Honeymoon At The Heights Is Over

Maybe the days of Tom O'Brien, 8 wins and a victory in the Toilet Bowl should have been enough for Gene DeFilippo and the Boston College football program. Word out of Alumni Stadium is that new BC coach Jeff Jagodzinski, who replaced O'Brien when he fled to ACC rival NC State, is not making a good name for himself. Jagodzinski, who got the job after former UMass-Amherst coach Mark Whipple declined the job due to differences about how many coaches had to stay on, has already lost one assistant coach and has seen that coach replaced by a potential successor. Jim Turner, the captain of the 1987 BC football team and a 1988 graduate of the school, resigned last week. The official reason for Turner's resignation has been listed as "difference in philosophy in the direction of the program." That is slightly true. Turner, hired to coach the offensive line, was enraged when Jagodzinski yelled at him in front of the team and recruits during spring practice. Supposedly "Jags" was calling plays that had not been installed yet and was upset at the line's inability to run them. Turner went to DeFilippo to air his frustrations and was told to leave the program. In his place, DeFilippo has reached back into BC's past. Replacing Turner will be former Eagle center Jack Bicknell Jr. as assistant head coach/offensive line coach. Bicknell, the son of former BC coach Jack Bicknell -- who he played for from 1982-1985 -- has been the head coach at Louisiana Tech (where he went 43-49 in eight seasons and scored wins over national powers Alabama, Michigan State and Oklahoma State) and was most recently the offensive line coach at Texas Tech. Bicknell reportedly received $200,000 to come to Chestnut Hill, a remarkable salary when one considers that O'Brien left in part because he was one of the lowest paid head coaches in the ACC. Two other alarming tidbits on Jagodzinski... When DeFilippo flew into Green Bay, where Jags was the offensive coordinator for the Packers in 2006, Brett Favre himself reportedly met the BC athletic director at the airport and rode with him to the interview. Interpret this as you want; I see it as Favre doing whatever possible to get away from Jagodzinski. Knowing he was at the end of his career, I'm sure Favre would have pushed for him to stay if he wanted him calling the offense. I could be totally wrong but that's just how I feel... The Turner incident is not isolated. Jagodzinski is getting the repuation as a blowhard, something that will not go over well with the players or coaches who are used to the Marine Corps discipline of O'Brien... This isn't made up, fantasy world BC bashing. I am a BC season ticket holder and I support the team. This information is coming from people in the know. Hopefully it is just the mistakes of a rookie coach and he will correct everything by August. The Eagles have a lot of players returning from a 10-3 team that won the Meineke Car Care Bowl, including senior quarterback Matt Ryan, and expectations are very high for 2007. But if Jags doesn't have his house in order he will be in for a very long fall; Bc opens with Wake Forest (2006 ACC Champs) and NC State (the Tom O'Brien Bowl) before going to Georgia Tech. The Eagles then get the easy part of their season, games against Army, UMass and Bowling Green at home. They better be at least 4-2 at that point or the consecutive bowl game streak will end abrubtly. Starting October 13, BC's schedule looks like this: at Notre Dame (Charlie Weis and Jimmy Claussen), at Virginia Tech (they will not lose a home game in '07), Florida State at home (Seminoles are primed for a return to the top of college football), at Maryland and Clemson (two very tough ACC road opponents) and then Miami at home (a team they haven't defeated since 1984 with Jack Bicknell Jr. snapping to Doug Flutie). The Eagles are a talented team so the brunt of a losing team -- and looking at that schedule doesn't give me a 8 or 9 win feeling -- will fall squarely on the shoulders of Jeff Jagodzinski. Consider yourself warned.

NFL Draft Notes

The Patriots have finished drafting, they just selected center Mike Elgin of Iowa with pick No. 247. Breaking it down by position, the Pats selected three offensive lineman (Clint Oldenburg, Corey Hilliard, Mike Elgin), two defensive lineman (Kareem Brown, Justin Rogers), one safety (Brandon Meriweather), one cornerback (Mike Richardson), one linebacker (Oscar Lua) and one running back (Justise Hairston). As for the Draft as a whole, there were some interesting stories. Brady Quinn's drop from the Top 3 of the Draft to No. 22 was the story of the first round. The free fall of some juniors who declared early (Brandon Siler of Florida, Darius Walker of Notre Dame) could cause some underclassmen in the future to stay in school. Here are 10 Things I Liked About The 2007 Draft: 1. The Browns getting a franchise left tackle (Joe Thomas) and a franchise quarterback (Quinn) on the same day. If these two live up to potential, Cleveland will have a football team to be proud of again. 2. Matt Millen and the Lions making the right pick in Calvin Johnson, regardless of the fact that the lowly Lions took wide receivers with their first pick in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and only have Roy Williams to show for it with Charles Rodgers and Mike Williams already out of Detroit. Johnson is a great talent. 3. Troy Smith going to the Ravens. This was the best fit for the Heisman winner. Steve McNair will turn 72 in August and former first round bust Kyle Boller will be an unrestricted free agent following the '07 season. Smith will prove many people wrong for skipping over him. 4. Dallas taking Purdue pass rusher Anthony Spencer. With DeMarcus Ware lining up on one side and drawing double teams, all Spencer has to do is not fall down and he will get many unmolested shots at opposing quarterbacks. 5. Jacksonville traded spots with Denver and moved from No. 17 to No. 21, gaining multiple picks in the process, and still took the player they wanted, Florida safety Reggie Nelson. 6. Robert Meachem falling to the Saints at No. 27. He joins an explosive New Orleans offense. 7. The Patriots trading the No. 28 pick to the 49ers for a fourth round pick this year (that they dealt to Oakland for Randy Moss) and a first round pick in the 2008 Draft. Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli always work to gain value and a pick that could be in the Top 15 or 20 is better than the No. 28 pick. 8. San Francisco showed balls in trading up to No. 28 with the Patriots. They are gambling that Joe Staley is a franchise left tackle and that they will not see the Pats acquire a high first round pick next year. Mike Nolan is building a winner. 9. Green Bay not taking an offensive player because it's the "right thing to do for Brett Favre." The Pack took Tennessee defensive tackle Justin Harrell, a monster of a talent who missed most of 2006 with a biceps injury. 10. Daren Stone of Maine may never make the Atlanta Falcons but the highlight of the safety jumping over a car on ESPN was worth watching the draft for a good portion of my Sunday. Here are 5 Things I Disliked About The 2007 Draft: 1. The fake Joe Thomas fishing trip. Thomas was applauded by many for skipping the excess of New York City on draft day to go fishing with his dad and some friends. Personally, I originally thought it was cool but the television cameras that were there made it seem like more of a public relations event than a father-son moment. 2. The Titans. They took safety Michael Griffin in the first round, following the advice of top draft pundits like myself and going defense over offense. In the second round they took Arizona running back who, as Mel Kiper Jr. said didn't produce in the Pac-10 so why will he produce in the NFL. They failed to get a top wide receiver prospect to play with Vince Young. 3. The Bears not moving up for Brady Quinn. Chicago may well have won the Super Bowl if not for Rex Grossman. Quinn would be an instant upgrade at QB. 4. The lack of attention for JaMarcus Russell. The top pick was mostly ignored with a lot of attention being paid to Quinn's drop. Russell is not as well known as the Notre Dame bred Quinn and I was hoping for some more insight on draft day. 5. Jets fans. You are all pathetic. No matter who you draft, you will never beat the Patriots. 3 Reasons I'm Upset The Patriots Are In The AFC East: 1. David Harris, ILB, New York Jets 2. Marshawn Lynch, RB, Buffalo Bills 3. Lorenzo Booker, RB, Miami Dolphins 3 Reasons I'm Happy The Patriots Are In The AFC East: 1. The Jets paid too much to move up from No. 25 to No. 14. I don't know if Darrelle Revis will be worth the price they paid for him. 2. I like Lynch as a player but Buffalo's defense has lost Nate Clements, Takeo Spikes and London Fletcher this offseason so they might have wanted to go defense at No. 12. 3. The Dolphins passing on Brady Quinn at No. 9 to take Ted Ginn, Jr. Ginn is a good receiver and a dynamic kick returner but they needed the quarterback. I don't think John Beck of BYU -- selected at No. 40 -- will be the QB of the future in Miami.

Red Sox Conquer Evil Empire

I'm going to skip the obligation to write a paragraph that it is only April and I should take the success of the Red Sox with a grain of salt -- or a few Bud Light's. I'm not buying it this year, the Red Sox are flat out better than the Yankees and that is not going to change from May-September. The Red Sox beat the Yankees 7-4 today. The Yanks allowed three Boston homeruns (to David Ortiz, Alex Cora and Manny Ramirez) and they could not take advantage at the plate facing Boston's No. 5 starter, Julian Tavarez. It is getting so bad that Joe Torre's job could be in serious trouble. Would you be shocked to see him fired tomorrow? Or if he walked away before Steinbrenner can pull the trigger? I give the Yankees the advantage at the plate. They field an All-Star team: Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui, Jorge Posada, Robinson Cano and whoever plays firstbase (Doug Mientkiewicz or Josh Phelps). But the Yankees do not have the starting rotation or the bullpen to beat the Red Sox, contend in the American League or win a World Series. Pitching is the ultimate equalizer for any lineup and the Sox have the pitching. Their top four starters -- Curt Schilling (3-1, 3.27 ERA), Josh Beckett (5-0, 2.48), Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-2, 4.36) and Tim Wakefield (2-3, 2.59) -- have been brilliant and they will soon replace Tavarez with Jon Lester. The setup crew of Hideki Okajima, Brandon Donnelly, J.C. Romero and Mike Timlin have been great in getting the game into the hands of Jonathan Papelbon. And the Sox bats aren't anything to overlook. David Ortiz is off to another great start. Julio Lugo and J.D. Drew are fitting in just fine in the Boston lineup. Mike Lowell, Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek are all chipping in with the bat. Coco Crisp and Dustin Pedroia are helping too, drawing walks and getting on base. The one real negative Boston bat has been Manny Ramirez (.202 BA, 3 HR, 13 RBI, .314 OBP, .315 SLG, .629 OPS). But I'm not worrying about Manny this early. He started off slow last year too and ended up with this stat line: .321/35/102/.439/.619/1.058 in only 130 games. So forget what month it is. The Red Sox have faced the Yankees twice this season and have dominated them both times. They swept the Yanks at Fenway last weekend and took 2-of-3 this weekend. The games might not have been blowouts but the Sox have asserted themselves as the better team. The Sox are 16-8, first place in the AL East. The Yankees are 9-14, last place in the AL East, 6.5 games behind Boston. There is a long way to go but April will not be an abberation in 2007. The Sox are on top and the Yankees are in serious trouble.

Patriots/NFL Draft

The Patriots are almost done drafting, having just made a selection at No. 211. Barring any trades, they only have one more pick, No. 247. After trading the No. 110 pick to the Oakland Raiders for Randy Moss, the Patriots have made seven picks so far today. With thanks to Scouts Inc. and ESPN.com, here is a quick breakdown of each player. 4th Round (No. 127): Kareem Brown, DT, Miami, FL, 6-4, 290 lbs. Brown is a good athlete and has potential but has been inconsistent in his college career. He did record 8.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 2006 so he has shown the ability to make plays. Playing next to another former Hurricane, Vince Wilfork, could get Brown to realize his potential. 5th Round (No. 171): Clint Oldenburg, OT, Colorado State, 6-5, 296 lbs. There was no information on Oldenburg but consider that the Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia is well known for developing low round/undrafted free agents (Dan Koppen, Joe Andruzzi, Stephen Neal). Oldenburg may be worth keeping an eye on at training camp. 6th Round (180): Justin Rogers, ILB, Southern Methodist There is less on Rogers than there is on Oldenburg. However, ESPN.com has Rogers listed as an inside linebacker but when his name appeared on ESPN after being selected, he was listed as a defensive end. I'm not sure where he plays -- will have to wait for the Herald and Globe tomorrow to find out. 6th Round (No. 202): Mike Richardson, CB, Notre Dame, 5-11, 189 lbs. Richardson is the third straight Patriot selection to have no info posted on ESPN.com. However, the Fighting Irish defense was not particularly impressive last year so I'm not sure how he will fit. Looking to be positive for a second, maybe Charlie Weis has given his former boss a hidden gem. 6th Round (No. 208): Justise Hairston, RB, Central Connecticut State I'm not shocked that Hairston is pretty much unlisted over at ESPN.com. Interesting that on the television he was listed as Justise Hairston but ESPN.com has his first name as Justin. I hope that I'm wrong but I doubt it will ever matter. 6th Round (No. 209): Corey Hilliard, OT, Oklahoma State, 6-5, 308 Hilliard will be another project for Scarnecchia. Has a reputation as a mean drive blocker who is limited athletically. An ideal right tackle, possible lining up next to new tight end Kyle Brady? He could also see time at guard. 7th Round (No. 211): Oscar Lua, ILB, Southern California, 6, 238 Lua replaced Lofa Tatupu in the Trojan defense and made a name for himself against the run. The scouts say he is limited athletically and his 4.85 time in the 40 doesn't disprove that. Maybe it's the name (actually, it is the name), I hope he makes it in New England. Overall, I like what the Patriots did this weekend. Brandon Meriweather has had some trouble both on and off the field but Belichick obviously thinks that will be of no concern and his talent and production at Miami make me believe he will make an instant impact for the Pats (Dallas Clark will not out run him in the secondary). In the later rounds they took some chances. Kareem Brown hopefully can develop into a player who can add depth to the defensive line, something that former second round pick Marquise Hill has failed to do. Both Rogers and Lua could be given the chance to make the roster as special teams players and develop into a player in the future. Both of the offensive lineman -- Oldenburg and Hilliard -- could help a unit that is in need of depth. I also like the two major trades the Patriots made. I like trading the No. 28 overall pick to the 49ers for the No. 110 pick this year (which was used to get Moss) and a first round pick in 2008. I like where the 49ers are going but I still think that pick will represent more value in 2008 than it did in 2007. The Moss trade seems to be another stroke of genius by the New England organization. Moss has some issues but in only giving up a fourth round pick, the Pats are not taking a major gamble. I also think that the professionalism of the team will make Moss a positive contributor.

Josh Hancock

Josh Hancock, a 29-year-old relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, was killed in a car accident early on Sunday morning according to ESPN.com. Hancock, originally a member of the Red Sox organization who was traded before the 2003 season to the Philadelphia Phillies for Jeremy Giambi, pitched for the Sox, Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and Cardinals in his career. The Cardinals have postponed their game tonight against the Chicago Cubs. Rest In Peace.

Randy Moss

Bill Belichick has done it again. A trade has been made between the Patriots and the Raiders. The Pats will acquire All-Pro wide receiver Randy Moss from Oakland for a fourth round pick, the 110 pick overall. Moss has to complete a physical (reportedly he is already in Boston) and will supposedly restructure his contract to make his salary fit under the Patriots cap. There are questions about Moss -- minor run-ins with the law, attitude and lazy play at times -- but the awesome, Hall-of-Fame caliber talent that he brings to New England is enough to be excited about on a Sunday morning, especially when the price is only a fourth round pick (my memory recalls the Pats getting the disappointing Doug Gabriel from the Raiders in August of 2006 for a fifth round pick -- Moss has "slightly" more value). Also, playing for Belichick and with the strong leaders in that lockerroom like Tom Brady, Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel and Rodney Harrison will get Moss to play to his great potential. Think Brady likes this deal? After having Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney as his top targets during the playoffs, he now has Moss, Donte' Stallworth, Wes Welker and Kelly Washington in his receiving corps. Since the loss to the Colts in the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots have acquired Moss, Stallworth, Welker, Washington, linebacker Adalius Thomas, cornerback Tory James, tight end Kyle Brady and safety Brandon Meriweather (their No. 1 pick). There are many days to pass until the pads go on so I don't want to get to excited yet but I think this trade could turn out to be special for the Pats. Remember that Corey Dillon had a bad reputation with the Bengals before becoming a respected champion in New England. I believe Moss will follow in that path. Meanwhile, the Raiders selected University of Cincinnati cornerback John Bowie with the pick they acquired from the Pats.

NFL Draft

I wanted to do some posting during the NFL Draft on Saturday but I ended up working so that idea was shot to hell. I did get to watch about 70% of the Draft. I will get more into my thoughts on it on Sunday, between watching the Red Sox-Yankee game, rounds 4-7 of the Draft and the Chicago Cubs -- with Rich Hill starting -- taking on the St. Louis Cardinals in the ESPN game. Quickly on the Patriots: They came into the day with three picks: 24, 28 and 91. At No. 24 they selected Miami, FL safety Brandon Meriweather. They traded No. 28 to the 49ers for San Francisco's 4th round pick this year (No. 110) and their first round pick next year. They also traded the No. 91 pick to Oakland for a third round pick next year. The Patriots have 9 picks on Sunday and it will be interesting to see what Belichick and Pioli do.

NFL Mock Draft

The annual NFL Draft will start on Saturday. I love the Draft -- a great day to sit on the couch, watch some football in late April, eat buffalo tenders and see which players Bob Kraft will be purchasing rings for in the near future. In all this excitement I begin posting Mock Drafts and this will be my final one. One side note before I make a fool of myself with these predictions. Read this week's Sports Illustrated (with Adrian Peterson on the cover) for Tim Layden's article on the immense popularity of Draft weekend. It got me even more excited. To make things even harder on myself, I will also predict trades. 1. OAKLAND RAIDERS: JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU There are many rumors flying around that Al Davis is in love with Calvin Johnson but with only Andrew Walter signed to play quarterback, the Raiders can not pass on Russell. 2. DETROIT LIONS: Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech Matt Millen has been called an idiot for taking wide receivers in the Top 10 three years in a row from 2003-2005 (Charles Johnson, Roy Williams, Mike Williams) but he will truly be a moron if he passes on Johnson or does not trade down before taking Joe Thomas or Gaines Adams. The hot rumor is that the Falcons will trade up to take Johnson. 3. CLEVELAND BROWNS: Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame Romeo Crennel has worked side-by-side with Charlie Weis in the past (with the Giants, Jets and Patriots) and probably trusts him as much as any man in football. Weis knows Brady Quinn. Weis has certainly told Romeo that Quinn is the man. Romeo will bank on Brady Quinn being his Tom Brady. 4. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson Jon Gruden reportedly loves Johnson (as does every other coach in the NFL). But with Johnson gone he will upgrade his pass rush, a good decision with 87-year-old Simeon Rice currently his best defensive end. 5. HOUSTON TEXANS (from ARIZONA): Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma The Texans passed on Reggie Bush last year but they will use whatever they didn't give Atlanta in the Matt Schaub trade to move up and pick Peterson. 6. MIAMI DOLPHINS (from WASHINGTON): Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin The Dolphins offensive line is pathetic and they jump at the chance to take Thomas. 7. MINNESOTA VIKINGS: LaRon Landry, S, LSU Landry is a play maker, something Minnesota hasn't had in their defensive backfield in a long time. He started all four years at LSU and he will start immediately for the Vikings. 8. ATLANTA FALCONS: Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville Okoye was a great interior lineman at Louisville under Bobby Petrino. Petrino hopes that he will continue his dominance in the NFL for the Falcons. 9. WASHINGTON REDSKINS (from MIAMI): Patrick Willis, MLB, Ole Miss Willis is one of the fastest climbing prospects in the first round. After leading Ole Miss in tackles the past three years, he is ready to step in and play immediately for Joe Gibbs. 10. ARIZONA CARDINALS (from HOUSTON): Levi Brown, OT, Penn State The Cards get the left tackle they need. Thomas may be rated higher but Brown is gaining popularity and Arizona gains value by trading down. 11. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas After signing Nate Clements in free agency, Mike Nolan adds a pass rusher to further strengthen his defense. 12. BUFFALO BILLS: Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh The Bills lost Nate Clements to the 49ers in free agency so corner is an area of need. 13. ST. LOUIS RAMS: Leon Hall, CB, Michigan The Rams need help on the defense. They will take Hall over Lawrence Timmons and Adam Carriker. 14. CAROLINA PANTHERS: Lawrence Timmons, OLB, Florida State The Panthers defense is starting to get old so an athletic linebacker like Timmons will fit in immediately. 15. NEW YORK JETS (from PITTSBURGH): Greg Olsen, TE, Miami, FL Eric Mangini makes a bold move to move up and take the athletically gifted Olsen. Olsen's spped (4.5 in the 40) will give the Jets the ability to stretch the middle of the field and will provide Chad Pennington with another explosive option. 16. GREEN BAY PACKERS: Marshawn Lynch, RB, California I have had Lynch here all along so I'll stick to my guns for once. Some scouts think that with his pass catching and blocking skills, Lynch will be a better pro than Adrian Peterson. 17. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska The Jags will be happy to add Carriker to a line that already has Marcus Stroud and John Henderson. 18. CINCINNATI BENGALS: Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn State The Bengals franchise has been embarrassed by off the field incidents too many times in the last year so they take a wonderful player and person in Posluszny. 19. TENNESSEE TITANS: Aaron Ross, CB, Texas Getting a receiver to pair up with Vince Young seems like a logical choice but losing Pacman Jones for the year (or longer) forces the Titans to draft Ross, who can play either corner or safety. Ross also helps replace Pacman in the return game. 20. NEW YORK GIANTS: Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee Offensive line and the secondary may be more pressing needs but the G-Men have so much invested in Eli Manning that they take a wide receiver. 21. DENVER BRONCOS: Jarvis Moss, DE, Florida There are rumors that the Broncos want to trade up to take Patrick Willis but if they stay at 21, a pass rusher like Moss would be a great fit for them. 22. DALLAS COWBOYS: Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Ohio State Ginn has slipped because of the foot injury he sustained in the BCS Championship Game but the Cowboys, in need of getting younger at receiver, stop his fall. Ginn also makes an impact in the return game. 23. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: Joe Staley, OT, Central Michigan The Chiefs have lost Willie Roaf (last year) and Will Shields (last week) so upgrading the offensive line should be a priority. 24. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Reggie Nelson, S, Florida The Patriots have to get younger at safety and the play making ability of Nelson -- as well as Bill Belichick's close relationship with Urban Meyer -- make the ex-Gator a perfect fir for the New England defense. 25. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (from NY JETS): Jon Beason, LB, Miami, FL New coach Mike Tomlin gets a linebacker to fit into the 4-3 defense he is installing in Pittsburgh. 26. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: Michael Griffin, S, Texas Michael Lewis is gone via free agency and Brian Dawkins is 34-years-old so getting younger at safety is important. 27. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee The Saints have the offense with Deuce McAllister, Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and Marques Colston. Harrell gives them a building block on defense. 28. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Anthony Spencer, DE/OLB, Purdue Spencer is a great fit for the Pats because of his versatility. He can rush the passer off the end (4.7 in the 40) and can be the physical linebacker presence (6-3, 260) that Belichick likes to employ. The next Mike Vrabel? 29. BALTIMORE RAVENS: Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas The great Ravens defense could use an upgrade at corner and Houston would be a good fit opposite Chris McAllister. 30. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS: Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC Jarrett has fallen like a manhole cover because he only ran 4.62 in the 40-yard dash at the USC Pro Day. Still, he is a big (6-4, 230), physical, proven winner and the Chargers will line him up opposite 6-5 Vincent Jackson. 31. CHICAGO BEARS: Alan Branch, DT, Michigan The Bears need depth for their interior defensive line with Tank Johnson's future in question. Branch's stock has slipped but his size (6-6, 330) and raw talent can't be overlooked by Da Bears. 32. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: Eric Wright, CB, UNLV After losing both starting corners (Nick and David Harper) in free agency, the Super Bowl champs (AHHHHHHHHH) add the intriguing Wright. He didn't play much at UNLV because of injury and transferred out of USC because of personal problems but he is a fast cover guy that Indy really needs right now. Some other players I would love to see the Patriots draft: Zak DeOssie, LB, Brown -- Like father like son Brian Leonard, RB, Rutgers -- Talented and unselfish Eric Weddle, S, Utah -- Versatile Buster Davis, LB, Florida State -- Great athlete Daymeion Hughes, CB, California -- Can always use a cornerback Josh Beekman, OG, Boston College -- Great BC lineman Manuel Ramirez, OG, Texas Tech -- Just Manny being Manny

A-Rod

Like him or not, Alex Rodriguez is currently the greatest offensive force in baseball. It is still only April but the numbers Rodriguez is posting -- .400 BA, 14 HR, 34 RBI -- are historic. A certain Hall-of-Famer, even if he stopped playing today, Rodriguez is trying to reclaim his position as the most feared offensive player in the game as well as the popularity he enjoyed in his early days in Seattle and Texas. Offensively he has always been a force (career numbers: .306 BA, 478 HR, 1381 RBI, 2091 hits in 1764 games) but since being traded to the Yankees on Valentine's Day in 2004 he has gotten the reputation as a player who can't come through when it counts. The switch to pinstripes also has turned A-Rod's public image from golden boy to hired mercenary, an image that began when he left the Mariners for the 10 year/$252 million dollar contract that owner Tom Hicks gave him to play for the Rangers after the 2000 season. His stay in New York has been cluttered with gossip of a feud with Derek Jeter, lack of support from the New York fans and the assertion that he is more concerned with numbers than winning. Now being a Red Sox fan, the struggles of Alex Rodriguez have not caused me to shed any tears. He plays for the enemy of all enemies and he did so only after a failed attempt by the Sox to bring him to Boston. A fight with Jason Varitek on July 24, 2004 -- 'Tek whacked him with his glove after Rodriguez stared down Bronson Arroyo following being hit by a pitch -- did not help his cause in Boston. But with the amazing numbers he is posting -- would anyone be shocked if he hit 75 homeruns this summer? -- and the fact that he can (and will) opt out of his contract after the season, I would peel of my skin with a rusty nail to bring him to Fenway Park. All that bad blood would immediately disappear. Red Sox Nation would welcome A-Rod into Boston like he was one of our own. Now A-Rod won't come cheap. Expect him to seek out a contract in the range of 5-6 years for at least $20 million per season, if not more. But the Sox have that type of money. Curt Schilling's $13 million will most likely be off the books for 2008 and there is always the possibility of trading Manny Ramirez and his $20 million per year. Even if Manny stays but Schilling goes, the Sox would only have to add $7-10 million to their payroll to add Rodriguez, a worthy investment for a Hall-of-Fame shortstop. With Manny, the Red Sox lineup would be the greatest in baseball history. Without Manny it would still be an awesome force. It's a long way away and it is a long shot but Rodriguez in Boston would be a great thing.

NBA Playoffs

Predictions... EASTERN CONFERENCE: Round One Pistons over Magic (4-1) Bulls over Heat (4-2) Nets over Raptors (4-3) Cavaliers over Wizards (4-0) Round Two Pistons over Bulls (4-3) Cavaliers over Nets (4-2) Eastern Finals Cavaliers over Pistons (4-3) WESTERN CONFERENCE: Round One Mavericks over Warriors (4-2) Rockets over Jazz (4-3) Suns over Lakers (4-2) Spurs over Nuggets (4-1) Round Two Mavericks over Rockets (4-3) Suns over Spurs (4-3) Western Finals Suns over Mavericks (4-3) NBA FINALS Suns over Cavaliers (4-2) NBA FINALS MVP: Shawn Marion

Random Thoughts

Coming home yesterday from a week in Mexico, I was hoping to get some sleep last night. Instead, I watched the Red Sox sweep the Yankees and then stayed up to see the Golden State Warriors upset the Dallas Mavericks in Game One of their Playoff series. The Sox game was great. For the third straight game they came back and beat the Yanks. I had watched Friday's game from my hotel room (in Spanish no less) and caught the highlights of Saturday's win so I was very close to catching up on some sleep after flying home but... ...I stayed up. Very good decision. I witnessed history (the Manny Ramirez-J.D. Drew-Mike Lowell-Jason Varitek back-to-back-to-back-to-back homeruns) and the crumbling of Joe Torre as a manager (pitching Friday's starter Andy Pettitte an inning in relief) and the first Fenway sweep of New York since 1990. Last night's game also marked Daisuke's first game against the Yankees. I thought he pitched well considering the pressure of the game, the power of that lineup and the fact that as Peter Gammons reported, Matsuzaka still has not found a routine on game days. The guy was throwing 5 hours before the game started last night -- not a good thing. The Sox need to get him comfortable... Some other Sox thoughts: 1. J.D. Drew has been amazing. Theo seems to be back to building dominant lineups. 2. Coco Crisp is regaining confidence. A very good thing. 3. Wily Mo Pena needs to be dealt to a team that can give the Sox something good in return and where he can play every day. Coming off the bench is terrible for him because he is a power guy, not a contact hitter -- he needs to be in the lineup every day to be effective and that opportunity isn't showing itself in Boston. 4. Hideki Okajima has balls. 5. That Dustin Pedroia catch was special. 6. Papelbon is now the dominant AL closer. Another advantage over the Yankees. 7. That sweep was not another April facade. The Sox are better than the Yankees this year. 8. I think Terry Francona will be with the Red Sox for many years to come. 9. Jon Lester is healthy and should be in the rotation by May. As for the other sports... I'm looking forward to the NBA Playoffs. The Western Conference will be a war while the East will be more entertaining than some predict. The Warriors stole Game One in Dallas behind a fantastic performance from Baron Davis after the Denver Nuggets did the same to the Spurs in San Antonio. Exciting games. My predictions will be posted shortly... My final NFL Mock Draft will be on either Friday or Saturday moring. I'm also planning on posting updates throughout Saturday's first round... Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. declared for the NBA Draft last week as did fellow Ohio State freshman Daequan Cook. Oden is obviously the top prospect in the draft and Conley showed flashes of brilliance at the point but Cook could be a mid-first round steal for a contender. he can shoot it and get to the rim... I'm telling you, the spirit of Red Auerbach will deliver the C's the top pick and Oden and the C's will raise banner No. 17 by 2010-2011... I am not a soccer guy but I saw this goal on ESPN Deportes while in Mexico, worth watching... Send a message to the team as well as the few loyal fans you have and waive Sebastian Telfair. Forget that we dealt the No. 7 pick -- ROY candidate Brandon Roy -- in the 2006 Draft (as well as Raef LaFrentz' terrible contract) to Portland for Telfair and Theo Ratliff's terrible contract, the gun-loving point guard needs to go... Rich Hill. 3-0. 0.41 ERA. 17 inning scoreless streak. Phenom. He goes Tuesday night against the Brewers (8:05 pm EST) and then again in the ESPN Sunday Night Game in St. Louis...

Daisuke And Some Random Thoughts

I was lucky enough to be at Daisuke Matsuzaka's Fenway debut last night. The atmosphere was great -- and the view from the EMC Club was amazing -- but the Red Sox fans that expected Matsuzaka to strike out every batter were left disappointed. The Dice Man certainly impressed me. He should be a great pitcher for the Red Sox for a very long time. But he proved last night that he is a mortal who has as much to learn about America, Boston and the American League as we have to learn about him. The biggest thing I noticed about him last night is that he lacked the ability to finish off batters. In many instances, he would get two strikes on the Mariners but then fail to put them away immediately. I remember Pedro being in situations like that and just erasing whoever was facing him. I would like to see Daisuke finish off opponents like that, if only to conserve pitches. Other than that, I have no problems with his performance last night. Allowing three earned runs in seven innings is a very good night and Seattle -- with Ichiro Suzuki, Adrian Beltre, Richie Sexson, Jose Guillen and Kenji Johjima -- has an above average lineup. Of course it didn't help his cause that "King" Felix Hernandez, Seattle's 21-year-old ace, nearly no-hit the Sox. Hernandez was dominant, tossing a complete game, one-hit shutout. Daisuke's next scheduled start is Monday against the Angels on Marathon Monday although weather will probably push him back at least two days. If Daisuke can, on average, allow just three runs over seven innings, the Sox will be very happy that they made the choice to invest so much in him... Harvard University hired former Michigan and Seton Hall coach and former Duke star Tommy Amaker to be its' basketball coach, replacing Frank Sullivan. Harvard has never competed seriously for the Ivy League championship with the likes of Penn and Princeton but hopefully Amaker can make the Crimson revelant among the smart kids... The NFL released the 2007 schedule yesterday. Taking a quick look at it, the Patriots will have another challenging year. They will have their normal home-and-away AFC East games with the Jets, Dolphins and Bills. Outside of the division, they will host San Diego, Cleveland, Washington, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and will travel to Cincinnati, Dallas, Indianapolis, Baltimore and New York (to play the Giants). It is a daunting schedule when viewed on April 12 but that comes with the territory of being a winning franchise in a league that does everything it can to promote parity. I'm especially looking forward to the Chargers game on September 16, the Ravens game on December 3 and the Colts game on November 4. The Patriots should compete with those three teams for supremacy in the AFC and playing them in the regular season will potentially provide fans with playoff previews... In other football news, after fifteen years in the NFL, 44,611 passing yards and 251 touchdowns, former Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe announced his retirement yesterday. Bledsoe was the overall No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft by the Pats in 1993 and was the cornerstone of the franchise until the 2001 season when he was replaced by Tom Brady after being seriously injured by Mo Lewis of the Jets. Bledsoe was bitter that he was replaced but Brady did go on to lead the Pats to a victory in the Super Bowl that season. People with short memories forget just how important Bledsoe was to the Patriots. The Pats were a joke in the NFL before they drafted him out of Washington State over Rick Mirer of Notre Dame -- a decision that probably kept the Patriots in Massachusetts. Then owner James Orthwein wanted to move the team to St. Louis but with the renewed interest in the Pats because of Bledsoe (as well as coach Bill Parcells), Orthwein sold them to Bob Kraft and the rest is history. Bledsoe was selected to four Pro Bowls and led the team to a berth in Super Bowl XXXI but he never joined the pantheon of Boston sport greats alongside the likes of Bill Russell, Ted Williams, Bobby Orr and Larry Bird. He was exposed by teams that could blitz up the middle and even before he was injured in the second game of the 2001 season, there were whispers about the possibility of Brady being the QB of the future. He was traded to Buffalo and then signed with Dallas as a free agent two years later (reuniting with Parcells) before being released by the Cowboys following the 2006 season. 2006 was another bitter year for Drew as he was replaced at quarterback by Tony Romo. Many Patriots fans, including myself, will miss Bledsoe. He was involved in every great pre-Super Bowl memory and without him, we probably wouldn't have a team anymore... Kevin Durant, the fabulous freshman forward for the University of Texas who was the consensus National Player of the Year, formally announced his entry for the NBA Draft on Monday. Durant, along with fellow freshman Greg Oden of Ohio State, is considered to be a potential "franchise" player in the NBA. The Celtics are hoping to land one of the the top two picks in the Draft to get the chance to select either Durant or Oden, who should declare himself sometime soon... Rich Hill was fantastic for the Cubs in his 2007 debut. He allowed just one run (on a solo homerun to Corey Hart) on one hit and struck out six Milwaukee Brewers in seven innings to get his first win. His second start was scheduled yesterday at Wrigley Field but was postponed because of rain and snow. He will now start Saturday against Bronson Arroyo and the Reds. Rich is following staff ace Carlos Zambrano, making him the No. 2 starter for the Cubs, a role that Peter Gammons reported that manager Lou Pineilla thought Rich would eventually fill...

NCAA Coaching Changes

The NCAA is very, very strict (or at least it tries to be) with its' athletes, especially college basketball players. The NCAA does not allow the players to receive any compensation for their play (even though the NCAA and the schools make billions of dollars from the networks that televise the games), they force the players to keep decent grades even though they travel all over the country during the week to play games and they also force players to sit out a year before transfering to another school. I am not going to argue the first two points. Although I feel like the players should receive some form of spending money (something like $200-$300 a month) and that they need to come up with a better way for the athletes to actually get educations (more emphasis on summer school for example), that is for another day. My biggest problem is the fact that in almost every case, if a player wants to leave one school for another, he must sit out a year before becoming eligible to play. I know the NCAA has their reasons for this but those reasons are not fair. It's hypocritical. I mean, they let the coaches go wherever they want with no restrictions -- why must the athletes suffer when the men who bring them to one college can leave for the next situation with no consequences. Some time this afternoon, the University of Kentucky will announce that former (as of this morning) Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie will be their new coach. Gillispie, who reached an agreement with A&M last week on a new contract, will not be sitting out the year before coaching any games at UK. Before going after Gillispie, Kentucky tried to seduce Billy Donovan, coach of the two-time defending National Champions at Florida and a former UK assistant coach under Rick Pitino, but he decided Florida was a better situation. Kentucky then turned its' attention to Rick Barnes of Texas but he said he was not interested. Yesterday, Bob Huggins left Kansas State, where he coached one year, for his alma mater, West Virginia. No matter that he had recruited in some of the best high school talent in the country to Manhattan, Kansas, Huggins left for what he thought was a better opportunity. Just like his predecessor at West Virginia, John Beilein, left for a better opportunity at Michigan earlier this week. One coach this week, Dana Altman, left Creighton for Arkansas, only to return to Creighton. Altman cited "family reasons" for his decision to return to mid-major power Creighton. I'm sure the fact that two Arkansas players tested positive for drugs and another is in academic trouble had nothing to do with his choice to accept and then turn down an SEC school with a National Championship (1994) on its' resume. Now don't get me wrong. These coaches have every right to move on to a better paying job that theoretically offers them a better chance of winning the top prize. Once upon a time before he turned down the "Roman Empire of College Basketball" (what Pitino called Kentucky), Donovan left Marshall University for Florida. It happens. The problem is that if a player wants to move on, he almost always has to miss a year of basketball to do so. Ron Lewis, the sharp shooting senior guard for Ohio State was once a player at Bowling Green University. He decided after his sophomore year that he could play at a higher level than Bowling Green and the Mid-American Conference could offer. He contacted the new coach at Ohio State, Thad Matta (who had just used a run to the Elite Eight as Xavier's coach to land the big money position at OSU), and asked if there were any spots. Matta gave Lewis a scholarship but before he sat out an entire season before suiting up for the Buckeyes. Matta, who had just bailed on Xavier, coached right from the first game. It's not right. Coaches don't want their players leaving early for the NBA but when they get a shot at the big money of a big time school, they very rarely say no. It is time for the NCAA to allow players to leave one college for another if that is what they want to do. Stop being hypocrites and even out the system.

Daisuke Debut

My predicted outcome for Daisuke Matsuzaka in his MLB debut was pretty close. I thought he would go 7 innings, allowing 2 earned runs on five hits with 8 strikeouts. His actual line was 7 IP, 1 ER, 6 hits, 10 K's. The one run he let up was a solo homerun to David DeJesus in the sixth. He mixed in a fastball, a changeup, a splitter, a curveball and a slider (well, that's what Jerry Remy said on NESN). If this is the pitcher we will be seeing on a regular basis than I think the Sox caught a bargain on the $103 million they spent to acquire him. I know it's only one game but he certainly lived up to his reputation this afternoon. Jonathan Papelbon struck out two in a perfect ninth to record his first save in the 4-1 Boston win.

Daisuke Mania Starts Today

Spring Training was crazy. Daisuke Matsuzaka and the mass of Japanese media that followed him made the normal lazy atmosphere of Ft. Myers and the Grapefruit League into a Godzilla-sized mess. Well, now the games count in the standings and every pitch that Matsuzaka releases will be watched and analyzed by Japanese and Bostonian writers, camera men, and fans with a sincere interest. Daisuke's first big league pitch will happen some time around 2:30 this afternoon in the remote American League outpost of Kansas City. The Royals are not the Yankees but it still makes for interesting baseball. The Red Sox have invested $103 million in the right arm of Matsuzaka and they are hoping for more than a victory over the Royals on the return but this first step is an important leap of faith for a franchise that talked about fiscal restraint before spending $51 million just for the right to negotiate with the former Seibu Lions ace. Expectations are high (AL Rookie of the Year, AL Cy Young, possibly even AL MVP in his first time through in America are expected by some) but they should be tempered until we get a true look at what Matsuzaka can do. Today is just the first taste for him -- he should be given the opportunity to become comfortable before his Hall-of-Fame plaque is made. My prediction for today? 7 innings, 5 hits, 2 earned runs and 8 strike outs. And as for his rookie year. I would be more than happy with 16 wins, 30 starts and an ERA under 4.00. Anything more would be a bonus.

NFL Mock Draft -- Part 3

One last mock draft. That is, one final mock before my official mock comes out right before the April 28-29 NFL Draft. 1. Oakland Raiders: JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU Calvin Johnson might be the best overall prospect in the Draft but the Raiders are desperate for a quarterback and adding Johnson to the duo of Randy Moss and Jerry Porter makes no sense without a quarterback. 2. Detroit Lions: Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin The Lions need a quarterback but the bad memories of Joey Harrington's failure in Detroit makes Matt Millen go for the highest rated offensive lineman in the Draft. 3. Cleveland Browns: Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame The Browns have not had a dependable signal caller since they returned to the NFL. Romeo Crennel will be comfortable placing his future as a head coach in the hands of Quinn, who was coached by his former colleague with the Patriots, Charlie Weis. 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech Tampa Bay doesn't necessarily need a top flight wide receiver but with so many quarterbacks on the roster, Gruden will give them as many weapons as possible to throw to. 5. Arizona Cardinals: Levi Brown, OT, Penn State The Cardinals are getting better but they need help on the line. They would love Joe Thomas but will be happy to settle for Brown. 6. Washington Redskins: Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson The Redskins only had 19 sacks as a team in 2006. Adams is capable of double digits in sacks on his own. 7. Minnesota Vikings: Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma The Vikings will gladly take a potential All-Pro running back. 8. Atlanta Falcons: Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville New coach Bobby Petrino has coached Okoye for four years and is well aware of the long term potential of the 19-year-old tackle. 9. Miami Dolphins: LaRon Landry, S, LSU The Dolphin secondary is getting older and Landry is a player capable of covering and tackling. 10. Houston Texans: Alan Branch, DT, Michigan A year after taking Mario Williams No. 1 overall to play defensive end, Houston grabs Branch to handle their interior defense. 11. San Francisco 49ers: Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas After spending so much money on cornerback Nate Clements in free agency, the 49ers add a pass rusher to further build their defense. 12. Buffalo Bills: Leon Hall, CB, Michigan The Bills lost Clements to the 49ers so they need to replace him in their secondary. 13. St. Louis Rams: Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn State The Rams need help at linebacker and Posluszny can play inside or outside. 14. Carolina Panthers: Patrick Willis, LB, Ole Miss With Dan Morgan's long term health a huge question mark, Willis can step in and play right away. 15. Pittsburgh Steelers: Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska The Steelers are moving from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense under new coach Mike Tomlin and Carriker is an end who can play the run and get after the passer. 16. Green Bay Packers: Marshawn Lynch, RB, California Lynch is a great fit for the Packers and Brett Favre. 17. Jacksonville Jaguars: Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Ohio State Byron Leftwich and David Garrard will both be happy to see the Jags acquire the explosive Ginn. The question is, who will be throwing to him? 18. Cincinnati Bengals: Jarvis Moss, DE/OLB, Florida Moss is a multi-dimensional player who can get after the passer. 19. Tennessee Titans: Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC Everyone believes the Titans will take a wide receiver to complement Vince Young. I say they take Jarrett because of his history of success in offensive coordinator Norm Chow's system. 20. New York Giants: Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida State The Giants were using street free agents at linebacker by November so they certainly need an upgrade. 21. Denver Broncos: Greg Olsen, TE, Miami, FL Olsen has been a star during workouts. They have their future invested in Jay Cutler and a weapon like Olsen will help his development. 22. Dallas Cowboys: Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee Terrell Owens is always one mistake away from free agency and Terry Glenn isn't getting younger. 23. Kansas City Chiefs: Aaron Ross, CB/S, Texas Ross adds depth to the Chiefs secondary and will be groomed to replace Ty Law in the immediate future. 24. New England Patriots: Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh Now that Asante Samuel is talking about demanding a trade unless the Pats give him the contract he wants, corner is now a priority for New England. 25. New York Jets: Jon Beason, LB, Miami, FL Beason is another important piece as Eric Mangini continues to remake the Jets. 26. Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Griffin, S, Texas The Eagles have to replace departed safety Michael Lewis and the versatile, hard hitting Griffin will fit in with Philly. 27. New Orleans Saints: Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU The Saints released Joe Horn and need depth at wide receiver. Being a product of LSU is a bonus as the city of New Orleans continues to rebuild. 28. New England Patriots: Reggie Nelson, S, Florida Rodney Harrison is nearing the end and Eugene Wilson can't seem to stay healthy. Nelson will help take away the middle of the field. 29. Baltimore Ravens: Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas The Baltimore defense puts a lot of pressure on opponents through the blitz and therefore, they need good cover corners. 30. San Diego Chargers: Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Ohio State The Chargers need to get younger at wide receiver. 31. Chicago Bears: Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee The Bears need help everywhere after the losses they have suffered after losing in the Super Bowl. They could move up with a trade of disgruntled LB Lance Briggs but if they stay at 31, Harrell would be a good choice to add to their interior defensive line. 32. Indinapolis Colts: Anthony Spencer, DE, Purdue Strapped for cash and losing impact players, the defending champs look to upgrade their defensive front.

2007 Red Sox Preview

Here is my original TheBostonInsider Daily Red Sox preview. For my outlook on the 2007 MLB season, click over to my homepage. Odds and Ends: Theo Epstein is showing a lot of faith in Bill James by investing $70 million over 5 years in J.D. Drew. Drew is an on-base machine but he needs to play in at least 145 games each year to earn that salary ... Curt Schilling looked too old to be the Red Sox ace on Opening Day. As Tony Massarotti pointed out in today's Boston Herald, Josh Beckett must step up and assume the mantle of staff ace ... Other than the versatility of Alex Cora and the power of Wily Mo Pena, the bench is awful. Eric Hinske has a decent bat and plays both the corner infield and outfield positions and Doug Mirabelli survives because of Tim Wakefield but there is no defensive replacement for the outfield or a guy who can steal a base when needed ... I'm glad Papelbon is closing again and I think that allows Brendan Donnelly, Mike Timlin and the rest of the bullpen to settle into their setup roles ... As soon as Jon Lester is ready to go, a spot in the rotation has to open up ... I wonder what the Sox could bring back if they made Craig Hansen available? ... Lineup: The Red Sox lineup is no longer the powerhouse of 2003 and 2004 when AL batting champion Bill Mueller regularly batted eighth and they flirted with scoring 1000 runs. If Drew is healthy, he will flourish hitting behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Expecting Ortiz, Ramirez and Drew to hit isn't my concern. I'm worried about Julio Lugo being a consistent leadoff hitter. I'm worried about Kevin Youkilis hitting into double plays because of his lack of speed. I'm worried that Jason Varitek and Mike Lowell will be automatic outs. I'm worried that Coco Crisp won't rebound from last year's injury plagued performance. I'm worried about Dustin Pedroia's lack of experience. That is too many worries for a $150 million dollar team. The duo of Ortiz and Ramirez, with the healthy addition of Drew, should be enough on most nights to carry the Red Sox but teams with great pitching who can work around the 3-4-5 of the Boston order will silence the other hitters. Pitching Staff: There are questions about the Red Sox pitching -- for example, is Opening Day a true indicator of what to expect from Curt Schilling this summer? -- but I feel more confident in the arms than in the bats. Schilling's stinker aside, the starting rotation of the Sx has the ability to be one of the best in baseball. No. 38 is joined by Josh Beckett (will bounce back in a big way from his mediocre 2006), Daisuke Matsuzaka (he will take the American League by storm) and Tim Wakefield (still gets hitters out). When Papelbon was moved from starter back to closer late in Spring Training, Julian Tavarez was made a starter. Tavarez was solid in that role last September but the job may not be a permanent one. When Lester is ready to return he will most likely get the No. 5 starter job and both righty Devern Hansack and lefty Kason Gabbard are waiting in the wings at Pawtucket. Keep an eye on Class-AA Portland's Clay Buchholz, a potential top of the rotation starter in the near future. Oh, don't discount Roger Clemens returning to Boston either. The Rocket has not even made a public announcement that he will pitch in 2007 but if he does, the Sox will contend for his services along with the Astros and Yankees. As for the bullpen, Papelbon's return to closer makes life a lot less stressful for Tito Francona. Paps is an All-Star and the game is as good as over when he comes in from the 'pen. The Sox will monitor his shoulder and he will not get over used so the setup crew of Mike Timlin (when he returns from an oblique injury), Brendan Donnelly, Hideki Okajima, Joel Pineiro and J.C. Romero all may be called upon to close out Boston wins. Kyle Snyder is the long reliever/spot starter, a role he seems to be well suited for, and until Timlin comes back, lefty Javier Lopez is in the bullpen giving Francona three left handed options for the time being. Tavarez will be an option out of the bullpen as well if/when he is replaced in the rotation. The minor leagues provide the bullpen with some options as well. Craig Hansen, Manny Delcarmen and Edgar Martinez are at Pawtucket and Bryce Cox is at Portland. Bench: The bench is a weakness for the Sox right now. Alex Cora is a solid middle infielder who can be effective at the plate in small doses. He is a smart player (Francona believes he is a future big league manager) and will help this team win games. Wily Mo Pena is a physical specimen and is one of the strongest men in baseball but he offers little off the bench. In spite of his athleticism, he is not a good defensive outfielder and is not a great base runner. At the plate, he strikes out too much to be an effective pinch hitter. What the Sox need to do is find a trade partner that can play Wily Mo every day. The trade last spring with Cincinnati that cost the Sox All-Star starter Bronson Arroyo isn't looking too good for Epstein. Eric Hinske, the 2002 AL Rookie of the Year with the Blue Jays, has never developed into a consistent threat. He does add a decent left handed bat off the bench and he can play both third base and first base, as well as both right and left field, but he is not a great defender. Doug Mirabelli has a spot on the roster solely based on the fact that he can catch Wakefield's knuckler. To bring him back from San Diego last May (after the Sox traded him for Mark Loretta), the Sox dealt away Josh Bard who went on to post a .338 average with 9 HR and 40 RBI and a .943 OPS with the Padres in 93 games. Mirabelli "produced" a .193 BA, 6 HR, 25 RBI and a .603 OPS in 59 games. George Kottaras, acquired from San Diego for David Wells, is in Pawtucket and hopefully he learns how to catch the knuckler well enough to replace Mirabelli. His 2006 stats in the minor leagues were a .255 BA, 10 HR, 50 RBI, and an OPS of .784. What the bench needs is a good defensive outfielder and a player who can come off the bench and steal a base when necessary. David Murphy at Pawtucket could be the defensive fourth outfielder. Overall: The Red Sox should win at least 90 games in their sleep. They have enough pitching and hitting to contend even without fixing the problems they have right now. I still have faith in Theo (although it is wearing thin) to correct the problems and transform this club into a 95-100 game winner and a World Series champion. I think they will win the AL East for the first time since 1995 and win their second World Series since 2004.

Random Thoughts

Congratulations to Florida for winning their second straight National Championship last night with an 84-75 triumph over Ohio State. The Gators join Oklahoma A&M (1945-46), Kentucky (1948-49), San Francisco (1955-56), Cincinnati (1961-62), UCLA (1964-65, 1967-73) and Duke (1991-1992) as repeat National Champions. I thought it was a good game but in no way was it a classic championship game. Ohio State's Greg Oden (25 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks) certainly did his part but the OSU shooters were horrible and Oden alone wasn't enough to derail Florida... Oden should be on his way to the NBA with no doubts. He may love college and it is great for college hoops to have him at Ohio State but with the millions of dollars facing this young man in the immediate future, he would be crazy to stay. The same goes for Kevin Durant of Texas and Brandon Wright of North Carolina... I made a huge mistake in my last NFL Mock Draft. I inadvertantly left out Louisville defensive tackle Amobi Okoye. I was moving around some names and I forgot to put him back. That mistake will be corrected with my next Mock, sometime later this week... My Red Sox preview is still a few days away but tomorrow night will mark the beginning of a tremendous campaign for Josh Beckett... Al Jefferson reportedly hurt his knee in practice today and will sit out tomorrow night's game in Milwaukee. Why not sit him the rest of the way? Big Al has proven he is a star in the making this year so there is no reason to keep him in to possibly further injure the knee in the few meaningless games on the schedule...

Championship Monday

Before I get to the game, I want to make a quick observation on the Red Sox. It's not the end of the world because they lost today or because Schilling crapped out on Opening Day. The Sox are going to be a great team and Schill will pitch them to many wins this summer. Of course, make sure to listen to tomorrow's Big Show for the "Whiner Line." That will be priceless. Now, as for tonight. Florida. Big. Ohio State is a very good team but Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer didn't pass up millions of NBA dollars to lose this game. They won't be like Arkansas in 1995, losing to UCLA the year after winning the whole thing. The Gators are going to romp tonight, Billy Donovan (TheBostonInsider's favorite coach) will stay in Gainesville, and Florida will send both Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. (sorry Buckeye fans) to the pros with a loss. Lee Humphrey will win the Most Outstanding Player on a night that will go down in history. Florida will join Duke (1991-1992) as the only repeat National Champions since the UCLA dynasty of the 60s and 70s. (As for Kentucky's next coach -- I just can't see Donovan leaving (even though I did a week ago). I still think John Calipari of Memphis will be in the mix and a surprise name or two (Gary Williams fo Maryland is a long shot name I just came up with) could enter the picture if the Kentucky people don't like what is in front of them. This is a MAJOR choice for the Wildcats and they will exhaust EVERY option in the search for the coach who they will DEMAND to take them back to heights that Pitino brought them to.) Florida - 81 Ohio State - 68