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2012 NFL Draft

Expect an upgrade at receiver via draft for the Texans
January 22
Houston Chronicle
 
"Wide receiver should be the Texans' top priority during the offseason. Because they will have little room to operate under the salary cap, the Texans are more likely to find a receiver in the draft than through free agency. The Texans have the 26th pick in the first round of the NFL draft. They need an infusion of youth and talent at receiver. Expect them to address their need in the first or second round. Andre Johnson turns 31 in July. Kevin Walter turns 31 in August. Johnson and Walter will be entering their 10th season. Jacoby Jones, the Texans' top reserve, will be 28 next season. He'll be entering his sixth season. The Texans' need for another receiver was evident this season."
Panthers not locked on defensive player with 1st pick
January 21
Charlotte Observer
 
"Panthers coach Ron Rivera will take his entire staff to Mobile, Ala., next week to scout the Senior Bowl practices. And contrary to popular belief, the Panthers will not be limiting their focus to the defensive fields while evaluating possible prospects for their first-round pick. The Panthers, who will pick 8th or 9th based on the outcome of a coin flip with Miami, have needs on both sides of the ball, according to general manager Marty Hurney. "I don't think you lock yourself in to offense or defense as far as that first pick goes, and really any pick," Hurney said this week. "You have to go by your board. And we've done that and I think we've done well by doing that." The Panthers' most"
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. believes Browns buying into RG3 mania, will 'probably kick Colt McCoy to the curb'
January 20
Akron Beacon Journal
 
"ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. believes a duo from Baylor could help revive the Browns' inept offense. In his first mock draft of the year, Kiper has the Browns selecting the Baylor tandem of quarterback Robert Griffin III and wide receiver Kendall Wright with the fourth and 22nd overall picks, respectively, on April 26. The Browns have two first-round picks in 2012 because of their draft-day trade last year with the Atlanta Falcons. Of course, Kiper's projections will change after the NFL Scouting Combine, which begins Feb. 22, and free agency, which starts March 13. Still, Kiper is convinced the Browns must acquire a quarterback and a wide receiver they can plug into the starting"
Browns could trade down
January 8
Akron Beacon Journal
 columnist Marla Ridenour
"Twice in the past three years, the Browns traded down in the first round of the draft. That trend has frustrated at least one season-ticket holder, who emailed a beat reporter recently and said if it happened again in 2012, he was through with the team he loves. When that message was relayed to General Manager Tom Heckert on Thursday, Heckert's reaction might not bode well for the disgruntled fan's renewal. "Geez. Now that's pressure there," Heckert said. Heckert has traded down in the first round once in his two drafts, the other coming during the regime of former coach Eric Mangini. In 2009, Mangini slid from No. 5 to No. 21 in deals with the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and"
Broncos won't draft a QB in first round of the 2012 draft
January 8
Denver Post
 columnist Mike Klis
"Sam Bradford? has played 11 bad games in a row. Look it up. Yet, nobody questions whether he's the St. Louis Rams' quarterback in 2012. Josh Freeman? just lost nine in a row in which he either recorded clunker after clunker or put up some phony garbage-time stats late. No one asks if Tampa Bay needs to find another franchise-type quarterback. Tim Tebow? has won more games (seven) this season than Bradford and Freeman combined (five). Yet now that he's had two bad games in a row, the overwhelming sentiment says the gig is up. It's over for Tebow. Why is that? "It's hard to say," Tebow said Friday. "It's OK, though. Honestly, I just don't worry about what everybody else says. You never know"
Colts to pick Andrew Luck, sources say
January 7
ESPN.com
 
"With the stunning dismissal of Bill Polian, the architect of the Colts' 11 playoff appearances, uncertainties remain over Peyton Manning's health and Jim Caldwell's future as coach, but sources say one thing is certain: Colts owner Jim Irsay plans to take Andrew Luck with the draft's first-round pick. Sources say Irsay sees symmetry in the franchise history of draft picks and will not pass on the opportunity to complete it. In 1983, the Colts took John Elway with the No. 1 pick, only to see Irsay's father, Bob, trade the Hall of Famer."
Star LB Luke Kuechly leaves BC for NFL draft
January 7
Boston Herald
 
"Boston College will start the 2012 football season with a huge hole in the middle of its defense. Two-time All-American middle linebacker Luke Kuechly last night announced he will declare himself eligible for the NFL draft in April. "For the past couple of weeks I've sat down with my parents and different coaches from Boston College and people that are close to me who would have the my best (interests) at heart," said Kuechly from his home in Cincinnati, Ohio. "The last couple of weeks I came up with the decision to forego my senior year and enter the NFL draft." Kuechly is the top-rated middle/inside linebacker available. He is considered intellectually ready to be an NFL starter and"
Oregon running back LaMichael James makes it official, enters the NFL draft
January 7
Oregonian
 
"LaMichael James told a phalanx of reporters Friday that he had decided in the previous 24 hours to enter the NFL draft. James spoke at an impromptu news conference in the Casanova Center. The 5-foot-9, 195-pound junior, is Oregon's all-time career rushing record-holder. James said had the Ducks lost to Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, he would have returned for his senior season. Oregon beat the Badgers 45-38 on Monday in the Rose Bowl. The Oregonian reported in December, that James had decided to declare for the draft."
Mike Shanahan started scouting college QBs at midseason
December 31
Washington Times
 
"Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan acknowledged Friday he began watching game film of college quarterbacks at midseason. It's no secret that the Redskins need improved quarterback play — Rex Grossman is tied for the NFL lead with 24 turnovers in only 12 starts — so Shanahan's admission is not necessarily major. And Shanahan also implied this is not an unusual practice. But Shanahan long ago turned some of his attention toward possible replacements for Grossman and John Beck. "I've probably already looked at 10 or 15 of them," Shanahan said. "I'll take a half hour a day early in the morning — the tapes are made up. I'll take a look at maybe 75, 80 plays of just a guy throwing the"
Colts vice chairman Bill Polian identifies Colts top draft needs
December 27
Indianapolis Star
 
"The Colts are guaranteed no worse than the No. 2 pick in the 2012 draft and Bill Polian spoke Monday night about the eight "anchor" positions that can be filled through the annual talent acquisition process. "They're players who make plays on third downs," the Colts vice chairman said on his radio show. "Quarterback, defensive end, those are the two hardest to find. Cornerback, wide receiver, running back, defensive tackle who can rush; that may be the hardest to find of all. "And then the two sort of intangible positions, if you will, although that changed with the advent of Troy Polamalu and Bob Sanders, safety and center." The Colts are set at running back, and if Peyton Manning"
Cleveland will have to look beyond Southern Cal's Matt Barkley if sights are set on drafting a QB in 2012
December 23
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"If the Browns had their sights set on Southern Cal quarterback Matt Barkley in the 2012 draft, they'll have to make other plans. Barkley announced his decision Thursday to stay with the Trojans for his senior season, which resulted in a collective sigh for a lot of NFL teams drafting high. The Browns haven't made a commitment to quarterback Colt McCoy beyond this season, in large part because they wanted to explore the top three marquee quarterbacks that could've possibly been available to them: Stanford's Andrew Luck, Barkley and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III of Baylor. With the 1-13 Colts expected to draft Luck if they finish with the league's worst record, that leaves several"
Barkley decision & Bills
December 23
Buffalo News
 
"The decision today by Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley to return to school for his senior year throws a wrench in a the NFL Draft and probably will decrease speculation about the Bills thoughts of taking a quarterback with their first pick. Barkley probably would have been a top-five pick. Now Southern Cal will be one of the favorites for the national championship in 2012. Four other Trojans who are top prospects announced their plans. Tackle Ryan Kalil (a top-five prospect) and defensive end Nick Perry are turning pro. All-America safety T.J. McDonald is returning for his senior season. It already was looking like a long-shot that the Bills would be in position to get a top"
For Miami Dolphins, a lack of Luck might be OK
November 11
Miami Herald
 
"The Dolphins offense is settling into something of a groove lately, and the defense didn't allow a touchdown last week and hasn't given up more than 17 points in three weeks. Sure, they're still in the cellar … … But for the moment, things are looking brighter for Tony Sparano's team. That's great news for the players, the coaches and their families, but even the best salesman can't sell that to the long-suffering Miami fan who, for weeks, nurtured the idea of drafting Andrew Luck next year."
Terrelle Pryor makes eligibility case to NFL
August 15
USA Today
 
"Terrelle Pryor's backers are making the case to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that the former Ohio State QB should be eligible for Wednesday's supplemental draft. Pryor was not on a list of eligible players distributed by the league last week. Pryor's lawyer, David Cornwell, issued the following statement Sunday, according to ESPN: "We have been in discussions with the Commissioner's office over the past week to address the NFL's concerns. I am confident that once the NFL has a full understanding of the facts, Terrelle will be part of Wednesday's supplemental draft." Pryor is seeking a personal meeting with Goodell, according to ESPN. Pryor announced that he would not return for a senior"
Ex-Ohio State QB Pryor postpones pro day for second time
August 11
NFL.com
 
"Terrelle Pryor's uncertain road to the NFL supplemental draft has led to a second postponement of his pro day. The former Ohio State star pushed back his showcase event because the NFL still had not ruled on his eligibility for the supplemental draft, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported on Wednesday. The Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys all reportedly planned to attend the event, which was to be held at a high school in Greensburg, Penn."
Pryor not yet eligible for this month's NFL supplemental draft
August 10
NFL.com
 
"Terrelle Pryor's eligibility for the upcoming NFL supplemental draft remains in doubt. NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora reported Tuesday that the league sent a memo to all 32 teams with a list of eligible players for the Aug. 17 supplemental draft. Pryor, a former Ohio State quarterback, wasn't among the players listed. Determining eligibility for the supplemental draft is done on a "rolling basis," according to the league, so Pryor could be added to the list. Pryor's situation is still under consideration, according to a league source. "We spoke with the NFL today and were told that no decision has been made yet regarding Terrelle's eligibility for the supplemental draft," Pryor's"
Pending approval, Pryor moves back pro day
August 10
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Terrelle Pryor cannot get his professional career off the sideline. For the second time in two weeks, the former Jeannette High School star and Ohio State quarterback postponed a pro day during which he planned to work out for NFL teams. Pryor on Tuesday was forced to call off his pro day Friday at Hempfield Area High School near Greensburg because the NFL still had not ruled on his eligibility for the supplemental draft. At least three teams — the Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys — reportedly had planned to attend. The NFL submitted to all 32 teams the names of players eligible for the supplemental draft, which will be held Aug. 17, a league source said. Pryor was"
Former Georgia RB King applies for supplemental draft
August 9
NFL.com
 columnist Steve Wyche
"Former Georgia running back Caleb King, who was ruled academically ineligible for his senior season, has applied for the NFL's supplemental draft and will hold his pro day for scouts on Monday, Aug. 15. The draft is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 17, according to NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora. "Pending league official eligibility approval, Caleb is remaining very optimistic that he will have an opportunity to continue his career at the next level," King's agent, Kevin Conner, said in a release obtained by NFL.com. "He's looking forward to his tentative Pro-Day at UGA on August 15 at 10 a.m." King rushed for 430 yards and two touchdowns on 80 carries in 2010."
Report: Pryor plans Friday Pro Day
August 9
Pro Football Talk
 
"Though he has yet to be declared eligible for the August 17 supplemental draft, former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor plans to work out for scouts on Friday, August 12, according to Len Pasquarelli of The Sports Xchange. Pryor will engage in the Pro Day workout at an undisclosed location in Pittsburgh. There's still no guarantee that Pryor will be included in the pool of eligible picks. As Pasquarelli reports, former Georgia tailback Caleb King also has applied for the supplemental draft. Given that King has flunked out of school, his path to the supplemental draft is more clear."
Supplemental Draft to be held August 17
August 9
CBSSports.com
 
"The NFL has informed its 32 teams that this summer's supplemental draft will be held August 17, according to a source within the league. No names of eligible players were included as part of the notice. Furthermore, teams were not notified as to when the draft order will be determined. The only information sent at this time, according to the source, was the date of the draft. The supplemental draft typically occurs on or around July 15, approximately 10 days prior to the start of training camps. This year, however, the date was pushed back due to the lockout. Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor and Georgia running back Caleb King are thought likely to be among those included."
Panthers WR Steve Smith goes really deep
July 30
Charlotte Observer
 columnist Scott Fowler
"Steve Smith showed up Friday for the Carolina Panthers' training camp. This was not a surprise - Smith had declared already to Panthers officials this week that he wants to stay in Charlotte, scotching all of the trade rumors that had surrounded him for months. What he said? Now that was something of a surprise. Smith has a reflective side, but it can be overshadowed by both the exhilarating plays he makes and the temper tantrums he has occasionally thrown for 10 years in a Panthers jersey. But the reflective side was on full display Friday, as Smith said he wanted Panthers fans to view him in a new way as he saddles up for the final years of his career. "You have to admit that pretty much"
Pryor ineligible for supplemental draft?
July 25
Foxsports.com
 
"Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor's journey to the NFL might take longer than expected. Not only has the NFL yet to schedule a supplemental draft for the 2011 season, but Pryor might not qualify if there is one despite having announced plans to enter after leaving Ohio State in early June. "If there are no players eligible for a supplemental draft, there is no supplemental draft," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an email to FOXSports.com on Sunday. "It is for players whose circumstances have changed in an unforeseen way after the regular (college) draft. It is not a mechanism for simply bypassing the regular (draft)." Aiello cited examples of "unforeseen" changes as players who were"
Could The Bucs Select Pryor?
July 22
Pewter Report
 
"In 2009 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers put in a bid in the supplemental draft for defensive end Jeremy Jarmon. The Washington Redskins outbid the Bucs and other teams and Jarmon went to D.C. This year the Buccaneers could look to find a backup signal caller and developmental quarterback in the supplemental draft with Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor. Pryor is entering the supplemental draft after leaving Ohio State and a five game suspension that would have started the 2011 college football season. Pryor was at the center of a controversy and investigation into players receiving gifts and cash that violated NCAA rules. Pryor was alleged to have sold and traded game worn memorabilia. The infractions"
Caleb King opts for supplemental draft
July 11
Pro Football Talk
 
"Terrelle Pryor finally has gotten some company. With Georgia running back Caleb King declared academically ineligible for the 2011 season, King has opted to enter the NFL's supplemental draft, according to the Macon Telegraph, via CFT."
The Shutdown Scouting Report: Terrelle Pryor
June 30
Yahoo! Sports
 
"By all accounts, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor was very interested in improving his game before the scandal that had him at its center rocked the Buckeyes to the core. Now, he's a lockout-fed cause célèbre in NFL terms, because of the value of quarterbacks and his pure athletic potential. But as a quarterback? Pryor is coming into the NFL very much as a work in progress. Nobody understands that better than the man himself. Just last October, he said that he finally felt like a quarterback from a playbook and mechanical perspective. "I feel like I can be a complete quarterback, but I can also run the ball. It's going to be interesting, just how much smarter I am and how much I grew."
Pryor will rely on Ken Anderson, not George Whitfield, for draft prep
June 30
Pro Football Talk
 
"Contrary to a report from the Canton Repository that former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor will hire George Whitfield to assist with Pryor's preparations for the supplemental draft, a source with knowledge of the situation tells us that former Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson will handle the duties. Anderson spent his entire NFL career, from 1971 through 1986, with the Bengals. After several years as the team's radio analyst, he returned in 1993 as quarterbacks coach. From 1996 through 2000, Anderson served as offensive coordinator. In 2001 and 2002, he returned to the role of quarterbacks coach."
Source: National scouting grade for Terrelle Pryor is 5.1, late-round material
June 20
National Football Post
 
"Former Ohio State star quarterback Terrelle Pryor isn't held in high regard by National, the largest scouting organization service for NFL teams. The multi-dimensional Big Ten standout received a grade of 5.1 from National, ranking him as sixth-round to seventh-round material heading into what would have been his senior year, according to an NFL source with access to the grades. Pryor opted to leave school amid major NCAA scrutiny for him and the Buckeyes program that led to coach Jim Tressel's resignation. National annually grades over 1,400 draft eligible college seniors, providing information to nearly two dozsen NFL clubs for a fee of over $100,000 to compile the data. Several teams"
Apologetic Pryor to enter supplemental draft
June 14
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Terrelle Pryor might not have taken questions this afternoon, but he did take the blame of costing Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel his coaching career. Introduced as the newest client of agent Drew Rosenhaus at the Fountainebleau Hotel, Pryor spoke for 101 seconds, providing only hints at answers on why he chose to terminate his Ohio State playing career a week ago in the midst of an NCAA investigation. But Pryor did deliver apologies in his first public meeting with the media since the Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas, and thus the first since Tressel resigned under pressure on May 30. "In terms of Ohio State, I'd like to say sorry to the coaching staff, say sorry to my teammates, say"
Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor worth supplemental draft pick
June 12
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Jerry McDonald
"It's a debate that really isn't a debate at all. More of a slam dunk, really. Similar to the dunks Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor threw down with regularity as a high school basketball star at Jeannette High in southwestern Pennsylvania. If you are Al Davis and have a chance to put a once-in-a-generation athlete on the Raiders for the cost of a third-round pick or later, you do it. If you are Jim Harbaugh, looking to build the talent base and remember Pryor as a guy most of the country thought superior to Andrew Luck as a high school senior, you give the hard sell to general manager Trent Baalke. The debate over what position Pryor will play isn't a debate at all. Quarterback? Wide"
Should the Ravens have interest in Terrelle Pryor?
June 9
Baltimore Sun
 
"Suspended five games for breaking NCAA rules by accepting improper benefits from a tattoo parlor and perhaps facing further punishment for other misdeeds, embattled Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor announced through his attorney Tuesday that he would not play for the Buckeyes this upcoming season. Pryor is eyeing entry to the NFL through the supplemental draft -- the same route Maryland's Jared Gaither took to the Ravens in 2007 -- but labor uncertainty could lead him to the Canadian Football League first. "I would hope so. Also, he would hope so," Larry James, Pryor's attorney, said of the 21-year-old's desire to enter the supplemental draft. "But he's going to take the next couple"
Terrelle Pryor announces end of his Ohio State playing career
June 8
USA Today
 
"Terrelle Pryor announced through his attorney Tuesday that he will not play again for Ohio State. "In the best interest of my teammates, I have made the decision to forgo my senior year of football at The Ohio State University," Pryor said in statement released by Larry James. James said Pryor would evaluate his options about his final year of eligibility. "I think he's going to take the next couple of days to come to grips with all of this," James told USA TODAY. "Obviously, he would like (to be drafted in the NFL's supplemental draft) to happen, but right now, it is, 'What does he do next." Right now, he has an interest in staying in school and finishing. He has an interest in going in"
Source: Supplemental draft still planned
May 31
ESPN.com
 
"If any players from Ohio State decide to apply for the NFL's supplemental draft in the wake of Jim Tressel's resignation, they will have the chance to be drafted despite the lockout. An NFL official on Tuesday told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that the supplemental draft will be held sometime in July -- if there are applicants. "So far, there have been no applicants," a league official told ESPN. The official said no deadline for applying for the draft has been set. "If there is one, the supplemental draft would be held mid-to-late July, no later than 10 days before the first training camp opens," the official told ESPN."
ESPN's NFL draft redos aren't too kind to Lions
May 13
Detroit Free Press
 
"Two weeks ago, NFL fans were fawning -- or frowning -- over their favorite team's draft picks. Of course, the true verdict of a draft class won't be known for a couple of years now. Hmm. So that would mean that it's more than fair to give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down on the draft classes from, say, 2006-08. ESPN's Rick Reilly did just that. He took the first round draft picks from each of those years and, after getting advice from draft experts and using common football knowledge, re-drafted them to see which players panned out, which ones surprised and which ones flopped. From there, if the player gained or lost points based on the difference of the two draft spots. For instance, in the"
Two national writers have Lions taking same player in 2012 NFL draft
May 7
Detroit Free Press
 
"So who's ready for the 2012 NFL draft? Well, at least two national sports writers are, as evidenced by their mock drafts, just 51 weeks away from the real thing. Sports Illustrated's Andrew Perloff and Foxsports.com's Peter Schrager both published how they think things will pan out next year. We doubt they conferred with each other beforehand, but both guys have the Lions taking the same player at different spots in the first round. Perloff has Detroit 12th in Round 1 -- obviously outside of the upcoming season's playoffs -- and taking South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Perloff: "The Lions need to bolster their secondary and will take the highest rated cornerback at this spot."
Report: Lloyd Carr suggested that Ryan Mallett leave Michigan
May 7
Detroit Free Press
 
"It's no secret that Ryan Mallett wasn't going to fit in Rich Rodriguez's spread-option offense at Michigan, but the circumstances surrounding the quarterback's decision to transfer in the winter after the 2007 season are interesting. Mallett was a five-star QB recruit who was a freshman at U-M in '07 -- which turned out to be Lloyd Carr's final season. The Wolverines hired Rodriguez in December 2007, a couple of weeks before Carr's final bowl game. "At the Capital One Bowl, we were trying to smooth things out, and we talked to coach Carr," Jim Mallett, Ryan's dad, told the Boston Herald. "I asked him, 'Coach, next to my dad, you're the classiest person I've ever been around. What would you"
My favorite Dolphins draft pick: Frank Kearse
May 6
Miami Herald
 
"It's not difficult for me to like rookies. They are a blank slate. They are often enthusiastic. They have, if one gets to them early enough, not been Dolphinized and therefore stripped of their personality. Dolphins seventh-round draft pick Frank Kearse is one such individual. He is projected as a backup project player behind Paul Soliai. He comes with much to learn and many rungs of the ladder to climb because he played collegiately at Alabama A&M. But during a recent guest appearance on my radio show, Armando and the Amigo, I quickly went from wondering if he's a good dude, to liking him, to liking him a lot, to loving him -- without ever watching him play. The fun began when I asked"
Ryan Mallett plans 'payback' for Dolphins passing on him
May 6
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"Ryan Mallett's father, Jim, said that his son is not likely to forget the Dolphins passing on his son in the 2011 NFL Draft, instead deciding to trade up to pick Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas with the 62nd overall pick. The former Arkansas star signalcaller was selected a dozen spots later by Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. At the tail end of a Boston Herald feature on Mallett, Jim Mallett said: "They took another guy. Ryan said, 'Payback.' He remembers it all." According to the article, the Dolphins had informed the family they were interested in trading for Mallett."
NFL Scout Breaks Down Eagles Draft
May 6
Philly.com
 
"I talked to an NFL personnel man this week and asked him to break down the Eagles' draft. Here are his thoughts on their 11 draft picks; 1 – Danny Watkins, G, Baylor -- ``I really like Watkins. He was our top-rated guard. I didn't know a lot about him before the Senior Bowl. Went back and watched him and he's really a good player. For a guy who's only been playing the game for 4 years, his techniques are excellent. I was amazed at how technically sound he was. With his hands, with his feet, position, all that stuff. He looks like a guy who's been playing football a lot longer than he actually has been. He's a good athlete. I don't know if I'd want him outside (at tackle). But inside I"
Botched deal could lead to rules change
May 6
Chicago Tribune
 
"Although GM Jerry Angelo apologized for the botched trade between the Bears and Ravens, it exposed a flaw in the NFL's draft procedures by which one team conceivably could deceive another and cause time to expire on a selection, and team executive are concerned. "I would hope nobody would ever do that intentionally ... but even accidentally is really bad," an NFC team executive said. "You're talking about people's jobs being on the line. That embarrasses everybody involved." One solution to the problem could be to set the deadline to report trades at 30 seconds before the actual deadline to make a pick."
No cute stuff for Cowboys, who take offensive approach
May 1
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"The final numbers on the 2011 Dallas Cowboys' draft are revealing. Of the team's eight selections, six were offensive players and two play defense. It's not only the fewest defensive players picked in the draft since Jerry Jones took over as team owner in 1989, it is also the fewest since 1962. After making 58 draft-day trades since 1989 to earn the nickname "Trader Jerry," Jones made no draft-day moves for only the second time in his tenure. The first was in 2000. Two conclusions can be drawn: New coach Jason Garrett already has had a huge impact on the Cowboys' overall philosophy. The Cowboys are putting much of the blame for last season's franchise-worst pass defense on former coach"
Tennessee Titans focus on defense in NFL Draft
May 1
Tennessean
 
"Most of the talk will center on quarterback Jake Locker, and the Titans turning the page at the most important position. Yet one other significant change presented itself during the NFL Draft. Judging from their picks and their words, the Titans are going to look noticeably different on defense the next time they take the field. With nine picks over three days the Titans selected six defensive players. They finished the draft with a flurry Saturday, taking four defensive players in six picks. Many of the defensive picks have a different skill-set - and will be asked to play in a different way - than those the Titans drafted in previous years. When the lockout ends and free agents are"
Chiefs take some chances in this year's draft
May 1
Kansas City Star
 
"Justin Houston's phone rang Friday, and after the initial joy of learning that he had been drafted in the third round by the Chiefs, there was a dose of reality, too. Todd Haley was on the other line, and he had a message for Houston, a talented defender at Georgia. "I trust you will come in," Houston remembered his new coach telling him, "and do the right thing." Houston had spent years doing the right thing. He wasn't a high-school troublemaker, but then he went to college and was suspended two games in 2009 for a team rules violation - nearly two years before he failed a drug test in February at the NFL's scouting combine. Houston led the Southeastern Conference last season with 10"
Acceptable eight-man Raiders draft class
May 1
Contra Costa Times
 columnist Cam Inman
"Any draft is a success when the Raiders come away with a DeMarcus instead of a JaMarcus. Or when they add a second-generation Wisniewski to their inner circle. Or when they don't have to gamble a high draft pick on a skill-position phenom, kickers included. Idle for Thursday's first round, the Raiders rationally stocked up on offensive linemen and cornerbacks Friday before finishing Saturday's rounds with four consecutive offensive reinforcements. Defensive depth is a concern, but if the Raiders were willing to largely ignore that the past few days, you can wait a few paragraphs before analyzing it. Overall, it was an acceptable haul, and first-year coach Hue Jackson cooed once the Raiders"
49ersrunning back to complement, not replace, Gore
May 1
Sacramento Bee
 
"The 49ers used their first draft pick Saturday on running back Kendall Hunter, who twice ran for more than 1,500 yards in college. But any reports of Frank Gore's demise - or imminent departure - are greatly exaggerated. "I think you always have to plan for the future, but we look at Frank as a 49er and as a guy that we would love to have here for his career," general manager Trent Baalke said after the draft. "This isn't a move to try to replace Frank by any stretch. He's a 49er. Those are the guys that we want to keep in the fold." Hunter certainly has the potential to be a featured runner in an NFL offense. The 5-foot-7, 200-pound Hunter ran for 1,548 yards and scored 16 touchdowns"
As expected, Raiders take top athletes
May 1
Sacramento Bee
 
"The Raiders have never let draft pundits or popular opinion dictate their selections. Go ahead and mock their scouting process. Or just look at who ran the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine and assume that player will be a Raider. (The Raiders have drafted the last three players with the top 40-yard time at the combine.) What the Raiders look for are elite athletes who fit the mold of players the team has liked for decades. That didn't change this weekend. Every team takes a chance in the draft and hopes for the best. And if the Raiders are going to swing and miss, they'd rather do it with someone who at least looks the part of a star without shoulder pads on. If that means"
Seahawks add 7 'unique' players on final day
May 1
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
 
"There was no quarterback. No sure-fire stopper for the defensive line. Nobody that Seattle Seahawks fans were intimately familiar with, unlike last year's NFL draft in which Seattle made a splash by selecting two immediate starters in the first 14 picks. What the Seahawks did get, though, were players that coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider thought were "unique" enough to help the team answer at least a couple of its biggest questions. The most pressing needs were addressed on the first two days of the draft, when the Seahawks used their first-round pick to grab Alabama offensive tackle James Carpenter, then selected Wisconsin offensive guard John Moffitt in the third"
Chargers complete special draft
May 1
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"An obscure linebacker from Missouri put an exclamation point on a Chargers draft that majored in defense and minored in special teams. Andrew Gachkar, selected with a compensatory seventh-round pick the Chargers got for losing special teams Pro Bowler Kassim Osgood to free agency last year, provided a fitting end to three days that were so clearly about not only improving a team but also righting a wrong. "We need to get back to where we had that great energy," general manager A.J. Smith said of the Chargers special teams. He harkened to the not-long-ago days of Carlos Polk and Brandon Siler and Mike Tolbert and Osgood, whose collective passion for covering kicks was effective and"
Ireland, Sparano stick with plan despite desperate times
May 1
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"The expectations were that Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano, the two remaining members from the Bill Parcells-era Miami Dolphins, would reek of desperation. After all, owner Steve Ross got caught shopping for a new coach. And he is respectfully requesting a winning season, and a flashy offense in 2011 or else – contract extensions and all. But every move Ireland and Sparano made during this weekend's NFL draft was thought out, sophisticated, calculated. Each selection had one eye fixed on the future despite the cold stares of the present win-now situation this regime faces. Desperate people do desperate things. Just ask Dave Wannstedt, who made numerous ill-advised draft decisions – remember"
Redskins add nine more draft picks for a total of 12
May 1
Washington Post
 
"After making moves to upgrade their defense with their first two picks of the NFL draft on Thursday and Friday, the Washington Redskins made skill positions a common theme throughout the third and final day of the draft. The Redskins took two running backs and two wide receivers with four of their nine day-three picks. They spent the 105th overall pick (fourth round) on running back Roy Helu out of Nebraska and then used the 177th pick (sixth round) on Penn State running back and Westfield High School product Evan Royster. Washington spent a second fifth-rounder (155 overall) on Nebraska wide receiver Niles Paul, and then used its second sixth-rounder (178th) on Southern Methodist wideout"