Big Move of April 29th

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selecting Da'Quan Bowers 51st overall (2nd round) in the NFL draft. This might not seem like a big move and I bet a lot of people are wondering why I would give someone taken 51st overall big move status. I can assure you though that this is a huge move for the Bucs and the fact he dropped out of the top 50 in the draft is still a shocker. I'll give you a little background on Bowers and you'll see why this is an absolute steal for the Bucs.

Bowers was the top high school prospect in 2008 according to ESPN and given the label as the best high school prospect in the five year period between 2005-2009 by Rivals.com (this is the number one source for high school football players). Before he even entered college he was already labelled as the next Reggie White or Bruce Smith. There have been lots of players to be hyped up like this in the past such (Marcus Dupree comes to mind, see ESPN 30 for 30 documentary 'the best running back that never was', just incredible) but Bowers stepped up to these labels right from the get go when he enrolled at Clemson. In his first season Bowers started six games for Clemson, which is pretty impressive for a freshman at this position and only 18 years of age. He accumulated 37 tackles and one sack in that season. The following year in 2009 he continued to improve by making 58 tackles and 3 sacks despite missing several games due to injury and had an incredible performance in the ACC championship game with 11 tackles. 11 tackles is a dominant performance from any position but coming from a defensive end is just ridiculous since they generally only rush the quarterback or control the edge of the line allowing linebackers to make the majority of tackles. Bowers work in 2009 was enough to garner first round attention in that year's draft but he was ineligible having only played two years in college. No matter, he would have his best season in 2010 by absolutely dominating on the line for the Tigers, starting all games, recording 74 tackles (26 for loss) and recording 15.5 sacks. Bowers' incredible performance in 2010 would earn him unanimous first team all American status from the NCAA, All ACC defensive player of the year and the Brian Nagurski trophy, which is an award that has been given out since 1993 to the best defensive player in college football. Past winners include Warren Sapp, Champ Bailey, Charles Woodson, Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil, Brian Orakpo and Ndamakung Suh just to name a few. Speaking of Ndamakung Suh, in his final season he recorded 84 tackles, 12 sacks and 23 for loss, which are numbers comparable to Bowers. Suh is a defensive tackle though so maybe this is an unfair comparison but you get the point. Bowers is a unique talent.

With nothing more to prove at Clemson Bowers opted to enter the NFL draft as a 21 year old junior. He was widely considered to be a top 5 pick and many experts and NFL executives had him slotted as the number one overall selection ahead of star Stanford qb Andrew Luck (Luck later decided to remain in school for his senior season).  However, Bowers required surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee after the college season and questions about the long term health of his knee began to surface. The most concerning rumour was that he had a degenerative condition in his right knee, which would likely lead to a very short NFL career. Bowers denied these claims and so did several medical examiners but his stock would start to plummet and the once top 5 draft pick was only projected to be selected in the mid first round.

This past Thursday at the NFL draft Bowers went unselected in the first ten picks and analysts continued to speculate on who would be willing to take a chance on him. The first 20 picks then went by without Bowers’ name being called, which only ramped up the amount of times his name would be dropped on the air by the likes of Mel Kiper and Jon Gruden. With teams such as the Colts, Eagles, Saints and Steelers in need of a pass rusher left to pick it seemed Bowers was a lock to get selected and would be a steal by any team to jump on him. Unbelievably, this did not happen and Bowers slid into the second round where he surely would be taken in the first few slots. Buffalo possessed the second pick on day two and seemed like an obvious candidate to take Bowers and pair him with third overall pick DT Marcell Dareus.  There is a reason why the Bills have not made the playoffs in ten years though and they reminded us of that on Friday by bypassing Bowers for cornerback Aaron Williams of Texas. However, the Bills wouldn’t be the only team left looking stupid by skipping Bowers and he would eventually slide all the way to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the19^th pick of the second round (51^st overall).

As I've already harped on, this is an absolute steal for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Bowers were taken beyond the 15th pick I would have called it a steal. I fully understand that it's a risk to draft a player with questionable knees, especially with the word 'degenerative' mentioned. But you have to take a shot on a talent like Bowers because dominant defensive ends are rare to find and can completely change a game or team. I have not heard of any team or doctor to definitively identify Bowers' knee as a degenerative problem but I do concede there might be more of an issue than Bowers is revealing given his huge slide in the draft. However, medical treatments continue to advance and injuries have become easier to manage. After all, wasn't Drew Brees finished after his major shoulder surgery at the end of the 2005 season? Or how about Willis McGahee who had one of the most gruesome injuries I've ever seen in college? Almost everyone said he wouldn't have a long NFL career. Bowers is only 21 and if the Bucs manage his injury properly (possibly even sitting him out one season) I think he has the potential to become a greater player than Gerald McCoy (last year's 3rd overall pick) or Adrian Clayborn who the Bucs took in this year's first round. Now that is a scary thought! If you're a Bucs fan you've got a lot to be happy about today as they are the clear winner of the 2011 draft thus far.

Big Mock of The Day

I was out last night watching the hockey games when it was suggested to me that a mock draft would be a decent idea for the BMOD blog. At first I thought that was way too much effort but given the fact I have nothing but time on my hands for the next few weeks I have decided to give it a shot. The best thing about mock drafts is you’re going to be way off with your picks but look like an expert if a few of your picks beyond the fifth selection come true.  Therefore it’s win-win in my opinion. So here it is, the first ever Big Mock of the Day, enjoy.

1)      Carolina Panthers select Cam Newton- QB- Auburn

After Cam’s father attempts to sell him off to the highest bidder in the NFL fails (he doesn’t understand the draft concept) Carolina selects the Aubrun Tiger. I’m not a big fan of this selection but I can understand why the Panthers are likely to make this move. Carolina has never had a franchise quarterback (don’t tell me Delhome was) and hit rock bottom last year on offense with just 17 touchdowns. The fans are starting to turn on the franchise and they need a flashy player to help get some butts back in the seats. Hence, why Carolina will draft Newton whose major goal is to become an ‘entertainer and icon’. I don’t know if that translates into wins and touchdowns but it should make for a few interesting seasons. Newton undoubtedly has the most potential of any quarterback in this year’s draft and is a freakish athlete with great speed and a strong arm behind his 6’6 250 lb frame. He was a beast with Auburn last season winning both the Heisman and National Championship (two awards to be stripped from him by 2013). However, he played mostly from the shotgun in a spread offense and only has one season as a starting quarterback under his belt. The real question is if he can play at the NFL level given his lack of experience under centre. Add to this questions about his desire to work hard and study the game once het gets a large signing bonus and you can see why this is a risky pick. I don’t think Newton will go the way of Jamarcus Russell but I would say it’s 50/50 whether he goes the way of Vince Young or Steve McNair (as a football player, I really do like the comparison on the field, they both have similar attributes). If I were Carolina I would be more inclined to pick AJ Green in order to add another weapon on an already talented offense (on paper). This way you can see what Jimmy Claussen can do in year two. I would follow it up by taking a shot on a quarterback in the third round or trade up to the second (Carolina doesn't have a 2nd round pick) which is a theme I like in this year’s draft.

2)      Denver Broncos Select Marcel Darreus – DT- Auburn

Denver had the 31^st ranked run defense and has been terrible in this part of the game for years so it’s no surprise they’ll take Darreus in this spot. Many a fantasy owner have lost their S*#! On this team over the years when their opponent had Ladanian Tomlinson (or any rb for that matter) going up against the Broncos. You basically had to concede over 100 yards and 2 TD’s each week to whoever was running against the Broncos, even if his name was Wally Lundy! Darreus is no Ndamakung Suh but he should be able to instantly move the Broncos up ten spots in the run category with his addition. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Patrick Peterson go this high to form a lockdown on the passing game opposite Champ Bailey. Peterson might be the best player in this draft from what I’ve read. Darrelle Revis like.

3)      Buffalo Bills select Von Miller – LB- Texas A&M

The Bills finally get a pick right and resist the urge to take Blaine Gabbert opting to go for a quarterback in round 2 instead. Von Miller is a beast and absolutely dominated in college. He is a mobile outside linebacker with Clay Matthews type attributes. In his final season at Texas A&M he racked up 10.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for losses. He will instantly transform the Bills porous run defense and also add a potent pass rush from the outside. If Shawn Merriman can rehab from injury the Bills could have an outstanding linebacking corps next year and strike fear into Tom Brady for once. This is the right pick and not too high to take a linebacker for the Bills. There are plenty of quarterbacks available in this year’s draft and someone outside of Gabbert and Newton will emerge as a franchise player in the later first or second round. Perhaps that franchise player could be Jake Locker who was touted as a top ten prospect last year before deciding to stay in college. I sure would be more comfortable drafting into this qb crap shoot in the later rounds rather than the first. Plus Rory Fitzpatrick (I know it’s Ryan) is a great bridge to a new quarterback in 2012 so there’s no rush for the guy to play right away and can learn the position. I am also big on Ryan Mallet despite his alleged yayo addiction and think he’d be a great fit in Buffalo where there is nothing to do or feed that urge… wait, maybe that would only make it worse. Oh well, take a shot on him if he’s there in round 2.

4)      Cincinnati Bengals select AJ Green – WR – Georgia

The Bengals call Carson Palmer’s bluff to retire if he is not traded and try to appease him by selecting AJ Green who has been compared to Calvin Johnson (Megatron). AJ Green has the talent to be a first overall choice and is thought of as a can’t miss prospect. Chad Johnson (or is it Ochocinco this year?) is only getting older and has seen his skills decline in recent years so this just adds to Cincy’s reasons for selecting Green. Even if the Bengals do cave and trade Palmer or plan for life after him I still wouldn’t take Gabbert or another quarterback in this position. Green is the right pick here and that new signal caller will need someone to throw to for years to come. Green fills that role and like I’ve been harping on all throughout this column, there are solid quarterbacks to be selected in the later rounds. This is a great year to draft a quarterback, there just isn’t that sure-fire number one like Matt Stafford or Sam Bradford of year’s past. Teams will just have to do more homework and get a nice treat selecting their franchise leader after round one. Someone will look like a genius in a year or two.

5)      Arizona Cardinals Select Patrick Peterson – CB – LSU

The Cardinals desperately need a quarterback and it would be tempting to select Blaine Gabbert here but I think they’re going to trade for a proven quarterback rather than develop one. The reason being is that this division is winnable right now and Larry Fitzgerald needs an immediate reason to stay in Arizona (he becomes a free agent at season’s end). I expect the Cardinals to take a run at Kevin Kolb or perhaps Donovan McNabb once teams can trade again. Patrick Peterson is a great pick and perhaps the best athlete in the draft. Peterson and Dominique Rodger-Cromartie will form a great shutdown tandem for years to come.

6)      Cleveland Browns select Julio Jones- WR – Alabama

The Browns get exactly who they had their eyes on after AJ Green came off the board. Julio Jones could become the best WR in this draft class and has great speed and size at 6’3 220 lbs. He was a three year starter in college and helped the Crimson Tide win the national championship in 2010.  The Browns need a playmaker on offense  for Colt McCoy to throw to. In my opinion this is a no brainer.

7)      San Francisco 49ers select Nick Fairley – DT- Auburn

Once again we have a team that appears to be in need of a quarterback but I think Jim Harbough wants to take a chance with what he has in Alex Smith, at least for one season. Because of this I think the 49ers will build upon an up and coming defense and select Nick Fairley who can play with the best of them when he’s motivated (just watch a tape of the national championship).

8)      Tennessee Titans select Blaine Gabbert – QB – Missouri

The Titans cut bait with Vince Young and now need to develop a quarterback. Gabbert is the second best prospect in the draft and good value at the number eight position. He’ll need time to learn a pro style offense (played mostly shotgun in a spread at Missouri) but should be able to given his strong football intelligence. He has a big arm to make all the throws required of an NFL quarterback and will have a lot of motivation after seeing Cam Newton taken first overall.  

9)      Dallas Cowboys select Tyron Smith – OT – USC

The Dallas Cowboys are in desperate need of an offensive tackle and Tyron smith has the most upside of any in the draft. I could see the Cowboys also selecting Anthony Castonzo from Boston College due to his four year experience at the position compared to Smith’s two years but again, Smith has the most upside and is more athletic. If the Cowboys are feeling real gutsy they could reach for Mark Ingram here and finally obtain a number one running back, which they have not had since Emmitt Smith left. That would be a bit of a stretch at this spot though, perhaps they’ll trade down.

10)  Washington Redskins select Da’Quan Bowers – DE – Clemson

The Redskins are never shy about making a gutsy decision and Bowers sure is that. He also could be the best DE taken in this year’s draft. If it weren’t for a suspect knee (rumour is he might require micro fracture surgery) he would be a top 5 selection and perhaps number one overall (Bowers recorded 15.5 sacks last season as a junior). Half the teams in the league are staying away from him due to the uncertainty regarding his knee but Bowers says the knee is fine and Dr. James Andrews will attest to that. That’s all the Redskins need to hear and they’ll be happy to take Bowers at 10 in what could be the draft’s biggest steal.

11)  Houston Texans select Prince Amukamara – CB – Nebraska

Houston has been in the market for a shutdown corner for years and is sick of not having anyone to go up against Reggie Wayne and Peyton Manning. Their wish finally comes true and they jump all over the Prince of… can’t think of anything to rhyme with Bel Air that would make sense.

12)  Minnesota Vikings select Andy Dalton – QB – TCU

It appears Brett Favre has finally retired and I don’t think the Vikings believe Tarvaris Jackson is the answer at QB long term so they will go off the board a bit here and take Andy Dalton. Dalton has shot up draft boards recently because teams love how polished he is after starting four years at TCU. During his time at TCU he was a highly accurate passer who didn’t screw around with the football. This is exactly what the Vikings need since the guy behind centre is mostly going to run a Canadian high school offense by handing the ball off to Adrian Peterson on any down with less than 30 yards to gain. The only knock on Dalton is his hair colour, which has caused many teams to shy away because they question if a red head can get it done (I’m not even joking about this, read Peter King’s columns).

13)  Detroit Lions select Robert Quinn – DE – UNC

The Lions can’t believe Quinn dropped this far and make their selection in approximately thirty seconds. Pairing Quinn (or anybody for that matter) with Ndamakung Suh will give the Lions an incredible pass rush for years to come and might propel them to the top of the NFC North this season (you heard it here first, I love my Bears but I got a feeling about this team). Expect Quinn to make a strong push for rookie of the year since he’ll be free to run through offensive lines while Suh gets double or triple teamed. I’d say less than ten sacks would be disappointing for him.

14)  St. Louis Rams select Mike Pouncey – C/G – Florida

The Rams would absolutely love to get a WR for Sam Bradford to throw to but AJ Green and Julio Jones will be long gone. There aren’t any other WR’s worth reaching for in this draft spot but Bradford could use more protection and Mike Pouncey would be a strong addition. In case you’re wondering, he is the brother of Maurkice Pouncey who had an outstanding rookie season for Pittsburgh. He’ll be motivated to live up to his younger brother.

15)  Miami Dolphins select Mark Ingram- RB – Alabama

Ronnie Brown is getting old and has always been injury prone. Ricky Williams isn’t a spring chicken either (is he even coming back next season). Therefore this pick makes all too much sense especially given the fact Tony Sparano loves to run the ball and has to win now. Ingram won the Heisman in 2010 and was a huge part of Alabama’s national championship and recent dominance, the only reason he isn’t going higher is because of questions about his knee, which some teams think could be a degenerative condition. He claims otherwise (what else would he say?).

16)  Jacksonville Jaguars select Cameron Jordan – DE – Cal

The Jaguars need a pass rusher in a big way and Jordan is the best of what is left on the board. I’m sure they’d be intrigued by the prospect of taking a quarterback here such as Jake Locker but that’s a bit of a reach and there will be a few available in the second round.

17)  New England Patriots select Danny Watkins – G – Baylor

A lot of people will say this is a reach but the Patriots could use some help on the offensive line, which was clearly on display in their playoff loss to the Jets. There are higher rated linemen available but I have a hunch Bill Belichek will go for Watkins given his maturity and makeup. In case you’re not aware, Watkins is from Canada and did not start playing football until the age of 22 when he transferred to a fire fighting college in California. From there he worked his way into Baylor and started two years at left tackle. He’ll turn 27 this coming fall, which means he’s a lot more mature than most players in the draft and will have lots of motivation to play well real fast since he doesn’t have that long a window in the NFL. This is the kind of guy Belichek loves and let’s not underestimate the power of ‘old man strength’ that Watkins possesses at his ripe old age. That’s a big thing and sadly I am still waiting for that to kick in as I just turned 27.

18)  San Diego Chargers select Ryan Kerrigan – DE – Purdue

Once again, a team in need of a DE gets its wish in the first round. There are plenty of solid DE’s in this year’s draft and most are first round talents unlike the abundance of quarterbacks. Kerrigan had 12.5 sacks in his senior season and is a no nonsense player with good character, something the Chargers are big on. San Diego could also use an offensive tackle and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Anthony Castonzo go here either.

19)  New York Giants select Anthony Castonzo – OT – Boston College

The Giants offensive line is aging and Eli Manning has taken too many hits in the last few years. Castonzo might be the most polished tackle in the draft after starting four years in college and has great size at 6’7’’, 311 lbs, which is also why he might not be around here for the Giants at 19.

20)  Tampa Bay Buccaneers select JJ Watt – DE – Wisconsin

The Bucs got a solid defensive tackle in Gerald Mccoy last year and will look to add to the line and form a better pass rush by taking JJ Watt. The Bucs could use an offensive tackle and I wouldn’t be surprised if they go that route with this pick but their defense was 28^th against the rush last year so getting a Defensive lineman is more of a priority.

21)  Kansas City Chiefs select Gabe Carimi – OT – Wisconsin

Carimi has great size at 6’7’’, 330lbs and should lock down the right side of the Chiefs’ offensive line, which will only help build upon their emerging offense. The secondary is an area of concern but the offensive line appears to be a bigger need.  

22)  Indianapolis Colts select Phil Taylor – DT – Baylor

Same old story in Indy, great offense led by Peyton Manning (although starting to show some decline) and no run defense to get him back on the field. This was apparent from day one when Arian Foster ran for over 200 yards to the early playoff exit at the hands of the Jets.  Taylor has a nice frame to stop the run at 6’3’’ 340 lbs and is the best option at this position left in the first round. However, he does come with baggage having been dismissed from Penn State in 2008 for multiple incidents including an assault charge. That might knock him off the draft board as the Colts generally stay away from guys with character issues but their need to stop the run might cause them to take a chance on him.

23)  Philadelphia Eagles select Jimmy Smith – CB – Colorado

The Eagles were average against the pass last year and could use another dependable corner opposite Asante Samuel. Word is Andy Reid is in love with this guy and I trust his instincts, just look at Mike Vick.

24)  New Orleans Saints select Michael Leshoure – RB – Illinois

New Orleans has a lot of needs on defense but a lack of a running game is a serious issue for the Saints going forward. Pierre Thomas was out most of last season and appears to be injury plagued and who knows if the Saints will bring Reggie Bush back once the NFL returns to work? Beyond those two it’s slim pickings on their roster and Leshoure has bolted up many draft boards. He was very productive on an average Illinois team and possesses a tough running style with the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.

25)  Seattle Seahawks select Jake Locker – QB – Washington

If another team doesn’t trade up the board to get Locker I can’t see Pete Caroll passing on him at this spot. Locker would have been a top ten pick if he entered last year’s draft and might be the second most athletic quarterback in this year’s draft next to Cam Newton. Caroll saw firsthand what Locker can do while coaching against him in the pac 10 and suffered a shocking defeat to Locker’s huge underdog Huskies in 2009. Matt Hasselback isn’t getting any younger and Charlie Whitehurst is not the messiah for this franchise no matter how much he looks like one. This pick will also appease the Seattle fanbase as Locker is a favourite in the area and played college ball just down the street.

26)  Baltimore Ravens select Brandon Harris – CB – Miam Fl

The Ravens defense is aging and was only 20^th against the pass last season. Harris has the ability to be a dependable three down corner and should mesh well and learn a lot from veteran Ed Reed.

27)  Atlanta Falcons select Akeem Ayers – OLB – UCLA

Ayers is a nice pick at 27 and a three down linebacker who is good in coverage, which is exactly what the Falcons lacked last season. A WR is also a probable selection here but Atlanta appears to get by just fine on offense and exposed badly on defense by Green Bay in their divisional round loss. Kyle Rudolph who is a TE from Notre Dame could also sneak in here to replace the aging Tony Gonzalez in a year or two.

28)  Oakland Raiders select Ryan Mallett – QB – Arkansas

This is actually the Patriots position but I don’t see New England holding on to this pick and they have been known to trade down in past drafts. Some team will trade up to take a quarterback here and I think the Raiders will do so. Mallett has off field issues and supposedly likes to indulge in the yayo, which makes this a bit of risky and high pick at 28. This is also why it makes complete sense for Al Davis to select him here. He can also throw the ball further than any other QB in the draft so maybe he can make something out of Derius Heyward Bey who complains no one throws the ball deep enough for him to catch it.

29)  Chicago Bears select Nate Solder – OT – Colorado

If you watched any Chicago Bears’ games last year you can understand why they’ll be using this pick on a lineman. Even if Solder is not around at 29 they will make a reach for someone that’s over 300 lbs and has played a college game at tackle. The Bears have hit rock bottom on the offensive line and Cutler got sacked more times than Pauly Shore on television. In fact, Cutler got so upset he decided to quit on the team at halftime of the NFC championship game and said he wouldn’t come back until they found someone to protect him. Maybe the Bears will call up his fiancée Kristin Cavallari to watch his back this season? She sure showed a lot more toughness on ‘The Hills’ than Cutler did in that NFC championship game… at least that’s what I’ve heard… I’ve never actually watched the show.  Over/Under that relationship goes further than Week 12? I’m taking under.

30)  New York Jets select Jonathan Baldwin – WR – Pittsburgh

The Jets have Santonio Holmes locked up for next season but may be without Braylon Edwards who is set to become a free agent when the league resumes. Baldwin is the third best WR in the draft and could become a very good number two receiver in the NFL, which is what the Jets will most likely lack come fall. Let’s be honest though, this team is winning the super bowl next year anyway and could draft a backup punter because they’re so perfect. So it really doesn’t matter who they draft. At least, that’s what Rex Ryan believes.

31)  Pittsburgh Steelers select Aaron Williams – CB – Texas

The Steelers’ secondary got exposed badly in the super bowl and will draft the best corner left in the draft at this point. A guard could also be targeted with this pick.

32)  Green Bay Packers select Cameron Heyward – DE – Ohio State

Heyward could easily go as high as the 20^th spot in this draft and the Packers will jump at him if he is still around at 32. He should do well with BJ Raji lined up next to him and is good at stopping the run, which is vital in the NFC North.

Big Move of April 26th

The Vancouver Canucks slaying their dragon, the Chicago Blackhawks. I told all of you not to worry about the Canucks. This series has played out like a movie and ended like a movie. I can sympathize with the Canucks and especially Roberto Luongo as I know all too well what it's like to have a huge monkey on your back and come close to shaking it off only to do something stupid and prolong the process. But once you get over the hump and relieve that pressure you can go on to bigger things and I think this momentum will propel the Canucks to a 4 game sweep of the Predators and eventual Stanley cup final berth.

In other news, Adam Lind read yesterdays blog and responded with 2 home runs and 5 rbi's. Litsch also didn't like what was said and provided the Jays with a serviceable six innings, which is pretty easy to do when you're team is up by seven runs. So sad he has more wins than Romero now.

Big Move of April 25th

Jose Bautista hitting his league leading 8th home run of the season and further casting aside the doubters who believe he is a one year wonder. Hobo has picked up right where he left off from last season and has firmly cemented himself as the face of the Toronto franchise and the BMOD blog thus far. Not only does he lead the AL in home runs but he also is ahead in batting average at 364 and would easily be leading in the RBI category if anyone on the Jays got on base. Of Bautista's 8 home runs, 7 have been solo sohts. By comparison, Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers also has 8 home runs and 20 rbi's compared to Bautista's 11. What's worse, Adam Lind, aka 'Sleepy' (very fitting nickname) leads the Jays with 12 rbi's despite only hitting one home run and pedalling a 235 average! Oh, and Travis Snider who has the biggest leash in the majors is tied for second on the team with Bautista at 11 rbi's. Snider's batting average is a blistering 173.

 I am a big believer in what Alex Anthopolous is doing with this young Toronto Blue Jays team but I must admit it is very disappointing to see a team that still struggles to get on base and has shown a retreat in the power category. With the exception of Yunel Escobar what you have is a roster filled with first pitch hackers who can't work a count and therefore struggle to get on base consistently. Eventually pitchers are going to start realizing they don't have to pitch to Bautista, which James Shields showed this past Sunday in a 95 pitch complete game shutout. That would be pretty unfortunate because Bautista is one of the most exciting hitters in the game today. Hopefully Lind can start to pick things up and provide more of a threat behind Bautista to offer him some protection in the third spot of the order. Furthermore, maybe someone will step up in the leadoff role and get on base more often so that the Jays get a little more value from Bautista's hot bat. Perhaps Rajai Davis will provide that when he comes back from the disabled list this week? He wasn't getting on base much prior to his injury but it should also be noted that he was hurt in the first game of the season and limped through a few more games before shutting things down. Word is he's one of the fastest players in the league and would give Chris Johnson a challenge in the 40 yard dash.

I should also note that it was nice to see Kyle Drabek get his second win of the season and he has looked very solid in the number two hole behind Ricky Romero. The Jays have a solid front three in the rotation but after that things really start to trail off and it could be a revolving door in the fourth and fifth spots for the rest of the season. Things sure don't get much better when the Jays will trot out their batting practice pitcher on Tuesday night against one of the best offenses in baseball. Who is that you might ask? None other than Jesse Litsch who sure improved his game down in Las Vegas following a one week demotion that began last week. I think he got 3 innings in and gave up one run, which is pretty damn good for him. Personally, I would have given Brad Mills a shot given his strong start in AAA this season. If not him why not try Zach Stewart who really turned some heads in spring training this week. I just don't get the organization's love affair with Jesse Litsch. To me he's the equivalent of a hot dog from 711. When you're real desperate you'll take a look at it and begrudgingly give it a shot, but more often than not you're going to regret making that decision and swear you'll never do it again.

Finally, congratulations to Juan Rivera on his first home run as a Blue Jay. I swear it was the first pitch I've seen him hit in the air  all season and the strong winds in Arlington were just enough to pull it over the wall. Word is he needed an oxygen mask when he got to the dugout because that's the furthest he's had to jog all season. I think Molina had already worked a 2-1 count by the time Rivera finished his home run trot. Blue Jays analyst Greg Zaun has a lot of confidence in this guy and is quick to point out he's a career 280 hitter and once hit 25 home runs in a season. Zaun firmly believes this might be the start of bigger things. Personally, I don't see it and think it might have bought Rivera a little more time before his eventual release this coming June. Oh, and stay tuned for a good Greg Zaun roast/rant later this week on BMOD.

Big Move of April 24th

The Canucks dropping game six in Chicago, which puts them on the verge of the greatest collapse in hockey history and quite possibly sports.  How else could you describe this series other than something fit for a Hollywood screen? I still can't believe this is happening and the only thing I've seen that closely resembles it is Major League 2, which might not be such a bad thing if you're a Canucks fan. After all, the Indians eventually win game 7 at home in their series against Chicago after blowing a 3-0 lead. They bring their fallen star Rick Vaughan off the bench to win game 7, which is eerily reminiscent of Roberto Luongo. Furthermore, the Canucks even have a redhead rookie backstopper in Corey Schneider to fill the role of Rube Baker. The only major character we're missing is Parkman who abandoned his team for the hated White Sox but I suppose we could insert Troy Brouwer into that role since he was born in Vancouver. Given the similarities here I'll be taking the Canucks on Tuesday night and move on to the Stanley Cup final. I can't make a prediction on what will happen once they get there though because Major League 3 still hasn't been shot.  (I don't count 'back to the minors' for those of you about to point that out)

Big Move of April 23rd

Brandon Marshall falling on a glass vase, which required emergency surgery to repair the abdominal wound he sustained. Okay, this may be a bit misleading. By falling on a glass vase I mean being stabbed by his wife, which eventually came out on Sunday. Nice attempt at a cover up by Marshall though, you do have to give him credit for that. After all, we did believe him when he severed tendons in his arm after slipping on a JBC wrapper in a Mexican hotel and subsequently fell into a TV. No word on his wife's motives for stabbing him this past Sunday, but odds are it was over his fantasy stats off the football field.