Tag: 2011 NFL Draft (Page 19 of 20)

      Is Newton’s February workout just a publicity stunt?

      January 31, 2011 /
      Auburn Tigers quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Cam Newton smiles during the warm ups at the BCS Championship game at the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, Arizona on January 10, 2011. Auburn beat the Oregon Ducks 22-19 to win the national championship. UPI/Gary C. Caskey

      According to CBS Sports, at least one NFL front office executive believes that Auburn quarterback Cam Newton’s individual workout on February 10 is just a publicity stunt.

      I asked a handful of scouts about this workout. All were mystified as to what gains could be made with what one front officie executive termed a “publicity stunt.”

      One high level scout put it this way:

      “The Newtons would be best to realize they aren’t in college anymore. Regardless of how good he looks for [the media], there isn’t going to be a bidding war for him. We’re not recruiting him. They could wind up turning more people against them than for them with this [workout].”

      As Rob Rang of CBS points out, NFL scouts are forbidden to attend a workout like this that was set up by the player (or agent, or whomever). This will be a media-only event, which raises questions as to why Newton’s camp would want to set up a workout like this in the first place.

      If Newton struggles, then the media will hammer him. If he performs well, then the NFL may be turned off by what appears to be a workout to upstage the league’s process for evaluating prospects. It seems like an inevitable lose-lose situation for Newton.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Is Jake Locker’s draft stock falling?

      January 29, 2011 /

      Depending on what slot he was taken at, Washington quarterback Jake Locker passed on anywhere from $36-72 million when he decided to stay in school for his senior season. Still, if he played well in 2010, that money would have been waiting for him in the 2011 NFL Draft.

      The problem is that he didn’t play well. After completing 230 of 395 pass attempts for 2,800 yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a junior, he struggled while completing just 184 of 332 attempts for 2,265 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine picks as a senior. Now, according to recent projections, it looks like he may fall into the second or third round.

      From FOX Sports’ Adam Caplan:

      What I liked: You can clearly see his outstanding athleticism. Locker, like many of the quarterbacks here this week, throws fairly well on the run. He is better passing outside of the pocket. He also has pretty good arm strength.

      What needs improvement: His release point is going to need to be adjusted in the NFL. Locker rarely made two solid or accurate throws in a row, which is a troubling sign. Too many of his passes sailed high or away from his intended receiver. The ball simply does not come out of his throwing hand well — which is alarming.

      Round projection: Third.

      While ESPN’s Todd McShay continues to be high on Locker, some have referred to his accuracy as “terrible” while others believe that he’ll never be a starting quarterback at the pro level.

      That said, isn’t it a little premature to say whether or not he’ll struggle in the NFL? After all, he hasn’t had his Pro Day yet and the scouting combine is still a couple of weeks away. In fact, the Senior Bowl hasn’t even been played yet, so if Locker impresses over these next couple of months he could improve his draft stock greatly.

      If most pundits thought that he was a top-5 pick last year, then obviously he has the tools to be a first-rounder (unless of course those pundits off about him last year, which wouldn’t be surprising). Let’s hold off before we deem this kid the next Brian Brohm.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Nevada’s Kaepernick drawing rave reviews at Senior Bowl

      January 28, 2011 /

      Out of the six quarterbacks on both Senior Bowl rosters, Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick seems to be drawing the most attention this week.

      This is what FOX Sports.com’s Adam Caplan had to say about Kaepernick’s performance thus far:

      What I liked: Kaepernick was terrific from the start of Monday’s practice and he really didn’t let up. He was quite accurate on most of his passes up to 30 yards. And his touch was terrific. He throws with very good timing and anticipation for such a young signal caller. I also liked that he was willing to throw the ball into tighter areas. That’s something most young quarterbacks won’t try to do. And his athleticism is outstanding. He’s clearly the best quarterback out of the six and it’s not even close. If he has a great performance during February’s NFL Combine, it’s not out of the question that Kaepernick goes in the first round.

      What needs improvement: There is one small issue. He has a slightly long release point, which causes his passes to be a little late every now and then. That’s something that can be adjusted by his quarterback coach in the NFL.

      Caplan wasn’t the only person impressed by Kaepernick’s performance either. One scout told the Sacramento Bee that Kaepernick “might have made the most money of any Senior Bowl player this week.”

      Considering he’s been performing against the likes of Jake Locker and Andy Dalton, it’s surprising that Kaepernick drew the best reviews, although not altogether shocking. He has great size, speed and athleticism, but according to reports his accuracy has been better than expected and his arm strength is superb. NFL Network’s Mike Mayock even said of Kapernick: “It’s like watching Nolan Ryan [throw].”

      It’s too early yet to being projecting where guys will fall in the draft – especially with the scouting combine still a couple of weeks away. But given the type of offense that Chan Gailey runs in Buffalo, I wonder if Kapernick would be a good fit for the Bills in the second round.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Is Andy Dalton a sleeper or just another spread QB to be avoided on draft day?

      January 24, 2011 /
      Texas Christian University quarterback Andy Dalton celebrates after his 23 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Bart Johnson during first quarter of the 2011 Rose Bowl game in Pasadena on January 1, 2011. UPI/Jon SooHoo

      Andy Dalton might be the most interesting case study among this year’s NFL draft quarterback class. That’s because while Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, Cam Newton and Ryan Mallet will receive more attention over the next couple of months, Dalton could be that second day sleeper that turns out to be more successful than all of them.

      Not all starting quarterbacks are former first round picks. Tom Brady was a sixth round pick. Drew Brees was a second. Matt Schaub was a third and Matt Cassel was a seventh. Granted, most successful quarterbacks (i.e. Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers, Jay Cutler, Joe Flacco, etc.) were chosen in the first round, but that doesn’t mean that teams can’t find a gem later in the draft.

      That’s where Dalton comes in. Quarterbacks are supposed to be leaders and that may be the former Horned Frog’s biggest attribute. He’s a tireless worker and he was a winner in college (he won 44 career games and went 25-1 over his last two seasons at TCU). Despite being unable to showcase his arm in TCU’s dink-and-dunk offense, he can make all the throws, too. He doesn’t lack the physical ability to succeed at the next level and hopefully at this weekend’s Senior Bowl, he’ll prove to pro scouts that he has a quick release and is highly accurate.

      Of course, the knock on Dalton is that he ran a spread offense in college, just like Tim Tebow and countless other quarterbacks who disappeared after putting up great numbers in the NCAA. While TCU did use a variety of formations from five wide receiver sets to two tight ends and two backs, Dalton usually took snaps out of the shotgun. Pro scouts want to be assured that prospects know how to take a snap from under center and get into his three or five-step drop. They want to know that the signal caller has the ability to run a pro-style offense before they invest a draft pick in him (even if it’s a late round pick).

      Over these next couple of months, Dalton needs to shine. He certainly has what it takes to make the transition from college to pro, but unlike Gabbert, Locker, Newton and Mallet, he has more to prove because of the program and system he ran in college. Will he be a diamond in the rough or just another highly successful college quarterback who fades into obscurity once his eligibility ran out?

      College Football, External Sports, NFL

      Mel Kiper releases first 2011 NFL Mock Draft, has Fairley going No. 1

      January 19, 2011 /

      For Steeler, Jet, Bear and Packer fans, the 2011 NFL Draft doesn’t exist.

      For the rest of us, it’s the only thing that exists.

      ESPN’s Mel Kiper has released his first mock draft for 2011 and at least for the time being, he sees Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley coming off the board to the Panthers at No. 1.

      The No. 1 overall player on the Big Board, and one who can pay immediate dividends. Fairley isn’t just a safe pick because of his excellent burst, violent hand action and ability to effectively penetrate and be a constant nuisance against both the run and pass; he also has the chance to be a dominant player regardless of system. Detroit and Tampa Bay drafted the top defensive tackles at Nos. 2 and 3 last year. Carolina should start earlier in 2011. A slight mean streak in a DT isn’t the worst trait. Even Ndamukong Suh showed a bit of one this season.

      Kiper has LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson going to the Broncos at No. 2, Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus going to the Bills at No. 3, Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers going to the Bengals at No. 4 and Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert going to the Cardinals at No. 5.

      Regular readers know that I’m a draft nut and I will surely release several mock drafts before April 28 rolls around. I need to compile my notes from the bowl season, however, so I’m not ready to break out my mock 1.0 at this time.

      That said, with the way Fairley dominated the BCS title game this year, I can definitely see the Panthers taking him at No. 1. (Don’t forget that new head coach Ron Rivera has a background in defense, so if he’s given his say on draft day, he may want to go with the best defender on the board.)

      If you believe the reports, Carolina was set to take Stanford’s Andrew Luck with the top overall pick but now that he’s decided to return to school, who goes No. 1 will be discussed ad nauseum for the next three and a half months.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑