Category: NFL Draft (Page 64 of 102)

      Where’s the accountability?

      April 8, 2009 /

      Last Thursday, a site called NFLDraftBible.com posted this “breaking news” story:

      Written by NFL Draft Bible Thursday, 02 April 2009 22:36
      Boston College DT BJ Raji, Illinois CB Vontae Davis & Florida WR Percy Harvin tested positive for marijuana at the combine, according to various sources, including one NFL team.

      And this one:

      Written by NFL Draft Bible Thursday, 02 April 2009 22:38
      USC LB’s Brian Cushing & Clay Matthews tested positive for steroids at the NFL Scouting Combine, according to various sources, including one NFL team.

      On Sunday, NFL drug policy administer Dr. John Lombardo informed Cushing and Matthews that they had nothing to worry about in terms of any failed steroid tests and on Tuesday, Raji was informed that he didn’t fail any drug tests either.

      This morning I went onto NFLDraftBible.com and surfed the site a bit. Nice site – really nice site, actually. But what I want to know is: Where’s their accountability? As far as I can tell, they had no reports updating the players’ situations and nothing that stated they spread false rumors. As one of our readers pointed out, the site put these players’ careers on the line with these reports and now they’re not even responsible enough to come out and say that they made false claims. It looks like they made the reports up by claiming they got the information from “various sources” and then went on with their business once the players were cleared.

      What’s great about this is that NFLDraftBible.com got what they wanted. They’re probably flooded with hits now and what do they care if they potentially could have ruined the careers of Cushing, Matthews and Raji? The whole thing is ridiculous and I feel bad for the players who presumably did nothing wrong.

      NFL, NFL Draft

      Are the Browns interested in Mark Sanchez?

      April 8, 2009 /

      According to Cleveland Plain Dealer writer Tony Grossi, the Browns are “smitten” with USC quarterback Mark Sanchez.

      Mark SanchezI’ve been hearing for weeks that the new Browns’ brass is divided on Quinn, that, in fact, Quinn had more supporters in the old regime, which nailed him to the bench for two years.
      I’ve been hearing that the new regime isn’t head-over-heels with Derek Anderson, either, but Anderson’s arm always will impress coaches at this time of year.

      I’ve also been hearing that the new regime is smitten with Mark Sanchez of USC and it wouldn’t surprise some — though it would floor everybody in Cleveland — if the Browns took Sanchez with the fifth pick of the draft.

      Quinn, of course, has not had much of an opportunity to disprove critics that question his accuracy and arm strength. He deserves that much before the Browns give up on him.

      Here’s yet another report that states how the new brass in Cleveland isn’t thrilled with Quinn.

      Let’s assume for a second that Grossi is right and the Browns love Sanchez and want to draft him at No. 5. Then Cleveland better trade Quinn (we have to assume that if Cleveland drafts Sanchez, then Quinn would be the one traded because why keep two young quarterbacks with limited to no experience?) before the draft or else they’ll get no value for him if they try and deal him with three quarterbacks on the roster. No team is going to give up a decent draft pick or two for Quinn knowing that the Browns have Anderson and Sanchez on the roster.

      It seems like Eric Mangini and George Kokinis either have some master game plan that they’re about to reveal over the next month or they’re completely clueless. Regardless, it’ll be interesting to see how everything plays out for the Browns around draft weekend.

      NFL, NFL Draft

      10 NFL Draft Observations from Mike Mayock

      April 7, 2009 /

      SI.com’s Peter King shares 10 draft nuggets that he got from Mike Mayock:

      1. “This is by far the worst year for the top 10 that I’ve seen. Down around 18, 20, you’ll get every bit the player you’ll get in the top 10 for a third of the price.”

      2. His gut feeling is Detroit’s taking Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford with the first pick of the draft.

      3. “I can’t bang the table for Stafford the way I did for Matt Ryan last year. I don’t see an elite player in him every time I watch, which you need to see if you’re taking a quarterback that high.”

      4. Mayock, if he had his choice of first-round picks for talent and value, would be around 22. “The value in this draft is at 15 and beyond.”

      5. He says eight or nine tight ends will be drafted in the first three rounds. He loves the best of the bunch, Oklahoma State’s Brandon Pettigrew. (I’d love to see the Bills land him, by the way. Perfect offensive weapon for a coordinator, Turk Schonert, who loves to use the tight end.)

      6. He likes Eugene Monroe over Jason Smith, if you’re picking a franchise tackle. “Smith’s got a better upside. Very aggressive. But Monroe’s got the best feet in the draft. He’s a really accomplished technician.”

      7. He thinks Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry — who Detroit would play at middle linebacker if the Lions made him the first pick of the draft — would be optimally used at strongside linebacker in the 4-3 because he can cover, he can play physically over the tight end, and he’s got upside pass-rushing ability.

      8. He’s scared of Brian Orakpo, the Texas defensive end who’s the apple of a few teams’ eyes in the top half of the first round. “Buyer beware,” Mayock said. “He’s boom or bust. I don’t know if he’s DeMarcus Ware or Vernon Gholston. I’ve seen him have some really good games, and I’ve seen what I considered to be Brandon Pettigrew tearing him apart. The point is, I don’t see it all the time from Orakpo, which concerns me.”

      9. Of the elite quarterbacks, he likes USC’s Mark Sanchez the best. “He’s the most ready made for the pro game right now.”

      10. If you need a cornerback in this draft, sit it out. There are no corners even well above average, never mind great.

      Those are 10 pretty solid observations and outside of maybe deeming Mark Sanchez an elite quarterback-candidate, I can’t find fault in anything Mayock said.

      NFL, NFL Draft

      Draft prospect Raji did not fail drug test

      April 7, 2009 /

      Boston College defensive tackle prospect B.J. Raji has been informed that he did not fail a drug test at the NFL scouting combine, which contradicts a report that surfaced last week that stated he did.

      B.J. RajiRaji (6-2, 337) is considered the highest-rated defensive lineman in the draft and a top-10 prospect. The 49ers own the No. 10 overall pick in the draft. Obviously, Raji is a serious option for the 49ers if he is still available after the first nine selections.

      His reputation appears to be on the mend after reports surfaced last week on SI.com and NFLDraftbible.com that he tested positive for drugs at the combine in February. Raji told me this evening the reports are inaccurate. His agents provided evidence in a statement earlier today and declared the “reports are untrue.”

      “The biggest thing is trying to figure out how this started,” Raji said. “I couldn’t understand how this rumor became such a big splash in the media when there was no evidence – there was no substance to believe it. The last couple days, I was just trying to figure out: Who? What? Basically, why?”

      “Now, I’m happy the truth is out. Obviously, it’s not going to be as big of a splash as the negative part. But as long as the coaches and the decision-makers know what is true, then I don’t need to be concerned with everybody else.”

      The NFLDraftBible.com should take some heat over this because Raji wasn’t the only prospect they said failed substance tests. They also reported that USC linebackers Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews failed steroids tests as well.

      The site should own up to the false reports, but I doubt that will happen.

      NFL, NFL Draft

      Dolphins targeting Rey Maualuga?

      April 7, 2009 /

      According to the Palm Beach Post, the Dolphins have set their targets on USC middle linebacker Rey Maualuga in the first round.

      Rey MaualugaUSC inside linebacker Rey Maualuga, the 2008 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, is projected by many draftniks to be selected in the late teens, at worst. But even if he doesn’t fall to the mid-20s, Bill Parcells and Co. might consider moving up to grab him.

      Maualuga will be visiting South Florida Tuesday so the Dolphins can get to know him better, according to an NFL source.

      One NFL insider believes Maualuga, an unrelenting linebacker in the mold of former Trojan Junior Seau, is the Dolphins’ target during the first round of April 25-26 draft.

      But ask 10 experts who Parcells and Jeff Ireland covet with pick No. 25 and you might get more than a half-dozen different answers … Illinois CB Vontae Davis, North Carolina WR Hakeem Nicks, USC LB Clay Matthews, Connecticut CB Darius Butler, Northern Illinois’ Larry English and so on.

      Maualuga doesn’t seem to fit the team’s most acute needs, cornerback or wide receiver. He isn’t the big outside linebacker with pass-rushing skills who could give Joey Porter some help – especially given Cameron Wake could need a good bit of time to adjust from the CFL to the NFL – and maybe eventually replace Porter, 32.

      But Maualuga could be the kind of big (6-2, 255), physical linebacker Parcells won’t be able to pass up, considering his eye for game-changing players at the position.

      Prospects slip all the time in the first round, but I highly doubt Maualuga falls to No. 25, meaning the Dolphins would definitely have to move up to get him. I have a hard time believing that the Lions would pass on him at No. 20.

      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑