GOODELL GETS EXTENSION, COLTS GET THEIR MAN, MY ANSWER TO PIOLI'S STRATEGY & SENIOR BOWL REPORT
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell received a 5-year contract extension that will run thru 2018. His counterpart, NFLPA President DeMaurice Smith, is also expecting an extension from the players. Considering all the acrimony during the lockout, the TV Ratings are absolutely thru the roof, we once again have labor harmony for the foreseeable future & now it appears leaders from both sides will stay on the job. Yes, it's all good.
Jerry Jones continually amazes me. Last week the Cowboy's owner & general manager said this "The main difference between the Giants & Cowboys is Eli Manning." Must have made his quarterback, Tony Romo, feel pretty special. Today, he did it again. Jones was asked about the Forty-Niners & his response was "Did you see those inside linebackers for San Francisco? I dream of having linebackers like that." Think Dallas ILB's Sean Lee & Bruce Carter appreciated their owner "dreaming' about other linebackers? Maybe the Dallas owner ought to chew on his general manager a little for letting him down huh?
Since the temporary seating thing worked so well at least year's Super Bowl in Dallas(lawsuits are still pending in addition to huge cash settlements by the NFL) the league is at it again & their timing is, like last year, near perfect. The NFL plans to install 5,000 temporary seats in Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium in time for the Super Bowl in 10-days. Better get busy. Hopefully, it works out better this time.
Speaking of Indianapolis, the Colts made their choice for new head coach & it's current Baltimore defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. That's yet another reason I think Peyton Manning won't play for the Colts in 2012. Bringing in a defensive coach who will undoubtedly change offensive coordinators. They brought Tony Dungy for a 7-year stint & he was a defensive coach. But Dungy left the Tom Moore, who had been the Colts' offensive coordinator for 5-years prior, in place because manning wanted it that way. Peyton is due a $28 million roster bonus in February & because the league's 2012 season opening isn't till early March, the Colts can't trade him. If they want to avoid the bonus, they'll have to cut him, cold turkey, zero compensation. There's another thing to consider, maybe Peyton won't be able to play or choose not to play with his neck ailment. Who knows? In the end, I believe the Colts will release him before they have to pay him the $28 million & then we'll see some wild bidding from 5-6 teams who can't draft Andrew Luck or RG3. Miami, Washington, Arizona, Seattle & the Jets come to mind. For those of you who have emailed your wishes for Manning to join the Chiefs, I seriously doubt that will happen. It's against everything Scott Pioli believes in, trading premium picks for veteran players, especially players who will turn 36 this March & has a chronic neck problem.
Kansas City scribe Bob Gretz spotted former Chiefs' offensive coordinator Al Saunders & ex-Chiefs' great Kevin Ross at the Senior Bowl in their Raider gear, their current employer. When asked about their job stability, Saunders replied "You just keep showing up until they tell you not too." I sure would like him in his old position, O-coordinator for Kansas City.
Former Jaguars head coach, Jack Del Rio, could become defensive coordinator for his old boss, Denver's John Fox. Del Rio spent time with Fox at the Senior Bowl, when Dennis Allen signs with the Raiders as their new head coach, the Broncos will need a new defensive boss. It could very well be Del Rio, he was Fox's D-coordinator in his first season at Carolina.
If you follow the Chiefs, you know GM Scott Pioli has some very definite ideas regarding the draft. One of them is he believes quality offensive linemen can be selected in the middle to late rounds of the draft. I offer exhibit A: From the four teams in last weekend's championship games, here are their offensive tackles & the draft round they were selected.
Baltimore Ravens--Michael Oher(round 1) & Bryant McKinnie(1)
New England Patriots--Because of injuries, the Pats have started 3 different tackles.
Nate Solder(1), Sebastian Volmer(2) & Matt Light(2)
San Francisco 49ers--Joe Staley(1) & Anthony Davis(1)
New York Giants--David Diehl(5) & Kareem McKenzie(3)
That's nine starting tackles, seven obtained with premium(1-3) selections. You get what you pay for, apparently even Bill Belichick believes so.
From today's Senior Bowl practices, this last of the padded, full speed practices, here's what I saw.
North Squad--hot list
Nebraska LB Lavonte David looked very fluid in his pass drops & closed quickly.
Boise RB Doug Martin continues to impress in every single phase of his game. FYI, in his true freshman year he was voted the scout team MVP. Strong, soft hands for catching the ball(56 recep. the past 2 seasons).
Marshall DE Vinny Curry showed a powerful burst off the edge & won every 1 on 1 but once.
Washington NT Alameda Ta'amu repeatedly blew past both North centers, the guy is quick & powerful.
Washington NT Alameda Ta'amu
UConn DT Kendall Reyes had another excellent day in the 1 on 1 drills. Very good day.
Mizzou E Michael Egnew had another decent day, he's the best TE on either team. Snatched the ball out of the air even the flutter-balls thrown by the North QB's.
Michigan DT Mike Martin was productive again today. Went past the whistle several times
Iowa State CB Leonard Johnson made himself some $ this week. He's not afraid of contact & he battles when the ball is in the air.
Boise S George Iloka snagged another interception & in the stalk drill(WR's blocking DB's) he knocked both guys to the ground with little effort.
North Squad--not so hot list
Ohio State OT Mike Adams got knocked down a few pegs on Wednesday. Vinny Curry wore him out in the 11 on 11 & 1 on 1 drills. He was at LT all morning but I don't see Adams as anything but a RT.
Boise DT Billy Winn looks out of shape & overweight. He was blocked to the ground several times & lost his balance too easily a few other times landing on his ass. I haven't seen a good rep out of the Las Vegas native so far.
Both North centers have had way too many poor snaps & I question whether they'll get it straightened out by Saturday's kickoff.
Wisconsin C/G Kevin Seitler had a bad day, Ta'amu wore him out as did Kendall Reyes.
Penn State G Johnnie Troutman wasn't much better or Ohio State C Mike Brewster, who got roughed up by Michigan's Mike Martin snap after snap.
All three North QB's continued to struggle, between the bad snaps, overwhelmed offensive linemen & unfamiliarity with the receivers, Saturday's game could be a long one for this trio.
South Squad--hot list
Mississippi Stae RB Vick Ballard looked like an NFL running back catching the ball on swings & screens. Ran hard & broke tackles.
Louisiana Tech RB Lennon Creer really impressed me again, just as he did during the regular season, he is a patient, sure-handed, tough runner with good vision for the cutback.
La Tech's Lennon Creer
North Carolina LB Zach Brown has a very quick 1st step when blitzing & damn tough to block as well.
Louisiana-Lafayette CB Dwight Bentley has made money with a solid week of practice. Nothing outstanding, but every part of his game is above average.
Arizona WR Juron Criner dominated his man almost every time. Excellent hands too.
Florida WR Chris Rainey got separation again today, on nearly every pattern. Get this guy 12-15 touches a game returning kicks, catching passes & a couple of runs out of the backfield. He has blazing speed that completely translates to the football field. I expect him to run 4.25 or better at the combine next month.
Houston WR Patrick Edwards runs superb routes at nearly full speed but he suffered what appeared to be a right hamstring injury running a go-route.
Georgia T/G Cordy Glenn had another excellent practice. Spent most of it at LT, don't see him there in the pros. Like I said last night, LG or RT. He abused Quinton Coples before & after the whistle. I really like this kid a lot.
Georgia's Cordy Glenn
South Carolina DL/OLB Melvin Ingram beat up on Zebrie Sanders all afternoon. IMO, Sanders should be first tried as a 4-3 RDE, he has Dwight Freeney-type skills.
Clemson DT Brandon Thompson blew up every guard or center that tried to block him. He's had a good week.
Texas DT Kheeston Randle roughed up the South's interior linemen with a variety of moves.
Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden threw dart after dart for completions in the intermediate range but under threw too many of the deep throws. He's hasn't spent much time with these receivers, which is part of it, but he needs to hook up once with Rainey on Saturday.
South Squad--not so hot list
Baylor RB Terrence Gannaway ran tentatively, got blown up in the pass blocking 1 on 1. Several South backs failed in this drill.
Arizona QB Nick Foles is just not comfortable taking snaps from under center & making conventional 5-step drops.
North Carolina WR Dwight Jones takes 5-6 steps to get going & then has to gear down going into his cut. Mike Mayock said Jones had "build-up speed" which is right on the money.
Florida State OT Zebrie Sanders & UAB OT Matt McCants spent the day either retreating or getting run over by a variety of South D-linemen. Both were out-leveraged by Ingram as he drove them right into the QB.
With the exception of Illinois' Jeff Allen & Georgia's Ben Jones, the South interior linemen had a very tough day. They were beaten about every way conceivable. Since I believe the South's O-line is much better than the North's, I think the South will win Saturday.
North Alabama CB Janoris Jenkins talks a lot of smack, but he couldn't cover Chris Rainey, Patrick Edwards faked him out of his jock & Arkansas' Joe Adams turned him completely around. He'll end up in the first round for his measurables, but he's gonna beat at the next level, maybe too often.
Texas A&M WR Jeff Fuller caught the first pass I was able to witness all week. His patterns are far from sharp & he has a long way to go to make an NFL roster.
Jerry Jones continually amazes me. Last week the Cowboy's owner & general manager said this "The main difference between the Giants & Cowboys is Eli Manning." Must have made his quarterback, Tony Romo, feel pretty special. Today, he did it again. Jones was asked about the Forty-Niners & his response was "Did you see those inside linebackers for San Francisco? I dream of having linebackers like that." Think Dallas ILB's Sean Lee & Bruce Carter appreciated their owner "dreaming' about other linebackers? Maybe the Dallas owner ought to chew on his general manager a little for letting him down huh?
Since the temporary seating thing worked so well at least year's Super Bowl in Dallas(lawsuits are still pending in addition to huge cash settlements by the NFL) the league is at it again & their timing is, like last year, near perfect. The NFL plans to install 5,000 temporary seats in Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium in time for the Super Bowl in 10-days. Better get busy. Hopefully, it works out better this time.
Speaking of Indianapolis, the Colts made their choice for new head coach & it's current Baltimore defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. That's yet another reason I think Peyton Manning won't play for the Colts in 2012. Bringing in a defensive coach who will undoubtedly change offensive coordinators. They brought Tony Dungy for a 7-year stint & he was a defensive coach. But Dungy left the Tom Moore, who had been the Colts' offensive coordinator for 5-years prior, in place because manning wanted it that way. Peyton is due a $28 million roster bonus in February & because the league's 2012 season opening isn't till early March, the Colts can't trade him. If they want to avoid the bonus, they'll have to cut him, cold turkey, zero compensation. There's another thing to consider, maybe Peyton won't be able to play or choose not to play with his neck ailment. Who knows? In the end, I believe the Colts will release him before they have to pay him the $28 million & then we'll see some wild bidding from 5-6 teams who can't draft Andrew Luck or RG3. Miami, Washington, Arizona, Seattle & the Jets come to mind. For those of you who have emailed your wishes for Manning to join the Chiefs, I seriously doubt that will happen. It's against everything Scott Pioli believes in, trading premium picks for veteran players, especially players who will turn 36 this March & has a chronic neck problem.
Kansas City scribe Bob Gretz spotted former Chiefs' offensive coordinator Al Saunders & ex-Chiefs' great Kevin Ross at the Senior Bowl in their Raider gear, their current employer. When asked about their job stability, Saunders replied "You just keep showing up until they tell you not too." I sure would like him in his old position, O-coordinator for Kansas City.
Former Jaguars head coach, Jack Del Rio, could become defensive coordinator for his old boss, Denver's John Fox. Del Rio spent time with Fox at the Senior Bowl, when Dennis Allen signs with the Raiders as their new head coach, the Broncos will need a new defensive boss. It could very well be Del Rio, he was Fox's D-coordinator in his first season at Carolina.
If you follow the Chiefs, you know GM Scott Pioli has some very definite ideas regarding the draft. One of them is he believes quality offensive linemen can be selected in the middle to late rounds of the draft. I offer exhibit A: From the four teams in last weekend's championship games, here are their offensive tackles & the draft round they were selected.
Baltimore Ravens--Michael Oher(round 1) & Bryant McKinnie(1)
New England Patriots--Because of injuries, the Pats have started 3 different tackles.
Nate Solder(1), Sebastian Volmer(2) & Matt Light(2)
San Francisco 49ers--Joe Staley(1) & Anthony Davis(1)
New York Giants--David Diehl(5) & Kareem McKenzie(3)
That's nine starting tackles, seven obtained with premium(1-3) selections. You get what you pay for, apparently even Bill Belichick believes so.
From today's Senior Bowl practices, this last of the padded, full speed practices, here's what I saw.
North Squad--hot list
Nebraska LB Lavonte David looked very fluid in his pass drops & closed quickly.
Boise RB Doug Martin continues to impress in every single phase of his game. FYI, in his true freshman year he was voted the scout team MVP. Strong, soft hands for catching the ball(56 recep. the past 2 seasons).
Marshall DE Vinny Curry showed a powerful burst off the edge & won every 1 on 1 but once.
Washington NT Alameda Ta'amu repeatedly blew past both North centers, the guy is quick & powerful.
Washington NT Alameda Ta'amu
UConn DT Kendall Reyes had another excellent day in the 1 on 1 drills. Very good day.
Mizzou E Michael Egnew had another decent day, he's the best TE on either team. Snatched the ball out of the air even the flutter-balls thrown by the North QB's.
Michigan DT Mike Martin was productive again today. Went past the whistle several times
Iowa State CB Leonard Johnson made himself some $ this week. He's not afraid of contact & he battles when the ball is in the air.
Boise S George Iloka snagged another interception & in the stalk drill(WR's blocking DB's) he knocked both guys to the ground with little effort.
North Squad--not so hot list
Ohio State OT Mike Adams got knocked down a few pegs on Wednesday. Vinny Curry wore him out in the 11 on 11 & 1 on 1 drills. He was at LT all morning but I don't see Adams as anything but a RT.
Boise DT Billy Winn looks out of shape & overweight. He was blocked to the ground several times & lost his balance too easily a few other times landing on his ass. I haven't seen a good rep out of the Las Vegas native so far.
Both North centers have had way too many poor snaps & I question whether they'll get it straightened out by Saturday's kickoff.
Wisconsin C/G Kevin Seitler had a bad day, Ta'amu wore him out as did Kendall Reyes.
Penn State G Johnnie Troutman wasn't much better or Ohio State C Mike Brewster, who got roughed up by Michigan's Mike Martin snap after snap.
All three North QB's continued to struggle, between the bad snaps, overwhelmed offensive linemen & unfamiliarity with the receivers, Saturday's game could be a long one for this trio.
South Squad--hot list
Mississippi Stae RB Vick Ballard looked like an NFL running back catching the ball on swings & screens. Ran hard & broke tackles.
Louisiana Tech RB Lennon Creer really impressed me again, just as he did during the regular season, he is a patient, sure-handed, tough runner with good vision for the cutback.
La Tech's Lennon Creer
North Carolina LB Zach Brown has a very quick 1st step when blitzing & damn tough to block as well.
Louisiana-Lafayette CB Dwight Bentley has made money with a solid week of practice. Nothing outstanding, but every part of his game is above average.
Arizona WR Juron Criner dominated his man almost every time. Excellent hands too.
Florida WR Chris Rainey got separation again today, on nearly every pattern. Get this guy 12-15 touches a game returning kicks, catching passes & a couple of runs out of the backfield. He has blazing speed that completely translates to the football field. I expect him to run 4.25 or better at the combine next month.
Houston WR Patrick Edwards runs superb routes at nearly full speed but he suffered what appeared to be a right hamstring injury running a go-route.
Georgia T/G Cordy Glenn had another excellent practice. Spent most of it at LT, don't see him there in the pros. Like I said last night, LG or RT. He abused Quinton Coples before & after the whistle. I really like this kid a lot.
Georgia's Cordy Glenn
South Carolina DL/OLB Melvin Ingram beat up on Zebrie Sanders all afternoon. IMO, Sanders should be first tried as a 4-3 RDE, he has Dwight Freeney-type skills.
Clemson DT Brandon Thompson blew up every guard or center that tried to block him. He's had a good week.
Texas DT Kheeston Randle roughed up the South's interior linemen with a variety of moves.
Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden threw dart after dart for completions in the intermediate range but under threw too many of the deep throws. He's hasn't spent much time with these receivers, which is part of it, but he needs to hook up once with Rainey on Saturday.
South Squad--not so hot list
Baylor RB Terrence Gannaway ran tentatively, got blown up in the pass blocking 1 on 1. Several South backs failed in this drill.
Arizona QB Nick Foles is just not comfortable taking snaps from under center & making conventional 5-step drops.
North Carolina WR Dwight Jones takes 5-6 steps to get going & then has to gear down going into his cut. Mike Mayock said Jones had "build-up speed" which is right on the money.
Florida State OT Zebrie Sanders & UAB OT Matt McCants spent the day either retreating or getting run over by a variety of South D-linemen. Both were out-leveraged by Ingram as he drove them right into the QB.
With the exception of Illinois' Jeff Allen & Georgia's Ben Jones, the South interior linemen had a very tough day. They were beaten about every way conceivable. Since I believe the South's O-line is much better than the North's, I think the South will win Saturday.
North Alabama CB Janoris Jenkins talks a lot of smack, but he couldn't cover Chris Rainey, Patrick Edwards faked him out of his jock & Arkansas' Joe Adams turned him completely around. He'll end up in the first round for his measurables, but he's gonna beat at the next level, maybe too often.
Texas A&M WR Jeff Fuller caught the first pass I was able to witness all week. His patterns are far from sharp & he has a long way to go to make an NFL roster.
How do you compare DGB to Blackman. Rams will do great with him. Just think how Gabberts stats would rise with Blackman
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Bob,
Don't get ahead of yourself with the Rams getting Justin Blackmon. Right now, I'd say if they don't trade down, they're better off taking OT Ryan Kalil from USC. Their tackle situation is horrible, even worse than their WR's. If they trade down, with say Cleveland, I think they'll take Blackmon & try to get a tackle in rounds 2 or 3.
I'm a Mizzou guy, but Gabbert has more issues than just terrible WR's, which he is truly handicapped with. Once again, bad right tackle, sub-par interior line. Gabbert has to get over being gun-shy behind his line, he hasn't shown me much pocket presence. He really should have stayed another year in Columbia.
Sam Bradford will do great with better coaching(Josh McDaniels gone), better O-line play & a true #1 WR. Blackomon would be that guy IMO.
Thanks for your comments.
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