WEEKLY FOOTBALL RANT

Poolside Rants Week 11

Rookie Review

At the draft I made a few predictions and after the preseason I made a few more. I am 98% genius and 2% foolhardy dreamer. OK so maybe not a genius but I figure I was close enough to the truth to talk a little trash at this point. I have been impressed with some of the rookie performances from some of the expected studs of the draft and some guys who have shown poise and determination to become factors in their teams success this year. So I am going to run down a few of the rooks that have emerged as being players to watch in the first half of the season. Don’t get all jerky thinking these are the only guys making an impact or the only guys I think are players but the guys who maybe are doing the most to help their teams win now. I am going to play this the same way I ran down the fantasy players and go with importance of positions starting with of course QB’s.

No question and without hesitation the clear impact rookie pivot is Kyle Orton, the 4th round pick of the division leading Bears in the NFC North. This kid has been so good I don’t see Grossman coming back and taking the job because he is healthy. I think Lovie has a dilemma on his hands and not an entirely poor situation to be in as a coach two young QB’s that have potential. I don’t think the Bears mess with the starter though at this point in the season when Orton has guided the Bears to a solid 6-3 and hasn’t made critical mistakes that lose games. That is of primary importance to a team that wins with defense like the Bears. After all defense wins championships right?

So let’s move onto the defensive side of the ball and talk about some players making an impact on that critical side of the ball who are making plays and helping their defenses. Arguably the biggest impact is made by Demarcus Ware the 11th overall pick of the draft by the Cowboys. Not because he is having a solid season learning a new position but because the Cowboy defense has nearly as many sacks at the midway point as they did all of last year. Ware has great speed helping him contribute as a rusher but more by helping his teammates, including 20th overall pick Marcus Spears who is making plays by attracting double teams and not making critical mistakes.

Another guy who is quietly having a solid season is Lofa Tatupu of the Seattle Seahawks a 2nd round pick who is playing extremely well and helping the first place Seahawks outscore their opponents. He is not flashy but has great speed and makes plays in the run game and passing defense. He is impressive for a young, undersize LB who should make an impact as a playmaker for years to come and have ‘Hawk fans excited about their defense. Feels wrong to say ‘Hawks and defense in the same sentence unless bad is part of the sentence too, times are changing maybe.

At CB Carlos Rogers is earning his early 1st round pick status for the Washington Redskins by manning the corner position opposite Shawn Springs and contributing to a very solid ‘Skins D. He has shown confidence, a short memory, quickness and a desire to be a physical playmaker. Luis Castillo has at the 29th overall pick shown up and helped the Chargers D become a run stuffing menace. Great strength and good quickness for a 300lb-er, Castillo has shown a willingness to do the dirty work and steal little glory and fame from teammate and 12th overall pick Shawne Merriman who also looks like a dominant player although he has played sparingly due to injury. Another AFC rookie LB is making a splash in Cincinnati where Odell Thurman is spearheading a charge by the Bengals to take over the AFC North with a defensive burst.

Injury is the key to limiting the early success of Cadillac Williams the Tampa Bay Bucs first pick in the draft but the kid looks to be every bit the part of future stud along with his running mate at Auburn Ronnie Brown who suits up across the state in Miami. Brown made his impression on me with one electrifying run against KC and you all know what I am talking about, that is the type of game changing ability the hapless ‘Phins were hoping for when they drafted Brown #2 overall. Expect big things from this RB when the Phins realize Ricky can’t carry the load and relegate him to spot duty giving the lion’s share of the carries to Brown. He will lead the Dolphins to some late season success. Don’t be too hard on the Cadillac either as the rookie racked up nearly 400 yards in 100 carries in his first 3 games in the NFL and when he gets past the nagging injuries he will be back to help the Bucs compete in the NFC South. He is a player, and will reproduce his early season success.

In fact is there a rookie in the league whose team depends on him more? Without Williams in the lineup the Buc are below .500 at 1-2 and with him in the lineup they are 5-1. The Bucs playoff hopes ride more in a Cadillac than they do at QB and neither QB TB has played could win without their main man cruising in the backfield. Another rookie doing great things for his team is Brandon Jacobs for the Giants. The 250lb RB is the Thunder the Giants looked for opposite Tiki’s Lightning and has been a TD monster for the Giants and great in short yardage. He will extend the career of Barber which is a bonus for the G-men and another way the rookie is making his team better and more competitive. Yeah if you have been paying attention I swung and missed with JJ Arrington on my early season prediction but the season isn’t over yet…ever the optimist I am.

There isn’t much to be optimistic or even comment on as far as receivers from this draft go in the NFL this year. WR is a difficult position to come into the NFL and make a big impact but I am surprised at least one of this years crop hasn’t stepped up and become a player, although it may still happen and where it is least expected. I will talk about a few players who have added or increased their teams skill levels in important positions but it is a stretch to say any have made a huge difference. Probably the biggest contributor is Matt Jones with the Jaguars, the surprise first rounder and former QB. The guy has scheme breaking speed (4.3) and size (6’6”) and creates match-up nightmares but has played sparingly and too often is a decoy. He has started to come on late in the year scoring in the red zone and will have to be a factor in the Jags drive for the wild card in the AFC.

Another team battling for a division title or a wild card, the Bengals have to be optimistic about Chris Henry snagged in the third round to add depth in the future but the kid has impressed and is a sure handed, good sized WR with speed. He has given the Bengals a nice trifecta at WR and expect him to contribute to the Bengals as they fight for the playoffs for the first time in years. Reggie Brown looked pretty good in his first start snagging a 56 yard TD catch and run but was essentially shut out against the Cowboys so we’ll call this a hung jury. Braylon Edwards has been impressive at times, when Dilfer is impressive, but that isn’t often enough. Edwards has started suggesting the team would be better off with rookie Charlie Frye throwing the ball and that may be true but it won’t matter if he isn’t part of the gameplan. Atlanta Falcons first round pick Roddy White has contributed lately but again he has played too sparingly to give a solid assessment of his skills. Oh and Vick isn’t exactly a WR’s dream QB when he averages 150 pass yards a game.

Those are the rookies I think have made probably the biggest impact on their teams and I neglected to mention a few who I believe are contributing but not in as large a capacity as the guys I mentioned. If I had to give a winner from each division for the draft it would be a no-brainer and I’ll give you those halfway point draft day winners. Dallas in the NFC is a no brainer starting a minimum of three rookies weekly and two or three more that are part of the regular rotatation. In the AFC I will go with the Chargers based solely on the strength and playmaking abilities of their two defensive first rounders and fourth pick Darren Sproles being regular players. I am getting stoked about the upcoming playoff chase and it is only week 11. I have got to settle down but only one week until Thanksgiving football in Detroit and Dallas. I am tired of all this gabbing about rookies because at this point the guys who are playing regularly aren’t rookies anymore and the guys who aren’t, well there is nothing to talk about. With nothing to talk about I am back in the pool and out. Later!!

Stay Tuned for next weeks RANT and get out there and nfl FOOTBALL bet on this weeks games......Mike P.

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