2011 NFL Draft News: Owner Meetings today, Kolb to the Seahawks? Clausen the Man in Carolina? And More.
Typically, today would be the day that we would find out about prime-time opening week games and compensatory picks, but the lockout is already having effects on those types of things. Pro Football Talk is reporting that the picks will be announced next week at some point, and then we will finally know the full NFL draft order.
Also, for you Madden video game fans, you are now in control over who will be selected to grace the cover of next year’s Madden 12 game. The winners will be announced on April 26th on ESPN’s Sports Nation show, hosted by Colin Cowherd. You can vote for your team’s representative by clicking this link. Of course, I voted for Tim Tebow, the 11th seed.
For a list of players your team has had in for private looks to this point, check out PFT’s draft visits and workouts tracker.
Here is an interesting take on the Wonderlic from Cold, Hard Football Facts.
Sayre and I must be on the same page today, I was about to post draft news as well and here’s what I’ve found.
Still looking for a good feature to title draft notes, the Jon Dove called is when he was here “first round links” which isn’t bad.
When I was writing about the Giants at Giantsgab, I called my news series “In a New York Minute”, but still haven’t settled on a name for this yet. Any suggestions?
Michael Floyd got DUI and may be suspended by Norte Dame and enter the Supplemental draft. Floyd is a first round prospect, which means some team might take him in the 1st or 2nd round in the supplemental draft and lose their first or 2nd round prospect the following year.
I’m trying to find the original source of this news, but it’s all over twitter right now. I’m not sure he’d go in the first, but I can’t imagine him getting past a team like the Rams in the 2nd round.
Stay tuned for more on that news.
Per Peter King’s MMQ, The Eagles have already received a first round pick offer for Kevin Kolb:
At the NFL meetings Sunday, a good source told me Reid already has one team willing to offer a first-round pick for Kolb, and now he’s looking for a team with a higher choice in the round to make him a better deal.
Dan Kadar at MTD thinks that the phrase “looking for a team with a higher choice in the round to make him a better deal” makes it very likely that the Seahawks are the team that has offered the pick. Which I agree with. No team past Jacksonville at 16 really need a QB other than Seattle. And if Reid is looking for a pick higher than 16th overall, he’s nuts.
If you’re dead-set on drafting a QB this year and you’re Seattle I can see the allure of Kolb. If not Kolb it’s likely to be either Jake Locker or Christian Ponder at 25th overall, and those aren’t the most attractive option ever.
I’ve heard Marvin Lewis is acknowledging to people he knows in football that Palmer won’t be back in Cincinnati, and the Bengals are looking into all of the top quarterback prospects. “Marvin knows how stubborn Carson is, and he thinks no matter what happens, the guy won’t change his mind,” said one club executive. I believe that. But that doesn’t mean the Bengals will deal him either.
Who’s more stubborn? The Bengals ownership or Carson Palmer? It seems we’re about to find out.
If you’re a fan of a team picking later in the draft this has to be great news. The Seahawks seem to feel that one of the top QB won’t be available Mallet, Newton, or Gabbert (and possibly not even Locker). The Bengals also seem very serious about drafting a QB early in the draft somewhere.
I’ve run a bunch of different mock draft scenarios already: and each time I’ve figured this much to be true. If three or more QB’s go in the top 12…good players are going to slide into the 20th overall range (like Watt, Jordan, the Smiths). And some team is going to get good value. As a fan of a team that doesn’t need a QB right now I’m hoping all of the QB go early.
Elsewhere.
Reported in a number of places: the competition committee is looking at a possible rule change that will push the kickoffs closer to the offense and most likely result in many more touchbacks.
How’s this draft related?
Well, this is bad news from athletic players without defined roles who are return specialists as well. These kinds of players could really be effected if the touch backs were going to drastically increase. And teams like the Bears (and Bills and others) will suffer the most because they have spent a lot of time refining their special teams kick off units..The Bears especially because they are a playoff team that excels at special teams while the Bills have very good return men, but that hasn’t translated into enough victories yet. Teams like the Giants, Packers, Chargers, and Colts among others will probably be O.K. with this rule change because these are teams that special teams has cost them important games.
Matt Bowen of National Football Post breaks down A.J. Green vs Press Coverage
Nothing to add there but the link.
Lance Zierlein of the Z-report who covers the Texans, and a person we just interviewed, tweeted this morning that sources have told him that the Panthers are going to stick with Jimmy Clausen and look at QB is 2012. And “to put Dareus at the top and leave him there”
Full tweet: Sources say Panthers leaning towards sticking w/ Claussen & waiting for next year to look QB. Scouts saying “put Dareus 1 & keep him there”
You can follow Lance @zreportdraft on twitter, or us @nflmocks
From NFL.com/draft
Mike Pouncy excels at Florida’s Pro Day and Torrey Smith
From CBSdraft Scout: Bengals to have Ryan Mallett in for a visit
Davon House runs a 4.32 at his Pro-day. I’ve seen House sneak into the first round of draftek’s mock drafts, and think it’s possible. He’ll be one featured in the Bracket Busters we’ve been doing of prospects who could sneak into the first round No One is expecting too right now (so far Jabaal Sheard, and Maryland RB Da’rel Scott)