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Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn. Christian Okoye Super Bowl Jersey .ca. Hi Kerry, Welcome back! Im sure you heard Peter Forsbergs comments last week regarding Canadian referees in the gold medal game. Seems to me that he was questioning the integrity and impartiality.Did you think there was anything peculiar about this decision? Thanks,Ed Hi Ed: I am thrilled that NHL hockey is back and we can all adjust our watches back to the North American time zone! Initially, I was surprised by the expletive-deleted comments Peter Forsberg made the day before the Gold Medal game and following the IIHFs selection of four North American NHL officials to work the Canada-Sweden game. Even though the officials nationality and residency slanted exclusively toward Canadian soil, the timing of Forsbergs comments (the day before the puck was dropped) caused me to pause and consider the Swedish general managers motives. Ive seen plenty of "gamesmanship" from general managers and coaches during Stanley Cup playoffs and finals, but Peter Forsbergs public comments rank up near the top of the list in attempting to gain an advantage and competitive edge. Peter was not only a world class player but I also know him to be a very intense competitor. That being said, Peter is not a stupid man and made a calculated move in hopes of gaining some advantage for his players against a highly skilled Canadian team. I believe Peters comments were designed to put the IIHF on notice in the event he felt the need to complain post-game but most importantly to plant a seed in the head of each game official hoping his team might receive the benefit of the doubt when one could be offered. It also became a story the day before the game designed to deflect some of the pressure away from Team Sweden players. I dont believe that Peter Forsberg would honestly question the integrity and impartiality of the NHL Officials that were assigned to work the game. Kelly Sutherland, Brad Meir, Derek Amell and Greg Devorski were selected on the merit of their work during the Olympics and were regarded as the very best! They are professionals in the true sense of the word. The players have more confidence in the NHL officials ability than their International counterparts. Swedish team captain Niklas Kronwall of the Detroit Red Wings believed that both teams would benefit from North American officials when he was quoted as saying, "We are used to having referees from USA and Canada in the NHL. We know their standards so I think its easier for us too if the referees are from there." And teammate Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators agreed. Prior to 1998, the IIHF would not assign an official to work a game in which his country of nationality was participating in.  Only neutral officials were assigned. That changed in Nagano with the inclusion of NHL players and officials. The best officials were assigned to the games regardless of their country of nationality or residency. In response to Peter Forsbergs comments, IIHF officiating manager Konstantin Komisarov issued the following statement on the selection process; "The main factor of the selection of these officials has most of all to do with their experience officiating in high-level competitions. These include Stanley Cup playoffs, World Championship competitions and Olympic competitions. Their nationalities arent considered as factors nor should they be, we want the best officials working the medal games. We are fully confident that with their experience and professionalism these officials will do their job well and preserve the integrity of the game." Good for Konstantin Komissarov and the IIHF officiating committee for selecting the best officials to work the Gold Medal game. The officiating crew did an outstanding job and preserved the integrity of the game as Konstantin was confident they would. Last Sunday, the game was played on Olympic ice in Sochi and not in the media. Peter Forsbergs silver medal-winning Swedish team was beaten fair and square by Canada to take Gold. The officiating was a complete non-factor; regardless of county of nationality. NHL officials are clearly the best in the world. Darron Lee Super Bowl Jersey . At times during a solid but not spectacular season, they looked all three. Still the defending AFC champions persevered, riding their top-ranked defence and key contributions from younger players to a 12-4 record and their eighth playoff appearance since 2000, remarkable consistency in a league where change is the only constant. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Super Bowl Jersey . I suppose Sternberg has earned the right to speak out since his Rays, despite one of the lowest payrolls in the Majors at $58 million, are entering the final weekend of the regular season holding down the first Wild Card spot in the American League, one game ahead of Cleveland and two up on Texas.Atlanta Falcons 1 (6) - Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M; 2 (37) - RaShede Hageman DT, Minnesota; 3 (68) - Dezmen Southward, FS, Wisconsin; 4 (103) - Devonta Freeman, RB, Florida State; 4 (139) - Prince Shembo, OLB, Notre Dame; 5 (147) - Ricardo Allen, CB, Purdue; 5 (168) - Marquis Spruill, ILB, Syracuse; 7 (253) - Yawin Smallwood, OLB, UConn; 7 (255) - Tyler Starr, OLB, South Dakota Top Picks Analysis: The Falcons had visions of trading up for the No. 1 pick in the draft, South Carolina star pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, but that was cost prohibitive so they stayed put at No. 6 and went with offensive tackle Jake Matthews, a safe pick at a need position. Minnesota defensive tackle RaShede Hageman is a boom-or-bust prospect with a very high ceiling as a player, while Wisconsin safety Dezmen Southward was another need pick and will be given every opportunity to replace the departed Thomas eCoud as William Moores running mate. Best Value Pick: Fourth-round selection Prince Shembo of Notre Dame lacks the length to be an every down difference maker on the edge but he has the instincts and toughness to be a solid situational pass rusher for a team that is desperate for one. Questionable Calls: Hageman flashes but has always lacked consistency on the college level. A move to the five-technique at the professional level could either accentuate his natural physical skills or turn him into a tweener with no real position. Summary: Matthews is as safe as it gets at No. 6 overall and will certainly be a welcome addition for Matt Ryan but general manager Thomas Dimitroff really rolled the dice after the Texas A&M legacy. FINAL GRADE: B Undrafted rookie free agent signings: DT/FB Roosevelt Nix, Kent State; RB Jerome Smith, Syracuse; CB Tay Glover-Wright, Utah State; OL James Stone, Tennessee; WR Geraldo Boldewijn, Boise State; QB Jeff Matthews, Cornell; WR Bernard Reedy, Toledo; DE Jacques Smith, Tennessee; P Matt Yoklic, Pittsburgh; DL Nosa Eguae, Auburn; WR Freddie Martino, North Greenville; LB Brenden Daley, Hawaii; TE Jacob Pederson, Wisconsin; S Kimario McFadden, South Carolina; DE Walker May, Vanderbilt; DT Donte Rumph, Kentucky; S Javon Marshall, Vanderbilt; S Jestin Love, Central Arkansas; K Drew Basil, Ohio State FB Maurice Hagens, Miami; CB Devonta Glover-Wright, Utah State Carolina Panthers 1 (28) - Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State; 2 (60) - Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri; 3 (92) Trai Turner, OG, LSU; 4 (128) - Tre Boston, SS, North Carolins; 5 (148) - Bene Benwikere, CB, San Jose State; 6 (204) - Tyler Gaffney, RB, Stanford Top Picks Analysis: Its difficult to argue with David Gettlemans plan. The Panthers GM needed help at wide receiver and jumped at the 6-foot-5 Kelvin Benjamin, a nice option at No. 28 overall. It remains to be seen if Benjamin has the suddenness to be anything more than an outside the numbers, ball-aware threat but either way the Florida State product filled a big need. Mizzou defensive end Kony Ealy came in with a late-first-round grade by many so snaring in at No. 60 overall was great value. Meanwhile, LSU guard Trai Turner could compete for a starting job on a thin offensive line. Best Value Pick: The Panthers have two superlative rushers on the edge in Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy but you dont pass up a talent like Ealy late in the second round. Questionable Calls: Waiting until the third round to address the issues on the offensive line probably isnt going to make Cam Newton thrilled. Summary: Benjamin should have no problem earning a starting spot in a revamped Panthers receiving corps which now includes veterans Jerricho Cotchery and Jason Avant. Meanwhile, Ealy adds to the impressive depth Carolina possesses in the front four and safety Tre Boston could help replace the departed Mike Mitchell. Gettleman, however, probably should have carpet- bombed the O-Line on Day 3 and he ignored it. FINAL GRADE: B- Undrafted rookie free agent signings: CB Carrington Byndom, Texas; WR Corey Brown, Ohio State; WR Marcus Lucas, Missouri; OL Jared Wheeler, Miami; DL Shaq Rowell, South Carolina; OL Andrew Norwell, Ohio State; RB Darrin Reaves, UAB; LB Denicos Allen, Michigan State New Orleans Saints 1 (20) - Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State; 2 (58) Stanley Jean-Baptiste, CB, Nebraska; 4 (126) Khairi Fortt, ILB, California; 5 (167) - Vinny Sunseri, SS, Alabama; 5 (169) - Ronald Powell, OLB, Florida; 6 (202) - Tavon Rooks, OT, Kansas State Top Picks Analysis: You gotta keep tthe franchise happy and the New Orleans Saints did exactly that by trading up to draft dynamic Oregon State wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who some have compared to ex-Carolina star Steve Smith, in the first round. Tony Gonzalez Super Bowl Jersey. Cooks is undersized but hes got explosive speed and should fit in nicely as the replacement for the departed Lance Moore. Lengthy cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste was the Saints other premium pick and he should push the aging Champ Bailey pretty quickly as the potential starter opposite Keenan Lewis. Best Value Pick: Fourth-round linebacker Khairi Fortt transferred to Cal from Penn State after the Jerry Sandusky-scandal so he might have been off-the- radar for some but hes a speedy, athletic player, who could be a solid fit for a Rob Ryan defense. Questionable Calls: Fifth-round safety Vinny Sunseri didnt have great speed to begin with and he tore his ACL late last season so he might not have the baseline skills you need to play safety in this league. Summary: Working with Drew Brees should only help Cooks hit the ground running in the NFL while Jean-Baptiste is the type of big cornerback en vogue right now. The depth, though, just wasnt there for NOLA in this draft. FINAL GRADE: B- Undrafted rookie free agent signings: S Ty Zimmerman, Kansas State; S Pierre Warren, Jacksonville State; RB Tim Flanders, Sam Houston State; WR JeRon Hamm, Louisiana Monroe; QB Logan Kilgore, Middle Tennessee State; DL George Uko, New Orleans; LB Spencer Hadley, BYU; WR Brandon Coleman, Rutgers; CB Brian Dixon, Northwest Missouri State; C Matt Armstrong, Grand Valley State; WR Sentavius Jones, Valdosta State; DT Micajah Reynolds, Michigan State; LB Trashaun Nixon, New Mexico State; DE Chidera Uzo-Diribe, Colorado; K Sergio Castillo, West Texas A&M; DE Kasim Edebali, Boston College; DE Lawrence Virgil, Valdosta State Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1 (7) - Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M; 2 (38) - Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington; 3 (69) - Charles Sims, RB, West Virginia; 5 (143) - Kadeem Edwards, OG, Tennessee State; 5 (149) - Kevin Pamphile, OT, Purdue; 6 (185) - Robert Herron, WR, Wyoming Top Picks Analysis: Pre-draft hype centering on the Bucs interest in Johnny Manziel proved to be just that as Tampa Bay stayed home at No. 7 overall and took Manziels teammate at Texas A&M, lengthy wide receiver Mike Evans. The 6-foot-5 Evans has elite ball skills but must improve his route running and versatility (he only lined up on the right side in College Station) to become an all-around player. "Hes what todays wide receiver is all about, with the advent of back- shoulder fade, and with big wide receivers playing outside the numbers and in the red zone," NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said when discussing Evans. "The buzz word is catching radius. When paired with Vincent Jackson its going to be like basketball on grass (in Tampa)." Evans certainly could team with Jackson to give new Bucs QB Josh McCown a similar set-up to what he had in Chicago last season (Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery). Tampa Bay got more help for McCown by selecting Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins in the second round, and West Virginia running back Charles Sims in the third. Best Value Pick: Seferian-Jenkins is a bit of a dinosaur, a true two-way tight end with terrific movement skills and receiving ability for a big man, along with the ability be an effective in-line blocker thanks to his size and strength. "He has big hands. Hes a big target, and can run all the routes you want," NFL Network draft analyst Charles avis said. "He) is also a terror in the red zone." Questionable Calls: Sims projects as a third-down back because he has pretty impressive natural receiving skills but his blocking is a big question mark and thats pretty important if you want to be on the field in obvious passing situations. Summary: Tampa Bay passed on a chance to upgrade the long-term quarterback position but managed to select the drafts second-best receiver, Evans, as well as the second or third best tight end in Seferian-Jenkins. FINAL GRADE: B Undrafted rookie free agent signings: WR Solomon Patton, Florida; QB Brett Smith, Wyoming; CB Keith Lewis, Virginia-Lynchburg; DE Chaz Sutton, South Carolina; WR Aaron Burks, Boise State; WR Tony Hurd Jr., Texas A&M; OL Matt Patchan, Boston College; S Mycal Swaim, Eastern Michigan; OG Chris Burnette, Georgia ' ' '