ActingWild
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Not bad. We lose out on Eli, but should get Ben.
http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/6971254
Notebook: An early look at the draft's top 10
Jan. 1, 2004
By Pete Prisco
SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Pete your opinion!
Insider | Notebook | Mailbag
The Chargers are on the clock.
Although 12 teams are left playing in the playoffs, 20 others have already turned their focus to the 2004 season. That means assessing their own roster, peaking ahead to potential free agents and diving knee deep into the NFL Draft.
Eli Manning's pedigree likely makes him a no-brainer top overall draft pick.(AP)
Most of the league's scouts and personnel people will be in San Francisco starting Sunday for the East-West Shrine All-star game, the unofficial kickoff to the draft intensity.
Most scouting staffs are more than familiar with the college players, but now comes the time when coaches and general managers jump in to start their assessments -- sometimes ruining hard work by the scouts who actually know best.
A coach or a GM can spend the next three months on a player and fall in love with him, overruling a scouting staff that has watched him for three years -- including an intense senior- or junior-year study. That's where mistakes come.
If a team placed a higher priority on the hard work of their scouts, whose job it is to weed out the good and the bad of the college talent, there would be far fewer draft mistakes. Too often the coaches come barreling in and get the team to overrule the scouts, which is a dangerous situation.
How many coaches kept their teams from drafting Anquan Boldin because he didn't run that well? Word is the Cardinals coaches weren't really enamored with him, but had to be talked into taking him. All he did was catch 101 passes and win offensive rookie of the year honors.
So, as we get ready for the 2004 draft in April, teams would be wise to lean more and more on their scouts. Those knee-jerk assessments by position coaches and head coaches are a way of getting in big trouble.
With the draft order basically set, we thought it time to take a quick look at what the top 10 might look like come April -- provided the coaches on some teams don't botch it.
1. San Diego Chargers -- Eli Manning, QB, Mississippi. They lost out on their chance to take his brother when the Colts took him and they had to settle for Ryan Leaf. This time, they should take a Manning, a player who will be a star just like his brother.
2. Oakland Raiders -- Roy Williams, WR, Texas. There is already talk Oakland owner Al Davis is high on Williams. Davis loves that big-play receiver who can stretch the field, and Williams can be that guy. If they pass on Miami (Ohio) quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, they obviously think Rich Gannon can play again or they are ready to sign a veteran (Mark Brunell?).
3. Arizona Cardinals -- Ben Roethlisberger. They have Jeff Blake and Josh McCown. There is no way they can pass on this big, strong mobile quarterback. But they are the Cardinals, aren't they? He gave up his senior year to enter the draft.
4. New York Giants -- Shawn Andrews, RT, Arkansas. The Giants line is awful and they need a right tackle; Andrews can be the powerful drive-blocker they need. The one concern is his weight, and some say he is close to 400 pounds. He is another junior who gave up his senior year.
5. Washington Redskins -- Tommie Harris, DT, Oklahoma. They have a ton of needs, but none more than a powerful defensive lineman that can stop the run and pressure the quarterback. Harris is a junior who is expected to forgo his senior season. The Skins could also take a hard look at Virginia Tech running back Kevin Jones.
6. Detroit Lions -- Kevin Jones, RB, Virginia Tech. They have a young quarterback in Joey Harrington, a young receiver in Charles Rogers and now they need the young back. Jones is the big-play back of this draft, although Oregon State's Steven Jackson will also get some consideration. Jones is a junior who has declared.
7. Atlanta Falcons (tied with Cleveland, will be decided by coin flip) -- Sean Taylor, S, Miami. With the way young tackle Kevin Shaffer has played, they might not need to take an offensive tackle with this pick. But they will consider Iowa tackle Robert Gallery. They have problems in their secondary, especially at safety, so the pick here is Taylor. This is high for a safety, but Taylor is no ordinary safety. Think a bigger Ronnie Lott. He's another junior who will come out. He'll team with Bryan Scott, this year's top pick, to form the best young safety duo in the league.
8. Cleveland Browns -- Robert Gallery, LT, Iowa. Here's where Gallery falls. The Browns have to upgrade their offensive line and getting a premier left tackle will put to ease some of those worries. Gallery has been compared by some to Tony Boselli. That's high praise.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars -- Kellen Winslow, TE, Miami. They pass on an outside receiver in Reggie Williams of Washington or Michael Clayton of LSU to take Winslow, a junior who will be in this draft. He will become Byron Leftwich's security blanket, a star in the middle of the field. He will be much like his father, and that type of player can't be passed up in the top 10 for a team that needs a pass-catching threat.
10. Houston Texans -- Vince Wilfork, DT, Miami. He's a powerful inside force and with the Texans facing some uncertainty with Seth Payne's knee injury they need to address that position. Wilfork has to watch his weight, though. He tends to blow up.
Potential top 10 breakthroughs: Jackson, Ohio State CB Chris Gamble, Ohio State DE Will Smith, Reggie Williams and, of course, Larry Fitzgerald of Pitt if he finds his way into the draft.
http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/6971254
Notebook: An early look at the draft's top 10
Jan. 1, 2004
By Pete Prisco
SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Pete your opinion!
Insider | Notebook | Mailbag
The Chargers are on the clock.
Although 12 teams are left playing in the playoffs, 20 others have already turned their focus to the 2004 season. That means assessing their own roster, peaking ahead to potential free agents and diving knee deep into the NFL Draft.
Eli Manning's pedigree likely makes him a no-brainer top overall draft pick.(AP)
Most of the league's scouts and personnel people will be in San Francisco starting Sunday for the East-West Shrine All-star game, the unofficial kickoff to the draft intensity.
Most scouting staffs are more than familiar with the college players, but now comes the time when coaches and general managers jump in to start their assessments -- sometimes ruining hard work by the scouts who actually know best.
A coach or a GM can spend the next three months on a player and fall in love with him, overruling a scouting staff that has watched him for three years -- including an intense senior- or junior-year study. That's where mistakes come.
If a team placed a higher priority on the hard work of their scouts, whose job it is to weed out the good and the bad of the college talent, there would be far fewer draft mistakes. Too often the coaches come barreling in and get the team to overrule the scouts, which is a dangerous situation.
How many coaches kept their teams from drafting Anquan Boldin because he didn't run that well? Word is the Cardinals coaches weren't really enamored with him, but had to be talked into taking him. All he did was catch 101 passes and win offensive rookie of the year honors.
So, as we get ready for the 2004 draft in April, teams would be wise to lean more and more on their scouts. Those knee-jerk assessments by position coaches and head coaches are a way of getting in big trouble.
With the draft order basically set, we thought it time to take a quick look at what the top 10 might look like come April -- provided the coaches on some teams don't botch it.
1. San Diego Chargers -- Eli Manning, QB, Mississippi. They lost out on their chance to take his brother when the Colts took him and they had to settle for Ryan Leaf. This time, they should take a Manning, a player who will be a star just like his brother.
2. Oakland Raiders -- Roy Williams, WR, Texas. There is already talk Oakland owner Al Davis is high on Williams. Davis loves that big-play receiver who can stretch the field, and Williams can be that guy. If they pass on Miami (Ohio) quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, they obviously think Rich Gannon can play again or they are ready to sign a veteran (Mark Brunell?).
3. Arizona Cardinals -- Ben Roethlisberger. They have Jeff Blake and Josh McCown. There is no way they can pass on this big, strong mobile quarterback. But they are the Cardinals, aren't they? He gave up his senior year to enter the draft.
4. New York Giants -- Shawn Andrews, RT, Arkansas. The Giants line is awful and they need a right tackle; Andrews can be the powerful drive-blocker they need. The one concern is his weight, and some say he is close to 400 pounds. He is another junior who gave up his senior year.
5. Washington Redskins -- Tommie Harris, DT, Oklahoma. They have a ton of needs, but none more than a powerful defensive lineman that can stop the run and pressure the quarterback. Harris is a junior who is expected to forgo his senior season. The Skins could also take a hard look at Virginia Tech running back Kevin Jones.
6. Detroit Lions -- Kevin Jones, RB, Virginia Tech. They have a young quarterback in Joey Harrington, a young receiver in Charles Rogers and now they need the young back. Jones is the big-play back of this draft, although Oregon State's Steven Jackson will also get some consideration. Jones is a junior who has declared.
7. Atlanta Falcons (tied with Cleveland, will be decided by coin flip) -- Sean Taylor, S, Miami. With the way young tackle Kevin Shaffer has played, they might not need to take an offensive tackle with this pick. But they will consider Iowa tackle Robert Gallery. They have problems in their secondary, especially at safety, so the pick here is Taylor. This is high for a safety, but Taylor is no ordinary safety. Think a bigger Ronnie Lott. He's another junior who will come out. He'll team with Bryan Scott, this year's top pick, to form the best young safety duo in the league.
8. Cleveland Browns -- Robert Gallery, LT, Iowa. Here's where Gallery falls. The Browns have to upgrade their offensive line and getting a premier left tackle will put to ease some of those worries. Gallery has been compared by some to Tony Boselli. That's high praise.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars -- Kellen Winslow, TE, Miami. They pass on an outside receiver in Reggie Williams of Washington or Michael Clayton of LSU to take Winslow, a junior who will be in this draft. He will become Byron Leftwich's security blanket, a star in the middle of the field. He will be much like his father, and that type of player can't be passed up in the top 10 for a team that needs a pass-catching threat.
10. Houston Texans -- Vince Wilfork, DT, Miami. He's a powerful inside force and with the Texans facing some uncertainty with Seth Payne's knee injury they need to address that position. Wilfork has to watch his weight, though. He tends to blow up.
Potential top 10 breakthroughs: Jackson, Ohio State CB Chris Gamble, Ohio State DE Will Smith, Reggie Williams and, of course, Larry Fitzgerald of Pitt if he finds his way into the draft.
