OldCleat's All Did Not Get Drafted Team 2011 Defensive Line, update

Below is an update of signing statuses of the 2011 OldCleat All Did Not Get Drafted Team. The photo of Ryan Winterswyk is from rocktytoptalk.com.

Ian Williams DT 6-2 301 Notre Dame

Signed with the San Francisco 49ers. He was considered by Tony Pauline of Draftinsider.net as a top undrafted free agent. With the niners moving on from Aubrayo Franklin at NT, Williams could have a track to a backup job.

Lawon Scott DT 6-2 310 Mississippi

Scott signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Scott has the size and ability to be a backup NT in the NFL. He had a promising start to his college career, but he was moved to a backup in a rotation in his senior season. He sustained an injury in the Tennessee game.

Dexter Larimore DT 6-2 310 Ohio State

Larimore signed with the New Orleans Saints. He is a big 4-3 DT who could also play some NT. He flashes some athleticism for his size. He doesn't project as a great pass rusher.

Ted Laurent DT 6-1 303 Mississippi

Another of the three draftable Mississippi DTs (along with Lawon Scott and Jerrel Powe), Laurent is now playing with the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL. It turns out that Laurent lived in Canada until he was 15 and moved to Georgia. He was selected in the CFL's supplemental draft because of the NFL lockout. He still wants to play in the NFL.

Ollie Ogbu DT 6-1 285 Penn State

Ogbu is a quick but undersized DT who would need to go to a Tampa-2 team. Done. Ogbu was signed by the Colts. The Colts may have some cap issues, so he may have a chance to stick.

Ryan Winterswyk DE 6-4 263 Boise State

Coming out of college, Winterswyk was a 4-3 DE who was a little small for a run stuffer but not quite the pass rusher for a 260 pounder. So he was a bit of a tweener. Well, it appears that the Falcons are going to make him a blocking tight end. And apparently at least Miami was also interested in him as a TE.

Justin Trattou DE 6-3 252 Florida

Trattou signed by the Giants. OK, he was a part-time player until his senior year, but Trattou was behind two DEs at Florida (Carlos Dunlap and Jermaine Cunningham) who were second-round picks in the 2010 draft (and Dulap was projected to be a top-10 pick before a slide). Trattou looked like a player to me as a senior. May be a step too slow to play DE at 255. But he has a chance.

Ugo Chinasa DE 6-5 252 Oklahoma State

Signed by the Carolina Panthers, Chinasa is a 4-3 DE. He may be a good NFL pass rusher with some refinement to his technique.

OldCleat's All Did Not Get Drafted Team 2011 QBs, RBs, and ends

OldCleat's All Did Not Get Drafted ends, QBs, and backs 2011 is now out. Sorry about the huge number of backs. I was going to include more, but killed Locke of Kentucky and Spann of Northern Illinois at the last second. I'll update as they get signed. The pic of Terrence Toliver is from gridiron fans.

Weslye Saunders TE 6-6 273 South Carolina
Charlie Gantt TE 6-5 255 Michigan State
Andre Smith TE 6-4 265 Virginia Tech

Preston Dial TE-FB 6-3 237 Alabama
Henry Hynoski FB 6-2 260 Pittsburgh
Robert Hughes FB 5-11 245 Notre Dame

John Clay RB 6-1 248 Wisconsin
Mario Fannin RB 5-11 227 Auburn
Noel Devine RB 5-8 170 West Virginia
Darren Evans RB 6-0 223 Virginia Tech
Matt Asiata RB 5-11 229 Utah
Brandon Saine RB 6-1 219 Ohio State

Scott Tolzien QB 6-3 208 Wisconsin
Jerrod Johnson QB 6-5 243 Texas A&M
Pat Devlin QB 6-4 220 Delaware

Terrence Toliver WR 6-5 206 LSU
Dane Sanzenbacher WR 5-11 180 Ohio State
DeAndre Brown WR 6-6 231 Southern Miss
Armon Binns WR 6-3 210 Cincinnati
Terrance Turner WR 6-3 210 Indiana

OldCleat's All Did Not Get Drafted Team 2011 Offensive Line

OldCleat's All Did Not Get Drafted Offensive 2011 is now out. I am working on getting the stats boys done. There are several QBs and a bunch of running backs I like. Here are the big boys, and I really like Hix. The image is from nationalchamps.net.

Kyle Hix T 6-7 320 Texas
Darius Morris T 6-4 305 Temple
Rich Lapham T 6-8 322 Boston College
Bryant Browning G 6-4 313 Ohio State
Colin Madison G 6-4 315 Temple
Zach Hurd G 6-7 323 Connecticut
Justin Boren G 6-3 320 Ohio State
Ryan Bartholomew C 6-3 290 Syracuse
Chase Beeler C 6-3 277 Stanford
Ryan Pugh C 6-4 293 Auburn

OldCleat's All Did Not Get Drafted Team 2011 Defense

OldCleat's All Did Not Get Drafted Defense 2011 is now out, finally. OldCleat was also locked out. The signing period for these young men started today. Here are the guys I would want to see signed on the defensive side of the ball. I will work on the offense next, and I will update who they get signed by as that moves along.

Ian Williams DT 6-2 301 Notre Dame
Lawon Scott DT 6-2 310 Mississippi
Dexter Larimore DT 6-2 310 Ohio State
Ted Laurent DT 6-1 303 Mississippi
Ollie Ogbu DT 6-1 285 Penn State
Ryan Winterswyk DE 6-4 263 Boise State
Justin Trattou DE 6-3 252 Florida
Ugo Chinasa DE 6-5 252 Oklahoma State

Mark Herzlich OLB 6-4 238 Boston College
Mario Harvey OLB 6-0 250 Marshall
Dom DeCicco OLB 6-3 230 Pittsburgh
Eric Gordon OLB-SS 6-0 228 Michigan State
Nick Bellore ILB 6-1 241 Central Michigan
Alex Wujciak ILB 6-3 245 Maryland
Obi Ezeh ILB 6-2 240 Michigan

Kendric Burney CB 5-9 190 North Carolina
Devon Torrence CB 6-1 200 Ohio State
Mario Butler CB 6-1 180 Georgia Tech
Deunta Williams CB-FS 6-2 210 North Carolina
Will Hill FS 6-1 204 Florida
Jai Eugene FS 5-11 181 LSU
Jerrard Tarrant FS 6-0 202 Georgia Tech
Jeron Johnson SS 5-11 194 Boise State
DeAndre McDaniel SS 6-1 210 Clemson
Justin Taplin-Ross SS 6-3 214 Utah
Davon Morgan SS 6-0 198 Virginia Tech

OldCleat Redrafts Bengals Draft - 2011

OldCleat redrafts the Bengals draft once again, this time for the 2011 Draft. This is year No. 4. The rules are, I would draft a player that the Bengals had drafted, or someone drafted after the selection, until the Bengals selected again. So, my universe of players that I would have chosen were the players in-between the Bengals draft.

I have learned that my redrafting isn’t any better than the Bengals normal drafting, nor really worse. Since I’m picking folks near the same universe (or the same players), my track record has been about the same. So the proof in drafting will be in several years to see who is better.

Round one, fourth overall: Bengals select A.J. Green, WR, Georgia. I would have taken Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU, who was selected No. 5 overall by the Arizona Cardinals. I am not a huge fan of taking wide receivers really high in the draft (or, apparently, at all). And, if you do draft one this high, I would hope that the WR is the whole package, including speed. I worry that Green may be a step slower than elite status; he also doesn’t have the bulk at 210 to be a Larry Fitzgerald type. But I am in the minority opinion on this. I think he will be a plus player. Peterson, on the other hand, it the whole deal. He is big, very fast, quick, and productive. I think he will be a shutdown corner from day one. I do understand that there were those who thought his cover skills were not that great, but I never saw that when I watched him. The image is from kellymlambert.blogspot.com.

Round two, 35th overall: Bengals select Andy Dalton, QB, TCU. I would have taken Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson who was selected 51st overall by the Buccaneers. Dalton was a need pick, and there seemed to be several folks who right before the draft commenced thought that Dalton might go as high as 12 overall to the Vikings. His selection by the Bengals has been widely lauded. It was a need pick because Carson Palmer gave the Bengals an ultimatum to trade him or he will retire. I hope that Dalton is as good as advertised. When I look at Dalton, I see a average athlete who is a hard worker and pretty good college quarterback, and about a fifth-round pick or so. I sincerely hope I’m wrong. He does look like a good fit for a West Coast offense that the Bengals will install this year. Bowers slipped because of a knee injury that may require microfracture surgery. And, yet, I would take him. I think he was a Top-5 talent, and I would even give him a redshirt year should he need it to get healthy. And, if not, I think he is at least a pass-rush guy from day one. One of the best values in the draft, if healthy.

Round three, 66th overall: Bengals select Dontay Moch, OLB, Nevada. I would have taken Ryan Mallet, QB, Arkansas, who was taken 74th overall by the Patriots. I really like Moch’s measurables, and I think the Bengals may have a nice pass-rusher from the outside. He also has the speed to be a three-down outside linebacker, though out of the gate I think he will be just a pass rusher. But Mallet is a rare talent who has a lot of questions. He has a cannon, and he produced as a freshman at Michigan and also at Arkansas for two seasons in the SEC. During the season, he was looked at as one of the top three quarterback prospects, and he fell during the postseason, predraft process. He is not fast (he is in fact slow), but he was athletic enough to be a great college QB. I would draft him, sit him, and work with him to become an NFL quarterback.

Round four, 101st overall: Bengals select Clint Boling, OT-OG, Georgia. I also would have selected Boling. I think He can play left tackle in the NFL. But I think he will start off as a guard. He is athletic and very productive as a player. He should be a starter in the NFL in the next two or three years, and he should be a plus player as an NFLer.

Round five, 134th overall: Bengals select Robert Sands, S, West Virginia. I would have selected Ahmad Black, S, Florida, who was selected 151st overall by the Buccaneers. Here is the classic choice between a size-speed candidate (Sands) against a production candidate (Black). Sands would have been my second choice if Black wasn’t on the board (I also really liked Lawrence Wilson, the undersized OLB from U Conn who wasn’t selected until round six, 166 overall). Sands was a very good player in the Big East for the Mountaineers, but Black was one of the best players in college football. Sands is 6-3, 6-4, 215 or so, while Black is 5-9, 185 or 190. Sands ran about a 4.51 40, while Black ran a 4.7 40 at the combine, and a 4.85 at his pro day. So even more than the height issue, Black is not fast. (Of course, there are those who think Sands is too tall to be a DB in the pros.) It will be interesting to see if taking the college productivity guy versus the size-speed guy.

Round six, 167th overall: Bengals select Ryan Whalen, WR, Stanford. I would have taken, oh, most of the other draftees in the sixth round, but specifically, I would have taken Greg Jones, ILB, Michigan State, who was drafted 185th overall by the Giants, barely over Quan Sturdivant, ILB, North Carolina, who was drafted 171st overall by the Cardinals, and Allen Bradford, who was drafted 187th overall by the Buccaneers. Good underneath receivers are fine and dandy, but I of course would have gone for a super productive linebacker like Jones. He was more highly ranked as a junior than as a senior, but he should be a big plus as a special teamer, and he could be a real good linebacker. I see Whalen as a third-down slot receiver. Sturdivant was less productive in college, because of injury, but he may have more upside than Jones. Bradford is a size-speed candidate (240 pounds, 4.6 40). Some of the other folks I would have taken instead of Whalen, more or less in order, are: Jerell Powe, NT, Mississippi, drafted by the Chiefs; Caleb Schlauderaff, G, Utah, drafted by the Packers; Brian Rolle, LB, Ohio State, drafted by the Eagles; Tyrod Taylor, QB, Va Tech, drafted by the Ravens; Charles Clay, FB-TE-TB-HB, Tulsa, drafted by the Dolphins; Ross Homan, LB, Ohio State, drafted by the Vikings; Mike Mohamad, ILB, Cal, drafted by the Broncos; and JT Thomas, OLB, West Virginia, drafted by da Bears.

Round seven, 207th overall: Bengals draft Korey Lindsay, CB, Illinois State. I would have taken Lee Ziemba, OT, Auburn, who was drafted 244th overall by the Carolina Panthers. I admit it, I am a sucker for 6-8, 300-plus pound tackles from the SEC who had a lot of college production and started for several years. From what admittedly little I know about Lindsay, it looks like he has the ability to play nickel corner in the NFL, as well as help on special teams. I liked Brandyn Thompson, the little corner from Boise State. I am intrigued by Stanley Havili, the athletic FB from USC who only weighs about 230 but who may be a great West Coast-type fullback.

Round seven, 246th overall: Bengals draft Jay Finley, RB, Baylor. I would have drafted Terrence Tolliver, WR, LSU, who was undrafted. Finally, OldCleat drafts a wideout. Four years, one wideout. Finley does NOT excite me. I think there are better undrafted running back prospects … guys who were bigger, faster, etc. (I like John Clay of Wisconsin, who is bigger and slower.) I do like Tolliver, who is 6-4, 210, and who is athletic. Not a whole lot of production in college, but Tolliver seems to be maybe one of those guys who may sneak onto a roster.

Cincy
1 4 overall A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
2 35 overall Andy Dalton, QB, TCU
3 66 overall Dontay Moch, OLB, Nevada
4 101 overall Clint Boling, OT-OG, Georgia
5 134 overall Robert Sands, S, West Virginia
6 167 overall Ryan Whalen, WR, Stanford
7 207 overall Korey Lindsay, CB, Illinois State
7 246 overall: Jay Finley, RB, Baylor

OldCleat
1 5 overall Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
2 51 overall Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
3 74 overall Ryan Mallet, QB, Arkansas
4 101 overall Clint Boling, OT-OG, Georgia
5 151 overall Ahmad Black, S, Florida
6 195 overall Greg Jones, ILB, Michigan State
7 244 overall Lee Ziemba, OT, Auburn
7 UDFA Terrence Tolliver, WR, LSU

All-Stars and No Djokes - OldCleat NewsBeat

The All-Star teams were announced yesterday, with Jose Bautista breaking the record for the highest number of fan votes ever. Bautista was able to get 7.4 million, beating Ken Griffey Jr.'s 6.1 million in 1994. leads the majors in home runs (26), walks (70), OBP (. 471), slugging (. 679) and OPS (1.150), while also batting .328, which ranks fourth.

Marvin Lewis 2011: Can He Duplicate Love Smith 2010?

Now that Marvin Lewis re-upped with the Bengals for two more seasons, the question is: Can Marvin Lewis in 2011 do what Lovie Smith did in 2010?

Lovie Smith was coming off a bad season in 2009. The Bears were 7-9, but the last two games were wins, and the season felt worse than 7-9. Jay Cutler was not playing well, the offense didn’t look good at all, the O-Line had some real issues, and the defense didn’t look good. The Bears had a lot of injuries. Many were surprised Lovie didn’t get the ziggy right then and there, and most didn’t expect him to last beyond 2010.

Lovie made some changes in his coaching, got a few new coaches (namely Mike Martz on offense, replacing Ron Turner; and Rod Marinelli as the new defensive coordinator, replacing … Lovie Smith). The Bears signed Julius Peppers, who played really really well, and got Brian Urlacher back from the DL, who also played really really well.

Bottom line: 11-5, NFC North Championship, Lovie has new-found respect.

I do think that Marvin could do something like that for the Bengals. They have some real weaknesses on the defensive side of the ball. But a free agent or two could shore up that defensive backfield. One good offensive lineman, maybe, and a veteran wide receiver who would run a route, lose TO and Ocho, and who knows? Also, I would like to see the Bengals get a personnel director who would have some real power. I don’t think they are getting a GM, but it would be a (very very small) step in the right direction to get an experienced personnel man from the outside who could shore up that department.

Arian Foster and the OldCleat All Did Not Get Drafted Team 2009

I totally whiffed on Arian Foster. Foster was an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee who was signed by the Houston Texans after the 2009 draft. After I picked the original OCADNGDT in 2008, I decided to scale back the number of folks I added to the team. So I went from five running backs to three: P.J. Hill RB 5'10¼" 222 Wisconsin; Herb Donaldson RB 5'9⅞" 224 Western Illinois; and Kory Sheets RB 5'11⅛" 208 Purdue. Arian Foster is 6'1" 215. I didn’t think he was all that special, and neither did the drafters, since he was undrafted.

I liked Hill and Donaldson because they were both very productive and were tanks in college. I liked Sheets because I thought he was productive and had “third down back” written all over him.

Well, Foster beat out Steve Slaton, who I thought had a good chance to be a top back in the NFL after his 1,200 yards rushing as a rookie in 2008. And then Foster went on to win the 2010 rushing title with 1,616 rushing yards, also leading the league in yards from scrimmage (2,220), rushing touchdowns (16), and total touchdowns (18).

Foster broke the NFL single-season rushing record for an undrafted player, bettering Priest Holmes (1,615 in 2002) by one yard with a two-yard carry on his final attempt of the game. Foster also had 604 yards receiving to become the sixth player in league history to reach 1,500 yards rushing and 600 yards receiving in the same year.

P.J. Hill, who I was really high on, was signed by the New Orleans Saints after not being drafted out of Wisconsin. He was on their practice squad until the Eagles signed him. They put in on their practice squad a week later, and the Redskins signed him. He spent the offseason with the Redskins, who cut him in May. The Saints re-signed him, he tore his triceps, and he spent the year on the IR.

Donaldson was also signed by the Saints after the draft. He was on the Saints practice squad until November 2009. The Cowboys signed him in December 2009 and put him on their practice squad. He was waived by the Cowboys in final cuts in training camp 2010, but the Titans put him on their practice squad.

Sheets was signed by the 49ers, who put him on their practice squad. He was signed by the Dolphins to their active roster in October 2009. He tore his Achilles tendon in 2010 training camp was waived by the Dolphins.

OldCleat All Did Not Get Drafted Team 2010

OldCleat's All Did Not Get Drafted Team 2010 is now out. It is below. I have included the teams that the free agents signed with. If I could not find the team, I left it blank.

Vince Oghobaase, DT, 6-5, 300, Duke - Miami Dolphins
Malcolm Sheppard, DT, 6-2, 285, Arkansas - Houston Texans
Greg Middleton, DE, 6-3, 265, Indiana
Brandon Sharpe, DE, 6-1, 250, Texas Tech - New Orleans Saints
Antonio Coleman, DE-OLB, 6-3, 255, Auburn - Buffalo Bills

Joe Pawelek, MLB, 6-2, 235, Baylor - Seattle Seahawks
Micah Johnson, MLB, 6-1, 255, Kentucky - New York Giants (tryout)
Kion Wilson, LB, 6-0, 235, South Florida - San Diego Chargers
Ryan Stamper, LB, 6-2, 235, Florida - Detroit Lions
Rico McCoy, OLB, 5-11, 220, Tennessee - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Devin Ross, CB, 5-10, 185, Arizona - Philadelphia Eagles
Josh Pinkard, CB, 6-1, 215, USC - Seattle Seahawks

Barry Church, S, 6-1, 222, Toledo - Dallas Cowboys
Kyle McCarthy, S, 6-0, 205, Notre Dame - Denver Broncos
Chris Maragos, S, 5-11, 200, Wisconsin - San Francisco 49ers

Adam Ulatoski, OT, 6-5, 300, Texas - Houston Texans
Ciron Black, OT, 6-4, 325, LSU
Vincent Vance, OT, 6-6, 330, Georgia - Chicago Bears
Dennis Landolt, OG, 6-4, 305, Penn State - New York Giants
Nick Stringer, OT, 6-5, 285, Kansas State - Cincinnati Bengals
Brandon Carter, OG, 6-6, 330, Texas Tech - New Orleans Saints
Jim Cordle, C, 6-3, 300, Ohio State - New York Giants
Jeff Byers, C, 6-3, 295, USC - Seattle Seahawks
Kevin Matthews, C, 6-3, 300, Texas A&M - Tennessee Titans

Colin Peek, TE, 6-5, 255, Alabama - Atlanta Falcons
Jeff Cottam, TE, 6-7, 260, Tennessee - Cincinnati Bengals

LaGarette Blount, RB, 5-11, 235, Oregon - Tennessee Titans
Brandon Minor, RB, 6-0, 215, Michigan - Chicago Bears
Stafon Johnson, RB, 5-11, 215, Southern Cal - Tennessee Titans

Jevan Snead, QB, 6-2, 225, Mississippi - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Daryll Clark, QB (RB?), 6-2, 235, Penn State - Washington Redskins
Tim Hiller, QB, 6-5, 230, Western Michigan - Indianapolis Colts

Brandon Banks, WR - RS, 5-7, 149, Kansas State - Washington Redskins
Scott Long, WR, 6-2, 215, Louisville - San Francisco 49ers
Freddie Barnes, WR, 6-0, 215, Bowling Green - Chicago Bears
Brandon James, WR, RB, RS, 5-7, 175, Florida - Indianapolis Colts
Dustin Woods, WR, 5-10, 190, Miami Oh

OldCleat Redrafts Bengals Draft - 2010

OldCleat redrafts the Bengals draft once again, this time for the 2010 Draft. Yes, this is year three of my redrafting the Bengals draft. The rules are, I would draft a player that the Bengals had drafted, or someone drafted after the selection, until the Bengals selected again. So, my universe of players that I would have chosen were the players in-between the Bengals draft.

I have learned that my redrafting isn’t any better than the Bengals normal drafting, nor really worse. Since I’m picking folks near the same universe (or the same players), my track record has been about the same. So the proof in drafting will be in several years to see who is better. The image is from whatthebuc blog.

OK. Redrafting the Bengals draft, 2010:

Round one, 21st pick overall. The Bengals selected Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma. I would have taken Sergio Kindle, DE - OLB, Texas, who fell to the second round, 43rd overall, to the Ravens. I like the Gresham pick, but I worry about the fact that he tore knee ligaments last year and missed the whole season. He does fill a huge hole that the Bengals have had for several years, namely a tight end that can go deep middle as well as block. Gresham, to me, is too much of a gamble. And if I’m going to gamble at this spot, I want to do it with an extremely talented front-seven defensive player. I am a sucker for really athletic guys like Kindle. I think he can play linebacker, and I think he could put his hand down and play a 4-3 defensive end. I passed on many players, including Jerry Hughes, who is also a DE – OLB, and Brian Price, the fireplug DT from UCLA.

Round two, 54th overall. The Bengals selected Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida. I would have taken Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama, who was selected 57th overall, by the Ravens. I have some mixed feelings about Dunlap. He was considered the most talented guy on a hugely talented Florida defense. He is a big, athletic DE, and he is considered a true 4-3 DE. But he had some off-field issues at Florida. At Florida. He was a top-10 talent, and if the Bengals can get that out of him, they may have something. Some questioned his desire. Anyway, I love Terrence Cody, who is an enormous DT and nose tackle. He reminds me of Ted Washington. I think Cody will dominate in the middle of a defense. He really would have taken up two blockers, provided some inside push, and freed up Bengal linebackers to make plays.

Round Three, 84th overall. The Bengals selected Jordan Shipley, WR, Texas. I would have taken Shipley’s battery-mate there at Texas, Colt McCoy, QB, who was selected the very next pick, 85th overall, by the Browns. I liked Shipley in college, and I think he has a chance to be a good slot receiver and return guy. But I really like McCoy. I thought he was the second-best QB prospect in the draft, after Sam Bradford. McCoy falling this far I think was a steal for the Browns. He may not be the tallest QB, but he has a good arm, is extremely accurate, is really athletic, and is a winner. By taking McCoy, I am passing on Navarro Bowman, LB, out of Penn State, who I also really liked. But I take a chance on the QB.

Round Three, 96th overall. The Bengals selected Brandon Ghee, CB, Wake Forest. I would have taken Mike Johnson, G - OL, Alabama, who was drafted 98th overall by the Falcons. Ghee is really athletic, and he is big enough to play in the NFL. But he didn’t produce in college as much as he should have given his ability. The Bengals are taking a flier that they can coach Ghee up and make him a good CB. Johnson was a great guard at Alabama who also moved over to tackle. I also think he could play center if need be. He would a good addition on the offensive line.

Round Four, 120th overall. The Bengals select Geno Atkins, DT, Georgia. I would have selected Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, CB, Indiana (PA), who was taken by the Cowboys 126th overall. I like Geno Atkins some, and I hope that he works out well. I just liked another DT from Georgia, Jeff Owens, better. They are both pluggers, but I thought that Owens had more production in college. (Actually Georgia had three DTs drafted in 2010. Think about that.) Now I am drafting Owusu-Ansah a pick after passing on Ghee. Owusu-Ansah is a size-speed-quickness prospect out of a small school. He did produce quite well on the D-II level, and if he isn’t a CB, at 210 pounds with tackling ability, I think he can play free safety. And he’ll be a special teamer and maybe a returner.

Round Four, 131th overall (the last selection in the round). The Bengals take Roddrick Muckelroy, LB, Texas. I would have picked Robert Johnson, S, Utah, who was selected in the fifth round, 158th overall. Muckelroy is a solid player from a great school. I think he is a bit slight for linebacker, but he is really athletic. He projects to a Will, where he played as a junior. But last year he was moved to Mike because there was an injury problem. I hope that he will become a good player. I love Johnson, who I think can play free safety and strong safety. Also, in a pinch, I think that he could play cornerback. He is an athletic, tough, smart player who is a bit slight for safety.

Round Five, 152bd overall. The Bengals take Otis Hudson, G, Eastern Illinois. I would have picked Anthony McCoy, TE, Southern Cal, who was taken 185bh overall by the Seahawks. This is the head-scratcher pick the Bengals have every year. I have learned from last year not to call anyone names, because I was upset with the Bernard Scott pick, and he really worked out. Having said that, there were several players that Cincy passed on to take Hudson. I like McCoy the most, a good-blocking 250-pound TE who can catch the ball. He may not be able to stretch the field like Gresham, but he can catch.

Hudson is the worst pick the Bengals had this year, I think. With the other picks, I like the Bengals selections and think that they are in the same ballpark. Not so with this one. Here is the list of players I would have taken instead of Hudson: Andrew Quarless, TE, Penn State who can block and catch; Riley Cooper, a big third-down WR out of Florida; two strong safeties who could play special teams: Larry Asante from Nebraska or Reshad Jones from Georgia; Anthony Dixon, a big talented RB from Mississippi State; Greg Hardy, a big DE from Mississippi; two linemen from Notre Dame, Sam Young, a huge OT who may be able to play left tackle! or Eric Olsen, a tough-guy center; Dan LeFevour, the Tim Tebow-esque QB from Central Michigan who may be able to develop in the NFL; a blocking TE from Pitt, Nate Byham; Clifton Geathers, a big old DE from South Carolina who is from the Geathers family who could have joined brother Robert on the Bengals; and Jonathan Dwyer, the big, quick wishbone FB from Georia Tech who projects to TB in the NFL.

Round Six, 229th overall. The Bengals take Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Kansas. I would have taken Kyle Calloway, T, Iowa. Briscoe is a big WR with some speed and lots of production in college. I love Iowa offensive linemen, however, and Calloway is 6-8, 320 or so. Big, strong, productive, technique-sound college o-linemen like Calloway sometimes develop into very good NFL players.

Round Seven, 228bh overall. Bengals take Reggie Stephens, G, Iowa State. I would have taken Jeff Owens, DT, Georgia. Stephens may be a good guard, but I think Owens could be a very good run stuffer at DT.

I have learned that you can’t tell about a draft. Here are the drafts, however.

Cincy
1 21 overall, Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
2 54 overall Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
3 96 overall, Brandon Ghee, CB, Wake Forest
3 84 overall Jordan Shipley, WR, Texas
4 120 overall, Geno Atkins, DT, Georgia
4 131 overall, Roddrick Muckelroy, LB, Texas
5 152 overall, Otis Hudson, G, Eastern Illinois
6 191 overall, Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Kansas
7 228 overall, Reggie Stephens, G, Iowa State

OldCleat
2 43 overall Ravens Sergio Kindle, DE - OLB Texas.
2 57 overall Ravens Terrence Cody, DT Alabama
3 85 overall Browns Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
3 98 overall, Falcons Mike Johnson, G, Alabama
4 126 overall, Cowboys, Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, CB, Indiana (PA)
5 148 overall, Titans, Robert Johnson, S, Utah
6 185 overall, Seahawks, Anthony McCoy, TE, Southern Cal
7 216 overall, Bills, Kyle Calloway, T, Iowa
7 243 overall, Eagles, Jeff Owens, DT, Georgia

Here is the 2009 draft comparison:

Cincy
1. Andre Smith, OT, Alabama.
2. Rey Maualuga, MLB, Southern Cal.
3. Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech.
3. Chase Coffman, TE, Missouri.
4. Jonathan Luigs, C, Arkansas.
5. Kevin Huber, P, Cincinnati.
6. Morgan Trent, CB, Michigan.
6. Bernard Scott, RB, Abilene Christian.
7. Fui Vakapuna, FB, BYU.
7. Clinton McDonald, DT, Memphis.
7. Freddie Brown, WR, Utah.

OldCleat
1. Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia.
2. Rey Maualuga, MLB, Southern Cal.
3. Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech.
3. Dorell Scott, DT, Clemson.
4. Jonathan Luigs, C, Arkansas.
5. Jasper Brinkley, MLB, South Carolina.
6. Morgan Trent, CB, Michigan.
6. Vance Walker, DT, Georgia Tech.
7. Nick Reed, DE-LB, Oregon.
7. Clinton McDonald, DT, Memphis.
7. P.J. Hill, RB, Wisconsin.

And here is the 2008 draft comparisons:

Cincy
1 Keith Rivers, LB, USC
2 Jerome Simpson, WR, Coastal Carolina
3 Pat Sims, DT, Auburn
3 Andre Caldwell, WR, Florida
4 Anthony Collins, T, Kansas
5 Jason Shirley, DT, Fresno State
6 Corey Lynch, S, Appalachian State
6 Matt Sherry, TE, Villanova
7 Angelo Craig, OLB, Cincinnati
7 Mario Urrutia, WR, Louisville

OldCleat
1 Keith Rivers, LB, USC
2 Quentin Groves, DE/LB, Auburn
3 Pat Sims, DT, Auburn
3 Justin King, CB, Penn State
4 Jack Ikegwuonu, CB/S, Wisconsin
5 Jonathan Goff, LB, Vanderbilt
6 Andre’ Woodson, QB, Kentucky
6 Chauncey Washington, RB, USC
7 Angelo Craig, OLB, Cincinnati
7 Wesley Woodyard, LB, Kentucky

2010 NFL Draft – Undervalued Tackle Prospects

In the 2010 NFL Draft, here are some undervalued prospects, according to the various draft publications.

Jason Fox, OLT, Miami (Fla.) – Fox started 47 games for the Canes. He is a quick, talented, athletic left tackle. He is 6-6, 300 pounds. Rated as the No. 11 tackle and a 4-5 round pick by Pro Football Weekly, No. 9 and a 4th by USA Today, No. 14 and a 56 grade by ESPN, No. 14 and a 6th round pick by The Sporting News. He needs to work on his size and strength, but he has the physical tools to be able to play left tackle in the NFL. I can see him in Indianapolis. He should be a late second-early third round pick. The image of Jason Fox is from bleacherreport.com.

Adam Ulatoski, OT, Texas – Ulatoski started 44 games in his career for Texas as a left tackle. He probably projects to the right side in the NFL. He is 6-8, 295 pounds. Rated as the No. 13 tackle and a 4-5 round pick by PFW, No. 11 and a 4th rounder by USA Today, No. 10 and a 68 grade by ESPN, No. 11 and a 5th round pick by TSN. He needs to work on his footwork, and again, he may be someone who has to continue to work on his strength. But he is a future starting right tackle, and he may be able to play the left side. He should be a solid third rounder.

Ed Wang, OT, Virginia Tech – Wang started 37 games, both at right tackle and left tackle. He has the tools to play left tackle in the NFL, though he may be a better fit as a right tackle. He is 6-4 and change, 315 pounds. He is rated as the No. 17 tackle and a 5-6 round pick by PFW, No. 18 and a 7th by USA Today, No. 17 and a 47 grade by ESPN, and No. 18 tackle and a 7th rounder by TSN. I would see a 4th round as a good destination, maybe a 5th rounder. He is more of a developmental project. He also may be able to move inside at guard for a couple of years before moving outside to tackle.

Sean Casey, 35, is still the mayor

Sean Casey turns 35 today. The Mayor. I absolutely love this guy. His last season, with Boston, in 2008, he hit .322. I would love to see Sean play again, but I think it's over for him. I've seen some beloved players in Cincinnati Reds history, but this guy is pretty close to the top. With good reason.

thankyouverymuch,

Here are his Cincinnati numbers:

R H 2B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SA OPS
CIN 588 1223 256 118 604 387 465 .305 .371 .463 .834

OldCleat Puts Together Free Agent Team ... Almost the '08 Lions

OldCleat is making another team. Here is a list of all the remaining unrestricted NFL free agents. This list does not include veterans who were released. So, Marvin Harrison and Deuce McAllister et al were not on the list, This team would be even better with a few of those guys. Also, I did NOT include any franchised players. My question is ... is this team, as structured, better than the 2008 Detroit Lions that went 0-16? Eh, probably not. If Marvin and Deuce and Derrick Brooks are added? Maybe. (The Millen photo slugging Pat Sullivan comes from Can't Stop the Bleeding.)

Defensive Tackle
Starters
Darwin Walker, DT CAROLINA
La'Roi Glover, DT ST. LOUIS

Backups
John Thornton, DT CINCINNATI
Jeff Zgonina, DT HOUSTON

Comment
Undersized and long in the tooth, this would not be the worse foursome I've seen in the NFL. Walker and Glover would be pretty dang good as a twosome. Thornton has had his moments. The Lions had Chartric Darby and Cory Redding as their starting duo last year, with Andre Fluellen and Shaun Cody as backups. Lions slightly better overall, though OldCleat’s team would be very close.

Defensive End
Starters
Ebenezer Ekuban, DE DENVER
Kevin Carter, DE TAMPA BAY

Backups
Orpheus Roye, DE PITTSBURGH
Roderick Green, DE SAN FRANCISCO
Josh Thomas, DE INDIANAPOLIS

Comment
Carter was a great pass rusher who says he’s ready to rumble again. Ekuban is a good NFL defensive end. Roye is a 3-4 end who can play the run. Green and Thomas fight for the last spot. Detroit had Jared DeVries and Dewayne White as its starters, with Cliff Avril was the rookie hope who got hurt and Ikaika Alama-Francis was last year’s draftee. OldCleat’s Des would be better for a one-year team, Detroit’s better with some good kids.

Middle Linebacker
Starters
Napoleon Harris, LB MINNESOTA
Nate Webster, LB DENVER

Backups
Teddy Lehman, LB BUFFALO
Rocky Boiman, LB KANSAS CITY
Derek Smith, LB MIAMI

Comment
Harris would probably be my starter, though Webster is very athletic. Smith is a grizzled old vet who would be a good option, while Lehman and Boiman are solid backup types. Paris Lenon was the Lions’ starter in ’08 … I think both Harris and Webster are better players.

Outside Linebacker
Starters
Willie McGinest, LB CLEVELAND
Rosevelt Colvin, LB NEW ENGLAND
Dontarrious Thomas, LB MINNESOTA

Backups
Donte' Curry, LB CAROLINA
Carlos Polk, LB DALLAS
Shantee Orr, LB CLEVELAND
Jason Babin, LB KANSAS CITY

Comment
McGinest and Colvin would make a good pass-rushing outside duo. Thomas is more of an overall linebacker type. The backups are all big linebackers. There is a dearth of athletic linebackers on free agency. The ’08 Lions just had athletic types. Ernie Simms and Ryan Nece were the Lions’ starters, with Alex Lewis and Jordan Dizon as backups. The Lions could use a Sam type, and OldCleat could use a Will type. Overall, the Lions score with Simms, OldCleat with Colvin or McGinest. Even.

Cornerback
Starters
Deltha O'Neal, CB NEW ENGLAND
Ty Law, CB N.Y. JETS

Backups
Aaron Glenn, CB NEW ORLEANS
Ricky Manning Jr., CB ST. LOUIS
Tyrone Poole, CB TENNESSEE
Daven Holly, CB CLEVELAND

Comment
O’Neal and Law are both experienced, athletic corners. They both are older, so it would behoove OldCleat to make sure that they still can turn and run, plus come up and force the run. But Law especially was one of the best in the business. The backups are all pretty dang good as third corner slot cover types. They are all a little smaller, but they all can get the job done. The Lions had Brian Kelley and Leigh Bodden as their staters, with Travis Fischer as a part-time starter. OldCleat’s corners are better.

Safety
Starters
Mike Brown, S CHICAGO
Rodney Harrison, S NEW ENGLAND

Backups
Will Allen, S TAMPA BAY
Lawyer Milloy, S ATLANTA
Marlon McCree, S DENVER
Michael Boulware, S MINNESOTA
Mike Green, S WASHINGTON

Comment
Brown and Harrison are among the best to have played their positions in the last two or so decades. How much do they have left? If healthy, they are great options. Will Allen is a free safety who could start or spell Brown. Milloy, McCree and Boulware are good options at strong safety. Green is a good player. The Lions had Daniel Bullocks and Kalvin Peterson as their starters, with Dwight Smith as a swing starter. Not too bad, but OldCleat safeties are better.

Centers and Guards
Starters
Tom Nalen, C DENVER
Melvin Fowler, OL BUFFALO
Chris Naeole, G JACKSONVILLE

Backups
Jeremy Newberry, C SAN DIEGO
Pete Kendall, G WASHINGTON
Chris Gray, G SEATTLE
Lennie Friedman, G/C CLEVELAND

Tackles
Starters
Wayne Gandy, OT ATLANTA
Jon Runyan, T PHILADELPHIA
Mark Tauscher, T GREEN BAY

Backups
Jason Fabini, OL WASHINGTON
George Foster, OT DETROIT

Comment
At this late date, OldCleat is still able to put together a pretty good offensive line. Nalen is undersized and older, but he is a great player. Fowler is a starting center who can swing over to guard and hold his own. And Naeole is a great run blocker who has been hurt over the past few years. The backups are all veterans who have started many years in the NFL and could start for a team all of this year and hold their own. At tackle, OldCleat has Gandy or Tauscher to play left tackle, Runyan, if healthy, to play right tackle, and Fabini and Foster to back up. Not at all bad. The Lions had Dominic Raiola as a starting center, and he’s a pretty good player. The guards, Edwin Mulitalo and Stephen Peterman, are big and young, but at this point, they aren’t that great. Left tackle Jeff Backus has been solid for many years, but is unspectacular. Gosder Cherilus at right tackle was a huge rookie last year, and he may be a very good player. Manny Ramirez, Damion Cook, and the aforementioned George Foster were the Lions backups and part-time starters. Because of the solid guard play, I would give OldCleat’s offensive line the edge.

Tight End
Starter
Marcus Pollard, TE ATLANTA

Backups
Mark Bruener, TE HOUSTON
Jerame Tuman, TE ARIZONA

Comment
OK, so tight end isn’t going to be a strength of the OldCleat team. All three are backups. Having said that, the Lions had John Owens and Michael Gaines as their tight ends. They are blockers, and my tight ends are better receivers. Let’s call it even.

Quarterback
Starter
Rex Grossman, QB CHICAGO

Backups
J.P. Losman, QB BUFFALO
Todd Bouman, QB BALTIMORE
Brooks Bollinger, QB DALLAS

Comment
I do not get it. Rex Grossman is at least a great backup in the NFL, and is probably a better starter than at least three to five starters in the NFL. The fact that he is still available baffles me. Losman has a great arm and starting experience. I would sign him if I were one of about 12 teams in the NFL. And Bouman and Bollinger would battle for my No. 3 spot, and they each could be a backup in the NFL. The Lions had Jon Kitna at the beginning of the season, Dan Orlovsky as the youngster, and got Dante Culpepper off the scrap heap. I’ll call this even. I like Kitna, and think Rex is about Kitna. Losman never was Culpepper, but at this point they are functionally equivalent. And Bouman/Bollinger are both better than Orlovsky.

Running backs
Starters
Fullback
Cecil Sapp, FB HOUSTON

Tailback
DeShaun Foster, RB SAN FRANCISCO

Backups
Tatum Bell, RB DENVER
Michael Pittman, RB DENVER
Rudi Johnson, RB DETROIT
Aaron Stecker, RB NEW ORLEANS

Foster is a heckuva player if healthy. And Bell is a speedy tailback with some size about him Sapp is a West Coast Offense type fullback, not a great blocker but more athletic than the normal guard wannabes that play fullback now. There just weren’t any fullbacks on this list. Pittman and Stecker are solid backup types. And it would be interesting to me to see if Rudi has anything left in the tank. The Lions had Kevin Smith, who is going to be one of the best all-around tailbacks in the league, I believe. Rudi played a few games, but he didn’t look that good. But he may need a whole camp to be back. And they had Jerome Felton at fullback, who appears to be a pretty good blocker. Advantage Lions.

Wide Receiver
Starters
Darrell Jackson, WR DENVER
Amani Toomer, WR N.Y. GIANTS

Backups
Brandon Lloyd, WR CHICAGO
Koren Robinson, WR SEATTLE
Reggie Williams, WR JACKSONVILLE
Ashley Lelie, WR OAKLAND
Keary Colbert, WR DETROIT

Comment
Jackson and Toomer are veteran receivers who can get a first down, though they are not downfield threats any more. Lloyd and Robinson are speed guys, but they are not consistent. The other receivers haven’t lived up to their promise. The Lions had Roy Williams for half the season, Calvin Johnson, and Shawn McDonald. Advantage Lions.

Kickers
Matt Stover, K BALTIMORE
John Carney, K N.Y. GIANTS

Punters
Hunter Smith, P INDIANAPOLIS
Mitch Berger, P PITTSBURGH

Kick Returners
R.W. McQuarters, CB/KR N.Y. GIANTS
Dante' Hall, WR/KR ST. LOUIS

Summary
While the 2008 Lions had more talent at certain spots, namely running back and wide receiver, the talent level at most roster spots isn’t much different than the OldCleat free agent team of 2009. There are some good veterans available still at this late date.

thankyouverymuch,
OldCleat

The OldCleat 2009 Did Not Get Draft defensive linemen

Here is an assessment of the OldCleat All Did Not Get Drafted Team 2009 -- the defensive linemen. I've attempted to pare down the number of players that I included on the All Did Not Get Drafted Team for this year. We'll see if that was a good idea.

Here are the defensive linemen on this year's team.

Terrill Byrd, DT, Cincinnati, ??, 5'11⅜", 267 I cannot find any information on Terrill Byrd getting signed by an NFL team. He is a vastly productive and undersized defensive tackle out of the University of Cincinnati. He has had some off-the-field problems. That, with the fact that he is so short and so light, may have caused teams to stay away. I think he could be a good fit for a Tampa-2 team, or maybe as a 3-4 defensive end.

George Hypolite, DT, Colorado, Jacksonville Jaguars, 6'0⅞", 287 Hypolite, an undersized but productive defensive tackle out of Colorado, was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has a good shot to be a productive player.

Antonio Dixon, DT, Miami (FL), Washington Redskins, 6'2½", 325 The Washington Redskins signed Antonio Dixon, a huge defensive tackle from the University of Miami. He has the size to be a nose tackle. He was not very productive in college, but at 325 pounds could be a run stopper.

Maurice Evans, DE, Penn State, New York Giants, 6'1½", 274 Maurice Evans was signed by the New York Giants. He had a good sophomore season, but a lousy junior year. He has some pass rush ability at 270-plus pounds. The image is from Reading Eagle.

Mitch King, DE, Iowa, Tennessee Titans, 6'1½", 280 Signed by the Titans, Mitch King will try to make it as a 4-3 defensive tackle. He was highly productive at Iowa. His best shot may be as a 3-4 defensive end.

Tim Jamison, DE, Michigan, Houston Texans, 6'2½", 256 Jamison is a 255-pound defensive end with good athletic ability. He should be productive in a 4-3 system. He is big enough and quick enough to play in the NFL.

Derek Walker, DE, Illinois, Washington Redskins, 6'3¾", 268 Derek Walker was signed by the Washington Redskins. The 270-pounder out of Illinois is solid all-aournd but not great in any one area. He may be a surprise as a player, however, because he had some nice games.

thankyouverymuch,

OldCleat

The OldCleat All Did Not Get Drafted Team - 2009 - signings update

Here is an update of The OldCleat All Did Not Get Drafted Team for 2009. I couldn’t find a few players on the list. I find it a little hard to believe that Byrd and Vanden Huevel weren’t signed. Lane is a little more believable, because I know he had some weight issues.

Terrill Byrd DT Cincinnati ??
George Hypolite DT Colorado Jacksonville Jaguars
Antonio Dixon DT Miami (FL) Washington Redskins
Maurice Evans DE Penn State New York Giants
Mitch King DE Iowa Tennessee Titans
Tim Jamison DE Michigan Houston Texans
Derek Walker DE Illinois Washington Redskins
Darry Beckwith ILB LSU San Diego Chargers
Dannell Ellerbe ILB Georgia Baltimore Ravens
Dominic Douglas OLB Mississippi State St. Louis Rams
Anthony Heygood OLB Purdue Carolina Panthers
Jonathan Casillas OLB Wisconsin New Orleans Saints
Maurice Crum OLB Notre Dame Tampa Bay Buccaneers (try out contract)
Bruce Johnson CB Miami (FL) New York Giants
Londen Fryar CB Western Michigan Kansas City Chiefs
Wopamo Osaisai CB Stanford San Diego Chargers
Derek Pegues S Mississippi State New York Giants (try out)
C.J. Spillman S Marshall San Diego Chargers
Robert Wilson S Miami (OH) ???
Edwin Williams OC Maryland Washington Redskins
Anthony Parker OG Tennessee ???
Ryan Stanchek OG West Virginia Atlanta Falcons
Alex Boone OT Ohio State San Francisco 49ers
Philip Trautwein OT Florida St. Louis Rams
Eric Vanden Huevel OT Wisconsin ???
Branden Ledbetter TE Western Michigan Green Bay Packers
Ryan Purvis TE Boston College Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Eric Kettani FB Navy New England Patriots
Jorvorskie Lane FB Texas A&M ???
P.J. Hill RB Wisconsin New Orleans Saints
Herb Donaldson RB Western Illinois New Orleans Saints
Kory Sheets RB Purdue San Francisco 49ers
Graham Harrell QB Texas Tech Cleveland Browns (try out)
Hunter Cantwell QB Louisville Carolina Panthers
Quan Cosby WR Texas Cincinnati Bengals
Jordan Norwood WR Penn State Cleveland Browns
Jamarko Simmons WR Western Michigan Green Bay Packers

OldCleat Redrafts Bengals Draft - 2009

OldCleat redrafted the Bengals draft in 2008 and did OK. Of course, after the draft, I thought I did better than after the year. I will examine that before the start of the season. But it is time for OldCleat to redraft the Bengals draft, 2009. As last year, the rules are, I would draft a player that the Bengals had drafted, or someone drafted after the selection, until the Bengals selected again. So, my universe of players that I would have chosen were the players in-between the Bengals draft. I, of course, had the benefit of hindsight on this. Here is the OldCleat draft, 2009 edition.

Round one, sixth pick overall. The Bengals selected Andre Smith, OT, Alabama. I would have taken Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia, slightly over Rey Maualuga, MLB, Southern Cal, and Smith. When a team in the NFL is selecting in the high first round, I think that the most important thing is the floor, not the ceiling. I thought that Monroe was the best, most complete left tackle in the draft, even over the second overall pick, Jason Smith. I think Monroe will be a left tackle who can play in the NFL starting this season. Smith was the best tackle in college football last year, but he has, let's say, some issues. Having said that, I think that if he isn't a left tackle, he probably is a right tackle. He probably is a better run blocker than Monroe. Smith also will most likely be a fine guard if he can't play tackle. Andre Smith reminds me of Leonard Davis, the tackle from Texas who failed with the Cardinals at tackle and is now an expensive guard for the Cowboys. And I LOVE Maualuga. I would have had very little problem with the Bengals taking him here. But I think the pick should have been Monroe.

Round two, 38th pick overall. The Bengals selected Maualuga. I would have taken Rey Maualuga, MLB, Southern Cal. I just have a feeling that this will end up being one of those franchise-changing picks. (The image of Maualuga, above right, is from Jodatoa’s Blog). No pressure, however. This sort of makes up for the Jerome Simpson pick of last year.

Round three, 70th pick overall. The Bengals selected Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech. I would have taken Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech, closely, over two Alabama players -- Rashad Johnson, S, and Antoine Caldwell, center. Rashad Johnson seemed like a safe pick at this point. Caldwell, a little less so. Rashad may start for the Cardinals, and he will likely be a great special teamer because of his athletic ability and football instincts. Caldwell may have some problems from the get-go at center because of his size. But he is athletic and good and should be a good center. Michael Johnson, however, could become a GREAT pass rusher. And at this point I would be willing to give up these two choices for the possibility of greatness. One hopes that Michael Johnson decides to become great, because he supposedly has some of the most impressive physical tools at that position, and he did have some pretty good games in college.

Round three, 34th pick, 98th overall. The Bengals selected Chase Coffman, TE, Missouri. I would have taken Dorell Scott, DT, Clemson, over Travis Beckham, TE, Wisconsin. Coffman was TE of the year in college, just like Beckham was the year before. But I think Beckham is a better athlete who is a more explosive player with more upside, and neither of them are blockers at this point. Coffman is healthy, and Beckham isn't, and so Coffman may be more of a sure thing. Scott is a 6'4", 325-pound space eater in the middle who would have been a pretty good backup and spot player from the get-go.

Round four, sixth pick, 106th overall. The Bengals selected Jonathan Luigs, C, Arkansas. I would have taken Jonathan Luigs, C, Arkansas. He's a big boy who has been a great player in college for many years. I think he can come in and start early. This was a very nice pick by the Bengals. Don't get me wrong, the Bengals passed on some nice players, especially D.J. Moore, a corner from Vandy who should become a starter and Mike Thomas, WR and returner from Arizona State who will be a nice slot receiver. Some others that I liked but wouldn't have worried too much about such as Louis Murphy (speedy WR), Mike Goodson (speedy RB - ?returner??), David Bruton (size-speed prospect at S who wasn't a great player at ND), Terrance Taylor (squat NT from Michigan), Gartrell Johnson (size-speed prospect at TB from Colorado State), and Kenny McKinley (quick but slight WR from South Carolina). But Luigs is a top pick.

Round five, sixth pick, 142 overall. The Bengals select Kevin Huber, P, U of Cincinnati. I would have taken any of at least 18 players instead of a punter. I am very very much not a fan of taking a punter or a kicker, especially this high. Huber better be damned good, because I think it's close to a wasted pick. I guess out of all the players, I would have taken Jasper Brinkley, MLB, South Carolina. He's a big boy who would have been a good run-stopper. I'll just mention a few of the others I would have taken, more or less in order: Duke Robinson, very large G, Oklahoma; Victor Harris, CB, VA Tech; Cornelius Ingram, TE, Florida; James Casey, TE and slash, Rice; Nic Harris, OLB-SS, Oklahoma; Marcus Freeman, OLB, Ohio State; Javon Ringer, third-down RB and returner, Michigan State; Herman Johnson, larger G than the Duke, LSU; and there are others.

Round six, sixth pick, 179th overall. The Bengals selected Morgan Trent, CB, Michigan. I would have taken Morgan Trent, CB, Michigan, I guess, over Coye Francis, CB, San Jose State, and Cory Harris, CB, Southern Cal. I actually think Trent is a special teamer, corner, and safety. Francis and Harris are sub-package corners. Trent may not be the cover corner Francis and Harris is, but Trent will be a contributor I think right away. If Francis or Harris can't cover the slot, they are in trouble.

Round six, 36th pick, 209th overall. The Bengals selected Bernard Scott, RB, Abilene Christian. Morons. I think that every pick is important. I think they got cute with this one. Scott is smallish, 25, from a DII school, a toublemaker who has gotten kicked out of two schools, and has had run-ins with the law. He is also a good player. But, so what? I would have taken Vance Walker, a talented but smallish DT out of Georgia Tech slightly over Chris Ogbonnaya, a 220-pound RB out of Texas.

Round seven, sixth pick, 215th overall. The Bengals selected Fui Vakapuna, RB and FB, BYU. Vakapuna is 5'11", 245, and he can run and catch. I am OK with this pick. But I would have taken Nick Reed, DE - LB, Oregon. I also liked Rickey Jean-Francois, DT, LSU, who was injured and a little size-challenged but talented. But Reed was extremely productive in his career. He might not have the combine measurables, but he certainly was able to get the job done in college. And he seems to be one of those guys who knows how to rush the passer.

Round seven, 40th, 249th overall. The Bengals selected Clinton McDonald, DT, Memphis. I would have taken Clinton McDonald, DT, Memphis, slightly over Derek Kinder, WR, Pitt, and Rashad Jennings, RB, Liberty. Those were my only options, because with the 252nd selection, the Bengals took a Utah WR.

Round seven, 43rd overall. The Bengals took Freddie Brown, WR, Utah. I would have taken one of many players not drafted. I guess that at this point, they all look good compared to Freddie Brown to me, but I'll go with P.J. Hill, RB, Wisconsin. As a sophomore, he looked like Beanie Wells, the first-round pick out of Ohio State. Then last year, Hill had a DUI, got a little hurt, a little out of shape, and he didn't look very good. If you can light a fire under him, I think he can be a starter in the NFL in the right system.

So here are the picks. I really only have issue with two picks, the punter in the fifth round and the running back in the sixth. If more Bengals drafts had been like this one, they would be a better team. So the differences I took are just players I liked slightly more. I don't know if my draft is all that much better than Cincy's.

Cincy
1. Andre Smith, OT, Alabama.
2. Rey Maualuga, MLB, Southern Cal.
3. Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech.
3. Chase Coffman, TE, Missouri.
4. Jonathan Luigs, C, Arkansas.
5. Kevin Huber, P, Cincinnati.
6. Morgan Trent, CB, Michigan.
6. Bernard Scott, RB, Abilene Christian.
7. Fui Vakapuna, FB, BYU.
7. Clinton McDonald, DT, Memphis.
7. Freddie Brown, WR, Utah.

OldCleat
1. Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia.
2. Rey Maualuga, MLB, Southern Cal.
3. Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech.
3. Dorell Scott, DT, Clemson.
4. Jonathan Luigs, C, Arkansas.
5. Jasper Brinkley, MLB, South Carolina.
6. Morgan Trent, CB, Michigan.
6. Vance Walker, DT, Georgia Tech.
7. Nick Reed, DE-LB, Oregon.
7. Clinton McDonald, DT, Memphis.
7. P.J. Hill, RB, Wisconsin.

And here is the 2008 draft comparisons:

Cincy
1 Keith Rivers, LB, USC
2 Jerome Simpson, WR, Coastal Carolina
3 Pat Sims, DT, Auburn
3 Andre Caldwell, WR, Florida
4 Anthony Collins, T, Kansas
5 Jason Shirley, DT, Fresno State
6 Corey Lynch, S, Appalachian State
6 Matt Sherry, TE, Villanova
7 Angelo Craig, OLB, Cincinnati
7 Mario Urrutia, WR, Louisville

OldCleat
1 Keith Rivers, LB, USC
2 Quentin Groves, DE/LB, Auburn
3 Pat Sims, DT, Auburn
3 Justin King, CB, Penn State
4 Jack Ikegwuonu, CB/S, Wisconsin
5 Jonathan Goff, LB, Vanderbilt
6 Andre’ Woodson, QB, Kentucky
6 Chauncey Washington, RB, USC
7 Angelo Craig, OLB, Cincinnati
7 Wesley Woodyard, LB, Kentucky

thankyouverymuch,

OldCleat

The OldCleat All Did Not Get Drafted Team - 2009 - First Look

Here is the first look at The OldCleat All Did Not Get Drafted Team for 2009. This list is not final, and I will have some more news and maybe a few more players on this list.

Terrill Byrd DT 5'11⅜" 267 Cincinnati
George Hypolite DT 6'0⅞" 287 Colorado
Antonio Dixon DT 6'2½" 325 Miami (FL)
Maurice Evans DE 6'1½" 274 Penn State
Mitch King DE 6'1½" 280 Iowa
Tim Jamison DE 6'2½" 256 Michigan
Derek Walker DE 6'3¾" 268 Illinois
Darry Beckwith ILB 6'0⅜" 242 LSU
Dannell Ellerbe ILB 6'1" 236 Georgia
Dominic Douglas OLB 6'0⅝" 227 Mississippi State
Anthony Heygood OLB 6'0¾" 223 Purdue
Jonathan Casillas OLB 6'1⅛" 228 Wisconsin
Maurice Crum OLB 5'11⅝" 237 Notre Dame
Bruce Johnson CB 5'9½" 170 Miami (FL)
Londen Fryar CB 5'10½" 187 Western Michigan
Wopamo Osaisai CB 5'9¾" 197 Stanford
Derek Pegues S 5'9⅝" 199 Mississippi State
C.J. Spillman S 6'0" 197 Marshall
Robert Wilson S 5'10⅝" 204 Miami (OH)

Edwin Williams OC 6'2¼" 308 Maryland
Anthony Parker OG 6'1⅞" 297 Tennessee
Ryan Stanchek OG 6'3⅛" 306 West Virginia
Alex Boone OT 6'7¼" 328 Ohio State
Philip Trautwein OT 6'5⅝" 307 Florida
Eric Vandenhuevel OT 6'7⅝" 232 Wisconsin
Branden Ledbetter TE 6'5¼" 236 Western Michigan
Ryan Purvis TE 6'3¾" 255 Boston College
Eric Kettani FB 5'11⅝" 231 Navy
Jorvorskie Lane FB 5'11¾" 295 Texas A&M
P.J. Hill RB 5'10¼" 222 Wisconsin
Herb Donaldson RB 5'9⅞" 224 Western Illinois
Kory Sheets RB 5'11⅛" 208 Purdue
Graham Harrell QB 6'2⅛" 223 Texas Tech
Hunter Cantwell QB 6'4⅜" 235 Louisville
Quan Cosby WR 5'8⅝" 196 Texas
Jordan Norwood WR 5'10⅞" 179 Penn State
Jamarko Simmons WR 6'2" 241 Western Michigan

Rey Maualuga Should Be the Lions' No. 1 Overall Pick

Rey Maualuga is the best choice in the 2009 NFL Draft. He will not be chosen in the top 10, according to the experts, but I would pick him first overall.

Todd McShay says the Maualuga lacks ideal instincts. "He makes up for his lack of ideal instincts with aggressiveness and power," though, he opines. McShay has Maualuga going No. 20 overall to the Lions.

Maualuga is rated No. 24 overall as a prospect, according to ESPN's Scouts Inc. He has a grade of 91. They gave him a "below average" mark in both durability and character. They say that his "durability is a somewhat of a concern," and they list several problems he has had in the past.

Mel Kiper has him going No. 16 to the San Diego Chargers. His opinion: "Maualuga is capable of becoming a quality "Mike" linebacker in the NFL but needs to use his hands better to ward off blocks and must be more consistent from week to week."

I think Maualuga is at least as good a prospect as Patrick Willis, Jon Beason, and DeMeco Ryans. Patrick Willis graded out a 95, Jon Beason graded out a 91, and DeMeco Ryans graded out an 87 according to Scouts Inc, while Maualuga has a 91 grade. He has more size than Beason and Ryans coming out of school, and is as explosive as those two athletes.

Whoever get Maualuga will get a difference maker from day one on defense. He is like a 250-pound Ray Lewis, or a slightly slower Brian Urlacher. I think Maualuga has more take on the guard or fullback in him than does Urlacher.

The Sporting News has Rey going No. 10 overall to the 49ers. That's actually more like it. GMJr.com has Maualuga going No. 9 overall to the Packers.

The Lions may be taking Matthew Stafford. Or they may be taking

Pete Johnson Turns 55

Pete Johnson, the Ohio State and Bengals' fullback, turned 55 today. He was born on March 2, 1954. He was, I think, the closest thing that I'll ever see to Marion Motley. He was 6-foot-nothin', 255 pounds, fast, tough, a real danged fullback. He blocked for Archie Griffin on the way to Archie's two Heismans. Johnson was a complete fullback. It is not a position that get carries any more in the NFL. So we shall see if there is another Pete Johnson that comes along. At the end of his career, he was traded to the San Diego Chargers for James Brooks, who went on to a great career for the Bengals. Johnson was done.