Like the pick, don't love it...

I love that the Dolphins traded out of the #12 pick, although OLB Derrick Morgan or FS Earl Thomas were both there. Too many needs on this defense to find a real solution in one player. The value on the trade? Good, not great. We get a second top 40 pick, which is fabulous, but have to move down in the 4th round?? (Dobbins for a sixth is a wash). Not crazy about that part of it. But overall, having the chance to get two top 40 players after trading for a stud receiver in Brandon Marshall is very good news. I give the team an A- grade for these maneuvers overall.

On to the pick...Jared Odrick, 6'5 304 DE from Penn State. Look, I really thought it had to be a pure NT, an outside linebacker or a true free safety with the top pick. The front office saw it differently. My first reaction was, okay, at least it's a big body defensive guy, but he looks like a defensive end. Apparently he has some versatility and can play a number of spots across the line for us. I like how one site said he "plays like a Raven"...meaning he has a physical approach. We definitely need bad asses in the front seven. Not bad to get the co-Big 10 defensive player of the year and pick up another high pick in the process.

There's a bunch of talent on that line now and they can rotate guys in and out and move people around. Mike Nolan's DL includes Odrick, Randy Starks (who played as well as any DE/DT in the AFC the last half of last season), Kendall Langford, Phillip Merling, Paul Soliai and Tony McDaniel among others. ALL young, ALL versatile. I STILL think they need another run stuffer in the middle, more of a Dan Williams than a Jared Odrick. But it's a decent choice, and the way we have this thing set up is really solid.

Can't wait for pick #40. Maybe trade down a few spots for somebody looking for a QB?

Caps - Bruins regular season finale

Covering a pro game for the first time – Caps host the Bruins at the Verizon center. I recall a drunk conversation with my buddy last night where he was telling me all Caps fans are the bandwagon type and wouldn’t care if the Caps were losing. I adamantly disagreed, I think. Great crowd today – another sellout – for a game that means nothing in the standings, on a beautiful 70+ degree day with little humidity in D.C. Case in point.

Alex Semin just took the puck and winged it into the back of the net early in the first period. Poti and Carlson assist.


Bruins goalie Tim Thomas gets crashed into by Jason Chimera and just starts throwing punches. He doesn’t even get penalized! You gotta love hockey.

Bruins just scored to tie the game. Jason Chimera looks like he’s on the ice for one reason and one reason only – to protect his team mates. The guy looks like the dude at the bar that you know will want to fight you if you make eye contact. He just picked up his second penalty of the game – for a game misconduct. Looks like he might not be out here for long, does he have somewhere else to be today?

Bruins score on the power play to take the lead. Pressure on the penalty kill needs to be a point of emphasis these playoffs.

Eric Belanger with a great athletic play to tie the score. His shot was turned back, got the rebound like a Wizards (er, insert good NBA team) forward and fired it in. Nice.

2-2 after one. Ovechkin chase for points mark – 0 points in first quarter.

I’ve gotten used to covering high school sports the last year and covering pro sports, by comparison, is a breeze. A lady just walked up to me during the first intermission and gave me a paper that breaks down basically every second of the period. I’m used to tracking my own stats and here I have a sheet that tells me how many shots each goalie stopped in 4 on 4 play! Wow.

It’s still 2-2 – we’re almost halfway through the second and Boston is on the power play.

Correction, Chimera didn’t get tossed. I know this because he was just by the goal mixing it up with someone again. Picks up another penalty – his third of the game.
Caps just had a power play with three minutes left in the period but couldn’t get anything going.

Still 2-2 after two.

Ovechkin update: 0 points, trails league leader Sedin (Vancouver) by three. Tied with Stamkos (Tampa Bay) for goals lead with 50.

Is the regular season finale destined for overtime? 12:35 left in a 2-2 game.

Caps just took the lead – Knuble scored after they won a faceoff in the Bruins’ zone. 9:30 to go… I didn’t realize Theodore is ranked 29th in goals against average – not good. He makes some great saves sometimes but the consistency must improve this spring if the Caps are to bring Lord Stanley’s Cup to D.C.

Bruins tie it at 4:18 mark. We got a game here, folks.

This is getting ridiculous - the fourth straight game I've covered that has gone into overtime. Something is up...

SHOOTOUT!