Tag: 2009 NFL Draft (Page 15 of 26)

      Athlete Profile: B.J. Raji

      March 31, 2009 /

      B.J. Raji has never had much trouble with offensive linemen, quarterbacks, or even running backs. It’s those associate deans he’s had to watch out for.

      Prior to his 2007 season at Boston College, he was assured by an associate dean that he only had to complete two summer courses to be academically eligible to play that season.

      Unfortunately, he actually needed three — which meant that Raji would be academically ineligible for the 2007 season.

      Raji was devastated when told the news by then-BC coach Jeff Jagodzinski. But instead of sitting around and feeling sorry for himself, he went to work: dominating for the Eagles’ scout team and hitting the gym hard every day.

      Then, back on the field in 2008, he took all the frustration out on his opponents, exploding for 42 tackles and seven sacks from his defensive tackle position.

      Given how well everything has ended up working out for Raji, it must be hard for him to stay mad at the associate dean who contributed to his missing the 2007 season. Raji currently stands poised to become a top-10 pick in April’s NFL Draft, with a very good shot at going in the top 5.

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      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

      Michael Crabtree an option for Browns?

      March 30, 2009 /

      The Cleveland Plain Dealer notes that Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree is a viable option for the Browns at No. 5 in next month’s NFL draft.

      Hey, Tony: What are the Browns going to do about the WR position now? Do you see us taking Michael Crabtree in the first and then using our multiple second-round picks on LBs? — Jeff Smith, Naples, Fla.

      Hey, Jeff: Crabtree is a viable option now at No. 5 for the Browns. I’m usually not an advocate of taking a receiver so high, however.

      Hey, Tony: Well, we have to ask the question, what do we do in Stallworth’s absence? Free agency? Draft? — Todd Hollis, Massillon

      Hey, Todd: The Browns signed David Patten, who will be 35 by the season opener. I’m sure they’ll add more receivers, pending Stallworth’s legal process.

      Before he had foot surgery to repair a small stress fracture, some felt as though Crabtree was the best prospect in the draft. With all due respect to Aaron Curry, Matthew Stafford and Jason Smith, Crabtree might still be the best prospect, especially considering his foot injury isn’t expected to be a reoccurring problem.

      Speculation has it that the Browns have been or are willing to trade Braylon Edwards, whose contract expires at the end of the season. If Cleveland could swing a deal with a team like the Giants and wind up trading Edwards, then there will be an obvious need for a receiver, especially considering Donte Stallworth’s pending situation. The Browns would love to add an outside linebacker (they seemingly solved their inside linebacker quandary with free agent Eric Barton) and they have needs at safety as well. At No. 5, there isn’t an outside 3-4 linebacker worthy of taking that high. So unless they can trade down, Crabtree makes sense and is definitely top 5 material. He would also allow the Browns some flexibility with Edwards, who Cleveland wouldn’t necessarily have to trade right away or worry about doling out a new contract to a player that quite frankly hasn’t been worth it.

      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

      Athlete Profile: Jason Smith

      March 27, 2009 /

      Jason Smith often reminisces about his only collegiate touchdown.

      He was playing tight end for Baylor University during his redshirt freshman season in a 2005 matchup against Oklahoma. The Bears were on the Sooners’ 2-yard line when quarterback Shawn Bell called the play Spartan-22. Smith knew what that meant. When his defender bit on the running back who had run out into the flat, Smith broke free in the end zone before hauling in Bell’s pass for the touchdown.

      “I remember everything about that play,” he said in an interview with Scout.com.

      Smith’s time as a skill position player was short-lived, however, as the Bears’ coaching staff decided after the season to switch the big man from tight end to offensive tackle.

      It’s safe to say that the move has turned out to be a wise decision.

      Smith, an agile 6-5, 310-pounder, now finds himself as one of the highest rated prospects in this April’s NFL draft.

      While his time as a tight end was brief, that experience helped him in his switch to the offensive line. Scouts and teams have raved about Smith’s athletic ability, and see him as equal parts lock down pass protector and a playmaking pulling lineman in the running game.

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      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

      Athlete Profile: Everette Brown

      March 25, 2009 /

      As a society, we’re always trying out the next new thing; well, not so much “new” as a combination of the old stuff we already like. They don’t always work out (Mustardayonnaise? Sparks Malt Beverage?), but we can get a great hybrid off the line every once in the while.

      Most people get a look at Everette Brown’s size and speed and see what could be the first true defensive end/ linebacker to make it in the NFL. Take something more than a glance at the man, and you’ll see a hybrid of a different kind: a top-tier athlete who graduated early and still found time to do endless volunteer work. That kind of work ethic is going to be what makes him something special in the pros, and it’s that same thing that has gotten him this far already.

      So where did he start out? Well, Brown was born in the small town of Stantonsburg, NC, and went to Beddingfield High School. While there, Brown started compiling some serious numbers and by his senior year he was the top defensive lineman in North Carolina, the third weakside defensive end in the country, and was ranked 78th in the nation overall. His senior year alone, Brown has 16 sacks and 120 tackles. But rather than rest on the bench, Brown iron-manned it as a tight end, catching 40 passes for 770 yards with 10 touchdowns.

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      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

      Lions to trade No. 1 overall pick?

      March 25, 2009 /

      Lions’ GM Martin Mayhew says he’s open to trading the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft.

      Martin MayhewWhen asked specifically about Jay Cutler and if Mayhew would consider trading the top pick for the unhappy Broncos quarterback, he didn’t shoot down the idea.

      “We’re open to all options with that pick,” Mayhew said during a break at the NFL Annual Meeting.

      “Obviously, it has value to us, and if it has value to somebody else, then we can talk about that.”

      On Sunday, Lions president Tom Lewand told Tom Kowalski of Booth Newspapers in Lansing, Mich., that the team was looking forward to discussions with “agents of players we’re interested in.” Speculation elsewhere has identified the Lions’ leading candidate as Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith.

      Before Lion fans start doing back flips about the possibility of trading out of the No. 1 slot in hopes to acquire more draft picks and essentially get better value for their selections, trading out of the top spot isn’t like shopping for toilet paper. It’s just not that easy – especially when there isn’t an elite prospect that multiple teams are after. (I know Aaron Curry is a stud, but he’s still not a prospect that multiple teams are going to trip over in trying to trade for the No. 1 pick.)

      The last time the No. 1 overall pick was successfully traded was in 2001 when the Chargers dealt the top selection to the Falcons for the 5th overall pick, a third round pick and a second round pick in 2002. But Atlanta wanted Michael Vick and didn’t know if he would slide to No. 5 if they waited. Guys like Curry, Matthew Stafford, Jason Smith and Eugene Monroe aren’t going to garner that kind of attention, so I would imagine that the Lions will still be drafting out of that slot come next month.

      NFL, NFL Draft

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