NY Clients 2009 Draft

FAASPN- Pittsburgh. The Clients left yesterday's draft at the All Star Grille feeling good about their team. The draft did not go as planned however. Orlando Hampton was on record as saying, "We need a youth movement. Our top players are getting up their in age. What Zuc (Slaton / Johnson) and Bob (Forte / McFadden) is our template". The Clients were all set to draft DeSean Jackson with their 10th pick coming into the draft and then pray for one of the top 4 TE's to fall into their laps at the 20th spot. Much to the surprise
of NYC Brandon Marshall was sitting there when their first pick came around (10 overall). Over the last two seasons Marshall has 206 catches and 2,500 yards receiving. In addition Denver is horrible this year and will be winging the ball every game trying to catch up. The FAA moral police that let this guy sit until the 10th pick haven't been so hard on someone since Phil Helle cut Randy Moss after he hit the cop with his car.

Less shocking than the availability of Marshall, but still surprising. At the 10th pick there was not one TE off the board and it looked like the Clients might also get one of their top TE prospects. That ended quickly when Aliquippa (Baby O) jumped on long-time Client Jason Witten with the 11th pick of the draft. Somehow though Dallas Clark was still standing at the 20th pick and now he is a Client. Amazingly at this point D-Jack had not been drafted. "We didn't want to take a chance not getting one of the top TE's and Clark was rated #4 on our board at the position". Sewickley ended the dream of a perfect draft scenario by snatching Jackson away from NYC 2 picks early in the 3rd round. With the 3rd pick NYC picked LenDale "Bagel" White and followed that pick up with Felix Jones in the 4th round. The Clients have no handcuffs at the RB position, but do have 4 productive backs going into the season.

The value picks continued with Derrick Mason in the 5th round (2008 Stats: 80 Recs; 1,037 yards), David Garrard in the 6th round (3,600 yds passing last season) and Mason Crosby in the 7th (6 - 50yd FGs last year)

NYC finished out the draft with 3WRs (Kevin Curtis, Michael Crabtree and Nate Washington).

"We would be happy to see any of those guys force their way into the starting line-up for us"

Other Draft Thoughts

• It must have been gut wrenching for Tokyo to have the #1 pick this year and have to select Kevin Smith. Don't get me wrong Smith was solid last year, but picking the top RB on a winless team is not what we dream of with the first overall pick.
• Speaking of Tokyo... I noticed he drafted Lee Evans again this year. I don't know if any single player has been drafted by the same team so many times. I truly associate Evans with Tokyo more than I do with Buffalo
• I think WAGS made solid picks with Housh, V-Jack and Beanie Wells. However these guys could just as easily bust. Housh is the only guy with the strong pedigree and he is in a new situation. These are the three players he effectively got from his Boldin deal with Mt. Lebo. Its to early to evaluate this trade for Wags, but I think it has huge potential for Bob. Mt. Lebo has to be happier with adding Boldin as WR2 than they would have been of ending up with the same players Imperial selected
• Hendo fields one of the most boring teams in the FAA every year. He went for some personality this year by snagging Ocho with his first pick and the lightning quick Sproles with his 3rd round selection. He then followed up with the most boring players he could have possibly drafted.... Julius Jones, Santana Moss, Patrick Crayton, Sanchez, Gage, Betts, Vinateiri. Hendo may be good (He might be terrible as well), but he darn sure won't be exciting.
• I never realized Marshall was from Pittsburgh. He grew up do on Larimer avenue in East Liberty. Suddenly his antics are starting to make sense for me. PERSONAL: Marshall was chosen as an all-state selection and was named the Seminole County Utility Player of the Year at Lake Howell High School in Winter Park, Fla.... Accounted for 1,506 yards of total offense as a senior, gaining 1,056 yards through the air and 450 on the ground... Threw 11 touchdowns and also scored four defensively (two interception returns and two fumble returns)... Named MVP of the all-Central Florida game... Lettered in basketball and track three times... Won the Class 3A state triple-jump championship with a jump of 48-feet, six-and-three-quarter inches as a senior... Had another 48-foot jump to win the triple jump at the Golden South track and field event... An active member of the Kappa Psi fraternity and the group’s charity work... Working on a project to restore Larimer Park in Pittsburgh, where he resides... Restores vintage automobiles... Majored in liberal studies at Central Florida... Brandon Marshall was born on March 23, 1984, in Pittsburgh.