In Bill We Trust

When your team goes completely off the board and drafts a kid that SI.com doesn’t even have a picture of, you tell yourself that genius is the exception, not the rule.  Maybe they see something in this young man that other teams didn’t.

Reaching

We knew the first two picks long before Roger Goodell had been showered with boos by restive Jets fans as he walked to the podium.  I guess we knew the first four picks – though not in order – as Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Trent Richardson and Matt Kalil were taken by Indianapolis, Washington, Cleveland and Minnesota, who looked into the box and found hope. 

WWBD

What would Bill do?  Or more appropriately, what will Bill do?  Nobody seems to know. I don’t think even Belichick knows what Belichick will do.  He has so few peers he sometimes has to play mind games with himself. He doesn’t always drink beer, but when he does, he prefers Dos Equis.

Waiting for 27 and 31

If judged by the commentariat in the Google Machine, one might think Bill Belichick had – with the exception of that flier on a certain Michigan QB – drafted nothing but busts as an NFL head coach.  This hardly seemed possible given the Patriots success during the Belichick era but other than a few, “I think if you look at other teams you’d find as many busts,” or “Nobody had a good draft in 2006” defenses of Belichick’s record (and saying you’re no worse than others is hardly a ringing endorsement), it seemed to be the consensus of the hive brain that Belichick sucked at drafting NFL-quality football players. 

So, it was with some interest that I perused this piece on Cleveland.com, asserting Bill Belichick’s mastery of the draft board. 

Second Thoughts

I’ve been here before.  We’ve all been here before.  Students shot and killed by a classmate.  A politician and supporters shot by just another nut with a gun.  A teenager killed for dressing like Bill Belichick.  A police chief killed in a drug bust gone wrong.  No matter the circumstance, the voices defending guns and the law abiding citizens who possess them rise in chorus to a largely empty public square.  The pen may be mightier than the sword, but it’s no match for an M-16.

Breakfast with Glenn and Steve - Safety

The booths in The Good Egg are lacquered hard wood without cushions or covers.  The tabletops are Formica edged with brushed metal.  Plastic salt and pepper shakers flank a bowl of creamers and a small, rectangular plastic container with disheveled white, yellow, pink and blue packets of sweeteners sits on every table.  The walls are dotted with watercolor seascapes featuring lighthouses or ships under sail.  Three friends occupy a booth near the back.  They consider their menus as their fresh coffee cools in large ceramic mugs.

Counting the Days

Koppen has re-signed. We all know nothing will happen with Welker until just before training camp opens. So, we can all pull out our calendars and start (if you haven’t already) crossing off the days until the NFL Draft opens and Roger Goodell walks to the podium as a mix of unenthusiastic applause salted with boos rises from the crowd.  Has the NFL ever thought of having Billy Crystal host the draft?  “Luck be a first pick tonight!  Luck be a first pick tonight!  If Mel and Todd think you’re the QB of the future, Luck be a first pick tonight!” 

Maybe Jimmy Fallon?  "Stanford's where I'm coming from.  My lucky number's one..."

April is the Cruelest Month

I've reached the point where my paranoia grows with each new mock draft.  Draft prospects have been deconstructed; parsed into 40s and cone drills and bench reps, vertical and standing long jump.  This one isn’t the ideal height for an OLB.  This one already has four kids.  This one is inconsistent.  That one has short arms.  This one had a poor combine but an excellent pro day.  This one's production dropped off his senior year.  That one didn’t play against big time competition.  This one is a one-year wonder.  And those are the Top 15; they’ll certainly be gone by the time the Patriots trade the #27 pick for a 3^rd and a 4^th this year and a 1^st next year. 

Second Chances

It’s hard to get too excited when your team’s big move is picking up a former first round pick who is just the “t” away from officially be labeled a bust.  Somebody saw something in Bobby Carpenter seven years ago.  Who knows?  Maybe it’s still in there.

Catching Up

How much does it suck to be Mark Sanchez?  I’m setting the over/under on Tebow taking over as the Jets starting QB at Game 5.