Mock Draft 2015

Millions of men and women love sports. In fact, many are obsessed with their favorite sports teams. I understand this because I am the same way. I am obsessed with my favorite sports team (the New York Yankees and New York Jets). Unfortunately, many times in our love of our sports teams, we forget the importance of loving God. So I write this blog as a reminder to focus first on loving God, before we love our sports team.

For I am the Lord your God
    who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear;
    I will help you.
                                                -Isiah 41:13

Life is hard. It is important to remember the One that can help you.
 Life has been hard and busy.
One day before the NFL draft here is my mock draft for the New York Jets

1st round pick (six)- Kevin White WR WVU- This will be a tough pick. My preference is Marcus Mariota or Amari Cooper in that order. Unfortuately, they are long gone by this point. White might be the safest player with the most upside by the time the Jets pick. I would love to pick a pass rusher but Fowler will be off the board and Vic Beasly (weight) Shane Ray(toe, drugs) and Randy Gregory (drugs) are too risky for the sixth pick.The Jets should wait until round 4 to get their offensive lineman


2nd round pick (37) Eli Harold OLB Virginia- This a wishful thinking. Eli Harold will be taken in the first round. But we need a pass rusher and you are not going to get a good one much later than this. I would rather go top running back or offensive lineman here but pass rushers go quickly. Other pass rushers who may be available are Nate Orchard and Hau'oli Kikaha. I would take either of them or a no brainer would be Randy Gregory should he fall this far.

3rd round pick (70) Ameer Abdullah RB Nebraska- If Abdullah is here this is a great pick. It is very possible he is going in the 2nd round. But he is a perfect compliment to Chris Ivory and would eventually replace him.

4th round pick (104) Rob Haverstein OT Wisconsin. Tackles also go quickly but there are about 10 tackles rated higher than Haverstein. I think he could start at RT for the Jets or RG and move to RT next year. Oday Aboushi played fairly well last year so with him and the addition of James Carpenter the Jets don't look so bad at the guard position. I would love to see Dakota Dozier get a chance to compete with Aboushi for the RG position. If you plug one of those guys next to Havestein, the right side of the Jets offensive line could be maulers for years to come.

7th round pick (223) Jeff Luc MLB Cincinatti - In the 7th round there is nothing wrong with picking a tough sturdy two down run-stuffing inside linebacker.

7th round pick(224) Devante Davis WR UNLV- I wanted to get a blocking TE but could not find one in the 7th round. Will have to go the rookie free agent route to get one. However, this wide reciever  is 6-3 220 and know how to use his size to bully cornerbacks. Not a bad pick  in the 7th round.

So here you have it better late than never.
I can't wait to watch the draft tomorrow. Of course I am thankful to God for the opportunity to do so.

When Things Change

Millions of men and women love sports. In fact, many are obsessed with their favorite sports teams. I understand this because I am the same way. I am obsessed with my favorite sports team (the New York Yankees and New York Jets). Unfortunately, many times in our love of our sports teams, we forget the importance of loving God. So I write this blog as a reminder to focus first on loving God, before we love our sports team.

 "I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
                                                                                Malachi 3:6 (NIV)
God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind.
                                                                                Numbers 3:19 (NIV) 

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
                                                                                 James 1:17 (NIV)


It was June 12, 2014.  I had gotten home from work and was preparing to leave again for a retirement party. I saw the look in my wife’s face as she spoke on the phone with the doctor. The only question was going to be, “how bad is it?”  I knew something was wrong with my oldest daughter, but I had no idea what it was or how bad it was going to be.  I also knew I wasn’t going to any party. My wife informed me quietly that the doctor told her that Eliana had Type 1 Diabetes and we needed to take her immediately to the emergency room at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). She also said we needed to bring a bag – because she wasn’t coming home that night. I was baffled.  I have type 2 diabetes, so I could not fathom why we needed to take her to the emergency room- let alone spend the night.  I was completely ignorant of what it meant to have type 1 diabetes. We brought Eliana home from CHOP after 3 days. My daughter’s world and our world changed that night.  
“Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas loses the ability to produce insulin – a hormone essential to turning food into energy. It strikes both children and adults and is unrelated to diet and lifestyle. With T1D, there are no days off, and there is no cure”- JDRF.
The only way to receive insulin is through injection. It is tough injecting insulin in a six-year-old child before every meal and even large snacks. We have to constantly monitor her blood sugar- if it goes too low she could lose consciousness and suffer brain damage. She could go too high; we have to check her blood for Ketones (one of the many diabetes terms I had never heard of before June 12). All you need to know about Ketones is that they are toxic to the body.  Eliana has been low plenty of times. She has been high plenty of times. We have a great team at CHOP- but really it is all on my wife and I to monitor her and make numerous decisions each day.  Eliana does not like having diabetes and she verbalizes that feeling often. My wife and I have not had a good night sleep since her diagnosis. Eliana tells me her stomach hurts every night. We have had to navigate through school. For the most part they have been helpful. However, it is alarming how much the school district does NOT know about diabetes.  Things that I feel after 8 months are common sense seem like grandiose requests.  It has not been fun.  I realize as I think back to June 12, people have been praying for Eliana and my family. I know they have, because I feel God watching over her and us. The night her blood sugar was below 50 and for no reason my wife went and checked on her as she slept, He was watching.  Every time I see Eliana laughing and playing, I know He is watching.  My wife and I watched her and her sister walk 3.1 miles for the JDRF/One Walk for a World Without Diabetes fundraiser. We knew God was watching her as she completed the walk with pride. Now Eliana has a Continuous Glucose Monitoring(CGM) device inserted into her body, so we can always know what her blood sugar is. At some point she will probably have an insulin pump attached to her body. These are major life changes she has undergone at the age of six as a result of having type 1 diabetes.  God, however, does not change. As a result, when the world around us changes, we can still have hope.  I know that no matter how much our lives change, God’s love for my daughter does not.  He can do anything. He can cure her or He can choose not to. But most importantly He will not change. We can depend on Him to get through any challenge.  When things change, He will not. You too can have that same assurance, if you trust in the Lord.

The Super Bowl is now over.  Peter Carroll lost that game in a manner worthy of the New York Jets. However, I digress, my focus is not on the Seattle Seahawks. The New York Jets have fired Rex Ryan and John Idzik. Things will hopefully be changing for the New York Jets.  I am a New York Jets fan, so I am always skeptical. I hope things will change for the best for the Jets.  Many Jets fans, myself included, were really excited to hear that Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf were advising Woody Johnson in regards to his leadership quest.  Two years ago Woody blew it when he kept Rex and hired Idzik. But the truth of the matter is, Woody was right to keep Rex. He made a huge mistake in hiring Idzik, any half competent G.M could have led the Jets to having at least 4 more wins.  So we were excited to hear these respected names will be advising Woody.  And then came the name Doug Marrone.  I was initially, excited to hear that he was available and would be one of the candidates interviewed.  He was a former Jet coach and offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints. My excitement left me as soon as I saw the quote from Woody speaking on Marrone quitting his Buffalo Bills head coaching job, “ pretty good news.”  Uh oh. This is the man that said,“you can never have enough Tebow”.
Marrone should have been a candidate for the head coaching job. He should not have been the candidate for the New York Jets job.  Woody Johnson is the common denominator of all of our struggles. He has proven that he cares about his team and that he wants to win. He tried hard to get the Jets their own stadium, he opened up his checkbook during the Tannenbaum GM years, he even kept Rex after last year.  However, he is not a football man and he has made choices that have hurt the franchise (not re-signing Revis, bringing in Tim Tebow, not hiring someone with a strong personnel background after firing Tannebaum). So after hearing his quote about Marrone, I began thinking the worst. Not only had he already made up his mind, but he was not even going pick a G.M first. Then came the backlash from the media about Doug Marrone. Conflicting reports then emerged regarding his interview. One said it was great; others said it was terrible. Either way he disappeared as a viable candidate.  What happened? Did he really have a bad interview or does the owner of my favorite football team have no backbone. Was he simply afraid of the negative publicity? I did not want Woody to hand Doug Marrone the job like he was Bill Parcells.  I did want him to consider him (Marrone got an endorsement from Kein Maawae and even Bill Parcells) and choose him if he was the best man for the job.  We may never know what happened, but we do know Woody is in no position to get the benefit of the doubt.  So finally, the New York Jets and Woody Johnson announce the hiring of Mike Maccagnan GM and Todd Bowles H.C.  I don't know that much about Maccagnan except he was scout for many years and the Director of College Scouting for the Houston Texans. I know he is a talent evaluator, personnel guy and football man. He is everything John Idzik was not. I know much more about Todd Bowles. He is a former football player, he was a former defensive backs coach for the New York Jets, and he coached at the collegiate level. He was an interim head coach for the Miami Dolphins and defensive coordinator the past two years for an excellent Arizona Cardinal defense. Bowles was also one of the most sought after head coaching candidates this off-season. He is Rex Ryan- like in his defense prowess, but he maybe much more. I am very happy and excited regarding this change for the New York Jets. Our scouting department has completely changed, our coaching staff has completely changed. It appears the GM and coaches will focus on making the Jets a well rounded team. That will be change.  Woody Johnson for the moment appears to have made the correct call. He seems to have learned from previous mistakes. Although, not one game has been played yet, I am confident in my owner's decision and that is a change.

I am hoping that by the time I post this, The New York Yankees will have made a major signing in Free Agency.  If not, it will be safe to say that things have changed.  There is no way that in previous years the Yankees would have let other teams sign their players in free agency (See Russell Martin, Robinson Cano) or outbid them. At the risk of getting carried away the Yankees did sign Elsbury, McCann and Tanaka for 400 million last year. In addition, Cano was offered 25 million a year(even though the old Yankees would have offered more considering that Seattle offered equal dollars). However, we are now at year 2 without a playoff appearance and we have been outbid and lost players.  It was clear the Yankees were targeting, Chase Headly, Brandon McCarthy and presumably Dave Robertson.  Well, they went after Miller instead of Robertson, signed Headly and were outbid by the Dodgers for McCarthy.  The New York Yankees are a team we are used to seeing get the players they want. Brian Cashman went out of his way to say the Yankees were targeting McCarthy- only to be outbid by the Dodgers.  Looks like things are changing.  The starting rotation got much weaker with the loss of McCarthy and Shane Greene.  They provided quality depth for our oft-injured/aging starting five.  They also traded more depth when they moved David Phelps.  Sorry but Nathan Eovaldi seems like a downgrade compared to Shane Greene.  With the recent trade of Shawn Kelly (which I lose no sleep over), it appears the Yankees are trying to save money.  I would be remiss in not mentioning that the Yankees have attacked the international market. Cashman has signed Dermis Garcia SS Dominican Republic, Juan De Leon OF Dominican Republic, and Nelson Gomez 3B Dominican Republic, all of 3 are rated in the top 10 for international amateurs.  He may also sign Cuban SS phenom  Yoan Mocada. I will give him credit for these signings. However, as of now I remain uncomfortable of losing our mystic as the big bad Yankees. Unless the New York Yankees are gearing up for a major signing to upgrade our weak offense or sign a top-notch pitcher to combat our numerous pitching questions- I will be forced to admit that things have changed. 

The Do Over

 Millions of men and women love sports. In fact, many are obsessed with their favorite sports teams. I understand this because I am the same way. I am obsessed with my favorite sports team (the New York Yankees and New York Jets). Unfortunately, many times in our love of our sports teams, we forget the importance of loving God. So I write this blog as a reminder to focus first on loving God, before we love our sports team.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.   - 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

 

It has been far too long since I have written my blog.  It troubles me. That, however, is life. It is easy to start things. Not so easy to sustain or finish things. I continue to love the Lord and I continue to love my New York sports teams.  As I begin again, my oldest daughter has finished her first year of kindergarten, I can finally understand almost everything my youngest daughter says and my wife works a lot more than I would like her too. There are so many stories this year that I would have loved to tell in this blog. But I failed to keep it up. Fortunately, I can start again. I have the ability to do it all over again. I may not get the time back, but I get a second chance to try again. As a kid I called it a "do over."  If God allows you to wake up in the morning, he too gives you a chance for a "do over." I may not be able to get the year back that I lost of my blog. There could be something you lost that you may not be able to get back. But if God woke you up, you have a chance to start again. He is so good that not only does He give you another chance, He also forgives and forgets any mistakes you may have made in that time. So I am going to take this opportunity that God has given me start over. You should too.

Most of the draft discussion is over, but in my world it is never too late to discuss the draft.  So with training camp starting this week, I will give you my New York Jets draft do -over.  The fun thing about a draft do-over is that unlike a pre-draft mock, you know who is off the board and who is available at every pick. I can now have a do-over knowing exactly who is off the board at each pick. I promise not to cheat by looking ahead and knowing who is available for my next pick. In other words, when I make my first round pick, I will not assume Jace Amaro will be available when I pick in the second round.

Here goes my do-over:
Round 1 pick 18- Marquis Lee WR
     My first option would be to trade this pick to move down in the first round or acquire additional picks, an additional 2nd rounder would have been nice. That being said if I fail, I go with Marquis Lee. I know this is a risky pick for the 1st round -but there is no way I am not picking a WR or offensive player with this pick. I like Lee over Cooks as a safer 1st round pick due to his longer body of work and the fact that before his senior year he was a consensus early first round pick. But I would be very tempted to pick Cooks, Benjamin or Dennard (if I went defense).
     Jets pick - Calvin Pryor-FS-  I cannot argue picking the top rated player at his position. The Jets have done this recently with Quinton Coples, Geno Smith and Sheldon Richardson (although none slam dunk consensus top players at the position). Richardson seems like the real deal, the verdict is still out on Smith and Coples.

Round 2 pick 17- Jace Amero TE
     I would have been feeling desperate for a cornerback at this point. I would have considered trading up to get one if there was one worthy of trading up for. There really is not. The only possibility would be LaMarcus Joyner out of Florida State, but that is a stretch. If I was the GM of the Jets I would have resigned Antonio Cromartie for the same money that he signed for in Arizona.  However, if I have to make the pick and not trade it - Jace Amaro is a no brainer. The top rated pass catching TE in the draft.
     Jets pick - Jace Amero- Good pick, fills a need with a player who should contribute early.


Round 3 pick 16  Donte Moncrief WR
        I would have been mildly surprised to see this guy still on the board. A big deceptively fast wide receiver who has experience catching the ball unlike Stephen Hill.  He is a bit of a risk, but better on a third round pick for a guy with huge upside than the second round like Hill.  I also feel like I have adequately addressed the wide receiver position. Just a note, I was hoping OLB Marcus Smith would be available in the 3rd round with this pick. I was shocked the Eagles took him in the first round. Same thing happened last year, I was hoping E.J Manual would be available in the second or third round and the Bills took him in the first round. Happy to get Geno Smith last year nevertheless.
         Jets pick Dexter McDougle-CB I never heard of him and read very little about him.  It seems like he did well in OTA's and Rex loves him. I hope they were right on this kid. There were a lot of good WR's, Guards's and serviceable TE's on the board at this pick

Round 4 pick 4 David Yankey- G
      I must be missing something. Don't know why this guy went in the 5th round. But in the 4th round I see him there and know he can start for the Jets next year in place of an ailing Willie Colon. Two time All- American- no brainer. And I just took care of my guard issue. He doesn't even need to learn the guard position, he was rated one of the top guards coming out of college.
       Jets pick Jalen Saunders-WR- An undersized slot receiver, but probably the best slot receiver in the draft. Hope he can be an explosive punt and kick returner.

Round 4 15 pick Pierre Desir - CB
      I can now address my cornerback issue with one who should thrive in man to man coverage. He may not be much of a tackler but I can live with that. Not going to be happy to see Mike Pettine turn him into a Pro Bowler with the Browns
      Jets pick- Shaquelle Evans- WR If you wait until the 4th round to start addressing the wide receiver position, you hope guys like this become steals. Of note Martavis Bryant (drafted by the Steelers) is still on the board here. Lets hope this is not Alshon Jeffrey part two.

Round 4 pick 37 Ed Reynolds- FS
       A pure centerfeilder with good instincts . Allows you to move Antonio Allen back to SS to work in the box. Give the Jets two safeties who can cover TE's.
       Jets pick Dakota Dozier G- I absolutely love this pick by the Jets. Wish we could have traded the pick to move up, but I think this guy is the real deal and will be able to create big rushing lanes after he adjusts to the switch from tackle. I just don't need him in my do-over because I have Yankey. Good pick by the Jets.

Round 5 pick 14 Ronald Powell OLB
      There are injury concerns but he is a pass rusher and hard worker . He could probably play inside. The Jets need young OLB and if he can stay healthy will be a steal.
       Jets pick- Jeremiah George ILB- the Jets need depth at ILB as well. He is a bit small at 5'11 - 231lbs but he seems like a gamer.

Round 6 pick 19 Laurent Duvernay -Tardif T
       With your 8th pick in the draft you have a opportunity to swing and hope to hit one out of the park. If you don't- no big deal. This guy has a chance to be an excellent tackle. He has great physical tools. Worth the draft pick- was actually projected to go 3rd or 4th round.
        Jets pick- Brandon Dixon CB.  This is what I will begin to refer to as "William Campbell" pick. This applies when the Jets waste a draft pick on someone nobody wants and you could acquire as a rookie free agent. This guy has no chance to make the team. A wasted pick.  Better off trying to trade the pick to move up or picking my guy Duvernay- Tardif.

Round 6 pick 33 Trevor Reilly - OLB
        Surprised he was available for the Jets in the 7th round. There must be some medical issues or real concern about his age (26 years old).  NFL.com had him projected round 4-5. I have seen hm projected as high as second round. I take him here with my second 6th rounder giving me 2 pass rushers.
         Jets pick Quincy Enunwa- WR- I like this pick. He is big and played for a big time program at Nebraska. He was a reliable receiver. Will probably only make the practice squad

Round 6 pick 34- Quincy Enunwa WR
         See above
        Jets pick Ik Enemkpali- OLB/DE.  Will be fun watching him compete against Trevor Reilly. What a shame to even draft these guys-there will be no room for them on the 53 man roster (especially with Jermaine Cunningham on the team). 

Round 6 pick 37 Taj Boyd QB
         A winning QB with a large upside used to playing on a large stage. Mobile QB with good arm. Great 6th round pick.
          Jets pick Taj Boyd QB- Sound practice to try and develop young QB's for future trade or use.

Round 7 pick 18 Jeremy Gallon WR
          I love guys who played for big time programs (Michigan). This guy you can try to use in a variety of roles, WR, RB, returner. Not bad for a 7th round pick.  New England may unfortunately find a spot for him.
         Jets pick Trevor Reilly-OLB- I picked him in the 6th round, so I obviously feel like it's a steal in the 7th. Another good job by the Jets and Idzik

The New York Jets get a B+ for their 2014 draft. Their biggest failure in my eyes, and I am sure a few others, was the inability to address the WR position until the 4th round. I addressed that in my do-over by securing the receiver position in the first 3 rounds.  I have also potentially addressed some of the uncertainty around the guard position. If Stephen Hill reaches his potential and becomes a WR worthy of a second round pick, the Jets will look like geniuses for waiting so long. I hope they are right.

Speaking of do- overs I am sure Brian Cashman would love a do-over to his off season moves. I know I wish he could get a do-over. Strangely enough it has nothing to do with our starting pitching. We lost 4 of our 5 starters and I wish he could get a do-over because of our pathetic offense. This is most evident in the  lack of production from the 3rd base position, Right Field and NO back up first baseman.  First let's look at his failure to address the back up first baseman position. Mark Teixeira missed pretty much all of last year and the Yankees got more than anyone would have expected out of Lyle Ovebay and Mark Reynolds.  So keeping in  mind Teixeira's  age and the fact that he missed all of last year due to injury; keeping at least one of those guys would seems like a wise move.  Reynold's can also play third base making him even more valuable as a back up.  Considering the fact these are the New York Yankees and they started the year without a true third baseman or back up first baseman a logical deduction would be to keep them both. Even if it meant paying a little more. Someone should have told Brian Cashman that Kelly Johnson is a second baseman. Would you ask Robinson Cano or Willie Randolph to play 1st base and  3rd base? Evan Roberts of WFAN radio suggested Carlos Pena as our back up first baseman. I would take him over Kelly Johnson.  Now for right field I will give Brian Cashman a pass on this one because with Beltran, Soriano and Ichiro, the Yankees started the year with a surplus of outfielders.  However, once you cut ties with Soriano that is at least 25 hr and 85 RBI's you are now trying to replace. It is the GM's job to replace those numbers, and they are not coming from Ichiro.  I understand letting Soriano go, but I honestly wished Girardi had played him everyday to give him a better chance to break out of his slump.  Finally, let's look at 3rd base. Alex Rodriguez's position.  Although the party line was "Alex is on our team until we hear he is not," the Yankees needed to acquire a power hitting 3rd baseman.  Even if Alex was on the team, that type of hitter would have been needed (see Mark Teixeira).  The signing of Tanaka was great but these other issues should have been addressed in the off-season. After enduring a half a year of  the current struggles of Beltran and MCann, this is looking like a bad off season for Cashman. He needs a do-over because with 4 out of 5 starters not pitching for the team, it is the offense and weak infield defense, not the pitching that has us a .500 ball club. 

This just in the New York Yankees have signed 3rd baseman Chase Headley from San Diego.

Please watch for my next post that is for my oldest daughter, "When your life changes."

We All Make Mistakes

Millions of men and women love sports. In fact, many are obsessed with their favorite sports teams. I understand this because I am the same way. I am obsessed with my favorite sports team (the New York Yankees and New York Jets). Unfortunately, many times in our love of our sports teams, we forget the importance of loving God. So I write this blog as a reminder to focus first on loving God, before we love our sports team.

21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

                                                            Matthew 18:21-22

6Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;

through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided.

                                                            Proverbs 16:6

Now that the NFL draft is over, all the picks have been scrutinized, and we have seen or heard reports of the rookies in mini-camp, I have a confession to make. I was obsessed about the draft. Not only did I record and watch the draft, it had my complete attention. I had to work late the first night and when I got home I barely said hello to my wife before running to the television to see what I had missed. Of course I was taping it, so after it was over the first night I watched from the beginning to see what I had missed.  The next night I told my daughters they had to be asleep by the time the draft comes on.  That went over well with a 4 and 2 year old.  At this point in our marriage my wife just shakes her head and thinks I am crazy. I do have to admit that it is a mistake to spend so much time dedicated to something like the draft. (Did I mention all the time I spent reading draft magazines?) But that is why I write this blog to help me correct my sports obsessed mistakes.  There are many times in life we make mistakes.   I am glad my wife can be amused by my current mistake. How different it is when we make mistakes that cannot be dismissed with a headshake. We can make mistakes that will harm our loved ones, friends and ourselves.  Some mistakes have longstanding consequences. If you have made this type of mistake (and many people have, myself included), remember there is hope with Jesus Christ.  If you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that he died on the cross for your sins, then you have reason for hope.  All you have to do is ask Him to forgive you and repent (turn away from that mistake) then the Lord will forgive you. Does this mean you will never make the same mistake again? No, of course not. Many of us struggle with the same mistake (sin) over and over again. God knows we will do this that is why he told Peter we must forgive each other 70 times (and he meant daily). If he expects us to forgive each other 70 times daily, the number of times He forgives us is unfathomable. You will still have to deal with the consequences of your mistake (sin) but you will be able to do it with God’s help.  With God’s help you will be able to deal with ANY mistake you may have made- no matter how many times you make it.

Of course there were many draft “experts” who claimed the New York Jets made many mistakes in this years draft. I am not one of them. I think the New York Jets got seven quality picks in this draft. However, I cannot argue with anyone who criticized the New York Jets for not picking ANY offensive playmakers in this draft.  They made a mistake there. But, a close look at the New York Jets draft reveals they drafted the highest rated cornerback (Dee Milner) on many draft boards. They selected the second highest rated defensive tackle on many boards, (Sheldon Richardson).  Interesting they passed on Star Lotulelei. I believe Richardson can be a force for the New York Jets- but they made a mistake not signing Jarvis Jones. That guy will terrorize quarterbacks for years to come. The New York Jets also selected the highest rated quarterback on many boards (Geno Smith) in the second round. In a lot of ways that pick was a no brainer. Who complains when you get the highest rated quarterback in the second round? Of course, The ESPN and NFL Network “experts” ridiculed the New York Jets because that gave then 6 quarterbacks at that time. Well, the team has just four now and only two with a real shot at even starting. Did anyone notice how the Philadelphia Eagles were not ridiculed for taking Matt Barkley- even though that gave them 5 quarterbacks? The New York Jets essentially had the same number because they knew they were going to cut Tim Tebow.  The Philadelphia Eagles still have 5 quarterbacks. It is a mistake to mock the New York Jets for that pick. If the truth were told I was very upset that the Buffalo Bills drafted E. J. Manuel in the 1^st round. I expected Smith to be gone and the wanted the New York Jets to draft Manuel in the 2^nd round. However, he was gone and Geno Smith was the correct move. The team drafted Brian Winters in the 3^rd round. He received a 3^rd round grade on many boards. When is solidifying your offensive line a mistake? In fact, they made a great under the radar signing of guard Stephen Peterman. This allows Winters some time to make the switch from tackle to guard. Most fans love the 5^th round pick of Oday Aboushi, a big masher who can play left and right tackle. Again, after the pick was made the “experts” said it was a mistake because he never played guard and therefore could not be used if a guard went down with an injury. Ridiculous!  The problem is when you take a college guard and ask him to play tackle, not vice versa. Anybody remember the New York Jets seventh round pick last year Robert Griffin from Baylor (no relation to RGIII)? Of course not- a college guard moved to tackle and never heard from again. Aboushi can push Austin Howard or back up both tackles. Okay the team did made a mistake drafting William Cambell in the 6^th round; a defensive tackle from Michigan who will be moved to guard. The team seriously could have got this guy as an undrafted free agent. That may have been a wasted draft pick. I am not saying he will not be good, but they could have got him and not used a draft pick.  The 7^th round pick of Tommy Bohanon could work really well. I have visions of Mark Sanchez dumping a ball off on third and five and actually picking up a first down-instead of throwing a pick six or fumbling. Or even dumping a ball off on third and long and giving the defense a chance. Bohanon can probably play tight end as well.

Last year I wrote about how much I like Damon “Snacks” Harrison to make the team as an undrafted free agent. This year I am looking at two guys who need to make the team, safety Rontez Miles, California (Pa.) who may be better than Josh Bush and Antonio Allen and center Dalton Freeman Clemson. I just think back to that game when Nick Mangold went down with an injury and the New York Jets had NO back-up center. Freeman was a four-year starter at Clemson, enough said.

Speaking of mistakes the New York Jets made a mistake not cutting Mike Goodson. As a new GM John Idzik has got to understand the importance of public relations. When you are perceived as a circus and the butt of every NFL joke you have to make serious efforts to reverse that line of thinking. The San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots and New York Giants can get away with players like Goodson. The New York Jets cannot. 

I originally thought New York Yankee GM Brain Cashman was making a mistake with his lack of major moves after the rash of injuries to the New York Yankees. I was wrong. The team did a wonderful job with a bunch of third stringers and older “professional” hitters. However, after watching the sweep at the hands of the New York Mets, I am thinking this run is over. The starters had better come back now or Cashman will need to make a move. The lack of offense is becoming alarming. With Curtis Granderson going down again, I repeat the time is now. The job these guys did was tremendous, but I cannot take another at bat from Jason Nix. That guy is an automatic out who is exposed. He really is a late inning defensive replacement at best. Ichiro and Vernon Wells are good but they are old. They need someone who can spell them regularly. Cashman, I made a mistake initially thinking you should have made a move earlier. You will be making a mistake if you wait any longer. 

I am a Phil Hughes fan but that guy is a 4^th starter at best. Cashman should offer him a 3-year contract extension at 4^th or 5^th starter money now. Waiting might back fire if injuries or just bad pitching by some of our younger guys lead to overpaying him down the road.

Now that I got that off my chest, time for a devotional and prayer before bed.

The Love of Money......

Millions of men and women love sports. In fact, many are obsessed with their favorite sports teams. I understand this because I am the same way. I am obsessed with my favorite sports team (the New York Yankees and New York Jets). Unfortunately, many times in our love of our sports teams, we forget the importance of loving God. So I write this blog as a reminder to focus first on loving God, before we love our sports team.


"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 
                                                                     -1 Timothy 6:10

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
                                                                      - Matthew 6:21

Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.
                                                                       -Proverbs 17:1



Several weeks ago my wife and I took our two daughters to Chuck- E- Cheese. I tell you this not because I want to promote this establishment. This was important to me because we spent a grand total of $5.00 and everyone had a great time. It was a great reminder that you do not have to spend a lot of money to have memorable moments with your family. In fact, many times I have taken my family to a local park for free and my kids have had a wonderful time. Unfortunately, too many times I think parents (especially fathers) feel limited recreationally due to finances.  If we do not have  the ability to spend lavishly we chose to do nothing instead. The most wonderful gift you can give your family is your time. It is easy to be consumed by commercialism, there are many ways to spend money for recreation. Therefore, the same applies for the opposite. Sometimes parents foolishly think since they spent so much money on social or recreational activities that their job is done. However, when the amount of money we have to spend on "things" for our family takes away from quality of things we "do" with our family; we miss the mark. God wants us to be responsible with our finances. The best way to do that is to focus on him and the things he wants us to do. Like spend quality time with our families

Apparently New York Jets new GM John Idzik is very concerned with his new teams finances and based on the way the former GM Mike Tannenbaum mismanaged the salary cap (talk about poor stewardship) he should be. The interesting thing is that under his leadership the team had gone from $30 million over the cap to $13 million under (before Darrell Revis trade ). Clearly he had no intention of paying Darrel Revis "quarterback" money or more likely he was forbidden to do so by Woody Johnson. Either way Revis is gone. The New York Jets have 2 first round picks and a manageable salary cap number. This may not be a popular notion but I am really excited to see what John Idzik is going to do with these picks, the draft  and this team.  I wish the New York Jets could have kept Darrel Revis, but I will not foolishly make Revis out to be a victim. If he really wanted to be a New York Jet, he would be. The bottom line is Revis was much more interested in getting EVERY dollar he could from the New York Jets. He was not focused on making as much money he could and  remain a New York Jet. These are two very different things.  Of course, the New York Jets paid lots of money to Santonio Holmes and Mark Sanchez. Clearly, any Jet fan would rather have seen the money spent on those two- go to Darrel Revis instead. I do not think John Idzik will overpay for such players in the future. So if a player - let's say Kenny Brit is all of a sudden made available for a 5th round pick (because the Titans are tired of his off the field incidents) and Rex comes running into Idzik's office (a la Santonio Holmes), I truly hope John Idzik will send Rex back to his office to work on the defense. Wouldn't it be great if the Bucs cut Revis after 2 years and the New York Jets re-sign him. It is nice to dream.
As far as tomorrow's draft goes. I would love to pick Jarvis Jones as our pass rushing OLB (assuming Dion Jordan is long gone) I share the fear of many Jet fans that Barkevious Mingo is Aaron Maybin re-visited.  If the New York Jets pick Mingo I will hope that Charlie Cassserly is correct that he is the best pass rusher in the draft after Jordan. If the Jets pick Tavon Austin with the 13th pick, we will have reason to be excited. Whenever, you draft a playmaker that can score a touchdown whenever they touch the ball you have to be excited. It wouldn't be the worst thing to see the Jets trade out of one of those picks. In the 2nd round the Jets should draft Travis Frederick from Wisconsin to be plugged immediately into the right guard position and he can also play center as he did in college. I gave Travis Frederick the slight edge over Barret Jones simply because there is something special about Wisconsin offensive lineman. Eric Reid from LSU could also be an option here if he was not snagged in the 1st round.  In the 3rd round the Jets can grab their tight end to replace Keller with Gavin Escobar from San Diego State.  In the 4th round (usually a good one for the Jets) they get a starting safety with JD. Swearinger from South Carolina. This pick is actually a toss up because I would just as soon pick Robert Lester from Alabama and put him at free safety. If the jets don't trade their 5th round pick for Chris Ivory they can go wide receiver with Aaron Mellette from Elon. With the 6th round pick the Jets get the future "Tom Brady" pick with Sean Renfree from Duke. Many fans will boo this pick but he will be the Jets starting QB in 2014. In the 7th round the Jets get their running back (assuming they have not traded for Ivory) with Kerwynn Williams from Utah State a player with break away speed. This draft will be Idzik's moment to shine after the heartache of losing Darrel Revis. He will then have an opportunity to field a competitive team for 2014 and practice good money management.

I continue to be on board with the New York Yankees getting to under 189 million for next year. That would be a good way of showing responsible spending. I think Brian Cashman has done a great job of getting role players and bench players. But could someone tell Cashman that when you have lost A-rod, Jeter, Granderson and Texeria only getting Vernon Wells is not enough. They needed Wells before Teixeira got hurt. Cashman should have made a trade to acquire a power hitter to replace Teixeira. No one wants to hear about how difficult that would be. That is Cashman's job. He gets paid a  lot of money to deal with situations like this. The Lyle Overbay's of the world are good if you have to replace on All-star who just had a stint on the 15 day DL. He is not a viable options as a player to be part of a the solution when 4 all stars are out until at least the All star break.
Fortunately the Yankees have great pitching, so that has been a tremendous help. But 4 singles for Andy Pettitte is not going to cut it. Also, can someone tell Girardi that Cervelli is NOT a number 5 hitter. I would much rather see a slumping Edwardo Nunez there than Cervelli.
That is all I have for now.

Bunny Rabbits and Easter Eggs are cute but........

Millions of men and women love sports. In fact, many are obsessed with their favorite sports teams. I understand this because I am the same way. I am obsessed with my favorite sports teams (the New York Yankees and New York Jets). Unfortunately, many times in our love of our sports teams, we forget the importance of loving God. So I write this blog as a reminder to focus first on loving God, before we love our sports teams.

 

" In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again."

                                                                    -Luke 24:1-7 (NIV)

Today I spent Easter with my family and two young ladies with their children.  These young ladies, who are sisters, are so close to my wife and I, that they are truly family. Part of the day was spent reading the Bible to my two children and the two sisters' children.  Reading the Bible to those 5 kids was a joy. Reading them the story of Christ being risen from the dead was a great reminder of how great a loving God we have. The oldest boy looked upset and asked me, "Why did He have to be crucified and die?" A great question- and  the total point of the whole story.  So that when we die, we can go to heaven and have eternal life, so that we can be spared for our sins. That is the love of our God. That is what he has done for us. All he asks in return is that we believe in him. I was pleasantly surprised at how much those little kids (ages 2-7) understood this story. They really got into it and (even though they are very cute) those kids did not need to hear about bunny rabbits and Easter eggs.

Later when I got home my sister called me to tell me my aunt had unexpectedly passed away. I was devastated. She was my mother's youngest sister and only 7 years older than me. Of course at that time I still had my "family" with me so I went upstairs quietly and cried. After my wife came to check on me, I remembered my response to the little boys question: "Why did he have to be crucified and die" and I remembered what Jesus himself said when Peter tried to stop the soldiers from arresting Him, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the father has given me?"( John18:11). He died for me and he died for my aunt and he died for you.

No sports today. Just not in the mood. But tomorrow is opening day for the New York Yankees :-)

Remembering Martin

 Millions of men and women love sports. In fact, many are obsessed with their favorite sports teams. I understand this because I am the same way. I am obsessed with my favorite sports team (the New York Yankees and New York Jets). Unfortunately, many times in our love of our sports teams, we forget the importance of loving God. So I write this blog as a reminder to focus first on loving God, before we love our sports team.

 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
                          Psalm 23:4 (KJV)
Last Monday was the holiday in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As I reflect back on what I learned about Dr. King one thing always stands out to me the most. This man appeared unafraid. I am so in awe of someone who knew that he would be killed, but continued to stand up so the world would be a better place. The man had a wife and children, I cannot imagine how he must have felt. That would take a tremendous amount of resolve and courage to continue knowing he would probably be taken away from them.  However, when the time came for me to sit my four year old daughter down, to explain to her why the nation celebrates Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. I chose not to talk about my bias  regarding his courage to continue in the face of an imminent assassination. I told my daughter that there was a time when people were hated and looked down upon because of the color of their skin. There was a time when people could not get along based on the color of their skin. I told my four year old daughter that because of Dr.King people people who are black and white can now get along. I told her Dr. King helped people to get along and to love one another. Without him her mommy and daddy would probably not have been able to get married. I explained how African-Americans had to ride in the back of the bus and that schools were separated based on skin color. I had the pleasure of telling her that he had a dream where black children and white children could work and play side by side.  She understood that that dream had come true in her very own class, where there are children of African, European and Asian descent. Of course as adults we know the world is far from perfect, there is no racial utopia, but my daughter is four years old. One of the most important things I was able to tell my daughter was that Dr. King loved Jesus Christ. He was a Christian man and a pastor just like the one in our very own church. At that point I smiled and thought to my self- and that is why he was not afraid.

The New York Jets have a new general manager. I am happy the old one is gone. In sports, the general manger procures the players, the coaches coach the players. That is the order of things. I am sure every coach tells the general manager who they would like on their team. Ultimately, it is the general manger who is responsible for personnel. It does not matter if the general manger is a "cap guy" or a  "football man", he has to be a good leader. A leader is not going to be an expert on every facet of a business he oversees. A good leader should surround himself with good people, be able to listen to various points of views and make a good decision. They should also have the conviction to follow their "gut". During the Eric Mangini- Mike Tannenbaum regime  a lot of quality players were drafted/acquired via trade. D'brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold, David Harris and Darrelle Revis were drafted, Kris Jenkins was acquired via trade. In fact, Eric Mangini had a philosophy regarding drafting players with certain core values. It is probably safe to say that Mike Tannenbaum trusted Mangini as they were close friends. However, ultimately it was the general mangers job to sign off on those players.  For some reason New York media and New York Jets fans seem to believe that Rex Ryan is coach and GM  of the New York Jets. Rex Ryan has a big mouth and if you listen to him over the past few years, he has a way of telling you the truth. He said during Hard Knocks that he got one pick in each draft and that particular year he picked John Connor in the 5th round. Ryan was clear he did not want to pick Stephen Hill with the New York Jets 2nd round pick. If Rex Ryan has been vocal regarding players he wanted, then good for him. He should be vocal. I would hope that the New York Jets top personnel men Terry Bradway and Scott Cohen would also be vocal. It was also clear that Ryan wanted Santonio Holmes. If Bill Polian can be fired for not having a back up for Peyton Manning, Mike Tannenbaum can be fired for not having a back up wide receiver, tight end, and giving out bad extensions. John Idzik is the new general manager of the New York Jets. It is clear that one of the things he will have to do is surround himself with people who have a good eye for talent. Maybe that person already works for the New York Jets, if not he should go out and hire that individual. The bottom line is John Idzik needs to decide on personnel for the New York Jets. If Rex Ryan advocates for a good player that will help the New York Jets win football games, Idzik should acquire him via draft or trade. If Rex Ryan wants another player like Santonio Holmes- John Idzik must have the courage to say no.
Another issue that will require courage is the Darrelle Revis situation. There is certainly no easy solution to that one. I love Darrelle Revis, I wish he could stay a Jet for life. However, if given the right deal, I would trade him. If the Jets could get a top 10 pick and a #2nd round pick or a #1 and multiple other picks from anyone not named Bill Belichick they should make the deal. This is coming from someone who is a huge fan of Revis. The reasoning behind this is only quarterbacks and great running backs can make or break your franchise. I look no further than the Arizona Cardinals to prove this point. The Cardinals have a wide receiver named Larry Fitzgerald who is not only one of the best wide receivers in football, he is one of the games best players. The Cardinals also have one of the best young cornerbacks in football, Patrick Peterson, he will be great for years. However, this team not only lost to the New York Jets this year, they had a worse record than the Jets. However, when they had Kurt Warner they went to the Super Bowl. I love Revis, but if the price is right he should be gone.

There are a lot of New York Yankee fans who seem a little concerned about Hal Steinbrenner trying to establish a 189 million dollar payroll. I think any team that cannot win with a payroll of that magnitude has lots of issues. A lot of fans seemed concerned that until today the Yankees had not signed a right handed hitting outfielder(Juan Rivera just signed). There also seemed to be a lot of concern regarding our current catching situation with  Cervelli and Stewart. However, if there is one guy who deserves a benefit of the doubt regarding hitters it is Brian Cashman. I would not give him the benefit of the doubt on pitching. This guy would not have signed Rafael Soriano, thankfully Hal stepped in and signed him. The Yankees would have been in serious trouble after Mariano went down last year if not for Soriano. However, I must give him his due when it comes to hitters. I was not happy when the Yankees signed Raul Ibanez last year over Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui, boy was I wrong. So I will trust him with the Rivera signing (or any other hitter he brings in). I do think Cashman may have missed the boat on the 27 year old Delmond Young. He just signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for $750,000 plus incentives- that is Hal Steinbrenner type dollars. The New York Yankees should have signed him. I will have nightmares if the Yankees play the Phillies in the World Series and I have to watch Delmond Young put on another post-season hitting clinic against C.C and the gang. As for now he gets the benefit of the doubt regarding Juan Rivera. Regarding the combination of Cervelli and Stewart at catcher, please note Brian Cashman is well known for saying he has no problem starting the year with a neophyte or journeyman player and then bringing in an excellent player. Cashman once signed Nick Swisher coming off a year where he batted a little over .200 and told everyone Swisher would be the Yankees starting 1st baseman. Mark Teixeria was then signed for 180 million. He may have no intention of starting those two. I would like to see Austine Romine as the New York Yankees starting catcher. The reason the Yankees were able to trade Jesus Montero was because Romine and Sanchez were supposed to be the future at catcher. Well for Romine the future should be now. However, that is a move that would require some courage.

Now that I got that off of my chest it is time for a prayer and devotional before bed.