Category: NFL Draft (Page 25 of 101)

      Bengals to use top pick on a quarterback now?

      February 23, 2011 /
      Cincinnati Bengals starting quarterback Carson Palmer (9) throws against the Indianapolis Colts during the second quarter at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis on November 14, 2010. UPI /Mark Cowan

      According to the team’s official website, the Bengals are taking Carson Palmer’s threat to be traded or retire “quite seriously” and will kick the tires on all kinds of quarterback options this offseason. One option might be to draft a quarterback with the No. 4 overall pick so that they’re not stuck with Carson’s brother Jordan at the top of their depth chart next season.

      It figures that this report would surface three days after I put together a post titled, “Three reasons why Carson Palmer will remain a Bengal.” Timing is everything in life and mine is somewhere between horrendous and awful.

      If the Bengals do decide to draft a quarterback, either Blaine Gabbert or Cam Newton could be available in the first round depending on what the Panthers and Bills do ahead of them. Many mock drafts have Carolina selecting Gabbert with the top overall pick and Buffalo picking Newton at No. 3. One option the Bengals have is to see how the first three picks play out and then go from there.

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      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Top 5 most NFL-ready draft prospects for 2011

      February 23, 2011 /

      It’s difficult to gauge whether or not a prospect is NFL-ready heading into the draft because we have no idea where he’ll end up. I may like Ryan Mallett as a prospect, but if his best fit is in a vertical offense and he winds up in the West Coast, well then he might not pan out. And that’s not my fault if he doesn’t. It’s your fault, NFL Team.

      But based on their physical skills and strengths as they apply to the next level, here are the top 5 most NFL-ready prospects in my eyes.

      1. A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
      Hands down, Green is the most NFL-ready prospect in this year’s draft. What I like most about him is his body control and balance. When he runs routes, he’s fluid getting out of his breaks and he uses his quickness to separate from coverage. He could stand to be more physical at the line of scrimmage and when the ball is in the air, but that’s not to suggest he doesn’t have great leaping ability or he doesn’t locate the ball well (because he does). He also catches passes away from his body, is good about getting up field after he secures the catch and he uses his hips incredibly well (an important trait that all players must have at the next level).
      Best Fit: Cincinnati or Cleveland. Both teams run a version of the West Coast Offense, which relies on receivers to run a lot of horizontal routes (think sideline to sideline) and force defenses to stretch itself across the field. I would love to see Green wind up with the Browns because I think he would fit in well with the receivers they already have on the roster (i.e. Mohamed Massaquoi, Josh Cribbs, Chansi Stuckey and Brian Robiskie) and he would give Colt McCoy a true No. 1. But if the Bengals release Chad Ochocinco, I could see them pulling the trigger on Green at No. 4.

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      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft, Video

      Did Ryan Mallett skip the 2010 draft due to a drug addiction?

      February 22, 2011 /

      More damning rumors are surfacing about quarterback prospect Ryan Mallett’s character and off-field issues. According to Tony Softli of ESPN 101 St. Louis, Mallett did not declare for the 2010 NFL draft due to a possible drug addiction.

      Character and drug use issues are starting to rear their ugly head. Heavy rumors of drug use and possible addiction kept him from coming out for the 2010 draft. A lot of people are comparing Mallett to Ryan Leaf. I think Ryan was a better football player, with a cannon for an arm but the immaturity was just too much to overcome. A hair facial test might tell all 32 teams who this person really is.

      These next six days are vital for Mallett as he gears up for the scouting combine. He has the most red flags of any quarterback prospect in the draft, which includes Cam Newton. He’ll be administered a drug test to see if he’s used recently and if he has, his stock will certainly plummet as we inch closer to the draft.

      Hopefully these are just nasty rumors, but there have been several reports to come out in the last couple of days that don’t paint Mallett in good light. In fact, just yesterday Wes Bunting of the National Football Post wrote that a scout “doesn’t trust the guy as a person off the field” because of the dirt he had on Mallett. Is that “dirt” the same information that Softli just released about the drug addiction?

      Of course, if the kid can play then nobody will remember or care about these reports three years from now. But for the time being, they certainly aren’t helping him improve his draft stock. Again, hopefully these are just nasty rumors.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      2011 Pre-Combine NFL Mock Draft: Will Nick Fairley go No. 1?

      February 22, 2011 /

      It has only been a week since I released my first mock draft and I’ve already found myself waking up in a cold sweat thinking about whom I mocked too high, too low or not at all. So with the NFL scouting combine ready to kick off, I’ve gone mocking again this week…

      Check out 2011 NFL Mock Draft 1.0.

      1. Carolina Panthers: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn
      Mock 1.0 Pick: Blaine Gabbert
      I had Gabbert going to the Panthers in my first mock because that seems to be the default thinking. But I’m starting to buy into the notion that new head coach Ron Rivera will try to build his defense first and while Jimmy Clausen haters will disagree, defensive tackle is actually Carolina’s most pressing need heading into the draft. Fairley was one of the most dominant defensive players in the country last season and can play several positions along the D-line.

      2. Denver Broncos: D’aQuan Bowers, DE, Clemson
      Mock 1.0 Pick: Nick Fairley
      Defensive tackle is a bigger need for the Broncos, which is why I had them selecting Nick Fairley in my first mock. But there are a couple of factors that now lead me to believe they’ll select Bowers here. The first is that they’re switching back to a 4-3 and Justin Hunter is the only potential 4-3 end they have on the roster. Elvis Dumervil will be healthy again, but can he be as effective in his old end spot as he was as a 3-4 OLB? In his first draft with the Panthers, John Fox selected a defensive end with the second overall pick and I think that turned out pretty well. (Uh, until that defensive end signed with Chicago last season.)

      3. Buffalo Bills: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
      Mock 1.0 Pick: Newton
      The opinions on Newton vary. Some believe he’s sure to go in the top-10 while others think he’ll fall into the second round. I’m somewhere in between. He certainly has the size and athletic ability to be a top-5 pick but there are questions about whether or not he can run a pro-style offense . That’s why Buffalo is an intriguing landing spot for him. Chan Gailey likes quarterbacks who can run and are versatile, which obviously fits Newton. Will the Bills think highly enough of him to take him at No. 3 though? There are obvious questions about his character, too.

      4. Cincinnati Bengals: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
      Mock 1.0 Pick: Bowers
      I had Bowers going to the Bengals at this spot in my first mock, but with him off the board they fill a major need with Green (who is the most NFL-ready prospect in the entire draft). T.O. is a free agent and won’t be back and I don’t see the Bengals paying Chad Ochocinco the $6 million he’s owed in the final year of his contract. Green will become the new face of the team’s receiving corps.

      5. Arizona Cardinals: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
      Mock 1.0 Pick: Tryon Smith
      The Cardinals may have faith in John Skelton, but if Gabbert falls into their laps I find it hard to believe that Ken Whisenhunt wouldn’t pull the trigger. The concerns about Gabbert are just: he ran the spread in college and there are some scouts who think he’ll have trouble being a leader at the next level. But he certainly has the size, arm strength and accuracy to succeed and there’s no doubt Arizona needs to establish consistency at the quarterback position.

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      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Cam Newton a “selfish,” “me-first” player?

      February 21, 2011 /
      Auburn Tigers Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Cam Newton warms up for the Tigers game against the Oregon Ducks at the BCS Championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ, January 10,2011. UPI/Art Foxall

      If I were one of the top quarterback candidates in this year’s NFL draft, I wouldn’t want to read the latest article from Wes Bunting of the National Football Post.

      Apparently one scout has dirt on Ryan Mallett that nobody else does and therefore no team should “trust the guy as a person off the field.”

      The good news for Blaine Gabbert is that he’s squeaky-clean off the field. The bad news is that he apparently doesn’t have what it takes to lead on the field.

      Jake Locker has a clean reputation off the field too, but his questionable feel in the pocket and “inability to consistently quickly decipher information in the pass game” is an issue. (Whatever “consistently quickly decipher information” means.)

      Oh, and Cam Newton? Well this is what Bunting had to say about the defending Heisman Trophy winner:

      As for Newton and his off the field character, as I stated last week, some scouts I have spoken with say he comes off as a mature and well-spoken kid in the media, but it’s all an act. In reality, he’s a selfish, “me first” guy who eventually would have worn out his welcome at Auburn. On the other side, a lesser number of scout’s have told me they think he’s a smart, well-spoken kid who loves to compete and should not be lumped into the same categories as quarterbacks like JaMarcus Russell and Vince Young.

      Is it just me or is everyone trying to predict the next Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russell? I’ve read a handful of articles that suggest Gabbert, Newton, Locker and Mallett would be better off working as mall security than operating NFL-caliber offenses.

      I’m not saying I don’t have my own reservations about these four quarterbacks but I wonder if these so-called scouts aren’t full of it. Sam Bradford played in the spread, so he’s no good. Matt Ryan didn’t have the arm strength. Joe Flacco played at a small school so he wouldn’t be able to handle top competition.

      And on, and on, and on. If you look hard enough, you can find something negative to say about every prospect in the draft. But two of those players will win the Rookie of the Year award and countless others will wind up going to the Pro Bowl. The point is that the draft has, and always will be the ultimate crapshoot. (Especially when it comes to quarterbacks.)

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

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