I’ve written my first article for the up and coming NFL website thehuddlenetwork.com (right now it’s seahawkshuddle.com, but they’re expanding by the start of the regular season to provide coverage for every team in the league).

I’m their one and only Saints writer (for now), and my article about the NFL draft went up this past Friday. ‘Course, since the draft was this weekend it’s not particularly timely anymore, but it’s there for the reading anyhow.

You can read it here.

I’ll update you guys here whenever a new article goes up. I’m not sure just yet what my schedule will be, but I’ll keep everyone posted. Er, so to speak.

It can’t be that difficult to call a football game or a highlight without being a jackass.  In fact, here are my 4 steps to not sucking (pay attention, Bradshaw):

1) Play to your strengths.  If you’re an ex-player or coach, then your strength is inside information and educated analysis.  You’re not a freaking comedian, no matter what that pack of yes-men at the network tell you about the sitcom where you play the quirky father that’s in development.  It ain’t happening.  Tell me something I don’t know, and be brief.

2) Be a team player.  In other words, let the other guys play to their strengths.  If you’re the play-by-play guy, kick it to the color guy when it’s time and be ready to get it back.  Color guy, don’t talk over the em effing play!

3) Don’t be a jackass.  I call this the Bradshaw rule.  I’m not using ‘jackass’ metaphorically, either.  The man literally gets on TV and brays.  Or at least that’s how it sounds to me.  Bradshaw spent two series of the LSU/Notre Dame game talking loudly about how he couldn’t get the telestrator to work.  This, after mispronounciating JaMarcus Russel’s name for the first series (as DaMarcus).

4) Don’t be a homer.  And I don’t mean Simpson.  If I heard one more ‘expert’ talk about the matchup between Bill Belichick and Philip Rivers this week I might have thrown myself from a high window to end my misery.  Stop auditioning to be the fluffer for the Pats.  Belichick’s not a genius; he’s a damn football coach.  And he doesn’t play defense.

Also, I don’t give a shit what the sideline reporter looks like.  Hire someone who knows something about the sport they’re covering, even if they look like a Picasso, aight?

p.s. Dear Stuart Scott, you’re not nearly as funny as you think you are.  You haven’t come up with a clever catchphrase since “cool as the other side of the pillow”, and your lazy eye freaks me out.  Never say ‘BANANAS’ on the air again.  The players are not your friends — they’re nice to you because you cover them.  Shaq ain’t having you over for a bbq because you said his album was ‘ill’.

As many of you may have been aware of, the 2006 NFL Draft was a few weeks ago.  My predictions (and most everyone else’s) were wrong more than right, but that’s not what this is about.  This is my rundown on the Saint’s draft class.

1st round pick - Reggie Bush (RB, USC)
2nd round pick - Roman Harper (S, Alabama)
3rd round pick - None
4th round pick - Jahri Evans (T, Bloomsburg College)
5th round pick - Rob Ninkovich (DE, Purdue)
6th round pick - Mike Hass (WR, Oregon St.), Josh Lay (CB, Pitt)
7th round pick - Zack Strief (T, Northwestern), Marques Colston (WR, Hofstra)

Reggie Bush is a no-brainer.  He’s a homerun, chosen by 3/4s of the GMs as the best player available.  No qualms, no second guessing, no pooh-poohing here.  We got the guy that everyone wanted, and that’s all there is too it.  Even if he’s a bust, there’s no second guessing this pick.

Roman Harper is a Free Safety from Alabama with average physical tools and tackling skills.  However, he’s a smart player who’s best in zone coverage.  He’s a team captain and a coach’s son.  A character guy.  I would’ve made a different choice here, but I defer to the experts.  This kid has a shot to be very good.

Jahri Evans is a small school tackle, and with that comes what you would expect.  He’s very athletic and powerful, with quick feet, but poor technique.  He’s unrefined, and in the 4th round guys like this are who you take.  He’s also a character guy.

Rob Ninkovich was a JC transfer to Purdue who was recruited at TE but wanted to play defense.  He has a high motor, is athletic, and plays with a lot of intensity.  I actually think, out of the 2nd day picks, he has the best chance at making it in the league.

Josh Lay, CB from Pitt, is a guy who was a two year starter and has good size and speed.  But if you had to describe him in one word, that word would be ‘raw’.  This is a guy that the Saint’s can develop for the future.  If he works hard, pays attention, and stays healthy he has the ability to be a quality starter in the NFL some day.

Mike Hass is a kid that walked on to Oregon State, and by the end of his career caught 220 balls (in only 3 years as a starter).  He won the Biletnikov last year.  He runs good routes, catches everything, and likes to block.  Think Ricky Proehl; a solid slot receiver who moves the chains.  This guy will come to work.  After the pick, Reggie Bush was walking down the hall in the Saints complex and grabbed one of the scouts just to tell him that picking Hass was a heckuva pick.

I honestly don’t know anything about the 7th round guys, so I’m gonna pass on them.

Overall, some of the traits that jump out at you from the guys we drafted are character, toughness, work ethic, production.  I love that.  This is exactly how you build a great team, with great guys.  Sean Payton brings discipline and accountability to the table, and he’s getting rid of guys who aren’t on board with that while bringing in guys who take pride in doing a good job.

My main problem with this draft is that, taken in tandem with the Saints’ free agency moves and last year’s draft, we’re not doing enough to upgrade our linebacking corps.  This is, hands down, the weakest position group on our team and the only thing that’s been done to address it is drafting Alfred Fincher in the 3rd round last year (who, by the way, got a holding or facemask penalty on nearly every play on the field last year), and signing Scott Fujita to a free agent deal this year.  Can Fujita still play?  Let’s hope so.  He had a great season two years ago with the Chiefs, not so much last year though.  We signed a few undrafted free agent linebackers, but let’s be grownups here — those guys don’t usually ever see the field.  Our linebacking corps is composed of underachievers, walking injuries, and also-rans.  This should come as no surprise to anyone.

So while we ignore the position where we really need help, we’re picking up safeties like you win a prize for having the most on your roster.  Last year, we sign Dwight Smith in free agency then draft Josh Bullocks in the 2nd round.  We already had Bellamy.  This year, we trade for Bryan Scott, who started for the Falcons the last few seasons and who they couldn’t wait to unload.  Then we sign Omar Stoutmire in free agency.  Then we draft Roman Harper.  Last I checked, you can only play two safeties at once, right?  We acquired 5 in the last two years.  And 2 of those 5 came with high draft picks.  Nothing against those players, because I think they’re all pretty good players.  Bullocks and Smith, especially, are top notch.

But please tell me that a few of those guys are bulking up as we speak, trying to move to LB.