2010 Rams schedule
Well, it's certainly an improvement over last year's schedule. The Rams actually get to play at home before September's almost over, for instance. They'll open at home against the Big Dead September 12th, and without Kurt Warner, that's a beatable team. I would have taken the week 2 road game at Oakland the opening week; the Raiders have the longest Opening Day losing streak in the NFL. The Chargers are notoriously slow starters but unfortunately should be awake by the time the Rams host them in week 6. The NFL has once again kindly plopped the bye week right in the middle of the schedule.
Don't know what's with the three straight road games followed by two straight home games in the second half. That could have been balanced a lot better. However, if I read the master schedule right, the Rams will not face anyone coming off a bye week, and get their bye before a divisional game, November 14 at the Whiners.
I do love, love, love Roger Goodell's idea of making the last week of the season nothing but divisional rivalry games. You can keep that as part of the permanent schedule right now. Now take the next step and quit giving teams bye week advantages (even though the Rams benefit from it this year). Teams on byes one week should play one another the next week. It's competitively fair, and would even help the league's bottom line, if they'd just THINK for a minute. How big would one of this year's Redskins-Eggles or Packers-Vikings meetings be with an extra week of hype?
As a recapper, I do have to express my dismay at the huge number of 3:15 starts. Why the hell are there three home games starting in the second slot? So much for my chances of getting recaps done the night of the game this year! Why the hell are the Rams playing the Redskins, Falcons and Saints in the late slot, but they play the Seahawks and Chargers at home in the early slot? The start times seem to be designed to induce maximum fan inconvenience for both sides!
Finally, I would like to point out to the newly-named St. Louis Rams Cheerleader squad that there is a home game on October 31st. That is Halloween. People wear costumes that day. Just sayin.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Kroenke: "stepping up for pro football in St. Louis"
E. Stan has finally talked to local media about his attempted takeover of the Rams.
Bernie Miklasz article
Here's a few quotes from Kroenke I hope I never have to pull out again, because if I do, it'll be because he's unreasonably doubled back on public promises:
"I'm going to do everything that I can to keep the Rams in St. Louis. Just as I did everything that I could to bring the team to St. Louis in 1995. I believe my actions speak for themselves."
"There's a track record. I've always stepped up for pro football in St. Louis. And I'm stepping up one more time."
"I'm born and raised in Missouri. I've been a Missourian for 60 years. People in our state know me. People know I am an honorable guy."
"I'll do my damnedest [to keep the Rams in St. Louis]."
All well and good. I'm glad to hear that it sounds like Kroenke is actually still on St. Louis' side.
I would like to point out a couple of things. For having been a Missourian for 60 years, Kroenke seems to have completely forgotten the nickname of the state. You know, the "Show-Me State"? The local reaction should not have surprised him in any way after his press release regarding taking over the team made no mention of the team's future in St. Louis at all. Additionally, for a guy who already owns several sports franchises, you'd certainly expect better media savvy from an owner than Kroenke has demonstrated up until now with the Rams purchase.
However, I, at least, should give Kroenke more credit for going into the machinations he's going into with his other franchises in order to be able to pull off this purchase. That alone shows commitment on his part and is something that should go down in his favor.
Kroenke -is- a (potential) NFL owner. Therefore, anything he ever says should be taken with a grain of salt. I trust NFL owners like I trust, um, politicians I voted against.
But now that he's aboard with the Rams, it's good to hear (finally) that's he's also aboard with St. Louis.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Let the wheeling and dealing begin!
The Rams have traded Adam Carriker, pick #163 in the 5th round and pick #208 in the 7th round to the Redskins for pick #135 in the 5th round and pick #211 in the 7th round. That they got any value at all for Carriker is a mild cause for celebration; I'll never be convinced he would have made the team last training camp. He lucked out at the public team scrimmage by getting a season-ending shoulder injury that allowed him to spend the '09 season here on IR.
(Yes, they actually traded DOWN in the 7th round and sent Carriker to the Redskins to move up in the 5th.)
Carriker's short career here got off to a decent start, but as with almost every other first-round DT picked by the Rams the last decade, he quickly turned into a shopping cart in the middle of a Rams defense that continued to get run over, and provided nothing close to the impact a team needs to get from a top-half of the first round pick. He needed shoulder surgery after his rookie season, struggled with that and ankle injuries throughout '08, and sprained an ankle again in '09 training camp before bowing out with the second major shoulder injury of his career.
Jim Haslett was eager to bring Carriker to Washington, and he'll play end in a 3-4 there, so he'll be better cast there than he was here. I'll always remember Carriker as the guy who taught me it's best not to draft 3-4 ends to play 4-3 tackle.
The trade leaves 5th-round pick Cliff Ryan as the only member of the Rams' 2007 draft class still on the team.
In unrelated news, Torry Holt has signed with the New England Patriots.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Final mock draft
The full mock is up now at ramview.com.
1. RAMS - Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma. (Duh)
2. Detroit - Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska.
3. Tampa Bay - Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma.
4. Washington - Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State.
5. Kansas City - Eric Berry, FS, Tennessee.
6. Seattle - Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma.
7. Cleveland - Joe Haden, CB, Florida.
8. Oakland - Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland.
9. Buffalo - Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame.
10. Jagwires - Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama.
11. Denver - Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida.
12. Miami - Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas.
13. Whiners - Earl Thomas, FS, Texas.
14. Seattle - C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson.
15. NY Giants - Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech.
16. Tennessee - Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida.
17. Whiners - Brian Bulaga, OT, Iowa.
18. Pittsburgh - Mike Iupati, OL, Idaho.
19. Atlanta - Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan.
20. Houston - Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State.
21. Cincinnati - Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State.
22. New England - Jared Odrick, DL, Penn State.
23. Green Bay - Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers. (Was Patrick Robinson)
24. Philadelphia - Jahvid Best, RB, California. (Was Sean Weatherspoon)
25. Baltimore - Dan Williams, NT, Tennessee.
26. Big Dead - Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri. (Was Everson Griffen)
27. Dallas - Charles Brown, OT, USC. (Was Taylor Mays, then Anthony Davis)
28. San Diego - Ryan Matthews, RB, Fresno State.
29. NY Jets - Everson Griffen, DE, USC. (Was Jerry Hughes)
30. Minnesota - Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers.
31. Indianapolis - Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State. (Was Charles Brown)
32. New Orleans - Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB, TCU. (Was Darryl Washington)
1. RAMS - Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma. (Duh)
2. Detroit - Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska.
3. Tampa Bay - Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma.
4. Washington - Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State.
5. Kansas City - Eric Berry, FS, Tennessee.
6. Seattle - Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma.
7. Cleveland - Joe Haden, CB, Florida.
8. Oakland - Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland.
9. Buffalo - Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame.
10. Jagwires - Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama.
11. Denver - Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida.
12. Miami - Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas.
13. Whiners - Earl Thomas, FS, Texas.
14. Seattle - C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson.
15. NY Giants - Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech.
16. Tennessee - Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida.
17. Whiners - Brian Bulaga, OT, Iowa.
18. Pittsburgh - Mike Iupati, OL, Idaho.
19. Atlanta - Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan.
20. Houston - Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State.
21. Cincinnati - Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State.
22. New England - Jared Odrick, DL, Penn State.
23. Green Bay - Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers. (Was Patrick Robinson)
24. Philadelphia - Jahvid Best, RB, California. (Was Sean Weatherspoon)
25. Baltimore - Dan Williams, NT, Tennessee.
26. Big Dead - Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri. (Was Everson Griffen)
27. Dallas - Charles Brown, OT, USC. (Was Taylor Mays, then Anthony Davis)
28. San Diego - Ryan Matthews, RB, Fresno State.
29. NY Jets - Everson Griffen, DE, USC. (Was Jerry Hughes)
30. Minnesota - Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers.
31. Indianapolis - Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State. (Was Charles Brown)
32. New Orleans - Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB, TCU. (Was Darryl Washington)
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Root for the NFL vs. Kroenke...
...because of a few interesting tidbits from Bernie Miklasz this morning.
- E. Stan has a residence in Malibu.
- E. Stan made no commitment of any kind to St. Louis in his statement on his intentions to buy the remaining 60% of the team Monday night. Didn't mention anything about the city or the stadium situation.
- E. Stan had once shown interest in ownership of an expansion team in Los Angeles.
- E. Stan is still good friends with... John Shaw, author of the overly-generous stadium lease that would allow the Rams to move in 2015 if the stadium isn't in the NFL's top 25%.
- Bernie makes the fine point that Shahid Khan has already made it clear that he means to keep the Rams in St. Louis. He very politely calls E. Stan out on the matter.
I will be less polite. If he's going to buy the football team with the city's name on it, it's high time for Kroenke to quit pretending he's Howard Freaking Hughes and let the rest of us know what his intentions are.
- E. Stan has a residence in Malibu.
- E. Stan made no commitment of any kind to St. Louis in his statement on his intentions to buy the remaining 60% of the team Monday night. Didn't mention anything about the city or the stadium situation.
- E. Stan had once shown interest in ownership of an expansion team in Los Angeles.
- E. Stan is still good friends with... John Shaw, author of the overly-generous stadium lease that would allow the Rams to move in 2015 if the stadium isn't in the NFL's top 25%.
- Bernie makes the fine point that Shahid Khan has already made it clear that he means to keep the Rams in St. Louis. He very politely calls E. Stan out on the matter.
I will be less polite. If he's going to buy the football team with the city's name on it, it's high time for Kroenke to quit pretending he's Howard Freaking Hughes and let the rest of us know what his intentions are.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Custody battle for the Rams
You knew it couldn't be so simple. You knew it couldn't be as simple as Shahid Khan riding into St. Louis, becoming majority owner of the Rams, keeping the team here and saving NFL football in the city.
NO. This is St. Louis football. Nothing can ever be simple. E. Stanley Kroenke, owner of 40% of the team, has piped in on the 60th, and final, day he could claim his right of first refusal, and done just that, blocking Khan's bid. Kroenke wants to become 100% owner of the team.
Just one problem, as we all know: because he owns major sports teams in another NFL city's (Denver) market, Kroenke isn't allowed by the NFL to own the Rams and those teams at the same time. I assume he's now going to try to convince the league to revoke that cross-ownership rule.
Quoted from the St. Louis Business Journal, Khan to his credit isn't telling Kroenke to go pound sand, and remains committed to becoming the Rams' owner:
“I entered into that agreement knowing that Mr. Kroenke could attempt to purchase that interest on the same terms,” Khan said in a statement Monday night. “Earlier this evening, Stan advised me that he was going to pursue that opportunity.
“While the decision about ownership now rests in the hands of the NFL and its owners, my dedication to the league, the Rams, their fans and the St. Louis community is as strong as ever. Accordingly, I have advised Chip and Lucia that I intend to remain bound by our agreement and to conclude the purchase if the opportunity presents itself. In the meantime, I look forward to learning of Billy Devaney’s pick on the evening of April 22.”
St. Louis had a metaphorical 20-yard FG to hit to win the game of keeping the Rams in town. Now Kroenke has turned it into a 35-yarder. And Kroenke's frozen the kicker. I'm not opposed to Kroenke as the owner. Maybe it would inspire him to be less of a hermit around here. "Everyone" seems to think he'd be a fine owner. (Of course, that's the same group who all expected him to welcome Khan warmly as the new majority owner.) I am opposed that he's drug this process out, we don't know when it's going to end or how long the team's going to be in limbo. And as long as the team's in limbo, it will be hard-pressed to get back on the road to winning.
And the longer it takes to resolve ownership, the longer the possibility remains in play of outsiders coming in and moving the team. They're waiting in the end zone now, hoping that 35-yard FG duckhooks to one of them to return for a touchdown.
Top photo: St. Louis Business Journal
Bottom photo: STLToday
Monday, April 12, 2010
Path to the Draft: 4/5 - 4/9
Notes from last week's NFL Network Path to the Draft installments:
Well, 70% of them. The network switched to a one-hour show on Monday but didn't notify my TiVo until Thursday. Fortunately, that was the day Stacey Dales hosted in a low-cut dress.
* Bradford/Clausen talk. The panel notes that the Rams are attending Colt McCoy's and Jimmy Clausen's workouts, but that it's mostly just doing their homework in the very unlikely event they get knocked with a trade offer. Bradford has many advantages over Clausen, they say: bigger, stronger, better arm, can throw from many different angles and can make more different types of throws. Mayock calls Clausen a top-ten talent after his pro day. Tremendously live, but not elite arm. Phenomenal accuracy. Plenty of zip on the ball and threw deep outs with accuracy and strength. Nice touch and accuracy on deep throws with little problem. Can step into his throws more these days because his toe's getting better. Lombardi called his workout better than Mark Sanchez's last year. Clausen didn't do any on-the-run throwing, but his workout emphasized deep throws, and he had better velocity on his throws than Bradford. Clausen, though, has experience in a pro-style offense and actually had to call line protections at the LOS. Bradford didn't. Clausen also called audibles, played more under center, and had 5 4th-quarter comebacks to Bradford's 1. Also better durability and a much better TD-INT ratio.
So they actually make a pretty good case that the Clausen will be a better QB than Bradford. Or at least he'll hit the ground more quickly. But the Rams HAVE to take Bradford.
Golden Tate performed well at today's workout. Raw route runner, but very explosive, with tremendously strong hands and great ball skills. Best quality is running after the catch, and he's also a dangerous punt returner. "Good enough" hands but will drop some balls. Unique playmaker who plays bigger than his size and is too fast to overthrow deep. Has good enough feet to make better cuts than he does. All the makings of a #1 WR at the pro level.
* OLB talk. First rounders: Sergio Kindle and Sean Weatherspoon. Second: Navarro Bowman, Darryl Washington and maybe Koa Misi. Kindle makes the most plays in the opposing backfield. More and more scouts like him more than Brian Orakpo last year. Michael Lombardi scouts Jerry Hughes as a 3-4 OLB. Explosive, can rush passer, play in space and set the edge against the run. Washington's a 4-3 OLB whose best skill is pass coverage. Will need coaching help to learn to better shed blockers, but he's the perfect WILL for a Tampa-2. Weatherspoon can play MIKE and WILL. Impresses as a take-charge player. Rickey Sapp of Clemson projects to a 3-4 OLB. He's not powerful enough to play 4-3 DE. Should be little chance of him joining the Rams, then. Navarro Bowman's a good run-and-chase, play-in-space LB who took over the Penn State defense, but he also got suspended there and you have to be satisfied he's not a knucklehead. And his interviews haven't really gone well. Charlie Casserly calls Bowman a late first-round, early second-round pick. Well, who the hell isn't? If I declared for the draft right now, this show would call me a late 1-early 2.
* CB talk. Brooks still thinks Joe Haden is a top ten pick. Lombardi likes McCourty because of his great balance. Charlie Casserly says some teams have Kyle Wilson as the #1 corner, seeing at the Senior Bowl that he looked good in off-coverage. Charles Davis thinks Brandon Ghee's impressive Combine numbers will move him up boards, though he doesn't have tape to match because he played a lot with injuries. Combine should show his potential. Kareem Jackson is mentioned on this show FOR THE FIRST TIME. Late first round prospect doesn't have elite speed, but has great instincts, knows how to read offenses, knows how to tackle, knows how to play the position. Casserly argues that his speed isn't even an issue because he ran 4.41 at pro day. Nice press corner, quick and sudden with great change of direction. Can mirror receiver and run with him deep. Very instinctive, great balance, great understanding of routes and anticipation of where ball's going. Pro-ready because Nick Saban is a great coach of defensive backs. Only question is that he hasn't played a lot of zone coverage.
* OL talk. Casserly's the first one this network daring enough to call Mike Iupati a little overrated. He stands up straight too much and gets away with a lot of holding. Says he's more a late-first rounder than middle-1st. Brooks adds he's more ideal for running teams than passing teams. Maurkice Pouncey is quick, has a nasty streak and good fundamentals. He can handle people lined up right on his nose and is smart enough to handle all the line calls. Immediately after Brooks calls him a top-20 player, Casserly calls him a SECOND-round talent getting pushed up because of team needs.
* Safety talk. Eric Berry has the most ability, the best skillset and is the biggest hitter. Earl Thomas is CB-sized with the physical ability of a safety. Berry just does everything a little better. Both are close to CB-quality in coverage skills. Taylor Mays is a late-first pick at best. Isn't comfortable in space. Casserly thinks he should be a LB. Charles Davis compares him to Darnell Bing. (WOW) Poor instincts, not an inspiring cover back, makes up for shortcomings with athleticism.
* Team needs. I missed a couple of teams and have to pick back up with Denver at 11. Their beat writer strongly believes they're going to trade down, and that Brandon Marshall won't be a Bronco next season. They don't have a center on the roster and they're really hoping to get Pouncey. The panel idiotically recommends they draft Dez Bryant to replace Marshall if they unload him. Lombardi makes the highest projections to date for Brandon Marshall and Dan Williams.
Jagwires at 10: No insider; Brooks and Lombardi handle analysis. They can't wait on Tebow to develop, they need speed on defense and pass rush. Brooks says McClain would give them a defensive leader and a thumper. Derrick Morgan and Pierre-Paul also mentioned. They signed Aaron Kampman but still need rush off the edge.
* Philadelphia freedom. After trading Donovan McNabb, the Eagles now have 5 of the top 87 picks. Mike Mayock believes they need to target CB, DE and OL, but by pick 24, Jason Pierre-Paul, Brandon Graham, Derrick Morgan and Kyle Wilson will all be gone. That would leave them Everson Griffen (NO! I want him at #33) or Devin McCourty. O-line would be the better value for them, so they should take Mike Iupati or Maurkice Pouncey.
Proving Mike Mayock doesn't even watch his own damn show. There are at least a half-dozen teams ahead of Philadelphia that are after Iupati and Pouncey.
* Michael Lombardi, draft insider. Lombardi shares information we all already knew about Anthony Davis having off-field issues and poor work-ethic and sliding down the board. Tomorrow: Lombardi suggests the Rams might draft Sam Bradford. Lombardi considers Brian Bulaga the #2 OT. Another bland revelation from Lombardi later that Charles Brown has first round talent. Does this guy get paid for revealing this "news"? Tomorrow: Lombardi boldly projects that Russell Okung may go in the top 20.
* Sleepers. Bucky Brooks says the biggest sleeper in the whole draft may be USC CB Kevin Thomas. Ran in the 4.4s pro day, has outstanding footwork, instincts and awareness. Has the stuff to start in the NFL. Tennessee QB Jonathan Crompton is moving up draft boards because he's a rare QB with pro-style offense experience. Mayock calls John Skelton "Flacco Lite" for the dozenth time and thinks he could be drafted before Tony Pike. Northwestern OLB/DE Corey Wootton is a rising prospect. Was coming off ACL surgery in 2009 and didn't have a great year but is getting his burst back. UCLA DT Brian Price ought to be drafted anywhere from 35th to 25th. Jarrett Brown is a more legitimate pro QB than his WVU predecessor Pat White was last year. Will be a very solid pro with good coaching. Mike Kafka is a smooth, accurate thrower who has good mobility and can throw on the run. Smart and can read defenses. Will have to metamorphosize from the shotgun, but could be a great later-round value. (Other than the arm, this sounds exactly like Sam Bradford.)
* Bargain hunting. The panel nominated players who would be bargains in certain rounds.
2nd: Rodger Saffold (named by Casserly, a rare moment when he's right about anything), Lamar Houston, Jahvid Best, Brandon Spikes. Lombardi actually says something interesting by calling Illini o-lineman Jon Asamoah a sleeper here. Physical and can knock people off the ball. He then destroys rare momentum by idiotically calling Jerry Hughes a sleeper. A FIRST ROUND PROJECTION IS A SLEEPER? Lombardi's sleeper pick tomorrow: C.J. Spiller. Scott Kennedy called Best the best pure RB in the draft, better than Spiller, IF he stays healthy.
3rd: Dexter McCluster, Javier Arenas. Casserly suggests Ed Dickson of Oregon, saying he catches the ball well. Which Combine did he watch?
4th: Nate Byham.
6-7: Virginia Tech safety Cody Grimm, special teams ace with 106 tackles and 7 forced fumbles. Too small, too slow, but somehow makes a lot of plays.
* Assorted wisdom. Russell Okung models himself after, not Walter Jones, not Orlando Pace, not Anthony Munoz, but... Conrad Dobler. That's pretty hard not to like.
Harder to like: Lombardi's claim that teams actually pay attention to media mock drafts as a gauge of what range of picks players "ought" to be selected in. Claims the 49ers used to predicate their draft claims off of Will McDonough's mock drafts.
Yeah, right.
Then he claims having the year off HELPED Sam Bradford, who he called the BEST player in the draft. The time off let him build up his body, get stronger, and he can take the physical pounding now.
Sure. He "got" the year off because he couldn't take the physical pounding, but whatever.
Then again, Lombardi says Clausen is the ideal WCO QB. So why shouldn't the Rams draft him? They run the WCO, after all.
* More mock draft fun. Lombardi mocks Bradford to the Rams, then of course, Ndamukong Suh to Detroit. Spiller to Seattle, Clausen to Cleveland, Dan Williams to Buffalo.
He mocks Berry to KC, but Brooks argues they need o-line worse, while Davis idiotically clings to the idea of the Chiefs going with Clausen. His reason is the Charlie Weis connection. He also adds that Seattle spent two hours with Clausen after his workout. Hmm.
As for Clausen going to Cleveland, Brooks says they'd have no business passing on Earl Thomas there. Earl Thomas in the top 10? Didn't he run in the 4.6s?
I'll close with Davis saying Suh makes "perfect sense" for the Lions at #2. This show is apparently never going to explain why it makes so much sense to draft Suh at #2 and never did at #1.
Well, 70% of them. The network switched to a one-hour show on Monday but didn't notify my TiVo until Thursday. Fortunately, that was the day Stacey Dales hosted in a low-cut dress.
* Bradford/Clausen talk. The panel notes that the Rams are attending Colt McCoy's and Jimmy Clausen's workouts, but that it's mostly just doing their homework in the very unlikely event they get knocked with a trade offer. Bradford has many advantages over Clausen, they say: bigger, stronger, better arm, can throw from many different angles and can make more different types of throws. Mayock calls Clausen a top-ten talent after his pro day. Tremendously live, but not elite arm. Phenomenal accuracy. Plenty of zip on the ball and threw deep outs with accuracy and strength. Nice touch and accuracy on deep throws with little problem. Can step into his throws more these days because his toe's getting better. Lombardi called his workout better than Mark Sanchez's last year. Clausen didn't do any on-the-run throwing, but his workout emphasized deep throws, and he had better velocity on his throws than Bradford. Clausen, though, has experience in a pro-style offense and actually had to call line protections at the LOS. Bradford didn't. Clausen also called audibles, played more under center, and had 5 4th-quarter comebacks to Bradford's 1. Also better durability and a much better TD-INT ratio.
So they actually make a pretty good case that the Clausen will be a better QB than Bradford. Or at least he'll hit the ground more quickly. But the Rams HAVE to take Bradford.
Golden Tate performed well at today's workout. Raw route runner, but very explosive, with tremendously strong hands and great ball skills. Best quality is running after the catch, and he's also a dangerous punt returner. "Good enough" hands but will drop some balls. Unique playmaker who plays bigger than his size and is too fast to overthrow deep. Has good enough feet to make better cuts than he does. All the makings of a #1 WR at the pro level.
* OLB talk. First rounders: Sergio Kindle and Sean Weatherspoon. Second: Navarro Bowman, Darryl Washington and maybe Koa Misi. Kindle makes the most plays in the opposing backfield. More and more scouts like him more than Brian Orakpo last year. Michael Lombardi scouts Jerry Hughes as a 3-4 OLB. Explosive, can rush passer, play in space and set the edge against the run. Washington's a 4-3 OLB whose best skill is pass coverage. Will need coaching help to learn to better shed blockers, but he's the perfect WILL for a Tampa-2. Weatherspoon can play MIKE and WILL. Impresses as a take-charge player. Rickey Sapp of Clemson projects to a 3-4 OLB. He's not powerful enough to play 4-3 DE. Should be little chance of him joining the Rams, then. Navarro Bowman's a good run-and-chase, play-in-space LB who took over the Penn State defense, but he also got suspended there and you have to be satisfied he's not a knucklehead. And his interviews haven't really gone well. Charlie Casserly calls Bowman a late first-round, early second-round pick. Well, who the hell isn't? If I declared for the draft right now, this show would call me a late 1-early 2.
* CB talk. Brooks still thinks Joe Haden is a top ten pick. Lombardi likes McCourty because of his great balance. Charlie Casserly says some teams have Kyle Wilson as the #1 corner, seeing at the Senior Bowl that he looked good in off-coverage. Charles Davis thinks Brandon Ghee's impressive Combine numbers will move him up boards, though he doesn't have tape to match because he played a lot with injuries. Combine should show his potential. Kareem Jackson is mentioned on this show FOR THE FIRST TIME. Late first round prospect doesn't have elite speed, but has great instincts, knows how to read offenses, knows how to tackle, knows how to play the position. Casserly argues that his speed isn't even an issue because he ran 4.41 at pro day. Nice press corner, quick and sudden with great change of direction. Can mirror receiver and run with him deep. Very instinctive, great balance, great understanding of routes and anticipation of where ball's going. Pro-ready because Nick Saban is a great coach of defensive backs. Only question is that he hasn't played a lot of zone coverage.
* OL talk. Casserly's the first one this network daring enough to call Mike Iupati a little overrated. He stands up straight too much and gets away with a lot of holding. Says he's more a late-first rounder than middle-1st. Brooks adds he's more ideal for running teams than passing teams. Maurkice Pouncey is quick, has a nasty streak and good fundamentals. He can handle people lined up right on his nose and is smart enough to handle all the line calls. Immediately after Brooks calls him a top-20 player, Casserly calls him a SECOND-round talent getting pushed up because of team needs.
* Safety talk. Eric Berry has the most ability, the best skillset and is the biggest hitter. Earl Thomas is CB-sized with the physical ability of a safety. Berry just does everything a little better. Both are close to CB-quality in coverage skills. Taylor Mays is a late-first pick at best. Isn't comfortable in space. Casserly thinks he should be a LB. Charles Davis compares him to Darnell Bing. (WOW) Poor instincts, not an inspiring cover back, makes up for shortcomings with athleticism.
* Team needs. I missed a couple of teams and have to pick back up with Denver at 11. Their beat writer strongly believes they're going to trade down, and that Brandon Marshall won't be a Bronco next season. They don't have a center on the roster and they're really hoping to get Pouncey. The panel idiotically recommends they draft Dez Bryant to replace Marshall if they unload him. Lombardi makes the highest projections to date for Brandon Marshall and Dan Williams.
Jagwires at 10: No insider; Brooks and Lombardi handle analysis. They can't wait on Tebow to develop, they need speed on defense and pass rush. Brooks says McClain would give them a defensive leader and a thumper. Derrick Morgan and Pierre-Paul also mentioned. They signed Aaron Kampman but still need rush off the edge.
* Philadelphia freedom. After trading Donovan McNabb, the Eagles now have 5 of the top 87 picks. Mike Mayock believes they need to target CB, DE and OL, but by pick 24, Jason Pierre-Paul, Brandon Graham, Derrick Morgan and Kyle Wilson will all be gone. That would leave them Everson Griffen (NO! I want him at #33) or Devin McCourty. O-line would be the better value for them, so they should take Mike Iupati or Maurkice Pouncey.
Proving Mike Mayock doesn't even watch his own damn show. There are at least a half-dozen teams ahead of Philadelphia that are after Iupati and Pouncey.
* Michael Lombardi, draft insider. Lombardi shares information we all already knew about Anthony Davis having off-field issues and poor work-ethic and sliding down the board. Tomorrow: Lombardi suggests the Rams might draft Sam Bradford. Lombardi considers Brian Bulaga the #2 OT. Another bland revelation from Lombardi later that Charles Brown has first round talent. Does this guy get paid for revealing this "news"? Tomorrow: Lombardi boldly projects that Russell Okung may go in the top 20.
* Sleepers. Bucky Brooks says the biggest sleeper in the whole draft may be USC CB Kevin Thomas. Ran in the 4.4s pro day, has outstanding footwork, instincts and awareness. Has the stuff to start in the NFL. Tennessee QB Jonathan Crompton is moving up draft boards because he's a rare QB with pro-style offense experience. Mayock calls John Skelton "Flacco Lite" for the dozenth time and thinks he could be drafted before Tony Pike. Northwestern OLB/DE Corey Wootton is a rising prospect. Was coming off ACL surgery in 2009 and didn't have a great year but is getting his burst back. UCLA DT Brian Price ought to be drafted anywhere from 35th to 25th. Jarrett Brown is a more legitimate pro QB than his WVU predecessor Pat White was last year. Will be a very solid pro with good coaching. Mike Kafka is a smooth, accurate thrower who has good mobility and can throw on the run. Smart and can read defenses. Will have to metamorphosize from the shotgun, but could be a great later-round value. (Other than the arm, this sounds exactly like Sam Bradford.)
* Bargain hunting. The panel nominated players who would be bargains in certain rounds.
2nd: Rodger Saffold (named by Casserly, a rare moment when he's right about anything), Lamar Houston, Jahvid Best, Brandon Spikes. Lombardi actually says something interesting by calling Illini o-lineman Jon Asamoah a sleeper here. Physical and can knock people off the ball. He then destroys rare momentum by idiotically calling Jerry Hughes a sleeper. A FIRST ROUND PROJECTION IS A SLEEPER? Lombardi's sleeper pick tomorrow: C.J. Spiller. Scott Kennedy called Best the best pure RB in the draft, better than Spiller, IF he stays healthy.
3rd: Dexter McCluster, Javier Arenas. Casserly suggests Ed Dickson of Oregon, saying he catches the ball well. Which Combine did he watch?
4th: Nate Byham.
6-7: Virginia Tech safety Cody Grimm, special teams ace with 106 tackles and 7 forced fumbles. Too small, too slow, but somehow makes a lot of plays.
* Assorted wisdom. Russell Okung models himself after, not Walter Jones, not Orlando Pace, not Anthony Munoz, but... Conrad Dobler. That's pretty hard not to like.
Harder to like: Lombardi's claim that teams actually pay attention to media mock drafts as a gauge of what range of picks players "ought" to be selected in. Claims the 49ers used to predicate their draft claims off of Will McDonough's mock drafts.
Yeah, right.
Then he claims having the year off HELPED Sam Bradford, who he called the BEST player in the draft. The time off let him build up his body, get stronger, and he can take the physical pounding now.
Sure. He "got" the year off because he couldn't take the physical pounding, but whatever.
Then again, Lombardi says Clausen is the ideal WCO QB. So why shouldn't the Rams draft him? They run the WCO, after all.
* More mock draft fun. Lombardi mocks Bradford to the Rams, then of course, Ndamukong Suh to Detroit. Spiller to Seattle, Clausen to Cleveland, Dan Williams to Buffalo.
He mocks Berry to KC, but Brooks argues they need o-line worse, while Davis idiotically clings to the idea of the Chiefs going with Clausen. His reason is the Charlie Weis connection. He also adds that Seattle spent two hours with Clausen after his workout. Hmm.
As for Clausen going to Cleveland, Brooks says they'd have no business passing on Earl Thomas there. Earl Thomas in the top 10? Didn't he run in the 4.6s?
I'll close with Davis saying Suh makes "perfect sense" for the Lions at #2. This show is apparently never going to explain why it makes so much sense to draft Suh at #2 and never did at #1.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Path to the Draft: 3/29 - 4/2
(Posted 4/9/10) Notes from Path to the Draft for the week of March 29 - April 2:
* Sam Bradford. You may have heard that his March 29 Pro Day went very, very well. Mike Mayock gave his workout an A, said he had a Matt Ryan arm, and called him one of the most accurate QBs in the HISTORY of college football. Good at all the throws, can drive his intermediate throws, "phenomenal" deep touch.
Well, welcome to St. Louis, then.
Paul Burmeister (intelligently) asks why Bradford isn't dinged more for playing in a spread offense. Bucky Brooks claims Bradford actually spent a lot of time under center and ran play-action, which will translate to the pro game. It's not like he was running the option. OU's offense is (supposedly) really similar to what Bradford will see in the pros. No one is asked about Bradford's coaches calling all of his pre-snap reads for him.
They go on to compare Bradford and Jimmy Clausen. The talent gap between them isn't big, but the perception gap is because of oft-raised issues with Clausen's attitude.
Other intriguing players at OU's workout: blocking TE Brody Eldridge, RB Chris Brown.
* Dez Bryant. Bryant is persona non grata at Oklahoma State and had a private workout today at his high school. By all accounts he was awful. 4.55 40. Poor short shuttle and 3-cone drills. Wasn't finishing his drills. Corey Chavous slides him to the bottom third of the first round. Charlie Casserly doesn't think Bryant's in shape and thinks he was inadequately coached on how to run the drills. Mayock STILL calls Bryant the #1 receiver in the draft. Says he looked most comfortable during the workout when he was running routes, the closest thing to real football he did all day. But Mayock's #1 QB, #1 WR and top two TEs are all guys who didn't, or barely did, play at all last year.
* Demaryius Thomas. Casserly is down on him. Doesn't see explosive speed or good change of direction. Brooks likes him. Good size, good speed, makes big plays after the catch. RamView still says he's too unproven to use the 2nd pick on when you're taking the injury risk with Bradford with the 1st pick.
* Texas pro day. Sound the Armageddon alarm at NFL Network: Earl Thomas pulled a hamstring running his first 40 and was immediately done for the day. The 40 was in the low 4.4s. Casserly likes Thomas more than he liked Sean Taylor or Laron Landry. Colt McCoy showed he was healthy, drove the ball deep and intermediate, showed excellent deep touch and accuracy, showed great footwork and mobility. Mayock called him a solid SECOND round pick, even though his workout sounds exactly like Sam Bradford's the day before. Brooks and Casserly complain about his workout being conducted indoors. Nobody complained about OU's being indoors yesterday! McCoy's best role is expected to be as a WCO QB who doesn't have to go deep much. He's well ahead of Tim Tebow as a passer but they make comparisons to Drew Brees sound a little silly. Sergio Kindle looked explosive and quick, looks best as a 4-3 end. Should go in 1st round. DT Lamar Houston moved extremely well and looks like a 2nd-rounder. Jordan Shipley caught everything and ran a 4.55, literally in his underwear. While trying to sell us at home on his prospects, they show him make a catch during drills and then fall down for no apparent reason. Remembering his pratfalls at the Combine, I'd swear the guy is a total klutz.
* USC pro day. Unusually, only one head coach was in attendance. And I don't think it was Pete Carroll. Proving the high stupidity behind the workout process, Charles Brown pulled a hamstring running the 40 and didn't get to do any position drills. Nobody gives a fuck how fast an o-lineman runs; why did they have him doing that first! Isn't the most important thing to see IF HE CAN BLOCK? The panel said he's a good finesse pass-protector with good hands but he gives up too much ground to bull rushers. Joe McKnight reaggravated a toe injury and struggled with the cone drills. Taylor Mays had trouble running the drills properly but eventually scored good times. Brooks ranks Mays a borderline first-rounder and thinks he should be used mostly near the LOS like Roy Williams. Everson Griffen did very well in the cone and shuttle drills and drilled well at DE and at OLB. He reportedly ran a 4.46 40 and Scott Kennedy called him one of the most gifted pass rushers he has ever seen.
* South Florida pro day. Jason Pierre-Paul was strong in d-line drills, just ok in linebacker drills. Casserly calls him a first-round talent and another Eric Swann, which I can't tell if is a compliment or an insult. I guess he's saying he's not unworthy to take a big gamble on. Brooks is apparently Carlton Mitchell's agent and puts him over again. But check it out... 6'3" 215 and ran the 40 in the low 4.4s. Called him a second-round talent. I'd love to see him on the board at the top of the 3rd, IYKWIM.
* Team needs. Steelers at 18 - their beat writer starts by saying Pittsburgh's draft strategy will not be impacted by Ben Rapistberger's legal status. He's convinced the Steelers will draft Maurkice Pouncey, but they also very much like Brandon Graham. The panel thinks they should also be thinking about a cornerback like Kyle Wilson or Patrick Robinson.
49ers at 13 and 17 - Radio analyst Eric Davis thinks they go with Mike Iupati at 13 (highest I've heard him mentioned) and guess who at 17. Earl Freaking Thomas. They'll be looking for o-linemen and defensive playmakers. The panel believes Charles Brown, Sergio Kindle, and Joe Haden should be in the mix, along with Brian Bulaga should he slide.
Titans at 16 - Tennessee earlier entirely forfeited any reputation they have for front office intelligence by signing TYE HILL. Their radio play-by-play man says they absolutely have to draft a DE. Hopes Pierre-Paul or Derrick Morgan will all to them, also mentions Brandon Graham and Jerry Hughes. Casserly praises Pierre-Paul's work ethic and character but kind of slams his intelligence. Says Tennessee should also consider Sergio Kindle, and in the third round, should think about taking Tony Pike in a draft that should otherwise be defensively "orientated".
Dallas has cut Flozell Adams and Ken Hamlin, but the panel says they claim they have viable replacements in-house already. They're hot for Dez Bryant or someone similar and are also thinking about Taylor Mays. Team is getting pretty old, especially their o-line.
Giants at 15 - They don't interview an insider for one of the teams in the nation's biggest market. Brooks has them taking Rolando McClain to replace Antonio Pierce. He's the kind of smart, tough,
physical player Tom Coughlin prefers. Alternate pick is Sean Weatherspoon. Casserly says Pierre-Paul and Morgan are the type of DEs they like and they need to build back their DE depth.
* Upgrades/downgrades. Casserly re-raised concerns about Mount Cody's weight. Mayock says teams are "enthralled" with the idea of putting Tyson Alualu inside as a 4-3 DT; look for him to go in the second round. (If you mocked all of Mayock's projections, you would end up with 100 guys going in the first two rounds, though.) Linval Joseph of East Carolina is rocketing up to the 2nd round, too. 6'4.5, 328, long arms, can stuff run and is athletic enough to get to the QB. Mayock also puts over Jordan Shipley, saying he has great hands and great change of direction, NONE of which I have seen from workout footage.
* Assorted wisdom. Casserly believes as many as 25 defensive linemen could be drafted in the first four rounds this year. 2010 is one of the best defensive line drafts ever.
Casserly mock drafts Bradford to the Rams and Suh to the Lions. I will repeat that anybody like Casserly who INSISTS the Rams HAVE to draft Bradford over Suh has no business saying the Lions should take him with the very next pick. Casserly has Anthony Davis in his top 10 but Mayock thinks work ethic, fitness and technique deficiencies should drop him into the 20s. Hell, after that he doesn't even sound like a first-rounder to me.
* Co-MVPs this week: Stacey Dales for substituting for Burmeister on Thursday and Lindsay Soto for doing it on Friday while rocking the little black dress.
* Sam Bradford. You may have heard that his March 29 Pro Day went very, very well. Mike Mayock gave his workout an A, said he had a Matt Ryan arm, and called him one of the most accurate QBs in the HISTORY of college football. Good at all the throws, can drive his intermediate throws, "phenomenal" deep touch.
Well, welcome to St. Louis, then.
Paul Burmeister (intelligently) asks why Bradford isn't dinged more for playing in a spread offense. Bucky Brooks claims Bradford actually spent a lot of time under center and ran play-action, which will translate to the pro game. It's not like he was running the option. OU's offense is (supposedly) really similar to what Bradford will see in the pros. No one is asked about Bradford's coaches calling all of his pre-snap reads for him.
They go on to compare Bradford and Jimmy Clausen. The talent gap between them isn't big, but the perception gap is because of oft-raised issues with Clausen's attitude.
Other intriguing players at OU's workout: blocking TE Brody Eldridge, RB Chris Brown.
* Dez Bryant. Bryant is persona non grata at Oklahoma State and had a private workout today at his high school. By all accounts he was awful. 4.55 40. Poor short shuttle and 3-cone drills. Wasn't finishing his drills. Corey Chavous slides him to the bottom third of the first round. Charlie Casserly doesn't think Bryant's in shape and thinks he was inadequately coached on how to run the drills. Mayock STILL calls Bryant the #1 receiver in the draft. Says he looked most comfortable during the workout when he was running routes, the closest thing to real football he did all day. But Mayock's #1 QB, #1 WR and top two TEs are all guys who didn't, or barely did, play at all last year.
* Demaryius Thomas. Casserly is down on him. Doesn't see explosive speed or good change of direction. Brooks likes him. Good size, good speed, makes big plays after the catch. RamView still says he's too unproven to use the 2nd pick on when you're taking the injury risk with Bradford with the 1st pick.
* Texas pro day. Sound the Armageddon alarm at NFL Network: Earl Thomas pulled a hamstring running his first 40 and was immediately done for the day. The 40 was in the low 4.4s. Casserly likes Thomas more than he liked Sean Taylor or Laron Landry. Colt McCoy showed he was healthy, drove the ball deep and intermediate, showed excellent deep touch and accuracy, showed great footwork and mobility. Mayock called him a solid SECOND round pick, even though his workout sounds exactly like Sam Bradford's the day before. Brooks and Casserly complain about his workout being conducted indoors. Nobody complained about OU's being indoors yesterday! McCoy's best role is expected to be as a WCO QB who doesn't have to go deep much. He's well ahead of Tim Tebow as a passer but they make comparisons to Drew Brees sound a little silly. Sergio Kindle looked explosive and quick, looks best as a 4-3 end. Should go in 1st round. DT Lamar Houston moved extremely well and looks like a 2nd-rounder. Jordan Shipley caught everything and ran a 4.55, literally in his underwear. While trying to sell us at home on his prospects, they show him make a catch during drills and then fall down for no apparent reason. Remembering his pratfalls at the Combine, I'd swear the guy is a total klutz.
* USC pro day. Unusually, only one head coach was in attendance. And I don't think it was Pete Carroll. Proving the high stupidity behind the workout process, Charles Brown pulled a hamstring running the 40 and didn't get to do any position drills. Nobody gives a fuck how fast an o-lineman runs; why did they have him doing that first! Isn't the most important thing to see IF HE CAN BLOCK? The panel said he's a good finesse pass-protector with good hands but he gives up too much ground to bull rushers. Joe McKnight reaggravated a toe injury and struggled with the cone drills. Taylor Mays had trouble running the drills properly but eventually scored good times. Brooks ranks Mays a borderline first-rounder and thinks he should be used mostly near the LOS like Roy Williams. Everson Griffen did very well in the cone and shuttle drills and drilled well at DE and at OLB. He reportedly ran a 4.46 40 and Scott Kennedy called him one of the most gifted pass rushers he has ever seen.
* South Florida pro day. Jason Pierre-Paul was strong in d-line drills, just ok in linebacker drills. Casserly calls him a first-round talent and another Eric Swann, which I can't tell if is a compliment or an insult. I guess he's saying he's not unworthy to take a big gamble on. Brooks is apparently Carlton Mitchell's agent and puts him over again. But check it out... 6'3" 215 and ran the 40 in the low 4.4s. Called him a second-round talent. I'd love to see him on the board at the top of the 3rd, IYKWIM.
* Team needs. Steelers at 18 - their beat writer starts by saying Pittsburgh's draft strategy will not be impacted by Ben Rapistberger's legal status. He's convinced the Steelers will draft Maurkice Pouncey, but they also very much like Brandon Graham. The panel thinks they should also be thinking about a cornerback like Kyle Wilson or Patrick Robinson.
49ers at 13 and 17 - Radio analyst Eric Davis thinks they go with Mike Iupati at 13 (highest I've heard him mentioned) and guess who at 17. Earl Freaking Thomas. They'll be looking for o-linemen and defensive playmakers. The panel believes Charles Brown, Sergio Kindle, and Joe Haden should be in the mix, along with Brian Bulaga should he slide.
Titans at 16 - Tennessee earlier entirely forfeited any reputation they have for front office intelligence by signing TYE HILL. Their radio play-by-play man says they absolutely have to draft a DE. Hopes Pierre-Paul or Derrick Morgan will all to them, also mentions Brandon Graham and Jerry Hughes. Casserly praises Pierre-Paul's work ethic and character but kind of slams his intelligence. Says Tennessee should also consider Sergio Kindle, and in the third round, should think about taking Tony Pike in a draft that should otherwise be defensively "orientated".
Dallas has cut Flozell Adams and Ken Hamlin, but the panel says they claim they have viable replacements in-house already. They're hot for Dez Bryant or someone similar and are also thinking about Taylor Mays. Team is getting pretty old, especially their o-line.
Giants at 15 - They don't interview an insider for one of the teams in the nation's biggest market. Brooks has them taking Rolando McClain to replace Antonio Pierce. He's the kind of smart, tough,
physical player Tom Coughlin prefers. Alternate pick is Sean Weatherspoon. Casserly says Pierre-Paul and Morgan are the type of DEs they like and they need to build back their DE depth.
* Upgrades/downgrades. Casserly re-raised concerns about Mount Cody's weight. Mayock says teams are "enthralled" with the idea of putting Tyson Alualu inside as a 4-3 DT; look for him to go in the second round. (If you mocked all of Mayock's projections, you would end up with 100 guys going in the first two rounds, though.) Linval Joseph of East Carolina is rocketing up to the 2nd round, too. 6'4.5, 328, long arms, can stuff run and is athletic enough to get to the QB. Mayock also puts over Jordan Shipley, saying he has great hands and great change of direction, NONE of which I have seen from workout footage.
* Assorted wisdom. Casserly believes as many as 25 defensive linemen could be drafted in the first four rounds this year. 2010 is one of the best defensive line drafts ever.
Casserly mock drafts Bradford to the Rams and Suh to the Lions. I will repeat that anybody like Casserly who INSISTS the Rams HAVE to draft Bradford over Suh has no business saying the Lions should take him with the very next pick. Casserly has Anthony Davis in his top 10 but Mayock thinks work ethic, fitness and technique deficiencies should drop him into the 20s. Hell, after that he doesn't even sound like a first-rounder to me.
* Co-MVPs this week: Stacey Dales for substituting for Burmeister on Thursday and Lindsay Soto for doing it on Friday while rocking the little black dress.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Marc Bulger released
Clearing the decks to draft Sam Bradford, the Rams have just released Marc Bulger.
Might as well start talking to Bradford's agent now; between this and the Redskins trading for Donovan McNabb over the weekend, the Rams taking Bradford #1 has to be about the biggest lock in sports right now.
Given how much the Big Dead have been able to trust Matt Leinart and the Whiners Alex Smith, there's not a half-bad chance of the Rams going up against Bulger a couple of times next season. Wherever he plays, I doubt he's going to lift any team to greatness, but he can be a heck of a caretaker QB for a team with half-decent pass pro. I keep thinking Carolina. They seem to have a decent o-line and Bulger would be at least decent insurance for a team planning to go into the 2010 season behind Matt Moore and his whole five career starts.
Best of luck to Marc wherever he ends up. He's not just a quality guy off the field, he's a capable player on it. He led the Rams to the playoffs a couple of times, made a couple of Pro Bowls, and then took a bunch of heavy beatings while the Rams' o-line, receiving corps and franchise declined into ruin. He'll be a good character pickup for another team.
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