http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/1771 Recent articles about Warrick Dunn en-us Here's a look back at the 1997 NFL Draft to see who the teams would take if they could do it over knowing what they know today. This was a lot of fun making. I hope you enjoy it. #1 St. Louis Rams - Orlando Pace Hard to argue with a Hall of Fame Tackle that helped you to a couple of Super Bowl berths. Pace has been named All-Pro five times and been a Pro Bowler seven times. #2 Oakland Raiders - Walter Jones I was debating between Jones and Jason Taylor for the second pick. I decided to go with the Hall of Fame Tackle. Jones is a five-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler. #3 Seattle Seahawks - Tony Gonzalez Losing Walter Jones would be tough, but acquiring a talent like Gonzo would soften the blow. He is the best pass-catching TE in NFL history. He leads his class in Receptions (820), Receiving Yards (9882), and TDs (66) regardless of position. He's and eight-time All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowler. #4 Baltimore Ravens - Jason Taylor Can you imagine adding Jason Taylor to Baltimore's defense? The Dancing with the Stars' star has been named the Defensive Player of the year, All-Pro three times, and a Pro Bowler six times. He has 662 Tackles and 117 Sacks in his brilliant career. #5 Detroit Lions - Priest Holmes He may not have been drafted originally, but after witnessing his dominance, the Lions would jump at the chance to add the 2002 Player of the Year. Having Priest Holmes follow up Barry Sanders' act would ensure the Lions weren't the bottom feeders they've become. He's been an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler three times each. He has 8172 Rushing Yards, 2962 Receiving Yards, and 94 TDs (86 Rushing). #6 Seattle Seahawks - Tarik Glenn While he's no Walter Jones, Tarik Glenn was a pretty solid Tackler, earning three trips to the Pro Bowl. He helped guide an offensive line that was among the league leaders in rushing, as well as fewest Sacks allowed. #7 New York Giants - Tiki Barber The G-Men will have to take Tiki with the 7th pick (rather than the 36th pick where he actually went) if they want his production in their backfield. The three-time All-Pro/Pro Bowler ran for 10,449 Yards and 55 TDs, while adding 5.183 Receiving Yards and 12 TDs. #8 New York Jets - Ronde Barber It's only fitting that the Twins go back-to-back. Ronde has earned five All-Pro and four Pro Bowl nods. He has 857 Tackles, 21 Sacks, and 33 INTs. #9 Arizona Cardinals - Trevor Pryce The Cardinals beef up their defensive front with teeh four-time Pro Bowl DE Trevory Pryce. He has 379 Tackles and 79 Sacks. He has recoreded at least 7 Sacks seven times. #10 New Orleans Saints - Darren Sharper The Saints bolster their secondary by adding four-time All-Pro/Pro Bowl Safety. He has 798 Tackles, 7 Sacks, and 53 INTs (which is tops among his class). #11 Atlanta Falcons - Derek Smith The Falcons go with the leading tackler of the class, LB Derek Smith. He has 1092 Tackles and 13.5 Sacks. He had at least 90 Tackles in his first nine years in the league. He's reached the 100 mark six different times. #12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Corey Dillon Although Warrick Dunn was a great player for Tampa Bay, the turn to the leading rusher of the class in Corey Dillon. Dillon put together 11,241 Rushing Yards and 82 TDs. He ran for 1100 yards or better in seven of his first eight seasons. He has four 1300 Yard seasons to his credit. #13 Kansas City Chiefs - Peter Boulware With most of the treasured offensive players plucked from their grasp, Kansas City turns to the class' Defensive Rookie of the Year. The one-time All-Pro/four-time Pro Bowler had 403 Tackles and 70 Sacks. He racked up at least at least 7 Sacks in each of his first seven seasons (including three double-digit sack seasons). #14 Cincinnati Bengals - Warrick Dunn The beauty of Warrick Dunn is that he's like the anti-Corey Dillon. He is considered one of the nicest people to ever strap on a helmet and play pro football. He's not a bad player either, earning three Pro Bowl nods while producing 14,190 total yards (10181 Rushing) and 62 TDs (47 Rushing). #15 Miami Dolphins - Sam Madison The Fins jump up to take CB Sam Madison (they actually took him with the 44th pick. The four-time Pro Bowler has 470 Tackles and 37 INTs, which is good for second of his class. #16 Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Derrick Mason The Bucs grab the best wideout of the class. Mason has been an All-Pro once and Pro Bowler twice. He has the most Receptions (710), Yards (9,024), and TDs (47) of the receivers in the draft. #17 Washington Redskins - James Farrior The Redskins go with Pro Bowl LB James Farrior, who has notched 1017 Tackles, 21 Sacks, and 10 INTs. He has four seasons of 120+ Tackles. #18 Tennessee Oilers - Mike Vrabel I was trying to figure out a way that I could keep Vrabel on the Patriots, but knew that would be wrong. Instead, Tennessee gets the All-Pro. Vrabel has 600 Tackles, 51 Sacks, and 10 INTs. He also has 8 career TD receptions. #19 Indianapolis Colts - Jamie Sharper Like I said, this wasn't a great draft for offensive players so the Colts turn to LB Jamie Sharper, who had 882 Tackles and 25.5 Sacks in his career. He really blossomed for Houston with three straight 130+ Tackle seasons. #20 Minnesota Vikings - Mike Minter The Vikes grab Safety Mike Minter who finished his career with 817 Tackles, 11 Sacks, and 17 INTs. He had at least 79 Tackles in all but two seasons in his career. #21 Jacksonville Jaguars - Shawn Springs Springs has been decent, but injuries have kept him from being one of the game's best. He's been to one Pro Bowl. For his career he has 616 Tackles, 7.5 Sacks, and 31 INTs. #22 Dallas Cowboys - Jake Plummer While he wasn' great, he would help bridge the gap between Troy Aikman and Tony Romo. The Pro Bowler has 29,253 Passing Yards, 161 TDs (161 INTs), a 57.1% Completion Percentage, and a 74.6 Passer Rating. He added 17 Rushing TDs. #23 Buffalo Bills - Antowain Smith Antowain was decent at times for the Bills (and later for New England). Smith is fourth in the class with 6881 Rushing Yards and third with 54 Rushing TDs. He had a pair of 1000 yard seasons. #24 Pittsburgh Steelers - Marcellus Wiley The Steelers go with Pro Bowl DE Marcellus Wiley. He finished his career with 324 Tackles, and 44 Sacks. #25 Philadelphia Eagles - Ike Hilliard The Eagles WRs over the years have typically been so bad that Ike Hilliard would be an upgrade. Ike has 499 Receptions for 5,973 Yards, and 31 TDs. #26 San Francisco 49ers - Jake Delhomme Jim Druckenmiller certainly didn't pan out for the 49ers. They would much rather have taken the undrafted Cajun QB. The Pro Bowler has 14,589 Passing Yards, 100 TDs (64 INTs), 59.7% Completion Percentage, and a 85.2 Passer Rating. #27 Carolina Panthers - Bertrand Berry I'm not even going to go into the scumbag the Panthers took with this pick. Instead I'll focus on who they would take. They would grab Pro Bowl DE Bertrand Berry, who has 289 Tackles and 54 Sacks. He had a pair of double-digit sack seasons in 2003 & 2004. #28 Denver Broncos - Kenard Lang He finished his career with them, why not start out with them since Trevor Pryce already got snagged? He had 455 Tackles and 50 Sacks before hanging 'em up. #29 New England Patriots - Al Harris The Pats add Pro Bowl CB Al Harris to the mix. He has 395 Tackles and 19 INTs. #30 Green Bay Packers - Dexter Coakley The Pack finish it up with three-time Pro Bowl LB Dexter Coakley. He had 797 Tackles, 9.5 Sacks, and 13 INTs in his career. He had 90+ Tackles five times. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:17:28 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285497 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285497 With an improved offensive line, and little backfield competition, Thomas Jones is due for a bounce back season. Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:55:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281167 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281167 On 1st round pick, Aqib Talib: "He's going to be the face of this franchise." WOW.  If he has been that impressive in mini-camps, I am enthralled.  This was the guy I wanted all along in the draft, thinking he had the chance to make a huge impact at a position where we needed an influx of youth.  Should be a great training camp battle between Talib, Phillip Buchanon and Eugene Wilson.  Regardless, we are stacked at CB.  _____ On RB Cadillac Williams: "What he's done is nothing short of miraculous," Gruden said. "He has worked his tail off. He's got a chance to be ready to play football again this season. The amount of work he's put forth has really excited our players, and he's really done a great job." Apparently, Caddy wanted to participate in this week's 3 day minicamp, but Allen and Gruden had to tell him no!!!  I am giddy!!!  If Caddy is back, add RB to another stacked position for us, with Caddy, Warrick Dunn, Ernest Graham and Michael Bennett.  Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:16:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/278448 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/278448 On Monday I wrote that the Bears should stick with there current roster of running backs after releasing Cedric Benson.  Oh what a difference two days can make.  A variety of NFL running backs looking for a home have made themselves available to the Bears and are hoping to get a chance at a roster spot.  The short list of candidates includes former Detroit Lion Kevin Jones, former Seattle Seahawk Shaun Alexander, former Denver Bronco Travis Henry, former Houston Texan Ron Dayne, and current Oakland Raider LaMont Jordan.  The Bears organization hasn't given us any indication they are on the market for a new running back.  The hype is the result of Kevin Jones expressing his desire to suit up for the Bears so he can get back on the field.  Jones has been working out for several NFL teams to show them he has recovered from his torn ACL but no one is biting.  Even when he was healthy, he showed some flashes of talent but could never stay consistent on the field.  It appears to be a replacement of Benson in terms of running ability to could be a mistake for the Bears.  Jones has been in the league four years and the Bears have had plenty of time to scout him as a Lions running back to decide if they like his style. I don't even know where to begin with the rest of the candidates.  Shaun Alexander was over-hyped as an MVP and the Bears should avoid his fall to obscurity.  Travis Henry has more than enough legal problems to keep the Bears from even entertaining him for a workout.  Ron Dayne showed some life in Houston but I don't see how he would fit into an offense built to utilize speed.  If the Bears did bring in Dayne he could fill a void needed for a bone crushing goal line back, so there is an outside possibility.  LaMont Jordan is currently under contract with the Raiders but they are looking to get rid of him and are afraid he will sign with the Broncos or Kansas City Chiefs if released.  Jordan is due $4.7 million this season and $5 million next season so any trade talks would scare off a Bears organization looking to save up salary cap room.  I'm also very concerned about the Warren Sapp interview, highlighted in the Raiders blog, JustBlogBaby, and can be seen here: Sapps got no love   I will be the first to admit that Sapp runs his mouth, but he's also a veteran defensive tackle that lasted many years in the league and knows a good running back from a bad one.  He commented that Jordan is one of the softest running backs he has ever seen.  Coupled with scouting reports that Jordan does not work hard in practice and has been asked by coach Lane Kiffin to stay away from practice, I doubt he's in very good football shape. Put it all together and it appears that the Bears should avoid the running back market like the plague.  The whole crop carries too much baggage that counter acts the Bears releasing of Benson.  The only two I would consider are Kevin Jones and Ron Dayne and both are inconsistent runners that failed to meet expectations.  Sounds exactly like the guy that just left town.  If the Bears were eager to grab either back the organization would buzzing about the possibility, but as for now they are silent. The current third string running back is Garrett Wolfe, drafted two years ago with a lot of promise as the 4th player in division 1-A history to rush for over 1,500 yards for three straight seasons.  He has been compared to Warrick Dunn as a small, speedy back that is hard to tackle in the open field.  The Bears designed a package of plays just for him, but he was never able to showcase much of his ability on the field.  Benson and Adrian Peterson were never able to establish a solid running game to incorporate Wolfe into the mix.  As a result, his position on the roster was shaky with the drafting of Matt Forte and could be in doubt if the Bears invite a new running back to training camp.  For now his job appears to be fairly secure.  Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:45:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/276853 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/276853 For the Atlanta Falcons, the season was pretty much over before it began. With all the controversy surrounding the Michael Vick dog fighting trial, the Falcons decided it would be better if he sat out the season and everything started going downhill from there. Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:41:57 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275158 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275158 Warrick Dunn was accepting the Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP, awarded for his Homes for the Holidays foundation. He was talking about his efforts "on and off the field," and I felt like I had heard it all before. So many pro athletes have foundations. So many don't tend to them. So often I've been in a player's house and realized that his charity amounts to a dated Web site, stacks of paper on the floor and piles of unopened mail -- all to be handled by a entourage member who's eternally preoccupied by Wii. True -- Dunn isn't one of those guys. Most players aren't those guys. But having seen a joke of a foundation over and over again soured my perception of Dunn's award. Dunn could tell, too. From behind the podium, he could feel every eye that wasn't on him. After his speech, others and I myself asked him only football questions -- if he'd remain an Atlanta Falcon -- and nothing else. "I'm used to it," he told me last week. I called Dunn partially out of guilt, partially out of admiration, after learning that in early May his foundation covered the down payment and completely furnished houses for three Tampa residents, all in three and a half hours. Forget the nation's real estate crisis, forget that he's received acclaim for his charity, forget that the press -- me -- typically ignores such acts: Dunn just keeps putting families into houses. In 12 years he's assisted 77 single parents and 201 children into homes. how kewl is this!! click it 4 the full read!!! Thu, 22 May 2008 19:46:15 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/269862 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/269862 The JB Awards took place last night in Washington, D.C. as part of the NFL Players Gala which recognizes the NFL athletes who do the most in terms of community service. CBS' James Brown, host of "The NFL Today," led the ceremony along with former Steelers coach Bill Cowher. The festivities benefited the Special Olympics D.C. and many of the players honored even spent the day playing with some local kids at Catholic University. One member of each team was nominated to be honored and from those players nominated, James Brown personally selected twelve to win a JB Award. In addition to those twelve players, four other athletes were given specific honors. The biggest name being honored was Dan Marino, former Miami Dolphins star QB and 2005 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Marino received the JB Award for Lifetime Achievement for his dedication to fight against autism. While Marino was honored for a lifetime achievement award, one of the game's brightest young stars on the rise received a JB Award for Emerging Leadership. Read on to hear my tale of how Purple Jesus almost broke my hand. CLICK it to read the rest & see the pics!!! peace out ck0712 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:44:09 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/229751 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/229751 Many of the leagues most respected players were in Washington, DC, on Friday to be honored at the 2008 NFL Players Gala featuring the JB Awards. Hosted by CBS' James Brown and former Steelers head coach turned CBS analyst Bill Cowher, the event is an annual awards presentation benefiting Special Olympics District of Columbia. A group of the players being honored at the evening's award show spent the morning at Catholic University playing football with 75 or so local Special Olympic Athletes. Players involved on Friday morning included Marques Douglas, Chris Draft, Warrick Dunn, Braylon Edwards, Israel Idonije, Kassim Osgood, Mack Strong, James Thrash and Brian Waters. With guys like Chris Henry and Matt Leinert in the news for questionable decisions lately, I think it's important to recognize many of the league's good people. DC was lucky enough to be full of them on Friday. I spent a few hours watching the football-style games the NFL guys played with the Special Olympic athletes and there was one thing that was blatantly clear throughout the day. From the kids to the volunteers to the NFL players, every single person in the gym was having an absolute blast. I can't recall the last time I've seen so many smiles in one place. James Thrash, a player known on the field for his punt return skills, seemed to be having more fun than anyone all day long. When I asked him what it was like for him to spend the day with the kids, Thrash was glowing. "When you see the fun these kids are having, you can't help but smile." It really is true. The smiles in the gym were contagious. Another athlete having a blast was Cleveland Browns star receiver Braylon Edwards. Thrash and Edwards were teamed up in a drill that led the children through an obstacle course and once completed they had the chance to make a pass to Braylon. The kids put Edwards' impressive hands to the test but he didn't disappoint. After each catch, he danced as if he'd just caught a TD in the Super Bowl. Two other players of note at the event were Chris Draft of the Rams and Warrick Dunn of the Bucs. Draft was having so much fun running around with the kids he looked as if he had just run a marathon. NFL players must sweat more than the average person. Warrick Dunn played the role of quarterback in a hand off drill. While many of the NFL players were giants, Dunn looked like one of the kids. I was amazed that a man of his size can thrive and actually be incredibly effective in the NFL. I had the chance to ask Warrick how he felt about returning to the Tampa Bay Bucs after years in Atlanta. Dunn, quite soft spoken said he believes it will be a "good situation" for him in Tampa. It was an inspiring day watching some of the NFL's brightest stars get a chance to make the days of a gym full of kids who likely don't get this kind of opportunity every day. pics are at this link: http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/photos/nfl-players-charity/ Sat, 05 Apr 2008 13:32:42 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/229602 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/229602 Warrick Dunn returns to Bucs, Giants look at David Carr, Larry Fitzgerald signs with Cards, Patriots' lawsuit gets dropped and much more local hometown NFL news for Tuesday, March 11, 2008. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:41:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/190998 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/190998 Tamps Bay snagged RB Warrick Dunn today ruling out any possibility that the Titans would wake up and bring him in for a talk. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:09:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/190381 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/190381 According to Adam Schefter of NFL.com and Profootballtalk.com, Warrick Dunn has returned to Tampa Bay. Dunn has signed a two-year, $6 million deal, and it pays $2 million in guaranteed money. Dunn is scheduled to earn $3 million in the first year of the deal. Dunn gives the Bucs a back who might be able to play a full season, a real luxury for a team with Cadillac Williams, who might never be the back he was coming out of Auburn, when he was a top-five pick in 2005, and who is rehabilitating from a ruptured patellar tendon. There are rumors that he might not be able to play in 2008, if ever. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:08:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/190290 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/190290 While I know rumors are just that, rumors, they are fun to talk about what could happen and what should happen. The Detroit Lions are apparently rumored to be looking at free agent running back Julius Jones, he spent time at the Lions practice facility. He's also met with the Tennessee Titans, who have been a little active this off season. Tennessee does have a young group of backs in LenDale White, Chris Henry and Chris Brown, but Brown is an unrestricted free agent. The Dallas Cowboys have a couple of question marks with free agents, Jones, safety Keith Davis and cornerback Nate Jones. The Cowboys designated safety Ken Hamlin their franchise player at $4.396 million and re-signed left tackle Flozell Adams to a six-year, $43.8 million deal last week. Julius Jones has been the starter in Dallas during his four years, even though he's split time with pro bowler Marion Barber III. Jones has started 51 of 53 games, including all 16 the last two seasons, and rushed for 3,484 yards and 18 touchdowns. If Jones leaves Dallas...finish the rest of the story at www.rawsportsblog.com Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:48:07 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/182356 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/182356 The Atlanta Falcons released yet another player today, this time the victim was quarterback Joey Harrington. This comes just days after the team released running back Warrick Dunn, and comes weeks after the team released pro bowl tight end Alge Crumpler, who signed with the Tennessee Titans, offensive tackle Wayne Gandy and quarterback Byron Leftwich. Now experts are predicting that because of the release of Harrington, who started 10 games last season, Atlanta will select a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick in next month's NFL draft. Harrington had 2,215 yards passing with seven touchdown passes and eight interceptions last season. The Falcons actually re-signed a player, Chris Redman to a two-year deal. Excluding Michael Vick...finish the rest of the story at www.rawsportsblog.com Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:19:32 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/182002 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/182002 With the uncertainty at the running back position in Dallas, would they make a move for Warrick Dunn? Julius Jones may not be in Dallas next season and keeping Marion Barber is not a sure thing. Personally, I don't like the move, but might as well throw some more rumors out there. Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:33:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/180308 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/180308 Warrick Dunn was released by the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, one day after the club signed free agent Michael Turner. Mon, 03 Mar 2008 20:13:34 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/179671 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/179671