Larry Brackins and Harrington/Garcia
National Football League
Draft King Mailbag
January 22, 2005
Lou Pickney, DraftKing.com
Reader feedback is always welcomed here at DraftKing.com. Send your thoughts to me at LouPickney@gmail.com.
From: Tony Iammarino
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2005 4:57 PM
To: Lou Pickney
Subject: Joey Harrington...
I know that Joey Harrington might be a free agent this year or released by Detroit. They run the west coast offense there under Mariucci. Who better to run that offense than Jeff Garcia, who played for Mariucci?
The Browns have Garcia under contract for 3 more years and Harrington is under contract with Detroit for 3 more years. Now both have been rumored to be released. What about a trade? The Browns get Harrington and the Lions get Garcia. I think that each QB is a better fit for the other team. What do you think? Is there a possibility of this happening? Each team would get something for their existing QB, instead of just releasing them.
Lou: I really like that idea. Unfortunately the signing bonuses for both players would be accelerated to hit on this year's cap, which would make things unwieldy. However, if Detroit is willing to take the hit to cut Harrington now, then they should be willing to take it to obtain Garcia.
It sounds like a real win-win situation. And I concur that each QB is a better fit for the other team. But will it happen? Guess we'll have to wait and see.
From: RyneS9290@***.com
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2005 12:13 PM
To: Lou Pickney
Subject: Larry Brackins Question....
Larry Brackins seems to have every physical tool imaginable, but the real question about him is his level of competition. How do you feel about him? When do you see him coming off the board? I'd love for my Giants to take a chance on him if he's still around in the 6th round. Also I have a few more Giants questions, I just wanna know if you think these players will be available when the Giants pick & what you think of them. 2nd Round: ILB Odell Thurman, 3rd Round: RB Cedric Houston, 4th Round: FS James Butler. Thanks for the help.
Lou: If you know much about Mississippi junior colleges, you know that some strong players have come from there and gone on to do well at major universities en route to a pro career (i.e. Fred Smoot). It's not a very good sign for the Mississippi educational system that SO MANY high school graduates from the state who want to play college ball end up having to go the JuCo route due to low test scores, but that's an issue for another time.
Brackins had two years of NCAA eligibility remaining but opted to go pro. It's too bad, as he could have really benefitted from the coaching and competition on that level before hitting the NFL. Even one season of big-time NCAA ball would have put him in the first-second round, but at this point I see him as a fourth rounder. However, a 6'5" 220 pound receiver who can run a 4.5 40 might go on the first day, since physically he is almost an exact match as former USC receiver Mike Williams. Raw and untested? Yes. Huge upside? Yes.
Your Giants' projected picks seem reasonable to me. James Butler in round four might be a little bit of a stretch, as I expect there to be a mini-run on safeties in rounds two and three. But there will be some safety talent still on the board there, so the Giants should be able to cash in with someone of good value.
From: Draftguru03@***.com
Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2005 11:16 AM
To: Lou Pickney
Subject: Patriots
You have the Patriots selecting Mark Clayton. I like the WR pick in round 1 but he is 5-11 and don't you think the Patriots should try and get a tall WR. Maybe like Roddy White or Troy Williamson? Which WR over 6-0 do you think the Pats will Draft, in any round?
Lou: I think the greater risk for the Patriots is that they won't get to choose Clayton, who is so skilled that he will likely be gone by the time they draft. I could easily see Roddy White going to them. White is moving up the board steadily, and the Patriots don't have a receiver taller than 6'1" (Kevin Kaspar) on their roster. However, they've won Super Bowls without having tall receivers, so it's not as if it's something that the team will necessarily look for as a must-have in a draft pick.
