(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (2) Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings have won the Cup four times in the past 11 years (excluding the 2004-2005 lockout, since there was no Cup awarded that year), including back-to-back championships in 1997 and 1998. So…I’m sick of them… The Penguins, meanwhile, haven’t hoisted the Cup since winning a back-to-back pair in 1991 and 1992…back during the Mario Lemieux days…

There’s also the Marian Hossa situation to consider… During last year’s Pittsburgh/Detroit Finals, Hossa was a Penguin. However, last summer, he turned down a sizable offer from Pittsburgh, jumped ship, and signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Detroit. So in this year’s rematch, he’s now on the other bench as a Red Wing… I’ve never been a fan of Hossa, even back during his days with Ottawa and then Atlanta. His move this past offseason didn’t help any. I hope the hockey gods punish his selfishness accordingly by again not allowing him to lift the Cup…

So, that said, I’m definitely rooting for Pittsburgh in these Finals (again). Considering the way they dismantled the once-hot Hurricanes, they certainly look like they have a better chance to win this year than they did last year…

(6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh won series 4-0
With my first choice Capitals and second choice Bruins out, I was stuck picking the lesser of two evils here. I really don’t like the Canes, and after his “he probably has sore knuckles” response to Scott Walker’s sucker punch, I decided I hate Carolina coach Paul Maurice. So I was rooting for the Penguins in this one. I didn’t want to see the same team represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals two years in a row…but I really wanted the Canes out as soon as possible…

With a decisive 6-2 victory in Game 3, the Pittsburgh Penguins had a stranglehold on this series with a 3-0 lead… I missed Game 1, but I managed to watch the other two games. The once nicknamed “Cardiac Canes” seemed to have run out of magic. They hadn’t managed any dramatic comebacks like they did in previous rounds to earn that goofy nickname. Game 2 was like watching two heavyweights exchange blows. When Pittsburgh scored, it didn’t take long for Carolina to come right back and answer, and vice versa. Late in the game though, Pittsburgh ran away with it, winning 7-4. That game was highlighted by a hat trick for Penguin Evgeni Malkin. His first two came from some good old fashioned net crashing, but his third one…wow… Malkin put away an otherworldly backhand from a bad angle right past Cam Ward’s arm. It was amazing. And in Game 3, the guy they call “Geno” netted two more goals in what was an all around dominant performance by the Penguins. Malkin recorded 6 goals and 3 assists in the mere three games played up to that point! And so Pittsburgh fans were getting those brooms out…

Fun fact: the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and 1975 New York Islanders are the only two teams in NHL history to ever come back from 3-0 down to win a playoff series. Fortunately, the 2009 Carolina Hurricanes didn’t join that prestigious group as the Pittsburgh Penguins completed the sweep with a 4-1 victory in Game 4. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to watch any of this game, but I heard Penguin netminder Marc-Andre Fleury had a great game, as his numbers indicated. He stopped 30 of the 31 shots he faced that night… I’m sure some people were hoping the “Cardiac Canes” would mount another miraculous comeback and at least make a series out of it, but I wasn’t one of those people. I was hoping for this sweep. I was glad to see the Canes finally out of the playoffs, and now, I’m rooting for their executioners, the Pittsburgh Penguins, due to how the other series ended…

Western Conference Finals

(4) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (2) Detroit Red Wings
Detroit won series 4-1
Before the Conference Finals began, I kept telling myself, “I honestly would hate to see a Red Wings/Penguins rematch in the Stanley Cup Finals.” I wanted to see new faces vying for the Cup. And with Buffalo boy Patrick Kane and the Hawks flying high after ousting the Canucks, a Chicago bid in the Stanley Cup Finals seemed possible. I was hoping this rematch of this year’s Winter Classic would be a good one…and I was rooting for the Hawks to finally knock out the Wings. And since I wasn’t particularly fond of either Eastern possibility for the Finals, I was actually hoping Chicago would go all the way. GO KANE!!

Like the other Conference Final series, I also only watched Games 2 and 3 out of the first three games. In Game 2, Jonathan Toews single-handedly carried the Blackhawks into overtime. He scored Chicago’s only two goals in a 2-2 deadlock. However, just over five minutes into the extra frame, Detroit’s Mikael Samuelsson scored courtesy of an ugly Brian Campbell turnover at the Red Wings’ blue line… Game 3, the first of this series in the Windy City, was considerably more dramatic. The Hawks owned the first period, jumping to a 2-0 lead midway through. And their momentum spilled over into the second period, as they struck again just 45 seconds in to take what looked like a commanding 3-0 lead. Late in the middle frame though, in a span of roughly four and a half minutes, Detroit netted three quick ones to tie the game up again. I couldn’t believe it…and didn’t like it. However, in retrospect, I was glad it happened because the Wings at least made a game of it. After an evenly played third period, the Hawks and Wings again went into overtime…and it again didn’t take long for a winner to be determined. This time, within the first two minutes, it was Chicago’s Patrick Sharp who scored his second of the night on what was essentially an open net thanks to a beautiful feed from Sammy Pahlsson. The Hawks looked like they had a little life. They then had an opportunity to even the series in Game 4…but alas, it was not to be… Detroit dominated with a 6-1 victory.

Down 3-1 in the series, it was “do or die” for Chicago in Game 5. I watched almost all of that game, and Chicago at least made a game of it. The teams remained in a scoreless tie after the first two periods. The first goal wasn’t scored until about six minutes into the third, when Dan Cleary deflected a Brett Lebda shot by Cristobal Huet to give Detroit the 1-0 lead. The Hawks continued to play strongly after that though, and just under seven minutes later, Patrick Kane tied the game with a wicked backhand from a bad angle. In all fairness, Chris Osgood probably should have stopped it, but there’s also no denying it was a beautiful shot by Kane. That thing had eyes! In the dying seconds of regulation, Huet had to make a fantastic save with the right pad on Johan Franzen to force overtime, the third OT game of the series. Like the previous two overtimes, it didn’t take long for a winner to be decided. A shade under four minutes into the extra time, the active endboards of the Joe sent a Lebda shot bounding back towards Tomas Holmstrom. The puck then somehow trickled through the paraphernalia of Huet into the crease, where Darren Helm tapped it home to send the defending Stanley Cup champs back to the Finals…

(6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (1) Boston Bruins
Carolina won series 4-3
I’m not particularly fond of either team that was in this series, but I like Tim Thomas thanks to fantasy hockey (both this year and last year) and again, I don’t like the Canes. So despite the fact that Boston is a Northeast Division rival of my Sabres, I was hoping they would advance to the Eastern Conference Finals…

Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to watch any of the first three games in this series…but I certainly wasn’t pleased with how it went. The Bruins were in a bit of a pickle since Game 4 was to be held at the RBC Center in Carolina. If the Canes took that, the #1 Seed in the East might be in trouble…and indeed that became the case when Carolina won convincingly 4-1. Coming back from a 3-1 series deficit isn’t impossible by any means (Washington just did so in the first round, in fact), but it was certainly a tall order. The Bruins needed to play a sound road game to tie this series up again and then build from there…

The key name to remember from this series though was Scott Walker, of the Carolina Hurricanes. In Game 5, he threw a sucker punch at Boston defenseman Aaron Ward. The act earned him an immediate 17 penalty minutes (5 for fighting, 2 for instigating, and a 10-minute game misconduct)…but surprisingly, no suspension. According to NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell, it wasn’t a sucker punch…so Walker only received a $2,500 fine and no suspension (a quintessential slap on the wrist). God himself probably has a hard time following the logic behind NHL ruling policy… And in Game 7 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, the guy Bruins fans likely considered the number one villain, Scott Walker, batted a rebound out of the air past Tim Thomas late in the first overtime to give the Canes a 3-2 victory and send them into the Eastern Conference Finals. Undoubtedly, Walker became the number one hero down in Raleigh that night…

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (2) Washington Capitals
Pittsburgh won series 4-3
Ovechkin vs. Crosby! Enough said, as far as the media was concerned… That’s how this series was advertised well before it even began, and that’s how it continued to be advertised until its completion. I lost some respect for Crosby this past season while my liking of Ovechkin rose steadily, mostly because of his epic numbers for one of my fantasy teams. Plus, I was grateful to the Caps for eliminating the Rangers, so I was hoping Washington would win this one… And if the Eastern Conference Finals turned out to be as I wanted them to be (i.e. Boston vs. Washington), I hoped the Washington Capitals would represent the East in the Stanley Cup Finals… Go, Ovechkin! Go, go, Ovechkin!

Crosby vs. Ovechkin! Sid vs. Ovie! Unsurprisingly, this one lived up to all that hype. The two young superstars each recorded at least a point in each of the first three games and each had a total of six points up to that point (5 G, 1 A for Ovie; 4 G, 2 A for Sid), highlighted by an impressive Game 2 in which each of them netted a hat trick! I watched bits and pieces of this series and I saw the momentum shift hands in each game. As much as I wanted to see the Caps knock out the Pens, I had a feeling Pittsburgh wasn’t done yet when they trailed 2-1…and that we were in for a long series…

I managed to watch much of Game 6, which, like all memorable playoff games, went into overtime. It unfortunately didn’t take long to decide that one, as Dave Steckel tipped a shot by Marc-Andre Fleury just under six and a half minutes into the extra period to give Washington a much needed win and to force a Game 7… I then saw parts of what turned out to be an embarrassing Game 7 for Washington. They handled the puck terribly in their own zone and regularly turned it over to the Penguins. Pittsburgh rather easily moved on to the Eastern Conference Finals with a decisive 6-2 win. I’m by no means a Capitals fans, but I was pulling for them in this series, and even I was embarrassed by the way they played in Game 7. Their season was on the line, and they were playing at home! There was no excuse for coming out as flatly as they did given those circumstances. Washington deserved to get knocked out…

Western Conference

(8) Anaheim Ducks vs. (2) Detroit Red Wings
Detroit won series 4-3
Here’s why I was glad the Ducks advanced: this series pitted the two previous Stanley Cup winners against one another! At one end of the rink, there was the perennial powerhouse from Motown, and at the other end, a SoCal squad that was at the top of their game. I definitely wasn’t expecting another sweep for Detroit. In fact, I knew right from the start that Anaheim had a solid chance of winning this series, and I hoped they would… Either way, I was anticipating this to be a good long six- or seven-game series of epic proportions…and it most certainly was.

I managed to catch part of Game 2 of this series. I watched all of an eventful first period that saw a total of four goals in about an eight-minute span. I then only saw part of the second period before heading off to the movie theater. When I returned home, I was surprised and happy to see the game was still on and heading into a third overtime! It wasn’t long into that before Buffalo native Todd Marchant ended it with a Ducks’ victory… I unfortunately didn’t see any of Game 3, but I heard it was a questionably officiated game from a Detroit perspective, which is always a tough pill to swallow, especially in the playoffs. I would know. I’m a Sabres fan, after all (cue the “No Goal” reference)… I caught most of the third period of Game 4 though. Prior to heading downstairs to the TV, I checked the score quickly on Yahoo, and much to my chagrin, Detroit held a 4-2 lead. In the short amount of time it took me to walk downstairs, the Red Wings struck again to make it 5-2! Scott Niedermayer scored a power play goal late in the period off a pretty passing play to cut the lead to two…but Henrik Zetterberg scored on an empty net with about two and a half minutes to go to seal the deal, a 6-3 win for Motown to even the series at two. As I expected, this one was going to take at least six, possibly seven, games…

I caught the end of a hard-fought 2-1 win for the Ducks in Game 6, which ended with a mini melee in the dying seconds and ultimately forced Game 7 in this series as well. That’s right…three out of the four Conference Semifinal series went to a Game 7! Unfortunately…none of them ended how I would have liked. As mentioned above, the Canes downed the Bruins in overtime, the Penguins smacked around the Capitals, and in this series, the Red Wings advanced with a 4-3 win over Anaheim. I didn’t get to see Game 7, but it looked like a great one. The Ducks trailed by two goals twice but battled back to tie it 3-3 midway through the third. The game-winning goal for the Red Wings came with three minutes left…and it must have been a tough pill to swallow for the Ducks, I imagine. Dan Clearly was credited with the goal, but Anaheim netminder Jonas Hiller actually knocked it in himself with his right pad as he didn’t know where the puck was. Had he just fallen down, he likely would have covered it instead…but oh well… The defending champion Detroit Red Wings thus advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

(4) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (3) Vancouver Canucks
Chicago won series 4-2
Initially, Vancouver was my favorite in the West while Chicago was my second favorite team…but as this series progressed, I didn’t really know who to root for here. On the one hand, again, Chicago has Buffalo connections in Kane and Campbell…but Vancouver has Taylor Pyatt and one-time Sabre Steve Bernier… I couldn’t really choose here… However, I did hope whoever advanced would go on to defeat either Anaheim or Detroit and make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. So to summarize, I was hoping for either a Washington/Chicago or Washington/Vancouver Stanley Cup match-up…

This series can be summarized with two simple words: bad blood. It stemmed from an encounter between these two teams back in the end of March, when Chicago’s Dustin Byfuglien gave Vancouver netminder Roberto Luongo a shot to the head as he skated by. A series of fights ensued that resulted in six ten-minute game misconducts being doled out, bringing the total number of penalty minutes for the game up to 98… The Canucks clearly hadn’t forgotten that game. I watched a decent chunk of Game 3 (which Vancouver went on to win), and the Canucks were understandably overprotective of their goalie throughout the game. If any Blackhawk came within a couple feet of Luongo, no matter how innocently, a little skirmish would soon follow… Chicago then went on to win Game 4 in overtime, however, to tie this series up again…

With another win in Game 5, the Hawks put themselves in position to advance to the Western Conference Finals… I watched most of what turned out to be a very dramatic (and decisive) Game 6… I won’t soon forget that game. Vancouver took a 5-4 lead in the third period, but soon after that, Buffalo native Patrick Kane got the equalizer for Chicago. I remember watching that play develop. One of the Hawks (I forget who) had the puck along the boards to the right of Canuck goalie Roberto Luongo and attempted to get the puck low to Kane, who was behind the net. However, there were two Canucks between the two Hawks, and I remember thinking “bad idea.” But by some stroke of luck, the puck bounced by both Vancouver players, and Kane gathered it in and banked it into the net off Luongo! A short while later, the Hawks took the lead off another fortunate bounce when, on the power play, an attempted pass to Patrick Sharp ricocheted in off a Vancouver defenseman’s skate. And in the final three or four minutes of the game, Kane claimed the puck in the neutral zone, galloped into Vancouver territory, and beat Luongo with a wicked backhand to give Chicago a commanding 7-5 lead and ultimately the win. That goal also completed Kane’s first career hat trick! It also marked the first playoff hat trick by a Blackhawk in 15 years! Thanks to a strong performance from Patrick Kane, the once woeful Chicago Blackhawks were heading to the Western Conference Finals.

(8) Montreal Canadiens vs. (1) Boston Bruins
Boston won series 4-0
As a Sabres fan, this match-up right away made me happy because it guaranteed that one of our Northeast rivals would be eliminated in the first round. I can’t say I was really rooting for either team but I am glad that it was Boston that advanced, mostly due to my man-crush on Tim Thomas that’s developed over the past two seasons due to fantasy hockey. And after seeing those Habs receive those undeserved votes into this year’s All Star game thanks to their fanbase’s centennial craze, I’m even happier that they were not only eliminated in the first round, but swept too! I only watched a few highlights myself, but apparently, this one wasn’t even close, as the result indicates. Boston only trailed twice in the entire series! I honestly feel like, had my Sabres snuck into the postseason, they would have put up a better fight than the Habs. We did have some surprising success against the Bruins this year…but ultimately, we would have lost. I just don’t think we would have been swept.

(7) New York Rangers vs. (2) Washington Capitals
Washington won series 4-3
At the outset of this series, I was reminded of the song “Ovechkin” by Pummeler, particularly the refrain: “Go, Ovechkin! Go, go, Ovechkin!” I was really hoping he and fellow Russians Sergei Fedorov and Alexander Semin could lead rookie goaltender Simeon Varlamov (also Russian, BTW) and the other Caps to a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit. The Capitals were one of the few Eastern teams in the playoffs that I don’t outright hate, while I can’t stand the Rangers. I’ll never cheer for a team that chooses to have the likes of Sean Avery on their roster. Interestingly, that scumbag was benched in Game 5, perhaps due to going pointless in the first four games of this series, while also posting a -1 rating, 18 penalty minutes, and just 10 shots on goal. Maybe Coach John Tortorella finally realized just how useless Avery really is…

Another interesting fact: Washington’s two wins in the first five games of this series were by the same score, 4-0. And with that second win in Game 5, they were able to build some momentum. After again finding a way to win at the Garden in Game 6 (by a score of 5-3), they forced a Game 7 back in Washington. The Caps had been successful at home during the regular season (though they did drop Games 1 and 2 of this series at home), so by winning Games 5 and 6, they had put themselves in a very good position to complete the comeback…

I only managed to watch the final minutes of Game 7 but I did get to see the game-winning and series-winning goal. The been-there-done-that veteran Sergei Fedorov raced up the right wing and used the New York defenseman as a screen to beat the now-dethroned “King” Henrik Lundqvist from a fairly bad angle. It was pretty funny seeing Alexander Ovechkin jump on and practically tackle Fedorov in celebration afterwards…lol… That goal came late in the third period, and in the dying minutes of the game, Washington sustained pressure on the Rangers…so much so that Coach John Tortorella never had a chance to pull Lundqvist! As a Ranger-hater, I was thrilled to see this. I was also amused by the dejected look on Sean Avery’s face (because like most media outlets, Versus occasionally misplaced its focus on that idiot) and can honestly say I was happy, delighted even, when he seemed to get injured in the final seconds of the game. I hate him that much… In turn, I also hate the Rangers, so good riddance to them. Great work, Caps!

(6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (3) New Jersey Devils
Carolina won series 4-3
Ever since the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals, I haven’t been a fan of the Canes, so with a 3-2 series lead, I was hoping Martin Brodeur and the Devils could go down to Carolina in Game 6 and finish this series. I only watched a few highlights from the first five games of this series, including a controversial goal by Jussi Jokinen to give Carolina the win in Game 4. Jokinen bumped into Brodeur just before a shot from the point banked in off his skate. On the one hand, Brodeur was out on white ice, but on the other hand, as Marty himself pointed out after the game, you’re still not supposed to be able to run into the goalie. There’s always a penalty, a whistle, or something. I didn’t think that goal should have counted, but then again, I was rooting for the Devils, so I might have been just a bit biased. New Jersey, in fact, was one of the two teams I was hoping would represent the East in the Stanley Cup Finals (the other being Washington).

Unfortunately, with a convincing 4-0 home victory, the Canes forced a Game 7. I didn’t see any of that final game of this series (which was on the same night as the Rangers/Capitals Game 7)…and was pretty glad I didn’t, because this one would have been heartbreaking to watch. I’m no true Devils fan but I did want New Jersey to win, so seeing them go down the way they did would have been tough… When I first checked the score, the Devils were up 3-2 heading into the final minutes of the third period. New Jersey is known for its defense (or more specifically, its neutral zone trap), so it looked like they could hold onto that lead and knock out those damn Canes…but no… Carolina beat Marty Brodeur twice in the final 1:20 of the game, their second of which coming with just 32 seconds left in regulation. And so New Jersey’s imminent 3-2 Game 7 victory turned into a 4-3 loss. Similarly, their 3-2 series lead resulted in a 4-3 series loss, and those damn Canes advanced…

(5) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh won series 4-2
I only managed to watch the latter half of Game 6 of this series…which was the better half, from a Pittsburgh perspective. At the end of the first, Philly was up 3-0. In the second, a Max Talbot vs. Dan Carcillo fight (which I unfortunately missed) gave the Penguins some life. I tuned in just as Ruslan Fedotenko scored to put the Pens on the board. Shortly thereafter, Mark Eaton whacked a rebound out of the air and into the net to cut the Flyers’ lead in half. And late in the period, Sidney Crosby also took one out of the air off of Philly goalie Marty Biron’s glove to tie the game up. In the third, Pittsburgh netminder Marc-Andre Fleury had to come up with a couple big stops, but for the most part, it was all Pittsburgh. A rocket from Sergei Gonchar and an empty-netter from Crosby sealed Philly’s fate. Naturally, I was happy to see them go, as I’ve never particularly cared for the Flyers. I can’t say I’m much of a Penguins fan either though, as Crosby’s fallen out of favor with me a little over this past year…but I still don’t quite hate them as much as most other Eastern qualifiers…

Western Conference

(8) Anaheim Ducks vs. (1) San Jose Sharks
Anaheim won series 4-2
Fact: the President’s Trophy doesn’t mean anything. My Sabres won it in the 2006-07 season and haven’t even made the playoffs since. San Jose won it this year…yet still made an early departure from the postseason… The Ducks stunned everyone right from the start by winning the first two games of this series in San Jose. Then by winning two of their own three home games after that, they were able to knock out this year’s President Trophy-winning Sharks.

This is the Western Conference, and I’m an Easterner, so I didn’t have much emotional attachment to most teams, but I was hoping the Ducks would be successful here. I don’t hate the Sharks or anything. I just like the Ducks a little more, thanks mostly to the man-crush I developed for Bobby Ryan this past season, as he served one of my fantasy teams very well. Although, I never liked the fact that Anaheim Coach Randy Carlyle never announced his starting goaltender before the game, but I can look past that, I think…because the Ducks also have Buffalo native Todd Marchant and Drew Miller, the younger brother of Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller. Granted, the Sharks have former Sabre Mike Grier…but still…the Ducks’ victory here set up a far more interesting Western Conference Semifinal series…

Quack…

(7) Columbus Blue Jackets vs. (2) Detroit Red Wings
Detroit won series 4-0
No team performed better in the first round than the Detroit Red Wings. Not only were they one of three teams to sweep their series, but they were the only team that never trailed a game during the entire series! I was kind of happy to see the Blue Jackets make the playoffs for the first time in their franchise’s history, despite my hatred of their coach, Ken Hitchcock. They have two former Sabres on their team in Mike Peca and Jiri Novotny, and former Sabres netminder Clint Malarchuk is their goaltending coach. However, I knew they wouldn’t stand a chance against Detroit. I wasn’t surprised at all to see this one end in a sweep, but here’s a surprise: Detroit became the first defending Stanley Cup champ since the 2002 Colorado Avalanche to make it out of the first round! I’m not a fan of dynasties though (except those that call Buffalo home), so I’d rather not see Detroit win the Cup again…although a feeling in my gut, even back this early in the playoffs, was telling me that they will… :/

(6) St. Louis Blues vs. (3) Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver won series 4-0
I was happy to see the Blues return to the playoff picture after so many dreadful years, and they certainly earned their playoff berth as they were arguably the hottest team down the stretch. Unfortunately, they hit a wall in the first round. I don’t really know what happened, as I only saw a little piece of one of these games, but the Canucks trailed only once in this series, the second best first round performance, so they must have been playing well. I was kind of sad to see former Sabre and current Blue Jay McKee exit the playoffs, but Vancouver does have their own former Sabre in Taylor Pyatt. I especially wanted to see Pyatt hoist the Cup after what he had been through. In early April, his fiancée, whom he was to wed this coming summer, was killed in a car accident. She was only 27. Obviously, winning the Cup wouldn’t bring her back or anything, but I still would have loved to see him win it. So Vancouver was one of the Western teams I wanted to see win it this year…

(5) Calgary Flames vs. (4) Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago won series 4-2
And Chicago was my second favorite from the West, mostly because of former Sabre Brian “Soupy” Campbell and Buffalo native Patrick Kane. I could care less about the Flames. I’ve never particularly liked Olli Jokinen, who was playing very well for the Flames after coming over at the trade deadline, including in the postseason. There are a number of Flames I do like, such as former Sabres Cory Sarich and Rhett Warrener (who’s married to a Buffalo native, BTW) and Michael Cammalleri and Dion Phaneuf, both of whom I had on my fantasy team last year…but I was still hoping the Blackhawks would take this one…because the Cup would certainly pay a visit to Buffalo at some point thanks to Kane.

The Blackhawks ended up outscoring the Flames a combined 9-2 in Games 5 and 6 (including netting 3 goals in a span of 1:49 in the first period of Game 5) to finish off this series in impressive fashion, so I’m pleased with the way this series ended. It was nice to see a young kid from Buffalo advance to the next round…

Round 1

Pick 1:

Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia
This pick was a no brainer. Almost everybody saw it coming and Detroit was able to get a deal done late Friday night. Im still not convinced that Stafford is the best QB in the draft or a great value pick. He probably has the best upside, but he also has more bust potential than Sanchez.

Pick 2:

St. Louis Rams: Jason Bay, OT, Baylor
This could be the most solid pick in the draft. He will be a great replacement for Orlando Pace.

Pick 3:

Kansas City Chiefs: Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
Jackson has been skyrocketing up draft boards recently, but still might be a bit of a stretch here (especially with Aaron Curry sitting right there). However, Jackson is the best 3-4 interior DE in the draft and will fit well in their system.

Pick 4:

Seattle Seahawks: Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest
Maybe not the Seahawks most pressing need, but with Curry sitting right there it was hard to pass up. On many boards, Curry was ranked as the best player in the draft. He would have been an improvement on any team.

Pick 5:

New York Jets: Mark Sanchez, QB, USC
The Jets identified a need, found a player they wanted, and went up and got him. You have to applaud them for that. Sanchez has great accuracy and incredible presence of mind. He may need to sit a year, but will probably be expected to play right away for New York.

Pick 6:

Cincinnati Bengals: Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
There have been concerns about Andre Smith before the draft. However, Smith is a beast and looks to be a great pick for the Bengals. He is probably the best run blocking tackle in the draft.

Pick 7:

Oakland Raiders: Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
Knowing that Al Davis is in control, this pick really isn’t that surprising. But that doesn’t make it a good pick. Heyward-Bey is a huge stretch (especially with Crabtree on the board). His speed is a plus, but drafting him this high is a head scratcher.

Pick 8:

Jacksonville Jaguars: Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
The Jaguars were originally hoping that Sanchez would fall to them so they could trade out. However, they were more than pleased to see Monroe fall to them.

Pick 9:

Green Bay Packers: B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College
Raji is the perfect fit for the Packers. He’s big, he’s strong, and he fits great in the middle of a 3-4 scheme. He needs a bit of work, but has the potential to be a stalwart for the future.

Pick 10:

San Francisco 49ers: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
San Francisco was absolutely ecstatic that Crabtree feel to them. They had a need at WR and were able to get the best one in the entire draft (and a top 3 player in the draft as well). San Francisco landed themselves a gem and lucked out.

Pick 11:

Buffalo Bills: Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State
Aaron Maybin has the quickest first step in the draft. He’s a little undersized, but has received plenty of comparisons to Jason Taylor. He could be a great player in this league.

Pick 12:

Denver Broncos: Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
A little higher than many people expected Knowshon to go, but he is an exceptional talent. He probably has the best skill set of any running back in the draft and will be a standout in Denver’s scheme.

Pick 13:

Washington Redskins: Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
Daniel Snyder is known for making outrageous picks and moves. However, this is not one of them. It’s probably best that he didn’t move up and get Sanchez, because Orakpo is considered among the best DE’s in the draft. If he can play motivated, there isn’t any better.

Pick 14:

New Orleans Saints: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
Saints do have a need at corner, but this might be a little bit of a stretch. His final year of college wasn’t his best. He has size but not the greatest mobility. Don’t be surprised if they try to play him at the safety position.

Pick 15:

Houston Texans: Brian Cushing, OLB, USC
Houston has concentrated on building their defense in the last couple of years and it is only going to be stronger with this pick. Cushing is an outstanding OLB he can play as a nice compliment to DeMeco Ryans.

Pick 16:

San Diego Chargers: Larry English, DE, Northern Illinois
Larry English may be a defensive end, but he is one of those hybrid players who can play linebacker. Expect him to play linebacker for the Chargers. He may not be the most impressive looking player, but on the field he is a player.

Pick 17:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State
This was a strange pick. The Bucs traded up from 19 to 17 to get them. They must have thought the Broncos were interested in Josh Freeman. But the Bucs were in need of a QB and there isn’t anybody else with starting potential, which allowed them to take the risk.

Pick 18:

Denver Broncos: Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee
The Broncos had their eyes set on improving their defense from the moment Josh McDaniels arrived. Ayers is an excellent pick here. Many thought he would go much sooner than this.

Pick 19:

Philadelphia Eagles: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
This was a surprising pick with many people thinking the Eagles would move up to address a need such as tight end. But Maclin was too great of a talent to pick up. When the top ten talent began to drop, they couldn’t pass up on him.

Pick 20:

Detroit Lions: Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
After drafting Stafford with the first overall pick, the Lions wanted to give him somebody to play with. Pettigrew is a great talent and value at this pick. You can’t blast Detroit for taking such a talented specimen, but they may have been better off taking a tackle such as Oher.

Pick 21:

Cleveland Browns: Alex Mack, C, California
Cleveland traded back and traded back and traded back. But at 21 they finally pick a player. Mangini is obviously trying to stock pile picks and rebuild the team. If that is the case, then this is a great pick.

Pick 22:

Minnesota Vikings: Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
Percy Harvin definitely has more than enough of off-field issues. But on the field he is a dynamic player. If he can overcome his issues, he can be a great player catching the ball out of the backfield and in the slot.

Pick 23:

Baltimore Ravens: Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss
Oher is probably the best story in the entire draft, spending most of his early years traveling between foster homes. Now the kid, who is extremely grateful, is here to show his worth. This is a great pick for the Ravens to protect Flacco.

Pick 24:

Atlanta Falcons: Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss
The Falcons were hoping that Pettigrew was going to fall to them. He didn’t, so they addressed a need. Jerry needs some work, but he has great hands and great potential.

Pick 25:

Miami Dolphins: Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
Miami was in need of a corner back and had their eyes on Vontae Davis. The brother of Vernon Davis, Vontae is another physical specimen. He has some questions, but also has great potential. And Miami got the guy they wanted.

Pick 26:

Green Bay Packers: Clay Matthews, OLB, USC
The Packers had a lot of problems last year and their defense took a big step back. After drafting Raji earlier in the draft, they pick a versatile linebacker in Matthews.

Pick 27:

Indianapolis Colts: Donald Brown, RB, UCONN
Donald Brown might be the most complete running back in the draft. Not the most explosive, but he does posses all the skills. A solid pickup for the Colts.

Pick 28:

Buffalo Bills: Eric Wood, C, Louisville
The Bills had a lot of holes on their line. A couple people thought they would address their tackle need after trading away Jason Peters. But they had interior line needs as well and picked up one of the best centers in the draft.

Pick 29:

New York Giants: Hakeem Nicks, WR, UNC
The Giants needed a wide receiver. This became apparent in the playoff game against the Eagles when this missed Plaxico Burress. Now Burress is gone due to legal issues. Nicks is a big receiver who should be able to come in and help right away.

Pick 30:

Tennessee Titans: Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers
Kerry Collins and Vince Young had very little to throw to. The Titans had to rely heavily on their running game last year. Now with Britt they get an excellent route runner who can provide another target.

Pick 31:

Arizona Cardinals: Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State
Edgerrin James is done as a running back. Arizona was last in the league in rushing and needed another talent. They were surprised Wells feel to them and they were able to get a great runner.

Pick 32:

Pittsburgh Steelers: Evander Hood, DT, Missouri
Pittsburgh was most likely looking to draft one of the two best centers with this spot. But both of them were gone. So instead, in Pittsburgh fashion, they draft a big bruiser on the defensive line.

Round 2

33. Detroit Lions: Louis Delmas, S, W Michigan
34. New England Patriots: Patrick Chung, S, Oregon
35. St. Louis Rams: James Laurinatis, ILB, Ohio State
36. Cleveland Browns: Brain Robiskie, WR, Ohio State
37. Denver Broncos: Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
38. Cincinnati Bengals: Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC
39. Jacksonville Jaguars: Eben Britton, OT, Arizona
40. New England Patriots: Ron Brace, DT, Boston College
41. Darius Butler: Darius Butler, CB, UCONN
42. Buffalo Bills: Jairus Byrd, CB, Oregon
43. Carolina Panthers: Everette Brown, DE, FSU
44. Miami Dolphins: Pat White, QB/WR, West Virginia
45. New York Giants: Clint Sintim, OLB, Virginia
46. Houston Texams: Connor Barwin, DE, Cincinnati
47. Oakland Raiders: Michael Mitchell, S, Ohio
48. Denver Broncos: Darcel McBath, S, Texas Tech
49. Seattle Seahawks: Max Unger, C, Oregon
50. Cleveland Browns: Mohamed Massaquoi, WR, Georgia
51. Buffalo Bills: Andrew Levitre, G, Oregon St
52. Cleveland Browns: David Veikune, DE, Hawaii
53. Philadelphia Eagles: LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh
54. Minnesota Vikings: Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma
55. Atlanta Falcons: William Moore, S, Missouri
56. Indianapolis Colts: Fili Moala, DT, USC
57. Baltimore Ravens: Paul Kruger, OLB, Utah
58. New England Patriots: Sebastian Vollmer, OT, Houston
59. Carolina Panthers: Sherrod Martin, CB, Troy
60. New York Giants: William Beatty, OT, UCONN
61. Miami Dolphins: Sean Smith, CB, Utah
62. Tennessee Titans: Sen’Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn
63. Arizona Cardinals: Cody Brown, DE/OLB, UCONN
64. Denver Broncos: Richard Quinn, TE, UNC

High school phenom Jermey Tyler has decided to forgo his senior year to play professional basketball in Europe. He is expected to enter the NBA draft in two years when eligble.

The 17 year old Tyler is regarded as the top prospect in his class. At 6′11″, the junior center towers over his competition. But despite verbally committing to Louisville, Tyler is looking for tougher competition.

“Nowadays people look to college for more off-the-court stuff versus being in the gym and getting better,” Tyler told the New York Times. “If you’re really focused on getting better, you go play pro somewhere. Pro guys will get you way better than playing against college guys.”

Tyler will become the first player born in the United States to leave high school early to play professional basketball overseas. Last year, point guard Brandon Jennings of Oak Hill Academy became the first player to skip college to play professional basketball in Europe.

Forgoing an essential education is a controversial topic. Conventional wisdom says if you are good enough to go where the money is. Nobody should be able to prevent you from making a living. And we see this all the time among child stars.

However, among athletes in the United States this is unfamiliar territory. There are too many stories of players not entering college to play among the pros and turning into complete busts. One of the lead examples is Kwame Brown, who was the first high school prospect to be selected with the number one pick. He never lived up to his expectations.

In 2006, the NBA decided that high school players cannot gain draft eligibilty until one year after their graduating class has finished high school. This has enabled players to face tougher competition and get a taste of college education. Though some people will complain if a player is good enough they should be able to enter the draft and make the money, this decision has ultimately helped more players than it has hurt.

But Jeremy Tyler is in a completely different position. He is still willing to face more difficult competition. The first problem is that this competition is completely different. The European game is more finesse than the NBA and built upon ball movement and fast break. Though there have been an increasing number of international players in the NBA, often times they don’t always translate well.

More importantly for Tyler  is that he is giving up an education and trading in a great deal of his life for a giant risk. As talented as he is, there is no guarantee that Tyler will be successful on the next level. If he is, then good for him. But if not, he doesn’t have much to fall back on. He’ll have to go back to school, because without a high school degree there is no chance of landing any type of career.

He’s also willing to leave friends and loved ones behind to concentrate on basketball. He’ll be missing out on his senior year of high school and bits of college. This is arguably some of the best times in anybody’s lives. But it is something he will never experience. You don’t want to wish that on anybody.

Here’s hoping that Jeremy Tyler can succeed in Europe and go on to be an All-Star in the NBA. Because if that doesn’t work, his life will be set back a couple years. Best of luck to him, but don’t say he wasn’t warned.

The new logo, seen on the left, has more defined edges. New white accents give the lion more defintion and the sense of strength. Sharp teeth were also added. On first impressions, the logo seems great. It has a more modernized look, but still retains the classic Lions feel. However, maybe they could have gone a little further. And maybe they should have staed away from calling it fierce.

After finishing an entire NFL season without a win (the first team to do that since the 1976 Buccaneers), the Lions were probably in need of a complete overhaul. It’s nice to keep the old and have nostalgia for the past, but the Lions have nothing in their past to point to. They haven’t won a thing. They would have been better off revamping their entire logo like the Broncos did in 1997.

But furthermore to call this revamp fierce is a complete farce. The logo is only half of the battle. The use of colors is the second half. And there isn’t a chance any team will be scared of a team taking the field in Honolulu Blue. The only team who can pull of the light blue uniforms is the San Diego Chargers, and they are smart enough to only do that on ocassion.

Overall, the new logo isn’t that bad, but it isn’t great. And it isn’t striking fear in anybody.

FINAL GRADE: C+

Now lets go and take a look at some of the other logos around the league.

Logo	Team	Comments
	Arizona Cardinals	A huge improvement over the last logo, it has a great look. However, it doesn't have a lasting feel.
	Atlanta Falcons	The black and red colors and sharp help create an awesome looking logo.
	Baltimore Ravens	The logo is far too cartoonish. The purple and gold don't work well toghether either.
	Buffalo Bills	It works, but it might be in need of an upgrade in the near future.
	Carolina Panthers	This panther kicks ass. Plain and simple.
	Chicago Bears	This is one of the most boring logos. Their alternate logo is so much better.
	Cincinnati Bengals	It looks like it was designed by an amatuer and isn't representive of the franchise that well.
	Cleveland Browns	There really isn't any logo to comment about. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
	Dallas Cowboys	The star is synonymous with football. It is an all time classic.
	Denver Broncos	This could be the coolest of all modern logos.
	Green Bay Packers	A bit boring, but it has a long history.
	Houston Texans	The sharp lines and distinct shape give this fierce looking logo plenty of legs.
	Indianapolis Colts	The Colts aren't playing in Baltimore anymore. It could probably use a little tweaking.
	Jacksonville Jaguars	It may only use four colors, and it definitely is aggressive, but it also feels like their is too much going on.
	Kansas City Chiefs	The arrowhead is representative of something much larger, including some of the best fans in the sport.
	Miami Dolphins	A fish with a helmet? Here is another logo that needs to be reworked.
	Minnesota Vikings	Its purple and yellow and a figure of a man with long hair. And yet, while not perfect, it works.
	New England Patriots	Modern, stylized, and actual makes an 18th century figure someone you don't want to mess with.
	New Orleans Saints	It's not all that flashy, but it demonstrates the city's French influences and is unique among the league.
	New York Giants	Two letters. Big deal. The Giants could do much better.
	New York Jets	Another NY team with a boring logo. I actually preferred the onld one where a jet was visible.
	Oakland Raiders	Very old school, but the black and silver remains menacing even today.
	Philadelphia Eagles	Lots of detail, but not overdone. Great look for a bird and a great logo as well.
	Pittsburgh Steelers	What makes this simple logo great is that its adorned on only one side of the helmet.
	San Diego Chargers	What is a Charger? I guess the lightening bolt works?
	San Francisco 49ers	From Montanta and Rice to Young, it has plenty of history, but otherwise isn't that great.
	Seattle Seahawks	Much in the vain of the Patriots, Eagles and Broncos, a great modern look, but a just a cut below.
	St. Louis Rams	Similar situation as the Seahawks, but definitely a better logo.
	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	A thousand times better than the old logo, but only average comparitively.
	Tennessee Titans	Could be the worst logo in the league. It really doesn't represent anything well, nor is it striking fear in anybody.
	Washington Redskins	The outside circle and feathers complements the Native American extremely well creating a great logo.

The MVP race has dwindled down to three possibilities, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. However, when the award is announced, the Maurice Podoloff Trophy will be handed to the wrong player. Popular opinion has the awarded going to either Kobe or LeBron with King James be crowned the NBA’s best. And yet there should be no discussion. This should be Dwyane Wade’s award.

There are two definitions of MVP that voters usually consider, the most valuable player and the most outstanding player. Yet it doesn’t matter. When you apply both definitions to the three players, it still points to the Miami Heat shooting guard.

Lets begin by comparing stats. The first that will obviously stand out is points per game. Wade led the league with 30.2 PPG. LeBron and  Kobe were both at least two points off the pace. And while intuition might say that his higher average was due to taking more shots, he had a better field goal percentage as well.

And Dwyane Wade didn’t only know how to shoot the ball, he could dish it as well. In fact in what his arguably the second most important category, Wade led yet again, handing out more assists per game than LeBron and Kobe. This becomes more impressive when you consider the supporting casts. Both Cleveland and L.A. shot at much higher percentages than Miami.

Kobe and LeBron do have more rebounds per game. And LeBron has a higher player efficiency rating (Wade is third behind LeBron and Chris Paul). However, this does not diminish Wade’s accomplishments as arguably the most outstanding player.

And yet many people will argue for both Kobe Bryant and LeBron James over Dwyane Wade. But these same people should have a difficult time arguing that either Bryant or James are more valuable to the Lakers or Cavaliers than Wade is to the Heat.

The Cleveland Cavs and LA Lakers are easily the favorites to come out of the Eastern and Western Conferences.  They are the two best teams in the league. Remove LeBron or Kobe from those teams and they would have a much more difficult time getting to the finals. But they would still be good teams. Remove Wade from Miami and the Heat don’t make the playoffs.

Kobe is surrounded by talent on the Lakers. A group of Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom  with other roll players is enough to compete in the West. Kobe just puts them over the top. For the Cavs, Mo Williams, Delonte West, Anderson Varejao, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas have all come into their own. And backing them up is a tremendous amount of depth on the bench. They would still have a shot to surface to the top in a very weak Eastern Conference.

For Miami, Udonis Haslem and James Jones aren’t exactly scaring anyone at the forward position. At center, Jermaine O’Neal isn’t exactly the player he used to be. And when you look at the bench, it just looks uglier. Wade is the life of that team. If he has his A-game, the Heat have a fighters chance. Without him it’s an easy knockout.

With Wade clearly being the most valuable and arguably the most outstanding as well, he showed clearly win the MVP award. And yet it still won’t happen, because there is a third category that is considered and yet means nothing on the court. And that factor is image.

Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are the face of the NBA. They have character and charisma. They are characters unto themselves and thus appear larger than life. Wade isn’t exactly dry, but he can’t hold a candle to the other two. Sadly, recognition has gone a long way in the voting process. Sometimes it can prevent the best player from claiming what they deserve. This appears to be one of those cases.

If everything plays out as it appears, LeBron James will be walking away with his first of many MVP awards. If he doesn’t win Kobe may be taking home his second. But if the basketball gods had any glimpse of justice, Dwyane Wade would be this years NBA MVP.

On Saturday, April 25, fans around the NFL will once again be filled with optimism as their teams look to the future. And yet, there is always drama to be found. Which top player will drop? Will any big name players move teams? Can a team turn their upcoming season around with their additions? These are just some of the many questions that will be asked draft day.

The following is our scenario for how the draft could play out and what teams may be looking for. There will be trades made, but they are next to impossible to predict. Therefore they were not taken into account for the mock draft.

2009 NFL Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School	Details
1		Matthew Stafford	QB	Georgia	Without a win a year ago, the Lions need a leader to step into the fray right now. Stafford has the skills and appears to be that player.
2		Jason Smith	OT	Baylor	Jason Smith is easily the best tackle in the draft. After releasing Orlando Pace in the offseason, Smith would appear to be the likely replacement.
3		Aaron Curry	OLB	Wake Forest	Curry could be the most talented player in the draft. Kansas City is in need of an outside linebacker as well. It's hard to imagine them passing up on this possibility.
4		Mark Sanchez	QB	USC	Sanchez has been flying up the draft boards. His major flaw seems to be experience. However, sitting behind Hassleback for a year or two could be the grooming he needs to make the transistion to the starting position.
5		Brian Orakpo	DE	Texas	Orakpo is a freakishly talented player who has the ability to play linebacker or defensive end. If the Browns don't trade away Braylon Edwards, look for them to draft Orakpo to fill their pass rushing void.
6		Eugene Monroe	OT	Virginia	Without a solid pass blocking tackle and investing so much in Carson Palmer, filling that void with Eugene Monroe just seems to make too much sense.
7		Michael Crabtree	WR	Texas Tech	QB Jamarcus Russel doesn't have too many talented players to throw to. Crabtree, however, looks like he could be a great talent, drawing comparisons with Larry Fitzgerald.
8		Jeremy Maclin	WR	Missouri	Maclin is a big play receiver with a much faster game speed than his 40-time would lead you to believe. He'll need some work, but should be a good pick for the Jaguars.
9		Andre Smith	OT	Alabama	The Packers are in need of a tackle to protect Aaron Rodgers. Though Smith has some character issues, he is still among the most talented at his position and could fill the role the Packers are looking for.
10		B.J. Raji	DT	Boston College	At this point, Raji is clearly the best player on the board. Furthermore, he's a big tackle that fit incredibly well into San Francisco's 3-4 scheme.
11		Aaron Maybin	DE	Penn State	Aaron Maybin probably has the quickest first step of anybody in the draft. He also has the ability to play the DE/OLB hybrid, making him a great fit for the Bills.
12		Tyson Jackson	DE	LSU	Throughout the offseason Denver has made it apparent they are looking to upgrade their defense. Jackson is probably the best interior 3-4 defensive end in the draft and should help the Broncos improve.
13		Michael Oher	OT	Mississippi	Knowing Daniel Snyder and the Redskins, they could do anything with this draft pick and it wouldn't be surprising. If they were smart, however, they would fill a need and draft an offensive tackle like Oher.
14		Chris Wells	RB	Ohio State	Reggie Bush is a great talent at running back, but he can't carry the load. Chris "Beanie" Wells would be a great compliment and fill the void that Duece McCallister left.
15		Robert Ayers	DE	Tennessee	Robert Ayers is another player who's stock has risen in the late stages before the draft. He would be a nice compliment to Mario Williams on the opposite side.
16		Ray Maualuga	ILB	USC	Injuries may have slowed him down, but Maualuga is still the most talented inside linebacker in the draft. It would be hard for the the Chargers to pass him up with a need in that position.
17		Josh Freeman	QB	Kansas State	Signing Brett Farve a year ago proved that the Jets had little confidence in Kellen Clemens and Brett Ratliff. Furthermore, there is nobody after Freeman who looks like they could fill a starting role. Freeman might be a stretch, but could be the Jets best option.
18		Everett Brown	DE	Florida State	Denver continues to address defense with another player who fits well in the 3-4 hybrid roll. Brown has been overlooked by many and could end up being a first round sleeper (even at pick 18).
19		Brian Cushing	OLB	USC	After 15 years, the Bucs parted ways with Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Brooks. Their replacements, while adequate, aren't exactly great. Cushing has a chance to be that great replacement.
20		Malcolm Jenkins	CB	Ohio State	This might be a luxury pick, but the Lions are lacking a standout player maker at the corner position. Despite concerns with his speed, Jenkins is easily the best corner in the draft. It would be difficult for any team to pass on his talent this late in the first round.
21		Knowshon Moreno	RB	Georgia	Brian Westbrook is going to turn 30 this year and has been plagued by injuries. The Eagles don't have anybody on the depth chart behind Westbrook. Moreno could fill both that role and be the running back for the future.
22		Percy Harvin	WR	Florida	Despite some injury concerns, Percy Harvin is still too talented to pass on. He gives the Vikings another option at WR and can play a compliment to Adrian Peterson out of the backfield.
23		Larry English	DE	Northern Illinois	This draft is abundant in DE that are athletic enough to play OLB. In one of New England's few holes, the Patriots take Larry English, a player who can play in that 3-4 scheme.
24		Brandon Pettigrew	TE	Oklahoma State	Pettigrew is a top 10 talent in this draft. The only reason he falls is because of a lack of need at the TE position. However, giving Matt Ryan an outstanding outlet is too good to give up.
25		Vontae Davis	CB	Illinois	Cornerback is the most pressing need for the Dolphins. Davis is the best cornerback on the board. Put two and two together and this pick is a no brainer.
26		Darius Heyword-Bey	WR	Maryland	Derrick Mason is nearing retirement and the Ravens are going to want to give QB Joe Flacco another option to throw to. Heyword-Bey has great speed and the ability to stretch the field. He would be a great option for Baltimore.
27		Peria Jerry	DT	Mississippi	The Colts have almost nobody at the defensive tackle position. It is a pressing concern. Luckily, Jerry is more than capable of filling that void.
28		Eben Britton	OT	Arizona	The Bills were in need of offensive line help. Then they traded OT Jason Peters to the Eagles and were in desperate need of help. Britton is a legit first round talent and seems to be a near obvious pick for Buffalo.
29		Hakeem Nicks	WR	North Carolina	After releasing WR Plaxico Burress, a void at the receiver position. They will look to possibly trade for Braylon Edwards or Anquan Boldin. But if this doesn't happen, expect them to settle for draftin a receiver such as Hakeem Nicks.
30		Kenny Britt	WR	Rutgers	It's been since 2004 when the Titans had a quality WR in Derrick Mason. They need to address this position and help out Kerry Collins and Vince Young. Britt could end up being the best WR in the draft and would be a wise move for Tennessee.
31		Donald Brown	RB	Connecticut	Edgerrin James is getting old and Tim Hightower isn't the type of player that can carry the load. Donald Brown has the talent to carry the load for the Cardinals this year and into the future.
32		Alex Mack	C	California	Last year center Justin Hartwig allowed six sacks. Mack is a talented player who would be an immediate upgrade. At this late in the first round it's hard to pass on a player who will have first year impact on the field.

Be sure to check in this weekend as we update you throughout the draft with picks and reactions