New Blog, Same Opinions

As many of you have probably figured out, there is not really anything being posted here anymore.  I wouldn’t be expecting much new content either.

After finding a new job, the radio show was sort of discontinued.  However, I have created a new blog, “Long Name, Amazing Thoughts,” (working title still), to post thoughts on different topics, since I no longer have the platform on radio.

There are still the weekly picks, and there will be more over the coming weeks.  There may even be posts on current events and other random stuff.

Personally, I can’t thank you enough for reading over the last few years.  I had the opportunity to do something I only dreamed of, and am so grateful of that chance.

If you have a few minutes, check out the new blog, “Long Name, Amazing Thoughts.”

NFL Draft 2013 – Final Mock Draft

Below is the fifth and final edition of the 2013 Mock NFL Draft.  The first round is presented below, while rounds two through seven can be found HERE.

While there are some star players in this year’s draft, the 2013 NFL Draft might be remembered more for busts and players picked in later rounds that might become NFL superstars.

There is not quarterback prospect in this year’s draft that screams ‘franchise quarterback.’  All of the quarterbacks, have some questions surrounding them.  There is only one quarterback taken in the first round of this mock draft, but don’t expect that to be reality.  Once one is taken, teams will start jockeying to get the next.

This year is also a rare year of being at the top of the draft order being a negative.  As previously mentioned, there are not any stand-out players this year on paper, but once the season comes around, that will change.  However, some teams will end up with some solid players.

Round 1
Pick	Team	Player	School
1	KC	T Luke Joeckel	Texas A&M
2	JAX	DE Ezekiel Ansah	BYU
3	OAK	DT Sharrif Floyd	Florida
4	PHI	OLB Dion Jordan	Oregon
5	DET	T Eric Fisher	Central Michigan
6	CLE	CB Dee Milliner	Alabama
7	ARZ	QB Geno Smith	West Virginia
8	BUF	WR Tavon Austin	West Virginia
9	NYJ	OLB Barkevious Mingo	LSU
10	TEN	T Lane Johnson	Oklahoma
11	SD	G Chance Warmack	Alabama
12	MIA	DE Bjoern Werner	Florida State
13	NYJ (from TB)	G Jonathan Cooper	North Carolina
14	CAR	DT Star Lotulelei	Utah
15	NO	T D.J. Fluker	Alabama
16	STL	OLB Jarvis Jones	Georgia
17	PIT	WR Cordarrelle Patterson	Tennessee
18	DAL	FS Kenny Vaccaro	Texas
19	NYG	CB Xavier Rhodes	Florida State
20	CHI	ILB Manti Te’o	Notre Dame
21	CIN	CB Desmond Trufant	Washington
22	STL (from WSH)	DT Sheldon Richardson	Missouri
23	MIN	WR Robert Woods	USC
24	IND	DE Datone Jones	UCLA
25	MIN (from SEA)	DT Sylvester Williams	North Carolina
26	GB	T Menelik Watson	Florida State
27	HOU	CB D.J. Hayden	Houston
28	DEN	TE Tyler Eifert	Notre Dame
29	NE	CB Jamar Taylor	Boise State
30	ATL	OLB Arthur Brown	Kansas State
31	SF	FS Eric Reid	LSU
32	BAL	WR Keenan Allen	California

2013 Atlanta Braves Preview

The Atlanta Braves open the season tonight at home against the Philadelphia Phillies.  The Braves won one of the National League Wild Card spots, but lost in the Wild Card Game to the St. Louis Cardinals.

This season stands to be not much different, as the Braves will once again be in a close fight with the Washington Nationals in the National League East.

So let’s look at how the Atlanta Braves shape up as they open the 2013 season.

Starting Lineup

This is one of the deepest lineups in Major League Baseball, if everyone plays to their potential.

SS Andrelton Simmons will be asked to hit lead-off, a position he has thrived in so far in Spring Training and for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic.

The Braves did acquire both Upton brothers in the offseason.  They signed CF B.J. Upton to a five-year deal, and traded for LF Justin Upton from the Arizona Diamondbacks.  The Uptons, paired with RF Jason Heyward, stands to be one of the best outfields, offensively and defensively, in baseball.

2B Dan Uggla had a tough year in 2012, including briefly losing his starting job near the end of the season.  However, Uggla went to training camp in great shape, and is poised for a comeback season.  Uggla is a streaky hitter, but it would be surprising to see him duplicate 2012.

There are two main questions, catcher and third base.  C Brian McCann will miss the start of the season as he recovers from shoulder surgery.  C Gerald Laird and C/LF Evan Gattis will share time behind the plate until McCann returns.

However, even when McCann returns, which one will?  Will it be the former All-Star who is one of the best hitting catchers in the game?  Or will it be the injury-plagued catcher who has his moments, but it’s an overall struggle?  McCann is in the last year of his contract, so there is some incentive to have a great season.

Chipper Jones retired after the 2012 season, meaning there is a bit of a question as to who will man the hot corner.  The Braves first option, Martin Prado, was traded to get Justin Upton.  Atlanta also acquired veteran 1B/3B Chris Johnson in the Justin Upton deal.  He figures to get a lot of playing time, including starting at third base.

The Braves also have 3B Juan Francisco, who filled in at times for Jones in 2012, but seemed to go in and out of manager Fredi Gonzalez’s doghouse during the year.  At least to start the season, the Braves will likely platoon Chris Johnson and Francisco.

The good news for the Braves:  there is enough offensive potential, that if a spot or two struggles in the lineup, other guys can fill the void.

Bench

Some of the key bench players from the last few years are gone.  1B/OF Eric Hinske is off to Arizona and C David Ross is now playing in Boston.

The 2013 bench will feature either Chris Johnson or Francisco, depending on the starting pitcher, and OF Reed Johnson, acquired from the Cubs in 2012, as the top pinch-hitters.

C Gerald Laird will replace Ross as McCann’s backup, but as previously mentioned, will be starting a lot during the first few weeks.

OF Jordan Schafer returns to the team, and figures to offer speed off the bench in late game situations.  IF Ramiro Pena will serve as a backup for the infield positions.

Starting Rotation

The Braves’ rotation features a mix of young and veteran pitchers.  RHP Tim Hudson is the leader of the staff, and will lean on LHP Paul Maholm to be another veteran innings-eater for the rotation.

RHP Kris Medlen and LHP Mike Minor will look to capitalize on stellar ends to 2012.  Medlen could not be hit as soon as he entered the starting rotation.  Minor stepped up after he was given a vote of confidence by not being sent to AAA mid-season.

Top-prospect RHP Julio Teheran will be the fifth starter, at least until RHP Brandon Beachy returns from Tommy John Surgery around the All-Star Break.

Bullpen

One of the best bullpens in baseball in 2012 actually got stronger, but not without some concerns.

The team maximized it’s trade of RHP Tommy Hanson to the Angels by getting in return RHP Jordan Walden, a hard-throwing right-handed reliever.

Walden’s acquisition will prove to be even bigger if LHP Jonny Venters is out for a long period of time with an elbow injury.  However, with Walden, LHP Eric O’Flaherty, and RHP Craig Kimbrel helps shorten the game for the rotation.

If the rotation does struggle, that is where a weakness may be exposed.  RHP Cristhian Martinez is a proven swing-man, and RHP Cory Gearrin, LHP Luis Avilan, and RHP Anthony Varvaro will need to prove early on to Gonzalez that they can be trusted like the back-end of the bullpen.

Organizational Depth

This is the other concern for the Braves.  If many injuries or needs arise, there is not a whole lot of proven depth in the organization.

IFs Tyler Pastornicky and Paul Janish, and OF Jose Constanza stand to wear out the path between Atlanta and Gwinnett as needs arise in 2013.  Janish will miss the first few weeks as he recovers from shoulder surgery.

1B/OF Joe Terdoslavich, OF Jordan Parraz, IF Blake DeWitt, 1B Ernesto Mejia, and C/LF Evan Gattis (although he is on the Opening Day Roster) will also get looks if any player is out for an extended period of time.

Proven pitching below the major league level is a little more concerning.  RHP David Carpenter is the only one who pitched in the majors in 2012.  However, it would not be surprising if the team found a veteran reliever or two to stash at AAA.

RHPs David Hale and J.R. Graham, and LHPs Sean Gilmartin, Yohan Flande, and Alex Wood will help if some more starters (or relievers) are injured or struggle.  Carpenter, RHP Wirfin Obispo (who impressed in Spring Training), and LHP Dusty Hughes provide depth for the bullpen.

2013 Outcome

The Braves are improved from 2012, but so is the division rival Washington Nationals.  However, there is little doubt that the Braves can return to the playoffs in 2013.  The Braves should make it into the divisional round, but the National League is overall pretty strong.  If the Braves win a Wild Card spot, they would likely have to face the Nationals in the first round.

2013 MLB Preview

Opening Day of the 2013 Major League Baseball season is finally here, as the Texas Rangers welcome the Houston Astros to the American League.  It has been a long spring training, since it was a World Baseball Classic year.

So, here are preview capsules for each team, along with predicted finishes, and then a World Series pick.

American League East

Toronto Blue Jays (Last year:  73-89, 4th AL East) – There is not a team in MLB who make a bigger offseason splash than the Blue Jays (the Braves are a close second).  Here are all the players they brought in figuring to be major contributors in 2013:  SS Jose Reyes, OF Melky Cabrera, 2B Emilio Bonifacio, 3B Maicer Izturis, RHP R.A. Dickey, LHP Mark Beuhrle, RHP Josh Johnson, and LHP J.A. Happ.  Don’t forget this team already has RF Jose Bautista and 1B Edwin Encarnacion.  The only question mark is whether John Gibbons is really the manager for this job.  The Blue Jays have an opportunity to put the ‘world’ back in “World Series,” but John Gibbons has not proven he can lead a team to the playoffs.  Despite that, the talent cannot be ignored, and the Blue Jays will make a deep run in the postseason, which will include winning the division.

Tampa Bay Rays (Last year:  90-72, 3rd AL East) – What could last season have been for the Rays if 3B Evan Longoria was healthy?  The Rays finished with 90 wins without its franchise player in the lineup for a large chunk of the season.  The lineup is solid, with the additions of SS Yunel Escobar, 2B Kelly Johnson, and 1B James Loney.  LHP David Price returns to anchor the rotation, and RHP Fernando Rodney is back to close games out.  The Rays will be a major contender in 2013, and will take one of the wild card berths.

Baltimore Orioles (Last year:  93-69, 2nd AL East, Wild Card winner) – Will this be the team that finally breaks the tendency for manager Buck Showalter?  He always turns a team around, leads them to the playoffs, and follows it up with a mediocre season.  However, the core of this team returns.  In addition, 2B Brian Roberts and OF Nick Markakis enter the season healthy.  3B Manny Machado will man the hot corner all year, and C Matt Wieters is poised for another big year.  The bullpen is solid, but the question will be if the starting pitchers can consistently pitch 6-7 innings every night.  It was a breakthrough year for the Orioles in 2012, but some teams have gotten much better in the division.

Boston Red Sox (Last year:  69-93, 5th AL East) – It could be another long season in Boston, but at least this year, it will be done the Red Sox way.  Bobby Valentine never should have been brought in as the manager, and the record showed that.  John Farrell returns to the team that made him a hot commodity a few years ago.  Offensively, this team has its stars, but it still could be a struggle to score runs.  DH David Ortiz will start the season on the disabled list.  Luckily for Boston, it has a great pitching staff.  RHP John Lackey returns, and the team added RHP Ryan Dempster in the offseason.  This team (keyword) will be improved, but will miss the playoffs again in 2013.

New York Yankees (Last year: 95-67, 1st AL East, best record in AL) – It would take an unbelievable season for the Yankees to repeat what they did last year.  They just aren’t as good.  The Yankees’ pitching staff is decent, it will have to win a lot of games for this team.  The projected Opening Day lineup will be without OF Curtis Granderson, SS Derek Jeter, 3B Alex Rodriguez, and 1B Mark Teixeira, who all are out with injuries and will start the season on the disabled list.  It is very rare when the question for a Yankees’ team is whether they will have enough offense to win, but that is the case in 2013.  It will have to be Joe Girardi’s best season as a manager to get this team back to the playoffs.  But it will be fun watching RHP Mariano Rivera’s retirement tour.  The bigger question is whether he is the only Yankee on that tour.

American League Central

Detroit Tigers (Last year: 88-74, 1st AL Central, AL Champs) – Where will you go to find outs in this lineup?  There is a hole here and there, but the addition of OF Torii Hunter and the return of DH Victor Martinez will make a huge difference.  The rotation is solid, but the only big question mark for the Tigers is the bullpen.  The team let once perfect closer RHP Jose Valverde leave in the offseason, and was hoping rookie RHP Bruce Rondon would step into that role.  That’s not going to happen, as Rondon has been sent back to AAA.  The Tigers will return to the playoffs, winning the division again in 2013.

Kansas City Royals (Last Year:  72-90, 3rd AL Central) – 2013 will be a make-or-break-year for the Royals and its manager, Ned Yost, and general manager, Dayton Moore.  If everyone remains healthy, there is no reason to believe this team cannot contend in 2013.  3B Mike Moustakas and C Salvador Perez are both stars in the making, and along with LF Alex Gordon and DH Billy Butler, should provide plenty of pop for Kansas City.  The major upgrade for the Royals in the offseason was bringing in RHP James Shields and RHP Wade Davis, which will significantly bolster an otherwise weak rotation the last few seasons.  This team probably ends up being on the outside looking in, but will contend in 2013.  However, if this team gets off to a bad start, Yost won’t make it through the season.

Cleveland Indians (Last Year:  68-94, 4th AL Central) – If the season ended in July, the Indians would have been in a good spot last year to make the playoffs.  However, August and September sealed Manny Acta’s fate.  So after a year off, Terry Francona returns to the dugout, hoping that he can resurrect one of the top franchises in the 1990s.  This team, surprisingly, has one of the best lineups in baseball, especially with the acquisitions of OF Michael Bourn, 1B Nick Swisher, DH Mark Reynolds, and OF Drew Stubbs.  The bullpen is one of the better ones, with RHP Chris Perez and RHP Vinnie Pestano closing out games.  The one weakness, is the rotation.  However, if they live up to their potential, the Indians could surprise some people in 2013.

Chicago White Sox (Last Year:  85-77, 2nd AL Central) – At the start of each season, you want to be able to see how a team improved through the offseason.  For the White Sox, there was no major improvements.  The two biggest offseason acquisitions were 3B Jeff Keppinger and RHP Matt Lindstrom.  This is still a solid team, but while others improved, the White Sox did nothing.  It’s not a rebuilding situation for Chicago, but it leaves you scratching your head and wondering where they are going.  One suggestion, not to the playoffs in 2013.

Minnesota Twins (Last Year:  66-96, 5th AL Central) – It is probably not going to be pretty for the Twins again in 2013.  They do have a solid heart of the lineup, when everyone is healthy, with C Joe Mauer, LF Josh Willingham, and 1B Justin Morneau.  But there is really nothing else exciting about this team, other than players building up service time.  For many other teams, a lot of the players that will make the Twins, would probably be competing for jobs.

American League West

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Last Year:  89-73, 3rd AL West) – The Angels are likely on top of the list of teams that have underachieved the last few years.  The pieces are in place again in 2013 to make a run.  OF Mike Trout will try to duplicate his rookie year, and will be joined in the outfield by OF Josh Hamilton.  That’s not even bringing up the name 1B Albert Pujols yet.  This is a deep rotation, especially if everyone pitches as well as they are capable.  The one weakness may be the bullpen, which will start the season without RHP Ryan Madson.  Anything short of a division title will be a disappointment.

Texas Rangers (Last Year:  93-69, 2nd AL West, AL Wild Card winner) – The Athletics’ surprise was the Rangers’ demise in 2012.  One of baseball’s best during the entire season, struggled down the stretch.  This team will have to try and cope without OF Josh Hamilton, who went to a division rival.  However, this team will be right in the thick of it all, with DH Lance Berkman and 3B Adrian Beltre in the heart of the order.  The rotation is still as solid as it gets, with LHP Matt Harrison, LHP Derek Holland, and RHP Yu Darvish.  Though it will be interesting to see how Darvish does in year two.

Oakland Athletics (Last Year:  94-68, 1st AL West) – What a surprise it was to see the Athletics make the playoffs in 2012.  More impressively, they claimed a division that had Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton playing in it (on separate teams, then).  As for 2013, most of the same pieces return, so many players have the experience of last year.  It would be another huge shocker if Oakland can return to the playoffs in 2013, but that is the same thing we said last year.

Seattle Mariners (Last Year:  75-87, 4th AL West) – The Mariners won’t make the playoffs in 2013, but will make a difference in who does.  This is an improved team, with several guys starting to figure things out, especially 1B Justin Smoak.  It will also help having DH Kendrys Morales and OF Michael Morse make up the middle of the lineup.  Pitching, other than RHP Felix Hernandez, will be a bit of a concern.  Thankfully for the Mariners, they won’t be the worst team in the division.

Houston Astros (Last Year:  55-107, 6th NL Central) – Welcome to the American League West, Houston.  That’s about the only exciting statement when talking about the 2013 Astros.  This was the worst team in 2012, and will be competing for that title in 2013.  Bo Porter will be tasked with trying to avoid that as the new manager.  Like with the Twins, there are a lot of players that would not be on an Opening Day roster without being in the Houston organization.  Although some interesting players to watch with Houston include 2B Jose Altuve, DH Carlos Pena, RHP Philip Humber, and LHP Erik Bedard.

AL Wild Card:  Rays over Rangers

ALDS:  Tigers over Rays, Blue Jays over Angels

ALCS:  Blue Jays over Tigers

National League East

Washington Nationals (Last Year:  98-64, 1st NL East, Best Record in NL) – The Nationals were good in 2012, and managed to get better for 2013.  Washington filled two major needs by bringing in OF Denard Span and RHP Rafael Soriano.  These moves put the players who were filling them into roles that better suit this team.  RHP Stephen Strasburg will not be worrying about any innings limits this season.  The Nationals got a taste of being in the postseason last season, and will look to go even deeper in 2013.  This team will make a deep run in the playoffs.

Atlanta Braves (Last Year:  94-68, 2nd NL East, Wild Card Winner) – The Braves made the second biggest offseason splash by bringing in both Upton brothers to play the outfield.  This Braves teams will certainly push some offensive records, specifically runs and strikeouts.  The only weakness in this lineup is at third base, trying to find Chipper Jones’ replacement.  The season will start with a platoon between Juan Francisco and Chris Johnson.  The rotation is solid, and the bullpen is as good as it gets, as long as everyone is healthy.  The Braves should make the playoffs again in 2013.

Philadelphia Phillies (Last Year:  81-81, 3rd NL East) – The Phillies likely will miss the playoffs for the second straight year, but that is not saying they won’t compete.  This is a solid team, but they play in the same division as Atlanta and Washington.  Philadelphia brought in 3B Michael Young and OF Ben Revere to help the lineup, and will both play key parts in the Phillies’ lineup.  The concern remains pitching.  The Phillies spent some money to improve the bullpen, but it might prove not to work.

Miami Marlins (Last Year:  69-93, 5th NL East) – Let’s just pretend last year didn’t happen for the Marlins.  It was a disaster.  Management cleaned house, including replacing manager Ozzie Guillen with Mark Redmond.  Miami is trying to go back to the Florida Marlins’ way of winning baseball, as opposed to the spending spree from last year.  This will actually be a fun team to watch, because they have some good young talent.  With that said, this team is still not very good.

New York Mets (Last Year:  74-88, 4th NL East) – This team is not very good.  The Mets will have to out-score its opponents offensively to win, because the pitching will not hold its opponent off.  That’s also saying that the Mets will get enough offense.  Like the Astros and Twins, there are a lot of guys that might not have major league jobs on Opening Day, if it wasn’t for the Mets.  It’s going to be a long season.

National League Central

Cincinnati Reds (Last Year: 97-65, 1st NL Central) – This is a solid team, and should make the playoffs again in 2013.  This offense will score runs, and it will be helped with OF Shin-Soo Choo coming over from Cleveland.  The decision to put LHP Aroldis Chapman back as the closer is absolutely correct.  It certainly makes the bullpen stronger, and doesn’t really hurt the rotation.  This is a good team, but are they a great team?  Only time will tell.

St. Louis Cardinals (Last Year:  88-74, 2nd NL Central, Wild Card winner) – Much like last year, you look at the make-up of this team and wonder how they will compete in 2013.  However, what St. Louis always does right is they find baseball players, which can’t always be said about other teams.  A healthy 1B Allen Craig will make a huge difference.  Getting a healthy 3B David Freeze will make a bigger one.  Pitching could be a struggle for St. Louis.  Closer RHP Jason Motte will start the season on the disabled list, and RHP Chris Carpenter is likely to miss the entire 2013 season.  But St. Louis always finds a way to win.

Milwaukee Brewers (Last Year:  83-79, 3rd NL Central) – This isn’t a bad team, just really isn’t good enough.  Injuries became a big story last year, and already are this year for the Brewers.  Any offense that has OF Ryan Braun leading it will be a force.  It will be even better once it gets 1B Corey Hart back from the disabled list.  The team signed RHP Kyle Lohse to fill out its rotation right before the regular season, and he will help RHP Yovani Gallardo lead the staff.  The back-end of the bullpen is solid, but getting it to closer RHP John Axford could be an issue.  The Brewers will contend for most of the season, but might come up a little short.

Pittsburgh Pirates (Last Year:  79-83, 4th NL Central) – This team is very similar to the Brewers, not too bad, but just not good enough to realistically contend.  This team will make a difference in who does make the playoffs.  OF Andrew McCutchen is the star of this team, and needs either or both OF Starling Marte and 3B Pedro Alvarez take the next step in their development.  The rotation is solid, but the bullpen has a whole lot of unknowns.  The Pirates keep showing the potential of breaking through, but keep coming up a little short.

Chicago Cubs (Last Year:  61-101, 5th NL Central) – The bad news for the Cubs is that the Astros aren’t in the division anymore to keep them from finishing last.  The good news is that this team won’t be as bad as last year’s team.  1B Anthony Rizzo should take the next step in his development.  This team will need offense, because there is not a lot of pitching to save the Cubs.  The biggest story will be whether OF Alfonso Soriano is traded during the season.

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers (Last Year:  86-76, 2nd NL West) – It was amazing how well the Dodgers competed with all of the off-the-field issues from last year.  Once that was cleared up, they made some really big deals, and spent a whole lot of money.  Based on those acquisitions, this team should be one of the favorites to win the National League.  Like the Blue Jays, the question will remain whether manager Don Mattingly is the right man for this job.  If this team isn’t on top early, it would not be shocking to see an early move.  One way or another, this team should make the playoffs.

San Francisco Giants (Last Year:  94-68, 1st NL West, World Series Champs) – The Giants are poised to make it back-to-back championships, with just about the same players they won it all with in 2012.  There were no major changes in the offseason, just bringing back some of the key players from 2012, like 2B Marco Scutaro.  The pitching staff is mostly still together, with the exception of former closer RHP Brian Wilson.  RHP Tim Lincecum is penciled in the rotation, but will have a short leash.  The Giants should return to the postseason in 2013, but another championship will be tough.

Arizona Diamondbacks (Last Year:  81-81, 3rd NL West) – The Diamondbacks will compete in 2013, but they probably won’t have enough to make the postseason.  Like the Brewers and Pirates, this is not a bad team.  They acquired 3B Martin Prado in the offseason, which will be a big boost and solidify what has been a revolving door at third base.  Several of the pitchers will have to prove that 2012 was not a fluke.  However, if everything goes right, a playoff run is not out of the question.

Colorado Rockies (Last Year:  64-98, 5th NL West) – The Rockies underachieved in 2012, making new manager Walt Weiss’ job even tougher to get the best out of this team.  This is a solid lineup, especially when OF Carlos Gonzalez and SS Troy Tulowitzki are healthy.  The biggest question, as it usually is with Colorado, is whether there is enough pitching.  The back end of the bullpen, RHP Rafael Betancourt and RHP Matt Belisle are proven pitchers.  However, everyone else, including the entire rotation, will need to prove themselves early in the season.  The other story-line with the Rockies:  perhaps 1B Todd Helton’s final season.

San Diego Padres (Last Year:  76-86, 4th NL West) – The Padres will have some problems if they can’t score, and can’t keep opponents from scoring.  3B Chase Headley is out to start the season, so it makes that lack of offense issue a little more glaring.  Without Headley, it makes it easier to pitch around the other top hitters in the lineup, 1B Yonder Alonso and OF Carlos Quentin.  The top of the rotation and back end of the bullpen are good, everything in between is adequate at best.  This could end up being another long season in San Diego.

NL Wild Card:  Braves over Giants

NLDS:  Nationals over Braves, Reds over Dodgers

NLCS:  Nationals over Reds

World Series Pick:  Nationals over Blue Jays, 6 games.

The team that used to be from Canada, beats the only team in Canada.  The Nationals are poised to bring a championship back to the nation’s capital.  Last year provided a taste of what postseason success can taste like.

Now, obviously, this is a guess.  That’s what makes baseball so great.  On Opening Day, every fan from every team thinks that theirs can win a World Series.

Happy Baseball Season!!

2013 NFL Mock Draft – 4th Edition

The post-free agency frenzy 2013 NFL Mock Draft is finally here.  After the initial flurry of deals, it becomes more clear what needs teams will look to fill in through the draft.  The 4th edition, is also the first complete mock draft.

Texas A&M T Luke Joeckel remains the No. 1 overall in the mock draft.  West Virginia QB Geno Smith stays as the only quarterback in the first round.  However, it would not be surprising for other quarterbacks to end up being drafted in the first round.

Just for fun, the predicted Mr. Irrelevant for 2013:  RB Knile Davis from Arkansas going to Indianapolis.

As always, any likenesses of this mock draft to any other mock drafts is purely coincidental.  If you do link or re-print part of this, please give credit where credit is due.

Round 1
Pick	Team	Player	School
1	Chiefs	T Luke Joeckel	Texas A&M
2	Jaguars	CB Dee Milliner	Alabama
3	Radiers	DT Sharrif Floyd	Florida
4	Eagles	DE Dion Jordan	Oregon
5	Lions	T Eric Fisher	Central Michigan
6	Browns	G Chance Warmack	Alabama
7	Cardinals	QB Geno Smith	West Virginia
8	Bills	WR Cordarrelle Patterson	Tennessee
9	Jets	T Lane Johnson	Oklahoma
10	Titans	CB Xavier Rhodes	Florida State
11	Chargers	G Jonathan Cooper	North Carolina
12	Dolphins	DE Bjoern Werner	Florida State
13	Buccaneers	DE Ezekiel Ansah	BYU
14	Panthers	DT Sheldon Richardson	Missouri
15	Saints	OLB Barkevious Mingo	LSU
16	Rams	FS Kenny Vaccaro	Texas
17	Steelers	OLB Jarvis Jones	Georgia
18	Cowboys	DT Star Lotulelei	Utah
19	Giants	T D.J. Fluker	Alabama
20	Bears	ILB Kevin Minter	LSU
21	Bengals	CB Desmond Trufant	Washington
22	Rams (from Redskins)	WR Tavon Austin	West Virginia
23	Vikings	DT Johnathan Hankins	Ohio State
24	Colts	DE Datone Jones	UCLA
25	Vikings (from Seahawks)	WR DeAndre Hopkins	Clemson
26	Packers	RB Eddie Lacy	Alabama
27	Texans	WR Keenan Allen	California
28	Broncos	DT Kawann Short	Purdue
29	Patriots	DE Damontre Moore	Texas A&M
30	Falcons	DE Sam Montgomery	LSU
31	49ers	CB Johnthan Banks	Mississippi State
32	Ravens	ILB Manti Te’o	Notre Dame
Round 2
33	Jaguars	QB Matt Barkley	USC
34	49ers (from Chiefs)	SS Matt Elam	Florida
35	Eagles	OLB Alec Ogletree	Georgia
36	Lions	DE Alex Okafor	Texas
37	Bengals (from Raiders)	OLB Arthur Brown	Kansas State
38	Cardinals	TE Tyler Eifert	Notre Dame
XX	Browns	Forfeited due to pick in 2nd round of last year’s supplemental draft
39	Jets	SS Jonathan Cyprien	Florida International
40	Titans	G Justin Pugh	Syracuse
41	Bills	QB Ryan Nassib	Syracuse
42	Dolphins	TE Zach Ertz	Stanford
43	Buccaneers	CB Jamar Taylor	Boise State
44	Panthers	WR Robert Woods	USC
XX	Saints	Forfeited due to involvement in bounty scandal
45	Chargers	T Kyle Long	Oregon
46	Rams	T Terron Armstead	Arkansas-Pine Bluff
47	Cowboys	C Barrett Jones	Alabama
48	Steelers	DE Marqus Hunt	Southern Methodist
49	Giants	DT Jesse Williams	Alabama
50	Bears	DT Sylvester Williams	North Carolina
51	Redskins	CB David Amerson	North Carolina State
52	Vikings	FS Eric Reid	LSU
53	Bengals	DE Cornellius Carradine	Florida State
54	Dolphins (from Colts)	WR Quinton Patton	Louisiana Tech
55	Packers	WR Terrance Williams	Baylor
56	Seahawks	WR Justin Hunter	Tennessee
57	Texans	OLB Khaseem Greene	Rutgers
58	Broncos	CB Jordan Poyer	Oregon State
59	Patriots	WR Markus Wheaton	Oregon State
60	Falcons	OLB Sio Moore	Connecticut
61	49ers	OLB Jamie Collins	Southern Mississippi
62	Ravens	DT John Jenkins	Georgia
Round 3
63	Chiefs	QB Tyler Wilson	Arkansas
64	Jaguars	T Menelik Watson	Florida State
65	Lions	RB Giovani Bernard	North Carolina
66	Raiders	QB EJ Manuel	Florida State
67	Eagles	CB Darius Slay	Mississippi State
68	Browns	QB Mike Glennon	North Carolina State
69	Cardinals	T Dallas Thomas	Tennessee
70	Titans	C Travis Frederick	Wisconsin
71	Bills	OLB Trevardo Williams	Connecticut
72	Jets	WR Aaron Dobson	Marshall
73	Buccaneers	TE Vance McDonald	Rice
74	49ers (from Panthers)	WR Da’Rick Rogers	Tennessee Tech
75	Saints	FS Phillip Thomas	Fresno State
76	Chargers	CB Robert Alford	Southeastern Louisiana
77	Dolphins	CB Tyrann Mathieu	LSU
78	Rams	G Larry Warford	Kentucky
79	Steelers	SS Shamarko Thomas	Syracuse
80	Cowboys	DE John Simon	Ohio State
81	Giants	CB Logan Ryan	Rutgers
82	Dolphins (from Bears)	RB Johnathan Franklin	UCLA
83	Vikings	T David Bakhtiari	Colorado
84	Bengals	RB Joseph Randle	Oklahoma State
85	Redskins	FS Bacarri Rambo	Georgia
86	Colts	CB Dwayne Gratz	Connecticut
87	Seahawks	TE Gavin Escobar	San Diego State
88	Packers	QB Tyler Bray	Tennessee
89	Texans	G Brian Winters	Kent State
90	Broncos	RB Andre Ellington	Clemson
91	Patriots	DT Brandon Williams	Missouri Southern State
92	Falcons	RB Montee Ball	Wisconsin
93	49ers	C Brian Schwenke	California
94	Ravens	FS T.J. McDonald	USC
95	Texans (compensatory)	T Oday Aboushi	Virginia
96	Chiefs (compensatory)	WR Ryan Swope	Texas A&M
97	Titans (compensatory)	TE Travis Kelce	Cincinnati
Round 4
98	Jaguars	OLB Corey Lemonier	Auburn
99	Chiefs	DE Malliciah Goodman	Clemson
100	Raiders	CB B.W. Webb	William & Mary
101	Eagles	SS Shawn Williams	Georgia
102	Vikings (from Lions)	OLB Zaviar Gooden	Missouri
103	Cardinals	ILB Kiko Alonso	Oregon
104	Browns	WR Marquise Goodwin	Texas
105	Bills	FS D.J. Swearinger	South Carolina
106	Jets	RB Stepfan Taylor	Stanford
107	Titans	RB Christine Michael	Texas A&M
108	Panthers	CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson	Connecticut
109	Saints	DT Akeem Spence	Illinois
110	Chargers	TE Jordan Reed	Florida
111	Dolphins	T Chris Faulk	LSU
112	Buccaneers	OLB DeVonte Holloman	South Carolina
113	Rams	OLB Sean Porter	Texas A&M
114	Cowboys	SS JJ Wilcox	Georgia Southern
115	Steelers	WR Tavarres King	Georgia
116	Giants	OLB Brandon Jenkins	Florida State
117	Bears	T Jordan Mills	Louisiana Tech
118	Bengals	ILB Jon Bostic	Florida
119	Redskins	WR Stedman Bailey	West Virginia
120	Vikings	CB Leon McFadden	San Diego State
121	Colts	T David Quessenberry	San Jose State
122	Packers	OLB Chase Thomas	Stanford
123	Seahawks	DE Devin Taylor	South Carolina
124	Texans	ILB Nico Johnson	Alabama
125	Broncos	FS Josh Evans	Florida
126	Buccaneers (from Patriots)	QB Landry Jones	Oklahoma
127	Falcons	CB Brandon McGee	Miami (Fla.)
128	49ers	DE Lavar Edwards	LSU
129	Ravens	WR Kenny Stills	Oklahoma
130	Ravens (compensatory)	OLB Jelani Jenkins	Florida
131	49ers (compensatory)	TE Dion Sims	Michigan State
132	Lions (compensatory)	WR Cobi Hamilton	Arkansas
133	Falcons (compensatory)	C Khaled Holmes	USC
Round 5
134	Chiefs	OLB Keith Pough	Howard
135	Jaguars	G Alvin Bailey	Arkansas
136	Eagles	DT Jordan Hill	Penn State
137	Lions	CB Will Davis	Utah State
138	Seahawks (from Raiders)	DT Montori Hughes	Tennessee-Martin
139	Browns	DE Cornelius Washington	Georgia
140	Cardinals	RB Le’Veon Bell	Michigan State
141	Jets	ILB Keith Reddick	North Carolina
142	Titans	OLB Gerald Hodges	Penn State
143	Bills	G J.C. Tretter	Cornell
144	Saints	CB Tharold Simon	LSU
145	Chargers	WR Chris Harper	Kansas State
146	Dolphins	DT Bennie Logan	LSU
147	Buccaneers	T Xavier Nixon	Florida
148	Panthers	SS Robert Lester	Alabama
149	Rams	RB Marcus Lattimore	South Carolina
150	Steelers	RB Mike Gillislee	Florida
151	Cowboys	OLB Lerentee McCray	Florida
152	Giants	TE Nick Kasa	Colorado
153	Bears	CB Nickell Robey	USC
154	Redskins	DT Everett Dawkins	Florida State
155	Vikings	QB Matt Scott	Arizona
156	Bengals	T Brennan Williams	North Carolina
157	49ers (from Colts)	DT T.J. Barnes	Georgia Tech
158	Seahawks	OLB Ty Powell	Harding
159	Packers	FS Tony Jefferson	Oklahoma
160	Texans	FB Lonnie Pryor	Florida State
161	Broncos	ILB A.J. Klein	Iowa State
162	Redskins (from Patriots)	DE William Gholston	Michigan State
163	Falcons	WR Conner Vernon	Duke
164	49ers	CB Terry Hawthorne	Illinois
165	Ravens	T Reid Fragel	Ohio State
166	Dolphins (compensatory)	OLB Etienne Sabino	Ohio State
167	Packers (compensatory)	RB Kenjon Barner	Oregon
168	Ravens (compensatory)	QB Zac Dyser	Miami (Ohio)
Round 6
169	Jaguars	RB Jawan Jamison	Rutgers
170	Chiefs	G Hugh Thornton	Illinois
171	Lions	FS Rontez Miles	California (PA)
172	Raiders	P Brad Wing	LSU
173	Browns (from Eagles)	CB Josh Johnson	Purdue
174	Cardinals	DE David Bass	Missouri Western State
175	Browns	FB Tommy Bohanon	Wake Forest
176	Cardinals (from Titans, Vikings)	CB Sanders Commings	Georgia
177	Bills	WR Josh Boyce	TCU
178	Jets	OLB Brandon Magee	Arizona State
179	Chargers	RB Theo Riddick	Notre Dame
180	49ers (from Dolphins)	T Ricky Wagner	Wisconsin
181	Buccaneers	WR Corey Fuller	Virginia Tech
182	Panthers	G Eric Herman	Ohio
183	Saints	WR Ace Sanders	South Carolina
184	Rams	DT Kwame Geathers	Georgia
185	Cowboys	G Garrett Gilkey	Chadron State
186	Steelers	TE Chris Gragg	Arkansas
187	Giants	WR Aaron Mellette	Elon
188	Bears	OLB Eric Martin	Nebraska
189	Vikings	FB Kyle Juszczyk	Harvard
190	Bengals	C Braxston Cave	Notre Dame
191	Redskins	T Jason Weaver	Southern Mississippi
192	Colts	DT Josh Boyd	Mississippi State
193	Packers	C P.J. Lonergan	LSU
194	Seahawks	ILB Jonathan Stewart	Texas A&M
195	Texans	SS Earl Wolff	North Carolina State
196	Buccaneers (from Broncos through Eagles)	RB Kerwynn Williams	Utah State
197	Bengals (from Patriots)	WR Rodney Smith	Florida State
198	Falcons	DT Cory Grissom	South Florida
199	49ers	CB Steve Williams	California
200	Ravens	CB Adrian Bushell	Louisville
201	Texans (compensatory)	RB Zac Stacy	Vanderbilt
202	Titans (compensatory)	DE Michael Buchanan	Illinois
203	Ravens (compensatory)	TE Ryan Otten	San Jose State
204	Chiefs (compensatory)	CB Johnny Adams	Michigan State
205	Raiders (compensatory)	TE Mychal Rivera	Tennessee
206	Steelers (compensatory)	G Omoregie Uzzi	Georgia Tech
Round 7
207	Chiefs	RB Cierre Wood	Notre Dame
208	Jaguars	FS Daimion Stafford	Nebraska
209	Raiders	OLB John Lotulelei	UNLV
210	Eagles	WR Denard Robinson	Michigan
211	Lions	G Jeff Baca	UCLA
212	Eagles (from Browns)	T Braden Brown	BYU
213	Vikings (from Cardinals)	WR Jasper Collins	Mount Union
214	Seahawks (from Bills)	FB Zach Line	Southern Methodist
215	Jets	QB Sean Renfree	Duke
216	Titans	SS Duke Williams	Nevada
217	Dolphins	C Matt Stankiewitch	Penn State
218	Eagles (from Buccaneers)	P Quinn Sharp	Oklahoma State
219	Raiders (from Panthers)	ILB Steve Beauharnais	Rutgers
220	Seahawks (from Saints)	RB Ray Graham	Pittsburgh
221	Chargers	OLB Travis Johnson	San Jose State
222	Rams	TE Jake Stoneburner	Ohio State
223	Steelers	CB Micah Hyde	Iowa
224	Dolphins (from Cowboys)	G Sam Brenner	Utah
225	Giants	DE Stansly Maponga	TCU
226	Patriots (from Bears through Buccaneers)	CB Marc Anthony	California
227	49ers (from Bengals)	DT Anthony McCloud	Florida State
228	Redskins	WR Marquess Wilson	Washington State
229	Vikings	WR Alec Lemon	Syracuse
230	Colts	WR Brandon Kaufman	Eastern Washington
231	Vikings (from Seahawks)	CB D.J. Hayden	Houston
232	Packers	K Dustin Hopkins	Clemson
233	Texans	DT Mike Purcell	Wyoming
234	Broncos	TE Michael Williams	Alabama
235	Patriots	FS Jakar Hamilton	South Carolina State
236	Falcons	SS Keelan Johnson	Arizona State
237	49ers	CB Mike Edwards	Hawaii
238	Ravens	DE Tourek Williams	Florida International
239	Eagles (compensatory)	QB Jordan Rodgers	Vanderbilt
240	Bengals (compensatory)	RB Miquel Maysonet	Stony Brook
241	Seahawks (compensatory)	T Tanner Hawkinson	Kansas
242	Seahawks (compensatory)	G Earl Watford	James Madison
243	Falcons (compensatory)	ILB Albert Rosette	Nevada
244	Falcons (compensatory)	TE Zach Sudfeld	Nevada
245	Lions (compensatory)	OLB Herman Lathers	Tennessee
246	49ers (compensatory)	FB Kyler Reed	Nebraska
247	Ravens (compensatory)	CB Kahlid Wooten	Nevada
248	Titans (compensatory)	CB Travis Howard	Ohio State
249	Falcons (compensatory)	T Roger Gaines	Tennessee State
250	Dolphins (compensatory)	FS Bradley McDougald	Kansas
251	Bengals (compensatory)	K Caleb Sturgis	Florida
252	49ers (compensatory)	TE Jack Doyle	Western Kentucky
253	Giants (compensatory)	ILB Vince Williams	Florida State
254	Colts (compensatory)	RB Knile Davis	Arkansas

The next edition of the mock draft will likely come just before the 2013 NFL Draft

2013 NFL Mock Draft – 3rd Edition

The 2013 NFL Scouting Combine has passed, and several pro prospects impressed scouts, while others have created an uphill climb as the NFL Draft approaches.

Granted there are still Pro Days and individual workouts that will occur, but the first impressions made by players on scouts and coaches will be remembered by everyone when decision day comes.

So here is the third edition of the 2013 NFL Mock Draft.  This draft includes the first three rounds.  There still could be an added compensatory selection at the end of the third round.  The next edition will come closer to the draft, once teams have filled some of their needs through free agency.

As stated before, there is no obvious first overall pick in this draft.  This overall class is way down.  A team has just as good of luck of landing a super-star player in the fourth round, as they do in the first round.

The one big change in this third edition of the mock draft is moving West Virginia QB Geno Smith into the first round.  Southern Cal QB Matt Barkley’s injury concerns, and no real indication on an individual workout, makes it a little risky to pick him right now.  Barkley does go very early in the second round.

Just as a reminder, any similarities to other mock drafts are purely coincidental.  This is on my own research and guesses based on team needs to determine this mock draft.

First Round:

#1 – Kansas City Chiefs – T Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

#2 – Jacksonville Jaguars – DE Bjoern Werner, Florida State

#3 – Oakland Raiders – DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida

#4 – Philadelphia Eagles – T Lane Johnson, Oklahoma

#5 – Detroit Lions – CB Dee Milliner, Alabama

#6 – Cleveland Browns – G Chance Warmack, Alabama

#7 – Arizona Cardinals – QB Geno Smith, West Virginia

#8 – Buffalo Bills – WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee

#9 – New York Jets – OLB Jarvis Jones, Georgia

#10 – Tennessee Titans – CB Xavier Rhodes, Florida State

#11 – San Diego Chargers – T Eric Fisher, Central Michigan

#12 – Miami Dolphins – DT Star Lotulelei, Utah

#13 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – DE Dion Jordan, Oregon

#14 – Carolina Panthers – DT Sheldon Richardson, Missouri

#15 – New Orleans Saints – OLB Barkevious Mingo, LSU

#16 – St. Louis Rams – FS Kenny Vaccaro, Texas

#17 – Pittsburgh Steelers – DE Ezekiel Ansah, BYU

#18 – Dallas Cowboys – G Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina

#19 – New York Giants – T D.J. Fluker, Alabama

#20 – Chicago Bears – ILB Kevin Minter, LSU

#21 – Cincinnati Bengals – DE Datone Jones, UCLA

#22 – St. Louis Rams (from Washington) – WR Tavon Austin, West Virginia

#23 – Minnesota Vikings – WR Robert Woods, Southern California

#24 – Indianapolis Colts – CB Desmond Trufant, Washington

#25 – Seattle Seahawks – DT Kawann Short, Purdue

#26 – Green Bay Packers – RB Eddie Lacy, Alabama

#27 – Houston Texans – WR Keenan Allen, California

#28 – Denver Broncos – DT Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State

#29 – New England Patriots – CB Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State

#30 – Atlanta Falcons – DE Damontre Moore, Texas A&M

#31 – San Francisco 49ers – DT Jesse Williams, Alabama

#32 – Baltimore Ravens – ILB Manti Te’o, Notre Dame

 

Second Round:

 

#33 (overall) – Jacksonville Jaguars – QB Matt Barkley, Southern Cal

 

#34 – San Francisco 49ers (from Chiefs) – SS Matt Elam, Florida

 

#35 – Philadelphia Eagles – OLB Alec Ogletree, Georgia

 

#36 – Detroit Lions – DE Sam Montgomery, LSU

 

#37 – Cincinnati Bengals (from Raiders) – WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson

 

#38 – Arizona Cardinals – TE Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame

 

Cleveland Browns – Forfeited pick due to making selection in 2012 Supplemental Draft

 

#39 – New York Jets – QB Mike Glennon, North Carolina State

 

#40 – Tennessee Titans – DE Alex Okafor, Texas

 

#41 – Buffalo Bills – QB Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

 

#42 – Miami Dolphins – T Kyle Long, Oregon

 

#43 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – TE Zach Ertz, Stanford

 

#44 – Carolina Panthers – FS Eric Reid, LSU

 

New Orleans Saints – Pick forfeited due to bounty scandal

 

#45 – San Diego Chargers – CB Jamar Taylor, Boise State

 

#46 – St. Louis Rams – OLB Arthur Brown, Kansas State

 

#47 – Dallas Cowboys – SS Jonathan Cyprien, Florida International

 

#48 – Pittsburgh Steelers – WR Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech

 

#49 – New York Giants – CB David Amerson, North Carolina State

 

#50 – Chicago Bears – T Terron Armstead, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

 

#51 – Washington Redskins – WR Terrance Williams, Baylor

 

#52 – Minnesota Vikings – DT John Jenkins, Georgia

 

#53 – Cincinnati Bengals – OLB Khaseem Green, Rutgers

 

#54 – Miami Dolphins (from Colts) – WR Justin Hunter, Tennessee

 

#55 – Green Bay Packers – C Barrett Jones, Alabama

 

#56 – Seattle Seahawks – WR Markus Wheaton, Oregon State

 

#57 – Houston Texans – T Menelik Watson, Florida State

 

#58 – Denver Broncos – CB Jordan Poyer, Oregon State

 

#59 – New England Patriots – DE Margus Hunt, Southern Methodist

 

#60 – Atlanta Falcons – RB Giovani Bernard, North Carolina

 

#61 – San Francisco 49ers – OLB Sio Moore, Connecticut

 

#62 – Baltimore Ravens – T Dallas Thomas, Tennessee

 

Third Round:

 

#63 (overall) – Kansas City Chiefs – QB Ryan Nassib, Syracuse

 

#64 – Jacksonville Jaguars – CB Darius Slay, Mississippi State

 

#65 – Detroit Lions – FS Phillip Thomas, Fresno State

 

#66 – Oakland Raiders – DE Cornellius Carradine, Florida State

 

#67 – Philadelphia Eagles – C Travis Frederick, Wisconsin

 

#68 – Cleveland Browns – OLB Jamie Collins, Southern Mississippi

 

#69 – Arizona Cardinals – OLB Trevardo Williams, Connecticut

 

#70 – Tennessee Titans – G Larry Warford, Kentucky

 

#71 – Buffalo Bills – SS Shamarko Thomas, Syracuse

 

#72 – New York Jets – WR Da’Rick Rogers, Tennessee Tech

 

#73 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – QB EJ Manuel, Florida State

 

#74 – San Francisco 49ers (from Panthers) – CB Robert Alford, Southeastern Louisiana

 

#75 – New Orleans Saints – CB Tyrann Mathieu, LSU

 

#76 – San Diego Chargers – TE Vance McDonald, Rice

 

#77 – Miami Dolphins – CB Logan Ryan, Rutgers

 

#78 – St. Louis Rams – T David Bakhtiari, Colorado

 

#79 – Pittsburgh Steelers – RB Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State

 

#80 – Dallas Cowboys – DT Brandon Williams, Missouri Southern State

 

#81 – New York Giants – OLB Sean Porter, Texas A&M

 

#82 – Miami Dolphins (from Bears) – TE Gavin Escobar, San Diego State

 

#83 – Minnesota Vikings – FS Bacarri Rambo, Georgia

 

#84 – Cincinnati Bengals – RB Montee Ball, Wisconsin

 

#85 – Washington Redskins – CB Dwayne Gratz, Connecticut

 

#86 – Indianapolis Colts – WR Aaron Dobson, Marshall

 

#87 – Seattle Seahawks – DE John Simon, Ohio State

 

#88 – Green Bay Packers – WR Ryan Swope, Texas A&M

 

#89 – Houston Texans – OLB DeVonte Holloman, South Carolina

 

#90 – Denver Broncos – RB Johnathan Franklin, UCLA

 

#91 – New England Patriots – DT Sylvester Williams, North Carolina

 

#92 – Atlanta Falcons – C Brian Schwenke, California

 

#93 – San Francisco 49ers – WR Marquise Goodwin, Texas

 

#94 – Baltimore Ravens – FS Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma

 

Gamecocks at the NFL Combine

Below are a summary of the South Carolina Gamecocks that participated at the 2013 NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

PLAYER	40-YARD DASH	BENCH PRESS	VERTICAL JUMP	BROAD JUMP	3-CONE DRILL	20-YARD SHUTTLE	60-YARD SHUTTLE
TE-Justice Cunningham	4.94	DNP	31.5	116.0	7.12	4.45	11.88
RB-Marcus Lattimore	DNP
LB-DeVonte Holloman	4.76	15	33.0	113.0	7.30	4.26	DNP
OL-T.J. Johnson	5.33	32	25.5	96.0	7.83	4.74	DNP
WR-Ace Sanders	4.58	7	32.0	117.0	6.81	4.37	11.29
S-D.J. Swearinger	4.67	17	37.0	124.0	DNP	DNP	DNP
DL-Devin Taylor	4.72	14	35.0	128.0	DNP	DNP	DNP

Source:  NFL.com

For all of the players, there is room for improvement at the Gamecocks’ Pro Day and the players’ individual workouts.  There were good performances in some drills, but no player had an overall impressive workout.

Each player could use to decrease their 40-yard dash time.  Of all the players, Ace Sanders’ 40-yard dash time is the most disappointing.

Devin Taylor impressed scouts and coaches at the NFL Combine with his athleticism, but it would help his draft status if he can show a little more strength.

Justice Cunningham’s numbers were also good, but he will definitely need to show that he can do all the things a tight end does.

T.J. Johnson will only help himself if he can prove he is versatile enough to play all the positions on the offensive line.  It also helps that he played center.

DeVonte Holloman is an intriguing prospect, as he enters the draft as a linebacker.  He played some safety and the SPUR position for the Gamecocks, which brought Holloman more into a linebacker’s position in a traditional defense.

D.J. Swearinger has the tools, but his numbers were so-so, and he will need to prove that some of his antics this past season are a thing of the past.  An NFL coach will only give you so many chances.

Players also have to go through the interview process with teams.  For some, it’s a good thing those aren’t publicized.  For others, it puts the foot in the door to get a shot at the NFL.

Unless someone has a spectacular workout before the draft, don’t expect any Gamecocks’ players to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft.  The two main candidates to be taken first of the Gamecocks will be either Taylor or Marcus Lattimore, likely on day two (second and third rounds), or early on day three.

An updated NFL mock draft will be coming soon, now that the 2013 NFL Combine is complete.

2013 NASCAR Preview: Trying to Predict with a lot of Unknowns

This weekend starts the real NASCAR season, after fans got a preview with the Sprint Unlimited last weekend.  All three NASCAR national touring series have their first points event this weekend at the Daytona International Speedway.

There are so many stories entering this 2013 season, many of them involving the Sprint Cup Series.  2013 is the first year using the ‘Gen-6’ car, Danica-mania reaches the Sprint Cup Series full-time, and television coverage negotiations will take place.

The new ‘Gen-6’ car is designed to take NASCAR back to its roots.  While continuing an emphasis on safety, the new car is designed to look more like the show room model at any car dealership in the country.  Fans and casual viewers should be able to identify a cars make, just by looking at it.  The hope is that it is a return to what wins on Sunday, sells on Monday.

The unknown is how well this car will race and affect the overall on-track product.  While it is tough to tell at Daytona, the next few weeks will be critical in seeing what the racing looks like.

After running the full Nationwide Series schedule and a part-time Cup schedule in 2012, Danica Patrick moves to the Sprint Cup Series full-time in 2013.  While people differ on how well she will do, there is little doubt that she can drive a race car.  The only question, can she compete?

What she does allow is for the media to jump on this topic as a regular discussion.  The reason:  people want to hear about this, and it makes for a good story.  This is no more evident than her winning the pole for Sunday’s Daytona 500.  People want to know about Danica.

Now, people also want to look into her personal life.  Just before the season began, the relationship between Patrick and fellow Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year Candidate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. went public.  This has now created the dynamic of how they will race each other and what happens if they break up.  This is an interesting topic, because this has never come up before (that we know of).

The final big topic in 2013 is the upcoming television negotiations.  The current deal runs through the 2014 season.  FOX has already re-signed long-term for coverage of the first part of the Cup schedule and the Camping World Truck Series.  ESPN and TNT have not.

That is one of the reasons this season is so critical.  Ratings are not good, race attendance is not good.  These networks want to make sure they are getting a return on their investment.  It’s one of the reasons, whether you love it or hate it, the Danica Patrick story will stick around.

Depending on who you talk to, you get a different story on where the negotiations are, and who is all involved.  NBC and CBS could also jump into the negotiations for the rest of the Sprint Cup schedule and Nationwide Series.

Now for predictions in each series:

2013 Sprint Cup Series

Champion:  Denny Hamlin

Don’t be surprised though if:  Jeff Gordon

Breakthrough Driver:  Joey Logano

You would kind of think it’s weird to have Jeff Gordon in the underdog category, but it has been a struggle some for the four-time champion.  There have been flashes of THE old Jeff Gordon, but there have also been times of AN old Jeff Gordon.  There is no denying that he knows how to win races, but it has been awhile since he’s put an entire, consistent season together.

Denny Hamlin is in a position to finally grab what has been eluding him.  He has been so close, and more importantly, he’s learned how to lose a championship.  Ever since his then-Busch Series (now-Nationwide) debut at Darlington several years ago, where he finished in the top-10, I’ve known that this guy would be successful.  He finally gets the job done.

Former Gibbs-teammate Joey Logano moves to Penske Racing and is now a teammate of defending champion Brad Keselowski.  Logano is finally out from the shadow of replacing Tony Stewart at Joe Gibbs Racing, and should break-out in 2013.  Again, there is no denying that Logano can drive a race car.

2013 Nationwide Series

Champion:  Austin Dillon

Don’t be surprised though if:  Brian Vickers

Breakthrough Driver:  Michael Annett

If Austin Dillon’s career path tells us anything, it is that his second full season in a series, is usually the one he wins it all.  Dillon was a contender for the championship in 2012 down until the end.  The grandson of legendary car owner Richard Childress should be able to take his experience of losing a championship last year, to win it this year.

Brian Vickers returns to the Nationwide Series in 2013, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.  Many people forget the Vickers is a past series champion, winning it ten years ago when he was just 20-years old.  Vickers was extremely competitive in a limited schedule for Michael Waltrip Racing in the Cup Series last year, making expectations high for the veteran driver.  He will again run a limited schedule for Waltrip, in the car primarily driven by Mark Martin.

Michael Annett went to Daytona last year with a team that formed in the days before the season started.  As the season went on, the Richard Petty Motorsports team and driver continued to get stronger and run more consistently.  Don’t be surprised if Annett wins a race or two, and is contending for the 2013 championship.

2013 Camping World Truck Series

Champion:  Ty Dillon

Don’t be surprised though if:  James Buescher

Breakthrough Driver:  Joey Coulter

Ty Dillon, Austin’s younger brother, might actually be the better brother.  He is entering his second season in the Truck Series, and learned last year how to lose a championship.  Now that he has the experience, it could be a big year for Ty.

It does seem weird to put the defending series champion, James Buescher, in the dark horse category.  However, one of the hardest things to do is to win back-to-back championships.  Surprisingly, Buescher announced he would run a full schedule again in NASCAR’s third tier series, despite winning the championship.  Based on some past drivers, it doesn’t hurt to be well seasoned, before making a leap to the next series.

It’s kind of hard to get a fair deal when you are a driver on a team who also has the owner’s grandson on it.  That is the situation where Joey Coulter found himself.  This year he moves over to Kyle Busch Motorsports to run its flagship No. 18.  Coulter showed flashes of his talent last season, and now being the leading driver, and not in the shadow of Ty Dillon, it should be a great season for Coulter.

There you have it, predictions on all three series, before the first green flag of a points event drops in 2013.

2013 NFL Mock Draft – 2nd Edition

With the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis beginning at the end of the week, it is a good time to update my edition of the NFL Mock Draft.

There are some slight changes, based on some off-the-field issues that have popped up in the last few weeks.

If I ran an NFL team right now, I would be dreading this year’s draft.  I would not want to have a top pick, simply because there is so little difference in talent, that I could draft someone with equal talent on day two or three, without having to pay as much.  It is a moving target as to who might be the first overall pick.  Hopefully, the NFL Scouting Combine will provide some separation.

Again, I don’t have West Virginia QB Geno Smith in the first round.  Like before, I do believe that he will get picked in the first round, but I don’t account for trades.  Even with the injury concerns, I still believe Southern California QB Matt Barkley is better suited for NFL success.

First Round:

#1 – Kansas City Chiefs – T Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

#2 – Jacksonville Jaguars – G Chance Warmack, Alabama

#3 – Oakland Raiders – CB Dee Milliner, Alabama

#4 – Philadelphia Eagles – DT Star Lotulelei, Utah

#5 – Detroit Lions – OLB Jarvis Jones, Georgia

#6 – Cleveland Browns – DE Bjoern Werner, Florida State

#7 – Arizona Cardinals – QB Matt Barkley, Southern California

#8 – Buffalo Bills – DE Damontre Moore, Texas A&M

#9 – New York Jets – T Lane Johnson, Oklahoma

#10 – Tennessee Titans – DE Barkevious Mingo, LSU

#11 – San Diego Chargers – T Eric Fisher, Central Michigan

#12 – Miami Dolphins – WR Keenan Allen, California

#13 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida

#14 – Carolina Panthers – DT Sheldon Richardson, Missouri

#15 – New Orleans Saints – S Kenny Vaccaro, Texas

#16 – St. Louis Rams – T D.J. Fluker, Alabama

#17 – Pittsburgh Steelers – WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee

#18 – Dallas Cowboys – DE Datone Jones, UCLA

#19 – New York Giants – DE Ezekiel Ansah, BYU

#20 – Chicago Bears – G Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina

#21 – Cincinnati Bengals – OLB Alec Ogletree, Georgia

#22 – St. Louis Rams (from Washington) – DT Jesse Williams, Alabama

#23 – Minnesota Vikings – CB Xavier Rhodes, Florida State

#24 – Indianapolis Colts – CB Desmond Trufant, Washington

#25 – Seattle Seahawks – DE Dion Jordan, Oregon

#26 – Green Bay Packers – RB Eddie Lacy, Alabama

#27 – Houston Texans – WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson

#28 – Denver Broncos – DT Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State

#29 – New England Patriots – DT John Jenkins, Georgia

#30 – Atlanta Falcons – DE Alex Okafor, Texas

#31 – San Francisco 49ers – CB Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State

#32 – Baltimore Ravens – ILB Manti Te’o, Notre Dame

Just a reminder, I compiled this completely on my own, and any likeness to any of the real experts is purely coincidental.  If you care to broadcast or re-post this, please at least give credit, to where credit is due.

2013 NFL Mock Draft – 1st Edition

***For the 2nd edition of the 2013 NFL Mock Draft…CLICK HERE***

The promise has come true, as the first edition of the 2013 NFL Mock Draft is released.

Now this is based on my interpretation, and not copying some other professional prognosticator.

This is a very weak draft, and thus it might allow teams to wait until later rounds to take players at specific positions.

The one big difference you might see is the absence of a certain quarterback.  West Virginia QB Geno Smith has a lot of skills, and that might be more of where the league is going.  However, of the top quarterbacks, Southern Cal QB Matt Barkley is the better prospect.

Now, I do believe Smith gets picked up in the first round, but based on the teams right now, he is not in the mock draft.  But there will be some team that will jump back into day one of the draft to pick him up.

First Round:

#1 – Kansas City Chiefs – OLB Jarvis Jones, Georgia

#2 – Jacksonville Jaguars – DE Bjoern Werner, Florida State

#3 – Oakland Raiders – DT Star Lotulelei, Utah

#4 – Philadelphia Eagles – T Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

#5 – Detroit Lions – CB Dee Milliner, Alabama

#6 – Cleveland Browns – DE Barkevious Mingo, LSU

#7 – Arizona Cardinals – QB Matt Barkley, Southern California

#8 – Buffalo Bills – DE Damontre Moore, Texas A&M

#9 – New York Jets – G Chance Warmack, Alabama

#10 – Tennessee Titans – S Kenny Vaccaro, Texas

#11 – San Diego Chargers – T Lane Johnson, Oklahoma

#12 – Miami Dolphins – T Eric Fisher, Central Michigan

#13 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – CB Desmond Trufant, Washington

#14 – Carolina Panthers – DT Sheldon Richardson, Missouri

#15 – New Orleans Saints – OLB Alec Ogletree, Georgia

#16 – St. Louis Rams – WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee

#17 – Pittsburgh Steelers – WR Keenan Allen, California

#18 – Dallas Cowboys – G Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina

#19 – New York Giants – DE Ezekiel Ansah, BYU

#20 – Chicago Bears – DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida

#21 – Cincinnati Bengals – DE Datone Jones, UCLA

#22 – St. Louis Rams (from Washington) – T D.J. Fluker, Alabama

#23 – Minnesota Vikings – DT Jesse Williams, Alabama

#24 – Indianapolis Colts – CB Xavier Rhodes, Florida State

#25 – Seattle Seahawks – TE Zach Ertz, Stanford

#26 – Green Bay Packers – DE Alex Okafor, Texas

#27 – Houston Texans – WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson

#28 – Denver Broncos – DT Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State

#29 – New England Patriots – DE Dion Jordan, Oregon

#30 – Atlanta Falcons – DE Sam Montgomery, LSU

#31 – San Francisco 49ers – DT John Jenkins, Georgia

#32 – Baltimore Ravens – ILB Manti Te’o, Notre Dame

Just a reminder, I compiled this completely on my own, and any likeness to any of the real experts is purely coincidental.  If you care to broadcast or re-post this, please at least give credit, to where credit is due.