Anticipation Growing As NFL Draft Nears
By Andy Herron
The countdown is on. The 2008 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, now only a week away before NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will walk up to the podium next Saturday at Radio City Music Hall in New York to welcome the crowd and announce that “the Miami Dolphins are now on the clock.” The Dolphins, having finished with the worst record in the 2007 season, have the first pick in the draft. Kind of gets your football blood moving, doesn’t it.
I’m sure many have seen some of the mock drafts out there, as it seems everybody has one these days. Sportswriters, reporters and enthusiasts from just about every newspaper and website out there put their insight and educated determinations as to who will take who and when, and “when do the quarterbacks start coming off the board”? Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan appears to be the consensus pick to be the first quarterback taken, the only question being “who” takes him, and when?
As mentioned, the Miami Dolphins have the no. 1 pick overall. Indications are that former Dallas Cowboys head coach and now Executive Vice President of football operations for the Dolphins Bill Parcells may have an eye out for a quarterback, but not in the first round. Thus far, the Dolphins have been in preliminary contract negotiations with Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long and Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston. It is not uncommon for teams to negotiate and sometimes even agree to a contract with a player prior to the draft when they have the first pick. The Dallas Cowboys did it with Troy Aikman in 1989.
The Atlanta Falcons have the third pick, and are also considered to be in need of a quarterback. This is where I would expect Matt Ryan to be selected. With former quarterback Michael Vick still serving his prison term for dog-fighting, the Falcons desperately need to change the face of their franchise. Last year’s efforts to steady the position with Byron Leftwich, Joey Harrington and Chris Redman left more to be desired than what they brought to the field.
This would bring us to the Oakland Raiders, having the fourth selection. The good lord above only knows what they’ll ever do on any given draft day. Owner Al Davis and his band of the black and silver bandits could do anything. Hey, they selected a kicker in the first round in 2000, Sebastian Janikowski, so you can’t put anything past them. However, the feeling in NFL circles is that the Raiders are licking their chops to get their hands on much-heralded Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. Adding McFadden to the offensive backfield to go along with last year’s overall no. 1 pick, quarterback JaMarcus Russell, may help the Raiders get out of that black hole they claim to have out there in Oakland.
The Dallas Cowboys have the no. 22 pick, acquired from the Cleveland Browns in last year’s draft as part of the Brady Quinn trade, and the no. 28 pick. The most prominent positions of need going into this draft for the Cowboys are running back, cornerback and wide receiver, in no particular order. Running back Julius Jones has moved on to Seattle as a free agent to test the waters as a Seahawk, therefore leaving Pro Bowl running back Marion Barber in need of a running partner. If the draft falls and plays out the way I would expect, I see owner and GM Jerry Jones and his staff selecting the other Arkansas running back, Felix Jones, at no. 22. His return skills on special teams would be a welcome addition as well. If the right cornerback were to fall to them at no. 22, it would leave Dallas with a decision to make, especially if Jones is still on the board. The ongoing negotiations with the Tennessee Titans for acquiring the controversial yet talented cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones in a trade are very close, and may even have been executed by the time we go to press. However, it will not change the Cowboys approach to the draft as far as cornerback is concerned. Jerry Jones has stated that acquiring Pacman would be considered a “luxury”, not a solution.
With the 28th pick, any number of things could happen. My intuition tells me they will make every effort to use it or package it if need be in a trade for a proven veteran wide receiver, such as Detroit Lions wide receiver Roy Williams or Anquan Boldin of the Arizona Cardinals. Disgruntled Cincinnati Bengal wide receiver Chad Johnson should also probably be thrown into that mix, but I would be shocked if it were to turn out to be him. With him alongside Terrell Owens, we really would have a circus on our hands.
If a trade can’t be consummated with the 28th pick, it’s going to come down to a best available player scenario, between a cornerback and wide receiver. I’ve had my sights on California wide receiver DeSean Jackson since last season. He’s small, at 5’9” and 169 lbs., but very explosive. He’s no smaller than Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith, though a little lighter, or even Wes Welker of the New England Patriots. Jackson also has kick and punt return skills. Then again, with some of these teams being quarterback hungry, moving from the second round to the bottom of the first at no. 28 in a trade with Dallas is a very strong possibility as well.
More coverage on the draft and the Cowboys coming next week.
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