Another year with no top 50 pick for The ‘U’

 There was a time when the University of Miami had at least one of their players get selected in the first round of the NFL draft.

High profile Hurricanes selected in the first round in the last ten years include Sean Taylor (RIP), Super Bowl winner Jeremy Shockey, stud wideout Andre Johnson, Jonathan ‘just give me the fine Roger’ Vilma the linebacker and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork.

Between 2001 and 2004 the ‘U’ managed to get 19, yes 19 of its players selected in the first round.

Oh how times have changed. For the fourth consecutive year the team who invented swagger (see the excellent ESPN 30 for 30 documentary ‘The U’ for proof) failed to get a player announced by the Ginger Prince in round one.

In fact the last time the call came in the first round for a Miami grad was in 2008 when the New York Giants selected safety Kenny Phillips at pick #31. 

In 2012 players from the ‘U’ went in round 3 (Vernon Olivier DE and Sean Spence LB), round 4 (Lamar Miller RB and Travis Benjamin WR) and round 6 (Tommy Streeter WR and Brandon Washington OG). 

The University of Miami’s leading quarterback for the past four years, the skinny but rocket-armed Jacory Harris didn’t even get drafted. He has invites to a couple of NFL training camps including the Dolphins, but that isn’t exactly a great way to end four years of toiling in the sunshine.

The home team Dolphins did draft two of their own by nabbing Olivier at pick #72 and lightning running back Miller at #97. Other teams to select ‘U’ alumni in the 2012 draft included the Steelers, Browns, Ravens and Eagles.

Perhaps the most interesting member of the ‘U’ draft class of 2012 was wideout Tommy Streeter. Streeter was the ‘U’s’ leading receiver in 2011, grabbing eight touchdowns and averaged just under 68 yards a game.

The Baltimore Ravens picked up Streeter late in the sixth round, looking for him to potentially replace Lee Evans somewhere in the near future. It could a positive omen for Streeter that he is heading to Maryland, as the Ravens were the team who drafted ‘U’ rookies Ray Lewis (1996) and Ed Reed (2002).

Lewis and Reed are both going to end up with big bronze busts at the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day. no I’m not saying Streeter will follow, but I’m sure Reed and Lewis will look after a fellow ‘U’ graduate when it comes to rookie hazing in May.

Having seen the ‘U’ play live (I was at the 2009 home win 21-20 over Oklahoma) I have first-hand experience about how important playing for the ‘U’ is for these young men.

Somehow it doesn’t seem right that there are no Miami players being selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Maybe the Class of 2012 will change that? 

LT’s son selling his dad’s Super Bowl ring – yours for just $100,000

Growing up there was no more dominant defensive figure than the New York Giants outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor, the imposing figure in blue and white who gave offensive coordinators nightmares for over a decade. 

LT as he was known was one of the most influential, if not THE most influential defensive player that ever played the game. He struck fear in the hearts of opponents, from offensive tackles to tight-ends to full-backs (who were commonplace in the 1980s).

I don’t think it is possible to see the number #56 on an american football players shirt without thinking of Lawrence Taylor, ears pinned-back, haring around an offensive tackle en-route to a devastating quarterback sack, and on many occasions a forced fumble.

Not may athletes can lay claim to a number as theirs, with the exception of a few (Jerry Rice #80, Joe Montana #16, Reggie White #92, Mark Gastineau #99 come to mind immediately) and just seeing that #56 makes me think relentless pass-rush, chaos in the pocket and thwack as a quarterback bites the dust.

Taylor was not without troubles in his life, having been a heavy drinker and a former cocaine addict, his sheer will to cause havoc on the field was paralleled in his desire to live a flamboyant hedonistic life outside of football. 

He earned millions and flushed millions down the toilet, but no-one will be able to take away from him that he won two Super Bowl titles, earning two heavyweight Super Bowl rings. 

Taylor gave his rings to his son, and this is where we are up to today, May 19 2012, 2.00pm (UK time) as his Super Bowl XXV (25) ring is currently part of an online auction. 

I have just been onto the auction site and this, ‘life-worn’ ring is now at a highest bid of $98,525, having had 23 people submit bids all over the reserve price of $10,000. 

With just over 12 hours to go to bid it is highly likely that the ring will fetch over $100,000. 

Not that I have the money, but if I did, I would certainly move the bid into six-figures. After all this was the 25th Super Bowl, the one that Whitney Houston sung at, the one that took place during the Gulf War, the one that ended with the infamous Scott Norwood “wide-right” kick at the death. 

LT’s son – Lawrence Jnr is the one selling the ring. It was Lawrence Jnr who inducted his father into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with a speech that included the following lines: ”When I was young growing up in New Jersey, which I live now, I knew my dad was special.  But not only to me, but to other people.  When I was young, going to school people used to ask me to get my dad to sign all kinds of things.  And I was even more convinced then that my dad was special not only to me but to them too.”

Its a shame that Lawrence Jnr has to sell his fathers ring, I have to confess I don’t know why, but  I do know if LT was my father I wouldn’t sell that ring for all the tea in China. 

Shame on you Lawrence Jnr – your children and their children will miss out on wearing a piece of NFL history that is worth more than the money the gold an the jewels that makes it. 

Are the Detroit Lions a 2013 Super Bowl contender?

There is never anything sexy about selecting an offensive lineman in the first round of an NFL Draft, but if you want to be a contender when it comes to getting your grubby mitts on a Vince Lombardi trophy it all begins with the big uglies. 

The Detroit Lions were a 2011 season playoff team, but they were steam-rolled in the WIld-Card round by a rampant New Orleans Saints team, losing 28-45, including conceding 35 second-half points. 

One of the key reasons the Lions failed to roar in the Bayou was an inability to establish a running game, with Detroit’s leading rusher being the brittle-kneed Kevin Smith who underwhelmed America with 21 yards on six carries. 

The Lions drafted Illinois running-back Mikel Leshoure as a second-round pick in 2011, hoping he would solve the backfield blushes, but he tore his Achilles is August and has never played a down. He has also been caught twice possessing ‘mary-jane’ this year, so the Lions may be less inclined to show their full support to him becoming the featured back in 2012. 

Aside from the running game, the Lions offensive line was in need of a serious upgrade, and this brings me neatly on to the Silver and Blue’s first-round pick in 2012, junior offensive tackle Riley Reiff from Iowa.

This pick was pure necessity and Reiff will be an immediate upgrade on Jason Fox, and the successor to stalwart Jeff Backus.

If you can cast your mind back to the turn of the century you will recall ‘the greatest show on turf’ the St Louis Rams, led by former shelf-stacker Kurt Warner and Swiss Army knife skilled running-back Marshall Faulk.

What really made the difference in that team was the first overall pick made by the Rams in 1997, five-time All Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler Orlando Pace. Yep a man monster at offensive tackle.

Now I’m not saying that Riley Reiff is ‘THE’ answer, but I am projecting the Lions to win 1-2 playoff games in early 2013.

2012 NFL Round 1 Draft musings – Browns bark the loudest

I tried to watch as much of the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft as I could, but as it started at 1.00am on Friday morning here in England I feel happy in the fact I made it to Ryan Tannehill being picked at #8 overall by the desperate Miami Dolphins.

When I woke up about five hours later I checked out NFL.com and Rotoworld to find out the 24 first-round picks selected that I missed whilst dreaming of Robert Griffin III lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy some time this decade.

Perhaps the biggest first-round head-scratcher to me was the Cleveland Browns picking the oldest rookie in NFL history at #22.

Yes the Browns managed to, by handing in a single scrap of paper, simultaneously wipe the grin from incumbent quarterback Colt McCoy’s baby face, and also puzzle many Cleveland fans across the world.

Their selection of Brandon Weedon, the 28-year-old (who will be 29 in October) can be arguably seen as a bad move, as the former draft pick of the New York Yankees baseball team (yes I am not going mad) has spent much of his throwing arm’s energy pitching in the minor leagues.

He does have the added advantage of maturity, leadership, experience with one of the biggest sports franchises on the planet and a calm temperament that will equip him well to run an NFL huddle, but he is around 5-6 years older than the rest of his rookie class.

Unlike the Indianapolis Colts and the Washington Redskins who opted for super-stud senior quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III (pictured above) hoping they will still be leading their team in the 2020s, it is unlikely that Weeden will be heading up a Browns team anytime past 2016.

The Browns did the safe thing and moved up to #3 (moving up just one pick) to get the best running-back prospect in the draft with ‘Bama’s Trent Richardson as their first selection.

I was pretty upset that the Cowboys managed to swoop in and draft LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne at #6. The Rams gave up the opportunity to pick at that spot, just like they gave up the chance to pick at #2 (having traded with the Redskins). Fortunately for St Louis they managed to get themselves an LSU alumni for themselves, and most likely someone they did not think would be available at #14.

Their selection, Michael Brockers the defensive tackle, will start from day one. Like cornerback, it is incredibly hard for a defensive tackle to make an immediate impact. Most rookie defensive tackles take at least a year to get into the groove. There are exceptions like the Detroit Lions Ndamukong Suh, but this is rarer that a blood soaked T-bone.

It also chokes me that the New England Patriots managed to avoid trading down again, instead selecting two future NFL starting defensive players, nabbing Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones at #21 and then one of my personal favourites Dont’a Hightower, the 2012 NCAA National Championship winning inside linebacker from the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Jaguars also showed some balls by moving up to #5 to piss-off Rams head-coach Jeff Fisher (who originally held the #6 spot) and draft the best wide-receiver in the 2012 draft class, Justin Blackmon from OSU.

I did like the Lions selection of offensive tackle Riley Reiff the humongous offensive tackle from Iowa. With Matthew Stafford living up to his #1 selection expectation in 2011, Detroit needed to do all they could to make sure he stays standing every week.

NFL FAN IN ENGLAND Draft updates – Browns trade up to secure ‘Bama bruiser

Browns trade up to #3 to get Trent Richardson. This means Monterio Hardesty is never going to get a shot. Had a feeling the Vikings were not committed to Matt Kalil the offensive tackle from USC.

Browns are saying a lot with this move:

- Our RBs are rubbish
- Colt McCoy is our quarterback
- We are prepared to make a bold move to secure our guy

Not sure how happy Trent will be when he gets his muddy brown New Era cap, but he will become an instant hero in Ohio.

Well done Cleveland, you did the right thing. The Dawg Pound must be barking loudly now.

NFL FAN IN ENGLAND’S MOCK DRAFT 2012 TOP 10 (INCLUDING A SHOCK AT #3)

Justin Blackmon - my shock #3 pick by the wideout starved Minnesota Vikings

Anyone who knows the difference between a touchdown and a touchback knows that this year’s NFL Draft already has two players locked in, but from pick 3 onwards there is no doubt in my mind that it will be much more of a roller-coaster than many mock-draft writers have predicted.

Below is my attempt at a top 10 NFL 2012 Mock Draft, including the position, team drafting, player I am predicting will be picked and why…

1) Indianapolis Colts…select Andrew Luck, QB Stanford

2) Washington Redskins…select Robert Griffin III aka RG3, QB, Baylor

These two picks are locked tighter than an upstream-swimming salmon’s sphincter as Luck is rated as the best quarterback prospect in the past 20 years, and the Redskins traded the farm to swap number 1 picks with the St Louis Rams.

Funnily enough the last time we has two such high-profile quarterbacks get selected in the top two draft picks it was the Colts at #1 who selected Peyton Manning, and the San Diego Chargers at #2 who picked a bust bigger than Dolly Parton’s when they nabbed Ryan Leaf.

3) Minnesota Vikings…select Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

Yep I’m in a minority here, as most experts have USC offensive tackle (pictured above) being selected by the Purple People Eaters, but I am gambling on the Vikings getting a stud wideout to go with their stud running-back Adrian Peterson and a primary target for second year quarterback Christian Ponder.

4) Cleveland Browns…select Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

A nation championship winning back and the best prospect since the aforementioned Adrian Peterson. Richardson is a thoroughbred who can find the holes, catch the ball and play a full 60 minutes. The Browns made the decision not to go after RG3 so must have some sort of faith in Colt McCoy. They did however let Madden poster-boy Peyton Hillis go, and have the glass-kneed Montario Hardesty as their top back. Richardson will bring back some ruggedness to the Browns, a team who people respected in the 1980s – honest they did. 

5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers…select Morris Clayborne, CB, LSU

Veteran Buccs cornerback Ronde Barber simply cannot go on, despite signing an extension earlier this year. The Buccs have a young team and they need a dominating corner to do what Ronde did for over a decade. Clayborne could possibly go at #3 to the Vikings. Any corner that gets selected this high had better be special, and I’m not talking special-teams special. Patrick Petersen was picked as a corner in the same slot last year and he ended up in the Pro-Bowl. Clayborne I doubt will have the same rookie impact.

6) St Louis Rams…select Matt Kalil, OT, USC

The Rams would have had their heart set on Blackmon, but this is my mock draft so they have to fish elsewhere for a big catch. With Cleveland and Tampa addressing need Kalil, the best tackle available, will be the chosen one by the Rams. Yes they got Roger Saffold last year, but with Kalil the Rams will have their best offensive lineman since Orlando Pace. 

7) Jacksonville Jaguars select…Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

This is one team with needs at defensive line, wide receiver and depending on how much optimism you have for 2011 1st Rd pick Blaine Gabbert, a new quarterback. The Jags will have a number of options here but Cox has the best combination of durability, strength and speed. Putting Cox alongside Tyson Alualu will give the Jags a formidable combo for the 2010s. 

8) Miami Dolphins select…Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

The Fins have sucked harder at quarterback than Kojack would at an international lollipop licking contest. Matt Moore is not the answer and neither have been some of the hideous signal callers that have been starting in Miami over the past decade. Tannehill is in a class of his own in this draft. He is a top ten talent, but not a top 5 one. Tannehill has great awareness, but maybe that awareness will trigger his spidey-sense to steer clear from the Dolphins. It’s unlikely  as he will be very likely to be in aqua and white no sooner than you can spot a pair of surgically enhanced breasts on Miami Beach. 

9) Carolina Panthers select…Mark Barron, S, Alabama

A second member of the Crimson Tide to get selected in the top 10, Barron is the number one safety available by a country mile. He comes armed with a national championship ring and some classy leadership skills. The Panthers struck gold in the 2011 draft with Can Newton, Barron is not that sparkly, but he is a solid silver pick and can bring his ball hawking skills to Carolina, with immediate game 1 impact. His 12 picks in college is pretty respectable. 

10) Buffalo Bills select…Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

Despite having the drawback of going to Cretin High School (yes it’s true) Floyd is a game-changer, who can catch the small passes and make them into big gains. The Bills have got a respectable defense, bolstered by the big free-agency signing of Mario Williams. They now need a wideout to take the pressure off Steve Johnson. This could in-part help the Bills become legit once again. 

Can’t wait for tomorrow night, not sure I will make it much past Andrew Luck standing there with the ginger prince, but my ipod will be knackered out Friday morning as I read through the selections made as the rain batters the window and my six moth old batters my eardrums. 

The sexiest footwear ever

This is without doubt the sexiest pair of Nike trainers I have ever seen. I have a battered pair of Black and White Air Max and they served me well, but boy would I love a pair of these babies.