49ers

Which red flags in a player's background are the worst?

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nfldraft

G J.D. Quinn and QB Rhett Bomar were dismissed from the Oklahoma football team in August of 2006 for violation of NCAA rules by accepting money for a job they were not required to perform. OT Alex Boone (Ohio State) was arrested for drunk driving and resisting arrest earlier this spring. Both situations raise red flags on the pro prospects but they are clearly different in severity. More important, they predict a different future in terms of potential problems during the player’s career.

Quinn and Bomar transferred to other schools. Bomar starred at Sam Houston State and Quinn started for Montana State. There is very little chance that either will have any problems in future. Their violation of NCAA rules was an error in judgment but does not apply to their future lives as NFL players.

Boone on the other hand violated the law by reportedly driving drunk then compounded the problem by resisting arrest. This is the kind of absence of judgment that may well occur again. In the past, a majority of players that have had problems involving law enforcement prior to the draft have had similar problems after becoming a pro.

In addition, the Boone … Read more at FryingPanSports

NFC Draft grades

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nfl

By Bill Smith

The grades for the NFC seem to be a bit higher than the AFC.

Winners:

Bears: Getting QB Jay Cutler alone would make the Bears a winner. Adding Juaquin Iglesias (WR Oklahoma) in the 3rd was outstanding. DJ Moore (CB Vanderbilt) in the 4th, and both Johnny Knox (WR Abilene Christian) and Marcus Freeman (ILB Ohio State) in the 5th made this the top draft in NFC. Grade A++

Falcons: The Falcons got great value with their early picks. Peria Jerry (DT Mississippi ) is outstanding. William Moore (FS Missouri) would have been a first round pick last season had he come out. Lawrence Sidbury Jr. (OLB Richmond ) is the best pure pass rusher in the draft. If he ever learns how to play the run, he could be all pro for years. GRADE A

49ers: Michael Crabtree (WR Texas Tech) was a gift from Oakland at the 10 pick. Glen Coffee (RB Alabama) is solid. The 49ers got 2 of my sleepers in Scott McKillop (ILB Pittsburgh) who is a beast inside in the 5th round and Bear Pascoe (TE Fresno St) in the 6th. GRADE A… Read more at FryingPanSports

The analysis of the Cutler trade.

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Fryingpan Sports

The analysis of the Cutler trade.

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By Bill Smith

The Broncos got lucky—real lucky—in the Cutler trade. It is hard to overestimate the NFL owners’ willingness to jump at getting talent. And make no mistake about it, Cutler is talented. But a lot of that talent is not performance, it is potential. And nothing can get a coach fired faster than the P word—potential.

Part of the reason that Cutler went as high as he did was the lack of starting quality QBs available in free agency and the draft. There are a couple of competent veteran FA QBs with starting experience like Byron Leftwitch, J.P Losman, and Joey Harrington among others. So far no one has indicated a great deal of interest in any of the three.

The deal wasn’t all that one sided. The Bears gave the 09 first and third, a first in 2010 and QB Kyle Orton. They got QB Jay Cutler and the Broncos 5th pick in 2010. The first and third picks in 09 was the minimum that you would expect for a young franchise QB. Besides, the Bears received a compensatory pick at the end of the 3rd… Read more at FryingPanSports

To declare or not to declare—that is the question!

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Frying Pan Sports

To declare or not to declare—that is the question!

By Bill Smith

Every pro prospect junior and third year sophomore faces a critical question—to declare for the 09 NFL draft or wait until 2010. They have until mid January to make that decision. The problem is that they will have no idea what the NFL and the NFLPA are going to do about the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The ultimate form the CBA takes will have a huge impact on the rookie contract of the top players in the draft.

If things weren’t up in the air far enough, the sudden death of Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFLPA, last August made things not only much more complex but reduced the odds of avoiding a strike/lockout in the 2011 season. Upshaw was heavily criticized by some of his members but presided over the deal that gave the players the largest percentage of the league gross in any professional sport. He had the ability to get the players and the league to a point that they could agree and avoid work stoppages. Now, the NFL will have to wait for the power struggle to work its way … Read more at FryingPanSports

Before you fire your head coach…

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By Bill Smith

There are a lot more open coaching positions in the NFL than there are qualified candidates. On average, about 8 of the 32 coaches are fired every year. Last year only 6 got the ax so you can look for a few more before too long.

NFL stands for “Not For Long” as far as coaches and players are concerned. “Mangenious” last year turned into one of the dismissed coaches this year after the Jets jettisoned Eric Mangini and his staff. Team management totally ignored the fact that the problem this year was the QB Bret Favre and that was a move that Mangini did not support. He also did not support the release of QB Chad Pennington. Farve did not at all fit the Mangini system which was ball control/low turnovers. Pennington doesn’t have the arm to throw deep but that is not part of the Mangini offense. If management had done the right thing, it would have fired itself. Don’t hold your breath for that.

Management faces a huge problem when the expectations far exceed the results. Just before the fans form a mob and storm the castle with burning torches, the management decides to … Read more at FryingPanSports