A blast from the past: "Just wondering"

For the longest time, I used to write a regular column that would be titled, “Just Wondering,” where I would fire off a bunch of different ideas that would pop into my noggin.

Last week, I received a tweet from someone who said that it was time for another “Just Wondering” piece. I realized that I hadn’t written one in such a very long time. In this era of “reboots” like Will & Grace and Roseanne, it’s time for a sports reboot, another version of “Just Wondering,” a little long time in the coming.

JUST WONDERING what the two New York teams will do in tonight’s NFL Draft.  The months of speculation are now down to a few precious hours. Will the Giants and Jets keep their picks and take players that will help change the face of the franchise? Will they trade their picks for other picks down the road?

It has certainly led to some great fodder for the sports talk shows since the Jets traded up to get the No. 3 from the Colts.

Now it’s all down to today.

I think Sam Darnold goes No. 1 to the Browns and in my opinion, Darnold is a no-brainer. I still believe he’s the best QB prospect the NFL has seen in 20 years, probably going back to Peyton Manning. He’s going to be a flat out stud. How Phil Simms said that Darnold was going to drop to No. 17 overall is downright wack-a-doodle.

So that puts the Giants on the clock and from every little snippet I have read or heard since Dave Gettleman became the Giants’ GM, I think they’re going to take Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 pick.

Running backs that weigh 235 pounds and run a 4.4 40-yard dash don’t come around every day. Barkley is the kind of player who can turn around an entire franchise, never mind just make the team better.

Barkley is sold on being the best player in the game, not just the best running back. There was a piece on him on the NFL Network the other day where Barkley was talking about being a brand name, a one-named superstar in the same way that Michael and Kobe were and LeBron is.

I know it sounds like some bold statements for someone who hasn’t played a down in the league, but it certainly has an air of confidence about it.

Sure, running backs generally have a short shelf life in the NFL, around five years. But Barkley has the physical tools that make you believe he’s going to be around for a while and that he’s going to be a special player. I think the idea of Barkley being an every down back and Odell Beckham, Jr. being healthy and catching passes from a rejuvenated Eli Manning gives the Giants’ faithful reason to be excited.

After the G-Men take Barkley, the Jets are on the clock. And I think before the clock even ticks down to the precious few seconds, I think the Jets are going to take Josh Allen with their selection at No. 3.

I know everyone is clamoring for Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield at No. 3, but I think the Jets are going to take the Wyoming signal caller instead. You can’t teach 6-foot-6 and an arm strength that can throw the ball 80 yards without a hitch. You also can’t teach that kind of mental makeup. I think Allen will be able to handle the pressure of being the Jets’ quarterback down the road. I don’t think he takes a snap this season. I think if he’s healthy, then Teddy Bridgewater is the Jets’ starter at QB, even over Josh McCown, who had a marvelous season last year for the J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets.

But Allen represents the Jets’ future and he will change the face of the franchise. Let’s face facts. Jets’ general manager Mike Maccagnan is staking his reputation, his career, his football life on this pick. If Allen is a bust, then Maccagnan slinks away into the list of abysmal Jets general managers. If Allen shows some promise as being the Jets’ future, then he gets to stick around for a while. If there’s anyone who feels a ton of pressure on his shoulders, chest and head tonight, it’s Maccagnan.

So I think it’s Darnold, Barkley and Allen in that order. I’ve been wrong before.

JUST WONDERING if anyone else agrees with me. It’s not easy to do, you know.

JUST WONDERING if anyone else agrees with me and is glad that the draft is actually over after Saturday. All this talk and speculation and rumors have driven me completely nuts, especially since my Rams don’t have a pick until No. 87 overall in the third round. That’s a lot of waiting around to get excited about a backup offensive tackle.

JUST WONDERING what in the world Ereck Flowers is thinking about when he doesn’t show up for the Giants’ mini-camp this week? I mean, if you’re Anthony Munoz, you can get away with such crap. But Flowers may be the biggest bust in the history of the Giants and he thinks he’s entitled to the starting left tackle position for life, even if you, er, totally suck. If the Giants can trade Flowers for a roll of adhesive tape and an old Jane Fonda workout video, then I’d do it just to get his fat, lazy, miserable ass out of here.

JUST WONDERING when spring is going to arrive in the Northeast. Enough is enough with this cold weather. I don’t want to see 50 degrees again until November.

JUST WONDERING when all this hype about Shohei Otani will die down? I mean, it’s great that he can hit and pitch and all that. But he’s mentioned every single second I turn on ESPN. Once again, the mothership, as Dan Patrick calls the brilliant people of Bristol, has found a new fangled hero to beat with a stick. Shohei went to the bathroom today. Let’s mention that. Shohei went shopping for shoes. Let’s lead SportsCenter with that. It’s annoying.

JUST WONDERING what Mike Francesa was thinking when he spent nine months retiring, had every sports celebrity under the sun praise him to the high heavens when he retired, then four months later, he decides to come back and everyone is supposed to just accept it? What was the Sports Pope thinking? Does Mongo Nation just accept him back? Francesa’s credibility takes a huge hit with this move, even if his inflated ego doesn’t think so. One thing is for sure: You can be rest assured I’ll listen, because the drive-time has not been the same without him.

JUST WONDERING where the Knicks and Rangers are going to go for their new coaches. It’s safe to say that MSG and especially owner James Dolan has no idea what he’s doing. I am in the minority here, but I didn’t think Alain Vignault deserved to lose his job. The Rangers have one bad year and then he’s gone? In the case of Jeff Hornacek, he was a bad hire in the first place. But in the case of the Knicks, it’s been one bad hire after another.

JUST WONDERING if the Mets will be a contender all summer long. I tend to think they will be. They’re very good. I also think the Yankees are also very good. I think it’s going to be great baseball summer locally. I mean, it could evolve into the best baseball summer of my life.

You can read more of my stuff at www.hudsonreporter.com and www.theobserver.com