2014 NFL Draft

Paully D

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

Just saying its a pretty conservative fan base. Texas isn't exactly the most the most liberal state. I think the largely white, republican conservative fans would prefer Johnny Football or Blake Bortles to lead them over a Teddy bridgewater

The fans don't care what colour the player is. See their campaigns to get the Texans to take Vince Young in 2006 for example.

Aside from that, even if the fans did care their owner has proven before that he doesn't bow to fan pressure which again can be seen in the Vince Young saga when he took Mario Williams instead.

Dublin Red Devil

Paully D wrote: »

The fans don't care what colour the player is. See their campaigns to get the Texans to take Vince Young in 2006 for example.

Aside from that, even if the fans did care their owner has proven before that he doesn't bow to fan pressure which again can be seen in the Vince Young saga when he took Mario Williams instead.

I like the Texans and I don't want them to take Bridgewater. In my opinion he's overrated. I think they should take JD Clowney 1st and take a QB in the 2nd round. Or if the must that a QB. Take. Johnny or Blake.

First and foremost. I'm a Giants fan. We need a good OT. Hoping for Greg Robinson but I don't think he will still be on the board at 12

kmart6

@AdamSchefter wrote:

Missouri DE Michael Sam, a projected mid-round pick, said today he's gay. Story now on ESPN2.

Brave move by the kid, be interesting to see how this plays out. Would prefer if it wasn't news but that's just the way football and pro sports in general is. If he now goes undrafted it could do huge damage to any other homosexual players coming out, whether they are active professionals or trying to go pro.

TO.

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

Just saying its a pretty conservative fan base. Texas isn't exactly the most the most liberal state. I think the largely white, republican conservative fans would prefer Johnny Football or Blake Bortles to lead them over a Teddy bridgewater

Considering a high % of players in Texas are black and a high % of players on the Texans are black I highly doubt the colour of Bridgewaters skin is going to affect the Texans opinion of him.

The demographics of the city of Houston also:

49.3% White(including Hispanic or Latino), 25.3% Black orAfrican American, 0.4% Native American, 5.3%Asian, 0.1&% Pacific Islander, 16.5% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. 37% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race

Seems a wide variety of races in Houston.

mikemac1

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

Just saying its a pretty conservative fan base. Texas isn't exactly the most the most liberal state. I think the largely white, republican conservative fans would prefer Johnny Football or Blake Bortles to lead them over a Teddy bridgewater

The current mayor of Houston is openly gay and a Democrat.

Son Of A Vidic

kmart6 wrote: »

Brave move by the kid, be interesting to see how this plays out. Would prefer if it wasn't news but that's just the way football and pro sports in general is. If he now goes undrafted it could do huge damage to any other homosexual players coming out, whether they are active professionals or trying to go pro.

A very brave move by the kid and fair play to him. Great to see a player stepping up like this and especially before he enters the NFL. I can't see it doing huge damage if the reaction of his teammates and Twitter is anything to go by. And I wonder could this be a 'Rosa Parks' moment for gay athletes in the NFL.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/10/sports/michael-sam-college-football-star-says-he-is-gay-ahead-of-nfl-draft.html

HigginsJ

The initial reports from anonymous players & GM's are not overly inspiring. Most the GM's saying it will be a definite knock to Sam's draft stock. The general feeling being that he will now bring a massive media presence/distraction with him

Son Of A Vidic

HigginsJ wrote: »

The general feeling being that he will now bring a massive media presence/distraction with him

All the more reason for him to come to the Pats then. Everyone thought that the Tebowmania media sideshow was unstoppable and then it met Bill Belichick last summer - RIP Tebowmania.

Dublin Red Devil

It may be a brave move. but it's also an incredibley stupid thing to do at this time in his career. he is only on his way up and this will destroy his draft stock and his money. the teams may not care if he's gay. but they don't want to deal with the enivitable media circus that might fck up their preseason preparation.

davyjose

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

Just saying its a pretty conservative fan base. Texas isn't exactly the most the most liberal state. I think the largely white, republican conservative fans would prefer Johnny Football or Blake Bortles to lead them over a Teddy bridgewater

This isn't the 60's. Not sure where you got the idea that a black QB wouldn't be welcome in Americas 4th largest city, but you're way off.

davyjose

kmart6 wrote: »

Brave move by the kid, be interesting to see how this plays out. Would prefer if it wasn't news but that's just the way football and pro sports in general is. If he now goes undrafted it could do huge damage to any other homosexual players coming out, whether they are active professionals or trying to go pro.

It would be damaging to the sport itself if he goes undrafted IMO.

Dublin Red Devil

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

It may be a brave move. but it's also an incredibley stupid thing to do at this time in his career. he is only on his way up and this will destroy his draft stock and his money. the teams may not care if he's gay. but they don't want to deal with the enivitable media circus that might fck up their preseason preparation.

i could see him go the other way this has vaulted him into the national spotlight and could be a huge marketing ploy for a franchise ala jason collins getting signed when he came out in the nba.

additionally as stated above he is a good player and this shows huge character i would be confident that chip kelly for example will instantly have him up a few spots on his board as he rates character higher than most

j8wk2feszrnpao

davyjose wrote: »

It would be damaging to the sport itself if he goes undrafted IMO.

It will definitely be raised if he doesn't get drafted.
Anyone know if he's any good, and where he might be expected to be drafted?

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

It may be a brave move. but it's also an incredibley stupid thing to do at this time in his career.

I don't think it's stupid to put a huge issue before football. This not only affects him, but also a lot of other players who are in the same situation.

j8wk2feszrnpao

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

All the more reason for him to come to the Pats then. Everyone thought that Tebowmania media sideshow was unstoppable and then it met Bill Belichick last summer - RIP Tebowmania.

Reporter: "How has the locker room been affected by the drafting of Sam?"
Bill: *Stares*..... "Any football related questions?"

HigginsJ

[quote="munstermagic11;88929692"
Anyone know if he's any good, and where he might be expected to be drafted?

[/quote]

On 2 mocks i follow last weeks update had him going to Chargers in the 2nd & 49ers in the 3rd.

Reports are that is slightly undersized & will struggle against the run. He is slighlty caught between being a 4-3 end or olb in a 3-4

From the few reports i have read he is a 3rd/4th round prospect due to size & athletic limitations

Dublin Red Devil

This guy is not established enough to come out in the NFL. I have a feeling he won't get drafted now.
The Jason Collins thing is very different. His career was over at that stage. He didn't play another game after he came out.

It might make some impact to the "issue" if an established player in his prime came out as gay. Say Arron Rodgers. He might get exception becaue of his reputation. but not this guy. He has probably just thrown away his pro career and million of dollars in the process.

Chucky the tree

It sounds like the guy didn't have much choice. He wanted to wait until after the draft but it was already quite well know so they felt it could be leaked before hand.

Paully D

Firstly I'll say fair play to Sam on such a brave thing to do. It's sad in this day and age that it is even news but anyway.

On to the football:

I'd personally peg him in as around a 4th rounder, but wouldn't be surprised if he fell a bit further. As Higgins has said, he's undersized and in a bit of a "no mans land" between positions. Personally I'd see him having the most success as a situational pass rusher.

Syferus

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

This guy is not established enough to come out in the NFL. I have a feeling he won't get drafted now.
The Jason Collins thing is very different. His career was over at that stage. He didn't play another game after he came out.

It might make some impact to the "issue" if an established player in his prime came out as gay. Say Arron Rodgers. He might get exception becaue of his reputation. but not this guy. He has probably just thrown away his pro career and million of dollars in the process.

There's about a zero chance of Sam going undrafted. He's one of the best defensive players in the only college conference that plays defense.

Oh, and go to Auburn, Alabama and ask the 'white republicans' in the real South think of black QBs before you say something as stereotypical and off-base as a huge metro area like Houston giving a ****e what colour their QB is.

You're on a bad roll right now.

Dublin Red Devil

What people say and what people actually think are two very different things. Ofcourse when every player, GM or owner is asked about Sam they are going to be PC and say something positive in the media. But non of them will want to be the team who actually takes him.

Syferus

Dublin Red Devil wrote: »

What people say and what people actually think are two very different things. Ofcourse when every player, GM or owner is asked about Sam they are going to be PC and say something positive in the media. But non of them will want to be the team who actually takes him.

Isn't saying 'something positive' going to alienate all the 'white republicians'? Not so PC by your own logic then, eh?

Really can't see how you think the current SEC defensive PotY could go undrafted because of his sexual orientation; we're not talking about a scrub. Only one SEC defensive PotY in history has not been drafted in the first two rounds, if you think he could ever drop four or five rounds you are missing the mark by a mile.

krustydoyle

I could be wrong but i'm nearly sure i read somewhere that the last 7 SEC Defensive POY have been drafted in the first round

Bateman

He'll definitely get drafted. He'll make a fortune in endorsements, companies will be falling over themselves to deal with him and whichever team it is who drafts him will know all of this in advance and decide to roll with it and gamble on the PR.

He wouldn't have need drafted first or second round anyway though he was a 3rd-4th round pick as is and that's where I think he'll go

Neil3030

I wonder if Carroll and Schneider will take Sam if he's still around in the 4th round. It's pretty certain they'll need a decent rusher with the likely cuts that we'll see in the off season.

Dublin Red Devil

He're how I see it going in at the moment.

#1 JADEVEON CLOWNEY
#2 JAKE MATTHEWS
#3 JOHNNY MANZIEL
#4 TEDDY BRIDGEWATER
#5 BLAKE BORTLES
#6 GREG ROBINSON
#7 KHALIL MACK
#8 DEREK CARR
#9 ERIC EBRON
#10 JUSTIN GILBERT
#11 ANTHONY BARR
#12 TAYLOR LEWAN
#13 SAMMY WATKINS
#14 TIMMY JERNIGAN
#15 HA HA CLINTON-DIX

Paully D

It's way, way too early but at the minute presuming no trades I'd go with the below for the first half of the draft:

1) Texans - Bridgewater
2) Rams - Matthews
3) Jaguars - Clowney
4) Browns - Manziel
5) Raiders - Bortles

6) Falcons - Robinson
7) Buccaneers - Watkins
8) Vikings - Carr if they reach for a QB/Barr if not
9) Bills - Evans
10) Lions - Gilbert

11) Titans - Lewan
12) Giants - Mack
13) Rams - Clinton-Dix
14) Bears - Nix
15) Steelers - Dennard

16) Ravens - Ebron

I'll admit that I'm not too happy with the above as it is too early, but some reasoning:

Texans - The eventually get sense and take the best QB available after spending time evaluating all the prospects over and over and over again and seeing what every man and his dog see.

Rams - Likely they trade down but with Long suffering a serious injury and going to miss time next season they could take their franchise LT for the next 10 + years here.

Jaguars - They'll take Bridgewater if the Texans are stupid enough to take Bortles or Manziel over him, but if not they don't reach for a QB, instead taking the best player on the board and significantly improving a need.

Browns - Manziel's a reach at this position, but the Browns need something quickly at the QB position and are in desperation mode once again. He's going to be an extremely interesting case study, and I'm looking forward to seeing how he does no matter where he ends up.

Raiders - Another reach, but similar to the Browns the Raiders need a QB and take one who does have the tools (in big need of development though) in Bortles here.

Falcons - There's serious work needed on the offensive line and if Matthews is available here I think the Falcons take him, if not they go for the next best thing in Greg Robinson and hope they've found Matt Ryan's blindside protector for the foreseeable future.

Buccaneers - Lots of people say edge rusher here, but I'm going to pencil in the Buccaneers for a bit of a surprise pick and say they take Sammy Watkins. I think Lovie Smith will look sure up the pass rush with experienced players in free agency. Watkins is the best receiver in the draft class by some distance IMO and with Mike Glennon (presuming they go with him) they could do with giving him as much help as possible. Watkins is an explosive playmaker who will win games on his own if he gets the ball in his hands.

Vikings - I personally rate Derek Carr as the second best QB in the draft after Bridgewater, but 8th is reach no matter what. Zimmer might look to get a pass rushing LB, which is a staple of his defensive scheme, in instead.

Bills - I was tempted to go with CJ Mosley here, but I think the Bills could find it too hard to pass up the temptation to load Manuel up with receiving weapons.

Lions - The Lions will be gutted to miss out on Mike Evans so turn their attention to the other side of the ball where they need serious secondary help. Justin Gilbert is the best corner available in this years draft and would be a nice addition for Detroit.

Titans - Looking to the future, the Titans could be in a bit of trouble at the offensive line position. Roos is a FA next year and Steward is playing like he deserves about a tenth of his salary. Lewan can slot in a RT and move to LT if/when Roos moves on next offseason.

Giants - Big help needed at the linebacker position and Mack would certainly improve it. A very versatile player who I think the Giants would love to have on board.

Rams - The way their offensive line is currently set up I wouldn't be at all surprised if they felt the need to use their two 1st rounders at the position, especially as Bradford could do without getting too much damage coming back off a serious injury. However, I'm going to say they use one pick on each of their two main needs and take HaHa Clinton-Dix to give them some secondary help.

Bears - Defense will be the order of the day for the Bears here but in what position? Best player available could be very likely. If Clinton-Dix is here they'll be very tempted, but as I've given him to the Rams I'm going to predict they look at shoring up the D-line and subsequent awful run defense. I'm caught between Louis Nix and Tim Jernigan but go with Nix who's the better run stuffer.

Steelers - The Steelers are a bit of a mess at a number of positions on defense. Jernigan or Nix could both be good fits here, in fact Nix would be perfect, but as he's gone I'll give them help in the cornerback position. Darqueze Dennard.

Ravens - I'll finish up with my Ravens. WR, OT, TE and S are all likely options here and in free agency we'll know a lot more, especially if we add players from a couple of those positions. We could be in a bit of trouble at the TE position if a deal for Pitta gets messy, even if it doesn't we could do with another TE as Dickson can't catch a football. Ebron would give Flacco a trusted target as he doesn't drop balls. Marquise Lee also very, very tempting with this pick.

Sorry I've only done half the teams, but feel free to let me know what you think. I'm really looking forward to getting properly stuck into the draft stuff over the next few months now after that taster

mikemac1

Top work Paully but I doubt the Ravens go TE. Kubiak will have influence and he never used a high pick in that area and still made it work. Owen Daniels has had a strong career and Garett Graham has started at TE and fullback, both were 4th rounders

Give me Marquise Lee in the 1st!

Paully D

mikemac1 wrote: »

Top work Paully but I doubt the Ravens go TE. Kubiak will have influence and he never used a high pick in that area and still made it work. Owen Daniels has had a strong career and Garett Graham has started at TE and fullback, both were 4th rounders

Give me Marquise Lee in the 1st!

I'd personally take Lee too mate, hopefully we do!

taidghbaby

Good work Paully!

Only thing id say is that I don't see how the Jags take Clowney instead of a QB! The Texans had JJ Watt (the best defensive player in the NFL IMO) playing all of last year and they had the worst record, because of awful QB play! And if there's one thing the Jags have on their roster it's bad QB's!

Chucky the tree

Raider won't take a QB at #5.

Paully D

Chucky the tree wrote: »

Raider won't take a QB at #5.

What are your thoughts on what the Raiders do, Chucky? I'm starting to lean towards Watkins if they don't take a QB but then again I think the Rams might end up taking him at #2.

Very hard to call.

Chucky the tree

Paully D wrote: »

What are your thoughts on what the Raiders do, Chucky? I'm starting to lean towards Watkins if they don't take a QB but then again I think the Rams might end up taking him at #2.

Very hard to call.

I think they're first aim will be to trade down. After that it's obviously depended on who is there. Watkins has certainly been mentioned a lot by fans. I definitely think it's possible. Mack and Barr could both be possibilities to but don't really fit a 4-3 unless we try them in a Von Miller type role. Personally I'm not really sure who I want at 5, trade down would be ideal or Teddy. I''ll cry if we draft any QB at 5 though.

Paully D

Nolan Nawrocki is off again. That's when we really know draft time has begun :pac:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000326191/article/johnny-manziel-leads-most-controversial-prospects-in-14-nfl-draft

Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel
Nawrocki's take: Suspect intangibles -- not a leader by example or known to inspire by his words. Carries a sense of entitlement and prima-donna arrogance seeking out the bright lights of Hollywood. Is known to party too much and is drawn to all the trappings of the game. ... Has defied the odds and proven to be a great college-system quarterback, but still must prove he is willing to work to be great, adjust his hard-partying, Hollywood lifestyle and be able to inspire his teammates by more than his playmaking ability.

South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney
Nawrocki's take: Lacks discipline on and off the field and has had to be managed closely since he arrived on campus. Needs to learn what it means to be a pro. Plays in spurts and is too much of a flash player -- does not consistently dominate like he could. Is still immature and finding his way -- too much of a follower.

Oregon TE Colt Lyerla
Nawrocki's take: Overly emotional and prone to outbursts following a dysfunctional childhood that offered little direction and much confusion related to a divorce. Not a disciplined team player. ... Has overcome a lot of adversity stemming back to his youth and defied the odds to become an impactful performer. Talent grades could garner interest in the second round, but past history could easily knock him down several rounds and off many draft boards.

South Carolina CB Victor Hampton
Nawrocki's take: Character will require careful evaluation -- has been troubled by a number of off-field issues dating back to high school, when he attended four different schools. Has had issues with anger management, emotional outbursts and team suspensions. Will be targeted for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties given tendency to talk and taunt. ... Size and physicality will appeal to teams, though character concerns will cloud his draft status and could knock him off some draft boards. Will require close monitoring and has bust potential.

LSU RB Jeremy Hill
Nawrocki's take: Character, maturity and stability must be investigated thoroughly -- has two criminal incidents on his record and is on probation until July, 2015. ... Big, thickly built, athletic slasher with an overinflated sense of his abilities and character red flags, which could cause some teams to shy away.

Alabama OLB Adrian Hubbard
Nawrocki's take: Has a quirky personality, inflated opinion of his ability and carries a sense of entitlement that could be difficult to manage and require a patient positional coach. ... Has starter traits, but has yet to reach the impact level he thinks he makes.

Texas WR Mike Davis
Nawrocki's take: Inadequate on-field body language and temperament -- is usually at the back of the line in practice drills and does not exhibit urgency in his play or leadership traits in the locker room. ... Displays starter-caliber physical traits, yet his playing demeanor and approach turn off many evaluators and could force his draft status to sink.

Florida DE Ronald Powell
Nawrocki's take: Had his tires pumped since high school -- entitlement was an issue as a young player and his personality could rub some people the wrong way. ... Has developmental value as a stand-up rush linebacker, but must dedicate himself to the craft and realize he's no longer the big man on campus.

Western Kentucky DB Jonathan Dowling
Nawrocki's take: Talks too much and shows off-putting body language. Questionable mental toughness. Thinks he's better than he is. Character, maturity and coachability should be looked into.

Alabama State RB Isaiah Crowell
Nawrocki's take: Beats to the tune of his own drummer. Extremely immature and has a history of off-field issues. Can be difficult to coach.

Paully D

Transcript from Mayock's marathon 2 and a half hour conference call last night available from the below:

http://nflcommunications.com/2014/02/18/transcript-of-nfl-network-analyst-mike-mayocks-2014-nfl-scouting-combine-conference-call-tuesday-february-18/

Cracking effort from Mike. There were 30 questions left at one stage and the moderator tried to end the call but Mike refused and said he wanted to answer everyones question.

this may be in the above link but mayock said this is one of the stronger classes hes covered

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2014/2/19/5425152/2014-nfl-draft-class-mike-mayock-best

SameOleJay

It’s a great, great read. Could have done with a better range of questions, a lot of very franchise/college specific ones.

I’d listen to Mayock through May if I could though, scary depth of knowledge.

Paully D

Schedule for the combine:

http://www.nflcombine.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/general_player_schedule_2014.pdf

OL and TE bench press on Friday, workouts and skills on Saturday
QB, WR, RB bench press on Saturday, workouts and skills on Sunday
DL bench press on Sunday, workouts and skills on Monday
DB bench press on Monday, workouts and skills on Tuesday

mikemac1

The transcript of Mayock call is a cracking read, well worth going through

Not much work was done this morning!

Paully D

Take the Wonderlic test lads:

http://www.nfldraftgeek.com/takethewonderlictest.html

I only got 40 completed before time ran out and wasn't really expecting to do well as the types of questions asked in such a test (problem-solving for the most part) aren't my strong point to say the least.

I got 22, the same as Tim Tebow.

Also, here's a recap of how the weigh-ins went for the O-linemen and TE's at the combine today:

http://walterfootball.com/combine2014weighinOL.php

The consensus top-rated offensive lineman, Texas A&M left tackle Jake Matthews, checked in at 6-foot-5, 308-pounds with 33 3/8-inch arms. The height and weight are good numbers, and Matthews should have the ability to gain 10 pounds once he enters an NFL strength and conditioning program. His arms are a little short of ideal, but that shouldn't hold him back as a pro. It was good for Matthews that he didn't measure in smaller than his listed measurements from Texas A&M (6-5, 305).

Auburn left tackle Greg Robinson (6-5, 332) checked in 12 pounds heavier than his listed weight and at the exact height. As long as the extra weight isn't bad weight, Robinson should excel in the Combine drills because he has shown a rare combination of size and speed. With 35-inch arms, Robinson has the length block the edge as well. There are already projections of him passing Matthews as the first tackle selected, and that could become more common after the Combine.

There are some who believe that Alabama tackle Cyrus Kouandjio could rise up draft boards from the Combine. Kouandjio is a good athlete with nearly ideal measurements. At the weigh-in, he checked in at 6-foot-6, 322-pounds with long 35 5/8-inch arms. Kouandjio has the strength and athleticism to be a star in the Combine field work. Don't be surprised if he is a hot prospect in a week's time.

Both of the Tennessee offensive tackles showed excellent size at the weigh-in. Left tackle Antonio Richardson (6-6, 336) and right tackle Ju'wuan James (6-6, 311) both have 35-inch arms. Richardson enters the Combine as a potential first-round pick, while James could go early on Day 2.

Michigan left tackle Taylor Lewan measured out as 6-foot-7 and 309 pounds. Those are good numbers that are nearly identical to Eric Fisher (6-7, 306) last year. The only bad number for Lewan was short arms at 33 7/8 inches. Lewan looks steady as the third-rated offensive tackle in this draft class.

Stanford guard David Yankey (6-5, 315), who has 34-inch arms, has just about quality numbers for a guard. He should fit as a man or zone blocker in the NFL. If Yankey has a strong Combine, he could put himself in contention to be a late first-round pick.

Xavier Su'a-Filo (6-4, 307) definitely fits the body type of a guard. He played both tackle and guard at UCLA, but for the NFL, he would be best on the inside. The Bruins listed u'a-Filo at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, so he's a little smaller than advertised. That only serves to reinforce the move to the inside.

USC center Marcus Martin (6-3, 320) is very heavy for a center. If he can show quickness and athletic ability in the field drills, that could help give his stock a boost. If Martin proves to be a slow plodder, he may have to move inside to guard.

Two tackles are in the running to be this year's Justin Pugh. He was a first-round pick of the Giants in the 2013 NFL Draft after being an undersized left tackle for Syracuse. Notre Dame's Zack Martin (6-4, 308) and Nevada's Joel Bitonio (6-4, 302) are nearly identical in size. Martin has very short arms, 32 7/8 inches, but that didn't hold him back in an excellent 2013 season or Senior Bowl performance. If Martin and Bitonio perform well at the Combine, they could solidify a first-round and second-day grade, respectively.

North Carolina left tackle James Hurst was significantly smaller than what the Tar Heels listed him at. Hurst was (6-5, 296) was two inches shorter and almost 15 pounds lighter than what North Carolina billed him as (6-7, 310). His arm length, 33 3/4 inches, is on the short side for tackles. Hurst broke his left leg in the Tar Heels' bowl game against Cincinnati, so he won't be a full participant in the Combine. Sources have told WalterFootball.com that they were projecting Hurst to the third round, but slipping to Day 3 is possible as Hurst has the body type more like a guard than a tackle.

http://walterfootball.com/combine2014weighinTE.php

North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron (6-4, 250) has added five pounds of muscle from his listed weight. Sources have told WalterFootball.com that Ebron is going to put on a show at the Combine. He is a gifted athlete, so that isn't hard to believe, and it wouldn't be surprising if Ebron is getting plenty of top-10 buzz after his workout in Indianapolis.

Texas Tech tight end Jace Amaro (6-5, 265) has good size, but was tied for the smallest hands of any tight end with Wisconsin's Jacob Pedersen. That shouldn't hurt Amaro significantly has he showed consistent hands with 106 receptions in 2013.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins has looked like a size, speed freak since his freshman season at Washington. He checked in at 6-foot-5, 262-pounds, which was just a tad smaller than his listed numbers (6-6, 266). It wouldn't be surprising if Seferian-Jenkins plays his NFL career around 270 since he dropped some weight for the Combine in an effort to help his 40 time.

Last summer, there were projections that Colt Lyerla would be the top tight end for the 2014 NFL Draft. Lyerla (6-4, 242) quit Oregon's football team in September and followed that up with a drug arrest. His size was in line with his listed measurements, and Lyerla is a good athlete who should stand out at the Combine. The big challenge for him will be in the interview rooms. Lylerla needs to impress there to get drafted.

Notre Dame tight end Troy Niklas (6-6, 270) hit his exact measurements, so no Catholic needs to confess to lying in confessional when it comes to measuring their football players. Niklas is a bit of sleeper behind the high-profile tight ends, but he could easily impress at the Combine.

USC tight end Xavier Grimble (6-4, 257) is another player who has the skill set to be a Combine star. Grimble has the speed and strength to impress in the field work. In a great class of tight ends, Grimble could be a steal.

matthew8

Rushed through it and got a 39 from 48 (or 49, not sure if the last one went through) but I'd say a fair few seconds were lost clicking submit and loading the next question, as well as a few from accidentally clicking on an ad. I thought you just got the questions on a list, and you could just ignore the first few hard ones (I swear I just clicked a random option for 5 of them when I realised I was going slowly) and come back later.

HigginsJ

Johnny Football measured in at 5ft 11.

Paully D

HigginsJ wrote: »

Johnny Football measured in at 5ft 11.

Cowboys have scheduled an interview with him too. Strange for them to do so when he'll be gone off the board before they pick and it wastes one of their 60 allotted interviews.

Two Girls One Klopp

36 from 42. Quite happy with that. I ain't dumb! Would have broke 40 if I hadn't wasted time on the really hard ones at the start.

Syferus

Paully D wrote: »

Cowboys have scheduled an interview with him too. Strange for them to do so when he'll be gone off the board before they pick and it wastes one of their 60 allotted interviews.

Teams routinely interview potential key players just to add to their dossier on that player for the future, be it playing against them or acquiring them. Due diligence also comes to mind in this instance.

Where else can you interview the starting QB of a team you may face next season?

mikemac1

Average wonderlic scores per position from yahoo sports

http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/average-nfl-wonderlic-scores-by-position-slideshow/

Offensive tackle 26
Center 25
Quarterback 24
Guard 23
Tight End 22
Safety 19
Linebacker 19
Cornerback 18
Wide receiever 17
Fullback 17
Halfback 16

It doesn't give defensive linemen for some reason.

Not entirely shocking. Offensive linemen and quarterbacks have topped these tests for years

Only perfect score of 50 was Pat McInally, a punter with the Bengals back in the 70's.

Ryan Fitzpatrick QB got 48. Well he did go to Harvard......

Vince Young got 4 :pac:

DDC1990

Had a good laugh with the Wonderlic.

Only got 38 answered, Scored a 25 the same as Big Ben :P

I'm smarter then the average QB :P

Son Of A Vidic

HigginsJ wrote: »

Johnny Football measured in at 5ft 11.

Just came across this piece on him. He's a clever young buck getting advice and support from 'The Man'.

Manziel is a man in demand these days, and it turns out he's relied on Tom Brady for advice during the pre-draft process.

"For him to reach back out to me after I sent a text message to him was extremely cool," Manziel said of their communication. "[It was] kind of a really funny conversation at first, [then we] worked our way into a more serious conversation.

"But it was really nice," he continued. "I'm very thankful for him to be able to extend a hand out to me in the situation that I'm in."

Manziel noted that Brady's biggest advice was to simply enjoy the process. He also passed along a funny exchange between the two quarterbacks.

He said that Brady once joked, "If I teach him to run like I can, he'll do anything in the world for me. It was pretty funny coming from him."

Brady, never fleet of foot, ran a 5.28 forty back at the 2000 combine.

Manziel is expected to run, well, much faster than that.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots

Alfred Borden

Do Broncos think about getting Manning's successor this year or is Brock enough for them?

HigginsJ

Raf32 wrote: »

Do Broncos think about getting Manning's successor this year or is Brock enough for them?

I would doubt it very much that they would draft a QB. They have plenty of needs & are in a "win now" situation