Category Archives: NFL Draft

NFL Rookie Battle Royale: Week 1

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Thank the fucking lord its football time again. That’s all I gotta say. Yesterday was almost an out of body experience, as it was awesome just to take in all the action. I spent the entire morning gearing up for the Vikings game, and when it came time, my excitement was at critical mass. Now that Sunday is over, the Vikings are huge winners, and we have some idea as to a few rookie roles, I want to go over the weekly rookie recap for all you prospectors out there. Each week, in place of last year’s value bumps, ill run down some of the top rookie performances and go over what it should mean for their cards. Hopefully this can help a few of you out. It has only been one game, small sample size rule in effect, so take this as you will.

Mark Sanchez

From the beginning of it all, Sanchez was pretty highly touted as the one NFL ready QB in the draft. He gave a lot of credibility to that sentiment as he led his team to a big victory over the Texans. His TD was a wide open throw to Chansi Stuckey, but the rest of his performance wasn’t as easy. You can bet dollars to donuts that his cards are going to spike this week due to his good game, but im sure there will be just as many bad weeks as there are good ones. Be wary of holding his stuff too long, however, Sanchez did look like the real deal.

Matthew Stafford

It was established early on that Stafford was going to have a very tough time doing well with such a poor team in front of him. Yesterday was definitely a testament to that as he threw three interceptions and no touchdowns in a Lions loss. Granted, the Saints are one of the better teams in the league, and a tough start to a career that is going to be rough at first, but Stafford did not perform very well. The Lions were kind of in it for some of the game, but no one doubted the success of Brees and company who rolled all over them in the fourth quarter. Stafford’s value shouldn’t drop too much, but it was never a wise idea to hold him in the first place.

Percy Harvin

When Sunday’s game ended, I was practically shaking from the excitement over what the combination of AD, Favre and Harvin could bring. Harvin was the only non-QB rookie to score a TD on Sunday, and had some KEY runs and catches near the goal line to help the Vikings. He was as good a decoy in addition, as I saw the Browns try to account for him every time he stepped onto the field. He also had a couple good kick returns that set up the team close to the 50, and should be a major contributor in the futrure for the Vikings. He isnt going to be 1998 Randy Moss this year, but he is worth a look either way. His values are already pretty high, so it may be better to wait until he cools off a little, but once he does, get on it.

Beanie Wells

For every OSU fan in the world, there are probably three OSU haters, all of who’s eyes were on Wells yesterday. He got as many carries as Hightower, but didn’t get much of a good look due to a good showing by the Niners’ defense. I would say that Wells should end up with one of the better seasons for the rookie RBs, but he will need to improve dramatically. There was one play where he just went the wrong direction and basically left a 38 year old Warner to fend for himself, something that will not fly in this league. Its mistakes like those that could hurt him, though I doubt it will happen again.

LeSean McCoy

Many of us were on board with McCoy before the Eagles even took him in the draft. When the Eagles did take him, a lot of collectors saw a lot of room for growth behind Westbrook, who was coming off an injury season. Its great to see that McCoy put up the best numbers of all the big rookie running backs, even though it was only 46 yards. He should have a good season, though the McNabb injury definitely hurts those chances. I would say that him and Donald Brown will fight it out for best rookie back after it is all said and done, even moreso if Westbrook goes down again.

Donald Brown

Brown got some carries yesterday, though he only averaged 3 yards per. Addai is going to be the focus until he cant run, so Brown will be delegated to off series. He should do pretty well, if only because the Colts will do well, and could put up a five or six TD season. I wouldn’t go running out to buy any of the rookie back cards, but Brown is cheap enough that it may not be a bad idea. His value didn’t go very high in the off season because he didn’t have throngs of college fans chasing his stuff, but he should be good enough for you to take a look at.

Knowshon Moreno

I don’t think yesterday’s game was a good measure of Moreno’s potential, mainly because NO ONE did well, but I think his eight carries for nothing bear some concern for the people that have him as a target. Peyton Hillis looked like he went down, meaning Moreno’s carries will go up, but he needs to perform even when he is back number three. I say that Moreno shouldn’t have a bad season, its just not going to be crazy. If you are holding his cards, be sure to prepare yourself for a longer wait than I once expected.

Mike Wallace

Before Thursday, I didn’t know who Mike Wallace was. Much to the chagrin of Titans fans, he became the pride of Steelers nation after the game, basically securing a win for them with a huge catch in OT. His cards are not going to be worth anything until he shows any consistency, but you can see why his values went from scrub to a little more than scrub after his catch.

Johnny Knox

Last, but not least, Johnny Knox was week 1’s top rookie receiver in terms of yardage, so far. He may have only caught 2 passes, but his 68 yarder was a step away from a TD. He caught another ball for more yards, making him a surprise for the Bears, also solidifying his place on the roster. Knox was not a premiere guy, so his autos are probably numbered pretty high, but that also means that you can easily pick a few of them up for a receiver who may make you a few dollars if he continues to play well.

Im still eager to see how Hey Bey and the other Monday night rookies perform tonight, but I am looking just as much towards next week with a few of the rookies with possible good games. I would look for Harvin against the Lions, Moreno against the Browns, and Brown against Miami.

NFL First Round Signings Update – Nicks, Wells, Harvin All Sign

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Now that pretty much every single NFL team has opened camp, rookie signings are coming by the dozen. Teams are racing to get everyone in under the gun, which has led to a number of key rookies getting their contracts done.

So far, the only big names NOT to sign are two receivers who may have a ton of issues as a result. Crabtree looks destined for a holdout, and despite a lack of any type of contract wiggle room, Maclin is also unsigned. Other receivers have already signed, so the lack of a contract for these two players is ridiculous at the moment. As of today, Harvin, Nicks, Hey-Bey, and the others are signed per NFL.com and PFT, so why arent these two done?
I think the reason is that Crabtree has established himself as quite a problem child in that respect, even having problems keeping his tears under control. He wants top three pick money, despite the fact that he obviously wasnt picked top three. Personally, I think he needs to stuff his shitty attitude into a bag labeled “Terrell Owens NFL Legacy” and get to camp.
Josh Freeman, another player who seemed headed for a holdout also signed this week, which is great news for the auto I pulled, and for the Bucs. He still has a good chance of playing this year, even though 90% of the time its a horrible idea. Right JaMarcus Russell?
Also among the unsigned are Moreno and Donald Brown, which seems quite unusual considering that the Colts and Broncos usually get their picks done quite quickly. I would say that getting both into camp is of paramount importance, though it doesnt seem like there is much news on either.
When Percy Harvin’s signing news came through my sources, I was ecstatic. That meant the Vikings could finally get him into camp without missing more than a few days, and possibly solidify his place in Childress’ “Kick Ass” offense. His words, not mine.
I thought Harvin was waiting on some THC to exit his system before peeing in a cup, but I guess the drug test didnt scare him as much as some of us thought it would. Maybe now I can just sit back and wait for september.
Here is a list of the signings so far:
1. Stafford – Lions – Signed
2. Smith – Rams – Signed
3. Jackson – Chiefs – Unsigned
4. Curry – Seahawks – Unsigned
5. Sanchez – Jets – Signed
6. Smith – Bengals – Unsigned
7. Heyward-Bey – Raiders – Signed
8. Monroe – Jaguars – Unsigned
9. Raji – Packers – Unsigned
10. Crabtree – 49ers – Unsigned
11. Maybin – Bills – Unsigned
12. Moreno – Broncos – Unsigned
13. Orakpo – Redskins – Signed
14. Jenkins – Saints – Unsigned
15. Cushing – Texans – Signed
16. English – Chargers – Signed
17. Freeman – Bucs – Signed
18. Ayers – Broncos – Unsigned
19. Maclin – Eagles – Unsigned
20. Pettigrew – Lions – Signed
21. Mack – Browns – Signed
22. Harvin – Vikings – Signed
23. Oher – Ravens – Signed
24. Peria Jerry – Falcons – Signed
25. Davis – Dolphins – Signed
26. Matthews – Packers – Signed
27. Brown – Colts – Unsigned
28. Wood – Bills – Signed
29. Nicks – Giants – Signed
30. Britt – Titans – Signed
31. Wells – Cardinals – Signed
32. Hood – Steelers – Signed

What Is Going On With NFL Rookie Contracts?

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So far, only 2 of the first 32 picks in the draft this year have been signed. That is a ridiculous number, to say the least, eventhough only a few are considered to be possible hold outs. Oddly enough, one of them is Andre “Sta-Puft” Smith, the guy who left the combine because he wasnt prepared for the biggest day of his professional life. Regardless of who actually signs eventually, its beyond crazy to think we are close to a month away from the beginning of the pre-season, and less than a few weeks from camp with less than 1/16th of the big rookies under contract.

Right now, the Eagles and Jeremy Maclin are pretty much the only non-negotiators in the field of players. Philly has already signed their entire draft class leaving only a portion of the 25% maximum left for Maclin’s contract. Other than that, players are sitting around waiting for teams to get things going with negotiations or holding off until more first rounders are signed.

When it comes down to contract negotiations and people like Drew Rosenhaus, I hate this part of the year. It shouldnt be this hard to get rookies to sign on the dotted line. There should be set rookie contracts, because there is not a reason in fucking hell that Matt Stafford should be making more money than over 75% of the league’s QBs.

With the season so close, I am hoping that things get done, and quick. Holdouts only mean disaster for everyone’s team, everyone’s cards, and everyone’s investments when they hold out or dont sign. The rookies also are very aware of the fact that missing that first camp can be career crippling as well, so I dont think its them that have as many problems as their greedy agents and stingy team owners.

Can we get this done so I dont have to worry anymore?

Handicapping the Next Few Weeks

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Tomorrow, the 2nd product of the year is released in Bowman Draft, with UD Draft not far down the pipeline. I have gotten a few emails over the last weeks wondering which is a better product to buy, that is, IF you must buy one. I think at this time in the year, buying these type of products is completely stupid, unless you are a college collector or are going to flip everything right away. Regardless of current value, im going to break down pros and cons of each with the idea of answering as many of the questions I got as possible.

Bowman Draft Picks (Release 5/21/2009)

Format: Hobby and Jumbo boxes
Content: 1 auto per box in hobby, 2 in jumbo
Highlights: Signed auto patches and letters, guaranteed 1 per box in jumbo.
Price: $65 Hobby, $110 Jumbo

After opening a few packs last week at the Beanie Wells signing, the cards don’t look bad at all. The problem with Bowman Draft is that the content of this product is one base set with auto parallels, and the auto patches and that’s it. There are not any chrome, there are not any duals, and there are not even other auto sets with veterans in them based on what I saw and the checklist. On the other hand, the manuletters are signed on the letter this time, and base parallels have some real potential for early flips. If you are planning on getting a group A auto, better buy a lot as this product is loaded with no-namers, inserted at an alarming rate. But, if you do pull an A auto, you have hit the Jackpot at 1:900+ odds.

The pics on the cards are very good action shots, and I believe they do have draft day variations from my shotty memory of other people’s pulls at the party. The base inserts, which you shouldn’t really care that much about, also have some nice graphics, which is nice. Here is what I would have liked, however, as this set would be perfect for OTA and Camp TTMs. Instead of the ultra gloss coating on the cards, make them semi gloss so they don’t turn out like my Wells sig. If you see my Prestige sigs from the Premiere, they signed THAT much better for that reason.

Lastly, the pack format for hobby looks like you get 1 orange un-numbered parallel per pack, and then two to three base parallels per box. Again, these are not refractors – you will have to wait on that until july. May not be a big deal now, but with a gigantic price tag on the jumbos, it will be important.

Upper Deck Draft (Release Scheduled 5/26/2009)

Format: Hobby Boxes Only
Content: 5 autos per box
Highlights: On card autos, and many multisigned cards.
Price: $85 Hobby

When the preview for UD draft came out earlier this year, I thought the design was ten times better than last year. The main issue with UD draft will always be that it will be succeeded by other UD products that far outshine this offering, so the content was upped this time from last year’s 4 autos per box. The good news is that most of the time you have MUCH better odds at pulling nice sigs, and with 5 chances, most likely one should be a better guy from the Preimere. Of course, these cards have parallels that go all the way down to 1/1, naturally, so you may get luckier still if you manage to pull one. You also have quite a few multisigned cards from the top guys, and I believe there may even be some veteran sigs in there too – something that makes this product better 100%.

The product is not without drawbacks, as a hobby box of Draft will cost you much more than a hobby box of Bowman, so you do need to be careful. Also, the auto checklist is pretty deep, so you could end up with 5 scrubs and be down 90 bucks. I think that the potential with Draft is much better than the potential with Bowman, but the Draft Picks name with Bowman attached may be detremental to the success of this product based on Baseball’s offerings. Collectors recognize Bowman in baseball as THE rookie card to have, and I have a feeling it may transfer to draft more than it ever did before. That could hurt overall lasting value of this set.

Lastly, as the year progresses, this set will be forgotten, which puts an expiration date on your pulls. Yet, if you want a cheap way to get your player’s auto THIS is the set to buy it from. Bowman top guys will cost too much due to the shear ridiculous odds, and this set will have enough parallels to keep the price low enough for the commoners like me. I will be buying singles from this set for that reason along with the hard signed cards, and I may even splurge on a box if I can get a good deal.

Here is my verdict: If you are a set collector, buy the Bowman, it is right in your wheelhouse. If you like autos, buy the Draft, as it will provide you more bang for your buck with hard signed cards. If you have the patience, wait on both – as Heroes will be better, Icons will be better, and Classics is less than 2 months away for the first cards with rookies in their NFL jerseys. If you don’t fit into any of these categories, just buy the draft, you will be happier without a doubt. Design + 5 autos + hard signed cards + potential = Positive Stance on UD Draft.

List Of Players Attending the 2009 NFL Rookie Premiere

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Here the official list of the players to be present at the 2009 NFL Rookie Premiere:

Ramses Barden – Giants
Rhett Bomar – Giants
Kenny Britt – Titans
Andre Brown – Giants
Donald Brown – Colts
Deon Butler – Seattle
Glen Coffee – Niners
Michael Crabtree – Niners
Aaron Curry – Seahawks
Nate Davis – Niners
Josh Freeman – Bucs
Shonn Green – Jets
Percy Harvin – Vikings
Darrius Heyward Bey – Raiders
Juaquin Iglesias – Bears
Tyson Jackson – Chiefs
Jeremy Maclin – Eagles
Mohammed Massaquoi – Browns
LeSean McCoy – Eagles
Stephen McGee – Cowboys
Knowshon Moreno – Broncos
Hakeem Nicks – Giants
Brandon Pettigrew – Lions
Javon Ringer – Titans
Brian Robiskie – Browns
Mark Sanchez – Jets
Jason Smith – Rams
Matthew Stafford – Lions
Brandon Tate – Pats
Mike Thomas – Jags
Patrick Turner – Dolphins
Mike Wallace – Steelers
Chris Wells – Cards
Pat White – Dolphins
Derrick Williams – Lions

Interesting list, I definitely see all the players that SHOULD be there, are there. I also see some head scratchers, but those are always a given each year. Some notable exceptions are missing, mainly some of the QBs you would normally expect to see, and some of the defense guys like Maualunga. Either way, hopefully I can be there to cover it for SCU. Things are in the works, ill keep you all posted.

Here is the release:

TOP DRAFT PICKS MAKE DEBUT IN LOS ANGELES AT THE
2009 REEBOK NFL PLAYERS ROOKIE PREMIERE
PRESENTED BY EA SPORTS™

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

May 11, 2009 – LOS ANGELES – Top players from the 2009 NFL rookie class will gather in Los Angeles for the Reebok NFL PLAYERS Rookie Premiere Presented by EA SPORTS beginning Thursday, May 14. This unique event provides trading card companies Panini America, Topps and The Upper Deck Company with the opportunity to photograph rookie players for the first time in their official team jerseys.

Other official event sponsors include Reebok, EA SPORTS, Pepsi and Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. The photo shoots will take place at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

“This is a one-of-a-kind event that brings together some of the top rookies in the 2009 class for the first time,” NFL PLAYERS Chief Operating Officer Andrew Feffer said. “It is a unique opportunity to showcase these players to our partners as interesting and compelling personalities, features that are at the core of the NFL PLAYERS brand.”

In addition to the trading card photo shoots, rookies will visit a local hobby shop and take part in media appearances and corporate hospitality events during their four days in Los Angeles. For the fifth consecutive year, Pepsi will also be on hand to capture footage for their season-long Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week and Rookie of the Year promotions.

In its 13th year, the Reebok NFL PLAYERS Rookie Premiere Presented by EA SPORTS is an official event of NFL PLAYERS.

Thanks again to all the people over at NFL Players, your help has been invaluable and much appreciated.