SB Nation - Jonathan Casillas

Football is here! Our 10 questions for Fall Camp

Adam Hoge — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:55:09 -0000

The 2009 football season officially starts today at 3:50 p.m. when the Wisconsin Badgers open their first practice of the season at Camp Randall Stadium.

Finally! Trust me, eeking out content on this site all summer long has been no easy task. From today until late March we're going to have plenty to talk about on Bucky's 5th Quarter.

What's on tap for camp

As camp opens, here's what you can expect:

After completely closing the media's access to practice last season, Bret Bielema has graciously opened up practice from Aug. 17 to Aug. 25. That is going to give us all a better idea of what's going on as Bielema sets up his final two-deep depth chart 10 days before the opener (Aug. 26).

I will personally be attending a few of those open practices, although when is yet to be determined.

For the first week, we are going to have to go strictly off post-practice interviews from coaches and players and every day we will have all the links to the stories that come out of camp.

Questions, questions, questions

Every camp opens with questions. The difference between a good football team and a bad football team depends on how many of those questions get answered before the season opener.

In Wisconsin's case, the following questions need to be answered before Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. when UW hosts Northern Illinois:

1) Has Dustin Sherer developed into a Big Ten-caliber quarterback capable of leading the Badgers back to a New Year's Day bowl game? If not, are freshmen Curt Phillips or Jon Budmayr good enough to take over the reigns this season?

2) Who will fill the void left by the departed Jonathan Casillas and DeAndre Levy at linebacker? Are Blake Sorensen and Mike Taylor ready?

3) Are there any young guys capable of fixing the serious depth issue apparent on the defensive line?

4) Who starts opposite of Aaron Henry at the other cornerback position?

5) Are any of the veteran members of the secondary (Aubrey Pleasant, Shane Carter, Jay Valai, Chris Maragos) ready to put together an all-conference season?

6) Is Josh Oglesby the real deal or a bust?

7) Can Jake Bscherer cut it at guard?

8) Who will start at fullback? Will Mickey Turner have to become a make-shift fullback?

9) Which formerly young wide receiver (David Gilreath, Issac Anderson, Kyle Jefferson) becomes a dependable go-to veteran? Will Nick Toon be that guy as a sophomore?

10) Which incoming freshmen earn playing time with a solid camp?

What questions do you want to see answered in the coming weeks? Leave them here and we will see if they get answered as we break down camp on a daily basis.

Badger Bloggers Roundtable: Discussing the defense

Adam Hoge — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:16:56 -0000

In Part II of our preseason roundtable, the Badger Bloggers got together to discuss the defense. Joining me in the roundtable are Duff Beach from On Wisconsin! Scott Tappa of Badgercentric, and Phil Mitten of Hoops Marinara:

Can you believe it has been five years since that great defensive line of 2004? Depth is once again an issue this year, but there seems to be some promise in J.J. Watt among others. Do you see any newcomers stepping up on the D-line to provide some depth?

On Wisconsin: Yeah, 5 years since Anttaj and Erasmus, but harder to believe for me is that Chapman and Shaughnessy never became true beasts on the line. They had so much promise early. Schofield is solid (led the team in sacks last season) and everyone is excited about Watt, but it's all based on practice so far. I want to believe in him, but I'm a little nervous. I'm concerned about our size everywhere and Moore really should be an end (where he would probably be very good), but we should have speed on the edges. I don't know who the solid tackles-to-be are, but with Nzegwu, Mains, and Westphal, there is plenty of young talent ready to step up on the ends. We'll need it.

Badger Centric: It's funny, because when you mentioned 2004, the first thing I thought was "I thought 2005 would be a down year, and we ended up winning 10 games, great year." But that was in spite of the defensive line! Even so, while injuries killed that unit (remember Beckum playing end?), but guys like Shaughnessy, Hayden, and Chapman showed promise. I don't see those guys on this unit. O'Brien is a solid starter. Watt seems to have a Hayden-like ceiling. But are there difference-makers? Doesn't look like it. I'll be happy if these guys can keep offensive linemen off our linebackers.

Hoops Marinara: It's a shame Erasmus and Co. flamed out in the NFL. Maybe they weren't that great after all. In 2009, the Badgers look weak up the middle and that spells trouble. I like O'Brien Schofield, who seems like he should be the emotional leader on the unit. Again, I like the younger guys UW has backing up the end positions, but inside is a question mark.

Bucky’s 5th Quarter: You have to be careful from what comes out of Camp Randall in the off-season because a lot of it can be propaganda. But I must say I am a little more optimistic about the defensive line than I was in the spring. After talking with O’Brien Schofield, I must say he seems like a solid leader and he’s determined to have a good year. If J.J. Watt blossoms like he is supposed to, I think Brendan Kelly and Louis Nzegwu do enough to make this a solid line.

Speaking of a lack of depth, the linebacking corp. seems to be scrambling to replace Jonathan Casillas and DeAndre Levy. Blake Sorensen didn't have a great spring, but he is still listed ahead of Mike Taylor on the depth chart. Are you worried about the linebackers?

On Wisconsin: I think the linebackers are the scariest group. First, Sorenson looked S-L-O-W in the spring. I'm pulling for Taylor if only because Sorenson either isn't fast enough or didn't care enough to try harder. I think St. Jean played pretty well when he had his chances last season, so we have two solid starters, but who's backing them up? That's where the loss of Hodge as a solid, contributing second-stringer really hurt. We've heard some positives about Megna, Rouse, and Hubbard, but we haven't seen it yet. Bottom line: I'm worried. Really worried.

Badger Centric: Yes, very. Don't want to join the chorus questioning Sorenson, but I've never seen it with him. Saw Taylor play in high school and he was a stud, but we certainly can't count on him to be a standout this year. McFadden and St. Jean are average at best. And there is no one else. What about playing Pleasant at linebacker? We see so much spread it might make sense to have a guy like that in the front seven.

Hoops Marinara: Sorensen certainly has a lot of expectations to fulfill, but I think along with Culmer St. Jean and J. McFadden they can form a decent group. No one will accuse them of being as athletic as last year's group -- Casillas and Levy were two of the best athletes at that position that Wisconsin has seen. But what the Badgers really need is simply a group that knows how to tackle well. I don't want every draw play that gets past the line going for 6 ... can we get another Donnel Thompson in this bunch, please?!

Bucky’s 5th Quarter: I’m excited about McFadden in the middle, but very worried about the other two spots. Culmer St. Jean has never really put it all together and Sorensen didn’t exactly take advantage of his opportunities in the spring. It should be interesting to see what Mike Taylor can do. If he has a good camp, this will be the most fun defensive position battle over the next month.

Is it safe to say (and a little scary to say) that the secondary is the strength of the Badger defense? It seems like every guy listed on two-deep has shown flashes of brilliance at some point in the last few seasons, but they also have had their hardships. And will Aaron Henry really be as good as he looked like he would be before the knee injury?

On Wisconsin: I think they are a strength, but that's relative to the near total unknown of the front 7. Especially at safety, I worry about making that critical tackle. As much as Valai can lay the wood (needs to watch the head-to-head stuff, though), he missed his fair share of tackles last season. That's been Carter's problem all along, which is why Maragos will probably start at free safety. At corner Henry will be fine. I'm glad they decided to keep him out all of last season to truly let him heal. Niles Brinkley played fine last season, and I'm hoping Fenelus and Smith are coming along as well as advertised. But hope is not a method.

Badger Centric: It is scary, and I'd even question the "flashes of brilliance" assertion. We've seen flashes of competence from these guys, and I'd settled for sustained competence. But every one of the starters has question marks: Henry with the knee, Maragos still learning the position, Valai and his pure hitter MO, and Brinkley giving up big plays. But I'm actually optimistic about these guys and the young guys too. Shane Carter is a wild card, if he could come in and force some turnovers that would be huge.

Hoops Marinara: There's no question that the secondary looks good by comparison. But I think they actually will be good. Henry should be ready to go -- he's one of the elite talents on the team. I'm really excited to see him grow up. The entire makeup of the secondary is intriguing. You have knock-out artist in Valai, an overachiever in Maragos, plus a lot of experience backing those safeties up (Carter and Pleasant). Niles Brinkley is probably the weak link.

Bucky’s 5th Quarter: Remember when Shane Carter led the Big Ten in interceptions two years ago? And Niles Brinkley picked off four passes last season? Why don’t I remember all of this? Oh, because when they weren’t grabbing turnovers they were getting beat for touchdowns and committing crucial penalties. Every member of the starting secondary has a good amount of experience, but how much talent do they have? We’ll find out soon.

What are your thoughts on the defensive coaching staff? Toughness seemed to be an issue at times last season. How will this unit overcome the mental and physical shortcomings that were apparent in 2008?

On Wisconsin: Bottom line is the heat should be squarely on Doeren. After what Hankwitz did to turn around the Northwestern defense, Bielema's choice to go with Dave over Mike hasn't looked so hot. Maybe it was just breaking everything in the first year with guys who were more used to Hankwitz's way of doing things? That's no excuse this year. On top of making tackles, the defense needs to improve its conditioning. The losses to Michigan, Ohio State, and Michigan State all lay at the defense's tired feet (Bielema's too, of course). The idea that a Barry Alvarez legacy team (as long as he's the AD, he's a part of it) could be 9th in scoring defense in the Big Ten is unfathomable. That can't happen again.

Badger Centric: I don't know about toughness, it's hard to get to be a guy who plays a lot on a Big Ten defense and not be at least somewhat tough. Remember, there were a lot of injuries on that side of the ball last year: Casillas, Levy, Chapman, Henry, and that hurt productivity. What sticks with me are comments made on my blog after the Iowa game. I forget who said it, but the point was made that our defense had finally adapted to deal with the Spread, but when we go against a power line and back like Iowa had, we get run over. That probably won't always happen, but there's a lot of truth there. So by making the seemingly necessary adaptation to deal with the Spread, we have lost our identity as being a stout, stop-the-run defense, and become just another defense with a bunch of undersized guys running around in space. If these undersized guys were racking up sacks and interceptions, that would be one thing, but the unit seems mediocre at best, and it's not like next year looks any more promising. Some of that's on X's and O's coaching, but it's also recruiting and player development.

Hoops Marinara: It starts at the top with BB. I can't stress enough how much I want the coach to relinquish the Special Teams duties. He needs to set the example being focused and knowing where to be at all times. The good news is if the secondary can be everything I want it to be, that makes the job of pressuring the QB a little easier. I think the offense can be better this year too, which should (hopefully) alleviate the problems the defense had being worn out all the time in tight games.

Bucky’s 5th Quarter: The good news is that fixing these problems was item No. 1 in the off-season. Improving the defense’s mental and physical toughness – and committing fewer mistakes – will give this team an extra win or two this season. And if the problems continue then it will be a major problem for the defensive coaching staff.

'Badgering' Bret Bielema: Up close with the head coach

Adam Hoge — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:14:45 -0000

CHICAGO - I had the chance to catch up with Bret Bielema Tuesday at Big Ten Media Days. Here is our conversation:

B5Q: In regards to the "hidden talents" you mentioned Monday, what about Blake Sorensen puts him in that category?

Bielema: Well first off I think Blake has been very patient. He's been playing for two years behind [Jonathan Casillas] so he's been able to watch a good player play in front of him. But on the flip side of it, when he first came onto the scene I know he made a huge impression in our weight room with our current players just on his athleticism and with what he brought to the table. I think he has been waiting. I know he's anxious and I don't know if anyone has logged more film than him since the end of last season a year ago, so I'm excited to see him get out there.

B5Q: With the recent success of tight ends at Wisconsin, do you think some sort of brotherhood has developed at that position?

Bielema: First off, we recruit to it. You know one of the things we are able to do is, if a kid is a good tight end usually we get on him anywhere in the country, just because of what we do. Travis [Beckum] led the nation in receptions (among tight ends) two years in a row. I mean, that's a big statement. When you compare us to other schools and the way we spread the ball around between the wide receivers and tight ends, tight ends that really want to become receivers have the opportunity to come here and do that.

B5Q: You have a guy like RB Zach Brown who proved as a true freshman that he could start at the Big Ten level. How do you deal with a running back corp. that has two or even three guys that could start at this level?

Bielema: I've kind of recruited the running back position very similar to the quarterback position. We recruit one every year and hopefully get a great one. As soon as you start signing two running backs, you know, one is going to be affected by the other one and it doesn't take them too long to figure it out. So what we've tried to do is stay consistant with signing one a year and with that, we've been able to sign good guys. Zach Brown was our first one. He's a guy that we batted out some good competition for. He's a good student and a great fit for what we do. Erik Smith was a highly recruited kid that we feel is going to come in and give us a great change. The thing I like, probably our top three running backs -- John Clay, Zach Brown and Erik Smith -- are all three totally different backs. And what that's going to be able to allow us to do is package certain things and also give us a nice changeup. All the sudden you're back there -- you're a linebacker -- and you've been scraping and tackling John Clay all day and all the sudden Erik Smith is by you before [you realize it] because the play is that much faster. I'm excited because for instance last year, it was P.J. [Hill], John Clay and Zach Brown, three similar guys. Now it's going to be a little bit of a changeup.

B5Q: Is there a little bit of a difference this year as opposed to previous few years with the quarterback group? Maybe a little bit more excitement about the talent you have been able to bring in?

Bielema: Well, the first year, with John Stocco, he was a no-brainer. He was coming in here and we knew he was the guy. The next year [Tyler Donovan] had kind of taken the charge through all of camp and I think everybody knew he was going to be the guy. Last year was a true open competition, you know? But no one did anything during fall camp and I think Dustin [Sherer] would be the first to say he didn't do anything really to take the job. This year, I think that is the exact opposite. I think going back to last spring, there were four quarterbacks out there and everybody was getting equal reps and equal opportunities. The good thing for us is that Dustin is probably playing as good as he's ever played and Curt made huge gains for us because a year ago during spring ball he was just kind of a guy out there learning the words. Now he knows what the words mean and he's able to do things better. I do think there's a little more sense of urgency, not only amongst the quarterbacks, but among the players around them.

Badger Bits: Power struggle at UW drags on

Adam Hoge — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:15:34 -0000

Last week we touched on the power struggle brewing up between the UW Athletic Department and the UW faculty. In reality, this kind of thing happens at every university at some point, but at Wisconsin this has been building up for a long time and now has reached a boiling point.

Tom Oates from the Wisconsin State Journal has a good column on the story, but one particular part of the story jumped out at me:

Some saw the whole thing as a power play by athletic director Barry Alvarez to gain even more authority. Alvarez has rarely heard the word "no" since he arrived in Madison as UW’s football coach in 1990 and even ignored state laws — with the approval of then-chancellor John Wiley — in 2005 when he named Bret Bielema his successor in football without following proper hiring procedures.

There are further indications Alvarez has been operating without adult supervision. Jones was chairman of the athletic board when Bielema was hired, yet he didn’t learn about the hiring until about two hours before the press conference to announce the news. Some faculty were also concerned in 2007 about the board’s lack of input regarding UW’s contract with the Big Ten Network and again in 2008 when Alvarez announced that embattled women’s basketball coach Lisa Stone would have her contract renewed without even discussing it with the board.

There's no question Bielema enters 2009 on the hot seat -- at least with the fans -- and many other donors are confused by another contract extension that was handed out to Lisa Stone last month. This doesn't exactly put Alvarez in a good position if he didn't follow the proper procedures when he hired Bielema and extended Stone again.

Hmm, maybe that is why he is seeking more power?

If you are unfamiliar with the debate, here is Andy Baggot's take from a few days earlier. It has all the details.

More links:

JSOnline.com says undrafted free agents P.J. Hill and Jonathan Casillas both have good shots at making the Saints roster.
Baggot has more on the WCHA's expansion plans. As we discussed here, Bemidji State is the leading candidate to join the conference, while Nebraska-Omaha is rumored to be the second team. If that falls through, Alaska-Fairbanks could join, creating a good rivalry with Alaska-Anchorage.
BadgerBeat.com is reporting over 16,000 seats have already been sold for UW's hockey game at Camp Randall next February. That would be a sell-out at the Kohl Center. Here is a good FAQ on the event from UWBadgers.com.
Finally, the UW men's tennis team was ousted by Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. It was all decided in the last set of the last match.

Saints 2009 Position Battles: Linebacker

Saintsational — Thu, 07 May 2009 11:00:18 -0000

Continuing on with our roster breakdown position by position we now come to the linebacking corp. This position has had one heck of a makeover this off-season. With so many more talented players battling it out this year, the Saints are sure to see improvement from the middle of their defense. Let's take a look at who they've got.

Here's a quick glance at all of linebackers currently on the Saints roster:

Player	Height	Weight	Age	Experience
Jonathan Vilma	6'1"	230	27	6
Scott Fujita	6'5"	250	30	8
Mark Simoneau	6'0"	245	32	10
Scott Shanle	6'2"	245	29	7
Dan Morgan	6'2"	245	30	8
Stanley Arnoux	6'0"	232	22	R
Jo-Lonn Dunbar	6'0"	226	24	2
Troy Evans	6'3"	238	31	8
Marvin Mitchell	6'3"	249	24	3
Anthony Waters	6'3"	238	24	3
Jonathan Casillas	6'2"	226	21	R

There is quite a crowd ready to fight it out for a final roster spot this year. The Saints will start off with eleven possibly candidates and will probably need to cut it down to about six, possibly seven.

Vilma and Fujita are probably the only two players on the list that are a lock to make the team. Both are undeniable leaders of this position group both on the field and in the locker room. Moving on to the other returning players we come across Scott Shanle and Mark Simoneau. Simoneau missed all of last year and as the oldest player at the position, I think he's reached the end of the road with the Saints. Payton has been trying for years to get rid of Shanle but the little bugger just won't go away. With all of the talent added to the roster this off-season, I think Payton has finally improved the weak side. I hope Shanle is gone but we've been wrong about this before.

Dan Morgan is an enigma whose play just can't be predicted. If he remains healthy he could be one of the biggest improvements to this entire defense. He's that good. But he also hasn't played in a year and he may trip over a few cobwebs. Morgan says he's in the best shape of his life so all we can do is believe him. He definitely makes the team if he doesn't die during training camp.

I think Troy Evans had better shine on special teams. That's been his specialty (pun sort of intended) and it might be his meal ticket this year.

Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Marvin Mitchell are the young returnees. Both show a lot of upside, particularly Dunbar, but competition hasn't been this tough in recent years. These guys are big contributors on special teams so they're always a consideration. Either of these guys could surprise coaches with a bit of hard work. Dunbar seems to be a favorite of fans and coaches.

Your guess is as good as mine regarding what kind of production to expect from Anthony Waters. He certainly won't start but he'll be battling with Marvin Mitchell for a spot as Vilma's backup. Because of Mitchell's special team contributions, I don't see Waters beating him out.

Then there are the new guys: Stanley Arnoux and Jonathan Casillas. Arnoux comes in as a fourth round pick so expectations are only moderate. Working his way into a starting spot will be a bit of a long shot but the hope is that he will become a quality player with a little coaching and time. I think the Saints keep him around as a backup on the outside. Casillas, though probably the most highly touted rookie free agent, still has his work cut out for him in training camp. If he lives up to the hype then the Saints got away with robbery. Helping out on special teams will definitely give him the best chance at cracking the roster.

To be sure, this is going to be one of the most intriguing position competitions during training camp this year. What do you think is going to happen? Who are you most intrigued by? Will there be any surprises?

Poll

Which linebacker will be the biggest surprise?

Stanley Arnoux

100 votes

Jonathan Casillas

148 votes

Dan Morgan

370 votes

Anthony Waters

23 votes

Jo-Lonn Dunbar

103 votes

Marvin Mitchell

14 votes

758 votes | Poll has closed

Bucky's YouTube Series, Vol. VI

Adam Hoge — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:17:55 -0000

This one never gets old:

We want you to help us find the best Wisconsin Badgers videos out there. Post your favorite Wisconsin Badgers videos as FanShots. Later this summer we will select the Top 10 Wisconsin YouTube videos. If your video is voted No. 1, you will win a $50 gift certificate to Bucky's Locker Room.

Completely Random Post-Draft Thoughts

Saintsational — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:00:14 -0000

More photos » by Bill Haber - AP

8 months ago: New Orleans Saints football coach Sean Payton answers questions about the Saints selecting Ohio State cornerback Malcolm Jenkins 14th overall in the first round of the NFL Draft at the team's training facility in Metairie, La., Saturday, April 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

Browse more photos »

Againts All Odds

Have you stopped yet and thought about how many players the Saints have actually added to their secondary and even the linebacking corp this off-season. I mean, they're not screwin' around this year and I am lovin' it. Compare that with the last two off-seasons of attempted improvement and 2009 blows them both out of the water. The Saints might actually have some legitimate depth on defense for the first time in quite a while. With so many new faces and a new defensive coordinator the odds have to be in the Saints favor that this defense is finally improved. The Saints are giving my cautious optimism a run for the money.

Undrafted Free Agents

It's now time for NFL teams to start signing players whose phones never rang on draft day and hope to find a hidden gem at a discounted rate. The Times-Pic claims that Payton is going to sign ten players during this period. The Saints currently have nine of those players, as reported by the Times-Pic. Here is the list so far:

Player Position College

CB Danny Gorrer Texas A&M

G Cedric Dockery Texas

WR Chris Vaughn Louisville

LB Jonathan Casillas Wisconsin

CB Reggie Jones Portland State

G/T Augustus Parrish Kent State

C Alex Fletcher Stanford

QB Patrick Cowan UCLA

RB Herb Donaldson Western Illinois

Also, last I checked safety Derek Pegues from Mississippi St. has still not signed with anyone. Pegues was a moderately ranked safety that many mock drafts had going in the middle rounds but was never selected in the draft. I know we've got a crapload of players now in the secondary but it might not hurt to give him a look. Or perhaps the fact that every other team passed him up speaks for itself.

Yo Mickey!

Mickey Loomis just loves him some trading. For a guy who said...

"One thing we wanted to do as best we could was to maintain as many of our picks next year as we could."

...Loomis sure didn't do a great job sticking to that plan. The Saints gave up their 2010 fifth round pick in their trade up to acquire punter Thomas Morstead. We also know they were very interested in moving back into the first round to grab "Beanie" Wells which I would have to imagine would have required giving up a 2010 pick or two. None of this shows me any sincere interest in actually holding onto future draft picks.

And by the way, I never weighed in on the whole possible trade for "Beanie" Wells situation so here is my official stance: ridiculous.

More-stead

The more I hear about punter Thomas Morstead the more I think I'm beginning to like this pick. CSC reader YESSaints (hat tip) claims he's got some insider information and speaks very highly of Morstead. That seems to be right in line with other talk I've been reading around the internet. I think we all need to wait it out before cursing this move. It might turn out to be genius.

ESPN Grades the Saints

Just watched ESPN's NFL Live as they graded every teams draft by division. The Saints received a C as did Carolina. The Falcons and Bucs were both awarded with a B. No doubt the lack of picks this year plus the drafting of Morstead were major factors in the Saints getting just an average grade. After a current total of 645 votes 61% of Canal Street Chronicles readers would give the Saints a B. I'm with the readers on this one. I don't even know why I watch that show every day.

The Hits Just Keep on Coming

Sunday set a new Canal Street Chronicles record for most hits in a single day. Yesterday we broke that record. We will also set a new record for most hits in a month. Thanks to everyone out there reading.

Hill blames troubles on offensive line, not on two DUIs

Adam Hoge — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:02:53 -0000

"I've only had like two teams looking at me, but I'll be fine; I consider myself a playmaker. Wisconsin struggled on our offensive line, but I made the most of every opportunity. I know I'll do that in the NFL."

- P.J. Hill in a NY Daily News story from Tues., April 21, 2009

In a somewhat surprising weekend, four former UW football players were drafted Sunday in the third round of the NFL Draft and none were selected the rest of the day. That left eight former players as undrafted free agents, two of those being P.J. Hill and Jonathan Casillas, both of whom were projected as late-round picks.

But the story right now continues to be Hill's fall from grace. The star running back who surprisingly left school a year early to pursue a professional football career has racked up two DUIs since he declared for the draft and exactly zero interest from any of the 32 NFL teams.

And apparently it's his former offensive line's fault, not his poor decision making skills or the DUIs, which certainly go hand-in-hand. In a New York Daily news story from last Tuesday, Hill was quoted saying: "Wisconsin struggled on our offensive line, but I made the most of every opportunity. I know I'll do that in the NFL."

Right, so having Joe Thomas (already an NFL Pro Bowler) your freshman year must have been a bad thing. Having the emergence of Gabe Carimi filling in for Thomas the last two seasons must have been a bad thing. Playing three seasons at a school known for having huge offensive lines must have been a bad thing.

Those five guys on the line are the only reason why Hill was once compared to Ron Dayne. They are the only reason why Hill, an injury prone baby, was able to stay healthy as long as he did. They are the only reason Hill even had a chance to be drafted in New York this past weekend. And unless I missed something, they had absolutely nothing to do with Hill getting two DUIs, the second of which involved him eluding police after getting pulled over.

So cheers to the 32 teams from the NFL for making the wise decision of not drafting a kid who once was full of promise, but is now in a downward spiral not only in his football life, but in his life in general.

Now, on to the kids who might actually make an NFL roster:

Matt Shaughnessy (DE/OLB, 6-5, 266) - Drafted by Oakland in the third round with the 71st overall pick. The Raiders can always use help on defense so Shaughnessy could see playing time.

DeAndre Levy (OLB, 6-2, 236) - Drafted by Detroit in the third round with the 76th overall pick. Levy's stock rose late and seeing as how the Lions didn't win a game last season, he should be in the mix right away.

Kraig Urbik (OG, 6-5, 328) - Drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round with the 79th overall pick. The Steelers have already indicated that they might try Urbik at center. They like his versatility and are willing to give him a shot anywhere on the line.

Travis Beckum (TE/WR, 6-3, 243) - Drafted by the New York Giants with the last pick in the third round (100th overall). With Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer gone, the Giants need guys who can catch the football. This is a good situation for Beckum.

Chris Pressley (FB, 5-11, 255) - Signed with Cincinnati as an undrafted free agent. The Bengals like The Prez a lot but he will have to work hard to make the team because they re-signed Jeremi Johnson and drafted another fullback in the seventh round.

Andy Kemp (OG, 6-5, 313) - Signed with Minnesota as an undrafted free agent. It was somewhat surprising that Kemp went undrafted so he'll have an opportunity to make the team in Minnesota.

Jonathan Casillas (OLB, 6-1, 228) - Signed with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent. The Saints will probably keep Casillas at linebacker.

Bill Rentmeester (FB, 5-11, 247) - Signed with San Diego as an undrafted free agent.

Dave Peck (LS, 6-4, 245) - The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting Peck has a workout scheduled with Chicago.

Jason Chapman (DT, 6-2, 281) - Remains unsigned.

Mike Newkirk (DT, 6-1, 285) - Remains unsigned.

Poll

Which former Badger will have the longest NFL career?

Matt Shaughnessy - Oakland

8 votes

Kraig Urbik - Pittsburgh

74 votes

DeAndre Levy - Detroit

22 votes

Travis Beckum - NY Giants

40 votes

144 votes | Poll has closed

Badgers in the NFL Draft: Where will they go?

Adam Hoge — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 18:24:38 -0000

It will probably be a quiet day for former UW football players looking to get drafted this weekend as most of them will be selected in the third round or later, which won't happen until Sunday.

But there as many as 12 outgoing Badgers hoping to find NFL teams this weekend and B5Q predicts where those players will get drafted:

3rd Round

Travis Beckum (TE/WR, 6-3, 243) - The further he falls, the more he'll regret not coming out after his junior season.

Kraig Urbik (OG, 6-5, 328) - Arguably the Badgers' best pro prospect.

4th Round

Matt Shaughnessy (DE/OLB, 6-5, 266) - If he gets drafted into a 3-4 defense, he'll have to move to linebacker.

5th Round

Jonathan Casillas (OLB, 6-1, 228) - Injuries and DUIs have held Casillas back, but scouts still seem to love his talent.

DeAndre Levy (OLB, 6-2, 236) - Scouts love Levy's potential.

Andy Kemp (OG, 6-5, 313) - Will be drafted solely on size.

7th Round

P.J. Hill (RB, 5-10, 222) - Advice to any mediocre draft prospects who want to enter the draft early: DON'T GET TWO DUIs WHILE TRYING TO IMPRESS DRAFT SCOUTS! Hill will be lucky to get drafted.

Free Agents (In order of chances of being signed)

Chris Pressley (FB, 5-11, 255) - Hard worker and solid blocker. Has the will to make an NFL roster.

Jason Chapman (DT, 6-2, 281) - Injuries have really hurt his NFL chances.

Mike Newkirk (DT, 6-1, 285) - Probably too small to make it in the league.

Dave Peck (LS, 6-4, 245) - Good long snappers can be very valuable.

Bill Rentmeester (FB, 5-11, 247) - Brings a little speed to the table.

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Poll

Which former Badger will get drafted first?

Travis Beckum - TE/WR

11 votes

Jonathan Casillas - OLB

3 votes

DeAndre Levy - OLB

2 votes

Matt Shaughnessy - DE/OLB

10 votes

Kraig Urbik - G

6 votes

32 votes | Poll has closed

Jonathan Casillas at 141

John Morgan — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:32:15 -0000

Jonathan Casillas

Birthdate: June 3, 1987

Height/Weight: 6'1 1/8"/228

Position: OLB

College: Wisconsin, 48 games played

College Stats: 199 tackles, 28 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks, 5 hurries, 4 forced fumbles, 5 passes defensed, 2 interceptions, 3 punt returns for 50 yards and a TD (!)

My Take: Casillas was charged with a DUI for driving intoxicated on his moped. I'm honestly not sure if that disqualifies him or not. He's still recovering from surgery to repair damaged cartilage in his knee. Casillas underwent surgery in December and the length of his recovery is concerning. That's one reason that despite a fourth round grade, I think Casillas will be available in the fifth and don't think he becomes a value until the fifth. Poor health and character concerns are two big strikes against Casillas, two strikes that may knock him off Tim Ruskell's board completely.

What he does do is produce, and what he does have is great speed and cover ability for a weakside linebacker. He's an awful lot like Will Herring, but a better, fiercer tackler and a truer, more experienced linebacker. Seattle needs special teams help, and Casillas can contribute on special teams from the moment he's cleared to play, but his potential as anything more is dependent on him playing on a Tampa 2, or Tampa 2 style system. He's not Cato June -- in a good way. June's a fantastic upside for any mid-round linebacker, but Casillas is more like current Colt Clint Session. A little more power and a little more athleticism, but not the same kind of pure coverage skills as June. As far as fifth round picks go, drafting Casillas could net nothing, but late enough in the draft, upside really can annul any kind of downside.

Player	Position	College
CB	Danny Gorrer	Texas A&M
G	Cedric Dockery	Texas
WR	Chris Vaughn	Louisville
LB	Jonathan Casillas	Wisconsin
CB	Reggie Jones	Portland State
G/T	Augustus Parrish	Kent State
C	Alex Fletcher	Stanford
QB	Patrick Cowan	UCLA
RB	Herb Donaldson	Western Illinois