Tag: Blaine Gabbert (Page 5 of 8)

      Ponder and Dalton in the Redskins’ sights?

      April 18, 2011 /
      TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Andy Dalton (14) runs with the ball between Wisconsin Badgers defensive tackle Jordan Kohout (91) and defensive tackle Beau Allen (96) during the 2nd quarter at the 97th Rose Bowl game in Pasadena , California January 1, 2011. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Despite a report a week ago that stated the Redskins were trying to move up in the first round, Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com writes that Washington is actually trying to trade down.

      According to a league source, the Redskins are looking to trade down in the first round with the idea they will draft either Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder or TCU quarterback Andy Dalton.

      The Redskins, who pick 10th overall, would like to get a second-round pick from a team in exchange for moving back to their spot in the first round. They could then use their two second-round picks to bolster the defense.

      For a team that doesn’t have a third-round pick, this scenario makes a lot more sense than trying to trade up.

      The X-factor here would be if Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert were to fall to them at the 10th spot. The Redskins would likely take him there, rather than trading back.

      I share in Prisco’s thoughts exactly. Teams can’t trade 2012 draft picks without a CBA in place, so it would be difficult for a team like the Redskins to move up in the first round without having enough 2011 selections to make a deal. Besides, why would the Redskins want to sacrifice maybe first, second and fourth round selections to move up a couple of spots when they don’t have a third rounder? I get that if a team is in love with a player, you move up and get him. But the Redskins may wind up sacrificing their entire draft for one player if they traded up, which might not be worth it in the end.

      It sounds like if Gabbert is there at N0. 10, the Skins will take him. If he doesn’t fall, then they could wait to see if Ponder or Dalton is there in the second or third. (Assuming of course that they trade down and acquire a third round pick.)

      External Sports, NFL

      Here’s the problem with Pro Football Talk

      April 13, 2011 /
      Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald runs to score a touchdown on a pass from quarterback Kurt Warner during play against the Green Bay Packers in their NFL playoff game in Glendale, Arizona January 10, 2010. REUTERS/Rick Scuteri (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Pro Football Talk is associated with NBC and is a juggernaut in the industry (82K Twitter followers and counting), and while I appreciate the work that guys like Gregg Rosenthal and Evan Silva do in fantasy circles, some of PFT’s practices bother me.

      For example, I just saw this headline on Twitter:

      Reading that, I’m thinking, “Wow, Fitzy must have said something pointed about Gabbert.”

      Clicking through to the article, I see Fitzgerald’s actual quote:

      “I would doubt that we would draft a quarterback that high (No. 5),” Fitzgerald told FOX Sports Arizona on Tuesday. “I would doubt it. But, who am I? I’m just a player.”

      The author, Silva (whose work I generally respect), concluded that Fitzgerald must be talking about Blaine Gabbert, since the Cardinals have been linked to the Missouri QB.

      Only Fitzgerald never mentioned Gabbert. And he never said that the Cardinals shouldn’t draft a QB. He just said that he doubted they would. Big difference.

      Headlines are meant to drive interest and traffic, I get that. But this one was simply misleading.

      External Sports, Fantasy Football, NFL

      NFL draft to feature a lot of late first round quarterback trades?

      April 5, 2011 /
      University of Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett (15) scrambles away from the University of Florida’s Christopher Coleman during the secopnd quarter of their NCAA football game in Gainesville, Florida October 17, 2009. REUTERS/Scott Audette (UNITED STATES SPORT FOOTBALL)

      NFL Network’s Albert Breer tweeted on Monday that there might be “a ton of trade action” involving quarterbacks at the bottom of the first round in this month’s draft.

      Wrote this last week … But keep hearing — from everyone — that there’ll be a ton of trade action for QBs at bottom of Round 1.

      Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert should be long gone by the time the teams in the bottom of the first round are on the clock. The wildcards appear to be Jake Locker and Ryan Mallett, who could go anywhere in the top 15 to the top of the second round. Florida State’s Christian Ponder and Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick are starting to garner first round attention as well, so maybe the reports about there being “a ton” of late-first round trade action are on the money.

      That said, how would Breer, or anyone else for that matter, know what teams are going to do at this point? Teams don’t even know whether or not the CBA will be signed by the end of the month, making the draft an even bigger crapshoot than it already is. Furthermore, teams can’t trade 2012, 2013 or 2014 picks because there is no CBA. Thus, trading selections would seemingly be a more difficult task than in years past.

      If I had to guess right now, I would think that Newton and Gabbert will be off the board by pick No. 12, while Locker and Mallett will go in the bottom half of the first round. Ponder (who I think is a perfect fit for Cincinnati) will go in the second and Kaepernick will go in either the second or third. Of course, a lot could change from now until the end of the month though, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      McNabb to Minnesota? Favre to Carolina?

      March 27, 2011 /
      Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre holds his chin after being injured against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts in this October 31, 2010 file photo. Favre filed his retirement papers on Monday, ending one of the National Football League’s most fabled careers. REUTERS/Adam Hunger/Files (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL HEADSHOT)

      Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press wrote a couple interesting blurbs about Donovan McNabb and Brett Favre in his recent column:

      Possible scenario: The Vikings trade their No. 12 overall pick in the draft with their 2012 first-round pick to move high enough to get Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert.

      It still looks, though, like Donovan McNabb from the Washington Redskins will end up as the Vikings’ starting QB for next season.

      Don’t discount the possibility of Brett Favre, who turns 42 in October, returning next season, but not with the Vikings. Maybe Carolina.

      It’s important to take this with a massive grain of salt considering Walters buried these comments at the end of an article that focused on Minnesota Gophers AD Joel Maturi and under the heading “DON’T PRINT THAT.” Clearly Walters is just throwing crap against a wall to see if it sticks.

      That said, the McNabb scenario makes sense. Take it for what it’s worth, but I’ve held the belief that the Vikings would go with a veteran quarterback this offseason and then draft a signal caller in the middle rounds for new OC Bill Musgrave to groom. But recent comments made by head coach Leslie Frazier indicate that the Vikings might want to draft a QB in the first round and start him.

      Either way, McNabb would be a fit if the Vikes were interested.

      As for Favre landing in Carolina, eh, I doubt it. General manager Marty Hurney invested a second round pick in Jimmy Clausen last season and I’m sure new coach Ron Rivera wants to draft a QB like Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert with the first pick. When it comes to Lord Favre, nothing can be ruled out. But him landing in Carolina doesn’t make much sense.

      External Sports, NFL

      Schefter predicts that the Panthers will take Newton

      March 26, 2011 /
      Auburn Tigers’ quarterback Cam Newton (R) throws a pass as teammate Mike Berry (C) blocks Oregon Ducks’ Brandon Bair (L) in the second quarter in the NCAA BCS National Championship college football game in Glendale, Arizona, January 10, 2011. REUTERS/Matt Sullivan (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      After leaning towards Blaine Gabbert last week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter now predicts that the Panthers will select Auburn quarterback Cam Newton with the No. 1 overall pick.

      “Last week, I sensed Blaine Gabbert,” Schefter said in an ESPN Insider Q&A. “This week, I’m more on the Cam Newton bandwagon. The more I hear, the more it sounds like Newton is the player to beat for the No. 1 pick.”

      Schefter goes on to say that the Panthers “need to create buzz to sell some tickets,” which of course is the best reason to draft a player. I mean, if you’re going to invest that much money in a prospect then he better be able to put butts in the seats. Football skills be damned.

      Schefter isn’t a draft guru but I’m convinced he has a wiretap on every GM, head coach and player in the league so his words aren’t to be taken lightly. Still, he’s only making a prediction and not reporting anything, so Gabbert and even LSU’s Patrick Peterson are in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick.

      That said, I had the Panthers taking Newton in my last mock and if I were to update it today, I would still have the former Auburn QB going No. 1. Carolina doesn’t seem enamored with any of the top defensive linemen and as good as Peterson is, a cornerback has never gone No. 1 or even No. 2. I don’t see Peterson making history this year and if the Panther are down to Newton or Gabbert, I think they’ll take the boom or bust player and pin their future on the former Tiger. (What? Newton and Gabbert are both former Tigers? Well that works out well for that last sentence now doesn’t it?)

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

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