NFL Mock Draft #2 (3/23/08)

1. MIA-Chris Long, DE Virginia. The Phins need a can’t miss prospect and Long could very well be that. He will make an immediate impact and can play outside linebacker in a 3-4. He impressed at his Pro Day and will make his dad proud in the pros.

2. STL-Jake Long, T Michigan. Offensive line and defensive line are the main needs. Al Saunders will get the offense going but Marc Bulger will need some time to make things happen. Long also will aid the run game and talented running back Steven Jackson will be delighted with the pick.

3. ATL-Matt Ryan, QB Boston College. Rumor has it that G.M. Arthur Blank is impressed with Ryan. Obviously the franchise needs a new identity and first round quarterback definitely aids with the process. Ryan has a decent arm and many believe he has the intangles to be a consistent player at the next level.

4. OAK-Glenn Dorsey, DT LSU. The Raiders will be the wild-card in the draft as usual. Running back Darren McFadden is tempting here but they resigned Justin Fargas and are interested to see what Michael Bush can do. Dorsey will combine with Tommy Kelly to create havoc on the inside for a team in need of play-makers.

5. KC-Ryan Clady, T Boise State. The Chiefs simply need linemen to provide Larry Johnson running lanes. Clady or Jeff Otah are the choices here and both will be reaches. The need is so great that unless they trade down, they simply must pick up a blocker here.

6. NYJ-Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas. The team will take any play-makers and McFadden will put fans in the seats with his balance of power and speed. With an improving o-line, the team could do some things offensively. They would regret passing on him if the Patriots picked him up with the next pick.

7. NE- Vernon Gholston, DE Ohio State. Unable to sign any free agents to help the aging linebacker core, they use the draft to acquire youth. Gholston has tore up workouts and can play outside linebacker in the famous Patriots 3-4.  The cornerback position could also be addressed here.

8. BAL- Aqib Talib, DB Kansas. Talib has had varied grades by teams but the Ravens have a definite need on the corner. Baltimore’s corners are really starting to show age and Talib provides depth. He could possibly play safety and played a little receiver in college.

9. CIN- Sedrick Ellis, DT USC. Ellis shouldn’t drop this far but if he does the Bengals will be licking their chops to select such a talented defensive-linemen. The D-line is a top need for the team and Ellis can start right away for the defense in need of improvement.

10. NO- Phillip Merling, DE Clemson. Pass rush is a real need for the Saints after they addressed the linebacker core in free agency. A stingy defense would allow the team to make the playoffs once more if the offense stays explosive and the running backs can stay healthy.

11. BUF- Malcolm Kelly, WR Oklahoma. Finding a receiver opposite of Lee Evans will help the team tremendously. Kelly doesn’t rate quite this high and other receivers could be considered. The team did good by signing DT Marcus Stroud and LB Kawika Mitchell to shore up the defense.

12. DEN- DeSean Jackson, WR Cal. The Broncos lost Javon Walker and need some speed on the outside. Jay Cutler will love throwing fly routes to Jackson who’s speed can be an immediate asset. Jackson will also aid special teams with his return skills.

13. CAR- Keith Rivers, LB USC. After losing Dan Morgan the team will look to the draft to replace him. Combined with Jon Beason and Thomas Davis, Rivers will make the LB core a real athletic one. Defensive line could also be considered here as Kris Jenkins will need to be replaced.

14. CHI- Limas Sweed, WR Texas. Bernard Berian was lost in free agency and Grossman needs more targets. They also lost Muhsin Muhammad and none of their other receivers are proven besides Marty Booker who recently came back to the Bears. Other receivers like Devin Thomas or James Hardy could be considered. Sweed will look to rebound from a season-ending injury during his senior year to make some noise in the NFL.

15. DET- Rashard Mendenhall, RB Illinois. They will have their pick between Jonathan Stewart and Mendenhall, who has quickly climbed charts since the end of the year. Since Kevin Jones was released they are in need of a difference maker at running back who has the skills to be a balanced runner.

16. ARI- Mike Jenkins, CB South Florida. The Cards plan to move Antrel Rolle to safety and thus have a need at CB. Jenkins had a productive career in South Florida and can fill-in nicely.  They could also use both a linebacker or a defensive lineman and could choose either with this pick.

17. MIN- Derrick Harvey, DE Florida. Once again the team is forced to use a first round pick on a defensive end to improve the pass rush. Harvey is a giant with speed and could potentially make a big impact. One consistent pass rusher could make this defense an elite one.

18. HOU- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, DB Tennessee State. Houston attempts to add another great player to a rising defense by selecting the small school talent. Despite not looking amazing during his college career, Dominique is rising up draft boards due to amazing workouts and a real nice 40 yard dash time.

19. PHI- Jeff Otah, T Pittsburgh. Due to injuries and inconsistency, the Eagles are forced to improve their o-line. Winston Justice has been inconsistent and the other major contributors are aging. Otah or Chris Williams will be considered. A defensive end to replace Jevon Kearse could also be selected.

20. TB- Jonathan Stewart, RB Oregon. I know it’s a bit of a wild card but Stewart is an amazing talent and Cadillac Williams not be ready to start the season. They have Earnest Graham, Michael Bennett and Warrick Dunn on the roster but Stewart could make a much bigger impact than any of them. Receiver and cornerback are also needs for the Bucs.

21. WAS- Kentwan Balmer, DT North Carolina. Balmer could go higher than here. Washington needs more solid play on defense. Linebacker could also be considered here and LB Dan Connor could be the choice. Balmer is talented player and could get in the rotation immediately.

22. DAL- Mario Manningham, WR Michigan. Terrell Owens is getting a little older and Terry Glenn is practically ancient. Adding depth here is a good choice, especially when they have another first round pick. The defense will also need a few additions, including depth at safety.

23. PIT- Chris Williams, T Vanderbilt. Pittsburgh’s amazing offensive-line started to fall apart even before Alan Faneca left in free agency. Williams has a solid grade and can make a good impact in the griding Steeler offense. A super tall wide receiver could go here if Big Ben has his way.

24. TEN- Devin Thomas, WR Michigan State. Thomas has been rising on boards really recently and getting Vince Young play-makers is a top priority. Signing tight end Alge Crumpler was a great decision and getting some receivers will help even more. The secondary could also use some help.

25. SEA- Fred Davis, TE USC. Tight end is arguably the team’s greatest need. Anyone who saw Marcus Pollard drop passes for them in the playoffs would probably agree. Davis has the speed to get open in the middle and has good hands. Youth at receiver is also a need.

26. JAC- Calais Campbell, DE Miami. The team is close to winning a championship and just needs a few more pieces. The New England game illustrated the team’s lack of pass rush. Campbell can aid the already stout run defense while also adding the ability to get to the quarterback.

27. SD- Branden Albert, G Virginia. The team could very well draft the best player available because of the team’s depth. Albert wouldn’t start immediately but will make a difference in the future. Felix Jones could be a possibility as the team looks to replace Michael Turner.

28. DAL- Felix Jones, RB Arkansas. There are trade rumors involving the Cowboys moving up to select McFadden who is from the same school that owner Jerry Jones attended. If he is unable to trade up, he could draft the other Arkansas running back. Marion Barber is a beast but they need a back-up as Julius Jones left in free-agency.

29. SF-James Hardy, WR Indiana. New coordinator Mike Martz needs weapons to make his magical offense work and this 6′6 receiver could help. The under-achieving team could go many directions with the pick though. The defense needs more 3-4 linebackers and they could pick one up here.

30. GB-Leodis McKelvin, DB Troy. The Packers amazing defense does have a small weakness as cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson are both getting rather old. McKelvin has dropped a little recently in rankings but is a great athlete and he can be mentored for awhile before being needed.

31. NYG- Dan Connor, LB Penn State. After losing Kawika Mitchell in free-agency the team needs to a replacement. Offensive line help is also needed. The Giants also lost Gabriel Wilson in free agency and could look to add a safety with the last pick in the first round.

Cause for Concern

Things seemed good. I was traveling across the Midwest on my way home for spring break. There were practically a million birds traveling through the sky. Talk about a sign of spring. Baseball was truly on my mind. Then on Sunday, things got better. I was watching the Adams Family movie on WGN when the channel started its Cubs coverage and when the game started, it said from Surprise Arizona. Wait I thought, the Royals play in Surprise. Wow I thought, a chance to watch spring training KC coverage. Never before had I received such a wonderful opportunity. Watching all the prospects seemed really intriguing.

Both teams started with some stars on the field. The Royals had practically their entire starting lineup on display with new acquisition Brett Tomko on the mound. The Cubs used a mixture of prospects and starters. Hmmm, I thought, KC should be able to compete.

Just a few short innings later disgust filled my mind. Bad pitching, ugly at-bats and awful fielding errors left me feeling a little less ready for the future season. Once football is over, my time and energy goes directly toward the NFL Draft and watching my Royals.

It was a bad sight on Sunday. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I thought new manager Trey Hillman was stressing fundamentals in camp? Sure it could be a fluke. One game doesn’t always mean anything. But it was the starters out there, and they didn’t exactly look enthusiastic.

I thought this was the year that things changed and the AL division bottom-feeders known as my Royals finally made an effort to rise up toward respectability.

Sure I will still watch this season. I just hope they get things together. They need quite a few youngsters to step up real quick. Watching prospects develop is interesting so at least there are positives present.

Things can change and momentum can build. It could happen, I find myself saying year after year. I guess as long as they show up, the summer will be a good one.

Collecting autographs of favorites easier than it seems

When putting together a collection of autographs from one’s favorite team, there are few things to take into account. First off, when it comes to a high-profile star player, it really depends on the individual. Sending auto requests to the team site or the home address can be successful.

The easiest way to obtain graphs is to get the lesser known guys who are more likely to feel honored for the letter and request. Finding items such as cards or photos of these players can be harder but its worth it and one can get quite a few graphs sooner rather than later. Also when it comes to getting autos of former players, quite a bit of success can be had.

I have sent around 20 to 30 auto requests to former players since January and received around 20 back already! I hit former Royals real hard and had some luck. Several KC HOF players are willing signers and most sign and get the item back really fast.

There are many auto’s to be had out there so all you need is a good collector site to obtain addresses and learn of successes, some cash for envelopes and stamps and cards or whatever you want signed and some energy to get the request letter written and the envelope sent out.