Tag: 2009 NFL Draft (Page 8 of 26)

      Athlete Profile: Darrius Heyward-Bey

      April 22, 2009 /

      Take one look at Darrius Heyward-Bey and it’s not hard to see why the University of Maryland prospect turns so many NFL scouts’ heads.

      A muscular 6’3”, 206 pounds, Heyward-Bey has blazing speed. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash of any player at this year’s NFL combine. Had he wanted to, coming out of high school he would have had a good chance at winning an NCAA championship and possibly even qualifying for the Olympics in track. Instead, Heyward-Bey turned his attention to burning rubber on the field.

      Despite having to play in the Terrapins’ struggling offense for three seasons, Heyward-Bey didn’t take long to establish himself as one of college football’s elite playmakers. Throughout his career, he turned out eight plays of 50 yards or more, scored 15 touchdowns (13 receiving, 2 rushing), and consistently averaged 15 yards per catch. He was able to do so all while being the only real offensive threat on a team that failed throughout his career to consistently move the ball.

      The NFL is a league that values its playmakers. “Scoreboard changers,” as analysts dub them, are always one play away from ripping off a big play for their team. Players like Reggie Bush, Devin Hester, Chris Johnson and Steve Smith are valued greatly for their game-breaking abilities with the football in their hands. Heyward-Bey is cut from the same cloth, with his eye-popping athleticism, and it’s for this reason that NFL teams have stopped to take notice.

      They’ve also noticed a few of his flaws, however. Heyward-Bey is not considered a consistent route runner at this point in his career, and he has frequently gone through slumps where he’s had trouble catching the ball consistently. These are two very undesirable qualities for an NFL receiver, where speed and playmaking ability alone do not guarantee success (see: Peter Warrick).

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      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

      Report: Browns passing on Michael Crabtree

      April 22, 2009 /

      Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plan Dealer is reporting that the Browns will pass on Michael Crabtree at No. 5.

      The Browns have all but crossed off Michael Crabtree as a candidate for the No. 5 overall pick, said a source.

      The Texas Tech receiver brought a diva attitude on his visit to the club facility last week and did not impress coach Eric Mangini and others, the source said. In fact, Crabtree was described by some in the building as “not nice.” After Crabtree left, Mangini secured last-minute workouts with borderline first-round receivers Hakeem Nicks of North Carolina, Kenny Britt of Rutgers and Mohamed Massaquoi of Georgia.

      What’s funny is that the same paper reported just yesterday that the Browns are still in love with Crabtree, so who knows. Rumors are going to run rampant for the next couple days leading up to the draft.

      The fact that the Browns are looking at Hakeem Nicks, Kenny Britt and Mohamed Massaquoi would lead me to believe that they’re going to wait on addressing their wide receiver need until later in the draft – even if they do wind up trading Braylon Edwards.

      Cleveland will be one of the more interesting teams to follow on draft day. Their biggest needs are at linebacker (more outside than inside), cornerback and wide receiver, but what they do at No. 5 will obviously depend on what prospects come off the board in front of them. If Aaron Curry falls into their lap, it would be hard envisioning them passing on the best talent in the draft. If they have plans to trade quarterback Brady Quinn, then Mark Sanchez is a possibility at No. 5 if Seattle doesn’t take him at No. 4. And if they can get out of the No. 5 pick altogether in order to acquire more picks and get better value for their first round pick, then that remains a logical option, too.

      Either way, Mangini and new GM George Kokinis are doing a fantastic job not revealing their hands.

      Update: ESPN’s Michael Smith also says that the Browns won’t take a receiver at No. 5 and his information is usually pretty solid.

      NFL, NFL Draft, Rumors & Gossip

      Jets to trade up for Mark Sanchez?

      April 22, 2009 /

      According to ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio and a report by the New York Daily News, the Jets will look into trading up for USC quarterback Mark Sanchez.

      Southern Cal QB Mark Sanchez is the draft’s hottest player and the Jets are expected to make a run at moving up from their No. 17 spot in an attempt to get him on Saturday. The problem is that Sanchez is so hot, he might go in the top five, which is way out of the Jets’ reach.

      If he gets to the Jags’ spot at No. 8, the price would be a second-round pick and a little more. That would be a wise investment for the Jets. They need a quarterback.

      I love it. Three months ago, Sanchez couldn’t hold Matthew Stafford or even Ryan Leaf’s jock strap and now the Rams, Seahawks, Browns, Jaguars, Redskins and Jets will all apparently be tripping over themselves in order to get him come Saturday.

      It’s hard to trust anything you read days before the draft. You just don’t know what teams are trying to trade down and therefore are lying through their teeth in order to scare other teams into trading up. All of them are using smokescreens right now and the media is eating everything up trying to be the first to report rumors.

      I’m sticking with my prediction that he’ll be a Cleveland Brown by the end of the day Saturday, but I fully recognize that the Rams, Seahawks, Jaguars, Redskins, Jets, Bucs, Falcons, Cowboys, Bears, Broncos, Dolphins, Patriots, Steelers, 49ers, Saints, Panthers and Colts are all very, very interested in the next coming of Y.A. Tittle.

      NFL, NFL Draft

      Curry would take less money to play for Lions

      April 22, 2009 /

      In a recent interview with Pat Kirwan on NFL Sirius Radio, Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry said he would take less money than 2008 No. 1 overall pick Jake Long if the Lions drafted with the top pick this year.

      Aaron CurryHost Pat Kirwan: “If they came to you and said, ‘We want you, and here’s the deal we want to give you,’ would you do a deal with them to be the No. 1 player in the NFL draft? … Have you thought that through in a business sense with your agent?”

      Curry: “Yeah, we have actually. If they were to approach us with a deal and it is feasible, my plan is to be in camp, on time, and having fun.”

      Kirwan: “Would you do a pre-draft deal to be the Detroit Lions’ No. 1 pick in the NFL draft?”
      Curry: “I sure would. I sure would. No doubt about it.”

      Host Tim Ryan: “What if the deal was under Jake Long’s deal from last year?”
      Curry: “I’d be more than happy to accept that deal.”

      Kirwan: “Can you see yourself in a Lions uniform? Can you really see that?”

      Curry: “After my visit to Detroit, I felt very comfortable with the coaching staff and the management. And, you know, they made the new changes to the logo which I fell in love with. And they brought in Julian Peterson ., who I’ve always been a big fan of. I see myself in that uniform, and I could also see myself playing beside Ernie Sims and Julian Peterson.”

      Anyone who thinks Curry is a distant third to Matthew Stafford and Jason Smith in the running to be the No. 1 pick is dreaming. If I’ve said it once in the months leading up to the draft, I’ve said it a million times: Curry is the best prospect in the draft, he fills an immediate need for Detroit and he would come significantly cheaper than Stafford and Smith. But what it all comes down to for the Lions is whether or not they are willing to pass on a franchise-type quarterback in Stafford and whether or not they want to sink a significant amount of money into a linebacker corps that already features Sims (a former top 10 pick) and Peterson.

      NFL, NFL Draft

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