Dez Bryant: The tip of the iceberg?
Every draft season offers a few prospects, usually of the high-profile variety, that are the total package on the field but carry more baggage than a Waldorf-Astoria bellhop off of it.
Last year's poster boy was Dez Bryant, who was suspended the entire 2009 season for lying to the NCAA about meetings with Deion Sanders. Most people felt his on-field skills outweighed the potential risk of his questionable judgment. For the most part, that was a fair sentiment, but where do you draw the line? Tap your mouse here for more »
NFL Draft Grapevine: Pro Days review – Part IV
We're getting closer to wrapping up Pro Days as we inch closer to the 2011 NFL Draft. The league released the list of compensatory picks this afternoon, and we'll keep you abreast of some recent player visits around the league. Be sure to also check out our recent interview with Maryland running back Da'Rel Scott. Tap your mouse here for more »
Carson Palmer: What’s next?
According to published reports, head coach Marvin Lewis says Carson Palmer won't be a Cincinnati Bengal in 2011.
Should we be surprised? (Should we care?) Palmer reportedly says he is sitting on a mountain of cash and doesn't need Cincy's money. I believe he doesn't, but that kind of loot is tough to say no to. Tap your mouse here for more »
NFL Draft Grapevine – Pro Days review: Part III
In this week's NFL Draft Grapevine I continue my recap of recent Pro Days and also check out news from around the draft scene. Find out which prospects are rising and falling as we inch closer to April's big event. Tap your mouse here for more »
An early fantasy football value pick
The NFL labor dispute stands in the way of a 2011 fantasy football season, but that doesn't mean we haven't been focusing our attention on potential steals in your eventual drafts.
Obviously a lot will change between now and the start of the fantasy draft season. In the meantime, why not have some fun! Tap your mouse here for more »
NFL Draft Grapevine: Pro Day reviews – Part II
Part II of our NFL Draft Grapevine review of recent Pro Days. Click here to check out Part I. Tap your mouse here for more »
NFL Draft Grapevine: Pro Days review – Part 1
Welcome to the first edition of this year's NFL Draft Grapevine! I will be right here each week throughout the draft season to cover key items that lead us up to the big event.
Today's topic: recent Pro Days. Tap your mouse here for more »
Cam Newton’s Pro Day reignites the hype
Auburn quarterback Cam Newton reportedly threw well at his Pro Day and will certainly be the focus of the pre-draft hype machine, for better or worse. He completed 42 of his 53 throws to route-running receivers. Some of the misses were drops, others were overthrows by Newton.
He is somewhere in between the showing at the Scouting Combine and what he displayed today. Don't get overly excited about his performance. I still believe he won't escape the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 4, and lately I'm of the mindset that Newton going No. 1 is very realistic. Feb. 24 I wrote about this possibility.
Newton's accuracy is best seen on tape, in pads, against live competition.
Tiki Barber planning a return to the NFL
Tiki Barber is coming out of retirement, eh? Wait ... that Tiki Barber?!?! You know, the one that played running back for 10 seasons and hasn't been in pads since the 2006 season ended?
Yup, that's the one.
Ronde Barber, Tiki's brother, recently signed a one-year deal to presumably finish his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tiki wants to play for the Bucs, and that marriage may not actually end as poorly as his last one.
Tiki turns 36 years old April 7, and while over the past four seasons his body hasn't taken the beating of an NFL player, he is still 36 years old with 15,632 offensive yards on his odometer.
 |
Will the Bucs bite? Maybe. They have shown a tremendous amount of loyalty toward Ronde. Barber could mentor LeGarrette Blount, but Antonio Pierce strongly disagrees with that notion.
Can Tiki get back into football shape and be a legitimate contributor again? Probably. He is reportedly 198 pounds (played mostly at 208 pounds) and said he was surprised by how little strength he lost. Of course, he is probably just saying that. Barber's best bet is to return as a change-of-pace and/or third-down back; in other words, he shouldn't bulk up to 208 pounds again.
Regardless of why Barber is returning (he says he has the itch again, others point to his spousal and child support woes), he has a hell of a mountain to climb to even land on an NFL roster and stick into the regular season.
Teams that could be interested in him: Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints and Washington Redskins.
Denver and the Saints have coaching connections to Barber, while the Redskins like to defy logic. You could probably even make an argument for the Oakland Raiders, strictly based on their history of ridiculous personnel moves.
My vote is he joins the Buccaneers. Optimistically, I want to think Barber can play a small but meaningful role for an NFL team in 2011, but reality outweighs my optimism.
Fantasy owners need not become excited, and if you're drafting now, avoid Barber in all standard formats.
I'll leave you with this: Did you ever expect to see Tiki Barber unretire before Brett Favre?
2011 NFL Scouting Combine wraps up
Today was the final afternoon at the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine and featured defensive backs. Several players blazed their way through the 40-yard dash, but the on-field ball skills drills caught my eye the most. Tap your mouse here for more »
