O'Brien searching for ways to improve Texans

South Texas held its collective breath Tuesday when it was reported that the projected centerpiece of the Houston Texans’ offense, running back Arian Foster, will need surgery for a groin injury suffered in the team’s first padded practice of the year.

ESPN.com first reported that Foster will probably be headed to short-term injured reserve and an NFL source confirmed that likelihood to Today’s Pigskin, a scenario which would put the dynamic back on the sidelines for at least eight weeks.

A significant injury to a high-profile player is going to be the lede in any NFL city but the oft-injured Foster’s latest setback has overshadowed some interesting developments surrounding the Texans and second-year head coach Bill O’Brien’s efforts to get his team back in the mix with AFC South heavyweight Indianapolis.

Continue reading at TodaysPigskin.com

Ravens' denials add another layer to 'Deflategate'

You don’t have to be Alex Jones to conjure up a conspiracy theory when it comes to the Baltimore Ravens and their influence on DeflateGate. After all John Harbaugh and Chuck Pagano are as thick as thieves and the former was hopping mad after being shown up by Bill Belichick’s alignment hijinks a week prior to the AFC Championship Game between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts.

Tuesday’s release of documents by the NFL Players Association provided a number of interesting nuggets, not the least of which was the confirmation that Harbaugh’s Ravens did indeed tip off the Colts about concerns over kicking balls in the divisional-round postseason encounter between the Ravens and Patriots. From there it doesn’t exactly take a Jerry Fletcher-like leap to assume a vengeful Harbaugh also tipped off his good friend and former defensive coordinator about possible football deflation, a narrative the Ravens attempted to quash on Wednesday.

Continue reading at TodaysPigskin.com

The hero in St. Louis

St. Louis Rams special teams coach John Fassel was kidding himself if he thought the reporters waiting for him to speak at Rams training camp on Monday wanted to chat about Greg Zuerlein, Johnny Hekker, the returners or any of his core coverage guys.

As important as special teams can be to winning a football game, it’s not exactly the sexiest aspect of the profession so when Fassel, the son of ex-Giants coach Jim Fassel, took the podium, coverage and blocking schemes weren’t on the docket.

“How was your summer?” one scribe awkwardly asked.

Read the rest at TodaysPigskin.com

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NFL talk with Sharp and Benning

A civics lesson courtesy of the Vikings' Josh Robinson

By John McMullen

Time for a civics lesson courtesy of the NFL and embattled Minnesota Vikings cornerback Josh Robinson.

Robinson has been excoriated in the court of public opinion in recent days for his perceived anti-gay tweets in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex couples having the right to marry.

To many, the most objectionable of the 24-year-old’s thoughts was when he compared allowing two gay men to marry to allowing a man to wed his own 6-year-old child. The rebukes were swift and harsh forcing Robinson to delete the tweet and issue an apology.

Read the rest at FanRagSports.com

The Eagles' 'safety' net

Thurmond talks about the move to safety

PHILADELPHIA - In the days when intimidation was still a big part of the NFL, safeties like Ronnie Lott, Steve Atwater and Kenny Easley were lionized for their physical play, coupled with an ability to actually cover opposing receivers.

These days, however, the traditional safety is a dying breed, something Ed Marynowitz, the Philadelphia Eagles new vice president of player personnel, explained back in April.

"The way we play our safeties, we like those guys to be able to roll down and play slot coverage," Marynowitz stated before the draft in April. "In order to play man coverage, they have to have the athleticism to do that. Typically, the traditional box safeties don't have that."

Read the rest at FanRagsports.com...

NFL talk with Sharp and Benning in the morning

John McMullen discusses 'Deflategate' with Rick Ralph

Agholor locked up with 4-year deal

Philadelphia,  PA -- The Philadelphia  Eagles announced on Thursday that they have reached agreement with their big-name draftee, wide receiver Nelson Agholor, on a four-year contract.

Agholor was selected with the 20th overall pick by the Birds in last week's draft, after a three-year stint with Southern California.

In his junior campaign, he totaled career bests of 104 receptions, 1,313 yards and 12 touchdowns. Agholor departed USC having racked up 179 catches for 2,571 yards and 20 TDs, while also contributing four punt returns for scores.

With the signing, the Eagles have locked up four of their 2015 draft selections. The only players outstanding are third-round choice and linebacker Jordan Hicks along with cornerback JaCorey Shepherd who was taken in the sixth round.

Matthews heads to Minnesota

PHILADELPHIA (The Phanatic Magazine) - One of Philadelphia's favorite whipping-boys has a new home.

Linebacker Casey Matthews agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday.

Matthews, the brother of Green Bay Packers star Clay Matthews, spent his first four NFL seasons with the Eagles after being taken in the fourth round of the 2011 draft out of the University of Oregon. He played in 65 games, starting 15, and amassed 109 tackles, 2 1/2 sacks, 7 TFLs, 5 QBHs and 1 forced fumble in addition to 39 special teams tackles.

Despite his reputation as an underachiever Matthews has his best year in 2014 as an injury replcement for both Mychal Kendricks and DeMerco Ryans, recording a career-best 62 tackles, 1 1/2 sacks, 4 TFLs and 3 QBHs.

In Minnesota, Matthews will be moving from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 and is expected to compete with Audie Cole at MLB. The Vikings' starter in 2014, Jasper Brinkley, left for Dallas in free agency.

'Concrete Charlie' leaves the Eagles nest

Philadelphia, PA -- The last of the NFL's Iron Men has passed on.

Philadelphia Eagles Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker and center Chuck Bednarik died early Saturday morning following a brief illness at an assisted living facility in Richland, Pennsylvania, the team announced. He was 89.

One of the last two-way players in the NFL, Bednarik played a franchise-record 14 seasons with the Eagles from 1949-1962 and was part of two NFL Championship squads in 1949 and 1960.

"With the passing of Chuck Bednarik, the Eagles and our fans have lost a legend," said Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie in a statement. "Philadelphia fans grow up expecting toughness, all-out effort and a workmanlike attitude from this team and so much of that image has its roots in the way Chuck played the game. He was a Hall of Famer, a champion and an all-time Eagle. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this time."

Bednarik had arrived with the Eagles as the NFL's first overall draft pick in 1949 after two All-American seasons at the University of Pennsylvania.

A native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Bednarik made eight Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967, his first year of eligibility. His No. 60 jersey is one of nine numbers to be retired by the Eagles. He played in 169 career games, notching 20 interceptions on defense, including one returned for a touchdown.

"I have had the opportunity to spend time with Chuck Bednarik, who is truly one of the most unique players that this game has ever seen," said Eagles coach Chip Kelly. "The foundation of this organization and this league is built on the backs of past greats, with Chuck at the forefront.

"The way he played the game with an endless passion and tenacity helped establish the standard of excellence that this organization stands for; one that we strive to achieve each and every day."

Known as one of the most devastating tacklers and toughest players in the NFL, Bednarik earned the nickname "Concrete Charlie" from his offseason job as a concrete salesman for the Warner Company. He was a gunner on a B-24 in World War II before his football career.

A well-traveled iconic photograph of Bednarik truimphal over the body of New York Giants back Frank Gifford underscores the man's toughness and ruthlessness on the gridiron. Gifford's injuries were so great from the hit that he had to miss the entire 1961 season while recovering. 

Former Temple football player Matt Brown charged with human trafficking:

(The Phanatic Magazine) - Former Temple football star Matt Brown was arrested Tuesday and charged with prostituting three teenage girls, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Brown and another man, Anthony Leon Eley, Jr., were arrested on human trafficking charges after they set up the three underage girls — ages 14, 16 and 17 -- with.an undercover Baltimore vice detective.

Police alleged Brown and Eley met the detectives at the Baltimore County hotel on Tuesday night with the girls.

The 5-foot-5 Brown, the son of well-known Baltimore-area attorney Warren Brown, was a wide receiver, running back and special teams star for Temple from 2009-2012. He finished his four-year career with the Owls with 2,068 kickoff return yards and was named the Big East Conference's special teams player of the year in 2012.

Brown signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after going undrafted in 2013 but was released.

Kelly swaps Foles for Bradford

Philadelphia, PA -- The Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to terms on a trade that will send quarterback Nick Foles, a fourth-round draft pick in 2015 and a second-round pick in 2016 to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for former No. 1 overall draft pick Sam Bradford and the Rams' fifth-round pick in 2015.

Also, if Bradford plays less than 50 percent of the snaps next season, the Eagles get a 2016 fourth-rounder back, and if he doesn't play one snap for Philadelphia, it gets a third-round pick in 2016.
Bradford was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2010 but has since had his career derailed by an assortment of injuries, most recently a torn ACL that sidelined him for the entire 2014 season.

The 27-year-old Bradford started seven games for the Rams in 2013, completing 60.7 percent of his passes for 1,687 yards and 14 touchdowns to just four interceptions before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

The 2008 Heisman Trophy winner threw for 11,065 yards, 59 touchdowns and 38 interceptions over 49 games with the Rams.

"Sam was a leader on our team in the locker room and on the field," said Rams coach Jeff Fisher. "He was a great teammate who was dealt some adversity but handled it all with grace and dignity. He represented himself as well as the organization in a first-class manner. I wish him nothing but the best throughout his career."

In Philadelphia, Bradford will be reunited with former Rams and current Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, who coached the quarterback in his rookie season.

Foles put together a terrific 2013 campaign in which the three-year pro threw 27 touchdown passes and just two interceptions while leading the Eagles to an NFC East title. However, he wasn't able to replicate those outstanding numbers while missing half of last season with a broken collarbone
sustained in November.

The 26-year-old Foles completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 6,753 yards, 46 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 28 games (24 starts) with the Eagles.

"I'm extremely excited about adding Nick to our team," said Fisher. "Nick is a talented young quarterback and will be a great addition to our offense. I look forward to getting him here as we prepare to start our offseason program."

Foles is the latest star player to depart Philadelphia in the past week. He joins star running back LeSean McCoy and Pro Bowl wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

Birds keep Graham with 4-year deal

All the rumored upheaval from last night found a temporary resting place.

The Philadelphia Eagles announced on Monday afternoon that they have re-signed linebacker Brandon Graham to a four-year contract.

 The deal, which was announced Monday on the eve of the new league year, is reportedly worth $26 million with $14 million guaranteed.

Graham, who was slated to become a free agent, registered 5 1/2 sacks and forced four fumbles in 16
games last season.

A first-round pick of the Eagles in 2010 from the University of Michigan, Graham has 17 career sacks.

Reports: Eagles to sign Gore, Maclin to Chiefs

Philadelphia, PA -- Forget about the Friday afternoon news dump, it's a veritable purifying dumpster fire emanating from the area of 11th and Pattison on Sunday night.

Veteran running back Frank Gore has reportedly agreed to sign a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles when free agency begins on Tuesday.

According to multiple reports, Gore has informed those around him that he plans to sign with Philadelphia, which traded star running back LeSean McCoy to Buffalo last week.

Gore, who will turn 32 before the 2015-16 season, has spent his entire 10-year career with the San Francisco 49ers. The five-time Pro Bowler has accumulated 11,073 rush yards and 64 touchdowns in
148 career games.

Despite his age, Gore's production hasn't diminished. He appeared in all 16 games last season, rushing for 1,106 yards and four touchdowns on 255 carries. He's gone over 1,000 rushing yards in four straight seasons.

Here's the real kicker: according to multiple reports, wideout Jeremy Maclin has decided to pull a u-turn and give up on a contract with the Birds, instead electing to reunite with former head coach Andy Reid in Kansas City.

Once that move is made official, Chip Kelly will have to rebuild without the three biggest cornerstones on offense which he inherited two years ago: Maclin, DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy, who is on the verge of signing a five-year pact with the Bills once a trade to Buffalo for Kiko Alonso is made official. 

The Eagles will also be bringing back quarterback Mark Sanchez on a two-year deal. The 28-year-old signed a one-year contract with the Eagles last offseason after being released by the New York Jets.

Sanchez threw for 2,418 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions over Philly's final eight games after Nick Foles broke his clavicle Week 9 against the Houston Texans.

Eagles on fast track to dysfunction

by John McMullen 
Phanatic Managing Editor

Philadelphia, PA -- Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie once called his operation "kind of the gold standard."

These days, it's kind of a mess thanks to the distrust between coach Chip Kelly and his former boss, Howie Roseman. In fact, the gold standard has gone from zero to dysfunction faster than your average Corvette.

Kelly won a power struggle back in January, gaining full control of the personnel side and banishing Roseman back to the business end of the operation, where the ex-GM is supposed to be handling the contract negotiations of the players Kelly wants.

Yet the rift between the two is so deep that Roseman's office at the team's facility, which used to be two doors down from Kelly's, was recently moved from the football operations end of the building to the business side, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Most who lose power struggles typically are shown the door but Lurie is hedging his bets here and trying to serve two masters, attempting to keep his indispensable right-hand man (Roseman) in case the flavor of the month (Kelly) turns out to be exactly that.

Roseman's natural state is that of a shark, however, a take-no- prisoners operative in the mold of a Rahm Emanuel. At 39, he was the youngest GM in all of football and the list of executives who have lost power struggles to him is stunning: Joe Banner, Tom Heckert, Jason Licht, Ryan Grigson, Louis Riddick, and Kelly's friend Tom Gamble.

And although he finally lost one to Kelly, Roseman is staying put for now and still swimming while playing the waiting game, hoping the extra rope Kelly has been given will be enough to hang the coach Howie had a hand in hiring.

Anyone who knows Roseman and what makes him tick understands his first love is personnel so having that aspect of the job taken away from him has been difficult despite the consolation prize of a fancy new title (executive vice president of football operations) and a few more zeros in his paycheck.

Roseman, though, understands Lurie couldn't chose him over Kelly this early in the former Oregon coach's tenure because the Eagles changed their entire culture to lure Kelly from the college ranks and his unconventional methods simply can't be duplicated.

Roseman is now actively trying to speed up Kelly's demise, speaking out about the coach's perceived willingness to mortgage the future in an effort to reunite with his old college quarterback, Marcus Mariota.

The Eagles are scheduled to pick at No. 20 on April 30 and moving up to the top spot or even No. 2 in an effort to get Mariota is almost untenable unless Kelly is willing to risk it all, something Roseman seems to be secretly rooting for in the hopes it ultimately fails.

"When you're looking at trading up, at some point, your board drops off so dramatically in terms of how you evaluate that player," Roseman recently said at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston. "But the history of trading up for one player, when you look at those trades, isn't good for the team trading up and putting a lot of resources into it."

If that sounds passive aggressive to you, give yourself a gold star. It's almost as if Roseman is attempting to get his thought process on the record in the hopes Kelly does indeed ship multiple first-round draft picks and a big- name star or two to whomever in an effort to get a player Kelly and some draftniks seem much higher on than the rest of the league.

"I think Marcus will be successful whether he's an NFL player, a banker, a teacher, a fireman, a policeman," Kelly said on a Philadelphia-area radio station when asked about his former recruit. "I've said it before about some other players, but if you can buy stock in a human being, you buy stock in that kid because he'll always be successful in anything he does."

Roseman offered a far different spin in Boston.

"If you're hitting on 60 percent of your first-round picks, that's a pretty good track record," Roseman said. "And then it's dropping as you go through the rounds. So really, the more chances you get, the more tickets to the lottery you get, the better you should be doing."

When Roseman was in charge, he practiced what he preached, amassing 48 draft picks during five years.

"At the end of the day, it's about the player you picked," Roseman said. "You can go through each round of the draft on players on your team and see you have guys who are really good players from the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh round ... There's always value."

"You can kind of convince yourself of, 'Who am I really going to get in the fifth or sixth round? Roseman continued. "I'm willing to give up that pick, because I really want this player in the second or third round. But it's all about the evaluations and getting the right players into your building."

You do need the right players in the facility but you also need the right front-office people and even if Philadelphia finds its next superstar QB in late April, it's still going to missing one- half of that equation.

Talking NFL Free Agency on ESPN Nashville

Kelly-Mariota reunion is more feasible than you think

 For many years, there was a strong belief in baseball that college programs did more harm than good when it came to getting pitchers ready for the major leagues.

And the thought process was probably correct, at least in the days before anyone cared about things like pitch counts.

After all, most college coaches weren't about to try to serve two masters -- in this case, winning while at the same time getting their prospects ready for the next step.

Self-preservation generally dictates which part of an equation wins and sports, even at the college level, is a bottom-line profession, meaning the head coach of Wossamotta U is never going to be all that worried about what the manager of the New York Yankees might want, especially if it's undercutting his own goals.

A similar dynamic is occurring in football right now with quarterbacks. Spread offenses are all the rage at the college level and although there is more read-option than ever in the professional ranks, most organizations aren't all that comfortable with signal callers who have spent their entire college experience in the pistol or shotgun.

In fact, if anything the pendulum is swinging back and most teams are more enamored with the old-school, pocket-style passer who is comfortable with a three-, five- or seven-step drop, and capable of planting his foot in the ground before letting it rip.

A quarterback with mobility who can do that is the prototype, but you can count the number who have both of those attributes on one hand.

With the NFL Scouting Combine less than a week away, the first-round quarterback hype centers on just two players, Florida State standout Jameis Winston and Oregon's Marcus Mariota, the last two Heisman Trophy winners.

Both are projected as top-10 picks by most and with some expecting the two players to go quickly off the board at Nos. 1 and 2.

"It's not a real good quarterback draft," NFL network draft analyst Mike Mayock recently admitted on Philadelphia radio station WPEN. "You've got two quarterbacks that are head-and-shoulders above everyone else, and even they have their own holes -- one on the field (Mariota) and one off the field (Winston)."

From a pure football perspective, Winston is light years ahead of Mariota when projecting both to the professional level. The ex-Seminoles star is regarded as NFL-ready and similar to Teddy Bridgewater in 2014, only with better size and overall physical skills than the current Minnesota Vikings' starter, who if you were redrafting '14 all over again would probably end up No. 1 overall.

Mariota, on the other hand, is a lump of clay for those planning to run a traditional pro offense, and while most rave about his athleticism, plus-arm talent, football IQ and work ethic, you are going to need significant time to mold that clay.

"From a physical trait perspective, he has everything you want," Mayock said. "He's big, he's athletic, he's got great feet and he's got a live arm. So on the surface, the individual components all work. The problem is he's a projection coming to the next level because of the pocket awareness, the progressions and the reads."
In other words, the Oregon offense did Mariota no favors when it comes to the pro level unless he ends up in the one city that embraces it -- Philadelphia.

Chip Kelly's previous history at Oregon is well-documented. The Eagles coach believes in an up-tempo offense built around the read-option above all else, and the fact that he gushes about Mariota like he has a teenage crush has many surmising that Kelly, who recently won an organizational power struggle with former general manger Howie Roseman, is set to do whatever it takes to acquire the apple of his eye.

"I think Marcus will be successful whether he's an NFL player, a banker, a teacher, a fireman, a policeman," Kelly said on another Philadelphia-area radio station when asked about his former recruit. "I've said it before about some other players, but if you can buy stock in a human being, you buy stock in that kid because he'll always be successful in anything he does."

The Eagles are scheduled to pick at No. 20 on April 30 and moving up to the top spot or even No. 2 is almost untenable unless Kelly is willing to risk a Ricky Williams-like mortgage of the future for what is essentially a high-risk venture.

And that mind-set has more than one observer worried.

The rationale is simple. If a Mariota experiment fails, Kelly can simply move on to a high-profile college job after scorching the earth in Philly.

You can allay at least some of those fears because the Eagles will not have to go up nearly as far as most think if they want Mariota, who piloted the Ducks to 12-1 record and No. 2 overall ranking that past season.

Recent history magnifies the fact that someone's stock in the first two weeks of February before both the combine and the various pro days around the country is meaningless in the NFL's eyes.

Before the 2013 draft, Geno Smith was projected as the top overall pick by FOXSports and was in both NFL.com's and Sports Illustrated's top five. Yours truly had the West Virginia product going No. 7 overall to Arizona, and the history book says he ended up in the second round, 39th overall to the New York Jets.

Rewind one year and you will see that Peter Schrager of FOX and this writer had Bridgewater going No. 1 overall while most others had him in the top five. He eventually fell to No. 32 after a shaky pro day, although his play on the field vindicated his supporters.

The immature Johnny Manziel, who may or may not currently be in rehab for alcohol dependency, was drafted 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns in 2014, but Don Banks of SI and Nate Davis of USA Today each had him projected at No. 1 overall while TSN has him going at No. 4 to the Browns in early February.

Mariota is ripe for a similar fall and it's just a matter of how far.

If Kelly and the Eagles really want Mariota, the hurdles to get him are not nearly as steep as advertised with the only real contenders to usurp the perceived plan being the Jets, who struck out with Smith in 2013, at No. 6 overall, and Cleveland, which now understands they can't count on Manziel and owns both the 12th and 19th overall picks.

The Jets are the biggest threat because Mariota's intangibles point toward eventual success and the team's new general manager, Mike Maccagnan, has the rope and time to take a chance.

Conversely, Cleveland GM Ray Farmer is dealing with a much tougher landscape because of his first-round shenanigans a year ago in which he passed on the ability to take playmakers like Sammy Watkins and Odell Beckham Jr. in favor of trading down and taking overmatched cornerback Justin Gilbert. Farmer then traded back up to get Manziel, who he would essentially be giving up on after just 365 days.

For Kelly, the bigger issue is not about mortgaging that future to get what he wants, it will be about bypassing a guy who is 14-4 as his starter, Nick Foles, in favor of an unknown.

 "(If the Eagles) think he's the guy and that they can win a Super Bowl with Marcus Mariota, given people around him and a good defense, then I think they have to try and go get him," Mayock said.

NFL Mock-ing season begins

By John McMullen

PHILADELPHIA - The New England Patriots' latest coronation as the NFL's top team puts the lid on the 2014 season and is also the unofficial kickoff to the league's offseason, specifically free agency and the draft.

 For the 31 teams looking up at the Tom Brady and Co., it's the first opportunity to close the gap and begin their own climb toward the game's ultimate prize, the Lombardi Trophy.

With that in mind and the Indianapolis scouting combine on the docket for later this month, it's time to take our first look at the 2015 NFL Draft, which takes place from April 30-May 2 this year in an unfamiliar venue, Chicago's Auditorium Theatre.

The Sports Network's first 2015 NFL mock draft:

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State - The off-the- field issues are a real concern, but Winston is light years ahead of Oregon's Marcus Mariota when projecting both to the professional level. Winston is NFL- ready and similar to Teddy Bridgewater in 2014 but possesses better size and physical skills than the Minnesota Vikings' starter. He does not have Bridgewater's maturity, though, and that will be a real issue for certain organizations especially after the disaster that was Johnny Manziel's rookie season in Cleveland. With no real answer at the game's most important position, the Bucs will roll the dice and keep Winston in the Sunshine State.

2. Tennessee Titans - Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska - Tennessee likes Zach Mettenberger and Ken Whisenhunt isn't about to change his whole offensive philosophy for Mariota, so if they can't trade out, expect the Titans to take the best pass rusher available in Gregory, a rangy 6-foot-6 prospect with the speed to make a big difference off the edge.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars - Leonard Williams, DT, Southern California - The Jags have gone offense in the first two years of the David Caldwell/Gus Bradley era (left tackle Luke Joeckel and quarterback Blake Bortles), and it's now time to get the Gus Bus a difference maker on the defensive side. Williams is the best interior defensive lineman in this year's process with upper-echelon athleticism and real functional-football strength.

4. Oakland Raiders - Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama - Derek Carr showed plenty of flashes as a rookie quarterback, but he needs some help outside the numbers if he plans to avoid a sophomore slump. Cooper will arrive in the NFL as a sharp route-runner with plus hands and tremendous short-area quickness.

5. Washington Redskins - Danny Shelton, DT, Washington - The massive Shelton had a great Senior Bowl week, flashing really impressive movement skills for a 345-pound guy. If he follows things up with a good showing at the combine, he'll solidify a top-10 spot and the Redskins could use a difference maker in the middle.

6. New York Jets - Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon - He's a project if you plan on running a traditional pro offense, but most rave about Mariota's athleticism, live arm, football IQ and work ethic, so he's a project who will pay off in the end. New Jets general time Mike Maccagnan has the time, so he strikes here.

7. Chicago Bears - Dante Fowler, OLB, Florida - A hybrid edge player, Fowler is a great fit for a team looking to rebuild its defense under new coach John Fox. Jared Allen is running on fumes at this point and Lance Briggs has probably played his last down in Chicago, so bringing in a player who can help in multiple spots should be a no-brainer for new GM Ryan Pace.

8. Atlanta Falcons - Shane Ray, DE, Missouri - You know Dan Quinn is going to want to bolster the front seven here and Ray will get the nod because the Falcons have some manageable parts on the interior with Paul Soliai and second-year man Ra'Shede Hageman. Ray, who blossomed last season after getting out of the shadow of Kony Ealy and Michael Sam, has a great first step and blinding 4.45 speed off the edge.

9. New York Giants - Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford - The Giants are still in the midst of rebuilding a shaky offensive line and taking Peat could enable them to either kick right tackle Justin Pugh inside to guard, where he would be much more effective, or move on from left tackle Will Beatty, who hasn't lived up to his big cap number.

10. St. Louis Rams - T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pitt - The Rams have some real issues at tackle because Jake Long's health is a very serious concern and right tackle Joseph Barksdale is set to test free agency. The talented Greg Robinson should kick out to handle one of those spots and bringing in Clemmings, a natural right tackle with a nasty disposition, could cure everything.

11. Minnesota Vikings - Brandon Scherff, OL, Iowa - The Vikings need help on the left side and Scherff could serve two masters, taking over for descending veteran left guard Charlie Johnson and provide insurance for left tackle Matt Kalil, who will get one more chance to prove he can be the player he was as a rookie. The 6-5, 320-pound Scherff is a drive-blocking machine who projects as a very safe pick.

12. Cleveland Browns - Kevin White, WR, West Virginia - The Browns are so dysfunctional you never really know what they are thinking, but with Josh Gordon suspended yet again, getting a rangy 6-3 receiving threat like White would make a lot of sense for whomever is playing QB in the Forest City come 2015.

13. New Orleans Saints - Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington - The Saints had significant issues on the defensive side of the ball this past season and need a significant talent upgrade. Thompson is an instinctive 'backer who tackles very well, a big issue with New Orleans' stop unit.

14. Miami Dolphins - DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville - Mike Wallace hasn't really worked out in South Florida and the Dolphins could be looking to go in another direction. Parker doesn't have Wallace's speed nor his questionable attitude. He does, however, bring a big body to the dance, along with soft hands, body control and the leaping ability to high-point the football.

15. San Francisco 49ers - Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State - You simply can't replace a Justin Smith and the 49ers will likely do everything they can to convince the three-time All-Pro to play another season, but if they can't, getting a big body like Goldman could be a sound Plan B.

16. Houston Texans - Jalen Collins, CB, LSU - Kareem Jackson is scheduled to be a free agent and Collins is what NFL teams look for in cornerbacks these days, a long 6-2 player with the capability to be physical, along with the closing speed to make up for a mistake.

17. San Diego Chargers - Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami - The Chargers plan on moving the slow-footed D.J. Fluker inside to guard next season and need a more athletic option on the edge at right tackle. Enter Flowers, who is raw but flashes excellent quickness, especially as a run blocker.

18. Kansas City Chiefs - Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State - The Chiefs went through an entire NFL season in the most offensively-skewed era in history without throwing a TD pass to a wide receiver. Translation, they need a receiver badly and Strong is the best one left on the board, a 6-3 physical nightmare for opposing defensive backs.

19. Cleveland Browns (from Buffalo) - La'el Collins, OT, LSU - The Browns would like to move right tackle Mitchell Schwartz inside and the 6-5, 310-pound Collins has the quick feet to handle the edge.

20. Philadelphia Eagles - Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State - The guess here is that Chip Kelly doesn't mortgage the future to go get Mariota and instead attempts to rebuild a shaky secondary. At 6-1, Waynes has the size and length Philadelphia craves on the outside, but he needs to bulk up a bit and get more physical.

21. Cincinnati Bengals - Alvin Dupree, DE, Kentucky - The Bengals' pass rush was dismal last season with Carlos Dunlap proving to be the only somewhat consistent threat. Dupree projects as a productive pass rusher rather early with long arms and solid closing speed off the edge.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers - Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami - Cortez Allen was a disaster last season and Ike Taylor is on the downside, making cornerback the biggest need in the Steel City. Rollins put himself into the first-round conversation with an impressive Senior Bowl week in which he showed excellent coverage skills and the willingness to hit.

23. Detroit Lions - Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma - The hope is Ndamukong Suh is back, but the fact that both he as well as Nick Fairley and C.J. Mosley could be on the open market makes the interior of the defensive line a big issue in the Motor City. Phillips is a big body with surprising athleticism who should be able to be at least a rotational player from Day 1.

24. Arizona Cardinals - Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin - It's time to stop messing around in the desert and get a legitimate bell-cow back who can take some of the load off a 35-year-old Carson Palmer coming off an ACL injury. Gordon has the vision, balance and strength to be a top-tier back for years.

25. Carolina Panthers - Cameron Erving - OT, Florida State - When your tackles are Byron Bell and Mike Remmers, it's time for an upgrade and Erving is the best one left at this point, a player who started at both center and left tackle for the Seminoles after moving over from the defensive side. A raw prospect, Erving has the feet to turn into one of the best pass blockers in football with sound and patient coaching.

26. Baltimore Ravens - Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn - Steve Smith is 35 and Torrey Smith is a pending free agent so Coates, a 4.3 speed merchant with size and ball skills, is a solid fit for a deep team with few holes.

27. Dallas Cowboys - Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson - Despite a great season, the Cowboys don't have a ton of talent on the defensive side and reclamation project Rolando McClain is a potential free agent. Beasley isn't the most natural run defender, but he's an athletic marvel with the best first step of any linebacker in the college ranks.

28. Denver Broncos - Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota - The Broncos' top three tight ends are all scheduled to be free agents, including star Julius Thomas. Williams looks like a younger version of Jason Witten, a true Y-back with the large catching radius and the ability to seal as an in-line blocker.

29. Indianapolis Colts - Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia - The Colts can forget about Trent Richardson and need to give Andrew Luck a little more balance to the offense with Gurley, who would project to go much earlier had he not torn his ACL in November. Gurley is a big, physical back who understands how to stick his foot in the ground, lower his pads and go.

30. Green Bay Packers - Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State - The Packers want Clay Matthews back in his comfort zone on the edge and that means plugging a hole in the middle. Enter McKinney, an athletic thumper who can control the point of attack.

31. Seattle Seahawks - Malcom Brown, DT, Texas - The Seahawks need to add depth to the front seven because there is no guarantee veteran Kevin Williams will be back. Brown is a wide body who could spell Brandon Mebane as a run defender.

32. New England Patriots - Landon Collins, SS, Alabama - The rich get richer. Yeah, the world champs just re-upped Patrick Chung, but he's limited and Collins is too good to pass up at this point despite having some coverage deficiencies.

OTHER POSSIBLE FIRST-ROUND SELECTIONS::

Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon
A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina
Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State
Carl Davis, DT, Iowa
Devin Funchess, WR/TE, Michigan
Markus Golden, DE/OLB, Missouri
Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
Eli Harold, DE/OLB, Virginia
Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA
Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE, UCLA
Denzel Perryman, LB, Miami
Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State
Daryl Williams, OT, Oklahoma
P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State