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Poll: Best Late Round Quarterback?

May 10th, 2014 at 3:52pm CST by Rob DiRe

Just because they don’t have the fanfare of a Johnny Manziel or Teddy Bridgewater doesn’t mean the day three quarterbacks are destined to be career backups. A handful of high-caliber NFL quarterbacks do get selected in the later rounds.

Not every quarterback drafted in the sixth round is going to turn into Tom Brady–most first-round quarterbacks won’t accomplish half of what Brady has–but many if not all of these fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh-round quarterbacks will have a chance to push for a starting job at some point in their career, either by performance or by injury.

The question is, which of these quarterbacks is going to have the best chance to find success as a starter in the NFL? That takes a combination of talent and opportunity, where some of these draftees have definite roadblocks in front of them in the form of quarterbacks entrenched as starters.

Of course, a few more quarterbacks will still come off the board in the next 50+ picks, and a couple more will be snagged as undrafted free agents. Maybe Stephen Morris of Miami, Tahj Boyd of Clemson, Garrett Gilbert of SMU, Keith Price of Washington, Brett Smith of Wyoming, or Connor Shaw of South Carolina ends up being the best of the group, although they are still waiting to hear their names called.

Poll: Best Player Left In Draft?

May 9th, 2014 at 10:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Over the past few years, many noteworthy players have been selected in the fourth round, with Geno Atkins, Alterraun Verner, and Julius Thomas among them. Even after two days, three rounds, and 100 picks, the odds are that at least a few players selected early tomorrow will turn out to be Pro Bowlers. With that in mind, we ask you: who is the best player left on the board? Is it a quarterback like A.J. McCarron or Tom Savage? A receiver such as Martavis Bryant or Bruce Ellington? Corner Pierre Desir? Or perhaps a defensive lineman like DaQuan Jones? Vote below!

Poll: Best Trade Up In First Round?

May 8th, 2014 at 11:40pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Texans stayed put at No. 1, and many teams frequently mentioned as possible traders – including the Lions, Cowboys, Dolphins, and 49ers – also stood pat, there were a handful of intriguing moves in tonight’s first round. Five teams made deals that saw them move up in the first round, as follows:

  • The Bills acquired the No. 4 overall pick from the Browns in exchange for the No. 9 pick, a 2015 first-rounder, and a 2015 fourth-rounder. Drafted wide receiver Sammy Watkins.
  • The Browns acquired the No. 8 overall pick from the Vikings in exchange for the No. 9 pick and the No. 145 pick. Drafted cornerback Justin Gilbert.
  • The Saints acquired the No. 20 overall pick from the Cardinals in exchange for the No. 27 pick and the No. 91 pick. Drafted wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
  • The Browns acquired the No. 22 overall pick from the Eagles in exchange for the No. 26 pick and the No. 83 pick. Drafted quarterback Johnny Manziel.
  • The Vikings acquired the No. 32 overall pick from the Seahawks in exchange for the No. 40 pick and the No. 108 pick. Drafted quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

Taking into account how far each team moved up, the price they had to pay to do so, and the player they ultimately landed, which trade up do you think represents the best deal of the night?

Poll: What Will Falcons Do In Draft?

April 30th, 2014 at 2:29pm CST by Luke Adams

While recent reports have suggested the Bills are strongly considering a move up in the draft, and the Lions have also been frequently cited as a candidate to trade up, the Falcons are viewed as perhaps the most likely team to jump up into the top five. Atlanta has long been linked to South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney, and look like a natural trade partner for the Texans, who hold the first overall pick and don’t appear to have made a decision on their pick yet.

Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff, who is no stranger to blockbuster draft trades, spoke to reporters today about his club’s plans for that sixth overall pick, and dropped a few morsels of information. Dimitroff admitted he has talked trade with a few teams, and while he declined to identify those specific clubs, the GM said there have been some “interesting discussions” (Twitter links via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com).

Still, while Dimitroff certainly left the door open to the possibility of trading up, he didn’t give any signal that he’s leaning in that direction. The GM referred to this year’s top 10 prospects as “top-notch,” hinting that he’d be happy to end up with a player in the back half of that top 10 (Twitter link). He added that Atlanta has also explored the possibility of trading down from No. 6, and that the club “won’t sit on [its] hands” when it comes to landing the player it wants (Twitter links).

It’s a little tricky to separate the signal from the noise in Dimitroff’s comments, but it sounds like plenty of options are still in play for the Falcons. If the price is right, I could see the team moving up to snag Clowney, but landing an offensive tackle such as Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews, or Taylor Lewan – either at No. 6 or lower – seems like a feasible option as well. For what it’s worth, Dimitroff said he doesn’t expect to complete a “massive deal” before the draft, though that doesn’t necessarily preclude a major trade on draft night (Twitter link).

So what do you think? Will the Falcons make another big splash on draft night, like they did three years ago when they moved up to land Julio Jones, or will the team take a quieter approach this time around?

Poll: Which Embattled QB Will Have Most Success?

April 28th, 2014 at 9:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Vince Young is set to work out for the Browns, and if he catches on he’d join a list of quarterbacks looking for a restart.

A number of embattled quarterbacks found new homes this offseason, each hoping to resurrect their once-promising careers. The majority of them will likely be serving as backups, but that also means an injury could suddenly thrust them into a starting role.

Mark Sanchez inked a one-year, $2.25MM deal to sit on the bench with the Eagles. He could be Nick Foles‘ backup, but the team could also select a quarterback in the draft. If that’s the case, Sanchez’s opportunity diminishes even more.

Brandon Weeden will have another opportunity to showcase the talent that (debatably) justified his first-round selection in 2012. The 30-year-old signed a two-year, minimum deal with the Cowboys where he will serve as a backup to Tony Romo. Considering Romo’s injury history, Weeden may have a chance to start next season (assuming Kyle Orton is not on the team).

It seemed inevitable that Matt Schaub‘s tenure in Houston would come to a close, and he was traded by the Texans to the Raiders last month. Following the trade of Terrelle Pryor, the starting gig seems to be Schaub’s. Barring the team drafting a top quarterback, he’ll likely be atop the depth chart heading into next season.

Josh Freeman was the starter for the Buccaneers from 2009 to 2012, but he completely unraveled prior to his release. After finishing the season with the Vikings, he signed a one-year, $750K deal with the Giants this offseason. Eli Manning is one of the most durable quarterbacks in the NFL, but Freeman is certainly a competent backup.

Which embattled quarterback do you expect to have the best season in 2014?

Poll: NFL Considering Developmental League

April 27th, 2014 at 8:14pm CST by Peter Sowards

In August 2007, the NFL ceased operation of NFL Europa, issuing a press release that “The Time is right to re-focus the NFL’s strategy on initiatives with global impact, including worldwide media coverage of our sport and the staging of live regular-season NFL games.”

And thus ended the NFL’s developmental league, in place since 1991 save for a two-year hiatus from 1993-94.

However, the league’s new director of football operations, Troy Vincent, told the Associated Press today that he sees the installation of a developmental league as a way to preserve and grow the game.

“We need to keep the pipeline of talent flowing, and that means for all areas of our game: players, coaches, scouts, game officials,” Vincent said. “I am responsible to look at whatever the competition committee looks at, and that includes a developmental league. 

“For all this football talent around, we have to create another platform for developing it. Maybe it’s an academy — at would it look like? Maybe it’s a spring league; we’ll look to see if there is an appetite for it.” 

Vincent also mentioned adding an eighth official to the referee crew for games and coaches using tablets on the sidelines.

Vote in the poll below and feel free to add your opinion in the comments section.

Poll: Which QB Should Be Drafted First?

April 22nd, 2014 at 3:43pm CST by Luke Adams

With so many teams near the top of the draft lacking a long-term answer at the quarterback position, it seemed as if we might see a run on signal-callers early in the evening on May 8, with Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles, and Teddy Bridgewater all coming off the board within the first few picks.

In recent weeks though, the perception of this year’s quarterback class has shifted, with the general consensus now suggesting there are significant question marks about every QB in the class. Some players, like Pitt’s Tom Savage, have seen their stocks rise, but the players at or near the top of the board, like Manziel and Bridgewater, are no longer viewed as locks to be selected in the top 10, or – in Bridgewater’s case – even the top 25.

A piece from Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com this week suggested that Bortles is considered the quarterback most likely to come off the board first. The UCF product may not have the upside of others in the draft, but he’s considered a safer pick than most of his fellow signal-callers. In a league where the job security of coaches and general managers is often directly tied to the performance of first-round quarterbacks, opting for the choice with the least risk could look awfully appealing on draft night.

Still, with the draft a little over two weeks away, we still have no idea where those big three will land, and guys like Savage, Derek Carr, A.J. McCarron, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Zach Mettenberger are wild cards as well. What do you think? Which of these guys would you draft if all of them were still on the board and you needed a quarterback? Which QB should be drafted first?

Poll: Should Ndamukong Suh Be With Team?

April 20th, 2014 at 7:51pm CST by Peter Sowards

Since joining the league as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has been a wrecking ball. He has made three Pro Bowls in four seasons, was the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, earned three All-Pro selections, and has totaled 27.5 sacks.

But, he has also been a lightning rod for criticism. As ESPN.com’s Jeffri Chadiha cites in this column, Suh has been suspended and fined nearly $217K in the past three seasons. With questions swirling about his character, along with an entirely new coaching staff, Suh showing up to the team’s offseason workouts would be a step in the right direction for a player whose name is too often referred to in a negative context.

Instead, Suh spent time in Las Vegas, negotiating a contract in its early stages that would likely place the former Heisman Trophy finalist among the top-paid defensive players in NFL history.

Chadiha goes all in on Suh and the Lions, chastising the player for not showing up and chastising the team for not forcing him to come: “What nobody was willing to say is what is plainly obvious to anybody watching this situation: It says plenty that Suh chose to not attend these workouts. Even if he’s getting into phenomenal shape on his own, this was the first opportunity that [head coach] Jim Caldwell and his assistants had to educate their players on the team’s new offensive and defensive schemes. If Suh wasn’t crazy about the team’s philosophies on strength and conditioning, he could’ve seen the upside in that. These are the types of gestures that leaders make in order to foster a winning atmosphere.”

This is not an uncommon occurrence. Players regularly choose to work out on their own, especially players who are in negotiations over their contract. But, as Chadiha points out, with a new coaching staff and Suh’s reputation, it was a chance for Suh to curry favor with the team.

So, do you think that Suh should have been with his team for its voluntary offseason program? Or does it even matter? Let us know your opinion in the comment section below.

Poll: Which 2014 Free Agent Was The Most Overpaid?

April 20th, 2014 at 12:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Playing off of Bill Polian‘s assertion that ‘B’ players were seeking ‘A’ money, Mike Klis of the Denver Post compiled his list of the most overpaid free agents from this offseason. Klis lists 15 signees, and a staggering 14 of them inked deals with non-playoff teams. The writer attributes this to desperation, stating that some teams “didn’t know how to spend their newfound riches or were forced to overpay to lure players to their bad franchises.”

The first player on Klis’s list is Vikings‘ defensive end Everson Griffen, who will earn $13MM in 2014 despite only getting 5.5 sacks last season. The Falcons‘ Paul Soliai (5 year/$32 MM, $11MM in ’14) and Tyson Jackson (5 years/$25MM, $9.5MM), the Bears‘ Lamarr Houston (5 years/$35MM, $9MM) and the Jaguars‘ Toby Gerhart (3 years/$10.5MM, $4MM) round out his top-five.

Of course, this list doesn’t include some of the more high-profile contracts dished out this offseason, and those are often the contracts that are the most scrutinized. Eric Decker inked a five-year, $36.25MM deal including $15MM guaranteed with the Jets. The 27-year old has certainly had a handful of good seasons with the Broncos, but it’s unknown if he can lead a receiving core.

On defense, DeMarcus Ware got $20MM guaranteed from the Broncos even though the player will soon be 32. Darrelle Revis struggled in 2013 but still got $16MM to play with the Patriots for a season. We also can’t forget about Aqib Talib, who signed the largest contract based on overall base value at $57MM over six years.

Finally, there’s offensive tackle Branden Albert, who got $20MM guaranteed from the Dolphins. It wouldn’t be a list unless I added in the player who’ll be guaranteed to take home the most money.

Combining Klis’s top-five with my list of notable free agents signed to large contracts, who do you think was the most overpaid this offseason? Did I forget somebody? Are you offended by one of my suggestions? Sound off in the comment section.

Poll: Will Lions Trade Up From No. 10?

April 17th, 2014 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

As Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com writes, South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney was in Allen Park yesterday to visit Lions coaches and front office personnel as one of the team’s 30 pre-draft visits. Of all the prospects eligible to be drafted in 2014, Clowney is perhaps the least likely to be picked outside the top five, meaning he’s a lock to be off the board by the time the Lions pick tenth overall.

Spending so much time looking at and meeting with players they know won’t be available at No. 10, such as Clowney and Clemson wideout Sammy Watkins, seems like a waste of time for the Lions unless the club is strongly considering moving up in the draft. It’s possible that Detroit is setting up an elaborate smokescreen, but that doesn’t seem all that beneficial, so we can apply Occam’s razor here — the most plausible explanation is likely the real one.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explored the subject this morning and reached the same conclusion, speculating that perhaps the Lions are trying to get the attention of teams like the Texans and Rams at the top of the draft. In Florio’s view, the Lions would have a better chance at moving up at a reasonable cost if they can get another team to instigate trade negotiations, perhaps playing some of those clubs at the top of the draft against one another.

Still, even if the Lions want to move up, trading into the top three or four from No. 10 won’t come cheaply. Only two years ago, the Rams, who hold this year’s No. 2 pick, traded that same selection for the No. 6 pick, two additional first-rounders, and a second-rounder. No player in 2014’s draft appears to be as strongly coveted as Robert Griffin III was in 2012, so the cost for the second overall pick shouldn’t be quite as exorbitant this time around. But considering most pundits and observers view this year’s draft class as exceptionally deep and talented, the Lions may be better off keeping all their picks and simply selecting the best player available at No. 10.

The question of whether the Lions should trade up largely depends on what the cost would be, so let’s put that aside for now and get your take on whether or not the team will trade up. Feel free to weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts.

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