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Denver Broncos
The Broncos, already armed with future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, drafted QB Brock Osweiler with the 57th overall pick. Osweiler will undoubtedly be used to develop behind Manning and he will have ample time to do so. DT Derek Wolfe was drafted with the 36th overall pick. The Broncos traded out of the first round and still picked the guy they wanted in Wolfe who possesses outstanding football knowledge and energy. Fourth round picks CB Omar Bolden and C Philip Blake were very good value picks and have a very good chance at developing into starters in two-three years.
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Posted in Columns | Tagged Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers | Leave a comment
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers will be poised to make a deep playoff run with the additions of first round pick, WR A.J. Jenkins, Illinois and second round pick, RB LaMichael James, an Oregon product. Many draftniks thought the 49ers would draft a guard in the first or second round but they waited until the fourth round when they picked Joe Looney out of Wake Forest. Looney will be given every chance to win the starting right guard spot when training camp officially begins.
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Posted in Columns | Tagged Arizona Cardinals, San Fransisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams | Leave a comment
New Orleans Saints
The Saints forfeited their second round pick as a punishment for “Bounty Gate” which left them with their first pick coming in the third round because of the trade that netted them Mark Ingram. The Saints draft was unspectacular at best with their third round pick being DT Akiem Hicks out of Regina, a university in Canada. Their next pick was Wisconsin product WR Nick Toon followed by S Corey White, Samford, G Andrew Tiller, Syracuse and T Marcel Jones out of Syracuse.
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Posted in Columns | Tagged Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Leave a comment
Houston Texans
The Texans will begin the 2012 season hoping QB Matt Schaub is fully recovered from an injury that kept him out of the 2011 playoffs. They also return an unchanged offense will plenty of weapons in WR Andre Johnson and RB Arian Foster. The Mario Williams departure left a hole at DE that will be filled by first round pick DE Whitney Mercilus, an Illinois product. WR’s DeVier Posey (2nd round) and Keshawn Martin (4th round) were drafted to compete with fellow wide receivers Kevin Walter and Bryant Johnson for a chance to start opposite All-Pro Andre Johnson. With no established receiver across from Johnson, opposing defenses can roll a safety to his side unless one of these young receivers establishes themselves early in the season.
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Chicago Bears
After starting 2011 with seven wins and three losses, the Bears momentum went down along with starting QB Jay Cutler who was lost for the year with an injury in Week 11. QB Caleb Hanie took over the controls of the offense and the team proceeded to lose five out of its last six games. The Bears focused on defense this year, selecting defensive players on four out of their six picks including first round pick DE Shea McClellin. McClellin, a Boise State product, will surely flourish on the Bears defense because of his work ethic and discipline as well as his top speed at the defensive end position. South Carolina WR Alshon Jeffery, ejected in the final game of his collegiate career for fighting, was selected in the 2nd round as an additional weapon for the Bears. The Bears are looking to improve their passing game with a healthy Jay Cutler and by letting RB Matt Forte keep defenses honest.
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Posted in Columns | Tagged Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings | Leave a comment
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens cannot see into the future despite drafting Alabama standout, linebacker Courtney Upshaw in the second round and news of Pro Bowl LB Terrell Suggs possibly missing all of 2012 with a partially torn Achilles. They drafted RB Bernard Pierce, a Temple product, in the 3rd round. Pierce is a tough runner and will contribute in short-yardage and goal line situations. The Ravens also added depth to a very good defensive back field with CB Asa Jackson and S Christian Thompson. Jackson will have a chance to sit back and learn from starting corners Ladarius Webb, Cary Williams and second year defensive back Jimmy Smith.
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Posted in Columns | Tagged Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers | Leave a commentPreviously: AFC East Draft Summary
Dallas Cowboys
In one of the busiest drafts in recent history, in terms of trades, the Cowboys got in on the action and moved up to number 6. They selected CB Morris Claiborne out of LSU and improved one of their most glaring needs from the 2011 season: their secondary,. DE Tyron Crawford, drafted in the 3rd round, will not immediately become a starter on the Cowboys defense but he does provided some much needed depth. The next two picks, both in the 4th round, stayed the course with defensive players; LB Kyle Wilber out of Wake Forest and S Matt Johnson, an Eastern Washington product. With their 5th round pick, the Cowboys drafted Danny Coale, a WR that many scouts compare to Wes Welker. Coale should be able to step in and take some of the stress off of Miles Austin’s shoulders.
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Posted in Columns | Tagged Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins | Leave a comment
Buffalo Bills
In the first round the Bills began strengthening their defensive back corps by selecting CB Stephon Gilmore out of University of South Carolina and selecting CB Ron Brooks, a speedster, with the 124th overall pick. The Bills secondary in 2011 allowed close to 8 yards per reception and their entire defense was one of the major reasons they had a 7 game losing streak. Buffalo got lucky when G Cordy Glenn fell to the second round. Glenn was ranked, by most draftniks, as one of the top 20 prospects coming into this year’s draft. Glenn, along with 5th round pick T Zebrie Sanders and 6th round pick G Mark Asper will fight to strengthen and add depth to the offensive line protecting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.
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Posted in Columns | Tagged Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New Yorl Jets | Leave a comment
Fourth Round
1. St. Louis Rams – Chris Givens, WR, Wake Forest
Givens’ speed should make him a deep threat the Rams’ offense was lacking in 2011. Pairing him with second-round pick Brian Quick gives Sam Bradford a major upgrade in the receiving corps.
2. Miami Dolphins – Lamar Miller, RB, Miami (FL) 
Great pickup here. Concerns about his durability dropped Miller down the board, but it would not be surprising to see him produce the same way the injury-prone DeMarco Murray did for Dallas in 2011.
3. Baltimore Ravens – Gino Gradkowski, OG, Delaware
Gradkowski is a versatile interior lineman and could be the successor to Matt Birk, a six-time Pro Bowl pick who was drafted in the sixth round in 1998.
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Posted in Columns | Tagged Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York jets, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins | Leave a comment
Second Round
1. St. Louis Rams – Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian State
The Rams addressed a major need at wide receiver here. Quick is big at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds. Although it was perhaps surprising to see the receiver from tiny Appalachian State taken this early, St. Louis clearly saw enough in him to make him the first pick of the second round.
2. Indianapolis Colts – Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford 
Many thought Fleener, easily the top tight end of the 2012 draft class, would be taken in the first round. By taking the 6-foot-6, 247-pound beast, Indy reunited Andrew Luck with his favorite target from college.
3. Baltimore Ravens – Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama
A definite steal of the second round was Baltimore’s drafting Courtney Upshaw at No. 35 overall. Upshaw seemed to be a definite first-round pick, but most likely dropped due to his smaller size as a defensive end-outside linebacker hybrid – 6-foot-1, 272 pounds.
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Posted in Columns | Tagged Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York jets, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins | Leave a commentBut The Game Is On Sports Network
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