Blame Mel Kiper
April 28th, 2009
If you are still suffering from restless nights like Joe, unable to fall asleep because Mark Dominik had the nerve to trade up to acquire Bucs bust-in-waiting Josh Freeman — traded up! — then you can finger one person other than Dominik for this crazy move:
Mel Kiper. At least, that’s what Peter King suggests.
Did you wonder, like I did, why the Bucs, set on taking Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman with their first-round pick, paid the Browns a sixth-rounder for the privilege of moving up two spots in the round.
Blame the Mel-Kiperization of the draft world.
“A lot of mock drafts had Denver taking Josh Freeman,” Tampa Bay GM Mark Dominik said the other night. “I thought paying a sixth-rounder was a small price to pay for insurance to make sure we got our guy.”
Dominik told me the fact that Raheem Morris was a one-year assistant at K-State before returning to the Bucs last season was a key part of Tampa Bay falling in love with the kid. “We got tremendous feedback from Raheem on him,” said Dominik, “plus we met him and wanted to get answers to questions like: ‘Was he a self-starter? Was he a big film guy? Was he a worker?’ The answers came back yes, yes, yes.”
Joe is of two minds with Kiper. Unlike some others, Joe knows there are other, better NFL draft analysts than Kiper and you will not see Joe very often reference Kiper. The man was a second-rung draft analyst when Joel Buchsbaum was alive and is second-rung so long as Mike Mayock is breathing. Unlike some in the local MSM, Joe doesn’t believe Kiper to be an oracle and only interview him about the draft.
But Joe has to confess that Joe loves to hear Kiper talk college football. Think about it, now that we are entering the dog days of football (May through July), what would you rather listen to, Kiiper talk football or the non-basketball association drivel or even worse — golftalk?
April 28th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Just a question here, who does Joe think we should have drafted at 17? I did hear you mention Ayers before ( or could have been JP ).. Well we got Kyle Moore instead, who had better production than Ayers, good height and bulk plus top end speed versus Ayers having about the same but below avg. speed at that position. They both had indjuries in college. Moore has never had off field issues, and Ayers likes to fight, has a misdermeanor and was uncoachable early on!!! Ayers has better lower body strenth and Moore has better upper body strenth. Moore has better instincts it appears on tape, and the rest can be taught, technique on how to pass rush or stop the run…
Maclin, I have nothing to compare with Mac and Stroughter, BUT if we got Maclin, who was going to throw to him the next few years? Luke? Really? I think not.
….So why not get your QB of the future with major upside? Take a gamble on a “Big Ben’esque” gamble… our head coach knows him, so obviously he saw something there….
who else should we have taken? Origionally I wanted Vonte I’ll admit, but now after evaluating post draft, I feel we made the right pick.
.e2.
April 28th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
e2:
Joe wrote,, in order, he wanted Everette Brown, Aaron Maybin or Vontae Davis in the first round.
Joe wanted no part of Josh Freeman.
Joe has no problems with the second day picks. In fact, he thinks Moore and Miller were fine pickups for when they were selected.
April 28th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Stop already! We know how you feel about Freeman. Are you stuck or just want to make sure everyone knows how you feel. GIVE THE KID A CHANCE!!!!! Find something interesting to write about.
April 28th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
kmattin:
What do you want Joe to do? Run up to Raheem The Dream, wrap his arms around Raheem The Dream, thank him for picking the next Terry Bradshaw and french kiss Raheem before Joe falls to his knees to service him?
It’s bad enough he lied to his own players much less fans for three months. Then he pulls this stunt.
Joe only turns the other cheek for Carmella, Rachel Watson and select other Bucs cheerleaders.
April 28th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Joe is never going to stop, in turn I’m never going to stop…. I still love Joe’s site though ( 90% of the time )… I love to debate, but the reason I keep fightin’ Joe on this, is cause i feel he and 75% of Buc fans are wrong..
=o)
.e2.