Best Day 1 drafts

[Walter34 3]

Philly

 

GB

 

Arizona

[swamp dog 0]

denver.

[Saturday Night Beaver 2]

Jets

[remote controller 143]

I really like the two offensive impact players NE added, and agree on GB, Denver, and Arizona.

[Walter34 3]

denver.

 

While they got a good wr, I think they overpaid in the deal. Can they get him signed and he's coming off the injury.

 

Trading up for Cutler? I guess that means Jake is history when his contract runs out. Giving up on him a bit early when they have other needs to address.

 

They started with 15 and 22 in the 1st round and ended up with Cutler and Walker. Not sure that is all that great.

 

 

Jets

 

actually yes! Fergie and mangold will anchor their line for the next 10 years. Good day.

 

 

I really like the two offensive impact players NE added, and agree on GB, Denver, and Arizona.

 

yeah, I liked their as well, but drafting another TE was just

[remote controller 143]

While they got a good wr, I think they overpaid in the deal. Can they get him signed and he's coming off the injury.

 

Trading up for Cutler? I guess that means Jake is history when his contract runs out. Giving up on him a bit early when they have other needs to address.

 

They started with 15 and 22 in the 1st round and ended up with Cutler and Walker. Not sure that is all that great.

 

 

The nice thing is, there is really no hurry on either account. I don't see this as the end of Plummer this year, and Walker can be brought along slowly thanks to the staedy hands and efforts of Rod Smith.

 

--Edited to include..........I always like bringing a new Qb and Wr in the fold at the same time. They know that they need to work with each other, and some chemistry forms.

[Darb33 0]

I really like what the Jets did. I think they had the best day 1. We'll see how they do today.

[Tusekan Raiders 0]

I still think Leinart will be a bust, but the value and fit for AZ were tremendous.

 

The teams that jumped out at me as successful:

Jets - they made the right choice with The Brick and filled a huge need with good value with Mangold. Thought Clemens was a bit of a reach, but he has been pimped as a sleeper and fills a need they passed by going for better value earlier. Schlegal is also very good.

 

New England - they got two of the top skill players available in this draft at positions they needed. A huge winner on day one despite wasting their third round pick.

 

Packers - solid picks each time. The Walker situation was such a cluster fock, I think they are lucky to have gotten a second round pick.

 

Falcons - just two picks but they got great value in Jimmy Williams and Jerious Norwood.

 

Eagles - a top lineman on each side of the ball.

 

Houston - having given up on the 3-4, they filled some holes up front on D with two high-upside players and were still able to get two quality OLinemen to address their biggest need.

[devildog 0]

While they got a good wr, I think they overpaid in the deal. Can they get him signed and he's coming off the injury.

 

Trading up for Cutler? I guess that means Jake is history when his contract runs out. Giving up on him a bit early when they have other needs to address.

 

They started with 15 and 22 in the 1st round and ended up with Cutler and Walker. Not sure that is all that great.

actually yes! Fergie and mangold will anchor their line for the next 10 years. Good day.

 

yeah, I liked their as well, but drafting another TE was just

 

What do you mean, another tight end? They only have 2 on their roster and they run a lot of 2 tight end sets. Graham is also a free agent next year I believe. I liked the pick, he was Vince Young's go to receiver.

[Ilov80s 0]

Denver adding Javon Walker following major knee surgery is a huge risk. This guy might be a year away from returning to form.

 

Taking Cutler is nice move for the future of this team, but for a team that is so close to winning a Super Bowl- why draft for the future? Why not add a defensive player that can instantly start and have a positive impact?

[bigtuna 0]

C'mon now!

 

The Bears got a guy from a Division III School and a Punt returner.

 

Seriously....Best Drafts were IMO Jets, Pats, Eagles

[Walter34 3]

What do you mean, another tight end? They only have 2 on their roster and they run a lot of 2 tight end sets. Graham is also a free agent next year I believe. I liked the pick, he was Vince Young's go to receiver.

 

While they may have needed one, they have 2 1st round picks at TE already. They could have gotten a day 2 guy or even a scrap heap FA. Its a 3rd string position and seems like overkill to me. Hell, bring back Fauria.

 

LB would have been more prudent imo.

[devildog 0]

While they may have needed one, they have 2 1st round picks at TE already. They could have gotten a day 2 guy or even a scrap heap FA. Its a 3rd string position and seems like overkill to me. Hell, bring back Fauria.

 

LB would have been more prudent imo.

 

I wouldn't count on Graham being around past this year. Great blocker but he's never developed into the receiver the Pats had hoped for. They obviously really liked Thomas and felt he was better than anyone else on the board.

[Byars41 0]

i loved the Eagles draft. Bunkley and Justice was the best you could hope for on each side of the ball with their picks. in fact, it was more than i even hoped for. i'd a been happy with getting 1.

 

i like what the Jets did by addressing the line and avoiding going for the big splash at RB or QB.

 

Broncos getting Cutler and trading for J.Walker was real good. Cutler could be a gem.

 

Maroney was a good pick for the Pats but i have my doubts about C.Jackson and while i liked D.Thomas at Texas it seems like they shouldn't have been going for yet another TE.

 

49ers look good with V.Davis and M.Lawson. i've heard alot of great things about Lawson, he could end up being a big time player.

 

and even though people are questioning the Mario Williams pick, i think the Texans did well. they added one of the better OLB in D.Ryans and grabbed 2 Offensive Tackles. they had the advantage of great draft slots but overall i like what they did with those picks after Mario.

 

another interesting draft was seeing the Jags get a big time TE in M.Lewis and then grabbing a speedy RB in M.Drew. if Drew can beat out all those other RBs behind Fred Taylor (or if F.Taylor is out of the picture) than Drew might be a nice value pick.

 

and based off the fact that they got Leinart at 10 i like the Cards draft. they also added a big TE in Pope for him to use and grabbed a Guard. so they got a future QB a big target and addressed the O-Line as well.

 

 

this is John Clayton's take...

 

The winners

1. Denver Broncos: Mike Shanahan whipped all the critics by acquiring the Cleveland Browns defensive line in 2005 and parlaying those acquisitions into a trip to the AFC title game. This year, Shanahan draws nothing but praise. Instead of drafting wide receiver Santonio Holmes with the 15th pick, the Broncos traded up to the 11th pick to get quarterback Jay Cutler. Then they found the reciever that they needed, trading just a second-round pick to the Packers for Javon Walker. Clearly, they were the biggest winners on the first day of the draft. Shanahan hasn't had any luck drafting receivers, so being able to trade for Walker instead of drafting a reciever was a better move. Getting a veteran as talented as Walker for a second-round pick is a steal. Shanahan set the franchise up well for the short-term and the long-term. The Broncos get Walker for the 2006 season, and they have Cutler as the quarterback of the future.

2. Arizona Cardinals: Normally, the Cardinals are the bad luck team. Twice this offseason they struck gold. They headed into free agency without the intention of paying big money for a running back. But with a surprising $17.5 million increase in the salary cap, the Cardinals were able to sign Edgerrin James. Then, Matt Leinart was gift-wrapped for them at No. 10. Arizona coach Dennis Green rated Leinart among the top five players in the draft. He said the selection was similar to 1999 when Green was with the Vikings and selected Daunte Culpepper, whom he rated as the No. 1 quarterback in that draft. "We really had him ranked as one of the top five players,'' Green said. Green doesn't have to rush Leinart. Kurt Warner is the starting quarterback, and even though Leinart is the most ready to play of the rookie QBs, he has the luxury to sit and learn. Green loves the fact Leinart throws a very catchable ball, and he knows he won't have a problem preparing a left-handed quarterback. After all, Green coached Steve Young.

 

3. San Francisco 49ers: Acquiring Maryland tight end Vernon Davis was a bigger break for the 49ers than you would expect. Davis is a 254-pound tight end who can run a 4.38. Because quarterback Alex Smith doesn't have the strongest arm, Davis should help Smith as much as Alge Crumpler helps Michael Vick and Tony Gonzalez helps Trent Green. Davis can work the seams, providing easier, more accurate throws for Smith. He could add three to five percent points to Smith's completion numbers. The Packers considered taking him at No. 5 to help Brett Favre, and the Rams tried to trade up to get Davis. Getting Davis will cause changes in the NFC West because teams will have to find bigger, faster safeties to cover him.

 

4. Pittsburgh Steelers: Thanks to having 10 draft choices heading into Saturday, the Steelers had the flexibility to use two draft choices -- a third- and a fourth-rounder -- to get Ohio State wide receiver Santonio Holmes. It's those type of bold moves that keep the Steelers among the top teams in the AFC. Sure, they could have sat at No. 32 and picked LenDale White, but as soon as they saw Holmes drop below 15, they knew they could make a move. After losing Plaxico Burress and Antwaan Randle El in the past two years to free agency, the Steelers were close to becoming too thin at wide receiver. With a quarterback as talented as Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers needed to bulk up the talent on offense at the skill positions. Roethlisberger has to be happy adding Heath Miller last year and Holmes in 2006.

 

5. Tennessee Titans: Give Floyd Reese some credit. He was in a tough situation. His coaches wanted Leinart. His owner wanted him to draft Young. It was a debate that carried into Saturday morning. Reese found a way to satisfy everyone. In Young he got a quarterback back whom he believes will be better than Leinart in two or three years. Young might not do much during his first season, so Reese gave the coaching staff White, a big, bruising running back who can help immediately. It helps that White worked with Norm Chow, the Titans offensive coordinator at USC. The toughest job is ahead, with the likely release of Steve McNair, the team's franchise quarterback for the past decade.

 

6. New York Jets: The smartest thing the Jets did was resist the temptation to trade up to No. 2 and get Bush. Of course, the Saints helped by making the price so high that it was impossible for them to make the move. Though it might have bored Jets fans to not get Bush or Leinart, the Jets made good football decisions. D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold are a great start toward rebuilding the Jets' offensive line. They drafted Kellen Clemens to develop at quarterback. That all would have been lost if they packaged two extra picks to get Bush. The Jets have a lot of needs. A lot of Jets fans left after the first round because they were bored, but sometimes it's better to do things the right way.

 

 

 

The losers

1. Matt Leinart, QB, Arizona: Had he turned pro after his junior season, Leinart might have been the first pick in the 2005 draft. Even now, most would considered him a higher-rated player than 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, the first pick in the 2005 draft. Financially, this is a disaster for Leinart. Smith received $20 million in guarantees. Leinart goes into a slot that last year paid $13.5 million -- total -- over the five-year contract. Because he's a quarterback, Leinart will get a premium, and he could get around $6 million to $8 million in guarantees. Green told Leinart that he was getting a gift from heaven in getting a quarterback this good at 10. While Leinart says he doesn't regret coming back for his senior year at USC, he wasn't able to cash in with his extra year in college.

 

2. Reggie Bush, RB, New Orleans: Give Bush credit for being a good sport. He congratulated defensive end Mario Williams for beating him out for the No. 1 pick in the draft. He didn't blast the Texans for not taking him with the first pick. Still, Bush was clearly a big loser in this draft. With all the stories circulating about his family's living accommodations, Bush clearly was in spin control heading into draft week. He needed to agree to a deal to make him the No. 1 pick. When the Texans offered an 8 percent increase over Alex Smith, the top pick in 2005, Bush should have shown more willingness to take it. Williams grabbed the Texans' offer like he was taking down a quarterback and registered a big sack. He got $26.5 million in guarantees while Bush will be lucky to get $20 million from the Saints. He needed to be the No. 1 pick in the draft, and he fumbled it by not getting a deal done.

 

 

3. Buffalo Bills: The Bills were in a great spot at No. 8. They had at least two teams -- Denver and Minnesota -- calling up offering draft choices to move up. Those teams were looking for quarterbacks. The Bills could have worked a deal with the Eagles, who were considering a move to No. 8 to take a defensive tackle. Taking a safety, Donte Whitner, at No. 8 instead of accepting one of those deals just wasn't a good value. Sure, maybe they weren't getting offers that matched the trade value chart, but wouldn't it have been better to move down and get anything extra. They would still have been able to get Whitner. The Bills feared losing Whitner to the Lions, who didn't get Michael Huff at No. 9. That wasn't going to happen because the Lions were taking linebacker Ernie Sims if they didn't get Huff, who went to the Raiders. The Bills went a little too conservative.

 

 

4. Green Bay Packers: They didn't get great value for Javon Walker, only getting a second-round choice instead of two seconds, which they were demanding Friday. While A.J. Hawk was a great choice to help the defense, the Packers didn't do much to help Brett Favre. They didn't get tight end Vernon Davis, but that's OK. Hawk rated higher on most draft boards than Davis. The Packers had a decent second-round for the future in getting tackle Daryn Colledge and wide receiver Greg Jennings, who might take some time to make impact. But this is Favre's last year, and he is committed to making the best out of the season. As it has been the entire offseason, the Packers haven't seized the moment.

 

 

5. USC: First, they lose to Texas in the Rose Bowl. Now, they lose to Florida State, Ohio State and NC State in the draft. While the Seminoles had four defensive players in the top 19, the Buckeyes had five first-rounders, and the Wolfpack had three, the Trojans saw a number of their players slip. Bush negotiated himself out of being the first pick. Leinart went No. 10 to Arizona. Character questions must have played into Winston Justice's drop into the second round. White didn't go in the first round and became a bargain in the second for the Titans. Plus, USC still has to deal with the aftermath of all the alegations swirling around Bush and his family.

 

 

6. Claude Wroten, DT, LSU: He was the only position player who failed a drug test at the NFL Scouting combine. Though many thought he had first-round potential, the positive test combined with an offseason arrest caused his stock to drop.

[Walter34 3]

I disagree with his assessment of the walker deal. The injury, attitude and pending large contract all make it a risky move. It may work out, but they could have had him for nothing next year.

 

I would say GB got the better of the deal. Anything better than what they got was just not realistic.

 

I wouldn't count on Graham being around past this year. Great blocker but he's never developed into the receiver the Pats had hoped for. They obviously really liked Thomas and felt he was better than anyone else on the board.

 

Ok, now they took another one.

 

Someone has to stand up and say the emporer has no clothes here.

[TD Ryan2 316]

I disagree with his assessment of the walker deal. The injury, attitude and pending large contract all make it a risky move. It may work out, but they could have had him for nothing next year.

 

I would say GB got the better of the deal. Anything better than what they got was just not realistic.

Ok, now they took another one.

 

Someone has to stand up and say the emporer has no clothes here.

 

Walter, I'm perplexed by it... but I'm not gonna'stop drinking the NE Kool Aid.

 

Here's what I take from their draft strategy so far:

#1. they are loading up for Brady.

- the short passing game is Brady's strength. They now have a few WRs to stretch the field an numerous short range targets that are all supposed to be fantastic receivers.

- Watson may play in the slot as a #3 WR.

 

#2. their previosly injured defensive players (Brushi, Colvin, Harrison, DBs) must be healthier than any of us realize.

 

#3. they believe that Beisel will "get it" in his second year in the 3-4 system.

 

#4. Best player on the board and likelyhood of signing him far outweigh drafting for "need" for NE.

[Walter34 3]

Walter, I'm perplexed by it... but I'm not gonna'stop drinking the NE Kool Aid.

 

Here's what I take from their draft strategy so far:

#1. they are loading up for Brady.

- the short passing game is Brady's strength. They now have a few WRs to stretch the field an numerous short range targets that are all supposed to be fantastic receivers.

- Watson may play in the slot as a #3 WR.

 

#2. their previosly injured defensive players (Brushi, Colvin, Harrison, DBs) must be healthier than any of us realize.

 

#3. they believe that Beisel will "get it" in his second year in the 3-4 system.

 

#4. Best player on the board and likelyhood of signing him far outweigh drafting for "need" for NE.

 

oh yeah - I dont profess to know better than BB. I think with Jackson and Maroney, they did well in filling the O needs. These picks could have been spent on the D which needed more help. Harrison, Bruschi and others are long in the tooth. Anyway - go nuts on the TEs.

[Duffman 0]

I really like what the Jets did. I think they had the best day 1. We'll see how they do today.

 

After years of laughing at their picks, it looks like it's Buffalo's turn.

 

San Diego took Cromartie #19 overall and he never played last year because of a knee??

 

Can't see that panning out.

[ellisonb11 0]

the cards got a steal in getting pope 3rd round...and leinart should eventually develop and their star-filled offense will continue.

[esoitl 0]

After years of laughing at their picks, it looks like it's Buffalo's turn.

 

San Diego took Cromartie #19 overall and he never played last year because of a knee??

 

Can't see that panning out.

Schott said the knee was fine although it is kind of skeptical

i think the depth in the draft was so crazy that it is really hard to separate the drafts, everyone seemed to do well with the exception of a few reaches....

 

i like seeingthe traditionally bad teams drafting well(Arizona, Cleveland, New Orleans)

 

i like to say the Jets as i am a fan but its hard to actually pick just one that stands out as there were a lot of great ones

[toofunny 0]

After years of laughing at their picks, it looks like it's Buffalo's turn.

 

San Diego took Cromartie #19 overall and he never played last year because of a knee??

 

Can't see that panning out.

 

How is McGahee turning out?

[RicemanX 20]

Vernon Davis is going to significantly help the Niners offense and Alex Smith grow.

 

Manny Lawson will be just as good as Mario Williams, and a lot cheaper as well. Can't believe he fell to us.

 

Brandon Williams will come in and quickly fill our empty kick/punt returner spot

[titan20 0]

I saw Arizona really set themselves up nicely for the future. I think for once things are going to turn out for them.

[shovelheadt 71]

Is this the thread where everyone but the Bills fans list their own team?

[Mr Anonymous 24]

What has me excited is that Green Bay is back to drafting players that fit Green Bay in November and December and at Lambeau in general. Sherman became obsessed with adding to our overall team speed, drafting smallish players who could run like the wind. In Green Bay on a bad track speed can be completely negated by a slower player who has better feet and is bulit low to the ground. Sure tacklers on defense and precise route runners with good feet on offense. That's the kind of player Green Bay drafted this weekend. Mike Sherman would have drafted Chad Jackson and Jimmy Williams. Players who may have solid NFL careers but in no way would have fared as well in Green Bay where speed is an asset taken away by the environment.

 

TT is drafting the types of players Ron Wolf did. Not the biggest names or highest profile guys with the blazing speed that has fans drooling, but rather guys who will be at their best on a slow track in the rain, the mud, and the snow. Guys who will hold up in those conditions and be able to make the sure tackle or make a sharp cut and get open on offense.

[rexnervous 0]

Falcons - just two picks but they got great value in Jimmy Williams and Jerious Norwood.

 

They in essence got John Abraham in the first round. Good day for the Falcons.

[swamp dog 0]

not saying the lions draft was one of the best day 1 drafts, but it was a draft that was a good fit for them. i'm happy with it. both sims and bullocks will start early and calhoun will contribute right away--both spelling kj and as a receiver (both out of the backfield and in the slot).

 

i think most lion fans are happy they got scott and matua for the 0-line in day 2 when both had been rumored to go in day 1.

[Apu Nahasapeemapetilon 0]

Eagles...two solid linemen. Still haven't fixed the WR problem though.

 

Jets...not bad, although they shouldn't have made the trade with Washington. There were still some impact players at pick #35. In return they got a #53 this year and likely a #56-60 next year. Not worth it if you ask me.

 

Atlanta...they basically got Abraham and Jimmy Williams. That defense just shot way up my FF draft board.

[FlyEaglesFly 0]

E-A-G-L-E-S!

[Arsenal 3]

I have to say I am a bit confused about Denver. Trading up to take a QB to sit on the bench seems like a waste. Then they ended up getting Walker and two other WRs but didn't bother with a RB at all?

 

With all the picks they had, I'd say they could have done a lot better.