The Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers have shaken up the NFL this season by installing Wildcat formations. This formation is based on the single wing, popular at the college level before World War II. How can this ancient offense revive the NFL?

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Luke Paul Chandler from New Era Scouting checks in with his week four rookie report.  

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Undoubtedly our most popular feature this off-season was the NFL position rankings. With the NFL schedule at the quarter mark, it's time to re-evaluate the positions.

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With the St. Louis Rams firing Scott Linehan today, where does the franchise go? Here is our ten-step plan for making the St. Louis Rams a winning team again.

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NEW ERA SCOUTING RADIO SHOW
8-9pm EST
Matt Miller & Eric Loomis
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/All-Access ... Radio-Show

4TH & INCHES
9-10pm EST
Matt Brown
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/All-Access ... 4th-Inches

Gentlemen,

I feel it is my duty to write this memo concerning the alarming situation that faces us in the 2009 off-season. Looking around the league, I see many teams placing their hope in young stars at the quarterback position (Buffalo, Denver) and I see teams struggling with the busted hope of a former draft pick (Tennessee, Arizona). One thing is certain, that the league is facing a crisis at the quarterback position.

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As the shift of power from the AFC to NFC continues, find out which two teams from the same division man the top spots in this week’s power rankings. Dave Ryan from New Era Scouting has updated his weekly power rankings.

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http://www.blogtalkradio.com/All-Access-Football/2008/09/19/New-Era-Scouting-Season-Premiere

Join New Era Scouting Founder Matthew Miller every Thursday night at 8pm eastern. The newest addition to the All Access Football Radio lineup, the New Era Scouting Show will take a different look at evaluating football players. Listen in and learn what pro scouts look for, with a new player evaluation method developed by the aforementioned Miller. Player Interviews TBA. 1 Hr.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3593874&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

Wisconsin senior linebacker Jonathan Casillas was cited for drunken driving last month while riding a mo-ped.

Casillas, who missed the eighth-ranked Badgers' first two games because of a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, was stopped by a university police officer on Aug. 24 just after midnight. A breath test showed his blood alcohol concentration to be 0.15 percent, nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08.

Casillas, 21, received three citations -- first-offense drunken driving, driving with a prohibited alcohol concentration, and driving with two persons on a mo-ped.

According to the Wisconsin State Journal, Badgers coach Bret Bielema said he already has disciplined Casillas.

"We handled that the same way as any alcohol or drug [violation]," Bielema, who did not give additional details, told the newspaper.

Bielema said the case does not fall under the UW student-athlete discipline policy.

Casillas is scheduled to appear in court on the citations on Friday. Wisconsin (3-0) has this weekend off before visiting Michigan on Sept. 27.

This question is surely going to be overplayed this season, but what does SBNation say?

If you were starting a franchise tomorrow, who are you taking?

By Dan Kadar, NewEraScouting.com

Alex Mack - Scouting Report
#51
School:    California
Birthdate: 10/19/1985

Height    Weight    40 Time    Bench Press    Vertical Jump    Three Cone
6'4    316    N/A    N/A           N/A           N/A

Scout: Dan Kadar
Date: September 16, 2008
Eval Position(s): C - Center

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I've spent my last three days updating the offensive position rankings. For the time being, they are hosted at NewEraScouting.com, but will soon be moving to MockingtheDraft. Enjoy!

2009 NFL Draft: Quarterback Rankings

2009 NFL Draft: Running back Rankings

2009 NFL Draft: Fullback Rankings

2009 NFL Draft: Wide Receiver Rankings

2009 NFL Draft: Tight End Rankings

2009 NFL Draft: Offensive Tackle Rankings

2009 NFL Draft: Offensive Guard Rankings

2009 NFL Draft: Center Rankings

Up:
Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC- Maualuga may very well be moving to our #1 overall player. For all the hype at USC, Maualuga is worthy of more.

Chase Daniel, QB, Missouri- Daniel threw for 405 yards and four touchdowns for the Tigers, on his way to the Mizzou all-time passing record. Daniel has led 13 straight scoring drives.

Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma- Bradford was 18-21 for 304 yards and five TDs, including one rushing TD. No, Washington doesn't have much on defense, but Bradford is a model of consistency, and has the arm to tear apart a defense. 

Javon Ringer, RB, Michigan State- Ringer is big, strong, fast and scary in the red-zone. He put up 282 yards and two touchdowns Saturday.

Mark Sanchez, QB, USC- He was 17-28 for 172 yards and four touchdowns. I truly believe that Sanchez may be the 1st quarterback drafted if he decides to come out. I would encourage him to stay and get two years of starting under his belt, but this guy is amazing.

Patrick Pinkney, QB, East Carolina- Pinkey was 22 of 32 for 260 yards and two touchdown throws.

Down:

Todd Boeckman, QB, Ohio State- I had been defending Boeckman leading up to the USC game, but playing against a below-NFL caliber defense, he looked horrible. His pro stock has taken a huge hit. 

Chase Holbrook, QB, New Mexico State- Another player that we liked pre-season. Holbrook is amazing statistically, but his mechanics have been exposed. He is getting the famed system QB label. 

Out:
Brad Lester, RB, Auburn- Lester left the game early Saturday with a sprained neck.

Toney Baker, RB, NC State- Baker missed the Wolfpack's game Saturday against Clemson with a knee injury.

Kenny McKinley, WR, South Carolina- The productive senior receiver did not play Saturday against Georgia due to an injured hamstring.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/09/11/bucs-shopping-garcia/

A league source tells us that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trying to trade quarterback Jeff Garcia. Per the source, the Bucs are willing to take anything they can get for Garcia, who’s in the final season of a two-year contract. The problem is the relationship between Garcia and coach Jon Gruden. They’re "ready to kill each other," the source said. It’s so bad that there’s a possibility (albeit slim at this point) that the Bucs will ultimately cut Garcia. On Wednesday, Gruden declared that Brian Griese will start for the Bucs on Sunday against the Falcons. Garcia reportedly has an ankle injury. If Garcia is cut, he’ll be entitled to receive the balance of his $2 million salary as termination pay.

Per the Boston Globe:

The Globe's Shira Springer, citing NFL sources, reports today that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and torn medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee.

Medical tests on the knee, including an MRI performed Monday, indicated no damage to other knee ligaments and no torn cartilage. The typical course of action for such an injury is to wait 4-6 weeks for the MCL tear to heal, then reconstruct the ACL. Brady will likely undergo surgery in approximately one month and face 6-9 months of recovery and rehabilitation, barring any complications.

For more, check out Springer's complete report.

Now the important question: What are the ACL and MCL? Wikipedia to the rescue.

The anterior cruciate ligament (or ACL) is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It connects from a posterio-lateral part of the femur to an anterio-medial part of the tibia. These attachments allow it to resist anterior translation of the tibia, in relation to the femur. More specifically, it is attached to the depression in front of the intercondyloid eminence of the tibia, being blended with the anterior extremity of the lateral meniscus. It passes up, backward, and laterally, and is fixed into the medial and back part of the lateral condyle of the femur.

 

The posterior cruciate ligament (or PCL) is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial condyle of the femur. This configuration allows the PCL to resist forces pushing the tibia posteriorly relative to the femur.

Brady can expect around 9 months of rehabilitation time.

The NFL season is in full bloom, and that means I am looking for the weaknesses on every team in preparation for the 2009 NFL Draft.

Post your team needs here!

Former #1 Overall pick Alex Smith will miss the entire 2008 season with a shoulder injury. The good news? He as a back up.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/09/10/smith-lands-on-ir/

Less than two days after quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ career with the Packers unofficially began, quarterback Alex Smith’s career with the 49ers is unofficially over.

The team has announced that Smith has been placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury suffered in practice on Friday.

Recently, G.M. Scot McGloughan acknowledged that, if Smith isn’t the starter in 2009, the team won’t be able to justify keeping Smith and his $9.625 million base salary.

The Niners were considering both Smith and Rodgers in April 2005.  When they chose Smith with the first overall pick, Rodgers commenced a 23-spot free fall, landing in Green Bay with the 24th overall selection.

Meanwhile, the Niners might be feeling some regrets about passing on Rodgers, who looked like an established veteran against the Vikings. 

And the list of other teams that might be having second thoughts about not drafting Rodgers likely includes the Vikings, who had not one but two cracks at Rodgers.  Instead, they took Troy Williamson at No. 7 and Erasmus James at No. 18.

Question:  Where are they now?

Answer:  Don’t waste your time looking for them on the Minnesota roster.

Well, well, well.

Just as the “Days without an Arrest” meter edged back into double digits, it can be reset to double zero.

Colts defensive tackle Ed Johnson was arrested Wednesday morning for marijuana possession. 

“Those charges have been filed, it is my understanding, and we are in the process right now of determining what course of action to take with respect to discipline,” G.M. Bill Polian said.  ”There will be discipline, the question is what is it.”

As an initial step, coach Tony Dungy said that Johnson won’t play on Sunday at Minnesota. 

Whether Johnson is docked a game check is a different issue.  The arrest exposes Johnson to potential discipline under the substance-abuse policy; teams arguably don’t have the ability to impose separate penalties for the same conduct.

In fact, an argument could be made that the team has no authority to suspend with pay, either.  It’s unlikely that Johnson would fight it, however.  Otherwise, the team might conclude at some point in the future that his skills have eroded to the point that they have to cut him.

It's hard to find a good mock draft, especially one that is updated. I'm taking on a small project of updating a mock draft database for Mocking the Draft. Have a website and a mock draft? Leave it in the comments and I'll add it.

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Up:
QB Chase Daniel, Missouri- After placing him on the down list last week, Daniel rebounded and looked like a solid second-round type quarterback. It will be interesting to see him play the Big 12 schedule, and not SE Missouri State. The moral of the story: Scouting in weeks 1-4 is a joke.

FS David Bruton, Notre Dame- One of the lone bright spots so far for the Irish (1-0). Bruton has shown amazing speed and versatility. He's out from under the shadow of Tom Zbikowski, and may end up being the better draft prospect.

CB Mike Mickens, Cincinnati- While the rest of his team struggled against Oklahoma, Mickens more than held his own. In the process, he showed NFL scouts his ability to run with top-end receivers.

Down:
RB James Davis, Clemson- Davis was ranked as high as #5 overall at one point this off-season, but his inability to show anything so far this season has us moving him down, down, down.

CB Victor Harris, Virginia Tech- At one point Harris was my top cornerback, but he continues his down-hill slide, along with the entire VT team.

Out:
OT Andre Smith, Alabama- The big junior prospect is questionable for Saturday's game with a right knee sprain.

QB Dustin Grutza, Cincinnati- Grutza will miss the rest of the season with a broken right fibula. In the season opener he was named the Big East player of the week.

TE Tony Moeaki, Iowa- Moeaki, who has been riddled with injuries, is probable this week after suffering a broken foot.

S William Moore, Missouri- Moore is probable for this weekend with a sprained right foot.

The NFL season officially starts tonight. NFL scout Matt Miller has ranked every NFL player by position. In our final installment, here are the NFL safety rankings.

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After one full week of college football, here is our updated 2009 NFL Draft.

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We can officially kick-off the NFL Draft season today. Here is our growing list of scouting reports. More to come soon!

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Up:
QB Mark Sanchez, USC: A first for me by mentioning a junior, but in a weak senior quarterback class, Sanchez has a claim to be the early (very early) favorite as the top quarterback.

QB Colt McCoy, Texas: I try not to mention juniors, but McCoy had a huge game yesterday. Consider this my one moment of fandom.

QB Pat White, West Virginia: White may have erased those thoughts that he cannot play quarterback in the NFL with a great game throwing and running yesterday. He'll need to play as consistent for 11 more weeks.

RB P.J. Hill, Wisconsin: He showed the breakaway speed that many questioned last night. Hill looks like a future first-rounder in this book.

Down:
QB Chase Daniel, Missouri: Daniel proved to me, and others, last night that he is not an NFL quarterback. He stares down his targets, is taking every snap from 5-6 yds behind the center and lacks arm strength. He's a very good college quarterback, but that is it.

QB Cullen Harper, Clemson: He's been hyped from coast to coast, and I'm guilty of it too. Harper did not look like a first-round quarterback against Alabama.

Michigan: It's rare to see the mighty Wolverines this far down. On a defense with many talented seniors, the production is not there. The team looked soft.

Out:
DT Lamarr Houston, Texas: Houston was arrested Sunday morning and charged with a DWI after a traffic accident. Not the follow-up Texas was hoping for after a 52-10 win over FAU.

DT Jeff Owens, Georgia: The vaunted senior left the game with a knee injury in the first quarter and is reportedly out for the year.

ACC Schedule

Big 10 Schedule

Big 12 Schedule

Matt Miller is the owner of New Era Scouting and the operator of MockingtheDraft.com. Miller has been scouting the draft and football players since 1997 at various levels from high school to professional football.

As the owner and creator of New Era Scouting, Miller is responsible for the daily operations of the website and message board, as well as the direct supervisor to a growing staff. Miller also serves as the Director of Scouting, managing both college and pro scouting for New Era. The college scouting format developed by Miller and former scout Jeff Cottrill has become familiar throughout the industry. Matt has worked in many facets during his brief career as a writer, coach, scout and radio analyst. Matt has worked with many NFL, AFL and NCAA teams over the past decade, with his work being seen by the Carolina Panthers, St. Louis Rams and Houston Texans; as well as being featured on NFL.com, CNNSI.com and AOL FanHouse writings, Miller has also been featured on ESPN Radio, WEEI Radio and many other regional shows. Matt is a credentialed scout for the Big 12 and the University of Missouri football team.

As a coach, Miller served as the special teams and secondary coordinator for the Central Football League champion Joplin Crusaders during the 2007 and 2008 Spring seasons. Matt has also served as a high school football coach in Missouri.

Before starting New Era Scouting, Miller began his work in the NFL Draft field as the San Francisco 49ers team writer for NFL Draft Blitz. After two seasons of work as a staff writer, Miller was promoted to Senior Columnist and then quickly given the title of Vice President. While at NFL Draft Blitz, Miller helped what would become the most visited independent football website on the Internet transition to a new design as well as creating his Inside Information section that has carried over to New Era. Miller then became the acting President of NFL Draft Blitz, assisting owner Chris Horwedel in the day-to-day operations as well as acting as Director of Scouting and new content. Miller left Blitz amicably to create his own site, NFL Draft Almanac, before the 2006 NFL Draft. Almanac found a fast-growing following by fans and media members alike, propelling the staff and website into the minds of many as a top NFL Draft site. The success of Draft Almanac led to a brief merger with former site NFL Draft Blitz in May 2006. The merger proved to be ineffective for both sites, and a split was made in February 2007 with the launch of New Era Scouting.

Matt has a degree in Business Law from Missouri Southern University and currently works in marketing and development.

Keeping up with the posting from yesterday, here is a look at the Big 10 and Big 12 schedules.

Big 10 Schedule

Big 12 Schedule

A resource used by our scouting service is called Scout's Schedule. This is a simple Excel sheet, but the information contained is quite valuable.

Here is an inside look at the scout's schedule for the ACC.

http://www.newerascouting.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/accschedule.htm

You've seen the top 20, here is the rest of the list.

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For those valued readers, you can sign up here: http://www.fleaflicker.com/showLeague.do?leagueId=49312

There may be prizes, there may be rewards. All that is certain is that I am undefeated in the past 4 years. So, sign up and let's see what you've got.

There are 11 openings and they are first-come, first-serve. So hurry, register and sign up. Then prepare for a beating. Good luck, you'll need it.