Innocent until proven guilty?

Whenever an American runs afoul of the law in this country, we have a little saying we like to proudly spout with our chests proudly stuck out for the whole world to see:

Innocent until proven guilty!

Unfortunately, most Americans fail to grasp what it actually means. While it's the cornerstone of the legal system in this country, and it's part of what makes America great, it really is only that -- applicable to the legal system.

It doesn't apply to the private sector, and it most certainly doesn't apply to public perception -- two points that are critical to understand when wondering why Michael Vick has been barred from reporting to training camp for the Falcons and why Americans (and Bud Selig) are having such a difficult time embracing Barry Bonds' imminent setting of the all-time baseball home run record.

People are correct when they point out that not only does an indictment not prove anything, it's not terribly difficult for the government to secure an indictment against an individual.

But those people would be missing the point. Actually, four points.

1. The NFL is a business;
2. It's a private business run by extremely wealthy individuals who wish to protect their considerable investments;
3. Those considerable investments are only such because millions of fans take more than a passing interest in those investments; and
4. Because it's a private business, those wealthy individuals can do pretty much anything they want to their employees -- within the boundaries of the collective bargaining agreement -- that they think best protects their investment, especially in the eyes of those who make that investment profitable.

Many have cried that we wouldn't want our employers rushing to judgment on us in the face of a legal battle. The response to that is simple: We're not NFL football players. In general, our employers do not need to think the same way about public perception as the NFL does. Usually, they stand to benefit more by keeping us around for productivity purposes (or to avoid union headaches). If you're easy to replace, they'll replace you -- just ask any minimum wage worker who has been fired for a small mistake.

Is it fair to Michael Vick? Absolutely. He knew the rules when he became an NFL football player -- rules that have enabled him to already become wealthy beyond what most of us can comprehend because they protect the profitability of the product for all NFL players.

It's not always great for the individual, but nobody's complaining when they're cashing those million-dollar paychecks.

Beyond that, even our legal system doesn't require a smoking gun to prove guilt; many a criminal has been put away with enough circumstantial evidence.

How much less evidence, then, does a private business require to take action, or the public to reach a conclusion? Maybe it's simply an indictment that cuts to the heart of decent human beings everywhere. Or perhaps it's an exceptionally researched book. Whatever that burden of proof is, it's far less than what the courts require. It doesn't have to be a guilty verdict at the hands of a jury, or an indisputable positive result on a pee test.

Innocent until proven guilty?

Quit being so naive.

Former Seahawk Adams signs with Denver

We're just going to go ahead and try and touch on every professional sports team in Seattle today. Next up: The Seahawks.

When the Cincinnati Bengals released DT Sam Adams a couple of weeks ago, my first thought was that he'd be a perfect fit for the Seahawks up front. Ignoring whatever personality issues might be at play -- and, believe me, I understand the bad feelings from his first stint in Seattle are nothing to simply dismiss -- from a purely football standpoint, he seemed to be precisely the kind of guy that could help the Seahawks.

He's big and physical, something the front four has really lacked the last two years with Marcus Tubbs in and out of the lineup thanks to chronic knee problems. In fact, the difference in the performance of the defense with and without Tubbs has been well documented.

Alas, it's not to be, as Adams signed today with the Broncos. The Seahawks didn't even contact him, as near as I can tell (which is from afar, obviously). With Tubbs coming off another knee surgery, it seemed that a guy of Adams' stature could have helped ease the burden on him. Adams is a shell of the player he once was, but with the way the Hawks rotate defensive linemen, I bet he could have given them a good team about 15-20 max effort plays a game.

This means one of two things to me: Either they dislike Adams that much, or they like fourth-round pick Brandon Mebane that much.

I sure hope it's the latter.

Question: What's Darrell Jackson been up to in San Francisco?

Answer: Pretty much the same thing he was always up to in Seattle.

"San Francisco 49ers acquired veteran receiver Darrell Jackson (82) WATCHES PRACTICE with tight end Bryan Gilmore (84) during minicamp at 49ers training facility in Santa Clara, Calif., Friday, May 4, 2007."

Although, I guess it's a little different, since he's actually at a minicamp for the Niners.

But that's just splitting hairs.

Jackson trade a gamble worth taking; plus, some final draft thoughts

As a teacher, I sometimes love to give quizzes. So here's one for you -- WASL style, where they ask you to pick the most correct answer.

Which of the following is the biggest reason for the Seahawks trading their best receiver since Steve Largent to an in-division rival for a mere 4th round pick in this year's NFL Draft?
A. Darrell Jackson was unhappy about his contract.
B. Darrell Jackson refused to attend voluntary workouts, which was detrimental to the team.
C. Darrell Jackson has a history of injuries in places where you don't want your receivers to have histories of injuries.
D. Tim Ruskell is a power-hungry freak who couldn't stand the thought of Darrell Jackson showing him up for even one more day.

Of course, you could make a good case for any of those options. But since it's my classroom, my answer rules. And my answer is C.

Ruskell is charged with caring for the overall health of the franchise -- a great reason why head coaches should never have the kind of power Mike Holmgren had when he first arrived in Seattle -- and his job is to make sure this team can remain competitive over the long haul. Coaches are clouded by things such as relationships and a desire to win now, consequences be darned.

Tim Ruskell could see the writing on the wall. In the NFL, if you allow your talent to become overage and overpaid at the same time, you're asking for a trip to the top of the NFL Draft. Look at Oakland and Tampa Bay, two teams in the Super Bowl not that long ago. Look at how long it has taken San Francisco to escape its own cap hell of the late 1990s. And, conversely, look at how the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers have been able to stay competitive year after year.

You see, we've probably seen the best that Darrell Jackson is going to offer, and Ruskell knows that. Jackson has a history of knee problems, problems that have been described in at least a few places as "degenerative." That means, no amount of surgery or rehab is going to get it back to 100 percent. It will only get worse the longer he plays. Jackson also still is battling the turf toe injury he suffered at the end of last year. Believe it or not, that's an injury that has ended careers. (Deion Sanders, before his comeback, comes to mind.)

Yes, Jackson was a gamer who often played through pain and showed up biggest on the brightest stages. He's got 47 career touchdown catches, and has an unmatched rapport with Matt Hasselbeck, where they sometimes seem to be reading each others' minds on the field.

But he's also an injury-prone liability who has missed 40 percent of his team's regular season games, and the ability to be a "gamer" can only continue as long as a player can tolerate pain, and that's usually a shorter amount of time than most of us want to admit. He also sat out countless other mini-camps, training camps days and practices, affecting the continuity of everyone involved.

Nate Burleson played Jackson's position all of training camp last summer while Jackson rested his sore knees. You don't think that played at least a small role in Burleson's troublesome acclimation to the offense? You don't think it affects a team's rhythm when a guy sits out all week, only to show up and play on Sunday?

Jackson might give the 49ers a season at the level of play Seahawks fans have grown accustomed to, and for that, Ruskell likely will draw Seahawks fans' ire. Maybe Jackson even goes Randy Johnson on us. But Ruskell did the right thing: He jettisoned a player whose best days likely are behind him before he could command any more money and cause any more problems with continuity on the team.

Sometimes it's best to just cut bait and move forward, even if you can only get a 4th round pick in return.

---

I only got as far as Mansfield Wrotto with breakdowns of the Seahawks draft picks, so here are some final thoughts on Sunday's happenings.

• Like most, I was pretty surprised the Seahawks never even tried to address their issues at tight end. That says one of two things to me: 1) The Seahawks are completely happy with their TE situation; or 2) None of the guys after the top two really rung the Seahawks' bell. The team will tell you it's the first. I believe it's probably the second. The team signed Joe Newton out of Oregon State to a free agent contract after the draft ended, telling me they felt the difference between him and a lot of the other guys was smaller than most of us believed.
• It says 5th round choice Will Herring is a linebacker, but he probably projects to safety in the NFL. (Where have we heard that one before?) In all likelihood, this is a special teams pick with the hope that the guy can develop into a solid backup safety at some point.
• With the picks of Courtney Taylor and Jordan Kent and the loss of Jackson, the Seahawks now have eight wide receivers on the roster: Deion Branch, Burleson, D.J. Hackett, Bobby Engram, Ben Obomanu, Taylor, Kent and Chris Jones. There's going to be a bit of a numbers crunch there, as teams typically carry only five or six WRs on their 53-man roster. Probably, it'll be Obomanu, Taylor and Kent duking it out for one or two spots. Will the odd-man out go to the practice squad? Kent is clearly the least polished of the three, but it'll be intriguing to see how much the team is enamored with Kent's potential -- enamored enough to keep him protected from the practice squad?
• Speaking of Kent, here's an interesting little tidbit from NFL.com: "If he had concentrated on football for four years, he would be ranked among the elite at his position. Few players in this draft have as intriguing array of athletic ability and talent that Kent possesses." There's also an interesting little story at The Seattle Times here.
• For those of you interested in where your favorite Cougars landed, you can find that here. I couldn't find a comprehensive list of draftees and signings for Huskies, so this is the best I can do. We also know that C.J. Wallace and Kenny James were among the 11 free agents who signed with the Seahawks shortly after the draft.

Seahawks continue to add depth to defenive line, pick up OL

After releasing Grant Wistrom earlier this spring, adding depth at defensive end was a priority for the Seahaks coming into the draft. The team has now addressed that with the pick of Baraka Atkins, defensive end from Miami (FL), with its first pick of the 4th round.

A quick perusal of NFL.com's bio of Atkins reveals him to be a typical Ruskell character guy:

Atkins, whose father is the mayor of the city of Sarasota, is an intelligent athlete. He graduated in 2005 with a degree in Business Management and pursued a second degree in Marketing during his 2006 season.

In terms of measurables, he's 6-foot-4 and 278 pounds. For comparison purposes, he's roughly the same size as Patrick Kerney (6-5, 273) and Bryce Fisher (6-3, 272) and quite a bit bigger than Darryl Tapp (6-1, 265), whom the Seahawks selected in the second round last year.

At first blush, much like the pick of Josh Wilson, I'm pretty happy they got a different kind of guy to fit in with that line. He's played both tackle and end in his career, so he's got some versatility. There's some question as to what his true upside is, given that he's never had a chance to really focus on one position.

Here's a quick look at him from Scott Wright's Draft Countdown:
Strengths: Has good size and bulk with a nice frame...Stout against the run...Good strength and power...Agile and quick off the snap...Is versatile with experience at multiple positions...Gets excellent penetration...Plays with good leverage and balance...He was durable...Has a lot of experience...Solid production...Still has some potential.

Weaknesses: Classic 'tweener who's not big enough to play inside yet doesn't have the ideal speed or athleticism needed for the outside...Was never really able to focus on mastering a single position...Has an inconsistent motor...Not a great pass rusher or sack artist...Questionable work ethic...Was actually benched for a while in '06.
With their second pick, the Seahawks selected offensive lineman -- or is that defensive lineman? -- Mansfield Wrotto from Georgia Tech. The 6-foot-3, 316-pound Wrotto was a three-year starter on the defensive line before switching to the offensive line this year.

It'll be interesting to see where the Seahawks project him. Could he be the run-stuffing defensive tackle they've been looking for? He's certainly got the size, and NFL.com says he could pretty easily add another 10 pounds to his frame. Could he be an eventual starter on the offensive line? There's some thought that this guy could have been a first-day talent had he been on the o-line longer than just one season in college. Interesting pick that has a significant amount of upside potential.

Here's a quick look at him from Rivals.com:

The good: Mansfield started 46 games in career, but his first 32 were along the defensive line. He is a thick, wide-bodied lineman who flashes the power and agility to be one of the most intriguing prospects in this draft class. As a senior, he started at right tackle and displayed promise and the physical tools to develop further. He has all the physical skills to develop into an NFL starter — very long-armed and long-legged with the bubble-butt scouts want in a road-grader for along the front line. He comes off the snap with some pop and leverage.
The bad: He is still very raw in his technique and needs to develop better hand use and footwork when it comes to handling outside speed and inside counter moves. In pass protection, he is still developing in all areas from setup, hand use, footwork and recognition skills. He can be slow to setup at times that leaves him exposed and though he has powerful hands, he is only adequate to recover. His footwork needs work and is probably the most critical area to improve before he can compete for playing time.
Outlook: Wrotto probably goes in the top 125 prospects and would be a good early day pick with the Ravens, Bengals and Bills interested. If the light goes off here, he could challenge any prospect at this position within a few seasons. Excellent second-day addition with starting talent and probably sooner than most think.

That's it for now, as I'm off to church. I'll check back in later this afternoon with more on the Seahawks' final picks and Darrell Jackson. See you then.

If only I lived on the East Coast ...

We knew it was a strong likelihood that the Seahawks would send Darrell Jackson to the San Francisco 49ers this morning for a 4th round pick -- which they did, and that pick is coming up shortly -- but, out of nowhere, the Raiders sent Randy Moss to New England, also for a 4th round pick.

That's what I get for sleeping in. By 8 a.m. on the west coast, all the big news has happened.

So, what do these trades mean? Here's Mike Sando's take:

The Seahawks did not want Jackson on their team; and it's tough to get a high pick for a starting receiver. Looks like New England will land Randy Moss for a fourth-round pick. New England looks pretty smart, in other words. The Pats get a first-rounder from Seattle for Deion Branch, then land Moss for a fourth-rounder.

What does the Jackson trade mean specifically for the Seahawks? Well, most immediately it means the Seahawks now have two 4th round picks in the span of five picks. It also means they've sent the second-most-productive receiver in team history to a division rival that's on the rise. That ought to signify how desperate the Hawks were to unload Jackson.

I'll have a full breakdown this afternoon of what Jackson's trade means to the 49ers, and how 4th round picks have fared under Tim Ruskell's leadership. I believe Rob Sims was a 4th round pick last year, and he performed very well in limited duty last year and is slated to be your starting left guard this season.

The Hawks just picked Miami DE Baraka Atkins with their first 4th round pick. I'll have some info on him shortly.

UPDATE: Here's a quick analysis of Jackson deal from Sando's perspective. Again, I'll have my thoughts later this afternoon.

Last word on the draft for the night ...

There's nothing imminent on the Darrell Jackson front, Mike Sando is reporting tonight.

This is going to be it for me tonight, too. I just don't have the heart to write about Jeff Weaver right now. I'll probably check in with the M's tomorrow, and have some more Seahawks stuff as the draft wraps up.

Here's to hoping the Mariners and their depleted bullpen can hold up for one more day to win this series.

Third round pick in the books as Hawks address DT

The Seahawks addressed their defensive line needs by selecting Cal tackle Brandon Mebane with their third round pick.

This addresses an obvious weakness for the Hawks, who were paper thin at the position by the end of last year. The biggest downside, though, appears to be that at 6-foot-1 and 305, he's yet another smallish tackle on a team filled with them. That's not the Seahawks' fault; this was a draft bereft of defensive tackle depth, and they weren't likely to get one of those big space eaters in the second or third round, anyway.

Here's the take on him from Scott Wright's Draft Countdown -- and, yes, if you think he sounds like a clone of every guy who plays DT for the Seahawks not named Marcus Tubbs ... well, you're not alone.

Strengths: A solid athlete with good quickness and agility...A disruptive penetrator who will collapse the pocket and make a lot of plays in the backfield...Strong and stout at the point...Plays with good leverage...Flows to the ball, excels in pursuit and has a burst to close...Is very solidly built...Has a lot of playing experience and he was pretty productive...A hard worker with a tremendous motor and top intangibles.

Weaknesses: Is undersized and does not have the height you would prefer...Needs to develop additional pass rush moves...Will struggle with blockers who are a lot bigger than him...Struggles to disengage at times...Overachiever who will find it's a different game in the pros...Can make better use his hands...Timed speed is only average.

Pray that Tubbs comes back healthy from knee surgery. Otherwise, we're doomed to more Sundays watching Frank Gore and Stephen Jackson run roughshod over our small defensive front.

Seahawks go with another cornerback

I've got to admit, the idea of yet another undersized cornerback in the Seahawks' defensive backfield doesn't exactly make me want to jump with joy, but by all accounts Josh Wilson out of Maryland is a very nice pick for the team.

He brings a different dynamic to the secondary than anyone else already back there. He's a burner who runs a 4.3 40, something the team just doesn't have right now. Remember, this secondary has had a habit over the past few years of getting burned by fast receivers (Bernard Berrian or Torry Holt, anyone?).

Although he only had two interceptions in his career at Maryland, perhaps the most telling stat is this: 2 receptions, 19 yards. That's how man-child receiver and No. 2 overall pick Calvin Johnson performed against Wilson in their matchup last season. Frankly, they won't come any bigger or faster than Johnson in the NFL this year, so that should assuage some fears about his size.

It's interesting that the Seahawks went with another corner, given all the talk about needing depth on the offensive and defensive line. But it makes a lot of sense given the injury issues at the position last season. By all accounts Trufant, Herndon and Williams should be ready to go for the season, but you never know.

Additionally, Wilson's return skills could become a valuable asset. While Nate Burleson performed at a near Pro Bowl level in that role last year, if the team decides to pull the trigger and send Darrell Jackson elsewhere, they probably won't want their starting WR in that position.

(Oh, and about that Jackson trade to San Francisco? The 49ers just took WSU stud Jason Hill in the third round, for what that's worth.)

So, with that, enjoy some of the following takes on Wilson. If you need a visual primer first, check out this video at the Washington Post of Wilson's highlights at Maryland -- most of it centers around that matchup with Johnson.

From NFL.com's Draft Analyzer:

Wilson is a very good DB. He doesn't have great height. He's also a very good kick returner. His father, Tim, was a fullback for the Houston Oilers who did a great job blocking for Hall of Famer Earl Campbell. Solid person, solid player.

From Scott Wright's NFL Draft Countdown:

Strengths: Has phenomenal speed...A tremendous natural athlete with excellent quickness, agility and leaping ability...Tough and physical guy who plays a lot bigger than he is and will help against the run...Smart with good instincts...Hips are fluid and he can turn and run with anyone...Is also a terrific return man...Has good bloodlines.

Weaknesses: Does not have the height you look for...Does not have great hands and while he gets to a lot of balls he doesn't rack up many interceptions...Is only an average tackler...Can get out-muscled by bigger receivers and blockers...Still needs a little technique work, especially with his backpedal...Is he going to hold up physically?

Click here for Wilson's combine interview.

Round one wrapping up; heading out for the afternoon

The first round is drawing to a close, and with it Brady Quinn's uncomfortable free fall has ended. The Browns proved to be either the smartest team around, or the luckiest, as they were able to move into the first round for the second time to pick up Quinn after passing on him the first time around.

The Browns paid a steep price -- second round pick this year, first round pick next year -- but if quinn truly is a franchise quarterback, it's worth it. Yes, the Browns only got the No. 3 and No. 22 picks, but this has the feel of the year the Seahawks took Walter Jones and Shawn Springs in the first round, a draft that really set the team up for long-term success, because the Browns truly got two top 10 talents. It's a great deal for a franchise that has floundered so much in recent years.

With that said, I'm going to be heading out for a while. Such a beautiful day ... it's a shame to waste it by sitting indoors! (Even if it is the NFL Draft.) However, I'll still have the radio on as I'm out with the family, so I'll have some more thoughts on the draft when I get home -- especially once they get around to the Seahawks' pick (estimated to be around 5 p.m.).

And, no, there is no new news on Darrell Jackson.

I'd feel bad for Brady Quinn if he wasn't going to make millions

Broncos just traded up for Jacksonville's pick. Gotta wonder: Are they trading down because they know Cincinnati, Tennessee and the Giants will certainly not take Quinn?

In my mind, Quinn's the guy they gotta get. Byron Leftwich's future is questionable -- one year left on his contract -- and David Garrard was incredibly underwhelming, to say the least. Jack Del Rio is a defensive coach, but there's no way they can pass on a guy like Quinn.

Is it possible Houston screwed up two years in a row?

I'm going to forgo the pick-by-pick analysis for the rest of the draft, and instead offer up some thoughts as they come to me:

• It seems the Houston Texans have gone the way of the NBA with their pick of Amobi Okoye out of Louisville. Scouts are enamored with his potential. He was a nice player this year for the Cardinals, but one has to wonder if he'd be the No. 10 overall pick if he wasn't 19 years old and the word "upside" wasn't so closely attached to his name. If the Texans' defense doesn't show some dramatic improvement this year with Mario Williams in his second year at defensive end and Okoye in the middle, the Texans will soon be mentioned in the same breath as the Lions and Browns and historically inept franchises. This is a big gamble pick.
• Finally, a trade. The Jets move up to get Darelle Rivas out of Pitt at No. 14, and paid a pretty price to do it. They gave up their 1st, 2nd and 5th round picks to get Carolina's 1st and 6th. That guy better be a starter right away, and better make that defense a heck of a lot better from day one to justify that trade. That said, the Jets have a good track record going for them -- eight of their 10 picks last year ended up as starters or backups. So it's a young team anyway, one that probably can afford to give a pick to get the guy it wants.
• Fifteen picks off the board, Brady Quinn still sitting uncomfortably in the green room. When are these guys going to get smart and decline the green room invitations? Just stay home with family and friends. So you miss out on coming up on stage, putting on a hat and holding up a jersey? Oh well -- at least you're not staring vacantly at the stage with each pick that passes and your name's not called ...
• Oh, and I think Jacksonville's staff actually will crap themselves if Quinn falls all the way to them at 17.
  

Still no more word on Darrell Jackson.

First nine picks in the book; only one big surprise

So, this pretty much has been the most boring first eight picks in a while; no trades and no controversy, as not even Matt Millen could screw up the second pick. Then ... the shocker. Here's my take on the first nine from a casual outsider's perspective. Bear in mind, I'm no Mel Kiper Jr.

1. OAKLAND RAIDERS: JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU -- The Raiders really had no choice here, but count me among those that aren't sold on Russell's ability to be a franchise quarterback. Yes, he has all the measurables, including arm strength that makes scouts drool. But how many of the top QBs in the NFL have what we would classify as "superior" arm strength? Skill from the head up (a la Matt Leinart) is more important to me -- especially when the quarterback is going to a franchise that's been positively horrific at developing QBs. They say he has the best arm strength of anyone in the NFL the day he steps on a field; that's what they said about Jeff George, too.
2. DETROIT LIONS: Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech -- Best player in the draft, hands down. The guy is a flat-out freak, and Matt Millen might not have screwed up for once. Yes, this pick seems odd because it's the fourth time in five years the Lions have selected a WR in the first round, but this was the right pick. This guy is a once-in-a-generation talent at WR -- he's that good. The Raiders could have had him had they not screwed up last year by not taking Matt Leinart. I'm a little surprised they didn't consider taking Brady Quinn here, but Johnson is too good to pass up.
   
3. CLEVELAND BROWNS: Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin -- Bryce Fisher made an interesting point on the radio this morning: When was the last time you can remember a highly touted Wisconsin offensive lineman living up to his billing? They pretty much fall into the same category as Oregon quarterbacks these days. The Browns needed offensive line help, and decided to pass up Quinn and Adrian Peterson in the process. Pretty baffling, if you ask me. I know O-line is important, but this is a team pretty devoid of offensive skill players. Reuben Droughns spent much of last year injured, and Jerome Harrison -- as much as I love the former Coug -- is never going to be an every down back. Curious choice to me for a team with a ton of holes.
4. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: Gaines Adamas, DE, Clemson -- I can just see the scowl on Jon Gruden's face now. No Calvin Johnson, no Joe Thomas ... no offensive player for the Bucs. Chucky has to be losing his mind. Fortunately for him, I think they got the second-best player in the draft. Adams fits perfectly into Tampa's speed-oriented system on defense, and I'd look for him to be in the Pro Bowl sooner rather than later.
5. ARIZONA CARDINALS: Levi Brown, OT, Penn State -- First pick that's generally considered a reach, but I don't see how the Cardinals had a choice. They had to get O-line help, and there really wasn't a groundswell of teams trying to trade up, given that each had pretty specific needs that didn't really overlap. Solid pick for the Cardinals, even if they'll have to overpay for his talent to get him into camp because he's a No. 5 pick.
6. WASHINGTON REDSKINS: LaRon Landry, S, LSU -- Their defense was horrific last year. They don't need a running back, and, if they think Jason Campbell is going to be a good one, they don't need a quarterback. So the best defensive back on the board makes sense.
7. MINNESOTA VIKINGS: Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma -- The Vikings have to be doing backflips that this guy fell into their lap. He immediately becomes their best offensive player the day he steps into camp. Chester Taylor was a nice player for them last year, but made it pretty obvious he wasn't ready to be an every-down back after spending his first four seasons as a backup. Peterson gives them an instant playmaker who should experience success right away behind a pretty darn good offensive line. They could have gone with Quinn here, but I think Peterson was too good of a talent to pass up.
8. ATLANTA FALCONS: Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas -- Another good fit pick. Falcons lost Patrick Kerney to the Seahawks; Falcons get strong replacement in the draft. The thing that struck me was some of the video they showed of him after the pick. I know they only pick the best plays, but man, he made some offensive lineman look baaaaaad. Brady Quinn still on the board.
9. MIAMI DOLPHINS: Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Ohio State -- The first shocker of the draft. And when we say shocker, we mean it in the most extreme sense of the word. A lot of people had Ginn going as late as the end of the first round. While his speed is unbelievable, there are questions about his durability and his ability to do more than run fast in a straight line. What will make this even more interesting is whether this prompts some of the trading that is the trademark of the NFL Draft. Will a team that needs a young quarterback suddenly try to angle for Quinn, who the Dolphins inexplicably passed on?
   

All right, that's it for now. I'll check back in periodically, as the annual QB-sliding-down-the-draft-board watch continues. Still no new news on D-Jack. We've got our eyes and ears peeled ...

NFL Draft gets underway

I'll be posting periodically throughout the day with thoughts on the draft, as the Raiders are now on the clock. I'll also be keeping an eye on the latest on the Darrell Jackson situation, which you can find on Mike Sando's awesome Seahawks Insider blog.

Good riddance, Theismann; Jaworski exactly what MNF team needs

Longtime readers might remember midway through last season I lamented the new Monday Night Football team of Mike Tirico, Tony Kornheiser and Joe Theismann:

My main issue is with Theismann. His egomaniacal style fit pretty well in ESPN's old Sunday night crew with Mike Patrick and Paul Maguire, mostly because I think he viewed Maguire -- anothe former football player -- as a worthy adversary. ... Theismann seems intimidated by Kornheiser's eloquence and quick wit from time to time, and has a propensity to repeat himself over and over and over again.

My solution, way back in September?

What this crew really needs is a hardcore X's and O's guy, somebody who seems comfortable enough with himself to let Kornheiser do what he was hired to do and who doesn't seem to constantly feel the need to assert his manhood.

Apparently, ESPN agreed, removing Theismann from the team and adding Ron Jaworski, about the most harcore X and O guy the four-letter network's got. Don't believe me? Listen to Jaworski himself:

"I'm an 'Xs-and-Os' guy. I love breaking down the game. I love the strategy of the game," Jaworski said in a conference call. "That's the beauty of what I will bring to the table is that insight of 'Xs and Os.'"

Jaworski will be an excellent fit in that booth. He's got a great sense of humor, he's completely unassuming -- unlike the self-absorbed Theismann -- and he already has a strong rapport with Kornheiser, which is evident to anyone who has watched Jaworski appear on Kornheiser's regular TV gig, "Pardon The Interruption."

I think this is a team that really has some promise, and I'm excited to see what it can do.