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Is this day and age a quarterbacks skin has to be thick, and the comparisons of Quinn to Montana makes success a tough measurement to live up too.
WHAT
A WEEKEND!
Reviewing
a wild, wild draft...
YOU KNEW JAMARCUS WAS A LOCK,
CALVIN WAS
all the talk and Joe Thomas would clock in as a top-fiver. But who
woulda thunk Brady Quinn would fall to 22, Anthony Gonzalez and Craig
Davis would sneak into Round One while Tank Tyler and Charles Johnson
would fall down a hole to Round 3? After a wild and wooly weekend, a
closer look at the 2007 Draft That Was...
WHAT
HAPPENED...
1. There were
255 picks by 32 teams over two days.
2. LSU quarterback JaMarcus
Russell went, as many expected, with the top overall pick to
the Raiders.
3. Georgia Tech wideout Calvin
Johnson went, as many expected, in the top two (second
overall to the Lions). 4. Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe
Thomas went, as many expected, in the top three (No. 3 to
the Browns).
5. Clemson DE Gaines
Adams (picture) went, as many expected, in the top four (No. 4 overall
to the Buccaneers).
WHAT
DIDN'T HAPPEN...
1.Brady
Quinn was not drafted in the top ten. Or even top 20,
landing at No. 22 to the Browns.
2. Quinn's teammate Darius
Walker, considered a solid RB choice, wasn't drafted at all.
3. Offensive tackle Levi
Brown didn't free-fall as expected, landing at No. 5 with the
Cardinals.
4. Wideout/returner Ted Ginn Jr. didn't plummet either, coming
in at No. 9 to the Dolphins.
5. Heisman Trophy winner Troy
Smith didn't get picked on the first day, instead lingering
until Sunday's Round 5 and going at No. 174 overall to the Ravens.
SOMEWHERE,
AARON RODGERS CHUCKLES...
Not since Rodgers
has a quarterback as heralded as Quinn dropped so dramatically in
the first round. Expected by many to be the No.1 selection of the
2005 Draft, Rodgers fell all the way to No.24 to Green Bay. Not that
Rodgers would be happy with seeing Quinn squirm for hours on
Saturday, but he must have at least taken some solace that he wasn't
the only one.
SOMEWHERE,
TOM CONDON CRIES...
One of the most
high-profile, high-powered player agents in football, Tom Condon
(picture) can't be feeling good about Quinn's embarrassing fall from grace. He
also can't be thrilled that it's the second straight year one of his
pretty-boy, highly-hyped quarterback clients dropped like a stone.
Last year it was Condon client Matt
Leinart who tumbled into double-digits (landing with the
Cards at No. 10). How many millions did Brady lose? Only Condon
knows.
STEAL
OF THE DRAFT...
The Browns trading
up to get Quinn at No. 22. Sure, he has his flaws and no, a
first-rounder isn't usually a steal. But heading into the Draft, the
Browns looked like they had to choose between big tackle Thomas and
franchise QB Quinn at No. 3. They wound up with them both, which
suddenly makes Braylon
Edwards a happy guy.
DEAL
OF THE DRAFT...
Some see the Randy
Moss-to-New England deal as the biggest trade, but Darrell
Jackson to the 49ers was just as important, if not more. The
Patriots were Super Bowl contenders before adding Moss, but in
Jackson the Niners get a receiver who is younger than Moss and has
been more productive over the past several seasons. San Fran only
had to give up a 4th-rounder. If Jackson's knee is healthy, he can
be a go-to guy for a rising Niner team.
DRAFT'S
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
"I promise you that Ted Ginn is going to be someone you're going to enjoy watching play for a long, long time as a Miami
Dolphin." -- Miami coach Cam Cameron to the Associated
Press.
MR.
DOMINO EFFECT...
As usual, the top
pick in the draft set the table for the 254 picks that came after.
Russell landing with the Raiders was expected by many, but it really
changed the strategy of all the teams behind Oakland. Johnson going
at No. 2 was also expected, but if he had landed with the Raiders his
would have been a much, much different couple of days. As it worked
out, there were probably fewer trades because of the pecking order.
MR.
POPULARITY...
There are still
rumors that the Lions will move Johnson, who continues to be viewed
as the best chance of all the picks for early stardom. While some in
Detroit see his selection as another case of GM Matt Millen reaching
for a wide receiver, Johnson is a keeper. And think of how happy QB Jon
Kitna will be to have a tandem of Johnson and Roy
E. Williams to throw to on every possession.
MR.
NOT-SO POPULAR...
Why did Quinn
(picture) fall
so much? Tough to say, but several reports have teams noting his
lack of accuracy, his price tag, and a lack of major need for new
arms. As mentioned above, his big drop follows a trend in recent
years wherein one of two top QBs stays at the top and the other
free-falls. Proof: In 2005, Alex Smith stuck at No. 1 and Rodgers
fell. In 2006, Vince
Young held strong at No. 3 and Leinart fell. This year,
Russell was the top guy, with Quinn the also-ran.
MR.
IRRELEVANT...
Say hello to Ramzee
Robinson, the last pick of this year's draft. Un undersized
but gutsy cornerback from Alabama, Robinson isn't expected to be a
major impact player right away, but has been lauded for his
leadership and hard-working coverage. The last pick is traditionally
called Mr. Irrelevant, but how irrelevant will Robinson be? Last
year, Marques Colston was picked at No. 252 (three ahead of Mr.
Irrelevant, Kevin McMahan) and was almost Offensive Rookie of the
Year.
MR.
SUDDENLY RELEVANT...
How about John
Bowie, CB, picked in Round 4 (No. 110 overall). Why
relevant? Two reasons: First, this raw prospect reportedly ran an
amazing 4.24 in the 40-yard dash in his Pro Day, which is the same
number Deion
Sanders reportedly posted to set the all-time Indy Combine
record. Second, Bowie was the compensation the Raiders got for
trading Randy
Moss to the Patriots.
MR.
BAD MOON RISING...
Speaking of Moss, he was part of the biggest trade connected to this
year's draft. The Raiders moved him straight up for the
above-mentioned fourth-rounder, which at first blush seems a
relative bargain for a guy who was once, well, Randy
Moss. The Pats didn't add a lot of early-impact rookies
(other than Brandon
Meriweather) but they didn't really need to after an
incredible off-season of big-name signings. Just consider that
quarterback Tom
Brady can now count on Moss, Donte'
Stallworth, Wes
Welker, Ben
Graham and Chad
Jackson to throw to...
DRAFT'S
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
"The only thing I can do is just come in and play and work as hard as I can. I can't worry about how the fans feel about the
pick." -- Tedd Ginn Jr., to the Orlando
Sun-Sentinel.
MR.
FORGOTTEN, PART I...
The Moss trade gets
the most hype, but the Raiders did a lot more to help themselves by
acquiring Josh
McCown during this draft (for a 4th-rounder). Once the
starter in Arizona and expected to compete for snaps in Detroit,
McCown didn't play at all last year behind Jon
Kitna. Now, despite the Raiders drafting Russell No. 1,
McCown looks like he may be the default starter in Oakland.
MR.
FORGOTTEN, PART II...
Along with McCown,
Mike Williams was also moved to the Raiders from Detroit for that
4th-rounder. Remember him? Williams was, of course, the No. 10
overall pick of the 2005 draft, but shared time getting splinters on
the Detroit bench with McCown. He still has top talent (if not top
wheels) and could suddenly have a shot at a starting job with the
Raiders now that Moss is gone.
MR.
NOT FORGOTTEN...
Speaking of
Williams, the player most compared to him didn't fall as far as some
thought he might over the weekend. Dwayne
Jarrett, who like Williams was a big, rangy USC wideout with
questionable jets and character issues, landed softly at No. 45 to
the Panthers. The middle of the second round wasn't all that bad for
a guy many had picked as a free-faller, and Jarrett can now compete
with Keyshawn
Johnson for the big-receiver reps in Carolina.
HIGH
RISER OF THE WEEKEND...
Wideout Anthony
Gonzalez (picture), to the Colts. This underrated Ohio State product
was generally seen as a guy with first-round talent who might go as
late as the middle rounds, but few expected him to actually sneak
into Round One. He did just that, getting selected with the final
pick of the first (No. 32 overall) in an obvious move by Indy to
replace the departed Brandon
Stokley. LSU wideout Craig
Davis was also a surprise at No. 30 to the Chargers.
BIG
DROPPER OF THE WEEKEND...
It's a tie: DeMarcus
"Tank'' Tyler at No. 82 overall to the Chiefs, and the guy
picked right after him, Charles Johnson (No. 83 overall to the
Panthers). These two stud defenders had some issues, but they were
widely seen as first-rounders, especially Johnson. Some questioned
Tank's motor, but this is still a big fall for him, and Johnson
could have been a top-15 guy and no one would have batted an eye.
IRON-IC
PICKS OF THE WEEKEND...
Like the McQuistans last year, this year's Draft saw two brothers
selected. Running back Kenny
Irons went No. 49 overall to the Bengals, while his older
brother David
Irons, a cornerback, came in at No. 194 to the Falcons.
LESSON
OF THE DRAFT (NFL MACROECONOMICS 101)...
How to explain some of the unusual selections in this year's draft?
Like last year, maybe they boil down to one word: money. Last year's
collective bargaining agreement has put more financial pressure on
teams, and perhaps that's why a top-tier QB like Brady
Quinn dropped so much (since quarterbacks are traditionally
more expensive than any other position players). Meanwhile, grabbing
athletic but unproven talents early rather than more established,
less athletic guys meant several teams avoided having to deal with
some of the higher-profile player agents.
LESSON
OF THE DRAFT (NFL MICROECONOMICS 101)...
Speaking of keeping costs low by going with high-upside (and
sometimes high-gamble) athletes, look at what the Titans did. They
mostly avoided some of the bigger names available and snapped up
guys with high upside but also a certain amount of risk. Top pick Michael
Griffin was seen as a bubble guy for Round One, and second
selection Chris Henry is as high-risk, high-reward as it gets.
Welcome to the new NFL Draft.
THE
NEW FREE AGENTS...
Some notable players
who were passed over in this Draft: David
Ball, WR, New Hampshire; Chris
Leak, QB, Florida; Darius
Walker, RB, Notre Dame; Gabe
Hall, OT, Texas Tech; Melvin
Bullitt, SS, Texas A & M; Joe
Newton, TE, Oregon State; Cory
Anderson, FB, Tennessee.
WHAT
THEY'LL SAY HAPPENED 10 YEARS FROM NOW...
They'll say,
"The Lions finally started turning it around in 2007 by taking Calvin
Johnson.'' Of course, no single player changes a team's
fortunes and wideouts usually aren't as high-impact as QBs, but
Johnson will likely be seen as the best player of this draft.
WHAT
THEY'LL SAY DIDN'T HAPPEN 10 YEARS FROM NOW...
They'll say,
"Back in 2007, twenty-one teams didn't pick Brady
Quinn when they had a chance.'' Sure he has his flaws and
no, he's not quite ready to be the second coming of Joe Montana. But
Quinn has talent and this is the kind of thing that will really
light a fire under him.
DRAFT'S
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
"My faith was tested. I'm just thankful my name was finally called. I had my coat on
and was ready to leave when I heard my name." -- Ramzee Robinson, 255th and last pick, to NFL.Com.
"I promise you that Ted Ginn is going to be someone you're going to enjoy watching play for a long, long time as a Miami
Dolphin." -- Miami coach Cam Cameron to the Associated
Press.
"The only thing I can do is just come in and play and work as hard as I can. I can't worry about how the fans feel about the
pick." -- Tedd Ginn Jr., to the Orlando
Sun-Sentinel.
"My faith was tested. I'm just thankful my name was finally called. I had my coat on
and was ready to leave when I heard my name." -- Ramzee Robinson, 255th and last pick, to NFL.Com.