A Grip on Sports: The NFL Draft is reliable in one way as every team is always happy with their selections
A GRIP ON SPORTS • No need to worry. The Seahawks filled every need they had over the weekend. Seven rounds of the draft and now they are ready to win the Super Bowl. Problem is, so are 31 other teams.
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• OK, make that 30. The Cleveland Browns are never ready to win a Super Bowl, even after their best draft ever. After filling every need. After … ah heck, you know the drill.
If there is one certainty in life as dependable as death and taxes, it’s that every NFL team will be happy as an oyster on the Sunday after the draft ends. This certainty may have even passed taxes this year, what with the pandemic forcing the IRS to push back the deadline a couple months.
Nothing so trivial could derail the NFL. The draft went off on schedule, albeit in a totally different way. Nothing wrong with that. Zoom just added a “we’re-so-happy-with-our-picks” button to its software and each coach and general manager was ready for the post-draft media frenzy.
The software developers also added two options to their home version, to be used by the players. One thanked everyone in the (insert team name here) organization for fulfilling their lifelong dream; the other was a chip-on-the-shoulder version for the non-drafted.
See, all bases covered.
• More than 250 college football players were picked over the past three days, most of them from the high-profile schools. Not on the West Coast, however.
After all, the two schools with the highest profile in states bordering the Pacific Ocean may just be USC and Washington. Between them, the two schools had four players taken. Yep. Two apiece. That’s not usual.
The Trojans haven’t had that few picked since 2002. Washington also had only two selected in 2016, but usually the Huskies do better.
It could be worse, though. It certainly was in Tucson. Arizona was the only Pac-12 team without a player drafted, a result that could hurt recruiting over the next few years.
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WSU: Dezmon Patmon has the size to be an NFL receiver. Now he has the chance. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Cougar was picked in the sixth round yesterday, the only Washington State player taken over the three days. Theo Lawson has this story on his selection – and the horseplay that happened after. … Theo also has a story on the Cougars who signed free agent deals with teams, including quarterback Anthony Gordon, who will be in the Seahawks’ camp. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12, Utah led the way with seven players drafted over the three days. The Utes’ championship failure must seem a bit more deflating in Salt Lake City today. … There are stories about players drafted throughout the conference, from Washington to UCLA, from USC to Oregon. Oregon State had three players taken, Colorado a second on Saturday. Stanford had another tight end picked – he’s headed to Seattle – and Arizona State’s Eno Benjamin got to stay home. … Speaking of ASU, the Sun Devils are not letting the pandemic derail their construction plans.
Gonzaga: Joel Ayayi announced on Twitter yesterday he was joining Corey Kispert in making himself eligible for the NBA. He joined Kispert in another way, however, emphasizing his top option is to return to GU in the fall. Jim Meehan has more in this story. … If Ayayi or Kispert leave, there may be a grad transfer available to fill the gap. Jim has that story as well. … Around the WCC, grad transfer Matt Haarms fills a BYU need.
Idaho: The next few months are going to be stressful for every college athletic program. Peter Harriman looks at the stresses being put on Idaho’s department by the coronavirus outbreak. … Former Idaho quarterback Jake Luton, who finished up at Oregon State, was drafted by Jacksonville. The Jaguars will have two quarterbacks with Palouse connections on their roster.
Preps: When Evan Weaver was helping Gonzaga Prep win a state football title, some around the Bullpups posited his future might include an NFL career. That vision took another step toward becoming a reality yesterday, what with Weaver’s selection in the sixth round by the Arizona Cardinals. Ryan Collingwood has more in this story. … The 59th annual North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame awards were announced yesterday, even though the usual banquet had to be scrapped. Dave Nichols has all the award winners. Included in the list is Post Falls’ Colby Gennett, who I had the honor of coaching on a couple basketball teams prior to high school.
Indians: Among the many question marks that will come out of this pandemic, the future of minor league baseball is among the most fluid. Dave Nichols delves into how the inevitable overhaul will impact Spokane. And it will.
Seahawks: If there were an overall theme to the Hawks’ draft, it would have to be speed and athleticism. And experience. … Russell Wilson served as the team’s welcome wagon, handing out virtual cookies to the draft picks. … One of the late-round picks has an interesting story that includes a period of homelessness. … Even with all the selections, the Hawks are still open to a Jadeveon Clowney return.
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• We kept it short this morning for a couple reasons. The first one was I overslept. Stayed up way too late last night binge-watching TV. Not going to tell you what show, because you might judge my affinity for True Detective’s second season. … Oops. The other reason? There isn’t one. Can’t even blame the cat. She tried to get me out of bed at 4:30. And 5. And 5:30. And 6. I swear sometimes my mother was reincarnated in the darn thing. Until later …