Are You Ready for Some Football?

Are you ready to start scouting for the NFL Draft yet? Or, are any of you like me, just ready to watch some football again? It's early June, and die-hard football fans are going through withdrawals. So what is really going on behind the scenes? The coaches, general managers and players never really get any time off, this is the time that the serious players are improving their strength, conditioning can come later, but the successful football players get stronger during the off season.

The Fans:

This is the time for us to do our research. When the whistle blows we want to know who and what we are looking at. If you like free stuff like me, get on the internet and visit the best free football and NFL Draft sources out there. Don't be shy about checking NCAA football statistics, they don't tell the whole story, but quite often you can identify that Super Sophomore, for example look at Kent State's Kevin Hogan, as a freshman he was ranked 22^nd in the NCAA with 7.5 sacks and ranked 58^th in tackles for a loss with 11. Is Hogan an NFL Draft Prospect? Maybe, but at 6' 3" 233 pounds he will have to make a living at linebacker, also Kent State doesn't exactly play against top notch opponents. Going back to that same statistics page and looking at tackles for a loss (TFL), the name that really jumps out at you is Calais Campbell. His sophomore numbers last year are far more impressive than Hogan's, not only did he (Campbell) finish ranked 9^th in the nation with 20.5 TFLs but he is 6' 7" 255 pounds and played for the Miami Hurricanes. So go ahead and use statistic, but use them with caution.

It is also nice to know who the Best College Football Teams are going to be heading into the season, and get familiar with the upcoming NCAA schedule and NFL schedule, your wife might not like it, but it's time to plan alternate dates to go to your mother in laws.

The other aspect of preparation is often under-rated, but hugely important. Guys, if you haven't already got a wide screen high definition TV is time to quit procrastinating and take the plunge. The prices have reached the point where they are really affordable. For 10 plus years of very enjoyable football watching I think the price is well worth it. The wide screen format is ideal for watching football; you can see so much more of the action. Do some shopping around and get a good value. If you are on a budget, but still want the best, I recommend a Vizio 50 inch plasma. My parents have one hanging on their wall and it is breath taking.

The other option is going to some live games, HDTVs are great, but there is nothing better than watching the action live. The cheapest place to buy football tickets is online and I use Ticket City.com. They have College Football Tickets, NFL Tickets and you will have a hard time beating their prices. If you are even thinking of going to the Super Bowl in Phoenix in 2008, you had better hurry and get your Super Bowl tickets before they are sold out.

The Players:

If they are not getting arrested, renegotiating their contract or doing a United Way commercial, they are probably in the gym. Most work out at their teams training facility, but some go back to their home town and workout, but almost all the successful NFL players try to get stronger in the off season. Strength work comes in all flavors these days, from computerized machines to carrying heavy objects up a hill. The best and fastest way to improve strength is with time honored compound exercises using free weights. Squats, deadlifts, clean and jerks, power cleans, bench press and the shoulder press are the core staples. Strength is important, but agility and flexibility can't be forgotten during the off season. You should also include unilateral lifts in your program like lunges, step ups, hamstring swiss ball work, sleds, and wind sprints. Swimming is also an excellent exercise that can be used to improve performance in all sports. The great thing about swimming is it tends to elongate your muscles and increase your flexibility.

The Saga of Quarterback Mitch Mustain

Quarterback Mitch Mustain, the 2005 Parade magazine prep player of the year, will sit on the sidelines and learn the USC offense this season (2007). The bad news is, in accordance with NCAA rules, after transferring to USC from Arkansas, he is required to sit out a year. The good news is he will still have three years of NCAA College Football eligibility left. If he would have transferred to a non-division I school he could have played immediately.

Mustain has been through a lot in his short college football career. He started for Arkansas as a freshman and went undefeated, winning his first 8 games, but was then benched in favor of Casey Dick, even after a November win against South Carolina. Mustain completed 69 of his 132 passes for 894 yards. He also had 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions during his short tenure at Arkansas.

The benching probably didn’t sit well with Mitch, and then, on top of that, his former high school coach at Springdale, Arkansas, Gus Malzahn, who was hired by the Razorbacks to run the Razorback offense, really didn’t get an opportunity to install his own offense, so (Malzahn) ran off and took a job coaching at Tulsa.

Another factor in Mustain’s departure might have been his embattled coach Houston Nutt, there was evidence that Nutt was having an affair on his wife Diana. Cell phone records surfaced showing Nutt, using a University of Arkansas issued phone, exchanging more than 1,000 text messages with a female television news anchor.

Regardless of the reason, Mitch Mustain has been taking a lot of criticism for his transfer, but he might have the last laugh. He won’t have it easy however, not only will he have to sit out a year, but in 2008, he will have to compete with a talented, firmly emplaced quarterback at USC, named Mark Sanchez. But even if he doesn’t beat out Sanchez, by the time he is a senior, he will almost certainly be the starting quarterback at USC. Playing under Coach Pete Caroll bodes well for Mustain's future. But then again, a lot can happen in three years.

Mustain definitely has the tools to be a successful college football quarterback with a little patience. The 6’ 3” 205 pound future NFL Prospect was the top rated signal caller coming out of high school where he completed 70 % of his passes as he led his team to an undefeated record and a state championship. It will be interesting to see what happens to Mitch Mustain, but if he can overcome all the adversity, he could emerge as an elite future NFL Draft Prospect, and despite everything else, that’s what really counts.

The Curse of the Heisman Trophy

John Heisman

What weighs 25 pounds is made of bronze and is bad luck for quarterbacks in the NFL. Fourteen quarterbacks have won the Heisman Trophy since 1971 and very few have had any success in the NFL. The strange thing is everybody knows this, but they still get selected in the NFL Draft way higher than they should, year after year. Yes people, the 2006 winner Troy Smith was selected in the fifth round and he probably shouldn’t have even been picked in the NFL Draft at all. There were five players selected ahead of Smith in the 2007 NFL Draft from his own team! He was supposed to be the best player in college football last year, but he wasn’t even in the top 5 of his own team.

Here is an example of how distorted the Heisman Trophy has become, did you know that Troy Smith’s 2,540 votes were the 3rd most votes since 1968, only behind OJ Simpson in 1968 (2,853 votes) and Reggie Bush in 2005 (2541 votes). OJ’s 2,853 votes back in 1968 were pretty amazing. I am 43 years old so I remember watching OJ play when I was a kid, and he was the best running back that I have ever seen in college and the NFL. We all know what happened to OJ, so maybe the Heisman curse had befallen him also.

Since 1971 fourteen quarterbacks have won the Heisman Trophy, look at all the NFL busts:

1971: Pat Sullivan, Auburn
1989: Andre Ware, Houston
1992: Gino Torretta, Miami (Fl)
1993: Charlie Ward, Florida State
1996: Danny Wuerffle, Florida
200: Chris Weinke, Florida State
2001: Eric Crouch, Nebraska
2003: Jason White, Oklahoma

Yes I understand the Heisman Trophy is not based on NFL potential, but shouldn’t the best player in College Football have success in the NFL? The trophy was named after Coach John Heisman when he died in 1936 from pneumonia. I am sure he is looking down at us from heaven and shaking his head on what has become of his trophy. The award has become politicized and deflated, nothing more than the winner of a popularity contest. Players now talk about their Heisman campaign as if they are running for office. The Downtown Athletic Club needs to overhaul the voting system to allow the best player in college football to win the trophy. It should be based on merit, not politics and his amount of press coverage.

2007 NFL Draft Report: NFC Losers

Three Biggest Draft Losers in the NFC

2007-nfl-draft

By James Polifroni

3. Seahawks
The Seahawks did not select until the second round, 55th overall. With that, they took speedy cornerback Josh Wilson out of Maryland. Wilson did run a great 40 at the combine, but besides being a potential help to their return game, the former Terp will not give enough help in the defensive backfield to warrant a team’s first overall selection.
For personal reasons, I followed Maryland football for the past two seasons. Besides one impressive kick return this past year against Clemson, Wilson rarely demonstrated the speed that his sub 4.4 40-time would suggest. Seattle is in need of playmakers on the defensive side of the ball, and with only two interceptions his senior year and four in total, I don’t know if Wilson will provide them with the big plays they need. I think Marcus McCauley, who is a local kid from Fresno State, would have been a more logical selection at this point.
Another possible disappointing pick for the Seahawks was Baraka Atkins in the fourth round. He was simply a potential pick. Seems to have the size and athleticism to be a solid defensive tackle but lacked in overall productivity. The lone good pick made by Seattle is Courtney Taylor. The wide receiver from Auburn was a steal that late in the 6th round, and could be a huge help with his size and speed later on in the season.


2. Falcons/Packers
These two are grouped together because I feel they both made the same mistakes. Each team has a franchise quarterback in need of offensive support, and I do not feel that these needs were met. The Falcons want consistency from Michael Vick. Bobby Petrino showed his confidence in his QB by trading away his main competition, but Vick will not be successful or consistent unless his receivers are, in turn, consistent as well. An underlying story last season was the poor play of Falcons wide-outs, so it would only make sense that they draft help for Vick. Their first pick went to D-End Jamaal Anderson, which admittedly was a sensible pick that will help, so there are no complaints here about that. However, they needed to pick up a receiver with one of their second round picks. Those available when Atlanta picked: Sidney Rice, Dwayne Jarrett, and Steve Smith. Instead, they waited until the third round to select Laurent Robinson from Illinois State. Robinson is a good player, and could develop well, but I would have liked to see a proven winner against solid competition to provide immediate help to the Falcons passing game.
Brett Favre decided to come back for yet another year under center in Green Bay. However, after last years departure of Javon Walker, and Ahman Green leaving this off-season, Favre needs all of the help he can get. The packers first round pick surprisingly focused on the defensive line, taking Justin Harrell out of Tennessee. Harrell will be a very solid player in the league, and although their D-Line isn’t the strongest, I think there were bigger needs for Green Bay to fill. LaMarr Woodley was the Packers second round choice, and even though many consider him a reach he could turn out to be a nice player. The problem, their offense was still not addressed. They finally went with a running back late in the second round by taking Brandon Jackson out of Nebraska. Jackson probably was the best back available; however this need could have been filled earlier.
In the third round, wide receiver James Jones out of San Jose State was a very confusing pick. Jones is in no way a speedster, running a 4.54, and lacks deep threat ability. He had a great senior year with 70 receptions, but relatively no production beforehand. With the Patriots trading for Randy Moss, who was rumored to possibly end up in Green Bay, Favre NEEDS a deep threat in order to compete next season. This need was not addressed in the 2007 draft.


1. Eagles
The main point of the NFL draft is to help yourself become the elite team in your division and conference. Giving your first round pick to a DIVISION RIVAL goes completely against that method. After the Cowboys traded their first round pick of the ’07 draft, the Eagles let them right back in. The Cowboys would go on to use this pick to improve their pass rush, which is bad news for starting quarterback, the injury prone Donovan McNabb.
Philadelphia may have had McNabb’s injury woe’s in mind when making their first overall selection. The 36th overall pick was Kevin Kolb, quarterback out of Houston. This was one of the more outrageous picks of the entire draft. What does taking a quarterback this early say to Donovan McNabb. And, if they really are concerned about McNabb’s future in Philly (which I can’t blame them for as I agree McNabb has peaked long ago), is Kolb really the direction they wanted to go in? He did have great numbers throughout his career in Houston, but he was playing in one of the best systems for a college quarterback to compete in. His accuracy is yet to be proven, and had far too many balls knocked down at the line of scrimmage. As a matter of fact, I really think that he has the most question marks of all of the second wave of QB’s in the draft (this group would include Drew Stanton, Trent Edwards, and John Beck). Many think that John Beck would have been the best fit here having the intangibles and toughness to play in Philadelphia. Furthermore, given Andy Reid’s connections with BYU, it just seems to make more sense.
Victor Abaimiri of Notre Dame was their next pick. This seemed to be a reach as well. With better defensive ends on the board, this under achieving talent is not what they need in terms of immediate help. The only hope is that the veterans in Philly’s front seven will help Abaimiri to realize his potential. The Eagles best pick overall came in the third round with Tony Hunt. His power and tough running style is just what they are missing, and is a perfect complement to Brian Westbrook. Hunt’s Pennsylvania connections after playing at Penn State will also go a long way in winning over those tough Philadelphia fans. Overall, the Eagles had the least impressive draft of everyone in the NFC. In my eyes, they sadly went from contender to pretender in one crucial weekend. Then again, isn’t that the beauty of the NFL Draft?

The King of Honolulu

June Jones has to have the best job in the world, coaching football in Hawaii. He has quite the gig going; he hired his former NFL buddies Jerry Glanville (defensive coordinator) and Mouse Davis (Special Teams). Jones’ record at Hawaii is 64-40 and his 64 wins have established him as the winningest coach in Hawaii football history. His success and his NFL pedigree have given him free reign to run the football program as he wants. Yes June Jones seems blessed, his gamble on bringing a convicted criminal in to play quarterback worked, Colt Brennan has been on good behavior and he (Jones) now has a legitimate Heisman candidate behind center. June Jones is The king of Honolulu and his infamous “run and shoot” offense is still alive and well. I still think his offense would have been a perfect fit for Michael Vick down in Atlanta, but that topic is for a different day.

The only complaint I have against Jones is the strength of schedule that he signs up for year after year. For whatever reason, he never seems to play anyone tough. Maybe the big boys don’t want to play them, or maybe traveling to the mainland is too much of a challenge, but their patsy schedule kills any hopes of a lofty ranking and quite frankly all but assures Quarterback Colt Brennan of not winning the Heisman Trophy. They can’t do anything about their WAC schedule, but their non conference schedule is a joke, they play UNLV, Charleston Southern and Washington at home. Where is the Big 10, Big 12, ACC or SEC?

The Rainbows faired very well in the 2007 NFL Draft, they had five players drafted and five signed as free agents. I wonder if the Miami Dolphins have a former rainbow as a scout, because of those ten prospects that have a chance in the NFL; the Dolphins grabbed three of them. The Fins drafted massive fullback Mauia Reagan, and I do mean massive at 6’ 0” 296 pounds, they also drafted center Samson Satele, who actually has a good chance of starting for the Dolphins. They (Dolphins) also picked up/signed guard Tala Esra as a free agent. RB Nate Ilaoa was drafted by the Eagles and OG Dane Uperesa was signed as a free agent by the Bengals. On defense, defensive ends Alama-Francis and Melila Purcell were drafted by the Lions and Browns respectively. Other free agents that made it to an NFL camp were safety Leonard Peters (Jets), CB Kenny Patton (Raiders) and DT Lawrence Wilson (Raiders). In eight seasons at Hawaii June Jones has had 16 players drafted by NFL teams, and in the 2007 NFL Draft, only six NCAA schools had more players selected than Hawaii: Texas, Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee, Notre Dame and Florida.

Yes they lost a lot of players last year, but the cupboard is not bare. They have record setting quarterback Colt Brennan, and a very talented trio of wide receivers to throw the ball to. Junior Davone Bess (5’ 10 189 lbs) is the headliner, he finished the 2006 season with 96 receptions for 1,220 yards and 15 touchdowns. Senior Jason Rivers is a big target at 6’ 2” 187 pounds and he finished 2006 with 72 catches for 1,178 yards and 10 touchdowns. Last but not least in this talented receiver trio is junior Ryan Grice-Mullen (5’ 10” 174 lbs), he caught 46 balls for 770 yards and 11 touchdowns. That’s 36 touchdowns folks. On a negative note, Colt Brennan will really miss the losses at running back, full back and along the offensive line. The loss of running back Nate Ilaoa will be devastating, he was a do everything, run and catch type of player.
Due to a weak schedule the Rainbows will have a very good over-all record, and with Brennan and those talented receivers should put up some great passing statistics, but they will have trouble running the ball and might not be that great of a team overall. Probably not a top 20 team in the NCAA Rankings at this point.

But June Jones knows what he is doing, he declines NFL offers every year, most teams want him as an offensive coordinator and he says no. Do you blame him? With the way he is recruiting, coaching and scheduling at Hawaii, he is assured of a bowl game every year, a fat salary, complete control of the program, and his toes in the sand six months out of the year. What more could a coach ask for?

Updated 2008 NFL Mock Draft

The 2007 NFL Draft is over and NFL Draft Dog has completed their Post Draft Reports and have given each NFL Team a grade. More post draft information is coming soon, but in the meantime I have updated my 2008 Mock Draft and my list of the top NFL Draft Web Sites.

Steals of the 2007 NFL Draft

Top 10 Countdown

By James Polifroni

10. Michael Johnson- SS/Arizona 7th Rd. 224 Overall- Giants
6’3-211 40 yd. Dash- 4.63

Major knock is that he lacks the physicality to play strong safety in the NFL. Seems faster on the field than the 4.63 40 listed. Good size for the position, with a solid frame and the potential to gain weight. Possesses solid ball skills, something the Giants have been in desperate need for in their defensive backfield. Had 107 tackles and 5 picks in his two years at Arizona (JUCO transfer junior year). Quite possibly holds the most potential of all 7th round selections.

9. H.B Blades- MLB/Pitt 6th Rd. 179 Overall- Redskins
5’11-237 40 yd. Dash- 4.75

Four year contributor, three year full-time starter for the Pittsburgh Panthers. I’ve heard his durability questioned, which is confusing due to the fact that he started all 36 games from his sophomore year on. 40-speed not great, but also much faster on the field, and covers a tremendous amount of territory from his middle linebacker position. His cover skills, however, need improvement. Overall, Blades is a true old school inside backer; hard-hitting and sure tackling. Compiled 147 tackles senior year, with 10 for a loss, one sack and two interceptions. H.B tallied 433 tackles on his 4 year career.


8. Trent Edwards- QB/Stanford 3rd Rd. 92 Overall- Bills
6’4-231 40 yd. Dash- 4.73

The Bills seem to be confident with JP Losman at the helm, but Edwards, at the least, will serve as a great insurance policy. The highly regarded Pac-10 quarterback only competed in 7 games his senior season due to an ankle injury, but had a fantastic junior campaign, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards (1,934), 17 TD’s and only 7 picks. All of that was done with a completion percentage of 62.7, and a sub-par supporting cast. If Losman works out, Edwards will serve as great trade value in the future, and has the potential to be a quality starter.


7. Quinn Pitcock- DT/Ohio State 3rd Rd. 98 Overall- Colts
6’2- 211 40 yd. Dash- 4.9

Pitcock almost slipped out of the first day before being grabbed by the Colts, joining fellow Buckeyes Anthony Gonzalez and Roy Hall (5th round pick, also potential steal) as Indianapolis selections. He possesses pure strength to go along with solid size, athleticism, and a good work ethic. Senior year, Pitcock racked up 39 tackles, with 12 for a loss and eight sacks. For those keeping tabs, that’s 14 more tackles, six more for a loss, and six more sacks than Michigan’s Alan Branch, who was selected 33rd overall. Pitcock will probably never be a standout, but I expect him to be a solid contributor for years to come.


6. Eric Wright- CB/UNLV 2nd Rd. 53 Overall- Browns
5’11-190 40 yd. Dash- 4.36

This is one of the biggest question marks of the 2007 NFL Draft. Wright has outstanding physical talent, potentially a top 15 pick. Major red flags are raised concerning his character, however. He was a top flight red-shirt freshman at USC before transferring to UNLV after serious encounters with the law. I still think it was an incredible pick by Cleveland, and they get great value in Wright here in the 2nd round. He could help fill their desperate need for a shutdown corner. Further, Wright may have turned his own corner. After all, he spent the second half of his college career at UNLV, maintaining a spotless record; and as you probably know, even the best of characters can find trouble in Vegas.


5. Kevin Boss-TE/ Western Oregon 5th Rd. 153 Overall- Giants
6’6-257 40 yd. Dash- 4.78


Great pick with great value here for the Giants. After the departure of Vishante Shianco, the G-Men needed a second tight-end to compliment Jeremy Shockey. They may have very well found their man in Boss. As a converted wide-out, Boss has tremendous receiving ability. His past experience in collegiate basketball also goes a long way in proving his potential to excel at the next level (a la Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates). Boss’ major weakness, blocking, is the easier skill to improve on at the next level. With his great size and solid athleticism, watch for Boss to have a quick impact for the Giants in ’07.


4. Brady Quinn-QB/Notre Dame 1st Rd. 22 Overall- Browns
6’3-226 40 yd. Dash- 4.62


Cleary, Quinn was the story of the draft. You all know the basics about Brady Quinn; prototypical size, strong arm, struggles with accuracy at times, and produces questionable performances in big games. At the 22nd pick, however, to a team in need of a franchise QB, and a city looking to continue their trend of featuring young stars (such as LeBron James of the Cavs and Grady Sizemore of the Indians), it is a no-brainer. The Browns did give up their first rounder in ’08, but if they truly believe Quinn is better than next year’s prospects, they simply get him a year early AND save a boatload of money in doing it. Let’s just hope the Browns learned their lesson with Couch and this time give Quinn to adjust to the NFL game. I love the pick. The only question remaining is; what fan club will be bigger in Cleveland, Grady’s Ladies or Brady’s Ladies?


3. Michael Bush- RB/Louisville 4th Rd. 100 Overall- Raiders
6’1-243 40 yd. Dash- 4.5


Bush is what many people would call THE steal of the draft. Although I’m not going quite that far, clearly this was a tremendous value pick for the Oakland Raiders. Many believe, if healthy, Bush is a top 15 pick. While I’m not quite ready to admit that, his potential is certainly high. His size and build would remind you of a somewhat more athletic version of LenDale White, the type of player who Lane Kiffin is clearly comfortable in coaching. Still recovering from a broken leg, Bush fell to the second day of the weekend. The Raiders taking a risk here is commendable. If Bush’s leg never quite heals and he’s not the player he is expected to be, than they have a 4th round pick who didn’t quite pan out (believe me it’s happened before). If he recovers and realizes his potential, the Raiders just got a pro-bowl quality back in the 4th round. Oakland is also a perfect situation for Bush because they already have two solid backs in Lamont Jordan and Damian Rhodes, so hopefully he is not rushed into playing time.


2. Steve Breaston- WR/Michigan 5th Rd. 144 Overall- Cardinals
6’- 193 40 yd. Dash-4.4


Many teams looked to find this year’s Devin Hester. Breaston may not quite be at that level, but a great pick in round five by the Cardinals. After red-shirting his first year at Michigan, he went on to earn co-Big 10 freshman of the year. His receiving production was never outstanding, due to playing alongside Braylon Edwards and then Mario Manningham, but he managed to make his presence felt elsewhere. Breaston is the all time leader in punt return yards in the Big 10, and holds the Rose Bowl record for total yards vs. Texas in 2005 (racked up 315 yards on the loss), proving he can get it done in big moments. That being said, he still caught 58 balls for 670 yards his senior season. Breaston should play an immediate role in the special teams department for the Cards, and could even find his way into the offense at the slot.


1. Dwayne Jarrett- WR/USC 2nd Rd. 45 Overall- Panthers
6’5- 213 40yd. Dash- 4.62


I know many of you may think the biggest steal can’t be a second rounder. Please just hear me out. I began to get sick to my stomach with the more talk I heard about Jarrett’s stock dropping. I agree that combine times are important, to a point. On the other hand, here we are talking about a guy who simply got it done, year in and year out, on some of the biggest possible stages to boot. He does need to put on some weight, and an extra year may have helped him do that, but 2nd round? Give me a break! His straight speed may not be tremendous, but is very long and agile.

This situation reminds me of another wide out who slipped in the draft. A big, strong receiver out of Florida State was a potential first-rounder, until word of a poor 40-time slipped out (reportedly as slow as a 4.8). He was drafted in the second round, 54th overall to the Cardinals, behind track-star converted wide out Bethel Johnson, Taylor Jacobs, and Bryant Johnson, to name a few. His name is Anquan Boldin. You may have heard of him. On the other side of the spectrum, Troy Williamson was taken 7th overall in the 2005 draft by the Minnesota Vikings, mostly because of his fast 40-time. Admittedly, the receiver class was not too strong in ’05, but Troy Williamson is not a 7th overall draft pick, regardless of the year.

But I digress. In just three years of football, our “steal of the draft” caught 216 balls for 3,138 yards, and a Pac-10 record 41 touchdowns. In his last collegiate game, the Rose Bowl against Michigan and 1st round cornerback Leon Hall, Jarrett won co-MVP (along with teammate and fellow New Jersey native Brian Cushing). The panthers obviously have big plans for Dwayne in the future, having already cut veteran starting receiver Keyshawn Johnson (coincidentally Keyshawn also Fight’s On as a fellow USC Trojan alum). Playing alongside Steve Smith, look for Jarrett to put up MONSTER numbers this fall, potentially even gaining rookie of the year honors.


James Polifroni
Senior Writer

NFL Draft Dog

Member of Link Juice Football Directory