Keyshawn blindsided

So those that watched the NFL draft coverage this past weekend of course saw Keyshawn Johnson there working the desk with Berman and Kornheiser etc. I personally found it a bit odd at the time... a current player there commenting about picks of other teams... teams that he would have to compete against.. weird... and whenever the Panthers would pick he would supply insight into "his" team. Here is a link to help out.

The Dwayne Jarrett pick in the second round was especially weird.. He was SO excited. "I'm gonna take this young man under my wing. I'm gonna teach him all I know." He was PUMPED about this fellow USC Trojan. Some people may have said... why'd they take him??? they have Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson.. they have enough money caught up in receivers. Well the Panthers solved that problem yesterday in giving Keyshawn the boot. He clearly did not see this coming. There is no way he would have spent draft day talking about "his team" and how "we really need a guy like this" if he knew he was going to be let go in a few days. The shock he must have displayed must have been classic.. but really how do you NOT see this coming?? This is what happens to veterans in the NFL. You have to play several years to get to the point that your contract number is at a certain level.. At that point you are beaten up so badly that you can't run anymore and they just drop you for a young guy making half as much. There is no security in that league.. The best thing you can do it trick a team into signing you to a 2 year deal with a big signing bonus, then rinse and repeat. No team is that dumb though. They WANT you to sign for a 5 year deal.. where they pay you a ton for a year and it goes to their cap number for the next 4 in smaller installments.. especially the back ended deals.. those are their favorites... that way they can release you at the smallest sign of breakdown and delete huge numbers from their salary. The NFL is despicable... Players HAVE to holdout for more money every year. They just have to. This is why I never really get too angry when they do it. The team will let them go with no penalty whatsoever... so if you are in your prime.. the only bargaining chip you have is that you can sit out and they will be without their star RB or WR or something...

anyway... one more tidbit... I can't believe how livid Miami fans are for having picked Ted Ginn and NOT Brady Quinn... can't they see they dodged a big bullet there? I honestly would be shocked if that guy has a career as good as David Carr.. They should be so damn happy they didn't get that guy, but for whatever reason they are pissed.. add in the fact that they got the fastest man I have ever seen in pads... they really have nothing to bitch about. All their complaining will go away once they sign Trent Greene and about midway through the first quarter of their first game of the season when Ginn gets a little bit of open space and breaks out those long fluid strides.. They just picked up the most electrifying player in the league with the 9th pick... and that's just in the return game. I'm not even including the fact that he is actually a pretty damned good wide receiver too...

Finally.... easily the most overrated player in this draft was Jamarcus Russel.. I'm sorry.. but there is NO WAY this guy is that great. Did anyone actually watch any of his games? the LSU offense SUCKED... and that's actually being kind. He had RIDICULOUS receivers (2 taken in the first round... and one projected top 5 next year) and he still couldn't move the ball consistently. They managed 3 points against Auburn... 3!?!?! His measurables are sick... 6'5 240.. fast... able to throw the ball 80 or so yards... somewhat accurate i guess.. that doesn't change the fact that he couldn't move the ball in the SEC.. how's that going to work in the AFC west??? If a QB is going to make it in the NFL I personally need to see one of 2 things... If he is playing at a smaller school, he sure as hell better have crazy stats (like Rothlisburger or Culpepper did) or if he plays in a BCS conference... he better damn well have at least challenged for a title... With the skill guys he had.. they should have had the best passing offense in the country... part of that can be blamed on the coaching staff, but only so much. He had a great game against ND... but I challenge you to find a BCS conference QB who DIDN'T have a big game against that slow assed defense over the last 2 years. Chad Henne freaking lit those guys up for crying out loud. So I'm calling bust on that guy as well... we'll see though... it is MUCH easier to predict a bust than it is to predict a star.