2012 Rookies

[BINGO]

Danny Coale, WR - DAL
Saturday, Sep 1 at 2:32pm

Coale has been added to the Cowboys' practice squad, the Associated Press reports.

Analysis: The fifth-round pick passed through waivers, so the Cowboys quickly brought Coale back on board and if he can stay healthy (following a preseason in which he was hampered by injuries) he could be heard from down the road.

 

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Injury pushing Poe to first-team?
4:09PM ET
Dontari Poe | Chiefs

It was expected that at some point this season, NT Dontari Poe would make a push to be the Kansas City Chiefs' starter at the position. That job is currently held by Anthony Toribio, but the belief is that Poe has the capability to eventually be the dominant inside anchor that any 3-4 team needs. Early returns on Poe's development indicated that Toribio would likely be the man in that spot for a while, but as the club gets ready to take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Toribio's availability is in question.

Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star notes that Toribio was amongst four Chiefs starters to miss Monday's practice. (Kendrick Lewis, Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson were the others). Poe has been working with the first-team defense in Toribio's spot, and it would appear that trend will continue for as long as the veteran is out.

As Bill Williamson of the ESPN AFC West blog notes, Chiefs fans should be realistic about their expectations of Poe this season:

- Tim Kavanagh​

Bill Williamson
Poe is not an instant savior

"The Chiefs took Memphis' Dontari Poe with the No. 11 overall pick because the athletic nose tackle fills one of their last needs. He will get a chance to play as a rookie, but don't expect him to instantly become one of the team's best defensive players. He is going to be a work in progress. Playing nose tackle is one of the more difficult assignments on the field, and Poe will have an adjustment period. The Chiefs just want to see him blend into the defensive line and give a full effort as a rookie. The dominance can come later."

 

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Predicting Blackmon's rookie stats
1:37PM ET
Justin Blackmon | Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars used the fifth overall pick in this year's draft to take wide receiver Justin Blackmon. We saw monster campaigns in 2011 from rookie wide receivers Julio Jones and A.J. Green, so we should expect the same from Blackmon in 2012, right? According to the Florida Times-Union's Ryan O'Halloran, history suggests otherwise.

"Blackmon was the 20th receiver since 2000 to be among the top 10 selections," wrote O'Halloran. "The first 19 averaged 38.2 catches, 522.2 yards and 6.7 touchdowns as a rookie."

Those numbers fall right in line with our projections for Blackmon this season: 47 catches for 665 yards and 6 touchdowns. If he is going to exceed those levels, Blackmon will need second-year QB Blaine Gabbert to step his game up.

- Tom Carpenter​

 

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Diminished role for Wilson?
9:12AM ET
David Wilson | Giants

NFL coaches will accept a young player that struggles to pick up the increased speed and complex schemes of the professional game, but one thing they detest is fumbling. And a costly fumble is just what New York Giants rookie RB David Wilson produced on Wednesday night. After his mistake early in the game, he was kept on the Giants sidelines. Afterwards, he commented that it's hard to put the fumble out of his head when he doesn't have a chance for redemption.

"It's hard to put it behind you if that's the last play you can remember," Wilson lamented, according to Jorge Castillo of the Star-Ledger. "But I understand the coaches. I know I don't have much room for error being a rookie and then to have a critical error like that, like a turnover. You live and you learn and move forward."

Castillo notes that fumbling has been an issue for Wilson in recent campaigns; he lost the ball seven times as a junior and four times this past season at Va. Tech. He's got his work cut out for him as he attempts to earn the coaching staff's trust again before a Week 2 matchup against Tampa Bay, but with the likelihood of missed time due to injury for Ahmad Bradshaw this season, Wilson should see more opportunities.

- Tim Kavanagh​

 

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Expectations on Cox
8:48AM ET
Fletcher Cox | Eagles

Typically, NFL teams like to think that players on whom they invest a first-round pick will be a starter for them for the next decade. Some of them jump right into that role, some do not. For the Philadelphia Eagles and 2012 first-rounder Fletcher Cox, the answer right now on his plan is that it's complicated. But the good news is that the DT is taking the pressure of his first NFL season pretty easily.

"I've heard stories where guys had a lot of [expectations]. I'm sure there's a lot of expectation of me," Cox noted Wednesday, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I just can't come in and things happen right then. You got to grow into the system. I feel like I'm doing pretty good. I don't feel like there's any pressure on me."

McLane writes that there are some lineup combinations where Cox is not in the starting lineup, but when the Eagles kick DT Cullen Jenkins outside, that puts Cox in the middle alongside Derek Landri. Whether he's on the field with the starting unit or not, however, it's expected that the Mississippi St. product will see a great deal of snaps right out of the gate in 2012.

- Tim Kavanagh​

 

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Expectations for Jeffery
10:14AM ET
Alshon Jeffery | Bears

The Chicago Bears made some significant moves to address their passing attack this offseason, trading for Jay Cutler's former teammate Brandon Marshall and investing a second-round pick in Alshon Jeffery. We've seen what Marshall can deliver on a professional football field, but what are the expectations for his young associate?

"The best way to say it is, he's a Brandon Marshall in the making," Bears CB Charles Tillman indicated recently, per the Chicago Sun-Times. "He has that capability to be as good as Brandon if he continues to have the work ethic and work on ball skills and work to be a better player. ... But he can definitely be on that level."

Jeffery isn't a starter yet -- Devin Hester is still in that spot -- but CSN Chicago's John Mullin writes that the South Carolina product is the team's third WR on the field in the nickel package, and may push his way into a starting role by mid-season.

Eric Karabell didn't think enough of Jeffery for Week 1 to list him in the Top 100 of his Flex ranks, though he did make the "Others to watch" list. ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr. assessed this year's crop of offensive "skill position" rookies from a fantasy football perspective for the entire season, and writes that we should not be surprised if Jeffery makes some noise:

- Tim Kavanagh​

Mel Kiper, Jr.
He's got a great opportunity with Cutler, Marshall

"He has looked good early and becomes a constant matchup advantage if teams want to help on Brandon Marshall. I'm leery of saying Jeffery can be a big yardage guy this season because the Bears are determined to run better and spread the ball around in the passing game, but he could quickly become the No. 2 man behind Marshall and be a touchdown poacher."

 

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Jenkins, James active this week?
9:53AM ET
A.J. Jenkins | 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers' selection of a WR in the first round this spring did not surprise many; this was a key area of need for the club looking ahead to 2012. Their specific selection -- A.J. Jenkins -- did raise some eyebrows at the time, as he was not thought to be on the same level as some of the others available; Jenkins has struggled at times picking up the NFL game. In Round 2, the club snagged Oregon RB LaMichael James, which came as a slight surprise, given that they already had Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter returning from 2011, and had signed Brandon Jacobs in free agency. James has had his moments in the preseason, but it's a logjam at RB.

But due to some injuries for San Francisco, both of their top two drafted rookies may be in the active lineup this week.

Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area opines that it's unlikely the Niners will rush Ted Ginn or Jacobs back from injuries, and that could open up some room for Jenkins and James on the 46-man gameday roster.

Jenkins appears to be more of a longshot, as he is not much of a contributor on special teams, and would be behind Michael Crabtree, Randy Moss, Mario Manningham and Kyle Williams at WR. James has done some work in the return game, and could contribute there even if he doesn't play one snap of offense.

- Tim Kavanagh​

 

[BINGO]

Morris as lead back?
9:23AM ET
Washington Redskins

"I think they're going to keep us pretty much in the dark until probably the day before the game," Washington Redskins RB Evan Royster commented earlier this week after he was listed as the club's starter at the position. He understands the fragile nature of the starting RB job in a Mike Shanahan offense, and it'll continue to be a discussion throughout the season.

The other options on the roster right now are Roy Helu and rookie Alfred Morris. It might sound strange to some, but the 2012 sixth-round pick from Florida Atlantic may be the team's best choice. He looked dynamic during the preseason, and an NFL talent evaluator recently told John Keim of the Washington Examiner that "the rookie is legit. I still don't think they have a No. 1 back, but I don't think the rookie will look any different when they start playing [the regular season]. He's decisive, he's aggressive and he can make cuts in the hole. He's a downhill guy."

That pretty much sounds like the prototype for an RB in the Shanahan offense. While the "starter" in every game may be the one to touch the ball first, it may not be a very meaningful designation on a week-to-week basis. Nevertheless, early on in the season, the Redskins may play a fairly conservative game on offense while Robert Griffin III gets his feet wet, and this could lead to a lot of carries for the RBs in general:

- Tim Kavanagh​

Scouts, Inc.: NO-WAS
The Redskins need to play this one close to the vest

"With rookie Robert Griffin III under center, the Redskins will be somewhat limited as to how much of their playbook will be available to them. RG3 has been everything expected of him so far and promises to have a bright future, but even the best of quarterbacks need time to acclimate to the size and complexity of an NFL playbook. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan wants to establish a strong ground game that will lead into an effective play-action passing attack. What they can't afford is to make mistakes and allow the Saints to jump out to a quick lead."

 

[BINGO]

Videos of my dude Juron Criner of the Raiders:

http://fantasy.nfl.com/league/859151/players/news?newsTab=videos&playerId=4486

I still think we should have drafted him in later rounds and instead use our 1st round pick on Janoris Jenkins.

 

[BINGO]

Grading the five rookie QBs
Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck play well in their debuts
Originally Published: September 9, 2012
By Matt Williamson | ESPN.com

Robert Griffin III had a great debut. Things didn't go as well for Ryan Tannehill and Brandon Weeden.

For the first time in NFL history, five teams started a rookie quarterback in Week 1. Four of those five QBs were first-round picks, including the first and second overall selections. As expected, there were plenty of struggles, but also quite a few good signs of things to come. Andrew Luck looked good, Russell Wilson was average and Robert Griffin III was terrific. On a negative note, it sure looks like it will be a very long rookie year for Ryan Tannehill and Brandon Weeden.

Here are grades for each of the rookie signal-callers in their debuts:



Andrew Luck (at Chicago)

Not surprisingly, the Colts were overmatched on offense and defense in this game. Luck was under pressure quite a bit, pretty much from the start. Luck has a short memory, though, and doesn't let the situation get the better of him. He is a fighter, and it showed as this game went along. He made some throws that he shouldn't have, and accounted for four turnovers (one INT on a tipped ball), but Luck did have some good moments and never appeared overly rattled. This is a game I am very much looking forward to reviewing the coach's tape of to further evaluate Luck, but overall it looked like a decent debut for the first overall selection. However, much of his production through the air occurred when this game was out of reach for Indianapolis. That could be a recurring theme this season.
Grade: B



Robert Griffin III (at New Orleans)

Much of what the Redskins did early was horizontal in the passing game, but credit Griffin for being decisive and getting the ball out very quickly. Griffin hit Pierre Garcon in stride for his first touchdown pass, just as a free blitzer was bearing down on him. Mike Shanahan's play calling in this game was superb. It got his young quarterback comfortable while also keeping New Orleans' defense off balance, as Washington dominated the time of possession. Griffin III also spent a lot of time in the shotgun, which is where he is most comfortable. And Shanahan also called quite a few designed quarterback runs, which Griffin excels at. Griffin also was terrific with play fakes and his ballhandling overall. He is extremely difficult to plan against. His talents are just immense and the coaching staff understands how to use him. The Saints' best cornerback, Jabari Greer, was inactive for this contest, but I don't think it would've mattered. RG3 had a phenomenal debut.
Grade: A



Ryan Tannehill (at Houston)

Tannehill had a difficult game against a very tough Houston defense -- and his supporting cast didn't help his cause very much. That is probably how Tannehill's rookie season will go, unfortunately, as there just isn't a lot of supporting talent on the offensive side of the ball. Losing the turnover battle 4-0, with Tannehill throwing three interceptions, against a team like Houston is an awful recipe for success. But two of Tannehill's interceptions weren't all his fault. Miami just doesn't have enough room for such errors, however. Reggie Bush and Davone Bess were Tannehill's primary targets, but they were predominantly short, conservative attempts. The Dolphins' defense was superb early in this game, but they just eventually succumbed to a superior team. Miami's defense was just on the field way too much -- and often in compromised situations. The Dolphins' offense was responsible for a measly three points in this game, but don't get down on Tannehill too much yet. While he very much looked like a rookie making his first NFL start, he had little chance for success in this outing.
Grade: D



Brandon Weeden (vs. Philadelphia)

To say that Weeden struggled against a very good Eagles defense would be a massive understatement. The Browns' defense played very well, but this wasn't a very pretty game. And Weeden had a lot to do with that. Cleveland struggled stopping the run, but for whatever reason, Philadelphia didn't stick with its ground game -- or Weeden could have had even fewer opportunities. He did show off his arm strength at times, but Weeden didn't handle the pass rush well and, simply put, wasn't nearly accurate enough. He also didn't value the football nearly well enough, as evidenced by his four interceptions. Weeden actually could have thrown another interception or two, but got lucky those passes weren't snatched by Eagles defenders. He really didn't do anything well.
Grade: D-



Russell Wilson (at Arizona)

It wasn't an easy day for Wilson and the Hawks' offense, as Arizona's defense came to play. The Cardinals brought a lot of heat, especially late in the game. Things started slow for Wilson, and the Seahawks didn't ask much from him. Throwing around Calais Campbell is difficult for anyone, but after Campbell batted down one of Wilson's passes in the red zone, the height-impaired rookie (on the next play) made a great play going through his progressions to throw a touchdown to Sidney Rice. On the final drive, with the game on the line, Wilson showed poise and made some very nice throws despite often being under siege by Arizona's blitzes. Although Wilson came up short in what ended up being a great football game, and the Seahawks' play calling was designed to shelter the rookie quarterback early in the game, Wilson's debut gave me no reason to doubt that he is the answer as Seattle's starting quarterback.
Grade: C+

 

[BINGO]

Weeden's job security
11:01AM ET
Brandon Weeden | Browns

There was an idea out there on Monday that the Cleveland Browns would consider making a switch at QB from Brandon Weeden to Colt McCoy; the thinking went that even with the mediocre level of play they got from McCoy in seasons past, that would've been enough to pull out the win over Philadelphia on Sunday, compared to what Weeden brought to took off the table. On Monday afternoon, however, Browns HC Pat Shurmur offered up a vote of confidence in his rookie passer.

Responding to a questioner noting that Browns fans were clamoring for Colt, Shurmur said, "Clamoring for Colt? Brandon Weeden is our starter and he's going to get better, that's what I'm going to tell them." (Credit the Cleveland Plain Dealer for the quote).

There is an argument to be made that Weeden did not get enough help from the targeted pass-catchers on Sunday; there were four outright drops, and players could've fought harder to prevent INTs by the Eagles. Nevertheless, it was an ugly debut, as the folks over at ESPN's Stats and Information blog described in detail:

- Tim Kavanagh​

Stats and Information Blog
Rookies showcase highs and lows of QBR in Week 1

"Weeden (4 interceptions, 118 pass yards) and Ryan Tannehill (3 interceptions, 3 sacks) had forgettable debuts, posting the two lowest Total QBRs by a rookie in their first-career start over the last five seasons. What made Weeden's day so bad? His points above average (QB PAA) was -14.1, meaning that he cost his team more than 14 points compared to what an average quarterback would have given them in the same number of action plays. That is the second-lowest QB PAA in a single game since 2008. Only Mark Sanchez in Week 4 of last season was worse (-16.6)."

 

[BINGO]

Packers making switch at nickel S?
9:44AM ET
Green Bay Packers

In the defensive scheme employed by the Green Bay Packers under DC Dom Capers, the personnel on the field in the nickel package are crucial, because the team uses that configuration frequently. So a change at the nickel safety position is a pretty important development. Given the club's emphasis on tackling this preseason, when M.D. Jennings whiffed on San Francisco 49ers RB Frank Gore in the open field on Sunday, it was no shocker that he was pulled from the lineup and rookie Jerron McMillian took over his spot.

And when the Packers take on the rival Chicago Bears on Thursday, "there's a reasonable chance" that McMillian will be the nickel safety, in the opinion of Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel. The change has it's pros and cons, naturally:

"McMillian could bring a hard-nosed element the defense lacked Sunday. The fourth-round pick was a capable blitzer and intimidating hitter at Maine. Through the summer, though, the Packers have been hesitant. He does hail from a small school and could be raw in coverage. On Vernon Davis' 4-yard touchdown reception, McMillian was a split-second late sliding in."

Coverage may be the more important consideration against Chicago, who showed off their firepower through the air in Week 1, with Jay Cutler throwing for 333 yards, targeting eight different pass-catchers.

- Tim Kavanagh​

 

[BINGO]

Redskins star rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III in hot water with the NFL:

Yahoo! Sports Minute

 

[NinerSickness]

Hey, has anyone been keeping a close eye on Michael Brockers? He was my bust pick this year.

 

[BINGO]

Hey, has anyone been keeping a close eye on Michael Brockers? He was my bust pick this year.

severe ankle injury during the preseason. He was doing very well during mini camp until that injury took place.

 

[BINGO]

Redskins rookie Alfred Morris is still driving his 1991 Mazda | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports

 

[mem49er]

Redskins rookie Alfred Morris is still driving his 1991 Mazda | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports

Good for him in multiple ways. I mean, he's a starter now but who knows for how long with Shanny. He was what, a 6th or 7th rounder? It's not like he's gotten a big payday, yet. He needs to save, glad he has the sense to.

 

[BINGO]

Washington Redskins -- Robert Griffin III says he took cheap shots from St. Louis Rams - ESPN

 

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Burfict's new position
9:36AM ET
Cincinnati Bengals

After Cincinnati Bengals starting WLB Thomas Howard went down with a season-ending knee injury in practice last week, the thought was that the club would replace him with a combination of Vincent Rey, Dan Skuta and Vontaze Burfict. For the latter -- an undrafted rookie that is accustomed to playing MLB -- this would be an adjustment. Apparently, he's taken to the new spot like a fish to water, as he is now listed as the Bengals' starter at WLB, per Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Burfict explained the difference between playing inside and outside like so: "Certain formations you feel like you are by yourself instead of being in the middle of everything. I kind of like it because I don't have to deal with linemen as much and I'm pretty much just a force player. I enjoy it."

He also commented that he hopes to get a big hit on this week's opposing QB, Robert Griffin III. But Scouts, Inc.'s Ken Moll writes that the Bengals should actually focus on forcing RG3 to beat them with his arm:

- Tim Kavanagh​

Scouts, Inc.: CIN-WAS
Cincinnati needs to keep RG3 in the pocket

"Washington's rookie QB, Robert Griffin III, is an excellent passer, but many of the team's big plays come off improvisation out of the pocket. The Bengals have an athletic front seven and have been effective flushing opposing quarterbacks out of their comfort zones. This week it will be more important for the Bengals' defense to stay in their rush lanes and be patient in coverage while RG3 scrambles to extend plays. Look for Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to utilize more four-man rush schemes, while keeping the entire front seven cognizant of RG3's athleticism."

 

[BINGO]

I totally forgot about this kid. I liked him a whole lot in the 4th round than Coby Fleener in the 1st round. If the 9ers were to select a TE in the draft, would you have wanted Fleener in the first, or Green in the 4th?

Anyway, I just lost track of this kid and I am posting these old news now:

Chargers rookie TE Ladarius Green bulked up to 241 pounds before training camp after weighing in at 238 at the Combine.
Green, who stands 6-foot-6, struggles to keep weight on because he's naturally lean. The team wants him heavier so he can block. "(I) eat everything I can," he said. "Mostly pastas, steak, potatoes, vegetables, mostly healthy, but I gotta go out sometimes. Burger King, something like that. I snuck one in."
Jul 25 - 6:00 PM


GM A.J. Smith believes fourth-round TE Ladarius Green fits the model of the Chargers offense, "like an Antonio Gates."
"He's not a blocker, and he isn't going to be a blocker," said Smith. "But he has rare skills with speed, and we like his height, his hands, catch radius and burst. We think he's a smart kid ... very, very talented." If Green develops quickly, Smith hopes to use more two-tight end packages with Antonio Gates and the rookie by the second half of the season.
May 4 - 8:22 AM