LIVE ON F-SPIN (a parody of ESPN): Our very own Matt Lewis - an American
football expert who has been following the development of this new
league - sat with us at the studio to talk about what he has seen from
the Inaugural Season's draft pool.
(This is a continuation of Part 1)
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FS: Welcome back, we're here with agent and expert Matt Lewis... Now
we've been talking about the draft - kind of candidly - just based on
your observations. And it doesn't seem like many of the coaches have
been talking thus far. So you told us you were able to chat a little bit
with a few of them?
Matt: That's correct and, you know, I could ramble for hours on this.
But I can summarize. Each coach would be happy to have the vibrant,
enthusiastic, and talented man or woman. The type that fly in with their
tails up. Each team has different needs. Some of them really want a
good solid quarterback to lead their team for many years. Others want to
concentrate solely on building the strongest defense. But despite their
wants and needs, they all have their eyes set on the characters - the
players - who really just want to play football.
FS: Rolling this in - it's hard, especially for offensive linemen, to really shine like that.
Matt: True. But offensive linemen are popular first-round draft picks.
Their solidarity is what makes them shine. They're the ones putting in
the hours at the gym while the vibrant bunch lights up the twitter
feeds.
FS: And we have a small offensive line class this year?
Matt: Yes, but it shouldn't matter. There's these guys - Darren Hibbard,
Odell Schmidt - they're huge and sturdy. They're good linemen. The tape
shows that you want these guys on your line.
FS: Any concerns?
Matt: For the most part, no. In fact, I'd say, there's just a maturity
issue - but that could be applied to many rookies. You know, a lot of
these guys are either fresh out of college or have been chomping at the
bit to get out on the field.
FS: So, our guess here at the studio was, that Odell and Darren would be
sold by the end of Round 1. But who is likeliest to take those picks?
Matt: Good questions. Grand Rapids, Chicago, and California have shown fair interest. But - I mean, this is the draft!
FS: Very true, very true.
Matt: You should expect anything!
FS: Anything? A kicker becomes our first pick?
Matt: *laughs* Uh, no, maybe not.
FS: So, there's been a photo going around, and I wanna get your take on
this. I'm going to throw it on the prompter for everyone at home to see.
This is Kris Clueton of Northern California; they call him
"Thunderstruck" for a reason, Matt - just look at this. He's got guts.
Matt: And, I'll tell ya, it's amazing this guy still has a chance. A lot
of the coaches - at least, if I were a coach, I'd have to think twice
before drafting that guy to my team. But as far as kickers go, and they
don't go far - at least in a draft atmosphere - he's got the best chance
to have an immediate affect for any team that drafts him. He's just
gotta tone it down a little and avoid pulling stunts like that in the
UFFL.
FS: And -
Matt: - Also I hope he was able to scrub that paint out of his fur...
FS: Definitely. The guy is dedicated. Now, Matt, here's an interesting
question. Why are we not hearing much about defensive players?
Matt: That's just a historical thing for American football. Defense
usually doesn't go first round unless the coach is specifically
targeting a position. And as a lot of the talk gets swung towards those
who shout loudest, it's been held down.
FS: Well, you and I would both agree, that's what you're here to do! Give these guys some time!
Matt: Alright, well, my first shout out goes to the young Kennith
Shrader - I love calling him the Shredder, and he's going to be a first
round pick; let me tell you why. Shrader may be young, but he's got the
speed - he's got the strength - and he's got the thirst. People love
this guy; he's family-friendly. He's ambitious and he is skipping out
after one year of school to try his legs in this new league. Shrader
might be itching to stay local to the area though, so Downriver and
Grand Rapids are his favorite teams.
FS: And to explain to those at home who aren't familiar with
"Downriver", its the southwestern region of Detroit. Now, go on, another
pick.
Matt: Sure. On the Linebacker spectrum, its Artemis Griner, like I
mentioned earlier - but we haven't mentioned the talented Eddie Theisen.
The bull from Edgerton is not one of those spark-plug personalities.
He's there to play - coaches should like that. A couple small injuries
plagued him in camp, though, and he was ultimately out-shined by Griner
despite the species difference.
FS: Did anyone else suffer injuries during their training sessions?
Matt: Thankfully, no - there were a couple scares; cornerback Mark
Heineken suffered a small facial injury, but it won't affect him come
draft day.
FS: Alright, there's one other person we have to mention here before we
close out - well, actually, it's important to note that the draft will
be taking place this Saturday, August 23rd, at 11:30 pm EST - so set
your clocks because it's going to be a late one. Now, the rules
stipulate a 5-minute limit per pick in round 1 and a 2-minute limit in
the successive rounds.
Matt: Correct. And that's not the problem. The problem will be getting
the best players first. This first season won't allow trading draft
order picks, and it assumes all teams are on the same level, so the
picks are alternating 1-12, 12-1, 1-12, 12-1.
FS: How do you think this will affect draft choice?
Matt: The teams it affects the most are Texas and Easton. Strategically
their picks have to be based off the playing field; Texas gets the first
pick and then must wait 23 picks before getting its next two in a row,
and vice versa for Easton. They'll have to make sure they get the
players they want.
FS: Yes. Okay, we have just one minute left so I'm going to read off
some names here and you tell me just a quick tidbit about each.
Matt: Go for it.
FS: Terra Eavens, Safety.
Matt: She's built well for the position, but needs to work on her footing.
FS: Laxton Evans, Punter.
Matt: ... Don't know. Keep going.
FS: Nash Pony, Tight End.
Matt: He's got the talent. There's some concern about how he will
develop into the role, but it'd be really surprising if he doesn't get
picked first out of the tight ends.
FS: ... Liam Palanturas?
Matt: Someone told me that calico is a virtual blur on the playing field. How do you keep track of all those fur colors??
FS: And with that life-defining question, I thank you Matt for coming in this week to tell us about this first season!
Matt: It's been a pleasure.
FS: Thank you, and thanks for watching Talking the Draft on F-SPIN. Stay tuned for more football talk in the coming days...
SEE YOU ON DRAFT DAY!!
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