Three Sleeper Fantasy Wide Receivers

Three Underrated Wide Receivers To Consider On The Waiver Wire

[Editor's Note: Yes, the format is screwy and I am trying to fix it, it was the format it was given to me in. This is a guest article from fanduel.com, please welcome them with open arms like you have all the contributors.]

Everyone already knows about the top players at every position in fantasy football. The Calvin Johnsons and Larry Fitzgeralds of the world will be gone pretty early. However, there are a lot of value picks to consider later on in the draft. All three of these players are low risk, high reward types that can be picked up to check out the first few weeks of the season. On paper, all are poised to provide a lot more value than their current fantasy football draft slog suggests.

Brian Quick. Any wide receiver with the hands, speed and size (6’5”) of Brian Quick is worth a solid look. After staring at Appalachian State, he has yet to really find his groove in the NFL. He showed some signs in 2011, but 2012 looks to be that true make or break season. With the St. Louis Rams in need of offense, and their young quarterback Sam Bradford completely healthy, all signs point to Quick getting that shot to impress.

Santana Moss. Remember him? It’s easy to write off Moss as a wide receiver who is a step slow now that he is 33 years of age. The best way to add a little pep to the step of a wide receiver though is to pair him with a guy like Robert Griffin III. This type of rookie-veteran combo could very well be a great option for the Washington Redskins. Pierre Garcon and Fred Davis look to be the top two receiving options for the Redskins currently, but it’s easy to see Moss slip in there and get plenty of opportunities to succeed as well.

Titus Young. As mentioned above, everyone knows all about the ability of Calvin Johnson. Teams will be focuses on doing whatever necessary to shut him down during games. Naturally, that means other weapons will get open looks throughout the game. Enter Titus Young. The second year wide receiver should become a much more reliable option for Matthew Stafford as he has now had an entire season to get used to the NFL schedule. After a slow start, Young was still able to get 647 yards receiving and six touchdowns. Expect those numbers to go up more as long as both him and Megatron stay healthy. He is a great option to take and he should be available in the middle rounds of drafts.

This guest article was written by the football people at Fanduel.com, the place to go to play free daily fantasy football games or Fantasy Football For Cash

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Cowboys Knee Jerk Reactions VS Giants

By:  Bobby Shores

This here is my "knee jerk" reactions/observations on the Cowboys game against the Giants, I am doing this after ONLY watching the game one time & live. I have not reviewed the film, read any other opinions on it, or listened to any podcasts; I did listen to the radio that talked about it briefly on my way to work, but literally got nothing out of it for this article.

"More Ogletree Please" Kevin Ogletree – [Editor's Note:  I started the "More Ogletree Please" three years ago when Kevin Ogletree was the darling of Cowboys training camp and made an impact early in the season catching wide receiver screens and 5-8 yard outs.] 

Kevin Ogletree

This will be the story of the week, undrafted free agent out of Virginia who looked like a promising talent the first year of his career before laziness and rumors "entitlement" dogged him the last two years. Nearly everybody (myself included) had written him off, it seemed like even the Cowboys had as they didn't find him worth retaining at the end of last year with a $1.26 million restricted free agent tender, opting instead to let him test the market before bringing him back for the minimum of $460,000. 

After a strong showing in the preseason and training camp Ogletree answered the call last night to the tune of 8 catches for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns. The most impressive part of Ogletree’s night was not the touchdowns, it was the clutch catches, being where Tony Romo expected him to be. You could tell that Ogletree will be one of Romo’s favorite targets this year by the way Romo continually looked his way in clutch situations. Ogletree, rather than Romo safety valves Jason Witten and Miles Austin and emerging star Dez Bryant, was the primary target on 3rd and shorts; running hard slants to get the first downs over and over again. He ran crisp and precise routes punctuated by near perfect throws from his quarterback.

Now I may be going out on a limb here, but the third wide receiver position has been in flux for a number of years, and we thought we had it answered until the Jaguars blew away Laurent Robinson with a 5-year $32 million contract in free agency, so I am suggesting that we go ahead and lock-up Kevin Ogletree for a few years. I am not calling for some huge contract, just enough to make him happy while keeping the Cowboys cap flexible for years to come. I am thinking something along the lines of 4-years and $12-14 million (that's $3-3.5 million annual average). While many will say that the "sense of entitlement" will come back once he has some money in his pocket, well I think otherwise, I honestly believe that after trying summer he had that he has matured and this is a whole new Kevin Ogletree.

Running Game – While it started off very slow, mostly due to the ineffectiveness of the offensive line (more on that later), DeMarco Murray and Lawrence Vickers got in their groove and started getting big chunks of yards. Murray’s 20 carries for 129 yards provided a solid balance to the Cowboys offense, making life on the Giants defense very difficult. Look for the running game to get going earlier in the game as the season progresses, particularly if the offensive line can come together.

While Murray did average a solid 7+ yards per carry, to me, he seemed to not have the burst that I saw last year which worries me a little. Also, on the long 48 (I think) yard run he wore out too quick, that should have been a touchdown and leads me to believe that he may not be in the shape he should, or maybe he is nursing some minor injury. Regardless something does not seem right and his 20 yards rushing in the first half is not going to cut it all year, but he obviously finished strong and was more than effective enough.

Play Calling – This was one of my favorite parts of this game, particularly Jason Garrett's offensive play calling. You can argue with the early 4th & 1 fullback dive with Vickers, but I wanted to see that play, unfortunately Jeremy Parnell (playing Tight End basically on that play) missed his block while the rest of the left side of the line did not get lower than the Giants defenders.

Besides that one questionable call (again that I agreed with) the rest of the game was called great. Unlike years past, Garrett didn't get the lead and go super conservative by calling run, run, run, punt. He kept his foot on the accelerator with a solid mix of run/pass and even gave Romo the options of going deep (like that long pass play to Dez). This tells me that Garrett finally realized that he doesn't need to dramatically alter his play calling style just because he has the lead, continue to use what got you the lead in the first place!

Felix Jones – I don't know where to start here, as an Arkansas Razorback alum, two kids attending there right now, and every member of my family owning a Felix Jones jersey.....It pains me to even bring this up....I think it may be time to cut Felix loose, he has looked overweight and generally uninterested, hopefully he is still just trying to get back in shape after his shoulder surgery this offseason. 

On kickoff returns he seemed to run (not sprint) in a straight line with no shakes or wiggles and still struggled to get back to the 20. He didn't even get a chance in the game as he had 0 carries, but he did get 2 passes thrown his way but both of them were uncatchable. It may be time to promote Lance Dunbar to the active roster as he will provide that "spark" in the backfield with Darren Sproles like skills, plus he would be a contributor on all special teams and run kickoffs back harder. I am not ready to make these moves yet, but Felix doesn't have much time, even in my book.....Maybe he just needs a change of scenery to revive a once promising career.....

Jason Garrett & Rob Ryan

Defense, Defense, Defense – WOW! WOW! WOW! This topic deserves an entire article, so I will keep this short. All 4 linebackers were the star of this unit, they set the tone with both DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer providing plenty of pressure on Eli Manning with Spencer looking good dropping back in coverage. Sean Lee and Bruce Carter were unbelievable in the middle, we already know that Lee is one of the most instictive middle 'backers in the NFL and he continued that last night racking up tackles and impact plays. Carter is the biggest surprise here, while he is not as instinctive as Lee, he was always right there with him a half-step behind cleaning up the tackles. Hist athleticism sets him apart, he looks like he can make a wrong read or take a misstep and still go sideline-to-sideline. I can't wait to see him continue to develop!

The defensive line and secondary were also impressive. The D-Line had great hustle and were flying to the ball and Jason Hatcher looks like he is answering the calls of all the people saying this was his "breakout year", and don't forget that Jay Ratliff wasn't even suited up for this game! The secondary was helped out by Victor Cruz's myriad drops and Morris Claiborne showed some promise but you can tell he is raw (particularly in his backpedal and turns, but he will learn that). The Cowboys big free agent CB Brandon Carr made some plays, but it looked like he may have tried to jump some routes or something because guys got behind/around him some and I need to go watch that on film some more...

Rob Ryan - This is the defensive I have been dreaming of for years! Ask my wife, I was wanting Rob Ryan as the Cowboys defensive coordinator when he was still coaching in Cleveland!! The play calling was excellent, he had guys coming from all over the field, and the fact that they stopped the Giants on the 1-yard line 3 times in a row!!! WOW WOW WOW!!!!

Offensive Line – Not much to say here, the play speaks for itself....I think I counted about 8-10 penalties on the offensive line as they were being pushed backwards most of the time. Nobody on the line played very well in any aspect of the game. But let's be honest, these guys have not played or practiced very much together during camp or the preseason, and center Ryan Cook played all but 3 offensive snaps after starting center Phil Costa went out with a back problems.

On the good side, Romo only got sacked twice, and they didn't come from the most dangerous Giants pass rushers, they came from up the middle, Romo had more to do with the only being sacked twice than the offensive line. This offensive line can only get better from here, and I think it will, it's time to see what offensive line coach Bill Callahan can do from here on out, this falls squarely on his shoulders.

One last thing, Tyron Smith struggled mightily playing on the left side of the line for the first time in his college or NFL career, but give him some time and he will get it. Those of you that thought that he was already a "Top 10" tackle in this league and would play on the left side like he did the right (Casey Ryan Mallow, maybe next time you will listen to me), I told you so! If you listened to me then you knew there would be some growing pains here, and without his insane athletic ability and reach, he would've gotten Romo hurt.


Obviously I could and should go on about the amazing game that Romo had, the breakout game for Dez Braynt, the second half for Miles Austin, the safety's, etc. But these are what stood out to me most, I have and will touch on the rest here and on Twitter.

Well there you have it, my week 1 knee jerk reactions, stay tuned as I give you more information as I break down the film. You can get all my immediate thoughts by following me on Twitter. 

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Myth of the Cowboys 3rd Wide Receiver

By:  Bobby Shores
[Editor's Notes:  Not a well put together piece, information is good, but this article jumps around and has about as much continuity as the Cowboys offensive line, but that's what I get when doing this while watching film and being in a time crunch]

I am so tired of hearing about who is going to be the Dallas Cowboys 3rd wide receiver(WR) this year. All I hear when listening to the Talkin' Cowboys Podcast and The Lunch Break Podcasts are:
     "How is "x" player looking for the 3rd receiver spot?"
     "Who is the 3rd receiver going to be?"
     "Who is going to step-up and replace Laurent Robinson as our 3rd receiver?", etc.

There are a hundred variations of these questions and they dominant the airwaves. In fact, if someone knew nothing about football or the Dallas Cowboys and started learning about them by listening to the current coverage, they would most likely come to the conclusion that the 3rd WR is the most important position on a football team, and definitely the most important player on the Cowboys (if they accidentally turned on ESPN they would think Tim Tebow is the greatest player to ever live as a "news" network gave him an impromptu birthday party). Right now it seems that the Cowboys entire season hinges on who fills the 3rd WR role....

So how did this infatuation with the 3rd WR begin? Well, it began way back in 2011 when the Cowboys picked up Laurent Robinson to provide a veteran presence as the young receivers weren't ready for significant snaps and as insurance for the unproven and oft-injured starting receivers of Dez Bryant and Miles Austin. From the "3rd receiver" spot Robinson went on to have a career year with 54 catches for 858 yards and most importantly 11 touchdowns. Not only did he become a major part of the offense but he was the most consistent threat and Tony Romo's favorite red zone target.

For obvious reasons the Cowboys wanted (and tried) to resign Robinson during free agency, but when the Jacksonville Jaguars inexplicably paid him like a #1 wideout there was no way Dallas would be able to commit that much money to the position, and thus the noise started for the Cowboys to replace the 3rd wide receiver.

Debunking the Myth

Next I would like to say that while Robinson was originally the 3rd WR on the depth chart, he was basically the 1st WR in reality. Yes, Dez Bryant and Miles Austin are technically the starters, but since Austin missed most of the season with another hamstring injury and Bryant was banged up every game and basically didn't show up after halftime, Robinson became the default #1 receiver. Really you could say that him and Bryant were 1a and 1b, with the stats bearing that out as his and Bryant's stats (63-928-9) were nearly identical [Editor's Note: Miles Austin came in at 43-579-7 for the season technically making him the 3rd WR by stats.].

Since we now know that in reality Robinson was not the 3rd WR last year, lets look at the total output of all the Cowboys weapons to see where everybody ranks. Tight End Jason Witten led the team in receptions and yards (79-942) and added 5 touchdowns himself. When taken as a whole it now looks like Robinson, Bryant and Witten were essentially 1a, 1b, and 1c when it comes to aerial targets. Then if you add in DeMarco Murray's 897 rushing yards, it now looks like he was 1d.

So yes Laurent Robinson was "technically" the 3rd WR last year and due to injuries, ineffectiveness (Bryant 2nd half disappearing acts), and the rapport that he and Romo developed he became a bigger part of the offense then most 3rd WR's do, or do they? Let's go back a few years and see what the "3rd WR" typically does in this offense....

In 2010 the 3rd WR had 530 yards, 2009 he had 596 yards, 2008 he only had 278 yards, 2007 314 yards, 2006 516 yards. Basically the 3rd WR has 400-500 yards receiving and a few touchdowns, really not much production.

Another reason why the 3rd WR is less important this year is that I believe the Cowboys have a very potent backfield if Murray and Jones can remain healthy and the offensive line can play well.

In the Cowboys offense, this year, years past, and for the foreseeable future the 3rd WR is usually going to be the 5th option AT BEST and realistically the 6th or 7th. In the passing game, Romo (or whoever plays QB) is going to typically look for Bryant, Austin, Witten, Murray, and Tight End #2 before going to the 3rd WR; and in a lot of cases they will look for the other back (Felix Jones) before the 3rd WR. Yes, I know that this is all dependent on personnel, formation, defensive looks, progressions, etc. but regardless the 3rd WR is going to be one of the last looks.

With all this said, I have an article coming out soon about the state of the Cowboys wide receivers, so stay tuned!

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What's Wrong With The NFL-Stadium Experience

By:  Bobby Shores

The NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell have been talking a lot lately about improving the stadium experience for the fan, and how to keep enticing fans to leave the comfort of their home with NFL Sunday Ticket, cheap concessions and HDTV they must make it worth our while. Well Commish, I hope you are reading this article because in today's edition of my "What's Wrong With The NFL" series I am going to address just that, the Stadium Experience. Before you indulge in my latest literay masterpiece, you should check out the first two parts of this series here and here.

First thing you should know (and you do know if you know me or read the site a lot) is that I am a "super" fan of football and particularly the NFL. I am obsessed, so much so that my TV is on NFL Network 90% of the time, I read everything on it, I only listen to football podcasts, I buy NFL jersey's from the sweatshops in China, I "scout" games for the fun of it, and even write for our website and get nothing out of it but enjoyment because it's NFL related. Even though I LOVE everything NFL, I literally HATE going to an NFL stadium for a game.

Why do I hate going to games so much? For starters, the home experience is so great, I can watch multiple games at once on 1 of 2 big screens in my house (65" & 57") in high definition. I can pause the game whenever I need to go to the bathroom, make a snack, or even grab a beer/drink. With the pause option also comes the ability to rewind, fast forward and slow down replays so that I can yell at how stupid the officials are. The main reason the at home experience is so great is the price, even if I decide to have a bunch of friends and family over it is still 10 times cheaper than going to the game.

The NFL has also hurt the stadium experience by making the TV version so good, not only are the pre-game shows better with the NFL Network's starting at like 6 AM, the amount of information that a good broadcast team can give you cannot be replaced. Not only are they providing analysis that even I learn from (and I know my football pretty good), they also are able to give you up-to-date information on injuries and what's happening on the sidelines that you cannot get going to a stadium.

So what are the problems experienced by going to the stadium? Well from my personal experience going to Cowboys games, the problems are probably worthy of an article each, but I am going to try to keep it short and sweet (yea it won't happen probably).

Time is one of my main complaints. When going to a game I have to leave about 4 hours before prior to kickoff that makes for 30 minutes of drive time to get close to the stadium and another 1.5+ hours fighting traffic around the stadium. You think it's hard getting to the stadium try leaving it. People greatly stagger the times they get there, but when the game is over everyone is leaving at once, and its 10x worse. Basically, even going to a noon kickoff, it is literally a full day experience and I am get home just in time to maybe see the end of the 3:00 games and get ready for Sunday Night Football. The whole experience is exhausting meaning that I am tired the next day for work.....

Once I find and pay $60-80 for a parking spot over 1 mile from the stadium it takes a solid 20 minutes for my family and I to walk to the gates and find the gate we are supposed to go in which is usually nowhere near where we are. Once we get to the gate we have to wait another 20-30+ minutes to get felt up (and they never find my knife I carry, so it's pretty pointless) and then have our tickets scanned. By this time we all have to use the restroom pretty bad and that's another 20+ minutes waiting in line to pee to use the restroom, then we finally make it to our seats.

Once we sit in the seats the first thing we have to do is go back and get some drinks and snacks, where again we waste 10-15 minutes waiting in line and then spend $8 for a 16-ounce beer, $5 for a bottle of water, $6.50 for a soft drink, $10 if I want popcorn, $8.50 for a hot dog, $14 for a margarita and well, you get the idea. One more thing, my favorite game day food is pizza and I usually get Bobby's Pizza here in Murphy, TX which is amazing and only $5 for a large pizza. If I want to recreate that at Cowboys Stadium, I pay $60 for a "personal pizza" which includes 4 small slices. My average bill for snacks at Cowboys stadium, with a family of 5, ends up being $100+; and the beer is warm and the food is very very very average!

Being a football junkie I MUST keep up with all my favorite football sites like ReclinerQB.com, ok just kidding, I keep up with ProFootballTalk, ESPN, ESPNDallas, Sports Illustrated, CollegeFootballTalk, etc and I use my apps for fantasy football and real time scores and stats. At home I can do all this by using my iPhone, iPad or even going to my main desktop or a laptop; when I am at the game I can only use my iPhone which is perfectly fine......if the networks were able to handle the capacity at the stadium. In Cowboys Stadium my AT&T iPhone which is the "official" phone carrier for the Dallas Cowboys get very spotty service, I usually can't open up the website or use any of my apps, and don't even try to text, make phone calls, or tweet because IF they go through it will typically be hours after.

So you figure once all the pains of actually getting to my seat and getting comfortable are over, I would be able to enjoy the game, right? Wrong? Not only can you barely hold a conversation or explain to your family what is going on because of the crowd noise and drunk people all around you. At Cowboys Stadium you just end up watching the gigantic big screen TV hanging over the middle of the field. Even when I am trying to force myself not to watch it, you can't help it and your head just drifts that way, especially when your seats are eye-level with the thing. If I wanted to watch a game on a high-definition TV I would stay at home, where I am sitting in a comfortable seat, its relatively quiet, and I can control the replays while not having to stare at the lame graphics trying to get you pumped up, but usually they are advertisements, just like at home I am watching commercials.....

The last complaint I have about the stadium experience is the price, I already touched on the $100+ I spend on concessions, and the $60-80 I spend on parking a mile away, plus my youngest daughter always has to have some sort of souvenir and the prices there are marked up 3-10x more than purchasing them online or really anywhere else. The worst part about attending the game is the money you have to shell out for a ticket. Not only are season tickets a pipe dream at best for the average fan with PSL's and all the fees that are tacked on, the price just to attend a single game has gone up 26% on average for the last 3 new stadiums, and reports are that it will double for San Francisco 49er fans at their new stadium. But for me to take my family of 5 to the game, and get decent seats, the price ranges from $200-500 PER ticket.

So with all of this, why would I go to a game? Even if the ticket price was reasonable (even free), I could be flown to the stadium eliminating the full day of travel, and get the average to below-average food for a price worthy of the food; I still prefer to watch the game at home because the home experience is just that much better. It was nice to go to the stadium a couple of times and say "yep, I've been there", but I will never make it a habit. What is a habit though is trying to catch Mavericks games, we take the DART train to 100 yards away from our seats, the concessions are much more reasonably priced (and taste better), and even when we go see a "late" game we are home in time to get a decent amount of sleep and aren't totally exhausted.

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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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Does Size Really Matter....for QB's in the NFL? Pt.1

By:  Bobby Shores
[Editor's Note:  This is my first of hopefully many articles I am writing on the beach in Florida, enjoy!]

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They get lost in the crowd they're are so short

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 going to be about the size of quarterbacks, and how not only are shorter quarterbacks becoming more of the norm, they are excelling!

It seems that between as far back as I can remember and the mid-2000's short quarterbacks basically had no chance to succeed, most weren't even given a fair chance with Doug Flutie being the poster child for short quarterbacks back in the day. Flutie spent his entire career fighting off his replacements, even though he was typically the best quarterback on the roster by far. Now short quarterbacks (6'2 and below) are being given legitimate chances to play, and excelling with them, and teams are even using valuable draft picks on them.

Did you know that the NFL's single season passing yardage record holder, Drew Brees, is listed at 6'0, that Michael Vick was the #1 overall pick as a quarterback at 6'0? Two of the NFL's most elite quarterbacks, Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers, are listed (probably shorter than their listed height) at 6'2. What do Andy Dalton, Christian Ponder, and Robert Griffin III all have in common? Well they are all around 6'2 tall and drafted on day 1 (I still consider 2nd round picks "Day 1" picks), with all but Dalton going in the Top 15, and they are all expected to be franchise quarterbacks. I want to add the Seahawks Russell Wilson to this discussion because I believe the he is a legit franchise signal caller, but I have another piece cooking on him.

So what traits do all these guys have in common that make them successful even though they do not have "prototypical height" to be NFL signal callers? For starters they are all fairly mobile/athletic quarterbacks, and no I do not mean they can all run like Vick. What I mean is that they are all able to move both inside and outside the pocket with ease allowing them to deftly avoid the oncoming rush while finding different lanes to throw in. It's much harder for a pass rusher to find and hit a QB who is constantly moving, even if they are only moving in the pocket. Brees for instance is a master at slightly sliding inside the pocket to find his lanes.

It's not just the pass rushers that have a difficult time defending the smaller more mobile quarterbacks, it is also difficult for the defenders that are dropping back into coverage. One of the cues that coverage guys use to defend against the pass is the QB's eyes, and if that QB is constantly on the move it makes it difficult to track his eyes and see where he wants to go with the ball, especially when his height is factored into the equation.

Like I said before, they may not all be able to run like Vick (and RGIII), but their mobility/athleticism gives all of them a very important skill that I call "escapability". When a QB moves out of the pocket looking for a new throwing lane, and yet nothing is available, a lot of the "old school" pocket passers just go down, head out of bounds, or throw the pass away; but these "new school" shorter passers with "escapability" are able to  easily extend the play. Extending the play sometimes results in the biggest plays these guys have (Romo is an expert at avoiding the big hit, spinning out of it and keeping plays alive), whether its avoiding the rush long enough for one of your receivers to get open down the field or tucking the ball and picking up a few yards.

Eyes Closed & Leaning In For A Kiss....Romantic

Another trait shared by most of these "short" quarterbacks is their accuracy. Look at the 2011 stats for proof, the top 3 NFL QB's in completion percentage are all 6'2 or shorter; Drew Brees(71.2), Aaron Rodgers(68.3), and Tony Romo(66.3). And these are not Colt McCoy completions where they dump the ball off within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage, these guys are also in the top 7 in yards per attempt, so it's not an "empty stat". Their accuracy is a compilation of many different technical aspects which I am not going to get into here, but if you are interested let me know and I will put together another article on it.

Another thing that these guys have in common is both their release point and a quick release. Most of the time their release points are high, but they all have an outstanding ability to adjust it for different circumstances, going from a high release point, to sidearm, to even a shovel style pass. The different release points make it harder for defenders to get their arms/hands in the way of passes, and when you combine that with all of their super quick releases, they may have an advantage over taller quarterbacks. The quick release makes it difficult for the pass rushers to time their jumps or potential blocks, and it hinders the coverage guys because they have less time to react.

All of these physical traits help these shorter quarterbacks overcome their size, and actually make them better than their taller counterparts. But it's not just physical traits that make these guys excel, the evolution of offenses and the game of football have just as big, if not a bigger part to do with it. The second part is how schemes and philosophy's have made quarterback size fairly insignificant.

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Are Cowboys Better Suited For A 4-3?

By: Bobby Shores

Cowboys Defense during OTA's

The other day when I was writing about the impact that the Cowboys free agent signings will have on our season, particularly Dan Connor, I started thinking that this defense really is a 4-3 that does a good job playing a 3-4. In fact before I realized it I had basically written an entire article under the Connor part and decided that I would take what I had and cut it for a new piece, so bear with me if it doesn't seem to "flow" as well.

While the Cowboys claim their base defense is a 3-4, in 2011 they played 58% of their defensive snaps in formations with 5 or more defensive backs, which also shows why the Cowboys will keep Mike Jenkins.. The nickel is most effective at stopping 3 receiver sets, which is probably what most teams play the majority of the time on offense.

Look at the Cowboys defense, it really is a bunch of 4-3 players that are versatile enough to play a 3-4. I think that most of the players would probably be more efficient in a 4-3. So what are the main differences between a 3-4 and a 4-3? Well for starters it is harder for opposing signal callers to know where the rush is coming from in a 3-4, typically you know that the three linemen are going to be coming (or at least holding the lineman so the linebackers can make a play) and after that you don't know what combination of linebackers are rushing, making it harder for everybody to get the protection calls. The majority of the time in a 4-3 you know that all 4 down linemen are rushing and then maybe a linebacker, so it makes it easier to get protection calls.

With all the versatility of all the defensive players, it really fits perfect for Rob Ryan who likes to throw lots of exotic looks at teams, and just like his father and brother he likes to mix up formations! Looking at the Pro Football Focus breakdown of defensive snaps, Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan played with 1 down lineman on 8% of the Cowboys defensive snaps, and that number was surpassed by none other than the Jets with Rob's twin brother Rex controlling that defense.

Let's start with the big guys up front, Ratliff is and has always been an undersized nose guard that would be better suited as a 3-technique. Ratliff would be able to use his quickness much more effectively as a 3-tech and get to the quarterback more often, I mean we all know that he is a pass rusher more than a run stopper. Marcus spears could easily slide inside as the other 3-technique and command double teams while clogging the interior run lanes forcing teams to go 1-on-1 with the other linemen. Josh Brent is good against the run and decent against the pass who would probably remain as a sub even in a 4-3.


I really believe that Ratliff and Spears/Brent would create a formidable team of interior D-Linemen that would be similar to the "William's Wall" that dominated the NFL for the Vikings for so many years. This move would also help extend Ratliff's career as he would not get beaten up so much, and they need to extend him quickly as he seems to be breaking down at a rapid rate.

Cowboys Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan

Their current rush linebackers all made names for themselves as pass rush defensive ends in college, and the Giants have proven that you can never have to many pass rushers. Think about a rotation of Ware, Spencer, Victor Butler, Jason Hatcher, and rookie Tyrone Crawford. My breakout star of year, Sean Lissemore, is a high motor guy that can literally play any position on the line in any style of defense.

Currently Ware rushes the passer probably 96% of the time and would never leave the field, Spencer excels making plays on the ball carrier in the backfield and in hurrying the quarterback (sack numbers are low because he rushes from the QB's front side where he can see him coming) and Butler is a situational pass rusher who is a liability against the run but is great putting his hand on the ground and getting after it. All these guys would be able to drop back into coverage and really throw a QB off rhythm as they are not used to seeing linemen drop and would never see them. Hatcher has improved the most the last few years and he would probably start opposite Ware, but rotate constantly, again look at the Giants, there are enough snaps to go around.

The next level of the defense is the linebackers where I believe that Connor would play middle linebacker, Lee would be the right outside linebacker and Carter would be the left outside linebacker. While all 3 guys have a lot of range, Connor is the slowest while also being the surest tackler out the group and would be best suited to play the middle where he made a name for himself in Carolina. The ROLB position in this 4-3 needs to be the most versatile, and without a doubt that makes it Lee's position. Lee is a very instinctual player who has that "feel" when rushing the passer but is great at making plays on the running back or dropping back in coverage, he had 105 tackles and 4 interceptions last year while injured. Carter is not as instinctual but which is why he would be better off playing the run and dropping into coverage on the left side of the defense.

Defensive backs typically are not "scheme specific" like the front seven, but the Cowboys have a few unique safety's that Ryan has used in multiple ways, and I have made it clear that you do not need safety's in the traditional role anymore. In this new look 4-3 I would have Gerald Sensabaugh as the primary 1-deep safety as he is the most versatile safety that they have, he is good against the run and pass both. I would probably keep Brodney Pool as his primary backup until rookie Matt Johnson is ready to take that spot.

Obviously we would keep Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne and Mike Jenkins as the 3 "starters", with Orlando Scandrick coming in against 4 receiver sets or playing more of a free safety role. The "wild cards" in this scheme are Barry Church and Danny McCray, both of these guys are "tweeners" to me, and would be best suited a hybrid safety/linebacker role, we have already seen Church lining up in that spot and wreaking havoc in the backfield.

This would work, wouldn't it? I really think the defense is built more for a 4-3 style than a 3-4 and that the Cowboys may do what the Patriots did last year which was claim that they are a 3-4 defense, but play 4-3 majority of the time. Both teams have similar personnel and can do anything they want. Let me know what you think of this theory in the comments, am I wrong, do you have any other creative ways of using these players?

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What Do The Cowboys Free Agent Signings Bring? Pt 2

By:  Bobby Shores

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The Cowboys had a strange free agent period, instead of going after the "big name" players (even though Brandon Carr is a fairly big name), they instead filled a lot of holes with guys that can contribute in multiple ways and provide some MUCH needed depth which is needed to make it through the long NFL season! I've been holding this (and other) articles to not only "refresh"people's memory on the off-season transactions, but also as a way to get ready for the season! Enjoy reading Part 2 as much as I enjoyed writing it!!

Brandon Carr - CB - The Cowboys signed him to the biggest contract for any free agent defensive back, a 5-year $50.1 million deal and we all know that his primary responsibility will be to lock down the opposition's #1 receiver. Carr is just what Rob Ryan needs as a #1 corner, he plays a physical press-man style coverage that will hamper receivers trying to get off the line and screw up the offense's timing allowing rushers to get to the quarterback

Cowboys CB Brandon Carr

But Carr brings something else to the team, his physical style of play (press man) carries over into practice where he is regularly jamming guys like Dez Bryant and Miles Austin at the line. Both of these guys have struggled in the past getting off the line when people are in their face, now they have to learn how to use their hands properly and get a good release. I really believe that his practice value is just as good as his defense will be in real games, he is forcing our receivers to get better! While a lot of people don't think that he was worth $50.1 million, and he might not be when it comes to on-field production, but $10 million per year was the going rate for the top corners on the market this year, and being a big physical corner that will interrupt the rhythm that is so important to quarterbacks and receivers (especially in west coast style offenses which both Eagles and Redskins run) I believe  he is more than worth it.

If Carr is so valuable, then why did the Chiefs let him go? Well you can only devote so much money to the defensive side of the ball, especially one group like the secondary. Remember that they have huge contract obligations to safety Eric Berry, they also resigned Brandon Flowers at corner who was drafted the same year as Carr. I believe Carr is better but remember as a second round pick, they sometimes get priority over a later round pick, it's just the economics of the NFL. The Chiefs also don't play as physical defense as the Cowboys do, making Carr expendable. 

The other benefit that Carr brings is his durability, as a 5th round pick out of Grand Valley State he has been in the NFL for 64 games (4 years) and has NEVER missed a start. If you have watched the Cowboys much lately then you know how banged up our secondary has been. I honestly can't remember the last time we had our secondary at or near 100% for a game. Carr's durability will help with the continuity, especially as the #1 cornerback.

Dan Connor - ILB - My thoughts on this signing were nothing but positive, and it even spawned a separate article that will be posted in the next few days. The first thing Connor brings to the team is depth at the important inside linebacker position where I think him Sean Lee, and Bruce Carter will all get a lot of snaps.We aren't sure yet what we have in Carter, but I believe that at the worst he is Kevin Burnett, a linebacker that can cover any tight end or running back in the league. His speed is probably his best atrribute while one of the knocks I have on him is that he seems to be a robotic type player and less instinctual than the other guys. This is not necessarily a bad thing as he gets himself into position and will not do a lot of freelancing, meaning he will not have huge "impact" plays but should also not make many "impact" mistakes.

Cowboys Backup QB Kyle Orton

Before signing him the Cowboys had the motor of the defense Lee and 2nd year player Carter, both players that have struggled with injuries during their football careers with Carter only being healthy for about half of his rookie year due to a knee injury suffered in college and Lee having both a knee injury, thigh bruise and broken hand among others. Connor and Lee both excelled playing together at Penn State, and I think they will have great chemistry again.

Connor is a smart instinctive player that can diagnose plays quickly, much like Lee, and while I hear a lot of people claiming that he is a liability against the pass and that we will see the back of his jersey chasing linebackers, I don't see it in my film study, and I think he is more than capable. He is a strong tackler and has good sideline-to-sideline range.

Kyle Orton - QB - This was the most surprising signing of the off season for me, Orton is good enough to
be a starter in this league, but I think he got tired of ALWAYS being the veteran guy and teams ALWAYS trying to replace him (much like Doug Flutie). He comes to Dallas as the clear cut backup, and with Tony Romo's injury history the last few years, there is a good chance he will get a chance to play. I honestly believe that having Orton on the roster gives the Cowboys the best quarterback depth chart in the NFL.

No matter how much Cowboys fans want Orton to be "the guy", it's not going to happen, the only facet of Orton's game that is better than Romo's is his awesome beard. Orton will never (and better never) threaten Romo's grip on the starting job, but what he can do is push Romo to be better. At no time in Romo's 6(?) years starting has he had anybody to push him (sorry A&M fans, Stephen McGee is better suited to be a "yell leader" than a starting NFL QB). And from what I know of Romo, particularly off the field when he is playing pickup basketball and golf, he loves to be pushed and challenged, and I think Orton will do that.

Signing Orton fills two needs, he gives the Cowboys arguably the best backup quarterback in the NFL, and he should bring out the best in Tony Romo. Orton may be the best Denver Broncos quarterback ever, but he  is barely even the best backup in the storied history of the Dallas Cowboys.

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What Do The Cowboys Free Agent Signings Bring? Pt 1

By:  Bobby Shores

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The Cowboys had a strange free agent period, instead of going after the "big name" players (even though Brandon Carr is a fairly big name), they instead filled a lot of holes with guys that can contribute in multiple ways and provide some MUCH needed depth which is needed to make it through the long NFL season! I've been holding this (and other) articles to not only "refresh" people's memory on the off-season transactions, but also as a way to get ready for the season! Enjoy!!

Lawrence Vickers - FB - This was my favorite pickup of the Cowboys, besides being the one of the best fullback's in the NFL, and the Cowboys running an offense that requires a  "true" fullback, he fits the mold perfectly. Vickers also prides himself on knowing what all the positions are supposed to do on any given play, this allows him to anticipate what a lineman is going to do before he does it, meaning that Vickers will be able to react and/or adjust quicker when the play starts.

Cowboys FB Lawrence Vickers

Besides just being a solid blocker, Vickers brings a passion to the game of football that I haven't seen since Ray Lewis. Listening to him talk in interviews, you can tell that this is one of the few guys that would probably play this game for free (which is a good thing as fullbacks don't get paid compared to most positions). That passion should rub off on guys like Bryant, Tony Romo, and some of our young offensive linemen. I believe that Vickers may be that vocal/emotional leader that everybody says the Cowboys need, he has everything that you need:  will play a lot, one of the best at his position in the NFL, respected, plays and practices hard, and is passionate!

Nate Livings & Mackenzie Bernadeau - G - Neither one of these signings are "flashy", but as the Cowboys have remade their entire interior line the last few years trying to get younger these guys are value signings. They got rid of Leonard Davis, Kyle Kosier and Montrae Holland, all stalwarts at the guard position, instead trying to get younger by drafting David Arkin and Bill Nagy to play guard and signing Phil Costa and Kevin Kowalski to battle for Center. This approach did not work very well last year and it was obvious that they needed to get bigger and more experienced.

While it looks like Livings is penciled in at left guard and Bernadeau (I hate typing that name!) is penciled in at right guard, I believe that the Cowboys will give their younger players every opportunity to win the starting jobs, which is where these 2 signings really help. They provide depth and some much needed veteran influence for the entire line, and their smart and hard working personality should rub off. It even looked like Bernadeau was going to get a chance to play some center before having hip surgery, which speaks to what these guys were really brought in for, ability to play all interior positions.

Brodney Pool - S - Safety has been the worst position for the Cowboys since Darren Woodson retired back in 2004 the safety position has been more like the "danger" position. Their has been a revolving door back there as the Cowboys have tried every combination and done everything but draft a safety before the 4th round (I think, may want to check on that one).

Last year the biggest problem that the secondary had was bad communication, nobody ever knew where they were supposed to be and Abe Elam was supposed to have been the guy that would get everybody lined up as he was familiar with Ryan's defense, playing for both Ryan brothers in past years. In my view Pool is a solid but not spectacular or "impact" player and plays smart. A lot of people seem to think that he will not even make the final 53, but I believe that his knowledge of the complex Rob Ryan defense and his ability against the pass (doesn't get lots of turnovers, but breaks up a lot of passes) makes him a must have for the Cowboys this year.

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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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What Will Happen To Dez Bryant? From the Top Down

By:  Bobby Shores
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With the news  breaking today that Dez Bryant had been arrested for "domestic violence", my first thought was, "Now we will find out if the Cowboys have any leaders in the locker room". First let me say that I think "leadership" is WAY overblown in today's NFL, it seems to all boil down to every good team has "great leadership", while every average-to-bad team "lacks leadership", and the Cowboys are under the microscope more than most. Does anybody else remember how Eli Manning was not a leader, didn't demand accountability, etc. until the playoff run last year when it all switched to how he demands perfection and respect in the huddle, born leader like his brother, etc.

Unconfirmed Pic of NorthPark Mall Security that busted Dez

I wanna start this off with saying that I do not think Bryant is a bad guy, yes there have been a few incidents he has been involved in that made news, but were ultimately very minor in nature. I mean seriously, who cares if the guy is like 40% of America and can't manage his money, or if he is like 45% of American youth and wears his pants to low and talks back to the "rent-a-pigs" at NorthPark mall, or like 90% of America and wants to beat the hell out of Lil' Wayne. Of course this latest incident has the potential to be more serious, I do not want to make you think I am taking a "domestic violence" accusation seriously, I am.

This article is not going to be judging Bryant on what happened, with the lack of details and different stories floating around out there, let's get the truth before we tear Dez apart. Yes, Bryant is a very passionate guy, especially on the field, but nothing I have ever seen or read made me think he was either violent or even capable of violence. I have respect for any guy that can sit there calmly while another man calls his mom a prostitute, no matter what the situation is. While we are waiting on the facts of the case to make their way into our hands, let's begin the speculation on what could happen to him on the football side.

Let's start at the top of the food chain and work our way down. Commissioner Roger Goodell may decide that Bryant has put himself in enough bad situations that it's time to act and discipline him, and he doesn't even need charges to be pressed, an arrest or conviction to use the god-like powers given him as judge, jury and executioner. Since this is his first "real" issue with legal involvement, I do not expect much more than maybe a meeting or phone call from Rog letting Bryant know that he is on his radar.

Moving on down, the next level of discipline can be imposed by Jerry Jones and/or Jason Garrett, we know that Jones is kind of a softy and will probably not due anything more than a good stern talking to, but rest assured this will be brought up again when it comes time to negotiate a new contract. This incident, more than any other, can and will be used by Jones and his son to not only sign Bryant for less than he would have gotten without it, but he will also be able to write in language that protects the Cowboys, their money and their cap space if he screws up again. Above all else, Jones is a businessman and will pounce on any weakness to get what he wants.

Garrett on the other hand has spent his time as head coach building a team full of "good" guys, respected players with no baggage, great work ethics that are disciplined. The fact that he approved bringing in Bryant shows the amount of talent that he has. If this had happened during the season I could see Garrett ripping a page from his coach, Jimmy Johnson, and sitting Bryant for a series; much like Johnson did to Irvin years ago. Since this will likely be forgotten by most of us the day players report to training camp, I believe Garrett should use this as a way to not only punish Bryant, but also fix his biggest deficiency....conditioning. We all know that Bryant was in such bad shape last year that he literally disappeared during the second half of nearly every game, even when he was blowing it up during the first half. So punish him by making him run, and run, and run, and run, and run every single day after practices; it will help Bryant and the team!

What intrigues me more than anything else though, is how the guys in the locker room will react to this. There has been lots of negativity surrounding the Cowboys locker room because it lacks true leaders. The guys that you would expect to be the leaders, Jason Witten and DeMarcus Ware, tend to be "lead by example", and nobody is apparently a real "rah rah" vocal leader type, similar to Ray Lewis and Drew Brees. If the Cowboys have one, this is the time he needs to step up, get on Bryant and hold him accountable as his actions affect the entire team.

Who is this player? Is there one? Maybe it will be a group of veteran players that form a "leadership committee", much like the one that Tom Coughlin created with the Giants back in 2005. Regardless of who it is, somebody needs to take control before this gets out of hand. I still don't think that all of Dez's incidents COMBINED are as bad as the DUI issue that the NFL has......(sorry I will get off my soapbox).

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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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