Thoughts from the Weekend

The NBA and NHL Playoffs, early-season baseball and a couple of fantastic finishes in golf, but all anybody wants to talk about is the NFL Draft (OK, the golf one was a stretch...)

Some thoughts about the draft:
- Too bad the Giants didn't deal Shockey. Coming out of last season they had one glaring tradeable commodity, the perpetually-discontent tight end who almost singlehandedly killed Eli Manning's confidence over the past 3 seasons. That the Giants won the Super Bowl without him was in no way a coincidence: his absence gave Eli some breathing room and allowed him to seize control of his offense. Here's hoping the Giants' winning without him will bring Shockey down a few notches - I just can't wrestle the image from my mind of a Week 3 overthrow leading to Shockey chewing out Eli.
- At the top of the draft you will inevitably have some teams in need of a makeover, some more so than others. Teams have unsuccesful seasons for a number of reasons - injuries and/or off-the-field problems, player discontent or failure to connect with the coach, or a simple lack of personnel - and the function of the draft is to address the problems of the season before. Well, the Atlanta Falcons had to right a ship that was torn apart by every feasible problem that could plague a franchise, and, in doing so, they were forced to select a player who would immediately boost fan morale.
The Dolphins were in the position of having decent talent at a number of positions and had only to focus on specific needs. The Falcons, on the other hand, had to focus on "making a splash", even if it meant not necessarily choosing their highest rated prospect. That is why the Falcons, and the Raiders as well, are so much farther away from success than the other high-drafting teams. Those other teams, while having problems of their own, did not need an image makeover. That was not the case with the Raiders and the Falcons.
- Just to provide an example of what I discussed above: For the 2nd year in a row, the New York Giants selected a well-known, big-name wide receiver in the 2nd Round. Now, I am not contending that they did so to boost fan interest, because fan interest is at an all-time high. But drafting someone like Mario Manningham does provide the fans with a great offensive threat they remember from college, and that makes that guy all the more appealing. Being able to monitor the progress of big-time collegians does add some new level of interest for the team.
Do you know what can sometimes happen, though, when that philosophy wins out? You get last year's debacle in Miami in which the Fins drafted a big-name receiver way too high. Yes, they may have truly wanted Ted Ginn Jr, but the fact that fans already know him and like him makes the pick that much more enticing.
- Prediction: Ray Rice will be either as good or better than Darren McFadden over a 7-year span. For every Adrian Peterson, they are 4 Curtis Enis's. The same might be said for later-round running backs, but team's dont wager the future of the organization on it.
- Prediction: Matt Ryan is a great quarterback in this league for years to come. How quarterbacks play in the 4th quarter under pressure tells the most about long-term sucess, and he was built to lead that 2-minute offense.
- Prediction: Vernon Gholston is not with the Jets after his rookie contract expires. That was not the right pick for a Jets team that needs an Antonio Pierce-type on defense: a vocal leader who gives his all on every play.