war rooms i've known, part one

the draft may be over, but this monster in the offseason doesn't die so easily. journalists, writers, fans all must analyze the momentous changes ushered in by draft weekend. never mind we have no idea what these momentous changes yet mean. glenn dorsey is as much an unknown nfl quantity now that he's been fitted for a chiefs jersey as before when we could only picture him in lsu purple and gold.

i've paged through a few draft grades handed out by experts, but feel none the wiser for it. the only analysis i can get behind is zac's optimist/pessimist series at epic carnival, kicked off monday with the teams of the afc east. zac's two sides of the coin approach is alone in acknowledging what we as fans are left with until season start, some hope and a lot of burning questions.

no, instead of launching headlong into some futile exercise, penciling in draft grades with eraser poised for the moment i'm proved wrong, fuhbaw's conducting its post-draft business a little differently. leading up to the draft, i ran a series called know your war rooms which delved into the tendencies and needs of each nfl team heading into the draft. my intention was to prepare you for how teams are most likely to select using past performance as an indicator. based on how each team selected this weekend, i'm going to grade myself on how close my analysis came to the mark. how's that for accountability? so how did i do?

afc east

bills. buffalo selected corner leodis mckelvin in the first round and receiver james hardy in the second. mckelvin was a reach at eleven overall and hardy a steal at forty-one. as i wrote, the bills aren't afraid to reach for a player they've settled on, like mckelvin. also, i cautioned not to expect any draft day trades from the bills who don't 'engage in the smoke and mirrors so many teams attempt in april'. take a couple points off for a some character concerns in hardy and third round end chris ellis, despite my claim buffalo focuses solely on high character individuals. fuhbaw's grade: b+

dolphins. miami went with size and bulk, nabbing linemen in each of the first four rounds. not entirely surprising since parcells, generally, 'leans towards stocking up in the trenches'. even both running backs miami selected late are big backs that could work fullback as well. still, parcells selected a skill player in chad henne he could possibly build a team around. in all a very typical parcells draft many could have seen from a mile away, so i won't pat myself on the back too much. fuhbaw's grade: b

jets. i noted new york's strategy as an interesting mixture of aggressive and conservative. aggressive in moving around on draft day, like trading back into the first round for tight end dustin keller. and conservative in targeting players that don't play flashy positions, like linebacker/end vernon gholston. in all the jets drafted solidly with some good athletic prospects late (receiver marcus henry especially). but i faltered in my analysis when i claimed the jets don't have enough ammunition to trade up - whoops! fuhbaw's grade: c

patriots. new england possess a great track record in the draft. as a team with very few needs, though, they also possess a track record for doing the unexpected. still 'with glaring needs at linebacker or cornerback, despite not traditionally drafting those positions early, maybe this is the year new england shocks by going the obvious route'. and that's what they did nabbing three backers and two corners. and again, they used the middle rounds for skill players like quarterback kevin o'connell and receiver matt slater. fuhbaw's grade: a-

nfc east

cowboys. dallas's great first round netted them back felix jones and corner mike jenkins, both among the best in a draft deep at their respective positions. as predicted, jerry jones traded often, up for jenkins and down for more picks in the fourth round. and, as noted, talent outweighed character concerns, like in the selection of talented but troubled corner orlando scandrick. fuhbaw's grade: a-

eagles. philadelphia on draft day traded down and traded down, stockpiling picks late. no surprises there for a team comfortable with that strategy. also, they again went with size in the trenches, selecting defensive tackle trevor laws with their first pick. yet, they didn't ignore skill positions, selecting electrifying desean jackson with their second selection. all in all, a very philly draft, linebackers, linemen, linebackers, linemen. fuhbaw's grade: b+

giants. picking at the end of each round, the giants were forced to adopt a wait and see approach, as in wait and see which prospects are dropping. fortunately, good players at positions of need, safety kenny phillips and receiver mario manningham, were available in the first and third rounds respectively. i noted that gm jerry reese has done well with small school prospects, but this draft was almost all big-time programs, miami, usc, michigan. though reese did keep in mind a lesson from his predecessor ernie accorsi and selected a promising pass rusher late in robert henderson. fuhbaw's grade: b

redskins. washington's drafting tendencies were difficult to discern heading into this draft because the small sample size they've provided in the recent past, often trading away draft picks for veteran players. with that history, the savvy they displayed on draft was surprising, they traded down and around. they attacked certain positions on the roster, like receiver and safety, with several picks. between devin thomas, fred davis, and malcolm kelly one or two legitimate receiving threat should emerge. and all their later picks have a serious chance of making the roster. perhaps their ten draft day selection will go a long way to finally building a solid core of their roster. fuhbaw's grade: b+

afc north

bengals. cincinnati attacked it's biggest needs early, those along the front seven, with backer keith rivers and tackle pat sims. while i called that one, it was a no brainer. they also fortified their roster at receiver, once a position strength now thrown into question, with jerome simpson and andre caldwell, two legitimate prospects. but i also claimed that the bengals 'should have the smallest board in the league given how desperately they need to turn around their team's image'. well, with the selection of troubled jason shirley that is obviously not the case - my bad. fuhbaw's grade: d

browns. cleveland didn't lack for needs despite their talented roster, but they lacked for draft picks, trading them for shaun rogers, corey williams, and the right to draft brady quinn. still, with no pick until the fourth round, cleveland snapped up a couple of solid prospects in backer beau bell and tight end martin rucker. i warned that gm phil savage has rarely hit on late day picks, but if this class is to develop that will have to change. and perhaps going the smaller school route - unlv, st augustine - can help change that. fuhbaw's grade: b-

ravens. as expected baltimore wheeled and dealed through the draft, trading out of the first round then back in to nab quarterback joe flacco. while trading for corner fabian washington may have lessened the need to draft a corner, the ravens still surprisingly ignored the position. yet overall their draft was very typical, players possessing a good balance of meaurables and production, lots of solid defensive prospects. fuhbaw's grade: b+

steelers. pittsburgh has to be commended for sticking to their draft board. there was one glaring need on the roster: offensive line. but the steelers selected the best player available, especially true talents in back rashard mendelhall, receiver limas sweed, and backer bruce davis. the only linemen they selected is a project, tackle tony hills. despite a little more flash at the top, their draft still displayed a very typical pittsburgh methodology. fuhbaw's grade: b-

nfc north

bears. chicago stuck to its big school guns through their twelve picks. they also continued to bypass talented quarterbacks despite the obvious need. when chicago did draft offense, it was primarily in the trenches, starting with first rounder chris williams at tackle. outside of talented back matt forte, gm jerry angelo opted for role players at the skill positions instead of dynamic players, perhaps again all too typical. fuhbaw's grade: b+

lions. probably more than any draft this year, detroit's is hard to assess. should gm matt millen be commended for going to the trenches early? or should he be called out for reaching on tackle gosder cherilus and backer jordon dizon? well, if this class pans out, then no one will remember the reaches. at least, millen finally used more than half his picks on linemen and linebackers, including four of his first five. in any case, millen put the flash aside and really concentrated on production. for that he should get a gold star. fuhbaw's grade: d-

packers. green bay completed another typical draft, lots of trading down, a few notable 'reaches', a couple selections at positions of strength on the roster. perhaps most notable was the selection of not one but two young quarterbacks in brian brohm and matt flynn. also, green bay opened and closed its draft with wide receivers despite have a very good five on the roster. the packers surprised by trading up in the fourth round to select end jeremy thompson. thompson wasn't so much a surprise selection, a good all around end, rather that gm ted thompson traded up, something he hasn't done leading nine drafts with the seahawks and packers. fuhbaw's grade: a-

vikings. the bulk of minnesota's draft was surrendered to kansas city for end jared allen. addressing their greatest defensive need with allen, there was some speculation that minnesota would address their greatest offensive question mark in the draft, namely quarterback. despite being in position for a highly regarded signal caller like brohm or chad henne, the vikes traded up in the second round for safety tyrell johnson. while they did select a quarterback later, usc's john david booty, he looks to be a project like their other second day picks. fuhbaw's grade: d

again, let me remind you, i'm grading myself. namely, how well my pre-draft analysis of each team's war room predicted what they actually did on draft weekend. i'll continue on with the remaining grades tomorrow.

the draft in focus

stop! before scrolling down, click over to the yahoo! blog shutdown corner and read my report recapping my visit to the draft this past weekend. editor mjd and head honcho jamie mottram are doing an amazing job over at shutdown corner and i'm honored they're including my work on their excellent blog.

also, i put together a brief report for the aol fanhouse about the nfl's need to relearn some basic crowd control methods. by ignoring an explosive situation, the nfl allowed all hell to break loose before the draft.

all right, now that you've caught up with my writing around the web, here's a photo essay i put together from the 2008 draft.


50th st at my arrival, 3a saturday.


only the weak nap.


shortly after sunrise.


yup, the line was long.


jets fan who painted 'in mcfadden we trust' and hammed it up for the camera.


in a crush of people, slowly eroding the bonds of society.


seriously, there was a stampede and it wasn't cool.


every logo should have an inflatable version.


first round jerseys for every team at nfl draft experience on 51st street.


of course, radio city's lobby is impressive...


...not to mention the theater itself.


espn's live set.


pats fans caught hell all day... from everyone.


jets fans booing.


jets fans cheering (a rarity).


guess what happens after the first round besides the second round? everyone leaves.


you could say that day two is a little less popular than day one.


the live set of nfl network, day two.


standing ovation for army man caleb campbell.


campbell on espn's set.


more cheers for campbell.


seriously, little else happened on day two.


it's good to know the crazy homeless woman muttering to herself is just as excited about the draft as i am. saw this while waiting for the subway home.

this draft's for you

the draft is nearly upon us. fuhbaw's know your war rooms series - a division-by-division, team-by-team rundown of each club's tendencies and needs - is complete. spend some time with rick gosselin's position-by-position rankings of the 2008 prospects and you'll complete a crash course in the draft, just in time for the weekend.

but just what are you getting ready for? if you find yourself getting worked up over your team selecting a running back from oregon when, goddammit, you know that they should have taken that end from auburn, then slow down and repeat after me: the nfl draft is not a sporting event. yes, all 32 nfl franchises are involved (in the case of this year's cleveland browns, just barely). and, yes, if you turn on nfl network or espn, a cavalcade of commentators will spit out reactions however knee-jerk, however trite. on your television set, athletes who play the sport will plod through interviews, occasionally their college careers given the highlight reel treatment if only for a few seconds. despite all these trappings, don't be fooled, the draft is not a sporting event.

pundits may raise hellfire or gush uncontrollably about this move or that move over the next several days, but no one is winning or losing anything on draft day.

several key events have already transpired and the draft is still more than 48 hours away. the dolphins agreed to terms with jake long of michigan making him the number one overall pick. and the vikings traded for chiefs end jared allen, a first round selection and two third rounders. plus, the amusing/pathetic/frustrating pacman jones sideshow staged another act when the titans and cowboys agreed to terms on the troubled player, dallas sending a fourth round selection to tennessee with conditions.

furthermore, we could always conjure up the ghosts of selection meetings past: ryan leaf, mike mamula, tony mandarich, brian bosworth, et al. but this is as much the story of guys like ronnie brown and cadillac williams. brown and williams, selected second and fifth overall respectively in 2005, both from auburn, both suffered season ending injuries in 2007. both possess enormous talent, but these injuries might preclude one or both from ever fulfilling that enormous promise. that drama plays out on the football field, not on the stage of radio city music hall. vernon gholston is unlikely to pull a hammy on the way up to the podium, matt ryan sprain his shoulder while donning a falcons baseball cap, chris long suffer cramps from the heat of multiple camera flashes as he hoists a raiders jersey.

so why pay attention? why pour through countless articles and mock drafts? why will i be attending the draft in person barring any unforeseen tragedy, mishap, or general stupidity on my part? just, why?

the draft in my estimation is not about passing judgment. there's nothing to judge, really... no results, no final scores. the process is more about renewing our hope as fans, reaffirming our connections with our teams. it is a tacit acceptance of 365 days of football obsession. there's an invitation directly on the nfl.com site that in large letters and links underlined invites fans to 'grade the teams immediately after the draft'. there is no value whatsoever in fan grades of a draft, especially immediately following its conclusion, before any football whatsoever is played. hell, there's no value to mel kiper's, mike mayock's, and rick gosselin's immediate post-draft grades. the fans and the pundits aren't olympic judges scoring the subjective. there is no performance, only newness, only greater unknown, the initial rumblings of anticipation slowly beginning until by early september a fan just can't stand it any more.

the whole spectacle is more or less logic defying... perhaps how it should be. we won't know which defensive lineman is the next richard seymour or the next gerard warren until three years from now at the very least. but most of us will spend hours after the draft reading up on the newest additions to our team, becoming acquainted enough with their skills and promise by training camp to start reforging a link to our team. i'll bet that the nfl is just as baffled as i am about the draft's popularity, but just like the league, i'm going along for the ride.

so wash your favorite jersey, ready your flock of boo birds, grab a brew and a bag of chips, and get ready to thumb your nose at logic. just remember, this draft's for you.

know your nfl war rooms: nfc west

today fuhbaw wraps up the know your war rooms series with the nfc west, our final divisional stone left unturned. (checklist: afc east, nfc east, afc north, nfc north, afc south, nfc south, and afc west.)

the west experienced a tough year last year. through the first nine weeks of the season, the four teams of the division combined for as many wins (9) as new england posted at the same juncture all by its lonesome. the second half of the season for the west wasn't nearly as brutal, but high expectations in arizona and san francisco were met with the gravity of bitter disappointment. and seattle's playoff run stopped cold on a snowy lambeau field. last and least, i'm sure st louis would prefer never speaking of their dismal 3-13 campaign again.

the mystery may have been taken out of the number one overall pick, what with jake long and the dolphins agreeing to terms yesterday, but almost everything else remains an unknown. so grab a latte after picking up your social security checks, we're driving through a huge yonic landmark, cruising for hippies or gays or both... wait a minute! stereotypes aside, we're taking the war rooms of the nfc west to task.

cardinals

credit the cardinals for finally trying to turn things around in the desert. don't credit arizon too much though, especially considering their mediocre 8-8 record gave some fans cause to celebrate. coach ken whisenhunt guided a talented squad through an up and down season, maybe a sign improvement is on the way, maybe not. vice president rod graves calls the shots in the front office, but there was a noted difference in last year's draft, the first of whisenhunt's with the organization. first round selection levi brown was a reach at number five overall, but the team wanted the player more than the draft grade. in general, graves has populated the cardinals' roster with talented skill players: anquan boldin, larry fitzgerald, antrel rolle, matt leinart. yet with whisenhunt's arrival, the focus in the draft has focused on bulk and size in the trenches. graves has a history with selecting prospects from big schools, traditional powerhouses such as michigan, usc, and penn state.

tackle darnell dockett and linebacker karlos dansby are two of the better players at their position, but arizona could provide them more talent in the defensive front seven. more depth in the offensive and defensive backfield is also a need. the cardinals hold one pick in each round, near the middle of each round. arizona has kept a tight lip through much of the lead-up to the draft which might allow them to quietly pick the good players at positions of need both days.

49ers

last season the 49ers were supposed to steal the division away from the seahawks. so much for winning the division on paper in april. instead the team imploded, coach mike nolan and his young quarterback alex smith feuded, injuries mounted and stars underperformed. in response, the control of the war room was stripped from nolan and given to general manager scot mccloghan, recently the vice president of the team's player personnel department. in three years with several high draft picks, nolan rebuilt the core of a young talented team - smith, frank gore, vernon davis, patrick willis, and joe staley all drafted in the first three rounds. however, few players of note emerged from the middle and late rounds of nolan's drafts. what role mccloghan played in the drafts of the previous three seasons is unclear. and whether he can select more consistently across the board is also a mystery. the 49ers didn't lack for activity on draft day, trading several times in the past few years, a trend that will probably continue.

also, there's no doubting san fran possesses several needs heading into this draft. their receiving corps has never been solid since terrell owens's departure. nolan needs more linebackers to run his 3-4 defense. plus, bryant young's retirement and marques douglas's loss in free agency underscore the need for solid defensive linemen. their trade last year with the patriots, sending their number one pick for the right to draft joe staley, will keep them out of the running for one of the draft's premier defensive lineman. but their late first rounder provides the opportunity to nab a talented linebacker or receiver. with only six picks, mccloghan will have to make each count or aggressively wheel and deal for more to continue the rebuild on san fran's roster.

rams

age and injuries conspired against st louis's 2007 season. unfortunate as it was, it highlighted the team's myriad holes on offense and defense. coach scott linehan struggled to adjust as players came in and out of the lineup. vice president of player personnel bill devaney was hired earlier this year and given the final word in the war room. st louis isn't without some talent, but inconsistent drafts in recent years have been a large part of the team's collapse last season. the team has struggled selecting defensive linemen, they hope last year's first round selection of adam carriker reverses that trend. plus, they've let a few solid defenders - tackle ryan pickett and backer brandon chillar - escape to free agency. whether devaney can reverse these trends remains to be seen.

st louis has no shortage of needs in devaney's first draft. their defense was abysmal last season, any quality defender at any position would be an immediate upgrade. a quality offensive tackle would help an inconsistent line. plus, the excellent receiver torry holt is nearing his final years, an eventual successor is required. the rams hold the second pick in rounds one through six plus additional sixth and seventh round selections. it's an excellent opportunity to grab players of need that also represent some of the best at their position. linehan's job with st louis may rest in large part on devaney's first draft with the team.

seahawks

seattle has owned the west for much of the decade. but the face a turning point. coach mike holmgren in his last year. his designated successor, jim mora, waits on staff. general manager tim ruskell has straddled a line between preserving the 2005 nfc championship team and reloading for another playoff run. guard steve hutchinson, among the best at his position, was lured away by minnesota. and just today, ruskell released former mvp shaun alexander. more importantly, ruskell has drafted and preserved a very good defense, signing backers lofa tatupu and julian peterson, end patrick kerney, and corner marcus truffant to long term contracts. drafting near the end of each round, because of the seahawks success on the field, ruskell has assembled some decent draft classes in his three years on the job, in general focusing on players with solid production from power conferences.

while their defense could use more depth behind talented starters, especially in the tackle rotation, seattle's primary needs are on offense. signing julius jones was a solid offseason move, but another running back, especially culled from this deep class, wouldn't hurt. the loss of dj hackett might indicate another young receiver is needed to develop behind deion branch and bobby engram. also, despite drafting interior linemen in each of the last three drafts, a premier guard can only help the seahawks running game which struggled last season. again, with picks in last third of each of the first four rounds, ruskell must concentrate on overlooked prospects that sport solid resumes in college. a couple impact starters can keep the rest of the division at bay in the big show's last seattle season.

know your nfl war rooms: afc west

fuhbaw continues with another edition of know your war rooms. instead of previewing the draft through the players up for selection, fuhbaw takes you through the tendencies and needs of each nfl war room. hopefully, this approach can shed light on who calls darren mcfadden's or vernon gholston's name on draft day, more so than wading through dense scouting reports.

so far, we've dug through the afc east, nfc east, afc north, nfc north, afc south, and nfc south. turning our attention west, we stumble upon a division of bitter rivals, all with history stretching back to the afl's earliest days. san diego's currently the class of the division with a deep and talented team. denver, kansas city, and oakland are all in various stages of rebuilding. how will they go about it? let's take a closer look.

broncos

coach mike shanahan's two super bowl rings are collecting some dust, won ten years ago at this point. but shanahan remains firmly entrenched in denver. he wields the final say-so on the field and in the war room. therefore the team's relative successes and failings while not his doing alone remain his responsibility primarily, in credit or fault. the broncos are a veteran team with youth leading a few key positions - quarterback and receiver, for instance. shanahan has aggressively taken a needs based approach in the draft, preferring players that fit his system, especially for his conservative ground control offense. also, shanahan has little reservation about taking chances on players that have history of disciplinary or legal problems (maurice clarett, anyone?) if they possess a greater history of talent and production.

age and injuries have left the broncos thin along both offensive and defensive lines. the broncos also need more youth at receiver and corner. the broncos have nine selections on draft weekend, but seven come in round four and later. with their first and second round pick, denver needs instant contributors at either left tackle, defensive tackle, receiver, or nickleback. shanahan is also not adverse to moving around during the draft, perhaps trading down in the early rounds might be the shortest path to replenishing a depleted roster.

chargers

san diego general manager aj smith is nothing if not aggressive, unafraid to wheel and deal, unafraid to play hardball. smith is a noted hardass, prickly but intelligent. there's little doubting the fruit of his work, a continuation of the rebuilding process started by his long time friend, the now deceased john butler. smith's eye for talent is generally impeccable, often hitting on his first day picks while mining some talent out of middle rounds. his scouting staff does a comprehensive job highlighting talent from all levels of college competition. the chargers put a premium on measurables so long as the players impress with some production on the field (it should be noted that tight end antonio gates was signed as undrafted free agent).

while top to bottom, the chargers are one of the most talented teams in the league, they still have a few areas of needs. stellar running back ladanian tomlinson is in his prime, but he's never carried the ball less than 313 times in each of his seven seasons - another backup and potential successor is needed eventually. also, the offensive line could use some talented depth. the secondary needs a versatile defensive back capable of manning the nickel or dime position. after san diego's first round selection at number 27 they don't pick again until round five. despite the aforementioned 'needs' for depth in the offensive and defensive backfields as well as the offensive line, the chargers can simply take the best player available with their first round selection, or trade down while netting a couple second round selections in a draft that's deep at running back and offensive line. in any case, don't expect smith to miss the mark with his very few selections.

chiefs

in coach herm edwards's third season, the chiefs are finally focusing on rebuilding. a 4-12 season will do that to a team. many of their best players have either retired or aged dramatically in recent campaigns. and now their best player, end jared allen, is being offered as trade bait for more draft picks in this year's annual selection meeting. whether allen is dealt or not is still up in the air. general manager carl peterson's recent drafts have been hit-or-miss affairs. end tamba hali, receiver dwayne bowe, and perhaps even quarterback brodie croyle show signs of promise. but the chiefs have struggled selecting talent along the defensive line and in the defensive backfield. in general, the chiefs key on players from big-time programs like penn state, tennessee, and oregon.

kansas city can count their needs along the offensive line and in the defensive backfield as the most dire. if they deal allen, then add defensive end to the list as well. it also remains to be seen if they'll draft a quarterback some time on the first day, since no one is positive if brodie croyle can make the leap from promising to productive. with one pick in each of the first four rounds, all of them early in each round, they have just enough ammunition to add significant contributors to their roster. and with six picks in rounds five through seven, they hope to pick up a sleeper prospect or two that is more than simply a camp body. there's no shortage of ground that the chiefs need to cover in their division. and they still need a definitive draft of the herm era to return them to the league's competitive ranks.

raiders

oakland, the black hole, al davis's age - combine randomly and insert joke here. no doubt the raiders have struggled the past five seasons. and part of those struggles are due to drafting inconsistently, in addition to poor coaching, dysfunctional management, and aging or injured veterans. davis continues to head up the war room and despite his foibles of late he still cares passionately about building a winner in oaktown. there is of course a type of player that typifies the raiders, one they seek out in the draft. cocky, swaggering... more tough than technician. davis prides himself on being able to tell an athlete just by looking at them. character concerns that might scare off other teams mean less in the final accounting for davis and the raiders. plus, davis isn't afraid to gamble on injury history.

the raiders spent money freely in free agency addressing a lot of raiders needs. how well javon walker and tommy kelly rebound from injury remains to be seen, much less the value of signing deangelo hall, gibril wilson, and kwame harris to big contracts. still, the raiders look to go to battle with their defensive backfield and receiving corps as is. the team could use more talent along the offensive and defensive lines and perhaps a playmaking linebacker to add to a middling group. the raiders hold only five picks, four late on the second day of the draft. their number four overall selection will have to go a long way because an impact player is unlikely to come late. the best playmaker - like darren mcfadden - or best defensive linemen - glenn dorsey, vernon gholston, or chris long - will need to be ready to contribute quickly on this raiders team with a lot to prove.

know your nfl war rooms: nfc south

the draft is fast approaching. that means fuhbaw is powering through these last remaining know your war rooms posts before the blessed event passes us by. so far we've picked through the decisions and the decision makers in the afc east, nfc east, afc north, nfc north, and afc south. staying in the south, let's turn our attention back to the national conference, a division of expansion teams. atlanta has the longest history of any franchise in the nfc south, beginning play in 1966, a year before new orleans. and each franchise except the saints have at least appeared in a super bowl, the buccaneers the only team to win it.

still, times are tough in the south. tampa won the division at 9-7 but were overmatched against the giants in the wild card round. both carolina and new orleans appeared primed for big seasons, but faltered to 7-9 records. and atlanta was lucky to win four games last season, perhaps being even worse than their record indicated.

needless to say, all four teams need to draft well on saturday and sunday to restock depleted rosters. let's see how each of these war rooms approach this important weekend.

buccaneers

tampa is no longer stuck between rebuilding and reloading for a championship run, as they were through recent campaigns following their 2002 super bowl victory. winning the division last year allowed coach jon gruden and general manager bruce allen some breathing room, but they are not yet an elite team. the best tampa teams are tough on defense and play error-free, conservative on offense. in rebulding the bucs, allen has focused on defensive playmakers and big linemen for the offensive trenches. allen's selections also display a focus on players from power conferences, many of them fits for tampa's system-based offenses and defenses.

like the redskins, the bucs have several solid starters on defense, but many are aging and the bench lacks notable depth. the interior of the defensive line requires a disruptive starter to pair with their very good ends. speed at corner is a concern. and the offense needs a more dynamic playmaker for the seeming inevitable day when joey galloway loses a step. it's a tall order, but tampa's five picks, one each in the first five rounds, should give allen enough leeway to address those three needs a few times over. trading down to acquire more picks is also a distinct possibility. a good draft top to bottom could put even more distance between the bucs and the rest of the nfc south, but how close to the best teams in the rest of league remains a mystery.

falcons

atlanta is a mess, plain and simple. the franchise is starting over from scratch a year after being forced to start over from scratch. their team identity was ripped away with michael vick's right to breathe free air, their reset button was pressed when coach bobby petrino ran back to the college game, his ass apparently on fire. owner arthur blank plucked new head coach mike smith from coordinating jacksonville's defense and new general manager tom dimitroff from new england's front office. the young dimitroff wields the final say because everyone in atlanta hopes he can rebuild the falcons in much the way that the patriots have done. still, we don't know dimitroff's take on the patriot way. belichick and pioli in new england draft well, but they also aggressively take to free agency and mine solid years out of aging veterans. given the short history of dysfunction in the falcons franchise, you can bet that dimitroff and coach smith are at this point working closely together to shape their roster.

the falcons have a big job in front of them. luckily, they have a plethora of draft picks, which doesn't bring assurances, but offers hope. they have six selections in the first three rounds including three in the second round alone. atlanta will need each and every selection. their needs include quarterback, corner, tight end, offensive and defensive lines... the team most importantly needs solid players anywhere they can get them. starting with their number three overall selection, the falcons would be wise to nab the best player available (glenn dorsey?) and simply continue to do so with each of their eleven selections. a good draft or two in a weak division could close the gap quickly for the troubled falcons franchise.

panthers

here's a thing to remind yourself, carolina is only a few years removed from a surprising super bowl appearance. here's another thing, they have one of the top defenders in the league. both facts were easy to forget during carolina's ramshackle 2007 campaign. general manager marty hurney and coach john fox definitely hold some talented pieces - the afore-referenced julius peppers, steve smith, deangelo williams, jordan gross, jon beason - but need to surround their talent with greater depth. hurney and fox's drafts have been nowhere as good the last couple seasons as they were in the early part of the decade. they've added good players, no doubt, but lost the eerie accuracy in the early rounds that made a draft like the 2001 one so special (dan morgan, kris jenkins, steve smith). fox and hurney target toughness in general, but also players that are more likely to take to fox's disciplinarian style.

carolina holds a good number of early picks, five in the first four rounds, all in decent spots, ranging from the fourth to thirteenth selection in the round. with needs at defensive end, defensive tackle, offensive tackle, safety, and potentially quarterback, the panthers can go several directions early in the draft. though less injuries this season will be key to improvement, it's safe to say a couple impact players from this draft class would alter carolina's relatively ho-hum expectations for the upcoming season.

saints

championship game darlings one year, commissioner endorsed mediocrity the next. after 2006's roller coaster season, 2007 was a bit of gravity impinging. no doubt, new orleans is still talented. despite reggie bush's maddening inconsistency, his young talent is apparent. drew brees remains a top quarterback. marques colston is still a top young receiver. and coach sean payton is still calling bold shots on the field and in the war room. payton's 2006 draft gambled on small school talent and came up big. he tried the same strategy again in 2007 and faltered. in all likelihood, payton and the saints will continue to give overlooked prospects a prominent place in the draft day discussion.

the saints struggled on both sides of the ball last year, but it wouldn't be a stretch to say their defense represents their largest need. at what position? pick one. the saints need corners to run their man coverage schemes. some speed and playmaking at weakside linebacker is imperative. ends charles grant and will smith struggled last year, tackle hollis thomas isn't getting any younger. despite these glaring needs, no one would be surprised if payton selected an offensive playmaker should anyone fall to them at the tenth overall selection. with only five other selections in the draft, they can't afford to pass on the best player early.

know your nfl war rooms: afc south

fuhbaw continues on with the know your war rooms series today. so far we've assessed the shot callers and the shots called in the afc east, nfc east, afc north, and nfc north. let's turn this tour due south and make for the division with the perhaps the least history between its collective franchises. the afc south has traditionally been the playground of the colts in its short life. the texans struggled since their inception in 2002. the titans were forced to rebuild when the afc champion team was on its last legs. the jaguars while claiming some regular season success rarely threatened come playoff time.

year in and year out, the colts with their stacked and talented team blew by the division onto seemingly inevitable postseason showdowns with the steelers and patriots.

that is, until last season. the colts still won the division, but not without suffering some lumps and bruises. the division produced three playoff teams. and the only team not to make the playoffs, the texans, finished with a respectable 8-8 record despite posting a dismal 1-5 record in the division. the colts consistent excellence has proved too clear a mark for the other afc south teams to take aim at, the price of sustained success in this league. much of the division-wide improvement is due to drafting well. so how do the teams in one of the tougher divisions in football do it?

colts

team president bill polian is in firm control of all personnel decisions in indianapolis. with polian's experience and long tenured coaching and scouting staffs, the colts have a rarity in the nfl, continuity. perhaps it goes without saying but the colts are simply one of the best drafting teams in the league, hitting year after year despite often selecting near the end of each round. polian's first colts draft pick, peyton manning, may have seemed a no brainer, but at the time plenty critics felt that ryan leaf would be the better quarterback. but that one draft pick which is responsible more than any other for the colts sustained success is also emblematic of polian's approach. manning was production, leaf was potential. manning's game had limitations, leaf's had practically none. manning was battle tested, leaf was all question marks. polian selects players with a history of production. he even eschews measurables. end dwight freeney was supposedly too short to have success in the pros, as was safety bob sanders. both have been among the best at their position.

polian and the colts have been so good on draft day that they have few holes, but they do have them. they have no first round pick this year (trading that away to select left tackle tony ugoh) their first selection coming near the end of round two. if there's any one thing the team needs its depth, depth on the offensive line, defensive line, and at linebacker. the team was remarkably banged up last year especially in the defensive front seven, something that didn't stop them from claiming the number two seed in the afc, but showed up in the divisional round loss to the chargers. luckily for the colts, great linebackers can be found in the middle rounds, as can solid guards and ends. expect polian to target the best player other teams overlook because one off measurable or another.

jaguars

head coach jack del rio and general manager shack harris split the decision making in the jaguars war room. together they've built a veteran team that plays tough on both sides of the ball, emphasizing a punishing ground game on offense and stout run stopping on defense. the scouting department's approach to targeting players is open ended. they've selected highly touted players from big programs (reggie nelson, marcedes lewis). they've mined talent from smaller programs (rashean mathis, justin durant). they've taken chances on players with great measurables (matt jones). they've hit on overlooked players lacking one measurable or another (maurice jones-drew). jacksonville also tends to focus on needs, but target players at their value by trading down. they did as much last year in the first round, trading a few spots and still nabbing safety reggie nelson.

for a team that transformed into the colts top challengers by being big and physical in the trenches, the jaguars are in need of some help along both lines. huge tackle marcus stroud was traded to buffalo. they lost end bobby mccray to free agency. jacksonville's interior offensive line is aging. with four picks in the first three rounds and three fifth round selections, the jaguars can stand pat and address these positions if they feel an infusion of youth is the answer. also safety and wide receiver remain positions that require at least depth if not quality starters. unfortunately, scouts claim this is a draft weak at both positions, but that doesn't mean overlooked players won't be available late.

texans

the texans took their first major step forward last season under second year head coach gary kubiak. kubiak runs the show with general manager rick smith, a former compatriot from their broncos tenure. the foundation of the texans modest success was built in their 2006 draft. the franchise caught a lot of heat for passing over both vince young and reggie bush while selecting end mario williams with the first overall selection. but two seasons removed, the pick looks wise as both bush and young have struggled and williams developed into a force off the edge. just as important, the texans hit on several other picks in 2006: linebacker demeco ryans, guard eric winston, tight end owen daniels, etc. houston's first selection in 2007, defensive tackle amobi okoye, looks to be the real thing, but the draft didn't produce the same immediate impact. overall, the texans seem to favor drafting defensive talent while focus on role players for kubiak's conservative system based offense.

in such a brutal division, the texans still have plenty of ground to cover as a team. unfortunately, they don't possess a lot of ammo in the draft to cover their myriad needs. their second round pick was shipped to atlanta in the matt schaub deal last year. the texans will have to make their sole first day pick, number 18 in round one, count. with needs at running back, corner, linebacker, and offensive line, the texans can simply choose the best player that falls to them rather than jumping to a need. their four second day picks will have to go to finding overlooked players that can contribute soon if not right away. if the texans don't want to take a step backward, they'll have to make their limited 2008 draft matter.

titans

tennessee made the playoffs last year as the sixth and final seed in the afc. they accomplished this by playing ugly and gambling big. jeff fisher, the well deserved long tenured head coach of the titans, has gambled often off the field as well, especially in the draft. some of these gambles have worked out - albert haynesworth, steve mcnair. some... eh, not so much (adam 'pacman' jones for one). fisher's front office is a desperate bunch. i'm not sure why. fisher projects a calming influence over his team, but he's not afraid to take on noted troublemaker. he's a tough guy, no doubt, but he tends to forge good relationships with his players. if they're not taking a chance on character, they're taking one on measurables, like running back chris henry last year who's less than stellar college career was overlooked with a simple 4.3 forty time. fisher and the titans also like players who've played on the big stage at the big programs, their last two first round picks both hailed from texas.

the titans best players are on their offensive line and defensive front seven. naturally, they could use some more skill position players, at receiver and in the defensive backfield especially. a running back to pair with often overweight lendale white wouldn't hurt either. and yet it wouldn't be surprising if tennessee spent one of their early picks on the defensive line where they've suffered some losses opposite haynesworth and end kyle vanden bosch. in the fierce south division, expect fisher and company to continue to take chances hoping to gain an edge on their talented competition

odds and endzones: kiss this butkus goodbye

the world of football is a weird one. to succeed in it, the individual must possess talent, confidence, and focus that measure off the charts. this makes the inhabitants of this weird world, you know, absolutely nothing like you and me. in a nod to this strangeness, fuhbaw presents odds and endzones, a collection of weird news from the football world that promises to run randomly and without warning.

$#!%@ why anyone would fight ex-bears linebacker dick butkus is beyond me. is it wise to provoke a man who looks like this? but that's just what the downtown athletic club of orlando did after butkus retracted permission to use his name for the butkus award, given annually to the top college linebacker. last week, a district court ruled in butkus's favor, claiming the 'use of Butkus's name after the revocation was unlawful, possibly rendering the club responsible for significant financial damages and attorney's fees'. at the heart of dick's decision to disallow the use of his name was his dissatisfaction 'with the club's inability to use the award program to generate significant charitable revenues'. it ends an era for the butkus award, first awarded in 1985 to - seriously - brian bosworth. whether the downtown athletic club of orlando will rename and continue to present a linebacker award is unclear:

The National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), the organization responsible for providing official recognition to college football awards, suspended DACO's accreditation as a result of Butkus' decision to disassociate from its program.

if daco does continue to present award maybe they can call it the bosworth award bringing the trophy full circle.

$#!%@ cfl linebacker jamacia jackson was pronounced dead monday night. the cornoner determined jackson 'died from an irregular heartbeat caused by an enlarged heart'. apparently jackson's enlarged heart wasn't discovered until the autopsy meaning his condition went untreated throughout his 26 years. jackson was briefly a linebacker with the titans and giants before heading to nfl europa then eventually the cfl, latching on to the hamilton tiger-cats. jackson played his college ball at south carolina lining up at both linebacker and safety.

$#!%@ to much jubilation, the nfl released its 2008 schedule yesterday. i've already received some smack talk via text message and email from friends who root for upcoming packers opponents, good times. taking a cursory glance over the schedule a few things jumped out. 1) what a difference a year makes. the week two sunday night primetime contest between the steelers and browns is a legitimately great matchup after the two teams fought hard down the stretch for the afc north title. it certainly didn't look that way, though, when the steelers destroyed the browns in week one of last year. 2) primetime (thursday, sunday night, and monday games) feature a glut of divisional contests, especially early. through week four, six of the ten contests are divisional battles. 3) the greatest argument for an east coast bias in nfl scheduling is not so much the number of nfc east or patriots games slotted at prime viewing times, it's that the jets have two feature games, against the chargers in week three and the patriots in week eleven, despite their dismal record last season. that's the same number as the tennessee titans, a wild card team last year. and 4) if the nfl is truly interested in cultivating the nfl abroad why does it keep sending the dolphins forth? last year, the giants and dolphins slugged it out in the muck of london's wembley stadium. this year the dolphins travel to toronto to face the bills in the nfl's first canadian game. it seems a strange thing to let a talent poor rebuilding project carry the standard for the nfl's march into the international community.

know your nfl war rooms: nfc north

i've introduced each of these know your war rooms posts explaining why fuhbaw focuses on the teams selecting, not the players up for selection. namely, i don't watch the college game scouting for the pros. plus, i know more about the pros than college. if you weren't yet convinced, allow me an anecdote. one question. asked three different times. three different answers. who should the dolphins take first overall? to a distant friend: darren mcfadden, they have to take last year's best college player. to a close friend: vernon gholston, they have to select the player with the highest potential to justify the draft's largest investment. to a coworker: glenn dorsey, they have to take last year's best college player.

obviously, when it comes to prospects, i don't know what the hell i'm talking about. when it comes to war rooms, however, i do. fuhbaw's already peeked into the war rooms of the afc east, nfc east, and afc north. today, the nfc north.

bears

two years ago, the bears were the class of the nfc. last year, they were injured and old. jerry angelo started as general manager in 2001 but didn't lead the war room until 2004 after winning a power struggle with then coach dick jauron. angelo in keeping with the bears identity has built a defense minded team, drafting tackle tommie harris, corner nathan vasher, safety danieal manning, and end mark anderson. also, angelo selected stellar return man devin hester, depsite critics claiming his second round selection a reach on draft day in 2006. on the offensive side of the ball, the bears have struggled to draft talent under angelo, especially at the skill positions. disappointing running back cedric bensen's number four overall selection looms over the franchise, as well as uncertainty at quarterback. neither rex grossman nor kyle orton have been consistent enough to lead the limited offense.

fissures in the team showed during their 2006 super bowl run. the offensive line needs an infusion of youth. the defensive line needs better depth behind the talented starters. most of all, the bears need dynamic offensive players to erase the lackluster play of grossman, benson, and the sundry bears receivers from fans' minds. it's unclear if angelo will commit this draft to the bears' myriad offensive needs in part because he's been reluctant to do so yet. chicago has plenty of selections, including a whopping four picks in the seventh round. but may need to move around to select the best skill players on draft day.

lions

detroit this decade has been awful. last year's early fast start raised hope that finally the team was on the cusp of respectability; however, the team faded down the stretch and that hope melted away. general manager matt millen has presided over an era of especial futility. the team's terrible record under millen (31-81 since 2001) is a near direct result of detroit's poor drafts. despite aiming to construct a physical team, millen has drafted skill position players early in the draft and missed badly again and again. mike williams, charles rogers, joey harrington, etc. millen has done well with the line positions selected, yet the roster is still painfully thin at key positions like defensive and offensive tackle. millen also relies heavily on big successful college programs for drafting talent, perhaps overvaluing talent surrounded by more considerable talent.

despite a few top players - receivers roy williams and calvin johnson, linebacker ernie sims, tackle jeff backus - the lions are in need of help almost everywhere. running back, both lines, linebacker, and corner can be counted needs. with one selection in each round plus an additional third rounder, the lions would have to hit on most of their 2008 picks to address these numerous needs. given millen's success, that's probably a stretch. also, given the lions' void in the backfield, don't be surprised if millen is again blinded by flash and selects a running back instead of going to the trenches.

packers

green bay likes the draft. in the last three drafts, general manager ted thompson has selected 34 players, accomplished by trading down while collecting more picks. it remains to be seen if the packers recent success is more due to the late resurgence of the now retired brett favre or this influx of youth. still, there's little doubting that thompson will continue his wheeling and dealing ways. thompson also prefers players with good production at the college level over similar players with better measurables. many of green bay's recent selections have been tagged 'reaches' by draftniks, yet they've gotten solid production out of several of those reaches, like receivers greg jennings and james jones. thompson's approach also values football character and intelligence more highly than some other front offices.

the packers are a deep team in some areas, but still have plenty of room for talent and depth. both tackle positions on offense and the both corners on defense are manned by solid to very good players in chad clifton, mark tauscher, al harris, and charles woodson respectively. but all four are aging and have little on the bench behind them. with favre's retirement, the team needs a young quarterback to develop behind aaron rodgers should he not prove the answer they hope he is. whether thompson's quantity over quality approach proves successful still remains to be seen, but the packers already have four selection within the first hundred to jump start this year's draft.

vikings

the vikings finished the season 8-8 yet possess one of the more talented rosters in the conference. minnesota sent seven players to the pro bowl and have a number of young players poised for big years: linebacker chad greenway, receiver sidney rice, and corners marcus mccauley and cedric griffin. coach brad childress calls the shots in the war room while general manager rick spielman does a great job assembling cap friendly contracts. while childress's 2006 draft was just okay, the 2007 one has the potential to be excellent as long as several of the young players continue to develop. after a few embarassing incidents, owner zigi wylf pledged a high character team for minnesota fans. and for the most part the vikings have drafted that way. they were fortunate to land the amazing adrian peterson in last year's draft, but he heads a number of young, high character players. the biggest challenge of childress's tenure will be the development of quarterback tarvaris jackson. i had fun at jackson's expense often last year, but by the end of the season, he wasn't holding the team back (though he wasn't a game changer either). heading into his third year, if he takes a step forward, the team should be poised to follow suit. if he struggles to manage the game, then the vikings will flounder in mediocrity for another season.

that brings up the question, is quarterback a true need for minnesota? fans made a little noise last year when the vikes passed on brady quinn for peterson, a perceived larger need (though for truly taking the best player available, minnesota gets a tip of my cap). what if one of the young signal callers like chad henne or brian brohm is available early in the second round? the vikings have nine picks, two in the third round, which would give them ammo to make a deal to move up a few slots. what the vikings do or don't do on draft day regarding quarterbacks should be an interesting subplot. elsewhere, they need a true pass rushing defense end to line up outside the league's best tackle tandem in the bruthas williams. yet, minnesota possesses the talent to do as they did last year and simply take the best player off the board when their picks come up. the strategy paid dividends so far with peterson.

know your nfl war rooms: afc north

again, i'll preface fuhbaw's know your war rooms series with a disclaimer: i'm no draftnik. fuhbaw player rankings are a shoddy affair at best. attempts at a fuhbaw mock draft devolve instantly into a mental food fight. if you're seeking either of those things, allow me a couple suggestions. football outsiders assembled a fantastic mock draft which is as amusing as it is educational. also, throwing into traffic's what dreams may come series, especially yesterday's extended riff on joe flacco, is a great read. in stark contrast to dry scouting reports, zac at throwing into traffic puts context and meaning to the most intriguing prospects' potential.

if for some reason you're still here looking for draft info, you're not entirely out of luck. already, fuhbaw's glimpsed into the war rooms of the afc east and the nfc east, searching for a clue or two on what we can expect in this year's draft. today, let's continue on with the afc north.

bengals

cincinnati employs one of the smallest scouting forces in the league. consequently, the bengals have struggled through much of the salary cap era, when mining mid and late round gems in the draft has become important to sustained success. under head coach marvin lewis, the bengals have emerged from awful, but haven't become consistent at anything except mediocrity. the bengals' war room is led by owner mike brown with input by lewis. in recent years, the bengals have gambled on pure talent other teams were unwilling to touch because of character concerns. after a lengthy list of run-ins with the law, namely by odell thurman, frostee rucker, aj nicholson, and now-former bengal chris henry, cincinnati needed to change their approach in the last draft. the focused on high character individuals like leon hall and kenny irons.

given chad johnson's discontent and the recent release of troublemaker henry, the bengals will need to continue drafting high character players. also, given that both johnson and henry are receivers, they'll have to add wideout to their list of needs. still first and foremost, the bengals need solid performers in their front seven on defense which has been generally horrible and just lost its best player to free agency. five picks in the first four rounds allow them plenty of opportunities to address the line and linebackers. plus, if they get off their high horse and trade chad johnson for a low first or high second round pick, they should be in position to nab a receiver or tight end to help their offense. doubtless, the bengals should have the smallest board in the league given how desperately they need to turn around their team's image.

browns

considering the browns don't make a single selection until the fourth round, there's little to discuss regarding cleveland's drafting strategy. general manager phil savage makes the final call on all personnel matters and this year and last, he aggressively traded away cleveland's picks to bolster his talented roster. this year's first was traded for the right to draft brady quinn last year. a second went for packers defensive tackle corey williams. a third and leigh bodden exchanged for lions nose tackle shaun rogers. the browns are banking on williams and rogers to make the team instantly better. and, in quinn, the browns might have the league's most talented second string qb, a rare luxury.

still, with the browns four picks in the last four rounds, they need to add depth and unearth one solid contributor. unfortunately, savage doesn't have a good track record in the late rounds. he's been consistently good in the first two rounds, hitting on kellen winslow, sean jones, braylon edwards, and joe thomas (with kamerion wimbley and eric wright set up for big years). the only late round player drafted by savage to be a good starter is fullback lawrence vickers. even in his late round picks, savage has focused on big time programs. if he wants to hit late, savage might do better focusing on overlooked prospects at smaller schools. either way, it's going to be a quiet draft day in cleveland.

ravens

despite the ravens horrible year last season, they've been a consistently good team and a consistently good drafting team through their short run. general manager ozzie newsome is in charge of the war room, one that's drafted pro bowler after pro bowler, especially on the defensive side of the ball. interesting thing about the ravens, they've been as good as anyone hitting on their first day picks. their scouting department does a great job avoiding the busts that plague the first two rounds. but this makes them susceptible to being baited into trading up. the eagles did it two years ago with nose tackle haloti ngata. the eagles were comfortable selecting tackle broderick bunkley, but made enough noise about ngata - the player targeted by baltimore - that the ravens traded up one spot with the eagles.

the ravens don't have a lot of needs except at three crtitical positions: quarterback, left tackle, and cornerback. they need a high level performer at each of those positions. even if they decide troy smith deserves a shot at qb, they need someone to compete with him and provide depth. five picks in the first four rounds as well as the eighth overall selection should prove valuable for the ravens. as mentioned earlier, they're not adverse to moving around on draft day.

steelers

pittsburgh have built several great teams over the decades through the draft. kevin colbert now leads the war room with input from head coach mike tomlin. their first draft together was a mixed bag netting promising linebacker lamarr woodley and tight end matt spaeth; however, first round pick lawrence timmons will be expected to step up this year following a so-so rookie year in the wake of clark haggans departure. the steelers are another team that draft a certain type of player, favoring toughness and production over measureables. the steelers have never shied away from the smaller programs if the players has the size and strength to compete at the nfl level. the front office is also not afraid to trade up, but pittsburgh isn't quite a team that is one player away, so don't expect a trade up this year.

the steelers own one pick in each of the first six rounds, all in the early 20s of each round. for a team as talented as the steelers, they only possess one truly obvious need, the offensive line. steelers fans would probably be ecstatic if pittsburgh spent every pick in every round on linemen. quarterback ben roethlisberger has been sacked 93 times in the last two seasons. granted he can tend to hold onto the ball for a long time, waiting for the late developing play, it's still too high a number. outside of the offensive line, the steelers could use depth on the defensive line and in the secondary where their starters are talented, but little sits behind them on the bench. a good draft will be necessary to keep the rest of the competitive north division at bay in 2008.

the history of propaganda

apologies for the lateness of these comments - standard fuhbaw operating procedure, really - but this issue shouldn't pass without dedicating a few well chosen words. in an article late last week, sports illustrated's dr. z laments the slow demise of nfl films at the expense of the league's nfl network venture. despite comments to contrary by the commissioner and owners like robert kraft that is how the issue is being framed. nfl films steeped in stylistic myth making is losing out to the rapid-fire highlight-driven nfl network programming designed to compete with espn and its ilk.

mds delves further into nfl film's future at the new york times's fifth down blog, asking, 'Is it possible that NFL Films is a 20th Century relic that has no place in the 21st?' for longtime fans of the sport, it's a harsh question to answer. nfl films's trademark style is almost as iconic as the game it chronicles. slow motion tackles and spiraling passes, rumbling dramatic narration, candid interviews interspersed, rising and falling scores.

it's no coincidence that the nfl's rise was accompanied by the ascendancy of nfl films from a one-man operation to an army of cameramen and editors filming and repackaging every game, every season. nfl films transformed repeat champions into dynasties, great players into sunday warriors, clutch plays into epic moments. close your eyes and you can see the frozen breath exhaling from jack lambert's toothless visage or hear lombardi screaming at his troops for 'grabbing out there'. that's classic nfl films, freezing a moment in time while simultaneously imbuing it with brutal life.

but now nfl films's new programming is being shouldered off of the league's network. nfl films flagship program, inside the nfl, was released from its long time contract with hbo. these developments forced the company to lay off nearly 10% of its staff. and the league is talking about its longtime propaganda arm in the past tense.

is nfl films a dying art form? make no mistake, despite its often parodied style and occasional forays into excess, nfl films makes an art of football. if nfl films is confused for history, then, yes, its path leads toward extinction. for raw information it cannot compete with the rapid stats and highlight style of new media. nfl films as history is irrelevant in a world of the 24 hour news cycle.

but nfl films has never been history, just like the game has never been real life. i'm not saying that the league and nfl films propagates a grand fiction, a colossal slight of hand. rather, their meaning and worth, one that is mortally intertwined, lies outside of stat sheets and disembodied video clips. their combined triumph equates to a turning a three hour start-and-stop contest, and nearly every moment within, into a can't-turn-away affair.

the nfl will survive without nfl films if it comes to that sad end. but not without spiting a good portion of what makes football the favorite sport of so many americans.

fuhbaw delves back into our nfl draft guide tomorrow with our next installment of 'know your nfl war rooms'...

know your nfl war rooms: nfc east

fuhbaw continues prepping for the ever nearing nfl draft. as i explained in yesterday's afc east war room guide, despite my twin loves for the college game's ingenuity and the draft's spectacle, they do not intersect. i'm no scout, no draftnik. i may not know how to pick dustin keller apart from sam keller, but i do know the nfl. the draft is as much about the teams selecting as it is the player up for selection. front offices around the league construct their draft boards according to players they hope can most help their team, best fit their team's identity.

with that in mind, let's continue our peek into league's 32 war rooms with a division ranking among the most competitive year in and year out, the nfc east.

cowboys

once bills parcells left for brief retirement soon followed by the demolition job in miami, the control of the cowboy's front office predictably reverted back to owner jerry jones. for better or worse (cowboys fans have experienced a lot of both) jones has guided the football operations of the franchise. jones is passionate about putting a winner on the field, a great thing for one of the league's richest franchises. in numerous instances, he's allowed talent to outweigh character concerns. jones signed terrell owens when most franchises were reluctant to even talk to the extremely talented receiver. the titans and cowboys have engaged in negotiations for weeks over the rights to troubled corner pacman jones. whether dallas does indeed trade for pacman or not, the discussions indicate the degree to which jones values talent in relation to other football virtues, partly a faith in his organization to reign in talented troublemakers.

the combination of parcells and jones over the last few years have built a deep team in dallas. their offensive and defensive lines are talented and deep. there's undeniable talent at several skill positions. still, the cowboys could use depth at receiver, corner, and running back. with two first round selections late, jones has a chance to add two solid contributors to a team ready to win now. don't rule out a draft day trade. jones has good relationships with most of the teams in the league, he's a noted leader on league issues, which allows him to maneuver easily on draft day (maybe not with the bengals or bills though). last year, the cowboys even completed a trade with hated division rival eagles to much booing of the teams fans assembled at radio city music hall. one thing to be sure of? jones and the cowboys will gamble on big time talent.

eagles

general manager tom heckert is the general manager in name, but is more of a salary cap and finances guy. coach andy reid wields the final say in personnel matters and has led some of the most consistent drafts this decade in his tenure with the eagles. philadelphia focuses on depth in the trenches, not afraid to draft high a defensive tackle or end even when the position is stocked on the roster. their roster reflects this depth and allows the team to consistently grind out victories even when injuries decimate the roster. where the eagles have experienced less success is at the skill positions. outside of quarterback donovan mcnabb and the excellent 2002 draft that netted back brian westbrook, safety michael lewis, and corners lito sheppard and sheldon brown, the eagles have struggled selecting playmakers.

this year the eagles might have to focus early on positions like receiver and safety to provide playmakers at those key positions. unfortunately, this draft isn't deep at either position. no doubt, the eagles will scout well the offensive line position, an area where they could use more depth behind their solid starters. reid is willing to trade down on draft day and accumulate picks like a he did a year ago with the cowboys. some of the eagles best players - mcnabb, brown, trent cole, lj smith - have hailed from big programs that aren't traditional powerhouses. the eagles also gravitate towards solid production at the college level over combine results.

giants

new york's great playoff run last year was in part fueled by their excellent 2007 draft class. few of the players were flashy, but first time general manager jerry reese put together a collection of good role players to complement an already talented roster. reese hit on a productive players in almost every round from corner aaron ross in the first to running back ahmad bradshaw in the seventh. the further development of this solid draft class will need to be supplemented by another solid draft this season if the giants want to keep their precarious perch atop the nfc.

obviously, the giants' super bowl victory means they'll picking at or near the end of each round. hopefully, reese absorbed some of his predecessor ernie accorsi's talent for mining talented prospects from smaller programs, like osi umenyiora from troy state and brandon jacobs from southern illinois. new york's talented defense suffered some post super bowl losses at safety and linebacker. plus, their age at receiver and offensive line will require attention. but expect reese to keep in mind one of the lessons from accorsi, you can never have too many good pass rushers.

redskins

with joe gibbs's second retirement, the control of the redskins war room reverts back to owner danny snyder and his second-in-charge vinny cerrato. given snyder's past approach to team building - that is, burning draft picks and guaranteed money for warmth - some redskins fans expressed anxiety heading into this year's free agency period. but snyder sat on his hands (or cerrato sat on them for him) and let the bloated contracts of early free agency pass by washington. barring a late all-in trade for disgruntled bengals receiver chad johnson, the redskins will go into this draft with four selections in the first three rounds. it's a luxury they haven't had of late. in the past five years they've selected only eight players in the first three rounds, the rounds where the affordable core of a roster is often built.

make no mistake, washington has a bunch of talented starters and one young quarterback who is still developing. but their depth at key positions calls out for a good draft class all the way through to the late rounds. the defense needs depth at safety - especially after last year's tragic death of sean taylor - and linebacker. the offense needs a prototypical possession receiver to run new head coach jim zorn's west coast offense. injuries along the good offensive line created some problems in the middle of the season. three seventh round picks don't constitute a boon, but with more picks than they've held in any draft since 2002, the redskins have a prime opportunity to add good depth. washington's scouting department has done well with the few selections they've made, but the sample size is almost too small to draw many conclusions.

know your nfl war rooms: afc east

i love college football. fuhbaw may devote most of its word count to the pros, but the college game gets my love from the couch on saturday afternoons (often from the bar on thursday nights, too). ours is an easy kind of love, one that doesn't distract from necessary errands yet excuses me from the unnecessary ones. i don't feel compelled to remember names, only occasionally dates. i never have to send flowers or explain where i was the night before.

i also love the nfl draft, the hope it ushers in, the spectacle, the bombast. it should follow, then, that my love of college football intersects neatly with the draft. this is not the case. i'm just as clueless as everyone else is. when i watch college football, i watch it on its own terms, not looking for potential nfl prospects. of course, glenn dorsey or darren mcfadden can't help jumping out of the screen. but i watch and enjoy, say, west virginia for the spread-option offense which certainly won't fly in the pros, not to evaluate whether pat white will make a good nfl quarterback.

in these last few weeks before the draft, when uncertainty runs high, football fanatics tend to cast about the net or rip through the paper scanning for any info on promising prospects, players their team might be interested in, might be targeting. understandable, i do the same. as far as these prospects, however, i have nothing to impart to you, dear reader. last week, i attempted to kick off a series running down the top prospects at each position. but the analysis wasn't mine. it was culled from a few draftniks who frankly don't know where these fine players will suit up come training camp any more than i do.

if you want to read nolan nawrocki's scouting reports on the best running backs or offensive linemen, go ahead. or if you want to prep for rick gosselin's mock draft with his player rankings, be my guest. you just won't find an lengthy discussion on the relative merits of a cornerback from troy or one from tennessee tech here.

what i do know is the nfl. and, when it comes to the draft, the tendencies of each team's war room is just as important as the players up for selection. the phrase repeated incessantly come draft time is 'best player available'. as in 'don't pass on the best player available to fill a need lest you miss out on greatness'. it's a simple lesson and has its cautionary tales (bowie over jordan, mandarich over sanders, two-thirds of the first round over moss). but in the win-now world of the nfl, a team would be foolish to stock up on first and second round running backs if ladanian tomlinson lines up in the backfield.

and, given the high degree of specialty in football, grading players at different positions against each other isn't easy. you can bet, teams have focused their limited scouting resources on players at positions of the greatest need. add to it, every team builds their roster with a certain type of player in mind, or at least they should. let's then look at what the 32 nfl teams have done in drafts past to get an idea of what they might do in the one upcoming. first up, the afc east.

bills

general manager marv levy retired at the end of the season. levy was brought in to right what had become a wayward ship on lake erie. however, levy is no scout. tom modrak the former eagles gm is the head of college scouting. levy and head coach dick jauron shared the final say based on modrak's scouting reports. the bills in the past two years under levy and jauron have targeted players from big programs like ohio state, cal, and penn state, staying away from the small college propects until the middle and later rounds. the bills have also reached for players that they like and fit what they need. in all likelihood, the bills could have traded down in 2006 a couple of slots and still picked up safety donte whitner in the first round. but the bills were content to stand pat and call his name at the eighth selection even though many deemed it too high for whitner.

don't expect many, if any, draft day trades from buffalo. the bills doesn't engage in the smoke and mirrors so many teams attempt in april. instead, they'll quietly select highly motivated and high character individuals. with a glaring need at wide receiver and lesser ones at tight end and cornerback, the bills will most likely address each in the first four rounds with players who produced at a solid level in college.

dolphins

miami's front office represents a paradox. they are at once a sizable unknown given the near complete turnover from last season. yet new vice president bill parcells possesses a lengthy nfl resume off which some assumptions can be drawn. parcells hired head coach tony sparano and general manager jeff ireland, both from dallas, parcells's previous gig, but parcells holds the final say for now. parcells axed first time head coach cam cameron because cameron lost control of the clubhouse late in the season. miami aged rapidly and without grace over the last two seasons and was abused along both offensive and defensive lines. that might indicate parcells leans towards stocking up in the trenches. but the big tuna has targeted skill players, like drew bledsoe, early if he feels he can build a franchise around them.

given their terrible recent drafts and their myriad needs, miami needs to hit on nearly all five of their selections in the first 100 picks. in a draft that's deep in offensive linemen, defensive ends, corners, and running backs, parcells could choose to focus on those key role players and bide his time at quarterback and receiver. we certainly know that parcells won't look past measureables, always seeking that rare athlete like lawrence taylor or demarcus ware whose skill sets intimidate opponents. and the big tuna will take a gamble on player with character concerns if demonstrate a true love of the game. what is certain about miami's draft? they can't get any worse.

jets

coach eric mangini and general manager mike tannenbaum are both heading into their third draft leading the jets. their approach is a strange mix of aggressive and conservative. last year, they aggressively targeted cornerback darrelle revis, trading up to select him. with two first round picks the year before, they eschewed flash and selected tackle d'brickashaw ferguson and center nick mangold to bolster a weak offensive line - a remarkably conservative decision. in their two seasons drafting, tannenbaum and mangini have added important pieces to the team in linebacker david harris, quarterback kellen clemens, and running back/return man leon washington, but haven't added much depth in key positions especially along the defensive front seven.

with no third round selection and only six overall, don't expect the jets to trade up, but they might trade down given their many needs on defense. their second round selection (number 36 overall) is high enough to net a late second and third round pick especially if they some linebackers and running backs targeted for the middle rounds. mangini and tannenbaum have displayed a flexible drafting strategy so far, netting good all around athletes and versatile players. they just need more of them to overcome their horrible 2007 season.

patriots

few teams have drafted better this decade than the patriots. coach bill belichick and his personnel guy scott pioli have built much of their roster through the draft, supplementing with a couple big free agents every few years. despite selecting perhaps the most famous late round player - quarterback tom brady in the sixth round of 2000 - belichick and pioli have been eerily consistent in the early rounds, a task that's not as easy as it sounds. in general, the patriots have favored offensive and defensive linemen early in the draft. and, of course, they seek out players who will buy into their team oriented approach. all three starters on the defensive line, richard seymour, ty warren, and vince wilfork, were first round selections. three of their five offensive line starters were drafted between rounds one through three. they've added skill position players where necessary in the middle rounds, like deion branch, ellis hobbs, asante samuel, and benjamin watson, some they've retained, some they've let hit free agency, preferring to scour the draft for more developmental prospects.

new england has drafted so well during the early part of the decade, many of the players from the last two drafts haven't made the roster. that trend will have to change this season as their linebacking corps has aged dramatically and much of their starting defensive backfield was let go to free agency. with four picks in the first four rounds, the patriots could stand pat and probably address all their needs with quality players. but the patriots rarely go the expected route. they're a good enough team to simply draft the best available player should anyone fall early in the first round. but with glaring needs at linebacker or cornerback, despite not traditionally drafting those positions early, maybe this is the year new england shocks by going the obvious route.

odds and endzones: crack pipe deep post on three

the world of football is a weird one. to succeed in it, the individual must possess talent, confidence, and focus that measure off the charts. this makes the inhabitants of this weird world, you know, absolutely nothing like you and me. in a nod to this strangeness, fuhbaw presents odds and endzones, a collection of weird news from the football world that promises to run randomly and without warning.

$#!%@ the point of language - written, spoken, signed, whatever - is to convey, to explain, to communicate. sometimes, though, we are confronted with statements that are perfectly comprehensible yet fail to capture the complete picture and leave us scratching our heads. in the sad story of keith mccants, former alabama standout and nfl journeyman at linebacker, we are presented with just such a statement. mccants was arrested by police in birmingham, alabama last friday while panhandling with two prostitutes. the report explains:

Police shot McCants with the Taser gun, debilitating him with volts of electricity, after he threw a pair of pliers, a screwdriver and a crack pipe at an officer, nearly hitting him in the head, authorities said.

the outcome is perfectly apparent, the officers tasered mccants to subdue him. what i'm unclear on is how mccants's assault of the officer unfolded. did he stand his ground aiming pliers, screwdriver, and crack pipe with deadly precision? was he affecting his escape while tossing the items at the police? what nearly hit the officer in the head, the pliers, screwdriver, or crack pipe? all three perhaps? were the officers entirely sure he was out of tools/drug paraphernalia when they finally tasered him? where were the hookers in all of this commotion? knocked unconscious by the wayward pliers and screwdriver? the report doesn't say and unless mccants pulls his life together we'll likely never know.

$#!%@ ed mccabe raised money through the nfl alumni association for various charities. as a former oakland raiders player, he signed copies of his photo alongside other veterans like mercury morris. he organized and participated in golf tournaments to raise money and awareness for various causes. one big problem surfaced, though. ed mccabe never played professional football (link via the fanhouse). apparently, some time in 1995 he perpetuated the fiction that he played for oakland's 1980 afc championship team. when pressed about it, he produced a glossy photo of a player wearing number 29 in raiders uniform, claiming to be the player. the lie was even spread to mccabe's wife and her family. a few people such as the local chapter head of nfl alumni and mccabe's business partner pete rosen apparently knew the truth, but mccabe was not swayed to come clean until just last week. the only partial explanation for his behavior comes from rosen, who said, 'he started signing [the photos] and handing them out to customers like he was Dan Marino or something... I think he really started believing he was this character in the photo'. creepy.

$#!%@ perhaps this doesn't qualify as 'news' but the excellent site football outsiders performed one of the more impressive feats of nfl offseason boredom i've yet witnessed. football outsiders hangs their collective hat on their advanced statistical metrics and analysis of a sport that is notoriously tricky to quantify. and while the nfl reportedly has no offseason (or is that, has no offseason for reporters?) there is little new info for the outsiders staff to review, plug into their formulas, and crunch. as part of an elaborate april fool's joke, bill barnwell went back to the now defunct xfl and crunched their quarterback stats according to football outsiders' advanced metrics. doing so, he concluded that journeyman quarterback jim brohm - older brother of draft eligible brian - put together one statistically dominant if sharply truncated season for the league's orlando rage. for the nerdiest of us, the article is worth a chuckle, if only to see names like jim drunkenmiller and casey weldon and to recall a league where rod 'he hate me' smart was a star. barnwell's joke is a good one, and like any good joke a lot of unseen work went into it.

the skinny guys on offense, draft 08

every week from now until the draft, fuhbaw previews the top players expected to be selected this year. each weekly rundown is broken up by skill positions and linemen, offense and defense. today, the offensive skill positions.

april in the nfl is draft month. the league's annual selection meeting is held the last weekend of the month, the 26th and 27th this year. in these last few weeks before the draft, the league's 32 front offices are consumed with finalizing their draft boards, discussing which prospects might be available at their picks, considering which current players they might trade or trade for, and devising smokescreens and subterfuge to disguise their true intentions.

this last crucial job of every team's front office, of course, makes it difficult for the media and interested public to figure out all previous ones. (unless, you're a fan of the cowboys, that is.) you can basically ignore everything you hear in the upcoming weeks about what team is falling in love with which player... a quick look at a few recent mock drafts have jake long jumping chris long and matt ryan as the number one overall pick. maybe the dolphins will nab the michigan tackle. or maybe the dolphins have feigned just enough interest to make draftniks believe they've caught a scoop.

the draft is an ever shifting, fluid process. the teams with the most flexibility tend to reap the biggest benefits. with that in mind, let's avoid examining each position narrowly. first, which teams are likely to select the position in the draft's early rounds? second, what are scouts saying about the top players and where do they rank? i'll compare the analysis of mike mayock from nfl.com, scott wright from nfldraftcountdown.com, and yahoo sports' rivals.com draft coverage. i don't have a subscription to the espn insider service on their website and therefore haven't checked out mel kiper's rankings. maybe it's heresy leaving the quaffed one off a comparison of draft rankings, but i am uncomfortable reposting content only accessible by subscription, even though i don't really agree with the decision to put an extra price tag on that content, especially at espn.

without further ado, here's a look at the top skinny guys on offense.

quarterbacks

teams in need of qb: bears, dolphins, falcons, ravens

matt ryan.
'Has an over-the-shoulder delivery and release, carrying the ball chest-high, and has a quick wrist flick and ability to adjust his release depending on the throwing situation, but he makes most of his mistakes on the deep ball. In that situation, he threw nine of his 10 interceptions in 2006 and 10 of 14 in '07.' (mayock: 1st) 'Top-notch competitor and a winner... Very dedicated and extremely passionate about the game of football.' (wright: 1st) 'Ryan is doing all the right things to be a very early first-round pick.' (rivals: 1st)

brian brohm
'Hard worker with great intangibles who loves the game and wants to improve... Played in an offensive system that pumped up his numbers and didn't ask him to make a lot of difficult throws.' (wright: 2nd) 'Brohm has the skill set to become a fine NFL starter.' (rivals: 2nd) 'Shows patience waiting for his target to uncover and excels at making progression reads, as it is very rare to see him lock on and throw to a receiver in coverage.' (mayock: 4th)

andre woodson*
'This big, athletic prospect carried the Wildcats over recent seasons. He has been slipping in the rankings.' (rivals: 5th) 'Will stand tall in the face of pressure... Excellent intangibles in terms of leadership and work ethic... Has some issues when it comes to reading coverages... Has too much confidence in his arm strength.' (wright: 5th) 'His patience can also be a detriment, as most of his sacks come from his slower-than-ideal progression reads, as he is not always instant in locating his secondary targets.' (mayock: not ranked in top 5)
*fuhbaw would just like to remind everyone of this.

chad henne
'Excellent arm strength and can make all the throws... Displays good touch and timing... Struggles under pressure and needs time to throw... Will stare down his targets.' (wright: 4th) 'Throws with a tight circle, flicking the ball out with adequate quickness and does a good job of maintaining focus downfield' (mayock: 3rd) 'This talented senior answered questions about his injury-riddled final season with a huge performance at the Senior Bowl.' (rivals: 3rd)

joe flacco
'Has excellent size and a big frame... Throws a terrific deep ball... He needs to clean up and refine his mechanics and footwork... Instincts in the pocket are questionable.' (wright: 3rd) 'Knows how to take heat off his short tosses and throws the deep outs with a tight spiral.' (mayock: 2nd) 'This strong-armed small college star was impressive throwing the ball all week at the Senior Bowl. His performance there – as well as his solid showing at the Combine – has him moving up in the rankings.' (rivals: 4th)

running backs

teams in need of rb: cardinals, cowboys, lions, seahawks, texans

darren mcfadden
'An outstanding natural athlete... Tough and loves contact... Legs and lower body are a little thin.' (wright: 1st) 'He has good change-of-direction skills, and has both the power to break tackles and the speed to outrun defenders.' (rivals: 1st) 'Understands blocking schemes but will out-run his protection at times... Highly respected by the staff and teammates, demonstrating a solid work ethic... Protects the ball well in traffic, but most of his turnovers come on improper ball distribution in the open.' (mayock: 2nd)

rashard mendelhall
'Makes good decisions and precise cuts into the hole, as he moves on the snap with no hesitation...Has good instincts, setting up and using his blocks well and has the vision to avoid and create on the move.' (mayock: 1st) 'Terrific size and bulk... A hard worker and team player with top-notch intangibles... A between-the-tackles-type who could have trouble turning the corner in the pros.' (wright: 3rd) 'He needs to show durability as a pro, the one area that remains questionable after only one season with more than 200 carries.' (rivals: 2nd)

jonathan stewart
'Has natural feel, good vision and exceptional intelligence to complement his natural talent, possessing a knack to avoid tacklers in the open field... Has good change-of-direction agility, but is a bit stiff in his hips, which could be an attempt to compensate for ankle injuries that limited cutting ability.' (mayock: 3rd) 'Has outstanding size and a thick build... Has terrific hands and can catch the ball out of the backfield... Has battled a lot of minor injuries and durability is a concern.' (wright: 2nd) 'He has a rare combination of size, speed, power and quickness, and has the potential to be an immediate starter with impact ability – if healthy.' (rivals: 3rd)

felix jones
'Not really a punishing runner, but easily bounces off tackles and gives second effort when the rush lane is clogged.' (mayock: 4th) 'While he shows the willingness to block, his limited experience in handling that assignment could hurt his early playing time.' (rivals: 4th) 'Terrific hands as a receiver and runs good routes... Never carried the load in college... Size and bulk are just average.' (wright: 4th)

jamaal charles
'Very quick and sudden out of his stance and has the vision to instantly see the rush lane... Runs with good awareness, knowing how to use his blockers downfield, with the timing and anticipation to hit the cutback lanes.' (mayock: 5th) 'Quick and agile with good change of direction... He goes down too easy... Isn't very elusive and does not have a lot of wiggle.' (wright: 9th) 'Because of his measurables, he may get drafted earlier than he warrants and may disappoint early. He needs to prove he can run inside consistently.' (rivals: 6th)

receivers

teams in need of wr: 49ers, bills, buccaneers, cowboys, eagles, jets, rams, redskins, titans

limas sweed
'Very smooth athlete... Has soft hands... Beats the jam at the line... Has lapses in concentration that lead to drops.' (wright: 1st) 'Sweed is a physical player who opted out of the Senior Bowl because of a recurring wrist injury.' (rivals: 2nd) 'Not a precise route runner, but his long stride helps him compensate and eat up the defender's cushion... Possesses good quickness and change-of-direction agility, along with excellent leaping ability.' (mayock: 2nd)

malcolm kelly
'This big and athletic junior flashed playmaking ability over his Big 12 career. Kelly also impressed at the NFL Combine with a good overall effort.' (rivals: 3rd) 'Has the outstanding ability to change direction in an instant, doing a good job of adjusting his body to off-target tosses... A good blocker, he is basically a non-factor without the ball in his hands.' (mayock: 4th) n/a. (wright: 3rd)

desean jackson
'This all-purpose playmaker can be an impact performer as both a receiver and return specialist.' (rivals: 1st) 'Highly motivated and intense player who works to finish and is not afraid of contact, but needs to tone down his emotions.' (mayock: 3rd) 'An outstanding natural athlete... Excellent speed with a fantastic burst... Is not very strong or physical... Will drop the occasional ball due to lack of focus.' (wright: 2nd)

devin thomas
'Terrific vision... Has reliable hands and he'll pluck the ball... Not a great route runner.' (wright: 4th) 'Shows toughness fighting for the ball in traffic and is a physical route runner who likes to run through tackles... Has the burst to get in and out of his cuts, along with the speed and feet to get separation.' (mayock: 1st) 'Thomas is a tough junior who had a fine 2007 season.' (rivals: 6th)

mario manningham
'Manningham is a junior who was a fine playmaker in his short Big Ten career. His performance at the Combine was disappointing' (rivals: 7th) 'A true deep threat who can stretch the field vertically... Undersized and lacks the ideal bulk that you look for... Durability is a concern.' (wright: 6th) 'Has the body control to get in and out of his routes and is very elusive after the catch... Has the burst to separate deep separation and sideline body control to make acrobatic catches seem routine.' (mayock: 5th)

next week, fuhbaw will preview the fat guys on offense.

great moments in amnesia

the annual nfl owners meeting dominates the early april headlines - a sure sign the revolutions of the football news cycle have slowed. the draft still looms on the horizon (and fuhbaw will roll out coverage in anticipation later this week) but this last stretch before the draft is rife with misdirection and smokescreens as nfl front offices attempt to disguise their true intentions. so proposals being considered by the league's 31 owners and packers team president take precedence, important stuff like allowing radio communications between coaches and defensive players... and less important stuff like players' hair sticking out of their helmets.

one proposal considered intends to change the seeding rules in the playoffs. instead of a divisional crown guaranteeing homefield advantage for at least the wild card round, seeds three through six in each conference would be determined by record. for instance, instead of wild card new york traveling to nfc south champion tampa for wild card weekend last season, under the new proposal the 9-7 buccaneers would make the trek to the meadowlands facing the 10-6 giants.

at the heart of the proposal, one that more or less started at the commissioner's desk, is adding value to late season contests for playoff bound teams. the nfl is fortunate because it doesn't have a tradition of tanking among the league's worst teams like some sports leagues do *cough* nba *cough*. but resting starters for a playoff push is a luxury reserved generally for division winners. under the new proposal only the top two division winners in each conference would likely claim that luxury, that is if those two teams weren't contending for homefield advantage through the last week. in essence, the proposal adds just another layer of competitiveness to the regular season.

i mentioned earlier this proposal started with commissioner goodell. the good commissioner whether you agree his actions or not is undeniably taking to his role as steward of the game actively, perhaps even aggressively. in the last week of the season, the undefeated patriots visited the meadowlands to face the playoff bound giants. new york had nothing to play for, new england had history. both teams marched their starters to the front lines and delivered a classic game, new england winning narrowly 38-35. the game simulcast on three networks received the highest ratings of the regular season.

in a week that is traditionally void of the rest of the season's stakes, goodell's desire to infuse week 17 with some meaning is commendable. pro football week in and week out is so intense. sixteen regular season games and only four rounds of playoffs renders the sport's action scarce especially compared with the other two major leagues, baseball and basketball. for a sport that can probably trace its rise from sporting afterthought to dominate american pro league in part because of its intensity, attempting to ensure there isn't any slacking of the reins, any drop off in that intensity is good.

i just have one question. am i the only person who watched super bowl 42?

because what i saw when i watched the super bowl was those same giants that competed with nothing on the line in week 17 upset those same patriots in another classic game. the giants played loose, played hard. they already went toe-to-toe with perhaps the best team of all time. they certainly had nothing to prove to themselves, they knew they could do what few people gave them chance to do.

i'm sorry, do the league's general managers and coaches need any more incentive for playing hard every single week of the season? by doing just that the giants were able to begin an improbable playoff run knocking off three of the league's best teams, teams they had all lost to during the regular season.

all season, new england was playing the game by their own rules. coach belichick and his squad used unrelenting domination, whether it was running up the score or keeping his starters in the lineup late in assured victories. new england was changing the rules in which the game has been approached much of these last ten or twenty years. it was an old school approach worthy of lombardi or halas. while some teams gave them a run for their money, teams with little to play for, the eagles and ravens especially, no one truly matched the patriots in this elaborate head game until the giants in week 17. so i ask again, what other competitive reason does a team need to play hard throughout the entire regular season?

let me offer another example. while contemplating the reasons for the patriots approach to domination i wrote these words midseason:

while some may argue that coach belichick's drive for domination borders on mockery, it's wise to keep history in mind. two years prior when the colts sat at 13-0, several sportswriters cried out the colts must attempt perfection. coach tony dungy was unmoved, having secured home field advantage, he rested his starters for a playoff push. the colts dropped two of their last three regular season games. gaining a first week bye with home field advantage, their key players sat cold for nearly four weeks. in hindsight, the decision proved disastrous as the late surging pittsburgh steelers stole into the rca dome and surprisingly defeated the heavily favored colts as much on the steelers' own momentum as their collective talent.

i understand that the nfl regular season is a brutal stretch for players. so many injuries never make it to the injury report. any moment to rest a banged up body should be seized. i'm just not so sure resting before the playoffs is one of those moments any more. the owners in all likelihood won't pass goodell's proposal, but if they were watching the same super bowl i was watching, they shouldn't have to.