1 Jake Long- Miami Dolphins…. He’ll probably get 5 years with 30  million guaranteed or something like that….

2. Chris Long-St Louis rams… Don’t be surprised if the Saints trade up to grab Dorsey.  I believe if the Rams stay here, then they will grab the other Long.

3. Glen Dorsey- Atlanta Falcons…  Was a tough choice between him and Ryan but i think Dorsey is more Valuable here.

4. Darren Mcfadden- Oakland Raiders- What a perfect fit and what a steal for the raiders .  Fills a huge need that this team has had for the past few years.

5. Vernon Ghoulston- Kansas City- After trading Jared Allen, this is the perfect pick for them.  If Chris Long is on the board, he could go here as well.

6.Matt Ryan-New York Jets…. This is a hunch, but i believe the jets may grab the QB of the future here.  Kellen Clemens isn’t good and Pennington is too injury prone.

7. Sedrick Ellis - New England….  This is a tough call to see who the pats would take, i believe they want to trade out, but i think they will take the best player on the board and i think Ellis is the guy here.

8. Leodis Mckelvin- Baltimore Ravens…..  This guy is outstanding… Some believe it might be a reach.  This kid can do it all, he even returns punts.  I think it would be an excellent pick.  I do believe that if Matt Ryan is there…..The Ravens will select him.

- First thing on my mind, is this weekend.  Its the NFL draft and there is no clear cut favorite for the top end of this draft.  There are needs for every team, and plenty of talent to fill those voids.  I’m excited and i think Matt Ryan is the wild card in this draft.  I do believe the ravens will draft Leodis Mckelvin of Troy.

-NBA Playoffs have been great.  Philly was a bit of a shocker in game one, but Detroit will bounce back and take that series.  I still believe the Mavs series and the Suns series will go 7 games.  The wizards, Rockets, Nuggets and Hawks have looked less than impressive.  If you are not watching…your missing out. Oh yeah Kobe’s performance was off the hook in game 2.

-Daniel Cabrera has been pitching well.  I feel like that troubled wife on the show cops, just waiting to be hit again.  Constantly flinching every-time her husband raises his hand.  I wont get my hopes up with D-Cab.  I don’t want to let my guard down just to be hit again.  Although you have to give credit  for these last few outings.  Keep it up.

- Shaun Alexander let go by the Seahawks.  Kind of shocking because he was the MVP of the league just 2 seasons ago.  There are talks of Chad Johnson, Jason Taylor, Lito Shepard, and Brian Urlacher trades.  The NFL is not just a “what have you done for me lately league?”  Its also “what are you worth to me now?” type of league.  Here are my thoughts.. Ocho Cinco and Over Rated LB - Please shut up and play.  Lito shepard wants to be paid, so his value isn’t what it should be. Lastly  J.T. can dance and sack the Q.B., but he is up there in age and his value isn’t what it should be.

- Lastly, Im wondering whats happening with some of the players in MLB.  AndrewJones is awful, he cant even hit my weight.  Ryan Howard still striking out and barely hitting over .200.  Poor Matt Cain has an ERA under 3.00 and he is 0-4. Giants = worst team in baseball.  Verlander and Sabathia started off horribly.  These players have killed fantasy teams.  Oh Giambi anyone, Andrew Jones just called and told me he stinks.

Ill be back tomorrow with my top 8 Mock Draft and my thoughts on the whole thing….

The Ravens hold the 8th overall pick on Saturday in the NFL Draft.  The smart money is on the Ravens taking quarterback Matt Ryan.  For my money, it’s a bad move.  In most cases, I don’t use a first round draft pick on a quarterback unless it’s the number one overall pick.

Quarterbacks are too risky of a proposition in the first round.  The upside usually won’t deliver on that risk.  The Peyton Mannings of the world are too few and far between … the Ryan Leafs are more the norm.  The Ravens can solve their quarterback dilemma in the second round or by getting a second pick in the first round.  I just don’t waste the number 8 pick on a player that, odds are, won’t be able to make an impact on the team for another three years.  The 8th pick should help my team THIS YEAR.

Go get a cornerback … a defensive end … another linebacker … hell, an offensive lineman.  Just don’t draft a quarterback!  The best thing that could happen for the Ravens is for one of the six teams ahead of them (the Dolphins already selected) to take Matt Ryan and eliminate the problem altogether!

If the Ravens take Ryan, and he isn’t a pro-bowler in three -to-four years, this team will lose for the next five to six!

Here is a quick look at the  Orioles’ minor league prospects. As expected, there are some who are  performing up to par. There are some who are doing better than expected,  and others who are struggling and disappointing.

As I have stated before and as I’ve done I will continue to keep you updated on the O’s minor leagues. Perhaps in May and at the All-Star Break, I’ll blog an updated analysis of the prospects, with input from scouts and coaches.

AAA Mike Costanzo - Finally hit his 2nd homer last night… but overall struggling to hit .200.

AA Kam Mickolio- The big 6 foot 9 inch relief pitcher has been very sharp thus far for Bowie… on Tuesday he went 2 and 2/3’s, 0 ER, 2 k’s, 0 BB… His season ERA is 2.38.

AA Nolan Reimold- Probably the biggest dissapointment so far this season… he is hitting just .197.

AA Chris Tillman- Yesterday went 5 inn., 4h, 2 ER, 5 K’s… this season has a 3.31 ERA.

A+ Brandon Erbe- It looks like he has turned the corner. In his last start he pitched a complete 7 inning game (double header rules) … and he allowed just 3 hits. Most impresive for him this season… in 23 and 2/3 innings… just 3 walks and 21 K’s… with a .191 BAA.

A+ Billy Rowell- off the DL and drove in 2 last night.

Danica Patrick won a race this weekend.  She beat all the boys on an even playing field.  She faced the same rules and regulations.  No ladies tees here.  She beat the odds.

Why should I care???  Well, I don’t.  I don’t care at all.  Before the feminists show up at ESPN Radio in Baltimore with sticks, bats and balls of fire … chill … the reason I don’t care is not because she is a woman.  It’s because it’s FREAKIN’ AUTO RACING!!!!!!!!  No one cares … and no one should.  It’s auto racing.  So she is a better driver than the men.  So what?  My mom has only been in one accident, I have been in three.  My mom is a better driver than me … do you care?  I didn’t think so.

Now if she would have pulled off her shirt, a-la, Brandi Chastain from the women’s USA soccer … then I would care!!!  We all would! 

p.s.  Yes, that was sexist! It’s also a joke … once again … chill!

It was a great weekend for the O’s! Any time you take a series from the Yankees, it is a good thing. But here comes the grind. The Orioles are on their way to Seattle today; tomorrow they’ll begin a 7 game road trip. In fact, the O’s are on the road for 17 of their next 20 games, including two separate trips to the West Coast. Very rare.

So… is this when reality will bite the Birds? We will see… my hope is the O’s survive this roady.

Matt Wieters’ update… he leads the Carolina League in batting average, OPB, slugging, and OPS by 200 points over the next guy….

Keep tuned  to ESPN Radio 1300 and ESPN1300.com for the best Ravens Draft coverage.

Quick Hits…

One of the Orioles’ top prospects, Bill Rowell, was put on the DL yesterday. Many people with whom I spoke expect him to be back soon.

The White Sox starting pitcher tomorrow night is young Gavin Floyd. Floyd is from Bmore; he’s a Mt. St. Joe’s grad, and was a top 5 pick for the Phillies in 2001. He dominated the minors, and had a few opportunities in the bigs in recent years, and struggled. Now it looks like he has finally put it together in 2008. He is 2-0 with an ERA in the low 2’s… and in his last start he nearly pitched a no hitter.

Floyd and Mark Teixeira are the only two ahtletes from the same high school to be taken in the top 5 of a major sports draft… it was the MLB 2001 draft. Very cool… it is a nice Bawlmer stat.

Floyd was on with Anita Marks during her show today…. I am going to try and track him down at the end of the game….

I hope everyone has been enjoying my 1st week of live reports from the Yard.  Today was my last time for this current homestand. I will be back at ESPN 1300 world headquarters Thursday and Friday….

The Ravens 2008 schedule came out … OUCH!  Have you seen this thing???? I mean the whole AFC North has some of the toughest schedules in the entire league, but for a team that went 5-11 last year and has made no significant improvements this offseason, they have a lot of work ahead of them.

My initial reaction is that the Ravens could go 4-0 in the pre-season and still not win 10 games next year!  Eight games against teams that made the playoffs last year (two with the Steelers) and 11 games against teams with a better than .500 record.  Plus two primetime games, both on the road, for a team that typically doesn’t flourish in that spotlight.

Where does John Harbaugh and this staff start??  How about the most critical draft in the history of this franchise!  The Ravens are at a crossroad … a good draft and two or three “gold mines” puts this team back on track.  A bad draft and no QB for the future will make this team the Arizona Cardinals quicker than anyone would have thought.

Nick Markakis is going to have to remain patient this season. With this lineup he is just not going to see many balls that he can drive. Nick is so advanced for his age… great eye, his ability to hit it hard where ever it’s pitched. He walked 4 times yesterday… and that is the way it is going to be this year. Nick is a legit star, but his power numbers may go down this year because of a lack of protection in the lineup.

The Masters is a sporting event that I have never attended, but I  would love to do so. I have a great friend who is going tonight to Augusta and I am quite jealous… Have fun Moles….

With a win tomorrow, the  Baltimore Blast  will advance to the MISL semi-finals.

Great College Lacrosse action tomorrow in town. I will be attending the Maryland - JHU game at Homewood Field. It is a big game for the Terps, but  it is a MUST win for the Jays. It’s the 104th meeting of these schools.

Have a great weekend…. Cheers.

After over a week of play, I am so happy the game I love the most is back!  Here are just a few things that make the greatest game even better.

In no particular order …

1. Smooth double-plays … you have to love the way the ball is whipped around the diamond almost effortlessly.

2. Diving catches in the outfield … c’mon, it’s just awesome!

3. Hot dogs!  Since when did meshed up pig remains become so appropriately tasty???

4. Home runs … chicks dig the long ball!

5. Fans going after foul balls — I mean, it is really the only time a grown man can out-run a kid and take something the kid wants and get away with it … even if it is mean!

6. Student ticket night … if you take it with a grain of salt, some of the drunk college kids say some funny damn things!

7. Bleacher seats … where the rowdiness begins and never ends!

8. God Bless America at the 7th inning stretch at Yankee Stadium … for this soldier/war veteran, I enjoy it when homage is paid to my fellow brethen.  Every team should do it every game.

9. Getting out of the gate fast … who cares if it’s only a week??  Speculating about an O’s-Royals ALCS would be awesome!

10. Winning!  Doesn’t it seem like every game matters?