Early look at 2011 NFL draft

[Deadlift]

After watching the program, I believe in Jake Locker a little more. What a run Washington went on, capped off by their Bowl win.

Man, Scam is so full of hisself!

 

[celticdb15]

Locker, Gabbert, and Malletare quite a talented trio. I believe in all 3 of these guys. Guarantee that these 3 along with Andy Dalton and Ricky Stanzi will be good NFL QBs. Taylor and Newton will be lucky to still be in the league4 years from now. I have doubts about both of them becoming even solid NFL Qbs. Edited by: celticdb15

 

[Deadlift]

When it comes to Tyrod Taylor, some college teams felt they didn't have the personnel to attack him. In the NFL, though, he will be attacked.. successfully!

 

[Highlander]

<h1>Great memory turns Gabbert into top prospect

</h1>
<div><div rel="dc:creator">
<div>

By Les Carpenter</span>, Yahoo! Sports</span>
Apr 19, 12:14 pm EDT</div></div></div>

Blaine Gabbert rattled through math problems so easily as a child, remembering
everything from multiplication tables to batting averages, that his
mother, Bev, began to imagine something magnificent going on in her
oldest son's head.


"He's almost got a photographic memory,"Â she says over the phone from the family house just outside St. Louis.


This is the attribute that might just take Gabbert far in his pursuit
to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. He already has those other
things the NFL desires: standing 6-foot-5 with the ability to fling the
ball three-quarters of the field in the air. But it is his mind that
might push him farther, for in the complex world of football offenses
little matters more than memory.




"Once you say it to him it is set in stone,"Â says
David Yost, University of Missouri offensive coordinator and quarterback
coach. "His ability to process the information is amazing. You give it
to him, he retains it."Â


The NFL has all kinds of tricks designed to test a quarterback's
intelligence. Over the past few weeks, as Gabbert has talked to the
teams that need a quarterback in this draft â€" Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins
â€" the challenges have come out. Teams have handed him pens and asked
him to draw from memory his offense from college. Then they dictate the
elements of their own offense, often one he has never seen before. After
he has scribbled this on the same board, they erase it and tell him to
write it all over again.



<div style="width: 220px;">

<div>Gabbert shows off wheels at the combine.

(US Presswire)</span>
</div></div>



Here is where the NFL men learn about the minds of their future
passers. Can they learn fast? Can they adjust? Ultimately the result is
often more important than if the quarterback can hit a receiver on the
dead run with a 65-yard throw.


And the reports that have trickled back to Missouri where Gabbert
played quarterback are that he has dazzled with his ability to decipher
offenses. And it is probably the biggest reason he has risen as a junior
who left college early to one of the top two quarterbacks taken in next
week's NFL draft.


"I guess I'm good at remembering and picking things up quickly,"Â
Gabbert says over the phone with a bit of an embarrassed laugh. "I've
always retained things quickly."Â


Few characteristics are greater for NFL quarterbacks than their mind.
Offenses have become so complex, with so many different variations and
adjustments made each week that a quarterback who can understand what is
going on becomes invaluable. The 700-page playbook Al Saunders
introduced to the Washington Redskins when he was hired as their
offensive coordinator in 2006 immediately became legend around the
league, until it was revealed that 700 pages was actually normal for an
NFL team and that Saunders' book might really run closer to 1,000 pages
with all the other options the plays demanded. Many others are similar
in size.



<div style="width: 120px;">

<div>David Yost

(US Presswire)</span>
</div></div>



At Missouri, Yost sometimes changed the Tigers' offense depending on
the team they were playing, a common adjustment professional teams make.
He learned early that Gabbert, who reportedly scored 42 out of 50 on the Wonderlic test
during the NFL scouting combine, could handle the change. Where most
quarterbacks he worked with usually needed to see the play on a board or
have it explained with video, Blaine almost always understood when the
play was first described.


For instance, while preparing for the Insight.com Bowl against Iowa
late last year, Yost mentioned a particular red zone defense Iowa likes
to play to Gabbert and quickly offered a solution. Later that day, in
practice, a red-zone situation arose and Gabbert immediately made the
change even though it was something he had barely discussed with Yost
hours before.


Subtle emergence


In an autumn where the quarterback news was dominated by Stanford's senior-to-be Andrew Luck and Auburn's Cam Newton,
who might be the most scrutinized Heisman Trophy winner in years,
Gabbert was an afterthought. His Missouri Tigers won 10 games yet he was
never much in the conversation as a first-round draft pick for this
spring. He could throw long but he played in Missouri's spread offense
in which the quarterback is almost always in the shotgun. It's the kind
of offense that's generally perceived not to translate well to the NFL.


So in many ways Gabbert is kind of a new discovery. Obviously the
pros knew about him. but they didn't seem to understand exactly what
they were getting. One big misconception is that he was not fast or
athletic compared to Newton who can tear down the field. Lanky with
blonde locks that spill out from beneath his helmet, Gabbert looks like
he wouldn't be very agile or fast. But Gabbert ran a 4.62 40 yard dash
at the combine and is, if nothing else, elusive. At Missouri he rushed
for 458 yards.


He also knows how to play under center having worked since midway
through high school with a private quarterback coach Skip Stitzell, who
often drove to the Gabbert's St. Louis-area home. Stitzell only
instructed Blaine on running a pro-style offense â€" even while Gabbert
was in college â€" figuring it to be the best base from which to learn.


"I have a joke with Blaine that everyone says he's going to have to
learn to stand under center and do three-, five- and seven-step drops,"Â
Stitzell says by phone from his Fayette home. "No he doesn't. I think
he's actually better under center than in the gun. He's got better
rhythm and timing. He's very good at the play-action stuff which you
need to do in the NFL."Â


"Would another year in college have made him a better quarterback?"Â
Yost asks. "Sure. But talking to NFL people I don't know if another year
would have made him more marketable to the NFL."Â


So he left.


"The timing was right,"Â Gabbert says. "I know I need to challenge
myself at the next level. From a quarterback standpoint I knew I was the
best quarterback coming out of college football."Â
<div style="width: 320px;">

<div>Gabbert had a school bowl record of 434 passing yards in the loss to Iowa.

(US Presswire)</span>
</div></div>



He does not say this in a cocky way. Rather his tone never changes.
It is something he is sure of, something he believes. He had a decent
junior year throwing for 3,186 yards and 16 touchdowns in 13 games and
probably could have improved on all of those numbers had he come back
next season. It was a surprise to some that he came out, but then,
Gabbert can surprise.


Like when he says that if he hadn't been such a top athlete he might
have gone the way of his good friend growing up, Steve May, who went to
West Point. When the rest of his teammates ask to play the traditional
"Halo"Â in the Missouri locker room, Gabbert insists on the game "Call of
Duty,"Â showing a unique understanding of World War II battles and
generals' tactics.


He says he loves to read about war history, often reading on planes
when his colleagues are more likely to be sleeping or watching movies.
His favorite book is "Lone Survivor"Â by Marcus Luttrell, the story of a
Navy SEAL who was the only member of a four-man team to live through an
attack in Afghanistan.


In a league where coaches often look to the memoirs of military
leaders for inspiration, Gabbert's interests will undoubtedly be an
asset. As will his memory.


"He's the smartest guy I've ever worked with,"Â Yost says.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=lc-carpenter_memory_improves_gabbert_stock_041911

Edited by: Highlander

 

[devans]

The most telling part of a good article is...

"Lanky with blonde locks that spill out from beneath his helmet, Gabbert looks like he wouldn't be very agile or fast."

 

[Don Wassall]

Here's another article that gently broaches the subject of racial stereotypes in a way that isn't nearly as rare as it used to be. Credit to CF? Why not! But I'd say this kid has about as much chance to be drafted as record-setting WR David Ball had a few years ago.

Monmouth's Chris Hogan goes from little-known receiver to buzzed-about NFL Draft prospect

By Mike Garafolo/The Star-Ledger

Chris Hogan was away from the football field for four years. When he returned last fall, his time on offense was limited. He doesn't have the statistics, the experience or the game film to garner attention as a top prospect.



And then, there's the other reason he believes some scouts are telling him he'll be an NFL safety, not a wide receiver.


"Uh, probably, well, not to be ..."Â Hogan stammered, trying to be politically correct on the issue before finally letting it fly with a chuckle: "Because I'm white."Â


With the NFL Draft set to begin a week from today, Hogan might be a long shot to hear his name called. Truth is it has little to do with his skin tone and more to do with the fact that, until the early part of last month, few scouts had even heard of him.


A former all-conference lacrosse player at Penn State, he played only one year as a receiver and cornerback for Monmouth. The 6-2, 220-pound Hogan had just 12 receptions, but three of them were touchdowns and he had three interceptions. Still, he wasn't anywhere near NFL teams' radars.


That is, until he ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, blew away the competition in the other speed drills and bench-pressed 225 pounds 28 times at Fordham's pro day March 8. Each of those figures would have put him at, or near, the top of the receivers who worked out at the NFL Scouting Combine.


"I always tell people Chris and ‘Cush' are two of the best athletes I've ever trained," said Joe DeFranco, owner of DeFranco's Training in Wyckoff, in reference to Hogan and Texans linebacker Brian Cushing, a Bergen Catholic grad.


"He's just an all-around athlete. And he's not a lacrosse player trying to play football; he's a football player who took a couple of years off."Â


That's a statement teams are scrambling to verify right now. Hogan attended local workouts for the Giants and Jets â€" the Giants, by all accounts, were wowed â€" and has fielded multiple calls from the Colts and 49ers. He is scheduled to work out Monday for the Eagles and expects to hear from a few others by this time next week.


A Browns scout also put Hogan through the paces at a park in Franklin Lakes after they couldn't secure the field at Ramapo High School, where Hogan was a first-team All-State selection by The Star-Ledger in football and lacrosse.



"Cleveland wasn't at Fordham and they weren't at Rutgers the next day when all the scouts were still talking about Chris, so I asked the Browns guy how he had heard of him," said Hogan's agent, Art Weiss. "He told me, ‘Everybody's heard of this guy.' "Â


Perhaps those in the NFL would have heard about Hogan a lot sooner if he had played four years of major college football. He was offered scholarships to a handful of Division 1 schools, including Rutgers, Temple, UConn and Akron but opted for Penn State and lacrosse.


"I had more influences on me playing lacrosse than I did have people telling me to play football,"Â Hogan said. "If I could go back four years, I would have absolutely played football."Â


Hogan felt the pangs of regret when he attended Nittany Lions games, imagining himself on the field instead of being one of more than 100,000 fans. He considered being a walk-on a few times, but the lacrosse coaches were adamantly opposed.


So when Hogan realized he could obtain a fifth year of eligibility to play football, he hatched a plan to head to Syracuse. Though the Orange's coaches wanted Hogan, he didn't get into the Newhouse School of Public Communications. Instead, he headed to Monmouth University for a political science/communications masters program he eventually determined "wasn't for me."Â


But the football field was. In his first game, on his first offensive play, he ran a post pattern for a 17-yard touchdown.


"That was a pretty cool moment,"Â Hogan said, "because I hadn't scored a touchdown in four years."Â


In his first game as a starter on defense â€" a blowout victory over Duquesne â€" Hogan had a pair of interceptions. He was also a standout on special teams and a backup kicker and punter.



"Scouts say, ‘Well, if he's so good, why did he only play 13 plays a game on offense?' " said Monmouth offensive coordinator Scott Van Zile, who recommended Hogan start for an injury-depleted defense despite the fact it would limit his reps at receiver. "I tell them since Miles (Austin), we've had good receivers but not great receivers who can flat-out win 1-on-1s, so we're a concept-based passing team and the ball finds the open receiver.


"But had we known what this kid was or had him for another year, we would have made him the focal point and there's no doubt he would be the conference player of the year because there's no one in the conference like him."Â


Monmouth cornerback Jose Gumbs, the 2009 NEC defensive player of the year, has covered Austin during offseason workouts with the Cowboys receiver and former Hawks standout.


"Chris is the real deal, Coach,"Â Gumbs has told Van Zile.


Last fall, Hogan, 23, began to think he had a shot at the NFL, though perhaps only as a body during training camp. Now, based on the feedback he's gotten from teams, he thinks he could hear his name called next weekend.


As a wide receiver. You know, one with "deceptive speed, a high motor, reliable hands,"Â and all of those stereotypes.


"I just need someone to give me a shot,"Â he said. "Just look past everything else, let me run routes and catch the football. I guarantee I can do it just as good as anyone else can."Â


Mike Garafolo: mgarafolo@starledger.com
http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2011/04/monmouths_chris_hogan_goes_fro.html

 

[Truthteller]

Here's another article that gently broaches the subject of racial stereotypes in a way that isn't nearly as rare as it used to be. Credit to CF? Why not! But I'd say this kid has about as much chance to be drafted as record-setting WR David Ball had a few years ago.

Kind of sounds like the Ethan Kilmer story and he was drafted in round 7, so perhaps Hogan has a chance? I don't really follow college ball as much as others, but I do follow these guys once they become NFL prospects and the draft rolls around. I believe Kilmer was noted as a great special teams player at Penn State, which no doubt helped him. Not sure Hogan even played special teams at his FCS school.

But the stories are very similar: Unbelievable athletes thatwere skewed to'other sports' out of high school, no doubt due to the caste system. Both athletes eventually got the 'itch' to play football after a few years and were great talents, who rarely stood out in football because they took up the sport as juniors or seniors and were not allowed to play much. Bothwere/areworkout freaks.


Giants drafted a tailback in 1999 (Sean Bennett), who was sort of like this too...his career got off to great start. He started over current neo-con puppetTiki Barber as a rookie, but was injured early when ESPN jack@ss Ted Bruschi cheap shoted him on the knee. He's eventually missed 2 seasons due to that hit and was done.

 

[Don Wassall]

Here's another article that gently broaches the subject of racial stereotypes in a way that isn't nearly as rare as it used to be. Credit to CF? Why not! But I'd say this kid has about as much chance to be drafted as record-setting WR David Ball had a few years ago.

Kind of sounds like the Ethan Kilmer story and he was drafted in round 7, so perhaps Hogan has a chance? I don't really follow college ball as much as others, but I do follow these guys once they become NFL prospects and the draft rolls around. I believe Kilmer was noted as a great special teams player at Penn State, which no doubt helped him. Not sure Hogan even played special teams at his FCS school.

But the stories are very similar: Unbelievable athletes thatwere skewed to'other sports' out of high school, no doubt due to the caste system. Both athletes eventually got the 'itch' to play football after a few years and were great talents, who rarely stood out in football because they took up the sport as juniors or seniors and were not allowed to play much. Bothwere/areworkout freaks.


Giants drafted a tailback in 1999 (Sean Bennett), who was sort of like this too...his career got off to great start. He started over current neo-con puppetTiki Barber as a rookie, but was injured early when ESPN jack@ss Ted Bruschi cheap shoted him on the knee. He's eventually missed 2 seasons due to that hit and was done.

DraftDaddy, which is where I found the link to the story about Hogan, titles it, "Little known Monmouth receiver Chris Hogan, an ex-Penn State lacrosse player, hopes to become a modern day Bill Schroeder."

Hogan and Schroeder are both tall and are superb athletes -- Schroder was one of the top 30 decathletes in the country in the early '90s--and both played at small schools. So many immensely talented White football players are forced to go the small college route because of the grotesque, systematic racial discrimination they face from the big programs when it comes to being recruited and offered scholarships out of high school. Schroeder was kicked aroundthe NFL likea junkyard dog but eventually had three successful seasons in a row as the Packers' number two receiver(and was the most hated player in the league while he played, perhaps the most irrationally hated Whitefootball playerever, which is saying a lot).

Hopefully a team will take a flyer on Hogan, but even with as much as Schroeder had to go through in the NFL he was quite the exception as the vast majority of White receivers from small schools never get an opportunity as a pro.

 

[Thrashen]

<div>Giants drafted a tailback in 1999 (Sean Bennett), who was sort of like this too...his career got off to great start. He started over current neo-con puppet Tiki Barber as a rookie, but was injured early when ESPN jack@ss Ted Bruschi cheap shoted him on the knee. He's eventually missed 2 seasons due to that hit and was done.</div>
<div> </div>

Yes, I remember that villainous cheap shot quite well. It was Bennett's third consecutive start at halfback for the Giants (as a rookie) in 1999. Bennett took a pitch-out and Bruschi violently speared his helmet into Bennett's right knee.

Bruschi has been nothing accept for a Casteon rat fink on ESPN's "NFL Live."Â￾ He talks like a dim-witted street thug wigger, he's bosom buddies with the perpetually-Afrocentric Mark Schlereth, and once became irate at Eagles fans for their anger towards team management in the wake of signing Michael Vick in 2009. Bruschi lamented that Vick "is a changed man and deserves a second chance!"Â￾Edited by: Thrashen

 

[foobar75]

Interesting, each of the 32 2nd rounds picks will be announced by a former player from their respective teams:

http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/nflbuzz/msn/32_former_nfl_players_to_announce_draft_picks/4602150

The only White players I see here are Brad Hoover, John Lynch, Jim Taylor, and Dwight Clark. Taking Anthony Munoz out from CIN, that leaves 27 former players, all black, taking part. So, they couldn't get Jim Kelly for Buffalo, Moose Johnston for DAL, Dan Marino for MIA, Jack Lambert for PIT, Kurt Warner for STL, Joe Jacoby for WAS, Dick Butkus for CHI, etc, etc?

Typical NFL, so no surprises here.

Edited by: foobar75

 

[whiteathlete33]

I was reading my local paper this morning and according to them 3 of the top offensive tackles are white, the top two centers are black and the top three guards are black as well. Pretty familiar stuff.

 

[snow]

actually its usually the other way around, black tackles and white guards/centers. Mike Pouncey is rated the top c/g and all of a sudden hes going to be a top pick even though a guard/center hasn't gone as high as he is projected in years. It must be that magical skin. Hes not even as talented as his twin who was average as a starter in Pittsburgh but made a couple of nice moves to the second level on a few plays and was voted in the top. Doug Legursky came in with no drop off in play but nobody mentions this.

 

[whiteathlete33]

actually its usually the other way around, black tackles and white guards/centers. Mike Pouncey is rated the top c/g and all of a sudden hes going to be a top pick even though a guard/center hasn't gone as high as he is projected in years. It must be that magical skin. Hes not even as talented as his twin who was average as a starter in Pittsburgh but made a couple of nice moves to the second level on a few plays and was voted in the top. Doug Legursky came in with no drop off in play but nobody mentions this.

They list Rodney Hudson and Pouncey as the two best centers.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

While NFL offensive lines and the QB position have gotten darker, LB, and DE on defense have gotten whiter (safety may be on the upward trend too). On offense WR and RB have gotten whiter as other positions have held steady.

A good benchmark for this year's draft to see if we are seeing improvement is to see if Durham gets drafted after his amazing Pro Day, impressive film- and solid statistical resume in the SEC. Also, my guess is that Chase Reynolds would be a 5th, maybe 6th round pick if black. If he gets drafted or gets a legit shot in training camp as an UDFA it means things are significantly looking up at RB and WR.

If Salas, Maehl, Sanzenbacher, Whalen AND Durham aren't ALL drafted I will be gravely disappointed.

 

[whiteathlete33]

Nice comparison. From Weenieworld

<div ="re">


"Rogue" ex-scout Dave Razzano recently reiterated his
strong opinion that Washington's Jake Locker is the best quarterback in
the draft and a Brett Favre clone.
</div>
<div ="impact">
"He's not [inaccurate] -- he throws a great ball!" insists
Razzano. "It's a low-percentage offense. There's never anybody open
underneath, and he's got no protection. You can see it if you look
closely enough. People are stupid ... If you look at their college
stats, Favre and Locker are practically identical. Tell me this guy
doesn't move like Favre, scramble like Favre, throw like Favre ... The
guy's a winner." Razzano was fired by the Rams after a heated argument
with then-GM Charley Armey because he refused to back off his stance
that Alex Smith was a backup-caliber QB.
</div>

 

[TwentyTwo]

Same here TJR...I would hope those WR's get drafted...I forgot Durham was a Sr.; he missed 09' due to injury..he looked good last year!

Nice find Don on WR Hogan....will keep an eye out for this athlete!

I would hope Tysson Poots gets a free agent try-out??

DB Brian Lainhart should be drafted in the later rounds...he has big time ability IMO...Here's what Draft Insider has to say about him at his Pro Day....A thinking man??

http://www.draftinsider.net/blog/?p=5061

Highly considered safety Brian Lainhart ran 4.55s in the forty, touched 37.5-inches in the vertical jump and completed 28 reps on the bench. Lainhart is considered a thinking man's defensive back yet his marks today could push him into the late rounds.

 

[Carolina Speed]

Matt "Money" Smith,apparently not real high on Scam. Todayon The Jim Rome Show, saying"A. Dalton, J. Locker and the rest of the QB's, (xcept possibly Mallet),basically had more between the ears than scam, while on J. Gruden QB camp, Carolina should not waste their no. 1 pick onNewton!

 

[celticdb15]

Two white athletes to keep an eye on, Scotty McKnight of Colorado and Angelo Babbaro of Villanova.



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<H1>Brooks: Well-Rested McKnight Just Wants A Chance</H1></TD></TR>
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(First Of Four Stories On The Buffs And The 2011 NFL Draft)


BOULDER - Last week found Scotty McKnight lounging in Hawaii, soaking up the island sun, swimming, getting scuba certified, lounging some more . . . you get the idea.


After a previous four months of perhaps his most intense training ever and closely monitoring his diet, McKnight figured some down-time was in order. He's not counting on having much of that after this week's NFL Draft.


Your question right about now is this: Does Scotty McKnight consider himself draft-worthy?


Allow him to answer: "The way I look at it, I don't have to get drafted; I just want a shot. This whole thing is crazy. Some guys know they're going to be drafted, others don't - and nobody can ever be sure where they're going to get drafted or by what team.


"I don't get caught up in the ego side of it, what round I might go in, who might take me . . . I just want to play; I don't care where you put me. If there was a (NFL) team in Antarctica, hey, that's fine with me. It would be a dream come true."


Dreams of playing in that destination might lean toward the extreme, but then again, never doubt McKnight, his work ethic or his passion to play - anywhere.


Since CU's 2010 season ended, McKnight hasn't spent much time on the couch. He returned to California and took up a training regimen he says has him in the best shape of his life. Among the aspiring NFL players he worked with through Velocity Sports Performance were quarterback Jake Locker (Washington), receivers Austin Pettis (Boise State) and Shane Vereen (California), and former Colorado teammate Nate Solder, whose considerable skills at left tackle are expected to make him a first-round selection on Thursday.


NFL teams can (and will) go bigger and faster in their early pursuit of pass catchers, but McKnight presents intriguing possibilities as a Wes Welker-type slot receiver. His college numbers tell a tale of durability and dedication. Over a four-year career at CU that began with him walking on, McKnight caught at least one pass in every game (49), setting a CU record and the NCAA-active record at his career's conclusion. He finished as the school's all-time leader in receptions (215) and receiving touchdowns (22).


McKnight's specialties were running the right routes the right way and catching whatever came his way. He didn't routinely blister many Big 12 cornerbacks, but then he always believed his "top-end speed" was understated and that he was swift enough to make plays.


"There have always been questions about my speed," he said, and to be truthful, the queries about his size (5-foot-11, 185) usually weren't far behind. But McKnight argues that his four-year productivity at CU and close looks at his game tapes by NFL coaches and scouts have put some of those questions to rest.


"I think all my film showed that I was quick off the ball," he said. "I know people have questioned my top-end speed, but when I showed I had it (in various individual workouts), that eliminated some of the doubt."


Since Pro Timing Day at CU on March 9, McKnight has interviewed with and auditioned for a number of NFL teams and gotten "lots of good feedback, really better than I expected . . . it's been awesome," he said. The organization of his dreams might be San Diego (that's not exactly Antarctica), simply because he's from southern California (Coto de Caza) and the Chargers have shown what might be more than a passing/receiving interest.


"I watched my tape with Coach (Charlie) Joiner (Chargers receivers coach) and he broke it all down for me and critiqued me," McKnight said. "Then I met with Coach (Norv) Turner (head coach) and we talked about me as a player; I think he wanted to get a feel for me as a person. I met their general manager, front office people . . . it was all just a great experience."


Still, McKnight is savvy enough not to get too infatuated with San Diego or any of the other teams that have made preliminary contact with him or his representatives (AthletesFirst). Friends in high NFL places - Jets quarterback Marc Sanchez, Titans receiver Damian Williams to name two former USC buds - have prompted him on the uncertainty of it all. In fact, McKnight was at Williams' home in Springdale, Ark., for the 2010 NFL Draft and watched Williams, who had been in most frequent contact with Carolina, get selected by - surprise - Tennessee.


Because of his close friendship with Sanchez - they've recently been sharing a beach house at Dana Point, Calif. - McKnight frequently has been asked whether his best bud could have a positive influence on McKnight possibly getting a look with the Jets.


"That scenario is awesome, but I don't know if he has that kind of influence," McKnight said with a laugh. "I've met all (the Jets' front-office types) and they're all great and have been really good to Marc . . . yeah, it would be cool but nobody knows what's going to happen during the draft."


McKnight knows he might get a call after the three-day draft (Round 1 is Thursday, Rounds 2-3 on Friday, Rounds 4-7 on Saturday) regarding free agency. Nonetheless, he said he will "watch the whole thing and pay particular attention to Saturday.


"Here's the one thing I know I can control: whatever happens, I can be in shape when the time comes. I've never really gotten settled and stopped working. I'm not used to things being given to me; I'm used to competing."


If free agency offers McKnight his path to the next level, so be it. Several of his former teammates also are hopeful that avenue opens. Those ex-CU players who have hired agents include placekicker Aric Goodman, defensive end Marquez Herrod and tight end Luke Walters. Those without agents who are hoping for at least a look include linebacker B.J. Beatty and snapper Joe Silipo.


Three of their former teammates - cornerbacks Jalil Brown and Jimmy Smith, along with Solder - expect to be drafted.</TD></TR></T></T></TABLE>

Angelo Babbaro




By Joe Scalzo


scalzo@vindy.com


YOUNGSTOWN


Angelo Babbaro wakes up each morning at 7, is in the training room from 8 to 9:30, works out from 10 to 12, does his internship at the Gift of Life Donor Program from 1-5, then goes to class from 5:30 to 7:30.


"I'm pretty slammed,"Â he said.


Classes end this week. He'll be six credits away from his master's degree in human resources development.


That's Plan B.


Plan A is why he's doing all those other things.


Babbaro, a Canfield High graduate who spent the last four years playing running back at FCS Villanova, is hoping his speed and versatility will catch the eye of an NFL team and earn him â€" at the very least â€" a training camp invitation.


He knows he's a longshot to get drafted this weekend â€" "Free agency is usually the shining light at the I-AA level," he said â€" but all he wants is to get his foot in somebody's door.


"I just want the opportunity to put that helmet on,"Â said Babbaro, who was named Villanova's male student-athlete of the year last spring after graduating with a 3.6 grade point average in economics. "Once I'm there, I think they'll see my versatility."Â


Although listed as a running back, Babbaro has played on all four special teams units and also lined up at times in the slot and even at quarterback in the spread formation.<NO><O>


At 5-foot-9, 195 pounds, Babbaro knows he doesn't have ideal size for the NFL. But his other measurables are strong. He ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at Villanova's pro day, did 20 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press, broad jumped 9 feet, 10 inches and had a 37-inch vertical.


Afterward, he talked to six teams and took a few personality assessments.


Since then, his rating on several draft sites has gone up. CBS's NFL Draft Scout, for instance, ranks Babbaro as the 47th-best running back out of 190, and the 541st-rated prospect out of more than 2,000. Both are in the top 25 percent.


Normally, undrafted players get picked up within hours after the draft. But because of the lockout, all NFL business involving players ends when the draft ends, so Babbaro may have to wait weeks or months to get his chance.


Teams can still talk to players during the draft so he is hoping to have a good idea of which teams are interested before the seventh round ends on Saturday.


"The whole thing is a little confusing so I'm just trying to mentally focus on working out and getting better,"Â he said. "I'll be looking at my cell phone a lot, carrying extra chargers."Â


Babbaro knows people see him as a longshot, but said that's how his whole football career has gone.


"When I was in high school, people said I was too small to earn a Division I scholarship,"Â he said. "When I got one, they said I was too small to be a Division I running back. Now everyone says I'm too small to play in the NFL.


"But that's what motivates me. It's exciting for me to try to prove people wrong."ÂEdited by: celticdb15

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

McKnight is another guy that probably would be drafted if black, but probably in rounds 4-7. He is probably a great slot candidate b/c of his size and short area quickness. He ran a 4.50 hand timed at his Pro Day which would usually be mid 4.5s at the combine (although it depends on the track). This shows he also has enough speed despite not being a large target to be a #2 outside Flanker WR as well.

Jimmy Chitwood, who was the D III WR who was more productive than Cecil Shorts III and had a great Pro Day, but gets no love? He seems to be a guy who would get a real look if black. I believe I saw the Bears invited him for some kind of tryout already, but I forgot his name already. I really hope he isn't foolish enough to go hang with Hatie! Chicago has destroyed more white skill players' careers than any other team!

Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Jimmy Chitwood, who was the D III WR who was more productive than Cecil Shorts III and had a great Pro Day, but gets no love? He seems to be a guy who would get a real look if black. I believe I saw the Bears invited him for some kind of tryout already, but I forgot his name already. I really hope he isn't foolish enough to go hang with Hatie! Chicago has destroyed more white skill players' careers than any other team!

Tough, i think you are referring to D-III wunderkind Tyler Beiler the touchdown-compiler. he ran a 4.39 at his Pro Day to go along with a 40.5-inch vertical.

of course, you could talk about all manner of small-school wideouts who are more productive and/or more physically gifted than Shorts. Joe Hastings (of D-IIWashburn University), an All-American with 4.4 speed also quickly comes to mind. lightly regarded Kurt Adams of Harding University (D-II) also springs to the fore. a pre-season All-American (playing on a primarily running team) standing over 6-foot-4, Adams ran a low 4.5 with a 33.6-inch vertical at his Pro Day. i could go on ... but these guys don't have the minimal melanin content to make them "real" talents.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

ilooked upthe belowclever, funny video of Blake Griffin (apparently all his friends are White) giving support to USC tight end Jordan Cameron,aftere i read this article linked by DraftDaddy.the vid isa fun spoof of the old Mars Blackmon-Michael Jordan commercials, and in ityou'll note the effortless leaping ability of Cameron. the guy is a terrific athlete.
[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA56v0-Ey0A[/tube]

the only negative i noticed was the below quote from the articlewhere Jordan Cameron belittles himself. this isa far-too-typical self-deriding moment by a White manregarding his physical prowess, especially when you consider the 6-5, 254-pound Cameron was the second-fastest tight end at the Combine (and would likely be faster and stronger than all but a handful of NBA players).

"I don't think I could have made it in the NBA," Cameron said. "I am a slow, white guy. They don't work out in the NBA. You have to be a freak athlete to survive. I am definitely more suited for the NFL."

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Thanks JC, yes Joe Hastings was the other small schooler I read about on this site that seems VERY impressive. Thinking back to how Woodhead almost got casted out of the NFL despite:

1. Being the all time all division career college rushing leader.
2. Running a 4.33/4.38 at his Pro Day and having a 10 yard burst that is up there with Chris Johnson
3. Looking as talented as Marshall Faulk on film and having the best NFL preseason game in 2009 since 1993.

I have serious doubts either Beiler or Hastings will get a shot (and certainly not with Hatie the Black Panther and his Black Bears). We know black skill players from small schools get serious looks ala Brian Westbrook, Tim Hightower, Bernard "Gangsta" Scott, Pierre Garcon etc. but it is EXTREMELY seldom a white one gets a look.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Why the hell would Cameron say that? He might be more suited for the NFL due to his body type, but that statement is ridiculous. I saw that vid of Cameron and saw his measurebales at the combine. His "two step" vertical is up there with Dwayne Wade!

Not saying he jumps off of a full tilt run as well as Wade or has as much tight space agility, but his two step vertical is just as good. He probably runs a faster 40 yard dash than Dwayne Wade as well! Cameron is also extremely agile for his size/frame!

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

"when you consider the 6-5, 254-pound Cameron was the second-fastest tight end at the Combine (and would likely be faster and stronger than all but a handful of NBA players".

This statement is very true. NFL WRs, RBs, Safeties, CBs and the FREAK TEs out there are faster on average than NBA guards. There are exceptions of course. Little doubt in my mind if Nate Robinson and Cameron both took a couple weeks of training again for the 40 yard dash (looking at Nate's sub 3 second 3/4 court sprint and his CB background) that he would beat Cameron in a 40 yard foot race, but he's one of a handful. Some other NBA players I can think of off the top of my head that would be a great race for Cameron over 40 yards are Sonny Weems (a perennial NBA bench player so far), Chris Paul, Derek Rose, TJ Ford and I'd say Lebron despite his taller height.Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins

 

[whiteathlete33]

So here is a little scouting report on Tyler Sash from Northjersey.com. It's typical caste speak.

Tyler Sash, Iowa, 6-0, 211, 4.62 (3)








































































































































































































































One of those intangible guys with more toughness, smarts than athleticism.