Showing posts with label C.J. Spiller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label C.J. Spiller. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
News and Notes on 4/21
We're just about 24 hours away from the Draft and the news, notes and rumors are flowing. The NFL announced today that it has suspended Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger for six games, which makes a possible Draft day trade even more complicated. Here's a look at the rest of the day's information.
NFL Network's Rich Eisen Tweeted earlier today that the Steelers offered Ben Roethlisberger to the Rams and St. Louis said no thanks.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll informed the Twitter-sphere that he will be Tweeting clues about Seattle's draft plans throughout the day. So far, the clues lead me to believe Clemson's C.J. Spiller could be the pick. But he can't go off the board at No. 6, right? And there's no chance he's still available at No. 14, right? But then again, nobody has ever accused me of being Sherlock Holmes.
ESPN is reporting that Florida QB Tim Tebow will not be attending the Draft.
The Redskins already have Donovan McNabb, but they still may consider Sam Bradford, writes Rick Maese in yesterday's The Washington Post.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
RB Rankings
Is there a first round-worthy running back after Clemson's C.J. Spiller? At the moment, it doesn't seem that way.
Spiller is in a class of his own. He has the speed, quickness and agility to be an elusive runner at the next level. He has the strength and determination to fight for the extra yard when he needs to. He can catch passes out of the backfield as well. Simply put, he's a playmaker - and he's worthy of a top-20 pick.
The only other back to generate a lot of first round talk has been Fresno State's Ryan Matthews. He's a big back at 5-11+ and 218 pounds, and he has pretty good speed (he ran a 4.45 40-yard dash at the Combine) and solid strength. Still, he's not at Spiller's level and is not as heralded as some other backs in this draft class. Of course, that doesn't mean a whole lot when it's all said and done. But Matthews is clearly in the second tier on my draft board, and a late first round pick.
Another name to watch is Jahvid Best, the talented Cal running back. When he's on his game, he's equally as explosive as Spiller. He can also catch passes out of the backfield and he's a talented player in the return game. Best isn't someone to call on when you want to run straight up the gut on 3rd and 1, but he could be a nice second round steal for a team.
Other second round backs to watch: Dexter McCluster (Mississippi) and Jonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech)
Spiller is in a class of his own. He has the speed, quickness and agility to be an elusive runner at the next level. He has the strength and determination to fight for the extra yard when he needs to. He can catch passes out of the backfield as well. Simply put, he's a playmaker - and he's worthy of a top-20 pick.
The only other back to generate a lot of first round talk has been Fresno State's Ryan Matthews. He's a big back at 5-11+ and 218 pounds, and he has pretty good speed (he ran a 4.45 40-yard dash at the Combine) and solid strength. Still, he's not at Spiller's level and is not as heralded as some other backs in this draft class. Of course, that doesn't mean a whole lot when it's all said and done. But Matthews is clearly in the second tier on my draft board, and a late first round pick.
Another name to watch is Jahvid Best, the talented Cal running back. When he's on his game, he's equally as explosive as Spiller. He can also catch passes out of the backfield and he's a talented player in the return game. Best isn't someone to call on when you want to run straight up the gut on 3rd and 1, but he could be a nice second round steal for a team.
Other second round backs to watch: Dexter McCluster (Mississippi) and Jonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech)
Thursday, April 1, 2010
A Lions Fan's Roar
I asked fans of a number of different teams to give me their take on how their team should draft. Kevin Patra of TheSportsUnion.com answered the call for Detroit.
I have to start by giving props to Martin Mayhew. He had one of the most solid drafts of any team in 2009 outside of Green Bay. He got his franchise quarterback, a tight end who looked good until getting hurt midway through the season, a safety who actually makes plays on the ball, a solid outside linebacker and a useful defensive tackle. He didn't draft an offensive lineman until the seventh round, but all in all it was a good draft for the first time GM.
I will not claim that I knew Mayhew had it in him, and I was just as pissed as the next guy when they took a tight end and a safety the first 33 picks--I was already over them giving $41 million guaranteed to Stafford at that point. But I was wrong.
Can you really blame any Detroit fan for being skeptical? After eight years of watching Matt Millen screw up pick after pick, we all just figured this was another case of a terrible GM making god-awful decisions. Almost a year later, I'm still stunned more than half the selections were actually players with a pulse.
The greatest part of being a Lions fan in 2010 is that after suffering a 2-30 record the past two seasons--I would have gone for the past ten, but I start to weep adding all those numbers in the right-hand column--is that no one, not even Matt Millen could screw this draft up. (There is only one scenario I can think of that would actually be disappointing, but we will get there in a bit.)
Sitting at No. 2 the Lions will go one of four ways. They take whichever DT falls to them, Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy, take offensive tackle Russell Okung or trade down.
That is it, there really are no other choices.
Thankfully there is no big, flashy skill player that makes GMs lose their senses like a 14-year-old in love. All three of the players they would draft are in trench positions, a place where the Lions were despicably terrible last season. And if they trade down and obtain several more picks while saving money, all the better. They can't go wrong filling gaps in a roster that is more devoid of talent than a WB television mini-series.
Suh seems to be everyone's consensus top player in the draft, but with the Rams already spending several first rounders on their D-line the last few years, some gurus believe they will go QB with their pick, leaving Suh for the Lions. After the acquisitions of DE Kyle Vanden Bosch and DT Corey Williams, Suh wouldn't be under such enormous pressure to perform all by himself on a pathetic line. The attention on other players would give him an easier time controlling the middle. Of the top DTs he is the best at controlling the line of scrimmage, and while he doesn't provide as great an interior push as say a Warren Sapp, for a team that was so bad between the tackles last season he would solidify the middle.
McCoy, on the other hand isn't as strong or as forceful at holding his spot as Suh, but he does provide more penetration up the middle. Matched with Vanden Bosch on the outside the two could wreck havoc on opposing backfields.
Recently word has spread that after making moves in free agency and trades to shore up the line the Lions will go OT with their first pick in the draft. If this is the case, I say, Hallelujah! While both Suh and McCoy grade out better than Russell Okung, the best O-Lineman in the draft, left tackle has been a need position for the Lions since Lomas Brown left in 1996. Okung would allow the Lions to move Mr. Offsides, Jeff Backus, to guard, where he would be much more effective. That would allow Detroit to kill two birds with one stone--a good left tackle, and a decent to good left guard. It would also help Matthew Stafford stay upright a little more than last season.
Trading out of the No. 2 spot wouldn't be a bad move either. If they can move down a few spots for someone who wanted to move up and take Suh, and the Lions can get a couple extra picks and still take Okung, that would be ideal. I also wouldn't be too upset if they traded down and picked up a cornerback like Florida's Joe Haden.
There is still that one scenario that would get me upset. After last season I'm able to put it out of my mind and pretend that there is no way on God's green earth it will happen, but I'll throw it out anyway. If the Lions pull a Cleveland and trade down about 35 times (I'm assuming no one outside of the top 12 will have the goods to trade up into the No. 2 spot) and end up drafting, say, C.J. Spiller with the 17th pick, I will not be happy. Not that Spiller doesn't have the potential to be a great player, and hey if somehow they can scam an extra six picks out of the deal it will probably calm my rage.
But I would just like one draft where the Detroit Lions take players that do the dirty work. You know, like the rest of the Blue Collar people that work in Detroit.
I have to start by giving props to Martin Mayhew. He had one of the most solid drafts of any team in 2009 outside of Green Bay. He got his franchise quarterback, a tight end who looked good until getting hurt midway through the season, a safety who actually makes plays on the ball, a solid outside linebacker and a useful defensive tackle. He didn't draft an offensive lineman until the seventh round, but all in all it was a good draft for the first time GM.
I will not claim that I knew Mayhew had it in him, and I was just as pissed as the next guy when they took a tight end and a safety the first 33 picks--I was already over them giving $41 million guaranteed to Stafford at that point. But I was wrong.
Can you really blame any Detroit fan for being skeptical? After eight years of watching Matt Millen screw up pick after pick, we all just figured this was another case of a terrible GM making god-awful decisions. Almost a year later, I'm still stunned more than half the selections were actually players with a pulse.
The greatest part of being a Lions fan in 2010 is that after suffering a 2-30 record the past two seasons--I would have gone for the past ten, but I start to weep adding all those numbers in the right-hand column--is that no one, not even Matt Millen could screw this draft up. (There is only one scenario I can think of that would actually be disappointing, but we will get there in a bit.)
Sitting at No. 2 the Lions will go one of four ways. They take whichever DT falls to them, Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy, take offensive tackle Russell Okung or trade down.
That is it, there really are no other choices.
Thankfully there is no big, flashy skill player that makes GMs lose their senses like a 14-year-old in love. All three of the players they would draft are in trench positions, a place where the Lions were despicably terrible last season. And if they trade down and obtain several more picks while saving money, all the better. They can't go wrong filling gaps in a roster that is more devoid of talent than a WB television mini-series.
Suh seems to be everyone's consensus top player in the draft, but with the Rams already spending several first rounders on their D-line the last few years, some gurus believe they will go QB with their pick, leaving Suh for the Lions. After the acquisitions of DE Kyle Vanden Bosch and DT Corey Williams, Suh wouldn't be under such enormous pressure to perform all by himself on a pathetic line. The attention on other players would give him an easier time controlling the middle. Of the top DTs he is the best at controlling the line of scrimmage, and while he doesn't provide as great an interior push as say a Warren Sapp, for a team that was so bad between the tackles last season he would solidify the middle.
McCoy, on the other hand isn't as strong or as forceful at holding his spot as Suh, but he does provide more penetration up the middle. Matched with Vanden Bosch on the outside the two could wreck havoc on opposing backfields.
Recently word has spread that after making moves in free agency and trades to shore up the line the Lions will go OT with their first pick in the draft. If this is the case, I say, Hallelujah! While both Suh and McCoy grade out better than Russell Okung, the best O-Lineman in the draft, left tackle has been a need position for the Lions since Lomas Brown left in 1996. Okung would allow the Lions to move Mr. Offsides, Jeff Backus, to guard, where he would be much more effective. That would allow Detroit to kill two birds with one stone--a good left tackle, and a decent to good left guard. It would also help Matthew Stafford stay upright a little more than last season.
Trading out of the No. 2 spot wouldn't be a bad move either. If they can move down a few spots for someone who wanted to move up and take Suh, and the Lions can get a couple extra picks and still take Okung, that would be ideal. I also wouldn't be too upset if they traded down and picked up a cornerback like Florida's Joe Haden.
There is still that one scenario that would get me upset. After last season I'm able to put it out of my mind and pretend that there is no way on God's green earth it will happen, but I'll throw it out anyway. If the Lions pull a Cleveland and trade down about 35 times (I'm assuming no one outside of the top 12 will have the goods to trade up into the No. 2 spot) and end up drafting, say, C.J. Spiller with the 17th pick, I will not be happy. Not that Spiller doesn't have the potential to be a great player, and hey if somehow they can scam an extra six picks out of the deal it will probably calm my rage.
But I would just like one draft where the Detroit Lions take players that do the dirty work. You know, like the rest of the Blue Collar people that work in Detroit.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Weekend Wrap-up for Week 1
Yes, there's still a handful of games to be played in the opening week, but with the bulk in the books, it's time for THE WEEKEND-WRAP-UP. The "Weekend Wrap-up" will be a regular feature during the college football season. It'll take a look at the draft-eligible players who had big days to bolster their draft stock and bad days to hurt it.
STARS
- USC RB Joe McKnight (Jr) turned in one of the finer performances of his college career, even if it was against San Jose State. McKnight, who came to USC with high expectations but has been largely inconsistent, carried 10 times for 145 yards and 2 scores. He fumbled on his third carry - something he has been prone to do at USC - but dazzled on his touchdown runs, one of them a 54-yard masterpiece in which he made a number of would-be tacklers miss. McKnight didn't open the season as a top-10 back in terms of April 2010 because of his inconsistency, but he opened the season as the #1 RB on the depth chart, and if he can consistently show this skill set, he'll be talked about when the draft rolls around.
- Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant (Jr) is arguably the top draft-eligible receiver in college football, and he wowed everyone with 3 catches for 77 yards and 2 TDs. His numbers weren't gaudy, but his athleticism was. He made a spectacular 46-yard touchdown grab late in the second quarter, blowing past the secondary and diving to make a remarkable catch. Bryant is a big-play receiver with remarkable skills and a knack for making spectacular grabs, which he showcased Saturday.
- Cal RB Javhid Best (Jr) made his case for the #1 RB slot, as did Georgia Tech's Jonathan Dwyer (Jr). Best carried 10 times for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Dwyer had 7 carries for 95 yards and 2 scores - all in the first half - including a 74-yard scoring run on the first play from scrimmage. Both are among the nation's elite draft-eligible RBs, and it'll be interesting to see how this race develops as the season goes along.
STUMBLERS
- Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford (Jr) suffered an injury to his throwing arm, forcing him to sit out the second half of Oklahoma's loss to BYU. More to come in the Week 1 QB Competition update.
- Clemson RB C.J. Spiller (Sr) opened up his season with a 96-yard kickoff return for a TD but was injured in the second quarter and did not return. The injury is not believed to be serious, according to the Clemson athletic department.
STARS
- USC RB Joe McKnight (Jr) turned in one of the finer performances of his college career, even if it was against San Jose State. McKnight, who came to USC with high expectations but has been largely inconsistent, carried 10 times for 145 yards and 2 scores. He fumbled on his third carry - something he has been prone to do at USC - but dazzled on his touchdown runs, one of them a 54-yard masterpiece in which he made a number of would-be tacklers miss. McKnight didn't open the season as a top-10 back in terms of April 2010 because of his inconsistency, but he opened the season as the #1 RB on the depth chart, and if he can consistently show this skill set, he'll be talked about when the draft rolls around.
- Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant (Jr) is arguably the top draft-eligible receiver in college football, and he wowed everyone with 3 catches for 77 yards and 2 TDs. His numbers weren't gaudy, but his athleticism was. He made a spectacular 46-yard touchdown grab late in the second quarter, blowing past the secondary and diving to make a remarkable catch. Bryant is a big-play receiver with remarkable skills and a knack for making spectacular grabs, which he showcased Saturday.
- Cal RB Javhid Best (Jr) made his case for the #1 RB slot, as did Georgia Tech's Jonathan Dwyer (Jr). Best carried 10 times for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Dwyer had 7 carries for 95 yards and 2 scores - all in the first half - including a 74-yard scoring run on the first play from scrimmage. Both are among the nation's elite draft-eligible RBs, and it'll be interesting to see how this race develops as the season goes along.
STUMBLERS
- Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford (Jr) suffered an injury to his throwing arm, forcing him to sit out the second half of Oklahoma's loss to BYU. More to come in the Week 1 QB Competition update.
- Clemson RB C.J. Spiller (Sr) opened up his season with a 96-yard kickoff return for a TD but was injured in the second quarter and did not return. The injury is not believed to be serious, according to the Clemson athletic department.
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