Wednesday, April 20, 2016

2016 NFL Mock Draft Selections 1-15

2016 NFL Mock Draft


1. LA Rams: QB Jared Goff: CAL well this escalated quickly!  Just when I thought the Dolphins Eagles trade weeks ago was going to be the big move, the Rams put their big boy pants on and in all likely hood will draft one of the two top QB's.  I actually like Wentz a little better, but think the rams will keep the Cal Kid close to home.



2. Cleveland Browns: WR Laquan Treadwell: Ole Miss.  This is really an interesting spot for the Browns here.  are the satisfied with RG3 holding the reigns?  They could very easily take Wentz from ND State.  They may shoot for now, and go for a big thick WR like Treadwell for RG3 to throw to.  Especially with Josh Gordon not very likely to see the field anytime soon, they need an offensive weapon.



3. San Diego Chargers: DE Joey Bosa: OSU.  Every team needs a strong pass rusher off the edge and Bosa fits the bill. The only question is do you think that Bosa will be a better pro than Ramsey the kid from FSU who many think is as sure thing as a lock in this draft.



4. Cowboys: QB Carson Wentz: ND State.  With Romo injury plagued lately, Dallas maybe looking for their next QB of the future.  Bring Wentz in now and let him learn behind a good solid QB like Romo and they would be set for years at the QB position, and one of the better offensive lines in the NFL.



5. Jaguars: DB Jalen Ramsey: FSU.  The Jaguars would be ecstatic with what could be the steal of the draft sitting at 5.  This would bolster the defense that would compliment the improved offense and could soon start to compete with Indy and Houston for the AFC South crown.



6. Ravens: OL Laremy Tunsil: Ole Miss.  The Ravens need to get a pick or two geared towards offensive line to help keep Joe Flacco upright this year.  Tunsil or Stanley I could see heading to Baltimore.



7. 49ers: QB Conner Cook: MSU.  I know right?  The whispers by the water cooler in the rumor mill say that San Francisco is in love with Conner Cook.  They may get desperate enough to pull the trigger this high.  It would not be the biggest surprise in an NFL draft, but it would be a stretch.



8. Eagles: RB Ezekiel Elliot: OSU.  Many are saying Elliot is the best RB since Adrian Peterson. The Eagles are in need of a RB and as much as I would love to see him fall to Miami, I think it will be to much for Philly to pass on.



9.  Bucs:  OL Ronnie Stanley: ND.  Tampa Bay needs to add some depth to the offensive line to keep Winston up right.  Stanley is pretty athletic and would be a good get for the Bucs.



10. Giants: DE DaForest Buckner: Oregon. The Giants just gave a huge contract to Olivier Vernon from the Dolphins, but Buckner on the other side would be an opportunity to strengthen the defense that blew a few fourth quarter leads last year.



11. Bears: OLB Miles Jack: UCLA. The Bears have a few different holes they need to fill, but the seem to be in the market for an Edge rusher.  As much as I love Jalen Smith from Notre Dame.  I doubt he will be going in the first or even second round due to his injury.  Miles Jack seems to be a logical fit for an outside rusher, but some injury concerns there with his knee make this a questionable selection.   If they want an edge rusher they may also turn to OSU's Darren Lee.


12. Saints: DT A'Shawn Robinson: Alabama.  The Saints need to shore up a less than impressive defense from last year.  With the NFC South one of the more competitive divisions, where each team beats up each other, they will need some interior help to stop the likes of Cam Newton led offense and what has potential to be a high flying Atlanta team. Robinson would give the Saints a big interior presence.


13. Dolphins: CB Vernon Hargreaves III: Florida.  The Dolphins were brutalized in the secondary last year and with the loss of Grimes in the off season, the Dolphins are desperate for some help in the secondary.  Hargreaves will be the top CB on some teams boards and if he is available at 13, I don't see Miami passing him up.  Unless a wacky trade happens which has happened in the past, I would almost lock in Hargreaves if he is available.


14. Raiders: OL Jack Conklin: MSU.  The Raiders are in position to select Conklin who may be the best OL on the board at this time.  Of course the Raiders could do what the Raiders have done in the past and make a stretch for Alabama's Derrick Henry at Running back.  I still feel like Henry is a round 1 talent, Elliott is the better RB in my opinion but he should be long gone by the time the Raiders come calling.


15. Titans: OLB Darron Lee: OSU.  The Titans reeled in a gold mine of picks with the LA Rams trade.  They will have plenty of picks to help the team so going best available would be a pretty solid get here at 15.  Darron Lee is a solid edge rusher, who reeked havoc on offenses all of last year, most recently against Notre Dame in the bowl game.  Titans will be sitting pretty after that trade.  Titans fans should be excited.  Very smart trade, in my opinion.

Thursday, March 31, 2016

An Addicts confession

For most of you reading this, the thought of me being an addict may be a shocker.  But let me take you back in time to 2005.  I found out that I was diabetic in April of that year.  I was working at Eckerd camp and weighed in at close to 400 pounds.  I was drinking Pepsi and Mt. Dew to feed my soul with enough caffeine to keep my self awake those very long days and nights.

I was told the next day at the doctor that I needed to quit drinking those two beverages immediately and if I needed to drink Diet Coke if I needed a cola fix.  So it was with great disdain my caffeine fix was now of the diet variety and it was god awful in the beginning.  But it eventually became my go to.  Diet Coke and Unsweet Tea with Sweet and Low.  That was my fix.  Daily and many days many many diet cokes.

I never thought of Diet Coke as an addiction or a drug but it was.  I made many excuses for drinking it.  I was told my many of friends to drink water and that Diet Coke.  My reasoning was always something like really?   My friends and family are having daily glasses of wine or beer, and I am drinking Diet Coke and that is a problem.  I always had an excuse and I always had a reason for drinking it.

My wife has told me several times that I do things to the extreme for a while and eventually I would fall back in the same routine.  And like always she is right.  I have quit drinking Diet Coke before but just temporary and not for the right reasons.  I loved Diet Coke and my latest excuse was buying a 44oz of Diet Coke was cheaper ($1.06) than a 16 oz bottle of water (north of $1.75).  I had told myself that I needed it.  It was not harming my body in any way.  I mean after all its a diet drink with zero calories and sugar free.

I have scanned past the video that I saw many times posted on Facebook that read something to the effect of Why Diet Sodas are bad.  I kept scanning because I did not want to face what I knew could possibly be true.

So about 4 weeks ago, I got to work a little early and for some reason, I hit play. And my world changed.  I am not a doctor but I will give you the jist of what I heard.  I also talked to a Pediatric friend of mine who consumed about 6 a day and started telling me the same things I had heard.  He quit drinking it immediately and so did I. And now you may be asking your self exactly what I found.

So to try and put it in terms that you may understand.  Basically the artificial sweetener in Diet Coke and Sweet and Low among a few, acts as bad bacteria in your stomach.  It feeds off of the fat in your stomach and tricks your brain into thinking that you are still hungry and still thirsty.  You are left craving food any and all.  See what Diet Coke did to me, I couldn't just drink Diet Coke.  I had to eat something with it.  Potato Chips, Peanut Butter M and M's, Twix....Anything.  I was always eating something with it.  I would get home and eat anything that I could put together that would fix my craving.

I know!  it sounds crazy right?  I quit cold turkey with a little help from sour jolly rancher hard candy to fix the craving.  I found out that I am less tired, I do not crave nearly as much as I did while drinking it, and I think the scales have seen about a 10 pound decrease.  For all I know it may be a state of mind, but I feel healthier without it.  I do drink a sprite from time to time, and a sweet tea mixed with unsweet to give it just the right amount of sweet.  I drink mostly water by challenging my assistant and one of my students to a water consumption contest during work.

It was an awakening for me.  At 43, I need to live a while longer to help raise these two most amazing children that I have.  I am not saying its for every body, but I had to, to see if I felt any different.  I do.  I hope you will at least contemplate what I have written.  If not, No Worries.


Thank you for your time,

and always... Peace, Love and Wrigley!

M L Vogel