2013 NFL Draft: Rounds Two - Seven Recap posted by Joe Anello

It was an eventful and unpredictable NFL Draft, even after the craziness that ensued in round one Thursday night. Friday night showcased rounds two and three, while Sunday wrapped up the draft with rounds four through seven. Let’s run through the major storylines that came out of the 2013 NFL Draft!

*Pardon for the delay. This is what happens when life throws the draft, C2E2, and the impetus to change jobs all in one weekend.

-After slipping through the first round despite several reported landing spots, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o became a San Diego Charger. The Chargers traded picks 45 and 110 to the Cardinals for pick number 38, allowing them to move up for Te’o. At that point in the draft, the drama-laden linebacker had great value. The Chargers run a 3-4 scheme, but he can still be a valuable inside presence for them.

-On the very next pick after Te’o was selected, the New York Jets saw a “franchise” quarterback fall right into their laps at number 39 overall with Geno Smith. Smith increases the QB count on the Jets roster all the way up to six, which includes Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, Greg McElroy, and David Garrard. Yeah… someone’s gonna get cut. The obvious cut is Tebow. But then who? Do you cut the veteran Garrard, whom you just brought in? Or do you take the massive cap hit and release Sanchez? Or are you giving up on the idea that McElroy can be anything? The drama is ratcheted up in New York, and I’m gonna love every minute of it.

Chicago Bears 2013 NFL Draft: Rounds Two - Seven Recap posted by Joe Anello

After using their first round pick on guard Kyle Long on Thursday night, the Chicago Bears came back over the next two days and six rounds and added five more players to their draft class. Here are Chicago’s picks from rounds two through seven.

Second Round: Jonathan Bostic, ILB, Florida

After passing on linebackers in the first round, Phil Emery came back in the second and selected the 6’1”, 245 lb. middle linebacker to hopefully find a place as the eventual starter. But for now, he’ll learn the position alongside the other two linebacking spots to aid in giving the Bears depth in that unit. He’ll also contribute on special teams immediately. Bostic played in 51 games at Florida, starting 32 of them. He racked up 237 tackles in that time. Bostic ran a 4.61 at the combine, and is noted for not being as aggressive as he could be. Still, he gets to learn for a year behind D.J. Williams, who only has a one year deal with the Bears.

Fourth Round: Khaseem Greene, OLB, Rutgers

The Rutgers outside linebacker had some contact with the Bears all throughout this process, having been brought in for a pre-draft visit. Greene was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year twice! (Shared the honor in 2011 and solo’d it in 2012.) His 2012 stats at Rutgers: 136 tackles, 6 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 5 passes defended, 2 interceptions, 12 tackles for loss. Greene ran the 10th best 40 time amongst linebackers, but also measured out with the worst vertical jump. (Whatever the crap that means for a linebacker.)

2103 NFL Draft: Round One Recap posted by Joe Anello

The first round of the 2013 NFL was as unpredictable as it was billed to be, with trades and surprise picks all along the way. Here are the stories that came out of Thursday night!

-The run on offensive linemen started early and continued throughout the early portion of the round. Offensive tackle Eric Fisher came off the board at number one to the Chiefs; with fellow tackle Luke Joeckel coming right after to the Jaguars at number two. In total, eight offensive linemen went in the first 20 picks of the draft, highlighting the lack of skill position players to be found.

-In the first trade of the night, Miami up from their pick at twelve to Oakland’s number three for…LANE JO-. Wait, nevermind. It was for defensive end Dion Jordan. Miami shipped their 12th overall pick and the 10th pick in the second round (42) to the Oakland for number three. This oddly leaves Miami with the 22nd pick in the second round (54), which is precisely the pick that Kansas City doesn’t want as compensation for left tackle Brandon Albert. So… Miami still doesn’t have a legitimate left tackle. Cool…

-The St. Louis Rams, with picks to spare apparently, traded their first, second, third, and seventh rounders to move up to 8 from 16 so they could take receiver Tavon Austin. Austin was the clear play-maker at wide-out in this draft, so for a team desperate to get Sam Bradford a weapon.

-Instead of drafting Ryan Nassib, the quarterback that was so familiar to head coach Doug Marrone, with the newly acquired 16th pick, the Buffalo Bills went off the reservation and reached on QB E.J. Manuel. Yeah, Manuel probably would have been there in round two. Sorry Bills fans.

Chicago Bears 2013 NFL Draft: Round One Recap posted by Joe Anello

With the way the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft had shaken out, the Chicago Bears had a glut of options available to them. Phil Emery made the call to select Oregon guard Kyle Long with the twentieth overall selection. Let’s break down this pick that left fans a bit confuzzled.

Drafted by Chicago White Sox out of high school, Long (the son of Hall of Famer Howie Long) flunked out of Florida State, where he was playing baseball. He then went to Oregon and played 11 games for the Ducks, starting four of them. In his post-pick presser, GM Phil Emery detailed that Long’s versatility was the prime reason they drafted him. He didn’t commit fully, but he stated that Long will probably start at left guard. He praised his movement skills as well.

This pick more than confused me. Defensive tackle Shariff Floyd, linebacker Alec Ogletree, and tight end Tyler Eifert, were all still on the board when the Bears sent their pick in. Floyd was mocked to be selected somewhere in the top ten, but the penetrating tackle was still around, able to help out a defensive line that could use an interior pass rusher. Instead, he went to the Vikings. Alec Ogletree, as I wrote earlier in my preview column, was the middle linebacker with all sorts of potential. But he dropped to St. Louis at pick number 30. And Tyler Eifert? The tight end that could have added another dynamic weapon to the offense? He went on the very next pick to the Cincinnati Bengals.

2013 NFL Draft Needs: Chicago Bears posted by Joe Anello

The Chicago Bears own the number 20 overall pick in this Thursday’s first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, one of their five selections in the seven round mega-event. With so few selections (no pick in round three or seven), GM Phil Emery has his work cut out for him to load up new Head Coach Marc Trestman’s roster. But thanks to a successful free agency period, Emery doesn’t go into this draft with any gaping holes. Let’s get into some of the Bears’ needs they might/should address during this draft.

*If I toss out player names, they’re first round prospects unless I note otherwise.

Offensive Line

I extremely doubt that Alabama’s Chance Warmack is on the board when Phil Emery gets to make a selection. With a run on tackles being expected early, it’s likely a mauling guard out of a big school (like Warmack will be) won’t make it much farther. North Carolina’s Jonathan Cooper is slightly more likely than Warmack, even if he is considered the better run/pass blocker of the two. Phil Emery also brought in Syracuse’s Justin Pugh for a visit, a lineman that could available in round number two. If Emery loves Alabama’s D.J. Fluker at right tackle, then he’ll be there at pick number 20 as well. (Which is really a position they need help at.) But if Fluker’s their guy, trading down would be a great option to consider.

2013 NFL Draft Preview: Round One posted by Joe Anello

Okay hardcore NFL fans and semi-amateur talent evaluators (AKA drunken college football fans), the event you love and adore is here! The time when college players are selected to be a part of pro teams and championships are declared won and lost based on sheer potential before the young players ever even suit up. It’s the NFL Draft, and it’s one of my favorite weekends of the year. As it was designed last season, the Draft now takes place over three days, with the first round coming on Thursday night, rounds two and three follow on Friday night, with rounds four through seven spanning across Saturday. Let’s get to some of the top stories coming out of round one! (And forgive the bad sub-headers. I’m in the mood for terrible jokes.)

She’s Not Exactly “Top-Heavy”

The talent apparently lies after the first round in the 2013 Draft, as experts have been talking up the “depth” of this class. What does that mean to you? It means this is sort of a weak draft at the top. There’s nary a running back worth a first round selection, save perhaps Alabama’s Eddie Lacy. Game-breaking receivers are not to be found outside of Tavon Austin out of West Virginia. A tight end will show up, but otherwise this might be as boring of a first round (from a skill position standpoint) as we’ve seen in the past decade. Honestly. Get ready to see o-linemen, linebackers, safeties, and d-linemen aplenty. If you’re looking for SEXY DIVA SUPERSTARS, this ain’t the first round for you. 

Revis Finally Traded to the Buccaneers posted by Joe Anello

After months (years?) of back-and-forth chatter and negotiations, the New York Jets and cornerback Darelle Revis have finally parted ways. The Jets sent Revis to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for the Bucs’ first round pick (thirteenth overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft and a conditional pick in the 2014 Draft. The condition being that if Revis is on the Bucs’ 2014 roster on day 3 of the league year, it changes from a fourth round pick to a third rounder. With the completion of the deal came a new contract for Revis, a 6-year, $96 million contract with apparently no guaranteed money. Let’s get into the specifics and see how each team, as well as the player, made out in this deal.

The Deal for the Jets

The Jets get the first round pick they’ve always wanted thanks to this deal. This gives them picks nine and thirteen overall, allowing them to add two impact players on day one of the draft. It also lets them shed any obligation to Revis in 2014, freeing up $12 million in cap space. That will allow them to be actual players in free agency, as opposed to the sideline sitters they’ve been in recent years. They also get rid of the constant headache that Revis and his negotiating tactics presented. Obviously his impact on the field will be felt, but Antonio Cromartie and Kyle Wilson are not a terrible tandem to fill the void. (Obviously they could consider a corner with their picks, but I don’t think anyone worth those picks will be there.) This is a step for a franchise in transition, clearing room to make changes under a new general manager. But not getting the Bucs’ first, third, and fifth round picks in 2013 (which was initially the rumored deal) feels like a loss. The Jets could have used those picks immediately.

2013 NFL Offseason: Quarterback Craze! posted by Joe Anello

Aside from a few relatively noteworthy transactions in NFL free agency, the past few days have been all about the quarterbacks. There’s been news aplenty regarding some premiere and not-so-premiere signal-callers across the league and the ramifications of their movements. Let’s get through all the news!

Dallas Cowboys extend QB Tony Romo with a six-year, $108 million deal ($55M gtd.)

So we’ve all heard about the basic numbers here, but there’s definitely some “fine print” to this contract. The extension does give Romo $55 million in guaranteed money, but that includes the $11.5M he was scheduled to make next season. He did get a $25M signing bonus, which is pro-rated over the life of the deal (which technically ends after the 2019 season).

This is the contract the Cowboys needed to get done. Through an odd contract loophole, Romo could have become a free agent after the 2013 season… but also after the franchising period ended. So he would have been able to simply walk out on Dallas and get into the free agent market directly, without fear of being franchised. So without a better plan in place or being in any sort of position to draft a quarterback, Dallas made the right, sensible move here. They locked up their franchise quarterback for the long-term.

QB Kevin Kolb signs a 2-year, $13 million deal with the Buffalo Bills

WHOAH. Did NOT see this coming. Can I still get partial credit for saying he’d land in the AFC East? Kolb somehow skirts the sideshow that is the Jets quarterback competition and lands in Buffalo, where he currently only has to beat out Tarvaris Jackson, who isn’t exactly Jim Kelly. Don’t expect this move to stop the Bills from taking a quarterback somewhere in the first two rounds. Kolb might be better than Ryan Fitzpatrick. But at least he’s not making a ludicrous amount of cash.

Free Agency 2013: Two Weeks Later posted by Joe Anello

Okay everyone, it’s been long enough since my last check-in that a slew of impactful transactions have taken place in NFL free agency. So without further adieu, let’s go around the league!

(Here are my takes on the moves from day one and days two and three of free agency.)

WR Greg Jennings signs a 5-year $47.5 million deal ($18M gtd.) with the Minnesota Vikings

This move was almost a necessity for the Vikings AND Jennings. Minnesota was in dire straits at the receiver position after they traded away Percy Harvin to the Seahawks. Jennings wasn’t getting any more money than the Packers offered him, so he oddly walked away from that deal and signed with the division rival. He’ll be THE focal point in Minnesota at the receiver position. Maybe this eases Adrian Peterson’s rage over the trading of Harvin. Maybe.

LT Jake Long signs a 4-year, $36 million deal ($16M gtd.) with the St. Louis Rams

Shabam. And the real domino in the tackle game falls. Long’s extended physical delayed this deal from getting done sooner, but he’s now a Ram. If he’s legitimately healthy and returns to form, the Rams aren’t going to miss that money in the slightest. So what does this mean for incumbent LT and former second-round pick Roger Saffold? Uh… it means he’s on his way to the right side. Or to a trade. Once Long was signed, it set a real benchmark for other tackles on the market, as we’ll see later.

Moving on from Urlacher: The Right Move? posted by Joe Anello

In a move than some fans were desperately hoping to avoid hearing about, the Chicago Bears decided to not re-sign Brian Urlacher. Despite Head Coach Marc Trestman having been quoted as early as Wednesday morning saying Urlacher “had a place on this team,” they cut ties with the veteran linebacker. GM Phil Emery made the tough call, which was illustrated in the statement he released. The details are as follows (as we’ve cobbled them together from reporters and Brian himself): Urlacher’s team pitched a 2-year, $11.5 million deal that he expected to negotiate down from. Chicago countered with a 1-year, $2 million (not all of which was guaranteed). That offer was countered with a $3.5 million contract, with another 500k in possible incentives. Chicago balked and made it clear that their offer was of the “take it or leave it” kind.

The end result? Brian Urlacher, one of Chicago’s most recognizable athletes, is now a disgruntled ex-Bear. And boy has he gruntled. (Yes. I’m using it as a verb. Who are you, the Vocab Police?)

My Take:

This was obviously a money/business move, especially given the way Brian’s responded both publicly and frequently in the past 36 hours (. But it was the RIGHT move. There’s no need to overpay for an aging player that can’t shed blockers and was your third best linebacker last season. Is it sad? Sure. Still, I can’t let personal feelings get in the way of the fact that the Bears can (and should) get better at the middle linebacker position. 

NFL Roundup: Freeney headed to Chargers, Williams in lawsuit with former fiancee (The SportsXc

The San Diego Chargers agreed to a two-year, $8.75 million contract with free agent defensive end Dwight Freeney, according to multiple reports. Freeney also reportedly has incentives in the contract tied to the number of sacks he gets that could make the deal worth up to $13.35 million. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

New England Patriots Should Not Be Criticized for Releasing Kyle Love (Yahoo! Contributor Networ

COMMENTARY | NFL players don't have guaranteed contracts outside of their signing bonuses, so when they are released, the team can take heat for what can be perceived as unfair decisions. The New England Patriots took a lot of flak after releasing defensive tackle Kyle Love on May 15, but there are plenty of reasons why they should not be criticized for the personnel decision. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Report: Bills reach deal with Woods

A person familiar with negotiations says the Buffalo Bills havereached an agreement to sign receiver Robert Woods, theirsecond-round draft. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NFL

AP source: Bills reach deal with rookie WR Woods (Yahoo! Sports)

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- The Buffalo Bills reached an agreement early Monday to sign receiver Robert Woods, their second-round draft pick, according to a person familiar with negotiations. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Bears terminate DT Fluellen's contract (Yahoo! Sports)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) -- The Chicago Bears have terminated the contract of vested veteran defensive tackle Andre Fluellen. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports