News and Notes: Show Kevin Kolb the Money! Fairley Skipping Visits with teams? Petrino Goes to Bat for Mallett.

Time for news and notes. I’m going to try and avoid things I think are purely smoke-screens on this edition which highlights Nick Fairley’s and Kevin Kolb.

Anyone who stops by here regularly knows that I think Ingram is excellent. Finally someone agrees with me. Rob Rang finished up his final big board, which now has Mark Ingram 5th on his big board (I have Ingram 6th). I know he doesn’t have elite speed, but he has excellent acceleration and reaches his top speed instantly. Brandon Jacobs gets his fair share of 20+ yard runs and Ingram is definitely faster than Jacobs. Rang also has Fairley at 11th overall (more on him in a second). And Mike Pouncey at 15th (first one I seriously disagree with). The last two interesting ones are Justin Houston at 47th and Andy Dalton at 48th.

Next up: Kevin Kolb wants to get paid if he gets traded.

According to league sources, Kolb’s agents have spread the word they’re seeking a multi-year deal from any team that acquires him, with a price tag one NFL decision-maker said is “significant enough to make me nervous,” considering how little the former University of Houston star has played.

“There’s no way I pay him like a proven guy,” said an executive in personnel for an AFC team. “If you give up a one, that’s your guy. You’re going to ride with him, so you’re going to pay him. But you’ve still got to make sure that the finances are such that it’s based on what he’s proven. Whether you’re dealing with the agent or not, he has to understand I’m paying part of the price in draft picks.”

So the Eagles want a “higher first round pick” and Kevin Kolb wants a significant contract. If I’m a QB needy team, save for the Vikings or Seahawks who have some decent pieces I think I’m passing on Kevin Kolb. I’m not looking to give up a 1st round pick, or two other high picks and then pay Kolb a lot of money. Yes, Kolb has looked good in Philadelphia. But Philadelphia has VERY GOOD weapons on offense. DeSean Jackson, Jeremey Maclin, and LeSean McCoy are all big time players and Andy Reid is a genius offensive mind. It’s a lot to ask for a guy who hasn’t shown enough. Who do you guys think is the favorite to land Kolb as of now?

Nick Fairley’s maturity continues to be called into question.

According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, Fairley “skipped a scheduled dinner with Dolphins coach Tony Sparano and GM Jeff Ireland in Alabama.” And Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Fairley missed his flight to Indianapolis for the NFL combine, missed a meeting with a team in Indy and was also late to a team meeting at Auburn’s Pro Day. Yes, it’s a red flag party, and yes, Fairley’s now been tagged for every possible bad stereotype of NFL Draft busts — he’s been called out for taking plays off on the field, he’s been called a “dirty” player, he’s been hit with the one-year wonder label, off-field issues seem to be coming out of the woodwork, and he even got compared to Albert Haynesworth.

Maybe the source of this report is the Vikings hoping Fairley will fall to them at 12th overall. Who knows, always take everything you hear about players and desires from teams with a grain of salt the closer we get to the draft. But, if it is true I don’t understand it. This could cost him literally millions. Every few draft slots falling down the draft is millions of dollars. What do you have that’s more important to do then going to a dinner, yes, the Dolphins are picking too far down to draft you, but why blow them off? Again, not sure if it’s true or not. I’m just saying I’m sure things like this do happen, and I don’t understand it, there is very little that would keep me from being punctual and present throughout this process.

Bobby Petrino is coming to the rescue for Ryan Mallett. Petrino said that he knows Mallett doesn’t have any character concerns and then Garrick McGee added

“Is any of this negative stuff being spread about Ryan coming from the state of Arkansas? The answer is no. I don’t think you can go anywhere in this state and hear somebody say, ‘That kid’s not a leader,’ or, ‘That kid’s a troublemaker.’ There’s nobody in this state who has said anything bad about him.

I would say there are definitely a lot of people sticking up for Mallett in the blogosphere. I don’t know anything about Mallett personally, so I’ve been hesitant to say anything bad about him, and which is why I generally use quotations around character concerns whenever I bring it up. What I do know is on the field, he has a great arm and I still think he’s a good fit for the Dolphins who want to expand their offense and have someone who is not afraid to throw the ball as Chad Henne was hesitant to do last year.

Jamarcus Russell’s life coach has given up on him. Ouch. Well, Russell’s still much more successful (in terms of money earned- or “earned”) than I’ll ever be, but what a shame when someone wastes all that talent.

National Football Post breaks down some of Big Ten Spring Games

The last one I got for you all today is a report that the Green Bay Packers could consider Lance Kendricks if he’s available in the second round, but “don’t count on it” and watch for a player like Rob Housler on the 3rd day of the draft.

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