Football,f1 motorsports,NBA,Premier League

CAN SOMEONE IN THIS YEAR'S DRAFT SURPASS #1 PICK KHALIL MACK'S SUCCESS AS A ROOKIE?

*****

With the 4th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft the Oakland Raiders select...

It seems to me the days of biting my fingernails, lip and smashing TV's may be over, with that said I believe we had a good draft but not great

RD1 pick 4- Amari Cooper WR Alabama 6'1" 211. This was a great pick by the front office, while some had us taking Leonard Williams which would have ultimately gave us an immediate top half of the league defense, Carr needs help and Cooper should immediately step in a be #1, gaining ROY along the way.

Grade-A

RD2 pick 3(35)- Mario Edwards Jr DT FSU 6'3"285. I was a bit surprised by this pick, although it should help out to free up K. Mack to attack from numerous places I was thinking CB or possibly a trade with Chicago for Bennett. This kid has a good upside though at 23 years old should be a huge part of our success at getting to the QB

Grade-B

RD3 pick 4(68)-Clive Walford TE Miami 6'4" 250. Love this pick, granted the experts say it was a bit high, I think he was by far the best TE available and under the radar do to limited football history, can stretch D and solid hands.

Grade-A

RD4 24(128)-Jon Feliciano OG Miami 6'4" 325. Do not like this pick, there were still OL on the board that could come in and compete for K Barnes job, I dont think Feliciano can win that job.Prove me wrong big Jon.

Grade-D

RD5 4(140)-Ben Heeney OLB Kansas 6' 230. tough fill in the gaps run stopper, his size and play reminds me of a London Fletcher type guy. Special teams and certain packages to start.

Grade-C

RD5 25(161)-Neiron Ball OLB Florida 6'2" 240. Another surprise pick here, when still no corners showing either a huge trust in our young bucks, or remnants of bad choices, ill go with the first. at 22 years old he can develop into a solid linebacker needs to work on his feet and ability to read pass run to get that first step.

Grade-C

RD6 3(179)-Max Valles OLB Virginia 6'5 250. Either we are switching to a 3-4 or staff has decided to go young and passionate and groom these young men hoping they pan out within a couple years.This young man is 20 years old and hasnt grown into his frame, If he makes the squad I see him making an impact getting to opposing qbs and altering throws with his size and wingspan

Grade-B

RD7 1(218)-Anthony Morris OL Tennesee St. 6'6" 290. This kid i raw, usually when OL are taken this low its because they are not developed, while Feliciano is said to compete for a starting spot, I dont think the same for Morris, McKenzie wants to bring in young talent and try to develop, If he makes the 53 it will be a good job by Morris.

Grade-C

RD74(221)-Andre Debose WR Florida 6' 190. A solid pick if it turns out the teams investigations as to why he didnt travel and play in the bowl game were indeed a mutual choice not a disciplinary action, he is a great value in this spot being a great return specialist holding acc record with 4 kick return and 1 punt return TD's, we can use the help finishing 14th, if Andre makes the team it will be as a special teams guy.

Grade-B+

RD7 25(242)-Dexter McDonald CB Kansas 6'2" 205. has all the measurables of the bigger corners but is raw and has some technique flaws, but with great coaching from staff and Cwood, he could mold into a steal this late in the draft, running a 4.4 40 he can turn and run with the speed recievers and is big enough to jump ball and win. McDonald like the other two 7th rounders visited Oakland on pre draft visits which some are saying is very smart getting to know the late round guys that usually become the heart of teams, conversely, the raiders did not have pre draft visit with Amari Cooper, or last years phenom Khalil Mack. and on a personal note, another McDonald in the league only gives me an excuse to buy another Jersey.

Grade-B

Overall Grade-B

I come to the B grade not by averaging the individual grades but by the talent and how great the Amari Cooper, Walford, and some of the late round steals can be if things go our way. I think we may have overpaid in draft value dollars on a couple 4 to 6 round guys we probably could have got later, but the way it ended I think we have another solid draft under the regime and I look forward to doubling our win total. Please comment on what you think of the draft.

The NFL draft has seen its fair share of shocking moments. Moments of frustration with the fans, like when Denver selected Tim Tebow, or when Minnesota selected Christian Ponder. Every team has made a questionable draft pick in recent history, and surprises come out of those picks. Tom Brady being one example, no one expected Tom Brady to be where he is today during his draft. Tom Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft. Brady was the seventh quarterback to be picked and more importantly the only quarterback still playing NFL Football. What made this draft so interesting were the various trade rumors leading up to the draft. Philadelphia was supposed to trade quarterback Sam Bradford to Tennessee for the second pick to draft quarterback Marcus Mariota. You kind of expected for a few trades to take place so teams could get the players they really wanted. But, those things didn’t happen. No trades in the 1^st round were jaw-dropping bomb shells; in fact, it was kind of boring. With that being said, let’s look at some shocking picks made in this year’s draft.  

1. The Rams shocked twitter by selecting Todd Gurley, there was an instant discontent of Ram fans, wondering why they didn’t choose to strengthen the offensive line. Besides, St Louis already has Zac Stacy and Tre Mason. Sure, Gurley has potential to be an elite back in the NFL. But, the Rams offensive line is arguably the reason that former quarterback Sam Bradford has the injury issues that have cause him to miss a ton of games.

2. The Chicago Bears made a surprising pick in the draft. They chose to ignore the defense woes that caused Chicago to be one of the worst defenses in the NFL. They draft Kevin White, a very talented wide receiver. Chicago most likely felt that the play-making position needed some additions with the subtraction of Brandon Marshall. Let’s hope White and quarterback jay Cutler can connect and give Chicago some much needed offensive sparks.

3. The Denver Bronco’s selected Shane Ray. It’s just too ironic that a player who receiver a citation for marijuana possession, goes to a team, in a city, where marijuana is legal. Never mind the offensive line, or protecting your aging superstar quarterback, but drafting your own defensive Ricky Williams is what makes Denver one of those teams that will not win a Super Bowl.

4. The New Orleans Saints made a head-scratcher by selecting linebacker Stephone Anthony from Clemson rather than addressing the need to replace Jimmy Graham’s production. Trading Graham was a huge decision by the Saints, not addressing the role Graham left is irresponsible.

5. The Cleveland Browns took a center in the first round. Without Josh Gordon the Browns desperately need some help in the passing game. I’m not against Cleveland addressing the offensive line, but center Cameron Erving would have been available in the second round.  

6. The Miami Dolphins are showing improvement in the league lately. They’ve had some good picks in the draft. Currently, Miami has holes at linebacker, guard and safety. Strangely, the Dolphins drafted a Jordan Phillips defensive tackle that wasn’t a need, especially after spending $114 million in free agency on Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

7. The Seattle Seahawks picked Frank Clark a defensive end out of Michigan. Frank Clark is a talented player who many experts thought might go undrafted after being kicked off the team in November over a domestic-violence charge in an incident with his girlfriend. The Seahawks have made some shocking picks in recent years, but this is the biggest head-scratcher of them all. Clearly, Seattle hasn’t seen the NBA domestic abuse PSA’s.

8. The New York Giants selected Ereck Flowers, an offensive lineman from Miami. Why? The 9^th pick was a perfect opportunity to roll the dice on a top talent like running back who could have helped quarterback Eli Manning just as much as Flowers.

9. The Oakland Raiders needed a pass-rusher, so they drafted Mario Edwards Jr. with the 35th overall pick. Oakland drafted a guy with a total of eight sacks in three years at Florida State over Mississippi State's Preston Smith, who had nine last year alone.  

10. The St. Louis Rams need a quarterback badly. So, the Rams selected Oregon State's Sean Mannion, who was a turnover machine in college. According to NFL.com, he had 30 fumbles and 54 interceptions in college. He also threw 83 touchdowns, but 37 of those were during his junior year. He’ll be in great company with Nick Foles, Case Keenum and Austin Davis already on the roster.

The 2015 NFL Draft has come and gone so now it’s time to hand out the annual draft grades. The NFL Draft is something that is anticipated for months and in a flash of an eye it is over. That is the uniqueness of the draft, but also can send the diehard fans into a depression because now we must wait three months for more live meaningful NFL coverage.

Today we will take a look at the first five picks in this year’s NFL Draft. We will grade each pick on a scale of A to F. We will consider things like on the field play, off the field issues, college competition and college success as we project that forward to the NFL level.

First, we will start with the number one pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Jameis Winston of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Draft grade: B- We give Winston a B for obvious reasons. The off the field issues have to be a concern. This doesn’t mean he can’t change his ways now that he is in a professional atmosphere, but he has to prove it first.

His own the field play is without question deserving of an A. He has all the skills you look for in a professional quarterback. He has great arm strength, accuracy and played in an NFL type system in college at Florida State.

The level of competition he played against in the ACC also concerns me, but not too much. Winston and Buccaneers get a B, but they certainly made the right choice.

Second, is the number two pick to the Tennessee Titans, Marcus Mariota.

Draft grade: B- We give the Titans a B for the selection of Mariota. His off the field concerns can be listed as none. He is humble, a great leader and will be a great ambassador for the Titans.

His spread style offense experience at Oregon will be a concern as he transfers to the NFL, but he has what it takes to get the job done by all accounts.

I love this pick of Mariota by the Titans and I feel they made the right choice by keeping the number two pick and not trading it away like so many rumors had them doing so leading up to the draft.

Third, is the number three selection of Dante Fowler to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Draft grade: B- We once again give the selection of Fowler a B grade. I feel he has all the physical qualities you look for in a future NFL star on the defensive side of the ball. He came from a great defensive system at Florida where he was coached by defensive guru Will Muschamp.

Muschamp was previously an assistant coach under Nick Saban at LSU, so you know Fowler has been well trained about the mindset and qualities it takes to play a good brand of defensive football.

Fowler is a great pick for the Jaguars and will now have to use his speed and athletic ability to rush the passer in the NFL.

Fourth, is the number four pick of Amari Cooper to the Oakland Raiders.

Draft grade: A- I give the selection of Cooper by the Raiders an A. I feel this was one of the best selections in the entire 2015 NFL Draft. I love the route running ability Cooper has and the best attribute I see from Cooper is his speed.

He has breakaway speed not only after the catch, but he runs his routes fast. He is decisive when he runs his routes and he hits another gear to gain huge “yards after catch.”

This pick was my favorite in the top five and I believe he will go on to be a pro bowler in the near future. If he can consistently get the ball in good positions from Raider quarterback Derek Carr, then his career will be elevated that much more.

Last but not least is the fifth pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, Leonard Williams to the New York Jets.

Draft grade: B- Our final grade is for the Jets’ selection of Leonard Williams from Southern California. I believe he will be a decent pass rusher at the NFL level, but his biggest strength will be stopping the run off the edges.

Williams has good mobility and nice speed that will help him rush the passer when put in third and long situations. This pick will be one that may actually work out for the Jets and help get them back on the winning track in the very near future.

Quick recap of the 1st Round with an emphasis on the impact these players will have on Fantasy Football. As always, the landing spot for these rookies is just as significant as their talent/ability. We’ll wait until the Draft is complete to publish our initial rookie rankings. Until then, get to know this year’s 1st round picks. 

Quarterbacks: 

Jameis Winston, 1st Overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 

Despite some serious off the field concerns and maturity issues, the Buccaneers selected the former Florida State QB with the 1st overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. 

Fantasy Impact: With two super-star wide receivers already on the roster in Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, Winston won’t have to worry about the lack of weapons. Pegged as the most “Pro-Ready” QB prospect in this year’s draft, it would be a major shock if Winston isn’t starting under-center in Week 1. 

Marcus Mariota, 2nd Overall, Tennessee Titans

So much speculation and rumor based reporting heading into the draft led everyone to believe the Titans were willing to trade away the Number 2 pick to either the Chicago Bears or Philadelphia Eagles. But the Tennessee’s asking price for the 2nd second proved to be to expensive. The result? The Titans take the former Oregon QB and reigning Heisman Trophy Winner.

Fantasy Impact: Coach Ken Whisenhunt has proven to get the most out of his QBs and admitted in the off-season he would cater his offense to suit Mariota’s strengths. That being said, we’d be lying if we didn’t LOVE the idea of Mariota re-joining his former Ducks Coach from a purely selfish Fantasy Football standpoint. With Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter beginning to emerge as solid receivers, Mariota has a good supporting cast of playmakers that he can grow with at the start of his career. Will Mariota beat out the incumbent starter, Zach Mettenberger? Our guess would be a resounding YES!!!!

Running Backs:

Todd Gurley, 10th Overall, St. Louis Rams:

A clear decision to take best player available, the Rams selected former Georgia rusher, Todd Gurley who many consider the second coming of Adrian Peterson with the 10th overall pick. If it wasn’t for a torn ACL last November, Gurley may have very well been a Top 5 pick.

Fantasy Impact: At 6’1, 227 pounds, Gurley has the size of a bruising and punishing rusher but the sblazing peed and shiftiness of a smaller scat back. Plain and simple he’s the total package. The major question of course is the status of his surgically repaired knee. If everything checks out without any set backs over the summer, Gurley will be the starter in Week 1 and certainly has the potential to be a Top 12 RB right out of the gate. Tre Mason will take a back-seat to Gurley and Zac Stacy has already asked to be traded.

Melvin Gordon, 15th Overall, San Diego Chargers:

The Chargers swapped picks with the 49ers and moved up the board to nab the former Wisconsin rusher with the 15th overall pick. Teams were shying away from selecting running backs in the 1st round in the last few years, but Gordon was the 2nd RB taken in the Top 15 picks (Todd Gurley 10th overall).

Fantasy Impact: With the departure of Ryan Mathews, the Chargers needed a new work-horse RB. Danny Woodhead is coming off an ACL tear and once healthy will likely just take on a 3rd down role. Gordon didn’t display his receiving skills a lot during his College career but he sure as hell proved he can tote the rock. Gordon finished on top of all NCAA D1 RBs with an eye popping 2,587 yards.

Wide Receivers:

Amari Cooper, 4th Overall, Oakland Raiders

There were some draft pundits who ranked Kevin White (7th overall Bears) ahead of Amari Cooper, but with the 4th overall pick, the Raiders selected the Alabama standout. Thanks to his precise route running and body control, Cooper is the most “Pro-Ready” receiver in this year’s class and has drawn comparison to Reggie Wayne and former Raiders WR Tim Brown. 

Fantasy Impact: It seems the Raiders found their franchise QB last year with Derek Carr and now pair him up with their franchise WR. Cooper will have an instant impact in the Raiders passing attack which has lacked a few playmakers in recent years. Typically we would be bummed when one of our favorite rookie prospects ends up on a team like the Raiders, but Cooper (like a Sammy Watkins in 2014) should have no problem emerging as a solid WR3 in  Fantasy despite playing for a bad team. 

Kevin White, 7th Overall, Chicago Bears 

After a terrific showing at the NFL Combine and breakout season at West Virginia last year, White’s draft stock skyrocketed. In an effort to fill the void left by Brandon Marshall, the Bears invested their 7th overall selection in the 6’3 wide-out. 

Fantasy Impact: Given his size, strength, and speed, White has drawn comparisons to Terrell Owens. He’s blazing fast (4.35 40 yard dash), 36.5 inch vertical leap, and a solid muscular build (210 pounds) but his route running is a bit unpolished. He’ll join the Bears as the team’s Number 2 wideout behind Alshon Jeffery. Unfortunately a lot of White’s initial success is tied to Jay Cutler, which we aren’t  necessarily thrilled about, but there are much worse QB situations around the league that White could have landed in. 

DeVante Parker, 14th Overall, Miami Dolphins

The glaring need for a true Number 1 wide receiver led the Dolphins to select DeVante Parker with their 1st round pick (14th overall). A big bodied (6’3, 211 pounds) receiver, Parker displayed tremendous toughness at Louisville and consistently showed excellent body control and concentration. Seems Parker always won the “jump ball” over defenders, thanks to strong hands, superior leaping ability, and long frame. Drops won’t be an issue for Ryan Tannehill’s new target

Fantasy Impact: The Dolphins are making serious noise this off-season by bringing in some serious weapons for Ryan Tannehill. Tight End Jordan Cameron and receivers Kenny Stills and Greg Jennings were solid acquisitions. Now add in Parker along with second year PPR stud in the making, Jarvis Landry, and Miami has one of those offenses that may take that next step into the upper echelon in 2015. Parker may not win the starting job right away (seasoned veterans typically get the edge in camp), but likely will emerge as the starter by year’s end. 

Nelson Agholor, 20th Overall, Philadelphia Eagles

Dubbed the second best route runner behind Amari Cooper, the Eagles drafted Nelson Agholor out of USC with the 20th overall pick. Capable of playing in the slot and the outside, Agholor can also contribute on Special Teams as a return man. 

Fantasy Impact; The Eagles lost their leading receiver, Jeremy Maclin, in the off-season and you know dam well Chip Kelly wasn’t going to rely on Riley Cooper to start opposite of Jordan Matthews. So what do the Eagles do? Draft a Jeremy Maclin like clone with the former USC Trojan. Forget about all the trade talk non-sense with Marcus Mariota, the Eagles still have a solid offense even with Sam Bradford at the helm and Agholor will surely benefit from Chip Kelley’s receiver friendly offense. 

Breshad Perriman, 26th Overall, Baltimore Ravens

After missing the NFL Combine due to an injury, UCF’s Breshad Perriman set the NFL world abuzz after an insane 4.24 40 yard dash at his Pro Day. Combine the 40 time with his size (6’2) and a great 2014 season (1st team All-American Athletic Conference), Perriman is the type of receiver prospect NFL GM’s drool over. With an aging Steve Smith and void left by Torrey Smith, the Ravens drafted Perriman with the 26th overall pick.

Fantasy Impact: A bit raw in terms of running routes and a bit maddening with some of his dropped passes, Perriman’s potential outweighs his shortcomings. Great blend of size and speed, the Ravens needed a deep threat to take advantage of Joe Flacco’s big arm. Get ready to watch a lot of deep routes, long bombs, and Perriman blowing past defenders with ease. 

Phillip Dorsett, 29th Overall, Indianapolis Colts

Despite a boat load of talented receivers (TY Hilton, Andre Johnson, Donte Moncfief) the Colts stuck to their guns in the 1st Round and took best player available on their board regardless of positional need. The result? Indy drafts former Miami Hurricane wide receiver Philip Dorsett with the 29th overall pick.

Fantasy Impact: You’ll be hard pressed to find a team with more weapons on Offense than the Colts. They are LOADED!!!! With Hilton entering the final year of his rookie contract, a lot of analysts immediately pegged Dorsett has Hilton’s replacement. After all, the two are very similar in size and ability. Like Hilton, Dorsett is a speedster (4.33 yard dash) and great downfield threat, but at just 5’10, 185 pounds, he’s not a big red-zone target.

Quick recap of the 1st Round with an emphasis on the impact these players will have on Fantasy Football. As always, the landing spot for these rookies is just as significant as their talent/ability. We’ll wait until the Draft is complete to publish our initial rookie rankings. Until then, get to know this year’s 1st round picks. 

Quarterbacks: 

Jameis Winston, 1st Overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 

Despite some serious off the field concerns and maturity issues, the Buccaneers selected the former Florida State QB with the 1st overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. 

Fantasy Impact: With two super-star wide receivers already on the roster in Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, Winston won’t have to worry about the lack of weapons. Pegged as the most “Pro-Ready” QB prospect in this year’s draft, it would be a major shock if Winston isn’t starting under-center in Week 1. 

Marcus Mariota, 2nd Overall, Tennessee Titans

So much speculation and rumor based reporting heading into the draft led everyone to believe the Titans were willing to trade away the Number 2 pick to either the Chicago Bears or Philadelphia Eagles. But the Tennessee’s asking price for the 2nd second proved to be to expensive. The result? The Titans take the former Oregon QB and reigning Heisman Trophy Winner.

Fantasy Impact: Coach Ken Whisenhunt has proven to get the most out of his QBs and admitted in the off-season he would cater his offense to suit Mariota’s strengths. That being said, we’d be lying if we didn’t LOVE the idea of Mariota re-joining his former Ducks Coach from a purely selfish Fantasy Football standpoint. With Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter beginning to emerge as solid receivers, Mariota has a good supporting cast of playmakers that he can grow with at the start of his career. Will Mariota beat out the incumbent starter, Zach Mettenberger? Our guess would be a resounding YES!!!!

Running Backs:

Todd Gurley, 10th Overall, St. Louis Rams:

A clear decision to take best player available, the Rams selected former Georgia rusher, Todd Gurley who many consider the second coming of Adrian Peterson with the 10th overall pick. If it wasn’t for a torn ACL last November, Gurley may have very well been a Top 5 pick.

Fantasy Impact: At 6’1, 227 pounds, Gurley has the size of a bruising and punishing rusher but the sblazing peed and shiftiness of a smaller scat back. Plain and simple he’s the total package. The major question of course is the status of his surgically repaired knee. If everything checks out without any set backs over the summer, Gurley will be the starter in Week 1 and certainly has the potential to be a Top 12 RB right out of the gate. Tre Mason will take a back-seat to Gurley and Zac Stacy has already asked to be traded.

Melvin Gordon, 15th Overall, San Diego Chargers:

The Chargers swapped picks with the 49ers and moved up the board to nab the former Wisconsin rusher with the 15th overall pick. Teams were shying away from selecting running backs in the 1st round in the last few years, but Gordon was the 2nd RB taken in the Top 15 picks (Todd Gurley 10th overall).

Fantasy Impact: With the departure of Ryan Mathews, the Chargers needed a new work-horse RB. Danny Woodhead is coming off an ACL tear and once healthy will likely just take on a 3rd down role. Gordon didn’t display his receiving skills a lot during his College career but he sure as hell proved he can tote the rock. Gordon finished on top of all NCAA D1 RBs with an eye popping 2,587 yards.

Wide Receivers:

Amari Cooper, 4th Overall, Oakland Raiders

There were some draft pundits who ranked Kevin White (7th overall Bears) ahead of Amari Cooper, but with the 4th overall pick, the Raiders selected the Alabama standout. Thanks to his precise route running and body control, Cooper is the most “Pro-Ready” receiver in this year’s class and has drawn comparison to Reggie Wayne and former Raiders WR Tim Brown. 

Fantasy Impact: It seems the Raiders found their franchise QB last year with Derek Carr and now pair him up with their franchise WR. Cooper will have an instant impact in the Raiders passing attack which has lacked a few playmakers in recent years. Typically we would be bummed when one of our favorite rookie prospects ends up on a team like the Raiders, but Cooper (like a Sammy Watkins in 2014) should have no problem emerging as a solid WR3 in  Fantasy despite playing for a bad team. 

Kevin White, 7th Overall, Chicago Bears 

After a terrific showing at the NFL Combine and breakout season at West Virginia last year, White’s draft stock skyrocketed. In an effort to fill the void left by Brandon Marshall, the Bears invested their 7th overall selection in the 6’3 wide-out. 

Fantasy Impact: Given his size, strength, and speed, White has drawn comparisons to Terrell Owens. He’s blazing fast (4.35 40 yard dash), 36.5 inch vertical leap, and a solid muscular build (210 pounds) but his route running is a bit unpolished. He’ll join the Bears as the team’s Number 2 wideout behind Alshon Jeffery. Unfortunately a lot of White’s initial success is tied to Jay Cutler, which we aren’t  necessarily thrilled about, but there are much worse QB situations around the league that White could have landed in. 

DeVante Parker, 14th Overall, Miami Dolphins

The glaring need for a true Number 1 wide receiver led the Dolphins to select DeVante Parker with their 1st round pick (14th overall). A big bodied (6’3, 211 pounds) receiver, Parker displayed tremendous toughness at Louisville and consistently showed excellent body control and concentration. Seems Parker always won the “jump ball” over defenders, thanks to strong hands, superior leaping ability, and long frame. Drops won’t be an issue for Ryan Tannehill’s new target

Fantasy Impact: The Dolphins are making serious noise this off-season by bringing in some serious weapons for Ryan Tannehill. Tight End Jordan Cameron and receivers Kenny Stills and Greg Jennings were solid acquisitions. Now add in Parker along with second year PPR stud in the making, Jarvis Landry, and Miami has one of those offenses that may take that next step into the upper echelon in 2015. Parker may not win the starting job right away (seasoned veterans typically get the edge in camp), but likely will emerge as the starter by year’s end. 

Nelson Agholor, 20th Overall, Philadelphia Eagles

Dubbed the second best route runner behind Amari Cooper, the Eagles drafted Nelson Agholor out of USC with the 20th overall pick. Capable of playing in the slot and the outside, Agholor can also contribute on Special Teams as a return man. 

Fantasy Impact; The Eagles lost their leading receiver, Jeremy Maclin, in the off-season and you know dam well Chip Kelly wasn’t going to rely on Riley Cooper to start opposite of Jordan Matthews. So what do the Eagles do? Draft a Jeremy Maclin like clone with the former USC Trojan. Forget about all the trade talk non-sense with Marcus Mariota, the Eagles still have a solid offense even with Sam Bradford at the helm and Agholor will surely benefit from Chip Kelley’s receiver friendly offense. 

Breshad Perriman, 26th Overall, Baltimore Ravens

After missing the NFL Combine due to an injury, UCF’s Breshad Perriman set the NFL world abuzz after an insane 4.24 40 yard dash at his Pro Day. Combine the 40 time with his size (6’2) and a great 2014 season (1st team All-American Athletic Conference), Perriman is the type of receiver prospect NFL GM’s drool over. With an aging Steve Smith and void left by Torrey Smith, the Ravens drafted Perriman with the 26th overall pick.

Fantasy Impact: A bit raw in terms of running routes and a bit maddening with some of his dropped passes, Perriman’s potential outweighs his shortcomings. Great blend of size and speed, the Ravens needed a deep threat to take advantage of Joe Flacco’s big arm. Get ready to watch a lot of deep routes, long bombs, and Perriman blowing past defenders with ease. 

Phillip Dorsett, 29th Overall, Indianapolis Colts

Despite a boat load of talented receivers (TY Hilton, Andre Johnson, Donte Moncfief) the Colts stuck to their guns in the 1st Round and took best player available on their board regardless of positional need. The result? Indy drafts former Miami Hurricane wide receiver Philip Dorsett with the 29th overall pick.

Fantasy Impact: You’ll be hard pressed to find a team with more weapons on Offense than the Colts. They are LOADED!!!! With Hilton entering the final year of his rookie contract, a lot of analysts immediately pegged Dorsett has Hilton’s replacement. After all, the two are very similar in size and ability. Like Hilton, Dorsett is a speedster (4.33 yard dash) and great downfield threat, but at just 5’10, 185 pounds, he’s not a big red-zone target.

Quick recap of the 1st Round with an emphasis on the impact these players will have on Fantasy Football. As always, the landing spot for these rookies is just as significant as their talent/ability. We’ll wait until the Draft is complete to publish our initial rookie rankings. Until then, get to know this year’s 1st round picks. 

Quarterbacks: 

Jameis Winston, 1st Overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 

Despite some serious off the field concerns and maturity issues, the Buccaneers selected the former Florida State QB with the 1st overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. 

Fantasy Impact: With two super-star wide receivers already on the roster in Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, Winston won’t have to worry about the lack of weapons. Pegged as the most “Pro-Ready” QB prospect in this year’s draft, it would be a major shock if Winston isn’t starting under-center in Week 1. 

Marcus Mariota, 2nd Overall, Tennessee Titans

So much speculation and rumor based reporting heading into the draft led everyone to believe the Titans were willing to trade away the Number 2 pick to either the Chicago Bears or Philadelphia Eagles. But the Tennessee’s asking price for the 2nd second proved to be to expensive. The result? The Titans take the former Oregon QB and reigning Heisman Trophy Winner.

Fantasy Impact: Coach Ken Whisenhunt has proven to get the most out of his QBs and admitted in the off-season he would cater his offense to suit Mariota’s strengths. That being said, we’d be lying if we didn’t LOVE the idea of Mariota re-joining his former Ducks Coach from a purely selfish Fantasy Football standpoint. With Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter beginning to emerge as solid receivers, Mariota has a good supporting cast of playmakers that he can grow with at the start of his career. Will Mariota beat out the incumbent starter, Zach Mettenberger? Our guess would be a resounding YES!!!!

Running Backs:

Todd Gurley, 10th Overall, St. Louis Rams:

A clear decision to take best player available, the Rams selected former Georgia rusher, Todd Gurley who many consider the second coming of Adrian Peterson with the 10th overall pick. If it wasn’t for a torn ACL last November, Gurley may have very well been a Top 5 pick.

Fantasy Impact: At 6’1, 227 pounds, Gurley has the size of a bruising and punishing rusher but the sblazing peed and shiftiness of a smaller scat back. Plain and simple he’s the total package. The major question of course is the status of his surgically repaired knee. If everything checks out without any set backs over the summer, Gurley will be the starter in Week 1 and certainly has the potential to be a Top 12 RB right out of the gate. Tre Mason will take a back-seat to Gurley and Zac Stacy has already asked to be traded.

Melvin Gordon, 15th Overall, San Diego Chargers:

The Chargers swapped picks with the 49ers and moved up the board to nab the former Wisconsin rusher with the 15th overall pick. Teams were shying away from selecting running backs in the 1st round in the last few years, but Gordon was the 2nd RB taken in the Top 15 picks (Todd Gurley 10th overall).

Fantasy Impact: With the departure of Ryan Mathews, the Chargers needed a new work-horse RB. Danny Woodhead is coming off an ACL tear and once healthy will likely just take on a 3rd down role. Gordon didn’t display his receiving skills a lot during his College career but he sure as hell proved he can tote the rock. Gordon finished on top of all NCAA D1 RBs with an eye popping 2,587 yards.

Wide Receivers:

Amari Cooper, 4th Overall, Oakland Raiders

There were some draft pundits who ranked Kevin White (7th overall Bears) ahead of Amari Cooper, but with the 4th overall pick, the Raiders selected the Alabama standout. Thanks to his precise route running and body control, Cooper is the most “Pro-Ready” receiver in this year’s class and has drawn comparison to Reggie Wayne and former Raiders WR Tim Brown. 

Fantasy Impact: It seems the Raiders found their franchise QB last year with Derek Carr and now pair him up with their franchise WR. Cooper will have an instant impact in the Raiders passing attack which has lacked a few playmakers in recent years. Typically we would be bummed when one of our favorite rookie prospects ends up on a team like the Raiders, but Cooper (like a Sammy Watkins in 2014) should have no problem emerging as a solid WR3 in  Fantasy despite playing for a bad team. 

Kevin White, 7th Overall, Chicago Bears 

After a terrific showing at the NFL Combine and breakout season at West Virginia last year, White’s draft stock skyrocketed. In an effort to fill the void left by Brandon Marshall, the Bears invested their 7th overall selection in the 6’3 wide-out. 

Fantasy Impact: Given his size, strength, and speed, White has drawn comparisons to Terrell Owens. He’s blazing fast (4.35 40 yard dash), 36.5 inch vertical leap, and a solid muscular build (210 pounds) but his route running is a bit unpolished. He’ll join the Bears as the team’s Number 2 wideout behind Alshon Jeffery. Unfortunately a lot of White’s initial success is tied to Jay Cutler, which we aren’t  necessarily thrilled about, but there are much worse QB situations around the league that White could have landed in. 

DeVante Parker, 14th Overall, Miami Dolphins

The glaring need for a true Number 1 wide receiver led the Dolphins to select DeVante Parker with their 1st round pick (14th overall). A big bodied (6’3, 211 pounds) receiver, Parker displayed tremendous toughness at Louisville and consistently showed excellent body control and concentration. Seems Parker always won the “jump ball” over defenders, thanks to strong hands, superior leaping ability, and long frame. Drops won’t be an issue for Ryan Tannehill’s new target

Fantasy Impact: The Dolphins are making serious noise this off-season by bringing in some serious weapons for Ryan Tannehill. Tight End Jordan Cameron and receivers Kenny Stills and Greg Jennings were solid acquisitions. Now add in Parker along with second year PPR stud in the making, Jarvis Landry, and Miami has one of those offenses that may take that next step into the upper echelon in 2015. Parker may not win the starting job right away (seasoned veterans typically get the edge in camp), but likely will emerge as the starter by year’s end. 

Nelson Agholor, 20th Overall, Philadelphia Eagles

Dubbed the second best route runner behind Amari Cooper, the Eagles drafted Nelson Agholor out of USC with the 20th overall pick. Capable of playing in the slot and the outside, Agholor can also contribute on Special Teams as a return man. 

Fantasy Impact; The Eagles lost their leading receiver, Jeremy Maclin, in the off-season and you know dam well Chip Kelly wasn’t going to rely on Riley Cooper to start opposite of Jordan Matthews. So what do the Eagles do? Draft a Jeremy Maclin like clone with the former USC Trojan. Forget about all the trade talk non-sense with Marcus Mariota, the Eagles still have a solid offense even with Sam Bradford at the helm and Agholor will surely benefit from Chip Kelley’s receiver friendly offense. 

Breshad Perriman, 26th Overall, Baltimore Ravens

After missing the NFL Combine due to an injury, UCF’s Breshad Perriman set the NFL world abuzz after an insane 4.24 40 yard dash at his Pro Day. Combine the 40 time with his size (6’2) and a great 2014 season (1st team All-American Athletic Conference), Perriman is the type of receiver prospect NFL GM’s drool over. With an aging Steve Smith and void left by Torrey Smith, the Ravens drafted Perriman with the 26th overall pick.

Fantasy Impact: A bit raw in terms of running routes and a bit maddening with some of his dropped passes, Perriman’s potential outweighs his shortcomings. Great blend of size and speed, the Ravens needed a deep threat to take advantage of Joe Flacco’s big arm. Get ready to watch a lot of deep routes, long bombs, and Perriman blowing past defenders with ease. 

Phillip Dorsett, 29th Overall, Indianapolis Colts

Despite a boat load of talented receivers (TY Hilton, Andre Johnson, Donte Moncfief) the Colts stuck to their guns in the 1st Round and took best player available on their board regardless of positional need. The result? Indy drafts former Miami Hurricane wide receiver Philip Dorsett with the 29th overall pick.

Fantasy Impact: You’ll be hard pressed to find a team with more weapons on Offense than the Colts. They are LOADED!!!! With Hilton entering the final year of his rookie contract, a lot of analysts immediately pegged Dorsett has Hilton’s replacement. After all, the two are very similar in size and ability. Like Hilton, Dorsett is a speedster (4.33 yard dash) and great downfield threat, but at just 5’10, 185 pounds, he’s not a big red-zone target.

The 2015 NFL Draft is just weeks away and this time of the year there is a ton of speculations about trades, players sliding in the draft and most importantly, who will go number one overall?

This time of year mock NFL drafts are very popular and as a writer of the sport, I find them to be very fun to think about and create. In most cases, there is a surprise pick early on or a trade that shakes the entire draft up.

NFL mock drafts are designed to help fans understand where these prospects rank and most importantly for fans across the country, let them have an idea of who their favorite team will be targeting come draft night.

I am going to run a mock draft on the first ten picks of the 2015 NFL Draft. The draft is such an unpredictable sporting event, that within a week something could happen, such as a trade, which would throw the entire mock draft into a complete free fall.

Here is my top ten NFL picks for the 2015 NFL Draft as we currently sit here with about a month to go until the real action takes place on draft night.

1^st overall pick- Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Jameis Winston

2^nd overall pick- Tennessee Titans- Marcus Mariota

3^rd overall pick- Jacksonville Jaguars- Leonard Williams

4^th overall pick- Oakland Raiders- Amari Cooper

5^th overall pick- Washington Redskins- Vic Beasley

6^th overall pick- New York Jets- Randy Gregory

7^th overall pick- Chicago Bears- Kevin White

8^th overall pick- Atlanta Falcons- Todd Gurley

9^th overall pick- New York Giants- Dante Fowler, Jr.

10^th overall pick- St. Louis Rams- La’El Collins

So, there you have the top ten picks of the 2015 NFL Draft, in my opinion, as we sit here today with about a month to go. I’m sure these projections will change multiple times before draft night arrives, but that’s the fun of the entire event.

The unpredictably of the NFL Draft makes it one of the most exciting sporting events of the year, despite it not actually being an on the field sporting event.

This article is focused on the current state of the Oakland Raiders. If the season began today, taking into account that recent free agent moves, injuries, position battles, as the 2015 NFL Draft approaches. The weeks will progress and those changes will become a factor in future articles. For now this analysis will be based on the date of the article. Creative liberties have been taken and this article is for entertainment and rage debate purposes only.

[Oakland Raiders vs. Tennessee Titans [Sunday, September 13th 1:25 am]

The Tennessee Titans head into the O.Co Multipurpose Collesium for the opening of the 2015 NFL Regular Season. Coach Ken Whisenhunt will be no doubt be looking to rebound from his awful 2014 campaign. He is still on the search for a signal caller to replace Kurt Warner. In these types of situations, certain coaches in the NFL play the "competitive advantage' card by not revealing their quarterback until the Sunday before the game. Based on Whisenhunt's track record we know he does not like throwing his fresh quarterback to the wolves until his team has a sub .500 record. That being the case, we will most likely see Charlie Whithurst and his .222 win percentage under center, which means Zach Mettenberger will be riding the pine pony. History might be on the side of the men from Nashville, as they did manage to grab a win at Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs on opening day in 2014. The Titans had an offense ranked 30th in last year and their defense was just a bad. Last year the quarterback play in Tennessee was non existent, so the Titans will have to improve on their bottom 5 ranked defense from a year ago. All things included, second year running back, Bishop Sankeycould be called on to carry the rock for the majority of the game. Sankey ran for a paltry 3.7 yards per attempt and totaled 569 yards. Which puts him squarely in Darren McFadden territory. Also, Shonne Green has show explosiveness at times, reaching the century mark in 2011 and 2012. However, Green is reaching the pivotal age for running backs where they begin the inevitable decline in production. Since Oakland's defense has been anything but good, Green could match his career high of 161 yards in this game. In fact, the Titans could sign Albert Haynesworth to play tailback and he would probably run over the line and find space to burn the Raiders secondary if Del Rio doesn't fine a way to play the "great defense" he says his previous teams do. If the Silver and Black's rush defense learns how to stop a nose bleed and then builds on that to the point where they can actually stop an NFL rushing attack, it could build enough momentum for Derek Carr and allow the young QB time to dink and dunk on Tennessee's defense even if Brian Orakpo has other plans.

X-FACTOR: Ryan Succop- The kicker, acquired in 2014, has many accolades to his name, (including Mr. Irrelevant). He once made 6 field goals in a game and in 2011. Also Succop kicked 21 straight field goals in the regular season before having Oakland block two of his kicks twice during a contest at Arrowhead Stadium. If the Titans want a shot to pull this game out, Succop is going to need to shake off those demons and be a factor in the season opener.

The Oakland Raiders are 1-11 since the MVP season of Rich Gannon. As each year passes the memory of the 2002 Super Bowl run is turning into more of a hex than the reminder of Oakland's glory days. *Fun Fact, True Fact...the Raiders did beat the loathsomeDenver Broncos on Opening Day 2011 giving Hue Jackson the first win of his brief, "hindsight is 20-20" tenure. Newly anointed head coach, Jack Del Rio does not have big shoes to fill on the sideline in 2015. In fact, if he can move the ball on offense past midfield, or have Derek Carr somehow avoid a butt-fumble he will already be light years ahead of Dennis Allen's 2014 squad. The Raiders seem marginally improved from a year ago but that does not amount to much. This opening season match will most likely play out like the 1998 classic Adam Sandler film, "The Waterboy". The Raiders have newly acquired middle linebacker, Curtis Lofton. Lofton will be pulled from the game in the 4th quarter due to a precautionary hamstring injury, which will force the abhorred Miles Burris to return to his old middle linebacker position. With the score 10-15 in favor of Tennessee, thanks to (Ryan Succop's 5 field goals). Charlie Whitehurst will then promptly make Swiss cheese of the middle of the field while occasionally burning Oakland's tired and inexperienced secondary like he is "Broadway" Brett Farve circa 2008. Then, in dramatic fashion, he will have a pass attempt be tipped at the line, courtesy Dan "Not Ndamukongsuh" Williams. The football will fall right into the unsuspecting hands of the aforementioned Miles Burris. Burris, confused and disoriented, will look to the sideline, seeing a mirage of Henry Winker calmly and jovially gesturing for him to run towards the Raiders end zone. Miles will clear his head just long enough for him to remember what "mama said", and jump over a few lineman while unknowingly be chased by Perrish Cox. After running the length of the field in the proper direction, he will eventually be tackled just moments after crossing he goal line. The Mud Dogs, I mean, Raiders will win 16-15 as time expires, earning Burris his new nickname (and permanant role on the team) as the certified molecular hydration specialist.

X-FACTOR: Prior to the game, at the Raiders Saturday night team meeting, located at the nearest Waffle House in Alameda county, Oakland's charismatic General Manager, Reggie McKenzie will deliver one of his patented speeches,

"Nothing is more inspiring than the tale of a sports hero. But this story is about the other guy...The LOSER. And as you'll see, even failure has its champion. His name? Lambeau Fields. To me, he's a hero, an inspiration and a friend. To the rest of the world, he's the worst coach in the history of sports. And that is why we are paying Dennis Allen his multi milion dollar salary to eat shrimp po-boys in a press box while making passive aggressive jabs at Rex Ryan."

Meanwhile in the background, Charles Woodson is tuning out all of the usual Raider-esque tomfoolery and meditating on how will to be adding to his Hall of Fame resume.

Oakland 16 Tennesse 15 because, "Mama says happiness comes from magic rays of sunshine that come down when you are feeling blue.

Denver Broncos:

The Broncos lost two key cogs in Terrance Knighton and Rahim Moore and both spots are now evidently weaknesses. They picked up two decent rotational players, Vance Walker and Darian Stewart, but neither one looks to be capable of starting at the position full time. The safety class is weak, with no one capable of starting right away outside of Landon Collins, who plays a different position than Rahim Moore anyway, while the defensive tackle class is fairly deep. Danny Shelton, Malcom Brown, and Arik Armstead are all expected to be gone long before the Broncos are on the clock, but big nasties Jordan Phillips and Eddie Goldman could be available. Of the two, Goldman is the safer pick, but Phillips has more athleticism and potential. With that being said, there is speculation that P.J. Williams may be a fit at safety and he was already seen as a second-round/borderline first-round pick. If the Broncos can see that working, they may opt for the defensive back from Florida State as opposed to the tackle.

Top Three Prospects:

1.) Jordan Phillips - NT   Oklahoma

2.) Eddie Goldman - DT   Florida State

3.) P.J. Williams - DB   Florida State

Kansas City Chiefs:

The Chiefs sported one of the worst offensive lines last season and vowed to make improvements in the offseason. While they do have other weaknesses, it looks to be in their best interest to deal with their line issues with at least two of their early day picks. Eric Fisher, their first-round pick from two years ago, improved in his sophomore season while it has been said that fourth-year tackle Donald Stephenson will start, so do not expect them to pick up a tackle before round four. Instead, expect them to find a guard to step in opposite of Ben Grubbs and a center to replace the jettisoned Rodney Hudson. Since Brandon Scherff and La'el Collins, the two first-round talents that are expected to move inside, are likely to be gone by the 18th pick and all centers projected to be Day 2 picks, look for them to select a wide receiver to start opposite of Jeremy Maclin. Jaelen Strong would make sense as reliable possession receiver, while Dorial Green-Beckham and Breshad Perriman are two develomental players they could pick, though it would be a reach for both as the Chiefs are picking near the center of the round.

Top Three Prospects:

1.) Jaelen Strong - WR   Arizona State

2.) Dorial Green-Beckham - WR   Missouri

3.) Breshad Perriman - WR   Central Florida

Oakland Raiders:

Sitting in a pretty spot at number four, the Raiders will likely have their choice of anyone outside of the top two quarterbacks and the edge rusher the Jaguars decide to take off the board. If the Titans trade back and the Jaguars pass on Leonard Williams--considering they signed Jared Odrick to a starters-money contract and Sen'Derrick Marks is coming off of his best season, it is a given that Williams will fall past them--the Raiders could pick up the versatile lineman. The Raiders however, recently signed Dan Williams to a big contract, while Justin Ellis had an impressive rookie year, and Antonio Smith was not too bad himself. The decision will likely be between the top receiver prospects, Amari Cooper, Kevin White, and DeVante Parker. Of the receivers Parker is the least likely, with Cooper being the safest pick, and White possessing the best combination of size and speed. The Raiders' need at receiver is more immediate and should chose playmaking ability and developed reliability (Cooper) over playmaking ability and developing reliability (White).

Top Three Prospects:

1.) Amari Cooper - WR   Alabama

2.) Kevin White - WR   West Virginia

3.) DeVante Parker - WR   Louisville

San Diego Chargers:

The Chargers have a shaky offensive line, but the talent they possess on offense is enough to make up for it. What they cannot make up for is their talent-dearth defense. They have some promising players, like Jason Verrett, and one of the best safeties in Eric Weddle, but there is not much beyond them. Some people have them selecting a running back in the first round, and while I believe that it will not happen, it is not because of the downward trent of the feature back, it is more so due to the bigger needs at other positions and a deep class of runners. As of now the best plan for the Chargers looks to be picking up two defensive starters in the first two rounds and a promising running back in the third.

Top Three Prospects:

1.) Malcom Brown - DT   Texas

2.) Randy Gregory - OLB   Nebraska

3.) Bud Dupree - OLB   Kentucky

How do you rate failure and success?  Well when you are picked number two in the draft it is all about production and the money that is thrown at you.  Are you deserving?  Did you come as advertised? 

And to be fair it isn't all one franchise either.  Bad choices are replete throughout the NFL. 

So here are five of the worst number two picks in draft history.  Sure they are others, but these are egregious.

5. Robert Griffin III, Washington, 2012

Is it too early to throw in the towel on RGIII?  Well he was the second overall pick in the 2012 draft.  He signed a deal worth 21.1 million dollars over four seasons.  The deal included a signing bonus of 13.8 million.  To get Griffin Washington traded the number six pick in the 2012 draft, two future first-rounders and a second-rounder for the St. Louis Rams number two selection, aka Griffin III.

What has he done?

Sure in his first year he was pretty good.  He lead his team to the playoffs.  He won a couple rookie awards.  And he finished with a 102.4 passer rating, completing 20 touchdowns and five interceptions.

And then reality hit.  The next two seasons Griffin III was sat by two different coaches for inefficient play.  

In 2013 he passed for 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.  In 2014, when he played he passed for four touchdowns and five interceptions.

And did I mention he was sat by two different head coaches? 

It might be too early to call it on Griffin III.  But you think you are the only one who considers Griffin III a bust?  Rewind the Washington game versus the Rams.  Look who the Rams sent out as captains for the coin toss?  You think that wasn't a big FU to Washington?  Think again.

4. Robert Gallery, Oakland Raiders, 2004

Peter King of Sports Illustrated called Gallery, "the best lineman to come out of college in years."  Clearly he wasn't the only one who thought so, as the Oakland Raiders drafted him number two in the 2004 draft, behind quarterback Eli Manning and ahead of wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.  

It is also fair to mention that free safety Sean Taylor went fifth in the same draft to Washington.

In his first year with the Raiders, played Gallery at right tackle.  He gave up three sacks.  In his second year he started every game and gave up 3.5 sacks.  The next season he was moved to left tackle.  That offensive line gave up nine sacks to one team.  During the 2006 season he played in 13 games and gave up 10.5 sacks. 

In 2011 he signed with the Seattle Seahawks for three years for 15 million.  The Seahawks released him after one season.

In 2012, he signed with the New England Patriots for one year.  In 2012 he announced his retirement. 

Gallery played for eight seasons in the NFL.  Whether his lack of productivity and early retirement were due to playing on a bad team, coaching changes, or position changes it doesn't change the fact, "the best lineman to come out of college in years" wasn't.

3. Johnny Lam Jones, New York Jets, 1980

What happens when you go for an athete and not a position player for the second pick?  You get just what you asked for.

Jones was drafted second in the 1980 draft.  Running back Billy Sims was the number one pick and offensive tackle Anthony Munoz was drafted third.  The next wide receiver picked in 1980 draft went at number 18, it was Art Monk. 

The Jets traded two first round draft picks to move up to the second position and draft Jones.  His contract of 2.1 million was the first NFL contract woth over a million dollars.

The problem was while Jones was a world class sprinter he wasn't a NFL wide receiver.  He could outrun the coverage, but he couldn't catch the ball.   In five years Jones managed 13 touchdowns on 138 receptions. 

2. Tony Mandarich, Green Bay Packers, 1989

Let's talk the 1989 draft: Troy Aikman was drafted first; Barry Sanders was drafted third; Derick Thomas was drafted fourth; and Deion Sanders was drafted fifth. Whew, that's pretty impressive.  And then there is Mandarich at number two.

Mandarich held out until the end of training camp.  The Packers eventuallly signed him to a four year 4.4 million dollar contract.  He was the first offensive lineman to make a million dollars a season. 

"You are not supposed to be as strong as I am.  You're not supposed to be as fast as I am.  You're not supposed to be as good as I am."---Tony Mandarich 1989

And he wasn't.  Mandarich stopped his collegiate steriod use when he entered the NFL.  He then developed an addiciton to pain killers.  He was so ineffective the Packers did not allow him on the field his final year in Green Bay. 

1. Ryan Leaf, San Diego Chargers, 1998

The Chargers traded their third overall pick, a future first round pick, a second round pick, and Eric Metcalf, a three time Pro-Bowler to the Arizona Cardinals for the second pick.  After the Indianapolis Colts picked quarterback Peyton Manning, the Chargers picked Leaf.  They signed him to a four-year contract worth 31.25 million dollars.  His signing bonus was 11.25 million dollars.  That was the highest amount given to a rookie at the time. 

Leaf's rookie seson was characterized by poor play on the field and bad behavior off the field.  Rodney Harrison, Chargers safety at the time is quoted as describing it as, "a nightmare you can't even imagene.  If I had to go through another year like that, I'd probably quit playing."

Leaf missed his second season due to a shoulder injury he sustained in the seasons first training camp workout. 

Leaf appeared in 25 NFL games starting in 21 of those games.  He completed 48.4% of his passes.  He threw 14 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. 

In his downward spiral of a career Leaf was signed and released by the Chargers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dallas Cowboys and the Seattle Seahawks before his eventual retirement. 

His career quarterback rating finalized out at 50.0%. 

In 2005, NBC Sports Michael Ventre called Leaf, "the biggest bust in the history of professional sports."

In 2010, the NFL Network named Leaf as the the number one NFL quarterback bust of al time.

In 2011, Deadspin ranked Leaf as the 6th worst NFL player of all time. 

And Rodney Harrison commented, "He took the money and ran."

Unfortunately for both him and his teams, never far enough.

Follow me on Twitter @neverenoughglt

Each year, the NFL draft is a culmination of players' determination and hard work, coupled with hours upon hours of analysis by coaching staffs and scouts, all with the goal of pinpointing the best fits for team needs. And don't forget a myriad of pundit mocking and grading of every nuance of player potential and performance.

But when it comes down to it, the draft, from the first pick until Mr. Irrelevant is chosen, is one big crap-shoot, as easily yielding a Ryan Leaf as a Peyton Manning with the two top picks in the draft.

Here's a look at the best the second round has produced over the years.

10. Mel Renfro- 1965.

Renfro spent his college days in the backfield, but was converted to defensive back by Tom Landry to help establish a dominant defense for the Dallas Cowboys. 14 seasons later, Renfro had accumulated 52 interceptions, 10 Pro-Bowl nominations, and two Super Bowls. He was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 1996.

9. Dave Casper- 1974.

The Oakland Raiders selected Casper, who didn't become an integral part of the offense until 1976. But he quickly became a force, selected to five Pro-Bowls and earning a Super Bowl ring following the 1976 season. He caught 52 TD passes in his career and was elected to the HOF in 2002.

8. Jack Lambert- 1974.

Drafted alongside Casper, but by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lambert was one of the most feared linebackers as part of the Steel Curtain. He earned nine Pro-Bowl berths and won four Championships with the Steelers. Lambert is one of the few players to make the All-70s team and the All-80s team. He was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year in '74 and was Defensive Player of the Year four times. He was elected into the HOF in 1990.

7. Mike Singletary- 1981.

If any player personifies linebacker, it is Singletary. He may not have been a sack machine, but finished his career with 1,488 tackles. He was truly the heart of the Monsters of the Midway. He was a part of the Super Bowl XX destruction of the Patriots. In addition to 10 Pro Bowls, he was inducted into the HOF in 1998.

6. Howie Long- 1981.

Long ruled the defense for the Oakland Raiders on the end of the line. Unlike Singletary, Long was a sack machine, recording 91.5 in 12 years. In addition to being Super Bowl XVIII champion, he was an eight-time Pro-Bowler and was inducted into the HOF in 2000.

5. Andre Tippett- 1982.

Tippett was a five-time Pro-Bowler. He was a part of the New England Patriots' 1985 AFC Championship team. That same year, he was named AFC Player of the Year and NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He recorded an impressive 100 sacks in his 11 years with the Patriots. Tippett was elected to the HOF in 2008.

4. Thurman Thomas- 1988.

Finally back to offense... Thomas was part of the Buffalo Bills' four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. In his 12 years he ran for over 12,000 yards and 88 TDs for the Bills. He is one of only 29 running backs with over 10,000 yards. Five-time Pro-Bowler, 1991 MVP, and 1992 Offensive Player of the Year, Thomas was key to the Bills' success. He was elected to the HOF in 2007.

3. Michael Strahan- 1993.

Setting the record for sacks in a season with 22 was one of his greatest accomplishments; helping secure a Super Bowl title in 2007 was another. His 854 tackles and 141.5 career sacks is nearly unprecedented. His seven Pro Bowls, coupled with being two-time NFC Defensive Player of the Year and NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Strahan was one of the most accomplished defenders in NFL history. He was rewarded with induction into the HOF in 2014.

2. Rob Gronkowski- 2010.

Coming off of an impressive Super Bowl XLIX performance with the Patriots, Gronk is just getting started. While he has a long way to go to be considered with the rest of this list, Gronkowski is largely considered the best tight end in football today. In just his second season, he set the single-season record for receiving TDs by a TE with 17, and 18 total TDs, as well as, the single-season record for receiving yards by a TE, with 1,327. If he can stay healthy, he will join these greats in the Hall.

1. Brett Favre- 1991.

Between longevity and performance, there aren't many QBs like Favre. As if 20 years isn't impressive enough, he is the only QB to throw for over 70,000 yards, on over 6,000 completions in over 10,000 attempts. He also gave Strahan his record 22nd sack. He may be best known for winning Super Bowl XXXI, but he was also an 11-time Pro-Bowler, three-time MVP, five-time NFC Player of the Year, four-time passing TD leader, and a member of the All-90s team. Favre once owned 200 passing records, though that number has dwindled to 110. It is only a matter of time (2016) until he is eligible to take his place in the HOF.

This list is not intended to rank the players, only to name the best second-rounders in my opinion. Many others deserve "Honorable Mention", but there is not room here. While all of these players are not yet HOFers, they should or will be. Your comments and additions would be appreciated.

 There is no debating the hard work and dedication that Jerry Rice put in to keeping in top shape before every season, from his first snap as a San Francisco 49er to the end of his career as a member of the Oakland Raiders. The wide receiver from Mississippi Valley State holds many of the records for his position. Amassing 22,895 yards on 1,549 receptions and catching 197 touchdown passes (with an extra 11 touchdowns to boot) and fourteen 1,000 yard seasons. To list all of Rice's achevements is an article in itself. In a league where quarterbacks dominate the spotlight and get all the credit or blame, Jerry Rice is one of a short list of players, along with Jim Brown & Lawrence Taylor, who aren't quarterbacks that get put in the conversation for best football player ever. For him to be put on that level with a couple of guys named Joe Montana & Steve Young throwing him the ball, it says a lot about how talented he really was. Rice was even one of two captains for 2013's new Pro Bowl format with two legends choosing teams from those selected to play in football's annual end of the year all-star game.

Just a few short days ago, Jerry admitted to the world that he used Stickum, a substance banned in 1981. For those who don't know, Stickum is a substance in powder or spray form used to help catch footballs easier. Even with Montana and Young as your quarterbacks, there are going to be many difficult plays to make a great catch to potentially keep a drive a going or even win a game. Rice was as good as anyone at making those plays. After all, you don't get to put up the stats he put up by being unreliable. How much of the great catches can truly be attributed to the Stickum? We really can't say, because while this is disappointing to hear, you don't want to take anything away from his greatness. 

In baseball, steroid use was running rampant during the years Mark McGwire was a St. Louis Cardinal, Barry Bonds was a San Francisco Giant & Sammy Sosa was swinging for the Chicago Cubs. Who can forget Roger Clemens seemingly having many primes as he went to different teams? All of them are having an impossible time getting into the Hall Of Fame despite putting up amazing numbers and being very popular figures. There are many who put Bonds on the short list of greatest baseball players of all time. There is no doubt the steroids helped their performance somewhat, but does it truly take away from their greatness? McGwire was hitting a ton of home runs for the Oakland Athletics but was always injury prone. Once he got on the andro, he stayed healthy and hit his apex with a 70 home run season in 1998. Big Mac did have 49 home runs as a rookie, which broke a record. Barry Bonds topped this number three years later. Every year, people noticed he was bulking up more and more, which further led to the suspicion. To take the conversation away from PED's for a second but to keep the football/baseball comparison, Sammy Sosa was caught using a corked bat. Who knows how many times before this he actually used one. The corked bat doesn't help hit a ball any further, but since the bat is lighter, it can allow more control over a bat. This might be a better comparison than the Stickum, but isn't nearly as popular.

There are conflicting opinions from doctors as to whether or not performance enhancing drugs truly make a difference in an athlete's production on the field. One thing that can't be disputed is talent. If Jay Leno went out and took a bunch of steroids, I would bet my last dollar that he wouldn't be able to hit 15 home runs in a season. No disrespect of course, but there is a lot of practice, dedication and natural ability that factor in to someone having a career in sports. Athletes dedicate their entire lives just for a chance to be among the priviledged few to live off of their on-field abilities. The NFL suspended thirteen players in 2014 for PED use. If having a banned substance in your body is punishable, so should having a banned substance on your hands. 

Perhaps the toughest thing to hear about Jerry Rice's admission to Stickum is that he attempted to throw all of his peers under the bus, saying they all did the same thing. I have no doubt in my mind that he wasn't the only one, but to remove accountability from yourself and say definitively that eveyone else did it certainly makes for a bold statement. Cris Carter took offense and asked not to be included in the accusation. If in fact Carter never used Stickum, then good for him in not letting his name get smeared by Rice. Jerry also spoke up against the New England Patriots during the whole Deflate-Gate mess. I'm not even going to dignify that whole unnecessary mess with its own paragraph, but I will say if the Patriots lots the Super Bowl and the world came down hard even harder on Brady & Company, then there is no reason why Rice's admission should not draw more ire from faithful football lovers everywhere. If Bonds, McGwire, Clemens and others were already in the Hall Of Fame and admitted to steroids or were discovered to have used it, would they be removed from Cooperstown, or simply grandfathered in and the MLB would begin a "from now on" policy? Professional sports is going to start to run the risk of contradicting itself. Obviously, baseball does not have nearly the physical demands of football. Nevertheless, if Jerry Rice can still be in a Hall Of Fame, so can Barry Bonds. 

Stickum did not help Jerry Rice run those routes or do his rigorous off-season workouts or help him maintain a healthy diet for his long professional career. He did a lot on his own merit and nothing should be taken away from him. A real long look needs to be taken into anything that enhances someone's ability to do better on the field. Jerry Rice might have indeed opened a Pandora's box, even if he does go unpunished and even if this story does not get a lot of traction. One day, this moment will come up and the good folks in Canton might have a decision to make. 

It would appear that the rich get richer in college football as well as the rest of the world.

After a National Signing Day that saw powerhouse programs continue to restock their rosters with many four-star and five-star recruits, the future of the game and the monotony of the usual suspects continuing to grab the spotlight will remain unchanged.

Per Mike Huguenin of NFL.com, for the fifth year in a row, Alabama is the national champion when it comes to recruiting. The Tide signed the nation's top class, as computed by 247sports.com's composite rankings, which essentially is a consensus list of the nation's top recruits.

USC had the nation's No. 2 class, followed by Florida State, Tennessee and LSU. The SEC had five of the nation's top-10 classes; the ACC and Pac-12 had two each, and the Big Ten had one.

There were some schools that made an impact late in the process to finish strong.

Offensive tackle Martez Ivey of Apooka, Fla., the No. 2 national recruit on the 247sports.com composite rankings, which is a consensus ranking of all the recruiting services, signed with the Gators over Auburn. Defensive end CeCe Jefferson, the No. 7 national recruit, from Macclenny, Fla., also chose the Gators, over Alabama, Auburn and Mississippi. Thus, it was a great NSD for new Gators coach Jim McElwain, who has been on the job for a little less than two months.

Defensive end Byron Cowart, from the Tampa suburb of Seffner, signed with Auburn over Florida. Cowart is the No. 3 national recruit on the 247sports.com composite rankings and the No. 1 recruit in the nation by ESPN.com.

The Signing Day process has become as big of a deal as the NFL Draft of late. The use of social media, the television and print media and the Internet have given more attention to high school sports, thus making sure athletes who will be prominently featured in national programs get their moment in the sun.

Here is a look at the Top 10 classes from Wednesday, according to NFL.com.

1. Alabama

Rank over past five years: 1st.

Top recruits: QB Blake Barnett (Corona, Calif.); WR Calvin Ridley (Coconut Creek, Fla.); CB Kendall Sheffield (Missouri City, Texas).

The skinny: It's the same old, same old for the Tide -- another NSD, another mother lode of talent. The Tide didn't sign anybody in the top 10, but they still signed six five-star prospects. (Only one of the six is an Alabama native.)

2. USC

Rank over past five years: 5th.

Top recruits: G Chuma Edoga (Powder Springs, Ga); DT Rasheem Green (Gardena, Calif.); CB Iman Marshall (Long Beach, Calif.).

The skinny: Steve Sarkisian has the USC talent machine humming, much like predecessors Pete Carroll (who turned all those great recruits into great teams) and Lane Kiffin (who turned all those great recruits into middling teams). The Trojans did a great job signing guys from their backyard, and also went to Georgia (Edoga is the nation's top guard), Texas, Utah and Nevada for talent.

3. Florida State

Rank over past five years: 2nd.

Top recruits: S Derwin James (Haines City, Fla.); CB Tarvarus McFadden (Plantation, Fla.); DE Josh Sweat (Chesapeake, Va.).

The skinny: The Seminoles took advantage of a mediocre Miami program by signing four solid players from south Florida, including McFadden. At one time, Sweat was the nation's top prospect, but he suffered a severe knee injury during the season. The only ACC school that brought in remotely the same type of talent as FSU is Clemson.

4. Tennessee

Rank over past five years: 12th.

Top recruits: RB Alvin Kamara (Hutchinson, Kan., CC); DT Kahlil McKenzie (Concord, Calif.); DE Kyle Phillips (Nashville).

The skinny: Kamara is a JC transfer who already is on campus; he signed with Alabama out of high school. McKenzie will play immediately -- and maybe even start; his dad, Reggie, is the Oakland Raiders' general manager. The Vols did well in state, but also found talent in Georgia and North Carolina, which they used to do in the glory days under Phil Fulmer.

5. LSU

Rank over past five years: 6th.

Top recruits: WR Tyron Johnson (New Orleans); G Maea Teuhema (Keller, Texas); CB Kevin Toliver (Jacksonville).

The skinny: As usual, LSU signed the bulk of its class from Louisiana. But the Tigers spread their wings a bit, too. Toilver is considered the nation's No. 2 cornerback, Teuhema the No. 2 guard and Johnson the No. 5 wide receiver.

6. Ohio State

Rank over past five years: 4th.

Top recruits: LB Jerome Baker (Cleveland); ATH Torrance Gibson (Plantation, Fla.); LB Justin Hilliard (Cincinnati).

The skinny: The Buckeyes didn't sign a top-30 player, but Urban Meyer and his staff again reeled in a deep and talented class. As expected, the Buckeyes did well in Ohio, but the coaches also signed key guys from Florida, Minnesota, Michigan, Maryland and even South Dakota.

7. UCLA

Rank over past five years: 19th.

Top recruits: RB Soso Jamabo (Plano, Texas); DE Keisean Lucier-South (Orange, Calif.); QB Josh Rosen (Los Angeles).

The skinny: Jim Mora and his staff went far and wide -- and also right around the corner -- for the Bruins' second top-10 class in three years. Rosen is considered the best pro-style quarterback in the nation. Jamabo is one of six key out-of-state signees.

8. Clemson

Rank over past five years: 17th.

Top recruits: WR Deon Cain (Tampa); OT Mitch Hyatt (Suwanee, Ga.); DT Christian Wilkins (Suffield, Conn.).

The skinny: The Tigers got most of their top players from out of state. Cain is one of two players from Tampa (Ray Ray McCloud is the other) who is expected to provide instant firepower in the fall. Wilkins is a manchild (6-5, 305).

9. Auburn

Rank over past five years: 7th.

Top recruits: DE Byron Cowart (Tampa); ATH Kerryon Johnson (Madison, Ala.); RB Jovon Robinson (Georgia Military College).

The skinny: Robinson is one of the top JC talents in the nation and already is enrolled. Cowart is considered the best defensive end in the nation. Still, as good as this class is, the Tigers didn't make up any ground in their home state -- or, really, in their division (SEC West).

10. Georgia

Rank over past five years: 9th.

Top recruits: ATH Terry Godwin (Hogansville, Ga.); DE Jonathan Ledbetter (Tucker, Ga.); DT Trent Thompson (Albany, Ga.).

The skinny: The Bulldogs did a great job cleaning up in their backyard. Thompson is the nation's consensus No. 1 prospect and will see time right away for a defense that was uneven against the run in 2014.

Bad plays and physical mistakes are going to happen to every team and player in the NFL at some point. Colin Kaepernick fumbling on the one-yard line against the St. Louis Rams or botched coverages on defense are terrible breaks but also part of the game.

Bonehead moments are the face-palm, “D’oh!” acts that leave you shaking your head in wonder. The difference between this past year and others is just as many of those moments came from off-field events as during games.

The Browns Move Up for Johnny Football

The Cleveland Browns struggled at quarterback with Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell after Brian Hoyer was lost for the season with a right knee injury in Week Five. They had already selected cornerback Justin Gilbert with the eighth overall pick and when the opportunity arose to move up four spots to No. 22 in the first round they jumped and drafted 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, quarterback Johnny Manziel out of Texas A&M.

The Browns hoped they were getting the quarterback who single-handedly brought his team back from a 38-17 halftime deficit to win the Chick-fil-A Bowl 52-48 over Duke. What they got was the irresponsible, party animal version.

Now with John DeFillippo hired as the new offensive coordinator to replace Kyle Shanahan, who resigned with two years left on his three year contract, Cleveland is discussing the quarterback position again.

DeFillippo has recently been quoted saying, “We're not sure if our starting quarterback is in the building or not. If he is, great. If he isn't, great too." Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, who many say was the real decision maker when it came to drafting Manziel, echoed that sentiment, “"We've got to get a quarterback and got to get it fixed.”

With that kind of decision-making by the Browns’ “leadership” expect Cleveland to continue looking up from fourth place at their AFC North competition.

Love Is Blind…and Stupid, Part 1

How else can you explain the reaction Ray Rice received from Baltimore fans when he emerged from the tunnel for the Ravens’ first preseason game? At that point Rice was under a two game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy after video surfaced of him dragging his unconscious fiancée, now wife, out of an elevator at a New Jersey casino.

It was public knowledge that the inside the elevator video existed and what was on it but the fans cheered anyway. Would they have still cheered if Rice was playing for the 49ers that night?

Eventually TMZ.com released the elevator video. Confronted by the graphic scene of Rice cold-cocking his wife Goodell decided to increase his suspension to indefinite, Baltimore released him and fans decided to exchange his jersey for other players when given the opportunity by the Ravens.

Love Is Blind…and Stupid, Part 2

Minnesota Vikings fans got their turn in the spotlight when pictures were released of Adrian Peterson’s four year old son showing open wounds and welts that had been inflicted with a switch and a belt as punishment for misbehaving.

After Peterson was suspended for the Vikings’ Week Two game against the New England Patriots many fans showed up wearing his jersey to show support.

One woman in the pre-game parking lot added a three foot long tree branch as a prop to demonstrate her Peterson worship, an image passed around far and wide across the internet.

While the identity of this woman hasn’t been revealed all anyone can do is hope she hasn’t reproduced yet. Lord help the child, and the father, if she has.

Coach Tresty’s Flying Circus

Imagine former Bears head coach Marc Trestman as at the podium as John Cleese sitting at a desk saying, “and now for something completely different,” and the Bears players reacting as if they were cast members of the Benny Hill Show. In essence this sums up the 2014 Chicago Bears season.

When it was revealed that wide receiver Brandon Marshall had signed to appear on “Inside the NFL” Trestman was asked for his reaction. “I trust Brandon,” Trestman told Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune. “He asked me about it. I trust him to make decisions that are in the best interests of the team first.”

On the Monday before the season opener against the Buffalo Bills linebacker Lance Briggs took a day off after asking Trestman for personal time. It was revealed on Wednesday that Briggs was at the grand opening of his barbecue restaurant in California, something Trestman didn’t know at the time.

Trestman preached accountability week after week without holding his players to that standard. Eventually it cost him. By mid-season he had lost the clubhouse and was fired the day after the season ended.

Lovie Never Learns

While head coach of the Chicago Bears Lovie Smith put together some top defensive units but it was his inability to develop a consistent offense, or hire a coordinator that could, that ended up costing him his job. He has proven that he learned nothing about that failure in his year away from the NFL.

On January 2, 2014 he hired former Cal head coach Jeff Tedford as his offensive coordinator. While Tedford had 11 years at Cal on top of experience in the Canadian Football League, he had never been a coach in the NFL. To compound that mistake on March 12 he signed Josh McCown to be his starting quarterback.

While McCown had a good run when replacing an injured Jay Cutler for the Bears in 2013 he’s never been much more than a mediocre back-up for a majority of his career.

Tedford was only on the sidelines for Tampa Bay for three preseason games before taking a leave of absence due to health. The Buccaneers released him on December 5. McCown proved unable to follow-up on the success he had in 2013 and Tampa Bay finished the season as the team with the worst record in football.

Act Like You’ve Been There Before Part One

In the first quarter of Detroit’s Week game against Green Bay linebacker Stephan Tulloch sacked Aaron Rodgers for a seven yard loss, leapt into the air to celebrate and dropped to the turf in pain after he landed. Tulloch was placed on injured reserve with an ACL tear and missed the rest of the season.

In Week Eight Chicago Bears defensive end Lamarr Houston picked up his first sac k of the season during a 51-23 embarrassment against the New England Patriots.  Houston, obviously thrilled that he finally provided a return on investment to Chicago after signing a big free agent contract the previous summer celebrated so hard that he ruptured his right ACL, ending his season.

Act Like You’ve Been There Before Part Two

The Oakland Raiders were 0-10 heading into a Thursday night game against the 7-3 Kansas City Chiefs. With just under two minutes remaining the Raiders took a 24-20 lead on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr to James Jones.

With 40-seconds left and the Chiefs attempting a final comeback linebacker Sio Moore sacked Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith for a seven-yard loss on a third down play. With the clock running and the Chiefs back on their own 48 Oakland defensive end Justin Tuck called a timeout.

Tuck must have panicked to make such a bonehead mistake, giving the Chiefs a chance to organize a fourth down play instead of rushing to the line for a last gasp attempt.

Actually, it was Tuck who made the play of the game. Moore, along with Khalil Mack, were twenty-yards behind the line still celebrating the sack. Kansas City was seconds away from running a free fourth down play against a nine man defense, or at least benefit from what would have been the most obvious offsides penalty in NFL history.

Fortunately for Moore and Mack an incompletion by Alex Smith on fourth down sealed Oakland’s first victory of the season. After the game Moore apologized for his lack of awareness.

Giants Hold pregame huddle on Eagles Logo and Pay the Price

You would think teams would learn to leave the logo alone. The Giants were 3-2 but must have felt undefeated heading into their Sunday night matchup in Philadelphia.

Once the game started the Eagles crushed the life out of the Giants. Philadelphia outgained them by 194 total yards and sacked Eli Manning eight times in a 27-0 rout.

That game was the first of a seven game losing streak for New York. Say it one more time, leave the logo alone!

Ahmad Brooks Benches Himself

No, we’re not talking about a crazy weight room feat of strength. In Week 11, on the road against the New York Giants, he became so upset about being platooned at linebacker with Aldon Smith and Aaron Lynch that he pulled himself out of the game.

During the second half, instead of standing on the sideline with his head in the game he went back to the bench, removed his helmet, cleats and had the tape cut from his ankles while watching his 49ers teammates defeat the Giants 16-10.

Brooks later apologized for the incident but four weeks later he was benched again, this time by Harbaugh for missing a team defensive meeting

49ers Push Jim Harbaugh Out the Door

Before Jim Harbaugh arrived in San Francisco the 49ers had missed the playoffs in eight straight seasons under four coaches. Under Harbaugh they went to three consecutive NFC Conference Championship games and one Super Bowl, that they came 1:50 and five yards away from winning. Even after a 2014 season where the 49ers had to overcome injuries and adversity they still finished 8-8 in what proved to be one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL.

Given that success most teams in the league would rip up the fifth year of that coach’s contract and write new paper to make sure he stayed in town. San Francisco decided it was better to “part ways” with that coach.

If an organization is about winning they find a way to deal with a coach who can be stubborn and uncompromising. Apparently owner Jed York and general manager Trent Balke decided it was all about them instead.