Chadman's 2009 Draft Analysis.....

[Chavezz]

Re: Chadman's 2009 Draft Analysis.....

That was my point Chadman.

I can't remember the stat exactly but there were about 10-15 PLAYERS that had more sacks that the entire TEAM.

They almost have to go defense there. Orakpo?

Good to see you back on the horse Chadman, what happened?

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Chadman's 2009 Draft Analysis.....

After reading Chadman's scouting reports on the top 4 teams so far, here is a possible mock draft for those teams at this point...

1. Detroit Lions - QB Matt Stafford, Georgia

Orlovsky? Culpepper? Stanton? Kitna? Yeah...they could use a franchise QB.

2. St. Louis Rams - OT Michael Oher, Mississippi

Orlando Pace's heir apparent at left tackle (better than Alex Barron there, for sure).

3. Kansas City Chiefs - OT Andre Smith, Alabama

With '08 rookie Brandon Albert taking over at LT for the Chiefs, they can plug the hulking Smith in at RT to continue rebuilding the strong o-line they had throughout most of this decade.

4. Seattle Seahawks - WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech

No first round WR last year and a WR in the top 4 this year? This kid's that good.

Just an FYI. No one drafts RT's early in the 1st RD. If they think that Albert is the LT of the future, it would be better to go in a different direction in the 1st rd. Or if you really want a RT, then trade back to the late 1st and get better value.

If Bradford declares, I'm sure they will consider him. But other than that, they could improve their o-line or their pass rush. Looking at the best available guys in those roles, who would be the better overall player, Andre Smith or Brian Orakpo? I'd say Smith myself. Take the best available player at a position of need. Albert and Smith would give them the best bookend tackles in the league for the foreseeable future. Brian Waters is in his 30's now, but he is still a very solid LG in this league. That's the makings of a pretty darn good o-line. Imagine if they could get Alex Mack at the top of round 2 to replace Rudy Niswanger too? Wow. Thigpen already has some decent weaponry in Dwayne Bowe, Tony Gonzalez, and Larry Johnson (if they decide to keep Gonzo and LJ, that is), and with a line like that in front of him, that could be a pretty darn formidable offense. Hardliner, would you be opposed to picking a first round OT for the second year in a row?

Just remember that they only got 10 sacks for the season & the defence was....worse than poor.

Just sayin'...

I'm by no means rooting for this to happen. I want every team ahead of us in the draft to take any position other than an o-lineman so all the best o-linemen fall to us!

They do need a pass rusher (or four), but I don't see an elite pass rusher worthy of such a high pick right now. Orakpo should go in the top half of the first round...but number #3 overall? I'm not sure that would be a value pick. Dorsey, Tyler, Hali, and Babin have underachieved for sure...maybe if the new GM (Pioli?) decides to clean house and get a new coaching staff to replace Herm and his boys, they could extract more of the talent of those guys.

[Chadman]

Re: Chadman's 2009 Draft Analysis.....

That was my point Chadman.

I can't remember the stat exactly but there were about 10-15 PLAYERS that had more sacks that the entire TEAM.

They almost have to go defense there. Orakpo?

Good to see you back on the horse Chadman, what happened?

Chadman is thinking Orakpo or MAYBE Aaron Curry...but defence, regardless. When a team has only JUST hit double figures in sacks for the year- something needs to be done!

As for Chadman's 'absence'- work's been nuts & chadbaby preparations are in full swing, so there has been limited time for Chadman on here. Things are a little more under control now though- so you'll be seeing more of Chadman in the future..

[Hardliner]

Re: Chadman's 2009 Draft Analysis.....

re: the Chiefs and their value pick at #3 overall in the first round:

It depends on the new guys coming in and since there's a total and complete news blackout and lockdown from young Mr. Hunt, no one really has a clue as to who or when the new GM will be and if this GM will clean house. Conventional wisdom suggests it will be Pioli and heads will roll on the entire coaching staff BUT, no one really knows for sure.

That said, I think it's still safe to assume that the Chiefs will go for a QB with their first pick but if they're going for safe value, then a LT like Smith or Oher wouldn't surprise me either. I have a pal that's a Patties fan who tells me that if the guy is Pioli, he'll clean out the barn entirely. Even the ticket takers at Arrowhead will go! Fine by me.

That means he, Pioli, will deal LJ and Tony G to the highest bidders as well, hopeful of 3d or 4th round picks, and will want to first of all establish a firm foundation on the Oline then Dline. Branden Albert learned on the job in 2008 and did an excellent job at LT but, as we all know, he was a OG in college so if KC goes with a LT with the third overall pick, putting Albert at RG to replace 1/2 of the Sunflower Slowdown would not be too surprising. Also, it should be noted that 3d year player Herb Taylor is about ready to take over at RT and complete the Sunflower Slowdown demolition. Going OC in the 2d round would complete the makeover and give the Chiefs that foundation on the oline that Pioli is said to covet.

You guys are also right about the defense sucking but part of that is due to poor coaching on guys like Dorsey (mentioned in my earlier post) being miscast in their role. I think Pioli will invest heavily in the free agent market for LBs and DEs to shore up this side of the ball and it wouldn't surprise me to see the Chiefs go to a 3-4, depending on the new head coach. The secondary is a pleasant surprise and solid with CB rooks Flowers, Carr and Leggett turning in sparkling play this past season.

So if KC gets the Oline and Dline fixed in one off-season, it's not a complete turnaround but it is a start back toward respectability. Still, that QB position will be one in flux until some guy emerges as the answer. Would Pioli made a run for the odd man out in NE? Anything's possible so we're all hunkering down and expecting the most fireworks in decades this off-season as Chief's fans.

[Chadman]

Re: Chadman's 2009 Draft Analysis.....

#5 The Cleveland Browns

Unlike most teams that are changing HC's, the Browns got in early & hired their new guy- ex Jets man Eric Mangini. Regardless of if he's a good choice or not- by getting him locked up this early, it gives the Browns & Mangini a chance to put 'his team' in place for next season. It was a good move to shore it up this quickly. Now the real questions about Mangini must be asked- if he is 'right guy' or not. The Browns went from a team that looked primed to compete for the AFC North to a team that was lucky to be competitive in the space of 1 off season. There are most likely several reasons for this, bad coaching, bad off season planning or even just getting plain lucky the previous season. Regardless, 2008 was a terrible season for a team that was, supposedly, on the rise. We'll take a quick look at their stats for the year- on offence the Browns were 31st in points scored per game, 31st in yards per game, 31st in passing yards per game & 26th in rushing yards per game. On defence, the Browns were 17th in points allowed per game, 26th in yards allowed per game, 14th in passing yards allowed per game & 28th in rushing yards allowed per game. Looking at these stats, we can assume they simply don't get enough offence, particularly in the passing game, and the Browns really struggle against the run. Also this team had just 17 sacks- 3rd lowest in the NFL. They'll need to do something about that if they want to improve..

QB- In 2007 the Browns selected QB Brady Quinn with the 22nd selection of the draft. Many expected that he would start on Day 1. But he was held back by another QB called Derek Anderson that came in & had a pretty good year. Credit must be given to former coach Crennel for not forcing Quinn into starting. BUT....now is definately the time for him to assume this role. Both Quinn & Anderson suffered injuries this season, but even before that, both QB's look poor. Anderson had 9 TD's & 8 INT's while completing just 50.2% of his passes. Quinn was no better with 2 TD's & 2 INT's at a 50.6% completion rate. It's not like these guys don't have good players to throw to. And it's not as if the OL was letting them get sacked a lot- only 24 sacks against them all season. No, simply, the QB's really sucked. If Mangini & the Browns are going to go anywhere, they need better play from these guys. It's time for Quinn to assume the starting role & develop. Otherwise this team needs to decide if Anderson is the future.

RB- Jamal Lewis is getting old. And slow. And it's showing. He was never a 'fast' runner anyway, but now he is boardering on pedestrian. That said, he still managed to churn out 1002 yards for the season, but at a paltry 3.6 YPC & only 4 TD's. This isn't really good enough. It could be that the poor passing game means Lewis has fewer lanes to run through, but regardless, an upgrade musn't be too far away for this team. Back-up Jerome Harrison had 246 yards at a whopping 7.2 YPC, but watching him- he isn't an every down RB. Fullback Lawrence Vickers is a decent runner & catcher of the ball.

WR- Braylon Edwards is an excellent WR. 55 catches for 873 yards at 15.9 YPC & 3 TD's- he leads the Browns recievers for the season. He's a go-to guy that ANY QB should be able to throw to. Even these Browns QB's. The #2 WR is an issue though. Donte Stallworth is just a deep threat & can't be counted on consistantly & Syndric Steptoe is....young. Another option opposite Edwards would be a QB's dream. At TE they have 'The Solja'. If only 'The Solja' could play through injuries. 43 catches for 428 yards & 3 TD's in another injury plagued season. If he EVER stays healthy- who knows? He 'might' live up to the expectations placed on him. #2 TE Steve Heiden is a decent player & had 23 catches for 239 yards. He's solid without being a star. WR Josh Cribbs is also on the roster, but he is simply a return man. The missing key here COULD be Joe Jurevicius. If he can ever stay healthy, he's a decent weapon.

OL- This is a pretty good group- particularly in pass blocking. Joe Thomas, Hank Fraley, Eric Steinbach, Rex Hadnot, Kevin Schaffer & Ryan Tucker make a good group. Seth McKinney is a good depth player too. As a group they only gave up 24 sacks for the season- this with some bad QB play. So give credit where it is due- they were also in a division that included 2 very good pass rushing teams in the Steelers & Ravens. 24 sacks is a good effort. Rushing though- is the weakness. This COULD be attributed to a lack of a real quality RB though. But for a team to average only 3.9 yards per rush- that's not good enough. They'll need to improve their run blocking to be a complete line.

DL- The Browns play a 3-4 defence like the Steelers. That's where the comparison ends. While the Steelers DL is strong & gets upfield & stuffs the run, the Browns wish they could do those things. NT Shaun Rogers was brought in via a trade last season & wasn't 'terrible'. But- he's no Casey Hampton. He did manage to get 4 sacks for the season (team leader) but the DL gave up 4.5 YPC for the season, which isn't good enough. DE's Shaun Smith & Corey Williams produced no sacks & little QB pressure. They are poor imitations of the Steelers 3 DL's. A 3-4 defence lives & dies by the effectiveness of the 3 DL's. This defence struggled all season. What's worse for the Browns- there is little depth along the line.

LB- D'Qwell Jackson put up big tackling numbers with 154 tackles on the season. His ILB parter Andra Davis had 90 tackles. These guys are pretty decent. If the DL in front of them was more stout, these guys would look better. The real issue comes at OLB where 2006 1st rounder Kamerion Wimbley is no James Harrison & 400 year old Willie McGinest is....400 years old. McGinest had 1 sack. Wimbley 4. These two are the guys that are supposed to get pressure on the QB. No doubt the DL is to blame in part, but these guys simply need to be better. McGinest may have played his last down. No doubt an upgrade here, or even inside, is needed.

DB- Ok- this is possibly the Browns strongest & most effective unit. The team had 23 INT's this season, 18 of those coming from the DB's. Rookie 5th round CB Brandon McDonald had 5 picks, one for a TD, and looks a solid player. Opposite him is 2007 2nd round CB Eric Wright who had 3 INT's himself- also 1 for a TD. The safeties are good- Brodney Pool & Sean Jones. Even the back-ups are solid with Travis Daniels, Terry Cousin & Mike Adams used in different packages. 23 INT's for a season is good- but when you add to that the terrible pass rush, the extra time the opposition QB had to pick them apart- then you start to understand how well this unit played.

ST- Kicker Phil Dawson was 30/36 this season, missing kicks from 30 yards onwards. He's servicable to good. Punter Dave Zastudil was solid with a 45.5 yard punting average. Joshua Cribbs is a good ST returner.

FA- Back-up RB Jason Wright, back-up OL Seth McKinney, LB's Andra Davis & Willie McGinest, CB Travis Daniels & Safeties Sean Jones & Mike Adams are all UFA this season. Although none are 'stars', they all have value to this organisation. If the Browns lose all or some of these players the depth of the squad will be tested. You'll note that these players are either the starters at weak positions or the depth at strong positions. Lose either & those units will need upgrading.

Previous Drafts- Scrap last years draft- only 3 picks for the year & 4th round LB Beau Bell was the top pick. The Browns collapse goes a long way to proving that a consistant influx of good, young players is vital to keeping a team improving every year. 2007 top pick Brady Quinn is vital to this team's success. If he steps up his game, the Browns have some hope. Other 1st rounders like Joe Thomas, Braylon Edwards & Solja Boy are established starters & are considered success', in their own ways. Kamerion Wimbley needs to step up his game & become a dominant pass rusher for this defence to have a chance. Previous 2nd round picks D'Qwell Jackson, Brodney Pool, Sean Jones & Eric wright have all moved into the starting line-up & played well. 3rd round picks for this club though have struggled & there is only mixed success from that point onwards. That being said, having last season's 5th round CB Brandon McDonald step in & start can be considered a draft stroke of genius. In all- this team rarely misses on it's first 2 picks.

The Browns are a team that needs better play from it's 'established' leaders. One of the 2 young QB's needs to step it up & become the leader of the offence. A good, reliable RB is needed to give balance to the team, as is a decent #2 WR option. The OL is solid & can be left as is. The defensive front 7 needs an upgrade. More pressure on the QB is needed, regardless of where it comes from in this team. And unless they can stop the run, this team will continue to lose in the cold months to the Steelers' & Ravens' of this league. And maybe therein lies the Browns problem. This team needs to develop, and that takes time. Yet the "Big Two" of this division are very good at showing up young, developing players, particularly through their defence & running games. So, in this 'win now' league, there is little time for young players to develop, and teams with a fan-base screaming out for success, are far more likely to pull the plug & move in a different direction if things don't pan out right away. As a result, these teams are in a continual state of flux- never moving forward & always chasing their tail. With that in mind, Chadman gives you the Cleveland Browns...

Chadman would expect a pass rusher- either OLB or DE, or a run stuffing ILB or NT would be the main options in this draft. But a RB & WR are also needed to put a solid roster together. If the top pass rushers are gone (Orakpo), look for the Browns to go ILB or RB in Round 1.

Next up...the Cincinnati Bengals...

[SteelerOfDeVille]

Re: Chadman's 2009 Draft Analysis.....

I'm guessing Cleveland either goes RB or OLB tweener...

[Chadman]

Re: Chadman's 2009 Draft Analysis.....

#6 The Cincinnati Bengals

Hmm...this is a team at a crossroads, in Chadman's opinion. Obviously, they had a bad season at 4-11-1. There is some talent on this team, but they appear to be one giant head-case. You never know what they'll be like. Actually- not true- you know they will be inconsistant. A large portion of the blame for this poor season will rest on the shoulders of Carson Palmer & his injury. With him back, they are a much better team. But there are serious holes on the roster & too many individuals that are question marks going into...well...every season...

A quick look at the stats for the Bengals shows that, on offence, they were 32nd in points scored per game, 32nd in yards per game, 30th in passing yards per game & 29th in rushing yards per game. On defence, they were 19th in points allowed per game, 12th in yards allowed per game, 15th in passing yards allowed per game & 21st in rushing yards allowed. What does this all tell us? Well, for such a poor record, this defence played pretty well. Better than 4 wins, anyway. But obviously the offence was...offensive. Again, a lot of this can be contributed to Palmer's injury. With him back under Center, this team could break .500 with the stats the defence put together.

QB- Carson Palmer is the main man of this team. He's a Franchise QB, and the 2nd best QB in this division. With him under Center & playing well, the Bengals are competitive. But he's been injured a bit these last couple of seasons. And, realistically, this season he started poorly with 3 TD's & 4 INT's while completing 58.1% of his passes. Having a disgruntled 'go-to' WR doesn't help, mind you. If he's healthy, and he has someone to throw to, QB is fine. Ryan Fitzpatrick was thrust into the starting line-up with Palmer's injury & showed that he's a genuine back-up. He threw 8 TD's & 9 INT's at 59.4% completion. Simply put- he didn't generate enough TD's for this team. With the guys he had to throw to- to be LAST in the NFL in points scored & 30th in passing yards per game is unforgivable. Anyone wonder if they regret not picking up Leftwich before the Steelers?

RB- Cedric Benson was picked up mid-season & produced 747 yards at 3.5 YPC. That's not good enough to carry an offence. But credit must be given- the Bengals had no passing game to balance things, so Benson was up against the wall on this one. Chris Perry showed everyone he's not a starting quality RB with 269 yards at an embarrassing 2.6 YPC. Not all the blame can go on the RB's- no passing game & a poor OL play can certainly put the brakes on the running game. But that doesn't mean an improvement can't be made here. Fullback Daniel Coates is ok. Nothing special.

WR- Potentially the strongest unit on the team- they are also the unit with the most chance of being a problem for the Bengals next season. Leading WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (904 yards, 4 TD's) is off contract. "Star" WR Chad Johnson (540 yards, 4 TD's) doesn't want to be there. Chris Henry (220 yards, 2 TD's) is a walking police arrest. If the Bengals can keep this group signed, happy & out of jail (not a guarentee on all 3 options) they have an explosive WR corps. If not, Andre Caldwell probably becomes the #1 WR, unless they look to FA & the draft for options. TE Reggie Kelly had 31 catches, but for only 207 yards & a 6.7 YPC average. That barely moves the chains. Don't forget, however, that having Palmer back at QB might improve this unit out of sight.

OL- If you just look at stats, this group is poor. However, the stats are deceiving- not only because Palmer will improve the decision making & make the OL look better, but because injuries really played their part on this team. At full strength, they are reasonably strong & have some decent depth. Levi Jones, Stacy Andrews, Andrew Whitworth, Bobbie Williams & Eric Ghiaciuc are a young group on the rise. Back-ups Anthony Collins & Nate Livings played well when forced into action. And Kirk Barton & Scott Kooistra are solid back-ups. It's a decent group. But they MUST play better. Only getting 3.6 YPC in the running game is bad. But when you add in the 51 sacks allowed, the OL looks abysmal! Again- a good QB might make this group look better, and certainly injuries to starters don't help. But another addition through the draft might not hurt this team.

DL- The Bengals have a bunch of DE's that just seem...ok. Robert Geathers is probably the pick (38 tackles 2 sacks) but they must get better production from him. Antwan Odom (26 tackles, 3 sacks), Frostee Rucker (24 tackles, 1 sack) & Jonathan Fanene (30 tackles, 0 sacks) are, as Chadman said, ok. They need better pass rush. Only 17 sacks for the season, as a team, is not good enough. DT's John Thornton (30 tackles, 3 sacks), Domata Peko (67 tackles, 0 sacks) & Pat Sims (36 tackles, 1 sack) are all stout against the run, but like the DE's team mates, not so good at getting to the QB. Against the run, the Bengals allowed only 3.9 YPC, which is pretty good. This is not a 'bad' group, but a pass rusher like the guy they let go (Justin Smith) last season is required.

LB- Dhani Jones (116 tackles, 0 sacks), Rashad Jeanty (96 tackles, 0 sacks) & Brandon Johnson (83 tackles, 2 sacks) are pretty stout against the run. Injured LB Keith Rivers looked good before Hines Ward obliterated him (37 tackles, 0 sacks). Ok- they don't get to the QB much, but they are good in coverage & run stopping. This is possibly now the strength of this team.

DB- 2007 1st round CB Leon Hall is starting to turn into a decent player (75 tackles, 3 INT's & 1 TD). He mans one side. The other Bengal CB's, David Jones (43 tackles, 0 INT's), Jonathon Joseph (42 tackles, 1 INT) & Jamar Fletcher (16 tackles & 0 INT's) are all solid players too. This is not a bad group. When you consider that they were 15th against the pass but only managed 17 sacks for the season, you start to work out how well they played. Safeties Marvin White (68 tackles, 1 INT), Chinedum Ndukwe (64 tackles, 3 Sacks & 1 INT) & Chris Crocker (34 tackles, 2 sacks & 1 INT) are very good against the run & complement the CB's well. in all, this is a solid group that could be 'sneaky good'.

ST- Kicker Shayne Graham was ok for the season. Not great, but OK. They could replace him. Punter Kyle Larson only averaged 39.6 yards per punt this season. That's not good enough. And for a team with little offence this year, it put them in too bad a position to succeed. KR Glen Holt is pretty good & PR Antonio Chatman isn't terrible.

FA- The Bengals are ok in FA so long as they can retain WR TJ Houshmandzadeh. If he leaves, that leaves a large hole to fill on the roster. Other notable UFA's are DT John Thornton, RB Cedric Benson, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick & Kicker Shayne Graham.

Previous Drafts- 2008 1st round pick Keith Rivers was coming along nicely before Hines ward ended his season. He looks a keeper. Leon Hall has assumed the starting CB position in his 2nd year. 2006 1st round pick Jonathon Joseph needs to show a bit more progression, but he is solid. 2008 2nd round pick Jerome Simpson caught the sum total of 1 catch for 2 yards. Obviously more will be expected from him. A quick look shows a really poor record of 2nd round picks for this franchise with only Andrew Whitworth contributing from the last 5 draft classes. 2008 3rd round picks Pat Sims & Andre Caldwell look like they will get expanded roles next season. Quick history lesson- the Bengals are solid in Round 4- Anthony Collins, Marvin White, Domata Peko, Eric Ghiaciuc, Stacy Andrews & Robert Geathers are all recent 4th rounders that have become starters on this team.

Possibly no team will benefit more from a returning injured player than the Bengals. Once Palmer went down, so did the team. His return will improve the offence in nearly every facet. But this team needs a few things. Firstly- an attitude adjustment. Then they need to sort out the WR situation- TJ, CJ & Chris Henry are all question marks at this point. They could be without all 3 in training camp next year. If that is the case (or even just partly the case) they need to address this position in the draft & FA. A couple of pass rushers are also required on this team as is more solid running from the teams RB's.

If Chadman had to pick right now, it would be DE #1, DT #2, RB #3, WR #4 & TE #5 as far as needs go.

That being said, it's not impossible to agree with Bill Cowher- the Bengals ARE a team that could go from a non-playoff team to a play-off team fairly easily. BUT....the opposite is just as likely. This off season will be HUGE for this franchise in deciding what direction they move in.

Next up...The Oakland Raiders...

[SteelerOfDeVille]

Re: Chadman's 2009 Draft Analysis.....

#6 The Cincinnati Bengals

....

If Chadman had to pick right now, it would be DE #1, DT #2, RB #3, WR #4 & TE #5 as far as needs go.

Another nice writeup, chadman... 2 questions to ponder.

1. Could the poor running game be due to the poor passing game? In other words, could Benson actually get the job done if Palmer was there? I'm thinking Thomas Jones (who struggled in AZ with no run game, but, once he landed on decent passing teams has done well).

2. Considering Chad, TJ and Henry are all question marks and their younger WRs didn't do much, would it make sense to move WR up on the need list? I would personally say it was a bigger need than RB...

[Chadman]

Re: Chadman's 2009 Draft Analysis.....

#6 The Cincinnati Bengals

....

If Chadman had to pick right now, it would be DE #1, DT #2, RB #3, WR #4 & TE #5 as far as needs go.

Another nice writeup, chadman... 2 questions to ponder.

1. Could the poor running game be due to the poor passing game? In other words, could Benson actually get the job done if Palmer was there? I'm thinking Thomas Jones (who struggled in AZ with no run game, but, once he landed on decent passing teams has done well).

2. Considering Chad, TJ and Henry are all question marks and their younger WRs didn't do much, would it make sense to move WR up on the need list? I would personally say it was a bigger need than RB...

See? This is why Chadman needs you guys to give input!

Good point, WR could be a bigger need than RB. BUT- if they keep TJ, Chad & Henry- then RB is ahead.

And absolutely- the running game 'should' be better with Palmer back. But at the same time- do you want to hang your hat on Cedric Benson?

[SteelerOfDeVille]

Re: Chadman's 2009 Draft Analysis.....

did u give up?

[Chadman]

Re: Chadman's 2009 Draft Analysis.....

did u give up?

Hehe...no...but the SB excitement makes it hard to get into this....might give it a go again later today.

Never fear- this thread will continue- it's Chadman's sneaky way of boosting his post count...

[Chadman]

Re: Chadman's 2009 Draft Analysis.....

#7 The Oakland Raiders..

What a wacky experience it must be to be a Raiders fan? Can you imagine it? Going into every season wondering where your owner's biggest mistake will materialise from this season? They must be the biggest masochists in the USA. Anyway....it's easy to see where Al Davis has gone wrong the last few years- HC. Until they get a HC that can shape this team, they'll continue to find new ways to blow it. The Raiders finished the season 5-11, which for Raiders faithful, probably isn't bad. But for us, the knowledgable ones, we know that it's just another year of crap from the Black & Silver. That being said, if you have a quick look at the Raiders roster, there is some talent to work with. Wonder if the new HC can get it moving in the right direction?

Looking at the Raiders offensive stats we see that they were 29th in points per game, 29th in yards per game, 32nd in passing yards per game & 10th in rushing yards per game. On defence, the Raiders were 24th in points allowed, 27th in yards allowed, 10th in passing yards allowed & 31st in rushing yards allowed. That's a pretty eclectic group of stats. The two that obviously stand out are 10th in both rushing yards gained & 10th in passing yards allowed. The most believable stat will be rushing yards gained- the Raiders have a solid group of RB's. 10th in passing yards could be directly attributed to being second last in rushing yards allowed. Teams can simply run on the Raiders at will. The other stats show the common trend of poor teams- can't move the ball through the air, can't score enough, allow too many points & can't stop other teams from moving on them. Improvement could be had in almost every department- but at least they can run...

QB- Ok, as much as he's struggled, JaMarcus Russell (2007 #1 pick) is the QB of now & the future. To be honest- he isn't 'terrible'- 13 TD's, 8 INT's at 53.8% completion is about average for the struggling QB's we looked at already. But, unlike Detroit, Cincinatti & the Rams, Russell has nobody to throw to. More on that later. The Raiders will hang their hat on Russell, so keeping him healthy & surrounded by talent should be a priority. He's one of, if not THE best running QB in the NFL too. Keeping him healthy is extra important when you think that his back-up is Andrew Walter (0 TD's, 3 INT's at 44.9%) & 3rd string is Marquis Tuiasosopo. If Russell goes down, this is 'a bad scene man!' Without a doubt, the Raiders could do with an experienced vet QB that can back-up & help develop Russell. This should become an off season priority.

RB- 2008 1st round pick Darren McFadden (499 yards, 4.4 YPC & 4 TD's), Justin Fargas (853 yards, 3.9 YPC & 1TD) & Michael Bush (421 yards, 4.4 YPC & 3 TD's) make up an excellent RB trio. The good news is that all 3 are under contract for next season. The bad news- there's only 1 football on the field at a time to give to them. Fullbacks Justin Griffith & Oren O'Neill are both solid players. Add to this group the excellent running game of Russell, and this team can move the ball on the ground. No need to tinker with this group at all!

WR- 2003 Round 3 WR Johnnie Lee Higgins stepped in this season to become something like a starter for the Raiders (22 catches, 366 yards, 16.6 YPC & 4 TD's). Unfortunately- his 22 catches lead all WR's this season for the Raiders. And here is where the problem lies- a distinct lack of talent & productivity from this group that includes Ron Curry, Oft-injured Javon Walker & ever-underperformed Ashlie Lelie. This group, simply, does no justice for a #1 pick QB. If you want Russell to succeed- give him someone to throw to. The Raiders got good production from 2007 2nd round TE Zach Miller (56 catches, 778 yards, 13.9 YPC & 1 TD). Miller has essentially become Russell's go-to guy.

OL- Who can remember reading that Robert Gallery was going to be the greatest LT ever known? Well, here we are. He's not even playing OT, let alone LT. Gallery has moved inside to be a servicable LG. Jake Grove is a decent Center and is the anchor to the line that rushed so well. Cooper Carlisle mans the other OG position. To be honest, the interior of the OL isn't a problem. The OT's, however, can be upgraded. When Kwame Harris & Cornell Green are your starting OT's, you need to look at options. Young OT's Mario Henderson & James Marten are talented, but cannot be relied on. Definately an upgrade could be had at OT this off season. Picking so early, they should have a shot at a decent player to fit on the line. The Raiders only gave up 39 sacks on the season, which isn't bad, but that could be more due to the Raiders reliance on the run & Russell's ability to run like blazes when required. This team runs at 4.3 YPC, so run blocking isn't a problem. If you invest in a #1 QB, you have to protect him & give him someone to throw to. In typical Raiders fashion, they've done neither.

DL- On paper, this group is pretty good. And statistically, the Raiders were 10th in the NFL against the pass, which indicates they must get something like decent pass rush to throw QB's off the trail. Derrick Burgess (24 tackles, 4 sacks) is a quality DE. He would start in nearly every 4-3 defence. Tommy Kelly (55 tackles, 4 sacks) is a decent upfield DT & Gerrard Warren ( 39 tackles, 4 sacks) isn't bad either. Backups include Terdell Sands & William Joseph- neither are going to make offences shudder. The other DE is Jay Richardson (53 tackles, 3 sacks). He's a young player on the rise. Back-up DE Kalimba Edwards (48 tackles, 5 sacks) is a decent pass rusher that is a liability against the run. This group probably would improve if the opposition was forced to pass on them more- as they are more of a pass rushing group than run stopping. But because the Raiders are always behind, teams tend to run on this group all day.

LB- MLB Kirk Morrison (135 tackles, 1 sack) is a good player. OLB's Thomas Howard (97 tackles, 1 sack) & Ricky Brown (37 tackles, 0 sacks) are solid- Howard has extreme athletisism & is a quality player. Backups Jon Alston & Sam Williams are decent, if not solid players. Thing is, between these guys & the DL, teams were running on them at will. Perhaps a run stuffing DT & OLB might be useful in stopping that problem.

DB- 10th against the pass in the NFL sounds great, but as Chadman has pointed out, this could be an inflated stat due to other teams success running the ball. Nnamdi Asomugha is a great CB, a real player to build around. He's also a UFA...and if he wants to WIN, he might need to look elsewhere. He could very well get Franchised, however. The other CB is Chris Johnson, a solid CB that had 3 picks for the season. Back-up Stanford Routt is a promising player. Safeties Hiram Eugene & Gibril Wilson are both stout against the run & pass. Former 1st round pick Michael Huff has not lived up to expectations. If the Raiders hold on to Asomugha, chances are, they can sit tight with the DB's for next season.

ST- Only the Raiders could boast a 1st round kicker- particularly one that isn't any better than 90% of the kickers around the NFL. Yet, Seb Janikowski is the K for this team & will be for the foreseeable future. Punter Shane Lechler is a good player averaging 48.8 yards a punt. He is, however, an UFA, and the Raiders will want to hold on to him. When Johnnie Lee Higgins wasn't becoming the starting WR, he was, along with Justin Miller, returning kicks & punts. The Raiders return game is very solid.

FA- The Raiders NEED to hold on to Asomugha. That should be priority #1 this off season. Other notable FA's include RG Cooper Carlisle, Punter Shane Lechler & PR/KR Justin Miller. Although they would want to hold on to all these guys, only Asomugha is irreplaceable.

Chadman must go...will finish later on!!

Ok- back to it (Post SB Celebrations..)

DRAFT HISTORY- You would think that a team with 4 Top 10 picks in 5 years must be chocked with stud footballers, wouldn't you? Well- you tell Chadman if this is 'stocked'-
2008- Darren McFadden, 2007- JaMarcus Russell, 2006- Michael Huff, 2005- Fabian Washington, 2004- Robert Gallery.

Well? Ok, McFadden looked good & Russell will need some weapons before we make a decision, but have any of the other picks justified their selections? Maybe, if we look closely at the picks by the teams that we've covered already, we'll notice a trend of 1st rounders just not panning out? Perhaps the first thing these teams should do is look closely at the scouting & drafting departments of the organisation?

Other recent picks for the Raiders are 2008 2nd round TE Zach Miller, 2007 2nd round OLB Thomas Howard, 2004 2nd round center Jake Grove (They select OK in Round 2), Johnnie Lee Higgins & Kirk Morrison were both 3rd round picks (2007 & 2005 respectively). As Chadman stated though- there is more history of misses than hits for this franchise, and indeed many of the teams talked about earlier.

At this stage Chadman sees the Raiders looking at either a LT, WR, LB or DB. Given their lofty drafting position, LT is a very good option. But then, in saying that, this IS the Raiders. Maybe they'll draft a punter to go with their 1st round K?

Next Up.....#8, the Jacksonville Jaguars...

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Chadman's 2009 Draft Analysis.....

did u give up?

Hehe...no...but the SB excitement makes it hard to get into this....might give it a go again later today.

Never fear- this thread will continue- it's Chadman's sneaky way of boosting his post count...

It is easier to boost your post count by just randomly posting "Wooooooo!!!" on various threads instead of doing in-depth research on the draft needs of every NFL team and writing up a more in-depth dissertation than Matt Millen ever did as the GM in Detroit. Not that I am complaining. This will be a big-time go-to thread at this point a week from now when we are basking in the glow of another championship and looking forward to the draft.

[Chadman]

Re: Chadman's 2009 Draft Analysis.....

#8 Jacksonville Jaguars

(Ok- back from the post-SB lounge fest & ready to start analysing again...)

Jacksonville went from a team on the cusp of challenging for SB honours to a team that was so far from a SB that you wonder if they had money on themselves blowing this season. 5-11 puts them at the bottom end of the season's standings & gets them an early pick in the draft. Some said they overachieved last season- guess those guys could be right!

A look at the offensive stats- 24th in points per game, 20th in yards per game, 15th in passing yards per game & 18th in rushing yards per game. The 'yards' part to the stats show they are not 'terrible' moving the ball, but points per game certainly shows how ineffective they were in the red zone. Defensive stats- 21st in points allowed per game, 17th in yards allowed per game, 24th in passing yards allowed per game & 13th in rushing yards allowed. The run defense is pretty solid, but teams can obviously pass all over the Jaguars, and 21st in points allowed says that those passing yards turn into points.

QB- David Garrard went from super-accurate 'never gives the ball away' to 62.6% completion (pretty good) & 15 TD's to 13 INT's (not enough TD to INT ratio to be overly successful). Anyone wonder if there are a few Jaguar fans wondering if the shouldn't have let Leftwich go? Cleo Lemon is the back-up....but he really is no option for this team. They've invested in Garrard, so the Jaguars will just have to suffer through his lean times.

RB- What was a two-headed running monster last season turned into 'just another running game' this season. Maurice Jones-Drew led the Jaguars with 824 yards at 4.2 YPC & 12 TD's, which certainly isn't bad, and Fred Taylor had 556 yards at 3.6 YPC & 1 TD. It's not...'bad'...but those stats are not the same team that tore the Steelers defence up last season, are they? It could just be that the OL were poor, but still, the running game didn't do what it had to. And this could be the single biggest reason that David Garrard wasn't anywhere near as successful this season.

WR- Scrap that last sentence- the WR's could be the single biggest reason for Garrard's struggles. When your leading WR is Matt Jones who had 761 yards at 11.6 YPC and 2 TD's, you are not getting enough production. #2 WR on the list is Dennis Northcutt with 565 yards at 12.4 yards & 2 TD's. #3 is Reggie Williams with 364 yards at 9.6 YPC & 3 TD's. Not a deep threat to be seen- and certainly no 'go to' reciever amongst them. To be fair- MJD had 565 yards at 9.1 YPC & 2 TD's, providing Garrard with an option out of the backfield, and TE Marcedes Lewis had 489 yards at 11.9 YPC & 2 TD's. Really though- this team needs a go-to guy. That was supposed to be Jerry Porter, but as of today, Porter is no longer a Jaguar. This could be the position that gets a 1st round upgrade...

OL- Or maybe it'll be OL? Starting LT Kalif Barnes is a UFA, so he might be a priority signing for them this season. That said, Barnes gave up an individual 7.5 sacks this season, one of the worst for starting LT's in the NFL, so an upgrade is not out of the question. The Jaguars are a weird mob- ever since Tony Boselli in 1995, they have NOT DRAFTED AN OL in ROUND 1- not 1 OL in 13 years. Only 1 (Boselli) in the FRANCHISE HISTORY! So, is OL a definate #1 draft option? Not necessarily. Starting OC Brad Meester is an UFA this off season & will likely be another priority signing (if the Steelers want an interior OL- this could be a good option). OG's for the Jaguars are...D Norman & U Nwaneri...who???? RT is big Tony Pashos, a pretty decent player. The OL gave up 42 sacks for the season- not good- & had a team rushing average of 4.2 YPC (a lot of this could be due more to MJD's speed & elusiveness than good blocking). The OL NEEDS an upgrade, but history tells us that the Jaguars might look at lower round draft picks, or FA's to fill this need.

Ok...gotta go...Chadman will complete the Jaguars later on...

[Chadman]

Re: Chadman's 2009 Draft Analysis.....

Ok.....this is taking too much of Chadman's time (sorry for those that were liking this) so a 'revised' version of this will be done instead- don't fear, the same idea, just with less writing....besides, since starting this, teams have been releasing players left, right & center, meaning much of what Chadman wrote earlier, has become redundant...

Give Chadman a little while, and then a new, quicker format will be produced...