Page 160 of 2956

      Eagles and Rams interested in No. 4 pick?

      April 13, 2012 /

      According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “multiple teams have called the Browns about their No. 4 pick.”

      At least three or four teams in the top 20 have expressed interest in trading up, and the Browns are expected to have some enticing options on draft day.

      Rams coach Jeff Fisher, who has the No. 6 pick, has already identified the Browns as a potential trade partner, and the Eagles at No. 15 are believed to be interested in trading up, sources said. At least two other teams are in the mix.

      And it’s not just Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill that teams are after. There’s been considerable interest in USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil, LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne and Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon.

      When Fisher said Friday morning on “Mike & Mike” that the Browns were potential trade partners for the Rams, I assumed that St. Louis could be targeting Cleveland’s second pick in the first round (No. 22 overall). The reason for my thinking is because the buzz in St. Louis is that the Rams want to trade down – not up.

      But if this report from the Plain Dealer is accurate and the Rams do want to move up, I’m willing to bet that they’re targeting one of two players: Matt Kalil or Trent Richardson. I know a lot of mock drafts have the Rams selecting Justin Blackmon, which would certainly make sense given St. Louis’ need for a No. 1 receiver. But I just have a feeling that Blackmon isn’t on the top of the Rams’ draft board and believe it or not, I think there’s a strong possibility that he goes No. 3 to Minnesota.

      The more interesting trade scenario involves Cleveland and Philadelphia, with the Eagles potentially moving up for Ryan Tannehill. As I’ve stated in other articles, I don’t view Tannehill as a top 10 pick and it seems like a stretch that the Eagles would part with a No. 1 pick in order to move up to No. 4. Because they’re not moving into the top 5 for anything less than their No. 1 in 2013.

      As for Cleveland, it would be a dream scenario for the Browns to trade down and still land an impact player at the top of their draft board. If they swap places with the Rams, they might be able to still land Richardson at No. 6, all while acquiring more draft selections in the process. (Provided that St. Louis doesn’t take him at No. 4, of course.)

      External Sports, NFL

      Will Janoris Jenkins be worth the risk for one NFL team?

      April 12, 2012 /

      One could make the argument that there’s less intrigue at the top of the draft this year than there is at the bottom.

      It would appear as though Andrew Luck will go to the Colts at No. 1 and the Redskins will select Robert Griffin III at No. 2. While the Vikings are reportedly looking at three prospects sitting at No. 3, if they choose Matt Kalil then other pieces could predictable fall into place. (Such as the Browns selecting Trent Richardson at No. 4, the Buccaneers taking Morris Claiborne at No. 5, and the Rams picking Justin Blackmon at No. 6.)

      But one of the biggest questions facing teams selecting in the bottom half of the first round is whether or not talented but troubled North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins will be worth the risk.

      For those needing a recap, Jenkins was kicked off the team at Florida for two marijuana arrests, an assault charge and a failed drug test. He’s also been given the gift of fatherhood, although four of his children were born to three different women.

      The thing is, Jenkins can play. Behind LSU’s Morris Claiborne and Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick, Jenkins is the third best prospect in this year’s draft class. He has average height and weight at 5-foot-10 and 182 pounds, but where he excels is in coverage. Once he learns the nuances of the pro game, wideouts will have a tough time creating separation from Jenkins in either man or zone schemes. And while he didn’t face the stiffest competition at North Alabama, he played in plenty of press man and doesn’t shy away from contact when lined up in a receiver’s face.

      The NFL is now a passing league and a player like Jenkins is awfully valuable because of the position he plays. But Pacman Jones was just as talented, if not more talented, coming out of West Virginia in 2005 and we’re all aware of his troubles. They might be two different people with two different paths in the NFL, but Jenkins hasn’t been able to shake the comparisons of Jones, who is on his third NFL team because he can’t stay out of trouble. Jenkins may go on to never commit another crime the rest of his life and wind up being a good father and role model. But as of this moment, teams can’t help but look at Jenkins and see Jones starring back at them.

      So the question becomes, will Jenkins be worth the risk? To me, the NFL draft is all about value. You don’t draft on need – you stay true to your pre-draft rankings and you take the player at the top of your board. Granted, if two prospects are similar and one of them plays a position of need, then you obviously go with the player that also fills a need for you.

      At some point, Jenkins will come to the top of a team’s draft board. That team can’t be sacred about taking him because at that point it becomes more about value and less about risk. Teams determine a prospect’s value based on, among other things, character concerns. Thus, if they stay true to their board, then that’s when it’s appropriate to take a leap of faith and trust that the kid will mature.

      Remember, it only takes one team to fall in love with Jenkins – not 32. He’s a first-round talent and that’s where I expect him to inevitably be selected.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Vikings not sold on Matt Kalil at No. 3?

      April 11, 2012 /

      Colts? Andrew Luck.

      Redskins? Robert Griffin III.

      Vikings? Matt K…

      Well, maybe not.

      ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on SportsCenter today that he doesn’t believe USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil is a lock to be the Vikings’ selection at No. 3 in this month’s NFL draft, “by any stretch.”

      This is noteworthy because a) Schefter is one of the most plugged in reporters in the NFL, if not the most plugged in reporter, and b) Kalil has seemingly been a slam-dunk to the Vikings at No. 3 for the past month. Schefter appeared on NFL Live later in the day and said Minnesota was eyeing three players with the No. 3 pick: Kalil, Justin Blackmon and Morris Claiborne.

      It has been reported that the Vikings would like to trade down, acquire more picks and still land an impact player later in the first round. But just like I’ve stated with the Browns (who also may want to trade down), which team is going to trade up and for whom would they trade up for? Trent Richardson is a hell of a prospect but running backs are becoming less and less valuable in a pass-heavy league. Ryan Tannehill, meanwhile is the next best quarterback prospect after Luck and Griffin but I don’t think he’s worthy of a top 5 pick.

      I don’t see a team willing to move up for Blackmon, Claiborne or Kalil either. Thus, short of the Colts and/or Redskins shocking everyone by not taking Luck and/or Griffin, I firmly believe teams like the Vikings and Browns will be hard pressed to move out of their spots.

      If the Vikings do pass on Kalil for Blackmon (we’ll use Blackmon for the sake of this example), then it’ll be interesting to see what St. Louis does at No. 6. Kalil could essentially fall into their laps and given the issues the Rams had up front last year, they’d almost have to pull the trigger on the best left tackle in the draft.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Browns seemingly hold the draft fate of the Bucs and Rams in their hands

      April 10, 2012 /

      If the top 3 of the 2012 NFL Draft goes the way many expect, then the Browns hold the fate of the two teams selecting directly behind them.

      It’s safe to assume that the Colts will draft Andrew Luck with the top overall pick and that the Redskins will select Robert Griffin III at No. 2. And while GM Rick Spielman has tried to drum up interest in cornerback Morris Claiborne, chances are the Vikings will take offensive tackle Matt Kalil at No. 3.

      But once the Browns are on the clock at No. 4, everything gets a little less predictable.

      Cleveland could stand pat and take running back Trent Richardson (whom I selected for the Browns in my first mock draft), receiver Justin Blackmon, or Claiborne. If Minnesota somehow passes on Kalil, he becomes an option for the Browns at No. 4, even though they’re already set at left tackle with Joe Thomas. (Cleveland still needs a right tackle and it may be difficult for the Browns to pass on the opportunity to pair an intriguing talent like Kalil with a five-time Pro Bowler in Thomas.)

      The Browns could also trade the pick, which might ultimately be in their best interest. If they can pull off a trade with Miami at No. 8 and still land Richardson, then Cleveland wins. That’s the Browns’ best-case scenario right there.

      But the key is whether or not some team will want to trade up and if they do, whom would they target? Many believe that Richardson is an Adrian Peterson-type prospect, but running backs have become increasingly less valuable in a pass-heavy league. And while the Dolphins and maybe even the Chiefs could trade up for quarterback Ryan Tannehill, is he a top 5 prospect? Better yet, is he the type of franchise signal caller that teams would want to part with a first-round pick for? If the Dolphins stay pat at No. 8, they could feasibly get Tannehill there and not have to part with any picks in order to move up.

      Thus, we’re back to the Browns and their options at No. 4. If they take Richardson, then the Rams would be ecstatic because that means Blackmon would likely fall to them at No. 6. If the Browns take Claiborne, it’s a realistic possibility that the Bucs will take Richardson at No. 5 because whom else would they take? They need defensive line help but Quinton Coples and Melvin Ingram both have question marks, and they’d be reaching for a DT like Fletcher Cox or Michael Brockers. If Cleveland selects Blackmon, then you’ll probably see St. Louis attempt to trade down or if Richardson is there, the Rams may tab him as Steven Jackson’s replacement.

      Either way, it all starts with the Browns at No. 4. They’re the first piece of the domino.

      NFL, NFL Draft

      Last Cap Standing (Between the Pipes): Washington’s Playoff Dreams in Holtby’s Hands

      April 10, 2012 /

      To say that it’s been an interesting season for the Washington Capitals hockey club this year would be a drastic understatement. After coming out of the gates red hot, winning their first seven straight games, the Caps slowed down considerably shortly thereafter. They struggled with two, 4-game losing streaks in the month of November alone, firing head coach Bruce Boudreau during the tail end of the second of these. The remainder of the season was rather marginal, and void of any serious excitement, unless you consider disappointing performances by their top players riveting stuff. But lately, the end of the season has been a bit less dull, albeit in a still slightly unfavorable way.

      Having just barely ousted the Buffalo Sabres for the final playoff spot with their victory against the Panthers, and subsequently taking the 7 seed out from under Ottawa, the Caps almost made it to the end of the regular season in relatively good health. That is until Michal Neuvirth went down with a leg injury just five minutes into the second period of the penultimate regular season game against Florida. The injury to Neuvirth came just one week after Tomas Vokoun reinjured his groin in the Caps March 29th game against the Buffalo Sabres.

      Now, unless either Tomas Vokoun or Michal Neuvirth can find a bowflex treadclimber to hop on to help with a quick rehabilitation, it looks like rookie goaltender Braden Holtby will be carrying the team into the playoffs on his young shoulders this month. Holtby looked solid in the Caps 4-1 victory on Saturday night against the Eastern Conference’s No.1 seed NY Rangers, and the club looks for him to continue with that level of play in his first playoff appearance against the Boston Bruins later this month.

      With a wild regular season now behind them, the Washington Capitals can at least breath a short sigh of relief. But with their top two goalies out and a rookie goaltender with 0 NHL playoff experience between the pipes, one can expect some more wild goings-on from the Washington Capitals in the near future. Heck, at this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if they won it all.

      General Sports

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑