DJ’s Draft Day Diary

By Mark Stout

I don’t know about you, but Draft Day is like a holiday to me. It’s right up there with Christmas, Thanksgiving and National Dress-Up Your Pet Day. (1/14) There are only two days on the NFL calendar in which fans from every team feel as if they have a shot to be a winner for the year. The first is opening weekend when all 32 teams have a clean slate, and the second is Draft Day, where every team is potentially one pick away from getting the stud football player who completes their team or turns around their team. So here is how I am celebrating today’s holiday; First off, my wife and daughter are out on a “play date” with another Mother/Daughter so I have the entire house to myself. Secondly, I have an assortment of Mexican beers chilling on ice. And finally, and most importantly, I have a dozen Blue Crabs steaming in a crab pot! It doesn’t get much better than a quiet house, brews and crabs. Amen.

So welcome to my Draft Day Diary. I’ll be posting timed entries during the draft until the Redskins make their pick. Who knows…maybe they trade up to #2 for CJ? Maybe they stand pat and take a much needed D-lineman? Maybe they trade down a few times and pick up a whole slew of draft picks in return? Either way, I’m in for the long haul. Enjoy!

11:43am: The biggest decision I have to make today is whether I watch the ESPN or NFL Network broadcasts. I’m a little partial to Boomer and Kiper, so I’ll probably default to ESPN, but I’ll switch back and forth and give the NFLN a chance to win me over. Plus, Kornheiser is the anti-Kiper, so it will be fun to watch Tony talk out of his butt all day about a subject he knows very little about. The clock for the first pick starts in 16 minutes, which means it could be a full half hour or more before the Raiders make their pick. Now is a good time to grab a beer and check on the crabs.

11:52am: I’m a little disappointed that none of the 5 blue chippers onsite at the Draft are wearing bright suits! All have taken the monochrome approach and are wearing black or gray suits. Russell is wearing black from head to toe. He will look mighty stupid if the Raiders select Quinn or CJ with the first pick. You think he has a Detroit Blue blazer in the back just in case?

12:00pm: ESPN is running their opening segment for the draft and the narrator is Alec Baldwin! Talk about poor timing. I wonder if he is going to call Brady Quinn a “rude, thoughtless little pig”. All of the pre-draft shows have been talking about Detroit fielding offers from several teams for a trade. Looks like CJ is coveted by many teams.

12:10pm: The Raiders are on the clock. I’m predicting Russell from LSU. It seems like a no-brainer to me, but this is Al Davis’ team, after all. Anything can happen.

12:20pm: With the 1st pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select LSU Quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Great pick by the Raiders. On behalf of all NFL fans, I’d like to thank the Raiders not using all 15 minutes for this pick! Nice smokescreen by the Raiders by talking with Quinn all week and not giving JaMarcus the time of day.

12:21pm: The Lions are on the clock. I think it’s safe to say that the phones are ringing off the hook in Detroit right now. In my opinion, they should trade the pick and grab an OT or RB. Oh wow…ESPN just showed CJ on his cell phone in tears. Looks like he is either getting drafted by the Lions or he was just informed of a trade. I love the drama!

12:30pm: With the 2nd pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson. Ok. So do they keep him or try and trade him to the Bucs? The Lions have used a first rounder on a WR in 4 of the last 5 drafts. They haven’t had a winning season since 2000. Seems to me that taking a WR in the first round hasn’t been working for them. Again, I’m happy that the pick didn’t take the full 15 minutes. Also, CJ wins the award for best dressed blue chipper. Nice pinstripes, CJ!

12:31pm: The Browns are on the clock. Only two paths to go for this pick; Quinn or Anderson. If I were a member of the Browns’ front office, I’d go for the running back. They were the 31st ranked rushing offense last season. I guess either pick would help them, however that franchised is cursed, so I feel bad for whoever goes to Cleveland.

12:40pm: Does anyone know a good technique for removing crab shells from inside a computer keyboard? *Slaps Head* This is getting messy…

12:41pm: With the 3rd pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns select Wisconsin LT Joe Thomas. WOW! On behalf of the Redskins Nation, we would like to thank you for allowing both Quinn and Peterson to fall and give the Redskins some added trade options. *Fist pump* I thought Joe Thomas was good enough to go as high as #2, so this is a great pick for the Browns. A left tackle is a great position to upgrade when you are rebuilding. By the way, have I mentioned lately that crabs and beer go very well together? YUM. J

12:42pm: The Bucs are on the clock. I’m predicting they stand pat and draft Gaines Adams, or they entertain offers to trade this pick and draft Gaines a few spots later. They don’t need Peterson, since they already have the keys to the Cadillac. They could pull the trigger on Quinn, but I think they are in serious need of defensive help first and foremost. I really hope they take Gaines and allow the Redskins to be a trade partner. If The Bucs take Quinn and the Cards take (Or trade) Peterson, then the Redskins are pretty much out of luck. NEWSFLASH: Gaines is talking on his cell phone! This could be a sign that he will be a Buc.

12:51pm: With the 4th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Clemson DE Gaines Adams. YES! The Redskins could be in the driver seat right now. Adams has a 50/50 chance of being a stud or a dud. He is going to a good system that will capitalize on his strengths, but only time will tell. I need another beer and a bandaid. Nothing hurts worse than a cut from a salty crab shell!

12:52pm: The Cards are on the clock. The Cards are taking a lot of phone calls right now. I’m pretty sure they wanted the LT from Wisconsin, and now that he is gone, they will probably entertain trade down options. They don’t need a RB since they have Edge, and they don’t need a QB since they have Leinhart. Could they take the 2nd best tackle on the board in Levi Brown or is that too high for him? I predict they trade the pick.

1:03 pm: With the 5th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select Penn State LT Levi Brown. Hmmmm. Levi isn’t good enough to be drafted at #5, however Leinhart needs as much help as he can get. They could have traded down and still drafted Levi 5 or more spots later. Not only did they reach for this pick, but they didn’t get their top guy. Cardinal fans must be a little ticked off about this. But honestly, I really don’t care because…

1:04pm: THE REDSKINS ARE ON THE CLOCK! Time to put up or shut up, Redskins. Everything has happened perfectly for the Skins. They have two top-5 picks who have slipped to #6 for possible trades…they have a plethora of D-linemen to pick from…and they could still entertain a trade for Lance Briggs. In a perfect world, I’d like to see them trade down with Buffalo and then select a d-lineman. But I’m predicting they stand pat and select the Big Man from Louisville. *Fingers Crossed* (Runs to the fridge for a celebratory beer)

1:14pm: OH NO. The cameras just showed Landry taking a cell phone call. NO! NO! NO! His agent just pumped his fist. NOOOOOOOO! If this goes down, I’m trading my beer for bourbon and everything not nailed down in my living room is eligible to be thrown.

1:16 pm: With the 6th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins select LSU Safety Laron Landry. I’m speechless. I’m going to walk this off and leave the room right now before my widescreen receives a gigantic crack from a flung Mr. Potato Head.

1:33pm: *Deep Breath* I’m back and I’m pissed, shocked, devastated and flat out confused. I didn’t throw the Mr. Potato Head, but I did kick him across the room. But my daughter is not home to witness it the act, so no harm no foul. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Landry will not start immediately. He will not be an immediate impact. He will not put constant pressure on the QB. He will not stop running backs from running straight through our D-line. He will not increase the number of sacks for our defense. He will not cover WRs/TEs any better than Taylor, Archuletta and Fox did last season. I will say this; the one and only way this draft is saved for me is if the Redskins trade next year’s #1 and trade up for Okoye or Branch right now. I’ll accept nothing less. Not addressing the d-line in this year’s draft is purely criminal.

1:38pm: Unless the Redskins trade up, this will be the unfortunate end to my Draft Day Diary. In my mind, I’m picturing a riot right now up at the Draft Day Party at FedEx. I think my choice to stay home was a good one.