Around the AFCE: Grocery List

[sg14]

This is more of a comment than an addition to the list,,

Gotta believe Rex Ryan wants to draft the most hard-nosed defensive player he can find with his first pick,,

That is unless one of the top 2 QBs fall to him

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Tar Heels WR gets look

Tar Heels WR gets look

By EDGAR THOMPSON
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 28, 2009

With a month remaining before the NFL Draft, the Dolphins' plans for the No. 25 pick could be coming together.

North Carolina wide receiver Hakeem Nicks appears to have Bill Parcells' attention.

Prior to the Tar Heels' spring game Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C., Parcells and coach Tony Sparano conducted a private workout...spent the most time with Nicks, considered one of the top wide receivers in next month's draft and a likely first-round pick.
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After all, Parcells doesn't just hit the road to work out anyone. He didn't even travel on the road with the Dolphins last season.
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The Dolphins have needs at positions other than wide receiver, including cornerback and outside linebacker.

 

[mayoclinic]

Very interesting.

Lot of ways the Phins could go in this draft:

- LB: Barwin, Matthews, etc.
- OC: Mack or Unger
- DB: Butler, DJ Moore, or Alphonso Smith/Sean Smith
- WR: Nicks or Britt

Personally I hope they go with Heyward-Bey. He can run deep while Pennington throws it short.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Very interesting.

Lot of ways the Phins could go in this draft:

- LB: Barwin, Matthews, etc.
- OC: Mack or Unger
- DB: Butler, DJ Moore, or Alphonso Smith/Sean Smith
- WR: Nicks or Britt

Personally I hope they go with Heyward-Bey. He can run deep while Pennington throws it short.

Teh Phishies paid good money to sign Oakland's Grove for Center. If that author is correct, OLB, CB, and WR are the "need" options they will be looking at for #25, though like BB I expect Tuna will have multiple contingency options ready.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Scout.com: 7 Points: Immediate Impact

7 Points: Immediate Impact
Ed Thompson
ScoutNFLNetwork.com Mar 28, 2009

Point No. 1
Oregon's Patrick Chung is one of those highly versatile players who could help an NFL team right away as a rookie.
The four-year starter at safety finished his collegiate career with 384 tackles, fourth all-time in that category for Oregon, and first among all players who were not linebackers. But in addition to being a hard-hitting defensive back with great instincts, Chung played special teams throughout his career, even during his senior year when he notched 14 special teams tackles. He was a two-time Special Teams Player of the Year for the Ducks.

"Special teams is a fun part of the game for me," he said during a phone interview this week. "Defense is focus, focus, focus and make the plays. Special teams is just fun, it's a 40-yard fist-fight."

Chung also returned kickoffs late in his junior season and averaged 25.6 yards per return during his senior year. And he returned punts earlier in his career.
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With his ability to play either safety position, his wide variety of special teams experience, and his well-grounded temperament, Chung's drawing a lot of interest from NFL teams. The Eagles, Browns, Broncos and Panthers are among the many teams Chung's worked out for so far. His next workout is with the Atlanta Falcons. And the Patriots, Eagles, Saints and Chargers are just a few of the teams that he's scheduled to visit over the next few weeks.

Point No. 3
Draft prospect Eben Britton is one cool dude who's going to be fun to watch at the next level.

Britton's already had private workouts for the Miami Dolphins, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears. And one of the teams he's already visited is the Buffalo Bills, with more scheduled.

Point No. 4
While some draft experts and the media are quick to doubt Texas WR Quan Cosby because he's only 5-foot-9, they're truly missing the big picture.

Cosby has drawn quite a bit of interest from teams, including the Seattle Seahawks who talked with him at both the Senior Bowl and at the Combine. And the Denver Broncos are one of the teams that recently put him through a workout.

Point No. 6
I admire linebackers who have the instincts and intelligence to be one of those guys who are constantly around the ball, and the University of Pittsburgh's Scott McKillop is one of those guys in this year's draft class.
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At the Combine, McKillop had formal interviews with the Jets, Chargers, Panthers and the Saints. And the Chargers' interest is noteworthy since they are one of the teams that have lined him up for an official visit at the end of the month.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Scout.com: 2009 NFL Draft Quick Hits

2009 NFL Draft Quick Hits
Ed Thompson
ScoutNFLNetwork.com Mar 29, 2009

USC DT Fili Moala told Scout.com that he plans to do a full workout at the school's Pro Day on April 1. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound lineman also said that the Chiefs, Chargers, Steelers, Cardinals, Broncos, Saints, Giants, Cowboys, Browns and Colts were among the teams that he had formal interviews with at the NFL Scouting Combine. So far, he's getting plenty of interest as a DT from teams that run a 4-3 defense and as a DE from teams that primarily use a 3-4 alignment. One of the teams he's already visited is the Buffalo Bills.
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Alabama OT Andre Smith completed an official visit with the Buffalo Bills earlier this month, a source has told Scout.com. The 6-foot-four, 325-pound Outland Trophy winner had created some controversy when he left the NFL Scouting Combine early without telling anyone back in February. During his Pro Day workouts, reports indicated that he looked like the consistently dominating blocker that scouts had seen on film, but he only benched 19 reps. That said, he's still likely to be a first-round selection in April.

Linebacker Russell Allen, who finished second all-time in career tackles at San Diego State, really boosted his stock at his recent Pro Day. With 17 NFL teams in attendance, the linebacker benched 24 reps, ran a 4.62 -second 40-time, posted a 33.5-inch vertical and a 9'10" broad jump. According to a source, Carolina head coach John Fox attended the workout, the New England Patriots showed quite a bit of interest, and Allen met privately that day with the Miami Dolphins and the Atlanta Falcons. The Chicago Bears conducted a private workout with him on March 27 that was attended by the team's general manager, Jerry Angelo, and Allen is also scheduled to work out for the Chargers on March 31. With experience as a long-snapper to boot, Allen has started receiving invitations for official visits in April from teams such as the Miami Dolphins and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

As previously reported by Scout.com, University of Cincinnati DE Connor Barwin has a heavy schedule of workouts and visits. But with his continued rise up draft boards, it's now likely that a team will have to use a first-round selection to land him. Scout.com has learned that a few of the other teams that showed interest in Barwin through their official interviews with him at the NFL Scouting Combine include the Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The talented defensive end, who is also being considered by some teams as a tight end, will also be attending the Bengals' workout day for local draft prospects on April 14.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Per Draft Daddy:

DD.com contributor Josh Buchanan reports Northwestern State wide receiver Dudley Guice will visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on April 13th and 14th. Guice has also attracted interest from New Orleans, Indianapolis, Miami and Baltimore.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Per Draft Daddy:

Draft Daddy friend/European TV-journalist Soren Hygum Hansen from draftday.dk just sent us a great link, full of fascinating pre-draft news and notes, collected from U.S. sources. Problem is, unless our visitors are literate in Danish, they wont be able to read it. Luckily, Soren translated the text and sent us some of the hi-lights:

* The Broncos are looking hard at Andy Levitre of Oregon State, who some feel is the best guard in this year's draft. Last week he had a private workout with Denver's offensive line coach at Pro Day and he will also visit the Broncos. Early last week he visited the Bills. In April, Levitre has visits set up with San Diego, New Orleans, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

* The Bengals and the Rams have both shown a "tremendous amount of interest" in former Auburn guard Tyronne Green. He has already been on visits - or has visits scheduled - with ten teams: Bengals, Rams, Chargers, Ravens, Rams, Bills, Falcons, Seahawks, Steelers and the Chiefs.

* Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets will all bring in ex-Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel for a visit.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

South Carolina tight end works out for Miami Dolphins: USC TE Jared Cook gets workout with Dolphins -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Cook covets that "all-purpose" label Pettigrew possesses, and is working to prove he's a good blocker during his personal workout with teams. On Monday he was put through various on-field drills and given film work tests by Dolphins tight end coach George DeLeone.

 

[mayoclinic]

This from Pat Kirwan on team needs in the AFCE:

Team-by-team draft needs: AFC East

 

[tanked_as_usual]

I'm surprised the Jets aren't kicking Tyson Jackson's tires a bit. Only so often do you get a chance to get a good 3-4 end.

rex ryan's scheme may look more like a 4-3 in which case getting a guy like ziggy hood in round 2 makes more sense

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

London Calling: Draft Winds 11 (where Parcells went)

London Calling: Draft Winds 10

London Calling: Draft Winds 9

And yesterday, Jim Reid was in Tallahassee to work out Florida State defensive end Everette Brown. It was the Patriots who ended up taking him to dinner and hopefully Brown will come off the board before we pick. A player who for my liking has flattered to deceive at times, I struggle to see him lined up at OLB in the NFL, partly because he never met a running play he liked and he can’t play coverage. But as is their wont, there is clearly an interest in getting a look at all the possible DE to OLB converts.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

London Calling: Draft Winds 11 (where Parcells went)

London Calling: Draft Winds 10

London Calling: Draft Winds 9

Are they taking about Brown or Johnson of Ga. Tech? I do not see Brown as being at the same level as Wimbley at the same stages of their careers and Wimbley has not exactly torn it up in Cleveland. (Scheme and personnel may be partly to mostly to blame.)

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Are they taking about Brown or Johnson of Ga. Tech? I do not see Brown as being at the same level as Wimbley at the same stages of their careers and Wimbley has not exactly torn it up in Cleveland. (Scheme and personnel may be partly to mostly to blame.)

The fish fan writing these blog entries agrees with you on Ev Brown, not a 3-4 OLB fit and too one dimensional.

 

[Deus Irae]

Let all the Qbs and D-linemen be taken up early in round 1. That'll leave OT available with the first pick and linebackers available in round 2....

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Cleveland State basketball player J'Nathan Bullock tries measuring up for NFL scouts

Caption:

Cleveland State basketball player J'Nathan Bullock tries to catch a pass as New York Jets tight end coach Mike Devlin defends during Bullock's workout for NFL scouts today.

Bullock's time of 4.80 seconds in the 40-yard dash was not in the hoped-for 4.6-plus range.

"We've got to work on that," said Pat Adams, who has been working out Bullock at the Xpress Sports Center in Valley City. "Guys practice three months for this, we've been at it for two weeks.

"He showed concentration on the ball drills and had those soft hands. He answered all the questions, showing he knew football. Someone is going to take a chance on him."

Representatives from Atlanta, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami, Green Bay, St. Louis, Buffalo and Jacksonville attended.

Bullock said he is scheduled to have a private workout with the Browns next week. A source said the Bears and Rams also want another look.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

The Miami Herald looks at the Dolphish's OLB shopping list.

Miami Dolphins have many options at linebacker in NFL Draft - Sports - MiamiHerald.com

And their NT list.

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/football/story/1000166.html