As with a lot of sites, we're going to take a look at the round 1 winners and losers from yesterday. In general, there has been a lot of disagreement as to which teams did well and which teams didn't do well. Hopefully, I can shed a little light on the subject. There was a number of teams that made moves in the draft including the Falcons, Browns, and Jaguars. The first round also include a run on quarterbacks starting with the Titans and ending with the Vikings. There's much to discuss, so; let's get to it.
Winners:
Arizona Cardinals - The Cardinals field a bad defense year in and year out. They were able to draft Patrick Peterson, a guy that some thought would go number one overall earlier in the off-season, with the fifth pick of the draft. He'll make an immediate impact for that defense, and it's hard to imagine him being a bust.
Cleveland Browns - Cleveland fans have it hard. They cheer every year for a team that never seems to get any better. The Browns traded away the 6th overall pick for the 27th, 59th, and 124th pick of this year's draft as well as Atlanta's first and fourth round picks next year. Now, that's a deal.
Jacksonville Jaguars - I'm trying to look at this objectively. The Jaguars essentially gave up their 2nd round pick to be able to pick a guy that many considered the best quarterback in this year's draft. I think that qualifies as a solid deal.
Indianapolis Colts - The Colts used the 22nd overall pick to draft Anthony Castonzo. The fact that he fell to them is pretty fortunate from their standpoint. He's a combination of need and value for the Colts, and he should be able to keep most pass rushers away from Manning.
Chicago Bears - The Bears wanted Gabe Carimi, but they botched a trade with the Ravens that would have put them in position to draft him. Regardless, they got a little luck, and they were still able to pick him with the 29th pick. As with the Colts and Castonzo, he's a good blend of need and value at that position.
New England Patriots - Adam Stites tweeted last night, "If I was an NFL GM and the caller ID said Bill Belichick I'd let it ring. See if he can do jedi mind tricks on a voicemail." That pretty much sums up their ability to acquire picks from other teams.
Losers:
Carolina Panthers - I could be wrong, but Cam Newton just never showed that he was worthy of the first pick of the draft. He has a lot of question marks going forward, and only time will tell if the pick was a bang or a bust.
Atlanta Falcons - They paid a king's ransom to move up to the 6th pick of the draft, and they used it on Julio Jones. The terms of the trade speak volumes for how the Falcons felt about Jones, but I can't shake the feeling that that was a horrible deal for the Falcons.
Minnesota Vikings - They say that if you like a QB, you take him now. The Vikings took that to heart by drafting Christian Ponder with the 12th pick. I personally view that as a big reach, but to each his own.
New Orleans Saints - I actually like the trade to get Mark Ingram, but they should have never had to worry about going after a running back. The Saints are feeling the pain of the Reggie Bush pick even today.
Oakland Raiders - I must have missed their pick. Who'd they take? Oh, that's right. They didn't have one.