Draft Extravaganza!

As if just following a regular draft wasn't complicated enough, this lockout has really left a mess... and Judge Nelson isn't helping.

Judge Nelson has made it clear that she is on the player's side when it comes to the disputes between the NFL owners and the Player's Association.  But I wonder just how much Judge Nelson understands the ramifications of her recent actions: to deny the league's request to put the ruling on hold.  Let me explain in case you are a little lost already.

A few days ago judge Nelson issued a ruling in which she ended the lockout, and of course, the owners asked her for a stay on that ruling until they are able to go into the appeals process.  The answer from Judge Nelson:  the Lockout is over, end of story!

So just 24 hours before a group of young and promising athlete's who thought they knew where they might end up on draft day, everything could go up in smoke?!  Maybe....

Some pundits say that the NFL won't engage in any negotiations that involve free agents... good thing I'm not one of them.  I'm just putting out a sort of "what-if" scenario. 

If, in the next few hours, the free agency opened, that would change the outlook of the draft completely.  The scenario I presented in my previous blog would play out... Carolina would go after a veteran quarter back, and Cam Newton would see his stock in the draft fall.  Again, I doubt he would even go in the first round.  Without free agency, Carolina needs Cam because he is a polarizing figure who will (hopefully) bring some spark to the Panthers game and fill those seats.  But he's also a run-first quarterback (he takes a snap and, instead of throwing, runs with it himself) and with a shaky offensive line (the ones who are supposed to protect the QB) that puts him at high risk for an injury.  If the free agency market were indeed open, Carolina could pick up someone like Kevin Kolb or Donovan McNabb and then use their draft picks to fix the other problems they have which exist at almost every position. 

Or not....

That's what makes this draft so exciting... none of what I just spent the last 10 minutes writing about may happen at all... the free agency may well remain closed (although owners and being forced to open their facilities to the players and allow them to work out) and Cam will get his moment of glory with that number one pick.

Welcome to NFL draft day...