NFL Progress Reports

One of my favorite aspects of the professional games is roster management. Perhaps because I have played Madden in Franchise mode for too long, I have followed the movement and development of talent in the NFL closely for the better half of the last decade, sometimes more closely than scores and victories. With the salary cap in place, the annual draft carries the most weight for a team’s success (especially over the long term).

That bloggers jump to premature conclusions is a fair criticism, and I am not exception. How is the 2009 Draft shaping up in retrospect? How does a good draft or a bad draft shape a team’s immediate success? By taking a look at the drafts of the two of the most surprising and two of the most disappointing teams, maybe we can discern a few trends.

Minnesota Vikings (6-0)

Key picks: WR Percy Harvin (20 catches, 243 receiving yards), OT Phil Loadholt (6 starts)

The biggest surprise of this young season for me is the emergence of rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin. I was skeptical of his NFL potential because of questions regarding his college system, attitude, and health, but he has emerged as a young versatile talent for the Vikings to pair with RB Adrian Peterson for years. (I was very big on WR Hakeem Nicks, who has turned out to be just as good, and maybe more explosive, for the New York Giants). As big an acquisition as QB Brett Favre has been, Phil Loadholt has surprisingly contributed great production for one of the league’s best offensive lines. Both players were featured in their dramatic comeback victory against San Francisco in the third week of the season.

New Orleans Saints (5-0)

Key picks: CB Malcolm Jenkins (1 recovered fumble), P Thomas Morstead (43.9 average)

Two-fourths of the Saints’ 2009 draft was lost to injury in training camp. The early success of the Saints is driven by veterans (CB Jabari Greer and S Darren Sharper), so the concern is whether they can sustain their high level of play throughout the postseason and into future seasons. If they can’t, that means their high cap number and the less experienced draft picks could limit the team’s flexibility in the future.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6)

Key picks: QB Josh Freeman (0 starts), Roy Miller (14 tackles, 1 sack)

If Jon Gruden’s history was any indication, similar results would have been in store for the Bucs whether Raheem Morris was the head coach or not. Still, the Bucs’ investment into WRs Michael Clayton (11 catches, 154 yards) and Antonio Byrant (14 catches, 178 yards) looks more puzzling every game that rookie seventh-round pick Sammie Stroughter basically matches their performance (13 catches, 151 yards). The Bucs look like they hit on multiple picks but the trade of disappointing DE Gaines Adams and the questionable maturity of QB Josh Freeman make me wonder how bright the future really is.

Tennessee Titans (0-6)

Key picks: WR Kenny Britt (289 receiving yards), DT Sen’Derrick Marks (1 tackle)

The puzzler for me is why Head Coach Jeff Fisher refuses to put quarterback Vince Young on the field. Nevertheless, when I looked at the stats, I was surprised to see that the Titans have actually been committed to a youth movement this year. Players such as Jason McCourty and Jared Cook are getting valuable experience. Still, in the absense of Albert Haynesworth, they could use more push in the middle of the line from Marks or second-year players Jason Jones (3 sacks) and William Hayes (1.5 sacks).This year, the results are bad, but I think they are in line for another double-digit winning season next year.

Conclusion

Free agency has played a bigger factor so far. Other winning teams that are getting great minutes from rookies include the Cincinnati Bengals (OT Andre Smith) and the New York Jets (QB Mark Sanchez). I look forward to returning to this issue during the playoffs to see how our young stars are performing.