38-year old safety Brian Dawkins has decided to retire from the NFL.  Dawkins played in 14 games for the Broncos last year and he had 51 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 6 passes defensed and 3 tackles for a loss.  He played in an amazing 224 games in 16 years in the NFL and he had 1,131 tackles, 37 interceptions (2 returned for TDs), 175 passes defensed, 26 sacks, 37 forced fumbles, 16 fumble recoveries and 35 tackles for a loss.  You might never see an NFL safety play as long as Dawkins and remain effective his whole career.  I tip my hat to Brian Dawkins for a job well done.

49-year old lefty starting pitcher Jamie Moyer bumped Jack Quinn out of the record books on the 66th anniversary of his death (April 17th, 1946), as he became the oldest pitcher to win a major league baseball game (by 81 days).  Quinn’s record had stood since 1932, when he won his last game for the Brooklyn Dodgers.  In 1932, Jack Quinn pitched in 42 games (0 starts) for the Dodgers and he was 3-7 with 8 saves, a 3.30 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP.  Quinn’s best season came back in 1914 with the Baltimore Terrapins, when he pitched in 46 games (42 starts) in which he was 26-14 with 1 save, a 2.60 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP.  Quinn pitched in 756 games (443 starts) in his 23 years in the majors and he was 247-218 with 57 saves, a 3.29 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP.  Quinn’s claim to fame is now gone, but he was a solid pitcher in his time and at least it was a classy pitcher that kicked him out of the record book.

39-year old righty swinging catcher Ivan Rodriguez is going to call it a career next Monday.  He was one of the greatest all-around catchers of all time, but he has the steroids thing hanging over his head, as he was mentioned in one of Jose Canseco’s books.  After he was mentioned in Canseco’s books, he got very skinny and lost all of his power at the plate.  Coincidence?  I’m not so sure about that.  That being said, Rodriguez played in 2,543 games in his 21 years in the majors and he was 2,844 of 9,592 (.296 avg, .798 OPS) with 1,354 runs scored, 311 homers, 1,332 RBIs and 127 stolen bases.  His best season came back in 1999 with the Texas Rangers when he won the A.L. MVP Award.  Rodriguez played in 144 games for the Rangers in 1999 and he was 199 of 600 (.332 avg, .914 OPS) with 116 runs scored, 35 homers, 113 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.  Rodriguez was an All-Star 14 times, he won 13 Gold Gloves (10 consecutive ones) and he won 7 Silver Slugger Awards in his 21-year major league career.  Regardless of whether he had helpers (steroids) or not, he was one of the greatest catchers of all time and baseball is going to miss him.

Here is how I see the 7th round going down in the 2012 NFL Draft:

1. (208) Indianapolis Colts - Cyhl Quarles, SS, Wake Forest

2. (209) St. Louis Rams - Andrew Tiller, OG, Syracuse

3. (210) Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Hamilton, OG, Prarie View A&M

4. (211) Cleveland Browns - Terrell Manning, OLB, North Carolina State

5. (212) Tampa Bay Bucs - Thomas Compton, OT, South Dakota

6. (213) Washington Redskins - Philip Blake, C, Baylor

7. (214) Indianapolis Colts - Mike Daniels, DT, Iowa

8. (215) Miami Dolphins - Darrell Scott, RB, South Florida

9. (216) Carolina Panthers - Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati

10. (217) Buffalo Bills - Rennie Moore, DT, Clemson

11. (218) Kansas City Chiefs - Marc Tyler, RB, USC

12. (219) Detroit Lions - Rokevious Watkins, OG, South Carolina

13. (220) Chicago Bears - Tyler Nielsen, OLB, Iowa

14. (221) Arizona Cardinals - Micah Pellerin, CB, Hampton (Va)

15. (222) Dallas Cowboys - Keith Tandy, CB, West Virginia

16. (223) Minnesota Vikings - Brandon Marshall, OLB, Nevada

17. (224) Green Bay Packers - Andrew Datko, OT, Florida State

18. (225) Seattle Seahawks - Antoine McClain, OG, Clemson

19. (226) San Diego Chargers - Markus Zusevics, G/T, Iowa

20. (227) Tennessee Titans - Adam Gettis, OG, Iowa

21. (228) Jacksonville Jaguars - Kevin Koger, TE, Michigan

22. (229) Atlanta Falcons - Jermaine Kearse, WR, Washington

23. (230) Detroit Lions - Akiem Hicks, DE/DT, Regina (Saskatchewan)

24. (231) Pittsburgh Steelers - Robert Blanton, CB, Notre Dame

25. (232) New York Jets - Chas Alecxih, DE, Pittsburgh

26. (233) Houston Texans - Levy Adcock, OT/OG, Oklahoma State

27. (234) New Orleans Saints - Chase Keenum, QB, Houston

28. (235) Green Bay Packers - Jaye Howard, DT, Florida

29. (236) Baltimore Ravens - David Molk, C, Michigan

30. (237) San Francisco 49ers - Alfred Morris, FB, Florida Atlantic

31. (238) Kansas City Chiefs - Patrick Edwards, WR, Houston

32. (239) New York Giants - Jonas Gray, RB, Notre Dame

33. (240) Pittsburgh Steelers - Chandler Harnish, QB, Northern Illinois

34. (241) Green Bay Packers - Quinton Saulsberry, C, Mississippi State

35. (242) New York Jets - Jake Bequette, DE, Arkansas

36. (243) Green Bay Packers - Jonathan Massaquoi, DE, Troy

37. (244) New York Jets -  Rodney Stewart, RB, Colorado

38. (245) Cleveland Browns - Travis Benjamin, WR, Miami (FL)

39. (246) Pittsburgh Steelers - DaJohn Harris, DT, USC

40. (247) Cleveland Browns - Bryan Anger, P, California

41. (248) Pittsburgh Steelers - Mike Harris, RB, Murray State

42. (249) Atlanta Falcons - Jacquies Smith, DE, Missouri

43. (250) San Diego Chargers - Nicolas Jean-Baptiste, DT, Baylor

44. (251) Buffalo Bills - George Bryan, TE, North Carolina State

45. (252) St. Louis Rams - Darron Thomas, QB, Oregon

46. (253) Indianapolis Colts - Cody Johnson, FB, Texas

This is the round where everyone tries to scoop up some sliders in the draft.  Here is a look at how I see the 6th round going:

1. (171) St. Louis Rams - Brandon Taylor, SS, LSU

2. (172) Philadelphia Eagles - Caleb McSurdy, ILB, Montana

3. (173) Washington Redskins - Evan Rodriguez, FB, Temple

4. (174) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - B.J. Coleman, QB, Tennessee-Chattanooga

5. (175) Minnesota Vikings - Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma

6. (176) Jacksonville Jaguars - T.J. Graham, WR, North Carolina State

7. (177) Arizona Cardinals - Tavon Wilson, FS, Illinois

8. (178) Buffalo Bills - Eric Page, WR, Toledo

9. (179) New Orleans Saints - Eddie Pleasant, SS, Oregon

10. (180) Carolina Panthers - Kelcie McCray, SS, Arkansas State

11. (181) Seattle Seahawks - Tim Benford, WR, Tennessee Tech

12. (182) Kansas City Chiefs -Austin Davis, QB, Southern Mississippi

13. (183) San Diego Chargers - Quinton Richardson, FS, Washington

14. (184) Chicago Bears - Sean Richardson, SS, Vanderbilt

15. (185) Arizona Cardinals - Davin Meggett, RB, Maryland

16. (186) Dallas Cowboys - Gerrell Robinson, WR, Arizona State

17. (187) New York Jets - Michael Smith, RB, Utah State

18. (188) Denver Broncos - Brad Smelley, FB, Alabama

19. (189) Oakland Raiders - Emil Igwenagu, FB, Massachusetts

20. (190) Tennessee Titans - Bradie Ewing, FB, Wisconsin

21. (191) Cincinnati Bengals - Marquis Maze, WR, Alabama

22. (192) Atlanta Falcons - Brandon Bolden, RB, Mississippi

23. (193) Pittsburgh Steelers - Bobby Rainey, RB, Western Kentucky

24. (194) Philadelphia Eagles - Adonis Thomas, RB, Toledo

25. (195) Houston Texans - Brett Roy, OLB, Nevada

26. (196) Miami Dolphins - Phillip Thomas, FS, Syracuse

27. (197) Green Bay Packers - Charles Mitchell, SS, Mississippi State

28. (198) Baltimore Ravens - Matt Reynolds, OT, BYU

29. (199) San Francisco 49ers - Miles Burris, OLB, San Diego State

30. (200) Philadelphia Eagles - Jack Crawford, DE, Penn State

31. (201) New York Giants - Oliver Vernon, OLB, Miami (FL)

32. (202) New York Jets - Brandon Lindsey, OLB, Pittsburgh

33. (203) New York Jets - Shawn Loiseau, ILB, Merrimack (Mass)

34. (204) Cleveland Browns - Darius Fleming, OLB, Notre Dame

35. (205) Cleveland Browns - Joe Looney, OG, Wake Forest

36. (206) Indianapolis Colts - Marcel Jones, OT, Nebraska

37. (207) Carolina Panthers - Taylor Thompson, DE, SMU