Hey Guys: This article was originally going to be posted on the main board, but due to computer problems I was not able to get it emailed to Jim and Cyd before they left to go out of town. SO they asked me to post it in here so that readers could still view the article. Hope you enjoy!!!

2003 DRAFT ANALYSIS AND PREDICTIONS

With the 2003 NFL Draft just days away, many are still shaking their heads in frustration, trying to figure out what their teams are going to do in the NFL Draft on Saturday and Sunday. We here at Outsports wanted to try and help, so we put together our Analysis and Predictions of whom we think is going in the first round, and to which team they are headed. This does not mean the teams are going to listen to us, but these are our thoughts.

(1) Cincinnatti -- While there is no doubt left anymore as to whom the Cincinnatti Bengals will be taking in the first round, we thought we would still include them. While the Bengals may have settled their question as to the future QB, they still have many left over questions that Marvin Lewis will need to answer in this year draft. Watch for the Bengals to concentrate on making major moves early on in the draft to fill up glaring needs on defense. They need youth and quality at just about every position on the defense. Also look for Cincinnatti to take a Fullback, or quality WR in the mid to late rounds, if there are some still available.

1st ROUND PICK -- CARSON PALMER, QB, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

(2) Detroit -- Expect Head Coach Steve Mariuchi to go for top-quality skill players in the first round this year, with WR receiving the most attention. Once that has been addressed, watch for Lions GM Matt Millen to concentrate on the defensive side of the ball, with key acquisitions in the Linebacker Corp and Defensive Backfield. If Detroit can find a good quality RB in the mid to late rounds, watch for them to pick one up also.

1st ROUND PICK -- CHARLES JOHNSON, WR, MICHIGAN STATE

(3) Houston -- While Houston is set with a franchise QB, their offense is still in need of an infusion of talent, especially at RB and WR positions. But the most glaring need on the Texans' team is for a stout offensive line, as QB David Carr can not continue to be a punching bags for the defenses of the NFL. So watch for the Texans to pick up key help in the early rounds in the form of Offensive Lineman, and a good quality RB or WR.

1ST ROUND PICK -- ERIC STEINBACK, OG, IOWA

(4) Chicago -- The Bears need impact players, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Bears are lacking in the Defensive Rush capabilities, and they need increased talent in the Secondary as well. Watch for Chicago to pick up key defensive players early on, but dont be surprised if Chicago does make a move to pick up a young, talented QB early on also, as they lack sufficient back-up talent for QB Kordell Stewart.

1ST ROUND PICK -- TERRANCE NEWMAN, CB, KANSAS STATE

(5) Dallas -- The Dallas Cowboys are coming off one of their best drafts in recent years, and this year they should only do better with Draft Mastermind Bill Parcels calling the shots. The Cowboys are good in a number of defense areas, but they will pick up some added depth in the later rounds of the draft. Look for the Cowboys to concentrate on the offensive side of the ball early on, with emphasis on the offensive line and tight end, and look at picking up a quality RB. Also, do not be surprised to see Dallas go for a QB in the second round, if Parcells can get the QB he wants.

1ST ROUND PICK -- DALLAS CLARK, TE, IOWA

(6) Arizona -- With the loss of Jake Plummer, the Cardinals added Jeff Blake as their QB, but they lack sufficient talent to back Blake up. They also now have a big need to replace David Boston, who went to San Diego in the off season. But, the Cardinals biggest need is to shore up a very weak defensive line, and they will need to add talent to their special teams as well. Look for the Cardinals to pick up a quality QB in the second round, and then concentrate or the needs in WR, and adding depth to that defense.

1ST ROUND PICK -- TERRELL SUGGS, DE, ARIZONA STATE

(7) Minnesota -- The Vikings are in need of a good #2 quality WR to compliment Randy Moss. But the Vikings biggest needs are to get Defensive Coordinator George O'Leary the tools he needs on the defensive side of the ball. Look for the Vikings to concentrate on Defense early, and then scout around for quality WR, and a back-up QB.

1ST ROUND PICK -- MARCUS TRUFANT, CB, WASHINGTON STATE

(8) Jacksonville -- With the aging of Jimmy Smith, the Jaguars are in need of an infusion of youth and talent at the WR position. Once they have addressed this need, watch Jacksonville to then focus on the defensive side, making key acquisitions in the Linebacker Corp and Defensive Line.

1ST ROUND PICK -- ANDRE JOHNSON, WR, MIAMI

(9) Carolina -- Look for Carolina to focus on Offense in the early rounds of the draft. With Rodney Peete only good for maybe 1-2 years, they need to find a quality QB that they can prepare. They also have a glaring need at WR and Tight End, due to the release of Wesley Walls in the off season. Once they had addressed the offense, look for Carolina to pick up some good talent to add depth to their defensive line and cornerback positions.

1ST ROUND PICK -- BENNIE JOPPRU, TE, MICHIGAN

(10) Baltimore -- The Ravens have made it clear that Chris Redman is their QB of the future, but they have very little talent to back him up after Jeff Blake left for Arizona. But even more lacking, is the quality and depth at the WR position. Look for Baltimore to address these needs early on, and then look for them to concentrate on increasing the talent and depth of their offensive line, and may pick up a few quality defensive players to add depth there as well.

1ST ROUND PICK -- TAYLOR JACOBS, WR, FLORIDA

(11) Seattle -- With Coach Mike Holgrem mainly focusing of the offense the last few years, the Seattle Seahawks are in dire need of some help on the defensive side of the ball. Their Linebacker Corp is screaming for help, along with the Defensive Line and Secondary needing some infusion of talent. So, the keyword for Seattle this year, will be DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE!!!

1ST ROUND PICK -- BOSS BAILEY, OLB, GEORGIA

(12) St. Louis -- With St. Louis losing Trung Candidate in the off season, the Rams will be looking for some good quality blocking backs, but not until the middle rounds of the draft. First they will be focusing on the defensive side, with the need for key pick-ups at the Defensive End, Linebacker, and Cornerback positions. Watch for St. Louis also to make a move to get a good quality WR, as their WR corp is starting to seriously age.

1ST ROUND PICK -- JEROME MCDOUGAL, DE, MIAMI

(13) NY Jets (from Washington) -- With the loss of Laverneus Coles, and the disappointment in the TE positions, look for the Jets to go after some high quality WR and TE early in the draft. But, with that said, they are also going to be in need of some added talent on the defensive line, and may also make a move to pick up a kicker, to replace John Hall. Also watch for the Jets to be eyeing the QB class in this years draft. If they can pick up a good quality QB, dont be surprised if they make that move.

1ST ROUND PICK -- JOHN "LJ" SMITH, TE, RUTGERS

(14) New England (from Buffalo) -- While the offensive line was the strength of the team during the 2001 Super Bowl team, this last year they just fell apart. So look for New England to add some depth to that area, along with added youth to the defensive line. But the biggest area of need on this Patriots team, is the need for Big WR's. The Patriots have 6 picks in the firth 4 rounds, so watch the Patriots to make the biggest gains in this years draft.

1ST ROUND PICK -- KELLY WASHINGTON, WR, TN

(15) San Diego -- With David Boston arriving in San Diego, they have been able to absorb the loss of Curtis Conway rather easily. But, the rest of their WR Corp is less than stellar. Look for the Chargers to address that in this years draft. But their biggest need on the offensive side, is in their offensive line. This will be their primary target in the early rounds. Also watch for the Chargers to pick up a big Defensive End, that will help their pass rush in the coming years.

1ST ROUND PICK -- JORDAN GROSS, OT, UTAH

(16) Kansas City -- The Chiefs are rather set on the offensive side of the ball, although they probably will make a move in the middle to late rounds to pick up a quality RB and some quality WR to shore up those positions. But the focus of Dick Vermeil in the draft will be on the Defense, just as it has during the off season. They desperately need to bring some youth and talent to the Defensive Back and Secondary positions of the Chief's Defense.

1ST ROUND PICK -- DEWAYNE ROBERTSON, DT, KY

(17) New Orleans -- While New Orlean's offense continues to sail along, scoring in the top 5 of the NFL, their defense continues to sag. While the Saints will probably try to add to the quality of their RB back-ups, their main focus will be on the defensive side of the ball, where the Saints could not stop any team from scoring on them last year. Watch for the Saints to re-vamp their defensive line, as well as shore up their sagging secondary corp.

1ST ROUND PICK -- KEVIN WILLIAMS, DE, OKLAHOMA STATE

(18) New Orleans (from Miami) -- same as above.

1ST ROUND PICK -- SAMMY DAVIS, CB, TEXAS A&M

(19) New England -- same as above

1ST ROUND PICK -- JIMMY KENNEDY, DT, PENN STATE

(20) Denver -- It is quite obvious when you look at the Broncos, that their talent level is alot better than their record indicates for the last 2 years. While part of that has been addressed with the signing of Jake Plummer, the Bronco's could still stand to shore up their WR corp, as well as pick up some strength in the offensive line. But the main Bronco weakness appears to be the Secondary, and that is where the Bronco's will focus first. Look for the Broncos to also pick up 1 (or 2) pass rushers.

1ST ROUND PICK -- ANDRE WOOLFOLK, CB, OU

(21) Cleveland -- With Dave Campo taking over the Cleveland defense, look for the Browns to pick up key acquisitions in the secondary and they will spend a high draft choice to pick up at least one defensive end. While William Green really came on for the Browns at RB last year, look for them also to try to pick up a good quality back-up RB.

1ST ROUND PICK -- EUGENE WILSON, CB, IL

(22) NY Jets -- Same as above

1ST ROUND PICK -- JONATHON SULLIVAN, DT, GEORGIA

(23) Buffalo (from Atlanta) -- the name of the game for Buffalo this year will be DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE. They have glaring needs at just about every spot of the Defense. So that will carry most of the attention of the Bills draft team. But, dont be surprised to see Buffalo spend a mid-round pick to pick up some talent at the WR spot, to replace the loss of Pearless Price.

1ST ROUND PICK -- MICHAEL HAYNES, DE, PENN STATE

(24) Indianapolis -- While Brock Huard is a solid #2 QB behind Peyton Manning, the Colts really do not have a #3 QB. Look for them to address that in the later rounds of the draft. But, look for the Colts to pay attention to the TE and WR positions this year, to take some of the pressure of Marvin Harrison. Also watch Tony Dungy focus on speed and talent on the defensive side of the ball this year, especially in the Secondary, that continually was picked apart last year.

1ST ROUND PICK -- TROY POLAMALU, SS, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

(25) NY Giants -- The Giants will be focusing on the need for a good #2 QB this year and they made moves to shore up their WR corp during free agency. But alot of focus is going to be once again on the defensive side of the ball to cover the losses of Keith Hamilton and Jason Sehorn. The most serious needs will come from the Defensive Line, so that is where they will focus first.

1ST ROUND PICK -- CHRIS KELSAY, DE, NEBRASKA

(26) San Francisco -- With Dennis Ericsson coming to the 49ers, watch for them to add a fast, quality WR to their receiving corp this year. But their main focus will be like so many of the teams this year, DEFENSE. They will focus first on their Defensive Line, which was manhandled most of the year last year, and then they will focus also on the secondary of the 49ers.

1ST ROUND PICK -- WILLIAM JOSEPH, DT, MIAMI

(27) Pittsburgh -- The Steelers must address their secondary very early this year. Over the last 5 drafts, they have only selected 6 defensive backs. That has left their secondary vulnerable, at best. Also look for the Steelers to pick up quality RB and QB picks in the mid to late rounds of the draft.

1ST ROUND PICK -- MIKE DOSS, SS, OHIO STATE

(28) Tennessee -- The Titans have all their starting positions covered with quality veteran players. So watch for the Titans to make strong moves to build up the depth behind these quality starters. They will probably focus on these areas: RB, Offensive Linemen, CB, and Tight-End if they can find the quality players they want at these positions.

1ST ROUND PICK -- WILLIS MCGAHEE, RB, MIAMI

(29) Green Bay -- The Packers will start the draft by trying to improve the middle of their defensive line, as the Packers were one of the easier teams to run against. Once they have addressed those needs, watch for key pick-ups on the offensive line and special teams. One particular area of concern, will be QB, as the Packers do not really have a quality back-up in case Brett Favre goes down.

1ST ROUND PICK -- TY WARREN, DT, TEXAS A&M

(30) Philadelphia -- This is going to be one of the more interesting draft choices this year. There has been a struggle in the Eagles Front Office this year between Head Coach Andy Reid and the Management. Andy Reid wants to go with a defensive pick, but the front office wants to go with a WR, as they do not think that the Eagles WR Corp is the threat that it should be. I believe the front office will win out, going with a WR first, and then focusing on the Eagles defensive needs.

1ST ROUND CHOICE -- BRYANT JOHNSON, WR, PENN STATE

(31) Oakland -- The Raiders will use mid to late round choices to shore up their defensive line. Also, do not be surprised if the Raiders take a quality RB, and a blocking FB in this draft. But their main areas of concern will be finding a young WR, as their WR corp is seriously aging now. I believe they will also use one of their 2 first round choices to add some talent to their secondary.

1ST ROUND PICK -- JULIAN BATTLES, CB, TN

(32) Oakland (from Tampa Bay) -- same as above

1ST ROUND PICK -- JASON WITTEN, WR, TN

Well folks, there is my analysis and picks for the 1st round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Course, it will be interesting to see how many teams follow my advice. LOL Feel free to leave comments and opinions here, as I am always interested in what my readers think of the column. If you wish to email me, then do so at mailto:exfballplayer@yahoo.comexfballplayer@yahoo.com . For Complete NFL Draft Coverage, go to http://sports.espn.go.com/nfldraft/index

Y'all have a GREAT weekend!!
David (exfballplayer)

[ April 25, 2003, 12:51 PM: Message edited by: exfballplayer ]

The first draft deal is being reported by ESPN.com. According to them, the Bears have given up their #4 to the Jets in exchange their two first rounders, #13 and #22. The Jets have alot of holes to fill. If either of the top receivers (Charles Rogers or Andre Johnson)is available, which is doubtful, the Jets couldn't pass thme up. But they're also getting old on the defensive side.

I don't see the Texans passing on Andre Johnson, unless they trade down.

Where is Byron Leftwich? No way he's slipping to second round. Not with Jags, Panthers, Bears, Steelers and Packers all looking for QBs. And I don't see DeWayne Robertson and Jimmy Kennedy slipping as far as #16 and #19.

The Texans are more concerned right now about providing protection for David Carr, as they need him for the future. They do consider a WR high on their priority, but not as high as an Offensive Lineman.

As far as QB's go, you are right in that several teams are going to be looking at QB's. But they have larger concerns in the areas that I mentioned for each team first. I believe you will see most of the QB's taken in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. But, we will see when the draft is over. I am sure that the teams will not agree with all my picks.

And thank you for updating the order of the draft, as it will probably continue to change throughout the day tomorrow.

David (exfballplayer)

Sorry, but i think the Iggles will take a DE or a TE if the one they really like is still on the board. WR, no way.. not the fat man. They are pretty high on millons coming back from injury.

I'm not so certain the Pack are gonna use an early round pick on a QB -- be it Leftwich / Grossman ... having just just picked up Crouch. Don't know if he can be groomed to be Favre's successor -- or if they can persuade him to play another position (like kick returns) for a year .. or two.

[ April 25, 2003, 01:12 PM: Message edited by: DCBucky ]

I don't see Leftwich slipping to the 2nd round.

He may have fallen out of the top 10 but not too much further than that.

The Jets traded up to take Chicago's pick at #4.

Out of town??? How dare they desert us?

I'm not sure where this info comes from, but it's not really accurate. Andy Reid is the front office. He's the executive VP-football operations, the de facto general manager since the Eagles have no GM. Reid is the one who has the final say in player personnel decisions.

The fans and media are the ones who don't think the receivers are adequate. They want a stud type--a Marvin Harrison or someone like that who will get 80-90-100 or more catches. Reid's philosophy has always been that since they spread the ball around, a player like that won't get the ball that much and it would be a waste.

This doesn't mean they won't draft a receiver. But the Eagles are like the Kremlin: extremely secretive. It's difficult to know what they plan to do even when they tell you.

Joe in Philly: Maybe I should have stated that is was the owners instead of the front office, but there is in fact that difference of opinion. Now, who wins out? Well we will see tomorrow. But be assured, it will either be a DE or a WR that goes first round to Philly. I just believe it will be a WR, but I could be wrong.

As far as everyone screaming about the QB's dropping to the second round? Well, this is just what we are hearing out there talking to various NFL Scouts and Agents. There is no doubt that several teams will be in the hunt for QB's tomorrow, but the overall view is that each team has more pressing needs to cover first. It has nothing to do with the quality of the QB's, it is just that the teams that need youth at QB, need talent and youth MORE at other positions first. Byron Leftwich will be one of the first QB's taken, some will argue he will be the second QB taken overall behind Carson Palmer. I actually happen to agree, just dont be surprised if it doesnt happen until the second round, do to pressing needs in other areas this year. Now, when looking at published previews, you see anywhere from 3 QB's going in the first round, to just Carson Palmer. There are several "camps" of thinking out there, and as always, it will be interesting to see which "Camp" wins out in the end. However, I think everyone agrees that Byron Leftwich, Kyle Boller, and Rex Grossman are all possible first rounders. I think USA Today said it best with their headline: "This Years Draft Has Lots of Talent Across The Board."

Concerning Eric Crouch, well the jury is still out on this. Eric has made no move so far to submit a letter to NFL Commissioner's Office asking to be removed from the retired list. Basically the Green Bay move, so far, means that IF Eric Crouch comes out of retirement, Green Bay has all rights to him. One would suspect that Green Bay would not have made that move without some assurance that Crouch was wanting to come back. But we will just have to sit back and see what happens. Unless Green Bay knows something I dont, (which is totally possible) I do not look for them to alter their draft approach. Mike Sherman simply said on the Packer's Webpage, "If I find a QB that I feel will be able to help our team in the future, I am going to take him, but I am not exclusively looking for a QB."

David

[ April 26, 2003, 05:34 AM: Message edited by: exfballplayer ]

exfballplayer -- thanks for this analysis -- a good read -- and always fun to speculate.

The rumors out of Wisc. this a.m. is that the Pack will go after Ohio State's Kenny Peterson seen here taking down that bubble-butted Meechigan QB Navarre.


btw -- I'm sure you meant to say that Mike Sherman wrote something on the Packer website about the QB future -- and not Mike Holmgren (man, we'd be in trouble if he were still around!!)

LOL Man I was heading to bed last night when I posted that. About an hour after I was in bed, I realized that I had put Mike Holgrem there, but I was too lazy to get up and change it then!!! LOL It is corrected now!! Thanks for noticing that though!! LOL Happy Draft Day everyone!!!

David

Good move by the Lions. Rumors were flying around they might trade down, but they needed a receiver for Harrington. No way you pass on Rogers.

Texans grabbing Johnson is smart too.

[ April 26, 2003, 09:30 AM: Message edited by: George_vikingfan ]

This may be a bit off topic but I am watching the draft coverage on ESPN and noticed that Merrill Hoge has shaved his head. Does anyone know what possessed him to do this?

Well, Arizona has pulled the first stunner. I would never have guessed they would trade to allow New Orleans to get their man!! And the ESPN guys are just going nuts over this move!!! I really am surprised to see Jonathon Sullivan go so high, most thought Kevin Williams would have gone before him. LOL Just goes to show, you never know what is going on in the coaches minds. Other than that, no major surprises so far. The Chicago trade really helped Dallas. And Dallas did a great job of grabbing a player that no one thought would have been available, and picking up Terrance Newman is a great move. Houston, well I am withholding judgement until I can see if they can get some quality Offensive Lineman in the 2nd and 3rd Rounds. If they can, than taking Andre Johnson so early maybe a very smart move. Will update in a little bit!!

P.S. I like Merrill Hoge's shaved head.

David

[ April 26, 2003, 10:08 AM: Message edited by: exfballplayer ]

Oh man! What the f**k did the Vikes do! They passed on their first pick!

So much for Leftwich slipping. Jags grab him with #7.

Theo- About Merrill Hodge, he was diagnosed with some form of cancer last year, and I think that the cutting of his hair was just part of his chemotherapy. I don't know all of the details, but I do know that much.

About the draft, my beloved Cowboys drafted the best cornerback/punt/kickoff returner in the draft, in Terrence Newman, which is what they needed, and he also happens to have the fastest timed 40 of all the players in the draft. I am happy, but they still need to get an Off Line., Def Line., Tight End, WR, and I think a QB(maybe hottie, Chris Simms??) I think that Detroit is a team on the rise with Joey Harrington and now Charlie Rogers, especially with Steve Mariucci calling the shots. They are going to light it up, up there in the Motor City next year, but they still need defensive players.

[ April 26, 2003, 01:37 PM: Message edited by: SmoothRon ]

Here's the lowdown on what happened to the Vikes and the screw up of their first round pick.

Neo real damage done as Vikes weren't going to take Leftwich or Gross. But the trade down would have gotten them more picks. Somebody has some questions to answer.

Some other notes on first round.

1. Nice how fast paced it was, at least early on.

2. First round RBs ended up in surprising places. Buffalo is the team that took a flier on Willis McGahee. Meanwhile the Chiefs took Larry Johnson. There must be real concern over Priest Holmes' health.

3. Already up to pick #49 and Chris Simms hasn't been picked yet. Meanwhile the Bears traded down to get two first rounders and get Rex Grossman. They probably should have stayed at #4. Doesn't send the most positive message to Kordell Stewart.

4. The Ravens got a steal, IMO, snaring Terrell Suggs at #10. Same with Seahawks getting Marcus Truffant at #11.

5. Lions have done pretty well. Rogers and then Boss Bailey in round 2 should improve them alot.

While Minnesota has the most visible "mistake", Head Coach Mike Tice insists they still got the man they wanted, so nothing was lost. We will see on that. But in my mind so far, the Biggest dissapointing performance in the draft has been the Arizona Cardinals. They really blew their chances to pick up really good quality players. Cincinnati has done extremely well, even though they have not picked up any defense yet. But you cannot overlook the talent they picked up: Carson Palmer, Eric Steinback (who clearly 1st round quality) and then a steal with Kelley Washington in the third round. Dallas did very well snatching up Terrance Newman, and then settled back into their plan, of taking offensive line and tight ends. I was very suprised to see Jason Witten from TN still available in the 3rd round, so Dallas did very well there. Seattle has indeed picked up some major defensive power, by picking up Minnesota's passing on Marcus Truafont (still dont understand that) and then picking up Ken Hamlin.

I am NOT surprised to see Chris Simms still available in the 3rd round, and I hope to GOD that Dallas does not take him, as he is extremely overrated. He has shown throughout his career at Texas that he CANNOT win the big games. I am however surprised to see Ken Dorsey still available. His Combine showing must have really been worse than we thought.

Just some thoughts for now, watch for my final thoughts on the draft on Monday once the final picks have been finished. I will analyze how each team assessed their needs, and who were the biggest winners, and losers.

David

[ April 26, 2003, 05:10 PM: Message edited by: exfballplayer ]

Famous last words:

So of course, they traded up to 15th. And that tight end from Rutgers that everyone feared they'd take at no. 30? They got him in the second round.

Quick question about the Bears drafting Florida QB Rex Grossman in the 1st round: Cade McNown deja vu?

CITT -- I hope you're right about the Grossman = McNown (since I can't wish Da Bears well!) -- but I think Rex has a brighter future. To me this really shows that the team doesn't think Kordell is going to last too long (like my buddy George_vkingfan hinted at in his post) ...

It's interesting too that it was rumored for weeks that the Pack was looking at Grossman as Favre's heir-apparent. The Bears beat 'em to the punch!

Hey George -- looks like the Lions got some good talent -- should we be scared?

[ April 27, 2003, 11:15 AM: Message edited by: DCBucky ]

Well the Vikes should be. I think the Packers are safe though!

exfballplayer- Looking forward to your Post-Draft analysis!! Pro and college football are by far, my two favorite sports!!

[ April 27, 2003, 02:54 PM: Message edited by: SmoothRon ]

Detroit has done very well in the draft this year, and they finally have a Head Coach that knows how to use that talent. So the NFC North should become very interesting in a year or two.

David

DE 1st round
TE second round.

So hard to be so right....

Right after that they took a receiver. So you were both right and wrong.

Did anyone else notice that the Texans drafted Drew Henson in the sixth round? If Henson had stayed at Michigan and avoided serious injury, he would likely have been a high first round pick. However, he's been a total washout as a minor league third baseman. The Yankees had projected him as the starting third baseman next year, but right now he's hitting below .200 at Columbus and playing a poor third base, so if there's a major league career in his future it's doubtful it'll be that soon. Wonder if he's having second thoughts about his choice......

He's got to give it some serious consideration at this point. And if he does, the Texans will most certainly use him as trade bait. They've got David Carr, who they are pretty happy with. They don't need Henson. A shrewd gamble by the Texans.

yes, but the fat man addressed his tops needs first, TR and DE... The man needed to get another WR ... If you listen to him, you knew it wasnt going to be the top pick, come on. I'm just glad he didnt draft 3 more safeties this year.

once again, i'll admit it... i was right..

Judging from his contract terms, if this information from ESPN.com is correct, I don't think he's second-guessing himself too much...

ESPN just reported that Drew Henson(a hottie, BTW) told the Indianapolis Star that he doesn't want to play in the NFL, and instead wants to continue his pursuit of playing in the Major Leagues!! What is up with this? Can anyone explain to me how this works? He has a signed contract with the Yankees for another four years at $17 mil, but he is only in the minors right now. Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner stated that he would accept a buyout from any NFL suitors for the rights to his contract. If all of this is true, why was Henson even eligible to be in the draft? And can an NFL team force a player to play, even if he doesn't want to play? Someone xplain, xplain? :confused:

[ April 28, 2003, 03:51 PM: Message edited by: SmoothRon ]

The NFL cannot force him to play. Steinbrenner seems willing to allow somebody to buy out the contract because he realizes Henson may not be worth the investment. Henson's first love is baseball from all accounts. But as an athlete, I'm sure he'd rather be a pro football player than a minor league baseball player. He won't make the money, but at some point it may become about more than just the money.

Many athletes have been drafted by two major sports leagues. Dave Winfield was also an NBA draftee for example. An athlete can be eligible for as many different drafts as he wishes I suppose. And once a team drafts you they have the rights to you for a designated period of time. It may vary from league to league.

Drew Henson has made it perfectly clear that he does not want to play football with the Houston Texans or any other NFL team. He says his dream is to play baseball and he is going to continue to pursue that dream. Many people are wondering why he was even drafted then. Well, Houston is taking the gamble, and it is a pretty small gamble. They already have Dave Ragone drafted, so they have a young possible back-up to David Carr already. But, if Drew Henson does finally decide that baseball is not working, he is totally free to come back to the NFL such as Dallas Cowboys' QB Chad Hutchinson did. I believe that The Houston Texans have rights to Drew Henson for five years. After that, Drew Henson can come back into the NFL like Chad Hutchinson did, and go with the team that offers him the best deal.

David

Kenny Petersen to the Colts -
Mike Doss to the Packers.

Add these boys to Jamar Martin of the Cowboys who missed last year due to injury; ( plus good ole Eric Snow of the 76ers ) and my little town of Canton Ohio population 73,000 is well represented this year in the pros ! Hail Canton McKinley High !

Here's what it said in the same ESPN article I cited earlier (and this time I'll post the link):

If this is all true, then Dallas should have drafted Drew Henson, because he was the better college quarterback, from my recollection! Michigan was undefeated during his final season there and they were projected to be a national championship contender, before he unexpectedly went to baseball. He has been away from football for what, 3 or 4 years now, and he still hasn't made it to the Big Leagues. What makes him think that he will ever get there?

[ April 28, 2003, 06:43 PM: Message edited by: SmoothRon ]