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

Continue reading this post »

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.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/09/10/colts-tackle-busted-for-pot-possession/

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.

This certainly weakens them at defensive tackle. The Colts seem to be above the media at times. I'm curious to see what the reaction is to this.

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.

Continue reading this post »

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.