2013 NFL Rookies

[BINGO]

I always loved this kid, and thought he was a steal for the Colts. I hope he proves them wrong:


Bjoern Werner - LB - Colts

Sports Illustrated's Greg Bedard doesn't think the Colts "are going to get the impact they hoped for from first-round pick Bjoern Werner this season."

Per Bedard, Werner has looked "extremely ordinary," has "averaged burst at the snap" and "hasn't shown many pass-rush moves." Although Werner had 13 sacks for Florida State last season en route to ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors, his game tape showed the lack of edge explosion Bedard is referring to. Werner will start the season as a backup for the Colts as he adjusts to the outside linebacker spot. Source: SI.com

Aug 27 - 9:33 AM

 

[BINGO]

Zac Dysert - QB - Broncos

Broncos seventh-round QB Zac Dysert appears headed for the practice squad.

The Broncos will roll with only Peyton Manning and the rapidly improving Brock Osweiler on the active roster. Dysert hasn't even played in either of the last two exhibition games.
Source: ESPN.com

Aug 27 - 9:28 AM

 

[BINGO]

E.J. Manuel - QB - Bills

Coach Doug Marrone said E.J. Manuel (knee) needs to get back in practice by next Wednesday to have a shot at playing Week 1.

Marrone won't let Manuel suit up without evaluating him in practice for a few days. That leaves the first-round rookie in a race against the clock. He's still on the back-end QB2 radar because his procedure was never considered serious and he's an excellent runner. If Manuel can't go against the Patriots in Week 1, undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel will get the nod.
Source: Buffalo News

Aug 27 - 11:46 AM

 

[BINGO]

DeAndre Hopkins - WR - Texans

DeAndre Hopkins (concussion) has been medically cleared, and is expected to suit up for Thursday's preseason finale.

Hopkins missed 10 days of action. If he plays Thursday, it should only be for a series or two. The No. 2 receiver in an offense that's long lacked one, Hopkins is worth a WR3/4 flier, though he'll likely be inconsistent as a rookie.
Source: Tania Ganguli on Twitter

Aug 27 - 2:38 PM

 

[BINGO]

Geno Smith - QB - Jets

Jets coach Rex Ryan won't name the starting quarterback for Thursday's preseason finale until Thursday.

The drama and intrigue are palpable. Ryan said it's possible he won't name his Week 1 starter until game day. Rex and the Jets are clearly trying to buy some time with Mark Sanchez's shoulder injury. We wouldn't expect Sanchez to play Thursday. If Geno Smith plays, it should only be for a series or two. What shouldn't have been that complicated of a situation has gotten the full Jets treatment, with more to come. Related: Mark Sanchez
Source: Manish Mehta on Twitter

Aug 27 - 2:28 PM

 

[BINGO]

Dion Jordan - DL - Dolphins

Dolphins DE/OLB Dion Jordan (shoulder) resumed practicing Tuesday.

He got in a limited session. "Anytime I get a chance to go out there and compete and mix it up, it's a big day," Jordan said afterward. Jordan is now back on pace for Week 1, but has missed a considerable amount of practice time. He'll begin his rookie year as a situational pass rusher.
Source: Armando Salguero on Twitter

Aug 27 - 1:43 PM

 

[BINGO]

DeAndre Hopkins - WR - Texans

As a sophomore at Clemson, DeAndre Hopkins suffered a concussion in an automobile accident on his way to Memorial Stadium for the Orange Bowl against West Virginia.

The crash happened on December 27, 2011. Police said Hopkins was "knocked unconscious" after hitting a wet patch in the road. "He started out in the front seat and the car spun around and went up a tree and he ended up in the backseat," described Hopkins' mother. Hopkins still played in the bowl game. Now an NFL rookie, Hopkins has been slow to recover from an August 17 concussion.
Source: CSN Houston

Aug 28 - 7:59 AM

 

[BINGO]

Menelik Watson - T - Raiders

New Raiders LT Menelik Watson has never played left tackle at any level of football.

A native of England, Watson didn't play football in high school, and manned the right side during his brief (19 games) college career. His first reps on the blindside will come in Thursday's preseason finale at CenturyLink Field, easily the loudest stadium in the NFL. "Because he doesn't have a history ... his bad habits are easy to break," OL coach Tony Sparano hoped out loud. Similarly raw QB Terrelle Pryor better be ready to put his scrambling talents to use.
Source: Contra Costa Times

Aug 27 - 10:03 PM

 

[BINGO]

Eddie Lacy - RB - Packers

Packers LG Josh Sitton confirmed that Eddie Lacy will have a bigger role in the wake of DuJuan Harris' season-ending injury.

We already liked Lacy as the stronger half of the one-two punch the Packers were planning with Harris. Now we love him. "He's going to have to step up and probably have a larger role," Sitton said. "He's going to have to grow. He can't be a rookie anymore." The Packers are committed to finding a run game after Aaron Rodgers was sacked a league-high 51 times last year. In five 2012 games before injury, Cedric Benson averaged 14.2 carries and 2.8 catches per game. Lacy will explode with that kind of workload.
Source: ESPN.com

Aug 28 - 8:25 AM

 

[BINGO]

Johnathan Franklin - RB - Packers

ESPN confirms fourth-round RB Johnathan Franklin "doesn't look ready to contribute."

Through three preseason games, Franklin is averaging a pathetic 1.85 YPC on 24 carries. He's also been thoroughly unimpressive in practice and struggled as a kickoff returner. Even with DuJuan Harris going down, Franklin is off the re-draft radar. He's behind Alex Green and battling with James Starks on the depth chart.
Source: ESPN.com

Aug 28 - 8:31 AM

 

[BINGO]

Le'Veon Bell - RB - Steelers

Le'Veon Bell (foot) has already shed his walking boot.

Perhaps Bell really didn't sustain a Lisfranc injury after all. His ability to ditch the boot just nine days after his injury suggests that he's fine structurally. Now the process of healing the ligaments torn during his mid-foot sprain begins. The Steelers have declined to release a timetable, only saying Bell is out indefinitely. Media speculation has the second-round rookie out six weeks, making an October return possible. Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer will handle the majority of backfield reps while Bell is out.
Source: Washington Observer-Reporter

Aug 28 - 10:50 AM

 

[BINGO]

Da'Rick Rogers - WR - Free Agent

Da'Rick Rogers has cleared waivers, making him an unrestricted free agent.

A hundred-dollar talent with a 10-cent head, Rogers went undrafted in April and then got outplayed by guys like Brad Smith, DeMarco Sampson, and Brandon Kaufman at Bills camp. After getting cut on Monday, no team even wanted to take a flier on his talent.
Source: Jay Skurski on Twitter

Aug 28 - 11:00 AM

 

[BINGO]

Tavon Austin - WR - Rams

The Post-Dispatch expects Chris Givens to see more targets than Tavon Austin this season.

We suspect Jared Cook will see more targets as well. Austin has the electrifying moves and speed in the open field, but he's concentrating on returns and short passes out of the slot right now. The No. 8 overall pick is a prime candidate to be overdrafted in fantasy circles thanks to his real-life draft status. Austin is unlikely to be a red-zone factor at 5'8/174.
Source: St Louis Post-Dispatch

Aug 28 - 11:54 AM

 

[dredinis21]

I always loved this kid, and thought he was a steal for the Colts. I hope he proves them wrong:


Bjoern Werner - LB - Colts

Sports Illustrated's Greg Bedard doesn't think the Colts "are going to get the impact they hoped for from first-round pick Bjoern Werner this season."

Per Bedard, Werner has looked "extremely ordinary," has "averaged burst at the snap" and "hasn't shown many pass-rush moves." Although Werner had 13 sacks for Florida State last season en route to ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors, his game tape showed the lack of edge explosion Bedard is referring to. Werner will start the season as a backup for the Colts as he adjusts to the outside linebacker spot. Source: SI.com

Aug 27 - 9:33 AM

Bingo, do you think that Werner's success is attributed to Tank commanding double teams? I didn't watch Werner too much last season so it is a legitimate question.

 

[NinerSickness]

Bingo, do you think that Werner's success is attributed to Tank commanding double teams? I didn't watch Werner too much last season so it is a legitimate question.

I'm not Bingo, but I have an opinion on this one.

Werner always had an NFL caliber DE playing across from him in Jenkins & Carradine, but I think he earned the accolades he received. It's not that the other guys made him look better; it's that Werner was never an elite prospect. He was a high-motor, lower-ceiling guy rushing from the left side who should be a good LDE in the NFL but never a great one. Maybe in the middle between good & great. That's about what one would expect from a guy taken 24th overall. He's also pretty young for an NFL player (just turned 22), while Carradine & Jenkins are 24 & 23 respectively; Werner may need more time to develop his core strength.

Carradine would've certainly been taken higher than Werner if he didn't tear the ACL. The Niners were fortunate it happened because Carradine's gonna be great IMO.

 

[BINGO]

Bingo, do you think that Werner's success is attributed to Tank commanding double teams? I didn't watch Werner too much last season so it is a legitimate question.

No not at all. Werner was a 3 year starter and always had an innate ability to bring the QB down. Tank was never a starter until 2012, and he wasn't even a starter until Brandon Jenkins got hurt. Werner was always a beast and did not need any help from Tank at all whatsoever.

 

[BINGO]

I'm not Bingo, but I have an opinion on this one.

Werner always had an NFL caliber DE playing across from him in Jenkins & Carradine,
Carradine would've certainly been taken higher than Werner if he didn't tear the ACL. The Niners were fortunate it happened because Carradine's gonna be great IMO.

I agree with everything I have underlined above. I was very happy to land Tank in the 2nd, but not sure if he is going to be "great" per se. I think he will be better than Ray McDonald who is a very good player, but not as good as a Justin Smith (in his 2011 prime days) or as great as JJ Watt is currently at now. I'm not sure what you mean by great, but I don't see "great" potential in Tank. But a very good / solid player who will be better than Ray McDonald. In sum, Tank should make at least 4 -5 pro bowl appearances. That's the main reason why I was very happy with that pick.

 

[NinerSickness]

Better than Ray McDonald sounds about right to me. That qualifies as great IMO. Ray McDonald is no joke.

JSmith & Watt are in a whole 'nother class. There isn't any DL in the 2013 draft I expect to be THAT good.

 

[BINGO]

Better than Ray McDonald sounds about right to me. That qualifies as great IMO. Ray McDonald is no joke.

JSmith & Watt are in a whole 'nother class. There isn't any DL in the 2013 draft I expect to be THAT good.

Star Lotulelei? I liked him a whole lot.

 

[BINGO]

Geno Smith - QB - Jets

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jets' "current plan" is not to play Geno Smith in Thursday's preseason finale.

With Smith and Mark Sanchez (bruised shoulder) sitting, Matt Simms will get the start. In other words, there's no end in sight to the Jets' interminable quarterback competition. Coach Rex Ryan has hinted he could hold off on naming a starter until the morning of the opener. Only the Jets. Related: Mark Sanchez
Source: Adam Schefter on

Twitter Aug 28 - 2:51 PM