Category: NFL (Page 442 of 1282)

      The Lions’ potential dilemma: Suh vs. Haynesworth

      April 21, 2010 /

      There’s growing speculation that the Lions might part with a draft pick or two in order to acquire Albert Haynesworth from the Redskins. The compensation in the deal from the Lions’ standpoint has been rumored to be anything from their first round pick, to a better cell phone plan for Daniel Snyder.

      But why would the Lions want Haynesworth when they will likely have the opportunity to draft Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh with the second overall pick tomorrow night?

      Some pundits believe that the Lions will take Oklahoma’s Gerald McCoy over Suh at No. 2, but that’s crazy talk. McCoy is a fine player, but he’s not Suh. McCoy racked up 83 tackles, 33 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks in three seasons at OU. Suh nearly matched that production last year alone, so let’s stop with the comparisons already. If the Lions intend on drafting a defensive tackle at No. 2, then they’re going with Suh over McCoy and I’m willing to risk my extremely low blogging reputation on it.

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      NFL, NFL Draft

      Big Ben, Raiders seem to be a perfect match

      April 21, 2010 /

      Let’s pretend you’re Art Rooney II for a moment and you’re trying to deal with the internal war that has been raging inside you since Ben Roethlisberger was once again accused of not being able to keep his hands to himself.

      Your head is telling you that it’s unwise to get rid of a franchise quarterback because after all, it’s not like they’re sitting on shelves next to the Big Bites at 7-Eleven. Trade Big Ben and you run the risk of setting your already diminishing franchise back several years in the process.

      But then your emotions start to get the best of you again. You know that even though Big Ben the groper hasn’t been charged with anything, this clearly isn’t the trustworthiest of people. In the past four years, he’s been accused of sexually assaulting two women and almost killed himself by not wearing a helmet while riding his motorcycle. Considering he was just suspended six games next season, maybe it’s time to cut your losses and close the final chapter on the Ben Roethlisberger era in Pittsburgh.

      Now, finding a trade partner is a little harder that it seems. More than half the league needs a franchise quarterback, but teams aren’t usually overly excited to part with a first rounder for a player with a history of making poor off-field choices and who will be suspended for the first part of next season. Buffalo, Kansas City and San Francisco are three teams that might be interested, but all three would likely pass in the end. The Bills can’t field a competitive team around Big Ben, while the Chiefs and 49ers aren’t likely to part with other players in order to pay for his services (especially in KC’s case, which shelled out big money to sign Matt Cassel last year).

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      NFL

      Steelers still open to trading Roethlisberger

      April 21, 2010 /

      Although the rumors have died down a bit over the last couple of days, the Steelers have not ruled out trading quarterback Ben Roethlisberger if the right deal comes along.

      Per a report by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers aren’t actively seeking a trade for Big Ben and won’t dump him the way they did receiver Santonio Holmes (who was recently traded to the Jets in exchange for a fifth rounder). But if the right trade came along, the Rooney family wouldn’t hesitate signing off on a deal.

      On Tuesday, the Steelers acquired Byron Leftwich from the Buccaneers in exchange for a seventh round pick. The deal indicates that the Steelers are preparing to be without Big Ben for at least part of the 2010 season and it may even suggest that they’re ready to move on period. Leftwich was a shade above horrendous last year in Tampa, but he did play well in Bruce Arians’ offense in limited action two years ago. If Roethlisberger were dealt, Leftwich would compete for Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback job with Dennis Dixon, or perhaps even a rookie prospect.

      It still seems unlikely that Big Ben will be dealt, but it’s clear that his on-field resume won’t save him in the eyes of the Rooneys. The fact that he’s embarrassed the franchise holds more weight than his two Super Bowl victories. Holmes was the team’s Super Bowl MVP two years ago and now he’s in New York. Roethlisberger will just have to hold his breath this weekend and await his fate in Pittsburgh.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Can we predict a quarterback’s success?

      April 20, 2010 /

      In the April 19 issue of ESPN the Magazine, Peter Keating discusses a way for NFL teams to determine whether or not a first- or second-round QB will have a successful NFL career. (Insider subscription required.)

      David Lewin, formerly an analyst for Football Outsiders and now with the NBA’s Cavaliers, has found that games started and NCAA completion percentage accurately predict NFL performance for QBs drafted in the first two rounds. To be more specific, the Day 1 QBs who go on to have the best pro careers complete at least 60% of their passes and start at least 37 games in college.

      This theory has been around a while and when I was researching it last week, I stumbled across a similar article from 2007, so I’m not exactly sure how far back it dates.

      Using college completion percentage makes a lot of sense. It seems intrinsically true that a QB that has trouble completing passes in college is also going to struggle with his accuracy in the NFL.

      The number of starts is another strong stat. For a prospect to start 37 games, he basically needs to be a three-year starter. This indicates that he’s been around the block a few times, is reasonably durable and opponents have had a chance to game plan for him (and he’s still completed a high percentage of passes). It also seems reasonable to think that most good NFL quarterbacks wouldn’t have to be a backup for more than one season while in college.

      Let’s take a look at the QBs selected in the first and second rounds of the ten drafts spanning from 1998-2007 to see if this theory still holds water.

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      Fantasy Football, NFL, NFL Draft

      Redskins’ acquisition of Carriker could affect Haynesworth, No. 1 pick

      April 20, 2010 /

      ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the Redskins have acquired defensive tackle Adam Carriker from the Rams, as both teams swapped fifth and seventh round picks in this week’s draft. Carriker was St. Louis’ first round selection in 2007 at No. 13.

      Carriker missed all of last season after having to undergo shoulder surgery in September. But at 25, he still has plenty of potential and is a better fit (on paper at least) than Albert Haynesworth to play in the Redskins’ 3-4 defense. Carriker also played for new Washington defensive coordinator Jim Haslett in St. Louis.

      Speaking of Haynesworth, the possibility that he’s dealt over the next couple of days just went up. He wants out of town and if the Redskins are willing to eat some of the guaranteed money that came along with the massive contract they gave him last offseason, there’s no doubt they’ll find a trade partner. Two teams at the top of the draft – Detroit and Tampa – might be suitors for Haynesworth.

      This trade could also have an affect on which player the Rams select at No. 1. They have an obvious need at defensive tackle now and seeing as how Ndamukong Suh is the best prospect in the draft, St. Louis might surprise everyone and take him over quarterback Sam Bradford. It still seems unlikely that they will go that route, but the trade of Carriker complicates things.

      Of course, this trade could also mean very little in the end. Carriker is a stubbed toe away from missing the entire 2010 season, so Washington might be inclined to hang onto Haynesworth regardless of the new addition. St. Louis also needs a quarterback above all else and if they have Bradford rated at the top of their board, he will be their pick.

      Either way, things just got a lot more interesting with the NFL draft a little over 48 hours away now.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

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