GREEN BAY PACKERS at DETROIT LIONS (FOX, 12:30 PM ET): These two NFC North rivals will meet on Thanksgiving for the 19th time. The Lions, who will host their 70th Thanksgiving Day Classic, have an 11-6-1 record on the holiday against the Packers. Green Bay is coming off a 30-24 win over San Francisco, led by QB Aaron Rodgers’ 344 yards passing and two touchdowns. The Lions pulled off a stunning comeback victory over Cleveland as QB Matthew Stafford passed for 422 yards – the most ever by a rookie – and five touchdowns – tied for the most in NFL history by a rookie (Ray Buivid, 1937, Chicago Bears).

OAKLAND RAIDERS at DALLAS COWBOYS (CBS, 4:15 PM ET): The Cowboys will host their first Thanksgiving Day game at Cowboys Stadium when the team welcomes the Oakland Raiders to town. Dallas, who defeated Washington last week, has a 26-14-1 record on the holiday and QB Tony Romo has a perfect 3-0 mark on Thanksgiving. The Raiders will make their sixth appearance on the holiday and first since 1970 when the team played at Detroit. Last week, Oakland scored 10 points in the final 33 seconds to defeat Cincinnati, only the second time in club history the Raiders have scored two times in the final minute of the fourth quarter for a comeback win (November 17, 1968 vs. NY Jets, the “Heidi Game”).

NEW YORK GIANTS at DENVER BRONCOS (NFLN, 8:20 PM ET): Denver will host a Thanksgiving game for the first time since 1963 when the Broncos face the Giants in a primetime battle of two 6-4 clubs. New York will make its first appearance on the holiday since 1992 and 15th overall dating back to the Giants’ 17-0 win over the Brooklyn Lions in 1926. New York is coming off a 34-31 overtime win over Atlanta, highlighted by QB Eli Manning’s career-high 384 passing yards. The Broncos, who will play their 11th Thanksgiving Day game, will look to rebound from a 32-3 loss to San Diego.

Source: NFL Media

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Thanksgiving Day NFL Games

Cowboys Stadium / Image: Zuma Press

Source: NFL.com

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NFL Record Crowd Sees Giants Beat Cowboys

Plaxico Burress / Photo: Newscom

Source: NFL Media

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NFL Statement on Plaxico Burress

Eli Manning, N.Y. Giants / Image: Zuma Press

First of all, no NFL player is worth that kind of money. But if I had to give it to someone, I wouldn’t give it to Eli Manning. I don’t think he’s the NFL’s best player (assuming the best player should make the most money). Sure, he led the Giants to a Super Bowl win two seasons ago (and he was that game’s MVP), but he needs to do that a couple times to get this kind of money. And he hasn’t. And probably won’t again. I’m not knocking the guy’s talent. He helped the Giants to the playoffs all four years he’s been in New York (somehow) and he’s coming off his first Pro Bowl season. And he is a franchise QB and one of the game’s best (ok, top five) at his position. But, if I’m handing out $97 million over six years, I’m giving it to Tom Brady.

Source: NFL.com

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Eli Manning is NFL’s Highest Paid Player

Today’s action at the NFL Combine started with a coin flip to decide the final order for the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. The Atlanta Falcons won the coin flip with the Oakland Raiders. They will select third in the first round, Oakland fourth and the Kansas City Chiefs fifth. The three clubs had the same strength of schedule at the end of the season, thus necessitating today’s coin toss. Kansas City finished third in the AFC West Division and the Raiders fourth (based on record in common games), so Oakland will choose ahead of KC.

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Coin Flip Decides First-Round Draft Order

Mike Mayock watches college football’s best players. All year. That’s all he does. I only pick up on who’s good in college football from time-to-time, becoming especially attentive around Combine time, of course. Mike and I joked about his job a couple years ago during an interview because he thought it was “pretty sad” to be so devoted to this cause. Well, it’s turned into a nice career for the NFL Network Draft guru. He now rivals ESPN’s Mel Kiper as the foremost authority on the NFL Draft. Anyway, Mike released his Top 10 pre-Combine Draft prospects today.

1. Matt Ryan – QB, Boston College
2. Sedrick Ellis – DT, USC
3. Chris Long – DE, Virginia
4. Glenn Dorsey – DT, LSU
5. Vernon Gholston – DE, Ohio State
6. Jake Long – OL, Michigan
7. Ryan Clady – OL, Boise State
8. Keith Rivers – LB, USC
9. Phillip Merling – DE, Clemson
10. Leodis McKelvin – CB, Troy

Mike is heavy on the linemen this year. And I have to agree. Speaking generally, it’s a great class at those positions. As you can see, seven of his Top 10 prospects are offensive or defensive linemen. But Boston College QB Matt Ryan impressed him enough to make Matt not only the top-rated quarterback, but also the top-rated player. Period. It will be interesting to see how this group changes after the Combine.

(Note: I will be blogging the activities from the Media Work Room at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis next week; University of Hawaii WR Jason Rivers will be guest blogging for EMQB; I’ll have a number of individual player interview podcasts over at BPR; and more.)

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NFL Network’s Mike Mayock Debuts Top 10 Prospects Heading Into Scouting Combine

Bill Parcells has been busy cleaning house. Not his South Beach abode, but the Miami Dolphins’ front office. The Dolphins’ new executive vice president of football operations fired general manager Randy Mueller and two other members of the player personnel staff yesterday. He’ll catch his breath and meet with head coach Cam Cameron tomorrow to discuss the team’s future — and maybe Coach Cameron’s job?

While the Dolphins can look forward to a lot of change this offseason, they can also look forward to making the first choice of the 2008 National Football League Draft on April 26-27. The order of the first round of the 2008 Draft was announced yesterday by the NFL:

1. Miami Dolphins
2. St. Louis Rams
3. Atlanta Falcons#
4. Oakland Raiders#
5. Kansas City Chiefs#
6. N.Y. Jets
7. New England Patriots (from San Francisco)
8. Baltimore Ravens
9. Cincinnati Bengals
10. New Orleans Saints
11. Buffalo Bills
12. Denver Broncos
13. Carolina Panthers
14. Chicago Bears
15. Detroit Lions
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Minnesota Vikings
18. Houston Texans
19. Philadelphia Eagles
20. Tampa Bay Bucs*
21. Washington Redskins*
22. Dallas Cowboys (from Cleveland)
23. Seattle Seahawks*
24. Pittsburgh Steelers*
25. Tennessee Titans*
26. N.Y. Giants*
27. San Diego Chargers*
28. Jacksonville Jaguars*
29. Green Bay Packers*
30. Dallas Cowboys*
31. San Francisco 49ers* (from Indy)

* subject to playoffs
# subject to coin flip

I’m not really sure why the NFL releases the Draft order this early. Eleven positions are yet to be determined by results from the upcoming playoffs. But, there you have it.

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Bill Parcells Cleaning House in Miami, Dolphins Hold First Pick in 2008 NFL Draft

Patriots Sign Adalius Thomas
Patriots Add Donte Stallworth
Patriots Continue WR Overhaul

Today, they just cemented themselves in that top slot as far as I’m concerned with the addition of WR Randy Moss. The details of the transaction are surprisingly simple. The Patriots gave up their fourth round pick in exchange for one of the best receivers in the game. And I thought the Vikings got ripped off when they let Moss go a couple years ago for the meager sum of a first round pick, a late round pick, and a promising linebacker. Sure, the Raiders also lose the burden of Randy’s big salary (they’ll need that money to pay top Draft pick JaMarcus Russell), but I think they could have gotten more.

As it stands, Moss brings his baggage (literally and figuratively) and a restructured contract to New England to the tune of $9.75 million this upcoming season, but the light is yellow and it will turn red (as Bill Parcells used to say) if Randy falls out of line even once. That means he’ll need to be on his best behavior or he’ll be shown the door in no uncertain terms. The Patriots will simply release him. I don’t think that will happen. Here’s why Randy Moss in New England will work.

One thing I know about Randy after watching him in Minnesota for seven years is that he just wants to win a Super Bowl. He was spoiled from the start playing with a great Vikings team that was loaded with talent. He had a mentor in Cris Carter. He wasn’t going to get double-teamed because he had Carter, Jake Reed, Matthew Hatchette, a great offensive line, a good running game and tight ends flanking him on the best offense in the history of the game. He pretty much just ran up and down the field and caught everything that was thrown his way. That game plan has slowly deteriorated over the years as Moss’ supporting cast became less noteworthy and more responsibility was put on Randy’s shoulders. As a “team leader” in Oakland, Moss practically disappeared. And it was sad to witness because he was one of the most exciting players in the league and it was almost as if he had retired early.

Randy Moss needs to be surrounded by guys who are not only talented but also used to winning. He’ll have that in New England. And he won’t need to be a leader. He’ll just need to do his job and be a piece of the puzzle. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Moss return to the form of his early seasons in Minnesota. He might not match those numbers, but I expect to see a definitive spring in his step. He knows he could not be in a better situation and as his surroundings go, so goes Randy Moss. I commented before that I’m not sure if Randy has lost a step from his early days. This weekend I heard Keyshawn Johnson say that Moss was recently clocked at a sub-4.3-40 time. I don’t know how accurate that is, but if it’s true, he’s just as fast as he used to be.

So, when you recap the impressive additions the Patriots have managed since barely losing the AFC Championship game (Pro Bowler Adalius Thomas, Tory James, Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, Kelley Washington, Sammy Morris) and throw in the Draft picks, there is no reason the Patriots shouldn’t be everyone’s Super Bowl favorite.

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Patriots Gather Moss

“When it comes to the Draft, everyone knows that at a certain point, teams are going to stop needing requests, because if they are successful or a veteran or they have got somebody they picked the year before, that’s where it all falls in and they have to start addressing other needs. I realized that and I realized that was a possibility. So really, I mean what can you do? You have to sit back and wait. Whether I was here in New York or if I was in Columbus, one way or another it worked out this way.”

I think every team would say they are happy with their first round pick, but I see a couple of these choices a little differently. Here are my thoughts on ALL 32 of the first-round picks:

• 1. Oakland – JaMarcus Russell – A no-brainer pick for the Silver and Black. See my previous post.
• 2. Detroit – Calvin Johnson – I know. The Lions have a history of selecting WRs. And it doesn’t always work out. This one will. Calvin is the best overall player in this Draft and with Roy Williams on the other side, there won’t be any possibility of double-teams. Now they just need someone to throw to them. Will they draft that player?
• 3. Cleveland – Joe Thomas – Joe is the best offensive lineman in this Draft. If only LeCharles Bentley could get healthy, the Browns might have something.
• 4. Tampa Bay – Gaines Adams – The Bucs get another great pass-rusher. Remember, Simeon Rice is on the other end.
• 5. Arizona – Levi Brown – Maybe a reach here, but the Cards were in desperate need of O-line help and Levi was the best available. Still a solid pick that fills a great need.
• 6. Washington – LaRon Landry – Maybe the best defensive player in this Draft. LaRon and Sean Taylor make two great safeties in DC.
• 7. Minnesota – Adrian Peterson – The Vikes desperately need offensive weapons and AD is just that. Minnesota gets a big-time playmaker running back to tag-team with Chester Taylor. Now they need a couple WRs.
• 8. Atlanta – Jamaal Anderson – Wait a minute. Jamal Anderson in Atlanta again? The Dirty Bird? Oh, this is Jamaal not Jamal. What a weird coincidence, though. The second-best pass-rusher in this Draft will help the Falcons get more pressure on the QB because Pat Kerney plays in Seattle now.
• 9. Miami – Ted Ginn Jr. – I expected the Dolphins to take Brady Quinn here. The need for speed wins, though, and Miami has a lethal return man and great deep threat.
• 10. Houston – Omobi Okoye – This young defense is getting better. Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans, Dunta Robinson and now 19-year-old phenom Okoye. Nice.
• 11. San Francisco – Patrick Willis – My favorite LB in this Draft. The Niners’ too, based on their experiences coaching Patrick at the Senior Bowl.
• 12. Buffalo – Marshawn Lynch – In need of a RB with Willis McGahee departed for Baltimore, the Bills nab Cal’s playmaker. But from Cali to Western New York? Culture shock, dude.
• 13. St. Louis – Adam Carriker – The pass-rushing DEs are just disappearing in predicted order, aren’t they? Meet Leonard Little’s new sidekick.
• 14. N.Y. Jets – Darelle Revis – I was puzzled by the Jets trading second and fifth round picks to Carolina so they could select CB Darelle Revis. Darelle is from my alma mater so God bless him, but I didn’t even think he was the best CB on the board. He’s a very good corner, but was he worth the price? I think not.
• 15. Pittsburgh – Lawrence Timmons – With Joey Porter in Miami, the Steelers need a new backer and L.T. is the best of the OLB’s in this Draft.
• 16. Green Bay – Justin Harrell – This was something of a head-scratcher to me. The best DT (Okoye) was already off the board, but what about Alan Branch? Even Tank Tyler? I thought Justin Harrell was a mid-second-rounder at best.
• 17. Denver – Jarvis Moss – The Broncos need more than they’ve been getting from their defensive ends. Kenard Lang, Ebenezer Ekuban, Courtney Brown and John Engelberger weren’t getting it done. I don’t know if Moss is the answer, but he’s the best available DE and Denver traded up to get him.
• 18. Cincinnati – Leon Hall – With Tory James off to New England along with everyone else, it’s Leon Hall, the best CB in this Draft, to the rescue.
• 19. Tennessee – Michael Griffin – Chris Hope’s new best friend at safety, he might also play on special teams.
• 20. N.Y. Giants – Aaron Ross – Buddies from Texas go back-to-back. The Giants need youth here (Sam Madison and R.W. McQuarters are great, but old) and Aaron will make plays. Look for him to possibly return punts, too.
• 21. Jacksonville – Reggie Nelson – Defensive back was not a glaring need for the Jags, but they couldn’t resist this addition to an already stingy D. Reggie only needs to travel upstate to work with and learn from Rashean Mathis.
• 22. Cleveland – Brady Quinn – Good things come to those who wait — to be drafted, that is. Brady gets to play in his home state, but there will certainly be some growing pains first.
• 23. Kansas City – Dwayne Bowe – It was no secret the Chiefs would take the best available WR here. Remember JaMarcus Russell back at #1? This is who he threw to.
• 24. New England – Brandon Merriweather – I believe his part in the brawl with Florida International was a fluke. He’s not a thug. I like this pick by the Pats. They’ve had a ton of injuries at safety and Brandon fits nicely.
• 25. Carolina – John Beason – He might play ILB depending on what Dan Morgan’s status is, but the Panthers need linebacker help and Beason provides that immediately.
• 26. Dallas – Anthony Spencer – Nice pick here because every good defensive end (DeMarcus Ware) deserves another. I’ll tell you what. Don’t be surprised if Anthony Spencer makes an immediate impact.
• 27. New Orleans – Robert Meachem – The Saints will try their hand at another Tennessee receiver (remember Donte Stallworth). They’ve got some offensive weapons. Here’s another one.
• 28. San Francisco – Joe Staley – The Niners have some guards (Allen, Smiley). Now they need some tackles. Former TE Staley will protect the investment (Alex Smith) in San Fran.
• 29. Baltimore – Ben Grubbs – The best guard in this Draft, Grubbs will bring youth to a line that is aging and hurting.
• 30. San Diego – Craig Davis – I really thought Dwayne Jarrett or Sidney Rice would go here, but the Chargers will take anyone who can catch the ball and Craig Davis is more than capable. Remember JaMarcus Russell back at #1? And Dwayne Bowe at #23? This is the other LSU receiver.
• 31. Chicago – Greg Olsen – The rich get richer. The best TE in this Draft falls to the NFC Champs.
• 32. Indianapolis – Anthony Gonzalez – The other wideout at Ohio State might have been their best pure receiver. Sorry, Ted. Again, I was thinking Dwayne Jarrett or Sidney Rice here, but Gonzalez comes ready to play on Day 1. This could be a really clever pickup for the Super Bowl Champion Colts.

Sadly, it’s time for me to pack up and head out. It’s been a whirlwind day. And I still need to do a phone interview with B5 brethren Aaron Brazell over at the Suicide Fan podcast. I really don’t want to leave. I’m enjoying myself. But, if I want to catch my flight back to Buffalo, I’d better get outta here. As always, it’s been exciting and an honor to work on-location at the NFL Draft.

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NFL Draft 07: First Round Recap

I just got back from NFL Draft Fan Central (presented by Burger King) which is across the street on 51st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. It’s a beautiful spring day here in midtown Manhattan. When I left Buffalo early this morning (and I emphasize early), it was raining and about 40º. I reluctantly brought a jacket with me, but as it turns out I certainly didn’t need it. It feels like it’s about 65º here.

Anyway, NFL Draft Fan Central is based on the same interactive environment typically seen at NFL Experience events during Super Bowl week.

• “Let it Fly,” “Goal to Go,” and “Red Zone” were among the physical activities — you know, throwing a ball through a target, running across a big inflated “field” and more. It’s pretty standard fare for fan fun.
• ESPN was giving away their 2007 Draft Preview Guide. I love this guide and I’m always the first one to buy it when it hits newsstands in early March. Now they’re giving away thousands of leftover copies because they’re kind of obsolete after today.
• The impressive Sprint NFL Access Tour trailer demonstrated how to use their NFL Mobile technology and showed a short movie that impressively revealed just how physical this game can be. There was also a mock studio for fans to see what it feels like to be a part of NFL Network. Nice tour. And earlier today, my Sprint exec Dave Mellin hooked me up with their NFL Mobile access on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network to keep me updated with every pick and much more great NFL content. I love this thing.
• Hummer was registering fans to win one of their vehicles. I love the way the H3 looks. Heck, I love the way the H2 and the original look, too. But with the price of gas and the price of one of these vehicles, I’m not in the market anytime soon. I’d love to stomp around in one of these little monsters.
• Sirius Satellite Radio — specifically Sirius NFL Radio — was offering subscriptions and equipment. Their portable Stiletto is a hot item.
• And then there was the Mainstage where the commentary was kind of — I need to be careful here because I’m certainly not a perfect public speaker myself — umm, sophomoric? Sorry, that’s just my impression. I see it at other events, too. It seems when some people are on a big stage (literally and figuratively) and they are speaking to a large group of people, they feel the need to not only yell instead of talk (even though they have a microphone), but their intelligence level also seems to drop (assuming it was higher at one point to begin with). It’s kind of embarrassing to watch.

Players from the Jets and Giants, and the Burger King himself, were scheduled to make appearances. I really wanted to have my picture taken with the King, but alas, he was nowhere to be found when I was there. It’s a nice event that is open until 6 p.m. and it’s a little something extra to help fans enjoy the Draft and the NFL. (Note: As I was crossing the street, I saw an Adidas van with a Reggie Bush ad on the side. I was nearly run over by a cab getting this photo so I hope you really like it.)

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NFL Draft 07: Fan Central