The 2012 NFL Draft is Here!

After months of speculation, waiting and watching in-depth analysis of potential draft prospects, the time has finally come for the 2012 NFL Draft. There is hardly a fan of football out there that isn’t aware of what the draft means to their team and many fans will be sitting back and watching all three days of the draft with great interest. The draft presents the opportunity for fans to get at least a little bit of a look inside their favorite team and how they operate. It gives them a chance to see what their team feels their biggest needs are and how they plan to fill them. It let’s us take a deeper look into the future of our favorite team by seeing which players they feel are going to help them win whether it’s right away or later on down the road. The NFL has turned the draft into one of the biggest events in their calendar and they do plenty to help ensure that fans don’t forget that the draft is one of the biggest and most important spectacles in sports. The ramp up to the draft starts early. It begins with the Senior Bowl, goes through to the NFL Scouting Combine then finally ends up at the draft itself. In the middle of all that, the NFL has set up several different ways to keep the draft fresh in the minds of fans as well as provide them with information about the draft and the potential prospects involved. The NFL Network has done a wonderful job of putting programming on that relates to the draft and piques fan interest. Their show Path to the Draft runs daily right up until the draft and provides viewers with a perspective on draft prospects and team needs that they aren’t going to get anywhere else. The announcers do a great job of breaking things down for fans and make it simple enough that they can understand what they are putting out. It’s one of the best ways to find out what your team needs and who might be the right fit. There are also several publications that come out to help draft fans learn more about their team needs and the players that their teams could be interested in. Pro Football Weekly does an awesome job of keeping the fan informed telling them all about the various draft prospects in the draft. They also do a great job of letting the fan know what the needs of their favorite team are and what each prospect is like. So football fans, sit back and enjoy the spectacle of the 2012 NFL Draft. It takes a long time to get to this point and a lot of work goes into the draft and that work is done by many people in many places. It’s fun to watch what our favorite teams are going to do in the draft and it’s all possible thanks to what the NFL has been able to do to bring the draft to the fans.

How Thrilling the NFL’s 2012 Schedule Release Is

It can be assured that there were many NFL fans glued to the television the other night when the NFL released its 2012 schedule. Everyone wants to know who their favorite NFL team will be playing and when they will be playing them. Needless to say the format that the NFL releases its schedule in caters to that need. Like most fans, I was glued to the television watching to see when my favorite team, the Chicago Bears, would play some of their biggest opponents like the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions. I wanted to know who they played to start the season and how the last five games of the year would shape up. I got all of the information that I wanted that night and was even able to start planning some trips to the Windy City to see some games. The NFL has taken the schedule release process and turned it into something fans love and it’s getting to be one of the biggest events of the NFL offseason. Waiting to release it on their own instead of doing it through the media has paid dividends by making this an event that fans look forward to. It’s definitely paying off. The timing of the schedule release is also something that the NFL thought hard about and this is even something that is very marketable to fans. The schedule release comes about a week before the NFL Draft and gives fans something to look forward to just prior to the start of the draft. It helps to keep fans interested in the league and what’s going on with it. And there are plenty of references to the draft during the release of the schedule so there so there is no way that fans are going to forget that the NFL draft was just a little over a week away at that point. The NFL has been getting better with its marketing over the course of the past few years having impressed many with its ability to turn something as simple as a schedule release into a big event. They have done even more with the NFL Draft recently to turn it into one of the biggest fan events of the season. For example, they moved the draft to primetime weeknight television instead of the weekend time slots that they had previously occupied. This has served to keep fans interested in the draft and draw a lot of attention to the event. By moving the draft’s first round to primetime, the NFL has catered to fans interest and made the draft much more appealing to fans and “fringe” fans alike. So some kudos have to go out to the NFL for their way of handling the NFL schedule and the draft. They have turned two exciting events into something much more exciting and meaningful to the fans.

Final Mock Draft

Andrew Luck (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here is a three round mock of what should happen....granted it won't as teams fall in love with a guy at the combine and ignore game film.  Anyway here our the first three rounds.....hopefully the remaining four rounds will be finished by Tuesday.

Round One

      1)            Indianapolis:    Andrew Luck  QB  Stanford

      2)            Washington (from St. Louis):  Robert Griffin  III Baylor

      3)            Minnesota: Matt Kalil   OT  USC

      4)            Cleveland: Trent Richardson  RB  Alabama

      5)            Tampa Bay: Morris Claiborne   CB  LSU

      6)            St. Louis (from Washington):    Justin Blackmon   WR  Oklahoma State

      7)            Jacksonville:   Melvin Ingram  OLB/DE   South Carolina

      8)            Miami:   Ryan Tannehill  QB   Texas A&M

      9)            Carolina:  Michael Brockers  DT  LSU

   10)            Buffalo:   Riley Reiff   OT  Iowa

   11)            Kansas City:  David DeCastro  OG  Stanford

   12)            Seattle:    Luke Kuechly  ILB  Boston College

   13)            Arizona:   Dontari Poe  NT  Memphis

   14)            Dallas:  Dre Kirkpatrick   CB  Alabama

   15)            Philadelphia:   Quinton Coples  DE    North Carolina

   16)            NY Jets:    Mark Barron   S  Alabama

   17)            Cincinnati (from Oakland):   Michael Floyd  WR  Notre Dame

   18)            San Diego:  Nick Perry    DE/OLB  USC

   19)            Chicago:   Fletcher Cox   DL  Mississippi State

   20)            Tennessee:    Stephon Gilmore   CB  South Carolina

   21)            Cincinnati:   Cordy Glenn  OG  Georgia

   22)            Cleveland:   Brandon Weeden   QB  Oklahoma State

   23)            Detroit:   Jonathan Martin  OT  Stanford

   24)            Pittsburgh:    Courtney Upshaw  OLB  Alabama

   25)            Denver:    Whitney Mercilus   DE  Illinois

   26)            Houston:    Kendall Wright   WR  Baylor

   27)            New England (from New Orleans):   Chandler Jones  DE/OLB  Syracuse

   28)            Green Bay:    Shea McClellin   OLB  Boise State

   29)            Baltimore:   Peter Konz  C  Wisconsin

   30)            San Francisco:   Jerel Worthy  DT  Michigan State

   31)            New England:   Devon Still    DT  Penn State

   32)            NY Giants:   Doug Martin   RB  Boise State

Round Two

   33)            St. Louis:   Kevin Zeitler   OG  Wisconsin

   34)            Indianapolis:   Coby Fleener  TE  Stanford

   35)            Minnesota:  Rueben Randle  WR  LSU 

   36)            Tampa Bay:  Donta Hightower  ILB  Alabama

   37)            Cleveland:   Stephen Hill  WR  Georgia Tech

   38)            Jacksonville:   Brian Quick  WR  Appalachian State

   39)            St. Louis (from Washington):   Kendall Reyes   DT  Connecticut

   40)            Carolina:   A.J. Jenkins   WR   Illinois

   41)            Buffalo:   Dwayne Allen   TE  Clemson

   42)            Miami:  Mike Adams   OT  Ohio State

   43)            Seattle:   Andre Branch   DE  Clemson

   44)            Kansas City:   Brandon Thompson   DT  Clemson

   45)            Dallas:  Jared Crick   DE  Nebraska

   46)            Philadelphia:  Bobby Massie  OT  Mississippi

   47)            NY Jets:   Zach Brown  OLB North Carolina

   48)            New England (from Oakland):   David Wilson  RB  Virginia Tech

   49)            San Diego:   Zebrie Sanders   OT  Florida State

   50)            Chicago:  Lavonte David   OLB   Nebraska

   51)            Philadelphia:  Janoris Jenkins  CB   North Alabama (assuming they move Asante)

   52)            Tennessee:  Billy Winn   DE   Boise State

   53)            Cincinnati:   Vinny Curry   DE   Marshall

   54)            Detroit:  Josh Robinson   CB   UCF

   55)            Atlanta:   Bruce Irvin  OLB/DE   West Virginia

   56)            Pittsburgh:    Amini Silatolu   OG  Midwestern State

   57)            Denver:   Brock Osweiler   QB   Arizona State

   58)            Houston:  Mitchell Schwartz   OT  California

   59)            Green Bay:   Lamar Miller   RB  Miami (Fla.)

   60)            Baltimore:   Kelechi Osemele  OG  Iowa State

   61)            San Francisco:  Alfonzo Dennard  CB   Nebraska

   62)            New England:   Jayron Hosley   CB   Virginia Tech

   63)            NY Giants:   Jamell Fleming   CB    Oklahoma 

Round Three

   64)            Indianapolis:  Josh Chapman  DT  Alabama

   65)            St. Louis: Bobby Wagner   OLB  Utah State

   66)            Minnesota: Dwight Bentley   CB  La. - Lafayette

   67)            Cleveland:  Brandon Washington  OG  Miami (Fla.)

   68)            Tampa Bay: Chris Polk   RB  Washington

   69)            Washington: Jeff Allen  OT   Illinois

   70)            Jacksonville:  Brandon Boykin    CB   Georgia

   71)            Buffalo:  Alshon Jeffery  WR   South Carolina

   72)            Miami:  Chris Givens  WR  Wake Forest

   73)            Miami (from Carolina via Chicago):  Ronnell Lewis  OLB  Oklahoma

   74)            Kansas City:  Tyrone Crawford   DE   Boise State

   75)            Seattle:   Mohamed Sanu   WR   Rutgers

   76)            Houston (from Philadelphia):  Josh Kaddu  OLB  Oregon

   77)            NY Jets:   Derek Wolfe  DL  Cincinnati

   78)            San Diego:  Isaiah Pead  RB  Cincinnati

   79)            Chicago:   Brandon Mosley  OT Auburn

   80)            Arizona:   Nick Toon   WR  Wisconsin

   81)            Dallas:    Ben Jones   C   Georgia

   82)            Tennessee:    Greg Childs  WR  Arkansas

   83)            Cincinnati:  Trumaine Johnson   CB  Montana

   84)            Atlanta: Mychal Kendricks  ILB  California

   85)            Detroit:  Cam Johnson  DE   Virginia

   86)            Pittsburgh:   Chase Minnifield  CB  Virginia

   87)            Denver:   Kheeston Randall  DT  Texas

   88)            Philadelphia (from Houston):   Mike Martin  DT  Michigan

   89)            New Orleans: Alameda Ta’amu   DT  Washington

   90)            Green Bay:  Kirk Cousins   QB  Michigan State

   91)            Baltimore:  George Iloka  FS  Boise State

   92)            San Francisco:  James Brown  Troy

   93)            New England:  Harrison Smith   SS  Notre Dame

   94)            NY Giants:   Sean Spence   OLB  Miami (Fla.)

   95)            Oakland:  Orson Charles   TE   Georgia 

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• Community Mock Draft: Round 1, Pick 31 - New England Patriots (bucsnation.com)

Patriots type players

The Patriots seem to love conversions from DE in college to OLB in the pros. The players who fit the bill are usually over 6'3", 250 lbs with solid 3 cone times, ability to set the edge and shed blockers. Here is a list for the 3-4 olb in no particular order.

Shea McLellin Boise State
Audie Cole NC State
Jerrell Harris Alabama
Delano Johnson Bowie State
Ryan Davis Bethuene Cookman
Whitney Mercilus Illinois
Malik Jackson Tennessee
Vinny Curry Marshall
Chandler Jones Syracuse
Kentrell Lockett Mississippi
Ben Martin Tennessee

The Patriots 3-4 defense takes a special person to play the 5 technique (de). Richard Seymour, Ty Warren and Jarvis Green were always solid examples of playing defensive end in the patriots system. You must be able to get into combat, slide, disengage and make the play. Here are some prospects in no particular order.

Derek Wolfe Cincinnati
Tony Jarod-Eddie Texas A&M
Ethan Johnson Notre Dame
Ryan Van Bergen Michigan
Taylor Thompson SMU
Michael Brockers LSU
Dominique Hamilton Missouri
Billy Winn Boise State
Kheeston Randall Texas
Jr Sweezy NC State

Defensive Backs

Good 3-cone time along with ball skills, tackling and instincts.

Cornerbacks

Stephen Gilmore South Carolina
Josh Robinson Central Florida
Jameel Fleming Oklahoma
Omar Bolden Arizona State
Coty Sensabough Clemson
Robert Blanton Notre Dame

Safeties

Harrison Smith Notre Dame
George Iloka Boise State
Mark Barron Alabama
Charles Mitchell Mississippi State
Justin Bethal Presbyterian

Matt Forte: Is Skipping Workouts a Good Move?

The Chicago Bears have started their offseason workouts and there is one notable player missing from the action. Running back Matt Forte, in a move to attempt to earn himself a new contract with the club, has decided to skip the workouts and make the Bears think hard about giving him a new contract.

But is this ever the right move for him to make? Does holding out or skipping workouts really going to get him what he wants? Does the organization lose? Does the player lose? Do both of them lose?

Forte has been trying to send messages to Bears management for almost a year now about his desire for a new contract. Chicago has pitched some new contract totals his way but he hasn’t bitten on any of what the Bears are giving him and wants more money than they are offering. Does he deserve to be among one of the highest paid running backs in the NFL?

Forte was the heart and soul of the Bear’s offense last year and was a big reason why they won as many games as they did. He’s a talented back with some mileage left on him and could become the focal point of the offense again this year. The Bears can hardly afford to be without him.

But does he deserve top running back money? Judging by what he was able to do with the Bear’s last season, Forte does deserve to be paid good money for what he has done and will continue to do with the team. The Bears need to make him a reasonable offer and get him signed up for a few more seasons and get him into these offseason workouts.

It’s important that all members of a team are present for these workouts because, despite a popular belief, there are a lot of things that happen in these workouts. Coaches start to install new systems and evaluate how players in a particular unit fit. They also get to see just how healthy a player is and whether or not they need extra conditioning or work on a previous injury.

In the Bear’s case, we have to keep something in mind. Chicago will be installing a new offensive scheme thanks to the departure of offensive coordinator Mike Martz so it would be important for Forte to be there to start picking up the new system. In Forte’s case, he is coming off of an injury and the Bears will want to make sure that he is fully healed and ready to go.

With Forte sitting on the sidelines this makes things difficult for both himself and the Bears.

So who should give in? Chicago knows that it’s going to have to pay Forte in order to have success in 2011 so it’s high time that Chicago ante up and pay him. They know they will get the utmost production out of him and should realize that their offense isn’t going to work unless he’s there and a part of it.

So in order to get Forte back in the fold quickly the Bears need to pay him good money. They can’t sit around waiting for something to happen or for Forte to change his mind. If they want to have success this season they will sign Forte to a long term deal.

Interview with Kevin Kroboth--Safety--Temple

What are your official size andspeed? I measured 6 foot, 197 pounds at pro day and the scale of my forties was from a 4.44 to a 4.56.

What was the biggest adjustment transitioning from Coach Golden to the current regime? Coach Golden was very strict because he knew he had to turn the program around and move it in the right direction and he did a great job. Both he and Coach Addazio are very intense and focus highly on your character and mental toughness more than physical ability because that is what wins games late in the season. 

With the NFL focusing so much on player safety and changing the kickoff what are your feelings about playing special teams?  The kickoff is really the only thing that has changed and it provides teams with less returns but when the opportunity comes and they do return the kick you have to be ready to make a play because that is what can potentially win and lose games with field position. Also the rest of the special teams have stayed the same where you can make big plays and change the momentum of games.

You saw action starting your freshmen year, what advice would you give incoming freshmen who are about to start the journey of college football that you are ending? I was fortunate enough to play as a freshman but what I was even more blessed with was an outstanding coaching staff and older players who really took their time to teach me not only the playbook but also how to balance school and football. Coming out of high school a lot of players don’t know how to manage their time with school work and the off the field preparation it takes to be great playing on Saturdays with film study. I would say just ask as many questions as you can and learn from the veterans and you will have a successful career.

What was your toughest loss in college and why? The toughest lose in college I would have to say was losing to Buffalo on a last second Hail Mary pass to lose the game in 2008 to not be able to make it to the MAC Championship game or Bowl game for that great group of seniors.

Do you think having played some QB in high school gave you additional insight when going to play in the secondary full time in college? Yes I think it has helped me a lot to know how offenses think and to see quarterback tendencies more easily.  It puts me in the position to make plays on the ball in the secondary.

  

What is something scouts can’t learn about you by simply watching game tape? Every since high school I have had to work harder than anyone to earn a scholarship to play at the division 1 level. That attitude and mindset has been with me all throughout college and I know that I will put in the dedication and work it takes to be successful at the next level. No one will outwork me!

What were your 2 best games in 2011? I would have to say the home opener vs. Villanova where I had two interceptions to start the season off and also my last game as an Owl in our Bowl game vs. Wyoming, where I had a few PBU’s and an interception.

  

Where are scouts projecting you at the next level, Free Safety or Strong Safety? Different teams want me to play different positions based on their scheme and how they run their defense so it is tough to tell where I will be playing.

What part of your game do you feel has improved most from your junior to senior year? I would say my open field tackling. When you play free safety you are the last line of defense when the ball carrier breaks lose so our secondary coach Coach [Chuck] Heater and I worked extremely hard all preseason to correct some minor flaws I had and it paid off dividends in the season.

  

Growing up who was your favorite college football team? When I was growing up I loved the Texas Longhorns when Vince young was the QB and led them to the national championship.

Who was your role model? My father is my role model because he has worked so hard to get to where he is at today and is such a positive influence in my life and constantly pushing me to be great.

  

What are a few words to describe yourself? I would say I was blessed to have a great family who taught me to be a morally sound gentleman who is very smart and educated and also has that blue collar hard working mentality that is never satisfied and always is looking to improve.

Whenever you’re playing days are finished where do you see yourself? Because of the amount of work our football team does in North Philadelphia I either want to open up a recreation center where I can provide underprivileged kid a positive place to go place sports and get away from harmful lifestyles that will ruin their futures or I will use my Kinesiology degree and become a sport specific trainer so I can push athletes to their full potential and live out their dreams like I was so blessed and fortunate to do.

Related articles

• CFT: Newcomers shine in Alabama spring game (collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com)
• Michigan Spring Game: Wolverines Will Be BCS-Bound Next Season (bleacherreport.com)
• 2012 Oakland Raiders Mock Draft (The Known and Unknown) (bleacherreport.com)

Another Take on Bounty-Gate 2012

NEW ORLEANS, LA - SEPTEMBER 01: Head Coach Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints looks during their pre season game against the Tennessee Titans dthe New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome on September 1, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

By now most people know that New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton’s appeal has been denied and that the Saints are going to have to live with the punishments doled out to them by the NFL. The thoughts and reactions on these punishments are as expected. Some seem to think that the punishment is too much while others feel it’s exactly what is deserved and that all parties got what was coming to them.

And with the release of the tape recording of former Saints defensive coordinator Greg Williams’s speech to his players, the punishment appears to be well deserved.

Any party that knew about the bounty system that the Saints had in place while it was in effect is guilty and should be punished for taking part in that kind of activity. But this is something that other parties aside from the Saints organization had to know about and it’s assured that there have to have participated in something like this in the past. (See the Eagles when Buddy Ryan was their head coach) The Saints can’t be the only team to have done this but may be the only ones that get caught doing it.

We know that Williams has done this in the past with other teams that he has been on. He is a cancer that could end up trying to do this again if he doesn’t receive the lifetime ban from the league which some people are pushing for right now. The tape of his locker speech should be enough to force the NFL to ban him for life.

This kind of thing cannot and should not be tolerated in the league. Paying players to injure other players is one of the worst things that can happen in the NFL. With injuries taking its toll on the talent of the league any extra help from bounties injuring players on purpose just adds to an ever growing problem. Paying players to injure other players cannot be taken be allowed and it won’t be any longer.

The NFL has sent a message to every team, coach and player in the league letting them know that this kind of conduct will not be tolerated. Let’s just hope that this has been enough of a deterrent to keep other teams and players from doing this kind of thing.

The last thing that an NFL player needs is to go out on the field and worry about another player trying to injure him because he’s going to get paid if he succeeds.

So let’s hope that this punishment sends a message to the rest of the NFL that this conduct will not be tolerated ever and that everyone thinks twice before offering money to injure players again. This has already tarnished the league’s reputation and undermined the Commissioner’s call for better safety. If it happens again it could prove that there are things that cannot be controlled in the NFL and that there are events going on behind the scenes of the league that are twisted and dark and completely uncalled for.

Your message has been heard Commissioner Goodell and hopefully that message will be heeded by every single player, coach and team in the league.

Buddy's 1st round NFL Mock Draft

2012 First Round NFL Mock Draft

1. Indianapolis Colts- Andrew Luck QB Stanford
2. Washington Redskins- Robert Griffin III QB Baylor
3. Minnesota Vikings- Matt Kalil OT USC
4. Cleveland Browns- Trent Richardson RB Alabama
5. Tampa Bay Bucs- Morris Claiborne CB LSU
6. St Louis Rams- Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma St
7. Jacksonville Jaguars- Quinton Coples DE UNC
8. Miami Dolphins- Riley Rieff OT Iowa
9. Carolina Panthers- Dre Kirkpatrick CB Alabama
10. Buffalo Bills- Jonathan Martin OT Stanford
11. Kansas City Chiefs- David Decastro OG Stanford
12. Seattle Seahawks- Luke Keichly LB Boston College
13. Arizona Cardinals- Melvin Ingram DE/OLB South Carolina
14. Dallas Cowboys- Dontari Poe NT Memphis
15. Philadelphia Eagles- Mark Barron S Alabama
16. New York Jets- Courtney Upshaw OLB Bama
17. Cincinnati Bengals- Janoris Jenkins CB North Alabama via Florida
18. San Diego Chargers- Stephen Gilmore CB South Carolina
19. Chicago Bears- Whitney Mercilus DE Illinois
20. Tennessee Titans- Zach Brown LB North Carolina
21. Cincinnati Bengals- Michael Floyd WR Notre Dame
22. Cleveland Browns- Ryan Tannehill QB Texas A&M
23. Detroit Lions- Mike Adams OT Ohio State
24. Pittsburgh Steelers- Dont'a Hightower LB Alabama
25. Denver Broncos- Michael Brockers DT LSU
26. Houston Texans- Kendall Wright WR Baylor
27. New England Patriots- Josh Robinson CB Central Florida
28. Green Bay Packers- Nick Perry OLB USC
29. Baltimore Ravens- Peter Konz C Wisconsin
30. San Francisco 49ers- Cordy Glenn G Georgia
31. New England Patriots- Fletcher Cox DL Miss St
32. New York Giants- Andre Branch DE Clemson

Related articles

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Buddy's Second Round Mock

2012 NFL Draft

Second Round

2-1-33. St Louis Rams- Devon Still DE Penn State
2-2-34. Indianapolis Colts- Reuben Randle WR LSU
2-3-35. Minnesota Vikings- Alshon jefferies WR South Carolina
2-4-36. Tampa Bay Bucs- David Wilson RB VaTech
2-5-37. Cleveland Browns- Bobby Maissie OT Mississippi
2-6-38. Jacksonville Jaguars- Stephen Hill WR Georgia Tech
2-7-39. St. Louis Rams- Alfonzo Dennard CB Nebraska
2-8-40. Carolina Panthers- Kendall Reyes DT UConn
2-9-41. Buffalo Bills- Dwayne Allen TE Clemson
2-10-42. Miami Dolphins- Mohammed Sanu WR Rutgers
2-11-43. Seattle Seahawks- Jared Crick DE Nebraska
2-12-44. Kansas City Chiefs- Jerel Worthy NT Mich State
2-13-45. Dallas Cowboys- Kevin Zeitler OG Wisconsin
2-14-46. Philadelphia Eagles- Bruce Irvin LB West Virginia
2-15-47. New York Jets- Brian Quick WR Appalachin State
2-16-48. New England Patriots- Harrison Smith S Notre Dame
2-17-49. San Diego Chargers- Chandler Jones OLB Syracuse
2-18-50. Chicago Bears- Kelechi Osemele G Iowa State
2-19-51. Philadelphia Eagles- Brandon Boykin CB Georgia
2-20-52. Tennessee Titans- Trumaine Johnson DB Montana
2-21-53. Cincinnati Bengals- Amini silatolu G Midwestern State
2-22-54. Detroit Lions- Lovante David LB Nebraska
2-23-55. Atlanta Falcons- Coby Fleener TE Stanford
2-24-56. Pittsburgh Steelers- Josh Chapman NT Alabama
2-25-57. Denver Broncos- Lamar Miller RB Miami
2-26-58. Houston Texans- Vinny Curry OLB Marshall
2-27-59. Green Bay Packers- Ben Jones C Georgia
2-28-60. Baltimore Ravens- Shea McClellin LB Boise State
2-29-61. San Francisco 49ers-Chris Givens WR Wake Forest
2-30-62. New England Patriots- Doug Martin RB Boise State
2-31-63. New York Giants- Markelle Martin S Oklahoma State

Related articles

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Are You Kidding Me?

DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 16: Nick Fairley #98 of the Detroit Lions runs off the field during a NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at Ford Field on October 16, 2011 in Detroit, Michigan. The 49ers won 29-15. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

I could not believe it when I saw the reports that both Mikel Leshoure and Nick Fairley of the Detroit Lions both being busted for marijuana a day apart.   It always amazes me when you see these stories of kids who have zero equity built up with a team thinking they are Superman and are willing to risk it all to get high.    Both players have to look no further than the story of Ryan Leaf to see how quickly it all can be taken away for you and you will become nothing more than a punch line to say the question “who was the biggest bust in Detroit Lions history?”.    Having your career ended because of an injury, age or being a cap casualty is one but to help with the process is beyond me.    Amazes me when you see these kids who are fridge players busting their tail to make it in the league then you see these boneheads who sat back on draft day wondering will I be in round one or two.  Makes me wonder maybe if these truly saw how hard it was to get into the league and stay then maybe they’d make better decisions and instead do things to make the franchise and league proud and not embarrassed.    Memo to the temperamental Jimmy Schwartz one player get caught it a poor decision but two players caught a day apart might mean you have a drug problem on your team and you and the front office need to get in front it before it tears down all the progress the franchise has made in the past few years.   Let’s hope both players take to treatment and get their careers off the current track and onto the right track for their benefit, the league and their fans.   

Related articles

• Nick Fairley Arrested For Marijuana Possession In Mobile, Alabama (inquisitr.com)
• Pot Bust Overload: What Is Going On With The Detroit Lions? (detroit.cbslocal.com)
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• Mikel Leshoure Appeared In Court For Arraignment (tracking.si.com)
• Nick Fairley Arrested For Marijuana Possession (tracking.si.com)
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What the Bear’s Need in the 2012 NFL Draft?

There has been a lot of speculation going on as to what the Bears are going to do in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft. Despite the fact that they did some work in free agency and made a nice attempt to shore up a position or two they still need some depth and added talent at several positions on the roster.

But what positions need that extra talent and depth? Is there a position that no one has thought of that could use some help in the draft?

Let’s take a look at five positions of need for the Bears as they prepare for the 2012 NFL Draft.

Wide Receiver-Even though the Bears brought in Brandon Marshall during the off-season, they should still be in need of some help at the position. With Johnny Knox not supposed to be back until mid-season and the uncertainty surrounding Devin Hester’s ability to play the position. Chicago needs to take a look at the wide receiver spot in the first few rounds and see if there is anyone that peaks their interest and could come in right away to help.

The Bears need a starter or at least someone that can contribute right away so getting someone early would have to be a must for the Bears.

Offensive Tackle-Chicago seems to be high on J’Marcus Webb but he’s a project and the Bears don’t’ need a project at the left tackle position. They need a starter and it’s possible the Bear’s could look for a starter in the early rounds of the draft. Being able to solidify their offensive line is a must and they have to do something at nearly every position on the offensive line to add depth or starting power. Would they be willing to do it at the left tackle position? In order to have success next season they almost have to.

Guard-The Bears have some starting power at both guard spots but bringing in some additional talent there is a must. Chicago needs depth at both the guard positions and they need to create some competition on the line to make sure that what they have playing there is the absolute best available. Chicago could go ahead and add some depth in the middle to later rounds of the draft to ensure that competition and they have to do something there or the line will definitely suffer in 2012.

Cornerback-Charles Tillman had a Pro Bowl season last year and is a lock to make it as a starter at one of the two cornerback spots but things aren’t so steady on the opposite side. Tim Jennings will be back and while he has played the position fairly well for the most part the Bears would probably like to see some additional competition there at the spot to help make it better. The Bears could also use some depth at the position. Look for them to address this in the draft at some point perhaps even very early.

Defensive Tackle-The Bears are always in the hunt for a defensive tackle it seems and they may want to get another one in this year’s draft. The defensive tackle position is very important in the kind of defensive scheme that the Bear’s play and Chicago’s defensive tackles rotate so having more than two (Chicago plays a 4-3 defense) good starters is a must. The Bears could take a look at a player in that position early on in the draft and help improve their defensive line for next season and beyond.

AAA Football

The new NFL logo went into use at the 2008 draft. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It looks like someone else has caught on to what I've been saying regarding the NFL needing to develop a true minor league system.   Seeing an article like this  gives me hope that someday the NFL power brokers will see the huge untapped market available and create a developmental league in the United States and Canada and will leave the foreign markets to the novelty preseason games and other one game during the regular season type events.  Let's be honest just as in this country we will never care about soccer the way we care about football the same can be said about Europe.  No matter how hard the NFL tries it will never become anywhere close in popularity as soccer is in Europe but those of us in smaller cities in the United States and Canada would love to go see some AAA football with our families.   Anyone being honest realizes no sport approaches the popularity of football in North America and amazingly it still has room to grow as you can guarantee more and more pro days being televised on ESPN, NFL Network and other channels in the coming years.    Football is king and if they want they can put a few other sports near the brink of going out of business.  

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