Associated Press
The NFL Draft notebook …
NEW YORK ó A dapper Roger Goodell stood at the podium with boos raining down on him from the fans at Radio City Music Hall.
The only way Goodell could silence the draftniks was by asking for a moment of silence to remember the victims of the storms that ripped through the South on Wednesday.
BOLD MOVE
It was an opening night of daring moves and dangerous choices.
With the 32 NFL teams trying sort things out before the league tells them how to operate now that the lockout has been lifted, it was the Atlanta Falcons who made the boldest deal in Thursday night’s first round of the draft.
The Falcons traded away four picks, including two No. 1s, to get Cleveland’s No. 6 spot and jumped on Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones.
NOT SO COSTLY
It was thought that Washington quarterback Jake Locker might have cost himself millions of dollars by returning to school for his senior season.
Locker was projected to possibly be the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, but he wanted to lead the Huskies to a bowl game and play another season in coach Steve Sarkisian’s pro-style offense.
Locker helped the Huskies get to the postseason, but it seemed that instead of being a top-10 pick, Locker was no lock to even go in the first round.
Then the Tennessee Titans picked Locker No. 8 overall. He was the first player selected who was not there.
Locker has no regrets now that he is the quarterback of the future for the Titans, who plan to trade or release Vince Young.
NOTES
Five of the first six players drafted were from the Southeastern Conference. … Out of the top 10 picks, eight were underclassmen. Only Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller and Washington’s Locker were seniors.