NFC East Draft Preview

By Thomas Rende

Mock drafts have been filled out for months so it is only logical that we continue to scramble our last second choices before the draft actually takes place two weeks from today. I’ll take a look at the four teams in the NFC East and project which player would be the most logical choice at each drafting slot.

Pick #4 Philadelphia Eagles—Florida State T Eric Fisher: Fisher seems to be the most logical pick for the Eagles. They have consistently held one of the worst offensive lines for the past few years, especially last year when Michael Vick had more open-field hits than an open field receiver. Fisher would be a great anchor to an offense that is going to emphasize the need for versatile, quick linemen in Chip Kelly’s spread offense.

AP Photo/ Rogello V. Solis

Pick #18 Dallas Cowboys—Alabama RB Eddie Lacy: I think the Cowboys would grab G Jonathan Cooper if he fell this far but I just don’t envision that happening with the raving of the talent of the top two guards in this draft. The Cowboys can grab talent at the offensive line later in the draft, so I think they’ll take Lacy. Lacy reportedly got his 40-yard dash into the mid 4.0 range, which would increase his draft value and put the Cowboys in position to take the running back. I think the Cowboys are intrigued at pairing QB Tony Romo with a big-time running back and they’ll only have to hope he falls past the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pick #19 New York Giants—Florida State LB Bjoern Werner: A lot of mock drafts had the Giants centering in on a defensive lineman, specifically Sheldon Richardson, but I think the Giants might address the issue later in the draft. Instead I see the Giants looking to cement their linebacker position with a dynamite player who may fall down draft boards. Werner had 13 sacks last year and would provide great depth to the Giants pass rushing.

The Washington Redskins traded their first round pick for the rights to draft Robert Griffin III.

Help Wanted: Saints

A quick look at the Saints’ holes and places they may look at the draft

By Doug Knopf

After a disappointing season with an absent head coach, the Saints are looking to rebuild and refocus their efforts. People can point fingers all they want, but we all know Drew Brees is not at fault. That means that it’s probably the defense’s fault.

AP Photo/ Bill Haber

The Saints defense was 31^st in points allowed this past season, giving up over 28 points per game and 400 yards of offense. New Orleans ranked last in rushing yards, allowing almost 150 yards per game and second to last in pass yards allowed, only 8 yards under 300. Basically, the whole defense is terrible.

The Saints play a 4-3 base defense, meaning that they rely, or should rely, more on their defensive tackle and ends to make plays as opposed to a 3-4 defense where the down linemen are basically just fillers for linebackers to rush gaps and be more athletic. Just to put it clearly, this is not happening. Tackles numbers from their linebackers are far vaster than they should be. The Saints line did absolutely nothing last season. Looking at the numbers, there are really only two defensive linemen on the Saints. Ranking in the lower third in sacks, maybe the Saints need a bounty to get some production.

But…now with Rob Ryan at the defensive helm, the Saints will be switching to a 3-4 scheme to utilize their stronger line backing core and their diminished defensive line. This hire by the Saints organization is a blessing in disguise for them. They might get a loud mouth coach, but they get a coach whose system fits their players well.

Look for New Orleans to draft another linebacker in order to mold into their new scheme. As much as their line was dreadful, in the new scheme, it is supposed to be. Hopefully with some young blood in their front seven, they can put more pressure on the opposing offense and clear up some of their secondary problems as well.

2012 NFL Draft Preview: New York Jets

Notre Dame's, Michael Floyd/AP Images

What will the New York Jets do in next week’s draft?

By Joe Diglio

Super Bowls aren’t won on draft day, but it would certainly help Rex Ryan’s bold predictions if the New York Jets had a successful draft. The Jets had an average season last year, finishing 8-8, giving them the 16th pick of the first round.

For a team just two seasons removed for its second consecutive AFC Championship game, New York has some big holes. Starting linebackers Calvin Pace and Bart Scott are 31 and 32, respectively, so finding a replacement on the outside of New York’s 3-4 defense is key. Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw could fill that role.

On the other hand, the secondary depth chart is still looking thin. Although the team signed former Washington Redskin LaRon Landry, they didn’t resign Jim Leonhard and lost Brodney Pool to free agency. The Jets could fill this hole with a different Crimson Tide defender in safety Mark Barron. However Barron is a strong safety like Landry, which wouldn’t solve the free safety issue.

Where the Jets may end up looking is on the offensive side of the ball. If Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd is available at the 16th pick, New York may look to take him. Since the team let go of Braylon Edwards and longtime Jet Jerricho Cotchery, the receiver corps hasn’t been the same. Derrick Mason was brought in, and then promptly traded after just five games. The Plaxico Burress experiment had its moments, but that was never going to be a long-term solution. If the Jets are serious about making it work with Mark Sanchez, or perhaps Tim Tebow, they need to get other weapons. At 6’3” and 220 lbs, Floyd is one of the biggest wide receivers in the draft. He can come in and be a nice complement to top wide out Santonio Holmes. Floyd can add to a unit that also includes second year receiver Jeremy Kerley and recent signee Chaz Schilens, giving the Jets a young group with promise.

2012 NFL Draft Preview: Buffalo Bills

Riley Reiff at the NFL Combine/AP Images

Evaluating the Bills’ options with the tenth overall pick in this year’s draft.

By Joe Diglio


After an impressive 5-2 start, the Buffalo Bills let the wheels fall off its 2011 season, losing eight of its final nine games to finish an unimpressive 6-10. Tied with the Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers for the eighth-worst record in the league, the Bills lost out against the two due to a better strength of schedule, leaving them with the tenth overall pick in the first round.


What will they do? All signs point to Riley Reiff, a left tackle out of Iowa. This is a sensible pick; the Bills need a solid tackle to protect the backside of Ryan Fitzpatrick, whom the team agreed to play long term during the season. However many scouts question whether Reiff can make it at the next level. He should offer decent pass protection, but his run blocking is definitely his strong suit. That doesn’t bode well for Fitzpatrick, who probably doesn’t want his Harvard brain shaking violently in his skull.

Last week, though, the team threw a wrench into the equation when they hosted two first round prospects: USC tackle Matt Kalil and Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick. Kalil has the potential to be a franchise left tackle, but he’s expected to be taken by the time the Bills draft. Drafting Kirkpatrick would fill a need at cornerback as well; however picking him at the ten spot would be a reach.

What these moves could mean is that the Bills are interested in looking at trade offers. The Cleveland Browns, who have the fourth overall pick, have already expressed interest in moving down. Buffalo could make a deal with them to get Kalil, but he might even be gone by then, since many predict the Minnesota Vikings will take him with the third overall pick.

On the other hand, trading down seems more plausible. There will surely be a few teams willing to trade up for a top ten pick, and the Bills could use such a move to get additional picks to fill other needs, such as corner and wide receiver.

2012 Draft Preview: Miami Dolphins

Ryan Tannehill/AP Images

The Miami Dolphins head into the 2012 NFL Draft with a lot of questions.

By Joe Diglio

The 2011 season ended on somewhat of a high note, as the team won six of its last nine after starting 0-7. However the off-season has been a disappointment. The team lost out on every big name quarterback. They won’t get a chance at Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III because their strong finish lowered their draft position, and they couldn’t land Peyton Manning, Matt Flynn or Alex Smith in free agency, settling instead for David Garrard. The team then made a head-scratching trade, giving away Brandon Marshall, its best skilled position player, for a pair of third-round picks.

Miami is in a good position at the number eight pick in this year’s draft, but the talent of this year’s draft class has put the team in an awkward situation. By position, the Dolphins would be best suited to go after a quarterback, since neither Garrard nor Matt Moore are long-term solutions. The top quarterback after Luck and Griffin is Ryan Tannehill of Texas A&M, though he ranks just 17th on Scouts Inc.’s overall draft board. Picking Tannehill with the eighth pick might be a stretch in terms of talent, but few teams are as desperate to find a quarterback as the Dolphins.

Although there is one team that could get in the way: the Cleveland Browns, who may be done experimenting with Colt McCoy. The team could potentially take Tannehill with the number four pick. That would be an even greater reach, but stranger things have happened in the draft, and this is the Cleveland Browns we’re talking about. Should the Dolphins lose out on the Aggie quarterback, their best bet would be to go after a defensive lineman to fill out their new 4-3 scheme, most likely defensive end Quinton Coples out of North Carolina. Other holes Miami should look to fill are a wide receiver replacement for Marshall and a safety replacement for Yeremiah Bell, who was recently released. In the end, though, expect the Dolphins to grab Tannehill with the eighth overall pick and go from there.

AFC East Roundup

Mario Williams/AP Images

Checking up on what the division’s four teams have done in free agency so far.

By Joe Diglio

A certain number 18 just landed in Denver, but back in the east there are still teams making some noise. Here’s a look at what AFC East’s four squads have been up to heading into next month’s NFL Draft.

Buffalo Bills: The Bills made a splash by signing arguably the best defensive player available in former Houston linebacker, Mario Williams. The former Texan signed a 6-year-deal worth up to $100 million, with $50 million guaranteed. He should be a good fit in Buffalo’s new 4-3 defense, where he will be able to play both defensive end and outside linebacker. The addition of Williams gives the Bills a formidable front seven, a valuable asset to dethrone Tom Brady and the Patriots from the top of the division.

Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins’ first plan to solve their quarterback dilemma was like a 60-yard bomb: sign Peyton Manning. That fell incomplete when they were announced out of the Manning sweepstakes last week. Meanwhile, they attempted a 20-yard pass: trading up to get prospect Robert Griffin III. That fell incomplete when the St. Louis Rams gave the second pick in the draft to the Washington Redskins. Then they tried a simple five-yard check down: signing free agent Matt Flynn. But even that was botched, as the Aaron Rodgers’ backup ended up in Seattle. Soon, the Dolphins’ front office found itself scrambling. They ultimately signed former Jaguar David Garrard. Garrard is kind of like Manning, in the sense that both missed all of last season due to injury. However Garrard’s also unlike Manning, in the sense that he’s never won an MVP or Super Bowl.

New England Patriots: So far in free agency, the Patriots have looked to add depth to their already stacked offense. They added wide receivers Anthony Gonzalez and Donte’ Stallworth, as well as tight end Daniel Fells. However New England’s biggest addition was wide out Brandon Lloyd. The Patriots now have another threat to put opposite Wes Welker, in addition to the tight end combo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Lloyd had a breakout season two years ago in Denver, catching 77 passes for 1,448 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also showed promise after a midseason trade to St. Louis last year, gaining 683 receiving yards and five touchdowns in just ten starts with the Rams. However, signing Lloyd takes New England out of the running for star receiver Mike Wallace, whom it had been rumored the team was pursuing.

New York Jets: Rex Ryan’s squad filled a hole at safety by signing former Redskin LaRon Landry. However the deal is experimental, just one year worth $4 million. The Jets hope Landry will bounce back from the multiple injuries that have limited his playing time the past two years. The team also planned to sign a quarterback who would push starter Mark Sanchez to improve, so they went out and got Drew Stanton. They hope the former Lion will challenge whose progression has been somewhat stagnant after three years. New York also signed speedster Chaz Schilens to a one-year deal worth $765,000, adding depth to a depleted receiving corps that lost Derrick Mason to a trade and Plaxico Burress to free agency.