Gone Too Soon: A Litany of Flyers Impatience

By Rob Riches
Phanatic Hockey Writer
Twitter: @Riches61

Player movement is quite common in the NHL, especially in the era of free agency and lucrative deals. 

Once in a while, teams are presented with young prospects that may not necessarily fit in with them at the time, and a tough decision has to be made -- let the young guy develop, or move him somewhere else for a player of immediate impact, one of depth or a draft pick.

Over the years, it seems as if the Flyers have let go of more than their fair share of prospects too soon, with plenty of talent going on to achieve success after leaving the organization. If a team could be comprised solely of players that the Flyers got rid of before their respective expiration dates, here’s what the starting lineup would look like:

G - Sergei Bobrovsky
The jury’s still out on Bobrovsky, the slayer of Penguins in Pittsburgh, whose development was hampered by the eight-year, $51-million Ilya Bryzgalov contract. It stung to watch him receive the Vezina Trophy at the conclusion of the lockout-shortened 2013 season, but he came back to Earth the last year, finishing eighth in Vezina voting. When healthy, Bobrovsky’s played at an elite level this season, but he’s been hampered by injury -- including a groin issue that is keeping him out of commission when the Blue Jackets, already plagued by injuries up front, could use him to steady the team from the crease.  

Johan Hedberg is also an interesting choice, as the Flyers opted to not invite their 1994 ninth-round pick to training camp despite making the Swedish national team. ‘Moose’ then proceeded to play 12 years in the NHL with Pittsburgh, Vancouver, Dallas, Atlanta and New Jersey

D - Janne Niinimaa 

The young left-handed shooting Finn turned in one full season with the Flyers in their 1996-97 run to the Stanley Cup final, before being dealt to Edmonton just before the 1998 trade deadline for the bulkier Dan McGillis. Niinimaa’s Flyers career lasted 148 games, in which he scored seven goals and 78 points, but may regrettably boil down to that one time he was embarrassed by a Red Wings fourth-liner in the Stanley Cup Finals. He was dealt by Bob Clarke at the age of 22, and played 11 more steady but unspectacular seasons with the Oilers, Islanders, Stars and Canadiens before heading back to Europe.

At one point early in the 1997-98 campaign, Niinimaa was listed as a healthy scratch by then-head coach Wayne Cashman. When he found out he wouldn’t be in the lineup, Niinimaa attended a free Metallica concert in the Sports Complex parking lot that afternoon and presented the band with Flyer jerseys.

D - Mark Eaton
Eaton holds the distinction of being the first player from the Philadelphia area to suit up for the Flyers. Eaton bounced between the Flyers and Phantoms for the 1999-2000 season, recording a goal, two points, and eight penalty minutes with the big club in 27 games. Before getting a true chance to assess his worth alongside fellow rookie Andy Delmore, the Delaware native was dealt to Nashville just prior to the start of the 2000-01 season, where he played for five years. He signed as a free agent in 2006 with the rival Penguins, where he won the Stanley Cup with them in 2009. One two-season stop on Long Island later, Eaton finished his career with the Pens once the league came back from its last lockout.

LW - Patrick Maroon
A sixth-round pick in 2007, Maroon was quickly rising through the organization. He was among the Phantoms’ top-five point scorers in 2008-09 (44) and 2009-10 (34), before being jettisoned to Anaheim early in the 2010-11 season. Despite leading the Phantoms at the time of his trade in November of 2010, an ugly falling-out was rumored to be the cause of his dismissal, leading to his being branded as having an "attitude problem." Perhaps not unrelated, then-head coach Greg Gilbert was axed days after Maroon's sabbatical. 

Currently, Maroon is posting six goals and 25 points with the Ducks after collecting career highs of 11 goals, 18 assists and 29 points over 62 games last year during his first full NHL season in Southern California.

C - Peter Forsberg
Forsberg once was a great unknown: dealt by the Flyers before 1991’s sixth-overall draft pick could even suit up for them in game action in one of the team and the NHL's most famous transactions. Along with Mike Ricci, Kerry Huffman, Chris Simon, Steve Duchesne, now-GM Ron Hextall, two first-round picks and $15 million, Forsberg was shipped to the Quebec Nordiques for Eric Lindros. While Lindros was one of the most exciting and dynamic players to ever don the Orange and Black, he couldn’t quite match the success that Forsberg experienced upon the Nordiques’ relocation to Colorado.

And once Forsberg returned to Philadelphia in 2005, the years of wear and tear for proving that Europeans didn't shy away from contact in the corners caught up to him. 115 points in 100 games over less than two seasons paled in comparison to what he still could have accomplished when healthy at age 32-33.

RW - Justin Williams
Williams was jettisoned by the Flyers 11 years ago in a move to bring in immediate defensive help in the person of Danny Markov, but still continues to make an impact with Los Angeles -- as evidenced by his Conn Smythe Trophy after last year’s Stanley Cup run, supplemented with his NHL-record 14 points in Game 7s. 

The Flyers’ first-rounder in 2000 (28^th overall), Williams was dealt to Carolina after struggling to adapt to systems implemented by Craig Ramsay, Bill Barber and Ken Hitchcock, as well as various injury issues. In four seasons as a Flyer from 2000 through 2004, Williams posted 43 goals and 115 points in 226 games. He now has three Cups and rivals Jeff Carter for the longing of Flyer fans who carry grudges over old trades.

Honorable Mention: Ruslan Fedotenko is also a favorite, following his 2002 trade to Tampa Bay after posting 33 goals and 66 points in 158 games with the Flyers. He broke out with the Lightning, scored the 2004 Stanley Cup-winning goal (after beating the Flyers in the East Final) and won a second Cup alongside Eaton with the Penguins in 2009. He returned to the Flyers two where he registered four goals and 13 points in 47 games but distinguished himself by closing one of the longest gaps of employment between two stints in Philadelphia.

Patrick Sharp is definitely in the mix, especially in the wake of his two Stanley Cup championships with Chicago and Gold medal for Canada in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. However, at the time of his trade in Dec. 2005, the Flyers faced a logjam at center (sound familiar?), with the likes of Forsberg, an injured Keith Primeau, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, R.J. Umberger and Michal Handzus. It’s easy to understand how Sharp became expendable, but that doesn’t condone how ridiculous his trade for Matt Ellison actually was.

Flyers wilt under Habs attack, fall in OT

Montreal, QC -- David Desharnais followed up his own rebound and beat Ray Emery with 1:33 remaining in overtime and the  Montreal Canadiens extracted a 2-1 victory over Philadelphia at Bell Centre on Tuesday night as the Orange and Black continued its four-game road swing.

Desharnais initially put a relatively harmless shot on net from the right side, but the rebound kicked right back to him, and, despite having Flyers defenseman Michael Del Zotto planted between he and the goal, the 28-year-old center popped home the winner inside the left post.

"We know they were in a good portion of their schedule, so it's not very easy to play a team which has won five of six," Desharnais admitted. "On the first goal and on that last play, if the puck is out in front, anything can happen, and for us it did tonight."

Tomas Plekanec notched the tying goal in the latter stages of regulation for the Canadiens, who received 23 saves from Carey Price.

Price's win was his 209th for the Habs, moving alone into fourth place on the franchise list behind only Ken Dryden (258), Patrick Roy (289) and Jacques Plante (314).

Matt Read picked up an early goal for the Flyers, who managed to earn a point for Ray Emery, who came up with a season-best 39 stops. Philadelphia, which is 5-0-2 over its last seven games, still remains outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Emery will need to come up with major-league efforts for the next 2-to-3 weeks, since the club announced hours before the game that starter Steve Mason needs that much time to recover from a "lower-body injury" which suspiciously looks like a back issue which flared up in Washington on Sunday.

The fractious Ontarian ended up recording his most saves in one game since a 40-stop effort in a loss to the Islanders last January 20, and the onus will be on first-time call-up Anthony Stolarz once he gets his first chance to start.

"They jumped on all the loose pucks. We were never close on a lot of those battles," said Flyers defenseman Mark Streit. "We let them come to us too much in the second half of the game. Emery was outstanding and he showed a lot of battle in this game. Our forwards didn't attack enough. We got a point, and maybe it could be a crucial one."

Read snapped an epic goal drought by beating Price over the shoulder from the left wing only 51 seconds after the initial puck drop. Wayne Simmonds assisted on the marker which came from a defensive left-circle faceoff loss and quick puck movement by the latter forward.

Price recovered by stoning Claude Giroux on a breakaway just over five minutes in, and on an ensuing Philly power play, Max Pacioretty fired wide on a short- handed break.

Price then dove head-first to stop a Jakub Voracek chance off a 2-on-1 opportunity with Giroux in the opening minute of the second and Emery came up with several slick saves, including two on Pacioretty, among his 17 total saves to keep it a one-goal margin after 40 minutes.

Plekanec finally brought the home crowd to its feet when he waited outside a scramble in the crease and backhanded a shot past Emery with 7:22 to go.

Montreal failed to click on a power play granted with 2:32 left in regulation when Del Zotto committed a hooking penalty.

Notes: Montreal swept Philadelphia in the season series for the first time since going 4-0-0 during the 2007-08 season ... The Canadiens unleashed a total of 90 shots -- 41 which reached Emery, 25 which were blocked and another 24 that missed the net ... Flyers defenseman Luke Schenn was a late scratch, and the team later said he was day-to-day with an upper-body injury ... Read's goal snapped a 25-game drought, dating back to Dec. 11 against the Devils.

Sixers lose to Warriors but make better showing

Philadelphia, PA -- Stephen Curry had 20 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals in the Golden State Warriors' 89-84 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.

Leandro Barbosa added 16 points and six boards for the Warriors, who were held under 100 points for the first time since a 100-86 loss at the Clippers on Dec. 25.

Former Sixers Andre Iguodala and Marreese Speights tallied 13 and 10 points, respectively, for Golden State, which has won five of six. The usually hot-shooting Klay Thompson was limited to 13 points.

The Warriors (41-9) are 32 games above .500 for the first time since ending the 1975-76 season with
a 59-23 mark (36 games).

Robert Covington ended with 21 points, eight rebounds and three steals for the Sixers, who had a four-game home winning streak snapped. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute contributed 13 points and nine boards.

"I'm so proud of our guy's defensive improvement, their attention to defense, they take pride in it and know that it is our identity," said Sixers coach Brett Brown.

Trailing 28-20 early in the second quarter, the Warriors scored eight straight points to tie things up. They led 46-44 at the half.

Golden State started the third stanza on a 9-2 spurt to make it 55-46. However, the pesky Sixers hung around and got within four late in the frame. But Draymond Green's jumper gave the Warriors a 67-61 lead heading to the fourth.

The visitors created some distance with a 14-2 run to start the final quarter. Barbosa and Speights each tallied six points during the surge to make it an 81-63 contest.

Philadelphia answered with 12 straight points to get within 81-75. They got as close as four in the final minutes, but ran out of time.

"We did enough to get the win and that's the most important part," said Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

Notes: Golden State had scored 100 or more points in 21 consecutive games ... Nerlens Noel had 11 points and Tim Frazier and JaKarr Sampson each scored 10 points for the Sixers ... The 76ers turned the ball over 27 times, leading to 35 Golden State points ... Philadelphia guard Michael Carter-Williams (toe) missed his third straight game ... Green left the game late in the fourth quarter with a sprained right ankle.

Resilient Royals get hat trick against Florida, tie record with 11th straight win

Reading, PA -- There are only three things I know for sure following Sunday night's game between the Florida Everblades and Reading Royals.

First, is that the league desperately needs a replay apparatus to review goals such as the one Evan Bloodoff scored literally as time expired to send the game into overtime.

Second, is that the Everblades must be damn sick of seeing their opponents after they completed a three-in-three sweep this weekend.

Third, that the Royals eventually hung on to win this contest by a 3-2 score after taking the shootout in the ninth round, matching a franchise record with their 11th straight victory set two years ago by the Kelly Cup champions.

In the end, Andrew Johnston beat Andy Iles and Martin Ouellette stopped Mike Aviani in the game's final segment and a home crowd of 4,007 had a better reason to let their feelings be known than at the end of regulation. Reading officially moved into first place by two points over Florida in the East Division with the clean sheet, although the latter has three games in hand.

Royals head coach Larry Courville wasn't around to celebrate the positive result, having been given a game misconduct for a heated disagreement with referee Andrew Wilk after Bloodoff's second goal of the contest was allowed to stand.

Things might have been different had the hosts not blown a 2-0 first-period lead. Ryan Cruthers opened the scoring just 3:06 in at the tail end of the game's first power play by redirecting Mike Marcou's point shot, before David Marshall doubled the edge with 6:10 gone and Bryant Molle just out of the penalty box to end a two-man disadvantage.

Bloodoff got one back for the Everblades, at 12:07 and finally cashing in on their third advantage of the opening period. He got enough of the puck from a Mitch Wahl cross-ice dish to slide it past Ouellette.

Iles was on the bench for an extra skater when chaos ensued. Cameron Burt managed to fire a puck through a screen, where it was hidden for a moment before emerging behind Ouellette and slithering across the goal line as the buzzer sounded and light to indicate the end of the game was lit.

With no other means to accurately review the play -- if the off-ice goal judge cannot provide certainty -- than the officials' discretion, Wilk signaled the score would stand, touching off Courville's intense and negative reaction.

Once things calmed down a bit, the Royals were given a power play just 18 seconds into overtime thanks to an Adam Brace boarding call, but failed to do anything with it.

Ouellette ended up with 36 saves and Iles stopped 23 pucks. Reading's next chance to set a new franchise record occurs in Cincinnati on Wednesday night.

Courville also coached the Royals two years back during their Kelly Cup run and guided an early-season 11-game win streak which turned a 1-5-1 team into a contender. That year's club saw their win streak halted at home by Evansville by a 4-2 count on Nov. 24, 2012.

Flyers outlast patient Caps in DC

Washington, DC -- In a contest where both club's leading goal scorers made themselves known, it was the visiting side that made the difference.

Wayne Simmonds scored the winning goal early in the third period as the Philadelphia Flyers picked up a crucial 3-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday afternoon at Verizon Center.

Mark Streit and Jakub Voracek also had goals for the Flyers, who have won five of their last six games and have registered a point in all (5-0-1) but are still far outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture, now nine points back of Boston, which hosts Montreal later in the evening.

It wasn't all warm and fuzzies, however. Steve Mason started the game in net and made eight saves, but left with 8:42 to play in the second with a lower-body injury after appearing to tweak the right side of his back while stretching during a stoppage in play.

Ray Emery came in cold but managed to stop five shots in relief to pick up the victory.

Alex Ovechkin scored his 33rd goal of the season for the Capitals, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Braden Holtby allowed two goals on 24 shots in the loss.

The score was tied in the third, and the game slowing down into the inevitable chess match for conference points, but Simmonds gave his team a 2-1 lead 3:50 in as he flew down the left wing and snapped a wrister past Holtby for his 19th of the season. Caps defenseman Karl Alzner bit on a fake and was turned completely around, giving Simmonds the space he needed to score low and inside the far post.

Washington had a power play awarded at 7:20, its sixth of the game, when Andrew MacDonald was whistled for tripping as he tried in vain to restrain Ovechkin on the right wing, but was unable to break through.

Late in the contest, with Holtby on the bench for an extra skater, host forward Tom Wilson -- who has a short but explosive history as far as the Orange and Black is concerned -- took a roughing penalty as a result of checking Matt Read from behind, and Voracek was able to score into the empty net in the final minute to seal the win.

As it has been during all three meetings between the teams, the first period was played at a cautious pace and passed without a score, but the Flyers got on the board only 50 seconds into the second.

Mark Streit's knuckling one-timer from the right point somehow dipped through a screen and past Holtby, and though it appeared Brayden Schenn was the only Flyer who could have touched it and was originally credited with the score, the Swiss blueliner was given back his marker at intermission.

The hosts later had 1:20 of a 5-on-3 at their disposal once Read and Michael Del Zotto were sent off for penalties 40 seconds apart. Yet, the maligned Philly penalty kill kept the puck away from Ovechkin and when he had it, shut off shooting lanes. Emery was in net when the Caps did score on the 5-on-4, as Evgeny Kuznetsov trapped all four opposing players on the right side and passed into the left circle for a wide-open Ovechkin marker.

Notes: Ovechkin is tied with the Rangers' Rick Nash for the league-lead in goals ... Philadelphia plays in Montreal on Tuesday ... Washington hits the road for the next four games starting Wednesday in San Jose ... The clubs next meet on Feb. 22 at 12:30 PM in Philly, a Sunday afternoon NBC game ... A total of 14 games since the start of the 2010-11 season between the Flyers and Capitals have been decided by two goals or less ... Following the game, the Flyers announced that Anthony Stolarz was recalled from Lehigh Valley of the AHL.

'Nova grinds past Hoyas in Philly

Philadelphia, PA -- Darrun Hilliard scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds, helping seventh-ranked Villanova beat No. 24 Georgetown 69-53 Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center.

Josh Hart added 13 points and JayVaughn Pinkston had 10 with eight rebounds for the Wildcats (21-2, 8-2 Big East), who have won four games in a row and avenged a 20-point loss in the nation's capital on Jan. 19.

The Hoyas have been inconsistent since routing the Wildcats, losing three of five.

L.J. Peak scored 15 points to lead Georgetown (15-8, 7-5), which was held to 30 percent shooting and made just 1-of-17 3-point attempts.

Though the names wouldn't evoke battles of Big East past, the physicality of the contest harkened back to those Rollie Massimino and John Thompson coached teams which essentially fought for every inch of space more than a generation ago at the height of the conference's profile.

An Isaac Copeland jumper put the Hoyas up 7-6, but that proved to be their final lead of the game. Hilliard hit a 3-pointer to kick-start a 13-0 run that Hart capped with a layup for a 19-7 advantage.

Georgetown missed 14 of 16 field goals during one stretch in the first half and fell behind by as many as 17.
D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera's jumper opened the scoring in the second half, trimming the Hoyas' deficit to 37-25, but that was as close as they got.

Kris Jenkins nailed consecutive 3-pointers to make it 51-29 with 13:49 remaining, and the Wildcats' lead reached a game-high 24 points a few minutes later.

Notes: Villanova finished 12-of-24 from 3-point range and shot 47.8 percent overall ... The Hoyas produced only eight points off a season-high 20 Wildcats turnovers ... Jenkins and Ryan Arcidiacono each had nine points for Villanova ... Aaron Brown scored 10 points for Georgetown.

MCW returns to compete in NBA All-Star Skills Challenge

PHILADELPHIA (The Phanatic Magazine) - Sixers second-year guard Michael Carter-Williams was one of eight players selected to compete in the Skills Challenge, which will take place on Feb. 14, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn as part of State Farm All-Star Saturday Night. 

Carter-Williams, the reigning Rookie of the Year, also competed in the event last year and was teamed with Victor Oladipo of the Orlando Magic.  The duo finished as the runner-ups to the combo of Utah’s Trey Burke and Portland’s Damian Lillard by just a tenth of a second.

This year’s event features a head-to-head, bracket-style tournament for the first time.  Joining Carter-Williams in the competition will be returning co-champion Burke, Chicago’s Jimmy Butler, Milwaukee’s Brandon Knight, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, Atlanta’s Jeff Teague, Phoenix’s Isaiah Thomas and Washington’s John Wall. 

The Skills Challenge calls for two players to compete simultaneously on an identical obstacle course which tests dribbling, passing, agility and shooting skills.  In the first round, the eight players have been paired to participate in four head-to-head competitions. The four winners advance to the second round, where two more head-to-head showdowns will determine the two finalists. 

Last week, Carter-Williams and teammate Nerlens Noel were both chosen to participate in the Rising Stars Challenge, which also takes place at Barclays Center a day earlier.

Kimmo news no salve as Islanders frustrate Flyers for third time

Philadelphia, PA --  So close, yet so far away.

Having shocked many with a 4-for-4 performance during their current five-game home stand, and then jumping out to a two-goal lead, it seemed like a corner might finally be turned on this maddening season.

The only thing standing in the way, apparently, was a superior opponent.

Cal Clutterbuck tied the game late in the second period and then scored in the seventh round of the shootout as the resurgent New York Islanders rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2, on Thursday.

“It’s not my primary objective, but you want to help the team, especially when the team is on a bit of a streak here,” Clutterbuck said. “For me, it was nice to get the monkey off the back a bit, it was good.”

Mikhail Grabovski also lit the lamp in the second stanza for the Isles, who snapped a three-game skid and vaulted over the idle Penguins once again to claim first place in the Metropolitan Division.

Jaroslav Halak stopped 16-of-18 shots for New York, which posted its third win in three tries against Philly. It was a much tighter contest than the free-flowing 7-4 win for the hosts on Jan. 19, but the result the same.

Nick Schultz and Chris VandeVelde scored for the Flyers, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Steve Mason made 28 saves but continued his stretch of above-average play which has kept his team from wilting during a 5-2-0 stretch.

"We left the extra point out there, obviously. We shot ourselves in the foot at the end of the second period with their two goals off our mistakes," Mason said. 

Before the bad news hit, good news arrived. The team announced during the first intermission that defenseman Kimmo Timonen will begin skating Friday. The 39-year-old has not played since being diagnosed with blood clots in his leg and lungs in his native Finland back in early August.

“Obviously every time you step on the ice there’s risk, but we all feel the risk is minimal,” said Flyers GM Ron Hextall. “So the plan as of now is that he skates tomorrow morning, by himself, and we’ll go from there.”

Once Timonen takes to the ice in Voorhees, it will mark the first time in eight months that the veteran has laced up the skates. His condition being chronic, means that the Finnish blueliner first has to see how his body responds to exertion before any thoughts of game action are entertained.

“We have a plan … I think the biggest thing for you to need to know is the bleeding factor," he said.  "I’ve seen a couple articles that say ‘What happens if Kimmo gets cut on the ice?’ There’s no bleeding factor because on game days I can’t be on blood thinners.”

One chilling reminder of the seriousness of the issue, was Timonen's matter-of-fact recitation that the clots which remain, not fully dissolved, will remain in place. It means that doctors have enough faith that the clots, at least for now, won't be dislodged. 

Trailing 2-0 midway through the second, the Islanders tied the game with two goals in the final 3:12 of the period.

Grabovski put the Islanders on the board at 16:48, beating Mason from the left circle. About two minutes later, Clutterbuck jammed home a rebound to make it 2-2.

Frans Nielsen beat Mason on the first shot of the shootout, but Wayne Simmonds scored on Philadelphia's last tying attempt in the third round. After Clutterbuck scored to start the seventh round, Halak stopped Sean Couturier to secure the victory.

The Islanders improved to 7-1 in shootouts this season, while the Flyers fell to 2-6.

Schultz scored off Vincent Lecavalier's pass from behind the net at the 5:43 mark of the first period. Islanders Josh Bailey and Travis Hamonic collided at their blue line and Lecavalier jumped on the loose puck on the left wing. He tried putting a shot on net, but his attempt hit Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk and went off the side of the net. Lecavalier retrieved the loose puck and dished into the slot for the successful chance.

VandeVelde gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead at 11:38 of the second when his shot from the right circle got past Halak.

Notes: The Flyers had won three straight over the Islanders at home and were looking for their first clean sweep of a residency lasting at least five games since Nov. 3-12, 2005. (WAS, ATL, BOS, NYI, FLA) ... Each team went 0-for-1 on the power play ... Philadelphia center Scott Laughton and defenseman Nicklas Grossmann returned to the lineup Thursday. Laughton missed the previous seven games with a concussion, while Grossmann missed 10 contests with a shoulder injury ... Flyers defenseman Michael Del Zotto's six-game point streak ended, the longest for a club's blueliner since Kim Johnsson went eight in a row with at least one point from Oct. 13-31, 2001.

Temple 2015 recruiting class

PHILADELPHIA (The Phanatic Magazine) – Today, on college football's National Signing Day, the Temple Owls welcomed 19 new student-athletes to the football team.

Name                                     Pos        Elg               Ht     Wt           Hometown                         High School/Other

Ryquell Armstead            RB           Fr.           5-11       205         Millville, N.J.                       Millville

Jeremiah Atoki                  DB          Fr.           6-2          190         Vineland, N.J.                    South

Josiah Bronson                  DL           Fr.           6-5          265         Covington, Wash.            Kentwood

Chapelle Cook                   LB           Fr.           6-1          214         Lakewood, N.J.                 Lakewood

Jovahn Fair                         OL           Fr.           6-3          285         Akron, Ohio                        Firestone

Jager Gardner                   RB           Fr.           6-2          205         Black Mountain, N.C.      Owen

Daishaun Grimes              LB           Fr.           6-2          192         St. Cloud, Fla.                     Harmony

Benson Israel                     OL           Fr.           6-1          316         Spring Valley, N.Y.           St. Joseph’s (N.J.)

DeAndre Kelly                   DL           Fr.           6-3          238         Hyattsville, Md.                DeMatha

Dana Levine                       DL           Fr.           6-4          213         Hallandale Beach, Fla.    Hallandale

Roy Pugh                             TE           Fr.           6-4          196         South Orange, N.J.          Malcolm X Shabazz

Jake Robinson                   TE           Fr.           6-3          208         Haddonfield, N.J.             Haddonfield Memorial

T.J. Simmons                      RB           Fr.           6-1          195         Lakeland, Fla.                     Lakeland Christian

Cortrelle Simpson            WR         Fr.           5-10       175         Indian Head, Md.             Lackey

Greg Webb                         DL           R-So.     6-1          312         Sicklerville, N.J.                 Timber Creek / Hutchinson

Taiyir Wilson                       LB           Fr.           6-2          210         Collegeville, Penn.           Perkiomen Valley          

Dawayne Young               DL           Fr.           6-3          280         Philadelphia, Penn.         Martin Luther King



MID YEAR TRANSFERS

Name                                    Pos         Elg               Ht     Wt           Hometown                         High School/Other

Kareem Ali, Jr.                   DB          Fr.           5-11       175         Sicklerville, N.J.                 Timber Creek

Logan Marchi                     QB          Fr.           6-1          170         Bristol, Conn.                     St. Paul Catholic

William Updegrove         LB           Fr.           6-2          230         Berwick, Penn.                  Berwick Area



·         The 2015 Class of 19 players represents nine states - New Jersey (7), Florida (3), Pennsylvania (2), Maryland (2), Connecticut (1), New York (1), North Carolina (1), Ohio (1), and Washington (1).

·         The Owls recruited evenly adding 10 players on defense and added nine offensive players.

·         Kareem Ali graduated early from Timber Creek High. His last high school class was on Friday, January 16. He started classes at Temple University on Tuesday, January 20, with a 90-minute lecture in Development and Globalization.

·         Two other players - Logan Marchi and William Updegrove- join Ali as mid-year transfers and have been enrolled at Temple since January 12, 2015. Marchi and Updegrove attended Temple’s 2014 Summer camp. Marchi participated in drills but Updegrove was sidelined with a shoulder injury.

·         Greg Webb is the lone JUCO transfer. His transfer to Temple is a return home for the former Timber Creek High player. Webb reunites with Kareem Ali and redshirt-sophomore RB Zaire Williams at Temple. The trio were part of Timber Creek’s South Jersey Championship teams in 2011-12.

·         The 2015 season will get underway on Saturday, September 5, when Temple hosts Penn State at Lincoln Financial Field. The other non-conference home game will be on October 31, when Notre Dame comes to Philadelphia. The rest of the home slate includes two of the American Athletic Conference tri-champions - UCF and Memphis - along with Connecticut and Tulane.

·         The Owls will begin Spring practices on Monday, March 23. Practices will continue through mid-April. Spring ball will conclude with the annual Cherry & White game at Edberg Olson Hall’s Chodoff Field on Saturday, April 25.



Kareem Ali, Jr.
High School: Played running back and defensive back for coach Rob Hinson at Timber Creek in Sicklerville, N.J. ... won 43 games in his four-year career ... was a two-time South Jersey champ after 12-0 (2011) and 10-2 (2012) seasons ... was 10-2 as a junior and 11-1 as a senior ... earned all-state, all-conference, and all-county recognition as a junior and senior ... earned a N.J. Mini Max award ... played in the 2015 US Army All-American game ... ranked as the #7 player in New Jersey and the #28 cornerback in the country ... also lettered three times in track and was the State champ in the 55-meter
Personal: Born Kareem Ali, Jr. on 7/26/96 in Willingboro, N.J. ... both parents attended Temple University ... father played football for the Owls from 1996-98 when he was known as Kareem Gilliard ... mother, Tasha, ran track ... has three brothers: Kahlil (9), KeRon (7), and Keyon (4) ... has a dog named Lily ... lists his favorites as: Friday Night Lights (movie/book), Grey's Anatomy (TV show), sweet potatoes (food) ...plans to major in finance.


Ryquell Armstead
High School: Played running back for coach Jason Durham at Millville (N.J.) High ... rushed for over 2,500 yards in his career including 1,488 yards and 18 TDs as a senior when his team went 5-3 ... holds the school single-game record with 337 rushing yards ... lettered twice in football and three times in track ... a three-time all-conference selection in track leading Millville to the county title in 2013-14.
Personal: Born Ryquell Keeman Armstead (pronounced: ROCK-well) on 10/30/96 in Bridgeton, N.J. ... parents are Tara Armstead and Rynell Lawrence ... has a sister Rochelle Armstead (17) and brother Rynell Lawrence Jr. (14) ... list of favorites include: SportsCenter (TV show), The Replacements (movie), and tacos (food) ... expected to major in education


Jeremiah Atoki
High School: Played wide receiver and defensive back for head coach Dan Russo at Vineland (N.J.) South H.S. ... as a senior, had 11 receptions for 232 yards and five touchdowns ... also recorded seven tackles, one pass break up, two forced fumbles, and one interception returned for a touchdown ... finished his career with 51 tackles (34 solos), 5.0 sacks, and three interceptions ... also ran track and won the State title in the 200-meters (22.28).
Personal: Born Jeremiah O. Atoki on 5/22/97 ... mother, LeAnne Hadnot, is a nurse.


Josiah Bronson
High School: Played defensive end and tight end for coach Rex Norris at Kentwood (Wash.) High ... had 11 receptions for 121 yards and one touchdown, plus 13 tackles for loss and three sacks as a senior .. was team captain ... also played basketball.
Personal: Born Josiah Hezekiah Bronson on 7/3/97 ... parents Sandra and Johnny Bronson ... has two brothers John (32) and Demitrius (24) ... John played tight end for Penn State and became a member of the Arizona Cardinals ... Demitrius played collegiately for Eastern Washington and is now a member of the Seattle Seahawks ... enjoys going to church ... childhood dream of going to New York City ... plans to study business and music.


Chapelle Cook
High School: Played quarterback, running back, and linebacker for coach L.J. Clark at Lakewood (N.J.) High ... threw for 553 yards and four touchdown as a senior ... in his career, rushed for 1,586 yards and 18 touchdowns on 224 carries, including 827 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior ... had two 200+ rushing games as a senior ... named one of the Top 50 New Jersey recruits ... named to All-Class B South team ... also participated in basketball and track.
Personal: Born Chapelle A. Cook on 1/20/97... mother, Nikita Smith, was in the Navy ... has one brother, Anthony Cook... lived with Coach Clark's parents to finish high school after his mom moved ... has also lived in Atlanta, Brooklyn, and Virginia ... plans to study kinesiology.


Jovahn Fair
High School: Four-year letter winner at offensive and defensive line under head coach Tim Flossie at Firestone High in Akron, Ohio ... recorded 13 forced fumbles and three sacks in senior season ... received third-team all-state, second-team all-district, and first-team all-conference honors ... played in the Summit County All-Star game ... also wrestled and ran track and field.
Personal: Born Jovahn T. Fair on 6/25/97 in Kent, Ohio ... parents are Joseph Fair and Debra Garner ...  would like to be a physical therapist and plans on majoring in kinesiology.


Jager Gardner
High School: Played running back for coach Jim Lewis at Charles D. Owens High in Black Mountain, N.C. ... gained 2,776 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns on 282 carries as a senior ... broke the 100-yard mark in all 13 games ... added three touchdowns on seven catches for 260 yards ... as a junior, ran for 2,578 yards and 31 touchdowns on 266 carries ... in two seasons amassed 119 tackles, including 12.0 TFLs, and one sack ... also had 683 kick return yards and five touchdowns ... rushed for 6,955 yards in his career, which is a Western North Carolina record ... named Western Highland Conference Offensive Player of the?Year ... also played basketball and participated in 100-, 200- and long jump in track.
Personal: Born Jager Arkil Gardner on 11/12/95 ... mother is Beverly Gardner ... likes to hunt and fish.


Daishaun Grimes
High School: Four-year letter winner at Harmony High in St. Cloud, Fla., under head coach Jared Butler ... played both linebacker and wide receiver ... career numbers include 202 tackles, 18 for a loss, four interceptions, four forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries ... received all-conference and all-Orlando honors ... played in the Central Florida All-Star game ... was also a three-year letter winner in track and a one-year letter winner in weightlifting.
Personal: Born Daishaun Lamar Grimes on 1/25/97 in Queens, N.Y. ... parents are Karlene and Curtis Grimes ... has two brothers, Carlyle and Josh, and one sister, Madisen ... plans on majoring in business management.


Benson Israel
High School: Played offensive line for coach Augie Hoffman at St. Joseph's in Montvale, N.J. ... team went 8-3 his senior year to rank 5th in the state of New Jersey.
Personal: Born Benson Israel on 8/27/96 in Port au Prince, Haiti ... parents are Marlene and Bieneis Israel ... family from Haiti and immigrated to United States in 2007 ... has four brothers - all names start with "Ben" and followed by a creole word ... plans to major in mechanical engineering


DeAndre Kelly
High School: Four-year varsity player for head coach Elijah Brooks at DeMatha Catholic ... repeated as WCAC champions in junior and senior year ... received all-conference first-team and DMVelite all-DMV honors ... listed on the Top 50 list for Maryland by Rivals  ... played in the Maryland Crab Bowl.
Personal: Born DeAndre Robert Kelly on 1/21/97 in Washington, D.C. ... parents are Felicia and Robert Kelly ... has two brothers, JoJuan (27) and Kendrick (23), and one sister, Kennedy (15) ... has volunteered with youth football players, the homeless, and the elderly ... list of favorites include: Law and Order: SVU (TV show), Things Fall Apart (book), and Lavar Arrington (NFL player) ... plans to major in criminal justice.


Dana Levine
High School: Played defensive end for head coach Dameon Jones at Hallandale High … had 56 tackles, 16 sacks, and six turnovers forced as a senior … team went 10-2, 7-0 in conference play and won 6A-15 District Championship, but lost in the second round of the FHSAA 6-A playoffs … named first-team 8A-6A all-county defense … ranked #28 in the class of 2015 by the Sun Sentinel … participated in the Miami Nike All-Combine in 2013 and 2014 … also ran track.
Personal: Born Dana J. Levine (pronounced la-VIN) on 12/19/96 ... parents are Tamara and Dana Levine, Sr. ... father is a detective ... originally from Philadelphia, the family moved to Florida when Dana was in middle school.


Logan Marchi
Attended training camp with Temple in August, 2014.
High School: Played quarterback for coach Jude Kelly at St. Paul Catholic in Bristol, Conn. ... threw for 3,220 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior ... also rushed for 540 yards and six touchdowns ... also threw for 38 TDs as a junior ... in his 36 career games, amassed 9,702 yards and 112 touchdowns passing, 789 yards and 12 touchdowns rushing, along with 38 tackles and four interceptions on defense ... had 1,077 punting yards on 32 punts as a sophomore.
Personal: Born Logan David Marchi (pronounced MARCH-ee) on 2/14/96 ...  parents are Michelle and John Marchi ... has an older brother, Kyle (22) ... sports management major.


Roy Pugh
High School: Played tight end and linebacker for coach Darnell Grant at Malcolm X Shabazz High in Newark, N.J. ... had one catch for 26 yards and a touchdown, as well as 22 tackles, seven sacks, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown as a senior ... team went 8-4 and won the North Jersey Group 1 Championship for first time in school history ... also participated in track ... won the 400-meters (53.05) in Super Essex Conference Championship and broke school record in the high jump (6-0).
Personal: Born Roy Leon Pugh, Jr. on 10/6/97 ... parents are Willodean and Roy Pugh Sr. ... Willodean attended Alabama State and played on U.S. National women's basketball team ... has a sister, Jasmyne Beckford (25) ... uncle played college football at the University of Wyoming.



Jake Robinson
High School: Played tight end for coach Frank Delano at Haddonfield (N.J.) Memorial H.S. ... had 415 yards and 9 touchdowns on 16 receptions as a senior ... also had 41 tackles, 25 solo, 10 pass break ups and two fumble recoveries on defense ... team went 11-0 and won the South Jersey Group 2 Championship for the second consecutive year ... received Colonial Conference first-team and All-South Jersey honors ... also played basketball.
Personal: Born Jacob David Robinson on 1/31/97 in Voorhees, N.J. ... parents are Grace and Dave Robinson ... has two brothers, Drew Benson (26) and Christian Benson (22) ... list of favorites include: Anchorman (movie), Two and a Half Men (TV show), and Terrell Owens (NFL player).


T.J. Simmons
High School: Played running back for coach William Castle at Lakeland (Fla.) Christian Academy ... ranked by Rivals.com as nations #17 running back ... rushed for 1,257 yards and 11 touchdowns on 130 carries, along with 16 receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown as a junior ... went over 125 rushing yards in all 7 games ... broke his leg in season opener as a senior ... also ran track and had 11 first place finishes in competitions.
Personal: Born Treydarius Bashawn Simmons on 12/10/95 ... lives with his grandfather, Marion Ryan, and his wife Mattie Ryan, who is a pastor ... likes to hunt ... expects to major in sports marketing and management.


Cortrelle Simpson
High School: Played wide receiver for coach John Lush at Lackey High in Indian Head, Md. ... had 456 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 23 receptions as a senior ... in his career, amassed 1,627 all purpose yards, 11 touchdowns, and 795 kick return yards ... also had 28 tackles, 10 solo, four interceptions for 141 yards on defense ... named first-team all-Charles County and all-SMAC ... played basketball ... also ran track and recorded a 4.33 40-yard dash time at Ohio State camp in 2014.
Personal: Born Cortrelle Xavier Simpson on 8/30/96 ... parents are Sherene Johnson and Corey Simpson ... one of eight kids, four brothers and three sisters.


William Updegrove
Attended training camp with the Owls in 2014.
High School: Played wide receiver, tight end, defensive end, and linebacker for coach George Curry at Berwick (Pa.) High ... team was 14-1 his senior year ... as a junior, had 61 tackles, 18 for a loss, and eight sacks ... also played basketball.
Personal: Born William Ray Updegrove on 11/2/95 in Jackson, Miss. ... parents are Destiny and Tim Updegrove ... has an older brother Austin (22) ... has a pet dog named Gracie ... list of favorites include: Watership Down (book), Batman (movie), Tosh.0 (TV show), math (school subject), and Philadelphia Eagles (NFL team) ... grew up wanting to be a police officer ... plans to major in kinesiology.


Greg Webb
Junior College: Attended Hutchinson Community College, the #4 ranked junior college team ... had 48 tackles, seven for a loss, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble as the team went 11-1.
High School: Played defensive tackle under head coach Robert Hinson at Timber Creek in Sicklerville, N.J. ... had a dominant junior season with 94 tackles, 26 for a loss, 13 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries ... missed the first two months of his senior year with a torn ACL, but bounced back and helped team win NJSIAA South Jersey IV championship ... 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl selection ... All-South Jersey selection as a sophomore ... All-League selection and All-Parochial selection as a sophomore ... also a standout wrestler earning All-South Jersey honors ... went 34-2 and was District and Region champion as a sophomore wrestler ... teammate of fellow Owl Zaire Williams and recruit Kareem Ali, Jr.
Personal: Born Greg Jerome Webb III on 1/16/95 in Columbus, Ga. ... parents are Virginia and Greg Webb Jr. ... dreamed of being a Olympic gold medalist when he was younger.

 Taiyir Wilson
High School: Played wide receiver and linebacker for coach Scott Reed at Perkiomen Valley High in Collegeville, Pa. ... team finished 9-3 in 2014 ... had 19 catches for 391 yards and six touchdowns as a senior ... added 174 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries ... participated in track and field (100-, 200- and javelin).
Personal: Born Taiyir Devon Dennison-Wilson on 5/18/97 in Philadelphia, PA ... parents are Tia and Chris Holloway and dad Andre Wilson ... has a brother, Jacen Holloway (9) and three sisters, Naja McBride (19), Paradise Wilson (9), and Jenna Wilson (6) ... Naja currently attends Temple ... plans to major in sports marketing.

Dawayne Young
High School: Played defensive line for coach Ed Dunn at Martin Luther King in Philadelphia ... named to the 2014 Class AAAA Liberty all-public team ... earned all-Southeastern Pennsylvania honors.
Personal: Born Dawayne Young on 7/3/96 ... mother is Annette Thomas ... chose Temple so he could play in front of friends and family ... likes sneakers ... interested in studying sports management.

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

Sixers sign Penn State's Frazier to 10-day deal

PHILADELPHIA (The Phanatic Magazine) – The 76ers have signed guard Tim Frazier to a 10-day contract. 

Frazier is the 31st call-up of the 2014-15 NBA Development League season.

In 27 games with 26 starts for the Maine Red Claws of the D-League this season, Frazier averaged 16 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and two steals.  At the time of his call-up, Frazier ranked third in the D-League in assists and tied for fourth in steals.   A two-time D-League Performer of the Week, Frazier was also selected to the D-League All-Star Game and earned 2015 NBA D-League Showcase Third Team honors.

Back in July, Frazier competed for the Sixers in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, appearing in five games with four starts.  Frazier also saw action in four preseason games for Boston before signing with the Celtics D-League affiliate, Maine.

Frazier was eligible for the 2014 NBA Draft following a standout career at Penn State.  He finished his career as the Lions all-time leader in assists and became the second player in conference history to record 1,000 points, 600 assists and 500 rebounds.  Former Sixer Calvin Booth, who finished his career in 2008-09, was the last Penn State player in the NBA.

Union announce 2015 local TV sked

Chester, Pa. (The Phanatic Magazine) – The Philadelphia Union announced that broadcast partners 6abc, Comcast SportsNet and the Comcast Network will again televise 2015 Union games that are not shown nationally.

WPVI-TV/6abc continues in its sixth season as the Union’s official broadcast partner and will air four of the team’s 34 total matches this season, while Comcast SportsNet and The Comcast Network, now in their fifth season, will air 21 matches. All matches will be broadcast in high definition.

“We’re thrilled to continue the outstanding relationship with our television partners and to bring back an excellent broadcast team for the 2015 season,” said Philadelphia Union CEO and Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz. “It speaks to our commitment in providing our fans with the highest-quality viewing experience both on the field and on television.

Veteran broadcaster JP Dellacamera returns for his sixth season as the Union’s play-by-play man and will once again be joined by color analyst and former Philadelphia KiXX goalkeeper Peter Pappas.

Dellacamera has  done it all in terms of broadcasting American soccer. The well-renowned commentator has called multiple FIFA World Cup matches, various MLS action on multiple networks and has been the voice of the Union since its inception. Pappas, in his second year, was a 13-year veteran goalkeeper for the KiXX. He recorded 5,399 saves and 230 wins, while logging more than an additional 2,000 minutes and 450 saves in the postseason. The Philadelphia University graduate was named the MISL Goalkeeper of the Year on four occasions (2001, 2004, 2005, 2007) and was an All-League selection eight times.

“With all the excitement the Philadelphia Union and their fans bring to the region, 6abc is equally excited to once again be the team’s official broadcast partner,” said 6abc President and General Manager Bernie Prazenica. “We’re not only looking forward to covering the team this season, but we’re thrilled to be bringing all the action and adrenaline of these four home games to our viewers.”

The Union will have four games broadcast on 6abc this year, highlighted by the season opener against Colorado Rapids on March 7. The other three dates shown on the network are April 11 against New York City FC, May 2 against Toronto FC and June 27 against Montreal Impact. Comcast SportsNet, and The Comcast Network, meanwhile, will air 21 other local broadcasts.

“Comcast SportsNet and The Comcast Network are proud to once again partner with the Philadelphia Union on their game broadcasts,” said Comcast SportsNet President Brian Monihan. “Fans can continue to count on us for the most Union coverage anywhere with 21 game HD broadcasts, featuring JP and Peter, plus our outstanding ‘State of the Union’ program, and extensive coverage online at CSNPhilly.com.”

Tony Limarzi will return for the Union’s 30-minute pre-game show as well as a halftime segment during all home matches. Limarzi is a veteran MLS radio and television announcer.

The Union’s weekly magazine show entitled “State of the Union,” which airs bi-weekly on Friday nights on The Comcast Network and Comcast SportsNet returns for its fifth season. Air times are scheduled for 7 p.m. on The Comcast Network and 11:30 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet.

Soul adds three for 2015 season

PHILADELPHIA (The Phanatic Magazine) – The Philadelphia Soul agreed to terms with fullback Tommy Taggart on a one-year deal.

Taggart joins two other recent additions, former Virginia Tech quarterback Bryan Randall and offensive lineman Keyun Swinney as members of the Soul’s 2015 roster.

“We just added three quality players,” said Soul head coach Clint Dolezel.  “Taggart is a tough, physical player with tremendous talent.  Getting Randall back adds veteran leadership and quality experience to compete at quarterback, while Swinney adds depth and versatility to our offense line.”

Taggart, who is entering his fifth AFL season, rushed 67 times for 167 yards and 10 touchdowns with the Pittsburgh Power in 2014.  The Texas native joined the Dallas Vigilantes in 2010 as a rookie, and recorded 14 tackles in seven games. 

Taggart also played one season for the New Orleans VooDoo in 2011, and two seasons for the San Jose SaberCats in 2012 and 2013.  Prior to his professional career, Taggart played his freshman year at Midwestern State University, where he earned All-Conference honors. Taggart transferred to Oklahoma for his sophomore year, where he finished out his collegiate career assisting the Sooners to two BCS Bowl games.

Randall returns for his second season with the Soul.  The third-year veteran saw action in 14 games for the Soul last season, completing 20-of-33 passes for 313 yards and six touchdowns in a backup role.

Randall broke into the League as the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Power in 2012, passing for 2,142 yards and 39 touchdowns in nine games as a rookie.  For his career, Randall has completed 195-of-311 passes for 2,455 yards and 45 touchdowns, compiling a quarterback rating of 111.3.  Randall is Virginia Tech’s career leader in passing yards (6,508) and yards of total offense (8,034).

Swinney played collegiately at Jackson State, where he earned Second Team All-SWAC preseason honors in 2011.  The AFL rookie enrolled as a graduate student at Alcorn State the following year to complete his college eligibility with the Braves.

WIP picks Innes and Bruno for afternoon slot

PHILADELPHIA (The Phanatic Magazine) - SportsRadio 94WIP has announced that Josh Innes and Tony Bruno will be the station’s new afternoon hosts.

Innes and Bruno will be broadcast weekdays from 1:00-6:00 ET and will make their debut Wednesday.

The controversially Innes is considered an up-and-coming star by the CBS brass and joined WIP in 2014 as evening host from CBS RADIO station Sports Radio 610 in Houston.  In Houston, he was part of 610’s top-rated afternoon drive show.

Some have labeled Innes as a bit of a shock jock but his real sin to his detractors is the fact that he is not nearly as provincial as  the average Philadelphia radio host and the guy he is essentially replacing, Anthony Gargano..

“Philly has quickly become home for me,” said Innes.  “I spent every Eagles game this year sitting in the stands with fans to learn what Philadelphians think and feel about their teams.  I am tremendously excited to team up with Tony to deliver an entertaining show that we’re confident will quickly become Philadelphia’s most popular program in the afternoon.”

Pairing Innes with Bruno is a nod to the critics who only enjoy a heavily Philadelphia-centric show.

Bruno began his sports radio career on the WIP morning show with Angelo Cataldi and Al Morganti in 1991.  He also was part of the original crew to launch both ESPN Sports Radio and Fox Sports Radio before beginning his own night time syndicated program "Into the Night."


“(In the) 25 years after helping WIP build the morning show and pursuing my dreams in national radio, it’s great to be back at the station, helping  to take WIP to No. 1 in afternoon drive," said Bruno.  "With my local ties to Philadelphia combined with the energy and talents of Josh, Philly sports fans will experience something they've never heard before.”


Rob Ellis, who had paired with Gargano in the afternoons,  returns to host evenings from 6-10pm. Ellis has been with WIP since 2007.


"We’re excited about the partnership of Innes & Bruno in afternoons on WIP,” said WIP-WPHT Operations Manager, Andy Bloom.  “Josh clearly understands what makes WIP the legendary station that it is and brings his unabashed approach to covering sports each and every day.

"Tony is a Philadelphia legend with roots going back to the earliest days of WIP.  Together the two build a bridge that will allow listeners who have been listening to WIP for 25 years and those just finding us today to enjoy entertaining sports talk on the ride home each day."

Wroten has surgery to repair torn ACL

PHILADELPHIA (The Phanatic Magazine) - Sixers guard Tony Wroten underwent successful surgery to repair a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Wednesday.

The procedure was performed by Dr. James R. Andrews of the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Florida.

The Sixers are now planning to  now work with Wroten, his representatives, and the team's medical and sports performance staff to put in place a comprehensive recovery plan in place.

Sixers getting used to this winning deal, top Nuggets

Philadelphia, PA --  Now that the question of whether or not this year's club could challenge their own NBA record for fewest wins in a season, Brett Brown's team figures they might as well keep winning for the time being.

Hollis Thompson hit four shots from long distance and finished with 23 points as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Denver Nuggets 105-98 on Tuesday night in South Philadelphia.

Michael Carter-Williams posted 15 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds and Robert Covington added 17 points and eight boards for the Sixers, who have won three of their last five games on the heels of a six-game slide.

Danilo Gallinari netted 22 points off the bench, Wilson Chandler poured in 19 points and Ty Lawson dished out 14 helpers for Denver, which has dropped 10 of its last 11 games.

The game was tied 27-27 late in the first quarter before the Sixers embarked on an extended 17-3 run that bled into the second to seize control.

Thompson, who netted 11 points during the surge, nailed a 3-pointer in the waning moments of the opening frame to help stake Philadelphia to a 34-28 advantage following a quarter of play.

He knocked down a trio of triples in all during the burst, including one to cap it for a 44-30 margin with 9:28 left in the second.

The Sixers stretched that cushion to 61-40 heading into the break and were up 85-68 after three quarters.
Denver cut the deficit to six in the final minute with the game already decided.

Notes: The Sixers have won their last three home games ... Denver has lost 11 of its last 14 games against the East, including all seven road contests ... Faried was 0-of-6 from the field and didn't score a point for the Nuggets ... Philadelphia led by as many as 28 points in the third quarter.

Phantoms F Cousins wins AHL Player of the Month

In a bit of a down cycle for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms comes this bit of promising news. On Tuesday, the American Hockey League presented forward Nick Cousins with the league's Player of the Month award for January.

Cousins led all skaters in the AHL with 17 points, including 10 goals, over just 13 games. His finest performance of the run occurred on January 17 at PPL Center, when the 21-year-old Ontario native netted his first career hat trick to pace a 5-1 victory against the Binghamton Senators.

For the season, Cousins has racked up team highs in goals (14) and points (34) while tied with defenseman and All-Star Brandon Manning for the lead in assists (20).

The third-round selection in 2011 becomes the first member of the Lehigh Valley franchise to be recognized with a monthly honor, and the first since goaltender Cal Heeter was given top goaltending honors for the first week of January in 2014. Claude Giroux was named Rookie of the Month for December of 2008 while John Slaney earned Milestone of the Month for the first week of January, 2006 after becoming the league's all-time leading scorer among defensemen.

Scott Laughton, before his ascension to the Flyers, took home the seven-day honor for the week ending October 19.

Since a four-game win streak, Terry Murray's club has dropped six of its last nine outings, but finished last weekend's 3-in-3 with a surprise 6-2 victory over the Baby Pens in Wilkes-Barre. The Phantoms take on Worcester in Allentown tomorrow night.

If Flyers fans want Cousins to get an extended look with the Flyers because their season is heading nowhere, consider the following: the Phantoms are near the bottom of the East in goals per game and sit 11th in the conference, five points out of a playoff spot. They need to have as much offense as possible to aid in their quest to make the postseason for the first time since the club was based in the Spectrum. It wouldn't be very fair to the capacity crowds who have packed the new arena in Allentown to suddenly watch a team raided by the needs of its parent slide down the standings.

Bang the link for the full league release, including a monthly honor for an old friend.