RANDOMIZATION: I FEEL A DRAFT (4/26/08)

Random thoughts on the NFL Draft, followed by a few other things...

• Jake Long was a safe pick for Miami. With how bad they were last year, Bill Parcells knows he can't afford to take chances. He already has a running back in Ronnie Brown, and drafting a potential health/character risk in McFadden would have been a mistake. He wasn't sure about Matt Ryan as a franchise quarterback. This just makes sense for them. Oh, and on the heels of the impact Joe Thomas made in Cleveland last year, it's not a half-bad idea.
• The Rams did the right thing. Chris Long is going to be really good, and he gives them some versatility on the defensive line. As much as I believe McFadden is the best player available, it's hard to justify taking him when you already have Stephen Jackson. He's pretty good, I hear.
• Matt Ryan? Really? Talk about a panic move by Atlanta. I am thinking Arthur Blank didn't make his fortune by panicking. Why here? The Falcons need defensive line help. They have some patchwork veterans at the quarterback position who can hold down the fort if you solidify around them, and Ryan isn't going to make this team any better without that help, either.
• I love McFadden going to Oakland. Look for a potential Adrian Peterson-like impact.
• Kansas City should have moved down. Or taken Vernon Gholston. It's probably the second mistake out of the first five picks in the draft.

With the Vikings moving out of the first round, the excitement around here isn't quite as high as usual. The Packers pick 30th, but speculation is centering around a trade-down. It makes sense, as Green Bay doesn't have any major needs that are likely to be filled with that first-round pick. General manager Ted Thompson loves stockpiling picks, so it's always an option to move down.

The Allen trade. More here. It's interesting to say the least. As I wrote earlier this week, I don't like the idea of giving up three upper-round picks and giving out a big contract for a guy. First off, it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the Vikings to win. They're going to have to do it with questions at quarterback and along the offensive line. Those are major holes you can get help on with those draft picks. However, the Vikings decided they needed to fill a major hole at defensive end, and getting a proven commodity in Allen was worth giving up the draft picks and money. It's truly a defensible position, even if my conclusion isn't the same.