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BEAR GREAT RETIRES, NINERS SUFFER MAJOR LOSS & IS 12 SAFETIES ENOUGH?
This morning Bears great middle linebacker Brian Urlacher announced his retirement. Chicago decided not to resign the 13-year veteran & when he wasn't offered any deal elsewhere, he decided now was the time to hang it up. The 8-time Pro Bowl performer & 2005 NFL Defensive Player of the Year was a safety at New Mexico. Playing for the Lobo's, Urlacher was clearly the best player on the team & head coach Rocky Long used him all over the field. When Urlacher left for the NFL as the Bears #1 pick in 2000, he held the school record for tackles in a season with 178, which also led the nation. But he was also utilized as a punt returner(6 return TD's) & as a wide receiver(5 TD receptions). Throw in 11 sacks & 11 forced fumbles & it's easy to see why the Bears chose him #1, with the 9th overall pick. He finishes his career with 1,353 tackles, 41.5 sacks & 22 interceptions. A string of injuries the past two seasons limited his playing time.
I told you recently Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski would undergo his 4th surgical procedure on his right forearm after originally fracturing it last November. Now there are rumblings around Foxboro that he will need further back surgery within the the next 18-months. He underwent back surgery in his junior season at Arizona. Multiple doctors gave him a clean bill of health before he was drafted in 2010 but now it appears his condition once again threatens playing time for one of Tom Brady's favorite receivers.
Last week I mentuioned I didn't expect free agent Dwight Freeney to leave San Diego without a contract. He left without a deal but was back 2-days later to sign a 2-year $8.76 million pact, which included a $3.25 million signing bonus.
The Oakland Raiders signed veteran safety Charles Woodson on Monday. He turned down a similar offer from the Denver Broncos, a team way more likely to contend for a trip to the Super Bowl than the Raiders. I've always been a huge C.W. fan so I haven't quite figured out his decision.
The defending NFC Champs, the San Francisco Forty-Niners, suffered a terrible blow today as their leading receiver from a year ago, Michael Crabtree, suffered a torn Achilles tendon during a Wednesday OTA & will miss at least the next 6-months. The wide receiver caught 74-passes last year & added nine touchdowns. The Niners added free agent Anquan Boldin to a roster that also includes 2nd year man A.J. Jenkins & 2013 4th round selection, Quinton Patton. Will they bring back Randy Moss or maybe it will be Brandon Lloyd, Frisco's leading receiver in 2010. Both are currently free agents.
Niners coach Jim Harbaugh will get a thrill of a lifetime this Sunday as he was selected to drive the Pace Car in the Indianapolis 500 as the grand marshall.
Because of a previous booking, New York's fabled Radio City Music Hall will not be available for the NFL Draft next April. It's always held the last Thur/Fri/Sat of April. If the draft is pushed back into May, I personally don't see the problem, especially if we're talking about a one-time deal. Some scribes around the league are sweating everything being delayed, from OTA's & mini camps to where could the draft be moved to stay constant, continuing the tradition. This one's far from over.
New Chiefs coach Chris Ault will be honored by the Nevada Wolfpack. The Reno-based University announced they will dedicate their Mackay Stadium playing surface to Ault. The man credited with creating the pistol offense won 233-games as the head coach in Reno.
Is 12 safeties enough? The Kansas City Chiefs currently have an even dozen on their roster. The question is, are any of them good enough to beat out either of the incumbents, Kendrick Lewis & Eric Berry? The team signed two more safeties on Monday, 5-year veteran Quintin Demps & undrafted rookie free agent Malcolm Brown. Last week they cut Dequan Menzie & as I predicted, he was signed by the Detroit Lions. Demps played 2-seasons under Andy Reid in Philadelphia before a 3-year stint with the Texans. The shear number of prospects at this position speaks volumes to Andy Reid's & defensive coordinator Bob Sutton's evaluation of their depth chart at safety.
Do you really get what pay for? In 2009, then General Manager, Scott Pioli, signed Todd Haley for $2.75 million per season. Last January, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, signed Andy Reid to a deal worth $7.5 million per season, a difference of $4.75 million per season. That according to Forbes Magazine, which recently ranked the highest paid coaches. Reid was #4 in all of professional sports.
Apparently not being drafted was a good wake-up call for Chiefs quarterback Tyler Bray. Since the beginning of OTA's, Bray has looked better than Ricky Stanzi, K.C.'s 3rd man on the depth chart the past two seasons. Bray has excellent NFL tools, especially his throwing arm, but he has shown questionable work ethic & had a couple of off-field transgressions while at Tennessee. I said when Kansas City signed him, I didn't see anyway Stanzi would end up being ahead of Bray on the Chiefs' depth chart.
Listen up Missouri Staters. Philadelphia tight end Clay Harbor is being tried at outside linebacker. Harbor, in his 4th season with Philly, has both the size(6' 3" 252) & the speed(4.55 in the forty) to play outside in Chip Kelly's new defense. But does he have the necessary instincts?
I told you recently Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski would undergo his 4th surgical procedure on his right forearm after originally fracturing it last November. Now there are rumblings around Foxboro that he will need further back surgery within the the next 18-months. He underwent back surgery in his junior season at Arizona. Multiple doctors gave him a clean bill of health before he was drafted in 2010 but now it appears his condition once again threatens playing time for one of Tom Brady's favorite receivers.
Last week I mentuioned I didn't expect free agent Dwight Freeney to leave San Diego without a contract. He left without a deal but was back 2-days later to sign a 2-year $8.76 million pact, which included a $3.25 million signing bonus.
The Oakland Raiders signed veteran safety Charles Woodson on Monday. He turned down a similar offer from the Denver Broncos, a team way more likely to contend for a trip to the Super Bowl than the Raiders. I've always been a huge C.W. fan so I haven't quite figured out his decision.
The defending NFC Champs, the San Francisco Forty-Niners, suffered a terrible blow today as their leading receiver from a year ago, Michael Crabtree, suffered a torn Achilles tendon during a Wednesday OTA & will miss at least the next 6-months. The wide receiver caught 74-passes last year & added nine touchdowns. The Niners added free agent Anquan Boldin to a roster that also includes 2nd year man A.J. Jenkins & 2013 4th round selection, Quinton Patton. Will they bring back Randy Moss or maybe it will be Brandon Lloyd, Frisco's leading receiver in 2010. Both are currently free agents.
Niners coach Jim Harbaugh will get a thrill of a lifetime this Sunday as he was selected to drive the Pace Car in the Indianapolis 500 as the grand marshall.
Because of a previous booking, New York's fabled Radio City Music Hall will not be available for the NFL Draft next April. It's always held the last Thur/Fri/Sat of April. If the draft is pushed back into May, I personally don't see the problem, especially if we're talking about a one-time deal. Some scribes around the league are sweating everything being delayed, from OTA's & mini camps to where could the draft be moved to stay constant, continuing the tradition. This one's far from over.
New Chiefs coach Chris Ault will be honored by the Nevada Wolfpack. The Reno-based University announced they will dedicate their Mackay Stadium playing surface to Ault. The man credited with creating the pistol offense won 233-games as the head coach in Reno.
Is 12 safeties enough? The Kansas City Chiefs currently have an even dozen on their roster. The question is, are any of them good enough to beat out either of the incumbents, Kendrick Lewis & Eric Berry? The team signed two more safeties on Monday, 5-year veteran Quintin Demps & undrafted rookie free agent Malcolm Brown. Last week they cut Dequan Menzie & as I predicted, he was signed by the Detroit Lions. Demps played 2-seasons under Andy Reid in Philadelphia before a 3-year stint with the Texans. The shear number of prospects at this position speaks volumes to Andy Reid's & defensive coordinator Bob Sutton's evaluation of their depth chart at safety.
Do you really get what pay for? In 2009, then General Manager, Scott Pioli, signed Todd Haley for $2.75 million per season. Last January, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, signed Andy Reid to a deal worth $7.5 million per season, a difference of $4.75 million per season. That according to Forbes Magazine, which recently ranked the highest paid coaches. Reid was #4 in all of professional sports.
Apparently not being drafted was a good wake-up call for Chiefs quarterback Tyler Bray. Since the beginning of OTA's, Bray has looked better than Ricky Stanzi, K.C.'s 3rd man on the depth chart the past two seasons. Bray has excellent NFL tools, especially his throwing arm, but he has shown questionable work ethic & had a couple of off-field transgressions while at Tennessee. I said when Kansas City signed him, I didn't see anyway Stanzi would end up being ahead of Bray on the Chiefs' depth chart.
Listen up Missouri Staters. Philadelphia tight end Clay Harbor is being tried at outside linebacker. Harbor, in his 4th season with Philly, has both the size(6' 3" 252) & the speed(4.55 in the forty) to play outside in Chip Kelly's new defense. But does he have the necessary instincts?
BRANDON ALBERT SAYS "NO HARD FEELINGS," BALDWIN & MOEAKI BETTER PICK IT UP VERY SOON, ROLANDO MCCLAIN RETIRES....AT AGE 23 & CHARGERS DOWN ANOTHER LINEBACKER
As promised, Chiefs left tackle Brandon Albert return to the team as they began their first day of OTA's(organized team activities). When asked about any hard feelings when the team slapped the franchise tag on him after failing to reach a deal on a long term contract, he replied "Nope, no hard feelings, just glad to be back." He will play for the league-mandated $9.28 million this season. Kansas City used the first overall pick in April's draft to select offensive tackle Eric Fisher. What happens with Albert remains to be seen but I can tell you this, NFL teams don't expend the #1 overall pick on a right tackle nor do they pay left tackle money to right tackles, so Fisher might have to do a year on the right, but eventually he'll be moved back to his normal left tackle spot. BTW, the difference between left & right tackle money? Try 40-150% higher in base salary alone, a huge disparity neither Albert nor Fisher wants to concede.
Brandon Albert
I have to admit, I was shocked when the Chiefs cut DB DeQuan Menzie yesterday. The 2012 5th round draft pick spent the entire season on injured reserve & I fully expected him to challenge for playing time at free safety this season. There must have been something about Menzie or his playing style that didn't sit well with defensive coordinator Bob Sutton. He was a fearless tackler against the run at Alabama & always seemed to be around the ball making plays. I'll be very surprised if he doesn't catch on with another team.
Wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin & tight end Tony Moeaki are not impressing new head coach Andy Reid. Baldwin, Kansas City's #1 pick in 2011, dropped numerous passes the first two days of OTA's & had difficulty staying on his feet, even when he was untouched. Moeaki, a 2010 3rd round pick, continues to be sidelined, still rehabbing from a January arthroscopic knee procedure. Normally, it is common to be back in action after an arthroscopic procedure in 3-4 weeks, it's been over 4-months. Moeaki has a history, going back to his 6-years at Iowa, of missing extended playing time due to injury. Neither of these two are wired to Reid or GM John Dorsey, so it's important they get their respective acts together very quickly, I have the feeling Dorsey & Reid will make some quick decisions on personnel & move on. The Chiefs certainly aren't flush at wide receiver, but Baldwin is so far from being an impact player, I think his time is short. Moeaki better find a way to get back in the lineup, with free agent acquisition Anthony Fasano & 3rd round pick Travis Kelce, Kansas City might bury Moeaki on the depth chart or cut him altogether.
Former Denver starting defensive tackle, Ryan McBean, is in Kansas City getting a look-see from the Chiefs. The 29-year old former 4th round pick by the Steelers, had his most productive years with Denver but a drug suspension had him moving to Baltimore last season. He was cut before the season began.
Former Saints & Chargers running back Chuck Muncie died yesterday at age 60. The bruising back from Cal was the 1975 Heisman Trophy runner-up. He debuted with New Orleans, part of their "Thunder & Lightning" backfield paired with for former Mizzou Tiger Tony Galbreath. But Muncie longed to return to the Golden State & during the 1980 season, he was traded to San Diego. He was a productive back, in nine seasons, he totaled over 9,000-yards rushing & receiving & scored 74-touchdowns. Muncie wore black horn-rimmed glasses, instead of contacts, for his entire career. His career ended when he began having trouble with cocaine. He later was sent to prison for distribution & it was there, he changed his life completely around. He dedicated the remaining years of his life to educating young people about drugs. He was tireless, year after year, sometimes going 150-200 days without a day off. Muncie died of a heart attack at his home in Los Angeles.
Rolando McClain was the 8th overall selection by the Oakland Raiders in the 2010 NFL draft. The inside linebacker from Alabama had troubles as soon as he signed his first professional contract. He was arrested a total of 4 times in his hometown of Decatur Alabama. Twice, firearms were involved & on two other occasions, he battled police. The Raiders had their fill of McClain midway thru last season after a hometown arrest during a bereavement leave from the team for his grandmother's funeral. When he returned to the team, he got into an argument with head coach Dennis Allen & was sent home for the remainder of the season. Oakland cut him after the season ended & only Baltimore expressed any interest in the troubled defender. Ravens' GM Ozzie Newsome signed McClain to a veterans' minimum contract without a signing bonus so that they could jettison him if he began getting into trouble again. Didn't take long before McClain was arrested twice this off-season & his future with Baltimore was definitely in jeopardy. Today, at age 23, McClain announced his retirement. The Ravens quickly placed him on the retired list, thereby removing any responsibility to pay McClain a dime. I have no doubt he'll come back looking for another team to take a chance on him, probably next season or in 2015, we haven't heard the last from Rolando McClain.
Oakland signed wide receiver/kick returner Josh Cribbs this afternoon after the free agent made the rounds to NFL teams looking to improve their return game. He's currently rehabbing a knee but expects to be ready for training camp. Cribbs currently holds the NFL record for kickoff return touchdowns with eight. Chiefs fans might recall in 2009, Cribbs returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in Kansas City. The former quarterback from Kent State also has a pair of punt return touchdowns.
As San Diego second year linebacker Melvin Ingram develops, veteran Shaun Phillips was pushed out & ended up with division rival Denver. Bad news for the Chargers, Ingram tore his ACL in yesterday's OTA & will be lost for the season. This leaves the 3-4 defense woefully short at outside linebacker. Jarret Johnson, a solid 11-year veteran & disappointing Larry English are the only experienced candidates for the two outside spots. Enter former Colt Dwight Freeney who met with the Chargers staff this morning & considering their plight, I can't see him leaving the left coast without a contract.
Brandon Albert
I have to admit, I was shocked when the Chiefs cut DB DeQuan Menzie yesterday. The 2012 5th round draft pick spent the entire season on injured reserve & I fully expected him to challenge for playing time at free safety this season. There must have been something about Menzie or his playing style that didn't sit well with defensive coordinator Bob Sutton. He was a fearless tackler against the run at Alabama & always seemed to be around the ball making plays. I'll be very surprised if he doesn't catch on with another team.
Wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin & tight end Tony Moeaki are not impressing new head coach Andy Reid. Baldwin, Kansas City's #1 pick in 2011, dropped numerous passes the first two days of OTA's & had difficulty staying on his feet, even when he was untouched. Moeaki, a 2010 3rd round pick, continues to be sidelined, still rehabbing from a January arthroscopic knee procedure. Normally, it is common to be back in action after an arthroscopic procedure in 3-4 weeks, it's been over 4-months. Moeaki has a history, going back to his 6-years at Iowa, of missing extended playing time due to injury. Neither of these two are wired to Reid or GM John Dorsey, so it's important they get their respective acts together very quickly, I have the feeling Dorsey & Reid will make some quick decisions on personnel & move on. The Chiefs certainly aren't flush at wide receiver, but Baldwin is so far from being an impact player, I think his time is short. Moeaki better find a way to get back in the lineup, with free agent acquisition Anthony Fasano & 3rd round pick Travis Kelce, Kansas City might bury Moeaki on the depth chart or cut him altogether.
Former Denver starting defensive tackle, Ryan McBean, is in Kansas City getting a look-see from the Chiefs. The 29-year old former 4th round pick by the Steelers, had his most productive years with Denver but a drug suspension had him moving to Baltimore last season. He was cut before the season began.
Former Saints & Chargers running back Chuck Muncie died yesterday at age 60. The bruising back from Cal was the 1975 Heisman Trophy runner-up. He debuted with New Orleans, part of their "Thunder & Lightning" backfield paired with for former Mizzou Tiger Tony Galbreath. But Muncie longed to return to the Golden State & during the 1980 season, he was traded to San Diego. He was a productive back, in nine seasons, he totaled over 9,000-yards rushing & receiving & scored 74-touchdowns. Muncie wore black horn-rimmed glasses, instead of contacts, for his entire career. His career ended when he began having trouble with cocaine. He later was sent to prison for distribution & it was there, he changed his life completely around. He dedicated the remaining years of his life to educating young people about drugs. He was tireless, year after year, sometimes going 150-200 days without a day off. Muncie died of a heart attack at his home in Los Angeles.
Rolando McClain was the 8th overall selection by the Oakland Raiders in the 2010 NFL draft. The inside linebacker from Alabama had troubles as soon as he signed his first professional contract. He was arrested a total of 4 times in his hometown of Decatur Alabama. Twice, firearms were involved & on two other occasions, he battled police. The Raiders had their fill of McClain midway thru last season after a hometown arrest during a bereavement leave from the team for his grandmother's funeral. When he returned to the team, he got into an argument with head coach Dennis Allen & was sent home for the remainder of the season. Oakland cut him after the season ended & only Baltimore expressed any interest in the troubled defender. Ravens' GM Ozzie Newsome signed McClain to a veterans' minimum contract without a signing bonus so that they could jettison him if he began getting into trouble again. Didn't take long before McClain was arrested twice this off-season & his future with Baltimore was definitely in jeopardy. Today, at age 23, McClain announced his retirement. The Ravens quickly placed him on the retired list, thereby removing any responsibility to pay McClain a dime. I have no doubt he'll come back looking for another team to take a chance on him, probably next season or in 2015, we haven't heard the last from Rolando McClain.
Oakland signed wide receiver/kick returner Josh Cribbs this afternoon after the free agent made the rounds to NFL teams looking to improve their return game. He's currently rehabbing a knee but expects to be ready for training camp. Cribbs currently holds the NFL record for kickoff return touchdowns with eight. Chiefs fans might recall in 2009, Cribbs returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in Kansas City. The former quarterback from Kent State also has a pair of punt return touchdowns.
As San Diego second year linebacker Melvin Ingram develops, veteran Shaun Phillips was pushed out & ended up with division rival Denver. Bad news for the Chargers, Ingram tore his ACL in yesterday's OTA & will be lost for the season. This leaves the 3-4 defense woefully short at outside linebacker. Jarret Johnson, a solid 11-year veteran & disappointing Larry English are the only experienced candidates for the two outside spots. Enter former Colt Dwight Freeney who met with the Chargers staff this morning & considering their plight, I can't see him leaving the left coast without a contract.
CHIEFS ADD A HOF COACH, BRAY TEASES, TIGERS SIGN A BIGUN' & BEARS DRAFT LOGIC SOMEWHAT QUESTIONABLE
So when the news broke late this afternoon Kansas City had signed College Hall of Fame coach Chris Ault, I'll have to admit I was shocked. The 66-year old Ault will be a "special consultant' to Andy Reid. The former head coach at Nevada for 28-years is credited with inventing the Pistol formation, an option offense, similar to the read option being used by some NFL teams in certain down & distance situations. Ault had a pretty great quarterback to run this offense for four years, current Forty-Niners QB Colin Kaepernick. In 2009, he & RB Vai Taua combined for the most rushing yardage by teammates in NCAA history. What Andy Reid intends to do with Ault is a mystery to me but having lived in Nevada while he was coaching there, I can tell you he's an innovator & a real tough guy. This will be interesting to watch as we move closer to training camp.
The Chiefs signed one of their third round selections, running back Knile Davis, leaving them with five unsigned draft picks. I told you about Tyler Bray, how he has unquestioned NFL talent, but is a knucklehead far too often & can break your heart. During Saturday's rookie mini camp practice, Bray completed all seven attempts during his first 7-on-7 passing NFL passing drill. He came back after the other two QB's threw & completed all five of his throws, making him 12-for-12 on the day. Sunday, altho he threw three touchdowns, also threw a pick that would've come back for a touchdown. No way Ricky Stanzi beats bray out for the third QB spot.
Kansas City began the first of four weeks of OTA's on Monday morning. They'll have three practices this week, 3 next week, four the week after & then a 3-day mandatory mini camp for all players the first week of June.
After the mini camps are over league-wide, pretty much everybody associated with the NFL goes on vacation in preparation for training camps opening in July. I intend to do the same. I called an audible over the weekend after talking to my orthopedic surgeon last Friday, my wife & brother-in-law. I'm moving up my second knee replacement operation to late June instead of waiting until after football season. My knee is deteriorating daily it seems, so no reason to wait any longer & try to limp thru the next 9-months.
Former Kansas State quarterback, Collin Klein, impressed Texans coach Gary Kubiak during this past weekend's rookie mini camp, just not enough. Houston didn't offer Klein, invited to tryout, a contract.
I've been talking far too much about former Lions WR Titus Young, he keeps himself in the news with all his bad decisions that have resulted in multiple run-ins with law enforcement. This past weekend was no exception. He was arrested for the third time in a week, this time in San Clemente California. Young was allegedly attempting to burglarize a home late Friday night. The homeowner said Young came very close to getting shot as he was loading a rifle as Young was making his way thru the man's home. The police arrived & as he battled the cops, more charges were heaped on this obviously disturbed young man. He faces breaking & entering, burglary, resisting arrest & battery on a police officer for Friday night. The police believe Young's car might have been involved in two other calls Friday evening, they're still under investigation. His Friday night crime spree & two other arrests earlier in the week for D.U.I. & burglary, caught a judge just right. He set Young's bond at $75,000. I hope they keep him in jail until he can undergo some psychiatric testing to determine why he's gone so far off the rails. Family members says they hardly recognize Young when speaking to him.
The Missouri Tigers got a nice commitment for the 2014 class. Michael Fairchild, an offensive tackle from Blue Valley West High School in the Kansas City area, made a verbal commitment to Coach Gary Pinkel & his program. The 6' 6" 283-pound Fairchild carries a 4.0 GPA & has been recruited by both Harvard & Yale. His father Paul played for the Patriots from 1984 to 1990 as an offensive guard.
The one & only female NFL CEO, Amy Trask, resigned her post from the Oakland Raiders. Ms. Trask for a 25-year employee of the team & was personally hired by the late owner, Al Davis, as a lawyer for the franchise. Once Davis passed away, his son John planned to take the franchise in a new direction & it was only a matter of time before she was shown the door or resigned. She had been the CEO since 1997 & was a highly respected executive.
Amy Trask with Roger Goodell & Robert Kraft
Chicago offensive line coach, Aaron Kromer, said on Monday, the team drafted Oregon offensive lineman Kyle Long for a specific purpose, to block Ndamukong Suh. I'm starting to understand why da' Bears have the offensive line woes they do year after year. Long, son of HOF Howie & brother of Rams DE Chris, has so little experience, I was surprised he went in round one. He only started 8 games for the Ducks & he played at three different positions. Yes he has a very high upside, but if the Bears drafted him to block Suh this season, he will most likely, not be ready. Remember, NFC North division rivals Green Bay(B.J. Raji) & Minnesota(Kevin Williams & Sharif Floyd) have DT's who will also be a huge challenge for Long. I remember many, many years ago, the Oakland Raiders drafted an offensive guard, from little-known Texas A&I, named Gene Upshaw. Al Davis said he was drafted to block Chiefs defensive tackle Buck Buchanan. The future Chiefs Hall of Famer had wreaked havoc on the AFL for 4-years after being the #1 overall selection in 1963. Upshaw went onto the Hall of Fame as well, let's see if Suh & Long make the same type of impact.
The Chiefs signed one of their third round selections, running back Knile Davis, leaving them with five unsigned draft picks. I told you about Tyler Bray, how he has unquestioned NFL talent, but is a knucklehead far too often & can break your heart. During Saturday's rookie mini camp practice, Bray completed all seven attempts during his first 7-on-7 passing NFL passing drill. He came back after the other two QB's threw & completed all five of his throws, making him 12-for-12 on the day. Sunday, altho he threw three touchdowns, also threw a pick that would've come back for a touchdown. No way Ricky Stanzi beats bray out for the third QB spot.
Kansas City began the first of four weeks of OTA's on Monday morning. They'll have three practices this week, 3 next week, four the week after & then a 3-day mandatory mini camp for all players the first week of June.
After the mini camps are over league-wide, pretty much everybody associated with the NFL goes on vacation in preparation for training camps opening in July. I intend to do the same. I called an audible over the weekend after talking to my orthopedic surgeon last Friday, my wife & brother-in-law. I'm moving up my second knee replacement operation to late June instead of waiting until after football season. My knee is deteriorating daily it seems, so no reason to wait any longer & try to limp thru the next 9-months.
Former Kansas State quarterback, Collin Klein, impressed Texans coach Gary Kubiak during this past weekend's rookie mini camp, just not enough. Houston didn't offer Klein, invited to tryout, a contract.
I've been talking far too much about former Lions WR Titus Young, he keeps himself in the news with all his bad decisions that have resulted in multiple run-ins with law enforcement. This past weekend was no exception. He was arrested for the third time in a week, this time in San Clemente California. Young was allegedly attempting to burglarize a home late Friday night. The homeowner said Young came very close to getting shot as he was loading a rifle as Young was making his way thru the man's home. The police arrived & as he battled the cops, more charges were heaped on this obviously disturbed young man. He faces breaking & entering, burglary, resisting arrest & battery on a police officer for Friday night. The police believe Young's car might have been involved in two other calls Friday evening, they're still under investigation. His Friday night crime spree & two other arrests earlier in the week for D.U.I. & burglary, caught a judge just right. He set Young's bond at $75,000. I hope they keep him in jail until he can undergo some psychiatric testing to determine why he's gone so far off the rails. Family members says they hardly recognize Young when speaking to him.
The Missouri Tigers got a nice commitment for the 2014 class. Michael Fairchild, an offensive tackle from Blue Valley West High School in the Kansas City area, made a verbal commitment to Coach Gary Pinkel & his program. The 6' 6" 283-pound Fairchild carries a 4.0 GPA & has been recruited by both Harvard & Yale. His father Paul played for the Patriots from 1984 to 1990 as an offensive guard.
The one & only female NFL CEO, Amy Trask, resigned her post from the Oakland Raiders. Ms. Trask for a 25-year employee of the team & was personally hired by the late owner, Al Davis, as a lawyer for the franchise. Once Davis passed away, his son John planned to take the franchise in a new direction & it was only a matter of time before she was shown the door or resigned. She had been the CEO since 1997 & was a highly respected executive.
Amy Trask with Roger Goodell & Robert Kraft
Chicago offensive line coach, Aaron Kromer, said on Monday, the team drafted Oregon offensive lineman Kyle Long for a specific purpose, to block Ndamukong Suh. I'm starting to understand why da' Bears have the offensive line woes they do year after year. Long, son of HOF Howie & brother of Rams DE Chris, has so little experience, I was surprised he went in round one. He only started 8 games for the Ducks & he played at three different positions. Yes he has a very high upside, but if the Bears drafted him to block Suh this season, he will most likely, not be ready. Remember, NFC North division rivals Green Bay(B.J. Raji) & Minnesota(Kevin Williams & Sharif Floyd) have DT's who will also be a huge challenge for Long. I remember many, many years ago, the Oakland Raiders drafted an offensive guard, from little-known Texas A&I, named Gene Upshaw. Al Davis said he was drafted to block Chiefs defensive tackle Buck Buchanan. The future Chiefs Hall of Famer had wreaked havoc on the AFL for 4-years after being the #1 overall selection in 1963. Upshaw went onto the Hall of Fame as well, let's see if Suh & Long make the same type of impact.
ALBERT TO RETURN, CLARK'S ON THE SCENE, A COACHING LEGEND CALLS IT A CAREER & RAMS WR AUDITIONS WERE BRILLIANT
Head coach Andy Reid welcomed a lot of new faces to the Chiefs indoor practice facility on Friday for the first day of the 3-day rookie mini camp. Eight draft picks, 13 undrafted free agents, 36 prospects on a tryout basis & 8 players who were with the team in 2011-12 but had never played in a game as of yet, were on hand. Probably the biggest news out of Kansas City on Friday was Brandon Albert's announcement he would be attending the first OTA on Monday & every subsequent workout or practice after that. Number one draft pick Eric Fisher lined up at right tackle on every snap in anticipation of Albert's return to the left tackle spot. Two draft picks signed before practice began, 6th round center Eric Kush & 7th round DE/OLB Mike Catapano became the first 2013 selections to sign their rookie contracts.
One other note from Friday's practice, owner Clark Hunt was present for the entire workout & more importantly, I believe, he watched the proceedings standing on the field. The more he's around, the better.
The New Orleans Saints became the first NFL team to sign their first round draft pick. Safety Kenny Vaccaro signed & by noon on Friday, all the Saints' picks were under contract. That might be some sort of a record.
A couple of readers have asked what happened to Glenn Dorsey? He's alive & well out in the Bay Area with the Forty-Niners. They have lost considerable defensive line depth the past two off-seasons, I see no way, short of injury, Dorsey doesn't make the team as a backup.
Cornerback Ronde Barber decided he rather retire than become a backup for the Buccaneers. He also made it clear he didn't want to play anywhere else. Barber has some Hall of Fame lifetime stats. He played in 240-consecutive games, snagged 47 interceptions, 14 of which he took back for touchdowns & amassed over 1,000 tackles, which is a very high total for a cornerback. The twin brother of Tiki Barber, Ronde also has the coveted Super Bowl ring after Tampa's 2002 rout of Oakland in the "Pirate Bowl."
Barkevious Mingo, the 6th overall pick in last month's draft, has an older brother named Hughtavious. No real point here, just wanted to mention the Mingo brothers, Barkevious & Hughtavious. Honest, that's his brother's real name.
Texas A&M plans to spend a small fortune to make Kyle Field the 3rd largest venue in college football by enclosing the three deck stadium all the way around. That's not all according to the co-chairman of the Kyle Field Redevelopment Committee, Sam Torn. "We intend to make Kyle the loudest stadium anywhere. When a player walks down that ramp before the game, we want it to be so loud, someone is going to wet their pants" Torn said. So opponents will pee their pants, exactly how do they intend to accomplish it? Enclosing the field will go a long ways to making Kyle Field louder, but they also intend to lower the field 7' which will decrease sound dispersion. This place could indeed become a nightmare to visit, having the Heisman Trophy winner playing quarterback helps too.
Larry Kehres, head coach at Division III powerhouse Mount Union the past 27-years, has called it a career & retired. His record at the Ohio school is unequaled in college football history, 21-unbeaten seasons, 11 national championships, including last season & a frightening lifetime record of 332-24-3. Kehres built an amazing program in Alliance, his son Vince will take the reins & head the program now.
I like a lot of what GM Les Snead & Jeff Fisher have done since taking over in St. Louis. Their scouting technique for gauging the abilities of wide receivers is brilliant. The commonly accepted way to audition wideouts is to attend an on-campus pro day & watch the receivers catch pass after pass from their quarterback in a scripted workout. When the Rams brass went to Morgantown, they had a different idea. Instead of catching passes from Geno Smith, the Rams brought their two backups, Kellen Clemens & Austin Davis & it was they who threw the passes to Stedman Bailey & Tavon Austin, not Geno Smith. The Rams also dictated the route tree during their portion of the workout. Bailey & Smith had been a tandem since high school, so Snead & Fisher weren't interested in watching a QB throw to them who would never play with them in St. Louis. Granted, Clemens & Davis are hardly on Geno Smith's level as a prospect, but they know the Rams playbook & the routes their receivers are expected to run. It must have gone like the Rams had hoped as they moved up in round one to select Austin & later picked Bailey in round three.
Tavon Austin Stedman Bailey
Sunday is Mother's Day & I'd be remiss if I failed to wish the Mom's in my life a very happy day. My 84-year Mom is in very good health, living out west, enjoying her grandchildren & her dog Roxie. Mom will watch any football game, never misses a NASCAR race & loves both tennis & golf on TV. I had three younger sisters, Ann, Dana & Nancy, we lost Dana in 1989. All three had children I'm proud to call family. My sis-in-law has a couple of outstanding children. Many friends of ours are Mom's as well. Being a mom is a very important job, if you're a little kid, her job is the most important. I know we all have many cherished memories of our moms, recall a few between now & Sunday. Tell her how much she's meant in your life. If mom is no longer of this earth, you can still tell her. Not only did she give you life, she took you to little league practice, baked your favorite birthday cake, fixed your scraps & scratches & showed you on a regular basis, just how much you mean to her. I talk to my mom at least once a week & she makes me feel important every time I call. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms in my life, the moms reading this & the moms in your life. Tell 'em how much you love 'em, it'll be good for both of you. Here's a pic of Mom & me from a few years ago.
One other note from Friday's practice, owner Clark Hunt was present for the entire workout & more importantly, I believe, he watched the proceedings standing on the field. The more he's around, the better.
The New Orleans Saints became the first NFL team to sign their first round draft pick. Safety Kenny Vaccaro signed & by noon on Friday, all the Saints' picks were under contract. That might be some sort of a record.
A couple of readers have asked what happened to Glenn Dorsey? He's alive & well out in the Bay Area with the Forty-Niners. They have lost considerable defensive line depth the past two off-seasons, I see no way, short of injury, Dorsey doesn't make the team as a backup.
Cornerback Ronde Barber decided he rather retire than become a backup for the Buccaneers. He also made it clear he didn't want to play anywhere else. Barber has some Hall of Fame lifetime stats. He played in 240-consecutive games, snagged 47 interceptions, 14 of which he took back for touchdowns & amassed over 1,000 tackles, which is a very high total for a cornerback. The twin brother of Tiki Barber, Ronde also has the coveted Super Bowl ring after Tampa's 2002 rout of Oakland in the "Pirate Bowl."
Barkevious Mingo, the 6th overall pick in last month's draft, has an older brother named Hughtavious. No real point here, just wanted to mention the Mingo brothers, Barkevious & Hughtavious. Honest, that's his brother's real name.
Texas A&M plans to spend a small fortune to make Kyle Field the 3rd largest venue in college football by enclosing the three deck stadium all the way around. That's not all according to the co-chairman of the Kyle Field Redevelopment Committee, Sam Torn. "We intend to make Kyle the loudest stadium anywhere. When a player walks down that ramp before the game, we want it to be so loud, someone is going to wet their pants" Torn said. So opponents will pee their pants, exactly how do they intend to accomplish it? Enclosing the field will go a long ways to making Kyle Field louder, but they also intend to lower the field 7' which will decrease sound dispersion. This place could indeed become a nightmare to visit, having the Heisman Trophy winner playing quarterback helps too.
Larry Kehres, head coach at Division III powerhouse Mount Union the past 27-years, has called it a career & retired. His record at the Ohio school is unequaled in college football history, 21-unbeaten seasons, 11 national championships, including last season & a frightening lifetime record of 332-24-3. Kehres built an amazing program in Alliance, his son Vince will take the reins & head the program now.
I like a lot of what GM Les Snead & Jeff Fisher have done since taking over in St. Louis. Their scouting technique for gauging the abilities of wide receivers is brilliant. The commonly accepted way to audition wideouts is to attend an on-campus pro day & watch the receivers catch pass after pass from their quarterback in a scripted workout. When the Rams brass went to Morgantown, they had a different idea. Instead of catching passes from Geno Smith, the Rams brought their two backups, Kellen Clemens & Austin Davis & it was they who threw the passes to Stedman Bailey & Tavon Austin, not Geno Smith. The Rams also dictated the route tree during their portion of the workout. Bailey & Smith had been a tandem since high school, so Snead & Fisher weren't interested in watching a QB throw to them who would never play with them in St. Louis. Granted, Clemens & Davis are hardly on Geno Smith's level as a prospect, but they know the Rams playbook & the routes their receivers are expected to run. It must have gone like the Rams had hoped as they moved up in round one to select Austin & later picked Bailey in round three.
Tavon Austin Stedman Bailey
Sunday is Mother's Day & I'd be remiss if I failed to wish the Mom's in my life a very happy day. My 84-year Mom is in very good health, living out west, enjoying her grandchildren & her dog Roxie. Mom will watch any football game, never misses a NASCAR race & loves both tennis & golf on TV. I had three younger sisters, Ann, Dana & Nancy, we lost Dana in 1989. All three had children I'm proud to call family. My sis-in-law has a couple of outstanding children. Many friends of ours are Mom's as well. Being a mom is a very important job, if you're a little kid, her job is the most important. I know we all have many cherished memories of our moms, recall a few between now & Sunday. Tell her how much she's meant in your life. If mom is no longer of this earth, you can still tell her. Not only did she give you life, she took you to little league practice, baked your favorite birthday cake, fixed your scraps & scratches & showed you on a regular basis, just how much you mean to her. I talk to my mom at least once a week & she makes me feel important every time I call. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms in my life, the moms reading this & the moms in your life. Tell 'em how much you love 'em, it'll be good for both of you. Here's a pic of Mom & me from a few years ago.
LAWSUITS COMPOUNDING PROBLEMS FOR BROWNS OWNER, CLIFF HARRIS ARRESTED FOR THIRD TIME IN A WEEK & LOOK OUT FOR THE CRIMSON TIDE.....AGAIN
Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam could see his tenure as an NFL owner end quickly if his truck stop company doesn't find new revenue sources. Since the F.B.I. & I.R.S. raided the corporate headquarters on Pilot Flying J Truck Stops in Knoxville last month, the excitement surrounding the new ownership & coaching staff in Cleveland has diminished considerably. Pilot Flying J has seen reduced revenues as thousands of truckers & trucking companies have taken their diesel fuel business elsewhere. They feel betrayed or are already in a class action suit against the company for shaving millions of dollars from their fuel rebate programs. The latest concern is if the truck stop company doesn't have enough revenue to service the debt on Haslam's purchase of the Browns, the league will have to step in to keep the team solvent or make Haslam step away until he gets his house in order. Sadly, I think the football fans of Northeastern Ohio may find themselves disappointed yet again because regardless of how this ends, much needed attention will be taken away from the Browns.
Seventh round draft pick, DE Armonty Bryant, plead no contest to a DUI charge stemming from a Thursday night arrest. More anguish for the Browns & their fans after Bryant convinced them he was a new person after his twin drug-selling arrests in Oklahoma. A 5th round prospect on most draft boards, he fell into round seven because of the off-field issues. Apparently it didn't register with Bryant as he was arrested just five days after he was drafted by Cleveland. With all the bad P.R. surrounding the Browns right now, Bryant might not make it to training camp, I have to believe their tolerance for this kind of B.S. is very, very low.
Another knucklehead who just keeps on giving, former Jets cornerback Cliff Harris, is at it again. Fresh off twin arrests Thursday & Friday, one in New Jersey, one in Oregon, Harris found himself in cuffs yet again on Tuesday. He was scheduled for a court appearance on an assault charge from Friday but he was pulled over by an Oregon State Trooper before he could reach the courthouse. He was cited for speeding & passing in a no-pass zone. When the trooper found Harris was driving on a revoked license, he wouldn't allow him to continue on down the road. A friend finally arrived to haul his sorry ass to court but he was over two hours late & a very irritated judge had already issued a bench warrant. When Harris entered the courtroom, he was arrested & taken to jail. Un-freakin'-believable.
Another very talented former NFL'er is in real trouble. That from his high school coach. Former Detroit Lion wide receiver Titus Young was arrested twice on Saturday. The first was a DUI just after midnight. The second arrest came later that day after he made bail. Young climbed over a 12-foot fence at an auto impound yard in an attempt to retrieve his car, which was towed after the DUI arrest. The second offense brought about charges for trespassing & attempted burglary. His old prep coach, E.C. Robinson told the Detroit Free Press the last time he had spoken with Young he was disturbed by his behavior & inability to make any kind of sense. Robinson said he normally speaks with Young at least monthly & when he didn't hear from him for over 90-days, he figured Young had been institutionalized. His behavior must have been very erratic. Like Harris, Young is a very talented player who has run off the rails & could be dangerous to themselves & others.
For those of you who have lost sleep wondering who would replace Faith Hill on Sunday Night Football, you can rest easy, we have a winner. Another country superstar, Carrie Underwood, will succeed Hill in opening the telecast in song. Since I like both singers, I'm happy, I would've been happy with Alicia Keys or Jennifer Hudson as well.
Carrie Underwood Faith Hill
As I read Peter King's column on SI.com the other day, I was struck by his analysis of Scott Pioli & his future as an NFL exec. "I don't know if Pioli will ever be offered another GM job" King wrote. He said Pioli hasn't received any job offers so far for anything other than a part time analyst for the NBCSports Channel. I've seen him on there a couple of time & he's just as impressive as he was when he was throwing tantrums about gum wrappers at Chiefs headquarters. See what you think.
The Chiefs will have their rookie's mini camp Friday thru Sunday & then OTA's begin bright & early on Monday for the veterans. I hope we see Brandon Albert next week but I'm not gonna hold my breath.
Remember was back in 1990 when the Chiefs made Michigan State middle linebacker Percy Snow their number one pick? The only linebacker to win both the Butkus & Lombardi Awards, Snow had a bright future with the Chiefs, especially paired with second year flash, Derrick Thomas. In his second training camp, Snow sustained a broken ankle after crashing on his Moped. He was never the same & was out of football in 1993. But his outstanding play for the Spartans got him elected to the College Football Hall of Fame yesterday. That's an honor the late Derrick Thomas hasn't achieved even tho he set the all-time sacks mark at Alabama. I have no earthly idea what's keeping these voters from inducting Thomas, he's certainly worthy of it.
The San Francisco-based Levi Strauss corporation has agreed with the Forty-Niners to buy the stadium naming rights in their new digs in Santa Clara. The prominent denim company, a Golden State institution since it's founding in 1854, Levi will pay the Niners $220 million over the 20-year deal. Seems like a natural. The new field opens in 2014.
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will have to undergo a 4th surgical procedure on his right arm since he broke it the first time November 18th in a game vs. Indianapolis. It was surgically repaired but he suffered another fracture in the first quarter of a playoff game with Houston, requiring a second procedure to fix it. A subsequent third operation was needed to clean it up & now he needs a 4th trip to the operating room to replace the plate & screws in the arm. The 23-year old "Gronk" should be ready for training camp without any problem.
If there was ever a doubt in your mind about the continued success enjoyed by Nick Saban & his Crimson Tide program, just look at the first round of this past draft, three Bama guys picked in the top-12. I glanced at ESPN's Todd McShay's top-32 prospects for 2013, five of them from Alabama. A quarterback, left tackle, two linebackers & a safety. Having that many top NFL Prospects give the Tide a huge advantage. Great recruiting, great coaching & great tradition keep this program at the top of the heap in college football. BTW, the SEC had 13 of the top-32 on McShay's list. That's more than a third of the top-32 prospects in the entire country from one conference. Topping everyone's list, including mine, is South Carolina defensive end, Jadeveon Clowney.
Seventh round draft pick, DE Armonty Bryant, plead no contest to a DUI charge stemming from a Thursday night arrest. More anguish for the Browns & their fans after Bryant convinced them he was a new person after his twin drug-selling arrests in Oklahoma. A 5th round prospect on most draft boards, he fell into round seven because of the off-field issues. Apparently it didn't register with Bryant as he was arrested just five days after he was drafted by Cleveland. With all the bad P.R. surrounding the Browns right now, Bryant might not make it to training camp, I have to believe their tolerance for this kind of B.S. is very, very low.
Another knucklehead who just keeps on giving, former Jets cornerback Cliff Harris, is at it again. Fresh off twin arrests Thursday & Friday, one in New Jersey, one in Oregon, Harris found himself in cuffs yet again on Tuesday. He was scheduled for a court appearance on an assault charge from Friday but he was pulled over by an Oregon State Trooper before he could reach the courthouse. He was cited for speeding & passing in a no-pass zone. When the trooper found Harris was driving on a revoked license, he wouldn't allow him to continue on down the road. A friend finally arrived to haul his sorry ass to court but he was over two hours late & a very irritated judge had already issued a bench warrant. When Harris entered the courtroom, he was arrested & taken to jail. Un-freakin'-believable.
Another very talented former NFL'er is in real trouble. That from his high school coach. Former Detroit Lion wide receiver Titus Young was arrested twice on Saturday. The first was a DUI just after midnight. The second arrest came later that day after he made bail. Young climbed over a 12-foot fence at an auto impound yard in an attempt to retrieve his car, which was towed after the DUI arrest. The second offense brought about charges for trespassing & attempted burglary. His old prep coach, E.C. Robinson told the Detroit Free Press the last time he had spoken with Young he was disturbed by his behavior & inability to make any kind of sense. Robinson said he normally speaks with Young at least monthly & when he didn't hear from him for over 90-days, he figured Young had been institutionalized. His behavior must have been very erratic. Like Harris, Young is a very talented player who has run off the rails & could be dangerous to themselves & others.
For those of you who have lost sleep wondering who would replace Faith Hill on Sunday Night Football, you can rest easy, we have a winner. Another country superstar, Carrie Underwood, will succeed Hill in opening the telecast in song. Since I like both singers, I'm happy, I would've been happy with Alicia Keys or Jennifer Hudson as well.
Carrie Underwood Faith Hill
As I read Peter King's column on SI.com the other day, I was struck by his analysis of Scott Pioli & his future as an NFL exec. "I don't know if Pioli will ever be offered another GM job" King wrote. He said Pioli hasn't received any job offers so far for anything other than a part time analyst for the NBCSports Channel. I've seen him on there a couple of time & he's just as impressive as he was when he was throwing tantrums about gum wrappers at Chiefs headquarters. See what you think.
The Chiefs will have their rookie's mini camp Friday thru Sunday & then OTA's begin bright & early on Monday for the veterans. I hope we see Brandon Albert next week but I'm not gonna hold my breath.
Remember was back in 1990 when the Chiefs made Michigan State middle linebacker Percy Snow their number one pick? The only linebacker to win both the Butkus & Lombardi Awards, Snow had a bright future with the Chiefs, especially paired with second year flash, Derrick Thomas. In his second training camp, Snow sustained a broken ankle after crashing on his Moped. He was never the same & was out of football in 1993. But his outstanding play for the Spartans got him elected to the College Football Hall of Fame yesterday. That's an honor the late Derrick Thomas hasn't achieved even tho he set the all-time sacks mark at Alabama. I have no earthly idea what's keeping these voters from inducting Thomas, he's certainly worthy of it.
The San Francisco-based Levi Strauss corporation has agreed with the Forty-Niners to buy the stadium naming rights in their new digs in Santa Clara. The prominent denim company, a Golden State institution since it's founding in 1854, Levi will pay the Niners $220 million over the 20-year deal. Seems like a natural. The new field opens in 2014.
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will have to undergo a 4th surgical procedure on his right arm since he broke it the first time November 18th in a game vs. Indianapolis. It was surgically repaired but he suffered another fracture in the first quarter of a playoff game with Houston, requiring a second procedure to fix it. A subsequent third operation was needed to clean it up & now he needs a 4th trip to the operating room to replace the plate & screws in the arm. The 23-year old "Gronk" should be ready for training camp without any problem.
If there was ever a doubt in your mind about the continued success enjoyed by Nick Saban & his Crimson Tide program, just look at the first round of this past draft, three Bama guys picked in the top-12. I glanced at ESPN's Todd McShay's top-32 prospects for 2013, five of them from Alabama. A quarterback, left tackle, two linebackers & a safety. Having that many top NFL Prospects give the Tide a huge advantage. Great recruiting, great coaching & great tradition keep this program at the top of the heap in college football. BTW, the SEC had 13 of the top-32 on McShay's list. That's more than a third of the top-32 prospects in the entire country from one conference. Topping everyone's list, including mine, is South Carolina defensive end, Jadeveon Clowney.
BLACKMON IN REAL TROUBLE, DARYL WASHINGTON TOO, LAWSUITS LANDING DAILY ON BROWNS OWNER & SOME POSITIVE NEWS AS WELL
Not long after the Jacksonville Jaguars selected wide receiver Justin Blackmon with the 5th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, he was arrested for DUI. It was his second, he was convicted in 2010 in Texas. I said at the time he would never be a problem again, he was a solid young man. I was wrong, young Blackmon got nailed again & this time it will cost him four games to start the 2013 season per the league's repeat offender regulations. One more violation & he's done for a full season. I don't think it will get to that, Jags new owner Shahid Khan is working very hard to get football fans of Northern Florida re-energized about his team & this is not the positive news he needs. I think if Blackmon does anything wrong over the next 12-18-months, he's as good as gone.
Also from Jacksonville, it appears the 2nd overall pick in April's draft, offensive tackle Luke Joeckel, will open the season as the Jaguars right tackle. Eugene Monroe, the incumbent on the left side, will start there again. The Chiefs have a similar situation with the draft's first overall pick, offensive tackle Eric Fisher. The Chiefs franchise player, Brandon Albert will most likely open the season as the starter at left tackle & Fisher will be forced to move to the right side. One weird note, Albert & Monroe were both drafted out of the University of Virginia, Monroe was the Cavaliers starting left tackle & Albert was right next to him at left guard.
It appears the trade talks between the Miami Dolphins & Kansas City for Albert's services are dead. He's simply asking too much. The Phish signed veteran right tackle Tyson Clabo on Monday & he will be counted on to start at right tackle, which means 2012 second-round pick, Jonathan Martin, will be the starter at left tackle. Both tackle positions could become a real problem for the Dolphins this season.
One more left tackle story to tell you about, Bryant McKinnie resigned with Baltimore. He became their starter at left tackle midway thru last season, Michael Oher was moved to the right side & rookie tackle Kelechi Osemele was installed as the starter at left guard. From that point on, the Ravens O-line solidified quickly....all the way to Super Bowl champs. McKinnie signed a 2-year deal worth $2.5 million per season.
Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington made the Pro Bowl in just his second NFL season. The former TCU All-American was progressing nicely. A month ago, the league suspended him for the first four games this season for substance abuse violations. He has now compounded that trouble with a domestic violence arrest last Friday. Washington & the 27-year old mother of his 5-month old child were arguing in a public park. The dispute intensified & Washington threw the woman to the ground, breaking her right collarbone. The police report also mentioned bruises around her neck. The Cardinals gave the canned response, "we're gathering the facts & will have no comment until the investigation is complete." You start roughing up women or children & the odds of you getting a second chance on these pages are about none-existent. Get some help, stop with the canned apologies, no one is buying it.
In a brilliant, but no-class advertising campaign, a Phoenix-area head shop is using Tyrann Mathieu's likeness in print adds. They welcome him to Phoenix & invite him to stop in & examine all their fine dope-smoking accessories. Here's a kid trying desperately to get his life together under the mentoring of former LSU teammate Patrick Peterson & Bud's Glass Joint is plastering his picture in their newspaper advertisements. It will get Bud's more exposure than they ever would've before, but what a low class campaign. I can't imagine LSU is too thrilled with the advertising, Mathieu is shown wearing his #7 LSU uniform.
I told you last week about the considerable trouble Cleveland's new owner, Jimmy Haslam, is having with the Federal Government. Haslam is the largest shareholder & CEO in the family business, Pilot Flying J truck stops. The FBI & IRS have both served search warrants on company headquarters in Tennessee. They stand accused of scamming thousands of trucking customers out of full rebates on fuel purchases. In one week, four class action lawsuits have been served as well as 8 other suits brought by individual companies against Pilot. Omaha-based W.N. Morehouse Trucking recently won a $145,000 settlement from Pilot after their office manager spotted inconsistencies in the rebate program. This is just the tip of the iceberg for Haslam & his company. It could snowball quickly into such a mountain of litigation, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell could force Haslam to step away from the day-to-day management of the Browns.
News from the "King of the Knuckleheads Club". Defensive end Armonty Bryant from East Central Oklahoma, a 7th round draft pick by the Browns, was arrested & charged with DUI Friday evening in Oklahoma. It was just last fall, when, after his second arrest for selling $20 worth of pot on campus to an undercover officer, Bryant made a public apology saying all the things you expect someone in his position to say. But now that he's been arrested again, less than a week after he was drafted, I'm thinking his bright future as a pro football player is getting dimmer by the day. Oh yeah, the Browns statement was "We are aware of the incident & we're currently gathering more information. We will have no further statement." Where have we heard that before?
In "Knuckleheads II" the star of the show has to be former Jets cornerback Cliff Harris. After he was arrested for marijuana possession in New Jersey late last week, New York cut him. He returned to Oregon where he was arrested Friday night at a Buffalo Wild Wings. Witnesses tell police he was shoving his girlfriend around, finally knocking her to the floor. For those of you with good memories, I've reported on Harris & his unabashed disregard for the law over the past four years. He's most famous for being stopped after being clocked at 118-MPH in a rental car. Police could smell pot & asked Harris "who's got all the pot?" To which Harris replied "There ain't no more pot, we smoked it all." The rental car was secured by an athletic department secretary, who lost her job. He told her he couldn't rent a car because he didn't have a credit card when in truth, he couldn't rent a car because his license had been revoked. He had numerous other problems while at Oregon, Chip Kelly finally dismissed him from the program. As I've told you, the saddest part of this story is Harris is a very talented football player. A solid man coverage corner & an excellent kick returner. He might be waiting a long time for his phone to ring.
Ravens linebacker Rolando McClain has settled one of his two arrests since New Year's Day. He was fined $186 for having windows that were tinted too dark. For his guilty plea in that offense, the charge of providing false information to police was dropped. Instead of signing his traffic citation, he wrote "F*** You!" in place of his signature. But he also has several other issues with the Police of Decatur Alabama. Resisting arrest, disorderly conduct plus two additional traffic citations are still in the hopper for McClain & his legal representatives. He has been arrested four times in his hometown during the past 26-months, maybe he should move somewhere else. The first two run-ins caused the Oakland Raiders to cut him. He was hardly a hot free agent this past winter before the Ravens signed him for the league minimum, no bonus money, no guaranteed money either. If Ozzie Newsome & John Harbaugh decide he's more trouble than he could ever be worth, they can cut him with no damage to their salary cap. McClain needs to understand he's dangerously close to being out of professional football right now.
Eagles running back LeSean McCoy has been busting on his starting quarterback, Michael Vick, calling him "dad, pops, old man & slowpoke." McCoy said Vick couldn't out run some of the rookie linemen much less a quick back like himself. Vick asked new head coach Chip Kelly if he could race McCoy after a recent OTA. Kelly told them to go for it & race they did. Vick, who will turn 33 next month, beat the 24-year old McCoy, in fact he beat him soundly, it wasn't even close. Vick also outweighs the running back by nearly 20-pounds. McCoy hasn't had anymore barbs for Vick since race day.
Mario Williams was the first overall choice in the 2006 NFL Draft & signed a rookie deal that included some $28 million in guaranteed money. In 2012 he took his 2-time All-Pro selection & 60-sacks to Buffalo where the Bills worked out a deal worth $100 million, $50 mil of it guaranteed. He bought a 9,300-sq foot home in Orchard Park New York & gave his fiance, Erin Marzouki, an engagement ring with a 10-carat solitaire worth $785,000. Sadly, the wedding will never be, the couple has split. Who called it off is not known at this time, but Williams wants the ring back, in fact he filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking the return of the ring. She's refused, stay tuned. I'm not going to trash Williams or his former fiance, I don't know what happened. I do know Williams did something very good with his money while with the Texans. In 2010, he donated five Chevy Cameros to the Houston Police Department to use as interceptor vehicles. Earlier this year, Williams donated again, this time it was five Dodge Chargers to the Houston cops.
A happier couple the day Williams signed with Buffalo
The Florida legislature has tabled a bill that would allow Dade County residents to vote on improvements to Sun Life Stadium in Miami. The money would come from public funds, possibly from additional sales taxes or a bond issue. Isn't it sad the residents of Dade County can't put this issue on their ballot without the state government putting their seal of approval on it? It could cost the City of Miami as well as the State of Florida millions in tax revenues because the NFL will not put another Super Bowl in Sun Life without considerable upgrades & remodeling.
I told you last year about Brian Banks, the former USC linebacker who had his life turned upside down after he was convicted of rape & was imprisoned for over five years. His accuser was wire tapped & California officials caught her admitting the whole thing was made up, the 27-year old Banks had never touched her. He was released from prison & even tho he hadn't played football in over 6-years, he wanted to try to make an NFL roster. He failed in three tries last season to get a contract but this past winter, the Atlanta Falcons decided to give him a legitimate shot & signed him as a free agent. Banks, currently #2 on the defensive depth chart at MLB, has participated in all of the OTA's & workouts. It's a real longshot, but I'm rooting he makes it. Had he not been railroaded while at USC, Banks most likely would've been drafted by the NFL & probably been sitting comfortably on someone's 53-man roster the past 5-seasons. Go get 'em Brian.
Brian Banks
After losing defensive end Elvis Dumervil in a fax machine screw-up, the Denver Broncos quietly made a very smart move during the draft, signing former Chargers outside linebacker, Shaun Phillips. The 31-year old Phillips will move to defensive end. He has the pass rush skills, recording 69-sacks in his career, but he's a little light at barely 250-pounds. Still, he's a veteran hand who understands what is expected of him & should be a valuable addition to the Broncos. He's not the threat off the edge Dumervil is, but Elvis has left the building & now it's Shaun's turn.
As teenagers, brothers Chris & Nick McDonald were separated & adopted by different families. They're back together thanks to the New England Patriots. The Pats signed Chris McDonald as an undrafted free agent to be reunited with brother Nick, also signed as an undrafted player, making the 53-man roster two years ago. Pretty cool.
The final details of the Alex Smith trade were made public by Peter King on Monday. The SI.com columnist said if Kansas City wins 8 or more games, they owe the Forty-Niners their second round pick in the 2014 draft. If they win 7 or less, the compensationwill be a third round pick in the same draft.
The Chiefs parted ways with cornerback Javier Arenas, trading him to Arizona for fullback Anthony Sherman. He would be the 4th fullback on the Chiefs roster. Kinda tells you what the new coaching staff thought of Arenas, a 2nd round selection in 2010 by Scott Pioli. The arrival of free agents Dunta Robinson & Sean Smith sealed Arenas' fate.
The Chiefs announced a new director of pro & college scouting, Chris Ballard. Right now, I like every move general manager John Dorsey has made, so even tho I know almost nothing about Ballard, I'm excited to have him join the Chiefs.
I got a number of emails asking my opinion on who had the best & worst drafts. I don't like to pass judgement until at least 2-years after that draft. But you asked so I'll give you my four best & worst. Right now as I write this, there are two teams that appear to have done a lot better than their 30 other competitors.
Best--Baltimore, San Francisco(the rich really do get richer), Cincinnati & St. Louis
Worst--Detroit, Buffalo, Dallas & Indianapolis
Also from Jacksonville, it appears the 2nd overall pick in April's draft, offensive tackle Luke Joeckel, will open the season as the Jaguars right tackle. Eugene Monroe, the incumbent on the left side, will start there again. The Chiefs have a similar situation with the draft's first overall pick, offensive tackle Eric Fisher. The Chiefs franchise player, Brandon Albert will most likely open the season as the starter at left tackle & Fisher will be forced to move to the right side. One weird note, Albert & Monroe were both drafted out of the University of Virginia, Monroe was the Cavaliers starting left tackle & Albert was right next to him at left guard.
It appears the trade talks between the Miami Dolphins & Kansas City for Albert's services are dead. He's simply asking too much. The Phish signed veteran right tackle Tyson Clabo on Monday & he will be counted on to start at right tackle, which means 2012 second-round pick, Jonathan Martin, will be the starter at left tackle. Both tackle positions could become a real problem for the Dolphins this season.
One more left tackle story to tell you about, Bryant McKinnie resigned with Baltimore. He became their starter at left tackle midway thru last season, Michael Oher was moved to the right side & rookie tackle Kelechi Osemele was installed as the starter at left guard. From that point on, the Ravens O-line solidified quickly....all the way to Super Bowl champs. McKinnie signed a 2-year deal worth $2.5 million per season.
Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington made the Pro Bowl in just his second NFL season. The former TCU All-American was progressing nicely. A month ago, the league suspended him for the first four games this season for substance abuse violations. He has now compounded that trouble with a domestic violence arrest last Friday. Washington & the 27-year old mother of his 5-month old child were arguing in a public park. The dispute intensified & Washington threw the woman to the ground, breaking her right collarbone. The police report also mentioned bruises around her neck. The Cardinals gave the canned response, "we're gathering the facts & will have no comment until the investigation is complete." You start roughing up women or children & the odds of you getting a second chance on these pages are about none-existent. Get some help, stop with the canned apologies, no one is buying it.
In a brilliant, but no-class advertising campaign, a Phoenix-area head shop is using Tyrann Mathieu's likeness in print adds. They welcome him to Phoenix & invite him to stop in & examine all their fine dope-smoking accessories. Here's a kid trying desperately to get his life together under the mentoring of former LSU teammate Patrick Peterson & Bud's Glass Joint is plastering his picture in their newspaper advertisements. It will get Bud's more exposure than they ever would've before, but what a low class campaign. I can't imagine LSU is too thrilled with the advertising, Mathieu is shown wearing his #7 LSU uniform.
I told you last week about the considerable trouble Cleveland's new owner, Jimmy Haslam, is having with the Federal Government. Haslam is the largest shareholder & CEO in the family business, Pilot Flying J truck stops. The FBI & IRS have both served search warrants on company headquarters in Tennessee. They stand accused of scamming thousands of trucking customers out of full rebates on fuel purchases. In one week, four class action lawsuits have been served as well as 8 other suits brought by individual companies against Pilot. Omaha-based W.N. Morehouse Trucking recently won a $145,000 settlement from Pilot after their office manager spotted inconsistencies in the rebate program. This is just the tip of the iceberg for Haslam & his company. It could snowball quickly into such a mountain of litigation, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell could force Haslam to step away from the day-to-day management of the Browns.
News from the "King of the Knuckleheads Club". Defensive end Armonty Bryant from East Central Oklahoma, a 7th round draft pick by the Browns, was arrested & charged with DUI Friday evening in Oklahoma. It was just last fall, when, after his second arrest for selling $20 worth of pot on campus to an undercover officer, Bryant made a public apology saying all the things you expect someone in his position to say. But now that he's been arrested again, less than a week after he was drafted, I'm thinking his bright future as a pro football player is getting dimmer by the day. Oh yeah, the Browns statement was "We are aware of the incident & we're currently gathering more information. We will have no further statement." Where have we heard that before?
In "Knuckleheads II" the star of the show has to be former Jets cornerback Cliff Harris. After he was arrested for marijuana possession in New Jersey late last week, New York cut him. He returned to Oregon where he was arrested Friday night at a Buffalo Wild Wings. Witnesses tell police he was shoving his girlfriend around, finally knocking her to the floor. For those of you with good memories, I've reported on Harris & his unabashed disregard for the law over the past four years. He's most famous for being stopped after being clocked at 118-MPH in a rental car. Police could smell pot & asked Harris "who's got all the pot?" To which Harris replied "There ain't no more pot, we smoked it all." The rental car was secured by an athletic department secretary, who lost her job. He told her he couldn't rent a car because he didn't have a credit card when in truth, he couldn't rent a car because his license had been revoked. He had numerous other problems while at Oregon, Chip Kelly finally dismissed him from the program. As I've told you, the saddest part of this story is Harris is a very talented football player. A solid man coverage corner & an excellent kick returner. He might be waiting a long time for his phone to ring.
Ravens linebacker Rolando McClain has settled one of his two arrests since New Year's Day. He was fined $186 for having windows that were tinted too dark. For his guilty plea in that offense, the charge of providing false information to police was dropped. Instead of signing his traffic citation, he wrote "F*** You!" in place of his signature. But he also has several other issues with the Police of Decatur Alabama. Resisting arrest, disorderly conduct plus two additional traffic citations are still in the hopper for McClain & his legal representatives. He has been arrested four times in his hometown during the past 26-months, maybe he should move somewhere else. The first two run-ins caused the Oakland Raiders to cut him. He was hardly a hot free agent this past winter before the Ravens signed him for the league minimum, no bonus money, no guaranteed money either. If Ozzie Newsome & John Harbaugh decide he's more trouble than he could ever be worth, they can cut him with no damage to their salary cap. McClain needs to understand he's dangerously close to being out of professional football right now.
Eagles running back LeSean McCoy has been busting on his starting quarterback, Michael Vick, calling him "dad, pops, old man & slowpoke." McCoy said Vick couldn't out run some of the rookie linemen much less a quick back like himself. Vick asked new head coach Chip Kelly if he could race McCoy after a recent OTA. Kelly told them to go for it & race they did. Vick, who will turn 33 next month, beat the 24-year old McCoy, in fact he beat him soundly, it wasn't even close. Vick also outweighs the running back by nearly 20-pounds. McCoy hasn't had anymore barbs for Vick since race day.
Mario Williams was the first overall choice in the 2006 NFL Draft & signed a rookie deal that included some $28 million in guaranteed money. In 2012 he took his 2-time All-Pro selection & 60-sacks to Buffalo where the Bills worked out a deal worth $100 million, $50 mil of it guaranteed. He bought a 9,300-sq foot home in Orchard Park New York & gave his fiance, Erin Marzouki, an engagement ring with a 10-carat solitaire worth $785,000. Sadly, the wedding will never be, the couple has split. Who called it off is not known at this time, but Williams wants the ring back, in fact he filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking the return of the ring. She's refused, stay tuned. I'm not going to trash Williams or his former fiance, I don't know what happened. I do know Williams did something very good with his money while with the Texans. In 2010, he donated five Chevy Cameros to the Houston Police Department to use as interceptor vehicles. Earlier this year, Williams donated again, this time it was five Dodge Chargers to the Houston cops.
A happier couple the day Williams signed with Buffalo
The Florida legislature has tabled a bill that would allow Dade County residents to vote on improvements to Sun Life Stadium in Miami. The money would come from public funds, possibly from additional sales taxes or a bond issue. Isn't it sad the residents of Dade County can't put this issue on their ballot without the state government putting their seal of approval on it? It could cost the City of Miami as well as the State of Florida millions in tax revenues because the NFL will not put another Super Bowl in Sun Life without considerable upgrades & remodeling.
I told you last year about Brian Banks, the former USC linebacker who had his life turned upside down after he was convicted of rape & was imprisoned for over five years. His accuser was wire tapped & California officials caught her admitting the whole thing was made up, the 27-year old Banks had never touched her. He was released from prison & even tho he hadn't played football in over 6-years, he wanted to try to make an NFL roster. He failed in three tries last season to get a contract but this past winter, the Atlanta Falcons decided to give him a legitimate shot & signed him as a free agent. Banks, currently #2 on the defensive depth chart at MLB, has participated in all of the OTA's & workouts. It's a real longshot, but I'm rooting he makes it. Had he not been railroaded while at USC, Banks most likely would've been drafted by the NFL & probably been sitting comfortably on someone's 53-man roster the past 5-seasons. Go get 'em Brian.
Brian Banks
After losing defensive end Elvis Dumervil in a fax machine screw-up, the Denver Broncos quietly made a very smart move during the draft, signing former Chargers outside linebacker, Shaun Phillips. The 31-year old Phillips will move to defensive end. He has the pass rush skills, recording 69-sacks in his career, but he's a little light at barely 250-pounds. Still, he's a veteran hand who understands what is expected of him & should be a valuable addition to the Broncos. He's not the threat off the edge Dumervil is, but Elvis has left the building & now it's Shaun's turn.
As teenagers, brothers Chris & Nick McDonald were separated & adopted by different families. They're back together thanks to the New England Patriots. The Pats signed Chris McDonald as an undrafted free agent to be reunited with brother Nick, also signed as an undrafted player, making the 53-man roster two years ago. Pretty cool.
The final details of the Alex Smith trade were made public by Peter King on Monday. The SI.com columnist said if Kansas City wins 8 or more games, they owe the Forty-Niners their second round pick in the 2014 draft. If they win 7 or less, the compensationwill be a third round pick in the same draft.
The Chiefs parted ways with cornerback Javier Arenas, trading him to Arizona for fullback Anthony Sherman. He would be the 4th fullback on the Chiefs roster. Kinda tells you what the new coaching staff thought of Arenas, a 2nd round selection in 2010 by Scott Pioli. The arrival of free agents Dunta Robinson & Sean Smith sealed Arenas' fate.
The Chiefs announced a new director of pro & college scouting, Chris Ballard. Right now, I like every move general manager John Dorsey has made, so even tho I know almost nothing about Ballard, I'm excited to have him join the Chiefs.
I got a number of emails asking my opinion on who had the best & worst drafts. I don't like to pass judgement until at least 2-years after that draft. But you asked so I'll give you my four best & worst. Right now as I write this, there are two teams that appear to have done a lot better than their 30 other competitors.
Best--Baltimore, San Francisco(the rich really do get richer), Cincinnati & St. Louis
Worst--Detroit, Buffalo, Dallas & Indianapolis
BE BACK ON MONDAY
Had a rough week health-wise, but I'm doing better & expect to be back on Monday. Thanks for your emails & your patience. Until then, here's a cartoon I thought was brilliant.
I'm not disparaging gays or their plight in our society, but I am, once again, taking a shot at our media & their hypocrisy.
I'm not disparaging gays or their plight in our society, but I am, once again, taking a shot at our media & their hypocrisy.
NOW THAT IT'S ALL OVER, HOW DID THE CHIEFS FARE?
Tho I'm not drinking the kool aid when it comes to praising every draft pick, I will say a few of these guys are just what the doctor ordered. Let's go thru the entire list of draftees.
1. Eric Fisher--offensive tackle--Central Michigan
I'll admit I saw Fisher play just six times before the Senior Bowl. I'll admit he faced less than stellar competition in the Mid-America Conference(MAC). When you look at prospects from lesser conferences or small school kids from Division II or III, the first this you need to see is dominance. If they can't dominate at the level they're playing at, they have very little chance to become starting NFL players. It's a long, long way from the collegiate level to the NFL. Not counting injured reserve & the PUP list, there are only 1,700 players on NFL rosters. Every year there are 20,000+ college football players, only the best make it. It's a long way from the SEC to the pros, it's even farther coming from the MAC. That said, Eric Fisher is an elite prospect, regardless of his draft class. He'd be a top-10 pick any season. If you saw him at the Senior Bowl practices like I did, you saw a polished, confident, prepared, athletic prospect with an edge to his play. The only question down the road for the Chiefs, is he a solid left tackle going forward for say, ten years. I believe he is. He's a little more athletic than his tackle competition in this draft. He plays with an edge, a mean streak, a chip on his shoulder that anyone doubts his ability because he went to Central Michigan & not Michigan. John Dorsey & Andy Reid chose him because Fisher appears to be better suited to the offense Reid intends to run. I had Joeckel & Fisher 1 & 1A, even if Joeckel makes more Pro Bowls, so what. If Fisher is a top-10 left tackle for a decade, remaining relatively healthy, the Chiefs did well. Let's stop nit-pickin' this selection. Unless he's a total bust, I'm thru debating his virtues versus those of Luke Joeckel. With the Chiefs needs & the strengths of this draft class, Joeckel or Fisher was the only choice.
2. Alex Smith--quarterback--Utah
I know he wasn't drafted Friday, but the Chiefs expended a second round pick to secure him in a trade. Is he better than all the other quarterbacks selected in round two or later? I think the best way to answer that is to say, yes he's better than all the quarterbacks in this entire draft, at least for a couple of years. I don't see Geno Smith, E.J. Manuel or any of them playing better than Alex Smith. Three years down the road, maybe but there's no guarantee. Remember the window on Kansas City's current core talent is getting smaller with each passing year. Hali, Flowers, Charles & D.J. will be 7-10 year veterans in that time. Alex Smith as well. I like the Smith trade, I believe he'll out perform every QB in this draft for at least two years. This franchise needs to do an about face, get their fans excited & back on board. Trading the second pick for Smith was a no-brainer IMO.
3A. Travis Kelce--tight end--Cincinnati
I stand by my pre-draft analysis of Kelce, he can & will make plays, he is the best blocker in this tight end class. His older brother was Andy Reid's starting center in Philadelphia, maybe that's where he acquired both the blocking skills as well as his obvious mean streak. If you had an older brother that thrived on kicking your ass, you'd understand why having Jason Kelce as an older sibling might have a major impact on who Travis Kelce is as a football player. He failed a drug test & was suspended for the entire 2010 season. Barring another problem with a bong, I expect Kelce to play for the Chiefs. If Tony Moeaki has another sprained ear lobe or another of his many injuries that keep him sidelined, he could plummet on the Chiefs' depth chart, Anthony Fasano & Kelce will pass him by.
3B. Knile Davis--running back--Arkansas
I was OK with this pick Friday night but the more I thought about & discussed it with a few friends, thank you John & Mike, the less I liked the pick. If we were getting the Knile Davis from 2010, we'd be getting a bigger, stronger version of Jamaal Charles, a runner capable of taking it to the house every time he touched the ball. But Davis has a history of ankle issues dating back to high school & twice while at Arkansas, they failed him again, with a serious fracture in '11. He returned to play last season but he was a shell of himself & began fumbling at an alarming rate. The fumbling can be fixed, but chronic ankle injuries, maybe not. Davis is a one-cut downhill runner much like another semi-fragile Razorback, Darren McFadden. Davis is an excellent pass receiver & he can stand in against the rush to pick up blitzers. He is very solid in the passing game. He was a two-time team captain, he's a good citizen & extremely coachable but if his ankle problems continue this was a wasted pick. In any event, it was 2-rounds early, no one was lining up to grab Davis in round three & probably not in round four. If drafting a guy with injury issues didn't bother Dorsey & Reid, I'd much rather have had Marcus Lattimore. When healthy, he's a far superior back to Davis. BTW, Lattimore was selected by San Francisco near the end of the 4th round.
4. Nico Johnson--inside linebacker--Alabama
I told you I wanted this guy. He should fit nicely between Justin Houston & Derrick Johnson. Since D.J. is so great in pass coverage, Nico won't be forced to stay on the field in obvious passing situations. He's essentially a 2-down run stopper, that's what he was at Bama & that's all the Chiefs are hoping for. He sheds blocks with the very best, his hands are quick & powerful, it's tough to lock onto him. He's seldom fooled & closes on the ballcarrier quickly to bring them down. I say he starts opening day, it will be the linebacking tandem of Johnson & Johnson.
5. Sanders Commings--cornerback/free safety????--Georgia
I don't see Commings as a backup corner, but as a potential starter at free safety. He has safety size, 6' 0" 216 & can lay the wood to any receiver or running back. He's easily fast enough to play the deep center & his open field tackling has been very, very solid. The question is, how quickly, as a free safety, can he diagnose plays, down after down? Kansas City also has DeQuan Menzie on their roster from last year's draft, he spent the season on I.R. He too was a starting corner, 33-games for Bama, but I think his instincts, tackling ability & slightly less than blazing speed make him a candidate at free safety as well. I don't expect Kendrick Lewis to be the starter nest season, his poor tackling is a serious problem within this defense.
6A. Eric Kush--center--California of Pennsylvania
Since I never saw this kid play, I couldn't give you much of an opinion. But today I researched him in several scouting data bases & my buddy Andy sent me some info as well, so here's what I have been able to gather. He started for three seasons, one at tackle, one at guard & this past season at center where he made all-conference. Remember what I said about small school prospects, they must dominate at that level. Earning all-conference honors is almost a necessity, it shows he was the best at his position. He has the right size, 6' 4" 304. He bends his knees, a must, plays with great awareness, especially in the passing game. Good with his hands to keep defenders off of him & his QB. What bothers me about Eric Kush is in multiple reports, his run blocking is an issue. He doesn't drive defenders off the ball on running plays. At the Division II level, that is a real problem going forward. A year in the weight room to improve his lower body strength & some patient coaching might get him to a point he can make it as a backup but I wonder how much upside there is to Eric Kush.
6B. Braden Wilson--fullback--Kansas State
Andy Reid likes two-tight end sets or a fullback on just about every snap, so having a dependable fullback will be essential going forward. Wilson is a 3-year starter who is used to doing the dirty work of being a lead blocker or pass blocking. He's rough & tough, doesn't back down from anyone & dishes out some real shots from time to time. A true blue collar player, just what you want from a fullback in an Andy Reid offense. He has the size as well, 6' 3" 251. I'd say young Mr. Wilson has a pretty good shot at making this roster.
7. Mike Catapano--defensive end--Princeton
Once again, this was a prospect I hadn't seen play, so I couldn't rank him, but plenty of others had. There was a lot of information on Catapano, in fact he was thought of highly enough to be projected as a 5-6th round selection on more than a few draft boards. He was a 2-time team captain & all-Ivy League three years in a row. "Relentless in pursuit, can bend the edge as a pass rusher & his motor never stops. He inspires his teammates with his effort & has always been a locker room leader." Another scout said "Might make it as a rush OLB in a 3-4 or a situational pass rusher in some of today's hybrid defensive schemes." We'll see very shortly when mini camp comes, but being a Princeton man, it's a cinch he will understand the defensive playbook.
UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT SIGNINGS
Tyler Bray--quarterback--Tennessee
Left the Vols program after his junior season, not wanting to start his senior year with a third different head coach & offensive coordinator. Of all the QB's in this draft, Bray has the best arm, it is elite by NFL standards. Unfortunately, his decision making is anything but. He makes so many head-scratching moves, you wonder what he could do for an encore. But when he's right, he's amazing, throws the best deep out I've seen in years & that includes the QB group from last year. Ideal size too, 6' 6" 235-pounds. He's had some discipline problems & it's widely known he doesn't spend a lot of time in game preparation. If the light goes on attitude-wise, he could become a very special quarterback. But don't hold your breath, it's a longshot.
Dane Crist--quarterback--Kansas
Maybe Clark Hunt felt like they owed Charlie Weis a favor or something, this kid is horrible. Not on his best day could he beat out Ricky Stanzi. Started 10-games for KU last fall, threw 4 TD's & 9 interceptions. That's essentially what he did at Notre Dame as well. I have no idea why they are bringing this kid in.
They signed 4 wide receivers, three of them with extensive return stats that could get them a look-see. One kid was dismissed from the Michigan program after four arrests & two stints in the Gray-Bar Hotel. His last name is Stonum, I swear to God.
They signed three offensive linemen that I had seen all three play extensively, but failed to make any kind of an impression. An undersized center from Indiana, a guard from Ole Miss & a right tackle from Oregon State.
They signed a pair of running backs that have no shot & a tight end prospect who hasn't played football since his senior year of high school, he's a basketball player.
The defensive signings were kinda depressing, I know we're not going to get a Deron Cherry or Priest Holmes very often, but this group is pretty sad. Mizzou's Bradley Madison, KU's Toben Opurum & Bradley McDougald will get a tryout. There's a former fullback the Chiefs want to try at defensive end, a gigantic nose tackle & a pair of undersized ends in the group. The defensive backs were special teams standouts, not playing in their regular defenses very much.
So overall how did the Chiefs do? They filled a couple of needs, OT & ILB, with prospects who should start early on & for a very long time. Commings could be the answer at free safety & Kelce will contribute right away at tight end. Braden Wilson could end up being Andy Reid's fullback of the future & who knows about Catapano & Kush? I have serious reservations about Knile Davis in the long run with his history of ankle injuries. The biggest acquisition of all could be Tyler Bray, if he gets his head on straight & takes this opportunity to learn how to play his position very seriously. Bray has the biggest upside of any quarterback in this class.
1. Eric Fisher--offensive tackle--Central Michigan
I'll admit I saw Fisher play just six times before the Senior Bowl. I'll admit he faced less than stellar competition in the Mid-America Conference(MAC). When you look at prospects from lesser conferences or small school kids from Division II or III, the first this you need to see is dominance. If they can't dominate at the level they're playing at, they have very little chance to become starting NFL players. It's a long, long way from the collegiate level to the NFL. Not counting injured reserve & the PUP list, there are only 1,700 players on NFL rosters. Every year there are 20,000+ college football players, only the best make it. It's a long way from the SEC to the pros, it's even farther coming from the MAC. That said, Eric Fisher is an elite prospect, regardless of his draft class. He'd be a top-10 pick any season. If you saw him at the Senior Bowl practices like I did, you saw a polished, confident, prepared, athletic prospect with an edge to his play. The only question down the road for the Chiefs, is he a solid left tackle going forward for say, ten years. I believe he is. He's a little more athletic than his tackle competition in this draft. He plays with an edge, a mean streak, a chip on his shoulder that anyone doubts his ability because he went to Central Michigan & not Michigan. John Dorsey & Andy Reid chose him because Fisher appears to be better suited to the offense Reid intends to run. I had Joeckel & Fisher 1 & 1A, even if Joeckel makes more Pro Bowls, so what. If Fisher is a top-10 left tackle for a decade, remaining relatively healthy, the Chiefs did well. Let's stop nit-pickin' this selection. Unless he's a total bust, I'm thru debating his virtues versus those of Luke Joeckel. With the Chiefs needs & the strengths of this draft class, Joeckel or Fisher was the only choice.
2. Alex Smith--quarterback--Utah
I know he wasn't drafted Friday, but the Chiefs expended a second round pick to secure him in a trade. Is he better than all the other quarterbacks selected in round two or later? I think the best way to answer that is to say, yes he's better than all the quarterbacks in this entire draft, at least for a couple of years. I don't see Geno Smith, E.J. Manuel or any of them playing better than Alex Smith. Three years down the road, maybe but there's no guarantee. Remember the window on Kansas City's current core talent is getting smaller with each passing year. Hali, Flowers, Charles & D.J. will be 7-10 year veterans in that time. Alex Smith as well. I like the Smith trade, I believe he'll out perform every QB in this draft for at least two years. This franchise needs to do an about face, get their fans excited & back on board. Trading the second pick for Smith was a no-brainer IMO.
3A. Travis Kelce--tight end--Cincinnati
I stand by my pre-draft analysis of Kelce, he can & will make plays, he is the best blocker in this tight end class. His older brother was Andy Reid's starting center in Philadelphia, maybe that's where he acquired both the blocking skills as well as his obvious mean streak. If you had an older brother that thrived on kicking your ass, you'd understand why having Jason Kelce as an older sibling might have a major impact on who Travis Kelce is as a football player. He failed a drug test & was suspended for the entire 2010 season. Barring another problem with a bong, I expect Kelce to play for the Chiefs. If Tony Moeaki has another sprained ear lobe or another of his many injuries that keep him sidelined, he could plummet on the Chiefs' depth chart, Anthony Fasano & Kelce will pass him by.
3B. Knile Davis--running back--Arkansas
I was OK with this pick Friday night but the more I thought about & discussed it with a few friends, thank you John & Mike, the less I liked the pick. If we were getting the Knile Davis from 2010, we'd be getting a bigger, stronger version of Jamaal Charles, a runner capable of taking it to the house every time he touched the ball. But Davis has a history of ankle issues dating back to high school & twice while at Arkansas, they failed him again, with a serious fracture in '11. He returned to play last season but he was a shell of himself & began fumbling at an alarming rate. The fumbling can be fixed, but chronic ankle injuries, maybe not. Davis is a one-cut downhill runner much like another semi-fragile Razorback, Darren McFadden. Davis is an excellent pass receiver & he can stand in against the rush to pick up blitzers. He is very solid in the passing game. He was a two-time team captain, he's a good citizen & extremely coachable but if his ankle problems continue this was a wasted pick. In any event, it was 2-rounds early, no one was lining up to grab Davis in round three & probably not in round four. If drafting a guy with injury issues didn't bother Dorsey & Reid, I'd much rather have had Marcus Lattimore. When healthy, he's a far superior back to Davis. BTW, Lattimore was selected by San Francisco near the end of the 4th round.
4. Nico Johnson--inside linebacker--Alabama
I told you I wanted this guy. He should fit nicely between Justin Houston & Derrick Johnson. Since D.J. is so great in pass coverage, Nico won't be forced to stay on the field in obvious passing situations. He's essentially a 2-down run stopper, that's what he was at Bama & that's all the Chiefs are hoping for. He sheds blocks with the very best, his hands are quick & powerful, it's tough to lock onto him. He's seldom fooled & closes on the ballcarrier quickly to bring them down. I say he starts opening day, it will be the linebacking tandem of Johnson & Johnson.
5. Sanders Commings--cornerback/free safety????--Georgia
I don't see Commings as a backup corner, but as a potential starter at free safety. He has safety size, 6' 0" 216 & can lay the wood to any receiver or running back. He's easily fast enough to play the deep center & his open field tackling has been very, very solid. The question is, how quickly, as a free safety, can he diagnose plays, down after down? Kansas City also has DeQuan Menzie on their roster from last year's draft, he spent the season on I.R. He too was a starting corner, 33-games for Bama, but I think his instincts, tackling ability & slightly less than blazing speed make him a candidate at free safety as well. I don't expect Kendrick Lewis to be the starter nest season, his poor tackling is a serious problem within this defense.
6A. Eric Kush--center--California of Pennsylvania
Since I never saw this kid play, I couldn't give you much of an opinion. But today I researched him in several scouting data bases & my buddy Andy sent me some info as well, so here's what I have been able to gather. He started for three seasons, one at tackle, one at guard & this past season at center where he made all-conference. Remember what I said about small school prospects, they must dominate at that level. Earning all-conference honors is almost a necessity, it shows he was the best at his position. He has the right size, 6' 4" 304. He bends his knees, a must, plays with great awareness, especially in the passing game. Good with his hands to keep defenders off of him & his QB. What bothers me about Eric Kush is in multiple reports, his run blocking is an issue. He doesn't drive defenders off the ball on running plays. At the Division II level, that is a real problem going forward. A year in the weight room to improve his lower body strength & some patient coaching might get him to a point he can make it as a backup but I wonder how much upside there is to Eric Kush.
6B. Braden Wilson--fullback--Kansas State
Andy Reid likes two-tight end sets or a fullback on just about every snap, so having a dependable fullback will be essential going forward. Wilson is a 3-year starter who is used to doing the dirty work of being a lead blocker or pass blocking. He's rough & tough, doesn't back down from anyone & dishes out some real shots from time to time. A true blue collar player, just what you want from a fullback in an Andy Reid offense. He has the size as well, 6' 3" 251. I'd say young Mr. Wilson has a pretty good shot at making this roster.
7. Mike Catapano--defensive end--Princeton
Once again, this was a prospect I hadn't seen play, so I couldn't rank him, but plenty of others had. There was a lot of information on Catapano, in fact he was thought of highly enough to be projected as a 5-6th round selection on more than a few draft boards. He was a 2-time team captain & all-Ivy League three years in a row. "Relentless in pursuit, can bend the edge as a pass rusher & his motor never stops. He inspires his teammates with his effort & has always been a locker room leader." Another scout said "Might make it as a rush OLB in a 3-4 or a situational pass rusher in some of today's hybrid defensive schemes." We'll see very shortly when mini camp comes, but being a Princeton man, it's a cinch he will understand the defensive playbook.
UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT SIGNINGS
Tyler Bray--quarterback--Tennessee
Left the Vols program after his junior season, not wanting to start his senior year with a third different head coach & offensive coordinator. Of all the QB's in this draft, Bray has the best arm, it is elite by NFL standards. Unfortunately, his decision making is anything but. He makes so many head-scratching moves, you wonder what he could do for an encore. But when he's right, he's amazing, throws the best deep out I've seen in years & that includes the QB group from last year. Ideal size too, 6' 6" 235-pounds. He's had some discipline problems & it's widely known he doesn't spend a lot of time in game preparation. If the light goes on attitude-wise, he could become a very special quarterback. But don't hold your breath, it's a longshot.
Dane Crist--quarterback--Kansas
Maybe Clark Hunt felt like they owed Charlie Weis a favor or something, this kid is horrible. Not on his best day could he beat out Ricky Stanzi. Started 10-games for KU last fall, threw 4 TD's & 9 interceptions. That's essentially what he did at Notre Dame as well. I have no idea why they are bringing this kid in.
They signed 4 wide receivers, three of them with extensive return stats that could get them a look-see. One kid was dismissed from the Michigan program after four arrests & two stints in the Gray-Bar Hotel. His last name is Stonum, I swear to God.
They signed three offensive linemen that I had seen all three play extensively, but failed to make any kind of an impression. An undersized center from Indiana, a guard from Ole Miss & a right tackle from Oregon State.
They signed a pair of running backs that have no shot & a tight end prospect who hasn't played football since his senior year of high school, he's a basketball player.
The defensive signings were kinda depressing, I know we're not going to get a Deron Cherry or Priest Holmes very often, but this group is pretty sad. Mizzou's Bradley Madison, KU's Toben Opurum & Bradley McDougald will get a tryout. There's a former fullback the Chiefs want to try at defensive end, a gigantic nose tackle & a pair of undersized ends in the group. The defensive backs were special teams standouts, not playing in their regular defenses very much.
So overall how did the Chiefs do? They filled a couple of needs, OT & ILB, with prospects who should start early on & for a very long time. Commings could be the answer at free safety & Kelce will contribute right away at tight end. Braden Wilson could end up being Andy Reid's fullback of the future & who knows about Catapano & Kush? I have serious reservations about Knile Davis in the long run with his history of ankle injuries. The biggest acquisition of all could be Tyler Bray, if he gets his head on straight & takes this opportunity to learn how to play his position very seriously. Bray has the biggest upside of any quarterback in this class.
KANSAS CITY CLOSES THE DRAFT WITH TWO ADDITIONAL SELECTIONS
With their final two picks in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected a local product, fullback Braden Wilson of Kansas State & Princeton defensive end Mike Catapano. Wilson was a starter for the Wildcats but was used mainly as a lead blocker. He's 6' 3" 251 & packs a whallop. Catapano stands 6' 4" & 270 pounds but since I don't follow the Ivy League, I've never seen him play. I just read a piece on him in the New York Times or I wouldn't have any information for you. So that wraps up the Chiefs portion of the draft, I'll have a recap tomorrow on the Chiefs & the rest of the league.
Princeton defensive end Mike Catapano K-State FB Braden Wilson
Princeton defensive end Mike Catapano K-State FB Braden Wilson
KANSAS CITY GOES SMALL SCHOOL IN 6TH ROUND
Ever heard of California of Pennsylvania? I've heard of it but never saw a single game they've played which makes me unable to tell you anything about the Chiefs' first pick in the sixth round. They selected center Eric Kush, a 6' 3 1/2' 304-pound prospect. Folks that's all I can tell you, if I get some info, I'll pass it along. They have an additional pick in this round but not for over an hour so check back.
