pakowitz

Buzzmaster: We're getting Mel right now!

Mel Kiper: We're winding down with the individual workouts. Guys moving up and guys moving down.




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Keith (Miami, Fl): I think the #32 pick for the Dolphins is crucial. Now that you have them taking Jake Long #1 overall, what direction do you see them going with that #32? Who might slip through the 1st round?

Mel Kiper: If they take long, they have a ton of options after that. If you take the OT early, they could go CB at that point. More than likely there will be a pretty good CB on the board at that point. Along with some pretty interesting DL on the board that would be to Bill Parcells' liking. Justin King, Brandon Flowers, Charles Godfrey those are some guys that are still on the board.


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Jeff (Iowa): I see you have G Brandon Albert at No.5 (KC). Why not Clady or Williams on the board they rank better at 8 or 9 and BA is at 18? I'm hoping for a miracle that Long falls to KC?

Mel Kiper: We don't know how anyone ranks within the framework of an NFL team. That's all internal information. We all speculate. Albert is red hot right now. It's not because he's a guard. He is testing out during workouts well as a LT prospect. That's why he has soared up the draft board. I've talked to some teams and you can make the argument that he's ahead of Clady and Williams right now. KC needs three OL in this draft. Albert will be a top 10 pick.


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Steve, Chicago, IL: With Lovie Smith calling out Cedric Benson, is it more or less likely the Bears draft a RB in the first round?

Mel Kiper: The only one I could see them considering are Mendenhall and Felix Jones. It would not be out of the question. This is a tandem RB league. You have Benson, who has had some injury issues. The tandem situation is what teams are working with right now.

Mel Kiper: You can rest assured it's going to be an offensive player. That's where all their needs are.


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JC (Coffeyvile, KS): If a DT doesn't fall to #9 for Cincy, is there a WR worthy to take that high due to the WR issues of late.

Mel Kiper: Not even close. The first WR drafted will be Devin Thomas and that won't be until 20 or 21. I think you'll only see two WRs in the first round. DeSean Jackson will be the other. Kelly has slid out of the first and Sweed is a borderline first rounder. So, no. If Sedrick Ellis is gone, then they could look, because they have such a need at this postion, Keith Rivers from USC.

Mel Kiper: The way Ellis could be gone is if a team jumps ahead of Cincy. A team that could do that would be New Orleans. But Ellis would be the perfect guy for Cincinnati.


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Spencer (miami): Mel, I'm seeing Chad Henne's stock apparently rising quite a bit. Why is that? Despite being a 4-year starter and being surrounded by NFL-caliber talent, he never seemed particularly great or good.

Mel Kiper: I would say he was good, he wasn't great. He's a tough guy. He has impressed people with his toughness. His character, his leadership ability. And his strong arm. He's played a lot of football. There's a lot to say about a veteran at the college level. Now, the concern is that he's erratic, he has a long delivery and he's not mobile. He ran hot and cold at Michigan. That's why he is a second round pick. He's a guy for Baltimore or Chicago. I think he's going to be the third QB drafted. I think Flacco is the second one and Henne will be the third and Brohm the fourth.


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Glenn (Cumberland, RI: Mel, can DeSean Jackson really become an elite WR who stretches the field? If you took away his return ability where would he rank amongst the other WRs? I feel that special teamers can always be found in later rounds.

Mel Kiper: He would be right up there. You're not drafting him for his return abilities. Forget this year, he was banged up this year. Two years ago, he averaged 18 yards per catch. He has great leaping ability. The concern is that he's only 169 pounds. He probably goes between 20 to 31. Teams that could look at him are Tampa Bay and Tennessee. And Dallas.


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Mark (Boston, MA): Any potential steals in the later rounds of the draft at LB? Who?

Mel Kiper: I'll go OLB first. Marcus Buggs from Vanderbilt; Curtis Gatewood, Vanderbilt; Robert James, Arizona State. ILB's: Shane Simmons, Western Washington; Vince Hall, Virginia Tech.


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Marques Utica, NY : Most over-valued player in your opinion?

Mel Kiper: Derrick Harvey, Florida. He wasn't as consistently productive as I would prefer. He had some games with some big sack totals. But he had some others where he wasn't as productive. You usually see that based on how they come off the board. That's a question you really can't answer until draft day.


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Jay (Middletown, CT): Mel, you have Rivers now going to Denver at 12, what happened to Wiliams or Clady there? The just picked up 2 LB's recently. Or possibly a WR because of Marshall's injury?

Mel Kiper: They didn't pick up big time players, though. For what Denver needs, Rivers will provide. The guy I was thinking about giving Denver was Clady, but if Rivers is there, it would be tough. I also thought about giving them a RB, Mendenhall, but that goes against what Denver does. But I'm not convinced they've upgraded their LB that much.

Mel Kiper: Their LB pick up Boss Bailey did not distinguish himself with the Lions. He didn't have much of an impact.


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mike cincy: How High was your grade on Chris Henry Coming out? Man this seems like such a waste, wish he could have been smarter.

Mel Kiper: He was considered in the same area where the Bengals picked him. He was a first round talent but slid down because of his focus. When he's played, he's played very well. You have to be consistent in this league. He went where he did for a reason. He went basically where he was projected to go.

Mel Kiper: Unfortunately, the Bengals brought in too many players who had off the field concerns coming in.


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Scoot (Syracuse): If Mario Manningham is available for the Jets w/ there 2nd round pick, do you think they will draft him?

Mel Kiper: Yeah, they need a playmaker. That's one thing they need. If you look at how the makeup of their team is, they need a playmaking WR. Manningham had a very good career at Michigan. Second round might be a little high, but they need a WR. He is a roll of the dice. He was inconsistent at Michigan. You saw some signs of greatness. I think he's a third round pick.


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Clint G. (Midland, TX): Is Lane Kiffin blowing smoke about not wanting McFadden or is he tipping his hand?

Mel Kiper: I think right now you can't listen to anything. You don't want to give anybody any idea of who you want. If Oakland doesn't take McFadden, I'd say it's because they trade down. They've spent a lot of money on the defensive side of the ball. McFadden makes the most sense. They need a big time back. They have a lot of average backs. You're trying to develop Russell. If they want to continue to spend money on the defensive side, they could take Gholston or Ellis. There's no guarantee they're taking McFadden.


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Jim, Williamsville, NY: Your latest mock draft has the Buffalo Bills taking a DE with the 11th overall pick - why not a CB which would seem to be more of a position of need?

Mel Kiper: It is. It's right in there. I thought seriously about putting a CB in there. I was within a whisker of putting in McKelvin or Jenkins in there. I had Talib and Rodgers-Cromartie off the board. But in the end, I went with the higher rated player. The Bills didn't get anything from their DEs last year. Having a rotation that includes Harvey wouldn't be a bad thing. I also considered Rivers.


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Will from Jax: Hey Mel, do you think the Jags could be actually going OL in the first RD? I could see that and them move up in the second to get a DE.

Mel Kiper: As far as their needs in Jacksonville, I think DE or DT is a priority. And safety as well. I think the defense is still what they need to look at. They have some issues on the DL.


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Paul (Knoxville,TN): Hey Mel, after yesterdays pro day do u expect the Saints to take Rivers at #10??..how does he compare to Patrick Willis??

Mel Kiper: The Saints could look at him. That's another guy that's been projected there for a while. They've added various players in free agency at LB. I think they need a CB and they need a DT. That's why you keep hearing about Ellis for New Orleans. I've also heard about Talib or Rodgers-Cromartie. But in my opinion, Rivers does not have the grade Willis did. I think he'll be a safe pick. There's not a lot of risk there. Willis was the more highly rated player, but Rivers will probably go in that same range. I think the most underrated player in this draft is Jerod Mayo.


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Brian(San Diego): Mel, No one has answered a Charger question in at least a week! I love the Gosder Cherilus pick in your latest mock draft. Is he the type of guy that will be the bookend tackle with Marcus McNeil for the next 10 years, or merely an above-average prospect?

Mel Kiper: If he's drafted in the late first round, and San Diego and San Francisco are going to be looking at him, he's going to be a solid RT. He showed as a junior at BC he could be a great RT. That would give them a heckuva tandem at tackle, with two good bookends. But they could also go CB. They do on paper have a little bit of a concern at CB. Who is the CB that could be there? Justin King.


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Ben (SF): Mel, I don't really understand why Sweed and Kelly are dropping so much. Would one of them be a good pick for the 49ers in the late first or early 2nd?

Mel Kiper: The 49ers have added a couple of WRs in free agency. They also desperately need help at LB, OL. They could look at Mayo and Cherilous. But in terms of WR, they could look at DeSean Jackson. Kelly's stock has slipped. He started off strong this season and dropped off. Sweed hasn't played in a game since Oct. 6 with his injury. Both of those guys are borderline first round picks. But there's as much of a chance that they are second rounders as they are first.


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Steve (Rochester, NY): Since he is effectively going to be a rookie in 2008 I was wondering where a fully recovered Michael Bush would rank among this year's group of RB's?

Mel Kiper: I would put him seventh. If he would have been healthy. He wouldn't have been behind the big four of McFadden, Mendenhall, Jones, Stewart. Then you'd have Johnson, Rice.


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bill (ga): Clady to Pats? Reach at 7?

Mel Kiper: No, he wouldn't be a reach. I just don't know if they want to go that route. Their OL played great all year until the Super Bowl. Other than that their OL played very well. New England, we know what they need. Their offense is in great shape. Their defense is not in good shape. They better address their back end on defense. Whether it's a CB like Talib or Gholston. Offense has to be pushed to the back corner.


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Merv (So Cal): Titans draft board?

Mel Kiper: They better target a WR. That's the best thing this team can do, to help out Vince Young. They could stand to get a DL. They could also use a CB and they could upgrade at MLB. But WR is the most pressing. That's why in the last projection, I had Jackson going to Tennessee.


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D (MI): You seem to have cooled on Chilo Rachal since he first declared for the draft. Is this a right assessment? If yes, than why?

Mel Kiper: I haven't cooled him at all. I think he'll be a second round pick. He's 27th on my Big Board. He's going to be a guard or RT in the NFL. I've always thought he was going to be a second round pick.


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Don Buffalo: How much value do teams put on age? Dustin Keller, Limas Sweed are older than your average draft pick. Do you think they consider that?

Mel Kiper: In some cases, it's a plus because of the maturity level coming in. I think it's case by case. I don't think it's automatically a negative or positive. It's not a big deal.


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Sonny D(Maple Grove, MN): I guess Brohm's stock has been rising since his pro day and now possibly going to mid 1st round from what I am seeing. Any possibility for my Vikes to take Brohm at 17 since it's T-Jack's make or break year?

Mel Kiper: I don't think his stock is rising. I think the QB whose stock is rising is Joe Flacco's. I think Brohm is battling Chad Henne as the third QB. The issue with Brohm is that he doesn't have that one great physicall attribute. He doesn't have the great arm, great mobility. Flacco has great size and great arm. Henne has a great arm. Ryan has great skills. But in the second round, someone is going to get themselves a great football player. Chicago or any of those teams that need a QB.


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Kaleb(Fargo): Is it a fairly sure thing the Skins go WR in round 1?

Mel Kiper: Not at all. The DL, either DT or DE, is a major need. Also, a CB. Or on offense, a versatile OL and WR. Their first pick comes from one of those four positions. I'm going with Devin Thomas from Michigan State. But they have three other areas they could go in.


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George (Mass): Any suprise first round picks...like Mankins a couple years ago?

Mel Kiper: I think a couple of the guys I had in there, Lawrence Jackson from USC, Tyrelle Johnson from Arkansas State. And Joe Flacco could go in the late first round. But there's not a team in the late first round that needs him. But I could see a team like Atlanta jumping back into the late first round to get him.


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Louis (Long Beach, NY): If the Jets can't get McFadden, Gholston, or Long, is there any chance they take Sedrick Ellis, even though he doesn't seem like a 3-4 end?

Mel Kiper: I think if the Jets can't get McFadden, Gholston, or Long, I think they would look to trade down at that point. There are guys that would be valuable to trade up for. Matt Ryan, Talib, Ellis. If those three are gone, I say you move off of that pick. But I don't see that happening. Long goes No. 1, McFadden or Gholston are still there.


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Paul (San Diego ): Mel, Tell me your thoughts on the G-men at the End of Rd. 1...Mayo or Connor or Philips? trade-down perhaps?

Mel Kiper: I think they're targeting a free safety. I can not believe Mayo is still on the board. But he could be. I have him going a couple of picks earlier. Connor I think he's a second rounder. I give them a free safety. The guy I like is Tyrelle Johnson from Arkansas State. He has great ball skills. They need a free safety. This kid right now is in the late first round mix. That's a major need area for them.


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Michael (CO): Mel, if the Packers take a CB in round 1, who will they target in round 2 with their two picks? Thanks.

Mel Kiper: I think you have to look at a TE, maybe a Fred Davis or Brad Cottam or Kellen Davis. They could also go OG. But I think CB first. I have them taking Brandon Flowers. How about Chilo Rachal in the second round? That's pretty good. You get the TE, the CB and the OG. They solved their OLB need in free agency.


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SpencerNJ): Mel, 5 years from now who's made the biggest impact out of this years draft class?

Mel Kiper: You hope the top guys. You hope it's the elite guys. Guys like Glenn Dorsey. I think he's the best player. Darren McFadden, Felix Jones, Mendenhall. I think the RBs will do the best traditionally. You hope the LTs can develop into the Walter Jones. You hope Jake Long can be like Jumbo Elliot was. You hope Ryan can do what Manning, Roethlisberger, Rivers have done - win games. I think the guys who will present the best value for the production you get will be guys like Felix Jones, Dustin Keller, Jerod Mayo. Those are the guys that will present the best overall value.

Mel Kiper: Another guy who won't be great, but will be a solid DE is Merling out of Clemson.

Mel Kiper: Thanks for all the questions. We'll be back on the Wednesday slot next week.

I Live In Beastmode!

pakowitz

KC Joyner: Good afternoon! Sorry I'm a couple of minutes late, computer locked up on me. Let's get this thing going!




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Colin (New Orleans): How much could Gay help the saints based on his metrics?

KC Joyner: Gay had terrific metrics last year, putting up a YPA in the 6 yard range. I would expect that to go up when he becomes a starter but if he can limit the increase to something in the 7 yard range, he'll be a huge upgrade over what David did for them last year.

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Kellen (Merced, CA): How do Javon Walkers matrices over the past couple years compare to Jerry Porters? Is Walker a considerable upgrade to Porter?

KC Joyner: Very good question. When both of these guys are healthy and/or into the game (Porter had his issues with Shell), they put up top 10 vertical metrics. I think Walker needed a scenery change and Oakland will see the Walker of old in 2008.


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Rick-Lowell, MA: I've asked this question in 3 different chats this week and I'm yet to get an answer. I keep hearing that the Pats are most likely going to trade down and not pick at 7. Who would have to be on the board for them to pick instead of trade down?

KC Joyner: Rick, I think it's more a matter of if they can get the kind of value for the pick that they want. I don't think there is anyone that will make it down to the #7 pick that would keep NE there if they got a good offer elsewhere.


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Pat(Chicago): So.. Favre might not be as retired as we thought. Where would he fit in the best (besides, of course, Green Bay)?

KC Joyner: I know this might be seen as sacrilege by some but why am I not surprised to see this kind of news come up? I think Favre eats up all of this attention and is still going to want it, even if he doesn't want to come back from a physical standpoint.


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Sean (Philly): With the Bengals dropping Henry, they can't afford to give up Chad can they? Any way that the Eagles try and make an offer, or will they see to much TO in CJ? Love having 85 on my fantasy teams, but I don't know if I want him on the Eagles or not.

KC Joyner: I don't think one would necessarily be related to the other. Henry was a guy they were probably not banking on long term in any event, even if Chad were to leave Cincy.


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Marvin (Cinncy): Why is this so far fetched? cinncy trades the #9 pick and Ocho Cinco to the Raiders for the #4 and maybe a mid rounder next year. We take Dorsey and our defense is vastly improved.

KC Joyner: Well, money might be an issue for one thing. The Raiders have a lot of big dollar contracts on their books already and Johnson's contract wouldn't help them on that front. Oakland also already picked up Walker so they don't need an elite receiver (Curry is a very good #2).


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Lane (Kukuihaele, HI): Aloha KC! Will Colt Brennan's surgery on his hip affect his draft status? I'm hearing that SF offensive coordinator Mike Martz has been impressed with him. By the way I'm baaaaack!!!

KC Joyner: Great to have you back, Lane! Any kind of surgery is never a good thing for a draft status, so it will have some kind of impact. I'd agree that he could be a great fit for a Martz offense but my concern would be can he handle the beating a Martz O would make him take?


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Michael (CO): I am a huge Packers fan and I have to admit Favre does love all the attention and doesn't know what to do with all his free time. I really hoped that he wouldn't tarnish his legacy as MJ did. Retire and stay retired!

KC Joyner: Amen to that.


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Sean (Philly): If the Bengals trade 85, who would be in the running? What would it take to get him? A #1, a #1 and a WR because of Henry being cut?

KC Joyner: I don't think any team would pay that kind of premium for Johnson. I can't even see a #1 and a good player if the #1 pick is a decent one.


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Jeremy (Pittsburgh): After the season he had, where do you rank Big Ben among NFL QB's?

KC Joyner: It's funny, for a couple of years there I threw Ben under the bus quite frequently because I thought he was being given too much credit for Pittsburgh's success. Over the past couple of years, the situation has somewhat turned around and now I don't think he gets enough credit for being one of the elite QBs in the NFL. If he isn't a top five QB, he's darn close.


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Mikey(Lackawanna,NY): KC, What kind of football player did the Bills get with the signing of OLB Kawika Mitchell?

KC Joyner: Mitchell should be a pretty good fit for Buffalo. His YPA against the run was pretty good last year (I believe it was just under four yards) and that's one area where Buffalo could use improvement.


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Matt, Raleigh: Is Martz going to be able to turn around Alex Smith or is he just a lost cause at this point?

KC Joyner: If anyone could turn Smith around, it would be Martz. Smith is an extremely intelligent person so he should be able to catch on to the Martz system quickly. Again, the big issue is whether or not he can take the beating a Martz O will make him take. Martz doesn't like to leave many blockers in there and Smith will have to show toughness.


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Lane (Kukuihaele, HI): CJ puts up big numbers every year. What the Bengals need to do is get a defensive minded coach because they have an offense. Wait Marvin Lewis is a defensive minded coach. Forget it.

KC Joyner: Ouch!


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Mikey(Lackawanna,NY): KC, With the 11th overall pick supposedly being a reach to draft a WR? What other position do you think the Buffalo Bills should address with their 1st rd pick? DE/OLB/CB?

KC Joyner: Mikey, I hate to say it but I think they should go offense in that first pick no matter if the pick is a reach or not. They have so much depth on defense that unless a value pick came up (say Gholston for some reason made it down that far), they should do something on offense.


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Goodie (Tampa): Last Dolphin fan checking in again... How did Will Allen do on metrics last season? Dr. Z named him to his all pro team, I just wondered how he fared in your system. KC Love the work... Keep it up.

KC Joyner: Goodie, I'm of a mixed mindset on Allen. In some of the Fins games, I can see exactly why Dr. Z picked him for his All Pro team. The problem is that in a number of games last year Allen did not do well metric wise. Overall, he did great for being in a bad situation last year and I'm guessing that was part of why Z put him on his All Pro team.


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Haim (Israel): Hi KC, greetings from Israel. I was wondering, do you think Matt Ryan is good enough for a #3 overall? Or would you consider Dorsey/Ellis better talents that better fit that high of a pick?

KC Joyner: I did a good amount of tape breakdown on Ryan and what I came away with was that he is just like Matt Hasselbeck. He's a high percentage guy a lot of the time but he'll also make some crazy passes that make you wonder what he was thinking. Hass is a playoff caliber QB who took a team to a Super Bowl, so he's worth taking at #3.


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Johnny(Queens): Do you think the Bills might have one of the better trios at the LB position with Angelo Crowell,Paul Posluszny,and Kawika Mitchell? Overrated or underrated?

KC Joyner: Add DiGiorgio (sic?) to the mix and they may have one of the best LB corps in the NFL. None of those guys are elite but they are all very good players.


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Mikey(Lackawanna,NY): KC, Who do you think the Miami Dolphins will select with the 1st overall pick? Matt Ryan, Jake Long, Chris Long, Other? And WHY?

KC Joyner: I still think they would like to trade out of the pick if possible. Having said that, I'm not the least bit sold on Beck and Ryan looks to be much better than Beck. If push comes to shove, I'd be surprised if they don't take Ryan #1.


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Mark (NC): The Panthers have brought back Muhammed and signed Hackett to help Steve Smith what do these two guys bring and will it offset the minimal losses of Colbert and Carter?

KC Joyner: Mark, in the Carolina analysis in Scientific Football 2006, I pointed out how Smith had ranked #1 in both short and medium pass YPA the year before. That's his speciality, turning shorter passes into huge gains. Carolina had him running more vertical routes when Key was on the other side and did a lot of the same thing last year. Hackett and Muhammad will run whatever route depth Smith doesn't (i.e. if Smith runs short, they'll run medium/deep routes) and it will be a great year for passing in Carolina. At least as long as Delhomme is healthy.


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Todd (Detroit): Off-topic, but I must retort: "I really hoped that he wouldn't tarnish his legacy as MJ did. Retire and stay retired!" Tarnish his legacy? Please. MJ averaged 21, 5, and 5 as a FORTY year old, and had a garbage team one game out of the playoffs. It's not like the guy averaged 4 points off the bench in 7 minutes a game.

KC Joyner: Todd, I think the idea was that we were left with some memories of MJ that didn't fit in with the rest of his career. Favre right now has the 2nd best retirement of 2008 (Ric Flair has to be ranked #1) and he really couldn't do much better if he stuck around for one more year.


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Derek - Lincoln: Do you think Hall can play like the player he thinks he is? Is he does, what secondary have you seen that could be as good as this one?

KC Joyner: I think Hall played as well as he did last year (a career best 7.4 YPA) because he wanted to get out of Atlanta very badly. He has great physical talent but my concern is that he might turn back into the 9 YPA guy he was before last season. I hope he keeps his motivation level high and proves me wrong but I'll only believe it when I see it on tape.


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JD Cary, NC: Phil Savage was quoted that he feared that the Cowboys were planning to sign Derek Anderson to an offer sheet that the Browns could not match, which would have sent the No. 28 overall pick to the Browns plus a third-rounder for Anderson. Then the Cowboys would have shipped Anderson and the Cowboys? other first-rounder to the Dolphins for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. My question is...does Anderson really have that much value? If so, I think the Browns would have been better off taking the picks...

KC Joyner: The thing that gets me about this is that the Browns, who seemingly know Anderson best, made a bigger play to keep him only because other teams valued him higher than they did.


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Bryon(South Buffalo): KC, Ric Flair's retirement ceromony on Monday night was one of the best moments in wrestling history? Thats the way to go out!Dont you think? Woooooooooo!

KC Joyner: I know this is a football chat and not a wrestling chat but I did go to Wrestlemania and have been a Flair fan since 1976, so I had to throw this one in. His match with Michaels was something once in a lifetime special.


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Mike (az): kc, sadly i have an applied ethics test and cant make the chat today so any night train references might be lost on the masses. GO CARDS!

KC Joyner: We'll, it might actually be a good thing to not mention the words night train and Cards in the same sentence today given the Leinart thing.


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Lane (Kukuihaele, HI): If the Raiders can't put pressure on the QB then Hall's numbers will be horrible. Do you think they have enough talent or will their defensive schemes have to get better? Whooooooo! (That was for Ric Flair)

KC Joyner: Lane, I think Oakland is taking the approach like they did in the early 1980s when they had Hayes and Haynes as their CBs. Their D line was good then but having those two shutting down the other teams WRs gave the line more time to get after the QB. If Hall plays up to his talent level and Asomugha/Routt play to their 2007 levels, their D line should be able to get plenty of sacks next year. And a WHOOOOO back to you!


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Paul (SD,CA): You said earlier that Curry is a good #2 in Oakland. Is Drew Carter a #3 receiver? Who does his metrics compare to?

KC Joyner: On his good days, Carter has dominant vertical metrics and compares well with just about any of the best deep threats. I list Curry as the #2 simply because he is more of the all-around threat.


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Todd (Detroit): The thing with Hall is... his career best YPA is still only 7.4! The treatment of him has gotten better, but there's still a perception by many that he's a 6 YPA guy when he's had years as high as 9.

KC Joyner: Todd, that's why he's made my overrated list so often over the past few years. Some TV announcers decided he was a great player and his reputation was made even when his overall level of play said he didn't deserve it.


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Lane (Kukuihaele, HI): This is the KC Joyner chat. This is where we talk mainly about football but once and a while they'll be talk of Techmo Bowl, Philly bashing, and even Ric Flair. That's why every Thursday 4pm eastern (10am Hawaii) fans tune in. I think Flair would have liked to end his career with Sting but Michaels was a great choice.

KC Joyner: Lane, you are definitely a long timer in this chat room! It's almost always about football but I'm an eclectic chatter. And you might not believe the number of Ric Flair posts I've been getting. They are outnumbering the football ones!


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Jacob (Baltimore): GOT AN A- ON THE PAPER. THANKS FOR ANSWERING LAST WEEK'S QUESTION. Now, would it make sense for the Ravens to grab Ellis in the draft when they have Gregg and Ngata?

KC Joyner: I usually say not to overbuild a single position but given the Ravens reliance on their D, and given that Ellis is that good, if he makes it down to them I would surprised to see them pass him up.


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Joe (NYC): Seriously? Is Lane your best friend or something? Can you please answer my question...and no, it's not about Dante Hall. Better NFL career Lienart or Alex Smith?

KC Joyner: Joe, I just try to post the best questions that pop up on my screen and sometimes they come from the same person. Plus, he hasn't been around in a while, so I've giving him a bit of leeway. If you mean better career to this point, I'd say neither have been worth that much. Better long term, I'd go for Smith if he can get into the right situation. Leinart and Arizona don't seem to be agreeing right now and Martz/Smith combo has a lot of upside.


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Daniel (Athens, Ga): KC, can you give me any metrics on the Falcons new CB Von Hutchins? Thanks.

KC Joyner: Daniel, it's a mixed bag with Hutchins. He played both CB and safety last year. He had some really bad games at CB but in just about every case it was because he was facing an elite WR on the other side. He is a very good safety but might not be big enough to take the pounding there long term. He's a great fit as a quality nickel CB and he does give Atlanta a lot of flexibility because he can play every position in the secondary in a pinch.


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Wes (Raleigh, NC): Everyone is talking about Oakland's secondary, but assuming the Eagles keep Lito Sheppard, wouldn't their group of corners be the best in the league?

KC Joyner: Good point, Wes. I think it would be a tossup between the two.


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Jacob (Baltimore): Ellis or Matt Ryan, if you're the Ravens?

KC Joyner: I'm not sold on Smith or Boller, so I'd go Ryan.


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jimmy (california): what about Denver's corners?

KC Joyner: Jimmy, they match up with the top two but Denver has been struggling with their nickel CB for years now. If they get that fixed, they could make a claim.


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Todd (Detroit): Hypothetically, if the Cowboys land Pacman Jones, where would their group of corners rate?

KC Joyner: Newman was a 6.1 guy and Henry a 6.7 guy if memory serves me correct. If Jones plays to his historical potential (around 5-6 YPA in a good year), they could match up as the best set of CBs.


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Majeed: KC, Seaking of Denver's corners, funniest thing I heard was when a Bronco player (forgot who) referred to Dre Bly as a HOFer.

KC Joyner: Dre is pretty good at times but Canton-bound, I don't think so.


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Lane (Kukuihaele, HI): Didn't the Giants prove that you can win with decent corners but you need a defensive line that can stop the run and get to the quarterback on passing downs?

KC Joyner: Good point. NY did show that a good D line can help overcome a mediocre secondary, just as a great secondary can help a mediocre D line. You only need one or the other to be dominant.


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Chris(Boston): Dont you think Ellis Hobbs and Jason Webster duo in NE is the best?

KC Joyner: Nothing shows how much help NE needs defensively better that putting those two names in the same sentence.


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Ric Flair (Charlotte, NC): No better way to end this chat than with a WOOOOOOOOOOO!

KC Joyner: I hear you there! Before I go, though, I should mention that Blindsided and Scientific Football 2008 are available for pre-sale. Got to get the one plug in a week!


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John(Buffalo): KC, The ending of the Flair/Michaels match was the best! With Ric crying asking HBK to superkick him!

KC Joyner: John, I can tell you that many fans in the crowd were in tears as well. It was something I'd never thought I'd see at a wrestling show, that's for sure.


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Carol (Largo, FL): Hi KC--Jags questions, please. Do you think the Jags defense will be improved with Gregg Williams as the new DC? In what ways? Also, could Joey Porter be the wide receiver they have been searching for? Thank you

KC Joyner: Carol, I think that Williams will make them more aggressive scheme wise. Jax has been able to get by with talent for a while now but they could use an influx of aggressive playcalling and Williams will help there. Porter won't be much of an improvement vertically over what Reggie Williams is on a good day but he could take some pressure away from the other wideouts, so I like his addition.


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J. (Balto): What's the biggest fallacy in football: can wait in the draft to get a stud RB, build first with your lines, QB can't be less than 6'2", etc.?

KC Joyner: J. I think the biggest fallacy is that you have to have a dominant RB to get to/win a Super Bowl. I did a study for Blindsided and found that not to be the case at all. Well, I finally do have to run. Hope to see you all next week!

I Live In Beastmode!

saintsfan1976

Gnarly post PAK.