NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote that if Chargers free agent defensive end Jacques Cesaire returns to the team in 2011, it won't be in a starting role.

Cesaire, 30, has been a full time starter the past two seasons after spending the first six years of his career as a top-of-the-rotation backup. Acee highlights the slew of excellent 3-4 defensive ends in this year's draft that San Diego figures to be targeting (Cameron Jordan, Craig Heyward, J.J. Watt, Allen Bailey – who would likely be available in Round 2 if the Chargers draft a pass-rushing outside linebacker in Round 1).

Norv Turner recently talked about the situation. "Both our ends played really good last year," Turner said. "The perception is we've got to get more (impact) plays out of them. Some of it is the system. Jacques played awfully well. Yeah, we want to get better. We've got some young guys who can play there and get better, and obviously you can get better by drafting a young guy."

This list is the top five teams that did the worst job drafting from 1999-2008, allowing three years for their players to develop, so while I'm judging the team's output from 1999-2010 (some 1999 and 2000 rookies played those seasons), I'm mostly focusing on the seasons 2001-2010.

#4: The Houston Texans. You have to be pretty bad to make this list if you didn’t even have draft picks to count against you from 1999-2001. The Texans debuted in 2002 and have proceeded to be overhauled again and again, only to wind up with a team in 2010 that had three great players on offense (two of them were not drafted by the Texans, Matt Schaub and Arian Foster) and none on defense. The Texans have gone defense in the first five rounds 15 times in the five drafts since Gary Kubiak got there and spent four of their five first rounders on defense, and still wound up 29th in points allowed in 2010.

Worst draft: 2008.

2003 and 2005 each pushed really hard for this mantle. In 2003, Houston picked nine players after Andre Johnson and by the end of 2007, eight of those nine were out of the league and the last one, Drew Henson, got a couple starts on a 2008 0-16 Detroit team.

After taking the no-brainer pick of Andre Johnson 3rd overall, the Texans took Bennie Joppru, a tight end that never played for the Texans. They got one year of starting each out of their next two picks – LB Antwan Peek and T Seth Wand.

The 2003 draft set the pace for Dom Capers’ exit. The Texans went 2-14 in 2005, his last season as a head coach.

In 2005, they took 2 defensive linemen who combined for 5 sacks during their stays in Houston. They got one big season out of Jerome Mathis as a kick returner, but he later regressed with injuries and off-the-field issues. Four of the six players taken are out of the league, the other two are back-ups on other teams (Travis Johnson is a DT for the Chargers and C.C. Brown is a SS with the Giants).

Ultimately, the most dreadful draft was 2008. The draft that was supposed to start paying off in 2010, instead helped get people fired and put Kubiak on the hot seat.

After starting tackle Duane Brown, the Texans whiffed over and over again. On the surface, this just looks like a mediocre draft and not a bad one, when you consider that has been a decent starter and the first pick is the one you absolutely must hit on. However, there were so many better players available – including round 1 – that it compounds the frustration.

They took corner Antwuann Molden with their first pick of the 3rd round, he doesn’t have an interception yet. They took Steve Slaton later in the 3rd, he had one good year and has been pushed down to 3rd string on the depth chart. Then, they took LB Xavier Adibi, DT Frank Okam and defensive back Dominique Barber. None of them turned into starters and – just like Molden – have yet to register an interception or a sack.

Click HERE to see my pick for the biggest bust.

Follow me at: http://twitter.com/Chris_M_Bach

This list is the top five teams that did the worst job drafting from 1999-2008, allowing three years for their players to develop, so while I’m judging the team’s output from 1999-2010 (some 1999 and 2000 rookies played those seasons), I’m mostly focusing on the seasons 2001-2010.

#5: The Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s no wonder the Colts have had such dominance in the AFC South. My #6 team is actually the Titans and there is the other South rival is yet to come on this list. You have to look at the totality of these things.

The Jags have one playoff win with contributions from this decade’s picks and that came on questionable terms (a holding non-call that sprung open David Garrard for the first down to run out the clock). That’s more than the Titans and Texans have combined for since the end of the 2003 postseason. What is staggering is that – at least with Houston – there is a nucleus of talent. The Titans have some decent defensive players and a pretty good running back in Chris Johnson but their constant rebuilding mode and their lack of quality quarterback play is why they haven’t won a playoff game since the 2003 season.

The Jags have been one of the most consistent teams in the draft – consistent with where they pick the players from (Washington, Florida, and UCLA combined to account for 7 of their last 18 1st and 2nd rounders) and consistent with adding contributors and flameouts but never establishing any semblance of a core to go on even one deep playoff run.

You could argue that – other than Maurice Jones-Drew and some offensive linemen, the Jags haven’t had a draft pick get close to being good value since Rashean Mathis in 2003.

Worst draft: Six-way tie. Well, close enough that they all demand attention; 2005 “wins” with 1999, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008 with a dishonorable mention to the 2006 draft. If Marcedes Lewis hadn’t emerged as a decent tight end finally, then 2006′s only good pick would have been Maurice Jones-Drew.

Click HERE to see my pick for the biggest bust.

Follow me at: http://twitter.com/Chris_M_Bach

Will Andre Reed Announce The Seminole Signal Caller At Pick #34?

“The Bills spent more time with Ponder this offseason than any other quarterback, beginning at the Senior Bowl when he played for the coaching staff.”

Legendary Buffalo Bills wide receiver Andre Reed will be front and center at the podium Friday night at the Radio City Music Hall for the team’s 2nd round draft pick.  Reed, the Hall of Fame candidate, will be calling out the Bills selection at #34, granted they don’t trade the choice.

Recently, Reed had this to reveal in a tweet:  “@cponder7 Lookin forward to calling your name Draft Day!!!!!!!!!Bills brash like ur style” Reed said via Twitter. Of course, the tweet was vanished immediately; as fast as you could say: Jim Kelly hands off to Thurman Thomas.  However, that didn’t stop Andre from renewing it again, with a bit of a change: @cponder7 Lookin forward to the possibility of calling your name Draft Day!!!!!!!!!Bills brash like ur style.” Instead of the secret-telling Reed, maybe the team should have chosen a more mild, quiet individual; like Bruce Smith, to do the honors in the second round.  Somewhere, Steve Tasker is shaking his head in utter disbelief.

It’s of no shock that coach Gailey and the Bills organization have been highly fond of the Florida State tosser:

Ponder also met with the Bills at the NFL Scouting Combine and they brought him to Buffalo for another pre-draft visit. Also, Bills head coach Chan Gailey and Ponder go back to Ponder’s high school days when Gailey tried to recruit him while coaching at Georgia Tech.

I believe the former Bills great from Kutztown University is on to something.  Andre Reed doesn’t tweet just for tweeting’s sake.  Marv Levy trained him properly.  Whether it be Reed taking stage to announce the selection on Friday night at pick #34 in the second round, or Commissioner Goodell opening night late in Round 1 (trade back into Round 1); you can expect coach Gailey to be rewarded with Christian Ponder.  Day 1 or Day 2, I believe it’s lock that we will see Ponder playing for the club Andre Reed excited for 15 seasons worth of championship-caliber football.

By Jeremy Fuchs

RASHAD CARMICHAEL, CB, VIRGINIA TECH

Triangle Numbers: 5-10, 192, 4.39

Scouting Reports:

Draft Countdown:

Strengths:
• Outstanding athleticism and very smooth
• Excellent speed and quickness with a burst
• Has fluid hips and nimble feet to transition
• Good hands, ball skills and leaping ability
• Effective in both man and zone coverage
• Tough and gives good effort in run support
• Extremely active, aggressive and competitive
• A hard worker and true student of the game
• Durable with lots of high-quality experience
• Can also contribute on special teams

Weaknesses:
• Height and bulk are merely average
• Instincts and awareness are lacking
• Is not really a reliable tackler
• Will gamble and take too many chances
• Not very strong and gets pushed around
• Raw and is not a polished technician

Click HERE to read the rest

You know, I was actually kind of surprised when I read Judd Zulgad's recent post at Access Vikings stating that the Vikings cannot engage in trade talks regarding Donovan McNabb or any other player.

We all knew that no players could be traded until after the lockout, but I didn't realize it couldn't even be discussed between teams at this point.

Zulgad had it confirmed by an NFL spokesperson and states that teams could very well end up being penalized by the league if they are caught engaging in talks.

So, there you have it.  Officially, the Vikings cannot discuss a trade involving a player like McNabb until after the lockout.

Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting the following via Twitter this morning.

Details still coming into ESPN, but Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall was stabbed and taken to a hospital, where he has been in intensive care.

Update: According to Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post, the wife of Dolphins star receiver Brandon Marshall has been arrested and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after allegedly stabbing Marshall late Friday. Bond was set at $7,500 and she remains in jail this morning.

Marshall Released From Hospital:

Miami Dolphins star wide receiver Brandon Marshall has been released from the hospital after being stabbed in the stomach and is expected to make a full recovery.

“We appreciate everyone’s thoughts and concerns regarding Brandon Marshall,” his publicist, Denise White, said in a statement. “He has been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. We ask that his privacy be respected during his recovery process. We will be making no further comment. Thank you.”