. Between Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and everybody's English hope Andy Murray... majors are compelling after the Andy Roddick flameout.
Terrapin Fall-- nobody saw the 2-10 Maryland football season coming. Fresh off a 9-4 season with the ACC rookie of the year everything went wrong for the Terrapins... with more than a few players transferring. View the first year of coach Randy Edsall as the clearing of a site for the placement of a foundation-- construction sites are rarely pretty during their first year. With the return of Mike Locksley as a primary recruiter, expect an instate talent upgrade.
Baseball's Crazy Finish-- the final month of the regular season saw legendary collapses by Atlanta and Boston... with the Braves and Red Sox trying to outdo each other in tripping right before the finish line. Meanwhile, St. Louis and Tampa Bay did the right things down the stretch and entered the playoffs in spectacular fashion. Some are calling it the best night ever in baseball and that you can't get that anywhere else in sports. Umm... the final Sunday of the NFL's regular season? The final weekend of conference tournament play with bubble teams bouncing every which way?
Skinsationalism-- another strong start (3-1) proving to be merely a mirage. Another quarterback situation implodes. The defense gets better but still not good enough. Suspensions rock the offense. And somewhere in a season that was honestly over before Halloween the Burgundy and Gold mattered because they were so irrelevant.
The Sad End of Happy Valley-- for years State College, PA was more than just about wins and losses... bowls and Heisman candidates. It was about the team before the individual. No names on the back of the jersey. Doing things with class. Graduating players. Never a whiff of an NCAA scandal. Even the "Grilled Stickies"--a breakfast roll that can't possibly be healthy in any way--had an image of innocence. But it's a different world now that the Gerry Sandusky revelations have come out... and continue to come out. You wonder exactly who knew what and when. And why nothing was done-- again and again. The quote I first thought of last fall...: "All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing"-- from all I know Joe Paterno is a good man. And from all I know-- he did nothing. So the victims try to heal. The accused stands charged. And the future of Penn State football arrives in a manner nobody could have envisioned.
Showing posts with label Capitals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Capitals. Show all posts
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
The Drafting Dozen- and will the sun set in the sunshine state?
Another step from the NFL wilderness was taken by the Burgundy and Gold as the brain trust of Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan not only kept their original allotment of draft picks... but added picks through trades and had a total of 12 selections-- their most since 1985. And that was with a 12-round draft and five picks after the seventh round. This year's crop features 8 of the first 178 players picked. Can Ryan Kerrigan adjust from being a 4-3 defensive end into a 3-4 outside linebacker? Will Jarvis Jenkins solve the nosetackle issues? How quickly will Leonard Hankerson affect the passing game (let's be honest, the Skins haven't had great luck drafting wide receivers recently)? And will the band start to learn the lyics to "Hail to the Huskers"? With twelve picks, you'd think at least four or five will work their way into the two-deep--with most of the rest getting a "redshirt year" on the practice squad. It's a shame the lockout is preventing this year's rookie class from assimilating itself to the Redskin system.
Capsized-- Two games at home against Tampa Bay-- and two tough losses that saw Dwayne Roloson turn into a brick wall (61 saves on 65 shots)... a power play vanish (0 for 11)... and a bad line change turn into a game losing goal in overtime. Down 0-2 with two games on back to back nights in the Tampa Bay the Bruce Boudreau Era is meeting its moment of truth. Another early exit could doom a regime that has revitalized the Red... as well as hockey in the district.
Capsized-- Two games at home against Tampa Bay-- and two tough losses that saw Dwayne Roloson turn into a brick wall (61 saves on 65 shots)... a power play vanish (0 for 11)... and a bad line change turn into a game losing goal in overtime. Down 0-2 with two games on back to back nights in the Tampa Bay the Bruce Boudreau Era is meeting its moment of truth. Another early exit could doom a regime that has revitalized the Red... as well as hockey in the district.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Ten for '10...
2010 came and went like a blur. Too many things on the sports landscape to fairly document.
So to combine scattershot summaries with everybody's best crutch, THE LIST... here we go...:
1-- Superbowl Smackdown... and snowbound-- New Orleans beat Indianapolis 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV... and what wasn't there to like? A gutsy call to start the second half on an onside kick. A masterful game by MVP Drew Brees... and a pick-six thrown by Peyton Manning. An area that hasn't had a lot to celebrate lately (Katrina) got a moment in the sun. A downtrodden franchise (paper bags, anyone) finally won it all. And the trifecta of Yankees-Lakers-Colts as world champs (pure hell for any Boston fan) was prevented. This took place during a February where the DC Metro area doubled as the Ice Planet Hoth... and I swear I saw a tauntaun. After ten years of living in the area and joking about the "rough winters", I actually experienced a rough winter. Still, much more mild than New Hampshire.
2-- Hall Hell... and hoops hubris-- I was excited when the Hollies were voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I avidly watched the induction ceremony-- only to learn that drummer Bobby Elliott and guitarist Tony Hicks weren't there because of a concert in London... with the Hollies. So the guys getting honored (Allen Clarke, Graham Nash and a very hammered Terry Sylvester) weren't actually with the band anymore-- yet they were making speeches while the guys still touring as the Hollies were in a different nation. Like if the Rolling Stones were inducted this year and Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor show up to the ceremony because Mick, Keith and Charlie have a gig overseas. And it didn't help that Stevie van Zandt's induction speech sucked. On the hoopfront, I was excited when Syracuse was ranked #1 for the first time since the 1989-90 season (when I finally invent that time-machine, I'm going back to '88 and getting Kenny Anderson to attend SU). But unfortunately the Orange peaked on a Saturday night rout of Villanova... and dropped 3 of their last 5 games en route to a Sweet Sixteen succumbing to Butler. At least the wings were money at Sign of the Whale-- they didn't have them (excuse me? this is a sportsbar! I expect you to run out of everything but beer before you say you don't have wings) for Syracuse's Lacrosse loss to Army (I still blame the bar for the defeat).
3-- NBA Finals... or Green with disgust-- I wasn't expecting to fall for this spring's Boston Celtic squad. The rapidly aging and skill eroding bunch was going to be handed sure defeat if not by Lebron James' getting better by the moment Cleveland Cavaliers, then they'd be schooled by last year's conference champ Orlando. Not so fast sir! Danny Ainge's questionable move for Nate Robinson paid off... Rajon Rondo went from apprentice to master... and the Aging Trio turned in one memorable May. I made the wise decision of watching games two and five with a friend who is one massive Lakers apologist (with the phrase "that's a foul" never too far away) and got to hear a lispy Lakers fan say "ith all tied up now, bithcheth!". After a nice win in game five ("that's a foul!) I was expecting flag #18 and the requisite championship paraphernalia. One Kendrick Perkins injury and two tough losses later, I was sick beyond belief. Damn that one hurt. Still hurts.
4-- Can't spell collapse without C-A-P-S... this was the year, right? So much for a 3 games to 1 first round lead... so much for cruising into Lord Stanley's waiting room. Instead, an offseason of doubt surrounding the direction of the best-run franchise in the Beltway... months of wondering which moves were necessary and a fall of unfulfilled dreams that turned into a dismal December (8 game losing streak) underneath a major microscope (HBO). Hopefully it won't rain Saturday at the Winter Classic in Pittsburgh.
5-- Lebron looms large-- "taking one's talents to South Beach" will never sound the same. After flaming out in the conference semifinals, King James made a smart move in the most stupid way. Go to Miami and a much more talented team? Brilliant. Do so on national TV with a hype-machine on overdrive, making us feel like NBA GM's should have been there expecting roses, bachelor-style? Buffoonish. While the Heat have finally gotten their act together, this will be James' "Maroon and Black" moment... if they win, great-- but if things don't work out this will be the moment and that will be the phrase everyone looks back at. Meanwhile, Jim Gray looks more ridiculous every time he has an incident (this fiasco plus the golf channel melee with Corey Pavin making those forget his Pete Rose run-in).
6-- Toothless Tiger-- Tiger began the year under a cloud of mystery (what happened on Thanksgiving?)... apologized after a slew of nasty texts....failed to win a major (the road to 18 has a few more bumps) and became an odd non-story on the PGA Tour. One has to feel he can still reel off two or three major wins in one year, though-- although the window for a "natural grandslam" may be closing fast.
7-- Skinsationalism-- they're on the right path... then all of a sudden Shanahan doesn't know what he's doing. McNabb is the savior. Then he doesn't get the offense and is out of shape. Donovan gets a contract extension-- then is benched. Haynesworth's in... but can't run... then is run out of town. Gold pants help them beat Dallas-- then are the cause for everything wrong. There's no better entertainment in and around the beltway...
8-- NFL...longer with labor-- the best-run league may run itself aground with its current labor issues. Head injuries suddenly become serious. And now the league wants to extend its regular season to 18 games. Great, more January games with 3-14 Carolina facing 7-10 Detroit.
Why mess with perfection? Yeah, I know-- money.
9-- November baseball?-- talk about drawing things out. Extra off-days during the postseason ruin whatever rhythm develops- and heaven forbid a series ends in a game or two early... then you've got a week off. I enjoyed San Francisco's run to the title (they remain my National League mistress and have been since the days of Kevin Mitchell and Will Clark) and the Yankees collapse... but let's wrap this thing up quicker so we can focus fully on the NFL.
10-- December departures come in threes--and an arrival is awesome. Over one weekend the futures of Gilbert Arenas, Ralph Friedgen and Donovan McNabb were determined-- further underscoring how fickle the world of sports is. Gilbert Arenas had the brightest DC future in 2006... and one bad contract, multiple surgeries and a poor understanding of firearm laws later is in a different uniform as a franchise rebuilds. Instead of an all-time great we get a major what-if. Ralph Friedgen spent his life with the job of head football coach as his goal and College Park as his dream destination; and after ten years of returning his alma mater to relevence was shown the door despite being named ACC Coach of the Year. Instead of departing into the sunset in 2012 or 2013 or 2014... a proud alum leaves under a cloud. Even in the "I don't remember yesterday/I won't make plans for tomorrow" world that is the Redskins, most thought Donovan McNabb would be the starting quarterback longer than 13 games. Now #5 is in the land of limbo but definitely on his way out after giving fans a glimpse of the NFC East rival who terrorized them for a decade. Nothing is forever-- or even temporary. Enjoy the games while you can.
Ohh... the arrival. My sister gave birth April 7th to my first niece... and Sarah Margaret is a bundle of joy who will get Maryland, Syracuse, Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox and Caps gear until she turns eighteen. Happy new year to everyone... may 2011 be as rich with hopes and dreams and laughter and tears as this past year was.
So to combine scattershot summaries with everybody's best crutch, THE LIST... here we go...:
1-- Superbowl Smackdown... and snowbound-- New Orleans beat Indianapolis 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV... and what wasn't there to like? A gutsy call to start the second half on an onside kick. A masterful game by MVP Drew Brees... and a pick-six thrown by Peyton Manning. An area that hasn't had a lot to celebrate lately (Katrina) got a moment in the sun. A downtrodden franchise (paper bags, anyone) finally won it all. And the trifecta of Yankees-Lakers-Colts as world champs (pure hell for any Boston fan) was prevented. This took place during a February where the DC Metro area doubled as the Ice Planet Hoth... and I swear I saw a tauntaun. After ten years of living in the area and joking about the "rough winters", I actually experienced a rough winter. Still, much more mild than New Hampshire.
2-- Hall Hell... and hoops hubris-- I was excited when the Hollies were voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I avidly watched the induction ceremony-- only to learn that drummer Bobby Elliott and guitarist Tony Hicks weren't there because of a concert in London... with the Hollies. So the guys getting honored (Allen Clarke, Graham Nash and a very hammered Terry Sylvester) weren't actually with the band anymore-- yet they were making speeches while the guys still touring as the Hollies were in a different nation. Like if the Rolling Stones were inducted this year and Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor show up to the ceremony because Mick, Keith and Charlie have a gig overseas. And it didn't help that Stevie van Zandt's induction speech sucked. On the hoopfront, I was excited when Syracuse was ranked #1 for the first time since the 1989-90 season (when I finally invent that time-machine, I'm going back to '88 and getting Kenny Anderson to attend SU). But unfortunately the Orange peaked on a Saturday night rout of Villanova... and dropped 3 of their last 5 games en route to a Sweet Sixteen succumbing to Butler. At least the wings were money at Sign of the Whale-- they didn't have them (excuse me? this is a sportsbar! I expect you to run out of everything but beer before you say you don't have wings) for Syracuse's Lacrosse loss to Army (I still blame the bar for the defeat).
3-- NBA Finals... or Green with disgust-- I wasn't expecting to fall for this spring's Boston Celtic squad. The rapidly aging and skill eroding bunch was going to be handed sure defeat if not by Lebron James' getting better by the moment Cleveland Cavaliers, then they'd be schooled by last year's conference champ Orlando. Not so fast sir! Danny Ainge's questionable move for Nate Robinson paid off... Rajon Rondo went from apprentice to master... and the Aging Trio turned in one memorable May. I made the wise decision of watching games two and five with a friend who is one massive Lakers apologist (with the phrase "that's a foul" never too far away) and got to hear a lispy Lakers fan say "ith all tied up now, bithcheth!". After a nice win in game five ("that's a foul!) I was expecting flag #18 and the requisite championship paraphernalia. One Kendrick Perkins injury and two tough losses later, I was sick beyond belief. Damn that one hurt. Still hurts.
4-- Can't spell collapse without C-A-P-S... this was the year, right? So much for a 3 games to 1 first round lead... so much for cruising into Lord Stanley's waiting room. Instead, an offseason of doubt surrounding the direction of the best-run franchise in the Beltway... months of wondering which moves were necessary and a fall of unfulfilled dreams that turned into a dismal December (8 game losing streak) underneath a major microscope (HBO). Hopefully it won't rain Saturday at the Winter Classic in Pittsburgh.
5-- Lebron looms large-- "taking one's talents to South Beach" will never sound the same. After flaming out in the conference semifinals, King James made a smart move in the most stupid way. Go to Miami and a much more talented team? Brilliant. Do so on national TV with a hype-machine on overdrive, making us feel like NBA GM's should have been there expecting roses, bachelor-style? Buffoonish. While the Heat have finally gotten their act together, this will be James' "Maroon and Black" moment... if they win, great-- but if things don't work out this will be the moment and that will be the phrase everyone looks back at. Meanwhile, Jim Gray looks more ridiculous every time he has an incident (this fiasco plus the golf channel melee with Corey Pavin making those forget his Pete Rose run-in).
6-- Toothless Tiger-- Tiger began the year under a cloud of mystery (what happened on Thanksgiving?)... apologized after a slew of nasty texts....failed to win a major (the road to 18 has a few more bumps) and became an odd non-story on the PGA Tour. One has to feel he can still reel off two or three major wins in one year, though-- although the window for a "natural grandslam" may be closing fast.
7-- Skinsationalism-- they're on the right path... then all of a sudden Shanahan doesn't know what he's doing. McNabb is the savior. Then he doesn't get the offense and is out of shape. Donovan gets a contract extension-- then is benched. Haynesworth's in... but can't run... then is run out of town. Gold pants help them beat Dallas-- then are the cause for everything wrong. There's no better entertainment in and around the beltway...
8-- NFL...longer with labor-- the best-run league may run itself aground with its current labor issues. Head injuries suddenly become serious. And now the league wants to extend its regular season to 18 games. Great, more January games with 3-14 Carolina facing 7-10 Detroit.
Why mess with perfection? Yeah, I know-- money.
9-- November baseball?-- talk about drawing things out. Extra off-days during the postseason ruin whatever rhythm develops- and heaven forbid a series ends in a game or two early... then you've got a week off. I enjoyed San Francisco's run to the title (they remain my National League mistress and have been since the days of Kevin Mitchell and Will Clark) and the Yankees collapse... but let's wrap this thing up quicker so we can focus fully on the NFL.
10-- December departures come in threes--and an arrival is awesome. Over one weekend the futures of Gilbert Arenas, Ralph Friedgen and Donovan McNabb were determined-- further underscoring how fickle the world of sports is. Gilbert Arenas had the brightest DC future in 2006... and one bad contract, multiple surgeries and a poor understanding of firearm laws later is in a different uniform as a franchise rebuilds. Instead of an all-time great we get a major what-if. Ralph Friedgen spent his life with the job of head football coach as his goal and College Park as his dream destination; and after ten years of returning his alma mater to relevence was shown the door despite being named ACC Coach of the Year. Instead of departing into the sunset in 2012 or 2013 or 2014... a proud alum leaves under a cloud. Even in the "I don't remember yesterday/I won't make plans for tomorrow" world that is the Redskins, most thought Donovan McNabb would be the starting quarterback longer than 13 games. Now #5 is in the land of limbo but definitely on his way out after giving fans a glimpse of the NFC East rival who terrorized them for a decade. Nothing is forever-- or even temporary. Enjoy the games while you can.
Ohh... the arrival. My sister gave birth April 7th to my first niece... and Sarah Margaret is a bundle of joy who will get Maryland, Syracuse, Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox and Caps gear until she turns eighteen. Happy new year to everyone... may 2011 be as rich with hopes and dreams and laughter and tears as this past year was.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Draft grades... sayonara, #17... CAPitulation...
No sooner had the NFL draft ended was I able to check out 317 different evaluations and grades of every team's picks... and I don't know how Cleveland got a B+ while Cincinnati got a B-. What are you thinking, NBC?
Premature Evaluation-- don't even try to grade your team's picks until somebody gets cut or makes the Pro Bowl. It's a long way from August. And a long way from December. GM's say it takes 2 to 3 years to get a complete gage on a draft class... by which times many of those GM's are gone.
First picks first-- one year after Detroit drafted the guy who looked like Sandra Bullock's husband in Hope Floats (Matthew Stafford) first overall, St Louis selects Sam Bradford-- who just happens to be a dead ringer for Sandra's Proposal co-star Ryan Reynolds. This bookends Sandra getting an Oscar for starring as Michael Oher's adoptive mom in the Blind Side. Are there any Keanu Reeves lookalikes playing college football now? Because your odds at getting drafted early have just gone up.
Skins tackle a need-- the drafting of Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams was a long time coming... perhaps about three or four years. The 6 foot 5, 315 pounder should be the cornerstone of coach Mike Shanahan's revamping of the offensive line. Williams should start. Williams should shine.
Jason, we hardly knew ye-- I was surprised the Saturday trade of Jason Campbell didn't happen sooner... and I was surprised it didn't yield a pick any sooner than 2012. Was he a great quarterback? No, but he was never in an ideal situation in Ashburn. Now he leaves an organization apparently finally on the right track for the Ottoman Empire of the AFC West. Ouch. And the Skins only got a fourth rounder in return.
Saturday Selections-- With Donovan McNabb coming to Washington in exchange for a second rounder and the third round selection vacated for the choice of defensive lineman Jerome Jarmon (both good moves, by the way) the next Skins pick came in round four-- and the selection of LSU LB Perry Riley gives the going to the 3-4 defense another body to plug in the inside. The rest of the draft yielded four offensive players: sixth rounder Louisiana Tech TE/FB Dennis Morris may be the Mike Sellers of the future; seventh round selection UCLA WR Terrence Austin doesn't have a lot of size but can turn into this year's Marko Mitchell (August MVP), while seventh rounders New Mexico center Erik Cook and West Virginia tackle Selvish Capers will provide training camp depth and in an ideal situation keep the incumbents on their toes.
Handing out grades: as mentioned, the three year gage can be tricky-- especially when the coach (Joe Gibbs) and personnel man (Vinny Cerrato) are no longer around. How'd the dynamic duo do in 2007?:
1--(pick 6) LaRon Landry was chosen after many thought the Skins would pick an offensive or defensive lineman . Landry's started 47 games and has averaged 83 tackles during his career- although his big play stats of 3 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 4 interceptions are somewhat lacking.
5--(pick 143) USC LB Dallas Sartz spent just one year in the NFL...notching one tackle over three preseason games.
6--(pick 179) Pitt LB H.B. Blades did stick with the team... averaging 40 tackles a season while becoming a special teams standout and starting six games over three years.
6--(pick 205) UTEP QB Jordan Palmer's tenure in Ashburn was two completions in eight attempts in the preseason finale with Jacksonville. He's played the last two years with Cincinnati.
7--(pick 216) Michigan TE Tyler Ecker played two preseason games with the Skins in his only NFL season.
So-- minus second, third and fourth round picks the Skins still find one starter and one special teamer with three washouts... not a lot of quality or quantity-- and not one offensive lineman taken by a team whose trenches were beginning to dissolve. The bigger issue of that era, though was the spending of draft picks for the likes of TJ Duckett and Brandon Lloyd robbed this team of top-100 prospects that could have provided depth or the opportunity to find a diamond in the rough.
CAPS playing like lowercase-- one week ago the Capitals were flying high after three straight wins (two in Montreal)... now they're fighting for their postseason lives against the eighth seed of the Eastern Conference. This is the fourth game seven in four postseason series for coach Bruce Boudreau-- don't say the Caps aren't giving fans maximum opportunities to see their team play.
Premature Evaluation-- don't even try to grade your team's picks until somebody gets cut or makes the Pro Bowl. It's a long way from August. And a long way from December. GM's say it takes 2 to 3 years to get a complete gage on a draft class... by which times many of those GM's are gone.
First picks first-- one year after Detroit drafted the guy who looked like Sandra Bullock's husband in Hope Floats (Matthew Stafford) first overall, St Louis selects Sam Bradford-- who just happens to be a dead ringer for Sandra's Proposal co-star Ryan Reynolds. This bookends Sandra getting an Oscar for starring as Michael Oher's adoptive mom in the Blind Side. Are there any Keanu Reeves lookalikes playing college football now? Because your odds at getting drafted early have just gone up.
Skins tackle a need-- the drafting of Oklahoma tackle Trent Williams was a long time coming... perhaps about three or four years. The 6 foot 5, 315 pounder should be the cornerstone of coach Mike Shanahan's revamping of the offensive line. Williams should start. Williams should shine.
Jason, we hardly knew ye-- I was surprised the Saturday trade of Jason Campbell didn't happen sooner... and I was surprised it didn't yield a pick any sooner than 2012. Was he a great quarterback? No, but he was never in an ideal situation in Ashburn. Now he leaves an organization apparently finally on the right track for the Ottoman Empire of the AFC West. Ouch. And the Skins only got a fourth rounder in return.
Saturday Selections-- With Donovan McNabb coming to Washington in exchange for a second rounder and the third round selection vacated for the choice of defensive lineman Jerome Jarmon (both good moves, by the way) the next Skins pick came in round four-- and the selection of LSU LB Perry Riley gives the going to the 3-4 defense another body to plug in the inside. The rest of the draft yielded four offensive players: sixth rounder Louisiana Tech TE/FB Dennis Morris may be the Mike Sellers of the future; seventh round selection UCLA WR Terrence Austin doesn't have a lot of size but can turn into this year's Marko Mitchell (August MVP), while seventh rounders New Mexico center Erik Cook and West Virginia tackle Selvish Capers will provide training camp depth and in an ideal situation keep the incumbents on their toes.
Handing out grades: as mentioned, the three year gage can be tricky-- especially when the coach (Joe Gibbs) and personnel man (Vinny Cerrato) are no longer around. How'd the dynamic duo do in 2007?:
1--(pick 6) LaRon Landry was chosen after many thought the Skins would pick an offensive or defensive lineman . Landry's started 47 games and has averaged 83 tackles during his career- although his big play stats of 3 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 4 interceptions are somewhat lacking.
5--(pick 143) USC LB Dallas Sartz spent just one year in the NFL...notching one tackle over three preseason games.
6--(pick 179) Pitt LB H.B. Blades did stick with the team... averaging 40 tackles a season while becoming a special teams standout and starting six games over three years.
6--(pick 205) UTEP QB Jordan Palmer's tenure in Ashburn was two completions in eight attempts in the preseason finale with Jacksonville. He's played the last two years with Cincinnati.
7--(pick 216) Michigan TE Tyler Ecker played two preseason games with the Skins in his only NFL season.
So-- minus second, third and fourth round picks the Skins still find one starter and one special teamer with three washouts... not a lot of quality or quantity-- and not one offensive lineman taken by a team whose trenches were beginning to dissolve. The bigger issue of that era, though was the spending of draft picks for the likes of TJ Duckett and Brandon Lloyd robbed this team of top-100 prospects that could have provided depth or the opportunity to find a diamond in the rough.
CAPS playing like lowercase-- one week ago the Capitals were flying high after three straight wins (two in Montreal)... now they're fighting for their postseason lives against the eighth seed of the Eastern Conference. This is the fourth game seven in four postseason series for coach Bruce Boudreau-- don't say the Caps aren't giving fans maximum opportunities to see their team play.
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