Category: NFL (Page 441 of 1282)

      Jimmy Clausen to fall out of top 25?

      April 22, 2010 /

      ESPN’s Adam Schefter predicts that Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen will fall to the bottom of the first round, where the Vikings will take him at No. 30.

      Dallas Morning News columnist Rick Gosselin (who annually puts out some of the most accurate mock drafts) predicts the same thing.

      The Vikings were hoping a cornerback would slide to them but instead hit the jackpot with the slide of Clausen. He gives them their QB of the future when Brett Favre finally does retire, probably in 2011.

      Well, my final mock just got blown to hell. I have Clausen falling to the Bills at No. 9 and I even had him as high as No. 4 to the Redskins before they acquired Donovan McNabb. Schefter is one of the most reliable NFL media members around and as previously noted, Gosselin is well respected around this time of year too.

      I guess it wouldn’t surprise me to see Clausen fall. In fact, nothing would surprise me. The media tries its best to predict what will happen, but in reality, not even the teams know how things will play out. A team like the Vikings have an idea about who will be left on the board when they pick later tonight at No. 30, but really, they have to wait to find out just like everyone else. Players that they thought would be there won’t be, while a player they may have rated higher on their board will still be available. It happens every year.

      Last year, linebacker Rey Maualuga was supposed to be a sure-fire top 20 pick and he fell all the way to the Bengals in the second round (No. 38 overall). In 2008, receiver Devin Thomas was supposed to be a first rounder and he too fell into the second round at pick No. 34 (Washington). So nobody knows.

      It’ll be interesting to see how far Clausen falls, because he’s the one quarterback at the top of his position class that actually played in a pro style offense. Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow, Tony Pike and Dan LeFevour all played in the spread, which scares a lot of scouts because it takes time for those quarterbacks to develop. One would think that Clausen would be a top 15 pick, but maybe not.


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      NFL, NFL Draft

      Marcellus Wiley chats with The Scores Report

      April 22, 2010 /

      As the 2010 NFL Draft nears, Marcellus Wiley feels for players that are about to get their first taste of playing professional football. As a rookie second round pick of the Bills in 1997, he cut his teeth playing alongside guys like Bruce Smith, Bryce Paup and Phil Hansen. He learned quickly that in order to succeed in the NFL, athleticism can only get you so far; you also have to have a sound work ethic, great technique at your position and a solid football IQ.

      Wiley, now a NFL analyst for ESPN’s NFL Live and sometimes a co-host on “Mike and Mike in the Morning” and “SportsNation,” was kind enough to chat with us for nearly 25 minutes about a variety of topics recently, from why young defensive ends tend to struggle their first couple years in the league, to what it was like to play for coaches like Marv Levy and Bill Parcells. Wiley even shared a couple of stories with us from his playing days as a Bill, like the time Ruben Brown taught him a lesson about technique in practice and the shocking surprise Ted Washington had crumbled up on the front seat of his car.

      The Scores Report: Hi, this Anthony.

      Marcellus Wiley: Hey, this is Marcellus Wiley.

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      Interviews, NFL, NFL Draft

      Redskins still trying to trade up for Bradford?

      April 22, 2010 /

      Let’s kick this NFL draft day off with a juicy rumor, shall we?

      According to NFL.Fanhouse.com, the Redskins are still in discussions with the Rams about a trade up to the No. 1 overall spot. Per the article, Washington has its sights set on quarterback Sam Bradford.

      After trading for Donovan McNabb on Easter Sunday, everyone crossed off quarterback from the Redskins’ draft wish list. But since they’ve been unable to extend McNabb’s contract thus far, there’s growing sentiment that Washington will still take a quarterback so Mike Shanahan can groom him for the 2011 season.

      The idea makes sense on the surface, but why would the Redskins trade for McNabb and then immediately cause a controversy by taking a quarterback in the first round? I’m sure their intentions have always been to extend McNabb’s contract and they’re not going to have success doing that if they draft his replacement less than a month after acquiring him from Philadelphia. It just doesn’t make sense.

      The more likely scenario would be that the Redskins stay at No. 4 and take an offensive tackle like Russell Okung or Trent Williams. Then they can continue to work on McNabb’s contract extension throughout the next couple of months.


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      NFL, NFL Draft

      Will the Skins go with Okung or Williams?

      April 21, 2010 /

      Let’s assume for a second that Albert Hanyesworth isn’t going anywhere and Mike Shanahan is bluffing about taking a quarterback with the fourth overall pick in Thursday night’s draft.

      The Redskins’ most pressing need as of right now is offensive tackle. With that in mind, will they select Oklahoma State’s Russell Okung or Oklahoma’s Trent Williams at No. 4?

      Many regard Okung to be the best offensive tackle prospect in this year’s draft. He has great size at 6’5”, 307 pounds, excellent strength and plays with a nasty demeanor. He’s essentially everything pro scouts look for in a left tackle, outside of the fact that he’s a bit raw and can sometimes play too tall.

      Meanwhile, Williams is renowned for his athleticism. He’s quick, agile and a natural knee bender. At 6’4”, he doesn’t have the height of Okung but he’s just as tough and nasty as his Oklahoma State counterpart.

      Assuming both players are still on the board when the Skins are on the clock at No. 4, which OT wins an all-exclusive trip to Washington next season? Okung is the better overall prospect, but the wild card in this scenario is that the Redskins are implementing the zone-blocking scheme under Shanahan and therefore, Williams might be the better fit.

      In fact, that’s my prediction. Williams is the better athlete and understands positioning and sealing off defenders better than any offensive tackle in this draft. He’s essentially the ideal fit for Shanahan’s zone-blocking scheme and therefore, even if Okung is still on the board I believe Washington will surprise and take Williams.


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      NFL, NFL Draft

      Which position is the safest to draft in the first round?

      April 21, 2010 /

      Originally posted 4/17/2009. Updated 4/21/2010.

      When it comes to the first round of the NFL Draft, is one position safer than another? For example, if the Rams have three holes to fill (they have more, but bear with me) – quarterback, wide receiver and defensive tackle – and they can’t decide amongst the three players, is one position a safer pick than the other two?

      I compiled a list of the 345 players that were picked from 1997-2007 (assuming that it takes three seasons to get a decent idea of what kind of player a draft pick is going to turn out to be) and asked our NFL guru, Anthony Stalter, to rate each player on a scale of 1 to 5…

      (1) Out of League
      (2) Reserve
      (3) Starter
      (4) Star
      (5) Superstar

      The Out of League, Star and Superstar categories are pretty self-explanatory. To qualify as a Starter, the player must be starter-caliber for the majority of his NFL career. A Reserve is a player that is a backup for the majority of his career, so he may have started at one point, but on the whole he’s a backup. For the younger players, Anthony had to project a little bit. For example, a player is a starter in his third year – does he project to be star or superstar, or will he simply be a starter for the majority of his career?

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      NFL, NFL Draft

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