Category: NFL (Page 446 of 1282)

      Breaking down Jason Campbell’s trade suitors

      April 16, 2010 /

      After the Redskins traded for Donovan McNabb on Easter Sunday, the notion was that Jason Campbell would be dealt sometime before the end of next week’s draft. While he hasn’t garnered much attention the past two weeks, Campbell still remains likely to be traded either before or during the draft.

      Here’s a breakdown of the teams that might be interested in Campbell and how he’d fit their offensive system. Ranked from most likely to least likely:

      Raiders: If (and this is a big if) Al Davis is ready to cut his losses and move on from the failed JaMarcus Russell experiment, there’s no doubt that Campbell would be a fit for Oakland. He has the strong arm that Davis covets and throws a pretty deep ball. He wouldn’t be the answer to all the Raiders’ problems, but he would certainly be an upgrade over JaGarbage and incumbent Bruce Gradkowski. If they’re willing, the Raiders could probably acquire Campbell for as little as a fourth rounder. But they may go with a young QB like Jimmy Clausen in the draft, someone who should be available at No. 8 when Oakland is on the clock.

      Bills: I would put Buffalo’s chances at acquiring Campbell on the same level as Oakland’s. The Bills are another candidate for Clausen in the draft but if they acquired Campbell, they could turn their attention towards their need at offensive tackle at No. 9. Campbell has a strong enough arm to play in the gusty winds at Ralph Wilson and would be an upgrade over Trent Edwards. While the Bills could stand to add another receiver, their running game is solid and assuming their young offensive line improves in its second year, Campbell could solidify the quarterback position and make Buffalo somewhat competitive next season.

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      NFL

      Will a change of scenery do Ted Ginn Jr. good?

      April 16, 2010 /

      By trading for receiver Brandon Marshall earlier in the week, the Dolphins instantly made receiver Ted Ginn Jr. expendable. That’s why they shipped him to the 49ers on Friday in exchange for a fifth-round pick in next week’s draft.

      There’s no question that Ginn vastly upgrades the 49ers’ weak return game. In 16 games last season, the former top 10 pick racked up 1,296 yards on 52 kickoffs, including two touchdowns in a win over the Jets. He almost single-handily won that game for the Dolphins with 100 and 101-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns in the second half.

      But for all his playmaking ability as a returner, Ginn has failed to live up to expectations as a receiver. Ever since he was taken with the ninth overall pick in the 2007 draft, he has failed to make an impact as a receiver. Bigger, more physical corners abuse him at the line and can easily disrupt his route running. That often screws up the timing between him and his quarterback, thus limiting the opportunities he touches the ball in the passing game. He’s great in the open field, but getting the ball in his hands is often the problem.

      That said, Ginn leaves a crowded receiver corps in Miami to a rail-thin situation in San Francisco. He can work opposite intriguing youngster Michael Crabtree in the 49ers’ offense, or perhaps out of the slot so that the Niners can attempt to match him up against linebackers and safeties. (A matchup that Ginn will no doubt win based on his speed.)

      There have been plenty of players that blossomed with a change of scenery and Ginn could be one of them, although San Francisco will have to find a way to utilize him as a deep threat. If not, at least the Niners didn’t part with a high draft pick and he’ll, at the very least, be able to boost their production in the return game.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Police officer in Big Ben case resigns; is there a third victim?

      April 16, 2010 /

      ESPN.com reports that the Georgia police offer who took the report the night Ben Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old female has decided to resign.

      In the same article, ESPN notes that there could also be another victim (which would be the third) of sexual assault involving Big Ben.

      Also revealed in the GBI reports released Thursday was the fact investigators wanted to talk with a woman about a separate incident reportedly involving Roethlisberger.

      The documents show that after the alleged assault in Milledgeville, a 16-year-old in a youth law enforcement program told authorities he knew about incidents involving Roethlisberger and a friend’s sister.

      Authorities repeatedly sought to interview the woman, who is in her early 20s, but she declined. The teen had said he believed the two-time Super Bowl winner twice made unwanted sexual advances toward the woman.

      I find it interesting that the police officer that took the first report has decided to resign. Per the article, the officer made derogatory comments about the accuser to other officers the night of the incident and was also photographed a little over a week after the incident with Roethlisberger, who was smiling in the photo. Did the officer resign out of guilt for doing something wrong or was he embarrassed about the photo?

      From the very first report until now, I’ve tried hard not to make accusations about what happened the night Big Ben was accused of sexual assault (uh, the second time he was accused of sexual assault). But this entire situation smells like a rotting corpse. Here’s a guy in Roethlisberger that has already been accused once of sexual assault and while wasn’t charged, he somehow managed to put himself right back into a similar situation less than a year later.

      How this sewer rat thought that inviting under aged females to a private VIP party in a college bar and getting them all drunk was a smart idea is beyond me. I don’t mean to speculate, but I think he’s incredibly lucky that he has surrounded himself with people that will cover for him. That said, I truly believe that this is one dumb individual, one that will likely put himself in a similar situation down the road. And once he does, let’s hope no one gets hurt and authorities can finally nail him on something. I realize he’s never been charged, but that doesn’t mean he’s innocent.


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      NFL

      Lions likely to stay put, but still undecided about selection

      April 16, 2010 /

      GM Martin Mayhew said on Thursday that it’s likely the Lions will stay put at No. 2 instead of trading down, but also insisted that the team is undecided about which player they’ll draft.

      Detroit could go in a couple directions in round one, although the most likely scenario has them selecting either Ndamukong Suh or Russell Okung. The Lions have needs on both sides of the line, although they might be more inclined to take Okung seeing as how they want to protect their biggest investment in quarterback Matthew Stafford.

      That said, I’m of the mindset that the Lions would be crazy to pass on Suh. That’s not to take anything away from Okung, who is a terrific prospect with a high upside. But in my opinion, Suh is the best prospect in this month’s draft and could be a potential difference-maker from day 1.

      Teams selecting in the top 5 are always worried about matching the contract with the appropriate position. In other words, they’re more inclined to take a quarterback at No. 3 instead of a defensive tackle because they can justify handing a signal caller a huge contract as opposed to an interior defensive lineman.

      But that line of thinking has always been befuddling to me. Teams shouldn’t draft players based on a contract, they should draft players based on fit and need. Lions head coach Jim Schwartz built one of the better defenses in the NFL while in Tennessee, one that was centered around defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. Assuming the Rams take Sam Bradford at No. 1, Schwartz now has a similar opportunity in Detroit if the Lions take Suh. While paying a left tackle No. 2 money may be more justifiable, the Lions need to select the best player and forget about the dynamics of a contract.

      And the best player is Suh.


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      NFL, NFL Draft

      Jaguars need Clausen, Bryant to fall in order to shop pick

      April 16, 2010 /

      Jaguars GM Gene Smith confirmed on Thursday that the team has been shopping the 10th overall pick in this month’s draft. The Jags don’t have a second round pick and would like to recoup one in a trade, but in order for them to have success swapping picks on draft day they’ll need a couple of predominant prospects to fall.

      Jacksonville is still very much a candidate to select Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen, although it appears that they’d rather trade the pick and stick with incumbent starter David Garrard. But if Clausen falls past Oakland and Buffalo, then there may be a team in the teens that would be willing to move up in order to snag the potential franchise quarterback.

      The same could be said for receiver Dez Bryant, whose stock is apparently falling but could still be a hot commodity on draft day. Bryant is clearly the best receiving prospect in the draft, although his character concerns have scared away multiple teams. Denver seems like the most practical landing place for Bryant and considering they pick 11th, the Jags could shop their pick to a team that wants to get ahead of the Broncos.

      Perhaps the most intriguing team that may want to deal with the Jaguars is the 49ers, who have two first round picks (No. 13 and No. 17). If they have doubts about Alex Smith, they might pull the trigger on Clausen by moving ahead of the Broncos and Dolphins. Of course, they could always stay put as well and hope Clausen falls to them at No. 13.

      A couple of teams could be interested in Bryant, including the Titans (No. 16), Cowboys (No. 27) and/or Bengals (No. 21). All it takes is one team to deal with and if both Clausen and Bryant fall, the Jaguars’ phones might be ringing off the hook once they get on the clock.


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      NFL, NFL Draft

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