This move is in no way significant, but I will use this opportunity to make fun of Mike Williams, and through doing so, also make for of the Seahawks for signing him. Mike Williams joined the 2004 NFL draft class as a true sophmore after a judge ruled that the NFL could not prevent people from declaring for the draft based on how many years they were removed from college. However, the ruling was overturned and Williams could not enter the NFL, but because he had already hired an agent, the communist NCAA would not let him back in. So he sat out a year and by the graces of Matt Millen, he was drafted with the 10^th pick in 2005 despite being out of shape after a year. He had a decent rookie year in 2005 with 29 catches for 350 yards and a score, but he dropped a ton of passes and looked out of shape. He only caught 8 passes in 2006 and then was traded to the Raiders for a 4^th round pick. In Oakland in 2007, he caught 7 passes and then he signed with the Titans, despite being 271 pounds at the time. He never saw action with the Titans and has been out of the league ever since and I never thought I’d see him again. The Seahawks have brought back him and I can only laugh. Seriously, I thought it was a joke when I first heard.

Grade: F

Wide Receiver 

Syracuse

6-1 221

40 time: 4.49

Draft board overall prospect rank: #187

Draft board wide receiver rank: #21

Overall rating: 55*

                10/22/09: I gave Williams a fairly good grade on my last big board, but that will change on my next edition. Before, I talk about Williams’ attributes and his skills, I am going to take about his character issues because I think those will be more important to NFL scouts. Williams started as the best prospect on the Syracuse football team. He jumped onto the scene right away as a freshman he led the team with 461 receiving yards and followed that amazing freshman year with an even better sophomore year, in which he had a school record 60 catches for 837 yards and 10 touchdowns and he made the All-Big East 2^nd team. He had an amazing future. He had NFL size (6-2 200) and could run a 40 in the low 4.4s and he had two more seasons to display himself as a big time NFL receiver. He could have gone in the first round. However, he was suspended for his entire junior season and kicked out of the university for academic reasons. There were strong accusations that he was cheating in multiple classes. He was off the team and forced to take classes at a local community college. However, he earned his way back on the team and into the university as his grades improved and he regained his scholarship. He responded with his most productive season. Despite only playing in 7 games, he missed one due to injury, he led the team with 49 receptions, 746 yards, and 6 touchdowns over his team’s first 8 games, despite the fact that his quarterback was a former Duke point guard. He was back in the scouts good graces and as you could see, he earned a 2^nd round grade from me. There was a very good chance that he went in the 2^nd round and possibly in the first. However, on November 3^rd, he quit the team unexpectedly and scouts were left puzzled. It later came out that he quit the team to avoid a suspension due to an unspecified violation of a team rule involving a car accident and likely alcohol. First he was seen as a quitter, and then he was seen as something that wasn’t much better, a thug that tried to run from his problems. I think he can be a good NFL receiver because I know he has talent. He has elite NFL size, elite NFL strength, he runs extremely well, he has good hands, he has posted great stats despite bad quarterback play, and he plays in a pro style offense. I think that, as bad as it is, the reason why he quit the team is not as bad as quitting the team by itself. If he has just quit the team because he didn’t like football or because he was tired of losing, that would have hurt him more. He’s still a 4^th round prospect in my book, but plenty of kids have gone from doing stupid stuff as kids in college to being capable NFL players. Williams declared for the draft about 3 weeks after quitting the team and I think that someone could draft him in the 3^rd round, someone who doesn’t care about character (Cincinnati? Minnesota?) or someone who loves speed size combinations (Oakland?). I am comparing him to Mike Sims Walker for two reasons. One, their skill sets matchup well, both have good height, good speed (MSW had a better 40, but that barely matters), and are physical. Also, both, in spite of these skills, did not make a huge splash in the draft. MSW had a history of nagging injuries and despite good production, good height, and a good 40 time, he went in the 3^rd round. Replace nagging injuries with questionable character decisions and you have Mike Williams.

NFL Comparison: Mike Sims Walker 

*=For a breakdown of what this means, click here

Tolbert was announced as a fullback, but will probably end up getting a good amount of carries at running back. The Panthers will either trade DeAngelo Williams in order to resign Jonathan Stewart, a free agent after next season, long term. Or, if Williams’ contract is too tough to move, they’ll move Jonathan Stewart.

Tolbert is expected to get a good amount of the carries behind whoever is left and even if he stays at fullback, he’ll be a key 3^rd down weapon. It’s kind of confusing why Tolbert took less money and a smaller role in Carolina over San Diego, but the Panthers got a solid deal (10 million over 4 years with just 2.7 million guaranteed)

Grade: A

Mike Sims Walker is injury prone and has had some problems with his coaches in the past, but at 3.7 million for year just one, this is a fairly low risk deal. The reason I don’t like this deal is that St. Louis already had 6 receivers under contract (Greg Salas, Austin Pettis, Mardy Gilyard, Danny Amendola, Donnie Avery, and Danario Alexander) so now they have 7. That means it’s fairly unlike that they resign Mark Clayton given that most teams don’t carry more than 6 receivers on their roster. I’d rather have Clayton, who caught 23 passes for 306 yards and 2 touchdowns in just over 4 games last year before he got hurt, than MSW. If they were to sign a receiver this offseason, I’d want him to be significantly better than Clayton (Sidney Rice, Braylon Edwards).

Grade: D

Guard/Center

Florida

6-5 303

Draft board overall prospect rank: #45

Draft board overall guard rank: #4

Overall rating: 78 (2^nd round)

40 time: 5.12

3/23/11: Mike Pouncey is going to draw the obvious comparisons to Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers Pro Bowl rookie center, simply because they have the same DNA. They are twin brothers. However, they do have some differences. Mike struggled with snaps at center when he attempted to play the position in college and for this reason he probably won’t be looked at as a center prospect.

Maurkice’s greatest strength might be his intangibles, his ability to bond with a quarterback. However, Mike is the more athletic prospect and, as a guard, I actually rate him higher than I did Maurkice last year, who I was not fond of (my bad…). Maurkice impressed me with his maturity as a rookie center, but this was just something that didn’t really show on tape at Florida. For this reason, and Mike’s better athleticism, I am giving Mike a better grade than I did Maurkice.

For another thing, Mike is, of course, another year older, another year more athletic, and another year more experienced than Maurkice was coming out. Mike’s arm length is a bit troubling, even for an interior lineman. He’s good got strength and good technique and is quick off the snap. He’s scheme versatile and can pass block as well as he can run block. He’s an elite blocker at the 2^nd level as well.

He has several weaknesses and inconsistency on tape is a real problem, as, actually, was the case with Maurkice in 2009 at Florida. He can be beaten by quicker interior pass rushers, which could end up being a problem with all of the athletic interior linemen in the NFL. He can play center, but he’s going to need more coaching at the position and he’d be a project as a center, so I wouldn’t necessarily call versatility a strength of his.

NFL Comparison: Ben Grubbs

3-4 Defensive End/Defensive Tackle

Purdue

6-3 294

40 time: 4.86

Draft board overall prospect rank: #42

Draft board 3-4 defensive end rank: #6

Overall rating: 79* 

            3/28/10: Mike Neal is a very impressive defensive lineman prospect from the Purdue Boilermakers. He’s had 10 sacks in the last 2 years against a higher level of competition than he is given credit for (Big 10). He has amazing quickness and a very good set of pass rushing moves. His straight line speed is athleticism are very good for his size. He is a bit undersized, but he’d be a perfect fit as a 3-4 defensive end because of his pass rushing moves and his agility and athleticism. He gets into the backfield with great ease and gets his way around bigger offensive linemen with sneaky quickness. He is a very smart pass rusher and has good size against the run, though he can be run at a bit. He’s very fundamentally sound and hits hard with good wrap up and doesn’t often miss. He was again impressive in the Senior Bowl, but the necessary hype around him is not there yet, likely because of the lack of national attention Purdue gets, despite being a part of the Big 10. He probably will go in the 3^rd round, but some smart GM may take him in the 2^nd as a 3-4 guy. He deserves to be a 2^nd round prospect, that 3^rd tier interior rusher after Suh/McCoy and Odrick/Price.

NFL Comparison: Darnell Dockett

*For a breakdown of what this means, click here

Running Back

Illinois

6-0 232

Draft board overall prospect rank: #23

Draft board overall running back rank: #2

Overall rating: 84 (late 1st)

40 time: 4.56

4/23/11: Mark Ingram is the best running back in this class. I think that’s the general consensus. However, Mikel Leshoure is the reason he could slip in the first round. A lot of people think that you can get better value with Leshoure in the 2^nd round than you can with Ingram in the first, especially in the wake of the concerns over Ingram’s here. I would have to agree with that and given the devaluation of the running back position in recent years, that could hurt Ingram’s stock.

But enough about Ingram, let’s move onto Leshoure and what makes him a dynamic running back. He burst onto the scene this year with 281 carries for 1697 yards and 17 touchdowns. Now, burst onto the scene should give you some pause. He’s basically a one yard wonder. He rushed for just 734 yards on just 108 carries in 2009.

However, one year wonders at running backs are less of a concern that one year wonders at other positions because of how short a running back’s shelf life is. Running backs seem to have a total amount of career carries where they just hit the wall and fall off the face of the Earth and carries in college factor into that. Look at Kevin Smith. He was a great college back, but he was overworked and now he can’t stay healthy in the NFL. So, while his lack of experience is a bad thing, it’s also a bit of a good thing. He only has 424 career college carries on his tires. That’s not a lot.

Plus, given that he rushed for an average of 6.8 yards per carry in 2009, I think it’s safe to say that he didn’t lack talent. He just needed an opportunity. Look at a guy like former Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall. He was a bit of a one year wonder in college, but he was so impressive in that one year that he went in the first and now he’s one of the ten best running backs in the league. Leshoure is similar to Mendenhall in that way.

Leshoure is a big, explosive running back who runs with great pad level and doesn’t go down easily. He’s tough and well rounded and could be a feature back at the next level. He wasn’t a huge part of the passing attack at Illinois, but he’s shown good hands in drills so he can be a factor on 3^rd down in the NFL. He also hasn’t fumbled once in his college career on 424 carries. That’s pretty impressive.

He has great vision and he’s elusive, but he isn’t overly fast. He’s not an outside the tackles runner. He’s a north/south runner that’s going to fit best in a cold weather city, much like where he played his college ball. Character concerns are minor with him, but present. He got into a fight with a teammate in 2008 and in 2009 he was suspended for violating a team rule. There have also been some concerns that he’s got attitude problems and he’s not a great locker room guy. It is worth noting that he has been praised for getting his act together before this season, improving his attitude and his work ethic, and that’s shown on the field this year.

NFL Comparison: Larry Johnson

Offensive Guard/Offensive Tackle 

Alabama

6-6 312

40 time: 5.37

Draft board overall prospect rank: #51

Draft board overall offensive guard rank: #2

Overall rating: 78*

1/19/10: He probably wouldn’t be a top 10 tackle without his ability to play guard, but he’s an amazing run blocker. He blocked for Glen Coffee in 2008 and Mark Ingram in 2009. He’s not a big mauling run blocker, but his technique is amazing and he should be drafted in the 2^nd or maybe 3^rd round as a right tackle or right guard.

            10/2/09: Mike Johnson is a mauling offensive lineman who has experience playing guard and both tackle positions for Alabama’s strong offensive front. He projects best as a guard in the NFL, which limits his stock some, but I wouldn’t count out Johnson as a future right tackle in the NFL. Even as a guard, he’s the best pure guard in the draft class and that could get him drafted in the 2^nd round. He was a huge part of the reason why Alabama ran so well last year in 2008, the other part being Andre Smith, who was drafted 6^th overall by the Bengals. Even this year, without top running back Glen Coffee and top offensive lineman Andre Smith, Alabama runs extremely well against tough SEC opponents and Johnson is a huge part of that. He is the leader of the offensive line and plays very smart, reacting well to blitzes. He has the size to handle some of the big defensive tackles in the NFL. He plays a lot bigger than the 310 pounds he’s listed at and is in great shape. His hand placement and his footwork are both excellent and he’s extremely explosive in his initial push. He’s an excellent run blocker, but his pass protection needs some work. His doesn’t move his feet well to pick rushers coming from the outside and can get blown past by speed rushers. He’s not athletic and quick enough to play in a zone blocking scheme that requires a lot of moving around, even by guards. He certainly can’t play tackle in a zone blocking scheme and would not be best utilized as a guard in a zone blocking scheme because he doesn’t move well, though he could play guard in a zone scheme if he had it. He’s best fit in a man blocking scheme where he can use his amazing upper body strength and giant hands to push back defensive linemen. He’s very smart and takes good angles on secondary blocks down field. He’ll probably be the first guard taken in the 2010 NFL draft, both because he’s the best guard and also because he can play some tackle and that puts him somewhere around the 2^nd or 3^rd round based on history.

NFL Comparison: Justin Smiley 

*=For a breakdown of what this means, click here

Guard

Idaho

6-5 331

40 time: 5.26

Draft board overall prospect rank: #30

Draft board guard rank: #1

Overall rating: 83*

            4/6/10: Mike Iupati is one of the most talked about guard prospects in a long time, drawing premature comparisons to Larry Allen, who is by far the best guard to play the game of football in the last 20 years. He is as much of a first round lock as any guard can be and I’ve seen him mocked as high as #13 to the Niners. I think the hype around him is overly ridiculous. He’s a very high upside raw prospect, but this not a high ready to contribute from week 1 like most think. He is a mauling blocker and uses his weight extremely well and he moves his feet amazingly for his size, but his technique is very raw and he was very inconsistent against less than stellar competition. He struggled in pass protection against the extremely quick Geno Atkins in the Senior Bowl. However, he has had moments of sheer dominance, entire quarters where he has just taken guys out of the game completely. He locks onto a guy and he’s just completely dominant. He can take on nose tackles and still shut them down one on one. He finishes his blocks well and seals off well. However, he is still raw and needs to work on consistency. His motor runs hot and cold. He lacks elite footwork and handwork. He is still a borderline first round prospect and a first round lock, with his elite athleticism, his ability to shut a defensive lineman down one on one and also to move in space well and play a zone scheme even at his size, but he needs to work on consistency. Teams like the Niners, the Steelers at 18, the Texans at 20, the Patriots at 22, the Packers at 23, the Eagles at 24, the Cowboys at 27, and the Vikings at 30 will all have strong interest in him in the bottom half of the 1^st and I would be very surprised if he slipped out.

NFL Comparison: Davin Joseph

*=For a breakdown of what this means, click here

Trade for Raiders: The Raiders drafted Bruce Campbell in the 4^th round in 2010 in what looked like a steal at the time as the athletic offensive lineman was widely projected to be drafted in the first 2 rounds. However, Campbell proved why he fell so far and why he probably should have fallen farther as he played just 19 snaps in 2 seasons. There was some talk that the Raiders would have him compete for the starting left guard job with the soon to be 35 year old Cooper Carlisle, but I guess not. Guard will be a major need of theirs in the draft.

However, Goodson was a nice pickup for them. Darren McFadden can’t stay healthy and Taiwan Jones is unproven. Goodson was buried in the depth chart in Carolina behind Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams and with the addition of Mike Tolbert, there was no room for him. However, he’s proven himself to be a decent #2  back when given the opportunity and the Raiders are just giving up a developmental prospect they’ve given up on for him.

Trade: B

Trade for Panthers: This trade makes less sense for the Panthers. Goodson had to go, obviously, but they probably would have been better off getting a late draft pick for him rather than a lost cause prospect, unless they really think they can turn Campbell into a functional offensive line prospect.

Grade: C