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Where will the “rooks” fall?
By: Jimmy Smith
With the debate between the skills of quarterbacks Jay Cutler from Vanderbilt, Matt Leinart from USC, and the highly intelligent Texas quarterback Vince Young, heating up, there is only so much room to speculate. So now it’s my turn to toss my two and a half cents in.
Why? Why did the Saints have to sign Drew Brees? Why? With the exception of a possible Texans trade for the top spot, the top 3 picks were nearly cemented. Now the Saints sign a wounded duck, and mess everything up. Well at least there is now more to talk about then just March Madness.
Drew Brees is a good quarterback. The Saints would have been crazy not to chase him the way they did. But this new acquisition puts the other teams in a bind. What will Tennessee do when they now could end up having to choose between the top three quarterbacks? What if the Saints trade down to be in a better position to draft Mario Williams from North Carolina State? Will Bush go first, or will the Texans pass on the pressure of the first pick?
Why not start at the top? The Houston Texans have the high pick this year, for now. Many people say that the Texans would be crazy to pass up Reggie Bush. The Texans have not made any hints at getting rid of either of their quality running backs. Domanick Davis and Jonathan Wells have been a decent source of yards for the Texans. The problem, as is much of the problem of David Carr’s ineffectiveness, lies on the offensive line. You cannot rush for many yards when you get hit as you receive the ball. Picking Reggie Bush, as a punt return specialist or even a slot receiver is still not a bad idea. With the loss of Corey Bradford and Jabar Gaffney, Bush would fit well into a system that relies on speed. But could the Texans trade the pick and get something out of it but still pick high in the first round? The answer is always yes, but it depends on team and the offer.
The second pick is a mess. The prospective second pick in the draft is a quarterback. Whether its Young or Leinart depends on the team. But the Saints picked up Drew Brees. So now what? They can stay put at the 2nd pick and draft the defensive help they need in Mario Williams. But they could gamble and trade the pick, get something of value from another team along with their pick in the first round. Then pray that Williams is still around. Either way, New Orleans is now smiling upon the Saints. Or are the Saints smiling on New Orleans? They can’t wait to say welcome back Deuce Mcallister.
The most interesting pick in the 2006 NFL draft will be the third pick. That pick belongs to the AFC south’s Tennessee Titans. After a fire sale the past two years, the Titans are finally looking to reload and make another run. Last year the Titans had to part with some cornerstones in their defense in Samari Rolle and Kevin Carter. They also had to let wide receiver Derrick Mason and fullback Robert Holcombe go.
And until now the Titans haven’t really made an effort to better their playoff chances. With the signing of David Givens and six-time pro bowl center Kevin Mawae. For New England last year Givens caught 59 passes for 738 yards and two touchdowns. He is a great addition to a group of receivers that last year featured three rookies and had only one player with more than two years' experience last year.
Vince Young, for me, is the best pick. He fits in with the system that is already in place in Nashville. Learning how to play from one of the best passers while on the run, will only help Vince develop into the great player that he can be. Cutler and Leinart are great choices. Leinart fits in with the Offensive Coordinator, Norm Chow, of the Titans. He fits in because Chow was Leinart’s Coordinator at USC. But, Cutler is a Nashville guy and the Titans could pick the hometown hero.
The past few months of sports have been incredible to watch and experience. It started with the Olympics, then it went to the World Baseball Classic, and now it moves on to March Madness. April and the madness that goes along with the NFL Draft, will round out an exciting 3 months of sports.
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