Tag: 2009 NFL Draft (Page 19 of 26)

      Rams to draft a tackle at No. 2?

      March 11, 2009 /

      Peter King of SI.com believes that the Rams will likely select an offensive tackle with the No. 2 overall pick in next month’s NFL draft.

      Orlando PaceNow that St. Louis has released Orlando Pace, there’s very little doubt the Rams will use either pick number three or pick 35 at the top of the second round to pick into the teeth of a tackle-rich draft.

      Well, King’s notion certainly makes sense considering the Rams now have a Grand Canyon-sized hole at left tackle. And this is certainly the draft to take a tackle with Baylor’s Jason Smith and Virginia’s Eugene Monroe both being viewed as top 10 picks, if not top 5.

      But the wild card in this situation is Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry, who would also fill a need for the Rams and appears to be the best prospect in the entire draft. If the Lions don’t take him, St. Louis could pull the trigger and make a solid, safe selection in the versatile linebacker.

      NFL, NFL Draft, Rumors & Gossip

      Favorite team not making many moves? Don’t sweat.

      March 10, 2009 /

      With the first wave of free agency complete in the NFL, this is roughly the point in time where fans start having mental breakdowns regarding why their favorite team hasn’t made many moves.

      It’s because they’re smart, Junior.

      The draft is just over a month away and it appears that more and more teams have realized that you don’t build a core in free agency – you build it in April.

      Two offseasons ago, the 49ers signed Nate Clements, Michael Lewis and Tully Banta-Cain in free agency and all the experts bought into the idea that San Fran had dramatically upgraded its defense in one offseason. But then the games started and it was same old, same old for the Niners as they finished 5-11 and third in the NFC West. As it turns out, the players that San Fran had drafted high in previous years (Rashaun Woods, Alex Smith, Vernon Davis, etc.) didn’t produce.

      Last year, the Raiders made the biggest splash in free agency, signing Javon Walker and Gibril Wilson, while trading for young cornerback DeAngelo Hall, leading many to believe that they were heading in the right direction. After going 5-11 and finishing third in the AFC West, only Walker remains on the roster as both Hall and Wilson were released either during (Hall) or after (Wilson) the season. Not unlike the Niners, previous drafts had been the true demise of the Raiders.

      It was the Redskins turn to make the biggest splash in free agency this year (actually, this was the second time in three years that they made the biggest splash, because they did so in 2006 as well), signing Albert Haynesworth to a massive $100 million contract, agreeing to terms with guard Derrick Dockery and re-signing the aforementioned Hall. To make room for the three new comers, however, the team had to release starters Shawn Springs and Jason Taylor. How do you think the Skins will fare next season?

      If the Patriots, Colts and Steelers have taught the rest of the NFL anything over the years, it’s that having successful drafts are the key to building successful rosters – not adding a bunch of high-priced signings in free agency. Outside of the occasional big signing, none of those three teams make big splashes in free agency and they continue to be competitive year in and year out. That’s because the core of those three teams came from successful drafts and the ability to find prospects that fit their schemes and philosophies.

      This isn’t to say that free agency isn’t important, because it is. The Giants have made three excellent moves so far in free agency, adding Chris Canty, Michael Boley and Rocky Bernard. But they didn’t overpay for any of those players and none of the three were signed to be part of the main core. The three are just three pieces of the bigger puzzle – role players if you will. (Albeit starting-quality role players, but role players nonetheless.)

      The bottom line is that even though the bulk of free agency is already over, it doesn’t mean that your team won’t compete next year if it didn’t land Haynesworth, center Jason Brown or wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. It just means that your team is gearing up for a successful draft, one in which will hopefully make it competitive over the long haul.

      Granted, if your team fails to put together a good draft, then it’ll be time to worry.

      NFL

      Lions meet with Baylor OT Jason Smith

      March 10, 2009 /

      The Lions recently sat down and talked with Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith.

      Jason SmithThe Lions took a break from free-agent visits Monday to meet with college prospect Jason Smith, an offensive tackle from Baylor who’s among a handful of players vying to be the No. 1 overall selection in April’s draft.

      Smith arrived in Detroit on Sunday and spent most of Monday in Allen Park meeting with front-office officials and coaches.

      Teams are limited to 30 private visits at their own facilities before the draft. So the Lions, with five picks among the first 82, including two first-rounders, figure to host other top candidates the coming weeks. Most draft prospects have yet to take part in pro-day workouts at their college campuses.

      Despite popular belief, if a team meets with a prospect before the draft it usually is a red flag that they won’t be selecting that player. Obviously that’s not the case every single time, but teams usually don’t like to tip their hand as to which prospects they have their eyes on, so they’ll avoid those players like the plague.

      But the Lions realistically have their eye on their players: Smith, Matthew Stafford and Aaron Curry. Now, there could be a sleeper prospect that people are overlooking (Eugene Monroe maybe?), but those appear to be the three players that Detroit is focusing on. That said, it would behoove them to meet with all of those players since they have the No. 1 pick. Nobody selects in front of them in the first round, so it doesn’t make sense to try and throw other teams off. Plus, the Lions have said this entire time that they will negotiate a deal with the player that they will select before the draft. So who knows – maybe Smith is the pick.

      NFL, NFL Draft

      Athlete Profile: Mark Sanchez

      March 9, 2009 /

      If it seems as though Mark Sanchez is handling the constant comparisons to fellow top QB prospect Matthew Stafford in stride, that’s because the former USC signal-caller knows a thing or two about competition.

      After all, he starred for a school that in the last 6 years has produced four NFL quarterbacks – Carson Palmer (’03), Matt Cassel (’05), Matt Leinart (’06) and John David Booty (’08). Now, Sanchez stands poised to become the fifth.

      Competition was so stiff at quarterback for USC that Sanchez didn’t even become a full-time starter until this past season. But he made the most of it, shredding defenses to the tune of 3,207 yards and 34 touchdowns while leading Southern Cal to a 12-1 record. He capped off his season by leading the Trojans to a 38-24 Rose Bowl victory over Penn State in which he completed 80 percent of his passes for 413 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, while also rushing for a score.

      Despite his stellar season and even better bowl game performance, some question Sanchez’s NFL value because of his relatively limited time under center in college.

      Count USC Head Coach Pete Carroll among his doubters. During a press conference in which Sanchez announced his intention to declare for the NFL Draft, Carroll said he disagreed with his quarterback’s choice, citing numerous cases and statistical data that suggest quarterbacks who leave school early struggle in the NFL.

      His coach’s lack of confidence aside, Sanchez certainly has the physical tools of an NFL quarterback. The 6’3″, 225-pound signal caller possesses a quick release, displays solid arm strength, above average athleticism and great field vision. He’s also known to be something of a gym rat – a quality that will certainly come in handy as he tries to break the mold of quarterbacks that entered the NFL draft early. It’s also important to note that Sanchez is a fourth-year junior, and will walk away from USC this year with his degree.

      As for those comparisons to Stafford, it appears that the University of Georgia product is winning the battle in the minds of pro scouts and draft pundits. Scouts love Stafford’s arm strength and claim he can make all the throws necessary for a quarterback to succeed in the NFL. Sanchez certainly is not backing down, choosing to perform every drill at the combine, both physical and throwing drills, while Stafford opted to sit out. Sanchez can also claim a slight advantage in on-field performance, as he threw for nine more TDs than Stafford did, while the Georgia QB engineered the Bulldogs to two more losses than Sanchez’s Trojans.

      No matter what team he ends up with, or how many quarterbacks are taken before him, it’s safe to say Sanchez will welcome the head-on competition. After all, he hasn’t backed down from a single battle yet.

      The latest on Sanchez

      Widely regarded by draft scouts as the second-best quarterback available in the draft behind Matthew Stafford, Sanchez should still go in the first round, possibly in the first 15 picks.

      Mel Kiper Jr. has him going no. 3 to the Kansas City Chiefs

      SI.com’s Don Banks says the Jacksonville Jaguars will take him no. 8

      Todd McShay says he will go no. 15 to the Houston Texans

      Sanchez on the Web

      ESPN.com profile

      Career and year-by-year statistics

      USC profile

      Stats and personal information

      Wikipedia page

      Loads of information and links on Sanchez

      New York Times feature from September 2008

      Billy Witz writes of the emphasis Mark’s dad Nick put on education

      ESPN The Magazine preseason 2008 feature (with video of the Sanchez family)

      Jose Arangure, Jr. writes about Sanchez’s upbringing, and his Mexican-American heritage

      USA Today article on Sanchez at the combine

      Jim Corbett describes Sanchez’s drive to prove himself worthy of the top pick in the draft

      Fan site

      Bio, news and videos

      Video of Todd McShay breaking down Sanchez’s game

      ESPN’s draft guru points out Sanchez’s strengths and weaknesses

      Video of Sanchez and USC roommate Stanley Havili showing off their crib

      They’ve got a pet snake named Katrina

      Video of every single one of Sanchez’s Rose Bowl passes

      Shield your eyes, Penn State fans

      Video of Pete Carroll upset over Sanchez leaving early

      Sanchez Says

      On interviewing with so many NFL teams at the combine in a short time span:

      “It’s like speed dating.”

      On whether or not he should be the no. 1 pick instead of Matthew Stafford:

      “Absolutely. I’d better think that. I think he should think that too.”

      On USC Coach Pete Carroll saying Sanchez would have been better off returning to school:

      “If you know coach, you know how competitive he is. I took that as a sign of respect. A very good football coach wanted me back on that team.”

      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

      Lions to take Matthew Stafford with first pick?

      March 9, 2009 /

      Lions’ beat writer Nicholas J. Cotsonika believes that Detroit will select Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford with the first overall pick in April’s draft.

      I don’t think they have settled on Stafford by any means. He didn’t throw at the NFL scouting combine, and he hasn’t had his pro day yet. It also might come down to contract talks. The Lions want to get something done before the draft and plan to negotiate with at least three top candidates.

      But I think Stafford could fit and the Lions are set up to take him. He has a big arm to get the ball to the Lions’ best player, wide receiver Calvin Johnson. He is compared to Jay Cutler. And for whom did the Lions just try to trade? Jay Cutler. Stafford could sit behind Daunte Culpepper for a while. He doesn’t have to be thrown into the fire the way Joey Harrington was.

      When I talk to writers from other cities, they are amazed that Curry or a left tackle would be a more popular choice than Stafford for the first pick. They assume the fans would go ga-ga over a quarterback. They don’t understand how Lions fans have been burned by huge draft misses at offensive skill positions.

      Still, I’m amazed at how afraid some Lions fans are of taking a quarterback. You have to learn from the past, but you can’t let past failures paralyze you. The Lions can’t force it. They can’t just take a quarterback for the sake of taking a quarterback. But I don’t think they will.

      This is a long-term project, and quarterback is a good place to start when you’re starting from scratch. I think if they think Stafford has what it takes to lead this franchise to a championship, they will take him and groom him as carefully as they can.

      One thing everyone has to remember is that the Lions have to believe that Stafford (specifically) is their long-term fix at quarterback. It’s not about taking a quarterback because you need a quarterback or taking an offensive lineman because you need an offensive lineman. That player obviously has to fit a team’s scheme, philosophy and overall makeup. That may seem like an obvious statement, but the more and more I listen to fans and some media members, you’d think that drafting a quarterback is as easy as shopping for toilet paper.

      Curry will give Stafford a run at the No. 1 pick – I guarantee you. He’s arguably the best overall player in the draft, can play multiple linebacker positions and seems to have a good head on his shoulders. He would be a great new defensive toy for new head coach Jim Schwartz.

      NFL

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