2008 NFL Draft - Billi vs. Chilli Part 3
Since 2006 I've been tracking my draft vs. the actual Vikings draft. As last year, I'm late to the table as the 3rd game of the season starts tomorrow. I will do my best to ignore information know after the draft and give my honest evaluations of my roster's needs. First we need to compare our respective rosters - and I also have the option to accept trades the Vikings actually made, or reject them (so long as I own the pieces that were given up). I considered adjusting my draft position based on projected results (my team does not have AP, my team would have more losses) but I'm not sure how to do this without terribly skewing the results.
My Roster vs Actual Roster by Position
QB
Brady Quinn vs. Tarvarious Jackson
Brady threw 8 passes last year and Jackson played 12 games. Yes I know now that Chilli benches T-Jack after week 2, but I never liked him - see any previous post on Vikings. I will not claim that Quinn would have been much better than Jackson in his rookie year. I'm not a fan of playing rooking QB's, so he may have only thrown 8 passes on my team. But the fact remains, Quinn is still a prospect and T-Jack never was.
I also wasted a 3rd round pick in 2006 on Omar Jacobs who was gone before the 2006 training camp ended. Chilli wasted a 6th rounder by letting the Cheifs grab Bobby Thigpen on waivers.
Advantage - Me. I have a prospect, Chilli has crap and let the better QB (Thigpen) walk for nothing.
RB/FB
Michael Bush vs. Adrian Peterson
AP was the best offensive player in the league last year. Bush didn't play a snap in 2007. Bush had a nice game in week two of 2008, but I don't know that. What I know is that I have a good college running back coming off a terrible leg injury. I'm hoping he's an adequate backup to Chester Taylor. Taylor is AP's backup, so...
Advantage Chilli - big time
WR/TE
My Roster - WR Maurice Stovall, WR Dwayne Jarret, TE Ben Petrick
Chili's roster - WR Sidney Rice, WR Aundrae Allison, WR Chandler Wilson
Stovall is a 3rd year vet who has produced very little in Tampa. He played in 5 games and only had 10 receptions in '07. This year he is 4th on the Bucs depth chart. Jarret played in only 4 games for Carolina in his rookie season and had 6 receptions. This year he is 4th on the depth chart. Patrick played 5 games for the Cardinals in his rookie season and is the backup TE this year.
Rice played 11 games his rookie season for the Vikes and outperformed everyone with 31 receptions. He is currently second on the Vikes depth chart. Allison had 5 receptions in 8 games last year and is 5th on the Vikes depth chart. Wilson was cut during training camp.
Woe is us, both groups are pretty poor. I need Jarret to step up and I have a decent TE in Patrick. Rice is the best player of the group, but still unproven while Allison and Stovall are just roster filler at this point.
Advantage - Chilli
O-Line
My Roster - T Winston Justice, C Greg Eslinger, G Josh Beekman
Chilli Roster - T Ryan Cook, G Artis Hicks
Justice has been the back up T in Philly the past couple of years, but they have pro-bowlers at both positions. He is well known for a disasterous start against the Giants last year when 8 sacks were given up, most on his watch. In my system, he would have played RT and thus avoided that Sportscenter moment. He is well liked, still developping, and a better RT than any option on the Vikes current roster. Eslinger is with his third team in three years serving on the Houston practice team. Beekman is presently the primary backup G in Chicago.
Hicks lost his starting job in game 3 last year and is improbably the starting LT while McKinney is suspended. Cook is the starting RT, and not highly regarded. He's pretty terrible.
Advantage Me - Justice and Beekman provide real starting options. Beekman is a backup now, but has been starting in Chicago due to injuries to the starters. Both have long term potential. Justice would most certainly be my starting RT, Beekman would probably backup Herrera.
D-Line
My Roster - DE Mark Anderson
Chilli Roster - DE Ray Edwards, DE Brian Robison
Anderson is the primary backup DE for a very deep Bears line. He had 12 sacks his rookie season and followed up with 5 in year two as a backup. Considered a top notch pass rusher, probably a starter on most teams - would definitely start on my team.
Edwards had 3 sacks his rookie season, and 5 last year as a starter. Edwards beat out Erasmus James for a starting position last year and with Udeze recovering from cancer is starting this year. Robison is the primary backup DE this year and had 4.5 sacks in his rookie season as the 2nd backup.
Advantage Me - Anderson is far and away the best DE. Edwards is probably overmatched as a starter but will get his chance this season. Anderson allows me to consider other options than trading for Jared Allen.
LB
My Roster - ILB Abdul Hodge, ILB Brandon Siler
Chilli Roster - OLB Chad Greenway, OLB Rufus Alexander
Hodge had a rough rookie season and spent 2007 on the IR after surgeries on both knees. He now resides on Cinci's practice squad. Siler was largely a special teams player for the Chargers during his rookie season and appears to be doing the same this year.
Greenway is a very solid OLB starter for the Vikes who might end up being great. Alexander was cut by the Vikings after training camp.
Advantage Chilli - I have a serious hole in the LB corps.
DB's
My Roster - CB Ashton Youboty, CB Kenny Scott, CB Anthony Arline
Chilli Roster - CB Cedric Griffen, CB Marcus McCauley
Youboty played special teams for the Bills during his rookie season and became the nickel back last year. He continues as the nickel back this year and continues to show upside. 7th round picks Scott and Arline never reported to training camp.
Griffen has been starting at CB the past two years, but to mixed results. McCauley has struggled to hold down the nickel spot for the Vikings.
Advantage - Chilli. Youboty and Griffen are a wash, but McCauley is useful as a 3 or 4th CB.
Before the draft I know DE Udeze will miss the year recovering from cancer. T McKinnie's arrest happened before the draft - I figure he'll miss 2-4 games (ended up being four games).
So here are my team needs:
QB - I could use a backup.
RB - I'm deep, but I don't have a star.
WR - I'm weak but deep. An elite WR or TE would be good.
OL - McKinnie's situation is a problem. It may be time to cut him...
DL - I need depth after losing Udeze.
LB - I really need another solid starting LB.
CB - I could also use a very good CB.
My Roster vs Actual Roster by Position
QB
Brady Quinn vs. Tarvarious Jackson
Brady threw 8 passes last year and Jackson played 12 games. Yes I know now that Chilli benches T-Jack after week 2, but I never liked him - see any previous post on Vikings. I will not claim that Quinn would have been much better than Jackson in his rookie year. I'm not a fan of playing rooking QB's, so he may have only thrown 8 passes on my team. But the fact remains, Quinn is still a prospect and T-Jack never was.
I also wasted a 3rd round pick in 2006 on Omar Jacobs who was gone before the 2006 training camp ended. Chilli wasted a 6th rounder by letting the Cheifs grab Bobby Thigpen on waivers.
Advantage - Me. I have a prospect, Chilli has crap and let the better QB (Thigpen) walk for nothing.
RB/FB
Michael Bush vs. Adrian Peterson
AP was the best offensive player in the league last year. Bush didn't play a snap in 2007. Bush had a nice game in week two of 2008, but I don't know that. What I know is that I have a good college running back coming off a terrible leg injury. I'm hoping he's an adequate backup to Chester Taylor. Taylor is AP's backup, so...
Advantage Chilli - big time
WR/TE
My Roster - WR Maurice Stovall, WR Dwayne Jarret, TE Ben Petrick
Chili's roster - WR Sidney Rice, WR Aundrae Allison, WR Chandler Wilson
Stovall is a 3rd year vet who has produced very little in Tampa. He played in 5 games and only had 10 receptions in '07. This year he is 4th on the Bucs depth chart. Jarret played in only 4 games for Carolina in his rookie season and had 6 receptions. This year he is 4th on the depth chart. Patrick played 5 games for the Cardinals in his rookie season and is the backup TE this year.
Rice played 11 games his rookie season for the Vikes and outperformed everyone with 31 receptions. He is currently second on the Vikes depth chart. Allison had 5 receptions in 8 games last year and is 5th on the Vikes depth chart. Wilson was cut during training camp.
Woe is us, both groups are pretty poor. I need Jarret to step up and I have a decent TE in Patrick. Rice is the best player of the group, but still unproven while Allison and Stovall are just roster filler at this point.
Advantage - Chilli
O-Line
My Roster - T Winston Justice, C Greg Eslinger, G Josh Beekman
Chilli Roster - T Ryan Cook, G Artis Hicks
Justice has been the back up T in Philly the past couple of years, but they have pro-bowlers at both positions. He is well known for a disasterous start against the Giants last year when 8 sacks were given up, most on his watch. In my system, he would have played RT and thus avoided that Sportscenter moment. He is well liked, still developping, and a better RT than any option on the Vikes current roster. Eslinger is with his third team in three years serving on the Houston practice team. Beekman is presently the primary backup G in Chicago.
Hicks lost his starting job in game 3 last year and is improbably the starting LT while McKinney is suspended. Cook is the starting RT, and not highly regarded. He's pretty terrible.
Advantage Me - Justice and Beekman provide real starting options. Beekman is a backup now, but has been starting in Chicago due to injuries to the starters. Both have long term potential. Justice would most certainly be my starting RT, Beekman would probably backup Herrera.
D-Line
My Roster - DE Mark Anderson
Chilli Roster - DE Ray Edwards, DE Brian Robison
Anderson is the primary backup DE for a very deep Bears line. He had 12 sacks his rookie season and followed up with 5 in year two as a backup. Considered a top notch pass rusher, probably a starter on most teams - would definitely start on my team.
Edwards had 3 sacks his rookie season, and 5 last year as a starter. Edwards beat out Erasmus James for a starting position last year and with Udeze recovering from cancer is starting this year. Robison is the primary backup DE this year and had 4.5 sacks in his rookie season as the 2nd backup.
Advantage Me - Anderson is far and away the best DE. Edwards is probably overmatched as a starter but will get his chance this season. Anderson allows me to consider other options than trading for Jared Allen.
LB
My Roster - ILB Abdul Hodge, ILB Brandon Siler
Chilli Roster - OLB Chad Greenway, OLB Rufus Alexander
Hodge had a rough rookie season and spent 2007 on the IR after surgeries on both knees. He now resides on Cinci's practice squad. Siler was largely a special teams player for the Chargers during his rookie season and appears to be doing the same this year.
Greenway is a very solid OLB starter for the Vikes who might end up being great. Alexander was cut by the Vikings after training camp.
Advantage Chilli - I have a serious hole in the LB corps.
DB's
My Roster - CB Ashton Youboty, CB Kenny Scott, CB Anthony Arline
Chilli Roster - CB Cedric Griffen, CB Marcus McCauley
Youboty played special teams for the Bills during his rookie season and became the nickel back last year. He continues as the nickel back this year and continues to show upside. 7th round picks Scott and Arline never reported to training camp.
Griffen has been starting at CB the past two years, but to mixed results. McCauley has struggled to hold down the nickel spot for the Vikings.
Advantage - Chilli. Youboty and Griffen are a wash, but McCauley is useful as a 3 or 4th CB.
Before the draft I know DE Udeze will miss the year recovering from cancer. T McKinnie's arrest happened before the draft - I figure he'll miss 2-4 games (ended up being four games).
So here are my team needs:
QB - I could use a backup.
RB - I'm deep, but I don't have a star.
WR - I'm weak but deep. An elite WR or TE would be good.
OL - McKinnie's situation is a problem. It may be time to cut him...
DL - I need depth after losing Udeze.
LB - I really need another solid starting LB.
CB - I could also use a very good CB.
posted by Bill Gilles | 2:58 PM
1 Comments:
Feel good......
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