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Lions giving Stafford more pre-snap freedom

Matthew Stafford is expected to have more freedom to change plays pre-snap under new OC Joe Lombardi.

Lombardi comes from a New Orleans system in which Drew Brees is allowed to improvise freely at the line. Brees earned that right through his play, and new coach Jim Caldwell cautioned Stafford will earn more pre-snap responsibilities the longer he spends in the offense. More freedom at the line could bring more efficiency for Stafford, who has completed more than 60% of his passes only once in his five-year career, and should allow Stafford to put Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate in better positions to make plays. It could also allow the Lions' offense to play faster snap to snap. Stafford is a clear-cut QB1 with top-3 upside.
Source: Detroit News
Thu, Jun 12, 2014 11:12:00 PM
Seahawks make RB Penny shock first-rounder

Seahawks selected San Diego State RB Rashaad Penny with the No. 27 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

Penny wasn't forecast as a first-round pick but has an impressive profile. Seattle has been in desperate need of improving its running game. Penny (5’11/220) emerged from Donnel Pumphrey’s shadow as a senior, logging a prolific 289/2,248/7.8/23 rushing line and graduating with a silly 7.49 YPC average and eight career return TDs, seven on kickoffs and one on a punt. In 2017, PFF College credited Penny with the most missed tackles forced (86) and runs of 15-plus yards (35) among draft-eligible backs. Penny ran 4.46 at the Combine for an exciting 92nd-percentile Speed Score. Penny needs work in the passing game – his blocking was inconsistent on college tape, and he never caught more than 19 passes in a season – but Penny offers workhorse potential as a faster version of Carlos Hyde.
Apr 26 - 11:08 PM
Falcons draft Calvin Ridley at 26th overall

Falcons selected Alabama WR Calvin Ridley with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

Ridley (6’1/189) started all three years for the Crimson Tide before turning pro, finishing second in Alabama history in career receptions (224) and receiving TDs (19), and third in receiving yards (2,781). Although Ridley is an explosive route runner and smooth separator with 4.43 jets, he dropped 20 passes in three college seasons, lacks a physical element to his game, and turns 24 in December, making Ridley old for a rookie. Long term, Ridley still offers in-his-prime Chad Johnson upside with a Marqise Lee floor. Nick Saban compared Ridley to old Jaguars WR Keenan McCardell. He'll round out a dangerous three-wideout corps as Ridley aligns with Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu.
Apr 26 - 10:59 PM
Ravens take TE Hayden Hurst at 25th overall

Ravens selected South Carolina TE Hayden Hurst with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

Hurst (6’5/250) will be a 25-year-old rookie after spending two seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization, then three with the Gamecocks, tallying a career 100/1,281/12.8/3 receiving line and setting school records for a tight end in catches and yards. Hurst tested as a 46th-percentile athlete with 4.67 speed before the draft. Hurst is raw and old for a prospect, but he offers a plus pass-catching skill set and willingness to block. Even at his age, Hurst offers room for growth in a sport he wasn’t even focusing on four years ago. Hurst is yet another addition to an offensive skill group that has been complete overhauled in Baltimore.
Apr 26 - 10:55 PM
Panthers end WR drought, draft D.J. Moore

Panthers selected Maryland WR D.J. Moore with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Carolina added Torrey Smith and Jarius Wright in free agency and should get 2017 second-rounder Curtis Samuel back from injury, but they still needed to add some playmakers. Moore certainly fits the bill. Moore (6’0/210) turned pro as a true junior after starting all three years for the Terps, logging a career 146/2,027/13.9/7 receiving line and earning 2017 Big Ten WR of the Year in a breakout, 80-catch, 8-TD season. Moore shredded the Combine with 97th-percentile SPARQ results, including 4.42 straight-line speed and an explosive 11-foot broad jump. Comfortable and tough over the middle and a post-catch tackle breaker, Moore profiles on the Pierre Garcon-Golden Tate spectrum as a versatile wideout capable of winning at multiple receiver positions.
Apr 26 - 10:47 PM
Titans trade up for Bama LB Rashaan Evans

Titans traded up with the Ravens to select Alabama LB Rashaan Evans with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

The Titans traded the Nos. 25 and 125 picks for Nos. 22 and 215. Evans (6’2/232) began college as a situational edge rusher before taking over as Alabama’s starting weak-inside linebacker for his final two seasons, earning first-team All-SEC as a senior and finishing his career with 21.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks. Evans’ lone deficiency came in coverage, where he remains a work in progress and may not be ready to play on all three downs. Still a relentless, violent, and explosive off-ball linebacker, Evans projects as a plus starter with uncommon pass-rush versatility for his position. He compares to Lawrence Timmons coming out.
Apr 26 - 10:31 PM
Cowboys pass on WR, draft LB Vander Esch

Cowboys selected Boise State LB Leighton Vander Esch with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Receiver might be the Cowboys' biggest need following the release of Dez Bryant, but linebacker was a major area of concern as well. Vander Esch (6’4/256) earned 2017 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors as a redshirt junior, tallying 10 career tackles for loss, four sacks, and three forced fumbles. PFF College credited him with 2017’s most run stops (57) and highest run-stop percentage (15.9%) among draft-eligible linebackers. Vander Esch drew comparisons to LaVar Arrington and Brian Urlacher before the draft, posting the highest SPARQ score (96th-percentile) in this year’s off-ball linebacker class. Supremely athletic with long arms (33 ¾") that help in coverage, Vander Esch is built to play on all three downs. As long as his health cooperates -- he was reportedly flagged for a neck issue by some teams -- Vander Esch should be a quality addition.
Apr 26 - 10:14 PM
Draft night dealing: PIT flips Bryant to OAK

Raiders acquired WR Martavis Bryant from the Steelers in exchange for the No. 79 overall pick.

The Steelers let it be known they were ready to trade their walk-year wideout, and the Raiders stepped in immediately. 26-year-old Bryant is headed to a receiver corps that already includes Amari Cooper and Jordy Nelson, but will have bounce-back potential after a slow start and coach clashing marred his 2017 return from indefinite suspension. It's no sure thing Bryant meshes with back to the future coach Jon Gruden, but he still offers legitimate upside. Bryant is a gargantuan touchdown scorer who is a threat to rip a big play every time he touches the ball. All that being said, it's a steep price for a free agent to be with a lengthy suspension history.
Apr 26 - 10:13 PM
Chargers stop Derwin James' slide at No. 17

Chargers selected Florida State S Derwin James with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

James fell further than expected. James (6’2/215) missed all but two games as a 2016 sophomore due to a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee, then rebounded for second-team All-America honors as a 2017 junior with a team-high 49 solo tackles (5.5 TFLs), 13 pass breakups, three sacks, and two INTs. PFF College credited James with a stingy 48.1 passer rating allowed into his coverage last year. He destroyed the Combine, blazing 4.47 with freaky vertical (40") and broad (11’) jumps. Highly athletic with long arms (33"), James can match up to tight ends in man coverage and profiles similarly to Eric Berry.
Apr 26 - 9:58 PM
NO trades 2019 1st to move up for Davenport

Saints traded up with the Packers to select UTSA DE Marcus Davenport with the No. 14 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.

New Orleans gave up No. 27 overall, No. 147 overall, and their first-round pick in 2019 to move up. It is quite a haul for a non-quarterback, especially considering Davenport is something of a project. His upside is undeniable, however. Davenport (6’6/264) earned 2017 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year to cap a prolific four-year career in which he set school records in tackles for loss (38) and sacks (22), also forcing six fumbles. NFL Films’ Greg Cosell compared Davenport’s tape to Aldon Smith. Davenport predictably shined at the Combine, blazing 4.58 with 79th-percentile SPARQ results. A rangy pass rusher who operated as a stand-up linebacker for the Roadrunners, Davenport is a high-upside prospect who won on sheer athleticism at UTSA, and whose all-around game has room for further growth.
Apr 26 - 9:41 PM
Bucs nab UW disruptor Vita Vea at No. 12

Bucs selected Washington DT Vita Vea with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

The Bucs picked at No. 12 after trading down with the Bills. Vea (6’4/347) earned 2017 Pac 12 Defensive Player of the Year, piling up 41 QB pressures and finishing as PFF College’s No. 2-graded run-defending interior defensive lineman. In three years as a Husky, Vea tallied 15 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. Vea draws Haloti Ngata comparisons for his gargantuan size and powerful bull rush, but his get off is much less explosive, and Vea played only 62% of Washington’s 2017 defensive snaps. Still, Vea’s tape shows light feet for a big man, position flexibility, and an ability to create space for linebackers behind him to run free.
Apr 26 - 9:25 PM
Dolphins land Minkah Fitzpatrick at No. 11

Dolphins selected Alabama DB Minkah Fitzpatrick with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

Fitzpatrick (6’0/204) earned the 2017 Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back, capping his three-year career with nine INTs, 16 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and an Alabama-record four pick sixes. Used in the versatile "star" role by Nick Saban, Fitzpatrick has experience at slot corner, safety, and nickel linebacker, aced the Wonderlic (30), and is a dangerous blitzer. PFF College credited Fitzpatrick with a stingy 59.9 passer rating allowed when targeted the past two years. Less experienced on the boundary – he played only 13 snaps at outside corner last year -- Fitzpatrick’s playmaking ability would be best put to use in a Tyrann Mathieu-like role.
Apr 26 - 9:21 PM


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