So Much Action, So Little Time...

for blogging that is.

But I do want to discuss one thing, hit on by the Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette in this morning's paper - The Steelers traded up in the 4th round to get a punter but made no attempts to add depth at Running Back. Now, Ed's column seems to suggest this was a mistake, but as tough as it is for me to disagree with such a football savaant, I have to think that the Steelers know what they're doing.

In his column, Bouchette mentions that Head Coach Mike Tomlin said they "considered some backs in this draft but the value just was not there." Michael, I wholeheartedly agree. After you got through the top 3 or 4 backs, there really wasn't a super impressive lineup to choose from, especially bigger backs that would complement Fast Willie's finesse running style. The guys I thought would have made sense were Tony Hunt and Michael Bush, who went in the 3rd and 4th rounds respectively - positions we obviously weren't comfortable drafting a running back in vs. other positions which we needed more (Punter, ahem ahem).

The value of a good punter cannot be understated. Gardocki has been the best for a long time, but after 16 years in the league, his leg is bound to have lost some power. Sepulveda was the top guy in this draft at the position, a two-time Ray Guy award winner, and although one really can't tell how good a guy will be until he's put in the situation, I think he'll be a good fit.

Plus, Punter is definitely a more pressing need than tailback. We resigned Najeh, and his job really should be to complement Willie. That doesn't mean I wasn't underwhelmed by his play last year, because I was. It's just that Punter was a more immediate need for us - let's face it, Mike Barr ain't exactly Gardocki incarnate.

So I like it, I know it's a high spot to draft that position and we gave up a 6th round pick to get him, but as usual, I gotta think the Steelers know what they're doing.

PS - why do I get the feeling I'll be talking about the draft for at least the next week?

"Fishing" For Success...aka 2007 NFL Draft Retrospective Part VI

Now I know I wasn't the only one to go, "WHAT???", when the Dolphins selected Ted Ginn Jr. with their overall #9 first round pick yesterday, but I'm looking at the overall crop for the Fish this year and frankly, I'm finding myself thinking the same thing again.

How you pass on QB Brady Quinn at 9 for Ted Ginn Jr. is beyond me. I heard Cam Cameron say "we drafted the Ginn family," talking about how good of a kid Ted is and how great Cameron thinks he will be, but for all that enthusiasm the fact of the matter is Ginn is undersized and probably a better kick returner (ala Willie Reid) than a receiver. You just can't waste the #9 pick on a guy like Ginn. If they wanted Ted Ginn, they should've traded down (WAY down). But of course, I am but one man and this is nothing more than my opinion.

So aside from Ginn, here's what Miami's picks have been:

Round 2 - John Beck, QB BYU: I agree with ESPN on this one, at 40 they should have gone with Drew Stanton. Again, opinion here, but Stanton is just a better overall QB. Just as further reinforcement, Beck was ranked 7 out of this years QB crop by Scouts Inc, not projected to go until the 5th round!!! They also at this spot had the option of drafting Trent Edwards - overall a better graded QB, not that "grades" matter much. Here's the thing - If Miami doesn't get Trent Green in this deal that seems like it's been in the works for like three weeks, they are forced to use either Daunte Culpepper, Cleo Lemon (?) or, now, Beck. Beck is 25, just under 6'2" and only 215 pounds. Plus, they say his deep ball isn't his best asset. So, the Dolphins really should have been thinking about who can be a starter for them in the next couple of years. Instead it seems like they drafted a backup.

Round 2 - Samson Satele, C Hawaii: Compared to Kevin Mawae, he was the best center prospect available and probably right behind Ryan Kalil on Miami's wish list (who was coincidentally picked by Carolina right before the Dolphins' selection). He's said to be a great pass protector, but as a run blocker needs some work. His Hawaii training ground was a pass first offensive scheme, so this may be a case of him just not having enough exposure to the run, and really I can't find too much wrong with this pick.

Round 3 - Lorenzo Booker, RB Florida State: Boy is he a little guy. Booker is 5'10", 188, but he does run a 4.4 40, so he's a good scat back to complement Ronnie Browns North-South running style. Still, I was waiting for them to address their WR vacancies, plus D-line and D-back needs (course D-line you can get in the later rounds).

Round 4 - Paul Soliai, DT Utah: A former OG at Utah, Soliai's biggest asset is his 319 pounds. He's also 6'3 1/2". So he's a good fit for the 3-4 Miami should be running this year (with Jason Taylor moving to OLB opposite Joey Porter) in that he can tie up guys on the line. But the concern with Soliai is his durability. It is said that he cannot be an every down tackle because of endurance and agility issues. Also, he was suspended from his team's bowl game due to a violation of team rules. Not much detail there, but character issues are always a red flag. Plus, frankly the Dolphins had a lot of choices here that were better than Soliai. But, I am not a scout, so I can't accurately say that I know he wasn't the best pick for them.

Well anyways, so Miami, here's my big question - Where was your head in round 1??? If I was a Phins fan, I could live with the latter four (not so much Beck but fine), but Ginn at 9? I still can't get over that...