Archive for the ‘Feeling the Draft’ Category

Yeah, we went there again. That’s the last time, promise.

The Eagles already had a front four that can be quite petrifying between Jason Babin, Cullen Jenkins, and Trent Cole, and they finished tied for the league-lead in sacks with 50. Now there’s another massive body up front, and it came through the draft’s fifth trade that added to the frenzy of early transactions.

With their crosshairs firmly focused on Mississippi State’s Fletcher Cox, the Eagles move up three spots to No. 12 in a swap with Seattle. The trade also sends fourth- and seventh-round picks to the Seahawks.

Measuring in at 6’4″ and 294 pounds, Cox is ideal for the aggressive downfield pass rushing approach of Philly’s defense, and his combination of size and speed will fit seamlessly into the Wide 9.

I’m pretty sure I’m breathing. I feel the air moving in and out, and I haven’t fainted yet.

Over the first seven picks of the draft, seven teams were involved in a trade, and that’s excluding Washington’s deal to land Robert Griffin III. That’s why oxygen is at a premium as we blaze through the first round with no regard for human life, and the largest jump was made by one of the NFL’s largest men.

Figuratively, of course, because Jerry Jones is quite slender for an elderly man. Jumping eight spots from their former perch at No. 14, the Cowboys swapped with the Rams. With multiple needs, St. Louis was eager to move back and take Dallas’ second-round pick, and the key to their draft will now lie with Day 2. A franchise with a new head coach will now be on the clock three times in the first 13 picks tomorrow night.

The Cowboys made their leap to take Morris Claiborne, the best cornerback in this year’s draft. He’ll form a formidable tandem with Brandon Carr, who was signed as a free agent, and together they’ll immediately upgrade a secondary that was burned frequently, and gave up 57 passes of 20 yards or more in 2011.

With the rookie salary cap in place, making a sizable jump forward isn’t nearly as costly, so teams are far more eager to trade when the opportunity arises to address a need for a manageable cost.

My fingers hurt.

Blaine Gabbert needs to trust his arm, and trust his ability. But before he can do that, he needs someone to trust on the other end of his throws. It’s always about a circle of trust for QBs, and giving a young quarterback the opportunity to develop a relationship with an equally young receiver can lead to lasting chemistry.

That’s the hope, at least, and it’ll now be the foundation for Jacksonville’s turnaround under a new head coach and a new owner. The Jags committed to the strategy of forming a dynamic and youthful wide receiver-quarterback tandem when they made the leap, and pulled the trigger on the draft’s second trade in just the first five picks, securing the right to draft Justin Blackmon.

The Jaguars’ moved up two spots to No. 5 overall in a trade with Tampa Bay that cost them a fourth-round pick, while the Bucs move back to seventh. It’s a small price to pay to follow a model that worked nearly instantly for Cincinnati last year, as Andy Dalton paired with A.J. Green, and the two clicked immediately to led Cincy to a playoff appearance, and restored respect to the franchise.

An hour before the draft we had our first trade, and the Browns have moved up one spot in the first round to secure Trent Richardson. They now occupy the Vikings’ former perch at No. 3, with Minnesota moving down to No. 4, and picks in the fourth, fifth, and seventh rounds also going to the Vikes.

For the Browns the trade is a matter of security. The Vikings’ pick was a hot spot for activity, with the Bucs–who are currently on the clock at fifth overall–threatening to jump ahead and take Richardson to at first complement and then replace later LeGarrette Blount.

But the most intriguing aspect of this trade may be the impact on Matt Kalil, who was the assumed pick for Minnesota had they stayed at No. 3. And he may still be the Vikings’ property one spot later, but it’s been widely rumored that they’re enamored with LSU cornerback Morris Caliborne, and so they should be.

Teams beyond the Browns in the top 10 have greater needs elsewhere, so the dominoes could be in place for Kalil’s mini tumble. So yes, we’re saying there’s a chance, Bills fans.

UPDATE: Kalil still went to Minnesota. As you were…

It is finally here ladies and gentlemen, no lie. Months of speculation will culminate in the annual smorgasbord that is the NFL draft. There are things we know will happen – Luck and RG3 off the board quick, Jets fans booing their pick- and things we don’t know – will the Vikings trade their pick, who will the Browns take at four.

The most intriguing rumor circulating the NFL involves Trent Richardson and the New York Jets. GLS Editor Sean Tomlinson justifiably threw some cold water on the speculation. The Jets will have to pay an incredible bounty (too soon?) to move up high enough to get the Alabama Running Back.

The New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta on the price:

“It’s ridiculous,” the source said of the price tag to move up. In other words, unless Richardson unexpectedly slides, the Jets likely won’t get him. Tannenbaum and Co. believe as many as nine running backs who could make immediate contributions will be available in the first five rounds, so trading away multiple picks for Richardson probably won’t happen.

The price may be ridiculous, but too many things make sense.

The Jets have contacted Trent Richardson in order to get his contact information in case they chose him. Rex Ryan and Tony Sparano share the same agent as Richardson. Tim Tebow was brought in to run the wildcat offense championed by Sparano in Miami – Richardson compliments the scheme well. Shonn Greene is not a featured running back in the NFL.

Perhaps most importantly of all, the window for a Jets championship is closing awfully fast. Should Mike Tannenbaum and Ryan be wary of trading future picks they won’t be able to make? The teams that brought Ryan & Co. to consecutive AFC Championship games fielded excellent defenses and smash mouth running attacks. Why not go back to their roots?

The Giants have a firm grasp on New York. If last year’s HBO Hard Knocks series told us anything it’s that the Jets love attention. Trading up for the arguably the third best player in the draft fits the bill.

Would Jets fans boo that?

Hold on, here comes more smoke…

• Steve Wyche reports Morris Claiborne is number one on the Vikings draft board. [NFL.com]
• The Dolphins have spoken with at least three teams about moving back. [Miami Herald]
• Adam Schefter says the Jaguars trade up target is WR Justin Blackmon. [Rotoworld]
• According to John Clayton, the Lions are interested in trading up for Mark Barron. Other reports indicate they’re interesting in Stephon Gilmore. [MLive]
• The Chargers are also trying to move up to the 8-10 range in order to secure Barron. [Twitter]
• The Bills have a ‘legitimate’ shot to move up and select Matt Kalil. [Buffalo News]
• The Patriots are interested in moving up to 12. The team denies the report. They always do. [NFL.com]
• There is a ‘good chance’ the Cowboys will take Michael Brockers. [ESPN Dallas]
• The Vikings really, really want to trade the third pick. [PFT]
• Adam Schefter says Jacksonville, Buffalo, Philadelphia, San Diego, New England and Green Bay would all like to trade up for the right player. [Twitter]
• Conversely, Schefter says teams open to trading back for the right offer include Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Miami, Seattle, Dallas, NY Jets and Detroit. [Twitter]
• The Browns could try to acquire a third first round pick in order to select QB Brandon Weeden. [NFL.com]

The end result of any draft trade is a transaction between two teams where human bodies are exchanged, and ideally they’ll be used to play football. But when trades first happen during the draft, the process feels a little crude. Pick X is swapped for picks R, W, M, B, L, O, and D, and later on–often a year or sometimes two years later–real people emerge from that alphabet soup, and they have real feelings.

A few of those trades that at first involve nameless numbers will no doubt take place tonight, with the Jaguars still eager to move out of the No. 7 hole. Bill Belichick has two picks in the back half of the round, and he’s a chronic trader.

It may not happen tonight, but sometime over the next three days we could see an actual person traded, and the three players below are the leading candidates.

Osi Umenyiora

The Giants defensive end is both disgruntled, and expendable. The latter adjective is debatable, because although he limped through parts of last season with an ankle injury and missed seven games, he was still effective when healthy. Umenyiora averaged a sack per game during the regular season, getting to the opposing quarterback nine times.

But with the emergence of Jason Pierre-Paul (16.5 sacks in 2011) and a hopefully much healthier Justin Tuck, Umenyiora has moved from being a valued contributor, to a valued trade chip. Even without Umenyiora for nearly half the season, the Giants’ front seven still finished with 48 sacks, just two behind the league-leading Vikings.

The 30-year-old Umenyiora is set to make $3.975 million in 2012, and he’s never been shy about his desire for a re-worked contract. But given his age, his lack of durability, and the depth behind him, there’s little motivation for the Giants to make a commitment, and give Umenyiora the four-year deal worth roughly $40 million he’s seeking, which is on par with contracts recently signed by Robert Mathis and Trent Cole.

Earlier this week NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora tweeted that he thinks things “could get interesting” if a team offers a third-round pick, and the appeal of Umenyiora was drastically increased yesterday when he said that any team wishing to acquire his services wouldn’t have to negotiate a new long-term deal. He’d be happy to play out the final year of his contract before cashing in as a free agent, and he’d be even happier to move somewhere and be a starter again, something he can’t do in New York with Pierre-Paul now blocking his way.

Dwight Freeney

Another aging pass rusher, Freeney is set to earn a painful paycheck next year ($14 million) during the final season of a six-year deal, and that cash commitment could quickly become an anchor for a rebuilding team that’s making a transition on both sides of the ball.

The defensive transition to a 3-4 could decrease Freeney’s value in Indy further, providing new GM Ryan Grigson with another convenient excuse to move a 32-year-old asset before his play inevitably begins to fade, and his value decreases. Freeney has been able to stay healthy, missing just three games over the past four years, and he’s still productive, with 42.5 sacks over that stretch.

Earlier today Peter King noted that although the Asante Samuel deal that involved the exchanged of several peanuts for a top end corner has deflated the trade market, the Colts are still looking to move Freeney for a top pick. Ideally, that pick would contribute to the effort to build a defense that’s more suited for the 3-4, which is anchored by a nose tackle, and supported by speed at linebacker.

Jonathan Stewart

Marty Hurney can deny any intention to trade Stewart until he turns several shades of blue, but we’ll believe it when he’s still on the Panthers’ roster Sunday. Hurney inexplicably signed Mike Tolbert during free agency, which makes the contract he gave DeAngelo Williams last August even more ridiculous.

More importantly, Tolbert’s signing made Stewart expendable, even after Mike Goodson was traded. Stewart’s status as a trade block resident is also furthered by his expiring contract. He’s slated to become a free agent next March, a month when he’ll also turn 26. Sadly, that means he’s starting to age as a running back, and with Tolbert now aboard to play in the exact same short-yardage role where Stewart’s excelled, logic states that now is the time to cash in and make a move.

Unfortunately, there’s never been an abundance of logic in Carolina.

When Boise State Football is discussed, certain topics come to the forefront. The strangely wonderful blue turf at Bronco stadium.  The Broncos’ consistently prolific offense that’s paired with an excellent defense. And lastly, how often this team from the Mountain West Conference gets screwed by the BCS system.

Considering how well Chris Peterson’s offense has played over the last six years, it’s surprising how few Broncos have been selected high in the draft.  Titus Young and Ryan Clady are the names that stand out, and running back Doug Martin will join that group this weekend.

After taking over as the full-time starter in his junior year, Martin lit up the Mountain West Conference. Excellent performances at the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine have pushed Martin into first-round consideration.

Vitals

Height: 5’9

Weight: 223 Pounds

Class: Senior

Born: January 13, 1989

Combine Numbers

40-yard dash: 4.55

Vertical jump: 36 inch

Broad jump: 120 inch

3 Cone Drill: 6.79

20 yd Shuttle: 4.16

Bench Press: 28 reps at 225 Pounds

Arm length: 30 1/2 inches

Hands: 9 inches

College Stats

2011:  13 GP  1,299 Yards  16 TD  28 REC  255 Yards 2 TD

2010:  13 GP  1, 260 Yards  12 TD  26 REC  332 Yards 2 TD

2009: 13 GP  769 Yards  15 TD  8 REC  68 Yards

2008: 11 GP  107 Yards  3 REC 54 Yards

What the experts say

National Football Post

Martin isn’t a dynamic size/speed back, but there aren’t many negatives to his game as a back. He plays fast, runs low, is natural through the line of scrimmage and has a skill set somewhat similar to former Alabama RB Mark Ingram last year. He might fall a bit because he doesn’t run overly well, but he has the skill set to start in the league.

Walter Football

There is no doubt that Martin will, at worst, be a second-round pick, but he could crack the first round. He can do it all. He can rip off big runs with his speedy elusiveness and cutting ability. He is also strong to break tackles and pound the ball in short-yardage situations. Martin looks like a true three-down back in the NFL who can carry an offense. He has an outside shot of cracking the first round, but looks more likely to go in the second.

Doug Farrar

Talking with Martin at the 2012 scouting combine put me in mind of another underrated college running back who gave an early indicator of the passion with which he would excel in the NFL. I remember Rutgers’ Ray Rice telling the media with no lack of certainty that those passing him by because of the “too small-too slow” conclusion would live to regret it. Rice has since become the most well-rounded NFL back not named Adrian Peterson, and I think Doug Martin could eventually meet that same standard.

CBS Sports

During the last three months, NFL scouts admit they studied hard to better appreciate Boise State running back Doug Martin. For his part, Martin admits he has come a long ways in appreciating football in general and the NFL in particular. It was widely believed that Martin’s production at Boise State was due more to sheer will and hard work than it was any innate athletic ability that might help his move up pro football. But after a dazzling performance at the Scouting Combine, it was apparent Martin had the athletic ability to validate his production as a runner, receiver and returner at Boise State.

The Fifth Down

Martin reminds me of Ray Rice in the respect that he’s not abundantly fast once he reaches the second or third level, but his initial burst is top notch. He consistently defeats the angles of defenders as he enters and exits a hole because they misjudge his quickness, which is excellent for a back of his dimensions.

Russ Lande

Expect both the Green Bay Packers (No. 28 overall) and New York Giants (No. 32) to consider taking Martin in the first round. The Packers won a Super Bowl without an elite back, but they would like to get a strong and physical runner who can stay on the field for three downs. The Giants released Brandon Jacobs because he would not take a pay cut and could use a power back to pair with Ahmad Bradshaw.

Todd McShay

The more I talk to people in the NFL, the more I think he’s gonna come off the board in the first round.

Bucky Brooks

Martin’s stock is rising rapidly following impressive showings at the Senior Bowl and combine. Evaluators envision him blossoming into a productive feature back in a power-based offense, but Martin doesn’t display elite traits (speed, quickness and body control) as a runner on tape. While Martin’s size and production certainly merit consideration early in the draft, he is a good (but not great) player who lacks the traditional skills associated with elite runners

With the exception of Bucky Brooks, Martin has garnered nearly universal praise from draft pundits, and comparisons to Ray Rice will certainly help his draft stock. With the departure of Brandon Jacobs, Martin would be the perfect replacement to help keep the Giants’ offense in high gear.