NFL EXPANDS INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE SQUAD PROGRAM

From NFLMedia.com

To enhance the development of elite football talent from around the world, NFL clubs have agreed to expand the league’s International Practice Squad Program. The action was taken at the NFL Spring Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia on May 20.

The initiative, which enters its fifth year in 2008, will for the first time feature 16 players joining the practice squads of NFL teams.

The players will be selected and assigned to teams in the AFC North, AFC West, NFC South and NFC West in time for training camp. Participating players will be announced in mid-July.

Since the program’s inception in 2004, 22 players have participated, including 11 last year and nine that have participated twice.

One player, guard Rolando Cantu of Mexico, graduated from the International Practice Squad Program to see action in the NFL the following season. Cantu spent 2004 on the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad before being elevated to the active roster by the club in 2005.

Cantu played in one game that year, the club’s season finale against the Indianapolis Colts, and was on the field when kicker Neil Rackers connected on his record-setting 40th field goal of the season, the most in a season in NFL history.

Cantu is now retired from football and serves as the Cardinals’ manager of international business ventures.

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SEC’s Woodson, Ainge Adjust To Different Roles In New York
By Jon Wagner for Football reporters online
May 21, 2008

In their final meeting at the college level, they combined for 827 passing yards and 13 touchdown passes in one of the most exciting games of the entire 2007 college football season.

Quarterback Erik Ainge led his Tennessee Volunteers that day (November 24th, 2007) to a thrilling 52-50 triple-overtime comeback win over the Kentucky Wildcats and fellow SEC quarterback Andre Woodson, before a national television audience.

Once star quarterbacks in the college football’s best conference, the New York Jets’ Ainge and the New York Giants’ Woodson must now adjust, for the foreseeable future, to life as backups in NFL’s biggest market.

The earlier similarities between Ainge and Woodson were evident throughout their college careers.

Each played in the SEC from 2004-2007, with each starting slowly during their first two years, each taking drastic steps forward in their development during their junior years, and each enjoying tremendous seniors seasons.

Even their frames and styles were nearly identical. Both pocket passers, neither the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Ainge nor the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Woodson ran much at all in college.

Their SEC career numbers weren’t drastically different, either. In 43 games at Tennessee, Ainge completed 59.1 percent of his passes, for 8,700 yards, while throwing 72 touchdown passes and 35 interceptions. Woodson meanwhile, was a 61.5 percent passer, throwing for 9,360 yards, 79 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions in 44 games at Kentucky.

The similar progression of their college careers makes it in some ways, fitting that each were drafted around the same time (Ainge in Round 5, Woodson in Round 6) in last month’s NFL draft, and that each are headed to the same town (the same home stadium even) to fulfill (for now) primarily the same roles.

Those roles of course, consist of being understudies to already-established starting NFL quarterbacks. Although, as we’ve seen before, the success demonstrated by these two former SEC standouts has the possibility of translating to the NFL much more rapidly than expected, if the unexpected happens to those in front of them (look no further than the well-chronicled former sixth-round understudy himself, Tom Brady, replacing the once expected star-of-the-future, Drew Bledsoe, for good).

Barring a situation like Bledsoe’s injury paving the way for Brady however, such an opportunity for Ainge or Woodson may be where their similarities could end.

Though both figure to have a considerable wait to get a decent shot with the New York teams who drafted them, Ainge may be a lot closer to getting his chance.

Ainge will wait behind the winner of this summer’s Jets’ starting quarterback battle between Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens. However, even without an injury to either, if both falter (as they have in the past), early in the 2008 season, Ainge might get his opportunity to be an NFL starter faster than he had realistically hoped.

Woodson’s chances with the Giants meanwhile, look to be a lot slimmer for now. Yet another former SEC star mentioned here, the once maligned and criticized Eli Manning, has certainly turned his professional career around with his Super Bowl XLII MVP in February. The Giants with a seemingly more stable situation at the starting quarterback position likely means considerably more waiting time for Woodson to become and NFL starter than for Ainge. Adding further to that timetable for now, Woodson is currently missing some practice time due to a strained left quadriceps muscle which he injured in a morning practice on Saturday, May 10th.

At least in terms of waiting for a shot with the Giants, Woodson can lean on fellow University Of Kentucky quarterback, Jared Lorenzen, who has thrown all of eight passes, playing just in two games in two full seasons with the Giants.

Saturday will mark an even full half-year since the game in which Ainge and Woodson both shined as their SEC careers wound down prior to being drafted in the NFL.

Now, after sharing many headlines in the same college conference, each must play the waiting game in the same pro media market which produces the most headlines.

We meet the marketing people behind promoting the Oakland Raiders' new running back Darren McFadden. We also talk to Darren's Mom -- all at the NFL Draft.

I Guess HBO is trying to keep the show fresh and innovative. That's nice, but could you pick a better team to showcase then the Cowgirls-i-mean-boys? How about some team who is on their way back up, Like the Redskins, or the Vikings, or even the Saints. Any team but the Cowboys and their attention seeking receiver Terrell Owens, who reminds us not to Pick on Tony Romo because he's is "His QB." Let me know when Tony gets a National Commercial spot. Even Brady Quinn of the Browns(and he's still a Back-up!) has an EAS-Myoplex commercial!! Is Wade Phillips even "Telegenic" enough to do a month of Training camp TV spots? Will we see another Terrell Owens "Meltdown"?

We have learned from a confidential source inside Bay Area Politics that Oakland Raiders execs, including Al Davis, and Amy Trask, and Davis' son Mark Davis, have held secret meetings with the City of Oakland for the last three months. The meetings concern building a new stadium and the Raiders current lease situation with the City of Oakland and the County of Alameda. I want to stress that we are still gathering information regarding this story and it is constantly in flux.

The source also said that Mr. Davis was in such poor health that he was unable to attend many of the meetings, which are still going on at this time to the best of our knowledge.

The Raiders are a franchise that wants to work very hard to improve the experience of the Hometown fan. Amid all the talk of a new stadium for the other Bay Area franchise, Oakland seemed to get lost again. I say The Raiders should let the fans know they want to bring them a better building, instead of keeping the talks under wraps. This way if the city burns them later they can say "see we tried" and not look like carpet baggers.

We have added two more Day two NFL Draft Audio Interviews. The Press conference with Caleb Campbell after the U.S. Army Cadet was selected in the 7th round by the Detroit Lions, and our conversation with Clark Judge of CBSSports.com

they are at:

Photo:(by A.Fumai) Hofstra's Shawn McMackin Throws a Punishing Block on a Furman defensive end, allowing QB Bryan Savage to find a Receiver downfield.


Jets sign Hofstra invitee McMackin to contract
BY ERIK BOLAND | erik.boland@newsday.com
May 5, 2008

As Shawn McMackin sat in the Jets' locker room Saturday between practices at the team's rookie minicamp, the offensive lineman surveyed his surroundings.

"Playing for Hofstra and having the Jets in your backyard, it really is a dream come true," McMackin said.

And that was him speaking merely as a tryout invitee.

Yesterday, McMackin's lot improved considerably. He left the three-day camp with a contract in hand.

"I'm absolutely speechless," he said yesterday afternoon. "I'm just absolutely elated. I'm speechless now. I don't know what to say."

Neither did McMackin's father, Robert.

At the conclusion of yesterday morning's workout, McMackin said, one of the team's college scouts sent him to meet with Ari Nissim, who handles contracts for the Jets. After McMackin and his agent, Andrew Bondarowicz, worked out the contract details, McMackin called home.

"I told my dad and he asked me if I was joking," said McMackin, a River Vale, N.J., product. "I told him no. He told me if I was joking, not to come home."

McMackin's signing coincided with the release of two of the team's rookie free agents who were signed after the draft: Brett Byford, a center from Nebraska, and Al Phillips, a cornerback from Wagner.

The 6-4, 295-pound McMackin, whether in practice or in games, lined up at all five offensive line positions at some point during his Hofstra career. The position McMackin was least experienced in, and least comfortable with, was center. Naturally, Bill Callahan, brought in as an assistant this offseason to coach the Jets' offensive line and work with the running game, asked him to execute some center-quarterback exchanges.

McMackin's response?

"Yes, sir," McMackin said with a laugh.

Hofstra coach Dave Cohen said Jets director of player personnel Terry Bradway told him yesterday that McMackin's versatility and work ethic stood out. That didn't surprise Cohen, who called McMackin an "athletic specimen."

"You always want to see the hardest workers succeed," Cohen said. "He's just tireless."

Making the active roster is still a long shot for McMackin, but so too was getting this far. As of last night, he was the only one of the 34 tryout invitees to be signed by the team.

McMackin said he has two weeks off before he has to report back to the Jets' practice facility, but "off" is misleading. McMackin has a thick Jets playbook to study and tape to watch in learning the intricacies of five offensive line positions.

McMackin, laughing again, emphasized he has no preference. "Wherever they need me," he said.

My Spin: McMackin was the most complete Offensive lineman for the Pride's 2007 Team.
He only improved as the year progressed, allowing QB Bryan Savage to "Find" himself and his Playmakers. Sadly, a late season collapse kept Hofstra from the CAA Playoffs.

Some More of the Audio interviews we did over the two days of the 2008 NFL DRAFT are up at Blog.footballreportersonline.com

Photo: Hofstra's Kareem Huggins Hits the Endzone early during a 2007 Game.
(By A. Fumai )

Unless you really know your NY area local college football, these next two names mean nothing to you. But if you do, then you won't be surprised that Hofstra University's Kareem Huggins and Charles Sullivan are getting tryouts at the Jets Complex this weekend. Aside from the fact that the Jets have been Headquartered on a small plot of university grounds for 40 years, it's a safe bet that the Jets former GM and current director of scouting Terry Bradway was paying attention to Hofstra's two standout offensive players during the 2007 college football season. Huggins does it all, Play Runningback, return kickoffs and punts, and can catch the ball out of the backfield. Sullivan Led the team in Scoring, Touchdowns, receiving yards, and receptions. He also set records for most Receiving yardage in a game (157) and career receiving yardage, breaking records held prior by Wayne Morris, Marques Colston, and Wayne Cherbet.Don't be surprised if one or bothof these players end up on an NFL roster somewhere if not in New York.....

Bill

Did I Feel a Draft Pass By…
By Dr. Bill Chachkes

Talk about your fast first day! After last year’s Marathon six hours and eight minutes, we had a rapid fire three hours and thirty-three minutes for a first round. Some people are already claiming it was too short. I say that as much as I love the draft, leave it at a shortened first two rounds, maybe adjust the time back up to twelve minutes and the second round to 8 minutes. Lets roll it back to 2 Pm next year and it will still end around the same time. Some of the more memorable moments of the 2008 NFL Draft:

Jets fans can say all they want that Vernon Gholston is their man, but plenty of them were chanting for Darren McFadden at Friday’s Prospects Preview event at the Winter Garden atrium at the World Financial Center, as well as at the draft Saturday morning and afternoon. The two time Heisman Trophy runner up put all that disappointment behind him by becoming the 4th overall pick to Oakland. Our Partner Zennie Abraham had the best questions of the press conference for McFadden. He had the best attitude answering them as well.

Right now, Kansas City’s GM Carl Peterson looks like the genius of this draft. A Glenn (Dorsey of LSU) first, then two Brandon’s (Albert & Flowers) makes him look real smart. But will Herm Edwards be able to win the game(s) with these raw recruits? We shall see….

Everyone expected Chad Henne or Brian Brohm to be the next QB selected. No one thought Joe Flacco was Good enough to be a first round QB. Except maybe Ozzie Newsome, and our own Jon Wagner, and myself (read John’s piece that was posted before the draft elsewhere on the site!) While I myself thought that Flacco was as good as Henne or Brohm, I thought the natural course would be for the teams looking for QB’s to take the FBS (1-A) Players before the FCS(1-AA) Players, at least at QB, since so many of the better QB’s from 1-AA slid after All Star games, Combine’s and Pro Days.
Joe Flacco never slid in my mind.

On Sunday we got to speak to 4 People who are the very fabric of the game. First, I had 60 seconds with Commissioner Roger Goodell. By the 30th second he had confirmed what I knew all along before ever meeting him. While no one could ever be perfect, the game we love is safe in his hands. At least for now anyway. Then I spoke to a man who believes that every man deserves to be congratulated for what ever he does in this world. He also believes that the last pick in the draft is every bit as special as the first. I’m talking about Mr. Irrelevant's Paul Satala. We should have more grand men of the game like him.

Finally two men who have always kept it strait in their reporting spent a few minutes each with me. CBS Sports’ Clark Judge, and ESPN’s John Clayton. Both thought it was a wild first day. Clark had said to Zennie and I late Saturday that he thought a few teams had gone retro with their scouting this time out (I said “you mean like back in the 60’s with yellow legal pads in front of the TV watching college games Saturday afternoon?).
John Agreed with me that the Lions Pick up of Army’s Caleb Campbell was a quality selection for Round 7, but can he score touchdowns? Who Knows….


Photos: Howie Long Speaks to the Media(Left) before his Son Chris(Right) took the stage stage in the interview room at the 2008 NFL Draft