NFL News Niblets for March 2010

Best comment of the month: “The retired NFL players are pawns in the CBA negotiations.”

by Marvin Cobb on Mar 19th, 2010

Well said, Bill. Thank you for speaking up for us old timers, as we continue to find our voice and stand up for ourselves. The Independent Advocates for Retired Players are gathering for the second year in a row in Las Vegas next month to educate and inspire our fellow former players to find our voices and stand up for better pensions and a reformed disability system that takes into account our unique health challenges. Again, thank you for your support.

I really appreciate all the comments we get. Your comments keep me writing this site. Marvin, I can not add anything to what you have said. Too often both the owners and active players seem to forget that it was the Jim Browns and thousands of other players that have made the game what it is today. Had it not been for them, the current guys would not be getting anything close to the money they enjoy.

Updates on previous columns:

What does the Williams' case mean for the NFL's drug policy?

We should know in 6 weeks the outcome in Minnesota state court. Hennepin County Judge Gary Larson has set an April 2nd deadline for both sides filing their final briefs and said that he would have a decision within 6 weeks of that date. On the line is every professional and college sports drug policy in the country. While this one judge will not be the final arbiter, it will one side the advantage of precedence.

American Needle v. NFL

We are still waiting for the decision of the US Supreme Court on this case. If the NFL loses the entire nature of professional leagues will be changed. We will keep you advised.

Does the NFL need to change the overtime rules?

The rule change was approved 28-4. That sounds very close to the vote on the last Collective Bargaining Agreement (30-2) and look how nicely that turned out.

The retired NFL players are pawns in the CBA negotiations.

Hopefully the new CBA will include more for the retired players. I have outlined DeMaurice Smith and the NFLPA's options on Draft Dog's NFL News Notes and Rumors dated March 18th. I outlined the leagues options and what a 2011 season without a CBA might look like in the article dated March 22nd. Check that out.

Niblets fresh from the cob:

Cleveland goes 19-0 and wins the 2010 Super Bowl--kind of.

Unfortunately that was not the Cleveland Browns, it was my Sportsims.net Cleveland team in the Elway League. If you are missing fantasy football, try a free league at Sportsims.net. It lets you trade players and draft choices, draft, and play a season a month. It's great fun and it is absolutely free.

The nature of the 2010 NFL Draft"It was the best of times and the worst of times." No, I am not rewriting the great novels of history but this draft is exactly that. There are not a lot of big school top picks or the traditional senior "name brands" that the casual fan will recognize in this draft. Part of that is because there are so many juniors coming out this year. But this draft is the deepest draft I have seen in the last 10 years. Understand that I have been studying the draft since 1960 so I am kind of new at this.

The D prospects are particularly deep with a lot of small school guys that are outstanding prospects. Check out my "under the radar" columns in the NFLDraftDog.com blog area for the guys that I think will be real steals in the later rounds of the draft.

The NFL teams are taking advantage of the uncapped year.

Teams have used this uncapped year to eliminate bad contracts for overpaid players and cut their total salary liability. 12 teams are now under the 2090 minimum salary and more are headed there soon. DeMaurice Smith once said the NFLPA would never agree to a salary cap in the future. He is now preaching the value of a salary cap. That shows us all how much the economic downturn has impacted the teams.

A look at some of the 2010 Draft Specialist

Unlike last year when six kickers were drafted, most in five years, the 2010 crop boost only one top prospect and a bunch on undistinguished specialist. At the head of the class is Michigan’s punter Zoltan Mesko. The 6-foot-4, 234 pounder is the only kicker projected to go in the early stages of Day 2.

But what this class lacks on top tier talent, they more than make it up with depth. In fact, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see as many as seven specialists from the 2010 class playing on Sundays in the fall.

With this in mind, here’s a look at some kickers and punters that should receive consideration come April.

Punters

1. Mesko: Easily the top athlete at his position. He has a powerful leg drive. The ball tends to explode off his foot. He needs to improve his technique, more pressing, his leg drop, which is a tad too low. But overall, his far and head the top player of this class.
Projection: Fourth Round

2. Brent Bowden, Virginia Tech (6’3”, 204, 4.79): A solid prospect without any outstanding quality. Is very consistent punter with a tall drop point and smooth kicking motion. On the downside, he does not posses the strongest leg out there. He also has some accuracy issues when punting against the wind.
Projection: Sixth Round

Kickers

1. Brett Swenson, Michigan State (5’7”, 177, 5.00): The best short-to-mid kicker in the draft, Swenson will offer the team that draft him a consistent performed who will not get rattle. Is a clutch player coming huge in big time situation. Has good mechanics and leg drive. The only knock on him is his lack of power. The ball does not explode off his foot. Nevertheless, his skill set and intangibles are tailor made for dome teams.
Projection: Seventh Round

2. Aaron Pettrey, Ohio State (6’0”, 180, 4.95): A great athlete with strong enough leg to make all the kicks. The big drawback on him is his lack of passion. He wasn’t even the staring kicker on his team prior to 2009 despite clearly being the best. His mechanics, specially, his sweeps, needs more refinement. As it is, Pettrey should gather a late round flyer by a desperate club.
Projection: Seventh Round

Jimmy Clausen's possible landing spot

With the NFL Draft just a few weeks away, there is already a wind swirl around the class’ best pocket passer. The recent trade barrage has left many wondering about Notre Dame’s QB Jimmy Clausen draft status.

Once pegged to go as high as fourth to the Washington Redskins, now the former high school wonder kid could very well slide into the top part of the second round. It all depends on what the Buffalo will do.

Sitting at ninth, the Bills controls Clausen stock. If the club follows a logical path, they will take the emotional Fighting Irish passer. They do have other needs, most glaring an anchor offensive tackle, but the number one priority is quarterback.
There’s little change the Buffalo will not win with their current group of QBs.

Former starter, Trent Edwards is not a franchise-type player. The other two Bills signal callers, Brian Brohm and Ryan Fitzpatrick, are little more than caretakers. They need to address the position now.

But with new head coach Chan Gailey believing in his ability to rehabilitate quarterbacks, there is a better-than-average chance the Bills will pass on Clausen.

With this in mind, here’s the Notre Dame product other possible destinations.

1. Minnesota Vikings (30th overall): If Buffalo do not take him, look for the Vikings to make a hard push for him. This will be the perfect fit for Clausen. Minnesota is loaded with young and extremely talented (RB Adrian Peterson and WR Percy Harvin) skill position players. They had a big and athletic offensive line and a top notch offensive coach (Brad Children). They also are desperate for an upgrade at the position, even if Brett Favre returns. Getting Clausen at this late stage of the round would be considering a steal.

2. Indianapolis Colts (31st): As much as he will fit in Minnesota, the Colts could be an even better landing spot for him. Indianapolis needs to upgrade the position this year. The current backups (Jim Sorgi and 2009 sixth rounder, Curtis Painter) are hardly starting material. In fact, the case could be made that neither should hold a backup spot in the league. Sorgi has looked lost every time he takes the field and in Painter’s case, his mop up duties late last season left too much to be desire of. With Payton Manning entering his 12th year, the team would be wise to commence the search for a future starter. Clausen’s skill set compares favorably with what Indianapolis covets in a quarterback.

3. Washington Redskins (4th): This is the more logical destination for the 6-foot-2 pocket passer. Mike Shannahan’s needs a new start at the position because despite all the accolades he has been throwing at projected starter, Jason Campbell, he knows the team will never win on a consistent basis with the former 2005 first rounder under center. Four years has clearly demonstrated this. But as the draft is being set up, Shannahan will most likely go for a big offensive tackle with the hopes of getting back in the later stages of the first rounds, possible trading with San Francisco at 17th.

4. Cleveland Browns (7th): Despite the recent signing of an ageing quarterback (Jake Delhome) and a talented but erratic one (Seneca Wallace), this team will still like to come out of this draft with a top tire prospect at the position. Those two moves probably take the team out of the running for Clausen with the seven overall pick. Could they move back in the first, ala 2007 when they got back in the first to take a Fighting Irish QB (Brady Quinn)? Not likely. A more palpable possibility is the second round (38th) but by then it could be too late.

Other intriguing landing spots are the Rams, if they do not take Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford at number one, the Raiders, because of owner Al Davis unpredictability, and the 49ers, where the need for a quarterback is still there despite Alex Smith’s promising play down the stretch last season.

A look at some sleepers QB prospects

Almost anyone agrees that unlike the previous two years, this upcoming NFL Draft boost one of the most deluded quarterback classes in years. As was the case last year (Matt Stafford, Mark Sanchez and Josh Freeman), only juniors are projected to be first round material.

Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen out of Notre Dame are the only sure fire selections. Both posses the necessary skill set and intangibles to become franchise signal callers. But aside the Big Two, no other QB is expected to be drafted in the first two rounds. In fact, there’s a good chance only four QBs will be drafted on Day One.

Aside Bradford and Clausen, only Cincinnati’s Tony Pike (6’6”, 212, 4.88) has the possibility of being a top, opening day pick while 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Tebow (Florida, 6’3”, 245, 4.79), will most likely be selected higher than his ability to play the position merit due to his high public persona.

Despite this somewhat lackluster top half of the class, there are several good, late Day 2 prospects who have the talent to become future starters on Sundays. Topping the list is West Virginia’s Jarrett Brown. The 6-foot-3, 218 pounder is one of the faster risers in many boards thanks to his impressive postseason performance.

Brown sports the best arm of the class. He also is a creative player who has the ability to move the chains with his feet (4.64). He will need time to develop, but his skills will intrigue teams looking for a developmental quarterback who will sit and learn for a few years. Cleveland comes to mind. Last week the Browns signed Jake Delhomme. The former Carolina Panther QB, who will battle, and most likely will win, Seneca Wallace for Cleveland’s job; is viewed as just a stopgap measure until a big time playmaker can be find. Brown will be a perfect fit for the club if he is available in the middle rounds.

Another diamond in the rough possibility could be Jonathan Crompton (6’4”, 228, 4.76). The Tennessee product had a career year in 2009 playing in Lane Kiffin’s pro-style offense. He has the arm strength to make any NFL throw and the timing to play in a West Coast-type of system. He will need more coaching and experience, but the overall talent is there for him to make it as a starter. Projected as a mid-to-late fifth rounder, Crompton could prove to be one of the best Day Two picks this year.

That same label can be attached to Oregon State’s Sean Canfield (6’4”, 214, 4.94) who once was viewed as a mid-to-upper second round pick but due to a poor finish and an undistinguished postseason, has dropped all the way back to the end of fifth round. Still, his arm, mobility and accuracy are solid. He needs to work out on his mechanic and foot movement, but he does one thing that neither Brown nor Crompton seem to do, hit his receivers in stride. Look for a team such as New England or Indianapolis, clubs with established stars, to take a long, hard look at Canfield.

John Skelton (6’5”, 244, 4.89) out of Fordham is gathering the most attention of all the possible sleepers. His size and strength are reminiscence of the Raven’s Joe Flacco, but that where the similarities ends. Unlike Flacco (Delaware 2008) who blew scouts since away with his quick and savvy mind, Skelton hasn’t demonstrated the ability to promptly comprehend a complex playbook. That’s why his stock hasn’t rise above the fourth round territory. In time he could develop into a serviceable backup. He is more similar to former Temple great Walter Washington (un drafted FA in 2005) than to the current Baltimore starter.

Scouting Reports on Guys Under the Radar

Roddrick Muckelroy OLB Texas 6' 2" 235

Overall: Muckelroy is the classic sleeper. Few fans realize that he is a good prospect that can get better with good coaching and reps.

Strengths: Muckelroy has above average awareness. He reacts quickly to the play action or screen pass. He has the speed to track down the ball and make the play. He anchors against the run reasonably well but excels in the blitz and in zone coverage against the pass. He has above average ball skills. He is willing to battle for the ball.

Weaknesses: Despite his girth, he gets caught up in the wash more often than you would like. He struggles to separate from the blocker and doesn't seem to have mastered the techniques necessary to use his hands and upper body strength to its maximum advantage. He also is less effective in man pass coverage than zone. He has the mobility to cover but seems to lack the experience.

The Bottom line: Muckelroy was under the radar until last season. But OBs that can cover are a desired commodity. Now he is ranked in the late 5th. Don't be surprised if he is drafted in the late 3rd or early 4th round. He has a significant upside and is a value pick at his level.

Donovan Waren CB 5'11" 193 Michigan

Overall: Warren is a junior that might have been better off staying in school. However he has the skills to develop into an NFL player. He is so young that that it will take him some time to develop.

Strengths: He is able to cover man to man effectively. He has decent speed and fluid hips. He handles multiple moves effectively without losing contact with the receiver. He has quick hands and is effective at knocking the ball away. He plays his best in big games.

Weaknesses: He is a decent hitter but does not jump the run. He doesn't exhibit great instincts. He doesn't have the ball skills to make pick when he has the chance. That will come with experience. As they say, there is a reason that some players are CBs and not WRs.

Bottom Line: He is totally off everyone's draft charts but could catch on as a Rookie Free Agent. Given his age, he is worth taking a chance on.

T.J. Ward SS 5' 11" 211 Oregon

Overall: Ward played well in the Rose Bowl and did OK at the combine running a 4.56. He is on some draft charts but should be on more of them.

Strengths: Any team looking for a Tampa 2 safety should check Ward out. He is solid in zone, breaks on the ball well and helps out the CBs against the long pass. He brings all 211 when he tackles. He can cover the TE man to man deep and despite his height can make a play.

Weaknesses: Despite his size, he doesn't make as many plays against the run as you would expect. He needs to spend more time in the film room. As a pro, he will.

Bottom Line: Ward is a late 3rd or early 4th round prospect in a really deep group at safety. He has the tools to be an above average SS in a Tampa 2 or primarily zone scheme.

Antonio Brown WR 5' 10" 186 Central Michigan

Overall: Brown suffers from being in a small school and being in the 20's in the WR rankings. He will be a nice pick for someone.

Strengths: Brown is one of those guys that just gets open. He runs fairly precise routes and gives good fakes to get away from the DB. He is not very big but attacks the ball. He has good hands and catches the ball crisply. He is quicker than fast which makes him a candidate for the slot receiver spot. He does not lose speed going into and coming out of his breaks. That too helps him get open.

Weaknesses: He is a size/speed combination that is not popular. At 5-10 186 most WRs run better than a 4.57 40. He is not a return guy but is willing on special teams as a gunner.

Bottom Line: Depending on how he runs at his pro day, expect him to be a late 5 or early 6th round pick.

Daryll Clark QB 6' 2" 235 Penn State

Overall: Clark had a much better junior year than senior season. He regressed in terms of TD to interception ratio. In 08 he threw 19 TDs with 6 picks and was considered the top QB in the Big 10. In 09 he threw 24 TDs but had very costly picks that cost his team games. Last year he was a prospect but this season he is considered not draftable. However, those that were around when a guy named Dan Marino had a bad senior year and fell to the Dolphins at pick 27 in the 1983 draft. Clark is not a Marino but he is better than the experts realize.

Strengths: Clark is generally accurate at the short and medium pass. He has above average arm strength but shows good touch of wheel and swing routes out of the backfield. He is tough and will stand in against the rush and throw accurately. He also can throw on the move without losing sight of the WRs down field. He is an above average runner when the pass protection breaks down.

Weaknesses: This season his decision making broke down. In the big games he tended to try to do too much and make plays that weren't there. That was the biggest single contributor to the additional picks. He is also inconsistent with his footwork but that is true of almost all college QBs. He seems to be a good student of the game and the additional time he will have in the film room will help him.

Bottom Line: Being a big name college QB should get him some attention but he is not on the radar. He could be a RFA signing that could turn out to be a good backup QB in the league.

Charles Scott RB LSU 6' 0" 238

Overall: Had Scott stayed healthy all year he might have been in the second group of RBs in the draft. But he was hurt against Alabama and did not play the rest of the year. In 08 he gained 1174 yards, averaged 5.4 per attempt, and scored 18 TDs. In 09 he got just 116 carries for 542 yards and 4 TDs.

Strengths: Scott has the strength to break tackles and enough speed to break big runs. He was not used much as a receiver but catches the ball easily and makes yards after the catch. He shows good vision and has the quickness to get to the hole. He also is a good blocker and can pick up a blitz.

Weaknesses: His speed is in question because of his injury. He is expected to run a 4.7 which is below average for a back. He does not have much experience running routes and it shows.

Bottom Line: Had he been healthy he might have been a late 2 or early 3. Now his draft position will depend on his medical evaluation and how the teams judge it. The best guess now is that if he is going to be ready for the 2010 season, he should be a 5th or 6th round pick. He could be a value there.

Keenan Clayton OLB Oklahoma 6' 1" 229

Overall: I really like this kid. He shows a lot of the skills that I look for in an OB. He is considered not-draftable but I think he would be a good RFA signing.

Strengths: Clayton is equally good against the run and the pass. He has the ability to cover RBs or TEs and has the quick hands to knock the ball away. At 4.66 he wouldn't be expected to have the speed to keep up with the receivers but he anticipates their moves and is quick in and out of a change of direction. He reads plays well and reacts quickly taking good angles to the play. He hits better than expected for a guy his size and will dislodge the ball from the runner. He is quick and alert enough to see a run coming his way and then attacks it down hill getting the tackle in the backfield.

Weaknesses: His biggest weaknesses are his size at just 229 pounds and his speed at 4.66. He doesn't have the speed to convert to S or the body frame to build into a 240 OB. But some players have succeeded at that size.

Bottom Line: His talent and ability to contribute on special teams makes him draftable. If not he should be signed as a RFA.

By Bill Smith informan1@yahoo.com

Bengals' 2010 Draft Preview

The recent signing of free agent Antonio Bryan probably takes the Bengals out of the not-so enviable position of having to reach for a wide receiver in the first round of next month’s NFL Draft. As the draft were set up, Cincinnati would have most likely had taken Illinois’ gifted but extremely raw wide out Arrelious Benn with the 21st overall selection.

The 6-foot-2, 220 pound Benn would have offer a similar skill sets to the newly signed Bryan. Both are tall, lanky players with little burst or straight-line speed. But what the former Bucs lacks in explosiveness and suddenness, he more that made it up with crisp cuts, sharp stops and leaping ability. In a nut shell, he should provide the Bengals with a solid, possession-type receiver capable, if properly motivated (remember 2008 when he came out of exile to post a career-83 receptions, 1,248-year), of topping the 70 catch mark.

Unfortunately, Bryan can’t stretch the field, something Cinci desperately need. This is the reason why the club will pick, at least one wide out. Possibilities variety but if for some reason Notre Dame’s Golden Tate (5’11”, 195lb, 4.44) slip pass the Baltimore Ravens at 25th the Bengals will waste little time in making a move at the top of the second round. Another possibility could be Ole Miss’ Dexter McCluster (5’8”, 165lb, 4.42) or Ohio’s fast riser Taylor Price (6’0”, 198, 4.36). Both are expected to be available in the third round.

With their need to reach thrown out of the window the Bengals should go with the best available athlete in the first round. If the draft runs as predicted, head coach Marvin Lewis will have his choice between a speedy end rusher and a pass blocker. Idaho’s guard Mike Iupati (6’5”, 325lb, 5.20) offers the club good value at twenty one. His versatility and strength will allow assistant head coach and offensive line coordinator, Paul Alexander, to move him all along the interior of the line.

If Florida’s DE Carlos Dunlap (6’6”, 290, 4.78) is still on the board, Lewis will be hard press to pass on him. Dunlap carries some off the field baggage and is somewhat immature. But his rare combination of size, strength and speed will entice many teams.

Aside WR, the Bengals will like to come out of New York with a big-play tight end. The current depth chart at position (Chase Coffman, Dan Coats, J.P. Foschi, Darius Hill and Reggie Kelly) reads like a Who-is-who of backup players. Foschi is a dependable target but he is not a different maker. Coats (2nd year out of BYU) can block but offer little else while Hill and Kelly (10th year out of Mississippi State) are below average.

The Bengals would be wise to take Arizona’s Rob Gronkowski (6’6”, 265, 4.76) in the second round, if Tate is gone. ‘Gronk’, as he is commonly known, is arguable the draft’s second best TE. When he is healthy, and he looks to be that way now, the former Wildcat is a solid blocker with great open field playmaking ability. His speed, which tops the more publicized Jermaine Gresham (4.80), will allow Carson Palmer to stretch out the middle of the field on a regular basis.

On the defensive side, the team will look to add depth to its defensive backfield. Another fast cornerback and a big hitting strong safety are needed. This is a particular deep CB class, especially down the bottom half, so the club will have good options in the later rounds. Trevard Lindley (5’11”, 176lb, 4.49) out of Kansas State, Alabama’s Kareem Jackson (5’11”, 192lb, 4.50) and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (6’0”, 205lb, 4.48) out of Indiana, Pa., are good, middle round options. Virginia Tech’s SS Kam Chancellor (6’3”, 232, 4.58) will offer good value in the fourth round.

In the end, Cincinnati needs this draft to be the home run last’s year was if they want to make a prolong playoff run in 2010.

The Top Ten NFL Draft Websites

The 2010 NFL Draft is almost here and it’s that time of year again to start searching for the best draft information, player interviews, player profiles and mock drafts on the internet. Believe me, you will find a large number of websites out there that can provide you with a lot of information about the 2010 NFL Draft. However, with so many sites out there, which sites are the best? Which sites provide you with the most reliable, accurate information about the 2010 NFL Draft?

Let’s take a look at the top ten NFL Draft websites on the internet and find out which are the best. For the purpose of this we only included 100% free sites.

1. NFL Draft Countdown-Website owner Scott Wright continues to impress with a site that is very functional, easy to navigate, pleasing to the eye and continues to provide some of the best draft information that you can find. Scott’s layout is very functional and the information is extremely accurate and helpful to anyone who is interested in learning more about the NFL draft. When looking at this site, I felt that the best part of the site was the mock draft. The website’s mock drafts are always well put together, full of information and some of the best mock drafts out there. The pop ups are annoying though.

2. Walter Football-If you want a lot of great information all in one place (and consistently updated) you need to look no further than Walterfootball.com. Site Owner Walter Cherepinsky has taken a ton of information and put it all into one place where it’s easy to find and simple to understand. Some of the better features of this site include the in depth player profiles that Walter provides along with mailbag pages, mock drafts and other interesting information. The player profiles are the best feature of this website and are some of the most detailed on the internet.

3. The Football Expert-Owner Michael Abromowitz long time website has condensed itself a little bit but still provides some of the best draft information on the internet. The Football Expert site provides detailed information on every prospect in the draft and their position rankings (which are the best feature on the site) are some of the best on the web. Also featured are detailed player profiles that are some of the best on the web. This is one of the easiest sites to navigate and is consistently updated.

4. Great Blue North Draft Report-The GBN Report, owned by Colin Lindsay, is one of the most well updated sites on the internet keeping its readers informed of the latest happenings in both college and professional football. This site features several different draft related features including a detailed positional rankings and a picks by team board that is very easy to understand. The site is easy to navigate and pleasing to the eye as well.

5. NFL Draft Dog-With some of the most up to date content on the internet NFL Draft Dog is turning out to be one of the most reliable and timely draft sites on the internet thanks to owner Robert Bryant’s timely updates. Some of the features of this site that help to make it one of the best NFL Draft sites on the internet include the detailed player profiles for many of the prospects coming out in the 2010 NFL Draft. There are also several mock drafts posted to this site and these are constantly updated which is very nice. This site has come a long way and continues to delve into new and interesting areas in both the NFL and College football.

6. Football’s Future-This site continues to impress a lot of people thanks to it’s easy to navigate layout, its graphics and the information that it provides. The best feature of this website is its extensive team needs columns that appear to updated on a regular basis and they are very well detailed. The site also has a place where you can post your mock draft and have other people comment on it. It’s a simple easy to navigate website with lots of great information.

7. New Era Scouting-This site has come a long ways since first coming to the web and now is one of the most informative draft website on the internet. Owner Matt Miller has added some of the great features of this website including a very easy to navigate layout that is very easy to understand and very pleasing to the eye. They also have very detailed scouting reports that are easy to understand along with rankings for every player in the draft. The best thing about this site is its updates including updates (daily) at the Senior Bowl and at the Combine. This is definitely one of the top sites on the web and is getting better all the time.

8. Draft Daddy-The Draft Daddy website has remained one of the better draft websites for a long time thanks to owner Matt Bitoni. Some of the best features of this site include consistently updated information, updated mock drafts along with very detailed player rankings which are the best feature of this site. Also included are up to date team pages and a great listing of small school sleepers. The best part of this site is its player rankings and blog.

9. Draft Ace-This site provides its readers with a simple and easy site to navigate and one of the best mock drafts on the web. The best feature of this site is its consistent Twitter updates which keep its reader informed about all of the latest happenings relating to the NFL draft. Owner Ryan McCrystal has made graphics that are very nice, the links all work and the site is consistently updated. This is clearly one of the better draft sites on the web.

10. Draft Breakdown-The Draftbreakdown website is one of the most pleasing to look at and easiest to navigate of all the sites listed in this top ten. Owner Will Spencer uses a nice mix of colors and graphics to make it an enjoyable read. Some of the great features of this site include updated and solid prospect rankings along with prospect profiles that are the site’s best feature. The information is fresh and consistently updated and the site is very easy to navigate.

2010 NFL Scouting Combine Report: The Running Backs

RB Jahvid Best

This year’s Combine, much like it did in 2008, could send a couple of running backs, once viewed as middle of the pack material, to the upper part of the NFL Draft.

Much like in 2008 when Chris Johnson vaulted to the first round with an amazing workout in Indianapolis, this year, Cal’s Jahvid Best could do the same. Other that helped himself enormous was Joe McKnight. The former Trojan put to rest concerns about his strength with a solid bench press mark.

The biggest loser at Indianapolis has to be Stanford’s Toby Gerhart who did not qualm scouts reservations about his explosiveness. In fact, he placed another on the scouts’ mind with his average bench pressing mark.

Here’s a list of who helped himself and who falter at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine.

On the Rise:

Jahvid Best (Cal): The 5-foot-10 dynamo of a runner was viewed by many scouts as a mid to late second rounder with top, thanks to his excellent outside speed and corner explosiveness. His eye-popping 40 yard time (4.35) coupled with his 3-Cone Drill time of 6.75, both tops among RBs, were to be expected, but the way he ran, with authority and passion, caught the eye of all personnel men.

He impressed the scouts with his new bulk-up physic. Listed at 195 pounds in the media guide, Best showed up at the Combine a rock solid 199 ponder. The added bulk helped him post a better-than-expected bench pressing (18 times at 225 pounds) mark. The added weight and newly display strength will make him an attractive, mid first round candidate.

Projection: San Francisco 49ers at 17th or San Diego Chargers at 28th

C.J. Spiller (Clemson): The class best prospect did nothing to hurt his chances of being the top back selected. Besides posting the second best 40-yard Dash time (4.37), he bench pressed the same number (18) as Best. Proving that despite his reputation as an explosive playmaker with little pop, he could manage tackles at the second level. Spiller may have drawn some flack regarding his absence at the Vertical and Broad Jump drills, but he is still the draft’s best RB prospect.

Projection: Seattle at #14

Joe McKnight (USC): No one helped himself more than the former Trojan standout. Entering the Combine, McKnight was viewed as a fast and elusive, open field runner with little pop inside the tackle box. But his performance at Indianapolis squashed that profile. Aside his speed (4.47), which was expected, the former high school star posted an impressive Bench Pressing effort (18 reps) and the Combine’s best Broad Jump (10.8).

He was also one of the few RBs that participated in almost all the drills. His Q&A session was also a home run. All in all, he probably posted the best mark among the scouts and in the processed, cementing his place as the class’ third best back.

Projection: Solid second rounder, maybe as high as 35 to the Tampa Bay Bucs.

On the Decline

Toby Gerhart (Stanford): The darling of the Cardinals magical 2009 season flamed out somewhat at the Combine. Coming in to Indianapolis, Gerhart, who was projected as a strong, inside the tackles runner with little to offer outside, needed to prove he has the explosiveness to be an every down back. He failed in both instances.

His 40 time of 4.53, which felt slower than that, did not help him as much as his pedestrian effort in the Bench Press Drill hurt him. Packing a solid 235 pounds, Gerhart was supposed to blow away at the strength drill. Unfortunately for him that was not the case. His 22 reps, with the last two looking extremely iffy, were lower than anticipated. In fact, Fresno State’s seldom use Lonyae Miller (26) posted better numbers despite being outweigh by Gerhart by fifteen pounds.

His much better-than-anticipated speed did not translate into explosiveness as he posted an average 3-Cone Drill time (6.94). That, coupled with a lower bench press number, probably pushes him to the later stages of Day 1.

Projection: A late third rounder, at best.

One of the few surprises at the Combine has to be Lonyae Miller. Despite having a solid career with the Bulldogs, the 225 pounder was relegated to backup duties with the emergence of Ryan Mathews.

Running a crisp, 4.53 in the 40 yard dash and posting the event’s top score in the Bench Pressing drill, has elevated Miller’s draft status from a borderline, late Day 2 pick, to a very solid, fourth rounder.

By Raul Colon