NFL Draft Capsules - NFC: Cowboys could be eyeing OL, S, WR
IRVING — Jerry Jones has made it clear. He’s not taking a quarterback in this year’s draft.
Otherwise, anything is possible. Maybe he’ll go for an offensive lineman to help replace Flozell Adams, an anchor at left tackle the last 12 years who was cut a few weeks ago. Maybe he’ll go for a safety to replace Ken Hamlin, who was dumped the same day as Adams. Or maybe he’ll go for a receiver to make up for the catches Roy Williams hasn’t been making.
With a team coming off an 11-5 season and its first playoff win since 1996, Jones could have the luxury of playing wait-and-see, then taking whoever is the best fit at any of those spots once his turn comes around at No. 27. But this is Jerry Jones, master showman, and this is the first NFL draft held in prime time.
Surely he’s going to want to make a splash. Besides, he has more than the usual reasons to be aggressive because the upcoming Super Bowl will be held at his $1.2 billion palace, Cowboys Stadium, and he’s driven to become the first host to also play in the big game. So don’t be surprised if Jones trades up to grab a guy he really likes. Or if he trades down to get an extra pick or two. Or if he deals picks for a veteran he thinks might be a perfect fit — anything to drum up interest, air time and, of course, to help his roster.
This guessing game is based on the first 21 years of Jones’ ownership. The problem is, this 22nd offseason has been baffling. Dallas is the only team that hasn’t signed a free agent. Jones also stayed on the sidelines in the trade sweepstakes for receivers Brandon Marshall and Santonio Holmes.
Stranger still is that this inaction comes after Jones declared at the scouting combine, "I want some people nervous. I want our players nervous. ... It wouldn’t surprise me to have 10 or 11 new faces on our team," including three or four who he said "would be in the 30-40 play position, rather than to call them starters."
Because Jones hasn’t made trades or signed free agents, he must be expecting those upgrades to come through the draft. The Cowboys go into the three-day event holding six picks, one in every round but the fifth. They will pick 27th in the first, second, fourth, sixth and seventh rounds, and 26th in the third round.
Offensive line appears to be the biggest need, especially after Tony Romo hardly had time to breathe in the playoff loss to Minnesota. Doug Free is likely to inherit Adams’ job, but his promotion opens a backup spot, someone who’d be one injury from protecting Romo and opening holes for Dallas’ trio of running backs. That would seem worthy of a top pick, except it doesn’t seem to be in Jones’ blood. The Cowboys have never taken an offensive lineman in the first round during the Jones era.
Never. Offensive line is the only position outside punter and kicker that Jones hasn’t tried in the first round. Then again, Jones has a good excuse: He snagged Larry Allen and Adams in the second round, Erik Williams in the third. But the most recent of those picks was 1998. Since then, the Cowboys have whiffed on a bunch of second-tier guys; anyone remember Jacob Rogers, a second-round pick by Bill Parcells who never made it onto the field?
Jones probably has an open mind this time, but don’t be surprised if he sticks to his status quo if he can land someone like Southern California safety Taylor Mays or Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant, both of whom offer more of a wow factor than any lineman could.
Jones often said last season the Cowboys already had a head start on their 2010 rookie class because several 2009 draft picks spent the year on injured reserve. Others who got minimal playing time will be expected to challenge for more this season, all of which plays into Jones’ vision for the upcoming season.
Another issue is the shakeup within the NFC East. Philadelphia sending Donovan McNabb to Washington drastically changes both teams. It remains to be seen whether either can be serious contenders this season. Dallas likely will be favored to repeat as division champions and probably will be second to reigning champion New Orleans among the teams to beat in the NFC.
"I think it’s a bad thing for this team to think that we’re about ready to take that next step," Jones said. "It’s almost dreaming to basically try to take last year and project it into another win or another home playoff game. We’ve got a lot more to do here than that."
He hasn’t done much so far this offseason. Maybe he’s just been waiting for draft week.
Roseman eager for his first draft as Eagles GM
PHILADELPHIA — Howie Roseman spent his first draft with the Philadelphia Eagles sitting in the corner of the war room handling the phone and relaying each selection to a team representative in New York. He has a much different role now as general manager.
Roseman, promoted to GM when Tom Heckert left for Cleveland, is preparing to preside over his first draft in his new position. It’s a crucial one for the Eagles, who have 11 picks, including seven in the first four rounds. The 34-year-old Roseman joined Philadelphia in 2000 as a salary cap adviser. He dutifully observed the decision makers in the draft room during his early years with the team, and patiently waited for an opportunity to be the man.
"A lot of listening in those early years, listening to the discussions, listening to the thought process, taking notes," Roseman said. "I’m sitting there with my computer and a pad. I thought it was invaluable. It was a great experience for me to see the thought process that went into it. It was a great experience to be in that position in those early years. They had a lot of trust in me."
While coach Andy Reid has final say, Roseman will be right there with him next week. He manages the college and pro scouting staffs, organizes draft meetings and the draft board and scouts the top collegiate players. It’s the culmination of a childhood dream.
"I was lucky in that when I was little I knew what I wanted to do," Roseman said. "When I was seven or eight, I would sit in front of the TV on draft weekend and have my notebooks and do it. This was a direction I always wanted to go into."
When Roseman sat in on the 2001 draft, wide receiver Freddie Mitchell was selected 25th overall. Mitchell wound up a bust, out of the NFL four years later. Roseman can’t afford to make a similar mistake this year. The Eagles have the 24th pick and own two picks in the second round, Nos. 37 and 55. They got the 37th pick in the trade that sent six-time Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb to Washington.
After going 11-5 and losing to Dallas in a wild-card playoff, the Eagles overhauled their roster. They parted with several big-name veterans and shed quite a bit of salary. Gone are McNabb, former All-Pros Brian Westbrook and Shawn Andrews, Sheldon Brown, Kevin Curtis, Will Witherspoon, Darren Howard and Chris Gocong.
Kevin Kolb steps in for McNabb and he’s surrounded by a talented group of skill players, including wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, running back LeSean McCoy, fullback Leonard Weaver and tight end Brent Celek. Offense shouldn’t be a problem. But the Eagles need plenty of help on defense. Philadelphia’s first pick could be a safety, cornerback or defensive lineman unless a highly rated offensive lineman remains on the board. Roseman is reluctant to draft a player just because he fills a need. He prefers to take the best available player regardless of position.
"If you study the draft, especially in the latter part of the draft, if you take a perceived need as opposed to the best players, you go back and look at those best available players and they go on to become Pro Bowlers," Roseman said. "If this is a long-term decision for your team, you passed on a Pro Bowler. We don’t want to be in a position to do that.
"You just take the best player and eventually those players will turn into starters as opposed to taking the need and saying right now we need position X."
If the Eagles stay at No. 24, they could target Alabama cornerback Kareem Jackson, Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson, South Florida defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, Florida offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey or Southern Cal safety Taylor Mays. But Philadelphia is usually one of the most active teams in the draft and could package some extra picks to move up, or possibly even move down. The format of this draft, with the first round taking place Thursday and the second round starting on Friday, provides teams more time to make deals.
"Because of the lull in time, there will be more trades, moving up and down," Roseman said. "We’re excited about that. We think we have a lot of ammunition to do both those things. If the opportunity presents itself, we’ll go there."
-- Rob Maaddi
Decade of ignoring O-line in draft has hurt ’Skins
ASHBURN, Va. — It’s been a decade since the Washington Redskins drafted an offensive lineman in the first or second round of the NFL draft. The other 31 teams have all drafted at least one lineman in the top two rounds in the last six years. The closest thing to a straggler is the Oakland Raiders, who haven’t taken a lineman that high since 2004.
There’s more. In the 10 drafts since Dan Snyder bought the team, the Redskins have selected nearly as many quarterbacks (seven) as offensive linemen (eight). The strategy came crashing down on the Redskins last year. An aging starting line finally wore out, and none of the backups had played so much as a down in the NFL the previous year. Jason Campbell was sacked 43 times, the rushing attack ranked 27th, and the 4-12 record was the franchise’s worst since 1994.
So one of the top priorities, if not the top priority, is to rebuild the line, and it can start Thursday when they have the No. 4 overall pick in the draft. Yes, they’ve been scouting all the top-name quarterbacks, but even the players currently on the roster haven’t been shy about stating the obvious.
"I think everyone assumes we’re going to address the offensive line," tight end Chris Cooley said. "It was clearly a problem for us last year. In some way, shape or form, whether it’s free agency or trade, we’re obviously going to address that position."
The Redskins have already made plenty of changes. Mike Shanahan replaced Jim Zorn as coach. Bruce Allen replaced Vinny Cerrato as the head of the front office. Snyder yielded control of the roster to the brain trust. Donovan McNabb was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles to replace Campbell, and Larry Johnson and Willie Parker have been signed to put Clinton Portis on notice at running back. But the line is still a concern.
Receiver Santana Moss said he isn’t about to tell the new bosses what to do, but he knows they’re smart enough to see what happened last year.
"They did watch us play over the years," Moss said. "And they know you can’t win games without an offensive line. You can’t win games with your quarterback getting sacked a million times and not being able to get the ball off. You can’t win games playing the way we played a lot last year."
All of which points to tackles Russell Okung (Oklahoma State) and Trent Williams (Oklahoma) as the candidates for the No. 4 pick. Or the Redskins could trade down and acquire more selections and target multiple linemen — as of now, Washington has only four picks in the entire draft and only one in the first three rounds.
Yet, despite all the signs that it would be football insanity for the Redskins not to draft a top lineman, it’s not a sure bet they will go that way. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen will probably be around at No. 4, and he might be viewed by Shanahan and Allen as the ideal successor to McNabb.
"I know Bruce well enough to know that he needs his quarterback," said ESPN analyst and former coach Jon Gruden, who worked with Allen for five seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "They just made a great decision in getting a guy that’s not only a winning quarterback, but a guy who understands how to win in the NFC East. It might not be in the first round, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t like someone somewhere in the draft. I don’t put anything past Bruce Allen. He has a unique way of looking at things."
So maybe there’s a chance the glamour position player will win out again. If so, there’s no telling who’ll be blocking for him.
-- Joseph White
Giants have 15th pick in draft, need middle LB
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Heading into the NFL draft a year ago, most football fans knew the New York Giants needed a receiver.
Weeks before the draft and four months after he shot himself in the thigh in a New York City nightclub, the Giants had released Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burress. Coupled with their decision not to re-sign all-time leading receiver Amani Toomer, the Giants went into the draft looking for a wideout and hit it big when Hakeem Nicks was still around at 29th overall.
Value met need that day, and that’s what general manager Jerry Reese will be looking for Thursday. The Giants have the 15th pick following an 8-8 season in which they lost eight of the last 11 games. Again, the need is obvious: middle linebacker. And remarkably, it brings us back to ‘Plax.’
Antonio Pierce, who drove a wounded Burress to the hospital in November 2008 after the shooting and later took Burress’ unlicensed gun back to New Jersey, was released by the team in February. His status had been in doubt for months after he missed the final seven games of 2009 with a neck injury. He eventually became one of the many victims in the overhaul of a defense that surrendered 427 points. Jonathan Goff, a fifth-round draft pick in 2008, filled in for Pierce down the stretch, but didn’t play well enough to win the job for this season.
"I think we could improve our team at every position probably; so not just linebacker, any other position," Reese said. "We are looking for seven good players who can give us depth or maybe be a starter at any position, not necessarily linebacker."
The Giants do need help down the middle of the defense. The tackles played poorly against the run, Pierce lost a step, and the secondary was beset by injuries. Safety Kenny Phillips missed all but two games because of knee surgery, and cornerback Aaron Ross was out more than half the season with a hamstring problem. While Phillips hopes to be ready for training camp, the Giants signed safeties Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant.
The tackle spot should be OK with Jay Alford coming off knee surgery and Chris Canty healthy after a season of leg problems.
That’s brings us back to middle linebacker, and the Giants just might get lucky. The draft is not deep at the position, but there is a chance Alabama’s Rolando McClain and Missouri’s Sean Weatherspoon will be available at No. 15.
McClain is the classic inside linebacker. He’s 6-foot-3, 254 pounds and has toughness and strength that will serve him well against the run and on blitzes. Some observers say he might be a better fit for a 3-4 defense, but Reese said a talented football player can adjust to the 4-3 system the Giants use. Reese added the Giants have some young linebackers he thinks will get better, particularly Clint Sintim, a second-round pick a year ago who showed some flashes in limited action.
With the Giants, never be surprised if they avoid need to take value. That’s exactly what they did in 2006 when they drafted defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka. New York already had Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, but did not hesitate to take Kiwanuka.
"You can never have enough pass rushers and big people up front, especially in the league that we play in," Reese said. "You run the ball in our league and there are some big, powerful offensive linemen, defensive linemen. So you have to have big people to match up. So that is important for us as well."
Running back is one area where the Giants might pull another surprise. New York has Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw returning along with Andre Brown, who missed his rookie season with an Achilles’ tendon injury. However, should Clemson running back C.J. Spiller slip in the opening round, the Giants might make one of those value picks.
This draft comes just months after Giants co-owner John Mara put everyone in the organization on notice after what he termed an unacceptable season. Reese is just as unhappy as Mara. His approach to the draft will remain the same, though. He is not feeling pressure to come up with the big hit.
"We are looking for good players," Reese said. "If we can hit home runs, that is good. If we can get a double, that is good. If we can get a single — we just want to get on base in the draft. We don’t want to have a bunch of strikeouts. It is tough when you have a bunch of strikeouts."
-- Tom Canavan
For Saints, picking last isn’t all that bad
NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Saints are in the back of the pack again — this time for the right reasons. By virtue of their first Super Bowl title last season, the Saints are slated to pick 32nd in every round of the draft except the fifth, when they have no pick.
That doesn’t mean New Orleans won’t wind up with some top-notch talent. In recent years, some of their most productive finds were taken in later rounds or weren’t drafted at all.
"Our college scouting staff has done a great job of finding guys that we were able to target in the mid-to-late rounds," general manager Mickey Loomis said. "Jahri Evans, Marques Colston and Carl Nicks are three examples of guys that before the draft we talked about ... as guys that we would really like to have if they were still around at the appropriate time and they have worked for us."
Colston has led the Saints in yards receiving in three of his first four seasons since being taken in the seventh and final round of the 2006 draft out of Hofstra. The Saints’ offensive line, which kept Drew Brees among the least-sacked quarterbacks in the NFL last season, was full of mid-rounders, including Evans (fourth round, 2006), who was an All-Pro guard last season, along with fellow guard Nicks (fifth round, 2008) and left tackle Jermon Bushrod (fourth round, 2007).
Pierre Thomas was brought in from Illinois as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2007. He has led the Saints in yards rushing the past two seasons and was one of the heroes of the NFC title game and the Super Bowl.
The Saints have also shown that their drafts can go in unexpected directions. In 2007, when conventional wisdom held that the Saints needed help in the secondary, they instead went with Tennessee wide receiver Robert Meachem. Initially, there were concerns Meachem would be a bust. He arrived at rookie camp out of shape, hurt his knee and never got on the field during his rookie season. Last season, his 45 catches for 722 yards and nine TDs made the choice look a lot better.
"That wasn’t a position going into that draft that anyone would have expected us to take, and we wouldn’t have expected us to take a receiver then," Loomis recalled. "But it gets down to when we’re picking. All of a sudden there’s one guy that’s just graded so far above the other guys for us that we didn’t really have a choice."
This year’s draft could be similar, Loomis said, with the Saints wanting to build depth on defense but still keeping an eye out for talent on offense.
"We’ve lost some guys on defense and have the potential to lose some (more) guys on defense," Loomis said. "Obviously we had the No. 1-rated offense in the league last year. ... Our defense performed very well, but we can improve in that area. I probably would lean toward the defensive side of the ball, but there’s always the but. There’s always that guy that jumps up at you that you don’t expect to be there."
New Orleans has lost one defensive starter — linebacker Scott Fujita — to free agency and released former starting defensive end Charles Grant. Safety Darren Sharper could be the third departed 2009 defensive starter if the Saints are unable to lure him back in free agency. At safety, the Saints not only have Usama Young in the wings but also Chip Vaughn, a fourth-round draft choice in 2009 who hurt his left knee in training camp and spent the entire season on injured reserve. Malcolm Jenkins also could be moved from cornerback to safety, Loomis said.
Although Grant is gone, the Saints signed former Bears starting defensive end Alex Brown, but Loomis added, "I think we still have an eye on improving that position. Whether it’s through the draft or still in free agency remains to be seen."
Loomis said the Saints are looking at a wide range of prospects for their first pick because it’s so hard to predict which players will be left at the end of the first round. Going into last year’s draft, when the Saints chose Jenkins 14th overall, Loomis said the club had its choice narrowed to about four players before the draft even began. This year, it’s about 15.
While Loomis would not name any specific players the Saints like, some of those who fit their desire to improve on the defensive line or at linebacker include Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, UCLA defensive tackle Brian Price, USC defensive end Everson Griffen, Penn State defensive end Jared Odrick, TCU linebacker Daryl Washington, and TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes.
Loomis ruled out picking a kicker, punter or potential starting quarterback. He added that New Orleans likely would not take a guard, but that left tackle could be an option because those players generally have the versatility to play other spots on the line. While the Saints like their starting cornerback tandem, they could use another, Loomis said, particularly if they decide to move Jenkins to safety.
-- Brett Martel
Falcons looking for better balance in draft
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Thomas Dimitroff finally gets to pick from a full deck of players.
Dimitroff, Atlanta’s third-year general manager, says he had to practically eliminate half the draft pool the past two years. The Falcons’ emphasis was offense in 2008, when quarterback Matt Ryan and offensive tackle Sam Baker were the first-round picks. The team took defensive players with seven of eight picks last year. Beginning with the Falcons’ No. 19 overall pick in the first round Thursday night, Dimitroff hopes to bring a more balanced class of rookies to Atlanta.
"It’s going to be fun to jump back and take in the big picture and there will be some serious possibilities on both sides of the ball, whether it’s early in the draft or whether it’s late," Dimitroff said.
Dimitroff may look for pass-rush help with its opening pick. Two possibilities are Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham and Missouri outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon. Dimitroff said 19 of 20 mock drafts he has seen have the Falcons taking Graham. He said Graham is "obviously a very good football player." But he added: "We’re not locked in on Brandon Graham."
The Falcons may need a new defensive end to join John Abraham on the four-man front. Jamaal Anderson, the team’s 2007 first-round pick, has only 2½ sacks in three years and will see more time at defensive tackle.
"Jamaal right now is working hard to put on some bulk to know that he’s going to be in a situation where he’ll swing inside and be expected to be outside as well," Dimitroff said. "I know we’re in a spot right now to continue to get him more reps inside."
Coach Mike Smith said 2009 first-round pick Peria Jerry, the defensive tackle who missed most of his rookie season with a knee injury, can help the ends by boosting the inside pass rush.
"Sometimes we missed pressure up the middle when Peria Jerry went down," Smith said. "We felt like he was really coming along and could win some of those one-on-one battles."
Dimitroff said he’s open to taking an offensive player, even a lineman, in the first round. Florida’s Markuis Pouncey, who can play guard and center, is a possibility. Falcons starting center Todd McClure is 33.
"A (lineman) you’d consider at 19 would have to be a player who has dual-position value, a player who could come in and possibly start at one position and move to another position if the opportunity presented itself," Dimitroff said.
A possible long shot is Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Greshman, who visited the Falcons for a workout and would be viewed as the longtime successor for 34-year-old Tony Gonzalez. The Falcons filled a top need by signing free-agent cornerback Dunta Robinson to a six-year, $57 million deal in March.
"What it really did was it did change the approach of this draft, drastically in my mind," Dimitroff said of Robinson. "It allowed us to pull back and truly contemplate the offensive side of the ball early as well."
Ryan said the Falcons, coming off back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history, no longer have to depend on rookie starters. Ryan and Baker started as rookies in 2008.
"There were a lot of things that needed to get put in place a couple years back," said Ryan, two years after he was the No. 3 overall pick.
Ryan, the 2008 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, is the new face of the Falcons who also is a big name away from Atlanta. EA Sports invited Ryan, Derek Jeter and Wayne Gretzky to New York last week for its "Champions of Gaming" show.
"At this point I really feel like we’ve got the right pieces in the right places — and we’re young, too," Ryan said. "We need to add depth, for sure, and we need to fill in some holes, but I feel like we’ve got a very young, very talented team that’s capable of playing well next year."
The new prime-time format for the first two nights of the draft provides a good setting for a wider TV audience to watch trades develop. Dimitroff says "we decided as an organization" to allow the NFL Network to have a camera — but no microphone — in the team’s draft room for picks 17 through 19. Dimitroff acknowledged the decision to grant TV access is a surprise "because I’m quite guarded about the draft room."
The GM said he is "definitely very interested" in trading down in the first round to add a second-round pick. The Falcons gave up this year’s second-round pick in last year’s trade for Gonzalez. Dimitroff, the former director of college scouting with the Patriots, named New England, Philadelphia, Denver and Tampa Bay as teams which might give up a second-round selection.
"Again, because this is a strong draft and there are some very good picks, we feel, in that 19 to 32 area as well as definitely into the second and third round, it’s definitely worthy of discussion," he said.
Added Smith, who joins Dimitroff in the draft decisions: "There’s going to be value in all rounds at all positions."
-- Charles Odum
With 11 picks, Bucs aim to plug lots of holes
TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay’s Mark Dominik is frank about the importance of this year’s draft to the rebuilding of the Buccaneers. With the third pick overall, three in the top 42 and a total of 11 over seven rounds, the second-year general manager is under pressure to reverse the team’s trend of unproductive selections.
"I think it would be unfair for me to say this class won’t have a big impact on our football team going forward," Dominik said. "If this draft class doesn’t succeed, I probably don’t either."
Coming off a 3-13 season in which they broke in a rookie coach and quarterback, the Bucs have glaring needs for help on the defensive line and playmakers on offense, particularly at wide receiver. Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh and Oklahoma’s Gerald McCoy, the top defensive tackles in the draft, both could be available at No. 3. Either would fit into what coach Raheem Morris would like to do on defense.
But much of Dominik’s focus has been on rounds three through seven, an area the Bucs have not done a good job of drafting players since the mid-1990’s, when the club was putting together the nucleus of a team that eventually won the Super Bowl. Tampa Bay hasn’t won a playoff game since the championship season.
"Candidly, we haven’t done a great job of finding Pro Bowlers in the second, third, fourth and fifth rounds. We just haven’t done that," said Dominik, who has been part of the Bucs since 1995.
To get a better handle on where the Bucs are, and who might be to help them get where they want to go, the GM hired former NFL scout and college recruiter Bill Rees to assess the roster and evaluate between 100 and 150 draft prospects.
"At the end of the season I approached ownership and just talked to them about how I’d like an eye for this football team outside of the building, Dominik said.
"I wanted a true opinion of a 3-13 football team, and what is the talent level of that team. I wanted to make sure we’re not judging our football team incorrectly because we’re staring at the players every day. He gave me that unbiased opinion."
And while Rees has not been involved in planning meetings for the draft and won’t be in the room when selections are made, his conclusion "that there was a good strong core nucleus of players that you could build around," was reassuring to Dominik.
"He felt like this is a team that started figuring out how to win at the end of the season," the general manager said.
To prepare for the draft, Dominik spent time studying other successful franchise. He took a look at Pittsburgh Steelers drafts dating back to the 1970’s; examined Bill Polian-led drafts in Buffalo, Carolina and Indianapolis, as well as the recent success of the New England Patriots. Closer to home, he’s tried to draw from what former Bucs GM Rich McKay’s staff did in the ‘90s while accumulating players like Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, Ronde Barber, Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn.
He’s even taken a look more recent draft-day decisions by former coach Jon Gruden and GM Bruce Allen, who despite not drafting particularly well, did bring in several current starters, including Cadillac Williams, Davin Joseph, Aqib Talib and Tanard Jackson.
"From our perspective, starting in 2009 we evaluate draft classes differently than any time I’ve been here," Dominik said. "I’ve looked at all the general managers and tried to incorporate a different way."
Despite being well under the salary cap, the Bucs have not been big spenders in free agency and they were not major players in trade discussions that led to a couple of high-profile receivers, Brandon Marshall and Santonio Holmes, changing teams this spring.
Dominik and Morris launched Tampa Bay’s rebuilding project with last year’s drafting of quarterback Josh Freeman. They retained their jobs following the Bucs’ worst finish since 1991, with ownership reaffirming a commitment to use the draft to reassemble a championship contender. Priorities include giving Freeman more options to work with at receiver, although Morris said any selection essentially is support for the young quarterback.
"Everything that you add to the football team is going to protect Josh Freeman. If it’s a defensive player that can get the ball back ... and give him more opportunities, or an offensive player that can get the ball from him and be more productive," the coach said.
Suh or McCoy figures to be a good start.
"You’re talking about two dynamic guys, and two guys who bring dynamic aspects to the game. You’re talking about two guys who are slightly different but are both dominant," Morris said without tipping his hand on which he likes more.
"When you can add players to your football team like that, you like those opportunities. In my opinion as a coach, you go out and do what those guys do particularly well. You let those guys go out and play and be productive. I don’t want to make a zebra a horse. I want to let that zebra be a zebra and be his best self. I’d like having the opportunity to coach either one of them."
-- Fred Goodall
Panthers need good draft, even without 1st-rounder
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The names still induce cringes more than a decade later. From the imprisoned Rae Carruth to Jason Peter and Rashard Anderson and their ensuing substance abuse problems, draft day was mostly a nightmare in the Carolina Panthers’ first six seasons.
Their fortunes began to change in 2001, when Carolina found a third-round gem in receiver Steve Smith. It was the beginning of a windfall draft decade that’s produced major contributors Julius Peppers, Jordan Gross, Chris Gamble, Thomas Davis, DeAngelo Williams, Jon Beason, Jonathan Stewart and Jeff Otah.
Much of the Panthers’ current core is based on their drafts. And after spending much of the offseason shedding veterans and shunning big-name free agents, the Panthers need to keep the streak alive with numerous holes to fill. It will just require a little more ingenuity, as the Panthers don’t have a first-round pick for the second straight year after a bold, draft-day deal a year ago.
"I do believe that our philosophy is the one that works best for us. That is bringing guys in, getting them young, teaching them your way, bringing them up," general manager Marty Hurney said. "They know what to expect, they know the organization, and they know what we expect of them.
"I think we’ve been able to get some good players that way and I would hope we could continue to do that."
They’ll need to. After allowing the five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Peppers to leave in free agency, cutting quarterback Jake Delhomme, not re-signing receiver Muhsin Muhammad, and releasing stalwarts such as fullback Brad Hoover, defensive tackle Damione Lewis and linebacker Na’il Diggs, the Panthers need reinforcements after going 8-8 last season.
Barring a draft-day trade Thursday for the third straight year, however, the Panthers will have to wait until Friday and the 48th pick to finally be on the clock. Hurney feels the Panthers can still do well. Carolina has single picks in the second, third and fourth rounds. They don’t have a fifth-round pick, but have three choices in the sixth round and two seventh-round selections.
"If you look at our team in recent years, I think that we have had great success in the draft," Hurney said. "I don’t want to jinx us."
Hurney also has become riskier in recent years. The Panthers in 2008 traded a future first-round pick to Philadelphia to take Otah, who’s become a key cog on the offensive line. The merits of last year’s deal is still being determined. The Panthers sent this year’s first-round choice, which turned out to be the 17th pick, to San Francisco for an extra second-round pick so they could take defensive end Everette Brown. After an unspectacular rookie year, the undersized Brown now figures to become Peppers’ replacement. But the Panthers need help there and perhaps at defensive tackle after releasing Lewis and Maake Kemoeatu.
"I think defensive line has got to be an area of interest for Carolina, and the defensive tackle draft is tremendous," said NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock. "If a Tyson Alualu from (California) was there at 48, I think they would sprint to the podium."
The Panthers also need help at receiver, with no clear No. 2 behind Smith just as Matt Moore prepares to take over at quarterback. Receiver is a position where Carolina is still searching for success. Keary Colbert and Dwayne Jarrett are recent second-round picks who haven’t produced, and the Panthers have spent years trying to find a running mate for Smith. Brandon LaFell of LSU and Taylor Price of Ohio could be options if the Panthers choose to gamble on a receiver in the second round.
"I kind of like the wide receiver depth, especially in the second or third rounds of this draft," Mayock said.
Carolina needs help at quarterback, too, a position they’ve shied away from in the draft. They signed Delhomme as a free agent in 2002 and they’ve generally signed veterans to back him up. Moore was an undrafted rookie signed by Carolina after he was cut by Dallas in 2007. But with no backup QB on the roster, the Panthers will likely have to look at a quarterback.
The draft comes amid uncertainty for the Panthers. Coach John Fox was denied a contract extension and is entering the last year of his deal, and owner Jerry Richardson is a key figure for the owners in labor negotiations that many fear could produce a lockout in 2011. So far, the Panthers have been unwilling to spend big money this offseason, increasing the stakes of this draft.
"A large percentage of our roster is built through draft choices and rookie free agents," Hurney said. "I think that we prefer to go that route."
-- Mike Cranston
Vikings look to continue strong drafting
MINNEAPOLIS — If Brett Favre was the biggest reason for the Minnesota Vikings reaching the NFL’s upper echelon last season, their success in recent drafts has to be right behind. In the last four years, the Vikings have made 25 selections. Eleven have started at least 10 games, and six more have been occasional starters or become reliable role players. Eighteen remain on the roster.
For the Vikings, who lost to the champion New Orleans Saints in overtime of the NFC title game, to stay in Super Bowl contention they must sustain that success in this year’s draft. One of the rules of this uncapped season penalized the final four teams of the NFL playoffs — the Vikings, Saints, Colts and Jets — by requiring them to lose an unrestricted free agent before they could sign one.
That handcuffed the Vikings, who have been active in the free agent market since coach Brad Childress took over before the 2006 season. They lost versatile running back Chester Taylor to NFC North rival Chicago, and in their only run at a high-profile free agent to this point, lost LaDainian Tomlinson to the Jets.
"Knowing that you’re not going to be a participant or you’re on the sideline a little bit from the (unrestricted free agent) market, this emphasizes how important this draft is going to be," vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman said.
Cornerback Cedric Griffin is recovering from tearing a knee ligament in the NFC championship game that will likely still be mending when training camp opens. Linebacker E.J. Henderson is trying to return from a broken leg suffered in December. The team is also looking for depth behind veteran defensive tackle Pat Williams, running back Adrian Peterson and perhaps the 40-year-old Favre, who has yet to announce whether he’ll return next season. The Vikings are picking 30th in the first round Thursday night, but Spielman and director of college scouting Scott Studwell have put together a system that has been quite fruitful in all rounds recently.
"I feel like our guys will do a great job of evaluating like they always do; the scouts have done the same things they always do," Childress said. "Rick and Scott have got a great handle on that."
Just before Spielman arrived in 2006, the Vikings drafted linebacker Chad Greenway, Griffin, quarterback Tarvaris Jackson and defensive end Ray Edwards, all of whom have logged significant playing time. Greenway and Edwards had breakout seasons in 2009.
Spielman’s first draft in 2007 brought Pro Bowlers Peterson and Sidney Rice as well as valued reserve defensive end Brian Robison. In 2008, the Vikings drafted a starting safety in the second round, though reviews of Tyrell Johnson’s performance have been mixed, and future starting center John Sullivan in the sixth round.
Last year might have been the best draft yet for Childress, Spielman and Studwell, with Pro Bowler Percy Harvin in the first round and starting right tackle Phil Loadholt in the second. Third-round cornerback Asher Allen, fifth-round linebacker Jasper Brinkley and seventh-round safety Jamarca Sanford all started games in their rookie seasons, as well.
"We’ve been able to find some pretty good players in the later rounds that you may look back and say, ‘Well, geez, how is John Sullivan a sixth-rounder?"’ Spielman said. "Now if he’s coming out in the draft this year, would you have drafted him earlier?
"I think there’s value, and if you do a good job in your preparation and you do a good job in developing your board, then you can get some value for guys in those later rounds."
-- Jon Krawczynski
Packers enter draft needing OT, CB
MILWAUKEE — For a team that has gone into each of the past four seasons with the NFL’s youngest roster, the Green Bay Packers are getting noticeably gray at a couple of key positions. That’s probably fine for now, but the Packers need to come away from this year’s draft with clear-cut successors at offensive tackle and cornerback. Adding an outside linebacker wouldn’t hurt, either.
Still, Packers general manager Ted Thompson swears he’ll stick to taking the best player available regardless of need.
"I honestly and truly believe that if you get caught up trying to reach for need at all, that’s when you make your mistakes," Thompson said. "And I feel like our core team is strong enough that we don’t have to search out like that. I know it’s what I always say, but I really mean it."
That said, offensive tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher and cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Al Harris all are in their 30s. Harris is coming off a season-ending knee injury and his availability for the beginning of training camp is unclear. And Packers coach Mike McCarthy has made it clear that having a backup plan behind Clifton is a top priority. Promising second-year lineman T.J. Lang might be the Packers’ right tackle of the future — or a guard — but McCarthy acknowledged the team might have to put off Lang’s long-term development to make him Plan B at left tackle.
"History will tell you that Chad Clifton is not going to play 16 games," McCarthy said recently. "You have to make sure the next guy is ready. That’s where the challenge is. Do you line up and make sure T.J. gets all those reps or do you give him a chance to go compete for a job at right tackle?"
But if the Packers picked up a left tackle understudy with the No. 23 overall pick, McCarthy has more options. The team went into last season hoping that Allen Barbre, a fourth-round pick in 2007, could take over at right tackle. But Barbre wasn’t up to the task, Rodgers was being sacked at an alarming rate, and the team had to turn back to Tauscher, who was out of football after a season-ending knee injury in 2009.
The Packers also tried to grab a sleeper future starter, Jamon Meredith, in the fifth round last year. They tried to stash him on the practice squad, but he was signed away by the Buffalo Bills. Still, Thompson says the Packers aren’t under pressure to find a future left tackle in this draft.
"I think our core is building up to where we can have a little more flexibility," Thompson said. "But at the same time, it is what it is. If there’s someone available we think can do that, certainly that’s going to be a consideration. But we’re not going to reach on something."
Green Bay’s first-round options at tackle could include Rutgers’ Anthony Davis or Maryland’s Bruce Campbell. Then there’s cornerback, where Woodson was the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year and is showing no signs of slowing down at age 33. There are more questions about Harris, who is 35 and coming off that knee injury.
McCarthy said he "wouldn’t bet against" Harris being ready for the start of the season, but also acknowledged Harris’ injury was "significant."
-- Chris Jenkins
Bears look like early spectators in draft
CHICAGO — There will be no big smiles and handshakes, no grand announcement proclaiming, "With the 11th pick in the 2010 draft, the Chicago Bears select ... Jay Cutler!"
You could say that’s essentially what they did, though. Their first-round pick went to Denver in the Cutler trade a year ago and they sent their second-rounder to Tampa Bay for the late Gaines Adams. That means the Bears, with the 75th pick, will be early spectators in what’s widely considered a strong draft, a fact that makes at least some fans cringe.
Then again, they don’t have to worry about another early-round disappointment. And will anyone complain if Cutler regains his Pro Bowl form after throwing 26 interceptions last season?
"You really have to take it into context with the trades you’ve made," NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock said. "It’s too early to judge Cutler."
About the only thing Mayock is sure of is this: Even without an early pick, the Bears can improve in this draft. And there still is room for that, even after a coaching shakeup and a free-agent shopping spree. A 7-9 record and third straight playoff miss got general manager Jerry Angelo and coach Lovie Smith a win-or-else mandate from president Ted Phillips and a sense of urgency that resulted in a flurry of activity.
Smith relinquished his play-calling duties while promoting Rod Marinelli to defensive coordinator and overhauled the offensive staff, hiring offensive coordinator Mike Martz and line coach Mike Tice. Angelo reeled in top prize Julius Peppers with a six-year deal worth potentially $91.5 million on the same day running back Chester Taylor and blocking tight end Brandon Manumaleuna signed with Chicago. Peppers should give a much-needed boost to a defense that ranked 17th overall and tied for 13th in sacks with 35. The running game figures to be better with Taylor and Matt Forte in the backfield, and Manumaleuna gives Cutler more protection.
Now, the attention is on the draft, where there have been some notable hits (Lance Briggs, third round) and big disappointments (Cedric Benson, Rex Grossman and Michael Haynes in the first round) under Angelo. But if the experts are right, he has a big opportunity to address some major needs, particularly on the offensive line and in the defensive backfield.
"This year’s class is so much deeper than usual," ESPN Scouts Inc. director of college football scouting Todd McShay said. "I just did a tiered ranking last night. Usually, you go through the top 10 tiers of the draft and just kind of section them off. The top four are the elite prospects and then the next nine guys are early to mid and so-on and so-on. Usually, I get down to the 10th tier and I only get about 90 to 100 prospects."
This year, he came up with 129, so he believes teams in the third round are getting about "a half to three-quarters of a round in better value" compared to previous drafts. Ideally, Mayock said the Bears would go with a cornerback or safety in the third round "if the stars lined up."
-- Andrew Seligman
Lions haven’t decided who they will draft
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions were historically bad the past two seasons in large part because their defenses ranked among the all-time worst. Detroit is expected to take a defensive tackle — Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh or Oklahoma’s Gerald McCoy — on Thursday night with the No. 2 pick overall pick in the NFL draft.
The Lions would have a choice between the two if the St. Louis Rams select Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford. Detroit general manager Martin Mayhew insisted recently that the franchise hadn’t decided who it wanted to take and didn’t expect that to change until draft day.
"I don’t think it makes a lot of sense to decide before then," Mayhew said.
Mayhew didn’t plan to reveal much about his plans, but did say he anticipated keeping the team’s top pick instead of accepting an offer from a team trying to move up.
"If I had to guess what’s going to happen, which I hate to do, I would lean toward us being at two and picking," Mayhew said. "We’ve had some conversations with teams about moving back."
The Lions have a lot of needs after losing an NFL-record 30 games over two seasons and most of them are on defense. Detroit allowed 517 points, the second most ever, during the league’s first 0-16 season in 2008, and allowed 494 last season, ranking fourth worst in NFL history, as it won just two games. Help seems a pick away.
Suh was The Associated Press national player of the year, the first defensive player to win it, and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He swept the Nagurski and Bednarik awards as national defensive player of the year, and also won the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy for linemen.
McCoy, a second-team All-American, is a candidate to be drafted ahead of Suh despite being less celebrated. Lions coach Jim Schwartz has said there’s a lot to like about both players.
"Both guys are big, they’re fast, have high character," Schwartz said a couple months ago at the NFL scouting combine.
-- Larry Lage
Cardinals look to keep up recent draft success
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals have not had a losing record since Ken Whisenhunt arrived as coach. The same could be said of the team’s success in the draft. Seventeen of the 20 players selected by the Cardinals in that three-year span still are on the roster.
The first-round draft picks — offensive tackle Levi Brown in 2007, cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in 2008 and running back Beanie Wells in 2009 — are significant contributors. Only one selection could be classified as an out-and-out bust, diminutive linebacker Buster Davis, who was taken in the third round in 2007.
The Cardinals have snagged some overlooked talent in the later rounds, too, notably wide receiver Steve Breaston in the fifth round in 2007 and running back Tim Hightower in the fifth round in 2008. Tight end Ben Patrick, a seventh-round pick in 2007, caught a touchdown pass in the 2009 Super Bowl. Running back-kick returner LaRod Stephens-Howling, a seventh-rounder last year, played his way into a steady role.
"We’ve got a good system in place," Whisenhunt said, "(general manager) Rod Graves, (player personnel director) Steve Keim, our scouts and our coaches. The evaluation process is a lot of give and take and it gives us a very good idea of not only the talent of our players but how they fit into our team."
That system will be tested again when Arizona picks 26th overall in the opening round Thursday night. With the uncertainty of what players will still be around by the time they pick, the Cardinals will focus on a handful of possibilities, ranked in order on their draft board. Whisenhunt insists there is no glaring area of need.
"I feel very good about our team," he said. "We’re in a position where we have flexibility in this draft and that’s a very good thing."
But the emphasis could well be on the defense, specifically at linebacker, a deep position in this year’s draft. Arizona lost inside linebacker Karlos Dansby to free agency and outside linebacker Chike Okeafor was not re-signed. Whisenhunt said he is comfortable with the quartet of Clark Haggans and newly signed Joey Porter on the outside, with Gerald Hayes and free agent signee Paris Lenon inside. But Porter is 33 and Lenon 32.
The team needs to improve its mostly ineffective pass rush from the edge. Outside linebackers who could be around when Arizona gets its chance include Jerry Hughes of TCU, Sean Witherspoon of Missouri and Sergio Kindle of Texas. Defensive ends possibly in the mix include Ricky Sapp of Clemson and Brandon Graham of Michigan.
On the other side of the ball, Brown is shifting from right to left tackle, leaving Jeremy Bridges and Brandon Keith, a seventh-round pick in 2008, on the right side, along with gigantic Herman Johnson, picked in the fifth round last year. If Arizona goes for a tackle, Anthony Davis of USC is a possibility.
-- Bob Baum
All eyes on 49ers’ Baalke in this year’s draft
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Trent Baalke insists the San Francisco 49ers aren’t going to look a whole lot different just because he’s the new man making the big decisions. Same philosophies on both sides of the ball.
Still, all eyes will be on Baalke as the 49ers prepare to pick twice in the first round of Thursday’s NFL draft, first at No. 13 and again at No. 17. That attention is expected during the draft, and even more so in the case of the Niners this year.
The franchise is minus a general manager after the abrupt departure of Scot McCloughan last month. If Baalke does everything right running his first draft, he might just earn himself the GM title before the season starts.
Team president Jed York called it a "mutual parting" with McCloughan, though the timing was strange considering he left the organization a month before the draft. York insists he has all the confidence in Baalke — the Niners’ director of player personnel — to move the team forward following an 8-8 finish last year, coach Mike Singletary’s first full season in charge. There was talk of playoffs following a 3-1 start but San Francisco struggled on the road and regularly lost in heartbreaking fashion.
So far, Baalke is pretty tightlipped about what San Francisco might do. Yet upgrading the offensive line will be among Baalke’s first tasks, with Idaho guard Mike Iupati — the top guard in the draft — and Rutgers tackle Anthony Davis on his radar. The Niners need another tackle, but Baalke also has stressed that he is all about picking top talent no matter the position. He wouldn’t reveal whether the Niners believe Iupati could make a smooth transition to tackle.
"We value Mike as a good football player and a good offensive lineman. Where he fits within the offensive line — whether it’s tackle, whether it’s guard — we’re going to keep that opinion to ourselves at this point," Baalke said. "But we think he’s an awfully good football player."
Baalke had the 49ers’ board of potential picks 95 percent done a week ahead of time. And he already made one splash. On Friday, San Francisco traded its fifth-round selection, the 145th overall choice, to the Miami Dolphins for receiver and return man Ted Ginn Jr. That move fills one void that was a priority for Singletary this offseason after San Francisco’s special teams struggled on kickoff and punt returns all season.
Singletary has long called the offensive line a work-in-progress. If the 49ers are finally going to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2002, they need stability from that unit starting in Week 1. The line has been hampered by injuries to key players in recent seasons, and San Francisco allowed an NFL-worst 150 sacks over the past three years.
"We need to be one of the strengths of our team this year," left tackle Joe Staley said. "We have all the talent in the world and we’re excited to move forward with the guys we have here, and if we decide to bring in a guy through the draft, we’re going to welcome him with open arms and bring him into the fold."
-- Janie McCauley
Carroll’s grand Seahawks plan hinges on 1st draft
RENTON, Wash. — Pete Carroll is pumped about having the sixth and 14th overall picks in the NFL draft. The Seahawks’ new coach likens it to being a kid waiting for Christmas. Guided by Carroll’s goals, the Seahawks are reinventing themselves after going 9-23 the last two seasons. Seattle needs a left tackle, a safety or two, a running back, defensive linemen, wide receivers, guards — almost everything. And they need to start right now.
"It’s a huge opportunity for us. That was an exciting aspect of coming here (from USC), that there was a big opportunity for us to get a couple big shots right off the bat," Carroll said. "We really need to hit it. We need two guys to come help this football team win."
John Schneider is excited, too. Seattle’s first-time general manager has been on the job three months and has been planning for one of the most important drafts in team history, one that will help determine whether Carroll fulfills his goal of "doing it better than it’s ever been around here."
Schneider admits having butterflies. The former personnel executive in Green Bay is more thrilled with the opportunities those top picks are giving him to trade and get even more selections than he is with the numbers six and 14, per se.
"I’m always open to trading down, I really am," Schneider said.
If Schneider keeps the picks, one of three offensive tackles could be the logical choice at No. 6 or 14: Russell Okung of Oklahoma State, Bryan Bulaga of Iowa or Trent Williams of Oklahoma. All are expected to be taken in the first round.
The Seahawks expect 36-year-old left tackle Walter Jones to retire. The six-time All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowler has had two knee surgeries and hasn’t played a game since Thanksgiving Day 2008. Battered Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck knows too well how painful and unsuccessful life has been without a quality healthy left tackle the last two seasons.
As a possible tipoff that a top left tackle might be on his way, the Seahawks had incumbent starting tackle Sean Locklear back on the right side in last week’s minicamp. Locklear had played left in Jones’ absence last season. Ray Willis, a disappointment since Seattle drafted him in the fourth round in 2005, seemed like a place holder at left tackle during the practices. Another dire need is at safety. Just two of them were on the roster and present for last week’s minicamp. One, Jamar Adams, hasn’t started a game in his two NFL seasons.
"If you’re asking me if we would take a safety where we’re picking, yeah, we would strongly consider taking a safety there," Schneider said. "Especially a guy that has a chance to be a Pro Bowl player."
-- Gregg Bell
All signs point to Rams taking Bradford No. 1
ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Rams general manager Billy Devaney would love to keep ‘em guessing until the draft day clock forces the team to reveal its No. 1 pick. Good luck with that strategy. It goes without saying that the Rams need multiple upgrades after going 1-15 last season with puny lineups on both side of the ball and rankings near the bottom of the NFL on offense and defense. They earned their spot at the top of the first prime-time draft Thursday night in what they hope is the end of a 6-42 free fall since 2007.
"We’ll do whatever we have to do to upgrade the team," coach Steve Spagnuolo said.
They really, really need help at quarterback. Releasing Marc Bulger earlier this month all but cinches it that St. Louis will take a quarterback if it keeps the first pick, and it’ll be a huge surprise if it isn’t Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford. Devaney’s disclaimers to the contrary have seemed too pat, too rehearsed. At least twice on the same day he used the line that choosing between Bradford, Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy and even the second and third quarterback options, Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy, was like a "beauty contest" where one simply could not go wrong.
Devaney insisted more than once that all the candidates’ workout days left the Rams gushing, "Oh my gosh!" And he maintained the Rams would be just fine if they had to open next season with one of their trio of no-name quarterbacks running the show. A.J. Feeley, who signed a free agent deal in the offseason, has 15 career starts in 10 seasons. Rookie Keith Null threw three touchdown passes with nine interceptions in a late-season stint as starter after Bulger was sidelined by a leg injury. Kyle Boller was ineffective as the stand-in and signed with the Raiders on Thursday. Mike Reilly, a late-season pickup, has no NFL experience.
"We have a ton of confidence in A.J. Feeley to operate this offense," Devaney said. "When we signed him we said we weren’t sure what his role was going to be. Whatever it is, that’s part of the appeal, that we would feel good about him in any capacity."
The Cleveland Browns, who have the seventh pick, have approached the Rams about the possibility of trading up. Devaney wouldn’t be surprised if the first pick of the second round attracts lots of offers.
"Chances are nothing will happen," Devaney said. "The second round is really deep and teams may say ‘Why give up a pick? We’ll just stay where we’re at."’
-- R.B. Fallstrom
