TE'O DRAFT STOCK FALLING, IT COULD LAND HIM IN DENVER

This past weekend , the underpants Olympics or better known as the NFL Combine took place in Indianapolis.  Last years draft was loaded with prospects.  We’re going to take a look at Manti Te’o and his draft stock after the NFL Combine and girlfriend hoax.

Te'o Addressing the Media

Manti Te’o is probably a house hold name for all of the wrong reasons right now. He is an outstanding, hardworking kid that was a little gullible, and fell in love with a girl he never met.  Unfortunately the women he thought he fell in love with wasn’t real.  Yeah, I am sure you have heard the story numerous times by now.  The kid made a mistake and when I say kid, I mean kid, he’s 22 years old there is still a lot of growth to happen in his life.  It sickens me, that we as a nation, try to bring down the strong and clear headed men.   Now that you know how I feel about the whole Te’o case, let’s take a look at his performance on Sunday. 

At 1:45 PM Te’o ran his 40 yard dash.  He finished 20 of the 26 participating linebackers.  Clocking in at 4.82.  This hurt Manti’s draft stock, not a tremendous amount, but probably a couple selections.  I still believe Te’o will be drafted in the late first round.  Who expected him to run much faster.  This is a guy who won seven, I repeat seven awards his senior season for THE Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and came in second place in the Heisman race.  Hey, he must be something right.  But, with a combination of the whole girlfriend hoax, and his lack of speed in the 40 yard dash, Manti’s draft stock has dropped significantly in the past four or five months.  This was a player who was predicted to be picked in the top ten come April.  That’s a lot of money he’s losing people. 

Manti Doing Cone Drills

Last year Andrew Luck picked number one overall signed a four year $ 22 million dollar deal, the last pick in the first round, 32, David Wilson signed a four year $ 6.8 million dollar contract.  Not saying Te’o won’t be able to live comfortable, but he could potentially lose millions. 

Don’t be surprised if Te’o gets picked up by the Denver Broncos at 28 in Aprils draft, Von Miller has performed great at the outside linebacker position in his first two seasons.  Denver needs a solid middle linebacker to complete their linbacking core. Keith Brooking played well for Denver in 2012, but he will turn 38 shortly.  Manti can easily drop to 28.  From what I heard, Denver Broncos, GM and ex Broncos quarterback , John Elway is interested in Te’o.  Manti said he is expected to meet with 18 more NFL teams in the upcoming weeks, he could land anywhere, but there is nothing like the cold rockies!

Check out my weekly poll at the very bottom of my blog!

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Senior Bowl Opens the Eyes of the AFC West

Each year after the regular season the top college football seniors participate in one last football exhibition, known as the Senior Bowl. 

Lets take a look at some the best and worst performances in the 2013 Senior Bowl that took place on January 28. There wasn't anyone with huge numbers in this year’s Senior Bowl. Each player gets a chance to showcase their skills, so none received enough reps to produce big time numbers.

Quarterback Zac Dysert out of Miami of Oxford looked okay, on the 28, completing 10 of 16 passes for 93 yards with 1 touchdown (TD) and 1 interception (INT).  Mike Glennon from NC State completed 8-16, 82 yards.  EJ Manuel who played his college ball in at Florida State,  looked the most comfortable out of the participating quarterbacks, scoring a TD on a gorgeous play action throw to 270 pounder Michael Williams from Bama in the back of the end zone. 

The Chiefs are the only team out of the AFC West in desperate need of a quarterback before the start of next season.  Unless Kansas City takes a HUGE gamble don’t expect any of the quarterbacks that participated in the Senior Bowl to be selected number one overall. 

Running back, Jonathan Franklin separated himself from the rest of the running backs in the Senior Bowl.  Although 2013 isn’t the strongest class of running backs, or any position really, Franklin could fit well in the AFC West, particularly in Denver.  He can hit the edge with speed and explode when he reaches the open field, and he has got decent size standing six feet 195 pounds. 

Denver is in need of a bigger back to take the load off of Peyton Manning.  Willis McGahee will turn 32 next season and Ronnie Hillman is simply too small.  Knowshon Moreno, bounced back, and finished last season strong.  Moreno will push for the starting role in the 2013 season.  

Some other back performances that may open the eyes of the AFC West…

·         Stepfan Taylor (Stanford) 9 carries, 55 yards

·         Mike Gillislee (Florida) 10 carries, 48 yards

·         Kenjon Barner (Oregon) 3 carries, 13 yards with 7 catches 59 yards and a TD

The Senior Bowl was pretty weak…NFL Scouts will be watching the seniors performances at the NFL combine, that will take place from February 23^rd-26^th.  

2012 Season Recap

There is 45 seconds left to go in the game. Ball on the Baltimore 30 yard line, 3rd and 3. The Denver Broncos are winning with the score of 35 to 28. Baltimore has NO TIMEOUTS and 70 yards to gain...I am on the edge of my chair, the last time the Broncos reached the Super Bowl, well, I was learning my ABC's. The Broncos are going to the Super Bowl!  Think again...

Joe Flacco snaps the ball, drops back, steps back into the pocket to avoid a hit and heaves it down field  into the hands of Jacoby Jones for a TD.  Baltimore wins in overtime.  

The Kansas City Chiefs finished the 2012 season with a record of two and 14 -  Kansas City obviously needs the most help in the off-season.  The recent acquire of head coach Andy Reid is a strong building block.  Look for the Chiefs to search for a QB either through free-agency or the NFL draft. Matt Cassel at 30, is not much better than a back up at this point in his career. 

The Oakland Raiders finished the season four and 12.  Fun fact, Oakland is my dads favorite team. We go at it! I win of course, I mean, Oakland's combined record in the last ten seasons is 49 and 111...Sorry, pops. Oakland has the 3rd overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft.  I say give QB Carson Palmer one more shot.  Oakland should think about dumping Palmer though, he's set to make 13 million in 2013.  The Raiders are VERY weak in the secondary.    

San Diego Chargers finished seven and nine.  Phillip Rivers by far played the worst season in his career last year and San Diego still squeaked out seven wins.  Rivers is still a franchise QB in the NFL, but he must have weapons.  Get Rivers weapons! Deep threat wide receivers, the loss of Vincent Jackson last season was crucial. Rivers and San Diego won't make the playoffs without a line...San Diego holds the 11th overall pick in this NFL draft this spring. 

Now you are aware of the results of the AFC West from the 2012 season as well as their first round draft position.  What moves will each team from the AFC West make this off-season to become one step closer in becoming victorious??

Please, check out my next post, as I plan to cover the Senior Bowl performances that stand out to the AFC Westlies! 





“He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.” - Abraham Lincoln 

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