Raiders and Niners Get Solid Picks - Niners Score Best First Round

The first round of the NFL Draft came and went but not without drama. There was the Reggie Bush “none-selection” by the Houston Texans, and USC QB Matt Leinart’s fall to the Arizona Cardinals, leaving Texas QB the first quarterback taken, and by the Tennessee Titans.

Me? I’ve been taking a lot of video and talking to a lot of people. When you’re one person it’s hard to take video, talk to people, come back, blog in fear of missing a press conference, and then download the video — which calls for waiting. To combat this, I decided to take all of the videos first, then download and edit them all at the same. I wish I Movie worked faster, but I’m glad I have it nonetheless.

The best drafts? Well, I’m going to sound like a homer but the 49ers had the best draft thus far. They took two solid consensus first round impact players: Maryland TE Vernon Davis and DL Mario Williams teammate
Manny Lawson, outside linebacker. In the case of Lawson, his stock has moved up considerably. Bil Chackes of NL Scouting said “Lawson was rated as high as a low first round selection in some circles. A quality player but somewhat rough around the edges.”

Indianapolis got the running back they needed to replace Edgerrin James, LSU’s Joseph Aidi. The Raiders took the best defensive back in the draft, Texas’ Michael Huff and to fill a hole created by the departed Charles Woodson.

But the 49ers got the better first round over the Raiders, because one can’t argue the fantastic talent of Vernon Davis and Manny Lawson was ranked as high as the seventh best player on some reports floating
around here. Davis is excited to play in an offense developed by Norv Turner, the 49ers new offensive coordinator, stating that Norv, “has a great history of knowing what to do with tight ends.”

But one who runs as fast as Michael Vick? Well that’s something special.

Oh, did I tell you that Reggie Bush’s press conference was short and he came off — to some — as surly? Well, yes he did. He was clearly upset over not being picked number one, but as Lloyd Vance of “Big Play Radio” said, “He brought it on himself.”

Steelers Tagged For Giving Up Too Many Draft Picks For Ohio State’s Fleet Santonio Moss

There’s a lot of carping about the Pittsburgh Steelers giving up a first round, second round, and third round pick for Ohio State’s Santonio Moss. He was one of the stars of the draft, but I can’t find anyone around here who thinks he’s worth that much in draft picks. No one. Reporters and fans and draftniks around here can’t believe it. Meanwhile, ESPN shows LenDale White’s draft party.

. ..He’s still waiting.

I’m writing this behind the din of New York Giants fans. It’s now the 24th pick and the giants are on the clock. The jets fans have had their day. Now, it’s the Giants turn. But I’ve got so much to write…Here’s Bob McNair

Once the Houston Texans personable owner Bob McNair took the podium in place of his organization’s newest employee (not counting unknown front office moves), he immediately hit with the obvious set of Reggie Bush
related questions.

Mr. McNair, as I call him, realizes that it’s going to be hard to avoid some “”PR hit as far as fan reaction” as one person put it. “I think that’s going to be a temporary situation. It’s up to us to go out and win football games. We win football games, they are going to say ‘you made the right decision.” If we don’t win football games, they say ‘you’re stupid.’ anyway, so what difference does that make?

McNair slammed down the perspective of people like me, who immediately thought Bush’s rejection by the Texans was a because he wasn’t “signable.” “They are mistaken because we could have signed either one.
We made the same offer to both of them.

Giants trade 25th pick to Steelers. Giant’s fans are going nuts. Steelers take WR Santonio Holmes from Ohio State. Pittsburgh gave the Steelers their first round, third round, and forth round pick for …as my Row mate put it, “One person.”

While McNair wants a player that will be in camp, he says to me that it wasn’t the reason Bush wasn’t selected: “No, I don’t think Reggie would have held out. I think we were close enough in the discussions with his agent in terms of the money and everything that we would have been able to reach an agreement. We felt like that Reggie Bush would have a tremendous impact on our offense and would be very exciting. But that
Mario Williams could have the same impact on defense.”

Chicago traded it’s 26th pick to Buffalo, which is now on the clock. Chicago gets second round and third round selection.