My Bracketology

Sum up of big games:
Indiana vs. Gonzaga: I like Indiana in that mach up mainly because Gonzaga has no one to stop a dominationg big man like Killingsworth. I like Morrison and think he is one of the best offensive players in the nation, but he just can't play defense.

George Washington vs. Duke: The Dukies look like their getting tired lately. Although, this is completely based on Pops making a healthy return to the lineup.

Ohio St. vs. Boston College: If you got to see BC in the ACC tourney, you saw why I have them going to the Final Four. Their a veteran team that plays right and still gets sparks from guys like Rice and Williams. I like Ohio St., but they just won't do well against BC's physical style.

Iowa vs. LSU: I've been called crazy for having these two in the Elite Eight, but I have good reason. Iowa is on a roll and is playing with a fire I haven't seen all year out of them. LSU has got a good team around Davis in the middle. I think Iowa wins this with their experience and the fact that they are rolling.


If you would like me to explain any other matchups in my bracket, just drop a comment.

Post Combine Mock Draft

This is the first mock draft where I will be predicting trades. Unlike others, however, I won't have a load of top trades, since that rarely happens. Well, here it is, the post combine mock draft, enjoy.

Trade: Hou gets rd. 1 pk. 4
DE Abraham
2007 cond. 3rd
NYJ gets rd. 1 pk. 1

Round 1
1. New York Jets- Matt Leinart, QB, USC- The trade works out because Abraham wants out, Houston wants Brick and New York wants Leinart. Leinart fits nice in media central, New York, and also should be a great NFL quarterback.
2. New Orleans Saints- Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt- Though I'm not completely sold on Cutler, New Orleans needs a franchise QB. Cutler showed a solid arm at the combine along with great strength and some speed.
3. Tennessee Titans- Reggie Bush, HB, USC- Although it wouldn't surprise me to see Fischer go with DE Williams here, I think he'll see the potential in Bush. The Titans haven't had a consistent RB since Eddie George wore down, and Bush may solve that problem.
4. Houston Texans- D'Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, VA- Houston knocks out two birds with one stone in the trade. They move down to grab a badly needed offensive lineman, Brick, and they get a badly needed defensive end, Abraham. Ferguson can anchor the young line that will undoubtedly come out of this draft.
5. Green Bay Packers- A.J. Hawk, OLB, OSU- As I said in my last mock, Green Bay doesn't need much help on the D-Line. They do need an OLB though. Hawk is a big time playmaker like a Brooks or Urlacher and he can be the anchor of this defense along with Barnett.
6. San Francisco 49'ers- Mario Williams, DE, N.C. St.- Williams drawing comparisons to current super-athlete-freak-dude Julius Peppers is a good sign. Williams has a great mix of size, speed and moves. He'll be a great defensive end.
7. Oakland Raiders- Vince Young, QB, Texas- You know who Al Davis wants. And honestly, he doesn't give a shit about what Shell wants, he'll get Young. Although a project, Young has amazing potential that just can't be missed.
8. Buffalo Bills- Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon- There could not be a more agreed upon draft pick. Especially after the Bills cut DT Sam Adams. Ngata is a big stop plug that can play in either defense. He uses his hands well and has great lower body explosion.
9. Detroit Lions- Michael Huff, DB, Texas- Huff is another defensive playmaker who is drawing comparisons to a great safety, Ronnie Lott. There's still a debate as to where Huff will play in the pros, but I think he'll end up at safety.
10. Arizona Cardinals- LenDale White, HB, USC- With White's power and Arrington's speed and agility, the Cardinals have a one-two punch comparable to last years Steelers. Add in three young, talented wide recievers and you have a nice offense. They'll need to work on the O-line alot though.
11. St. Louis Rams- Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland- Many a person have asked, "How is Davis not a top 10 pick?" Simple elementary my dear Watson, no one needs him. Although the talent level is great, the top 10 teams have bigger concerns than TE. This won't bother the Rams, who will relish his playmaking ability.
12. Cleveland Browns- Chad Greenway, LB, Iowa- Greenway has been overshadowed by Hawk and hasn't been as hyped as super freaks Manny Lawson and Kamerion Wimbley, but he's better. He may not have a 42" vertical, or a 4.4 40, but he knows what he's doing and is a sure tackler.
13. Baltimore Ravens- Winston Justice, OT, USC- They lack a good RT and Ogden isn't getting any younger. With LenDale not falling to them, Billick will address other problems, one being the offensive line. He'll worry about a HB later in the draft.
14. Philadelphia Eagles- Ernie Sims, LB, Florida State- Sims is the versatile LB that the Eagles need. He's quick, instinctive and good in cover. They'll want to take a WR, but it'll depend on who they come out of free agency with.
15. Atlanta Falcons- Jimmy Williams, DB, VA Tech- DeAngelo Williams and Jimmy Williams in the same defensive backfield. Damn. It's still not certain where Jimmy will play in the NFL, even though I'm sure it'll be corner, he has really good cover skills.
16. Miami Dolphins- Ashton Youboty, CB, Ohio State- With the release of Sam Madison, it's a sure bet they'll take one of the 3 CB's expected to go 1st round. Youboty is a very good cover corner but not a great tackler.
17. Minnesota Vikings- DeAngelo Williams, HB, Memphis- They'll want to take hometown fave Maroney with this pick, and they very well might. I just think that Williams is a better fit in the offense Childress is installing and that he is a better back overall.
18. Dallas Cowboys- Santonio Holmes, WR, Ohio State- The Cowboys will jump at the chance to get Santonio at the 18th spot. With their top two wideouts aging, they need him bad to. They also need a LB or DT, but those two positions are pretty deep this draft.
19. San Diego Chargers- Marcus McNeill, OT, Auburn- Besides C Harwick and RG Goff, San Diego really has no evidence of an offensive line. Their power running game struggled last year because of that problem. An OLB or DE will be wanted here, but they need more help in the trenches.
20. Kansas City Chiefs- Tamba Hali, DE, Penn State- HC Herman Edwards has already said he'd like to get an end in the first round, and lucky him, he gets the second best. Hali's fall from a possible top 10 to 20 isn't his fault, teams just have other needs.
21. New England Patriots- Laurence Maroney, HB, Minnesota- Maroney will be a very nice fit in the Patriots running game. He's alot like Dillon with a bit more explosion and doesn't have the baggage. They'll also think about an DE, LB or DB.
22. Denver Broncos (via WAS)- Broderick Bunkley, DT, FSU- The Broncs likely won't be able to keep both Warren and Myers due to cap problems. Bunkley is a nice fit in a 4-3 because of his speed and pass rush ability.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Eric Winston, OT, Miami- Winston isn't as refined as the other top tackles in this class, but he's much more athletic. Winston, a former TE, doesn't have a lot of excess weight on his body and moves rather quickly.
24. Cincinatti Bengals- Marcedes Lewis, TE, UCLA- Lewis is a very good recieving TE with strong hands. Watching him run the gauntlet at the combine, he looked very swift for a TE. His blocking needs work but the Bengals will be happy with him just for his recieving ability and size.
25. New York Giants- Manny Lawson, LB, N.C. St.- Like I've said in the previous mock drafts, New York just needs linebackers. A lot. Although they'd like someone a little more refined at the spot like Ryans or Carpenter, Lawsons physical attributes are astonishing and Coughlin should be able to make him a huge playmaker.
26. Chicago Bears- Leonard Pope, TE, Georgia- Pope is an absolute beast at about 6'7". He'll provide the red zone recieving threat that the Bears need. An OLB will also be looked at here if Hillenmeyer isn't re-signed.
27. Carolina Panthers- Dominique Byrd, TE, USC- The fact that Steve Smith is shorter than Bobby Knight's temper and #2 WR Keary Colbert isn't developing as planned, a TE is a necesity. They would love a WR, but Moss is the only player worth it, and he'd be just like Steve Smith.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars- Darnell Bing, S, USC- Bing is probably one of the least heralded top players in this draft, and for no reason. Bing was the leader of the Trojans defense and is a solid all around safety.
29. Denver Broncos- Sinorice Moss, WR, Miami- If Lelie ever cares to get better, a combination of Moss and Lelie would be dangerous. And if that doesn't happen, Broncos fans can pray that Moss is the new Steve Smith.
30. Indianapolis Colts- DeMeco Ryans, LB, Alabama- DeMeco is a Dungy-esque player. Plays the right way, doesn't draw negative attention to himself and he's fast. A DT will be looked at here, as well as a RB to replace James if he leaves.
31. Seattle Seahawks- Thomas Howard, LB, UTEP- Howard, Tatupu and LeRoy Hill will soon compose one of the best squad of linebackers in the league with this pick. With no worthy WR available, the Seahawks go with the very raw but very good Howard.
32. Pittsburgh Steelers- Ko Simpson, S, South Carolina- This pick is based on FS Chris Hope not re-signing with the Steelers. If he does re-sign with the Steelers, look for them to go with CB Antonio Cromartie.

Round 2
33. Houston Texans- Max Jean-Gilles, OG, Georgia
34. New Orleans Saints- Nick Mangold, C, Ohio State
35. Tennessee Titans- Bobby Carpenter, LB, Ohio State
36. New York Jets- Tatusi (Deuce) Lutui, OL, USC
37. Green Bay Packers- Mathias Kiwanuka, DE, Boston College
38. San Francisco 49er's- Tye Hill, CB, Clemson
39. Oakland Raiders- Gabe Watson, DT, Michigan
40. Buffalo Bills- Donte Whitner, S, Ohio State
41. Detroit Lions- Kamerion Wimbley, LB, Florida State
42. Arizona Cardinals- Greg Eslinger, C, Minnesota
43. St. Louis Rams- Antonio Cromartie, CB, Florida State
44. Cleveland Browns- Darryl Tapp, DE, VA Tech
45. Baltimore Ravens- Joseph Addai, HB, LSU
46. Philadelphia Eagles- Jason Avant, WR, Michigan
47. Atlanta Falcons- Davin Joseph, OG, Oklahoma
48. Miami Dolphins- Omar Jacobs, QB, Bowling Green
49. Minnesota Vikings- D'Qwell Jackson, ILB, Maryland
50. Dallas Cowboys- Claude Wroten, DT, LSU
51. San Diego Chargers- Devin Aromashodu, WR, Auburn
52. Kansas City Chiefs- Derek Hagan, WR, Arizona St.
53. New England Patriots- Stanley McClover, DE, Auburn
54. Washington Redskins- Charles Spencer, OG, Pittsburgh
55. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- A.J. Nicholson, Florida State
56. Cincinnati Bengals- Rod Wright, DT, Texas
57. New York Giants- Alan Zamaitis, DB, Penn State
58. Chicago Bears- Jeremy Trueblood, OT, Boston College
59. Carolina Panthers- Maurice Drew, HB, UCLA
60. Jacksonville Jaguars- Anthony Fasano, TE, Notre Dame
61. Denver Broncos- Jonathan Scott, OT, Texas
62. Indianapolis Colts- Jesse Mahelona, DT, Tennessee
63. Seattle Seahawks- Skyler Green, WR, LSU
64. Pittsburgh Steelers- Abdul Hodge, ILB, Iowa

Round 3
65. Houston Texans- Pat Watkins, S, Florida State
66. New Orleans Saints- Parys Haralson, DE, Tennessee
67. Tennessee Titans- Brodie Croyle, QB, Alabama
68. New York Jets- Brian Calhoun, HB, Wisconsin
69. Green Bay Packers- Rob Sims, OG, Ohio State
70. San Francisco 49'ers- Mark Anderson, LB, Alabama
71. Oakland Raiders- Ryan O'Callaghan, OT, California
72. Buffalo Bills- Maurice Stovall, WR, Notre Dame
73. Detroit Lions- Charlie Whitehurst, QB, Clemson
74. Arizona Cardinals- Jesse McCargo, DT, N.C. State
75. St. Louis Cardinals- Greg Blue, S, Georgia
76. Cleveland Browns- Greg Jennings, WR, Western Michigan
77. Baltimore Ravens- Kai Parham, ILB, Virginia
78. Philadelphia Eagles- Jahri Evans, OT, Bloomburg(PA)
79. Atlanta Falcons- Todd Watkins, WR, BYU
80. Miami Dolphins- Freddie Roach, LB, Alabama
81. Minnesota Vikings- Dee Webb, CB, Florida
82. Dallas Cowboys- Kellen Clemons, QB, Oregon
83. San Diego Chargers- Fred Matua, OG, USC
84. Kansas City Chiefs- Brett Basanez, QB, Northwestern
85. New England Patriots- Demario Minter, CB, Georgia
86. Washington Redskins- Will Blackmon, WR, Boston College
87. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Kelly Jennings, CB, Miami
88. Cincinnati Bengals- Daryn Colledge, OL, Boise State
89. New York Giants- Cory Rodgers, WR, T.C.U.
90. Chicago Bears- Jonathan Joseph, CB, South Carolina
91. Carolina Panthers- Andrew Whitworth, OL, LSU
92. Jacksonville Jaguars- Taurean Henderson, HB, TTU
93. Denver Broncos- Jason Allen, S, Tennessee
94. Indianapolis Colts- Leon Washington, HB, Florida State
95. Seattle Seahawks- Roman Harper, S, Alabama
96. Pittsburgh Steelers- Brad Smith, QB/WR, Missouri

Whew. Done. I'd like to thank my first period for giving me time to type all this. There will probably be one or two more before the draft. If I feel motivated, I may even do draft profiles by team before the draft. But more likely I'll just do team by team recaps after the draft.

Post Combine Defensive Position Rankings

Defensive End
1. Mario Williams, N.C. State
2. Tamba Hali, Penn State
3. Mathias Kiwanuka, Boston College
4. Darryl Tapp, Virginia Tech
5. Stanley McClover, Auburn
6. Parys Haralson, Tennessee
7. Elvis Dumervil, Louisville
8. Ray Edwards, Purdue
9. James Wyche, Syracuse
10. Frostee Rucker, USC

Defensive Tackle
1. Haloti Ngata, Oregon
2. Broderick Bunkley, Florida State
3. Gabe Watson, Michigan
4. Claude Wroten, LSU
5. Rod Wright, Texas
6. Jesse Mahelona, Tennessee
7. Jesse McCargo, N.C. State
8. Orien Harris, Miami
9. Dusty Dvoracek, Oklahoma
10. Jonathan Lewis, Virginia Tech

Outside Linebacker
1. A.J. Hawk, Ohio State
2. Chad Greenway, Iowa
3. Manny Lawson, N.C. State
4. Thomas Howard, UTEP
5. Ernie Sims, Florida State
6. Kamerion Wimbley, Florida State
7. DeMeco Ryans, Alabama
8. Bobby Carpenter, Ohio State
9. A.J. Nicholson, Florida State
10. Mark Anderson, Alabama

Inside Linebacker
1. Abdul Hodge, Iowa
2. D'Qwell Jackson, Maryland
3. Kai Parham, Virginia
4. Freddie Roach, Alabama

Cornerback
1. Jimmy Williams, Virginia Tech
2. Tye Hill, Clemson
3. Ashton Youboty, Ohio State
4. Antonio Cromartie, Florida State
5. Alan Zamaitis, Penn State
6. Dee Webb, Florida
7. Demario Minter, Georgia
8. Kelly Jennings, Miami
9. Jonathan Joseph, South Carolina
10. Cedric Griffin, Texas

Safety
1. Michael Huff, Texas
2. Ko Simpson, South Carolina
3. Darnell Bing, USC
4. Pat Watkins, Florida State
5. Donte Whitner, Ohio State
6. Greg Blue, Georgia
7. Jason Allen, Tennessee
8. Roman Harper, Alabama
9. Bernard Pollard, Purdue
10. Dwayne Slay, Texas Tech

Ramblings

The College Dropout
Oh how the mighty have fallen. Duke loses to Florida State, 79-74. Texas loses to Texas A&M, 46-43. Tennessee loses to Kentucky, 80-78. Ohio State barely escapes a scare from Northwestern. North Carolina on the other hand is on a roll after slaughtering Virginia, 99-54.

My Rankings
1. UConn
2. Memphis
3. Villanova
4. Duke
5. Gonzaga
6. George Washington
7. Pittsburgh
8. Illinois
9. Texas
10. North Carolina
11. Ohio State
12. Boston College
13. Tennessee
14. Washington
15. Kansas
16. UCLA
17. LSU
18. West Virginia
19. Oklahoma
20. Georgetown
21. Florida
22. Nevada
23. Marquette
24. North Carolina State
25. Iowa

Panic! at the NFL
It's the apocalypse, NFL version. Teams cutting vets like crazy trying to get under cap. Players under contract for a few more years are not sure where they're going to be next year. The heart and soul of the Panthers is gone (Brentson Buckner). Denver loses one of the games top DE's(Trevor Price). The Bills cut two of their defensive stop gaps (Milloy and Adams). The Dolphins cut ties with a long time pro-bowler (Sam Madison). And the Redskins will have to cut 10 to 15 players to get under cap. On top of all this, we're likely to see an uncapped year in 2007. Don't you love how all American sports end up screwing themselves when labor talks come around?

The Answer
I know of a really good question for Jerry Colangelo. Who is the NBA's best competitor? The answer? Allen Iverson, A.I., The Answer, etc. I do not understand how the co-captain of the last team and a player who is far and away the NBA's best competitor is not on the "Dream Team". Iverson did nothing in the last world championships or Olympics to disgrace or embarass the U.S. In fact, I think he embodies the common American person. A hard worker that doesn't take crap and never gives up. So what's the answer when people wonder why Team USA doesn't succedd? Well, The Answer.

Post Combine Offensive Position Rankings

With the offense done working out for the most part, here are my post combine position rankings for offense.


Quarterbacks
1. Matt Leinart, USC- Most pro ready QB, highest floor of top 3, lowest ceiling
2. Jay Cutler, Vanderbilt- Bullet arm, good head, needs to develop a winners mentality
3. Vince Young, Texas- Sketchy arm motion and lack of smarts hurts him, great leader and amazingly high ceiling if put in right system
4. Omar Jacobs, Bowling Green- Project, pushes the ball, great athleticism and leadership
5. Brodie Croyle, Alabama
6. Charlie Whitehurst, Clemson
7. Kellen Clemens, Oregon- recovering from ankle surgery, good arm and good head
8. Darrell Hackney, Alabama A&M
9. Brett Basanez, Northwestern
10. Paul Pinegar, Freson State
sleeper- Reggie McNeal, Texas A&M

Halfbacks
1. Reggie Bush, USC- Electrifying playmaker, needs to bulk up
2. DeAngelo Williams, Memphis- Complete back, needs to prove understanding of NFL offense
3. Laurence Maroney, Minnesota- Also a complete back, lacks great burst
4. LenDale White, USC- Bruising HB, needs to work on recieving
5. Joseph Addai, LSU- Another complete back that lacks great burst and a second gear, needs to work on moves
6. Maurice Drew, UCLA- Good back that needs to bulk up, learn how to block
7. Brian Calhoun, Wisconsin
8. Leon Washington, FSU
9. Taurean Henderson, TTU- Good recieving back, needs to prove he has top running abilities as well
10. Jerome Harrison, Wash. St.
sleeper- De'Arrius Howard, Arkansas

Wide Recievers
1. Santontio Holmes, OSU
2. Chad Jackson, Florida- a 4.32 40 along with good size and solid hands
3. Sinorice Moss, Miami
4. Jason Avant, Michigan- will be a good slot reciever and over the middle target
5. Derek Hagan, AZ St.
6. Devin Aromashodu, Auburn
7. Maurice Stovall, ND- dropped some weight, needs to work on speed
8. Skyler Green, LSU
9. Todd Watkins, BYU
10. Greg Jennings, Western Michigan
sleeper- Greg Lee, Pittsburgh

Tight End
1. Vernon Davis, Maryland- an absolute beast
2. Marcedes Lewis, UCLA- very smooth reciever, needs work on explosion
3. Leonard Pope, Georgia- big target and an alright blocker
4. Dominique Byrd, USC
5. Anthony Fasano, ND
6. Joe Klopfstein, Colorado
7. T.J. Williams, N.C. State
8. Tony Scheffler, Western Michigan
9. Anthony Mix, Auburn
10. Jason Pociask, Wisconsin
sleeper- Charles David, Purdue

Offensive Tackle
1. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Virginia- added 17 lbs. after the Senior Bowl
2. Winston Justice, USC- stock is rising fast
3. Marcus McNeill, Auburn
4. Eric Winston, Miami
5. Jeremy Trueblood, Boston College
6. Jonathan Scott, Texas
7. Ryan O'Callaghan, California
8. Jahri Evans, Bloomsburg(PA)- unknown player with all the physical attributes
9. Daryn Colledge, Boise State (T/G)
10. Andrew Whitworth, LSU (T/G)
sleeper- Terrence Pennington, New Mexico

Guard
1. Max Jean-Gilles, Georgia- good road grader, over-extends arms in pass protection
2. Tatusi (Deuce) Lutui, USC (T/G)- versatile lineman, played OT in 2004
3. Davin Joseph, Oklahoma
4. Charles Spencer, Pittsburgh
5. Rob Sims, Ohio State
6. Fred Matua, USC
sleeper- Mark Setterstrom, Minnesota

Center
1. Nick Mangold, Ohio State- stock also rising rapidly
2. Greg Eslinger, Minnesota
3. Pat Ross, Boston College- had a good 40 for his size
4. Mike Degory, Florida