Live Blog
April 26, 2008 by pastapadre
I’ll be around throughout the first round updating on a regular basis. Keep refreshing for new things that have been added such as draft thoughts and rookie Madden screenshots coming out of EA’s Madden 09 draft page (which will include “trading cards” with the rookies). I’ll also try to respond questions posed in the comments just keep in mind I can only give my thoughts on items surrounding Madden and NCAA that are public knowledge and not hands-on specific until 5/2.
1145: If the draft goes as they’re slating it right now (Long-Long-Ryan-McFadden) where does Dorsey end up? The Chiefs already have a ton of picks but I’d imagine someone like the Bengals or Saints looking to move up to grab him.
1204: As big as Jake Long is described I didn’t think he looked that huge in person.
1211: Chris Long is the better pick than Dorsey for the Rams. Already feeling the benefit of shortening the time between picks.
1214: Last year the Madden rookie screenshots lagged behind where the draft was at and I expect that to happen again especially with less time between picks. Apparently it is a pretty time consuming process to get those done on the spot like that.
1218: Good move for the Falcons to draft Ryan and put the whole Vick thing to bed for good.
1228: Dorsey made more sense for the Raiders but I can understand why a team would want to draft McFadden. There really isn’t any risk because if he ends up being a disappointment then everyone was wrong (the Reggie Bush scenario). But if they pass on him and he turns out to be great then they will regret it for a long time.
1232: Anyone see the Madden 09 footage aired on NFL Network earlier? I didn’t but I’ve got my Tivo running and if it plays again I’ll have it ready to upload soon after.
1235: The Chiefs are going to make out pretty well this year with all their picks. Getting Dorsey there at #5 is practically a steal and they can still grab an offensive lineman at #17.
1238: NFL Network draft coverage > ESPN draft coverage
1246: The process for rookie screenshots is tedious and time consuming as mentioned earlier. I’m surprised they didn’t have Jake Long’s ready to go though (it is still a few minutes away). They also are including an interactive trading card on the website for each first rounder. I’ll drop the screen here once it’s out.
1254: Flurry of trades now. That is a big move by Jacksonville they must’ve given up a lot.
1256: Good news as a Seahawks fan that the Ravens are sitting at 26. Now a team looking to grab Flacco or Henne will look to the Seahawks at 25 for a trade.
106: Jake Long screenshot will be up within the next five minutes.
111: Jake Long Dolphins screenshot (click thumbnail to view) 
119: There is a delay on the Chris Long screenshot. Matt Ryan is up. 
123: Good news that the Broncos are going OT instead of RB. Want Jonathan Stewart in a Seahawks uniform!
125: The draft is just cruising along. Love the new format.
128: “pasta, what do you think about the screenshots so far?” (Sean). The Ryan one looks pretty good, I think it’s just really tough to take screens of offensive lineman given I know from doing the Madden Mock Draft which would explain why Jake Long’s isn’t great. The EA guys are there taking the screens and doing their best in a time crunching situation.
128: No! Stewart is gone!
137: I’ll have to keep a dream of Mendenhall or Albert dropping to 25 alive (unlikely) otherwise it’ll be a trade down for the Seahawks.
145: The Chiefs getting Albert is a great move. Albert and Dorsey that is a hell of a first round. Building from the inside out is the right way to go. They just need a QB now.
153: While the Cardinals needed a CB with Rolle moving to safety I’m relieved that they didn’t take Mendenhall.
157: Well first big surprise there with the Lions. I figured that the Lions didn’t want Mendenhall if they were trading behind the Cardinals.
158: Chris Long on the Rams screenshot 
203: Ravens move back up. Will it be Flacco or Henne?
206: The dream of Mendenhall is starting to look like a reality. The Cowboys and Steelers are the two that may consider him but I don’t see the others taking him.
211: Surprised the Eagles traded down with Devin Thomas still on the board.
218: After getting to meet DeSean Jackson I’m really curious to see where he ends up but still no WRs have been picked (I expect TB to take one here though).
222: Well now it’s the Redskins with their pick of WRs.
228: Wow no one wants a wide receiver?
236: This Cowboys pick is going to be really interesting.
238: The Cowboys took Felix Jones over Mendenhall! I really appreciate that.
242: Figures the Steelers would steal Mendenhall. I hate them even more now.
248: Glenn Dorsey Chiefs screenshot 
251: Chris Johnson is going to be surprisingly good, I just didn’t expect him to go until the second round. Seahawks up now, if they can’t trade down then maybe a WR or Phillip Merling.
254: Seahawks on the clock. That means cut to commercial time or talk about other teams like every year.
258: That’s a relief a trade. Still can get one of those players but pick up something extra. I guess the Cowboys are going WR here. Got #28, 163, 235 for #25.
300: Well they did need a CB. But wow still no receivers taken and I wouldn’t expect the Texans or Chargers to take one. So it could be back to the Seahawks with all the WRs available.
311: What a surprise, time for them to take another break with the Seahawks on the clock.
317: I really was hoping for an offensive selection there. Memories of Lofa Tatupu makes this at least somewhat encouraging. Seems like a safe pick.
323: Crazy that this is the longest a draft has ever gone without a receiver being taken.
336: With the first round now over…and how about that it was only 3 1/2 hours…I’ll continue updating just maybe not quite as often. Definitely will continue adding in the screenshots as they appear.
341: Darren McFadden Raiders screenshot 
344: Wow I’m not sure what the Rams are thinking taking Avery as the first WR. Thomas then goes to the Redskins so they get great value there.
400: Derrick Harvey Jags screen. 
402: Excited about trading up and addressing TE by taking Carlson (who they wanted all along). Really would’ve liked Limus Sweed there too.
404: Been told that the screenshots should start coming at a faster pace.
428: Leodis McKelvin, Keith Rivers, and Sedrick Ellis screenshots coming up shortly.
441: The Rivers and McKelvin screens are absolutely fantastic. Seems like they’re getting better as they go. 
447: So is everyone noticing the uniforms are correct so far? Bills blue on blue.
454: Good to see DeSean Jackson go off the board finally. I’ll be rooting for him to do well.
456: Great one here. Vernon Gholston Jets screenshot. 
525: Who’s up for some GTA IV online this week? I was considering a get together night for it even.
555: Well how about that the first day of the draft is over within 6 hours. So much more enjoyable this year and it seemed like the activity wasn’t adversely affected.
621: Latest update on the first round screenshots is they’re still working on getting them out and they will be in the studio until they’re done no matter how long it takes. Jerod Mayo should be up soon.
644: Jerod Mayo Patriots 
701: I’ll be in and out the rest of the evening and will be adding the screenshots here in bunches when I can. Feel free to leave feedback about the live blog idea as well. It’s the first time I’ve ever tried something like this.
906: Got Jonathan Stewart, Joe Flacco, and Gosder Cherilus. 
1004: Jeff Otah and Chris Williams 
1033: I’ve seen some people pointing out minor errors in uniforms. If you notice anything please leave a note in the comments and I’ll compile a list to send to EA. Heading off to sleep so I’ll tack on the rest of the screenshots in the morning.
4/27
835: Rashard Mendenhall, Sam Baker, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Felix Jones 
842: Lawrence Jackson, Ryan Clady, Chris Johnson, and Kenny Phillips 
845: Dustin Keller, Duane Brown, Antoine Cason 
850: Kentwan Balmer, Branden Albert, Mike Jenkins, Aqib Talib 
1208: Hey the Seahawks just drafted Owen Schmitt, he was at the NCAA cover reveal event actually. Pleasantly surprised he was snagged.
519: So what did you guys think of the live blog? Was it worthwhile? Should there be more of them? Ways to improve?
Keep leaving notes on the jerseys and if any errors are noticed and I’ll continue to add them to the list which is being sent to Madden producer Phil Frazier.
Thanks to everyone who’s been contributing to the site by visiting and commenting. The last three days have been the most successful in terms of visitors and views since its inception.
This concludes the posting I’ll be doing for the live blog but I will continue to monitor any comments.
yeah im liking the shorter time too.
I’m liking the shorter time to only 23 picks until my Titans pick
BOOOO titans GO JAGS!
where can i find the rokie pics from madden 09
Dmitry wrote:
they’ll be on here.. but they’re not up yet.. they’ll probably run 7-10 picks behind i’m guessing.. it takes a while to add the player, jump in a game, capture a shot and then upload it
ok thanx alot
Yeah, I saw that Madden 09 footage on NFL Network too.
Love Love LOVE the shorter times!
how can i see the madden 09 footage?
where can i see the footage?
The Cowboys traded linebacker Akin Ayodele and tight end Anthony Fasano to the Miami Dolphins for a 4th round pick. The trade has not been confirmed by either team.
its been confirmed by Dallas….
http://dallascowboys.com/news......E1CC304AA9
that madden draft page doesn’t seem to be working
J-E-T-S…SUCK SUCK SUCK. God their fans are obnoxious. Go Bills!!!!
XxMadCowxX wrote:
what time was this on?
ESPN is better.
HaHa I told all you Jets Fans they were gonna take Gohlston after they were all like no we arent.
Gholston will be a solid player
Beau wrote:
It was on last night at about 12:00 AM - 2:00 AM.
I’m not sure, but it looked amazing.
It showed a feature called EA Replay or something.
It was combined with an interview with Brett Favre.
haha, haven’t they had since tuesday to make jake long’s trading card?
i think it might be at gamespot but i am checking
never mind
the card is up
looks like the easports people weren’t prepared at all
for height it says 315 pounds for weight it says 6′7. wow
it is safe to say the ea draft thing is a bust
jerod mayo was an awesome pick, he will be a better pro than rivers IMO.
that screenshot doesnt even look like jake long…
holy shit, I just read that jake long was 6′7”
damn
that’s like marcus mcneill, and in person mcneill could eat me.
Matt Ryan card is up.
That screenshot looks terrible.
you figure EA would have the top 40 or so players ready and just have to put them in the jersey.
that being said….that’s not a very good picture of Long.
very smallish looking and skinny for a 6′7 315lb LT
ea’s draft cards aren’t looking good so far
pasta, what do you think about the screenshots so far?
i dnt think players look so good atm in the screen shots
PASTA! Panthers just took Stewart! Sorry bud!
what do u guys think of the screenshots?
Dmitry wrote:
downright terrible
I like how the draft is going a lot faster this year . I think they made the right decision switching to 10 minute rounds.
NOOOO! stewart is on the panthers! they suck! Stewart is screwed! What is your problem carolina?! I hope he is the starter though
thanx pasta, that does make sense
Chiefs are taking advantage of all there picks that they had.
I just started playing ncaa 08 and I edited the rosters to make my draft in madden 08 turn out similar. So I am gonna sim a season of each and use the ncaa draft class, and see my results.
what’s going on, they need to update these screenshots, they are already on the 16th pick.
the panthers already screwed up deangelo williams’s career.
millen take another wr
Chris Long’s screenshot is now up
What? The Lions didn’t pick a wideout? Blasphemy.
fire millen, fire millen, fire millen, fire millen
pasta,
Why do you want Mendenhall soo much?
we have already spent a bunch of money on our backfield in duckett and jones..
why would we want mendenhall?
dangizzitydang that Rams- Long Screen Looks BA besides the fact that Lenard Little is No. 91. but I guess they just used his college number.
Well, I think we can safely assume that the Rams white on white alternates are in the game. In that pic, Chris Long has gold pants, but the Rams on the sidelines are in white pants.
Luke wrote:
Just don’t pass on a guy like that. He fits the west coast offense system perfectly and he wouldn’t have to take a beating as a rookie since he could split time.
Padre, we wont pass on Rashard. Sorry. You guys are getting Dustin Keller.
i do agree his style would fit the hawks very well..but wouldnt we want someone like DeShaun Jackson out of CAL or Devin Thomas out of Michigan state to replace hackett?
Luke wrote:
Possibly. I just have the feeling they were planning on trading down if Stewart wasn’t there and they didn’t expect Mendenhall to last to them.
Well whatever happens i have faith in seattle. i think they are potential NFC champs this year…
they are taking care of business
NFL to Akib Talib “didn’t you know that weed is a new performance enhancing drug?”
This year seems to me to me like a year of mortgaging. Both ryan and Falco are going to be ok but are going to have to work hard to really be great players. The first 6 were the best and the rest just have to benefit from coaching and good team situations
on my draft on madden somehow I got glenn dorsey in the 6th round, on any other I have done he was a top 5 pick.
Felix Jones is the man.. oh and pasta Steelers will take ur boy..
Mendenhalll is gone
ha pasta they crushed ur dreams lol.. yall will trade down now
Dorsey screen is up
Glenn Dorsey pic is up.
I’m not going to lie, I really enjoy the pace of the draft. We would probably still be at pick #10 in the past years at this time.
where are the rookie screenshots?
EA is falling behind.
if Seattle really wanted Mendenhall they would have traded down..
that tells you that they have something up their sleeve
Chris Johnson OMG. How much fun am I gonna have running with my Titans
DJ 77 wrote:
Thats a fast mf`er.. Nice pick.
chris johnson? we suck!!!! we just picked chris henry all over again
marlon wrote:
U must have not seen this guy play..
Hey Pasta whoever gets Philip Merling I thk its a steal at this point u agree??
marlon wrote:
It can hurt to have a RB that can run a 4.24.
What, what, what, what are my Titans doing…(sigh)@#$%!
can’t
potential Titans Draft
1st-Chris Johnson
2nd-Limas Sweed
How could you be mad at this.
Mike Jenkins to Cowboys…. PLEASE
what did seattle get for their pick?
they got the 28th pick but then what?
we just drafted this guy last year his name is chris henry. i just watched some clips on hime and god hes fast. but if he aint getting alot of touches he cant help. and im afraid that our conservative system will stunt his growth
Luke wrote:
5th and 7th rounders
lameeeeeeeee
=/
Dallas Cowboys wrote:
When the eagles win a superbowl you can talk.
im guessing seattle will take sweed.
what do you guys think?
Pasta, wouldn’t that be totally awesome if the panthers drafted Denis Dixon? Team mates with Stewaert. Totally freakin’ awesome! They should do that.
Is that Dorsey playing next to Jared Allen?
Luke wrote:
I like him a lot. Don’t be shocked if they take Brian Brohm and then move Seneca Wallace to WR. I don’t think it’ll happen but there has been some Chad Henne/Brohm speculation up here.
lmao at seattle
seattle gets more defensive pressure but wtf were they thinking
What did the Packers receive in the trade?
Bagel wrote:
#36 and a fourth rounder
Kentwan Balmer to the Niners! This is a steal for us now we have Balmer and Willis in the middle oh my!!!
Luke wrote:
the same could’ve been said about the Giants having a deep DE rotation and look how that turned out
No receivers in the entire first round?
Yea, that ‘Cane dominance continues…..
McFadden card up
Were the captains patch on the uniforms last yr? Thats a nice touch.
damn
McFadden looks so real.
check out his biceps, they look exactly like his in real life.
47 wrote:
I don’t think so.
Derrick Harvey card is up.
im so pumped i like the little features like the captain patch on donnie edwards thats tite