Grading the 2011 Draft

A summer that threatened lockout and a late beginning to the NFL. Whew, glad we dodged that one. Officially kicking off our second decade, Catch the Damn Ball heads into its eleventh season with the Chunky Monkeys on top and quite a few past champions sitting at the bottom of the standings. Let's take a look at what everyone reloaded with, during an exciting and trade heavy off-season. These grades mainly reflect what was done with the draft slot opportunity, and how the players acquired project to help their teams this upcoming season.

1. Battle Angels
After winning the inaugural Toilet Bowl -- an accomplishment since the Angels had the worst record last year -- Vu knew exactly who to target with his number one pick. Because he already had Saints QB Drew Brees in the fold, Vu stepped away from Mark Ingram toward Dolphins rookie RB Daniel Thomas. Pundits are split on which rookie RB will have the most impact, but Thomas has just as good a chance as anyone else. There's a clear need for another breakout back on this team, as keepers DeAngelo Williams and Cedric Benson are probably middle of the pack due to situation or talent. While we like Fred Jackson, he'll hardly be the new face of the franchise. And seventh round pick Ronnie Brown is an afterthought.

The Battle Angels will be primarily an aerial team again this season, as Austin Collie, Vernon Davis, James Jones, and Malcolm Floyd will be productive complements next to Andre Johnson and Greg Jennings. Vu also went all in with the Pack, by scooping up their defense in RD6. Even with a number one overall pick, this NFL draft offered no clear superstars, so Vu went with a mixed collecton of young veterans with upside. We gave the Angels draft last year an A-, but that actually turned out to be way off as they bottomed out. Perhaps this low relatively low grade will end up opposite of predictions also.
Grade: B

2. Dirty Birds
After a pair of off-season trades, this franchise went from having two top ten backs to possibly going run and shoot for the immediate future. Michael Turner was essentially exchanged for Roddy White, and the Birds had only Knowshon Moreno as a second back heading into the draft. GM Jon went RB heavy with his mid-round picks, grabbing rookie Roy Helu, Mike Tolbert, and Rashad Jennings in successive rounds. None of them are starters -- same with eighth round pick Javon Ringer -- and all are involved in timeshares. Hum.

The good news is the arrival of Dwayne Bowe and Michael Crabtree give the WR corps a very strong look. White, Larry Fitzgerald, Miles Austin, and Bowe are the best receiving group in the league, and they'll have to be as the Birds look to spread the field. This year's two-headed QB attack will be Ben Roethlisberger and Josh Freeman. Without the addition of Bowe, we're thinking this draft might have been less than average as there is still gaping holes next to Adrian Peterson.
Grade: C+

3. Tiiite End Jammers
Right before the draft started, GM Lei shipped off Michael Vick in exchange for RB Maurice Jones-Drew, giving his backfield a great one-two punch. With Rashard Mendenhall, Jones-Drew, and Ryan Grant in the fold, the Jammers needed some receivers to pair with Percy Harvin. The drafting department went right to work, using five of their first six picks on pass catchers. Marques Colston and Hines Ward have both seen better days but they're still able to contribute. Young guys like Sidney Rice, Mike Thomas, Johnny Knox, and Jacoby Ford all have potential, and should one of them follow through, that would greatly boost the Jammers' chances of finally returning to the playoffs.

The Vick for MJD trade also involved a fifth round swap, which basically amounted to RBs Marshawn Lynch for Ryan Torain. We're not sure if Torain will see much time in a crowded Redskins backfield, but the Jammers probably won't need him much this season. QB Tony Romo has been given the vote of confidence and Lei will need him to stay healthy this time around.
Grade: B+

4. Gang Green
Traditionally, the draft is the appetizer to Gang Green's in-season free agent meals. Their draft plan is generally this: Grab a few Michigan guys here, draft a couple of New York players there, and wait for the waiver wire to open. Last year's keeper core was mostly decimated due to injury and retirement so this year's keeper five features three players acquired through free agency last year: Peyton Hillis, Steve Johnson, and Brandon Lloyd. Disappointing Shonn Greene was the only returning player, along with last year's first round pick, breakout WR star Hakeem Nicks.

This year first rounder yielded another Giants player with nice upside in Ahmad Bradshaw, who has excellent potential. RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis won't score 13 TDs again but he'll prove a useful backup. Unsurprisingly, Matt Schaub and Eli Manning are the QBs Greg went with, both very familiar to this franchise. Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, and Roy Williams rounded out the draft, none of whom we're much excited about. We like Bradshaw, the two quarterbacks and Jets Defense, but really the draft has never been crucial to this team's success.
Grade: C+

5. Ante Up
GM Jae has been on a roll with his drafts recently, unearthing Aaron Rodgers, Ray Rice, and LeSean McCoy. With his backfield beautifully positioned for the future, Jae was looking to add some depth behind fading Reggie Wayne and promising Kenny Britt. First rounder Santonio Holmes is going to have a big comeback season and we think he's a steal here. Second rounder Mario Manningham could be headed for a big step up too, after proving he was a big playmaker for the Giants last season. Heck, even Lance Moore could step in for a few games if necessary.

Even with Rice and McCoy locked up, Jae felt the need to grab four more RBs -- Jonathan Stewart, CJ Spiller, Joseph Addai, Michael Bush. Every one of those guys, save Spiller, has proven to be useful in some capacity in their careers. As backups they'll be more than enough, and one could serve as useful trait bait if necessary. We are big fans of Jae's draft and think he made all the right moves to stay in contention after making it to the divisional finals last year. True story: Ante Up scored the most points during the record season last year.
Grade: A

6. Philadelphia Phreaks
The bold trade for Michael Vick is going to determine whether or not the Phreaks have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in their franchise's history. Vick is a game changer and if he can deliver on even 75% of his promise, the Phreaks can book a spot in the playoffs. Of course, giving up their only reliable running back created a huge hole in the backfield. GM Ping moved to fill that quickly with LeGarrette Blount, who came on really strong during his rookie year. He'll fill one spot in the empty backfield but we're not sold on Jahvid Best staying healthy -- but watch out if he can! This year's rookie RB, Ryan Williams, just ruptured his patella tendon and is already out for the season. That means Ping is going to need Best, Marshawn Lynch, or Falcons' rookie backup Jacquizz Rogers to be there behind Blount. We think they'll need more.

What the Phreaks do have is an outstanding passing attack, anchored by DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Mike Wallace, who had a fantastic breakout season last year. Pierre Garcon, Davone Bess, and Deion Branch will provide depth but we can't see any of them hitting the field behind that fabulous starting trio, short of injury or bye weeks. Ping went all in with the Eagles -- as usual -- by selecting their defense and special teams in RD4. An ex-Eagle, Kevin Kolb, will serve as Vick's backup this season and he's sure to see the field at some point.
Grade: C+, downgraded due to the unfortunate Williams injury

7. Fat Jubas
A last to first performance for the Jubas. That's what happens when you trade for Peyton Manning, Chris Johnson, and have Darren McFadden finally emerge. The Jubas have an intimidating roster, with Frank Gore also on-board, and last year's draft freebie, WR Vincent Jackson back in Chargers' powder blue for a full season. The Jubas have never had back-to-back winning seasons either, which is a bit surprising. We're going to find out real quick if last year's success can be duplicated as Manning is suffering from a scary neck issue still, and Johnson is holding out for mega-bucks.

Eric loves his veterans, and especially his tight ends. Last year's team featured four or five TEs on the roster and this year the Jubas have Dallas Clark, Marcedes Lewis, and Owen Daniels ready to go too. Next to Jackson, we're looking at a bounce back season for Anquan Boldin and maybe a little something from Plaxico Burress. With this many veteran pass catchers around, the Jubas will be fine, if not necessarily spectacular passing the ball. Sleeper rookie DeMarco Murray could start very soon, and we like him ten times as much as Brandon Jacobs, who doesn't offer much more than a few yards and some touchdown work.
Grade: B

8. Buffy
Despite being upset in the first round last year by Ante Up, Buffy had a very successful 2010 campaign. Second best record in the league, the second most points scored, Arian Foster emerging as a fantasy monster, and nice multi-dimensional seasons from Matt Forte and Stephen Jackson. There were a lot of failures in the receivers department though, as Wes Welker was off his game and Antonio Gates was dinged up quite a bit. Enter rookie AJ Green, the new hope for a healthy passing game. With the Bengals stuck in offensive purgatory, Green is a great pick but likely at least a year away. That means Chad Ochocinco will have to step up his game -- a 50-50 toss up. The WR we're high on is actually Danny Amendola, who will have a more experienced Sam Bradford tossing him the rock.

The QBs Roger tagged to start off the season are Matt Ryan and Jay Cutler, with Ryan liking getting most of the early work. In an interesting move, Buffy drafted both the Ravens and Steelers defenses. While a defense in RD6 isn't necessarily too early, two of them in two rounds makes little to no sense. Explanation? If Green is slow to start and Ochocino can't link up with Tom Brady, we foresee either Forte or Jackson to be shipped off for receiving help, assuming Foster stays healthy. Reggie Bush was drafted in the late rounds to provide some media pull as an ex of Kim Kardashian.
Grade: C

9. Fobsters
It's clear that the once much mocked Fobsters are now a perennial contender. With three playoff appearances in four years and last year's shocking run to the Super Bowl, semi-new owner Jimmy has turned this franchise around. After inheriting a team that fueled a 2-23-1 record over his first two seasons, Jimmy has been running a 0.500 (26-26) operation since. We gave Fobsters a "D" for last year's draft, which filled no holes in the gaping backfield. However, rookies Dez Bryant and Mike Williams both impressed and have upgraded the upside at receiver by a factor of ten. Veteran TE Jason Witten returns and he'll provide his usual 80+ catches and 1000 yards. With all those receivers in hand, the Fobsters made an off-season trade to turn franchise receiver Calvin Johnson into running back Michael Turner. While Johnson is a consensus top three receiver, getting a dependable RB was very important for this franchise. This gives the Fobsters their only legitimate top ten back since Deuce McAllister.

Now for 2011's draft. Frankly, we love it. Getting a top rookie running back at ninth overall is huge. Even if Mark Ingram is just one cog in the Saints' offensive juggernaut, he can't be any worse than Reggie Bush (originally drafted by the Fobsters and finally un-keepered this off-season). With his seventh rounder, Jimmy swept up Ingram's teammate, Pierre Thomas, for insurance. While the "real" Steve Smith is no longer a franchise player, he's worth a shot in case he gets traded. Heck, talented but trapped in Buffalo Lee Evans was moved to Baltimore recently, which will greatly enhance both his and Joe Flacco's value. The Fobsters took Evans and Flacco in RD4 and RD6 respectively, pre-trade. The season ending injury to Cardinals' rookie Ryan Williams opens the door for Beanie Wells, another slight boost. And if Tim Hightower can make some moves in Washington, Jimmy might finally have a decent ground game to complement Brady and his stable of pass catchers.
Grade: A-

10. Chunky Monkeys
It's clear that even if Ryan Mathews emerges this season, the trade for him that cost the Monkeys Chris Johnson was a lopsided one. Then again, the Monkeys won their second title without the services of Johnson, and are primed to do it again. Jamaal Charles may split time with a bigger back but his stats are out of this world. He's a top fantasy option and is only getting better. The less said of Mathews right now the better, and he represents a huge hole at the second RB position. With too many keeper worthy players around, Evan had to make some tough cuts, including Dwayne Bowe and Anquan Boldin. The good news is their last few trades maneuvers resulted in a whopping three second round picks for a defending champion. Very dangerous.

After nabbing Felix Jones in RD1, GM Evan snatched up TE Jermichael Finley, rookie Julio Jones, and WR Santana Moss. By the time other people were just gathering their rosters together, the Monkeys had their lineup and backups all filled out. This Falcons' fan may be a bit biased but WR Julio Jones is going to be tremendous. With the recent swap of Roddy White for Calvin Johnson, Evan won't even have to worry about inter-team conflict in the future. While we're not entirely sold on Brandon Marshall, Monkeys' management is convinced he's headed for a bounce back year. Old hand Santana Moss will likely fit into the third receiver slot with Johnson and Marshall to start the season. Unless Mr. Irrelevant, Robert Meachem, wants a crack at the starting gig.

We're still very concerned about that hole next to Jamal Charles. Felix Jones is a pass catching threat, but not the sort of runner Evan generally likes. LaDainian Tomlison is returning though, and it would be quite amusing if he has another season that is better than his Chargers' heir apparent. QB Philip Rivers is the centerpiece of the whole Monkeys' operation, and backup Matt Stafford will likely never see the field. To be honest, we're surprised at the lack of promise in the Monkeys' draft, outside of the two Jones'. The three second rounders seem slightly wasted? All Evan was hunting for to defend his championship seems to be solid performers who may or may not be up to the challenge.
Grade: B-