Pondering mock draft post Bucs/Jets Revis trade

by | Apr 25, 2013 | We Forgot

We were about two-thirds of the way through our Team Blogger Mock Draft when the trade between Tampa Bay and the New York Jets illustrated the complete futility of the effort by making a trade that made it obsolete.

I probably should have gone back and re-done it, but I was running out of time. So I left it as it was and moved on, but I did want to address the trade and its impact on the first round that will start now within a matter of a couple hours.

So I checked back with Joe Caporoso from Turn on the Jets and Leo Howell from the Pewter Plank to see what their first thoughts were. Both seemed fine with the moves their team had made.

Joe told me if the deal had gone down early enough that he’d had pick 13, he’d have taken Chance Warmack. That reaction both legitimized my decision to not re-do the draft, as it would have started a chain reaction starting with the very next pick at 14, and it made a lot of sense. (more…)

Why I’m already ready to hate the Chiefs’ draft

by | Apr 25, 2013 | 2013 season, NFL Draft

With the first pick in the Zoneblitz Team Blogger Mock Draft, Arrowhead Addict a week or so ago selected quarterback Geno Smith as the top overall selection.

That pick was mocked by a couple people who commented on the blog. And I’m pretty sure Patrick Allen, the senior editor at Arrowhead Addict, knew his pick wasn’t the correct one when he made it. But I think I understand at least in part why he did it.

The Chiefs have the top pick in the draft this year on the coattails of a terrible 2-14 season. The top pick in the draft is an opportunity to reinvigorate the franchise and the fan base – to give them a reason to believe this season might be different.

But with the draft a mere 10 or so hours away, I am already prepared to hate the Chiefs’ draft. Because in all likelihood, if the media reports that have been coming out over the last couple weeks are true, Kansas City will barely be any better after their first pick than they were after trading for Alex Smith shortly after the offseason started. (more…)

Happy Draft Day: Here’s a collection of mocks

by | Apr 25, 2013 | NFL Draft

As we get ready to wrap up our own mock draft and as the hours count down until the *actual* NFL draft begins, I thought it would be interesting to collect a few of the mock drafts that some of the NFL’s beat reporters have put together. So a handful of them are posted below, with links to the pages where you can read about their rationale.

The one thing that stands out to me after reading these – and after conducting our own – is that this year there is little consensus anywhere about what is going to happen, even at the top of the first round.

I’ve seen people predict as many as 10 trades in the first round alone. So the likelihood is that most of these will end up being even more useless than normal. But mock drafts seem to fascinate football fans and so, for your entertainment, here they are.

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NFL Alumni Association teams with Neuralstem Inc. on traumatic brain injury trial

by | Apr 24, 2013 | NFL News, NFL Post Career Health, NFL Random Thoughts

It’s easy this week to get wrapped up in all the hoopla surrounding the NFL draft. But as the league gets ready to welcome a new class of rookies, we all should also remember to keep an eye on the continuing developments surrounding the health issues of former players.

An announcement came out today that I thought was interesting and that I hope helps lead to a better quality of life for at least some former players. The National Football League Alumni Association and Neuralstem Inc. announced they are working together to develop a trial for treating NFL alumni who are suffering from traumatic brain injuries with NSI-189, a neurogenic drug platform.

NSI-189 is apparently a drug being tested as a possible treatment for major depressive disorder and, according to a statement, it appears to work by stimulating neurons in the hippocampus, a region of the brain that atrophies in depression and which also could be implicated in brain injury. (more…)

In depth 2013: Baltimore Ravens

by | Apr 23, 2013 | 2012 season, 2013 season, NFL Draft, NFL Free Agency, NFL Random Thoughts

The Baltimore Ravens sailed to a 9-2 start to the 2012 season, nearly locking up the AFC North with a month left in the campaign. Four losses in five games dampened Baltimore’s momentum and in the middle of that stretch, coach John Harbaugh made the decision to change offensive coordinators.

That gutty move along with the emotion of Ray Lewis’ retirement announcement energized the Ravens heading into the postseason. The rest is history. Joe Flacco had a monstrous run up through the Super Bowl and Lewis and Matt Birk got to go out as champions.

So can Baltimore repeat? There’s been a ton of turnover, primarily on the defensive side of the ball. But some of the new faces represent younger, more athletic and more affordable options to the pieces they replaced. And with 12 draft picks in his arsenal, don’t discount Ozzie Newsome’s chances of putting together another competitive team, says Tony Lombardi, founder of Russell Street Report.

Zoneblitz: The Ravens had some ups and downs during the season but got it done with a championship in the end. How would you describe the 2012 ride? (more…)