here goes nothing

sorry for the lack of posting on my part.  i've been crazy busy.  i'm working 32 hours a week and going to school full-time, so i've been pretty beat.  (in fact, i'll probably be going to bed as soon as i get done with this post).  i've just been crazy exhausted lately.

i know for a fact i'll have other exciting adventures to share with you all.  just not tonight.

i did want to share my draft predictions with the world.  i'm sure i'll be epically wrong, but i always love trying to guess the first round draft.  (my buddies and i are all betting a 6-pack...whoever is the closes gets all of it).

here goes nothing.  i'll add my commentary where appropriate.

1 CAR cam newton, qb auburn
2 DEN marcell dareus, dt alabama
3 BUF blaine gabbert, qb mizzou 
4 CIN aj green, wr georgia
5 ARI von miller, olb tamu
6 CLE julio jones, wr alabama
7*** HOU patrick peterson, cb lsu
8 TEN nick fairley, dt auburn
9 DAL tyron smith, ot usc
10 WASH robert quinn, de unc
11*** SF prince amukamara, cb nebraska
12 MINN cameron jordan, de cal
13 DET aldon smith, de mizzou
14 STL corey liuget, dt illinois
15 MIA mike pouncey, og florida
16 JAC ryan kerrigan, de purdue
17 NE jj watt, de wisconsin
18 SD muhammad wilkerson, dt temple
19 NYG anthony castonzo, ol bc
20 TB da'quan bowers, de clemson
21 KC gabe carimi, ot wisconsin
22 IND nate solder, ot colorado
23 PHI jimmy smith, cb colorado
24 NO adrian clayborn, de iowa
25 SEA jake locker, qb washington
26 BAL brooks reed, olb arizona
27 ATL jabaal sheard, de pitt
28*** TEN christian ponder, qb fsu
29 CHI derek sherrod, ot miss st
30*** ARI andy dalton, qb tcu
31 PIT brandon harris, cb miami
32*** NE mark ingram, rb alabama

asterisks:

***7:  i think houston trades up and gives san francisco their #11 (plus either a 2nd or 3rd) for the rights to peterson.  houston had peterson really high on their radar.

***11: san farncisco, who inherits houston's #11 pick, gladly sits back as amukamara falls into their lap.

once seattle pulls the trigger on locker (so many mock drats have them avoiding a QB...i just don't see it...there are far too many story lines: the washington connection, the need for a QB, carroll's experience against locker in the PAC-10...it just adds up) there will be a frenzy of teams making trades in the late 1st round.  for many teams, taking locker/ponder/dalton/mallet/kaepernick anywhere prior to #25 is a reach and not worth the money.  they are all early 2nd rounders at best, but with one going off the board at 25, they will all hit a frenzy to try and grab a QB before the others.  this results in:

***28: tennessee probably legitimately considered taking locker at #8...but realized he just wasn't worth that much of a reach.  new england is a willing trading partner (and gets EVEN MORE draft picks).

***30: arizona was hoping for gabbert to fall to #5.  by the time #30 rolls around, they will trade with the jets (rex ryan will only make this trade because he wants to be like belichick).

***32: new england will trade the pick they got in the tennessee trade plus their 2nd round pick to green bay to get ingram.  they have him high on their board.  this was a hard pick for me because i know that green bay really likes ingram as well.  ultimately, i think green bay thinks more about their future and takes 2 picks.  (my guess: cameron heyward and aaron williams....what an investment for green bay!)

quick prediction about the 1st pick of the 2nd round: carolina will trade down with either cleveland or cincinatti...whichever team makes a better offer.  the #33 overall player will most likely be ryan mallett.  i don't see the other team taking kaepernick that early in the 2nd...and i think the vikes will try to get him (which i don't really like at all).  oh well, it's a wilf-type move: make the fans think you're caring about the future.

i can't wait to see just how wrong i am.