It’s official: Darren McFadden is a very wealthy man. Last night he and his agent inked a 6 year, $60 million contract with the Raiders that includes $26 million in guaranteed money. Not too shabby!

Perhaps most impressively, they closed the deal with speed that resembled one of D-Mac’s bursts to the end zone…it was the first time Oakland had signed their #1 pick before July since Napoleon Kaufman in 1995, and is a notable change of pace from JaMarcus Russell’s interminable holdout from the year before.

Speaking of Kaufman, the former Raiders star is a McFadden fan already, saying “I, obviously, appreciate his speed and his elusiveness, his versatility. He seems to be an athlete that not only is going to contribute in the running game but also in the passing game. So, there’s great potential with this young man. I’m excited to watch him this year.”

As for how the money will affect him or his relationships with his teammates, McFadden stayed true to his Southern roots with a display of good manners: “I just go in there being humble about it. I’m not the type of person that’s going to be in there with a big head, or bragging, or anything like that.” (Read more from the interview.)

My personal favorite D-Dawg news, though, is his blog post about his house hunting process. As someone who’s spent the better part of this year doing the exact same thing (occasionally to the detriment of my blogging…apologies), I can identify with him…the Bay Area housing market is intense. Something tells me he’ll be able to find something good with that $60 million, though.

• Forward Michael Sanchez, who redshirted last season and will be a freshman this fall, is starting and playing pretty solid ball for a team of college players that is touring China. Who knows what the competition is really like - and it’s not like Sanchez is setting the world on fire - but it’s got to be good for him to get a chance to shake off the rust.

• Why does John McDonnell hate America?

• Check out ArkansasSports360.com for a funny take on the latest episode in the long-running “Razorbacks in Jail” saga. And once you get to that page, be sure and click on the Corey Beck link. If you do, you’ll notice that Corey is tipping the scales at nearly 270 pounds these days! We shudder to think what his good friend and Expat fav Dwight Stewart now weighs.

• Harry King examines what the Atlanta Falcons’ signing of draftee Matt Ryan means for Darren McFadden as well as the short life expectancy of NFL running backs.

• In honor of the NBA playoffs, we present this pop quiz: Name the four former Razorbacks who have won NBA championships. First one with the correct answer wins an all-expenses-paid trip to the beautiful Sandals Grande Antigua resort.*

(* - not true)

Let’s check in on the ex-Hogs who have recently joined the work force:

* The Raiders held their rookie minicamp last weekend, and naturally D-Mac was the star of the show. Initial reviews were very positive, and the Bay Area media is getting their first taste of his versatility: “McFadden does too much, too well to stick him in an I-formation box. In two days of practice, he has sprinted around the edge, powered inside the middle, run routes as a wideout and caught passes out of the backfield. He even lined up at quarterback.”

* What did Mr. McFadden think about his first taste of life in the NFL? Be sure to read the full transcript of his press conference, but here’s a sample quote on one of the differences between college and the pros: “They hand you a playbook with pens and highlighters with a notebook to take notes, that’s something you don’t get in college, if you want to take notes you have to come with your own stuff, so I knew it was serious once they handed the playbook like that.”

* Raiders’ coach Lane Kiffin gives McFadden a very positive initial review.

* On the flip side, here’s an example of the disfunction I was referring to when I was ranting about why I didn’t want D-Mac to be a Raider. Expect plenty more stories like this one.

* Jerry Jones likes Felix Jones’ “bubble butt”. No further comment needed.

* In Dallas, the debate still rages as to whether or not Felix was the right choice. Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning-News weighs in with the opinion that he “should be the ideal complement to Marion Barber”. So that’s good…

* The Cowboys’ training camp will be looked at, up close and personal, on this year’s edition of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” reality show. Of course, don’t expect to see much of Felix on there…not only will he be overshadowed by notorious camera hogs like Terrell Owens (and Jessica Simpson?), he’s only the third most famous Jones on the team (behind Jerry and Pacman).

* The Huddle Report predicts that Peyton Hillis is going to be “a big-time RB” for the Broncos.

* A breakdown of the Chicago Bears’ draft that wound up with Marcuses Harrison and Monk.

* Speaking of Monk, it’s tough to make the team as a 7th rounder, but Chris Bahn of Arkansas Sports 360 reports that he’s making the most of his opportunity.

* The Chicago Sun-Times looks at the Marcus Harrison draft pick, and notes that although there are character-related concerns over his arrest last fall, he was “too good to pass up.”

As America’s favorite non-sporting sporting event, the NFL Draft certainly receives a lot of coverage. And, with six players drafted the Hogs were a major factor this year. Here are some links I’ve been saving up:

* Probably the best thing I read after the draft was this interview with Felix Jones. He landed in a great situation and sounds incredibly excited about it…he refers to it as “a dream come true” three times in a short span. Here’s a good quote on how he happy he is to be a Cowboy:
It will be an honor. I know that for sure. That star represents a lot. That is something I am going to wear and play my best and I am just happy now that I am getting a chance to put it on. This is a dream come true for me. 

* Of course, there are always naysayers and Arkansas Sports 360 reminds us that some folks in Dallas aren’t too happy about Felix being their first round draft pick. (editor’s note: Why??)

* On the flip side of that argument, SI’s Don Banks has the full story on why Jerry Jones went with Felix and ESPN’s John Clayton praises the choice.

* Surely you’ve been wondering what Warren Sapp thinks about D-Mac going to the Raiders. Well, wonder no more…according to this interview with Michael Silver, he wholeheartedly approves, calling the match “a perfect fit”.

* More from Don Banks: he pegs the McFadden vs Bush vs Fargas running back situation in Oakland as one of the top training camp battles to watch.

* Several undrafted Razorbacks were invited to various training camps. Tom Murphy has the latest on Robert Felton, Michael Grant, Matteral Richardson, Weston Dacus and more.

* What does Wally think about all this? Here’s his breakdown of the draft.

In the days leading up to the NFL draft, I posted a couple of rants about why I didn’t think Oakland was the best place for Darren McFadden to wind up…I’ve lived in the Bay Area for 12 years now and have seen numerous good players get swallowed up by the disfunction that surrounds every aspect of the Raiders, never to be heard from again. As great as D-Dawg undoubtedly is, he’s not immune to that possibility.

But, after the pick was made, I have to admit that I started feeling pretty excited that he’ll be playing for my local team. After all, I live roughly 1,837 miles from Fayetteville (according to Google Maps), so I’ve never seen him play in person…I expect that to change this fall. And, it will be certainly easier to follow his progress in the pros when his every move is covered by the paper I read every day anyway.

So that’s what I think. What about McFadden himself? Well, in a conference call with local media, he said pretty much all the right things, including this:

It’s going to be very important for me to carry on a tradition. You never want to ruin a tradition, you always want to carry it on. I love the Raider Nation, they’re very passionate about the Raiders so I’m looking forward to getting out and playing for them.

The full transcript is also worth a read if you want more details. I’m sure you’re also wondering if D-Mac will be able to afford living in the notoriously expensive Bay Area. The good news is that I think he’ll be be able to scrape by and get a place with enough guest rooms for all his brothers and sisters:

Arkansas running back Darren McFadden is by far the most dynamic offensive player coming out of college. As such, he will command a six-year deal worth at least $50 million with no less than $20 million in guarantees.

In other words, if Darren and I ever cross paths at a local piano bar, he’s buying. More thoughts on the draft coming soon…

* Nothing was Shocking - In yesterday’s first round of the NFL Draft, Darren McFadden and Felix Jones landed where most prognosticators believed they would. Fun facts, courtesy of Bob Holt of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:

“McFadden, a Little Rock native and two-time runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting, became the Razorbacks’ highest pick in the NFL Draft since Dan Hampton was selected fourth by the Chicago Bears in 1979.

It’s the fifth time two Razorbacks have been first-round picks, including 1967 (Loyd Phillips and Harry Jones ), 1983 (Billy Ray Smith Jr. and Gary Anderson ), 1989 (Wayne Martin and Steve Atwater ) and 2004 (Shawn Andrews and Ahmad Carroll ), but the first time two Arkansas running backs were first-rounders.”

For more coverage, including the reactions in Dallas and Oakland, visit the Razorbloggers by clicking here and here.

* In Other Draft News - Marcus Harrison was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 27th pick in the third round (90th overall).

* Offensive Behavior - The Red team posted a mere 601 yards of total offense yesterday in cruising to a 45-14 victory over the White team in Bobby Petrino’s first spring game. We’ll have more on this game later, when we post an eyewitness report from an old friend, someone whom the Razorback blogosphere misses dearly.

* No House of Payne - Forward Daniel Payne of Coffeyville (Kan. ) Community College will not joining Razorbacks next fall after all, apparently for academic reasons. Without Payne, the Hogs have five signees and are in the market for more.

The NFL Draft is almost upon us, and like my Expat counterpart, I generally find it to be one of the most ridiculous events on the yearly sporting calendar. If we could only apply the same level of intense analysis and attention to detail to some of our thornier national problems as we do the draft I’m sure things would be in much better shape right now.

But, I digress. Despite my cynicism I’m actually pretty excited about this year’s draft because of all the ex-Hogs who will factor in the mix. Here’s a quick look at how last year’s “Big Four” might fare:

* Darren McFadden. Naturally there are haters who prefer to obsess about his skinny calves rather than him blowing up the SEC for three years, but the general consensus is that he’s the top talent in the draft. However, most of the teams picking first don’t need a running back, so his future team is still very much in doubt. Earlier this week I was fretting about him going to the Raiders, but the latest buzz has him going to the Jets, who seem to be very interested in D-Dawg.

* Felix Jones. The “experts” are telling us that Felix is a late first round pick, which wouldn’t be too shabby at all. No one really knows anything, of course, but multiple mock drafts have him going to Dallas. That would seem to be a good on-the-field place for him to be, but he would be well-advised to decline any invitations to go strip clubbing with the team’s newest cornerback.

* Peyton Hillis. In a classic example of the type of overthinking that permeates most draft coverage, the word is that Peyton’s stock is dropping because he had a rough workout at the Scouting Combine in February. Only in the world of the NFL Draft would one bad day at a practice facility overrule the fact that he was money on the field for four years, but nonetheless he’ll be a solid middle round pick for someone.

* Marcus Monk. Surely every Hog fan is pulling for him after the year he’s had…passing up a solid NFL future to return for his senior year, getting seriously injured during preseason practice and then having a less impactful than hoped return to the field late in the season. The good news is that he performed well at the Scouting Combine and Pro Day and his stock is back on the rise. He won’t be a top round pick (like he might have been last year), but his future is much brighter than it seemed a few months ago.

Courtesy of Max Brantley’s Arkansas Blog, we came across this Sports Illustrated article about Darren McFadden’s efforts to address the concerns NFL franchises have about his off-field issues, such as his involvement in two bar fights. D-Mac’s strategy in short: straight talk.

We’ll highlight the same passage that Brantley did:

“Deserved or not, McFadden had an image problem. His team of advisers — including former Olympic track star Mike Conley Sr. (marketing), Ian Greengross (contracts), Mike Vick (financial planning; no relation to the quarterback of the same name) and Frank Shaw and David Cornwell (legal counsel) — decided to confront it head-on. They told McFadden to be open and honest in interviews with teams and media. Does he have a brother who used to be a Crip? Yes. And another who was a Blood. One brother is in prison for a drug-related offense, and another served five years for possession of crack with intent to distribute. McFadden spoke frankly as well about paternity questions he has faced recently and said he would accept responsibility for two children who may be his.”

Sounds like a good plan: When a string of bar brawls and paternity suits threatened to sully the Expat name a few years back, we rehabbed our image by following much the same strategy.

It seems that the Oakland Raiders management (i.e. owner Al Davis…everyone else there is irrelevant) was unswayed by my diatribe against the team last week, as they are considered the most likely team to pick Darren McFadden in this weekend’s NFL Draft.

The fact that the Raiders had the 6th best rushing game in the NFL last year and have pressing needs at almost every position BUT running back doesn’t matter much, writes the San Francisco Chronicle’s David White. For anyone wondering why I’m so down on Oakland (the team), his article only scratches the surface of the insanity but still gives a pretty nice overview.

White’s article also provides a handy breakdown at the various draftniks’ (I love/hate that word) guesses at who the Raiders will take. Interesting stuff:

Pundit / Pick
Mel Kiper, ESPN / RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
Todd McShay, Scouts Inc / McFadden
Mike Mayock, NFL.com / DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio St.
Vic Carucci, NFL.com / McFadden
Pat Kirwan, NFL.com / Gholston
The Sports Xchange / DT Glenn Dorsey, LSU
Profootballtalk.com / McFadden
NFLdraftcountdown.com / McFadden
Draftinsiders.com / McFadden
Sporting News / OT Ryan Clady, Boise State
NFL Draft Scout / McFadden
Don Banks, SI.com / McFadden
Mike Lombardi, NFL Network / Gholston

* Bye-Bye Beverley? - That’s the jarring headline of Brandon Marcello’s latest Slophouse blog entry. According to the post, Patrick has been making some comments on his Facebook page that could lead some to believe that he won’t be with the Hogs next season, including “I’m leaving.” Apparently, though, the page doesn’t make it clear exactly what he will be leaving. But … Marcello says he ran into Patrick at this weekend’s Real Deal on the Hill AAU Tournament, and Beverley wouldn’t comment on the matter. That doesn’t sound good.

* More Hoops News: Pelphrey continues to add to his 2008 recruiting class by inking 6-7 forward John Henry, who played high school ball in West Memphis and spent last season at Cincinnati Harmony Prep School. And, scroll down about halfway through this story, and you’ll see that the Hogs could also add 6-5 shooting guard Nick Williams of Mobile, Ala., this week. He might come in extra handy if indeed Patrick decides to take his act elsewhere.

* Draft Talk: Next Saturday marks the arrival of what I find to be the sporting world’s most obnoxious event: the NFL Draft. I usually avoid this like the plague. This year, however, there are two obvious reasons to tune in: McFadden and Jones, and I’m sure that a hefty percentage of this week’s postings will deal with speculation concerning the two. Here’s some material that’s sure to be a conversation starter: Fox NFL Analyst Brian Baldinger is no fan of D-Mac:

“I think he’s the colossal bust in this draft. He doesn’t run with patience. He’s a very incomplete back who tries to run you over. If he gets a crease, he can take it to the house. But he doesn’t break tackles and he fumbles. I’m not impressed.”

And add this unnamed scout to the list of those not overly enamored with No. 5:

“I can’t believe how skinny his calves and his shins are. It’s almost scary. It’s like a skinny wide receiver. At the running back position, you want a guy who’s a little wider on his base. is built on top, but he’s got a very skinny base. I think that’s a little bit of a concern.”

* Practice Makes Perfect - To stay on top of the football team’s spring practice, be sure to check out the Razorbloggers’ top-notch and highly detailed daily reports.

* I’m in Charge Here - Houston Nutt is back to doing what many Razorback fans think he does worst: calling plays.