University of New Mexico kicker Kenny Byrd landed a three-year free-agent contract with the Detroit Lions and fellow Lobo offensive lineman Robert Turner reached an agreement with the Dallas Cowboys. The terms of Turner's deal are not being disclosed.

Byrd said he still has the option to go with another team if a better offer comes along in the next few days, but he is elated to be with the Lions.

"I''m so excited about it," he said. "It's pretty unbelievable to be able to say, `I'm a Detroit Lion.'"

UPDATE: Here's a link to the story about Byrd and Turner I posted on the Tribune's Web site.

Posted by ilimon at 06:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The marathon draft has come to an end.

Quincy Black was the only Lobo drafted, but agents for Robert Turner and Kenny Byrd are hard at work now lighting up phones of teams with room on their rosters at their positions.

But we finally have heard the last word from Mel Kiper Jr. and company. Love him or hate him, you really don't need or want to hear anyone for about 20 hours.

Check back for updates later tonight on all the Lobos. And, of course, there will be more coverage in Monday's edition of the Trib.

Posted by ilimon at 04:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We are down to the last five picks of the draft, and it appears Lobos Robert Turner and Kenny Byrd will be hunting for free-agent contracts and camp invitations. This is not exactly a surprise, but I'm sure it's pretty tough on Turner. Byrd knew few kickers get drafted and thought he'd have better luck scouting the teams with the greatest kicking needs and seeking an invitation to camp.

Turner is a guy who has gotten tons of accolades his entire UNM career. He was part of an offensive line that was extremely successful early in his career and the draft always seemed like a strong possibility for him. Then some bad things happened.

He fractured his wrist and had surgery before his senior year, forcing him to sit out an important spring football session when the new Bob Toledo offense was installed. The line struggled with the departure of Ryan Cook, who was so good he blocked two or three guys after the snap or slowed them down enough to keep everyone together. The line struggled under a new position coach, who I can say now that he is gone was a terrible fit for the team.

Turner righted the ship and is a tremendous leader. He was determined to turn things around and put himself in better draft position by the end of his senior year. Then he ran into more wrist trouble and couldn't complete workouts at the same time all the other pro prospects did leading up to the draft. He probably looked good on paper, but teams were wary of the injury issue. Why draft him when you can get him as a free agent and check out whether he'll work out for cheap?

So Turner is getting a taste of what Hank Baskett endured last year, but it all worked out for Hank.

At this point, it's best not to get drafted and go with a team where you fill a need and have the best chance of staying on the roster.

I think Turner has the ability and intelligence to overcome this obstacle much like Baskett did, but it's not easy and there are no guarantees. We'll see what happens next.

Posted by ilimon at 03:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UTEP quarterback Jordan Palmer was selected by the Washington Redskins with the 31st pick of the sixth round and 205th overall pick of the draft.

I'm surprised he got drafted and think this is a big mistake by the Redskins, but they haven't exactly been lighting up a great draft run anyway. Palmer is nowhere near as good as his big brother Carson, but he thinks he is just as talented. That's why he was leading the nation in interceptions at some point during the past two seasons. He is supremely confident in his ability to make tough passes that he just can't make. And if you can't hack it and make good decisions at UTEP, how in the world are you going to adjust to the speed and pressure of the NFL.

Good for Jordan Palmer getting this far and living out his dreams. But bad for Redskins fans who took on a project that may never get off the ground.

Posted by ilimon at 02:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

TCU offensive tackle Herbert Taylor was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the No. 22 pick in the sixth round and 197 overall pick of the draft. Taylor's another strong TCU athlete, the kind who posed a lot of problems for other Mountain West Conference teams.

Still no news on Robert Turner or Kenny Byrd. This is about the range I would expect Turner to potentially get a call, although I would not be surprised if he slipped to free agency. More on why I think he might not get drafted in a separate post coming in a few.

Posted by ilimon at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I think Tampa Bay just ended up with two of the best, and least heralded, linebackers in college football. They took Quincy Black yesterday and just selected Adam Hayward of Portland State. Don't worry too much about competition ... Black will play outside or middle linebacker, while Hayward is an inside guy. The thing is both these guys are really athletic and had tons of tackles last season. No one paid much attention to them and dismiss them because of the level of competition they faced, but I think they're a very strong tandem. Of course Tampa Bay has some great guys already on defense, but I foresee them playing cover two the way Rocky Long does -- rotate a ton of guys to keep the thing running like hell on wheels. Never let up on a single down ever. Could be a lot of fun to watch and a great formula for success.

And as I wrote this, Houston stepped up and took Wyoming safety John Wendling with the ninth pick of the sixth round and 183rd pick overall. I interviewed Wendling twice and think he's a pretty nice, down-to-Earth guy. He was up for a lot of academic and service awards in addition to being the centerpiece of a very strong Wyoming defense. The scouts say they don't care, but I think it does hurt when you come from a small school and your team wasn't always competitive. You can't deny this guy is talented and he should be able to stay on Houston's roster.

Posted by ilimon at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I forgot to post when New England selected Colorado State offensive tackle Clint Oldenburg with the 34th pick in the fifth round and 171st pick overall of the draft. This should be a nice fit Oldenburg, who I think can stick to the Patriots' roster. Life obviously just got a lot more interesting in New England with the addition of Randy Moss. I like the restriction I just heard about on the deal. One problem or scandal and the Patriots say Moss is gone. And the thing is, the Pats are probably one of the few teams with the clout to really do it. They can live without him and they've got what he wants -- Super Bowl rings. No other Mountain West guys, but a lot of WAC and other small conference guys are getting the call now.

Posted by ilimon at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Of course the biggest news today is Oakland trading Randy Moss to New England for a fourth-round pick and a lot of other stuff. On paper, it sounds pretty good for both teams. Moss wasn't happy rebuilding in Oakland. He may be have a caustic personality, but you have to give him credit for training like crazy and not being as likely take him ball and go him like Terrell Owens. So Oakland has this great bargaining chip to rebuild with and the Patriots get the type of receiver Tom Brady needs to make his offense more than just a sad shadow of its championship self. I'm a New England fan, but I have to admit the trade made me uncomfortable at first. I don't like guys who have attitude problems, even if they don't necessarily get in the way of their great play. It's growing on me, but it's not easy to love this trade if you are wary of guys like Moss.

See, this is why day two is awesome. Really fast picks. A big trade. And the guys who go today are more likely to be the impact players on these teams down the road. Just check out the Super Bowl XLI roster, and you'll see a ton of guys who were drafted on day two or came out of free agency.

Posted by ilimon at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Opps, I forgot about TCU safety Marvin White as a strong Mountain West Conference guy still available. Sometimes I look at TCU and think you could take any guy off their defense and be happy knowing you got a great athlete who is hungry and flies to the ball. Maybe it's just the talent pool in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the fact that they tend to dominate the MWC offensive players whose game are rarely based on speed.

White went to Cincinnati with the No. 15 pick of the fourth round and 114th overall pick of the draft. Good pick for the Bengals. And it says something nice about White too because Cincinnati is one of those teams this year that is only picking guys with good character (can't imagine why). White must have passed all the right tests.

Posted by ilimon at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Utah defensive tackle Paul Soliai is headed to Miami, which drafted him with the ninth pick of round four and 108th selection overall. Soliai is one of many strong Mountain West Conference players still available who could be great impact players for teams.

Some of the top MWC guys left include tight end Jonny Harline from BYU, defensive tackle Kelly Talavou from Utah, safety John Wendling from Wyoming and offensive lineman Robert Turner from UNM. We'll talk more about Turner's prospects later, which unfortunately aren't looking as good as most Lobo fans might think heading into today. And don't yell at me for not mentioning Kenny Byrd. Of course I think he's clutch and can play at the next level, it's just that kickers don't get drafted. It's better for them to get invited to a tryout.

Posted by ilimon at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning!

I know a lot of people like the drama of the first day of the NFL Draft, including speculation of who will go first. I happen to like day two a lot. There are guys with a lot more interesting personal stories who have overcome obstacles to fight their way into the NFL. The quicks also come a lot more quickly.

We've got some Lobos who could get thei big call today, including Robert Turner and Kenny Byrd. Let's watch and see what happens.

Posted by ilimon at 09:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The marathon first day of the draft is mercifully over, and I'm taking a break from this wall-to-wall NFL action. I'll be back tomorrow with live blog updates, comments from Quincy Black and the latest on Lobos Robert Turner and Kenny Byrd.

Good night.

Posted by ilimon at 09:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I went back through my recording of the draft and here is what Mel Kiper Jr. had to say about Quincy Black:

Kiper said: "Speed. That's his game. You talk about moving him around and put him in positions where he can make plays. This kid is an athlete who can run like a deer. You talk about a kid who can fly. Six-1 and a half, 237 pounds, 4.42s consistently, 42-inch vertical jump.

"Not real instinctive though. Locating the ball, finding the football not his forte on a consistent basis but speed and athleticism definitely are. Kind of like a Thomas Howard type who came out of UTEP last year to Oakland.

"They're rolling the dice that, hey, you can get him in the right spot. Special teams should be a big factor. One of the fastest defensive players and most athletic players in this draft, just not real instinctive."

Chris Berman noted the hardships Black has overcome and said it was nice to see him make it to the NFL.

So do you agree with Kiper's take on Quincy?

Posted by ilimon at 08:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Bucs chose Quincy Black with the fourth pick of the third round, making him the draft's 68th overall selection. Here's the story I posted on the Trib's Web site with more details. I will post more updated information once I get in touch with Black.

Posted by ilimon at 07:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Get ready for the last 32 picks for today and the round we should see Quincy Black drafted. I hope they finally start to go a little more rapid fire with the picks, but I won't hold my breath.

Posted by ilimon at 07:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chicago took Central Michigan defensive end Dan Bazuin with its second round pick instead of former Lobo Quincy Black. So the wait continues, but Black said he would be thrilled to go anywhere. Chicago just would be really nice. It could still happen, just not this round.

Posted by ilimon at 06:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eric Wright from UNLV was selected with No. 21 pick in the second round and No. 52 overall. He has a ton of talent, but ESPN analysts are talking about rape and drug possession charges Wright faced previously and the big character issue that has loomed over the draft. He's getting a huge second chance and could have been drafted higher, arguably the top MWC pick, if he had a clean background.

Posted by ilimon at 06:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We're nine spots away from the Bears' second-round pick. Will Quincy Black get his fairy tale draft story? We'll find out if it will happen in the second round pretty soon.

Posted by ilimon at 05:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Miami Dolphins chose BYU quarterback John Beck with the No. 8 pick of the second round and 40th selection overall in the draft. Beck has been getting glowing reviews all day and analysts are surprised that he slipped this far in the draft and the Dolphins should feel fortunate to get him at this point.

Posted by ilimon at 05:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Aah, there's the love affair with Utah's Eric Weddle I expected to continue on draft day. Weddle got all the draft hype in the Mountain West Conference this year. San Diego selected Weddle with the No. 5 pick in the second round and No. 37 pick overall in the draft.

The ESPN analysts did question whether San Diego gave up too much trading up to get Weddle, but they never question his talent or versatility.

So Weddle is the first Mountain West Conference player plucked in the draft. We'll see who is next.

Here's one other interesting note. The first round was dominated by players from BCS schools. This isn't exactly unusual, but the little guys normally get at least one person in the first round. Not this year.

Posted by ilimon at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Cibola High star Alan Branch finally landed on an NFL team, going to Arizona with the first pick in the second round and 33rd overall of the draft. Here's the story I just posted on the Trib's Web site with all the details.

Posted by ilimon at 04:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oooh ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. slammed Alan Branch, saying he has the size and talent to be a star but this slip in the draft should be a wake-up call that he must perform better. Kiper also said Branch could have used another year at Michigan.

It's so nice when they add insult to injury. They didn't say this is a wake-up call for Brady Quinn, who campaigned to be the No. 1 pick and fell to No. 22. I can see why the Branch family can't stand Kiper. He may be right, but he isn't consistent with who he chooses to take swipes at and who he gives a free pass.

Posted by ilimon at 04:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cibola High star Alan Branch wasn't among the first 32 names called during the NFL Draft, bumping him to the second round at best. He left Michigan a year early based on the projections that listed him as a top 15 pick, but rumors about stress fractures in his leg and poor work ethic seemed to have hurt him tremendously.

I don't think Branch will be waiting much longer, but I said that a few hours ago. This, by the way, is the longest first round in NFL Draft history.

Posted by ilimon at 04:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK, for just a second I thought maybe the Bears will stun everyone and take Quincy Black with the second to last pick in the first round. Ummm, no. They went with a very good pick, Miami tight end Greg Olsen, to help bolster their offense. I saw the Super Bowl live, and I can certainly attest to their need for a strong tight end who can catch the ball and give the Bears a boost on offense.

Black's really supposed to go in the second or third round anyway.

Posted by ilimon at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So far the stupid Coors commercials are bugging me more than the draft experts. They use stock audio of press conferences and pretend the coaches are responding to stupid beer questions. It's just lame. And unfortunately, it's in heavy rotation. It gives me even more of an excuse to check the Red Sox-Yankees game during commercial breaks, although my Sox are finally starting to fall off cloud nine. You knew the Yankees would not lose forever. It would be nice, but it wasn't going to happen.

Posted by ilimon at 03:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BYU quarterback John Beck is the first Mountain West Conference guy to get some hype as the draft crawls along through the end of the first round. They gave a glowing assessment of his skills and potential as a pro quarterback on ESPN. They flashed to Beck live in Provo, Utah, where he grinned and laughed at all the lavish praise.

I wonder how much pull Steve Young had in making sure Beck got some love. It's funny because during the season, Utah's Eric Weddle was the guy everyone absolutely loved.

Posted by ilimon at 03:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's not looking good for Alan Branch as the draft rolls on and teams searching for defensive players but opted not to go with Branch. He is getting dangerously close to tumbling out of the first round, which certainly would be a disappointment for a guy who came out of school early to lock in his high draft status. He'll still make a lot of money and have a lot of motivation to prove people they were wrong to snub him, but it's still not a pleasant experience.

Posted by ilimon at 02:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After looking miserable and hiding in the commissioner's private lounge, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn was drafted by Cleveland with the No. 22 pick. Quinn grew up a few hours from Cleveland and its a great fit for him. He called it "a childhood dream" to play for the Browns during his interview on ESPN.

Now Phil Parker, the Trib's sports copy chief, can go back to being a Browns fan. He was furious over the team's first pick and wanted Adrian Peterson or Brady Quinn. Now he's got Quinn. My sister went to Notre Dame and I'm an Irish fan, so I'm happy for Quinn too.

If Quinn can get his sweet story playing for him hometown team, then maybe Quincy Black will end up in Chicago.

Posted by ilimon at 02:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I thought Alan Branch would go to Denver, but the Broncos took Florida defensive end Jarvis Moss with the No. 17 pick. Moss is an athletic pass rusher, so I guess that fits Denver's needs better than a big guy like Branch. So we're still waiting for Branch's big moment.

Posted by ilimon at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's OK if Alan Branch slips in the draft spots, but it's not so easy to take when another defensive tackle is picked ahead of him. The Green Bay Packers selected defensive tackle Justin Harrell of Tennessee with the No. 16 pick, spurning Branch. Harrell had an injury that prevented him from competing in every phase of the draft process, while Branch competed in everything. Yet Branch got the injury tag and was considered a risk. It doesn't make sense to me, but I still think Branch will go soon. At least he's not Brady Quinn hiding in the commissioner's private room. Did he learn nothing from watching Matt Leinart last year? Talk about awkward moments.

Posted by ilimon at 01:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I just got back from Lobo football practice. Unfortunately for Alan Branch, he didn't get picked while I was gone. It looks like all the negative rumors hurt him a little bit after all. He was projected to be a top 15 pick and that didn't happen. It isn't necessarily a bad thing if he goes within the next seven to 10 picks. He will still make a lot of money, he probably will go to a more competitive team and he'll have a bigger chip on his shoulder to prove himself.

I'll post a Lobo football practice update soon and keep watching the draft.

Posted by ilimon at 01:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm leaving for Lobo football practice, but technology and my lovely cell phone will let me keep up with the draft. And we'll have a story up on abqtrib.com as soon as we learn Alan Branch's fate.

Posted by ilimon at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I think Cleveland made a good choice with Joe Thomas, although it probably is giving the Trib's Phil Parker a heart attack. Parker is a huge Browns fan and wanted Adrian Peterson. Thomas is solid and if you read the Sports Illustrated feature on him a few weeks ago, I think it'd be hard to think of him as anything less than a great choice. He's a nice guy who happens to be a very, very good left tackle. And if you read The Blind Side, an awesome book by Michael Lewis, you know how important it is to have a strong left tackle.

Posted by ilimon at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

No pressure for JaMarcus Russell, the LSU quarterback picked with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft by the Oakland Raiders.

He's great and he could do well, but he has no offensive line. That's gonna hurt for awhile. I wonder of the Raiders will have the patience to let him develop. I think he can be great for the team, but perhaps it would have been smarter to trade the No. 1 pick for more first-round selections to plug holes. Only time will tell.

There is tremendous pressure to do well as a first-round pick, but I think Russell may actually have it slightly easier than most guys in that spot. If he doesn't work out, most people recognize the Raiders have a ton of problems and are cursed as long as management is so crazy. So he won't take all the blame if this doesn't work out.

Alright, now I am sure it will take a long time to get through the first round. A lot changes for each team based on which guys were selected with the first few picks. All the agents I've talked to say it really is madness right now. Phones are ringing off the hook and teams are scrambling. That's a real reassuring way to do business, but that's why people pay so much attention to draft weekend. The drama is legit.

Posted by ilimon at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK, the Raiders have known forever they have the top pick. They had tons of time to negotiate a trade with other teams or decide which way they want to go with their pick. Why wait so long to make a decision? Why burn the whole clock? Grrrrr.

Posted by ilimon at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The wait is finally over. Sort of.

The NFL Draft is seconds away from beginning, and I'll be blogging through the whole thing with an eye on the athletes with New Mexico ties.

Rio Rancho native and Michigan star Alan Branch is the first name we should see, and Quincy Black's name should be called later today.

I'm hoping Branch goes early because it's nice when local kids do well, and I don't want to have to worry about him getting picked while I go to Lobo football practice. The only draft break I'll take is from about 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the latest for practice. It's a scrimmage day, and I don't want to miss the action. I live Downtown, so that make it easy for me to get to and from the stadium fast.

My other hope is that the ESPN draft analysts are less annoying this year. I know, I'm asking for a whole lot. Last year was pretty rough. Chris Berman was especially bad. He would act like he suddenly had a moment of clarity and thought a guy would be picked next. Seconds later, the commissioner would name that guy as the next draft pick. It was so bogus because the NFL has to tell ESPN who is about to be picked so they can roll all that fabulous game footage or get the perfect reaction shot. A producer relayed it Berman and he used it to be the guy who broke the news instead of the commissioner. That's just annoying and wrong.

I'm not a Mel Kiper Jr. fan either. I think he may have been a better analyst when he first created his job and made the connections necessary to evaluate guys. Now I feel like he relies on different sources who don't always provide accurate information.

We'll see whether I throw something at my TV by the end of day one. I love my TV, so that probably won't happen. The mute button, however, is a temptation that is very hard to avoid.

Alright. Let's see how this all shakes down.

Posted by ilimon at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)