Might as well retire the 2011 thread and begin a new one for the upcoming season. The draft is tonight. Just hoping that the Eagles don't select an offensive lineman.

My Top 15 mock

1. Luck to Indy
2. Griffin to Wash
3. Kalil to Buffalo (via Minny)
4. Richardson to Cleveland
5. Claiborne to TB
6. Blackmon to STL
7. Floyd to Jax
8. Tannehill to Miami
9. Barron to Carolina
10. Gilmore to Minny (via Buffalo)
11. Poe to KC
12. Kuechly to Seattle
13. Reiff to ARZ
14. Chandler Jonesto Dallas
15. Cox to Philly

I think my desire for Philly to get Cox might have affected this mock a little.

I'm hoping Bucs get Claiborne and he's still around for them. TR might be nice but we can pick up an adequate RB. Got to shore up some D.

Minny and Cleveland swap picks completely destroying my mock.

Don't like the deal for Cleveland...obviously they wanted Richardson but I'd have gone Blackmon if he Richardson was gone and then taken the next best RB at 22.

Not how I expected things to fall but glad to see Cox land in Philly.

^Not glad to see that, actually. But good for your team. Somehow, I think the Cowboys trading away a #2 and jumping to get Claiborne is a bit of reach. But I'm not well versed on college talent, so maybe it will pay off. I'll bet money that not taking this Cox guy will hurt us, though.

Cowboys have too many needs to be trading away a second round pick.

Also, can I just express my hatred for the Patriots here? Jesus, the team seems to always find a way to get what they need. They've got a great front office and talent evaluation (for the most part), but, seriously, fuck that team in the ass.

Carr and Claiborne are a potentially dangerous duo.

I just read Claiborne was the highest rated DB prospect by Dallas since Deon Sanders and that Jerry Jones (granted, its Jerry Jones) believes he fleeced STL in the trade, so they definitely feeel quite strongly about Claiborne.

I'm out to sea re: this year's draft...beyond the top 20 picks and a few lower-tier QBs, I'm not familiar with many of the prospects...I'm starting to understand why so many teams were reportedly looking to trade down...had no clue the Bears were going to go after the Boise St. DE...thought for sure they would've gone after Chandler Jones...but it appears the Pats might've nabbed themselves another under-the-radar gem in Jones.

I'll be interested to see who excels out of the gate - Blackmon or Floyd...surely, Kolb will put up decent numbers throwing to Floyd and Fitzgerald, whereas Blackmon will be drawing double coverage and his QB, Gabbert, was horrendous last year...edge goes to Floyd, IMO.

Yeah, I'd agree that Floyd should have a smoother start. Better QB and bettter #1 WR oin his team to hog the other teams best CB and the other teams attention.

Not sure why Denver was so happy to trade their first round pick, twice. They could have used Hightower, Martin, or a DL and just moved back. With Manning in tow they should be thinking about the present.

that draft was pretty cool. im not sure why the browns reached for weeden in the 1st round. it generally takes about 5 years for a rookie to become a top qb. in 5 years he wont have much time left so i would hav ewent with someone with better value and could help the defensive line. i also think the jets should have picked the guy that the patriots got from syracuse. the nfc easy is full of franchise qbs this year. i think that dallas picking up claiborne may help them more than any player drafted. with him in the defensive backfield it should help the passrushers and linebackers make more plays. the cowboys were already set on offense now they might have a stout defense to go along with it. they might be my pick to win the nfc easy this year

I don't mind the Weeden pick...I guess you hope because he's older he'll be more ready to come in and play. I don't think that they wanted to grab him there but once Wright was grabbed by Tennessee they figured they'd go for their QB.

The Coples pick seems like it could be big time bust. All this love for Ryan and his ability to motivate/scheme but that team is a mess and he was completely clueless last year, not sure its the right environment for a player with a questionable work ethic, motivation level, and interest in the game and unconvinced Ryan is going to be able to turn the motor on for him. Jones would have made sense but I think they should have grabbed that OG Decastro and whatever his name is that went to Pittsburg.

Really like this pick. Reid finally gets it right.

that was beautiful

Yeah, nice link.

Don't think the Broncos played their draft well. They should have drafted Martin the RB in the first when they had the chance and then traded up to grab that DT Wolfe in the 2nd. Who cares if they missed on Osweiler due to not having a 2nd second rounder, he's probably going to flame out anyways.

Like the Eagles focus on defense though. Their LB corps should be much improved next year with that 2nd rounder and their trade for Demarco Ryans.

the niners sure will have alot of fucking runningbacks crying about carries. i guess the niners are pretty fucking deep in most areas. the 1 the arent deep in the got a 1st rounder and lamichael james will be good im sure by frank gore is really fucking good as well. maybe they think jacobs will flame out. i still cant believe that the jets didnt prevent the patriots from getting in my opinion the best linebacker in the draft and the 2nd best defensive end. they could have had either but they chose to go with the next vernon gholdson. this is why the jets cant touch new england. they had a chance to have danny woodhead but released him so the pats scooped him up. the giants got help for bradshaw while replacing manningham in the process so they had a solid couple of days.

Best thing I've seen all week. I completely lost it from the Dinosaurs gif onward.

It was the players turn to get hammer dropped on them by Goodell today. $ players were suspended with Vilma receiving a year long suspension.



http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7881761/nfl-bans-four-players-new-orleans-saints-bounty-roles

Seau got suspended for life.

Damn, was it suicide? That makes Seau the eighth member of the '94 Chargers to die young.

you gonna be ok stix? hey at least you know that the curse is working...

My mind is blank right now, but who are the other guys from the '94 team that have died?

from NBC sports "...six months ago we noted that linebacker Lew Bush had died of an apparent heart attack, only six days after his 42nd birthday, making him, at the time, the seventh member of that team to die. Defensive lineman Shawn Lee died last year of a heart attack at 44. Defensive lineman Chris Mims died in 2008 of complications from having an enlarged heart at age 38. Offensive lineman Curtis Whitley died in 2008 of a drug overdose at age 39. Linebacker Doug Miller died in 1998 after he was struck by lightning, at age 28. Running back Rodney Culver died in 1996 in the crash of ValuJet Flight 592, at age 26. Linebacker David Griggs died in 1995 in a car accident at age 28."

So no correlation on COD there, but it does seem significant than Seau blew out his chest with a shotgun -- Dave Duerson of the Bears went out the same way, so that his brain could be examined for symptoms of CTE from concussions. Was Seau sending the same grisly message?

RIP.

I forgot about his attempt driving over that cliff but I guess it isn't as much of a surprise as I initially though. Just as tragic though. Does make you wonder if the shot to the heart was to preserve the head for examination.

That is a lot of bad luck for that team.

Legendary football player going back to his days at USC...unbelievable talent...and in keeping with the tradition of most player-owned restaurants, his sucked something awful...RIP.