Tag: A.J. Green (Page 2 of 3)

      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

      Top 5 most NFL-ready draft prospects for 2011

      February 23, 2011 /

      It’s difficult to gauge whether or not a prospect is NFL-ready heading into the draft because we have no idea where he’ll end up. I may like Ryan Mallett as a prospect, but if his best fit is in a vertical offense and he winds up in the West Coast, well then he might not pan out. And that’s not my fault if he doesn’t. It’s your fault, NFL Team.

      But based on their physical skills and strengths as they apply to the next level, here are the top 5 most NFL-ready prospects in my eyes.

      1. A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
      Hands down, Green is the most NFL-ready prospect in this year’s draft. What I like most about him is his body control and balance. When he runs routes, he’s fluid getting out of his breaks and he uses his quickness to separate from coverage. He could stand to be more physical at the line of scrimmage and when the ball is in the air, but that’s not to suggest he doesn’t have great leaping ability or he doesn’t locate the ball well (because he does). He also catches passes away from his body, is good about getting up field after he secures the catch and he uses his hips incredibly well (an important trait that all players must have at the next level).
      Best Fit: Cincinnati or Cleveland. Both teams run a version of the West Coast Offense, which relies on receivers to run a lot of horizontal routes (think sideline to sideline) and force defenses to stretch itself across the field. I would love to see Green wind up with the Browns because I think he would fit in well with the receivers they already have on the roster (i.e. Mohamed Massaquoi, Josh Cribbs, Chansi Stuckey and Brian Robiskie) and he would give Colt McCoy a true No. 1. But if the Bengals release Chad Ochocinco, I could see them pulling the trigger on Green at No. 4.

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      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft, Video

      Stoops, Arizona look for big-time program win

      September 18, 2010 /

      Under the direction of Mike Stoops, Arizona has won some very big games. The Wildcats knocked off a top 10 team three years in a row from 2005-07, with UCLA, California and Oregon all being their victims. This past year, Arizona even knocked off the Pac 10’s Goliath in USC.

      But those wins all came late in the season, when Arizona had already piled up a handful of losses. One thing the Wildcats — who seem to perennially be thought of as a sleeper team — have not done, is capitalize on any preseason hype with a big-time early-season win.

      They have the chance to do that tonight, though, when they play host to No. 9 Iowa. A win moves the Wildcats to 3-0 and gives them some serious national respect. It would also be a huge victory for the Pac 10, which is trying to assert itself as a top conference, even with a lethargic, and penalized, USC.

      Can Stoops and Arizona pull it off? Click through for that prediction, and more from today’s games. Continue reading »

      College Football, External Sports

      Harris vs. Pryor, Saban vs. Paterno, Kelly vs. RichRod; it’s going to be a good day

      September 11, 2010 /

      There’s a reason that ESPN is calling today “Monster Saturday”: It has completely run out of creative ideas. It’s a huge freaking day for college football.

      If you’re a college football fan, today is one of those days where you put off all household chores, and curse your friends for even thinking of having a significant event. Or, if you’re a sports writer/part-time blogger, you curse the people who decided to hold your 10-year high school reunion during the Alabama/Penn State game. I mean, c’mon.

      Miami is at Ohio State, Penn State is at Alabama, Florida State is at Oklahoma, and Michigan and Notre Dame might actually mean something. That’s a lot of tradition and meaning all packed into one day.

      So how’s it all going to go?

      Continue reading »

      College Football, External Sports

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