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• Miami Dolphins: Safely tucked away OT Jake Long as first overall choice last Tuesday. Should start on the left side for many years. DE Phillip Merling slipped into second round after a weak workout and sports hernia surgery but he should fit this 3-4 scheme on the left side, more because he can play the run than for his pass-rushing. Great value here, especially if Dolphins trade Jason Taylor. QB Chad Henne will be an immediate factor. Solid, solid board.
• Kansas City Chiefs: Like the mounties, they got their man. Make that men. DT Glenn Dorsey dropped in their laps and gives them the player they hoped Ryan Sims would be. With second No. 1, they moved up two spots and grabbed OL Branden Albert, who could be their answer at LT and at the least will play G. Two big holes filled, though there are still questions about pass-rushers. CB Brandon Flowers might lack raw speed but plays a physical style and could have been a No. 1 pick.
GRADE: B+
• Pittsburgh Steelers: Terrific bit of luck getting RB Rashard Mendenhall 23rd, especially when the o-linemen they liked best were gone. This gives them some between-the-tackles punch to complement Willie Parker, who comes off a broken leg. WR Limas Sweed is a great value late in round 2 and Bruce Davis is a typical Steelers’ outside LB with rush skills. OT Tony Hill is a mauler who fits this type of running game. (more…)
A model of consistency for the Beavers, Roy Schuening started 50 consecutive games at Oregon State, breaking the school record of 48 straight starts by linebacker Richard Seigler (2000-03).
While Schuening manned the right guard position most often, he showed his versatility and team-first attitude by shifting over to right tackle for the final four contests when injuries depleted the offensive line’s depth.
Schuening also excelled in the classroom, as he was one of 20 players on the team that earned Academic All-Pac-10 Conference honors over the last two years. His drive-blocking skills made the national media take notice, as he was awarded with first-team All-American honors as a senior.
At Pendleton High School, Schuening was a three-year starter on both the offensive and defensive line. He earned All-Intermountain League honors as a junior and senior and was the league Lineman of the Year in 2002. He was also the most valuable lineman at the Oregon State and Oregon summer camps in 2002. (more…)
When Keenan Burton was out of the lineup with assorted injuries — knee, foot and ankle — during his career, the Wildcats were a different team.
Back from injury, Burton had a banner junior season. Burton became just the third player in school history to gain over 1,000 yards receiving in a season (1,036) in 2006 and is also the third Wildcat to ever amass over 2,000 receiving yards in a career. His 12 touchdown receptions in 2006 rank second on the school’s single-season record list. He also set another Kentucky record by catching at least two touchdown passes in four consecutive games (Mississippi State, Georgia, Vanderbilt and Louisiana-Monroe).
At DuPont Manual High School, Burton excelled as a quarterback and safety. He earned first-team All-State from the Associated Press and the Louisville Courier-Journal and was named to the Lexington Herald-Leader “Class of the Commonwealth” listing of the top-22 seniors in the state during his senior year. He was the sixth-ranked prospect in Kentucky by Super Prep, ranking fifth in the state and among the nation’s top fifty defensive backs, according to Rivals.com and Prep Star. He also added All-County and All-District honors as a junior and senior.
The MVP of the Kentucky/Tennessee HS All-Star Game in the summer of 2003, Burton helped his school reach the Class AAAA state playoffs four consecutive seasons. He started the last three of his four seasons with the team, lining up mostly at quarterback on offense, although he did see some action as a receiver, running back, and kick returner.
One of the top deep coverage cornerbacks in college football, King has also demonstrated outstanding skills performing on offense as a split end and on special teams as a gunner and returner. He has also shown the same accomplishments in the classroom, having graduated in December 2007 with a 3.0 grade point average, earning Dean’s List and Academic All-Big Ten Conference accolades.
After playing on offense and defense as a true freshman, he went on to start every game at right cornerback the last two seasons. During that time, he deflected 21 passes and intercepted three others. After a stellar performance at the 2008 NFL Combine, King proved that athletically, he is more than ready to take on the daunting task of playing professional football at the young age of 20.
Playing for Penn State seemed to be a natural thing to do for King, whose step-father, Terry Smith, played as a wide receiver for head coach Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions for 1988-91. Smith would coach King during his playing days at Gateway High School. The youngster announced on the night of Nov. 15, 2004 that he would enroll at Penn State, arriving on campus in January 2005.
Shortly thereafter, King began contacting other premier players across the nation who were considering Penn State, asking them to join him to help PSU win Big Ten Conference and national championships. Within days of King’s announcement, other top prep players began giving Paterno their commitments, including Derrick Williams, the nation’s top-rated player. Before he finished “campaigning,” King and fellow Gateway High tight end Jon Ditto were joined by 13 other prep prospects from Western Pennsylvania to wear a Nittany Lions uniform.
King was rated the nation’s top cornerback and the top player in Pennsylvania at Gateway High School. He played in the U.S. Army All-America Bowl, was the 2004 Gatorade Pennsylvania Player-of-the-Year and a first-team All-State selection by numerous media outlets. He shared the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Player-of-the-Year honor and was a member of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 and the Harrisburg Patriot-News Platinum 33 squads. He was co-winner of the Mercury Award, presented annually to the top player in Western Pennsylvania, and was a Parade All-American.
A mainstay on the Rockets’ offensive line, John Greco filled a huge void at left offensive tackle when he replaced Nick Kaczur (New England) as a sophomore.
The coaches felt that Greco was more than capable of handling that tough assignment after seeing him excel at right tackle during his first year with the team. He was so impressive in 2004 that he became the first offensive lineman to win the Norman Cohen Award, given to the team’s top freshman.
At Boardman High School, Greco was named first-team All-Conference and second-team All-Region as a senior, adding second-team All-Conference honors as a junior. He helped the team share the conference championship in his junior year and the squad finished second in the conference in Greco’s freshman season. He also lettered one season in basketball, the same team that produced former Toledo All-Mid American Conference center, Chris Tuminello.
Greco enrolled at Toledo in 2003, performing on the scout team as an offensive tackle. That preparation period helped him take over right tackle duties in 2004. He generated 59 knockdowns with seven touchdown-resulting blocks, helping the offense rank 11th in the nation with an average of 459.2 yards per game.
Going in to the draft the Rams had need at the following positions:
Left tackle: The Rams’ offensive line was atrocious last season. Many players were lost due to injury, and the guys who managed to stay in one piece nearly got quarterback Marc Bulger shattered into thousands of them. They didn’t do any favors for the ground game; the running backs were limited to an average of 3.78 yards per carry.
Defensive end: Though the skill-position players still get all of the attention, the game of football is won and lost at the line of scrimmage. While not nearly as bad as the offensive line, the Rams’ defensive line could use an upgrade, too. They were 21st in the league in sacks last season, and 19th in opponent’s yards per rushing attempt, with 4.14. Their best defensive end, Leonard Little, is on the wrong side of 30, and James Hall was released earlier this year. Currently the Rams have only two other players at the position — Eric Moore and Victor Adeyanju.
Guard: The interior of the Rams’ offensive line needs almost a complete revamping. Jacob Bell has been added via free agency, and Richie Incognito has potential.
Linebacker: After letting Brandon Chillar leave via free agency, the Rams are extremely thin at the position. Quinton Culberson, a second-year player who was undrafted out of college, currently is listed as the starter on the strong side. Weakside linebacker is also a concern; Pisa Tinoisamoa has promise, but he has had injuries the past two seasons. The other guy in the mix is Chris Draft.
Wide Receiver: With Isaac Bruce cut and lingering concerns about Torry Holt’s knee, the Rams need to add some depth. The Rams would likely look for a burner or an excellent route-runner like Donnie Avery (Houston) or Earl Bennett (Vanderbilt). (more…)
Video highlights of the Rams new defensive end Chris Long in the Gator Bowl. This is kind of a long piece of video but for the true Rams fan who wants to see some high lites of the player the Rams just drafted it is a great clip.
Strengths: Possesses world-class speed. Gets from 0-to-60 mph in a hurry. Is able to consistently get over the top of CB’s in man-coverage. Can be a huge threat after-the-catch if he catches a crease. Is quick, shifty and agile. Possesses soft hands and good body control to adjust to the poorly thrown ball. Shows the ability to pluck on the run and get up the field immediately. Shows a rare second gear to run away from defenders. Has experience as a return man and rare speed alone gives him a chance to contribute in that facet of the game in the NFL.
Weaknesses: Is undersized. Not strong or physical. Is a small target in the passing game. Is too much of a straight line athlete. Struggles to get off press coverage. Needs to become a much more polished route runner. Is too slow getting in and out of breaks. Rounds off too many of his routes. We question his toughness. Doesn’t go over the middle much. Gives an inconsistent effort as a blocker and lacks the strength to sustain even when he gets in position and locks on.
Overall: Avery redshirted in 2003, and then started every game for Houston a year later. In his first three seasons (2004-’06), he appeared in 37 games (31 starts) and amassed 119 receptions for 1,833 yards (15.4 average) and 12 touchdowns. As a senior, he ranked fourth in the country in receiving yards per game (112.0) and 15th in receptions per game (7.0). He finished 2007 with totals of 91 catches for 1,456 yards (16.0 average) and seven TDs in 13 games (11 starts). For his career, Avery also 40 kickoff returns for 896 yards (22.4 average) and a touchdown, three punt returns for 28 yards and 14 tackles (including one for a loss). A hyperextended left knee and MCL sprain in August 2007 didn’t cost him any playing time. Bottom line: Avery is quite possibly the fastest player in the 2008 class. While there’s no doubt of his homerun-hitting potential for the next level, Avery remains too one-dimensional, with really just the ability to run go routes to threaten a defense. He is somewhat reminiscent of New Orleans and former LSU burner Devery Henderson, who has not transitioned to the NFL very well. Avery is dangerous, but he isn’t a refined route runner and he must learn to separate from man-coverage better in order to contribute as a consistent pass-catcher in the NFL. Avery is a bit overrated for those reasons and will be over-drafted if taken higher than the late-second or third round range.
The Rams made it official Chris Long is the newest Ram.
What he brings: Long doesn’t have elite size or as much upside as the aforementioned Gholston, but, he’s a tough run defend and a relentless pass-rusher, who has good but not great speed. He also does an excellent job of using his hands to control blockers. He’s capable of stepping in and making an immediate impact because he’s so fundamentally sound, as you would expect from the son of Hall of Famer Howie Long. How he fits: Even though there was some debate over Long and LSU DT Glenn Dorsey, Long makes a lot of sense. He allows the Rams to keep last year’s first-rounder, Adam Carriker, on the inside. Long is a versatile pass-rusher who defensive coordinator Jim Haslett can use in his schemes as a DE or DT in sub packages. The Rams will be able to pressure four and drop seven on the backend, while incorporating a lot of zone-blitz pressures. With Long pressuring from the right side teams won’t be able to set protection schemes towards LDE Leonard Little, and Long’s presence also allows speedy DE James Hall to get on the field as a defensive tackle, which gives them four effective rushers in sub.
ESPN is reporting the Rams will select Chris Long with the 2nd pick in the NFL Draft. I like the pick! He will bring an attitude, intensity and a needed position
Thursday, March 20th, 2008
Looking for depth at wide receiver and cornerback, the Rams were scheduled to meet Thursday with two free agents from the Washington Redskins — Reche Caldwell and David Macklin.
Wednesday, March 19th, 2008
Linebacker Brandon Chillar is headed to Green Bay. The Rams' starting strongside linebacker the past two seasons, Chillar has agreed to a two-year contract worth $5.2 million according to league sources.
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Strengths: Possesses world-class speed. Gets from 0-to-60 mph in a hurry. Is able to consistently get over the top of CB’s in man-coverage. Can be a huge threat after-the-catch if he catches a crease. Is quick, shifty and agile. Possesses soft hands and good body control to adjust to the poorly thrown ball. Shows the ability to pluck on the run and get up the field immediately. Shows a rare second gear to run away from defenders. Has experience as a return man and rare speed alone gives him a chance to contribute in that facet of the game in the NFL.
The Rams made it official Chris Long is the newest Ram.
