FanHouse SteveSmith

Earlier this week, EA Sports released the player ratings for Madden 10. And now, with the NFL Draft in the rearview, and nothing else to do between now and training camps, we'll ponder the important questions. Like: How is [Player who is obviously rated too high] rated above [Player who is obviously rated too low]?

It's fun and original!

Instead of trading a bunch of draft picks for either Anquan Boldin or Braylon Edwards, the Giants elected to address the need to replace Plaxico Burress via draft. Nicks is a solid possession receiver and should see the field with regularity in 2009. Of course, the Giants have spent several draft picks on receiver in recent years -- Steve Smith (2nd round), Sinorice Moss (2nd), Mario Manningham (3rd) -- and they also added Domenik Hixon, so it's really tough to tell how everything shakes out as of now.

They'll be hoping Nicks develops into their go-to guy in the future, but the transition to that role in the pros will take more than a season. Let's check out the fantasy spin on the passing game after the jump.

Everyone makes mistakes. But when those mistakes are magnified by intense scrutiny of the NFL draft, well, they become much more embarrassing than, say, my typical Friday morning, mustard-stain-on-khakis incident.

Which is why the NFL FanHouse braintrust got together to determine who is the biggest bust for each NFL team. They're not listed in terms of stupidity -- they're all stupid relative to a team's total draft performance. Meaning, of course, some teams "bust" is much different than another organization's; we did it this way to avoid just linking you to DetroitLions.com.

Instead, we're putting it in current draft order, sans trades, and allowing this list to serve as a reminder of each's team's ability to properly execute a fail. The "bust factor" was based primarily on three things: statistical production (or lack thereof), position in the draft and other available options during that year's draft.

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

Success has its advantages. In a draft like this, the successful teams can get comparable talent for a mere fraction of the price. Teams picking in the bottom of the first round will gladly take the available players and be thrilled about it. There will be starter-caliber talent on the board, and teams like the New York Giants appear ready to reap the benefits.

According to a published report, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards will be a member of the New York Giants before the NFL Draft -- which begins April 25.

David Garrard signed a monster contract with Jacksonville two years ago. The team (and Garrard specifically) was a tremendous disappointment in 2008, though, and now Jaguars fans are talking in corners, the words "Mark Sanchez" coming off lips in hushed whispers.

But, according to an interview with Sirus' NFL station (via PFT), Garrard's not worried about the Jags drafting a quarterback to replace him. In fact, he's got inside sources that tell him the exact opposite is happening.

Plaxico Burress has yet to make his way through the legal system, but assuming he's a free man this fall, the Giants will gladly welcome him back. General manager Jerry Reese told the New York Daily News that he, head coach Tom Coughlin, and the rest of the organization are "on board" with keeping Burress around -- as long as he's willing to follow the team rules.

You know, the same team rules he so thoughtlessly disregarded right up to the moment he shot himself in the leg last November.

DeAngelo Hall was nothing short of a fantastic investment for Raiders' owner Al Davis. Oakland sunk a $70-million deal into the cornerback, then released him midway through last season. You would think the rest of the league might have wised up and learned their lesson.

You would be wrong. NFL.com's Adam Schefter is reporting that, as previously discussed, the Redskins are locking up Hall to a long-term deal. Apparently it's a six-year deal worth $54 million, $22 million of which is guaranteed.

Up till a few hours ago, only family, friends and hardcore Giants fans knew Taye Biddle. Now, after getting shot on Sunday outside his Decatur, Alabama home, pretty much everybody knows his story.

Signed by the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2006, Biddle lasted just one season in Carolina. He was out of the NFL in '07, and made a brief pit stop in Detroit before landing on the Giants' practice squad last September.

Even though he took two bullets -- one to his hand, another in his leg -- the story wouldn't merit national attention if not for one minor detail: you see, Biddle is the guy the Giants signed to the 53-man roster to replace Plaxico Burress after he blew a hole in his leg back in November.

The Carolina Panthers got flat out pummeled by the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night. Take out the first possession from each team and it was one-sided the entire way. Let's put it this way: if Edgerrin James has more rushing attempts than DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined, you can be pretty certain that the Panthers gameplan crumbled.

And Brad Hoover, P-Cats fullback and Davidson County (woot, woot, etc) native, thinks they probably abandoned the run a touch early. Well, duh.

"Our plan was to try to run the ball on them. That's what we've hung our hat on all year, being successful in the running game, and I still think we could have done it," Hoover said. "Not to question things but, when you start putting yourself in a hole, and we did pretty fast, it's hard to just run the ball when you've put yourself in pass situations."

And, hey, not to question a coaching staff for giving Jake Delhomme more throws or anything, but the game kind of unfolded like a Madden mismatch (me = Lions, my brother = Patriots) where one team just doesn't have the kind of firepower/gameplan to play catch-up and just ends up making more mistakes.