The day has finally arrived; CU will break ground on the new facilities project this afternoon. While no one is sure about real dollar numbers in place, Kyle Ringo did report today that the project has been officially greenlit to proceed. Just the idea of everything being completed for the 2015 football season is exciting, but we'll have to wait and see how the money situation shakes out. Until then, enjoy the pictures of shovels being placed into snowy mud that are sure to pour out over the next few hours.
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Today in the bag, I'm talking P-Rich's draft day, basketball scheduling, and the NHL playoffs.
Click below for the bag...
Showing posts with label NFL Draft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFL Draft. Show all posts
Monday, May 12, 2014
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Tuesday Grab Bag: Football?
Another week, another snow storm. I can now set my watch by these things. Upwards of nine fresh inches of powder for Boulder by tomorrow afternoon. *sigh*
Today's grab bag is filled with... wait, this can't be right... football talk? There must be some mistake, as this is clearly still April. Regardless, I'll also be talking sinkhole, and touching on basketball recruiting.
Click below for the bag...
Today's grab bag is filled with... wait, this can't be right... football talk? There must be some mistake, as this is clearly still April. Regardless, I'll also be talking sinkhole, and touching on basketball recruiting.
Click below for the bag...
Monday, April 30, 2012
Monday Grab Bag: A Rose with a broken stem
Ah, what a busy weekend! I got some sun, ran a bunch of errands, and saw My Bulls lose any shot at a title... all within a few hours. How fantastic!
Today in the bag I'll be talking up the Buffs headed to the NFL, mourning the loss of the Bulls playoff hopes, and taking a quick swing around the world of baseball.
Click below for the bag...
Today in the bag I'll be talking up the Buffs headed to the NFL, mourning the loss of the Bulls playoff hopes, and taking a quick swing around the world of baseball.
Click below for the bag...
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Quick Post: '12 NFL Draft Preview
If ESPN's media juggernaut hasn't hammered it into your brain yet, let me remind you that the 1st round of the NFL draft is tonight. Spaced over three days, the draft now dominates the late spring sports calendar, allowing the NFL to spread its money-printing tentacles well past the completed season's expiration date.
It's fascinating to me how the draft has grown from a televised mass teleconference, to an entity unto itself. Just think, there are people out there who care more about what goes on tonight (names being read over sparkly highlight packages) than the very entertaining NHL playoffs (Caps over Bruins!). Champions are being ousted, and people will drop everything to watch a glorified press conference. *sigh*
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Unlike last year, I don't even have the prospect of multiple Buffs being selected to hold my attention. In fact, there is a slight chance the draft will pass by without selecting a single Buffalo. Of all the 28 seniors, the largest graduating class in program history, only big Ryan Miller is considered a solid draft possibility. I guess if only one Buff is going to be drafted, it might as well be him. Ryan Miller is a Buff's Buff. Through some of the darkest days in program history, the big man gave his all for the Black and Gold.
The Colorado native definitely has NFL size and talent, but his stock is held back by the position he plays. Offensive guards are considered an interchangeable group, with very few early round picks typically spent on OG's. The simple truth is that if Ryan was a LT, he'd probably be selected on the first two days. As it is, Buff Nation will have to spend a fitful Saturday afternoon, hoping to see his name scroll across the screen.
Other high profile members of the '11 senior class, like Speedy Stewart and Tyler Hansen, will probably end up as un-drafted free agents. Still with a shot at an NFL roster, but outside of the draft's spotlight.
For his sake, Coach Embree believes upwards of seven or eight Buffs will end up in NFL training camps this fall. I hope he's right, because I thought there was more talent on the team than the resulting 3-10 record would have you believe. Many of those kids deserve a solid look from pro scouts.
It's fascinating to me how the draft has grown from a televised mass teleconference, to an entity unto itself. Just think, there are people out there who care more about what goes on tonight (names being read over sparkly highlight packages) than the very entertaining NHL playoffs (Caps over Bruins!). Champions are being ousted, and people will drop everything to watch a glorified press conference. *sigh*
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Unlike last year, I don't even have the prospect of multiple Buffs being selected to hold my attention. In fact, there is a slight chance the draft will pass by without selecting a single Buffalo. Of all the 28 seniors, the largest graduating class in program history, only big Ryan Miller is considered a solid draft possibility. I guess if only one Buff is going to be drafted, it might as well be him. Ryan Miller is a Buff's Buff. Through some of the darkest days in program history, the big man gave his all for the Black and Gold.
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| Some team (maybe the Broncos?) will get a solid guard with their late-round pick of Miller. |
Other high profile members of the '11 senior class, like Speedy Stewart and Tyler Hansen, will probably end up as un-drafted free agents. Still with a shot at an NFL roster, but outside of the draft's spotlight.
For his sake, Coach Embree believes upwards of seven or eight Buffs will end up in NFL training camps this fall. I hope he's right, because I thought there was more talent on the team than the resulting 3-10 record would have you believe. Many of those kids deserve a solid look from pro scouts.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Quick Post: The end of the Darrell Scott Era of College Football
Last night I came across a bit of news that forced a chuckle. South Florida RB Darrell Scott, yes that Darrell Scott, is skipping his final year of collegiate eligibility, and declaring for the NFL Draft.
His redshirt junior campaign in Tampa saw the one time 5-star phenom rack up a light 814 yards and 5 scores. While he did rush for over 5 yards per carry, those aren't numbers that jump off the page and lead you to believe that the kid is ready for NFL work. That he only accomplished that much against weak Big East competition is even more worrisome.
Overall, through spotty play over three seasons, the man many predicted would be a home run, can't miss prospect amassed a paltry 1,252 career rushing yards and 6 scores. Even if you put that together, it's a decent, at best, season. By far his best game was this season's 146 yard, 3 TD performance against the vaunted Rattlers of Florida A&M. Besides that, he only rumbled to one other 100 yard performance in his career. Not exactly what recruiters thought they were fighting over back in '07/'08.
What I've always perceived of Darrell's career is that he was never that interested in being a collegiate back; his goal was always the NFL. College was just an inconvenient road block on the way to his destiny. I guess he figures four years is four years, and he's ready to jump ship.... RIGHT NOW.
But there are some underlying issues that can't be looked past. That lack of focus on the collegiate game, that impatience to crack an NFL roster, lead to a career that constantly saw him on the sidelines, rather than in a game. Out of shape, prone to injuries, and absent when needed were the hallmarks of his tenure in college football. I know the NFL mostly looks at workouts, rather than stats and in-game performance, but that's a hard sentence to overlook for an NFL scout.
Just look at this article from a USF fansite. After noting that Darrell's performance tailed off against better competition, and as the season wore on, comes this note:
Whatever, the book is closed. I hope things turn out alright for him. Shame all that promise looks to have been wasted. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe he is destined to be an NFL star, and I'm just missing it. I bet I'm not, however. Peace be the Journey, Darrell.
His redshirt junior campaign in Tampa saw the one time 5-star phenom rack up a light 814 yards and 5 scores. While he did rush for over 5 yards per carry, those aren't numbers that jump off the page and lead you to believe that the kid is ready for NFL work. That he only accomplished that much against weak Big East competition is even more worrisome.
Overall, through spotty play over three seasons, the man many predicted would be a home run, can't miss prospect amassed a paltry 1,252 career rushing yards and 6 scores. Even if you put that together, it's a decent, at best, season. By far his best game was this season's 146 yard, 3 TD performance against the vaunted Rattlers of Florida A&M. Besides that, he only rumbled to one other 100 yard performance in his career. Not exactly what recruiters thought they were fighting over back in '07/'08.
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| He did manage to make blowing past Ball St look easy... so he's got that going for him, which is nice. |
But there are some underlying issues that can't be looked past. That lack of focus on the collegiate game, that impatience to crack an NFL roster, lead to a career that constantly saw him on the sidelines, rather than in a game. Out of shape, prone to injuries, and absent when needed were the hallmarks of his tenure in college football. I know the NFL mostly looks at workouts, rather than stats and in-game performance, but that's a hard sentence to overlook for an NFL scout.
Just look at this article from a USF fansite. After noting that Darrell's performance tailed off against better competition, and as the season wore on, comes this note:
"Scott provided some power to the USF backfield, but was inconsistent at times and battled several injuries, starting with a hamstring in spring and concussion like symptoms later in the season. He had solid numbers and has the NFL-size body, but did not have the consistent production when it mattered most to make him an NFL-ready running back."Woof. That sounds familiar. Good to know it's the same Darrell I knew and loved from watching him stand on the sideline and run away when a more dedicated and deserving back took the majority of playing time. My friends and I used to call him the "Lawn Chair," because he was only good for two things: folding and sitting. Good thing he didn't last this long in Boulder, because Coach Bieniemy would've broken him like a child's toy.
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| In this picture, Scott celebrates as others do the whole 'effort' thing; not an uncommon sight in his career. From: the Post |
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The Suck for Luck Sweepstakes
While at dinner last night, the Fins/Jets game was forced on me. Having been eye-raped by Monday Night Football, I can safely say the Miami Dolphins are plain awful. Like, 0-16 awful. Sure, they may screw up and back into a win or two, but I doubt it. And that brings my mind around to the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes.
Having watched Luck the past two years, it's easy to see why 'experts' drool over him; he's got the tools, make-up, and pro-style offense experience to be an immediate impact at the next level. Hell, if given the opportunity, I would think at least 1/3rd of NFL teams would play him this Sunday. He's so good, with so much potential to be helpful right away, that it's no wonder that NFL teams, NFL fanbases, are openly talking about purposely losing to get the rights to draft him. I can't remember any one player warranting/garnering that level of respect in my lifetime.
So who's gonna end up with the shot to draft the great Andrew Luck?
Besides the Fins, there are currently seven teams have one or zero wins headed into week 7. That list includes the Jags, Colts, Broncos, Vikings, Panthers, Cardinals, and Rams. Of those eight teams in the midst of a great surge of suckage, five have QB's already in place who are supposed to be the future of the team (Jags-Gabbert, Vikings-Ponder, Panthers-Newton, Cardinals-Kolb, and Rams-Bradford. The Broncos aren't on that list because I'm not an idiot). That leaves two teams, the Dolphins and the Broncos, as the leaders in the clubhouse for Andrew Luck, while the Colts remain a wild card (Is Peyton Manning ready to train an heir-apparent? I'll assume not).
Lo and behold, the Fins play the Broncos this weekend.
We know the Fins are bad and could desperately use a QB; they'll be tough to out-suck. The Broncos QB situation is a mess, and could use the clarity provided by the best QB prospect to come out of college since Peyton Manning. Throw in the fact that Broncos head John Elway is a Stanford alum, and I can't help but think he'd kill to secure the rights to his fellow Cardinal.
I took it as no small coincidence that the day after watching Luck destroy the Buffs live-and-in-person, John Elway allowed his Broncos to remove Kyle Orton, purportedly Denver's best hope to win this season, from the playing equation. Now, throw in the trade of Brandon Lloyd, and the 'Donkeys' are in full on 'Suck-for-Luck' mode.
But can they catch the Fins? I doubt it. Not only does Miami have a game advantage, but I have the feeling that they'll do whatever they can, even continue to start Matt Moore at QB, in order to get Luck to South Beach. It wouldn't surprise me if the Fins only play with nine on offense this Sunday. Barring some disastrous turn of events, like the Broncos forfeiting this weekend, Miami will enter week 8 with a two game advantage on the Broncos for the worst record in football. Denver just isn't terrible enough, it seems.
But, hope is not lost, Broncos fans. This race doesn't exist in a vacuum. Any one of the other six terrible teams around football could stumble into the first pick. If that were the case, with that team's QB situation sowed up, they might be inclined to trade, opening the whole thing up for a Herschel Walker type deal. Wouldn't that be wonderful.
Having watched Luck the past two years, it's easy to see why 'experts' drool over him; he's got the tools, make-up, and pro-style offense experience to be an immediate impact at the next level. Hell, if given the opportunity, I would think at least 1/3rd of NFL teams would play him this Sunday. He's so good, with so much potential to be helpful right away, that it's no wonder that NFL teams, NFL fanbases, are openly talking about purposely losing to get the rights to draft him. I can't remember any one player warranting/garnering that level of respect in my lifetime.
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| What would you do to get this guy on your roster? |
Besides the Fins, there are currently seven teams have one or zero wins headed into week 7. That list includes the Jags, Colts, Broncos, Vikings, Panthers, Cardinals, and Rams. Of those eight teams in the midst of a great surge of suckage, five have QB's already in place who are supposed to be the future of the team (Jags-Gabbert, Vikings-Ponder, Panthers-Newton, Cardinals-Kolb, and Rams-Bradford. The Broncos aren't on that list because I'm not an idiot). That leaves two teams, the Dolphins and the Broncos, as the leaders in the clubhouse for Andrew Luck, while the Colts remain a wild card (Is Peyton Manning ready to train an heir-apparent? I'll assume not).
Lo and behold, the Fins play the Broncos this weekend.
We know the Fins are bad and could desperately use a QB; they'll be tough to out-suck. The Broncos QB situation is a mess, and could use the clarity provided by the best QB prospect to come out of college since Peyton Manning. Throw in the fact that Broncos head John Elway is a Stanford alum, and I can't help but think he'd kill to secure the rights to his fellow Cardinal.
I took it as no small coincidence that the day after watching Luck destroy the Buffs live-and-in-person, John Elway allowed his Broncos to remove Kyle Orton, purportedly Denver's best hope to win this season, from the playing equation. Now, throw in the trade of Brandon Lloyd, and the 'Donkeys' are in full on 'Suck-for-Luck' mode.
But can they catch the Fins? I doubt it. Not only does Miami have a game advantage, but I have the feeling that they'll do whatever they can, even continue to start Matt Moore at QB, in order to get Luck to South Beach. It wouldn't surprise me if the Fins only play with nine on offense this Sunday. Barring some disastrous turn of events, like the Broncos forfeiting this weekend, Miami will enter week 8 with a two game advantage on the Broncos for the worst record in football. Denver just isn't terrible enough, it seems.
But, hope is not lost, Broncos fans. This race doesn't exist in a vacuum. Any one of the other six terrible teams around football could stumble into the first pick. If that were the case, with that team's QB situation sowed up, they might be inclined to trade, opening the whole thing up for a Herschel Walker type deal. Wouldn't that be wonderful.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Monday Grab Bag: Best Buffs Draft in 14 years
The biggest news today is obviously the end of Osama bin Laden's 10 year run from justice. That it took nearly a full decade to silence the mass murder is not the point: we eventually got him, and he can no longer plot against our collective safety. As in all times, I turn to the words of Trey Parker and Matt Stone: America, Fuck Yeah!
In a jolting shift of gears to get back on topic, in the bag today I'll wrap up the best NFL draft for CU in years, touch on the stateside reappearance of a CU basketball great, and mention an item from the NBA playoffs. Oh, and my White Sox are worse than ever.
Click below for the bag...
In a jolting shift of gears to get back on topic, in the bag today I'll wrap up the best NFL draft for CU in years, touch on the stateside reappearance of a CU basketball great, and mention an item from the NBA playoffs. Oh, and my White Sox are worse than ever.
Click below for the bag...
Friday, April 29, 2011
Congrats to the two first rounders UPDATED
If you can tear your eyes away from the coverage of some wedding that seems to be dominating the airwaves (Everyone realizes we fought a war 235 years ago so we didn't have to care about this crap, right?), I'd like to take a moment to congratulate CU's two first round picks.
Nate Solder, who began his career as an awkwardly tall tight end only to turn into one of the best tackles in the nation, was taken 17th overall by the New England Patriots. Nate was one of the final players on the roster who had any ties to the Barnett regime, having committed to CU before Coach was booted prior to the '05 Champs Sports Bowl. New England should prove to be a great spot for him. Not only will he play high profile games right away, but NE has a history of integrating Buffs into their schemes. Chad Brown, Ted Johnson, Christian Fauria, Daniel Graham, and Terance Wheatley have all found success and large paychecks in Boston, and Nate should easily shine with the Patriots.
There is some consternation in Patriots circles that they grabbed Nate when local hero Anthony Castonzo and Wisconsin's Gabe Carimi (not happy with my Bears choice of Carimi; fills a gaping need, but I feel he's hit his ceiling) were still on the board. However, I'm sure any thought of those guys will disappear once they watch Nate consistently do the right thing on the field. He's a great fit in that organization, and he's a great fit in that lineup. He'll anchor that line for many years to come.
Jimmy Smith slipped to the Baltimore Ravens, who took a little too much time to savor the joy of drafting a Buffalo, so Jimmy will officially be the 27th pick of the 2011 NFL draft. Despite all the swirling crap about Jimmy being the second coming of Pac-Man Jones, the Ravens knew what Jimmy was all about, and grabbed the superlative Buffaloes DB. The stories will all be about the risk the Ravens are taking (and how long they took to take it), but, as I've said many times, this is all blown out of proportion, and Jimmy won't allow off field crap to derail his NFL career. (Jimmy did a great job in this interview talking about his poor decisions as a youngster; that we in Buffs Nation never heard another peep from him off the field speaks to those lessons being learned)
UPDATE 4-29-11: It seems that it was my very own Chicago Bears who caused the draft timing fuckup that forced the Ravens to miss their selection timing window and select Jimmy with the 27th pick overall instead of the 26th. The Bears had worked a trade with the Ravens to swap their 29th selection and a 4th round pick for B'More's 26th, but the Bears never called to confirm it with the NFL. The league then told the Ravens they had to select their player because the trade wasn't official. Bears GM Jerry Angelo admitted fault, and the league is looking into possible repercussions. Both teams wound up with the players they wanted, but the Ravens were robbed of a 4th rounder.
What this means for Jimmy is that he'll get paid a bit more than he would've had the trade gone through, as the Ravens would've selected him 2 spots lower with the 29th, instead of the 27th where he went. In cash-dollar terms, that's could be a little less than $1 million guaranteed. In 2010 the 27th pick (Devin McCourty, NE) received $200k more over the life of the deal and $825k more in guaranteed cash than the 29th (Kyle Wilson, NYJ). You can buy a hell of a nice car with $825k in extra cash.
Jimmy will be joining a veteran Ravens defense who are seemingly always in blitz mode, so his shut-down skills will be put to the test early and often. Baltimore is known for loving big, physical DB's, and Jimmy fits that mold to a "T;" because of this, I expect him to make an immediate on-field impact. In addition, word from Ravens country is that they are quickly looking past the dusty old stories of his off-field incidents, and are focusing on his fit. It seems to be a great situation for the guy, and hopefully he'll be terrorizing AFC North WRs for years to come.
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Nate was the first Buff chosen in the first round since Tyler Brayton in 2003, and the pair become the first pair of Buffs taken in the first round since Chris Naeole and Rae Carruth went in 1997. Congratulations to both Jimmy and Nate; do us all proud at the next level guys!
There will be no Friday Beer Post today, but it will return next week. Sorry.
Nate Solder, who began his career as an awkwardly tall tight end only to turn into one of the best tackles in the nation, was taken 17th overall by the New England Patriots. Nate was one of the final players on the roster who had any ties to the Barnett regime, having committed to CU before Coach was booted prior to the '05 Champs Sports Bowl. New England should prove to be a great spot for him. Not only will he play high profile games right away, but NE has a history of integrating Buffs into their schemes. Chad Brown, Ted Johnson, Christian Fauria, Daniel Graham, and Terance Wheatley have all found success and large paychecks in Boston, and Nate should easily shine with the Patriots.
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| This is the man who will be protecting Tom Brady's blindside starting this fall. |
There is some consternation in Patriots circles that they grabbed Nate when local hero Anthony Castonzo and Wisconsin's Gabe Carimi (not happy with my Bears choice of Carimi; fills a gaping need, but I feel he's hit his ceiling) were still on the board. However, I'm sure any thought of those guys will disappear once they watch Nate consistently do the right thing on the field. He's a great fit in that organization, and he's a great fit in that lineup. He'll anchor that line for many years to come.
Jimmy Smith slipped to the Baltimore Ravens, who took a little too much time to savor the joy of drafting a Buffalo, so Jimmy will officially be the 27th pick of the 2011 NFL draft. Despite all the swirling crap about Jimmy being the second coming of Pac-Man Jones, the Ravens knew what Jimmy was all about, and grabbed the superlative Buffaloes DB. The stories will all be about the risk the Ravens are taking (and how long they took to take it), but, as I've said many times, this is all blown out of proportion, and Jimmy won't allow off field crap to derail his NFL career. (Jimmy did a great job in this interview talking about his poor decisions as a youngster; that we in Buffs Nation never heard another peep from him off the field speaks to those lessons being learned)
| Jimmy will be playing alongside defensive luminaries Ed Reed and Ray Lewis this fall. |
What this means for Jimmy is that he'll get paid a bit more than he would've had the trade gone through, as the Ravens would've selected him 2 spots lower with the 29th, instead of the 27th where he went. In cash-dollar terms, that's could be a little less than $1 million guaranteed. In 2010 the 27th pick (Devin McCourty, NE) received $200k more over the life of the deal and $825k more in guaranteed cash than the 29th (Kyle Wilson, NYJ). You can buy a hell of a nice car with $825k in extra cash.
Jimmy will be joining a veteran Ravens defense who are seemingly always in blitz mode, so his shut-down skills will be put to the test early and often. Baltimore is known for loving big, physical DB's, and Jimmy fits that mold to a "T;" because of this, I expect him to make an immediate on-field impact. In addition, word from Ravens country is that they are quickly looking past the dusty old stories of his off-field incidents, and are focusing on his fit. It seems to be a great situation for the guy, and hopefully he'll be terrorizing AFC North WRs for years to come.
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Nate was the first Buff chosen in the first round since Tyler Brayton in 2003, and the pair become the first pair of Buffs taken in the first round since Chris Naeole and Rae Carruth went in 1997. Congratulations to both Jimmy and Nate; do us all proud at the next level guys!
There will be no Friday Beer Post today, but it will return next week. Sorry.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday Grab Bag: Declarations all around
NFL draft week is one that always seems exciting right up until the point you actually start living through it. I hope everyone enjoys the soothing tones of Todd McShay and Mel Kiper, Jr., because they're all you're going to hear from on ESPN the next few days.
In anticipation of 6 days of overwrought declarations, some based in fact and some not, I've dedicated this grab bag to declarative exclamations.
Click below for today's bag...
In anticipation of 6 days of overwrought declarations, some based in fact and some not, I've dedicated this grab bag to declarative exclamations.
Click below for today's bag...
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday Grab Bag: The greatest comeback since Lazarus (UPDATED)
(UPDATE - 2/28/11) - Tom Kensler of the Denver Post is reporting that GA tickets for the Nebraska game are sold out... if you want on the bandwagon, you'd better hop on quick 'cause it's about to leave the station.
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What a massive weekend. Not only did CU pull the comeback of the century out of their asses on Saturday, but there was also plenty of NFL combine news, the first spring training games, the (painful) beginning of softball season, and the Oscars to keep me occupied. Today in the bag I'll mostly talk about the big win over Texas, but I'll also touch on the record breaking career of Cory Higgins, the weird character questions surrounding Jimmy Smith and the Oscars.
Click below for the bag...
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What a massive weekend. Not only did CU pull the comeback of the century out of their asses on Saturday, but there was also plenty of NFL combine news, the first spring training games, the (painful) beginning of softball season, and the Oscars to keep me occupied. Today in the bag I'll mostly talk about the big win over Texas, but I'll also touch on the record breaking career of Cory Higgins, the weird character questions surrounding Jimmy Smith and the Oscars.
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| The celebrating begins inside this week's bag. From: the BDC |
Click below for the bag...
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