Some Post-Draft Thoughts

Just some thoughts on another draft.

The draft is sometimes compared to Christmas. The lead-up to both seems to take so long and it's in your face the whole time and then suddenly it's over.

Now it's time to clean up and put everything in it's place.

It sure looked like the 2017 NFL Draft was a hit in Philadelphia. Just as it was in Chicago. It sure looks like the draft will remain on the road and Dallas could be the next stop. The NFL is loving this Roadshow thing.

An estimated 250,000 people attended the draft in Philadelphia. Yea, the draft is staying on the road.

As the NFL makes the Draft more of a show on the scene it becomes less of a show for those viewing on television. The pick announcements were often 4-5 picks behind on the second and third days. The ridiculous number of commercials were a big reason for the delays and frustrations. Two picks. Commercials. Three picks. Commercials. One pick. More commercials. It's ridiculous. The whole process was much more smooth a few years ago. The NFL should be able to do it just as smoothly on the road. Just get rid of some of the crap. Last year in Chicago, Roger Goodell had to cross some road to get to the stage to announce each pick. Who could possibly think that was a wise idea? Maybe I'll get used to all of the bells and whistles that the league has added. I didn't like it when the draft was moved to prime time but have since softened that stance. The NFL Draft is fun. I just have to remember that.

I liked Washington corner Kevin King going into the draft. I like him even more now. He was one of five players remaining in the Green Room when the first round ended. He was the only one of the five that came back for the second round. He said that he came to Philadelphia to walk across that stage and that's what he was going to do. King didn't have to wait long to make that walk. The Green Bay Packers selected him with the first pick of the second round. The only thing that I didn't like was that it was the Packers that picked him.

Trades. The 2017 NFL Draft had them. The 38 trades this year broke the record of 34 set in 2008. This was the first year that Compensatory Picks could be traded and teams took advantage. The Minnesota Vikings did their part. They made seven trades. They traded so many times that they used only one of the eight picks that they had entering the draft. The Vikings started with those eight picks and ended up with 11 players.

Mississippi quarterback Chad Kelly, the nephew of Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, was Mr. Irrelevant. He was the 253rd and last player drafted. The Denver Broncos did the drafting of the talented, but sometimes troubled, quarterback. As Mr. Irrelevant, Kelly will be wined and dined, roasted and toasted in Newport Beach this summer. All he needs is a shot and the Broncos have given him one. Even if he was selected much later than he expected.

Former Dallas Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson was one of the stars of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was a boisterous presence in front of the rowdy Philadelphia fans as he announced the Cowboys second round pick. In doing so he received more attention than he's experienced since he pushed off of Vikings corner Nate Wright in the 1975 playoffs.

Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive but it struck me as very insensitive to vulnerable Oakland fans when the NFL announced a couple of Raiders picks from Las Vegas.

The Buffalo Bills fired general manager Doug Whaley hours the draft ended. The Vikings did the same thing in 2006 when they fired Fran Foley soon after that draft. I don't understand going into a draft with a person that a team intends to fire. It just seems like a distraction that just isn't needed at such a franchise-changing time.

The practice of immediately giving draft grades is even more pointless than mock drafts. No one knows how the youngsters just selected will adjust to the NFL. We might not know for a year, two years, maybe more. No one knows anything right now. How can anyone grade the picks?

Forget the grades for now. It's a forced practice anyway. The NFL Draft is fun. This one was no different. Good luck to all 253 of the drafted players. As well as the many undrafted players that have a shot. Their dream is alive.