NFC CENTRAL RIVAL'S REPORTS
The Rival Reports are not written by me; they are written by rabid fans of the teams. They will be checking in periodically with new info on their team.
photo by Star Tribune
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May 6, 2000
Wow, a lot has happened since the last Packer update, not all of it good. As I'm sure you
all know, Mark Chmura has been accused of sexual assault on an underage girl at an
after-prom high school party. Even if he is found not guilty, there is virtually no way he
will ever play for the Packers again. The PR guys need to be very careful especially now
that they are trying to convince voters to pay for upgrading Lambeau field. If no teams
are willing to make a trade, Chmura will most likely be cut. However, there is a
possibility that he will remain on the roster for a while for salary-cap purposes.
Luckily Green Bay was able to select Bubba Franks, the best TE prospect to come along in
years, with their first round choice in April's college draft. While Franks isn't as fast
as some scouts would like, he is a very big target and he catches everything thrown his
way. His blocking needs work but he is probably a better blocker at this point than Chmura
was this early in his career. He struggled on the first day of the recent mini-camp but
showed tremendous improvement in subsequent practices. He reminds some of a young Ben
Coates and he has the coaching staff very excited.
Many fans were surprised that the Packers didn't select a defensive player with their
first round choice but Ron Wolf and Mike Sherman expect Franks to step in right away as a
starter and provide an outlet for Brett Favre that was missing last season. It is true
that the Packer defense needs more help than the offense does, BUT, the single best way to
improve the performance of the team is to get Favre back to MVP form. The Packers feel
that Franks provides the best opportunity for that to happen. Rumor has it that Green Bay
would have selected DE Shawn Ellis had he been available at #14.
The Packers acquired running back Ahman Green in a trade with Seattle on the eve of the
draft. The Packers sent last year's second round pick, Fred Vinson, to the Seahawks in
exchange for Green. The trade also involved swapping late round picks. Green will step in
immediately as the number 2 RB and he will be used frequently to spell Dorsey Levens. He
will also be the primary punt and kick return man. Ron Wolf swears that he saw Green run a
4.14 forty-yard dash in a pre-draft workout a couple years ago. Green fell out of favor
with Mike Holmgren in Seattle because of his propensity to fumble.
Offensive lineman Chad Clifton was the Packers second pick in the draft. Wolf says the
Packers had him rated as the second best lineman in the draft behind only Chris Samuels
and they could not pass him up in the second round. He is extremely versatile. According
to Wolf, Clifton was drafted as a tackle, but some of the coaching staff believe he will
eventually play guard. That will partially depend on whether or not the Packers can come
to a long-term agreement with Ross Verba. If Verba departs via free agency next season,
Clifton is a shoe-in as his replacement. Others in the organization feel that he will be
among the starting five by the end of this season.
In the third round the Packers finally got some defensive help. They chose DT Steve Warren
from Nebraska. He is fairly quick and very stout. The knock on him is his height as he is
only 6 feet tall. His arms are a little on the short side too. The Pack had him rated as
the second best interior DL behind only Corey Simon. More defensive help came in the
fourth round with the selection of Na'll Diggs. Most scouts feel he will be a difference
maker eventually, but that he is on the raw side now. The Packers must believe that he can
develop quickly because last years starting strong side LB, George Koonce, was not invited
to the recent mini-camp. Mike Morton re-signed with the Packers to provide a little more
depth in this area. Morton signed with Green Bay last year but was traded to the Rams a
few weeks later. WR Anthony Lucas was also chosen in the fourth round. He is an excellent
bigger receiver. His stock fell because of a medical condition sometimes called
"hammer toes" that causes him to run in a manner that most people consider
awkward. He has been doing it that way his whole life and he has been able to produce
effectively despite the condition. Of course he is not a lock to make the team but I like
his chances of being the #5 wide receiver.
Another important addition to the Packers is DT Russell Maryland. Maryland signed a 3-year
deal worth approximately 8 million dollars. He has lost a step in the last year or two but
he will be counted on to help improve the play of the defensive line. Maryland is penciled
in as the started next to Santana Dotson. With Steve Warren, Billy Lyon, and the probable
return of leaner Gilbert Brown, the defensive line looks to be an area of strength this
season with excellent depth. Now if we can only find another defensive end.
Packer correspondent
Charles Long
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In the 2000 NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had to
work with just 6 picks, and they traded one to move up in the second round. So with 5
overall picks in the draft, the Bucs went to draft a little combination of need and
talent. The reason is because a few of the guys they got were not only good options for
the depth of the team, but slipped farther than they were expected to. The two biggest
examples of this are OL Cosey Coleman of Tennessee, taken in the 2nd round, and QB Joe
Hamilton of Georgia Tech, taken in the 7th round.
Coleman was actually going to be taken by the Bucs' 27th pick in the 1st round before it
was traded to New York for Keyshawn Johnson, so when the Bucs found him availlible at the
20th pick in the second round, the Bucs traded their 26th pick in the round and their 4th
rounder to Carolina to move up and snagged him. He is expected to be a factor immediately
in the line depth by backing up ancient right guard Randall McDaniel and left guard Frank
Middleton.
Hamilton was supposed to go between the 4th and 6th rounds, but concerns over his
5-foot-10 size and arm strength made the Heisman runner-up fall all the way to the late
7th round, where the Bucs chose him. The Bucs only had 3 QBs on their roster prior to this
pick, and with one of them (Scott Milanovich) in NFL Europe, they needed a third QB to
train behind Shaun King and Eric Zeier.
Also, there was a steal in the 5th round for the Bucs in TE James Whalen, a 1st team
All-American TE that set the NCAA division I record for catches by a TE in a season with
Kentucky last year. He should team in the two TE formation to give Shaun King some extra
targets to throw to. He is not a good blocker due to his small build, so my best
comparison to an NFL player is perennial Pro Bowler Shannon Sharpe, although even Sharpe
is better built than Whalen.
Another solid pick the Bucs had was ILB Nate Webster from Miami (FL), who they selected in
the third round. With Hardy Nickerson leaving for Jacksonville, the Bucs had only 3rd year
pro Jamie Duncan to play the middle of the defense and no real backup. Webster gives the
Bucs a little depth at the LB spot and can push Duncan for playing time in a year or two.
Webster probably would have been a 2nd round pick in 2001, but he was declared ineligable
for the NCAA after applying for the NFL draft then withdrawing.
In the sixth round, the Bucs took a saftey prospect in David Gibson of USC. This is a
normal thing with the Bics' draft crew--get another practice squad DB. This pick was the
only one I really don't like. The guy is pretty slow. Oh well.
Overall, I give the draft a A-, and yes I am counting the aquisition of Keyshawn Johnson
for two first round picks in with that grade. We could have done better, but not much.
Travis Stoffs
tcdarkness@aol.com
Buc Links
Tampa Tribune Jolly Roger Buc News The Armada TC's 2001 Draft at a glance
4/13/00
Bear's Mock Draft
By Da' Bulldog
1st rd. Brian Urlacher OLB New Mexico
2nd rd.Sebastian Janikowski PK Florida St.
3rd rd. Danny Farmer WR UCLA
3rd rd. Kaulana Noa OG Hawaii
4th rd. Shryrone Stith RB Virginia Tech.
6th rd. John Frank DE Utah
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correspondent, let me know.
E-Mail: Ikaikavike