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NFL Draft Capsules: Jones hopes draft can speed up Cowboys' recovery
ARLINGTON (AP) — Most teams go into the NFL draft talking about rebuilding or reloading. For the Dallas Cowboys, it's about recovering.
Jerry Jones is keenly aware of his team's 1-7 start and 6-10 finish last season, but he's looking past that, focusing on his team's overall talent base. He believes it's good enough to live up to the expectations heaped on them before last season, providing they improve the supporting cast through the upcoming draft.
The Cowboys have the ninth overall pick, plus the 40th and 71st. That should be a good start to help Jones and his staff — from new coach Jason Garrett to the scouting department — find their share of reinforcements.
"Our expectations are that these guys will come in here and be players," Jones said Tuesday during a predraft news conference at Cowboys Stadium. "Certainly in those top rounds, those guys have got to be on the field and playing for us. No development players up there."
Dallas seems to be leaning toward spending its top choice on a lineman, either a long-term solution at tackle or a guy capable of playing end in a 3-4 defense.
The Cowboys have not spent a first-round pick on an offensive lineman in the 22 drafts since Jones bought the club. He called it happenstance, noting that he's never "gone to be worrying about protecting the passer" because the club has had a succession of reliable left tackles: from Mark Tuinei to Larry Allen to Flozell Adams to last season's debut starter, Doug Free.
"And that's been quite a luxury," Jones said.
Free could be declared a free agent under one of the labor rules being considered. While team vice president Stephen Jones said "our No. 1 priority when things start up is to try to get him signed up," there's always the chance Free leaves. That adds to the urgency of needing a good, young blocker.
Even if he stays, Dallas also is concerned about right tackle. Marc Colombo is aging and coming off a poor season. He's among four or five players the Joneses are considering cutting, again depending on when and how the labor rules shake out.
The good news for the Cowboys is that they're considering a first-round foray into the tackle pool in a year when they are likely to have a shot at the pick of the litter. None of the teams picking ahead of Dallas is expected to take an offensive lineman.
Tyron Smith of Southern Cal is considered the top tackle available. However, at 20, he's the youngest player in the entire draft crop. He also is coming out after his junior year and didn't start as a freshman. Put it all together and he could be more of a development player. Then again, he could be plugged in at right tackle, in place of Colombo, and allowed to take his lumps before eventually moving to the left side.
"I don't know if a person is truly ever ready," scouting director Tom Ciskowski said. "Was Bill Clinton ready to be president of the United States? You learn on the job. When you're picked ninth, you're going to play. You're going to grow and get better week in and week out."
The more NFL-ready lineman is Anthony Castonzo of Boston College, a veteran of 53 college starts. He's considered almost as good of a prospect as Smith.
Part of the reason the Cowboys are in this predicament at tackle is because of how poorly they've drafted linemen. Jacob Rogers was a wasted second-round pick in 2004, and James Marten a third-rounder in 2007. Rogers never made the club and Marten hardly played in his one season on the roster. (Coincidentally, Rogers came from USC and Marten from BC, the same schools that groomed this year's top candidates.)
When Ciskowski was asked Tuesday about any changes to the scouting of linemen to avoid making another mistake, Jones smiled, leaned into the microphone and playfully said, "Yeah, Tom."
"You want to do your due diligence on the player, but you don't want to overkill it because over time you can find something wrong with every player," Ciskowski said.
Defensive end is another major need. Free agency will thin the club's depth there, and Dallas would like some upgrades anyway. However, it's rare to find a 3-4 end who is good enough to be a run-stuffer on first and second downs, then a pass-rusher on third downs.
"If we're going to pick a guy that high, we'd want him on the field all three downs," Stephen Jones said. "If that guy were there — and there are guys like that in this draft — then you'd have to consider that."
Could he be there? That's where things get interesting.
Jerry Jones is hoping for a run on quarterbacks, one of the few positions the Cowboys don't need, because that would drop other guys toward them. It also would increase the value of their pick in case he wanted to trade down and still get one of the four players Ciskowski expects to be available at No. 9. There's also the chance Jones would trade up to get someone who starts slipping a bit.
Jones pointed out that when he's had picks near the top of the draft he has gone for the safe pick, the guy expected to have a long, productive career. He offered cornerback Terence Newman, defensive end Greg Ellis and safety Roy Williams as examples.
"When we've been there, which has been not very often, we've been pretty sound, I think," Jones said.
Sound might be all they need — or, at least, all they think they need.
"I don't consider us to be rebuilding," Jones said. "I consider us to be a team that's trying to add to what we've got so that we can compete. Last year's record does not indicate that, but I don't view it that way."
Also Tuesday, several players showed up at team headquarters but didn't stay long. Despite the lockout being lifted, they were not allowed to work out. Third-string quarterback Stephen McGee, backup offensive linemen Phil Costa and Sam Young, and fullback Chris Gronkowski all arrived in the morning and were gone within an hour.
"We are in the process of determining throughout the league as to just how we'll proceed and when we'll open the new year across the league, the new football year," Jones said. "We have not done that."
McGee among Cowboys at club HQ with lockout lifted
IRVING (AP) — Backup quarterback Stephen McGee was among several players who visited Dallas Cowboys headquarters the morning after the lockout was lifted.
McGee, offensive linemen Phil Costa and Sam Young, and fullback Chris Gronkowski all showed up separately on Tuesday morning. Each was inside the facility less than an hour.
Players were allowed inside for the first time since the lockout was imposed March 11 because of a federal judge’s ruling Monday. However, the rules of engagement remain unclear and players leaguewide were not allowed to work out.
NFL Draft
Panthers’ brass knows stress of holding No. 1 pick
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — No pressure, Carolina Panthers. All you’re about to do is make a decision that could immediately turn around a troubled franchise or lead it further into the abyss.
Add in never-before-seen uncertainty involving the bizarre labor dispute and you don’t have to remind the team’s brass of the pressure in holding the No. 1 pick in Thursday’s NFL draft.
"It does kind of put a face on the beginning of my career," new coach Ron Rivera said Tuesday.
Added general manager Marty Hurney: "You know the importance of it. Every pick is important, but the first pick definitely brings a sense of urgency."
While signs point to the Panthers taking Auburn’s Cam Newton and Hurney spoke of the growing importance of the quarterback in today’s pass-happy NFL, he stopped short of declaring Newton the choice in a pre-draft press conference.
"I don’t think anybody turns in their (player) inactives on Friday when you have until an hour and a half before the game. That’s where we are," Hurney said. "We have obviously done a lot of work up to this point and have ideas throughout the draft and how things might unfold. But you just never know what’s going to happen and you go up to the time to when you have to make the selection."
Coming off a 2-14 season, with Rivera replacing John Fox and with 28 potential free agents, the Panthers need upgrades in several areas. The lockout has prevented them from signing or trading players, negotiating with potential No. 1 picks or knowing if there will be a rookie wage scale for the top choice Thursday night.
But that could change after a judge’s ruling Monday that lifted the lockout. Kicker John Kasay, the Panthers’ player representative to the union before it dissolved, even showed up at Bank of America Stadium Tuesday morning and was allowed inside.
"We’re just walking through the process," Kasay told The Associated Press, declining further comment.
As the NFL owners scramble in hopes that an appeals court will put the lockout back in place, there’s the possibility it will remain lifted during the draft. That could possibly mean current players could be included in trades involving draft picks.
Hurney insisted they’ve discussed all possibilities.
"We talk about different scenarios all the time," Hurney said. "Ron and I have talked so much, we’ve talked more to each other than our wives about stuff."
Hurney acknowledged he still hasn’t fielded any calls from teams looking to snag the No. 1 pick. That may not change even if current players can be traded. Hurney recalled in 2002 when Houston made it known early it was taking quarterback David Carr he never received a call from a team interested in the No. 2 pick.
"We selected Julius Peppers and I think it worked out pretty good," Hurney said.
If Carolina holds onto the pick, Newton could be the guy. He could also add to management’s anxiety level.
At 6-foot-5 and 248 pounds, Newton has great size but also good speed. He’s got a rocket arm, great running skills and showed poise in the pocket in leading Auburn to an unbeaten season and the national championship.
But the Heisman Trophy winner played only one college season, has been arrested, and has faced other issues that put his character into question.
Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus might be a safer choice. LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson and Georgia receiver A.J. Green are possibilities, too. But those positions don’t have the impact quarterback has.
Carolina, which plays in a division that includes Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Josh Freeman, have never had a franchise quarterback. Jimmy Clausen threw three touchdown passes, nine interceptions and had a league-worst 58.4 passer rating a year ago when Carolina had the NFL’s worst offense.
Rivera stressed from watching film that it was "almost unfair" the situations Clausen was put in, but also mentioned quarterback as one of his team’s needs.
"I think the importance of that position has increased even more in recent years," Hurney said, citing recent rule changes that favor passing offenses.
But is Newton the guy? Can he be trusted? Can he adapt from the spread offense to a pro-style system?
Those are the kind of questions that have kept Hurney up at night.
"There is a sense of responsibility as far as making the right decision," Hurney said, "to get your football team to the point where it’s competitive, exciting and it makes the region proud."
-- Mike Cranston
Alabama-Auburn rivalry spills into NFL draft
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — That nasty Alabama-Auburn rivalry is spilling over into the NFL draft. The in-state rivals, who have divvied up the last two national titles and Heisman Trophies, figure to have a heavy presence in the top 10 Thursday night — and, possibly, in the top 2.
Who will win the Carolina Panthers’ No. 1 pick derby: Auburn quarterback Cam Newton or Alabama defensive lineman Marcell Dareus, the Crimson Tide or Tigers? Maybe none of the above, but those two are the names most often mentioned in that conversation.
Tide receiver Julio Jones and Tigers defensive lineman Nick Fairley also are expected to go in the top 10, probably followed later in the round by Alabama’s Heisman-winning running back Mark Ingram.
If that top 10 foursome happens, it will be only the fifth time since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 that schools from the same state have delivered four of the first 10 players chosen in the draft — and the second straight.
Oklahoma and Oklahoma State accounted for all but two of the opening six picks last year, led by Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford at No. 1.
California has done it three times, the latest in 1994. Florida, Pennsylvania and Alabama each have come close, claiming four of the top 11 picks in various drafts.
Maybe it’s fitting that ‘Bama and Auburn take center stage Thursday since they’ve done just that the past two seasons.
All five of the state’s likely first-rounders skipped their senior seasons to turn pro. For Ingram, it’s nice to have the company of his former teammates.
"We all came in together, we all hung out together all throughout college," he said. "We’ve been supporting each other and talking to each other and putting each other through this. We all have each other’s back throughout this process."
If producing No. 1 overall picks is a competition — and what isn’t in this rivalry — then Auburn is winning. Newton is trying to join Bo Jackson (1986), Aundray Bruce (1988) and Tucker Frederickson (1965) as Auburn players who were the top NFL choice.
The only Tide player to be chosen first was quarterback Harry Gilmer in 1948.
Alabama has reclaimed its draft prominence under coach Nick Saban, with a top 10 pick each of the past two years after a seven-year drought without a first-rounder.
The Tide hasn’t had three first-round picks since John Copeland, Eric Curry and George Teague in 1993.
The Tigers had Ronnie Brown, Carnell Williams and Carlos Rogers in the top 10 in the 2005 draft and quarterback Jason Campbell also went to the Redskins later in the round. But they’ve had only one first-rounder — guard Ben Grubbs in 2007 — since then.
Except perhaps for Dareus, the five current contenders have had to deal with various issues leading up to the draft.
Fairley has faced questions about his work ethic, Ingram about his surgically repaired knee. Both say those concerns are groundless. Newton had a dazzling, Heisman-worthy season in his lone year at Auburn, but played the second half under the cloud of an NCAA investigation stemming from his father’s solicitation of money during the player’s recruitment by Mississippi State.
The governing body hasn’t publicly implicated either Auburn or Newton in any wrongdoing, but the investigation is ongoing.
Jones rehabilitated his foot in Tuscaloosa after surgery shortly after the NFL combine. He ran a 4.39 40 two days after a stress fracture was discovered.
"It’s not frustrating at all," Jones said after Alabama’s pro day. "When you’re in the league, you’re going to be injured. It’s basically how you deal with it, and I deal with injuries very well."
Then there’s Dareus, who played through an ankle injury in his lone season as a full-time starter. He has apparently overtaken Fairley, a Lombardi Award winner who was once a popular pick to go No. 1.
"Marcell Dareus is more complete," ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said. "When you talk about on-the-field comparisons, that’s where I would point to. No, he’s not the athlete that Nick Fairley is, but he’s stronger against the run. He provides more versatility.
"He has great instincts, toughness and strength in terms of taking on blockers, shedding blockers, finding the ball and going and making plays."
Saban touted his star lineman’s "great character" and ability to play multiple positions at Alabama and beyond as important qualities for prospective employers.
"You’re going to get a good day’s work out of him all the time," Saban said, "and I think people really appreciate that."
-- John Zenor
Herzlich set for NFL draft after bout with cancer
BOSTON (AP) — Mark Herzlich will attend the NFL draft with 24 of the nation's top players. Most probably will be first-round choices.
The Boston College linebacker could have been one. Then he was diagnosed with cancer.
Now, 19 months after learning that he was cancer-free, he'll be grateful no matter where he's picked in the three-day draft starting Thursday night.
"I definitely don't anticipate it being anywhere near as high as it would have been," Herzlich said Tuesday, "but wherever my name is called, I'm going to be thankful."
In 2008, he was chosen as the Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year. In the offseason, he learned he had Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. Doctors said he might never play football again.
For a few hours, he said, he dealt with the "Why me?" question.
Then he looked ahead.
"You have to look past that and see that you have something that you want to live for, you want to beat the cancer for," Herzlich said in a telephone interview. "That was my focus the whole time. You can't really look back over your shoulder and think what could have been. You have to kind of just push forward and see where I'm going to get to."
He had a tumor removed from his left leg and a titanium rod inserted. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
Playing in 2009 was out of the question.
But on Oct. 3 that season, four days after learning he was cancer-free, he fired up the crowd with pregame remarks over the public address system and waved a yellow towel on the sideline during the game. The Eagles beat Florida State 28-21 to improve to 4-1.
Herzlich was back in uniform for the 2010 opener on Sept. 4, a 38-20 home win over Weber State. He led his team out of the tunnel as it took the field and made five tackles even though a stress fracture in his right foot forced him to miss part of summer camp.
He felt stronger as the season progressed even though his total tackles dropped from 110 in 2008 to 65.
"I got a lot better, a lot more into my body," he said. "The acceleration was a lot better. The coordination got back, and then just making my body move how my brain knows it can move, and that was something that took a little while to get back. But, definitely, toward the end of the season I was able to get that in sync again."
Still, he had to convince NFL teams that were scouting players at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in late February.
"I had a lot of letters and notes from my doctors just explaining the process so the (teams') medical staffs would know," he said. "One of the biggest things is that people got to actually see me in the flesh and see that I'm not sick. I'm not weak. I'm not having any effects from the chemo or cancer. That's something that people would want to know, and when they saw that, that helped."
But he has no idea when he'll be drafted. He may have to wait until the third day on Saturday when rounds 4 through 7 will be held.
"I won't be saying, 'you should have picked me higher,' " Herzlich said. "It's just reassuring them of their pick that you should be glad and happy that you picked me at all, and give that team all you can give."
When he was diagnosed, he still hoped to play in the NFL. So during the period in which he had chemotherapy, he worked out to keep his upper body strong and rode a bike and swam to maintain his cardiovascular condition because he couldn't run.
But he wondered whether an NFL team would take a chance on him.
"I really kind of figured it would be too scary for a team to take me," Herzlich said, "but I've been able to come back and feel great and have doctors tell me that everything is fine, playing in the NFL is not going to be a risk. And so, with their confidence, that's where I'm moving forward"
The health prognosis is good. When he was pronounced cancer-free, the chance of it coming back was 3 percent, he said. In May 2014, it will be five years since his diagnosis and "once you get to that point then you basically have the same chance of getting cancer as anyone."
So he'll be at the draft on Thursday when the first round will be held.
"I've made a lot of friends through the combine and the Senior Bowl," Herzlich said. "To be able to sit there with them and hear their name get called, that's going to be cool. I'll be able to cheer them on."
Sometime after that, perhaps as early as the third round on Friday night, he expects to hear his own name called.
"I think at the exact moment I'm going to be excited, I'm going to be relieved," he said, "and I think probably a couple of days later is when I'll really realize I am now an NFL football player and how far I've come to get there."
-- Howard Ulman
Father's memory lives on for NFL-bound Carmichael
WALDORF, Md. (AP) — It was July 5, 2008. A Saturday. Rashad Carmichael was at Virginia Tech when his father called, asking his son to come home immediately.
It was bit of a hassle. It was already late in the afternoon, and home was a four-hour drive away. What could possibly be going on?
"We sat right here," said Carmichael, rapping his knuckles on the kitchen table. "He told me he was going to pass away."
It didn't make much sense. True, his father had suffered from some heart problems in the past, but nothing to indicate that he was seriously ill.
The next day, Bernard Carmichael checked into a hospital. A week later, he had a massive heart attack and died at the age of 40.
"How he was able to tell us that a week (early), I have no idea," said Mae Carmichael, Rashad's mother. "I have no clue."
Said Rashad: "He said it came to him in a dream."
Gone was the father who had worked so hard to raise his three sons the right way. Who just retired after 20 years in the Air Force. Who had moved his family into a nice house in the suburbs less than a month earlier.
Who coached Rashad in football, basketball, baseball and track. Who taught Rashad about discipline, respect and work ethic. Who made Rashad strap on an inner tube attached to a rope and run 100-yard sprints after everyone else was done at practice.
"People are looking at us like we're crazy," Rashad Carmichael said. "But it worked out so good — I'm fast."
Fast indeed. Fast enough that the 22-year-old cornerback is a projected third- or fourth-round pick in this week's NFL draft. Fast enough that he finished his degree in human development a year before his final season with the Hokies, fulfilling the family plan and allowing him to devote 40-hour weeks to a local Head Start program. Fast enough that words and stories just flow from his lips in such rapid succession that it can be hard to keep up with them all.
If he flops in pro football — which is not likely — he'll be a natural making his living standing in front of kids. Or leading a charitable foundation known by the name he's already picked out: "Bless All People."
"I actually am too focused," Rashad Carmichael said, when asked his biggest flaw. "That's it. Never been in no trouble."
He shows off a newspaper clipping of Bernard Carmichael coaching an Andrews Air Force Base fifth- and sixth-grade Boys Club basketball team, wearing fatigues and military boots on the bench, even though his father "didn't know anything about basketball."
"He didn't have to hit me," Rashad Carmichael said. "He didn't have to do nothing — because of the respect that we had for him."
Mae Carmichael concurs that she's raised a trouble-free son. And she should know. Their rapport is such that mother and son speak on the phone a half-dozen times a day when he's at college.
"As soon as I wake up, I call Mom," he said.
Rashad Carmichael's nickname is "Roc." It's often misspelled as "Rock," but he said he's been spelling it without the "k'' since kindergarten. (He said he wasn't aware that a roc is actually a large, mythical bird). The name was given to him by his grandmother after his father wanted to put an end to Rashad's baby nickname of "Rah-Rah."
Carmichael has had his share of visits with NFL teams and has received even more phone calls. During an interview with The Associated Press, he received a call from the New York Giants, who asked for the standard information any team would want to have on draft day: cell phone number, backup phone number, email address, agent's name and address, nearest airport.
Given Carmichael's background and his ability to make a strong, personable first impression, his draft stock should jump a few points for those NFL general managers who often like to boast how they emphasize character as much as talent.
But Carmichael also has another thing going for him — his loves of the film room.
He tells the story of a visit from former Virginia Tech cornerback Brandon Flowers, now with the Kansas City Chiefs. Flowers so impressed upon Carmichael the importance of film study that Carmichael cut off his cable service the next day — he loves old comedy movies — and ordered scores of DVDs of cornerback game film.
The family is hosting a small gathering for the draft, but Carmichael said he doesn't plan on watching while it's on television. He said he'll let his mother answer the phone when a team calls. And, besides, there's the never-ending presence of Bernard Carmichael — and it's not just symbolized by the three-corner-folded American flag that draped the coffin.
"He's still sitting right there on that couch," Rashad Carmichael said. "Don't you see him?"
-- Joseph White
Team News
'Status quo' for Vikings after lockout ruling
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have contingency plans in place for every conceivable scenario surrounding the labor situation and the NFL draft.
Less than two days away from the draft's first round, they're still not sure which one they are going to need to use.
One day after a federal judge lifted the NFL's lockout of its players, vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman and head coach Leslie Frazier said on Tuesday that they were operating as if the lockout was still in place.
"We're still in lockout mode and that's where we are," Frazier said. "So, nothing really has changed in that regard as far as our communication with our players and what we can and can't do, other than the fact that guys are able come in the building. But that's the extent of it."
U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson granted the players' request for an injunction Monday, a ruling the owners are appealing. The league is also asking for her to put that decision on hold until that appeal can be heard.
It led to confusion across the league on Tuesday, and it was no different in Minnesota.
Backup linebacker Erin Henderson stopped by team headquarters in hopes of using the cold tub to help his body recover from a recent workout. Team employees told him he was not able to use the facilities just yet.
"They have a couple more rules and regulations they are trying to figure out before they start letting people actually train and workout," Henderson said as he left the complex.
Basically, the Vikings are waiting for a green light from the league.
"From what we understand, everything is status quo," Spielman said. "We have not heard anything different and not been instructed by the NFL on anything different than what it's been from a business standpoint. So we'll continue to abide by all of those rules."
The timing of the uncertainty couldn't be much worse for a team coming off a disappointing 6-10 season that has numerous holes to fill, none bigger than at the most important position on the field — quarterback.
Frazier, who is starting his first full season as a head coach, and his staff, including new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, have been unable to communicate with their players yet, hand out playbooks for the new offense or sign veteran free agents to address some of the team's many needs.
The lockout has prevented all of that, and Nelson's ruling did nothing to change things in the first 24 hours at Winter Park.
"We haven't had a chance to talk to any of our players about what we're doing with our new staff and what we want to get done," Frazier said. "But hopefully, that's going to happen in time."
The Vikings pick 12th in the first round on Thursday night, though Spielman said the team will consider trading the pick if the player they want isn't there when they go on the clock. He said it is more likely they would trade down and try to acquire a third-round pick to replace the one they sent to New England in the ill-fated Randy Moss trade, but left open the possibility of moving up or staying put and making a selection at 12.
"I don't ever want to say we would never move up because we might," Spielman said. "But I say the more likely scenario is to stay put or move back. But if we someone falling down that board, and we think he's that significant of a player, then we may say hey this is too good of an opportunity to go get a difference maker."
The ability to make any moves is complicated by the labor situation. Under the lockout, teams were banned from talking to their own free agents about new contracts, negotiating with players from other teams or trading players on their rosters.
Until they hear otherwise from the NFL, Spielman said, the Vikings will continue to operate under those rules. So he has not started discussions with free agent receiver Sidney Rice, nor talked to the Washington Redskins about a trade for quarterback Donovan McNabb, he said.
But are the Vikings running a risk at being at a competitive disadvantage if some of the other teams don't take the same approach?
"I can't answer that on the 31 (other) teams," Spielman said. "I know the Minnesota Vikings are going to stay far away from that bright line and are going to follow the rules accordingly and we're not going to go anywhere near trying to do something that is not right."
-- Jon Krawczynski
Seattle coaches more involved as draft approaches
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — With no players to work with during the NFL's labor issues, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider has found a few more voices chiming in about whom the Seahawks should look at in the NFL draft.
Pete Carroll and the rest of Seattle's coaching staff need something to do since there haven't been players around team headquarters.
"They have always been involved but they are just having much more fun with it this year," Schneider said. "They usually do their football stuff in the morning and they have might have some meetings with the guys after they are lifting and they will work on their draft stuff. Right now, they are just in to it. They're calling their buddies. My point is they are just having more fun with it. I actually give them grief about it."
But the grief is all good-natured and should make for a smoother process inside the Seahawks draft room this time around.
Last year when Schneider and Carroll were in the infancy of having just taken over control of the Seahawks football operations, the draft was a hodgepodge of different methodologies.
The grading scales that the Seahawks scouts had used to evaluate college prospects under the previous football administration were kept in place, but Schneider also added his own input based off his years working in Green Bay. There was also the integration of a new coaching staff that was trying to pinpoint exactly what the Seahawks philosophies were going to be offensively and defensively and meshing that with how the Seahawks' draft board was going to be built.
"We wanted to make sure these guys were in the basic system they could be in and then I was kind of still on my own, Green Bay format," Schneider said. "This year, we've had our own grading scale, we've added a grade. We've done a lot of great things. Everybody knows what to expect."
Of course, having everyone on the same page didn't matter in the first round a year ago when Seattle drafted sixth and 14th overall and selected left tackle Russell Okung and safety Earl Thomas.
But this year with Seattle owning the 25th pick and having a significant number of holes to fill at various positions, getting more coaches on board earlier is proving beneficial.
It means more time to make phone calls and do research. More time to attend pro days and workouts. While Carroll says the staff is doing its part to work on the Seahawks offensive and defensive schemes, his coaches are also being recruited to help evaluate.
"With the time we've had available, we've really had an opportunity to dig in draft wise and do special projects and go in and evaluate and re-evaluate. I've always said the evaluation process that's always on going and that means we keep digging and keep trying to find the truth that we're seeking," Carroll said. "The guys have been available more so and we've just had more time for it. ... We've hopefully complemented the process."
While the 25th pick — if Seattle stays there — is important, it could be the later rounds where the additional involvement of the coaching staff could pay off. The Seahawks also have the 57th, 99th, 156th and 157th selections and Schneider has made no secret of his desire to possibly move out of the 25th spot if it means Seattle can pick up additional middle-round selections.
Does that make the draft process easier? Possibly. But Carroll says the Seahawks aren't necessarily seeking out an easy path.
"We were very connected with our thoughts last year. John did a very good job of getting me on track with where we needed to be and I feel, and I think John feels, we've done more than we had available last year," Carroll said. "So we feel better about it. But I don't know if we're looking for easy. It should be a good challenging process and we look forward to some of the tough decisions based off the work we've done."
-- Tim Booth
Rams GM, coach say running back not a priority
ST. LOUIS (AP) — If the St. Louis Rams draft a running back in the first round, they swear it won't be because Steven Jackson is slowing down.
Last season, the bruising Jackson led the NFL in combined touches and three of the last five years he's topped 300 carries. In 2009, he played the final third of the season with a herniated disk that required surgery.
There's been little relief, given Jackson had 330 carries last year while backups Kenneth Darby and Keith Toston totaled 54. Plus, Jackson's 3.8-yard average last season was the lowest of his career.
But he's also working on a franchise-record six consecutive 1,000 seasons and will be only 28 on opening day.
Both coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney maintained Tuesday that when it's time to make the 14th overall pick running back will be no more important than a lot of other positions. Alabama's Mark Ingram has come up in mock drafts.
"In our minds he is still playing at an extremely high level," Devaney said. "So we don't feel like 'Gosh, we'd better start looking down the road. This kid is as good as there is, so we don't feel any pressure to start lining somebody up to take Steven Jackson's place."
Rams Park was player free Tuesday, one day after a federal judge in Minnesota granted the players' request for an injunction to lift the lockout. The league immediately announced it would appeal, putting the situation in limbo.
Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis was spotted in the parking lot but apparently did not enter the building.
"I think all the players understand kind of what's going on," Spagnuolo said. "We'll just see how it plays out. It'll work itself out."
Wide receiver is likely at the top of the wish list heading into the first round, with Alabama's Julio Jones a popular pick in mock drafts.
St. Louis is set with Sam Bradford, the NFL offensive rookie of the year after being the No. 1 overall pick last year. Devaney said zero time has been spent analyzing the relative merits of Missouri's Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton.
"Your time is so valuable and we know we're not taking a quarterback in the first round," Devaney said. "So it would be unfair for me to even try to compare those guys to Bradford."
The pressure is off the Rams to hit paydirt with the 14th choice. Devaney said the Rams were ready to pick, but since they have more time they'd work on uncovering gems in the late rounds. St. Louis has seven picks, their original selections in the first five rounds with two choices in the seventh round.
The Rams swapped their sixth-rounder to Baltimore last year, getting a seventh-rounder in return, for wide receiver Mark Clayton. Clayton is expected to re-sign with St. Louis.
Devaney wouldn't be surprised if the Rams trade up, or down. Just like the rest of the teams.
"We've been in touch with teams above us and behind us and it's kind of an elephant dance right now," Devaney said. "It's this little ritual everybody does. 'Yeah, we're interested in trading up.'
"Yeah, whatever. And you never get a phone call back from them, but you go through this thing and everybody does kind of the same thing at this time."
-- R.B. Fallstrom
