Round One

Ok, so the first round went as follows.  I have pick number 8 and it is a snaking draft.

Round 1, Pick 1: Shaun Alexander (RB SEA)

Round 1, Pick 2: Larry Johnson (RB KC)

Round 1, Pick 3: LaDainian Tomlinson (RB SD)

Round 1, Pick 4: Tiki Barber (RB NYG)

Round 1, Pick 5: Peyton Manning (QB IND)

Round 1, Pick 6: Edgerrin James (RB ARI)

Round 1, Pick 7: LaMont Jordan (RB OAK)

At pick #8, my draft board looked like this:

6.  Clinton Portis, 7. Steven Jackson, 8. Ronnie Brown

I wasn't too confident in picking Portis there, even though I was sure he would be back.  I thought I would take my chances that people would over react to the injury and the trade and wait to see if he was there in round 2.  I skipped Steven Jackson.  With his hell issue, I thought it was better to pass.  I have had heel problems, and I can't imagine him being as great with the injury as without it.

So, with the 8th pick:

Round 1, Pick 8: Ronnie Brown (RB MIA)

The rest of the round went as follows:

Round 1, Pick 9: Steven Jackson (RB STL)

Round 1, Pick 10: Cadillac Williams (RB TB)

Round 1, Pick 11: Rudi Johnson (RB CIN)

Round 1, Pick 12: Brian Westbrook (RB PHI)

More updates in Round 2.

Round Two update

Team #12 started off round #2 and immediately shored up the receiver area.

Round 2, Pick 1: Steve Smith (WR CAR)

Team #11 jumped at the chance to grab a rookie with a lot of upside (I still think Reggie Bush will be a bust in the NFL.  I don't care if I am wrong on this.  It is just a feeling I have)

Round 2, Pick 2: Reggie Bush (RB NO)

From my standpoint, it was too early to pick him, though he might not have been around the next time through (21 picks later).  This is not a keeper league either, which means taking him this early doesn't pay off down the road if he does remain good.  As a side note, in my main league (a keeper league), there is one participant very much angling to attempt to get Reggie Bush early in the draft.  We are allowed to keep up to four players with those keeping less getting early picks in the draft.  This guy might only keep one player in order to get the first pick or close to it and nab Bush for this and the forseeable future.  Based on my assessment of him, I am not sure on this strategy, since it might mean a couple years of waiting, but this guy is set on it and if it pays off at some point, he will look like a genius.

Team #10 adds to his Cadillac Williams pick with another running back:

Round 2, Pick 3: Willis McGahee (RB BUF)

Team #9 goes the receiver route with his next pick:

Round 2, Pick 4: Chad Johnson (WR CIN)

With Pick #5 in this round, my draft board looked like this:

6.  Clinton Portis, 16. Larry Fitzgerald, 17. Willie Parker

I couldn't believe that Portis was still left.  Apparently the injury to his shoulder made people afraid to get him in the first round, and the trade last night has made people wary early in the second round.  I thought I would take a chance, since this is not my main league and he is still going to be quality, even if he has to miss a few weeks of the season with his shoulder hurt.  So with that:

Round 2, Pick 5: Clinton Portis (RB WAS)

At pick 6 in Round Two, Team #7 took the next best available player on my board.

Round 2, Pick 6: Larry Fitzgerald (WR ARZ)

It was hard to see Larry go to another team.  He is one of my keepers in my other league and I was almost tempted to take him over Portis.  

The next pick is a shocker to me, especially this early.  This one is weird right up there with the early Bush pull.

Round 2, Pick 7: Antonio Gates (TE SDG)

Why this early?  Gates could probably last until Round 4 in this league at least.  He was #43 on my draft board.  A very interesting jump down, especially considering that he could have grabbed another back, like a Parker, or a Warrick Dunn who will totally benefit from the trading of Duckett.

More updates at the end of Round 2.
 

I also don't see the logic of Antonio Gates in the 2nd round.  Yes he's a great Tight End and probably the best in the game right now, but the other ends in the league are quickly gaining on him and there is great depth at the position this year.  Just like Peyton Manning being the top point scorer but not the top pick, it just isn't a good pick at this point of a draft.

 

One player that my gut tells me to stay away from is Willis McGahee ... not sure why but I'm staying away from him.

Round 2 (Final 5)

Some more surprises in Round 2.

Round 2, Pick 8: Terrell Owens (WR DAL)

Assuming that TO actually steps on the field at some point and plays and doesn't get Parcells overly upset with him, this is a solid pick.  Quarterback situation in Dallas might be dicey, but Bledsoe looked decent in his last game and Romo is also looking solid.  As long as someone is throwing him the ball, he will produce.  This team still doesn't have a running back though, which might come back to haunt them.

Round 2, Pick 9: Domanick Davis (RB HOU)

Davis is primed to have a big season since Reggie Bush didn't come into the picture, but the line in Houston is still a little shaky.  I had Davis at #29 on my draft board, so this pick could have waited until Round 3 according to my list.  And there is still good talent available prior to him which might have a little better chance with numbers.

Next we had a run on receivers, even though there are still quality backs on the board.  Granted, the top three picks in the draft chose the top 3 players in the game, who are all running backs, but it is still something to keep in mind.  The best consistent numbers are going to come from the running back position so a receiver could have definitely waited until Round 3 (remember they get another pick coming back fairly quickly)

Round 2, Pick 10: Reggie Wayne (WR IND)

Shocking that he went before Harrison and Holt.

Round 2, Pick 11: Torry Holt (WR STL)

Round 2, Pick 12: Marvin Harrison (WR IND)

Not much you can argue with on these two, other than them not being running backs.  What makes the Wayne pick even more interesting is that Randy Moss is still there (yes, there is a quarterback issue in Oakland, but someone is going to throw the ball, and Moss should put up comparable numbers to Wayne.)

More in Round 3 after my pick...

Wayne is a bit of a surprise there.  If this was last year's draft, then maybe not as Wayne was coming off of a break out season, but he dropped back to Earth a little last year.  Plus Harrison and Holt had one of the best years in their careers.  That's a bit of a chance there.  Owens is a bit of a reach also...but only by a few picks.  Guys like Harrison, Holt, Chambers should be going before Owens and Wayne.

Round 3 Update

Team #1 shocked me right off the bat.  They get two picks in a row being at the end of the line, and they immediately continued to add to the passing game, right after taking Marvin Harrison

Round 3, Pick 1: Jeremy Shockey (TE NYG)

Wow.  Another TE, and Shockey was even lower on my board (59) than Gates.  Since I know the guy who made the pick, I asked him why he did this cause he was definitely not following good draft form.  Here was the IM conversation:

Team 1 Owner (Rub): My reasoning is this: there are only a handful of TE that get any points (gates, shockey, crumpler, etc). if I didn't take him now, I'd have to wait like 20 picks before my next pick, and by then I'd be stuck with a useless TE
Ben: Ok... if you really want a TE that early.  I just see a lot more value from taking a normal WR or RB at this point. I was shocked when Gates went as early as he did
Rub: but a good TE like Gates is a point whore.  "Normal WR" are very hard to predict
Ben: But then why not take Dunn?!
Rub: or Droughns, but the problem with the 1st pick is you have to wait so long before your next pick
Ben: I understand this... Just asking the question
Rub: I think shockey's a lock for good amount of points and feel solid at TE position now. I'll get a "decent" 2nd RB and some other decent WRs later, but TE's will be GONE.

I include the conversation because I felt it was only fair if I was going to rip him like I did.  I still don't see the benefit to taking a TE this early in the draft.  TEs that generate a huge amount of points are rare, but at the same time, getting a solid starting RB or go to receiver pays a much bigger benefit in the long run.  Your TE might win you possibly 1 or 2 games over the season, while a quality running back can mean that you are in every single game with a chance to put up big points.

Picks were jumping all over my board after this.  The top available guy for me had been Willie Parker since Larry Fitzgerald was drafted after me in the second round.

Round 3, Pick 2: Julius Jones (RB DAL)

A solid pick, but I haven't heard a lot about the Dallas running game this preseason so hard to judge this, but he was the 4th best player  remaining on my draft board at the time.  He should get a good amount of carries to take the focus away from what should be a good passing attack in Dallas.  By the way, as I write this, TO is officially confirmed to have re-aggravated his hamstring injury.  Looks like more bike time for him and the pick of him in Round 2 is looking not so good at this point.

Round 3, Pick 3: Matt Hasselbeck (QB SEA)

Interesting choice because he jumps Tom Brady to pick Hasselback.  If I were to draft a QB here, Brady would be first because of his consistency and because Seattle is more likely to run the ball into the end zone than pass it. 

Round 3, Pick 4: Warrick Dunn (RB ATL)

Finally Dunn goes!  I was hoping he would fall all the way to me and he almost did, but no luck there.  This is a great pick and should make up for the Domanick Davis pick should the Houston line be as bad as last season.

Round 3, Pick 5: Anquan Boldin (WR ARI)

Team #5 continues to looking for big points in the passing game.  3 picks, 0 RBs.  This is not going to be a good trend for them going forward.  And they have TO, who as I just wrote above is back to riding the bike.  This team could seriously be hurting this year if they don't take a running back with their very next pick.

Round 3, Pick 6: Randy Moss (WR OAK)

Moss goes now.  I would have thought he would have been taken earlier, like instead of Reggie Wayne, but this works.  I still have concerns about who is getting him the ball, but at this point, not a bad pick, assuming he doesn't alienate his entire team.

Round 3, Pick 7: Carson Palmer (QB CIN)

Not sure on this one.  Team #7 has LaMont Jordan and Larry Fitzgerald so far.  And now they add Palmer, who if he is healthy, is a great choice.  There is just too many questions surrounding him.  And as I said with Hasselback, Brady is still on the board and my top rated remaining signal caller.

So with pick 8, here was my draft board:

17. Willie Parker, 20. Kevin Jones, 22. Chester Taylor

I ruled out Jones because his bye week is in Week 8 and my first two running backs were already going to be resting in week 8.  Chester Taylor intrigued me, considering that Minnesota looks like they are going to be one of those enigma teams this year.  But, I went with what I know, and that is Pittsburgh RBs put up numbers.

Round 3, Pick 8: Willie Parker (RB PIT)

This gives me three running backs: Ronnie Brown, Clinton Portis, and Willie Parker.  That is a pretty solid core for most weeks of the season.  I should probably start looking at receivers, but I am going to stick with the recommended website strategy and go through the top pick list before addressing position needs.  And it looks like the way this is going, I will end up with a better rated player than my pick position should give me.

Round 3, Pick 9: Tom Brady (QB NE)

Finally!  I was hoping that my board would hold and he would be there with my next pick, but oh well.  Me and Tom have a special connection since he has been my QB for the last two years in my other league.  He helped me to my first championship last season.  And he was the best QB remaining on my board.  Eli Manning is the next best remaining at this point, and I have him #58, which means, there is a possibility I could get him in Round 5.

More to come at my next selection...

I think you're friend is undervaluing the TE market this year.  I'd put Todd Heap, Jason Witten, Randy McMichael all in with Gates, Gonzo, Crumpler, Shockey.  That's 7 legit guys, all in the same tier of potential points scored...no reason to jump so early.

Couldn't go wrong with either Parker or Taylor.  Personally, I think Taylor is in line for a pretty big season and would have went there, but that's just my opinion.  Both guys should do well this year.  I like Parker, but there's just something about Pittsburgh this year that doesn't make me all that excited.  I hope he proves me wrong.

Round 3/4 Update

These picks went fast.  I barely had time to put in the last update before it was my turn again.  Luckily, the guy in front of me is a slowpoke, so I have time now to update the furious pace of this draft.  After Brady went to Team 9....

Round 3, Pick 10: Corey Dillon (RB NE)

Dillon is a solid pick at this point.  He probably isn't going to hurt you too bad and New England has looked more open to the running game with him back there.  Team #10 now has 3 running backs like me and may start to branch out a little more in terms of position.  Something for me to keep in mind during my Round 5 pick.

Round 3, Pick 11: Jamal Lewis (RB BAL)

I used to love Jamal Lewis.  Now, I am not too sure and his hip injury bothers me.  I would have skipped him had he been up next on my draft board, hoping he would fall further. 

Round 3, Pick 12: Eli Manning (QB NYG)

There goes my Manning dreams.  I am not surprised he went before I got him.  With him gone, we are into the middle tier of quarterbacks left.  These are the guys that can either have a great season or a bad one depending on how their supporting cast does.  Tops on my list is McNabb, and I don't think I will get to see him come up.  I do have a sleeper pick at the QB position though just in case I don't have many choices left.

Round 4, Pick 1: Kevin Jones (RB DET)

Jones was tops on my board at this point, so not a bad add for team #12.  He probably wouldn't have another shot at a decent RB because of the time before his next pick.  Was a good call to get Jones now.  Now all he needs is Detroit to have a monster season, something very much not guaranteed.

Round 4, Pick 2: Frank Gore (RB SF)

Gore's stock rose a bunch with Barlow being traded away yesterday, and no doubt that this pick here reflects that rise in value.  I wouldn't have taken him.  SF is abysmal.  Gore was 45 on my draft board, putting him a little further down in Round 4, but there is a chance that he still might have been available for this team in Round 5.

Round 4, Pick 3: DeShaun Foster (RB CAR)

So, a funny story about Foster, who is a good pick here (32 overall on my board).  Last season in the keeper league, we were into the middle rounds.  And i was looking at adding one more back to my roster.  On the board still were DeShaun Foster and Larry Johnson.  Holmes looked like he was going to play all season and Stephen Davis was still at Carolina.  I took my full allotted time before pulling the trigger on Larry Johnson.  Boy am I glad I made that choice.  I rode Johnson to the league victory last season, and kept him on for this year's roster in that league (along with Alexander, Tomlinson, and Fitzgerald). 

Round 4, Pick 4: Reuben Droughns (RB CLE)

No offense Cleveland fans, but I wouldn't want anyone on that team. You guys are cursed and would bring the curse to me.

So with Pick 5, the following were the top choices on my board:

22. Chester Taylor, 35. Hines Ward, 37. Plaxico Burress

If Chester has lasted this long, I feel like he might even last to my next pick (talk about under the radar, and it helps that CBS had him 111 overall.  I am holding off on him.  Ward is injured right now, and I don't like to take my chance on Helmet boy's arm.  Plus, taking him would mean two of my best offensive guys are on the same team.  That is bad news.  So, I am jumping down to my 3rd best choice on this one, since I haven't yet gotten a receiver.

Round 4, Pick 5: Plaxico Burress (WR NYG)

Current Roster: Ronnie Brown, Clinton Portis, Willie Parker, Plaxico Burress

Still 9:35 left on the clock for the next guy.  Updates to come at the end of the round...

By the way, I am hoping someone is learning something from all of this.  I sure am... Never try to recap a draft as it is happening.  

I will attempt to do this for my Yahoo league also if someone thinks this is valuable.  That is the keeper league.  I will do it after the fact though...

Round 4/5 Update

So as I write this, we are in the middle of Round 7 and I have been trying to catch up ever since my last update.  When we last left, I had just drafted Plaxico Burress and gotten my first WR, albeit after skipping picking another RB.

Round 4, Pick 6: Roy Williams (WR DET)

I can't complain too much although I am still not sure on the QB situation in Detroit.  It is always hard for me to pull the trigger on a receiver when I don't even know who will be throwing the ball to the guy.  And Detriot has been pathetic lately and will most likely be again this year.  This is a guy I would have skipped just for my sanity.

Round 4, Pick 7: Hine Ward (WR PIT)

Someone jumped on him.  Like I said, I didn't want two skill guys from one team, and I didn't want to count on Roethlisberger's arm.

Round 4, Pick 8: Chris Chambers (WR MIA)

Ok, I don't mind him picking Chambers.  What bugs me about this guy's draft is that his entire offense at this point is directed at passing.  Manning is ok, but then to pick 3 straight receivers with no running back is just asking for trouble.  Of course, he is not me, so I will look forward to playing this team during the season.

Round 4, Pick 9: Donovan McNabb (QB PHI)

I don't know who Donovan will be throwing too, but if he can find a decent couple of targets, he should do ok.  I like McNabb so I won't rip on this pick at all.

Round 4, Pick 10: Santana Moss (WR WAS)

Best WR on the board.

Round 4, Pick 11: Kurt Warner (QB ARI)

I don't like this pick.  Despite all the targets for Warner to throw to, he is just too injury prone.  And there are much better quarterbacks available on the list, especially at this position.  He could have gotten Warner in one of the later rounds if he really wanted him.  I have Warner as the 20th best QB available and at this point in the draft, this team could have used another WR more than Warner.

Round 4, Pick 12: Mark Bulger (QB STL)

According to my numbers, Bulger was the 3rd best QB available at this point, behind Bledsoe and Delhomme.  I still think this is a pick that could have waited with a better draft position, but considering again that this team gets two consecutive picks and then not another pick for a while, locking in Bulger can be seen as a decent move.  He should provide steady numbers though I would rather have seen this team try to lock up 2 WR or RBs with their two picks.

-------

Round 5, Pick 1: Darrell Jackson (WR SEA)

And that team does at least come back with a good WR.  Best available pass catcher at this time in the draft.

Round 5, Pick 2: Chester Taylor (RB MIN)

Ok, so I was wrong and Taylor didn't make it back to me.  So after I rip this guy for taking Warner so early, I will praise him for seeing the value in Taylor left on the board.  Probably should have made the picks in reverse order, just to make sure, but nice pick.

Round 5, Pick 3: TJ Houshmandzadeh (WR CIN)

If Palmer is ok, this is a great pick.  I am hoping to get him in my draft on Friday so I can call him TJ Who's Your Mamma.  Nice pick, although I had a few more receivers rated before him...

Round 5, Pick 4: Donald Driver (WR GB)

And this was one of them.  If Driver can stay healthy, there is no reason he won't be huge for Favre and the Packers again.

Round 5, Pick 5: Mike Bell (RB DEN)

I was glad he was taken here because if he was still on the board when it got to me, it would have been tough to not take him.  Bell was the best player available on my board and though the running back situation in Denver scares me, anyone not named Clarett playing there seems to do well.  And this is this team's first running back.  Not a bad one to luck into after being stupid with his choice in positions so far.

Round 5, Pick 6: Bears Defense

A little early to take a defense, but this was a pick done by the auto pick system and for some reason, CBS auto rated all of the defenses very high.  It was strange to see as I was setting my draft list.  On the positive side for this team, the Bears should have one of the top defenses in the game this year, even if the radio here in Chicago seems to think we are headed for disaster.

Round 5, Pick 7: Jason Witten (TE DAL)

I am still shocked at the number of TEs that are going this early in the draft.  And with the addition of two very good receivers in Dallas, Witten is at best a 3rd option.  He was the 8th best TE on my board and yet he was chosen as the 3rd TE overall.  This early, I would have passed.

With the 8th pick, my draft board looked like this:

42. Joseph Addai, 45. Thomas Jones, 48. Tatum Bell, 50. Javon Walker

Addai is in a battle for the top back in Indy, and right now, he is #2.  The system I used seems to think that either Rhodes will get injured, or Addai will win the job by the middle of the season.  I am not taking the risk on him here.  The back situation in Chicago is not much better, and even though I think Jones is the better choice of the two, I am going to pass.  Tatum Bell is not the #1 right now in Denver so a no go there.  I only have 1 receiver so far and 3 RBs, so I am going to pull the trigger on Javon Walker.

Round 5, Pick 8: Javon Walker (WR DEN)

Walker is a solid #2 receiver, and given my team right now, I won't normally need to start more than Burress.  Even if I do, Walker should provide some great numbers for me and was the best WR on the board at this point.  I am happy with the way my team is shaping up.

Round 5, Pick 9: Joey Galloway (WR TB)

This is dipping down the chart a little bit in the WR list, but still a good pick.  TB tends to run a little more, but Simms should see more passing attempts this year, so Galloway's numbers should improve.

Round 5, Pick 10: Dante Culpepper (QB MIA)

I would have waited on Dante.  Coming off the injury, there is too much risk here and there are still 4 more QBs rated ahead of him on my board.  Culpepper is a big repeat injury risk all year, and with a QB in Round 5, I would have picked someone who could stand to be a little more solid.  Of course, this pick is better than the Kurt Warner pick.

Round 5, Pick 11: Andre Johnson (WR HOU)

I normally like Johnson as a pick.  I think he has great talent.  Unfortunately, Johnson's QB, David Carr, has been on his back a lot more than upright over the past two seasons.  Johnson should still be the go to guy in Houston, but given the offensive issues there, especially with the line, he may struggle and cause his owner a lot of headaches.

Round 5, Pick 12: Joe Horn (WR NO)

Drew Brees should do a lot for Joe Horn, but I have been burned by Horn in the past with his performance.  I wouldn't have taken him just for that, since I am the master at the Fantasy Grudge (more on that later).  And there are still a bunch of receivers ahead of him on the board.  He was not projected to go in the first 6 rounds on my board.

That ends Round 5.  I will recap the rosters in the next post...

Thanks Fx ... I have my main big fantasy draft this weekend. It's a keeper league (3) but nonethless this helps in evaluating.

My keepers were weak this year (due to some poor trading) - Carson Palmer, Julius Jones, Chester Taylor.

I have the second pick. I'm going to assume the first pick is Reggie Bush. Thus, this leaves me with following players under consideration: Dunn, Harrison, M Bell, Rhodes, Boldin, T Brady, D McNabb ... then I'm sure you can guess at the other players that will be available.

Who would you guys go with?

Starting roster?  1 QB, 2 RB, 2-3 Receivers?  Regardless you've got some decisions to make.  Will Palmer be the Palmer I hope to see in Cincy this year?  I say yes...don't need a QB then.  Will Chester Taylor be this year's Lamont Jordan?  I say yes.  Will Julius Jones get 70% or more of the touches in Dallas?  Maybe not.  I also have Jones in my keeper league and this one is keeping me up late at night wondering what will happen.  So maybe a RB is in order and by the looks of things Dunn is far and away the best thing left.  With the depth of the receiving pool, I'd say save receivers for round 2 and shore up your RB corp by picking the best guy left which appears to be Dunn.

Roster Review:

Team 1 (Rub): QB - Bulger, RB - Alexander, WR - Harrison, D. Jackson, TE - Shockey

Team 2: QB - Warner, RB - J. Jones, L. Johnson, C. Taylor, WR - Holt

Team 3: QB - Hasselback, RB - Tomlinson, Houshmandzadeh, WR - Wayne, Moss

Team 4: QB - McNabb, RB - D. Davis, Barber, Dunn, WR - Driver

Team 5: QB - P. Manning, RB - M. Bell, WR - Boldin, Chambers, Owens

Team 6: RB - E. James, WR - Ward, R. Moss, TE - Gates, DEF - Chicago

Team 7: QB - Palmer, RB - L. Jordan, WR - Fitzgerald, R. Williams, TE - Witten

Team 8 (Me): RB - Portis, R. Brown, W. Parker, WR - Burress, J. Walker

Team 9: QB - Brady, RB - Droughns, S. Jackson, WR - C. Johnson, Galloway

Team 10: QB - Culpepper, RB - C. Williams, C. Dillon, D. Foster, McGahee

Team 11: RB - Gore, J. Lewis, Bush, R. Johnson, WR - A. Johnson

Team 12: QB - E. Manning, RB - Westbrook, K. Jones, WR - Horn, S. Smith

Feel free to weigh in...

Its 2rb and 2wr or I can decide to go shotgun and 1rb and 3wr. We have our own website, rules committee ... the whole deal. I little over the top.

I'll draft Bush if he is there. If not I'm leaning towards Dunn or Harrison ... as you mention, my RB crew is far from a sure thing. I'm not sure why but I always tend to sleep on Dunn. I just keep thinking he'll get injured or something. He produces though and I feel very good about the prospect of the Falcons this season.

Round 6 Update

Starting with Round 6, I am only going to comment if someone does something boneheaded, which given the way this draft has gone, could be a lot.

Round 6, Pick 1: Lee Evans (WR BUF)

Round 6, Pick 2: Tony Gonzalez (TE KC)

I still don't understand the love affair with tight ends in this league, but at least he was drafted close to where he should have been.

Round 6, Pick 3: Derrick Mason (WR BAL)

Round 6, Pick 4: Ahman Green (RB GB)

I had Green in my queue to be my next draft pick.  I was so ready to pull the trigger on him to be my 4th back.  I would have had quite a core.

With the 5th pick, here was my board:

42. Addai, 47. T. Jones, 48. T. Bell, 54. Deuce McAllister, 55. Fred Taylor, 62. Cedric Benson, 63. Matt Jones

I have covered the first three.  McAllister suffers because of Bush.  Taylor is the reason for my fantasy grudges.  Two years in a row, two high picks for Taylor, two major injuries and no production.  I was lucky those years to do as well as I did.  So, I will never draft Fred Taylor again.  I am not going to take Benson if I wouldn't take Thomas Jones.  So that leaves me with Matt Jones, who should be a solid receiver taking over for Jimmy Smith in Jacksonville.  And if the Jaguars can come close to their form from last season, Jones should be a great pick.  He gives me a 3rd receiver to go with 3 RBs.  Round 7 should be aimed at getting a QB for me, since I am out of the "Pick the Best Available Player" rounds.

Round 6, Pick 6: Fred Taylor (RB JAX)

Ha, this saves me.

Round 6, Pick 7: Eddie Kennison (WR KC)

Round 6, Pick 8: Joseph Addai (RB IND)

It is not that I mind Addai, but this owner (here after known as OZ) now has P. Manning and Addai.  Just remember this...

Round 6, Pick 9: Steelers Defense

I still think it is too early for Defense

Round 6, Pick 10: Panthers Defense

Ditto, but this is the top rated defense

Round 6, Pick 11: Todd Heap (TE BAL)

The Tight End fascination continues when this team could really have used a real WR

Round 6, Pick 12: Thomas Jones (RB CHI)

Round 7 Update

Ok, this was the last complete round of the night.  The draft slows down overnight to give us time to sleep, so it is doubtful that Round 8 will complete before morning, and since the guy before me is on the clock and moving slow, I think I will be the first pick in the morning, so this will continue then.

Round 7, Pick 1: Seahawks Defense

I think it is acceptable to pick Defense at this point and Team 1 is very well rounded at this point.  Not much to complain about in his draft so far given where he ended up, and I am not just saying that because he is my friend.

Round 7, Pick 2: Tampa Bay Defense

They still could have used another WR.  Defense being picked here doesn't seem to make much sense because of his team structure right now.

Round 7, Pick 3: Kellen Winslow (TE CLE)

Other than the Cleveland curse, this might not be a bad deal.  But, he is the 11th best TE and there are better choices above him.  If you are a Browns fan, ok, but otherwise, take someone else (I recommend Chris Cooley)

Round 7, Pick 4: Tatum Bell (RB DEN)

They really needed another receiver before a RB.

Round 7, Pick 5: Dominick Rhodes (RB IND)

Ok, remember OZ?  Now he just did something really stupid.  His quarterback and two of his running backs are all Indy players.  And Addai probably won't see tons of time if Rhodes is healthy so his previous pick only pays off if this pick gets hurt!  And on Indy's bye week, he now has 3 players out for him.  Not great planning and not a good spread.  And OZ is counting on receiving to help him way too much.  OZ is hurting bad at this point.

Round 7, Pick 6: Rod Smith (WR DEN)

This team still has only one running back and no QB.  Tough to call this a successful draft so far, but a lot of his picks have been done auto at this point, so he hasn't really been watching.

Round 7, Pick 7: Cedric Benson (RB CHI)

Given all the news about Benson, I would never draft him.  This is a Ricky Williams waiting to happen.  What is it with players that win the Doak Walker award?

With Pick 8, my draft board looked like this:

54. Deuce M, 67. Chris Brown, 70 Laveranues Coles

Chris Brown should still be the #1 with the way that LenDale White has handled himself.  I still think in my mind that White will be the best running back in the draft from last season (though Maroney is making me think otherwise now).  But for now, Brown should have control there, and as a 4th option, that is all you can ask for.  I would rather take my 4th RB than my fourth WR right now, and I know I said I wanted a QB, but there is plenty left and my pick comes back quickly.

Round 7, Pick 8: Chris Brown (RB TEN)

Round 7, Pick 9: Alge Crumpler (TE ATL)

Round 7, Pick 10: Terry Glenn (WR DAL)

Addressing his need at WR, and in a big way.

Round 7, Pick 11: Jake Delhomme (QB CAR)

This was my QB pick for next round.  Still no reason to panic as there is plenty of quality left here.

Round 7, Pick 12: Laurence Maroney (RB NE)

Speaking of...

Awesome!  our huge Cold Forty draft party is a week away and guess where I pick?.... yep Eighth...thanks fx, for the analysis......