Replacing the Drafted Seminoles

This past April, the Florida State Seminoles had 11 players drafted into the NFL. Another (Lonnie Pryor) is looking to make the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent. That makes 12 key Seminoles that have to be replaced. Is it possible that FSU could actually be a better team with all that talent leaving? Let's take a look position by position.

Quaterback
Outgoing: EJ Manuel
Incoming: Jameis Winston

How do the Noles replace a 4 time bowl winner? How about with a former #1 overall QB prospect. You would expect a huge dropoff here, but after the spring game I don't really buy it. Winston beat out the son of one of the coaches to claim this job. A guy that looked very composed in gametime against Clemson and Oklahoma. I think Winston will be fine. If Fisher opens up the playbook and doesn't run such a vanilla offense Winston could actually outperform Manuel. A lot of it depends on the playcalling. All of the wide receivers are coming back, four of five lineman, and two very productive backs. The talent is there from Winston and everyone else.

Runningback
Outgoing: Chris Thompson
Incoming: James Wilder Jr.
Chris Thompson while lightning fast and incredibly explosive was hurt the majority of the last two years. Wilder and Freeman showed flashes of brilliance last year and should take the next step as juniors this year. This could be a very good backfield duo. Wilder looks to be an absolute beast and many are predicting first team All-ACC for the back. If Wilder can play every game like that Clemson game last year, teams better watch out.


Fullback
Outgoing: Lonnie Pryor
Incoming: Chad Abram
Lonnie Pryor is a huge loss for the Seminoles. Pryor was a leader, a playmaker, and an unsung hero. He did all of the little things and was my favorite Seminole the past few years. I am very concerned with how he can be replaced. As worried as I am though, I trust that the talent is there. Wilder could play in a lot of sets the same time as Freeman. Chad Abram could be a very good blocking fullback as well.

Offensive Tackle
Outgoing: Manelik Watson
Incoming: Bobby Hart
Manelik Watson was an incredible talent and an interesting prospect with a lot of upside. Most considered him a project and thought he needed a little more seasoning in college. So of course the Oakland Raiders drafted him because most consider him not ready for the pros. Watson's talent will be missed, but he certainly is a replaceable piece. Bobby Hart has started several games for the Noles in the past and gives the Noles what could be considered a fully returning offensive line. That should give some comfort to the young signal caller for the Noles. The offensive line should be a strength for Florida State and that hasn't been a common theme lately.

Defensive Tackle
Outgoing: Everett Dawkins
Incoming: Eddie Goldman
Dawkins was in a three man rotation at tackle with McAlister and Jernigan. Most people considered Dawkins the worst talent of the group, but he got plenty of time because he was a senior. Now that he's gone, the other two will get even more time and Eddie Goldman will look to be the #3 guy. Goldman is a former 5 star recruit that Warchant considers the #5 most likely Nole to breakout this season. Goldman could likely breakout with increased time and all that talent. The future NFL player looks to make an impact for FSU in 2013.

Defensive End
Outgoing: Bjoern Werner, Brandon Jenkins, and Tank Carradine
Incoming: Mario Edwards, Dan Hicks, and Chris Casher
Brandon Jenkins was considered the best of the group and was even my #1 Seminole heading into 2012 and then he got hurt in game 1. That crushed most Seminole fans including me. However, Tank Carradine filled in and did a great job. Finally, Bjoern Werner proved he clearly deserved to be a 1st round pick. What an amazing group. How can the Seminoles possibly replace that?
They replace it by being loaded at defensive end. FSU is officially becoming DE U. Mario Edwards is a former #1 player in the nation who filled in during the bowl game while Carradine was hurt. Edwards is a monster and no Seminole fan doubts he will be successful, but some are concerned about the other two spots. They shouldn't be though. Dan Hicks is a senior leader and super athletic. Chris Casher is a former All-American and four star recruit. Casher was the #36 player overall in his class.

Linebacker
Outgoing: Nick Woody and Vince Williams
Incoming: Terrance Smith and Telvin Smith
Vince Williams was considered by some the best player in his unit, but Chrisitan Jones was the superior football player and he is coming back for his senior season. Telvin Smith actually started quite a few times last year and got at least even playing time with Nick Moody. With Smith and Jones back this should be a great group. Terrance Smith is a workhorse sophomore that looks to impress. If there is a question in the linebacking corps it is with the younger Smith as he is a bit more unknown.

Defensive Back
Outgoing: Xavier Rhodes
Incoming: Nick Waisome
Xavier Rhodes was one of the best corners in the country. However, it occasionally looked like he took some plays off. I do not foresee that problem with Waisome as I have talked about him in the past. Rhodes is a better player and was the best prospect on FSU's roster last year, but Waisome could have a big year. The Seminoles need Waisome to fill the void left by Rhodes. This is the most key starter on defense for the Noles. If Waisome plays a great corner, FSU likely will have the best defensive backfield in the ACC and one of the best in the country. If he isn't it could be a disappointing season defensively. The rest of the defensive backfield looks great.

Kicker
Outgoing: Dustin Hopkins
Incoming: Roberto Aguayo
Dustin Hopkins was one of the best kickers in the history of college football. Replacing him is a tough task. However, it is possible. FSU replaced the amazing Graham Gano with an even better kicker in Dustin Hopkins. Don't expect that here. Hopkins is so good it would be unfair to expect someone better. Hopkins is an amazing kicker, but his great job replacing Gano gives Noles fans hope. There is hope that Roberto Aguayo can follow in the footsteps of awesome recent FSU kickers.

Overall, I think the Noles can replace all of these great athletes. It is one of the many reasons that I expect FSU to have a big year and possibly be a contender.

-Noland

NFL Training Camp Preview (AFC Edition)

Yesterday, I did my NFC Training Camp preview and today you get the AFC Edition...

AFC East
Buffalo Bills
Will EJ Manuel follow in the footsteps of RG3, Andrew Luck, and Russell Wilson?
YES! I think EJ Manuel will have an amazing year and prove the haters wrong. It will be the most interesting thing to watch in camp. Do not be surprised if the Bills win the AFC East this year. You heard it here first.

Miami Dolphins
Will the Dolphins do anything about Pouncey?
Mike Pouncey and his brother who plays with the Steelers were spotted recently wearing Free Hernandez attire. Seriously. Why would you want to bring up Aaron Hernandez?

New England Patriots
Will the Patriots implode?
The New England Patriots are a complete and total mess with this off the field stuff. It has finally caught up to them. Eventually, this will end the Patriots reign at the top, not sure if it is this year, but the Patriots are done in the near future.

New York Jets
Will Geno Smith drop his attitude?
Besides the fact that EJ Manuel is a better football player that projects better to the NFL, Geno Smith dropped in the draft because of his attitude. Apparently Smith was texting during his interviews with NFL teams. That won't fly in a team meeting. It will be interesting to see if Smith begins to take his pro career seriously.

AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Who will be the Ravens #2 WR?
With Anquan Boldin in San Francisco there is a clear void in the Ravens starting lineup for WR. You would have to assume that Jacoby Jones will take that role, but that may affect his ability to return kicks. Seeing how Jones will respond to an increased role in training camp is an interesting story to follow.

Cincinnati Bengals
How will the team respond to being on Hard Knocks?
Hard Knocks may be the best show on television, but its always interesting to see how a team responds to being on the show. With the Bengals on this year again, it will be intriguing to see the effect.

Cleveland Browns
Will Trent Richardson become elite?
Trent Richardson is a great football player, but he was drafted #3 overall. He needs to take the next step to justify that #3 pick. When I saw him in the Top 100 I could not believe it. Richardson was the #3 rookie back last year, and to me at least he needs to pass up Doug Martin and Alfred Morris in production to justify being #3.

Pittsburgh Steelers
Can Lawrence Timmons become a true leader?
The Steelers are publicly looking for Lawrence Timmons to be more of a leader on an aging defense. With some of the old guard either getting older or leaving, such as James Harrison, Timmons needs to step up and lead this defense if they are going anywhere.

AFC South
Houston Texans
Will Greg Jones make an impact for the Texans?
For FSU fans there are few current NFL players more beloved than Greg Jones. We love the guy. We remember when he ran over Sean Taylor and Dexter Reid in college. Once he got to the pros he was converted to fullback and hasn't made as big of an impact. However, Jones is finally out of the Jacksonville Jaguar system and could make an impact on a contending team in the Texans.

Indianapolis Colts
Will Andrew Luck suffer through a sophomore slump?
If you recall my thoughts around draft time, you remember that I rated several QBs in Luck's class closely. I didn't actually grade them, but I thought Luck, RG3, Russell Wilson, and Kirk Cousins would have similar success. I did not expect it to be that level of success right away though admittedly. As impressed as I was with last year's group, I think there may be a sophomore slump or two headed our way. The guy I expect most to have a dropoff is Andrew Luck.

Jacksonville Jaguars
Will Lonnie Pryor make the Jaguars roster?
Easily my favorite Seminole of the past few years. This guy did all of the little things and I am happy to see him get his shot. I believe he will make the Jaguars roster and make an impact.

Tennessee Titans
Can Kamerion Wimbley get back into the double digits in sacks for 2013?
The Titans surely need it and need a great pass rush going against Houston and Indy. The need Wimbley to lead that rush. This is unfortunately one of the worst teams in football and they desperately need help somewhere. If any team needs an American Ninja Warrior it is the Tennessee Titans.

AFC West
Denver Broncos
Does Champ Bailey have anything left?
My guess is this is the last good year from Champ Bailey. He has lost a step, but he is still effective. After this year and maybe even with this year I don't think that will be the case. It will be interesting to see what one of the greatest of all time is still able to do for the super bowl frontrunner.

Kansas City Chiefs
Will the Chiefs finally play Rodney Hudson?
Rodney Hudson is an absolute beast. He was the best player on Florida State for 4 straight years. He started every game as a Seminole in his career. However, he gets to one of the worst teams in the NFL and rides the bench. The guy only got three starts last year and the team went 1-2 in those starts, one of the losses coming to Atlanta. Kansas City went 1-12 in games that Rodney Hudson didn't start. I know there are other factors, but the Chiefs have to let this guy play. He can play anywhere on the line. He can be guard or center, just get him in there.

Oakland Raiders
Is Sebastian Janikowski getting better?
Janikowski made over 90% of his field goals last year and again had a few over 50 yards. Two seasons ago he hit a 63 yarder. This guy seems to be getting even better. One of the few bright spots returning in Oakland. He is still an odd guy though.

San Diego Chargers
Does Richard Goodman get some action at wide receiver?
Richard Goodman has been a solid kick returner for the Chargers. Could he morph into a role similar to that which Jacoby Jones held last season for the Ravens. Goodman's skill set lends itself toward such an increased role and QB Phillip Rivers could be helped by Goodman in the passing game.
-Noland

What To Look Forward To In 2013

Instead of looking back and seeing how the year went (it was fantastic by the way in sports!!) I thought I would look forward towards what good will be coming in 2013. I'll look at the 3 major sports for both college and pro and a few of the things that we can look forward to.

Major League Baseball

Nolan Reimold Returns

On this blog I am a big Nolan Reimold fan. He is my second favorite Oriole (now that Andino is gone) and is behind only Nick Markakis on my list of Oriole favorites. Before Reimold went down in May, he was the Oriole's best and most reliable hitter. Look up the stats. Reimold would have been an all-star if he stayed healthy and kept that pace up. This guy can just flat out hit. Imagine the production if he stays healthy. Unfortunately, it is a big if, but we are being optimistic. Oh ya, Markakis returns too!

Full Season of Manny Machado

Manny Machado was brought up late in the year for the Orioles and stabilized their defense. The guy saved the Orioles from what was a disaster at 3rd. Very excited to see what the youngster will do with a full season at 3rd. He is the best non-pitching prospect the Orioles have had in a very long time.

Buster Posey is Back!!!

Buster will try to defend his MVP award in 2013. The guy is an animal. He is also one of the classiest athletes in professional sports. Oh and he is a Seminole! Buster Posey has played two full seasons in Major League Baseball. The Giants have won the World Series in each of Posey's full seasons.

NFL

Christian Ponder Makes Playoff Debut

This may not be very exciting for all NFL fans, but as a CP7 fan and a Seminole alumni, I am psyched for Ponder's playoff debut. The guy is all class and I love that the Vikings are going to the playoffs. Sure, Peterson is the big success story with Minnesota this year, but the Vikings don't beat Houston without that performance from Ponder. Ponder played very well the last two weeks, and I hope it continues this week. This is certainly one game I will be looking forward to this weekend.

Peyton Is Still Great

Peyton Manning is back and almost as good as ever. He led the Broncos to the top seed in the AFC and looks poised to make another Super Bowl run. How can you not be intrigued by this guy's return to the playoffs. A possible game with the Patriots must have ESPN going nuts.

Alfred Morris Is On A Mission

Alfred Morris is a terrific running back and one of the great steals of this past year's draft. He also seems very motivated by his Pro Bowl snub. It will be tough for Seattle to stop Morris and RG3, but they will have to try. This seems to be the game to watch in the 1st round of the playoffs.

NBA

The Spurs Teamwork

Some may call it boring, but I call it the best teamwork in sports. This team is so unselfish and so great and it is something to watch. I cannot wait to see if Pop is able to deliver another title this season. The way this team plays basketball is like poetry in motion. I look forward to more Spurs basketball in 2013.

One Year Closer to David Stern's Retirement

I have not left my feelings for commissioner Stern unknown. Check out my previous entry on him if you want to know more about that. This guy has got to go so the best team can actually win. We can see the Spurs hold that trophy once again if the commish leaves.

College Baseball

#11 Goes For The Title

The Seminoles beloved baseball coach, who I am a big fan of here, goes for that coveted title. This is my #1 team if I had to pick the team I most want to win. Mike Martin is such a loyal and good man. Martin is one of my role models in coaching. A famous quote of his is "there is never a wrong time to do the right thing." A guy like that really deserves to win the big one.

College Football

One Year Closer to Louisville in the ACC

This team should help end the hate against the ACC. Losing Maryland and gaining Louisville was a huge get for the conference. Louisville is much more legit than Louisville. This will help stop the strength of schedule questions that plagued the Seminoles this season. Teddy Bridgewater coming to the ACC sounds big. Pittsburgh and Syracuse join next year too which is also exciting. Both are solid enough that they add another legit opponent.

One Year Closer to a Playoff

Personally I wanted to see Notre Dame play Kansas State or Oregon for the national title. The playoff will help determine which one truly deserves the opportunity. Even if it is Alabama or Florida, I prefer it get settled on the field some way. The playoff is coming soon.

Seminoles Look Strong

The Seminoles had the #1 recruiting class 2 years ago, the #2 class last year and will likely add another top 10 class this year. These Noles look pretty good. They are already 1-0 in 2013 too. Must be a good omen for things to come. I sure will miss Lonnie Pryor though.

Nothing excites me about College Basketball right now.

-Noland