Full list here;

http://www.goliath.com/sports/rogue...bdafd472a8a59f46&utm_content=nfl_premium_2017

7. Los Angeles Rams – Eric Dickerson
We could have picked current Rams owner Stan Kroenke and called it a day. But, he hasn’t, and won’t, play a down in the NFL, so we went with former superstar running back Eric Dickerson. In the sordid history of the Rams, from L.A. to St. Louis and back to L.A. few players have raised the ire of the team’s fans (and ownership) more than Dickerson. The Hall of Famer was the team’s best ever running back and had the accolades and statistics (four rushing titles) to back it up. Yet it was the endless contract disputes with the team, staining his legacy, that he will be remembered for. The Rams, sensing he would never sign and tired of his whining, traded him to the Colts in one of the biggest deals ever in 1987.

The Rams made another signing today (Tyrunn Walker). I'm a fan of the move. It addresses our depth issues on the DL. I don't know what our plans are for Center, so I won't assume that we do or don't sign one.
Trade
Rams trade Round 3 Pick #5
Redskins trade Round 3 Pick #17 and Round 4 Pick #17

NFL Draft
Round 2 Pick #5 - T.J. Watt OLB Wisconsin
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Summary: Watt is probably my favorite prospect in this draft. He's a paradox of sorts because he's a raw player who is also polished. Watt has only played defense for two years and only started for one year. Yet, he already shows high-level recognition of blocking schemes, a strong understanding of how to exploit his opposition, and polished hand use. Watt possesses a powerful punch, outstanding flexibility throughout his body, and the speed to threaten the edge. He also has flashed the ability to overwhelm OLs with power. Watt needs to get stronger to take the next step as a pass rusher. With a consistent power game, he'd be capable of posting double digit sacks year in and year out. Additionally, Watt needs to continue to develop his pass rush moves/counters and work on finishing plays. He has to play more under control when finishing. He cost himself at 4 or 5 sacks this year (if not more) because he failed to finish the play. Ultimately, Watt provides a high-upside player to develop behind Barwin, a very talented rotational pass rusher, and insurance for Robert Quinn.

Round 3 Pick #17 - Jourdan Lewis CB Michigan
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Summary: With Lewis getting arrested for domestic violence, it seems likely that he'll fall further than he should. After reading about the circumstances preceding his arrest and considering his track record, I think it's pretty flimsy. As a player, Lewis is a tenacious competitor who makes up for his lack of height (5'10" 188) and elite long speed (4.54 40) with sticky cover skills, fluid hips, and extremely quick feet. Lewis camps out in the hip pocket of the WR. He's constantly challenging passes at the catch point, he displays polished footwork, and he uses his hands well while pressing. Despite his short stature, he's a highly effective press CB because of his quick feet, long arms (relative to his size), feisty nature, patient approach, and sound technical skill. I think Lewis is an outstanding fit in our scheme because he possesses the versatility to play both in the slot and outside the numbers. He can be our Chris Harris Jr. I think Wade will highly value Lewis's skill-set, and he seems to be getting underrated as people get caught up on the measurables of CBs who don't cover like Lewis does.

Round 4 Pick #5 - Eddie Vanderdoes NT UCLA
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Summary: Vanderdoes is an interesting player due to his backstory. He was a top ranked recruit out of HS who put a lot of good play on film between major injuries in college. Vanderdoes played heavier in 2016 than I would want him to play in the NFL (he was around 6'3" 325). He was pretty much immovable against the run, but it limited his ability to penetrate. Vanderdoes came into the Combine at 6'3" 305 and ran an impressive 4.99 40. Vanderdoes is country strong and uses it to stack blocks and disrupt the run game. As a pass rusher, he's pretty raw at this stage. He's been described as a bull in a china shop. He goes all out in terms of effort but plays a bit out of control. Still, Vanderdoes has a lot of potential if he stays healthy and should be at home attacking in Wade's scheme. As it is now, he has the ability to be a a quality run stopper with the potential to maybe develop into a solid to good pass rusher down the line.

Round 4 Pick #17 - Chase Roullier C/OG Wyoming
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Summary: I stumbled onto Roullier late, but I really like this kid. As I said before, I like his skill-set for our scheme more than I do Pocic's and Elflein's. He's exactly what Kromer wants. Despite coming from Wyoming (small school), Roullier is a well-coached player exiting a pro style offense (his HC, Craig Bohl, was Carson Wentz's HC). Roullier spent his first two years as a starter at LG before moving over to Center this year. At 6'4" 312, Roullier fits what Kromer looks for in his interior OLs. Roullier is a strong player at the POA with the lower body strength, leg drive, and nastiness to move guys out of the way. Roullier does an excellent job of staying on his blocks and playing through the whistle. He displays sound technical skill and quality body control while blocking on the move. As a pass protector, Roullier shows nimble feet, sound footwork, polished hand usage, and a strong base. Roullier's weaknesses are his lack of experience at Center, his short arms, and his balance in pass protection. Roullier needs to do a better job of adjusting to stunts and twists. He also needs to get used to playing in the Center spot, as he lost his footing due to the bodies around him too often this year. All in all, Roullier is a quality all around player who fits our scheme and has few true weaknesses.

Round 4 Pick #35 - George Kittle TE Iowa
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Summary: George Kittle is one of the most interesting guys in this class. He was unheralded going into the Combine out of Iowa. He had solid production as a pass catcher in college but nothing eye popping (other than his yards per catch average). At the Combine, the 6'4" 247 pound Kittle surprised a lot of people by running a 4.52 40 and posting incredible jump numbers for a man his size. However, Kittle is more than just an athlete. What separates Kittle from your typical athletic project is that Kittle is a phenomenal blocking TE. Kirk Ferentz puts out a lot of polished TEs and OLs from Iowa. Kittle is another guy cut from that cloth as a blocker. He is a tenacious run blocker who uses his athleticism, body control, polished technique, and quality strength to create lanes in the run game and take his defender out of the play. Kittle plays through the whistle as a blocker and looks to bury his man. As a pass catcher, he needs a lot of development as a route runner, but he has shown that he has the athleticism, YAC skills, and hands to be a threat.

Round 5 Pick #5 - Josh Reynolds WR Texas A&M
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Summary: Honestly, I don't know why Reynolds is rated as a 5th round pick. This is a deep WR class, but Reynolds should go two rounds earlier than this. However, I'm going to take advantage of teams not giving him the respect he deserves. Reynolds posted nearly 2800 yards and 30 TDs in 3 years in the SEC. Aside from his TDs, the stat that stands out with Reynolds is his career 17.0 yards per catch average. At 6'3" 195, Reynolds is very thin for a NFL WR. This is probably the biggest reason why he's underrated. He doesn't have a normal body type. He doesn't have much, if any, growth potential, so he'll always be thin. Play strength is definitely a concern at the next level. However, Reynolds displays the toughness, physicality, effort, and work habits to overcome his physical limitations. And frankly, Reynolds's thin frame gives him advantages other big WRs don't usually have. Reynolds is a gliding long-strider who preys upon CBs who don't respect his deep speed. Reynolds also displays incredible quick-twitch athleticism, foot quickness, and hip flexibility for a 6'3" WR. This makes him a highly effective route runner. To top it all off, Reynolds is as good as it gets at tracking the deep ball, has very reliable hands, and has shown the ability to make circus catches. All in all, Reynolds is a legitimate deep threat, red-zone threat, and dangerous route runner. He's also a high character kid who will do all the little things and give full effort at all times.

Round 6 Pick #5 - Vince Biegel ILB/OLB Wisconsin
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Summary: I am not a huge fan of Biegel as an edge rusher in the NFL, and there are legitimate concerns about his injury history. However, I love the thought of Biegel at SILB. Biegel lacks the power, length, ability to bend the edge, and explosiveness to win consistently as an edge rusher. However, Biegel has tremendous instincts, good speed for his size (4.67 40), good agility for his size, and a non-stop motor. At 6'3" 246, Biegel's size and athletic traits make him a perfect fit for SILB in Wade's scheme. He can hold his own in coverage and will be able to stack and shed blocks in the run game. He also has the speed and agility to run sideline to sideline. Biegel is a smart, high energy player who has quality athletic traits, but his traits simply don't fit on the edge. In addition to Biegel's value as a SILB, Biegel also has the makings of a studly core special teamer. That only increases his value on Day 3 of the Draft. Biegel provides a lot of value for us as a depth OLB, a possible starter at ILB (if we move Barron to SS), and a core special teamer. If Biegel gets drafted before this (a real possibility), I'd take ILB Blair Brown from Ohio in this spot.

Round 6 Pick #22 - Joshua Holsey CB Auburn
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Summary: Holsey is on my list of underrated CBs. This is such a deep and talented class that a guy like Holsey can go unnoticed. Holsey had two torn ACLs in his career, so that is a concern with him. However, he has exceptionally quick feet, the speed to run with WRs deep, loose hips, and good ball-skills. He can get a little grabby at times, but as we all know, some CBs use that to their advantage (*cough* Richard Sherman). Holsey is a CB who hides it well and uses it to his advantage. Holsey handled a number of top college WRs, including Mike Williams, during his senior season at Auburn. Plus, we do Holsey a favor by drafting Josh Reynolds; he was the only WR I saw get the better of Holsey this year.

Round 7 Pick #16 - Chad Williams WR Grambling State
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Summary: Chad Williams is a flyer and the first major character risk in this draft (I don't see Lewis as a character risk). Williams had a strong showing at the NFLPA Game and earned an invite to the Senior Bowl. He also had a strong showing during Senior Bowl practices. He reportedly showed the burst to separate out of his breaks and caught the ball well. He's still a very raw route runner and needs a lot of development before he's ready to play, but he has a lot of upside. Williams posted 90 catches for 1337 yards and 11 TDs this year at Grambling. In 2015, he posted 64 catches for 1012 yards and 10 TDs. Williams's basketball background has given him impressive body control and the ability to come down with jump balls. Williams proved he has NFL athleticism when he ran a 4.37 40 at his Pro Day at 6'1" 205. Williams plays the game with a chip on his shoulder, isn't afraid to get physical, and runs hard after the catch. However, he was arrested before this season on a marijuana and firearm possession charge.

Projected Starters
QB: Jared Goff
HB: Todd Gurley
FB: Cory Harkey
XWR: Robert Woods
ZWR: Josh Reynolds
SLWR: Tavon Austin
TE: Tyler Higbee
LT: Andew Whitworth
LG: Rodger Saffold
C: Chase Roullier
RG: Greg Robinson
RT: Rob Havenstein

LDE: Michael Brockers
NT: Eddie Vanderdoes
RDE: Aaron Donald
LOLB: Connor Barwin
LILB: Mark Barron
RILB: Alec Ogletree
ROLB: Robert Quinn
LCB: Trumaine Johnson
RCB: Kayvon Webster vs. E.J. Gaines
SLCB: Jourdan Lewis
FS: LaMarcus Joyner
SS: Maurice Alexander

K: Greg Zuerlein
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
KR: Pharoh Cooper
PR: Tavon Austin

The parenthesis at the end is where these players graded within their positional group using Sparq guidelines. For example, Robert Davis, not a widely regarded WR, finished 1'st among all WR's in the analytical measurables department. Chuck Clark graded 2'nd of all the Safeties, Rollier graded 2'nd of the Centers, etc.

This new mock is to justifiably appease those concerned with not going early and often at a position of need which is also very deep in this draft, CB. Something had to give to make room, so I eliminated an OLB which will be explained, and also eliminated the NT/DT as I believe our back-up/reserve NT/DE arrived today via free agency (Tyrunn Walker).

2) TE - Davis Njoku, Mi. (4)
3) DE - Tanoh Kpassagnon, Vil. (1)
4a) CB - Sidney Jones, Wa. (15)
4b) WR - Kenny Golladay, N.I. (10)
5) CB - Shaquille Griffin, C.F. (3)
6a) C - Chase Roullier, WY. (2)
6b) FS - Chuck Clark, V.T. (2)
7) WR - Robert Davis, G.St. (1)



For the sake of this draft, I was assuming a free agent or traded for Center being on the roster, either a John Sullivan or Mangold (1 year contract) or Cameron Erving, or ... ?

Also for this Sparq draft, assume Tru Johnson back in his regular starting role.

For a 2017 starting WR opposite Woods, free agent Boldin on a 1 year contract. Will revisit WR with the 2018 1'st round draft pick.

I've added what I believe is another inexpensive free agent as an OLB/DE to make room for a drafted CB, ... yes, that being our old friend Chris Long, for what would be one more 1 year contract and an opportunity to retire as a Ram. With Chris back, maybe both he and dad could help mentor Howies fellow alumni, Tanoh Kpassagnon.

As most are aware, Sidney Jones was injured at the Combine and will likely miss the entire 2017 season, but his current draft stock will probably drop by a round or two, so he is an investment in the future, when TruJo is apt to leave thru free agency in 2018.

Njoku remains because I really want him, even it appears daily that his stock is rising higher and probably getting out our reach. jmo.

jmo.

Of course that's not saying much for a 30,000-seat venue.


http://www.ocregister.com/articles/season-743983-chargers-ticket.html
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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/03/23/chargers-on-track-to-sell-out-small-stadium/

Chargers steadily selling out (a small) stadium
Posted by Michael Gehlken on March 23, 2017

The Chargers will avoid the sight of empty seats in their first season in Los Angeles.

They just won’t set any speed records when doing so.

According to an ESPN report, the franchise has sold all but about 600 of its season tickets for 2017. However steady the progress, selling out a 30,000-seat StubHub Center has been a process unlike what the Rams experienced when making their Los Angeles return in 2016.

The Rams sold all 70,000 of their season tickets in six hours, the Hollywood equivalent of a “Deadpool 2” screening.

The Chargers have taken longer to sell less.

They began accepting $100 refundable deposits on Jan. 12 and announced season-ticket prices on Feb. 14. They opened business to existing season-ticket holders (those from Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego) on Feb. 22 and to other customers on March 9, a club source said Thursday evening. So, it’s been two weeks since the public sale opened.

This was never a competition with the Rams. The Chargers know what they’re up against in a new market.

Their team slogan, “Fight for L.A.,” was chosen for a reason.

Of our 11 projected starters, (including Joyner at Nickelback, and excluding whoever our Free Safety is) every player has between 4 and 9 years experience on the defense.
That would be 60 training camps under their belts and an average of 5.5 years of experience as Pros.

THAT should help with the transition to a 3-4 defense and get it up and running at a high rate of efficiency more quickly.

These are seasoned proven professionals we are talking about.
Not rookie maybes.
Even our confirmed rotational backups in Gaines Westbrooks and now Walker have between four and six years of experience under their belts.

More evidence that the mentality is win now and not rebuild for some later date.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/03/23/report-bears-finalizing-deal-with-mark-sanchez/

Report: Bears finalizing deal with Mark Sanchez
Posted by Michael Gehlken on March 23, 2017

Getty Images

Whatever cure is required for the quarterback situation in Chicago, it seems, won’t be found at this late stage in free agency. The best hope for remedy on the current roster comes in the form of Mike Glennon, he of 11 passes the past two seasons combined.

Depth, though, is depth.

The Bears appear on the brink of adding some.

Veteran journeyman Mark Sanchez is on the cusp of signing with the Bears, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported. This will be the fifth NFL team for the ex-USC quarterback, who has bounced from the Jets to Eagles to Broncos to Cowboys and now Bears since 2014.

Sanchez, 30, completed 10 of 18 passes in his lone season with the Cowboys, notching 93 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

But it’s all relative.

Elsewhere on the Bears’ QB depth chart today, Glennon threw 11 passes in 2016, and Connor Shaw threw none. So 11 compared to Sanchez’ 18.

Unemployment Appears to Be Taking Its Toll on Jeff Fisher

James Lumalu



Last month, we provided you guys with a nice little update on unemployed Jeff Fisher. He had a Saddam Hussein beard thing going on, but we didn’t think much of it since he was spotted at airports doing some traveling.


Jeff Fisher Growing Out a Nice Unemployment Beard
The face of 7-9.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE →
However, fast-forward a couple weeks and the face of 7-9 straight up looks miserable. The Saddam beard is now thicker, his hair is all out of sorts, and he’s wearing the same damn grey longsleeve:

It goes without saying, but I’m a little worried about Jeff — he’s not taking unemployment life as well as Rex and Rob Ryan. The guy needs football in his life.



Again, someone give this man a job, or at least an interview:
8 Feb
Busted Coverage

✔ @bustedcoverage
Jeff Fisher growing out a nice unemployment beardhttps://bustedcoverage.com/2017/02/08/jeff-fisher-unemployment-beard-photos-instagram-rams/ …pic.twitter.com/IXCXoTQv2w


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Brian Moll @B_Moll2
@bustedcoverage homie is starting to look like Saddam pic.twitter.com/NEuT3QUuxD

2:27 PM - 8 Feb 2017

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http://www.monroenews.com/sports/20170323/dundee-native-rath-hired-by-rams

Ted Rath's interest in the intricacies of athletic conditioning began at an early age.

"It was probably in my high school days," the Dundee graduate explained. "I noticed just by myself as I began to train, lift weights and exercise, I started to see a difference not only physically how I look but how I felt and performed on the field.


"It was like a light bulb went off that there is something to this, you can change how you look and perform just through training and doing the right things outside of it."

Rath took his epiphany and ran with it. Now entering his ninth season working in the NFL, he has accepted the position of head strength and conditioning coach for the Los Angeles Rams.

Rath, 33, is two years older than his new boss, Rams first year head coach Sean McVay.

Rath is also one of the youngest strength and conditioning coaches in league history, an accomplishment he doesn't take for granted.

"It's humbling because a lot of guys have come before me and the science of (the field) has evolved a lot over the past decade or so," Rath said. "There are guys who have fought their whole lives to get here. In this profession, they're the guys that have laid the groundwork."

After graduating from Dundee in 2003, Rath attended the University of Toledo to study health and physical education. He didn't make waves on the field during his time as a Rocket, but his exposure to UT Director of Strength and Conditioning Steve Murray proved life changing.

"I'm sure I annoyed him most days," Rath said. "I just asked him for the reasoning and the science behind it, and he was awesome. It helped me develop."


Once his playing days ended, Toledo brought Rath into the fold as a graduate assistant. He later served as UT's assistant director of strength and conditioning, and as an assistant football coach at Crestwood High School in Dearborn Heights.

But the NFL was calling.

Rath latched on with the Detroit Lions in 2009, working under former Lions coach Jim Schwartz and current coach Jim Caldwell. Less than three years after graduating college, he had reached the highest level of his profession and he was still working just 45 minutes away from home.

"I always joked that the only time it sucked was when ticket requests came in, I always felt humbling because a lot of guys have come before me and the science of (the field) has evolved a lot over the past decade or so bad because I wouldn't be able to help everybody out," Rath said. "But to be able to work in the NFL and still be just 45 minutes away from family was an extreme blessing. To be in this business at this level but still have the opportunity to go home and see nieces and nephews for birthdays, we didn't take it for granted.


"Obviously you could be at the opposite end of the country now very fast with the way this business is."

After seven seasons with the Lions, a major organizational shake-up occured when Bob Quinn took over as general manager following the 2015 season. Quinn brought Harold Nash Jr. with him from New England to bethe Lions strength and conditioning coach.

That left Rath looking for a new employer. He found one in the Miami Dolphins as they began to rebuild with new coach Adam Gase.


Rath was an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Dolphins.

McVay, who was hired by the Rams in January, offered Rath an opportunity to be the head strength and conditioning in Los Angeles. As is fitting the NFL's constant state of flux, he had just a week from when he accepted the position to when he was expected to show up for work.

Just one season after relocating his young family from Michigan to South Beach, Rath and his wife Robin found themselves facing a quick move to Southern California.

Adding another wrinkle to the chaos was the couple's young family. The Rath's have two children under four years old, and they are expecting their third in less than a month.

"It's crazy," Rath said. "But the first goal was to get the wife and kids out there before she was too close and couldn't fly. My wife is a stud, she's the real worker in the family and holds the fort down at home. A week was plenty of time for me, but she dealt with the brunt of it and takes care of everything else."

As he prepares to implement his own philosophies with the Rams, Rath is enjoying working within a franchise experiencing its own share of change. A year removed from their well-publicized migration from St. Louis back to Los Angeles, the Rams have a new coaching staff, a young offensive core and a shiny new stadium in the works.

Rath said he is excited to implement his program, and that the players he has already met have done nothing but further fuel his passion.

"I've been fortunate to meet with quite a few of the guys," he said. "We're in an area where you get guys that want to stay around — when you're in L.A., and it's 75 and sunny everyday that doesn't hurt. I'm beyond impressed with their attitude, it's one of hard work and they're ready to work and want to do whatever they can.

"To come here with such an excitement from the fans... Everybody in the area has been positive, and have had open arms and it's been incredible."

Like the Falcons collapse against the Patriots, I watched the whole Oilers collapse against the Bills in disbelief as well.

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http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/03/21/super-bowl-51-falcons-collapse-1993-oilers-bills-game

On Epic NFL Collapses, the Oilers Can Tell the Falcons a Thing or Two
How do you rebound from an all-time postseason debacle? Old Houston players who endured pro football’s worst playoff implosion have one clear message for the Falcons: It won’t be easy
by Tim Rohan

HOUSTON — As Super Bowl 51 kicked off at NRG Stadium last month, about 25 former Houston Oilers gathered a mile and a half away at the Coaches Corner, a sports bar owned by Haywood Jeffires, the former Oilers Pro Bowl receiver. The players congregated in a back area, eating chicken wings and drinking, carrying on and watching the game.

Some of them lived in the area, some had come in for the game, and some of them hadn’t seen each other in years. Houston’s hosting of the Super Bowl had given the former Oilers a reason to return, and the week had become one long reunion. They’d been attending parties all week, catching up, swapping stories and reminiscing.

In the Coaches Corner now, everywhere they looked there seemed to be another framed baby-blue jersey: Warren Moon, Ernest Givins, Drew Hill, Curtis Duncan, Lorenzo White, Jeffires. The place is unequivocally an Oilers bar, a shrine to the Run-and-Shoot offense, to the franchise’s glory years of the late ’80s and early ’90s, when the Oilers made the playoffs seven consecutive seasons. Some of the stars on those teams were here now to watch the game.

They looked on as the Falcons jumped out to a 28-3 lead over the Patriots in the third quarter. Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Atlanta’s high-powered offense looked unstoppable, moving up and down the field with ease—like Moon and Jeffires and those old Run-and-Shoot teams. And then Tom Brady and the Patriots scored, and New England began slowly, methodically mounting a comeback, pulling closer and closer.

Those old Oilers got anxious, watching the game unfold from their bar stools. They bantered back and forth with one another, critiquing the Falcons’ play-calling. Their defense has been on the field too long! They look gassed. Why aren’t they running the ball and milking the clock?

The Falcons were blowing a 25-point lead: 28-12 … 28-20 … 28-28.

Unbeknownst to one another, several Oilers at the bar started having flashbacks. The same flashback. January 1993—the Buffalo Game. Houston held a 35-3 lead over the Bills in the third quarter of their wild-card playoff, in a season in which the Oilers were expecting to win the Super Bowl. What happened next was historic.


Photo: John Biever/Sports Illustrated
Moon and the 10-6 Oilers headed into the playoffs in January ’93 with the feeling that this was their year

The Oilers collapsed and lost, 41-38, in overtime. It’s still the largest blown lead ever in the postseason. Those Oilers players knew, perhaps better than anyone else in the world, what the Falcons were experiencing.

The Falcons are not about to do what I think they’re going to do, are they? Bubba McDowell, a cornerback on that Oilers team, asked himself. But he did not dare say it out loud. Not in a bar full of Houston Oilers. He decided it was best to keep quiet.

* * *

Why are we making this so hard on ourselves?

That’s what Warren Moon kept asking himself, as the Oilers’ lead against the Bills slipped away that January day in Buffalo. This was Houston’s year, Moon thought. The Oilers had been competitive for the last few seasons and were finally poised to make a deep playoff run.

Playing out of coach Jack Pardee’s Run-and-Shoot, they had the most prolific passing attack in the NFL. Houston also had the league’s third-ranked defense. Nine Oilers made the Pro Bowl that season, including seven on offense—future Hall of Fame linemen Bruce Matthews and Mike Munchak; White, the running back; receivers Jeffires, Givins and Duncan; and Moon, their future Hall of Fame quarterback.

Photo: John Biever/Sports Illustrated
Haywood Jeffires’ 27-yard TD pass gave the Oilers a 28-3 lead heading into the half

The Oilers had throttled the Bills 27-3 in the regular-season finale. And in the wild-card game, by the time Houston had scored their fifth touchdown early in the third quarter, the Bills had lost two top offensive weapons, quarterback Jim Kelly and running back Thurman Thomas, to injuries.

“I never thought we were going to lose,” Moon says now.

Then after going up 35-3, Oilers kicker Al Del Greco miss-hit the ensuing kickoff, giving the Bills the ball at midfield, which led to a Buffalo touchdown … then the Bills recovered an onside kick and scored again. … then the Bills forced a three-and-out and scored again. The Oilers had the ball and another chance to stop the bleeding, when … the Bills picked off Moon and scored yet again.

“We just couldn’t stop the madness,” Jeffires says. “You wanted this to be over. It was almost like a dream.”

Or, more accurately, a nightmare.

Entering the fourth quarter, the Oilers only led by four, 35-31. Moon and the Houston offense regained their composure long enough to string together a long drive, deep into Bills territory. But when it stalled and they settled for a field-goal attempt, Greg Montgomery, the holder, fumbled the snap, and the Oilers didn’t get the kick off.

Photo: Bill Sikes/AP
A bungled field-goal snap was one of a string of second-half mishaps

“Absolutely nothing was going right,” says McDowell, the cornerback. “We just had mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake. It was just piling up. There was no end. I was like, how bad can we screw this up?”

The Oilers already had some history of blowing late leads. The previous year, in the divisional round of the playoffs, they were ahead of Denver 24-16 in the fourth quarter when John Elway engineered two drives that resulted in 10 points and a Broncos win.

This was worse. The Oilers weren’t playing Elway or Kelly. This was Kelly’s longtime backup, Frank Reich, burning them. With about three minutes left in the fourth quarter Reich threw his third consecutive touchdown to Andre Reed, and the Bills had their first lead. They had scored 35 unanswered points in less than two quarters. Bills 38, Oilers 35.

Moon had one more comeback in him. He led a drive that produced a field goal to force overtime. The Oilers even won the toss in overtime, too. But on the opening drive Moon threw another pick (helped by a missed holding penalty on Buffalo), and a face-mask call on the runback gave the Bills the ball in field-goal range. Game over. Bills 41, Oilers 38.

Photo: John Biever/Sports Illustrated
Bruce Smith offers Warren Moon a hand up

“There was a lot of arguing among the players on the bus, on the plane home,” says Givins, one of the Pro Bowl receivers. “Shaking our heads. Pointing fingers. Arguing with each other. Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve—that type of thing. We should’ve made some adjustments, this and that. Everyone was just jawing at each other. … [We had] messed up a golden opportunity. … We win that game, we win the Super Bowl—no question.”

Photo: John Biever/Sports Illustrated
Steve Christie’s OT field goal capped the NFL’s greatest playoff comeback—and worst collapse

In the offseason, the Oilers went their separate ways. Some left for vacation, some returned to their hometowns. Anywhere they could clear their heads, forget about the game and hopefully avoid the people constantly approaching them, asking about the collapse.

“Probably didn’t leave my house for a week,” Moon says.

At one point Moon and the other team leaders gathered and discussed their collective mindset heading into the 1993 season. “We said, are we going to let last year destroy us?” Moon recalls. “Everybody thinks that’s going to destroy us, so how are we going to handle that? The faster we can get that out of our mind—that happened last year, but this is a new football team. …

We were trying to get everyone to buy in, that this isn’t the same team, this is a different team, the ’93 team. That was the ’92 team. We had a new defensive coordinator, Buddy Ryan. It was a different atmosphere. We had to keep selling everyone on that.”

The sales job didn’t work, at first. Houston lost four of its first five games, the last of which was a 35-7 rout in Buffalo. “We were still in shock,” Givins says. Even Moon admits the collapse had “lingered a little bit.”

Photo: Getty Images (2)
The Oilers’ tumultuous ’93 campaign climaxed with a scuffle between Kevin Gilbride and Buddy Ryan in the regular-season finale

As if the playoff collapse weren’t enough to overcome, the 1993 Oilers had a series of tumultuous incidents to deal with over the course of the season. Offensive lineman David Williams missed a game because his wife was in labor, and the team fined him, sparking a national outcry; the episode became known as “Babygate.”

Reserve defensive lineman Jeff Alm committed suicide after his friend died in an automobile accident in which Alm was driving; Alm’s blood-alcohol content was above the legal limit. And when Buddy Ryan’s dissatisfaction with what he called the “Chuck-and-Duck” boiled over, he and offensive Kevin Gilbride got into a heated exchange, culminating in Ryan slugging Gilbride in the face. NFL Films later made a documentary based entirely on the Oilers’ dysfunctional 1993 season.

On top of all that, midway through the season Bud Adams, the owner, threatened to dismantle the team if it didn’t win the Super Bowl. The NFL would be instituting a salary cap for the first time in 1994, and it would be more difficult to hang on to all those Pro Bowlers—or to justify doing so, especially if they failed in the playoffs again.

After the 1-4 start, Oilers coaches decided to bench Moon for the next game, against the Patriots, hoping the move would jump-start the team. In a way it did. Cody Carlson, Moon’s backup, was injured during the game, and Moon returned to the field inspired. Houston beat New England, 28-14, then promptly ripped off 10 more consecutive wins, despite all the turmoil. “We said, let’s just forget about it and play carefree football,” Givins says.

The Oilers earned the No. 2 seed in the AFC, which meant they would face Joe Montana and the No. 3-seeded Chiefs in the divisional round. Houston held a 13-7 lead early in the fourth quarter of that game, too. Then Montana led three more touchdown drives, including one in the waning moments that sealed a 28-20 win.

“It was a controversial, emotional year for us,” Moon says. “By the end, after everything we went through, we were running on empty. We didn’t have enough to win that playoff game. Then Joe Montana worked his magic.”

* * *

Adams, of course, followed through on his threat. After the Chiefs loss, the Oilers traded Moon to the Vikings and Buddy Ryan left to coach the Cardinals. Houston went 2-14 in 1994, and Pardee resigned by midseason. Two years later, after the city refused to finance the stadium he wanted, Adams moved the team to Tennessee.

If the Oilers had won a Super Bowl, would Adams have stayed? Who knows. One can argue, though, that the playoff collapse against the Bills set in motion this entire chain of events. Blowing that 32-point lead may have been the beginning of the end of the Houston Oilers.

Now, 24 years later, the Oilers are still asked about that game. They were asked about it all week leading up to Super Bowl 51, even before the Falcons blew that 25-point lead and set their own record—largest collapse in a Super Bowl. People are still naturally curious: How does a team fall apart like that? Players invariably respond saying something about failing to finish, not executing. But the truth is, they don’t really have an explanation.

“It leaves a big hole in your heart, you know?” Jeffires says on the phone, a few weeks after watching the Falcons’ collapse. “They say things do pass. Like, when someone dies in your family? You think you’re never going to get over it. Then sooner or later, you do. Wounds heal. But you never forget. That game will be a dagger in our hearts for as long as we live.”

The Vikings and the Saints { @DaveFan'51 and @Shaunpinney} have Finalized a Trade!! The Vikings are giving the Saints:
* QB - Teddy Bridgewater - LB - Anthony Barr - CB - Xavier Rhodes and their 4th round pick #128 for the SIAINT's 1st round pick #11. @Alan has been PM'd about these Changes!!
Both Teams are Happy Campers!!illowfight: :banana::rockon::cheers:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/03/23/sean-payton-reportedly-speaking-with-johnny-manziel/

Asshole Face reportedly speaking with Johnny Manziel
Posted by Michael David Smith on March 23, 2017, 11:07 AM EDT
Getty Images
If Johnny Manziel returns to the NFL, it could be as the backup to Drew Brees.

That’s the word from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, who reports that Saints coach Asshole Face has taken an interest in Manziel and talked to him about a return to football.

In New Orleans, Manziel would have no chance of earning a starting job, but he could earn a spot as a backup to Brees, where he’d learn from a veteran quarterback and perhaps get himself ready to be a starter some day.

Still, talking to Manziel and actually signing him are two very different things. If the Saints were convinced that Manziel was ready to put his personal problems behind him and contribute to a team, they could have signed him already, and they haven’t done so.

After he flamed out in Cleveland, it remains to be seen whether the Saints — or anyone else — will give Manziel a second chance.

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/03/23/adam-schefter-espn-2017-free-agency-opening

24 Hours ... With Adam Schefter
What’s life like for the NFL’s top news-breaker on his biggest day of the year? We went behind the scenes with ESPN’s Adam Schefter for the whirlwind first day of 2017 free agency as he chased scoops—and those precious Markman points
by Tim Rohan


Photo: John DePetro/The MMQB

The MMQB begins a series of inside-inside, multimedia football stories for the 2017 season with a view into the life of ESPN NFL information czar Adam Schefter on his busiest day of the year: the kickoff day to NFL free agency, March 9.

In the series, we’ll spend a full day with an important person in the football world. We’ll have players, coaches and other figures integral to how the game is played and consumed. Give us feedback—and ideas for future 24 Hours subjects—at talkback@themmqb.com.

Schefter, 50, has been with ESPN for eight years, and has become the gold standard in the increasingly competitive 24/7 business of NFL news. In December he signed a five-year, multimillion-dollar contract extension that is thought to make him the highest-paid information man in the business and will keep him with ESPN through 2021.

His influence is wide-ranging. As The MMQB’s Tim Rohan followed Schefter through the first day of free agency, one source of Schefter’s said when stories get hot, “I don’t call the team; I call Schefter. The first call is to Adam Schefter. I mean, it’s like, weird.” But it’s real, and it’s become a critical part of the NFL landscape.

* * *

Bristol, Conn.
Thursday, March 9
4:30 a.m.

On the morning NFL free agency officially begins, Adam Schefter wakes up in a hotel room, his heart pounding. He’s had a fitful night of sleep, tossing and turning, his mind racing, anticipating the day ahead. He’s so loaded with adrenaline that a sizable blotch has broken out on his neck. No use lying in bed any longer, he figures.

Schefter gets up and starts working, firing off texts to sources around the league: general managers, agents, front-office people and coaches with whom he has developed relationships over his 27 years covering the NFL. He’s been working the phones for months leading up to this day.

The start of free agency. Christmas morning. The busiest day of his calendar year.

A number of high-profile players will be changing teams today, and each one will count as a major story. Dozens of reporters from around the country will be chasing those stories, and Schefter, ESPN’s lead NFL insider, will be expected to break them first.

All of them.

Over the next hour or so, Schefter sends out 31 texts, checking in on a number of teams and players. At around 5:30 he heads down to the hotel gym. It’s empty. He climbs onto an elliptical machine, watching SportsCenter and monitoring his phone. Already he has broken two stories—kicker Stephen Hauschka likely to sign with Buffalo; tackle Matt Kalil with Carolina—and he’s beginning to hear back from more sources.

“Let’s see who’s going to call back,” Schefter says, going hard on the elliptical, working up a sweat. “Someone is going to call back. Usually the people that are calling back, they want answers, because they’re involved in something. So now you’re involved in something.”

This will continue all day, Schefter texting and calling his sources, gossiping and trading information, building his own stockpile until he has enough to break a story. Then Schefter will send the news to his 6 million Twitter followers, or announce it on TV or radio or any of the other ESPN outlets he’ll appear on throughout the day. The majority of the league will get the news all at once, straight from Schefter’s mouth or from his Twitter account.

At 6:08 a.m., an NFL head coach calls. The coach and Schefter chat for about eight minutes, mostly about teams and players in the cornerback and offensive line markets. As the conversation ends, Schefter gives the coach a reminder that he will repeat to a number of his sources all day: “I’ll keep you posted if I hear anything — and please do the same.”

* * *

7:21 a.m.

Schefter emerges from his hotel room wearing a dark blue suit, light blue tie and dress shirt with his initials embroidered in red on the cuff. Outside the hotel, a large SUV, with a driver and an ESPN security team, is waiting to take him to work—even though his Doubletree Hotel is practically across the street from ESPN.

A few years ago, Seth Markman, the senior coordinating producer who oversees ESPN’s NFL coverage, decided that Schefter shouldn’t drive anymore. Markman thought his reporter should be freed up to call and text at all times, so he could break more stories and avoid the hazard of texting while driving.

Schefter’s so locked into his phone that producers have had to warn him at times when he’s approaching a staircase. Whenever Schefter travels to Bristol from his home in the New York City area, either he hires a driver or Markman dispatches a member of the ESPN security team to pick him up. Like today.

In the short ride to the ESPN campus, Schefter receives a call from his daughter Dylan, 8. Schefter’s wife, Sharri, is driving their daughter to school. Dad tries to sneak in these calls as much as he can, in between his calls to sources. “How’re you doing, Dyl?” he asks.

“I’m doing gooood,” she says. “Anything happening with Romo today?”

Even Adam Schefter’s daughter loves a scoop.

* * *


Photo: John DePetro/The MMQB

7:45 a.m.

Schefter stops at the Starbucks inside ESPN, orders “the usual”— soy chai latte, extra hot, no foam—and settles in at table to make some calls. He takes out his notes, pages and pages on the top free agents, picking out and carefully examining two sheets in particular. It’s a numbered list of 50 NFL players. The Markman 50 — a list of the top free agents and trade targets that Markman wants Schefter to focus on.

This year’s top 10:

1. Tony Romo
2. Alshon Jeffery
3. Adrian Peterson
4. A.J. Bouye
5. Brandon Marshall
6. DeSean Jackson
7. Dont’a Hightower
8. Jamaal Charles
9. Stephon Gilmore
10. Terrelle Pryor

Markman started the list a few years ago simply to give Schefter some guidance, but since then they’ve turned it into the focus of a game. Each player has a point value assigned to him, inversely related to his ranking—the number one player is worth 50 points, number two 49, and so on—and Markman awards Schefter points if he breaks the news on that player.

If Schefter doesn’t, Markman tallies those points, too, awarding them to the reporter who did break the news. Bonus points are in play for anyone who breaks news about a unforeseen trade.

Markman then keeps a running scoreboard of every reporter’s points, ESPN employees and outsiders as well, and e-mails Schefter the score throughout the free agency period. Markman also passes the scoreboard around internally so others can see where ESPN’s reporters stand. Last year Schefter amassed 616 points. The second-place finisher had 155.

There is no prize, Markman says; no motivation, other than Schefter satisfying his own competitive nature. “Adam doesn’t need motivation, but Seth knows how to push his buttons,” says Ashoka Moore, an ESPN producer who used to work alongside Schefter during free agency. “It’s like telling a kid: If you get straight A’s, you can go on summer vacation.”

* * *


Photo: John DePetro/The MMQB

8 a.m.

Schefter heads down a hallway to get makeup for his first TV appearance of the day, a spot on Mike & Mike at 8:30. At his side is Megan Casey, an ESPN associate producer whose sole job today will be to ferry Schefter to and from his various ESPN on-air assignments—and ensure that he makes it down the stairs safely.

On his way, Schefter is on the phone discussing the cornerback free-agent market when his source mentions that a deal will be coming soon for the Bills’ Stephon Gilmore. Schefter’s voice rises. That’d be 42 Markman points.

“Really? … What time do we have liftoff? … And it’s not going to get out? Because these things get out, man, I’m just telling you. … Okay, okay, I trust you. … I’ve got you. Loud and clear. I’m not looking. I’m not calling. I’m waiting. I’m just waiting. So when should I check back in with you? … Okay, no problem. Call me back in an hour.”

Schefter dials up another source, who has knowledge of a looming deal involving DeSean Jackson (45 Markman points). Schefter is still on the phone when he enters the makeup room. “I need some concealer,” he says, conscious of his outbreak. He continues talking to the source as two makeup artists go to work, one standing behind him getting his hair in place, the other in front, brushing his face.

After a few minutes the source finally agrees to let Schefter report the news—that Jackson will sign with the Buccaneers. Schefter calls another source for confirmation and says he’ll wait to break the news on Mike & Mike, in 13 minutes.

Schefter hangs up and starts pacing, sipping his coffee and pre-writing the Jackson tweet, watching the clock and hoping no one will scoop him before the show. “Now my heart’s racing again,” he says. “Whenever you get anything, it’s like your heart just starts pounding. When that stops, I guess it’s time to leave the business.”

* * *

Photo: John DePetro/The MMQB

8:28 a.m.

Schefter arrives on the set of Mike & Mike, telling host Mike Greenberg that he has breaking news. Schefter announces the DeSean Jackson deal on air—no one has scooped him—and stays about 20 minutes longer, talking free agency with Greenberg and analysts Herm Edwards and Ryan Clark.

As the others speak, Schefter keeps checking his phone, fidgeting in his chair. A call comes. “I’m on the air. Can I call you back in five minutes?” As the show wears on, Schefter only grows more anxious, fidgeting more, biting his fingers and kicking his chair. This is the hardest part of the job: fulfilling his TV obligations while trying to break news.

Around 8:50 a.m. his phone rings again: It’s the source on the Stephon Gilmore story, the one he’s been waiting to hear from. It hasn’t been an hour. Something is up. Schefter excuses himself and rushes to the corner of the studio as Greenberg cheers him on, on air. “So what can I say?” Schefter ask, and starts pacing. “Oh my God, wow.”

Schefter bolts out of the studio and down the hallway, calling a second source to confirm the news he’s just heard. He has one phone pinned to his ear while he types on a second phone.

“Is it a one-year deal? No? Multiyear. How long is the deal—I don’t care about that right now. … I’m just going to say: ‘Bills free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore ...’ … I’m typing as we go. … ‘expects to sign with … New England … barring any final snags … per sources.’ Okay? … I just posted. There we go. … Thank you very much. Okay, bye.”

Schefter hangs up and lets out a yell — “How’s that for a bomb? Wooo!” — and then he practically skips down the hall to his next TV hit, on SportsCenter.

* * *

9:22 a.m.

After announcing the Gilmore news on SportsCenter, Schefter retreats to Studio W, where ESPN shoots its NFL shows (and which was recently named after Chris Berman and Tom Jackson). Schefter has a desk there, next to the control room. Since he has some free time before his next TV spot, he sets up shop, spreading out his notes, pulling up Twitter on the computer, plugging in one of his two phones.

This, Schefter explains, is why he has two devices. If one dies he always has the other. If one has bad cell reception he always has the other—they’re on different providers, AT&T and Verizon. And they both have all the same contact numbers, so he can text and tweet while still talking to a source, which helps him break news that much faster.

Just then, a source calls asking about a potential Jets trade involving a quarterback.

“That’s the first I’ve heard of it,” Schefter says. “That doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

Still, the source wants an answer, and he knows Schefter will eventually have one.

“You’re going to look into it?” the source asks. “Keep me posted. Very interested.”

* * *


Photo: John DePetro/The MMQB

10:22 a.m.

More calls. More texts. More gossip. Schefter checks in on linebacker Dont’a Hightower, guard Kevin Zeitler and cornerback A.J. Bouye. He investigates a potential Malcolm Butler-for-Brandin Cooks trade between the Patriots and Saints.

Then someone from the camp of a headline free agent calls, asking Schefter for advice. The player has whittled his choice down to two teams: one that has a winning culture and one that was offering more money. Schefter dissects the decision from both sides, laying out the pros and cons.

He even looks up the state income taxes and calculates the difference with each team. “He wants to win; he wants to play, right?” Schefter asks. “What’s most important to your guy?” As they hang up, the caller agrees to let Schefter know when the player will sign.

Schefter consults his notes again, scanning the Markman 50 list, looking for another call to make. “Zeitler to the Browns is going to get done,” he says. Zeitler is 35 points.

How does Schefter know? “I can tell,” he says. “You’ve been living this for a month. You take little notes. Like, I have the teams [interested], and I know Cleveland’s coming on hard, and I know Cleveland’s got over $100 million cap space, and I just—they’re desperate, they’re going to pay him through the roof.”

Will he check in on that now? “Well,” he says, “you’ve got to know the teams, you’ve got to know the personalities. You’ve got to know how to do this, navigate it. You also have to show restraint. You can’t be annoying.

And so I reached out on Zeitler at 9:30, and I haven’t gotten anything back. … The trick is, you’ve got to know when to throw your lifeline. Like, okay, I’ve got one chance to call this guy. If you get them on the phone, you’ve got ’em.”

* * *

11:09 a.m.

In the middle of Schefter’s flurry of calls, Alshon Jeffery (49 Markman points) rings him, wanting to know how much money the other free-agent receivers are making. Players sometimes contact Schefter with questions like this because he likely has that information even if he hasn’t reported it, as is the case here. Indeed, as they talk Schefter receives a text saying that Torrey Smith will be signing with the Eagles.

Schefter goes through the contract numbers on Smith, Jackson and Pierre Garçon, slowly, so Jeffery can apparently write them down. “It’s all about the guarantee, Alshon,” Schefter says. “It’s all about the guarantee … Your average per year could be $100 million. It doesn’t matter. If they’re going to guarantee you the majority of the contract, that’s what you want.”

Schefter asks where Jeffery is going. Jeffery doesn’t have an answer yet. Schefter asks that Jeffery notify him when he does make a decision and leaves the conversation at that.

After he hangs up, Schefter explains that he helps players like that “hoping that they reciprocate. Some people do, and some people don’t. And we’re going to find out.”

* * *

11:20 a.m.

After Schefter breaks the news of wide receiver Robert Woods’ signing with the Rams, he heads down another hallway on his way to his 11:30 First Take appearance. He’s talking to another source when he suddenly spins around with a panicked look on his face. “I need my computer! I can’t go on [TV] now!”

Back in the NFL studio, Schefter had left his e-mail open on his computer for anyone to see, and cameraman, technicians and other reporters were all coming to start their workdays. All morning, in between calls, Schefter had been updating a draft e-mail with various stories that he expects to break. With each story, he needs to notify his editors by e-mail.

Usually it’ll be just one sentence—Player X is expected to sign with Team Y. But at the bottom of his draft e-mail Schefter had a giant block of text for one particular story he’d been working. He’d been going over the text all morning, declining to discuss what the story was.

“I’m working on a big one,” he’d said. “Something unprecedented.”

Casey, his producer, convinces him that he doesn’t have time to retrieve the laptop, so Schefter asks Bill Hofheimer, an ESPN public relations rep, to go back and minimize his e-mail. Hofheimer takes off, but still Schefter paces nervously, waiting backstage to go on First Take, half-thinking this was worth going back himself.

* * *

12:05 p.m.

Back on SportsCenter for another hit, Schefter is checking his phone and fidgeting in his chair again when his microphone falls off. A producer notices and instructs an assistant to get into position to fix it. This seems to happen fairly often.

As the TV feed cuts to B-roll of Kirk Cousins, the assistant sprints onto the set, reattaches the microphone to Schefter’s tie and sprints back before the video ends. Off-stage, the producer offers the assistant some advice for next time: give Schefter some slack on his microphone cord. “He moves around a lot,” the producer explains.

* * *


Photo: John DePetro/The MMQB

12:50 p.m.

At his desk, Schefter makes more calls. He talks about Adrian Peterson, A.J. Bouye and corner Logan Ryan. He breaks the news that Cowboys guard Ronald Leary will sign with the Broncos. He receives the numbers on the Stephon Gilmore deal, to be reported later.

A text comes in. “Call me,” it says.

“Oh, boy, here we go!” Schefter yelps.

He calls this source from the landline at his desk, cupping his mouth over the phone and speaking in a near whisper. “I’m nervous, man. I’m just telling you, these things move … And we’re already at 1 o’clock basically, so … Okay, what do we got?” Schefter pulls up that draft e-mail and makes an adjustment to the big paragraph he’s been keeping secret.

“I got it all. … Just keep me posted. I’m like hyperventilating over here. … Yeah, so, it could happen in the next hour, next two hours, right? Are you going to send me, like, ‘Go?’ … Okay, I’m on the lookout. Thanksbuhbye.”

* * *

1:08 p.m.

As Schefter continues working, he receives an e-mail from Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo!’s NBA insider, who, like Schefter, is known for breaking news.

“Go get em!” Wojnarowski writes in the subject line.

“You know how much we love these days,” Schefter writes back. “Stay tuned. Some fun coming.”

* * *

1:31 p.m.

The NFL studio begins filling up and getting louder, as the cast of reporters prepares for the afternoon extravaganza. They’ll be on screen for most of the next four hours, starting with a Free Agency Countdown show live-streamed, and then transitioning to cable once the early college basketball games have ended. For the first time, a special camera will be trained on Schefter, following him as he works his phones and frantically types. They’re calling it Schefter Cam.

Schefter eats his lunch—tuna sandwich and pretzels—with his phone pinned to his ear, oblivious to the commotion. Trey Wingo, Tedy Bruschi and Herm Edwards chat with people. Staffers hustle around. Suzy Kolber looks for a lost a shoe.

At one point, Schefter looks up and breaks some news to the room. “Hey! The Bears are releasing Jay Cutler!”

* * *

2:22 p.m.

The Countdown show starts with Chris Mortensen calling in, reporting that the Cowboys intended to trade—not release—Tony Romo, which sets off a round of debate and discussion. (This is perhaps the only thing on which Schefter errs during the free-agency process. He’d tweeted that Romo would be released.)

It also sets off Schefter’s phone, and he has to leave the set to take a call from a source wanting to know more. This is a dance Schefter will do all afternoon: constantly running off screen to take a call or do a live cut-in on the basketball broadcast. All the while, he’s tapping out tweets and texts on his phone.

High above the table, ESPN has a countdown clock ticking down to 4 p.m., when free agency will actually begin and these deals will start becoming official. As the deadline approaches, it seems, more and more sources started feeding Schefter info. All those texts he’d been sending out throughout the day are being returned, one at a time.

He reports that the Titans are signing Jacksonville safety Johnathan Cyprien to a deal, and that the Jaguars are signing defensive end Calais Campbell, and that the Browns are signing Zeitler, all within 29 minutes. But his colleague Dianna Russini beats him on the Campbell story and she tweets the Zeitler news three seconds before him, so she wins Zeitler’s 35 Markman points outright. Later, Schefter would plea that they should split the points, but Markman holds firm.

* * *

3:09 p.m.

About an hour in, Markman comes to check on things. Off screen, Schefter finally shows him the big story he’s been working on all day. Markman’s eyes widen. Schefter wants to know how many Markman points it’ll earn him. Forty, Markman says. Schefter is incredulous: Really? He thinks this is bigger than Alshon Jeffery, at No. 2.

“It’s going to be any moment,” Schefter says, then runs back to the roundtable in the middle of a live shot.

* * *

3:36 p.m.

Finally Schefter gets the ‘Go’ on his big story. He signals to Kolber, who gives him the floor. Schefter starts reading from that paragraph on his phone. The Texans are trading quarterback Brock Osweiller and a second-round pick to the Browns in what amounts to a salary dump. It’s the type of trade that happens all the time in the NBA but has never occurred in the modern NFL.

As Schefter had said, this is unprecedented.

The nine other NFL experts look on slack-jawed, eyes wide, stunned, as Schefter continues reading. Edwards stares at Schefter, an eyebrow cocked in disbelief. Wingo can’t stop blinking. Louis Riddick looks like he’s seen a ghost. After Schefter finishes, he leaves the set to do another live TV hit for the basketball broadcast.

Then he gets a call: Safety Reshad Jones is getting a $60 million extension from the Dolphins. Then another call: A source wants clarification on the Osweiler trade. These calls will keep coming the rest of the day. “Have you ever heard of a trade like this?” Schefter says into the phone. “Ever? Never, right?”

* * *


Photo: John DePetro/The MMQB

4:06 p.m.

Sitting in a chair at the other end of the studio, preparing for another live TV hit, Schefter is getting anxious again. Once free agency officially started, six minutes earlier, the calls picked up. Now they’re coming in rapidly, the news breaking all at once. He’s going back and forth between his two phones, taking a call with one and typing on the other. A few seconds before his live shot, his phone rings.

“I gotta go. What do ya got? Oh! Okay, Igotit. Okay, gotitthanks.”

“Hey, ready?” he says to the producer in his ear.

“I’ve got a story!” he announces to the room. “A.J. Bouye to the Jaguars.”

Schefter taps out a tweet as the producer keeps talking in his ear. Again he’s fidgeting in his chair. “I’ve got to get up. I can’t be doing this. God!” He shakes his head.

“And this guy is calling me, too?”

“Can I skip this [TV hit]?” he asks, turning, and is apparently told no.

Schefter answers the phone. All day long he’s been trying to confirm if Riley Reiff will be signing with the Vikings, and this is a source on that story. “I just want to know that. And I’m going to call you right back … Okay, got it.” Schefter starts typing the tweet to break the news and is still typing as the camera turns on him, live.

“Well, we’ve got a lot going on right now, if you don’t mind me not looking up, right now, very sorry ...” Schefter keeps talking to the camera with his head down, announcing the Bouye and Reiff news to the world while typing to break the news on Twitter at the same time.

* * *

6:07 p.m.

The pace has slowed after the initial rush, but Schefter keeps working his phones for the next two hours. He reports the teams that wideout Terrelle Pryor, defensive lineman Jabaal Sheard, guard T.J. Lang and running back Latavius Murray will be visiting.

He breaks the news that the Seahawks are signing guard Luke Joeckel, the disappointing former second overall pick of the Jaguars, and that the Lions are signing Chicago defensive end Cornelius Washington. Small scoops, but scoops all the same.

Alshon Jeffery, he of 49 Markman points, never calls Schefter back. Instead, the wideout calls Schefter’s colleague Josina Anderson to announce he’ll be signing with the Eagles.

When the NFL show ends at 6 p.m., Schefter retreats to his desk. He reaches under his arm: He’s sweating through his dress shirt. One by one, producers and colleagues stop by to chat on their way out, recapping the day.

With the rush now over, Schefter seems more at ease, laughing and carrying on. He even takes a few minutes to chat about his fantasy basketball team with Ashoka Moore, his former producer. “This is my smoke break,” Schefter jokes.

A few minutes later, the cameramen, analysts and producers have all cleared out, headed home for the night, leaving Schefter alone at his desk. He sits back in his chair, kicks up his feet and calls a source. Producer Megan Casey phones in a dinner order—a beef brisket sandwich (“lean, please”) for Schefter. He still has several more hours of work ahead.

* * *

8:38 p.m.

The news has slowed to a trickle over the last few hours, but Schefter stays at his desk working the phones, gossiping with executives and coaches from around the league. He breaks one final big news story: The Ravens are re-signing run-stuffing defensive tackle Brandon Williams. Thirty-seven more Markman points.

Earlier, while on the phone with another source, Schefter had seen the Washington Post report that Washington was firing its general manager, Scot McCloughan. “You know, it’s funny,” Schefter had said into the phone. “I was called this weekend. I was told he was let go. By a very good source. [Washington] denied it. But clearly that was the case. I think he was fired two days ago, and it just got out now. So, we’ll see how that goes. … Anything else?”

* * *

10:45 p.m.

An ESPN security driver takes Schefter back to the hotel. He eats some dark chocolate and checks his fantasy basketball team again. He will lose that week to Mark Dominik, an NFL general manager-turned-ESPN analyst, which will keep Schefter out of the fantasy basketball playoffs. He decides he needed some rest and falls asleep at 11:30 p.m.

Nineteen hours after the free-agency world began spinning, Schefter is physically and emotionally spent.

* * *

Friday, March 10
2 a.m.

Schefter wakes up to a missed text from 11:34 p.m.: New England cornerback Logan Ryan is signing with the Titans.

Jonathan Feinsod and Neil Schwartz, the agents for Ryan, had actually tweeted the news at 11:32 p.m. So in a highly unusual bit of Markman scoring, no one gets the credit for Ryan. Schefter misses out on 29 Markman points—but at least they aren’t going to a competitor.

Kicking himself nonetheless, Schefter decides to stay up and start working. He sends a few texts, checking in on stories. In the day ahead, he will break news that Pryor is signing with Washington, that the Patriots are trading for Panthers defensive end Kony Ealy, and that Mike Mayock, the NFL Network analyst, is a candidate to become the next general manager in Washington.

Before all that, though, a little after 4 a.m., an odd post appears on the Instagram account of Jimmy Garoppolo, in which the Patriots’ backup quarterback says goodbye to Boston. This suggests that Garoppolo, the subject of trade speculation all off-season, is being dealt.

The NFL’s 24/7 news cycle kicks into high gear again—in the middle of the night—as national reporters around the country jolt out of bed and start tweeting the story, poking fun at the never-ending aspect of their jobs.

Schefter takes a different approach. A week earlier he’d reported that the Patriots would not be trading Garoppolo. During all the craziness on Thursday, too, a league source had texted him reiterating that point. So while the Garoppolo Instagram post sends his competitors into a tizzy, Schefter does … nothing. No calls, no texts. He is that confident in his reporting, that sure of his sources. He has other stories to chase, more Markman points to win. And another day of NFL newsbreaking ahead of him.

* * *

Postscript

After the first 24 hours of NFL free agency, a familiar name sits atop the Markman points leaderboard. Schefter has 471.5 points; the second-place reporter, 89.5.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/g...o-the-raiders-winning-relocation-vote-monday/

The Oakland Raiders are going to move to Las Vegas. I am finally convinced of it.

After being a skeptic throughout this process and especially in the aftermath of owner Mark Davis’ deal with casino magnate Sheldon Adelson falling apart around the Super Bowl, there are too many people I trust telling me this has become basically a fait accompli for me to deny it any longer. By Monday night, Davis will be cracking open the bubbly and toasting to his future on the Strip, because with the NFL including a formal vote on Vegas on its official agenda for the annual spring meeting, there is almost no time for this to fall apart now.

The league is incredibly careful about if or when a matter this large gets before the entire caucus of 32 owners for a relocation vote, and the mere fact that a vote of that very nature is schedule for Monday is further indication that the Raiders are on the move. Yes, there will be contingencies involved, and yes, the NFL teams have yet to receive the full binder detailing the minutia and specifics of the agenda items. And, sure, the all-powerful stadium and finance committees will conduct a conference call this week to iron out Vegas’ loose strings before the league converges on Phoenix starting Sunday for the meeting.

But this is happening.

Time for Oakland has basically run out, and even with Davis being of limited means -- by NFL owner standards -- and being of moderate clout, he is about to accomplish his goal of leaving the Bay Area for a sweetheart deal in Las Vegas, however shortsighted that might turn out to be for him and the league.

“This is going to happen,” said one well-connected league source who has been in close contact with many influential owners on this matter. “Enough people will hold their noses and pray for the best and vote this through. Oakland -- and by Oakland I mean the government officials there -- hasn’t stepped up nearly enough, and the league is ready to put this to a vote. And while there is some trepidation about this market, it is going to pass.”

One high ranking official with one of the league’s more conservative franchises said that despite his owner’s concerns over the city’s obvious gambling connections and despite the fact that Oakland is the superior television market with superior population demographics, this is imminent. “Mark will get the 24 votes he needs,” the executive said. “If it’s going to a vote, that’s because the votes are there. If my guy is going to vote for it, then this team is moving.”

There are still some issues to sort out, but none the NFL appears to consider significant enough to push a vote back to May or October. Even with a new stadium in Vegas not being ready until 2019 at the earliest and even with the Raiders soon to be in need of temporary residence anyway, this movement is strong. Bank of America stepping in to finance the deal in the aftermath of Adelson bailing (taking Goldman Sachs investment banking money with him) has saved the day.

Yes, there are some worries about what the debt ratio will be on this project. There are concerns about whether the franchise or the stadium could be used as collateral (which is a no-no). There are some unknowns about how the exact language of the lease will read. But those are trumped by the $750 million in free money coming the league’s way, to say nothing of the relocation fee. These owners are ready to take this bird in hand -- albeit one in a lesser locale -- rather than continue to wait for one to develop in the Bay Area bush.

The other teams are awaiting more details from the NFL on precisely what they will be voting on, and the expectation is that the vote will be contingent on Davis meeting certain criteria in terms of the financial of the stadium and debts, etc. The mystery of who will actually develop and construct the stadium and the area immediately around it is coming into focus as well, with league sources strongly suggesting that billionaire mogul Ed Roski -- who is thought of highly in ownership circles and who tried previously to bring NFL football to the Los Angeles area -- will end up overseeing the project.

There are no longer worries that Adelson may be a hurdle to any construction there -- given some of the sore feelings between him and the Raiders after their potential partnership dissolved -- and Roski is well equipped to handle a project of this magnitude. And unlike Davis, who grossly underestimated the role of working with and to some degree appeasing UNLV officials in some of his initial dealings in Nevada, Roski is positioned to ensure the collegiate and professional football gods are appeased. “Roski has been working with UNLV for years,” one ownership source said. “He understands some of the nuance here.”

I suspect there will be a dissenting voice or two come Monday afternoon in the grand ballrooms at the luxurious Biltmore Hotel. An owner or two will remind the group, and commissioner Roger Goodell, that the NFL established the G4 stadium funding plan in the first place to keep owners from making potentially shortsighted decisions to leave a better and more populous marker for a lesser one, demographically, simply because of a stadium deal.

But the allure of all of those dollar signs has set in. And the frustration with the lack of traction in Oakland -- at least as perceived by the league office and the owners -- has only grown. The wind is blowing in Vegas’s direction and that’s not going to change now, this late in the game. The Raiders will continue to pitch the idea that the limited population in that area will be offset by the influx of fans from Oakland and Los Angeles into the desert on weekends to attend games.

Oh, and did I mention the $750 million?

It may end up being a very big mistake. Five to 10 years from now, there might be a lot of regret about the strength of this market and its foreclosures and weaker population and transient nature. Especially as compared to the boom town that Oakland and the Bay Area continue to be. But Jerry Jones has been championing this project and Bob Kraft is on board, and Davis has a viable enough deal to present, one he is set on presenting.

He’s a mere 24 votes away from moving this storied franchise, yet again. And it certainly appears those votes are essentially already in hand.

This description says Smith-Schuster is most like a young Anquan Boldin than anyone else. He is an alpha-personality that is very physical, but lacks a 2nd gear out of the breaks....
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/juju-smith-schuster?id=2558149

The Rams were watching Adoree Jackson at his pro day.
1) Rams watch Adoree Jackson at USC Pro Day
2) Rams Adoree Jackson's Dream Team

1)
As you can see in the video above, he caught a punt while already holding three footballs -- two under his arms and a third between his knees -- and it certainly makes for good theater.

"The Rams coaches wanted to see me catch one, so I'm like, 'I caught two with one in my hand, now I'm about to catch three with two in my hand, go get it -- now I've got to catch four,'" Jackson said, per uscfootball.com's Keely Eure. "I was just trying to have fun and show them that, no matter with the wind blowing, I'll go hard and compete and show I can do a lot of things, that I can do more than they expect. ... He told me to stop (at four). I was like 'Alright, cool.' The highest I ever got was five, at SC. I should've gone for six to try to break my record."

2)
Jackson described the Los Angeles Rams as a "dream team," having grown up a fan of the club.
------------------------------------------------------
Do we have a chance? Seems likely that he'll be gone in the 1st round.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ains-to-fans-how-new-replay-system-will-work/

Roger Goodell explains to fans how new replay system will work
Posted by Mike Florio on March 22, 2017

Getty Images

In a move that feels a lot like a President making his case for legislative change to the people before the House or the Senate cast a vote, Commissioner Roger Goodell has sent a letter to fans outlining various changes that will be considered by the owners next week in Arizona.

The letter from Goodell with the salutation “Dear Fans” presents the proposals in a way that suggests the changes are a done deal, even though the changes won’t be finalized until at least 24 owners vote in favor of them.

This means either that Goodell has polled enough owners to conclude that at least 24 votes are coming — or that he has concluded that enough owners are on the fence to justify an effort to work the public in advance of the vote.

Why else, frankly, would he feel compelled to tell the fans about the changes only one week before the changes become actual changes?

As it relates to the centralization of replay review, a topic that has been a sore point for multiple coaches and team executives who worry that this will allow the league office to make decisions aimed at reaching outcomes desired by 345 Park Avenue, Goodell outlined the new procedure that would be adopted:

“Instead of a fixed sideline monitor, we will bring a tablet to the Referee who can review the play in consultation with our officiating headquarters in New York, which has the final decision. This should improve consistency and accuracy of decisions and help speed up the process.”

It also should allow Microsoft to get even more bang for its product-placement buck, with the peep-show approach replaced by an official using the official tablet of the National Football League, complete with that distinctive electric blue case.

Apart from the obvious change to the appearance of the replay review process, the new approach would result in the referee losing final say over the outcome, with the league office having the power to overrule the ruling on the field.

So why involve the referee at all? Doing so eliminates the sense that the decision is being made remotely (and possibly arbitrarily). In fairness to the league, it also allows for an extra set of eyes, which is never a bad thing.

And, as mentioned above, it provides for greater integration of the Microsoft tablet into the presentation of the game. Which makes that partnership even more valuable to the league.

Especially when the time comes to put the official tablet sponsorship out for bidding.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ts-at-substantive-changes-to-game-broadcasts/

Goodell hints at substantive changes to game broadcasts
Posted by Mike Florio on March 22, 2017

Apart from an effort to speed up the pace of the game, the NFL apparently plans to explore strategies for altering the manner in which the game is presented to its fans.

“We . . . know that you feel there are too many elements in the broadcast that aren’t relevant to the play on the field,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in his Wednesday letter to fans.

“With our partners, we will be looking to instead focus on content that is most complementary and compelling to you — whether that is analysis, highlights or stories about our players. All of these changes are meant to give you more of what you want: a competitive game with fewer interruptions and distractions from the action.”

That’s a broad statement, and it suggests that the league will be mandating changes to the manner in which games are televised. It’s unclear where or how an enhanced focus on “analysis, highlights or stories about our players” will fit into the presentation of a football game, since there currently aren’t many spots for doing anything other than reacting one play at a time to the things happening on the field.

It’s also unclear what Goodell means when he says there are “too many elements in the broadcast that aren’t relevant to the play on the field.”

A cynic could view that statement as part of a broader effort to ensure that the broadcasts will focus only on positive storylines, with negative aspects that may nevertheless be newsworthy or compelling receiving less emphasis in the name of taking even greater advantage of the three-hour infomercial for which the league gets paid billions every year.

This particular cynic will withhold judgment on that point until more details emerge regarding the changes that will be made.

RANKING THE TOP 15 EDGE DEFENDER PROSPECTS OF 2017
Former Texas A&M star Myles Garrett tops PFF's 2017 edge defender prospect rankings.

MICHAEL RENNER | 1 DAY AGO
https://www.profootballfocus.com/draft-ranking-top-10-edge-defender-prospects-of-2017/


Arguably the deepest position group in the entire country, I listed 15 edge defenders below and didn’t even make it through all the players Pro Football Focus’ analysts have with Day 1 or Day 2 grades. It’s a loaded field that could see double-digit names come off the board in Round 1.

[Editor’s note: A player’s ranking within the draft class for each particular category is noted in the corresponding box.]



Rankings
1. Myles Garrett, Texas A&M

Myles Garrett is the unquestioned top edge prospect in this class. The biggest criticism I’ve seen of Garrett is that he didn’t record enough sacks in SEC play. If you don’t think he was productive against the SEC the past three seasons, however, you simply didn’t watch the games. Garrett is a freak of nature physically who is still only scratching the surface of his potential.

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"If Michelangelo were sculpting the perfect edge rusher, he’d likely come up with something like Myles Garrett" http://bit.ly/2l8tom4

3:15 PM - 24 Feb 2017

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2. Derek Barnett, Tennessee

Athletically, Barnett is the antithesis of Garrett. Production-wise, he’s the only player in the class that can compare to Garrett over the course of their careers. Barnett’s 37 combined sacks and hits this past season were far and away the most in college football. He also has 20 total sacks in SEC play the past two seasons. The only concern is his top-tier athleticism, but with the way Barnett wins—with power and hands—that’s not a big issue for me.

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Best Pass-Rusher

Derek Barnett, @Vol_Football

More awards: https://goo.gl/Z7vl6C

1:40 PM - 5 Jan 2017

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3. Carl Lawson, Auburn

The pass-rushers in the SEC last season kept a good number of quarterbacks up late on Friday nights. Lawson registered nine sacks, 13 hits, and 42 hurries in 2016 on only 364 pass-rushing snaps. Lawson wins the edge on offensive tackles as much as anyone in this class and makes them worry about getting out of their stance quickly with his first step. He pairs that up with some of the strongest hands I’ve seen in the class that keep him in control of interactions.

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Auburn's Carl Lawson averaged a sack, hit or hurry once every 5.4 pass rushing attempts in 2016.

Scouting report:http://buff.ly/2lLpmSm

8:54 AM - 14 Feb 2017

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4. Solomon Thomas, Stanford

Thomas’ true position in the NFL is still up in the air, and he could very well play a number of different techniques depending on the situation. He was most often utilized on the interior, with 90.6 percent of his snaps coming inside the tackles a season ago. But at 272 pounds, he might have to play on the edge in the NFL. Still, no player in college football graded out better against the run than Thomas. He also has the freakish athleticism at his size that could translate as a pass-rusher.


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PFF scouting report: Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanfordhttp://buff.ly/2mTSSGf

7:39 PM - 5 Mar 2017

PFF scouting report: Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
The PFF analysis team breaks down the prospects of Stanford's Solomon Thomas ahead of the 2017 NFL Draft.

profootballfocus.com

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5. Tim Williams, Alabama

On a snap-for-snap basis, Williams has been the most effective pass-rusher in the nation over the past three seasons. The issue is that even over those three seasons, he’s only accumulated 685 snaps (485 as a pass-rusher). While he’s notched a ridiculous 22 sacks, 19 hits, and 83 hurries on those plays, it’s still concerning that he couldn’t see the field more. While Williams looks like one of the most athletic edge rushers in the class on tape, his combine performance was lackluster.


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"Tim Williams' raw speed off the edge is too much for many offensive tackles to match" http://buff.ly/2mUcWbh

8:40 PM - 5 Mar 2017

PFF Scouting Report | Tim Williams, OLB, Alabama
Pro Football Focus' analysis team breaks down the prospects of Alabama outside linebacker Tim Williams ahead of the 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia.

profootballfocus.com

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6. Jordan Willis, Kansas State

As owner of the highest overall grade of any edge player in the country a season ago, Willis absolutely dominated the Big 12. Then he went to Indianapolis and put up the most impressive combine performance of any edge prospect in the class. So if you’re looking for a player who checks the production and athleticism boxes, Willis is your guy. His biggest issue was level of competition faced. The Kansas State defensive end looked far more pedestrian in one-on-one’s at the Senior Bowl, but come actual game time in Mobile, and Willis registered two sacks and three hurries.

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Jordan Willis from @KStateFB was one of the top risers at the NFL combine.

More risers and fallers:http://buff.ly/2m2bxi8

3:31 PM - 8 Mar 2017

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7. Haason Reddick, Temple

Haason Reddick is another player who may not end up on the edge at the next level, but this time for different reasons. Reddick’s athleticism and size could end up moving him to an off-ball linebacker spot at the next level, where he would obviously be a devastating weapon as a blitzer. Reddick was utilized in a true 3-4 outside linebacker role at Temple, dropping into coverage on 74 of his 322 passing snaps last season. That means that his 43 QB pressures last season came on only 248 pass rushes, a ridiculous rate. Reddick is the ultimate Swiss Army knife for defensive coordinators in the NFL.


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PFF scouting report for Temple LB Haason Reddick. http://buff.ly/2mnw8xx

11:31 AM - 14 Mar 2017

PFF scouting report: Haason Reddick, LB, Temple
The PFF analysis team breaks down the prospects of Temple's Haason Reddick ahead of the 2017 NFL Draft.

profootballfocus.com

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8. Charles Harris, Missouri

Harris is the undisputed king of the spin move in this class, and has some freakish balance for a 253-pound man. His 28 combined sacks plus hits in 2016 were the fifth-most of any edge player, and he has a penchant for winning quickly. His poor combine will drop him down some boards, but the pass-rushing production is there in spades.


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"Consistently one of the nation’s top pass-rushers in two years as a starter."

Charles Harris profile:http://buff.ly/2mHW8HT

5:37 PM - 5 Mar 2017

PFF scouting report: Charles Harris, Edge, Missouri
The PFF analysis team breaks down the prospects of Missouri's Charles Harris ahead of the 2017 NFL Draft.

profootballfocus.com

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9. T.J. Watt, Wisconsin

The biggest concern with Watt is whether or not he’s a one-year wonder. Physically, though, there’s not much he can’t do. At 6-foot-4, 252 pounds, Watt put up fantastic explosive and change-of-direction numbers at the combine. That meshes with what we saw of him at Wisconsin, where he was arguably the most impressive of anyone in this class at closing on ball carriers in space. He’s still raw as a pass-rusher, as a good deal of his 56 QB pressures a season ago came unblocked, but the ability is there.


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"Closes extremely well in space. Great ability to finish plays."

T.J. Watt profile: http://buff.ly/2mUcahd

5:31 AM - 14 Mar 2017

PFF scouting report: T.J. Watt, Edge, Wisconsin
The PFF analysis team breaks down the prospects of Wisconsin's T.J. Watt ahead of the 2017 NFL Draft.

profootballfocus.com

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10. Taco Charlton, Michigan

Charlton is a physical specimen who simply overpowered college offensive tackles on the edge last season. Standing a legit 6-foot-6, 277 pounds, Charlton was a forced to be reckoned with as a bull-rusher and somehow had one of the most effective spin moves in the country at that size. He registered 18 combined sacks and hits last year, despite rushing the passer only 251 times.


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PFF scouting report for Michigan edge defender Taco Charltonhttp://pffoc.us/2m9qezd

7:07 PM - 10 Mar 2017

PFF scouting report: Taco Charlton, Edge, Michigan
The PFF analysis team breaks down the prospects of Michigan's Taco Charlton ahead of the 2017 NFL Draft.

profootballfocus.com

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11. Takkarist McKinley

McKinley has some of the best straight-line explosiveness in this class, and was too much physically for many college offensive tackles. He was responsible for one of projected first-round OT Garett Bolles’ three sacks allowed this season, and recorded 20 total sacks plus hits on the year. The biggest concern for the former Bruin was his disappearance in certain games. Stanford and Washington State both held McKinley in check for much of their games.

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"UCLA ED Takkarist McKinley can rush the passer from either side, 24 pressures from the left & 32 pressures from the right."
- @PFF_Jordan

2:42 PM - 16 Feb 2017

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12. Deatrich Wise Jr., Arkansas

Another “tweener,” Wise’s best position is likely as a 3-4 defensive end. He had some issues holding up to double teams at Arkansas that limited his playing time, but he was incredibly productive on the 488 snaps he saw see as a senior. Then at the East-West Shrine Game, he utterly dominated, racking up two sacks, a hit, and five hurries. He’s still very raw, but Wise has some freakish tools to work with in the NFL.

13. Dawuane Smoot, Illinois

Smoot is one of the few pass-rushers on this list with an already-refined rip move. He also has the bend that makes one think that will translate to the next level. It’s a little concerning that his junior season—60 total QB pressures—greatly outshined his senior year (53 pressures). Smoot’s two-year production as a pass-rusher, however, is still among the 10 best in this class.

14. Trey Hendrickson, Florida Atlantic

Hendrickson was by far the most productive pass-rusher outside the Power-5 conferences. His 20.5 pass-rushing productivity led the entire nation as he racked up 78 QB pressures, second-most in the nation. This comes a year after he finished second in the country with 15 sacks in 2015. Hendrickson’s only knock is level of competition. That concern wasn’t eased at all by an average showing in the Shrine game after the season.

15. Ryan Anderson, Alabama

Anderson may not be what the NFL is looking for on the edge from a size and athleticism standpoint, but he simply gets the job done repeatedly. The Alabama outside linebacker ranked sixth and fifth the past two seasons among SEC edge players despite playing only 670 and 361 snaps respectively in those seasons. He’s already incredibly advanced with his hands and does a great job of keeping his body clean despite limited length.

Class superlatives
Best pure pass-rusher: Myles Garrett, Texas A&M

There’s a reason why Garrett is nearly a lock to go No. 1 overall. He earned a top-three pass-rushing grade as a freshman and sophomore before injuries limited him this past season to only seventh-best in the country.

Best against the run: Solomon Thomas, Stanford

Thomas’ 12.0 run-stop percentage was eighth-best among all defensive linemen in the country last year. I legitimately believe that even at 272 pounds, Thomas could be a full-time 3-technique if he wanted to be. That’s how stout he is versus the run.

Best at winning outside: Derek Barnett, Tennessee

This one may surprise some, but there is far more to winning the edge as a pass-rusher than simply burst off the line of scrimmage. Barnett is excellent at pacing his attack at an offensive tackle and baiting his opponent into getting flat-footed at the top of his set. After Barnett swats away the blocker’s hand, he has enough bend to consistently win the corner.

Best at winning inside: Haason Reddick, Temple

With the juice Reddick has off the edge, college tackles absolutely flew out of their stances against him. Any sort of inside counter or slant wreaked havoc for opposing offensive lines, as he possesses the ability to stop on a dime and duck inside.

Best bull-rusher: Myles Garrett, Texas A&M

272 pounds running a 4.64-second 40-yard dash with ridiculous burst off the line of scrimmage and 35¼-inch arms coming at you is a terrifying package. It’s no surprise that Garrett is the biggest bull-rush threat in this class.

Best spin move: Charles Harris, Missouri

Harris executing his spin is akin to the running back spin move in NFL Blitz. It all happens in the blink of an eye, and while he’s spinning, no one can touch him. No prospect in this class can rival the ease and frequency with which Harris pulled the move off.

Wow, what happened to Drew Carey?





Davis Punched-A-Bunch His Way to Victory on The Price Is Right
By Jim Gehman, Player Engagement Insider

When in Rome…

After the Rams organization relocated from St. Louis to Los Angeles last offseason, Cody Davis and his wife, Ashley, had to search for a new home. This offseason, they’re taking some time to experience what there is to see and do in Southern California.

“We have (our one-year-old son, Kane,) going to daycare one day a week, so that’s our day date as parents,” Davis, a fifth-year safety said. “We have kind of a bucket list of items whenever we go to a new place. After the season ended we went to Disneyland and Universal Studios, and both of those were really amazing.

“We wanted to go to a live (television show) taping and got online and decided on The Price Is Right and were lucky enough to get some tickets.”

Attending the legendary CBS game show – which aired on February 24th – proved to be a long but worthwhile day for the couple.

“We had to wake up about 5:30 a.m. to start getting ready. Take him to daycare and then take the hour and a half commute during the busy time in traffic,” Davis said. “So, we got there at 8:30, and then you probably wait in line about three hours to get into the show. We brought jackets and stuff, luckily, but it was still pretty chilly that day.

“It actually went by faster than it sounds like, but it was still three hours. You’re getting your nametag, you’re getting pictures taken of you, filling out forms, and then you get interviewed (by a producer who talks with every member of the audience). And then you just wait.”

Only nine people out of an audience of 300 are selected to be contestants on the show hosted by Drew Carey. But just as with the Rams during the season, the Davis’ had a game plan.

“We researched online about how to get chosen. They say that it’s kind of a combination between if you made shirts, that interview about your story and how excited you are. So, we kind of threw all that at them,” Davis laughed.

Around 11:30 a.m. the audience was escorted into the Bob Barker Studio and the Davis’ were seated in the center of the second row. Prior to the sixth and final game, it happened. “Cody Davis, come on down!”

“I didn’t know if I was going to be picked or not,” Davis said. “Definitely when it starts getting later in the show, you’re like ah, probably not. It’s probably not going to happen. And even when it did happen, I was like man, I get one shot to bid.

“I get up there and amazingly I got lucky enough to get it which is pretty hard being the last contestant. You have to bid first and I just knew somebody was going to one dollar me over my bid and get me out of the running. But it didn’t happen luckily enough and I got closest to the bid (on coffee equipment and a kitchen island cart).”

After stepping on stage and shaking hands with Carey and Chris O’Donnell, an actor from the CBS TV series NCIS Los Angeles, who was there as part of ‘Celebrity Charity Week,’ Davis played the Punch-A-Bunch game and won $5,000.

Davis and Carey had an opportunity to talk during the break while the stage crew was setting up the Big Wheel. “He was just saying how cool it was for me to be there,” Davis said. “He said he’s part-owner of some sports teams like the Seattle Sounders. I took the chance to invite him out to practice or a game.

“It went really fast. I thought there was going to be a lot of time in between games, explaining what they were about to do. But basically, as you see it on TV, that’s almost as fast as it goes. They don’t stop to explain anything unless somebody messes up, which I think Drew messed up one time and had to re-film one small, little part. And, of course, they edit out some of it. But it was pretty fast and furious once you get into the studio. The show, it was just super fun.”

The Davis’ capped off their day date/game show experience by donating the full money value of the prizes and cash to Compassion International.

“It’s a Christian organization,” Davis said. “They deal with poverty-stricken children, supporting them in the name of Jesus. That’s through healthcare, clothing needs, living needs and also education. We went through and looked up some of the top organizations that kind of lines up with our beliefs and who we want to help out. I thought it was a great organization to choose.”

https://www.thespringleague.com/

1. What is The Spring League?

The Spring League, is an instructional league that was created in part to serve as a developmental platform and showcase for professional football talent. The Spring League conducts its season each year during the month of April.

2. Where does The Spring League take place?

The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia will serve as the official headquarters for The Spring League. The Greenbrier has served as the training camp and practice site for the New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals.

This NFL caliber facility features three outdoor practice fields (2 natural grass, 1 synthetic turf) along with a state of the art sports performance center that contains lockers, meeting rooms and an Olympic weight room.

Note: All practices and games conducted by The Spring League are open to viewing by employees of the NFL, CFL and Arena Football League.

3. How many teams are in The Spring League?

The inaugural 2017 season will consist of four teams.

4. How many games are in The Spring League’s season?

During the 2017 season, a total of six games will be played.

5. Is The Spring League affiliated with the NFL?

No. However, The Spring League provides all player data, including game film, roster information and statistics to all NFL member clubs. The Spring League hopes to establish an “official” relationship with the NFL in the future.

6. Are the games televised?

Yes. All games will be televised nationally.

7. Who are the coaches for The Spring League?

The Spring League has hired some of the best teachers and instructors in all of football. In fact, all of our head coaches, along with their respective staffs, have NFL coaching experience.

8. How many players are on a roster?

The Spring League utilizes a 40-man game day roster for its teams.

9. Are any of the rules in The Spring League that differ from the rules in the NFL?

Yes. The Spring League is committed to making the game of football safer for players at all levels. The League will utilize new technologies and experiment with existing game rules to demonstrate their effectiveness.

For the 2017 season, the following rule modifications will be in place:

• Cut blocks are prohibited.
  
  
• New Kickoff format: The Spring League utilizes a kickoff format which aims to reduce the likelihood of high impact collisions.
  
  
• A unique overtime format will be tested.
  

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...slow-brandon-browner-headed-to-spring-league/

Greg Hardy, Kellen Winslow, Brandon Browner headed to Spring League
Posted by Mike Florio on March 22, 2017

A new spring league launches next month at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Coincidentally, it’s called The Spring League. And it will feature some recognizable names right out of the gates.

Former NFL players Greg Hardy, Kellen Winslow Jr., Brandon Browner, and Ben Tate have committed to the effort, according to a press release from The Spring League. Camp opens on April 5, with a six-game schedule that will be completed before the NFL draft begins.

The games will be played on April 15, April 16, April 22, April 23, April 25, and April 26. Based on that schedule, it’s apparently a four-team league.

Owned by new West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, The Greenbrier built a football facility for the Saints in 2014. After spending three training camps there, the Saints decided to remain in Louisiana for 2017. The Texans will train there instead.

The NFL desperately needs a developmental league that gives young players (especially quarterbacks) a chance to learn via game repetitions. Since the demise of NFL Europe (which had nearly as many names as seasons it played), the league has had nothing. The Spring League will be something; the question is whether it can do enough to survive.

http://www.nfluk.com/news/specialfe...sale-now/d6ca5e1f-c57c-42a7-a8e8-585cc20d71f4

It’s Bigger. It’s Better. It’s Back.

This April, join Sky Sports’ Neil Reynolds as he hits the road for the return of NFL UK Live. Stopping off at four cities throughout the UK, be a part of the NFL conversation with live Q&A, game insights and exclusive insider information.

Don’t miss out – book your tickets now (ticket sale proceeds go to the Youth Sport Trust).

• The Mermaid, London – Monday 10th April

Guest appearances from renowned journalist Peter King and Washington Redskins’ Kirk Cousins.

• Floral Pavilion, Liverpool – Tuesday 11th April

Guest appearances from Peter King, Kirk Cousins and Super Bowl champion and NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner.

• Playhouse Theatre, Nottingham – Wednesday 12th April

Guest appearances from Peter King, Kurt Warner, Cleveland Browns' Danny Shelton and Baltimore Ravens’ Steve Smith Sr.

• Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Edinburgh - Thursday 13th April

Guest appearances from Peter King, Kurt Warner, Danny Shelton and Steve Smith Sr.

I'll be at the Nottingham event.

Is brian quick going to stay in the league? I have not heard anything about him and he had such promise coming into the league . Makes me wonder if he would of been decent if not for Fisher ball

The Rams still have direct needs at C, FS, and WR. I hope the Rams can fill these holes early while also taking the best player available.

2.5 (37) Pat Elflein C Ohio St (6'3 303)


Comparisons to Travis Fredrick or Zach Martin bode well for Elflein. High character guy, which seems to fit the McVay bill. Not the best athlete but has superb technique makes up for any short comings. Team captain and overall hard worker, will step in day 1 and be starter.

3.5 (69) Derek Rivers DE/OLB YSU (6-4 248)


Wade Phillips defense will always take more pass rushers, and with Barwin and Quinn looking like the only 3-4 OLB options on the Rams they might want to draft someone fairly early. He is a small school prospect and has high levels of production and character.

4.5 (112) Amara Darboh WR Mich (6'2 214)


Had Darboh in my last mock, Talented athlete but I think he'd really add a deep threat element that the Rams will need. I think development of Thomas and Cooper would really help the receiving core, but all that depends on McVay and his system.

4.34 (141) John Johnson S BC (6' 208)


Solid athlete with upside. Played CB, S, and was a huge contributor on special teams and could find his way on the field early as a special teams ace. Then hopefully with time the Rams end up with a pretty solid FS as well.

5.5 (149) Jermey Sprinkle TE Ark (6'5 252)


Solid run blocker with pretty solid athleticism. Long arms are good for blocking and still has ability to add bulk to his frame. Doesn't have the greatest receiving skills or skill set, but th Rams should be looking for a TE2 that can be a solid in line blocker and use athleticism in open space. The Redskins used multi TE packages often and I'm sure that will transition over to the Rams

6.5 (189) Ben Gedeon LB Ohio St (6'2 244)


Addition to the LB core with another hard worker and team player. Pretty instinctual but still could react faster. Could be a serviceable fill in if Ogletree or Barron get hurt.

6.22 (206) Jehu Chesson WR Mich (6'3 204)


Good size and is a solid option but doesn't have he same pop he did in 2015 before his injury. I'm not a Michigan fan by any means, but Harbaugh is a great coach who makes sure his players are well rounded and play tough.

7.16 (234) Dan Brunskill OT San Diego St (6'5 273)


Making the transition from TE to OT. A good athlete for the position but needs time in the weight room and cafeteria to add weight the right way. I like the idea of him being a goal line TE to come in as an extra blocker. Will need time to develop but could be an interesting find a year or two from now.

I know it seems to be Michigan heavy, but they produce tough football players and I think each of these guys have a chance to battle for playing time early in their careers.