Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 937 of 1503)

      Top 32 NFL Draft Prospects

      February 20, 2009 /

      Pete Prisco of CBSSportsline.com ranked the top 32 prospects in this year’s NFL draft.

      Here are his top 10:

      1. Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia: When he throws for the scouts, they will be in awe. There are some who think he locks on to receivers at times. But that can happen to young passers with big arms.

      2. Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest: Think Derrick Brooks. He’s a run-and-chase linebacker who has good size at 240 pounds. He might be the cleanest player in the draft, the one with the fewest flaws.

      3. B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College: He’s a power player who could not be blocked at the Senior Bowl. At 335 pounds, he also has good quickness.

      4. Jason Smith, T, Baylor: This former tight end has great feet and plays with a nasty streak. He is 6-4, 300 pounds and has the frame to get bigger. He’s a better pass blocker, but will get better for the run as he matures.

      5. Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech: He is the next Larry Fitzgerald. He’s big and strong. The once concern with him is his 40 time. But Fitzgerald wasn’t fast either.

      6. Eugene Monroe, T, Virginia: He’s another tackle who is better as a pass protector than blocking for the run. Is that a bad thing?

      7. Andre Smith, T, Alabama: He played left tackle at Alabama, but some scouts wonder if he’s not more of a right tackle. He’s the best run blocker of the three top tackles, but he has struggled with some speed rushers.

      8. Mark Sanchez, QB, USC: He’s accurate, poised and his arm is plenty strong. The knock on him will be that he was a one-hit wonder. Don’t believe it.

      9. Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State: He’s a smart cover player who might not have blazing speed, but he plays fast enough. He’s easily the top corner in this draft.

      10. Everette Brown, LB-DE, Florida State: Think Dwight Freeney. He’s short at 6-1 but has a great burst off the edge. He might even rise up this board as we go through the process.

      Everyone is going to have varying opinions on which prospect is better than the next (everyone is an expert this time of year), but I think that’s a pretty solid top 10. I don’t think Sanchez is a top 10 prospect, but that’s just me. For the amount of talent USC had this year, he certainly didn’t dominate and I think he’s a raw prospect in that he’ll need a couple years to develop.

      The guy that could be a steal in the middle of the first round is Illinois cornerback Vontae Davis, who Prisco ranked at No. 15. He’s got better physical skills than Jenkins (the top corner in the draft), but he plays undisciplined and that’s why he’ll drop. A good pro coaching staff could turn Davis into a star.

      NFL, NFL Draft

      Lions to cut Kitna – are they making room for Stafford?

      February 20, 2009 /

      Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com reports that the Lions are likely to release quarterback Jon Kitna soon.

      Jon KitnaIt has been confirmed that Kitna will be owed a $1 million roster bonus shortly after the opening of free agency on Feb. 27. The source said the team, barring any unforeseen circumstances, has already decided not to pay the bonus and will release Kitna.

      The Lions are still in the process of trying to find a trade partner for Kitna and that’s why Schwartz kept up appearances today when asked about him. Still, Schwartz indicated there could be some changes at the quarterback position.

      If — when? — Kitna is released, the Lions will have three quarterbacks on the roster — Daunte Culpepper, Drew Stanton and Drew Henson. Lions president Tom Lewand said on Tuesday the Lions are still trying to work out a deal to sign Dan Orlovsky, who becomes an unrestricted free agent Feb. 27.

      It’s highly doubtful the Lions find a suitor to take Kitna, so he’ll likely be cut over the next week or so. That means Detroit essentially plans on Culpepper being the starter and Stanton as a developmental backup. I highly doubt Henson makes it to the 2009 season on the roster.

      This is just speculation, but cutting Kitna could mean that the Lions are preparing to select Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford with the first overall pick in the draft. Stafford, who has the best physical tools in the draft outside of Kansas State’s Josh Freeman, could sit behind Culpepper for a season until the offensive line is rebuilt. I know some Lion fans would love to see the team draft one of the top offensive tackles (Virginia’s Eugene Monroe or Baylor’s Jason Smith) or Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry, but if new GM Martin Mayhew sees a franchise-type signal caller in Stafford, he’ll likely bite.

      NFL, NFL Draft, Rumors & Gossip

      Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith not helping himself at NFL scouting combine

      February 20, 2009 /

      Andre SmithThe NFL scouting combine is supposed to be an opportunity for prospects to put their best foot forward and prove that they should be selected high in the draft. But so far, it appears that Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith is treating the opportunity like it’s a vacation.

      If you remember correctly, Smith was the player that Nick Saban had to suspend for this year’s Sugar Bowl because he violated a team rule. As it turns out, Smith was actually suspended because of improper dealings with his agent, according to ESPN.com. Now it appears that Smith might not even work out at the combine because he indicated that he’s out of shape.

      This isn’t a bad player we’re talking about here. Smith won the Outland Trophy this season and was a huge part of Alabama’s offensive success. He’s an outstanding run blocker and could be the type of mauler that a pro team would love to have at the tackle position. But his weight continues to be an issue and even worse, his work ethic has often been questioned throughout his collegiate career.

      Considering the plethora of offensive line prospects in this year’s draft, it’s not advantageous to be known as an unmotivated prospect. Virginia’s Eugene Monroe, Baylor’s Jason Smith and Ole Miss’s Michael Oher are the other top tackle prospects in the draft and anyone of them could be taken ahead of Smith. Instead of being selected in the top five, Smith could easily fall into the middle of the first round because of his weight issues and lack of motivation.

      At this point, it looks like Smith’s draft stock is plummeting. It’ll be interesting to see if he skips the combine workouts this week and drops his stock even further.

      NFL, NFL Draft

      No felony charges for Marshawn Lynch

      February 20, 2009 /

      Marshawn Lynch escaped felony charges stemming from his early February arrest in California for a concealed firearm. Lynch does face three misdemeanor charges, however.

      Marshawn Lynch“I’m not pleased that Marshawn was charged… but if he was going to be charged I’m pleased it’s a misdemeanor… I haven’t seen a police report or charging documents, but I’m certainly pleased Marshawn wasn’t charged with a felony.”

      The National Football League says it’s still waiting for all the facts of the case, and that they will be evaluated “under the NFL’s policies.”

      Lynch could face League discipline for the incident. It’s not clear at this point if the NFL will consider him a repeat offender, given the hit and run incident we was involved in last spring in Buffalo.

      Regardless of whether or not he escaped felony charges, there’s a good chance Lynch will be suspended by Roger Goodell considering this is his second brush in with the law. I doubt it would be anything major (i.e. four games), but there’s a real possibility that Lynch could be suspended for one or two games given Goodell’s track record for handling players who got into trouble off the field.

      NFL

      NFL offseason link dump: Peppers tagged, Falcons front runners for Haynesworth?

      February 19, 2009 /

      Julius Peppers– Against his wishes, the Panthers placed the franchise tag on defensive end Julius Peppers and have no intentions on trading him at this time according to GM Marty Hurney. Peppers has already stated publicly that he wants out of Carolina, but the Panthers were wise to tag him in order to gain compensation if they do trade him. Either way, this will be one of the most talked about storylines this offseason and things could get messy if Carolina stands firm on not trading him.

      – The Charlotte Observer is reporting that the Falcons may be the leading contenders for free agent defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, which makes sense given Atlanta’s need at the position. Haynesworth and John Abraham on the same defensive line? Shut your mouth…

      – Speaking of the Panthers and all things Charlotte, Carolina signed left tackle Jordan Gross to a brand new six-year contract. The deal is worth nearly $60 million and includes $30.5 million in the first three years according to Rotoworld.com.

      – The Steelers assigned left tackle Max Starks the franchise tag. He’ll receive a one-year deal worth $8.451 million if he signs the tender. Offenisve line was supposed to be a major weakness for Pittsburgh last season, but the unit gelled over the last month and a half of the season and obviously played well enough for the Steelers to win their second Super Bowl title in three years.

      – In a rather surprising (although not shocking) development, the Falcons appear to be on the verge of re-signing outside linebacker Keith Brooking. At the start of the week, it looked as if Atlanta and the long-time veteran would part ways this offseason, but apparently the Falcons still value his leadership. This doesn’t guarantee that the team won’t draft a linebacker to push for the starting weak-side linebacker position, but at least the team is showing loyalty to a player that has served them well over his career. Brooking has definitely lost a step, but he’s a tremendous leader and could serve as a solid mentor for whoever the team brings in to supplement him in the future. This move might also signal that the Falcons won’t re-sign outside linebacker Michael Boley.

      NFL

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