Former Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk is visiting the Cincinnati Bengals today, according to a league source.
Hawk was selected by the Packers in the first round, fifth overall,of the 2006 NFL draft out of Ohio State. In nine seasons with Green Bay, he appeared in a 142 of a possible 144 regular-season games, starting 136 of them.
In 2010, he was selected to the Pro Bowl and helped the Packers win Super Bowl XLV.
Follow me on Twitter: @RavensInsider
Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun
Month: February 2015
Source: Damond Smith signs with Cardinals
Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Damond Smith has signed with the Arizona Cardinals, according to a league source.
Smith has played previously for the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League.
He began his college career at Western Michigan before transferring to South Alabama.
Follow me on Twitter: @RavensInsider
Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun
Ravens Cut Ties with WR Jacoby Jones
Jacoby Jones, the target of Joe Flacco’s legendary heave in the 2012 AFC Divisional Game against the Denver Broncos, has been terminated from his contract with the Ravens.
Jones began 2014 as a key member of the Ravens offense, but as new weapons emerged, such as Michael Campanaro, Owen Daniels and Crockett Gilmore, Jones’ importance became less and less visual. He finished this last season with 10 catches for 134 yards and no touchdowns, though he did return a kickoff for a touchdown in Week 9 versus the Steelers.
Jones’s cap hit for 2015 was nearly $4 million, and it’s hard to justify a roster spot for a 30-year old, one-dimensional receiver. The Lane College grad had just completed the first year of a 4-year, $12 million contract extension with the team.
Time to change the Combine
When you hear Mike Mayock and Rich Eisen talk about how much bigger and faster the players are getting each year, you have to wonder where the comparison should stop from players of the past.
The whole reason why drills, schedules and formatting of the Combine remain the same is so evaluators can always compare to the prior years attendees. However, this thinking/formula is flawed now because the evolution of training and preparing for the Combine has accelerated so dramatically over the last fifteen years. If I were an evaluator I wouldn’t compare a player’s combine performance to another player going back more than eight years.
In 1999, Mark Verstegen launched his first Athletes Performance (Now Exos with 7 locations) facility in Tempe, AZ. I know this because I sent him half of his first class. Other trainers like Chip Smith of CES, Tom Shaw and several others have been prepping players for over fifteen years now and have continually gotten better at having participants peak for their Combine workout. As of late, a bigger focus has been on nutrition, speed mechanics and bringing in former NFL players and coaches to tutor each player in drills and interviews.
The main reason for the Combine still remains the medicals and physical component. And everyone believes it is the most necessary and most important component of the Combine. But players and agents are growing more resistant to this current format and a change is needed or the NFLPA could force one to happen in what could have a showdown like capacity.
The current format has players getting in line for physicals at 6:30 am, standing in line for hours, then having their limbs, joints, knees and shoulders being pulled, pushed and rotated to their limits. Some doctors are more aggressive than others and some have minimal experience in the field.
Numerous players, including 310 pound plus lineman are crammed in an MRI machine for up to 30 minutes or more. Some players reported that the air in the MRI machine was not working and when they asked to be removed because they were feeling claustrophobic, they wouldn’t immediately do so and told them to be still for 15 more minutes. If you ever been in an MRI machine you can relate to these issues. Then imagine you are 6’5” 315 pounds. These machines are not made for these size men. It’s truly a “cattle call”.
So after very little sleep (most players settle down about midnight after their interviews and snacks), much standing around without food or sometimes even a place to sit, being pulled at, tugged at, even accused of hiding an injury, it’s on to an energy draining cybex test, having up to seven or more vials of blood drawn, and then off to more meetings. That coupled with another long evening and they are supposed to be fresh for the biggest audition of their life that also takes place on national TV? Oh, and all performed in some really tight fitting florescent clothes you are forced to wear.
Of course, this is a stressful time for these young men trying to get drafted as high as possible, not embarrass themselves, make great impressions, begin their dream and perform at their very best under duress in a stressful environment. I know there are worse things, but the Combine needs to grow up, mature, get with the times and make some more adjustments that are simply common sense.
For starters, here are some changes that should be made:
Players should be allowed to come a day earlier if they choose. The Combine started an extra day earlier this year. The extra day was meant to allow for more sleep, travel recovery time, more/longer informal interviews, and make for a more civil pace for everyone. But for some reason none of the players felt any more rested than years before. I believe just more things/activities were crammed into that extra day.
Physicals, drawing of blood and even opportunity for interviews should be “AFTER” the players perform all the on-field drills and forty. Essentially, the schedule of the combine should be flipped around. Would this mean all the players who would perform under these more friendly conditions would do better than all those before them? Perhaps, but it’s a new era and now is the time to make these adjustments.
Formal interviews should be increased to 20 minutes from 15. Juniors and QBs should be 30 minutes and the players should have the right to choose which teams they want to meet with in case there is limited time for them. Additionally, all player meetings should cease at 9:00pm. They currently run to 11:00pm. Having the extra day on the front end could help the whole process.
No physicals, scans, X-rays, tests or meetings should start before 9:00am. Players come from all over the country and come from different time zones. Players from Pacific time zones who have to be at the doctor’s for MRI’s at 7:30am are getting up at 3:30am Pacific time and will be up for the remainder of the day (their first full day in Indy).
Each player should have their own room: There are some really funny stories floating around about the roommate situations at the Combine. Players get stuck with roommates who snore, want to sleep with the TV left on, stay up late on the phone and keep the other player awake. The NFL makes good money on the Combine so buck up and give the players their own rooms.
I did run into NFLPA director DeMaurice Smith and player president Eric Winston one day. They were making their rounds and talking to a lot of agents and players and getting a feel for the whole environment and listening to grievances from agents. So don’t be surprised if the Players Association asks for a bigger role in shaping future Combines.
Follow me On Twitter: @Jackbechta
Raiders sign Cal kicker Giorgia Tavecchio
The Oakland Raiders have signed former Cal kicker Giorgio Tavecchio.
Tavecchio scored 256 points at Cal.
He was with the Raiders during the preseason last year after being claimed off waivers from the Detroit Lions.
Tavecchio made both of his field goals against the Seattle Seahawks in the preseason, both from 47 yards.
Follow me on Twitter: @RavensInsider
Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun
NFL Draft Preview 2015: Cornerback D'Joun Smith
The Sports Quotient’s annual Draft Preview series returns! Over the course of the ten weeks leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft, we will take a look at the top NFL prospects at each position. In this second week, the focus is on cornerbacks. Today’s CB is D’Joun Smith from Florida Atlantic University
College Career
After his role as a backup freshman year, Smith saw limited playing time during his sophomore season before breaking out as a junior–he tallied seven interceptions and a total of twenty passes defended, a total good for second in the nation. With his draft stock high, Smith decided to pass on the draft and return for his senior season; unfortunately, injuries nagged him throughout the year and affected his performance. He saw his totals drop drastically, with just seven pass breakups and one pick.
Pros
As evidenced by his ascension from bench backup to team captain, Smith has shown improvement and has the ability to raise his game along with the level of competition. His dedication is unquestioned, and he certainly has the mental attitude and work ethic necessary to succeed. Scouts have praised his athleticism, specifically citing fundamentals such as footwork and understanding of coverage, along with his on-ball skills and ability to play as a receiver once he gets his hands on the ball.
Cons
There are nagging questions about Smith’s top-end speed, and although his combine time of 4.45 has swayed some worries, it was not so much great as it was passable. To some, it is still up for debate as to whether he can keep up with No. 1 receivers in the NFL. Teams should also worry about the major drop in production during Smith’s senior year; although he showed immense promise during his junior campaign, it remains to be seen whether that should be viewed as an expectation or an anomaly.
Grade
Despite a few doubts, Smith is a good prospect with a high ceiling. After a generally positive combine performance, he will be considered a mid-round prospect, and given the premium on talent at the cornerback position, he could go even higher.
Best Fit
No team would turn down a solid cover corner, and teams such as the Titans and Jaguars could certainly use him. But Smith fits probably fits better in zone packages that can help mask his speed deficit. The Chicago Bears stand out as a good fit, where Smith could pair with the speedier Kyle Fuller.
Giants cut Peyton Hillis
The New York Giants have cut veteran running back Peyton Hillis.
Hillis ended last season on injured reserve with a concussion.
He was due a $945,000 salary.
Hillis rushed for 115 yards on 26 carries last season.
In 2010, Hillis rushed for a career-high 1,177 yards.
Since that year, Hillis has rushed for 1,258 yards.
Follow me on Twitter: @RavensInsider
Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun
Falcons sign Cliff Matthews, Patrick DiMarco, Nick Williams
The Atlanta Falcons signed defensive end Cliff Matthews and fullback Patrick DiMarco to contract extensions.
The Falcons also signed free agent wide receiver Nick Williams.
Matthews is a former sixth-round draft pick.
DiMarco is a former San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs player.
He has 17 career eceptions for 111 yards and one touchdown.
Williams was originally signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent out of Connecticut.
He played for Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan while he was with the Redskins.
Follow me on Twitter: @RavensInsider
Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun
The NFL Combine All-Stars
Data from the recently completed NFL Combine is still being gathered. Based on the data that is already available, though, it is possible to take a quick crack at identifying those players who performed well and who belong on our annual Combine all-star team. Inclusion on the all-star team is based strictly on the measurable Combine drills and nothing else.
Data used in the analysis comes from NFL.com and from information accumulated by Mike Loyko.
The evaluation included only a player’s performance in the three most important drills for each playing position (as presented in the recent “Which Combine Drills Are Most Important” article). In some cases, data for a drill (e.g., the 20 yard segment of the 40 yard run) is not available. In such cases, the drills evaluated included the data from the top three drills for which data is available (e.g., for a playing position with no data for a “top three drill” immediately available, the fourth most important drill would be included instead).
The additional qualification is that a player must have participated in at least two of the three drills. Hence the exclusion of CB Byron Jones who did not do any of the running drills but blew the roof off the drills in which he did participate.
The All-Star team follows below. Whether performance in Indianapolis translates to performance on Sundays remains to be answered.
Center
Andrew Gallik – Boston College
Guards
Mark Glowinski – West Virginia
Laken Tomlinson, Duke
Tackles
Jake Fisher, Oregon
Ali Marpet, Hobart
Wide Receivers
Chris Conley, Georgia
Kenny Bell, Nebraska
Sammie Coates, Auburn
Tight End
Mycole Pruitt, Southern Illinois
Quarterback
Nick Marshall, Auburn
Small RB (<215 lbs)
Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska
Large RB
David Johnson, Northern Iowa
Small DE (<270 lbs)
Vic Beasley, Clemson
Large DE
Mario Edwards, Florida State
Defensive Tackle
David Parry, Stanford
Inside Linebackers
Eric Kendricks, UCLA
Stephone Anthony, Clemson
Outside Linebackers
Bud Dupree, Kentucky
Edmond Robinson, Newberry
Cornerbacks
Ronald Darby, Florida State
Jalen Collins, Louisiana State
Safeties
Justin Cox, Mississippi State
Damarious Randall, Arizona State
Follow Tony on Twitter @draftmetrics
Seattle Seahawks’ Earl Thomas Goes under the Knife
For the entirety of Super Bowl XLIX, Seattle Seahawks All-Pro
safety Earl Thomas played with an injured left shoulder. Thomas
dislocated his shoulder in the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay
Packers, while attempting to tackle receiver Randall Cobb. Thomas used a
shoulder harness in both games to alleviate what was discovered to be a torn
labrum.
On Tuesday, the safety underwent surgery to repair his
shoulder prior to the upcoming season. Traditionally, the procedure requires six to
eight months to recover. This would potentially keep Thomas out for the
beginning of the season. However, the Seahawks believe that he will be ready
for Week 1 of the NFL season.
Thomas was present for every snap on the defensive side of
the ball in the Super Bowl, along with other injured members of the formidable ‘Legion
of Boom’ secondary, safety Kam Chancellor and cornerback Richard Sherman. Both have chosen to forgo surgery.
Thomas has not missed a start in his five
seasons at safety, and had 97 tackles, along with four forced turnovers in
2014.