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This week is flying by, you guys.
Draft Spotlight: Tank Carder, ILB, TCU " Seahawks Draft Blog
Tank Carder played middle linebacker in TCU’s 4-2-5 defense. Carder was voted an All American by ESPN and the AFCA in 2010. In 2011, Carder was a consensus All American.
RB Trent Richardson exception to rule as positional value keeps sliding - Yahoo! Sports
It appears that just about anybody who plays running back is the new Mr. Irrelevant of the NFL draft. Even someone as good as Trent Richardson of Alabama.
FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | SackSEER 2012
SackSEER was rolled out with a controversial 4.5-sack projection for South Florida defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. That projection turned out to be fantastically wrong. Pierre-Paul matched his five-year projection in just one year, and then completely left it in the dust with 16.5 sacks in his second season. In only two years, he has recorded 21.0 regular-season sacks, which puts him on pace for just over 50 sacks through his first five years.
Cosell Talks: The Other Quarterbacks of 2012, Part 1 : NFL Films Blog
I am often asked how I evaluate college quarterbacks. Remember, there’s only one objective: project and transition to the NFL. On Sundays, quarterbacks must be able to pass the ball against sophisticated defenses designed specifically to challenge them. Passing the ball well demands particular and identifiable attributes. These traits are necessary for all quarterbacks to succeed at the NFL level. There’s no question that different players possess these characteristics in distinctive and varying degrees. The overriding point, however, is consistent play requires a tangible skill set that can be quantified.
Cosell Talks: The Other Quarterbacks of 2012 Part 2 : NFL Films Blog
Brock Osweiler: The 6-foot-7 Arizona State prospect is very intriguing. He has a naturally live arm with a lot of velocity on his throws. What jumped out right away, however, was his tendency to overstride when he delivered the ball, especially on intermediate throws. That lowered his arm angle significantly and at times forced him to push the ball, hindering both velocity and accuracy. Can that be fixed? Theoretically, any flaw that’s a function of technique can be corrected with proper coaching, but it must be addressed. You cannot be a quality NFL starter without consistent accuracy; it’s as simple as that.
Cosell Talks: The Other Quarterbacks of 2012 Part 3 : NFL Films Blog
Brandon Weeden: When Weeden has time and functional space to deliver the ball comfortably, he’s the purest and best pocket passer in this draft class. He has outstanding lower-body mechanics; he was balanced with his left knee flexed at the proper angle, and he drove off his back foot with excellent weight transfer and core body torque. He was a short strider, which made him deliver the ball taller than his 6-foot-3½. You could make the argument that Weeden was a robotic player, in a positive way. He repeated his fundamentals throw after throw.
TonySoftli.com: Top 5 Offensive Tackles in 2012 NFL Draft
When I first started scouting in 1995 with the Carolina Panthers, I learned the business of the NFL from some very good personnel men. Men like Bill Polian, Mike McCormick, Bill Walsh and Dom Anile taught me the art of scouting and how to build a 53-man roster, along with some very close friends (Kevin Colbert, Ozzie Newsome and Rod Graves) from afar and the senior scouts (Milt Davis, Red Cochran Jr. and C.O. Barcato) who helped shape me into a scout.
2012 NFL Mock Draft 5.0 has Stephon Gilmore cracking the top 10 - Don Banks - SI.com
We're only a week and a day away from the start of the 2012 NFL draft, and the illusion of movement that unfolds every year at this time is in full swing. I've got prospects like Mississippi State's Fletcher Cox, South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore and Baylor's Kendall Wright climbing, and I perceive players like South Carolina's Melvin Ingram, North Carolina's Quinton Coples and Memphis' Dontari Poe supposedly losing ground. This even though no one has actually made a pick yet, so there's nothing to gauge all this movement against. It's imaginary activity, but it's an exercise we willingly take part in every spring. What's that they say about perception becoming reality? We'll see next Thursday night how much of it comes true. Until then, here's my sixth and penultimate attempt at mocking out the first round...
Bradford starting over again
Quarterback Sam Bradford is learning his third offense in three NFL seasons — from his third coordinator, no less. But at first blush, the transition may be easier than expected. "I like the offense that we're running this year," Bradford said Tuesday. "It's more similar to two years ago than to last year. There is some carryover, so I am somewhat familiar with it, which makes it nice trying to learn it again."
The Shutdown 50 — #22: Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
We continue this year's series with Stanford tight end Coby Fleener, one of Andrew Luck's primary targets as Luck became the next Peyton Manning. Fleener isn't as big a name, but he plays a big game -- in an era where tight ends rule the day more than ever before, Fleener is a great hybrid between the in-line blockers and the big receivers who masquerade as tight ends in spread concepts. In each of his last three years for the Cardinal, Fleener increased his catches, receiving yards, yards per catch, and touchdowns -- in 2011, he brought down 10 touchdowns with just 34 catches, and he led the PAC-12 with 19.6 yards per catch last season. At his Pro Day, Fleener ran wind-aided times under 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash; he looked as quick and defined as any big receiver. He's got all the tools required at his position for NFL success; the question is, how productive can he be?
Oklahoma's future is bright at quarterback | National Football Post
Bell and Allen dazzle through the air in the team's spring game.
The Hopes and Dreams of Draft Day | National Football Post
How a player handles draft day says a lot about who he is.
Luck's first test: Bears' Cover 2 defense | National Football Post
If he goes No.1, Luck will see plenty of speed in first start.
Marcus Trufant says he's healthy, OK with reduced role - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
Marcus Trufant knew his advancing age and balky back made him less valuable a team that is committed to getting younger and willing to make difficult decisions in order to do so. So did the emergence of younger, less expensive cornerbacks. If you were surprised to see Trufant return to the Seahawks a month after his release, you weren't alone.
2012 NFL Draft countdown: SN's No. 7 prospect, South Carolina DE/OLB Melvin Ingram - NFL - Sporting News
Strengths: Ingram is a dominant pass rusher with an ability to change games. He's an exceptional athlete with the skills to consistently beat pass blockers and pressure the quarterback. He has natural flexibility to dip his shoulder and turn the corner tightly while offensive tackles lean down on him. (Vital statistics: 6-1 1/2, 264, 4.72 in the 40-yard dash)
NFL.com news: Impact defensive tackles for each day of 2012 NFL Draft
Defensive ends and outside linebackers are often given the most credit for rattling opposing quarterbacks, but impact defensive tackles play a large part in pass defense, as well as bolster a team's run D.
NFL.com news: Impact defensive ends for each day of 2012 NFL Draft
Pass rush is often what comes to mind when thinking about the impact of defensive ends in the NFL. In fact, scouts will refer to outside linemen in four-man fronts as "rush ends" because attacking opposing passers is their primary focus.
NFL.com news: Impact defensive tackles for each day of 2012 NFL Draft
Defensive ends and outside linebackers are often given the most credit for rattling opposing quarterbacks, but impact defensive tackles play a large part in pass defense, as well as bolster a team's run D.
A few minutes with North Carolina's Quinton Coples - Blog - MyNorthwest.com
Different mock drafts would tell you that any number of players could be the Seahawks' first-round pick.
Brock and Salk Blue 42 - Podcasts - MyNorthwest.com
How important is it for a quarterback prospect like Russell Wilson to appear comfortable in media interviews? What's the latest with Antonio Cromartie? What's the most important game on the Seahawks' 2012 schedule?
The difference for Sam Bradford in 2012 - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Sam Bradford has eight victories as a starter and three offensive playbooks to show for his time with the St. Louis Rams.
The Real Deal: Longtime NFL O-Line Coach Larry Zierlein Breaks Down NFL Draft Prospects | Smart Football
Great stuff from the Sideline View, run by my friend Lance Zierlein, where his Dad, Larry Zierlein — longtime NFL and college O-Line coach, most recently of the Pittsburgh Steelers, breaks down the top NFL Draft prospects at center, guard and tackle.
Tampa Bay Makes Talib Available Via Trade-Pewter Report: Your source for inside and breaking news on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers have made it known that cornerback Aqib Talib is available via trade, a league source has told PewterReport.com. Talib, who is in the final year of his contract, has a grand jury trial scheduled for June 25 in Texas for his aggravated assault charge stemming from an incident in March 2011.
10 Things I Think I Know About the 2012 NFL Draft: Defensive Line | Bleacher Report
1. Mississippi State DT Fletcher Cox is the elite defensive line prospect and should be gone in the top 10. He won't get past the Eagles at No. 15 in any scenario. 2. North Carolina DE Quinton Coples is a hard prospect to pound on the table for in the war room and will fall into the late teens if he gets past Carolina at No. 9.
Former Chicago Bears college scouting director says Ryan Tannehill’s on-field performance warrants 2nd or 3rd round pick | The Daily Dolphin
But Greg Gabriel, a 28-year NFL personnel veteran who last spent eight years as the Bears’ director of college scouting, dug a little further into Tannehill’s numbers. And he didn’t like what he saw. "You look at the arm strength and athleticism, and I think that’s what people are falling in love with," Gabriel said Tuesday on NFL Network. "But after that, there are faults in his game. I have questions about his leadership ability, and I have questions about his ability to make big plays when they have to be made. He doesn’t always make good decisions."
NFL draft preview: Running backs - chicagotribune.com
There is not an abundance of elite running back talent in the draft, but there is some decent depth. That plays into the trend of teams finding backs later in the draft. Look for running backs to be popular picks after the opening round.
NFL draft preview: Tight ends - chicagotribune.com
Many teams would love to find a big tight end who can run, catch and block like Rob Gronkowski, but they won't find one in this draft. The talent is limited, though the draft does offer some smaller, one-dimensional tight ends who won't be of much use in the running game, as well as a few players who could develop into decent receiving tight ends
NFL draft preview: Wide receivers - chicagotribune.com
This is a deep group of wide receivers. There are considerably more draftable players than at any other position. As a result, the order in which they are taken will depend as much on scheme fit as anything else. Many of the down-the-line prospects lack size and might not appeal to many teams.
In drafting wide receivers, Calvin Johnson—towering, - 04.23.12 - SI Vault
In drafting wide receivers, Calvin Johnson—towering, muscular and superbly athletic—is the new model. But where are the corners who can neutralize such a weapon?
2012 NFL Draft Sleepers: All Underrated Team - Tight End - Mocking The Draft
Thanks to Bill Belichick, tight ends are about to become a highly sought after commodity in the 2012 NFL Draft. Belichick has effectively implemented a two tight end system in New England with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, two athletic, pass-catching tight ends. In a copy cat league, teams are bound to try and replicate the Patriots' success.