Unofficial list of players who have made pre-draft visits to Rams Park, or are scheduled to in the near future. I'll poke this post back up to the top of the page as I make additions / corrections.
Mason Foster, LB, Washington
Marcus Gilchrist, DB, Clemson
Alex Green, RB, Hawaii
Jamie Harper, RB, Clemson
Brandon Harris, CB, Miami
Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Jaiquawn Jarrett, S, Temple
Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
Cameron Jordan, DL, California
Jason Kelce, OL, Cincinnati
Daniel Kilgore, OL, Appalachian State
Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois
Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois
Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina
William Rackley, OL, Lehigh
Stevan Ridley, RB, LSU
Da'Norris Searcy, S, North Carolina
Jabaal Sheard, DL, Pittsburgh
Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri
Daniel Thomas, RB, Kansas State
Danny Watkins, OL, Baylor
=================================================================
So far, SIX running backs, (only?) ONE wide receiver, four offensive linemen (all likely guards in the NFL), five defensive linemen, ONE linebacker, four defensive backs. No tight ends, or, unsurprisingly, quarterbacks.
Jim Thomas wrote this morning that in the last five drafts, the Rams drafted nine players who made pre-draft visits. Last year, Sam Bradford was the only pre-draft visitor the Rams drafted. My unofficial research shows Jason Smith was the only 2009 pre-draft visitor the Rams drafted.
-$-
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
London not calling
Looks like we can squelch the brief offseason rumor that the Rams were going to be in the London regular-season game: ESPN has indicated that game will be Tampa Bay vs. Chicago.
Interestingly, the Glazers own the Bucs and Manchester United F.C., and Tampa Bay has been picked twice now to play in the London game. That's noteworthy now that Rams owner Stan Kroenke has become majority owner in Arsenal F.C.
Future road trip!
-$-
Interestingly, the Glazers own the Bucs and Manchester United F.C., and Tampa Bay has been picked twice now to play in the London game. That's noteworthy now that Rams owner Stan Kroenke has become majority owner in Arsenal F.C.
Future road trip!
-$-
Rams' preseason schedule announced
It took two weeks longer than last year, but the NFL released its (intended) preseason schedule for 2011 yesterday. The Rams have been selected to play in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, where they'll take on the Chicago Bears. Former Rams Marshall Faulk and Les Richter will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame the day before the game.
Road trip!
The Rams' preseason schedule, with final dates still TBD:
Sunday, August 7: vs. Bears in Canton, OH
August 11 - 15: vs. Colts in St. Louis
August 18 - 22: vs. Titans in St. Louis
August 25 - 29: vs. Chiefs in Kansas City
September 1 - 2: vs. Jagwires in Jacksonville
Notes: Good job by the NFL again this year to keep all of the Rams' regular-season opponents off the preseason schedule. I hope that is SOP for the league these days across the board, but damned if I'm going to go through and check.
Two straight road games to end preseason? Can I take that as a sign the Rams will be at home for the (intended) regular season opener? If so, it would be for the second straight year.
The most intense Governor's Cup ever this year! Rams-Chiefs is often the last game of preseason, but this year, it's the week I'd expect both teams would be giving their starters the most work. Feel the Governor's Cup excitement!
-$-
Road trip!
The Rams' preseason schedule, with final dates still TBD:
Sunday, August 7: vs. Bears in Canton, OH
August 11 - 15: vs. Colts in St. Louis
August 18 - 22: vs. Titans in St. Louis
August 25 - 29: vs. Chiefs in Kansas City
September 1 - 2: vs. Jagwires in Jacksonville
Notes: Good job by the NFL again this year to keep all of the Rams' regular-season opponents off the preseason schedule. I hope that is SOP for the league these days across the board, but damned if I'm going to go through and check.
Two straight road games to end preseason? Can I take that as a sign the Rams will be at home for the (intended) regular season opener? If so, it would be for the second straight year.
The most intense Governor's Cup ever this year! Rams-Chiefs is often the last game of preseason, but this year, it's the week I'd expect both teams would be giving their starters the most work. Feel the Governor's Cup excitement!
-$-
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Draft buzz, week 3
* Rams roll out the carpet. Three running backs are scheduled to visit Rams Park this week: Alex Green (Hawaii), Stevan Ridley (LSU) and Daniel Thomas (Kansas State). While we fans continue to insist the Rams need to complement Steven Jackson with a small, Darren Sproles-type back, the Rams' front office clearly does not agree with us. They want to add a second big back, another hammer. They tried to draft Shonn Greene a couple of years ago, and again here, are looking at big backs. Just some advice for everybody trying to mock draft out there.
Late word: Mark Ingram is now also scheduled to visit Rams Park, on Thursday April 14th.
Other recent draft prospects to visit Rams Park: interestingly, Cal d-lineman Cameron Jordan, and Lehigh offensive lineman William Rackley. Rackley, by the way, was described by Mike Mayock as a player that should be able to step in and play right away, a third-round prospect. He's a college tackle who will probably move to the inside in the pros. Looked good at the East-West Shrine Game. Mayock ranks Jordan 1-2 with J.J. Watt as the top two 3-4 defensive linemen, so I'm confused that the Rams even had him in for a visit. I assume they believe they can convert him handily to 4-3 full time, but that's a conversion that sure seems to fail a lot, and has certainly hurt the Rams in recent drafts (see: Carriker, Adam).
Let's do some positional drills:
* Wide receiver. The main candidates for third receiver off the board are Torrey Smith and Jonathan Baldwin, with Smith continuing to keep his edge because he’s supposedly more ready for the pros. I’m still not sold. Baldwin has a diva reputation but is a physical freak who caught everything thrown at him at Pittsburgh’s pro day. He should be a deadly receiver outside the numbers.
Charlie Casserly and the Rams agree, negatively, on Miami WR Leonard Hankerson. Casserly called Hankerson a possession receiver who can’t catch. He runs a good 40 but that burst doesn’t show up in games. Struggles to get separation and doesn’t gain much after the catch. OK, I’ll have to fix my board, then. Anybody got a flame-thrower?
Titus Young ran in the low 4.4s at Boise State’s pro day, Austin Pettis in the 4.5s. Both caught well. Young continues to run great routes, showing suddenness in and out of his breaks. Casserly believs Young worked out better than ANY WR at the Combine and mentioned he’s the same size as Roddy White. Pettis catches well with his hands, doesn’t let the ball into his body, and was a potent red zone weapon for the Broncos. Young’s rated to be drafted in the 2nd round, Pettis only the 5th.
NFL Network FINALLY got around to putting out some sleeper pick ideas at WR:
Edmund Gates, Abilene Christian: a favorite of RamView since the Combine. Less raw and higher upside than ACU alumnus Johnny Knox. Vertical threat who ran a 4.35 with a slight groin pull (!). Understands how to get open, has good awareness of where he is on the field. Will never last past the 3rd round with that speed.
Greg Little, North Carolina: would have been a 2nd-round prospect had he not been suspended all season. 6’2” 230, good speed and jumping ability, may have the best hands in the country. One of the smoothest-looking receivers at the Combine. Has a 4th-round value.
Greg Salas, Hawaii: another 4th-round prospect. 6’1” 210, very productive slot receiver in college. Uses body well to create separation and gains good yardage after the catch.
Ricardo Lockette, Fort Hays State: very raw, but big, and can move (ran a 4.37). Mostly a short-pass catcher. Welcome to Cleveland, Ricardo.
Randall (NOT Tex?) Cobb, Kentucky: 2nd-3rd round prospect, excellent at getting separation, runs very well after the catch.
Georgia WR Chris Durham may benefit from the circus atmosphere surrounding A.J. Green. At pro day, he quietly had a very good workout. At 6’5”, he ran in the 4.5s, caught everything and showed great leaping ability. He also played well while Green was suspended last season. Could be a late-round pick.
* Defensive line. DE Adrian Clayborn (Iowa) may be dropping out of the first round. At times, I’m not sure why he was even projected there. His sack production dropped way off his senior year. No one suggests he can come in and be a high-impact end with a lot of sacks. His first step’s not explosive, his edge speed is questionable, there are questions about his motor, and arm/shoulder problems due to a condition he was born with may limit him to right end. He was a 3-4 end at Iowa, too. Good player, but I don’t know why the Rams would have him on their list.
Christian Ballard, a DE/DT tweener, might be the first Hawkeye d-lineman off the board now. He’s a better edge rusher than Clayborn and can come inside. He was killing guards with his pass rush at the Senior Bowl. I’d expect the Rams to be much more likely to draft Ballard than Clayborn.
Aldon Smith, who I wish NFL Network would talk more about, should be able to get up to 280 pounds without losing any speed or explosiveness.
Corey Liuget got a very nice review. Prototypical 3-technique, one-gap penetrator who can get up the field. He’s devastating against the run and pushes the pocket with quickness against the pass. Dammit. There goes my mock draft again. In other words, feel free to pre-order your Liuget Rams jersey, even though Marvin Austin’s said to have repaired his image and had a great Shrine Game and a great Combine.
Allen Bailey (Miami) is a 2nd-3rd round prospect. He has good burst, moves well for his size and has a rocked-up physique. More likely to play as a smaller DE than he is to drop back successfully to linebacker.
Nick Fairley’s continuing to set off bust-o-meters around the gridosphere. His work ethic’s questioned, he may be a one-year wonder, and most of the DTs drafted high this decade didn’t pan out. Tell me about it.
South Florida DT Terrell McClain, on the other hand, is starting to draw positive attention. Both Lovie Smith and Bill Belichick were at his pro day.
* Running backs. Ryan Williams and Mikel Leshoure size up as the next two RBs off the board after Mark Ingram. Williams is a physical, rugged back who runs well between the tackles and turned in a 4.53 at the Combine. He’s short, though, and has battled injuries. Leshoure’s a good receiver who had outstanding production in college.
Other than that, Path to the Draft would much rather talk about Jake Locker than anybody who’s a running back, thank you very much.
* Linebackers. Justin Houston had a fine pro day at Georgia, which was marred by all the scouts having to walk out on A.J. Green’s workout and watch it on closed-circuit TV because the practice QB they had him drill with was from outside the Athens metropolitan area and anybody watching him would have violated the terms of the lockout. Ah, labor issues. As for Houston, he demonstrated plenty of explosiveness in drills, showed great ability turning the corner, and ran a 4.68 40 into the wind. The concern with him is that his workout results have looked a lot better than his play has on tape.
Mayock says North Carolina LB Bruce Carter would have been a top 20 pick this year if he hadn’t blown his knee in November. His ACL recovery is said to be ahead of schedule.
Akeem Ayers could really stand to improve his 40 time at his pro day, though he’s the odd duck whose explosiveness shows on game tape but not in workouts. He works better off the line, and could be a consistent pass rusher as a 3-4 OLB, or play the strong side in a 4-3. He beat Tyron Smith twice for sacks in the USC-UCLA game.
* Secondary. Grades on Miami’s Brandon Harris aren’t exactly consistent. Pro Football Weekly has him as the #3 CB and nearly one of the top ten players. NFL Network says he’s a SECOND OR THIRD ROUNDER. He’s short, he’s not starting material, and he doesn’t have the quickness or change of direction needed to cover the better slot receivers. Fellow Hurricane Demarcus Van Dyke’s getting noticed for that 4.28 at the Combine, but he only weighs in the 160s, and he started only 3 times last year. Had two picks in those games, though.
* Tight end. Scouts like Kyle Rudolph’s chances of contributing right away in the NFL even though he missed most of last season. They say just to worry whether he’s cleared medically. Same boat as Jermaine Gresham, Rob Gronkowski, Heath Miller, etc.
This year’s Fendi Onobuns are Jordan Cameron from USC and Julius Thomas from Portland State. Both played on their college's basketball team. Cameron had only 16 receptions in 2010, but is 6’5” 254, ran in the 4.6s and is a vertical threat. Thomas had 29 catches last year and played physical in the East-West Shrine game. Well, except that one play when Jermale Hines threatened to light him up.
* Offensive line. RamView welcomes Mike Mayock to the Rodney Hudson bandwagon. Mayock says he likes the 2-time ACC Offensive Lineman of the Year more the more tape of him he watches. Way ahead of ya, Mayock.
Don’t tell Brian Baldinger, but Path to the Draft was nice to Anthony Costanzo all week, though they repeated his and Nate Solder’s struggles with power rushers. Scouts like his size, feet and positioning; don’t like his strength, explosion or change of direction. He’s still expected to be drafted late in the 1st and play a long time in the league.
Orlando Franklin (Miami) was a mauler at tackle in college but needs to move inside for the pros. He’s tight-hipped and doesn’t move well. Late 2nd round – early 3rd round.
* Around the league. Drafting 20th, the Buccaneers are likeliest to go after defensive ends because their pass rush was still anemic even with Gerald McCoy, says St. Petersburg Times writer Rick Stroud. Stroud becomes the fifth or sixth correspondent to say how good Ryan Kerrigan would be for his team. Kerrigan is clearly this year's Earl Thomas. But Kerrigan would be perfect in Tampa, he's explosive off the edge and forces a lot of turnovers. Heh, that would be perfect in a lot of places. Free agency could wreck the Tampa offensive line, so that's a backup need even as they have re-signing Davin Joseph as their top priority. In the 20-20 hindsight department, Charles Davis makes a hilarious attempt to praise the Bucs front office for their selection of Aqib Talib despite draft-time character red flags. “They did their homework, and they got a great player.” Davis says this about a week before Talib AND HIS MOTHER go on a shooting spree. Hee!
At 19, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News says the Giants will focus on the offensive line, and on the interior at that. Tom Coughlin wants a center, so Vacchiano recommends Mike Pouncey, who is also quickly becoming this year's Earl Thomas. Though Steve Smith isn't even expected to be able to start running until June, they're not worried about him enough to draft another WR very high. OLB's a possibility, with Mark Ingram a very dark horse should he slip. The Giants are a size/speed drafting team; whoever they draft will be a big player who moves fast.
Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune says the Chargers need, guess what, a pass rusher, and could look at, guess who, Ryan Kerrigan. He's the name that comes up most, as Larry English has been an (expected) bust, with just 5 sacks in two years. The Chargers have five picks the first three rounds and are also certain to use one on a WR. Mayock cautions that Kerrigan's a 4-3 DE and won't fit well into San Diego's 3-4. Huh, that's confusing. Of the recent Purdue DEs to hit the pros, the one who hasn't panned out, Cliff Avril, is the one who plays in a 4-3.
Pete Prisco was called upon for some reason to review the Jagwires' draft needs, and he goes absolutely crazy. He says they should draft CHRISTIAN PONDER at #16. Says Ponder is moving ahead of Cam Newton on some draft boards. An emboldened Mayock says the Jags should pick, of course, Jake Locker. They both agree DE is another need in Jacksonville, so guess whose name comes up. Prisco, with the Neanderthal level of creativity of apparently all draft pundits, compares Ryan Kerrigan favorably to... Aaron Kampmann.
Another writer I don't ever want to see in the Rams' war room is Jeff Darlington of the Miami Herald, who believes TORREY SMITH would be a fine pick for the Dolphins at #15. Or Cam Newton if he drops. Charlie Casserly has to cut in and kind of tap him on the shoulder and remind everyone that Miami's top three RBs are all free agents, so Casserly expects Mark Ingram to be under heavy consideration, even though he doesn't think Ingram is even first-round quality.
So next week, we'll get to see who these nutbars think the Rams should pick at #14, though with my luck, that'll be another team the show decides to skip for no good reason. And if they don't skip the Rams, they're all going to say they should draft Ryan Kerrigan anyway (which may not be the worst idea in the world).
* Kick it deep! Michael Lombardi and I agree AGAIN on something this year, along with Devin Hester: the new rule moving the spot of the kickoff back up to the 35 is going to result in an epidemic of touchbacks. So much so that draft picks and free agents who used to carry extra value because they returned kicks don’t have that value any more. Dexter McCluster never would have been drafted as high as he was under the current rule, which may have dropped a player like Jacquizz Rodgers down a ROUND OR TWO. Darren Sproles and Brad Smith also instantly became a lot less valuable in free agency.
* Rumor mill: The Chargers and Patriots could be working a deal for New England's pick at #28… Carolina HC Ron Rivera says they're evaluating QB and “four other positions” as possible areas to address with the first pick overall... Denver's working out Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick, even though team president John Elway claims he still believes in Tim Tebow… Pat Shurmur says Colt McCoy will be his starter next season. Feel the excitement, Cleveland!... Meanwhile, the Eagles claim they have an offer of a first-round pick for Kevin Kolb. (How can such an offer be legal at this point?)… Jerry Jones claims a couple of teams have asked the Cowboys about trading for their first-round pick, #9 overall… Carson Palmer says he would rather retire than play for the Bengals next year, but Cincinnati says they have no plans to trade him. Um, that would really screw my mock draft. Even if Palmer opts not to return, the Bengals could fill major defensive needs by drafting Patrick Peterson or Nick Fairley… Cam Newton’s going to do private workouts for the Dolphins and the Bills… MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER has returned to coaching: he’s now the head coach of the UFL’s Virginia Destroyers. You’re not the only one who thinks that’s a pretty dirty team name…
* How to improve Path to the Draft. The more I watch the NFL Network's flagship show for draft coverage, the more I see it is in bad need of “punching up”. They've talked about the SAME PEOPLE for three weeks now. If I have to hear about Jake Locker one more time, I am going to scream. Come on. You people have an HOUR every day. Three weeks in, and you've barely talked about any running backs not named Ingram. Barely any defensive backs at all. 250-plus guys are going to be drafted in a couple of weeks, not 10. Pick up the pace, already! Here's some ideas PTTD could stand to implement:
1 – More player capsules. Take like six minutes a day and do six quick profiles on various position players. They've mentioned about two sleeper possibilities in three weeks. Expand the number of players you talk about already!
2 – Pick a handful of players and track them as they prepare for the draft. Follow them around like HBO does with fighters before its big fights. That would certainly be more interesting than Mike Lombardi telling us no offensive linemen will be drafted in the top 10 for the tenth time.
3 – The show does occasional draft flashbacks, but does them all wrong. Instead of just flashing back to the day Oakland drafted Jamarcus Russell, explain why they got it wrong. Or flash back to when a sleeper player got picked and explain how that team got it right. Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it; so give us at home a chance to learn.
4 – It would be nice to run down the draft needs for ALL the teams. Just saying.
5 – Also, Mayock should be required to apologize on air and offer his resignation for MOCKING Isaac Bruce. Mayock was trying to illustrate the difficulty the lockout is causing for setting up pro days, but stuck his foot in his mouth by noting that at Florida State's pro day, Christian Ponder “had to throw to 40-year-old Isaac Bruce. Are you kidding me?” Listen here, jackass. That 40-year-old is the best route-runner Christian Ponder is going to get to throw to for the rest of his life, and I'm positive the young QB was grateful to get the best out of a bad situation created by the lockout. Let's see, who might a young QB be better off throwing passes to on his pro day? A prospective classmate who might get drafted in the sixth round? An NFL street free agent who's been cut by three teams in two years? Or the FOURTH LEADING WIDE RECEIVER IN NFL HISTORY?
You're a bozo to have mocked one of the classiest players in the history of the game, Mike Mayock. Apologize, or don't expect any warm welcomes from Rams Nation anytime soon.
-$-
Late word: Mark Ingram is now also scheduled to visit Rams Park, on Thursday April 14th.
Other recent draft prospects to visit Rams Park: interestingly, Cal d-lineman Cameron Jordan, and Lehigh offensive lineman William Rackley. Rackley, by the way, was described by Mike Mayock as a player that should be able to step in and play right away, a third-round prospect. He's a college tackle who will probably move to the inside in the pros. Looked good at the East-West Shrine Game. Mayock ranks Jordan 1-2 with J.J. Watt as the top two 3-4 defensive linemen, so I'm confused that the Rams even had him in for a visit. I assume they believe they can convert him handily to 4-3 full time, but that's a conversion that sure seems to fail a lot, and has certainly hurt the Rams in recent drafts (see: Carriker, Adam).
Let's do some positional drills:
* Wide receiver. The main candidates for third receiver off the board are Torrey Smith and Jonathan Baldwin, with Smith continuing to keep his edge because he’s supposedly more ready for the pros. I’m still not sold. Baldwin has a diva reputation but is a physical freak who caught everything thrown at him at Pittsburgh’s pro day. He should be a deadly receiver outside the numbers.
Charlie Casserly and the Rams agree, negatively, on Miami WR Leonard Hankerson. Casserly called Hankerson a possession receiver who can’t catch. He runs a good 40 but that burst doesn’t show up in games. Struggles to get separation and doesn’t gain much after the catch. OK, I’ll have to fix my board, then. Anybody got a flame-thrower?
Titus Young ran in the low 4.4s at Boise State’s pro day, Austin Pettis in the 4.5s. Both caught well. Young continues to run great routes, showing suddenness in and out of his breaks. Casserly believs Young worked out better than ANY WR at the Combine and mentioned he’s the same size as Roddy White. Pettis catches well with his hands, doesn’t let the ball into his body, and was a potent red zone weapon for the Broncos. Young’s rated to be drafted in the 2nd round, Pettis only the 5th.
NFL Network FINALLY got around to putting out some sleeper pick ideas at WR:
Edmund Gates, Abilene Christian: a favorite of RamView since the Combine. Less raw and higher upside than ACU alumnus Johnny Knox. Vertical threat who ran a 4.35 with a slight groin pull (!). Understands how to get open, has good awareness of where he is on the field. Will never last past the 3rd round with that speed.
Greg Little, North Carolina: would have been a 2nd-round prospect had he not been suspended all season. 6’2” 230, good speed and jumping ability, may have the best hands in the country. One of the smoothest-looking receivers at the Combine. Has a 4th-round value.
Greg Salas, Hawaii: another 4th-round prospect. 6’1” 210, very productive slot receiver in college. Uses body well to create separation and gains good yardage after the catch.
Ricardo Lockette, Fort Hays State: very raw, but big, and can move (ran a 4.37). Mostly a short-pass catcher. Welcome to Cleveland, Ricardo.
Randall (NOT Tex?) Cobb, Kentucky: 2nd-3rd round prospect, excellent at getting separation, runs very well after the catch.
Georgia WR Chris Durham may benefit from the circus atmosphere surrounding A.J. Green. At pro day, he quietly had a very good workout. At 6’5”, he ran in the 4.5s, caught everything and showed great leaping ability. He also played well while Green was suspended last season. Could be a late-round pick.
* Defensive line. DE Adrian Clayborn (Iowa) may be dropping out of the first round. At times, I’m not sure why he was even projected there. His sack production dropped way off his senior year. No one suggests he can come in and be a high-impact end with a lot of sacks. His first step’s not explosive, his edge speed is questionable, there are questions about his motor, and arm/shoulder problems due to a condition he was born with may limit him to right end. He was a 3-4 end at Iowa, too. Good player, but I don’t know why the Rams would have him on their list.
Christian Ballard, a DE/DT tweener, might be the first Hawkeye d-lineman off the board now. He’s a better edge rusher than Clayborn and can come inside. He was killing guards with his pass rush at the Senior Bowl. I’d expect the Rams to be much more likely to draft Ballard than Clayborn.
Aldon Smith, who I wish NFL Network would talk more about, should be able to get up to 280 pounds without losing any speed or explosiveness.
Corey Liuget got a very nice review. Prototypical 3-technique, one-gap penetrator who can get up the field. He’s devastating against the run and pushes the pocket with quickness against the pass. Dammit. There goes my mock draft again. In other words, feel free to pre-order your Liuget Rams jersey, even though Marvin Austin’s said to have repaired his image and had a great Shrine Game and a great Combine.
Allen Bailey (Miami) is a 2nd-3rd round prospect. He has good burst, moves well for his size and has a rocked-up physique. More likely to play as a smaller DE than he is to drop back successfully to linebacker.
Nick Fairley’s continuing to set off bust-o-meters around the gridosphere. His work ethic’s questioned, he may be a one-year wonder, and most of the DTs drafted high this decade didn’t pan out. Tell me about it.
South Florida DT Terrell McClain, on the other hand, is starting to draw positive attention. Both Lovie Smith and Bill Belichick were at his pro day.
* Running backs. Ryan Williams and Mikel Leshoure size up as the next two RBs off the board after Mark Ingram. Williams is a physical, rugged back who runs well between the tackles and turned in a 4.53 at the Combine. He’s short, though, and has battled injuries. Leshoure’s a good receiver who had outstanding production in college.
Other than that, Path to the Draft would much rather talk about Jake Locker than anybody who’s a running back, thank you very much.
* Linebackers. Justin Houston had a fine pro day at Georgia, which was marred by all the scouts having to walk out on A.J. Green’s workout and watch it on closed-circuit TV because the practice QB they had him drill with was from outside the Athens metropolitan area and anybody watching him would have violated the terms of the lockout. Ah, labor issues. As for Houston, he demonstrated plenty of explosiveness in drills, showed great ability turning the corner, and ran a 4.68 40 into the wind. The concern with him is that his workout results have looked a lot better than his play has on tape.
Mayock says North Carolina LB Bruce Carter would have been a top 20 pick this year if he hadn’t blown his knee in November. His ACL recovery is said to be ahead of schedule.
Akeem Ayers could really stand to improve his 40 time at his pro day, though he’s the odd duck whose explosiveness shows on game tape but not in workouts. He works better off the line, and could be a consistent pass rusher as a 3-4 OLB, or play the strong side in a 4-3. He beat Tyron Smith twice for sacks in the USC-UCLA game.
* Secondary. Grades on Miami’s Brandon Harris aren’t exactly consistent. Pro Football Weekly has him as the #3 CB and nearly one of the top ten players. NFL Network says he’s a SECOND OR THIRD ROUNDER. He’s short, he’s not starting material, and he doesn’t have the quickness or change of direction needed to cover the better slot receivers. Fellow Hurricane Demarcus Van Dyke’s getting noticed for that 4.28 at the Combine, but he only weighs in the 160s, and he started only 3 times last year. Had two picks in those games, though.
* Tight end. Scouts like Kyle Rudolph’s chances of contributing right away in the NFL even though he missed most of last season. They say just to worry whether he’s cleared medically. Same boat as Jermaine Gresham, Rob Gronkowski, Heath Miller, etc.
This year’s Fendi Onobuns are Jordan Cameron from USC and Julius Thomas from Portland State. Both played on their college's basketball team. Cameron had only 16 receptions in 2010, but is 6’5” 254, ran in the 4.6s and is a vertical threat. Thomas had 29 catches last year and played physical in the East-West Shrine game. Well, except that one play when Jermale Hines threatened to light him up.
* Offensive line. RamView welcomes Mike Mayock to the Rodney Hudson bandwagon. Mayock says he likes the 2-time ACC Offensive Lineman of the Year more the more tape of him he watches. Way ahead of ya, Mayock.
Don’t tell Brian Baldinger, but Path to the Draft was nice to Anthony Costanzo all week, though they repeated his and Nate Solder’s struggles with power rushers. Scouts like his size, feet and positioning; don’t like his strength, explosion or change of direction. He’s still expected to be drafted late in the 1st and play a long time in the league.
Orlando Franklin (Miami) was a mauler at tackle in college but needs to move inside for the pros. He’s tight-hipped and doesn’t move well. Late 2nd round – early 3rd round.
* Around the league. Drafting 20th, the Buccaneers are likeliest to go after defensive ends because their pass rush was still anemic even with Gerald McCoy, says St. Petersburg Times writer Rick Stroud. Stroud becomes the fifth or sixth correspondent to say how good Ryan Kerrigan would be for his team. Kerrigan is clearly this year's Earl Thomas. But Kerrigan would be perfect in Tampa, he's explosive off the edge and forces a lot of turnovers. Heh, that would be perfect in a lot of places. Free agency could wreck the Tampa offensive line, so that's a backup need even as they have re-signing Davin Joseph as their top priority. In the 20-20 hindsight department, Charles Davis makes a hilarious attempt to praise the Bucs front office for their selection of Aqib Talib despite draft-time character red flags. “They did their homework, and they got a great player.” Davis says this about a week before Talib AND HIS MOTHER go on a shooting spree. Hee!
At 19, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News says the Giants will focus on the offensive line, and on the interior at that. Tom Coughlin wants a center, so Vacchiano recommends Mike Pouncey, who is also quickly becoming this year's Earl Thomas. Though Steve Smith isn't even expected to be able to start running until June, they're not worried about him enough to draft another WR very high. OLB's a possibility, with Mark Ingram a very dark horse should he slip. The Giants are a size/speed drafting team; whoever they draft will be a big player who moves fast.
Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune says the Chargers need, guess what, a pass rusher, and could look at, guess who, Ryan Kerrigan. He's the name that comes up most, as Larry English has been an (expected) bust, with just 5 sacks in two years. The Chargers have five picks the first three rounds and are also certain to use one on a WR. Mayock cautions that Kerrigan's a 4-3 DE and won't fit well into San Diego's 3-4. Huh, that's confusing. Of the recent Purdue DEs to hit the pros, the one who hasn't panned out, Cliff Avril, is the one who plays in a 4-3.
Pete Prisco was called upon for some reason to review the Jagwires' draft needs, and he goes absolutely crazy. He says they should draft CHRISTIAN PONDER at #16. Says Ponder is moving ahead of Cam Newton on some draft boards. An emboldened Mayock says the Jags should pick, of course, Jake Locker. They both agree DE is another need in Jacksonville, so guess whose name comes up. Prisco, with the Neanderthal level of creativity of apparently all draft pundits, compares Ryan Kerrigan favorably to... Aaron Kampmann.
Another writer I don't ever want to see in the Rams' war room is Jeff Darlington of the Miami Herald, who believes TORREY SMITH would be a fine pick for the Dolphins at #15. Or Cam Newton if he drops. Charlie Casserly has to cut in and kind of tap him on the shoulder and remind everyone that Miami's top three RBs are all free agents, so Casserly expects Mark Ingram to be under heavy consideration, even though he doesn't think Ingram is even first-round quality.
So next week, we'll get to see who these nutbars think the Rams should pick at #14, though with my luck, that'll be another team the show decides to skip for no good reason. And if they don't skip the Rams, they're all going to say they should draft Ryan Kerrigan anyway (which may not be the worst idea in the world).
* Kick it deep! Michael Lombardi and I agree AGAIN on something this year, along with Devin Hester: the new rule moving the spot of the kickoff back up to the 35 is going to result in an epidemic of touchbacks. So much so that draft picks and free agents who used to carry extra value because they returned kicks don’t have that value any more. Dexter McCluster never would have been drafted as high as he was under the current rule, which may have dropped a player like Jacquizz Rodgers down a ROUND OR TWO. Darren Sproles and Brad Smith also instantly became a lot less valuable in free agency.
* Rumor mill: The Chargers and Patriots could be working a deal for New England's pick at #28… Carolina HC Ron Rivera says they're evaluating QB and “four other positions” as possible areas to address with the first pick overall... Denver's working out Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick, even though team president John Elway claims he still believes in Tim Tebow… Pat Shurmur says Colt McCoy will be his starter next season. Feel the excitement, Cleveland!... Meanwhile, the Eagles claim they have an offer of a first-round pick for Kevin Kolb. (How can such an offer be legal at this point?)… Jerry Jones claims a couple of teams have asked the Cowboys about trading for their first-round pick, #9 overall… Carson Palmer says he would rather retire than play for the Bengals next year, but Cincinnati says they have no plans to trade him. Um, that would really screw my mock draft. Even if Palmer opts not to return, the Bengals could fill major defensive needs by drafting Patrick Peterson or Nick Fairley… Cam Newton’s going to do private workouts for the Dolphins and the Bills… MARTY SCHOTTENHEIMER has returned to coaching: he’s now the head coach of the UFL’s Virginia Destroyers. You’re not the only one who thinks that’s a pretty dirty team name…
* How to improve Path to the Draft. The more I watch the NFL Network's flagship show for draft coverage, the more I see it is in bad need of “punching up”. They've talked about the SAME PEOPLE for three weeks now. If I have to hear about Jake Locker one more time, I am going to scream. Come on. You people have an HOUR every day. Three weeks in, and you've barely talked about any running backs not named Ingram. Barely any defensive backs at all. 250-plus guys are going to be drafted in a couple of weeks, not 10. Pick up the pace, already! Here's some ideas PTTD could stand to implement:
1 – More player capsules. Take like six minutes a day and do six quick profiles on various position players. They've mentioned about two sleeper possibilities in three weeks. Expand the number of players you talk about already!
2 – Pick a handful of players and track them as they prepare for the draft. Follow them around like HBO does with fighters before its big fights. That would certainly be more interesting than Mike Lombardi telling us no offensive linemen will be drafted in the top 10 for the tenth time.
3 – The show does occasional draft flashbacks, but does them all wrong. Instead of just flashing back to the day Oakland drafted Jamarcus Russell, explain why they got it wrong. Or flash back to when a sleeper player got picked and explain how that team got it right. Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it; so give us at home a chance to learn.
4 – It would be nice to run down the draft needs for ALL the teams. Just saying.
5 – Also, Mayock should be required to apologize on air and offer his resignation for MOCKING Isaac Bruce. Mayock was trying to illustrate the difficulty the lockout is causing for setting up pro days, but stuck his foot in his mouth by noting that at Florida State's pro day, Christian Ponder “had to throw to 40-year-old Isaac Bruce. Are you kidding me?” Listen here, jackass. That 40-year-old is the best route-runner Christian Ponder is going to get to throw to for the rest of his life, and I'm positive the young QB was grateful to get the best out of a bad situation created by the lockout. Let's see, who might a young QB be better off throwing passes to on his pro day? A prospective classmate who might get drafted in the sixth round? An NFL street free agent who's been cut by three teams in two years? Or the FOURTH LEADING WIDE RECEIVER IN NFL HISTORY?
You're a bozo to have mocked one of the classiest players in the history of the game, Mike Mayock. Apologize, or don't expect any warm welcomes from Rams Nation anytime soon.
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Monday, April 11, 2011
Mental mock draft: order of preference at #14
1. Julio Jones (as if).
2. Robert Quinn, on an unlikely slip.
3. Trade down. I think Ryan Kerrigan, Mike Pouncey and QB#3 are all going to become hot commodities by the time the Rams go on the clock, and plenty of teams want one of the three. If the Rams can trade down a little, pick up an extra pick and still get the guy I have at #4, I'll bounce up and down like a little kid this draft night.
4. Marvin Austin.
5. Aldon Smith.
6. I can be talked into liking Mark Ingram.
7. Corey Liuget.
Off my board:
Cameron Jordan, J.J. Watt: Excellent players I feel should be drafted by 3-4 teams. Kerrigan also basically in this boat.
DaQuan Bowers. If he falls to 14, the Rams can let him keep falling, like they didn't let Jimmy Kennedy do in 2003.
Muhammed Wilkerson. I think he's a 3-4 end and I doubt his physical fitness.
Picks at #14 that would make me cry (not for joy):
1. Torrey Smith.
2. Adrian Clayborn.
3. Justin Houston.
4. Cameron Heyward.
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2. Robert Quinn, on an unlikely slip.
3. Trade down. I think Ryan Kerrigan, Mike Pouncey and QB#3 are all going to become hot commodities by the time the Rams go on the clock, and plenty of teams want one of the three. If the Rams can trade down a little, pick up an extra pick and still get the guy I have at #4, I'll bounce up and down like a little kid this draft night.
4. Marvin Austin.
5. Aldon Smith.
6. I can be talked into liking Mark Ingram.
7. Corey Liuget.
Off my board:
Cameron Jordan, J.J. Watt: Excellent players I feel should be drafted by 3-4 teams. Kerrigan also basically in this boat.
DaQuan Bowers. If he falls to 14, the Rams can let him keep falling, like they didn't let Jimmy Kennedy do in 2003.
Muhammed Wilkerson. I think he's a 3-4 end and I doubt his physical fitness.
Picks at #14 that would make me cry (not for joy):
1. Torrey Smith.
2. Adrian Clayborn.
3. Justin Houston.
4. Cameron Heyward.
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Combine catchup: DE/LB
Some quick notes now that I’ve finally gotten to review coverage of the defensive linemen and linebackers at the 2011 Combine:
* Who made money? Nine defensive ends and at least three defensive tackles came into the Combine with 1st-round grades, and most of them ran like first-rounders. Make that first-round running backs. You had Marcel Dareus covering ten yards in a ridiculous 1.66 seconds, and running 40 in under five. Though Nick Fairley beat some of Dareus’ numbers, there hasn’t been much doubt since the Combine that Dareus is the #1 DT. Impressive arm length, impressive punch, versatility, nearly-freakish athleticism… no reason for Marcel Dareus to slip past the #2 pick overall.
Von Miller didn’t do anything to hurt his top-five status at OLB. He showed outstanding change of direction and terrific all-around athleticism. And he certainly showed ability to adjust – he kicked one of the bags far out of whack during the “bag drill” and still finished the drill properly.
A couple of sleepers really improved their draft stock in my eyes, though neither is an unfamiliar name. I’d rank Marvin Austin third right now at DT after seeing his outstanding Combine. 10 yards in a ridiculous 1.63. Excellent performance in the weight room with 38 benches. He delivered a very strong punch in the club drill without losing speed and showed nice strength again in the stack-and-shed drill. Austin improved his value more than anyone at this year’s Combine and may have been the best performer of any front-seven defensive player this year. And I’m not convinced he’s completely in shape yet. Illinois MLB Martez Wilson has never gotten a lot of buzz for some reason, but should have after his Combine. He ran two sub-4.5 40s and did well enough in the weight room with 23 benches. I can only guess that Wilson’s talked about less because there aren’t a lot of teams needing inside linebackers. Somebody’s going to get a downright steal when they draft Wilson, though, much like the Rams did in 2010 when they drafted James Laurinaitis. Wilson is first-round caliber.
* Whose stock didn’t improve? I was frustrated that none of the cluster of top DEs really separated himself from the pack. Though he looked very fluid in drills and didn’t hurt his stock at all, I have to drop Cameron Jordan from my Rams shopping list for the repeated talk that he’s best as a five-technique, like J.J. Watt. Robert Quinn hurt his cause with lesser-than-expected performances at the 40 and broad jump, though he had one of the better punches there. Adrian Clayborn can say he’s not limited at all by his birth defect-related arm problem all he wants, but he was noticeably worse drilling from LDE than he was at RDE, where he did look all right. Justin Houston looked so clumsy at the LB drills that I doubt I’d draft him at the position. With his size and skillset, he really should have worked out with the DEs. He fell down twice during one drill and dropped a pass during another. (JIM HASLETT was running some of those drills, btw, so downgrade all LBs on your board accordingly.) Besides that with Houston, you also had Mike Mayock questioning his motor. Orie Lemon and Kelvin Sheppard also showed need for improvement in ball skills, with at least two drops apiece. Akeem Ayers ran two completely slow 40s, never cracking 4.8. I still like Richmond DT Martin Parker, but really wonder about his upper body strength after watching his drills. Almost no punch at all. Hopefully it’s just technique, and he’s a guy who shows better on tape than he does in practice. I liked Michigan State LB Greg Jones at the Senior Bowl, but the commentary on him was that he’ll be fine in space but is going to get killed in close quarters.
* More sleepers: USC DT Jurrell Casey looked very smooth and “popped” a couple of times during drills. Wouldn’t be a bad second-round pick at all. Brooks Reed looked really good every time I saw his drills. Had one of the better punches there. Would not be surprised at all to see him go in the first round. Russ Homan packed on 11 pounds between the Senior Bowl and the Combine without losing any speed, and he showed some very nice footwork. Sealver Siliga of Utah looked like a real mauler. K.J. Wright’s got unusual height at LB and is being looked at as both a 3-4 rush end and a 4-3 SAM LB.
* So who do the Rams pick? I was disappointed both that Aldon Smith didn’t stand out much, and that NFL Network barely bothered to cover him. My current mental mock draft has the Rams picking between him and Corey Liuget, and Liuget just doesn’t impress me. He has a great, low center of gravity, and theoretically would give the Rams the kind of pass rush and penetration from the 3-technique that Fred Robbins gave them last season, but he looked awkward in my eyes at everything he did. At a minimum, his workout results don’t match up with his tape. If the Rams are the best-player-available team they say they are, if they agree with me, they’re taking Aldon Smith.
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* Who made money? Nine defensive ends and at least three defensive tackles came into the Combine with 1st-round grades, and most of them ran like first-rounders. Make that first-round running backs. You had Marcel Dareus covering ten yards in a ridiculous 1.66 seconds, and running 40 in under five. Though Nick Fairley beat some of Dareus’ numbers, there hasn’t been much doubt since the Combine that Dareus is the #1 DT. Impressive arm length, impressive punch, versatility, nearly-freakish athleticism… no reason for Marcel Dareus to slip past the #2 pick overall.
Von Miller didn’t do anything to hurt his top-five status at OLB. He showed outstanding change of direction and terrific all-around athleticism. And he certainly showed ability to adjust – he kicked one of the bags far out of whack during the “bag drill” and still finished the drill properly.
A couple of sleepers really improved their draft stock in my eyes, though neither is an unfamiliar name. I’d rank Marvin Austin third right now at DT after seeing his outstanding Combine. 10 yards in a ridiculous 1.63. Excellent performance in the weight room with 38 benches. He delivered a very strong punch in the club drill without losing speed and showed nice strength again in the stack-and-shed drill. Austin improved his value more than anyone at this year’s Combine and may have been the best performer of any front-seven defensive player this year. And I’m not convinced he’s completely in shape yet. Illinois MLB Martez Wilson has never gotten a lot of buzz for some reason, but should have after his Combine. He ran two sub-4.5 40s and did well enough in the weight room with 23 benches. I can only guess that Wilson’s talked about less because there aren’t a lot of teams needing inside linebackers. Somebody’s going to get a downright steal when they draft Wilson, though, much like the Rams did in 2010 when they drafted James Laurinaitis. Wilson is first-round caliber.
* Whose stock didn’t improve? I was frustrated that none of the cluster of top DEs really separated himself from the pack. Though he looked very fluid in drills and didn’t hurt his stock at all, I have to drop Cameron Jordan from my Rams shopping list for the repeated talk that he’s best as a five-technique, like J.J. Watt. Robert Quinn hurt his cause with lesser-than-expected performances at the 40 and broad jump, though he had one of the better punches there. Adrian Clayborn can say he’s not limited at all by his birth defect-related arm problem all he wants, but he was noticeably worse drilling from LDE than he was at RDE, where he did look all right. Justin Houston looked so clumsy at the LB drills that I doubt I’d draft him at the position. With his size and skillset, he really should have worked out with the DEs. He fell down twice during one drill and dropped a pass during another. (JIM HASLETT was running some of those drills, btw, so downgrade all LBs on your board accordingly.) Besides that with Houston, you also had Mike Mayock questioning his motor. Orie Lemon and Kelvin Sheppard also showed need for improvement in ball skills, with at least two drops apiece. Akeem Ayers ran two completely slow 40s, never cracking 4.8. I still like Richmond DT Martin Parker, but really wonder about his upper body strength after watching his drills. Almost no punch at all. Hopefully it’s just technique, and he’s a guy who shows better on tape than he does in practice. I liked Michigan State LB Greg Jones at the Senior Bowl, but the commentary on him was that he’ll be fine in space but is going to get killed in close quarters.
* More sleepers: USC DT Jurrell Casey looked very smooth and “popped” a couple of times during drills. Wouldn’t be a bad second-round pick at all. Brooks Reed looked really good every time I saw his drills. Had one of the better punches there. Would not be surprised at all to see him go in the first round. Russ Homan packed on 11 pounds between the Senior Bowl and the Combine without losing any speed, and he showed some very nice footwork. Sealver Siliga of Utah looked like a real mauler. K.J. Wright’s got unusual height at LB and is being looked at as both a 3-4 rush end and a 4-3 SAM LB.
* So who do the Rams pick? I was disappointed both that Aldon Smith didn’t stand out much, and that NFL Network barely bothered to cover him. My current mental mock draft has the Rams picking between him and Corey Liuget, and Liuget just doesn’t impress me. He has a great, low center of gravity, and theoretically would give the Rams the kind of pass rush and penetration from the 3-technique that Fred Robbins gave them last season, but he looked awkward in my eyes at everything he did. At a minimum, his workout results don’t match up with his tape. If the Rams are the best-player-available team they say they are, if they agree with me, they’re taking Aldon Smith.
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Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Draft buzz, week 2
RamView tends to believe the Carolina Panthers should use the #1 pick in the draft on Mizzou QB Blaine Gabbert, and he'll be atop my 2011 mock draft if I ever put one out. Funny thing this year: all the screaming that the team drafting first HAS to take a quarterback has subsided. Hey, it definitely worked for the Rams. I'm just wondering why there hasn't been the same insistence for Carolina. Like the Rams last year, the Panthers are pretty much terrible at every position; where's the same insistence from the football world that they start their rebuild at QB?
I'm not saying Gabbert's Sam Bradford, even though hype machine Mike Mayock practically did on NFL Network. C'mon, he completed 44 of 49 at his pro day; wasn't Sam something like 59-for-60? But Gabbert's still who the Panthers ought to pick. The most realistic “compares to” I heard on NFL Network for him was Joe Flacco. He's got the arm strength to throw every route, showed good timing, footwork and accuracy, and he's the one of the top-tier QBs who passes the 26-27-60 test. That means he surpasses those numbers in career starts, Wonderlic score and career completion %. Laugh if you want, but that's been a pretty reliable way of determining whether or not a college QB will succeed in the NFL. If you're going to take a QB #1, you have to take a guy who passes all of those measures, and Gabbert does.
Enough about the Panthers; what about names the Rams could be tossing around in their war room? Position by position:
* Wide receiver. Though the Combine seemed to move him out of the Rams' reach, Julio Jones is still projected to #14 often enough in mock drafts that experts are starting to insist the Rams need to be concerned about getting jumped over for the Alabama WR. Maybe they should talk to the Redskins, who have the #10 pick but would rather drop down in the first-round and maybe pick up a third-rounder, something they don't currently have.
Maryland WR Torrey Smith is having a surge I really don't understand, getting a lot of talk now as the #3 WR and as a late first-rounder. He gets good reviews for being able to blow the top off a zone defense, and as a CRISP route-runner. That blows me away, because at the Combine, all the talk was that he couldn't run anything besides deep straightline routes. He's also supposed to be a dangerous kick returner. Other that that I’m not sure what he’d bring to the Rams that Danario Alexander doesn't already.
Jonathan Baldwin of Pitt is another candidate for #3 WR in the class. He’s definitely got the size at 6’4”, and has great speed and hands. Baldwin is still a very raw receiver, though; he still has to be refined a lot as a route-runner. There are also (unspecified) character flags around him.
* Defensive line. RamView’s current mental mock draft has Missouri DE Aldon Smith as the Rams’ first-round pick. He’s considered top-ten material by Mike Lombardi, who called him as good in space as Lamarr Woodley. A great athlete with suddenness, quickness and pursuit ability. Explosive pass rusher off the edge, though a bit tight in the hips, and he could stand to add 15 pounds. Would be a great addition to the Ram defense if they can't get one of the top two wideouts.
Temple DT Muhammed Wilkerson's name pops up in the picture at #14, but his pro day workout was said to be just average, and he got gassed by the end. He had 9.5 sacks last year and can play 3-technique in a 4-3. He's physically a stud, has a good motor, can cover a lot of ground. Main questions: poor level of competition may inflate his performance, and whether or not he can be a 3-down player. Corey Liuget looks a lot safer should the Rams want to go DT at 14. He had an impressive workout at Illinois’ pro day, and his play on tape backs it up.
DaQuan Bowers and Nick Fairley are anticipated top ten picks, but the nagging thing about them is that last season was the first time either of them made much of an impact at the college level. Robert Quinn, of course, didn't play at all last season. As a result, these three have the bust factor looming over them. Injury-wise, Bowers isn't supposed to have any issues besides the knee he had scoped. The knee kept him out of the Combine, but more because it caused him to fall behind on his overall conditioning. Quinn has a benign brain tumor but has been playing football with it since high school.
A NFL Network interview with Cameron Jordan revealed he’s confident he can play in the 4-3 or the 3-4, but little else. He tries to pattern his game after former teammates of his father’s such as John Randle and Chris Doleman. Brooks Reed’s 4.62 at the Combine has gotten him plenty of interest as a 3-4 OLB or 4-3 LDE. Already having Chris Long, I don't expect the Rams are taking a lot of interest.
* Offensive line. Mike Pouncey could be a consideration for the Rams’ first round pick. He may not be as good a player as his brother Maurkice, but he can play center or guard, and pull blocks from either spot well, which is versatility that separates him from the other interior linemen in the draft. He’s a great competitor, understands the game well and can’t wait to come off the line and smack you in the mouth. He’d still be considered a slight reach at 14.
Danny Watkins has the great balance you’d expect from someone who’s played a lot of hockey. He’s still learning the game, but doesn’t have many bad habits, either. He has shorter arms, the main reason he’s likely to be kicked to the inside in the pros. Big, physical, mature (ahem), athletic and smart about picking up twists and stunts.
Rodney Hudson’s got his weight up to 299. His lighter weight at the Senior Bowl had been a concern but was a factor of Florida State’s preference for lighter lineman. He’s aggressive, moves well, has quick feet and quick as hell reaction time. Mostly a guard at FSU but has worked a lot at center for scouts. No, I still don’t think you can go wrong with this guy.
Tackles may not start coming off the board until the teens, but Derek Sherrod’s stock is on the way up. He’s attracted interest from a lot of teams.
Wouldn’t be a complete week on NFL Network without Brian Baldinger getting to rip Anthony Costanzo. Now he’s basically calling him a heavy-legged waist-bender. Too much trouble with speed. Poor footwork that doesn’t “marry” with his hands. Feet stop when he’s run-blocking. He has 54 career starts and these problems are going to be difficult to reverse. Baldinger has no idea why ANYONE would spend a first round pick on Costanzo. Meanwhile, while Baldy’s talking, NFL-N plays Senior Bowl and Combine footage of Costanzo that shows none of the flaws he’s been banging on for two weeks. Charles Davis agreed Costanzo’s trouble with speed is a problem, but likes his punch, likes his effort to get to the 2nd level, and thinks he’ll be easy to coach up.
* Back seven. Aaron Williams and Marcus Gilchrist were CBs in college but can fit in well at safety now in the NFL, Mayock says. Safeties these days have to have corner cover skills, tackle well and be able to drop into the slot. Actually, that sounds a ton like qualities the Rams really need to add to their secondary now with O.J. Atogwe gone. Let's see how they play their second-round pick if a promising safety, or a CB who'll convert fairly easily, is still around.
Another possible safety for the Rams to look at: Rahim Moore, UCLA. Nothing like last year’s top 3 safeties, but still a good football player. He played “centerfield”, dropped into the box against the run, blitzed off the edge and tackled well in the open field. Good range, good ball skills, ran 4.62 at the Combine and had excellent times in the short shuttle.
Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara are considered the only real shutdown corners in this year's draft. Both will very likely be off the board by pick #14, even though Amukamara had only 5 career INTs in college.
Jimmy Smith of Colorado would be worth pick #14 based on his physical ability, but he's been inconsistent on the field and would also put the “Four Pillars” to an interesting test. He hasn't been in any trouble off the field, but there are reportedly plenty of red flags among his family and acquaintances. Does Steve Spagnuolo have a policy regarding “support pillars?”
Ahmad Black of Florida FAILED to get his 40 time under 4.7 at pro day, and Florida has a notoriously FAST track. However the guy looks on tape, whatever he did in the BCS “championship” game against Oklahoma, I'll raise an eyebrow if he goes in the first four rounds. Or to the Rams at all.
Kevin Rutland helped his draft chances a lot at Mizzou’s pro day by clocking a 4.44.
Von Miller’s inclusion on the list of players filing an antitrust suit against the NFL isn’t expected to hurt his draft status, though I certainly wouldn’t mind a dent of 9 picks or so. He’s expected to play a lot like Clay Matthews has for the Packers, with similar impact. Seems like a kid with a good head on his shoulders, too, and dammit if the Big Dead aren’t going to strike gold in their draft again. If Bidwill still had them in St. Louis, George Boone would be drafting Ahmad Black at #5.
Justin Houston of Georgia has all the measurables and is one of about 100 guys Mayock has slated to be drafted in the first round. 6’3”, 270, 34.5” arms, 4.65 40 time. Explosive off the edge and a natural pass rusher. So why is he falling far down RamView’s list? Scouting reports that say he takes plays off, doesn’t hustle every snap and isn’t a great run tackler. The Rams don’t need to reach at 14 for Vernon Gholston (see below), and I don’t really want a player with a slacker reputation in the 2nd round, either.
* Around the league. NFL Network appears to be analyzing team draft needs on a random basis, leaving yours truly to once again fill in gaps due to their laziness:
- The Patriots have two picks in the first round: #28 (theirs) and #17 (Oakland's), and could do a whole lot of different things with them. Tom Curran of Comcast Sportsnet New England believes they could package picks (they also have #33, first pick in the second round) to trade up and get an impact player. He called Ryan Kerrigan a Willie McGinest-type and the best DE in the draft at harassing the QB. They could target Kerrigan or Cameron Jordan at 17, then add offensive line depth at 28. Their biggest problem this draft is that they may HAVE to trade away some picks because they won't have room for so much young talent on their roster.
- Atlanta's on the clock at 27, and radio play-by-play man Wes Durham indicates the Falcons looked a lot at Sam Acho at the Combine. SAM ACHO? Thomas Dimitroff drafts for need, and they need to add explosiveness. Either an explosive WR to run with Roddy White, or an explosive edge pass rusher. Like Acho? Durham also mentioned Titus Young and Torrey Smith, and I'm starting to think Smith is going to get significantly overdrafted a couple of weeks from now.
- Baltimore at 26, and Seattle at 25, are all mine because NFL Network is lazy. The Ravens have a lot of options. Their veteran WRs came up craps in the playoffs, and the defense isn't quite what it used to be. Teams are less and less afraid to run on them, and they could use at least depth in the secondary. I'd say DBs like Brandon Harris, Jimmy Smith or Aaron Williams are in the mix here. Ray Rice is about all the offensive speed they have; I think a WR like Titus Young would open up their offense, and he's got the swagger to fit in well there.
- Seattle's pretty simple at 25. If Jake Locker's available, he's a Seahawk, or Pete Carroll will have to enter the witness protection program, which I doubt will work very well for him. Otherwise, the top of their many needs is offensive line, outside and in, and they’ll take the best grunt left.
- At 24, in between Stacey Dales hitting on him, New Orleans Times-Picayune beat writer Mike Triplett said the Saints will go first and foremost after a DE, with Cameron Jordan, Cameron Heyward, Ryan Kerrigan and Adrian Clayborn on their radar, with Mark Ingram a very remote possibility. The Saints tend to draft best player available. About half the Saints seem to be free agents this season, so they're one team that could use a labor resolution in a hurry.
- The Eagles pick 23rd, though they've had a habit recently of trading up to get the player they really want, which I'd be happy to have happen again this year at #14. Inquirer columnist Ashley Fox says since Andy Reid believes in building through the draft from the inside out, o-line is the place to look, and Gabe Carimi would work well there at RT. She also mentioned Miami CB Demarcus Van Dyke, which I can only guess was a projection for a possible 2nd round pick. He's not even the top Miami CB in the draft. Kevin Kolb wants to be traded, but the labor impasse has him and the Eagles really screwed right now.
- And now for ColtView, since Path to the Draft apparently doesn't know the NFL has 32 teams. I'll just say that if Gabe Carimi hasn't been picked by #22, I doubt the Colts would let him by. Their offensive line isn't up to its past standards, and Bill Polian tends to draft Big Ten or Eleven or Twelve guys.
- Ending the week, the NFL Network crew took it upon themselves to analyze what the Chiefs would do at #21, and wait a minute. If lack of local insiders to interview didn't keep you from analyzing the Chiefs, what the hell's with the FOUR teams you've skipped already? Torrey Smith's name pops up again as a field-stretching complement to Dwayne Bowe. Brian Baldinger believes they could use another OLB such as Akeem Ayers, or even Mike Pouncey at center, where Casey Wiegmann's got some mileage.
* Various nonsense. NFL Net analyst Steve Wyche, racking his brain really hard coming up with an NFL player to compare to Ryan Kerrigan, came up with… Patrick Kerney! At least he came up with a Caucasian DE I forgot to mention last week. Kerrigan doesn’t compare at all to fellow Purdue alums Shaun Phillips, Cliff Avril or Anthony Spencer, huh, not a bit. Ryan Kerrigan can only be compared to other white guys. Just checking. Or Brooks Reed, who Michael Lombardi compared to... Clay Matthews!
The Jets cut the 2008 #6 pick overall, DE Vernon Gholston. Gholston managed five starts and ZERO sacks in his pro career. One thing you can see happening in recent drafts is guys getting dinged pretty heavy for taking plays off and not always having the motor running, one of the main criticisms I see about Gholston from his Ohio State days. Otherwise, I don’t know how to avoid a bust pick like Gholston; everybody had him as a top 5 or 10 pick.
West Virginia RB Noel Devine didn’t run at the Combine but put up a 4.43 at his pro day. Still, Stacey Dales reported the 5’7” RB is considered just a draftable player, and she should know, since she’s about a foot taller. Devine’s ankles also need to pass inspection before you go too far with him.
Florida State QB Christian Ponder was already having a great offseason. His Senior Bowl and Combine were excellent. Injuries affected his senior season but he's got a clean bill of health now. And at the Seminoles' pro day, he got to throw passes to ISAAC BRUCE, who was helping out because the lockout keeps current pros from helping out at pro day workouts. Heck of a good spring for Ponder, who’s in the mix for third QB off the board.
We all know NFL GMs do a lot of lying this time of year, but come on, Mike Humgrum, at least tell remotely believable ones. Humgrum claims the Browns have interest in Cam Newton. No way. Faults and all, Newton is still too far exciting a football player for Pat Shurmur to have any idea what to do with him.
-$-
I'm not saying Gabbert's Sam Bradford, even though hype machine Mike Mayock practically did on NFL Network. C'mon, he completed 44 of 49 at his pro day; wasn't Sam something like 59-for-60? But Gabbert's still who the Panthers ought to pick. The most realistic “compares to” I heard on NFL Network for him was Joe Flacco. He's got the arm strength to throw every route, showed good timing, footwork and accuracy, and he's the one of the top-tier QBs who passes the 26-27-60 test. That means he surpasses those numbers in career starts, Wonderlic score and career completion %. Laugh if you want, but that's been a pretty reliable way of determining whether or not a college QB will succeed in the NFL. If you're going to take a QB #1, you have to take a guy who passes all of those measures, and Gabbert does.
Enough about the Panthers; what about names the Rams could be tossing around in their war room? Position by position:
* Wide receiver. Though the Combine seemed to move him out of the Rams' reach, Julio Jones is still projected to #14 often enough in mock drafts that experts are starting to insist the Rams need to be concerned about getting jumped over for the Alabama WR. Maybe they should talk to the Redskins, who have the #10 pick but would rather drop down in the first-round and maybe pick up a third-rounder, something they don't currently have.
Maryland WR Torrey Smith is having a surge I really don't understand, getting a lot of talk now as the #3 WR and as a late first-rounder. He gets good reviews for being able to blow the top off a zone defense, and as a CRISP route-runner. That blows me away, because at the Combine, all the talk was that he couldn't run anything besides deep straightline routes. He's also supposed to be a dangerous kick returner. Other that that I’m not sure what he’d bring to the Rams that Danario Alexander doesn't already.
Jonathan Baldwin of Pitt is another candidate for #3 WR in the class. He’s definitely got the size at 6’4”, and has great speed and hands. Baldwin is still a very raw receiver, though; he still has to be refined a lot as a route-runner. There are also (unspecified) character flags around him.
* Defensive line. RamView’s current mental mock draft has Missouri DE Aldon Smith as the Rams’ first-round pick. He’s considered top-ten material by Mike Lombardi, who called him as good in space as Lamarr Woodley. A great athlete with suddenness, quickness and pursuit ability. Explosive pass rusher off the edge, though a bit tight in the hips, and he could stand to add 15 pounds. Would be a great addition to the Ram defense if they can't get one of the top two wideouts.
Temple DT Muhammed Wilkerson's name pops up in the picture at #14, but his pro day workout was said to be just average, and he got gassed by the end. He had 9.5 sacks last year and can play 3-technique in a 4-3. He's physically a stud, has a good motor, can cover a lot of ground. Main questions: poor level of competition may inflate his performance, and whether or not he can be a 3-down player. Corey Liuget looks a lot safer should the Rams want to go DT at 14. He had an impressive workout at Illinois’ pro day, and his play on tape backs it up.
DaQuan Bowers and Nick Fairley are anticipated top ten picks, but the nagging thing about them is that last season was the first time either of them made much of an impact at the college level. Robert Quinn, of course, didn't play at all last season. As a result, these three have the bust factor looming over them. Injury-wise, Bowers isn't supposed to have any issues besides the knee he had scoped. The knee kept him out of the Combine, but more because it caused him to fall behind on his overall conditioning. Quinn has a benign brain tumor but has been playing football with it since high school.
A NFL Network interview with Cameron Jordan revealed he’s confident he can play in the 4-3 or the 3-4, but little else. He tries to pattern his game after former teammates of his father’s such as John Randle and Chris Doleman. Brooks Reed’s 4.62 at the Combine has gotten him plenty of interest as a 3-4 OLB or 4-3 LDE. Already having Chris Long, I don't expect the Rams are taking a lot of interest.
* Offensive line. Mike Pouncey could be a consideration for the Rams’ first round pick. He may not be as good a player as his brother Maurkice, but he can play center or guard, and pull blocks from either spot well, which is versatility that separates him from the other interior linemen in the draft. He’s a great competitor, understands the game well and can’t wait to come off the line and smack you in the mouth. He’d still be considered a slight reach at 14.
Danny Watkins has the great balance you’d expect from someone who’s played a lot of hockey. He’s still learning the game, but doesn’t have many bad habits, either. He has shorter arms, the main reason he’s likely to be kicked to the inside in the pros. Big, physical, mature (ahem), athletic and smart about picking up twists and stunts.
Rodney Hudson’s got his weight up to 299. His lighter weight at the Senior Bowl had been a concern but was a factor of Florida State’s preference for lighter lineman. He’s aggressive, moves well, has quick feet and quick as hell reaction time. Mostly a guard at FSU but has worked a lot at center for scouts. No, I still don’t think you can go wrong with this guy.
Tackles may not start coming off the board until the teens, but Derek Sherrod’s stock is on the way up. He’s attracted interest from a lot of teams.
Wouldn’t be a complete week on NFL Network without Brian Baldinger getting to rip Anthony Costanzo. Now he’s basically calling him a heavy-legged waist-bender. Too much trouble with speed. Poor footwork that doesn’t “marry” with his hands. Feet stop when he’s run-blocking. He has 54 career starts and these problems are going to be difficult to reverse. Baldinger has no idea why ANYONE would spend a first round pick on Costanzo. Meanwhile, while Baldy’s talking, NFL-N plays Senior Bowl and Combine footage of Costanzo that shows none of the flaws he’s been banging on for two weeks. Charles Davis agreed Costanzo’s trouble with speed is a problem, but likes his punch, likes his effort to get to the 2nd level, and thinks he’ll be easy to coach up.
* Back seven. Aaron Williams and Marcus Gilchrist were CBs in college but can fit in well at safety now in the NFL, Mayock says. Safeties these days have to have corner cover skills, tackle well and be able to drop into the slot. Actually, that sounds a ton like qualities the Rams really need to add to their secondary now with O.J. Atogwe gone. Let's see how they play their second-round pick if a promising safety, or a CB who'll convert fairly easily, is still around.
Another possible safety for the Rams to look at: Rahim Moore, UCLA. Nothing like last year’s top 3 safeties, but still a good football player. He played “centerfield”, dropped into the box against the run, blitzed off the edge and tackled well in the open field. Good range, good ball skills, ran 4.62 at the Combine and had excellent times in the short shuttle.
Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara are considered the only real shutdown corners in this year's draft. Both will very likely be off the board by pick #14, even though Amukamara had only 5 career INTs in college.
Jimmy Smith of Colorado would be worth pick #14 based on his physical ability, but he's been inconsistent on the field and would also put the “Four Pillars” to an interesting test. He hasn't been in any trouble off the field, but there are reportedly plenty of red flags among his family and acquaintances. Does Steve Spagnuolo have a policy regarding “support pillars?”
Ahmad Black of Florida FAILED to get his 40 time under 4.7 at pro day, and Florida has a notoriously FAST track. However the guy looks on tape, whatever he did in the BCS “championship” game against Oklahoma, I'll raise an eyebrow if he goes in the first four rounds. Or to the Rams at all.
Kevin Rutland helped his draft chances a lot at Mizzou’s pro day by clocking a 4.44.
Von Miller’s inclusion on the list of players filing an antitrust suit against the NFL isn’t expected to hurt his draft status, though I certainly wouldn’t mind a dent of 9 picks or so. He’s expected to play a lot like Clay Matthews has for the Packers, with similar impact. Seems like a kid with a good head on his shoulders, too, and dammit if the Big Dead aren’t going to strike gold in their draft again. If Bidwill still had them in St. Louis, George Boone would be drafting Ahmad Black at #5.
Justin Houston of Georgia has all the measurables and is one of about 100 guys Mayock has slated to be drafted in the first round. 6’3”, 270, 34.5” arms, 4.65 40 time. Explosive off the edge and a natural pass rusher. So why is he falling far down RamView’s list? Scouting reports that say he takes plays off, doesn’t hustle every snap and isn’t a great run tackler. The Rams don’t need to reach at 14 for Vernon Gholston (see below), and I don’t really want a player with a slacker reputation in the 2nd round, either.
* Around the league. NFL Network appears to be analyzing team draft needs on a random basis, leaving yours truly to once again fill in gaps due to their laziness:
- The Patriots have two picks in the first round: #28 (theirs) and #17 (Oakland's), and could do a whole lot of different things with them. Tom Curran of Comcast Sportsnet New England believes they could package picks (they also have #33, first pick in the second round) to trade up and get an impact player. He called Ryan Kerrigan a Willie McGinest-type and the best DE in the draft at harassing the QB. They could target Kerrigan or Cameron Jordan at 17, then add offensive line depth at 28. Their biggest problem this draft is that they may HAVE to trade away some picks because they won't have room for so much young talent on their roster.
- Atlanta's on the clock at 27, and radio play-by-play man Wes Durham indicates the Falcons looked a lot at Sam Acho at the Combine. SAM ACHO? Thomas Dimitroff drafts for need, and they need to add explosiveness. Either an explosive WR to run with Roddy White, or an explosive edge pass rusher. Like Acho? Durham also mentioned Titus Young and Torrey Smith, and I'm starting to think Smith is going to get significantly overdrafted a couple of weeks from now.
- Baltimore at 26, and Seattle at 25, are all mine because NFL Network is lazy. The Ravens have a lot of options. Their veteran WRs came up craps in the playoffs, and the defense isn't quite what it used to be. Teams are less and less afraid to run on them, and they could use at least depth in the secondary. I'd say DBs like Brandon Harris, Jimmy Smith or Aaron Williams are in the mix here. Ray Rice is about all the offensive speed they have; I think a WR like Titus Young would open up their offense, and he's got the swagger to fit in well there.
- Seattle's pretty simple at 25. If Jake Locker's available, he's a Seahawk, or Pete Carroll will have to enter the witness protection program, which I doubt will work very well for him. Otherwise, the top of their many needs is offensive line, outside and in, and they’ll take the best grunt left.
- At 24, in between Stacey Dales hitting on him, New Orleans Times-Picayune beat writer Mike Triplett said the Saints will go first and foremost after a DE, with Cameron Jordan, Cameron Heyward, Ryan Kerrigan and Adrian Clayborn on their radar, with Mark Ingram a very remote possibility. The Saints tend to draft best player available. About half the Saints seem to be free agents this season, so they're one team that could use a labor resolution in a hurry.
- The Eagles pick 23rd, though they've had a habit recently of trading up to get the player they really want, which I'd be happy to have happen again this year at #14. Inquirer columnist Ashley Fox says since Andy Reid believes in building through the draft from the inside out, o-line is the place to look, and Gabe Carimi would work well there at RT. She also mentioned Miami CB Demarcus Van Dyke, which I can only guess was a projection for a possible 2nd round pick. He's not even the top Miami CB in the draft. Kevin Kolb wants to be traded, but the labor impasse has him and the Eagles really screwed right now.
- And now for ColtView, since Path to the Draft apparently doesn't know the NFL has 32 teams. I'll just say that if Gabe Carimi hasn't been picked by #22, I doubt the Colts would let him by. Their offensive line isn't up to its past standards, and Bill Polian tends to draft Big Ten or Eleven or Twelve guys.
- Ending the week, the NFL Network crew took it upon themselves to analyze what the Chiefs would do at #21, and wait a minute. If lack of local insiders to interview didn't keep you from analyzing the Chiefs, what the hell's with the FOUR teams you've skipped already? Torrey Smith's name pops up again as a field-stretching complement to Dwayne Bowe. Brian Baldinger believes they could use another OLB such as Akeem Ayers, or even Mike Pouncey at center, where Casey Wiegmann's got some mileage.
* Various nonsense. NFL Net analyst Steve Wyche, racking his brain really hard coming up with an NFL player to compare to Ryan Kerrigan, came up with… Patrick Kerney! At least he came up with a Caucasian DE I forgot to mention last week. Kerrigan doesn’t compare at all to fellow Purdue alums Shaun Phillips, Cliff Avril or Anthony Spencer, huh, not a bit. Ryan Kerrigan can only be compared to other white guys. Just checking. Or Brooks Reed, who Michael Lombardi compared to... Clay Matthews!
The Jets cut the 2008 #6 pick overall, DE Vernon Gholston. Gholston managed five starts and ZERO sacks in his pro career. One thing you can see happening in recent drafts is guys getting dinged pretty heavy for taking plays off and not always having the motor running, one of the main criticisms I see about Gholston from his Ohio State days. Otherwise, I don’t know how to avoid a bust pick like Gholston; everybody had him as a top 5 or 10 pick.
West Virginia RB Noel Devine didn’t run at the Combine but put up a 4.43 at his pro day. Still, Stacey Dales reported the 5’7” RB is considered just a draftable player, and she should know, since she’s about a foot taller. Devine’s ankles also need to pass inspection before you go too far with him.
Florida State QB Christian Ponder was already having a great offseason. His Senior Bowl and Combine were excellent. Injuries affected his senior season but he's got a clean bill of health now. And at the Seminoles' pro day, he got to throw passes to ISAAC BRUCE, who was helping out because the lockout keeps current pros from helping out at pro day workouts. Heck of a good spring for Ponder, who’s in the mix for third QB off the board.
We all know NFL GMs do a lot of lying this time of year, but come on, Mike Humgrum, at least tell remotely believable ones. Humgrum claims the Browns have interest in Cam Newton. No way. Faults and all, Newton is still too far exciting a football player for Pat Shurmur to have any idea what to do with him.
-$-
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