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RE: AFC South Draft Grades

texxxan — Thu, 22 May 2008 18:27:48 GMT

[quote][b]Stigma (5/22/2008)[/b][hr]Looks like there are other draft experts that don't think highly of Duane Brown. This is from Consensus Draft Services...

'08 Draft Review:

Houston Texans Draft Review

1 (26) Duane Brown Virginia Tech T- The Texans panicked with this pick and turned heads around the league. They saw a run of tackles and took Brown, who many thought wouldn’t even go on day 1. He isn’t too ready for the NFL now. He was projected as a project LT. He’s not too big and he needs to be more effective to be good at the next level. A former TE, he is blessed with great agility and quick feet. I think if Houston expects him to come in right away and be Schaub’s body guard, then they will be in a bit of trouble. He has great potential, give him a few years to learn and he could become a quality starting LT, maybe even a pro bowler. The fact that they traded down from the 18 spot when Jeff Otah and Rashard Mendenhall were still available lowers my thinking of this pick. Grade: C-

[/quote]

AND???? Duane Brown is smart and fits the mold Alex Gibbs is looking for in his lineman and coach Gibbs gave his seal of approval on the pick. Illl take his word over pretty much ANYONE in this world... he is about as good as it gets with Offensive Lines.

Brown is facing Mario Williams every day in practice as well, and it doesnt get much tougher than that.

So far so good:
[url=http://www.houstontexans.com/index2.html]
http://www.houstontexans.com/index2.html[/url]

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Carr Bombed — Thu, 22 May 2008 17:00:22 GMT

See, your problem is you think that effects Texan fans.........after the 2006 draft, those "internet scouts" lost all their credibility and we just don't give a crap what anybody types in a blog.

and as far as you throwing up articles, I could find just as many articles talking about how big of a mistake it was for Jacksonville to trade up and grab Harvey......but I won't, because like I said above, I pay no attention to what "internet GMs" have to say about the draft.

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Stigma — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:52:13 GMT

Looks like there are other draft experts that don't think highly of Duane Brown. This is from Consensus Draft Services...

'08 Draft Review:

Houston Texans Draft Review

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Stigma — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:46:45 GMT

and here is another voice from the choir...

This time the review comes from Drew Boylhart of The Huddle Report...

Texans - This is another team that needs to pick up the phone and call me. Duane Brown (OT Virginia Tech) has talent, but he was not a consistent offensive lineman at the college level. If the coaching staff of the Texans is thinking about starting this kid at the LT position, then you just got your QB put on the injured reserve list. In fact, if you are thinking about starting this kid at all, you better give your QB a bike. Can Duane become a good LT sometime in the future? The answer to that is yes! But to pick him in the first round and put that kind of pressure on him when he could not handle being consistent at the college level is a big mistake. This draft was a big disappointment.

No baloney here, just straight talk from a draft expert!

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Carr Bombed — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:30:25 GMT

[quote][b]TheSpacePope (5/22/2008)[/b][hr]Um.. you DO realize that the ability to learn and intelligence are different things, yes?

There have been plenty of smart people who have had learning disabilities.
[/quote]

We're talking about football, not atomic molecular physics.......and as far as learning and intelligence being different things, yes, but intelligent people usually have a knack of picking things up pretty quick, it's a reason why they're so intelligent.

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

TheSpacePope — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:27:25 GMT

[quote][b]Carr Bombed (5/22/2008)[/b][hr][quote][b]Stigma (5/22/2008)[/b][hr]Check out what this site has to say about the Texans' Rd 1 selection:

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/052008/05222008/380835

DUANE BROWN

Virginia Tech's top draftee went to the Houston Texans with the 26th overall pick. Duane Brown has the athleticism and quickness that are typical of many Hokie football prospects. However, his blocking technique is still developing and is still a bit sloppy.

Bad technique can be corrected with a good coach, as long as he brings Brown along slowly and doesn't make him do too much too soon. But that may be difficult for the Texans, because they have been in dire need of offensive line help for their entire existence as a franchise. One of the reasons David Carr did not work out as their quarterback was that he simply was sacked too many times, and his body could not handle the wear and tear.

Brown's learning ability has also been cited as a concern by many scouts, but he did score a 29/32 on the Wonderlic intelligence test--which is above average for his position, according to Sports Illustrated writer Paul Zimmerman.

I think that Brown will probably take a few years to hit his stride as a consistent, effective blocker. But once he does, he will be able to provide solid pass-protection for years to come.

He sure sounds like a Rd 1 reach to me.[/quote]

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d8081175f

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d807ff4da

Yep your right, I mean your logic is so sound, that's the reason why Mario Williams turned out to be the colossal bust that he is now. The internet draft reviews were right on top of that. :rolleyes:

I also love how they question the guy's intelligence, but he has one of the highest wonderlic scores around.[/quote]

Um.. you DO realize that the ability to learn and intelligence are different things, yes?

There have been plenty of smart people who have had learning disabilities.

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Carr Bombed — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:10:41 GMT

[quote][b]Stigma (5/22/2008)[/b][hr]and Carr-bombed singing to his baloney...

My Baloney has a first name

Its H - O - M - E - R

My Baloney Has a second name

Its H - O - M - E - R

No matter what name it is called,

It is still BALONEY![/quote]

WOW.... you lose more and more credibility with each post. Your own fellow posters don't even stick up for you http://mb.jaguars.com/Topic526673-7-2.aspx LMFAO!

Yep I'm such a "H - O - M - E - R", I'm the one running around trashing other teams drafts because of the alligence I have with my team....oh wait that's you. Your the idoit "H - O - M - E - R" who won't even recognize the success the Texans have had in the draft under their new regime......despite the fact that you can't even form a coherent argument proving otherwise. It's going to be absolutey hilarious when Duane Brown, becomes a legit ball player under Alex Gibbs and you look like a complete jackass.

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Stigma — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:03:19 GMT

let's eavesdrop on Carr-bombed singing to his baloney...

My Baloney has a first name

Its H - O - M - E - R

My Baloney has a second name

Its H - O - M - E - R

No matter what name I call it,

It is still all BALONEY!

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Carr Bombed — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:58:49 GMT

[quote][b]Stigma (5/22/2008)[/b][hr]Check out what this site has to say about the Texans' Rd 1 selection:

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/052008/05222008/380835

DUANE BROWN

Virginia Tech's top draftee went to the Houston Texans with the 26th overall pick. Duane Brown has the athleticism and quickness that are typical of many Hokie football prospects. However, his blocking technique is still developing and is still a bit sloppy.

Bad technique can be corrected with a good coach, as long as he brings Brown along slowly and doesn't make him do too much too soon. But that may be difficult for the Texans, because they have been in dire need of offensive line help for their entire existence as a franchise. One of the reasons David Carr did not work out as their quarterback was that he simply was sacked too many times, and his body could not handle the wear and tear.

Brown's learning ability has also been cited as a concern by many scouts, but he did score a 29/32 on the Wonderlic intelligence test--which is above average for his position, according to Sports Illustrated writer Paul Zimmerman.

I think that Brown will probably take a few years to hit his stride as a consistent, effective blocker. But once he does, he will be able to provide solid pass-protection for years to come.

He sure sounds like a Rd 1 reach to me.[/quote]

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d8081175f

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d807ff4da

Yep your right, I mean your logic is so sound, that's the reason why Mario Williams turned out to be the colossal bust that he is now. The internet draft reviews were right on top of that. :rolleyes:

I also love how they question the guy's intelligence, but he has one of the highest wonderlic scores around.

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

JWJAG — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:28:58 GMT

[quote][b]Stigma (5/22/2008)[/b][hr][quote][b]JWJAG (5/22/2008)[/b][hr][quote][b]Stigma (5/19/2008)[/b][hr]After all these years I can never sell Jeff Fisher short. I mean the guy can make chicken salad out of chicken @#%*. [/quote]

No doubt; I both respect and despise him for it. [/quote]

Oh I absolute HATE the Titans because of him, but I would never sell one of his teams short. Too many times he has taught the Jags a valuable lesson regarding underestimating the Titans.

Because of him alone, the Titans are the Jags No. 1 rival and ALWAYS will be![/quote]

I do think that he has his toughest task ahead of him. He has done a good job so far, selling VY as a legitimate starting calibre QB. Even their draft picks were designed to take the pressure of being a legitimate passer off of VY. The coaching staff knows that the only chance they have on offense is the short dink -n- dunk game mixed in with some runs. That is the reason for signing a TE and drafting Johnson in the first round. I can't wait until our defense exposes them.

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Stigma — Thu, 22 May 2008 11:21:43 GMT

[quote][b]JWJAG (5/22/2008)[/b][hr][quote][b]Stigma (5/19/2008)[/b][hr]After all these years I can never sell Jeff Fisher short. I mean the guy can make chicken salad out of chicken @#%*. [/quote]

No doubt; I both respect and despise him for it. [/quote]

Oh I absolute HATE the Titans because of him, but I would never sell one of his teams short. Too many times he has taught the Jags a valuable lesson regarding underestimating the Titans.

Because of him alone, the Titans are the Jags No. 1 rival and ALWAYS will be!

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

JWJAG — Thu, 22 May 2008 11:04:43 GMT

[quote][b]Stigma (5/19/2008)[/b][hr]After all these years I can never sell Jeff Fisher short. I mean the guy can make chicken salad out of chicken @#%*. [/quote]

No doubt; I both respect and despise him for it.

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Stigma — Thu, 22 May 2008 09:38:07 GMT

Check out what this site has to say about the Texans' Rd 1 selection:

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/052008/05222008/380835

DUANE BROWN

I think that Brown will probably take a few years to hit his stride as a consistent, effective blocker. But once he does, he will be able to provide solid pass-protection for years to come.

He sure sounds like a Rd 1 reach to me.

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Fargin — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:00:08 GMT

Lets redo this in 2011 when it might have some validity.

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Stigma — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:45:06 GMT

After all these years I can never sell Jeff Fisher short. I mean the guy can make chicken salad out of chicken @#%*.

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Utopia — Sun, 18 May 2008 22:42:28 GMT

[quote][b]Stigma (5/18/2008)[/b][hr]Here is how the Titan's draft was graded by NFLDraftBlitz.com:

Tennessee Titans:

It's fairly obvious that the Titans brain trust has never heard of George Santayana, who famously said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." First round pick East Carolina running back Chris Johnson is eerily similar to 2007 second round pick Chris Henry and 2006 second round pick LenDale White. At least when the Lions took receivers early three years in a row they ended up with a couple of really good players. Given the track record here, we're not holding our breath for that the be the case in Tennessee. Second round pick Eastern Michigan defensive end Jason Jones is a nice player who was largely regarded as a middle day-2 guy at the end of the season. He's a good athlete, but something of a tweener, and was probably picked early. The combine comes into play once again with the team's third round pick California tight end Craig Stevens. Stevens showed better then expected athleticism during the combine and saw his stock jump quite a bit. Despite the athletic prowess he showed in the post-season, we never saw Stevens put those skills on display on a regular basis during his time at Cal. This pick seems like another reach for the Titans. If you felt like I was to hard on the team to this point, you might want to leave this page right now. Fourth round pick Winston-Salem defensive end William Hayes was the biggest "huh?" pick of the entire draft, and potentially the worst pick as well. Coming into the draft Hayes wasn't considered a top 25 defensive end and wasn't a player we expected to be drafted. Past that, he's a much better fit in a 3-4 defense than a 4-3 scheme. This seems like a truly poor selection. The team's second fourth round selection Cal wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins is pretty clearly the best pick the team made during the 2008 draft. Hawkins fills a need (although we wonder why the Titans waited this long to pick a WR), he's a tremendous athlete who outshined teammate DeSean Jackson at times. Tennessee's final fourth round pick Purdue linebacker Stanford Kegler is another solid choice. Purdue defenders seem to make an easy transition into the NFL and there's no reason to believe Kegler will be any different. Seventh round pick Washburn cornerback Cary Williams is an interesting selection as a developmental player. Williams has excellent speed and solid ball skills, but he needs to add muscle and refine his technique if he wants to play at the NFL level.

Grade: D
[/quote]

Their whole plan is to consistantly select garbage to make Wonderlic6 look good by comparison.;)

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Stigma — Sun, 18 May 2008 06:59:37 GMT

Here is how the Titan's draft was graded by NFLDraftBlitz.com:

Tennessee Titans:

Grade: D

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Sage — Fri, 16 May 2008 11:47:22 GMT

Carr, you need to be a draft expert. Right on dude.

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Carr Bombed — Thu, 15 May 2008 02:56:57 GMT

[quote][b]deLiGHT (5/15/2008)[/b][hr][quote][b]Psychop1 (5/14/2008)[/b][hr][quote][b]Carr Bombed (5/14/2008)[/b][hr]Draft grades are worthless.......Houston got Fs on their 2006 draft and that draft turned out to be the best draft in the entire league.[/quote]

Pretty much dead on. People thought Houston had to be insane to pass on Bush when they needed a RB, and opted to pick pick Mario Williams instead. Now the Texans have a pretty stout D-Line while everyone else is scrambling to find defensive linemen.[/quote]

Yup. They're looking pretty smart right about now.[/quote]

It wasn't just the decision to pass on Bush, another reason why draft grades don't mean crap is because the "experts" totally trashed our draft on one single pick despite the fact that we also grabbed DeMeco Ryans (Defensive rookie of the year.....now one of the best MLB in the league), Owen Daniels (best TE in the draft and one of the best young TEs in the league), and Eric Winston (one of the best young tackles in the league)

These "draft experts" put too much emphasis on the 1st pick (kinda like "WTF were the texens thinking.....passed on Reggie Bush once in a life time player), while totally ignoring the middle rounds. (Each team grabs their playmakers in the first, but the foundation and depth are built through rounds 2-4)

Each team in this division had a different approach to the draft.

Texans draft was all about filling holes.......and just like years past (in the Kubiak/Smith era) they were able to find steals that fit their system....Okam and Slaton will be steals.....they are looking for players that are upgrades over the starters they have now and have found a couple......keep your eye on Molden, Adibi, Slaton, and Okam, while Brown will be groomed and will cut his teeth under Alex Gibbs.

Jacksonville went for a certain need they felt had to be filled to put them over the top..(and also put them past Indy)..they obviously felt they were locked into a certain window (4 years max.....gotta win now mode.....rest of the division is coming on STRONG)

Tenn went for speed and versatility..........last year their offense struggled and I guess in a weak WR draft they felt Chris Johnson would be better suited in helping lift their stagnant/stalling offense (when you have a QB that isn't known for falling back and throwing TDs inside the redzone, you need a big play "take it to the house" guy within the offense who can fill the void....C. Johnson is a big play guy) and also can potentially replace the gamebreaking special teams plays that left with Pacman Jones.

Now with the Colts, they are already on top of this division and with this draft it's no different from years past.......they arent drafting for BPA or a specific down right need.....they are drafting for depth. The feel with Peyton Manning, that they'll always have a legit shot to contend as long as they have the key guys tied up (and rightfully so).........so they spend their draft picks replacing the people that I call "expendable guys", usually LBs and DBs, but this year with Jeff Saturday a RFA next year they went heavy with lineman and TEs and well as a promising outside LB. Again they lock up the players they feel they have to keep and replace the rest.

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

deLiGHT — Thu, 15 May 2008 00:26:56 GMT

[quote][b]Psychop1 (5/14/2008)[/b][hr][quote][b]Carr Bombed (5/14/2008)[/b][hr]Draft grades are worthless.......Houston got Fs on their 2006 draft and that draft turned out to be the best draft in the entire league.[/quote]

Pretty much dead on. People thought Houston had to be insane to pass on Bush when they needed a RB, and opted to pick pick Mario Williams instead. Now the Texans have a pretty stout D-Line while everyone else is scrambling to find defensive linemen.[/quote]

Yup. They're looking pretty smart right about now.

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Psychop1 — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:35:25 GMT

[quote][b]Carr Bombed (5/14/2008)[/b][hr]Draft grades are worthless.......Houston got Fs on their 2006 draft and that draft turned out to be the best draft in the entire league.[/quote]

Pretty much dead on. People thought Houston had to be insane to pass on Bush when they needed a RB, and opted to pick pick Mario Williams instead. Now the Texans have a pretty stout D-Line while everyone else is scrambling to find defensive linemen.

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

Carr Bombed — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:10:08 GMT

Draft grades are worthless.......Houston got Fs on their 2006 draft and that draft turned out to be the best draft in the entire league.

RE: AFC South Draft Grades

rkrehe20 — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:08:12 GMT

i could have sworn there were 4 teams in the division...

AFC South Draft Grades

Stigma — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:23:08 GMT

Here is how NFLDraftBlitz.com graded the 2008 draft for the AFC South Division.

2008 NFL Draft Grades

We'll be reviewing a new team's draft each day.
By: Chris Horwedel
5/13/08

AFC South:

Jacksonville Jaguars:

The team traded up almost half a round in the first in order to select Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey. This was a major area of need for the Jaguars given the team's lack of a pass rush in recent years. Harvey is going to have to find himself as a player after adding a good deal of weight, but he's got natural ability to get after the QB. Where-as their first round pick was a bit of a reach, second round pick Auburn defense end Quentin Groves was a huge steal late in the second. Groves is another player who excels in rushing the quarterback. Suddenly the team has a pair of defensive ends to build around. Fifth round pick USC linebacker Thomas Williams was a highly rated player coming out of high school but got caught in a numbers game in college and didn't get on the field as much as expected. He's a smart, tough linebacker who plays downhill. Their second fifth round selection South Florida cornerback Trae Williams was another good value pick, Williams didn't have the best post-season but he's shown play-making ability in the past. The Jags went back to USC with their last pick, seventh rounder Chauncey Washington. Washington has unmistakable talent, but had a tough time finding the field during his time as a Trojan due to grades and injuries.

Grade: C+

Indianapolis Colts:

The team's first selection, second round pick Arizona State center Mike Pollak is the kind of player who'll fit in quickly on the Colts offensive line. He's a smart player who really shows an understanding for the position. Third round pick Georgia Tech linebacker Phillip Wheeler was a steal at this point in the draft, he's an instinctive player who has first round talent. Fourth round pick Kentucky tight end Jacob Tamme was tailor-made to play in the Colts offense, which loves to use multiple tight end sets. Tamme is, at best, an average blocker. But he excels in the passing game and may find himself a prime target for Archie's boy. Fifth round pick Georgia linebacker/defensive end Marcus Howard was a strange selection as he doesn't really seem to fit into the Colts defensive style of play. He was best suited to play rush-linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Still, players with his ability to get to the quarterback are worth having around. Sixth round pick Virginia tight end Tom Santi won't blow anyone away with his measureables, but he's one of the most solid tight ends in this draft. With their second sixth round pick, the team re-visits a position they already addressed once again in selection Wake Forest center Steve Justice. Justice should have no trouble moving over to the offensive guard position, good value here. The team's third sixth round pick Michigan running back Mike Hart was a star from the moment he arrived on the Michigan campus. However, concerns about his size and speed have knocked him down to this point in the draft. We're not going to overlook Hart and we believe he'll be a solid pro. The Colts final sixth round selection Mount Union wide receiver Pierre Garcon is a wonderful athlete for the position and has the chance to pay off in a big way after a few years on the bench. Clearly the Colts didn't believe two was enough, seventh round pick Buffalo center Jamey Richard marks the third offensive center which they selected. Still, Richard is excellent value here and like the players before him, there's no reason to believe he can't swing over to guard.

Grade: B

Houston Texans:

First round pick Virginia Tech offensive tackle Duane Brown was clearly a case of the team zeroing in on one position and taking the best player available at that position regardless of his place on the overall draft board. Brown is an extremely athletic offensive tackle who looks like a solid fit at left tackle. Third round pick Eastern Kentucky cornerback Antwaun Molden was one of the hottest names in the month leading up to the draft and was being discussed as a potential late first / early second round pick. He's a little raw because of the lower level of play, but has a great size/speed combo. The Texans second third round pick was West Virginia running back Steve Slaton. Slaton's been one of the more productive players in college football over the past few years, but drops a bit because of concerns over his size and injury history. I feel like Slaton is the kind of player who overcomes his adversities and he'll be a good player in the NFL in a few years. Fourth round pick Virginia Tech linebacker Xavier Adibi is another outstanding athlete for his position, but in another player who lacks ideal size. Fifth round pick Texas defensive tackle Frank Okam was the latest Texas DT to be hyped as a top 5 pick before the season started, only to find himself a mid-second day selection. Okam came to the combine out of shape and looked lazy overall. There's a real concern that he'll eat himself out of the league. Still, the talent is there. Sixth round pick Minnesota defensive back Dominique Barber is a hard-hitter in the secondary. While he lacks ideal speed for his position, he's an effort player who has a chance to become a starter down the line. Seventh round pick Washington State quarterback Alex Brink simply didn't show the skills you'd expect to find in an NFL QB. I expect his career will be a fairly short one.

Grade: C-