Favorite Linebackers In 09 Draft

This year some of the most interesting players in the draft were the front seven guys on defense. Defensive linemen and linebackers are very interesting to me. The most intriguing players this year for me are the middle round linebackers. All the USC linebackers and all those "conversion guys" they talk abut didn't interest me as much as the old school linebackers that got taken between the third and fifth rounds. First is a talented outside linebacker Jason Williams from Western Illinois. This kid looks the part and is a very athletic outside linebacker that is fast, a great leaper, and led the NCAA in forced fumbles. His only weaknesses are shedding blocks quickly and his instincts aren't as honed as you'd like them to be. Next is Tyrone McKenzie This is a pretty average kid good speed, agility, instincts and tackling. His best strength is tackling he breaks down well in space and rarely misses a tackle. His overwhelming weakness is his lack of pass covering skills in man to man and zone schemes. One guy I think will be interesting is Gerald McRath this kid is fast, fluid in space, good tackler, with okay instincts and has freakishly long arms. His only weakness is his small size. He struggles with elite size. His small size that brings up the question of injuries. What happens when he gets blind-sided by Hines Ward or some three hundred and thirty pound tackle comes around the end on a toss and puts him on his back. Last ,but certainly not least is Scott McKillop a player that I mentioned as my favorite pick of the fifth round. He is an average player that made Pittsburgh U's team because of his athleticism. The two strengths he has is that one he has the best instincts of any late round draft pick I've ever seen and the other one is that he has no real weaknesses. He also led the NCAA in tackles his last year at Pitt. So with all these linebackers being very interesting and all needing some sort of development I think this year will be a very interesting year for linebackers.

Review on Ben's Buzz

Well this is the part where I talk about my brother every week whether I agree, disagree, or something in the middle. This week I am replying to Ben's buzz on the Cowboys franchise now on the release of Terrel Owens. On one hand I think that releasing a guy that feels that he deserves the ball and is a veteran is wrong. If this was a rookie like DeShawn Jackson you get rid of him immediately in my view. On the other hand I think that he tore apart the locker room and J.J. is going with less is more this off season. On the draft I think that all he trading back and passing was not a bad thing. If you look at the individual players they got regardless of round you would think they got some good base players that they can develop. Now back to T.O. I think that since they got rid of him they will allow Marion Barber, Tony Romo, Jason Witten and that big veteran offensive line to really shine. They have a nucleus of players that will be good this year not bad ,but not great. Just middle of the league 10-6 good.

Ben's Buzz 1st edition

Every week on sunday my little brother Ben will be allowed one post on my blog. It is his and he is free to say whatever he wants so please enjoy the first edition of Ben's Buzz. Hello my name is Ben Smallen. I enjoy football as much as my older brother that created this website. My favorite NFL team is the New England Patriots and my favorite NCAA team is Michigan. I enjoyed this year's draft very much. A very interesting move in the draft was the Mark Sanchez move. At least I know now we have a challenge this year in the AFC east. I think Jets can get into the playoffs if they get another major wide reciever like Jericho Cotchery. My favorite pick in the draft was Pat White pick to Miami Dolphins. He should be a major weapon in the wildcat offense. He should also be very interesting in the video games as well. I ABSOLUTLEY hated the Cowboys draft. They will have a horrible year AGAIN and be totally overated AGAIN. Jerry Jones is much smarter than this to just trade away your picks. No team in the NFL is perfect and even the Cowboys organization knows that. This may be very mean to all the Cowboys fans, but I think they will have one of the top picks in the draft next year and trade away all of their picks. Back to the 09 draft, there were very good players not taken in this draft including John Parker Wilson, Chase Daniels, and Ian Johnson. They should've been very highly drafted some would say about two years ago, but could not make the cut this year. This is the smae thing that happened to Mike Hart. He was an amazing HB at Michigan and look what happened to him. Can you tell me who he plays for now? A suprise player in this years draft is Julian Edelman. A QB taken in the 7th round by the New England Patriots. If you look at highlights of him from Kent State he looks like Pat White, but maybe even faster. He should play both WR and QB and be an amazing player. I'll see you next week when we talk about the latest buzz.

NFL Draft

Well I guess the first pick of the draft is the best place to start. Matthew Stafford getting paid 78 million dollars is RIDICULOUS. This is an outrage he is making more money than proven veterans like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Carson Palmer, Philip Rivers, Jay Cutler and Ben Rothlisberger. I guess this is how the draft will always be ,but I hope for the Lions sake he isn't a big bust. In the first round my favorite guy taken was QB Josh Freeman from Kansas State. A big armed strong and fast QB if you took Ben Rothlisberger and crossed him with Michael Vick you would end up with this kid. The only knock on this kid is the fact that he takes a long time to process information and get the ball out of his hand. I think that the speed wil come with more reps. In round two there where a lot of interesting players that I liked ,but none more than LeSean McCoy A.K.A. Shady McCoy from Pittsburgh U. This kid is a mini version of Barry Sanders a shifty, quick, fast, elusive and all together great change of pace back. In the third round I liked Christopher Owens CB San Jose State kind of an average player. Not small, but not big. Not fast, but not slow. Not bad, but not good. Just average and I like him. In the fourth round I liked was Tony Fiammetta FB Syracuse U. One of the last of a dying position a perfect cross between an offensive linemen and a running back. Wow I just love it. Next is a player that I love Scott Mckillop from Pittsburgh U. A well rounded old school inside linebacker for and old school team the 49ers. One of my favorite picks from top to bottom of the whole draft a great pick I'm gonna be following this kid throughout his career. In the sixth round I liked Kevin Ellison FS from USC a marriage of my two favorite teams the Chargers and Trojans. This kid is also an impact player that can fit into the team easily because of the lack of a quality FS on the roster. In the last round I liked a true wildcat weapon in Julian Edelman a QB from Kent. State ,but will be listed on the Patriots roster as a WR we'll just have to see where this one goes. This is my veiw of the draft by round if you don't agree more power to you ,but this is my list of good and intreging players for the 09 draft.

My First Day

What an appropriate day to start my own blog. In case you don't know what I'm talking about it's the second day of the NFL draft. I myself am a San Diego Chargers fan. I am also a USC fan. My mom has her own blog called The Hemline not really related to my blog ,but she enjoys it just the same. It is a dream of mine to play football in college. I love to play football it is a hard-nosed, physical game that is changing all the time, but it is also always the same in certain ways. The reason every football player loves to play is because they get to go into their locker room and put on the pads, strap up the helmet and lace up the cleats. You stand up take a deep breath and open that door. You look over to the crowd and their all screaming for your team. You turn around to your teammates and run out on the field and live in the moment for 90 minutes. That's why I play football and that's what my blog is about. Enjoying life and living in the moment.