Hype over 2015 NFL Draft Has Odds-Makers In Full Drama-Mode

Example: 2013 Jacksonville Jaguars

In the franchise’s 19th season in the NFL under head coach Gus Bradley, the Jaguars missed the playoffs and started 0-8 (a franchise-worst). Final win-loss record: 4-12.

The Jags acquired ten players between March 13 and September 1, 2013:  LB Geno Hayes, DT Roy Miller, RB Justin Forsett, CB Alan Ball, DE Sen’Derrick Marks, DT Brandon Deaderick, CB Will Blackmon, WR Stephen Burton, SS Winston Guy and TE Clay Harbor.  They saw 19 players depart due to release from the team or declarations of free agency.  Center Brad Meester retired after 14 seasons with the team.  D’Anthony Smith was traded to the Seattle Seahawks for a conditional draft pick, but the Seahawks released him meaning the conditions of the trade were not fulfilled.  Eugene Monroe was traded to the Baltimore Ravens for the Ravens’ fourth and fifth-round draft picks in the 2014 NFL Draft.  Jacksonville drafted Like Joeckel, John Cyprien, Dawyne Gratz, Ace Sanders, Denard Robinson, Josh Evans, Jeremy Harris and Demetrius McCray (note: Jacksonville traded their original fourth-round selections to the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2013 fourth- and seventh-round selections).

Example: 2008 Denver Broncos

Steelers fans love the 2008 season because Pittsburgh won another Lombardi Trophy (Super Bowl XLIII).  Gosh, how we love that year!  Unfortunately, the Denver Broncos had little to love.

In their 39th season in the NFL (49th overall), the Broncos missed the playoffs with an 8-8 record.  Two days after the regular season ended, Denver fired head coach Mike Shanahan (after 14 years at the helm).  The Broncos were one of the most active teams in the league during the offseason leading up to that dismal record.  LB Ian Gold and WR Javon Walker were released by the team ahead of the draft and free agency and Denver let long-time kicker Jason Elam walk.  The team cut RB Travis Henry in June but WR Rod Smith retired on the first day of training camp.  In the draft, the Broncos selected OT Ryan Clady, WR Eddie Royal, C Kory Lichtensteiger, CB Jack Williams, RB Ryan Torain, DT Carlton Powell, LB Spencer Larsen, S Josh Barrett and FB Peyton Hillis.  Other additions: Michael Pittman, Darrell Jackson, Keary Colbert and Samie Parker. Safety John Lynch left training camp and never came back.  The day after Lynch departed, Shanahan spoke on talk radio saying, “We’re not going to miss the playoffs.”

Note:

That same season, the Steelers lost Alan Faneca, Allen Rossum, Jerame Tuman, Clint Kriewaldt, Dan Kreider, Verron Haynes, Brian St. Pierre and Clark Haggans.  Entering the regular season, 14 players were in the final year of their contracts.  In the draft, the Steelers selected RB Rashard Mendenhall, WR Limas Sweed (ouch), LB Bruce Davis, OT Tony Hills, QB Dennis Dixon, LB Mike Humpal and S Ryan Mundy (and had no seventh-round pick).  By the way, St. Pierre went to the Cardinals that same season – that had to hurt.

Before you start throwing statistics and rosters of past NFL teams at me, remember that I said “traditionally teams that have made a ton of moves in the offseason did not make it to the Super Bowl that same year.”  There are teams that have made some very intelligent moves and done very well.

My final odds:

• Odds that Limas Sweed comes out of retirement to play for the Steelers in 2015: 10,000,000/1
• Odds that the Steelers decide to put their logo on both sides of their helmet in time for the draft:  about the same
• Odds that Michael Irvin gives any interviews with draft picks that don’t have a single vowel in their first or last names: Infinity/1

The one odd I refuse to put out there is how the Steelers will do in the 2015 NFL Draft.  I am going to let Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin take on those numbers.

 

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