ESPN: No Oakland Raiders Bias - NFL Draft Notes

 

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My long-time friend Richard Lieberman is prone to hyberbole and god-love him, this is one of those moments.  The San Francisco Chronicle blogger may have made some hay by charging ESPN with a "bias" against the Oakland Raiders, but where I am in New York, and where I was at Radio City Music Hall for the NFL Draft, the notion was quickly put to rest.  I'm going to spend about as much time on this as ESPN did, but the bottom line is a lot of people didn't like the Raiders draft, almost from top-to-bottom.

I was editing videos in the Interview Room when I overherd NFL Network's Pat Kirwan, and Clark Judge of CBS Sports doing a take for NFL Network, and both were almost laughably derisive of the Raiders decision to take Darrius Heywood-Bay, who's the third ranked receiver in the draft over Michael Crabtree who was picked in an almost regional slap-in-your-face move by the cross-bay San Francisco 49ers.  The preseason game will be interesting.

This is what one scout at draftcountdown.com wrote about Heywood-Bay:

Strengths:
A smooth, fluid athlete...Long strider with rare speed...Explosive with great acceleration and a burst...Quick and agile...Terrific height and bulk with long arms...Excellent leaper...Nice body control and ball skills...Tough and not afraid to work the middle...Vertical threat who can separate...Also a dangerous weapon on reverses...Great work ethic...Could also contribute  as a return man...Still has a ton of upside.

Weaknesses:
Is inconsistent catching the ball and does not have great natural hands...Questionable instincts and awareness...Still very raw as a route runner...Not much wiggle and won't make people miss...Doesn't break a lot of tackles...Average strength...Marginal blocker...Has little or no special teams experience...Wasn't real productive..Workout Warrior?

As to the best draft? Well, that's three years before anyone can determine, but I'm going to give props to The Miami Dolphins for getting West Virginia Quarterback Pat White in the second round of the Draft.  It's the best mating of man, scheme, and need I've ever seen. In the "Wildcat" offense they run he will succeed and perhaps be in line for "rookie of the year" honors by seasons end.

Print that.

NFL Draft: Matt Stafford, Avoid The Detroit Lions

 

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A Message to Georgia QB Matt Stafford regarding the NFL Draft. 

Matt, one week from today you're going to be in New York for the NFL Draft as player and I as media .  Many people expect The Detroit Lions, holding the first pick in the player selection event, to make you the number one pick. I've got some advice for you:

Don't let 'em.

Matt Stafford (photo from Google Images)

Matt, the Detroit Lions are an organization of rich tradition, but a history of failure. The Lions have never reached the Super Bowl and playoff appearances have been few and far between.  And the ownership has focused more on hiring personalities than building a winning organization. You won't win there. 

Why? 

Take a look at the NFL coaches who have won.  All have one thing in common: they're known for systems.

Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers was known for one play, the Power Sweep, which the Packers ran to perfection winning Super Bowl's I and II. 

Chuck Noll was the four-time Super Bowl winning coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers who's system consisted of a trap-based running game and aggressive pass-blocking on offense and on defense the "4-3 Stack Overset" alignment. That was the basis for the Tampa Defense that was created by Coach Tony Dungy, who was a Steelers assistant.

Coach Dungy took that Tampa Defense to the Indianapolis Colts where he was reunited with his old college coach and now offensive coordinator Tom Moore, who installed a unique spread offense, and that team set NFL records for wins and playoff appearances, and won a Super Bowl. 

I could go on, and on.  Tom Landry was the father of the 4-3 Defense and "zone" pass coverage with the New York Giants in the 50s, then refined the concept, creating the "Flex Defense" as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys where he won two Super Bowls.

Coach Bill Walsh is the father of the West Coast Offense and won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers (and indirectly two more, as his system was still used after he left), and for good measure A Pac 10-Championship at Stanford. 

You getting the picture, Matt? 

Jim Schwartz as Lions' head coach and Scott Linehan as its offensive coordinator are not known for a system that works.  Name an NFL Quarterback that Linehan developed into a Super Bowl winner? 

None.

While Linehan is known as a coach who's pass-patterns Urban Meyer used for his spread offenses at Utah and Florida, it's Meyer who won with a new total offense he created, and not Linehan. 

Coach Linehan recently said they find the players and then make the plays for them, which means he's got no idea what he's going to do. 

Don't go to Detroit, Matt.  You won't win there.

So where should you go? 

Denver, where Head Coach Josh McDaniels has a proven, modern offensive system. And New England, where Bill Belichick has the best situational offense in the NFL.  You can learn of Tom Brady.  But if you go to Detroit, don't say I didn't warn you.  But if Linehan reveals his system as a result of this little attack of mine, maybe things will change. 

We'll see.

Good luck.

Oakland Raiders Stink - New England Up 42 to 20 In Rain-Soaked Game

I've been an Oakland Raiders fan since I was little, and went to a lot of games.  I've seen bad years, but this one's too much to take.  For the second straight year, the Oakland Raiders are guaranteed of a high -- second pick in 2009 -- NFL Draft pick.   It's not that the Raiders need the players; the Raiders need a coach and a system.

Right now, they're losing 42 to 20 to the New England Patriots at the Raiders home, a windy, cold Oakland Coliseum.   The main problem is the defense; good in places, the Pats no-huddle strategy got them off guard.  What's the best answer?  Blitz and from different angles.  Make them think about what they're doing.  But the Raiders didn't do that.

Still, this 3 and 10 team could come back.  It's 3:30 in the third quarter, and the Raiders just need to score three more touchdowns and a field goal to win.  

Oh, and hold the Pats to zero additional points.

Let's see what happens.  

Darren McFadden - Marketing Team and Mom At NFL Draft- Video

We meet the marketing people behind promoting the Oakland Raiders' new running back Darren McFadden. We also talk to Darren's Mom -- all at the NFL Draft.

NFL Draft Order Round-By-Round - As Of Feb 29

NFL Draft Order Round-By-Round - As Of Feb 29

This is the NFL Draft selection order, which could change as we get closer to the draft itself and with trades.


Tentative 2008 Round-By-Round NFL Draft Order (As of February 29, 2008)
03/03/2008
ROUND ONE


1- 1- 1 Miami

1- 2- 2 St. Louis

1- 3- 3 Atlanta
1- 4- 4 Oakland
1- 5- 5 Kansas City
1- 6- 6 New York Jets

1- 7- 7 New England from San Francisco
1- 8- 8 Baltimore

1- 9- 9 Cincinnati
1-10-10 New Orleans
1-11-11 Buffalo
1-12-12 Denver
1-13-13 Carolina
1-14-14 Chicago
1-15-15 Detroit

1-16-16 Arizona
1-17-17 Minnesota
1-18-18 Houston
1-19-19 Philadelphia

1-20-20 Tampa Bay
1-21-21 Washington

1-22-22 Dallas from Cleveland
1-23-23 Pittsburgh
1-24-24 Tennessee
1-25-25 Seattle

1-26-26 Jacksonville
1-27-27 San Diego

1-28-28 Dallas
1-29-29 San Francisco from Indianapolis
1-30-30 Green Bay

1-31- New England Forfeited

1-32-31 New York Giants



ROUND TWO

2- 1-32 Miami

2- 2-33 St. Louis

2- 3-34 Oakland
2- 4-35 Kansas City
2- 5-36 New York Jets
2- 6-37 Atlanta

2- 7-38 Baltimore
2- 8-39 San Francisco

2- 9-40 New Orleans
2-10-41 Buffalo
2-11-42 Denver
2-12-43 Carolina
2-13-44 Chicago
2-14-45 Detroit
2-15-46 Cincinnati

2-16-47 Minnesota
2-17-48 Atlanta from Houston
2-18-49 Philadelphia
2-19-50 Arizona

2-20-51 Washington
2-21-52 Tampa Bay

2-22-53 Pittsburgh
2-23-54 Tennessee
2-24-55 Seattle
2-25-56 Cleveland

2-26-57 Miami from San Diego
2-27-58 Jacksonville

2-28-59 Indianapolis
2-29-60 Green Bay
2-30-61 Dallas


2-31-62 New England

2-32-63 New York Giants

ROUND THREE


3- 1-64 Miami

3- 2-65 St. Louis

3- 3-66 Kansas City
3- 4-67 New York Jets
3- 5-68 Atlanta
3- 6-69 New England from Oakland

3- 7-70 San Francisco
3- 8-71 Buffalo from Baltimore

3- 9-72 Buffalo
3-10-73 Minnesota from Denver
3-11-74 Carolina
3-12-75 Chicago
3-13-76 Detroit
3-14-77 Cincinnati
3-15-78 New Orleans

3-16-79 Houston
3-17-80 Philadelphia
3-18-81 Arizona
3-19-82 Minnesota

3-20-83 Tampa Bay
3-21-84 Washington

3-22-85 Tennessee
3-23-86 Seattle
3-24-87 Cleveland
3-25-88 Pittsburgh

3-26-89 Jacksonville
3-27-90 Chicago from San Diego

3-28-91 Green Bay
3-29-92 Dallas
3-30-93 Indianapolis

3-31-94 New England

3-32-95 New York Giants




ROUND FOUR


4- 1- Miami

4- 2- St. Louis

4- 3- New York Jets
4- 4- Atlanta
4- 5- Oakland
4- 6- Kansas City

4- 7- Baltimore
4- 8- San Francisco

4- 9- Denver
4-10- Carolina
4-11- Chicago
4-12- Detroit
4-13- Cincinnati
4-14- New Orleans
4-15- Buffalo

4-16- Philadelphia
4-17- Arizona
4-18- Minnesota
4-19- Houston

4-20- Denver from Washington
4-21- Tampa Bay

4-22- Seattle
4-23- Cleveland
4-24- Pittsburgh
4-25- Tennessee

4-26- San Diego Exercised in Supplemental Draft
4-27- Jacksonville

4-28- Dallas
4-29- Indianapolis
4-30- Green Bay

4-31- New England

4-32- New York Giants





ROUND FIVE

5- 1- Kansas City from Miami

5- 2- St. Louis

5- 3- Atlanta
5- 4- Denver from Oakland
5- 5- Kansas City
5- 6- New York Jets

5- 7- San Francisco
5- 8- Baltimore Exercised in Supplemental Draft

5- 9- Chicago from Carolina
5-10- Buffalo from Chicago
5-11- Detroit
5-12- Cincinnati
5-13- New Orleans
5-14- Buffalo
5-15- Denver

5-16- Arizona
5-17- Minnesota
5-18- Houston
5-19- Philadelphia

5-20- Tampa Bay
5-21- Washington

5-22- Cleveland
5-23- Pittsburgh
5-24- Tennessee
5-25- Jacksonville from Seattle

5-26- Jacksonville
5-27- San Diego

5-28- Indianapolis
5-29- Green Bay
5-30- Dallas

5-31- New England

5-32- New York Giants



ROUND SIX

6- 1- Miami

6- 2- St. Louis

6- 3- Oakland
6- 4- Kansas City
6- 5- New York Jets
6- 6- Atlanta

6- 7- Baltimore
6- 8- San Francisco

6- 9- Chicago
6-10- Detroit
6-11- Cincinnati
6-12- New Orleans
6-13- Buffalo
6-14- St. Louis from Denver
6-15- Carolina

6-16- Minnesota
6-17- Houston
6-18- Philadelphia
6-19- Arizona

6-20- Washington
6-21- Kansas City from Tampa Bay

6-22- Pittsburgh
6-23- Seattle from Tennessee
6-24- Cleveland from Seattle
6-25- Philadelphia from Cleveland

6-26- San Diego
6-27- Jacksonville

6-28- New York Giants from Green Bay
6-29- Dallas
6-30- Indianapolis

6-31- New England

6-32- New York Giants





ROUND SEVEN

7- 1- Miami

7- 2- Minnesota from St. Louis

7- 3- Kansas City
7- 4- New York Jets
7- 5- Atlanta
7- 6- Oakland

7- 7- San Francisco
7- 8- Baltimore

7- 9- Detroit
7-10- St. Louis from Cincinnati
7-11- New Orleans
7-12- Buffalo
7-13- Denver
7-14- Carolina
7-15- Chicago

7-16- Houston
7-17- Buffalo from Philadelphia
7-18- Arizona
7-19- Oakland from Minnesota through New York Jets

7-20- Denver from Tampa Bay
7-21- Washington

7-22- Tennessee
7-23- Philadelphia from Seattle
7-24- Cleveland
7-25- Atlanta from Pittsburgh

7-26- Seattle from Jacksonville
7-27- San Diego

7-28- Dallas
7-29- Indianapolis
7-30- Green Bay

7-31- New England

7-32- Kansas City from New York Giants

Brett Farve Annouces Retirement Today - NFL.com

The NFL's Official Website NFL.com has a great tribute to Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Farve, who announced his retirement today. More on this development later, but it opens the door for Cal's Aaron Rodgers to take over the offense. Rodgers was the Packers number one pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.