() FA Rank

QB Marc Bulger

RB Jalen Parmele

RB Matt Lawrence (exclusive rights)

FB Le’Ron McClain 

WR TJ Houshmanzadeh

OT Jared Gaither

OT Oniel Cousins

OT Tony Moll

G Marshal Yanda

G Chris Chester

G Bryan Mattison

NT Lamar Divens- resigned

NT Kelly Talavou

3-4 DE Haloti Ngata (#4)- franchised

Haloti Ngata is one bad dude. He’s 355 pounds and moves like a linebacker. He’s one of the best defensive linemen in the league and should be paid as such.

RLB Prescott Burgess

MLB Jameel McClain (exclusive rights)

MLB Dannell Ellerbe (exclusive rights)

MLB Tavares Gooden

CB Chris Carr (#49)

Carr broke out this season, just in time for a new contract. The Ravens front 7 play may have helped him out big time.

CB Josh Wilson

CB Fabian Washington

CB Cary Williams

S Dawan Landry

S Tom Zbikowski

S Haruki Nakamura

P Sam Koch- resigned 5 years

Offseason moves:

Resigned Lamar Divens

Franchised Haloti Ngata

Resigned Sam Koch

Draft

Wide receiver

LSU

6-3 210

Draft board overall prospect rank: #44

Draft board overall wide receiver rank: #6

Overall rating: 77 (2nd round)

40 time: 4.55

Games watched: LSU/Mississippi State, LSU/Florida, LSU/Alabama, Arkansas/LSU, Georgia/LSU, LSU/Western Kentucky, LSU/Alabama (Part 2)

Positives

·         Great size

·         Physical with cornerbacks

·         A good blocker

·         Reliable hands

·         An end zone threat

·         Pro style experience

·         Solid route runner

·         Played against top competition

·         Good production in conservative offense in 2011 (53 catches for 917 yards and 8 touchdowns)

·         Wide catch radius

·         Good outside receiver

·         Tough to tackle

·         Solid speed for his size

·         Flashes elite abilities

Negatives

·         Only one season of strong production

·         Never had elite production

·         Really struggled against Dre Kirkpatrick in their 2 matchups (5 catches for 32 yards)

·         Incredibly inconsistent (7 games of 3 catches or fewer in 2011)

·         Still raw

·         Not smooth out of breaks

·         Lacks top end speed

NFL Comparison: Brandon LaFell

A prospect getting some late 1^st round buzz is Reuben Randle. The big 6-3 receiver has good size and speed and had good production even in a conservative offense at LSU last season. He certainly looks like a first round talent at times, but after watching a lot of LSU’s games, it’s clear that he’s incredibly inconsistent. There are some games like the Arkansas game where he is incredibly dominant. Randle caught 9 passes for 132 yards in that game, over 50% of his team’s aerial production.

However, he also had 7 games where he had 3 or fewer catches. Some of this has to do with the inconsistencies of quarterbacks Jordan Jefferson and Jarret Lee, but some of it was also his fault. Against Georgia, Randle really struggled against Brandon Boykin, a much smaller cornerback. The 5-9 Boykin is a good player who is expected to go in the 2^nd or 3^rd round, but it was a matchup he should have won and he didn’t.

Jordan Jefferson played awful in that game, but Boykin blanketed Randle, holding him to 2 catches for 15 yards. He was targeted early and often, but he just wasn’t open. The smaller cornerback was in better position all night and timed his leaps better, getting 2 pass deflections. Randle also really struggled against Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick, combing for 5 catches for 32 yards in 2 games this season against Alabama.

Randle compares to another former LSU wide receiver, Brandon LaFell. LaFell is a big receiver and a good blocker like Randle and had good production in LSU’s conservative offense. There was a time when LaFell had some first round buzz, but he eventually went in the 3^rd round. He’s now a solid, but unspectacular #2 receiver in Carolina. In just his 2nd season, he had 36 catches for 613 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2011.

Randle figures to go in the 2^nd round, with an outside shot at the end of the 1^st round if there’s a run of receivers. Either way, he figures to be the 5^th wide receiver off the board behind Justin Blackmon, Michael Floyd, Kendall Wright, and Stephen Hill. That puts him securely in the top 40 picks. Options for him include Houston (26), New England (27 or 31), St. Louis (33 or 39), Indianapolis (34), Minnesota (35), Cleveland (37), and Jacksonville (38).

Quarterback

Texas A&M

6-4 222

Draft board overall prospect rank: #49

Draft board overall quarterback rank: #4

Overall rating: 76 (late 2^nd rounder)

40 time: 4.65

Games watched: Oklahoma State/Texas A&M, Iowa State/Texas A&M, Texas A&M/Baylor

Positives

·         Freak athlete

·         Former wide receiver (only player in college football history with 4000 passing yards and 1500 receiving yards)

·         Caught 55 balls for 844 yards and 5 touchdowns as a freshman in 2008 (led the team in receiving, no slouch as a receiver)

·         Experience as a wide receiver does help him with some of the mental aspects of the quarterback position

·         Can make every throw as a quarterback

·         Turned around the team in 2010, 3-3 when he took over as quarterback, finished 9-4

·         Mobile, but looks to throw first

·         Uses his legs to buy time

·         Can avoid sacks and scramble for big gains on the ground

·         Pro style experience under Mike Sherman

·         Only scratching the surface on his potential

Negatives

·         Inexperienced, 20 career starts

·         Has only been coached as a quarterback for a two years

·         Lack of elite statistical production (2010: 65.0%/7.0 YPA/13:6, 2011: 61.6%/7.1 YPA/29:15)

·         Disappointed as a senior

·         7-6 record as a senior

·         Blew a lot of big needs as a senior

·         Inconsistent

·         No defining win

·         Not NFL ready

·         Small hands

NFL Comparison: More athletic Mark Sanchez

Mark Sanchez doesn’t have Tannehill’s history as a wide receiver, but very few do and in almost every other way, they are very similar prospects. Sanchez was one of the most inexperienced quarterbacks to ever get drafted in the first round when he went 5^th overall in 2009 despite 16 collegiate starts. Tannehill has 20, but has similar inexperience problems.

Sanchez was a late riser in the draft process into the top 10 even though he never had elite production (65.8%/8.8 YPA/34:10 as a senior) and even though he was inexperienced because of his tools. Tannehill was slightly less productive and slightly more experienced, but they are similar prospects enjoying similar rises as a prospect.

Tannehill was once a borderline first rounder, but now looks like a top-12 pick lock, going as high as 4^th to Cleveland. Like Sanchez, Tannehill will struggle as a rookie (53.8%/6.7/12:20) and will have an up and down career. Unlike Sanchez, Tannehill probably won’t be fortunate enough to land on a team with as much talent around him as the Jets and thus he will be exposed as a below average quarterback earlier than his 3^rd year (as Sanchez started to get exposed last season with less talent around him).

Sanchez probably needed some time to develop as a quarterback, rather than being thrown out there week 1. Tannehill needs that too and where he lands will determine whether or not he gets that. He’s certainly got all the tools. He’s a freak athlete who could have ended up getting drafted as a wide receiver had he continued on that path. In fact, he was his team’s leader in receiving in 2008 as a freshman, over Jeff Fuller, who could be drafted this season.

As a quarterback, he can make all the throws, but he’s inexperienced and inconsistent. He only made 20 starts and more importantly, he only had 2 years of collegiate coaching at quarterback. He certainly flashes on tape, but he had an inconsistent senior season, blew a lot of leads, and ended up with a 7-6 record. However, he’s only scratching his potential as a passer and can be a solid starter in time, but I don’t think he’s worth a top 10 pick or a guy who can start right away.

This is new for the 2012 NFL Draft season. In addition to my regular scouting reports, I will also have this page, where game notes from my scouting will be posted so my reader’s can see my process. How I scout is I’ll pick two players per game to spotlight and watch everything they do, jotting down notes as I go along, along with the quarter and time remaining of the note, just for reference. The two players cannot be on the field at the same time. For example, if the game is Florida/Alabama, I can watch a player from Florida’s offense and a player from Alabama’s offense, a player from Florida’s defense and a player from Alabama’s defense, a player from Florida’s offense and a player from Florida’s defense, or a player from Alabama’s offense and a player from Alabama’s defense. This way, I can spotlight two players per game without any overlap. Of course, while doing this, I might notice something about another player that I’m not spotlighting and jot that down as well. On this page, I have links to scouting previews (my schedule for who I will scout as well as some pregame notes) and my actual scout’s notes from the games. I use this informative to compile my scouting reports and positional rankings, which are separate pages. This page is just the “behind the scenes” stuff.

Rogers is a one year stopgap at defensive tackle for a team who desperately needs a one year stopgap at defensive tackle and he’s getting paid, 4 million, like a one year stopgap at defensive tackle. Nothing wrong with this move.

Grade: A

By Sean Geddes 

This Sunday the Steelers take on their Rivals from crab country, the Baltimore Ravens. Steelers and Ravens weeks are by far my favorite two weeks of the season. No team tests the mettle of our teams like no one else can. An always imposing defense always brings their A-games for the Men of Steel. And offensively, despite a slow start that may have been sparked last week, they now have weapons that can challenge you on all levels from all over the field.

Who to Keep a Closer Eye On:

Maurkice Pouncey

The rookie center, who early on has been nothing but impressive, gets his biggest test(s) to date… literally. Haloti Ngata is as strong as any player in the whole league and more agile than any man his size anywhere as far as I’m concerned. Second round draft pick Terrence Cody will make his first NFL start, and looked good in his preseason appearances. Pouncey matched up with Cody for a few years in college, both playing in the SEC. The two Ravens combine for 700 pounds of human.

What is The Key to Victory:

The Play of Charlie Batch

He doesn’t have to put up 300 yards passing and three TD’s (but it wouldn’t hurt) he just has to make smart decisions and not turn the ball over. This will most likely be a low scoring game, and we can’t surrender both possessions and possibly field position.

Where The Best Battles Are:

Pretty Much Everywhere, All the time

Admittedly a cop-out, but this game is played with more intensity than any other game in the NFL all year (except maybe the second time they play [or the occasional third]). Both defenses will be flashing all over the field and popping pads in every pile.

When We Need To Be More Successful:

Late in the Game

Part of this can be attributed to either vanilla or prevent defenses, but the Steelers seem to allow teams back into late a little too often. Of course this wasn’t the case, scoring wise, last week. This is a trend that goes back a few seasons.

Why We Will Win:

By Running the Ball, Playing Steeler Defense and Forcing Turnovers

The Steelers defense has been stifling this year. Against the run, we rank third against the run. An expected potent Ravens running attack has been fairly pedestrian, and when you factor in the deep bruise to the dynamic Ray Rice, we should be able to continue stopping the run. Joe Flacco doesn’t appear to be totally on the same page with his receivers as of yet, which should help our seventeenth ranked pass defense.

The Ravens defense has also played well this season, ranking first against the pass, but struggling against the run allowing 127.7 rushing yards a game (23^rd in the NFL) and 4.7 yards per attempt (26^th in the NFL). We should try and take advantage of that early on if we can.

The clearest difference so far this season between the two defenses has been turnovers. The Steelers have benefited from 5 interceptions, and 7 forced fumbles while recovering a league leading 5 of them. Conversely, the Ravens have yet to make an interception and have forced 2 fumbles recovering only one.  Let’s look for this trend to continue on the way to a Black and Gold victory over the Birds of Baltimore in Da Burgh this Sunday.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/

Deal for 49ers: Ted Ginn is an awful receiver. He was tied for the league lead with 10 drops last year, despite having at least 23 fewer targets that the other three guys who had 10 drops. Despite his speed, he only averaged 1.4 YAC per catch. However, he’s an amazing kick returner and can help the Niners there in a big way. On 52 returns, he had 1296 yards and 2 touchdowns last year and for the Niners, who struggled in the return game, that could help them win games. Not bad for a 5^th round pick, even if they have to pick up his salary.

Grade: B

Deal for Dolphins: They obviously were done with the 2007 9^th overall pick. Ginn is a good kick returner, but there are plenty of other kick returners in the league they could use at a cheaper price. This deal is pretty much a wash for both sides.

Grade: B

Quarterback

Florida

6-3 236

40 time: 4.72

Draft board overall prospect rank: #12

Draft board quarterback rank: #3

Overall rating: 88*

 3/17/10: He didn’t look great in terms of throwing delivery at his Pro Day, but he certainly, mechanically looked a ton better than he did in the Senior Bowl and all last season. In fact, the work he has made on his throw is a huge testament to his amazing work ethic and love of the sport. He’s still a project and far from a finished project, but he has good upside and I think he has the work ethic to fulfill it. I don’t see why some places regard him as less than a 2^nd round prospect.

1/30/10: Contrary to what the media is saying, Tebow did not struggle in the Senior Bowl, in fact, his Senior Bowl was painfully neutral. I say painfully because I wanted him to either show me he’s not a true quarterback or that he is, but he did neither. He didn’t make a ton of tough throws, although he threw one impressive curl, and he completed 8 (should have been 9 if it weren’t for an easy drop) out of his 12 throws, but he was operating with Miami’s playbook which is one of the most college esque playbooks in the NFL. Basically, he was playing with the same Florida playbook he was comfortable and we didn’t get to see him be challenged by a pro style offense. So, basically, I learned nothing about Tebow in his Senior Bowl. 

1/16/10: Showed in the Sugar Bowl his ability to throw the football and step up in big games by throwing more touchdowns than incompletions, but his mechanics are still poor. However, I don’t believe he has a single mechanical issue that can’t be fixed at the next level and he’s an extremely hard worker. His intangibles are off the chart. Right now the #10 pick is his to lose, based off of the comments Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver made about him earlier this season, so he’ll need to step it up once again in the Senior Bowl.

12/12/09: Alabama exposed his weaknesses, but this is a hell of a tough player who can play quarterback at the next level, though he’ll do it rather unconventionally and won’t fit all offenses.

Update (11/2/09): I love to watch him play, but I fear that his ugly release will cancel out his heart and hustle at the next level.

7/2/09: Many people don’t like Tim Tebow as an NFL quarterback prospect. Do not count me as one of those people. Yes, he plays in an unconventional system and has an unconventional skill set, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Look at Ben Roethlisberger. He came into the league with very little experience playing from under center and in the pocket, and it didn’t matter, because that’s not the type of player he is. Both Tebow and Roethlisberger move around in the pocket in the backfield, roll out of the pocket, move away from defenders, break tackles, and extend the play, sometimes even with a long run. Both Big Ben and Tebow are great leaders who seemingly can will their teams to victory at times. Many people will mistake Tebow for a great quarterback. He’s not and neither is Roethlisberger. Both are great leaders from the quarterback position, that make smart decisions, make everyone better, and have all those intangibles, like toughness and that uncanny knack to get people to follow them. His arm is a little weaker than Roethlisberger, but its actually stronger than most scouts think. Many people don’t like Tim Tebow as an NFL quarterback prospect. But that’s just how he likes it. No one has ever really believed in him and he plays that way on the football field, with a chip on his shoulder. He’ll be a great addition to any team, whether as a quarterback, running back, wildcat, but he’ll have the most value as a quarterback. And if he’s lucky he’ll get a perfect situation, a good team that lacks an offensive leader, such as Minnesota, and he can be the one that will take that team to the places it wants to go.

NFL Comparison: Ben Roethlisberger

*For a breakdown of what this means, click here

This is the 2^nd player in as many days that the Eagles have extended despite having two years remaining on their contract. Given that Cole is 30 in October, this deals locks him up from the year he turns 32 to the year he turns 35. Given that, 13 million per year (4 years, 53 million) seems a little rich, but there isn’t a whole lot of guaranteed money (15 million) so it’s not too bad. Cole is currently one of the league’s best pass rushers.

Grade: B

Brett Favre was amazing in 2009 and this team almost went to the Super Bowl. Brett Favre was terrible in 2010, getting benched for Joe Webb, who also sucked. Now, former Eagles’ and Redskins’ quarterback Donovan McNabb is the starting quarterback and many Vikings fans feel he can get them back into the playoffs. However, this is not the same Donovan McNabb who led the Eagles to a Super Bowl in 2004.

In his first and last year in Washington, he was a very mediocre quarterback. Several things are at play here. Washington’s supporting cast was not very good. Also, McNabb is getting older. Finally, Andy Reid likely just made McNabb look better than he was in Philadelphia. Once leaving Reid’s offense, McNabb was exposed. It wouldn’t be the first time this has happened. AJ Feeley looked much worse after leaving Philadelphia for Miami in 2004. Meanwhile, Reid turned Michael Vick into a potential Super Bowl winning quarterback.

Besides, it’s not like the Vikings have the same supporting cast they had in 2009 either. Their struggles in 2010 weren’t just at the quarterback position and they figure to be even worse supporting cast wise in 2011. Gone are Pat Williams and Ray Edwards two starters on the defensive line. They will be replaced by Brian Robison and Remi Ayodele, two average at best players.

They will play alongside Jared Allen and Kevin Williams, who are still good players, but have lost a step since 2009. After a league leading 48 sacks in 2009, the Vikings had a mere 31 in 2010, a number that could be even lower this season with Edwards, 8 sacks and 32 quarterback pressures in 2010, gone. Pat Williams was not a great pass rusher, but they’ll feel his loss against the run, where even at his age, 39 in October, he was one of the better players in the league. Going from Edwards to Robison is also a major downgrade in terms of run stopping ability.

If new starter Ayodele struggles at defensive tackle, the Vikings have Letroy Guion, a promising young player, to plug in the hole. They also have Christian Ballard, a 4^th round pick who could have gone in the 2^nd had it not been for a positive test for marijuana at The Combine. I feel the positive test is a non-issue and that the Vikings are getting a very talented player for the future in Ballard, though he’ll be hurt by the lockout. At defensive end, however, their options behind Brian Robison are very limited. Everson Griffen was a 4^th round pick in 2010, but he struggled as a rookie and got arrested several times this offseason.

At linebacker, EJ Henderson is an above average player in the middle when healthy, but he’s suffered several serious injuries in his career. He played a full game 16 set last year so maybe he’s put those days behind him. On the strong side, the Vikings were able to bring back Chad Greenway, 4^th in the league in tackles last season, with the franchise tag. That’s obviously huge.

However, they were unable to resign Ben Leber. Leber was a fairly marginal starter for them, but he’s a hell of a lot better than what they now have on the weak side. Currently Erin Henderson is penciled in as a starter. Henderson, the younger brother of EJ Henderson, was an undrafted free agent out of Maryland in 2008 and has been nothing but a career backup since.

The Vikings say he is penciled in as the starter, but I don’t see who else on the roster could take his job unless Ross Homan can have a big preseason. That seems unlikely because Homan is a mere 6^th round rookie who will be hurt by the lockout. He’s also currently listed as the 3^rd stringer at middle linebacker so the chances of him taking the weak side job are very, very slim, at least for right now.

The Vikings actually ranked 9^th in the league against the pass last year, but I’m predicting a steep decline in that ranking this season because I just don’t see the talent there. #1 cornerback Antoine Winfield is 34, right around the age when cornerbacks begin a steep decline. Opposite him is Cedric Griffin, who can’t stay healthy. He wasn’t a great player before his injuries and his injuries could have only made him worse.

The Vikings have spent a lot of picks on cornerbacks in the past few years, but 2009 3^rd round pick Asher Allen and 2010 2^nd round pick Chris Cook have both struggled in their careers to this point. 2011 5^th round pick Brandon Burton is currently listed as 5^th on the depth chart. I thought he was a steal of a draft pick when they got him, but he too will be hurt by the lockout.

At safety, Husain Abdullah struggles a bit against the pass, but is above average against the run. Meanwhile, new free safety Eric Frampton is a very inexperienced player. Fun fact, Eric Frampton went to Oak Grove High School, down the street from my house. Other alumni include Gibril Wilson, Andre Carter, and Seyi Arijotutu. Also, Mike Holmgren used to teach and coach there. Anyway, the Vikings secondary doesn’t have a lot of talent. They aren’t supported by a great pass rush either so they could really struggle this season.

Offensively, Donovan McNabb is now the quarterback. He should provide stability at the position for the season and allow Christian Ponder to ease his way into action, always a good thing. However, that’s about all he’ll do. He won’t win them a lot of games. He’s an average quarterback who borders on mediocre at this point in his career and I don’t know how much a change of scenery will do for him.

McNabb’s chances for a bounce back season are hurt by his supporting cast. Bryant McKinnie, long time left tackle of the Vikings, was cut in camp because he showed up at about 400 pounds. I don’t know how he thought he’d get away with that. What did he think the team wouldn’t notice? Anyway, he’ll be replaced by Charlie Johnson, who couldn’t even adequately protect Peyton Manning’s blindside for him. Peyton Manning’s blindside is the easiest to protect in the league. He has eyes in the back of his head. He doesn’t have a blindside (only sort of kidding). How is Johnson supposed to protect McNabb’s?

At right tackle, Phil Loadholt struggles with weight issues. He was a horrendous run blocker last season and committed 14 penalties. The Vikings drafted DeMarcus Love in the 6^th round as a potential successor for Loadholt, allowing Loadholt to move to any easier position like guard. However, Love, like all rookies, will be hurt by the lockout. He’s currently a 3^rd stringer and shouldn’t see much playing time this season.

At center, John Sullivan wasn’t as bad as he’s been in past years, but he was still pretty bad, especially as a run blocker. Left guard Steve Hutchinson is clearly their best offensive lineman. He’s not the beast run blocker he was in Seattle or in his early Minnesota days, but he’s still an above average left guard. However, opposite him, right guard Anthony Herrera is a terrible run blocker. I don’t know how he still has a job. The Vikings were hoping Brandon Fusco, a 6^th round pick, would at least be able to challenge Sullivan at center or Herrera at guard, but he too was hurt by the lockout. He’s currently listed as a 3^rd stringer.

Fortunately the Vikings have Adrian Peterson because they don’t run block very well upfront. Peterson is about as reliable as they come. They drafted him 7^th overall in 2007 and he hasn’t disappointed. Last season he had a career low with 1298 yards. He’s also never had less than 10 scores in a season. The Vikings drafted Toby Gerhart in the 2^nd round in 2010, but he won’t see much action unless Peterson gets hurt. Basically, he’ll have the same role he did in 2010.

At wide receiver, with Sidney Rice gone, the pressure will fall on Percy Harvin, a 2009 first round pick, to continue to improve and become a legitimate #1 receiver. He’s now in his 3^rd season, that magical season when wide receivers tend to break out. He could be primed for a huge season if McNabb finds the same connection with him as he had with Santana Moss last season. They are similar players so it’s possible.

Opposite Harvin, Michael Jenkins and Bernard Berrian will fight it out to be the #2 receiver. Jenkins, a former 1^st round pick, has never had more than 53 catches or 777 yards or 7 touchdowns in a season despite working with Matt Ryan and Michael Vick in his career. Meanwhile, Bernard Berrian is far from the #1 receiver he was in 2007 with Chicago or 2008 with these Vikings. He managed just 252 yards on 28 catches last season and didn’t score. It’s safe to say Donovan McNabb won’t be thrilled no matter who wins the #2 job.

Something McNabb does have to get at least a little excited about is his tight ends. Visanthe Shiancoe is still listed as the starter, though it’s very possible he’d be 2^nd on the depth chart to rookie 2^nd round pick Kyle Rudolph had Rudolph not been hurt by the lockout. The talented Rudolph is apparently lighting it up in camp. Meanwhile, Shiancoe is an average tight end. The Vikings will use a lot of two tight ends sets this season so both Shiancoe and the rookie Rudolph will have an impact.

People living in 2009 would say this team has a good chance to bounce back into the playoffs this season. In 2009, McNabb led the Eagles to the playoffs and the Brett Favre led Vikings made the NFC Championship. However, this team was not just a quarterback away in 2010. Favre did a great job of masking their flaws in 2009 and the supporting cast has declined since anyway. McNabb will give them decent quarterback play, but unless Detroit implodes, I don’t see any way this team finishes outside the cellar in the NFC North.

Quarterback: C+

Running backs: A

Receiving corps: C-

Offensive line: D

Run defense: B-

Pass rush: C

Pass coverage: C-

Coaching: C

Projection: 6-10 4^th in NFC North