Draft Chatter

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/tennessees-patterson-with-plenty-of-talent-and-question-marks-rt9i5uj-203524771.html

Tavon Austin and Cordarrelle Patterson proved their respective genius on the Wonderlic:

Patterson: 11
Austin: 7

Austin is almost as dumb as VY.

AJ Green scored about an 8 on the Wonderlic so those scores sure seem important to me.

Simpleton said:

AJ Green scored about an 8 on the Wonderlic so those scores sure seem important to me.

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I don't think all positions require a smart guy. WR? Not really. RB? Please.

QB and OL, hell yeah.

boozeman said:

I don't think all positions require a smart guy. WR? Not really. RB? Please.

QB and OL, hell yeah.

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Yea definitely and even then there are exceptions.

WR, RB, CB and DL are probably the positions I'd care least about with the Wonderlic although I generally don't care much at all about it if what I see on the field is legitimate.

Kirwan - NFL Draft: Matching cornerbacks with team defensive philosophies
April 16, 2013 1:54 pm ET

Last week I broke down the offensive tackles in the draft and the dozen or so teams in need of a starter. The conclusion was that the supply of tackles would not meet the demand of the teams.

As good as the top of the first round looks for tackles, it appears some teams will be left searching for a starting tackle. Now, it's time to take a look at the cornerbacks in the draft and the teams that need a corner.

Cornerbacks can't be looked at as a group of athletes all playing the same position.

When I worked with Pete Carroll, he was interested in man-to-man cover corners who could succeed in "press" coverage. He wanted men who could get up in the face of the wide receiver, jam him, force an outside release and run with a wideout down the field mirroring the route. Quickness, speed and leaping ability were premiums with this sort of strategy.

Soon after that, I was looking at corners for Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick and they wanted big cover-2 zone corners who funneled receivers to the safety and were solid run-support players. They liked big physical corners with savvy zone-drop skills.

Sooner or later both defensive philosophies found themselves in nickel and dime packages and the need for a "slot" corner who could blitz or handle slot receivers like Wes Welker.

I will try to separate the man corners from the zone corners as well as identify the slot corners in this draft. Of course, there are always a few cornerbacks who can do it all and they should be grabbed early in the draft.

The top all-around corners are Dee Milliner, Xavier Rhodes and Des Trufant.

After that, the top man corners are Johnthan Banks, Darius Slay, Robert Alford, Tharold Simon and Will Davis.

The top cover-2 zone corners are David Amerson, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Dwayne Gratz and Logan Ryan.

When it comes to slot nickel players, I like Tyrann Mathieu, Jamar Taylor, Leon McFadden, and Jordan Poyer.

There should be enough corners to satisfy team needs. There may not be an elite lockdown corner like Darrelle Revis, but there are plenty of guys who can start in the NFL and function.

Last year, 32 corners were selected in the draft. Ten corners were taken in the top three rounds, so by Friday night I expect the top 10 corners off the board this year. The top three corners went in the top 17 picks, and it's very possible the top three this year will go in the top 17 picks.

Dee Milliner (Alabama), Xavier Rhodes (Florida State) and Des Trufant (Washington) could hear their names called by three of these teams in the top 17: Detroit, Cleveland, Miami, Tampa Bay or Pittsburgh.

After the top three are gone, the two Mississippi State corners, Johnthan Banks and Darius Slay, should be on the launchpad to be selected.

Teams at the bottom of the first round like New England, Atlanta and San Francisco have a big question to ask themselves: If they pass on a corner at this point, what will be left to select in the next round? Atlanta doesn't pick in the second round, New England has to wait until pick No. 59 and only the 49ers have a top second-round pick. Usually more than half the teams in the NFL are going to take a corner and many teams will take two of them in a draft like this.

Teams like Washington, Chicago, Carolina, Philadelphia and any of the teams that pass in the first round will be eyeing a corner in the second round. If only three corners go in the first round, get ready for five corners in the second round and another two in the third round. After the Mississippi State corners comes D.J. Hayden, a fast riser from Houston coming off heart surgery, David Amerson (North Carolina State) and Jamar Taylor (Boise State).

Finally, a secondary coach I spoke with felt good about the depth at corner in this draft and talked about the half dozen corners over 6-feet and how important it is nowadays to find big corners like the Seahawks have to handle the tall wideouts and vertical-threat tight ends.

A scout simply said this about the class: It's a B+ at best and at worst.

Simpleton said:

Yea definitely and even then there are exceptions.

WR, RB, CB and DL are probably the positions I'd care least about with the Wonderlic although I generally don't care much at all about it if what I see on the field is legitimate.

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What did Olga score?

[h=1]Bill Polian says Landry Jones is the best QB in the draft[/h]Posted by Michael David Smith on April 19, 2013, 4:12 PM EDT


In the 1998 NFL draft, Colts General Manager Bill Polian had a decision to make: Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf? He chose right, and as a result his job in Indianapolis was safe as long Manning was there.

Now Polian is playing a different role, analyzing the draft for ESPN, and he was asked to pick the best quarterback in this year’s draft. Polian’s surprising answer? Oklahoma’s Landry Jones.

Polian said he attended the 2011 Oklahoma-Texas A&M game and watched Jones complete 18/38 passes for 255 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and Polian thought Jones compared favorably to Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who was last year’s No. 8 overall pick and is now the Dolphins’ starter.

“He was a good one, and when he had a good supporting cast around him, he was great,” Polian said of Jones. “I was at the game in Norman where he beat Tannehill head-to-head, in a very, very fierce wind. So this guy has been a winner, he’s got stature, he’s got arm strength — he can make all the throws. He sees the field quite well, and he’s a natural leader.”

Polian acknowledged that there are concerns about Jones, including his lack of mobility, and he said he doesn’t see a Peyton Manning in this year’s draft. But he thinks if there’s a quarterback who’s going to make an instant impact for an NFL team in 2013, it’s Jones.

“I don’t think anybody in this group is going to be able to step in right away and lead the team, but if you ask me, who’s the guy who’s most ready, and who’s the guy who’s had the most winning experience, it would be Landry Jones,” Polian said.

From all indications, Polian’s view is a minority opinion — most people think Geno Smith of West Virginia, E.J. Manuel of Florida State, Matt Barkley of USC and Ryan Nassib of Syracuse are all better prospects than Jones.

boozeman said:

[h=1]Bill Polian says Landry Jones is the best QB in the draft[/h]Posted by Michael David Smith on April 19, 2013, 4:12 PM EDT


In the 1998 NFL draft, Colts General Manager Bill Polian had a decision to make: Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf? He chose right, and as a result his job in Indianapolis was safe as long Manning was there.

Now Polian is playing a different role, analyzing the draft for ESPN, and he was asked to pick the best quarterback in this year’s draft. Polian’s surprising answer? Oklahoma’s Landry Jones.

Polian said he attended the 2011 Oklahoma-Texas A&M game and watched Jones complete 18/38 passes for 255 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and Polian thought Jones compared favorably to Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who was last year’s No. 8 overall pick and is now the Dolphins’ starter.

“He was a good one, and when he had a good supporting cast around him, he was great,” Polian said of Jones. “I was at the game in Norman where he beat Tannehill head-to-head, in a very, very fierce wind. So this guy has been a winner, he’s got stature, he’s got arm strength — he can make all the throws. He sees the field quite well, and he’s a natural leader.”

Polian acknowledged that there are concerns about Jones, including his lack of mobility, and he said he doesn’t see a Peyton Manning in this year’s draft. But he thinks if there’s a quarterback who’s going to make an instant impact for an NFL team in 2013, it’s Jones.

“I don’t think anybody in this group is going to be able to step in right away and lead the team, but if you ask me, who’s the guy who’s most ready, and who’s the guy who’s had the most winning experience, it would be Landry Jones,” Polian said.

From all indications, Polian’s view is a minority opinion — most people think Geno Smith of West Virginia, E.J. Manuel of Florida State, Matt Barkley of USC and Ryan Nassib of Syracuse are all better prospects than Jones.

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This is why the Colts got so bad after having been a Super Bowl team.

The Tackles Are Coming!




By Lance Zierlein
April 20, 2013


We’ve all participated in fantasy football drafts so we can all relate to what it feels like when a position we are targeting starts to fly off the board. It doesn’t matter if it happens early in the draft or in the middle rounds, once there is a run on a position, most of us are inclined to grab a player from that dwindling position for fear of being left out in the cold at that spot.

NFL general managers are no different than the rest of us. There is nothing worse for a GM than seeing a run on talent at a position that he intends to fill in the draft.

We will see another run this year on the offensive side of the ball, but it won’t be at quarterback, wide receiver, tight end or running back.

Teams Show “Run” Tendencies with Tackles

Central Michigan's Eric Fisher

Last year outside of Matt Kalil, there weren’t any tackles who warranted first round selections, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t value in the position. Only two tackles were taken in the first round (Kalil #4 and Riley Reiff #23), but six tackles were taken in the second round. What was interesting was to watch the run on tackles in the second as offensive tackle went at #37, #41, #42 and #44 of the second round.

In 2011, Tyron Smith went ninth to the Dallas Cowboys and another tackle wasn’t selected until Nate Solder was taken off the board by the New England Patriots with the 17th pick. Solder was the beginning of a run on tackles that saw five tackles taken within 16 picks.

Upon first glance at the 2009 tackle draft, it feels like there could be some similarities to what could happen in this year’s draft. A tackle was taken at #2, #6, #8 and #23 of the first round and a tackle going with the #39th overall pick in the second round. The numbers might be a little off, but if you plugged in Luke Joeckel (#2), Eric Fisher (#6), Lane Johnson (#8), D.J. Fluker (#23) and Menelik Watson (#39) it would look very reasonable.

Here’s the thing: The offensive tackle run of 2013 is going to be much more aggressive than 2009 with at least five tackles going in the first and as many as six potentially sneaking in.

There is always a very stark contrast between 1st and 2nd round tackles and tackles beyond those two rounds so any tackles with upper echelon athleticism (like Terron Armstead) or projectable talent and measurable (Watson) will go earlier than where there grades might indicate.

The First Six Picks Will Be The Key

Oklahoma's Lane Johnson

I expect the Kansas City Chiefs to unload disgruntled left tackle Branden Albert before the draft, but even if they don’t, they could still draft a tackle with the first pick and plug him into the right side until after 2013 and then just let Albert walk. There is one tackle off the board.

Jacksonville is unlikely to take an offensive tackle as they have too many needs on the defensive side of the ball, but if the right team made the right offer, Dave Caldwell would have to consider moving back. The Raiders and Eagles are sure to get phone calls about their pick if either Fisher or Joeckel is still there since a team might consider the Lions a sensible destination for the 2nd tackle off the board with the 5th pick.

If two tackles are gone by the time the Browns are on the board with the 6th pick, there would be an interesting scenario building. With Johnson and Fluker left as the obvious first round talents, it shouldn’t shock us to see a team try to get something done with the Browns who should be more than willing to move back.

Arizona and San Diego Look Like Tackle Destinations

Lane Johnson is an outstanding athlete with outstanding pass protection potential, but his run blocking needs work. D.J. Fluker is the polar opposite of Johnson. Fluker is a slow-twitch mauler who is going to excel in run blocking but struggle with edge speed in pass protection.

The Cardinals (#7) and Chargers (#11) both need tackle in the worst way so it wouldn’t shock me to see both Johnson and Fluker off the board by the 11th pick.

Alabama offensive tackle Fluker is the most powerful run blocker in this draft and he fits the power profile that Arizona wants to build up front, but he would have to play on the right side. Johnson could be their bell-cow left tackle who gives the slow-footed Carson Palmer more time to throw. Either way, whoever falls past the 7th pick should get very strong consideration by the Chargers.

If four tackle picks are gone with the first 11 selections of the draft, then you had better believe that Florida State’s Menelik Watson will be coming off the board next -- and coming off the board sooner than people have been projecting him. The Cowboys and Giants are at #18 and #19 and could both use a right tackle. Worst-case scenario is that Watson falls to Green Bay at #26 or Houston at #27.

If Watson comes off the board inside the first 20 picks, then the possibility of a player like Kyle Long or Justin Pugh being drafted (as a tackle instead of guard) within the first round increases. I expect five tackles to be taken in the first, but six wouldn’t shock me.

Lance Zierlein’s Tackle Rankings

(Round grade in parenthesis)
1.Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M (1st)
2.Eric Fisher, Central Michigan (1st)
3.Lane Johnson, Oklahoma (1st)
4.D.J. Fluker, Alabama (1st)
5.David Bahktiari, Colorado (2nd)
6.Menelik Watson, Florida State (2nd)
7.Dallas Thomas, Tennessee (2nd/3rd)
8.Terron Armstead, Arkansas Pine-Bluff (3rd)
9.Kyle Long, Oregon (3rd)
10.Jordan Mills, La. Tech (4th/5th)

boozeman said:

Bill Polian says Landry Jones is the best QB in the draft

Posted by Michael David Smith on April 19, 2013, 4:12 PM EDT


In the 1998 NFL draft, Colts General Manager Bill Polian had a decision to make: Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf? He chose right, and as a result his job in Indianapolis was safe as long Manning was there.

Now Polian is playing a different role, analyzing the draft for ESPN, and he was asked to pick the best quarterback in this year’s draft. Polian’s surprising answer? Oklahoma’s Landry Jones.

Polian said he attended the 2011 Oklahoma-Texas A&M game and watched Jones complete 18/38 passes for 255 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and Polian thought Jones compared favorably to Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who was last year’s No. 8 overall pick and is now the Dolphins’ starter.

“He was a good one, and when he had a good supporting cast around him, he was great,” Polian said of Jones. “I was at the game in Norman where he beat Tannehill head-to-head, in a very, very fierce wind. So this guy has been a winner, he’s got stature, he’s got arm strength — he can make all the throws. He sees the field quite well, and he’s a natural leader.”

Polian acknowledged that there are concerns about Jones, including his lack of mobility, and he said he doesn’t see a Peyton Manning in this year’s draft. But he thinks if there’s a quarterback who’s going to make an instant impact for an NFL team in 2013, it’s Jones.

“I don’t think anybody in this group is going to be able to step in right away and lead the team, but if you ask me, who’s the guy who’s most ready, and who’s the guy who’s had the most winning experience, it would be Landry Jones,” Polian said.

From all indications, Polian’s view is a minority opinion — most people think Geno Smith of West Virginia, E.J. Manuel of Florida State, Matt Barkley of USC and Ryan Nassib of Syracuse are all better prospects than Jones.

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1big just died laughing, guys. RIP 1big

Bob Roberts said:

1big just died laughing, guys. RIP 1big

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It is very laughable. It's like he based his assessment off of one game.

Polian said he attended the 2011 Oklahoma-Texas A&M game and watched Jones complete 18/38 passes for 255 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and Polian thought Jones compared favorably to Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who was last year’s No. 8 overall pick and is now the Dolphins’ starter.

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First of all those aren't great numbers. It's pretty strange that he'd site this particularly game to support his argument. Jones' had better games against better competition. The 2011 Aggies were an average team.

I'd love for Polian to explain why Jones played like complete shit that same year after Ryan Broyles went down; despite having other solid receivers still on the roster.

Cowboysrock55 said:

I would draft Terrence Williams with my eye on cutting Austin in the next year or two. Austin has a lower cap figure in 2013 but then in 2014 he jumps to 8.2 mil against the cap, 9.6, and then 12.5. With Austin's injury history and production I don't think I could justify him counting anything close to 8.2 mil or more against our cap.

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I concur. I have been on Austin's case since he got his contract. He seemed to fold and avoid ways to stay healthy.

1bigfan13 said:

It is very laughable. It's like he based his assessment off of one game.



First of all those aren't great numbers. It's pretty strange that he'd site this particularly game to support his argument. Jones' had better games against better competition. The 2011 Aggies were an average team.

I'd love for Polian to explain why Jones played like complete shit that same year after Ryan Broyles went down; despite having other solid receivers still on the roster.

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I am not completely sold on Jones but he has had a pretty good overall run during his college career. I would take him as a third pick.

L.T. Fan said:

I concur. I have been on Austin's case since he got his contract. He seemed to fold and avoid ways to stay healthy.

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I seriously questions Austin's toughness. A casual observer would look over Austin's stats and say he didn't miss a single game last year. They would look over the last four years and say he played in all 16 games 3 out of the 4 years. The thing is Austin misses the majority of games all the time because of injuries. It's like the second he gets the least bit nicked up he just pulls himself out of the game and sits on the sideline the rest of the game. The injury obviously isn't that serious because Austin is back on the field the next week. On the other hand you will see a guy like Dez Bryant on the field limping and playing hurt and gutting it out. Football is all about playing hurt because every NFL player gets dinged up. Players like Austin drive me nuts because they are so soft.

L.T. Fan said:

I am not completely sold on Jones but he has had a pretty good overall run during his college career. I would take him as a third pick.

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I will say this in Landry's defense. Oklahoma's coaching staff didn't do him any favors.

Landry Jones, like Tony Romo, is a limited QB. He doesn't possess the skills or mental make up to be a QB who can take you to a title w/o a lot of help. Instead of concentrating on developing a running game to remove some of the burden from Jones' shoulders, they willingly continued to run an offense that was built for Sam Bradford. Asking Landry to throw it 50 times a game.

1bigfan13 said:

Landry Jones, like Tony Romo, is a limited QB. He doesn't possess the skills or mental make up to be a QB who can take you to a title w/o a lot of help.

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I think that is acceptable at the NFL level. When I'm looking for a QB capable of transitioning from college to the NFL I don't think that is acceptable. If a guy needs a lot of help in college to succeed, how much help is he going to need in the NFL playing against much better talent?

Landry Jones will get drafted decently high because he is big, strong, and has a good arm. I fully expect him to be a career backup at best at the next level and I don't want anything to do with the Cowboys drafting him.

Brian Schwenke - C - Golden Bears
Former NFL scout Bryan Broaddus believes Cal's Brian Schwenke would fir the Cowboys well as a zone blocking center.

Source: Bryan Broaddus on Twitter Apr 21 - 3:26 PM

Eric Reid - S - Tigers
DallasCowboys.com writer Bryan Broaddus believes the team's decision makers prefer LSU S Eric Reid over FIU S Johnathan Cyprien.
If the top two guards and top three defensive tackles are off the board, the Cowboys will likely decide between Reid, Kenny Vaccaro and Sylvester Williams. We think it would be a mistake to select Reid over Cyprien, but as unfair as it might be, some teams do value the level of consistent competition a prospect played against.

I agree with Reid over Cyprien, but not over Vacarro.

Daniel Jeremiah ‏@MoveTheSticks 8m
I keep hearing that UNC's Jonathan Cooper is a strong fall back option for the teams looking to trade out of top 6

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Crap.