2012 Rookies

[BINGO]

Another rookie I liked he was always listed as a TE but from the onset I knew his best position would have been FB. Bruce Miller is pretty descent as a FB but this kid would have been much more of an upgrade had we selected him to play FB. He's a pretty descent TE on his own right, but he's just that much better as a FB:

1.) Rookie tight end Evan Rodriguez?s value is his versatility - Chicago Sun-Times

2.) Rodriguez makes position switch: Bears rookie Evan Rodriguez, who was drafted as a tight end in April, changed his jersey number to 48 and will be listed as a fullback.
(Updated 09/05/2012)

 

[BINGO]

Around the NFC West: Rams' rookies shine - NFC West Blog - ESPN

 

[ChrisPozz]

Randle hopes to answer critics on Sunday - Giants Blog - ESPN New York

The Giants, who also have Jerrel Jernigan at receiver, have not used Randle much so far this season. He played four offensive snaps on Sunday night against the Eagles but it was long enough for NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth to remark that Randle’s maturity has been an issue for the Giants.

“Randle’s work ethic has been questioned a bit with the Giants,” Collinsworth said. “They’re hoping that he grows up as he goes along and starts becoming a bit more of a pro.”

Randle, who has just one catch for six yards so far, wasn’t fazed by Collinsworth’s comment.

“You can’t really focus on the outside,” Randle said. “As long as you know what is going on the inside and how your teammates and coaching staff feels, everything on the outside, you just got to let it stay (outside).”
-------

“He’s young and he’s trying to figure out what it takes to compete and get mentally and physically ready for upcoming games,” Eli Manning said. “He has talent, he’s been working better, having an understanding of just how we work and how we prepare each week.

 

[clyde_carbon]

I thought Jernigan would've made an impact for the Giants by now. I really liked him coming out of Troy in '11.

 

[BINGO]

DeCastro's progress
8:59AM ET
David DeCastro | Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the beneficiaries of the NFL's new rule regarding IR that made it possible to put someone on temporarily, and designate them for a return later on in the season. One day before the new designation was announced, rookie OG David DeCastro underwent surgery to fix a torn MCL, which is not a season-ending injury, but it is one that requires a significant amount of time to recover from. By rule, DeCastro cannot practice with the team until Oct. 19, and the earliest game in which he can participate is the Nov. 4 contest against the New York Giants. So is he still on track to hit those benchmarks?

It would appear so. "I don't have any pain, so I'm just working hard to try to get back," DeCastro indicated this week, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The Steelers have the option of keeping DeCastro on the IR for as long as they'd like -- the dates cited above are merely the earliest dates that he could return. But it appears that they may have the first-rounder back in the mix for the stretch run.

- Tim Kavanagh​

 

[BINGO]

Why RG3 is currently ahead of Luck
Griffin is making better decisions, getting the ball out faster
Originally Published: October 17, 2012
By Ben Alamar | ESPN Insider

Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck have both played well this season as rookie quarterbacks.

Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III will be linked and compared throughout their careers -- that's what going first and second, respectively, in the draft will do. And while their playing styles certainly differ, their results -- at least to this point in their careers -- have only invited more comparison.

Griffin and Luck currently are sixth and seventh in season-long Total QBR, ahead of both Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. Griffin's 74.4 rating and Luck's 73.6 are practically indistinguishable. But looking more closely at their performances, we can see how their contributions have differed and why Griffin might be on a faster track to quarterback dominance than Luck.

Both QBs have contributed similarly with their legs, which is against popular belief that Griffin is a vastly better runner. Griffin has added 11.2 points by running, and Luck has added 10.9 points. The real differences are from the points created through passing (29.3 for Griffin and 22.3 for Luck) and in points lost through sacks (minus-9 points for Griffin and minus-4.4 points for Luck). The touchdown difference in points created through passing favors Griffin, but since he gives most of it back by taking sacks, we might be tempted to think Luck is doing a better job of reading and reacting to defenses, and just getting rid of the ball when needed. This, however, is not the case and is why Griffin's development is ahead of Luck's.

There currently is a large difference between how these two throw the ball. For Griffin, 52 percent of his passes go for 3 yards or less in the air, while only 36 percent of Luck's are that short (league average is 42 percent). Again, this points to Griffin just making short, quick passes that artificially pad his passing totals, while Luck is actually airing the ball out -- but this might be part of Luck's problem and something he needs to adjust in his game.

Only 26 percent of Griffin's passes are 10 yards or longer in the air while 40 percent of Luck's are that long (league average is 30 percent), but that might be because Griffin is reading the defense and picking his spots more effectively than Luck. On those long passes, Luck has performed at the league average, completing 49 percent, while Griffin has completed 57 percent. Only Eli Manning (59 percent) and Alex Smith (59 percent) currently complete a higher rate of long passes than Griffin, while Luck's completion rate is comparable to Tony Romo (49 percent) and Philip Rivers (49 percent). In each category, Griffin is completing passes at or above the league average, which indicates he really is finding the right receiver at the right time.

Additionally, when looking at the sacks the two take, we get further evidence that it is Griffin who is doing a superior job of reading and reacting to the defense. Both QBs have been sacked 13 times, but the length of time a QB has before he gets sacked is an indicator of when he is getting sacked: Is he taking too long to get rid of the ball, or has the defense just overwhelmed the blocking scheme? Generally, if a QB holds the ball for more than 3 seconds, he is taking too long and significantly increasing his chances of being sacked.

Throughout the league, 70 percent of all sacks happen after the 3-second mark, and Griffin is right there with 69 percent of his sacks occurring at 3 seconds or more. Luck, however, has a higher rate with 77 percent of his sacks occurring after 3 seconds. Griffin's metric puts him in the same neighborhood as Peyton Manning (70 percent) and Matt Ryan (69 percent), while Luck's puts him closer to Mark Sanchez (79 percent) and Brandon Weeden (74 percent).

The stats show Luck takes longer to get rid of the ball than Griffin and throws the ball down the field a lot more than Griffin. This suggests Luck is pressing too much and not recognizing when to check down as quickly as Griffin is. Griffin, in part, is doing a better job of quickly recognizing when he has a good opportunity to go deep and when he needs to get rid of the ball. This gives Griffin the current edge as both players strive to fulfill the promise of the draft slots.

Still, both rookies are performing at an extremely high level, and all signs point to both of them continuing to progress toward the levels of the Mannings and Bradys of the league. Griffin is the early leader out of the gate, but both will get there eventually. And when they do, we'll be comparing which elite QB is better.

 

[BINGO]

Getting Lamar Miller into the mix
11:44AM ET
Lamar Miller | Dolphins

With Miami Dolphins backup RB Daniel Thomas sidelined last week by a concussion, it seemed logical that we would see rookie Lamar Miller spelling Reggie Bush from time to time. However, even though he leads the team by averaging 5.5 yards per carry, Miller didn't garner a single tote against the St. Louis Rams. According to Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel, offensive coordinator Mike Sherman said they simply didn't need to spell Bush.

"We never really established our running game, so we didn't really get anybody off to give Reggie (Bush) a rest necessarily," Sherman said. "It was nothing specific that I can speak of, other than a result of not a great offensive day and not a lot of snaps ... I don't lack confidence in his ability to [pass block]. That's not a reason why he didn't play the other day."

Despite Sherman's comment that he isn't concerned about the rookie's ability block in passing situations, ESPN AFC East blogger James Walker thinks Miller could stand to improve in that area:

- Tom Carpenter​

James Walker
Morning take

"The youngster needs to gain the trust of the coaching staff in some areas. Miller?s pass blocking needs a lot of improvement; that could be the biggest reason."

 

[BINGO]

2012 NFL All-Rookie Team
A pick for the top rookie at every position on the field
Originally Published: January 2, 2013
By Mel Kiper Jr. | ESPN Insider

USA TODAY Sports
Andrew Luck, Luke Kuechly and Janoris Jenkins all had terrific rookie seasons.

If anybody ever questioned the immediate impact of the NFL draft, you could keep him quiet for a while by pointing to the 2012 class. We have seen not just good QB play but also the fortunes of franchises completely change. And we've seen not just typical early value at running back; we've also seen guys considered among the best in the NFL emerge from the beginning of the draft to the end.

Here I will go through the best at every position this year, essentially building a team of my best rookies at every position on both offense and defense. At some positions, I have more than one player, as this reflects how a team might typically line up. And later this week I'll be looking at rookies whom I expect to have big breakthroughs at the outset of 2013. So if you don't see a guy here, he might be on that list.

Offense​

Quarterback

Andrew Luck, Colts: This could have gone to either Robert Griffin III or Russell Wilson, and it wouldn't offend most close observers. But if it offends you, before you leap to the comments to have your say, let me make my case for Luck. The rookie record for passing yardage (4,374 yards) is nice, as is that he ran for five touchdowns to go with 23 touchdown passes. But he gets the most juice here because no team in history has had this kind of a turnaround after drafting at No. 1, and Luck was the greatest reason the Colts turned it around. Folks around the NFL will tell you the same thing.

The Colts were 2-14 in 2011 and didn't add any significant value in free agency, and this season they went 11-5. The Colts were 26th in total defense and used numerous rookies on offense, and Luck was hit more than any other quarterback in the NFL. But he managed to improve, get results and deliver late, as evidenced by the six fourth-quarter comebacks he engineered. RG III was exceptional, too, but loses slight ground because he has a better supporting cast (Washington beat the Giants twice in 2011) and didn't play in one of the huge wins of the season, when Kirk Cousins led the team to a win in Cleveland, which kept Washington's playoff hopes alive. Wilson has been exceptional, but the defense carried the Seahawks early in the season as he got comfortable. Luck wins here based on his body of work over the course of the season, which spearheaded Indy's stunning turnaround. But they're all great.



Running backs

Alfred Morris, Redskins: The No. 173 pick led all rookies with 1,613 yards, which was the second-highest total in the league behind the great Adrian Peterson, and would have led the NFL last season. He was efficient, at 4.7 yards per carry, and a 52 percent success rate. He was also second to only Arian Foster in rushing touchdowns with 13.

Doug Martin, Buccaneers: He was fifth in the NFL in rushing yards, with 1,454, and added tremendous value as a pass-catcher. Consider that he caught 49 passes, whereas Morris caught just 11. Martin does everything well, including block, which is why Tampa Bay stopped taking him off the field once it realized early on what it had. He gets the edge over Trent Richardson, who we now know played through a lot of pain.



Fullback

Evan Rodriguez, Bears: You can't build much of a statistical case for him -- he had zero carries and just four catches on the season -- but Rodriguez was a tight end at Temple who has created a role for himself with the Bears and could be a bigger part of the offense in years to come.



Wide receivers

T.Y. Hilton, Colts: The No. 92 overall pick led all rookie wide receivers with seven TD catches and was second in yards with 861. Where he adds value is as a big-play option. His 17.2 yards per catch was fifth in the NFL, more than bigger-name downfield targets like DeSean Jackson, Demaryius Thomas or Julio Jones. He figures to continue to pile up totals as Luck gains comfort with him, and Hilton's stature might remind some Colts fans of the similarly slight Marvin Harrison.

Justin Blackmon, Jaguars: Considering the state of the QB situation in Jacksonville, Blackmon put together a decent rookie season. He tied for the lead among rookies with 64 catches and led rookies with 865 receiving yards, and I liked how he got better as the season progressed. He answered some questions about whether he's a big-play threat in one of his best games of the season at Houston.

Josh Gordon, Browns: Gordon came in a bit rusty, but the second-rounder from the supplemental draft might be the future No. 1 in Cleveland. He finished the season with 50 catches and 805 yards, and showed off an ability to take the top off a defense by getting behind safeties. He has size and the physical ability to beat cornerbacks.



Tight end

Dwayne Allen, Colts: Allen fell on a lot of boards because he didn't shine during the draft process and in workouts. But he was my No. 1 tight end for much of last season because of what he can do on the field, and it showed this season. He was by far the most productive rookie tight end, with 45 catches for 521 yards, and should have a great future along with Coby Fleener in Indy.



Left tackle

Matt Kalil, Vikings: Very quietly, Kalil was exactly what the Vikings needed, and he should only get better. He might have been underrated as a run-blocker, and clearly the run game thrived for the Vikings. He started all 16 games for Minnesota and should continue to for years to come.



Right tackle

Kelechi Osemele, Ravens: This could go to Osemele or Mitchell Schwartz of Cleveland, but I'll give the slight edge to Osemele, who also managed to start all 16 games as a rookie.



Guards

Kevin Zeitler, Bengals: Another guy from the offensive lineman assembly line at Wisconsin, Zeitler was needed immediately and played at a Pro Bowl level for much of the season in Cincinnati. The Bengals lost a guard early in the year, and Zeitler's steady play was a huge lift for this team.

Jeff Allen, Chiefs: There's a lot of talk about Peterson's incredible comeback from injury in Minnesota, but what about Jamaal Charles in Kansas City? The Chiefs were able to run the ball even as they had a disastrous year at quarterback, which is in part a credit to Allen, a rookie out of Illinois.



Center

Trevor Robinson, Bengals: There wasn't a lot to choose from here, but Robinson stepped in to help the Bengals when Kyle Cook suffered a foot injury. The Notre Dame alumnus has a bright future.

 

[BINGO]

Defense​

Defensive end

Derek Wolfe, Broncos: As a college player at Cincinnati, Wolfe was a guy I rated a bit higher than most, mainly because of his relentlessness. He piled up sacks from the interior as a defensive tackle. Denver moved him to defensive end, where he continued to play with great energy and got some sacks as well. He finished with 6.0 for the season and looks like a steal as a second-round pick.

Kendall Reyes, Chargers: A 3-4 defensive end, Reyes was maybe the most athletic defensive tackle in the 2012 draft. Once he got the reps in San Diego he produced, and he should be a stud going forward. He finished with 5.5 sacks and simply destroyed the Jets in Week 16.

Quinton Coples, Jets: Another guy who really started to figure it out later in the season, Coples was a 4-3 defensive end at North Carolina, but he's being asked to do some different things with the Jets. I think along with Muhammad Wilkerson, he can help make the Jets' defensive line one of the best in the NFL in the years to come. I give Coples the edge on Seattle's Bruce Irvin, who had some sacks but was one-dimensional. Irvin should improve as his game expands.



Defensive tackles

Fletcher Cox, Eagles: As he got more comfortable, the first-rounder out of Mississippi State became a lot more disruptive. He finished the season with 4.5 sacks over the final seven games and should be a fixture for the Eagles going forward. Cox has a chance to become a Pro Bowl-level interior lineman.

Michael Brockers, Rams: Brockers was slowed down by an injury early in the season and didn't play in a game until Sept. 30, but he came on as the season progressed and started to show refinement. He has a ton of ability, but I still saw Brockers as a guy who was pretty raw on draft day and would get a lot better after his rookie season. I still think that'll be the case, which is why Rams fans can be really excited about the future of their defensive line, which is good across the board. Dontari Poe was next on the list.



Inside linebackers

Luke Kuechly, Panthers: Not only did Kuechly lead the NFL in tackles with 164, he also had the same number of solo tackles (103) as the next-highest tackler on the Panthers had combined. Last season Carolina was 25th in rushing yards allowed per game; this season it was 14th. Kuechly is the future heart and soul of this defense, but he's pretty close to the present one as well. The Boston College star became exactly what I thought he'd be, and in a hurry.

Bobby Wagner, Seahawks: A really good get of the draft at a spot where I thought Seattle could have gotten even more value, Wagner led one of the NFL's best defenses in total tackles with 140 and should be a fixture for years to come. With him and second-year man K.J. Wright in place at linebacker, the Seahawks are set for the foreseeable future. Dont'a Hightower was a close third here.


Outside linebacker

Lavonte David, Buccaneers: David was one of my favorite players in the draft, but we knew he would drop because of questions about his size. Still, I compared him to a similarly small former Buc named Derrick Brooks, and David lived up to the comparison in 2012. The No. 57 overall pick played at a Pro Bowl level, started every week and finished the season with 139 combined tackles. He was a steal when he was drafted, and he looks like a bigger one today. Smaller linebackers (Khaseem Greene from Rutgers) in coming drafts can point to David in the way David could've pointed to Brooks.

Vontaze Burfict, Bengals: One of the great stories of the season not just in the rookie class but everywhere. Burfict led the Bengals in tackles playing on the weak side for them, this after going undrafted out of Arizona State. Burfict was a disaster during the draft process, and a guy I once had in my top 10 on the Big Board could have missed out on the NFL entirely. But coach Marvin Lewis clearly saw what Burfict was capable of when focused and got a steal. Burfict finished the season with 127 total tackles and has the playoffs to look forward to. Other guys in the conversation were Chandler Jones, Melvin Ingram, Miles Burris and Mychal Kendricks.



Cornerbacks

Janoris Jenkins, Rams: We were pretty clear on Jenkins during the draft process -- he had the ability of a top-10 pick, but some of his decision-making in college created questions. The Rams appear to have gotten a steal, however, in getting him in the second round. Jenkins finished the season with four interceptions and seems destined for Pro Bowls in the future.


Casey Hayward, Packers: I really liked Hayward coming out of Vanderbilt because he had the ability to be a good slot corner. Turns out he's just a really good corner, period. He combines great technical ability with those instincts you see from ball hawks. He had six interceptions to lead all rookies.

Stephon Gilmore, Bills: Much was expected of Gilmore after Buffalo took him with the No. 10 pick, but I think he fulfilled expectations this season. In terms of simply being able to cover, he was the best corner the Bills had this season. I think he needs to improve but will continue to and will live up to the spot where he was taken. I had Gilmore just ahead of Morris Claiborne, who was very good this season, as well as the emerging Alfonzo Dennard. Josh Norman was also in the mix.



Safety

Mark Barron, Buccaneers: My strong safety choice finished the season with 89 total stops, 72 of them solo, and has already developed a reputation as a guy who can line up the big hit. What I like about Barron is the way he takes great routes and lays hits without costing his team.

Harrison Smith, Vikings: The Vikings nailed their first two picks. Smith was the free safety Minnesota desperately needed. He finished the regular season with 103 total stops and three interceptions and has dramatically improved the back end of Minnesota's defense. A former standout at Notre Dame, Smith just makes great read after great read. He should be reliable for years to come.




Special teams


Punt returner

Keshawn Martin, Texans: He returned 22 punts, averaged 12 yards per return and returned 31 kickoffs. When Martin was a receiver at Michigan State, I liked his ability to create space, and that skill is obvious as a punt returner.



Kick returner

David Wilson, Giants: He'll have a bigger role in the run game next season, but Wilson carved out a significant role in the return game as a rookie. He returned 57 kickoffs for an average of 26.9 yards and broke one for a 97-yard touchdown. There may be a point when the Giants limit him in this role so they gain more value from him as a running back.



Kicker

Blair Walsh, Vikings: Great scouting by the Vikings, who looked past a bad stretch Walsh had at Georgia and got a steal in the sixth round. Walsh nailed 35 of 38 kicks and was particularly deadly from long range. He was 10-of-10 on kicks from 50-plus yards; no other kicker had more than seven makes.



Punter

Bryan Anger, Jaguars: The selection of Anger in the third round drew some snickers on the set, but at least Anger was solid this season. He averaged 47.8 yards per punt and consistently got good hang time. Only 5.5 percent of his punts went for touchbacks. Let's hope the Jags can avoid a special-teams selection in the early rounds in April with Anger in place.


Mel Kiper Jr.
Football analyst

 

[CalamityX11]

Punter in the third... SMH......

 

[MHSL82]

BROCK OSWEILER Den - QB

News: Osweiler is listed as the No. 3 quarterback on the Broncos' initial depth chart, the Denver Post reports. (Aug 6)

Impact: Osweiler is behind Peyton Manning and Caleb Hanie and ahead of Adam Weber. The latter is expected to compete with Hanie for the backup job, leaving Osweiler glued to a clipboard this season, although he's been described multiple times as the "quarterback of the future" in Denver. (Source: RotoWire / Time: 1:27p ET)

Peyton Manning burns the media - NFL Videos

 

[NinerSickness]

Anyone who's behind Caleb Hanie on he depth chart isn't the anything of the future.

 

[HammerDown]

 

[BINGO]

Robert Griffin III - QB - Redskins

Backup Redskins QB Kirk Cousins expects Robert Griffin III (ACL, LCL surgery) to be ready for Week 1.

"Robert looked awesome (in OTAs), and I’m not just saying that," Cousins said on NFL AM Monday. "He is a bit of a freak in terms of his athleticism, he has healed very quickly. He couldn’t practice with us, but he was on a separate field doing drills all spring during OTAs and minicamp. He looked really good." Cousins has insisted he'll prepare as if he's the starter, but it's clear he no longer expects that to be the case. At this point, it's fair to begin calling RGIII's recovery Peterson-esque.
Source: Profootballtalk on NBCSports.com

Jun 24 - 10:55 AM

 

[BINGO]

Crazy that I even had him rated higher than both David Wilson, and Doug Martin respectively (they were my top three backs in that order). He better come thru and prove me right in 2013:

Tannehill praises RB Lamar Miller's pass pro

Ryan Tannehill says "what impresses (him) most" about Lamar Miller is the second-year back's improvement in pass protection.

Miller has drawn praise from coach Joe Philbin for the same reason. "He’s picking up pass protections a lot better," Tannehill said. "Now that he’s got that, he’s going to be a great player." NFL Network's LaDainian Tomlinson recently compared Miller to a "faster and more explosive" version of Dolphins 2012 starter Reggie Bush. Miller has mammoth fantasy breakout potential for 2013.
Source: Miami Herald

Jun 23 - 1:28 PM

 

[BINGO]

Brandon Weeden - QB - Browns

The Browns believe fewer three-step drops and sped-up mechanics will reduce Brandon Weeden's number of batted passes this season.

Per Pro Football Focus, Weeden had 21 passes batted down last season, the most in the NFL. The Browns have focused on speeding up Weeden's internal clock this offseason, and are installing more five- and seven-step drops. Standing in at 6-foot-4, there's no reason Weeden should be getting passes batted with such frequency.
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer

Jun 24 - 12:02 PM

 

[BINGO]

Mohamed Sanu - WR - Bengals

ESPN's AFC North Blog expects Mohamed Sanu win the Bengals' No. 2 receiver job.

Sanu had the starting job won in October of last year, leading to a five-game run in which he totaled 16 catches for 154 yards and scored four touchdowns. But a Week 13 stress fracture stopped all momentum. Now he'll enter camp ahead of Marvin Jones as they battle for the spot opposite A.J. Green. Any real upside is thwarted by Sanu's role as an underneath, possession receiver.
Source: ESPN.com

Jun 27 - 8:41 AM

 

[BINGO]

...

 

[BINGO]

David Wilson - RB - Giants

Former Giants RB Tiki Barber said David Wilson can be "as dynamic" a running back as the franchise has ever had.

Similar to Barber, Wilson struggled with ball security and pass protection as a rookie. The difference is that Wilson's freakish physical skill set dwarfs Barber's natural talent. The second-year man has a better first step, better long speed and is arguably more elusive upon first contact. If he can just stay out of coach Tom Coughlin's doghouse, a breakout campaign is coming.
Source: ESPN New York

Jun 27 - 8:13 AM

 

[BINGO]

Stephen Hill - WR - Jets

Jets WR Stephen Hill is training with teammate Antonio Cromartie this summer.

It's only notable because it appears Hill is not taking part in Mark Sanchez's annual "Jets West" camp in California. Dubbed one of the "duds" of Jets minicamp by ESPN New York, Hill says he's working out with 'Cro at the recommendation of DC Dennis Thurman. Perhaps Gang Green is looking for Hill to toughen up before anything else.
Source: Newark Star-Ledger

Jul 1 - 12:17 PM