Unnecessarily Early 2010 Mock

OK, before I get into the whole thing, this mock is probably about two to three weeks in the making. A lot of tweaking, fixing, moving, head scratching, and cursing has produced what you will soon see. It’s a combination of things that have happened so far this season (as you’ll see with the order), and things that I expect to occur the rest of the way.

I’ll have a little bit with each pick, if you have any further questions, please let know know. And of course, let me know what you all think.

1. St. Louis- QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
– I’m honestly not as big a fan of Bradford as others, but just like with Matt Stafford last year, they don’t have much choice. He’ll give the team something to look forward to, and having Jason Smith already in place is an important factor as well.

2. Cleveland- DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida
– If you’re thinking “The Browns wouldn’t take him, he’s not really a great fit for a 3-4”, save it. They said the same thing about Mario Williams, and the simple fact is that coaches get fired and schemes get adjusted. Even though he hasn’t been as good as he should this year so far, he’s still a freak.

3. Tampa Bay- DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
– Tampa needs a lot, and that’s putting it nicely. Luckily for them, they actually possess a quarterback of the future and a solid OL, so they can focus this pick on a top defensive player. Suh is a man, and should be a great centerpiece to their young defense.

4. Miami- WR Arrelious Benn, Illinois
– The addition of Tyler Thigpen cements the fact that Miami won’t be looking for a quarterback this early. Benn is a dynamic player that the Dolphins could certainly use on the offensive side of the ball. I know, they just drafted Ted Ginn in the top ten three years ago, but he’s likely never going to reach the unrealistic expectations placed on him.

5. San Francisco (from Carolina)- S Eric Berry, Kansas City
– Finally, perhaps the best player in the whole draft comes off the board. Wise men will tell you that safeties can be found just about anywhere in the draft, but those people didn’t meet Eric Berry. He’s a perfect fit for San Francisco, on a defense that is led by a great defensive mind.

6. Kansas City- OT Russ Okung, OK State
– They brought in the QB, now they just have to figure out some way to protect him. They don’t have much talent on the line right now, and I believe that Okung could be a very good player at either tackle position. Brandon Albert has been solid, but might be better off at guard than left tackle.

7. Washington- QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
– A team can’t talk to or about every potential quarterback addition and expect the incumbent to go unfazed. Clausen has performed very well this season, and that, along with the likelihood that he’ll test very well, gets him ahead of almost every other QB. Clausen is probably right there with Bradford in terms of ability, and has the luxury of a QB-friendly coach in Jim Zorn.

8. Oakland- S Taylor Mays, USC
– It’s a lock. A stone-cold one at that. Mays is an athletic freak, and the Raiders are only capable of drafting such players. The fact that Mays’ play has fallen off recently, including apparently how to tackle with anything but your shoulder, probably won’t factor into the situation.

9. Detroit- DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
– The Lions aren’t as bad as most people think, and certainly much better than they were last year. Jim Schwartz can really upgrade the defense by adding McCoy to a line that needs a star.

10. Jacksonville- QB Tim Tebow, Florida
– The Jaguars need to sell tickets, flat out. Tebow probably won’t ever be a great player, but the Jaguars need something soon to get the team relevant again, even in their own city. They’ll adjust the offense to whatever is needed, I’m sure.

11. Seattle- OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma
– Walter Jones is just about ready to hang it up, and the Seahawks haven’t even come close to finding a replacement for him. Trent Williams outplayed his older linemates last season and is deserving of a first round selection, though he still has some work to do in his switch to the blindside.

12. Buffalo- LB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri
– The Bills need a lot of help. They have a multitude of OK players, but very few that could be seen as present, or even future stars. Weatherspoon is the best linebacker in the draft, and would add some pop to a defense that’s not really showing much this season.

13. Arizona- LB Sergio Kindle, Texas
– Clark Haggins and Bertrand Berry are getting older, and the Cards are going to need a passrusher if they want to have a top 3-4 defense. A lot of varied opinions on him, but Kindle can be something special, and I personally think he’s worth the risk midway through the first round.

14. Tennessee- DE Greg Hardy, Ole Miss
– Hardy is probably physically one of the best players in the draft, but there are enough reservations about his mental makeup to drop him down. Hardy has had a lot of problems in his time with the Rebels, be it injuries or disagreements with the staff, and that has led to big drop-offs in playing time for their most talented players. If he can keep his head on straight and stay healthy, he’s a terror.

15. Dallas- OT Brian Bulaga, Iowa
– Flozell Adams has pretty much been relegated to tripping defensive ends as they run by on their path to Tony Romo. They need a young tackle to come in and learn, and Bulaga is a great fit.

16. Houston- CB Joe Haden, Florida
– The cornerback class is one of it’s few weak points. Joe Haden is a quality player that should get the boost out of the pack because of top notch speed and athleticism. The Texans have a lot of good players, but need a playmaker in the secondary.

17. San Francisco- QB Colt McCoy, Texas
– The Niners second first rounder is a bit more of a luxury pick, but one that could pay off big in a few years. At first glance, McCoy has a lot of similarities to Alex Smith, mobile with just OK arm strength, but I personally think much of the reason Smith failed was the situation that faced him on his arrival. McCoy would have a better team around him, a coach that seems to really have control of the players, and a capable, though unspectacular starting QB already in place.

18. Pittsburgh- OT Charles Brown, USC
– The Steelers have been getting by for some time without really investing many high picks into the offensive line, but those days may be nearing their end. Willie Colon should be a fixture at RT, but an upgrade over Max Starks on the blindside should be strongly considered.

19. Denver (from Chicago)- DT Terrance Cody, Alabama
– Nose tackles are the most important players in a 34. It’s just that simple. If the Broncos want to make that next step and continue to improve as a defense, they’ll need to find a man to clog the middle. My guess is that Cody can clog just about anything with very little effort.

20. Cincinnati- WR Dez Bryant, OK State
– Ochocinco has been a thorn in the Bengals’ side for some time, even if he has appeared to change his ways (again) recently. The simple fact is that the Bengals need him, now more than ever. Bringing in some youth at the position will let them cut a problem child or two. If 85 stays then Bryant’s ability as a possession guy will be a perfect compliment.

21. Philadelphia- OT Ciron Black, LSU
– The Eagles have been waiting for a year and change for Shawn Andrews to get healthy, and that days may never come. Black could challenge right away for the RT job, or even play inside at guard. For a team without many needs, a versatile, potential starter this late is a great pick.

22. San Diego- WR Damian Williams, USC
– The better Philip Rivers gets, the more playmakers the Chargers should be trying to add around him. Chris Chambers isn’t close to where he was a few years ago, and Williams would fit in very well with Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson on the outside.

23. Green Bay- OT Selvish Capers, West Virginia
– Capers is an underrated prospect that could see his way into the late first/early 2nd area by the end of the year. He’s an athletic tackle that the Packers are in desperate need of, with their tackles being either mediocre or past their prime.

24. New England- LB Eric Norwood, South Carolina
– As good as the passrushers are in this draft, none may be as good at it as Norwood. Just as dominant getting to the QB this year as he’s been in the past, he’d be a perfect fit on the Patriots due to his experience as a linebacker.

25. Atlanta- LB Rolando McClain, Alabama
– McClain has a chance to end up a lot higher by the end of the season, but for the most late in the first is when non-elite inside linebackers tend to go. The Falcons have to reload their LB corps with more than an aging Mike Peterson.

26. Seattle (from Denver)- RB Jahvid Best, California
– I’m not sure that Jahvid Best is exactly what the Seahawks are looking for at the position, but it’s a move that they should have made already. Forsett has potential, but his Cal counterpart can be great in a number of different roles, and is developing as a feature back.

27. Minnesota- DE Everson Griffen, USC
– The Vikes could probably put anyone on a line with the Williamses and Jared Allen, but why waste a chance to get a potential stud? With Ray Edwards a FA and the Vikes probably not looking to add another big payday to the line, Griffen could be a relatively cheap option as a starter. Plus, Griffen has the physical talent of a top five pick.

28. NY Jets- DE Arthur Jones, Syracuse
– The Jets pick came down to a decision of simply the biggest need on the team. There’s little depth on the line, Shaun Ellis is aging, Marques Douglas is old already, and the backups, while solid, are definitely backups. Jones more fits the mold of a 34 end to me than some other options out there, including Corey Wootton.

29. NY Giants- OG Anthony Davis, Rutgers
– The Giants really don’t have any weaknesses to be totally honest. Maybe another safety, but Michael Johnson is a young overachiever and they already have a budding (though injured) star in Kenny Phillips. Davis hasn’t played to potential this season, but he can play a number of line positions. Under a tough coach like Tom Coughlin, Davis could develop quickly and take over at either guard or tackle in the coming years.

30. Indianapolis- OC Kris O’Dowd, USC
– The once dominant Colts line has lost a lot in recent years. Jeff Saturday’s getting up there in age, and has a three year deal in place that will probably take him to the end of his NFL career. O’Dowd is following in an impressive line of Trojan centers, and could learn at guard before taking over at center when Saturday moves on.

31. New Orleans- CB Patrick Robinson, Florida State
– ’09 first rounder Malcolm Jenkins seems pretty solidly placed at safety, which means that the Saints are STILL in need of a big time cornerback. Tracy Porter seems like he’ll emerge from his youth as a pretty good player, despite being really up and down at first, but besides him they have little. Robinson is a bit smaller, but has great catch up speed and legacy of great ‘Nole CBs to fall back on.

32. Baltimore- WR Brandon LaFell, LSU
– Joe Flacco has been absolutely terrific this season, but asking him to do so much without giving him some extra weapons to play with isn’t very nice. Derrick Mason almost retired once, and may not hang around much longer, the tall, rangy LaFell should be ready to start once he’s ready to leave.

OK, let me know what you think.

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Clownin’ Around: David Clowney, Twitter, and Fate

Twitter is either the greatest advancement in the history of social networking, or a sign that humanity itself may be doomed; it just depends on who you ask. 

While the site may provide an unnecessary forum for Aunt Mildred to let friends and followers know that she’s late for her podiatrist appointment, it also connects fans to athletes in a completely new way.

No one expects fans to look at athletes like they used to, when they were viewed only in the context of their sport and often not as people with completely separate lives.  That vision of the athlete was destroyed a long time ago with figures like Broadway Joe Namath, and kept alive by the Tom Brady’s and Alex Rodriguez’s of the sports world. 

Still, a line existed between what fans know, and what they really didn’t have to know.  For instance, if a team’s backup point guard was going to his sister’s house to play Connect Four, a fan doesn’t need to know that.  Or if the team’s new right fielder was out enjoying an off day in the new city with his teammates, no one should care.  However, with Twitter, the casual fan can not only know when these things are going on, but can also in turn make judgments based on what they read.

Enter David Clowney, third-year wide receiver for the New York Jets, a twitter user, and a player that’s quickly becoming the poster child for why that can be a very bad thing.  A New York Jets fan site called TheGangGreen.com runs the updates from the Jets’ twitters on the front page of their site, a frequent home for the comments of one Mr. Clowney. Now, I’m not saying that what Clowney is tweeting is all that condemnable. After all, he is only 24-years-old and it’s more-so the way it’s perceived.

If a person wants to stay out at the clubs seemingly all night every single day, that’s his decision. However, when it’s an athlete and the information is displayed to the public, the common fan might get a little worried. 

Of course, that’s not entirely true, but the perception among fans that have been following his twitter is that he isn’t exactly getting himself ready for what could be a big part in the offense.

Is it fair that a large group of Jet fans, who are sitting on their couch, eating bologna by the pound, are judging a professional athlete’s work ethic based solely on a social networking site? No, of course not. However, it’s going to happen, and it will continue to happen, as long as this type of information is readily available.

Just as with celebrity followers who hang on every word posted on People.com, sports fans are yearning to learn more and more about their heroes, and media outlets are doing their best to oblige. It’s interesting how the most telling information about their personal lives would come from the players themselves. 

David Clowney’s saga is just an example of what fans across the sports landscape are now going through, and will be dealing with for the foreseeable future. So don’t just blame Clowney and the other athletes that may take some time to goof off; blame twitter and the technology that makes this information so enticing to us all.

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