2009 NFL Thread

[BlackLantern]

Anyone who writes, reads, or buys into draft grades deserves to be shot in the face. NO ONE - not the teams, not the players, not the fans - know how ANY of the picks are going to turn out for a couple of years at the earliest. Speculate all you want, but to hand letter grades to teams for making moves that haven't even had the chance to pan out? Annoying.

with rock salt

 

[StorminNorman]

I agree about draft grades. They, really, are among the most arrogant articles ever written in sports. Especially considering the overwhelming majority of them come from people that have never actually been apart of the drafting process.

It's okay for commentators to have drafts they like or don't like, and it's fair to point out areas a team did not attempt to address in the draft - but complaining because a team picked Defensive End A and not Defensive End B is silly.

 

[StorminNorman]

Quarterback Matthew Stafford Throws for the First Time as a Detroit Lion

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Quarterback Matthew Stafford was all smiles before his first practice, during and after. It was clear he was simply happy to be back on the practice field.

“It was good to play football again,” he said. “It’s been a while. It’s just good to get out here and run around with the guys and be a part of a team again.”

Friday afternoon’s rookie practice was open to the media after seemingly endless debate surrounding Stafford leading up to this year’s draft. It was the first time many had seen Stafford throw in person, and it was definitely something to see.

Though Stafford seemed to have the same first-day jitters as just about everyone on the field, his arm strength was obvious regardless of where the ball ended up.

He ended up settling down, though, and began to throw the ball a lot better.

“When you go through a first practice as a rookie, you’re so anxious to get going and you’re out of control and things like that,” said Head Coach Jim Schwartz.

“I think we saw that with Matthew today, just chomping at the bit early. (He) was wild with some throws, but then he started settling into a groove.”

Schwartz was pleased with the way his new quarterback looked in his first-ever practice as a Detroit Lion. After seeing Stafford throw many times prior to the draft, he saw exactly what he expected.

“I think his footwork looked good, his release is excellent,” said Schwartz.

But it was still the first day throwing with this group of receivers and throwing with a defense in the way. This is a much different group than what will be present once the veterans return, but Stafford still had his fair share of competition while working on Friday.

His biggest threat was safety Louis Delmas, who Detroit selected with the first pick in the second round.

Delmas, known for his big personality both on and off the field, challenged Stafford before Friday’s practice that he would be the first to intercept one of his passes. He came close, but unfortunately wasn’t able to bring one down.

“I tried,” he said, laughing.

Delmas managed to get in on a number of plays, but couldn’t help but notice the way Stafford was throwing the ball.

“Coming in, I underestimated him, but watching him throughout the end of the year and then watching him today, he really opened my eyes,” said Delmas. “He’s a great quarterback; he has great reads and he has a very good zip on the ball.”

The thing about Stafford – despite being the top pick in this year’s draft and the one player everyone was watching for on Friday, he was clearly just having a good time out there with his new teammates and new coaching staff.

“(I have just been) traveling,” he said. “I haven’t been in the same place for more than three days in the past week-and-a-half, two weeks. So it’s nice to kind of settle down and play some ball.”

Stafford will obviously be the biggest attention-getter this weekend and may very well be following this weekend, but it will be an entirely new situation once he returns on May 18.

But even though the young quarterback wants to be right in the thick of things when it comes to competing for the starting spot, he is simply taking things one day at a time right now – something Schwartz stresses with all of his players.

“I’m just trying to learn as much as I possibly can,” he said. “The No. 1 way for a quarterback to learn is to get out here and get some live reps.

“(Right now) it is just rookies out here so I’m getting a bunch of reps which is great. Hopefully I can come away with a little bit of knowledge of even how practice goes, how weightlifting goes, just kind of a day-to-day schedule so that when I come back I’m not too caught off guard.”

http://www.detroitlions.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=484312

I love the competition between Stafford and Delmas.

 

[Mastodon123]

Delmas sounds like he could be the leader that the defense needs.

 

[StorminNorman]

I agree.

I am really excited about the Lions draft. The more I see of Levy, the more I like - the fact that he is bigger today than Schwartz's Mike backer from Tennessee helps sell him. Zack Follett should have been drafted long before the 7th round, the guy is a beast. Delmas's personality seems to be matched in his intensity. Since Schwartz values safeties more than MLB's, I have no problem taking Delmas over Laurinitis.

The best defensive player from this draft may end up being SLH. The guy isn't going to produce next year, but his combo of size and athleticism is impressive. I trust Schwartz can mold this guy into a defensive monster.

 

[Bond]

Holy ****, there were very heavy winds, possibly even a tornado at the Cowboys Rookie Minicamp today. The "Bubble" they were practicing in was swaying back and forth, and collapsed with coaches, staff, and players inside. A few staff and I believe the Special Teams Coach was injured and taken to the hospital, but all the players and other coaches have been accounted for. I believe a press conference is about to happen.

According to Parkland Hospital, there have been 10 injuries.

 

[StorminNorman]

I guess God didn't like the Cowboy's draft.

 

[StorminNorman]

Have I mentioned the fact that I love Cleveland's draft?

Hawaii DE David Veikune won money off Eric Mangini at Cleveland's rookie minicamp Friday by diagramming "acomplicated blitz formation in front of the entire team."

Veikune knew every player's assignment on the play. We pass along the small story to point out Veikune's football intelligence. He reportedly is moving like a natural linebacker rather an a conversion end, and could contend for a starting job at OLB right away.

Let me get this straight...

During the 2009 Draft, the Browns picked up a starting DE, a starting Safety, a starting Center, a starting WR, another talented WR and a starting OLB?

This on top of KEEPING Edwards and Quinn?

Yes please.

 

[StorminNorman]

Beck would look good in Raven purple.

Beck was signed today by Baltimore.

 

[BlackLantern]

I like Beck....never felt he got a fair shake with Miami...

 

[Mister J]

He didn't and he wasn't going to get one with the QB structure as it is either.

It would have been nice to have seen him get more run during the 1-15 season, but that's not really an ideal situation to gauge a guy's potential. The breaks just didn't cut his way. Flacco has the starting gig on lock, but maybe Beck can catch some attention in spot duty, leading to something down the line.

 

[StorminNorman]

A big problem with him is his age. I believe he was a 25 year old rookie QB.

 

[Mister J]

Yeah. He's 27 now. Things would usually begin to truly start clicking for a guy at that point. Instead, he's still essentially a rookie.

 

[Immortalfire]

Norman is going to turn into the Silver Knight version of a football fan. Lions, Browns..who else?

 

[StorminNorman]

I love me some Mangenius.

 

[NewYorkSpider]

Have I mentioned the fact that I love Cleveland's draft?



Let me get this straight...

During the 2009 Draft, the Browns picked up a starting DE, a starting Safety, a starting Center, a starting WR, another talented WR and a starting OLB?

This on top of KEEPING Edwards and Quinn?

Yes please.

I loved Cleveland's draft as well.

4. Cleveland Browns - Alex Mack should help out the Browns running game and becomes the interior of the offensive line. Brian Robiskie is probably the most polished reciever in the draft and provides the Browns with a #2. Not a huge down the field threat, but should become a great playmaker in that Browns offense. Mohamed Massaquoi is another WR that should help the Browns offense. Massaquoi should be a great redzone reciever to pass too.

 

[NewYorkSpider]

Holy ****, there were very heavy winds, possibly even a tornado at the Cowboys Rookie Minicamp today. The "Bubble" they were practicing in was swaying back and forth, and collapsed with coaches, staff, and players inside. A few staff and I believe the Special Teams Coach was injured and taken to the hospital, but all the players and other coaches have been accounted for. I believe a press conference is about to happen.

According to Parkland Hospital, there have been 10 injuries.

Just watched this on the internet. Crazy ****.

 

[Bond]

http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/05/joe-decamillas-suffers-broken-vertebrae.html

Special teams coach Joe DeCamillias suffered broken vertrebrae in his back during the collapse of the Cowboys' indoor facility, his father-in-law Dan Reeves told Todd Archer.

No players were seriously injured in the collapse, which happened about 3:30 p.m., but three other Cowboys personnel remain hospitalized: assistant athletic trainer Greg Gaither, who suffered a broken leg, college scouting coordinator Chris Hall, whose arm was injured, and scouting assistant Rich Behm, who was in critical condition with unspecified injuries.

 

[Silver Knight]

Norman is going to turn into the Silver Knight version of a football fan. Lions, Browns..who else?

I only like 3 NFL teams.

 

[StorminNorman]

I only "follow" 1.

And even that one was recently.

 

[NewYorkSpider]

You know, Matt Stafford reminds me of a young John Elway.

 

[Darthphere]

You know, Matt Stafford reminds me of a young John Elway.

 

[NewYorkSpider]

Stafford just looks like Elway when he came out of college. (Without the refusal to play for the team that drafted him). I wouldn't be surprised to see Stafford set records in Detroit and eventually lead the team to the Super Bowl. I'm sure Stafford will struggle in his first seasons with the team, but I expect him to pick up the pace and become a pro bowl QB.

 

[El_Citrus]

Stafford has tons of potential and could become a top QB in a few years, but I'm not sure he can overcome the stigma in Detroit. The team has potential, but has had plenty of potential before that just hasn't panned out. This one looks to be a better prospect team than previous ones.

 

[StorminNorman]

The key to Stafford's success is not Matthew Stafford, it's Jim Schwartz and Martin Mayhew. The Lions have failed in the past not because of the talent of their team (well...last year the lack of talent certainly was an issue - but historically...) but the incompetency of the leadership.

Jim Schwartz is widely regarded in the league as one of the smartest men coaching today. He has roots with Belicheck and Jim Fisher, not a bad coaching tree. The coaching staff he placed around him also great - two head coaches with tremendous success as coordinators.

While most Lions fans hated Mayhew when he became GM (he was apart of Millen's staff), it's hard to argue with the moves he made. He got brilliant value for Roy Williams from Dallas. He got Peterson to Detroit. He got a deal in place for Buffalo to send Dockery to Detroit before they released him (it fell through due to the Bills bumbling the paper work).

Of course, the fact Stafford is surrounded with tremendous talent in the skill positions now with CJ-Pettigrew and Kevin Smith doesn't hurt either.