I love the Nick Toon pick, I saw him play in a couple of Wisconsin games (and a third game where he was hurt which is worrisome) and he was really polished and seems like the perfect kind of Saints receiver
Vontaze Burfict went undrafted, as expected. More surprising was Kellen Moore, he doesn't have the physical tools to be an NFL starter, but he's generally considered a highly intelligent guy with a future as a coach, I figured he'd get drafted to be a backup at least.
I'm fine if they don't like Allen, but a 3rd rounder is usually a guy that's either a starter or at least is expected to contribute significantly. Not only did they take him in the 3rd, but they traded up to get him. Something Ozzie rarely does.
Ravens Picks:
2nd round: DE/OLB Courtney Upshaw
2nd round: OT/OG Kelechi Osemele
3rd round: RB Bernard Pierce
4th round: OG/C Gino Gradkowski
4th round: S Christian Thompson
5th round: CB Asa Jackson
6th round: WR Tommy Streeter
7th round: DE/DT DeAngelo Tyson
Undrafted FA:
TE Nick Provo
C Chris Anzevino
WR Devin Goda
QB John Brantley
CB Charles Brown
LB Austin Johnson
DT Nick Jean-Baptiste
WR Deonte Thompson
OL Jack Cornell
SAF Chyl Quarles (no idea what SAF is. Special Teams guy?)
I'm actually more excited about the UDFA's than I am about the late-round picks. Ravens always seem to find a starter or two as well as major contributors out of these guys.
---------- Post added 2012-04-28 at 10:26 PM ----------
Burfict signs with the Bengals. That makes so much sense.
ProFootballWeekly.com Link
Also, with the new CBA, teams are restricted to only $76k to spend on UDFA bonus'. In years past, some teams would actually spend more on UDFA's than they would on their 6th or 7th rounders.
Still have to be able to get the ball to your recievers. Remember Chad Pennington at the end of his career? Compound those issues with Moore's lack of height and lack of athleticism. The best way to get around having a shorter QB is to move the pocket, and Moore just can't do that at the NFL level. 30 years ago he'd have had a starting job in a WCO, but in this day and age he's just a 3rd string QB for the Lions.
@ Elbren: I'd wager Pierce is insurance in case Ray Rice leaves after this season. Also, they needed to replace Ricky Williams' carries.
I'm with you on that one. The kid is extremely accurate and anticipates defenses better than anyone I have seen in college over the last few years. People who haven't watched him play should because he makes some amazing throws. He has the arm strength to place the ball exactly where it needs to be. It may not be elite, but with his anticipation and accuracy, it doesn't have to be. He is so smart with the football as well, something he doesn't get enough credit for. Junior year he had like 39 TD's and only 3 INTS all year. Had about that ratio every year. Incredible. If you watch him play you'll realize he rarely makes bad throws.
I think he'll pass Shawn Hill and be the backup. Don't see him taking the job over Stafford but he'll be a solid backup, and who knows maybe in a year or two he'll get a shot and make the most of it.
I think a Kellen Moore/ Matt Stafford QB controversy is a bit overzealous. He might be the backup, but Stafford just threw for 5000 yards last year. The only way Moore sees any time on the field next year is if the injury bug comes back and bites Stafford again. Dude has had injury problems, but he won't lose the starting job in an open competition. Mostly because there won't be one.
everybody tears up their secondary, Matt Flynn tore up their secondary
when you predict undrafted FAs to beat out #1 picks coming off of 5000yard seasons, thats a pretty intense level of fanboydom
and Drew Brees was a 32nd overall pick, not an undrafted FA, as far as comparisons go, yea, Brees had the some of the same doubts, but then had so many other things in his favor he still was the 2nd QB taken in the draft
Last edited by draynay; 2012-04-29 at 07:36 AM.
ROTFL. I saw he was undrafted with about 10 picks to go yesterday and if there was a joke to be made it would have been I bet he signs with the Bengals. What is it with that team and their love of troubled players? Grats to Burfict on tanking his draft value by being a complete idiot. "It's not like like I'm the first guy to ever do [weed]"-his excuse for failing his combine drug test.
Freaking sweet! Now if Stafford rips up his shoulder again we potentially have a backup who isn't Drew Stanton or Shaun Hill.
The one Lions pick I didn't really like was Broyles. I think he was a tremendous value for where they got him, but we weren't exactly crippled for WR talent on the Lions, in free agency, or left in the draft. I would have much, much rather seen them use that pick on a CB and used a later pick, that they used on a less talented CB, on a WR.
Last edited by conscript; 2012-04-29 at 11:01 AM.
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For all we know, he may end up actually being pretty good. GB did a great job of grooming Rodgers before he came in; don't see any reasons why Flynn can't succeed. Doesn't mean he will, but it's not like he's been thrown into the fray with no experience.
And no, Brees really didn't have a whole lot more going for him. Chargers picking him baffled the hell out of everybody because there was more talent available. I'm just going by what I've seen. Kellen Moore is ridiculously accurate and he sees the field. Tim Tebow and Mark Sanchez have arm strength.
I'm totally aware that it can go both ways, but I'm confident Moore isn't just going to be a career backup.
WOW what? You have a serious level of fanboyism going on here. let me set you straight.
1) Matt Flynn: Aaron Rodgers was a 1st round pick that got his grooming from sitting behind the best to ever play the position. Matt Flynn was a borderline NFL prospect that was drafted in the 7th round for his intangibles and ended up getting paid based off of his work with the best skill position talent in the NFL, don't be surprised if Flynn can't wrest the job away from Tarvaris Jackson, who is just this side of terrible.
2) Drew Brees: Jigga what? The ONLY question about Brees coming out of college was his height, and that pick was widely lauded as a brilliant move after John Butler traded OUT of the first pick (Michael Vick) to move down to 5 and pick LT, then still get his QB of the future with the first pick of the 2nd round. Brees was the same height, but he was more athletic (4.67 40 time to Moore's 4.94), had a stronger arm, and played against better competition (Purdue, a Big Ten school.)
3) The best comparison for Moore would be a poor man's Chad Pennington. Shorter and thinner, and without the barely average arm that Pennington had BEFORE all the injuries.
you're killing me with the revisionist history Badpaladin, the 2001 draft had a real dearth of QB talent, you had Vick at #1, Brees was the consensus #2 QB and after that you had guys like Quincy Carter and Mike McMahon or Chris Weinke
nobody gave the Chargers shit for taking Brees, he was taller than Flutie at least, and they avoided giving a QB first round money, something they were really gunshy about after the '98 draft
and I remember seeing Flynn play at LSU and he didn't look like a future pro bowler, I'm glad he's getting a chance to play, and I think he'll be decent, but he was a one year starter and his one year was decidedly average, I'd compare him to somebody like Matt Cassel, a guy who can put up good numbers in the right situation but is just average over the long haul
1) Sorry, but Farve isn't close to best at his position. Aaron Rodgers is as good as he is now because The Packers are smart and don't rush quarterbacks to perform from day one. They have one of the best-run systems in the NFL, and proper QB-grooming is one of the clearer ones.
2) Wrong. Brees was percieved as having mediocre arm strength and was seen as a system QB. He took most of his snaps from the shotgun and played in a spread offense, which was looked down upon greatly because it wasn't a pro system. Looking at some draft pick analyses from 2001, the measurables are almost identical between Brees and Moore. Incredible accuracy, poise and quickness in the pocket, exceptional field-reading ability, confidence in passes, too short and not a strong enough arm to make big passes. The only difference is that Brees was a very mobile quarterback outside of the pocket whereas Moore isn't. And I dunno about you, but I didn't see Brees' speed outside of the pocket as the reason for his success.
3) Have you even seen him play?
I fail to see how this is a serious level of fanboyism. Have I not made it clear that I know it can go either way? I suppose we could change the definition of fanboy if you'd like.
Last edited by Badpaladin; 2012-04-30 at 01:09 AM.
1) The record books would like to have a word with you. Also, since when is GB a bastion of great QB play? I mean I heard Mike McCarthy was a QB genius, I mean look at all his success stories: Rich Gannon (Didn't go anywhere until Gruden got his paws on him), Elvis grbac (Career QB rating 79), Aaron Brooks (Career QB rating 78), and Alex Smith....wow, that's a QB guru. I don't get this idea that GB "knows" how to develop a QB based off of Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers didn't start as a rookie because the packers had Brett effing Favre.
2)Similar measurables to Brees? What? They're not even close. Brees had more mobility, way more, which was part of the reason he was considered a 1st round prospect since the best way to get around a short QB is to move the pocket - something Moore isn't capable of. Moore was considered 6th round AT BEST, because he's too short, too thin, too slow, and has a below average arm.
3) Sure, I watched Flynn ably hold JaMarcus Russel's jock at LSU for 3 years, look like just another guy for 1 year, then light it up using the best recieving corps in the NFL against 4th stringers and Detroit. I'm real impressed.