MVN - Most Valuable Network

Expectations on Draft Day

We made it. It’s finally here, football fans.  The Draft!  Who’s excited, who’s excited? 

I am definitely excited.  Today the Saints will make additions to their roster that could possibly put them in position to win a Championship.  Don’t underestimate the importance of a good draft.  These are the players that could either elevate your team to that next level, or cripple your roster with failed expectations. 

With that said, here are a few thoughts I have on the morning of the 2008 NFL Draft:

The Saints are going to move…a lot.  No one has been hotter on the rumor mill over the last week than New Orleans.  Whether it’s to move up to the No. 2 spot to snag Dorsey or a second-round swap for Jeremy Shockey, the Saints aren’t expected to sit still today.  The latest rumor that’s been circulating is that Jamaal Brown is being dangled on a string in front of the Rams.  The Saints desperately want to move up to the No. 2 spot and offering a Pro Bowl left tackle might force the Rams pick up the phone and listen. 

I think a more realistic move for the Saints will be making a go at Sedrick Ellis.  He’s the second best option at defensive tackle and won’t cost as much as Dorsey would.  A move from No. 10 to No. 7 is much more plausible than moving up to the No. 2 spot.  And the Patriots, who own the No. 7 pick, are big time draft day movers.  They likely won’t be able to resist moving back three spots and picking up a 2nd rounder in the process. 

Thought #2: When the dust settles around 10 p.m. the Saints will have two immediate impact players in the fold.  Saturday’s draft consists of just the first and second round.  The remaining rounds will be completed Sunday.  So at the end of today, New Orleans hypothetically will have selected a player in the first and second round.  I think that by the time the sinks below the Baton Rouge levee, the Saints will have selected an impact player and traded for one. 

Whatever they decide to do in the first round (unless they trade down or out) will yield an impact player.  Odds are they’ll select somewhere in the top 10, which means whoever they get will be a highly regarded commodity. 

The Saints are going to use their second round pick to snare Shockey.  It’s a foregone conclusion that he will be moved this weekend, and word has it he’s pushing for relocation to the Big Easy.  He played under Sean Payton for a season in New York and likes him as a coach.  I expect him to be a Saint at the end of today.  The Giants can’t afford to keep him on their roster because of the animosity that developed during his injury last season, so their hand is essentially forced.  When the Saints go on the clock in the second round, the Giants will probably call and offer Shockey for that pick.

The Saints will say yes and go to bed Saturday night comfortable with the two brand new difference makers wearing the beloved Black-and-Gold.    

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 26th, 2008 at 10:52 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.