FINAL MOCK DRAFT

The goal is to get 10 correct picks. My first year I got 9 right. Last year didn't go so well, with only 6 right. Hopefully in year 3 I do better. The Under/Over is 9.5. I'm taking the Over.

1. St. Louis Rams---Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
I really don't think Bradford is going to be a great NFL quarterback but the Rams have to take the best QB on the board.
2. Detroit Lions---Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
He could be one of the best defensive lineman for the next decade and a Pro Bowler this year.
3. Tampa Bay Bucs---Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
The next Warren Sapp? The Bucs will be thrilled to pick McCoy, who will join Suh in the Pro Bowl.
4. Washington Redskins---Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
With McNabb at QB now they need some linemen to protect him.
5. Kansas City Chiefs---Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
The Chiefs might go with the safe pick of Bulaga, but Berry could be a game changing safety in the NFL and could be a Pro Bowler this year.
6. Seattle Seahawks---Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
7. Cleveland Browns---Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
8. Oakland Raiders---Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
I think Al Davis will try to redeem himself from is turrible pick of Heyward-Bey last year with another WR. I think Dez has a bad reputation for no reason; he could be a great receiver.
9. Buffalo Bills---Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
10. Jacksonville Jaguars---C.J Spiller, RB, Clemson
Spiller gives the Jags more offensive firepower that they need to keep up with the Colts and Texans
11. Philadelphia Eagles (projected with Denver)---Earl Thomas, S, Texas
The Eagles want Thomas and they are going to need to move up to get him.
12. Miami Dolphins---Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
13. San Francisco 49ers---Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
14. Seattle Seahawks---Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
If Clausen falls to 14, the Seahawks need to grab him. I think he will be a bust but at 14 he is a good value.
15. New York Giants---Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
The G-Men need a linebacker now that Antonio Pierce is gone.
16. Tennessee Titans---Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
17. San Francisco 49ers---Joe Haden, CB, Florida
His bad 40-time at the combine killed his draft stock. He will be a steal at 17 for the 49ers. He is a top 10 talent.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers---Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida
The Steelers need an offensive linemen now that Big Ben is gone for 6 games or maybe forever. They need to pound the rock and Pouncey would help.
19. Atlanta Falcons---Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan
The next LaMarr Woodley. Graham is a beast and will be a pro bowler in his rookie year.
20. Houston Texans---Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama
21. Cincinnati Bengals---Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
Unfortunately it doesn't seem like Aaron Hernandez is going in the first round but this would be a spot for a TE to get drafted.
22. New England Patriots---Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas
He is a great fit for the Patriots defense, which need to get more speed and talent.
23. Green Bay Packers---Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho
I love Iupati. I hope the Steelers take him to fill the hole left by Alan Faneca.
24. Denver Broncos (Projected trade from Philadelphia)---Sean Witherspoon, LB, Missouri
25. Baltimore Ravens---Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech
26. Arizona Cardinals---Jerry Hughes, OLB, TCU
27. Dallas Cowboys---Charles Brown, OT, USC
28. San Diego Chargers---Ryan Matthews, RB, Fresno State
29. New York Jets---Taylor Mays, S, USC
The Jets really don't need anything else, they are already the Super Bowl favorite in my opinion. But Mays is a beast for a safety and his 4.24 speed at the combine makes him a first round talent and a steal for the Jets.
30. Minnesota Vikings---Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
31. Indianapolis Colts---Rodger Saffold, OT, Indiana
32. New Orleans Saints---Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State

Round 2
38. Cleveland Browns---Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
I think he could become the best QB in this draft, but if he goes to the Browns he is destined to fail.
52. Pittsburgh Steelers---Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Trade Big Ben and get Tebow to be the future QB. At least he won't assault women and crash his motorcycle. Plus he is going to be the hardest working player in the NFL and the best character guy in the world.

The State of the Steelers

The message of the Pittsburgh Steelers for as long as the Rooney's have been running things has been character over championships.
Thus the reason why they shipped Santonio Holmes out of town for a 5th round draft pick. Last year Holmes caught 79 balls, for 1248 yards, and 5 touchdowns. Those stats are worth more than 5th round draft pick. Just over two years ago Santonio made one of the greatest plays in franchise history and he won the MVP of Super Bowl XLIII. Yet, his off the field issues have continued and now as a Jet he will be suspended four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy again.
This move made by the Steelers shows their philosophy. If you are a punk off the field you don't deserve to be a Pittsburgh Steeler. I was not happy when I heard Holmes got traded because it certainly doesn't increase their chances of winning another super bowl. But, I am now glad that the Steelers got rid of Holmes for the fact that he never learned from his previous mistakes. He got suspended by the Steelers for a game in 2008 for getting arrested with possession of marijuana, since then he has thrown a glass bottle at a women's dome and apparently failed another drug test. One strike is a mistake, the second is a problem, the third is a trend and I don't see Santonio breaking that trend, so have fun in New York buddy.
As for Ben Roethlisberger, who now has more screw-ups than Super Bowl rings, is awaiting a decision from the commish about his punishment. Frankly I think the Steelers have to trade Big Ben. Not because they would look racist for trading the black wide receiver and keeping the white quarterback. The Steelers are gold standard of the NFL and have created something called the Rooney rule, which lead them to hire a black young head coach just four years ago. So don't say they are racist because that is absurd.
Anyway back to Ben, not only did he almost kill himself on his motorcycle after winning Super Bowl XL, but he has now been accused twice of sexual assault/raping two young women. Even though he has not been charged with a crime, there is obviously something wrong with him for continuing to put himself in bad situations. I would have to say these mistakes are becoming a trend. There are also questions of Ben's impact on the locker room. Last year Hines Ward called out Big Ben for missing an important game late in the season against the Ravens with a concussion. I'm not in the locker room but it seems like some guys like him and others don't. But I'll side with Hines Ward, for he is the definition of a Pittsburgh Steeler.
Big Ben is suppose to be the face of the franchise after he received a 100 million dollar contract just before last year. Yet, he isn't acting like it. The Steelers are not the Raiders or Bungals, who take in criminals and relish in the bad boy act.
I think the Steelers need to part ways with Big Ben even if it means not winning a Super Bowl until they find a new franchise quarterback. I don't expect the Steelers to trade him because of the contract he has will make it nearly impossible to move him. If he's not traded I think that Roger Goodell has to suspend him for at least 4 games and then the Rooney's should add on at least 4 more for the embarrassment he has caused the team and city. He needs to be shown that the type of activities he has been involved in lately is not acceptable. Even though those 8 games or more probably means the Steelers won't contend for the playoffs this year, I would rather cheer for a quarterback who is a good guy and cares about his community, like Drew Brees, then a schmuck like Ben Roethlisberger. So maybe after those 8-16 games he's out for, he will realize he needs to change and then he can win back most Steelers fans.
My stance of trading Big Ben will probably change once he makes one of his scrambling plays and finds somebody wide open in the endzone, but if he starts the first game of the season, I don't know how I'll feel. I was rooting for Tiger Woods to win the Masters, but I don't think I'll be cheering for Ben. Tiger's actions were immoral but he never broke any laws, Ben has come close to breaking the law and after reading and hearing about what happen to the 20 year old goal in Georgia it is disgusting.
If Ben wants to keep Dinking Like a Champion, go for it, but hopefully he will be on a different team the next time he gets in trouble.

2010 MLB Predictions

27 Predictions about the Major League Baseball Season

1. AL East- Order of Finish: New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays

Yankees: I hate them but they will easily win 100 games and Curtis Granderson might hit 40 homers in the wiffle ball stadium

Rays: They could win 95 games if the back end of their rotation pitches well. Watch for Jeff Niemann and David Price to win 14-17 games.

Red Sox: Everybody loves their pitching and how great their defense is. That's wonderful but when you score two runs a game it will be tough to keep up with the Yanks and Rays.

Orioles: Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Brian Roberts and Matt Wieters will lead a high-powered offense but their pitching isn't great. They will improve from their 64 wins last season, but a .500 record might be a stretch. Tim Leavitt likes this O's team as he has them winning 85 games.

Blue Jays: No more Doc Halladay, good luck with Ricky Romero as your number one starter. Last place seems like a likely destination for the Jays.

2. AL Rookie of the Year- Neftali Feliz, RHP, Rangers. He is currently a reliever but could take Frank Francisco's closer job because he throws over 100 miles per hour. Forget about the curveball Neftali. Give 'em the heater.

3. NL Rookie of the Year- Jason Heyward, OF, Braves. He is a beast at 6'4'' 220. All spring training he has been hitting 500 foot homers. He could become one of the best players of this new decade.

4. AL Central- Order of Finish: Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians

White Sox: Gordon Beckham and Carlos Quentin will carry the offensive load and with a healthy Jake Peavy, Ozzie Guillen will lead the southsiders back to the playoffs.

Tigers: They have a talented pitching staff, but Miguel Cabrera is their only hitter. They can contend if their pitching holds up, but I'm not confident that it will.

Twins: It's hard to pick against the Twins because they always play hard but with no Joe Nathan in the bullpen it will be tough to close out games with their bullpen by committee.

Royals: They will win more than 65 games like they did last year. Their pitching staff is pretty solid with Cy Young winner, Zach Greinke, Gil Meche, Luke Hochevar and closer Joakim Soria. The Royals might get close to 80 wins.

Indians: They won 65 games last year, they could lose close to 100 this year. They are very young and will be competitive in two or three years but not this year.

5. Best Off-Season Move- Curtis Granderson. He is the perfect player for Yankee Stadium. I wouldn't be surprised if he hits 40 homeruns and steals 30 bases.

6. Worst Off-Season Move- John Lackey or Adrian Beltre. For Lackey, his past three years his ERA has gone up and his win total has decreased. Beltre may hit under .200 this year, after coming off his worst season last year and he hasn't done much since '04 when he was on steroids.

7. AL West- Order of Finish: Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Oakland A's

Angels: They lost Vlad, Lackey, and Chone Figgins but they still have a good lineup, lead by Kendry Morales and a solid rotation. Watch Scott Kazmir this year he could win 20 games. Their experience will allow them to win the division again.

Mariners: Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee are the best 1-2 punch in baseball. Along with the addition of Chone Figgins, the M's will get guys on base with Chone and Ichiro but do they have the bats to knock them in?

Rangers: They could score 10 runs a game and that is not a joke. Their lineup is one of the best in baseball. The question is will their pitching be good enough to win the division? Scott Feldman and Rich Harden are their best and other then them they have some no-namers.

A's: Ben Sheets could be a nice addition to their young pitching staff but they have no hitters. Cliff Pennington is their shortstop. Who is that? They won't win more than 75 games.

8. AL MVP: Evan Longoria, 33 homeruns and 113 RBI's last season and he's only 24. He will carry the Rays back to the playoffs.

9. NL MVP: Hanley Ramirez. Last year he hit .342 with 24 homers and 106 RBI's. He is by far the best shortstop in baseball and if the Marlins get to the playoffs he will be the reason why.

10. NL East- Order of Finish: Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, Washington Nationals

Phillies: It's hard to imagine the Phillies not winning the division after the two-time defending NL champs added the best pitcher in baseball, Roy Halladay.

Braves: In Bobby Cox's last season, I think the Braves will be motivated to return him to the playoffs for the final time. Their pitching staff is one of the best with Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson and a healthy Tim Hudson. Plus their lineup is very good with Brian McCann, Chipper Jones, Nate Mclouth and future star Jason Heyward.

Marlins: Their pitching staff is very talented, lead by Josh Johnson and Han-Ram might be the best player in baseball other than Pujols. They won 87 games last year, I think they will increase that number and possibly make the playoffs.

Mets: They are very talented with Wright, Reyes, Bay, Beltran, Johan and K-Rod. If they can stay healthy they can contend, but the Mets seemed to be jinxed and the injury bug will most likely strike again.

Nationals: The Nats actually might not be the worst team in baseball this year and could avoid 100 losses. Plus Stephen Strasburg has been proclaimed the best pitching prospect ever, so there is hope for the future.

11. AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez. He went 19-5 with a 2.49 ERA last year and his ERA has improved every year of his career. Now he has a more talented lineup and defense to back him up.

12. NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay. He has been one of the best pitchers in baseball for the past decade, now he gets to pitch for a team that has gone to the world series two straight years. He could win 24 games.

13. NL Central- Order of Finish: St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates

Cardinals: Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday. Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. They have two great hitters and two great pitchers. The Cards are the class of the division. Last year they won the division by 7 games, it could be as many as 15 this year.

Cubs: Last year the Cubbies won 83 games, their fate rests in the arm of Carlos Zambrano. If he can pitch like he did from 2004-06 then maybe the Cubs can contend for the playoffs but I don't think that will happen.

Brewers: The Brew Crew have big bats in their lineup but Prince Fielder is in the last year of his contract and could be traded at the deadline. However a healthy Yovani Gallardo could determine their chances of a wild card run.

Reds: If Edinson Volquez can return at full strength and Aroldis Chapman can meet some of the large expectations, then the Reds have the pitching that can allow them to make a run at the playoffs. they won 78 games last year, they have a great chance of being above .500 this year.

Astros: Lance Berkman will be out to start the year, forcing more of the load on Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence. The pitching staff is not very deep after Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez. 74 wins last year, they will be right around that number again.

Pirates: Andrew McCutchen is a very exciting young centerfielder who will probably traded at some point because that's what the Pirates do. Their pitching staff is pretty terrible. I'm hoping they can get to 70 wins but I'll be happy if they avoid 100 losses.

14. Manager of the Year: Bobby Cox, ATL. In his final season as a manager he will lead the Braves back to the playoffs and possibly make a run at another title.

15. NL West- Order of Finish: Colorado Rockies, San Franciso Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres

Rockies: They have a solid pitching staff lead by Ubaldo Jimenez and have a good lineup with power and speed. Troy Tulowitzki is my sleeper pick for MVP. They won 92 games last years after being 10 games below .500 in May. A good start will help the Rockies return to the playoffs.

Giants: I like their pitching with Lincecum, Cain and future ace Madison Bumgarner, but other than Kung Fu Panda (Pablo Sandoval), their offense isn't great and could be the reason for missing the playoffs.

Dodgers: They won the division last year with 95 wins and are bringing back most of the same players, but Manny wasn't the same Manny after being suspended and their pitching staff doesn't have an ace. They could win the division again but I think the Rockies and Giants have improved while the Dodgers have stayed the same.

Diamondbacks: The D'backs will improve from their last place finish in '09. Justin Upton will be an all-star and Mark Reynolds could hit 40 homeruns again. If Brandon Webb is healthy they have three solid starters in Webb, Dan Haren and Edwin Jackson. They have the potential to surprise people and make a run at the division crown.

Padres: They won 75 games last year, I see that number falling into the 60's. There are already rumors of trading Adrian Gonzalez and closer Heath Bell. They do have young talent but won't be in the playoff race this season.

16. AL team that could surprise us- Minnesota Twins, They won the division last years so maybe it won't be very surprising, but the loss of Joe Nathan kills their bullpen. The Twins always make a charge in August and September after everybody had counted them out and they could do that again.

17. NL team that could surprise us- Cincinnati Reds, Their pitching staff has the potential to be one the best rotations in baseball to go along with Joey Votto and Jay Bruce on offense, the Reds could make a run at the Cardinals.

18. Worst team in the league- Cleveland Indians: Two major problems. Their ace Jake Westbrook didn't pitch last year. Second, how is Fausto Carmona still their number two pitcher? He went 5-12, with a 6.32 ERA last year. They will lose 100 games. The Pirates may challenge the Indians for this honor but I think the Indians pitching staff may actually be worse that the Pirates.

19. AL team most likely to flop- Boston Red Sox: Everybody loves them but I don't think they have the bats to contend for the playoffs. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't win 90 games.

20. NL team most likely to flop- Los Angeles Dodgers: They didn't make any off-season moves that made their team better. They lost Orlando Hudson and all-star at second base and don't have an ace in their rotation. Plus who knows what Manny will show up.

21. AL Wild Card Team- Tampa Bay Rays, The Rays are being overlooked because people are in love with the Red Sox, just like 2008.

22. AL Playoffs---Last team out- Seattle Mariners: Their pitching staff will keep them in the race but they don't have enough power in their lineup to knock in Ichiro and Figgins.

23. NL Wild Card team- Atlanta Braves: It could be a special year for the Braves entering Bobby Cox's last year and Jason Heyward's first.

24. NL Playoffs---Last team out- Florida Marlins: I wouldn't be surprised if they make a run and win another world series but they are still a very young team that might need one more year to grow.

25. AL Championship- Tampa Bay Rays over New York Yankees: I think the Rays are the best team in baseball and I refuse to pick the Yankees.

26. NL Championship- Atlanta Braves over Philadelphia Phillies: The Phils have a great chance of winning the NL for the third straight year but I'd be playing it safe if I went with them.

27. World Series- TAMPA BAY RAYS over Atlanta Braves. World Series MVP: BJ (Bossman Junior) Upton, I'm picking him because he has the greatest nickname of all-time, but the Rays will have too much power and speed for the Braves and will win their first championship in team history.