Lots of Screwy NFL Things

The NFL season officially begins in 10 days when the Tennessee Titans travel to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. The only NFL talk going on right now should be preview-related; you know, who's going to the Super Bowl, who's winning MVP, all that nonsense that nobody can really predict (yes, sadly, including us) but try to anyway.

So why, every time you turn on your TV, is there another NFL storyline?

A few of the odd ones:

Brett Keisel signs an extension with the Steelers. I'm not one to challenge the Steelers front office; they have amassed 6 Super Bowls and I work at Burger King. It just seems that with their extensive list of 2010 free agents (Willie Parker, Casey Hampton, Hines Ward, Ryan Clark, William Gay, Dan Sepulveda), the Steelers would go out of their way to resign an average defensive end on the downside of his career.

And now Brett Keisel (pictured, left) is going to go to the Pro Bowl.

Ravens put Samari Rolle on the PUP list to start the season. At first glance, odd? No. Then you remember Samari Rolle was actually a free agent this offseason. The Ravens are stacked at cornerback - a recent SI article called their talent at the position "embarrassingly deep" - with starters Fabian Washington and Domonique Foxworth, ex-starter Frank Walker, nickelback Chris Carr and highly touted third round pick Lardarius Webb. Rolle hasn't even practiced yet. Sources close to the team are wondering whether he's going to play at all. So how does that merit the $3 million he's earning this year?

Brandon Marshall, the entire NFL world thinks you're a joke. Josh McDaniels, you're really not far behind. In suspending Brandon Marshall (pictured, right) for a puny 14 days, all McDaniels is doing is keeping him out of preseason and training camp - which nobody wants to go through anyway. Suspend the guy the entire season or trade him for a second round pick to some desperate time. How can you start a guy who basically boycotted training camp merely because he didn't want to be there? It would have been better if he didn't show up. Instead, he's there walking, batting down passes thrown to him, punting balls handed to him. He's six years old, and he gets a slap on the wrist.

Broncos: You're going to be terrible. Kyle Orton is an awful, awful quarterback. I still maintain you got the better end of the Jay Cutler deal - first round draft picks in the NFL are huge. That being said, this year ain't it. Develop Eddie Royal more. Brandon Stokley is serviceable. So is Jabar Gaffney. Point being: your receivers aren't that bad anyway, but it wouldn't matter if Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald were lining up for you, anyway. You would still be bad. Crack down on Marshall.

Now that that rant is done, Osi Umenyiora walks out of Giants camp because of a dispute with his defensive coordinator? I think I speak for everyone when I say ... please, please just let the NFL season start so we can have games to talk about.

Image Sources:

http://www.epicathlete.com/images/bodyImage_coachesKeisel.gif

http://www.roblongshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/brandon_marshall_blog1.jpg

Mock Draft: Picks 17-24

Here we go again, for the third part of the mock draft we had. I stress once again, these picks were the ones made on Monday. Here's how it went ...

17. New York Jets

Herman: Everette Brown (DE, Florida State)

Radecki: Darrius Heyward-Bey (WR, Maryland)

Kiper: Darrius Heyward-Bey

McShay: Darrius Heyward-Bey

Wright: Josh Freeman (QB, Kansas State)

- Notes: Heyward-Bey being the most common pick is not surprising here; the Jets need offensive firepower in the worst way. However, Rex Ryan knows how important pass rush is to a defense's success, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Brown go here instead. The Jets need a quarterback, and Wright thinks they will reach for Freeman.

18. Denver Broncos

Herman: Michael Oher (OT, Mississippi)

Radecki: Robert Ayers (DE, Tennessee)

Kiper: Everette Brown

McShay: Everette Brown

Wright: Robert Ayers

- Notes: All four besides me went with Denver picking up the best available defensive end. I didn't see them spending both of their first round picks on the same position, though, and I thought Oher's value was too good for them to pass up here. 

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Herman: Peria Jerry (DT, Mississippi)

Radecki: Rey Maualuga (ILB, USC)

Kiper: Josh Freeman

McShay: Peria Jerry

Wright: Michael Johnson (DE, Georgia Tech)

- Notes: Defensive line was the theme here, with three of the five selections being along that front. Kiper thinks the Bucs would reach for Freeman in this position, and Radecki thinks Maualuga would fill their hole at linebacker nicely. 

20. Detroit Lions

Herman: Rey Maualuga

Radecku: Michael Oher

Kiper: Michael Oher

McShay: Michael Oher

Wright: Michael Oher

- Notes: Everyone agrees that if Oher is still available in this spot, then the Lions would draft him. The problem is, I don't think he will be here. Because of that, I think they would go for the captain of their defense, like they got the captain of their offense with the first pick. 

21. Philadelphia Eagles

Herman: Knowshon Moreno (RB, Georgia)

Radecki: Chris "Beanie" Wells (RB, Ohio State)

Kiper: Knowshon Moreno

McShay: Knowshon Moreno

Wright: Knowshon Moreno

- Notes: Runningback is the obvious choice here for Philadelphia. Moreno is the perfect fit, but if Wells is still there (like in Tyler's draft), Philly may opt for him. 

22. Minnesota Vikings

Herman: Percy Harvin (WR, Florida)

Radecki: Josh Freeman

Kiper: Kenny Britt (WR, Rutgers)

McShay: Percy Harvin

Wright: Eben Britton (OT, Arizona)

- Notes: Offense was the obvious choice here. McShay and I, of course, didn't realize that Harvin had failed his drug test; if so, he wouldn't be the Vikings pick here. Freeman is a definite possibility at this point, but I think Britt is a bit of a reach. Britton would make sense, as well. 

23. New England Patriots

Herman: Beanie Wells

Radecki: Everette Brown 

Kiper: Donald Brown (RB, Connecticut)

McShay: Clay Matthews (OLB, USC)

Wright: Rey Maualuga

- Notes: A rare choice where everyone thought something different. With Wells on the board and New England not having a reliable runningback, I thought Beanie would be too hard to pass up. Kiper had the same thought, but Wells was not on his board. Despite adding Jerod Mayo, New England probably is looking to continue to get younger at linebacker, hence the Matthews and Maualuga picks. Tyler thought they would go for best available player. 

24. Atlanta Falcons

Herman: Vontae Davis (CB, Illinois)

Radecki: Evander Hood (DT, Missouri)

Kiper: Brandon Pettigrew (TE, Oklahoma State)

McShay: Brandon Pettigrew

Wright: Evander Hood

- Pettigrew would have been the choice for Tyler, Wright and I were he not long off our board. As it is, we went for defense: Davis for me because I thought they would need to replace Foxworth at cornerback, and Hood for Tyler and Wright to give them some defensive line stability

Mock Draft: Picks 11-16

I could barely get the tags in trying to do 10 at a time, so I'm going to do six here, and then two more sets of eight. Oh, and Todd McShay released a new mock draft today, and I'm sure Kiper will release one before Saturday. I don't care; if Tyler and I can't change our picks before them, then neither can Kiper and McShay in my book. Anyway ...

11. Buffalo Bills

Herman: Brandon Pettigrew (TE, Oklahoma State)

Radecki: Brandon Pettigrew

Kiper: Robert Ayers (DE, Tennessee)

McShay: Aaron Maybin (De/LB, Penn State)

Wright: Brandon Pettigrew

- Notes: Tyler, Wright and I both think the Bills will take the only sure-fire tight end in the draft. Kiper and McShay have Buffalo going with a pass rusher. You'll see how far they think Pettigrew will fall if he doesn't get taken here. 

12. Denver Broncos

Herman: Tyson Jackson (DE, Louisiana State)

Radecki: Tyson Jackson

Kiper: Tyson Jackson

McShay: Tyson Jackson

Wright: B.J. Raji

- Notes: Everyone except Wright thinks that Tyson Jackson is the perfect player in this spot for the Broncos, a true 3-4 defensive end. Wright, meanwhile, thinks the Broncos would go for B.J. Raji, whom the other four had going three spots earlier.

13. Washington Redskins

Herman: Andre Smith (OT, Alabama)

Radecki: Brian Cushing (OLB, USC)

Kiper: Mark Sanchez (QB, USC)

McShay: Robert Ayers

Wright: Aaron Maybin

- Notes: It figures that the Redskins would be the first team that every single person disagreed upon. I had Andre Smith falling this far, and the Redskins need tackle help. McShay, Wright and Tyler all banked on the fact the Redskins would want to help their defense off the edge. Kiper was the only one with Sanchez left on his board, and he figured the Redskins would take the risk here. 

14. New Orleans Saints

Herman: Brian Cushing

Radecki: Malcolm Jenkins (CB, Ohio State)

Kiper: Chris "Beanie" Wells (RB, Ohio State)

McShay: Chris "Beanie" Wells

Wright: Malcolm Jenkins

- Notes: The Saints need help in the secondary, hence the Beanie Wells picks. They also need help at linebacker, though, and Cushing is the real deal. I would be surprised if the Saints continued to stockpile offensive players, but I suppose that's why they pay Mel Kiper and Todd McShay and not me. 

15. Houston Texans

Herman: Robert Ayers

Radecki: Clay Matthews (OLB, USC)

Kiper: Brian Cushing

McShay: Brian Cushing

Wright: Clay Matthews

- Notes: Once again, I was the odd man out. This time, it was because I didn't see the Texans taking an outside linebacker from USC. I just think with Ayers still on the board, the Texans will want to stabilize the other defensive end position across from Mario Williams.

16. San Diego Chargers

Herman: Malcolm Jenkins 

Radecki: Aaron Maybin

Kiper: Rey Maualuga (ILB, USC)

McShay: Malcolm Jenkins

Wright: Brian Cushing

- Notes: This was the pick where everyone dumped off the players still on their board that they figured should be off by now. McShay and I still had Jenkins, Aaron Maybin was hanging around for Tyler, and Brian Cushing was still there for Wright. Kiper, meanwhile, starts the Maualuga watch - he could go anywhere from here until the end of the first round.