o much has happened over the last few weeks as the college football bowl season really kicked into high gear and the NFL football regular season came to a close. For starters, both of the major sports radio stations in town gave their regulars some time off which led to a few interesting developments. First off on 790 The Zone, the Young Guns, at least three of them, received a major push, getting the Barnhart and Durham slot the week in between Christmas and New Years. There is some talent there on that show as Hunter gives some real opinions and seems to do a fine handling point duties and keeping the other two in check. Some times it is hard to differentiate between "Dags" and "Bax" but 790 may have found a keeper in Hunter. I would like to hear him with other personalities such as Hans, Sam Radin or John Michaels.
Speaking of 790 and Hans, Hans and Beau Bock having been subbing for Barnhart and Durham Tuesdays, but the duo moved into the Pollack and Bell slot for that post-Christmas week, and as much as it pains me to say because I think he is a fun guy in person, but it might be time for Beau to step away from the radio. It seems for segments at a time that he is disinterested in the topics and will shut down, while others he brings up complete non sequiturs that make one scratch his/her head and wonder, "where did that come from?" He is an important part of Atlanta sports history, granted, and I enjoy bumping into him on occasion on Sunday mornings when he is on his way out and I'm on my way in, but he should be a third or fourth man on a radio show, not having to serve as Karl Malone to Hans' John Stockton on a two-person show. He simply isn't what he once was.
While Hans and Beau and the Young Guns were filling in on 790, 680 The Fan featured a former 790 midday host, teaming with another 790 midday monster as Brandon Adams took Chuck Oliver's spot during the break to team with Matt Chernoff. As an admitted fan of Brandon Adams when he was a 790 weekend personality and then a midday host, I was pumped to hear BA back on the air. Adams' reemergence though was unsatisfying though as he was playing the straight man mostly to Chernoff's running of the point, and Adams was subdued mostly. He still gave insightful viewpoints, but I didn't get very many of the classic Brandon Adams' teases that I had come to look forward to during his time with 790. Regardless, let's hope that The Fan has plucked another one of the ex-790 crew and Adams returns to the airwaves at least on a part-time basis, perhaps during school's summer break.
For those wanting even more high school football featuring players from the 2010 season, you are in luck. On a local level, you can tune in this Saturday to the inaugural AT&T Junior Bowl featuring 90 of the best rising seniors from the state of Georgia. The game will pit East vs. West and will be played at Hallford Stadium. Lowndes coach Ricky McPherson will coach one side while Tucker's Franklin Stephens will be the head man of the other unit. Rising stars such as Greyson Lambert, Scott Hosch, and Deion Bonner will be on display. You can catch the game, featuring myself and Bob Houghton on the call on a number of platforms, including gpb.org/sports, Fox5, and ajc.com. The game was also scheduled to be televised by CSS.
The current class of seniors will also be on display Saturday in the US Army All-American Bowl. Georgia pledges Sterling Bailey and Corey Moore will be playing as will Georgia targets Damian Swann and Ray Drew, as well as Stephon Tuitt and Avery Walls. The game will be aired on NBC. The Under Armour All-America game was this past Wednesday and several Georgia athletes were on display. Quan Bray, Isaiah Crowell, Xzavier Dickson, AJ Johnson, Malcolm Mitchell, Jay Rome, Thomas O'Reilly, Justin Scott-Wesley, James Vaughters, Gabe Wright all represented Georgia on the game, which aired on ESPN.
The bowls kicked into serious gear as Georgia Tech and Georgia both suffered losses, causing both programs to finish the year with sub-.500 records. While Paul Johnson and Georgia Tech appeared a bit red-faced and some people openly wondered whether Tech will ever compete for national titles without Chan Gailey's players playing for Johnson, Georgia's loss led to greater turmoil. The AJC had two very different viewpoints as Jeff Schultz openly questioned whether Mark Richt should even be allowed to fix the program he has seemingly driven into the ground and if he even can fix it. Meanwhile Tony Barnhart believes Richt should still be allowed to stay but demanded he show more emotion as that is what he feels is missing from the Georgia coach and the Georgia program. While I used to fall in the Barnhart camp, I am now thinking that I might just jump in the Schultz camp as I turned off my television completely frustrated from Georgia's lack of offense. Wait, does this mean that I am now also in the Mark Bradley camp? I can't do that. (Fighting the urge to call for Richt's head, like Bradley does on days ending in "-ay"). Nope. Let Richt finish his drill.
Finally, I may be the only one, but I wanted to throw my remote control through the television a few Mondays ago when the Falcons played the Saints. What was with the opening montage of the 2006 Monday Night Game at the SuperDome and the first game back in New Orleans since Katrina? Was that really necessary to bring that game up? So much has happened since that night. Talk about Ryan's rise. Talk about the Saints winning the Super Bowl. Talk about the two competing for the NFC South Division title. Don't bring up a game that holds no significance to this season. Why bring that up? And PS, the Falcons still won the NFC South Division and home field. ESPN should have pointed out that the Falcons didn't need the game. New Orleans did, but it still didn't matter as the Falcons beat the Panthers to claim homefield advantage. Next time ESPN, talk about THIS YEAR and the factors surrounding the game. Don't just slurp the Drew Brees/Saints kool-aid. Give the Falcons a bit of credit. Atlanta is the NFC's top team entering the playoffs. Deal with it.
Can you believe he said that?
Georgia and Georgia Tech each finished 6-7 after being ranked in the preseason Top 25, but that’s all the programs have in common. Tech lacks players. Georgia lacks coaching. All things considered, you’d rather be Tech.
Yep, despite the fact that he was on vacation, Mark Bradley still had his notebook open, ready to rip Mark Richt. Glad to see that some things never change. Let’s just hope for his sake that Georgia never gets rid of Richt and Tech never gets rid of Paul Hewitt.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
West wins the 2011 A&T Georgia Junior Bowl
In a game featuring the some of the best rising seniors in the state of Georgia, perhaps the 2011 season will be dominated by the defense in the Peach State. The Randy McPherson-coached West roster defeated the Franklin Stephens-led East squad 20-18 in the inaugural AT&T Georgia Junior Bowl thanks to some great defense and strong special teams play.
The East got out to an early lead after a bad snap on the game’s first play from scrimmage went for a safety. With the 2-0 lead it appeared that North Gwinnett’s Scott Hosch connected with Lassiter’s Charlie Hegedus for a long touchdown, but the score was erased due to a penalty. Austin Hardin did add a field goal to give the East a 5-0 lead. Then the West’s defense made a huge play. With Greyson Lambert of Wayne County in the game at quarterback, a blitz forced a fumble that the West’s Terrell Cason (Cairo) scoped up and scored to give the West the lead. The lead was padded on a successful two-point conversion catch from Zach Gordon of Carrollton.
The West stretched its lead out on a quarterback keeper from Ricky Parks of Callaway to make it 14-5. Parks showed that he will be one of the top athletes to keep an eye on this upcoming season. With his blend of size and speed, look for Parks to maybe switch to tight end at the next level, but Callaway should be a player in 2011 with Parks in the shotgun and under center.
In the third quarter, the East got to within three points after a Mike Davis score from about eight yards out, but the momentum was thrown right back to the West side after Westlake’s Charles Purnell returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a score. Purnell showed great patience and waited for his blocks to set up before making his cut on the return. The East could only manage seven more points, on a DiAndre Atwater touchdown with less than three minutes to play. The East defense forced a three-and-out but the punt was fumbled with one minute to play and the West ran the clock out.
Carver-Columbus’ Deion Bonner came up with a few pass breakups and blocked a field goal and extra point, showing he will be the next great Carver player, following Isaiah Crowell, Gabe Wright, Devin Burns, Corey Crawford and Jarvis Jones. Kaleb Nobles of Fitzgerald also looks to have a nice sense of running a football team. Another quarterback for the West, William Gardner showed that he has some serious arm strength, with his ability to simply flick the ball 40 yards. On the defensive side for the West, Jordan Jenkins will be a serious player for Harris County but will likely be a DE instead of a DT as his Alabama-bound teammate LaMichael Fanning was. Mike Hilton of Sandy Creek also showed that he has the ability to carry the Patriots to a third straight state title.
For the East roster, Hosch showed better than Lambert and MLK’s Jonquel Dawson, though Dawson did lead a late scoring drive for the East. Perhaps Hosch was used to the constant rotating of rosters, but Lambert must work on his accuracy on the run. The Wayne County product does have four major scholarship offers, including Georgia, Alabama and Clemson. Peachtree Ridge’s Alex Gray was all over the field for the defense as he came up with an interception and made several nice pass breakups and a blocked extra point. The Stephenson defensive front also will be stout this season as Carlos Hood, Jafar Mann and Jarontay Jones were impressive on the East DLine all afternoon. Finally Tre Sorrells of Alcovy showed he has some nice moves at tailback and could be an under-the-radar back entering the 2011 season.
The bottom line of the 2011 AT&T Georgia Junior Bowl was that these players showed they are in fact ready for primetime and the upcoming season could be one of the better defensive classes in the last five year.
The East got out to an early lead after a bad snap on the game’s first play from scrimmage went for a safety. With the 2-0 lead it appeared that North Gwinnett’s Scott Hosch connected with Lassiter’s Charlie Hegedus for a long touchdown, but the score was erased due to a penalty. Austin Hardin did add a field goal to give the East a 5-0 lead. Then the West’s defense made a huge play. With Greyson Lambert of Wayne County in the game at quarterback, a blitz forced a fumble that the West’s Terrell Cason (Cairo) scoped up and scored to give the West the lead. The lead was padded on a successful two-point conversion catch from Zach Gordon of Carrollton.
The West stretched its lead out on a quarterback keeper from Ricky Parks of Callaway to make it 14-5. Parks showed that he will be one of the top athletes to keep an eye on this upcoming season. With his blend of size and speed, look for Parks to maybe switch to tight end at the next level, but Callaway should be a player in 2011 with Parks in the shotgun and under center.
In the third quarter, the East got to within three points after a Mike Davis score from about eight yards out, but the momentum was thrown right back to the West side after Westlake’s Charles Purnell returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a score. Purnell showed great patience and waited for his blocks to set up before making his cut on the return. The East could only manage seven more points, on a DiAndre Atwater touchdown with less than three minutes to play. The East defense forced a three-and-out but the punt was fumbled with one minute to play and the West ran the clock out.
Carver-Columbus’ Deion Bonner came up with a few pass breakups and blocked a field goal and extra point, showing he will be the next great Carver player, following Isaiah Crowell, Gabe Wright, Devin Burns, Corey Crawford and Jarvis Jones. Kaleb Nobles of Fitzgerald also looks to have a nice sense of running a football team. Another quarterback for the West, William Gardner showed that he has some serious arm strength, with his ability to simply flick the ball 40 yards. On the defensive side for the West, Jordan Jenkins will be a serious player for Harris County but will likely be a DE instead of a DT as his Alabama-bound teammate LaMichael Fanning was. Mike Hilton of Sandy Creek also showed that he has the ability to carry the Patriots to a third straight state title.
For the East roster, Hosch showed better than Lambert and MLK’s Jonquel Dawson, though Dawson did lead a late scoring drive for the East. Perhaps Hosch was used to the constant rotating of rosters, but Lambert must work on his accuracy on the run. The Wayne County product does have four major scholarship offers, including Georgia, Alabama and Clemson. Peachtree Ridge’s Alex Gray was all over the field for the defense as he came up with an interception and made several nice pass breakups and a blocked extra point. The Stephenson defensive front also will be stout this season as Carlos Hood, Jafar Mann and Jarontay Jones were impressive on the East DLine all afternoon. Finally Tre Sorrells of Alcovy showed he has some nice moves at tailback and could be an under-the-radar back entering the 2011 season.
The bottom line of the 2011 AT&T Georgia Junior Bowl was that these players showed they are in fact ready for primetime and the upcoming season could be one of the better defensive classes in the last five year.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Saturday's AT&T Georgia Junior Bowl!
I will be calling the First EVER AT&T Georgia Junior Bowl on Saturday, January, 8 2011 LIVE from Hallford Stadium. Look for coverage on gpb.org/sports, ajc.com, FOX5 as well as several other outlets. My PXP partner Bob Houghton and my Official Visit co-host Scott Janovitz join me in the booth.
Over the last few years, recruiting has gone younger and younger with colleges starting their evaluations of potential prospects beginning with the targets’ sophomore and sometimes freshman year of high school. More juniors than ever have already committed to schools before even playing a down of ball their season seasons, some during their junior year. For the first time ever, the top rising seniors in Georgia will be given a chance to showcase their talents in front of the entire nation, and those 86 juniors lucky and skilled enough to participate in the 2011 AT&T Junior Bowl will have a chance to learn under some of the best prep coaches in the state. These players will also taste the spotlight for the first time as they will try and carry a team for the first time in this all-star showdown. The rosters of the 2011 contest will pit the beasts from the East versus the best of the West. The two rosters feature players that are sure to be on everyone’s “Best Of” list such Rivals.com, Scout.com, the AJC Super Eleven and the Score 44.
In 2010, several quarterbacks stood out on the playing field such as Collins Hill’s Taylor Heinicke and Chattahoochee’s Timmy Byerly, but only Clarke-Central’s Martay Mattox received a scholarship offer from a BCS school to play QB at the next level. The next generation already has that beat with Greyson Lambert (Wayne County) holding multiple SEC offers. Jonquel Dawson (ML King) set several DeKalb County passing records last season and will join Lambert and North Gwinnett’s Scott Hosch on the East roster. Both Dawson and Hosch will be looking at offers from big-time programs soon. The 2011 season could very well go down as the year of the quarterback with these three under center next year.
It will be hard for a running back to follow the hype that Isaiah Crowell lived up to the last two seasons but Stephenson’s Mike Davis (East) will try, as will Peachtree Ridge’s DiAndre Atwater (East). The West roster will also offer up two candidates to carry on Georgia’s tradition of talented tailbacks. Hillgrove’s Kenyan Drake was impressive all year long in 2010 and will have a chance to shine during his senior campaign. Sandy Creek’s Mike Hilton will also be the focus of the offense in 2011 now that his highly decorated teammates have left with back-to-back state titles.
Two members of the East can boast an NFL pedigree. Peachtree Ridge’s Ray Buchannan Jr is the son of the former Falcon and his high school teammate Atwater calls the former Bronco and Raven Steve Atwater “Dad.”
The talent on the West shouldn’t be overlooked, especially on defense. Carver-Columbus defensive back Deion Bonner is atop every BCS school’s dream list while Harris County defensive lineman Jordan Jenkins outplayed Alabama-bound LaMichael Fanning at times this season. Calhoun kicker Adam Griffith can also boot the ball through the endzone and through the goalposts on a regular basis. Griffith is as cold-blooded as you can be as a kicker and he will be one of the most sought-after kickers across the country in 2011.
These are just a few of the near 90 players that will be showcasing their talent at the 2011 AT&T Junior Bowl, which is sure to be one of the best all-star games one will see in the country.
COACHES SECTION
The players won’t be the only all-stars roaming the sidelines at Hallford Stadium for the 2011 AT&T Junior Bowl. The coaching staff is top-notch and should have plenty of experience and knowledge to offer their outstanding rosters.
Tucker’s Franklin Stephens will coach the East team, and the players would be smart to soak up as much wisdom as Stephens offers as he has a state title on his coaching resume. Stephens’ staff would make some NFL head coaches blush as Camden County’s Jeff Herron, a three-time champion will assist, as will Chattahoochee’s Terry Crowder, who just claimed the Class AAAA title a few weeks ago. Ed Dudley of Ware County will bring his many years of experience to the East staff. Dudley took Walton to the AAAAA semi-finals several years ago. Leroy Ryals was also in the AAAA state championship game one year ago.
The West coaching staff is just as decorated and it starts with the head man. Lowndes head coach Randy McPherson will serve as the boss of the West and he can hold his charges’ attention with his three state titles. Tom Fallaw of Cairo can also sport a championship ring as he will assist McPherson. Thomasville High School’s Richard Marsh has made the playoffs every year during his tenure and Fitzgerald coach Robby Pruitt has taken a team to the state finals in 2000 and been in contention seemingly every other year as well. Steve DeVoursney will also command some respect after all of the talent he has turned out the last few seasons.
In addition to bring together some of the best rising seniors, some of the state’s best coaches have been tapped to participate in the 2011 AT&T Junior Bowl.
Over the last few years, recruiting has gone younger and younger with colleges starting their evaluations of potential prospects beginning with the targets’ sophomore and sometimes freshman year of high school. More juniors than ever have already committed to schools before even playing a down of ball their season seasons, some during their junior year. For the first time ever, the top rising seniors in Georgia will be given a chance to showcase their talents in front of the entire nation, and those 86 juniors lucky and skilled enough to participate in the 2011 AT&T Junior Bowl will have a chance to learn under some of the best prep coaches in the state. These players will also taste the spotlight for the first time as they will try and carry a team for the first time in this all-star showdown. The rosters of the 2011 contest will pit the beasts from the East versus the best of the West. The two rosters feature players that are sure to be on everyone’s “Best Of” list such Rivals.com, Scout.com, the AJC Super Eleven and the Score 44.
In 2010, several quarterbacks stood out on the playing field such as Collins Hill’s Taylor Heinicke and Chattahoochee’s Timmy Byerly, but only Clarke-Central’s Martay Mattox received a scholarship offer from a BCS school to play QB at the next level. The next generation already has that beat with Greyson Lambert (Wayne County) holding multiple SEC offers. Jonquel Dawson (ML King) set several DeKalb County passing records last season and will join Lambert and North Gwinnett’s Scott Hosch on the East roster. Both Dawson and Hosch will be looking at offers from big-time programs soon. The 2011 season could very well go down as the year of the quarterback with these three under center next year.
It will be hard for a running back to follow the hype that Isaiah Crowell lived up to the last two seasons but Stephenson’s Mike Davis (East) will try, as will Peachtree Ridge’s DiAndre Atwater (East). The West roster will also offer up two candidates to carry on Georgia’s tradition of talented tailbacks. Hillgrove’s Kenyan Drake was impressive all year long in 2010 and will have a chance to shine during his senior campaign. Sandy Creek’s Mike Hilton will also be the focus of the offense in 2011 now that his highly decorated teammates have left with back-to-back state titles.
Two members of the East can boast an NFL pedigree. Peachtree Ridge’s Ray Buchannan Jr is the son of the former Falcon and his high school teammate Atwater calls the former Bronco and Raven Steve Atwater “Dad.”
The talent on the West shouldn’t be overlooked, especially on defense. Carver-Columbus defensive back Deion Bonner is atop every BCS school’s dream list while Harris County defensive lineman Jordan Jenkins outplayed Alabama-bound LaMichael Fanning at times this season. Calhoun kicker Adam Griffith can also boot the ball through the endzone and through the goalposts on a regular basis. Griffith is as cold-blooded as you can be as a kicker and he will be one of the most sought-after kickers across the country in 2011.
These are just a few of the near 90 players that will be showcasing their talent at the 2011 AT&T Junior Bowl, which is sure to be one of the best all-star games one will see in the country.
COACHES SECTION
The players won’t be the only all-stars roaming the sidelines at Hallford Stadium for the 2011 AT&T Junior Bowl. The coaching staff is top-notch and should have plenty of experience and knowledge to offer their outstanding rosters.
Tucker’s Franklin Stephens will coach the East team, and the players would be smart to soak up as much wisdom as Stephens offers as he has a state title on his coaching resume. Stephens’ staff would make some NFL head coaches blush as Camden County’s Jeff Herron, a three-time champion will assist, as will Chattahoochee’s Terry Crowder, who just claimed the Class AAAA title a few weeks ago. Ed Dudley of Ware County will bring his many years of experience to the East staff. Dudley took Walton to the AAAAA semi-finals several years ago. Leroy Ryals was also in the AAAA state championship game one year ago.
The West coaching staff is just as decorated and it starts with the head man. Lowndes head coach Randy McPherson will serve as the boss of the West and he can hold his charges’ attention with his three state titles. Tom Fallaw of Cairo can also sport a championship ring as he will assist McPherson. Thomasville High School’s Richard Marsh has made the playoffs every year during his tenure and Fitzgerald coach Robby Pruitt has taken a team to the state finals in 2000 and been in contention seemingly every other year as well. Steve DeVoursney will also command some respect after all of the talent he has turned out the last few seasons.
In addition to bring together some of the best rising seniors, some of the state’s best coaches have been tapped to participate in the 2011 AT&T Junior Bowl.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
SBF's FIRST mock NFL draft, picks 11-20
So after seeing CNNSI and ESPN already throw up a couple of mock drafts, I've decided that I am NOT too early by throwing out the first 20 picks. Scroll down to see picks 1-10, but a quick recap before we move to picks 11-20. (Why just 1-20? Beacuse only the first 20 spots have been determined. the rest of the order is decided after the playoffs!)
Quick recap (for quasi-witty comments, check out the first part)
Carolina-Luck
Denver-Bowers
Buffalo-Locker
Cincy-Green
Arizona-Mallet
Cleveland-Dareus
SanFran-Jordan
Tennessee-Fairley
Dallas-Peterson
Washington-Blackmon
11) Houston. Robert Quinn, DE UNC. Put this guy opposite Mario Williams and suddenly Peyton Manning is running for his life and perhaps Cowher gets the Texans into the playoffs next year!
12) Minnesota. Stephen Paea, DT Oregon State. With one Williams "brother" retired and the next possibly on his way, Paea steps in beside Jared Allen and the Vikings front doesn't miss a beat. Plus, this guy went to school in Oregon. He'll LOVE Minnesota. It'll be like a vacation for him.
13) Detroit. Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska. I am sure the Lions would trade this pick if it guaranteed that Matt Stafford would be healthy for the entire season, but they had such success with Suh last year, why not grab his former Nebraska teammate?
14) St. Louis. Janoris Jenkins, CB, Florida. The Rams looked one or two players away in that last game against the Seahawks. While Bradford would probably LOVE a wide receiver, Jenkins is too good to pass up. Suddenly the Rams defense is starting to look pretty good....sort of.
15) Miami. Adrian Clayborn, DE Iowa. If Cowher goes to MIAMI instead of Houston (and even if he doesn't), Clayborn would be perfect for Miami, whose fans will love Clayborn as though he was the third coming of Jason Taylor (because isn't Taylor himself the second-coming of himself when he re-signed with the Dolphins after one unsatisfying season with Washington?).
16) Jacksonville. Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska. The Jags have had little luck drafting defensive linemen, so why not take a swing on Amukamara aka a DEFENSIVE BACK!?! This guy will be going up against Andre Johnson and Kenny Britt each twice a year. The offense could use some help, but if the Jags are to squeak into the postseason next year, it will be thanks to the defense.
17) New England (from Oakland). Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue. While the Pats will likely trade the pick, if they DO decide to keep it, Kerrigan might just make sense. Justin Houston is available, but I like Kerrigan for New England's style of defense. Plus he is a cold weather player already, coming from Purdon't.
18) San Diego. Cameron Heyward, DE Ohio State. The local Peachtree Ridge kid was unstoppable in the Sugar Bowl....when he was healthy. While Larry English likely won't be taking Merriman's place anytime soon (the juiced version of Merriman, that is), Heyward could be just what the doctor ordered for the Chahjaws in 2011-12
19) New York Giants. Von Miller. LB Texas A&M. I would think to put Justin Houston here, but I'll go with Von Miller, who will be strictly a LB at the next level, whereas Houston can float back and forth. The Giants already have a floater. Miller can get after the QB, much like Houston, but Miller appears to be more of what the Giants look for.
20) Tampa Bay. Justin Houston, OLB/DE. Georgia. Here you go Houston. Tampa fans will love that Houston slipped to them past New England and the Giants, and Houston will help to bring some bite back to the Bucs' defense that is starting to be overshadowed by the ever-improving Bucs' offense. Houston may never be Derrek Brooks, but he'll have tons of fans in Tampa.
Who else will make the first round? Let's wait until the order is decided before we continue, but expect a few more Tar Heels to make the first round as well as perhaps an Alabama tailback and possibly a Wisconsin offensive linemen or two.
Quick recap (for quasi-witty comments, check out the first part)
Carolina-Luck
Denver-Bowers
Buffalo-Locker
Cincy-Green
Arizona-Mallet
Cleveland-Dareus
SanFran-Jordan
Tennessee-Fairley
Dallas-Peterson
Washington-Blackmon
11) Houston. Robert Quinn, DE UNC. Put this guy opposite Mario Williams and suddenly Peyton Manning is running for his life and perhaps Cowher gets the Texans into the playoffs next year!
12) Minnesota. Stephen Paea, DT Oregon State. With one Williams "brother" retired and the next possibly on his way, Paea steps in beside Jared Allen and the Vikings front doesn't miss a beat. Plus, this guy went to school in Oregon. He'll LOVE Minnesota. It'll be like a vacation for him.
13) Detroit. Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska. I am sure the Lions would trade this pick if it guaranteed that Matt Stafford would be healthy for the entire season, but they had such success with Suh last year, why not grab his former Nebraska teammate?
14) St. Louis. Janoris Jenkins, CB, Florida. The Rams looked one or two players away in that last game against the Seahawks. While Bradford would probably LOVE a wide receiver, Jenkins is too good to pass up. Suddenly the Rams defense is starting to look pretty good....sort of.
15) Miami. Adrian Clayborn, DE Iowa. If Cowher goes to MIAMI instead of Houston (and even if he doesn't), Clayborn would be perfect for Miami, whose fans will love Clayborn as though he was the third coming of Jason Taylor (because isn't Taylor himself the second-coming of himself when he re-signed with the Dolphins after one unsatisfying season with Washington?).
16) Jacksonville. Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska. The Jags have had little luck drafting defensive linemen, so why not take a swing on Amukamara aka a DEFENSIVE BACK!?! This guy will be going up against Andre Johnson and Kenny Britt each twice a year. The offense could use some help, but if the Jags are to squeak into the postseason next year, it will be thanks to the defense.
17) New England (from Oakland). Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue. While the Pats will likely trade the pick, if they DO decide to keep it, Kerrigan might just make sense. Justin Houston is available, but I like Kerrigan for New England's style of defense. Plus he is a cold weather player already, coming from Purdon't.
18) San Diego. Cameron Heyward, DE Ohio State. The local Peachtree Ridge kid was unstoppable in the Sugar Bowl....when he was healthy. While Larry English likely won't be taking Merriman's place anytime soon (the juiced version of Merriman, that is), Heyward could be just what the doctor ordered for the Chahjaws in 2011-12
19) New York Giants. Von Miller. LB Texas A&M. I would think to put Justin Houston here, but I'll go with Von Miller, who will be strictly a LB at the next level, whereas Houston can float back and forth. The Giants already have a floater. Miller can get after the QB, much like Houston, but Miller appears to be more of what the Giants look for.
20) Tampa Bay. Justin Houston, OLB/DE. Georgia. Here you go Houston. Tampa fans will love that Houston slipped to them past New England and the Giants, and Houston will help to bring some bite back to the Bucs' defense that is starting to be overshadowed by the ever-improving Bucs' offense. Houston may never be Derrek Brooks, but he'll have tons of fans in Tampa.
Who else will make the first round? Let's wait until the order is decided before we continue, but expect a few more Tar Heels to make the first round as well as perhaps an Alabama tailback and possibly a Wisconsin offensive linemen or two.
SBF's first Mock Draft...is it too early?
Is it too early to do a Mock Draft for the upcoming NFL draft? NO! ESPN and CNNSI have already done a few, so we here at SBF will do one as well! The first 20 picks of the draft order have been determined and while a number of underclassmen have yet to declare, I feel pretty comfortable going with what I have here. With no further ado, my first twenty picks (and I like to do this assuming there are no trades. Shoot, there may not be a draft with the lockout coming...)
1) Carolina Panthers. Andrew Luck QB, Stanford. Duh. Easy pick here. Sorry to anyone out there that was expecting an earth-shattering choice here. The new coach of the Panthers will get Luck, Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen under center. SWEET! Looks like Jim Fassel will get to huff and puff and tell the media to point the spotlight on HIM instead of Luck. Wait, is there media in Charlotte when it comes to anything other than NASCAR or college basketball? Pack-Man?
2) Denver Broncos. Da'quan Bowers, DE, Clemson. This guy can get after it. He helped Clemson nearly knock off Cam Newton and Auburn earlier this year and he was the ONLY reason to watch Clemson this year....other than Dabo! (and to see if Kyle Parker would get hurt. You KNOW the Rockies just wanted him to hand the ball off EVERY PLAY after that Auburn game)
3) Buffalo. Jake Locker, QB Washington. While I think Ryan Mallet is the better QB (wait, did I just type that? About a guy I call Mallet, rhymes with ballet?) for whatever reason (because they are buffalo, they'll mess it up), I think the Bills ignore the tape and go with Locker. Ty Willingham CANNOT be wrong!
4) Cincy. AJ Green, WR Georgia. Green would give the Bengals the guts to dump either TO or Ocho, maybe even both. He has great size and can catch ANYTHING (he played a full year with Joe Cox for Pete's Sake!). And since he has played with Joe Cox, he'll be ready to play with a shite QB like Carson Palmer.
5) Arizona. Ryan Mallet QB Arkie. With all due respect Max Hall, Derek Anderson and John Skelton, Mallet is the starter from day one. This guy has a HUGE arm and can make all of the throws. If Luck wasn't in the draft, Mallet would go No.1 just like Stafford did. Stafford though was WAY more mobile coming out of college (just think about what I said about Shrek there). Mallet is a bit of a statue.
6) Cleveland. Marcell Dareus, DL Alabama. Depending on who the new coach of Cleveland is will depend on where Dareus will play on the DLine, but this guy was a force for the National Champs in 2009-10 and was very strong last year despite the scandal of Agent-gate.
7) San Fran. Cameron Jordan, DE Cal. Just like how the 49ers will go local for its next head coach, the 49ers will go local with the No.7 pick and take Jordan. Unlike the Jags pick last year, THIS Cal Bear D-lineman DESERVES a top-ten pick.
8) Tennessee. Nick Fairley DE Auburn. Ric Flair in cleats AKA the dirtiest player in the game, heads to Tennessee, a team that may be in search of a coach and a quarterback, but probably will have both of the incumbents return because the Titans owner is CRAZY. Fairley will do just fine in the NFL, though if he tries to spear an NFL qb like he did with aaron murray, he should probably set aside some of his signing bonus for the fines.
9) Dallas. Patrick Peterson, CB LSU. The uber-talented athlete is sure to catch Jerray Jones' eye just like Dez Bryant did last year. Peterson will be too good to pass up, considering how bad Mike Jenkins is in that Allas seconary (get it? No D!)
10) Washington. Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma State. As much as I would LOVE for the Skins to get AJ Green (won't be there) or to have Ryan Mallet fall into their laps (won't be there), when you trot out Santana Moss and Joey Galloway (for a while at least) you need a big-time receiver that is taller than 5'10. Let's just hope that someone can drive Blackmon to the stadium.
Picks 11-20 coming up later today!
1) Carolina Panthers. Andrew Luck QB, Stanford. Duh. Easy pick here. Sorry to anyone out there that was expecting an earth-shattering choice here. The new coach of the Panthers will get Luck, Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen under center. SWEET! Looks like Jim Fassel will get to huff and puff and tell the media to point the spotlight on HIM instead of Luck. Wait, is there media in Charlotte when it comes to anything other than NASCAR or college basketball? Pack-Man?
2) Denver Broncos. Da'quan Bowers, DE, Clemson. This guy can get after it. He helped Clemson nearly knock off Cam Newton and Auburn earlier this year and he was the ONLY reason to watch Clemson this year....other than Dabo! (and to see if Kyle Parker would get hurt. You KNOW the Rockies just wanted him to hand the ball off EVERY PLAY after that Auburn game)
3) Buffalo. Jake Locker, QB Washington. While I think Ryan Mallet is the better QB (wait, did I just type that? About a guy I call Mallet, rhymes with ballet?) for whatever reason (because they are buffalo, they'll mess it up), I think the Bills ignore the tape and go with Locker. Ty Willingham CANNOT be wrong!
4) Cincy. AJ Green, WR Georgia. Green would give the Bengals the guts to dump either TO or Ocho, maybe even both. He has great size and can catch ANYTHING (he played a full year with Joe Cox for Pete's Sake!). And since he has played with Joe Cox, he'll be ready to play with a shite QB like Carson Palmer.
5) Arizona. Ryan Mallet QB Arkie. With all due respect Max Hall, Derek Anderson and John Skelton, Mallet is the starter from day one. This guy has a HUGE arm and can make all of the throws. If Luck wasn't in the draft, Mallet would go No.1 just like Stafford did. Stafford though was WAY more mobile coming out of college (just think about what I said about Shrek there). Mallet is a bit of a statue.
6) Cleveland. Marcell Dareus, DL Alabama. Depending on who the new coach of Cleveland is will depend on where Dareus will play on the DLine, but this guy was a force for the National Champs in 2009-10 and was very strong last year despite the scandal of Agent-gate.
7) San Fran. Cameron Jordan, DE Cal. Just like how the 49ers will go local for its next head coach, the 49ers will go local with the No.7 pick and take Jordan. Unlike the Jags pick last year, THIS Cal Bear D-lineman DESERVES a top-ten pick.
8) Tennessee. Nick Fairley DE Auburn. Ric Flair in cleats AKA the dirtiest player in the game, heads to Tennessee, a team that may be in search of a coach and a quarterback, but probably will have both of the incumbents return because the Titans owner is CRAZY. Fairley will do just fine in the NFL, though if he tries to spear an NFL qb like he did with aaron murray, he should probably set aside some of his signing bonus for the fines.
9) Dallas. Patrick Peterson, CB LSU. The uber-talented athlete is sure to catch Jerray Jones' eye just like Dez Bryant did last year. Peterson will be too good to pass up, considering how bad Mike Jenkins is in that Allas seconary (get it? No D!)
10) Washington. Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma State. As much as I would LOVE for the Skins to get AJ Green (won't be there) or to have Ryan Mallet fall into their laps (won't be there), when you trot out Santana Moss and Joey Galloway (for a while at least) you need a big-time receiver that is taller than 5'10. Let's just hope that someone can drive Blackmon to the stadium.
Picks 11-20 coming up later today!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Georgia should resolve to be BETTER in 2011
With the calendar turning over, folks across the country will boast New Years’ Resolutions such as losing weight, staying in better shape, quitting smoking, etc. The Georgia Bulldog football program should seriously think about making a few resolutions as well. The program should resolve to FINALLY BEAT FLORIDA, stay out of the police blotter or at least finish with a winning record. Several members of the Bulldog program in particular should announce resolutions immediately and they should go a little something like this…
Head Coach Mark Richt: GET THE TOP RECRUITS FROM GEORGIA COME FEBRUARY. This coming National Signing Day will be the most important in Richt’s career in Athens as it might be the class that can save his job. Two straight underwhelming seasons following an underachieving campaign in 2008 has put Mark Richt squarely on the hotseat. NO ONE can deny that fact now. Richt needs to have a banner 2011 year potentially with a date in Atlanta come the first weekend in December, and the way to get started is to snag Carver tailback Isaiah Crowell and Valdosta TE Jay Rome along with a few more Georgia prep products such as Xzavier Ward, Xzavier Dickson, Ray Drew, Malcolm Mitchell and Damian Swann. If Richt can net the first two along with three of the five others, he will be well on his way to a top three recruiting class and perhaps living on to coach the Dawgs in 2012.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo: CONSTRUCT A CONSISTENT OFFENSE. For all of the talk about Bobo’s record-setting year of eight games with 30+ points, he also oversaw an offense WITH AJ Green that failed to score a touchdown in its bowl game against Central Florida. Not the University of Florida or Florida State. UCF. Bobo’s crew also failed to reach paydirt against South Carolina and only got into the endzone against Miss State when the game was all but decided. You had AJ Green and Aaron Murray and two rushers that should have each gone for 1000 yards, yet the offense sputtered in three winnable games. If the offense scores a TD in any of those three, suddenly the season is a LOT better.
Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham: MOLD THE FRONT THREE INTO A FORCE. The 3-4 offense didn’t take off this year. It didn’t seem to get better as the year wore on and honestly, if the 2011 season started today, it would be worse as OLB Justin Houston is likely to depart for the NFL draft and first round riches. So Grantham’s resolution should be to build the front line so the LBs can fly around and make plays. Scout the jucos, force-feed PB&Js to current players and teach some of the older guys how to eat space. Grantham coached up the defensive line in Dallas; time to start doing the same thing in Athens.
Receiver Tavarres King: WORK ON YOUR HANDS. It sounds silly for a wide receiver to have to make a resolution to work on catching the ball, but King needs to. He has the size/speed combo to be a dominant receiver; he just needs to NOT drop the balls thrown his way in big situations.
Receiver Marlon Brown: GET CONFIDENT. Speaking of size, Brown certainly has it. His first two seasons in Athens have been disappointing. Hopefully if Brown can just get confident, he can get on the field and dominate the way Bulldog Nation hoped he would when he committed on National Signing Day in 2009.
Safety Alec Ogletree: LEARN HOW TO TACKLE. Boy, this kid looked special at times this year. He can lay the wood just like Thomas Davis and Greg Blue used to do Between the Hedges. Let’s just hope that Ogletree doesn’t just look for the big hit. Georgia needs a safety that can come up and help in run support by tackling the ball carrier or taking down a receiver. Sometimes if you just try for the big hit, you’ll miss, OR you get a reputation as a headhunter and the officials, concerned over safety, may flag you after a big hit. Learn to tackle and the officials may let a few of the questionable calls slide your way.
Just a few resolutions for the Georgia Bulldogs to work on to make 2011 a successful one; and face it, Mark Richt and company need a successful year.
Head Coach Mark Richt: GET THE TOP RECRUITS FROM GEORGIA COME FEBRUARY. This coming National Signing Day will be the most important in Richt’s career in Athens as it might be the class that can save his job. Two straight underwhelming seasons following an underachieving campaign in 2008 has put Mark Richt squarely on the hotseat. NO ONE can deny that fact now. Richt needs to have a banner 2011 year potentially with a date in Atlanta come the first weekend in December, and the way to get started is to snag Carver tailback Isaiah Crowell and Valdosta TE Jay Rome along with a few more Georgia prep products such as Xzavier Ward, Xzavier Dickson, Ray Drew, Malcolm Mitchell and Damian Swann. If Richt can net the first two along with three of the five others, he will be well on his way to a top three recruiting class and perhaps living on to coach the Dawgs in 2012.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo: CONSTRUCT A CONSISTENT OFFENSE. For all of the talk about Bobo’s record-setting year of eight games with 30+ points, he also oversaw an offense WITH AJ Green that failed to score a touchdown in its bowl game against Central Florida. Not the University of Florida or Florida State. UCF. Bobo’s crew also failed to reach paydirt against South Carolina and only got into the endzone against Miss State when the game was all but decided. You had AJ Green and Aaron Murray and two rushers that should have each gone for 1000 yards, yet the offense sputtered in three winnable games. If the offense scores a TD in any of those three, suddenly the season is a LOT better.
Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham: MOLD THE FRONT THREE INTO A FORCE. The 3-4 offense didn’t take off this year. It didn’t seem to get better as the year wore on and honestly, if the 2011 season started today, it would be worse as OLB Justin Houston is likely to depart for the NFL draft and first round riches. So Grantham’s resolution should be to build the front line so the LBs can fly around and make plays. Scout the jucos, force-feed PB&Js to current players and teach some of the older guys how to eat space. Grantham coached up the defensive line in Dallas; time to start doing the same thing in Athens.
Receiver Tavarres King: WORK ON YOUR HANDS. It sounds silly for a wide receiver to have to make a resolution to work on catching the ball, but King needs to. He has the size/speed combo to be a dominant receiver; he just needs to NOT drop the balls thrown his way in big situations.
Receiver Marlon Brown: GET CONFIDENT. Speaking of size, Brown certainly has it. His first two seasons in Athens have been disappointing. Hopefully if Brown can just get confident, he can get on the field and dominate the way Bulldog Nation hoped he would when he committed on National Signing Day in 2009.
Safety Alec Ogletree: LEARN HOW TO TACKLE. Boy, this kid looked special at times this year. He can lay the wood just like Thomas Davis and Greg Blue used to do Between the Hedges. Let’s just hope that Ogletree doesn’t just look for the big hit. Georgia needs a safety that can come up and help in run support by tackling the ball carrier or taking down a receiver. Sometimes if you just try for the big hit, you’ll miss, OR you get a reputation as a headhunter and the officials, concerned over safety, may flag you after a big hit. Learn to tackle and the officials may let a few of the questionable calls slide your way.
Just a few resolutions for the Georgia Bulldogs to work on to make 2011 a successful one; and face it, Mark Richt and company need a successful year.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Big B's post-bowl look at the SEC's recruiting classes
While I am still in Colorado, the show must still go on. Tune in tonight for Score Atlanta's The Official Visit from 7-9pm on Sports Radio 790 The Zone. Brian Jones prodives a top ten (or in this case twelve) list every week. Here he gives his thoughts on the recruiting classes for the SEC, post-Jan1 bowls.
12. Vanderbilt
11. Kentucky
10. Tennessee
9. Mississippi State
8. Ole Miss
7. Auburn
6. South Carolina
5. Georgia
4. Florida
3. Arkansas
2. LSU
1. Alabama
tune in tonight to hear what Scott Janovitz thinks about Florida being No.4!
12. Vanderbilt
11. Kentucky
10. Tennessee
9. Mississippi State
8. Ole Miss
7. Auburn
6. South Carolina
5. Georgia
4. Florida
3. Arkansas
2. LSU
1. Alabama
tune in tonight to hear what Scott Janovitz thinks about Florida being No.4!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)