Edgerrin James is not only bringing his ability to tote the ol’ pigskin up and down the field, he is bringing veteran leadership. I thought Edge was great in Indianapolis, but for some reason, I am really rooting for him to excel in Arizona. Well, I guess I should say I’ll be rooting for the Arizona Cardinals to excel. Toss Matt Leinart and their receivers into the equation and you might have a decent team there. I like underdogs, they’re fun to pull for. But I would venture to say the Cardinals won’t be underdogs for long.

Matt Leinart. Let me repeat….Matt Leinart. That in and of itself is enough to call this a good draft for the Cardinals. They got a QB at the #10 who many scouts have declared is the best long term QB in the draft this year. Had he come out last year, he would have been #1. He is a winner, and has the other pieces already in place around him on the offense. Best of all, he gets to learn from an experienced veteran QB in Kurt Warner. Coach Green is a lucky man and if continues on this path, wouldn’t it be weird to see the Cardinals in the Super Bowl?

Two more guys Arizona picked up that really make this draft a successful one are Leonard Pope and Gabe Watson. Both are from winning programs, where high standards are maintained. Pope is a TE who has great hands and was a playmaker for Georgia the last year. Gabe Watson is a DE who has the ability to be a great NFL player, if he can maintain intensity. If Green can find a way to keep a fire lit under Watson, he will be a steal.

Add to these guys, Deuce Lutui. Lutui is a G who has played with Leinart at USC and is a good blocker. They need some help protecting the QBs back there, and this guy is a great addition to that unit.

• Tom Glavine gets a shutout against the Braves. It’s a good thing, because his own team could only muster a 1-0 victory.
• The Seattle Mariners put an end to two of their troubling trends and extended the Baltimore Orioles’ significant early season bullpen problems Saturday, sending 11 men to the plate and erupting for six runs in the sixth inning on the way to an 8-6 victory before 34,161 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
• NEWSFLASH: The Memphis Grizzlies lost in the playoffs again.
• Jagr left the game 53 seconds in, and the Devils dispatched the rest of the team 3 periods later. The Rangers first trip to the playoffs didn’t end the way they had envisioned it.
• Tony Stewart walked away unscathed from a frightening accident Saturday when his car flipped onto its roof during the Busch Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.

And special to the Quick Hits today, I have just a few observations about the draft today:

• First and foremost, my Wolfpack had 3, yep I said 3, first round draft picks.
• As stated in my post earlier today, Matt Leinart may really have backed into a prime spot in Arizona. I look for him to do big things there, and not too far in the future.
• Regardless of what the Packers say, they happy to be done with Javon Walker.
• I was glad to see the Titans take both Vince Young and LenDale White. Both of those guys are exciting players, and since I have a soft spot in my heart for Nashville, I wish them both the best.
• Folks can argue all day long, ’til the cows come home about the way the #1 pick went down. As someone who has been able to watch Mario Williams from the sidelines for the past 2 seasons, he is a star in the making, or perhaps already made. Now, that’s not to say Reggie Bush won’t be a super, SUPER player, but I am saying in 10 years, it will still be a tossup.
• The 49ers made out like a bandit today. Getting a receiving target like Vernon Davis and a speed rushing DE to replace Julian Peterson with Manny Lawson, both in the first round.
• Filed under “Huh?”, the San Diego Chargers drafted another QB, Charlie Whitehurst out of Clemson. You’d think they had their fill of QB’s of the last couple of seasons. Just seems to me they could have gone after another wide receiver, but what do I know.
• The Carolina Panthers picked up a steal late in the first round when DeAngelo Williams fell to them at the 27 spot. Over the past few seasons, they Panthers have been forced to be a “running back by committee” team due to injuries. Williams rushed for over 6000 yards in college. I don’t care who you are or where you play, there has to be a lot of talent there and also a lot of durability. NICE pickup!
• The Patriots were, well the Patriots on Sat. They managed to pick up Laurence Maroney who fell farther down in the draft than expected at RB and also got Chad Jackson, who most scouts had as the #1 WR on the board.
• Two players that fell a lot farther than I would have though earlier in the day were Daryl Tapp and Eric Winston. Both are going to be really, REALLY good in the league.

Don’t let all the camera shots and pity plays for Matt Leinart fool you. He has “fallen” into a goldmine. Yeah, he would have been the #1 overall pick last year had he come out, and this year he is the 10th. But look what he has “settled” for. A S-T-U-D running back behind him in Edgerrin James. Two, count ‘em TWO, great wide receivers in Fitzgerald and Boldin. And a players coach in Dennis Green. Not to mention, the weather and general climate aren’t that far from what he was used to in SoCal. Toss in a new stadium, and you have the recipe for success. Matt can probably count his blessings a few years from now that he has fallen to this position. The Cardinals are being rebuilt and retooled for WINNING, and they have the quarterback who can lead them there now. While I got a little tired of hearing “USC, USC, USC” all season, I do like Leinart, and think he has heart. I’ll be pulling for him.