After browsing through the many mock drafts on this site, I found the sudden urge to make my own @ 5 in the morning. Why? I have no clue. I might be a bit sleep deprived and I did this on a whim so it may not be the best, but I tried my best. I feel like I left somebody out, though...

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Howdy, ladies and gentlemen. I don't expect all of you to be satisfied with it, thought I hope you are, but I had fun making it. Anyway, here we go...

1. Carolina (2-14) – Cam Newton (QB, Auburn)

2. Denver (4-12) – Marcell Dareus (DL, Alabama)

3. Buffalo (4-12) - Von Miller (OLB, Texas A&M)

4. Cincinnati (4-12) - Blaine Gabbert (QB, Missouri)

5. Philadelphia – from Arizona (5-11) (Bottom of post for details) – Patrick Peterson (CB, LSU)

6. Cleveland (5-11) – AJ Green (WR, Georgia)

7. San Francisco (6-10) – Prince Amukamara (CB, Nebraska)

8. Tennessee (6-10) – Nick Fairley (DT, Auburn)

9. Dallas (6-10) – Tryon Smith (OT, USC)

10. Washington (6-10) – Julio Jones (WR, Alabama)

11. Houston (6-10) – Robert Quinn (DE, North Carolina)

12. Minnesota (6-10) – Jake Locker (QB, Washington)

13. Detroit (6-10) – JJ Watt (DE, Wisconsin)

14. St. Louis (7-9) – Corey Lieuget (DT, Illinois)

15. Miami (7-9) – Mark Ingram (RB, Alabama)

16. Jacksonville (8-8) – Aldon Smith (DE, Missouri)

17. New England - from Oakland (8-8) – Muhammad Wilkerson (DL, Temple)

18. San Diego (9-7) – Cameron Jordan (DE, California)

19. New York Giants (10-6) – Gabe Carimi (OT, Wisconsin)

20. Tampa Bay (10-6) – Da’Quan Bowers (DE, Clemson)

21. Kansas City (10-6) – Phil Taylor (NT, Baylor)

22. Indianapolis (10-6) – Anthony Castonzo (OT, Boston College)

23. Philadelphia (10-6) – Nate Solder (OT, Colorado)

24. New Orleans (11-5) – Ryan Kerrigan (DE, Purdue)

25. Seattle (7-9) – Mike Pouncey (G, Florida)

26. Baltimore (12-4) – Cameron Heyward (DE, Ohio State)

27. Atlanta (13-3) – Brooks Reed (DE/OLB, Arizona)

28. New England (14-2) – Derek Sherrod (OT, Mississippi State)

29. Chicago (11-5) – Stephen Paea (DT, Oregon State)

30. New York Jets (11-5) – Akeem Ayers (DE/OLB, UCLA)

31. Pittsburgh (12-4) – Aaron Williams (CB, Texas)

32. Green Bay (10-6) – Justin Houston (DE/OLB, Georgia)

* Philadelphia trades Kevin Kolb and their 4th round pick to Arizona for their 1st round pick (#5 overall) (Assuming the lockout is lifted or a new CBA is in place)

Only my 2nd mock (1st on here), so don't be too rough. I started at 1 and ended at 5:30 or so (probably not thinking straight through most of it, lol. I'm an insomniac, by the way). I used the order Dan used. Anyway, on to the mock~!

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1. Carolina Panthers - Patrick Peterson (CB, Louisiana State) - Marshall's as good as gone, Munnerlyn was routinely burned when he's had the opportunity to start (this guy got killed in the preseason) and Peterson's the best CB to come out in years. A player this mouthwateringly attractive is a rarity. Hell, he could play OLB if he felt like it.

2. Cincinnati Bengals - Da'Quan Bowers (DE, Clemson) - Cinci's dead last in the league in sacks. What better than the NCAA sack leader?

3. Detroit Lions - Prince Amukamara (CB, Nebraska) - Dear God, Alphonso Smith.

4. Buffalo Bills - Robert Quinn (DE, North Carolina) - I considered a QB, but Fitzpatrick has been surprisingly effective. Buffalo's defensive line has been atrocious this year, both against the rush and getting no pressure on the QB. Quinn will certainly help that.

5. Arizona Cardinals - Andrew Luck (QB, Stanford) - Ask yourself, is Max Hall a starting QB in the NFL? Is Max Hall a backup QB in the NFL? Who the hell is Max Hall?

6. San Francisco 49ers - Marcell Dareus (DT/DE, Alabama) - San Fran's DL has had trouble getting pressure on the QB all year.

7. Cleveland Browns - AJ Green (WR, Georgia) - Colt McCoy has played well this year, despite the fact that he has really no weapons. Green is an outstanding receiver and just the guy Colt wants, and needs.

8. Dallas Cowboys - Nick Fairley (DT, Auburn) - Marcus Spears has been ineffective and Dallas' rush D has issues. Fairley can constantly force the QB out of the pocket and stop the run.

9. Minnesota Vikings - Jake Locker (QB, Washington) - Favre's (probably/hopefully) done and Minnesota's not going to roll with Tavaris Jackson and Joe Webb as their QBs. Hell, is Webb even a QB?

10. Denver Broncos - Allen Bailey (DE, Miami) - There's uncertainty as to how Dumervil will perform when he returns next season and Denver's rush D is 2nd to last in the NFL. Bailey can get pressure outside or stuff the run inside.

11. St. Louis Rams - Julio Jones (WR, Alabama) - Much like Cleveland, St. Louis has a great rookie QB with little-to-no weapons. Jones will change that.

12. Houston Texans - Brandon Harris (CB, Miami) - LMFAO Glover Quinn. I considered giving ‘em Deunta Williams or Rahim Moore, but one will likely be available at their next pick.

13. San Diego Chargers - Adrian Clayborn (DE, Iowa) - Both of their starting DE's may be gone in free agency.

14. New England Patriots - Cameron Jordan (DE, California) - New England's ends have had trouble getting to the QB all season. An upgrade is certainly needed, and Jordan is just that.

15. Tennessee Titans - Ryan Mallett (QB, Arkansas) - Vince appears to be done in Tennessee, Collins is entering Brett Favre territory and uhh...Rusty Smith? We'll see about that.

16. Washington Redskins - Mark Ingram (RB, Alabama) - Portis is pretty much done. I'm not sure if there's a more injury prone player in the league. He makes Westbrook look like Superman. When he does play, he' isn't very affective, either. Torain isn't a franchise-quality RB, either.

17. Miami Dolphins - Mikel Leshoure (RB, Illinois) - A bit of a reach, but the combination of Ricky retiring, Ronnie not being nearly as effective as he used to be and Leshoure being fantastic, it seems like a good fit.

18. New York Giants - Anthony Castonzo (OT, Boston College) - Injuries and just overall mediocre play have plagued New York's OL.

19. Indianapolis Colts - Jurrell Casey (DT, Southern California) - I was debating between him and Paea, but I gave Casey the edge. OL has emerged as a need, but Indi's at the bottom of the league in rushing defense. Also, think about this - Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis and up-and-coming Jurrell Casey flying by blockers on a regular basis. I'd drop a bomb in my pants, wouldn't you?

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ryan Kerrigan (DE, Purdue) - There's certainly not a bigger need on the team than DE. Kerrigan has routinely toasted blockers and gotten to the QB - exactly what Tampa needs.

21. Seattle Seahawks - Cam Newton (QB, Auburn) - He's known more for his running than passing, but he's quite a good passer as well. He's an automatic upgrade over Hasselbeck and Whitehurst, and would instantly spark the second to last ranked rushing offense.

22. Kansas City Chiefs - Jonathan Baldwin (WR, Pittsburgh) - Who's the #2? Chris Chambers? I'm not sure. Nonetheless, Cassel (or whomever's passing the ball there next year) needs more weapons, and what better than a huge receiver who continues to be productive with piss-poor QB play at Pitt.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars - Janoris Jenkins (CB, Florida) - Damn, this secondary sucks.

24. New Orleans Saints - Von Miller (OLB, Texas A&M) - There's no glaring holes on this team, but Miller would be an upgrade over Shanle and Clark, who aren't anything special.

25. Pittsburgh Steelers - Mike Pouncey (OG, Florida) - This offensive line is still mediocre, and Mike Pouncey will definitely help. The Pouncey bros. could be the next big thing!

26. Chicago Bears - Derek Sherrod (OT, Mississippi State) - Chicago's OL has allowed more sacks than any other in the NFL. With all they've got invested in Cutler, they can't let him get killed on every down.

27. Baltimore Ravens - Aaron Willimas (CB, Texas) - Baltimore's corners are, to put it boldly, crap. Williams is not crap. Williams is pretty damn good. Also, why does this always end up being their pick (Walterfootball, Dan's and a couple other mocks on here)? I was tempted to put Burton or Dowling just to be different. Eh...

28. Philadelphia Eagles - Gabe Carimi (OT, Wisconsin) - Philly's OL hasn't played well at all this year. Even with a scrambler like Vick at the helm, OL is still a big need.

29. Green Bay Packers - Ras-I Dowling (CB, Virginia) - Tramon Williams has stepped up in a big way, but Woodson has regressed quite a bit. Green Bay is quite thin at CB, as well.

30. New England Patriots - Marcus Cannon (OT, TCU) - This guy's a MONSTER, at 6'6" 350 lbs. He's been dominant against everyone he's gone against this year.

31. New York Jets - Akeem Ayers (OLB, California) - Solid in coverage and rushing the passer, Ayers would be a great addition to the very good Jets' defense.

32. Atlanta Falcons - Michael Floyd (WR, Notre Dame) - Michael Jenkins isn't the complement Roddy White needs across the field from him. Floyd would likely take some of the doubles off of White and take advantage of them when they're there.

Figured someone should make a thread showcasing the 1st league, and since I was bored, I figured why not? Anyway, the draft was a couple week ago, and was pretty fun. I always love doing fantasy stuff. A lotta Panthers were drafted - everyone from Smitty and D'lo to Trent Guy. As said before, it was fun, and I hope we can keep it up and going all season long (been a part of too many fantasy leagues that died). Anyway, after the jump I'll post the results (in draft order) with that nifty link that Sniff posted giving analysis of the team and a pic of the person's 1st round pick.

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We're all very aware of the plethora of some of out best players being free agents after this upcoming season. Big Cat has been hesitant to discuss contract extensions with anyone, so my question to you is, if you could save ONE of our big free agents from hitting the market, who would it be? God forbid they all don't come back, but anyway, here's the list...

Notable 2011 Free Agents:

• Matt Moore
• DeAngelo Williams
• Dwayne Jarrett
• Jeff King
• Dante Rosario
• Ryan Kalil
• Charles Johnson
• Tank Tyler
• Thomas Davis
• Richard Marshall

So, who would you lock up?

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For me, it would come down to Richard Marshall and Ryan Kalil. Yes, DeAngelo is probably the biggest free agent, but he already has backup whom I consider to be better than DeAngelo. TD is also big, but there's huge uncertainty as to how he'll be able to perform after the injuries. Marshall and Kalil, though, really don't have a good backup. I mean, sure, Cap'n owns, but we've seen recently that the guy couldn't cover Tank Tyler on a slant. He needs to keep his nickel role, he's just not starting quality (yet...). In Kalil's case, well, nobody else on the team can even hike a ball. We'll have to see somebody signed to back him up before season's beginning.

Overall....urgh. I don't know. I think I'll go w/ Kalil just because he's the only person on the team that is actually able to play the position. So, whaddya think?

I figured we could use something else to discuss besides the Summer League and the (questionable?) signing of Chris Duhon. So, I'm wondering, who are your top-5 players that don't play in Orlando?

Mine:

1. Andre Iguodala (probably my 2nd favorite overall, behind Dwight)

2. Derrick Rose

3. Dwyane Wade

4. Deron Williams

5. Josh Smith/Aaron Brooks

(Extra random words in order to meet the 75 word length minimum blah blah blah)

TD was on pace for an amazing season, with over 60 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions through just 7 games. Every Panthers fan in the nation was pumped for what could have, and would have been. But then it happened – he tore his ACL and we never saw him again. Fast forward to a few weeks ago and news surfaced of TD running a low 4.5 40. All of us here were psyched about the progress he was making – he was recovering at a remarkable speed. We all knew he was going to put up parallel (or even better) stats to those he did the previous season, and we were ready.

 June 8, 2010 – News surfaces that Thomas Davis reinjured his surgically repaired knee. I, for one, didn’t think it was that serious, and after seeing the video, it just looked like he stumbled and just had something along the lines of a bruised knee. Our deepest fear was realized, though, when we learned that he had indeed tore his ACL again. We cried, panicked, and realized the Hitman/Jamar trade looks a helluva lot better now. Now that things are settled and we’ve come to our senses, what does this mean for the future of Thomas Davis’ career in Carolina?

 I am a certified psychic, and I forsee Thomas Davis having a grim future in Charlotte. There are a number of variables that play into my assumption that Davis is a goner: Two consecutive ACL tears, him being an unrestricted free agent, and the obvious – the impending doom of the lockout. I just don’t see how it would make any sense to resign him given the circumstances. Yes, he is an outstanding player, but after 2 consecutive torn ACLs, will he be as effective as he previously was? Why would he be resigned coming off of said injuries when JR is so hesitant to give extensions to our best players, who just so happen to be healthy? I just don’t see why JR would resign Davis when he hasn’t even made an attempt to keep DeAngelo, Kalil, and many others. The fact that his contract runs out after this year only helps the matter because there would be ‘penalties’ (cap hit, etc…). Would I like to see TD stay? Hell yes. Do I really think he’ll stay here? Probably not.

 The lockout, injuries, and other variables play a part in his return, but I believe the X factor will be the play of our linebackers. If guys like Jamar, Connor, Anderson, and Norwood play well then I think he’s as good as gone. If they struggle? Well, he very well could return.

Orlando won't be doing much in the offseason. Vince is staying, Barnes may be leaving, and Orlando won't make a blockbuster trade like we all hope we would.

Vince will likely be staying:

Magic GM Otis Smith told the Sentinel that he "anticipates" Vince Carter remaining with the team.

Barnes will opt out:

Matt Barnes will not exercise his player option for the 2010-11 season, but he added that he hopes to return to the Orlando Magic.

“As for me and my contract situation, I’m going to opt out,” Barnes told reporters gathered at RDV Sportsplex this morning.

“Always worrying about the team and stuff like that is something you have to do during the season, and I’m 100 percent with that. But now it’s about me and my family and what’s best for us. I’ve expressed throughout the season that I’ve loved my time here and would love to return. But I think I know more than anybody that this is a business. The organization has to do what’s best for the team. Hopefully, I impressed them enough to bring me back and give me something decent, but we’ll have to wait and see about that.”

Barnes was slated to make $1.6 million for the 10-11 season.

No major moves imminent:

Magic general manager Otis Smith doesn't plan on overhauling the team's roster this summer.

"We're not a team that's that far away, so I can't sit here and say, 'Yeah, we're going to make all these drastic changes because we're miles away,' " Smith said Monday. "We're not miles away. We're not at the bottom third of our league. We're at the top of our league.

"And with that said, we have to do things diligently and with the understanding of the aspect that we're putting the team-slash-puzzle together and that everything is going to have to fit."

Orlando made it to the NBA Finals last year, but still opted not to retain Hedo Turkoglu, while acquiring Vince Carter. They were eliminated by Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday.

"The season was great," center Dwight Howard said. "We just didn't finish what we started."

Smith made similar comments last spring, claiming he wouldn't shake up the team's roster before he pulled the strings that ultimately landed Turkoglu in Toronto and Carter in Orlando.

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I figured, with the draft over, now could be a good time to share some bold predictions for the upcoming season.

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I remember hearing some stuff about JJ's and Ryan's rap album on Sun Sports (mostly Dante & Galante), but I haven't been keeping up lately. Is there any news on it? Is it out? Yes, I realize it's likely a piece of crap, but I'm oddly intrigued by it. It can't be worse than Artest's music, anyway.

(meaningless postscript because this must be at least 75 words long, blah, blah, blah)

...but related to the Bobcats

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Ositadimma 'Osi' Umenyiora

It's been rumored that the Giants are likely to take a DE in the top half of the draft, there really would be no point in keeping Osi, since they have Tuck and Kiwanuka, plus whomever they draft. They've been said to be fielding calls and willing to part ways with him, so why not? He hasn't had any off the field issues, and doesn't seem like he'd disrupt the locker room. Osi would be the spark plug out defense needs, and he would bring some solidity to a D-line that is full of question marks. He could come in day 1 and be a starter across from Brayton/Brown. If he could be had for, say...a 4th round pick, I'd do it. Would you?

Edit: And he's only 28, so he could fit w/ the 'youth movement'