Tag: NFL Draft rumors (Page 5 of 11)

      Is Da’Quan Bowers’ stock falling?

      March 10, 2011 /

      Nick Fairley can take solace in the fact that he isn’t the only defensive line prospect whose stock appears to be falling the closer we get to the draft.

      Clark Judge of CBS Sports is reporting that Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers was “flagged” by physicians on his medical examination at the scouting combine two weeks ago due to a knee injury. Bowers only participated in the bench press at the combine and has postponed his Pro Day from March 10 until April 1 as he continues to recover from what was thought to be a minor knee scope.

      Since the end of the college football season, Bowers has been viewed as potential top-5 pick. But players with medical concerns fall all the time in the draft. Texas’ linebacker Sergio Kindle was viewed as a top-15 pick last year before concerns about his medical history caused him to drop all the way to No. 43 (Ravens) in the second round. After having surgery to repair a sports hernia in 2008, Maryland Clemson defensive lineman Phillip Merling (also considered a first round pick) fell to the Dolphins at No. 32 at the top of the second round.

      Of course, just because Kindle and Merling fell doesn’t mean that Bowers will, too. Kindle and Merling were considered first round picks by many draft pundits, but neither of them was viewed as a top-5 prospects like Bowers is. Still, Bowers’ knee injury is a major concern and there’s a possibility that he could fall out of the top 10 if enough teams are scared off by this latest information. (Or if he doesn’t perform well at his Pro Day in April.)

      This is considered a very deep draft for defensive linemen, so who knows how far Bowers will fall if he gets out of the top-10 picks. That said, assuming he fully recovers from the knee surgery at some point this offseason, he could wind up being the steal of the first round depending on how far he drops.

      In my latest mock, I have the Bills selecting Bowers at No. 3 (although this latest information may have considerably changed things).

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Is Blaine Gabbert’s stock dropping?

      February 12, 2011 /
      Missouri Tigers quarterback Blaine Gabbert throws the football in the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma Sooners at Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri on October 23, 2010. Missouri defeated Oklahoma 36-27. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

      Almost right on cue, the supposed No. 1 quarterback’s stock is starting to fall.

      Every year the media crowns someone the best quarterback prospect in the draft and every year that top signal caller’s stock starts to fall right around the combine. This year, the QB atop most pundits’ rankings is Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert, whose draft stock has begun “slipping” according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper.

      Rotoworld has the details:

      According to Kiper, Gabbert’s fall has occurred after NFL teams did “more film work” on the underclassman’s junior year. It’s true that Gabbert did not dominate his competition in 2010, throwing for 16 touchdowns compared to nine picks and averaging an unimpressive 6.71 yards per attempt. Gabbert was much better as a sophomore.

      I always find reports like these humorous because they’re so vague. How many teams are we talking about? Because there are five teams in the top-10 that could use a quarterback (Carolina, Buffalo, Arizona, San Francisco and Tennessee), seven if you believe the Bengals will trade Carson Palmer and the Redskins will dump Donovan McNabb.

      Have all those teams soured on Gabbert after watching more film? Have three? Have two? Have one?

      Or were these not the teams that Kiper was referring to? If they weren’t, then I wonder why Gabbert’s stock would fall just because teams that draft in the middle or bottom half of the first round didn’t like what they saw on film.

      I’m not trying to discredit Kiper’s report but without knowing what teams have soured on Gabbert, this news means very little. Plus, he’s a junior so he didn’t perform at the Senior Bowl, the combine is still over a week away and he hasn’t had his Pro Day yet. There’s still a lot of time before the draft, so I would take reports like these with a grain of salt.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Rams willing to trade out of the top spot?

      April 20, 2010 /

      With the first round of the NFL draft only two days away now, rumors about the No. 1 overall pick are starting to swirl. NBC Sports reports that the Rams are willing to trade out of the top spot for much less than the NFL’s draft trade chart would require.

      While it’s outdated, the draft trade chart suggests that the first pick in Round 1 is worth 3,000 points. So for example, if a team such as the Browns (who have the seventh overall pick) wanted to move up to the top spot, they would have to be willing to give up their first round pick (1,500 points) and three second rounders (worth 510 points apiece). But again, the chart is outdated and the Rams said they would be willing to accept less, so maybe they’d agree to the Browns’ first round pick and one second rounder. (Plus, what team would really give up their first round selection and three second rounders to move up? It’s unrealistic.)

      The more likely scenario is that the Rams will stay put and draft Sam Bradford at No. 1. It’s extremely hard to trade out of the top spot and even though they could target Jimmy Clausen later in the first round, finding a trade partner for the top pick is difficult. Plus, the Rams need a quarterback no matter what. Do they have Bradford and Clausen rated similarly? Because if they don’t, they’re not going to trade down in hopes of landing Clausen when they had a much higher grade on Bradford. The same can be said for Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow, Tony Pike and any other quarterback that would be available in the middle rounds.

      If Bradford is rated first on their board, then they might as well take him at No. 1.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL, NFL Draft

      Are the Redskins still in the market for a QB at No. 4?

      April 19, 2010 /

      The Redskins are trying hard to convince teams that they plan on taking a quarterback with the No. 4 overall pick in next week’s draft, says NBCSports.com. But with Donovan McNabb on the roster, that’s going to be a tough sell for Washington.

      After acquiring McNabb, the Redskins’ biggest need became offensive tackle. (If you want to get technical, offensive tackle has always been their biggest need.) And with Russell Okung, Trent Williams, Bryan Bulaga and Anthony Davis all receiving first round grades, Washington will have plenty to choose from as long as it stays within the first 10-12 picks.

      The hope for the Redskins is that some team is in love with Jimmy Clausen and wants him bad enough to trade up to the No. 4 spot to get him. It would be an ideal situation for Washington if it could trade down and still wind up selecting one of the top tackles, all while acquiring more draft picks in the process. Of course, if they miss out on taking one of the four tackles mentioned above, guys like Vladimir Ducasse and Bruce Campbell (two players with late first round, early second round grades) should still be available depending on how far the Redskins trade back.

      Presumably, the Raiders, Bills and Jaguars would all be interested in Clausen. But whether or not any of them would be willing to trade up to get him is the question. The Raiders hold the eighth overall pick, while the Bills have the ninth and the Jags have the 10th. Unless the Browns surprise everyone and snag him at No. 7, Clausen should be there for the Raiders at No. 8 and they don’t have to trade up to get him. Of course, that’s where the gamble comes in, because either the Bills or the Jaguars could trade up to No. 4 in order to get ahead of Oakland.

      If the Redskins can’t find a trade partner, then they’re not fooling anybody by saying they intend to draft a quarterback with the fourth pick. They’re currently trying to sign McNabb to an extension and therefore, taking Clausen at No. 4 would be a waste.

      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Morgan a lock at No. 12 to the Dolphins?

      April 17, 2010 /

      According to Dolphins beat writer Edgar Thompson of the Palm Beach Post, Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan will “100 percent” be Miami’s pick at No. 12 in next week’s draft if he’s available.

      Many draft pundits speculated that the Dolphins would select Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant at No. 12 before the team acquired Brandon Marshall from the Broncos earlier this week. But with their need at receiver filled, the Fins can now concentrate on adding a pure pass rusher.

      After racking up 19.5 sacks (including 12.5 last season) while playing at Georgia Tech the past three years, Morgan is highly regarded as the best pass rusher in this year’s draft. While he lacks pure athleticism, speed and overall quickness, he exhibits good instincts, awareness, and has a non-stop motor. He was highly productive in college and has an outstanding work ethic, which is probably why Bill Parcells and the Dolphins are drawn to him.

      Unless the Seahawks select him at No. 6 or the Jaguars target him at No. 10, Morgan should be on the board when the Dolphins pick at No. 12.

      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

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