Five Good Questions with . . . Brian Bennett of The Louisville Courier-Journal about the Cardinals

Today's segment of "Five Good Questions" is with Brian Bennett of The Louisville Courier-Journal ....Brian covers Louisville football for The Courier-Journal and provided some feedback about the Cardinals players who are preparing for the draft....

Q1. After suffering a devastating leg injury in the first game of the season, Michael Bush still chose to enter the NFL draft. Where do you think he is going to be selected? If he did not get injured, where do you think Bush would have been selected?
Well, I think Michael Bush might be the most intriguing prospect in the draft. His talent really isn't in question, but his health certainly is. He recently had another surgery on the leg and isn't expected to run at full speed now until July. So whichever team drafts him will be doing so with a lot of unknowns. For this reason, I suspect Bush will not be taken before the third round, and I could see him slipping to the second day. Of course, all it takes is one team to believe in him, and so that could change. Had he not gotten hurt, I think Bush was a first- or second-rounder for sure.

Q2. All the draft publications have been praising Amobi Okoye as his stock has been rising. I notice that he is listed at 287 pounds while defensive tackles often tip 310 plus. Do you think his weight and youth are going to be an issue in the NFL?
Amobi weighed in at 301 pounds at Louisville's Pro Day last month. His weight has fluctuated quite a bit since the season ended. He actually lost some weight before his senior season, and that seemed to help him play faster and use his motor more. I can't see the weight issue being a major factor. I think any NFL team that wants him heavier can simply realize he's 19 years old and that he has plenty of room to grow. In a sense, it's a huge advantage drafting a 19-year-old rather than a 22-year-old senior, because you can control his rights longer.

Q3. Inside linebacker Nate Harris has the talent to make it in the NFL. However, character issues off the field may be scaring teams away to the point that he gets selected late on Day 2. What is the lowdown on Harris?
I don't know if the character issue is a big problem right now. Nate obviously had his run-in with the law as a high school senior, but he has kept his nose clean ever since and by all accounts was a model citizen during his two years at Louisville. If there's anything that's holding him back, it might be his size. At 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, he's a shade small for an NFL linebacker. But he had a strong performance at Pro Day, and I think he'll get drafted because of his athleticism.

Q4. Why has the Louisville program been able to produce quality NFL prospects of late?
The recruiting definitely improved at Louisville in recent years. The Cardinals have always had a lot of pro talent on the roster, but some of that in the recent past stemmed from the fact that they were willing to admit players with somewhat questionable backgrounds. Now, with their on-field success, they're getting in with top high school talents without character questions. The other thing that I think helps is that they have run a pro-style offense and, for the most part, pro-style defensive schemes that both attract players and prepare them for the NFL.

Q5. What future NFL draft "studs" are currently on the Louisville team who we should keep an eye on in the future?
Obviously, quarterback Brian Brohm is at the top of any list. He has the potential to be a No. 1 overall pick with a strong senior season. Wide receiver Mario Urrutia, who's 6-foot-6, could also be a first-rounder if he excels as a junior, and fellow receiver Harry Douglas, while small in stature, has been incredibly productive and could be a Deion Branch type. On defense, a name to remember is sophomore-to-be Peanut Whitehead. He was one of the top recruits in Alabama, and if he continues to blossom, he could develop into one of the top defensive ends in the country.

I want to thank Brian Bennett for taking the time to respond.....it is much appreciated!!!....tomorrow we will hear from John Shinn of The Norman (Oklahoma) Transcript about his thoughts on stud running back Adrian Peterson....

On Monday, in a way to promote other quality bloggers, we will hear from Zach of The Big Picture and his thoughts about the upcoming draft....

Also, here are two links to stories that I thought were interesting......the first is from Mike Reiss of The Boston Globe.....Mike writes about how Bill Belichick is working to repair his friendship with Eric Mangini.....

Belichick Story

The second link is from Nancy Gay of The San Francisco Chronicle about new Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin....

Lane Kiffin Story

Five Good Questions with . . . Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic about the Cardinals

Today's segment of "Five Good Questions" is with Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic....Kent is the NFL beat writer for The Arizona Republic and provided some feedback about the Arizona Cardinals...

Q1. What is the biggest need the Cardinals have to address with the 5th overall pick?
The biggest need they have in the draft is offensive line, specifically a left tackle. Leonard Davis left via free agency, and while he never lived up to his potential, the Cardinals don't have anyone ready to step in. Right now, it's a battle between Oliver Ross and Mike Gandy. I'm not sure, however, if they address this position with the fifth overall pick, unless Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas is there. As usual, this team has plenty of needs: an outside linebacker, a pass-rushing defensive end, a cornerback, etc. They could go a number of ways and still fill a need.

Q2. If Adrian Peterson should slide to the Cards at number 5, do you think they will select him even though they have Edgerrin James and other needs to fill?
I think it's possible; it depends upon who else is available to them. Peterson is certainly a dynamic talent. I watched him a lot in college and he's a special guy, but he doesn't avoid many hits and he was injured a lot. He would give the Cardinals a big-play threat at running back. James is a nice hunt-and-peck kind of runner but he's not very explosive. Peterson would add that dimension. Plus, coach Ken Whisenhunt wants to run the ball 550 or so times a season, so the club needs two backs to be able to do that.

Q3. During the early part of the draft season, most publications had the Cardinals taking Michigan's Alan Branch. However, Branch's stock has slipped of late. Are the Cards still interested in him or has another defensive player moved past him in the organization's eyes?
It's hard to say. You can't believe much of what anyone in the NFL says these days about the draft. Smokescreens, lies and more deception are the order of the day. I think it would be more likely they would take Clemson's Gaines Adams than Branch.

Q4. Have the Cardinals players been receptive to new coach Ken Whisenhunt?
So far they have, but he has yet to coach his first practice. I think they'll like him. He's smart. He has a plan. He makes sense when he talks to them. That wasn't always the case with Dennis Green. A former player, Whisenhunt I think will have a good feel for working the players hard yet knowing when to back off. He seems like he will be willing to listen to players' ideas.

Q5. Ultimately, who is the Cardinals "dream" pick at number 5?
Wow, that's hard to say. Remember, this is a team that once traded the No. 6 pick and the chance to take Terrell Suggs for the 17th and 18th picks where they took two guys who should have gone in the second round. I'd say they would love it if Joe Thomas was there at No. 5. From everything I read and see, you can just plug that guy in for the next 10 years.

I want to thank Kent Somers for taking the time to respond.....it is much appreciated!!!....tomorrow we will hear from Brian Bennett of The Louisville Courier-Journal about the Louisville Cardinals players who are getting ready for the draft...

Comments on the Don Imus Saga

I wasn’t planning on commenting about the Don Imus situation, however, I changed my mind since it will not go away....

First off, I am not a Imus fan....honestly, I have never listened to his show....in fact, I think the guy is a shriveled prune who needs a haircut....

Anyway, I do not defend nor condone the remarks he made about the Rutgers women’s basketball team....it was totally wrong and unprofessional to call them "nappy haired hos".....whether he was joking or not, it was inappropriate to make those comments....

After just watching the NBC Nightly News, I saw where the Rutgers basketball coach, Vivian Stringer, spoke out that something positive needs to come of this....

She is right -- something positive needs to come of it.....but it should not stop with just Don Imus....
The so-called music that young people listen to today is loaded with derogatory and sexual remarks about women....

I just looked on the I Tunes store and there is some group called Lil Boosie.....so I looked up the lyrics to some of the garbage (I won’t even call it songs) they perform....there is a song called "Fo My Thugz".....the lyrics state:
This is for my hoes who love dick
And be bout that thug shit
Ain't with that stud and they just ready to fuck quick
This is for my hoes who smoke joe
Go to the club and warm hoes

Later on, there are these lyrics:
This is for the pill poppin hoes
Who ready to take off they clothes
Who smoke weed all day
But don't fuck wit they nose
This is for the real ass hoes

Here is some crap from the Ying Yang Twins from a song called "1st Booty on Duty"

Some of these bitches be real the hard knock
Watchin gettin crunk they start they won´t stop
Hoes get naked for weed they love that
Take the baddest bitch in the club I fuck that
You fuck that, I fuck that, I fuck that, you fuck that, I fuck that, I fuck that

These are just two samples of garbage that is out there on CDs that is made by both white and African-American rappers....(believe me, I am not singling out African-American rappers at all)....

So I guess if Don Imus would have put his comments to music and a good beat, he would have been called "real" and someone who has "street cred"....

I also think it is unfair for the Rev. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson to call for Imus’ firing....if Sharpton is truly sincere about the use of these horrible words, then why doesn’t he choose to bring thugs like 50 Cent, Eminem, Lil Boosie and others to task?....

I also think that Jesse Jackson is far from being the moral voice of this situation.....this is coming from the same man who called Jews "hymies"......the same "moral" man who had an extramarital affair and an illegitimate child....so it is time for Jesse Jackson to take his protest placards and just go away....

If something positive is to come out of this, we need people like Vivian Stringer to talk about it - not Jesse Jackson nor Al Sharpton -- two people who never shied away from a camera....

This incident should not be about Don Imus alone.....it should not be about race alone....it should be about having all people, including these so-called "artists" clean up their acts and learn how to respect people and especially women....

People in this world lack respect for one another....and anyone who is calling another person a "ho", whether it be Don Imus or 50 Cent needs to be taken to task about it by our so-called leaders....