A Tale of Three Rookies: The Truth Behind the Mario Williams Pick

Mario Williams. A 6’7”, 291-pound, 24-year-old defensive end who has averaged over 13 sacks in his last two seasons.

 

And he’s still a kid.

 

Many feel the 2009-10 season will be Williams’ year. Where he breaks out from being a talented rookie, to a defensive megastar.

 

Think James Harrison.

 

The most surprising thing about the Williams story is the fact that he has to go down as one of the least known No. 1 picks in draft history.

 

Until Houston started courting him, not many fans had Mario very high on their draft boards.

 

So how did this deal come about?

 

Firstly, Mario didn’t just appear out of nowhere. Houston had been watching him for a long time, and liked what they saw.

 

GM at the time, Charles Casserly, watched Williams eight times during his final college year, and liked what he was seeing.

 

After a trip to watch Williams against Florida State, he told a friend at Sports Illustrated Magazine, “This guy might make more Pro Bowls than anyone else in the draft”.

 

They were still far from convinced though. Well until the combine.

 

They knew Williams was a powerhouse, but were concerned that he took plays off, lacked aggression, and wasn’t athletic enough.

 

Then they watched a 291-pound, 6’7” athlete, run a 4.65 forty (only marginally slower than Brian Urlacher’s combine time), bench press 35 times, and put in one of the all-time great combine sessions.

 

They were sold.

 

Houston’s problems, however, were to come in the form of the Heisman Trophy. Running back Reggie Bush winning it, and hometown hero Vince Young coming in second.

 

Running back was a big need, and Vince was a fan favorite. There would be pressure to pick both.

 

Vince Young was never seriously considered.

 

In fact, The Texans didn’t even grade Young as first-round talent.  They were alarmed by his inability to learn plays, and how, in truth, his college offense was dumbed down to help his game.

 

Then came his wonderlic score.

 

He had the physical tools, but not the footballing intelligence to lead an NFL offense.

 

I would say this was a smart talent assessment. Well, if the Texans hadn’t already offered David Carr a two-year contract extension, pre-draft.

 

Bush was a more difficult proposition. He was seemingly talented enough to make an immediate impact. But they liked Williams more.

 

A lot more.

 

The question for Houston was not who was the better player. It had already been established that they felt it was Mario Williams.

 

The question was whether they were prepared to turn down all of the attractive commercial bonuses that come with picking a star name like Bush, and at the same time alienate their fan base.

 

The fans wanted Bush. The owners wanted Williams.

 

Tough decision time.

 

They did the unthinkable. Picked their No. 1 choice, Williams, over the best player on the board (at the time), Reggie Bush.

 

Rumor had it that it was a fiscal pick. Financially motivated. Bush had priced himself out.

 

Rumor was wrong. Houston had basically agreed terms with both players on the eve of the draft, for basically the same pay.

 

It was a footballing decision. A very unpopular footballing decision.

 

Fans were perplexed.

 

Williams was booed pre-season.

 

The pick cost Casserly his job.

 

Fan feeling didn’t get any more placid when hometown hero Young won Rookie of the Year, and Reggie Bush starred for New Orleans in their deep playoff run.

 

This was a disaster.

 

Slowly, but surely opinion started to change.

 

Williams started to dominate.

 

Vince Young imploded on himself – suffering the exact same maturity problems that scared Houston off in the first place. 

 

Bush started having injury problems, and people began to question whether his college game would actually translate to pro football.

 

Suddenly drafting Mario Williams became one of the smartest first round picks of all time. A team rising above fan and media pressure, to make the right call.

 

The future. Don’t write Bush off.

 

Trent Green, in his weekend column, stated that he felt Reggie would have 4 or 5 monster seasons, before he retired—starting next year.

 

A rushing, catching, kick returning phenom. And possibly a future 1,000-yard rushing, 1,000-yard receiving season. Maybe a few.

 

I agree. Reggie’s skill set is unparalleled, and he’s been unnervingly quiet all off-season. He may not have 10 big seasons, but the three, four, five that he manages will be up there with the best of all-time.

 

Vince has much more to prove.  Even to win a starting place in the NFL.

 

However, Williams is already an elite Defensive End, and will only get better. He’s a franchise defensive player, who is maybe at the start of a Hall of Fame Career.

 

Historically, this may go down as one of the best picks in draft history.

 

Houston football fans should also give a cheeky “Thank you” to one time owner, Bud Adams, who controversially took the team to Tennessee in 1996.

 

Consensus opinion is that Bud picked Vince Young at three, purely to spite the Houston fans. And he quite simply couldn’t resist the prospect of Houston native Young, destroying the Texans twice a year.

 

Without this intervention, Young certainly wouldn’t have gone top five, and probably would have slid out of the top 10.

 

So Bud, ironically, made the Texans pick look even better with his mischief making.

 

If the fans made the pick, it would have been Bush. If not Bush then Young. If not Young then certainly not Williams.

 

On an ending note, a message to all fans, booing picks on draft day.

 

Sometimes we do get it wrong.

Ranking the NFL’s Top 10 Rookies in 2009

This is a list of the top ten rookies in the NFL for this year. This list is based on the potential playing time, and the systems in which they are placed into.
Some positions are more favorable for rookies, therefore some of the more sexy position players may not be at the top of the list. Usually defensive players are more effective as rookies, and I took that into account when creating this list.
The NFL usually only has a few rookies each year that burst onto the scene. It is hard to figure out who will shine and who will even get any playing time. It wouldn’t surprise me to look back on this list after the season is over with and laugh at most of them. Anyway, lets take a look at the top 10.

Unheralded but Undeterred: Five Rookies Who Could Surprise In ’09

Tom Brady. Terrell Davis. Deacon Jones. Mel Blount.

This short list of players may seem simply a random collection of past and present football greats, but in fact it’s a small selection of late-round NFL picks who have carved out stellar pro careers. The NFL draft, no matter how much it is analyzed, is an inexact science, and every year it seems like a late-round player makes a big splash at the pro level.

In recent years we’ve seen Marques Colston (7th round), Brandon Marshall (4th round) and Ahmad Bradshaw (7th round) make big impacts for their teams, so who will be the next late-round sensation in the NFL? We at PaP have chosen five possible breakout candidates for the 2009 season, and are only taking one candidate per position.

Regular readers will know that we are huge supporters of the forgotten men of the NFL, and would rather root for the small-school hopeful than the megabucks wonderkid, so it is in this tradition that we look at these late-round afterthoughts.

Draft analysts once described Drew Brees as “lacking accuracy” and accused him of being a spread-option miracle, so it’s fair to say that they’ve been wrong before. We hope not to be.

Raider Rookies Hamstrung By Injuries

When the 2009 NFL draft concluded, there were mixed feelings amongst the Raider Nation, especially regarding the first two selections.

Some were puzzled, wondering why the team had picked speedster Darrius Heyward-Bey number seven overall when the more lauded Michael Crabtree was still available. And just who was this Mike Mitchell dude, anyway?

Many were angry, saying Al did it again, he picked a track star instead of a football player, he reached for Mitchell when he could’ve got him much later, he blew the first two picks.

Others were happy, as they read up on Heyward-Bey and Mitchell and liked that they were team guys, reinforcing the new direction coach Tom Cable has been emphasizing. They liked the potential, the skill, the speed. They liked the picks.

Regardless of your personal reaction, I know we can all agree on one thing now: those hamstrings are getting a little worrisome.

Heyward-Bey is a speed guy. Speed guys depend on their hammys like Drew Rosenhaus depends on Terrell Owens keeping himself in the news. Since an inauspicious debut in OTA’s back in May, Heyward-Bey has been mostly sidelined with soreness in his hamstrings. Much to the Nation’s dismay, during the last OTA open to the media on Wednesday he pulled up with an “audible groan” and left the field with the trainer, not returning.

Nobody is pushing the panic button yet, but one thing is certain: a wide receiver that depends on speed and quickness will not be effective if he has any lingering hamstring issues. At this point Heyward-Bey hasn’t shown the route running precision or hands it would take to transition to more of a move-the-chains possession receiver if he lost a step. That’s not what he’s built for, anyway, nor is it why we drafted him. 

Mitchell is a little less of a concern at this point simply because of his position. Yes, he relies on speed as well, but at safety positioning, proper technique and angles, and good football IQ can make up for losing a little speed. Mitchell’s hamstring is reportedly not serious as well, but has been sore long enough that it’s becoming a concern.

Coaches have wondered aloud if perhaps he worked out a little too hard before the combine and burned himself out a little. Hopefully his layoff while he awaited Ohio University graduation (thanks to an outdated NFL rule) gave him some of the rest he needed to return and be healthy for training camp. The fact that he was still too sore to practice on Wednesday doesn’t bode all that well, unfortunately.

One positive to Mitchell’s injury, or at least the timing of it, is that he can’t hit in OTAs. So if he’s healthy when contact begins, and he lays wood the way he’s shown he can, that’s good enough for me.

Personally, if the injuries aren’t serious, I’m happy with the way the team is handling the situation. It’s hurting Bey’s rapport with Russell and his development, and it’s hurting Mitchell’s ability to view the game at speed and understand pro routes and technique. But there’s no need to expose your young players to the risk of serious injury.

If either or both of the injuries are serious, the team needs to look into the long-term health of the kids and do whatever is necessary, this season be damned. I know that would hurt us all tremendously, and it would set the team back at two key positions that need improvement. But if these guys are close to as good as we all hope they can be then I want them around for the long haul. I don’t want them burning out their tires after one lap around the track this season. Their long-term success with the Raiders is of paramount importance.

If both players are healthy for training camp, then I believe things will work out fine.  They’ll have to work harder to catch up on what they’ve missed, but they both have high football IQ’s and strong work ethics. The training staff has to make absolutely sure they stay hydrated and stretch as much as possible. Hopefully Bey attends Russell’s workout session, if only to learn and observe if he’s not healthy.

If they aren’t healthy for training camp, it will cast a bit of a dark cloud on an otherwise sunny offseason. The optimism we’re all feeling will dwindle just a little bit as we all get the familiar “here we go again” feeling in our gut. We all want to see what they can do. I still think the team will be much improved either way, but without our new toys we won’t know just how much better the team could be.

All we can hope is that the injuries are minor, treated well, and healed up in time for the kids to learn some Raider football.

 

 

Houston Texans: Absences Giving Rookies a Chance To Impress Management

The Houston Texans have something of a tradition of younger players drafted down in the order stepping up to make a big impact early in their careers.

 

Few rookies have an immediate impact in the NFL, even No.1 choices. It normally takes a season or two for a player to adapt his game to the NFL.

 

A couple of years back, a rookie linebacker named DeMeco Ryans proved so impressive from the day he stepped into the locker room that he started the season as the team’s defensive captain. An unheralded tight end named Owen Daniels won a starting job in his rookie year, and followed that with a Pro Bowl in his second season.

 

To hear head coach Gary Kubiak gushing about the performance of this year’s crop of draft picks, you get the feeling this year’s group of youngsters could have the same kind of impact.

 

“You don’t have to look any further than Glover Quin and the reps he’s gotten in this camp and the way he’s played for this football team,” Kubiak said Tuesday after the second day of the team’s mini-camp. “It looks like he will be a contributor to this team very early in his career.

 

“Sometimes the difference in a guy being a great player and a starter in this league is just getting an opportunity,” Kubiak is quoted in the team’s daily media circular. “When you get one, you take advantage of it and you don’t let something go. That’s how some of those guys have gotten to that spot. A lot of guys are getting more opportunities.”

 

In Quin’s case, it’s the absence of cornerback Dunta Robinson, who’s been working out on his own, which has given the fourth-round pick from New Mexico a chance to get some face time in front of the coaching staff.

 

That absence has also given the Texans the chance to take a good long look at another rookie cornerback, sixth-round pick Brice McCain of Utah.

 

“He’s very fast, taking advantage of a great deal of reps,” Kubiak said. “He needs to get more physical, but we’ll find out about that when we put the pads on. But he has a lot of speed to work with.”

 

For tight ends James Casey and Anthony Hill, Daniels’ boycott of mini-camp is giving them a chance to showcase skills they might not have had the chance to display for a while.

 

“He’s gotten a great deal of reps, that’s the biggest thing,” Kubiak said of Casey, the fifth-round pick out of Rice. “He and Anthony look like players who should help this team this year and can be good special teams players for (special teams coach) Joe (Marciano). The thing that is impressive about him, as you can imagine, is that he is very bright. He catches on very, very quickly.”

 

While some observers have rated Casey’s versatility on a par with that of Daniels, Hill has been a pleasant surprise.

 

““He’s caught the ball really well. I think that’s kind of been a surprise for us,” Kubiak said. “He knows what he is doing route wise. He’ll get better just through repetitions and understanding exactly the pro game and that type of thing.

 

“We knew we were getting a physical player, but I think it’s been a bonus that he can run routes pretty good.”

 

The team’s second-round draft pick, defensive end Connor Barwin, was expected to impress no matter who’s in camp…and he hasn’t disappointed.

 

“I love his work habits. He fits right in with our team,” Kubiak said. “…he’s faster than everybody right now. He’s very strong for his frame, being a 265-pound guy.”

 

Barwin didn’t become a DE until his senior year at college, but Kubiak said he’s catching on to the position, even given the huge difference between college ball and the NFL.

 

“To sit here and say that he has all the knowledge he needs to move forward, I think that he’s got a long way to go from that standpoint, but he’s got a hell of a teacher,” Kubiak said. “We know he can rush the passer. I think we know what his strength is right now, and it’s athleticism and going to get the quarterback.”

Ist Round Rookies who will make an Impact in 2009 (NFL)

For the Past couple of seasons a rookie has helped a team make the playoffs in some kine of way. Most recently are the likes of Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Chris Johnson,Johnathan Stewart, DeSean Jackson, and others. Even in past seasons rookies have helped out. Vince Young helped the Titians to get back on top. Even Reggie Bush helped the Saints make that improvable run to the NFC Championship his rookie season. This year’s draft wasnt as strong as past, but is sure to bring rookies who can make an immediate impact.

Minnesota Vikings: Boise State Rookies Living the Dream

It’s not often that a college football player gets a chance to play in the pros (just under four percent from division one schools), and it’s even less often for players to have a shot at the pros and be playing next to a college teammate, and friend.

Running back Ian Johnson and wide out Vinny Perretta have such an opportunity this coming season, with the Minnesota Vikings. Both signed as rookie free agents after not getting drafted in the 2009 NFL draft out of Boise State, and are battling to simply make the roster and become pro football players for the Vikings.

Ian Johnson is known around the country as “the kid that ran the statue of liberty play that beat Oklahoma” in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, after which, he immediately proposed to his girlfriend, who was a Boise State cheerleader, to which she answered “yes” in front of a national audience.

Ian was best known as a football player for his contributions during the 2006-2007 season for his 1,714 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns as a sophomore at Boise State. After that, however, his performance tanked, as he dropped to 1,041 yards rushing in 2007, and 766 in 2008. His touchdown totals also dropped to 16 in 2007 and 13 in 2008.

Rivals.com scouted Ian Johnson as a running back with great “immediate speed,” although it was quick to point out the fact that he ran “too high at the line of scrimmage,” and that since his 2006 miracle season, he hasn’t quite been the same runner in the open field.

The son of former San Diego Charger Ralph Perretta, Vinny made a name for himself at Boise State as a slot possession receiver for the Broncos.  In his four seasons in Boise, Vinny had 72 receptions for 991 yards and four touchdowns. His break speed at the line is truly coveted in the NFL, much like it is for Vinny’s ideal receiver, Wes Welker.

Although Vinny, unlike Ian, wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine, Vinny still believes he can compete in camp for a his chance to make it onto a very crowded Vikings receiving core. With the likes of Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin, Sidney Rice, and Bobby Wade a sure fit, the fifth and possibly sixth spot become a high target for the five remaining receivers on the roster heading into camp. The only veteran of that group is the third year receiver, Aundrae Allison.

As for Ian Johnson, he faces an easier fight to be one of the team’s running backs. He enters into a four-way fight for the third string role behind Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson, with the incumbent third stringer, second year running back, Albert Young.

It isn’t every day that college ball players get the opportunity to simply fight for a job in the pros. Although the odds and bets are against them, their dream is still alive, and whether or not they make it, is all dependent on what will they have to be successful in the NFL.

When asked about their prior meeting with Adrian Peterson (2007 Fiesta Bowl, when Adrian was a member of the Oklahoma Sooners), Vinny and Ian simply laughed, saying they would do best to not bring it up when introducing themselves, but surely would hold onto it as leverage, if the opportunity presented itself.

Top 10 NFL Rookies to Target for Your Keeper League

There are a number of ways to play and enjoy fantasy football, and one way that continues to grow is the keeper league format. The main difference between keeper leagues and standard leagues is that after your initial draft, you get to hold onto 2-3 players from season to season.

From there, your drafts exist simply to fill the rest of your roster. Now, that you understand the keeper league format, it’s time for the Bruno Boys to help you build a dynasty. As such, Bruno Boys Greg ranks the top 10 rookies to look at in your keeper league.

1. WR Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers)

This one is a no brainer. Crabtree, out of Texas Tech, was one of the best players in the draft and could turn into one of the best receivers in the game in just a few short years. Crabtree gives the 49ers their first legitimate No. 1 wideout since T.O. departed and is a great guy to build your fantasy receiving corps around.

 

2. RB Knowshon Moreno (Denver Broncos)

Despite having a plethora of running backs on their roster already, the Broncos still used their first round selection on Moreno, which just goes to show how highly they think of the back.

While Moreno is the Broncos tailback of the future, he could very well have an immediate impact in the league as he can not only run well, but also catches the ball out of the back field well.

 

3. QB Mark Sanchez (New York Jets)

Losing Brett Favre, the Jets decided that Sanchez had all the make-up to be their QB for years to come, trading up to the number three spot in the draft to secure his services. In 2009, Sanchez will only be asked to not make mistakes as he adjusts to NFL play.

In the next couple of years, though, he could be putting up big numbers as the Jets build their offense around his arm.

4. WR Hakeem Nicks (New York Giants)

With the Plaxico Burress saga resulting in the Giants parting ways with the big name receiver, the team used their first round selection on Nicks, an excellent wide receiver out of UNC, who had 1,222 receiving yards and 12 TDs in 2008. The Giants will need Hicks to step up right away to help out Eli Manning in the post-Burress era.

 

5. RB Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts)

While head coach, Jim Caldwell, has stated that Joseph Addai is still the team’s number one back, don’t read too much into it. The team did not draft Brown to simply have him sit on the sidelines.

Brown should get the touches he needs to put up solid numbers, especially since he will play with a solid quarterback in Peyton Manning, who’ll take pressure off of the running game.

 

6. RB Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals)

Wells is a bruising running back with a ton of talent. The Cardinals were thrilled to see him on the board when their selection came in this year’s draft, and you should be to if you can get him in your keeper league.

Before long, Wells will be the feature back and will play a big part in the offense for years to come.

7. WR Jeremy Maclin (Philadelphia Eagles)

Coming out of Missouri, Maclin is a solid player with great character. His 1,260 receiving yards and 15 total TDs in 2008 show what promise he has. Don’t be surprised to see him become the Eagles’ No. 1 guy in the next couple years, leaping past DeSean Jackson.

8. RB LeSean McCoy (Philadelphia Eagles)

Don’t get us wrong, it’s still the Brian Westbrook show in Philly, but keeper leagues are all about looking to the future. While McCoy will play a complimentary role in the next couple seasons, he will get an opportunity to flourish upon Westbrook’s departure.

 

9. TE Brandon Pettigrew (Detroit Lions)

It is Pettigrew, not Stafford, who makes the top 10 list as he will be an important safety valve for Detroit and is a safer bet to be productive in the NFL despite all the guaranteed money the Lions threw Stafford’s way.

With the tight end position taking a dramatic step back in 2008, it’s not a stretch to think that Pettigrew could be at the top of the list in the next couple years.

 

10. QB Nate Davis (San Francisco 49ers)

This is the shocker to round out the top 10 as 5th rounder Davis makes the list over Stafford and Freeman. While Davis will not see the field this year, that may not be such a bad thing.

The QB will spend 2008 learning behind Shaun Hill and Damon Huard. With a year of learning and not playing, as well as having another great rookie on his team in Michael Crabtree, he could be a solid fantasy player in the future.

Just missed the cut:

1. QB Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions)

2. WR Kenny Britt (Tennessee Titans)

3. WR Mohamed Massaquoi (Cleveland Browns)

4. QB Josh Freeman (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

5. RB Shonn Greene (New York Jets)

For more fantasy football insight and advice, click the link below…

Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

The San Francisco 49ers Sign Rookies Jean-Francois and McKillop

The San Francisco 49ers have started signing their rookies and they have started with the easier contracts to get done—the ones for players selected on the second day.

This Thursday the team announced they have signed defensive end Ricky Jean-Francois and inside linebacker Scott McKillop.

Jean-Francois was a little underwhelming overall during his time at LSU, which was part of the reason he became a seventh round pick. He stood out on tape while the team was researching his fellow teammate Tyson Jackson, and they liked what they saw.

As I mentioned on page four of my recent article, San Francisco 49ers 2009 Training Camp Battles to Watch, Jean-Francois has some upside and solid skills.

He also tends to have a big mouth and sometimes rubs even teammates the wrong way. Still, it’s not as if Head Coach Mike Singletary hasn’t dealt with that before.

Please see: Davis, Vernon.

Rumor has it, Davis has become one of Singletary’s favorite players. Could work out the same for Jean-Francois. If anyone can settle him down, it’s Singletary.

With Ray McDonald’s knee an issue again, Jean-Francois has a shot to produce early, if he can temper his vocalizing and be consistent in his play.

Scott McKillop—a fifth round linebacker from Pittsburgh—is another guy to watch this preseason.

Again—as I touched on in the aforementioned article—McKillop is a guy they expect to contribute early.

While not a great natural athlete, he has great instincts, a non-stop motor and was a very productive player in college. McKillop was also a great team leader and a very hard worker.

At the recent spring practices, McKillop practiced behind Takeo Spikes and Jeff Ulbrich at the TED linebacker position. The team seems to expect him to take over for Spikes, if he can play well. For the foreseeable future, he’ll be fighting with Ulbrich for playing time.

Both players signed four year contracts.

While both players are day two picks, it’s unusual for teams to sign draftees this early. For fans of the team, you have to be happy that they are clearly working hard to get all their picks into camp on time.

Often, that can make all the difference in getting quick production from any rookie player. The sooner they are in camp, the sooner they can contribute.

 

2009 Draft Class: Instant Impact Rookies on Defense

Combine, pro days, individual workouts, Draft Day, meet the public with your new team and rookie minicamps. That seems like a lot for a span of about three months, but that is what most every rookie prospect has to endure as the final steps to the NFL.

Here is a look at several rookie defenders that may be an instant impact for their new team in 2009.

(In no particular order.)

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