Tag: 2011 NFL Draft (Page 11 of 20)

      Should the Falcons trade up for A.J. Green?

      March 24, 2011 /

      Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that the Falcons should do everything in their power to move up to select Georgia receiver A.J. Green in next month’s draft. He also appears to be confused on the CBA rules.

      It would take a lot for the Falcons to move up from 27th in the draft to get Green: at least this year’s and next year’s first-rounder pick. He’s worth it. There were 48 NFL scouts at Georgia’s Pro Day Tuesday. The only time they looked disappointed was when a bizarre league rule forced them to leave the field when Green ran pass routes.

      Next year’s “first-rounder pick”? Something that Schultz either fails to mention or fails to realize is that without a CBA, there is no draft next season – let alone draft picks to trade. As it stands today, teams can’t trade their 2012 draft picks because they don’t exist without a CBA. So the Falcons couldn’t include a package with their first rounder next year even if they wanted to. (This rule is also lost upon Schultz’s AJC co-worker D. Orlando Ledbetter, who seems to think that the Falcons might be able to move up by trading away their first two picks this year and their second rounder in 2012. Again, without a CBA in place, the Falcons couldn’t trade their 2012 second round pick.)

      Now, maybe Schultz and Ledbetter do know the rule and they’re basing their assumption that there will be a CBA in place by the draft next month. But if that’s the case, then why didn’t they just say they were working under this assumption? Furthermore, what’s transpired over the last month to make either of them believe that the owners and players are getting closer to agreeing to a new deal?

      Did these two not do their homework or am I missing something here? One would think that writers at a major newspaper such as the AJC would understand the situation before discussing what it would take for a team selecting at No. 27 to move all the way into the top 10 (where Green will undoubtedly be selected) when the league is in the midst of a labor dispute.

      Trading up for Green would seem highly unlikely unless the Falcons were willing to part with their entire draft this year. And considering their needs along the offensive line (three of their five starters are free agents), at defensive end and at nickel back, the Falcons can’t mortgage their draft for one player – even if it is someone as talented as A.J. Green.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Has Julio Jones moved past A.J. Green on team’s draft broads?

      March 22, 2011 /
      Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Julio Jones (8) sprints past Duke Blue Devils cornerback Ross Cockrell (6) during the first half of their NCAA football game in Durham, North Carolina September 18, 2010. REUTERS/Jim R. Bounds (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      For months, draft pundits have said that Georgia receiver A.J. Green was the most NFL-ready prospect in this year’s class. Now it appears that he may not even be the first receiver to come off the board next month.

      SI.com’s Peter King writes that Alabama wideout Julio Jones has closed the gap between he and Green, who showed up at February’s scouting combine in less than impressive shape. Jones, on the other hand, wowed scouts by running two 40-yard dashes between 4.34 and 4.40 seconds with a slight fracture in his foot. (An injury that shouldn’t slow down his pro career.)

      The former Alabama star was easily the most impressive receiver at the combine and may now be viewed as a top-5 pick. In fact, King says that the Bengals (who have the fourth overall selection) have Jones ahead of Green on their preliminary draft board. Teams still consider Green to be the more naturally gifted athlete, but Jones might be the safer prospect because of his work ethic and practice habits. Even Green is on record saying that preparation is one of his weaknesses.

      Another attribute that has caught teams’ attention is Jones’ ability to block. The Bengals are re-implementing a run-first offense under new coordinator Jay Gruden (who will be implementing his version of the West Coast Offense) and a receiver like Jones is obviously attractive because he’s not afraid to mix it up a little with DBs.

      In my latest mock, I had the Bengals selecting Green at No. 4 and the Browns (another team that will be running a version of the WCO) taking Jones at No. 8. If I were to compile another mock today, I might have the receivers flipped based on King’s report.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL

      Vikings want to draft a rookie to start in 2011?

      March 22, 2011 /

      When the Vikings hired Bill Musgrave as their offensive coordinator in January, they knew one of his best attributes was working with quarterbacks. And in his most recent stop, he worked with a young signal caller that went on to win the 2008 NFL Rookie of the Year.

      That “stop” was Atlanta and that “young signal caller” was Matt Ryan. Musgrave oversaw Ryan’s development with the Falcons as his quarterback coach and if beat writers Judd Zulgad and Tom Pelissero are right, he might have a similar opportunity to work with another rookie QB in Minnesota.

      In his latest column for the Star Tribune, Zulgad writes that Vikings coach Leslie Frazier talked “extensively” about the quarterback position at the NFL coaches breakfast at the league meetings on Tuesday. Per Zulgad, Frazier “made it clear that his desire would be to draft someone and plug him in as the starter.”

      In that same article, Zulgad also quoted Frazier saying that the Vikings would talk internally about different quarterback “scenarios,” which includes trading for Kevin Kolb. But if the team does want to draft a young signal caller, then there will be a couple of options at No. 12 overall.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Bengals Owner: No plans to trade Palmer

      March 22, 2011 /
      Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer (9) tries to elude the grasp of Baltimore Ravens safety Dawan Landry during the second half of their NFL football game in Baltimore, Maryland October 11, 2009. REUTERS/Joe Giza (UNITED STATES SPORT FOOTBALL)

      While most of the NFL world is entrenched in the ongoing battle between the players and owners, there’s a more personal battle going on in Cincinnati right now between one player and one owner.

      Carson Palmer wants to be traded from the Bengals or vows to retire. But Cincinnati owner Mike Brown reiterated on Monday night that his quarterback is not available and does “not see equal value” on the trade market.

      “I want him back,” Brown said. “I haven’t talked to any other team about him. I have no plans to trade him.”

      Things can obviously change in a hurry in the NFL. One minute a team says they have no desire to trade a player, the next minute said player is on a plane heading for a new destination. But Brown seems serious in his desire not to trade the 31-year-old starter, even though the draft is coming up in a little over a month. One would think that if the Bengals were to trade Palmer once the CBA mess clears up, they would need to draft a signal caller in one of the first three rounds next month.

      If they do draft a quarterback, Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert would be a logical choice at No. 4 and Florida State’s Christian Ponder is an option in the second round. In fact, Ponder might be a better overall fit for Jay Gruden’s West Coast Offense because his best attribute is his accuracy, which is an obvious requirement for a WCO quarterback.

      No matter which direction Brown chooses, he better have a game plan. Because if Palmer sticks to his guns and retires and the Bengals go into the 2011 season with Jordan Palmer, they’re going to be in some serious trouble.

      External Sports, NFL

      Don’t expect many draft day trades with no CBA in place

      March 20, 2011 /

      The current labor dispute has certainly tempered the excitement around April’s NFL draft and without a CBA in place for 2012, this year’s draft might be even more lackluster than it’s already become.

      Because of a stipulation in the deal, this year’s draft is allowed to take place even though the CBA has expired. But without a CBA in place next year, it would be illegal to have a draft and thus, there may not be one in 2012 if the players and owners can’t get their act together.

      But that’s next year. This year, there might not be as many trades as fans are usually accustomed to because without a CBA, teams can’t trade 2012 picks. If franchies like the Panthers, Dolphins or Jets (three teams that don’t have second round picks this year) wanted to trade back into the second round, they’re going to have a difficult time doing so.

      The CBA mess has made the draft a lot more interesting this year and not in the way fans would appreciate. From player boycotts to limited trades to the possibility that there won’t even be a draft in 2012, the life has certainly been sucked out of “Christmas in April” this year.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

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