2016 - NFL

[Man in Black]

Football season begins today! The Draft is here...

Who will be future superstars who will go full on Ryan Leaf?

I always like to throw out my draft predictions... I think I did pretty good last year. Amari Cooper and Todd Gurley are poised to be stars and Vic Beasly is a success so far in Atlanta.

So... let's get to this year. The top 2 quarterbacks Wentz and Goff will they go boom and bust? Manning and Leaf or Bledsoe and Mirer? Nah... they are both quality people and players... I think Goff has the higher upside and the chance to be a Favre type gunslinger. Ezekiel Elliot is the real deal and should have a top notch career if his health holds up (always a factor for backs) and if his WR type attitude is held in check... the talent is there.

But, these are the guys everyone is talking about. Who does old MIB think is underrated or will come out of nowhere?



First up:

Connor Cook

Mark my words this will be a name you will hear for a decade plus. He IS the best quarterback in this draft class. Why in the world he won't be taken number one is a mystery to me and a lot of people in the Mid-West. He can make every throw (already) that you will see anyone make on Sundays. He has Rodgers/Brees accuracy and the Marino ego that he can literally put the ball right between the numbers, through 3 defenders, along the sideline, on 4th and 10... and do it by throwing the ball as hard as can before the receiver ever breaks. He will throw bucket loads of interceptions at first, but so did another #18 and some dude on the *Berman voice* Frozen Tundra! I don't know where he will end up, but the set up is there for a 1983 type deal where he sits there and then gets snapped up by a team that can't believe their luck. If Conner Cook winds up in Mile High country... look out!

Scooby Wright III

This selection harkens back to my prediction of Russell Wilson being a steal. Will Scooby Wright win a team a SB? No... will he be an MVP? No... but neither did Mark Kelso, Jim Jensen, Steve Tasker or Brian Mitchell. Yet these are invaluable players that can bring an attitude that some teams are sorely lacking. This dude will lay it all out, make some plays he shouldn't and make all that he should. I for one hope he's on my team's draft board. Wright will be the ultimate steal in the 4th round.

Mackensie Alexander

OK, I'm going homer on this one, but Alexander has lost some steam due to his perceived lack of speed over the last few weeks. Ask the top wideouts in the ACC if he is slow... then again they probably don't want to talk about him too much as they are all glad he's in the draft now. He is a true shut down corner and so far has no off-field issues or nagging injuries. He would be a tremendous bargain at the end of the 1st or anywhere in the 2nd. He's a top 10 talent.

[Man in Black]

Now, who do you want your team to draft.

I'm hoping the Dolphins get Ezekiel Elliot and if he's gone Shaq Lawson. For the Panthers... another 2 Clemson players could be sitting there for them: Kevin Dodd and the already mentioned Mackensie Alexander who now is a possibility to fill the Josh Norman hole. My teams never draft Clemson players, but this year the need, talent and draft positions fit better than ever for it to happen at least once. The cool thing is that all three Tigers are great freakin' picks anyway! The thing that worries me is that Shaq Lawson/Dolphins and Kevin Dodd/Panthers are on a lot of mock drafts... and they are rarely right.

[Man in Black]

Ah, so much for getting a Tiger in Miami...

But, let me get this straight... The Dolphins took the 8th pick... got Byron Maxwell, Kiko Alonso another pick or two or something and then somehow wound up with dude who was supposed to be the number one overall pick a couple weeks ago until the Rams trade? And he only fell that far because somebody posted a picture of him with weed from 5 years ago? Heck... I'm smelling what Gase is cooking so far. I hate not getting Shaq Lawson, but that scenario that actually happened is almost too good to be true. It's almost like I do to the computer on Madden lol... GO DOLPHINS!!!


Oh snap! Congrats on getting a top QB to the Broncos Jason. Paxton Lynch is a great fit, He's bigger than Cam and nearly as athletic. He has a ton of work to do as he's never been under center, but the raw talent is there. Biggest thing I've heard about him is that everyone thinks he's a great person and will do anything asked of him. Now, let's see where my gem of the draft, Conner Cook winds up.


Very proud of you Chicago... booing the Make a Wish kid making Denver's pick. Real classy, Sweetness would not approve.

[Jason]

Yeah, apparently Lynch is Tebow 2.0. Deeply religious, super nice guy, work horse and a playmaker. Needs work, but I'm hoping he shines in camp and takes the starting job.

Poor Tunsil. Everyone was saying he was probably the best overall player in the draft. Now falling to 13 might make him play even harder. Crazy scenario. Fins were like "Uhh... Thanks!"

Is it just me, or did Laquon Treadwell look like he wanted nothing to do with the sport of football when he was being interviewed after getting drafted?



www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCbzPdgyNDE

[Jason]

If there's one thing we can gather for certain during this offseason, it's that the Denver Broncos twitter is absolutely cold-blooded.

[Jason]

I found footage of Aqib Talib shooting himself in the leg.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTGmTrQXrwg

[Man in Black]

Jun 8, 2016 20:09:27 GMT -8 Jason said:

I found footage of Aqib Talib shooting himself in the leg.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTGmTrQXrwg

If I was that kind of person I'd say he missed what he should have hit. I never have liked him, but he lost any hope of me ever respecting him with his actions during (and statement after) the SB. Has nothing to do with it being the Panthers... I'd feel the same way if it was the other way around and hope they cut him. I've heard rumors Elway wants him traded. I just hope he stays out of Miami... I don't see Carolina wanting him.

[Jason]

I highly suspect the rumors are true. Elway is just that kind of guy. I was surprised when Denver cut Montee Ball, but after bouncing around from a couple of teams, he faded away and is now in legal trouble. I have a soft spot for Talib, he is an elite corner, but also because of the different personality he brings to that defense, but he can be dirty, and whether or not he or someone else shot him in the leg, he shouldn't be hanging around places like that. DRC was the guy we were going to sign to a contract extension, but he got greedy and went to New York. Not sure who Elway would be targeting for Talib, I guess anything as long as the price is right.

[Man in Black]

Disappointed greatly in the officials in the Thursday night game. Can't blame the Broncos for continuing to bring it, that's what they get paid for. But, somebody is literally going to die if they don't stop those hits to the head. Cam took 5 crown hits directly to the helmet. I actually stopped worrying about the win and was wishing Rivera would take Cam out.

And for the game... Carolina was out coached again. I'm amazed at the job Kubiak does. I honestly thought he was a huge drop off from Fox. But, Elway has something going there for sure. The system is working. Fox is a brilliant coach and a great guy, but Kubiak fits better... I admit it.

This game was closer coaching wise than the SB and Rivera won the first half. Kubiak made the better 2nd half adjustments. And while I would like to have seen what would have happened if Carolina had the lost time out charged to them for the challenge... Rivera/Shula and Cam failed miserably on that final drive. It was like they thought Gano would hit it from 80 yards or something. They blew the final time out and because they didn't go to a pure hurry up they lost about 4 plays. And to Kubiak's credit, the Broncos didn't go into the dreaded prevent. But, to give Cam credit... I imagine he was not thinking as clearly as he'd have liked after those hits. I'll put that blame straight on the coaches.

Probably what makes Broncos fans (love to hear what you think J) the happiest is the play of Trevor Siemian and the trust Kubiak had in him against an elite defense.

And totally changing the subject... dude was that the same cheerleader (probably same cameraman) with the... ahem... extreme camera angle view? Lol... it caused Al Michaels to go speechless again the 2nd time they showed her... angle.

[Jason]

Surprised Cam wasn't concussed. I don't think the hits were as impactful as they appeared to be, but he took a good chunk of them. Cam was just getting the Shaq treatment by the refs. He's big, so they let a lot of them slide.

That last timeout was probably Cam's fault. He took so long to break out of the huddle. He was still on his knee when the players were practically set at their positions. He was lolly-gagging like that a lot.

I was worried about Kubiak and Manning meshing when he was first hired. Kubiak is a run-first guy and I think that contributed a bit as to why Manning had little success last year. A lot of under-center plays and dropped balls by every receiver. Wade Phillips is the unsung hero of that coaching squad. He inherited all the pieces but he molded them into one of the greatest defenses of all time in 2015. I was a little disappointed with their performance against Carolina, but 20 points all game after the offense turned it over three times really isn't that bad against a powerhouse offense like Carolina.

I really like Siemian. He's been doing this all along in the preseason and we've just been counting down the days to see if he can do it in a real game. He had so many laser accurate throws, and that one scramble when he stepped up in the pocket to avoid the sack and ran to the outside to get a first down would make even Rodgers blush. He delivered. Hopefully this will be the norm. I give him some slack on those two picks he threw. One was when he was hit as he threw that made it underthrown and the other was that tip interception. And I'm with Manning when he says those should he illegal.

Not sure if that was the same cheerleader or not, but I'm sure it was the same cameraman, and I don't mind their agenda at all.