NFL Draft 2014 Recap

So there were a lot of story lines heading into this year’s NFL Draft…  Would the Houston Texans take Johnny Football or Mr. Clowney?  How many QBs would go in the 1st Round?  Would any of the record-setting SEC QBs be drafted?  And last, but not least:  would an Openly Gay Player be drafted & how big of a story would it be?

First off, the two NFL Teams that I care about most:  The Atlanta Falcons & the Baltimore Ravens.  Both teams did very well with their 1st Round Picks and Overall.  The Falcons picked a potential 10-year anchor lineman in Jake Matthews, while the Ravens may have found Ray Lewis’ replacement in C.J. Mosley.  Both team graded high, although I thought Atlanta should have gotten a TE, but that’s OK.

Next, Johnny Football… I am still in shock that Jerry Jones showed restraint and did not pick Johnny Manziel with the 16th pick.  Getting an OL showed that the Cowboys Owner may have finally learned to build a team from the lines out.  But did it come too late to salvage what few productive years are left in Tony Romo’s career?

The biggest losers in this years’ draft were those teams who had traded away 1st Round Picks.  Indy & Washington learned painful lessons that giving away Future 1st Round Picks can be hazardous to your team’s future needs.

Washington traded so much away in 2012 to St. Louis in order to get RG3.  St. Louis used this year’s Washington pick to draft a great O-lineman, then got the best D-Lineman available with their 1st Round Pick.  They were one of the Draft’s big winners before their 7th Round Pick that made history…

As the Draft proceeded, the fact that many of the top SEC QBs went in later rounds was a little disconcerting, but the picks of Aaron Murray & AJ McCarron in the 5th Rounds were seen as the best picks for KC and Cincinnati, respectively.  As for Zach Mettenberg to Tennessee?  Not so much.  Maybe Cam Cameron isn’t a QB Guru like he claims to be (just ask Joe Flacco).

Many eyes, however, were on SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Michael Sam, who was the 1st Openly Gay Player to enter the NFL Draft.  Sam thought he could be a Mid-Round Pick, but the Combine seemed to lower his draft stock to a possible 6th Round Pick.  The 6th Round came and went, and even though the Jets had their 6th Round pick announced at the podium, it was not Michael Sam’s name they called.

The 7th Round Began, and it was where I picked up watching the Draft to see if history would be made.  As the 7th Round worked its way through, the chances of Sam being drafted began to fade.  The NFL Network & ESPN almost seemed resigned to the fact that Sam would not be drafted so they began to hype previously successful undrafted free agents.

Then came the St. Louis Rams, who had picks at 249 & 250, and they had to use both picks.  As soon as word came they were going to announce the 249th pick at the podium, the anticipation built quickly.  I suspected that Sam would be the 249th pick and had a tweet ready to go to mark the historic moment.  It came just before 7 PM ET, and, as I suspected, it became THE moment of the draft.  It is still being talked about as we speak.  The Rams saved a potential PR nightmare for the NFL, and in the process, picked up a DE on value.  Whether Sam succeeds in the NFL is up in the air, but the moment has significance.

Look, I don’t care what people’s views on male gay athletes are.  You can still mark the historical significance without sharing your personal views on the subject.  It is important in the grand scheme.  More male gay athlete will now be free to be open about their sexuality and not be as afraid that their beliefs will cost them.  If they can play, they will have the opportunity to prove it on the field, thanks to Jason Collins and Michael Sam.

And please don’t compare Tim Tebow to Michael Sam in how Christians are mocked, while gay athletes are accepted.  Tebow should have never been drafted in the 1st round.  He was a 3rd Rounder at best, and his pick by Denver was a reach.  Sam’s pick was value in the 7th Round.  Whether Sam makes it or not is now up to him.  I think he will be at least be around for a few years as St. Louis will give him every chance to succeed.  If it doesn’t work out, it will be no one’s fault but Sam’s.  He’s been given the chance.  Now, he must prove it…

BTW, if you are keeping score at home, the final count for the 2014 NFL Draft was:  Openly Gay Football Players drafted: 1; Texas Longhorns drafted: 0.  Remind me again why ESPN thought it was a good idea to give the University of Texas their own Cable Network?