2008 NFL Draft Preview

After months of speculating who Dolphins executive vice president of football operations Bill Parcells and general manager Jeff Ireland would choose with the No. 1 overall pick, the Big Tuna’s Fish settled on Michigan left tackle Jake Long.

The 6’7”, 315-pound bookend mauler didn’t even have to sweat it out in the green room on Draft Day, signing on the dotted line Tuesday to a five-year, $57.75 million deal with $30 million guaranteed.

“I’m very excited and honored to be able to be part of the Miami Dolphins and this organization. I want to thank my agents (led by Tom Condon of CAA) and the Miami Dolphins for getting this deal done so now I can just concentrate on football and don’t have to worry about any of that other stuff,” said the 22-year-old Long, at his introductory press conference in Miami.

“I just have to worry about getting in here, playing, making myself better, learning and getting prepared for the NFL.”

First-year ‘Fins coach Tony Sparano has his new franchise left tackle locked up and ready for training camp. Unlike last year, when No. 1 pick LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell signed with the Oakland Raiders on Sept. 12 — nearly five months after the draft. This year, Long signed four days before Miami was officially on the clock.

From the outside looking in, the debate for the No. 1 pick included five main candidates — Jake Long, Virginia defensive end Chris Long, Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston, LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan.

In the end, it was Long’s combination of tenacity on the field and easy-going demeanor off the field that made him the first offensive lineman to be selected No. 1 overall since Ohio State pancake man Orlando Pace went to the St. Louis Rams in 1997. Now, Long hopes to punish opposing defensive linemen the same way Pace has during his Pro Bowl laden, Super Bowl winning career.

“I am a very nice guy off the field, but when I buckle up that helmet I change. It’s football mode,” said Long.

“I go out there and try to bury the guy I am blocking and make sure they don’t touch the quarterback or the running back.”

Dallas: Pacman in Prime Time

As if the Cowboys didn’t already produce enough drama, the new Dallas soap opera — whose cast already starred Jerry Jones, T.O., Tony Romo and sometimes Jessica Simpson — has added infamous cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones to its roster.

Best known for “making it rain” prior to a late night shootout at a Las Vegas strip club during NBA All-Star weekend in 2007, Pacman is set to play for “America’s Team” and has already been given permission by Deion Sanders to wear Prime Time’s old No. 21 jersey in Dallas.

But before high-stepping on punt returns and jawing with opposing receivers, Pacman will have to be reinstated in the NFL by commissioner Roger Goodell, who suspended the former Tennessee Titans star for the entire 2007 season following a series of arrests and run-ins with the law.

The 24-year-old out of West Virginia was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Before being suspended, Pacman had four interceptions for 130 yards and one touchdown along with 63 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble on defense, with 440 yards and three scores as one of the game’s most electrifying punt returners, over 15 games in 2006.

Now, the Titans and Cowboys have agreed “in principle” to trade the still-suspended cornerback and return specialist. Barring a failed physical by Pacman, the Titans will receive the Cowboys’ 2008 fourth-round pick (No. 126 overall) and a 2009 sixth-rounder in the deal.

But there are several conditions to the trade. If Pacman is not reinstated in 2008 by Commissioner Goodell, then Dallas will get Tennessee’s fourth-round pick in 2009. If the volatile Jones is reinstated but finds a way to get suspended again in 2008, the Cowboys receive a 2009 fifth-round choice from the Titans.

Twin Cities via Kansas City

Another trade involving a talented but troubled defensive star is shaping the landscape of this Saturday’s draft. The Kansas City Chiefs traded All-Pro defensive end Jared Allen to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the No. 17 overall pick in 2008, a third rounder (No. 73 overall) in 2008 and a third round selection in 2009.

Last year, Allen led the league with 15.5 sacks. But the Chiefs refused to sign the 6’6”, 270-pound pass rusher to a long-term deal, choosing to place the dreaded “franchise” tag on Allen instead.

Rather than commit to Allen, who had three DUI arrests from 2002-06, Kansas City made the decision to trade the end for additional draft picks to help in the team’s ongoing rebuilding process. Upon arriving in Minnesota, Allen got the long-term deal he was looking for, signing a six-year, $74 million contract for a fresh start with the Vikings.

“I feel like I’m 22 again on draft day. This time a few more people showed up,” said Allen, at his introductory press conference in Minneapolis.

“The day I got drafted my dad called me because I told my old man when I was eight years old that I was going to play pro football. And the day I got drafted he called me to say congratulations. ‘You did it, you accomplished a life dream.’

“That was a scary moment for me because, ‘Now I’ve got to come up with new goals.’ So this is kind of the same thing. I accomplished something I wanted to accomplish but for me it’s just a new challenge.

“Now that I have been recognized as one of the best, you’ve got to be the best.”

Allen is a classic NFL success story based on hard work and toughness. After being drafted in the fourth round (No. 126 overall) out of Idaho State, Allen has developed into one of the more feared sack artists in the league, with 43.0 sacks and 13 forced fumbles in four seasons.

“The easy part is getting to be up top. The hardest part is staying there,” said Allen. “As a player and as a human being, I love that challenge.”

Veteran Moves

Pacman Jones and Jason Allen aren’t the only veterans who could determine team needs or strengths on Draft Day. Two of the biggest names in the NFL — Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Johnson and Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor — are being actively mentioned in potential trades.

Ocho Cinco has demanded to be traded from Cincy, claiming he will sit out the 2008 season rather than play for the Bengals. The normally good-natured Pro Bowl wide-out who sometimes sports gold teeth or a blond Mohawk, but always entertains the fans, has hit a sour note, going so far as to tell quarterback Carson Palmer to “mind his business” in regards to Johnson’s dispute with management.

Reportedly, the Washington Redskins offered a 2008 first-round pick (No. 21 overall) and a conditional 2009 third-rounder that could become a first-rounder if Johnson produced certain numbers. But the Bengals rejected the offer and are instead choosing to lock horns in a staring contest with Johnson.

“He has a contract through 2011. He’s stated without an opportunity to go to a different team and a new contract, he wasn’t going to play. I think he’s a man of his word and says he’s not going to play, so don’t play,” said Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis.

Meanwhile, Taylor isn’t known for his end zone celebrations on the field but he is quickly becoming known for his dance moves away from the gridiron, on ABC’s prime time reality show “Dancing with the Stars.”

While the 33-year-old Taylor is going Hollywood, the 2006 Defensive Player of the Year is apparently being shopped around the NFL by Parcells in exchange for additional draft picks. Taylor has played all 11 seasons in Miami since being a third-round pick (No. 73 overall) out of Akron in 1997. But the future Hall of Famer has two years and $17 million left on his current contract.

Aside from Ocho Cinco and Twinkle Toes, Philadelphia Eagles corner Lito Sheppard could be moved over draft weekend, while Arizona Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin has requested a trade if not a contract extension.

Double-Take

No matter how many established players are traded on draft weekend, there will almost certainly be at least twice as many draft picks traded.

As a general rule, there are more teams that want to trade down than there are teams wanting to move up on Draft Day. Unless there is estimated to be value at a certain spot, a team would rather move down the board, acquire extra draft picks and save money.

Still, when a prospect who was considered a Top 10 or Top 15 pick starts to slide into the early 20’s, for example, the phones start lighting up with trade offers.

This year, with a draft stocked with talent at cornerstone positions — offensive tackle, defensive end and cornerback — as well as a fringe first-round quarterback pool, there could be quite a few teams aiming to move back into round one for another franchise building block.

“When you are 1-15 (in 2007), you have a bunch of needs,” said Dolphins first-year coach Tony Sparano. “We’re going to try to fill as many holes as we possibly can. …

“We have so many needs right now, depending on which way the wind blows in the draft and where we feel like we should go, we’re not landlocked into one thing.”

Here are a few teams that are trade candidates, along with a rundown of the picks owned within the first three rounds or Top 100 picks:

• Dolphins — 1, 32, 57 (via Chargers), 64, 100
The Big Tuna will double-dip in the first round if one of his targeted prospects falls. That list may include Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey, Auburn end Quentin Groves and Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco.

• Falcons — 3, 34 (via Raiders), 37, 48 (via Texans), 68, 98 (compensatory)
Atlanta also owns the No. 103 overall pick in the fourth round. With more firepower than any other team, first-year general manager Thomas Dimitroff can afford to move around in order to acquire exactly who he wants.

• Chiefs — 5, 17 (via Vikings), 35, 66, 73 (via Vikings, through Broncos), 82
Kansas City also owns the No. 105 overall pick in the fourth round. Even after acquiring Minnesota’s first and third round picks, the Chiefs could be in position to be movers and shakers in this year’s first round.

• Patriots — 7 (via 49ers), 62, 69, 94
Who knows? Someone should video tape the Pats’ Draft Day war room to see what the gameplan really is. Wait a minute…

• Bengals — 9, 46, 77, 97
Desperate to snag one of the top two defensive tackle prospects — LSU’s Glenn Dorsey or USC’s Sedrick Ellis. Could move up two-to-four spots, but need a trade partner.

• Saints — 10, 40, 78
In direct competition with the Bengals for Dorsey and Ellis.

• Cowboys — 22 (via Browns), 28, 61, 92
The Darren McFadden trade rumors could become a reality if the Boys can find a willing trade partner at the top of the draft.

• Chargers — 27
With only one pick in the Top 100, the Bolts would be a perfect trade partner for a team looking to move back into the first round for a double-shot of impact rookies.

Draft Value Chart

Blockbuster trades are rare in the NFL — unless it’s on (or in the days leading up to) Draft Day, when trade winds are blowing strong.

But with 32 teams and a seven-round draft process, fair trades would be hard to pull off without some guidelines. So, as a rule of thumb, teams use a “Draft Value Chart” to determine the “point value” of a particular draft choice.

When trading future draft choices, generally the value of the pick is worth one round less for every year into the future. As for the Draft Value Chart itself, the point system varies slightly from year-to-year, depending on the strength of the draft class. But over the long haul, the point system remains basically the same from draft-to-draft.

Run DMC to Big D

Last year, the Cowboys traded the Browns the No. 22 overall pick, which Cleveland used to catch a falling Ohio native, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn. In exchange for the additional first round pick, the Browns sent their 2008 first-rounder to Dallas.

Since then, there has been talk that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones will package his two first-rounders to trade up for Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. There’s even a Texas tall tale about how Jones bragged about using the extra first as ammo to draft Run DMC while high-fiving in the Dallas draft war room immediately after the Browns trade.

One year later, McFadden is a mystery. Although regarded by many as the top prospect in this year’s class, the two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up is not likely to be selected until the Raiders at No. 4 and may fall out of the Top 5 altogether.

But Jones, who was a co-captain (along with former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson) on the undefeated 1964 Arkansas Razorbacks national championship team, has several — if not one billion — reasons to trade up for McFadden.

1. Super Bowl Window
The Cowboys have a legitimate shot to win Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa Bay this year. The window only stays open for so long, and Dallas’ may be closing already. In the ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em game, Jones could go all in.

2. Star Power
Opening in 2009, the Dallas Cowboys New Stadium has cost roughly $1 billion. Added excitement, new jersey revenue and another face of the franchise with Pro Bowl talent would be a nice house warming gift.

3. Marion the Barbarian Insurance
Marion Barber is a Pro Bowler and arguably the hardest running power back in the game. Ask Earl Campbell how long that lasts. Run DMC could add life to both their careers, while giving Dallas a frightening thunder-and-lightning duo.

4. “Woo, Pig! Sooie!”
C’mon, don’t discount the Arkansas factor; but don’t overrate it either.

Like Father, Like Son

When Virginia defensive end Chris Long was 15 years old, his father Howie Long was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, as a member of the Class of 2000.

“I think back at the beginning of my career when a man named Al Davis drafted a kid out of Villanova in the second round. And at that time, many of the football experts viewed that pick as a stretch, a reach, a surprise. But Al Davis saw something in me that many, including myself, did not,” said Howie Long, during an emotional enshrinement speech.

“I am extremely proud to have been a Raider. I am also proud to have played my entire career with the Raiders, something that rarely happens in today’s game.”

Nearly eight years later, Chris has a chance to follow in his father’s footsteps as a member of the Raiders organization, which is still run by Al Davis. Although the modern version of the franchise has fallen on hard times, the history — three Super Bowl wins (XVIII, XV, XI) — and tradition remain unvanquished.

Once touted as the probable No. 1 overall pick of the Dolphins, Chris Long has “slipped” to being a likely choice anywhere between the Rams at No. 2 and the Patriots at No. 7.

But if the young Long is still on the board when the Silver-and-Black are on the clock, it’s a safe bet that Raider Nation will be going insane in countless Bay Area living rooms and other Black Holes around the country.

Tackle Football

Ultimately, history will be the judge, but this year’s duo of defensive tackles appears to be one of the strongest of all time.

LSU’s Glenn Dorsey and USC’s Sedrick Ellis are both monsters in the middle who can stuff the run, collapse the pocket or chase down a play from behind. The two also enjoyed similar college careers at powerhouse football factories, where they were the centerpieces of stop-units spilling over with NFL talent.

At this point, both appear to be dynamic 3-technique tackles in a 4-3 scheme who may be versatile enough to play elsewhere down the road. In fact, Ellis played some 3-4, zero-technique nose tackle at the Senior Bowl, where he was a one-man wrecking crew.

“I can do either – the nose tackle, the 1-technique, or the 2-technique. I played both in college so I’m used to doing that kind of thing. Whatever a team needs me to play, I’ll play,” said Ellis, during an interview at the Scouting Combine.

“Coach (Pete) Carroll has implemented a 3-4 scheme in the last two years into our defense which was mainly a 4-3. I’ve been playing a lot of zero-technique, playing the two-gap system, and I was actually pretty good at it.”

Although not huge by Ted Washington standards, Dorsey and Ellis are both just over 6’1” and roughly 310 pounds, give or take a porterhouse steak or rotisserie chicken.

Despite playing a position that is too often overlooked by highlight reels, statisticians and award voters, both Dorsey and Ellis are considered lock Top 10 picks. It should not be a surprise to anyone if the two are among the first five players selected, or if a bidding war breaks out in a race to move into position to select one of the athletic 300-pounders.

“You’ve got Glenn Dorsey, who is a great tackle from LSU,” said Ellis. “He throws a punch and I throw a punch. It’s going to come down to pretty slim pickings up there. …

"Teams need tackles and tackles aren’t something you can make from a different position. We’re kind of born. Not everybody has the body type. It will be interesting.”

Ice Storm

The past two drafts, star quarterbacks have experienced a painful fall down the board while their every expression is captured live on national television from the green room at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Last year, Notre Dame golden boy Brady Quinn was going to be drafted No. 2 by the Lions or No. 3 by the Browns — depending on which mock draft you were looking at. Instead, Quinn chewed his gum and pulled out his hair until Commissioner Goodell offered his family shelter away from the cameras and fans.

Ultimately, Quinn’s stock dropped all the way to the Browns at No. 22 overall, at which time he reappeared from behind the commish’s curtain.

Two years ago, USC national champion and Heisman winner Matt Leinart fell from the projected pick of the Titans at No. 3 or Jets at No. 4, turning pale and cold-sweating under a heat lamp of scrutiny until finally being selected by the Cardinals at No. 10 overall.

Boston College’s Matt Ryan shares many similarities with Quinn and Leinart, but holds one distinct advantage. “Matty Ice” is clearly the top rated signal-caller in this year’s draft, where Quinn and Leinart were in fierce competitions with LSU’s JaMarcus Russell and Texas’ Vince Young, respectively.

The “franchise quarterback” — a term that is grossly overused around Draft Day — is the hardest position to scout, draft and develop. While measurables are used to evaluate other positions, intangibles are the most important qualities in a quarterback. “It” is what teams are looking for.

The 49ers thought Utah’s Alex Smith had “it” with the No. 1 overall pick in 2005. Smith was fresh off of an undefeated season, leading little-known coach Urban Meyer’s Utes to the Fiesta Bowl — the first BCS bid by a school in a non-BCS conference. The bright young passer also played high school ball with Reggie Bush at Helix HS in San Diego.

That also happened to be the same year Cal’s Aaron Rodgers experienced arguably the most painful green room waiting game in NFL Draft telecast history. After being hailed as a potential No. 1 pick candidate of his local favorite team, Rodgers’ free-fall ended when Green Bay drafted Brett Favre’s successor at No. 24 overall.

With so many teams in need of a quarterback — the Dolphins, Falcons, Chiefs, Jets, Ravens, Panthers, Bears, Vikings and Buccaneers, at least — it is unlikely that Ryan will experience that type of fall. But with a second cut of would-be starters lurking, a front office may choose to roll the dice on Louisville's Brian Brohm, Michigan's Chad Henne or Delaware's Joe Flacco rather than invest in Ryan.

In the volatile world of drafting big name quarterbacks, it’s nearly impossible to predict just how long a high-profile passer will have to wait before hearing his name called.

On the Clock

Last year, the first round of the NFL Draft lasted a record six hours and eight minutes. Since drastic times call for drastic measures, commissioner Roger Goodell has implemented a new system to avoid a repeat of the 2007 marathon.

This year, when ESPN and the NFL Network simulcast the event which is watched by roughly 30 million viewers, all 32 teams will be playing by different rules:

The 2008 NFL Draft will be held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, where six players — Jake Long, Chris Long, Glenn Dorsey, Darren McFadden, Vernon Gholston and Matt Ryan — will attend the ceremony.

Until then, check out Athlon Sports' 2008 NFL Mock Draft and come back to AthlonSports.com this weekend for a pick-by-pick recap of Day One's action.