Bleacher Report - Articles by Andrew Reuss

Top 25: #21 Utah Utes

Andrew Reuss — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:05:00 -0400

Be sure to check out all my work here

Utah went undefeated last year and still got left out of the national championship game. This is obviously because they are not a big name team from a big name conference. Utah fans certainly have reason to be angry.

Utah has a lot of work to do to get back to where they were last year. They lost their QB, and top wide outs. And they still don't know who is going to start at QB this season, although Jordan Wynn is the lead man right now.

The defense is looking better as they return eight starters.

Let's take a look at who needs to step up on offense, and who is back on defense:

Like I said, it looks like Jordan Wynn will be leading the offense this year. He is a true freshman and will need to at least control the offense. If he, or whoever is QB, can limit mistakes, the defense is good enough to take over.

Matt Asiata will be a welcomed returnee for the Utes at RB. He ran for 707 yards and found the endzone 12 times. He will be the key to the Utes' offense. If he can be effective, it will help the QB and WR's. Look for Asiata to get his fair share of touches as Utah looks to establish an offense.

Asiata will be crucial for the Utes
(credit daylife.com)

The defense has key players in the middle and back in the secondary.

Starting with the LB's, Stevenson Sylvester and Mike Wright are back for Utah. These guys will have to step up to the plate and continue to lead the defense this season. Sylvester was a second-team all-conference player last season and won the team top LB award. It will be crucial that he does that again.

Wright was the squads' leading tackler and has great communication skills. Between him and Sylvester, Utah has two great players to lead this team.

Joe Dale will be the leader in the secondary. He led the secondary in tackles with 66 and is a big game player. With Dale running around in the secondary, Utah has a dangerous defense.

Players to Watch: Matt Asiata, Stevenson Sylvester

Projected Record: 10-2

Gotta give props for this...

No. 22 in My College Football Top 25: Brigham Young Cougars

Andrew Reuss — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:04:00 -0400

Check out all of my work here

I have the Brigham Young Cougars coming in at No. 22. The Cougars had a very successful season in 2008, going 10-3, and they are ready to have another one in 2009.

The Cougars return a good amount of talent at the skill positions on offense. Their defense should also be very strong, as they return eight starters, all of whom are seniors.

Let's take a closer look at the Cougars.

At quarterback, BYU returns Max Hall, who is a stud who threw for 3,957 yards and 35 touchdowns last season. Hall will need to lead this high-octane offense again for the Cougars to be successful.

At running back, the Cougars return Harvey Unga. Unga is a solid back who went over 1,000 yards last year. Like Hall, Harvey will have to step up this year and make plays to keep the offense going.

BYU lost its two best wide receivers, including star Austin Collie. I think the player to fill this void is McKay Jacobson, as he had a standout freshman season and showed signs that he might be the next No. 1 guy for the Cougars. If Jacobson can step up it up, it will really help out the depleted receiver group.

The offensive line is the huge question mark for the Cougars. But if BYU can get it together and give Hall and Co. time to make plays, it will be successful.

Defense should be a strong suit for the Cougars, as they are loaded with experience. Their run defense is talented and will be able to shut down opposing teams, but their pass defense is questionable. Most of the secondary returns, so the Cougars are hoping to put it together.

BYU should really good, but it does have some areas of concern. If these areas get addressed, then look for them to make a serious run.

Players to Watch: McKay Jacobson, Max Hall

Projected Record: 10-2

Top 25: No. 24 West Virginia Mountaineers

Andrew Reuss — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:44:00 -0400

West Virginia finished 9-4 last season with a win against North Carolina. If you talk to their fans they would say the season was underwhelming.

9-4 is a good year, don't get me wrong, but they are always looking to be better then that. They lost four games last year, and had only lost a total of five the previous three seasons combined.

This year seems to be another year of recovery for the Mountaineers as they look to return to their winning ways.

Ok, so let's get the obvious out of the way, they need to replace...

Ok, now that that's out of the way, let's talk about who they return on offense. Jarrett Brown will try to replace Pat White, he is a solid QB, but will have his word cut out for him. We have to expect this will change the offense because of how versatile Pat White was.

At WR they have the talented Alric Arnett. He collected less then 500 yards through the air, but did find the end zone six times.

Braldey Starks will also return. He will need to step up and help Arnett carry some of the load.

Now to get to WVU's best offensive player, Noel Divine. Divine is a speedy RB who is extremely hard to get to the ground. The success of this offense is riding on his legs, and he will need to take games over and let people know how truly talented he is.

Put Divine in a phone booth and add me, it takes me over an hour to tackle him...
(credit: wvpics)

Now for WVU's better half: the defense. They return eight starters to a unit that ranked 11th in scoring allowed in '08.

J.T. Thomas is the stud LB for the mountaineers, and will be the team leader on defense. Thomas will command a group of young up and coming players including Scooter Berry (great name), and Anthony Leonard.

If WVU can play solid defense and control field position they will be a hard team to beat. The Mountaineers offense should be able to put together some solid drives, but they will be streaky. The key to this year for WVU is certainly the defense, as every coach in the world has said, "they don't score, they don't win".

I am excited to see how this season shapes up for WVU. I have them at No. 24, and certainly think they can shift from there depending on the aforementioned .

Players to Watch: Noel Devine, J.T. Thomas

Projected Record: 9-3

Seriously...

He deserves two videos...

For all of my work head here.

Mike Vick: What Does He Have Left?

Andrew Reuss — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:42:00 -0400

If you like my work feel free to check out my blog here.

Seeing as he is now a free man, I would like to share my thoughts on this whole thing. First things first, what he did was wrong; I agree with most that it was a horrible act. He deserved to be punished, and he was. Now that we have that out of the way let's talk about where he goes from here.

I know that he has been away from the game for a while, and I know this might mean he can't quite do this anymore. But I think that he still has a lot left and can help an NFL team.

The good thing about Vick is that he can do a lot of different things on the football field. He was of course a QB, and not a bad one. But what made him special was obviously his ability to run the ball.

Vick was a human highlight reel and he was solely responsible for making the Falcons the worst team to play against in Madden.

I think that Vick would be best suited to return as a WR, and/or special teams player. This transition would be a lot easier for him then going straight back to QB. Vick would need to put some pounds back on for this new role, but that should not be a problem.

He will have probably lost some speed; when you are as fast as Vick was losing a bit should not be that big of a deal.

When Vick was a QB a lot of people wondered what Vick could do at other positions. This dream has become a reality, whomever picks Vick up should he become eligible will be able to use him in whichever way they would like.

In conclusion, I would like to see Vick back in the NFL. I think that he has paid his debt to society and should be allowed to get his life back together via football.

He did some horrible things in the past and paid for those mistakes. If a team is to pick Vick up they will have to deal with a lot of controversy, but I think everyone knows that.

I think we will definitely see Vick playing football somewhere in the future whether it be the NFL or another league. I hope that he can return to a form of the player we all enjoyed watching. He made our jaws drop several times over the years, and hopefully he can do it again.

Top Ten...(I remember watching #2 and wondering how he could have done that)

DeAndre Brown Re-Injured: Why Does This Always Happen?

Andrew Reuss — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:57:00 -0400

DeAndre Brown, the nation's leading freshman wide receiver last season recently did something we hear about all to often. Keep in mind that he is recovering from one of the most horrific injuries in recent history (those of you with weak stomachs need not watch). When I first saw this video last year, my first thought was that he might not play ever again. He literally broke his leg completely in half.

I have been keeping tabs on him and it is great to hear that his rehab is progressing well. You want to see players like this play, and be successful. Brown has great talent and obviously he is fun to watch.

Nevertheless, Brown recently made a mistake. He decided it would be a good idea to go shoot some hoops. We see this all to often—star athlete gets hurt playing a sport that he, well, does not play for the university. I'm sure Brown is an above average basketball player, but you owe it to your teammates and coaching staff to fully recover first.

This setback is thankfully not a big one. Sources are saying that he will be in a boot for at least a week but should recover fully. He might miss the team's first game but should be on pace to start the second.

Hopefully, this is yet again another reminder to players out there. I have no problem with a fully healthy player shooting some hoops, even if he were to sprain his ankle or suffer any other minor setback. The problem here is that Brown had suffered a major injury. He was the most productive freshman receiver in the nation last season.

Their are certainly times to have fun and times to get to work. Rehabilitating properly and preparing yourself for the upcoming season is one of those times to get to work. All being said, Brown should be ready to play almost a full season, and saying that after seeing the video is amazing. I certainly wish him well and hope his great career continues.

Tennessee Hits Rocky Bottom Thanks to Pre-Season Injuries

Andrew Reuss — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:30:00 -0400

Tennessee wide receiver Austin Rodgers tore his ACL on Friday during pre-season drills. He is the active leader for the Vols in receptions with 76—a true veteran and very needed on a team like Tennessee. It's never good when someone like this goes down before the season starts.

At least Tennessee has a solid number two threat. Oh wait, he got hurt too. Denarius Moore broke his foot and will be out up to twelve weeks. Moore has exceptional speed and is the Vols' number one deep threat. So far they have lost one of their top wide outs for the season, and their deep threat. It can't get worse can it?

It can. Running back Toney Williams, who has been a bright spot for the Volunteers this spring, also went down with an ACL tear recently. So, all said and done, Tennessee goes into their season with zero wide outs who caught more then ten passes last season. Along with that, consider the fact that Tennessee only threw eight passing TD's all of last year. Yikes.

I will keep an eye on this to see if any interesting players step up to fill the void. Don't hold your breath though, Rocky Top nation—this season could have a rough start as the passing game looks MIA right now.

Player to Watch: Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky

Andrew Reuss — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:39:00 -0400

If you like this article make sure to check out my blog at

http://www.2ndnshort.blogspot.com

Trevard Lindley is one of the best corners in college football. He is entering his final season at Kentucky and has had a standout career so far. NFL scouts will be looking for him to have another impressive season.

He has bulked up from last year and is walking around at about 180 pounds. Lindley is a tall corner at 6'0" and with the added weight and strength should be able to be even more effective.

Not only does Lindley have the tools to play at the next level, but he has polished tools, NFL scouts obviously look for raw talent all the time, but when a player comes a long with a polished skill set they get very excited.

Before we get ahead of ourselves we should remember that he does have one more year left at Kentucky. He will be the best defensive back that Kentucky has this season, let's dive into what Lindley can do this season to really impress those scouts.

With nine career interceptions Lindley has proven that he can find the ball. One of his best skills is his awareness, he is very savvy and usually finds himself in a position to make a play.

Lindley is a ball hawk, he led the SEC in passes defended per game. That is basically a fancy way of saying no defensive back in the SEC was around the ball more often on pass plays then Lindley.

Last season he broke up eleven passes and had four interceptions, one of which he returned to the house. Sure other corner backs had better numbers but sometimes stats can be misleading. If a team is scared to throw a corners way he will obviously accumulate less stats.

Corners are on an island more often then not, sometimes the best thing a corner can do is make sure that he locks down the opponents best wide out. If this is the case then neither player will record many statistics.

Lindley has been Kentucky's starting corner back since his freshman year, you hear analysts say all the time how a player has to mature, or has some work to do. Lindley is not one of those players, he will be leaving college with a lot of playing time and the accolades to back it up.

His added bulk should help him with press coverage and getting off blocks. NFL scouts love to see players add bulk as long as they do not lose any speed, or quickness in the process. Adding size will also help him contend with the bigger receivers in jump ball situations.

Lindley is not the fastest corner in the nation but he runs very well and has the instincts to make up for any missed reads. I think NFL scouts will be impressed with his ability to adapt to a system as his four years in college have helped him to learn the intricacies of the game.

Player To Watch: Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois

Andrew Reuss — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:47:00 -0400

Arrelious Benn is a big physical receiver with all the tools to make an impact at the next level. He is entering his Junior season at the University of Illinois and has already left his mark.

He had a standout Sophomore season, including 1,055 yards and five touchdowns (three pass, and two rush). He also has several awards to go along with the numbers.

Benn posted 1,668 all purpose yards last season, which is third all time in Illinois history. He also became one of only four Illinois players to ever reach 1,000 yards in a season.

There is a good chance he could be headed to the NFL after this season, so let's look at what he could do this year to improve his draft value.

Benn has a similar build and skill set as former North Carolina University standout and now New York Giant Hakeem Nicks. Both have great hands, good straight line speed, and the ability to go up and get the ball.

NFL teams drool over players like this, hoping they can turn them into a red zone threat as well as a deep option.

He runs well in open space as he only makes moves when need be; he finds the open spaces and runs through them. This is another attribute that will be helpful in the NFL as players are faster and holes close quickly.

He is not a player that will blow you away with speed, that being said his routes are very precise and he finds himself open often because of this.

Benn has a knack for adjusting to the ball while it is in the air. This helps him to make the tougher plays down field, and also gives the QB a lot of confidence when throwing Benn's way.

Benn uses his strength to shed defenders after the catch and to get extra yards.

Benn has a very versatile quarterback in Juice Williams, and will be the No. 1 option in Illinois passing game this season. Illinois has at least three other solid wide outs to take attention away from Benn.

If players like Jeff Cumberland, Chris Duvalt, and Jarred Fayson can have good years, then it will be tough to double Benn.

If Williams can manage to find Benn in one on one coverage, then Benn will be near impossible to stop.

Illinois is not really getting a lot of talk as far as the early top 25 is concerned, and for good reason, but they will certainly have an offense that will be able to give teams trouble.

If Illinois has other players step up along side Benn, he should be able to put up even better numbers than last year. Benn already has NFL size, hands, and instincts. If he can put together another year like last year, NFL scouts will be all over him.

Look for Benn to make big plays all year long and be talked about as one of the best wide outs in the NCAA at year's end.

(The play that starts at 20 seconds is a joke...as a scout you can just leave after that play.)

(Shouts to Draft Party)

Player to Watch: Navorro Bowman, LB, Penn State

Andrew Reuss — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 18:55:00 -0400

Penn State has a history of producing top college linebackers. With this year's class of linebackers and one player in particular, this again is the case.

Sean Lee will be an All—American candidate along with Bowman this year, but he tore his ACL before the season started last year. This left Bowman to fill the void. Bowman did just that as he led Penn State in tackles with 106 and 16.5 tackles for loss. Let's take a look at why this year might be even better for Bowman, and why people are talking about him as one of the top linebacker in the country.

Remember when I said that he led Penn State in tackles and tackles for loss, well how much more impressive would it be if I told you he did not start in the team's first three games.

Bowman was a first team All—Big Ten selection and was also placed on the watch list for the 2009 Lombardi Award. Bowman had six pass deflections, one interception, and two forced fumbles. Looking at these statistics you can clearly see that Bowman has an all around game.

His speed allows him to make plays all over the field, and his strength helps him to get into the backfield and disrupt the opponent. Bowman certainly has special talents that make him standout from other linebackers. It is rare to find a linebacker who has the speed to defend the pass and also the strength to dominate the run game.

Sean Lee is extremely talented and will be a huge addition to this year's Penn State team. Bowman will be welcoming the addition because it will open things up for him. Teams will no longer be able to double team Bowman, this will obviously allow Bowman to freely roam the outside a lot more often.

Bowman had a great season last year, and with Lee returning he should be ready for another. Bowman has a skill set that has NFL scouts drooling if he can have another solid season. If that's the case, he will surely be one of the most talked about linebackers heading to the NFL next year.

Player to Watch: Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State

Andrew Reuss — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:00:00 -0400

Anyone who watches college football knows about Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow. Those are the big names.

Sometimes I like to shine a light on some players you might not know as well. I introduce to you Zac Robinson, quarterback from Oklahoma State.

Robinson was fifth in QB rating in 2008, and finished the season with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He completed 65 percent of his passes and threw for 3,064 yards. Robinson also showed he can run the ball if need be rushing for seven touchdowns.

If Robinson can have another season like this, he will be one of the top QB's heading into the 2010 NFL draft. Oklahoma State has an explosive offense and can score in bunches. This being said, their defense is lacking. If Oklahoma State can improve on the defensive side of the ball they will be a threat this season, and Robinson might become a household name.

Everyone knows that a good tight end can be a quarterbacks best friend. This is the only thing that will be missing from the Cowboys offense this season. Among other things tight ends can make the short catch on third down and provide backup blocking when the defense brings to many people for the line to handle. Brandon Pettigrew will certainly be missed, but good quarterbacks make it work with the tools they have.

What Robinson does have is a solid running back in Kendall Hunter, and an elite WR in Dez Bryant. Bryant was second in the nation with 1,480 yards, and 19 touchdowns. Bryant helps Robinson elevate his game to new levels. Bryant is quick enough to get open on crucial short down conversions, and also possess the straight line speed to be a deep threat for Robinson.

With these weapons Robinson will certainly be someone you will want to keep an eye on. They have games against Texas, Texas Tech , and Oklahoma this season so you will be hearing about Robinson for sure, especially if they can knock off Texas or Oklahoma.

Robinson has showed that he can be the QB that leads Oklahoma State and it's program to new heights. Mark Schlabach has them at No. 10 in his early rankings, so a couple of big wins and we could see Robinson in the spotlight in a BCS bowl game.

(This just in, Robinson is tough.)

Player to Watch: Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Kansas

Andrew Reuss — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:15:00 -0400

Dezmon Briscoe was the third leading receiver in the NCAA in 2008. He finished with 1,407 yards and 15 touchdowns.

He was Todd Reesing's top target, and primary deep threat. Briscoe is an explosive player with a knack for the big play, his campaign last season earned him All-American honorable mention.

Looking ahead to 2009 I think that Briscoe might be able to eclipse his 2008 stats and catch the eye of NFL scouts.

Kansas has an offense that can put up points in bunches. They have a lot of threats at wide out.

Kerry Meier was 28th in the nation in receiving yards and really opens up the game for Briscoe. Having another threat on the field will discourage teams from helping over the top on Briscoe, this could allow him to get down the field and make big plays.

Kansas is not known for having a great defense, but in the last couple of years they have had excellent offensive units.

Briscoe, is a big physical receiver and can go up and get the ball. He flew under the radar nationally last year because of the other big names at wide out. I see him getting a lot more attention this year because some of the big names left for the NFL.

Briscoe certainly has the skill set for the NFL game, I think that him having a good year in 2009 will be crucial for his draft stock.

Having one good season can happen, but two solid seasons in a row, that usually means you can play. Kansas will be scoring a lot of points and Briscoe will be involved in many of them.

Expect to hear his name a lot this year as Kansas continues to prove they are not just a basketball school.

Player to Watch: Major Wright, Florida

Andrew Reuss — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:07:00 -0400

Major Wright is one of the nations premier safety's. Last year at Florida, he was third on the team with 66 tackles, and grabbed four interceptions.

Wright is a safety, but hits like a linebacker. He played free safety last year and was third on the Gators in tackles, that is saying something.

Let's take a look at what Major Wright will be doing in the Gator's secondary this season.

Joe Haden and Janoris Jenkins are the two starting corners for Florida. Both of them have the ability to lock down receivers.

At safety opposite Wright, the Gators have Ahmad Black who was tied for the most interceptions in the country with seven. So it is safe to say that Florida has a loaded secondary.

This gives Wright the ability to truly roam the field at free safety. This is a very scary (just watch the play that starts at 25 secs) thought for Florida's opponents.

If Wright is confident that his teammates can handle their own, he will be able to help with run support, and come over the top on passing plays.

Wright enjoys contact and because of this he takes on the role of game changer for the Gator's. 51.1 points per game—that is how many points Oklahoma averaged per game last year, when they met Wright and Florida's defensive they scored 14 in a loss.

Everyone knows about Tim Tebow and how good he is. The Gators are the team to beat this year. While you are watching their explosive offense make sure to keep you eyes on No. 21.

(His highlights start after the first one)

Player Profile: Jahvid Best

Andrew Reuss — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:11:00 -0400

Jahvid Best finished last season with a 186 yard two TD performance against Miami in the Emerald Bowl.

The scary part, the best might be yet to come. Best will be a Junior this year and will be coming off a 1,580 yard season.

Want to hear a crazy stat line, 311 yards on 19 carries, and four TD's—That's what Best did against Washington in the final regular season game of last year.

So clearly he has the talent to be on the early season Heisman watch list. Cal lost Alex Mack to the Cleveland Browns, someone is going to have to step up and fill the void.

Kevin Riley is going to need to show that he can be an accurate passing QB to give Best some breathing room.

Best will not need much room as he is one of the most explosive backs in the NCAA. Best is almost impossible to tackle in the open field so if Cal can give him some room, he will do the rest.

I see California as a top 20 team right now, but this all depends on Best. He had a great O-line last year, but his talent is undeniable. If he can get things going on the ground then other parts of Cal's offense should fall into place.

Look for Best to rack up the yards early in the season, other running backs took some of the spotlight away from him last year.

This year he will start on top as arguably the best back in college football. Cal will have a good team this year so Best should make a serious run at the Heisman.

(I don't think HS highlights ever get old)

Atlanta Falcons: Draft Breakdown

Andrew Reuss — Mon, 25 May 2009 23:34:00 -0400

Matt Ryan performed as well as any Falcons fan could have hoped. The Falcons were in absolute turmoil (Mike Vick) heading into the season. Enter Matt Ryan, Atlanta finished 11-5, they were knocked out of the playoffs in the wild card round by the super bowl runner up Cardinals. Michael Turner came running out of Ladainian Tomlinson's shadow in San Diego, he finished with 1,699 yards and proved that he is one of the better backs in the NFL.

Along with Ryan and Turner, Roddy White also had an excellent year. He is a sure handed receiver and provides a deep threat for the Falcons. The Falcons have a very good offense, but lost games last year because of holes on the defensive side of the ball. The Falcons took defensive players with their first five picks, let's take a look at some of them.

With the 24th overall pick the Falcons took Peria Jerry DT out of Mississippi. Jerry is very agile for his frame (6'2" 300lbs), he moves well on the inside and shifts to his gap responsibility quickly. He uses his hands well on the line to defeat blockers and find the ball.

Not a lot of negatives with Jerry, sometimes he has the tendency to stand up and get pushed around by bigger lineman but this is something that he will learn quickly. Jerry has the talent to be a presence in the middle for the Falcons right away. His quickness should interrupt run lanes and he has the speed to get after the quarterback. Good pick here for the Falcons.

William Moore safety out of Missouri was the Falcons second pick. Moore is very athletic. He has great instincts and could be a solid cover two situation safety for the Falcons. I said "could" instead of "will" because Moore has some inconsistencies that lead to me not being totally sold on him.

Moore sometimes relies to much on his athleticism and forgets his technique, this can lead to him being susceptible to double moves. Moore also goes for the big crowd pleasing hit too often, leading to missed tackles.

That being said, he remained one of the best prospects at safety because teams always feel that that can mold a player to succeed within their system. Moore is athletic enough to make the adjustments to be successful, and has the potential to be a game changer. I just think he might have been a slight reach at 55th overall.

Christopher Owens (draft guys with the breakdown) was the Falcons next pick. Owens is 5'10" 181lbs, but plays bigger then that. Owens has a very physical style of play, he likes to be physical with the receivers on the line of scrimmage, and does not shy away from contact at the point of attack. I think that Owens can help right away in passing downs because of his physical style.

Only negative thing about Owens is that he is a smaller player. He plays hard and usually puts himself in a position to make a play. But sometimes he simply gets out sized by larger receivers. This means the Falcons will be careful leaving Chris on an island to defend a wide out one on one. Owens could make an immediate impact for the Falcons within the teams nickel and dime packages.

The Falcons only selected one offensive player (Garrett Reynolds) in this years draft. They needed to sure up their defense and taking seven defensive players is certainly one way to do that. I like Perry with the first pick and think that he can be productive. I am hesitant to commit on Owens and Moore, but they could both turn out to be good picks for the Falcons.

Player to Watch: Chris Owens is a spark plug and if he can learn the system quickly I can see him making some plays for Atlanta. Also, look for Jerry to be productive from day one.

Overall draft Grade: B-

(Draft Party with the Vid)

Kansas City Chiefs: Draft Breakdown

Andrew Reuss — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:51:00 -0400

The Kansas City Chiefs had an awful season in 2008, finishing 2-14. If the Lions had won at least three games, we would be talking about the Chiefs and how bad they were a lot more.

This offseason, they let go one of the greatest tight ends ever in Tony Gonzalez.

On a positive note, they did win the Matt Cassel sweepstakes. Cassel had an excellent season for the Patriots, replacing Tom Brady.

This being said, New England is the perfect place for a QB to succeed, Kansas City is anything but perfect we will just have to wait and see what he can do.

The Chiefs need help everywhere. Larry Johnson was hurt for part of the year, but did shows sparks of the great running back he can be.

Dwayne Bowe was a bright spot for the Chiefs and proved he can be a very good receiver in the NFL. It can't get much worst from 2-14, let's see what they did to improve.

The Chiefs had the third pick in the draft and with it they selected DE Tyson Jackson out of LSU. Jackson is big, 6'4" 295 lbs, and can be a force for the Chiefs.

He will be making the move from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4, which the Chiefs primarily use. I do not see the move to a 3-4 being a difficult one for Jackson, as he is strong enough and uses his hands very well.

This was a good pick for the Chiefs because they got a player that can start, and make an impact immediately.

The Chiefs second pick was Alex Magee out of Purdue. The Chiefs went defense again with this pick, and again I think they were successful.

Magee is strong where Jackson is weak, and vice-versa. Magee has the quickness off he ball to attack the QB on passing downs, where as Jackson is more of a run stopper.

Magee lacks certain things that make him a starter right away like Jackson, but he is the perfect player to spell lineman when tired.

Magee made the switch from DT to DE his senior year because of injuries, and played well. Magee is a great guy for the Chiefs, because of his ability to play multiple positions.

Donald Washington CB out of OSU was the next pick for the Chiefs. Washington is an athlete (45-inch vertical), he left a year early and right now might be more of an athlete then a football player.

His 40-yard dash was good (4.49) and he showed smooth straight drop backs in combine drills. He did however struggle a bit when changing directions but this can obviously be worked on.

He lacks upper body strength and this might be why he avoids contact at times. He will be a bit of a work in progress for the Chiefs.

His immediate impact might be seen more on special teams then on defense, but with the raw talent that he has, I would not be surprised to see him work in on third and long packages.

Quinten Lawrence was a late round pick for the Chiefs. He has good speed and quickness along with reliable hands.

He was the go to receiver at McNeese State, but will probably have to move into the slot in the NFL, where I can see him being productive. I could also see him returning kicks and/or punts for the Chiefs.

The Chiefs had a very good draft, with their first two picks they got two players up front that can make an immediate impact. They also got some players to fill some holes later in the draft. They have a lot of work to do, but the draft was certainly a good place to start.

Players to Watch: I think both Jackson and Magee can make a difference on the front line. The D-line is certainly somewhere to start improving and these players are capable of making it happen.

Overall Draft Grade: B+

Buffalo Bills: Draft Breakdown

Andrew Reuss — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:13:00 -0400

The Buffalo Bills picked up Terrell Owens this offseason, we all know his deal and what he is capable of. Because of this I will focus this post anywhere but TO.

The Bills finished 7-9 last year. They have Marshawn Lynch at RB, Lee Evans and you know who at WR, and Trent Edwards at QB.

I see defense being more of an issue for the Bills, let's take a look at what they did to address their needs on defense.

The Bills first pick was at 11, and with this pick they took DE Aaron Maybin out of Penn State. Maybin is a one trick pony, but he does that one trick very well. The Bills lacked a solid pass rusher and they got one in Maybin.

He is quick off the ball and quick up the field, this being said he lacks the upper body strength for a solid bull rush. His 38-inch vertical was very impressive for an end and that could help him to get up and deflect passes at the line of scrimmage. The needed someone to pressure the QB and Maybin can do that.

With the 28th pick, the Bills selected C Eric Wood out of Louisville. Wood can play multiple positions on the offensive line, and is a proven hard worker. I think talent goes a long ways, but it is nice to see a blue collar guy with the talent.

He is 6'4" and had a strong bench press so he can certainly hold his own strength wise. Wood will have no objection moving around to help the Bills protect Edwards, for this reason I think Wood was a good pick here.

Jairus Byrd out of Oregon was the Bills next pick. What he lacks in straight line speed he makes up with instincts. He has the ability to adjust to passes and go up and get the ball.

He could be used in nickel and dime packages for sure. He also performed well on special teams for the Ducks, so I could see the Bills taking advantage of this.

Player to Watch: Eric Wood (Offensive linemen are hard to watch, so watch and see if he can make the Bills offense better).

Overall Draft Grade: C+

(He chases people down)

Arizona Cardinals: Draft Breakdown

Andrew Reuss — Wed, 13 May 2009 21:51:00 -0400

The Cardinals had an amazing season last year, they made the playoffs, then beat the Falcons, Panthers, and Eagles before losing in the Super Bowl to the Steelers.

The only thing they truly lacked was a dominant running back. Edge played well especially during the end of the season, and Hightower scored most of the rushing touchdowns for the Cardinals.

Edge is creeping up in years, and Hightower, simply put is not a top back in the NFL. The Cardinals Defense was good enough, but could use improvement, and at wide out they should be just fine. Let's take a look at what they did in the draft.

With the 31st overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals took Chris "Beanie" Wells. Wells was arguably the best pure running back in the draft this year.

Let's start with the negatives, because their are so many positives. Durability is his main flaw, he was hurt a couple time during his career and missed major time last season.

Also at times his blocking can be lackluster, he is capable of being a solid blocking back, so with this being stressed in the NFL he will probably improve.

Wells is a large RB at 6'1" 235 lbs, and with 25 reps in the bench he is also strong. This said, he maintains a low pad level when he runs, allowing him to run through tackles and break through the line of scrimmage.

He also used his strength to deploy one of the best stiff arms in college football. Along with his strength he has great breakaway speed (starts at 22 secs) and rarely gets caught from behind.

Cody Brown OLB out of UConn was the Cardinals second pick. He is 6'2" 244 lbs and uses his hands well, but he is undersized to play DE in the NFL—that is why he is already listed as an OLB.

He shows good busts of speed off the ball, which he uses to get around offensive linemen. Brown is athletic enough to drop back into coverage, and also could be used on special teams right away.

The Cardinals also picked up arguably the best safety in the SEC in Rashad Johnson. I watched his combine and along with his 4.53 second 40-yard dash, he moved very fluidly through drills and rarely wasted steps.

He has great instincts and gets to the ball very quickly. His only downside is his size, he only put up 225 lbs 15 times, he is going to need to add bulk if he wants to get off blocks in the NFL.

All being said, I like what the Cardinals did. They picked late and picked well.

I do worry about Brown and Johnson because they are both going to have issues with size in the NFL, but if they can handle the adjustment and Wells can stay healthy this could prove to be a very good draft for the Cardinals.

Overall Draft Grade: B-

(Great tackle at 1:02)

Cincinnati Bengals: Draft Breakdown

Andrew Reuss — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:08:00 -0400

The Bengals had a horrible season. They finished 4-11-1, Carson Palmer was hurt, Chad Ochocinco was a distraction, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the Bengals' leading receiver, is gone.

The Bengals have a reality show coming out, which should be interesting, but that is the only positive news coming out of Cincinnati. The Bengals could use help at pretty much every position.

Let's take a look at what they did on draft day.

Cincinnati took Andre Smith with the sixth overall pick. If you have heard of him, it is probably for the wrong reasons. Since missing the most important game of his college career, he has done almost everything wrong.

Don't get me wrong—Smith has an incredible skill set. Smith has quick, long arms and a gigantic frame that makes him very hard to get around. Andre only gave up one sack last year, demonstrating how good he is.

If it weren't for all of his problems, he could have gone No. 2 instead of Jason Smith. Andre Smith will only add to a locker room that is in disarray. The Bengals' leading rusher was Cedric Benson, and Chad Ochocinco is about to be the go to receiver. Enough said.

Rey Maualuga was the Bengals' second pick. Maualuga had a great college career, and is a very good player. He has great instincts, and he is an explosive hitter. Maualuga should be able to help the Bengals tighten their defense.

The only thing that concerns me is his 40 yard dash time. At 4.91 seconds, he was one of the slowest LB's in the draft. Experts always have a million reasons why players run fast (or, in this case, slow) in the 40 yard dash. Because of this, I am willing to let it go.

I think the Bengals have two possible great players, but Andre Smith is certainly a question mark, and Ray has had antics of his own. It will take a while to see these two players feel out the system and see what they can do within it, but don't hold your breath on Smith. I can see him being a very troubled player if he does not right the ship soon.

Overall Draft Grade: C

Draft Breakdown: Tennessee Titans

Andrew Reuss — Tue, 12 May 2009 00:40:00 -0400

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The Titans had a really good season last year, they finished 13-3, but lost to the Ravens in the first round of the playoffs.

They had a great defense, and an excellent run game (if you don't like the happy dance something is wrong with you).

They lacked a premier pass receiver, and sometimes struggled to score because of this. Depth at wide out is certainly something they wanted to address going into the draft.

Kenny Britt was the titans first pick, 30th overall. Britt has average straight line speed (4.56), and above average route running skills.

Britt blocks corners very well because of his large frame 6'3" 218lbs, the Titans definitely like this because they run the ball so often.

Britt benched 225 lbs 23 times, this is another good thing for Britt as it means he can also block linebackers. It will be interesting to see how the titans use Britt, but he was their first pick so he should be used a lot.

The Titans took Sen'Derrick Marks of out Auburn with their second pick. Marks is a work in progress.

He has the potential to see a lot of minutes as a run stuffer if he can improve in a few areas. He needs to add some bulk to the top of his frame, and needs to work on his cardio.

Marks does have potential, as he is built from the bottom up and has very strong legs, he also moves quickly for a big guy and can out quick offensive linemen at times. Titans should not need him right away so he should have some time to improve on these things.

I like what the Titans did with their fifth round pick. Javon Ringer out of Michigan State is good. He just might not be NFL good right now.

The Titans do not need a running back right now, so might as well take someone they can work on. Ringer is a short, compact runner and was very successful at MSU.

He runs well inside the tackles but struggles when he gets on the outside. Ringer could be good in certain situations down the road, we will see how he is used, he did return kicks at MSU so that is always a possibility, even though he lacks explosive speed.

Overall Draft Grade: B-

(Watch the DB bounce off of him at 1:36.)

New York Jets: Draft Breakdown

Andrew Reuss — Mon, 11 May 2009 23:12:08 -0400

Brett Favre is done playing football for the Jets. We all thought maybe he was actually done, but then this happened. Nevertheless, the Jets have moved on and welcomed Mark Sanchez. The Jets needed a QB, and they traded up to get him with the fifth pick.

New York is the hardest city to play in, so Sanchez will be under fire as soon as he takes his first snap. Recently he preformed well in his first test in NYC (excuse the already angry New York fan, I told you it was a tough city). At least he avoided doing this, which would have been a disaster.

Stafford and Sanchez were the two top QBs, Stafford went at No. 1, leaving Sanchez on the board for the Jets. When you need a QB and you go out and get one early, you have to be happy. USC breeds QBs through a wide open offense that dominants college football. Sometimes these quarterbacks can make the transition (Carson Palmer), some have potential (Matt Cassel), others have work to do (Matt Leinart), and some are famous for being epic failures (Todd Marinovich). I think Sanchez is worth the risk and we will just have to wait and watch this unfold.

In the third round with the 65th overall pick, the Jets took RB Shonn Greene out of Iowa. I really like this pick; that looks like 19 reps in the bench press strength to me.

Greene comes to work everyday. He was second in the nation in rushing, and rushed for at least 100 yards in all 13 games for the Hawkeyes, and ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns in his season finale, the Outback Bowl. He won the Doak Walker Award as the top RB in the nation.

Greene ran a 4.65 40-yard dash, so strength is definitely his better attribute. Greene is surprisingly shifty, and uses his strength when speed is not enough. He won't get a lot of carries right away because he is behind Thomas Jones, but he is a tough player, so I think that he can help on some short third downs, or even blocking on third and long.

Overall Draft Grade: B