The Best and Worst Team Draft of the 2013 NFL Draft

The best team draft in 2013 is the St. Louis Rams.  When you look at how they have played on the offensive side of the ball the last few years it is not hard to see that they have not been playing too well.  This year the Rams have added some nice pieces around Sam Bradford via the draft including West Virginia wide receivers Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey and also adding Guard Barrett Jones in the 4^th round.  This team helped Bradford in many ways by doing this; he needed pass protection and desperately needed some offensive weapons, especially in the very competitive NFC West.  I also the liked the defensive player picks as well, I truly think this team is finally headed in the right direction.

Now for the worst…

The Cowboys draft not only confused me but really made little to no sense.  I didn’t understand drafting Travis Frederick the center out of Wisconsin, he had a third round grade on him, granted this team needs some help on the offensive line but to take a player that really should not have gone until the third round is confusing.  Next they took a tight end in the second round a receiver in the third round, again why did they need to take those players in those spots?  Personally they should have gone o-line in the third round again if not again in the second round, they drafted some defensive players but I am not impressed with where the players were taken or the fact that they were drafted late in the third all the way into the 6^th round.  They also skipped over their needs on the defensive line.  Jerry Jones, the 21^st century Al Davis has probably not helped Romo or the Cowboys at all with this draft…   

The Strengths, Weaknesses and Needs of Teams Picking 29-32 in the 2013 NFL Draft (Part 8 of 8)

29.) New England Patriots

Strengths- Offense, the run game they had last year surprised me, they led the NFL in touchdowns on the ground with 25.  When you have Brady as your QB that is impressive because he can fling that rock around.

Weaknesses- Defense, yes they had some big moments and played well at times, but they faltered in the playoffs as well when they faced the Ravens in the AFC title game.  It seems whenever they need a big stop in the playoffs they can't get one.  I will say they did have a fair amount of take a ways last season, they just need to now allow so many passing yards.

Needs- Defense, they added Adrian Wilson to their roster that will help the secondary.

30.) Atlanta Falcons

Strengths- Passing game, Matt Ryan can throw the ball wherever he wants to Roddy White, Julio Jones and Tony Gonzalez

Weaknesses- Run game, they were 29th in yards last season and had only 12 touchdowns on the ground.  They have a chance to turn that around with Steven Jackson on the team but it may be hard to do.  They allowed the 11th most passing yards as well, and playing Drew Brees twice a year you cannot allow him to throw all over you.

Needs- Better run game, I would even say they should add another back to add some depth.  They also should look at making their secondary better.

31.) San Francisco 49ers

Strengths- The whole team is strong, I can't say anything bad about them to be honest.  The offense shined last season with the emergence of second year quarterback Colin Kaepernick with the read option and pistol offense.  I see this team winning the super bowl next season.

Weaknesses- Kicking, so yes there is a weakness.

Needs- Kicking (special teams)

32.) Baltimore Ravens

Strengths- Offense, Flacco helped this team in some big spots including what was basically a game tying Hail Mary in the playoffs against the Broncos.

Weaknesses- Defense, this season should be interesting they lost some key players including Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.

Needs- Depth on defense, but it seems they have helped out in this category.  Also another starting caliber Receiver, Boldin's trade to the 49ers could hurt them, I like Torrey Smith but I think it is best to have another WR opposite of him.

The Strengths, Weaknesses and Needs of Teams Picking 25-28 in the 2013 NFL Draft (Part 7 of 8)

25.) Greenbay Packers
Strengths- Pass game, with Aaron Rodgers this team will always have a strong passing game.

Weaknesses- run game, this teams run game has not been that great in a while, in order to help Rodgers stay upright they should try and build a strong run game.  With Woodson gone in the secondary that will leave a hole as well, that needs to be fixed.

Needs- Running back and defensive backs.

26.) Seattle Seahawks (This is actually the Vikings pick via trade but again I want to write about them).

Strengths- Offense, this team is loaded with talent and very good young quarterback with a road playoff win under his belt.  The secondary is also phenomenal, very physical and great ball skills.

Weaknesses- Consistency, while this team played a high level they had some issues in the playoffs when it came to the deep ball (See the highlights of Matt Ryan burning them).  They need to also talk less, I think they are letting all the hype get to their heads at times.


Needs- Backup quarterback, Brady Quinn is not a great backup, especially in a system that features the read option...

27.)  Houston Texans

Strengths- Offense, their pass game was great last year as was their running game, once both get going well they get rolling and it is hard to stop them.

Weaknesses- Consistency, they fell off at the end of last season and struggled at times (The shoot out Jaguars game is a great example).  They struggled in the playoffs as well, this team needs to work harder.

Needs- Defense, they need to fix this, I saw a few games where they were just awful on this side of the ball.

28.) Denver Broncos

Strengths-  I'd say this whole team is very strong, hard to say anything bad about it, and now with the addition of Wes Welker this team will only be better.

Weaknesses- Payton Manning's playoffs play, the game against the Ravens says it all, the infamous throw across the body into a Raven's hands.  His playoff decision making has never been that great, he needs to improve on that.

Needs-  Another running back to help out grind out the tough yards and help keep their defense on the sideline.

The Strengths, Weaknesses and Needs of Teams Picking 21-24 in the 2013 NFL Draft (Part 6 of 8)

21.) Cincinnati Bengals

Strengths- They were 7^th in the league last season with 39 passing touchdowns and 13^th in passer rating, Andy Dalton has continued to improve.  Their pass defense was great with a 16-14 Touchdown to interception ration which is a must in today’s league. 

Weaknesses- Run game was not that strong, they were 18^th in rushing yards and 18^th in rushing touchdowns with 11.  Considering that this team was also 17^th in passing yards they need to shore up the run game and get more out of it.

Needs- A running back is a must for this team and another playmaker to go with A.J. Green.

22.) Washington Redskins (Rams actually pick here but I wanted to talk about the Redskins instead) This pick was acquired when the Redskins traded up for RGIII-

Strengths- Running game, they were the number one rushing attack last year and ranked 2^nd in touchdowns on the ground with 22.  The backup quarterback is also a strength as well, Kirk Cousins played very well in the games that he saw action in.

Weaknesses- Third worst pass defense, when you face Romo and Eli Manning a total of four times a year you need to fix this because both can torch a defense. 

Needs- Defensive backs, and add some more talent at the receiver spot.

23.) Minnesota Vikings

Strengths- Run games, they were 2^nd in rushing yards last season, and 9^th in rushing touchdowns with 16.

Weaknesses- Passing game, they were 22^nd in passer rating, TD-INT ratio of 18:12 isn’t too bad but not 

great… Pass defense wasn’t anything special either.

Needs- Receivers, with Percy Harvin gone this is a must, quarterback must improve or be changed and defensive backs are needed.

24.) Indianapolis Colts 

Strengths- Passing game, Andrew Luck played very well on a team that I never thought could make the playoffs.

Weaknesses- Run game, they didn't do a great job, their pass protection is not great either.  Defense needs to be fixed as well, but it is making strides. 

Needs: Offensive line, running back and defensive backs. 

The Mike Rice Scandal: How Far is Going to Far?

The Mike Rice scandal was a shocker to me; I was not pleased at all with the tape or the treatment that the players received.  To me this is a case of a coach going way too far, calling his players homophobic slurs, hitting them, berating them and getting physical as well that is inexcusable.  I have been asked by some friends what is the length a coach will go before it is considered too far with how they talk to and treat their players. 

Before I talk about what going too far is and what crossing the line means to me I want to explain what I think is in the right of the coaches.  Firstly I think any sort of yelling that does not involve slurs is fine, sometimes you have to get into a players face or head to get the most out of them that is not an issue with me.   However, that being said I am appalled by what I saw on the tapes, aside from the abuse what makes it worse is the fact that these are kids that parents are entrusting the coaches with, and Mike Rice failed to hold that trust.  These kids also live on campus and spend much time practicing and playing and probably keeping in touch with the coach. 

His actions are sickening to me, how can someone hit and verbally abuse a poor college kid just trying to practice, I can only imagine how angry he gets in the locker rooms if the game isn’t going well, but I hope it is not as bad as it was on the tape.  When it comes to college athletes I think sometimes people forget that they are students first because college is an educational place unlike professional sports which is someone’s job.  

I have heard stories of NFL players being grabbed by face masks and told they were awful players but that is their job and they must perform, but in NCAA sports anything that is verbally abusive of physical threatening is unacceptable.

If coaches in college want to get to their players fine yell, but don’t be using slurs and smacking them around, that is unfair because they are kids.  What Mike Rice did is not only sad but pathetic as well, if it was my decision he would have been fired as soon as I saw the tape…

The Strengths, Weaknesses and Needs of Teams Picking 17-20 in the 2013 NFL Draft (Part 5 of 8)

17.) Pittsburgh Steelers

Strengths- 12^th in passer rating last season, but they were so inconsistent I don’t know what to put here aside from Big Ben because he had a solid year.

Weaknesses- Run game, this team struggled last season ranking 26^th in the NFL which is usually not where they rank, this needs to  be changed if they want to play that blue collar style game they normally do.  They were also -10 in the turnover differential.

Needs- Offensive line, run game and an improved defense, and now some pass catchers the loss of Mike Wallace is going to hurt them.  Issue with this team is that they may need a major overhaul

18.) Dallas Cowboys

Strengths- Passing game, ranked 3^rd in yards, and their pass catchers as well, a lot of talent there.

Weaknesses- Offensive line issues continue to be a trend in Dallas as well as Romo’s miscues, the run game wasn’t exactly anything special either (ranked 31^st in the NFL).

Needs- Improved defense, run game and offensive line.  Once the O-line improves the run game can open up, the Cowboys need this because Romo will falter over and over without any help (and with it as well too, but a run game could help...)

19.) New York Giants

Strengths- Run game they were 14^th in the NFL last season and 5^th in rushing touchdowns, oh and some guy named Eli Manning…

Weaknesses- Pass rush, they ranked 22^nd in the league, and pass defense as well they were 5^th worst in the NFL last season.  The inconsistency of their play 

Needs- Pass catchers, they need to help Manning and Cruz out and they need to improve their pass rush as well.

20.) Chicago Bears

Strengths- Run game, they ranked 10^th in the NFL last season, and they were also able to create a large amount of turnovers.

Weaknesses- Offensive line, it really needs to improve it keeps hurting them because Cutler gets knocked around so much, also outside of Brandon Marshall this team really does not have a pass catcher.

Needs- Offensive line, and some more offensive weapons