NFL Draft | Whitfield: Manziel remains a work in progress

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Whitfield: Manziel remains a work in progress

Speaking with NFL Network's Bucky Brooks, QB guru George Whitfield believes Texas A&M redshirt sophomore QB Johnny Manziel is still a work in progress.

"In terms of his position, he is just scratching the surface." Whitfield said. "He is working towards getting bigger and stronger. At one point this spring he was up to 212, now he's at 208 pounds." Whitfield went on to add that at the end of the season, Manziel weighed 191 pounds. They discussed his improvements mechanically, but Whitfield admitted that Manziel would not be prepared for the NFL level right now. We agree and do not take it as a strong criticism and instead appreciate the honesty.

Source: NFL.com

Fri, May 10, 2013 04:11:00 PM

Dominik: Bridgewater's stock down before PD

Former Bucs GM and current ESPN analyst Mark Dominik said Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater's stock started to fall long before his lackluster pro day.

"There were things you saw on tape when you watched him," said Dominik, who did so as an employed general manager. "Something that scouts internally, we talked about it in Tampa with Teddy Bridgewater last year. Is he really the premiere quarterback? I like the young man, I think he's a quality individual, he's got character and leadership and those things. But this is a quarterback, and you're judged by what quarterback you draft, and I think Teddy Bridgewater might not have all the pieces you're looking for." Dominik isn't the only former NFL boss down on the Cardinals' star. Former Browns' GM Phil Savage said on Thursday: "I think the media has Teddy Bridgewater in the top 10, but around league circles he's more like a late first, early second-round pick."

Source: NFL.com

Apr 19 - 6:34 PM

Riddick: OT Turner has improved technique

ESPN's Louis Riddick notes that North Dakota State OL Billy Turner has made "huge improvements this off-season" to his technique.

Riddick mentioned Turner while making a bigger point about how problematic it can be for decision makers to see great workouts from draft prospects that might show better than the game tape. "Given the info that teams have on players that goes well beyond film eval, nothing should surprise when player value 'fluctuates,'" Riddick wrote. It's a good report to hear about Turner, a mauler who needed refinement. That he's already displaying it is great for his draft stock. Whether he can transfer those gains to the field remains to be seen, of course.

Source: Louis Riddick on Twitter

Apr 19 - 4:39 PM

Scouts Inc: Moses is a sleeper 'franchise LT'

Scouts Inc.'s Kevin Weidl and Steve Muench said during a "NFL Draft Blitz" segment that Virginia T Morgan Moses is a "sleeper franchise left tackle."

"I think he's going to go pretty quick in that first round," Weidl said. Muench agreed, and pointed to Moses' work against GTU's Jeremiah Attaochu as evidence: While the explosive Attaochu abused Virgina's right tackle, whenever the Yellow Jackets' star lined up over Moses he was erased. Scouts Inc. draft guru Todd McShay moved Moses up to No. 14 overall earlier this month, and NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock is a known fan. His stock is rising.

Source: ESPN.com

Apr 19 - 4:07 PM

Jeremiah: Roby should be a top 20 selection

NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah thinks Ohio State CB Bradley Roby should be a top 20 pick.

Roby (5-foot-11, 194 pounds) "had a couple of rough games" as a junior in 2013, according to Jeremiah, but is "as talented as any cornerback in this draft." Unfortunately for Roby, his worst day as a football player came in a big moment, and it has been difficult for some to forget. The Badgers' Jared Abbrederis famously slapped down 10 catches for 207 yards and a TD on Roby this past season, a performance so ugly that the Buckeyes' corner began grabbing and holding and receiving safety help. Roby admitted at the time that he "was kind of slacking," and his performance elevated from there on out.

Source: NFL.com

Apr 18 - 6:29 PM

Jeremiah: Savage could go at top of Round 2

Pittsburgh QB Tom Savage "has a very real shot of landing in the top of the second round," says NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah.

"When you just look at the number of visits he's had and number of workouts he's had, that's hard data you can tell that there's buzz and some excitement building on him," said Jeremiah. Savage (6-foot-4, 228 pounds) threw for 2,958 yards with 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions in relative obscurity for Pitt last year. Scouts discovered a bazooka arm when breaking down tape, however, and Savage has taken on helium since the draft process began. "The arm strength is easy to notice. He's got a big arm and you see him make some drive throws you don't see other guys make," Jeremiah said. "When I watched him early in the year, he took so many sacks and I kind of worried about his ability to navigate in the pocket and get out of trouble."

Source: NFL.com

Apr 18 - 5:59 PM

Gruden compares QB Manziel to Brett Favre

ESPN's Jon Gruden compares Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel to Brett Favre.

"Johnny has a lot of magic to him," Gruden said. "There's not a more exciting college football player I've seen in the last few years." Gruden, who taped a segment with the Aggies' star for his "Gruden's QB Camp" series, has also compared Manziel to Hall of Famer Steve Young. "I had more fun with Manziel than I did most guys," Gruden said. "I'd love to have him. It takes courage to pull the ball down and reverse field and do some of the crazy things that Favre and Manziel do. There's going to be consequences when sometimes it doesn't work out. But it takes a tremendous amount of guts and courage to go make a play when there's nothing there instead of throwing the ball away."

Source: USA Today

Apr 18 - 5:21 PM

Report: Brandon Thomas likely 4-5th after inj

Clemson OL Brandon Thomas will likely drop to the fourth- or fifth-round after his ACL injury, according to insider Tony Pauline.

Thomas injured his knee while working out for the Saints, and is expected to have surgery in the immediate future. he will almost certainly have to redshirt next season for whichever club takes him. We consider Thomas a top 50 talent, as he displays an athletic lower half and powerful punch.

Source: TFY Draft Insider

Apr 18 - 12:37 PM

Colts host Utah FB Karl Williams for a visit

Utah FB Karl Williams has visited the Colts, according to ESPN's Adam Caplan.

Fullbacks are a rare breed in the NFL these days, especially ones with minimal receiving experience. Williams caught 19 passes for 115 yards during his three years of playing time. He did record a 4.50 forty at the school's pro day, however. The Colts only have five draft picks, so maybe they are evaluating undrafted free agents even more than usual.

Source: Adam Caplan on Twitter

Apr 18 - 12:23 PM

Bridgewater to meet with HOU & JAX next week

Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater is scheduled to visit the Texans next week, along with a workout for the Jaguars, according to Tania Ganguli.

Bridgewater has already visited the Jaguars once, so the team is likely getting to know him on a personal level. The first issue teams are seemingly propping up is Teddy's lean frame, but if they can get past that the next question is his "quiet personality." We think he is deserving to be the top quarterback off the board, but Bridgewater has a chance of being an early second-round pick.

Source: Tania Ganguli on Twitter

Apr 18 - 12:02 PM

Demarcus Lawrence is busy with seven visits

Boise State edge rusher Demarcus Lawrence has visited, or is scheduled to travel to, the Redskins, Cowboys, Vikings, Steelers, 49ers, Jets and Saints.

Lawrence is a legitimate dark horse for the end of the first-round, and any of these teams (other than the Redskins or Vikings) could trade up to the early part of the second day to nab him. He did not test overly well in terms of lateral athleticism, but Lawrence shows more movement skills on tape than he did at the Combine.

Source: Adam Caplan on Twitter

Apr 18 - 11:36 AM

Deone Bucannon visits NE, IND and BAL

Washington State S Deone Bucannon has visited the Patriots, Colts and Ravens this week, according to Aaron Wilson.

Bucannon also has the Eagles, Jets and Giants scheduled before the visit deadline. The aggressive safety has drawn plenty of interest as of late. He might lack lateral agility, but Bucannon takes tight lines and closes in a hurry. He could wind up in the second-round.

Source: National Football Post

Apr 18 - 11:21 AM