FanHouse Larry English

Larry English is expected to be the next great linebacking force for the San Diego Chargers. But, like any rookie, he has to deal with certain ribbing and hazing along the way. For some NFL teams, the tradition includes making the rook treat everyone to a meal fit for gridiron giants.

In Larry English's scenario, the final dinner tab was pretty eye-popping.

Offensive tackle Andre Smith became the 31st 2009 first-round draft pick to sign, coming to terms with Cincinnati. Find all the signed picks' contract details below:

With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.

Meet The ...
Highest scoring team in football! After a dismal 4-8 start, the playoffs looked out of reach for the 2008 San Diego Chargers. Then they did what they do best: win in December. Rattling off four straight victories (marking the third consecutive year the team finished on a big winning streak) meant the 8-8 Chargers were crowned champions of the AFC West yet again. Don't let the pedestrian .500 record fool you -- this was the No. 1 offense in football last year. With all the major players back in 2009, the Chargers should make another run at leading the league in points scored.

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Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.

LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles threw a wrench into the mock-drafting plans of anyone hoping to predict who the Chargers would take in the first round of 2009's NFL Draft; San Diego had obvious defensive needs, but the future at running back was uncertain as well. Of course, lots of folks had them taking Knowshon Moreno, and he was off the board a touch early anyway.

On Saturday, around 6:30 PM ET, commissioner Roger Goodell made his way to the podium at Radio City Music Hall and announced that, with the 16th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the San Diego Chargers had selected Larry English, defensive end, out of Northern Illinios.

The pick was immediately met with skepticism; in the weeks leading up to the biggest offseason event on the NFL calendar, most mock drafts had the Chargers taking a running back. Georgia's Knowshon Moreno would have been an obvious choice, but the Broncos' impetuousness took him off the board at No. 12. Which meant that San Diego would have to settle on the second-best back on their board (assuming Moreno was first), or, perhaps, they had every intention of bolstering the defense all along.

To get ready for this weekend's draft, we're looking position-by-position at who could go in the first round. Click here for the rest of the breakdowns, beginning with quarterback.

ILB/OLB Aaron Curry (Top 5 pick), 3-4 OLB Brian Orakpo (Top 15 pick), ILB Rey Maualuga (mid-first round pick), OLB Clay Matthews (mid-to-late first round pick), OLB Brian Cushing (late first round pick).

There is no safer player in this year's draft than Aaron Curry. He may not be a linebacker who gets 10 sacks a year, but he can play in both the 3-4 and the 4-3, he can drop into coverage, stuff the run and has a feel for the game. Because of all that, he's likely to be off the board in the top five picks.

To get ready for this weekend's draft, we're looking position-by-position at who could go in the first round. Click here for the rest of the breakdowns, beginning with quarterback.

DT B.J. Raji (Top 15 pick), DE/OLB Brian Orakpo (Top 15 pick), DE Tyson Jackson (Top 15 pick), DE Aaron Maybin (mid-first round), DE Robert Ayers (mid-to-late round), DE Everette Brown (mid-to-late first round), DT Peria Jerry (late first round).

Teams can never have enough defensive linemen and the good news for teams this year is there are a number of linemen with solid first round grades. The picking is better for teams looking for an edge rusher than a big monster to absorb blockers, but there is a little of both, with Raji looking like a potential stud 3-4 nose tackle or 4-3 defensive tackle while Jackson projects as either a run-stuffing 4-3 defensive end or a perfect fit as a 3-4 DE. For teams who don't pick in the top 15, Jerry is another productive inside run-stuffer with enough athleticism to also get some pressure on the quarterback.

With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.

A year ago, the Dolphins were coming off a 1-15 record and had locked up Jake Long with the first-overall pick a week before the 2008 draft. Now, one year into Bill Parcells' Reclamation Project, Miami is 11-5, defending AFC East champs, and hold the 25th selection in Saturday's draft.

With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.

In 2008, the New England Patriots became the first team in over 20 years to win 11 regular season games and fail to qualify for the postseason. Considering they lost their franchise player -- Tom Brady -- just about five minutes into the season, forcing them to turn to a quarterback who hadn't started a game in eight years -- Matt Cassel -- an 11-5 campaign isn't all that disappointing.

With Brady back under center in 2009, the Patriots look to be a strong bet to return to the playoffs, especially if they address the one or two holes that remain on the roster.