Random 2011 Draft Chatter....

I think we need a thread for rumors as the BS portion of the draft process is kicking off and misinformation is all around.

Feel free to post whatever you think fits in here.

ESPN - Panthers and the top pick

As the NFL playoffs wind down, we're getting closer to the official start of full-bore draft season, though it probably started for several teams weeks ago -- and it's a year-round affair for folks like our NFL Draft Insiders Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay. The decision by Andrew Luck to stay at Stanford was devastating to the Carolina Panthers -- who have the No. 1 pick and a need at QB -- but it simultaneously increased the debate on what the team will do, as there isn't a clear choice right now.

As of Tuesday, we know that the team is busy doing its homework on at least one of the options, Auburn DT Nick Fairley. Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer has reported that Panthers college scout Jeff Beathard has been in contact with Fairley's high school coach Bobby Parrish as part of the team's background check.

Person notes that this is part of the standard pre-draft procedure, and is likely being done by the Panthers on other prospects as well; however, it does officially confirm that Fairley is under consideration. Here's Kiper with why the Panthers should take the Auburn product, and McShay on why Clemson DE Da'Quan Bowers is the right pick:

- Tim Kavanagh

Locker's stock

Doug Farrar reports that a rep from the Minnesota Vikings was talking to Jake Locker after Senior Bowl practice Tuesday.

We're sure Locker will be a popular guy to talk to this week, but it does confirm that at least one QB-needy team is interested.

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Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times writes that this week's Senior Bowl practices may do quite a bit of good to Locker's draft stock, but they may wind up harming him as well.

"It was smart of him to be here," O'Neil quotes NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock as saying. "There are a lot of questions about him. The biggest question he has to answer is the accuracy issue."

Unfortunately, O'Neil notes, that "accuracy issue" was on full display during Monday's practice, when Locker had trouble hitting his targets, including throwing an interception on one toss.

In his first 2011 mock draft, ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr. didn't foresee Locker being taken in the first round. Exemplifying how wide the opinions range on Locker, Todd McShay of ESPN's Scouts, Inc. had him going eighth overall to the Tennessee Titans:

- Tim Kavanagh

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Todd McShay: Sink or swim in Nashville

"[Blaine] Gabbert is the only quarterback in this class worthy of a top-10 grade. This is a reach for the Titans, but with the departure of Vince Young they need to find a long-term answer under center. Locker has some accuracy issues but his intangibles and work ethic are assets."

Peterson's landing spot

Though many pundits envision the Carolina Panthers using the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft on a defensive lineman -- either DT Nick Fairley or DE Da'Quan Bowers -- there are other players worthy of the selection from a talent standpoint, one of whom is LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson.

Aaron Wilson of National Football Post reports that Peterson is scheduled to meet with the Panthers tonight, and that the CB believes he's worthy of the No. 1 pick.

Going on the hypothetical that the Panthers take a D-lineman, Peterson may not have to wait much longer to hear his name called on the draft's opening night. While meeting with a team doesn't necessarily mean that they're definitely interested in selecting him, Peterson is also scheduled to meet with the Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints.

DEs on Belichick's mind?

Though there will be debate up until the draft as to the specific needs of every team, one position that's been cited repeatedly as a need for the New England Patriots is defensive end. In our last look at potential DE targets in the draft, Iowa's Adrian Clayborn, Wisconsin's J.J. Watt and Ohio State's Cameron Heyward stood out as options for the Pats at No. 17, No. 28 or No. 33.

But another potential candidate to join the team is California DE Cameron Jordan. According to Greg Bedard of the Boston Globe, Jordan "fits their mold unlike some others."

In his first mock draft, ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr. had the Pats taking Watt at No. 17, followed by Illinois RB Mikel Leshoure with their second first-rounder. Todd McShay of Scouts, Inc. had them taking Purdue DE Ryan Kerrigan with their first pick (and converting him to an OLB in their 3-4 scheme), followed by Alabama RB Mark Ingram at No. 28.

Miller Time for whom?

As one would expect, ESPN's Todd McShay is down in Mobile, Ala., for the Senior Bowl this week, and prior to the start of all the fun, he posted an update to our Insider NFL Draft blog making note of particular players on whom we should be keeping an eye in practices this week and in the game on Saturday. One player he singled out is Texas A&M DE/OLB Von Miller.

"Miller played a hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end role at Texas A&M and he projects best at outside linebacker," McShay confirmed. "He has some experience dropping into zone coverage, but teams will want to see how well he opens his hips and matches up in man coverage drills. Miller should also wow scouts with his first-step quickness, body control and closing speed during one-on-one pass-rushing drills this week."

Tuesday afternoon, Greg Bedard of the Boston Globe commented that Miller "doesn't look the part of a 3-4 OLB. Can run though. Seems to fit a cover 2 scheme."

Though ESPN's John Clayton wrote recently that "the feeling around the NFL is that the Cover 2 is becoming somewhat of a dinosaur," there are some teams that still use it. However, neither of the teams that selected him in our experts' recent mock drafts are included in that group:

- Tim Kavanagh

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Mel Kiper, Jr.: Titans grab him at No. 8

"Miller has the reputation of a big-time sack artist but his game is more diversified than he gets credit for. What Miller brings in Week 1 is a great third-down option. A gifted edge-rusher, he can get to the quarterback, but you can also mix it up and drop him into zone coverage, where he has speed and developing awareness at the position. A solid tackler, Miller will only get better in the 4-3 system as he adjusts to the NFL game."

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Todd McShay: Texans will grab him to play ILB

"There is a lot of talk about the Texans becoming more versatile in their fronts, and while Miller played end in college we believe he is a good fit as a SAM linebacker in a 4-3 or an inside linebacker in a 3-4. He is a freakish athlete who plays sideline-to-sideline against the run, has upside in coverage and can get after the quarterback as a blitzing linebacker."

Doesn't look good when a player feels he deserves to be the #1 overall selection. If he falls to 9, he could be a hassle getting signed and into camp.

Ever since Luck decided to stay in school this draft got harder to mock.

Without him in it I think some teams go defense when they pick.

It'll be interesting to see who falls to us.

Ryan Kerrigan's whiteness is really showing up at these Senior bowl practices.

Senior Bowl Buzz- Tuesday

TFY Draft Insider


Day two of the Senior Bowl has finished on the field yet the action is still hot at the headquaters in the Renaissance Plaza Hotel. Here’s the latest gossip coming from the building which is presently home to most of the league’s 32 decision makers.

We’ve spoken to a number of people here in Mobile about USC tackle Tyron Smith. There’s a wide range of opinion as to where the offensive tackle will land in April’s draft but the consensus is he won’t get out of the first round. We’ve heard as early as the ninth pick to the Dallas Cowboys to as late as the Pittsburgh Steelers at the end of the frame.

We’ve already previewed the 257 combine invitations which were sent out. Sources have told us the next wave of invitations will be sent out tomorrow, January 26th. We hear included will be the underclassmen that made themselves eligible for the draft plus some additional seniors.

For what its’ worth; the Washington Redskins spent an inordinate amount of time with Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick. We’ve also learned LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson has met with the San Fransisco 49ers brass on hand. In our SI.com column we mentioned Peterson previously met with John Elway and John Fox of the Denver Broncos.

The quote of the day was stated in reference to Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers. The underclassman is already one of the draft’s top rated players and may be in consideration for the top selection by the Carolina Panthers. When discussing the player’s history and off the field concerns, a source close to Bowers said, “He admits he was a jackass his first two years at Clemson.” Then the source reiterated something TFY reported earlier discussing how the death of his father really matured the young underclassmen greatly.

NFLN's coverage would be infinitely better without Mayock.

Fraud.

I like Mayock.

sbk, how come you hate everything that is good?

Bills to load up on defense?

The Buffalo Bills were 28th in the league last season both in points scored and in points allowed. So while they'd be happy to take a franchise quarterback if one falls into their laps, it's just as likely that they'll end up with a defensive player instead.

In fact, a series of articles on the team's web site suggests that the Bills could double up on defenders in the first two rounds of the draft. First, a discussion of Cam Jordan, noting that the defensive end (whose stock, as we mentioned earlier, is rising after a strong week at the Senior Bowl) is one of the few prominent players in the draft with experience in the 3-4 defense. Jordan tells Bills journalist Chris Brown that he has played three-, four-, and five-technique at Cal -- meaning, he's played as a tackle and an end in the 4-3, as well as a 3-4 end.

Brown then moves onto the linebackers, specifically mentioning Michigan State?s Greg Jones and LSU?s Kelvin Sheppard. The Bills only have two inside linebackers under contract for 2011, and had the league's worst rushing defense last season, making this an obvious area of need. Mel Kiper has Jones and Sheppard at 1-2 on the top of his inside linebackers list, but neither player is likely to go in the first round. That means the Bills will likely be able to take their pick at the top of Round Two.

Finally, there's this piece on Texas defensive end Sam Acho. At 257 pounds, Acho would need to move to outside linebacker in a 3-4, but Senior Bowl rules require teams to use a 4-3 formation, leaving Chan Gailey with no opportunity to scout how he'd handle the position shift. With 19 sacks in his last two years with the Longhorns, though, Acho may force the Bills to take a chance on him.

Locker slipping to third round?

Things have gone from bad to worse for Washington quarterback Jake Locker. Sporting News Draft analyst Russ Lande tells the New York Times that Locker "hurt himself a lot this week" and that his accuracy is "terrible." He cites one coach as saying that accuracy cannot be taught or coached, and if you're not accurate you can't start in the NFL.

Adam Caplan of FOX Sports agrees, saying that Locker's release point needs adjustment, that his inconsistency is "troubling," and that it's "alarming" how poorly the ball leaves Locker's hand. He now gives Locker a third-round grade.

How much money is Locker's decision to return to Washington for his senior season going to cost him? Consider the contracts signed by Sam Bradford, the 2010 draft's top overall selection, and Colt McCoy, the first passer taken in the third round last year. Bradford's contract is worth up to $86 million, with $50 million guaranteed. McCoy's deal, meanwhile, maxes out at $5 million, with "only" $1.07 million guaranteed.

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Consensus around the league last year was that if Washington quarterback Jake Locker had declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft, he might have been the top overall selection. Instead, he returned to school, went through a mediocre senior season, and now he's not even regarded as the top quarterback available, let alone the top player.

Mel Kiper took it a step further in a conference call with Washington Redskins reporters. According to John Keim of the Washington Examiner, Kiper called Locker's senior season "subpar," then added "I'm being kind when I say subpar." He went on to say that Locker "hasn't done much at Senior Bowl practices to wow me over."

In his latest mock draft, Kiper doesn't even have Locker going in the first round. Interestingly, Kiper has Locker's hometown Seattle Seahawks taking a passer in the first, but say it will be Arkansas' Ryan Mallett. Todd McShay disagrees strongly, with Locker going to the Tennessee Titans at number 8.

- Vince Verhei

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Todd McShay
Intangibles, work ethic are assets

"This is a reach for the Titans, but with the departure of Vince Young they need to find a long-term answer under center. Locker has some accuracy issues but his intangibles and work ethic are assets."

Texans unlikely to pick DL

With Wade Phillips bringing his 3-4 defense to Reliant Stadium in 2011, expect to see plenty of new faces in Houston Texans uniforms this fall. However, despite the shift in philosophy, few of those changes will come on the defensive line.

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle says that Phillips likes the combination of Earl Mitchell and Shaun Cody at nose tackle, and that Antonio Smith and Mario Williams will remain at defensive end. Unlike most 3-4 defenses that line up their ends head-to-head with offensive tackles, Philips' 3-4 drops its ends in the gap between tackle and guard and lets them attack the offense.

However, the Texans are going to desperate for a pass-rushing outside linebacker. While Brian Cushing will probably man one outside position, no other player on the Houston roster is a good fit for the other side. McClain says that Texas A&M's Von Miller, after an excellent week at the Senior Bowl, would be a fantastic pick for Houston with the 11th pick in the first round.

Todd McShay agrees, slotting Miller to the Texans in his latest mock draft. Kiper, though, sees the Tennessee Titans grabbing Miller at 8, leaving the Texans to take Missouri's Aldon Smith.

- Vince Verhei

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Mel Kiper, Jr.
Aldon Smith, OLB, Missouri

"A late addition to the Big Board, Smith's declaration moved him up among draft-eligible pass-rushers. Smith is more athlete than refined pass-rusher at this stage, but he has a great wing-span and is a perfect size and speed combination to develop as an outside linebacker. We know Houston has to address the defensive side of the ball and Smith is the kind of high-upside player that will fly up the board as personnel people start seeing the tape. He'll improve a weak pass rush."



Todd McShay
Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M

"There is a lot of talk about the Texans becoming more versatile in their fronts, and while Miller played end in college we believe he is a good fit as a SAM linebacker in a 4-3 or an inside linebacker in a 3-4. He is a freakish athlete who plays sideline-to-sideline against the run, has upside in coverage and can get after the quarterback as a blitzing linebacker."

Great idea in Houston to take an elite pass rusher and force him to play DE in a 3-4.

Jordan's stock rising

Earlier this week, we passed along a quip from Greg Bedard of the Boston Globe, who noted that Cal defensive end Cameron Jordan would be a good fit for the New England Patriots' system. The question is: Will he even last as long as their first pick (No. 17 overall)?

Matt Bowen of National Football Post was down in Mobile, Ala., this week for the Senior Bowl practices, and the former NFL safety came away glowing after scouting Jordan.

"He's explosive off of the line of scrimmage and unlike Miami's Allen Bailey (a straight line pass-rusher), Jordan had enough counter moves in his game to consistently win at the point of attack," Bowen wrote. "Everyday when I watched one-on-ones and team drills, Jordan stood out. He can penetrate the offensive line and I see him as a DE that can align outside in a 4-3 front or as a 5-technique in a 3-4 scheme. As one scout said this week, there is always a player down in Mobile who punches that cash register. This week -- it was Jordan."

That sounds like a player that any team could use. There are obviously some talented players that were not in Mobile (the underclassmen who have declared their eligibility), but given the need for a defensive line help around the league, it wouldn't be surprising for Jordan to be off the board by that 17th pick.

Ravens eyeing pass-rushers

Earlier this week, we looked at one possible first-round plan for the Baltimore Ravens: an offensive tackle to insert into the starting lineup opposite Michael Oher.

But offensive tackle isn't the only position of need. In drafting Sergio Kindle in the second round of the 2010 draft, the Ravens thought they had found a pass-rushing partner for Terrell Suggs. Instead, Kindle sustained a major injury prior to the season, and his status is uncertain moving forward. Even if Kindle is on his way to a full recovery, the team may use an early pick on another pass-rusher.

Mike Duffy of BaltimoreRavens.com provided a list of players that represent the best of the pass-rushers down at the Senior Bowl this season, including players that project as an OLB or DE in the Ravens' multi-front scheme. Todd McShay of ESPN's Scouts, Inc. selected DE Cameron Heyward as the Ravens' pick in his initial mock draft.

As ESPN AFC North blogger James Walker notes, using a high draft pick on another pass-rusher would be adding strength to an already strong part of the team:

- Tim Kavanagh

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James Walker
QBs beware

"If the Ravens can get another terror on the opposite end, that could spell trouble for opponents."

Senior Bowl Buzz- Final Edition

The scouts, coaches and general managers have long left Mobile. All that’s left are the players, their families and a few agents waiting to kick the ball off this afternoon. Yet even with that there was still plenty of buzz remaining after a weeks worth of practice.

- There were an inordinate amount of injuries during the week. Gabe Carimi/T/Wisconsin, Marcus Gilbert/T/Florida and Rashad Carmichael/CB/Virginia Tech have been ruled out of the game. As a result several players that only take the field for two quarters are likely to play the entire game.

- Were we harsh in our criticism of Jake Locker during the week? Depends on who you ask, or better yet the answer is “yes” and “no”. Speaking with people yesterday there is still a feeling amongst scouts Locker could end up in the late part of round one. They believe the expected rookie salary cap may make him too good to pass up. Those we spoke with said Locker could be good on a team willing to build an offense geared around him and gets him outside the numbers. That said there’s a feeling Locker made a mistake coming to the Senior Bowl and lost at least ten-to-twelve slots in the draft based on his performance. His situation this year is being compared to what we witnessed a year ago with Taylor Mays; they both need a lot of coaching and the Senior Bowl practices put each in a situation which exposed their weaknesses.

- Phil Taylor is one player very glad he came to Mobile. The thought process yesterday was the Baylor defender has likely locked up a spot for himself in the first round of the draft based on his performance. This assumes a team is willing to overlook the character concerns.

- Who were the players that hurt themselves by not coming to the Senior Bowl? Three names loomed large yesterday. Considering how terrific the defensive line from both sides looked all week the resounding belief was Adrian Clayborn of Iowa should have been here. We reported from Shrine Game practices that an alleged injury kept Troy receiver Jernell Jernigan away from Mobile and it might cost him. Numerous teams had Jernigan as their top rated senior receiver after the season but that will change after the play of Titus Young and Leonard Hankerson this week. Finally most everyone thought the absence of Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith could prove costly. Considering no corner really stood out during the week it would’ve been a great proving ground for Smith to establish himself head and shoulders above the rest of his class and potentially cement himself as a potential to 25 selection.

- One player who really surprised scouts, in both positive and negative ways, was Von Miller of Texas A&M. The belief was Miller would be the premiere 3-4 outside linebacker in the draft yet that ended when he weighed in a bit smaller than expected and showed marginal strength all week, displaying himself as basically a speed rusher. That said, Miller also proved to be a terrific athlete who did a good job in coverage. He may now be the top 4-3 outside linebacker in the draft, with Akeem Ayers of UCLA being the best fit for a 34 defense. As one insider told us, if Miller runs a 4.7 forty at the combine he goes in the second round. Should he stop the clock in the low 4.6’s he’s a late first rounder while something in the 4.5’s will push him into the middle of the initial frame.

- Speaking of workouts, scouts expect Cameron Jordan to keep the momentum going at the combine. He’s expected to run in the high 4.6’s/low 4.7’s at 290-pounds next month in Indianapolis.

- When we asked Rodney Hudson what scouts told him he had to do in order to be a successful pro he answered, “gain weight”.

- There was mention of several underclassmen in Mobile. Right now the most overrated group seems to be the trio of juniors coming from Illinois. Scouts were surprised defensive lineman Corey Liuget, linebacker Martez Wilson and running back Mikel Leshoure all entered the draft as each was given a grade of 4th-7th rounds by the advisory committee.

- Though not a surprise entry, Wisconsin’s John Clay is working hard in preparation for the combine. Sources told us he’s down to 250-pounds after playing the season at 275lbs.

- Finally, with the ever present labor negotiations a constant topic of conversation in Mobile and the potential of a long lock out looming, the consensus is there will be a lot of surprise selections in April’s draft. Talented but raw prospects that will need time to develop are likely to fall by the wayside in favor of the lesser athletic yet more “NFL ready” players. Teams feel taking a developmental player in the first few rounds will be a waste of time since they are likely to miss out on rookie mini-camp, OTA’s and a host of other off season training critical for their development. In essence, depending on the length of the presumed lockout, 2011 could be a washout for a number of incoming rookies. This sentiment will be interesting to watch and see how it plays out with prospects such as Cam Newton.