Saturday, April 27, 2013
Sixers introduce new NBADL franchise
The Philadelphia 76ers missed the playoffs once again this season, but that's no reason not to grab headlines while 16 other teams are vying for the NBA championship.
On Saturday, the club announced their new Development League franchise, the Delaware 87ers.
For the full scoop, read on.
On Saturday, the club announced their new Development League franchise, the Delaware 87ers.
For the full scoop, read on.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Penn State names Olczyk team captain again
For the second straight season, Penn State hockey will have Tommy Olczyk as its on-ice representative and locker room leader.
The Nits made the announcement official on Wednesday, giving the "C" to the 22-year-old son of former NHLer and current NBC color commentator Ed Olczyk.
Last season, the sophomore forward totaled three goals and four points in 26 games.
The Toronto-born, but Chicagoland-raised Olczyk is 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds.
Penn State will move into the new multi-million dollar Pegula Ice Arena beginning in October, concurrent with its initial season in the new Big Ten Conference.
The Nits made the announcement official on Wednesday, giving the "C" to the 22-year-old son of former NHLer and current NBC color commentator Ed Olczyk.
Last season, the sophomore forward totaled three goals and four points in 26 games.
The Toronto-born, but Chicagoland-raised Olczyk is 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds.
Penn State will move into the new multi-million dollar Pegula Ice Arena beginning in October, concurrent with its initial season in the new Big Ten Conference.
Lane Johnson conference call with the media
On when he started thinking Philadelphia could be where he would end up:
“After
Miami got off the clock and picked up Dion Jordan, that’s where I
thought I was going for a while due to the absence of Jake Long to the
Rams. After that took place, I had a good vibe for Philly. After I got a
phone call from a Pennsylvania number, I knew it was time.”
On what head coach Chip Kelly and offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland told him about how he would fit in with the Eagles:
“I
think they like effort and the guys who can move. I don’t know exactly
what type of offense they’re going to be, but I know that at Oregon,
they ran a very fast-paced offense that was very similar to Oklahoma and
I think I fit with what they need.”
On what he knows about the Eagles offensive line:
“I
know Evan Mathis, I’ve heard of him a little bit. I actually almost
went with Vincent Taylor [who is] Jason Peters’ agent. I know Jason
Peters is a guy who went undrafted and is one of, if not the best tackle
in the league. I’m so fortunate to be with these guys and learn as much
as I can.”
On whether he has a preference between left and right tackle:
“I really don’t care. I try to be as balanced as possible. Whatever Coach Kelly and [the coaches] need, I’m going to do.”
On whether he was surprised when he was moved to offensive tackle and whether it was a tough transition:
“I
think the toughest was actually from quarterback to tight end—from
being such a glorified position to going to tight end where your hand is
in the dirt and there’s a lot of physicality involved. So that was
probably the toughest transition. Going to tackle my junior year was a
lot of a learning experience and it kind of felt very weird because I
had been a skill position player my whole life. Going to tackle was kind
of a weird experience, but going into my senior year, I knew I had the
talent and I just kept working and developing and things went well for
me.”
On how he thinks Chip Kelly’s fast-paced offense might suit him:
“I’m
excited. I think Coach Kelly brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm to
the Eagles. I know we’re all anticipating what’s going to happen and so
am I. I’m ready to get started and I’m very fortunate to be with the
Eagles.”
On whether he thinks his style of play will match well with the city of Philadelphia:
“Yeah,
I view myself as kind of an aggressive player on the field, but off the
field I’m a down-to-earth guy. I’m not arrogant at all. I know Philly
is a good blue-collar town that works its tail off and they’re very
passionate about their sports, especially football.”
On whether he thinks he’s ready to start now:
“I think I am, yes sir.”
On how important he thinks the combine was for him in terms of moving up the draft board:
“I
think it was important, but one of my main areas of focus was having a
good Senior Bowl to show people that I’m a football player and not just a
test athlete. Once I had a good week there, I knew the combine was
going to be icing on the cake with the tests and numbers and stuff. It’s
all part of the process and it’s finally over.”
On whether he cares that Evan Mathis has his number:
“That’s
part of it. He’s been there longer than me. Just reading about Mathis,
he’s kind of a freaky dude himself, as far as athlete-wise, so I’m fine
with whatever number I get.”
On how early he had the Eagles on his radar as a place he would end up:
“Back
in January, I had no clue if I was even going to be in the first round.
Moving forward, coming down to the few weeks before draft day, I had a
feeling it was either going to be Philadelphia, San Diego, maybe
Arizona, maybe Detroit and possibly Miami. After Miami traded up for
Dion [Jordan], I knew that Philly was probably going to take me, so
that’s where I ended up.”
Chip Kelly talks Lane Johnson pick
Opening Remarks:
“Obviously we selected Lane Johnson with the fourth pick in the draft and we’re really excited. We felt he was the most athletic tackle that we had seen. We had him in, went down and worked him out privately, then had him in for a visit just a little while ago. [He has] a huge upside. He hasn’t played a ton of offensive tackle, but he has played the right side and the left side, so he does have experience at both sides. I know [Oklahoma head coach] Bob Stoops extremely well and I talked to Bob about [Lane Johnson] extensively last week. He just remarked what a tough player he is and what a selfless player that he is; he’s moved positions. He wants to play. I think he is going to be a great addition to our team. The game is won up front. He’s another tough, physical guy and that’s what we were looking for. We went into this draft and it’s an exciting thing when you can target people and get what you’re looking for. It’s an interesting time as a fan when you see a trade and you don’t know who is going to go and if it has played itself out. I know we were excited and I know Lane is excited, so I think it’s a great addition for us and it starts up front—and that’s what we got.”
On whether Johnson’s versatility and uptempo style was a factor in the pick:
“No. Obviously he ran a similar system in terms of the pace of play, but that really was not a factor in us selecting him. What really was a factor is I think you see a guy that is 6-foot-6, he’s three hundred pounds and 35-inch arms. He’s got an unbelievable athletic background to him. He started as a high school quarterback, was a tight end and played defensive end. I talked to Bob [Stoops]. Bob actually said they wanted to keep him at defensive end, but because of injuries, he was playing defensive end at 280 pounds and doing a great job for them. They had some injuries on the offensive line and they thought about him. His direct quote when he asked the strength coach, ‘What would it take to get Lane to tackle?’ He said, ‘A cheeseburger and a week.’ So, I think he has such an upside and that’s the thing that really excites us. I know him and [offensive line] coach [Jeff] Stoutland hit it off very well during their workouts. Obviously for us to get a tackle, football is all about winning the game up front. When you get a guy like that, you can kind of build off of that. To add to the guys that we have, it’s a great fit for us.”
On whether he thinks the Miami Dolphins traded up to No. 3 in the draft in case the Eagles were planning to take Oregon OLB Dion Jordan:
“I don’t know what Miami thinks and I don’t answer hypotheticals. We had four guys and we felt comfortable with all four guys. We saw the draft the same way that the other teams saw the draft. We were one, two, three, four and it went: one, two, three, four.”
On whether picking Johnson will possibly cause Todd Herremans to move positions:
“I don’t know depth charts or any of those other things. Let’s get Lane in here and let him actually take a few reps and run around a little bit. We do know that Todd has some flexibility and that’s the great thing about him, because Todd has played inside and outside. I think the other thing with Lane that is great about his flexibility is he has played the right side and he’s played the left side. We’re going to let them all battle it out. They’re going to win the jobs out on the field, but having some more versatility makes a more versatile football team. Having him and having Todd, we obviously look at that as a positive.”
On whether Johnson is ready to play in the NFL:
“I think he’s ready and I think he is raw. It’s a draft of raw guys. Luke Joeckel is a three-year player and Ezekiel Ansah, who was taken fifth —it just seems like that’s how this draft fell out. I think we look at raw as a positive, not a negative, because if [Johnson] is doing what he is doing right now and he’s only played really two years on the offensive line and just transitioned from spring ball, we felt like his ceiling is the highest and that’s the intriguing thing. He was probably getting a little less snaps than Eric Fisher, but when you look at his combination of athleticism and what he can do and his toughness. Is he raw? Yeah. He’s a quick learner, he’s a really smart kid, he’s already graduated. I think he’ll pick up what we’re doing quickly. When you listen to people that coached him, they just rave about him. He’s an unbelievable competitor. He’s everything you’re looking for when it comes to a football player.”
On the difference in how the Eagles ranked Eric Fisher and Lane Johnson:
“Honestly, we had them all together. We don’t have the first three picks, so it was going to happen the way it was going to fall. We weren’t going to trade. We didn’t think there was anything and there was no reason to trade up. We thought there was a group of four that we really, really liked and we were going to see how the draft was going to unfold. It wasn’t a situation where we had this guy over this guy.”
On how much Johnson’s time at the combine improved his stock:
“I just think that’s a part of it. It wasn’t like we didn’t know about him. When we were at the combine, it wasn’t like, ‘Oh, my God, who is that guy?’ I think we knew exactly who he was and we anticipated him having that type of combine. You can just look at the numbers he had when he was at Oklahoma. Right now when they go to the combine, there are not a lot of surprises, because you know all about the players before they get there and what the testing was like at Oklahoma. What he did for the testing at Oklahoma is what he did at the combine.”
On how his athleticism will play into the “uptempo” system:
“Yeah, again, I think people are confused with uptempo. We need athletic offensive linemen. It doesn’t matter if you’re getting in a huddle and walking up to the ball and snapping the ball with two seconds on the clock or you’re snapping the ball with 10 seconds into the play clock. It has nothing to do with when you’re snapping the ball; it has to do with their athletic abilities. So whether we’re going to be in the huddle and go up to the line of scrimmage or we’re going to be a no-huddle operation, that doesn’t affect our assessment. I know teams that run no-huddle at the college level, but we’re not going to take a guy just because he played in an uptempo offense. They still have to have the requisite skillset that we need for an offensive tackle and we really think he’s off the charts when it comes to that.”
On whether there were other positions that were strongly considered with the fourth overall pick:
“We had four guys at the top, as it fell out when we looked at our board. Exactly how the draft went. They were the three [tackles] and [DE/OLB] Dion [Jordan]. That’s why we felt comfortable going into this. No matter how it fell, we weren’t going to be sitting there at four going, ‘We didn’t get our guy.’ But, it was just that group of four. Even if anybody traded ahead of us I knew they couldn’t pick two people, so we were still going to be okay.”
On what it means when experts say that he is raw:
“He has some technical things that he needs to work on. I mean, he’s only played the position for two years, so obviously the little nuances of the position, hand placement, and things like that. One thing you know when you’re around him and you get a chance to see Lane, he’s got unbelievable work ethic. He lives and dies football. That’s the one thing – part of what we want to do and bring guys into this program – we want guys that love playing football. Not what football gets them, but actually just loves playing the game. That’s what this kid did. He’s come from an unbelievable background in terms of not getting recruited out of high school – it was a real, real small high school – and then went to a junior college. When Oklahoma saw him and saw his athleticism, they said, ‘We don’t know what position you’re going to be, but if you come you can just play.’ He’s a real selfless guy that just loves playing the game. He doesn’t care if he was an offensive player, a defensive player, he didn’t care if he was a tight end, a defensive end, an offensive tackle, he just wants to play.”
On whether he knew about him in college and when he landed on his radar:
“I was aware of him just hearing his story where you hear about a guy who’s excelling in the Big 12 at offensive tackle that was a former quarterback two years earlier. That kind of catches everybody’s attention. Again, I know [Oklahoma head coach] Bob [Stoops] real well and I know what he thinks of him and how much they thought he was a special player. It took him a couple years to kind of figure out where he was going to exactly fit, but I think that’s a positive for us that he doesn’t have that many years of experience because I think his upside is just so huge. It’s not one of those deals what you see is what you get, I really think he has a very high ceiling.”
On his comments last week that there aren’t any “can’t miss” prospects in this year’s draft:
“I’ll stick with what I said last week.”
On a player having little experience and whether that affects his timetable on when he’ll be on the field:
“He’ll determine when he gets on the field and I’ve said that since whenever I’ve coached. We don’t set the depth chart, [the players] do. We don’t run a dictatorship, we don’t run a democracy, we run a meritocracy. If you merit playing time, then show us in practice that you merit it, show us in preseason games that you merit it, and we’ll put you on the field. He’ll get the opportunity. He’s going to get a ton of reps and he’s going to get an opportunity to show us what he can do, but just like everybody else we’re dealing with right now, they’re going to merit it. I tell those guys that all the time. ‘You guys set the depth chart, we don’t set it. And you set it by your performance. Not because of what we think you can do, but based on your demonstration that you show us on the practice field and in the preseason games.’”
On where the team goes now moving forward in the draft:
“Same thing. Our board is set. So it’s just kind of where it is. As guys get taken off and as you look at it and other teams pick them, then you just kind of take them off where you are. When your pick comes around and what’s on the board for you at that point in time, I know we’re not going to reach and we’re not going to put ourselves in a situation where we need this. I think we did a great job – [general manager] Howie [Roseman] and those guys did a great job in free agency of putting us in a position where we didn’t have any holes. Where we don’t have this position and regardless of what the board says, we need to go take this position. I think we’re in a situation now where we’re going to take, based upon what our board is when we get to the second pick, we look at it who’s our highest-rated player when we get to that point in time. It could be an offensive player, it could be a defensive player. It’s not that, ‘Hey, we took a tackle and won, so now we have to go this way.’ It’s whatever is on the board at this point in time.”
On whether he envisions moving back into the first round:
“No, I don’t envision anything.”
On how deep he can go into the draft and get a quality quarterback:
“I don’t know.”
On what his impressions are on his first NFL Draft:
“Awesome.”
On how he feels about the team’s depth now on the offensive line:
“We’ll still address it. I think it’s always an ongoing process, but do I feel better? Yes. Will we continue to look at guys in this draft? Yes.”
“Obviously we selected Lane Johnson with the fourth pick in the draft and we’re really excited. We felt he was the most athletic tackle that we had seen. We had him in, went down and worked him out privately, then had him in for a visit just a little while ago. [He has] a huge upside. He hasn’t played a ton of offensive tackle, but he has played the right side and the left side, so he does have experience at both sides. I know [Oklahoma head coach] Bob Stoops extremely well and I talked to Bob about [Lane Johnson] extensively last week. He just remarked what a tough player he is and what a selfless player that he is; he’s moved positions. He wants to play. I think he is going to be a great addition to our team. The game is won up front. He’s another tough, physical guy and that’s what we were looking for. We went into this draft and it’s an exciting thing when you can target people and get what you’re looking for. It’s an interesting time as a fan when you see a trade and you don’t know who is going to go and if it has played itself out. I know we were excited and I know Lane is excited, so I think it’s a great addition for us and it starts up front—and that’s what we got.”
On whether Johnson’s versatility and uptempo style was a factor in the pick:
“No. Obviously he ran a similar system in terms of the pace of play, but that really was not a factor in us selecting him. What really was a factor is I think you see a guy that is 6-foot-6, he’s three hundred pounds and 35-inch arms. He’s got an unbelievable athletic background to him. He started as a high school quarterback, was a tight end and played defensive end. I talked to Bob [Stoops]. Bob actually said they wanted to keep him at defensive end, but because of injuries, he was playing defensive end at 280 pounds and doing a great job for them. They had some injuries on the offensive line and they thought about him. His direct quote when he asked the strength coach, ‘What would it take to get Lane to tackle?’ He said, ‘A cheeseburger and a week.’ So, I think he has such an upside and that’s the thing that really excites us. I know him and [offensive line] coach [Jeff] Stoutland hit it off very well during their workouts. Obviously for us to get a tackle, football is all about winning the game up front. When you get a guy like that, you can kind of build off of that. To add to the guys that we have, it’s a great fit for us.”
On whether he thinks the Miami Dolphins traded up to No. 3 in the draft in case the Eagles were planning to take Oregon OLB Dion Jordan:
“I don’t know what Miami thinks and I don’t answer hypotheticals. We had four guys and we felt comfortable with all four guys. We saw the draft the same way that the other teams saw the draft. We were one, two, three, four and it went: one, two, three, four.”
On whether picking Johnson will possibly cause Todd Herremans to move positions:
“I don’t know depth charts or any of those other things. Let’s get Lane in here and let him actually take a few reps and run around a little bit. We do know that Todd has some flexibility and that’s the great thing about him, because Todd has played inside and outside. I think the other thing with Lane that is great about his flexibility is he has played the right side and he’s played the left side. We’re going to let them all battle it out. They’re going to win the jobs out on the field, but having some more versatility makes a more versatile football team. Having him and having Todd, we obviously look at that as a positive.”
On whether Johnson is ready to play in the NFL:
“I think he’s ready and I think he is raw. It’s a draft of raw guys. Luke Joeckel is a three-year player and Ezekiel Ansah, who was taken fifth —it just seems like that’s how this draft fell out. I think we look at raw as a positive, not a negative, because if [Johnson] is doing what he is doing right now and he’s only played really two years on the offensive line and just transitioned from spring ball, we felt like his ceiling is the highest and that’s the intriguing thing. He was probably getting a little less snaps than Eric Fisher, but when you look at his combination of athleticism and what he can do and his toughness. Is he raw? Yeah. He’s a quick learner, he’s a really smart kid, he’s already graduated. I think he’ll pick up what we’re doing quickly. When you listen to people that coached him, they just rave about him. He’s an unbelievable competitor. He’s everything you’re looking for when it comes to a football player.”
On the difference in how the Eagles ranked Eric Fisher and Lane Johnson:
“Honestly, we had them all together. We don’t have the first three picks, so it was going to happen the way it was going to fall. We weren’t going to trade. We didn’t think there was anything and there was no reason to trade up. We thought there was a group of four that we really, really liked and we were going to see how the draft was going to unfold. It wasn’t a situation where we had this guy over this guy.”
On how much Johnson’s time at the combine improved his stock:
“I just think that’s a part of it. It wasn’t like we didn’t know about him. When we were at the combine, it wasn’t like, ‘Oh, my God, who is that guy?’ I think we knew exactly who he was and we anticipated him having that type of combine. You can just look at the numbers he had when he was at Oklahoma. Right now when they go to the combine, there are not a lot of surprises, because you know all about the players before they get there and what the testing was like at Oklahoma. What he did for the testing at Oklahoma is what he did at the combine.”
On how his athleticism will play into the “uptempo” system:
“Yeah, again, I think people are confused with uptempo. We need athletic offensive linemen. It doesn’t matter if you’re getting in a huddle and walking up to the ball and snapping the ball with two seconds on the clock or you’re snapping the ball with 10 seconds into the play clock. It has nothing to do with when you’re snapping the ball; it has to do with their athletic abilities. So whether we’re going to be in the huddle and go up to the line of scrimmage or we’re going to be a no-huddle operation, that doesn’t affect our assessment. I know teams that run no-huddle at the college level, but we’re not going to take a guy just because he played in an uptempo offense. They still have to have the requisite skillset that we need for an offensive tackle and we really think he’s off the charts when it comes to that.”
On whether there were other positions that were strongly considered with the fourth overall pick:
“We had four guys at the top, as it fell out when we looked at our board. Exactly how the draft went. They were the three [tackles] and [DE/OLB] Dion [Jordan]. That’s why we felt comfortable going into this. No matter how it fell, we weren’t going to be sitting there at four going, ‘We didn’t get our guy.’ But, it was just that group of four. Even if anybody traded ahead of us I knew they couldn’t pick two people, so we were still going to be okay.”
On what it means when experts say that he is raw:
“He has some technical things that he needs to work on. I mean, he’s only played the position for two years, so obviously the little nuances of the position, hand placement, and things like that. One thing you know when you’re around him and you get a chance to see Lane, he’s got unbelievable work ethic. He lives and dies football. That’s the one thing – part of what we want to do and bring guys into this program – we want guys that love playing football. Not what football gets them, but actually just loves playing the game. That’s what this kid did. He’s come from an unbelievable background in terms of not getting recruited out of high school – it was a real, real small high school – and then went to a junior college. When Oklahoma saw him and saw his athleticism, they said, ‘We don’t know what position you’re going to be, but if you come you can just play.’ He’s a real selfless guy that just loves playing the game. He doesn’t care if he was an offensive player, a defensive player, he didn’t care if he was a tight end, a defensive end, an offensive tackle, he just wants to play.”
On whether he knew about him in college and when he landed on his radar:
“I was aware of him just hearing his story where you hear about a guy who’s excelling in the Big 12 at offensive tackle that was a former quarterback two years earlier. That kind of catches everybody’s attention. Again, I know [Oklahoma head coach] Bob [Stoops] real well and I know what he thinks of him and how much they thought he was a special player. It took him a couple years to kind of figure out where he was going to exactly fit, but I think that’s a positive for us that he doesn’t have that many years of experience because I think his upside is just so huge. It’s not one of those deals what you see is what you get, I really think he has a very high ceiling.”
On his comments last week that there aren’t any “can’t miss” prospects in this year’s draft:
“I’ll stick with what I said last week.”
On a player having little experience and whether that affects his timetable on when he’ll be on the field:
“He’ll determine when he gets on the field and I’ve said that since whenever I’ve coached. We don’t set the depth chart, [the players] do. We don’t run a dictatorship, we don’t run a democracy, we run a meritocracy. If you merit playing time, then show us in practice that you merit it, show us in preseason games that you merit it, and we’ll put you on the field. He’ll get the opportunity. He’s going to get a ton of reps and he’s going to get an opportunity to show us what he can do, but just like everybody else we’re dealing with right now, they’re going to merit it. I tell those guys that all the time. ‘You guys set the depth chart, we don’t set it. And you set it by your performance. Not because of what we think you can do, but based on your demonstration that you show us on the practice field and in the preseason games.’”
On where the team goes now moving forward in the draft:
“Same thing. Our board is set. So it’s just kind of where it is. As guys get taken off and as you look at it and other teams pick them, then you just kind of take them off where you are. When your pick comes around and what’s on the board for you at that point in time, I know we’re not going to reach and we’re not going to put ourselves in a situation where we need this. I think we did a great job – [general manager] Howie [Roseman] and those guys did a great job in free agency of putting us in a position where we didn’t have any holes. Where we don’t have this position and regardless of what the board says, we need to go take this position. I think we’re in a situation now where we’re going to take, based upon what our board is when we get to the second pick, we look at it who’s our highest-rated player when we get to that point in time. It could be an offensive player, it could be a defensive player. It’s not that, ‘Hey, we took a tackle and won, so now we have to go this way.’ It’s whatever is on the board at this point in time.”
On whether he envisions moving back into the first round:
“No, I don’t envision anything.”
On how deep he can go into the draft and get a quality quarterback:
“I don’t know.”
On what his impressions are on his first NFL Draft:
“Awesome.”
On how he feels about the team’s depth now on the offensive line:
“We’ll still address it. I think it’s always an ongoing process, but do I feel better? Yes. Will we continue to look at guys in this draft? Yes.”
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Flyers' home finale made special with win over Islanders
Phanatic Hockey Editor
The Philadelphia Flyers brought the curtain down on the home portion of a disappointing 2013 season, but not before giving the fans one more thrill.
Ilya Bryzgalov, this publication's choice as team MVP, stopped 21-of-22 shots and rookie defenseman Oliver Lauridsen netted the game winner -- his second tally in as many games -- to pace a 2-1 win over the playoff-bound New York Islanders on Thursday night.
Despite being the subject of rampant rumors and speculation that the front office plans to use an amnesty buy-out on the 31-year-old, Bryzgalov remained sanguine when asked how tough it was with so many AHL defenseman in front of him after continual injuries to the NHL core.
"It's been hard with all the players coming here the first time. But it's always been my philosophy that everyone has to take care of his own business, he said. "You've got to prepare yourself. Not looking for a partner, not looking for somebody else (to help). If you do that, the rest of things take care of themselves. If everyone does their job well, everybody wins."
The Orange and Black (22-22-5) have one more chance to establish this truncated schedule as something less than a failure, as they can finish the year above .500 with a win at Ottawa in the season finale on Saturday.
But their presumptive starting goaltender for next season sees things differently.
"We are not going to make the playoffs. It doesn't matter whether you're two games below or two games above .500. It's pointless. Of course, it's nice to win the games, but at the end of the day it doesn't change anything.''
Danny Briere celebrated with his first goal since February 18 for the Flyers, who evened up the season series, 2-2-0, against their Long Island rivals.
"The last few games I had chance after chance and they didn't seem to want to go in," the long-suffering Briere said. "You start wondering what is going on exactly."
John Tavares notched the lone score and Kevin Poulin came up with 28 stops in defeat for New York, which could have taken over fifth place in the East with a win and Toronto regulation loss. However, after wins by Ottawa and the Rangers, the soon-to-be-Brooklynites fell to the eighth spot.
"It's frustrating for sure, but we're not going to blow it up into something bigger than it is," said Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic. "Look at what we've done the last 15-20 games and we've done a lot of good things."
New York concludes its season-ending five-game road swing at Buffalo on Friday.
Lauridsen snapped the scoreless deadlock with 6:31 left in the third period when he ripped a rising shot by Poulin from the left circle. Seconds before, Poulin used his right pad to stop a pair of lightning-quick chances in close by Giroux, but the Islanders failed to clear and the Dane scored his first legitimate NHL goal.
"This one was a little different. I had a lot more time to shoot, but I'll take both of them," Lauridsen said of his goals in back-to-back games that found the net in radically different ways. "It's been the goal the entire time (since my call up). We had a lot of guys go down with injuries and I got my shot here in the last 10 games. I've been trying to make a mark for myself and hopefully put myself in position for camp next year."
Poulin was called to the bench for an extra skater with 1:43 on the clock, and the hosts survived four icings during the ensuing 5-on-6 situation to preserve the narrow victory.
The Islanders went more than five minutes from the start without a shot, in a game played at half-speed against a club already in the playoffs and one with no hope of play beyond Saturday.
Bryzgalov flashed the pad to stop a Josh Bailey bid from the right wing in the midst of the Flyers' initial power-play chance roughly midway through the first period.
At the end of the advantage, Brayden Schenn was allowed to tiptoe sideways from the left wing into the slot, where he laid a perfect pass across to Briere through Lubomir Visnovsky's legs for the easy tap-in. Briere's first goal in 19 games gave the hosts a 1-0 edge at 11:41.
"Oh yeah. It's my home, my family. It's the best place to play, you ask anyone in the NHL. The fans have been amazing, it's a special place and I've been fortunate to play for this organization," Briere said about the spectre of his being bought out of the final two years of his remaining contract he signed in the Summer of 2007.
In a nod to the fact that it may be his final home game with Philadelphia, the usually exuberant 35-year-old eschewed his famous glove sweep/arm pump gesture for a more subdued affirmation of the tally.
New York evened the score when Tavares' redirection of a Matt Carkner pass slithered beyond the outstretched paddle of Bryzgalov and over the goal line inside the left post with 1:37 played in the second.
Neither club capitalized on a pair of power-play chances and it was deadlocked at 1-1 heading to the third.
''We came out flat again,'' Isles forward Colin McDonald lamented. ''It's just not good enough. We need to be better. It really doesn't matter that we clinched the playoffs. It doesn't really mean anything. We want to be going into the playoffs playing good hockey, so we have one game left to kind of correct it and head into the playoffs with a good feeling.''
Notes: Lauridsen became the first Dane to actually score a goal in a Flyers' uniform, after his initial tally against Boston was an own-goal from defenseman Zdeno Chara...Philadelphia completed its home schedule with a 15-7-2 record, the sixth straight year with a positive ledger as the host...In addition, this was the first year since 2006-07 the Flyers did not have a winning season-series record against the Isles, having gone 2-5-1 that season...The 2-2-0 record marked the first time since 1995 the Flyers and Islanders had a deadlocked season slate...Philly improved to 7-1-0 in home finales since 2006...Tavares sits four behind league leader Alex Ovechkin of the Capitals (32) in total goals...The Orange and Black improved to 10-7 in games decided by one goal...Prior to the contest, the organization handed out its yearly awards. The Gene Hart Memorial Award (fan picked) went to the injured Zac Rinaldo, the Yanick Dupre Memorial Class Guy Award for media rapport was given to Scott Hartnell, the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy for most improved player went to Jakub Voracek, the Barry Ashbee Trophy for top defenseman was given to Kimmo Timonen, and Voracek was a double winner, also taking home the Bobby Clarke Trophy as the club's Most Valuable Player.
2013 Philadelphia Flyers award selections
Phanatic Hockey Editor
The end of this truncated 2013 schedule is just two games away, and this evening, as it's the final home game until next October, the Philadelphia Flyers will hand out individual team hardware to honor the best and brightest from this season.
Before the club makes its own official selections, here are my picks for each of the four major awards.
Gene Hart Memorial Award: Although this honor is given to the player who demonstrated the most “Heart” during the season as voted on by members of the Fan Club at their monthly meetings, this one is all about the "eye test."
And I spied with my little eyes the heart and soul and grit of one Wayne Simmonds, who justified his lengthy contract extension by being the player who showed up most often and played hardest during the club's struggles through the first third of the schedule -- then kept up the pace with only a few drop-offs since.
He's received his rewards by posting the third-best point total (32) and second-highest goal total (15) on the Flyers, netted his first career hat trick on Saturday in Carolina, and has won over the hearts and minds of fans and a certain segment of the media alike.
Yanick Dupre Class Guy Award: A thorny prospect given the relationship between the media at large and certain members of the current roster, this selection goes to the player deemed to have the best rapport with reporters, as voted on by the writers themselves.
2012's winner Jaromir Jagr taught the youngsters a great many things about the game and life while he was here last year, so why not select his protege, Claude Giroux, to win it this year? The newest captain in team history managed to make it through the season free and clear of any controversies or baiting, keeping up good spirits and maintaining poise while the club struggled to find answers and a playoff berth.
Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy: As was expected after Jaromir Jagr signed with the Dallas Stars, Jakub Voracek was given top-line minutes and he has responded with the best season of his career, getting my vote for most improved player. The 24-year-old member of the Ginger Brigade set a new career high in goals with 21, and ranks second to Giroux in points at 45.
In a year when most expectations were skewed because of near-career years last season, Voracek stands out because he was the subject of increased expectations and either met or exceeded them, depending on whom you ask.
Barry Ashbee Trophy: The best defenseman on the club, once again, is its steadiest and "healthiest" member, Kimmo Timonen. Before a broken foot cancelled the remainder of his season, Timonen suited up in all 45 games and led the injury-wracked back line in goals (5), assists (24), points (29), plus-minus (+3), while ranking second in ice time (21:46 per game).
Perhaps the easiest choice in the bunch, the 38-year-old Finn wins the award for the second straight season and the fourth time since arriving in Philadelphia in 2007.
Bobby Clarke Trophy: Given to the player deemed to be the most valuable on the club, attention is usually paid to whomever ends up with the most points or assumes the highest profile, or one who exhibits the qualities of leadership that guide a team to success. This year, I'm going in a different direction.
Bear with me as I select Ilya Bryzgalov as the Flyers' Most Valuable Player. Haters gonna hate, but objective observers can't really argue that, with the turmoil of the defensive injuries, inconsistent to non-existent play from the forward lines from the get-go and the constant swirl of media pressure directed solely in his direction, Bryz has held it together by being a space cadet in the locker room and the steadiest man on ice, excepting Timonen, through this mulligan of a season.
You may point to an increase in his goals-against (2.48 to 2.84), a dip in his save percentage (.909 to .898), but I steer you in the direction of a winning record on a losing team (18-17-3) while playing in 39 of 46 games (including 34 of the first 36) while the front office left his coach without a viable backup and so had to use him like a plough horse in spite of constantly shifting replacement defenders that failed to grasp his system.
Simply put, amnesty this. Without Bryzgalov performing as he did, things would have been so much worse. The Flyers could have been eliminated from the playoff race by the trade deadline instead of last week. He joins Roman Cechmanek (2001, 2003), Ron Hextall (1987-89) and Pelle Lindbergh (1984-85) as the only goaltenders to be selected.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
MO Radio Show on Sports W/ NFL Insider John McMullen
Listen to internet radio with Mo Radio Show on Blog Talk Radio
Timonen down; Lilja up as Flyers prepare to face Bruins
The one defenseman we all couldn't stand to see injured...is now officially injured.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Flyers announced that Kimmo Timonen will miss the club's remaining three games with a broken right foot.
Timonen was the only member of the defensive corps to play in all 45 games this season, but with no possibility of the postseason in order to try and play through the issue, the charade was wisely dropped.
The Flyers have only three games remaining on the schedule, starting with tonight's game against the Boston Bruins -- one which sees the return of Jaromir Jagr to Philadelphia.
The 38-year-old completed his 14th NHL season with five goals and 29 points along with a plus-3 rating. He has one more year remaining on his deal, a $6 million extension, for next year before it's presumed he will leave North America.
His exclusion leaves Kurtis Foster and Luke Schenn as the only remaining blueliners to have not suffered some kind of debilitating injury during the truncated 2013 schedule.
But help is apparently on the way, as Paul Holmgren decided to recall Andreas Lilja from the Adirondack Phantoms. That was the big piece of news before the Timonen story broke, and the pieces appeared to fit.
Nonetheless, Matt Konan, who was recalled from Glens Falls yesterday along with three of his Phantoms' teammates, is still awaiting his NHL debut, which still could occur in any of the final three outings.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Flyers announced that Kimmo Timonen will miss the club's remaining three games with a broken right foot.
Timonen was the only member of the defensive corps to play in all 45 games this season, but with no possibility of the postseason in order to try and play through the issue, the charade was wisely dropped.
The Flyers have only three games remaining on the schedule, starting with tonight's game against the Boston Bruins -- one which sees the return of Jaromir Jagr to Philadelphia.
The 38-year-old completed his 14th NHL season with five goals and 29 points along with a plus-3 rating. He has one more year remaining on his deal, a $6 million extension, for next year before it's presumed he will leave North America.
His exclusion leaves Kurtis Foster and Luke Schenn as the only remaining blueliners to have not suffered some kind of debilitating injury during the truncated 2013 schedule.
But help is apparently on the way, as Paul Holmgren decided to recall Andreas Lilja from the Adirondack Phantoms. That was the big piece of news before the Timonen story broke, and the pieces appeared to fit.
Nonetheless, Matt Konan, who was recalled from Glens Falls yesterday along with three of his Phantoms' teammates, is still awaiting his NHL debut, which still could occur in any of the final three outings.
Sixers' Holiday finishes 5th in Most Improved voting.
NEW YORK – Indiana’s Paul George, who earned his first All-Star Game berth en route to leading the Pacers to the Central Division crown and the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, was named the winner of the 2012-13 NBA Most Improved Player Award.
Sixers guard Jrue Holiday, who also was named an All-Star for the first time, finished fifth.
George received 311 of a possible 1,080 points, including 52 first-place votes, from a panel of 120 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Greivis Vasquez of the New Orleans (146 points, 13 first-place votes) and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Larry Sanders (141 points, 10 first-place votes) finished second and third, respectively.
Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third place vote received.
Ex-Sixers center Nikola Vucevic finished fourth, one spot ahead of Holiday, who received 10 first-place votes.
Sixers guard Jrue Holiday, who also was named an All-Star for the first time, finished fifth.
George received 311 of a possible 1,080 points, including 52 first-place votes, from a panel of 120 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Greivis Vasquez of the New Orleans (146 points, 13 first-place votes) and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Larry Sanders (141 points, 10 first-place votes) finished second and third, respectively.
Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third place vote received.
Ex-Sixers center Nikola Vucevic finished fourth, one spot ahead of Holiday, who received 10 first-place votes.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Union's McInerney named Player of the Week
Chester, Pa. – Philadelphia Union forward Jack McInerney has been named Major League Soccer Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for Week 8 of the 2013 MLS season.
McInerney scored twice in the first half of a 3-2 victory over D.C. United on Sunday, marking the first two-goal performance of his MLS career. After scoring in three straight games, the 20-year-old striker now leads the league with six on the year, making him the youngest player ever to hold the outright lead in goals in MLS. McInerney also leads the league in game-winning goals with three on the year.
McInerney opened the scoring on Sunday after he collected a ball in space and muscled himself past two D.C. United defenders to put the Union ahead in just the seventh minute of play. McInerney would net his second of the match in the 26th, pouncing on a loose ball in the box from a long throw-in from defender Sheanon Williams.
The Union (3-2-2, 11 points) travel north to face the New England Revolution on Saturday at Gillette Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET on The Comcast Network.
McInerney scored twice in the first half of a 3-2 victory over D.C. United on Sunday, marking the first two-goal performance of his MLS career. After scoring in three straight games, the 20-year-old striker now leads the league with six on the year, making him the youngest player ever to hold the outright lead in goals in MLS. McInerney also leads the league in game-winning goals with three on the year.
McInerney opened the scoring on Sunday after he collected a ball in space and muscled himself past two D.C. United defenders to put the Union ahead in just the seventh minute of play. McInerney would net his second of the match in the 26th, pouncing on a loose ball in the box from a long throw-in from defender Sheanon Williams.
The Union (3-2-2, 11 points) travel north to face the New England Revolution on Saturday at Gillette Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET on The Comcast Network.
Final NFL Mock Draft: the mock-ing stops here:
By John McMullen
PHILADELPHIA - The latest NFL Draft shakeup came on Sunday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally completed a long-rumored trade with the New York Jets for cornerback Darrelle Revis.
The Bucs sent the 13th overall selection in Thursday's first round, along with
a conditional 2014 selection, to north Jersey for the former All-Pro.
There had been speculation since January, when John Idzik took over as Jets
general manager for the fired Mike Tannenbaum, that Revis was on the trading
block.
"It became quite evident, we had some discussions with his representation, and
it became quite evident to us that there was a substantial difference between
Darrelle's view of his value and ours," Idzik said during a conference call
after the deal went down. "So we felt like there would have to be a
significant change on either side in order to create a path toward reaching an
agreeable deal for the long term. So you had to really weigh that into the
situation, too."
Now that the Revis domino has fallen, it's time to take one final educated
guess at the 78th Annual selection meeting, albeit one which doesn't take into
account any potential trades or unstable personnel people around the league.
So let's lock it in with The Sports Network's final 2013 NFL mock draft:
1. Kansas City Chiefs - Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M - The Chiefs have done
everything possible to make this pick seem more valuable to teams thinking
about trading up, flashing "interest" in West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith
and trying to beat the drum for Central Michigan left tackle Eric Fisher. In
the end, this is just not a sexy draft at the top, so Kansas City will stand
pat and take Joeckel. Scouts often reference the potential "ceiling" of a
particular prospect and rarely talk about a player's "floor." Joeckel's floor
is significantly higher than Fisher's and that's the real difference between
the two players.
Previous Pick: Joeckel
2. Jacksonville Jaguars - Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU - There is a lot of momentum
building for Fisher to Jacksonville since the Jags need an offensive tackle
but remember who the new head coach of the team is. Gus Bradley, is a
defensive-minded mentor who wants to address the Jaguars' paltry pass rush,
specifically off the edges. Oregon's Dion Jordan has emerged from the pack as
the best prospect off the edge but his frame is best-suited for the 3-4. Ansah
is an athletic freak with a Jason Pierre-Paul-like upside as a pass-rusher.
Previous Pick: Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon
3. Oakland Raiders - Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah - Matt Flynn isn't going to
generate a ton of excitement in the Bay Area, but his presence enables the
Raiders to stop thinking about Smith and focus in on defensive tackles
Sharrif Floyd or Lotulelei. If Oakland believes the doctors and are convinced
Lotulelei's heart scare is behind him (his left ventricle was pumping at below
normal levels at the combine), he's the choice. Star is a versatile player who
fits in playing multiple techniques and shows more on tape than the up-and-
down Floyd.
Previous Pick: Lotulelei
4. Philadelphia Eagles - Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma - The Eagles went through
their first OTAs under Chip Kelly last week and one thing was abundantly
clear, the former Oregon mentor is going to push the tempo and play basketball
on turf in Philly. That means conditioning and athleticism are going to be
paramount, and Johnson, who can run a faster 40-yard dash and leap higher than
some wide receivers, is a better fit in the City of Brotherly Love than the far
more traditional Fisher.
Previous Pick: Fisher
5. Detroit Lions - Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan - Detroit needs to solve
its tackle situation because right tackle Gosder Cherilus left for Indianapolis
in free agency and veteran left tackle Jeff Backus called it quits after a
solid 12-year career. The Motor City Kitties will sprint to the podium when
they see Fisher is still on the board.
Previous Pick: Johnson
6. Cleveland Browns - Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia - It's pretty clear that
the Browns' new brain trust of president Joe Banner, GM Mike Lombardi and
head coach Rob Chudzinski isn't all that enamored with Brandon Weeden. Smith
has been sinking like a stone in most people's eyes after getting trashed in a
Pro Football Weekly scouting report but he remains the top signal-caller in
this draft and Cleveland will ignore the white noise and continue the reboot
of the franchise.
Previous Pick: Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama
7. Arizona Cardinals - Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina - Arizona's draft
prospects changed markedly when the team acquired Carson Palmer from the
Raiders. Palmer may be on the downside on his career and is certainly not the
Pro Bowl player he once was in Cincinnati, but he is a massive upgrade on the
terrible triumvirate of Kevin Kolb, John Skelton and Ryan Lindley which
eventually cost Ken Whisenhunt his job in the desert. Rebuilding perhaps the
worst offensive line in football is now the priority, and while the Cards would
prefer a tackle, the top three will almost assuredly be off the board in the
first five picks. That leaves a choice between the two best guards and
Cooper's athleticism vaults him ahead of Alabama's Chance Warmack.
Previous Pick: Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama
8. Buffalo Bills - Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama - It's finally sinking in that
new Bills coach Doug Marrone simply can't use up all of his political capital
by taking his former quarterback at Syracuse, Ryan Nassib, this early. So,
it's either trade down or take Warmack, an excellent fit after the Bills
lost star guard Andy Levitre in free agency as well as reserve Chad Rinehart.
Previous Pick: Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse
9. New York Jets - Barkevious Mingo, OLB/DE, LSU - Although Mingo has fallen
on most draft boards, the Jets are reportedly smitten with the LSU pass rusher
and will try to finally give Rex Ryan a difference maker off the edge.
Previous Pick: Smith
10. Tennessee Titans - Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama - The Titans addressed their
most glaring holes in free agency by signing Levitre from Buffalo, inking
strong safety Bernard Pollard from the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens,
and getting running back Chris Johnson and young quarterback Jake Locker
backups by convincing Shonn Greene and Ryan Fitzpatrick to leave the AFC East
behind. Tennessee still needs to improve a defense that allowed a league-worst
29.4 points per game in 2012 and getting the draft's best pure cornerback is a
step in the right direction.
Previous Pick: Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida
11. San Diego Chargers - Dion Jordan, OLB/DE, Oregon - The Chargers' offensive
line is abysmal, but D.J. Fluker figures to be the best prospect left on the
board here and the Alabama right tackle can't compare as a prospect to the
suddenly sliding Jordan, who fits another need for the Bolts, albeit a lesser
one.
Previous Pick: Cooper
12. Miami Dolphins - D.J. Fluker, RT, Alabama - Miami also wants a tackle
after losing former No. 1 overall pick Jake Long in free agency. Jonathan
Martin is set to move from the right side to the left and that move will open
up things for Fluker in South Beach.
Previous Pick: Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
13. New York Jets (Acquired from Tampa Bay) - Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
- Getting Rhodes here, a player who could be better than Milliner down the
line because he has better ball skills, makes a lot of sense for a franchise
in rebuilding mode.
Previous Pick: Ansah
14. Carolina Panthers - Shariff Floyd, DT, Florida - Teams drafting for need
will send the loser of the Lotulelei versus Floyd battle in Oakland here and
Carolina will be thrilled with either. The Panthers need to sure up their run
defense.
Previous Pick: Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri
15. New Orleans Saints - Jarvis Jones, DE/OLB, Georgia - Poor 40 times have
sent Jones crashing out of the top 10, but the Saints, who are switching to a
3-4 scheme, need edge players and Jones could be a Terrell Suggs-like steal in
the Big Easy.
Previous Pick: Jones
16. St. Louis Rams - Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia - Some have Austin going
in the top 10, but at the end of the day, he is a specialist, a slot receiver
who doesn't project outside the numbers. That said, Austin is the most dynamic
playmaker in this draft and will be a nice fit in St. Louis because the Rams
lost slot stalwart Danny Amendola to New England in free agency.
Previous Pick: Austin
17. Pittsburgh Steelers - Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame - Pittsburgh could go
wide receiver, but Tennessee's Cordarrelle Patterson as well as Cal's Keenan
Allen have been falling. Eifert, on the other hand, has been rising rapidly
and some have the former Notre Dame star landing in the top 10. With Heath
Miller coming off ACL surgery in late December, Eifert could be in the heir
apparent in the Steel City.
Previous Pick: Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee
18. Dallas Cowboys - Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri - The 'Boys are one of
the few teams making the switch from the 3-4 to a Tampa-2-like 4-3 and
Richardson has a chance to be an impact player as a three-technique.
Previous Pick: Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina
19. New York Giants - Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State - When the Giants have
succeeded in the past, Eli Manning got a lot of the credit and deservedly so,
but it was the pass rush that was the engine of Big Blue's Super Bowl teams.
The rush was derailed in 2012 and Werner was a top five-level prospect earlier
in this process, but his closing speed off the edge, or lack thereof, has
scared off some teams. New York will take advantage of that since Werner has
the type of motor to excel in the NFL and projects as a solid fit with the
Giants as the replacement for Osi Umenyiora.
Previous Pick: Werner
20. Chicago Bears - Manti Te'o, ILB, Notre Dame - The Brian Urlacher era is
over in the Second City and taking Te'o, would accomplish a couple of things.
It gives Chicago an heir apparent and keeps him away from NFC North-rival
Minnesota.
Previous Pick - Te'o
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Menelik Watson, OT, Florida State - For whatever
reason (it's money), the Bengals have let incumbent starting right tackle
Andre Smith, who was one of the best in all of football last season, dangle in
free agency. It looks as if the organization doesn't have the stomach for the
paycheck Smith wants, so bringing in Watson as a replacement makes a lot of
sense.
Previous Pick: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas
22. St. Louis Rams (from Washington Redskins) - Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas - The
Rams could continue attacking the receiver spot or look for Steven Jackson's
replacement at running back, but their need at safety is just too great and
Vaccaro is the best available, a player who has the ideal combination of size
and athleticism to roam from sideline to sideline in coverage.
Previous Pick: Matt Elam, S, Florida
23. Minnesota Vikings - Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee - The Vikings have been
looking for the answer at split end since Randy Moss' first go-around in the
Twin Cities ended and the team believes Hunter is the answer, a player some
scouts are now calling the most physically gifted receiver on the board.
Previous Pick: Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
24. Indianapolis Colts - Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington - Chuck Pagano would
probably prefer to build up his 3-4 defense with another edge pass rusher but
he also needs to supplement a corner group which includes Vontae Davis, Darius
Butler and free agent acquisition Greg Toler. Trufant would project as the
best of that bunch early on.
Previous Pick: Mingo
25. Minnesota Vikings (from Seattle) - Kevin Minter, MLB, LSU - This is
Minnesota's pick acquired in the Percy Harvin deal. The Vikings let their
middle linebacker in 2012 -- the pedestrian Jasper Brinkley -- walk to Arizona,
so they need a mike. Minny general manager Rick Spielman would love Te'o, but
with him off the boards, it's between Alec Ogletree, Arthur Brown and Minter.
Ogletree is the far more athletic player who is best-suited for the Vikings
somewhat antiquated Tampa-2 base scheme, but Vikings coach Leslie Frazier is
big on character and Minter is a solid prospect who trumps the other two
there.
Previous Pick: Alec Ogletree, ILB, Georgia
26. Green Bay Packers - Matt Elam, S, Florida - Packers general manager Ted
Thompson has publicly stated he wants his team to be more physical and Elam is
a thumper from the safety position who would replace Charles Woodson.
Previous Pick: Watson
27. Houston Texans - Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee - Even before they
released veteran Kevin Walter, the Texans badly needed a complement to Andre
Johnson. Patterson is very raw and doesn't run routes all that well, but he's
the best YAC (yards after catch) receiver in the draft and more of a vertical
threat than Keenan Allen.
Previous Pick: DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
28. Denver Broncos - Margus Hunt, DE, SMU - The Elvis Dumervil fax fiasco put
defensive end in play for the Broncos and the 6-foot-8, 280-pound Hunt is the
type of raw talent you gamble with late in the first round. Most project him
as a 3-4 end, but Hunt certainly has the size and frame to hold up as a base
end in a 4-3 also.
Previous Pick: Hunt
29. New England Patriots - D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston - Although the
Patriots got Aqib Talib and Kyle Arrington back in free agency, the back end is
still the biggest problem on the New England defense and the team has been hot
on the trail of the rapidly ascending Hayden.
Previous Pick: Trufant
30. Atlanta Falcons - Tank Carradine, DE, Florida State - The Falcons replaced
the aging but always productive John Abraham with Umenyiora, a talented but
far less consistent player. Meanwhile Troy Biermann is a high-motor player on
the other side who is probably best-suited for fewer reps. They could put
Carradine in the picture, a player on the rise after ACL surgery.
Previous Pick: Carradine
31. San Francisco 49ers - Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina - The Niners
lost both Isaac Sopoaga and Ricky Jean-Francois in free agency, so they need
bodies on the interior of their defensive line and will be happy to swoop in
on the falling Williams.
Previous Pick: Eifert
32. Baltimore Ravens - Alec Ogletree, ILB, Georgia - The Ravens may be a
little gun shy to take on a character concern especially after Rolando McClain
was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest on Sunday. But, with
Ray Lewis retiring and Dannell Ellerbe exiting to Miami, Baltimore badly needs
an inside linebacker and Ogletree is too talented to pass up here.
Previous Pick: Minter
ROUND TWO:
33. Jacksonville Jaguars - Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas Pine-Bluff
34. San Francisco 49ers (from Kansas City) - Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford
35. Philadelphia Eagles - EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State
36. Detroit Lions - Keenan Allen, WR, California
37. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland) - Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama
38. Arizona Cardinals - Matt Barkley, QB, USC
39. New York Jets - Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas
40. Tennessee Titans - Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky
41. Buffalo Bills - Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse
42. Miami Dolphins - Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
43. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gavin Escobar, TE, San Diego State
44. Carolina Panthers - Jonathan Cyprien, S, Florida International
45. San Diego Chargers - Kyle Long OG/OT, Oregon
46. St. Louis Rams - Arthur Brown, ILB, Kansas State
47. Dallas Cowboys - Eric Reid, S, LSU
48. Pittsburgh Steelers - Datone Jones, DE, UCLA
49. New York Giants - D.J. Swearinger, S, South Carolina
50. Chicago Bears - Barrett Jones, OC, Alabama
51. Washington Redskins - Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
52. Minnesota Vikings - Kawann Short, DT, Purdue
53. Cincinnati Bengals - Khaseem Greene, OLB, Rutgers
54. Miami Dolphins (from Indianapolis) - Jesse Williams, NT, Alabama
55. Green Bay Packers - Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina
56. Seattle Seahawks - Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State
57. Houston Texans - Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M
58. Denver Broncos - Jonathan Franklin, RB, UCLA
59. New England Patriots - Robert Woods, WR, USC
60. Atlanta Falcons - Chase Thomas, LB,Stanford
61. San Francisco 49ers - DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
62. Baltimore Ravens - Travis Frederick, C, Wisconsin
Notes:
- Cleveland exercised its second-round pick in last year's supplemental draft
- New Orleans forfeited its second-round pick due to the Bountygate scandal
PHILADELPHIA - The latest NFL Draft shakeup came on Sunday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally completed a long-rumored trade with the New York Jets for cornerback Darrelle Revis.
The Bucs sent the 13th overall selection in Thursday's first round, along with
a conditional 2014 selection, to north Jersey for the former All-Pro.
There had been speculation since January, when John Idzik took over as Jets
general manager for the fired Mike Tannenbaum, that Revis was on the trading
block.
"It became quite evident, we had some discussions with his representation, and
it became quite evident to us that there was a substantial difference between
Darrelle's view of his value and ours," Idzik said during a conference call
after the deal went down. "So we felt like there would have to be a
significant change on either side in order to create a path toward reaching an
agreeable deal for the long term. So you had to really weigh that into the
situation, too."
Now that the Revis domino has fallen, it's time to take one final educated
guess at the 78th Annual selection meeting, albeit one which doesn't take into
account any potential trades or unstable personnel people around the league.
So let's lock it in with The Sports Network's final 2013 NFL mock draft:
1. Kansas City Chiefs - Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M - The Chiefs have done
everything possible to make this pick seem more valuable to teams thinking
about trading up, flashing "interest" in West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith
and trying to beat the drum for Central Michigan left tackle Eric Fisher. In
the end, this is just not a sexy draft at the top, so Kansas City will stand
pat and take Joeckel. Scouts often reference the potential "ceiling" of a
particular prospect and rarely talk about a player's "floor." Joeckel's floor
is significantly higher than Fisher's and that's the real difference between
the two players.
Previous Pick: Joeckel
2. Jacksonville Jaguars - Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU - There is a lot of momentum
building for Fisher to Jacksonville since the Jags need an offensive tackle
but remember who the new head coach of the team is. Gus Bradley, is a
defensive-minded mentor who wants to address the Jaguars' paltry pass rush,
specifically off the edges. Oregon's Dion Jordan has emerged from the pack as
the best prospect off the edge but his frame is best-suited for the 3-4. Ansah
is an athletic freak with a Jason Pierre-Paul-like upside as a pass-rusher.
Previous Pick: Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon
3. Oakland Raiders - Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah - Matt Flynn isn't going to
generate a ton of excitement in the Bay Area, but his presence enables the
Raiders to stop thinking about Smith and focus in on defensive tackles
Sharrif Floyd or Lotulelei. If Oakland believes the doctors and are convinced
Lotulelei's heart scare is behind him (his left ventricle was pumping at below
normal levels at the combine), he's the choice. Star is a versatile player who
fits in playing multiple techniques and shows more on tape than the up-and-
down Floyd.
Previous Pick: Lotulelei
4. Philadelphia Eagles - Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma - The Eagles went through
their first OTAs under Chip Kelly last week and one thing was abundantly
clear, the former Oregon mentor is going to push the tempo and play basketball
on turf in Philly. That means conditioning and athleticism are going to be
paramount, and Johnson, who can run a faster 40-yard dash and leap higher than
some wide receivers, is a better fit in the City of Brotherly Love than the far
more traditional Fisher.
Previous Pick: Fisher
5. Detroit Lions - Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan - Detroit needs to solve
its tackle situation because right tackle Gosder Cherilus left for Indianapolis
in free agency and veteran left tackle Jeff Backus called it quits after a
solid 12-year career. The Motor City Kitties will sprint to the podium when
they see Fisher is still on the board.
Previous Pick: Johnson
6. Cleveland Browns - Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia - It's pretty clear that
the Browns' new brain trust of president Joe Banner, GM Mike Lombardi and
head coach Rob Chudzinski isn't all that enamored with Brandon Weeden. Smith
has been sinking like a stone in most people's eyes after getting trashed in a
Pro Football Weekly scouting report but he remains the top signal-caller in
this draft and Cleveland will ignore the white noise and continue the reboot
of the franchise.
Previous Pick: Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama
7. Arizona Cardinals - Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina - Arizona's draft
prospects changed markedly when the team acquired Carson Palmer from the
Raiders. Palmer may be on the downside on his career and is certainly not the
Pro Bowl player he once was in Cincinnati, but he is a massive upgrade on the
terrible triumvirate of Kevin Kolb, John Skelton and Ryan Lindley which
eventually cost Ken Whisenhunt his job in the desert. Rebuilding perhaps the
worst offensive line in football is now the priority, and while the Cards would
prefer a tackle, the top three will almost assuredly be off the board in the
first five picks. That leaves a choice between the two best guards and
Cooper's athleticism vaults him ahead of Alabama's Chance Warmack.
Previous Pick: Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama
8. Buffalo Bills - Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama - It's finally sinking in that
new Bills coach Doug Marrone simply can't use up all of his political capital
by taking his former quarterback at Syracuse, Ryan Nassib, this early. So,
it's either trade down or take Warmack, an excellent fit after the Bills
lost star guard Andy Levitre in free agency as well as reserve Chad Rinehart.
Previous Pick: Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse
9. New York Jets - Barkevious Mingo, OLB/DE, LSU - Although Mingo has fallen
on most draft boards, the Jets are reportedly smitten with the LSU pass rusher
and will try to finally give Rex Ryan a difference maker off the edge.
Previous Pick: Smith
10. Tennessee Titans - Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama - The Titans addressed their
most glaring holes in free agency by signing Levitre from Buffalo, inking
strong safety Bernard Pollard from the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens,
and getting running back Chris Johnson and young quarterback Jake Locker
backups by convincing Shonn Greene and Ryan Fitzpatrick to leave the AFC East
behind. Tennessee still needs to improve a defense that allowed a league-worst
29.4 points per game in 2012 and getting the draft's best pure cornerback is a
step in the right direction.
Previous Pick: Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida
11. San Diego Chargers - Dion Jordan, OLB/DE, Oregon - The Chargers' offensive
line is abysmal, but D.J. Fluker figures to be the best prospect left on the
board here and the Alabama right tackle can't compare as a prospect to the
suddenly sliding Jordan, who fits another need for the Bolts, albeit a lesser
one.
Previous Pick: Cooper
12. Miami Dolphins - D.J. Fluker, RT, Alabama - Miami also wants a tackle
after losing former No. 1 overall pick Jake Long in free agency. Jonathan
Martin is set to move from the right side to the left and that move will open
up things for Fluker in South Beach.
Previous Pick: Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
13. New York Jets (Acquired from Tampa Bay) - Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
- Getting Rhodes here, a player who could be better than Milliner down the
line because he has better ball skills, makes a lot of sense for a franchise
in rebuilding mode.
Previous Pick: Ansah
14. Carolina Panthers - Shariff Floyd, DT, Florida - Teams drafting for need
will send the loser of the Lotulelei versus Floyd battle in Oakland here and
Carolina will be thrilled with either. The Panthers need to sure up their run
defense.
Previous Pick: Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri
15. New Orleans Saints - Jarvis Jones, DE/OLB, Georgia - Poor 40 times have
sent Jones crashing out of the top 10, but the Saints, who are switching to a
3-4 scheme, need edge players and Jones could be a Terrell Suggs-like steal in
the Big Easy.
Previous Pick: Jones
16. St. Louis Rams - Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia - Some have Austin going
in the top 10, but at the end of the day, he is a specialist, a slot receiver
who doesn't project outside the numbers. That said, Austin is the most dynamic
playmaker in this draft and will be a nice fit in St. Louis because the Rams
lost slot stalwart Danny Amendola to New England in free agency.
Previous Pick: Austin
17. Pittsburgh Steelers - Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame - Pittsburgh could go
wide receiver, but Tennessee's Cordarrelle Patterson as well as Cal's Keenan
Allen have been falling. Eifert, on the other hand, has been rising rapidly
and some have the former Notre Dame star landing in the top 10. With Heath
Miller coming off ACL surgery in late December, Eifert could be in the heir
apparent in the Steel City.
Previous Pick: Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee
18. Dallas Cowboys - Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri - The 'Boys are one of
the few teams making the switch from the 3-4 to a Tampa-2-like 4-3 and
Richardson has a chance to be an impact player as a three-technique.
Previous Pick: Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina
19. New York Giants - Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State - When the Giants have
succeeded in the past, Eli Manning got a lot of the credit and deservedly so,
but it was the pass rush that was the engine of Big Blue's Super Bowl teams.
The rush was derailed in 2012 and Werner was a top five-level prospect earlier
in this process, but his closing speed off the edge, or lack thereof, has
scared off some teams. New York will take advantage of that since Werner has
the type of motor to excel in the NFL and projects as a solid fit with the
Giants as the replacement for Osi Umenyiora.
Previous Pick: Werner
20. Chicago Bears - Manti Te'o, ILB, Notre Dame - The Brian Urlacher era is
over in the Second City and taking Te'o, would accomplish a couple of things.
It gives Chicago an heir apparent and keeps him away from NFC North-rival
Minnesota.
Previous Pick - Te'o
21. Cincinnati Bengals - Menelik Watson, OT, Florida State - For whatever
reason (it's money), the Bengals have let incumbent starting right tackle
Andre Smith, who was one of the best in all of football last season, dangle in
free agency. It looks as if the organization doesn't have the stomach for the
paycheck Smith wants, so bringing in Watson as a replacement makes a lot of
sense.
Previous Pick: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas
22. St. Louis Rams (from Washington Redskins) - Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas - The
Rams could continue attacking the receiver spot or look for Steven Jackson's
replacement at running back, but their need at safety is just too great and
Vaccaro is the best available, a player who has the ideal combination of size
and athleticism to roam from sideline to sideline in coverage.
Previous Pick: Matt Elam, S, Florida
23. Minnesota Vikings - Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee - The Vikings have been
looking for the answer at split end since Randy Moss' first go-around in the
Twin Cities ended and the team believes Hunter is the answer, a player some
scouts are now calling the most physically gifted receiver on the board.
Previous Pick: Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
24. Indianapolis Colts - Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington - Chuck Pagano would
probably prefer to build up his 3-4 defense with another edge pass rusher but
he also needs to supplement a corner group which includes Vontae Davis, Darius
Butler and free agent acquisition Greg Toler. Trufant would project as the
best of that bunch early on.
Previous Pick: Mingo
25. Minnesota Vikings (from Seattle) - Kevin Minter, MLB, LSU - This is
Minnesota's pick acquired in the Percy Harvin deal. The Vikings let their
middle linebacker in 2012 -- the pedestrian Jasper Brinkley -- walk to Arizona,
so they need a mike. Minny general manager Rick Spielman would love Te'o, but
with him off the boards, it's between Alec Ogletree, Arthur Brown and Minter.
Ogletree is the far more athletic player who is best-suited for the Vikings
somewhat antiquated Tampa-2 base scheme, but Vikings coach Leslie Frazier is
big on character and Minter is a solid prospect who trumps the other two
there.
Previous Pick: Alec Ogletree, ILB, Georgia
26. Green Bay Packers - Matt Elam, S, Florida - Packers general manager Ted
Thompson has publicly stated he wants his team to be more physical and Elam is
a thumper from the safety position who would replace Charles Woodson.
Previous Pick: Watson
27. Houston Texans - Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee - Even before they
released veteran Kevin Walter, the Texans badly needed a complement to Andre
Johnson. Patterson is very raw and doesn't run routes all that well, but he's
the best YAC (yards after catch) receiver in the draft and more of a vertical
threat than Keenan Allen.
Previous Pick: DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
28. Denver Broncos - Margus Hunt, DE, SMU - The Elvis Dumervil fax fiasco put
defensive end in play for the Broncos and the 6-foot-8, 280-pound Hunt is the
type of raw talent you gamble with late in the first round. Most project him
as a 3-4 end, but Hunt certainly has the size and frame to hold up as a base
end in a 4-3 also.
Previous Pick: Hunt
29. New England Patriots - D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston - Although the
Patriots got Aqib Talib and Kyle Arrington back in free agency, the back end is
still the biggest problem on the New England defense and the team has been hot
on the trail of the rapidly ascending Hayden.
Previous Pick: Trufant
30. Atlanta Falcons - Tank Carradine, DE, Florida State - The Falcons replaced
the aging but always productive John Abraham with Umenyiora, a talented but
far less consistent player. Meanwhile Troy Biermann is a high-motor player on
the other side who is probably best-suited for fewer reps. They could put
Carradine in the picture, a player on the rise after ACL surgery.
Previous Pick: Carradine
31. San Francisco 49ers - Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina - The Niners
lost both Isaac Sopoaga and Ricky Jean-Francois in free agency, so they need
bodies on the interior of their defensive line and will be happy to swoop in
on the falling Williams.
Previous Pick: Eifert
32. Baltimore Ravens - Alec Ogletree, ILB, Georgia - The Ravens may be a
little gun shy to take on a character concern especially after Rolando McClain
was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest on Sunday. But, with
Ray Lewis retiring and Dannell Ellerbe exiting to Miami, Baltimore badly needs
an inside linebacker and Ogletree is too talented to pass up here.
Previous Pick: Minter
ROUND TWO:
33. Jacksonville Jaguars - Terron Armstead, OT, Arkansas Pine-Bluff
34. San Francisco 49ers (from Kansas City) - Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford
35. Philadelphia Eagles - EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State
36. Detroit Lions - Keenan Allen, WR, California
37. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland) - Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama
38. Arizona Cardinals - Matt Barkley, QB, USC
39. New York Jets - Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas
40. Tennessee Titans - Larry Warford, OG, Kentucky
41. Buffalo Bills - Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse
42. Miami Dolphins - Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
43. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gavin Escobar, TE, San Diego State
44. Carolina Panthers - Jonathan Cyprien, S, Florida International
45. San Diego Chargers - Kyle Long OG/OT, Oregon
46. St. Louis Rams - Arthur Brown, ILB, Kansas State
47. Dallas Cowboys - Eric Reid, S, LSU
48. Pittsburgh Steelers - Datone Jones, DE, UCLA
49. New York Giants - D.J. Swearinger, S, South Carolina
50. Chicago Bears - Barrett Jones, OC, Alabama
51. Washington Redskins - Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
52. Minnesota Vikings - Kawann Short, DT, Purdue
53. Cincinnati Bengals - Khaseem Greene, OLB, Rutgers
54. Miami Dolphins (from Indianapolis) - Jesse Williams, NT, Alabama
55. Green Bay Packers - Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina
56. Seattle Seahawks - Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State
57. Houston Texans - Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M
58. Denver Broncos - Jonathan Franklin, RB, UCLA
59. New England Patriots - Robert Woods, WR, USC
60. Atlanta Falcons - Chase Thomas, LB,Stanford
61. San Francisco 49ers - DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
62. Baltimore Ravens - Travis Frederick, C, Wisconsin
Notes:
- Cleveland exercised its second-round pick in last year's supplemental draft
- New Orleans forfeited its second-round pick due to the Bountygate scandal
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