Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Among the best explanations I heard for Brady Quinn's slide down the first-round of Saturday's draft board:
"I guess NFL GMs read The Onion."
The satirical newspaper ran the following headline last week: "Brady Quinn: 'I'm Going to be A Bust.'"
Unless you subscribe to that theory, it's sort of difficult to wrap your mind around how so many teams, most notably the Miami Dolphins, passed up on the much-ballyhooed Notre Dame standout.
Though some mock drafts had the Oakland Raiders (No. 1), Lions (No. 2), Browns (No. 3), or Vikings (No. 7) taking Brady Quinn, there was no reasonable person who believed the signal-caller would slip past Miami at No. 9. Then, with Brady Quinn seemingly sliding his chair out in preparation for taking the Radio City Music Hall stage to hold up an aqua-tinged jersey, the Dolphins selected Ohio State receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. in what was considered by many to be a reach. Miami had been viewed as an obvious fit for Brady Quinn, as the Fins enter 2007 with major question marks at receiver and their offensive brain trust of Cam Cameron and Terry Shea were reportedly enamored of the quarterback.
But Brady Quinn wouldn't come off the board until No. 22, when Cleveland worked a trade with Dallas to obtain its hometown son while subsequently ratcheting up Browns hysteria to a fever pitch all around C-Town. The organization had to give up a second-round pick and its 2008 first-round selection in order to obtain Brady Quinn, a lofty price but a necessary one for a team that needs offensive help in a dire way.
And even if you're one of the millions who despise Notre Dame and are inclined to believe, like The Onion, that Brady Quinn is overrated, you had to feel for the kid on Saturday.
What's worse, being left in the green room like a rotting deer carcass while you wait hours for your name to be called, a la Aaron Rodgers? Or being ushered into commissioner Roger Goodell's private mourner's suite, as Brady Quinn was on Saturday, to shield you from the audience of hecklers and media gawkers who are dying to see what profound disappointment looks like in the flesh?
I think I'll take choice C, which involves going fishing with Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas, whom the Browns picked at No. 3 overall, on Lake Michigan.
Now Brady Quinn gets to prove to the 20 teams that passed him up that he was indeed worthy of the early pick that most expected him to attract. Unlike Rodgers, who still hasn't received a realistic opportunity to play with Green Bay (and might never), Brady Quinn will be the odds-on favorite to become a starter right away in Cleveland . His life won't be easy in the rugged AFC North, where he'll face the defenses of the Ravens and Steelers twice a year, and barring any type of Vince Young-type ascendance, his selection is likely to cost head coach Romeo Crennel his job. But the presence of a couple of high-quality pass-catchers in Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow, as well as the highly- regarded Thomas at left tackle, should allow Brady Quinn to succeed in his second or third year and avoid being saddled with the Tim Couch or David Carr tag.
Other thoughts from the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft:
-The mystery surrounding Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson ended with pick number two, when the Lions went in a familiar direction and selected the 6-5, 239-pound speedster. There was widespread speculation that Tampa Bay, which picked Clemson defensive end Gaines Adams at No. 4, would swap picks with Detroit, but Lions president Matt Millen insisted that the team would hold onto Calvin Johnson. How Calvin Johnson, who becomes the fourth wideout taken by the Lions in the past five years, fits in on a team that already includes Pro Bowler Roy Williams and the recently-resigned Mike Furrey (98 catches in 2007) remains to be seen. There is some disappointment in Tampa over the team's failure to land Calvin Johnson, though since Adams fills the organization's glaring need for pass-rushing help, that view is more of an external one on the part of the fan base.
-In addition to Brady Quinn, also falling further down draft boards than many thought was Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson, who went seventh to the Vikings. That selection offered further proof that Minnesota, which handed the ball to Chester Taylor 303 times last season, will be among the most run- dependant teams in the league in 2007.
-Among the first-round reaches, at least according to the information agreed upon among a majority of scouts and draft analysts, were Penn State tackle Levi Brown (No. 5, Arizona), Arkansas defensive end Jamaal Anderson (No. 8, Atlanta), Marshawn Lynch (No. 12, Buffalo), and defensive tackle Justin Harrell (No. 16, Green Bay).
Brown was acknowledged by most as the second-best offensive lineman in the draft behind Thomas, but was not widely viewed as a top five talent.
The selection of Anderson, rated by many as the second-best end behind Adams, may have been a slight reach but was an indication of the Falcons' feelings about the expensive but oft-injured John Abraham.
The Bills had a need for a running back, but had other glaring needs (outside linebacker, line and cornerback help) and selected a player that few expected to go before No. 16 to Green Bay. The Packers, who ended up with a defensive tackle in Harrell that some mock drafts did not list in the first round at all, apparently expected that Lynch would be there at 16 as well. That Harrell went before Michigan defensive tackle Alan Branch (who did not get picked in the first round) was another of the significant first-round surprises.
-Among the great first-round values, at least on paper, were Brady Quinn, Michigan cornerback Leon Hall (No. 18, Cincinnati), Miami-Florida outside linebacker Jon Beason (No. 25, Carolina), Tennessee wide receiver Robert Meachem (No. 27, New Orleans), and Miami-Florida tight end Greg Olsen (No. 31, Chicago).
Hall was rated as the No. 1 cornerback and a potential Top-10 pick on many boards, but fell to a Cincinnati team that used a first-round pick on cornerback Johnathan Joseph a year ago. Pittsburgh's Darrelle Revis, whom the Jets traded up to No. 14 to draft, was the first corner to be taken.
Beason had appeared as the Panthers' probable selection in several mock drafts, but when Carolina traded down from No. 14 to No. 25 so that the Jets could select Revis, few expected that the linebacker would still be available 11 picks later. Beason has a chance to become an immediate starter on a Panthers team that had major linebacking problems a year ago.
Meachem was thought by some to be the second-best receiver in the draft behind Calvin Johnson, but had to listen as the names of Ted Ginn, Jr. and LSU's Dwayne Bowe (No. 23, Kansas City) were called first. Despite that indignity, Meachem walks into a good situation with a pass-first New Orleans team that is looking for a replacement for Joe Horn.
Olsen was expected to be a mid-first-round pick, but saw his draft status slip late due to the more pressing needs of the teams selecting in that area and some questions about his blocking ability. The fleet-footed Olsen lends the Bears another pass-catcher to help assist the embattled Rex Grossman.
