Results tagged “nfldraft”

Day two of the 2009 NFL Draft continued much as day one did for the Jets and the Giants. The Jets continued their trading ways by getting the first pick of day two from the Lions and selecting running back Shonn Greene from Iowa. In return for moving up 11 picks, the Jets sent the Lions their original 3rd round pick (76th overall), as well as their 4th (115) and 7th round (228) pick. Greene is a between the tackles type back who, like Mark Sanchez (he made his own "trade" on Sunday for the #6 jersey), is leaving after finishing his junior year. Greene leaves Iowa after an first-team All-American season with school records of 1,850 yards and 20 TDs in a single season. With their 6th round pick (and final pick in 2009), the Jets selected Matthew Slauson, an offensive guard from Nebraska.

The Jets got their man by acting boldly, but they may have overpaid at the expense of other areas. New York got to pick Mark Sanchez by making a trade with Cleveland that gave them the #5 pick in the draft. In return, New York sent their first and second round picks and three players, including starter Kenyon Coleman to Cleveland. But, if the Jets are right and Sanchez is a true franchise QB, the trade is worth it. New York just better find someone for him to throw the ball to with their four picks today.

The Jets got their quarterback to replace Brett Favre. This afternoon, the Jets traded up in the NFL Draft to select Mark Sanchez, the quarterback out of USC. In addition to trading their first two picks (17 and 57 overall) in the 2009 Draft to the Cleveland Browns, the Jets sent the Browns QB Brett Ratliff, DE Kenyon Coleman and S Abram Elam. In the days before the draft, there was lots of buzz around Sanchez, despite starting for only one season at Southern Cal. Sanchez led the Trojans to a 12-1 season including a Rose Bowl win over Penn State where he scored five touchdowns (4 passing, 1 rushing) and threw for 3207 yards, 34 TDs and 10 INTs for the season. With Sanchez, the question for head coach Rex Ryan is, how soon will he give Sanchez the keys to the offense. Prior to the trade, Kellen Clemens was set to battle for the starting job with Brett Ratliff. When asked if he was ready for the New York media, Sanchez said that he would "be alright."

It's hard to believe, but the 2009 NFL Draft is tomorrow and the Jets and Giants both have very clear needs. For the Jets, a quarterback is clearly the first priority since Brett Favre's retirement, but picking 17th, they will probably miss the top three QBs in the draft unless they can swing a trade. That seems unlikely because they only have six picks this weekend and moving up in the first round would cost them the chance to add depth at other positions. There are several other needs for them after QB as well like adding a wide receiver. Expect the Jets to look for a receiver in the first round if they are unable to land a QB.

Being the sixth-worst team in the NFL has its advantages come April. The Jets had the sixth pick in this weekend's NFL Draft, and, despite hopes that Arkansas running back Darren McFadden would fall to them, ended up taking talented Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston. Then they traded up to make another first-round pick, surprising most with their pick of Dustin Keller, a pass-catching tight end from Purdue.

The Jets made a big splash in free agency and they hope to make a big splash in the draft. Sitting at number six, the Jets could go in a number of interesting directions. Darren McFadden, the great running back from Arkansas could be the selection, as could Matt Ryan, the QB from Boston College. Ryan is the top-rated QB in the draft. If the Jets don’t select him, the Patriots (picking at 7) could auction their pick off to the highest bidder, so the Jets could also mess up the Patriots plans with a selection of Ryan.

The Giants ended the draft with some solid picks, but some surprising news. The team is moving defensive end Mathias “finish your tackle” Kiwanuka to outside linebacker. It’s an interesting decision, because despite one highly publicized mistake, Kiwanuka had a great year at DE. But, the Giants need linebackers and they only drafted one, so necessity forces their hand.

The NFL Draft starts at noon today and the local teams will have to wait a long time to pick. With the Giants at 20 and the Jets at 25, we probably won’t see a local team pick until well after 4pm. The time may benefit both clubs, because each has very distinct needs they need to fill today and tomorrow.

• Who could forget the bloody sock of Curt Schilling during game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship Series? Certainly not Red Sox fans and maybe not Yankee fans. To refresh - Schilling had ankle surgery after game 1 of the ALCS to stabilize a tendon in his right ankle. He returned in game 6, winning that game. Boston won the series and went on to win its first World Series in 86 years. On Wednesday, during a Red Sox-Orioles game, Gary Thorne, a former broadcaster for the Mets who currently works for the Baltimore Orioles, said Doug Mirabelli told him the bloody sock was actually a ruse. Thorne said, "It was painted. Doug Mirabelli confessed up to it after. It was all for PR." Mirabelli denies ever talking to Thorne and Schilling also denies that the blood was fake. From Schilling's blog: "It was blood. You can choose to believe whatever you need to, but facts are facts. The 25 guys that were in that locker room, the coaches, they all know it. In the end nothing else really matters. The people that need to believe otherwise are people with their own insecurities and issues." Schilling is even willing to bet $1 million with anyone (proceeds going to charity) that the blood on the sock hanging in the Hall of Fame is real (the original sock was laundered or is missing). So...how many "blood"-covered socks will there be at Yankee Stadium tonight when the Red Sox are in town?
• First, the NFL Draft moves from The Garden after 10 years and now the Draft may move out of New York City for good. The move from The Garden in 2005 was because of a dispute with Cablevision, owners of The Garden, who sued to stop a new stadium for the Jets on the West Side. After a year in Jacob Javits, the Draft is now in its 2nd year at Radio City Music Hall, ironically a Cablevision owned property. After next year, however, the NFL may change cities entirely. Cities that have approached the league to host the draft include: San Diego, Chicago, Cleveland and Canton. How exciting! Last time we checked, New York City has one thing those other cities can't offer - an insanely high concentration of media outlets. Sure, ESPN would travel anywhere to cover the 2-day event, but last we checked, the national morning shows based in New York have a greater reach than WEWS Cleveland.

- The photo the Times runs of Representative John E. Sweeney at a frat party in Schenectady is an instant comedy classic to be cherished. Seriously, give it a good long look.

11:50AM-Welcome to the NFL Draft. We already know that Houston is taking Mario Williams with the first pick, so that leads to two questions. 1- Will the Jets move up and try to draft Reggie Bush? 2- Will Houston take the 15 minutes they are allowed to pick a player they have already signed? Stay tuned.

Beware if you're walking anywhere near Radio City Music Hall Saturday, because the streets are crowded with excited NFL fans awaiting the 2006 Draft. And the drama for tomorrow morning: The Houston Texans are not going to pick Heisman Trophy-winning running back Reggie Bush as the number 1 pick, opting to sign defensive end Mario Williams instead. It's all about the combine! Which has now set a frenzy for the number 2 selection slot - and the NY Jets, who have the number 4 pick, are in the hunt to move up and sign Bush. Of course, the team that does have the number 2 pick, the New Orleans Saints, say they are happy to sign Bush: In other words, if any other team wants him, they'll have to pay up. The pros of signing Bush for the Jets: Curtis Martin is getting old and has a year or so left of playing; also, Bush is an exceptional talent. The cons: Giving up additional pick(s), when they need them - the Jets need to fill holes on both sides of the line.

The annual right of passage that is the NFL Draft takes place tomorrow at noon in historic Radio City Music Hall. Fans can get a jump on the draft today at noon at the Winter Garden, or you can try and get tickets for the actual event tomorrow.

The Jets can finally say that their season is mercifully over. The good news is that they ended it with a 30-26 win over the Buffalo Bills. The bad news is the win moved them to the 4th pick in the NFL Draft behind Houston, New Orleans/San Antonio/etc, and Tennessee. The Jets win was keyed by Justin Miller's 95-yard kickoff return late in the 4th quarter to take the lead. Ty Law, the lone Jets representative in the Pro Bowl, sealed the victory when he intercepted his 3rd pass of the game. Law finishes the season with a career and franchise high 10 INTs.

The Giants did not have the same quantity of picks that the Jets did, but they managed to fill several needs. With Michael Strahan’s injury last year, the Giants’ lack of depth on their defensive line was exposed; adding Jason Tuck and Eric Moore should help to address that. Third down with one yard to go has been a situation that makes Giants’ fans queasy and hopefully running back, Brandon Jacobs will solve that. At 6-3, 256 pounds, he certainly has the size to. With their top selection, the Giants chose cornerback, Corey Webster. Webster will instantly become the cornerback in the nickel defense and protects the Giants from the potential loss of starter, Will Allen, after the 2005 season.

For the Jets, coming off of a 10-6 record and some success in the playoffs, the draft is mostly about adding some depth to their team. The Jets made their biggest move Wednesday, adding Tight End, Doug Jolley, in a trade with the Oakland Raiders. Having secured a Tight End, the Jets will probably focus on bolstering their offensive line and secondary. Corey Webster, Ronald Bartell, Jr. and Adam Snyder are three names that the Jets may call this weekend. The Jets will pick twice in the second round, once in each of the third, fourth and fifth rounds, three times in the sixth round and twice in the seventh.

After a season that saw the team reach a new low after respected General Manager John Butler died of cancer, the San Diego Chargers used the first pick of the 2004 NFL Draft to select Eli Manning.

There is much talk about who the Giants might take with their pick. While the fourth pick is great, they are in a position where players that would really fit a need will no longer be there, or can be drafted later in the round. Everybody is talking about Eli Manning and Robert Gallery. Eli Manning, the younger brother of Colts QB Peyton Manning and son of Archie Manning, starred at Ole Miss. His father wants him to join the Giants, and he could be a great replacement for Kerry Collins who is in the final year of his contract. Robert Gallery is a huge (6'7", 320 pounds) offensive tackle from Iowa. One of his negatives, according to NFL.com reads, "because of his height and girth, he does not always sink his pads properly." Despite his height and girth, franchise tackles like Gallery are hard to come by, which is why there is also tremendous interest in Gallery, who is apparently awe inspiring to those that see him. Should the Giants trade up to the first pick to take Manning or Gallery? Or do they take Ben Roethlisberger with the 4th pick?