Category: NFL Draft (Page 23 of 101)

      Bengals to now listen to offers for Carson Palmer?

      February 28, 2011 /
      Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback Carson Palmer is seen as the Bengals play the Baltimore Ravens’ at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on January 2, 2011. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

      A week after the team’s official website reported that the Bengals would “kick the tires” on possible quarterback options this offseason, Peter King writes that Cincinnati will listen to offers for Carson Palmer once the CBA is finalized.

      It’s looking more and more that the Bengals will draft their future quarterback in April, maybe even in the first round (they hold the No. 4 overall pick). Blaine Gabbert, Cam Newton, Jake Locker and Ryan Mallett are all viewed as potential first rounders, but don’t rule out the possibility of Cincinnati taking someone like Christian Ponder seeing as how Jay Gruden has been hired as offensive coordinator. (Ponder’s best attribute is that he’s an accurate passer and Gruden will implement his version of the West Coast Offense, which requires a quarterback that’s accurate.)

      The question I keep bringing up in regards to trading Palmer is what team will be willing to take on his salary and give up a draft pick(s) in order to acquire him? He’s still a serviceable starter but he’s 31 and his best days are clearly behind him. He may have performed well in the final two weeks of the 2010 regular season, but on a whole he wasn’t very good last season. Considering he’s owed $11.5 million in each of the next two years, plus $13 million in 2013 and $14 million in 2014, would teams rather wait to see if he’s released and then sign him to a more reasonable contract?

      Rotoworld mentions the 49ers, Cardinals and Seahawks as possibilities for Palmer. All of those teams are logical choices, but I still have a hard time believing that any one of them would fight for a declining quarterback that they’d have to pay $11.5 million next season.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      NFL Scouting Combine Thoughts: Quarterbacks

      February 27, 2011 /

      The quarterbacks performed throwing drills at the NFL scouting combine on Sunday and below are some quick-hit thoughts on how each of them fared. (Thank you NFL Network for broadcasting the scouting combine for those of us who are unable to go to Indianapolis, or have a restraining order that mandates we stay 500 yards away from Rich Eisen, whom all I wanted to do was party with.)

      – For those that were concerned with the way the ball comes out of Cam Newton’s hand, there’s no need. Unlike Tim Tebow last year, Newton doesn’t have a flaw that needs to be fixed when it comes to his delivery, which is important seeing as how he played in the spread option under Gus Malzahn at Auburn.

      – That said, Newton was awfully inconsistent on Sunday. His passes on the out route sailed on him and he also overthrew his receiver on one of his post-corner throws. His footwork is still a work in progress but hey, he’s learning. He has to transition from being a spread quarterback to a conventional drop back passer in the NFL, so it’s going to take time. At least at this point he has better mechanics than Tebow and Vince Young when they were preparing for the draft.

      – Ryan Mallett was really impressive. He has a cannon attached to his right shoulder and the ball comes out of his hand rather effortlessly. He has the best physical tools of any quarterback in the draft and at 6’6” and 238 pounds, he has the size that scouts drool over. Of course, his physical tools have never been in question. His attitude and character are what some are concerned about. Personally, I think he has Oakland Raiders written all over him. He could thrive in a vertical offense and Al Davis can’t even spell character.

      – Christian Ponder had himself a great day as well. He outshined Newton and all other quarterbacks in the second group, displaying very good accuracy and decent arm strength. I can’t see him going any higher than the third round, but he looked healthy and confident on Sunday. Depending on what team he winds up with, he could be a player to watch in a couple of years.

      – For those who followed him at Washington, it’s not surprising that Jake Locker ran one of the fastest 40 times (4.52 seconds) of any quarterback in combine history. The guy was blessed with a ton of athleticism and he looked good throwing the ball, which had been a concern heading into the combine. He was a little inconsistent with his accuracy when throwing the dig route, but it’s hard to complain about his performance. Of course, most quarterbacks perform well when there are no defenders in their face. When teams watch film of him from last year, there will be plenty to pick apart.

      – Ricky Stanzi, Jerrod Johnson and Andy Dalton all struggled with their accuracy. I don’t think anyone is surprised with Johnson, but I thought Dalton would put on a better performance. Of course, where he wins teams over is with his leadership, his football IQ and his instincts. You can’t measure those things in throwing drills. I will say this about Stanzi though: the kid throws a nice deep ball (at least when he’s not facing any DBs).

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      The comparisons to Ryan Leaf continue to mount for Ryan Mallett

      February 26, 2011 /

      Ryan Mallett certainly looks the part of a NFL quarterback. He stands 6’6 and 238 pounds, has a cannon for a right arm and is the pocket passer that teams covet. One would think that he would have plenty of success in a vertical offense once he got familiar with the playbook and the complexities of the pro game.

      But the more that’s released on Mallett leading up to the draft, the less there is to like. He stood at the podium on Saturday at the NFL scouting combine and instead of extinguishing the idea that he has questionable character, he only ignited the suspicion.

      According to ESPN.com, Mallett refused to discuss the rumors that he’s an alleged drug addict.

      Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett was on the podium for about eight seconds when a reporter asked him about foggy allegations regarding illegal drug use.

      “First one, huh?” Mallett replied Saturday afternoon at the NFL scouting combine.

      He forced a smile.

      “Nah, I’m not going to talk about that right now,” Mallett said. “I’ve got interviews with the teams, and the teams need to know what they need to know, and I’m going to leave it at that.”

      Mallett hinted at ulterior motives for the rumors.

      “Obviously, somebody did it for a reason,” Mallett said, “right before the combine, right before the draft.”

      Mallett insisted innuendo “doesn’t bother me” and “when I saw that stuff, I laughed about it.”

      But Mallett declined to address any issues directly or make any denials.

      According to Sporting News.com, a reporter told Mallett the rumors would not go away if he did not answer the questions and at that point, Mallett said, “Thanks,” and walked away from the podium.

      Granted, being able to speak to the media doesn’t have anything to do with a quarterback’s ability to read a defense, throw a perfectly timed pass to beat a blitz or lead a team in the fourth quarter. But Mallett appears to be rubbing people the wrong way. The fact that he’s taken a hardened stance with the media isn’t really the issue, nor is his confidence. (To a certain degree, quarterbacks have to play with arrogance because of how much is expected of them.)

      The issue is that this is the time of year when Mallett has to sell himself and all people want to do is compare him to Ryan Leaf. That alone should make Mallett strive to act like Ghandi for the next two months.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      More concerns about Cam Newton’s attitude

      February 26, 2011 /
      Auburn Tigers quarterback Cam Newton is interviewed at Media Day for the BCS Championship game at the media center in Phoenix, AZ January 7,2011. The BCS Championship between the Tigers and the Oregon Ducks will be held at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 10. UPI Photo/Art Foxall

      Count former Ravens head coach Brian Billick as one who has concerns about Cam Newton’s diva-like attitude and even referred to him as “LeBron James-ish.”

      From NFL.com:

      “A player having confidence never concerned me,” Billick said. “It takes conviction and passion to play this game. However, coming from a Cam Newton, with all of the issues that have surrounded him at Florida and Auburn, and the questions coming into this league. I find the comments very disturbing and they put a big red flag up to this young man’s ability to perform in the NFL. I have major, major questions about Cam Newton.”

      “There is no question that as a staff and a coach you have to have some sense of any athlete drafted high in the NFL will handle all that goes along with being a high pick,” Billick said. “The pressures to play and produce. The emotional transition from college to pro. Finding yourself in a major metropolitan area. And dealing with all of the outside pressures with being in the NFL. All of it. …

      “When you look at some of the actions of Cam Newton at the end of the season — the workout for the media, the comment about being an icon and entertainer — it shows me a lack of understanding on his part what that transition to the NFL is going to be about. And these actions show me that he has surrounded himself with people with questionable judgment.”

      The biggest concern surrounding prospects, especially those taken in the top 5, is how they’re going to act when they’re handed millions of dollars. Some understand the responsibility that they inherit when they’re drafted, while many, many others fall victim to their fortune.

      Newton is a tremendous athlete and I know he dazzled the college football world with his play last year, but let’s be frank here. When a prospect says that he’s an “entertainer and an icon” before ever attempting his first pass in the NFL, that’s a concern. In fact, one NFL coach told SI.com that Newton’s comments “really turned me off.”

      “That really turned me off when I heard that. That’s exactly the wrong message to send. You want your quarterback to be the exact opposite of a guy who’s interested in something like that. I can’t believe he’d actually say something like that, but that’s a guy I want no part of.”

      You worry about whether or not Newton is someone who gets it. JaMarcus Russell never got it and he was out of the league in three years despite his immense athletic talent. Even the staunchest of Newton supporters have to admit that the concerns about his attitude are warranted.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Redskins won’t decide McNabb’s future until after the draft

      February 25, 2011 /
      Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb watches game action from the sideline during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland on November 15, 2010. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

      Donovan McNabb must feel real secure about his status in Washington after hearing Mike Shanahan’s latest comments to the media.

      While speaking at the NFL combine on Friday, the Redskins head coach said that the team wouldn’t make a decision on McNabb’s future until after the draft. Shanahan also said that he’s talked to McNabb’s agent but has yet to speak to McNabb personally since the end of the season.

      Granted, Shanahan was vague in his comments so there’s still an outside shot that McNabb could return to D.C. next year. But John Fox gave more backing to Kyle Orton this week than Shanahan did for McNabb and Fox hasn’t even seen Orton practice yet. Chances are the Redskins aren’t going to pay McNabb the $10 million offseason roster bonus or the $1.75 million base salary he’s due next season.

      If you read between the lines, it appears that McNabb is a goner if the Skins emerge from the draft with a starting quarterback (or at least someone that can challenge Rex Grossman for the starting job next season). With so many holes to fill, it’ll be interesting to see if Shanahan decides to address the quarterback position in the first round knowing that he doesn’t have complete faith in McNabb as his starter, or take his chances in the middle rounds on someone like TCU’s Andy Dalton, FSU’s Christian Ponder or Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi. (Or ignore the position completely and stick with McNabb.)

      But no matter how the draft shakes out, McNabb will either start for the Redskins or start for another team in 2011. It would be foolish for the Redskins to pay him over $12 million next year and watch him hold the clipboard while Grossman plays. Things will be real interesting around Redskins Park at the end of April and early May.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

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