FLURRY OF CHIEFS ACTIVITY, CODY PASSES TEST, ALEXANDER WOWS THE SCOUTS & OTHER BIG-12 MEDIA DAYS NEWS
The Chiefs got nearly all of their pre-camp business accomplished on Wednesday as they signed both of their 2nd round draft picks. Dexter McCluster & Javier Arenas both inked 4-year deals. Both will be given every opportunity to become the kickoff & punt return specialists. Arenas returned 7 punts for scores at Alabama & will be a leading candidate to be the nickel back. McCluster, could touch the ball in a variety of ways, as a running back, in the wildcat offense taking direct snaps, as a slot receiver & returning kickoffs. Both could be huge impact players for Kansas City. Along with RB Jamaal Charles, these two could provide instant scores from anywhere on the field, a threat the Chiefs have lacked for some time. The team also signed undrafted free agent Leroy Banks, a tight end from Southern Mississippi. He was originally signed by Atlanta after the draft, cut, signed by the Chiefs, cut again & then signed yet again on Wednesday. Kansas City also cut Brad Cottam, a 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft, who couldn't stay healthy. Cottam injured his neck last season & was placed on I.R. Now the only personnel not under contract is #1 pick Eric Berry & restricted free agent Jarrad Page, who has refused to sign his tender offer & has requested a trade.
Terrence Cody, Raven rookie nose tackle, passed his conditioning test on Wednesday & was allowed to join the team for regular practice. The Ravens began camp on Wednesday with five players on the training camp PUP list, safety Ed Reed, center Matt Birk, CB Fabian Washington, CB Ladarius Webb & linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo. New England waived linebacker Shawn Crable on Wednesday. He was selected two picks after Brad Cottam in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft & like Cottam, he couldn't stay healthy enough to play. Crable was never activated for a single game in two full seasons with the Pats. After he started camp on the PUP list, Bill Belichick decided it was time to cut their ties with the former Michigan linebacker.
Former Mizzou Tiger wide receiver Danario Alexander, had his long-awaited preliminary audition for pro scouts on Wednesday & he impressed. Alexander led the nation in total receiving yards last season with over 1,700 but his Senior Bowl week was cut short almost before it got started when he had to undergo left knee operation number 4. It was minor, just removal of scar tissue, but it didn't allow him to participate in the NFL combine & he went undrafted. He was cleared to workout just two weeks ago, but the results from yesterday really wowed the scouts. At 6' 4 1/4" & 218, he ran a 4.46 forty-yard dash & leaped 41 1/2" in the vertical jump, both very impressive for a prospect his size. Especially so after 4 procedures were done on his knee. What shocked the scouts was his time in the short shuttle, 4.12 seconds, which would have put him in the top-5 at the NFL combine. This agility drill is usually run quicker by shorter receiver, guys under 6'. Now he'll have to wait & see who invites him to a training camp for individual workouts. I'm pulling for Alexander, if not for the 4th knee surgery, he was no worse than a 2nd round draft pick, looking at a $2-3 million contract with a $700K-900K signing bonus. Instead, he'll get offered a league minimum deal with almost no signing bonus. Great job, great effort, awesome intestinal fortitude by this kid.
The Big-12 Media Days wrapped up down in Dallas on Wednesday. There really wasn't any earth-shattering news out of the 3-day affair, but a few things caught my eye. The Nebraska Cornhuskers tried mightily to keep a very low profile. They refused to talk about joining the Big-10. They didn't want to talk about their game on October 16th against the Texas Longhorns. They barely acknowledged the video that was released on the internet & then pulled off a few days later. The video was very negative toward the 'Horns & made it clear Big Red wanted revenge. A late arriving commercial flight left the Mizzou Tigers 20-minutes late for their stint on the podium on Tuesday. While they waited, reporters speculated Gary Pinkel had gone to the Big-10 media day instead. Pinkel brought the newly slimmed down Derrick Washington along with QB Blaine Gabbert. Washington had carried 225 pounds the past two seasons, but has dropped 10 pounds in an effort to improve his quickness. The Big-12 media voted A&M QB Jerrod Johnson the conference's best signal caller & Gabbert second. I think Gabbert is going to have a big season, better than his debut campaign in '09 when he threw 24 touchdowns with only 9 interceptions. Tiger center Tim Barnes & defensive end Aldon Smith were voted the best at their positions by the media. A guy I'm very high on is Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas. He doesn't have the breakaway speed of a DeMarco Murray or the pass catching ability of Washington or Murray, but he is better than Nebraska's Roy Helu Jr. as a featured back. Thomas ran for nearly 1,300 yards on a so-so Wildcat team last year & it's a cinch Bill Snyder will give Thomas every opportunity to put up big numbers again this season. The 6' 2" 227-pound bruiser can run between the tackles & still turn the corner outside. He'll be playing on Sundays next year.
Terrence Cody, Raven rookie nose tackle, passed his conditioning test on Wednesday & was allowed to join the team for regular practice. The Ravens began camp on Wednesday with five players on the training camp PUP list, safety Ed Reed, center Matt Birk, CB Fabian Washington, CB Ladarius Webb & linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo. New England waived linebacker Shawn Crable on Wednesday. He was selected two picks after Brad Cottam in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft & like Cottam, he couldn't stay healthy enough to play. Crable was never activated for a single game in two full seasons with the Pats. After he started camp on the PUP list, Bill Belichick decided it was time to cut their ties with the former Michigan linebacker.
Former Mizzou Tiger wide receiver Danario Alexander, had his long-awaited preliminary audition for pro scouts on Wednesday & he impressed. Alexander led the nation in total receiving yards last season with over 1,700 but his Senior Bowl week was cut short almost before it got started when he had to undergo left knee operation number 4. It was minor, just removal of scar tissue, but it didn't allow him to participate in the NFL combine & he went undrafted. He was cleared to workout just two weeks ago, but the results from yesterday really wowed the scouts. At 6' 4 1/4" & 218, he ran a 4.46 forty-yard dash & leaped 41 1/2" in the vertical jump, both very impressive for a prospect his size. Especially so after 4 procedures were done on his knee. What shocked the scouts was his time in the short shuttle, 4.12 seconds, which would have put him in the top-5 at the NFL combine. This agility drill is usually run quicker by shorter receiver, guys under 6'. Now he'll have to wait & see who invites him to a training camp for individual workouts. I'm pulling for Alexander, if not for the 4th knee surgery, he was no worse than a 2nd round draft pick, looking at a $2-3 million contract with a $700K-900K signing bonus. Instead, he'll get offered a league minimum deal with almost no signing bonus. Great job, great effort, awesome intestinal fortitude by this kid.
The Big-12 Media Days wrapped up down in Dallas on Wednesday. There really wasn't any earth-shattering news out of the 3-day affair, but a few things caught my eye. The Nebraska Cornhuskers tried mightily to keep a very low profile. They refused to talk about joining the Big-10. They didn't want to talk about their game on October 16th against the Texas Longhorns. They barely acknowledged the video that was released on the internet & then pulled off a few days later. The video was very negative toward the 'Horns & made it clear Big Red wanted revenge. A late arriving commercial flight left the Mizzou Tigers 20-minutes late for their stint on the podium on Tuesday. While they waited, reporters speculated Gary Pinkel had gone to the Big-10 media day instead. Pinkel brought the newly slimmed down Derrick Washington along with QB Blaine Gabbert. Washington had carried 225 pounds the past two seasons, but has dropped 10 pounds in an effort to improve his quickness. The Big-12 media voted A&M QB Jerrod Johnson the conference's best signal caller & Gabbert second. I think Gabbert is going to have a big season, better than his debut campaign in '09 when he threw 24 touchdowns with only 9 interceptions. Tiger center Tim Barnes & defensive end Aldon Smith were voted the best at their positions by the media. A guy I'm very high on is Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas. He doesn't have the breakaway speed of a DeMarco Murray or the pass catching ability of Washington or Murray, but he is better than Nebraska's Roy Helu Jr. as a featured back. Thomas ran for nearly 1,300 yards on a so-so Wildcat team last year & it's a cinch Bill Snyder will give Thomas every opportunity to put up big numbers again this season. The 6' 2" 227-pound bruiser can run between the tackles & still turn the corner outside. He'll be playing on Sundays next year.
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