Stability is a good thing, except in sports.
Save for our favorite cornerstone players doing well, we all
love to see unpredictable things happen.
The Cinderella run. The blockbuster trade. The surprising
draft pick. They’re all fun to watch, and they all draw ratings.
So what would happen if we found a way to make sports’
offseasons – already unpredictable as they come – even more exciting? I believe
I have found a way to do so.
Behold the NFL Offseason Veteran Draft (better name in the
works). Held annually between the final down of the Super Bowl and the
beginning of free agency, the Draft is essentially a mashup of free agency and
the trade deadline, with none of the required patience.
Here’s what we’re looking at:
Every team in the league gets one pick, ordered from worst
record to best, to select an active player from somewhere else in the league.
But that doesn’t mean the Chiefs can just steal Adrian Peterson (or whoever
they’d actually be interested in).
Each team gets to protect their interests by tagging 10 men
on their roster. Those players cannot be touched by anyone.
Teams cannot trade up or down in the draft. All a team can
do is select one unprotected player, all during one three-hour TV event (no
Chris Berman). The player you take joins your team under the same contract as
his previous team. Oh, and each team can only lose one player.
So, who likes this idea? Here’s what I’d expect:
·
Football nerds. We get another excuse to watch
three hours of “football” in March.
·
TV executives. ESPN stands to make a ton of
money.
·
Fans. Because this is exciting.
·
Bad teams. Think about it – the bottom 80
percent of every other teams’ rosters totally open? Potential jackpot.
And who doesn’t like it? Also pretty easy to guess:
·
Good-not-great players. If I’m a guy like Chris
Canty, I may be in a different zip code every year. That’s not all that
exciting a prospect.
·
Old but celebrated players. Guys like Ed Reed
and Troy Polamalu, because of age, simply may not be priorities to their teams.
That means possibly being passed up for protection by younger, cheaper members
of the roster.
·
Injury-prone and recovering players. A team,
given 10 chances to protect players, may not take many flyers on guys coming
off torn ACLs – unless it’s RGIII.
·
Owners and their accountants. Because it’s so
much harder to lock in long-term books.
·
Purists. Blah, blah, something about the
integrity of the game.
·
Most of all, good and deep teams. You only have
10 protections, meaning you’re probably going to lose a good player on his way
up. Never a great situation.
Before we start, a couple of disclaimers: First, I realize
that this is in no way realistic. This is the product of my own imagination and
should be treated as such. Also, if you feel a team’s interests are totally
misrepresented, I’d love to hear about it.
The most important disclaimer, though, is this: My timing
couldn’t be any worse. In real life, free agency has happened, and so has the
rookie draft. That means team needs are vastly different than they were before
the draft. It also means guys like Dannell Ellerbe can be protected under the
rules of my draft.
For the purposes of this writing, pretend this happened
between free agency’s kickoff and the draft. Maybe I’ll do this again next
year, with better timing.
All the above said, the Kansas City Chiefs are on the clock.
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| Your No. 1 Pick? |
1.
Kansas City Chiefs – Kevin Williams,
DT, Minnesota Vikings
The Chiefs fill a need and immediately depress millions of
fans who expected huge names to move in this draft. Sure, there are some big
names out there – Gronk, Devin Hester, etc. – but the Andy Reid knows that
getting a contributor and a player who can play role model to their protected
players (Dontari Poe, for one) is the ultimate goal.
This pick also comes as bad news to teams who had an eye on
Brian Robison or Everson Griffen, probably the two most intriguing unprotected
Vikings. Adrian Peterson, Greg Jennings and even Christian Ponder were all
wayyyyy off the board.
Also considered: Brett Keisel, Brandon Spikes, Mychal
Kendricks, Cullen Jenkins
2.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Bruce Irvin,
OLB/DE, Seattle Seahawks
New coach Gus Bradley brings one of his Seahawks guys with
him to football hell. Teams like Jacksonville are going to be looking for a
combination of potential and proven results in this type of draft. Bradley’s
seen what Irvin can do, so he knows he can fill the drastically-needed
pass-rusher role in Jacksonville.
The Jags could have gone in a few other directions here,
including quarterback, but wisely decide to try and find a franchise
pass-thrower in the rookie draft. One lesson teams will learn quickly in this event
– quarterbacks worth drafting will be few and far between.
Bad news for other teams looking to pluck a Seahawk. Other
players who weren’t protected by Pete Carroll include Kam Chancellor, Chris
Clemons, Golden Tate and Antoine Winfield.
Also considered: Nick Foles, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Shea
McClellin, Jason Worilds, Ahmad Brooks
3.
Oakland Raiders – Ahtyba Rubin, DL,
Cleveland Browns
If you haven’t learned by now, you’re probably starting to
get it – there are few superstars in this draft. Bad teams will find the best
player available who fits a need.
This draft also doesn’t guarantee the best teams will lose
players first. The Browns are far from the NFL’s best team, and yet they lose a
player third.
Oakland’s defensive line is terrible. Rubin is fairly young
and has showed flashes. He could also potentially work in multiple schemes,
meaning the Raiders’ inevitable next coach could still find him useful.
The Browns, meanwhile, avoid losing Josh Gordon and Phil
Taylor, their two unprotected most likely to draw interest from around the
league.
Also considered: Glenn Dorsey, Ryan Pickett, Chris Canty,
Terrence Cody, Jonathan Babineaux
4.
Philadelphia Eagles – Jimmy Smith,
CB, Baltimore Ravens
It takes four picks for the Super Bowl champions to lose a
player. The Eagles take a step closer to erasing memory of the “Dream Team”
abomination of a corner trio that was DRC, Asante Samuel and Nnamdi Asomugha
and add a promising player. The team considered a number of good corners and
nearly bit on Dunta Robinson, but his release from Atlanta was too much a red
flag. Also worth noting fellow former Raven Cary Williams is now in
Philadelphia.
The Ravens rolled the dice and protected the rehabbing
Lardarius Webb rather than the troubled Smith, and lose a good young player.
The good news in Baltimore is that other unprotected players like Terrence
Cody, Michael Huff and Michael Oher stay on board.
Also considered: Jason McCourty, Donte Whitner, Aqib Talib,
Dunta Robinson
5.
Detroit Lions – Justin Houston,
OLB/DE, Kansas City Chiefs
 |
| Adios, Kansas City. |
The Lions again prove that the best teams won’t necessarily
lose their players first. Kansas City, after all, had the worst record in the
league.
Detroit moves to add a talented young pass rusher coming off
a double-digit sack season. As teams later in the draft will figure out,
Houston is basically the only player available on the night who can pressure
the quarterback and isn’t nearing or past 30. (If you don’t believe me, check
out the also-considered line below.)
Kansas City had a few difficult decisions to make during
protection phase, and ultimately left playmakers like Tony Moeaki, Javier
Arenas and Dexter McCluster open in favor of keeping more stable players like
Derrick Johnson and Alex Smith. Everyone but Houston returns.
Also considered: Osi Umenyiora, Mark Anderson, Mathias
Kiwanuka
6.
Cleveland Browns – Aqib Talib, CB, New
England Patriots
The Browns lost Rubin early in the draft, but decide their remaining
defensive tackles are good enough to justify swiping the troubled but talented
Talib from New England. The Mangino-era Jayhawk joins Joe Haden to form a potentially
stable corner duo for the Browns’ long run.
The Patriots, meanwhile, breathe a sigh of relief: there are
at least a few teams who would’ve seriously considered snatching guys like
Sebastian Vollmer, Brandon Spikes and Rob Gronkowski, whose foolishness and
inability to heal ultimately made him New England’s last man untagged.
Also considered: Dunta Robinson, Jason McCourty, Kyle
Arrington, Sam Shields
7.
Arizona Cardinals – Anthony Davis,
OT, San Francisco 49ers
The Cardinals have needed offensive line help since sometime
in the early 1980s. Anthony Davis is young, has potential and plays for a
division rival. How is this not a win for Arizona?
The 49ers had a few big names open for transfer, including
newly-added Anquan Boldin and Nnamdi Asomugha and established assets like Ahmad
Brooks, Donte Whitner, Andy Lee and Justin Smith. It’s really hard to say who
they’d prefer to see go from that group, but it’s probably not Davis.
Also considered: Donald Penn, Doug Free, Cordy Glenn
8.
Buffalo Bills – Miles Austin, WR,
Dallas Cowboys
 |
| "Maybe Tony wasn't so bad." |
Buffalo needs a quarterback better than Tarvaris Jackson.
Nobody is dumb enough to leave such a player unprotected. Doug Marrone takes a
look at guys like Mark Sanchez and Chad Henne, but wouldn’t the Bills just be
better off not starting anyone at quarterback?
Ultimately, Austin is the pickup. He’s by far the best receiver
left open (Dallas chose to block Dez Bryant instead) and you’ve got to think
having his experience around will be an asset to whichever quarterback they end
up taking in the draft (remember: in this reality, they haven’t drafted EJ
Manuel yet).
The Cowboys didn’t put much value on the market, but end up
keeping guys like Anthony Spencer, Doug Free, Ryan Cook and Orlando Scandrick.
Also considered: Jason Worilds, Mychal Kendricks, Anthony
Spencer, Devin Hester, Alshon Jeffery, Cecil Shorts
9. New York
Jets – Mike Williams, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Williams really isn’t that sexy of a pickup, so this pick
likely gets booed by the Jersey guys who flocked to Radio City Music Hall.
The honest truth, though, is Williams is a steady option
who can catch the ball, and he’s a New York guy who’s 25 and had nine quiet
touchdowns last year behind Vincent Jackson. With the lack of options the Jets have
for eventual franchise savior David Garrard, you’d think adding a steady pair
of hands alongside guys like Jeremy Kerley and Santonio Holmes won’t hurt.
Greg Schiano coached all his unprotected players to
intentionally fail their physicals, so guys like Donald Penn, Davin Joseph and
Ahmad Black go unpicked and will return to Tampa. Somewhere off the Carolina coast,
Connor Barth goes surfing.
Also considered: Devin Hester, Alshon Jeffery, Mohamed
Sanu, Cecil Shorts, Emmanuel Sanders, Manny Lawson
10. Tennessee Titans – Louis Vasquez, G,
Denver Broncos
Tennessee’s interior line sucks. Mike Munchak is an
offensive line guy. In both real life and fantasy, he takes steps to address
the problem as quickly as possible.
Vasquez is a productive long-term starter, if a bit aged.
He spent a solid chunk of time blocking for LaDanian Tomlinson, so Chris
Johnson is a small adjustment. Meanwhile, Jake Locker gets more time to throw
interceptions!
The Broncos left quite a bit of talent unblocked, so
losing Vasquez isn’t all that bad. Guys like Champ Bailey, Eric Decker, Orlando
Franklin and Knowshon Moreno likely would have gotten a look, but instead
return to Denver. Also unprotected: Rahim Moore, burn victim.
Also considered: Chris Chester, Evan Mathis, David Diehl,
Garrett Reynolds
11. San Diego Chargers – Sam Shields, CB,
Green Bay Packers
The Chargers, in desperate need of defensive backs,
choose to draft the league leader in “looking like you were interfered with by
the receiver.” Sam Shields brings blazing speed to San Diego at a relatively
cheap price. The Bolts also considered shoring up their offensive line, but a
plethora of blockers in the upcoming draft leads them instead to draft defense.
The Packers are the 11th team to lose a
player, meaning they’re clearly overrated and terrible. Awful, just awful,
football players and even worse people like A.J. Hawk, Morgan Burnett,
Jermichael Finley and DuJuan Harris (who?) will again don the gold and green,
though I’m not sure why.
Also considered: T.J. Lang, Cordy Glenn, Terrell Thomas, Darius
Butler, Casey Hayward, Terence Newman
12. Miami Dolphins – Gosder Cherilus, OT,
Indianapolis Colts
I hate Gosder Cherilus. Dude nearly tore Jared Allen’s
ACL yards behind a play once. But he was clearly an overrated free agent in
real life’s offseason, so you’ve got to think the guys who went on to become
among the biggest spenders would go after him. Miami also looked at some
corners here, but the names left aren’t worth much.
Indianapolis loses one of its newest free agents – did I
mention how bad my timing was when I did this? – but keeps better assets like
Delone Carter, Robert Mathis and Dwayne Allen, a.k.a. Colby Fleener’s backup.
Also considered: Jason McCourty, Jeromey Clary, Terrell
Thomas, Corey Webster
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jermaine
Gresham, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
Tampa Bay already needed a big pass-catcher to stabilize kinda-terrible-kinda-great
Josh Freeman. Then they lost Mike Williams. Jermaine Gresham represents a
chance to get Vincent Jackson some red zone help, even if he’s not the sexiest
tight end in the league. He ends up getting the call over about a million other
tight ends and defensive lineman considered by Tampa Bay.
Gresham getting picked probably isn’t the worst-case
scenario for the Bengals, who also had guys like Domata Peko, Mohamed Sanu and
Bernard Scott on the board, but don’t be surprised to see Cincy go after a pass
catcher later this round or in the rookie draft.
Also considered: Fred Davis, Jared Cook, Heath Miller,
Ziggy Hood, Linval Joseph, Brodrick Bunkley, Paul Soliai, Dustin Keller, Jason
Jones, Owen Daniels, Martellus Bennett, Greg Olsen, Scott Chandler, Tony
Gonzalez
14. Carolina Panthers – Cary Williams, CB, Philadelphia
Eagles
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| Madden '13 says Ty Law is available. |
This reality didn’t work out well for the Ravens, did it?
They let Williams walk, likely because of the corners they had left. Then Jimmy
Smith got drafted. Left is LarDarius Webb, who missed most of the season with
an injury. Oh yeah, and Chykie Brown.
The Panthers, meanwhile, get a pretty solid corner. Hard to
pass that up, especially considering who else was left at the position.
And the third team involved in this pick, Philadelphia,
hangs on to Mychal Kendricks, Isaac Sopoaga and Jason Peters’s corpse.
Also considered: Jason McCourty, Jeromey Clary, Terrell
Thomas, Corey Webster, Ryan Harris
15. New Orleans Saints – Paul Soliai, DT, Miami Dolphins
Rob Ryan plans to switch New Orleans to a 3-4 scheme.
Soliai is a good runstopper in that formation, albeit a bit old. Seems like a
pretty decent fit.
Miami left basically all Ryan Tannehill’s weapons
unprotected for the draft, so it’s a pretty big relief for Joe Philbin that
guys like (now-rich!) Brian Hartline, Charles Clay and Dustin Keller will come
back.
Also considered: Linval Joseph, Jason Jones, Barry Cofield
16. St. Louis Rams – Troy Polamalu, S, Pittsburgh Steelers
The question of whether or not to protect Troy Polamalu
is one of the great dilemmas brought on by this draft.
Why you wouldn’t protect him: He’s old. He gets hurt.
Why you would: He’s a huge symbol to the team. He plays
well when he’s not hurt. The hair!
But Pittsburgh ultimately decides to leave him open and
cross its fingers, and fellow Trojan Jeff Fisher pounces to simultaneously fill
a need and find a great leader for a young Ram defense. The age doesn’t really
matter, either, as we’re nearing the end of the draft where good teams will
pick to win now. Polamalu fits that mission.
Losing Troy sucks, but Pittsburgh returns other
old-but-unprotected guys like Ryan Clark, Brett Keisel and Heath Miller. They
also left Jonathan Dwyer and Emmanuel Sanders unprotected.
Also considered: Reed Doughty, Antrel Rolle, Roman
Harper, Danieal Manning, Ed Reed
17. Pittsburgh Steelers – Thomas
DeCoud, S, Atlanta Falcons
 |
| Thomas DeCoud: Steeler through and through. |
Lose a safety, draft a new one. Pittsburgh loses a
franchise face one pick (!) before its own, but then replaces Troy with a solid
player in Thomas DeCoud.
If DeCoud isn’t a hit in Pittsburgh, he’s at least still
got the time he said, “Meow” on SportsCenter.
Atlanta continues a trend of top teams staying on the
board until late. But looking at the names outside of DeCoud who were
available, it’s no surprise Mike Peterson, Tony Gonzalez and Jonathan Babineaux
weren’t targeted earlier.
Also considered: Reed Doughty, Antrel Rolle, Roman
Harper, Danieal Manning, Ed Reed
18. Dallas Cowboys – David Diehl, G, New York Giants
Another pick made as much out of need as spite. Jerry
Jones tries to grin smugly, but a recent botox injection prevents that from
happening.
The Giants are yet another good team to not lose a player
until the second half of the draft. With Diehl’s pick, they lock up Antrel
Rolle, Corey Webster and Mathias Kiwanuka for at least another year.
Also considered: Daryn Colledge, Cordy Glenn, Amini
Silatolu, Harvey Dahl, Chris Chester
19. New York Giants – Will Smith, DE, New
Orleans Saints
Another “win-now” pick, Will Smith slides into a position
where he can play along more d-line talent than in New Orleans, potentially
freeing him up for a few more sacks.
The Giants flirted strongly with Devin Hester, but Tom
Coughlin ultimately pulled the plug because he seemed too interested in “that
hip-hop music.”
New Orleans didn’t offer much to the market, but returns
Mark Ingram, Patrick Robinson and Roman Harper, among others.
Also considered: Harvey Dahl, Devin Hester
20. Chicago Bears – Harvey Dahl, G, St. Louis Rams
 |
| This belongs in Chicago. |
Chicago showed in real-life’s rookie draft how badly they
want offensive line help. They also want linebackers, but there’s not much left
this late in the draft.
Dahl is a bruiser, and a guy with a nasty reputation.
Seems like the kind of thing Bears fans would embrace.
The Rams, meanwhile, return Jared Cook, Isaiah Pead and
both their superstar kickers.
Also considered: Moise Fokou, Jeromey Clary, David
Harris, Tim Dobbins, Jasper Brinkley
21. Cincinnati Bengals – Ed Reed, S, Houston Texans
The Bengals think they can win now. They lost a
pass-catcher earlier, but go defense here. I don’t recall bad blood between Ed
Reed and the world champions after the season, but can you imagine both Reed
and Harrison on the Cincy defense? Weird.
Houston is yet another good team who used its 10
protections well. Owen Daniels, Antonio Smith and Danieal Manning all come
back. They also left Ben Tate open for the taking, but most teams value other positions
more than running back.
Also considered: Reed Doughty, Shonn Greene, Danieal
Manning, Mikel Leshoure, DeAngelo Williams
22. Washington Redskins – Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona
Cardinals
We’ve reached the point where a lot of teams are picking
up the scraps left of bad teams. Cason seems like the kind of guy Dan Snyder
would take a flyer on. Former kick returner, great speed, has shown flashes at
corner. With a guy like DeAngelo Hall nearing the end of his career, it could
be a really shrewd move.
The Cardinals offered Cason and a set of punching dummies
unprotected. The dummies are coming home, and Bruce Arians is happy.
Also considered: Jason McCourty, Dawan Landry, Tyrell
Johnson, Charles Godfrey
23. Minnesota Vikings – Roy Miller, DT, Jacksonville
Jaguars
 |
| I don't...I don't think that's how it works. |
You realize it took me an hour to make this pick, right?
As clearly demonstrated by the real-life draft, the
Vikings feel like they’re only a few parts away from being among the best teams
in the league. Do I feel that way? No comment.
They take serious looks at pass catchers and pass
defenders, but with 10 teams to pluck from, the options are slim.
Roy Miller did well in Tampa Bay last year before moving
to Jacksonville. He’s young and talented and could be a great guy to start
alongside Kevin Willia – oh God. He’s gone? This is terrible. Um, Miller
immediately becomes the Vikings’ best interior lineman.
The Jags’ roster is so bad they actually protected Blaine
Gabbert. Meaning they think he’s among their ten most valuable players. All 53
Jaguars fans just died a little.
Also considered: Jason McCourty, Charles Godfrey, Brandon
LaFell, Devin Hester, Ryan Broyles, Cecil Shorts III, Alshon Jeffery
24. Indianapolis Colts – Cordy Glenn, G, Buffalo Bills.
Again: There’s not much left at this point.
The Colts lost a lineman earlier in the night, and Glenn
has been bandied about as both a guard and a tackle. He’s young. Other players
who fit a need aren’t very good.
Buffalo holds on to Zebrie Sanders, Manny Lawson and
Scott Chandler, who once scored me about 40 fantasy points in one week. That
was awesome.
Also considered: Chris Chester, Kory Lichtensteiger, Shonn
Greene, Mike Brisiel, Amini Silatolu
25. Seattle Seahawks – Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Detroit
Lions
Apparently the Seahawks are supposed to be good next
year. They added a couple defensive ends. Oh, and some Florida receiver, I guess.
I think his name is Tebow.
Pettigrew is a surprisingly good find this late in the
draft. He can help Russell Wilson right away, and finally fill the massive hole
at tight end that’s persisted in Seattle since they let former Litchfield
(Minn.) Dragon and Notre Dame great John Carlson move on to bigger and better
things in Minneapolis.
The Lions lose a fairly key player, but keep Mikel
LeShoure, Ryan Broyles and Tyrell Johnson. And if they really need
pass-catching, I’m pretty sure Titus Young is available.
Also considered: Dwan Edwards, Martellus Bennett, Kedric
Golston
26. Green Bay Packers – Jason McCourty, CB, Tennessee
Titans
 |
| "I'm ready to sent the 25 teams that passed on me a lesson." |
One of the interesting things about this draft will be
when players “slide.” McCourty falls on the radar of basically every
corner-hungry team, since he’s young, has potential and is part of a set of
twins, but nobody picks him until No. 26. Can you imagine?
Adam Schefter: “I’m hearing Jason McCourty’s name
mentioned as a possibility at picks 10, 14, 17, 21 and 25.”
Trey Wingo: “And another team passes on Jason McCourty.”
/Cut to shot of hatless McCourty trying not to look sad.
Is that how it would go?
Tennessee had some talent on the board, including fellow
corner and slide victim Alterraun Verner. Kamerion Wimbley, Shonn Greene and
Akeem Ayers all also return to the Music City.
Also considered: Alterraun Verner, Kamerion Wimbley, Jarret
Johnson, Rashad Jennings
27. Houston Texans – Devin Hester, WR, Chicago Bears
OK, this would be interesting. I mean, Hester’s downfield
speed along Andre Johnson would be something to watch, but how about the camp
battle between Hester and Danieal Manning?!?!?!?! Which fast guy is the Texans’
new kick returner? I’m salivating.
The Bears are a good team, but used their picks
incredibly well. Hester, Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett and Shea McClellin
were basically the only guys getting looks. Houston considered both Bennett and
Jeffery.
Also considered: Brandon LaFell, Alshon Jeffery,
Martellus Bennett
28. Denver Broncos – Jeremy Kerley, WR, New York Jets
Kerley looked pretty good at times with Mark Sanchez and
Greg McElroy throwing him the ball. Can you imagine what influence Peyton
Manning could have? You have to at least mention the name Pierre Garcon.
The Jets, on the other hand, shock the world by having a
player selected any pick other than last. Franchise cornerstones David Harris,
Santonio Holmes and Calvin Pace return to East Rutherford.
Also considered: Fred Davis, Jarret Johnson, Danny
Woodhead, DeAngelo Williams
29. New England Patriots – D.J. Moore, CB, Carolina
Panthers
There were four teams to choose from. I really didn’t know
what to do. I have a feeling Bill Belichick would feel the same way.
Carolina holds on to unprotecteds like DeAngelo Williams,
Greg Olsen and Greg Hardy.
Also considred: Derek Cox, Brandon LaFell, Charles Godfrey
30. Atlanta Falcons – Brandon Meriweather, S, Washington
Redskins
Can you imagine trying to choose from the 44 worst
players on Washington, San Diego and Oakland’s rosters? Atlanta’s only choice
is to find the best player they can, who also happens to replace Thomas DeCoud,
who earlier got plucked by the Steelers.
Washington…how did they make the playoffs? I can’t see
many of the other guys open for picking being considered. Kedric Golston,
maybe? Chris Chester? Fred Davis?
Also considered: Kedric Golston, Jarret Johnson
31. San Francisco 49ers – Jeromey Clary, T, San Diego
Chargers
Jim Harbaugh fills the tackle hole left by Anthony Davis’s
departure. Clary is 29, but he’s pretty durable, having started 78 games the
last six seasons. He also ends up being probably the best player available,
unless you think Jarret Johnson would be better (which he might be, for a
year).
Also worth noting this means Baltimore is FORCED to take
an Oakland player. Which is hilarious, because Rolando McClain already happened
to them.
Also considered: Jarret Johnson, Andre Carter
32. Baltimore Ravens -- Mike Brisiel, G, Oakland Raiders
 |
| The least bad Raider you could ask for. |
A veteran lineman with center experience isn’t a bad
pick, all things considered. And if you’ve got to play Raider Russian Roulette,
Brisiel is a pretty good bullet to take.
The only other real options on the Raiders’ dirt-cheap
roster were Andre Carter, Rashad Jennings and Taiwan Jones. Unless, of course,
the Ravens decided they needed Sebastian Janikowski.
So, there you have it. The offseason veteran draft.
Teams balance need against available talent, and
potential against current ability. And just because you had the best season doesn’t
mean you’ll lose a player early.
I promise next year I’ll do this between the Super Bowl
and free agency. And maybe I’ll do a better job.
But in the meantime, if you have feedback, I’d love to
hear it.
Maybe this isn’t the kind of thing that could ever
happen, but it was damn fun to pretend.
