ESPN’s Adam Schefter is known for breaking NFL news. That’s why it wasn’t surprising when he unleashed the latest Tim Tebow update on the world. Schefter reported that Tebow will “unveil” his new delivery at Florida’s pro day in March. Feel like you’ve heard that before? That’s because ESPN has run two similar pieces by two different authors in the past.
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Good sports writing is based on fact and in-depth analysis. Mediocre sports writing is poorly framed and based largely on assumption. Methinks that Jim Thomas’ speculation about Michael Vick is the latter. For STLtoday, Thomas says that there’s about a 60/40 chance of Vick becoming a member of the Rams.
Last week, Thomas wrote that St. Louis was “seriously interested” in acquiring Vick. It’s not a bad move since the Rams have made it clear that Marc Bulger’s future of the team is in limbo. At the same time, many observers believe it would be a reach for the Rams to take a quarterback first overall. So it makes sense that they’d take a look at Vick. In his reality show, Vick noted that he believed he’d sign with the Chiefs or Rams before he ended up with the Eagles.
St. Louis probably wouldn’t have to give up that much to get Vick. But right now, the Eagles are playing hardball and acting as if they are willing to stick with him. Though, that’s likely posturing since Vick is due a roster bonus of $1.5 million by March 5th and a massive $5.25 million salary for the 2010 season. The Rams could probably get Vick by simply offering a 4th or maybe even 5th/6th round pick. It’s not really worth giving up more to acquire him since the Eagles will probably cave before they have to start paying for Vick’s services for the 2010 season.
Tags: 2010, football, michael vick, NFL, philadelphia eagles, quarterbacks, roster bonus, st. louis rams
Jimmy Clausen AKA the LeBron James of college football (according to his personal quarterback coach Steve Clarkson) will not impress scouts with his football skills at the combine. Clausen will attend the event but won’t perform any physical drills due to turf toe. The former Notre Dame quarterback still thinks he will impress scouts though.
Coming into the season, Clausen was one of the best NFL prospects in the country. His 2009 campaign solidified that status as he posted an insane 28:4 TD to INT ratio. On paper, they don’t really come more refined than Clausen. He’s trained with the country’s most renowned position coach in Steve Clarkson since middle school. His two older brothers both played D1 football in the SEC. And he was even one of the top-ranked recruits coming out of high school.
That being said, there’s a wide range of opinions about his value as a draft pick. Initially, most observers figured he was in the mix for the first overall pick but would probably be gone by the time Buffalo picked. But now, analysts like Todd McShay are finding more flaws with Clausen. McShay now rates him as a second round prospect and says that he may be the biggest risk in the draft (and compares him to J.P. Losman). At the same time, Mel Kiper Jr. has him ranked sixth overall on his big board and going fourth to the Skins in his latest mock draft.
Clausen may still get a chance to prove his physical skills in person at a pro day after the combined. After watching Clausen a lot this year, I do believe that he can “make it” in the NFL. I actually thought he was horrible before this season and he proved me wrong. However, his insane TD:INT ratio is deceptive and is probably due to luck as much as skill. Even with his polish, I don’t see Clausen coming in and being a “Matt Ryan” from the start. But I can see him sticking around the NFL for the next 10 years as a Jon Kitna type. And don’t blast me for saying that. At least he’s still in the NFL… J.P. Losman is not.
Tags: 2010 nfl draft, college football, fighting irish, football, injuries, jimmy clausen, NFL, nfl combine, notre dame, quarterbacks, turf toe
Carrie Prejean is engaged to Kyle Boller
From the world of superior genes and inferior results comes the union of Carrie Prejean and Kyle Boller. The 22-year-old beauty queen and model is now engaged to the backup quarterback. Prejean agreed to marry Boller when he popped the question on Sunday in San Diego.
Apparently Prejean and Boller met last year “while Carrie was dealing with her sex tape and nude photo woes.” You know, directly after Michael Phelps hit it and quit it. It is reported that there has been no venue chosen for the wedding. Not that you actually cared. I smell reality show!
Tags: carrie prejean, engagement, football, girlfriends, kyle boller, marriage, NFL, quarterbacks, st. louis rams, wedding, wives
Colt McCoy may have lost a big football game but he continues to win at life. The former Longhorns signal caller is about to embark on the next stage of his professional career. But before that, he also took the next step in his personal life.
Word out of Austin is that Colt McCoy proposed to his long-time girlfriend Rachel Glandorf (see more of her here). Glandorf rose to prominence after cameramen included her in shots of McCoy’s family. After that, she became an internet sensation and had to request that Deadspin take down pictures of her. She got so much buzz in that period that even Rick Reilly threw his creepy two cents in to the mix — calling her “hotter than shrimp vindaloo.”
Earlier in the week, Colt took Glandorf to dinner at a restaurant called Santa Rita Tex Mex Cantina and proposed to his long-time girlfriend. Colt’s father Brad called Glandorf a “wonderful young lady” and said that the pair had a great relationship. In other news, their unborn child has already verbally committed to play football at Texas.
While you may not have a chance with Rachel anymore (not that you ever did), at least you can see her in the stands in future NFL games. With Kurt Warner retiring, we’re going to need a new hottie other than Brenda Warner. That was a joke. And hey, maybe Tim Tebow can find a girlfriend now that he’s going to the NFL. Or maybe not…
UPDATE: Apparently Colt actually proposed to Glandorf on the University of Texas football field…
MORE ON RACHEL GLANDORF
Colt McCoy Scores Nicest POA in NCAA [BigLeagueScrew]
Colt McCoy’s Girlfriend Rachel Glandorf Now On-Court VIP, Posing With UT Cheerleaders [BustedCoverage]
Colt McCoy’s Girlfriend, Rachel Glandorf, is Having a Much Better Evening [TheBigLead]
The Bengals come to town Sunday night with a chance to dash the Jets’ playoff hopes. Even though they’ll face a staunch secondary including Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph, key members of the Jets’ pass attack remain confident. Both Mark Sanchez and Braylon Edwards made statements indicating that they expect to play hard and play well.
Rookie QB Mark Sanchez didn’t even come close to guaranteeing victory. But his words may be even more meaningful as a result. Sanchez stated that he’s made a natural progression and finally feels fully comfortable with the scheme and his responsibilities. Conversely, he refused to guarantee anything or claim that he’d “arrived.” While may Jets’ fans will gripe about his numbers, this is the type of confidence bordering on swagger that makes a champion. I’d also advise those fans to check out Joe Namath’s 1968 season where he actually threw MORE interceptions (17) than touchdowns (15) in the regular season. Whether or not Sanchez becomes a champion and elite leader, it’s important view him through the correct lens. There’s no doubt that Sanchez is capable of leading the Jets to the playoffs and success thereafter (see: Brad Johnson in Tampa Bay, Trent Dilfer in Baltimore). Sanchez may still need to mature with his decision-making on the field, but clearly he has a handle on his role as a professional:
“Maybe it came too late, but it was time to really make a jump as a rookie and start to not play like a rookie anymore. Have I arrived? Absolutely not. Do I feel totally comfortable and know everything that’s going on and am I trying? Absolutely.”
Braylon Edwards made seemingly more direct statements of confidence. However, he came short of actually guaranteeing victory even though the New York press characterized it as such. More than making a guarantee, Braylon seemed to be describing the tone among his teammates. He didn’t just come out and say the Jets would win. However, it’s clear that he thinks the Jets will be inspired when they take the field on Sunday night:
“We won’t lose this game. We want it too bad. You can just talk to the guys and get a feel. You can listen to (coach Rex Ryan’s) conviction when he talks to us.”
Whether or not the Jets win on Sunday night, it’s far too early to slap a label on Mark Sanchez. If anything, he’s clearly a professional and his desire to learn (and win) is evident. Looking at his last four wins, it becomes obvious that he can game-manage when given the opportunity. In the last four wins with Sanchez as a starter, he’s had attempts numbering in the teens and has only one pick in those games. Sure, Sanchez isn’t blameless for his turnovers and his part in the Jets’ losses. But it’s clear that there’s a point of diminishing return on his pass attempts.
Tags: braylon edwards, cincinnati bengals, football, guarantee, mark sanchez, new york jets, NFL, playoffs, quarterbacks, rookies, sunday night football, victory
Many pundits, specifically Chris Mortensen, had stated that Locker likely would have been the first quarterback taken in the draft. The Huskies’ quarterback would have cashed in with a huge contract including upwards of $10-20 million guaranteed. Instead, Jake Locker has decided to return to the University of Washington for his senior season.
Coming back to college is a startling trend in college football lately. Now, I’m not saying school is a bad thing. But if you’ve taken an economics course, you (hopefully) understand the concept of opportunity cost. What is the opportunity cost of returning to college? For Sam Bradford, it was at least $15 million. He’s expected to be taken in early-middle of the first round but would have been taken in the top five last year.
Locker isn’t necessarily costing himself $15 million with the decision, but he certainly isn’t making any money from it. There is absolutely no way he can improve his draft stock. So returning to UW could end up screwing him if he falls in the 2011 draft. Here’s what his dad said about Locker heading back to college:
Well, I think it all goes back to – every time it gets to the subject of money, I tell people he’s not about that. I know it’s hard to believe when you’re talking millions of dollars, but he’s never been about that. When it does come to him, he’ll be happy with it, don’t get me wrong. It’s not as if he doesn’t want it in some instances, but it’s all about doing and being with your buddies. And you know, you can’t go back and redo college. You leave now and that part of your life is over, and I don’t think he was ready give that up and I don’t think he was ready to give up on the fact that he thinks this team has a chance to be really, really good.
Scott Locker is right: you can’t go back and redo college. But with $50 million, you can probably buy new friends and start your own college. Part of Locker’s desire to return may be due to his girlfriend who’s a member of the Huskies softball team. Locker also grew up in Ferndale, Washington. So it’s easy to see why he didn’t want to bolt to the NFL. Additionally, Locker actually isn’t on scholarship at Washington anymore. So the financial aspect isn’t a concern for Locker. The Angels signed him to a baseball contract and that money pays for his tuition.
It’s also interesting to note that the elder Locker says they had not received his son’s draft evaluation from the NFL. Though, it’s pretty clear that would have tabbed him as an early first round pick. Now, it’s not wrong that he chose to return to college. But it can’t possibly be right to turn down tens of millions of dollars. I also think that he could have engineered a move that landed him in Seattle. The Seahawks will likely have a top 10 pick and nearly picked Mark Sanchez last year. Instead, he’ll be thrown back into the draft pool and will compete with Jevan Snead, Ryan Mallett, Jerrod Johnson and others to be the first quarterback selected in 2010.
Tags: chris mortensen, college football, draft stock, football, jake locker, NFL, nfl draft, nfl draft 2010, number one overall, quarterbacks, scott locker, washington huskies
JaMarcus Russell is a rich man. He’s also a man that’s as proud as he is lazy. So you can understand how he was devastated when he learned he was no longer starting quarterback for the Oakland Raiders. After he was benched, he had been avoiding the media… until now.
Russell spoke to Tim Kawakami (you can follow him on twitter) of the San Jose Mercury News. In the interview, he admits that he was embarrassed to lose his job to Bruce Gradkowski. He says that losing the job has been a learning experience and is kind of like redshirting in college. Except he’s collecting a fat paycheck for it in the pros. Somewhere in the middle, J-Marc drops the tidbit that he has no intention of restructuring his monster contract either. He also reveals that he’s not sure if his benching is permanent saying:
Uh, I’m not sure. If that’s the road they want to take, then, hey, we have to go out and fight our butts off to be that guy.
Russell also seems to indicate he thinks the receivers have been responsible for his prolonged stay on the bench. At no point does the former LSU QB admit the Bruce Gradkowski is doing well. Instead, he chooses to focus on everybody else:
Now it’s just all around. Guys are just making plays around him.
In the Dallas game after you go out and win in Cincinnati there weren’t plays really made the whole game, you know what I mean.
Going into Pittsburgh, guys were making plays for him. That’s what a quarterback needs, his surrounding players. That’s what was going on.
Clearly, JaMarcus Russell isn’t mature enough to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. The guy can’t even process the fact that he’ll be an afterthought soon. Though J-Marc disagrees with that assessment. Here’s what JaMarcus thinks people will see when he regains his starting gig:
Tags: al davis, bruce gradkowksi, football, jamarcus russell, NFL, oakland raiders, quarterbacks, starting quarterback, tom cableA totally different JaMarcus. People going to have their opinion, and I really don’t pay too much attention to that. I worry about JaMarcus and JaMarcus only.
Tim Tebow has one more game left in his superb college career. He will definitely be considered one of the greats even though he only won one national championship as starter (Chris Leak passed for 2950 yards in 2006). Still, he won the Heisman as a sophomore with a ridiculous 3286 passing yards with 32 touchdowns along with 895 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns. But even with all of his accomplishments, he may not have a future as a quarterback in the NFL.
Bill Polian, President of the Indianapolis Colts, recently gave his opinion on Tebow in the NFL. He thinks that Tebow will be an NFL player but he needs to be in a specific system. You know, a system that doesn’t rely on the forward pass. He also thinks Tebow could be a good tight end or short-yardage running back. Here are his comments from a Q&A on colts.com:
You know the rest of the story, so with that sort of caveat, I’ll say this: ‘I think Tim Tebow is a really good football player.’ If you were going to run the Wildcat offense enough to say that you needed a specialized Wildcat quarterback to do it, who could both run the ball and withstand the pounding that you have to take in the National Football League and throw it effectively from the Wildcat, I think Tim Tebow would be a heck of a guy. If you’re going to take your offense and say, ‘We’re going to do what the Miami Dolphins do; we’re going to run this 45, maybe 50 percent, maybe 60 percent of the time,’ then he’s the perfect guy for you. I don’t know where you’d take him in the draft, but he fits perfectly there. I’ve heard other people say he could be a great goal-line and short-yardage running back. I believe that to be the case. I’ve heard people say they think he can be a very good tight end. I believe that would be the case. I don’t know how he catches the ball, but I presume and think he’s a good enough athlete that that would not be a problem. There’s room for Tim Tebow, if you wanted to install the Wildcat as a part of a specific and integral part of your offense. He’d be perfect for you.
Tim Tebow recently spoke about the jump to the NFL and said he hoped to continue playing quarterback. But he also said that he’s willing to play another position. Here’s what Tebow said about playing QB:
“My goal is to play quarterback. I’m going to do whatever it takes and work as hard as I possibly can to be a quarterback. If I’m on a team and they want me to go play another position and that’s what they tell me to do, I will gladly go play another position with my whole heart and do it to the best of my ability. But my goal is to be a quarterback and I’m going to do whatever it takes to try to reach that goal.”
Adam Schefter thinks Tebow will “certainly” be taken in the first round. He won’t slip past the early second round much like Pat White last year. It makes you wonder which NFL team would be willing to risk a first round pick on Tebow as a throwing quarterback — or completely start over with a run-first scheme. A lot of people think he could go to the Jacksonville Jaguars. That could be a good fit. I’ll throw the Raiders out there as a wild card team if Tebow is available at the beginning of the second round. Tebow seems to have earned himself a late-first to early-second round pay day with his time at Florida… unless he can put up a JaMarcus Russell-like performance in the Sugar Bowl.
Tags: 2010, bill polian, college football, florida gators, football, indianapolis colts, jacksonville jaguars, NFL, nfl draft, quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends, tim tebow
The Bears have always struggled to find a quarterback. They thought they’d landed their franchise QB when they dealt for Jay Cutler. A little over halfway into the season, the results have been subpar.
Jay Cutler has thrown 14 touchdowns compared to 17 interceptions this year. The former Vanderbilt quarterback also has four multi-pick games. Clearly, Cutler has to be frustrated with his play. But the father of former Bear’s signal caller Rex Grossman might be even more peeved. Here’s what Dan Grossman told the Chicago Tribune:
“It’s a self-perpetuating problem that is not Jay Cutler’s fault,” said Dan Grossman, who played quarterback at Indiana in the ’60s. “It’s not Rex Grossman’s fault. It’s not Kyle Orton’s fault. It’s not every other quarterback who has been through that system’s fault. It’s the fault of the organization for not understanding what a quarterback needs.
“What’s amazing to me is, here we go again with Jay Cutler. He came in and he was going to be the franchise quarterback and lead the Bears. I heard some people say they were going to the Super Bowl this year. And here we are, back in the situation where … because the team is not really built around a passing game, he has struggled. I don’t really blame it on Jay Cutler.
“You know who I feel worse for? I feel worse for the Cutler family because I know how hard it was on our family. We are a very proud family. We’re not going to whine to anybody and we’re not going to cry about it. But we’re human. It’s hard to go through that, especially after you had such high expectations.
Grossman went on to say that Lovie Smith’s run-first mentality has taken a toll on the passing game. That seems a bit misguided considering Cutler is third in the league in pass attempts with 39.1 per game. Conversely, Chicago is 30th in the league in rushing attempts with 22.3 per game. While the Bears may be to blame, Cutler has always had a tendency to turn the ball over. The guy has only managed to get through 12 out of 46 career games without throwing a pick.
Tags: chicago bears, dan grossman, football, interceptions, jay cutler, lovie smith, NFL, quarterbacks, rex grossman
This past Sunday was not a good day for top picks Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez. Both rookies came into Sunday riding high after big victories. Last week, Stafford and the Lions snapped a 19-game slide with a win at home against the Skins. In New York, Sanchez had orchestrated a victory against the Titans to push the Jets to 3-0. However, Sanchez and Stafford both ended up taking a step backwards this week.
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Matt Ryan being declared most handsome quarterback in the NFL by the Wall Street Journal is almost as shocking as Len Pasquarelli calling Carson Palmer “ruggedly” handsome. According to science, peoples’ perception of attractiveness is related to facial symmetry. Apparently, the average person has 90% facial symmetry but every single starting NFL QB rated over 96%. Back to Ryan, he scored a whopping 99.82% I immediately knew the study was flawed when Mark Sanchez wasn’t on the top ten list. His 98.4% was only good for 20th out of 32 NFL starters. Fellow Mexican-American, Tony Romo was ranked 23rd. Eff this racist science. Also, Joe Flacco looks like Lurch.
| Player, Team | Symmetry Rating |
| Matt Ryan, ATL | 99.82% |
| Brett Favre, MIN | 99.78% |
| Aaron Rodgers, GB | 99.59% |
| Matt Hasselbeck, SEA | 99.56% |
| Kerry Collins, TEN | 99.49% |
| Ben Roethlisberger, PIT | 99.43% |
| Shaun Hill, SF | 99.35% |
| Tom Brady, NE | 99.14% |
| Philip Rivers, SD | 99.04% |
| Kurt Warner, ARZ | 98.98% |
Via Wall Street Journal:
Tags: football, handsome, handsomeness, mark sanchez, matt ryan, NFL, quarterbacks, tony romoMatt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons is playing in only his second NFL season but he’s already the league’s top quarterback in at least one category: handsomeness.
According to researchers, his face is almost perfectly symmetrical—a trait that shows a strong correlation to a person’s perceived attractiveness. While the average person’s face is somewhere around 90% symmetrical, Mr. Ryan scored a 99.8%, which puts him in elite territory. Ursinus College professor Jennifer VanGilder and former student Lisle O’Neill, who conducted the study in conjunction with Southern Utah University economist David Berri, said Mr. Ryan isn’t the only NFL signal-caller with a nicely balanced face. In fact, every starter in the league scored above 96%.
Facial symmetry isn’t the only measure of attractiveness, of course. New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez became a heartthrob overnight when he posed shirtless for GQ, yet he only ranks no. 20 among NFL starters in facial symmetry. (He did score 98.4%, which is still darn good). Tony Romo, a favorite of pop starlets, ranked No. 23.
Scientific research overwhelmingly points to facial symmetry as an indicator of success. Studies show infants with more symmetrical faces are given more attention. Symmetrical workers also tend to earn more. Football is supposed to be egalitarian, of course. The players with the strongest and most accurate throwing arms should become the quarterbacks while the biggest, most powerful players should be linemen. Somewhere along the way, it seems, good-looking kids are steered toward the glamour position. “Socially, we’ve been trained to think that the quarterback is the most beautiful person on the team,” says Prof. VanGilder.
