Cardinals Release Matt Leinart

Breaking news is that Matt Leinart will be released later today. The former #10 overall selection has been benched and now booted off the team after publicly addressing head coach Ken Wisenhunt.

So what do I think? First of all this is good for Matt. They didn't want him anyways, and he is still young enough to go compete elsewhere. But where exactly is elsewhere? I'm not sure but I am going to guess Matt finds his way to Southern California someway. Maybe as the Chargers backup. You never know.

All in all, it is going to be interesting to see if he can get his career back started.

Masoli Is Sitting Out

The NCAA ruled today that Jeremiah Masoli will not be eligible for the Ole Miss Rebel's this entire season. Masoli enrolled at Ole Miss after being suspended by Oregon for an off the field incident. Ole Miss is going to appeal the suspension.

I do not see him playing in college ever again. How many years of eligibility does he have left? He is already 22. If he sits out now, he won't be eligible to play until he is 23, then entering the NFL around the age of 24. I don't see how he can afford to stay off the field that long.

If I were him I'd go to the UFL for a year, then enter the draft next year if possible.

Masoli to the Rebels

How fitting.

Jeremiah Masolu is a Rollin' Rebel.

This time last year me and a buddy were in an argument that looks silly now. Who's better: Masoli or Tebow?

Considering that one is selling more jerseys than Peyton Manning in the NFL and the other is stealing laptops (allegedly) I think its safe to say we know who wins at least on the character side of the debate.

Masoli can help a team, that is certain. He plays like a FB in a QB's body and is as tough as anyone. His swagger comes off on his teammates and I don't doubt that he can have success in the SEC. The question is has he learned his lesson? What types of guys are he going to hang out with in Mississippi?

Jeremiah's got a second chance. I hope he doesn't waste it.

Jeremiah Masoli to the NFL Draft?

Jeremiah Masouli is possibly on his way to the NFL.

The disgraced former Oregon Duck QB, has been rumored to be applying to the NFL's supplemental draft.

I feel that Masouli is a teriffic player and it would behove a team with a shaky situation at quarterback to at least give this kid a look. Sure he made some bad decisions in college (allegedly being involved in the theft of a laptop) but we all have one or two skeleton's in our closet.

In my humble, non-expert opnion a team with strong leadership like the 49ers should bring on Masouli to see what he's got. Could you imagine if he got in trouble with Mike Singletary?

Tim Tebow: A Lot is Still to be Seen

Thousands of words and hours of television commentary have been published on Tim Tebow. His career stats, passing motions, and intangible qualities have been evaluated, reevaluated, and evaluated again. He's easily the most polarizing man in the NFL and he's a fourth string Quarterback who's yet to play in a professional game.

Granted, the criticisms are valid. Tebow in fact stunk up the Senior Bowl. He did drop multiple snaps from center. He did score a pedestrian 22 on his wonderlic. All of this has been documented and is completely fair to bring up in any anti-Tebow argument.

On the other hand, the Heisman is there. The two national championships are there. Almost every Florida passing record in the book is there. The perennial SEC player of the year awards are there. All positives for the pro-Tebow argument.

So who's right in this argument? No one knows. There is strong evidence on both sides. All we know for sure right now is that Tebow is the Quarterback of the Broncos immediate future, like it or not. He will be judged as the first round Quarterback he is and he will be expected to get the Broncos over the hump and into the playoffs. Just like every other first round Quarterback he will be expected to eventually hold the Lombardi trophy above his head.

Can he do it? Will he do it? Will those against the Tebow pick be proven correct? Will the Tebow fans be proven correct? The answers to these questions and more are yet to be seen. Everyone calm down and enjoy what will be the most pressured, intense, scrutinized, and interesting career in Denver Broncos history.

Tebow Drops 500 on Cincy

Tim Tebow showed off last night in the 2010 Sugar Bowl vs. Cincinnati. Over 500 yards of offense, 40 powerful rushing yards and a bunch of touchdowns which I'm not even going to check the exact numbers on. The point is Tebow played like it was a Playstation game instead of an actual NCAA sanctioned football game. Urban Meyer, way to run the score up bro.

I kind of feel sorry for Cincinnati because they don't have a coach but still they should have showed up properly. Tony Pike was no match for Carlos Dunlap and friends. It was awful. He got shoved around like it was a backyard football game and he was the captain of the little kid team. Wait... that's a perfect analogy.

Jason Campbell Get the Hell Out of Dodge

Dear Jason,

The Redskins don't care about you. Daniel Snyder doesn't love you. You offensive line doesn't care. Clinton Portis could give a f... anymore.

Do yourself a favor Jason and save your career by leaving Washington. They have jerked you around from coach, to coach, to coach and blamed you each season for not mastering a brand new playbook every spring (also known as the Alex Smith effect). Daniel Snyder refuses to sign any big names on the offensive side of the ball to help you. You simply cannot win in Washington. They won't let you.

You're the perfect goat. Your a nice guy, you didn't as even raise your voice after good ol' Dan flirted with every available Quarterback from Jay Cutler to Mark Sanchez. So take what little dignity you have left and get the hell out of dodge! Where should you go? I heard Buffalo is looking for a QB. They got this guy named TO to throw to, and these guys Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch to hand the ball too. It could be a good fit. Carolina might be interested. You'd get to whoop the Redskins every preseason in the yearly Carolina-Washington preseason game. You'd get to throw to Steve Smith and hand the ball to these two guys that call themselves Double Trouble. It could be a great fit. Seattle could be interested as well.

Whatever you decide Jason wisen up and get as far away from DC as possible!

Ya Boy,

D

Tim Tebow: NFL Collusion?

People are starting rumors left and right that there is a gentleman's deal between the NFL owners to allow the Jacksonville Jaguars to select Tim Tebow in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Tebow apparently is the one factor that can save the sinking ship that is the Jacksonville Jaguars fanbase. (Hey, no one told you to put a franchise in Jacksonville.)

I think there is absolutely a chance that there is a deal to do this, but I dont put it past one man to eff up everything just to say "F U" to the rest of the NFL.

NFL, I introduce you Tim Tebow.

The first round pick of the Oakland Raiders.

+1 for Al Davis? Will he go along with the deal? Will he select Tebow just because?

With Locker Gone, How to The QBs Stack Up?

With Locker back in college (only he knows why) the top Quarterbacks in the 2010 draft can breathe easier. Jake probably made them all 4-5 mil each as they slide up on team's boards with one less QB available. But which QBs will benefit the most?

• Jimmy Clausen - possible top 5 pick.
• Sam Bradford- the BIG winner. If he can test well he can get to the top 10. You never know *cough*JoshMcDaniels*cough*
• Tony Pike- Slides into the first, possibly.
• Colt McCoy- Also may slide up into the first.
• Tim Tebow- go ahead and pick out a nice condo in Jacksonville, nothing has changed for you Timmy.

Jake Locker Has Money to Blow

Apparently Locker has already signed a Major League Baseball contract which netted him a $300,000 signing bonus. Does he even want to play in the NFL? I'm thinking probably not. Or will he try to play in the NFL then go on to the MLB in his thirties? You never know with these baseball guys. He has all the talent but this decision would make me think twice on drafting this kid over a comparable prospect.

Ndamukong Suh is the best prospect in the draft hands down now with Locker out, and will undoubtedly be the first pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jake Locker is staying in school

I hope he doesnt pull a Sam Bradford, but one of the top QBs in the draft is going back to school for another season. I personally think this is a bad move for Locker. He undoubtedly would have been a top 15 pick this year regardless. What does going back to college prove? Sure he can become a top 5 pick but that's what we said about Sam Bradford too. I find that it is better for these guys to come out and sit on the bench a year in the pros than go back and risk injury for free. At least get paid to develop your craft.

Golden Tate and Jimmy Clausen Peace Out of Note Dame

Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate have decided that they will take their talents to the NFL next year. The wheels are falling off at Notre Dame. In my opinion this is a great move for the two of them to get the hell out of dodge as soon as possible. They aren't going to be competing for anything next year in South Bend anyways. On to their NFL possibilities...

Jimmy Clausen should be a top 15 pick in what some are calling a terrible QB draft (Clausen, Locker, Pike, Tebow, Bradford)

Golden Tate is a late first rounder to high second rounder right now. It is interesting because potentially he and Clausen could end up on the same team next year.

News and Notes

Brace Yourself for Tim Tebow Worship | The Big Lead
Will Gators QB Tim Tebow Be Successful In The NFL?
Jimmy Clausen declines comment on weekend incident
Ndamukong Suh A Finalist For the Lott Trophy
Passing On The Game: One Game Evaluation Of Ndamukong Suh
How Sam Bradford Goes To Buffalo - Buffalo Bills Forums
Sam Bradford Will Be A Redskin?? - Hogs Haven
Jonathan Dwyer finishing up strong - College Fantasy Football Insider

Clausen Enters the Draft

Seems as if the writing is on the wall for Charlie Weis and crew after the conclusion of this season. QB Jimmy Clausen has already announced his decision to enter the NFL Draft. How long until Golden Tate does the same?

Scouting Report: Colt McCoy

Alright I'll throw my two cents in.

Full disclosure: I'm on the Sam Bradford bandwagon.

To me, Colt McCoy is not as much a system QB as he is a product of being in an offense that's been tailored fit to fit his best abilities (running, throwing shorter passes) and due to this he has produced monster stats. Let's not kid ourselves. Rushing wise he isn't Michael Vick, but his stats could lead you believe such is true (leading rusher on Texas over the last few seasons). He throws a tight spiral, has an adequate arm but not a strong NFL arm IMO. I think he could succeed with the right coach in the NFL, but any Quarterback that doesn't run a prostyle offense comes with that huge red flag. I don't think he could start right away in certain offenses, he'd get smacked too often and doesn't have the frame for that.

I know Bradford is comparable but in my opinion Bradford has a superior arm and is more accurate with it. He too doesn't do much under center, but I think with his arm and ability to read defenses he can succeed in the NFL right away like Mark Sanchez and Matt Ryan have. Bradford too is a thin guy but I believe he would have the smarts to throw the ball away, where Colt would attempt to run as he does in college, and we know the NFL is not a "spread them out and run" deal like college is for quarterbacks.

As of today, I wouldn't take Colt McCoy until the late 20's. Bradford top 10, Snead top 10, Tebow top 15 (reluctantly, I'm coming around on him maybe I'll go into detail in this post).

Sure, Bradford lost the national championship. Let's not forget he broke his hand in the previous game, weeks earlier... that's not an excuse but we will never know if it was all the way healed. And also as I've said before, there is like a freaking forcefield around Tim Tebow. That kid just can't lose football games.

Tim Tebow's NFL Chances

Tebow will get a shot at QB, and he will get drafted higher than a lot of you think. Why I think?

1. He will get to play in the senior bowl. This is KEY. NFL coaches will get him for that week, and they will ask him to play a pro offense. If he performs well, he will snag a 1st rounder tender as a QB IMO.

2. He just wins. You cant explain it. He is surrounded by great talent, but it seems like time and time again, when the rest of his team decides to take a crap on the field he comes ready and is the REASON they win. You can't deny this.

3. And finally, the fans. Whatever team he goes to will have to play him at QB for the fans, period. Tim Tebow backup TE/FB won't sell tickets. Tim Tebow QB of the future sells out season tickets. Hence this is why I am predicting he will be a Dallas Cowboy if the Jags don't end up selecting before them.

Let me end this by saying...Im no Tebow fan, by far. He is such an ugly style of QB but you cannot deny these facts. If he does well enough with the NFL coaches, some team desperate to sell tickets (I.E. Jacksonville in danger of losing the team, or Dallas with a billion seats AND standing room to sell) will justify taking him.

Jimmy Clausen, Jake Locker pt. 2

Let's talk about these QBs. Jake Locker (who I blogged about http://nfl-draft-notebook.blogspot.c...vs-locker.html) has all the tools but I don't see him becoming a "game changing" player. He is a shaky passer to me. I'd love to see him in a Senior Bowl setting but we won't be able to see that if he comes out now.

Clausen has improved leaps and bounds this year. But is it him or Tate/Rudolph? Both of those players are mid-low first rounders and they are the 1 and 2 options in that offense.. so you never know. We found out that Brady wasn't that great, Clausen might be #2.. or he could break the mold. He has terrible footwork, but makes all the throws. If I had to bet, Id say this time next year he will be starting games for Seattle or St. Louis.

Bradford is my favorite out the bunch. But he's VERY injury prone.

Colt McCoy will be a Carolina Panther, and a late second rounder.

Tim Tebow is going in the first to Jacksonville, and will play wildcat until Garrard gets injured.

That's just the way I see it.

Head to head: Clausen vs. Locker

I haven't blogged in a while, but I am back. I have a few thoughts after the Washington Notre Dame game last weekend. Clausen and Locker are being regarded as the top 2 QBs right now by most draftninks. My thoughts:


Jimmy Clausen is going to be the first Quarterback taken, and possibly the first player taken in the 2010 NFL draft. He has the tools, pedigree, and now the film to prove it. He can make the NFL throws to the corners and has great intangibles. He is a gritty winner and isn't afraid to show fire when his team needs it.

NFL Comparison: Phillip Rivers


Jake Locker is a funny one. A lot of people call this guy the person that will change Quarterbacking forever because he runs a 4.5 and can throw it on a rope. Mike Vick could too, and we saw the limitations of it. I personally feel Locker is a huge project right now. He had a chance to win the Notre Dame game and just a few passes were off the mark at the worst times. Whatever team he goes to has to give him at least a year to sit and watch. Yes, a real year. Not this fake 6 game business before they give up and throw the kid to the Lions.

NFL Comparison: Daunte Culpepper Circa 2000-2004

Mark Sanchez: The 09 Draft's Darling

Everyone has worked this guy out, from Denver to New York. As many as 10 teams may have their eye on the former USC signal caller. But is he worth the hype? Where will he go? Let's break this down.

First, the teams that may want Mr. Sanchez' services:

St. Louis
Seattle
Cleveland
Jacksonville
San Francisco
Denver
Washington
NY Jets
Minnesota

Out of all these teams, let's eliminate the teams that have acquired a Quarterback this offseason already. That eliminates Denver (Orton, Simms), St. Louis (Boller) and Minnesota (Sage). Out of the teams that are left let's eliminate those that have flat out said they are not drafting him. Jacksonville and San Francisco.

So we can now conclude that Mark Sanchez will be wearing one of the following jerseys this Saturday:

Seattle
Cleveland
Washington
NY Jets

Cleveland is the dark horse because they have Quinn right now unless he is traded. Seattle has a fairly young (33) Matt Hasselbeck, who said that he is capable of starting for a while. If we go ahead and eliminate those teams, that leaves us with a much clearer picture.

The Washington Redskins or the NY Jets.

Washington has a higher pick to get the deal done, but don't count out the NY Jets from pulling something off. However, if I was a betting man I'd say we see Mr. Sanchez donning the following jersey:

Why the Broncos Made Out Like Bandits

It's no secret by now that I love the Jay Cutler trade as a Bronco fan. Getting a malcontent off your roster is always a good thing, but when you get PAID in the process it becomes a great thing.

For one, Jay Cutler is a good quarterback. I'll give him that. But a great quarterback? Not so fast my friend. His 3,000 passing yards were inflated by Mike Shanahan's fake spread offense, and throwing to Brandon Marshall & Eddie Royal makes life easier. Combine that with Jay's inability to take blame after critical mistakes and you start piecing together a recipe for disaster.

On the Broncos side, they will be much better off without Jay Cutler. He and Bus Cook will not be missed in Dove Valley. Also look at the fact that he was traded for not one, not two, but three players! Including a starting quarterback in return. Kyle Orton does not pass the eye test but he does the one thing Jay Cutler could never do. Win football games. The two first round players the Broncos will be able to draft will make the team much better in the long run as well. And if just one of the three players Cutler was traded for becomes a Pro Bowler this trade becomes down right criminal.

The Bears get a great arm. I won't deny that. Jay Cutler's game as a QB has little to no flaws other than his Plummer-like decision making. The only thing that will hold him back is his weak mental fortitude. The Bears are already Christening him as the franchise's savior, yet they have a very old defense and no legit players on offense other than Matt Forte to pair with Cutler. Cutler has never posted a winning record in his career. How will all the losing and all the pressure effect him? If it's anything like his era as a Bronco look for drama to ensue once Cutler starts becoming accountable for the teams lack of success, deservingly or not.