Okay look ... I know that Gaines Adams is topping charts in a lot of mock drafts. I know he's been lauded as the pass rushing pinnacle of this year's draft. But when the NFL is only going to to invite just five prospects to this year's NFL Draft, shouldn't they at least pick some one who is worthy of the hype?
I'm not trying to be negative. Gaines Adams had one hell of a season. It's the reason his draft stock improved. His showing at the NFL combine was good too. In my book, Adams is another Mario Williams.
In every way.
Gaines Adams did not stand out in college until part of the way through his senior season. His meteoric rise in draft stock is largely a result of his good combine showing and his ONE good year. Sound familiar? Sounds an awful lot like last season's first overall pick who compiled all of four tackles. Adams is undersized and often has problems shedding blockers. To make matters worse, Adams tends to try to bull through blockers using upper body strength - a place where he will certainly not have the advantage in the NFL.
I'm not down on Gaines Adams. I don't think he will necessarily be as moribund his first season as Mario Williams was. But I just don't think he's of such high caliber that other players should be passed up on to invite him. Granted, Joe Thomas did not want to show up. That is a whole 'nother can of worms. But what about a sure-fire first-round talent like LSU safety LaRon Landry?
I like Gaines Adams. In a defense like Tampa Bay's or as a compliment to Dwight Freeny who is actually also in Tampa Bay's defense for all intents and purposes. But I don't see the Bucs taking him that high, and I don't think the NFL invited him hoping to watch him free-fall to the bottom of the first round. Besides, in my opinion, the Colts would prefer to see Miami LB Jon Beason on the board to replace the departed star Cato June on the weak side than to take Gaines Adams.
I don't hate Adams. I don't think he's a bad player. But I wouldn't be shocked if we had another drama like the Aaron Rodgers free-fall on our hands come draft day.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
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Titans Have Big Holes to Fill at Draft
Titans Have Big Holes to Fill at Draft
By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans believe they found a franchise quarterback in the NFL draft in 2006. Now it's time to find someone to play catch with Vince Young.
For a team that missed a playoff berth by one game last season, the Titans go into this draft with lots of holes to fill thanks to the season-long suspension of top cornerback and NFL punt return leader Adam "Pacman" Jones, and the decision not to pay too dearly for veteran players.
That is how Young, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, lost three of his top five targets. Receivers Drew Bennett and Bobby Wade signed for big money in St. Louis and Minnesota as free agents. The Titans released running back Travis Henry to avoid overpaying him.
Veteran David Givens, signed as a free agent a year ago, still is recovering from an ugly injury where his torn ACL may not have been the worst of his knee problems.
The Titans' only move to add receiving help so far? Signing 6-foot-4 Justin Gage, who caught four passes last year for Chicago.
"It's still a 'need' position for us, and we're going to try to address it," coach Jeff Fisher said.
This will be new general manager Mike Reinfeldt's first draft since being hired in February. If he doesn't trade away any picks, the Titans would have at least 10 draft selections for a third straight year after having an NFL-high 34 picks in the previous three drafts.
Reinfeldt can help the Titans most by addressing the offense first.
Tennessee held the ball only 27 minutes, 17 seconds per game in 2006, which strained the defense far too often. Of the returning receivers, Brandon Jones is the only one who started any games last season, and he caught only 27 passes.
That should mean using the 19th pick overall on only the third receiver this franchise has drafted in the first round, and the first since Kevin Dyson in 1998. The other? Haywood Jeffires in 1987 by the then-Houston Oilers with their second pick in the first round.
The Titans have studied the top receivers available, including Robert Meachem of Tennessee, Ted Ginn Jr. of Ohio State, Dwayne Bowe of LSU, and Dwayne Jarrett of Southern California. Ginn's abilities as a returner would make him immediately valuable in the absence of Jones, who averaged 12.9 yards per punt return.
But Meachem is a much bigger target at 6-foot-3, 217 pounds compared to the 6-foot Ginn. The Titans sent offensive coordinator Norm Chow and Reinfeldt to watch Meachem at his pro day last month, and the receiver was among the first to visit team officials in Nashville.
The Titans could draft a running back to replace Henry, whose 1,211 yards rushing is why Tennessee ranked fifth in the NFL. LenDale White, a second-round pick in 2006, came into the offseason program overweight and is working to get back in shape now.
That is why the Titans are bartering with San Diego, trying to get the Chargers to ease their demand of first- and third-round draft picks for LaDanian Tomlinson's backup, Michael Turner. Tennessee can't afford to give up that much, but has those 10 picks overall from which to entice the Chargers.
Even with Jones and his four interceptions, the Titans ranked last in the NFL in total defense.
Free agent signee Nick Harper will help replace Jones, but selecting Arkansas cornerback Chris Houston or Darrelle Revis of Pittsburgh would indicate the Titans are serious about not letting Jones return without drastic changes.
They also need a defensive end opposite Kyle Vanden Bosch after getting only 26 sacks in 2006 and could look at Adam Carricker of Nebraska. They signed Ryan Fowler to replace Peter Sirmon at middle linebacker, which should increase their overall speed, and added veteran safety Bryan Scott as a free agent.
But Young, who set a rookie quarterback record by rushing for 552 yards, needs someone to catch his passes before defenses figure out how to slow him down on the ground.
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By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans believe they found a franchise quarterback in the NFL draft in 2006. Now it's time to find someone to play catch with Vince Young.
For a team that missed a playoff berth by one game last season, the Titans go into this draft with lots of holes to fill thanks to the season-long suspension of top cornerback and NFL punt return leader Adam "Pacman" Jones, and the decision not to pay too dearly for veteran players.
That is how Young, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, lost three of his top five targets. Receivers Drew Bennett and Bobby Wade signed for big money in St. Louis and Minnesota as free agents. The Titans released running back Travis Henry to avoid overpaying him.
Veteran David Givens, signed as a free agent a year ago, still is recovering from an ugly injury where his torn ACL may not have been the worst of his knee problems.
The Titans' only move to add receiving help so far? Signing 6-foot-4 Justin Gage, who caught four passes last year for Chicago.
"It's still a 'need' position for us, and we're going to try to address it," coach Jeff Fisher said.
This will be new general manager Mike Reinfeldt's first draft since being hired in February. If he doesn't trade away any picks, the Titans would have at least 10 draft selections for a third straight year after having an NFL-high 34 picks in the previous three drafts.
Reinfeldt can help the Titans most by addressing the offense first.
Tennessee held the ball only 27 minutes, 17 seconds per game in 2006, which strained the defense far too often. Of the returning receivers, Brandon Jones is the only one who started any games last season, and he caught only 27 passes.
That should mean using the 19th pick overall on only the third receiver this franchise has drafted in the first round, and the first since Kevin Dyson in 1998. The other? Haywood Jeffires in 1987 by the then-Houston Oilers with their second pick in the first round.
The Titans have studied the top receivers available, including Robert Meachem of Tennessee, Ted Ginn Jr. of Ohio State, Dwayne Bowe of LSU, and Dwayne Jarrett of Southern California. Ginn's abilities as a returner would make him immediately valuable in the absence of Jones, who averaged 12.9 yards per punt return.
But Meachem is a much bigger target at 6-foot-3, 217 pounds compared to the 6-foot Ginn. The Titans sent offensive coordinator Norm Chow and Reinfeldt to watch Meachem at his pro day last month, and the receiver was among the first to visit team officials in Nashville.
The Titans could draft a running back to replace Henry, whose 1,211 yards rushing is why Tennessee ranked fifth in the NFL. LenDale White, a second-round pick in 2006, came into the offseason program overweight and is working to get back in shape now.
That is why the Titans are bartering with San Diego, trying to get the Chargers to ease their demand of first- and third-round draft picks for LaDanian Tomlinson's backup, Michael Turner. Tennessee can't afford to give up that much, but has those 10 picks overall from which to entice the Chargers.
Even with Jones and his four interceptions, the Titans ranked last in the NFL in total defense.
Free agent signee Nick Harper will help replace Jones, but selecting Arkansas cornerback Chris Houston or Darrelle Revis of Pittsburgh would indicate the Titans are serious about not letting Jones return without drastic changes.
They also need a defensive end opposite Kyle Vanden Bosch after getting only 26 sacks in 2006 and could look at Adam Carricker of Nebraska. They signed Ryan Fowler to replace Peter Sirmon at middle linebacker, which should increase their overall speed, and added veteran safety Bryan Scott as a free agent.
But Young, who set a rookie quarterback record by rushing for 552 yards, needs someone to catch his passes before defenses figure out how to slow him down on the ground.
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Mistakes off field could prove costly for Draftees
NFL DRAFT
Mistakes off field could prove costly
BY BOB GLAUBER
The keywords are the same for this year's draft: speed, strength, quickness, agility, accuracy, power. But this year there's another word that stands out more than usual: character.
Now that first-year commissioner Roger Goodell has put down the hammer on Titans cornerback Pacman Jones and Bengals receiver Chris Henry, suspending them for a combined 24 games for off-field transgressions, NFL teams are more cognizant than ever about making sure the guys they draft will be solid citizens as well as productive performers.
There have always been prospects running afoul of the law whom personnel executives were leery about, such as Warren Sapp, Randy Moss and Lawrence Phillips. But with Goodell showing he means business with players who misbehave off the field, the stakes are that much higher on draft day when it comes to selecting players with rap sheets to match their stat sheets.
"We have always been conscious of the character background," new Giants general manager Jerry Reese said. "Obviously, it's a lot riskier now because of the steps taken by commissioner Goodell. He slapped some hands, broke some plates. So with those high-risk character guys, you have to be a little more careful about taking them."
Goodell is intent on restoring the league's reputation after a spate of off-field problems, including 10 instances in which Jones was interviewed by police; Henry's four arrests in 14 months; the arrests of eight other Bengals last season, and Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson's four-month jail sentence for violating probation after police raided his home and found six unregistered firearms.
"It is a privilege to represent the NFL, not a right," Goodell said in announcing the Jones and Henry suspensions. "These players and all members of our league have to make the right choices and decisions in their conduct on a consistent basis."
Now the message is clear: Clean up your act or get the hell out.
That's why it's incumbent on teams to do their homework on players with checkered backgrounds. If there's too much baggage, it's not worth the risk.
"These are young kids," Reese said. "They're impressionable. So you can't absolutely kill a guy because he had a beer after a party and got into a scuffle or something. A lot of these kids get parking tickets. But if a guy's got a blotter, you have to take that stuff into consideration."
That's where you have to draw the line and decide: Do you want a talented player who can't be trusted to handle himself in a mature fashion away from the game? Or do you find someone else who might not be as gifted athletically but who will show up to work on time and be a trusted teammate?
"Eric [Mangini] has this great expression of saying, 'The truth. Let's find out the truth,"' Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said of his coach.
Tannenbaum related the story of reading about the death of former Celtics guard Dennis Johnson, who had a questionable reputation before being traded to Boston.
"Dennis Johnson had a reputation of being a cancer in the [Suns'] locker room," Tannenbaum said. "When Dennis walked into the Celtic locker room, they nicknamed him 'Chemo' [short for chemotherapy]. I just passed that article out to the scouts."
The point: Johnson may have been a cancer in the Suns' locker room, but he turned into a cornerstone for some of the Celtics' greatest teams.
Tannenbaum then pointed to the Laveranues Coles situation in 2000, when the Jets were considering drafting the former Florida State receiver. Coles had been kicked off the team by coach Bobby Bowden after his involvement in a scheme in which he and teammate Peter Warrick were allowed to underpay for clothing at a department store. Coles also was charged with hitting his stepmother outside her Florida home, and was suspended for academic reasons.
But the Jets did their homework and decided Coles was worth the risk. He since has become one of the top receivers in franchise history.
"Obviously, there were some issues or the perception of issues with Laveranues," Tannenbaum said. "Laveranues has been a very good player and good person for the team for a long period of time. I feel confident in our process. I feel confident in the people executing the process. We want to get the right information. Our players come from all different parts of the country, shapes, sizes. We want to get down to the truth and find out who these guys are."
In today's NFL, it's more important than ever.
Potential problem players
Five players whose off-field behavior will be closely scrutinized leading up to draft day:
Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida.
Was suspended last year for failing several drug tests. After being reinstated in 2006, was dismissed for reportedly failing a marijuana test.
Ramonce Taylor, RB, Texas
After helping Texas win the national championship two years ago, Taylor was arrested on charges of marijuana possession and transferred to Texas College, where he sat out last year because he was academically ineligible.
Eric Wright, CB, UNLV
After starring at USC, he transferred to UNLV amid allegations of rape. The charges eventually were dropped.
Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami
Last summer, he pulled out a handgun and fired three rounds at an assailant who had shot Meriweather's teammate. Meriweather was not charged in the incident. He was involved in brawls against LSU during the 2005 Peach Bowl and again last season against Florida International. He was suspended for a game for his involvement in the FIU fight.
Tank Tyler, DT, N.C. State
He was arrested in 2005 for assaulting a police officer in a nightclub and he ejected from the Southern Miss game in 2006 for spitting.
Mistakes off field could prove costly
BY BOB GLAUBER
The keywords are the same for this year's draft: speed, strength, quickness, agility, accuracy, power. But this year there's another word that stands out more than usual: character.
Now that first-year commissioner Roger Goodell has put down the hammer on Titans cornerback Pacman Jones and Bengals receiver Chris Henry, suspending them for a combined 24 games for off-field transgressions, NFL teams are more cognizant than ever about making sure the guys they draft will be solid citizens as well as productive performers.
There have always been prospects running afoul of the law whom personnel executives were leery about, such as Warren Sapp, Randy Moss and Lawrence Phillips. But with Goodell showing he means business with players who misbehave off the field, the stakes are that much higher on draft day when it comes to selecting players with rap sheets to match their stat sheets.
"We have always been conscious of the character background," new Giants general manager Jerry Reese said. "Obviously, it's a lot riskier now because of the steps taken by commissioner Goodell. He slapped some hands, broke some plates. So with those high-risk character guys, you have to be a little more careful about taking them."
Goodell is intent on restoring the league's reputation after a spate of off-field problems, including 10 instances in which Jones was interviewed by police; Henry's four arrests in 14 months; the arrests of eight other Bengals last season, and Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson's four-month jail sentence for violating probation after police raided his home and found six unregistered firearms.
"It is a privilege to represent the NFL, not a right," Goodell said in announcing the Jones and Henry suspensions. "These players and all members of our league have to make the right choices and decisions in their conduct on a consistent basis."
Now the message is clear: Clean up your act or get the hell out.
That's why it's incumbent on teams to do their homework on players with checkered backgrounds. If there's too much baggage, it's not worth the risk.
"These are young kids," Reese said. "They're impressionable. So you can't absolutely kill a guy because he had a beer after a party and got into a scuffle or something. A lot of these kids get parking tickets. But if a guy's got a blotter, you have to take that stuff into consideration."
That's where you have to draw the line and decide: Do you want a talented player who can't be trusted to handle himself in a mature fashion away from the game? Or do you find someone else who might not be as gifted athletically but who will show up to work on time and be a trusted teammate?
"Eric [Mangini] has this great expression of saying, 'The truth. Let's find out the truth,"' Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said of his coach.
Tannenbaum related the story of reading about the death of former Celtics guard Dennis Johnson, who had a questionable reputation before being traded to Boston.
"Dennis Johnson had a reputation of being a cancer in the [Suns'] locker room," Tannenbaum said. "When Dennis walked into the Celtic locker room, they nicknamed him 'Chemo' [short for chemotherapy]. I just passed that article out to the scouts."
The point: Johnson may have been a cancer in the Suns' locker room, but he turned into a cornerstone for some of the Celtics' greatest teams.
Tannenbaum then pointed to the Laveranues Coles situation in 2000, when the Jets were considering drafting the former Florida State receiver. Coles had been kicked off the team by coach Bobby Bowden after his involvement in a scheme in which he and teammate Peter Warrick were allowed to underpay for clothing at a department store. Coles also was charged with hitting his stepmother outside her Florida home, and was suspended for academic reasons.
But the Jets did their homework and decided Coles was worth the risk. He since has become one of the top receivers in franchise history.
"Obviously, there were some issues or the perception of issues with Laveranues," Tannenbaum said. "Laveranues has been a very good player and good person for the team for a long period of time. I feel confident in our process. I feel confident in the people executing the process. We want to get the right information. Our players come from all different parts of the country, shapes, sizes. We want to get down to the truth and find out who these guys are."
In today's NFL, it's more important than ever.
Potential problem players
Five players whose off-field behavior will be closely scrutinized leading up to draft day:
Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida.
Was suspended last year for failing several drug tests. After being reinstated in 2006, was dismissed for reportedly failing a marijuana test.
Ramonce Taylor, RB, Texas
After helping Texas win the national championship two years ago, Taylor was arrested on charges of marijuana possession and transferred to Texas College, where he sat out last year because he was academically ineligible.
Eric Wright, CB, UNLV
After starring at USC, he transferred to UNLV amid allegations of rape. The charges eventually were dropped.
Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami
Last summer, he pulled out a handgun and fired three rounds at an assailant who had shot Meriweather's teammate. Meriweather was not charged in the incident. He was involved in brawls against LSU during the 2005 Peach Bowl and again last season against Florida International. He was suspended for a game for his involvement in the FIU fight.
Tank Tyler, DT, N.C. State
He was arrested in 2005 for assaulting a police officer in a nightclub and he ejected from the Southern Miss game in 2006 for spitting.
