NFL GAMBLING
NFL GAMBLING
- by John Harris
The 2006 NFL draft has come and gone. What does that mean for the gamer who loves NFL gambling? Plenty. The NFL draft is every team’s chance to reload its talent stocks and take another run at the elusive Lombardi Trophy. There will inevitably be winners and loser, just as there is every year, and nobody will know for sure how every team made out until the pads are strapped on. However, in an attempt to get prepared for the 2006 NFL gambling season, numerous paper analyses have been done. Here’s more fodder for the already oversized collection of draft analysis.
On paper, the Jets look to have made out like cat-burglars. Although the Reggie Bush would have been a nice pick and an enticing replacement for the aging Curtis Martin, rookie coach Eric Mangini wisely resisted flimsy trade offers and cemented 40% of his offensive line for next decade with his two first round picks. The Jets also picked up a player at every position, including a good-looking replacement for Chad Pennington in the second round. Very solid picks throughout, no reaches and seemingly good value at every pick.
On the other end of the spectrum the Jets’ AFC East rivals, the Bills, look to have set themselves back another three of four years with what could only be called a squandering of their picks. With a terribly unproven, and thus far unproductive, quarterback in J.P. Loseman, Matt Leinart would have seemed like a steal for Buffalo. Instead, the Bills reached at the number eight pick for Donte Whitner who was a borderline first-rounder and then selected John McCargo, a universally graded fifth-rounder, with their other first round choice. The rest of their picks were nearly all defenders and unimpressive with the exception of Whitner’s college teammate, cornerback Ashton Youboty.
The 2006 draft was full of surprises and produced a crop of players that will undoubtedly have an impact on NFL gambling for years to come. While it’s difficult to identify any one single player as sure thing, there’s certainly a large group that seem more than capable of having breakout seasons. So while you wait for the NFL gambling season to begin, make sure and read up of the rookie class. A good draft class can turn an entire franchise around, so be ready.
