Report Card Time.

The fall of Aaron Rodgers

Dumbest reason behind Aaron Rodgers' slip: Jeff Tedford QBs stink at the pro level. Never mind that Trent Dilfer has a Super Bowl ring, David Carr has no offensive line, Kyle Boller has no one to throw to and Akili Smith and Joey Harrington were also coached by the overrated Mike Belloti.

So are we to now downgrade Jordan Palmer in next years' draft because Mike Price coached Ryan Leaf?

Let's get real people.

Also, the comparisons between Cedric Benson and Ricky Williams were ludicrous. Cedric, as far as anyone knows, isn't baked all the time like Ricky and didn't need to shave his dreads to prove it.

Draft Grades

Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have made a habit of bad drafts under Jerry Jones' General Managership, (which began in 1994) and the list of "never will bes" that this franchise drafted after the firing of Jimmy Johnson included busts like Shonte Carver, David LaFleur, and Ebenezer Ekuban. So when Jerry is around on draft day, Cowboys fans get a little nervous.

The last few years have been different. Since the addition of Bill Parcells, the Cowboys have had decent drafts, getting key contributors like Terrence Newman and Julius Jones

This year? The Cowboys got 3 potential starters in Marcus Spears, Demarcus Ware, and Kevin Burnett, 2 others that may get a chance to see the field because the depth is lacking at their position (Chris Canty and Justin Beriault), and a running back, Marion Barber III, who is a serious upgrade at backup tailback, which means Cowboys' fans won't have to sweat if Julius Jones goes down.

I felt like they could have addressed the free safety thing earlier, but other than that, the draft was great. Combine that with decent free agent signings like Marco Rivera, Jason Ferguson, and Anthony Henry and it's been a nice offseason for the Cowboys. Cowboys fans haven't been able to say that in too many offseasons. Grade: A-

The rest of the NFC East

Philadelphia: Let's face it folks, with the exception of the one year they took Fred-Ex #1, the Eagles have figured out the Draft. And they may have found Fred-Ex's replacement in Reggie Brown. Grade: A
Washington: They got 2 good players with their 2 first rounders, but they didn't have a pick in the 2nd or 3rd rounds where good players were still available. Grade: C
New York Giants: How do you only have 4 total picks in a draft this loaded? Grade: D-

The rest of the NFC

Arizona: Helped their grade by taking J.J. Arrington rather than trading for one of the backs on the trading block and drafting 2 guys in the 3rd round that had 2nd round talent. No, the "A" grade is not a misprint this year. Grade: A
Tampa Bay: The Bucs made a lot of good picks in the 3 rounds after they Cadillac Williams, and this draft may pay off down the road. Grade: A-
Minnesota: I'm not entirely sold on Troy Williamson because his collegiate stats weren't impressive, but Erasmus James and Marcus Johnson will contribute. Lose points though, for drafting a running back when they already have 3 and can't decide which one is their starter. Grade: B
Carolina: Four nice picks in the first 3 rounds, starting with safety Thomas Davis. Grade: B
Seattle: Chris Spencer's a versatile guard. Lofa Tatupu may be a reach but he makes plays, and David Greene could be groomed to start one day Grade: B
New Orleans: Jammal Brown is an excellent pickup and Josh Bullocks will make a good free safety, so long as Jim Haslett tells him to play centerfield and doesn't ask him to make too many tackles. They picked Adrian McPherson in the 5th, which should make Aaron Brooks look over his shoulder. Grade: B
Detroit: Mike Williams may knock Charles Rogers out of the starting role. Unfortunately, Shaun Cody will have to bulk up and won't be playing right away, and who the heck is Stanley Wilson, anyway? Grade: C
Atlanta: Mike "Ron Mexico" Vick needs targets, but the Falcons didn't need to reach for Roddy White. Grade: C
Chicago: Cedric Benson gives them a decent runner, and 4th round pick Kyle Orton just might unseat Rex Grossman, who's now an injury risk. Other than that, not much help. Grade: C

San Fransisco: They got Alex Smith, and 2 offensive linemen who could help. Unfortunately, they also took a flyer on Frank Gore, who can't stay on the field. Grade: C
St. Louis: Alex Barron may be a nice fit, given that they need a right tackle, after that, everyone they picked is a question mark. Grade: D
Green Bay: The Packers must be drafting for '06 because they took a lot of projects. And how a team loses two guards in free agency and then fails to draft a guard in their first 3 picks is a mystery to me. Grade: F