Magicgames II » e Dolphins but prioritizing need over talent

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- C.J. Cron hit an RBI single on the first pitch he saw in the major leagues, doubled his second time up and hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth inning to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 5-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night. Howie Kendrick capped his first four-hit game of the season with an RBI double in the ninth and scored two runs. Right-hander Garrett Richards (3-0) allowed three runs and nine hits over six innings with two walks and a career-high nine strikeouts after three straight no-decisions. Kendrick doubled with two outs in the sixth against reliever Shawn Tolleson (0-1) and scored the go-ahead run when Cron lined a 1-1 pitch to left. Joe Smith followed Fernando Salas and Ernesto Frieri out of the Angels bullpen and got three outs for his third save in as many chances since replacing Frieri in the closers role. Cron, born in nearby Fullerton and drafted by the Angels with the 17th overall pick in 2011, had his contract purchased from Triple-A Salt Lake before the game after third baseman David Freese went on the disabled list with a non-displaced fracture of his right middle finger. Freese was hit by a pitch in the Angels series-opening 5-2 loss. The Rangers threatened in the sixth when No.9 hitter Robinson Chirinos doubled with two outs and continued to third when the ball skipped away from Collin Cowgill in the right field corner. But Richards struck out slumping Elvis Andrus after an intentional walk to Shin-Soo Choo. Andrus was 0 for 5 with a game-ending double-play grounder and has four hits in 46 at-bats over his last 12 games. Matt Harrison made his second start of the season for the Rangers, allowing three runs and 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings. The left-hander, was pitching on five days rest -- a combination of Thursdays off day and the teams desire to keep his turn in the rotation from coming up during next weeks interleague series at Colorado. Harrison, who signed a five-year, $55 million contract after winning 18 games in 2012, was sidelined for more than a year because of back problems after losing to the Angels in his second start of 2013. For the second straight night, the Rangers spotted the Angels a 2-0 lead before pulling ahead 3-2. Prince Fielder led off the fourth with a single and scored on a fielders choice grounder by Mitch Moreland. Chirinos and Choo drove in the tying and go-ahead runs with two-out RBI singles. The Angels tied it in the bottom half with an RBI single by Albert Pujols, who grounded into a force at third with the bases loaded to end the second inning. Cron drove in Mike Trout with a two-out single to left field. Choos one-hop throw to the plate bounced off Chirinoss glove, allowing Cron to take second. But Erick Aybar grounded out to shortstop Andrus, whose low throw was scooped out of the dirt by Prince Fielder. The Angels added a run in the third on a fielders choice grounder by Aybar, after Kendricks infield single and a drive to right-centre by Cron that bounced out of centre fielder Leonys Martins glove as he ran full-speed toward the warning track. NOTES: Crons three hits were one more than his fathers entire major league total. Chris Cron was 2 for 25 in 12 games with the Angels and Chicago White Sox between 1991 and 1992. ... Cron led all of minor league baseball with 123 RBIs in 2012 while playing for Inland Empire of the Class-A California League. ... After walking his first batter of the game, Richards struck out Andrus, Adrian Beltre and Fielder in succession. 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With Van Osch out with a flu bug that has been rampaging through the tournament, Knezevic stepped in to lead B.C. (4-3) to a pair of victories on Tuesday before 1,131 at the Maurice Richard Arena.Buffalo Bills 1 (4) - Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson; 2 (44) - Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama; 3 (79) - Preston Brown, ILB, Louisville; 4 (109) Ross Cockrell, CB, Duke; 5 (153) - Cyril Richardson, OG, Baylor; 7 (221) - Randell Johnson, OLB, Florida Atlantic; 7 (237) - Seantrel Henderson, OT, Miami Top Picks Analysis: Buffalo was very active in an attempt to help speed up the development of second-year quarterback EJ Manuel. Bills GM Doug Whaley proved to be bold, trading up five spots to get one of the four real blue-chip players in the draft, Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins at No. 4 overall. The problem is they gave up a ton to do it, surrendering next years first-round pick to Cleveland in order to jump up five spots. "You have a young quarterback in EJ Manuel; a talented kid. Now they want to surround him with a weapon, and they went and the premier wide receiver in this draft," NFL Draft analyst Mike Mayock said. Whaley also attempted to sure up things in front of Manuel by landing Alabama offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio in the second round before addressing defense in the third by landing Louisville inside linebacker Preston Brown, who should serve as the backup in the middle to the newly-signed Brandon Spikes. Best Value Pick: Kouandjio is a comparable talent to D.J. Fluker, who went No. 11 overall in the 2013 draft. Concerns over the big mans knee sent him tumbling a bit so getting a talent like Kouandjio at a need position with the 44th pick is the definition of great value. "Kouandjio slipped to the second round mostly because of a knee injury and the rumors surrounding it. He is a big, powerful tackle; think Phil Loadholt from Minnesota," Mayock said. "Hes so long that not many can get by him in pass protection." Questionable Calls: With or without Watkins most believe Buffalo wont be contending for a playoff spot in 2014 so giving up next years first-round choice could prove to be very painful next year. Summary: Whaley also traded veteran receiver Stevie Johnson to the San Francisco 49ers for an undisclosed 2015 draft choice and acquired Philadelphia running back Bryce Brown for a future conditional mid-round draft pick. Moving Johnson was expected once Watkins was in the fold but acquiring Brown, a pure talent with fumbling issues, for a meaningful pick when you already have CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson on the depth chart was a head-scratcher. Anytime you get a player like Watkins there is plenty of good in the draft but there were just too many questionable moves surrounding the acquisition to call it a home run. FINAL GRADE: B- Undrafted rookie free agent signings: DT Damien Jacobs, Florida; DB Deon Broomfield, Iowa State; CB Darius Robinson, Clemson; LB Darrin Kitchens, Florida; S Kenny Ladler, Vanderbilt; OL Jimmy Gaines, Miami; DB Derek Brim, Buffalo Miami Dolphins 1 (19) - JaWuan James, OT, Tennessee; 2 (63) - Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU; 3 (6) Billy Turner, OT, North Dakota State; 4 (125) - Walt Aikens, CB, Liberty; 5 (155) - Arthur Lynch, TE, Georgia; 5 (171) - Jordan Tripp, OLB, Montana; 6 (190) - Matt Hazel, WR, Coastal Carolina; 7 (234) - Terrence Fede, DE, Marist Top Pick Analysis: Miami general manager Dennis Hickey developed tunnel vision in his first draft, reaching for Tennessee offensive tackle JaWuan James with the 19th overall pick. James was given a second- to third-round grade by most and there were probably 30 to 40 players left on the board who project as better players than James on the professional level. Hickey settled down in the second round and was able to get talented LSU wide receiver Jarvis Landry, a strong route runner with tremendous hands. In the third Miami went back to the offensive line with North Dakota State project Billy Turner, a raw player with a solid upside. Best Value Pick: Fifth-round linebacker Jordan Tripp of Montana can really run and should be an elite special-teamer at the bare minimum. Questionable Calls: Clearly offensive tackle was a need position for the Dolphins but prioritizing need over talent at No. 19 overall is a very poor decision. The names picked directly behind James were Brandin Cooks, Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix and Johnny Manziel. In a game of who doesnt belong? James sticks out like a sore thumb. Summary: Hickeys self-described analytics approach produced some very strange results. Either he is the smartest guy in the room or hes in over his head. FINAL GRADE: C- Undrafted rookie free agent signings: QB Brock Jensen, North Dakota State; CB Steven Clarke, Vanderbilt; DT Curtis Porter, Miami; DT Anthony Johnson, LSU; WR Rantavious Wooten, Georgia; OT David Hurd, Arkansas; S Demetrius Wright, USC; TE/FB Gator Hoskins, Marshall; DL Shayron Green, Miami; OL Evan Finkenberg, Arizona State; DE Trevor Mims, USF; CB Deion Belue, Alabama; DT Garrison Smith, Georgia; WR Ryan Lankford, Illinois; P Stephen Clark, Auburn; LB Tariq Edwards, Virginia Tech; OT Gasten Gabriel, Southeastern Louisiana; OLB Derrell Johnson, East Carolina; C Tyler Larsen, Utah State; G Devointe Wallace, New Mexico State; RB Damien Williams, Oklahoma; LB Andrew Wilson, Missouri; K Anthony Fera, Texas; OLB Marcus Thompson, Rutgers New England Patriots 1 (29) - Dominique Easley, DT, Florida; 2 (62) - Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Eastern Illinois; 4 (105) Bryan Stork, OC, Florida State; 4 (130) - James White, RB, Wisconsin; 4 (140) - Cameron Fleming, OT, Stanford; 6 (1779) - Jon Halapio, OG, Florida; 6 (198) - Zach Moore, DE, Concordia; 6 (206) - Jemea Thomas, CB, Georgia Tech; 7 (244) Jeremy Gallon, WR, Michigan Top Picks Analysis: The Patriots gambled and selected Florida defensive tackle Dominique Easley with the 29th overall pick.dddddddddddd. Easley is a top-10 talent with a history of significant knee problems playing a position which demands he carries a lot of weight on his 6-foot-2 frame. Easley tore both of his ACLs during his time in Gainesville, Fla., most recently damaging the ACL and meniscus in his right knee last September, cutting short was shaping up as a monster season for the Staten Island, N.Y., native. Easley has always shown the kind of quick, active hands that are a staple of three-technique stars in the NFL and despite being "undersized" at 288 pounds has always been able to hold his own against the run thanks to impressive core and lower-body strength. "He was a top 30 pick until he tore his ACL in September," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. "Hes quick and explosive. A lot of people felt like he was going to drop because of the ACL. This is a typical Bill Belichick pick. The rest of the league discounted his talent, but hell be in training camp. The Patriots needed defensive linemen and this kid is gifted." In the second round New England may have invested in the heir to Tom Bradys throne in Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Brady still has plenty of shelf life left but he is 36 and current backup Ryan Mallett will likely be moving on sooner rather than later. "This kids got a quick release, good arm and is very athletic," Mayock said of Garoppolo. "Tom Brady, at his age, and Ryan Malletts uncertain status forces this pick. This is an insurance policy for an unknown future." Best Value Pick: Offensive tackle Cameron Fleming, the teams fourth-round pick from Stanford, fits very well into what the Patriots do offensively and could develop into a future starter on the right side of the offensive line. Questionable Calls: Remember it isnt about one knee injury with Easley, we are at two and counting. If the Pats wanted help on the defensive line they could have looked at another player with an extremely high ceiling and no real injury history, RaShede Hageman. Summary: Call this the risk/reward draft for New England. They could hit it big with Easley and Garoppolo or end up with nothing. Final Grade: B- Undrafted rookie free agent signings: TE Tyler Beck, Bowling Green; RB Roy Finch, Oklahoma; DL Micajah Reynolds, Michigan State; LB James Morris, Iowa; DB Travis Hawkins, Delaware; TE Justin Jones, East Carolina; DL Deylan Buntyn, N.C. State; OLB Cameron Gordon, Michigan; LS Tyler Ott, Harvard; TE Asa Watson, N.C. State; DT Sealii Espensa, UCLA; WR Ja-Mes Logan, Ole Miss; RB Stephen Houston, Indiana; LB Deontae Skinner, Mississippi State; CB Malcolm Butler, West Alabama; S Jeremy Deering, Rutgers; LB Cameron Gordon, Michigan New York Jets 1 (18) - Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville; 2 (49) - Jace Amaro, TE, Texas A&M; 3 (80) - Dexter McDougle, CB, Maryland; 4 (104) - Jalen Saunders, WR, Oklahoma; 4 (115) - Shaq Evans, WR, UCLA; 4 (137) - Dakota Dozier, OT, Furman; 5 (154) - Jeremiah George, ILB, Iowa State; 6 (195) - Brandon Dixon, CB, Northwest Missouri State; 6 (209) - Quincy Enunwa, WR, Nebraska; 6 (210) - IK Enemkpali, DE, Louisiana Tech; 6 (213) - Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson; 7 (233) - Trevor Riley, OLB, Utah Top Picks Analysis: Cornerback seemed like the bigger need for the Jets but John Idzik and Rex Ryan couldnt pass up Louisville safety Calvin Pryor with the 18th overall pick. An old school, seek-and-destroy safety, Pryor is a little bit better in coverage than he gets credit for and a lot of scouts have described him as a bigger Bob Sanders. If the second round New York added to its improved playmaking unit on offense by selecting Texas A&M tight end Jace Amaro, who is more of a glorified slot receiver in the mold of Aaron Hernandez than a traditional "Y." "I like this pick a lot for the Jets as they try to fortify their offensive firepower," NFL Network draft analyst Charles Davis said. "(Amaro) is a physical route runner. He gets into seams very well. Once he catches the ball, he becomes an excellent ball carrier." Rex finally got his corner in the third round when Idzik tabbed Marylands Dexter McDougle, who isnt very big but runs pretty well. Best Value Pick: Shaq Evans, a fourth-round wide receiver out of UCLA, has impressive size and solid hands. He could develop into a solid possession receiver who can work the middle of the field and prove to be a chain-mover. Questionable Calls: McDougle has a shoulder problem and was rated as a late- round pick by most. His ceiling as a player is likely a sub-package slot option. Summary: The top two picks were very good and things tapered off a bit from there. FINAL GRADE: B Undrafted rookie free agent signings: DT Kerry Hyder Jr, Texas Tech; OT Tevon Conrad, Saginaw Valley State; LB Nick Dimarco, William Penn; LB Steele Divitto, Boston College; OT Brent Qvale, Nebraska; DE Zach Thompson, Wake Forest; K Michael Palardy, Tennessee; FB Chad Young, San Diego State; WR Jermaine Jones, St. Augustine; DL Anthony Grady, Missouri State; WR Terrence Miller, Arizona; WR DeMario Bennett, Coastal Carolina Cheap Buffalo Sabres Gear Wholesale Calgary Flames Jerseys Cheap Adidas Colorado Avalanche Jerseys Montreal Canadiens Outlet Store Wholesale New Jersey Devils Jerseys Adidas Arizona Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Adidas Boston Bruins Jerseys Cheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys Chicago Blackhawks Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys Dallas Stars Shop Free Shipping Cheap Adidas Detroit Red Wings Jerseys Anaheim Ducks Jerseys China Wholesale Edmonton Oilers Jerseys Florida Panthers Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Minnesota Wild Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Nashville Predators Jerseys Cheap Adidas New York Islanders Jerseys New York Rangers Winter Classic Jerseys Cheap Adidas Ottawa Senators Jerseys Cheap Adidas Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys Wholesale Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys Cheap Adidas San Jose Sharks Jerseys St. Louis Blues Winter Classic Jerseys Wholesale Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys Toronto Maple Leafs Outlet Store Vancouver Canucks Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Adidas Washington Capitals Jerseys Cheap Adidas Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '