Fresh Baked Takes - Week 2

Following last week's entry, I had a few good suggestions from people on Facebook, which I have decided to provide my takes on this week. Hopefully that will happen more as the weeks go on because a lot of the topics were those that I hadn't considered writing. Anyway, let's get on with the show.

Refereeing at the World Cup

I think we can all agree (even me, as someone with a 'longstanding and admirable disdain' for the England team) that England didn't exactly get the rub of the green with penalty decisions in their first group game against Tunisia, but generally speaking the refereeing at the World Cup, and the introduction of VAR for the first time, has overall been a success. The issue with VAR as a system is not the fact that it stops the game, but the decision making process in and of itself. If we assume that a referee misses a decision, it is then sent immediately to the VAR truck for referral. Should the officials in the truck decide that the decision needs looking at, they then tell the referee, who has the final say on whether he reviews it. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but letting a man who gets one viewing, in real time, at full speed, have the final decision as to whether to bruise his ego on an international stage is a bit of a daft choice. The four officials in the truck, with the multiple replays and angles, should be able to be insistent upon a review, even if it turns out to be wrong. Serbia would have salvaged a draw from the Switzerland game if that had been the case, and if it had been the process during the England game, then maybe the media and Twitter wouldn't have gone into total meltdown as well.

The Plight of the Colorado Rockies



I think it goes without saying that it takes more than two superstars to create a contender in baseball, and although Colorado has those in Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon, their roster pales in comparison to the best in the game. I don't think I could name you a single starter from the Rockies (I just checked, I couldn't), and the bullpen isn't strong enough to be able to carry a team to the offseason. As much as the infield has quality at each position, with Story and Desmond in particular playing above themselves this year, there isn't enough there to justify a playoff push. But if they're to do it any time, they'll have to do it soon. Arenado is a free agent at the end of next season, and he will have plenty of interest in his services as a Gold Glove winner at 3B and a demon at the plate, the likes of which are coveted by just about every team in the big leagues, and I'm not sure the Rockies will have the capital to be able to re-sign him after spending big on Charlie Blackmon this year. The blend of youth and experience that the Rockies have isn't quite right yet, which is why their push for a playoff place this year will ultimately be fruitless, although it doesn't help that the National League is looking like a pretty even playing field this year, with a number of contenders for the two Wildcard spots.

LeBron to LA?

Now, my basketball knowledge isn't massively up to snuff, and it never has been, but I've been picking up knowledge in the office, and I reckon I can give this one a good crack. If LeBron goes to the Lakers, he will have as good a shot to make it to the NBA Finals as he did this year with Cleveland. Maybe they'll even win a game. The Lakers have spent the past couple of years jettisoning big contracts and bringing in young players through the draft and trades. Lonzo Ball, despite his absolutely mental father, managed to put up strong numbers in his first season in the league, and will only get better, especially if LA surround him with a talent like LeBron. We've already seen what LBJ can do almost single-handedly (and no thanks to JR Smith), but in LA, James would be able to take the reigns and let loose with a much more talented team at his disposal. For much of the back end of the regular season, he was without Kevin Love, and even when Love came back from injury, he didn't quite look like he had fully healed. Consider also that LeBron was the best player for the Cavs despite having a broken hand after Game 1 of the Finals and you start to see just how talented this man is. In LA, I have no doubt he would be able to take the Lakers to the Playoffs, but in the Western Conference, would he want to play the Warriors before the Finals? My head says no. Golden State at the moment are like watching Space Jam, and they're the Monstars. Ultimately, as long as that team is together, and even 70% healthy, I don't think there's anything that LeBron and whatever Tune Squad he decides to sign with can do to stop GSW winning yet another title.

Fresh Baked Takes - Week 1

Welcome to the first instalment of what I hope will be a weekly blog where I give my takes on some topics which may or may not be burning at that moment in the world of sport. Some you will probably have an opinion on, some you might not, but either way I'd love to hear what you think, as well as any suggestions for future takes you want to hear about.

Without further ado, let's get on to the first week:

Minnows at the World Cup
I understand that the World Cup only comes around once every 4 years, but there are people out there complaining about the inclusion of teams like Panama and Saudi Arabia, especially after the pasting handed out to the latter by the hosts Russia, who themselves aren't even that good. But to suggest that those teams don't deserve to be there completely disregards the qualification process that all teams have to go through, which is already weighted heavily in favour of the confederations where the vast
majority of the main contenders lie (UEFA and CONMEBOL). It is absolutely not the fault of the likes of Saudi Arabia, Panama and Peru that they managed to beat the teams in front of them, while Italy couldn't force their way past an Ibrahimovic-less Sweden, or the Netherlands couldn't beat Bulgaria to even reach the playoffs. The David v Goliath matchups at the major tournaments are some of the most fun to watch (Iceland v England, anyone?), and in a similar vein to the FA Cup, I love watching a minnow outkick their coverage, although by the time we get to the quarters or semis, I'm always wanting the best teams to come out on top. But during the group stage and early knockout rounds, let's give it up for the smaller teams and celebrate football throughout the world. And anyway, even if the Saudi Arabians do end up getting battered every game, they might not make it to another World Cup for ages.

Unwritten Rules in Baseball
If you watch baseball, then you will know that there are a number of unwritten rules that the sport seems to abide by. I'm going to cover different unwritten rules each time I write about baseball in this column, but this week I'm going to talk about 'not bunting away from the shift'. To quickly explain 'shifting', if a right-handed batter tends to pull the ball to the left side of the ballpark, the opposition will set up as such, leaving a gaping hole to the right side of second base, and vice-versa for lefties. For some reason, there is an unspoken bond between most players, managers, pitchers etc. that dictates that players don't use the vast expanses of land available to them. Were I a major league manager, I would tell every single player of mine 'if they show shift, bunt and get to first base'. There are many reasons for this, chief among which is that the more baserunners you have, the more chance you have of winning the game. But equally, if you bunt away from the shift, the opposition are less likely to set up in the shift the next time up and you can go back to hitting to your preferred part of the field, with less chance of finding a shifted fielder. In an era of baseball where power is becoming the most important element of the batting game, and pitchers and fielders are becoming more savvy with their positioning and ability to work around the strengths of a hitter, why not fight fire with fire and expose their shortcomings in exactly the same way?

There are only two things wrong at West Ham (for now)
Obviously this won't last, I'm not daft. But for the moment, there only seem to be two things holding West Ham back, and they are the two members of the board not named David Gold. His co-chairman/woman seem to be the two barriers standing between the club and progress. For Karren Brady, a lot of the obstacles she seems to put up are off-the-pitch issues regarding the fan experience, and making it accessible for all. Of course, with the price of season tickets at the London Stadium being relatively low, single game tickets will fetch more on account of not wanting to price out 'loyal fans' and make it more cost-effective to just buy tickets on a weekly basis, but there were times last season when a Tier 5 Junior ticket was something extortionate like £60. How many under-16s do you know that have that kind of money to spend going to watch their football team play Manchester United or Chelsea. Similarly, a lot of the on-field issues seem to be sparked by David Sullivan. His insistence on being the head of recruitment (until the appointment of Mario Husillos last week) has led to a well-documented lack of improvement in the playing squad, and I daresay that had Manuel Pellegrini not come out and vocalised the struggles he was having with Sullivan in just his first week in the job, that process would have continued long into the summer. West Ham need reinforcements and they need them soon, especially with the transfer window closing early this year, so Sullivan needs to pull his chequebook out and start actually paying for players rather than subsisting on loans with options to buy and free transfers.

I think that's quite enough for week one, but I'll be back with more hot takes on hopefully developing/new topics next week.

Two Years On - The West Ham Story

Generally speaking, two years after moving to a new house, you've settled in and got the place looking roughly how you'd like it to. Maybe the kitchen still needs a lick of paint, or the garage still has a few unopened boxes of miscellaneous artefacts from the move, but you're more or less there. Try telling that to West Ham United Football Club, whose new home at the London Stadium has been more like moving into a botch-job by a bunch of cowboy builders than a sleek new-build that looks as good on the inside as it does from the outside.

There has been a number of high-profile mishaps since the move from E13, most notably the shambles of the stadium seating, the departures of both Slaven Bilic and Dimitri Payet, and the now infamous 'dildo brothers' comment following the failed transfer of William Carvalho and subsequent lies from the board. But in the two years since that unforgettable night at Upton Park, has the club made any progress at all?

Firstly, a quick look at the playing squad shows the emergence of youngster Declan Rice, as well as the undeniable influence players like Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic have had in claret and blue. Of course, Lanzini was there in 15/16, but the purchase of Arnautovic showed a willingness to play football 'The West Ham Way' (which incidentally doesn't exist, but that's for another article). However, having lost Payet and the likes of Enner Valencia, Diafra Sakho, Jose Fonte, and Robert Snodgrass (who is definitely not going to want to play under the current board after they described his signing as a mistake), can anybody really say that the team taking the pitch every week is any stronger than that which finished 7th in the Premier League in 2015/16? I would argue not. The squad is paper thin, and ravaged by injury more often than not, with key players such as Winston Reid and Michail Antonio unavailable for large chunks of the season. Add into this the fact that the club is without a bona fide first choice goalkeeper, and the issues grow ever more.

So the squad isn't as good as it was two years ago, but are they at least playing good football? In a word, no. At Upton Park, West Ham were generally a threat to score. In fact, they scored in all but one of their home games in the league in 15/16, and managed 13 goals and 14 points against the 'Top 6'. This season, those numbers drop to 5 goals and 4 points, with Manchester United still to come to London. Depressing at best, you'd have to agree. Bilic's insistence to put square pegs in round holes, like Antonio at LWB, and Moyes' defensive approach, like playing 5-4-1 at home against teams like already-relegated Stoke City, makes for dismal viewing, and the fans have had a lot of that to put up with this season.

Speaking of the fans, nobody can deny the influence that the atmosphere had on the club at Upton Park. Right on the touchlines, the fans were inseparable from the action, and many argue that they were often the difference between a defeat and a draw. Contrast this to the toxic atmosphere present at games not just this season, but last season as well, and you start to see a club heading for turmoil.The off-field issues have been discussed at length in the media, and the decisions being made at board level are affecting fans at an unprecedented rate. Look at the badge, the seating arrangements, the lack of investment in the squad, and the poor standard of football, and you can see why the fans are coming to the end of their tether and turning their backs on the club they love. There have been a number of fans posting on social media about their stories and how they have fallen out of love with West Ham after being turned into a corporate machine by Gold, Sullivan, and Brady, and who can blame them? The atmosphere is bland, the football is insipid, and there is no reason that people should be expected to pay up to £1100 for a season ticket to watch what is being put on at the London Stadium week in, week out.

Of course, the investment in the summer needs to be thorough and well-researched, not just for players, but for a new manager as well. But to bring the analogy full circle, West Ham United's new home needs more than just a lick of paint. The walls need tearing down and rebuilding so it feels like a proper home, and the landlords need to have a good think about how they are treating their tenants, or they will walk away and not come back.

How The Teams Stand - AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs
2017 Record: 10-6 (Lost to Titans in AFC Wild Card game)
Free Agents Signed: WR Sammy Watkins, ILB Anthony Hitchens
Cap Space Remaining: Around $7m
Draft Needs: CB, DL, OL

Having sent star cornerback Marcus Peters to the free-spending LA Rams for a fraction of his worth, and put all their eggs in Patrick Mahomes' basket, it could be argued that the Kansas City Chiefs have the most rebuilding to do out of any of the four franchises in this division. Losing Alex Smith to Washington and signing Chad Henne as a backup is all well and good, but Mahomes is yet to win a regular season game and Henne is not good. Add to that the fact that Kansas has limited remaining spending money, and you might think that this is a team destined to struggle. However, the signing of Sammy Watkins gives Mahomes arguably one of the most explosive offenses in the league. And, with Andy Reid still in place as head coach and chief play-caller, you can expect them to barely miss a beat. I would expect that the Chiefs select a cornerback early in the draft, and then set the rest of the team up to be able to beat teams in offensive shootouts throughout the season.


Los Angeles Chargers (yes, I wrote San Diego and had to correct myself)
2017 Record: 9-7 (Missed out on the playoffs by thiiiiiiiis much)
Free Agents Signed: C Mike Pouncey
Cap Space Remaining: Around $12m
Draft Needs: ILB, DT, OL

The LA Chargers just barely missed out on the playoffs by virtue of bottling it the same way they manage to every season, and surely this season they are built to get there. But then we say that every year, too. Philip Rivers has seemingly been given the cast around him that he needs to succeed, with Melvin Gordon turning into a top 15 RB, and Keenan Allen as reliable at WR as he was before all his injuries. The potential loss of Antonio Gates (although still a free agent) could prove costly, although in Hunter Henry, the Chargers have a ready-made replacement for the future Hall of Famer. The defense is where the Chargers will surely continue to shine, as the pass rush duo of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram continue to terrify opposing O-Lines, it would seem sensible to upgrade at DT through the draft, which seems most likely in order to get the Chargers back to the post-season.


Oakland Raiders
2017 Record: 6-10
Free Agents Signed: OLB Tahir Whitehead, WR Jordy Nelson
Cap Space Remaining: Around $3m
Draft Needs: CB, S, ILB

Under the leadership of once-again-Oakland Head Coach Jon Gruden, the Raiders seem to have reverted to a team of the mid-1990s, with Gruden proclaiming such things as not believing in data analysis, and getting rid of anyone who isn't considered a good, pure, football man. This included the cutting of arguably the best (and most entertaining) punter in the league, Marquette King. For the sake of $3m, Gruden has lost his best field position asset to a division rival. However, that is going to be the least of his worries when he realises that not a single player on this team managed to nab more than 2 interceptions last season. To put that into perspective, all six Jags players who registered an interception managed at least 3. The Raiders are straight up garbage on the back end, and should take a cornerback or safety in the first round if they don't want to be humiliated by every team they play next season.


Denver Broncos
2017 Record: 5-11
Free Agents Signed: QB Case Keenum, P Marquette King
Cap Space Remaining: Around $15m
Draft Needs: OL, CB, RB

Despite signing a QB who made it to the NFC Championship Game last season, the Broncos still have question marks over that position, especially when it comes to having a backup. In an ideal world, Case Keenum will be able to steer the Broncos back to mediocrity over the course of his contract, allowing the Broncos to set the table around him for a new rookie to come in in the future and take the reigns. This year, I envisage the Broncos drafting Quenton Nelson with the 5th overall pick, and using a number of later round picks to secure the secondary following the departure of Aqib Talib to the Rams. Under the watchful eye of Keenum, and hopefully with someone behind him who can carry the rock successfully, the Broncos should be able to become competitive within the AFC West once more.

How The Teams Stand: AFC East

After one of the more offense-driven Super Bowls in history (it broke a fair few records), I can finally write my piece on the AFC East, including Super Bowl runners-up the New England Patriots. Imagine being a Patriots fan born in 2017, you still haven't seen your team win a Super Bowl, hahahahahaaaa! Anyway, without further ado...

New England Patriots
2017 Record: 13-3 (Lost in Super Bowl LII)
Key Free Agents: CB Malcolm Butler, LT Nate Solder, ST Matthew Slater, WR Danny Amendola
Cap Space: Around $14m
Draft Needs: CB, QB, Edge

New England traded away backup QB (and now future Hall of Famer) Jimmy Garoppolo midseason last year, and will have to look to the future at some point. A 2nd or 3rd round pick on a QB would not only be shrewd, but the other 31 teams around the league would sit up and take notice: quarterbacks in New England command a premium price. Malcolm Butler almost certainly won't re-sign this offseason following his benching in the Super Bowl, where Bill Belichick essentially cut off his nose to spite his face. There may well be a low-rent cornerback on the free agent market that the Pats pick up off the street and turn into an All-Pro, but the more likely scenario remains the draft, where New England are renowned for moving around within the first round.

Buffalo Bills
2017 Record: 9-7 (2nd in AFC East, gained the 6th seed)
Key Free Agents: DT Kyle Williams, WR Jordan Matthews, CB Shareece Wright
Cap Space: Around $30m
Draft Needs: QB, LB, DT

Despite snapping their playoff drought, it was more by luck than judgement (see; Peterman, Nathan and Dalton, Andy) and the Bills front office will have a fair amount of rebuilding to do if they are to become consistent postseason contenders. Trading Marcell Dareus was the strangest decision of the season, followed closely by benching and subsequently unbenching Tyrod Taylor, who only turned

the ball over 6 times all year, compared to 5 times in one half by his understudy Peterman. The need to rebuild on the defensive line is strong, but if the Bills brass aren't convinced by the skills of Taylor, then QB need to be the letters written largest on April's draft board. That said, the state of the run defense last year was no laughing matter, and as a result, any run-stopping interior D-Linemen or linebackers would be happily welcomed by coordinator and teammates alike.

Miami Dolphins
2017 Record: 6-10 (Third in AFC East)
Key Free Agents: QB Jay Cutler(!), DE William Hayes, WR Jarvis Landry, OG Jermon Bushrod
Cap Space: Around $7.5m
Draft Needs: OG, ILB, RB

The Dolphins will definitely need a new QB this offseason in addition to the above positions, but don't expect them to spend big with such a tight cap situation. More likely is the scenario where they add a signal caller late in the second day of the draft, leaving free agency open for shrewd spending, which the Dolphins haven't exactly excelled at recently. That said, some contract restructuring and a

few low-end signings could push this team from 6-10 to 9-7 and in the hunt for a wildcard spot, not to  mention the fact that their starting QB should be fully healthy by the start of training camp. Fins fans should be wary of the fact that their defense wasn't as good as it may have appeared in spots last year, so the need for a commanding presence in the middle, or an effective edge rusher alongside Cameron Wake (when William Hayes inevitably gets overpaid in free agency), becomes greater than the need for a good interior O-Lineman.

New York Jets
2017 Record: 5-11 (Last in AFC East)
Key Free Agents: QB Josh McCown, DE Kony Ealy, TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins
Cap Space: Around $73m
Draft Needs: QB, RB, WR, TE, OL

Josh McCown isn't getting any younger, and coincidentally almost certainly won't be getting any better, Robby Anderson needs a running mate, Their TE1 isn't good enough to command TE1 money so might get re-signed, and I can't remember the last RB the Jets had that didn't make a name for himself before moving to the Big Apple (Tomlinson and Forte spring to mind immediately). That said, as much as the Jets need help on offense, the defense could also use some new pieces. Last year's first round pick Jamal Adams can't do it on his own, even if tackling machine Darron Lee is roaming the field in front of him. However, their cap situation leaves them with the ability to sign at least one marquee player, and I have heard lots of people projecting New York as a landing spot for Kirk Cousins after they traded for Alex Smith, and they could do worse. Come draft day, the Jets will most likely have their pick of the crop at no. 6, so don't be surprised to see them pull the trigger on a huge name capable of making blockbuster plays in the big city.

How the Teams Stand - AFC North

After a typically gruelling season for each team in the NFL, and a particularly historic one (and not in a good way) for the Cleveland Browns, we now know the fate of every team heading into next season. This is the first in a series where I will be looking at how well prepared each team is for 2018, even before 2017 has really ended, and where else to start but with the AFC North?

Pittsburgh Steelers
2017 Record: 13-3 (Lost to JAX in Divisional Round)
Key Free Agents: RB Le'Veon Bell, OLB Arthur Moats, ILB Sean Spence
Cap Space: Between $-3m and $3m
Draft Needs: QB/TE/LB

F this shit, I'm out.

The Steelers capped off another relatively successful season with yet another AFC North title, avoiding major injuries to key players for the most part (Ryan Shazier notwithstanding), and keeping Ben Roethlisberger in the team for all sixteen games, which in itself is a rare feat. The biggest challenge for the Steelers this offseason will be the same as last year: re-sign Le'Veon Bell. The star RB has threatened to retire if he is once again franchise tagged, and expects to be paid healthily as both an RB1 and effectively a WR2/3, however the tight cap situation indicates that the Steelers will have to do a fair amount of trading and renegotiating with other players to ensure that the Killer B's are all back at Heinz Field next year. In the draft, although Roethlisberger has already ruled out retirement, the firing of his offensive coordinator Todd Haley (announced today) could force his hand, and the Steelers will certainly need to take a look at the inside linebacker position with Ryan Shazier out indefinitely, and Sean Spence coming up on free agency. It promises to be a busy offseason for Pittsburgh, and major upheaval could well spell the end of their dominance in the AFC North.

Baltimore Ravens
2017 Record: 9-7 (Lost to their own defensive mistakes in Week 17)
Key Free Agents: WR Mike Wallace, C Ryan Jensen, TE Benjamin Watson
Cap Space: Around $11m
Draft Needs: WR/TE/OLB

Ginger Jesus.

A return to the playoffs for the first time in 3 years looked promising for the Ravens until a late Week 17 brain fart by the entire defense meant that the Bills broke their drought ahead of them. A stifling defense, coupled with an eventually potent rushing attack is usually a good postseason formula, you just have to get there first, and the big wigs at Ravens HQ will spend the next 8 months figuring out how to get the franchise back playing January football once more. Of the Key Free Agents, the one most pressing for the Ravens to sign would be Ryan Jensen. His physical style of play made him a favourite with the fans towards the end of the season (see: fighting the entire Dolphins defense after a late hit on Joe Flacco), and signing him to a new contract would stabilise an offensive line that has seen too much change in recent years to be consistent. Tying veteran wide receiver Mike Wallace down to a short-term, low-risk contract would also be a shrewd move from Ozzie Newsome, who should look to use Wallace as a mentor for the WR he picks in the first round of the draft. (NB: this is what Newsome should do, but he'll inevitably end up taking Alabama CB/S Minkah Fitzpatrick cos Newsome stays loyal to his brand.) Joe Flacco is the starting QB of this team through 2019 at least, so taking an early shot at a QB doesn't make much sense, so the Ravens should complement the ever-productive Terrell Suggs with a new friend on the other side of the D-Line to disrupt opposition passers, and take some pressure off the improved, yet injury prone secondary.

Cincinnati Bengals
2017 Record: 7-9 (Lost to teams when it mattered, beat teams when it did)
Key Free Agents: TE Tyler Eifert, RT Eric Winston, RB Jeremy Hill
Cap Space: Around $38m
Draft Needs: OT/WR/CB

Fast, but not good.

Cincinnati, just like in most other years, flattered to deceive. They didn't even make it to the postseason and go one-and-done this time, so changes are needed across the board for this team to get back to where everyone predicted they were a couple of years ago. Although I have listed Eifert and Hill as Key Free Agents, Cincinnati seem to have found worthy replacements in Tyler Kroft and Joe Mixon. I fear that Jeremy Hill will be let go, and head somewhere like Detroit to make Matthew Stafford very happy, but the 1-2 punch of Mixon and Giovani Bernard should be enough for the Bengals to not skip too much of a beat. Eifert, meanwhile, could be re-signed, just a season removed from his breakout year to complement Kroft and AJ Green in the passing game, and potentially revitalise an offense that has looked shaky since losing Marvin Jones Jr to Detroit and Mohamed Sanu to Atlanta. Upgrading the offensive line looks to be priority number one in Cincy as Andrew Whitworth proved to be one of the steals of the season for the LA Rams, and Eric Winston at age 34 could well be considering retirement. If it's not the O-Line, then the Bengals should really consider going back to WR in the first round after John Ross was pretty much confirmed as a bust by the front office when they announced they were considering moving him to CB, and as mentioned, the losses of Sanu and Jones have really hurt Andy Dalton and his team. It doesn't take much, but with a few correct decisions, the Bengals could once again become offseason champions, and have experts raving about how they're going to go to the Super Bowl once again (but they're almost always wrong as long as Marvin Lewis is in charge).

Cleveland Browns
2017 Record: 0-16 (Lost to everybody)
Key Free Agents: RB Isaiah Crowell
Cap Space: Around $110m
Draft Needs: CB/WR/QB(?)

This man could literally make me a Pro Bowl QB.

Congratulations Cleveland, you finally did it! After all these years of trying, you finally joined the 2008 Detroit Lions as the only teams to ever go all-defeated. Well done, you. Now, back to focusing on being a team that are actually good at what they do. I am always sceptical about writing about the Browns offseason, because you know that they pretty much rinse and repeat in this situation. Draft QB, QB sucks, tank, repeat. But I'm going to write this with a hint of optimism, which comes in the form of the one hundred and ten million dollars that they have available in cap space. For that money, the Browns could feasibly sign 4 or 5 top free agents in positions of need, and still have some left over to pad out their roster. Not to mention that they have two of the top 4 picks in the draft this year. Only having one key free agent (and he's not even that good) means that the Browns can sign more or less who they want, when they want, and then go into the draft safe in the knowledge that hitting big on two or three draft picks can catapult them from winless season to playoff challengers. The secondary is a huge concern, after trading star CB Joe Haden to Pittsburgh last year, Cleveland never really replaced him, and so a cornerback could well be used in one of the first two round of the draft. I'm of the school of thought that DeShone Kizer could succeed in the NFL with a better supporting cast around him (see Bradford, Sam, and Goff, Jared for examples). Anyone can be a good QB in the NFL with Joe Thomas and Joel Bitonio on the O-Line, and Josh Gordon and another premier pass catcher at WR. I think the Browns should go for a WR in one of the first two round, but I know they will plump for a QB (probably Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen, or Sam Darnold at number 1 overall), so best of luck to the Browns, and best of luck to whichever unlucky chap they choose to lead them into the 2018 season.

NFL Draft 2017: Round 1 Roundup

Just before I get started here, I want to apologise to my mum for the inevitable lack of revision that I'll do tomorrow.

Pick No 1 - Cleveland Browns - Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
The consensus number 1 pick goes to the team most in need of a talented roster, as they look to turn around the Factory of Sadness that has loomed over their city for years on end. 9 straight losing seasons will need to be turned around pretty swiftly if Huw Jackson wants to keep his job. With another pick supposedly coming up at 12 (trade pending), Cleveland will be hoping to really bolster their roster from day one.

Pick No 2 - Chicago Bears (Trade from no.3) - Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
Nobody saw this coming. Everyone assumed this pick would be Solomon Thomas or Jamal Adams. Trubisky only started 13 times in college (the least of any QB drafted in R1 since the turn of the century). This pick is a surprise as well because of the fact that the Bears just signed QB Mike Glennon to a 3-year deal. Let's hope this plays out well for the Bears, because they have made a really risky decision here.

Pick No. 3 - San Francisco 49ers (Trade from no.3) - Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
Thomas is a large D-Lineman who was a captain as a junior at Stanford, and can rush the passer and stuff the run from the interior of the D-Line. The plan for him will be to play all over the line in San Francisco, and he's an athletic freak. He can dunk a basketball, and he weighs 260-odd lbs. He could work out really well at the NFL level.

Pick No. 4 - Jacksonville Jaguars - Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
Fournette has drawn comparisons to Adrian Peterson for his physical build and running style. Mike Mayock described him as 'thirsty for contact'. This man will not head out of bounds. This pick takes some real pressure off the struggling Blake Bortles at the QB position, and automatically boosts the chances of the Jacksonville Jaguars thanks to the decisions of the new front office.

Pick No. 5 - Tennessee Titans - Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
Corey Davis is one of the top 3 receivers in this class, no question. He's had ankle injuries and not worked out for any of the teams who wanted him, but his hands and route-running are a notch above the other receivers in this class. He gives Marcus Mariota a very real target from day one, and gives the Titans an opportunity to cause havoc in the AFC South.

Pick No. 6 - New York Jets - Jamal Adams, S, LSU
Jamal Adams is the hard-hitting safety that New York needs. He can play all over the field, with his nose in the line of scrimmage, ranging from sideline-to-sideline, and he's not afraid to hit a guy in the mouth, hard. Bear in mind that this is a team that has to play Tom Brady twice a season, you're going to need all the help you can get in the secondary.

Pick No. 7 - Los Angeles Chargers - Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
The Chargers were projected to take a safety or cornerback with their pick, but instead they selected First Team All-ACC player Williams from Clemson. He creates separation where there is none, and has an unbelievable catch radius. Throw it up and let him go get it. He and Keenan Allen could be a real mismatch for secondaries in the AFC West.

Pick No. 8 - Carolina Panthers - Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
McCaffrey is the son of a 3-time Super Bowl Winner, and is a 'Swiss Army Knife' type of player. He can run the ball, he can catch the ball out of the backfield, and he can return kicks. He's sneakily quick, and very, very dangerous in open space. Watch for him to take the ball to the house at any given moment, which means that Cam Newton could be just as dangerous as in 2015 with Christian McCaffrey at his disposal.

Pick No. 9 - Cincinnati Bengals - John Ross, WR, Washington
The fastest man to ever run at the combine (4.22 second 40-yard time) will complement AJ Green perfectly. He will bring the Cincinnati Bengals offense to a new level, although he has had shoulder and knee issues, bringing question marks about his health. Andy Dalton should be able to reach a new level in the tough AFC North with his newest weapon. Not to mention that Ross can return punts and kicks like few others in this draft.


Pick No. 10 - Kansas City (Trade from no. 27) - Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
Everybody thought that DeShaun Watson would be the second or even first QB off the board, but Patrick Mahomes has the opportunity to learn under Alex Smith for a year or two. Mahomes can throw on the run, in the pocket, to any part of the field. He has an absolute rocket of an arm, and will be given time to learn in Kansas City with Andy Reid as his head coach.

Pick No. 11 - New Orleans Saints - Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
New Orleans NEEDS help on defense badly. They scored 29 points per game and still lost 9 games. That is a ridiculous stat. If their QB Drew Brees can throw for over 5,000 yards and still lost more games than he won. Lattimore is a physical press-man corner with great ballhawking ability, who should be able to shut down half the field from early on in his career in the NFC South.

Pick No. 12 - Houston Texans (Trade from no.25) - DeShaun Watson, QB, Clemson
Widely considered the most pro-ready QB in the draft, Watson is a born leader who will provide some leadership on that side of the ball, which is much needed at NRG Stadium with so much of the game falling on the shoulders on JJ Watt.

Pick No. 13 - Arizona Cardinals - Haason Reddick, LB, Temple
This guy has climbed up draft boards like no other in the past week. He walked on as a freshman at Temple, and has been drafted in the same town where his home is located. His technique jumps out at you, and he's versatile like all good linebackers should be. He can cover running backs very easily, and has very good instincts in coverage, despite the fact that he's not particularly comfortable with it.

Pick No. 14 - Philadelphia Eagles - Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
Taking Barnett off the board, when Jonathan Allen and Malik Hooker are still on the board may come as a surprise, but the Eagles love this guy. They're bolstering their D-Line early in the draft, as well as in free agency. He's fast and physical, and should be able to get to the other passers in the NFC East.

Pick No. 15 - Indianapolis Colts - Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
Rangier than Jamal Adams, Hooker is the best ball playing safety in this draft by far. He can read the eyes of every QB in the league and had 7INT in his last year at Ohio State. he can make plays like few other safeties if any in this draft, and whenever he has the ball in his hands, he's a danger to take it back for a TD.

Pick No. 16 - Baltimore Ravens - Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
Ozzie Newsome loves his Alabama players. Humphrey joins Jimmy Smith, Eric Weddle, Tony Jefferson, and Brandon Carr in the Baltimore secondary, which will really take the defense to the next level, although it was already ranked 7th in the league from last season. With two potential shutdown corners, the Ravens will hope to build pressure on QBs and make games easier for Joe Flacco to win.

Pick No. 17 - Washington Redskins - Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama
Allen was Mike Mayock's number 2 rated player in this entire draft. He will bring quickness to the Redskins pass rush opposite Ryan Kerrigan, which is much needed with the rushers and passers in the NFC East all being very very good. At 286lbs, and with his size and length, he will be a nightmare for offensive linemen all along the line, all across the league.

Pick No. 18 - Tennessee Titans - Adoree' Jackson, CB, USC
A smaller cornerback, Jackson is a player who is still very raw, but has all the physical attributes in terms of speed to cover just about anyone in the AFC South, especially the likes of smaller recievers like TY Hilton of the Colts. He also has 9 career return touchdowns, and will be a real danger with the ball in his hands, either after an interception, or on a punt or kickoff return.

Pick No. 19 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - OJ Howard, TE, Alabama
Another player who fell further than expected, just like his teammate Jonathan Allen, Howard joins Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, and Jameis Winston in what is becoming a frightening offence in Tampa. He's an athletic freak who can outrun safeties, as well as being able to block defensive backs and linebackers.

Pick No. 20 - Denver Broncos - Garrett Bolles, OT, Utah
At 6'5" and 297lbs, Bolles might not be the biggest of offensive tackles, but his arms are long, and he has the athletic ability to stop some of the best pass rushers in both college football and the pros. There are some questions over his maturity and his ability to avoid penalties, but he should be able to shore up a struggling offensive line in Denver straight away.

Pick No. 21 - Detroit Lions - Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida
Davis' selection tells us more about the problems Reuben Foster is having than about Davis himself. Detroit have a massive need for an inside linebacker and choosing Davis over Foster tells us that Foster's shoulder issue is real. However, Davis still brings prototypical size and physicality that is required in the NFL at the linebacker position.

Pick No. 22 - Miami Dolphins - Charles Harris, DE, Missouri
Harris has 18 career sacks at Missouri, and at 6'3", he's tall enough and quick enough to work in a good arc around the pocket, but his main issue is against big tackles who can stuff him easily. That said, he fills the biggest need on the Miami Dolphins roster, and there's a playmate for Cameron Wake to wreak havoc with.

Pick No. 23 - New York Giants - Evan Engram, TE, Ole Miss
At nearly 6'4", Engram heads to one of the most explosive offenses in the league to play alongside Odell Beckham and Brandon Marshall. He's faster than Mike Evans in Tampa, and a great blocker on the inside as well. He'll be a matchup nightmare for linebackers at the pro level.

Pick No. 24 - Oakland Raiders - Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State
A surprising selection with a rape case hanging over him, Conley is an accomplished player with 6 INTs in his collegiate career, where he started 27 games. He has the right size, weight, and speed for a player in his position to succeed in this league. All we need now is for the case against him to be dropped, although if he's found to be guilty, he obviously deserves not to be lauded as a first round draft pick and should not be allowed to play in the league.

Pick No. 25 - Cleveland Browns (Trade from no. 12) - Jabrill Peppers, ?, Michigan
One of the most enigmatic players in this draft, Peppers has been projected to play at safety, but could play cornerback, linebacker, running back, quarterback and defensive end in college. As a safety, his production in turning the ball over isn't great, but his job of hitting the man with the ball is pretty second-to-none. Not only that, but he can play just about any position and could find himself getting the ball on offense as well for the Cleveland Browns.

Pick No. 26 - Atlanta Falcons (Trade from no. 31) - Takkarist McKinley, LB, UCLA
McKinley had excellent production at UCLA, and joins a number of players already on the Falcons roster in his mould. At UCLA, the players are coached properly, and that means that he won't take too much coaching at the NFL level. He should be able to wreak havoc for a franchise that struggled to get to the QB last season. Not sure if you remember that Super Bowl, but if they'd hit Tom Brady once or twice more... Maybe they'd have been picking at 32.

Pick No. 27 - Buffalo Bills (Trade from no. 10) - Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU
White brings a sensible, solid style of play to the cornerback position, and can play just about every variation of the position. He's a leader on the college defense, and comes into the NFL to play for a team that needs leadership and skills. He can also return the football on kickoffs and punts, which adds value to him as a first round pick.

Pick No. 28 - Dallas Cowboys - Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
Charlton had 18.5 career sacks at Michigan, and adds some jazz to a pass rush that left a little bit to be desired in a team that didn't have a great deal of holes having gone 13-3 last season. One thing to note about Charlton is that he is just a one-year starter, so he could well be a little raw still, so you have to wonder if he would be an immediate starter at the next level. It should also be noted that I can't take any man seriously whose parents name him after a Mexican food, no matter how big and strong they may be. I'll never meet him anyway, so he can't have a go at me for saying that.

Pick No. 29 - Cleveland Browns (Trade from no.33) - David Njoku, TE, Miami
Jesus, Cleveland, leave some picks for the rest of us. They already have 2 first and 3 second round picks next year. Anyway, the Browns selection of Njoku shows intent to become more of a threat on both sides of the ball. As a 20 year old, Njoku, at 6'4" and nearly 250, he still has a lot of growing to do in terms of maturity, but will be a real threat at the next level, with it being difficult for anyone to cover him deep down the field.

Pick No. 30 - Pittsburgh Steelers - TJ Watt, LB, Wisconsin
This kid comes from a real footballing background. His brother Derek plays for the Chargers, and eldest brother JJ is a 3-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Some draft experts are saying that TJ is better than JJ coming out of college, and if that is the case, then teams in the AFC North had better be very, very worried indeed. He has a relentless motor, and an even more relentless work rate off the field.

Pick No. 31 - San Francisco 49ers (Trade from no. 34) - Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
Foster's slide stops with the penultimate pick of the first round. He's perfectly built for an inside linebacker, although the concerns about his shoulder injury could still linger even through his first few years as a pro. That said, he comes from a pro ready university program, and should be able to start on day one on a defense that is had a tough year last year. Look like John Lynch, the new 49ers GM, is trying to build a defense like the ones he played in for Tampa Bay.

Pick No. 32 - New Orleans Saints - Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
Ramczyk was widely considered the best tackle of this draft class. He has quality technique against very good defenses at Wisconsin, so should be able to transfer that with relative ease in the NFC South. Drew Brees will be a very happy man following this pick, as Ramczyk will join Terron Armstead as his bookend tackles to protect him for the last couple of years of his career.