2013 Fantasy Football Pecking Order: QBs

Posted on August 14, 2013 by RoidRage

Football is king; the proof is in the ratings-pudding! For the broadcast week-ending August 4, 2013 (BW45), not only was the Dallas Cowboys v. Miami Dolphins HOF Game the top rated sports broadcast, it was the highest rated program, period. And the pre-game show/ceremony was the second-rated show for the week! Hey Ryan Braun, LA Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, A-Roid and all other MLB storylines: thanks for carrying us through the summer; the big boys have laced them up, we’ll see you guys in April!

You can bet your ass those ratings consist of a large number of fantasy owners checking to see what veterans have lost a step, scouting late round sleepers, and getting an overall vibe from each team as they gear up for fantasy drafts! The Machine is running on all cylinders this time of the year. Check out our QB rankings below and check back as we roll out the other skill positions.

Player	Composite Rank	Ginger King	Roid Rage
Aaron Rodgers (GBP)	1	1	1
Drew Brees (NOS)	2	2	2
Tom Brady (NEP)	3	3	6
Colin Kaepernick (SFO)	4	5	5
Peyton Manning (DEN)	5	4	7
Matt Ryan (ATL)	6	7	4
Cam Newton (CAR)	7	9	3

Cam Newton intro

Eli Manning (NYG)	8	8	10
Matthew Stafford (DET)	9	6	12
Tony Romo (DAL)	10	10	9
Robert Griffin III (WAS)	11	12	8
Andrew Luck (IND)	12	11	13
Russell Wilson (SEA)	13	15	11
Ben Roethlisberger (PIT)	14	13	15
Jay Cutler (CHI)	15	16	14
Joe Flacco (BAL)	16	14	18
Sam Bradford (STL)	17	18	16
Matt Schaub (HOU)	18	20	19
Ryan Tannehill (MIA)	19	–	17
Andy Dalton (CIN)	20	17	–
Philip Rivers (SDC)	21	19	–
Alex Smith (KCC)	22	–	20

How We Got Here/Where We’re Going: 2013 MLB Season

Posted on July 19, 2013 by RoidRage

Only 80+ games to go!

Well wasn’t that Midsummer Classic just dandy?! Somebody actually won, so that is a plus. Mariano Rivera got a well deserved standing ovation as he entered the game in the 8^th inning (one inning too soon Leland) to Metallic’s numbing ‘Enter Sandman’. Mo promptly put the hitters to sleep in order….however I was long asleep by the 3^rd inning of what was otherwise a snoozefest. Luckily somebody recorded their television with a grainy cell phone camera so I was able to re-live the moment on YouTube the next morning over a bowl of Cheerios. It was powerful. For a full recap of the game, the Iowa Caucasus and all things Rick Santorum, check out last week’s Tuesday Teabag.

In this edition of How We Got Here/Where We’re Going (or for the Colin Kaepernick crowd: HWGH/WWG) we’ll examine the MLB standings at the seasons midway point and make short order of weeding out the pretenders. As a bonus, we’ll give you our waaaay too premature World Series prediction for FREE. That’s almost as good as finding out you’ve won $10,000….and only have to wire $1,200 to cover the taxes!! Let’s get to it:

AL EAST

1. Boston 58-39

Despite missing the first month of the season Big Papi leads the team in home runs (19) and runs batted in (65) while sporting a cool .317 average. If Papi can stay healthy in the second half the Red Sox (and my fantasy team) will make the playoffs. Look for the Sox to be extremely aggressive in the trade market; perhaps calling on their old buddy Theo for Matt Garza’s services.

2. Tampa Bay 55-41 (2.5)

Is there a professional sports team that is more under appreciated by their own fan base than the Rays?! The Machine has been to the Trop, it’s a dump no doubt, but still this team finds great young talent and Joe Maddon squeezes every ounce of juice from them (pun intended!). Matt Moore has delivered on his pedigree, posting 13 wins and +100 K’s in the first half of the season. If they can get David Price right, this team can run down and pass the Sox.

3. Baltimore 53-43 (4.5)

Chris Davis put up a first half worth of stats that 90% of big leaguers would be happy to have over the course of a full season: 70 Rs, 37 HRs, 93 RBIs, .315 Avg. That’s PED-esque! Except The Machine is pretty sure he is clean, making it that much more impressive. Here’s hoping he keeps the power surge up, if for nothing else than the debate on what the real home run total should be. 61? 73?

4. New York 51-44 (6.0)

If the season ended today you’d have to give Joe Girardi some serious love for AL manager of the year. The Yankees have had more money tied up on their DL than most teams entire payrolls! Not only have they held the ship together, they are 7 games above .500 with significant playing time from retreads like Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, Travis Hafner, Jayson Nix, etc.

Sadly, I don’t think they are going to get much of a boost from the geriatric bunch set to return from the DL (Jeter, ARod, Granderson). I think this team treads water much of the summer before flaming out in September.

5. Toronto 45-49 (11.5)

Off Season Champs! Sadly, in any other division this team could probably make a run.

AL CENTRAL

1. Detroit 52-42

No shock here: the Tigers are second in the league (and MLB for that matter) in runs scored. Max Scherzer has (finally!) been able to harness his control and is piling up strikeouts. If Verlander can revert back to his career norms (velocity needs to pick up a few ticks) this team can go a long way in the postseason. They still don’t have anyone that can properly close a game for them; this has to get addressed by the deadline.

Verlander should go back to hitting this!

2. Cleveland 51-44 (1.5)

Love the direction Terry Francona has this team heading. They are going to be nipping at the Tigers heels all summer long. I think they’ll get bold at the deadline and swing a few deals. Oh they’ll make the postseason as a wild card, and get Cleveland’s fans hopes up just enough to open that old wound for some fresh salt. It never gets old.

3. Kansas City 43-49 (8.0)

Death, taxes and the Royals sucking?

4. Minnesota 39-53 (12)

Well, when Kevin Correia is the ace of your staff, being 12 back doesn’t seem all that bad! Perspective.

5. Chicago 37-55 (14)

Let the fire sale begin!

AL WEST

1. Oakland 56-39

Billy fucking Beane y’all!

2. Texas 54-41 (2)

This division is a two-horse race that is going to be one of the better ones to watch. Adrain Beltre should start getting some MVP consideration if he continues to hit (and field) like he has. Josh Hamilton who? Hey guys, you can celebrate your playoff series wins like big boys now and pour Champaign….correction, Budweiser’s (it is Texas after all)…all over the place!

3. Los Angeles 44-49 (11)

So far this season, the Angels have paid Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton a combined $17 million dollars for a whooping 29 homers and .227 average. Yikes. If only somebody warned you that giving a meth-head $125 million (guaranteed) was a bad idea. Don’t worry, maybe Mike Trout can have another once-in-a-century type of season and get this team back into contention.

4. Seattle 43-52 (13)

King Felix is going to play for a perennial loser his entire career.

5. Houston 33-61 (22.5)

Welcome to the American League!

NL EAST

1. Atlanta 54-41

It’s actually scary to think how good this team could be if they could get ANY kind of production from Jason Heyward (.227, 7 HRs, 21 RBIs, 49Ks) or BJ Upton (.177, 8 HRs, 20 RBIs, 102Ks). Pathetic. Julio Teheran is going to make a serious push for NL Rookie of the Year.

2. Washington 48-47 (6)

Baseball karma for sitting Strasburg last postseason?! This team is exciting to watch, but I don’t think they’re going to be able to catch the Braves.

3. Philadelphia 48-48 (6.5)

This was the easiest division in baseball to predict at the beginning of the year. These teams will finish in their current order in the standings. With the expanded wild card in play, the Phillies are only 5.5 back. It kind of feels like 15.5 with this team though. They should consider themselves sellers early in the process and try to get younger.

4. New York 41-50 (11)

You play in a wildly successful, UNCAPPED professional sport in the BIGGEST market in the world. You should be punching your playoff ticket year in and year out. This franchise is a travesty.

5. Miami 35-58 (18)

Forget George Zimmerman, Jeffrey Loria is the Floridian that should be thrown in jail!

NL CENTRAL

1. St. Louis 57-36

Another organization that does it right. From the ownership, to the management, to the scouts, to the players and the fans.

2. Pittsburgh 56-37 (1)

Death, taxes and the Pittsburgh…waaaait a minute! Not only are the Pirates going to end a 20 year winning-season drought, they are going to represent the NL in the World Series!

3. Cincinnati 53-42 (5)

There are a handful of guys I’d pay to see play. Joey Votto is one of those guys. However, I don’t trust this pitching staff enough to keep them in the hunt the rest of the way.

4. Chicago 42-51 (15)

How many years does this make it now? 102? 402?

5. Milwaukee 38-56 (19.5)

The Brewers are 18 games under .500. Ryan BioBraun has missed roughly half of the team’s games with various ailments. Which begs the question, how terrible is this team going to be when he misses the entire 2014 season?

NL WEST

1. Arizona 50-45

Unless you’re a diehard Diamondbacks fan, or a fantasy baseball dork, Paul Goldschmidt (.313, 21 HRs, 77 RBIs, 9 SBs) is probably the best player you’ve never heard of.

This team has taken on the persona of their manager, Kurt Gibson, and is playing smart, fundamental baseball. If you think their starting five (Corbin, Miley, Kennedy, Cahill, McCarthy) is a bit hard to trust, wait until you make your way to the bullpen (Putz, Bell, Hernandez).

2. Los Angeles 47-47 (2.5)

The Dodgers and their Cuban sensation Yasiel Puig seem to be biggest media draw the first half of the season. After stumbling out of the gate the Dodgers have come roaring back, winning 17 out of their last 22 games, cutting the D’backs lead to just two. You can never count a team with Kershaw out (best pitcher in baseball), but something just isn’t right with Matt Kemp. It will be interesting to see how far Puig can carry this team.

3. Colorado 46-50 (4.5)

Free CarGo!

4. San Francisco 43-51 (6.5)

World Series hangover in full effect.

5. San Diego 42-54 (8.5)

Your weather forecast is 76 degrees, sunny with an ocean breeze….for the rest of the year. Nobody feels bad for you SD.

World Series Pick: Texas over Pittsburgh

Mock Draft (v5.0) – Brian’s Final

Posted on April 25, 2013 by RoidRage

Lock and load………..

1	Kansas City Chiefs:	Luke Joeckel	OL	Texas A&M
	Analysis: The Chiefs have been locked into this pick for some time now as evident with the release of starting RT Eric Winston and the impending trade of LT Brandon Albert.

2	Jacksonville Jaguars:	Dion Jordan	OLB	Oregon
	Analysis: The Jaguar’s and Raider’s both have wily football guys calling the shots these days and they’ve put their best foot forward in creating a trade-up market for Eric Fisher. Not going to happen at #2. The Jags grab perhaps the most versatile defender in this draft.

3	Oakland Raiders	Eric Fisher	OT	C. Michigan
	Analysis: I think McKenzie gets the Lions to trade-up two spots (similar to Minnesota/Cleveland with Trent Richardson last year) to secure the rights to Fisher.

4	Philadelphia Eagles	Barkevious Mingo	DE	LSU
	Analysis: First of all, Chip Kelly is calling the shots here. And Chip is so confident…cough, arrogant, cough…that his offensive system is superior to anything the NFL has ever seen that his only concern is building a shutdown defense. They go defensive heavy in this draft; here they grab an explosive edge defender.

5	Detroit Lions	Star Lotulelei	DT	Utah
	Analysis: Again, this would be the Raiders selection. They need help just about every where. But they start with a Haloti Ngata type of player.

6	Cleveland Browns	Geno Smith	QB	WVU
	Analysis: Lombardi is a firm believer in positional value and no position on the football field has more value than the QB. I have to believe Rob Chudzinski sees a little bit of Cam Newton in Smith’s game.

7	Arizona Cardinals	Lane Johnson	OT	Oklahoma
	Analysis: Biggest need for the Cardinals. Although only starting 11 games at LT, Johnson is ridiculously athletic and offers emmense upside.

8	Buffalo Bills	Ryan Nassib	QB	Syracuse
	Analysis: I’m totally buying the Syracuse connection here. New regimes equal new QBs. Marrone knows Nassib better than any talent evaluator in the NFL.

9	NY Jets	Ezekiel Ansah	DE	BYU
	Analysis: This kid had gobs of potential. Rex gets his passer rusher.

10	Tennessee Titans	Dee Milliner	CB	Alabama
	Analysis: Hard to come up with a scenario where Milliner slips out of the Top 10; this is his floor. I think Miami (after completing a trade for Albert) moves up to this spot.

11	San Diego Chargers	Sheldon Richardson	DT	Missouri
	Analysis: I think a team trades up at this spot for Richardson’s services.

12	Miami Dolphins	Sharrif Floyd	DT	Florida
	Analysis: The DT’s in this class are impressive. I think there are teams in love with all three of these guys (Star, Richardson, Floyd).

13	New York Jets	Kenny Vaccaro	S	Texas
	Analysis: With Vaccaro, Jones, Austin and Eifert still on the board I do not think the Jets will have a hard time finding a trade partner.

14	Carolina Panthers	Tavon Austin	WR	WVU
	Analysis: I think the Panthers could be one of the teams to move up a few spots to grab Richardson/Floyd. So this could easily be Miami’s or San Diego’s pick. Regardless, all three teams could be in play for Austin.

15	New Orleans Saints	Jarvis Jones	LB	Georgia
	Analysis: This kid is a gamer, critics be damned!

16	St. Louis Rams	Arthur Brown	LB	Kansas State
	Analysis: Undersized perhaps, but I think this is the future of NFL LB’s. This kid will be an impact player.

17	Pittsburgh Steelers	Tyler Eifert	TE	ND
	Analysis: Would not be surprised if he went top 10. Dual TE sets (with athletic TEs) are so hard to defend (See: New England).

18	Dallas Cowboys	Chance Warmack	OG	Alabama
	Analysis: Jerry lands a “big name” and a need position. More importantly they are getting a heck of a football player. OG’s just don’t carry the positional value to justify a top 15 pick.

19	NY Giants	Tank Carradine	DE	Florida State
	Analysis: I can really see Tank in a 49ers or Falcons jersey. The Giants won’t pass on his talents.

20	Chicago Bears	Bjoren Werner	DE	Florida State
	Analysis: Perfect fit.

21	Cincinnati Bengals	Jonathan Cyprien	S	FIU
	Analysis: As talented as Vaccaro in my opinion.

22	St. Louis Rams	DeAndre Hopkins	WR	Clemson
	Analysis: St. Louis hasn’t been shy about showing their interest in Hopkins.

23	Minnesota Vikings	Johnathan Cooper	OG	UNC
	Analysis: A terrific player, but again, OG’s just don’t warrant high picks.

24	Indianapolis Colts	DJ Fluker	OT	Alabama
	Analysis: The Colts absolutely have to protect Luck. While I don’t think they can plug Fluker in as a LT (and the just signed RT Cherilus to big time money) I think Fluker could be a dominate guard.

25	Minnesota Vikings	Xavier Rhodes	CB	Florida State
	Analysis: Helps improve a weak secondary.

26	Green Bay Packers	Datone Jones	DE	UCLA
	Analysis: Great value pick and somebody who can contribute right away on defense.

27	Houston Texans	DJ Hayden	CB	HOU
	Analysis: A local kid, but don’t let that fool you, he is an extremely talented CB. Rumor has it he may give Milliner a run for his money.

28	Denver Broncos	Jamar Taylor	CB	Boise St.
	Analysis: A physical corner to pair with Bailey.

29	New England Patriots	Sly Williams	DT	NC
	Analysis: He could be a force on their D-line. Would be surprised to see NE draft here. Trading down is the most likely scenario.

30	Atlanta Falcons	Matt Barkley	QB	USC
	Analysis: A team will jump back in to grab the guy they like. Could be Manual, but I think Barkley is too good of a prospect to pass up. Most likely to trade up: Jags, Jets, Oakland.

31	San Francisco 49ers	Justin Hunter	WR	Tennessee
	Analysis: Niners could use a solid #2 WR. Keenan Allen will be in the mix too, but testing positive for weed at the Combine shows a complete lack of judgment and responsibility (dude, toke up after the Combine). This likely drops him to the second round.

32	Baltimore Ravens	Cordarrelle Patterson	WR	Tennessee
	Analysis: Too much talent to pass up here. Needs to be coached up quite a bit, but the potential is there (reminds me of Stephen Hill, who was the sixth WR taken last year at #43)

2013 NFL Draft Drink-a-thon!

Posted on April 24, 2013 by RoidRage

The Machine’s Draft Drink-a-thon! Are you man enough?

Sure, The Machine is busy cramming in late night film studies and making final adjustments to our Big Board, however it’s time to focus a little energy into one of the most important aspects of the Draft: The Drinking! How can you make the Draft better, you ask in amazement? By playing The Big Red Sports Machine’s Draft Drink-a-thon. It’s fun, it’s easy, it’s guaranteed to impress the ladies, and you can play along at home or at your favorite watering hole. Here are the rules:

1. Draft catchphrases. There are certain phrases you only hear during the Draft. Why? We don’t know, but we love them. For this reason alone, we give ESPN the slight lean over the NFL Network for your draft day coverage. That, and, Kiper. Duh, winning!

The following phrases are worth a shot of beer:

Raw talent
Off-the-field issues
Live arm
High motor
Straight line speed
Great Value
Upside
Best player available
Intangibles or Measurables
Trade Down
War Room
New Regime
Read-Option
Edge Rusher
Gets to the Second Level
Quick feet
Plays in Space

2. Each of these phrases/vidoes are beer-finishing worthy:

Reference to Mel’s hair
First player to cry when their name is called
Reference to when Tom Brady was drafted (we’ll also accept Brady’s Combine picture)
Reference to Aaron Rodgers draft day slide
Video of Brady Quinn in the green room
Player on-stage photo op with family/entourage of 15+
Video of Bill Tobin’s infamous “who the hell is Mel Kiper?” interview during the ’94 Draft

3. On the Clock Chug. When your team is on the clock, you have to finish a full beer before the pick is called.

Basically, if it doesn’t look like this than you’re probably doing it wrong…..

GIFSoup

That’s it. Three simple rules to make sure you maximize your Draft Day (weekend) experience. Cheers!

2013 NFL Draft – By the Numbers

Posted on April 21, 2013 by RoidRage

As we inch closer to the draft (are we there yet?!) The Machine is busy tracking, among other things, two phenomena that tend to occur this time of the year: (1) the massive amount of misinformation being reported (generated first and foremost by NFL front offices) and (2) the overabundance of mock drafts. Draftniks alike can’t seem to help themselves this time of the year, posting new and updated mocks daily. You all have a problem. And we love you for it!

There seems to be two schools of thought when it comes to mocking the draft. The traditionalists prefer the straight-up mock draft. No trading. Each team gets their turn and that’s it. The rationale being that mocking the draft is hard enough, mixing in the variable of trades makes the task damn near impossible. The second group, the younger generation if you will, theorize trade scenarios based on projected player availability, team needs and team philosophy.

Realistically, the truth lies somewhere in-between. Wheeling and dealing will always be part of the draft, and if last years dizzying pace was an indication (14 slots swapped in the first round alone) this year will feature some thrilling blockbusters (we’re looking at you Revis/Tampa Bay….or perhaps a dark horse team?!)

However, I’ve got a real issue with some of the trades being mocked. For example, draftniks seem all too comfortable with the Bills drafting a WR/DL/CB with the No. 8 overall pick, justifying that the team can take a QB at No. 41, or even trade back into the bottom of the first round and grab their QB. They fail to consider that the Bills only have six total picks; not exactly a cache of ammunition. Given their (lack of) talent, they can ill afford to give up the picks necessary to jump from No. 41 into the low 20’s. On the contrary, I’d expect the Bills to be actively shopping both the No. 8 and No. 41 pick in an effort to acquire more picks.

This lead The Machine to take a closer look at each teams draft pick status heading into the draft to identify which teams might be looking, and more importantly have the resources to move up in the draft. Here is the breakdown, with some interesting observations to follow:

2013 NFL Draft by the Numbers
Team	Total Picks	Top 100 Picks
San Francisco	13	5
Baltimore	12	3
Miami	11	5
Minnesota	11	4
Atlanta	11	3
Cincinnati	10	4
Seattle	10	2
Houston	9	4
Tennessee	9	4
Philadelphia	9	3
Kansas City	8	4
St. Louis	8	4
Detroit	8	3
Green Bay	8	3
New York	8	3
Pittsburgh	8	3
Tampa Bay	8	3
Jacksonville	7	4
Arizona	7	3
New York (J)	7	3
Oakland	7	3
San Diego	7	3
Cleveland	7	2
Washington	7	2
Buffalo	6	3
Dallas	6	3
Denver	6	3
Indianapolis	6	2
New England	5	3
Carolina	5	2
Chicago	5	2
New Orleans	5	2
	Totals: 254	100

Last years Super Bowl teams, San Francisco and Baltimore, account for 25 total picks, or approximately 10% of the picks in this years draft.
7 out of the top 8 teams (in terms of draft picks) made the playoffs last year. Miami being the lone exception. Conversely, only 3 out of the bottom 8 teams made the playoffs. This is not a coincidence. Good team/roster management includes keeping and acquiring draft picks.
Speaking of Miami, if this offseason has shown us anything it’s that Jeff Ireland is GM-ing for his job. We’d expect that trend to continue throughout the draft with Miami combining picks to move up the draft board. This is a dangerous way to build a team. We like the odds that Ireland is unemployed this time next year.
SF and Seattle have been in a bot of an arms race in terms of collecting talent. The NFC West crown is up for grabs. Both teams have plenty of ammunition to trade up to get “their” guy. I expect SF to be particularly aggressive (DL/CB/WR).
Atlanta is 1 of 7 teams with double-digit picks. Dimitroff has shown a penchant for being aggressive on draft day (Julio Jones). Atlanta is a candidate to move up in the top ten.
I think Oakland, Carolina, Buffalo and Indianapolis will actively look to trade down when possible. Although, I think Bills and the Colts will target a QB and OL, respectively, in the first round.
New Orleans is interesting in that they are tied with for the fewest picks (5) but also must feel they are close to competing for the division title (3 years removed from SB and getting Sean Payton back). However, BountyGate has really taken its toll on this roster (particularly) the defense. The Saints would be wise to trade down early and often this year.
It will be interesting to see if Jerry Jones can stay put this year, as he only has 6 picks to work with.

Mock Draft (v4.0) – One Week Warning!

Posted on April 18, 2013 by RoidRage

That’s right, we’re one week from the Main Event! The Machine is in full mock mode; Roid Rage gets Version 4 kicked off with picks 1-16 and Ginger King rounds out the bottom half: (Leave your comments below).

1	Kansas City Chiefs:	Luke Joeckel	OL	Texas A&M
	Analysis: It looks like the Chiefs have moved on from their starting tackles from a year ago, cutting Eric Winston and broadcasting Brandon Albert’s availability (mid-to-low round pick). So this pick will either be Joeckle or Fisher. The Machine prefers Fishers upside and nasty demeanor in the trenches. Joeckle’s no slouch though; he’s the prototypical NFL LT.

2	Jacksonville Jaguars:	Dion Jordan	OLB	Oregon
	Analysis: “Jags are a mess, and need help at every position”. I couldn’t have said it better myself. They’d love the opportunity to trade down, but nobody is going to be willing to pay the premium. Caldwell, Bradley and Khan (the Jaguar brain trust) are all onboard with this selection.

3	Oakland Raiders	Star Lotulelei	DT	Utah
	Analysis: You’ve got to hand it to McKenzie, he isn’t afraid to stick to his guns! He is yet to find a player he hasn’t wanted to cut (Routt, Seymour, Huff, Kelly, DHB, McClain). The Raiders have needs at literally every position. McKenzie grabs the BPA.

4	Philadelphia Eagles	Shariff Floyd	DT	Florida
	Analysis: First of all, Chip Kelly is calling the shots here. And Chip is so confident…cough, arrogant, cough…that his offensive system is superior to anything the NFL has ever seen that his only concern is building a shutdown defense. They go defensive heavy in this draft, starting with the Philly kid, Floyd. Milliner is in the mix here too.

5	Detroit Lions	Eric Fisher	OL	C. Michigan
	Analysis: This seems like a dream scenario for Detroit with the loss of tackles Cherilus (free agency) and Backus (retirement). However, I think there is a coin flips chance that E. Ansah is the pick here. They also lost defensive ends Vanden Bosch and Avril this offseason. What a mess. In related news, Jim Schwartz will probably be looking for a new job come December.

6	Cleveland Browns	Lane Johnson	OL	Oklahoma
	Analysis: Do I think the Browns draft an offensive linemen with their first pick? No. But this is the ideal spot for the Dolphins to trade up and snatch Johnson before he falls to the Cardinals. Johnson is viewed by some as 1C to Joeckle/Fisher this year. If the Browns don’t trade down, this pick is E. Ansah or B. Mingo all day long (with Geno Smith as a dark horse). Many people, myself included, think the Browns are putting up a smoke screen (from burning all those Pilot J documents) with these reports that Milliner is their No. 1 priority. They draft DE/OLB if they stay put.

7	Arizona Cardinals	Barkevious Mingo	DE	LSU
	Analysis: Cards need pressure from the end. Problem solved (plus best name in the Draft).

8	Buffalo Bills	Ryan Nassib	QB	Syracuse
	Analysis: I’m totally buying the Syracuse connection here. So much so that the Bills prefer Nassib to Smith and stay true to their board. They’ll get crucified in the mainstream media in this scenario. However, a fair amount of talent evaluators (Lande, Cosell, Gruden) have Nassib rated as their No. 1 QB this year.

9	NY Jets	Geno Smith	QB	West Virginia
	Analysis: This should allow the team to abort their collection of dumbster fires- Sanchez, Garrard, Tebow, McElroy, Simms- at QB. More importantly, Rex will be able to use the “Rookie QB” excuse to buy himself a few more years.

10	Tennessee Titans	Dee Milliner	CB	Alabama
	Analysis: Hard to come up with a scenario where Milliner slips out of the Top 10; this is his floor.

11	San Diego Chargers	Tavon Austin	WR	West Virginia
	Analysis: Sure, the Chargers need offensive linemen in the worst way, but guards and tackles can’t score touchdowns on any given play, from the outside, slot, out of the backfield, returning kicks/punts, etc. Austin is electric with the ball in his hands. For his sake (and ours as fans) let’s hope he can hold up through a 16 game schedule.

12	Miami Dolphins	Ezekiel Ansah	DE	BYU
	Analysis: I think the Dolphins jump into the top 8 to grab a OT (from the Browns at 6 in this scenario). Since I think Ansah could go six to the Browns in the first place, getting him here is an absolute steal and makes the risk a bit more tolerable.

13	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Desmond Trufant	CB	Washington
	Analysis: I absolutely feel a CB will get drafted out of the 13 spot. Whether it’s the Bucs or Jets remains to be seen.

14	Carolina Panthers	Kenny Vaccaro	S	Texas
	Analysis: The Panther have neglected the DT spot for years. Why would this year be any different? They grab the BPA in the ultra versatile Vaccaro. His tape vs. Tavon Austin speaks volumes to his abilities.

15	New Orleans Saints	Datone Jones	DE	UCLA
	Analysis: One of my personal favorites in this draft. Really feel like the Saints move down considering their lack of picks and talent. Defense is a must, Jones becomes one of their best defensive players.

16	St. Louis Rams	Chance Warmack	OG	ALA
	Analysis: Pains me to see Warmack slip this far; such is the life of OG’s in the NFL (see: David DeCastro last year….#24). Helps solidify an improving Rams OL.

17	Pittsburgh Steelers	Jarvis Jones	OLB	Georgia
	Analysis: Pittsburgh stays true to its board (and team philosophy) and addresses defense first. With Harrison gone, this is looking more and more likely. WR is an option, but (a) the Steelers don’t draftin WRs in the first round and (b) keeping Emmanual Sanders makes this less of a need.

18	Dallas Cowboys	Sheldon Richardson	DT	Missouri
	Analysis: Cowboys will either go OL or DL here. Jonathon Cooper’s an option, but Richardson provides way too much value here.

19	NY Giants	Bjoern Werner	DT	Florida State
	Analysis: A Top 5 pick two months ago, Bjoern has slipped down the draft. He did not help his cause at the Combine, which has likely contributed to his slide. However, the tape on him is impressive. Raw, athletic, albeit a little inexperienced. None of that is a problem for the G-Men, who love taking those ingredients and creating a dominant DE (see: JPP).

20	Chicago Bears	Manti Te’o	ILB	Notre Dame
	Analysis: Ok we’re buying this (for now). For all the things wrong with Manti (fake dead girlfriend, horribly exposed during Nat’l Championship game, 4.82 40 which has since dropped into the 4.7s at his pro day) there’s one thing going for him: he’s a natural born leader. Alec Ogletree may be the more athletic choice, but Manti fits the role to replace Brian Urlacher. Even though Lennay HATES cold weather, he makes sense here.

21	Cincinnati Bengals	DJ Fluker	OL	Alabama
	Analysis: The only question is whether DJ will last this long.

22	St. Louis Rams	Jonathon Cooper	OG	North Carolina
	Analysis: Another offensive lineman? How does that make sense? Check out the Niners in 2010 (Anthony Davis at 11 and Mike Iupati at 17) With Warmack, Cooper, and Jake Long, the Rams would arguably have the best line in the league.

23	Minnesota Vikings	Alec Ogletree	ILB	Georgia
	Analysis: Vikes would love it if Alec made it to them here.

24	Indianapolis Colts	Tank Carradine	DE	Florida St.
	Analysis: The Colts need to get young on the outside. Freeney is gone and Robert Mathis is on the wrong side of 30.

25	Minnesota Vikings	Cordarrelle Patterson	WR	Tennessee
	Analysis: Even with Jennings, the Vikes need more weapons for Ponder.

26	Green Bay Packers	DeAndre Hopkins	WR	Clemson
	Analysis: Now begins the run on WRs. They re-signed Clay Mathews which means the focus should be on improving the offense. Hopkins will soften the blow from losing Jennings.

27	Houston Texans	Robert Woods	WR	USC
	Analysis: A pefect complement to Andre Johnson. Woods has risen up draft boards and looks certain to go in the late first round. Doesn’t have jaw dropping speed but catches everything his way and, having played in a pro-style offense at USC, is the most NFL-ready WR in the draft.

28	Denver Broncos	Jamar Taylor	CB	Boise St.
	Analysis: Anyone see that playoff game, particularly the final 33 seconds of the fourth quarter? Any questions? Taylor has speed (4.32) and strength (22 reps) and hopefully enough knowledge to know that you don’t let the receiver get behind you for a game tying 70 yard touchdown pass with 30 seconds to go.

29	New England Patriots	Margus Hunt	DE	SMU
	Analysis: Patriots love versatile defenders that can play with a hand down at the line or standing up to drop back. With either of these last four picks (from NE to Balt) we expect some team in the early second to trade up to grab a qb.

30	Atlanta Falcons	Tyler Eifert	TE	Notre Dame
	Analysis: Who better to learn from than Gonzo?

31	San Francisco 49ers	Justin Hunter	WR	Tennessee
	Analysis: Niners could use a solid #2 WR. Keenan Allen will be in the mix too, but testing positive for weed at the Combine shows a complete lack of judgment and responsibility (dude, toke up after the Combine). This likely drops him to the second round.

32	Baltimore Ravens	Eric Reid	S	LSU
	Analysis: For defending Super Bowl Champions, the Ravens have a surprising number of holes to fill. That will happen when your entire team takes their rings and runs. Reid will help add some stability in the secondary.

2013 Top-5 Draft Prospects by Position

Posted on April 8, 2013 by RoidRage

Geno Smith, WVU
Ryan Nassib, Syracuse
Tyler Wilson, Arkansas
Matt Barkley, USC
Zac Dysert, Miami (OH)

Eddie Lacy, Alabama
Giovani Bernard, UNC
Montee Ball, Wisconsin
Johnathon Franklin, UCLA
Le’Veon Bell, Michigan State

Tavon Austin, WVU
Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee
Keenan Allen, Cal
Justin Hunter, Tennessee
Robert Woods, USC

Tyler Eifert, ND
Zack Ertz, Stanford
Gavin Escobar, SD State
Travis Kelce, Cincinnati
Vance McDonald, Rice

Eric Fisher, Central Michigan
Luke Joeckle, Texas A&M
Lane Johnson, Oklahoma
DJ Fluker, Alabama
Menelik Watson, Florida State

Chance Warmack, Alabama
Jonathan Cooper, UNC
Larry Warford, Kentucky
Brian Winters, Kent State
Hugh Thorton, Illinois

Travis Fredrick, Wisconsin
Barrett Jones, Alabama
Brian Schwenke, Cal
Khaled Holmes, USC
Matt Stankiewitch, Penn State

______________________________________________________________________

Ezekial Ansah, BYU
Bjoern Werner, Florida State
Cornellius Carradine, Florida State
Datone Jones, UCLA
Margus Hunt, Southern Methodist

Star Lotulelei, Utah
Sharrif Floyd, Florida
Sheldon Richardson, Missouri
Sylvester Williams, UNC
Kawaan Short, Purdue

ILB

Kevin Minter, LSU
Manti T’eo, ND
Jon Bostic, Florida
Kiko Alonso, Oregon
AJ Klein, Iowa State

OLB

Dion Jordan, Oregon
Barkevious Mingo, LSU
Jarvis Jones, Georgia
Arthur Brown, Kansas State
Alec Ogletree, Georgia

Dee Milliner, Alabama
Xavier Rhodes, Florida State
Desmond Trufant, Washington
Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Connecticut
Jamar Taylor, Boise State

Kenny Vaccaro, Texas
Eric Reid, LSU
DJ Swearinger, South Carolina
Phillip Thomas, Fresno State
Bacarri Rambo, Georgia

Matt Elam, Florida
Jonathan Cyprien, Florida International
Shamarko Thomas, Syracuse
JJ Wilcox, Georgia Southern
Shawn Williams, Georgia

2013 NCAA Bracket (Busted) Preview

Posted on March 21, 2013 by RoidRage

It’s tournement time! Tip-off starts in in about 3 hours, which is just enough time to come down with the “stomach bug” and find your way to the “doctor’s office” (read: neighborhood bar)! Be mindful, the last game tips off at 9:57 PM (EST), so pace yourself!

Before our brackets get completely busted, let’s review The Machine’s Final Four Picks:

Roid Rage (full bracket here: NCAA RR 2013)

Midwest/West Matchup: I’ve got Louisville (1) v. Ohio State (2). I’m buying Louisville stock going into this tournement. They are a tough group that excel in all facits of the game. Pitino gets it done this year. After a breeze in the first two rounds (Missouri, St. Louis), they get a couple of tough match-ups in Michigan State and Ohio State. However, I’ve got the Cardinals advancing to the Championship game.

South/East Matchup: Florida (3) v. Indiana (1). This Indiana team is dangerously good; I’ve got them cruising to this matchup with Florida. It’s hard to call a 3-seed a darkhorse, but I like Florida’s chances of upsetting Georgetown and Kansas on their way to face Indiana. I have to give the nod to Indiana due to their balance and defense. This sets up a championship featuring…

Championship: Louisville (1) v. Indiana (1). I’m not typically a 1-seed/1-seed kind of guy, but I have too much respect of what both of these teams have done this year. They were built for this tournement. Take it to the bank: Rick Pitino will be climbing the ladder, scissors in hand!

First-Round Upsets: Oregon (12), Cincinnati (10), Belmont (11), Iowa State (10), Minnesota (11)

Ginger King (full bracket here: BRSM – 2013 NCAA Bracket)

Midwest/West Matchup: I’ve got Louisville (1) v. Ohio St. (2), but the comparisons stop there. Ginger King is high on the Buckeyes, so high, in fact, that we’re picking them to be crowned National Champions. The Buckeyes are the most tournment ready team in the country, and played in the toughest conference in basketball. They should breeze through the first couple rounds, and really won’t be tested until they meet up with Wisconsin. Louisville is hard to pick against (their pressure trap is the best in the NCAA) but Thad Matta will have them ready. Book your plane tickets to Atlanta Ohioans, just leave that stupid O-H-I-O chant home.

South/East Matchup: VCU (5) v. Indiana (1). The South is by far the most volatile bracket in the tourney, so it’s really a crap shoot there. I really like Georgetown, but I also love Cinderellas, especially when Cinderella can shoot the 3. People are soft on VCU for losing the A-10 Championship to St. Louis, but don’t fret. This VCU team is better, yes better, than the team that shocked the world and made it to the final four in 2011. This sets up the championship game between…

Championship: Ohio St. (2) v. Indiana (1). Yes, an all Big 10 final. This is really the way it should be. The Big 10 is head and shoulders above the rest of the NCAA…they are the equivalent of the SEC in football. Lock it in: Thad Matta and crew will be cutting down the nets and bringing a National Championship back to Columbus.

First-Round Upsets: Iowa St. (10), Bucknell (11), Minnesota (11), Ole Miss (12), Montana (13),

2013 NFL Mock Draft (v2.0)

Posted on March 11, 2013 by RoidRage

Free Agency Eve Edition! As teams are putting the finishing touches on player evaluations and GM’s are gearing up for Tuesdays free agent frenzy, The Machine decided now would be a great time to post a mock draft! Sure, “team needs” will be drastically different 24-hours from now, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Now, onto the madness……….(by Roid Rage)……

1	Kansas City Chiefs:	Dee Milliner	CB
	Analysis: QB…check; WR…check; LT…check. I like the idea of pairing Dee with Brandon Flowers to allow Eric Berry to roam in the box. Plus, the Chiefs can still bolster their O-line as the draft is deep with quality interior linemen that should be available in R2 and beyond.

2	Jacksonville Jaguars:	Luke Joeckel	LT
	Analysis: Players of Joeckel’s caliber don’t come along every year. A better prospect than Kalil last year; Joeckel will be a rock for whomever is the Jaguars long-term QB.

3	Oakland Raiders	Geno Smith	QB
	Analysis: Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen inherited a mess. Carson Palmer (didn’t have a bad year) isn’t going to be around much longer. Smith gives the team a QB to build around.

4	Philadelphia Eagles	Dion Jordan	OLB/DE
	Analysis: Super-Freak, Super-Freak.

5	Detroit Lions	Eric Fisher	LT
	Analysis: Team-need meet Value-pick, Value-pick meet Team-need.

6	Cleveland Browns	Barkevious Mingo	OLB
	Analysis: Disruptive edge rusher = defensive coordinators dream

7	Arizona Cardinals	Sharrif Floyd	DT
	Analysis: Dynamic interior defender. Could go first overall to KC; this is about his floor.

8	Buffalo Bills	Ryan Nassib	QB
	Analysis: The Bills have a terrible poker face and QB’s ALWAYS go way too high. See: Jake Locker, Mark Sanchez, Christian Ponder, Ryan Tannehill.

9	NY Jets	Ezekiel Ansah	DE
	Analysis: Rex Ryan will probably break the table to see this pick through.

10	Tennessee Titans	Sheldon Richardson	DT
	Analysis: Value for sure. A great addition to their defense.

11	San Diego Chargers	Lane Johnson	LT
	Analysis: SD needs about 5 offensive linemen. They get an ultra athletic one in Johnson here.

12	Miami Dolphins	Bjoern Werner	DE
	Analysis: Relentless motor to play opposite Cameron Wake. Winning the AFC East boils down to one thing: pressuring Brady.

13	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Xavier Rhodes	CB
	Analysis: NEED & VALUE! It’s already a successful draft for the Bucs.

14	Carolina Panthers	Star Lotulelei	DT
	Analysis: Slips a bit due to the heart concerns. Carolina willing to gamble on his upside as they got run all over last year.

15	New Orleans Saints	Jarvis Jones	OLB
	Analysis: Rob Ryan will probably break the table to see this pick through. The Ryan boys enjoy breaking tables apparently.

16	St. Louis Rams	Cordarrelle Patterson	WR
	Analysis: Hard to see a player of Pattersons caliber getting past Buffalo, Miami and Carolina. Quick, name the WR’s the Rams have under contract…..

17	Pittsburgh Steelers	Chance Warmack	OG
	Analysis: Is there a better player/team fit than Chance to the Steelers?

18	Dallas Cowboys	Kenny Vaccaro	S
	Analysis: Jerrah loves making the splash pick. That’s why he’ll probably move into the top-12 to pick Vaccaro.

19	NY Giants	Desmond Trufant	CB
	Analysis: Patiently wait their turn and make a solid selection. Just another day at the office.

20	Chicago Bears	Damontre Moore	DE
	Analysis: Lands in the perfect situation to fine tune his game.

21	Cincinnati Bengals	Alec Ogletree	OLB
	Analysis: Off-the-field trouble?! Welcome to Cincinnati!

22	St. Louis Rams	Matt Elam	S
	Analysis: As if the NFC West needed another big-hitter!

23	Minnesota Vikings	Tavon Austin	WR
	Analysis: Well, if anyone has a chance to fill Percy Harvin’s shoes it’s the dynamic Austin.

24	Indianapolis Colts	Jonathan Cooper	OG
	Analysis: Priority No. 1 – Protect Andrew Luck. Priority No. 2 – See Priority No. 1.

25	Minnesota Vikings	Jesse Williams	DT
	Analysis: The youth movement continues.

26	Green Bay Packers	Jonathan Cyprien	S
	Analysis: Quietly, Green Bay has a lot of holes in their defense. Need to address the secondary in this draft.

27	Houston Texans	Cornellius Carradine	DE
	Analysis: High risk, high reward! Could be the best pass-rusher of this class. (Could)

28	Denver Broncos	Eddie Lacy	RB
	Analysis: Seems like a good fit.

29	New England Patriots	DeAndre Hopkins	WR
	Analysis: I’m much more comfortable mocking “trades down” to NE than I am with actually picking a player. Hopkins makes a ton of sense though.

30	Atlanta Falcons	Arthur Brown	OLB
	Analysis: We all know what the offense is capable of. Now they need to add speed and play-making ability to the defense.

31	Baltimore Ravens	Kevin Minter	ILB
	Analysis: Not exactly Ray Lewis (who is?!), but Minter should do fine in that defense.

32	San Francisco 49ers	Kawann Short	DT
	Analysis: SF will be looking to add defensive linemen and wide receivers (and in that order).

Tuesday Teabag, March 5, 2013 – Franchise Tag Edition!

Posted on March 5, 2013 by RoidRage

Yesterday was the deadline for NFL teams to utilize the Franchise Tag. The Franchise Tag basically allows teams to retain the exclusive rights to one (1) unrestricted free agent (UFA) every off-season; in return for losing the ability to become a free agent, the player will receive the average of the top five (5) salaries for their position. You can bang it here for more information regarding the nuances of the tag designations.

The important thing to remember is that the Franchise Tag has been collectively bargained as part of the labor agreement between the NFL and the NFLPA. It gives teams the ability to retain young, up-and-coming talent or fan-favorite veterans. From the union’s point of view, it compensates tagged players with the top earners at a given postion, while allowing a majority of UFA’s the ability to hit the open market. Further, a Franchise Contract, albeit for one-year, is fully guaranteed!

However, if you were to believe the players and media, the Franchise Tag is an evil instrument that the good ‘ol boy owners/GMs use to repress the players. Every offseason, a majority of “tagged” players take to the media/interviews/twitter to lament the franchise tag. For instances, when The Machine took a break today from image searching Kate Upton, we stumbled upon an article by Alex Marvez on Fox Sports website titled: Let’s Meet the NFL’s Unlucky Eight. Marvez takes up the players (read: agents) argument that the eight (8) tagged players “aren’t getting the financial security that comes with long-term contracts”, and are therefore “unlucky”. Huh. Isn’t Top-Five NFL money financial security in and of its own right?! In a league without guaranteed contracts, isn’t signing the dotted line knowing that you’re getting every single penny worth something?!

Here are the “Unlucky Eight” with their projected 2013 salary, in millions of dollars (2012 salary in parenthesis):

Randy Starks, DT $8.45 ($5.0)… 69% raise
Jarius Bryd, S $6.92 ($1.07)… 547% raise
Henry Melton, DT $8.45 ($0.69)…1,125% raise
Pat McAfee, P $2.98 ($1.32)… 126% raise
Ryan Clady, OL $9.83 ($5.83)… 69% raise
Anthony Spencer, LB $10.6* ($8.86)… *20% automatic raise from second consecutive tag.
Michael Johnson, DE $11.2 ($1.62)…617% raise
Branden Albert, OL $9.83 ($4.19)… 135% raise

That is a nice group of players, no doubt. It is easy to see why teams choose to lock these guys up for at least another year in hopes of working out a long-term deal. However, outside of Jarius Bryd, you could make a strong argument that none of these guys are Top-5 at their respective position. Henry Melton is a good young player that really came on for the Bears defense last year. He is a reliable starter for sure, with potential to turn into a star. That said, he only had 6 sacks last year and has never had more than 7 in a year (2011). Not exactly the type of player you “game plan” for. Yet, he’ll be making $8.45 million (fully guaranteed) this year. That’s more money than his entire rookie contract paid him. Seems like “fair” and “financially securing” type of money for one years work. Further, if Micheal Johnson tears a peck five games into the 2013 season, while registering a handful of sacks and playing up to his typical level of play do you mean to tell us an NFL franchise isn’t going to throw a ton of money his way as a 2014 free agent?! How did that (exact scenario) work out for Mario Williams last year (sidenote: Micheal Johnson is nowhere near the player Williams is, yet. But the point is still valid)? Teams (the smart ones anyways) sign players for their remaining production/potential, not for what they’ve previously accomplished.

Listen, The Machine is all about athlete’s cashing in and getting as much money as they can. Their careers are ridiculously short, we get it. But no matter how you slice it, the Franchise Tag isn’t a bad deal. In every case it represents a (significant) pay raise and establishes a players “floor value” for future negotiations; because any good agent is going to use the “franchise type player” line when they get a chance. Oh, which reminds us of this tiny little did you know: agents of players that receive the franchise tag are not allowed the full 3% commission on the contract. They are only allowed to charge 2%, and in a second consecutive tag situation (like Anthony Spencer above) the agent is only allowed 1.5%. Which begs the question, is the root of the hatred for the tag bore at the sports agent level and publicly reflected through the players? Regardless, the franchise tag should be embraced by the players as a means of getting paid like one of the top players in the league! Until that day, we offer a nice warm Tuesday Teabag to all of you Franchise Tag haters! Enjoy!

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