KSU'S BILL SNYDER FELLED, ANOTHER INCIDENT FOR BIG BEN & YOUR QUESTIONS
Kansas State head football coach Bill Snyder was involved in a sideline pileup that resulted in a blown knee ligaments. Two linemen, having a combined weight of approximately 575 pounds, fell against the 70-year old coach's leg. Snyder hasn't decided about the timing of pending surgery, he might have to do the Joe Paterno-thing, coaching from the press box instead of the sideline.
I've learned a few things about Dez Bryant that speak to his somewhat erratic behavior at times. Bryant's mom was 14 when he was born & had two more children before her 17th birthday. She was arrested on drug charges. Bryant was shuffled from home to home, the fact that he even graduated from high school is proof of his intestinal fortitude. He started playing football & it quickly became his "way out." He took the game very seriously, got a scholarship to Oklahoma State & now he's on the cusp of being a high first round draft pick. Bryant told Peter King of Sports Illustrated he's never had a drop of alcohol, never tried drugs or never had any trouble with the law. All very commendable considering the hideous upbringing he endured. He told King he is still somewhat disorganized & he regularly beats himself up about it. He told King he has taken full responsibility for the lie he told an NCAA investigator about lunch with Deion Sanders, he's sorry for what it did to his team. As I've said from the beginning, the punishment handed down by the NCAA, a 10-game suspension, was overkill, it was ridiculous. Bryant also spoke of his dedication to whatever team drafts him & how glad that team & their fans will be he was drafted to play for them.
More ugliness has surfaced today regarding Ben Roethlisberger. An attorney from Boston was asked to look into an alleged incident in a Las Vegas nightclub in 2009 involving a sexual assault in a public restroom. Sound familiar? What's more disturbing, the attorney, Harry Manion, said he was contacted by a few others relating even more allegations of this abhorrent behavior. Since there were no police report or complaint & no civil charges have been filed, these charges could be considered defamation. But for Roethlisberger & his attorneys to pursue such action would open up his entire file of ugly behavior, all charges real or imagined, would come out in open court. I really believe Big Ben is hanging on by the skin of his teeth with the Steeler's organization & NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Ben has a meeting with Goodell today & I fully expect the Comish to lower the boom & make it clear this is his last chance. His behavior runs the risk of sending league advertisers running for cover. It's tough to sell ad space or TV time on a game where the most important player is sexually abusing women in public restrooms. This will have to be a "Come to Jesus" moment in Roethlisberger's life if he has any dream of playing another down in the NFL.
I'm going to answer some of the email & comments I've received here & over at UFR recently. If you have a question, please drop me an email at rich@richsfootballreport.com Please put your first name & home state in the email.
To James:
Danario Alexander suffered another knee injury at the Senior Bowl that required surgery. Apparently it was more of a corrective operation as it was related to a knee problem he had as a sophomore. The fact remains that knee has 3 surgeries on it & he played the last two seasons with a balky knee brace. The brace is restrictive to the extreme cutting a receiver makes running routes. Alexander is a log-strider who isn't quick, but builds up speed as he goes. NFL D-backs will jam him at the line since he doesn't get away quickly thereby disrupting the timing of the route. He has very good hands, but making it as an NFL receiver will be a tough hill to climb for Alexander. I don't see him going before the 5th round. As a Mizzou fan, I hope he makes it big.
To number1KCfan:
Name & home state please. Yes, I know I'm an idiot, someone calls me that every few days, so it must be true. Secondly, if Scott Pioli selects Alabama nose tackle Terrence Cody with the 5th overall pick, then he's an idiot. Hey, takes one to know one right? Cody has had a weight problem his entire life, when he was recruited by Alabama, he weighed over 400 pounds while playing for Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College. He got down to 370 for his two seasons at Bama, but he has a long way to go. He has very little stamina, right now I doubt he could play 8 snaps in a row. Is that worth the 5th overall pick? Yes he did block two field goals in one game, they were the only field goals he ever blocked so don't be fooled into believing he does this week after week. He had 1/2 sack in 26 games at Alabama. Ignore the hype, he's not all that he's cracked up to be. Tremendous potential but a high risk for bust, not what you're looking for at #5.
To Carla:
I've said it before & I'll say it again, fans get too attached to certain players & it clouds their thought process. Tyler Thigpen is a perfect example. When the Chiefs were talking about trading him, which I agreed with, the emails to me, The Star other Chiefs-related blogs were at least 80-20 in favor of keeping Thigpen as the starting quarterback. He was traded to Miami & he's buried on their depth chart now. If Chan Gailey loved him so much, why hasn't he traded for him in Buffalo. Gailey certainly doesn't have much to work with. You're question refers to Andy Studebaker. He is not an impact outside linebacker, game in game out, sorry. He can be a decent spot player & maybe an exceptional special teamer, but that will be the extent of his NFL career.
To Dangerous Dan in Kansas City:
Like many Chiefs fans, you get it, without two very good lines, this team will continue to languish at the bottom of the standings. Even if the Chiefs drafted 2 Eric Berry's & another Brandon Flowers, without a front-7 that can pressure the QB & stop the run, the D-backfield will hardly matter. To the Eric Berry fans out there, I like Eric Berry, a lot, but Kansas City's defense will continue to struggle mightily until they fix the front-7. By the way, just how dangerous are you Dan?
To KC2SB47:
Name & home state please. The reason I say the Chiefs need a left tackle is that most left tackles can play right tackle but many right tackles don't have the quicks & the footwork to play left tackle. You're talking about the QB's blindside, the left tackle is almost always facing the opponents best pass rusher. Jared Allen, James Harrison, DeMarcus Ware, John Abraham, Dwight Freeney, Shawne Merriman & Mario Williams have been amongst the league's sack leaders for several years & all of these guys play on the right side of the defense, facing your left tackle. This is why he is so important in today's NFL. So what if Albert stays at LT, you still have a guy at right tackle you know can move to the other side in an emergency. They don't have that now.
To the clown who's screen name rhymes with "Bags":
First of all, grow up, I know it's very hard to restrain your junior high Rocky Mountain enthusiasm, but lose the name & lose the language & I'll be glad to argue with you, if that's what you want. But the names & the language have got to go. I'm bored having a battle of wits with an unarmed man/boy.
To Steve in Vegas:
Thanks for kind words & welcome to RichsFootballReport.com.
To ericberryordie:
Kinda dramatic don't you think? Anyway, your question centered on selecting Berry in the 1st & then picking up Maryland's Bruce Campbell in the second round if he's available. I think he'll be available because despite his eye-popping workout at the combine, he isn't a very good football player & that is, after all, what we're looking for right? When a guy doesn't get one single vote for the All-ACC team, you have to wonder why. He just doesn't perform on game day. Yes, he is a superior athlete, but right now he's far from being a functional NFL tackle. Compared to Brandon Albert when he came out of Virginia as a guard, Campbell is way behind in regards to his development & basic fundamentals. You want a guy who's nowhere near as good as Albert was back then? Sorry, but no Bruce Campbell, take one of the more NFL-ready tackles in the first round. Teams that win 10 games in 3 years don't have the luxury of drafting developmental projects, as I've said before, that's how you stay in last place.
To Jeff:
Hot off the wire, Jeff has a pretty good feel for what the Chiefs are trying to do. Jeff, let me say this, keep reading the articles I've written for UFR & over here, you'll get the total picture of how I feel about this draft. We agree to the needs & much of the round by round strategy but differ a little on personnel. Let me address a couple of them quickly. I like Larry Asante, he's my 4th round pick, I don't see him lasting into the 5th. I too like Akwasi Owusu-Ansah from Indiana of Pennsylvania, but I can't see expending a 3rd round pick for a kick returner, because right now, that's all he is. He's a year or two away from challenging for a CB spot. As far as Petrus goes, when I saw the Razorbacks, I saw Petrus as a weightlifter playing football. Very little flexibility, he totally missed several cut-off blocks on linebackers. He is on the ground too much, once again making me think he's too tightly built causing him to loose his balance. He's big-time strong, but he's not on my very short list of guards. Thanks for the comments, it's nice to hear from someone who understands this process.
Part III of my Chiefs' Draft Prosepctus will be posted at Upon Further Review tomorrow morning. You can get there by clicking this link: uponfurtherreview.kansascity.com/
I've learned a few things about Dez Bryant that speak to his somewhat erratic behavior at times. Bryant's mom was 14 when he was born & had two more children before her 17th birthday. She was arrested on drug charges. Bryant was shuffled from home to home, the fact that he even graduated from high school is proof of his intestinal fortitude. He started playing football & it quickly became his "way out." He took the game very seriously, got a scholarship to Oklahoma State & now he's on the cusp of being a high first round draft pick. Bryant told Peter King of Sports Illustrated he's never had a drop of alcohol, never tried drugs or never had any trouble with the law. All very commendable considering the hideous upbringing he endured. He told King he is still somewhat disorganized & he regularly beats himself up about it. He told King he has taken full responsibility for the lie he told an NCAA investigator about lunch with Deion Sanders, he's sorry for what it did to his team. As I've said from the beginning, the punishment handed down by the NCAA, a 10-game suspension, was overkill, it was ridiculous. Bryant also spoke of his dedication to whatever team drafts him & how glad that team & their fans will be he was drafted to play for them.
More ugliness has surfaced today regarding Ben Roethlisberger. An attorney from Boston was asked to look into an alleged incident in a Las Vegas nightclub in 2009 involving a sexual assault in a public restroom. Sound familiar? What's more disturbing, the attorney, Harry Manion, said he was contacted by a few others relating even more allegations of this abhorrent behavior. Since there were no police report or complaint & no civil charges have been filed, these charges could be considered defamation. But for Roethlisberger & his attorneys to pursue such action would open up his entire file of ugly behavior, all charges real or imagined, would come out in open court. I really believe Big Ben is hanging on by the skin of his teeth with the Steeler's organization & NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Ben has a meeting with Goodell today & I fully expect the Comish to lower the boom & make it clear this is his last chance. His behavior runs the risk of sending league advertisers running for cover. It's tough to sell ad space or TV time on a game where the most important player is sexually abusing women in public restrooms. This will have to be a "Come to Jesus" moment in Roethlisberger's life if he has any dream of playing another down in the NFL.
I'm going to answer some of the email & comments I've received here & over at UFR recently. If you have a question, please drop me an email at rich@richsfootballreport.com Please put your first name & home state in the email.
To James:
Danario Alexander suffered another knee injury at the Senior Bowl that required surgery. Apparently it was more of a corrective operation as it was related to a knee problem he had as a sophomore. The fact remains that knee has 3 surgeries on it & he played the last two seasons with a balky knee brace. The brace is restrictive to the extreme cutting a receiver makes running routes. Alexander is a log-strider who isn't quick, but builds up speed as he goes. NFL D-backs will jam him at the line since he doesn't get away quickly thereby disrupting the timing of the route. He has very good hands, but making it as an NFL receiver will be a tough hill to climb for Alexander. I don't see him going before the 5th round. As a Mizzou fan, I hope he makes it big.
To number1KCfan:
Name & home state please. Yes, I know I'm an idiot, someone calls me that every few days, so it must be true. Secondly, if Scott Pioli selects Alabama nose tackle Terrence Cody with the 5th overall pick, then he's an idiot. Hey, takes one to know one right? Cody has had a weight problem his entire life, when he was recruited by Alabama, he weighed over 400 pounds while playing for Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College. He got down to 370 for his two seasons at Bama, but he has a long way to go. He has very little stamina, right now I doubt he could play 8 snaps in a row. Is that worth the 5th overall pick? Yes he did block two field goals in one game, they were the only field goals he ever blocked so don't be fooled into believing he does this week after week. He had 1/2 sack in 26 games at Alabama. Ignore the hype, he's not all that he's cracked up to be. Tremendous potential but a high risk for bust, not what you're looking for at #5.
To Carla:
I've said it before & I'll say it again, fans get too attached to certain players & it clouds their thought process. Tyler Thigpen is a perfect example. When the Chiefs were talking about trading him, which I agreed with, the emails to me, The Star other Chiefs-related blogs were at least 80-20 in favor of keeping Thigpen as the starting quarterback. He was traded to Miami & he's buried on their depth chart now. If Chan Gailey loved him so much, why hasn't he traded for him in Buffalo. Gailey certainly doesn't have much to work with. You're question refers to Andy Studebaker. He is not an impact outside linebacker, game in game out, sorry. He can be a decent spot player & maybe an exceptional special teamer, but that will be the extent of his NFL career.
To Dangerous Dan in Kansas City:
Like many Chiefs fans, you get it, without two very good lines, this team will continue to languish at the bottom of the standings. Even if the Chiefs drafted 2 Eric Berry's & another Brandon Flowers, without a front-7 that can pressure the QB & stop the run, the D-backfield will hardly matter. To the Eric Berry fans out there, I like Eric Berry, a lot, but Kansas City's defense will continue to struggle mightily until they fix the front-7. By the way, just how dangerous are you Dan?
To KC2SB47:
Name & home state please. The reason I say the Chiefs need a left tackle is that most left tackles can play right tackle but many right tackles don't have the quicks & the footwork to play left tackle. You're talking about the QB's blindside, the left tackle is almost always facing the opponents best pass rusher. Jared Allen, James Harrison, DeMarcus Ware, John Abraham, Dwight Freeney, Shawne Merriman & Mario Williams have been amongst the league's sack leaders for several years & all of these guys play on the right side of the defense, facing your left tackle. This is why he is so important in today's NFL. So what if Albert stays at LT, you still have a guy at right tackle you know can move to the other side in an emergency. They don't have that now.
To the clown who's screen name rhymes with "Bags":
First of all, grow up, I know it's very hard to restrain your junior high Rocky Mountain enthusiasm, but lose the name & lose the language & I'll be glad to argue with you, if that's what you want. But the names & the language have got to go. I'm bored having a battle of wits with an unarmed man/boy.
To Steve in Vegas:
Thanks for kind words & welcome to RichsFootballReport.com.
To ericberryordie:
Kinda dramatic don't you think? Anyway, your question centered on selecting Berry in the 1st & then picking up Maryland's Bruce Campbell in the second round if he's available. I think he'll be available because despite his eye-popping workout at the combine, he isn't a very good football player & that is, after all, what we're looking for right? When a guy doesn't get one single vote for the All-ACC team, you have to wonder why. He just doesn't perform on game day. Yes, he is a superior athlete, but right now he's far from being a functional NFL tackle. Compared to Brandon Albert when he came out of Virginia as a guard, Campbell is way behind in regards to his development & basic fundamentals. You want a guy who's nowhere near as good as Albert was back then? Sorry, but no Bruce Campbell, take one of the more NFL-ready tackles in the first round. Teams that win 10 games in 3 years don't have the luxury of drafting developmental projects, as I've said before, that's how you stay in last place.
To Jeff:
Hot off the wire, Jeff has a pretty good feel for what the Chiefs are trying to do. Jeff, let me say this, keep reading the articles I've written for UFR & over here, you'll get the total picture of how I feel about this draft. We agree to the needs & much of the round by round strategy but differ a little on personnel. Let me address a couple of them quickly. I like Larry Asante, he's my 4th round pick, I don't see him lasting into the 5th. I too like Akwasi Owusu-Ansah from Indiana of Pennsylvania, but I can't see expending a 3rd round pick for a kick returner, because right now, that's all he is. He's a year or two away from challenging for a CB spot. As far as Petrus goes, when I saw the Razorbacks, I saw Petrus as a weightlifter playing football. Very little flexibility, he totally missed several cut-off blocks on linebackers. He is on the ground too much, once again making me think he's too tightly built causing him to loose his balance. He's big-time strong, but he's not on my very short list of guards. Thanks for the comments, it's nice to hear from someone who understands this process.
Part III of my Chiefs' Draft Prosepctus will be posted at Upon Further Review tomorrow morning. You can get there by clicking this link: uponfurtherreview.kansascity.com/
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