Goose's NFL OffSeason and Draft Predictions

So it seemed the Lodge was dead...and i wasn't even checking it daily until Train sent me a message about the resurgence. Now it looks like the flat lining Lodge may have a pulse, and being the resident Lodge Ball coach I figure we needed a little Football just before the draft. Lets also address some Off Season Football news as well

1. Jay Cutler. The trade itself will probably work out for all teams. Denver gets Three high draft picks and Chicago gets its 1st established QB since Sid Luckman. On a side note to Jay Cutler...quit your bitchin and whining, answer your F'n phone when your coach and GM calls, realize that you have only 1 of 32 NFL Starting QB Jobs this year and stop acting like a god damn prima donna. They explored other option. Big deal. Wait till your ass gets boo'd in the Windy city (Where you have no WR's...by the way)

2) TO to Buffalo. Hopefully the last stop in this Pain in the Ass career. Will teams PLEASE stop signing him?

3)Matt Cassell to KC. Man beware of this KC team in a year or 2....they could be REALLY good.

4) The 100 million dollar man....Albert Haynesworth. So on the 1st hour of FA in 2009, the skins sign Big Al to a 7 year 100million dollar contract. I as much as anyone value a big run stuffing DT more than anyone, I foresee three injury plagued years and a huge 2014 cap hit to the Skins when Al is released.

5) Corey Dillion Part 2. Fred Taylor is in New England...and he's pissed.

Now on to Goose's 2009 Mock Draft

I'll list TOP 5...then go over some general things to look out for in the draft

1- Detroit Lions: Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia

2- St. Louis Rams: Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia

3- Kansas City Chiefs: Aaron Curry, ILB, Wake Forest

4- Seattle Seahawks: Jason Smith, OT, Baylor

5- Cleveland Browns: Brian Orakpo, DE/OLB, Texas

Lets talk Seahawks. 1st. I could potentially see the Hawks trading out of #4. Look for the Redskins to try to move into the top 8 to draft Mark Sanchez. If the Hawks do trade down, look for them to draft OT/OG. Then look at QB in Round 2 or 3. Also look for them to take a high choice for a BIG Cornerback. If the Hawks stay at #4. I think they take either Monroe or Smith...the top 2 OT's. Funny thing there is 5 or 6 mock drafts I saw and none of them show the Hawks taking the same player. Crabtree , Orakpo, Sanchez were all predicted picks. My choice if he falls past #3 would be to draft Aaron Curry. The man is a monster at LB. They could still end up with Sanchez...but I have my doubts.

Denver- may be one of those teams looking to move up if Sanchez drops around the 8-9 spot. If not look for Denver to draft defense. Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU or B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College.

Dallas - Dallas traded its #1 to Detroit in the Roy Williams Trade. They will have a hard time rebuilding this year after that trade, losing 1st and third rd choices.

Its nice to see the Lodge making a comeback. For those of you interested. I am looking for some new coaches over at Newport. Start putting your Football knowledge to good use.

Gooses 3rd annual Fantasy Draft review and predictions

1st and formost, Newport record is 1-0 after a 4th quarter 20-7 come from behind win against Mercer Island

So year 3 of the Lodge Fantsy League means year three of my draft reviews

Lat year goose succesfuly predicted the train repeat and was right on the money. Will he predict a 3peat this year? Read on....

Lets get rolling

Hancock NCentral HS

Predicted Finish 8th

Jimbo, solid at the starting positions with Addai, Romo, Witten, Fitzgerald and Calvin J. Your issues comes with depth. Forte is a big ??? and may not be able to carry the load against Bears opponants stacking 8 in the box. Speaking of the Box, the human Puma Box at running back with eaither be a steal (800yds and 8tds) or suspended /waived by week 4. Tough call. Might have to work some trades to get the Rb situation fixed

Major Boobage

Predicted Finish 2nd

Nothing stands out as outstanding with this team. Solid, definately solid. However my prediction is Derek Anderson will have a down year and you may turn to McNabb early in the season. I think this team will compete for a playoff spot but will need to wheel and deal to win it all. Good sleepers on the bench at WR in Hackett and Gonzalez. If they explode, this team could be dangerous

#37 So Long Comittee

Predicted Finish 10th

So long playoffs for this team. Dude, you need to start hitting the waiver wire soon. Carson is a good fantasy QB and your WR's are good. You already need depth at RB without RUDI RUDI and your RB's without Westbrook are big question marks. I think unless the stars align, your team is in trouble. You get the Goose Whammy

My Vic In A Box

Predicted Finish 9th

I like the michael turner pick, he will give you a quality RB. I doubt Moss can have the same impact as he did last year, though he is still good for 14td's. Your depth could be better and there were better RB's on the board without drafting forsett. This is another team that will struggle to make the playoffs.

Flex Appeal

Predicted Finish 7th

Lloyd. Good starters. Lets hope the Steven Jackson holdout doesnt become a hangover. He may start slow and may not be able to get on track. Plus holdouts lead to nagging little injuries. McFadden should be a stud, however your bench is pretty bad. Chris Brown is already done for the year, Leinart isnt even the starter, and neither is Kenny Watson. Hit the wire, or else you'll be watching the playoff from whereever it is that you sit (Since I dont really know you)

Taint Punch

Predicted Finish 5th

Casey, thank Train for actually not screwing you with a team. You are actually looking pretty good, however you will probably win the award for "Most times forgetting to set your roster". I see a good team here, but you may need help at RB, both at starters (After LT) and depth. Make sure you pick up another kicker, 2 is NEVER enough

III Peat

Predicted Finish 6th

Train. Im dissappointed in you. 1st. We have not had a TO blowup in 2 year, prepare yourself, its coming. 2. I give you the curse of the cowboys. You will not repeat this year because you drafted classless bums. 3. You just signed a raider, which goes against your beliefs. You are a sad Mexican and like Dirty Steve said "YOU DO IT WITH YOUR HORSE!!!" Your team will make the playoffs, however your dreams of a three peat ended when you decided to Trust in cowboys.

Professor Bad Beat

Predicted Finish 4th

Im not sure what your team names means but that doesnt matter. Duke I like this team. Its riddled with quality sleepers, so it could be 7-7 or 11-3. Big Ben at QB, Good WR's and solid RB's. (Id draft a different defense though). However You have no Backup RB's and 3 QB's. I'd hit the waiver wire quick before Dude does.

The Program

Predicted Finish 1st

Hollywood 2.0. Another team that has sleeper all over it. Brady will not hit 50 again, White and colsten will be solid at WR. TJ and Willis will be solid (I think willis is due for a breakout year, 1400yds and 12 tds plus another 50 balls recieving). Your depth is good, and I think your team is on of the top 3 in the league. Health will be key, and I know you will scout the wire and manipulate some people into trades. You get the vote this year.

Halls of Monk 08

Predicted Finish 3rd

I like my group. QB's and RB's are strong. AP could hit 1800 this year if healthy (If not I have Chester). WR's are good for 70/1000/8 and depth is good with two sleeper RB's in Perry and Stewert (Perry may hit 1000yds and catch 60 balls). Defense and kickers are good and I have my big man Cooley ay TE. With a little luck we may get to the final 4 and/or beyond

Gooses 2nd NFL Mock Draft

The NFL Season is about to begin:

This weekend is the NFL Draft and for the 1st time we will not be blessed with Mel Kiper Jr's Hair for 48 straight hours.

#1 Miami Dolphins- Jake Long OT Michigan
Not too much of a strech here as Long has already been signed sealed and delivered. This is a rock solid foundation and while not a flashy or sexy pick, most teams that value a solid oline have turned losing franchises into Super Bowl Contenders

#2 St. Louis Rams- Chris Long DE Virginia
Leanord Little is old, the rams defense is pourous and Chris Long is probably the best defensive player in the draft. He's 6-3 275 and ran the 40 in 4.75. Has good technique and hits the edge hard.

#3 Atlanta Falcons- Matt Ryan QB Boston College
Matt Ryan has two things going for him. He is a solid QB and he is not Michael Vick. This is a team in desperate need of a leader and a face, Ryan can fit the bill. A secondary strech could be Darren Mcfadden but I thing they need a QB most of all

#4 Oakland RaidersVernon Gholston DE/OLB Ohio State
If you watch Gholston play, you will see a mirror image of Terrell Suggs. A classic Tweener would fits perfectly as an OLB in a 3-4 or a DE in a 4-3....HOWEVER...look for Oakland to potentially trade this pick, trying to move down. They are Cap strapped and dont want to pay big money for a #4 pick

#5 Kansas City Chiefs- Glenn Dorsey DT LSU
If the Chiefs stay at #5 I think they take Dorsey. If they trade down they would look at Ryan Clady from Boise State. Their biggest need is OT but dorsey may be too good to pass up.

#6 N.Y. Jets- Darren McFadden RB Arkansas
McFadden is the type of back who will make Jets fans forget about Curtis Martin. Of course they already want to forget about Thomas Jones. He could be this years Adrian Peterson, hopefully not this years Blair Thomas

#7 New England Patriots- Mike Jenkins, CB South Florida
The Pats are always tough to get a read on. They would love Gholston but wouldnt trade up for him. They could take Ryan Clady if he drops. Jenkins in the #1 CB on the board and the loss of Asanti Samuel makes this a need pick

#8 Baltimore Ravens- Brian Brohm QB Louisville
The Ravens could wait until Round 2 or trade back into the late-1st to get a QB. New Coach John Harbaugh needs his franchise QB. Last time they waited they ended up with Kyle Boller.

#9 Cincinnati Bengals- Sedrick Ellis DT USC
LB was the biggest need however with Odell Thuman reinstated I think they go DT with this pick. Sedrick Ellis is a tough solid run stopper. Look for the Bengals to also potentially trade down.

#10 New Orleans Saints- Leodis McKelvin, CB Troy State
They wanted Jenkins and would take him if NE Passes. Either way they go CB with this pick. The pass defense was horrid last year and they need impact players

Now we choose the Lodge Teams picks:

#12 Denver Broncos Chris Williams, OT Vanderbilt
Matt Lepsis retirement forces the Broncos to fill a huge hole on the OL. Williams can play G and T but is more suited to be a RT. He'll find a home Cutting and Chop Blocking in Denver

#21 Washington Redskins Calais Campbell, DE Miami (FL)
Campbell filled a need at the pass rusher position and could be a sleeper pick this late in the draft. However his Miami ties will surely guarantee him some jail time sometime in the next 8-12 months. Mark my words.

#22 and #28 Dallas Cowboys
Devin Thomas, WR Michigan State, James Hardy, WR Indiana or Antoine Cason, CB Arizona at #22 (If any of them fall). Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, CB Tennessee State or DeSean Jackson, WR/KR California. Obviously the cowboys will be looking at CB and WR for their top 2 picks. I wont add more inforamtion because I simply dont care.

#25 Seattle Seahawks
Watch the Detroit and Arizona pick at 16 and 17 to determine the Seahawks moves here. If J Stewart and Rashard Mendenhall are gone, look for the Seahawks to potentially look OL or TE. Dustin Keller, Purdue and Fred Davis, USC are the two top TE's.

Gooses NFL Draft Review

So I decided to start my draft review with the Hometown Team. Then I give some thoughts and feedback on what I thought was a pretty interesting draft.
With the 1st pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, The Seattle Seahawks pick Deion Branch WR.
So obviously the Hawks have given up their 1st rounder for DB. I still like this trade and I think you have great depth at WR going into Camp. Look for DJ Hackett to press for the other starting WR spot opposite Branch.


2 - Josh Wilson CB, Maryland (5-9, 188);

At 1st I said. What the hell? Why draft an undersized CB when your needs are obviously elsewhere. Then I stepped back a little. This guy as a Junior ran a 4.25 40. That’s not a typo. 4.25. He is also NFL Bloodline, with his Dad being the blocking back for Earl Campbell. He is a solid player and his return skills are outstanding. I have always said. Special teams accounts for 14-20 Plays a Game for both teams (punts and kickoffs). I like the kid and think he will make a solid pro. He also provides insurance if Trufant leaves as a Free agent

3 - Brandon Mebane, DT, Cal (6-1, 305);
Big Solid run stuffer. Good value as a third round pick. If Tubbs cannot come back he adds great depth to the Dline.

4 - Baraka Atkins, DE, Miami-Florida (6-4, 308);
I scratch my head on this one. Why draft a DE this high when you have Kearney, Fisher and Tapp? Atkins is a monster specimen at 6-4 but he may have been available later

4 - Mansfield Wrotto, G, Georgia Tech (6-3, 316);



I LOVE THIS PICK. This was the Niners/Jackson trade pick. Wrotto is a HUGE Bulldozer who has a good career at GT. From what I have read he is smart, great work ethic, and loves football. His value dropped because he only played one year of OT while playing 3 at DT. Ran down a LB 40yds downfield after an interception to save a touchdown. I might go out on a limb here and say “Steve Hutchinson? Who is that?”

5 - Will Herring, LB/FS, Auburn (6-3, 226);
Big time player who is your classic “Tweener”. To big for a Safety and too small for a LB. Will need to get some size as I think you will see him more at LB. A gifted player without a position.

6 - Courtney Taylor, WR, Auburn (6-2, 204);
Taylor was listed as a Top15 WR. To get him in the 6th round is good. He was projected by some as high as 3rd round. Good Value. Should make the practice squad or catch on as the #6 WR

6 - Jordan Kent, WR, Oregon (6-4, 217);
We’ve all seen Kent play up the road. He has good size and good speed. Think Marques Colston with the Saints last year. Could have impact.

7 - Steve Vallos, OL, Wake Forest (6-3, 297)
Should add good depth to the O-line.


I still want to know why the hell they didnt draft a TE in Rounds 3-7. I know the top 3 were gone before they picked at 55. But come on. Fill a need





Now Hawks fans here is the bad news. Two teams that improved themselves greatly were the Falcons and Panthers. The Falcons got one of the top Guards (Justin Blalock, A top 5 Defensive and in Jamaal Anderson, and A top 5 corner in Chris Houston from Arkansas
The Panthers saw solid picks in Dwayne Jarret and John Beason (LB Miami)

Also having good drafts were the Bucs (Even after losing Calvin Johnson) and it hurts me to say, the Cowboys. The cowboys did nothing to improve themselves greatly this year but with two 1st rounders next year (Including a potential top10 pick from Cleveland) they are set to rebuild.

Other Random Thoughts

· Cleveland mortgaged its future for Quinn who I think will make a good pro for whomever the Browns coach is after this season
· Calvin Johnson will have more of an impact on the NFL in his 1st 4 year than Randy Moss’s 1st 4
· Speaking of Moss. Sad thing is he will clean up his image, win a Super Bowl with Tom Brady, and probably get into the Hall of Fame after being labeled as a Poor Pro Player. (See Corey Dillon). If he gets in before Art Monk I will call upon Brendon Frasiers Mummy to destroy Canton Ohio.
· “Throw me the Damn ball” was cut by the Panthers after interviewing Dwayne Jarrett and comparing Jarretts style to his own. The NFL is a Fickle little bitch.

Weekend Wrapup

This past Friday, I was able to work from home since we were having the Comcast people come by to upgrade our service and join the Digital Revolution. Needless to say, with the new Digital Cable and subsequent extra 300+ channels, coupled with the NBA Playoffs, NFL Draft & Premiership matches, my weekend was pretty much set before it even started.


So as I watch Michael Owen's Newcastle comeback from injury (Owen scored a goal in the 6th minute before being called offsides, alas, the match is still scoreless as the first half comes to a close), I'll start off with condolences to Train's Blues... who squandered a chance to defend their Premiership Championship with an uninspired performance for the second week in the row, again only coming away with a draw against an inferior football club. Mourino's lineup seemed effected by the UEFA leg this week, as was ManU's starting squad with Ronaldo sitting, but the Devils were able to overcome a first half deficit with an inspired Rooney performance. Rooney now has 12 goals in his past 13 matches.

Keeping with the theme of fallen champions, in the NBA I witnessed the baby Bulls take out the hobbling and visibly over-the-hill defending NBA Champion Miami Heat, sweeping the series 4-0. Luol Deng was big throughout the series, but Ben Gordon is the key to that team. If you see Chicago continue on through the 2nd round, it'll be because of Gordon's clutch play and ability to take his man one-on-one and make key plays when the play breaks down.

Finally, not to beat Goose to the punch and give you my breakdown on the NFL Draft festivities from this past weekend, but some brief thoughts on the draft and one bold opinion on the coverage... as I was watching too many hours of the NFL Draft on Saturday and continuing into Sunday, I came to shocking revelation about 1 hour into the Draft: The NFL Network kicked the shite out of ESPN this weekend.
Sure, ESPN has Mel Kiper Jr. But that can be both an advantage and a hindrance. Kiper has an encyclopedia of knowledge about NFL Prospects since scouting college football players has been his gig for over 25+ years now. But one can only take so much of Kiper before wanting to strangle him and shave his ever growing head of hair. He's basically been reduced to a glorified team manager. You remember the guy in High School and college who couldn't make even the Junior Varsity squad but wanted to be around the sports and athletes so much that he resorted to fetching water bottles and taking detailed stats of games and practices. Well, Mel Kiper Jr. has more detailed stats than anyone. But that doesn't hide the fact that he's the biggest geek in the room.


Which leads me to the NFL Network's brilliant coverage. Each anchor and analyst knows football inside and out (with the possible exception of Rich Eisen), with no talking heads like the aforementioned Kiper and Tony Kornheiser types. The analysis was faster, and more accurate. The team needs were more clear and updated along the bottom tracker throughout the days. And the "breaking news" was literally 30-40 minutes ahead of ESPN's stories. For example, NFL Network "On-site reporter", Adam Schefter, was reporting from the Radio City Music Hall floor (where the team tables are spread about), and he reported the Cleveland trade (back up for the 22nd pick to take Brady Quinn, great recap of the details behind the deal was written today by Peter King) over 30 minutes before ESPN even mentioned it. And when the NFL had moved on after discussing the Randy Moss trade (on day 2, when New England stole a Pro-Bowler for a 4th round pick, similar to the Seahawks draft day deal, only Randy Moss doesn't drop passes), ESPN couldn't stop talking about it. ESPN basically drove me to watching the NFL Network coverage. But I couldn't have been happier about the move.

Kiper's role on the NFL Network is played by Mike Mayock. The difference is that Mayock played in the NFL. Where Kiper probably hasn't even played Madden before. Mayock had just as much knowledge about the NFL prospects, and was able to point out team needs and tendencies much more often than Kiper. It wasn't even a contest.

If you break down the match-up further with a tale-of-the-tape style, the host, analysts and reporters for the NFL Network outperformed ESPN in every category (with the notable exception of Todd McShay (who was spot on with his breakdowns leading up to the draft and during) and Seattle's own John Clayton (who still has inside knowledge on teams and deals that is unmatched). Chris Berman has three forks stuck in his back at this point, ironically bumbling & stumbling over draft pick names, still clinging to the nickname schtick, a schtick that lost it's legs at the turn of the century. That all said, ESPN has better post-draft coverage thanks to their much more robust online coverage on the dot com.

Now that I got that out of my system, the Draft itself saw big winners in Oakland (getting a QB, making quality picks and deals, plus a possible gold-mine in the healing Michael Bush from Louisville, & getting rid of the unhappy Moss), Minnesota (having Peterson drop to them at #7) and Dallas (great draft moving down the board for more picks & stealing a possible 2008 Top-10 pick in the Cleveland deal). There also were big losers with Kansas City (over half of their OL retired/left in the last 2 years yet they draft no-one of significance to help, plus kept Trent Green instead of trading him for picks even though they'll have to cut him by June for cap-purposes, just stupid moves all around & a word of warning when thinking about drafting Larry Johnson next year in Fantasy) and the Tennessee Titans (who drafted a Safety when they need a replacement for the suspended Pacman and a have glaring needs at WR and took 3 underachieving wideouts on Day 2).