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http://mmqb.si.com/2014/02/24/johnny-manziel-monday-morning-quarterback/
Here’s (The Real) Johnny - Peter King
He’s saying and doing all the right things, but can Johnny Manziel prove himself worthy of being the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft? Plus, the Niners-Browns mess, a way-too-early Top 10 mock draft and more from the combine in Indy.
*Entire article at the link*
Some highlights -
I am on record as being opposed to the absurdity of having the NFL draft in May. Teams do not need 95 days after the Super Bowl to scout the players they’ve already been scouting through an entire college football season. But you can’t fight city hall. The NFL buys two more weeks of free hype by pushing back the combine, and the draft now fills some of the spring dead time that the NFL wants to control on the sporting calendar.
As it is now, there’s the Super Bowl … and the combine three weeks later … and the start of free agency two weeks after that … and then three weeks of heavy free agency coverage at the same time as pro days at colleges coast to coast … and then six weeks of draft hype … and then the draft … and then offseason workout camps for much of May and early June. Good deal for the NFL. There’s only a month of down time on the calendar—approximately June 20 to July 20.
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“Michael Sam benched 225 pounds 17 times, second-worst among defensive lineman. Seven WRs did more.”
—@MichaelDavSmith, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, after Sam lifted at the combine on Sunday.
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I think the difference between this year and many recent ones is that we know which players to place at the top of the draft, but we have no idea whom to match where. I’ll take this shot at the top 10, though the Rams certainly will have a chance to trade the second pick, and will be very interested in doing so:
Here’s (The Real) Johnny - Peter King
He’s saying and doing all the right things, but can Johnny Manziel prove himself worthy of being the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft? Plus, the Niners-Browns mess, a way-too-early Top 10 mock draft and more from the combine in Indy.
*Entire article at the link*
Some highlights -
I am on record as being opposed to the absurdity of having the NFL draft in May. Teams do not need 95 days after the Super Bowl to scout the players they’ve already been scouting through an entire college football season. But you can’t fight city hall. The NFL buys two more weeks of free hype by pushing back the combine, and the draft now fills some of the spring dead time that the NFL wants to control on the sporting calendar.
As it is now, there’s the Super Bowl … and the combine three weeks later … and the start of free agency two weeks after that … and then three weeks of heavy free agency coverage at the same time as pro days at colleges coast to coast … and then six weeks of draft hype … and then the draft … and then offseason workout camps for much of May and early June. Good deal for the NFL. There’s only a month of down time on the calendar—approximately June 20 to July 20.
----------------
“Michael Sam benched 225 pounds 17 times, second-worst among defensive lineman. Seven WRs did more.”
—@MichaelDavSmith, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, after Sam lifted at the combine on Sunday.
----------------
I think the difference between this year and many recent ones is that we know which players to place at the top of the draft, but we have no idea whom to match where. I’ll take this shot at the top 10, though the Rams certainly will have a chance to trade the second pick, and will be very interested in doing so:
- Houston: Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida.
- St. Louis: Greg Robinson, T, Auburn.
- Jacksonville: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina.
- Cleveland: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville.
- Oakland: Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M.
- Atlanta: Jake Matthews, T, Texas A&M.
- Tampa Bay: Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo.
- Minnesota: Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA.
- Buffalo: Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson.
- Detroit: Taylor Lewan, T, Michigan.