Get on down to Victory Field tonight to watch the 100 MPH antics of Aroldis Champman and the Louisville Bats against the Indians.

Any time baseball of this quality is played in Naptown, it's worth heading out to the ball park to catch.  Go watch Chapman, and you'll still be home in plenty of time to watch Indy select at the end of the first round.

I don't like commenting on these kinds of stories, because any acknowledgement of them can serve to smear a person even as you try to defend them.

The Colts have come out and said the Eric Foster situation is a non-issue with them.  Many are crying, "Foul!" and screaming for suspensions ala Roethlisberger.

Let me begin by saying, as someone who has had to deal with "He said, she said" cases from the investigative side, my personal bent is to always favor the woman.  If I don't know and have to choose, I'm going to side with the woman every time.  There are a lot of aspects of this story that disturb me deeply.  I have no opinion at all about the original complaint against Foster, because I have none of the facts.  I find it disturbing.

Having said that, there are real differences between this incident and the Roethlisberger case:

1.  Roethlisberger already had a preexisting pending lawsuit similar to this.  Most of us looked at the facts of that case and dismissed it as gold digging.  I'm not implying that is what the young woman in the Foster case is doing.  I have no idea.  I do know that there was no rush to suspend or label Roethlisberger a rapist after one civil accusation.

2.  Roethlisberger engaged in a pattern of reckless behavior. His second accusation came after he was buying shots for an underaged girl in a college bar.  Foster's incident occurred in the team hotel.  Now, if true the Foster incident is worse in my estimation, however, there is no obvious thing we can point to on the surface to say that Foster was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, doing the wrong thing.  The commissioner can't say to Foster, "Why were you even AT that bar.  What were you thinking buying alcohol for women you don't know, let alone underaged ones?".  That's the kind of behavior, which by all accounts is a serial MO for Roethlisberger, that has made it all to easy to suspend him.  In Foster's case, we have none of that.

3.  The Roethlisberger case hinged in part on the victim being unwilling to testify.  That does not seem to be the case here.  The Foster incident got not traction with the cops because the DA declined to press charges, but the willingness of the victim to testify does not seem to be at issue.  That implies to me that the quality of the evidence is much weaker in the Foster case than in the Roethlisberger case.

I think I speak for all Colts fans when I say that if the allegations against Foster are true, I hope he gets cut and should be in prision.  I also know that his reputation is damaged irrevocably now whether they are true or not.

Like I said, my inclination in this and every case is to believe the woman.  However, because these are not analogous situations, it's easy to understand why the team has to take the position it has.  Legally, I'm not sure they even have a choice about it.

The 2010 Schedule comes out, and it's an attractive one for the Colts.

Week 1:  9/12 @ Houston  Loss

Every year I think Indy will lose at Houston.  Every year Houston comes out like they'll kill the Colts, but Indy invariably rallies to steal the game.  Once again, I'm taking the Colts to lose.  I think the Texans are a good team. I think the crowd will be insane.  I don't see Indy winning this game.

Week 2:  9/19 NYG  Win

No way Peyton loses to little brother in the home opener on national TV.

Week 3: @ Denver 9/26  Win

The Broncos will be AWFUL next year.  Imagine that game last season without Brandon Marshall.  Yeah.  Blowout.

Week 4: 10/3 @ Jacksonville Win

The Jags fans (both of them) are all excited to play the Colts in an afternoon game, I'm sure.  Unfortunately for them, the kickoff is at 4, and the game is in October.  The Jags are going to be worse next year than this year.  That is a franchise going in the wrong direction.

Week 5: 10/10  Kansas City Win

Moving right along...

Week 6: 10/17 @ Washington Win

The Colts open with four of six on the road.  Good thing several of the teams won't be any good.

Week 7: Bye  Indy goes in with a 5-1 record.  Hard to ask for more.

Week 8: 11/1 Houston Win

Are you ready for some Football? The Colts show up large on MNF and pay back Houston. I will never pick the Texans in Indy until they manage to win there at least once.

Week 9: 11/7 @Philadelphia  Win

I see the Eagles as a team in decline.  By rule I assume all young QBs suck until they prove they don't.  Kevin Kolb is in that category.  I hope Marv drops by the stadium.  Somehow, I doubt he will.

Week 10: 11/14 Cincinnati Win

Yeah, Indy goes to 8-1.  I just don't see how the Bengals are going to be good next year.  They were a mirage this season, and they'll be worse.

Week 11: 11/21 @ New England Win

The Pats are going backwards in a hurry.  I don't think they make the playoffs next year.  Seriously.

Week 12: 11/28 San Diego Win

A prime time game in Indy.  The Colts will need to win three of the four games with the Pats, Bolts, Cowboys, and Titans.  I'm taking them in the two biggest.

Week 13:  12/5 Dallas Cowboys Loss

They  have to lose sometime, and Dallas will have several extra days to prepare thanks to their Thanksgiving game.

Week 14: 12/9 @ Tennessee Win

Vince Young or Peyton Manning?  In prime time, at any time, it's #18.

Week 15:  12/19  Jacksonville Win

Indy clinches the South with a record of 12-2.

Week 16:  @Oakland Win

The Peyton/Painter combo mops up the Raiders to push Indy's record to 13-2.

Week 17:  Tennessee Loss

Nice call Goodell.  Have you watched any of the other Colts/Titans end of the season games?  Get real, chief.

***

So there you have it.  Indy goes 13-3 and wins the South, taking the #1 overall seed again.  The Colts have only three potential cold weather games: @ Philly November 7th (not too bad!), @New England (mercifully a day game) on November 21st, and at the Titans (I know I'm pushing the boundaries of 'cold weather') on December 9th.

The Colts get 5 night games, three at home and two on the road.  They finish with four of six at home.  Perhaps the only bad break is having to open at Houston.  All in all, it couldn't sort out much better.  I expect the NFC East to be seriously down next year.  I expect the AFC West to continue to suck as bad or worse than ever.  I think the Patriots and Bengals, though technically #1 teams in their divisions, are both the third best teams in the North and East.

 

18to88 has been mocking the draft for three years now, and our track record has been stellar. But we've grown weary with our old fun and games.  It's time to get serious.  No more kid's stuff for us.  Without further delay, our 2010 mock draft.

	Player	Position	School
1.  St. Louis Rams	George Washington	QB	University of Washington		The Rams have needed a quarterback ever since Kurt Warner left several years ago.  Honestly, there is no better field general in the draft than Washington.  His startling underdog victories have set the state for his ascendancy.  He's a real can't miss prospect.
2.  Detroit Lions	Ronald Reagan	DT	Eureka College		The Lions are concerned with defense and Regan brings the big lumber in that regard.  His style of defense is certainly explosive. There are concerns in some circles that he could be expensive, but there's no question that he won't back down and packs a wallop.
3.  Tampa Bay Bucs	James Madison	DT	Princeton		Madison isn't as explosive as Regan, but his work at repelling the British hasn't gone unnoticed.  He has a strong family support structure, but there are weight concerns. Rumor has it he's too big a fan of snack cakes.
4.  Washington Redskins	US Grant	QB	West Point		Even though the Skins just traded for McNabb, some think they are still in the market for a quarterback.  Grant has an impressive resume, but many question whether his talents will translate to the next level.  Todd McShay has already condemned the pick for having too much baggage.
5.  Kansas City Chiefs	Jimmy Carter	S	Georgia Tech		Chiefs fans have been in a malaise for years now, and while Carter is not the sexist pick for the troubled franchise, he certainly is attractive for anytime wanting a safety.
6.  Seattle Seahawks	James Buchanan	OT	Dickenson College		Despite more talented players still on the board, the Seahwaks are desperate to draft for need.  They need a solid lineman, and no one is more obstructionist than Buchanan.  You can be sure that little progress will be made by the defensive line with Buchanan manning the post.
7.  Cleveland Browns	Abraham Lincoln	WR	Illinois		Mike Holmgren is delighted as his former team whiffs on their pick, leaving him the lanky flanker from the heartland.  After dealing Braylon Edwards, the Browns receiving corp is thin, but Lincoln's impressive wing span and Moss like height make him too attractive to pass up.  Holmgren was quoted as saying, "Lincoln might be the best player in the draft".
8.  Oakland Raiders	Dan Quayle	WR	DePauw		Al Davis loves his measurables, but most analysts are left scratching their heads after this pick.  Despite an attractive profile, Quayle was taken off the board by most teams once he posted a Wonderlic score of 3.  When the pick is announced, Mel Kiper briefly loses consciousness after bashing his head against a table.  When he finally comes to, he calls the pick, "a bit of a reach".
9. Buffalo Bills	Dwight Eisenhower	QB	Texas		The Bills desperately want a QB, and the signal caller from Texas certainly has a rich undergrad record, full of victories.  While projected to be a solid pro, he might lack the aggressiveness to take the team to the next level.  He's a bit of a system quarterback, and might be content to just ride out his time in the saddle.
10.  Jacksonville Jaguars	Bill Clinton	LB	Arkansas		The biggest enigma in the draft, the Jaguars finally settle on the hard hitting linebacker from Arkansas.  Clinton is a talented player, but his considerable off the field issues might be enough to undo him.  Coach Jack Del Rio, himself a former linebacker, said, "Matt Jones had really great things to say about Clinton.  He vouched for his character."
11. Denver Broncos	Tomas Jefferson	WR	University of Virginia		Jefferson is one of the great talents in the draft.  He has a variety of skills and could play multiple positions.  He does carry some tawdry off the field baggage, however, that has caused him to slip to the Broncos at 11.  The Saints hoped to trade up for him, but ultimately the Louisiana team couldn't make the purchase.
12. Miami Dolphins	Lyndon Johnson	DT	South West Texas State		The Dolphins want to continue their resurgence by building their line.  LBJ has a solid track resume in defense.  He's a load in the middle and is known for being cantankerous. He prefers playing on the left side and loves to pressure the opposition.
13. San Francisco 49ers	John F. Kennedy	RB	Harvard		Kennedy is perhaps the most dynamic talent in the draft, but many teams question his durability, citing injury concerns as a reason to pass on the talented sophomore who declared early for the draft.  Kennedy has an amazing jump cut move in which he steps back and to the right before proceeding through the hole.
14. Seattle Seahawks	Harry S. Truman	DE	Missouri		The Seahawks are looking for a quick strike end with explosive power and believe that Truman is just the player they need.  He spent most of his career as a backup, but was thrust into the starting lineup his Senior year, and immediately delivered a bang as he lead the Tigers to a pair of big victories.  You can never count Truman out, but one big question is signability.  Pete Carroll has to negotiate two first round contracts, and insiders say that he commented, "The bucks stop with Truman."
15. New York Giants	Woodrow Wilson	G	University of Virginia		The Giants are looking to upgrade the offensive line, and are said to be quite high on Wilson, a quick guard out of UVA.  Wilson is a good pocket protector, but may like the kind of fighting instinct necessary in a tough lineman.  Still, he showed the ability jump into the scrum when forced.  He'll be a good addition to the League of National Football.
16.  Tennessee Titans	Zachary Taylor	DE	Louisville		The Titans have lost a lot of beef on the line in the last couple of years, and Taylor is just the guy they need to bring the head on opposing field generals.  He was a bit of a project at Louisville, having never played high school ball, but was a team leader, and his big sacks against the University of Saint Annes caught the attention of pro scouts.  His performance at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans  was excellent as well.
17. San Fransisco 49ers	Barack Obama	OT	Occidental College		San Fransisco is a perfect fit for Obama.  The Niners need change on their offensive line, and Obama definitely gets good push, seemingly with disregard for his opposition.  Critics say that his offenses generated more yards than points, but Obama supporters in the scouting world figure that any progress is important. When asked what side Obama might play, Mike Singletary said, "Left.  Definitely the left."
18. Pittsburgh Steelers	Rutherford B. Hayes	CB	Kenyon College		The Steelers have been rocked by scandal in recent months, and Hayes is exactly the kind of upright locker room guy they've been looking for.  Hayes wormed his way into the starting lineup, picking off passes intended for other receivers.  He is already married won't be visiting any bars.  The one strike against him is that he is not popular with black teammates who accuse him of running out on them during a fight with Florida State.
19. Atlanta Falcons	Theodore Roosevelt	DE	Harvard		Without question, Roosevelt is the steal of the draft.  Health and size concerns led to him plummeting to the bottom half of the first round, but the fiery end packs a serious punch.  He emerged as an injury replacement in his freshman year and had a stranglehold on the position ever since.  Roosevelt is known for his hard charging style and bull rush move.
20.  Houston Texans	Franklin Delano Roosevelt	RB	Harvard		The Texans surprise everyone with the selection of Roosevelt.  Some scouts question his durability, but others think he'll play in the league for a long long time.  Gary Kubiak said simply, "We can't pass on Roosevelt.  The man has serious wheels."
21. Cincinnati Bengals	Herbert Hoover	TE	Stanford		Bengals owner Mike Brown loves cheap players and Hoover should be signable.  A first round reach, he lacks downfield skill and doesn't have great field vision when running with the ball.  He is a competent blocker and knows how to impede the progress of the rush.  Bengals fans are excited about the selection and have put up signs around Cincinnati that say, "Welcome to Hooverville!"
22. New England Patriots	Richard Nixon	LB	Duke		Nixon is a perfect fit with the Patriots.  He is highly accomplished, but has had skirmishes with the law and is generally reviled as being a dirty player.  Bill Belichick loves his instincts and is certain he can channel Nixon's aggression in the right directions. "When I look at Nixon, I see a lot of myself," said Belichick.
23.  Green Bay Packers	William Henry Harrison	OT	Penn		Harrison had an exemplary undergrad career, and the Packers are excited about his future.  Perhaps the most impressive part about the player, who is older than most first round picks, is that he was willing to stand at the podium and address the media for well over an hour.  "I anticipate him having a long, long career with the Packers," said GM Ted Thompson.
24.  Philadelphia Eagles	Grover Cleveland	CB	Clinton Academy		The Eagles are looking for flexibility in their secondary and think that Cleveland could be just the guy to fill the role.  He's been described as so fast that, "you don't know whether he's coming or going".  He was up for the Jim Thorpe award, but lost in a controversial vote.  No one is sure if the Eagles can sign him though.  He's vetoed several contract offers already.
25.  Baltimore Ravens	William Howard Taft	DT	Yale		If you are looking for someone to clog the middle, the mammoth DT out of Yale is just your guy.  He's a classic 3-4 NT, able to occupy a lot of space and blockers.  Surprisingly, Ravens scouts had little to say about his college career but picked him anyway because, "Just look at the size of him!"
26.  Arizona Cardinals	John Adams	LB	Harvard		Adams is a bit undersized but plays with a chip on his shoulder.  He was accomplished in college, but never reveled in his accomplishments.  Seriously undervalued by most scouts, Adams has the talent to play in the big leagues, but the only question is to his temperament.  He is the kind of player who won't be happy learning in a backup role.  If he isn't in the starting lineup, he could become a locker room problem.
27.  Dallas Cowboys	George W. Bush	CB	Yale		Bush is a controversial pick, and most scouts either love him or hate him.  He is very highly thought of by the Texas teams, however.  He was quite popular with teammates and loves to jump routes.  He struggles to stay disciplined in the parameters of a normal defense, but for a team that values his aggressiveness, that's not a problem.
28.  San Diego Chargers	James K Polk	DT	North Carolina		Polk has slipped below the radar of most drafts, but he's a real sleeper for the Chargers.  There are questions as to his drive, but no one can argue with his accomplishments.  He forced runners right or left, because he clogged up the middle. He wore number 54 in college, but expected to switch to 49 in the NFL.
29.  New York Jets	Calvin Coolidge	S	Amherst		The Jets have a strong secondary, but they need someone who can limit the size of big plays.  Coolidge is their man.  Some scouts have said he is quiet on the field, but Cal got the rest of his team off to a roaring start.  The Jets have to hope he can hold down the position, because should he leave the field, everything could crash.
30. Minnesota Vikings	William McKinley	C	Allegheney College		A real mountain of a man, McKinley is the gold standard of college centers.  Some scouts have called him an injury risk, but his college coach gave him a strong endorsement.  "Will was the center piece of our offense really.  Without him on the field, it would have been anarchy!"
31. Indianapolis Colts	Ndamukong Suh	DT	Nebraska		Colts GM Bill Polian can't believe his luck when Suh plummets to the end of the first round.  "To be honest, I'm amazed we landed him.  It's surprising that he fell this far, especially considering that most of the guys taken ahead of him are quite old and...well, dead."
32. New Orleans Saints	George HW Bush	DE	Yale		Bush is a solid, if unspectacular defensive end.  Sean Payton was positive when discussing Bush. "He's the kind of guy who can help us.  He's not an elite talent, but at the end of the first round you take what you can get.  I'll burn in hell before I take that son of a bitch Franklin Pierce for my team.  I'll tell you that right now."

 

 

Yesterday, ESPN caused some consternation by declaring Terry Bradshaw to be the best first round choice at quarterback.  The reaction was swift and immediate.  Today I want to add some teeth the claim that Bradshaw is among the most overrated players of all time.

Everyone knows that Bradshaw's career numbers are pedestrian.  His career passer rating is 70.  He threw 212 TDs to 210 picks. His YPA is 7.2 is just pretty good, but is lower than that of dink and dunk master Tom Brady, though I suppose that it's a bit lower because he completed just 51.9% of his passes.

The argument is that Bradshaw has four Super Bowl rings.  He must have been a major cog in those Super Bowl teams, right?  Not so much.

1974

The Steelers won their first Super Bowl.  Bradshaw was a train wreck.  He was 5-2 as a starter, with 7 TDs and 8 picks.  His rating was 55.  He threw for less than 1,000 yards on the season.  In the final two games of the playoffs, his COMBINED numbers were:

17/31, 191 yards, 2 TD, 1 pick.

Again, those were two game numbers. Awful.  But hey, they won the Super Bowl and he was the quarterback.  He must be a legend.

1975

Bradshaw rebounded in '75 with a nice year...for him.  He racked up 2055 yards, completed 57.5% of his passes, 18 TDs, 9 picks and a rating of 88.  It was a nice Brady-esque year.

In the playoffs, however, Bradshaw was awful.

32-57, 529 yards, 3 TDs, 5 INTs, 68.5 rating

Again, these are THREE game totals.  The Steelers won all three games and were world champions.  Amazing.

1978

This was one of Bradshaw's finest years!  He led the NFL with 28 touchdows. He was voted MVP!  He also threw 20 picks, had a rating of 84.7 and threw for fewer than 3000 yards on the season.  He also played with the best scoring defense in football.

Bradshaw had a great Super Bowl, throwing four TDs and 1 pick.   He was voted Super Bowl MVP.

1979

Bradshaw single handedly led the Steelers to their fourth title by throwing a league high 25 interceptions (against 26 TDs).  In the Super Bowl, Bradshaw threw three interceptions, but the Steelers won anyway, 31-19.

Listen, anyone who wants to worship at the alter of rings is welcome to.  They are just going to have to accept that Terry Bradshaw is one of the five best quarterbacks of all time.  If you can live with that, have at it.

The ESPN discussion eliminated Elway (he didn't play for the team that drafted him), settling on Bradshaw over Manning, Kelly, Marino, and Aikman.

The logic...the rings.

Insane.

Note:  You can find the entire Decade of Drafting series complied here.  It will also appear in the side bar.

The conclusions for a Decade of Drafting are summarized in the chart below.  As you can see, the Colts grade out highest, producing more games played, more starters and a stunning 90% of all Indianapolis draft picks make the team.  This is consistent with Bill Polian's philosophy of 'singles' drafting.  He wants to avoid the big mistake.  The Patriots had the highest number of Pro Bowls per draft, thanks in part to Tom Brady.  The Patriots also had a terrible run, finishing fifth each year from 2006-2008.  The Steelers got a boost by taking Ben Roethlisberger, while the Ravens were punished for taking Kyle Boller.  Below the chart is a year by year break down of each draft.  The Colts and Eagles had 82 picks each.  The Ravens had 81.  The Steelers 75.  The Patriots had 89 picks in the decade.

	Average draft position	GPA	Ave Rank	Games per Draft	% made team	Starters/draft	Pro Bowls/draft
Colts	25.9	3.34	2.2	266.5	90.2	4.0	1.8
Patriots	22.7	2.90	3.3	239	66.3	2.5	2.3
Steelers	20.9	3.00	2.9	233.8	68.0	2.5	1.6
Ravens	20.7	2.93	3.1	269.1	77.8	3.3	1.9
Eagles	19.4	2.50	3.4	208.9	70.7	2.8	1.3

As you can see, the Colts have consistently drafted better than even the best drafting teams in football.  They get more production out of their drafts than the other teams, despite consistently drafting near the bottom of the first round.

Well, this is it.  The final edition of "A Decade of Drafting".  Tomorrow, I'll post a compiled edition complete with stats and analysis of what to make out of the decade.

Due to popular request, I'm expanding my look at the Colts' drafts to include some other teams.  Each day, we'll look how the Colts, Steelers, Patriots, Eagles and Ravens drafted this decade.  We'll start with the year 2000.  I'm ranking the teams based on this criteria:  would you trade one entire draft for another?  The team whose draft you would definitely trade the others for gets top billing.

Indy gets top marks in 2009 despite little production from their top two picks.  Powers, Collie, and McAfee were as good as any three rookies in the league last year.  If Brown or Moala become consistent players, 2009 will go down as a banner draft for Bill Polian and company.

2009

1. Colts

Total picks: 8

Made team: 6

Total Games Played: 62

Total Pro Bowls:  0

Best pick:  Pat McAfee

Starters drafted: Jerraud Powers, Pat McAfee

Summary and Grade:  A.  It's way to early to effectively grade this draft, but considering the major role that Powers, Collie, McAfee had on a team that went to the Super Bowl, it's hard to argue that the 2009 was anything other than a success.  The Colts still have gotten very little from Brown and Moala, but that doesn't mean that both guys won't end up being good players.  All in all, the pick of McAfee alone gave this team a big lift in kickoff coverage.

2. Eagles

Total picks: 8

Made team: 5

Total Games Played: 63

Total Pro Bowls:  0

Best pick: Jeremy Maclin

Starters drafted: Jeremy Maclin, Victor Harris

Summary and Grade: A- The Eagles got good production out of Maclin and LeSean McCoy in their rookie years.  They only have four players from this draft still with the team, but three of them are likely to be starters next year.

3.  Patriots

Total picks: 12

Made team: 8

Total Games Played: 95

Total Pro Bowls:  0

Best pick:  Julian Edleman

Starters drafted: Sebastian Vollmer

Summary and Grade:  B+ It's too early to tell if the Pats got any real stars out of this draft, but they think a lot of Vollmer, and Edleman will get his chance to be Wes Welker next year.  After several years of bad drafts, the Pats desperately needed a deep class.  They may just have gotten it.

4. Steelers

Total picks: 9

Made team: 5

Total Games Played: 66

Total Pro Bowls:  0

Best pick:  David Johnson

Starters drafted: none

Summary and Grade:  B- It's just too early to grade this draft yet.  The Steelers had decent participation, but no one looks to be a break out star.  First round pick Ziggy Hood was something of a bust in his first year.

5.  Ravens

Total picks: 6

Made team: 3

Total Games Played: 39

Total Pro Bowls:  0

Best pick:  Michael Oher

Starters drafted: Michael Oher

Summary and Grade: C+ I can't give them a higher grade unless Oher turns out to be a franchise caliber left tackle.  Only three players made the team, so it will be hard for this draft to be particularly deep or productive for the Ravens.

Due to popular request, I'm expanding my look at the Colts' drafts to include some other teams.  Each day, we'll look how the Colts, Steelers, Patriots, Eagles and Ravens drafted this decade.  We'll start with the year 2000.  I'm ranking the teams based on this criteria:  would you trade one entire draft for another?  The team whose draft you would definitely trade the others for gets top billing.

The 2008 draft was awful for most teams.  The Ravens hit a home run in the first two rounds and immediately vaulted toward the top of the AFC.  The Colts did ok, but the Pats, Eagles and especially the Steelers had forgettable seasons.

1.  Ravens

Total picks: 10

Made team: 8

Total Games Played: 167

Total Pro Bowls:  1 (Ray Rice-1)

Best pick:  Joe Flacco

Starters drafted: Tavares Gooden (1 season), Ray Rice (1 season), Joe Flacco (2 seasons)

Summary and Grade: A It's hard to argue with the production the Ravens have had out of their 2008 class. Anytime a team lands a legitimate starting quarterback AND a top of the league runner in the first two rounds, the draft is going to get a good grade.  The Ravens got lots of depth out of this class as well, however.  Should Flacco ultimately not pan out, this grade will drop, but through two seasons the Ravens have to be thrilled with where he is at.

2.  Colts

Total picks: 9

Made team: 9

Total Games Played: 166

Total Pro Bowls:  0

Best pick:  Pierre Garcon

Starters drafted: Pollak (1 season), Wheeler (1 season), Garcon (1 season), Richard (1 season)

Summary and Grade:  B. This should be lower but Garcon may turn out to be the single best pick in the entire draft.  At the time, people said the 2008 draft was weak, but in hindsight, it was SUPER weak.  Remarkably few of the players in the draft have managed to even earn starting jobs, let alone become stars. The jury is still out on Wheeler, who I thought improved as the season went along.  Garcon was a steal.  Pollak has been disappointing to say the least.  Looking at how bad this draft was, it's now clear why teams like the Colts and Patriots actively traded out of it both before and during the draft.  This was just a weak, weak crop of players.

3 (tie). Eagles

Total picks: 10

Made team: 5

Total Games Played: 99

Total Pro Bowls:  1 (DeSean Jackson-1)

Best pick: Jackson

Starters drafted: DeSean Jackson (1 season)

Summary and Grade: C- This draft is a mirror image of the Patriots.  Precious little production by volume or by star power.  DeSean Jackson did make a Pro Bowl, but now with the move to Kevin Kolb, you have to wonder if his career might wind up coming up short.

3 (tie). Patriots

Total picks:7

Made team: 5

Total Games Played:  100

Total Pro Bowls:  0

Best pick:  Jerod Mayo

Starters drafted: Jerod Mayo (2 seasons)

Summary and Grade: C- The Pats draft was utterly without star power or depth.  Only Mayo and Jonathan Wilhite have played much at all.  Mayo looked like a potential star after winning the Rookie of the Year award, but faded in his second year as he was hampered by injuries.

5. Steelers

Total picks: 7

Made team: 4

Total Games Played: 47

Total Pro Bowls:  0

Best pick: Rashard Mendenhall

Starters drafted: Rashard Mendenhall (1 season)

Summary and Grade:  D. Mendenhall battled injuries in his rookie year, but had a solid YPC in his second year.  This class may go down as one of the worst drafts of the decade by any of the teams.  Mendenhall could still rescue it by having a nice career, or I'd give it an F.

Due to popular request, I'm expanding my look at the Colts' drafts to include some other teams.  Each day, we'll look how the Colts, Steelers, Patriots, Eagles and Ravens drafted this decade.  We'll start with the year 2000.  I'm ranking the teams based on this criteria:  would you trade one entire draft for another?  The team whose draft you would definitely trade the others for gets top billing.

The Steelers set up their Super Bowl run with a home run draft in 2007.  The Colts could still come out on top here, but Session would have to hit another level, and Gonzo needs to become a star.  Or, Ugoh could become a starter.  The Pats grade will be controversial, but remember that I'm only evaluating them for the players they chose.  NOT for the players they obtained via trade.

1.  Steelers

Total picks: 8

Made team: 7

Total Games Played: 225

Total Pro Bowls:  1 (La Marr Woodley-1)

Best pick: LaMarr Woodley

Starters drafted: Lawrence Timmons (1 season), LaMarr Woodley (2 seasons), Matt Spaeth (2 seasons), Daniel Sepulveda (2 seasons), William Gay (1 season),

Summary and Grade: A. A great draft by the Steelers helped put them over the top in 2008.  Five starters and a star in Woodley is an excellent year by any standard.

2.  Ravens

Total picks: 7

Made team: 7

Total Games Played: 232

Total Pro Bowls:  2 (LeRon McClain-2)

Best pick: Ben Grubbs

Starters drafted: Ben Grubbs (3 seasons), Yamon Figures (2 seasons), Marshall Yanda (2 seasons), Le'Ron McClain (3 seasons)

Summary and Grade: B+ A good draft for the Ravens.  Everyone made the squad.  Several players have contributed.  McClain keeps making Pro Bowls because he's the only fullback left in the NFL.  A nice job by them.

3.  Colts

Total picks: 9

Made team: 9

Total Games Played: 184

Total Pro Bowls:  0

Best pick:  Clint Session

Starters drafted: Gonzalez (2 seasons), Ugoh (2 seasons), Session (2 seasons), Dawson (1 season)

Summary and Grade:  B.  The jury is still out on this group, though it's safe to say that the pick of Session was a definite hit.  Gonzo was on his way to becoming a star before popping a knee.  No one knows what do with Ugoh, but in looking back over the draft, it's not clear that anyone else would have been a better pick.  The big blow of the draft was the early retirement of Quinn Pitcock after a nice rookie year.  Unless Gonzo goes on to have a long career, however, this could end up being a bit of a bust class.  There's still plenty of time for Gonzo and Session to become Pro Bowl players.  If Ugoh ever blossoms into a player, this could be a very productive class.  It's important to note that all 9 draftees made the team as well.  As a team becomes elite, it is harder for new players to break through.

4.  Eagles

Total picks: 8

Made team: 5

Total Games Played: 135

Total Pro Bowls:  0

Best pick: Brent Celek

Starters drafted: Stewart Bradley (1 season), Brent Celek (1 season)

Summary and Grade: C. It's totally unfair to grade this class until we know if Kevin Kolb can become a starter.  They've dealt McNabb betting that he will.  I'm no fan of Kolb, but we have to let it play out before grading this group.  Celek had a breakout year last year at tight end.

5. Patriots

Total picks: 9

Made team: 1

Total Games Played: 48

Total Pro Bowls:  1 (Brandon Meriweather-1)

Best pick:  Meriweather

Starters drafted: Brandon Meriweather (1 season)

Summary and Grade: D No draft in the decade is weirder than the Patriots draft in 2007.  They made two trades that netted Wes Welker and Randy Moss, so obviously they did well over all.  The purpose of this exercise is not to evaluate trades, but rather the actual players picked.  The conventional wisdom about the Pats '07 draft was that they were so loaded, that they didn't have room for any of the players they picked.  They were so stacked, that they just had to cut the guys they took.  In this case, the facts don't support the CW.

The truth is that they made bad picks.  Only four of the 9 players they took made ANY NFL team.  Only two played more than five games in the league.  Only one has become a starter (Meriweather).  Had a bunch of players cut by the Pats become solid starters in the league, I would have given them a better grade, recognizing the depth of their overall roster.  In this case, they took a bunch of stiffs, and were unable to replenish their roster.  When you hear analysts say things like "the Pats look old", you can point to the 2007 draft as the reason.  The Patriots made one good pick and a bunch of terrible ones.

Due to popular request, I'm expanding my look at the Colts' drafts to include some other teams.  Each day, we'll look how the Colts, Steelers, Patriots, Eagles and Ravens drafted this decade.  We'll start with the year 2000.  I'm ranking the teams based on this criteria:  would you trade one entire draft for another?  The team whose draft you would definitely trade the others for gets top billing.

The Ravens edge out the Colts for the top slot in 2006, thanks in part to the fact that several of the starters for the Colts were real weak links and/or role players in recent years.  Ngata was a great first pick, and the Ravens had more depth and production than the Colts from the year.

1.  Ravens

Total picks: 10

Made team: 8

Total Games Played: 344

Total Pro Bowls:  1 (Haloti Ngata-1)

Best pick: Ngata

Starters drafted: Haloti Ngata (4 seasons),  Chris Chester (2 seasons), Dawan Landry (3 seasons), Quinn Sypniewski (1 season), Sam Kotch (4 seasons)

Summary and Grade:  A. An excellent year for the Ravens.  They nailed both depth and quality.  Ngata has become a feared tackle on excellent defenses.  They edge the Colts this year just by a whisker, thanks to more starters and more games played.

2.  Colts

Total picks: 7

Made team: 7

Total Games Played: 306

Total Pro Bowls:  2 (Addai-1, Bethea 1)

Best pick:  Antoine Bethea

Starters drafted: Addai (3 seasons), Tim Jennings (1 season), Keiaho (2 seasons), Charlie Johnson (2 seasons), Antoine Bethea (4 seasons)

Summary and Grade: A.  This was a crazy deep draft loaded with great players, but how can you criticize four starters (two of whom made Pro Bowls)?  The worst pick was Keiaho who turned out to just be 'a guy' and cost the Colts a chance at a number of Pro Bowl caliber players.  The Colts got more games played out of this draft than out of any of the previous four. That's remarkable considering that four of those players are still with the team and accumulating games.  This was the draft that put the Colts over the top and on to the Super Bowl.  This is also one of only two Indy drafts of the decade (to date) to produce two Pro Bowl players.

3.  Eagles

Total picks: 8

Made team: 7

Total Games Played: 288

Total Pro Bowls:  0

Best pick:  Brodrick Bunkley

Starters drafted: Brodrick Bunkley (3 seasons), Winston Justice (1 season), Chris Gocong (3 seasons), Max Jean-Giles (1 season), Omar Gaither (2 seasons)

Summary and Grade: B- No real star power for the Eagles, but they did managed to get a pile of games, and five different players managed to crack the starting line up.  Unfortunately, none of them have become more than average players.  Bunkley was measured to have had a nice season upfront by Pro Football Focus, but at the end of the day, there hasn't been a lot to write home about for the Eagles from 2006.

4.  Steelers

Total picks: 9

Made team: 4

Total Games Played: 163

Total Pro Bowls:  0

Best pick: Santonio Holmes

Starters drafted: Santonio Holmes (3 seasons), Anthony Smith (1 season), Willie Colon (3 seasons)

Summary and Grade: C+. Holmes is developing into a Pro Bowl caliber player, and Willie Colon is the starting right tackle, so that's two valuable players.  Unfortunately for the Steelers, this goes down as one of the thinnest drafts I've looked at.  They haven't gotten any 'playing time production' out of any of the other picks.

5.  Patriots

Total picks: 10

Made team: 7

Total Games Played: 242

Total Pro Bowls:  1 (Gostowski-1)

Best pick: Stephen Gostowski

Starters drafted: David Thomas (1 season), Stephen Gotowski (4 seasons)

Summary and Grade: C.  The Vinateri for Gostowski swap worked for the Pats.  Nothing else in this draft did, least of all first round pick Laurence Maroney, who was taken before more accomplished backs.  Gostowski and Maroney are the only players from this draft still with the team.