Category: NFL Draft (Page 18 of 102)

      Moon on perceived racial bias towards Newton: “Unless u have been black, u have no idea!”

      April 1, 2011 /
      Auburn Tigers quarterback Cam Newton holds the championship trophy after the Tigers defeated the Oregon Ducks in the NCAA BCS National Championship college football game in Glendale, Arizona, January 10, 2011. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Warren Moon spoke out this week about what he perceives as a racial bias against Auburn quarterback Cam Newton.

      From CBSSports.com:

      “A lot of the criticism he’s receiving is unfortunate and racially based,” Moon said. “I thought we were all past this. I don’t see other quarterbacks in the draft being criticized by the media or fans about their smile or called a phony. He’s being held to different standards from white quarterbacks. I thought we were past all this stuff about African-American quarterbacks, but I guess we’re not.

      “Of course there is racism in every walk of society. We’ve made a lot of progress in this country. But racism is still there. I just thought in the sports arena we were beyond it. I think the way Cam is being treated shows we’re not.”

      Moon added: “The thing that makes me laugh is the question of can he [Newton] come out of the spread offense? Can he run a pro offense? Colt McCoy came out of the spread offense and very few people raised that issue about him. So did Sam Bradford. Same thing. Very few questions asking if Bradford could run a pro offense. Some of these questions about Cam are more about his intellect. It’s blatant racism, some of it.

      Is Moon serious about McCoy and Bradford? Whether or not they could run a pro-style offense was the biggest question surrounding both quarterbacks last year. And it’s always going to be a question when a QB prospect ran the spread in college, so Moon has no basis for saying “very few people raised” concerns about McCoy and Bradford running the spread.

      Moon has received plenty of backlash from his comments, but didn’t back down via Twitter on Friday morning:

      Continue reading »

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Teams concerned about Mark Ingram’s knee?

      April 1, 2011 /
      Alabama Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram dives over Michigan State Spartans cornerback Marcus Hyde for a touchdown during the first half of the Capital One Bowl college football game in Orlando, Florida, January 1, 2011. REUTERS/Phelan M. Ebenhack (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers isn’t the only prospect that might see his draft stock fall over these next couple of weeks due to concerns about a knee injury.

      According to NFL Network’s Mike Lombardi, teams have growing concerns about the health of Alabama running back Mark Ingram, who had his knee scoped prior to the 2010 season. After rushing for 1,658 yards and a 6.1 YPC average on 271 carries in 2009, the former Heisman Trophy winner was limited to just 875 yards on 158 totes a year ago.

      I’ve released three mocks and in all three of them, I’ve had the Dolphins selecting Ingram with the No. 15 overall pick. There’s a real possibility that Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams (who are both free agents) have played their last downs in Miami, making the selection of Ingram a popular one in many mocks – not just mine.

      But if his knee is a concern for some teams, then he could easily fall into the second round. Plus, there’s growing sentiment that the Dolphins want a home run threat, which doesn’t exactly describe Ingram’s game. If that’s the case, then maybe the Dolphins will look to nab someone like Oklahoma State’s Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma’s DeMarco Murray or UConn’s Jordan Todman in the middle rounds.

      If Ingram does slip into Round 2, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not a running back will even be selected in the first. Mikel Leshoure of Illinois is viewed as a potential first round pick, but Ingram is listed ahead of him in most pundits’ rankings so he may fall, too. It isn’t a great year for running back-needy teams, although there are always bargains in the middle rounds.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Report: Clemson’s Bowers removed from two draft boards

      March 31, 2011 /

      ESPN’s Todd McShay is reporting that two teams have already removed defensive end Da’Quan Bowers from their draft boards.

      From Rotoworld:

      “I already know of two teams that have failed him,” McShay said on Thursday morning’s SportsCenter. “He’s off their board.” McShay’s statement is eerily similar to Peter King’s in Monday Morning Quarterback. We’ll give McShay the benefit of the doubt and assume he didn’t rip the info off King. Either way, McShay makes it sound like Bowers’ knee problem is a big concern in league circles. Many in the media have tried to downplay the injury.

      Dear Lord, are there any good reports on this poor kid? Every time I find an article on Bowers’ pre-draft status, it’s always negative.

      There’s no doubt about it: his Pro Day on Friday is crucial. There’s one way for him to put rumors to rest and that’s by going out and proving to teams that his knee is fine. If he struggles, then there’s no telling how far he could fall in late April.

      Two months ago this was a prospect that was seemingly guaranteed to be selected in the top-5 and now he might not even crack the top-10. We’ll have a good idea on Friday just where his draft stock really is. If Bowers slides, it’ll be interesting to see how far prospects like Von Miller, Julio Jones and Cameron Jordan will rise.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      PFW: Newton “has an enormous ego with a sense of entitlement”

      March 30, 2011 /
      Auburn University quarterback Cam Newton speaks with the media in New York in this December 11, 2010 file photo. Newton declared himself eligible for the 2011 NFL draft on Thursday. The Heisman trophy winner, who led the Tigers to a perfect 14-0 season capped by 22-19 victory over the Oregon Ducks in U.S. college football’s championship game on Monday, said on the Auburn website that he will forgo his senior year and pursue a professional career. REUTERS/Keith Bedford (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL HEADSHOT)

      Pro Football Weekly’s Nolan Nawrocki wrote a rather scathing review of Auburn quarterback Cam Newton for the publication’s annual draft magazine.

      Under “Negatives,” Nawrocki wrote that Newton is “very disingenuous – has a fake smile, comes off as very scripted” and has a “selfish, me-first makeup.” But he didn’t stop there.

      “Always knows where the cameras are and plays to them. Has an enormous ego with a sense of entitlement that continually invites trouble and makes him believe he is above the law — does not command respect from teammates and will always struggle to win a locker room . . . Lacks accountability, focus and trustworthiness — is not punctual, seeks shortcuts and sets a bad example. Immature and has had issues with authority. Not dependable.”

      Wow, tell us how you really feel, Nolan. I guess he didn’t think that “has questionable character” quite summed up how he felt about Newton.

      Pro Football Weekly is a well-respected publication and Nawrocki makes his living from giving his opinion, which is all he did here. Obviously somewhere along the line he thought Newton was being an immature kid with a sense of entitlement and Narworki decided to print what he saw/felt.

      That said, could he have made it any more personal? It sounds like Nawrocki has a vendetta against Newton and that’s only going to shed negative connotations on PWF in some people’s eyes. You don’t talk about a prospect’s “fake smile” without sounding like a scorned lover and I wonder what kind of backlash Nawrocki is experiencing after writing the report.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Broncos to take Marcell Dareus?

      March 29, 2011 /
      Alabama Crimson Tide’s Marcell Dareus (R) runs for a touchdown after he intercepted a pass during the second quarter as teammate Kareem Jackson (L) celebrates during play against the Texas Longhorns in the second quarter in the NCAA’s BCS National Championship football game in Pasadena, January 7, 2010. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES)

      The Denver Post is reporting that the Broncos are leaning towards Alabama DT Marcell Dareus with the No. 2 overall pick.

      • The Broncos will draft a dominant defensive tackle — Marcell Dareus is the leader in the clubhouse — or trade the pick if they can get Patrick Peterson or Von Miller several picks later. Perhaps they can persuade the 49ers, at No. 7 (yes), the Titans (8), Washington’s Mike Shanahan (10th; he grabbed Jay Cutler at 11) or the Vikings (12) to trade up with additional draft choices for the Broncos’ pick.

      With teams being unable to trade 2012, 2013 and 2014 picks, it’s going to be difficult for the Broncos to move down. They’ll either have to take less value than a team holding the No. 2 pick would, or stay put and take whichever player is on the top of their board. I would imagine that the latter is the more likely scenario.

      In my latest mock draft (which I compiled earlier this month), I have the Broncos taking Dareus at No. 2:

      No. 2 Denver Broncos: Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama
      I had the Broncos taking Da’Quan Bowers with this pick in my second mock, but since then they’ve released Jamal Williams and, in a rather surprising move, Justin Bannan. Those moves open up a huge need at defensive tackle and Dareus’ stock continues to soar. The question is, will the Broncos look to trade this pick knowing that QB-needy teams draft behind them? They may lose the opportunity to take Dareus, but maybe they can trade back and still land Nick Fairley (a nice consolation prize).
      Combine Comparisons: Marcus Thomas; Corvey Irvin; Red Bryant.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

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