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Honey Badger pushes draft-night party to celebrate being a first-round pick, then cancels

Written by Brad Gagnon on .

I don't have a problem with 20-something-year-old college and NFL football players partying, and you shouldn't either. These guys have every right to hit the town and have some drinks, especially on big weekends like the one Tyrann Mathieu has ahead of him. 

The problem for Mathieu isn't that he was planning and promoting his own party Thursday night. It's that the cornerback with a poor track record might have lacked the ability to recognize the terrible optics related to a tweet about an event like this:

In since-deleted tweets, Honey Badger insisted that he didn't know the organizers would put the "1ST ROUND DRAFT PICK" line on the poster, but there's a chance damage was already done -- even after he announced later Wednesday that the party had been canceled. 

You can't think that was his decision, right? At this point, teams have to really be wondering if this guy is ever going to get it. 

Considering how talented he is, it'll be a real shame if that's the case. 

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Bills could trigger a run on quarterbacks

Written by Shane Clemons on .

It's generally agreed upon by coaches, general managers, analysts and fans alike that this year's quarterback crop isn't up to par. Still, that doesn't mean we won't see a run on quarterbacks tomorrow night in the opening round of the draft. Here's how that might happen.

The first thing that would need to happen to trigger a run at signal caller would be the selection of Geno Smith, probably by Jacksonville or, less likely, Oakland. That early selection could set the stage.

Next, the Bills' paranoia that the Jets are as interested in Ryan Nassib as they are, as reported by ESPN's Sal Paolantonio, would have to prove to be strong enough for the Bills to elect to take Nassib at eighth overall. That's unlikely considering that Geno Smith is the only quarterback expected to be taken in the first round, but not altogether impossible.

If the above occurs, other quarterback needy teams may begin jumping back into the first round to get the quarterbacks they had targeted for selection in the second round. If that happens, the big winners become teams drafting at the tail end of the first round. Those teams would likely gain draft ammunition from teams desperate to find a quarterback.

In reality, I don't expect a run on quarterbacks tomorrow night, but if the Bills really are paranoid about the Jets' interest in Ryan Nassib, they could take a huge risk in drafting him inside the top ten. Teams need quarterbacks, and the draft is always a powder keg waiting for a spark.


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Jaguars uniform review

Written by Shane Clemons on .

Yesterday, we got our first up-close look at the Jacksonville Jaguars new uniforms. After taking the night to think about them, I've decided to pick them apart piece by piece.

The Helmet

The Jaguars' new helmets not only sport the team's new logo, they're also the only NFL helmets that utilize a color fade, going from matte black in the front to a gloss gold. The result is indeed modern, but it's also not very appealing. Maybe this is a part of the uniform that will grow on me over time, but going for a straight matte black look, to me, would have been the best move the Jaguars could have made.

The Jersey

In my mind, the actual jerseys are the best part of the uniforms, especially the teal variant. The Jaguars have decided to make their all-black uniform their primary home uniform, and that jersey is just fine. The military style patch over the players' hearts is a nice touch that  doesn't take away from the rest of the jersey. The number font is exceptionally aggressive, something I love. In addition, it's great to see some gold accents back on the Jaguars' uniforms.

The Pants

There's really not much to say about the Jaguars' new pants. They're pretty basic with one strange stripe situated on the sides. They compliment the jerseys, and that's about it.

Overall Grade: B

Had the Jaguars went with a more traditional helmet such as the all matte black I suggested, I probably would be in love with their uniforms. The problem is they decided to go modern post-modern on us, and it doesn't work all that well. If we're lucky, they'll tweak the helmets in the future because the rest of the uniform works well.


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NFL Draft Stock Report: Dee Milliner is falling

Written by Brad Gagnon on .

With just one more sleep until the 2013 NFL draft is here, let's take a look at some players whose stocks are rising and falling.

Rising: Tank Carradine (DE, Florida State) -- Carradine was a highly-touted prospect several months ago, but a torn ACL caused him to miss the entire draft preparation process. His rehab hurt his stock, but the rate at which he's gotten up to speed is amazing. Here's a look at a video from his first official workout last week, which took place four and a half months after reconstructive knee surgery:

Now a strong, explosive end who had a double-digit sack performance in 2012 is climbing draft boards. There's a belief he could even go as high as 12th to Miami

Dropping: Dee Milliner (CB, Alabama) -- Milliner was thought to have the whole package. And up until several weeks ago, the versatile 21-year-old was thought to be a surefire top-six pick. There's still a good chance he goes to Cleveland in that six spot, but concerns have emerged that Milliner presents an injury risk. 

Word has gotten out that he has undergone five surgeries, which may or may not be a big deal. Regardless, those defending Milliner are calling what's happening to him a "smear campaign," adding that his medical history has been available to teams for quite some time. Is his stock truly dropping or is it just public perception? We'll find out tomorrow night.

Rising: Jamar Taylor (CB, Boise State) -- A great athlete who had a huge Combine and is small but tough. I'm not sure why it's taken a little longer for his stock to rise, but it's always a good sign when Bill Belichick's Patriots seem to be enamored with you

Dropping: Bjoern Werner (DE, Florida State) -- Funny how when one player at a position rises, another seems to fall. That's not scientific, because some positions are just better in certain years, but things have definitely gone that way this year. In this case, teammates from the same position have swapped spots. Once considered a top-10 candidate, Werner has plummeted into the second round on some draft boards...and I can't explain why. The dude was unbelievably consistent and productive at FSU.

Rising: DeAndre Hopkins (WR, Clemson) -- For whatever reason, a report that Hopkins' hotel room at the Combine was trashed isn't sticking to him. Everyone seems to be in love with the guy right now. 

Dropping: Keenan Allen (WR, Cal) -- And as Hopkins rises, Allen drops. A report of a failed drug test at the Combine never helps. 

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D.J. Fluker tweets about taking money during his time at Alabama; claims Twitter account was hacked

Written by Shane Clemons on .

Someday, athletes will learn just how dangerous Twitter can be. Until, then, we'll keep hearing stories about players saying things they wish they hadn't.

For example, early this morning, former Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker tweeted, the following. "Yea I took $ n college so wat. I did wat i had to do. Agents was tryin to pimp me so i pimped them. Cast da 1st stone."

Now let me be clear on this point. Fluker is claiming that his Twitter account was hacked, and his agent, Deryk Gilmore, also saying Fluker's account had been hacked. It's possible that Fluker's account was indeed hacked, but it's also possible that Fluker simply regretted sending the tweet.

The issue here is that players, both current and future, need to realize that Twitter needs to be used very carefully. Whether Fluker's account was actually hacked or not isn't relevant for a discussion about the NFL. The NCAA may begin looking into the tweet, but for our purposes, this is just another example of a player that probably should consider giving up Twitter.


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What's the 'best' draft strategy?

Written by Shane Clemons on .

Every team in the NFL takes a different approach to the draft process. Some teams adhere to the so-called "best available player" strategy, or BAP. Others declare themselves to draft on the basis of needs, such as the Atlanta Falcons. Still others use other obscure ways of picking their players. The Raiders for instance used to seemingly draft on the basis of pure athleticism, and the Lions under Matt Millen seemingly went for the most over-hyped available player. With the draft just days away, what is the best strategy?

The easiest answer to that question is there is no best strategy, but that seems like something of a cop-out. By that, I mean that most draft strategies can work if they're properly executed. If, however, the strategy isn't executed well, it will almost always fail.

The fact of the matter is that the NFL draft is often a crap shoot. There's no such thing as a "safe pick." The reality of dangerous picks, however, does exist. The Raiders and the Lions, until recently, made their draft day fortunes taking dangerous picks. The Lions simply picked bust after bust while the Raiders picked on the basis of athletic ability instead of football ability.

Of the two predominant draft strategies, BAP and needs based drafting, the needs based style is the safer route. By filling needs with the draft, areas of necessity will never go un-addressed. On the other hand, best available player drafting can often result in drafting a player that plays at a position of strength. Yes, that position will get stronger, but vulnerabilities are then left to be filled in free agency by stop-gap players.

In short, needs based drafting provides more flexibility in the draft process than BAP drafting, but they have both been successful for teams around the league. Ultimately, it comes down to individual teams' abilities to identify good football players. In other words, it's all about the finished product and not the process. Whatever gets you there is good enough, so long as you actually get there.


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How an actual Ultimate Mock Draft would go down

Written by Brad Gagnon on .

Stealing an idea from Yahoo! Sports' Michael Silver here. We take a break from real draft analysis and make every player in the league available in the "Ultimate Mock Draft." But while Silver goes heavy on the quarterbacks, we're taking it to a whole new level. You can't win in this league without a good one, so we're giving signal callers to the first 20 teams on the draft board. The final 12 are just screwed. 

1. Kansas City Chiefs: QB Aaron Rodgers -- Not even a debate; the highest-rated quarterback in NFL history.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars: QB Andrew Luck -- Yeah, already. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are too old. 

3. Oakland Raiders: QB Robert Griffin III -- Yeah, already. Same rule applies.

4. Philadelphia Eagles: QB Cam Newton -- One of the best rookie seasons in NFL history and about to break out. Built for Chip Kelly.

5. Detroit Lions: QB Tom Brady -- I think Brady is worth the 10-year sacrifice from Matthew Stafford. 

6. Cleveland Browns: QB Peyton Manning -- Unlike when he was a free agent, Manning doesn't have choice this time.

7. Arizona Cardinals: QB Drew Brees -- Not-so-shiny 2012 campaign hurt his stock a bit. 

8. Buffalo Bills: QB Matt Ryan -- Only 27 and coming off of the best year of his career. 

9. New York Jets: QB Ben Roethlisberger -- Two-time Super Bowl champion has plenty of gas left in the tank.

10. Tennessee Titans: QB Russell Wilson -- League's highest-rated quarterback during the second half of 2012.

11. San Diego Chargers: QB Eli Manning -- And again, a Manning without a choice this time around. Unlike in the 2004 draft.

12. Miami Dolphins: QB Joe Flacco -- Defending Super Bowl MVP. Dolphins upgrade on Ryan Tannehill.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: QB Andy Dalton -- Has the makeup of a franchise quarterback and better than Josh Freeman.

14. Carolina Panthers: QB Matthew Stafford -- Needs to become more consistent, but he's only 25 years old.

15. New Orleans Saints: QB Tony Romo -- A steal this late, but he's no spring chicken anymore.

16. St. Louis Rams: QB Sam Bradford -- Plenty happy to get their young No. 1 overall pick back here. 

17. Pittsburgh Steelers: QB Philip Rivers -- Another stud quarterback from that 2004 draft, but one who has struggled of late.

18. Dallas Cowboys: QB Matt Schaub -- Consistently productive signal caller stays in the state of Texas.

19. New York Giants: QB Josh Freeman -- Still a potentially bright future as a franchise quarterback. 

20. Chicago Bears: QB Jay Cutler -- They get their starter back, which is lucky at this point. 

21. Cincinnati Bengals: DE J.J. Watt -- They lose Andy Dalton but land the best non-quarterback in the league. 

22. Washington Redskins: OLB Von Miller -- No RG3 but they add the best pure pass-rusher in the league.

23. Minnesota Vikings: RB Adrian Peterson -- They land the only back worthy of the first round, and he's their own in real life too.

24. Indianapolis Colts: OLB Aldon Smith -- Next best pass-rusher, please. 

25. Seattle Seahawks: WR Calvin Johnson -- The most dominant receiver in the game, and it isn't even close.

26. Green Bay Packers: DT Geno Atkins -- Best player available for Mike McCarthy. 

27. Houston Texans: WR Andre Johnson -- Why not start rebuilding with your best player?

28. Denver Broncos: WR Larry Fitzgerald -- Poor Fitz. No quarterback in Denver either.

29. New England Patriots: TE Rob Gronkowski -- Most dominant tight end in the game back in Foxboro without Brady.

30. Atlanta Falcons: DE Jason Pierre-Paul -- It's either him or their home-grown boy, Julio Jones.

31. San Francisco 49ers: QB Colin Kaepernick -- They'll take him back as sort of a limbo quarterback.

32. Baltimore Ravens: LB Patrick Willis -- Not a bad way to replace Ray Lewis. 

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Only Tampa Bay sought Revis trade

Written by Shane Clemons on .

As we begin to get details on what ultimately sent Darrelle Revis to Tampa Bay for a 1st round pick and a 4th round pick (turns into a 3rd round pick if Revis sticks with the Bucs), we're gaining enough information to conclude whether the Bucs won, the Jets won, or a bit of both.

Last week, trade talks between the Bucs and the Jets seemed to cool. The Jets seemed to be under the impression, or delusion, that other  teams were interested in trading for their star cornerback. Those other teams never materialized for the Jets.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the only team ever interested in paying the Jets' high price for Revis. "Per a source with knowledge of the process, it was always Tampa — and only Tampa," Florio wrote.

The Jets' game here is still somewhat unknown. It appeared that the Jets never attempted to make a full effort to secure Revis' services after it appeared he was unhappy with the situation in New York. Revis accepting a contract with no guaranteed money from the Buccaneers seems to confirm that point.

Still, the Jets may have gotten off easy. Being the only team interested in trading for a player the Jets weren't willing to pay, the Buccaneers paid a higher price than I would have thought an injured cornerback would warrant. The good news is that the only risk the Bucs have in he deal is the draft picks they sacrificed to trade for Revis.

We won't know who "won" in this trade for some time; specifically, we won't know until Revis proves himself or falls flat, but at this point, it looks like both teams made moves that were less than ideal for their franchises.


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Darrelle Revis to Bucs trade seems imminent

Written by Shane Clemons on .

After a long period of going back and forth, it appears that the Buccaneers and the Jets have the general terms of a trade that would bring Darrelle Revis to Tampa Bay.

Yahoo's Jason Cole is reporting that the Buccaneers and the Jets have come to an agreement on the framework of a trade that would send cornerback Darrelle Revis from New York to Tampa Bay.

The report doesn't give us the specifics of a potential trade, but it certainly involves a very steep price. That price tag will likely cost the Buccaneers a first round pick, whether it's this season or next offseason's pick.

At face value, this is a win, win deal. Darrelle Revis would have likely voided the rest of his contract after the 2013 season, freeing him up to sign on with a new team during free agency in 2014. By unloading him now, the Jets were able to capitalize on his high value as a player. For the Buccaneers, Revis gives them an elite shutdown corner. If Revis makes a full comeback from his ACL injury, he may be the best cornerback in the league.

In the short term, the trade will help the Buccaneers become more competitive, but I have to wonder if the terms of the trade won't favor the Jets over the long haul. Essentially, the Buccaneers will be giving up a lot of draft value for a player that may never be the same again. It's a risk the Bucs are apparently willing to take.


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Sanchez thinks Jets brought the 'circus' on themselves

Written by Shane Clemons on .

The Jets had more distractions last season than any other team in the NFL. Their "circus" was a result of unrealistic expectations and unneeded distractions from the media and fans. Tim Tebow didn't help matters any.

In an interview with Fox Sports Radio's Petros and Money show, Mark Sanchez took what is perhaps a parting shot at Tim Tebow. While Tebow remains with the team at the moment, it seems very unlikely the Jets would keep him on their roster for another season.

"I just don’t know if it was the best situation for either of us, but you play with the cards you are dealt with and do the very best you can," Sanchez said in regard to the media's coverage of Tim Tebow [via the New York Daily News]. "Well, I think part of that, too, is ESPN didn’t necessarily sneak in overnight at our training camp. They had to get permission to go. You can avoid that stuff on your own if you like, in my opinion, but he’s a popular guy and people gravitate towards the guy."

"He’s a special person and a heck of a competitor, so people want to know what’s going on, but that’s all I got on that."

In other words, the Jets should have avoided bringing Tim Tebow into the fold in the first place. While everyone is aware that Tim Tebow is a good guy, he's a distraction that, for my money, should be avoided by every single team in the NFL. He just brings too much media hype for the production. He's just not worth it, and the Jets figured that out the hard way.


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