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National Football League
Draft King Mailbag
January 20, 2007
Lou Pickney, DraftKing.com
Reader feedback is always welcomed here at DraftKing.com. Send your thoughts to me at LouPickney@gmail.com.
From: Matt Smith
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Jan 19, 2007 5:23 PM
Subject: Matt Trannon, dan bazuin
i was wondering what your thoughts on dan bazuin of central michigan the
excellent defensive en and matt trannon of michigan state trannon has
excellent size and made a number of great catches this year
also i know glen dorsey is staying in school but how would you compare him
with alan branch
Lou: Dan "Buzz" Bazuin is an energetic pass-rusher with excellent aggressiveness. He's a shade shorter than some of the elite DE prospects: Gaines Adams, Jamaal Anderson, Adam Carriker are all in the 6'5"/6'6 range, whereas Bazuin is 6'2½" or 6'3" depending on who you believe. Bazuin faced double-teams and blocking schemes with him in mind this past season, and rightfully so as he was a major disruptive force on the underrated Central Michigan defense. Despite the concerted effort to block him, Bazuin had 11 sacks in 2006, coming off a year in 2005 where he had 16 sacks.
There is some speculation that he might move to OLB if a 3-4 team drafts him, but I think he might not quite be quick enough to be as effective at that position; of course, that is up to the discretion of whichever team takes him.
Glen Dorsey, at 6'2" 285, is a powerful force in the middle for LSU, and he added size to his frame by hitting the weights hard in the summer of 2006. Dorsey would've been a day one pick had he come out this year, maybe even a first rounder, and I assure you that the rest of the SEC West will be lamenting his decision.
Dorsey is big, but not as big as Alan Branch (6'6", 330), and Branch seems to be more of a fit for DT in a 3-4 whereas Dorsey appears better suited for a 4-3 defense.
From: Justin Hansen
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Jan 20, 2007 3:00 PM
Subject: Dumb GMs
Everyone here's about coaching changes but in your option, based on the last few draft, which GMs need to go? Obviously the browns GM but any others?
Lou: I hesitate to criticize any general managers, as they have a much more difficult job than many people realize. Understanding the complex salary cap, managing personality conflicts, appeasing the owner, handling fan criticism, and having to be able to work fast (during the draft) and slow (in drawn-out negotiations) are all pre-requesites for the job.
As for Cleveland, I don't think speaking ill of Phil Savage is fair. The Browns have had problems in large part because of injuries to key players (e.g. LeCharles Bentley, Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards.) Savage was part of the drafting run in Baltimore that brought so many great players there in the mid-late 90s, and he's only had two drafts under his belt. The 2006 Draft was strong for him, acquiring Kamerion Wimbley and D'Qwell Jackson with the team's first two selections. Savage tried building his o-line via free agency last off-season, and I suspect that he'll want to capitalize on having Bentley back by having a high-end RB (like Adrian Peterson) to take advantage of that.
Matt Millen takes a beating from fans and media members alike, and I'm not going to pile on that bandwagon. If I had to pick a team to question, it would be the Oakland Raiders. Stretching to take players, passing up Matt Leinart in last year's draft, botching so many of those picks that they acquired from the Bucs for Jon Gruden... there is room for criticism to be had there. But the GM is also the owner, Al Davis, which is a very different dynamic than most teams have.
One more note that involves GMs: don't be surprised if there are some very long and protracted negotiations this summer as a result of an arbitration ruling involving option year bonuses. An arbitrator ruled against the NFL in the Ashley Lelie dispute over him having to return the pro-rated remainder of the option bonus that kicked in when his second year began (the option bonus was in exchange for an extra year on the deal, which was voidable, though he was gone from Denver before that option year, for 2007, would have kicked in.) The NFL is appealing, which is rare for an arbitration decision, but possible in this case due to special circumstances that date back to the Reggie White anti-trust situation of the 1980s.
You could imagine teams would be hesitant to include option bonuses in future deals, because if the decision stands, a player could in theory receive a $10 million option bonus, say, "Thanks -- I retire!" and the team would have no recourse to recoup that money.
See, it's things like that which make me hesitant to criticize general managers.
From: Justin Hansen
To: LouPickney@gmail.com
Date: Jan 20, 2007 3:33 PM
Subject: (no subject)
who's your most under-rated and over-rated players in this years draft?
I haven't seen Amobi Okoye Louisville play much but he didn't strike me as a top 10 pick. However, I do like patrick willis and see him being a beast with the right team. Your thoughts (besides ten ginn)
Lou: Amobi Okoye is an outstanding pass-rusher who would be a great fit in most 4-3 defenses. He's 6'1" 315, and while he could trim up a bit to be better for NFL standards, he made 8 sacks from the DT spot last year for Louisville. He's young, so a team that picks him and builds for the future could have a solid performer at the spot for the next decade. He needs to develop still on his technique, but that's what coaches are for.
In my opinion, no tight end is worthy of being a first round pick in this year's draft. So, to that end, I'd say Zach Miller and Greg Olsen are a tad overrated in circles where they are looked at as potential first rounders, and a tight end like Matt Spaeth is a bit underrated (not as a receiver, but because of his blocking skills.)
UTEP WR Johnnie Lee Higgins is underrated for teams looking for pure speed (his stats are right up there with Ted Ginn, Jr., maybe just slightly slower.) Central Michigan OT Joe Staley is an underrated OT who I think may begin moving up boards after the combine. And there's reason that Florida DE Jarvis Moss is shooting up draft boards... he was underrated until recently, but he's in that position no more.
I'd suggest that Northern Illinois RB Garrett Wolfe is a bit overrated: at 5'7", 175, it is going to be tough to play in the NFL, particularly at RB. There are defensive linemen who are twice his weight! A player that I might personally have overrated until recently is Michigan OLB/DE LaMarr Woodley, who may not be quite the prospect that some initially believed.
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