Does Size Really Matter....for QB's in the NFL? Pt.2

By:  Bobby Shores

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My New Favorite Football Book

With NFL training camps about to open up (or just opening up, depending on when this gets finished and posted) I decided to write a series (or article depending on time and content) about current trends that we are seeing in the NFL, and I am going to try and go beyond the obvious like "it's becoming a passing league",  "workhorse backs are a thing of the past, it's a committee approach now", etc. The first one is about the size of quarterbacks and whether or not height really matter, the first part of this article has already been posted here and is about what the shorter quarterbacks bring from a physical standpoint. Now we are going to look at how schemes, offenses, coaches have made shorter quarterbacks better.

We all know that the NFL has been transforming over the 20 years to a passing league from a running league, with it really becoming pass heavy the last few years. Part of this is the fans desire to see more scoring and the league helping offense's out with rule changes and also the culture of football has changed from the Pop Warner leagues all the way up the ladder to the NFL with more wide-open passing games.

As the spread of spread offense's (does that make sense) reached the NFL level, it opened the door for shorter quarterbacks to excel by, well spreading out the field making it easier for the guys with less stature to see the entire field. They also run a lot of zone-read plays which require the quarterbacks to sometimes carry the ball (mostly at levels below the NFL), and this opens up opportunities for smaller and quicker QB's that can make things happen with their feet.

As offense's spread out their players with multiple receivers, tight ends and backs across the length of the field, it means that there are less blockers in tight to form a nice clean pocket, this leads to more roll outs and throws on the run, which again lends itself to more agile QB's that can move easily inside and outside the pocket. These schemes value accuracy on the move more than a 6'4 monster who can stand in the pocket and deliver a shot down the field. Those tall guys are also more likely to stand there and take a hit, thereby increasing the chances for injury.


While you do not see a lot of zone-read offense's in the NFL (yet), having a smaller and more mobile quarterback gives offensive coordinator's more wrinkles they can add into their playbook. They may decide to run the occasional zone-read option play because like the "Wildcat" a few years ago, it makes opposing defenses HAVE to study for the possibility or be caught off guard and get burned. Every minute spent by an opposing defense studying the "non-conventional" packages the offense may throw at them that week, is a minute that they are not working on stopping the base plays.


Another benefit that was touched on in the first article is the extra advantages that a moving quarterback provides. If he stays in the pocket there are not a lot of places for him to go as the defensive players collapse the pocket, but when you move him and there is nobody open down field it's much easier for him to pick up that last 3-5 yards for a first down while also avoiding a hit by stepping out of bounds. Now you have a dual-threat quarterback who avoids getting hammered in the pocket, even though in the Dictator Roger Goodell era of the NFL, defensive players can only hit a quarter sized spot without getting flagged and fined.


So while a few years ago a 6'2 quarterback would've been given next to no shot of making it, and one under 6'2 wouldn't have been given a chance at all, in today's NFL, undersized quarterbacks are slowly taking control. Don't believe me? Just take a look at the quarterbacks drafted this year, nearly 50% were under 6'3. Robert Griffin III is barely 6'2 and he was drafted second overall to be the franchise, and a 5'10 quarterback in Russell Wilson is seemingly being given a legit shot to start as a rookie (and I think he will win it)! Welcome to the evolution of the NFL, where no sacred cow is safe.


If you want to know about the evolution of NFL offenses and defenses up to this point, you must read Tim Layden's book "Blood, Sweat And Chalk", it's become my new favorite book and the information it contains is invaluable.

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Value of Agents For Top 10 Picks

By:  Bobby Shores

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[Editor's Note:  This was an article written before the news broke today on the RGIII signing, I checked it and it should still be relevant]

With the news breaking this morning from Adam Schefter that the Redskins have signed their next eight first round picks (or however many they gave up in the trade to land him), Quarterback Robert Griffin III, we should see the remaining Top 10 unsigned picks fall like dominoes (just waiting on the Jim Irsay tweet that says "We are close to signing #12", and this time it won't be a lie).

We have been fed the line that "rookie contracts are already negotiated", "every rookie should sign the day he is drafted because it's all slotted and there is no negotiations", "the era of rookie holdouts is forever gone" etc. ever since the new CBA was signed last year. And after the 2011 rookie class was signed so quickly I think we all began to believe it.....I am predicting future rookie training camp holdouts right here people, you heard it here first (at least I hope I am the first, even if I'm not, don't tell me).

To give you a little bit of background on the situation, last year all the rookie contracts (particularly high first rounders) were signed so quickly because the ink was still drying on the CBA, agents didn't have a ton of time to really delve into the details and find out what was available for negotiations, and with no offseason work and shortened training camps everybody was anxious to try and catch up before a year was completely lost on their already short NFL lifespans. This year the sticking point has been "offset language", which is essentially a "guarantee". For instance, if Morris Claiborne is a bust for the Cowboys and they cut him before his fourth season in the NFL, and the Cowboys owe him $5 million. Then he signs a contract with the Redskins for $2 million; the teams want the Cowboys to only owe him the $3 million difference while the agents want him to make $7 million....get it? Good! If not then tweet me and I'll explain it another way.

It seems like a minor thing to be haggling, and potentially holding out over, so what is the real reason behind these protracted rookie contract negotiations? Well my theory is that agents are trying to make themselves appear valuable to rookies, with these deals slotted the way they are there is no real need for an agent anyways. In fact, I honestly don't think rookies should hire "contract" agents until AFTER they have signed their rookie deals. Seriously, what's the point??? I mean some people will say this "offset" language deal is big, but realistically how many teams admit failure on a top 10 pick in the first four years? Exactly!

Since the money is slotted and there is no real negotiations on that part, there is no reason to give an agent 3%+/- of your deal to not do anything. I guess one of the advantages of having a "contract" agent for your rookie deal is the ability to use the "Training Compounds" that prepare you for your interviews and the combine. Those do seem to provide real value to the player as it helps them train for a bunch of tests that have little or no impact on how they actually perform during a football game. 

For real, when does a football player run 40 yards, in sprinter style, in a straight line during a football game? Or when do they bench press 225lbs (or even use that same form) during the same 60 minute span? How often do they have a chance to stand there, gather themselves physically and mentally and jump up and/or out as high/far as they can? Get back on focus Bobby....

The agents can also help the players create a very carefully crafted public image/persona that they sell to the teams drafting them and the fans (i.e. Tebow on Broadway & the Gator Quotes) that has little or nothing to do with the "real person" under the helmet. The agents also act as "recruiters" by talking up their clients to potentially interested teams, going over the value that drafting "Player X" will bring to their organization. Does all this really help? Do teams really listen to agents over their own scouts, or in addition to them? I guess there must be some success or the agents wouldn't waste their time doing it.....right?

So with these agents reaching and stretching to give themselves value to their current rookie clients, while also giving themselves ammunition to recruit future rookie's, what will be the next point of contention that they can find to delay high first round pick rookie signings? Rest assured, agents WILL find something, it's just the nature of the business. Unfortunately since I don't have a copy of the CBA, or any experience in contract law, or negotiations; I really don't know what the next step is, but hopefully I can get some insight from some agents that can steer me in the right direction.

So the question ultimately becomes, are the services provided by the "contract" agent, services that cannot be provided by the player's marketing agents? And if they are, are they worth the 3% +/- that they charge for it, roughly $500,000-600,000 on the Top 10 picks rookie deals? Obviously the players think so, what about y'all? Would you hire a contract agent to negotiate an already negotiated rookie deal? Let us know in the comments!

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2012 NFL Draft "All Bust" List Part 4

By:  Bobby Shores

Without further ado, the thrilling and hair raising ending to the "Draftadamus" 2012 NFL Draft "All Bust" List (Get it? Draftadamus is similar to Nostradamus, the 16th century predictor of the future, in other words I am claiming that I can predict the future of draft picks....still no, nothing? Nevermind, I'll come up with something better next year....)

Before you read this make sure you check out the 2011 "All Bust" List first and then check out the 2012 part 1, part 2, part 3, and running back parts.

What a surprise-can't shed a block

Dontari Poe-DT-Chiefs - This one should be obvious if you read the article I already wrote on him, and I know that a lot of people have been banging this drum, but I started banging it the day he put up mind blowing numbers at the combine and haven't stopped! You figure the NFL would have already learned their lesson about "workout warriors" after guys like Vernon Gholston, Mike Mamula, and Johnathan Sullivan. Yet every year it seems that there is another guy who doesn't show up on the football field, but shows up in waaaaaaay too tight Under-Armour spandex and puts up mind blowing numbers for his size, and this year was no different. If you don't already know what super human type numbers he put up, here you go:
-6'4" 346lbs.
-4.90 40-yd dash
-44 reps of 225lbs on the bench
-29.5" vertical jump
-105" broad jump

What do all these amazing numbers really mean? Not much, cause when do you run 40 yards in a straight line from a sprinters stance during a football game, when do you do the bench press motion (as a D-lineman you shouldn't have let the offensive player get that close to you), or when do you jump straight up or straight out? Combine numbers should just be a way to confirm what you have seen on film, particularly how would a player from a smaller-less athletic-conference stand up against the larger ones.

You would think, logically, a guy so physically superior to all other combine participants would have dominated his college conference, especially if it was a 3rd tier conference, right? Well Poe was only 2nd Team All-Conference in 2011, an honorable mention in 2010....in Conference-USA (don't feel bad if you have never heard of C-USA, most haven't) and registered a whopping 1 sack his final year of college ball. He also takes too many plays off (all 300+ lb d-linemen take plays off occasionally) and was rarely double or triple teamed by opposing teams like most people of his physical talents should dictate....

I know you are thinking that he was the only decent player on that defense. Well that ranked 117th (out of 120, you don't need to be Stephen Hawking to realize that sucks...BAD) so the other teams just game planned to stop him. If his opposing coaches had that much respect for him then they would have given him better post-season honors, and his own coach would have moved him around and kept him in position to make plays, and I mean more plays than the one mentioned above.

With the physical skills that Poe possesses he could be a great player, unfortunately to reach his potential he has to change his lazy ways and Apparently the Chiefs feel like they haven't whiffed on enough defensive linemen picked high in the draft in recent years and decided to continue the trend (Tyson Jackson, Glenn Dorsey, Allen Bailey, Turk McBride, the list goes on).

Mark Barron-S-Buccaneers - As a Cowboys fan, nothing scared me more when they traded up to #6 in the draft and Barron was still on the board, and after a week of "Cowboys will do anything to get Barron" rumors, I almost cried. Luckily they passed on him (maybe not so lucky if Janoris Jenkins ends up being much better than the 'Boys pick of Morris Claiborne) and let Tampa Bay snag him. Including Barron on this list is totally dependent on where the Bucs play him, if they play him as a strong safety that plays in the box, then I think he will be an above average player, if they play him as a ball hawking centerfield free safety, then we will see the back of his jersey quite often in the years to come. In reality I think that he fits best as the aforementioned "box strong safety" or as a 4-3 LB, and due to his size (6'1 213lb at the Combine) he is probably best suited to be a WLB (although I am not a fan of using a 1st round pick to COMPLETELY change a player's position).  Let's be honest, he is a HUGE liability in pass coverage, much like a large number of current NFL safety's. So if I believe that he will be an above average strong safety why am I including him on this list of "Bust's", you may be asking yourself? Well, with the emergence of the passing game, a run stopping safety has been devalued even worse than veteran running backs... So he will never have the type of impact that you expect out of the #7 overall pick, especially if it is a safety, and you can double that when the player is a STRONG safety that was already a liability in pass coverage while in college...

Justin Blackmon-WR-Jaguars - Look, I think Blackmon is a "good" wide receiver, and that's part of the problem, he is "good" and not "great". A bigger part of the problem is his current quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, one of the stars of last years "All Bust" list.

Maybe he just really loves OK State Colors

If Blackmon was in last years draft, he probably wouldn't have even been taken in the first round. There is no doubt that he would have been drafted after A.J. Green and Julio Jones with his fall potentially going even past Jonathan Baldwin; in reality he very likely could have slipped into the 2nd round, and in my opinion he was inferior to the 2nd receiver taken in this year's draft Michael Floyd.

I think that Blackmon could be an above average wide receiver in the right system with the right quarterback and surrounding cast, but in Jacksonville opposing teams will stack the box to stop Maurice Jones-Drew and trust that Gabbert will check down to a running back or tight end (like he usually does hints the 5.36 YPA), and if he does actually try a down field pass to either him or Laurent Robinson he will probably miss (like he usually does hints the 50% completion rate and most of those completions are dinks and dunks). His only chance is if the Jags do the right thing and give up on Gabbert early in the season and let backup Chad Henne take the reins.

Hey, I am not completely down on Blackmon, I think he has great hands and is not afraid to be physical and go up and get the ball (or get behind the wheel after 25 to many drinks....), but there is nothing about him that jumps out at me and tells me that he will be "elite". In fact I think he compares favorably to Michael Crabtree, who has had some success when healthy, has not even come close to his draft status as a top 10 pick and his holdout claiming he was worth a top 5 pick. Both receivers have good hands and catch a lot of balls but neither player is tall (even though Blackmon plays much taller than his 6'0+ height implies), or has blazing speed, and Blackmon seems to lose concentration from time to time and that was when he was getting 10+ balls thrown to him a game.

The last major concern I have about Blackmon is the competition he went up against. Let's be honest for a minute, Blackmon never even faced a good (By good I mean he didn't face elite, great, real good, amazing D's) defense in the Big 12 and he never even took on an SEC defense during his college career, so how good will he be against NFL defensive backs? Between playing for the Jaguars, his college competition, and lacking truly elite physical skills (besides the ability to drink an excessive amount of alcohol and drive without killing somebody), Blackmon will not live up to the expectations of being the #7 overall pick (unless he ends up playing on the prison team if he doesn't grow up after being arrested 2x for DUI).

Speaking of his DUI's, either Blackmon is extremely immature, has a drinking problem, or he likes Oklahoma State Cowboy color so much that he wants to wear it permanently, in prison.

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2012 NFL Draft "All Bust" List-Running Backs

By:  Bobby Shores

While working on the 2012 "All Bust" List I decided I could do an entire article on just the running back position, so I did. It's not that I necessarily think the running backs will be a bust, I just don't think they have the value anymore. Not only are relative unknowns having tremendous impact on the league, the NFL has also shifted to a "running back by committee approach", meaning touches, yards, touchdowns all go down and the overall impact of a single player continues to decline.

Before you read this, you should read the 2011 "All Bust" List so you know I'm legit and also check out the first 3 articles of Draft Busts already out there this year (1st is here, 2nd is here, 3rd is here)

1st Round Running Backs-Trent Richardson, Doug Martin, & David Wilson - Before I get ripped endlessly for this one, I'm not saying that these running backs will end up like Ki-Jana Carter or Lawrence Phillips, in fact Trent Richardson will probably end up as one of the best RB's in the league along with Wilson if he can fix his fumbling problem, while Martin will be a solid, just not spectacular RB. My reason for putting these guys up here is that the devaluation of the running back in the NFL means that not even a pre-blown out knee Adrian Peterson is worth a 1st round pick in my opinion.

He benched 475lbs & coaches wouldnt let him try more

Not only is the running game as irrelevant as its ever been, teams and fantasy owners are discovering that relative unknowns and unheralded veterans and rookies are seemingly taking the league by storm each and every year. Not only do running back's transition from college to the professional level easier than most (if not all) other positions, I believe that the offensive line, passing game, and play calls have more to do with their success than pure talent.

     -Trent Richardson-RB-Browns(1st Round) - I like, not love Richardson as an all-around back and believe he can and will be successful at the NFL level; unfortunately I believe his accomplishments will be overshadowed by the state of the Browns franchise, both current and future. I have massive respect for Browns fans, and I found out what happens when you anger them by objectively and honestly evaluating their former QB Colt McCoy who has been forgotten (and most of those guys that attacked me on Twitter are now grateful that Colt is no longer their QB) now that Weeden is the next savior.

My problem is that when you look at the teams in their division, and the potential for rapid wear down on Richardson, that by the time the Browns are ready to compete in the playoffs, Richardson will be worn out. I want the Browns to do well, I think their starving fan base deserves it, but for some reason that team is cursed, and it's only exagerated by the teams draft strategy which seems to always fail.

Better learn not to fumble

     -David Wilson-RB-Giants - Wilson was lucky enough to be drafted by a team that will be able to use him more effectively than the other 1st round backs. Not only will he not be required to carry the load or be the focal point, he will be forced to hold onto the ball or lose the limited opportunities he will have as the Giants are fairly deep on the offensive side of the ball. Yes, Wilson has a major fumbling problem and he put the pigskin on the ground 7 times his final year at Virginia Tech, and that is unacceptable at the NFL level. Since he won't be required to carry the load for the offense, he should be able to contribute on special teams, where he excelled in college on kick returns.

One thing I like about this pick is that he is very similar to Ahmad Bradshaw, the incumbent Giants running back. Most people say that you need a "change of pace" back, someone with a different running style than the main ball carrier, you know like having a power back and quick scat back. Me? No, I like having 2 running backs that are similar, why make your offense learn how to block for more than one type of back? It doesn't make sense, have them master blocking for 1 type of runner.

Martin just being average

     -Doug Martin-RB-Buccaneers - This has nothing to do with my pure hatred of everything Boise State. Yes, I do think they are the perennial over ranked team in college football every single year. They schedule one real team to play most years, and they do it early in the season when everyone is still working out the kinks in their game, and then they coast the rest of the year playing teams that wouldn't even make the playoffs in Texas High School football. It's easy for them to "get up" for one big game a year, while most teams in the title hunt have to get up for every game they play, especially in the SEC. Luckily they always blow one of those "gimme" games and take themselves out of the title game talk, unfortunately they still remain highly ranked taking a spot from a deserving team. Now to get onto Martin.

Martin will probably be called upon to do more for the Buccaneers than Wilson as they only have LeGarrette Blount who is a 1-trick pony, but i don't think he does anything spectacular. He will put up good, but not great numbers, and his value will be seen more as a safety valve for quarterback Josh Freeman while also buying him more time by picking up the blitzes. While he will see a lot of action, he will not put up the jaw dropping numbers expected of a first round running back, and that is why he will under perform according to the precedent set by 1st round picks.

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2012 NFL Draft "All Bust" List Part 3

By:  Bobby Shores

If you have read the 2011 "All Bust" List plus the first two parts (here and here) of the 2012 list (and if you haven't then do it now....please) then you already know what I am doing here, but just in case... The list focuses on picks that generated a lot of pre-draft and post draft buzz that I do not believe will live up to expectations. Particularly early to mid round picks, the first few parts of this list focused more on mid and late round picks, now it's time to get down to the first rounders.

About to get blown up...again

Riley Reiff-OT-Lions - It's not that I think Reiff will be a bad NFL Player, I just don't think he will be a good Left Tackle, I see him as a Right Tackle at best, and a Guard at worst. I did not even see him as a first round pick as he lacks the strength needed (especially with the punch) and has a narrow base and sloppy footwork which really shows when he's in pass protection.

His lack of strength and sloppy pass protection technique was highlighted in the Insight Bowl this past year when he was repeatedly blown up in pass protection by multiple Oklahoma rushers. He has all the intagibles and was a championship wrestler which is why I think he will find a position and be an average player, much like Robert Gallery. As a left tackle in a passing league, on a team that passes as much as the Lions, no chance (sorry @Hail2MI).

Michael Brockers-DL-Rams - Another player that scared me when listening to the rumors that the Cowboys were locked in on him at #14. Brockers is another defensive lineman that reminds me of Marcus Spears (not because of the LSU connection) as just a space eating defensive end in a 3-4 defense.

Brockers couldn't get to the QB

What he does bring to the table is a high motor, even if he is being double teamed he fought until the whistle. Much like Barron above, what keeps him from being worth a high first round pick is his lack of pass rush ability in a pass first league. In college he was routinely replaced on passing downs, while LSU has a lot of linemen that will be in the NFL, if he couldn't stay on the field in college for passing downs, what makes you think that he will be effective on 3rd down at the NFL level?

What does intrigue me about Brockers though is his age and physical talents, and that high motor which is common of guys that have a strong work ethic which he is rumored to have. At only 22 and still getting used to his big athletic body (he arrived at LSU as a linebacker), I think his ceiling is much higher than most draft prospects. His inexperience and seemingly high ceiling would be a MAJOR positive on most teams, but it kind of scares me since he was drafted by the Rams.

Regardless of the coach and general manager combination, the Rams have failed at developing defensive lineman (and offensive lineman but that's another article). Don't forget that much like the Chiefs they have wasted many picks (though not as many high picks) on defensive lineman the last few years; like Chris Long (as the #2 overall pick has been a disappointment but not a bust), Hall Davis, Eugene Sims, George Selvie, Darell Scott, Adam Carriker, Claude Wroten, Anthony Hargrove, Jimmy Kennedy....you get the picture....

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2012 NFL Draft "All Bust" List Part 2

By:  Bobby Shores

By now you should know what this list is all about, not only did I do it for the 2011 draft, I had so much success with it last year (both in views & year 1 accuracy) that I decided to try and expand it, which means that I had to break it down into multiple parts so my ADD/ADHD (not making fun of this serious disorder that this writer may or may not be diagnosed with but no longer taking medication for) readers can make it through the whole thing. And if you have no idea what I am talking about then you need to go back and read my 2011 NFL Draft "All Bust" List first so you will see my success's and also my 2012 NFL Draft "All Bust" List Part 1.

Adams driven back by smaller guy

Mike Adams-OT-Steelers - It wasn't the suspension for "tatoo-gate" that soured me on him, and the positive marijuana test at the combine only slightly soured (hey, that's a pun....and a good one at that) me on him. And let's face it at 6'7" 323lbs. he has the perfect size to play left tackle at the NFL level; has the footwork of a ballerina, and I think he could be good in pass protection. So why is he on my bust list? First he is on the Steelers who don't develop tackles all that well, and I think that new offensive coordinator Todd Haley plans to go back to classic "Steeler" football and try to re-energize the stagnant run game, and not only is Adams very bad in run blocking, he doesn't play with much....well any mean streak that offensive linemen need to be a good run blocker.

Putting all that aside, my biggest reservation on Adams is his desire, which is even more surprising that the Steelers picked him up. The Steelers seem to usually draft guys that are intense and focused players, players that really seem to love the game of football and playing on Sundays. They don't draft the "soft" guys, they stick with the blue collar, get your hands dirty players that not only relate but ARE the same as the fans that fill the stadium during home games. Knowing all this, Mike Adams seems like he fits the Steelers like the glove fit O.J. Simpson. Adams is a lazy game day player, and I believe that means he is probably even lazier during practices; he has huge stretches of games where he literally looks like he is asleep, and he takes off more plays than NBA officials. When watching him play it seems on nearly every play he does just enough to not give up a sack, with that kind of attitude and work ethic he will fail, and fail quickly in Pittsburg, think of Limas Sweed, just fatter.

Osweiler's low release point

Brock Osweiler-QB-Broncos - Yes I know Jon Gruden loved this guy on his "QB Camp", but let's be real, Jon Gruden would love Rex Grossman if he was on his show today. My issues with Osweiler have nothing to do with his size, which at 6'6 3/8" was a big difference than the 6'7-6'8" that they claimed during his college career. My problems with him is that he has very little starting experience, and in that small starting time he struggled with touch, accuracy, interceptions, and a low release point which is very troubling. For a guy over 6'6" he should NEVER have a ball batted down, and I saw him have more balls batted down than 5'10+/- QB Russell Wilson, that is not good, especially for a 2nd round quarterback.

Osweiler's mechanics may be fixable at the next level, but his personality and leadership qualities are not. During Gruden's QB Camp he came off as incredibly phony, his answers were less believable than a Miss USA contestant telling everybody that "I want world peace, and food for starving African babies", yea he was more unbelievable than them. The "canned" responses are full of fakeness (I don't think that is a word, but I'm going with it anyways) is what will cause him to never gain the respect of a locker room or huddle, and I don't know if you can fix that.

"He will learn from Peyton Manning, one of the best leaders and most respected players in the NFL" you say, well how did other Manning backups do? You saw how well Dan Orlovsky and Curtis Painter did last year, didn't you? How about Jim Sorgi, Brock Huard, Kelly Holcomb, Curtis Painter...you get the idea; how did all his other backups do? See a pattern? Manning has never really developed a backup QB, I think it is because he spends so much time developing all the contributors on offense as a pseudo coach that he just doesn't have time to help out his backup very much.

Expect this alot from Rainey

Chris Rainey-RB-Steelers(5th Round) - Rainey is undersized, has some maturity issues (sent a threatening text message to an ex-girlfriend, yea this kid is a joke), and while he is quick/fast his speed will be marginalized in the NFL where everybody is as fast as him. Being undersized will also make him more of an injury risk in the NFL, and since his durability was a major problem at Florida, look for it to severely cut down his effectiveness for the Steelers, especially if he has to take licks from James Harrison everyday in practice, [Editor's Note: I hear that Goodell is going to start fining Harrison for practice hits also]

Also "tweeners" like him on offense who are just "ok" at multiple positions rarely seem to carve out a role on NFL offenses and when Steelers OC Todd Haley couldn't carve out a good role for the much better Dexter McCluster, look for Rainey to struggle to contribute in a meaningful way. Where he does have some value though is Special Teams, particularly blocking kicks, and that is where his impact will be felt; just don't expect much out of him on offense.

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2012 NFL Draft "All Bust" List Part 1

By:  Bobby Shores

Ready for the 2nd annual "ReclinerQB.com NFL Draft All Bust List"? The differences between this year's list and last year's list is that this one is happening "post draft" due to time constraints, and I am expanding the list and breaking it down into multiple articles. The timing of the article will have a small impact on the list as the organizations, coaches, schemes and current players these guys were drafted by will affect the way I think a player will do, and we already know that about 55% of 1st round picks are "busts". 

Obviously it will be several years down the road before we can really gauge the accuracy of this list, but I have to "publish" it now, otherwise nobody will believe my "Draftadamus" abilities. And yes I know that most people don't expect much out of 7th round picks, but one of these guys was a 1-2 rounder until just recently and the other had the talent to be a 1st round pick, so they have higher expectations than most.

Dennard getting owned by Jeffrey

Alfonzo Dennard-CB-Patriots(7th Round) - [Editor's Note: Alfonzo was one of the tougher prospects to scout, very up and down and I went back and forth multiple times and still wonder if I made the right decision putting him on this list] I know I know, putting a 7th round pick on this list is a stretch, but Dennard was a day 1 or 2 pick until he slugged a cop in the face only 5 days prior to the biggest day of his life, and let's be honest we all know the cop probably deserved it and we all wish we could've been the one to do it as we've all been in the situation where the cop was rude, unreasonable, abusing his power, etc.

Anyways Dennard would be on this list of mine no matter where he was picked, I do not see what all the draft "experts" ever saw in him, and regardless of his arrest I think NFL teams did not see much in him which is why he wasn't picked until pick #224. Teams regularly look past "off-field problems" if they have exceptional talent and potential.

Personally I saw him get destroyed by Alshon Jeffrey, to the tune of 140 yards and a touchdown in under 3 quarters before his frustration got the best of him and he got thrown out for fighting. Even without that dreadful showing in the Capital One Bowl I was never a big fan of him anyways as he always lacked the finesse and fine motor coordination to do the necessary things to be successful at the highest level of the sport like footwork, backpedal, hip turn; relying mostly on pure athleticism.

He is a physical corner who dominates receivers and can reroute them at the line of scrimmage while also being better than average in run support. Going to the Patriots should help him as his only chance to be successful is playing in a zone scheme (which the Patriots play most of the time), but the "Hoodie" has struggled with picking defensive backs lately and this is no exception..

Brown gaining 5 of 16 total yds at KSU

Bryce Brown-RB-Eagles(7th Round) - Making one 7th round pick part of the "All Bust" list is a stretch, but putting two of them on the list, well it seems that I am just making sure my overall numbers are a success; because of that if Bryce Brown even makes the active roster for more than 4 games this year or next then I will admit I was wrong. So how am I putting the 229th pick on my "All Bust" list?

Well if you remember Bryce Brown was the #1 high school recruit (many people said he was and would be better than Adrian Peterson) way back in 2009, where after a drawn out recruiting (for attention only) process orchestrated by his "handler" (yes he actually had a "handler") he chose Tennessee and transferred to Kansas State where he amassed 16 (that's not a typo) yards in 3 games before leaving that program and entering the draft. This is the same Bryce Brown that traveled with an entourage in high school and was always seen as cocky, full of himself and felt that he should be given everything.

Anyways, due to his past I think Brown may have trouble humbling himself enough to do the work required by a rookie, much less a 7th round pick and he may not try hard on special teams which is what he will have to excel on to make the team and may find himself struggling to be accepted by the team. Of course his basically non-existent college career and reality that no team really wanted him may have been enough to humble him. Knowing this will be his last chance to play football and get paid for it (well paid more than he did in high school) may be what he needs to try and use the amazing God given ability he has.

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Deal or No Deal - Cowboys CB Mike Jenkins

By:  Bobby Shores

One of the biggest story lines so far during this OTA season is what is going to happen with former first round draft pick Mike Jenkins, you know the incumbent starting cornerback that was put on the trade block after the Cowboys picked Morris Claiborne #6 overall, and then once no team offered a high enough pick during the draft Jenkins has now become an important part of the future of the Dallas Cowboys, to paraphrase Jones.

So why is Jenkins staying away from the Cowboys "voluntary" off-season activities? Well for starters they key word is "voluntary", which according to dictionary.com means:

•  "done, made, brought about, undertaken, etc., of one's own accord or by free choice

In layman's terms that means he is not required to show up. Jenkins's agent Drew Rosenhaus has already informed Jones that he will be there for the mandatory sessions, probably because players can get fined up to $10,000 each day which for a player making "only" about $1 million this year could add up quickly. Which brings me to my next point....

Jenkins is unahppy with his contract and feels slighted that he is still playing on his rookie deal signed when he was drafted in 2008 and that the Cowboys have taken care of Orlando Scandrick by signing him to a 5-year $27 million extension with $10 million guaranteed, and he was taken 4 rounds later (calculator out....yep he was taken in the 5th round) in that same draft. He is also upset because ANOTHER 2007 5th round draft pick, Brandon Carr, just signed a 5-year $50.1 million contract with $25.5 million guaranteed, the richest contract signed by any free agent defensive back in 2012. And what does Jenkins have that NEITHER of these two corners the Cowboys have richly rewarded this past year have? A Pro Bowl to their name, that's right, Mike Jenkins was named to the Pro Bowl back in 2010.

Mo Claiborne(24) & Brandon Carr(39)

Even though Jones says that Jenkins is going to be a part of the Cowboys future, and is saying that nothing a team can offer will be worth what he is worth to the team, the reality of NFL Economics says that this will be the last year Jenkins is a member of the Cowboys, barring an injury and a highly unlikely 2013 franchise tag. Teams can't afford to devote that much money to one position.

While there are plenty of teams out there that could greatly improve with the addition of Jenkins, and a couple of those teams (Lions and Colts) supposedly making offers for him, the fact is he is more valuable to America's Team than most anything they would give for him. Think about it this way, Jenkins played almost the 2011 season injured, from a busted shoulder (that required major surgery), to lingering knee, hamstring and neck injuries and won't be ready to resume practicing until training camp at the earliest. So any team that trades for him will be taking a risk that he won't be ready to go, will play as well as he has at times when healthy and can pick up a new defense on an accelerated schedule. 

So what is that worth, in terms of a draft pick? Probably a 5th round pick that maybe goes up to a 4th round pick depending on playing time. Well guess what happens if the Cowboys let him walk next off-season? They most likely get a 3rd round compensatory pick.

Besides the compensatory pick, what is Jenkins value to the Cowboys? Remember last year, when the Cowboys secondary was regularly torched by opponents due to injury and ineffectiveness? I believe it was the Jets game when Terence Newman was out, Jenkins was out, Scandrick rolled an ankle and the 2 corners were Alan Ball and Bryan McCann with Barry Church coming in on the Nickel package. You forgot about that, didn't you? In my opinion, having 4 corners capable of starting is a luxury, it's a luxury the Cowboys can afford and should take advantage of this year, especially if you can find a way to get them all on the field at once (remember my article a while back about the declining value of NFL Safety's....read it now).

So taking all this into account the starting point for me to even consider trading Jenkins is a 2nd and 5th round pick. Even then I wouldn't talk about it unless another cornerback (my money is on Mario Butler) steps up during training camp while other teams suffer crippling injuries and/or realize that their hopes for a playoff run are unreachable without another starting corner.

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Quick Hits on Top 10 Picks

By:  Bobby Shores

Wow! What a first round! While most of the picks in the top 10 were not much of a surprise, but this was probably the most exciting first round I have ever witnessed. There were an unprecedented number of trades, with only the Colts not moving in the Top 10, while picks were coming in at a rapid fire pace. I loved not waiting the full 10 minutes for each pick, and I must admit I was getting quite frustrated with the “worst commissioner in all of sports”, Roger Goodell, as I was quickly spoiled and wanted the picks to be made much faster, it seemed he was the bottleneck. I loved the fans continually booing Goodell, it shows that we are not happy with his approach to fundamentally changing the game of football (Editor’s Note:  I will take repeated blows to the head for millions of dollars, FYI), while also abusing his power with his constant fines and suspensions of players.

With no further ado, here are my first impressions of the first 10 picks. Editor’s Note: I am typing this on a plane with broken WiFi (Thanks American Airlines), so these are not in the correct order and I may get a name misspelled or a fact just slightly off (I guess if it’s off, then it’s not a fact), but my opinion is the important part, and you will understand the gist of what I am trying to say.

Colts & Redskins – We have known for months that Luck and RG3 were the picks, they have been analyzed and discussed to death, I have nothing new to add or anything to just make up so that I can be different and pretend to have a new thought like the no less than 500 NFL talking heads at ESPN….

Browns – Trent Richardson(RB) – I did not think they needed to move up one spot because I do not believe there was any team trying to trade up for Running Back Trent Richardson. Yes, he was far and above the best prospect at his position, but this is a passing league, and in 6 months we will be talking about some random late round pick that is leading all rookie running backs in yards and touchdowns. But with 13 picks in this draft, there is no way they could use them all, if they did there is little to no chance that they would all make the team. Remember the Cowboys 2009 “Special Teams” draft, they had 12 picks, like 6 of them were cut before the season ended and there were no real contributors taken.

Vikings – Matt Kalil(OT) – I give them credit, they were aggressive in moving back and getting what they could while still landing the guy they would have most likely taken at number three. I think they will be very pleased with Matt Kalil as they now have their franchise left tackle to protect their franchise quarterback which will give him more time to throw which will take pressure off of their franchise running back. Luckily for them wide receivers like Stephen Hill and Rueben Randle are still there and if they can grab one of them at the top of the 2^nd round I believe they can make a dramatic jump this year.

 

Jaguars – Justin Blackmon(WR) – In my opinion, Blackmon wasn’t even the best receiver in this draft, but I understand what they were trying to do. Their problem now is that they have nobody to get the ball to him, Gabbert is a complete and total bust and hopefully they will realize that sooner rather than later, otherwise Blackmon’s development could be greatly stunted.

Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill(QB) – They haven’t had a franchise quarterback since Dan Marino left, they have wasted probably seven 2^nd round picks trying to find one, I understand what they were doing and I can’t really argue with it as I am a Tannehill fan. Joe Philbin is known for developing quarterbacks just like Tannehill, and offensive coordinator Mike Sherman is already very familiar with him from their time together at A&M, if he can be successful anywhere it will be in Miami. Now the Dolphins just have to get some receivers for him to throw to.

Cowboys - Morris Claiborne(CB) – Read my article here on my Morris Claiborne thoughts. The only thing I will add is that I am a big fan of 2^nd round picks and I don’t like giving them up. I also feel that cornerback is the deepest position in the draft and that there are multiple great ones that are still on the board and will be when they pick in the 2^nd & 3^rd round (Janoris Jenkins, Brandon Boykin, Casey Heyward, etc). The only thing that would have made me happier was taking Mississippi State Defensive Lineman Fletcher Cox, I feel that he is this year’s JJ Watt, a 5-technique DE that is dynamic enough to rush the passer.

Buccaneers – Mark Barron(S) – They were desperate for Safety help and they were desperate to stop the run, so having the best Safety in the draft, who specializes in stopping the run is not a horrible choice. I am probably the last holdout who still does not see Mark Barron as anything other than average in pass coverage, and with my thoughts of Safety being a dying breed, picking him before the 20’s was a reach. I think he will have a short career and in 5 years they will wish they had gone a different direction. I think he will help against the run heavy teams like Panthers and Falcons in his division, but Drew Brees will exploit him.

Bills – Stephon Gilmore(CB) – The Bills have completely revamped their defense in basically one calendar year, they have a solid front seven with Mario Willams, Mark Anderson, Kyle Williams, Marcell Dareus and Kelvin Sheppard and adding Gilmore to McKelvin and George Wilson will definitely give them a better chance to slow down the Patriots aerial attack and his size should help him against the run heavy teams like the Jets and Dolphins. I am not a big fan of Gilmore’s cover skills, and he is one of those guys who shot up draft boards AFTER the college season, which means that people became enamored with his measurables. His film was average in my opinion and the Bills should have gone either offensive line (DeCastro or Martin) or gone with the best wide receiver in the draft in Michael Floyd. Both options would have upgrade their offense and helped out quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, which should have been their top priority.

Panthers – Luke Kuechly(ILB) – Another team that could have gone in numerous directions, they might wish they had taken Floyd to give Cam Newton a weapon to grow with as Steve Smith is near the end of his career. The Panthers are weak in the middle of their defense, starting with Defensive Tackle and continuing on through MLB and Safety. Obviously there was no safety in this draft worthy of a Top 10 pick (even Barron) and I can’t argue with taking Kuechly over Cox. Kuechly is going to be a tremendous  linebacker in this league, I think we will look at him as a slightly weaker hitter but far superior in coverage in 10 years. He can play in any scheme, and would be one of the top MLB’s in any one (I think he would be excellent playing Urlacher’s position in a Cover-2 scheme). The Panthers have found the leader of their defense for years to come, he will work hard, make everybody else work harder, call the plays and get the defense lined up; all while making plays and earning All-Pro nods.

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Morris Claiborne & The Effect on Mike Jenkins

By:  Bobby Shores

**Editor's Note:  Sorry this is not all linked up like usual, I was writing on a plane and would have been posted early this morning but the stupid WiFi on American Airlines didn't work, but better late than never!!**

When I saw the Cowboys were trading up to the number 6 overall pick my first thought was confusion, followed immediately by extreme joy as I thought to myself that Jerry Jones had finally listened to me and was selecting Mississippi State DT/DE Fletcher Cox. When I started hearing that they were instead choosing LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne I was filled with more thoughts of confusion……

Let me start by saying I am very high on Claiborne, I feel he is the best all around defensive back in this draft and probably the best DB that the Cowboys could have taken. His physical style is ideal for Rob Ryan’s press man scheme and he is versatile enough to play outside corner or slide in and play the slot. He also has the ability to return punts, which the Cowboys are in desperate need of, after averaging over 26 yards per return at LSU. This is not a bad pick for America’s Team.

Now I know what most of you are saying, “What a flip-flopper, this guy has been banging the Janoris Jenkins drum for months!”. Yes, you are right, I do believe that Janoris is by far the best pure cover guy in this draft, and I had designs of taking him in the 2^nd (possibly the 3^rd) round where the value would be unbeatable. I think Claiborne has much more versatility than Janoris and never even thought there was a remote chance of landing him, so I never even thought of what would happen if we picked him until late last night.

So what does this mean for the Cowboys defense/secondary now? That is a good question and one that I am currently working on still…..

My initial thought was “Well, you can never have to many cornerbacks”, and then I remembered that the Eagles had three excellent cornerbacks last year and they couldn’t stop Blaine Gabbert from looking like a an actual NFL quarterback if they tried. Still, with the injury history of Mike Jenkins, having four solid cornerbacks is a good problem to have, as a Cowboys fan I know the problems of not having any good ones…..

As I am a fan of putting your best eleven players on the field at all times, and obviously our top four cornerbacks will be part of the “best 11” defensive players no matter what combination you try and use, how do we get them all on the field at once, especially if the offense isn’t running a 4-receiver set? NFL teams use 3-receiver sets for the majority of plays, and many times more, but they don’t run 4-receiver or more sets the majority of the time. So I will be researching this dilemma today, right now I am leaning toward my previous article of eliminating or minimizing the Safety’s on the field, running with either a “single high” or possibly no “true” safety. Ryan has the creativity and now has the personnel to make this a truly unique, one of a kind defense.

My second thought when I heard that the Cowboys were taking Claiborne, was who does this make expendable? Obviously Claiborne and the team’s new $50 million defensive back Brandon Carr are going to be on the field, that leaves Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins.

Scandrick just signed a 5-year $27 million contract this last season, so I don’t expect them to even try and move him, whether by trade or outright release. Scandrick has been our best defensive back against the run, and plays aggressively, not afraid to take a chance and I think that is the kind of player Ryan likes. Yes, he did struggle quite a bit last year, but I believe that was largely due to the ineffectiveness of the rest of the defense, and constantly shuffling him from position-to-position to cover up for other players inefficiencies and injuries. Scandrick is not going anywhere, he is a young cornerback that is still growing and we have him at a good rate for the next few years.

That leaves Mike Jenkins, the former 2008 first round pick who became a full time starter in 2009. While he has basically been the best cover corner that the Cowboys have had for the last few years, the guy is literally always injured. I can’t remember a game he played where he did not have an ankle, knee, shoulder, hamstring, etc injury slowing him down. Also the fact that he is in the final year of his deal and is wanting Carr type money I think it’t time to move him…..and I mean now!!

Mike is recovering from shoulder surgery and will miss the beginning of off-season workouts, but it should not limit him during the season. Since he is owed a VERY reasonable salary of about $1.5 million this year, any team with a corner need who missed on their first round prospects should be calling the Cowboys (I’m talking to you Vikings, Patriots, Lions). I think that Mike is worth a 2^nd round pick, especially if more than one team is fighting for him, realistically though we will probably get a 3^rd and maybe a 6^th.

Regardless, if we want to trade him (and I said last night I thought he would be on the trade block after the Claiborne pick) we need to move him early in the 2^nd round so that we can package picks and move back into the 2^nd if there is a player we covet (Ronell Lewis)

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Q & A: Mid-to-Late Round Corners for Cowboys

By:  Bobby Shores
Check out recent articles:  First Round Cornerbacks, NFL Draft Quick Hits on - Dontari Poe (Biggest Potential Draft Bust), Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Jake Bequette, My 2012 NFL Draft Player Rankings By Position and the Evolution of NFL Defense's What will happen to the Safety Position?

Submit your questions for ReclinerQB to answer here (Twitter) or here (Email)

Question:  You recently addressed potential first round cornerbacks, but what about mid-to-late round corners that could be available for the Cowboys if they go in a different direction with their first round pick?

ReclinerQB Thoughts:  I am going to start this off the same way I started off the previous article about first round corners, and that is talking about our current defense and what we need:  while most fans want to put the failure of the defense this past season on the secondary, I believe the lack of a consistent pass rush made it nearly impossible for our defensive backs to cover and that a good pass rush is a secondary's best friend. I am also not naive enough to think that we don't need to upgrade the secondary, particularly the depth at cornerback and the starters at safety.

When healthy, Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick are solid starters, but we have next to nothing behind them.While Brandon Carr is a great addition, you can never have to many quality starters, especially since Jenkins will be a free agent this year and if he doesn't come back then we are shallow again at a critical position.

So who are possibilities in the second or later rounds? Some of the CB's that I like are Georgia's Brandon Boykin, Nebraska's Alfonzo Dennard and Oregon's Cliff Harris.

2012 NFL Draft Hopeful CB Brandon Boykin

Brandon Boykin-Georgia - Undersized for an NFL corner (barely 5'9) but plays taller as he can jump very well, has great speed and plays very physical. He will probably never be a teams #1 corner, but with his quick feet I think he will be the nickel corner and play the slot immediately and battle until he is the #2 guy. He has good ball skills and is constantly improving. I love what I have heard about him, that he is a natural leader, will outwork everyone and plays every practice like it is a game; these are the kind of players I like and the Cowboys need (I have a feeling that the players take practices a little to lightly at Valley Ranch)

If the Cowboys got him, he would be able to contribute on defense as well as special teams as he is a returner which is a major need, and I think he would instantly become the heart and soul of the special teams, something we have not had since Keith Davis left the team 5 or so years ago.

2012 NFL Draft Hopeful CB Alfonzo Dennard

Alfonzo Dennard-Nebraska - I did not see Dennard play a lot in college, but I had heard that he was better than Prince Amukamara and was going to be a high first round pick. So I was excited when I got to sit down and watch the bowl game where he would be matching up against a potential first round wide receiver in Alshon Jeffrey. I quit watching him after the third quarter (and not just because he got thrown out), he had given up over 140 receiving yards to Jeffrey and a touchdown at that point.

Besides that one game, I did watch some other film on him and was never impressed with what I saw, did not have very good ball recognition or tackling skills (seems like he arm tackles instead of squaring up on ball carriers). He is also to easy to take out of the game, as he is routinely caught fighting with opponents instead of paying attention to the game. The Cowboys should take him off their draft board, no matter how far he falls (and I think he will fall).

2012 NFL Draft Hopeful CB Cliff Harris

Cliff Harris-Oregon - Best way to describe Harris is "talented but troubled". His style of play is Explosive! Harris comes from the Deion Sanders style of playing defensive back, he is great in man coverage as he is long, lean, plays the man and the ball well and could be an elite corner and showed it in 2010 when he had 6 INT's and 23 passes defensed. He also has skills as a punt returner, when he brought 4 back to the house, again in 2010. Notice a pattern here? He fell off the map in 2011 and did not play much after having multiple off the field problems. The weaknesses in his game is that due to his lean size he is not very welcoming when it comes to contact, he never seems to avoid it, but does not go looking for it.

Hopefully spending most of the 2011 suspended and seeing his future hang in the balance will humble Harris and make him realize that natural talent alone will not carry him to greatness. If he can interview well and stay out of trouble, he could be the next 5th round or later steal at corner for the Cowboys (remember that Orlando Scandrick had a 2nd round grade but fell to the 5th).

So if the Cowboys get a chance at these guys, where would I be comfortable drafting them right now? I would be happy grabbing Boykin in the 2nd round, as he can help in all aspects of the game (defense, returner and special teams ace), I want nothing to do with Dennard and if Cliff is around in the 5th round then grab him IF you feel that he has changed and is taking his life and talents seriously.

My main worry with cornerbacks this year is that they are all being overvalued in my opinion because every team needs more with the passing game explosion. It seems that 2nd round corners are being pushed into high first round (Stephon Gilmore) and small school "project corners" are being pushed up from 4th and 5th round to 2nd (Josh Robinson, Trumaine Johnson and Dwight Bentley).

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Q & A: First Round Cornerbacks

By:  Bobby Shores
Check out recent Q&A's:

Submit your questions for ReclinerQB to answer here (Twitter) or here (Email), or just leave it in the comments. Recent Articles include:  NFL Draft Quick Hits on - Dontari Poe (Biggest Potential Draft Bust), Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Jake Bequette, My 2012 NFL Draft Player Rankings By Position and the Evolution of NFL Defense's What will happen to the Safety Position?

Question:  What do you think of the potential first round cornerbacks in the draft and will the Cowboys be able to use one?

ReclinerQB Thoughts:  While most fans want to put the failure of the defense this past season on the secondary, I believe the lack of a consistent pass rush made it nearly impossible for our defensive backs to cover and that a good pass rush is a secondary's best friend. I am also not naive enough to think that we don't need to upgrade the secondary, particularly the depth at cornerback and the starters at safety. Of course now that we have signed Brandon Carr CB is not as big a need, but you can never have to many talented corners.

When healthy, Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick are solid starters, but we have next to nothing behind them. Terence Newman has had a good career with the Cowboys, and it't time to thank him and let him go.

When it comes to the first round cornerbacks I believe there are really only three that qualify (In my opinion), and they are Morris Claiborne, Janoris Jenkins and Dre Kirkpatrick.

2012 NFL Draft Hopeful Janoris Jenkins

Janoris Jenkins-North Alabama - Jenkins is my favorite DB in the draft! When I watched him play at Florida he seemed as fluid and natural a DB as I have ever seen. The way he moves in and out of breaks and seems to know the routes before the receiver does shows his understanding of football. The way he backpedals, opens his hips to run and his change of direction skills, makes me think that he is more comfortable playing cornerback on the football field than he is walking. Just an instinctual player who is confident in his ability, and with good reason. One of things that impressed me most on him was that he plays taller than he is, and by that I mean his anticipation on the ball and the way he times his jumps makes him seem taller than 5'10. He is not as big as the other two first round corners and that hinders his ability in the run game, but he does not shy away from making a tackle.

 The one concern that most people have with Jenkins is the off field concerns. He was kicked out of the University of Florida after three years after he was arrested twice in a three month span for possession of marijuana after the year before being arrested for a fight. While that concerns me, I heard him give a couple of interviews at the All-Star games and he never shied away from the questions asked about his character or tried to make excuses. He also seemed to be a model citizen at North Alabama, and I am not one to hold what a kid does when they are younger against him forever. We all make mistakes like that when we are 18-21, difference is we probably didn't get caught or do it in front of the entire country as a high profile college football player.

The one hole I have in scouting Jenkins is that I never got to see a game of his at North Alabama and from what I can tell he continued to play at a high level, but without actually seeing him play those games I cannot comment on them, and I do not use other people's scouting reports in my articles. But from what I did see at Florida I think he could be the most talented player in this entire draft.


Morris Claiborne-LSU - Even though the Cowboys chances of getting him are slim-to-none I still wanted to drop a note on him (and I do not think that the 'Boys will trade up into the Top 5 and grab him like my former colleague Daniel Wolf at National Football Authority does).

2012 NFL Draft Hopeful Morris Claiborne

I think Claiborne compares very favorably to Patrick Peterson (and not because they are both from LSU). And last year I was in love with Patrick Peterson and saw him as by far the safest and best prospect in the draft while also naming him to my "Pre-Draft All-Pro" list.

Main differences I see, is that partially due to size, (Peterson being about an inch taller and 50lbs heavier) he is not as good against the run and in press-man coverage as his predecessor. Don't get me wrong though, Claiborne plays hard/well against the run and does not lack aggression, just sometimes pulls the "dive at the ball carriers feet rather than take him head on and wrap him up" approach that has been getting a lot of DB's hurdled and/or juked in recent years.

On the other hand Claiborne has much better ball skills and great hands (played wide receiver in high school and some in his early years at LSU) and is not afraid to play off a receiver in an attempt to bait a quarterback into thinking he is open. There are also zero off-field or character concerns with Claiborne, and he will be a star in the NFL.

In the 2012 BCS National Championship game I did not have the Tide throwing towards Claiborne one time the entire game, at least according to my game notes. And that was a trend you saw all year long if you watched the SEC. They had a lot of respect for him.



Dre Kirkpatrick-Alabama - Very big and physical DB, and his style of play is the same.. Does not seem to have the greatest ball skills in my opinion and still needs to work on his play recognition and covering smaller quicker receivers (Ryan Mallett picked on him quite a bit in 2010, even though Alabama still beat us). Would have to play on the outside in the NFL as he is lacks some quickness and seems to be tight in the hips and would struggle covering the smaller quicker guys in the slot. Strongest DB against the run in the draft.

2012 NFL Draft Hopeful Dre Kirkpatrick

There is just something about Kirkpatrick that I cannot quite put my hands on, something that makes me uneasy about him. He is very fast and has good recovery speed, is big and physical. Doesn't seem to have the greatest knack for the ball and kinda seems to over rely on his athletic abilities instead of his brain. He also reminds me of some of those players on the 2005 Trojans (Lendale White, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, etc), they just looked like great players because of the cast around them.....I kind of get that vibe from Kirkpatrick.

My biggest problem with Kirkpatrick is not the marijuana possession. Seriously, who cares, I bet that 70% of NFL players partake in the magic herb during the year and it probably affects them less than alcohol (but this is not a place for my political views on it), my concern is that during the longest job interview of his life he was stupid enough to get caught with it, that right there makes me wonder if he has his head on straight.

So what is my final opinion on him? I think that he will be a good DB in the right system, but never the true "shutdown" corner that he came across as at Alabama. I also think that Cowboys Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan will fall in love with Kirkpatrick due to his confidence both on and off the field (his nickname is Swag), his aggressive style of play and his ability to play press-man coverage which is a favorite of Ryan.

Should the Cowboys go ahead and draft one of these corners if they are available at #14? Ask me again after free agency (I know its a cop out), but I like the depth at the cornerback position in the draft and I think the Cowboys should only draft Jenkins of the three and as of right now they should move down to get him. So where do I think they need to upgrade the defensive backfield? I like the corners that they can get in the second or even third round, that is coming soon.

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