Interview with Walter Cherepinsky

It may have been almost a month ago since Andrew Luck was the first of 253 players chosen in the 2012 NFL Draft, but fans are still reviewing their teams draft as their teams newly chosen players have made it through rookie camp; and some are now busy working at Organised Team Activities (OTAs). Also despite the fact it will be taking place on April 25th-27th in 2013, many people are already looking towards that draft, using power rankings to define the selection order, but in my opinion at this moment in time they are more useful as a list of players to keep a look out for as they are currently first or second round talents.

As a combination of both we have been able to interview Walter Cherepinsky from WalterFootball with questions looking back at last months draft while also looking 11 months into the future.

1. What’s the deal with Emmitt Smith? Does he really say so much rubbish on US TV?
I have a link with a list of true quotes Emmitt said on ESPN. He actually said these things and wasn't fired until two years in - http://walterfootball.com/emmitt.php

2. Do you really see the Raiders ditching the Carson Palmer experiment after next season given all they gave up for him?
It depends on what happens. If the Raiders go 5-11 or better, they'll stick it out with Palmer for one more year. If, however, they're 4-12 or worse - which certainly can happen - then they'll give up on Palmer and draft a quarterback early. Having a 4-12 record would mean that Palmer didn't play very well, so they'd be able to justify moving on.

3. What is your opinion on Charles Woodson potentially moving to safety? Is Casey Hayward polished enough as a CB to start in his old place?
It's impossible to say if Casey Hayward is ready to start, but Charles Woodson will have an easy transition to safety. He's played some safety already because the Packers like to move him around.

4. You say that Kansas City have the best all round team if you ignore the quarterback position, do you think they should have traded up to beat Miami to Tannehill or will they get be able to get better quarterbacks in the 2013 draft?
The Chiefs were smart not to pursue Ryan Tannehill. He's too raw. There's no telling whether he can be a good quarterback or not.

5. Do you think Chandler Jones and Donta Hightower will be the keys to an improved Patriots defence?
I don't think any rookie is counted on as being a key to improving any defense, unless the player happens to be a top-10 pick. The key is the cornerbacks. Can Ras-I Dowling stay healthy? Can Devin McCourty bounce back from a poor season? Can Kyle Arrington prove that last year was not a fluke?

6. Will Russell Wilson or Matt Flynn win the Seahawks starting job?
Matt Flynn will be Seattle's starting quarterback in Week 1.

7. Who do you think will be the most overrated and underrated teams this season?
The Chiefs and Bills are incredibly underrated. Both are legitimate playoff squads. Overrated teams include the Broncos, Cowboys, Chargers and Eagles. They have big names, but major flaws will keep them down.

8. Do you think that Greg Schiano will turn out to be a good NFL coach?
It's a coin flip. It's impossible to tell how good new coaches can be. Even second-time head coaches are tough to figure out. Bill Belichick wasn't a good coach with the Browns. Now look at him. It will be tough for Schiano to succeed, however, because the Tampa front office isn't very good.

9. What are your opinions on the London games and the possibility of a London franchise?
I don't like the idea of a London franchise because of travel implications, but I have no problem with London having a game (or even two) every year. The more worldwide football fans, the better.

10. Who has picked up the best of the undrafted free agents?
I don't pay attention much to UDFAs. I don't get why there's such a big deal about them. They didn't get drafted, meaning all 32 teams passed on them. That's why 99% of them don't make any sort of impact ever.

11. Are there any former college basketball players who have recently taken up the sport that we really need to keep an eye out for?
Not off the top of my head. There were a bunch last year.

12. Did the Browns mess up when they only drafted one WR?
Well, the Browns really wanted Kendall Wright, but the Titans grabbed him two picks earlier. If Mike Holmgren didn't like any of the receivers, you can't exactly fault him for not taking one. Holmgren does a poor job of evaluating the receiver position, however (he chose Koren Robinson in the top 10 one year), so maybe he should find some help in that area.

13. Do you think that the 2013 draft will have the biggest number of great pass-rushing prospects in years?
Yeah, the 2013 NFL Draft is loaded at defensive end and rush linebacker. There are going to be some great prospects who fall into the end of Round 1 or Round 2 because of this.

14. North Carolina seems to have had a lot of issues with its players, do you think teams think twice about drafting a player if they come from an unstable enviroment like that?
Some teams will, some teams won't. It's all because of Butch Davis. He recruited scumbags at Miami, and he did the same thing at North Carolina. He doesn't care about character, and it cost him.

15. Does David Amerson have as much potential as Morris Claiborne?
David Amerson is a better prospect than Morris Claiborne.

16. If they were all in the same draft class what order would Patrick Peterson, Morris Claiborne and Tyrann Mathieu be taken in?
In that very order. Peterson-Claiborne-Mathieu.

17.Denard Robinson will probably get a lot of attention from fans but do you think he can make it as a quarterback in the NFL?
I don't see him as a quarterback. He could be a Josh Cribbs-type of special-teamer.

18. Will LaVonte David be like Derrick Brooks or will he just get blown away?
I'll never project a Day 2 pick to be like Derrick Brooks. David could very easily become a good player, but asking him to perform like a Hall-of-Famer is too much.

19. Do you think that Barkevious Mingo or Sam Montgomery have better pro potential?
It's so close, I don't even know what to do with it. Everyone seems torn on them. I'd give Mingo the slight edge right now, but I could continue to flip-flop there a dozen times before the 2013 NFL Draft.

20. Has Taylor Lewan got what it takes to be a top 10 pick and the first left tackle taken next year?
I've heard Lewan be compared to Jake Long. I've heard others aren't very high on him. He could definitely be a first-round pick with a strong 2012 season.

Thank you to Walter for taking his time to answer the questions.

thanks for doing this
i agree that flynn will start but wilson will be a good nfl QB in the future

thanks

Cheers for doing this

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