Welcome to our first mock draft of 2011!

Some might say that it’s too early to begin discussing next year’s draft, seeing as training camp has only begun, but we’re not in the crowd that agrees with that sentiment. And seeing as you’re sitting here reading this, I suspect you’re in the same boat.

As always, feel free to chime in with your thoughts on the selections, along with your own picks in the comment section!

Draft order based off NFLNR’s Power Rankings: Pre-Season

* Updated on 08/09/10

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Prognosticating this early is rarely effective, especially when it comes to accuracy, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t fun. That’s why I enjoy sitting down and ranking each team against each other every week, even if its not all that effective.

With that in mind, here’s how I see things breaking down one game into the pre-season.

1. New Orleans – With more than enough talent to repeat as champs, the Saints should stay at or near the top of the heap this season.

2. New York Jets – The Jets added more talent than anyone else this off-season on top of their AFC Championship team last year, but chemistry issues could be problematic early on, with a ton of egos competing against each other for face time.

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Things don’t always play out this easy, but all 32 teams have reached agreement with their top picks from round one of this year’s draft.

The money given to those players was astronomical in size and scope once again, shattering previous records, and likely ensuring that this will be the last class of first round talent to get massive contracts.

A new collective bargaining agreement will be on its way, regardless of any labor strife, and there’s little doubt that a rookie salary cap will be a part of that.

With that in mind, here’s a final look at the numbers for all 32 first round picks.

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With a work stoppage looming large in the less than a year, the NFL Player’s Association is pulling out the stops in its attempt to force the owners into sharing the riches derived in the past decade more equitably.

According to ESPN, the NFLPA has filed suit against the NFL and their apparent attempt to protect themselves in case of a strike in the near future, with the current TV deal set to turn the 2011 season into a profitable one, regardless of whether football is played or not.

The lawsuit’s main request is to have all TV money placed into escrow and held until a hypothetical lockout is complete. Obviously, such a move would provide the NFLPA significant leverage in their negotiations with the league, and could turn the tide in their favor with regards to the amount of money the players receive in the next collective bargaining agreement.

“It appears that the owners bought a strategy to lock players and fans out and nonetheless financially protect themselves. The players want to leave no stone unturned to make sure that CBA negotiations proceed in good faith and that next season is played in its entirety.”

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Thurs @ 3:30 pm – Taylor has officially been charged in the case. According to police investigators handling the case, Taylor forcibly had sex with a 16 year old girl at his hotel room, after she was “delivered” against her will to the location.

10:15 am – Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor was once the most feared sack artist in the game, crushing opposing quarterbacks on a routine basis.

Now he’s on the opposite end of that spectrum, facing an enormous amount of pressure on all fronts, after being arrested earlier this morning by police in Ramapo, NY, on accusations of rape.

According to ESPN, Taylor has not yet been charged, but details surrounding the case are expected to be released this afternoon, by authorities involved in the investigation.

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With round one in the books, things are bound to get crazy this evening in both round two and three, making tonight’s coverage of the draft must-see TV.

Look for a bevy of trades to take place, especially early on in round two, with plenty of top level players slipping down from round one.

We’ve got our latest projection of how things will play out in round two for your viewing pleasure. Obviously, things are subject to change throughout the day as teams discuss trades, so check back this afternoon for our final picks.

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Thanks for dropping back in to check out our draft grades from round one.

Things pretty much went to form last night, with just enough trades to keep us on our toes, and a few surprises thrown in for good measure (Tim Tebow to Denver?)

We’ve broken down each pick and have our first thoughts on every player selected, but we want to hear from you on how you think each team did, so don’t hesitate to let us know in the comment section.

Enjoy!

Taking their cue from the multitude of angry fans, upset about the decisions by several teams not to play their starters late last season, the NFL has announced that this season’s schedule will make all 16 games during the final week of the season a match between division rivals.

The league is hopeful this will prevent clubs from having to make the decision of whether they should rest their starters, with their playoff seeding already wrapped up.

Given the competitive nature in most divisions, this move could turn the final week of the season into the most exciting portion of the schedule, as teams will be gunning for their division crowns and a playoff spot, instead of playing a relatively meaningless contest against a non-divisional opponent.

Much of the discussion surrounding this decision came from the Colts, who chose to pull their starters in the second half of their week 15 game against the Jets, preferring to rest their top level players instead of making a run for perfection on the year. New York summarily defeated Indianapolis in that match, and then made a surprising run through the remainder of their schedule and the AFC Playoffs to force a rematch in the conference championship. The Colts won that contest, 30-17.

The top five players available in this year’s draft class have all agreed to come to New York City and partake in the festivities surrounding the NFL Draft, according to the Associated Press – quarterback Sam Bradford (Oklahoma), defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska), offensive tackle Russell Okung (Oklahoma State), safety Eric Berry (Tennessee) and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy (Oklahoma).

Eleven other players have also accepted invitations from the league, and will gather at Radio City Music Hall a week from this Thursday, with hopes that they’ll be able to avoid the embarrassment of sitting in the green room for an eternity, and have their names called early in the process

Here’s the list:

• C.J. Spiller (RB – Clemson)

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We usually do our best to stay away from the gossip side of the league, especially when it involves former NFL players, but in this case we simply can’t ignore the disgusting decision by former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber to leave his wife of 11 years for a 23 year old intern.

Barber’s wife, Ginny, is eight months pregnant with twins, and reportedly found out about his philandering ways last year. The revelation comes as a shock to many within Barber’s circle and outside of it, given the public statements he made in the past deriding his father’s decision to leave his mother early in his childhood.

The other woman in the picture is Traci Lynn Johnson, a former NBC intern who has been photographed numerous times with Barber in recent weeks. The two have not publicly announced their relationship, but Barber has made his split with his wife official with a short statement yesterday.

“After 11 years of marriage, Ginny and I have decided to separate. This decision was a painful one, but we are moving forward amicably and will continue to work together to raise our children with the love and dedication they have always known.”

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Day five of the 2010 free agency period is almost in the books and while the major signings have already come and gone, today’s crew certainly didn’t disappoint with multiple former Pro Bowl players switching teams this afternoon.

With that in mind, here’s a quick update of all the latest signings to have come across the wire this evening. We’ll be adding them to our ever growing roster on the 2010 Free Agency page later on, so feel free to drop in there a little later if you’re looking for the latest list of free agents to sign.

• DT Jason Ferguson (Dolphins)

• PK Matt Prater (Broncos)

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Is there anything worse than being back at work on Monday mornings? Especially after a weekend filled to brim with free agent signings, trades, and other assorted football goodies being tossed out like candy… I know I’m not pleased to be back at the grindstone this morning, but I’ll make it through (thank God for coffee).

Not much going on this morning around the league, aside from a few free agent visits that is. That said, we’ve got some links for your reading pleasure, so feel free to hit those up while I douse my innards with liberal doses of caffein. I’ll be back later on with any updates as they break…
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