Tag: 2008 NFL Draft

Matt Ryan’s move to the CBS booth leaves just 3 active players from the 2008 NFL draft

Matt Ryan’s move to the broadcast booth leaves just 3 active players from the 2008 draft still in the NFL

Matt Ryan has traded in his cleats for a microphone. The former MVP and longtime quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons will be calling games on CBS this fall instead of playing in those broadcasts. Ryan denies he’s retired, but it’s difficult to envision him returning from the broadcast booth after the underwhelming 2022 season he had with the Colts.

With Ryan’s departure, there is almost nobody left from the 2008 NFL draft still active in the league.

Ryan was the No. 3 overall pick in that draft. He was the only top-15 overall pick in that draft class who had played a regular-season snap after the 2018 season. Ryan was one of just eight players from the 2008 draft class who played in 2022. The list:

No. 3 – Matt Ryan

18 – Joe Flacco

26 – Duane Brown

49 – DeSean Jackson

50 – Calais Campbell

57 – Chad Henne

153 – Matthew Slater

160 – Josh Johnson

Ryan and Henne both officially retired this offseason. Flacco is an unsigned free agent, as is Johnson. Jackson is “strongly considering” retirement after being released by the Baltimore Ravens, too.

That leaves three actively rostered players from the draft class: Brown, Campbell and Slater. Brown is penciled in as the starting left tackle for the Jets. Campbell recently signed with Ryan’s old team in Atlanta to play another year of defensive end.

Slater deserves special mention for embarking on his 16th season with the New England Patriots, who drafted him out of UCLA as a wide receiver despite the fact he never caught a pass in college. Slater has been one of the NFL’s preeminent special teams players for the bulk of his career, earning 10 Pro Bowl berths.

Another time the Commanders owner intruded into the NFL draft

Vinny Cerrato checks in with his draft stories involving Dan Snyder.

Grant and Danny hosted former Washington player personnel director Vinny Cerrato last Friday.

Cerrato told a story of how Washington owner Daniel Snyder again intruded into the draft, demanding Cerrato to draft a certain player.

The setting was the 2008 NFL draft. Joe Gibbs had retired following the 2007 season playoff loss at Seattle. Snyder for some very bizarre reason, hired Jim Zorn to be the offensive coordinator before there was a head coach. This meant the new head coach would not even be permitted to hire his own offensive coordinator.

Consequently, Snyder had extreme difficulty finding anyone to take the head coaching job. So, embarrassingly, Snyder then made Zorn the head coach, though he had yet to be a coordinator in the NFL.

When the 2008 draft came, Cerrato traded out of the first round, giving the Redskins three second-round selections. At No. 34, he took Michigan State wide receiver, Devin Thomas.

Snyder then inquired to Cerrato whom he was going to select. Washington held the No. 48 and 51 selections. Cerrato told Grant and Danny that on that day he conveyed to Snyder he was wanting to draft Jamaal Charles a running back out of Texas.

However, Snyder, according to Cerrato, wanted receivers for Jim Zorn’s offense, voiced for Cerrato to take Oklahoma wide receiver Malcolm Kelly. Cerrato says he disagreed and again said he wanted to take Charles.

What was missing in Cerrato’s version of the story is that Washington actually had another selection where Cerrato took USC tight end Fred Davis at No. 48.

Once again Cerrato said Snyder insisted the No. 51 selection be Kelly. So Cerrato surrendered and chose Kelly. Wouldn’t you know it? Kelly was already battling a knee issue, only caught 28 passes for his brief career, and never caught a touchdown pass.

Charles on the other hand was chosen by the Chiefs in the third round at the No. 73 selection. He provided the Chiefs 9 NFL seasons rushing for 7,260 yards, 43 rushing touchdowns averaging a HUGE 5.5 yards per carry.

But hey, Cerrato knows he is not clear from blame for the poor 2008 Washington draft. Thomas only caught 3 touchdown passes and 43 receptions overall in his unspectacular career. Davis had two good seasons (2009, 2011) before his career went south. He caught 162 passes, 13 for touchdowns.

Thomas had been chosen at No. 34 while Jordy Nelson (36th) and Matt Forte (44th) would have both been much better additions to the Washington offense.

Even more frustrating, DeSean Jackson was taken by the Eagles at 49, and Calais Campbell by the Cardinals the very next two picks after Cerrato took Davis at 48.

Oh well, this is the legacy of Daniel Snyder, the people he hired, and how he intruded into football matters.

27 Days, 27 Picks: CB Aqib Talib

The next player in our 27 Days, 27 Picks series became an two-time All-Pro corner — but not in Tampa Bay.

In 27 Days, 27 Picks, Bucs Wire will analyze the last 27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round draft picks, one for each day leading up to the 2023 NFL draft. We’ll take a look at the player’s college stats, their pre-draft numbers (either via the NFL Combine or their Pro Day), their NFL stats, some player footage and analysis at the end on whether the pick itself was a good one.

Our next player in this series was productive for the Bucs, but a slew of off-the-field issues culminated in his trade to the New England Patriots in 2012. He’d become an All-Pro player later in his career, but he never reached that potential with Tampa Bay.

Check out the draft rundown for [autotag]Aqib Talib[/autotag] below:

In wake of playoff appearance, how Chad Henne fared at Michigan vs. Notre Dame

A throwback for Notre Dame and Michigan fans who were watching the NFL playoffs on Saturday.

As Mike Tyson once said, “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face”.  Most would agree that the Kansas City Chiefs suffered the football equivalent of being punched in the face in Saturday’s AFC divisional round when likely 2022 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes left the game with an ankle injury.

Mahomes wound up coming back in later in the contest but in the middle parts the Chiefs were forced to go to backup Chad Henne.  Henne is a Michigan product and a player I’ve rooted for in recent years.  Why?  He graduated college the same year I did and as long as he or the other seven players from the 2008 NFL draft stick around, I won’t feel quite as old watching the NFL.

Henne wasn’t remarkable in Kansas City’s win over the Jaguars, but was effective enough.  He completed 5-of-7 pass attempts for 23 yards which included a touchdown toss to Travis Kelce.  Those are hardly amazing numbers but without them who knows if the Chiefs move on?

The former second round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins appearing made me feel a hair younger on Saturday.  It also made me think of the Notre Dame–Michigan rivalry from 2004-2007 and had me trying to recall how Henne fared against the Irish.

I remembered the game results but didn’t remember his performances specifically.  If you’re sick in the head like myself and are curious how Henne performed against Notre Dame then the following is for you.