Adam’s Live Draft Diary
By Zachary Best
Welcome! This is the first diary that I’ve really been associated with since Scarface dropped his fifteen or so years ago, so I’m exited to say the least. It feels like I’m eight years old again and this is Christmas, really. I’ll be updating after every pick or two, discussing how the NFL Draft’s first day is shaping up from the Chiefs’ perspective.
12:15 PM EST: Commissioner Goodell kicked this party off not too long ago. Let’s see if if the Raiders actually pick JaMarcus Russell or do something crazy here. If they do instead go with C.J. it could throw the entire draft off.
12:23 PM EST: No surprise there. The Oakland Raiders go with JaMarcus Russell and give Matt Millen and the Lions a birthday present. The only question here is does Millen have the balls to select his fourth WR in the last five first rounds? Or will the Lions trade this pick to, say, Atlanta or Tampa Bay? This could get nuts.
The other issue is why would Da Raidahs trade Randy Moss after he just drafted Russell? That makes absoluetly no sense at all.
12:28 PM EST: According to the draft value chart the Falcons would have to swap first-round picks and give up both their second-round picks, as well as their third- and fourth-round picks.
Tampa Bay on the other hand, would only have to swap first-round picks and give up both a second- and a third-round pick.
All of this means that it will be much, much easier for the Bucs to get this deal done.
12:32 PM EST: The Detroit Lions pick Calvin Johnson. Don’t hate, Lions fans. Yes, it’s another receiver — but he’s also the best player in the draft. He could be a Pro Bowler as soon as next season. Let’s wait and see if he stays a Lion. So far, the draft is shaping up just as we predicted.
12:37 PM EST: All signs point towards T Joe Thomas going to the Browns here, but with Peterson and Quinn still on the board, truly anything could go down.
12:42 PM EST: Who’s that platinum-haired hoochie sitting next to Brady Quinn?
12:44 PM EST: The Cleveland Browns take Joe Thomas with the third pick. Quinn looked shocked. Berman called the pick “a curveball.” Whatever. I knew Thomas was the pick. 100% so far.
12:46 PM EST: I’ll be very surprised if Gaines Adams doesn’t go to the Bucs here. A trade could happen, but I highly doubt it. Peterson also could go to the Bucs and the Brady Quinn draft slide has officially begun.
12:51 PM EST: Why is Thomas fishing today? What an idiot.
12:56 PM EST: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers go with Gaines Adams. We are still 100%.
12:59 PM EST: This is where the draft could get tricky. We have Levi Brown going to the Cards, but they could go with a number of guys — Landry, Okoye, Peterson, etc…
1:05 PM EST: The Arizona Cardinals reach for Levi Brown. We are on fiya! Still 100% accurate.
1:07 PM EST: Either Rachel Nichols didn’t sleep last night or she’s extremely committed to her job. She’s still hot, though.
1:10 PM EST: Let’s see what the Skins do here. Okoye would keep us perfect.
1:16 PM EST: Well, damn. Everybody is saying Landry is going here. We’ll see in a minute. And Keyshawn has me ready to switch over to the NFL Network. He is awful.
1:19 PM EST: The Washington Redskins do indeed take S LaRon Landry. Our first whiff. I think the Vikes have to, have to, have to take A.P. here. Personally, I feel he is the second-best player in this draft.
As far as the Chiefs are concerned, it looks like Staley could be gone by the time we pick after Brown went early. No corners or defensive tackles have gone off the board yet, though.
1:29 PM EST: The Minnesota Vikings do snatch Adrian Peterson. Six of seven so far. Great pick for the Vikes. A.P. and Chester will form a sick tandem.
1:34 PM EST: I’m thinking Okoye goes to the Dirty Birds here.
1:41 PM EST: Wah waahh wee whoa! Jamaal Anderson is the Atlanta Falcons’ pick. I’m shocked. The good news is that no defensive tackles have gone 1/4 of the way through the first.
1:46 PM EST: I also cover the Phins here locally, so I have a pretty good read on them. I’m thinking Quinn all the way this late.
1:50 PM EST: The Miami Dolphins select… WR Tedd Ginn? Holy s@#%! More on this in a sec…
1:54 PM EST: Call me crazy, but if Quinn is still there at 14, I think the Chiefs should give the Panthers a ring and see what the cost of moving up would be. I’ve heard that they want to move back, so it could actually be a possibility.
As for the last pick, I cannot believe the Dolphins. Do Cam Cameron and Randy Mueller actually like their jobs? Ginn was an awful, terrible pick there.
1:56 PM EST: Also, does this indicate that the Trent Green trade is all but done?
2:07 PM EST: The Houston Texans restore order and grab DT Amobi Okoye. This is a great pick for them, as they pair this draft’s best DT with last year’s best DE — “Super” (kind of, I guess) Mario Williams.
As for Brady Quinn, he keeps on slippin’. Just how far can he slide? I think the 49ers go DE here, maybe Carriker, but I could be wrong. They won’t pick Quinn, but a trade is possible.
DTs have started going off the board, but no CBs have gone yet. Could a Revis or Hall fall to the Chiefs at 23? That would be nice. Even Ross would be hard to pass on.
2:15 PM EST: Man, that Michael Smith is freakin’ sharp. He totally predicted this Quinn freefall and he just made an outstanding observation about how much dough the Texans have spent on its D-line.
The Bills will probably go with Willis after the Niners’ pick, but they could trade or reach for Marshawn Lynch.
2:18 PM EST: Steve Young aptly mentioned the Chiefs as a team that should be going after Quinn right now. Why not go get him, man?
2:21 PM EST: The San Fransisco 49ers just totally stole Patrick Willis out from under the Bills. Wow. The Bills actually might trade back. If we are seriously contemplating Quinn, now might be the time to go and get him.
2:28 PM EST: The legendary Bruce Smith announces that the Buffalo Bills reach on Marshawn Lynch. That’s just not a good pick at the 12 spot. Wasn’t anyone on the phone? I mean, Quinn is still there. My jaw is wide open. WTF? Go get him, King Carl. I like Brodie Croyle as much as the next guy, but he’s not Brady Quinn. We’ve worked well with the St. Louis brass in the past, maybe we could get something done?
2:37 PM EST: What will the Rams do here? Probably pick a CB. I’m starting to think that maybe Quinn could even fall to us. I guess someone else could leapfrog us, or Jacksonville or Jerry Jones could take this kid, but he could end up there at 23. I think we should trade our fourth, and a future third maybe, to swap first-round picks with Green Bay and take him. This is the potential deal of a lifetime for the Chiefs, and I think that even with other pressing needs we’d be stupid to pass on the chance to draft Quinn this late in round one.
2:42 PM EST: The St. Louis Rams select Adam Carriker. Excellent pick for them, but I can’t concentrate on other teams right now. Branch, Hall, Quinn and Revis are all still on the board nearly halfway through the first. This is unbelievable. I am really going to be depressed if we manage to mess this situation up.
2:48 PM EST: J-E-T-S… JETS, JETS, JETS! Kiper is absolutely right, the Jets are trading up to get a CB here, likely Hall. The Mangenius and Co. picked Kellen Clemons last year, so they don’t need a QB at all. I’m salivating over Quinn and Revis right now. I’ve completely forgotten about my boy Justin Harrell at this point.
3:00 PM EST: The New York Jets took Darrelle Revis. The Mangenius really proved his nickname with that shrewd move.
Hall and Quinn are still available. What do we do here? Jacksonville could take Quinn and Cincy would more than likely take Hall. If we want one of those guys we’ll have to move up.
The Pittsburgh Steelers just selected Lawrence Timmons. They’ve always liked him, so that comes as no surprise.
This might be the spot to trade up to if we want either Hall or Quinn, and we’d be crazy not to want those guys this late.
3:06 PM EST: This is an amazing feeling right now. Just a exhilarating rush of adrenaline. What am I talking about? The quickly growing Brady Quinn “what if?” I can see him wearing the Red, White and Gold inside my head right now. It will probably never happen, but it’s damn fun to imagine the scenario. At least for me it is…
3:19 PM EST: The Green Bay Packers swipe Justin Harrell. My main man is off the board. Oh well, while I love Harrell, I’m pumped about Branch, Hall and Quinn. Even though I’ve been tough on Branch in the past, at 23 he is great value.
Now Jacksonville might very well take Quinn, so if we want him this would be the time to go get him. Otherwise, looking at the teams that follow — Cincinnati, Tennessee, the New York Giants and Denver — we might be able to get Quinn at our spot. I would be very worried about Jerry Jones taking him, though, so we would probably have to swap with the ‘Boys.
3:24 PM EST: The beepin’ Broncos just traded up. I’m too mad to even type right now. Probably for Branch, though. Maybe Nelson. I hope.
King Carl is one cool customer if he’s just playing roulette with this thing and waiting for the perfect player to slide to 23. I would’ve traded up by now. In Carl we trust?
3:37 PM EST: The Denver Broncos trade throw away a third- and sixth-round pick to move up four spots and get DE Jarvis Moss. Who was going to take him before their pick? They are crazy. I don’t even like him. That was the best-case scenario for us. LMAO at Mike Shanahan!!
I ‘m getting winded, man. So pumped right now. Branch, Hall… QUINN
3:40 PM EST: As suspected, the Cincinnati Bengals steal Leon Hall. Great player, great character, great pick.
Now, we need to work out a deal with the Giants. Otherwise Jacksonville or Dallas will surely take Quinn. That is if King Carl even wants him. I’m starting to wonder. However, if any GM has the authority to pick a guy like Quinn, it’s Peterson. We’ll know in the next hour. I guess he could still slip. If Jacksonville moved back how bad can they really want Quinn?
I’m sorry to tell all the Chiefs fans who voted for him, but I think the Titans go with WR Dwayne Bowe here.
3:46 PM EST: You know, we shouldn’t blink at trading a third and a sixth to move up to 20 and get Quinn, especially since we will definitely be getting at least a sixth from the Phins for Green. The Ginn pick really gave away what Miami intends to do.
3:50 PM EST: Holy reacheration, Batman, the Tennessee Titans just picked Michael Griffin ahead of Reggie Nelson with the 19th pick. Did that really just happen!?!?
BRADY QUINN! BRADY QUINN! BRADY QUINN!!
At this point, why the hell not. This is a gift, folks.
4:00 PM EST: The New York Giants select CB Aaron Ross. Nice pick, G-Men.
ESPN just reported that the Chiefs will take Quinn at 23 if he falls, but that teams are trying to trade up and leapfrog us. King Carl must have balls of steel. I would have moved up long ago.
4:07 PM EST: I knew it. I knew it. The Jacksonville Jaguars traded back knowing they would still get a safety, and they take the best one available — Reggie Nelson.
This is so nerve wracking, man. My phone is just blowing up. I can’t talk right now, people! Jerry Jones and King Carl scare the hell out of me. What would be worse? The ‘Boys taking Quinn right in front of us? Or King Carl passing him up?
4:24 PM EST: The Cleveland Browns completely screw us and trade up to get Brady Quinn. Does this define what it’s like to be a Chiefs fan or what? I am speechless. Well, we’re on the clock. I’m just devastated. It’s not even that I love Quinn that much, I just think he’s a can’t-miss prospect at 23.
Once again, King Carl’s stubbornness hurts us. There. I said it.
Here is what I am really mad about — Dallas just received a 2007 second and 2008 first for doing nothing. We were so close to receiving that very same compensation. Damn. And we could’ve gone up to 17 for a third and a sixth. Looks like King Carl didn’t even want him. Too bad.
I’m not looking forward to becoming even more disappointed here in the next seven minutes or so.
4:42 PM EST: The Kansas City Chiefs finally, finally, finally pick a first-round WR, and a good one, in Dwayne Bowe. I feel pretty good, really. I think we may have even acted like we wanted Quinn so that Bowe would slip to us. This might even be a ringing endorsement for Brodie from Carl, Herm and Co. I know that I talked up both Branch and Jarrett, but when we got to 23 they, along with Staley and Houston, really scared me. Meachem scared me the most. I’m not upset whatsoever about this pick. The offense will have no excuses next year with Bowe in the fold. I have big-time expectations for this kid, no matter who is throwing the football to him. Much, much more coming on Bowe later. We will even be doing a radio broadcast later on breaking down all the Chiefs day-one picks.
4:45 PM EST: It seems like Chiefs fans are upset. Don’t be. Dwayne Bowe is a player with tremendous physical attributes. He’s big, strong and fast. One of the best things about him is that he is an outstanding blocker. Seriously, he could end up being a bigger, speedier Hines Ward eventually. Give this pick a chance. It is much less risky than picking Branch, Houston, Meachem or Staley, and corners, DTs and O-lineman will be there in the next two rounds. For now, let’s just chill out and let this pick sink in. Two words: Tamba Hali. Two more words: have faith.
4:58 PM EST: I’m going to take a quick break for a little while so I can come back strong as we approach our second-round pick.
5:35 PM EST: I’m back, and back refreshed.
First off, I want to say sorry to King Carl. I blasted him pretty hard earlier. I was emotional, what can I say? That Brady Quinn thrill ride was out of control. I am just now collecting myself. After showering and colling down — I like the Bowe pick a lot.
I will no longer be posting every pick, go to ESPN’s NFL Draftcast if you want to keep up with every pick.What I will do, however, is chime in quite a bit to talk about how things are shaping up as we get closer to each of the Chiefs’ remaining picks.
The last four picks — Brandon Meriweather, Jon Beason, Anthony Spencer and Robert Meachem — were all pretty solid picks. Meriweather and Beason have some character issues, but they should be OK. The biggest development I see from our prospective is that corners and O-lineman aren’t coming off the board. Could a Blalock or a Wright be there for us next round? That could definitely happen considering the way things are shaping up.
Here is Scout’s Inc.’s take on Dwayne Bowe:
“Wonders never cease. It seems like Kansas City’s top need the past five seasons has been receiver and they haven’t taken one since they drafted Sylvester Morris in 2000. The hope is Bowe pans out and there’s reason to be optimistic. He has outstanding size, he catches the ball well and he makes fluid cuts so he clearly has the potential to develop into a reliable possession receiver. Though he doesn’t have elite speed and he isn’t going to run by defensive backs, he is big and fast enough to make the occasional play downfield so he can stretch defenses vertically. With the Larry Johnson expected back and Bowe taking advantage of TE Tony Gonzalez keeping the safeties of the field, this offense should be even more productive than is was last year despite the likely departure of Trent Green.”
And T Joe Staley just went to the Niners.
5:48 PM EST: Here are some Bowe bits from the KC Star’s article:
“I’m an intimidator,” Bowe said. “When I’m on the field everyone knows I’m going to work.”
And…
“We researched him as thoroughly as we possibly could,” Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson said. “He can help this team, and he can help it very, very quickly.”
Here’s a recent quote of mine on Bowe, just to kill all those homer comments before they even get started:
“If we do pass on Jarrett for another receiver in the first round, this would be the guy I’d want. Love the Hines Ward comparisons.”
Like the NFL Network commercial, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
More on Dwayne Bowe:
- Warpaint Illustrated – “Taking A Bowe”
- WR Dwayne Bowe YouTube Clip
- Dwayne Bowe article from KCChiefs.com
6:02 PM EST: That was certainly a reach by the Chargers. I thought Craig Davis could have possibly fell into the third round. You could make the argument now that by keeping “Burner” Turner and drafting Davis that the Bolts went from having two potential first-round picks to zero. Ouch! They might as well have picked R&B singer Craig David that high, it wouldn’t have been much more of a reach. Works for us, though.
6:50 PM EST: Arron Sears just went. He was a guy we really liked, too. Unfortunately, lineman are starting to go quickly. Hopefully, someone talented will be there at 54. A good CB will definitely still be around. RBs Brian Leonard and Antonio Pittman could also be there, not to mention DTs like Tank Tyler, Turk McBride and even Marcus Thomas.
The big story right now is where will Dwayne Jarrett go? Would we think about him if he was still there at 54? He’d be tough to pass on that late.
And QB Kevin Kolb just went 36th. Uh, that’s a reach.
7:10 PM EST: G Justin Blalock just went. Looks like CB may be the way to go this round, with guys like Chris Houston and Eric Wright still on the board. TE Zach Miller and S Eric Weddle just went to Oakland and San Diego, respectively. Both guys are a little slow for my taste.
7:29 PM EST: OK, now we might be out of luck when it comes to the OT position — T Tony Ugoh just went to the Colts, who makes no sense for them at all. CB Chris Houston is also off the board, finally. He’ll be playing alongside DeAngelo Hall next season. Doesn’t Houston look just like Lil’ Wayne? CBs Wright, Tanard Jackson, Marcus McCauley and Josh Wilson are still available. So are the RBs and DTs I mentioned a while back.
7:51 PM EST: With six more picks in front of us, here are my updated top candidates for our 54th pick, in no particular order:
- CB Eric Wright
- C Ryan Kalil
- DT Turk McBride (got him!)
- RB Brian Leonard
- DT Tank Tyler
- CB Marcus McCauley
- C/G Samson Satele
7:57 PM EST: The Fanhouse is reporting that even though the Dolphins took QB John Beck with the 40th pick, the team is still likely to trade a second-day pick Trent Green.
8:04 PM EST: All six of my guys are still there with only four more picks to go.
8:10 PM EST: All six are still available with only three picks to go… unbelievable. If we screw this up, I’ll be pretty upset. I don’t like the Chris Henry for the Titans there, by the way. Is he really an upgrade over LenDale White?
8:15 PM EST: On the phone with Zach. He’s had a few bears and is riled up to say the least. We can’t believe that all six of our top guys are there with only two more picks to go. This is almost a can’t-lose situation. Zach wants a “bleeping offensive lineman.” I think I like Wright.
8:20 PM EST: Damn. Brian Leonard just went to St. Louis. I hope Redbeard’s still with us.
8:24 PM EST: I don’t freakin’ believe this — Cleveland traded right in front of us AGAIN!
8:24 PM EST: And they have stolen Eric Wright, who’d probably be a first-round pick if it wasn’t for his character concerns, right out from under our asses. I hate the Browns. If that stupid game last year wasn’t enough already, now I definitely have a reason. Anyway, the 54th pick is…
8:36 PM EST: THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS SELECT TURK MCBRIDE! ARGUABLY THE 4TH-BEST DT IN THE DRAFT, AND THE BEST NAME FOR SURE!!
9:00 PM EST: According to Scout’s Inc., Turk McBride is the fourth-best DT in this draft. On the other hand, they noted in the scouting report that size, or lack thereof, durability, and mental, or inability to learn the system, could be potential issues. The last issue is due to a below-average Wonderlic Test. Hey, Vince Young tanked that test, too. McBride has a fantastic motor, can play either defensive tackle or end, and he’s fast, as evidenced by his 4.81 40 time. He started all 13 games last season, most of which he didn’t have the luxury of playing alongside injured teammate and ArrowheadAddict.com fave Justin Harrell. He was first-team SEC last season as well.
Not too long ago I heard the NFL Network scouts discuss McBride, and they all sounded pretty impressed. My general impression is that he is a fast, high-energy defensive lineman that can virtually play every spot except nose tackle. His versatility could be crucial considering Jarred Allen’s suspension. Also, he doesn’t have character concerns like the other highly rated DTs still available — Marcus Thomas and Tank Tyler. He was one of my top guys before the pick, so I’m very happy with the decision. McBride, not unlike Hali and Pollard, is a tough-nosed football player who possesses those Hermtangibles I often mention. Turk will put in work for the Chiefs.
More on Turk McBride:
- Warpaint Illustrated – “Here ComesThe McBride”
9:15 PM EST: Time for another break. I’ll be back in a little bit to discuss who the Chiefs might be looking at in round three (CB Daymeion Hughes comes to mind).
9:45 PM EST: Round three has kicked off, so let’s get this party started again!
What were my favorite picks of the second round? (By the way, CB Usama Young, a player I really like, just went off the board to the Saints.) I like what Carolina did, getting both Jarrett and Kalil in the second round. That’s unbelievable. I like Detroit picking QB Drew Stanton. Man, look at his receivers — Calvin Johnson, Mike Furrey and Roy Williams. I think Stanton will be a Pro Bowler someday, and that Mike Martz will eventually make this offense one of the league’s elite. I dislike what the Chargers did giving up all those picks to get Eric Weddle. If you ask me, the Bolts are having a pathetic draft.
13 more picks and our Chiefs are back up!
9:49 PM EST: OT Ryan Harris, another Redbeard favorite, just went off the board… to the Denver Broncos. Let’s hope he doesn’t return to the form of his junior campaign.
9:54 PM EST: Miami just picked up RB Lorenzo Booker. Great pick by the Phins. Does this mean that Ricky Williams is a goner?
10:00 PM EST: Right now, here are some of my top candidates for the Chiefs’ third-round pick:
- CB Tanard Jackson, Syracuse
- CB Daymeion Hughes, Cal
- DT Tank Tyler, N.C. State (got him!)
- G/T Marshal Yanda, Iowa
- G/C Josh Beekman, B.C.
- T Doug Free, Nothern Illinois
- RB Antonio Pittman, Ohio State
- RB Michael Bush, Louisville
And I can’t believe how early WR Yamon Figurs just went. And I’m a Wildcat. That’s a shocker.
10:05 PM EST: Both Bush and Pittman would be hard to pass up, even considering the state of the O-line. Five more picks and all of my guys are still there.
10:13 PM EST: WR James Jones? I thought he played for the Phoenix Suns. Anyway, my entire list remains unscathed with only three more picks to go. We have a lot of options here. We should probably go with either Beekman or Hughes, but there is some real value talent on the board due to injuries and character concerns. This is pretty damn exciting for the third round.
10:17 PM EST: What is going on? My whole wish list is there and we have only two picks to go. Maybe we should try and trade for another third somehow?
10:21 PM EST: WR Paul Williams just went. I can’t believe some of these other WRs that were taken before him. What gives? Williams is a stud.
And my ENTIRE wish list is still available!
10:26 PM EST: BOOOOOMMM! The “Tank!” With the 82nd pick our Kansas City Chiefs cannot pass up DT Demarcus “Tank” Tyler. More on Tank to come, but right now I feel like our D-line has been transformed from a weakness into a strength!
11:00 PM EST: First off, we already know that Tyler is a guy who went later than he should have due to character concerns. He was arrested in ’05 for assaulting a police officer at a nightclub and he was ejected from the Southern Miss game last year for spitting on another player. It seems that he re-committed himself to football and staying out of trouble after the spitting incident, and if that is indeed so then he might be one of the steals of the draft.
More of a traditional DT than Turk McBride at 6’2″, 320 lbs (he’s bulked up recently, I hear). He bench presses 550 lbs. Really, Tyler has all the tools to be a dominating inside force. I keep hearing things about his intensity and motor, but you don’t bench 500-plus lbs. and rack up sacks and tackles for a loss like he did as a DT without significant effort. Some of the reports I read were somewhat negative about Tyler, but all still agree that Tank does definitely have the potential to be a monster in the middle if he gets his mind right.
Personally, I’m extremely glad that the writing is on the wall for Ryan Sims. It’s time for him to get his pink slip, and for the Chiefs to usher in a new DT era — The Tank-and-Turk connection!
More on Tank Tyler:
- The Fanhouse’s Bill Maloney offers a pretty good write-up on our new Tank
- Warpaint Illustrated – “Tank Rolls Into KC”
11:27 PM EST: The ESPN draft panel sounded delirious as they went off the air. I feel the same exact way. I’m going to recharge my batteries, so this concludes my diary. Thanks for stopping by and reading, especially those of you who read the entire thing, and make sure to unplug and recharge yourselves before tomorrow. In the meantime, we definitely will have you updated before the draft kicks off tomorrow — Trent Green, guys on the Chiefs’ radar, etc… until then, I’m out. It’s been fun…
– Adam
12:31 AM EST:
P.S. –
Wanted to leave everybody with this closing statement from our latest mock:
19. – WR Dwayne Bowe, Louisiana State
38. – DT Tank Tyler, N.C. State
58. – DT Turk McBride, Tennessee
Bowe and Tyler were great value picks, especially Tyler, and McBride wasn’t a reach at all. That makes me feel good.