http://nfldraftmag.blogspot.com - The NFL held its annual NFL Draft Media Luncheon at Chelsea Piers on Thursday, April 26th.

As part of the process of interviews and photo-ops, the players -- JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn, Adrian Peterson, Calvin Johnson, and Gaines Adams went outside -- well, except Peterson, who stayed in doors for some reason.

While this is supposed to be a function where the media can point their cameras at these future stars, one person who I know but will not name with the Oakland Raiders felt it necessary to point his Leica video-camera at me.

Twice.

The first time he did it was at the Russell interview. All of the cameras are pointed at JaMarcus, except his. I happen to have a good feel for this, so I spotted him and was on alert.

I was determined to catch him.

The second time he did it was outside and I used my camcorder to bait him and catch him red-handed (or should I say "Silver-and-Black" handed?) filming me instead of the players!!

It's in the video. Look for yourself!!

Once the Raiders guy sees me point back at him, he walks off like a scared rabbit. It was one of the craziest events I've ever seen in my life. Why me?

This places me in a category that's rare -- people spied on by the Oakland Raiders. It reminds me of those stories of the late New York Jets Coach Weeb Eubank who was once rumored to have screamed at a light bulb "Al Davis, I know you're up there!"

It caused me to recall when my friend Sports Illustrated writer Michael Silver was banned from Oakland training camp for writing critical articles about the organization.

For what reason, I don't know. It could be linked to my open criticism of their habit of running to court to sue either the NFL or Oakland as a way of raising revenue.

But they're a big firm and such opinions are mine to have, regardless of whether the Raiders like them or not.

The Raiders don't understand that it's impossible to control a message in today's society -- let the lesson begin.

They don't know what the alternative course of actions are. I do.

But I'm pretty tired of this and other actions by the organization with respect to me to this date.

As far as I'm concerned the organization should have given me a medal for almost bringing the 2005 Super Bowl to Oakland , in the face of their lawsuits against both the City of Oakland and the NFL. Moreover, the 2005 Super Bowl would have made the Raiders the host team, and the controller of 10,000 tickets with a street value of around $3 million.

I put Oakland on the map as a possible Super Bowl host city, nearly give the organization a handsome reward in the process, and this is the thanks I get?

Geez!

As part of it's large set of NFL Draft-related events, the League held a photo shoot at Radio City Music Hall for the five players invited to attend the 2007 NFL Draft: JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn, Calvin Johnson, Gaines Adams, and Adrian Peterson.

This video's a great window into the personalities of the players, and also cheer spectacle that is NFL Draft week, and how even "seen-it-all" New Yorkers can get a little charged up about the event.

As you watch this video, note the mood of LSU and now Oakland Raiders Quaterback JaMarcus Russell -- he seems really pissed about something.

http://nfldraftmag.blogspot.com - Paul Salata, the founder and host of "Mr. Irrelevant Week" stopped by to talk with Bill Chackhes and myself about his NFL-supported event that celebrates the last pick in the last round of the NFL Draft.

An Interview With:


JaMARCUS RUSSELL
Oakland Raiders



JaMARCUS RUSSELL: First, I just want to thank God for this opportunity and the chance he gave me when I needed it the most, just coming through with this.

Thank my family for being here at this time. I'm going to be ready to go out there and go to work.



Q. You were recruited by Nick Saban at LSU; is that correct?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: Yes, sir.



Q. Have you talked to him at all about what you can expect?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: I talked to Coach a few days ago just talking about how proud he was. He was very happy for me, with all of the guys back at LSU.



Q. How much do you expect to contribute as a rookie the first year?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: The best way I can, helping the guys out in practice, helping him do his job and helping me out in any way possible going in and making plays.



Q. Is it what you expected, they had been talking about you as the No. 1 pick?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: I kind of had faith, everybody had been talking about it for a while. This is a dream come true.

Growing up as a kid, you know, playing every sport in life, always see the guys on the professional level and here I am today.



Q. When did Oakland contact you?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: Just a few minutes before they went up to the podium I got a call and a text message just letting me know how happy they were

and very excited about the situation and can't wait until I get in.



Q. Nothing yesterday?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: No.



Q. Did you talk to Al Davis?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: Not yet.



Q. Are you hoping to get a chance to play with Randy Moss this season?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: It's going to be terrific, watching him as a kid, the things he did, he's still Randy Moss. and it's going to be exciting to get on the side

of him and work one‑on‑one with each other. I just can't wait to get in and have the opportunity to do that.



Q. Do you consider yourself a franchise quarterback?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: Right now, you know, besides all of the franchise and everything else, I'm just very excited. When things happen,

they happen for a reason, and who knows what tomorrow may bring.



Q. What's going to be your biggest challenge as you look at it going to the Raiders and the NFL?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: Just starting all over again. Have to prove yourself once and for all. Just letting the guys know that you come there to

work, you do anything and everything is possible and try to help them out and just put them in a position to make plays as a quarterback.



Q. Do you expect to start?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: I'm expected to do whatever is necessary for the team.



Q. Think back to the pro style offense you played at LSU; how much has that contributed to where you are today and made you more ready?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: A lot. Most people don't know how much our offense brings to the table as far as checking out the line and switching plays

from side to side or from running the pass, pass to run. Coach Fisher did a wonderful job and I appreciate him for giving me the opportunity and really

just thank Coach Saban and the rest of the coaches there.



Q. A lot of teams, there's been a lot of emphasis on the conduct policy; how much do people talk to you about that?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: A lot. The guy that I am and the mom that I have, that won't be a problem. I was raised better than that and I know right from wrong.

I don't think it will be a problem.



Q. How many people are going to join you out in California?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: A good friend of mine, I just can't wait to get out there.



Q. Did you dress in black on purpose?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: I kind of, you know, wanted to dress all‑black beforehand. It's just a coincidence.



Q. Of all of the criticisms of your ability, what's one thing that maybe has rubbed you wrong the most?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: When people tell you what you can't do. They are not inside your body and most of the guys have not played football during their life.

For me, most things don't really get to me. I kind of let it roll off my back and just keep going.



Q. What part of your game do you need to work on?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: Everything. As a quarterback you can't forget something, because you might work on something too hard and lack in others, so everything is important.



Q. How do you feel about the expectations that are going to be placed on you? The Raiders have struggled; a lot of people are going to be looking

at you as the savior of the franchise; how do you feel you'll put up with that kind of pressure?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: Whether it's other people or myself, I set my standards very high and for the expectations that everybody has. But you know, you can

only do what God has set for you to do. I'll be very pleased to go out there and work as hard as I can to make everything possible for the Raiders.



Q. On Media Day you said the Raiders did not contact you yet; did anything happen between Thursday afternoon and today?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: Sat down with the coach and basically told him what he expects if things work out like they did today and how do I feel about it

and just making sure my head was on my shoulders and that I was not going to get caught up in the hype and everything.



Q. Are you able to enjoy yourself this week? Did you feel you had to be No. 1?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: Not exactly. I'm just very fortunate to be in the position that I am. Everybody don't get a chance or an opportunity

to make it to the NFL, and just very fortunate to be here. I would go anywhere in the world and play ball and I'm just happy that I'm at the Oakland Raiders today.



Q. When do you look for a convertible for your grandmother?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: That's a secret. She's back there; I can't say yet. (Laughter).



Q. You go from one minute being a college player to the next minute, millionaire, big contract. What's that transition like at 22 years old?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: I ain't got that yet ‑‑ I plan on doing good things and just be happy that I'm in that situation. Right now I'm so excited, man.

Like the whole week has been fun but this morning it started hitting me that I was going in the NFL Draft. I've seen it on TV for quite some time

and just to be standing up there with the commissioner and all of the fans in the stands, I'm very excited. That's when it really hit me he.



Q. This could be a big day for LSU, three players that may go in the first round; how much are you going to stay in contact with them today?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: Those guys, we're brothers. Me and Dwayne stayed together for a while and we have a great relationship, I think the other

guys will do a wonderful job wherever they get drafted to. Good luck and best wishes to those guys.



Q. Were you able to sleep tonight or were you too nervous about this whole thing?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: To be honest, man, I was knocked out. Like I say, it really didn't hit me last night. Just thought the faster

go to sleep, the quicker the day will come; so I had to get to sleep.



Q. How do you feel about going to Oakland and playing in front of those fans?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: We had great fans at LSU and I heard those fans are a little bit better somewhat right up above that,

so I just can't wait to go out and play in front of those guys and hear those guys go crazy.



Q. Do you have the strongest arm in the league?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: Oh, man, I've got to get there first. I've got to get in and get a chance to make things happen and we'll see from there.



Q. Are you familiar with those Raider fans? Some of them look scary.

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: They are behind me 100%, so they have got my back.



Q. How would you describe yourself as a leader?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: Myself, you know, I'm the type of guy that will lead by example. I try to do my best each and every day every week so it rubs off on

my guys and make sure they play up to par and make sure they play at my level every time they go out.



Q. When did you think you could play at this game level?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: When I was a kid I was always a little bit above the rest of the kids. My mom, believe it or not, I was so tall, she

had to carry my birth certificate around to different parks to prove to people that I wasn't too old.



Q. A lot of the stuff people said before the draft was that Brady Quinn is more polished and more prepared to play, but that

you have the better arm and you're a better athlete; is that insulting at all?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: People have their opinion. I wish the best for Brady and I think he'll be really good at what he does.

Like I say, people don't know what goes on behind those closed doors, the things that go on on your offense. They just look for what they see on TV.

But what people are saying, I try not to get too caught up in it and go about my business and just try to do my best out there.



Q. Between accuracy and beating defenses, what is one thing that you improved on that made you realize you're ready for right now?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: From my first year up until now?



Q. Yes.

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: You get a feeling for the defenses coming out of high school but it takes your coach to sit down and

go over that with you and the more experience you get, the better off you'll be at that. I think I do a great job at both.



Q. What do you expect from Al Davis from your dealings with him and what do you know about him?

JaMARCUS RUSSELL: Great things. Sitting down and talking to him really got a chance to hear a lot of things from him. He told me that

he likes touchdowns. I told him I did, too, so we're going to try to make some things happen.

After a relatively quiet Day 1 of the NFL draft, Sunday has been a big day—especially in the Bay Area. D-Jax is flying in (to the Niners) and Randy Moss is sailing out (to the Pats), both in exchange for 4^th round picks! These are two of the preeminent WR’s of our time, and they have been given away like party favors on New Years Eve.

Jackson offers the 49ers something they haven’t had since days of lore—a 1-2 punch with Antonio Bryant. Stick an up and coming RB in there, a QB that’s hitting the top of the learning curve, and an improving O-line, and with a little luck there will be a potent offense at Candlestick Point come September.

Within eyesight, eyesore Oakland ships out one of the greatest WR’s of all time. Is it just me, or have teams been offering the S & B much better options than a 4^th round pick within the past year? With this trade, Oakland gives up on any possibility that Moss and his numerous talents could help rookie Russell learn the game. If they waited this long to trade him, couldn’t they at least see if Moss & Russell formed some sort of bond, making them both better players? Who is Russell going to throw to? Jerry Porter? Yikes.

Brady Quinn, the new quarterback of the Cleveland Browns and formerly of Notre Dame, was the focus of a recent article in the humor newspaper "The Onion."

This is the text:

DUBLIN, OH—Top draft prospect Brady Quinn, a strong-armed quarterback out of Notre Dame who is expected to be taken with one of the first five picks in the draft, told scouts interviewing him at his family home Monday that he would in all likelihood be a huge NFL bust. "While it's true I have impressive arm strength, and that I'm willing to stand up in the pocket against the rush, the fact remains that my lack of downfield accuracy gets me in trouble on the deep throws and my field vision is suspect," Quinn told draft evaluators from the Raiders, Browns, and Cardinals."Combine that with the enormous starting bonus I'll receive and the tendency for teams to try and develop quarterbacks long after they should give up, and I really just have 'bust' written all over me." While Quinn recommended teams look to solid prospects such as quarterback Jamarcus Russell, tackle Joe Thomas, and running back Adrian Peterson, Raiders owner Al Davis is reportedly more interested than ever in signing Quinn."

So, I decided to ask Quinn what he thought of the Onion in this video.

The Oakland Raiders took Jamarcus Russell as the first pick in the first round of the NFL Draft. But I contend that were it not for the new collective bargaining agreement established last year, the Raiders may have been compelled to trade out of that position in the first round, and get a less expensive player.

The new CBA contributed as much as $10 million to the salary cap of each NFL team. That's extra money that gives more "wiggle room" for the Raiders, an organization ranked 30 out of the 32 NFL organizations in terms of franchise value.

Last year, "signability" -- the ability to assemble a reasonable contract payment for an NFL rookie -- was a major consideration on the part of Bob McNair, the owner of the Houston Texans. Was this a function of the then-less-expensive CBA? You bet it was. I'll bet the Texans would have taken Reggie Bush with an extra $10 million to spend.

Or, maybe not.

A happy Ja Marcus Russell after being picked by the Raiders.

As many of you know, LSU Quaterback Ja Marcus Russell became the first pick in the first round by the Oakland Raiders. Also, some of you may remember that this space annouced that the Raiders would select Notre Dame Quarterback Brady Quinn as their signal caller of the future.

I did get it wrong, but it wasn't because I thought Brady Quinn was going to be the better quaterback. It was the CAA guy I was talking to.

After Russell's selection, I recognized and walked over to meet his agent Eric Metz, who was standing about 40-feet from our table at Radio City Music Hall on Saturday. The Phoenix-based representative took time to speak with me about the flying rumors that Quinn and not his client Russell was going to be the Raiders choice.

"We never had a doubt", he said, regarding the rumors. "We knew we had it months ago." Each time I shared with him the CAA information regarding their view that the Raiders deal was in the bag, he winced. Indeed, the simple fact that Rusell walked in wearing a black suit and tie was the ultimate Draft-day tip-off.

Metz strikes me as a person who's honest, caring, and aware of the importance of relationships. We talked about the fact that this was the second free-fall for a CAA-represented quaterback. As you know, CAA had a similar situtation with USC's Matt Leinart, who was picked 10th in the first round last year, and that after CAA promised him not less than becoming the third choice in the first round.

"You know, honesty goes a long way," Metz said. "We don't try to snow anyone." This explains why -- according to sources -- Metz has such a great relationship around the league. It may also be the key reason why his client was the choice of the Oakland Raiders.

It also may explain why CAA lost Matt Leinart. Lets see what happens with CAA and Brady Quinn.

I met Bill Chackhes and Wil Mara, at the famous Murray's Bagels shop at 242 8th Avenue in New York City and just before we ventured over to the NFL Media Luncheon at Chealsea Piers. This was on Thursday, April 26th, 2007. We -- I'm Zennie Abraham -- had a lively time talking about the upcoming draft. Take a look!

Julien Rodriguez (pictured) and Matt Sherman are the newest members of our NFL team, which includes Bill Chackhes, Walter Anaruk, and the famous author Wil Mara.

Gaines Adams's interview comments were also captured on Mp3 by Bill Chackhes. You can hear what he said with a click here: Gaines Adams Audio Interview

Adrian Peterson's interview comments were also captured on Mp3 by Bill Chackhes. You can hear what he said with a click here: Adrian Peterson Audio Interview

Calvin Johnson's interview comments were also captured on Mp3 by Bill Chackhes. You can hear what he said with a click here: Calvin Johnson Audio Interview.

Brady Quinn's interview comments were also captured on Mp3 by Bill Chackhes. You can hear what he said with a click here: Brady Quinn Audio Interview

Ja Marcus Russell's interview comments were also captured on Mp3 by Bill Chackhes. You can hear what he said with a click here:

Ja Marcus Russell Audio Interview

Photo by Bill Chackhes - SBS and FieldPosition.com

I've just returned from the NFL's great luncheon at The Rainbow Room, where I had the accidental pleasure of sharing a table with people from Hummer, Players, Inc., and one gentleman who lives in Washington, DC and who works for Creative Artists Agency, or CAA.

CAA represents Brady Quinn.

As we were listening to Sterling Sharp entertain the audience, the CAA man who's name I am not going to drop was hurredly working his Blackburry. I asked what was going on and if it involved Brady Quinn. He confirmed that it did. "This is great, he said without directly spilling the beans, except that Mike Lynch of Visa may or may not like it. It harms our deal if he (Brady Quinn) were to go to the Browns." By this, he means CAA's endorsement deal with Cleveland and for Brady Quinn.

So, I asked. "Does this mean the Raiders are going to pick Brady Quinn first?" I asked.

"It looks that way," he said. But we'll see what happens. Then he got up from his chair and said "That's what I'm going to check on now."

So the bottom line is that CAA's trying to seal a deal with the Oakland Raiders, who are ready to sign Brady Quinn as their number one pick. It all adds up because:

1) Ja Marcus Russell said he'd not got a call from the Oakland Raiders.

2) Brady Quinn -- this is in the video -- mentioned that he and his agents had talked with the Raiders "but I can't talk about details," Quinn said.

3) Brady Quinn said that the Raiders new offense is very much like the Notre Dame system, meaning he could step right in. This is also in the video on this blog.

So, unless they can't work out the contract, Brady Quinn will become an Oakland Raider.

We'll know officially tommorrow, but will keep the updates coming.

This is good for CAA, because they lost Matt Leinart.

All photos by Bill Chackhes - SBS and FieldPosition.com Ja Marcus Russell's pictured above.

This is part one and two of our five part NFL Draft Video series. The National Football League has it's media lunch on the Thursday prior to the draft and that was true again for the 2007 NFL Draft.

This event, held at Chelsea Piers, had the five invited NFL Draft players -- Ja Marcus Russell, Brady Quinn, Adrian Peterson, Calvin Johnson, and Gains Adams -- on hand for interviews and photo ops with the invited media, including us.

Some of the highlights were Ja Marcus Russell's admission that he'd not got a call from the Oakland Raiders -- though I believe he was coached to say that -- and Brady Quinn's comment that the offense the Oakland Raiders (who have the first pick) are installing is very much like the system he worked in at Notre Dame, which in turn is like the Patriots offense.

On that note, Quinn mentioned in the video below that he met New England Patriots signal caller Tom Brady the previous evening. He commented that Brady was a lot of help in assisting Quinn in how to think about what was happening to him.

Brady Quinn also went on quite a rant about how people make judgements about him without really watching film, saying "I mean, if I throw an incompletion, do they see why," or words to that effect. It was quite a show and demonstrates just how worked up he is over being over-analyzed by everyone.

Ja Marcus Russell presented himself as simply "smooth": very soft-spoken and warm in his approach.

Adrian Peterson seemed the most amused by it all. He comments that of all the players, he should go number one to the Raiders. Period.

Gaines Adams is the elder statesman of the group. He's not older, but he seems that way. Very grounded. Calvin Johnson is more like Ja Marcus Russell in the way he carries himself and talks.

I asked most of the players if they had experienced any change in the way their friends treated them, and all in different ways said they had not, which is good to report.

In all, the luncheon was quite fun and we've got a lot more video content and news, but I'm off to another NFL Draft event.

But what I could not figure out was why one Raiders representative spent part of his time photoging me from a distance! I'm serious. More on this later!

We ate with Adam Schafter of the NFL Network, Andrea Kramer of ESPN (who's down to just 97 pounds after biking!) and she dropped a news bomb about a certain LA Times sports writer -- Mike Penner -- who decided to become a woman names Christine Daniels!

Here's the video set...remember, it will be in complete five parts in about three hours or so. He're two of them now.

Video Part One:



Video Part Two:



Video Part Three:



Video Part Four:



Video Part Five:

The NFL Draft is this Saturday and I am very excited. I get pumped about the draft every year, in fact, the draft is my second favorite day of the year behind Christmas. The idea of my favorite team (the New York Giants) getting give or take seven new players excites me.

I've been reading about prospects and watching the combine on the NFL network for the last two months or so in anticipation of the 28th. With that said, I'm going to give you my opinions of some of the draft's top prospects. Here we go.

LSU QB JaMarcus Russell and Safety LaRon Landry

Over the last five years or so, LSU has been a factory for NFL talent. LSU's players compete in practice against the top talent in the country, much like USC now and Miami before them. NFL caliber players at these big schools come in bunches. LSU's bunch is starting to take shape after last year's solid group of rookies, headlined by Joseph Addai and Dawan Landry. Both had ROY (Rookie Of The Year) caliber seasons for their respective teams. Dawan Landry, the older brother of LaRon, had a stellar season of the Baltimore Ravens recording 69 tackles, 3 sacks, and 5 interceptions. This bodes well for the younger Landry who is clearly the more gifted athlete of the two.

JaMarcus Russell is pretty much a lock to be the first QB taken in the draft. This guy has a cannon. I've been a fan of his for a while know, but I never really thought of him as the top overall pick. I do think he is a much better prospect than Brady Quinn. Russell has the stronger arm, delivered in big games, and played against far better competition in the SEC than Notre Dame did. Russell also has a higher career completion percentage than Quinn, showing that he has the touch to complement his cannon arm. Aside from Russell being a bit heavy at 260 lbs., he is a very complete prospect.

Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn

I don't like Brady Quinn nearly as much. I've watched him tear up mediocre teams for the last two years and there was only one game that really impressed me. That game was Notre Dame's home game against USC in 2005. This was a great game from start to finish and Quinn displayed the leadership and toughness that scouts love but his team lost. After watching Quinn play against the likes of North Carolina, Navy, Army, and Michigan State in '06, I found myself wondering why everyone was so enamored with him. He played crap teams and wasn't dominant against the weak competition. He played a mediocre game against USC and his Notre Dame team mailed it in against the JaMarcus Russell-led LSU Tigers in the Sugar Bowl. Here is a video that sums up how I see Brady Quinn.
In all fairness to Quinn, playing college football is hard and grueling, but he seems like a narcissistic pretty boy to me. Did you notice him chewing out whoever he was playing catch with? I'm not about to judge the guy over this one isolated incident, however, he does seem like an arrogant guy in a lot of his interviews and appearances. He and his agent, Tom Condon, are telling anyone who will listen that he should go number one, and I'm tired of it. In case you haven't already noticed, I really dislike Brady Quinn. That is all.

Geaorgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson

This guy is a freak. We've all heard about the 4.35 second 40 times and the 42 inch vertical, but he does it on the field as well. At 6'5'', 239 he's as good as it gets. Will he be great? Yes, but I do think that guys like Dwayne Jarrett out of USC and Robert Meachem out of Tennessee can be very good receivers and great value picks later on in the first round.

Oklahoma RB Adrian Peterson

This guy is a horse. Watching him run the football is like watching a runaway train. I really think he's a psycho, which is a good thing in my book. The only issue is his build. He's already a tall back at about 6'1'', but he doesn't help himself with his running style. He runs tall and when you combine that with his reckless style there is a lot to be worried about in terms of staying healthy. I think he's the second best player in this draft, but injury concerns will hurt him. I see him going seventh, but not necessarily to the Vikings. I wouldn't be surprised if Buffalo traded up to get him if he fell to the 7th pick.

Well that's all I've got today, but I'll be back tomorrow with my take on Louisville DT Omobi Okoye, Cal RB Marshawn Lynch, and a few others. Have a good one.

Four months.

It seems like it was eons ago when the Colts and da Bears waited for Rex Grossman to failingly flail around Joe Robbie Stadium. It seems so long ago, it feels like we should be fast approaching another September: a time when ever fan says to all their friends, “This year, the [insert favorite team name here] are going to win it all.”

But alas, September is four months away. A third of a calendar year. What’s a fan to do? Voluntary mini-camps are hardly engaging, and an early off-season rich with big names headed to new towns has long since passed.

So here we rest, midway between seasons, with only one thing on our collective minds: the 2007 NFL draft.

Who’s the #1 pick? Who’ll get Calvin Johnson? Which QB is going to go first? Who’s [insert favorite team name here] going to pick? Who’s going to trade?

Over the past month and a half, these same types of questions have been asked and answered, and answered, and answered again, and then analyzed, and then reanalyzed, and finally second guessed, by the otherwise unemployed folks over at ESPN and the NFL Network. I’ve seen every possible permutation of how the first round could possibly go. I even saw a list of draft picks if—instead of drafting in the current order—teams drafted based on their teams total fantasy football points last year. When will all this ridiculousness end?

Saturday.

Have a great day watching, and I hope the [insert favorite team name here] draft the missing piece to their soon-to-be new-born dynasty.

Thanks to a nice woman at Murray's Bagel's, I spotted this article, which I'm going to show to Brady Quinn later today.

DUBLIN, OH—Top draft prospect Brady Quinn, a strong-armed quarterback out of Notre Dame who is expected to be taken with one of the first five picks in the draft, told scouts interviewing him at his family home Monday that he would in all likelihood be a huge NFL bust. "While it's true I have impressive arm strength, and that I'm willing to stand up in the pocket against the rush, the fact remains that my lack of downfield accuracy gets me in trouble on the deep throws and my field vision is suspect," Quinn told draft evaluators from the Raiders, Browns, and Cardinals."Combine that with the enormous starting bonus I'll receive and the tendency for teams to try and develop quarterbacks long after they should give up, and I really just have 'bust' written all over me."

While Quinn recommended teams look to solid prospects such as quarterback Jamarcus Russell, tackle Joe Thomas, and running back Adrian Peterson, Raiders owner Al Davis is reportedly more interested than ever in signing Quinn.

As I write this I'm sitting at a kind of "slice of life" bagel joint called Murphy's on 242 8th Avenue in Manhattan. I commuted into the island from Hicksville, where I'm staying with my friend Bill Chackhes and his wife Ann Rose. I'm having a fantastic time, plus he's working with me on our NFL Draft Web Show from Radio City Music Hall.

More about that soon.

But today -- in fact this trip thus far -- is a page right from Americana. I'm seeing New York from a "regular person's perspective" (and not a tourist's one) for the first time. It's rather cool.

Right now, I'm enjoying coffee, blogging, and waiting for Wil Mara and Bill as a flood of people come in for their bagels and coffee.

It's about 8:34 AM.

The group represents people from many different apparent walks of life, and while mostly White, certainly there are a set of people of color who walk and and out -- coming in, ordering, buying, and leaving. It's like the Penn Station of bagel places.

Pretty Cool.

I even made a video which I'll add below, later..

Sports Business Simulations & Fieldposition.com team up for NFL Draft Coverage-NYC –April 24th 2007

Sports Business Simulations inc. and it’s NFL Draft Magazine Blog will be co-producing multimedia content in conjunction with Fieldposition.com for the 2007 NFL Draft this weekend.
There will be streaming Video coverage of Draft commentary hosted By Ustream, Interviews, and still Photo coverage from the interview room at Radio City Music Hall, as well as Audio Podcasts hosted on Fieldposition.com.

SBS CEO Zennie Abraham and the Fieldposition’s Bill Chachkes Who is also SBS VP Of The SBS NFL Business Blog will bring you all the action.

Kicking off with tomorrow Night’s “From the Press Box Segment” on Fieldposition.com , the two sites will combine to bring you the best active online coverage of the NFL Draft-something never before attempted. Abraham and Chachkes will use the first segment to give you their impressions of The NFL Draft Media Lunch, and offer some Final Insights leading up to Saturday morning.

Check out the coverage at: nfldraftmag.blogspot.com
Fieldposition.com

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Keyshawn to Analyze NFL Draft for ESPN
By BARRY WILNER
AP Football Writer

NEW YORK -- Keyshawn Johnson someday would like to be an NFL team's general manager, if not its owner. He's getting a head start on personnel evaluation and a crash course in the draft this spring.

Johnson, the No. 1 overall pick of the 1996 draft by the New York Jets, has won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay and been a lead receiver for the Jets, Buccaneers and Cowboys. Currently with the Carolina Panthers and heading into his 12th pro season, Johnson knows the bulk of his playing career is behind him.


So he's preparing for life beyond touchdown catches and first-down receptions. If it's not running team, it just might be commenting on what they're doing on and off the field.

He gets the chance to analyze everyone's drafts this weekend for ESPN.

But with a different approach.

"I have the perspective of being the No. 1 overall pick, knowing the pressures you are under and still playing to your abilities," Johnson said. "And I can talk about the pressures that are going to be put on the No. 1 pick or other No. 1s, or even second-rounders, and the sort of things that come up in the NFL and the expectations of turning a franchise around for a high pick. There's the ups and downs you go through psychologically on and off the field.

"There are a lot of can't-misses who miss. There are guys who will be overanalyzed and underanalyzed. Some turn out to be great pros or they turn out to be bums. What goes into that? I can share with the viewers all of that; what is a good player and what is not a good player."

Johnson not only has been a good player, he has been one of the better overall top choices of the last 20 years. It's too early to judge the last three No. 1 picks (Mario Williams, Alex Smith and Eli Manning), but of the first selections from 1988-2003, Johnson certainly has been more accomplished than Aundray Bruce (1989), Jeff George (1990), Steve Emtman (1992), Dan Wilkinson (1994), Ki-jana Carter (1995), Tim Couch (1999), Courtney Brown (2000) and David Carr (2002). You can make a solid argument he has outdone Michael Vick (2001), Drew Bledsoe (1993) and Russell Maryland (1991) as well.

He unquestionably has been a better talker than all of them, but it's not just bluster.

"If you polled the network guys who cover the NFL, they pretty much all would tell you Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Ray Lewis, Keyshawn are the guys you look forward to meeting with," said Jay Rothman, coordinating producer for ESPN's draft coverage. "Keyshawn has the tell-it-like-it-is factor, he shoots straight. He explains, and tells you the little things about the game that make you go, `Wow.' "

Johnson has been studying this year's crop, with an emphasis on receivers and defensive backs. He's watched film on about two dozen wideouts, nearly as many cornerbacks and safeties, and many other skill position guys.

But he won't be examining every choice; that's Mel Kiper Jr.'s job for ESPN. Instead, Rothman expects Johnson to offer a different perspective.

"He has such a great familiarity of the league and coaching staffs and schemes," Rothman said. "We'll ask him when you put the player in this situation on this team, what will happen? What can he offer? And we'll get that from Keyshawn."

This is not Johnson's first foray into broadcasting. He's worked for both ESPN and Fox on TV, and he's had a weekly show on Sirius Satellite Radio for three years. He doesn't hold back on that program, "Taking it to the House," either.

"Keyshawn knows the league inside and out and is a true student of the game," said Steve Cohen, Sirius vice president of sports programming. "Each week during his `Taking It To The House' program he's able to offer insight into every game and every player. Few can talk about the NFL with the knowledge and passion that Keyshawn possesses for the game."

The real test, though, will come when a player such as Dwayne Jarrett of Southern Cal is selected. Many draftniks have compared Jarrett to Johnson or another former USC receiver, Mike Williams.

Unlike Johnson, Williams has been a bust with Detroit. Like Johnson and Williams, Jarrett isn't particularly quick. But like them when they were Trojans, Jarrett makes big, sometimes spectacular plays.

So, Key, where and when for Jarrett in the draft?

"When I said Duane Jarrett was not ready for the pros during the Rose Bowl, people wonder what I was thinking," Johnson said. "Now, all of a sudden four months fast forward, and people are saying he's not ready to be a No. 1 pick, and I said that in December. I think he will turn out to do better than what most people think -- he's tall and lanky and has a lot of range. But he's not very fast or quick, will struggle getting off the line of scrimmage, catches the ball too much with his body.

"He might get pegged like a Mike Williams, but these are different receivers. Dwayne projects as a much better pro than Mike Williams, but he going to run into that problem of people saying: `Mike Williams didn't do well, so you won't do well."

Sure sounds like a draft analyst, doesn't it?
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Ok "Key" is a pretty smart guy, maybe he runs his gums at times, but he knows what he's talking about. I'll be interested to see how much space Mighty Mel gives him....
Bill(Draftnik)

Jets looking for smarts to complement skills
BY TOM ROCK

So what are the Jets looking for in the draft? The answer goes beyond their roster. Although they have areas that need improvement, the choices made Saturday and Sunday will likely have as much or more to do with personality than position. The Jets will try to marry intelligence and discipline with ability and potential, which is why player interviews are so important to their preparation.

"The interview process is another club in the bag," Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said. He added that there is no single aspect of the player evaluation that is "outcome-determinative," but the interview is "a summation of a voluminous amount of information that collectively, as an organization, we try to assess and make the best decision."


Because the Jets look for thinking players, the interview often sways from the NFL standard. Terry Bradway, the Jets former GM who is now director of player personnel, said he watches video with prospects and is more interested in how a player can analyze what has happened than in how he performs.

"We asked them about their teammates, the guy they played across from," Bradway said. "A lot comes out. Personality comes out."

Just as character flaws sometimes hurt a player of great ability in the draft, character surplus sometimes overshadows physical limitations. That may have been the case last year when the Jets took Anthony Schlegel in the third round. Many saw that as a reach, and Schlegel hardly saw the field in 2006.

"[Bears GM] Jerry Angelo always said that the tape sets the floor and the character sets the ceiling," Tannenbaum said. "I think that's a short way of saying you can't have one without the other."

This weekend, the Jets will be looking for good students as much as they are looking for cornerbacks and linemen. Their 209 interviews in recent months were intended to shed light on player IQs.

"We wanted to be able to come out of the meeting, the interviews, with a good feel for the player's personality but also how smart they were, especially from a football standpoint," Bradway said. "That's the one thing: If guys want to have a chance to play, in particular play early, they've got to be able to pick it up."
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I knew when Terry Bradway stepped away as GM a few years back, he wasn't stepping out altogther. He's doing what he was cut out to do, Scouting and personel evaluation. 209 player interviews, i'd love to get a peek at their draft board!!-
Bill(draftnik)

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.

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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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.

The FieldPosition.com Mock Draft (the Only one)-By Bill Chachkes(the Draftnik) Exclusive to Fieldposition.com & nfldraftmag.blogspot.com

Lots of Websites and Publications do mock drafts. The Number of mocks some people put out are so astounding it borders on foolishness to update it each week. I can see doing 2 or 3 in a draft season. To this end we have gone the Exact opposite direction this year. Only one mock draft from us here this time, that’s why you are not seeing it until now….

1) Oakland Raiders-JaMarcus Russell-QB-LSU-Even if it’s the wrong choice, it’s Al Davis’ wrong choice to make. Johnson Should go 1st simply because he is the most talented player in this draft.

2) Detroit Lions-Gaines Adams-DE-Clemson-May not be the brightest, but we are hard pressed to find a better pass rusher. May not be the best fit either, but you can’t deny his ability.

3) Cleveland Browns-Brady Quinn-QB-Notre Dame- You just can’t pass on him if he’s there when you go on the clock, unless they really want a wide receiver.

4) Tampa Bay Bucs-Calvin Johnson-WR-Ga.Tech- Far and away the most talented player in the draft, but the QB’s ahead of him are costing him earnings.

5) Arizona Cardinals-Joe Thomas-OT-Wisconsin-Cost himself a few spots and some $$ with the Fly fishing stunt, but NFL network turned it into a remote spot.

6) Washington Redskins-Amobi Okoye-DT-Louisville-Even with being only 19, and admitting to “improper” behavior, This Kid has the goods, and his stock has been climbing since the combine.

7) Minneesota Vikings-Leon Hall-CB-Michigan- Good cover corner, good numbers(4.39 in the 40) good character, all that makes a good choice.

8) Atlanta Falcons-LaRon Landry-S-LSU-After slipping past Washington, you have to know that Landry wouldn’t last long. A strong hitter and a top ten prospect.

9) Miami Dolphins-Alan Branch-DT-Michigan-despite what the Fans want, the ‘Phins need a “Pit” player, Branch will learn quick not to slack off if he wants to play at the next level.

10) Houston Texans-Levi Brown-OT-Penn St.- Texans need to protect their new QB, and we can’t see him falling past here unless Houstons scouts know something we don’t.

11) S.F. 49ers- Jamaal Anderson-DE-Arkansas- Probably more well rounded then any other DL in this class, he is smart, and a quality player to boot.

12) Buffalo Bills-Patrick Willis-LB-Mississippi-Bills need too much help on defense to pass on this young man. A very versatile player who could play either inside or outside.

13) St. Louis Rams-Adrian Peterson-RB-Oaklaholma-Why would he fall this far? He probably will be gone by the time the Rams pick, but if not, they need a compliment and eventual successor to S. Jackson.

14) Carolina Panthers-Greg Olsen-TE-Miami-Coach John Fox wants to reload his Offense, and Olsen can step in right away. His workout numbers are too good to ignore.

15 ) Pittsburg Steelers-Adam Carriker-DE-Nebraska- Very mobile for a 300 pounder, and quite smart as well. Will do well in Tomlin’s Defensive scheme.

16) Green Bay Packers-Justin Harrell-DT-Tennessee- Versatile, but not without issues. Got his weight where it should be for a run stuffing Defensive tackle.


17) Jacksonville Jaguars-Reggie Nelson-FS-Florida-Looking to keep a kid in-state, the Jags are looking to improve the defense, and will resist the temptation to select a skill player.
18) Cincinnati Bengals-Darrelle Revis-CB-Pitt- They won’t be able to resist his football bloodlines and quality defensive skill. Can also return kicks as well.
19) Tennessee Titans-Robert Meachem-WR-Tennessee- Another kid who will stay in state. Gives Vince Young another target downfield.
20) NY Giants-Paul Posluszny-LB-Penn State-Great Combine workout, and Giants Gm Reese loves his Defense. Can Play all three LB spots.
21) Denver Broncos-Lawrence Timmons-LB-Fla. St.- Broncos have lots of concerns on Defense, and would still have to do some shifting around wit this pick.
22) Dallas Cowboys-Dwayne Jarrett-WR-USC- could spell the end of the T.O. run in Big D. Jarrett runs like Mike Irvin, with less behavioral baggage.
23) Kansas City Chiefs-Ted Ginn Jr.-WR-Ohio St.- Ginn Would never have fallen this far except for the Foot Injury. He is just the late career help TE Tony Gonzales needs.
24) New England Patriots- Aaron Ross-CB-Texas-a concensus selection here, Ross will greatly improve the Pats defense. You can’t pass on him at this spot.
25) NY Jets-Chris Houston-DB-Arkansas- Good cover skills and good footspeed, but no turnover stats in college at all. Still he is the best of what’s left.
26) Philadelphia Eagles-Michael Griffin-S-Texas-The Birds suffered badly in the secondary last year. They might want a cover corner, but the best ones are gone. Griffin can start right away.
27) New Orleans Saints-David Harris-LB-Michigan-Several projections had Harris falling down to he mid second round, but Coach Peyton likes his ability.
28) New England Patriots-Ryan Kalil-OC-USC- Patriots must upgrade Their Offensive line, and Kalil is a quality center. You have to love this kid’s personality as well.
29) Baltimore Ravens-Joe Staley-OT-Central Michigan- Big, Fast, and can run over defenders his size and smaller. Ravens lost a lot of beef up front in free agency.
30) S.D. Chargers-Brandon Merriweather-S-Miami-Chargers need Offensive skill help, but all the good receivers are gone, With the run on receivers earlier in the round, Gm A.J. Smith will bide his time and see what he can do at pick 62.
31) 31 Chacago Bears- Justin Blalock-OG-Texas. You can never have enough big offensive linemen. The Colts Defense Mauled them in the SB, but the Bears aren’t that far away.
32) Indianapolis Colts-Marshawn Lynch-RB-Cal-Indy lost Rhodes in free agency, and they need to replace him and get a change of pace player to compliment Last year’s #1 Pick, Joe Addai. Many will be surprised that the RB’s in this class fell so far down.


So some of you are going to say "why did you drop the RB's to 13 and 32"? Well , Peterson would still go in the top ten, but if he slips past 6, he is down to the next ten. Lynch still has question marks next to his name, and could drop out of the 1st round all together.

A great Piece by Paul Attner from the Sportingnews


Scouting the NFL draft
By Paul Attner - SportingNews



It has been difficult to write much positive lately about Al Davis. But here's an attempt: He still recognizes that, if at all possible, you really should select the best available player on your draft board.

A cliche, yes, but there is truth within the bromide. Davis knows in his heart of football hearts that Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson, not LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell, should be the Raiders' choice as the No. 1 pick in this year's draft. Davis just needs to figure out how to clear up his horrid quarterback situation before the draft. If he can do that, then there's no question he will pounce on Johnson, easily the top player in this draft and one of the clearest "sure thing" prospects to come along in the last 10 years.

"He's a no-brainer, the cleanest, no flaws," says Dolphins general manager Randy Mueller. "Just because he is a receiver, I wouldn't be scared to take him that high because I don't think he will fail." That's the kind of praise you receive when you are 6-5, weigh 239, have game-breaking 4.35 speed and terrific hands and easily pass the character test.

Yet Russell still looms as the first choice because, even with a player of Johnson's ability available, you won't win without a good quarterback. "If you have a conviction on a quarterback and you have that need, you have to take him," says former Texans general manager Charley Casserly. "If the quarterback is among your top five guys, you can justify pushing him to No. 1."

Russell is one of those unpolished physical wonders who creates the most angst for scouts. He's really unlike anyone who has played the position in the NFL. He is athletic and huge -- a sculpted 6-5 3/8, 256 -- and can easily flick a pass 70 yards. His upside is enormous. But he has been out of shape during the offseason and his lower-body mechanics need work. There are questions about how quickly he will grasp a pro-style offense and whether his feet are nifty enough -- he's not Vince Young -- to avoid an overabundance of punishment. He could be a good player or a potential superstar, or he might be overwhelmed in the NFL. Too bad Johnson is not a quarterback.

And what about Brady Quinn?

Brady Quinn is this year's Matt Leinart. He'll probably come out of the draft process with the same view Leinart expressed last June. "These (scouts) look to drag you down," Leinart said with disgust. Quinn has gone through a similar dissection the past few months.

Unlike Russell, Quinn doesn't have much room for growth. So he doesn't excite anyone, much like Leinart, who slipped to Arizona at No. 10 last April. "Quinn is a solid player and you know what you are getting, and there is something to be said for that," says Scot McCloughan, 49ers vice president of player personnel.

Quinn has been groomed for much of his life to play quarterback in the NFL. He comes from a complex offense at Notre Dame, he has impressive work habits, his mechanics are flawless, and he is tough. And NFL folks aren't as hung up as you might expect on the "Can he win big games?" question attached to his resume. But sometimes he is inexplicably inaccurate, and he'll have to prove he can make consistently good decisions under pressure. At best, he is a second-level pro quarterback, below the Peyton Mannings and Carson Palmers.

But the Bears got to a Super Bowl with Rex Grossman, much less talented than Quinn. One scout compares Quinn to Eli Manning coming out of college. Based on Eli's play so far, that might be one comparison Quinn would want to avoid.

Character better count

Commissioner Roger Goodell certainly has grabbed the attention of teams for this draft. Background checks on prospects are being ramped up, and it's a good bet that some players with character issues who might have been chosen fairly high in previous drafts either will not be picked or will slip to later rounds.

After all, the Titans inexplicably wasted a first-round choice in 2005 on Pacman Jones, who had been removed from many draft boards because of his multiple behavior issues. Jones was such a problem at West Virginia that its coaching staff told some NFL teams the school did not want him to return for his senior year. Chris Henry also had a bunch of red flags at West Virginia, yet the Bengals still took him in the third round of the same draft. Now, no club wants to be the next Tennessee or Cincinnati.

In discussions with NFL scouts and coaches, the first reason they give as grounds to take a prospect off the board is violence against a woman. Other major reasons cited include repeated drug violations more serious than using marijuana; a pattern of other problems with the law, including DUIs and firearm possession; and a relatively new one, past involvement with gangs. Some teams also will downgrade or eliminate a player based on his immaturity or bad work habits.

"If he's a bad apple and you have him in the first round, he's just going to be a less expensive bad apple" if you draft him in a later round, Saints coach Sean Payton says. "But you still have a responsibility to the current roster to bring in that right person. Those guys are counting on that."

Here are five players whose draft status could be most affected by off-field issues:

UNLV cornerback Eric Wright (left USC because of drug issues).
Florida defensive tackle Marcus Thomas (failed two drug tests and was kicked off the team in November).
Syracuse cornerback Tanard Jackson (two positive drug tests).
Ole Miss outside linebacker Rory Johnson (immaturity, academic issues).
Texas cornerback Tarell Brown (two drug arrests in the past eight months).
This draft has wideouts aplenty

Even though there's just one Calvin Johnson in this draft, that doesn't mean your favorite team will be denied if it needs to grow stronger at receiver. There is an abundance of talent, which means a club could find a productive player as late as the fourth round.

"Calvin Johnson alone elevates the receiver group," says the 49ers' McCloughan. "But this is a really good bunch of guys, with a lot of potential. They all aren't the same as far as strengths and weaknesses, but there is a lot of athletic talent spread among them."

This depth is one reason some teams give for not wanting to move up to draft Johnson if Oakland fails to make him the first choice. Their thinking goes like this: Why give up draft picks and/or veteran players, even for someone as gifted as Johnson, if you have so many other quality receivers available?

"I could see six receivers drafted by the middle of the second round," John Dorsey, the Packers' director of college scouting says. "If that happens, you might even see a bigger run on the position."

That means LSU's Dwayne Bowe, USC's Dwayne Jarrett, Tennessee's Robert Meachem, Ohio State's Ted Ginn and either Ohio State's Anthony Gonzalez or LSU's Craig Davis -- or both -- might not last until Round 3. That still leaves the possibility of some intriguing prospects on the board: South Carolina's Sidney Rice, Fresno State's Paul Williams and USC's Steve Smith, among others.

And the weakest position? Tight end, where Miami's Greg Olsen is a shaky first-rounder. Colleges are running so much spread offense these days that they simply don't need tight ends, even though that position has taken on more importance lately on the pro level.

Hits and misses

When Ron Wolf, the former Packers general manager, studied past drafts to find some common denominators that characterized successful picks, he could find only one that stood out. More than not, the best players attended schools in the major conferences. It was not a perfect standard, but when it came down to choosing between two players in drafts, he consistently went with the guy from the big-name university.

I asked other scouts what they thought was the one characteristic of successful players from the drafts in which they had participated. Almost unanimously, they came up with one answer: effort.

"You want a guy who wants to show up every day and work," says the Dolphins' Mueller. "Does he want to punch a clock every day? If a guy works hard enough, he doesn't have to be physically perfect. His desire can make up for a lot of sins."

"They have had a burning desire to succeed," says Casserly. "Now, you are not sure how that will be affected once he is in the NFL and his life changes. Sometimes money will make a difference in how they work. But I think a guy who really wants to be good has less chance of letting money change him."

And those common traits that have led to misses?

"You fall in love with what guys do at the Combine and other workouts," says the Packers' Dorsey. "Or you fall in love with a guy's personality. He dazzles you, but he still can't play."

Forgetting production also leads to bad picks. Players who consistently produced good statistics, even if they don't have all the measurables, prove more reliable than the physical specimen who has no football instincts. "Tape doesn't lie," says Wolf. "If the guy keeps making plays on tape, you sit up and take note."

Here are four risky first-round prospects in this draft:

Clemson defensive end Gaines Adams (could wind up being only a situational player because of problems against the run).
Jarrett (lack of speed presents huge downside).
Olsen (lacks developed blocking skills).
Michigan defensive tackle Alan Branch (lack of consistency in games scares some scouts).
Where are the small-school players?

When the late Eddie Robinson had his best teams at Grambling, the NFL happily was finding gems at his and other so-called small schools. But what once was fertile ground for the pros has now dried up noticeably.

One NFL personnel man stared a few minutes at his preliminary board for this year's draft before finding any names of players from small schools. He finally identified two prospects he might pick, both in the late rounds. Other scouts say it's not quite that bad, but even they agree that predominantly black colleges and schools below Division I-AA no longer are developing as many top NFL players as they once did.

"It's dried up beyond dry," says Casserly. "We all have our theories as to why. But we met as a league 10 years ago about player development because we were concerned that as academic requirements rose in colleges, it would affect the talent coming into the NFL. And that is what is happening right now."

In addition, with more colleges recruiting nationally and with more Internet recruiting services increasing the scrutiny of prospects, it's now more unlikely that a really good high school player will escape big-school notice.

The best small-school player in this draft is Jacoby Jones, a receiver from Lane College, who's likely a fourth-round pick at best. Other small-school guys who could be drafted include Michael Allan, a tight end from Whitworth; Allen Barbre, a tackle from Missouri Southern; Kevin Boss, a tight end from West-ern Oregon; and Zak DeOssie, a linebacker from Brown.

ONE, MAYBE DONE

Timmons could be lone first-rounder from FSU

By BOB THOMAS, The Times-Union

TALLAHASSEE - Since 1994, the NFL Draft has been a time of celebration for Florida State.

Eighty-six former Seminoles players have been picked since the NFL adopted its current seven-round format, more than powerhouses Ohio State (83), Tennessee (81), Miami (78), Nebraska (70) and Florida (67).

But as encore performances go, FSU's current draft-eligible crop won't be able to match the results of their former teammates in next weekend's draft. Four Seminoles were selected among the first 19 players in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft, with four others later picked.

Outside linebacker Lawrence Timmons, who passed on his senior season of eligibility to enter the draft, likely will be the only Seminole selected in the first round this year. A rare physical talent, Timmons has been pegged as a top prospect since he announced he was signing with agent Drew Rosenhaus after FSU's Emerald Bowl victory over UCLA last December.

It proved to be a fitting college sendoff for Timmons, who scored his third touchdown of the season by returning a blocked field-goal attempt. Timmons also returned an interception and a fumble for a score during his junior season, when he compiled 79 tackles, with five sacks among his 18 tackles for loss.

Timmons' stock has dipped slightly since the NFL Combine in February, when he came up two inches shorter than his listed height of 6-foot-3 and managed only a 4.66 40-yard-dash time. Still, most mock drafts have Timmons slotted as a mid- to late-first-round pick, no doubt based on a brief but productive career.

In 38 games, Timmons made 126 tackles (70 solos) and logged eight sacks among 221/2 tackles for loss. Aside from his defensive scores, Timmons also blocked four kicks in his FSU career.

Beyond Timmons, the Seminoles' draft picture becomes a bit cloudy.

Tailback Lorenzo Booker, whose speed, elusiveness and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield are premium commodities, could suffer a similar fate to his former teammate, Leon Washington.

"I feel like I'm the most versatile back in the draft," Booker said. "You can put me in the backfield, I can line up in the slot, I can return kicks. That was something I wanted to show because I know in the league, it's all about versatility. Leon proved that last year."

Washington, the one-time Jackson High School star, wasn't selected until the fourth round by the New York Jets in 2006, despite skills than enabled him to be a productive NFL rookie.

Like Washington, Booker was the victim of an offense that ranked among the nation's worst when it came to running the football. Although he gained 616 rushing yards as a senior, he piled up 2,389 on the ground over the course of his career at an average of 4.8 yards per carry and never lost a fumble. Booker also amassed 114 receptions for 995 yards.

Combine and FSU pro day workouts aside, Booker made his strongest case for early inclusion in the draft when he rushed for 91 yards, caught five passes for 117 and scored two touchdowns in his Emerald Bowl MVP performance.

Diminutive inside linebacker Buster Davis, last season's team leader in tackles (109) and a first-team All-ACC performer, likely will go late Saturday or early Sunday.

Offensive tackle Mario Henderson, whose physical measurables compare favorably to former FSU All-American Alex Barron, could be the wild card among potential draftees. Henderson has tested well, and the potential of his 6-61/2, 302-pound frame could be tempting for second-day draft shoppers.

Wide receiver Chris Davis is the only other former Seminole likely to have his name called, although he could end up going the invited free-agent route. Davis, a St. Petersburg native, worked out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this week.

bob.thomas@jacksonville.com, (850) 224-7515

He's 6-3 and ran a 4.11 40-yard-dash, which would have made him the fastest player at the NFL Draft Combine. If what you're about to read is 100 percent true, and the Vikings do make him a project, watch out.


Delran's Todd Lowber signs with the Minnesota Vikings despite never playing football

By JEFF OFFORD
Burlington County Times

A football player usually begins his career in grade school, on a small field in front of a few parents. Not at age 25 in front of 63,000 screaming fans in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.

Todd Lowber has never played a down in his life, yet there's a chance the former Delran High School track and basketball star could be on the Minnesota Vikings' roster next September.

Lowber recently signed a three-year deal with the Vikes after impressing team scouts during a workout. The deal — like most contracts in the NFL — isn't guaranteed, meaning Lowber's dream is a long way from becoming reality. Yet, considering his height (6-foot-3) and speed (he's run several sub 4.4 40-yard dashes), all the natural tools are in place.

All Lowber really has to do now is learn the playbook.

And prove he can take a hit.

“I know I've taken the long road,'' Lowber said. “But I'm not shocked that I've made it this far. I don't want to come off as cocky but I'm confident I can do this. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time.''

Lowber first considered playing professional football about 10 months ago. He had always participated in basketball and track and field, in both high school and college but never gave football much thought.

Last August, Lowber decided to make the switch. It wasn't as if Lowber wasn't having much success at his other two sports. He won the NCAA Division 3 high jump title by clearing seven feet for Ramapo College last spring — and that's after not having high jumped since high school. And he averaged 12 points a game in 45 games for the Ramapo men's basketball team and was playing professionally in Germany last summer.

Yet, over the last eight months of running and jumping and catching passes, Lowber has learned to love a game he barely knows.

“When it came to football I always had tunnel vision,'' said Lowber, who now lives in Riverside. “I guess I just didn't want to get hurt. I was concentrating on the other two sports and wanted to keep it that way. Who knows where I'd be right now if I had gotten involved in football at an earlier age? Then again, everything happens for a reason.''

Lowber has been working five days a week since January with Jim Garrett, who has been involved with the NFL for 40 years as a player, assistant coach and scout.

Garrett, who also was a head coach on the collegiate level, last worked as a scout for Cowboys in 2003.
click here

Garrett, retired now, helps develop football hopefuls at GoodSports USA in Wall Township. Over the years Garrett has seen a lot of talented players come and go, but few better than Lowber.

“The kid is really fast and he can jump,'' Garrett said. “We had a workout for six NFL teams and he ran a 4.11, a 4.21, a 4.28 and a 4.3 40-yard dash. And he had a 421/2 vertical leap.

“Plus, he's such a nice kid. In all my years, he's the nicest kid I've ever been around. So polite and so respectful of his elders.

“With Todd, I didn't want to get involved in a bunch of technical stuff with him because I didn't want to confuse him. I mean, the kid's never worn a helmet before. So I just told him to watch the other kids and do what they do. He's a quick learner.

“I don't want to burden him with expectations. But I can see him making the (Vikings) final roster. But they have to take him from Point A. They have to bring him along from the beginning because he never played the game before. But he has the talent.”

Lowber has worked out for several NFL teams since March 29. According to his agent, Jim Ulrich, a Mount Laurel resident who works for Atlanta-based Enter-Sports Management, the Eagles were one of those teams who came to see Lowber. The Eagles liked what they saw but wanted to wait until after next weekend's NFL Draft to make a decision on signing him.

Lowber and Ulrich didn't want to wait that long. Neither did the Vikings.

“I wanted to get him into a situation where he could get some one-on-one instruction before the minicamps begin,'' Ulrich said. “I would have loved him to sign with the Eagles but they just couldn't pull the trigger.

“Minnesota is a good situation for him. They actually have a bigger need at wide receiver than the Eagles do and they have some great coaches to work with.''

Ulrich, like Garrett, doesn't want to make any hasty predictions right now but thinks Lowber has a legitimate chance to make the Vikes' final roster.

“One of the scouts on the Vikes asked me how I thought he would do, and really, I told him I have no idea,'' Ulrich said. “He's never played football before. But he's got incredible talent and a huge heart. He wants to do this.''

Lions Can Trace Futility to NFL Drafts
By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

DETROIT -- The Detroit Lions have lost 75 percent of their games since Matt Millen began running the franchise, in large part because nearly half of his first-round picks have been busts.

Joey Harrington and Charles Rogers were traded and cut, respectively, last year. Mike Williams might not make it to a third season in Detroit.


"You invest a lot of time and money into people you pick high and they're supposed to be game-changing players," Millen's first No. 1 pick, offensive tackle Jeff Backus, said Thursday. "You need them to pan out and be worthy of the pick.

"Nobody gets first-round stars every year, but we've had to go to free agency to fill some holes because at some point you need draft picks to develop."

Millen will have at least one more chance to get it right in the first round on April 28, when the Lions make the No. 2 pick overall or trade down to add picks and fill many needs.

If Detroit sticks with its spot, no one seems to know what Millen will do because arguments can be made for drafting any of the following: Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson; LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell; Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn; Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe Thomas; Clemson defensive end Gaines Adams; or Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson.

All of those players have recently visited the Lions, except Peterson, who is scheduled to be at the team's headquarters Friday.

"This is one of the most interesting drafts of all time," NFL draft analyst Gil Brandt said. "Everybody knows who the top 10 players are, but nobody knows what team is going to take them and in what order they're going."

Draft-day misses, particularly in the first round, have led to Detroit posting an NFL-worst record of 24-72 since Millen became the team's chief executive in 2001.

The only other stretch of futility in league history that compares is Tampa Bay's 12 straight double-digit loss seasons from 1983-94.

Millen got off to a good start in his first draft after leaving a low-stress, lucrative job as a TV analyst.

Backus was selected 18th overall in 2001 and has been durable and effective enough to start every game -- and get a new contract. Second-round pick Shaun Rogers turned into a Pro Bowl defensive tackle, and another second-rounder, Dominic Raiola, has started each game at center the last five seasons.

Wide receiver Roy Williams and running back Kevin Jones were drafted with savvy moves in the 2004 first round. Linebacker Ernie Sims had a solid rookie season last year, making Millen feel good about taking a defensive player for the first time with a first-round pick.

Millen's first three picks -- Backus, Raiola and Shaun Rogers -- bolstered the lines, perhaps fittingly for a player that won Super Bowls as a tough linebacker.

Then, Millen invested millions of William Clay Ford's money in some picks who didn't appear to fit his image as a gritty player.

Harrington was taken third overall in 2002 to end a decades-long search for a quarterback. Rogers was added with the second pick the next year to give Harrington a go-to receiver.

Millen stunned everyone by taking Mike Williams 10th overall two years ago, making him the first executive to take wide receivers in the first round three straight years since the NFL and AFL merged drafts in 1967.

"The league now is like the AFL was from 1965-69 -- it's a throwing, wide-open game," Millen said, explaining his reasoning in a 2005 interview with the AP. "That all points to catching the football."

The experiment failed miserably, helping to create a bleak present and questionable future for a franchise with only one playoff victory since winning the NFL title a half-century ago.

"If you miss too much with the draft, like the Lions have, it's hard to overcome," said Brandt, who was vice president of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960-89.

Millen clearly missed on Harrington and Charles Rogers and all signs are pointing toward Mike Williams being another draft-day mistake.

Harrington was traded after four lackluster seasons to Miami for a fifth-round pick. The Dolphins cut him this offseason and he's now in Atlanta.


Charles Rogers was released just before last season and is still looking for work. His career in Detroit ended with just 36 receptions for 440 yards and four touchdowns, along with two broken collarbones and a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.

"Looking back on it, and I've told Joey this, it would've been hard for him to succeed because he was thrown right in the mix and had the weight of the team on his shoulders," Backus said. "Charles obviously had off-the-field issues, but I'll always wonder if he would've avoided them if two broken collarbones didn't take him away from the team for basically two seasons."

Millen has acknowledged the franchise couldn't afford to regret taking Harrington and Charles Rogers.

"They can't do it alone, but in order for us to get where we want to get, we can't look back and say we missed with those guys," Millen said in 2003.

To be fair, taking Harrington and Charles Rogers was hailed almost universally. It simply didn't work out for them in Detroit, just like first-round picks each year don't pan out for other teams.

But taking Mike Williams was regarded as indefensible at the time and still is today.

He had to sit out the 2004 season at USC after trying to enter the draft as an underclassman and giving up his eligibility. Detroit has fined Williams for being overweight and played him sparingly in just eight games last season, hoping to motivate him, but nothing seemed to work. Williams has skipped voluntary workouts, making it closer to a lock that his future is elsewhere

Brandt said he has known Millen a long time, spent a lot of time with him at the NFL combine, and respects his knowledge of the game. That's why he's so puzzled at Millen's lack of success on draft days.

"It's hard to figure why he's missed on some of the players he did and why he took (Mike) Williams in the first place," Brandt said. "To me, Matt is like Charles Rogers because they both have talent and seem to work at it, but I can't put my finger on why it hasn't worked out for either of them."