Every Swingin’ Dick

Parcells likely to become the VP of football operations for the Atlanta Falcons.

This is a major get for the Falcons if it is true. Parcells brings credibility back to a franchise that is sorely in need of it. He also brings a keen eye for talent (seen the Cowboys roster lately?) It should put an end to the Vick and Petrino circus that has plagued the franchise for the last few years.

In the interests of full disclosure I will admit to being a big Parcells admirer. He seems to have the respect of both his players and his peers, and has always been able to at the very least right the ship of a crap franchise. He took the bloody Jets to the AFC Championship for cryin’ out loud. With Vinny Intercepteverde at QB! That is a mark of genius.

I’m not saying that Parcells will have the Falcons in the Super Bowl anytime soon, but he should have them respectable within a couple of years. After the joke they have become, that is progress.

*UPDATE*

Aaaaaaaand it’s all moot now. Disregard everything I said above and continue on with your life.

*UPDATE AGAIN*

As suggested by Wood, don’t disregard everything. Just replace Falcons with Dolphins, and Vick with Ricky Williams.

Awesome finish to the MNF game last night. It also left me feeling a bit conflicted. I want to hate the Cowboys, but Tony Romo is making it awfully hard:

“Really, it was four?!?” “Thought there was about seven in the first half…”

I don’t want to talk about it.

Upside? Henne got hurt. Silver linings people, silver linings.

Ah, college football is here again. How do we know? Because the University of Michigan Wolverines are out laying an egg on the field. It’s as sure a sign of fall as the turning of the leaves. They were a preseason #5 team and if there is any justice, they will drop out of the top-25 entirely after this:

Appalachian State – 34
Michigan – 32

Chad Henne 20/38, 236 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.

Yes this loss can be pretty much blamed on the inexperienced (and obviously under-performing) defense, but Chad Heiny has to shoulder his share of the blame. 53% completion against Appalachian State?!?!? Please. Let us pray we have heard the last of analysts using “Henne” and “Heisman” in the same sentence. Unless the sentence is, “Chad Henne has no business being mentioned in conjunction with the Heisman Trophy.” Let me also mention that Michigan went for the two-point conversion TWICE and missed. Oh look! They lost by two points. Nice job, Lloyd Carr.

I’d also love to give a nice “Screw You” to the Big10 network that has pretty much prevented all the people who want to watch Big10 games from actually watching Big10 games.

- Cardinals take Ben Patrick, TE from Deleware. I have seen him listed as the #2 TE on a lot of pre-draft lists, so either those lists are way off or the Cards got a good value.

- Steelers draft Dallas Baker, WR from Florida. Should be a factor in the red zone with his size. Not a real tough guy, but maybe he can learn by watching Hines Ward.

- Packers take DeShawn Wynn, RB Florida. An interesting guy who had a lot of injury trouble but has talent. Clashed with coaches often and probably needs to change his attitude.

- Chargers gram Brandon Siler, MLB Florida. Underclassman who was really hurt by coming out early. San Diego is a great place to end up for a MLB, especially with Donnie Edwards gone.

**I think the entire Florida team (except maybe Chris Leak) is going to get drafted. It’s good to be the National Champions.

**I’m surprised to see a couple of QB still left: Matt Moore from Oregon State and Tyler Palko from Pittsburgh. Rumpshaker favorite Jared Zabransky was also left out. Justin Hickman, a DE from UCLA had some big games rushing the passer and is still left. Dan Mozes, C from WVU was a 3-time all Big East player who is left out. I’ll be back in a couple of days to go over some of the notable undrafted players.

This was one hell of a long draft weekend. Almost 18 1/2 hours long. That’s a lot of ESPN even for me.

- The Vikings are delighted to snag Rufus Alexander, OLB Oklahoma. Not great size, and didn’t test very well. He was a great on-field performer. Should fit into that defense well.

- Redskins draft H.B. Blades, MLB Pittsburgh. Super productive player, but undersized at 5’11″. High motor, big hitter. Good value in the 6th round.

- Green Bay takes Mason Crosby, K Colorado. He’ll fight with Dave Rayner for the K job. Both have power legs, the Pack probably hope Crosby can be a little more accurate.

- Redskins take Carson’s brother, Jordan Palmer, QB from UTEP. Really lacks experience at QB, will need to get a lot of reps someplace. All the physical tools, doesn’t seem to read the field very well and throws a lot of INT’s. His lack of experience probably explains that. Project.

- Baltimore snags Prescott Burgess, OLB Michigan. Had a nice career at Michigan and was a part of their vastly improve defense last season. He’s got to be excited about going to Baltimore where he’ll get a chance to learn from some really good players and coaches.

- Cardinals must love those Michigan guys, as they get their third in two years. Steve Breaston, WR Michigan. He had a good career in college on punt returns, but wasn’t an impact guy at WR. Never played up to lofty expectations, but is talented. A good choice at this spot in the draft, Breaston should be able to get on the field immediately as a returner.

- Welcome back to the Redskins. They take Dallas Sartz, OLB from USC.

- Saints take David Jones, CB from Wingate. Not only have I not heard of Mr. Jones, but I’ve never heard of Wingate! The Saints are going to town on these small school guys on day 2.

- The Chiefs take Kolby Jones, RB from Louisville. He took over when Michael Bush got hurt and played really well. Could be a late-round steal.

- Bengals take Jeff Rowe, QB Nevada. He played in the “pistol” offense at Nevada and led them to a couple of bowl games. Developmental prospect.

- Chiefs grab Justin Medlock, K UCLA. Good accuracy, I’m surprised to see him go before Mason Crosby. He’ll have to get his own number in the NFL.

- Colts take another Ohio State WR, Roy Hall. Good player who didn’t get as much attention with Ginn and Gonzalez ahead of him.

- Troy Smith, QB Ohio State finally goes off the board to Baltimore. Really improved in college from year to year, and showed some maturity after some missteps early in his career. Probably not big enough to be an NFL starter, but sometimes you never know. I really like how he embraced being the leader of that team, he might surprise some people.

- Trades that happened before Day 2 starts: Randy Moss to the Patriots for a 4th rounder. Oakland HAD to get him out of town and if anyone can get his head on straight, the Pats can. They have a bit of history doing this sort of thing with Corey Dillon. 4th rounders are basically disposable for the Pats as they always seem to have about 13 trillion picks every year. They’ll replace that pick without any problem. I’m very surprised that Al Davis was convinced to part with Moss. I give credit to Kiffen or whoever got him to cave. Kiper reports that Moss was timed in the 40 yard at 4.29. Whoa. If that is true, then the Pats now have two of the fastest guys in the NFL lining up at WR (Stallworth being the other.) It looks like a win-win trade.

Also traded was Darrell Jackson from the Seahawks to the Niners, also for a 4th rounder. Jackson has had trouble staying on the field due to injuries, but he is pretty good when healthy. The Niners desperately needed to add some wideouts, and they won’t get anyone nearly as good in the 4th round. Great trade. From the Seahawks perspective, they clear a spot for Nate Burleson to play.

- The day starts out with Gene Washington putting the “Los Angeles” Raiders on the clock. Hilarious.

- The Raiders pick up a 1st round talent who is coming off a huge leg injury by selecting Michael Bush, HB Louisville. Huge guy who was a monster in college. Broke his leg in the first game last year and was out for the year. Fantastic guy to take a flyer on in the 4th round.

- Jags take Adam Podlesh, P Maryland. Kiper said he runs a 4.45 40! Introduced the idea that it gives the Jags options on fakes. Interesting and astute observation.

- Cowboys get Isaiah Stanback, QB from Washington. Don’t know if he will stay at QB or move to WR. Either way, he is a project player albeit a talented project.

- Tampa gets Tanard Jackson, DB from Syracuse. I had seen him as a 1st rounder in some mock drafts, so some people must hold him in pretty high regard. Not great speed, which can be hidden in that defense. Could move to safety. Good value.

- Saints take Antonio Pittman, HB Ohio State. He is a guy that I liked better than most of the 2nd round back taken, so in my mind at least the Saints get good value here. He is a good inside runner which should be a nice compliment to the talents of Reggie Bush whenever Deuce moves on.

**They are now reporting that Josh Hancock, a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals has died in an auto accident. Well, that is kind of a downer for a Draft that has already had the Virginia Tech tragedy looming over it. Sad.

- Denver takes ANOTHER defensive lineman. Marcus Thomas, DT from Florida. Was a really good player in college, but was suspended for a good chunk of the 2006 season for drug issues.

- Saints take one of the few T prospects left in this draft, Jermon Bushrod, OT from Towson. He is a project and will probably need to be coached up and sit for a while, but he has the athleticism and talent to be a good T down the line.

- Chargers get Scott Chandler, TE from Iowa. Decent receiver, OK blocker. Not a great athlete, but was a factor in the Iowa offense so he might just be one of those Steve Heiden types that isn’t a star but is a good contributor. Not like the Chargers are desperate for a starter at TE or anything either, so he can sit and develop.

- Oakland grabs Quentin Moses, DE from Georgia. Had a much better 2005 than 2006. Undersized. A “name” guy whose press clippings were better than his performance.

- Arizona gets Buster Davis, MLB from FSU. Tiny guy but a really good player. Size comparison is going to be London Fletcher. He turned out OK as I recall.

- Denver get Ryan Harris, OT from Notre Dame. Another guy who looks the part but didn’t play all that well. If the Broncos can’t make a player out of him, then it probably can’t be done. Helps replace the recently traded George Foster.

- Miami takes Lorenzo Booker, HB, FSU. Nice change of pace back to compliment Brown. Didn’t play up to expectations at FSU, but did have some game changing plays. Could thrive in a specialized role.

- Texans grab Jacoby Jones, WR from Lane. A small school player who intrigued scouts. Good size and speed, but he is raw and didn’t play against top notch competition. A bit of a reach, but I know lots of teams really like him so it isn’t a huge stretch.

- Niners take Jason Hill, WR Washington State. A lot of teams like Hill quite a bit, so the Niners did well to get him at this point. Productive and really fast. Fills a need for them, as they are thin at WR.

- Chiefs take DeMarcus ‘Tank’ Tyler, DT NC State. Good physical ability, good size and motor, but he has some maturity issues. Coach Edwards will try and get that corrected.

- Panthers select Charles Johnson, DE from Georgia. Had a really good 2006, but it was the only year he started. Could have benefited from staying in college for his Sr. year.

- Seattle takes Brandon Mebane, DT from Cal. Short but really strong. A good value in the mid-3rd round.

- Eagles take Tony Hunt, HB Penn State. Hopefully he can play the Correll Buckhalter role without getting hurt every 15 minutes like Correll Buckhalter does. Big physical runner that should fit what the Eagles want to do.

- Buffalo takes Trent Edwards, QB from Stanford. All day long the ESPN guys have been calling him the 3rd best QB in this draft. Stanford was so terrible the last few years that it is almost impossible to evaluate Edwards. I think the Bills are committed to Losman, but they don’t have a lot of depth behind him so it seems to be a decent pick.

- Bears take local product Garrett Wolfe, RB Northern Illinois. A productive small school player, there has been lots of speculation as to whether or not he can make it in the NFL. The Bears think enough of him to use a 3rd rounder on him.

- Colts take Daymeion Hughes, CB from Cal. Was a good college player and should fit into the Tampa 2 defense nicely.

- Niners take Ray McDonald, DE from Florida. Had some injury issues and will probably move to end in the 3-4. Good risk to take at this point.

- Colts take Quinn Pitcock, DT Ohio State. Always heard his name called repeatedly during the Ohio State games. Should help the Colts run defense. A guy who just plugs away all game long.

**Crazy long draft day. 11 hours and 4 minutes. I’m going to bed. I’ll recap things tomorrow but won’t have as much to say about the day 2 guys.

#33 – Cardinals give up a 4th rounder to swap 2nd rounders with the Raiders. They take Alan Branch, DT from Michigan. He is a huge talent but doesn’t play hard all the time. Comparisons to Gabe Watson (also a Cardinal) from last years draft.

#34 – Bills trade up (with the Lions) to take Paul Posluszny, LB from Penn State. Bills give a 3rd rounder and swap #2′s with the Lions. Another guy I saw go in the 15-20 area in most mock drafts. Super productive college player that they probably considered with their 1st round pick. Played both inside and outside so he has that versatility.

#35 – The Bucs take Arron Sears, G from Tennessee. Can play G and T. 1st round talent. The Bucs need OL help, but they seem to draft them every year and none of them ever end up being any good. Maybe they ought to hire someone who can coach them up…

#36 – Philadelphia Eagles make their first pick of the day. Kevin Kolb, QB from Houston. A bit of a surprise this early in the 2nd round, but not a stunner. The ESPN guys have been fawning over Beck and Edwards the last week or so, and I am not a big fan of either guys. I like Beck, but more as a backup than as someone you groom to start. 5th round seemed about right for him. Kolb did more in college than either of those other two guys. The Eagles have four QB’s now (McNabb, Feeley, and Holcomb being the others) so one will probably have to go. McNabb hasn’t played a full schedule in a while, and he will also have a late start to the season because of his injury.

#37 – San Diego trades with the Bears and takes Eric Weddle, SS from Utah. The Chargers did need a safety to replace Keil, but I have no opinion on Weddle. He is really versitile, able to play safety and CB. Smart and fast. Holy crap–ESPN just showed the trade terms. They swap 2nd rounders and the Bears get a #3 a #5 and NEXT YEARS #3. That is quite a haul. San Diego must REALLY love him.

#38 – Oakland takes Zach Miller, TE from ASU. He was a college star but his stock slipped when he didn’t run very well at the combine. Very productive in college and could be a nice addition. Will give their brand new QB a safety net to throw to.

#39 – The Falcons take Justin Blaylock, G from Texas. Petrino wants to establish a power running offense and they need to overhaul the OL that was built with smaller guys that used a cut blocking system. Blaylock is a good start. He played RT and G in college.

#40 – The Dolphins get a QB in John Beck. Too early for him in my book. He’s old with a seasonal age of 26 and doesn’t have a big arm. We’ll see if Cam Cameron knows more about QB’s than I do. I’m betting that Quinn ends up being a better pro than Beck.

#41 – The Falcons are back selecting as they trade with the Vikings. They take Chris Houston, CB from Arkansas. A 1st round talent, and a nice pickup in the early 2nd.

#42 – San Fran trades their pick to the Colts. David Harris? Nope. Tony Ugoh, OT from Arkansas. The consensus 4th best tackle. Athletic with long arms. Needs some coaching to pass protect better. The Niners get the Colts #4 and next years #1 (so they recover a first rounder to make up for the one they gave up to get Staley.)

#43 – The Lions take the hometown boy in Drew Stanton, QB from Michigan State. He is talented, but was really inconsistent in college. Mike Martz coaches QB’s better than just about anyone, so it is a really good situation for Stanton. Big and strong, tough, moves well in and out of the pocket. Didn’t really have a good supporting cast at MSU.

#44 – Vikings take Sidney Rice, WR from South Carolina. Not real polished. Good leaping ability and hands.

#45 – Panthers get Dwayne Jarrett, WR from USC off the board. Not real fast, but uses his body really well to shield off defenders. Good hands. Plays with a bit of an edge (read: can be a jackass.) Compares to Keyshawn Johnson, as he himself has been saying.

#46 – Steelers snap up LaMarr Woodley, DE / LB from Michigan. A high motor guy who will move to LB if they stick with the 3-4, or end if they shift to the Tampa 2. Really impressive player who gravitates to whoever has the football.

#47 – Packers trade with the Jets who finally take David Harris, LB from Michigan. Harris is just a football player, and will look great lined up next to Vilma. He isn’t a superb athlete, but makes up for that with football smarts and desire. Super pickup at this point in the draft. For the second straight year, the Jets are looking like they finally have a clue about how to draft.

#48 – Jags take Justin Durant, LB from Hampton. Small school guy who racked up a ton of tackles. We’ll see if that translates to the NFL.

#49 – Bengals take Kenny Irons, RB from Auburn. I guess this means the Chris Perry experiment is over. Irons was really good in his Jr. year but not as impressive in his Sr. year. He was nicked up most of last year, so he gets a pass. Could be a great pick.

#50 – Titans take Chris Henry, RB from Arizona. A workout warrior who didn’t really produce on the field. Way early to pick a guy like this who never really showed that much on the field. I think Antonio Pitman would have been a better fit at this point.

#51 – Giants take Steve Smith, WR from USC. Projects to a #2 guy, should help take some of the load off an aging Toomer.

**Oakland Raiders just traded a #4 to the Lions for Mike Williams and Josh McCown. I’m still not completely convinced that Williams is a bust. He was a great college player who had to sit out a year and got lazy. If they can keep him away from Moss (or just get rid of Moss) and get him to take football seriously…

#52 – Rams snap up Brian Leonard, FB from Rutgers. A football player. Played FB at Rutgers last season, but played HB previous to that. Great receiver out of the backfield and has some juice as a runner.

#53 – Cowboys trade this pick to the Browns who pick Eric Wright, CB from UNLV. Talented guy with a huge character red flag. He was taken off several team’s draft board, and probably with good reason. Wright was accused with rape and drug possession in 2005. He wan’t formally charged, but it is still not good.

#54 – Chiefs take Turk McBride, DE from Tennessee. Wasn’t a starter for the most part, played almost like a 6th man in basketball. Was a sparkplug off the bench for the Vols DL.

#55 – Seattle takes Josh Wilson, CB from Maryland. Small guy who is strong and a good tackler.

#56 – Denver takes Tim Crowder, DE from Texas. The Broncos are attacking their DL on day 1. An underachiever who has physical gifts.

#57 – Eagles take Victor Abiamiri, DE from Notre Dame. Another underachiever who doesn’t produce like he seems like he should. Has a good motor, but I think this is a little early for him.

#58 – Lions take Ikaika Alama-Francis, DE from Hawaii. They get their pass-rusher they passed up in the 1st round (Gaines Adams) here in the 2nd round. Good ability but probably needs to be coached up.

#59 – Panthers snap up Ryan Kalil, C from USC. I’m surprised he lasted this long as he is a really good looking center who can make all the line calls as well as move on pulls and sweeps. Can get to the 2nd level of the defense. Good value.

#60 – Miami takes Samson Satele, C from Hawaii. Centers are going like crazy! Not nearly as mobile as Kalil, but good strength in a more limited area.

#61 – Lions take Gerald Alexander, S from Boise State. I’ve got nothin’.

#62 – Bears take Dan Bazuin, DE from Central Michigan. Not optimal size for a DE, but has a strong motor and desire to get to the QB. Landed in a great spot with the Bears where he can get playing time in the line rotation and learn from some really good players. Nice choice.

#63 – Pack selects Brandon Jackson, RB Nebraska. Good short area quickness and acceleration. Good cutback runner. Not real big or fast. I think he is a better prospect than Chris Henry who was taken 13 picks earlier.

#64 – Tampa takes Sabby Piscitelli, SS Oregon State. Who? (There, I said it.)