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Cashing in Seahawks accomplished the most in NFL Draft
Updated: Tuesday April 24, 2001 4:12 AM
CNNSI.com's college football and NFL expert Trev Alberts dropped in on the Sports Tonight gang to discuss the 2001 NFL Draft.
Fred Hickman: Who did the best in the draft? Trev Alberts: I like the Seattle Seahawks. Mike Holmgren finally had a good draft. He's making $25 million a year, so he has to do it. I think he got two starters offensively: Koren Robinson at wide receiver and Steve Hutchinson, the good offensive lineman. Yeah, they we 30th in defense last year, but they picked up a lot of good defensive help in free agency. But it all comes down to whether Matt Hasselbeck can throw the football. Another team I like is the Detroit Lions. New general manager Matt Millen came out and really established what the personality of this team is going to be. With Jeff Backus, an offensive tackle, and Dominic Raiola, the best center in the draft, they are saying, 'We're going to be a physical team, we're going to run the football and we're going to pound you into submission.' Vince Cellini: What did you think about the Chargers' draft, especially in the second round? Alberts: Well, you're talking about Drew Brees. Well, John Butler deserves a lot of credit -- and I was one of the ones ripping the Chargers, saying it was a horrible decision [to trade the No. 1 pick]. But I don't think a lot of people thought Brees would still be on the board that late. You have the Dolphins there with Jay Fiedler at quarterback and they pick Jamar Fletcher, a cornerback. He's a great cornerback, but they've got Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain. Why didn't they pick Brees? The Chargers did a good job and they were lucky Brees was still there. Hickman: Who did not do as well in the draft? What about Dallas? Alberts: Well, Jerry Jones really needs to separate himself from this football team. I know he's the owner, but he needs to find a way to let someone else do the drafting. He's digging this team a hole. I mean, Quincy Carter in the second round? The reality is this: Carter, if he would have gone back to Georgia, he probably would not have even been the starter for the Bulldogs. He was not a good quarterback and he will not play quarterback in the NFL. And you spend a second-round pick on him? Another team everyone is talking about is the St. Louis Rams. They had three first-round picks and you say they really helped their team defensively. But you look at the picks and Damione Lewis, Adam Archuleta and Ryan Pickett -- they're all good players but they all have question marks. Archuleta is moving from linebacker to safety. And big Ryan Pickett, well, I've never heard of him. They could be very good, but for three first-round picks, I'd like to see some better talents. Cellini: Give us an impact name, someone we haven't heard of yet. Alberts: Well, it's Reggie Wayne, the receiver from Miami. The Colts did a good job here. He runs great routes and with Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James, this guy could have a huge impact. Hickman: What kind of message is it for Ricky Williams when the Saints drafted Deuce McAllister? Alberts: Well, I don't know what kind of message it is, but I disagree with it. I'm sure they're trying to light a fire under Williams, but why should you have to light a fire under a guy whose paid $8 million? This is a team that made the playoffs, but not the Super Bowl. That means you are one or two things short -- maybe a wide receiver or defensive back. But McAllister? If they're upset with Williams for getting hurt and not being able to play, McAllister didn't play half of his college career. This could tear the team apart. Cellini: Look at the No. 2 and No. 3 picks. Leonard Davis to Arizona and Gerard Warren to Cleveland. These picks look good now, but are they that good? Alberts: The No. 2 pick, Davis, is a good lineman, but at No. 1, Michael Vick is going to get $15 million to sign. Davis is going to get around $12.5 million and he's an offensive tackle. And Warren is a very good player, always mentioned as the next Warren Sapp. But Warren had four sacks last year. Four sacks. You look at the Browns last year and this is a high school offense. People are going to start saying Tim Couch is not the franchise quarterback that Peyton Manning is -- well, Couch has no weapons. Let him have someone to throw the football to. Hickman: Which are the teams to beat going into the season? Alberts: I think Baltimore and Tampa Bay, two teams who filled obvious needs, would be my two picks for Super Bowl XXXVI. Baltimore got tight end Todd Heap,who gets to learn under Shannon Sharpe. Remember what happened last year with the Redskins? Everyone, including me, picked them to go to the Super Bowl because they had all the talent. Well, they didn't have chemistry. I think Tampa Bay and Baltimore have the chemistry and the talent. Cellini: And Baltimore added Elvis Grbac. Alberts: And I think you'll see Elvis play better than he did in Kansas City because of Jamal Lewis. With that run consistently established, he is a complete quarterback, the kind Brian Billick has wanted for a long time.
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