Tag: 2010 NFL Draft (Page 12 of 21)

Does Bulger’s release mean Rams are taking Bradford No. 1?

The Rams released quarterback Marc Bulger on Monday – on his 33rd birthday, no less. (I’m surprised they didn’t set a burning pile of dog crap on his doorstep too, just to ensure that he really had a bad day.)

It’s unclear at this point whether or not Bulger will choose to retire or try to catch on with another team. The Jets have already said they’re not interested in the veteran QB and Bulger refuses to sign with the Lions because of his strenuous relationship with OC Jim Schwartz. ESPN’s Adam Schefter seems to think that Bulger will wind up in Pittsburgh or Arizona but really, who cares? Not to be rude, but the guy mailed it in a couple of years ago after signing that big contract.

The more interesting topic that arises from this news is whether or not the Rams are now poised to take Sam Bradford with the No. 1 pick. Without a starting-caliber quarterback on the roster, I would say the answer to that question is emphatically “yes.”

Releasing Bulger cleared up $8.5 million in salary, which could go a long way in helping the Rams sign Bradford. Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh may be the best prospect in the draft, but NFL teams have a hard time justifying paying a defensive tackle No. 1 overall money. Quarterback is an obvious need for the Rams and considering Bradford dazzled scouts at a recent workout, there should be no concerns about his shoulder.

If it wasn’t clear before that the Rams were set on Bradford at No. 1, it should be now after Bulger’s release.


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What’s next for Campbell and Clausen now that McNabb deal is done?

Donovan McNabb wasn’t the only quarterback affected by Easter Sunday’s trade between the Eagles and Redskins, as Jason Campbell has now lost his starting job and Notre Dame prospect Jimmy Clausen could freefall in this month’s draft.

There’s no doubt that the Redskins will look to move Campbell this offseason, but the question is whether or not they’d be willing to take a mid-round pick for him. Obviously teams know that with McNabb now on board, Campbell is expendable. The Redskins would be fooling themselves if they believed they could recoup the second round pick they gave to Philadelphia and should be willing to take a mid-rounder (a third, fourth or even a fifth round selection) just to get something in return for an unhappy Campbell.

What teams would be interested in Campbell? The Rams, Raiders and Bills all need quarterbacks and depending on whether or not Mike Holmgren believes Campbell could be a long-term fit in Cleveland, the Browns might be interested as well. Campbell spent the last couple seasons in the West Coast Offense, so the Browns make sense (even though they added Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace this offseason), but again, only if Holmgren sees him as a long-term solution and as of right now, there’s nothing to suggest that he does. And with the Rams presumably set to take Sam Bradford at No. 1, which leaves the Raiders and Bills as the most likely trade suitors when it comes to Campbell.

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How will the Browns’ acquisition of Brown affect their draft?

It was believed that the Browns would target a cornerback such as Florida’s Joe Haden with the No. 7 overall pick in this month’s draft. But that was before the team acquired Sheldon Brown from the Eagles on Friday.

Along with Brown, Cleveland also acquired linebacker Chris Gocong from Philadelphia in exchange for linebacker Alex Hall, plus a fourth-round pick and a fifth-rounder. Gocong is a solid fit for the Browns’ 3-4 defense and will likely start opposite Matt Roth on the outside.

But the more intriguing player in this trade is Brown, because he signifies that Cleveland probably won’t draft a cornerback at No. 7. Brown is 31 years old, but he’s still playing at a high level and the Browns restructured his contract, which now goes through 2012. He’ll pair up with Eric Wright to form a now above average cornerback tandem in Cleveland.

Team president Mike Holmgren is probably hoping/banking on Tennessee’s Eric Berry slips to No. 7, seeing as how safety is now the Browns’ biggest need. But will Berry be there? Multiple teams that pick ahead of the Browns (including the Buccaneers and Seahawks) have been linked to Berry in mock drafts, although that means nothing at this point. Either way, Holmgren knew that he had to address his need at cornerback and may have felt that Haden would have been a reach at No. 7. If Berry falls to Cleveland in the first round, then Holmgren would have done very well in addressing the Browns’ defensive needs.


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Will the Cowboys target Gaither after releasing Adams?

On Friday, the Cowboys released left tackle Flozell Adams and free safety Ken Hamlin and while the moves themselves aren’t surprising, the timing is a little strange.

The Cowboys weren’t up against any sort of deadline to release either player. Adams was due a $2.5 million roster bonus in June, but they could have allowed the draft to play out before releasing him. Hamlin was on his way out at some point, but Dallas doesn’t have a suitable replacement on the roster at this point.

If the season were to start today, Doug Free would protect Tony Romo’s blindside and Alan Ball would compete with Mike Hamlin at the free safety spot. It’s doubtful that the Cowboys would just hand the starting left tackle spot over to an inexperienced player such as Free, so don’t be surprised if they add an offensive tackle in one of the early rounds of the draft.

Another possibility is that Jerry Jones will target Ravens’ restricted free agent Jared Gaither, who wants to remain in Baltimore but also wants a long-term deal. The NFL Network’s Jason La Confora said in a recent episode of NFL Total Access that Gaither could be had for a second round pick. The problem that the Cowboys face in that scenario is that the Redskins are also interested in Gaither, so maybe Dallas will be willing to part with their first round pick (No. 27 overall) in order to get ahead of Washington, which selects at No. 37.

Of course, this is just speculation on my part but again, chances are the Cowboys aren’t going to hand the starting left tackle job over to Free after releasing Adams.


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Dolphins’ interest in Dez Bryant heating up

After dealing with Keyshawn Johnson and Terrell Owens at separate times throughout his coaching career, one would think that Bill Parcells would pass on taking another receiver with diva potential. But the Dolphins’ interest for Oklahoma State wideout Dez Bryant continues to grow.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is reporting that Bryant is in Miami for a visit with Parcells, after he was already wined and dined by head coach Tony Sparano and GM Jeff Ireland. Granted, the visit could wind up being a smokescreen by the Dolphins, but why would Parcells go as far as to meet with him if the team wasn’t truly interested?

Many draft pundits believe that Bryant will still be on the board when the Dolphins select at No. 12. But there’s a possibility that the Jaguars (No. 10) and the Broncos (No. 11) could snag him before he reaches Miami, as could the Raiders at No. 8 if Al Davis is feeling frisky again for a receiver.

That said, if Bryant is there at No. 12, there’s no doubt the Dolphins could use a receiver with No. 1 potential. Miami has all but completely given up on Ted Ginn Jr. and while the team did draft USC’s Patrick Turner and Ohio State’s Brian Hartline last year, neither is expected to develop into a true No. 1 for quarterback Chad Henne.

We’ll continue to track the Bryant-Dolphins connection leading up to the draft.


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