Jeff Wilkins announced his retirement earlier today. Jeff showed some signs of decline in 2007 but even that slightly-off season does not detract from his standing as the best kicker to play for a St. Louis team. He ends his career tied for the NFL record for most consecutive PATs, and is the Rams' all-time scoring leader. (At least the franchise's scoring leader got to retire as a Ram, an opportunity not offered to the franchise's receiving leader.) Wilkins quickly became one of my favorite Rams because he made the kicker position one St. Louis fans could trust again after 30-some-odd years of ridiculous kicking failures and hijinks.
My favorite Wilkins play wasn't a FG, though, or a PAT, it was his recovery of his own onside kick in the 2003 divisional playoff against Carolina. And how many touchdowns did he save for the Rams' pathetic special teams by making a clutch tackle? He's probably been the special teams' best tackler the last five years! Jeff was always a classic case of a "real" football player in a kicker's body.
But you thought special teams were bad before now. 3-13 is going to look good the way this team is going into the shithole right now, opening the offseason by losing their kicker and idiotically dumping their #2 WR.
We were hoping the Rams' offseason player moves would get off on the right foot - not quite, unless that means stepping on a landmine, blowing off your right foot and then falling backwards on top of a bamboo spike.
The Rams are rumored to be going after Seattle PK Josh Brown to replace Wilkins. Brown's a talented kicker. The Rams can certainly testify that he's a clutch kicker. His acquisition would weaken a division rival, and he probably wouldn't cost that much more than Wilkins.
Then again, they could save a million and let Justin Medlock compete with the kid from the U of Cincinnati from last year's training camp, add that to the million they should save on Gus Frerotte's replacement, then take that two million AND PAY ISAAC BRUCE LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE IN THE FIRST PLACE. Of course, they won't, because they're god damned idiots.
In any event, best of luck to Jeff Wilkins in his post-football pursuits, and thanks for your steadiness, reliability, professionalism and toughness.
And even better luck to his successor. He'll need it.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Rams cut best receiver in franchise history
The Rams and Isaac Bruce did not agree to a restructuring of his contract, and Isaac has been released, news scooped by Bernie Miklasz on 1380 in the last hour or so. They're talking as though there is little chance Isaac will return to the team this time around.
Yeah, as a season ticket holder, this was the move I really wanted the Rams to make. Dump the most popular player since the team moved here to make room for mother fucking worthless Drew Bennett.
There's the move that'll fire up the fanbase for next season.
It is hard right now not to hope this worthless franchise has an even worse season than last year. You're not going to improve on Isaac Bruce in free agency (only Randy Moss and Bernard Berrian had more receptions among available FA WRs, and the Rams can't realistically afford either, even after cutting Isaac), and you're not going to improve on him in the draft. I'm not against drafting a WR, but the rookie should take time from worthless Bennett, with Isaac moving to the slot.
The Rams could have kept Isaac and the fans happy, worked out a 2-year deal and let him retire as a Ram. Instead, they treat Isaac, and us, like dirt.
Nice work, assholes. I'm REALLY looking forward to the rest of this offseason now.
Yeah, as a season ticket holder, this was the move I really wanted the Rams to make. Dump the most popular player since the team moved here to make room for mother fucking worthless Drew Bennett.
There's the move that'll fire up the fanbase for next season.
It is hard right now not to hope this worthless franchise has an even worse season than last year. You're not going to improve on Isaac Bruce in free agency (only Randy Moss and Bernard Berrian had more receptions among available FA WRs, and the Rams can't realistically afford either, even after cutting Isaac), and you're not going to improve on him in the draft. I'm not against drafting a WR, but the rookie should take time from worthless Bennett, with Isaac moving to the slot.
The Rams could have kept Isaac and the fans happy, worked out a 2-year deal and let him retire as a Ram. Instead, they treat Isaac, and us, like dirt.
Nice work, assholes. I'm REALLY looking forward to the rest of this offseason now.
Little will return, Frerotte won't
Leonard Little will be a Ram next season. He agreed to restructure his contract, splitting the bonus he was due over the next two years and saving the Rams $3.5 million against the cap. This is a very good move for everyone concerned. I think Little's still got something left in the tank and he deserves a chance to prove he's back from last season's toe injury. He's also one of only two legitimate pass rushers the Rams have right now (Will Witherspoon being the other).
Gus Frerotte has apparently been told he's going to be cut. This is also a good move for the Rams (not so much so for Gus), provided they're not insane enough to think Brock Berlin has the skill to step up into the #2 role. Brock's barely an acceptable #4.
OJ Atogwe was tendered at the first-round level. He'll be due another $1.5 million unless another team goes crazy and offers him a contract the Rams would never want to match.
After all these moves, the Rams are now about $10 million under the cap, so they've got a little money to spend as free agency opens tonight.
No word yet on any negotiations with Isaac Bruce.
Elsewhere in the league, Kevin Carter was cut by the Buccaneers, but the expectation is he'll sign a new, cheaper contract to play in Tampa again next year.
Gus Frerotte has apparently been told he's going to be cut. This is also a good move for the Rams (not so much so for Gus), provided they're not insane enough to think Brock Berlin has the skill to step up into the #2 role. Brock's barely an acceptable #4.
OJ Atogwe was tendered at the first-round level. He'll be due another $1.5 million unless another team goes crazy and offers him a contract the Rams would never want to match.
After all these moves, the Rams are now about $10 million under the cap, so they've got a little money to spend as free agency opens tonight.
No word yet on any negotiations with Isaac Bruce.
Elsewhere in the league, Kevin Carter was cut by the Buccaneers, but the expectation is he'll sign a new, cheaper contract to play in Tampa again next year.
Mock draft crunching (2/28)
Rams projections from some of the mock drafts that have come out since the combine:
NFLDraftcountdown
2 - Jake Long
33 - Calais Campbell
Draftdaddy
2 - Vernon Gholston
Walterfootball
2 - Vernon Gholston
33 - Gosder Cherilus
65 - Andre Caldwell
97 - Eric Young (G, Tennessee)
Drafttek (Yes, they mock ALL SEVEN rounds)
2 - Jake Long
34 - Early Doucet
66 - Curtis Lofton
98 - Chevis Jackson
130 - Titus Brown (DE, Mississippi State)
162 - Erik Ainge
171 - Thomas Brown (RB, Georgia)
207 - James McClinton (DT, Kansas)
* Miami takes Chris Long in all four mocks.
* I'm not sure about taking Gholston over Jake Long. The advantage the Rams would have in taking Gholston first is that the second round selection at offensive line shapes up to be far better than the selection at defensive line. In the first two mocks, the Rams would still have their pick between Sam Baker, Anthony Collins and Carl Nicks in the 2nd round after taking Gholston first. In fact, NFLDraftcountdown's scenario potentially works out to: Gholston first, James Hardy second, Collins 3rd. I would be jumping up and down if that happened.
* I'd be jumping even higher in Walterfootball's scenario, because I am a big proponent of drafting Cherilus, and Caldwell is a virtual steal at 65. I'd tweak it to pick Steve Justice of Wake Forest or a safety at #97, but I still love it. I would like to come away from the draft with a starting center.
* Drafttek's the only one numbering the picks correctly, by the way. The Giants' first-round pick is #32. The Patriots forfeited #31. The Rams' 2nd round pick is #34, not #33. Drafttek varies by more in later rounds because the Ravens and Chargers used supplemental draft picks last year.
* My draft in the Drafttek scenario:
2 - Jake Long
34 - Quentin Groves
66 - Steve Slaton
98 - John Sullivan
130 - Will Franklin
162 - Erik Ainge
171 - Jeremy Zuttah
207 - Pig Brown
*** 2/34 could just as easily be Gholston and Cherilus.
*** At 66, I don't understand why Drafttek takes Lofton, although he could very well be the best player left on the board. I chose between Slaton and Eddie Royal and went with Slaton's "upside". Many of the other possible picks at 66 just looked like bad values. Maybe that's ultimately the best place to pick a safety, or even another o-lineman.
*** My mock's strong on offensive line but could do better at WR and safety, I admit. But I really want to come away with a center. Sacrificing the center, I could have gone with Marcus Griffin in the 3rd and Jordy Nelson in the 4th.
I'll try to stay abreast of these mocks as they adjust and adjust my projected Rams picks as appropriate. Just from today's analysis alone I'm getting a stronger feeling that drafting Gholston is the way for the Rams to go.
NFLDraftcountdown
2 - Jake Long
33 - Calais Campbell
Draftdaddy
2 - Vernon Gholston
Walterfootball
2 - Vernon Gholston
33 - Gosder Cherilus
65 - Andre Caldwell
97 - Eric Young (G, Tennessee)
Drafttek (Yes, they mock ALL SEVEN rounds)
2 - Jake Long
34 - Early Doucet
66 - Curtis Lofton
98 - Chevis Jackson
130 - Titus Brown (DE, Mississippi State)
162 - Erik Ainge
171 - Thomas Brown (RB, Georgia)
207 - James McClinton (DT, Kansas)
* Miami takes Chris Long in all four mocks.
* I'm not sure about taking Gholston over Jake Long. The advantage the Rams would have in taking Gholston first is that the second round selection at offensive line shapes up to be far better than the selection at defensive line. In the first two mocks, the Rams would still have their pick between Sam Baker, Anthony Collins and Carl Nicks in the 2nd round after taking Gholston first. In fact, NFLDraftcountdown's scenario potentially works out to: Gholston first, James Hardy second, Collins 3rd. I would be jumping up and down if that happened.
* I'd be jumping even higher in Walterfootball's scenario, because I am a big proponent of drafting Cherilus, and Caldwell is a virtual steal at 65. I'd tweak it to pick Steve Justice of Wake Forest or a safety at #97, but I still love it. I would like to come away from the draft with a starting center.
* Drafttek's the only one numbering the picks correctly, by the way. The Giants' first-round pick is #32. The Patriots forfeited #31. The Rams' 2nd round pick is #34, not #33. Drafttek varies by more in later rounds because the Ravens and Chargers used supplemental draft picks last year.
* My draft in the Drafttek scenario:
2 - Jake Long
34 - Quentin Groves
66 - Steve Slaton
98 - John Sullivan
130 - Will Franklin
162 - Erik Ainge
171 - Jeremy Zuttah
207 - Pig Brown
*** 2/34 could just as easily be Gholston and Cherilus.
*** At 66, I don't understand why Drafttek takes Lofton, although he could very well be the best player left on the board. I chose between Slaton and Eddie Royal and went with Slaton's "upside". Many of the other possible picks at 66 just looked like bad values. Maybe that's ultimately the best place to pick a safety, or even another o-lineman.
*** My mock's strong on offensive line but could do better at WR and safety, I admit. But I really want to come away with a center. Sacrificing the center, I could have gone with Marcus Griffin in the 3rd and Jordy Nelson in the 4th.
I'll try to stay abreast of these mocks as they adjust and adjust my projected Rams picks as appropriate. Just from today's analysis alone I'm getting a stronger feeling that drafting Gholston is the way for the Rams to go.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Combine re-observances: offense
I haven't gotten to review the defensive player workouts at the combine but have a few things to add to my observation from this weekend's offensive workouts...
* Jordy Nelson. I miscast him in my mind as a small receiver, since it turns out he's 6'2". That puts his 4.5 40s in a different light. They're pretty nice times. I was championing going after DJ Hackett in free agency; Nelson, physically, anyway, is very similar.
* Rashard Mendenhall. He's 10-15 lbs. heavier than Darren McFadden and still turned in a 40 time in the 4.3's. May be the overlooked performance of the combine, by me for sure, anyway. Mendenhall made himself worthy of high first-round talk from everybody, not just Mike Mayock.
* Chris Johnson. His 40 time was adjusted down to 4.24, which I believe is the combine's fastest time.
* NFL Network. Once you got past the original three hours scheduled for Sunday's workouts, things got much better. There was a lot of coverage of the individual RB drills, making up somewhat for their other failures.
* Kevin Smith. Didn't stand out to me in those drills as being really naturally fluid in changing direction. Not that it matters. He's going to be a devastating one-cut runner.
Hoping to do a quick review of the rest of free agency before the weekend, which will probably be my first chance to review the defensive workouts.
* Jordy Nelson. I miscast him in my mind as a small receiver, since it turns out he's 6'2". That puts his 4.5 40s in a different light. They're pretty nice times. I was championing going after DJ Hackett in free agency; Nelson, physically, anyway, is very similar.
* Rashard Mendenhall. He's 10-15 lbs. heavier than Darren McFadden and still turned in a 40 time in the 4.3's. May be the overlooked performance of the combine, by me for sure, anyway. Mendenhall made himself worthy of high first-round talk from everybody, not just Mike Mayock.
* Chris Johnson. His 40 time was adjusted down to 4.24, which I believe is the combine's fastest time.
* NFL Network. Once you got past the original three hours scheduled for Sunday's workouts, things got much better. There was a lot of coverage of the individual RB drills, making up somewhat for their other failures.
* Kevin Smith. Didn't stand out to me in those drills as being really naturally fluid in changing direction. Not that it matters. He's going to be a devastating one-cut runner.
Hoping to do a quick review of the rest of free agency before the weekend, which will probably be my first chance to review the defensive workouts.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Rude awakenings
With free agency set to kick off in less than a week now, excitement has been building in Rams Nation over what new players the team will pick up to address its problem areas. The team itself seemed to intimate it would be an active player in the free agent market. I've been doing UFA breakdowns by position and trying to guess who the Rams will target and who they might be able to pick up.
I've been way too optimistic, based on news that came to light last week. I'm hard-pressed to say where it went, but the Rams have run practically out of cap room. They are less than $7 million under the cap, far worse shape than any of Rams Nation or the local press ever anticipated. And most of that money will be needed to tender OJ Atogwe and to sign the 2008 rookie class.
As a result, we could be headed toward one of the franchise's uneasiest weeks since coming to St. Louis. To get any cap room to sign free agents, the team will want to restructure the contracts of Isaac Bruce and Leonard Little. Both are due significant bonus payments very soon, which the team never intends to pay. Either, or both, are very likely to be cut if a way around each man's bonuses isn't found.
The Rams have to do everything possible to keep Bruce, though, to avoid disaster on every level. On the field, Isaac is still clearly the second-best receiver on the team. The Rams CANNOT cut Isaac Bruce under the guise that they had to in favor of keeping Drew Bennett, who isn't now, and will never be, even 1/10 the receiver Isaac is. And a team that's going to have a ton of trouble selling tickets next year can't afford the apocalyptic P.R. disaster they'd invite by failing to keep Isaac. In St. Louis, he's the original face of the Ram franchise and is arguably the city's most-loved player. Cutting the man isn't the way to treat a lifelong Ram, an original L.A. Ram, and the greatest WR to wear a Ram uniform. Compounding the disaster, Isaac seems likely to join the Rams' worst rival, San Francisco, to reunite with Mike Martz, if he isn't permitted to play out his career as a Ram. The Rams absolutely cannot open the door for that to happen. It would be the equivalent of sending Stan Musial to the Chicago Cubs. It must be avoided. Isaac is a team player, and may very well "play ball" in negotiations as he did last year when the Rams unceremoniously cut him. But the Rams can't take more than a minuscule chance of losing him. I say, just honor the contract.
Leonard Little is in a different boat. Like Isaac, he's a lifelong Ram and one of the greats to play his position for this team. But he's also due a ridiculous bonus, had a terrible 2007 (one sack), and is still recovering from a toe injury that only compounds the idea that his best years are behind him at age 35. It would be great to have a healthy Little back. After all, no one on the team besides Will Witherspoon is remotely a proven pass rusher. But at his age and physical condition, he warrants a much smaller salary now than he's been getting. If the Rams do cut Little, and he goes to Buffalo or Carolina or even Seattle, where they love to collect ex-Ram DEs, it'll be nothing like it would be to cut Bruce. Unlike Bruce, the Rams wouldn't be cutting Little in order to keep a far inferior player, and in the minds of many St. Louisans, Little is always going to be the drunk driver who took a woman's life, making his potential release a P.R. wash at the worst.
The two men are in similar contract situations, but the Rams front office has to be smart enough to realize they have to be handled differently. They have the upper ground on Little and can't be afraid of flexing their muscles. Restructuring Little alone frees up a lot of cap space. With Bruce, though, they'd better make sure to tread lightly and not antagonize him or his legion of fans, or the only attendance streak we'll be talking about for a long time around here is the NON-sellout streak.
The Rams can comfortably cut/restructure Little, and cut Gus Frerotte (disappointingly bad), Corey Chavous (poor player) and LeRoi Glover (could be about to be replaced by Glenn Dorsey) before they even think about doing something drastic to #80.
I've been way too optimistic, based on news that came to light last week. I'm hard-pressed to say where it went, but the Rams have run practically out of cap room. They are less than $7 million under the cap, far worse shape than any of Rams Nation or the local press ever anticipated. And most of that money will be needed to tender OJ Atogwe and to sign the 2008 rookie class.
As a result, we could be headed toward one of the franchise's uneasiest weeks since coming to St. Louis. To get any cap room to sign free agents, the team will want to restructure the contracts of Isaac Bruce and Leonard Little. Both are due significant bonus payments very soon, which the team never intends to pay. Either, or both, are very likely to be cut if a way around each man's bonuses isn't found.
The Rams have to do everything possible to keep Bruce, though, to avoid disaster on every level. On the field, Isaac is still clearly the second-best receiver on the team. The Rams CANNOT cut Isaac Bruce under the guise that they had to in favor of keeping Drew Bennett, who isn't now, and will never be, even 1/10 the receiver Isaac is. And a team that's going to have a ton of trouble selling tickets next year can't afford the apocalyptic P.R. disaster they'd invite by failing to keep Isaac. In St. Louis, he's the original face of the Ram franchise and is arguably the city's most-loved player. Cutting the man isn't the way to treat a lifelong Ram, an original L.A. Ram, and the greatest WR to wear a Ram uniform. Compounding the disaster, Isaac seems likely to join the Rams' worst rival, San Francisco, to reunite with Mike Martz, if he isn't permitted to play out his career as a Ram. The Rams absolutely cannot open the door for that to happen. It would be the equivalent of sending Stan Musial to the Chicago Cubs. It must be avoided. Isaac is a team player, and may very well "play ball" in negotiations as he did last year when the Rams unceremoniously cut him. But the Rams can't take more than a minuscule chance of losing him. I say, just honor the contract.
Leonard Little is in a different boat. Like Isaac, he's a lifelong Ram and one of the greats to play his position for this team. But he's also due a ridiculous bonus, had a terrible 2007 (one sack), and is still recovering from a toe injury that only compounds the idea that his best years are behind him at age 35. It would be great to have a healthy Little back. After all, no one on the team besides Will Witherspoon is remotely a proven pass rusher. But at his age and physical condition, he warrants a much smaller salary now than he's been getting. If the Rams do cut Little, and he goes to Buffalo or Carolina or even Seattle, where they love to collect ex-Ram DEs, it'll be nothing like it would be to cut Bruce. Unlike Bruce, the Rams wouldn't be cutting Little in order to keep a far inferior player, and in the minds of many St. Louisans, Little is always going to be the drunk driver who took a woman's life, making his potential release a P.R. wash at the worst.
The two men are in similar contract situations, but the Rams front office has to be smart enough to realize they have to be handled differently. They have the upper ground on Little and can't be afraid of flexing their muscles. Restructuring Little alone frees up a lot of cap space. With Bruce, though, they'd better make sure to tread lightly and not antagonize him or his legion of fans, or the only attendance streak we'll be talking about for a long time around here is the NON-sellout streak.
The Rams can comfortably cut/restructure Little, and cut Gus Frerotte (disappointingly bad), Corey Chavous (poor player) and LeRoi Glover (could be about to be replaced by Glenn Dorsey) before they even think about doing something drastic to #80.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
2008 NFL Combine: QB / RB / WR
NFL Combine day 2: QBs, RBs, WRs
Let's hope the Rams' coaching staff has their stopwatch fingers limbered up. They may have to hit twice at the WR position in the upcoming draft.
Great news for him, bad news for the Rams: James Hardy (Indiana) should be a first-round pick after his performance today. He ran a 4.47 and caught the ball very well. Can't see how a receiver of his 6'6" size and sparkling speed will last till pick #33. Pounce if he does, Rams.
Same for Limas Sweed (Texas), who came in at 4.46. He didn't catch, though, still recovering from a wrist injury from earlier this season. That's better than Malcolm Kelly (Oklahoma), who didn't run or catch. Not sure why Kelly skipped out, but it can't help him.
Some of the good performers of Senior Bowl week did not hurt their cause at all. Dexter Jackson of Appalachian State led the WRs with a 4.27. He ran the 40 faster than I typed that sentence. He must have cemented a spot in the first two rounds. Donnie Avery of Houston got in at 4.4, but I doubt he is going to escape his reputation as just a guy with straight-ahead speed.
Andre (Bubba) Caldwell helped himself a ton with a 4.31 40. Add that to solid Senior Bowl week performances, and that he's the leading receiver in Florida Gator history, and you've got a guy who ought to be picked at least by the time the Rams' third pick comes along.
Others from the Senior Bowl may not have helped themselves. Looked like Jordy Nelson (K-State) caught well, but he couldn't break 4.5. That's not a great time for a small receiver / kick returner type. Lavell Hawkins was very solid Senior Bowl week but only turned in a 4.56. Adarius Bowman (Oklahoma State) barely cracked 4.7 and didn't relieve the hands-of-stone concern that crushed his prospects Senior Bowl week.
The WR hurt most this weekend has to be Mario Manningham of Michigan, who ought to just rename their team the Slow-verines. At 6'0", he's not particularly tall, and barely cracking 4.6, he's not particularly fast for an NFL WR. He was probably regarded the #1 WR before this weekend, but has to do a lot of work to recover that ranking, which I'd give to Hardy now.
Will Franklin of Mizzou was stunningly fast, 4.32, and at his height, he's earned the opportunity for a lot closer inspection than he's been getting.
Eddie Royal of Virginia Tech sounded like such a favorite of the NFL Network crew that I thought some skepticism was in order, but he won me over with his pass-catching and solid 40 times in the 4.4's.
LSU's Early Doucet got good reviews from the NFL-N crew, but I don't remember seeing him on TV. That puts the Rams in a bad spot because he's certainly under consideration for the 2nd-round pick.
No, I'm not forgetting DeSean Jackson of Cal, who smoked a 4.31. At 5'9", 169 pounds, though, a team clearly is only going to draft him if they're in search of a Devin Hester-type special teams weapon. Jackson didn't produce anything like an elite receiver in 2007 except for a couple of games. His combine time and production in 2006 probably have him ranked as a 2nd-round prospect. But the Rams cannot afford to use a 2nd or 3rd-round pick on a player who very well could turn out to be Shaun McDonald. Except smaller. Shame on the California football program, btw, for listing Jackson at 6 feet tall. No pro team should ever trust numbers the Cal staff provides on their players when they make exaggerations that ridiculous.
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QB
Andre Woodson (hamstring) didn't work out. His stock is dropping like Citibank's.
Matt Ryan ran, but didn't throw, apparently aiming to piss off Rams fans trying to figure out if Miami should take him at #1 or not, which I guess pisses off Dolphins fans, too. Thanks for nothing, Matt.
Joe Flacco ran and threw well, though the NFL-N crew refused to criticize that he overthrew short sideline routes badly. Love his deep ball and mobility, though; he's probably drawing more than a comparison or two to Ben Roethlisberger right now.
I'm not sure which numbers about Josh Johnson (San Diego) were more eye-popping: the 4.44 in the 40, or that he threw 43 TDs vs. ONE interception in college. He threw very accurately, though his receivers consistently had to slow up for his deep ball. In any event, he's made a big move upward with his combine performance.
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Man, was there some great speed at RB. Unfortunately, about all we got to see these guys do was run the 40. Darren McFadden made his case for a top 5 pick with a 4.33, originally clocked at 4.27. He rocked the combine like Adrian Peterson did last year, but will that be enough to paper over questions about his character?
Chris Johnson of East Carolina was expected to be the fastest RB there, and made good on that with a 4.29.
Some very productive college RBs put up serious 40 times. Ray Rice of Rutgers turned in a 4.44. So did Steve Slaton of West Virginia, though I'm not sure why anyone is talking about converting him to WR. Jonathan Stewart of Oregon also turned in a 4.44, while Kevin Smith of UCF put some credibility behind the record-setting numbers he ran up against soft competition with a 4.43. Felix Jones, McFadden's backup at Arkansas, also turned in a 4.44. This has got to be one of the best running back classes in years.
Anthony Alridge of Houston averaged 10 yards a rush in '07 and ran a 4.36.
I like Mike Hart of Michigan a lot, but the Slowverine RB is going to have to be drafted for reasons other than his speed. He came in at 4.67. Here's something in Hart and Manningham's favor, though: didn't Florida crush Ohio State in the '07 national championship game because of their superior speed? Who beat Florida in a bowl game this year, on their turf in Orlando? Michigan. Sometimes you need to believe what you see on the field.
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NFL Network: Coverage was once again more notable for what it left out than anything else. They focused too much on talking about players who weren't working out instead of showing the ones who were. We didn't get to see the first group of receivers run the 40, a GROSS omission. They barely showed the QBs throwing. We have to take Mike Mayock's word when he said Colt Brennan threw well - we barely got to see him! And when the RBs FINALLY started running 40s, they immediately cut to commercials and SKIPPED the first three! W? T? F?!? I'd be more grateful that NFL-N broadcasts the combine in the first place if they actually showed what was happening. How about it, guys?
Was Adam Schefter actually scolding one of the safety prospects for clowning around based on one brief shot in one of the waiting rooms? WHO WAS CLOWNING AROUND ON THE FIELD YESTERDAY, CATCHING PASSES FROM STEVE MARIUCCI, YOU SELF-IMPORTANT DINK?
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Unfortunately, NFL Network's crappy coverage was the big story of the day, making all three positions really tough to evaluate from the Couch. Hardy looked like the star of the day at WR to me, Sweed to a lesser extent. I doubt the Rams will get a shot at drafting either, though. DeSean Jackson had a great day just by putting up that super 40 time. Mid-range prospects like Dexter Jackson, Caldwell and Royal boosted their stock, and Will Franklin pretty much broke down the door with his 4.32.
McFadden probably had the biggest day of anybody. His Adrian Peterson-like workout was just what he needed to crowd his character questions aside. He'll go third or fourth overall if he can stay out of bar fights for a couple of months. Flacco had the best day at QB, and I wouldn't be surprised if he has worked his way into the first round.
There was so much talent in the stadium today, I need to know a lot more about the individual players to find out what separates one from another, and I feel we just didn't get that from NFL Network today. Hopefully they will do a much better job with tomorrow's workout, a crucial one for Rams Nation, as it involves defensive linemen (and LBs). Chris Long needs to match the performances Jake Long and McFadden have already put out there, and a lot of questions need to be answered about Glenn Dorsey, a task I hope NFL Network is up to whether or not he works out.
Since the defensive workouts come during the work week, I won't have reviews of them out right away, but I'll endeavor to have them out sometime this week.
Let's hope the Rams' coaching staff has their stopwatch fingers limbered up. They may have to hit twice at the WR position in the upcoming draft.
Great news for him, bad news for the Rams: James Hardy (Indiana) should be a first-round pick after his performance today. He ran a 4.47 and caught the ball very well. Can't see how a receiver of his 6'6" size and sparkling speed will last till pick #33. Pounce if he does, Rams.
Same for Limas Sweed (Texas), who came in at 4.46. He didn't catch, though, still recovering from a wrist injury from earlier this season. That's better than Malcolm Kelly (Oklahoma), who didn't run or catch. Not sure why Kelly skipped out, but it can't help him.
Some of the good performers of Senior Bowl week did not hurt their cause at all. Dexter Jackson of Appalachian State led the WRs with a 4.27. He ran the 40 faster than I typed that sentence. He must have cemented a spot in the first two rounds. Donnie Avery of Houston got in at 4.4, but I doubt he is going to escape his reputation as just a guy with straight-ahead speed.
Andre (Bubba) Caldwell helped himself a ton with a 4.31 40. Add that to solid Senior Bowl week performances, and that he's the leading receiver in Florida Gator history, and you've got a guy who ought to be picked at least by the time the Rams' third pick comes along.
Others from the Senior Bowl may not have helped themselves. Looked like Jordy Nelson (K-State) caught well, but he couldn't break 4.5. That's not a great time for a small receiver / kick returner type. Lavell Hawkins was very solid Senior Bowl week but only turned in a 4.56. Adarius Bowman (Oklahoma State) barely cracked 4.7 and didn't relieve the hands-of-stone concern that crushed his prospects Senior Bowl week.
The WR hurt most this weekend has to be Mario Manningham of Michigan, who ought to just rename their team the Slow-verines. At 6'0", he's not particularly tall, and barely cracking 4.6, he's not particularly fast for an NFL WR. He was probably regarded the #1 WR before this weekend, but has to do a lot of work to recover that ranking, which I'd give to Hardy now.
Will Franklin of Mizzou was stunningly fast, 4.32, and at his height, he's earned the opportunity for a lot closer inspection than he's been getting.
Eddie Royal of Virginia Tech sounded like such a favorite of the NFL Network crew that I thought some skepticism was in order, but he won me over with his pass-catching and solid 40 times in the 4.4's.
LSU's Early Doucet got good reviews from the NFL-N crew, but I don't remember seeing him on TV. That puts the Rams in a bad spot because he's certainly under consideration for the 2nd-round pick.
No, I'm not forgetting DeSean Jackson of Cal, who smoked a 4.31. At 5'9", 169 pounds, though, a team clearly is only going to draft him if they're in search of a Devin Hester-type special teams weapon. Jackson didn't produce anything like an elite receiver in 2007 except for a couple of games. His combine time and production in 2006 probably have him ranked as a 2nd-round prospect. But the Rams cannot afford to use a 2nd or 3rd-round pick on a player who very well could turn out to be Shaun McDonald. Except smaller. Shame on the California football program, btw, for listing Jackson at 6 feet tall. No pro team should ever trust numbers the Cal staff provides on their players when they make exaggerations that ridiculous.
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QB
Andre Woodson (hamstring) didn't work out. His stock is dropping like Citibank's.
Matt Ryan ran, but didn't throw, apparently aiming to piss off Rams fans trying to figure out if Miami should take him at #1 or not, which I guess pisses off Dolphins fans, too. Thanks for nothing, Matt.
Joe Flacco ran and threw well, though the NFL-N crew refused to criticize that he overthrew short sideline routes badly. Love his deep ball and mobility, though; he's probably drawing more than a comparison or two to Ben Roethlisberger right now.
I'm not sure which numbers about Josh Johnson (San Diego) were more eye-popping: the 4.44 in the 40, or that he threw 43 TDs vs. ONE interception in college. He threw very accurately, though his receivers consistently had to slow up for his deep ball. In any event, he's made a big move upward with his combine performance.
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Man, was there some great speed at RB. Unfortunately, about all we got to see these guys do was run the 40. Darren McFadden made his case for a top 5 pick with a 4.33, originally clocked at 4.27. He rocked the combine like Adrian Peterson did last year, but will that be enough to paper over questions about his character?
Chris Johnson of East Carolina was expected to be the fastest RB there, and made good on that with a 4.29.
Some very productive college RBs put up serious 40 times. Ray Rice of Rutgers turned in a 4.44. So did Steve Slaton of West Virginia, though I'm not sure why anyone is talking about converting him to WR. Jonathan Stewart of Oregon also turned in a 4.44, while Kevin Smith of UCF put some credibility behind the record-setting numbers he ran up against soft competition with a 4.43. Felix Jones, McFadden's backup at Arkansas, also turned in a 4.44. This has got to be one of the best running back classes in years.
Anthony Alridge of Houston averaged 10 yards a rush in '07 and ran a 4.36.
I like Mike Hart of Michigan a lot, but the Slowverine RB is going to have to be drafted for reasons other than his speed. He came in at 4.67. Here's something in Hart and Manningham's favor, though: didn't Florida crush Ohio State in the '07 national championship game because of their superior speed? Who beat Florida in a bowl game this year, on their turf in Orlando? Michigan. Sometimes you need to believe what you see on the field.
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NFL Network: Coverage was once again more notable for what it left out than anything else. They focused too much on talking about players who weren't working out instead of showing the ones who were. We didn't get to see the first group of receivers run the 40, a GROSS omission. They barely showed the QBs throwing. We have to take Mike Mayock's word when he said Colt Brennan threw well - we barely got to see him! And when the RBs FINALLY started running 40s, they immediately cut to commercials and SKIPPED the first three! W? T? F?!? I'd be more grateful that NFL-N broadcasts the combine in the first place if they actually showed what was happening. How about it, guys?
Was Adam Schefter actually scolding one of the safety prospects for clowning around based on one brief shot in one of the waiting rooms? WHO WAS CLOWNING AROUND ON THE FIELD YESTERDAY, CATCHING PASSES FROM STEVE MARIUCCI, YOU SELF-IMPORTANT DINK?
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Unfortunately, NFL Network's crappy coverage was the big story of the day, making all three positions really tough to evaluate from the Couch. Hardy looked like the star of the day at WR to me, Sweed to a lesser extent. I doubt the Rams will get a shot at drafting either, though. DeSean Jackson had a great day just by putting up that super 40 time. Mid-range prospects like Dexter Jackson, Caldwell and Royal boosted their stock, and Will Franklin pretty much broke down the door with his 4.32.
McFadden probably had the biggest day of anybody. His Adrian Peterson-like workout was just what he needed to crowd his character questions aside. He'll go third or fourth overall if he can stay out of bar fights for a couple of months. Flacco had the best day at QB, and I wouldn't be surprised if he has worked his way into the first round.
There was so much talent in the stadium today, I need to know a lot more about the individual players to find out what separates one from another, and I feel we just didn't get that from NFL Network today. Hopefully they will do a much better job with tomorrow's workout, a crucial one for Rams Nation, as it involves defensive linemen (and LBs). Chris Long needs to match the performances Jake Long and McFadden have already put out there, and a lot of questions need to be answered about Glenn Dorsey, a task I hope NFL Network is up to whether or not he works out.
Since the defensive workouts come during the work week, I won't have reviews of them out right away, but I'll endeavor to have them out sometime this week.
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