After posting my Texans defensive draft analysis under the "Smithiak" era, I received an email asking for a comparison to other team's drafts. Since one of my biggest criticisms of the Texans has been their inability to acquire impact players, I decided to scour the last 4 years for players who going into next season I would consider star caliber players. Feel free to review my list and suggest some additions and deletions.
Atlanta: QB Matt Ryan #3overall 2008, S William Moore 2nd round 2009
Baltimore: RB Ray Rice 2nd round 2008
Buffalo: WR Stevie Johnson 7th round 2008, S Jairus Byrd 2nd round 2009
Cleveland: LT Joe Thomas #3 overall 2007, CB Joe Haden #7 overall 2010
Dallas: WR Dez Bryant #24 overall 2010
Denver: LT Ryan Clady #12 overall 2008
Detroit: WR Calvin Johnson #2 overall 2007, DT Ndamakong Suh #2 overall 2010
Green Bay: TE Jermichael Finley 3rd round 2008, OLB Clay Matthews Jr #26 overall 2009
Indianapolis: WR Austin Collie 4th round 2009
Kansas City: WR Dwayne Bowe #23 overall, RB Jamaal Charles 3rd round 2008
Miami: RT Jake Long #1 overall 2008, CBVontae Davis #25 overall 2009
Minnesota: RB Adrian Peterson #7 overall 2007
New England: ILB Jerod Mayo #10 overall 2008, RT Sebastian Vollmer 2nd round 2009, CB Devin McCourty #27 overall 2010,TE Rob Gronkowski 2nd round 2010
NY Giants: WR Hakeem Nicks #29 overall 2009
NY Jets: CB Darelle Revis #13 2007,
New Orleans: G Carl Nicks 5th round 2008
Oakland: RB Darren McFadden #4 overall 2008
Philadelphia: WR DeSean Jackson 2nd round 2008, WR Jeremy Maclin #19 overall 2009, RB LeSean McCoy 2nd round 2009
Pittsburgh: OLB Lamar Woodley 2nd round 2007, RB Rashard Mendenhall #23 overall 2008, WR Mike Wallace 3rd round 2009, C Maurkice Pouncey #18 overall 2010
Seattle: LB Aaron Curry #4 overall 2009, S Earl Thomas #14 overall 2010
San Francisco: ILB Patrick Willis #11 2007
Tampa: QB Josh Freeman #17 overall 2009, WR Mike Williams 4th round 2010
Tennessee: RB Chris Johnson #24 overall 2008, CB Alterraun Verner 4th round 2010
Washington: OLB Brian Orakpo #13 overall 2009
That's 24 out of 32 teams drafting an impact player. One could make a case for Brian Cushing if you thought he was not a product of science and I suppose Duane Brown is an impact player compared to his predecessor, but I'll leave him off this list. Your thoughts? mattandadam@sports790.com
In honor of Marshawn Lynch's vicious stiff arm during his game sealing 66 yard TD run last Saturday for the Seahawks, here are 5 more NASTY stiff arms from RB's.
Eddie George lays down the great Ray Lewis with AUTHORITY!
How about a Samoan Stiffarm?
One of the best current stiff arms in the NFL, Mr. Adrian Peterson.
This is the most violent stiff arm I have ever seen courtesy of current Jacksonville Jaguar, Greg Jones back when he was a Florida State Seminole.
Finally Garrison Hearst uses a stiff arm to break a 96 yard GW Overtime run for the San Francisco 49ers.
Former Bronco Nate Jackson took a verbal baseball bat to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell yesterday in response to Goodell's "Letter to the Fans". Here is the text from Goodell's original letter.
http://www.businessinsider.com/read-roger-goodells-letter-to-nfl-fans-2011-1
Here is a link to Jackson's response. http://deadspin.com/5727848/a-former-player-responds-to-roger-goodells-open-letter?skyline=true&s=i
My favorite part is Jackson's thoughts on Goodell's dealings with Bret Favre.
"Goodell's failure to understand how this would be received by players has proved to be a recurring theme in his tenure. His vaunted code of conduct policy, his public flogging of the NFL's relatively few troublemakers, and his repeated cries for a "culture change," all seen by him as progress, were taken in the locker room as the opposite. One can only assume that a call for a "culture change" means that Goodell is unhappy with the current culture, or more to the point, with the players themselves. He is openly questioning their morals. Understanding that the majority of the players in the NFL are young black men, and he is representing the interests of old, rich, white owners, Goodell has needlessly widened the cultural rift between the players and the displeased owners who might wish their players weren't quite so black. That's not progress.
It also doesn't help that, in the eyes of the players, Goodell couldn't find his balls when he was in the same room with Brett Favre and a bagful of evidence. Roger could have given him a fitting retirement party, but he punked out.
Meanwhile, he had no problems locating his nuts when began doling out fines for what he perceived as overly vicious hits. But the way it looks in the locker room, the fines are a function of media attention and the marketability of the player getting hit. And if you accidentally graze the head of a quarterback, it's your ass. (And here we thought that's what helmets were for.) This is when Goodell's PR train permanently went off the rails. Players practice at full speed every week. They smack heads and then go watch it on film. They know everyone is getting hit in the head. The laughably inconsistent enforcement of the head-shot rule makes it clear to the players, or at least the vast majority of them: your brains are expendable."
I lead the nation in scoring. I shoot from the outside. I have unlimited range. I am pasty white.
I'm Jimmer Fredette. I make buckets.
NBA referee Ken Mauer went nuts the other night passing out 5 technical fouls to the Minnesota T-Wolves in about 10 seconds.
There are some crazy flood waters in Australia right now. Watch this video of a moving parking garage.
Who wants to come to my Chili Con Carnival?
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