Monday Random Thoughts

Here is what is on my mind right now:

- Osama. Dead.


- Shame on 32 NFL clubs for not drafting Mark Herzlich. I know it is a busieness, but drafting a defensive tackle from North Wichita Community College in the 7th round over a former ACC defensive player of the year who survived cancer is wrong. Herzlich was still a productive player in 2010 after recovering from cancer, recording 65 tackles, four interceptions, and two forced fumbles. Was he still a first rounder? Heck no. but definitely worthy of a 7th round pick.

Now, because of the lockout, Herzlich will have to wait to sign a free-agent contract. The good PR alone from taking this guy would have made the draft pick worth it. Instead, players like Jimmy Smith and his four failed drug tests are first round picks.

- Congratulations to all the Dawgs drafted. I was especially excited to see Kris Durham go in the fourth round. Mel Kiper may not like the pick, but I think Durham will prove all of them wrong.

- With the draft over, there is not much left until summer practice. I am getting ready for the 100 day countdown to the new season. I know I haven't been writing much lately, but that will soon change.

GO DAWGS!!!

Draft Predictions

The Georgia Bulldogs have 11 players who are hoping to hear their names called out at the NFL Draft in New York over the next few days. Here are prediction on when they go.

AJ Green - First Round, #4 Overall to Cincinnati
- I would love to see AJ fall to #6 at Cleveland, where he could team up with fellow Bulldog Mohammed Massaquoi to catch passes from Colt McCoy. But I don't think that will happen. Hopefully they find a quarterback who can actually get AJ the ball.

Justin Houston - Second Round, 1st Pick (#33 overall) to New England
- Houston is a first round talent but the quesitons after his failed drug test will drop him to the second round. But not far. The Patriots will be glad to take Houston on with the 33rd pick.

Clint Boling - Early Third Round
- Boling performed well at the Senior Bowl, but most people are confused whether he will play tackle or guard at the next level. I see him going in the early third round.

Akeem Dent - Fourth Round
- Rennie Curran went off the board in round three last year and expect Dent to be gone by the middle of the fourth. While not as productive as Curran at the NCAA level, Dent has better size and improved every year he was in Athens.

Kris Durham - Sixth Round
- Durham could be the steal of the draft. Great size, good hands, and decent speed make him a perfect third down, possession receiver. If he is available, the Falcons may pick him up to replace the departed Brian Finneran.

Shaun Chapas - Seventh Round
- Fullbacks still have value, but questions about his health and quickness will make him a late round pick.

Vance Cuff - Seventh Round
- BNE readers know I hate Vance Cuff, but someone will take a flyer on him for his speed alone.

Josh Davis, Demarcus Dobbs - Undrafted Free Agents
- Both players will make it to someone's camp, but I doubt they are on rosters this fall.

Darryl Gamble, Fred Munzemaier - Undrafted
- Neither player impresses you that much on the field. For Gamble, his biggest highlight was the 2008 game against LSU (which was an amazing game). But what else did he do after that? For Fred, he just didn't play enough and had some character issues that will lead to teams passing on him.

AJ Green to catch passes from ....

Just a few minutes ago, Mel Kiper Jr. came on Sportscenter to talk about the upcoming NFL Draft. His first topic was concerning AJ Green's stock rising. AJ Green was already considered to be a top 10 or potential top 5 pick, so how much higher can his stock go? There is a real chance that AJ Green may be the second overall pick in this year's NFL draft.

And who owns the second overall pick in this year's draft? The Denver Broncos. Denver, who spent its first pick in the 2010 draft on Demaryius Thomas (before later taking Tebow), were not considering taking a wide receiver until the developments in recent weeks. Denver's third leading receiver in 2010, Eddie Royal, is coming off hip surgery and will most likely miss all of spring camp (if there is no lockout). Thomas, who missed a lot of his rookie season due to injury, tore his Achilles' tendon on Wednesday and will be out for 6 to 8 months. That means the Broncos will enter spring camp (once again, if there is a spring camp) with only Brandon Lloyd and Jabar Gaffney as the only receivers who caught at least 10 passes last year (Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter had 37 and 28 receptions, respectively, from the running back position in 2010.)


If Denver is going to hand over the ship to Tim Tebow this fall, they are going to need a big receiver who can go get passes. AJ Green would certainly fit that role and he has already proven his ability to leap and catch passes in the thin air in Colorado:

While it would be fun to see AJ and Knowshon in the same huddle again, I don't know how I feel about AJ catching passes from Tebow. It just seems wrong. In three years, Georgia will have the top quarterback, running back, and wide receiver taken in their respective years. Just makes you sad to realize what that 2008 team could have been.

Vance Cuff over Kris Durham?

So, the National Football League has extended invites to the annual combine in Indianapolis. There are 8 players from Georgia who received invites: AJ Green, Justin Houston, Clint Boling, Josh Davis, Demarcus Dobbs, Akeem Dent, Shaun Chapas and...wait for it...Vance Cuff!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

Vance Cuff, who was repeatedly burned at the corner position last season received an invite to the combine but kris Durham and Darryl Gamble did not. What are these guys thinking? Gamble may not be the best player in the world, but he is much more serviceable than Vance Cuff.

And Durham failing to get an invite is total BS. After missing the entire 2009 season with a broken collar bone, Durham returned to Georgia in 2010 and finished second on the team with 659 yards receiving. While he may not have the statistics of other receivers in the draft, his ability to make big catches combined with his 6'5'' frame means someone will most likely take a chance on him at the pro level. Plus, the "slow white guy" doesn't apply to Durham. Just ask the Georgia Tech secondary. Here's a look at Durham's highlights from this season:



I wish Vance Cuff luck at the Combine, but Gamble or Durham is much more deserving of that spot.

Dawgs Leaving Early Under Richt – Part 2

From 2005 until 2009, the Georgia Bulldogs have seen 8 players forgo their remaining eligibility and enter the NFL draft. Here is a look at those who left early during the second half of Richt’s first decade in Athens.

2005

Leonard Pope – 3rd Round by Arizona – Pope left Georgia following the SEC Championship season and was drafted by a pass happy Arizona Cardinals team. And while receivers like Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald put up huge numbers catching passes, Pope never really took off. He has played the last 2 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Verdict – Bad Decision – Pope’s size was amazing, but one more year in Athens could have really helped hone his skills. He has not lived up to the success that former Georgia tight ends Randy McMichael and Ben Watson had.

2006

Danny Ware – Undrafted – Ware bounced around before finally finding a home with the New York Giants. Ware has become an important special teams player for the Giants and earned a Super Bowl ring in 2008. Now going by DJ, Ware’s career has lasted longer than the backs he was behind at Georgia.
Verdict – Good Decision – With Thomas Brown, Kregg Lumpkin, and Knowshon Moreno on the roster, Ware would have seen very few carries in 2007. He went undrafted, but has made a nice place for himself on the Giants.

Charles Johnson – 3rd Round by Carolina – Johnson has gradually earned more playing time for the Panthers and this year took over for the departed Julius Peppers at defensive end. His career is on an uptick, even if the Panthers are horrible.
Verdict – Good Decision – Johnson was a beast and after watching teammate Quentin Moses struggle after returning for his senior season, Johnson leaving early was a no-brainer.

2008

Asher Allen – 3rd Round by Minnesota – Allen struggled to see the field much during his rookie season for the Vikings, but continued to improve. He earned a starting role this fall, totaling 57 tackles and 2 interceptions.
Verdict – Bad Decision – Allen could have increased his draft status in 2009 by returning to school. He was good, but not great.

Knowshon Moreno – 1st Round (#12 overall) by Denver – Moreno has struggled with injuries for much of his first two seasons, but has managed to put up 1,100+ yards both years. In 2010, he solidified his role as Denver’s starting tailback and has also become a weapon catching passes.
Verdict – Good Decision – He was the first back taken and has had two relatively successful seasons despite injuries. Coming back for an additional year would have done nothing but add wear and tear to his body.

Matthew Stafford – 1st Round (#1 overall) by Detroit – Going to a horrible Lions team, Stafford expected to get hit. He has been hit so much that he has failed to stay healthy, ending both of his first two seasons on IR. He has shown promise in the 13 games he has played in.
Verdict – Good Decision – There is an argument that going to the NFL to get pummeled and constantly being injured was a bad decision. But Stafford most likely would not have been the #1 pick in 2009, meaning he would not have gotten the $40+ million from Detroit. Plus, he would not have done this:


2009

Rennie Curran – 3rd Round by Tennessee – Curran played sparingly during his rookie season, though his play time increased as the season progressed.
Verdict – Good Decision – As Curran stated when he made his decision, he was not going to get any taller by staying another year in Athens. The only way he would earn a starting role in the NFL is by playing his way up the later. Starting as soon as possible was the right move for him.

Reshad Jones – 5th Round by Miami – Jones appeared in 13 of the Dolphins’ 16 games this fall, recording 21 tackles. His best game of the year came when he recorded both his first career sack and interception on November 20 against Tennessee.
Verdict – Bad Decision – Jones had an amazing combination of both size and talent. He improved each year he was at Georgia and one more season could have improved his draft status significantly.


All told, there have been 16 players that have left Georgia early for the Draft during the Richt era. AJ Green’s decision is a no brainer, but hope players like Justin Houston and Brandon Boykin consider the past experiences of these Georgia pl

Dawgs Leaving Early under Richt - Part 1

In the next few days, AJ Green will make the inevitable decision to forgo his senior season at The University of Georgia for a career in the NFL. While there are a handful of other Georgia players who are also making the same decision this fall, I only think Justin Houston will ultimately join AJ in the draft early. I decided to look back at those players who have left school early during Mark Richt’s tenure as coach in Athens. Not counting Paul Oliver (who originally came back for his senior season before flunking out and entering the supplemental draft), I have come up with a list of those who left early. Here’s a look at those players and whether I think the decision to leave early ended up being the right or the wrong decision (note: I compiled this list by hand. This is part 1, part two will appear on the blog tomorrow) Players are listed by the last year they played at Georgia.

2001

Terreal Bierra – 4th Round by Seattle - Bierra played a backup role for the Seahawks before starting 12 games in 2004. But after Seattle had one of the worst secondaries in the league in ’04, Bierra was controversially cut in 2005 when he left the team to help rescue family members trapped in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Bierra was charged with murder after killing a man in a drug dispute in fall 2009.
Verdict: Good decision – despite the fact that Bierra is now in prison, Georgia was loaded with talent at the safety position in 2002. Sean Jones and Thomas Davis were both excellent and Bierra would have not improved his draft status.

Charles Grant – 1st Round (25th overall) by New Orleans –Grant was a force on the Saints line for most of the decade before leaving the team after the 2009 season. He has 423 tackles and 47 sacks in his career.
Verdict: Good decision – No question about this one. After going in the first round, he earned a six year extension following a successful rookie season.

2002

Chris Clemons – Undrafted – Clemons was not a starter at Georgia, but left after the 2002 season. After missing the 2003 season with injury, he established himself as a solid NFL back up.

Verdict: Bad decision – I remember Clemons as being good, but not that good. He played linebacker and Georgia lost Boss Bailey and Tony Gilbert to graduation after the ’02 season. He definitely could have improved his draft status instead of getting hurt in the NFL.

Musa Smith – 3rd Round by Baltimore – Smith played a backup role with the Ravens before breaking his leg on a horse collar tackle by Roy Williams (for which the horse collar rule was put in place). He recovered but never found a spot as a starting running back in the NFL.
Verdict: Bad Decision – I know running backs have a short life in the NFL, but Smith had failed to meet expectations until 2002. A successful senior season in 2003 could have increased his draft value and maybe helped him earn a starting job.

2003

Robert Geathers – 4th Round by Cincinnati – Geathers earned a starting spot in 2005 and has remained a start on the Bengals’ line until today. For his career, he has 176 tackles and 23 sacks.
Verdict: Good decision – Geathers became a starter by his second season and has had a successful career. Returning to Georgia may not have lead him to a team (Cincinnati) that was rebuilding its defensive line.

Sean Jones – 2nd Round by Cleveland – Jones injured his knee and missed all of his rookie season in 2004. He played mostly on special teams in 2005, before becoming a starter in 2006. He had a good career with Cleveland before signing as a free agent with Philadelphia in 2009. In 2010, he signed a two year deal with Tampa Bay.
Verdict: Bad Decision - Jones has had a great career, but the knee injury suffered in his rookie season may not have happened at Georgia (wishful thinking).

2004

Thomas Davis – 1st Round (#14 overall) by Carolina – Davis has developed into a great outside linebacker for the Panthers, but unfortunately has ran into a series of knee injuries that have caused him to miss much of the last few seasons.
Verdict: Good Decision – Davis’ ferocious play at safety in college has translated well to linebacker in the NFL.

Odell Thurman – 2nd Round by Cincinnati – Thurman had a great rookie season for the Bengals, but drug and off the field issues landed him in trouble. After repeated violations, he was suspended by the NFL indefinitely in 2008.
Verdict: Bad decision – A successful rookie season turned out to be his only successful season. Another year under Coach Richt may have proved good for him.

We’ll be back with part 2 tomorrow!

Victories of the Moral Variety

Most of us Dawg fans are beginning to grasp at something, anything to restore meaning to the rest of the 2010 football season. I'm a little down after these first couple of games, but remember, all of us have been looking forward to football for 9 months. Let's try to embrace it and our Bulldogs as much as we can.

Or is it?

It's hard to say that we're playing for pride when we came out flat and lost to an inferior (talent-wise) Mississippi State football club, especially when our Dawgs appear to have all but forgotten how to "Finish The Drill".

In an attempt to somehow overlook our 0-3 SEC start and our 1-3 record, here are 4 moral victories so far to takeaway for the season; while they obviously don't show up in the polls, maybe you can take a little bit of solace in them for our near future.

1) Aaron Murray - The preseason buzz was whether this newcomer to the returning 10 offensive starters would somehow slow down our attack; so far, Aaron is more than carrying his fair share of the offense. Aaron currently ranks 4th in the SEC in passing yards/game as well as in total offense; his passing efficiency is a solid 6th in the SEC, especially accounting for him being the only underclassmen on the list.

The excess play-action calls notwithstanding, Aaron could develop into an even deadlier quarterback over the rest of the season if the playbook is thrown open and more shotgun snaps are taken, giving Aaron a longer time to assess the coverage and routes. Then there's also that All-American wide receiver coming back from suspension...


2) Kris Durham/Blair Walsh - I think we could all agree that there have been several small positive surprises from our roster this year, among them Durham and Walsh.

Kris Durham is one of several remaining 2006 signees left on our roster; after battling through a shoulder injury and a resulting redshirt season last year, Kris currently ranks 3rd in the SEC in reception yards/game and 8th in receptions/game. All this while Durham is known as the go-to receiver for Georgia during AJ's suspension, with opponents focusing on him more; Durham has 17 out of the team's to-date 66 receptions for the season, having almost twice as the 2nd leading receiver on the team (Tavarres, with 9). With AJ returning, Durham and our passing attack could flourish further, with Kris fighting less double teams from our opponents' secondary.

Blair, a 2009 Lou Groza award finalist, has proven to be the only true consistency so far this year. Blair currently ranks 8th in overall scoring in the SEC with 31 points, and is a perfect 7-7 on FGs this year, with a long of 52 yards. While we have given up some bad kickoff returns so far this season, the statistics prove otherwise, with UGA ranking 12th in the nation in fewest yards per return given up (@17.47 yards/return), helped in part by 25% of our kickoffs (5/20) being downed for touchbacks. I hope that we can convert more of these FGs into touchdowns in the near-future, but it's always good to have almost guaranteed points at the end of a scoring drive.


3) Potential NFL lockout?- Beyond the above two, it becomes tough without listing obvious future moral victories (AJ returning!) or minuscule ones from this season. This is part 1 of my forward look to possible impacts on next year.

Out of the 29 listed juniors and 17 redshirt sophomores on our roster, the big names to circle for the spring's draft would be AJ, Justin Houston, and Ben Jones, with possibly Cornelius Washington and Brandon Boykin also in the mix. There always might be another surprise name popping up at some point due to the swirling uncertainty with the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.

As long as there's no CBA, any players who are taken in the 2011 Draft cannot sign with their drafting teams (especially since one of the major points in any CBA agreement will be instituting a rookie wage scale).

So, if you are a stud draft pick with remaining eligibility, do you:

1) Leave college for the draft in the hopes that the CBA might get signed, leaving your career at risk should some sort of fluke accident happen? Also, if there's no NFL season in 2011 (which is a real possibility, since the owners are reportedly collecting partial TV revenue for the season, whether it gets played or not; this of course is a lawsuit in the making), you would have to shake off some rust to fight 2011 and 2012 picks for a roster spot.

2) Stay in school, play football, get the regular NCAA injury insurance and maintain their draft stock for 2012. Or,

3) Avoid the 2011 draft, keep an eye on the CBA negotiations, and if an agreement is reached, screw up your eligibility to make yourself available for the summer NFL supplemental draft.

This option, which Paul Oliver took in 2007 after he was declared academically ineligible, is only realistic for the more elite, AJ/Justin Houston type prospects, especially since teams would be surrendering future draft picks. And this of course assumes that the players wanting to go in the supplemental draft could figure out a way to kill their fall eligibility (really tough not throwing in a joke here...).

While it would be a small miracle if AJ did return for a senior year, the possibility is definitely out there with the NFL CBA uncertainty.


4) New scheduling approach - While Damon Evans did wonders for the men's basketball program with the hiring of Mark Fox, his football scheduling approach was somewhat questioned, especially last year when we opened on the road against Oklahoma State during the inauguration/setup game of the newly refurbished Boone Pickens Stadium.

While I agree with BulldawgJosh that McGarity's proposed approach is a bit of a buzzkill and will hurt UGA's coast-to-coast public exposure, there is something to be said for Florida's results (3 MNCs) in the 18 years that they have not held an OOC game outside the state of Florida.

The alumni buzz for next weekend's Colorado has been more than palpable (I can only imagine a sold-out, 3,000 ticket UGA tailgate in Boulder with a waiting list), and I'm sure the buzz will be even more overwhelming for the 2013 Clemson game and especially the 2015 Oregon game in Eugene.

Although there is definitely merit in Nick Saban's approach to scheduling marquee games in recruiting hotbeds, I think that approach is more appropriate for outsiders-looking-in (ala Boise State, and the early years of Bowden/Florida State) and for state schools with recruiting areas less rich than Georgia.

For the OOC games UGA does pursue in the future, hopefully it will target recruiting-rich areas for games, approaching schools in California and Texas, as well as large media markets that will further expose UGA nationally (ie Rutgers).


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It's tough trying to put lipstick on a pig. But I do think there are some things to continue to look forward to this year, especially the treat of seeing Murray blossom as a QB and the continued evolution of Todd Grantham's defense, which actually ranks 5th in the SEC in total defense.

For the rest of the season, I want to see the Dawgs playing with more fire and passion, living up to those words on the back of their off-season workout shirts. I want to see Grantham's energy on the sideline, which I suspect has been bottled up by some of the higher-ups. And as a suggestion to Mike Bobo, I think he needs to move back up to the box for play-calling, since he's definitely not seeing what everyone else is.

“You never know, there might be a lockout.”

This was the response Aaron Murray gave when he was asked about the likelihood that AJ Green heads to the NFL next season. While I fully expect to enter the 2011 season without AJ Green on the Georgia sidelines, Murray's quote really got me thinking. The threat of an NFL lockout certainly looms large right now. So what happens in January if this lockout appears to be a sure thing?

Do junior players such as AJ Green, Matk Ingram, Ryan Mallett, and others decide to stay in school one more season? At least while they are in school, they have their scholarships to pay for living expenses and they can continue working on their game. But if they go ahead and leave early and the owners lockout the players in March, then what happens? I am not sure how the NFL draft rules work concerning declaring for the draft and hiring an agent, but if there is a lockout, the NCAA may need to make some changes to its policies (wait, this is the NCAA, nevermind.)

What are your thoughts? Do we suddenly pray for a lockout just to get one more year of AJ in Athens?

Only 12 days to go! GO DAWGS!!!

The Countdown 2010: 35 Days to Go

35: Harry Babcock, End #56 (1950 – 1952)

During a time most of the offense in college football took place on the ground, Harry Babcock became a star catching passes for Coach Wally Butts. The 6’2’’ Babcock came to Athens from Ocala, Florida, where he played mostly guard. But as a member of Georgia’s freshman squad in 1949, he switched to the end position (similar to the modern wide receiver) where he would become a force in the SEC. Georgia completed only 61 passes during the 1950 season, but Babcock was the recipient of 8 of those passes.

1951 would mark a change in the Georgia offensive philosophy with the arrival of quarterback Zeke Bratkowski. Bratkowski would become one the greatest quarterbacks in SEC history and Babcock was on the receiving end of a lot of Zeke’s throws. Babcock led the SEC in receiving that year, finishing with 41 catches for 666 yards. His signature performance came in the Georgia 35-28 victory over Boston College when he caught long touchdown passes (76 and 54 yards). He was named to the All-SEC first team by the Associated Press.

During his senior season in 1952, injuries sustained in a car crash would hamper him throughout the year but he still managed to put together a fine campaign that would earn him All-SEC and All-American honors. He had 8 catches for 106 yards against Alabama and caught two touchdowns in a win over Pittsburgh. Despite being injured much of the season, his importance to the team was never more prevalent than against Florida. Gator linebacker Arlen Jumper took a cheap shot at Babcock early in the game and Babcock retaliated. Both players were kicked out of the game. Without Babcock on the field, heavily favored Georgia struggled on offense and ultimately lost the game. He finished with 3 touchdowns and 456 yards on 31 receptions, second in the SEC behind teammate Johnny Carson.

Harry Babcock ended his career as Georgia’s all-time leading receiver. He caught 80 passes for 1,199 yards (still good for 16th all-time today). He became the second Georgia player, after Charley Trippi, to be selected #1 overall in the NFL when he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1953. Injuries hampered much of his NFL career and he was out of the NFL just a few years later. The player that Coach Wally Butts once said was “the finest all-around end I have seen in my 15 years in the league” was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.

Friday Thoughts and a Few Links

Well, it has been quite an interesting week for the Dawg nation and the college football landscape as a whole. From the Mettenberger situation to the NFL draft, there are a lot of interesting stories going on right now. Here are my thoughts as well as some links for your Friday:

- Coach Richt has released the post spring depth chart and the biggest story is Aaron Murray on top of the depth chart at quarterback. This was all a forgone conclusion after the Meetenberger dismissal, but I am glad that Richt stated that Murray would have been #1 even if Mett was still around. Here's the quote from Richt (courtesy of David Hale):
“I’m not out to hurt anybody worse than they might have been hurt to this point, but Aaron would have been the No. 1 quarterback.”

- Check out the full post spring depth chart HERE.

- Christian Robinson at the top of the linebacking depth chart was a surprise. As Earl said to me this morning:

Good to see Robinson listed as a #1 (over Dowtin no less). Seems like he's using his smarts and work ethic to move up the depth charts. Dowtin will see plenty of playing time b/c he's athletically gifted, so I hope Robinson being ahead of him motivates him. But in no way do I expect Robinson to lose his job to Dowtin b/c I don't expect a guy like Robinson to lose his job to anyone once he's secured it.

We have so many LBs. It's great.

- The NFL Draft began last night with a new format of having the first round on Thursday night. As expected, there were no Georgia players taken in round 1.

- Tim Tebow went #25 overall to the Denver Broncos. There has been much debate about how his skills transfer to the NFL. I am not sure what to think at this point, but I certainly do not think he should have gone in round 1. I also can't fathom the idea of Tebow sharing a backfield with Knowshon. It just makes me a little queasy. Here is Smart Football's take on Tebow going to Denver

- Why did the Falcons pass on Dez Bryant?!? I know they needed a linebacker, but when a projected top 10 pick falls that far, I think sometimes you just have to take the best player available. I really wish Derrick Morgan had continued to fall as well. In the end, the Falcons appear to have gotten the player they wanted all along.

- What is it about Florida guys kissing other guys?!? (Even if it is your twin.)

- I received a pretty big response to my SEC expansion post yesterday. It seems most of you think that the SEC would go after other high profile school like Florida State. When I wrote the post, I only considered schools not currently part of a BCS conference and Big East teams (because if the Big 10 pulls anyone from the Big East, it would most likely disband). Here's Michigan blogger MGoBlog's look at what the new Big Ten could look like.

- And lastly, here is an interesting read I found on Sports Illustrated's SI Vault, which allows you to view articles from any previous SI Issue. This is the article that appeared in Sports Illustrated following Georgia's victory over Notre Dame to win the 1980 National Championship.

Have a great weekend and GO DAWGS!!!

Wonderlickin' - Bradford as smart as Stafford, Tebow...not so much

Matt Stafford and Sam Bradford share a lot of things in common:

- Stafford was the top quarterback in his draft class and was drafted # 1 overall. Sam Bradford is the top rated quarterback in this year's class and has a good chance of being drafted # 1 overall by the Rams.

- Both Stafford and Bradford suffered shoulder injuries during the 2009 season and ended the season on the injured list.

- Both are considered ideal NFL quarterback size and have strong right arms.

Another similarity between these two was discovered today with the release of the Wonderlic test scores from the 2010 scouting combine. Last year, Stafford scored an impressive 38 on the test that is supposed to test learning aptitude. Bradford finds himself atop the 2010 QB class with a score of 36, far outdistancing fellow potential NFLers Colt McCoy (25) and Jimmy Clausen (23). And what of the Golden Boy of this year's draft, Tim Tebow? Timmy finished at the bottom with a score of 22. That's very similar to another athletic left handed quarterback who struggled to make the change from a running QB in college to a passer in the NFL:

Vick scored a 20 on his Wonderlic.

At least the team won't have to worry about Tebow running an illegal dog fighting ring.

Dawgs in Draft: 2009 Recap

2009 turned out to be a banner year for the University of Georgia. The Dawgs had a total of 6 players drafted including number one overall pick Matthew Stafford. Here is a run down of Georgia players taken in the 2009 NFL Draft:

Round 1, Pick 1 (#1 Overall) - QB Matthew Stafford selected by the Detroit Lions

Round 1, Pick 12 (#12 Overall) - RB Knowshon Moreno selected by the Denver Broncos

Round 2, Pick 18 (#50 Overall) - WR Mohamed Massquoi selected by the Cleveland Browns

Round 3, Pick 22 (#86 Overall) - CB Asher Allen selected by the Minnesota Vikings

Round 3, Pick 29 (#93 Overall) - DT Corvey Irvin selected by the Carolina Panthers

Round 6, Pick 9 (#182 Overall) - DE Jaius Wynn selected by the Green Bay Packers

Additionally, Georgia had four undrafted players sign free agent contracts with NFL teams. FB Brannan Southerland signed with the New York Jets, LB Dannell Ellerbe signed with the Baltimore Ravens, WR Kenneth Harris was picked up by the New Orleans Saints, and WR Demiko Goodman went to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Good luck to all the former Dawgs beginning their careers in the NFL!

The Impact of Stafford Going #1 Overall

After the last few months of speculation, the 2009 NFL draft will commence this Saturday with the Detroit Lions holding the number 1 overall pick. There has been much debate about how the Lions intend to use that pick. Coming off the first 0-16 season, the Lions need help in many areas. Like the Atlanta Falcons taking Matt Ryan with the third overall pick last season to help bring a new face to the franchise, the Detroit Lions are considering drafting Matthew Stafford as the first pick. After watching Stafford play the last three seasons, I have little doubt that he has the tools to become a great pro player and I think the Lions would be making the correct choice if they select Stafford.

What I am unsure of is the impact that Stafford going number one would have on Georgia. While I think I speak for most in the Dawg Nation, we would love to see one of our own go number one, I do question what this message tells future prospects.

Matthew Stafford came to Georgia in 2006 as arguably the highest profile recruit of the Mark Richt era. After throwing a touchdown pass on his first attempt in G-Day that year, the expectations were set high. Georgia struggled through the 2006 season, but both Stafford and the team found their stride by closing with three straight wins over ranked opponents. The 2007 season made Stafford a star, as he helped lead the Dawgs to a number 2 final ranking. And the combination of Stafford and Knowshon Moreno had the entire Georgia fan base excited about a shot at a national title in '08.

As the '08 season played out, Stafford had his best statistical season but the Dawgs dropped games to Alabama and Florida and fell out of the race for the SEC Championship. Despite a great performance from Stafford, the Dawgs lost to Georgia Tech to close the season and I knew that Stafford's career at Georgia was over. He had accomplished what he needed to do to become a top pick (win games on a national stage, display his skills, and improve season to season). For his career at Georgia, Stafford had key wins over LSU, Florida, and Auburn, but he never played for an SEC championship. I can't help but feel that he left with business unfinished.

It scares me that future Bulldog prospects may begin to see the Georgia program as just another stepping stone to the NFL and not as a place to come and win a championship. Having a number one overall pick will be a selling point for Coach Richt and his staff to use to attract the top talent, but will those players come to Georgia to win a championship or just to get to the next level? In some situations, it is a no-brainer that a player will leave early for the draft. There is no better example right now than AJ Green. Barring injury, I see now way that Green is in Athens after the '10 season, but that doesn't mean I hope he leaves early because he will be another top 10 pick for the Georgia program.

I wish Stafford, Knowshon, and Asher the best at the next level but I honestly wish they had returned. I know they will represent us well as high picks in the draft, but if I had it my way, I would take another 7th round draft pick quarterback who leads us to SEC Championships over the #1 pick any day of the week.

Last time I checked, Joey Harrington got cut instead of this guy.

No News..is Good News?

We are now one week removed from G-Day and 3 months away from summer practice. The best we can hope for over those next three months is to hear very little out of Athens. Last year, most of the news was concerning player arrests or great expectations. This year, I will welcome a little silence as we prepare for the 2009 season.

Here is a glimpse of some other stories that are taking place in the Georgia athletic world right now:

- The Georgia gymnastics team won its fifth consecutive national championship. I repeat, 5 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS in a row. Can you imagine the excitement level of the Dawg nation if the football team won 1 NC, let alone 5?

- The Diamond Dawgs took 2 of 3 from Arkansas to remain atop the SEC standings. At 2-2 for the week, I expect the team to fall out of the #1 ranking in the Coaches' Poll.

- The NFL draft is this Saturday and it looks like Stafford will indeed go #1 to the Lions. The real steal of the draft will be whoever picks up Knowshon in the 20-30 range.

- Speaking of Knowshon and Stafford, both are candidates to appear on the cover of this year's version of EA Sports NCAA Football. They begin announcing the cover athletes today on ESPN College Football Live and will do a different system's version of the game each day. I expect Stafford to grace the cover of either the XBOX360 of PS3 version.

Georgia Bulldogs in the 1st Round of the NFL Draft

Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay of ESPN predict that Matthew Stafford will be the first overall selection in April's 2009 NFL Draft. If Stafford ends up going first overall to the Detroit Lions, he will become the first Georgia player to be selected first overall since 1953. Here is a look at the three Georgia Bulldogs who have been taken #1 overall in the past:

1943 - Frank Sinkwich - Detroit Lions

After winning the Heisman as the nation's best collegiate player in 1942, the Detroit Lions took Sinkwich with the first pick of the 1943 NFL draft. He would have a short, but productive career winning the NFL MVP award in 1944. He would injure his knee serving in the Air Force in 1945 and that ended his playing career.

1945 - Charlie Trippi - Chicago Cardinals
#62 was two-time All American, leading the Bulldogs to a Rose Bowl victory in 1943 and winning the Maxwell Award in 1946. Trippi was drafted first overall in 1945, when he had left the University of Georgia to serve in World War II. Trippi returned to Georgia before joining the Cardinals in the 1947 season. He helped lead them to the NFL Championship, as they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles. Trippi's career would last until 1955, during which time he played running back and quarterback and also acted as the team's punter and kick returner.


1953 - Harry Babcock - New York Giants
Harry Babcock was an offensive end for the Georgia Bulldogs from 1951-1953. He was selected by the New York Giants as wide receiver, where he would play for the next three seasons. His career stats include 16 receptions for 181 yards.

Through out the years, Georgia has had 22 players selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. With Stafford and Knowshon Moreno both expected to go in the first round this year, the list of Georgia players in the NFL continues to grow. Here is the complete list off all Georgia players taken in the first round.


1943 – 1st – Frank Sinkwich – Detroit Lions - TB
1945 – 1st – Charlie Trippi – Chicago Cardinals -HB
1953 – 1st – Harry Babcock – San Francisco 49ers – OE
1969 – 11th – Bill Stanfill – Miami Dolphins – DE
1972 – 8th – Royce Smith – New Orleans Saints – G
1982 – 13th – Lindsay Scott – New Orleans Saints – WR
1989 – 7th – Tim Worley – Pittsburgh Steelers – RB
1990 – 22nd – Ben Smith – Philadelphia Eagles – DB
1990 – 24th – Rodney Hampton – New York Giants – RB
1993 – 3rd – Garrison Hearst – Phoenix Cardinals – RB
1994 – 14th – Bernard Williams – Philadelphia Eagles – OT
1998 – 18th – Robert Edwards – New England Patriots – RB
1999 – 7th – Champ Bailey – Washington Redskins – DB
1999 – 18th – Matt Stinchcomb – Oakland Raiders – OT
2001 – 6th – Richard Seymour – New England Patriots – DT
2001 – 13th – Marcus Stroud – Jacksonville Jaguars – DT
2002 – 25th – Charles Grant – New Orleans Saints – DE
2003 – 6th – Jonathan Sullivan – New Orleans Saints – DT
2003 – 20th – George Foster – Denver Broncos – OT
2004 – 32nd – Ben Watson – New England Patriots – TE
2005 – 14th – Thomas Davis – Carolina Panthers – DB
2005 – 17th – David Pollack – Cincinnati Bengals - LB


GO DAWGS!!!

Asher Allen Declares for NFL Draft

Asher's decided to leave with one year left of eligibility. He was definitely a great asset to our defense. While he will be missed, we wish him luck at the next level. Damn Good Dawg.

Nah, nah, nah, nah

Nah, nah, nah, nah

Hey, hey, hey

Goodbye...

Even though we all saw this coming, the Bulldawg Nation held its collective breath in the moments leading up to this afternoon's press conference, clinging to the last glimmer of hope that our co-offensive MVPs would return for another year of Bulldog football. Though we won't get our wish, we wish the best for these two guys. We'll be watching you on Sundays, boys.

Go Dawgs!