#1 - Tony Romo, QB, Dallas. I have some mental problem that makes me panic if I don't immediately get a quarterback -- who will throw the ball? So I've now taken a quarterback first overall every year I've been in the league. The first year I took Matt Hasselbeck, which was rightfully derided. Last year I was picking later in the first round and got Drew Brees -- probably a decent pick, though he had some trouble.
This year, I was really really certain that I could get either Peyton Manning or non-QB Steven Jackson with my first pick; then they went with the two picks before mine, and it was back to panic picking. My brain said Joseph Addai, my fingers said Tony Romo. The funny thing is, Romo is one of those players that I'm still convinced is horribly overrated and due to come back to earth. Now that he's on my team, that's probably gonna happen.
Not a Hasselbeck-level pick, but I probably could have got Addai and then picked up Romo or someone close to equivalent in round two.
#2 - Clinton Portis, RB, Washington. Robb took Addai, so Portis ended up being the guy I wanted here. I'm ok with this. Robb's scouting report:
#3 - T.J. Houshmanzadeh, WR, Cincinnati. The player I wanted here. He was great for me last year, pretty much guaranteed to put up good numbers every game.I was going to take Portis, but I had him two years ago and did not enjoy his months where he goes for 30, 29, 42 and 235 yards.
#4 - Reggie Bush, RB, New Orleans. By week five, I will be looking at this pick with my head in my hands, wondering what I was thinking. (Sorry, Robb.)
#5 - Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland. A very uncharacteristic pick for me, as I don't trust unproven guys, but that might be why I don't win. Of course, he's playing for Oakland, which was hell for running backs last year.
#6 - Greg Jennings, WR, Green Bay. Another guy who I had last year, who again was reliably solid for me. Now playing with a new quarterback, though, and I don't have much wide receiver depth.
#7 - Vernon Davis, TE, San Francisco. I was mocked for this pick, but after watching Tony Gonzalez put up two points a week for me last year, I've come to think of the tight end position as the equivalent of college language credits -- you have to fulfill them, but they don't really matter. Of course, with this in mind, I should have waited a round or two to worry about tight ends.
#8 - Julius Jones, RB, Seattle. Part of Seattle's committee of RBs. Probably will do nothing and be the first player I end up dropping.
#9 - Jared Allen, DL, Minnesota. I needed to start filling out defense, and he was the best available. Last year my defense was a total crapshoot, with established guys falling apart and guys I'd never heard of doing great for me, so who knows how this will pan out.
#10 - Jabar Gaffney, WR, New England. If you can't get the Patriots' top two receivers, get number three! Hopefully I won't have to use him much, but there's at least a chance he'll go crazy the weeks I have to use him. He's the son of former Jets WR Derrick Gaffney, and I have a Derrick Gaffney autographed football card remaining from childhood, which actually isn't that cool, I guess.
#11 - Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay. I'll put him in one week and pray. I thought it would be a coup to get Rodgers as my backup, until I actually got him, at which point I started wondering why I didn't grab Bulger or Warner instead. I'm rooting for the guy in real life, though, just because I'm so fucking sick of Brett Favre.
#12 - Shayne Graham, K, Cincinnati. Passed over the kicker I really wanted, Martin Gramatica, because Graham's more likely to actually be with a team at the end of the year.
#13 - Will Witherspoon, LB, St. Louis. The one reliable week in/week out defender I had last year. Will tear his ACL on opening day.
#14 - Bernard Berrian, WR, Minnesota. I was offered this guy in trade every week for the first half of our season last year. Will compete with Julius Jones for "first dropped," I betcha. Could have a good season if he stays healthy, if whatshisname on the Vikes becomes good... yeah, first dropped.
#15 - Felix Jones, RB, Dallas. I was using the autodrafter at this point. "Felix" is a pretty cool name, and the scouting reports assure me that he's going to be an impact player! I'll use him as a fill-in and he'll get tackled twice for losses, fumble once, and then won't get back in the game.
#16 - O.J. Atogwe, DB, St. Louis. Autodrafter. I like his name.
So there you have it -- the team that's going to propel Melville's Tragic Loners to a fifth- or sixth-place finish.
