NFL 2015 - Road to Radio City (No, Road to Chicago)

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Winston first, Williams second, and then the draft is wide open
Posted by Michael David Smith on March 28, 2015, 7:06 AM EDT
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Everyone thinks the Buccaneers will take Jameis Winston with the first overall pick in the draft. Most people think the Titans will take Leonard Williams with the second pick. And after that? No one knows.

Taking a look at a total of 10 mock drafts at Rotoworld, NFL.com and CBS, the general consensus is that there is no consensus beyond the Top 2 picks. Here are a few observations:

1. Everyone thinks Jameis Winston is going first. It’s not exactly breaking news at this point that the Buccaneers are expected to take Winston with the first overall pick in the draft. All 10 mock drafts had Winston going first.

2. Almost everyone thinks Leonard Williams is going second. One mock draft has Marcus Mariota going to Tennessee with the second overall pick. Eight of the other nine mock drafts had Williams, the USC defensive lineman, going No. 2. And the other mock draft that didn’t have Williams going second had Nebraska’s Randy Gregory going second — and that comes with an asterisk, because that mock draft came out before the news broke that Gregory had failed a marijuana test at the Combine, which may hurt his draft stock.

3. If Mariota doesn’t go second, no one knows where he’s going. Various mock drafts have him going third, sixth, seventh, 10th, 12th and 13th. Predicting where Mariota will land this year may prove as hard as predicting where Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater would land last year.

4. Dante Fowler looks like a very high pick. Most mock drafts have Fowler, the Florida outside linebacker, going third overall to Jacksonville. Everyone has Fowler going in the Top 8.

5. The Raiders will draft Kevin White or Amari Cooper. The biggest debate in this year’s draft may be about whether the best wide receiver is West Virginia’s White or Alabama’s Cooper. There seems to be little doubt that Oakland will draft one of them. Seven mock drafts have White going fourth overall to the Raiders, and the other three have Cooper going fourth overall to the Raiders.

6. Vic Beasley is all over the map. Beasley, the Clemson pass rusher, could go No. 3 to Jacksonville, No. 22 to Pittsburgh, or anywhere in between, depending on whom you believe.

7. Iowa’s Brandon Scherff is probably the top offensive lineman. Six of the mock drafts have Scherff as the first lineman off the board, but there’s widespread disagreement about how high he’ll go: Perhaps as high as No. 5, but there may also not be any offensive linemen in the Top 10.

8. At least one running back is going in the first round. The first-round running back once looked like an endangered species, but this year everyone agrees that either Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon or Georgia’s Todd Gurley, or both, will be a first-round pick.

9. No one really knows anything. A month away is still far too early to predict the draft with any degree of accuracy. All it takes is one team early in the draft to surprise us, and the domino effect will completely reshape the rest of the first round. And if that surprise early on is the Buccaneers taking someone other than Winston, you can tear up every mock draft right then and there.
 
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Winston-Mariota Could Be the Next Manning-Leaf

By Mike Freeman , NFL National Lead Writer Mar 27, 2015


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The off-field concerns teams once had about Jameis Winston are mostly gone.

Numerous team officials say that as teams have met with Winston, he has answered every question and eradicated most doubts about his past.

One particular interview with an AFC team at the scouting combine typified how the process has gone for Winston. He was asked extensively about his off-field incidents and very little about actual football. A team source said they were stunned at how well Winston handled the questions.

At the owners meetings this week in Phoenix, Bucs coach Lovie Smith affirmed this, saying, via Pro Football Talk's Darin Gantt, "I believe in second chances, after I've done my research. We feel very comfortable with who Jameis Winston is, what he’s done, and what he can become. Jameis Winston is definitely on our board."

The on-field concerns teams once had about Marcus Mariota are mostly gone.

Numerous team officials say that as teams have met with Mariota, he has answered every question and eradicated most doubts about his ability to adapt to the pro game and handle a pro-style offense.

One particular interview with an AFC team at the scouting combine typified how the process has gone for Mariota. He was asked extensively about his on-field capabilities and if they could translate to the pros. A team source said they walked away thinking Mariota could handle anything in the NFL. Anything.

At the owners meetings, Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt affirmed this, saying, via The Associated Press, "He's done a nice job in the time I've spent with him. We spent time with him in the classroom. We worked him out. He exhibits a lot of the qualities that successful quarterbacks have. He doesn't turn the ball over a lot, is accurate when he throws it, can extend the play. His team gravitates toward him, you can see that. He has a lot of those things that those quarterbacks who have been successful in the league have."

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What we have now is Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf 2.0.

Team officials have repeatedly made the comparison to me.

The league is becoming divided on Winston and Mariota, as it was on Manning and Leaf.

The football arguments in 1998 between Manning and Leaf were similar to the ones now between Winston and Mariota. Bill Polian, who picked Manning for the Colts, wrote of the Manning and Leaf debate in his book The Game Plan: The Art of Building a Winning Football Team.

Wrote Polian:

"The closer we got to the draft, the louder the "noise"—opinions from draft media analysts far and wide—became, until it reached a crescendo. You were hearing all of the negatives about Peyton Manning: "He's a product of the system. ... He's not a good athlete. ... He has a weak arm. ...He can't win the big one." On the contrary, you were hearing nothing but accolades for Ryan Leaf: "He's a natural thrower. ... He has a cannon arm. ... He can make people miss when he runs. ... He's the second coming of Roger Staubach."

Polian goes on to say the person leaking these rumors was an influential agent at the time, Leigh Steinberg. But I can say, as someone who covered the Leaf-Manning debate extensively, this wasn't entirely the case.

The NFL was genuinely divided. Leaf was seen as just as talented as Manning.

Polian basically later admits this in his book:

"I reminded myself and others in the building, "Tune out the noise! Tune out the noise!" I even delivered the same message in my public comments, saying, "We are going to ignore the noise; it's not part of the equation. We are going to make the decision based on what we believe to be sound football reasons."

"Yet, there I was, on a Sunday, watching the tape of Peyton's throws and hearing all of that "noise" in my head: "He doesn't have a strong arm. ... He can't make the deep throws. ..." I began to focus on every pass in his career that traveled more than 40 yards and what I found out was that, once the ball got beyond 60 yards, he started losing accuracy.

The next morning, I got Tom Moore and Bruce Arians together, and said, "I think you have a ceiling on Manning's arm at about 60 yards."


They both look at me as if I were crazy. I could see in their eyes that they were thinking, "He's lost it. We're working with a guy who has lost his marbles and he's in charge of the franchise!" Tom then looked up and said, dryly, "Well, then, Bill, we'll be sure not to throw any passes over 59 yards."


We know how it turned out that year. Manning—who actually had an off-field issue of his own and was lucky he had his in the pre-Twitter age—became a Colt and is a future Hall of Famer. Overthinking his talent would have been a mistake. Leaf—who interestingly was seen mostly as squeaky clean—flamed out and has had major issues later in life.

Seventeen years later, there is more second-guessing and re-examining, this time with Winston.

Teams are starting to believe the talent gap between Winston and Mariota isn't as large as once thought. Before the combine, several execs estimated to me that the preference around the league was maybe 70-30 in favor of Winston. Now, it's 50-50, those execs say.

I think that's wrong. To me, Winston is clearly better. But it's what's happening. There's been a leveling.

It's a virtual certainty that Winston and Mariota will be the top two picks in the draft. Four different general managers told me they believe the Titans will trade the second overall pick. One GM said the Titans have made it clear the No. 2 spot is for sale. One team executive I spoke to estimated there's a 50-to-60 percent chance the Titans move the pick to a team that wants Mariota; another said it's almost a certainty.

"This league is starving for quarterbacks," that last exec said. "Mariota is food to a starving man."

Whether teams should still be concerned about Winston off the field or Mariota on the field is a different story. Teams are doing what teams always do when evaluating players with potential issues: rationalizing. The bottom line is that almost every person you speak to in football believes Winston and Mariota will go first and second in the draft.

The pro-Winston teams are willing to take a risk with potential off-field problems. (It should be noted that teams believe there will be few off-field problems for Winston.) The pro-Mariota teams are willing to draft a slightly less pro-ready player they believe has far fewer chances of getting into off-field distress.

Winston-Mariota has become a full-fledged argument. It's close. Really close.

This draft will be historic. And if it follows suit with Manning and Leaf, one of these guys will be great and the other…not so much.
 
Thats manning -leaf comparison to winston-mariota is genuine rubbish
IF they go 1-2, historically there is a strong chance of one of those guys being a disappointment.

2012 - #1 Andrew Luck. #2 RG3 (hopefully the jury is still out on this one)
1999 - #1 Tim Couch. #2 Donovan McNabb.
1998 - Manning. Leaf.
1993 - Drew Bledsoe. Rick Mirer.
1971 - Jim Plunkett. Archie Manning.
 
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http://optimumscouting.com/

From that link....WR Rankings....

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These rankings are based on our evaluations, not where they are projected to be drafted.

Updated: January 28th

1 Jaelen Strong Arizona State 6’3 215 1st

2 Amari Cooper Alabama 6’1 210 1st

3 DeVante Parker Louisville 6’3 209 1st

4 Kevin White West Virginia 6’3 209 2nd

5 Justin Hardy East Carolina 6’0 188 2nd

6 Rashad Greene Florida State 6’0 180 2nd

7 Nelson Agholor USC 6’1 190 3rd

8 Tre McBride William & Mary 6’0 200 3rd

9 Sammie Coates Auburn 6’2 213 3rd

10 Breshad Perriman UCF 6’2 214 3rd

11 Devin Smith Ohio State 6’1 211 3rd

12 Dezmin Lewis Central Arkansas 6’4 218 4th

13 Tony Lippett Michigan State 6’3 192 4th

14 Dorial Green-Beckham Oklahoma 6’5 225 4th
 
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http://optimumscouting.com/draft/st...-tier-qb-matching-arik-armstead-and-more.html

A month removed from the 2015 draft’s first “State of the Draft”, it returns in late March with more clarity on which teams are looking at which quarterbacks, what the Browns, Eagles, Raiders and Ravens are thinking, among others, and projecting where the non-pass rushing defensive linemen may end up on draft day.

-Even though we’re still over a month out from the draft, it’s rare to see this much cluelessness as to where Marcus Mariota will land. Titans are highly unlikely and baiting for a trade. The Jets appear to be of the mindset towards a playoff push in year one, and would rather see what they have in Geno Smith for one last year. The Redskins have leaked interest, but no one I’ve talked to believes that interest is legitimate.

-The most linked team for Mariota is the Browns, which is remarkable considering Manziel is on the roster. The team offered a 1st for Sam Bradford a few weeks ago, which is a clear sign they’re willing to move on. It’s also important to keep in mind that Ray Farmer wasn’t the one who wanted Johnny Manziel, and reportedly Jim Haslam will be hands off this year for sure. Farmer has gotten a lot of backlash, but if you eliminate Manziel (not his pick) and Justin Gilbert (heavily influenced by Mike Pettine), it was a very strong draft for Cleveland last year.

-On the Cleveland note, the team’s signing of Tramon Williams opened up some questions about Justin Gilbert. In short, the coaching staff is split on Gilbert, but he’ll get the benefit of the doubt. With Williams basically on a two year deal and having most of his value in the slot, he doesn’t have much impact on Gilbert long-term. Gilbert will battle with Pierre Desir and K’waun Williams for the 3rd cornerback spot, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see one of the latter two win. We had Desir ranked ahead of Justin Gilbet in the 2014 NFL Draft.

-Back to Mariota. The current thought is that the Titans at #2 is the spot for a trade up, but I’ve heard the Raiders and Redskins are also actively looking to trade down. Two drafts ago, the Raiders moved from #3 to #12 without asking for too much (only a second rounder. I’d expect a similar situation this year.

-I’ve repeatedly heard the Raiders don’t want to draft a receiver at #4 overall if possible. It doesn’t fit their board or value, despite it being a need, but they may have to if they can’t trade down. Ideally, the Raiders want to trade down to the teens to add a 2nd round pick, drafting a receiver or a defensive end (Shane Ray?). The Raiders do want to add a receiver in the first two rounds, but getting an edge player may be more important. In the second-round (or late-first trade-up), look for the Raiders to have serious interest in UCF WR Breshad Perriman and Mississippi State’s Preston Smith.

-Here’s the quarterback-team links I’ve heard after the top two quarterbacks:
Garrett Grayson: Saints, Packers, Chiefs, Cowboys, Broncos
Bryce Petty: Broncos, Chargers
Brett Hundley: Saints, Rams, Chargers

-If the Browns don’t draft Mariota, I don’t expect them to take Brett Hundley or any top quarterback in this class. If they do draft Mariota, I’d guess Manziel quickly goes on the trade block. Dallas?

-Todd Gurley in the top-20? I’d bank on it. Atlanta in a short trade down is a possibility, the Dolphins and Chargers are fits and interested, and if Arizona can’t get Adrian Peterson, don’t rule out them trying to trade up too.

-The three teams that are in position and have a serious willingness to consider Dorial Green-Beckham at this point: Seattle, San Francisco and Baltimore. The feeling is that to draft DGB, you can’t expect him to contribute early, have a role model in mind for him, and be willing to take a major gamble. The Ravens are the longest shot, but may have been the favorites had they not lost Torrey Smith in free agency. The 49ers seem like the new favorite. With Torrey Smith in San Francisco and GM Trent Baalke willing to take risks on character, the 49ers at pick #45 is my projection for DGB. However, the Seahawks have serious interest, including sending a sizeable contingent to his Pro Day, and trading up from the late-2nd to above 45 to secure him (they did get a 4th rounder back from New Orleans).

-The Redskins don’t want to make any waves with their first two picks. Getting an edge player who’s NFL ready like Dante Fowler or a safe offensive lineman like Brandon Scherff fits that mold, and currently I’m expecting one of those two to be the pick if they stay at #5.

-Two late-first round teams to watch in a trade-up scenario to the teens: The Ravens (for a receiver like Jaelen Strong, DeVante Parker) and Panthers (for an offensive lineman).

-Long-term player personnel-wise, no one has a good feel for what the Eagles are building towards. However, I’ve heard they view Jalen Collins highly and still have a need at cornerback. Also, with Todd Hermanns gone and Evan Mathis on the trade block, Jake Fisher of Oregon makes a lot of sense, regardless of the Oregon connection. Until further notice, I’ll be mocking one of those two in the first-round for the Eagles.

-Staying with the Eagles, I highly doubt they’ll consider a receiver in the first round. With Riley Cooper still in place, Jordan Matthews in the slot, and Josh Huff outside, Chip likely doesn’t see a pressing need. On Huff, keep in mind he was the most productive receiver Chip had while at Oregon, and was a 3rd round pick in one of the deepest receiver classes in recent memory. Adding a receiver or two late in the draft is more likely for Philadelphia.

-If Leonard Williams doesn’t go second overall to the Titans (where I currently project him like many others), he may slip on draft day out of the top-six picks. The Jaguars (Jared Odrick), Raiders (CJ Wilson) and Redskins (Stephen Paea) all added to their defensive line this off-season after doing the same a year ago. The Jets are already set at that position for the future. The Bears are desperate for defensive line help, so that’s the lowest he’ll likely fall.

-After Landon Collins (who may slip to the 20s on draft day), there is much debate as to the next safety up. I’ve heard the two most likely names are Jaquiski Tartt of Samford and Damarious Russell of Arizona State. In a weak safety class, both may be thrust up into the early second round area. Tartt is more of a strong safety type, while Russell can play free safety. I still like Eric Rowe more than both.

-Arik Armstead could easily go in the top-10 picks. The Bears are a fit for Vic Fangio’s 3-4 defense. The Saints could be a fit too as they’re looking for best player available. I don’t believe he’ll get past the 49ers at pick 15.

-It’s one of the better 3-4 nose tackle classes in recent history. Danny Shelton and Jordan Phillips are likely 1st rounders, Joey Mbu of Houston and Xavier Williams of Northern Iowa are fringe top-100 options, and Terry Williams of East Carolina and Letterius Walton of Central Michigan as 5th-6th rounders.

-Grady Jarrett and Carl Davis shouldn’t be forgotten about in this draft class, as some teams have one or both among the top-5 defensive tackles in this class. Especially the case for Jarrett, who is a darkhorse candidate for a surprise late-first round pick.
 
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Florida State CB P.J. Williams was arrested for DUI in Leon County, Fla. early Friday morning.

Williams (6-foot, 194) has drawn comparisons to Bills CB Stephon Gilmore and was being talked about as a potential first-round pick. This arrest will likely knock him out of the Day 1 discussion. Williams already had off-field question marks after an October hit-and-run. He's currently 59th on Josh Norris' big board.
 
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Rutgers players to participate in pro days held by Jets and Giants


By Dan Duggan
April 04, 2015 at 10:00 AM

A group of former Rutgers players are preparing to show their skills for the local NFL teams.

The Giants (April 9) and the Jets (April 10) will host pro day workouts for local draft prospects next week. NJ Advance Media has learned which former Rutgers players will be in attendance for the workouts through conversations with multiple sources.

Here's the list of participants for the Giants pro day:

FB Michael Burton
QB Gary Nova
WR Andrew Turzilli
OL Kaleb Johnson
OL Betim Bujari
LB Kevin Snyder
SS Lorenzo Waters

Here's the list of participants for the Jets pro day:

TE Tyler Kroft
•FB Michael Burton
•QB Gary Nova
•WR Andrew Turzilli
•OL Kaleb Johnson
•LB Kevin Snyder

Projected as a mid-round pick, Kroft is the top prospect in the group. He has had individual workouts with the Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also has visits scheduled with the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos.

The 3 players who boosted their stock the most at Rutgers' pro day
Tyler Kroft makes up for Combine injury with strong pro day performance

Burton was the only other Scarlet Knight invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. A potential late-round pick, Burton has worked out for the Buccaneers and had a meeting with the Cleveland Browns on Friday.

The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Turzilli drew interest from the Jets at Rutgers' pro day. A representative from the team met with Turzilli after his workout and had him take the Wonderlic test.

Waters, an Accokeek, Md., native, is also scheduled to participate in the Baltimore Ravens' local pro day.
 
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Citing a league source "familiar with the inner workings of the Buccaneers," Yahoo's Charles Robinson reports Bucs co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz "has raised some internal questions" about the community relations impact of selecting Florida State QB Jameis Winston.

Bucs GM Jason Licht and coach Lovie Smith seem sold on Winston, but Robinson reports they "won't have the final say." Kassewitz is the daughter of late Bucs owner Malcolm Glazer. Robinson calls Kassewitz "one of the voices in the Bucs' front office whose opinion could influence the pick," and someone who will be examining Winston's off-field history, which is known to be a bit checkered. Bleacher Report's Jason Cole has since corroborated Robinson's story.
 
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Rumors growing Browns will trade picks 12 and 19 to draft a QB (Mariota?Winston?)

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No organization is more cursed at drafting QBs than the Browns. Especially recent history. Year after year they've done it....Weeden, Manziel, etc. They'll no doubt end up with another bust.

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Can't forget Brady Quinn. What is funny is that Quinn, Weeden and Manziel were all drafted 22nd overall. I would have zero problem trading #4 for 12 and 19.

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22....2+2=4
browns trade their 12 and 19 for pick 4 (raiders)
 
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