Final Draft Tally

The final draft tally for Georgia Bulldogs is six, a great number on the year. Here you go:

Matthew Stafford went first overall to the Detroit Lions
Knowshon Moreno went 12th overall to the Denver Broncos
Mohammed Massaquoi went 50th overall to the Cleveland Browns
Asher Allen went 86th overall to the Minnesota Vikings
Corvey Irvin went 93rd overall to my Carolina Panthers
Jarius Wynn went 182nd overall to the Green Bay Packers

Not a bad draft at all, boys. Even more promising is the fact that Geno Atkins was NOT in that draft, which if you weren't paying attention means that Geno's coming back next year! I know we all already knew that, but I'm still excited about the return of The Beast!

Anyone else a little offended that Dannell Ellerbe wasn't taken? Or that the entire NFL passed on Brannan Southerland? My Panthers took Tony Fiamatta (?) out of Syracuse when they drafted a fullback, but they passed on The Big Sledgehammer even though they have a history of drafting Bulldogs (Thomas Davis, Will Witherspoon, Charles Johnson, etc), yet they take some punk from a terrible Big East school? Anyone have an answer for me on that?

You know guys, when I saw the number of UGA players drafted this year (and could have been more like dapolla said) it started me thinking about how many Dawgs have been drafted in the last 8 years. dapolla probably has the number and it IS a big number. Then the phrase \"Catch 22\" crossed my mind.....here's why.

With all the players we have put in the NFL, it starts me wondering just how good our coaching staff really is. On the other hand, CMR and his staff DID recruit all these guys and got them to sign with UGA, hence the \"Catch 22\".

I'm not trying to put out a negative spin on things but it DOES make you think!! MANY great players have been in Athens and I mean a BUNCH but we can't seem to put it all together to win a NC. Is our coaching staff average from the coaching standpoint? Believe we have had as good of players as Pete Carroll, UM, Stoops or Mack Brown. Obviously our players are very good or they wouldn't be playing at the next level. dapolla probably can tell us UGA's rank in players in the NFL and would believe it's top 5.

Catch 22..........what do ya'll think?

It's more of a non sequitur than catch-22. We've had great players and great coaching, but that doesn't necessarily equate to a NC. The whole team has to be great, or good at least, to do well. How many years have we done well on one side of the ball and fell short on the other? Or, how many times have our great players become lackadaisical? It happens. There's a whole lot of things that have to fall in place for a NC to happen. It will, but it will take the entire team being on the same page for it to happen. I imagine that it sucks for a player off the radar to hear about how great so and so is, and then have to perform to make that player look good. I think that once we get all players believing in themselves, then great things happen. This season could be that because we really don't have any superstars. We have a cadre of really good players and if they believe that they (plural) are greater than the singular stars, anything is possible. It's about synergy, and you can't have synergy when one or two players are seen as greater than the sum of the rest.

Very good point LimeyDawg.....but SIX players with 3 others that could have gone to the NFL as well? That's pretty strong when you think that Miami, FSU and UF combined didn't have as many players drafted. I believe we've definitely had the talent in the last 8 years to have won a NC.

Your point is well taken!

More information:

Brannan Southerland signed a free agent contract with the New York Jets.
Dannell Ellerbe signed a free agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens.
Demiko Goodman signed a free agent contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Kenneth Harris signed a free agent contract with the New Orleans Saints.

NFL teams are idiotic. These four guys were fantastic during their careers. Kenneth Harris is one of those utility receivers you can always count on for short yardage, a true possession receiver. Demiko Goodman...hell, even WE didn't use him properly. And you all know how I feel about Dannell Ellerbe and the Big Sledgehammer.

I'm glad they have contracts. I'm sad that they weren't drafted. They're all DGDs, and they deserve the best. GO DAWGS!!!

Southerland has the guts and heart to help somebody.
Thanks, Brannan.